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The action by county commissioners “shows a blatant disregard for the expertise of librarians,” one critic said.
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A board of commissioners in North Carolina decided earlier this month to dissolve the entire library board of trustees in response to that board refusing to remove a single book featuring a transgender child character from the shelves.
The 3-2 decision by the Randolph County Board of Commissioners was based, in part, on the debunked concept of “social contagion” — the belief that children, after seeing acceptance of LGBTQ people (particularly transgender people), will somehow become “infected” with the idea and seek to change their identities.
The book in question, “Call Me Max,” features a character who says he wants to be called a name that better matches his gender identity — Max. Randolph County library system alleged the book was “planting” the idea of being trans into children's minds.
In October, in response to a parent's complaint about the book, the Randolph County Public Library's Board of Trustees voted 5-2 against removing or relocating the book in its libraries, with some trustee members describing such an action as being a “slippery slope” toward censorship.
“We adhere to the rules for the disposition of materials,” one library trustee member, Betty Armfield, reportedly said at the commission meeting in December. “We have the responsibility to serve all sides of issues.”
Armfield added that it was “parents' responsibility to choose what they believe are appropriate books for their children.”
The commissioners' vote means that the commission itself will likely have to appoint new members to the library board of trustees. Critics condemned the decision as being extraordinary.
“It's a pretty dramatic response to wanting to have diverse and inclusive books on shelves,” said Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read program at PEN America.
Kyle Lukoff, the author of “Call Me Max,” shared in a social media post his distress at the trustees being removed.
“A library's entire board of trustees was fired and replaced because they refused to ban one of my books. It's so terrible,” Lukoff said on Instagram. “I just feel so bad for the people who live in that community and love their library.”
Over the past several years, school and community libraries have seen an increase in right-wing attempts to ban books, particularly those with LGBTQ and/or nonwhite characters. Bans on such books make it difficult for kids to feel seen and included, experts say.
“When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part,” Rudine Sims Bishop, sociology professor emerita at Ohio State University, wrote in a paper earlier this year.
Zane McNeill, former news writer at Truthout and current health equity and civil rights fellow at Lawyers for Good Government, also panned the Rudolph County commission's actions.
“From 2023 to 2024, 25 percent of banned books in the U.S. featured LGBTQ characters or themes,” McNeill said in a statement to Truthout. “Librarians and library boards nationwide pushed back, calling these bans what they are: censorship.”
McNeill added:
This response by the County Board of Commissioners to dissolve the Randolph County Public Library's Board of Trustees…shows a blatant disregard for the expertise of librarians, the importance of telling diverse stories, and the First Amendment right to share and encounter ideas. At a time when authoritarianism gains power by casting trans people as the ‘Other,' every local struggle — from libraries to courtrooms, universities, and state capitals — matters.
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This year is a little different. We are up against a far-reaching, wide-scale attack on press freedom coming from the Trump administration. 2025 was a year of frightening censorship, news industry corporate consolidation, and worsening financial conditions for progressive nonprofits across the board.
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This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the following terms:
Chris Walker is a news writer at Truthout, and is based out of Madison, Wisconsin. Focusing on both national and local topics since the early 2000s, he has produced thousands of articles analyzing the issues of the day and their impact on the American people. He can be found on most social media platforms under the handle @thatchriswalker.
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Experts decry ‘neocolonialist' Guinea-Bissau study after Trump administration changed advice for US babies
The Trump administration has indicated that it will fund a $1.6m study on hepatitis B vaccination of newborns in the west African country of Guinea-Bissau, where nearly one in five adults live with the virus – a move that researchers call “highly unethical” and “extremely risky”.
The news follows an official change in recommendations on hepatitis B vaccines at birth from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which called the shots an “individual” decision, despite decades of safe and effective vaccination and no evidence of harm. It is part of sweeping changes to childhood immunizations by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, which have global repercussions – including cutting funding for programs that bring vaccines to countries around the world.
“He has a fixed, immutable belief that vaccines cause harm,” said Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. “He will do everything he can to try and prove that.”
The actions taken this year by Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, have “a global impact”, said Elizabeth Jacobs, professor emerita at the University of Arizona and a founding member of the grassroots group Defend Public Health. “It is spreading like an infection all its own throughout the globe.”
Testing established vaccines in a country with high rates of hepatitis B and a fragile health system “reeks of a neocolonialist attitude” and risks expanding global mistrust of the US and science, said Gavin Yamey, professor of global health at the Duke Global Health Institute.
When Kennedy announced in June that the US would end funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has vaccinated more than 1.2 billion children and saved an estimated 20.6 million lives, he sent shock waves through global health – and he cited an unusual study from 2018 to justify the action.
The study made an alarming claim: the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine caused death in young girls in Guinea-Bissau. It was published by a group of Danish researchers, including a married couple named Peter Aaby and Christine Stabell Benn.
But when Kennedy made his announcement in 2025, he did not mention a 2022 paper from some of the same authors on the same topic finding completely different results, essentially nullifying the first study.
“We did not find that early-DTP was associated with increased female mortality as found in a previous study,” the researchers wrote.
It is one example of their questionable research, which has drawn criticism from other researchers and journalists examining their findings.
Now those same researchers will be the ones carrying out the new study on hepatitis B vaccination in Guinea-Bissau. US funding will go to the Bandim Health Project, led by Aaby and Stabell Benn, at the University of Southern Denmark.
Aaby and Stabell Benn did not respond to the Guardian's inquiries about the details of the five-year study, set to begin in early 2026.
Babies in the randomized, controlled trial will or will not receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Researchers will then compare early-life mortality, illness and development between the groups, according to the award announcement from the CDC.
The World Health Organization recommends giving the vaccine to all babies at birth, but Guinea-Bissau has struggled to roll out the shots to every newborn, instead recommending the dose at six weeks of age. The country has pledged to fill that gap and plans on recommending hepatitis B vaccines to all newborns in 2027.
It is a major breach of scientific ethics to withhold an intervention that has been proven safe and effective. “It's highly unethical to choose to give a vaccine to some children but not others,” Offit said.
Yamey noted: “There's already an RCT [randomized, controlled trial] showing superior outcomes with the birth dose, so why is another one needed?”
The study does not appear to be looking at whether the vaccine is more effective at birth, which Jacobs said was “concerning” as “nowhere in this do they say that they're going to study the efficacy of the vaccine itself.”
Instead, the trial will examine whether there are “overall health effects” – not specific outcomes, such as preventing infection from the virus – when the shot is given at birth, according to the Bandim Health Project.
“This announcement has set alarm bells ringing in the global health community,” said Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, calling it a symptom of “a policy desperately searching for evidence”.
“It is not clear what the research question is. It seems to be about the safety of the vaccine rather than its effectiveness, but both are already well-established, and to undertake such a study in a population where almost one in five of the adult population has a marker of infection seems extremely risky,” McKee said.
He also questioned whether participants could truly give informed consent, given the ethical concerns about how the study is being conducted.
In a recent survey, about 18% of Bissau-Guinean adults had hepatitis B, a virus that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer, especially among young children. If a baby is infected in the first year of life, there is a 90% chance they will develop cirrhosis or liver cancer; between the ages of one and five, there is a 25% chance. Among adults, about 5% have a chronic infection.
In a recent study of toddlers in Guinea-Bissau, about 11.2% already had hepatitis B infection, which means not enough babies are getting the shots, said Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity and director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford. Across sub-Saharan Africa, only about 17% of babies receive the recommended birth dose, he added.
“The priority should be to increase vaccination with the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine and protect more babies from the risk posed by this virus,” Pollard said.
In the US, recommending the vaccine at birth to all babies – not just those who appeared to be at risk of infection – caused rates among children to drop precipitously, from 20,000 to about 20 a year.
“We virtually eliminated hepatitis B in children less than 10,” Offit said. Children may be infected at birth, but they may also come into contact with other children and adults carrying the virus – which can remain infectious on surfaces for up to a week.
The experts voiced concerns about how the study would take place. It is unusual for a trial like this to take place in Guinea-Bissau instead of the United States or Denmark, they said.
“Why on Earth is this study happening in a high-endemic setting where the birth dose matters the most?” Yamey asked.
In Denmark, where only three in 1,000 people have the virus, the shot is not currently recommended at birth either, which means the same study could be conducted there. Denmark also has health registries, making it easier to access complete medical records. Instead, by working in a country with precarious healthcare and high rates of the illness, studies like this may lead to “expanding distrust in global public health”, Jacobs said.
The US canceled much of its global aid and research earlier this year, Jacobs said.
“In the face of the US canceling all this funding for vulnerable countries, and then it's still going to pay for this research to be done – that is really worrying,” she said. “It seems to say we don't value your lives enough to continue to provide support overall, but we won't hesitate to experiment with your population.”
The study is single-blinded, which means the patients will not know who got the vaccine and who didn't, but the research team will – which can affect the way they collect and interpret the data. “This means they can stamp their own biases on the results,” Yamey said. And the endpoints – “overall health effects” – are “very squishy”, which leaves the results vulnerable to manipulation, Jacobs said.
Henrik Støvring, a professor of statistics and pharmacometrics at Aarhus University who co-wrote about red flags in Bandim Health Project research for the journal Vaccine this month, said “broad hypotheses like these carry a high risk of false positive findings, and in general the research group has previously been reluctant to use appropriate statistical methods to curb such a risk.”
“I think conflicts of interests are always an issue when the donor so explicitly seeks out a research group and funds a study,” Støvring said.
The Danish journalist Gunver Lystbæk Vestergård has also written about major issues with research conducted by Aaby and Stabell Benn.
After the CDC sparked outrage by changing the recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination with no evidence, Jacobs said, “they're now funding this to try to give themselves cover for having done that.”
“Because Robert F Kennedy Jr is an anti-vaccine zealot, he will somehow contort that study to look like the hepatitis B birth dose causes harm” or that it is better to delay the shots, Offit said.
Scientists, doctors and medical organizations are speaking out against Kennedy, he said, but “this is a political problem, and it requires a political solution.”
In the meantime, children will bear the brunt of these decisions, Offit continued: “This breaks my heart. It really does. It's hard to sleep knowing that children are constantly being put in harm's way by the administration.”
“This cannot be normalized,” said Amnesty International's Center for International Justice.
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The International Criminal Court and human rights groups on Thursday condemned new US sanctions on two more of the tribunal's judges, which brought the total number of sanctioned ICC jurists to 11 amid the Trump administration's escalating campaign of retaliation against people and institutions seeking to hold Israel and the United States accountable for their alleged crimes.
“Today, I am designating two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, pursuant to Executive Order 14203, ‘Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court,'” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, referring to President Donald Trump's February edict.
“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel's consent, including voting with the majority in favor of the ICC's ruling against Israel's appeal on December 15,” Rubio added, referencing Monday's rejection of an Israeli bid to block a probe into alleged war crimes committed during the genocidal two-year war on Gaza.
Although Israel and the US are not ICC members and do not recognize the Hague-based tribunal's jurisdiction, Palestine is a state party to the Rome Statute governing the court. The treaty says that individuals from nonsignatory nations can be held liable for crimes committed in the territory of a member state.
Last year, the ICC issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, including murder and forced starvation in a war that has left more than 250,000 Palestinians dead, wounded, or missing.
The Trump administration had previously sanctioned nine other ICC jurists: Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan (United Kingdom), Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan (Fiji), Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang (Senegal), Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza (Peru), Judge Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou (Benin), Judge Beti Hohler (Slovenia), Judge Nicolas Yann Guillou (France), and Judge Kimberly Prost (Canada).
The affected judges have recently described how the US sanctions have left them and their families — who are also blacklisted — “wiped out economically and socially.”
Responding to the new US punitive measures, the ICC said Thursday that “these sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates pursuant to the mandate conferred by its states parties from across regions.”
“Such measures targeting judges and prosecutors who were elected by the states parties undermine the rule of law,” the court continued. “When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk.”
“As previously stated, the court stands firmly behind its personnel and behind victims of unimaginable atrocities,” the ICC added. “It will continue to carry out its mandate with independence and impartiality, in full accordance with the Rome Statute and in the interest of victims of international crimes.”
Human Rights Watch also slammed the new US sanctions, which the group called “the latest attempt by the Trump administration to blatantly interfere with independent justice.”
The US government has imposed sanctions on two additional ICC judges in order to shield Israeli officials from charges of grave international crimes.These sanctions are the latest attempt by the Trump administration to blatantly interfere with independent justice.— Human Rights Watch (@hrw.org) 2025-12-18T20:01:41.893084605Z
The US government has imposed sanctions on two additional ICC judges in order to shield Israeli officials from charges of grave international crimes.These sanctions are the latest attempt by the Trump administration to blatantly interfere with independent justice.
Amnesty International's Center for International Justice lamented that “once again, the US administration is attacking international justice — sanctioning two ICC judges. This cannot be normalized.”
“States must firmly oppose US threats and sanctions and uphold the court's ability to pursue accountability,” the group added, “even against the most powerful perpetrators.”
December is the most critical time of year for Truthout, because our nonprofit news is funded almost entirely by individual donations from readers like you. So before you navigate away, we ask that you take just a second to support Truthout with a tax-deductible donation.
This year is a little different. We are up against a far-reaching, wide-scale attack on press freedom coming from the Trump administration. 2025 was a year of frightening censorship, news industry corporate consolidation, and worsening financial conditions for progressive nonprofits across the board.
We can only resist Trump's agenda by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. At Truthout, we have you.
We've set an ambitious target for our year-end campaign — a goal of $211,000 to keep up our fight against authoritarianism in 2026. Please take a meaningful action in this fight: make a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout before December 31. If you have the means, please dig deep.
Brett Wilkins is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
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Truthout appeals urgently for your end-of-year support. To confront Trump's fascism in 2026 we will need significant resources. So, we have an ambitious goal — to raise $211,000 by December 31. Please make a tax-deductible donation now to support nonprofit journalism.
Man known as ‘John' expected to be eligible for $50,000 reward from FBI for providing details on the suspect
The authorities dealing with the mass shooting at Brown University hailed on Friday a member of the public who came forward with information that helped crack the case and lead to the suspect.
A man known publicly so far only as “John” posted key information on the Reddit platform about an encounter with the suspect that caught the attention of investigators, while Reddit users urged him to go to the police with his tips.
The man approached a police officer in Providence, the Rhode Island capital where the Ivy League school is based, and said “I think you are looking for me,” according to authorities.
He is now expected to be eligible for the $50,000 reward offered by the FBI for information leading to the suspect in the Brown tragedy.
John reported an unusual encounter at the university with the person who turned out to be the suspect and said he also saw him acting oddly in relation to a rented gray Nissan car with Florida license plates.
“He was, in fact, critical to this and certainly everyone in Providence owes this individual a debt of gratitude,” Brett Smiley, the mayor of Providence, said in an interview with CNN on Friday morning.
“He came in and was fully forthcoming , provided key details ... We had disparate pieces of information and we had strong suspicions that these pieces of information fit together but it hadn't been corroborated and he was able to do that for us, and so it was really a critical turning point,” Smiley said.
The mayor added that John probably had legitimate fear for his safety after an image of him on surveillance footage was released by the authorities but “this was an individual who stepped up and stepped forward for all the right reasons.”
Smiley said that the motive of the dead suspect, Claudio Neves Valente, was not yet known, over the shooting at Brown, where he was briefly a graduate student 25 years ago, and the killing on Thursday of a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Investigators believe Valente was also responsible for shooting dead the MIT professor Nuno FG Loureiro at his home in the Boston suburbs.
The tipster, John, was reportedly of no fixed abode and was staying in the basement of the engineering building at Brown where he first bumped into Valente in a bathroom before the mass shooting last Saturday evening, the New York Post reported.
He later pursued Valente and saw him with the rental car that ultimately helped investigators track him down to Salem, New Hampshire, where Valente was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday night.
Smiley said the tipster was, himself, a Brown graduate. “He was proud of that community and he realized [when he encountered the suspect on campus] that it was someone he had never seen before”, which aroused his suspicions, Smiley said on CNN.
There is no longer famine in Gaza, a United Nations-backed hunger monitor announced on Friday, after an influx of humanitarian aid into the strip following a ceasefire agreed in October between Israel and Hamas.
“Following a significant reduction in conflict, a proposed peace plan, and improved access for both humanitarian and commercial food deliveries, food security conditions have improved in the Gaza Strip,” the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said. “No areas are classified in Famine,” it added.
The global watchdog had said in August that parts of Gaza are officially experiencing a “man-made” famine.
Famine confirmed in Gaza City, but that's not news to these Palestinians
The organization noted, however, that despite these improvements, most of Gaza's population faced high levels of acute food insecurity.
“Although humanitarian assistance, including food aid, has increased, only basic survival needs are being met,” the IPC said.
While Gaza's classification has changed, the IPC warned that the risk of the enclave falling back into famine remains.
“Under a worst-case scenario involving renewed hostilities and a halt in humanitarian and commercial inflows, North Gaza, Gaza Governorate, Deir al-Balah, and Khan Younis would face a risk of Famine through mid-April 2026,” it said.
Israel in August heavily disputed that there was famine in Gaza, saying it was doing all it could to allow aid into the strip.
In response to Friday's IPC report, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said: “In the face of the facts, even the IPC is forced to admit. There is no famine in Gaza,” adding that there are “hundreds” of aid trucks entering the strip every day.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli agency tasked with facilitating aid distribution in Gaza, said that between 600-800 aid trucks enter the Gaza Strip every day, approximately 70% of which carry food.
Hamas has previously disputed figures from COGAT, saying that not enough aid is making it into the enclave.
CNN, along with other media outlets, has widely reported on hunger and starvation in Gaza. Before the ceasefire, during its two years of war, Israel has at times restricted or cut off the entry of aid to the ravaged enclave.
While some people have died of starvation and hunger, others have been killed trying to receive aid at distribution sites.
August was the first time the IPC had confirmed famine in the Middle East. Under the IPC system – a five-phase scale used to measure the severity of food insecurity – a famine can only be declared if data shows certain thresholds are met.
Those conditions are: at least 20% of all households must face an extreme food shortage, 30% or more of children must be acutely malnourished or 15% of children suffering from acute malnutrition based on body measurements, and at least two in every 10,000 people die every day because of outright starvation or the interaction of malnutrition and disease.
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The federal government is appealing a case from Trump's first term to reinstate an asylum ban at the southern border.
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Immigrant justice advocates are worried that the Trump administration's attempt to reinstate an asylum ban at the U.S.-Mexico border through an appeal at the Supreme Court will put asylum seekers in harm's way.
Asylum is a way for people to escape dangerous conditions such as violence, war, consequences from climate change, or persecution for their sexual orientation or gender identity. Each year, tens of thousands of people present themselves at the border to seek asylum. In 2023, the U.S. granted asylum to 54,350 people.
“People have sought safety at the border from all over the world fleeing violence, persecution, and discrimination, and that is really why asylum is so critically important,” said Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA. “People are fleeing real life-threatening harms, and this is really the mechanism for them to find a way for safety.”
Under the first Trump administration, people seeking asylum at the United States-Mexico border would typically be met by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who would turn them away. While some cases of asylum seekers being turned away at the San Ysidro border crossing occurred in 2016, the turn-back policies, called “metering” by the government, weren't written and widely instituted until the first Trump administration. This turn-back policy created a humanitarian crisis at the border that impacted thousands of people seeking refuge from danger.
In response, immigrant justice lawyers representing 13 plaintiffs sued to overturn the asylum ban in Noem vs. Al Otro Lado in 2017. The lawsuit was filed in July 2017 by Al Otro Lado, along with the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, the American Immigration Council, and other organizations located near the border.
“Customs and Border Protection officers would confront people literally standing at the line and obstruct them from coming in,” said Melissa Crow, the director of litigation for the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, who has been involved with the case since 2017. “They thought that would somehow make their blocking of access to the asylum process legal.”
Under the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees and U.S. immigration law, the U.S. has a legal obligation to provide asylum and pathways to citizenship to people who meet the qualifications for a refugee.
Crow said that when asylum seekers would try to cross the border at the time this ban was in place, they would be told that there was no capacity. She said that during the discovery phase of the trial, however, it was uncovered that the “excuses were pretextual.”
The case was originally heard in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego before the federal government attempted to appeal the case to the Ninth Circuit Court, but the judge affirmed that the turn-back policy is unlawful.
The Supreme Court expects to hear arguments in the spring, with a decision anticipated for the summer.
Last month, the Supreme Court agreed to consider the case and expects to hear arguments in the spring, with a decision anticipated for the summer.
One of the plaintiffs in Noem vs. Al Otro Lado, an asylum seeker the legal team refers to as “Bianca Doe,” is a transgender woman who sought asylum at the U.S. border in early 2017 after suffering extreme physical and sexual violence in both Honduras, her home country, and Mexico. When she presented herself at an official port of entry, border officials turned her back. Fearing for her life in Tijuana and desperate to reach safety in the United States, she attempted to climb a fence on a beach to come into the United States, but a border officer threatened to call the Mexican police.
She wasn't allowed into the U.S. until Noem v. Al Otro Lado challenged the policy keeping her from entering the country. Now, advocates like Fischer worry that reimplementing the asylum ban would bring back that desperation and fear facing many asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children, she said, which allows bad actors to profit and take advantage of those vulnerabilities at the border.
“The ability for people to seek asylum at the border is really a life-or-death issue.”
“The ability for people to seek asylum at the border is really a life-or-death issue,” Fischer said. “People must have the ability to present themselves and be able to seek this critical protection. Policies that are intended to block access to asylum or deter people from seeking asylum really only add to the violence and chaos and the real struggles that people have at the border.”
While the government wants to turn back people seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, not all asylum seekers are subject to the same crackdown. Marisa Limón Garza, executive director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, said the targeting of the southern border specifically — while European or white South African immigrants are allowed to continue seeking asylum — is due to U.S. racism. To her, the attack on asylum did not come as a surprise.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration accepted 59 white South African refugees, affirming their assertion of being victims of “racial discrimination,” while Black and Afghan refugees have been denied refuge in the U.S.
“We've already seen in our detention centers people with protected status be detained and attempted to be deported, so why would they not go after the big fish, asylum at large, and just cut off that mechanism unless it's for white folks of a certain class bracket that they would like to populate the United States,” Limón Garza said.
“We've already seen in our detention centers people with protected status be detained and attempted to be deported, so why would they not go after the big fish, asylum at large, and just cut off that mechanism.”
She also said that she has seen a decrease in the amount of people seeking asylum at the southern border since the start of the second Trump administration. She believes it's due to the increased kidnappings and raids in the U.S. “People are really second guessing, like, ‘Do I want to go to the United States?,' because if you're leaving danger, would you go to a place that's just as dangerous, if not more? Why would you want to go to a place where you would just end up in a detention center in horrible conditions?”
Limón Garza is also concerned that the attack on asylum at the southern border will open the door for broader attacks on asylum recipients in the U.S.: “It's all interconnected.”
“We have to look around, look at our resources, and make a plan so it doesn't go unchecked,” she said. “I don't know what we'll do yet, but we will respond.”
Fischer said that ending asylum would mean thrusting people back into the same danger they fled. Rather than trying to ban asylum, she said, the federal government should instead be building reception systems so that people who are arriving to seek safety have access to lawyers, social workers, and the resources they need to start putting down roots in their new communities, as well as more legal pathways to citizenship.
“I think as much as communities are really stepping up and stepping out to protect their immigrant friends and neighbors, it is really, really critical for the Trump administration to stop their mass deportation and mass detention machine and really turn a new lease on their treatment of people seeking safety in immigrant communities,” Fischer said.
December is the most critical time of year for Truthout, because our nonprofit news is funded almost entirely by individual donations from readers like you. So before you navigate away, we ask that you take just a second to support Truthout with a tax-deductible donation.
This year is a little different. We are up against a far-reaching, wide-scale attack on press freedom coming from the Trump administration. 2025 was a year of frightening censorship, news industry corporate consolidation, and worsening financial conditions for progressive nonprofits across the board.
We can only resist Trump's agenda by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. At Truthout, we have you.
We've set an ambitious target for our year-end campaign — a goal of $211,000 to keep up our fight against authoritarianism in 2026. Please take a meaningful action in this fight: make a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout before December 31. If you have the means, please dig deep.
This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the following terms:
Victoria Valenzuela is an independent journalist in California covering criminal justice, feminism and activism. She recently graduated from the University of Southern California with a master's degree in specialized journalism with a focus on social justice and investigations. Her work has been published in The Guardian, BuzzFeed News, LAist, Bolts, ScheerPost and more. In the past, she has worked with The Marshall Project and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She has also held fellowships with ProPublica, the Law and Justice Journalism Project, and most recently was an Uprising Fellow with Justice Media.
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Truthout appeals urgently for your end-of-year support. To confront Trump's fascism in 2026 we will need significant resources. So, we have an ambitious goal — to raise $211,000 by December 31. Please make a tax-deductible donation now to support nonprofit journalism.
Chelsea Fagan, writer and co-founder of the Financial Diet website, says that hosting at home is often cheaper than going out for dinner.Chelsea Kyle/Supplied
Holiday hosting guide | Why partying is good for us | Favourite party memories | Party tips from a pro |
In this era of delivery apps and best new restaurants lists, Chelsea Fagan is somewhat of an anachronist. The millennial writer and co-founder of the Financial Diet website regularly invites friends over for meals and thinks others should, too. Her new book, Having People Over, is not a trad-wife guide, but rather an argument for hosting dinner parties as a way to resist late-stage capitalism and the loneliness epidemic. She spoke to The Globe and Mail from her home in Manhattan.
The expense of hosting is a big reason millennials and Zoomers give for not having dinner parties. But you make the argument that hosting at home is often cheaper than going out for dinner.
It is just much less expensive in general to host in the home and to be hosted in the home. I think, when you look at the data, millennials and especially Gen Z have become accustomed to spending on restaurants, delivery, bars et cetera, essentially outsourcing the food experience to an extent that previous generations never have. Even more so than boomers today, who objectively have much more disposable income on average. And I think we've really become kind of inured to how expensive that actually is, and how much of our budget that dictates.
Amazon/Supplied
What is lost when we're choosing dinner delivery rather than having a friend come over and cooking a meal for them?
I think we're losing several things. Obviously money, but I think we're losing a sense of intimacy and personal touch when we default to a restaurant. If people want a perfectly curated meal experience, where the food, the service, the ambiance, everything is at a professional level and requires no lift on their end, they can go to a restaurant. They come to someone's home not just to be with them in an intimate way and have quality time with them, but also to experience the world through their eyes. The homes that we create, the food that we serve, the experience that we curate, these are all unique. I think that there's just a real lack of humanity and the human touch that we experience when we're constantly defaulting to these professional third parties.
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In your 20s, you were deep in credit card debt, but you still entertained pretty regularly. What did that look like?
These years really forced me to be creative and thoughtful in a way that I don't have to be any more. It was a lot of potlucks, it was a lot of pulling together what I had. It was a studio apartment, so we were eating dinner next to my bed. Everything was a little broken, a little chaotic, a little mismatched.
I feel like my worst guest experiences have been in the homes of people with a ton of money. You can make everything go away: all of the labour, all of the imperfections. I'm like, “This could have been at a restaurant, diva.” What makes the experience in a home enjoyable or unique is the personal, the handmade, the imperfect. Often, the more money we get, the less and less of that touch that we have.
Fagan says part of curating isn't just about you being a host, it's about people who show up.Chelsea Kyle/Supplied
We live in a culture of flaking, and sometimes people won't even tell you they're not coming to something they said they would. How do you navigate that?
As I've gotten older, I have less tolerance. I had a person who flaked on me earlier this year. It was a budding acquaintanceship, could be a friendship. I was just like, “This is my stop.” I didn't block her, but I muted her on everything. She sent me a half-apology the next day with a completely insane excuse. I am basically forgetting that she exists.
Part of curating is not just about you being a host, it's about people who show up, it's about reciprocity, it's about investing in each other and creating a real community. The number of things I've showed up to in the dead of winter that I don't want to go to can't be counted. But you have to be a person of your word. You have to be a person who invests, because you'll want that returned.
You're better off having five friends who show up, who treat you well, who invite you places, who include you, who think of you, than 50 people who are completely unreliable.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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Andrew Saunders, President and CEO
Prime Minister Mark Carney on Parliament Hill on Thursday.Blair Gable/Reuters
Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled a long-awaited shuffle of deputy ministers that places new people in charge of the government's priority files in areas such as economic growth and national defence.
The government is bringing in two outsiders to key positions: Marie-Josée Hogue, who headed the public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian politics, to Justice; and John McArthur, a policy expert on sustainable development, as a senior adviser in the Privy Council Office.
Friday's announcement places 12 new people in senior deputy minister-level positions, either in charge of federal departments or as senior officials in the PCO.
Eight senior officials are listed as retiring.
Carney taps Marc Miller as Culture Minister in cabinet shuffle
While most of the names taking on new roles are career public servants, Ms. Hogue's appointment was a surprise.
Ms. Hogue, a puisne judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec, enters government as the new deputy minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Canada.
The shuffle was orchestrated by Privy Council Clerk Michael Sabia, whom the Prime Minister recruited from the private sector. Mr. Sabia previously served as the CEO of Hydro-Québec, BCE and Quebec's pension fund.
He is also a former federal deputy minister, having led the Finance Department from 2020 to 2023.
Chris Forbes, who was deputy minister at Finance, has been moved to the PCO as a senior adviser. He is being replaced by Nick Leswick, a senior official at the Bank of Canada, which Mr. Carney once headed.
Mr. Leswick previously led Finance Canada on an interim basis after Mr. Sabia left the position in 2023.
Opinion: Mark Carney faces a gap year in 2026
Prior to that, Mr. Leswick was associate deputy minister at Finance, a position that involved regular appearances before parliamentary committees to answer questions from MPs and senators about budgetary matters.
Christiane Fox, the deputy clerk at the PCO, is the new deputy minister at National Defence. She replaces Stefanie Beck, who is among the eight officials who are retiring.
Heading into a year in which negotiations with First Nations on major projects such as pipelines and critical mineral mines will be key to the government's agenda, the Prime Minister promoted Michelle Kovacevic, associate deputy minister of Indigenous Services, to deputy minister.
As for Mr. McArthur, Mr. Carney recruited him from the Brookings Institution's Center for Sustainable Development to become deputy secretary to the cabinet on economic policy.
He is a former CEO of Millennium Promise Alliance, an international non-governmental organization.
Earlier this year, he co-edited a book at Brookings titled For the World's Profit: How Business Can Support Sustainable Development.
Opinion: 2025 will rank as one of Canada's great nation-building years
He has also been a member of a deputy minister steering committee that guides the federal government's Policy Horizons Canada team, an in-house policy research organization.
Other new appointments include Francis Bilodeau, moving from associate deputy minister of Innovation, Science and Industry to deputy minister of Canadian Heritage; Isabelle Mondou, moving from deputy minister of Canadian Heritage to deputy clerk of the Privy Council and associate secretary to the cabinet; Alison O'Leary, who was associate deputy minister at Finance Canada, becomes deputy minister of intergovernmental affairs at the PCO; Greg Orencsak, the deputy minister of Health, moves to deputy minister at Natural Resources Canada; and Rob Wright, the associate deputy minister at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, becomes deputy minister of Labour.
The government announcement said additional changes to the senior ranks of the public service will be announced early in the new year.
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Andrew Saunders, President and CEO
The paintings of contemporary visual artist Julie Mehretu hang in some of the world's most prestigious art institutions. Renowned for her large-scale abstract and multilayered landscape pieces that explore the themes of history and globalism, Mehretu has earned international acclaim.
Yet, the Ethiopian-born, US-based artist is quick to acknowledge those who paved the way for her success. “We're here standing on the shoulders of giants, as we always are, and hopefully we can also create more of that space for so many others that deserve to be a part of it,” she told CNN's Larry Madowo during a visit to Nairobi.
Creating space for others is exactly what Mehretu is doing. Right now, she and her team at the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC), a pan-African artists network, are concluding a series of workshops held across Africa. “We're doing these workshops throughout the continent in five different cities, working on media arts, media and film and trying to really kind of interrogate that space in the kind of deeply mediated world we live in now,” she explained.
World-renowned contemporary visual artist Julie Mehretu is known for her large-scale abstract works exploring themes of history and globalism. In an interview with CNN's Larry Madowo in Nairobi, Kenya, Mehretu discusses her mission to help African creatives thrive.
How Ethiopian-born abstract artist Julie Mehretu is helping African artists
The goal, she added, is “to be able to create a kind of cross-disciplinary, intergenerational conversation between countries and between artist spaces, so we can … not just amplify our voices, but also invent new forms that are just as rigorous and challenging.”
The idea for the workshops originated from a project with BMW in 2018, when the carmaker selected Mehretu to create its 20th Art Car. Since 1975, the initiative has allowed famed international artists to transform BMW cars into “rolling sculptures,” giving them complete creative freedom.
In participating, Mehretu joined the ranks of artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. As with her other projects, Mehretu wanted this one to stand out, so she proposed an idea that would connect with her home continent. “One of the proposals I said to BMW was what if … we went from Cairo to Cape Town on this old idea of this Pan-African highway, and through that use the car as the common link between these places to then work with filmmakers in each country, to use the road and the car as the protagonists, and then be able to really have Africans tell their own stories?” she said.
With this vision and BMW's financial support, Mehretu and her AFMAC co-founder, filmmaker Mehret Mandefro, partnered with local cultural institutions across Africa to conduct workshops aimed at “connecting and strengthening the artistic community within Africa.” The first stop was Lagos, Nigeria, in April 2025. The team then traveled to Tangier, Morocco; Nairobi, Kenya; and Dakar, Senegal, and will arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, next month.
Each workshop will produce a new film, and at the end of the series, the films will be compiled to showcase contemporary African filmmaking. The compilation will debut alongside the BMW Art Car exhibition at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town next year.
“The African continent is this place that has always drawn me back,” Mehretu said. “It's a place that I was born in. I've lived in Zimbabwe and Senegal, and I've traveled extensively throughout the continent. And so there's this immense possibility of what can happen but also what can happen with the pan-African kind of possibility, especially in the creative space.”
As Mehretu wraps up the workshops, she is preparing to unveil another major project, one unlike anything she's done before. In 2024, the Obama Foundation announced that Mehretu had been selected to create a unique artwork for the presidential library in Chicago. Mehretu described the project as “exciting,” but also “unique” in its challenges.
“I've never worked with glass before. The proposal was to make an artwork in this enormous glass window that goes up 34 stories of the building along the escalator,” she said. But with hard work, ingenuity, and perseverance, Mehretu and her team succeeded. When former President Barack Obama asks you to do something, “you say yes and you say, ‘OK, how fast?'” she jokes. The public will be able to see the work next spring.
Mehretu's work is in prominent museums such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, DC, the Met in New York, and the British Museum in London. But when asked about her legacy, Mehretu brings the focus back to working with others.
She said she wants to be able to “participate in a bigger collective of many makers, painters, and creative artists, sculptors, video artists, media artists, filmmakers (and) musicians.” Mehretu added, “There's this other form of cultural reverberation; there is a collective we are all a part of, and hopefully that creates space for more of that possibility. And I'm excited for what the future holds.”
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The latest jobs report had its share of shutdown-related quirks, but a familiar theme cut through the noise: The US labor market is stuck in a rut.
Employers are still hiring, but job growth is at one of its weakest paces in the past two decades.
The “low-hire, low-fire” dynamics persisted in November, with an unemployment rate driven higher partly by more people looking for work but not finding it. Long-term unemployment increased, discouraged workers were on the rise, and economic disparities deepened.
“Hiring, while certainly not on a freeze, is on hold; and people that have jobs are absolutely holding on to them with white knuckles,” Dan North, Allianz Trade's senior economist for North America, told CNN this week. “I see that as definitely a labor market that's stagnating.”
So where does it go from here? Some economists say this low-gear state can continue for quite some time. But others note that it's only a matter of time before the labor market sees a major shift — and there are several ways that could happen.
Unemployment rate hit a four-year high last month
Although the labor market has cooled, the overall economy is still growing at a decent clip and productivity hasn't slipped.
The US economy's job gains have averaged 55,000 a month, which may be reflective of the “pervasive uncertainty” caused by stark changes in US trade and immigration policy. But the American population is also going through its own transformation, said Joe Brusuelas, RSM US chief economist.
The supply of labor is shrinking as the Baby Boomer generation ages out of the workforce and additional constraints are placed on immigration, he noted.
And there's been a shift in the “breakeven rate” of employment. Put simply, the economy doesn't need to create as many jobs as it once did in order to sustain itself.
The No. 1 cause of America's affordability problem just got worse
“My estimate is that we need to hire 50,000 a month to keep the labor market conditions stable,” Brusuelas told CNN. The economy will “grow at around 2%, financial conditions will be OK, and we'll probably ease off a little bit on the inflation side.”
From an economics or capital markets perspective, that's a perfectly reasonable outcome and one that “could go on for years,” he said.
However, “the K-shaped economy means that the disproportion of the benefits accrued from prosperity will not be distributed equally,” he added, meaning wealthier households will do better than poorer households as hiring slows.
A big wild card right now is AI and how much it could reshape employment. In the near term, questions about the technology will continue to make businesses cautious about hiring, Pantheon Macroeconomics economists wrote in a note this week.
“The longer-term implications for labor displacement and wage dynamics, however, remain an open question,” Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, wrote in a note Tuesday.
America's job market is turning into an exclusive airport lounge
AI — alongside immigration enforcement and broader policy uncertainty — remains a headwind to labor market growth, said Tyler Schipper, associate professor of economics at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“The question I ask myself is, ‘What would be the conditions in which I think the labor market would ramp back up?' and some of those are policy-related,” he said. “I have a hard time seeing those resolving themselves anytime soon.”
“For better or worse, I think we could be in this K-shaped economy for some time,” he added. “And I think the way out of it probably is that there's a recession before things get better, which is never what you want to hear if you're on the lower leg of the K.”
The labor market could see hiring reaccelerate, said Cory Stahle, economist at Indeed Hiring Lab.
It just may take a bit to take hold.
“The US labor market is like a pretty big ship turned by a rudder,” he said. “Sometimes it takes a little time to turn around.”
One force could be the recent interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, he said, noting that it typically takes about three to five quarters for monetary policy changes to work their way through the economy.
The surprising truth about AI's impact on jobs
Another could be policy changes or anything else that eases Americans' uncertainty, which has drastically stifled hiring this year. Also at play are the impacts of the tax law set to take effect in 2026, RSM's Brusuelas said.
“There's uncertainty around what rates are going to do, uncertainty around prices, uncertainty around general policy,” Stahle said. “Unless that fog of uncertainty is broken, we'll continue to see companies stumbling a little bit through that fog.”
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President Volodymyr Zelensky met with his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki in Warsaw on Dec. 19, marking their first meeting since Nawrocki's inauguration.
Speaking at the press conference, Nawrocki said that his meeting with Zelensky is "bad news for Russia." The two leaders discussed security, economic, and historical matters.
"President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit is evidence that in strategic matters and security issues, Poland, Ukraine, and the countries of the region stand together," he added.
Nawrocki said that there is a sense in Poland that its aid to Ukraine since the start of the all-out war "has not been sufficiently recognized." Zelensky responded by once again expressing his gratitude to Warsaw.
"There are sometimes difficult moments in our societies, but as presidents, we must define policies that keep us united. Without our independence, Moscow will inevitably push further into Europe and will come for Poland," Zelensky said.
According to the Ukrainian president, the two leaders' talks were centered around war-related issues. Kyiv proposed consultations with Warsaw on drone defense, as Russian drones have multiple times entered NATO airspace over the past year.
Nawrocki didn't exclude the possibility of delivering MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, and said he expects Kyiv to share drone production technologies with Poland in exchange.
Zelensky's visit to Poland follows a trip to Brussels, where EU leaders approved a 90 billion euros ($105.5 billion) interest-free loan for Ukraine. Initially considering using frozen Russian assets, officials opted for an alternative financing approach after failing to reach a consensus.
"If Russia drags out the war, we will use the funds for defense," Zelensky said. "If the world forces Russia to peace, we will use these funds exclusively for the rebuilding of the state."
Later in the day, Zelensky also met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Since Nawrocki took office, relations between Kyiv and Warsaw have seen growing tensions, despite Poland's role as one of Ukraine's key allies since the start of the full-scale invasion.
While Nawrocki expressed support for Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression, he has also spoken critically about Kyiv's EU and NATO ambitions, often highlighting historical grievances.
The Volyn (Volhynian) massacre remains one of the most contentious issues in present day Polish-Ukrainian relations. The massacres of 1943-1944 took place in the Nazi-occupied territory of what is now western Ukraine during World War II. Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) members killed at least tens of thousands of Poles, while thousands of Ukrainians were killed in retaliation.
The first exhumation on Ukrainian soil since 2017 began this April in the former village of Puzhnyky, Ternopil Oblast, marking what officials on both sides called a breakthrough after years of a de facto moratorium.
Representatives from the National Memory Institutes of Ukraine and Poland held talks in Warsaw on Dec. 19.
"We respect the Polish perspective on the path of our nations, and we honor your memory of what has been. We count on your respect for our Ukrainian memory," said Zelensky.
Politics Reporter
Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, and social issues. Denisova began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
The SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center's drones hit a gas turbine unit at the Rakushechnoe deposit at the platform run by Russian oil giant Lukoil, the source said.
The Kyiv Independent on Dec. 9 hosted its first live event in New York City, an evening dedicated to storytelling, investigative journalism, and front-line reporting.
Kyiv has already held consultations with European partners and is now preparing for continued discussions with the U.S., according to deligation head, Rustem Umerov. General Andrii Hnatov, chief of Ukraine's General Staff, will also take part in the talks.
European leaders have approved an interest-free loan for Ukraine, providing a financial lifeline and securing a large portion of the cash-strapped country's financing needs for the next two years.
More than 2,400 people have joined the Kyiv Independent community during our anniversary campaign, helping us reach our goal of 25,000 members by the end of 2025.
"There are sometimes difficult moments in our societies, but as presidents, we must define policies that keep us united. Without our independence, Moscow will inevitably push further into Europe and will come for Poland," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Warsaw.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19 that Ukraine knows where the Oreshnik would be deployed in Belarus and is sharing this information with its Western allies.
In "a new unprecedented special operation" in neutral waters more than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine, Russia's QENDIL tanker sustained "critical damage" and can no longer be used for its intended purpose, the source claimed.
Ukraine will conduct necessary examinations to identify the bodies, which Russia says belong to Ukrainian soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a $900 billion defense spending bill on Dec. 18, approving a sweeping package that includes $800 million in military assistance for Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Dec. 18 that he hopes Ukraine will move quickly amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war.
A Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter crew was killed in combat, the 12th Separate Army Aviation Brigade reported Dec. 18. "This is an irreparable loss for our aviation, for our country, and for the families who were waiting for their loved ones at home," the brigade said.
MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Kirill Dmitriev, Special representative of the Russian president for economic cooperation with foreign countries, Chief Executive Officer of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has said that abandoning the EU's illegal scheme to use Russian assets to finance Ukraine would be a major victory for law and common sense.
"If true, shelving the EU's originally proposed illegal scheme to tap Russian foreign reserves to fund Ukraine is a major win for law + common sense - and for the voices of reason in Europe that protected EU/euro/ Euroclear," he wrote on the X social network.
According to Dmitriev, it was a "major blow to EU warmongers" led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
EC chief Ursula von der Leyen said earlier that participants of the European Union summit had been unable to agree on the expropriation of frozen Russian assets under the guise of a reparations loan to Kiev. Instead of this option, the EU decided to finance Ukraine for the next two years in the amount of 90 bln euros through a pan-European loan at 0%.
UNITED NATIONS, December 19. /TASS/. Budapest is ready to host a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Donald Trump of the United States "at any point of time," as it is also ready to provide a venue for a Ukraine peace summit, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in an interview with TASS.
"We are absolutely ready. We are ready at any point of time. We have made this commitment again, both in Washington and in Moscow," Szijjarto said in response to a relevant question. "We understand in both capitals, that if there is something which is not being under dilemma, is the venue of the peace summit, which is a great honor for us, obviously," he added.
Hungary has maintained a pro-peace position since the onset of the conflict, the top diplomat noted, despite what he called "enormous political attacks" against Budapest.
On October 16, after a telephone conversation with Putin, Trump announced that they had agreed to meet in Budapest soon. However, the summit was later postponed indefinitely because the two sides could not agree on how to achieve a meaningful result in settling the Ukrainian conflict. Both Moscow and Washington said the meeting would take place when the conditions were right.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include comments from President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Council President Antonio Costa, Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko, and further details about the loan.
European leaders on Dec. 19 approved an interest-free loan for Ukraine, providing a financial lifeline and securing a large portion of the cash-strapped country's financing needs for the next two years.
"Today we approved a decision to provide 90 billion euros ($105.5 billion) to Ukraine for the next two years," Antonio Costa, the president of the European Council, said in a press conference.
EU officials had initially sought to underpin a large loan to Ukraine with immobilized Russian central bank reserves, but after failing to secure a consensus, they opted for an alternative financing approach.
The frozen-assets proposal fell apart at the eleventh hour amid divisions among EU leaders in Brussels. The approved loan will be backed instead by the EU budget, according to Costa.
The agreement will lend the funds to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, securing two-thirds of the country's financing needs. Kyiv was set to run out of cash by mid-2026.
"This (agreement) sends a clear signal from Europe to Putin: This war will not be worth it," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on X.
Costa said Ukraine will only repay the loan once Russia pays reparations, and that the immobilized assets could still be used to repay the loan.
"This is significant support that truly strengthens our resilience," President Zelensky said in a post on social media.
"Thank you for the result and unity. Together, we are protecting the future of our continent," he added.
Ukraine's finance minister, Serhii Marchenko, also welcomed the decision in a post on social media, adding that the funds "will be directed toward budgetary and defense needs."
In November, European estimates put Ukraine's unfunded military and budgetary needs at 135 billion euros ($160 billion). The agreement means that Kyiv still needs to secure roughly 45 billion euros ($50 billion) from its allies.
Costa also left the door open to the reparations loan initiative, saying that the bloc would continue working on the plan.
Later on Dec. 19 in a social media post following a meeting with G7 finance ministers, Marchenko called the $105 billion loan an "interim measure," and urged the EU to keep working towards the reparations loan.
"The risks to Europe from a potential defeat of Ukraine far exceed the risks of introducing the reparations mechanism,” Marchenko said in a press release.
The decision came down to the wire on Dec. 18 after a last sprint of preparatory meetings between EU envoys this week failed to reach consensus in the lead-up to the summit.
Advisers met on the sidelines of the summit throughout the entire day to try to get Belgium on board, Politico reported.
Belgium, which hosts the vast majority of the frozen assets, had been the most vocal opponent to the reparations loan plan. The country feared that it could be on the hook for one-third of its gross domestic product should Russia claw back the assets through legal action.
EU leaders spent hours discussing the technical and legal feasibility of structuring a loan backed by frozen Russian assets. Diplomats said the plan proved too complex and politically sensitive to resolve at this stage, prompting leaders to move forward with an alternative interest-free loan instead.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas had both said ahead of the meeting that the odds were "50/50" that the reparations loan succeeded.
In the leadup to the summit, the reparations loan had been seen as the most politically viable option, since the Commission had said that joint borrowing would require unanimity — widely expected to be blocked by Hungary and Slovakia.
But the leaders found a workaround which "will not have an impact on the financial obligations of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia," according to the conclusions of the summit posted by the European Council.
As momentum built for the reparations loan ahead the summit, European countries voted to indefinitely immobilize the Russian assets on Dec. 12, using a provision in the EU treaties known as Article 122, usually reserved to help its members to deal with economic emergencies
By framing Russia's war in Ukraine as a source of significant economic difficulties, the EU leveraged the emergency clause as the legal basis of the indefinite freeze. Article 122 only requires a "qualified majority," to vote in favor, meaning a minimum of 15 countries representing 55% of the bloc's population.
Usually, matters of foreign policy must be decided by unanimity.
The indefinite immobilization of the assets removed the risk that Hungary or Slovakia would veto the continued immobilization of the assets — which was previously subject to a bi-annual unanimous vote.
Economics reporter
North American news editor
The SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center's drones hit a gas turbine unit at the Rakushechnoe deposit at the platform run by Russian oil giant Lukoil, the source said.
The Kyiv Independent on Dec. 9 hosted its first live event in New York City, an evening dedicated to storytelling, investigative journalism, and front-line reporting.
Kyiv has already held consultations with European partners and is now preparing for continued discussions with the U.S., according to deligation head, Rustem Umerov. General Andrii Hnatov, chief of Ukraine's General Staff, will also take part in the talks.
European leaders have approved an interest-free loan for Ukraine, providing a financial lifeline and securing a large portion of the cash-strapped country's financing needs for the next two years.
More than 2,400 people have joined the Kyiv Independent community during our anniversary campaign, helping us reach our goal of 25,000 members by the end of 2025.
"There are sometimes difficult moments in our societies, but as presidents, we must define policies that keep us united. Without our independence, Moscow will inevitably push further into Europe and will come for Poland," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Warsaw.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19 that Ukraine knows where the Oreshnik would be deployed in Belarus and is sharing this information with its Western allies.
In "a new unprecedented special operation" in neutral waters more than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine, Russia's QENDIL tanker sustained "critical damage" and can no longer be used for its intended purpose, the source claimed.
Ukraine will conduct necessary examinations to identify the bodies, which Russia says belong to Ukrainian soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a $900 billion defense spending bill on Dec. 18, approving a sweeping package that includes $800 million in military assistance for Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Dec. 18 that he hopes Ukraine will move quickly amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war.
A Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter crew was killed in combat, the 12th Separate Army Aviation Brigade reported Dec. 18. "This is an irreparable loss for our aviation, for our country, and for the families who were waiting for their loved ones at home," the brigade said.
A Wisconsin judge was found guilty of obstruction on Dec. 18 after being accused of aiding an illegal immigrant evade federal immigration agents outside her courtroom in April.
A jury found Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, 66, guilty of obstruction, a charge that carries up to five years in prison, but acquitted her of a lesser count alleging she concealed a person from arrest. Her sentencing date has not been confirmed.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife, and their two children are among the seven people killed in a plane crash in North Carolina.
Greg Biffle smiles along pit row during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
Former driver Greg Biffle waves to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Aug. 31, 2025, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Federal investigators sifting through the wreckage of a business jet that crashed in North Carolina and killed retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his family, and three others are trying to figure out who was flying the plane and what caused it to return to the airport soon after takeoff.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground Thursday, killing all seven on board. It had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, but crashed less than 10 minutes later while trying to return and land, authorities said.
Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were at the airport trying to determine the cause of the crash and why the plane returned to the airport in drizzle and cloudy conditions.
Federal Aviation Administration records show Biffle was rated to fly helicopters, and single- and multi-engine planes. Also on board was Dennis Dutton. Two people appear in a federal database of pilot licenses under that name. The crash also killed Dutton's son, Jack, and Biffle's friend Craig Wadsworth.
Biffle's wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, were also killed in the crash, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.
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“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the joint family statement said.
Cristina Biffle's mother told People magazine that her daughter sent her a text message saying, “We're in trouble,” before she didn't hear from her again.
Greg Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR's three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR called Biffle “a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many.”
“His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport,” NASCAR said.
A memorial with flowers sprouted up Friday by Biffle's marble star in his hometown of Mooresville, honoring him as a member of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.
“The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That's who the Biffles were,” U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, said.
Wadsworth was Biffle's friend and helped him with odd jobs, including delivering supplies to places hit by Hurricane Helene, roommate Benito Howell said.
“He didn't know how to say no,” Howell said of Wadsworth, who had worked for several NASCAR teams. “He loved everybody. He always tried to help everybody.”
The joint family statement also spoke about Dutton and his son Jack, saying they were “deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them.”
The Statesville airport remained closed Friday while the NTSB performed its investigation, a city spokesperson said.
___
Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed; Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, North Carolina; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Ed White in Detroit; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this story.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The Department of Homeland Security announced its intention to pause a visa program intended to admit certain individuals to the United States, though it's unclear whether it's been suspended entirely.
The move comes after the suspect in the Brown University shooting was identified as a green-card holder who immigrated to the country through the program. It's the latest attempt by the administration to broadly tighten the US immigration system following domestic incidents.
“At President (Donald) Trump's direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on X late Thursday. DHS oversees the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Claudio Neves Valente, the suspect in Saturday's shooting at Brown University who is also accused of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor on Monday, was found dead Thursday night.
Valente was identified as a 48-year-old former Brown University student and Portuguese national. Noem said Thursday that he came to the United States in 2017 on a DV1 visa and received a green card.
The State Department runs the diversity visa program, which is designed for individuals in countries that are determined by a formula to have a low enough level of immigration to the US. Those who arrive to the US under the program are also issued green cards. The issuance of those green cards is handled by DHS.
The bulk of the program falls under the State Department, which would presumably be charged with pausing the program. It's unclear what direction Noem could provide, aside from pausing the issuance of green cards for those in the program.
“The horrific incidents this week demonstrate the threat the diversity visa program poses to American security and safety, which President Trump has long worked to fix. The Department of State is working closely with Department of Homeland Security to put in place all necessary measures to protect America from this threat,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
CNN also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for additional details.
The diversity visa program has long been a target of President Donald Trump's ire — he took aim at it during his first term after an Uzbek national who was a recipient of the program was suspected of killing eight people in a terrorist attack in New York City.
At the time, Trump backed a Republican-led effort to eliminate the diversity visa program and certain categories of family-based green cards, and then transform the remaining employment-based visas into a point system that favors heavily highly skilled, highly educated, English-speaking immigrants.
The diversity visa program offers green cards for people “from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States,” according to the State Department website.
The US admits up to 55,000 immigrants each year as part of the program through random selection. The nationalities who have come through the program have evolved over the years. According to federal data, most of the participants in fiscal year 2026 were from Africa, followed by nationals from Asia and Europe.
Those who enter the US on a diversity visa are required to have completed the equivalent of high school education or “two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.”
While individuals are selected for visas randomly, they still must meet security and eligibility requirements that all immigrants must clear to obtain their visas.
In some cases, people already in the United States can also apply for the diversity visa program.
“DV lottery winners who are already legally residing in the United States must apply through USCIS to adjust their status to permanent residence,” said Jeremy McKinney, an immigration attorney. “(State Department) not only administers the lottery but also issues the immigrant visas.”
Thursday's announcement marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration's ramped up immigration crackdown in recent weeks.
Following the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national late last month, the administration took several steps to curb legal immigration, including reexamination of green cards issued to people from 19 countries of concern and the pause of all asylum decisions.
Earlier this week, Trump signed a proclamation expanding the list of countries with full or partial travel restrictions to 39, increasing from the previous list of 19 countries.
CNN's Xiaoqian Lin, Prisc Betsy Klein and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she has "absolutely" no regrets about the 2020 MEALS Act connected to an alleged Minnesota fraud scheme, because it "did help feed kids." (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy)
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she has no regrets about supporting the MEALS Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the program becoming linked to Minnesota's alleged $250 million "Feeding Our Future" fraud scheme.
"Do you regret pushing for that bill, the MEALS Act? Do you think it led to the fraud?" Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital asked Omar on Capitol Hill.
"Absolutely not, it did help feed kids," Omar said.
Omar introduced the MEALS Act on March 11, 2020, to modify the Department of Agriculture's food and nutrition programs to allow certain waivers on requirements for school meal programs, including those that raised federal costs during school closures related to the pandemic.
WALZ URGES NOEM TO 'REASSESS' IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY IN MINNESOTA AFTER ALLEGED CITIZEN ARRESTS
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she has "absolutely" no regrets about the 2020 MEALS Act, because "it did help feed kids." (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Minnesota has faced scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of federal funds accessed through these waivers, including in distributing money for the "Feeding Our Future" program, which authorities believe to be the largest fraud scheme in the history of the pandemic.
INSIDE MINNESOTA'S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
The scheme allegedly exploited the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision to waive many of its standard requirements for the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the pandemic, including relaxing its requirement for non-school-based distributors to participate in the program.
Fox News Digital first reported on the status of the fraud in July. FBI Director Kash Patel described it at the time as "one of the worst" in Minnesota history — and as of November 2025, more than 75 individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.
President Donald Trump has recently announced a flurry of new actions to crack down and investigate fraud schemes in Minnesota, which he has assailed as a "hub of money laundering activity," and cited as the basis of his decision to terminate deportation protections for hundreds of Somali migrants.
Minnesota's Speaker of the House, Republican Lisa Demuth, speaks during a press conference in the governor's reception room at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Senior Trump administration officials announced fresh investigations this month, including a new Treasury Department probe into how taxpayer dollars were allegedly diverted to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, according to Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trump and other officials have zeroed in on these alleged fraud schemes, arguing that the criminal activity is a result of mismanagement and "incompetence" from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former vice presidential candidate.
'INCOMPETENCE OR DERELICTION': MINNESOTA LAWMAKER RIPS TIM WALZ AS STATE FRAUD LOSSES MOUNT
"It's not surprising that the president has chosen to broadly target an entire community," Walz said of Trump's efforts, adding, "This is what he does to change the subject."
Conspirators falsely claimed to have served millions of meals during the pandemic, but instead used the money for personal gain. They also are accused of fabricating invoices, submitting fake attendance records and falsely distributing thousands of meals from hundreds of so-called food distribution "sites" across the state.
Some of the individuals are part of Minnesota's Somali diaspora, which is the largest in the U.S., though the ringleader of the scheme is not.
"Stealing from the federal government equates to stealing from the American people — there is no simpler truth," FBI's special agent in charge, Alvin Winston, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The sun shines on the Minnesota State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
Charging documents show that roughly 300 "food sites" in the state served little or no food, with the so-called "food vendors" and organizations fabricated to launder money intended to reimburse the cost of feeding children.
FBI officials told Fox News that the investigation and resulting trials and indictments continue to impact the state, and have already touched off legislative reform in Minnesota.
They added that the investigation into the fraud remains ongoing, and that additional charges are expected, though they did not immediately share more details.
"The egregious fraud unveiled in the Feeding our Future case epitomizes a profound betrayal of public trust," Patel told Fox News Digital earlier this year.
"These individuals misappropriated hundreds of millions in federal funds intended to nourish vulnerable children during a time of crisis, redirecting those resources into luxury homes, high-end vehicles and extravagant lifestyles while families faced hardship," he added.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. ( Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump suggested earlier this month that Omar, who fled Somalia as a child, "shouldn't be allowed to be a congresswoman," prompting fierce backlash from some Democrats and from Minnesota's congressional delegation.
Omar, for her part, said Trump's remarks were "vile."
"His obsession with me is creepy," she said on social media. "I hope he gets the help he desperately needs."
ICE REJECTS OMAR CLAIM SON WAS PULLED OVER BY FEDS, PRESSED FOR CITIZENSHIP PROOF: ‘ABSOLUTELY ZERO RECORD'
Ballasy later pressed Omar about another incident dominating headlines.
"Congresswoman, the ICE director is saying now that your son was not pulled over by ICE. He's saying there's no evidence," Ballasy said to Omar on Capitol Hill.
The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rejected a viral claim from Omar that her son was pressed for proof of U.S. citizenship by agency personnel after stopping at a Minnesota Target over the weekend.
Omar had told CBS' Twin Cities affiliate that her son was subjected to a traffic stop-type encounter by ICE agents but was ultimately let go without further issue after he was able to produce a U.S. passport or passport card.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons speaking at a press conference at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston on June 2. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons pushed back on the assertion on Tuesday, telling Fox News Digital the incident never happened.
"How do they know that?" Omar countered. "How do they know that? Is he saying he has documentations of all the people they pulled over? Because we've been asking for that information. We haven't gotten it from them, so if ICE is confirming now that they collect data and refusing to provide it to members of Congress, then that's an interesting admission."
"ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar's son," Lyons said.
"It speaks volumes that Congresswoman Omar is leveling this accusation with absolutely zero proof."
Lyons called Omar's comments to the local outlet a "ridiculous effort" to demonize federal law enforcement. He also said her rhetoric contributes to a spike in threats against ICE personnel, citing a 1,150% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats.
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When asked to respond to Lyons' comment, Omar told Ballasy, "Well, their crackdown has terrorized my community, so they need to stop."
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
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DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin joins 'Saturday in America' to discuss claims that deported U.S. veterans have been deported, how they are partnering with the TSA to identify illegal immigrants and threats against her life.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Friday that a post-doctoral researcher in the U.S. on a visa was charged with allegedly smuggling Escherichia coli (E. coli) into the country and making false statements about it.
Patel identified the post-doctoral researcher as Youhuang Xiang, but did not name the university involved in the case.
"This is yet another example of a researcher from China, given the privilege to work at a U.S. university, who then allegedly chose to take part in a scheme to circumvent U.S. laws and receive biological materials hidden in a package originating from China," Patel wrote on X.
THIRD CHINESE NATIONAL ACCUSED OF SMUGGLING BIO WEAPONS IN ‘ALARMING' THREAT TO US SECURITY
FBI Director Kash Patel conducts a news conference at the Department of Justice on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, announcing the arrest of Brian Cole Jr., who allegedly placed pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic National Committee offices on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"If not properly controlled, E. coli and other biological materials could inflict devastating disease to U.S. crops and cause significant financial loss to the U.S. economy," he added.
Patel applauded the FBI Indianapolis and Chicago field offices for their work on the case and thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The FBI director also sent a warning to universities, urging them to be "vigilant of this trend."
"Ensure your researchers know that there is a correct and legal way to obtain a license to import/export approved biological materials, and it must be followed without exception," Patel said.
This is not the first time visa holders have been busted for allegedly smuggling materials for research since the Trump administration began its immigration crackdown in January 2025.
In November, the Justice Department announced that three Chinese national scholars had been charged with conspiring to smuggle biological materials into the U.S. while working at a university laboratory. They allegedly made false statements to CBP officers in order to import materials related to roundworms from China.
A Chinese student in the U.S. had a friend ship Fusarium graminearum to her in a textbook, according to the FBI. (FBI)
CHINESE BIO-SMUGGLING SUSPECT CRIES IN COURT OVER FEDERAL DETENTION
"Allegedly attempting to smuggle biological materials under the guise of ‘research' is a serious crime that threatens America's national and agricultural security," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
The agency identified the suspects as Xu Bai, 28, Fengfan Zhang, 27, and Zhiyong Zhang, 30, who, like Xiang, were participating in J-1 visa academic exchange programs.
The three scholars, who conducted research at the University of Michigan's Shawn Xu Laboratory, allegedly received multiple shipments of concealed biological materials related to roundworms from a Chinese Ph.D. student in Wuhan, China, Chengxuan Han.
Han had previously worked at the university and was convicted of smuggling and making false statements before being removed from the U.S.
Kseniia Petrova, a Russian-born scientist and research associate at Harvard University, leaves the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse after she was released from U.S. federal custody, while awaiting trial in a criminal case in Boston, Mass., June 12, 2025. (Reba Saldanha/Reuters)
IVY LEAGUE BIO SMUGGLING SUSPECT WITH TIES TO AMERICAN ADVERSARY GETS BREAK FROM FEDERAL JUDGE
In February, Kseniia Petrova, a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University cancer researcher, was detained at Boston Logan International airport for allegedly smuggling frog embryos.
Petrova's attorney, Gregory Romanovsky, told Fox News that his client was bringing back the embryos at the request of a professor at a French lab that was collaborating with Harvard. He said the sample was picked up in Paris and was supposed to be brought to Harvard. Romanovsky added that Petrova did not know she needed to claim the embryos at customs.
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"The individual was lawfully detained after lying to federal officers about carrying substances into the country," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wrote in a post on X about Petrova. "A subsequent K9 inspection uncovered undeclared petri dishes, containers of unknown substances, and loose vials of embryonic frog cells, all without proper permits."
Petrova was released from federal custody in June.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fox News Digital's Bonny Chu, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Kitty Le Claire contributed to this report.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
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A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by a pro-Trump legal group seeking access to a trove of federal judiciary documents, including from a body overseen by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts – putting an end to a protracted legal fight brought by Trump allies seeking to access key judicial documents.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee assigned to the case earlier this year, dismissed the long-shot lawsuit brought by the America First Legal Foundation, the pro-Trump group founded by White House policy adviser Stephen Miller after Trump's first term; Miller, now back in the White House, is no longer affiliated with AFL.
McFadden ultimately dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction, saying Thursday that two groups responsible for certain regulatory and administrative functions for the federal judiciary are an extension of the judicial branch, and therefore protected by the same exemptions to federal laws granted to the judiciary.
"Nothing about either entity's structure suggests the president must supervise their employees or otherwise keep them ‘accountable,' as is the case for executive officers," McFadden said.
TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON VOTING BLOCKED BY FEDERAL JUDGES AMID FLURRY OF LEGAL SETBACKS
Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett M. Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor are seen at the 60th inaugural ceremony on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Ricky Carioti /The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The lawsuit by AFL was first reported by Fox News Digital earlier this year. It named both Chief Justice Roberts in his capacity as the official head of the U.S. Judicial Conference, and Robert J. Conrad, the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and sought access to a trove of judicial documents from both bodies under the Freedom of Information Act.
AFL accused both groups of performing regulatory actions that the lawsuit argued exceeded the scope of the "core functions" of the judiciary, and which it argued should subject the groups to the FOIA requests as a result.
AFL cited recent actions the Judicial Conference and Administrative Office had taken in 2023 to "accommodate" requests from Congress to investigate allegations of ethical improprieties by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, and subsequently to create or adopt an "ethics code" for justices on the high court.
"Under our constitutional tradition, accommodations with Congress are the province of the executive branch," AFL argued.
"The Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office are therefore executive agencies," and must therefore be overseen by the president, not the courts, they said.
GORSUCH, ROBERTS SIDE WITH LEFT-LEANING SUPREME COURT JUSTICES IN IMMIGRATION RULING
White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
McFadden disagreed, rejecting the group's argument that "courts" under FOIA refers only to judges. He concluded that both the Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office are components of the judicial branch and therefore exempt from FOIA.
"Indeed, if America First were right that only judges and ‘law clerks,' who ‘directly report to the judge,' count as part of ‘the courts,' numerous questions arise, and senseless line drawing ensues," he said in a memo opinion accompanying his order. "Rather, FOIA's exclusion reflects that courts include a full range of ‘judicial adjuncts,' from ‘clerks' to ‘court reporters,' who perform ‘tasks that are an integral part of the judicial process.'"
Plaintiffs for AFL, led by attorney Will Scolinos, had argued in their lawsuit earlier this year that the Judicial Conference's duties are "executive functions" and functions they allege must be supervised by executive officers "who are appointed and accountable to other executive officers."
Courts "definitively do not create agencies to exercise functions beyond resolving cases or controversies or administratively supporting those functions," the group had argued.
The U.S. Judicial Conference is the national policymaking body for the courts. Overseen by the chief justice, it issues policy recommendations and reports to Congress as needed.
TRUMP IS THREATENING TO 'FEDERALIZE' DC WITH NATIONAL GUARD AND MORE. HERE'S HOW THAT COULD PLAY OUT
The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, D.C. ((Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty))
The Administrative Office for the U.S. Courts, meanwhile, operates under the guidance and supervision of the Judicial Conference. Its role is to provide administrative support to the federal courts on certain administrative issues and for day-to-day logistics, including setting budgets and organizing data, among other things.
The news comes as President Donald Trump, in his first year back in the White House, has relied heavily on executive orders to advance his agenda — a strategy that has accelerated implementation of campaign promises but also prompted a surge of legal challenges.
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Trump's actions sparked hundreds of federal lawsuits this year alone, sending tensions skyrocketing between the executive branch and the courts, including federal judges who have blocked or paused some of Trump's biggest priorities in his second term.
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI and other national news. She previously covered national politics at the Washington Examiner and The Washington Post, with additional bylines in Politico Magazine, the Colorado Gazette and others. You can send tips to Breanne at Breanne.Deppisch@fox.com, or follow her on X at @breanne_dep.
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President Donald Trump joins military officials at Dover Air Force Base in Kent County, Del., for the solemn transfer of two U.S. soldiers killed in ISIS ambush in Syria.
FIRST ON FOX: More than 100 House Republicans are demanding increased oversight of Syria as the U.S. prepares to repeal longstanding sanctions against the country.
Reps. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., and Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., are leading 134 fellow GOP lawmakers in calling for guarantees that the Syrian government will adhere to terms in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that set the stage for repealing those sanctions, while warning the U.S. needs to be prepared to reverse that if Syria falters on its progress.
"Many Members of Congress, committed to seeking peace, prosperity, and tolerance for religious minorities in the region, worked with the Trump Administration and House leadership to secure assurances that snapback conditions regarding the repeal of Syrian sanctions would be enforced if Syria does not comply with the terms highlighted in the repeal language," their joint statement read.
WAR SEC. HEGSETH ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER TWO U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN SYRIA ARE IDENTIFIED
President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth salute as a U.S. Army carrier team moves a flag-draped transfer case containing the remains of Iowa National Guardsman Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard at Dover Air Force Base on Dec. 17, 2025 in Dover, Del. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"The mass murder of the Syrian Christians, Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and other religious and ethnic minorities must be a thing of the past."
They said Congress was committed "to keeping a watchful eye on the new al-Sharaa Administration to ensure protections for religious and ethnic minorities in Syria."
It comes after two members of the Iowa National Guard serving in Syria were killed in an ambush by an ISIS gunman.
WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP'S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
Interim Syria President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during the Concordia Annual Summit in New York, Sept. 22, 2025. (Andres Kudacki/AP Photo)
Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa took power in Syria after the previous government led by Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024.
The new leader has sought friendlier relations with the West, even visiting the White House in November of this year.
The House GOP lawmakers said they "look forward" to being invited to Damascus themselves to see that his administration "has created a safe environment for the religious and ethnic minorities historically persecuted in the region."
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"We look forward to confirming that these terms have not been squandered by the Syrian government–whether by their President or by rogue military officials–and seeing for ourselves that the al-Sharaa Administration has created a safe environment for the religious and ethnic minorities historically persecuted in the region," they said.
"As Members of Congress, we understand that the Syrian government's adherence to the conditions laid out in the NDAA's sanction repeal language is essential for lasting peace in the Middle East and Syria's prosperity."
President Donald Trump signed the NDAA into law on Thursday evening.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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In this segment from "American Kitchen," chef and restaurateur David Burke prepares three different sauces and his signature popovers. (credit: Fox Nation, "American Kitchen"
Fox Nation's new culinary series "American Kitchen" has award-winning chef and restaurateur David Burke stepping into the spotlight with a dish that's festive, nostalgic and deceptively simple: his signature popovers.
The segment gives viewers an inside look at one of Burke's longtime restaurant favorites — a towering, golden popover baked until crisp on the outside and airy at the center. Though rooted in the classic Yorkshire pudding, Burke's version brings an unmistakably American twist.
'AMERICAN KITCHEN' CELEBRITY CHEF SHARES SECRET OF MAKING RESTAURANT-QUALITY PRIME RIB AT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
"Popovers are basically Yorkshire puddings made from the drippings of roast beef. We're not making it that way today, but we have a great popover recipe," Burke tells viewers as he begins mixing the batter. The chef describes it as similar to a thick crêpe batter.
Celebrity chef David Burke prepares to blend ingredients used to make his signature popovers. (Fox Nation)
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1¼ cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp mixed, minced, fresh herbs such as parsley, chervil, tarragon and chives
Burke's popovers are "fluffy and crispy and delicious," the celebrity chef says. (Fox Nation)
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Using softened butter, generously coat six 6 oz ramekins or large muffin cups. Set aside.
3. Combine the eggs, milk, melted butter and herbs in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend.
4. Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the flour — and using a spoon, mix together until well blended.
6. Fill the prepared ramekins or muffin cups three-quarters full. Place the filled ramekins on a baking sheet in the preheated oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
7. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees, and continue to bake the Popovers for an additional 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and beautifully puffed.
8. Remove them from the oven and serve warm.
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Burke removes his signature popovers from the oven. (Fox Nation)
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Peter Burke is a lifestyle editor with Fox News Digital. He covers various lifestyle topics, with an emphasis on food and drink.
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
President Donald Trump's glowing account of progress under his watch Wednesday was out of tune with the experience of price-squeezed Americans and the story told by some of his government's own statistics.
President Donald Trump finishes his remarks in an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
President Donald Trump speaks during an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
ATLANTA (AP) — When Donald Trump delivered the first White House address of his second presidency Wednesday night, all major U.S. networks beamed his image and voice onto their airwaves, cable feeds and online platforms.
Americans ended up watching the Republican president stand in the Diplomatic Reception Room and deliver 18 minutes of aggressive, politically motivated arguments that misstated facts, blamed the nation's ills on his predecessor, exaggerated the results of his nearly 11 months in office and amplified his characteristically gargantuan, immeasurable promises about what's to come.
This was no commander in chief announcing a military action or discussing a critical national issue. It was a politician's defiant insistence that he's doing a better job than polls suggest most Americans believe. And the spectacle raises the question of whether network executives should grant airtime to the leader of the free world for a clearly political speech simply because he asks.
“It's not that the Oval Office and the White House haven't been used for political speeches before,” said former NBC News executive Mark Lukasiewicz, who is dean of Hofstra University's communications school after more than a decade leading NBC's special broadcasts, including presidential addresses.
“But, as with a great deal of what Donald Trump does as president, this was outside the norm,” Lukasiewicz said, adding that news executives are reluctant to flout the historical standard that “when the president feels he needs to speak to the nation, you need to let him speak.”
The uneasy dynamics were further intensified because Trump spoke the same day that the Federal Communications Commission chairman, Brendan Carr, told members of Congress that his agency, which has regulatory authority over media companies, is not in fact an independent agency as has been understood through generations of Republican and Democratic administrations. That's on top of Trump's penchant for browbeating individual journalists who cover him and suing news organizations to the tune of multimillion-dollar settlements, notably from CBS and ABC.
Lukasiewicz, who left NBC soon after Trump's 2016 election, said “it is hard to imagine that those factors aren't on the minds of news executives and network executives making these decisions.”
The White House did not immediately reply to questions Thursday about the process that led to Wednesday's address. The networks also did not respond to Associated Press inquiries. Spokespeople at MS NOW and CNN, cable networks whose prime-time programming already is oriented to political coverage, declined comment.
Presidential addresses often begin with the White House press secretary or communications director contacting networks' Washington bureau chiefs, asking for a specific amount of time and offering a general description of the topic. Lukasiewicz recalled that when President Barack Obama told the nation that 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden had been killed on his orders, his aides had told networks the president wanted to discuss a major national security matter.
Such conversations are relayed up to network executives, who must weigh whether to preempt or delay programming, decisions that can affect advertising revenue. Networks typically grant the time, reasoning that they're relatively rare and historically have involved substantial matters.
Trump, who relishes talking directly to voters via social media and regularly talks to reporters on Air Force One and elsewhere, has made fewer requests for network time than many of his predecessors; he had not asked at all since returning to the White House in January.
Still, it's not a guaranteed yes, with Obama and President Joe Biden being denied requests in recent decades.
The president disclosed his plans Tuesday on Truth Social, his social media platform. That announcement came hours after his declaration, also on Truth Social, that the U.S. would accelerate its actions against Venezuela and boats the Trump administration insists are running drugs that reach U.S. soil.
Taken together, those posts triggered chatter in Washington and beyond about official wartime actions. Some newsrooms predictably linked his planned speech to his Venezuela commentary. Presidents, after all, regularly make major military announcements in addresses from the White House: John F. Kennedy on the Cuban missile crisis, Lyndon Johnson on Vietnam, Jimmy Carter on the Iran hostages, Ronald Reagan on the Cold War and U.S. maneuvers in Latin America.
Presidents also have made plenty of U.S.-centered speeches, many fairly described as a politician pitching his preferred domestic policies with an unchecked megaphone.
Network leaders notably rejected Obama in 2014 when he wanted to talk about immigration policy while Congress was at an impasse over the matter. Lukasiewicz recalled being part of the executive team that rejected Obama's request to speak during his first term on the Affordable Care Act becoming law.
In 2022, Biden spoke at length on his concerns about American democracy — but several networks did not carry his remarks from Philadelphia. By itself, the topic could be framed as a national concern above partisanship. Biden's effort, though, was complicated by the fact that he was talking about Trump and Trump's supporters who ransacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, at a time when they were being investigated and prosecuted.
It's not clear when — or if — the White House shared the substance of Trump's remarks with network leaders. People familiar with how the process has worked in previous administrations said it would be defensible, since it was Trump's first address this term, for networks to grant his request even without clarity about the topic.
By Wednesday afternoon and early evening, White House aides and some executive branch agencies had telegraphed to some journalists that the speech would be more oriented to the state of the nation nearly a year into Trump's presidency — a framing that would still put the speech within historical norms. Trump, however, went beyond those traditional boundaries.
The United States was “laughed at” before he resumed the presidency in January, Trump insisted. He blamed Biden and Democrats for “the worst (inflation) in the history of our country,” but said “everything ... is falling rapidly.” Biden-era inflation was not the worst in history, inflation rates began falling before he left office and, though they are now at or much closer to historically routine levels, that still means prices are rising.
The White House also offered charts that only Fox opted to show.
Trump accused immigrants in Minnesota of stealing “billions and billions” of dollars and used the language of war to call Biden-era immigration levels an “invasion.” He claimed he'd secured $18 trillion in foreign business investments to the U.S. when his own White House puts the number closer to half that. He said he scored a landslide in 2024 — despite his Electoral College vote share ranking in the bottom third through 230 years of victorious presidents.
Asked whether the display could give TV executives pause in the future, Lukasiewicz pointed back to business realities.
“I don't know,” he said. “Those overlaying factors of the incredible pressure that this president can bring, and has shown himself completely willing to bring on these organizations and their corporate parents when he's unhappy — that's still part of the equation.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
EXCLUSIVE — Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is turning to the power of President Donald Trump's endorsement to protect his fragile Senate majority and deliver another term for his most vulnerable incumbents.
In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Thune said he is working “very closely” with the White House ahead of the midterm elections, with the goal of minimizing the number of races in which Republicans are stuck in bruising Senate primaries.
“We've gotten him to endorse in a lot of these races around the country, some where there are primaries and some where there aren't, but could be,” Thune said. “And I think just having the president's endorsement, particularly for a lot of our incumbents, is a welcome development politically, and certainly should make the prospect of a primary a lot less and certainly a lot less expensive.”
THUNE KEEPS DOOR OPEN TO MIKE JOHNSON'S GOP-ONLY HEALTHCARE PUSH
Thune, responsible for steering a constellation of outside groups that will spend heavily to defend the GOP's Senate majority, cited the success he has had in clearing the primary field with Trump's help, naming North Carolina and Iowa, two GOP states where the incumbent is retiring, and Michigan, one of their top pickup opportunities.
But he acknowledged several races where he has been unable to get Trump off the sidelines, all but guaranteeing drawn-out primaries that could drain party resources and leave the eventual nominee bloodied.
At the top of the list is Texas, where four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is fending off two big-name primary challengers. Thune is also vouching for Republicans in safely red seats, including Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), whose vote to convict Trump on impeachment charges as he left office in 2021 has become political fodder for a crowded primary field.
Cassidy has since tried to repair his relationship with the president and hopes he will stay neutral.
“Where we've got incumbents running, we're endorsing and supporting them and hoping eventually the president comes around to the same position,” Thune said.
Trump's reluctance is grounded, in part, on his desire to pick a winner. He endorsed a record number of candidates in 2024, but often shies away from contests with no clear front-runner. In other cases, Trump's team rewards loyalty and has reportedly explored a possible primary challenge to Cassidy from Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA).
Trump's involvement has, in the past, hobbled Republicans' chances of capturing winnable seats, as was the case in Arizona last year or Georgia the cycle before, with general election losses blamed on his backing of flawed candidates.
But Republicans also understand the currency of Trump's endorsement with the party base and believe it is an undisputed help when it comes to Senate primaries.
Cornyn, crediting Thune with asking Trump to back him “numerous” times, told the Washington Examiner, “We all know that if he endorsed me in the primary, that the primary would be over, but he's got a lot of other important things to think about and do.”
Thune's outreach to the White House is taking place alongside the twin jobs of recruitment and fundraising. Thune was unable to land Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) in Georgia, opening up a mud-slinging, three-way primary for the seat of Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), but the majority leader has found success elsewhere on the Senate map.
In New Hampshire, Republicans managed to recruit John Sununu, a former senator and heir to a family political dynasty, and could have a late candidate in Minnesota, where ex-sportscaster Michele Tafoya is leaning toward entering in the new year.
Thune will also benefit from an emerging truce between Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk, who briefly flirted with launching primary challenges against congressional Republicans after he was forced out as a White House adviser.
NETANYAHU SAYS HE WARNED AUSTRALIA OF POLICIES FUELING ‘ANTISEMITIC FIRE' MONTHS BEFORE SHOOTING
Instead, Thune said Musk is opening up his wallet for Senate Republicans and has already cut checks for one of their “main entities.” As majority leader, Thune is tasked with fundraising for the Senate Leadership Fund and its related super PACs.
“He's been very helpful,” Thune said. “I welcome that obviously, and the more he wants to do, the more we welcome.”
Thune added, “He's weighing in early, and I hope he weighs in often, in a big way, because the stakes I don't think could be higher in 2026.”
Thune has separately raised money for North Carolina's Michael Whatley, attending fundraisers for him and a slate of Senate incumbents in Ohio, Texas, and beyond. Whatley is running to replace Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and already has the endorsement of Trump.
“He's been all over,” Tillis said of Thune. “He's been to North Carolina already. It's a tough job, but he's absolutely focused on it.”
As of now, Thune is staying out of the primary in Georgia, though he said Kemp offers him updates on the state of the race on a “fairly regular basis.” He has also stayed neutral in Kentucky, where Republicans are choosing a successor to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the former majority leader.
Yet Thune has invited rare backlash as Republicans line up behind Sununu in New Hampshire's GOP primary.
Thune declined to say whether he urged Scott Brown, the other Republican candidate, to bow out, only offering up that “we always have very candid conversations,” but he has repeatedly nodded toward Sununu, a former House colleague, as the more electable of the two.
“I mean, Scott's a friend of mine,” Thune said. “And so, you know, those are always challenging, difficult circumstances when you get friends who are running. But for us, it's obviously going to be about who has the best chance of picking up a seat, which we think we have a really good shot at. And you know, clearly the polling right now is favorable for John Sununu.”
FULL LIST OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS, ACTIONS, AND PROCLAMATIONS TRUMP HAS MADE AS PRESIDENT
In response, Brown took a veiled shot at Thune, claiming that “President Trump and his agenda are being served poorly by the GOP Senate.”
“Rather than meddling in competitive primaries, Republican senators should get off their rear ends and start passing President Trump's agenda into law, especially with the House majority hanging on a razor's edge,” Brown said.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill was great, but what's next in 2026? If there is a plan, no one knows what it is,” he added.
Thune's level of involvement in Senate primaries underscores the stakes of next year's election, where Trump stands to lose full control of Washington if either the House or Senate falls to Democrats.
Republicans feel somewhat comfortable that they will be able to retain the Senate, given the smaller set of competitive seats this cycle and the size of their 53-seat majority. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has managed to land a series of strong candidates who will force Republicans to spread resources across the map.
Schumer secured Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), the most vulnerable Republican of the 2026 cycle, plus former Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina and former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio.
There is even the possibility that Democrat Mary Peltola, who represented an at-large House seat until January, could run against Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in Alaska. Sullivan is among the Republicans Trump has endorsed at the urging of Thune.
Thune is still holding out hope that Trump will engage in some of the more costly primaries and said he has discussed them all with Trump and his political team.
TRUMP PARDONS AND COMMUTATIONS: NOTABLE ACTS OF CLEMENCY IN HIS SECOND TERM
“At some point, my assumption is, when he believes it's advantageous, politically advantageous to do it, maybe he'll weigh in,” Thune said.
But he argued Republicans are well-positioned to win next year and would emerge from the primary season with a slate of candidates who can maintain, or even grow, their majority.
“I still think, like with Georgia, when that primary is resolved, I still think that's going to be a competitive race,” Thune said. “You know, I think Mike Rogers is in a great spot in Michigan, and we talked about New Hampshire and Sununu — I think there are some opportunities on the map.”
Apart from candidates, Thune emphasized turning out Trump's base with a ground game that defies the voting slump common in a midterm year and a “record of accomplishment,” anchored to Trump's tax law, that Republicans plan to plaster on the airwaves.
THUNE CLEARS GOP MINIBUS LOGJAM WITH HELP FROM TRUMP
Thune declined to predict how many seats Republicans would have in the next Congress but said he tries to “underpromise and overdeliver.”
“You know, our goal, obviously, is to keep the majority, and anything we can do that would build on or expand on it would be frosting on the cake,” Thune added.
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Let's fix the two massive efficiency sinks in American life.
The first thing that struck me about this year's most talked-about policy book, Abundance (perhaps you've heard of it?), is a detail almost no one talks about.
The book's cover art sketches a future where half of our planet is densely woven with the homes, clean energy, and other technologies required to fill every human need, liberating the other half to flourish as a preserve for the biosphere on which we all depend — wild animals, forests, contiguous stretches of wilderness.
It's a beautiful ecomodernist image, suggesting that protecting what we might crudely call “nature” is an equal part of what it means to be prosperous, and that doing so is compatible with continued economic growth. It's a visual rebuke to those who argue that we must choose between the two.
How would we do it?
The US and its peer countries today are spectacularly rich — unimaginably so, from the vantage of nearly any point in human history — and it might be tempting to think that we have grown enough, that our environmental crisis is so grave that we should save our planet by shrinking our economy and freeing ourselves from useless junk. I understand the pull of that vision — but it's one that I think is illusory and politically calamitous, not to mention at odds with human freedom. A world where economic growth goes into reverse is a world that would see ever more brutal fighting over shrinking wealth, and it is far from guaranteed to benefit the planet.
Yet that doesn't change the essential problem: Climate change and the destruction of the natural world pose grave immediate threats to humans, and to the nonhuman life that is valuable in itself. And we are not on track to manage it.
It's not easy to reconcile these realities, but it is possible and necessary to do so in a way that's consistent with liberal democratic principles. Instead of deliberately shrinking national income, we can seek out the areas of greatest inefficiency in our economy and chart a path that gets the most economic gain for the least environmental harm. If growing the economy without torching the planet is feasible in principle — and I think it is — then we should fight for it to grow in the best direction possible.
• Meat and dairy, plus our extreme dependence on cars, are two huge efficiency sinks: they produce a big share of emissions and devour land, and they aren't essential to economic growth or human flourishing.
• Shifting diets toward plant-based foods and freeing up land could act like a giant carbon-capture project, buying time to decarbonize.
• Reducing car dependence would slash transport emissions, make land use more efficient, and make Americans healthier and safer — without sacrificing prosperity.
We'll need to build out renewables at breakneck speed and electrify everything we can, of course. But some of the most powerful levers we have to decouple economic growth from environmental impact challenge us to do something even harder — to begin outgrowing two central fixtures of American life that are as taken-for-granted as they are supremely inefficient: our extreme dependence on meat and cars.
Changing those realities is so culturally and politically heretical in America that this case is almost never made in climate politics, but it deserves to be made nonetheless. And doing so will require examining the trade-offs that we too often treat as defaults.
It's probably not news to you that cars and animal-based foods are bad for the planet — together they contribute around a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions both globally and within the US. Animal agriculture also devours more than a third of habitable land globally (a crucially important part of our planetary crisis) and 40 percent of land in the lower 48 US states, while car-dependent sprawl fragments and eats into what's left at the urban fringe.
We obviously need food and transportation, but meat and cars convert our planet's resources into those necessities much more wastefully than the alternatives: plant-based food, walking, public transportation, and so on. And in a climate-constrained economy that still needs to grow, we don't have room to waste. Beef emits roughly 70 times more greenhouse gases per calorie than beans and 31 times more than tofu; poultry emits 10 times more than beans and four to five times more than tofu. Mile-for-mile, traveling by rail transit in the US emits about a third as much as driving on average, while walking doesn't emit anything.
For all that resource use, animal agriculture and autos are not indispensable to our economy or to our continued economic growth.
The entire US agricultural sector, plus the manufacture and servicing of automobiles, make up a tiny share of our GDP; like other advanced economies, America's is largely service-based, employing workers in everything from health care to law firms to restaurants and retailers like Amazon and Walmart. Of course, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing are foundational to everything else in the economy — without farming, Chipotle and Trader Joe's would have no food to sell, and more importantly, we would starve. To say that agriculture isn't a major part of our economy isn't to say that it's not really important to having an economy.
But it is, unsurprisingly, those foundational parts of the economy that disproportionately drive resource use and environmental impact — and because they're a small share of the economy, we have a lot of room to change their composition without crashing GDP.
If we shifted a chunk of our food production away from meat and dairy and toward plant-based foods, for example, the already economically tiny ag sector might shrink somewhat. Meanwhile, we would save a lot of greenhouse gas emissions and land, and it would be reasonable to infer that the food service and retail sectors, which make up a significantly larger share of US GDP than agriculture does, would function all the same because we'd still eat the same number of calories and buy the same amount of food. With less meat consumption, the US might even have a significantly bigger alternative protein sector, with cleaner, better jobs than farm or slaughterhouse work.
Which is not to say there wouldn't be any losers in the short run — job losses and stranded capital in industries that are regionally concentrated and politically powerful. But those transitions can be managed, just as we have been managing the transition away from fossil fuels.
This is exactly what decoupling — the idea that we can grow richer while decreasing emissions and other environmental impacts — looks like. The US, like a lot of other developed countries, has largely managed that in carbon emissions from energy consumption, which have fallen around 20 percent since 2005, even as the economy has grown about 50 percent in real terms. Agriculture has become more efficient, too, but it still lags on decoupling; the sector's emissions are mostly flat or rising. Road transport tells a similar story: cars and trucks have gotten more efficient, but total emissions from driving are still stuck near their mid-2000s levels.
Admittedly, it's easier to decouple for energy than it is to change the way we eat or move around. A megawatt is a megawatt, whether it's produced by coal or solar, while switching from steak to beans is not the same experience. But learning how to use resources more efficiently is, after all, a big part of how wealthy nations have become wealthy, including in these tougher sectors. Despite how inefficient our food system still is, the US has managed to significantly decrease how much land it uses for farming over the last century, while producing much more food. We could go much further if we weren't so reliant on eating animals.
Now, you might be thinking, so what if American GDP doesn't depend on meat and cars? People like them, and they're part of what it means to be rich and comfortable in the modern world. And you would have a point. No one would say that heating and cooling shouldn't exist (well, the French might) just because they use a lot of energy and make up a tiny share of the economy.
But every choice we make in the economy is a trade-off against something else, and everything we spend our limited carbon budget on is a choice to forgo something else. Our task is to decide whether high meat intake and extreme car dependence are worth that trade — whether they make up for their toll on the planet in contributions to our economy or to our flourishing as human beings.
We can start with animal agriculture, because however bad for the planet it looks on first impression, it's actually worse.
Estimates of the livestock industry's greenhouse gas emissions range from around 12 to 20 percent globally; in the US, it's around 7 percent (despite the lower percentage, per capita meat consumption is substantially higher in the US than it is globally — it's just that our other sources of emissions are even higher). But those numbers don't account for what climate scientists call the carbon opportunity cost of animal agriculture's land use.
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Recall that farming animals for food takes up a massive amount of land, because we need space for the animals and for the crops needed to feed them. Meat and dairy production hogs 80 percent of all agricultural land to produce what amounts to 17 percent of global calories. Much of it could instead be rewilded with climate-stabilizing ecosystems, which would support biodiversity and also happen to be among our best defenses against global warming because of how good they are at sequestering carbon.
How big would the impact be? The canonical paper on the carbon opportunity cost of animal agriculture finds that a 70 percent reduction in global meat consumption, relative to projected consumption levels in 2050, would remove the equivalent of about nine years of carbon emissions, while a global plant-based diet would remove 16 years of emissions; another study concludes that a rapid phaseout of animal agriculture could effectively freeze increases in all greenhouse gases over the next 30 years, and offset most carbon emissions this century.
It's worth pausing to appreciate just how miraculous that is. Freeing up even some of the land now used for meat and dairy turns it into a negative-emissions machine better than any existing carbon capture technology, giving us a carbon budget windfall that could ease the phaseout of fossil fuels and buy time for solving harder problems like decarbonizing aviation. This is as close as it gets to a free lunch, as long as you're willing to make it a vegan lunch.
We can think of car dependence as the other big resource black hole in US society.
Transportation is the top source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, and cars are the biggest source within that category, accounting for about 16 percent of all US emissions. Globally, gas-powered cars are in retreat — a very good thing for both climate change and deadly air pollution, though the US is increasingly falling behind peer countries in auto electrification.
Still, if it were just a matter of swapping out gas-guzzlers for EVs, auto transportation wouldn't be an obstacle to truly sustainable growth. But EVs alone aren't a silver bullet for repairing the environmental problems of cars.
One influential paper on the subject found as much in 2020, concluding that, at any realistic pace of electrification, EV growth wouldn't be enough to meet climate targets, and even with universal adoption, EVs aren't emissions-free. They take lots of energy to make — especially those heavy batteries — and an enormous amount of steel and critical minerals. These are scarce inputs that we also need to decarbonize the electric grid and build other green infrastructure.
That isn't to say that EVs aren't better for the climate than gas-powered vehicles — they absolutely are. But as the lead author of that paper wrote in an accompanying commentary, “The real question is, do you even need a car?”
The problem is not the existence of cars, but our total dependence on them. In most of the country, Americans have no other convenient transportation options. And remember, we're trying to optimize for the least resources used for the most economic upside. Organizing society around the movement of hundreds of millions of two-ton metal boxes is… obviously not that, and the reasons why go well beyond emissions from the cars themselves. The car-dependent urban form that dominates America forces us to build things spread far apart — sprawl, in other words — which forces us to use more land. As of 2010, according to one estimate, the US devoted a land area about the size of New Jersey to parking spots alone.
Our cities and suburbs occupy less than one-tenth as much land as farming — about 3 percent of the US total — but they still matter for the environment, fragmenting the habitats on which wildlife and ecosystems depend. Plus, housing in the US is sprawling enough that some exurban communities stretch across outlying rural counties, occupying an unknown additional share of land that's not included in the 3 percent figure.
Perhaps most damaging from an economic perspective, the sprawling development pattern that car dependence both enables and relies upon has driven the misallocation of valuable land toward low-density single-family homes, driving our national housing crisis. Cars are by no means the sole reason behind the housing shortage, but without mass car dependence, it would be vastly harder to lock so much of our land into inefficient uses. Meanwhile, Americans pay dearly for car dependence in the form of costly infrastructure and tens of thousands of traffic deaths each year.
Urbanists sometimes like to say that the US prioritizes cars over people — that an alien arriving on Earth would probably think cars are our planet's apex species. In some senses, that's certainly true — the privileges that we've reserved for cars make it harder to meet the basic human need of housing, which makes us poorer and diminishes the agglomeration effects that make cities dynamic and productive. One widely cited paper estimated, astonishingly, that housing supply constraints, especially in the highest-productivity cities, cut US economic growth by 36 percent, relative to what it would have been otherwise, from 1964 to 2009. Imagine how much higher the GDP of Los Angeles would be if it doubled its housing stock and population and, with its freeways already maxed out, enabled millions more people to get around on foot, bike, and transit.
And, of course, since autos and animal products are both very high in negative externalities, the benefits of reducing our collective dependence on them go well beyond the strictly economic or environmental. Americans would spend less money managing chronic disease and die fewer premature deaths (in the case of meat and dairy, probably, and in the case of cars, undoubtedly). We would torture and kill fewer animals (and fewer people would have to spend their working lives doing the killing). We would help keep antibiotics working, and we might even prevent the next pandemic.
The growth that brought us industrial modernity is an awe-inspiring thing: It's given us an abundance of choices, and it's made obsolete brutal ways of life that not long ago were a shorthand for prosperity, like coal mining or the hunting of whales to make industrial products. Prosperity can be measured concretely in rising incomes and lengthening lifespans, but it's also an evolving story we tell ourselves about what constitutes the good life, and what we're willing to trade to get it.
With cars, at least, we might have the seeds of a different story. Dethroning the automobile in car-loving America remains a grueling, uphill battle, and I wouldn't necessarily call myself optimistic, but transportation reform flows quite naturally from the changes we already know we need to make to solve our housing shortage.
The best way to reduce the number of miles we drive is to permit a greater density of homes anywhere where there's demand for it, especially in the parts of cities that already have the affordances of car-free or car-light life (and it's definitely not all or nothing — I own a car and can appreciate its conveniences, while driving maybe a quarter as much as the average American). The housing abundance movement is winning the intellectual argument necessary to change policy in that direction. And maybe most crucially, we know many Americans want to live in these places — some of the most in-demand homes in the country are in walkable neighborhoods. If we make it easy to build lots of housing in the centers of growing cities, people will move there.
But animal agriculture, barring a game-changing breakthrough in cell-cultivated meat, is a somewhat different story. It's one thing to show that we're not missing out on economic growth by forgoing meat, and quite another to persuade people that eating less of it isn't a sacrifice — something the plant-based movement hasn't yet figured out how to do. At bare minimum, we ought to be pouring public money into meat alternatives research. There's no shortage of clever policy ideas to nudge consumer choices in the right direction — but for them to succeed rather than backfire terribly, people have to want it. And to that end, I'd encourage anyone to discover the abundance of a low- or no-meat diet, which is an easier choice to make in most of America than escaping car dependence.
Right now, our livestock and our automotive herd squander the resources that could be used to make industrial modernity sustainable for everyone. We grow less than we might because we waste so much on cars and meat. Reclaiming even a fraction of that capacity would make the math of decoupling less brutal, freeing us to build whatever else we can imagine. There's no guarantee we'll make that choice, or make it in time — but the choice is ours.
This series was supported by a grant from Arnold Ventures. Vox had full discretion over the content of this reporting.
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A Wisconsin jury found Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan guilty Thursday on a federal charge of obstructing a proceeding before a U.S. department or agency.
Dugan was accused of helping an illegal immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in April, while he was in her courthouse for battery charges. She was accused of guiding Flores-Ruiz to a non-public exit in the building in order to evade authorities while directing ICE officers to speak to the chief judge.
Dugan was also found not guilty on a lesser misdemeanor charge of “concealing an individual from discovery and arrest,” reported Wisconsin's WISN-12.
Dugan's legal representatives maintained her innocence, citing that her being found guilty on only one charge, instead of both, is a reflection of her innocence, which they will continue to fight for in court.
“While we are disappointed in today's outcome, the failure of the prosecution to secure convictions on both counts demonstrates the opportunity we have to clear Judge Dugan's name and show she did nothing wrong in this matter,” Dugan's defense team said in a prepared statement. “We have planned for this potential outcome and our defense of Judge Dugan is just beginning. This trial required considerable resources to prepare for and public support for Judge Dugan's defense fund is critical as we prepare for the next phase of this defense.”
Dugan's case initially drew a lot of attention when it occurred. Many Democratic politicians loudly criticized Dugan's arrest at the time and blasted President Donald Trump for doing so, claiming it was an example of aggressive governance and political overreach, with some even stating it was an example of Trump acting like a king.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called Dugan's arrest “gravely serious,” “lawless behavior,” and asserted that “we do not have kings in this country.”
“In the United States, we have a system of checks and balances and separations of power for damn good reasons,” said Baldwin in a statement on April 25. “The President's administration arresting a sitting judge is a gravely serious and drastic move, and it threatens to breach those very separations of power.”
“Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country and we are a Democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by,” Baldwin said. “By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting those basic Democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line. While details of this exact case remain minimal, this action fits into the deeply concerning pattern of this President's lawless behavior and undermining courts and Congress's checks on his power.”
Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) at the time was also critical of Dugan's arrest, blasting Trump's actions and comments.
JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN'S TRIAL FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ESCAPE CASE BEGINS WITH FBI AGENT ON THE STAND
“In this country, people who are suspected of criminal wrongdoing are innocent until their guilt is proven beyond reasonable doubt and they are found guilty by a jury of their peers — this is the fundamental demand of justice in America,” Evers said at the time.
“Unfortunately, we have seen in recent months the president and the Trump Administration repeatedly use dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level, including flat-out disobeying the highest court in the land and threatening to impeach and remove judges who do not rule in their favor,” the Democratic governor added.
The maximum penalty for Dugan is reportedly five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Dugan's lawyers said they would appeal the conviction. No sentencing date has been set at the present time.
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President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration is starting to send checks in the amount of $1,776 to nearly 1.5 million US service members, using money from the “billions of dollars” he says the government has collected through his tariffs.
“Because of tariffs, along with the just-passed One Big, Beautiful Bill, tonight I am also proud to announce that more than … 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special, we call ‘Warrior Dividend,' before Christmas,” Trump said Wednesday night in a televised address to the nation.
Troops will receive $1,776 checks before Christmas, Trump announces
But he alone can't decide how the revenue from his sweeping tariffs gets spent.
All revenue the government collects, whether through ordinary taxes or tariffs, goes into a general fund managed by the Treasury department that is then used to pay the government's expenses, such as distributing tax refunds. Any other use of the money has to be approved by Congress, which, so far, hasn't happened for tariff collections.
“Money is fungible,” a White House spokesperson told CNN. “Just because Congress didn't specifically appropriate tariff revenue to be used for the Warrior Dividend doesn't change the fact that the government has more money available (because of tariffs) to pay for these sort of initiatives.” Congress did, however, sign off on Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which earmarked money for the checks.
Regardless, not only is none of the $260 billion in tariff revenue being put toward that, but it is unlikely to be applied to anything (and certainly not everything) that Trump has promised.
First off, about half of the tariff revenue collected this year, or as much as $129 billion, is tied to a landmark tariff case the Supreme Court is expected to soon issue a ruling on. If the justices rule against Trump, the government may have to issue billions of dollars in refunds to importers.
But, refunds notwithstanding, here's everything else Trump, at various points, has promised that tariff revenue collected during his second term would be used for:
Last month, Trump posted on Truth Social: “A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.” Trump hasn't specified what that income cap would be.
While discussing refund checks, Trump has often brought up using tariff funds to help pay down the nation's almost $40 trillion in federal debt. He has not specified how much he'd seek to pay down, but has said he'd “substantially” reduce the debt.
But even if Trump used every cent of the tariff revenue collected during his second term, it would only be able to pay off less than 1% of the national debt.
During a campaign event last year, Trump seemed to suggest that tariff revenue could be put toward making child care more affordable.
“With child care … those numbers are small, relative to the kind of economic numbers that I'm talking about, including growth, but growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just told you about,” Trump said at an event hosted by the Economic Club of New York. The president spoke extensively about his tariff plans throughout the event.
Trump has said that any loss of government revenue that's associated with many of the tax cuts his administration has either floated or enacted, including new limitations on the portion of tips subject to taxes, will be made up for with tariff revenue.
At a Cabinet meeting this month, for instance, Trump said: “I believe that at some point in the not‑too‑distant future, you won't even have income tax to pay because the money we're taking in is so great.”
Trump pledged to distribute “some of that tariff money” to farmers, many of whom have been hurt by tit-for-tat moves that countries, especially China, have taken in retaliation of higher tariffs on commodities.
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How should a military commander respond if they determine they have received an unlawful order?
Request to retire — and refrain from resigning in protest, which could be seen as a political act, or picking a fight to get fired.
That was the previously unreported guidance that Brig. Gen. Eric Widmar, the top lawyer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave to the country's top general, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, in November, according to sources familiar with the discussion.
Caine had just seen a video that included six Democratic lawmakers publicly urging US troops to disobey illegal orders. He asked Widmar, according to the sources, what the latest guidance was on how to determine whether an order was lawful and how a commander should reply if it is not.
Widmar responded that they should consult with their legal adviser if they're unsure, the sources said. But ultimately, if they determine that an order is illegal, they should consider requesting retirement.
The guidance sheds new light on how top military officials are thinking about an issue that has reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, as lawmakers and legal experts have repeatedly questioned the legality of the US military's counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean — including intense scrutiny of a “double-tap” strike that deliberately killed survivors on September 2.
Caine is not in the chain of command. But he is closely involved in operations, including those in SOUTHCOM, and is often tasked with presenting military options to the president—more so than Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CNN has reported.
The Joint Staff declined to comment for this story.
Several senior officers who reportedly expressed concerns about the boat strikes, including former US Southern Command commander Adm. Alvin Holsey and Lt. Gen. Joe McGee, the former director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy on the Joint Staff, have retired early in recent months.
Widmar's advice to Caine was meant to help inform the chairman's discussions with senior military officials should the issue come up, the sources said. The Democrats' video had become headline news, enraging Hegseth and sparking debates across the country.
A separate official familiar with military legal advice said that it is not uncommon for lawyers to urge servicemembers to consider leaving the force if they believe they're being asked to do something they are personally uncomfortable with, but it's typically handled on a case-by-case basis and tailored to the facts of the situation.
Other current and former US officials, however, including those who have served as miliary lawyers in the Judge Advocate General corps, stressed that broadly encouraging servicemembers to quietly retire — if they're eligible — rather than voice dissent in the face of a potentially illegal order risks perpetuating a culture of silence and lack of accountability.
“A commissioned officer has every right to say, ‘this is wrong,' and shouldn't be expected to quietly and silently walk away just because they're given a free pass to do so,” said a former senior defense official who left the Pentagon earlier this year.
More than a dozen senior officers have either been fired or retired early since Trump took office in January, an unusually high rate of turnover. In a speech before hundreds of general and flag officers in September, Hegseth directed officers to “do the honorable thing and resign” if they didn't agree with his vision for the department.
But disagreeing with the direction of the military is different than viewing an order as illegal, legal experts said.
Dan Maurer, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and former JAG lawyer, said that the guidance, as described by CNN, appears to “misunderstand what a servicemember is supposed to do in the face of an unlawful order: disobey it if confident that the order is unlawful and attempt to persuade the order-giver to stop or modify it have failed, and report it through the chain of command.”
Maurer added that “if the guidance does not explicitly advise servicemembers that they have a duty to disobey unlawful orders, the guidance is not a legitimate statement of professional military ethics and the law.”
Widmar advised that an order may be unlawful if it is “patently illegal,” or something an ordinary person would recognize instinctively as a violation of domestic or international law, the sources said — the My Lai massacre in Vietnam is an oft-used example. But the guidance he provided was that an unlawful order should be met with retirement, if possible, and did not note that servicemembers have a duty to disobey unlawful orders, the sources said.
“It's a very safe recommendation in this current political environment,” said the former senior defense official. “But that doesn't make it the right or ethical one.”
Experts on civil military relations have previously pointed to retirement as a reasonable option for officers who object to a particular policy, while noting that it comes with its own costs.
In a September article that has been discussed amongst the Joint Staff and other senior military officials, Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University, and Heidi Urben, a former Army intelligence officer and current associate director of Georgetown University's security studies program, wrote that “quiet quitting”, or opting for retirement “allows officers with professionally grounded objections to leave without posing a direct challenge to civilian control.”
But while officers shouldn't resign in protest or pick fights, they argued, they should “speak up” and “show moral courage” when the military's professional values and ideals are at risk.
And they should be willing to be fired for it. “Complete silence can be corrosive to good order and discipline and signal to the force that the military's professional values and norms are expendable,” they wrote.
Maurer, the former Army officer, said the advice to retire in the face of an unlawful order also functions to “keep that person silent in perpetuity, because as a retiree he or she remains subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which criminalizes a broad range of conduct and speech that would be constitutionally protected for regular civilians.”
Those constraints have been apparent as the Pentagon has launched an investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain and one of the Democratic lawmakers seen in the video encouraging troops to disobey unlawful orders, which prompted Caine to seek the legal advice.
As questions continue to swirl around the legality of the boat strike campaign, Widmar also advised Caine that Article II of the Constitution gives the president the authority to authorize lethal force to protect the nation, unless hostilities rise to the level of a full-blown war — in which case Congressional approval is required, the sources said.
Whether the president's orders are legal to begin with, Widmar advised according to the sources, is a question only the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel can answer, due to the executive order Trump issued in February that says the president and the attorney general's “opinions on questions of law are controlling” on all executive branch employees — to include US troops.
The Office of Legal Counsel determined in September that it is legal for Trump to order strikes on suspected drug boats because they pose an imminent threat to the United States, CNN has reported.
Since September 2, the US military has killed at least 99 people across dozens of strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, arguing that those targeted were “narcoterrorists” that pose a direct threat to the United States. The Trump administration has also not provided public evidence of the presence of narcotics on the boats struck, nor their affiliation with drug cartels.
Lawmakers have said that Pentagon officials have acknowledged in private briefings not knowing the identities of everyone on board a vessel before striking it; instead, military officials only need to confirm that the individuals are affiliated with a cartel or criminal organization to target them.
Some members of Congress, legal experts and human rights groups have argued that potential drug traffickers are civilians who should not be summarily killed but arrested—something the Coast Guard did routinely, and continues to do in the eastern Pacific, when encountering a suspected drug trafficking vessel.
CNN's Haley Britzky contributed to this report
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This courtroom sketch depicts Judge Laura Gramling Perez at Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan's trial in court, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Adela Tesnow via AP, Pool)
This courtroom sketch depicts Judge Katie Kegel at Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan's trial in court, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Adela Tesnow via AP, Pool)
This courtroom sketch depicts Maura Gingerich at Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan's trial in court, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Adela Tesnow via AP, Pool)
This courtroom sketch depicts Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in court, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Adela Tesnow via AP)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A jury found a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant dodge federal authorities guilty of obstruction Thursday, marking a victory for President Donald Trump as he continues his sweeping immigration crackdown across the country.
Federal prosecutors charged Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan with obstruction, a felony, and concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor, in April. The jury acquitted her on the concealment count, but she still faces up to five years in prison on the obstruction count.
The jury returned the verdicts after deliberating for six hours. Dugan faces up to five years in prison when she's sentenced, but no date had been set as of late Thursday evening.
The case inflamed tensions over Trump's immigration crackdown, with his administration branding Dugan an activist judge and Democrats countering that the administration was trying to make an example of Dugan to blunt judicial opposition to the operation.
Dugan and her attorneys left the courtroom, ducked into a side conference room and closed the door without speaking to reporters. Steve Biskupic, her lead attorney, later told reporters that he was disappointed with the ruling and didn't understand how the jury could have reached a split verdict since the elements of both charges were virtually the same.
U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel denied the case was political and urged people to accept the verdict peacefully. He said courthouse arrests are safer because people are screened for weapons and it isn't unfair for law enforcement to arrest wanted people in courthouses.
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“Some have sought to make this about a larger political battle,” Schimel said. “While this case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day, in a public courthouse. The defendant is certainly not evil. Nor is she a martyr for some greater cause.”
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the verdict on X, saying nobody is above the law, even judges.
According to a court filings that include an FBI affidavit and a federal grand jury indictment, immigration authorities traveled to the Milwaukee County courthouse on April 18 after learning 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case.
Dugan learned that agents were in the corridor outside her courtroom waiting for Flores-Ruiz. She left the courtroom to confront them, falsely telling them their administrative warrant for Flores-Ruiz wasn't sufficient grounds to arrest him and directing them to go to the chief judge's office.
While the agents were gone, she addressed Flores-Ruiz's case off the record, told his attorney that he could attend his next hearing via Zoom and led Flores-Ruiz and the attorney out a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, followed him outside and arrested him after a foot chase. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in November he had been deported.
Prosecutors worked during Dugan's trial to show that she directed agents to the chief judge's office to create an opening for Flores-Ruiz to escape.
An FBI agent who led the investigation testified that after agents left the corridor, she immediately moved Flores-Ruiz's case to the top of her docket, told him that he could appear for his next hearing via Zoom and led him out the private door.
Prosecutors also played audio recordings from her courtroom in which she can be heard telling her court reporter that she'd take “the heat” for leading Flores-Ruiz out the back.
Her attorneys countered that she was trying to follow courthouse protocols that called for court employees to report any immigration agents to their supervisors and she didn't intentionally try to obstruct the arrest team.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Peter Arnett, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who spent decades dodging bullets and bombs to bring the world eyewitness accounts of war from the rice paddies of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq, has died at 91. CNN's Nic Robertson remembers his colleague
Peter Arnett, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who spent decades dodging bullets and bombs to bring the world eyewitness accounts of war from the rice paddies of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq, has died at 91. CNN's Nic Robertson remembers his colleague
A Reddit post played a key role in helping police identify the suspected Brown University shooter Claudio Neves Valente. A rental car, first flagged in the Reddit post, helped police identify the possible assailant. The poster also told police about his eerie confrontation with the suspect.
A 61-year-old school janitor has been found guilty by a German court of drugging and raping his wife over the course of several years, in a case that has drawn comparisons to the trial of Dominique Pelicot in France. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne reports on the rape trial that has shaken Germany.
Watch the moment Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a national buy-back scheme for firearms following the Bondi Beach shooting.
President Donald Trump's announcement of the Patriot Games, a sporting event to celebrate 250 years of America, has sparked debate. Critics have likened the idea to The Hunger Games series, noting that in both, one boy and one girl are chosen to represent their region.
The suspect in Brown University's deadly shooting has been found dead after a five-day manhunt, law enforcement officials say. The shooting left two students dead and nine others injured. Police were seen in Salem, New Hampshire, where an abandoned car believed to be linked to the suspect was discovered.
Seven people have died after a small private jet crashed shortly after takeoff in Statesville, North Carolina the North Carolina State Highway patrol said. Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife- Cristina and two children- Ryder and Emma were among those killed according to a statement from family members. CNN's Pete Muntean reports on the latest.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Authorities say a business jet crashed while landing at a regional airport in Statesville, North Carolina, erupting in a large fire.
Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife, and their two children are among the seven people killed in a plane crash in North Carolina.
Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
Greg Biffle smiles along pit row during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
Former driver Greg Biffle waves to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Aug. 31, 2025, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A business jet crashed Thursday while trying to return to a North Carolina airport shortly after takeoff, killing all seven people aboard, including retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family, authorities said.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground. It had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, but soon crashed while trying to return and land, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.
Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, nor was the reason for the plane's return to the airport in drizzle and cloudy conditions.
Federal Aviation Administration records show Biffle was rated to fly helicopters and single and multi-engine planes. It wasn't clear if Biffle was piloting the plane at the time of the crash.
Biffle was on the plane with his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, according to the highway patrol and a family statement. Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the joint family statement said.
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Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR's three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR said it was devastated by the news.
“Greg was more than a champion driver; he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”
The plane, bound for Florida, took off from the Statesville airport shortly after 10 a.m., according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com.
Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That's way too low,'” said Joshua Green of Mooresville. “It was scary.”
At a news conference, Statesville Regional Airport manager John Ferguson says federal authorities are at the scene where a business jet crashed Thursday morning. COURTESY: WSOC.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were investigating.
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
The Cessna plane, built in 1981, is a popular mid-sized business jet with an excellent reputation, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said. It has two engines and typically seats six to eight passengers and two pilots.
In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.
“The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That's who the Biffles were,” U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, said.
Wadsworth was Biffle's friend and helped him with odd jobs, including delivering supplies to places hit by Hurricane Helene, roommate Benito Howell said.
“He didn't know how to say no,” Howell said of Wadsworth, who had worked for several NASCAR teams. “He loved everybody. He always tried to help everybody.”
The joint family statement also spoke about Dutton and his son Jack, saying they were “deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them.”
With 2025 almost over, there have been 1,331 U.S. crashes this year investigated by the NTSB, from two-seat planes to commercial aircraft, compared to a total of 1,482 in 2024.
Major air disasters around the world in 2025 include the plane-helicopter collision that killed 67 in Washington, the Air India crash that killed 260 in India, and a crash in Russia's Far East that claimed 48 lives. Fourteen people, including 11 on the ground, died in a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky.
___
Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, North Carolina; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Ed White in Detroit; and Sarah Brumfield in Washington contributed to this story.
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Officials brief the public on the investigation after Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente was found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Authorities have identified the suspect in Saturday's mass shooting at Brown University, which left two students dead and nine injured during a finals week review session, as the same man believed to have carried out the murder of a renowned nuclear scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology days later.
His name is Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, according to Providence police.
He was found dead Thursday evening, authorities announced at a press briefing Thursday evening, after law enforcement officers in tactical gear were seen outside a storage unit linked to him in Salem, New Hampshire, for hours.
Neves-Valente, 48, was a Portuguese national and studied at Brown from the fall of 2000 to the spring of 2001 to study physics, according to Brown President Christina Paxson. But he went on a leave of absence and ultimately withdrew in 2003.
BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENT MOURNS SLAIN FRIEND ELLA COOK AFTER CAMPUS SHOOTING, CALLS IT A 'DEVASTATING LOSS'
A split image shows Claudio Neves-Valente, identified as the Brown University gunman, wearing the same jacket as a man identified earlier as a person of interest in the case. (Providence Police Department)
A man with the same name was also terminated from a monitor position at the Instituto Superior Tecnico in Portugal in 2000, school records show. Authorities said they believe he is the same person as the killer.
That's also the same university attended by the renowned MIT nuclear physics professor Nuno Loureiro, who suffered fatal gunshot wounds Monday at his home in Massachusetts, about 50 miles away from Brown.
Images of Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente are displayed on a projector screen at a news briefing in Providence, Rhode Island. The 48-year-old former student and Portuguese national has been identified as the gunman behind a mass shooting that killed two students and wounded nine Saturday. (Andrea Margolis/Fox News Digital)
Rhode Island authorities said that the investigation was being handled by Massachusetts authorities, who would speak for themselves. Leah B. Foley, the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, later confirmed that Neves-Valente was suspected in Loureiro's murder too.
"This evening at approximately 9 p.m., federal agents breached a storage locker in Salem, New Hampshire, in search of Claudio Neves-Valente, a Portuguese national we believed shot and killed two Brown University students and an MIT professor in Brookline, Massachusetts," she told reporters in a separate news briefing. "Federal agents found Neves-Valente dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound."
The Brown shooting happened around 4 p.m. Saturday at a finals week study session at the Barus and Holley Building on the eastern edge of campus. A motive remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters.
A split image showing multiple still frames from the surveillance video taken near Brown University of a person of interest before and after a school shooting Saturday. (FBI Boston)
The building has long hosted physics and engineering classes, according to Paxson.
"I think it's safe to assume that this man, when he was a student, spent a great deal of time in that building for classes and other activities as a Ph.D. student in physics," Paxson said. "He has no current active affiliation with the university or campus presence."
BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTING PROBE FACES HURDLES AFTER CAMPUS EMPTIES OUT AS WITNESSES SCATTER: FORMER FBI AGENT
Interior view of Barus and Holley Room 166 on the campus of Brown University in Providence, R.I. On Saturday, Dec. 13, around 4p.m., a masked man with a gun entered a review session in Barus & Holley Room 166 for ECON 0110: "Principles of Economics," shouted something indiscernible and opened fire. (Kenna Lee/The Brown Daily Herald)
Detectives initially questioned a person of interest at a hotel outside town but ruled him out as a suspect, according to authorities.
Police spent days canvassing the neighborhood for surveillance video, which turned up images of a person of interest — a masked, stocky figure who stood around 5 feet, 8 inches tall and walked with an odd gait.
Susan Constantine, a body language expert, said one key marker is how the person of interest's right leg bows inward while his toe points outward as he walks.
Then they shared images of a second person who they said may have information about the person they were seeking and asked for the public's help identifying both of them.
Six of the surviving victims remained hospitalized as of Thursday afternoon in stable condition.
Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team search for evidence near the campus of Brown University, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo)
The two killed were identified as Ella Cook of Alabama and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov of Virginia.
The surrounding community spent days waiting for answers, with residents on edge after the school sent students home early in the wake of the shooting.
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The suspected gunman from Saturday's mass shooting at Brown University was found dead in Salem, New Hampshire, on Thursday evening.
FBI and law enforcement officials surrounded the suspected shooter as he hid in a storage unit following a nearly six-day manhunt for the suspect. Authorities believe the suspect carried out the Brown University shooting, in which two students were killed and nine were injured, and the fatal shooting of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro two days later.
The suspect was Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown University student and Portuguese national, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez announced during a press conference on Thursday evening. Perez said the suspect died by suicide.
POLITICAL VIOLENCE ON THE RISE IN THE US: A TIMELINE OF KEY INCIDENTSNeves Valente attended Brown University from fall 2000 to spring 2001, Brown University President Christina Paxson said. During this time, Neves Valente enrolled in Brown's doctoral physics program before taking a leave of absence and ultimately withdrawing. Neves Valente was only enrolled in physics classes at the university.
Neves Vilente entered the United States in August 2000 on an F-1 student visa and obtained U.S. legal permanent residency in 2017, according to authorities. Neves Vilente's last known address was in Miami.Loureiro was a professor of physics and of nuclear science and engineering at MIT and was also originally from Portugal. Perez confirmed that authorities believe Neves Valente and Loureiro attended the same university in Portugal.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WAS RELEASED FROM JAIL BY SOROS DISTRICT ATTORNEY ONE DAY BEFORE ALLEGEDLY KILLING VIRGINIA MAN
Authorities believe Neves Valente acted alone and were unaware of his identity until Wednesday.The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts was set to provide an update later in the evening on the investigation surrounding Loureiro's murder. The office confirmed there is no longer a threat to the public.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Andrea Lucas, nominee to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, June 18, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
The head of the U.S. agency for enforcing workplace civil rights posted a social media call-out urging white men to come forward if they have experienced race or sex discrimination at work.
“Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex? You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws,” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas, a vocal critic of diversity, equity and inclusion, wrote in an X post Wednesday evening with a video of herself. The post urged eligible workers to reach out to the agency “as soon as possible” and referred users to the agency's fact sheet on “DEI-related discrimination” for more information.
Lucas' post, viewed millions of times, was shared about two hours after Vice President JD Vance posted an article he said “describes the evil of DEI and its consequences,” which also received millions of views. Lucas responded to Vance's post saying: “Absolutely right @JDVance. And precisely because this widespread, systemic, unlawful discrimination primarily harmed white men, elites didn't just turn a blind eye; they celebrated it. Absolutely unacceptable; unlawful; immoral.”
She added that the EEOC “won't rest until this discrimination is eliminated.”
A representative for Vance did not respond to a request for comment. Lucas said Thursday evening that “the gaslighting surrounding what DEI initiatives have entailed in practice ends now. We can't attack and remedy a problem if we refuse to call it out for what it is — race or sex discrimination — or acknowledge who is harmed.”
She added that “the EEOC's doors are open to all,” and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “protects everyone, including white men.”
Since being elevated to acting chair of the EEOC in January, Lucas has been shifting the agency's focus to prioritize “rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination,” aligning with President Donald Trump's own anti-DEI executive orders. Trump named Lucas as the agency's chair in November.
Earlier this year, the EEOC along with the Department of Justice issued two “technical assistance” documents attempting to clarify what might constitute “DEI-related Discrimination at Work” and providing guidance on how workers can file complaints over such concerns. The documents took broad aim at practices such as training, employee resource groups and fellowship programs, warning such programs — depending on how they're constructed — could run afoul of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and gender.
Those documents have been criticized by former agency commissioners as misleading for portraying DEI initiatives as legally fraught.
David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the NYU School of Law, said Lucas's latest social media posts demonstrate a “fundamental misunderstanding of what DEI is.”
“It's really much more about creating a culture in which you get the most out of everyone who you're bringing on board, where everyone experiences fairness and equal opportunity, including white men and members of other groups,” Glasgow said.
The Meltzer Center tracks lawsuits that are likely to affect workplace DEI practices, including 57 cases of workplace discrimination. Although there are instances in which it occurs on a case-by-case basis, Glasgow said he has not seen “any kind of systematic evidence that white men are being discriminated against.”
He pointed out that Fortune 500 CEOs are overwhelmingly white men, and that relative to their share of the population, the demographic is overrepresented in corporate senior leadership, Congress, and beyond.
“If DEI has been this engine of discrimination against white men, I have to say it hasn't really been doing a very good job at achieving that,” Glasgow said.
Jenny Yang, a former EEOC chair and now a partner at law firm Outten & Golden, said it is “unusual” and “problematic” for the head of the agency to single out a particular demographic group for civil rights enforcement.
“It suggests some sort of priority treatment,” Yang said. “That's not something that sounds to me like equal opportunity for all.”
On the other hand, the agency has done the opposite for transgender workers, whose discrimination complaints have been deprioritized or dropped completely, Yang said.
The EEOC has limited resources, and must accordingly prioritize which cases to pursue. But treating charges differently based on workers' identities goes against the mission of the agency, she said.
“It worries me that a message is being sent that the EEOC only cares about some workers and not others,” Yang said.
________
The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
TikTok inked a deal to sell its U.S. entity to a joint venture group with several American investors on Thursday, CEO Shou Zi Chew said in an internal company memo.
The deal follows months of the Trump administration attempting to reach an agreement with Chinese-based TikTok owner ByteDance to delay a Supreme Court ruling that forced the U.S. entity to divest from ByteDance or face a nationwide ban. The ruling upheld a law passed by Congress in 2024 that required the TikTok ByteDance divestment.
The deal involves an agreement between American companies Oracle and Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-owned MGX to make up 45% of the joint venture, according to the memo. Existing ByteDance investors will make up 30.1% of the share, ByteDance itself will hold 19.9%, and the remaining 5% will be owned by other American investors in the joint venture.
President Donald Trump had signed multiple executive orders to allow TikTok to continue its U.S. operations as negotiations took place. The White House released details of a deal negotiated by Trump in September that included Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX in the agreement. That deal positioned Oracle to provide security operations on the app and includes Silver Lake and MGX as key leaders.
The security of the app has been of primary concern to U.S. leadership, as ByteDance is a Chinese-owned company.
WHITE HOUSE RELEASES DETAILS ON DEAL TO SAVE TIKTOK IN US
The White House referred the Washington Examiner to TikTok for comment on the deal.
TikTok did not respond to the Washington Examiner's requests for comment.
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Brightline Trains Florida LLC — the struggling private rail line connecting Orlando to Miami — was downgraded five notches by S&P Global Ratings, citing a “material deviation” from growth expectations in the second half of this year and higher probability of default by January 2027.
S&P loweredBloomberg Terminal the unenhanced and underlying ratings on $2.2 billion of senior secured debt to CCC from BB-. About $1.1 billion of those bonds are insured with an AA rating, based on Assured Guaranty's credit grade.
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Palo Alto Networks will migrate key internal workloads to Google Cloud as part of a new multibillion-dollar agreement, the companies announced on Friday.
The companies said the deal is an expansion of their existing strategic partnership and will deepen their engineering collaboration.
Palo Alto Networks is now using Google's Gemini artificial intelligence models to power its copilots, and it is also using Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform, according to a release.
"Every board is asking how to harness AI's power without exposing the business to new threats," BJ Jenkins, president of Palo Alto Networks, said in a statement. "This partnership answers that question."
Palo Alto Networks, which offers a range of cybersecurity products, already has more than 75 joint integrations with Google Cloud and has completed $2 billion in sales through the Google Cloud Marketplace.
As part of the new phase of the partnership, Palo Alto Networks customers will be able to protect live AI workloads and data on Google Cloud, maintain security policies, accelerate Google Cloud adoption and simplify and unify their security solutions, the companies said.
Shares of Palo Alto Networks were up 1% on Friday. Google shares were mostly flat.
"This latest expansion of our partnership will ensure that our joint customers have access to the right solutions to secure their most critical AI infrastructure and develop new AI agents with security built in from the start," Google Cloud President Matt Renner said in a statement.
WATCH: Google unveils ‘Gemini 3 Flash' AI model focused on speed and cost
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Oracle's stock jumped 7% Friday after the cloud provider joined a group of investors slated to lead TikTok's U.S. operations.
In a memo to employees Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said the social media company's U.S. division will be run by a joint venture that includes Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX. The deal is expected to close on Jan. 22.
The agreement prevents the popular social platform from getting banned after President Joe Biden signed a law requiring a divestiture of the company's U.S. unit due to national security concerns.
President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a deal on multiple occasions and signed an executive order in September that approved a potential plan for China-based ByteDance to divest.
Oracle will be tasked with auditing and validating that TikTok follows "agreed upon National Security Terms," according to the memo.
China has not publicly confirmed the investment deal, but reports in Chinese state media suggest that the deal will go through, CNBC's Eunice Yoon said. State-run media reported comments from a pro-Beijing professor, who said the deal was in line with the country's laws and is "not a sale of the algorithm.
Oracle's cloud-based computing centers will also house sensitive U.S. data.
In a note to clients on Friday, Evercore ISI called the news a "nice win" for the cloud company with upside potential.
"We continue to believe the recent pullback represents an interesting entry point with investors that can take a 6-12 month view," analysts wrote.
The deal comes at the end of what has been a chaotic 2025 for the cloud provider and a massive pullback in shares in recent months over concerns about its AI infrastructure spending.
Earlier this week, shares slumped on a report that talks over a $10 billion data center deal with Blue Owl Capital had reached a standstill. That exacerbated concerns over the massive — and potentially risky — funding plans behind the artificial intelligence data center buildout.
Oracle shares are up 8% this year and have pulled back more than 20% over the last month.
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BioMarin Pharmaceutical said on Friday it would acquire Amicus Therapeutics for about $4.8 billion, expanding its presence in rare metabolic diseases.
The drugmaker will pay $14.50 per share for Amicus, a premium of 33.1% to the stock's last close. Shares of Amicus surged 30%, while BioMarin rose nearly 5% in premarket trading.
The deal strengthens BioMarin's portfolio with Amicus' approved genetic disorder treatments, including Galafold, an oral drug for Fabry disease, which is caused by a faulty gene that leads to a buildup of fatty substances in cells.
Amicus also markets a combination therapy, Pombiliti and Opfolda, for Pompe disease, a genetic condition in which a complex sugar called glycogen builds up in the body's cells.
Amicus also has U.S. rights to DMX-200, a potential treatment for a type of kidney disease known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
BioMarin intends to finance the deal through a combination of cash on hand and about $3.7 billion of non-convertible debt financing.
The company's total cash and investments at the end of September 30 were about $2 billion.
The acquisition, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, will add revenue immediately after the transaction closes, BioMarin said.
The deal is also expected to add to adjusted profit in the first 12 months after close and be substantially accretive beginning in 2027, the company said.
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U.S. crude oil prices were stable on Friday after President Donald Trump told NBC News that he will not rule out war with OPEC member Venezuela.
"I don't rule it out, no," Trump told the news outlet in a phone interview. He declined to say whether overthrowing President Nicolas Maduro is his goal.
"He knows exactly what I want," Trump told NBC. "He knows better than anybody."
The oil market right now is not indicating a major risk of a supply disruption. U.S. crude oil rose 29 cents, or 0.5%, to $56.44 per barrel, while global benchmark Brent was up 31 cents, or 0.5% to $60.31.
The U.S. benchmark fell to four year lows earlier this week as traders priced in the possibility of a peace agreement in Ukraine that would bring more Russian crude into a well supplied market.
Trump has been ramping up pressure on Maduro. He ordered a blockade of sanctions oil tankers off the South American nation's coast after seizing a vessel a last week.
The U.S. has staged a major military buildup in the Caribbean and launched deadly strikes on boats that it claims are trafficking drugs to the U.S. The legality of those strikes is disputed and has been the subject of scrutiny by Congress.
Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC and has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. It is exporting about 749,000 barrels per day this year with at least half that oil going to China, according to data from Kpler. Venezuela exports about 132,000 bpd to the U.S., according to Kpler.
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UnitedHealth Group on Friday released the first results from a sprawling independent audit of its business practices and committed to a wide range of steps to track and implement improvements in three specific areas.
The health-care giant said it has adopted 23 ongoing "action plans" to put in place and monitor recommended improvements, with oversight by its internal audit and advisory services team. Around 65% of those actions will be complete by the end of 2025, while 100% of those plans will be finished by the end of March next year.
The results come as private insurers try to rebuild trust with the American public after fierce, pent-up backlash over their practices and the broader U.S. health-care system. Critics say insurer business tactics have made it harder for some patients to access and pay for care. The company owns UnitedHealthcare, the nation's largest and most powerful insurer.
While the announcement on Friday is a step toward improving the business, it's unclear how much it will change the public's view on the company and the broader industry.
UnitedHealth in July announced that two independent consultancies had launched a third-party review of its business policies and performance metrics. That same day, UnitedHealth also confirmed that it is facing Department of Justice investigations over its Medicare billing practices.
The independent audit marked one of Steve Hemsley's earliest steps as CEO after he took the reins in May, following the abrupt departure of Andrew Witty.
"We hope that you see these assessments as a commitment to setting a new standard of transparency for the health care marketplace, as we believe that you and every person who engages with our health system deserves to understand how we go about our work," Hemsley said in a letter Friday.
"We know that our actions and decisions have significant impacts on patients, care providers and the broader health system, and we are determined to hold ourselves to the highest standard," he added.
FTI Consulting reviewed UnitedHealthcare's approaches to risk assessment operations within its Medicare Advantage programs, which refers to how the company rates the health status of members in those privately run plans. The firm also examined the company's care services management policies, procedures and processes.
Consulting firm the Analysis Group also assessed the policies and processes of Optum Rx – the company's pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM – for ensuring prescription discounts from drug manufacturers are "accurately collected and distributed to clients." PBMs are middlemen who negotiate rebates with drug manufacturers on behalf of insurers, create lists of medications covered by insurance and reimburse pharmacies for prescriptions.
Hemsley said the firms determined that the company's policies and practices are "robust, rigorous and generally sound; and, in many respects, industry leading." But he noted that they also provided recommendations for improvements.
For example, a review by the Analysis Group found that OptumRx has "implemented a comprehensive and well-structured framework that governs all stages of manufacturer discount administration."
The assessment identified at least 25 distinct "controls" in place that collectively lower the risk of miscalculating or delaying the distribution of discounts owed to clients and collecting incomplete discounts from drugmakers, said Aaron Yeater, managing principal at the Boston office of Analysis Group, in a document Friday.
The review found "no deficiencies or need for corrective measures" but recommended ways to enhance Optum Rx's practices. That includes strengthening Optum Rx's escalation processes for resolving nonpayment and dispute cases through communication with manufacturers. Among UnitedHealth's action plans is to develop a formal policy that supports procedures for addressing those cases.
Yeater noted that he examined the business processes and not the legal and regulatory issues the company is facing with its PBM.
Meanwhile, FTI Consulting found that UnitedHealth scored better than its peers by several measures when it came to Medicaid and Medicare. But the firm pointed to slow decision-making on authorizations, documentation issues and the need to better address the findings raised in regulatory audits.
Beyond these first results, UnitedHealth said it will share the findings from a review of medical records of diagnosis codes during the first quarter. The company will also report on its processes to craft what it calls "evidence-based medical policy" by the middle of the year.
Shares of UnitedHealth Group are down more than 35% for the year after it suspended its 2025 forecast amid skyrocketing medical costs, announced the surprise exit of Witty and grappled with the probes into its Medicare Advantage business. It followed a difficult 2024 marked by a historic cyberattack and public blowback after the murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO, Brian Thompson.
Correction: UnitedHealth Group had a difficult 2024. An earlier version misstated the year.
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This is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.
Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
Wall Street could be in for a wild trading day when options on four types of securities expire: index options, single stock options, index futures and index futures options. "Quadruple witching" day happens just four times a year and this one's set to be a monster.
Here's what to know:
Nike shares were down sharply in premarket trading after the sportswear giant warned sales would fall in the current quarter and executives pointed to continued challenges in China.
Nike said it expects fiscal third-quarter revenue to drop by a low single-digit percentage, with modest growth in North America, and forecast gross margins will shrink 1.75 to 2.25 percentage points, including a 3.15 percentage point hit from tariffs.
Investors were hoping for more but it wasn't all bad news out of Nike. Strong North America sales helped offset the plunge in China and results came in ahead of Wall Street's expectations. CEO Elliott Hill called it the company's "middle inning of our comeback."
President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday that directs federal agencies to reclassify marijuana, loosening long-standing restrictions on the drug and marking the most consequential shift in U.S. cannabis policy in more than half a century.
Once finalized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the order moves cannabis out of Schedule I classification — the most restrictive category under the Controlled Substances Act, alongside heroin and LSD — to a Schedule III classification: substances with accepted medical use and a lower potential for abuse, such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine.
Shares of cannabis companies fell following the announcement, likely from worries of new competition.
Separately, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she was suspending the diversity visa program, saying the man suspected of killing two students at Brown University had been granted one.
Wall Street expected dealmaking to roar back after President Trump's return to office this year but the reality was closer to fits and starts, reports CNBC's Lillian Rizzo.
There were roughly 13,900 transactions in the U.S. through Dec. 15 this year, compared with 15,940 deals during the same period in 2024, the last year of the Biden administration, according to Pitchbook data.
Executives and bankers had prepared for a looser regulatory environment and a robust pipeline for mergers and acquisitions. Instead, they were met with tariff uncertainty, high interest rates and an unpredictable process for winning over the Trump administration.
The year did include high-profile megadeals — Union Pacific's proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern for $85 billion; Netflix's proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming and studio assets for $72 billion; the pending take-private of Electronic Arts.
There's a new leader in college sports — the University of Texas at Austin. The school's athletic program topped CNBC's valuation rankings and is now worth $1.48 billion, 16% more than last year.
In fiscal 2024, the program generated aggregate revenue of $332 million, more than any other school and 23% more than in the previous year, according to figures from the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database at Syracuse University, up 53% from 2023.
Last year's most valuable athletic program, Ohio State University, fell to No. 2 with a value of $1.35 billion, 2% more than a year ago. Read the full 75-school ranking here.
Here are some stories we'd recommend making time for this weekend:
— CNBC's Laya Neelakandan, Chloe Taylor, Lillian Rizzo, Pia Singh, Luke Fountain, Yun Li, Brandon Gomez, Michael Ozanian, Elsa Ohlen, Jonathan Vanian and Julia Boorstin contributed to this report
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Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller had a "strong interview" for the central bank chair position with President Donald Trump in which the two discussed the labor market in depth and how to jump-start job creation, according to senior administration officials.
The interview took place in the president's residence and concluded shortly before Trump addressed the nation on the economy Wednesday night. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino also attended the interview.
Blackrock's Rick Rieder will be interviewed at Mar-a-Lago for the Fed chair job the last week of the year, the officials said. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman is no longer a candidate for the job, they also said.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, the favorite for the job in prediction markets, and former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh have previously been interviewed by Trump.
The officials said the conversation about jobs with Waller showed concern and criticism was misplaced that the president was seeking a candidate based on the criteria that the next Fed chair would bow to the whims of Trump on rates. They said the president's interest in the interviews with candidates had been broad-based across a series of economic issues.
Last week, Trump told The Wall Street Journal he thought the Fed chair should consult with him on rates. "It doesn't mean—I don't think he should do exactly what we say," the president said. "But certainly we're—I'm a smart voice and should be listened to."
In the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump praised Waller in response to a reporter's question. "I think he's great. I mean, he's been a man who has been there a long time, somebody that I was very involved with." Trump interviewed Waller in 2019 and nominated him to be a Fed governor.
Despite the praise of Waller and the positive description of the interview, there was no indication that he was a favorite candidate for the job. It was only clear that the process of interviews continues with the obvious implication that the president had yet to make a decision. The officials said the interviews are following a "highly organized process."
In his speech Wednesday, Trump said, "I will soon announce our next chairman of the Federal Reserve, someone who believes in lower interest rates by a lot, and mortgage payments will be coming down even further."
In an interview on Wednesday with CNBC at the Yale CEO Summit in New York, which took place before he met with the president, Waller said he believed rates could decline by 50 to 100 basis points below the current level because he expects inflation to drop and was concerned about the weak job market.
Waller dissented in July when the Fed kept rates on hold, a move that seemed prescient with the Fed then starting cuts in September and taking rates down another two times before year-end.
No details were provided of what the two men discussed about jobs, but the conversation suggests Trump could be more focused on the issue. The recent November jobs report showed a rise in the unemployment rate to 4.6% from 4.4% in September while payroll growth slowed to a crawl.
In his speech Wednesday, Trump said that "there are more people working today than at any time in American history. And 100 percent of all jobs created since I took office have been in the private sector."
Since January, the private sector has added 687,000 jobs and the government has lost 188,000 as part of sweeping job cuts by the administration.
On a lighter note, the president was said to have been seriously impressed when informed that Waller could dead lift 350 pounds.
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There's a new leader in college sports — the University of Texas at Austin.
The school's athletic program, which tops CNBC's valuation rankings, is now worth $1.48 billion, 16% more than last year. In fiscal 2024, the program generated aggregate revenue of $332 million, more than any other school and 23% more than in the previous year, according to figures from the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database at Syracuse University. The biggest source of revenue for UT's athletic program was $137 million from donors, according to the database. That's 53% more than in 2023.
Last year's most valuable athletic program, Ohio State University, fell to No. 2, with a value of $1.35 billion, 2% more than a year ago. The program's revenue fell 9%, to $255 million, in fiscal 2024 due to a 20% decrease in ticket revenue, according to the Knight-Newhouse database. The drop occurred primarily because the school had two fewer home football games during the 2023-24 season than it did in 2022-23, an Ohio State spokesperson told CNBC.
CNBC's 75 most valuable athletic programs for 2025 are worth a combined $51.22 billion, 13% more than the value of the top 75 in last year's rankings. This year's combined programs had aggregate revenue of $11.84 billion in fiscal 2024, 8% more than 2024's programs posted the previous year, according to the Department of Education's Equity in Athletics Data Analysis and the Knight-Newhouse database.
The value of college athletic programs is being fueled in large part by escalating media rights deals for football and basketball. The Big 12 conference, for example, began a six-year television extension of its media rights agreements with Fox and ESPN this season that will pay the conference an average of $380 million a year, nearly double what it got from its previous media rights deal, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Beginning in 2026, ESPN will pay an average of $1.3 billion a year for the College Football Playoff, more than twice its previous deal, according to JP Morgan. And starting in 2026, Notre Dame's new four-year media rights deal with NBC will pay the school an average of $50 million a year, more than double the amount in its current agreement with the network, according to JP Morgan and a person knowledgeable about the deal who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
There's more room for growth.
"College football is at the apex, right below the NFL, and will eventually go to a 16-team playoff [from 12], because that's where the money is," said Patrick Crakes, principal of Crakes Media, a media rights and distribution advisory firm that works with media companies, sports teams and leagues.
As CNBC reported a year ago, private capital is interested in tapping into college sports. The schools could use outside capital to fund the class action settlement in which the NCAA and the Power Five conferences will pay $2.78 billion in back damages, over a 10-year period, to thousands of Division I athletes.
Outside capital could also fund the more than $20 million a year in revenue share the schools will now pay to their current student-athletes. Opendorse — a company that helps facilitate name, image and likeness, or NIL, deals for college athletes — projected in a report that the NIL market for college athletes will grow from $1.17 billion in 2024 to $2.55 billion in 2026.
As CNBC reported, earlier this month the University of Utah announced it will be the first college athletic department to accept private equity money.
A deal that would have UC Investments, which manages assets held by the University of California system's endowment and pension funds, pay the Big Ten $2.4 billion for 10% of the conference's media and sponsorship rights stalled in October. The New York Times reported in November that UC Investments put the deal on hold due to continued public opposition from two of the conference's schools, the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California.
The rankings exclude military academies and are limited to schools that participate in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, or FBS, which tend to attract top players.
The revenue figures were obtained from the Department of Education's Equity in Athletics Data Analysis and the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database for fiscal year 2024.
To compile the values of college athletic programs, CNBC consulted AthleticDirectorU, which has an expansive database of college athletic program financials and information. AthleticDirectorU's publisher, Jason Belzer, has advised universities on NIL and private equity deals. Belzer is a venture partner for Sequence Equity, a private-capital firm that has pitched a plan to make the playoffs of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision, or FCS, a separate entity outside the purview of the NCAA.
CNBC's list reflects the current enterprise value of each program, starting with a base revenue multiple of four for all institutions, and then adjusting the multiple for variables, including conference affiliation, estimated NIL spend, school subsidies, number of alumni and other factors that can catalyze revenue growth and profitability.
To determine the rankings, CNBC and Belzer incorporated the expertise of several people knowledgeable about athletic program valuations who asked not to be named in order to freely discuss details of the programs.
Figures in this article and the chart reflect CNBC's rounding of the numbers.
— CNBC's Lynne Pate contributed to this report.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns CNBC and NBC. Versant would become the new parent company of CNBC upon Comcast's planned spinoff of Versant.
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Capital One is concerned about AI costs rising via its cloud-computing relationship with Amazon and may be looking for alternatives, according to an internal Nvidia document obtained by Business Insider.
In the document, an Nvidia employee wrote that the chip giant talked with Capital One about AI infrastructure alternatives to Amazon Web Services, as the bank was "looking to control costs."
The Nvidia staffer was recapping discussions with Capital One in an internal email after meeting representatives from the bank at a recent tech conference.
"They see their need for GPUs and reasoning models growing and the costs in AWS will soon get out of hand," the Nvidia employee wrote, referring to Capital One.
Nvidia and Capital One discussed "AI factory and neo-clouds," according to the email. An AI factory is an in-house data center that a company can build to train and run AI models as an alternative to renting compute from a third party. Financial institutions can use this infrastructure for tasks such as fraud detection, customer support, and algorithmic trading, according to Nvidia.
Neoclouds are upstart cloud providers, often powered by Nvidia hardware, that focus on AI workloads, whereas AWS supports a much broader range of computing needs. Top neocloud players include CoreWeave, Lambda, Crusoe, and Nebius. Nvidia has been working closely with several of these players, in part to reduce its reliance on established cloud giants as customers.
The Capital One situation underscores a key dynamic in the AI boom. Companies are racing to adopt generative AI but also trying to mitigate rising cloud costs. This new technology has great promise, but developing and running AI models and AI applications can be expensive.
Large companies also regularly assess their cloud spending, including varying setups that increasingly incorporate multiple providers. Forty-three percent of companies use more than two public cloud providers, according to a recent RBC Capital report.
"We continue to be committed to AWS as our predominant strategic cloud partner," a Capital One spokesperson wrote in a statement. Nvidia declined to comment.
"Our pricing philosophy is to work relentlessly to take cost out of our own cost structure and to pass those savings back to our AWS customers in the form of lower prices," an AWS spokesperson said. "It's easy to lower prices, it's much harder to be able to afford to lower prices, and at AWS we work really hard at that."
Capital One isn't the only company taking issue with AWS costs. Business Insider's Eugene Kim reported in October that AI startups are increasingly delaying traditional AWS spend in favor of AI model and developer tools, according to internal Amazon documents from March and July.
The documents said that 90% of startups in Radical Ventures' portfolio were building primarily on rival clouds due to AWS costs. Amazon also noted internally that there was increasing demand from customers for neocloud providers, which let them rent GPU power in small chunks and only pay for what they use.
When that story published in October, an AWS spokesperson said Business Insider was "using old data to reach outdated conclusions," noting that "AWS remains the top choice for startups to build because we offer the best core services as well as the most innovative and powerful generative AI offerings."
Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at gweiss@businessinsider.com or Signal at @geoffweiss.25. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she was suspending the diversity visa program, saying the man suspected of killing two students at Brown University and a MIT professor had been granted one.
Noem posted on X late Thursday that she had instructed the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the (DV1) program "to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program."
On Dec. 13, two students died and nine others were injured when someone opened fire at the physics building at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Police later identified Portuguese national Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, as the suspect.
Valente was a former student at the university and had been enrolled in a Ph.D program in physics in 2000, the university's president, Christina H. Paxson, said. Valente is also suspected of having killed MIT physics professor Nuno Loureiro in his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, two days after the Brown shooting. Valente and Loureiro are believed to have attended the same university in their native Portugal.
Authorities announced the suspect's identity hours after Valente was found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility on Thursday, Providence Chief of Police Oscar Perez said. Guns were also found at the scene.
"There's no longer a threat to the public," the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston said in a statement after Valente's death was confirmed. Authorities believe Valente acted alone and have not disclosed a motive for the killings.
Noem said that Valente entered the U.S. through the DV1 program in 2017 and was granted a green card.
"In 2017, President Trump fought to end this program, following the devastating NYC truck ramming by an ISIS terrorist, who entered under the DV1 program, and murdered eight people," she wrote on X.
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) allocates up to 50,000 immigrant visas every year, according to the USCIS website.
The program is a lottery. Visas are randomly allocated to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S.
— Dan Mangan contributed to this report.
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The United States has sharply criticised South Africa over what it described as the detention, harassment and “doxxing” of American officials linked to a controversial refugee programme involving white Afrikaners, escalating a diplomatic row that has already drawn international attention.
In a strongly worded statement published by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in South Africa under the header “Doxxing and Harassment of American Officials by the South African Government,” Washington said it condemned “in the strongest terms” the actions taken against U.S. personnel carrying out humanitarian duties.
The statement follows an earlier report by Business Insider Africa that Kenyan nationals were caught in the middle of a growing dispute between South African authorities and U.S.-linked actors over the Afrikaner refugee programme, which has become a flashpoint in broader political tensions between Pretoria and Washington.
According to the report, the South African Department of Home Affairs conducted a raid in Johannesburg following intelligence reports that some Kenyans had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas but were found performing paid work at a centre handling applications for "so-called Afrikaner refugees.”
After the raid, seven Kenyan nationals found working illegally at the facility processing refugee applications for the United States were deported and barred from entering South Africa for five years
According to the U.S. government, South African authorities recently detained American officials engaged in lawful humanitarian work, while also publicly releasing their passport details.
Washington described the disclosure of personal identifying information as “an unacceptable form of harassment” that placed its officials in danger.
“This can only be seen as an attempt to intimidate U.S. government personnel in South Africa on official business,” the statement said, adding that the United States would not tolerate threats or intimidation directed at its officials or citizens operating legally abroad.
The U.S. warned that failure by the South African government to hold those responsible accountable would lead to “severe consequences,” signalling that the issue could spill into broader diplomatic or policy responses if unresolved.
According to the CNN, two US government employees were briefly detained during the raid, though South Africa's statement said no American officials were arrested
The episode deepens already strained relations between South Africa and the United States, which have faced friction in recent years over foreign policy alignment, human rights positions, and Pretoria's stance on global geopolitical conflicts.
The Afrikaner refugee programme has become particularly sensitive, with South African officials pushing back against narratives they argue misrepresent domestic conditions, while Washington frames its involvement as humanitarian.
For now, the South African government has yet to issue a detailed public response to the U.S. statement.
However, the unusually direct language from Washington suggests growing impatience and raises the stakes for bilateral relations at a time when both countries are navigating an increasingly tense global diplomatic environment.
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Standard Chartered has significantly tempered its bullish price projections for Bitcoin over the next five years.
“I still see Bitcoin continuing to print fresh all-time highs going forward, but I think the pace will be slower than previously expected,” Standard Chartered Global Head of Digital Assets Research Geoffrey Kendrick said in an email last week.
Kendrick said in a Dec. 9 note that Standard Chartered was forced to reassess its price targets amid Bitcoin's recent price action. The asset has fallen as much as 36% from a record price of about $126,000 reached in October to about $80,000 in a drawdown sparked by U.S. tariff threats on China and drying liquidity.
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Kendrick said in the note that the drawdown was “normal,” citing two similar corrections since the Securities and Exchange Commission approved trading of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in January 2024. However, the correction means Standard Chartered's previous near-term targets are wrong, he said.
Standard Chartered now sees Bitcoin finishing this year at $100,000, down from its previous prediction of $200,000. For 2026, it now sees Bitcoin finishing the year at $150,000, down 50% from $300,000 earlier.
Meanwhile, the firm has dropped its 2027 target from $400,000 to $225,000 and its 2028 target from $500,000 to $300,000. In 2029, its target is also no longer $500,000 but $400,000.
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Standard Chartered is predicting a slower pace of Bitcoin growth, as it no longer expects purchases from digital asset treasury companies. These companies were able to accumulate Bitcoin without diluting shareholders by trading at a premium to their underlying holdings. Now, as valuations shrink, Kendrick said he expects to see these companies consolidate.
With treasury companies out of the equation, Kendrick said in the note that the primary Bitcoin price driver left is ETF flows. He added that the Bitcoin ETF market would likely take several years to mature as investor access broadens and investment committees make up their mind.
See Also: Buffett's Secret to Wealth? Private Real Estate—Get Institutional Access Yourself
Meanwhile, Standard Chartered rejected any suggestion that Bitcoin is at the beginning of an extended correction in line with its historical four-year cycle. The cycle has seen the asset experience a boom and bust once every four years, correlating with the so-called “halvening.” The halvening refers to a programmed event that halves the new Bitcoin supply roughly every four years.
“This time is really different,” Kendrick said, suggesting that ETF buying would be able to support the asset's price.
Bitcoin was most recently trading at $87,000.
Read Next: Wall Street's $12B Real Estate Manager Is Opening Its Doors to Individual Investors — Without the Crowdfunding Middlemen
Image: Imagn
This article 'The Pace Will Be Slower Than Expected': Standard Chartered Lowers Bitcoin Price Forecasts originally appeared on Benzinga.com
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Bitcoin BTC$87,208.13 bulls are fighting to break on Friday what's been a consistent pattern of sell pressure during U.S. hours.
Dipping below $85,000 late on Thursday afternoon, BTC once again climbed after U.S. markets closed, pushing back above $89,000 they opened Friday morning. That level, though, has roughly capped every attempt of a breakout throughout the week, with sellers hammering prices back to square one — sometimes within minutes and sometimes over the course of a few hours.
The largest crypto for the moment is holding fairly steady ahead of the pre-holiday weekend, trading at $88,400, up 0.3% over the past 24 hours.
Ether ETH$2,965.32 bounced to just shy of $3,000, up 1% over the past day, while Solana's SOL SOL$124.50 and SUI$1.4465 lead the overnight rebound among altcoins.
U.S. equities are having another strong session, led by the Nasdaq's 1% gain, with AI bellwethers Nvidia, Oracle and AMD rising 3%-6%.
Read more: Oracle TikTok deal lifts AI mining stocks
Digital asset-related stocks followed suit in the rebound. Ethereum treasury firm BitMine (BMNR) advanced almost 8%, while Galaxy Digital (GLXY) and stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) were each up around 3%.
Strategy (MSTR), the largest corporate BTC holder, also bounced more than 3%, pushing its multiple to net asset value (mNAV) to 1.09.
Meanwhile, BitDigital (BTBT) is up 10% following news related to WhiteFibre (WYFI), has signed a 10-year, 40MW colocation agreement with Nscale, valued at approximately $865 million. BitDigial owns roughly 70% of WhiteFibre (itself ahead 11%), amplifying the positive impact on BTBT shares.
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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.
Bitcoin BTC$87,208.13 bulls are fighting to break on Friday what's been a consistent pattern of sell pressure during U.S. hours.
Dipping below $85,000 late on Thursday afternoon, BTC once again climbed after U.S. markets closed, pushing back above $89,000 they opened Friday morning. That level, though, has roughly capped every attempt of a breakout throughout the week, with sellers hammering prices back to square one — sometimes within minutes and sometimes over the course of a few hours.
The largest crypto for the moment is holding fairly steady ahead of the pre-holiday weekend, trading at $88,400, up 0.3% over the past 24 hours.
Ether ETH$2,965.32 bounced to just shy of $3,000, up 1% over the past day, while Solana's SOL SOL$124.50 and SUI$1.4465 lead the overnight rebound among altcoins.
U.S. equities are having another strong session, led by the Nasdaq's 1% gain, with AI bellwethers Nvidia, Oracle and AMD rising 3%-6%.
Read more: Oracle TikTok deal lifts AI mining stocks
Digital asset-related stocks followed suit in the rebound. Ethereum treasury firm BitMine (BMNR) advanced almost 8%, while Galaxy Digital (GLXY) and stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) were each up around 3%.
Strategy (MSTR), the largest corporate BTC holder, also bounced more than 3%, pushing its multiple to net asset value (mNAV) to 1.09.
Meanwhile, BitDigital (BTBT) is up 10% following news related to WhiteFibre (WYFI), has signed a 10-year, 40MW colocation agreement with Nscale, valued at approximately $865 million. BitDigial owns roughly 70% of WhiteFibre (itself ahead 11%), amplifying the positive impact on BTBT shares.
More For You
Protocol Research: GoPlus Security
What to know:
More For You
Bitcoin gets 'base case' price target of $143,000 at Citigroup
The Wall Street bank said its bitcoin forecast relies on further crypto ETF inflows and a continued rally in traditional equity markets.
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.
Blockchain concept of a transparent cube with encryption data and digital chain. (Photo: Getty Images)
Eight months after the North Carolina House gave the green light to the state treasurer to invest a small percentage of the state's pension fund in cryptocurrencies, a legislative committee met Wednesday to explore alternative uses for blockchain and digital assets.
Rep. David Willis acknowledged that while there's still a big learning curve for many legislators, there is also great opportunity.
“We're here to talk about real-world applications that can be used for government efficiency and accountability,” said Willis.
The Union County Republican said North Carolina needs to position itself to leverage the technology and be at the forefront of an industry that's going to create new jobs and new companies.
Michael Postupak, the policy engagement manager for the nonprofit Blockchain Association, told lawmakers that to understand the benefits, it helps to visualize blocks in a blockchain as data where new transactions can be added. New blocks of data are connected through cryptography, essentially a unique digital fingerprint or ‘hash.' And as more blocks are added, more cryptography enters the system, becoming a much stronger record.
Postupak said owners have full control of their digital assets with a public address and a private digital key.
“Blockchains are powered by a global, decentralized distributed network of computers that verify, secure and digitally store information,” Postupak explained. “With these networks being supported by hundreds, if not thousands, of computers globally, the chance that there's ever a network failure is almost zero.”
“So, who are these decentralized computers? How do we know that's a trustworthy source?” asked Rep. Allison Dahle (D-Wake).
Postupak said the number of computers in the network prevents the information from being tampered with. In Bitcoin's vast network of thousands of computers, to take control of the network, you would have to have control over 50% of the computers in that network, he said.
“Could we use this blockchain technology for voting online?” Dahle asked. “Would that make it safer for casting ballots or for military people to cast ballots from overseas?”
“I know that's something that countries and municipalities around the world are looking at,” said Postupak, who added he would need more time to research the question.
Anthony Janocko with New York-based Ava Labs, said California's DMV is a good example of how governments can use the technology. Their blockchain infrastructure has been enormously successful in digitizing 42 million car titles.
“That's another way you can think about digital assets — it's basically taking something that exists in the real world, then applying it to the framework of blockchain technology, allowing for some of the digital ownership and provability of those assets online,” said Janocko.
In the case of the California DMV, residents had access to verifiable digital credentials and the ability to check on the status of their digital titles.
“Each event or digital asset or title in its lifecycle process was basically being tacked onto the blockchain,” Janocko explained.“When users or DMV workers need to look up certain titles, they're able to see that full history.”
Janocko said the end result is an auditable log of all the previous transactions that exist on a ledger, reducing time during an audit or reconciliation. He said it's a far better system than a traditional database, which often cannot be shared across agencies.
“What the blockchain solved with this case is, it created a tamper-proof system of record of ownership of vehicles, allowing for real-time updates and verification of history of those specific titles,” he said.
Janocko said the blockchain infrastructure is not about rebuilding government systems from scratch. Rather, it's about adding a modern shared system of records underneath that can be referenced with a high degree of integrity.
Wyoming is exploring blockchain technology with the first state-issued stable token. In its pilot, real-time government contractor payments using the token, managed on a blockchain network, reduced the timelines for payouts from 45 days to just a few seconds.
John Bridge of the Atlanta-based firm Trust Stamp said blockchain is being used in Africa to digitize property records and improve accountability.
A permissioned blockchain allows multiple agencies to access the records, with the chain recording if any errors were made, when a correction occurred, and who made the correction.
“We're able to see that full data. That increases transparency and trust in the system. And then it also speeds up the sales and transfers,” explained Bridge.
Baltimore County is using the technology in a pilot project to more accurately assess distressed properties, said Bridge. Payment and delinquency events can be tracked more easily, improving collections efficiency.
Improving services at the DMV and revenue collection are two areas that hold great appeal for North Carolina lawmakers heading into 2026.
While Wednesday's committee hearing was for informational purposes, Rep. Willis said it was clear that blockchain technology is the future of data retention.
“This isn't just a fad. Whatever we can do to help get ahead and craft what that's going to look like and for the betterment of North Carolina and the efficiency of our government, we're all for it,” said Willis.
by Clayton Henkel, NC Newsline December 19, 2025
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ZUG, Switzerland, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ethereum's market is one of the most competitive corners of DeFi, and it has virtually no "meme"-driven trading activity. This makes it easier to measure the more organic market volumes, where low fees and the trading of core assets such as ETH, BTC (wrapped), and stablecoins are predominant.
This week, Curve Finance delivered one of the clearest signals that it stands among the top players in this scene.
Top Ethereum DEXs by fees (30-day view, DeFiLlama)
According to DeFiLlama's data, Curve now ranks among the top Ethereum DEXs in terms of fees metrics over the past 30 days, overtaking other long-standing leaders in the space.
One thing that is particularly notable here is how much the scale has shifted. Around this time last year, Curve accounted for roughly 1.6% of all DEX fees charged on Ethereum. Today, its share stands at about 44%, marking the most significant overturn in fee dominance that DeFi has seen in 2025.
These figures highlight rising trader activity and fees paid by users on Curve. But it should be noted that this is not a reflection of profit or yield distributed among liquidity providers or the protocol itself.
There are several factors that drove this growth. Trading activity around Curve's native crvUSD stablecoin has increased sharply, pushing volumes higher and reinforcing the protocol's position as a core venue for on-chain stablecoin liquidity. By trading volume (24H), crvUSD has moved into the top 5 stablecoins, superseded only by major leaders like USDT and USDC. This reflects its rapid adoption and growing role in on-chain liquidity.
Top stablecoins by trading volume (24H) (CryptoRank.io)
At the same time, integration with Yield Basis has concentrated the largest on-chain Bitcoin liquidity in DeFi on Curve, with the protocol now hosting three of the deepest on-chain BTC liquidity pools used by Yield Basis protocol. The pools rank at the very top by both TVL and depth, well ahead of BTC pools on other DEXs.
Here's how Michael Egorov, founder of Curve Finance, has commented on this shift: "DeFi users are increasingly prioritising sustainable revenue models over short-term speculation. We're seeing a clear move away from hype-driven trading and towards protocols with transparent economics and real yield. This change in long-term behaviour is reshaping where liquidity and volume ultimately settle."
About Curve Finance
Curve Finance is one of the largest DeFi protocols, specializing in stablecoin trading with minimal fees and slippage. Launched in 2020, it has grown into a full ecosystem with liquidity pools, lending markets, its own stablecoin (crvUSD), and DAO governance, becoming a key infrastructure layer for Ethereum and other EVM networks.
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The European Central Bank (ECB) has officially finished the heavy lifting on its digital euro project, signaling that the technical foundation is ready.
Speaking at the final press conference of 2025, President Christine Lagarde confirmed that the bank has concluded its preparatory phase, effectively handing the baton to European lawmakers to decide if—and how—the currency will become a reality. Importantly, the ECB stressed that completing the preparatory work does not amount to a final decision to issue a digital euro, which remains a political choice.
The shift marks a major turning point for the project, moving it out of the central bank's labs and into the political arena. Over the last two years, the ECB has been busy designing the architecture, selecting technology providers, and drafting a “rulebook” to ensure the digital currency would work seamlessly across all 20 eurozone countries.
Now, the project's future depends on the European Parliament and the European Council passing the necessary legislation. That process builds on a legislative proposal first submitted by the European Commission in 2023, which lays out the legal basis, safeguards, and limits for a potential digital euro.
President Lagarde used a down-to-earth metaphor to describe the current status, emphasizing that while the central bank has built the system, it lacks the legal authority to flip the switch.
“We have done our work, we have carried the water,” Lagarde told reporters. “It is now for the European Council and certainly later on for the European Parliament to identify whether the Commission proposal is satisfactory and how it can be transformed into a piece of legislation.”
The ECB isn't just looking to modernize for the sake of it; officials see the digital euro as a way to protect Europe's financial independence. With more people moving away from physical cash, there is a growing concern that European payments are becoming too dependent on non-European private companies.
The digital euro is being designed to act as a digital anchor, offering a public alternative that works just like cash but in a digital wallet. ECB officials have repeatedly emphasized that the digital euro would coexist with physical cash and commercial bank money, not replace them.
Privacy has also emerged as a central political issue. The ECB says the system would allow cash-like privacy for offline payments, while still complying with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules for online transactions. If lawmakers can agree on the rules by the end of 2026, the project will move into a pilot phase where real people can start testing it. The current goal is to have the digital euro ready for the public by 2029.
The push comes amid growing competition from U.S.-based card networks, Big Tech payment platforms, and dollar-backed stablecoins, which ECB officials view as a strategic risk to Europe's monetary sovereignty. However, parts of the banking sector have raised concerns that a poorly designed digital euro could lead to deposit outflows from commercial banks, a risk lawmakers are expected to address through holding limits and design safeguards.
It's meant to be a backup that keeps the economy stable, even during technical outages or cyberattacks, ensuring that everyone in Europe always has a reliable way to pay.
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By Joe Wilkins
Published
Dec 19, 2025 10:04 AM EST
After a year of record gains for the crypto industry, recent forces have sent itinto a tailspin. Bitcoin, for example, reached dazzling heights of more than $120,000 in October — before crashing back down to around $88,000 today, about 12 percent down from where it was a year ago.
While that might be bad news for crypto bros or Robinhood day traders, one economist argues that the decline is actually good news for the rest of us.
Co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research Dean Baker argued in his blog Beat The Press this week that as the major cryptocurrencies fall, purchasing power for the rest of us goes up. In his analysis, he compares crypto to counterfeit currency — fake money that allows shady gangs to buy up all kinds of scarce goods, like houses and sports tickets.
When they buy up those goods with funny money, they help drive prices up, making them less affordable for those of us who don't play the game.
“If some supersleuth detective figured out a way to recognize the counterfeit bills, they could then remove trillions of dollars of fake money from circulation,” Baker explains. “This would benefit the general public by reducing demand in the economy and reversing the run-up in the price of housing and Superbowl tickets. It is the same story with plunging crypto prices.”
From this reading, crypto — which infamously has no real value — allows people to suck up “large chunks” of the economy with a currency that's built on thin air. When their share of fake money shrinks, it eases pressure on the rest of us. “To put it simply: there's more for everyone else,” Baker explains.
We're not talking small, intangible changes, either. By Baker's count, the major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Etherium have shed over $1.2 trillion in market cap, or “enough to send every household in the United States a check for $10,000.”
In his thinking, everybody who doesn't own it should be cheering for crypto's ongoing downfall to continue.
“The only possible impact of lower crypto prices on production is that we will make less crypto,” says Baker. “The horror! The horror!”
More on crypto: Literal Teens Are Losing It All at Crypto Casinos
I'm a tech and transit correspondent for Futurism, where my beat includes transportation, infrastructure, and the role of emerging technologies in governance, surveillance, and labor.
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Big Brother-style conspiracy theories have forced policymakers to take extra precautions to win over the public.
EU governments pursued additional privacy safeguards to ensure people's payment habits are kept under wraps as part of a legislative framework for minting a virtual extension of euro banknotes and coins.
The Council of the EU rubberstamped its negotiating position for a digital euro on Friday afternoon after clinching a deal earlier this week, as reported by POLITICO. The onus is now on members of the European Parliament to agree on a legal text so that both sides can begin legislative negotiations next year.
The digital euro was the European Central Bank's answer to Meta's (failed) plan to launch its own virtual currency, called Diem, for its 3 billion users. Since Diem's demise, ECB policymakers have pitched the project as a vital strategy to reduce the bloc's reliance on U.S. credit card giants, Mastercard and Visa, for cross-border payments. EU shoppers would be able to pay with the virtual currency, backed by the central bank, across the bloc in the form of plastic or a smartphone app.
The spread of Big Brother-style conspiracy theories, meanwhile, has forced policymakers to take extra precautions to reassure the public that authorities will not use the digital euro to snoop on people's payment habits.
“You cannot disregard” the concern of “many millions of citizens,” Fernando Navarrete, the center-right MEP shepherding the bill through the Parliament, told POLITICO in November. “In China, it's explicit that they wanted to build [a digital yuan] in order to increase control over the people. I'm scared of this.”
Navarrete, who hails from the European People's Party, is highly skeptical of the initiative but is comfortable with the notion of an offline version of the digital euro that protects people's privacy. “I'm not saying it will be used” for snooping, “but they know that the technology has potential,” he said.
On the contrary, consumer groups have praised the initiative, assuming the digital euro is safe, free, and private. Banks are far less enthusiastic. Especially, as they'll be on the hook for distributing basic digital euro services to their clients at no extra cost — a bill that could amount to over €5 billion over four years, according to ECB estimates.
Bankers' protests aside, the biggest obstacle facing the digital euro is countering conspiracy theories that the authorities will use the ECB's project to control the populace — despite reassurances from the European Commission and the ECB.
The Commission's original proposal and the ECB's envisioned design for the project already prevent the central bank from matching people's digital euro accounts with citizens' personal data.
That wasn't enough for some countries, in particular Belgium and the Netherlands, which fear the project could be politically weaponized. The final text has even strengthened privacy safeguards, making it explicit that central banks “shall not be in a position to lift these [segregation] measures during any processing of the data.”
Mindful of the crucial role that banks will play in getting digital euros into citizens' virtual wallets, EU governments have tried to make the project more palatable for the industry. The key to pleasing bankers is ensuring they make money from the initiative.
Once the digital euro is minted, banks can charge shopkeepers a fee for processing transactions at the cashier. These fees would be capped at the average cost of international and domestic debit cards for at least five years until the overall cost of distributing the digital euro becomes more stable. Then, new fees can be calculated. The bankers aren't convinced, however.
The Council's bid to get banks “a ‘fair' remuneration,” while making digital euro payments “cheaper for merchants and consumers,” is a 'squaring the circle problem' [that] cannot be solved," Tobias Tenner, head of digital finance at the German banks association, said. “At least if one takes the huge necessary investments [for banks] into account.”
Early private hearings will give lawmakers a chance to press key demands such as gender balance.
Brussels wants its international allies to copy its strategy for financing Kyiv's defense.
The move will oblige financial institutions to strengthen due diligence on all transactions.
The new rules set a dangerous precedent, big tech companies say.
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SRx Health Solutions announces EMJ Crypto Technologies will enhance its digital-asset treasury system using OpenAI's language models for improved research and risk management.
SRx Health Solutions, Inc. has announced its acquisition of EMJ Crypto Technologies, which is enhancing its Gen2 digital-asset treasury operating system by integrating OpenAI's advanced large language models (LLMs). This integration aims to improve internal research workflows and risk management decision support by synthesizing market data, macroeconomic factors, and protocol information into existing analytical frameworks. Led by Eric M. Jackson, EMJX focuses on managing digital asset exposure, such as bitcoin and Ethereum, while employing disciplined hedging strategies to address volatility. The enhancements are intended to bolster strategy evaluation and decision-making processes within EMJX's operations, emphasizing the importance of human oversight alongside the AI tools. Jackson noted that the incorporation of LLMs serves as a support layer for decision-making rather than a substitute for traditional risk management practices.
EMJX is designed to manage multi-asset digital holdings using quantitative models and systematic risk controls.
OpenAI's LLMs will support internal research workflows and improve risk-management decision-making processes at EMJX.
The EMJX platform is led by Eric M. Jackson, who is expected to become CEO and Chairman after the acquisition.
EMJX primarily manages exposure to bitcoin, Ethereum, and other select digital assets while addressing market volatility.
The goal is to enhance research synthesis, improve analysis, and strengthen portfolio construction and risk-management processes.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$SRXH had revenues of $11.4M in Q2 2025. This is an increase of 44.84% from the same period in the prior year.
You can track SRXH financials on Quiver Quantitative's SRXH stock page.
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NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SRx Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE American: SRXH) (the “Company”), which recently announced a definitive agreement to acquire EMJ Crypto Technologies (“EMJX”), today announced that EMJX is enhancing its Gen2 digital-asset treasury operating system through the integration of OpenAI's latest-generation large language models (LLMs) to support internal research workflows and risk-management decision support.
EMJX is a digital-asset treasury operating system that applies quantitative models, artificial intelligence, and systematic risk controls to multi-asset digital treasury management. The platform is led by Eric M. Jackson and is built to manage exposure to bitcoin, Ethereum, and other select digital assets while actively addressing volatility through disciplined hedging strategies.
The latest enhancements incorporate OpenAI's commercially available, state-of-the-art large language models into EMJX's proprietary QAM Engine and broader Gen2 Digital Asset Treasury (“Gen2 DAT”) architecture, which combine quantitative models with systematic risk controls.. These models are being used to improve the synthesis of market data, macroeconomic inputs, and protocol-level information into EMJX's existing analytical and quantitative frameworks.
This work is designed to support faster and more comprehensive research synthesis, improve retrieval-augmented analysis, and enhance how market intelligence is incorporated into portfolio construction and risk-management processes, while maintaining human oversight and established quantitative controls.
By incorporating OpenAI-powered LLM tooling into its research and analytics stack, EMJX aims to strengthen multi-cycle strategy evaluation, dynamic volatility-management modeling, and decision support across AI-timed dollar-cost-averaging strategies, options-based hedging overlays, and multi-asset allocation within the Gen2 DAT framework.
“We view large language models as a decision-support layer, not a replacement for disciplined risk management,” said Eric Jackson, expected CEO and Chairman of EMJX upon closing of the combined company. “Using OpenAI's latest models allows us to accelerate how we ingest information, stress-test scenarios, and adapt strategy across market cycles — while keeping portfolio construction and risk controls grounded in quantitative models and human oversight.”
About EMJX
EMJX is a Gen2 digital-asset treasury operating system designed to manage multi-asset digital holdings using quantitative models, artificial intelligence, and systematic risk controls. The platform emphasizes transparency, governance, and disciplined capital allocation across varying market environments. For more information, please visit
www.emjx.ai
.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “aim,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, but are not limited to, the ability to complete the proposed transaction, shareholder approvals, market conditions, regulatory considerations, and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them, except as required by law.
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October and November have already shaken the crypto market well. Between broken hopes and brutal retreats, these two months have blown hot and mostly cold. And now December doesn't hold back: a new wave of volatility hits investors, already on edge. The gift season doesn't seem to have found its way to digital wallets yet.
The overall capitalization of the crypto market just dropped below 3 trillion dollars, more precisely to 2.93 trillion dollars, its lowest level since April. Since its October peak estimated at 4.4 trillion dollars, over 33% of value has evaporated. Over the same period, BTC has lost ground but remains more resilient than altcoins. On Thursday, bitcoin was trading around $88,200, while other cryptos sank faster.
XRP, Solana, and Cardano record marked declines, sometimes close to 20% over the week. In an alarming tweet, Michaël van de Poppe mentions a “possible capitulation” on altcoins. According to him, a short collapse could precede a quick rebound, but caution is advised.
The macroeconomic climate also weighs heavily. The Bank of Japan announced a rate hike to 0.75%, an event watched closely by global markets. While this monetary tightening worries, bitcoin nevertheless rose 2.3% after the announcement. A sign of strength? Maybe. But nervousness remains palpable.
Fear is omnipresent on social networks. As Santiment indicates in their December 13 analysis:
Commentary is mainly showing fear after Bitcoin bounced to $90.2K yesterday, and then quickly retraced to $84.8K. Bearish commentary like #selling, #sold, #bearish, or #lower are notably higher across X, Reddit, & Telegram.
Beyond the ambient stress, an unexpected dynamic emerges: Bitcoin ETFs register a significant influx of capital. In a few days, more than 457 million dollars have been injected into these regulated investment vehicles. This renewed institutional interest suggests some actors are already betting on a near recovery of BTC.
Giants like Fidelity and BlackRock, far from being timid, are strengthening their positions despite the volatility. This trend contrasts with outflows observed in other products backed by Ethereum or Solana. Altcoins, still too exposed to risk, struggle to reassure traditional investors.
On the retail trader side, conflicting signals abound. For some, widespread fear is precisely the right moment to enter. Santiment highlights: prices tend to move opposite to social consensus. An overly pessimistic crowd would therefore be an imminent accumulation signal for the most patient.
But not everything hinges on bitcoin. XRP ETFs have just crossed the billion dollars mark in cumulative value. A strong signal that shows interest in alternative cryptos also resists the storm. Enough to nourish, even in the current uncertainty, hope for a rebound extended to the entire crypto market.
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La révolution blockchain et crypto est en marche ! Et le jour où les impacts se feront ressentir sur l'économie la plus vulnérable de ce Monde, contre toute espérance, je dirai que j'y étais pour quelque chose
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
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As the crypto markets enter the weekend, volatility is slowly rising. The Bitcoin price is consolidating above the pivotal support zone after absorbing the short-term sellers, and XRP continues to maintain its stability. After weeks of volatility and forced liquidations, several large-cap altcoins are now trading in zones that historically coincide with late-stage sell pressure, not the start of fresh downtrends. Chainlink LINKUSDT, Sei SEIUSDT, and Sui SUIUSDT are all flashing similar signals on higher timeframes.
Momentum Is Compressing, Not Collapsing
Recent volatility has pushed several large-cap altcoins into deeply compressed momentum zones, but the structure does not resemble the start of a fresh breakdown. Instead of accelerating lower, price action is stabilizing as selling pressure fades and longer-term holders step in near key support levels.
On the weekly timeframe, all three assets are trading with RSI readings in the low-to-mid 30s:
Historically, these momentum levels tend to appear after prolonged selling, when downside acceleration slows, and marginal sellers are largely exhausted. Importantly, RSI is not signalling strong bullish momentum yet—but it is showing that there is little left to sell aggressively at current levels.
This distinction matters. Bear markets usually begin with momentum expanding lower, not compressing near long-term support.
Supply Is Absorbing—Why This Matters Going Forward
Price action across LINK, SEI, and SUI shows a clear shift from distribution to stabilisation. Despite recent volatility, none of these assets has broken decisively below their higher-timeframe support zones. Pullbacks attract steady demand, suggesting the long-term holders will absorb the remaining supply, rather than panic sellers.
This behaviour is inconsistent with the early stages of a bear market, where support typically gives way under sustained pressure. Instead, fading sell intensity points to a base forming, improving the odds of recovery attempts over further aggressive downside. While 2026 outcomes will still depend on macro conditions and leadership from Bitcoin and Ethereum, the current structure favours consolidation and upside exploration rather than continued distribution.
The Bottom Line!
The current signals across LINK, SEI, and SUI point less toward an exhausting trend and more toward distribution. With momentum compressed, key supports holding, and sell pressure fading, the probability favors stabilization and recovery. A gradual grind higher or range expansion appears more likely than a sharp breakout, as markets remain sensitive to macro cues and Bitcoin's direction.
Looking into early 2026, outcomes will be shaped by liquidity conditions and broader risk appetite. If macro stability improves and Bitcoin holds structure, these large-cap altcoins are positioned to recover meaningfully from current levels, even if a full return to all-time highs remains a longer-term process rather than an immediate outcome.
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.
Willemstad, Curaçao, December 14th, 2025, Chainwire
Whale.io has officially launched the $WHALE NFT collection on Solana, introducing the next phase of the platform's native token rollout and bringing the community one step closer to the upcoming Token Generation Event (TGE).
The $WHALE NFTs – presented as fully tradable digital cards – represent a new value layer within the Whale ecosystem. Each card holds a fixed amount of $WHALE tokens locked on-chain and backed 1:1, making them redeemable at any time for the underlying tokens. Minting is now live exclusively at mintwhale.io , where users can acquire these asset-backed cards and begin trading immediately on secondary marketplaces such as Magic Eden.
This format transforms $WHALE into a hybrid asset: a collectible card that behaves like a traditional NFT while carrying real, instantly verifiable token value. Cards can be freely transferred, sold, or held, with the assurance that the locked $WHALE can always be unlocked and returned to the Whale.io platform when needed.
Key Benefits of the $WHALE NFT Model
Because every card is transparently backed by real $WHALE, value remains anchored and fully verifiable on-chain at all times.
Utility Already Live
$WHALE continues to serve as the native currency across Whale Originals titles, including Crock Dentist and Blackjack. Holders use it for gameplay, Battlepass purchases, staking rewards, and exclusive in-platform features – a utility that is available today and will expand significantly after TGE.
Next Steps on the Roadmap
Upcoming features include a Staking mechanism (locking liquid $WHALE into cards) and a dedicated Token Swapping interface for one-click redemption. Whale.io has also reaffirmed its commitment to regular market buybacks followed by permanent token burns to support long-term token health.
Participation Now Open
The $WHALE NFT collection is available for minting exclusively at mintwhale.io. Detailed card tiers, pricing, and redemption instructions are displayed on the site. All on-chain activity remains fully transparent through Whale.io's established Treasury wallets.
Community members are invited to follow @Whalegames_en on X for real-time mint updates, secondary market insights, and announcements on future roadmap milestones.
About Whale.io
Whale.io is an online casino and sportsbook platform, recognized for its proprietary Whale Originals games and innovative reward systems. With $WHALE at its core, the platform combines provably fair gaming with community-owned economics and transparent tokenomics.
For complete details on the $WHALE NFT collection, users can visit mintwhale.io or whale.io .
Information on the future direction of Whale.io Casino and the Whale Token is available here:
Website: https://mintwhale.io/
Socials: https://linktr.ee/whalesocials_tg
Whale Spokesperson
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[email protected]
ICO Group Limited ( (HK:1460) ) has issued an announcement.
ICO Group Limited has issued a supplemental announcement regarding its previously disclosed subscription of preference shares in an AI-focused issuer valued at about US$124 million, clarifying that the target company's core technology is an artificial intelligence system for video and visual interpretation capable of analysing multi-hour videos within seconds. The board detailed its basis for considering the valuation fair and reasonable, citing extensive due diligence on the issuer's financials and system performance, the rapid uptake of its video AI application since its August 2025 public launch, and early traction with high-quality public-sector customers in Hong Kong and Singapore, which the company believes underscores strong market demand and significant potential for future revenue growth from this investment.
The most recent analyst rating on (HK:1460) stock is a Hold with a HK$0.28 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on ICO Group Limited stock, see the HK:1460 Stock Forecast page.
More about ICO Group Limited
ICO Group Limited is a Hong Kong-listed company incorporated in the Cayman Islands that operates in the information technology sector, leveraging its experience and expertise in IT to evaluate and invest in emerging technology businesses, including artificial intelligence solutions with commercial and public-sector applications.
Average Trading Volume: 2,186,070
Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy
Current Market Cap: HK$276.4M
See more data about 1460 stock on TipRanks' Stock Analysis page.
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© Copyright 2025 The Globe and Mail Inc. All rights reserved.
Andrew Saunders, President and CEO
Why Bitcoin Hyper Is Emerging as One of the Best Altcoins
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Bitcoin and Ethereum consolidate as cautious sentiment and thin liquidity cap buying interest.
Traders remain cautious as crypto prices consolidate amidst tight liquidity conditions
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Traxer
Bitcoin traded lower on Friday as the cryptocurrency market remained subdued amid tight liquidity and cautious global risk sentiment. The world's largest cryptocurrency was priced around $87,700 (roughly Rs. 79.18 lakh), easing from higher levels seen earlier in the week as investors stayed defensive ahead of key central bank decisions. Ethereum (ETH) traded near $2,900 (roughly Rs. 2.66 lakh), consolidating after recent gains as traders balanced improving inflation data against uneven liquidity conditions.
While softer inflation has improved the broader macro backdrop, follow-through buying remained limited, keeping both Bitcoin and Ethereum largely range-bound. Bitcoin is priced near Rs. 79.18 lakh in India, while Ethereum trades around Rs. 2.66 lakh, as per the Gadgets 360 price tracker.
Market sentiment remained cautious during the session as investors reacted to mixed global cues. Unclear interest-rate direction from major central banks, tight liquidity conditions, and lingering uncertainty around upcoming policy decisions limited risk appetite.
Altcoins continued to underperform amid the lack of strong directional catalysts. Binance Coin (BNB) traded near $844 (roughly Rs. 76,000), while Solana (SOL) was priced at $124 (roughly Rs. 11,180). XRP hovered around $1.86 (roughly Rs. 168), and Dogecoin (DOGE) traded close to $0.13 (roughly Rs. 11.5).
Commenting on Ethereum's recent performance and investor positioning, Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder and CEO of Pi42, said, “Ethereum's rally highlights confidence in its long-term role as a settlement and application layer, yet investors should approach allocations with a selective and risk-managed mindset [...] Maintaining diversification and predefined risk limits remains essential as volatility continues to define crypto markets.”
Providing a near-term outlook for Bitcoin, Akshat Siddhant, Lead Quant Analyst at Mudrex, said improving inflation data has helped stabilise sentiment despite recent pullbacks. “Inflation at multi-year lows improves the macro backdrop, while technical indicators show Bitcoin entering deeply oversold territory, levels that have often led to meaningful rebounds [...] With markets focused on the Bank of Japan's upcoming rate decision, the $84,000 zone (roughly Rs. 75.80 lakh) stands out as a critical level for BTC to hold as it attempts to regain upside momentum.”
Overall, the crypto market remains in a consolidation phase, with Bitcoin and Ethereum acting as relative anchors amidst ongoing macro uncertainty. Analysts said a clearer interest-rate outlook, improved liquidity conditions, and sustained institutional participation will be key to any meaningful upside. At the same time, the broader altcoin market may continue to remain defensive in the near term.
Cryptocurrency Prices across Indian exchanges
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Shweta Chakrawarty
Bankless founder predicts a 2026 shift toward Wall Street tokenization, the return of regulated ICOs, and invisible DeFi integration.
Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed.
Hoffman predicts tokenization will become the Wall Street default.
Regulated ICOs may return as legal frameworks improve globally.
Stablecoin-based super-apps will use Ethereum as a banking backend.
Quantum computing risks might enter mainstream crypto conversations soon.
Bankless founder David Hoffman has laid out a bold roadmap for crypto in 2026. He argues that Wall Street's shift to on-chain, the return of ICOs and deeper DeFi integration will reshape the industry's next cycle. His predictions land as regulators soften their stance and institutions move from testing to execution. Rather than hype-driven forecasts, Hoffman framed his outlook around infrastructure, regulation and incentives already forming across crypto and traditional finance.
Hoffman believes 2026 will mark the point where tokenization becomes standard, not experimental. He pointed to recent comments from BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and regulators signaling that capital markets will increasingly live on-chain. Large asset managers already operate tokenized funds. That momentum is shifting toward equities, credit and structured products.
吴说获悉，Bankless 创始人 David Hoffman 发布对 2026 年的市场预测称，代币化将成为核心趋势，华尔街在监管环境趋于明确的背景下将加速推进传统资产上链；随着监管容忍度提升，合规条件改善后 ICO 可能重新出现。他还指出，以以太坊作为银行层的稳定币新银行与 DeFi 的融合将持续推进。Hoffman…
Bankless founder argues Wall Street now has the regulatory clarity it previously lacked. As a result, institutions no longer ask if assets go on-chain, but how fast. He also raised open questions. Will platforms like Securitize and Superstate dominate issuance? Or will banks prefer to issue and control tokens themselves? Either way, Hoffman expects tokenized assets to become a core market, not a side product.
Hoffman predicts ICOs will return after years of regulatory freeze. He described yield farming, points programs and airdrop games as inefficient substitutes for direct capital formation. According to the Bankless founder, the difference now is legal groundwork. He highlighted Aztec Network's recent on-chain token sale, which included a legal opinion classifying its token as non-security. The sale ran fully on-chain through Uniswap's CCA framework, without intermediaries. That model, he argued, restores the original promise of ICOs: direct access between builders and the public. However, David Hoffman warned that quality matters. Poor projects could still poison the model if standards slip.
Hoffman also expects rapid growth in stablecoin-based “new banks” that use Ethereum as their backend. He cited Coinbase's integration of DeFi products as proof that users can access lending and trading without knowing they're using DeFi. He believes these fintech-style apps will expand into full financial super-apps. Unlike traditional banks, stablecoin platforms can reward users with tokens at near-zero cost, turning customers into stakeholders. As UX improves and blockchains disappear from the surface, Hoffman sees DeFi becoming invisible but essential.
On the speculative side, Bankless founder warned that robotics-related tokens could see hype-driven rallies, similar to past AI token manias. He stressed that real robotics value remains concentrated in private companies and large incumbents, not small-cap tokens.
Finally, he flagged quantum computing as a slow but serious threat. While not imminent, Hoffman expects quantum security risks to enter mainstream crypto discussions in 2026, especially around dormant Bitcoin wallets and cryptographic standards. In short, David Hoffman's message was clear. The next cycle is less about memes and more about plumbing. Crypto's future, he argued, will be built quietly before it explodes loudly.
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Vandit Grover
Author
Vandit Grover
Author
Vandit Grover
Author
19 Dec 2025
19 Dec 2025
Coordinator of the EU-Supervisory Digital Finance Academy (EU-SDFA), Adjunct Professor at the LUMSA University and Associate Fellow at Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) - Italy
After years of a hesitant and uncertain trajectory, the European Central Bank (ECB) has significantly accelerated its efforts on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Within just a few months, the ECB has decided to move forward with the final phase and roadmap for issuing the digital euro, its retail CBDC (rCBDC) intended for use by the general public. At the same time, it approved the launch of two wholesale CBDC (wCBDC) projects—Pontes and Appia—developed under the “New Technologies for Central Bank Money Settlement” initiative, designed exclusively for interbank transactions between financial institutions. Such a significant shift in speed has been largely driven by external pressures. First, as argued by Draghi in his report on the Future of European Competitiveness, “dependencies are becoming vulnerabilities.”[2] The EU is highly dependent on foreign providers for its retail card-based transactions, with two-thirds of its internal transactions processed by US-based Visa and Mastercard. Simultaneously, as clearly shown in 2018 with the US unilateral sanctions against Iran, global wholesale systems continue to rely heavily on the US dollar and US-based institutions.
In this framework, while only 40% of extra-EU imports are invoiced in euros, 51% are in dollars—largely due to dollar-denominated oil imports. This imbalance, combined with the fact that over 90% of large-value dollar transactions are settled via US-based systems like CHIPS and Fedwire, underlines the EU's reliance on the US dollar and US financial infrastructure.[3] This latter aspect is also closely connected to the euro's international role. While the ECB has historically maintained a passive stance, neither encouraging nor obstructing the euro's global adoption,[4] this approach shifted in 2018 with the “Towards a Stronger International Role of the Euro” communication, which recognized the euro's underutilization in global markets while simultaneously highlighting its potential to strengthen the EU's financial and political influence in an increasingly multipolar world.[5] Despite the euro's position as the world's second-largest international currency, its reliance is evident in various domains, from trade invoicing to payment infrastructure, which reinforces vulnerabilities that limit the EU's strategic autonomy.[6]
Second, the growing interest in alternative digital assets has become a source of concern for EU policymakers. The wake-up call came with the announcement of Facebook's Libra project in 2019, which signaled the disruptive potential of privately issued global stablecoins. Today, however, the more systemic risk lies in the US administration's regulatory supportive stance toward dollar-based stablecoins and the resulting increase in market-driven new initiatives. These digital assets could serve as vectors for expanding the global footprint of the US dollar through alternative digital channels, including in EU markets. This could pose financial stability risks, including the threat of euro deposit substitution and the potential for a systemic run on redemptions with global spillovers.[7] Furthermore, it could challenge the EU internal market in both retail and wholesale transactions: widespread use of dollar-backed stablecoins could further consolidate the dollar's dominance and create competition with central bank money as an alternative settlement asset in emerging markets for tokenized securities.
Despite the ECB's rCBDC and wCBDC initiatives having distinct operational frameworks and objectives, they both aim to strengthen the EU's monetary power in a growing multipolar world. This conceptual framework encompasses the dual concepts of autonomy and influence.[8] The former refers to a state's ability to reduce the exposure of its monetary system to external pressures (autonomy), while the latter refers to its capacity to shape the global financial system in its favor (influence). Adopting this lens, the digital euro project is primarily a mechanism for autonomy by establishing a pan-European retail payment infrastructure, while euro wCBDC explorations represent an emerging, if tentative, attempt to mitigate future risks of dependency while exercising international leadership. These objectives are not mutually exclusive but emerge through different institutional pathways and political conditions.
1. Wholesale and Retail Digital Euro: Timeline and Pipeline
The digital euro project is a legislative proposal currently under discussion. The ECB began exploring this concept by publishing a “Report on a Digital Euro” in October 2020. In July 2021, the ECB Governing Council officially launched the digital euro project. The project consists of three phases: the Investigation phase (October 2021 – October 2023), the Preparation phase (November 2023 – October 2025), and the Implementation phase (starting November 2025). In October 2025, the ECB decided to move to the next phase of the project. Since the official issuance of the digital euro by the ECB Governing Council is contingent on the adoption of a legislative act, it also communicated that—if legislation is in place by 2026—a pilot exercise could begin in 2027, with the Eurosystem potentially ready for a first issuance of the digital euro by 2029. In this sense, parallel to the ECB's preparatory work, the European Commission published the Digital Euro Package in June 2023. At this stage, these proposals are in the early stages of the legislative process, with no formal position agreed upon by the European Parliament or the Council.[9]
While there is always confusion, the ECB's work on a wholesale digital euro is progressing in parallel—and yet complementary—with its development of the digital euro for retail use. Officially referred to as “New Technologies for Central Bank Settlement,” this initiative explores innovations in wholesale financial transactions and interbank settlement mechanisms. A form of wholesale CBDC already exists, as central banks currently provide digital settlement assets to financial institutions. However, the ECB's efforts seek to enhance these systems through new technological advancements. Exploring new technologies for wholesale transactions builds upon TARGET (Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer System), which is the Eurosystem's infrastructure for settling large-value payments in euros in real time.
Since 2023, the ECB has begun exploring the potential application of DLT solutions in central bank money settlement, resulting in the development of three interoperability-type solutions for exploratory work. First, the TIPS Hash-Link Service Description establishes an interoperability bridge between a DLT platform and the TIPS payment system (a copy of TIPS was used for experimentation purposes). Second, the Trigger Solution Documentation acts as a technical bridge between market DLT platforms and the Eurosystem's T2 RTGS. Third, the Full DLT Interoperability enables the settlement of wholesale transactions in central bank money directly on a DLT platform by tokenizing central bank money and integrating it with the Eurosystem's RTGS (T2). Between May and November 2024, the Eurosystem conducted a series of trials and experiments involving over 200 transactions valued at €1.59 billion. A total of 64 participants, including central banks, financial market participants, and DLT operators, completed more than 40 trials and experiments. The trials involved actual settlements using central bank money, while the experiments used mock transactions for testing purposes.
In February 2025, following the lessons learned from the three pilots, the ECB decided to proceed with a dual track. Pontes is designed as a short- to medium-term pilot project, scheduled for implementation by the end of the third quarter of 2026. Pontes employs a dual-settlement model enabling transactions to settle either on the Eurosystem's DLT platform, utilizing tokenized central bank money, or via T2 RTGS for traditional cash settlement. This approach leverages lessons learned from the 2024 exploratory phase, integrating interoperability solutions while aligning with TARGET's operational, legal, and technical standards. A long-term pilot for Pontes is planned for launch by the end of Q3 2026 and will build upon components already proven in 2024 experiments. Appia, in contrast, represents a long-term vision, with no planned timeline.[10]
2. Monetary Power in Action
In the retail payments and settlements domain, autonomy has become a pressing policy objective due to existing dependencies on foreign providers for card payment schemes and mobile payment apps, as well as emerging risks related to US-denominated stablecoins. This is clearly shown by the shifting narrative behind the digital euro. The ECB's initial engagement framed its rationale within a behavioral logic: evolving consumer preferences and the progressive decline of cash in point-of-sale transactions. While empirically grounded—cash usage fell from 72% in 2019 to 52% in 2024—online payments now represent 21% of all daily transactions and 36% of the total transaction value.[11] This narrative presents digitization only as a neutral, demand-driven transformation.
However, this transition to cashless payments is not merely a technological or market trend but a reconfiguration of the power balance, exposing a critical structural vulnerability. This dynamic raises fundamental questions about the EU's monetary power in an era when payment infrastructure is both a strategic asset and a vector of geopolitical dependency.[12] This logic applies directly to the eurozone, where 13 of 20 member states lack domestic card schemes and must co-badge with foreign ones to operate within their borders.[13] Even national systems, such as Italy's Bancomat or France's Cartes Bancaires, rely on international networks for interoperability, rendering European transactions vulnerable to extraterritorial regulation and policy misalignment, as foreign entities operate within legal and political jurisdictions that may not always align with European strategic interests.
Over the past years, the ECB has undergone a marked shift in how it frames the political and strategic significance of the digital euro project. The ECB started to position its project not simply as a complement to cash but as a lever for reinforcing European monetary sovereignty. From a technical point of view, the ECB believes that a digital euro infrastructure might rebalance its autonomy in digital payments, enabling a public infrastructure to regain control over private foreign providers. In practice, the current card payment system utilizes payment networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, which facilitate electronic transactions between cardholders, merchants, issuing banks (the cardholder's bank), and acquiring banks (the merchant's bank). When a cardholder initiates a purchase, a payment network acts as an intermediary, routing the transaction details from the merchant to the issuing bank for authorization. The issuing bank verifies the cardholder's account for sufficient funds or credit and approves or declines the transaction. The payment network then ensures the clearing and settlement of funds, transferring money from the issuing bank to the acquiring bank while deducting fees for its services.
Payment networks own the infrastructure that enables their intermediation function. However, with the development of a digital euro, the ECB would provide such underlying core infrastructure upon which European and non-European providers can develop their front-end solutions. Furthermore, this stance is also enforced by procurement rules for the development of the digital euro's core infrastructure, which restrict participation to European IT companies.
The digital euro is thus positioned as a foundational element to ensure that critical infrastructure is under European governance, thereby reducing exposure to external coercion. While the ECB's initiative aspires to enhance autonomy by asserting infrastructural control, the causal link between creating new infrastructure and achieving monetary autonomy remains analytically tenuous. It presupposes not only that the infrastructure will be successfully developed and adopted but also that it will displace or substantially reduce reliance on incumbent foreign payment providers.
This outcome depends on several conditions: the extent to which banks and merchants integrate the digital euro into their operations and the willingness of consumers to shift established payment habits. Moreover, market dynamics further complicate the picture. The digital euro model, while pragmatically framed as a partnership between public infrastructure and private innovation, rests on a fragile assumption: that the creation of a centralized European infrastructure will meaningfully reduce dependency on entrenched foreign actors while fostering EU-native digital payment solutions. Nevertheless, incumbent foreign providers benefit from strong network effects and high switching costs, positioning them as the default choice—even within the emerging digital euro ecosystem.
However, from a different perspective, what if adoption is not the key driver or objective? That may sound provocative, but the strategic value of the digital euro might lie not primarily in everyday usage but in establishing a parallel, EU-controlled domestic infrastructure that can be fully mobilized in the event of disruption from foreign-owned systems.
Instead, although the EU already retains a high degree of autonomy in euro-denominated wholesale payments and settlements, supported by robust, domestically governed infrastructures such as TARGET2 and TARGET2-Securities (T2S), EU policymakers are increasingly concerned that US-denominated stablecoins could also pose risks to the settlement of wholesale transactions within the eurozone.[14] Pontes becomes the short-term public solution to provide market participants with a similar technological and technical infrastructure to tokenization using central bank money, thereby avoiding the re-creation of dependencies on foreign assets or providers.
While the face of monetary power related to autonomy is straightforward, the second dimension of monetary power connected to influence is more subtle. It requires the ability to shape global monetary dynamics in line with strategic preferences. In this respect, both the digital euro project and the explorations of a euro wCBCD present an ambiguous case. While the ECB has consistently emphasized the domestic focus of both initiatives, implicit within its long-term vision is the ambition to expand the euro's international role, transforming both initiatives' CBDCs into a vehicle for global influence. These initiatives will not affect the fundamental factors that anchor the international role of the euro. They will not address the fragmented and incomplete nature of the EU's Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) or the absence of common safe assets that central banks and international investors could adopt as a store of value. As Eichengreen[15] and Helleiner[16] have noted, the determinants of an international currency status are institutional, not merely technological or infrastructural.
Against this backdrop, euro CBDCs cannot single-handedly catalyze internationalization, but they may serve as a strategic complement to foster the international role of the euro. The development of a more efficient rCBDC and wCBDC financial infrastructure could, in principle, enable central banks to settle cross-border payments directly, thereby reducing transaction costs and latency while simultaneously mitigating structural reliance on the dollar-centric correspondent banking model.[17]
ECB officials have occasionally gestured toward this potential. In a 2020 address, Executive Board member Fabio Panetta linked the digital euro to the EU's global role, suggesting that if made accessible beyond the eurozone, the CBDC could enhance the euro's attractiveness as a payment vehicle for non-residents.[18] Cipollone also argued that a wCBDC could enable European firms to transact globally without relying on dollar-based intermediaries.[19] Yet, beyond such rhetorical gestures, the ECB has offered little concrete detail on how both initiatives would advance the internationalization agenda. The strategic mechanisms by which it would incentivize the euro in global trade, finance, or reserves remain underspecified. Official documentation broadly discusses faster and more secure cross-border payments but does not clarify how these would translate into increased demand for euro-denominated assets or long-term geopolitical leverage.
As a retail CBDC, the potential cross-border usage of the digital euro project appears limited. Despite being a limited market, the ECB is making an effort to incentivize the use of the euro in cross-border retail transactions. The development of the digital euro has led to the establishment of formal regulatory standards for its use beyond the euro area. Initially, non-eurozone countries needed formal agreements with the ECB to adopt it. However, legislative discussions led to a revision: foreign merchants will be able to accept digital euro payments without such agreements, as they hold zero balances and convert funds immediately. This change applies only to retail transactions, maintaining limits while enabling the digital euro to function as a cross-border payment tool. In contrast to the digital euro project, the Pontes and Appia projects might have a more significant external dimension.
While intra-EU wholesale transactions are almost entirely settled in euros, cross-border and cross-currency settlements to and from the EU borders are still, for a significant portion, processed in US dollars, thereby going through the US financial infrastructure. With this in mind, the development of a wCBDC has the ambition to “include international operations, such as foreign exchange settlement.” In line with this ambition, the Eurosystem launched an experiment, Project Meridian,[20] in cooperation with the BIS and the Bank of England to connect the three pilot projects with a synthetic version of the UK RTGS system to test interoperability for FX transactions via the three systems. This initiative signals an emergent ambition: to leverage its exploratory work to exert global influence on the euro as an international currency.
Another dimension of the ambition to influence is shaping global standards and technological leadership. In this case, the TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) system offers a model for leveraging euro-denominated infrastructure to exert monetary influence. Access to TIPS has been extended to non-euro area countries, including Sweden (since 2022), Denmark (planned for 2025), Norway (in progress), and Iceland (interested), marking a notable expansion beyond the monetary union. By joining TIPS, these countries adopt ECB-defined standards and institutional frameworks within their domestic systems. The ECB is also considering enabling direct currency conversion between the euro and the Swedish krona within TIPS, a shift from the current single-currency settlement model.
Beyond Europe, the ECB has exported cloned versions of TIPS technology to central banks in Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a similar earlier request from Albania. These initiatives allow countries to replicate ECB infrastructure independently. Finally, the ECB has recently announced the interlinkage between TIPS and global fast payment systems, such as India's UPI.[21] The design of the digital euro has been shaped by the TIPS experience, with built-in features that enable multi-currency use and potential export to non-Eurozone jurisdictions. While this opens the door for broader integration or replication, such ambitions remain largely technical. Without deeper legal, regulatory, and institutional alignment, these efforts are expected to have only a marginal impact—supporting limited euro internationalization regionally but not significantly enhancing the EU's global monetary power.
The development of wCBDC also speaks to the EU's ambition to play a leading role in shaping the future architecture of global financial infrastructure. As tokenized finance expands, the question of who will design and govern the settlement rails for digital assets has become central to the future distribution of monetary power. The launch of Pontes and Appia does not simply extend experimentation or mitigate technical risks; it represents a deliberate move to ensure that the EU is not a passive recipient of global CBDC standards but an active contributor to their definition. Pontes provides a credible and immediate solution for settling tokenized transactions in central bank money, demonstrating the Eurosystem's ability to offer a public sector alternative to privately issued settlement assets, including US-denominated stablecoins.
In doing so, it ensures that Europe remains relevant in the evolving market for tokenized securities and smart contract-based payment flows. Appia, by contrast, articulates a longer-term strategic ambition. Rather than adapting existing infrastructures to new digital environments, Appia aims to design a DLT-native wholesale settlement architecture that is governed by European institutional, regulatory, and political principles. If realized, such an ecosystem could support cross-border settlement without depending on dollar-clearing channels such as correspondent banking or SWIFT-based messaging frameworks, thereby expanding the EU's capacity to shape global settlement norms.
Conclusion
The ECB's initiatives on the digital euro and wholesale CBDCs show that Europe has begun to understand a crucial reality: the future of monetary power will be decided not only in balance sheets but in infrastructures. Control over the technological rails through which settlement occurs—and the institutional rules they embed—will increasingly define who retains autonomy and who sets standards in the emerging monetary order.
The retail digital euro project serves as a strategic hedge against the existing and future risks associated with dependency on foreign providers. Even if widespread consumer adoption does not materialize immediately, its existence provides Europe with a public, resilient alternative that can be mobilized if foreign intermediaries—whether commercial networks or dollar-based stablecoin systems—become a channel of coercion or disruption. At the same time, the wholesale CBDC track opens the possibility of projecting European influence outward. With Pontes and Appia, the ECB is positioning the Eurosystem to participate in—and shape—the global architecture of tokenized settlement.
These initiatives cannot fundamentally alter the structural constraints of the euro's global role, but they may enable Europe to avoid subordination to private or extra-European infrastructures as tokenized finance expands. They represent Europe's attempt to retain space for strategic choice in its connections to the world. Taken together, the two CBDC initiatives show a shift in Europe's strategic mindset. Rather than continuing to adapt to a system largely shaped by others, the EU seeks to influence the rules of the game—even if gradually, and even if from a structurally asymmetric position.
In a world where financial interdependence can be weaponized and infrastructure is becoming a geopolitical tool, presence matters. By advancing both retail and wholesale CBDC tracks, the EU is ensuring its presence at the negotiating tables where the foundations of the next monetary era are being established.
[1] Nicola Bilotta, Coordinator, EU-SDFA, and Senior Research Associate, Florence School of Banking and Finance (European University Institute).
[2] European Commission, The Future of European Competitiveness: A Competitiveness Strategy for Europe (Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2025), PDF, ISBN 978-92-68-22715-2, https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/97e481fd-2dc3-412d-be4c-f152a8232961_en.
[3] Maria Demertzis, “Europe's Financial Independence Needs Derisking, Not Decoupling,” The Conference Board, September 22, 2025, https://www.conference-board.org/publications/Europes-Financial-Independence-Needs-Derisking-Not-Decoupling.
[4] European Central Bank, The International Role of the Euro (Frankfurt: European Central Bank, 1999), 15.
[5] European Commission, Towards a Stronger International Role of the Euro (Brussels: European Commission, 2018).
[6] European Central Bank, The Eurosystem's Retail Payments Strategy: Priorities for 2024 and Beyond (Frankfurt: European Central Bank, November 2023), https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/ecb.eurosystemretailpaymentsstrategy~5a74eb9ac1.en.pdf.
[7] European Systemic Risk Board, Crypto-assets and Decentralised Finance: Report on Stablecoins, Crypto-investment Products and Multi-function Groups (Frankfurt: European Systemic Risk Board, October 2025), PDF, https://www.esrb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/reports/esrb.report202510_cryptoassets.en.pdf.
[8] Benjamin J. Cohen, “Currency and State Power,” in Power in Global Governance, ed. Michael Barnett and Raymond Duvall (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 161–86.
[9] European Central Bank, “Digital Euro,” accessed [add access date if required], https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/html/index.en.html.
[10] European Central Bank, “Exploratory Work on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT),” accessed [add access date if required], https://www.ecb.europa.eu/paym/dlt/exploratory/html/index.en.html.
[11] European Central Bank, “Digital Payments Continue to Rise, Albeit at a Slower Pace; Cash Remains a Key Payment Method,” press release, December 19, 2024.
[12] Henry Farrell and Abraham L. Newman, “Weaponized Interdependence: How Global Economic Networks Shape State Coercion,” International Security 44, no. 1 (Summer 2019): 42–79, https://doi.org/10.1162/ISEC_a_00351.
[13] European Central Bank, “Most EU Countries Rely on International Card Schemes for Card Payments, ECB Report Shows,” press release, February 28, 2025, https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.pr250228_1~7f0697af45.en.html.
[14] European Systemic Risk Board, Crypto-assets and Decentralised Finance (see note 7).
[15] Barry Eichengreen, Exorbitant Privilege: The Rise and Fall of the Dollar and the Future of the International Monetary System (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011).
[16] Eric Helleiner, The Making of National Money: Territorial Currencies in Historical Perspective (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2003).
[17] Maria Demertzis and Josh Lipsky, “The Geopolitics of Central Bank Digital Currencies,” Intereconomics 58, no. 4 (2023): 173–77, https://doi.org/10.2478/ie-2023-0037.
[18] European Central Bank, “Introductory Statement by Fabio Panetta at the ECON Committee of the European Parliament,” speech, December 10, 2020.
[19] European Central Bank, “Modernising Finance: The Role of Central Bank Money,” keynote speech by Piero Cipollone at the 30th Annual Congress of Financial Market Professionals, Genoa, February 9, 2024.
[20] Bank for International Settlements, “Nexus: Connecting Fast Payment Systems,” accessed [add access date if required], https://www.bis.org/about/bisih/topics/fmis/nexus.htm.
[21] European Central Bank, TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS): Connecting to Other Fast Payment Systems (Frankfurt: European Central Bank, October 21, 2024), PDF, https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/doc/ecb.doc241021_TIPS_to_connect_to_other_fast_payment_systems.en.pdf.
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ECB Says Digital Euro Is Ready as Decision Shifts to EU Lawmakers
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$1.37
European Central Bank officials said Thursday the institution is ready to roll out a digital euro after completing technical and preparatory work, confirming at this year's final press conference that a review of the project is underway, with the European Council and the European Parliament participating.
“We have done our work, we have carried the water, but it's now for the European Council and certainly later on for the European Parliament to identify whether the Commission proposal is satisfactory, how it can be transformed into a piece of legislation or amended,” ECB President Christine Lagarde said in a statement.
As officials stress that the systems are built and the safeguards defined, attention has shifted to the political process required to authorize issuance.
Designed as a public, widely usable digital currency with legal tender status, the proposed digital euro is intended to support financial stability, monetary sovereignty, privacy, and inclusion, while strengthening Europe's payments infrastructure.
Its purpose as a retail central digital bank currency is to “ensure that central bank money with the status of legal tender remains available to the general public, while offering a state-of-the-art and cost-efficient payment means,” the proposal reads, adding it could provide “a high level of privacy in digital payments.”
A retail CBDC is a digital form of public money issued by a central bank and backed by the state, with the same legal standing as cash. Unlike stablecoins, it's a direct claim on the central bank, not a private token backed by reserves or corporate guarantees.
“Our ambition is to make sure that in the digital age, there is a currency that is the anchor of stability for the financial system,” Lagarde said.
While the central bank has done its share of preparation, “that readiness alone does not constitute a launch decision,” an ECB spokesperson told Decrypt. “A clear legal basis is essential, which is why the legislative process is a key precondition for moving forward,” they added.
The final decision to issue a digital euro will be taken by the Governing Council of the ECB, Decrypt was told.
Asked about privacy concerns, the spokesperson said that “privacy-enhancing features are built into the design of the digital euro,” but those “do not exempt it from the legal framework that applies to all forms of money. “
“The balance is therefore achieved through a clear separation of roles: the Eurosystem would not have access to users' personal data, while regulated intermediaries would continue to carry out AML and enforcement obligations in line with EU law,” the spokesperson said.
In January, European Central Bank executive board member Piero Cipollone stressed the need for a digital euro in response to the Trump administration's then-developing plans for a stablecoin policy aimed at strengthening the U.S. dollar.
Shifts in U.S. crypto policy and a more permissive stance toward stablecoins added urgency to European discussions about monetary autonomy, with Cipollone saying lawmakers and the broader political world are “becoming more alert” to the conversation.
Early efforts by U.S. lawmakers culminated when President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law in July.
Notably, Trump has consistently taken a hostile stance toward central bank digital currencies, saying in early 2024 that he would “never allow” a CBDC because he believes it would give the government too much control over people's money.
He signed an executive order in January prohibiting federal agencies from establishing, issuing, or promoting CBDCs, effectively halting U.S. CBDC development under his administration.
Discussions on the weight of a public digital currency began as early as 2021, when European central bankers warned that failing to issue could leave monetary control to private or foreign payment systems as cash usage declines.
Policymakers have also examined how the digital euro fits alongside public blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana. “The proposed regulation on the digital euro is technology neutral,” an ECB spokesperson told Decrypt at the time.
Debate has since moved from principle to execution, with European institutions pressing for more apparent timelines around pilots and a possible launch toward the end of the decade.
Earlier this month, the IMF warned that private digital money, including stablecoins, could weaken domestic monetary policy and financial stability.
This article has been updated with comments from the ECB.
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It is only the second pendant like it ever found in the world, discovered during an excavation beneath the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story:
Discovering a symbol of Jewish faith within an excavation of Jerusalem typically wouldn't prompt much surprise, but archaeologists recently made an exceedingly rare find during an excavation of the Temple Mount in the form of a lead pendant decorated with a menorah. The 1,300-year-old pendant, only the second like it ever found in the world, is dated to the Late Byzantine period, from the sixth to the early seventh century C.E., found left in Jerusalem in a time Jews were prohibited from the site.
“A pendant made of pure lead, decorated with a menorah, is an exceptionally rare find,” a research team with the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a statement. “Research has identified pendants of glass and other metals decorated with a menorah, but we know of only one other pendant in the world [now located in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore] bearing the symbol of the menorah made of lead.”
The newly discovered pendant features a seven-branched menorah design identical on both sides. The researchers said that the “double appearance of the menorah on each side of the disc indicates the deep significance of this symbol, and the central place of the menorah in the visual expression of connection to the temple and its memory, even in periods long after the destruction of the temple.”
The piece was located during archaeological excavation in the Davidson Archaeological Park of Jerusalem under 26 feet of fill that piled up as part of construction activities during the creation of an Islamic monument at the beginning of the eighth century.
“One day while I was digging inside an ancient structure, I suddenly saw something different, gray, among the stones,” Ayayu Belete, a City of David worker, said in a statement. “I picked up the object and saw that it was a pendant with a menorah on it.”
The disc-shaped pendant features a loop at the top, likely so it could be worn as a necklace. The identical menorah—each one has three arms on either side of the central shaft, a horizontal crossbar at the top of each arm, and flames—fits inside a circular frame. The researchers said that one side was well-preserved, while the other had a high level of patina. Analytical laboratory testing confirmed the pendent is 99 percent lead.
“This is an unusual find,” said Yuval Baruch, Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist. “This pendant, bearing the symbol of the menorah, is not just a material object, it is a personal seal, an emblem of memory and identity, which probably belonged to an anonymous Jew who chose to wear it around his or her neck.”
During the Byzantine period, Jews were prohibited form entering Jerusalem, leading to questions about how the pendant could have made its way to the temple area. The experts surmise the pendant could have come from a secret pilgrim entering the city under unofficial circumstances, or from a Jew visiting on an administrative mission or as a merchant.
“Even during periods when Jews were prohibited from entering Jerusalem, the connection to this holy place did not cease,” Amichai Eliyahu, Israeli minister of heritage, said in a statement.
Baruch said that not only does the pendant show a personal devotion to the Jewish faith, but that imperial edicts prohibiting Jews from going to the city did not stop everyone. Using lead, instead of other popular metals of the day, was common in amulet-making at the time, Baruch said, meaning the pendant had more meaning than as a decorative piece of jewelry. The use of lead also opened more possibilities of who could have worked the piece. “During the Byzantine period the menorah became a symbol of national memory, and it expressed the expectation of national revival among the Jewish communities in the land of Israel,” Baruch said.
The Israel Antiquities Authority plans to display the find during Hanukkah in Jerusalem at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel.
“In recent years there is increased archaeological evidence that shows that Jews, despite all the prohibitions and difficulties imposed on them, found ways to reach Jerusalem,” Baruch said, “and it is possible that there were even some who settled there.”
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In Stranger Things, the supernatural villain Vecna rules a nightmarish parallel world called the Upside Down. Credit: Netflix/Everett/Shutterstock
Throughout its five seasons, the Netflix show Stranger Things follows a ragtag group of teenagers and their parents as monsters from another universe — unleashed by the secret work of a government laboratory — wreak havoc on a quaint, fictional town in Indiana.
Don't worry, Demogorgons, Shadow Monsters and psychokinetically gifted 12-year-olds are strictly fictional creations. But the ‘parallel universe' concept at the core of the show — which is set to conclude its nearly decade-long run at the end of this year — comes from a real scientific theory. And it's been hotly debated by physicists over the past 75 or so years.
Although the series is as much in the realm of fantasy as science fiction, Stranger Things nods to many concepts of basic physics. Principles of electromagnetism explain haywire compasses, as well as magnets that spontaneously fall off a refrigerator. And in the third season, the characters save the world by using Planck's constant during their quest to close a gate to the other universe, called the Upside Down (although the show uses the 2014 value for Planck's constant, which wouldn't have been standard in the 1980s setting).
Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey shows
Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey shows
Perhaps the most prominent physics phenomenon mentioned in the programme, however, is the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. After deducing that their friend might be stuck in the Upside Down, three pre-teen-boy protagonists ask their science teacher how they could travel there. He responds, “You guys have been thinking about Hugh Everett's many-worlds interpretation, haven't you?”
In the 1950s, the US physicist Hugh Everett really did propose such an explanation for modern physics, and his theory has been collecting devotees ever since. Everett's work makes sense of a concept that has long baffled quantum physicists: the measurement problem. The question is how a quantum system can seem to be in two states at once — an electron that is simultaneously in two different locations, for example — until the moment the system is observed or measured, when all at once it's in only one of those states.
The most popular explanation for this conundrum, called the Copenhagen interpretation, says that the unobserved electron exists in a hazy quantum state of both options, described only by probabilities, until suddenly, on measurement, it ends up in one. Everett poses an almost fantastical alternative: the electron really exists in both states at once, and after the measurement, an observer sees only one state because the universe branches in two, with each outcome existing in a different world. The countless quantum states of all the world's particles create an infinite number of universes: hence, many worlds.
For many physicists, this idea is a bit far-fetched, particularly because if these many worlds can't interact, then there's no way to prove or falsify the theory, says Jorge Pullin, a theoretical physicist at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
But for others — including Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, who has worked as a science adviser for science-fiction films — the many-worlds interpretation is the most elegant explanation out there. “There are a lot of people who think this is the simplest version of quantum mechanics, and it fits all the data,” he says. Of the many explanations of quantum theory, many worlds is currently the third most popular among quantum physicists, a Nature survey found earlier this year.
The sci-fi films that physicists love to watch — from Interstellar to Spider-Man
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Scientists at the University of Amsterdam have developed a new way to use gravitational waves from black holes to uncover the presence of dark matter and learn more about its behavior. Their approach relies on a detailed theoretical model grounded in Einstein's theory of general relativity. This model carefully describes how a black hole interacts with material in its immediate environment, including dark matter that cannot be seen directly.
The research was carried out by Rodrigo Vicente, Theophanes K. Karydas and Gianfranco Bertone from the UvA Institute of Physics (IoP) and the GRAPPA center of excellence for Gravitation and Astroparticle Physics Amsterdam. Their findings were published in the journal Physical Review Letters. In the study, the team presents a more advanced method for calculating how dark matter surrounding black holes subtly alters the gravitational waves those systems produce.
Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals and Long Gravitational Signals
The study concentrates on a class of systems known as extreme mass-ratio inspirals, or EMRIs. These occur when a small, dense object -- such as a black hole created by the collapse of a single star -- moves in orbit around a much larger black hole, usually one located at the center of a galaxy. Over time, the smaller object gradually spirals inward, emitting gravitational waves throughout this slow descent.
Upcoming space missions, including the European Space Agency's LISA space antenna scheduled for launch in 2035, are expected to observe these signals for very long periods. Some EMRI events may be tracked for months or even years, covering hundreds of thousands to millions of individual orbits. When scientists can model these signals with high precision, the resulting data act like detailed "cosmic fingerprints" that reveal how matter is arranged near massive black holes. This includes dark matter, which is believed to make up most of the matter in the Universe.
Why a Fully Relativistic Model Matters
Before observatories like LISA begin collecting data, researchers must understand in advance what kinds of gravitational wave patterns they should expect and how to interpret them. Until now, many studies have used simplified models that only roughly describe how the surrounding environment influences EMRIs. According to the authors, these approximations leave out important physical effects.
The new work addresses this limitation by introducing the first fully relativistic framework for a wide range of possible environments. This means the calculations rely entirely on Einstein's theory of gravity rather than simplified Newtonian approximations. As a result, the model can more accurately describe how matter around a massive black hole changes the orbit of the smaller object and reshapes the gravitational waves that are emitted.
Dark Matter Spikes and Detectable Imprints
A key focus of the study is on dense regions of dark matter that may form around massive black holes. These concentrations are often referred to as "spikes" or "mounds." By incorporating their relativistic model into modern gravitational waveform calculations, the researchers demonstrate that such dark matter structures would leave distinct, measurable signatures in the signals detected by future observatories.
The authors describe this research as an essential step toward a larger scientific goal. Over time, they hope gravitational waves can be used to chart how dark matter is distributed throughout the Universe and provide new insight into its fundamental nature.
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After decades of meticulous research initiated by the Nobel-prizewinning discovery of G proteins1, you might think that scientists know all there is to know about this crucial family of signalling proteins. Not so. In a paper in Nature by Stahl et al.2, and in a companion paper in Nature Communications by Bohn and Stahl3, researchers describe a twist on G-protein signalling that might hold the key to the rational design of opioid drugs with better pain-relieving capabilities and fewer unwanted side effects than those that are currently available.
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What happens here matters everywhere
by Alan Boyle on Dec 19, 2025 at 10:46 amDecember 19, 2025 at 10:46 am
Microsoft and NASA say they're applying artificial intelligence to a challenge that has become all too pressing in the past couple of weeks: how to cope with flooding and other nightmares brought about by extreme weather events.
The result of their efforts is Hydrology Copilot, a set of AI agents aimed at making hydrological data easier to access and analyze. The platform is built on the foundation established for NASA Earth Copilot, a cloud-based AI tool that can sift through quadrillions of bytes of the space agency's Earth science data.
Hydrology is the scientific study of Earth's water cycle, which encompasses precipitation, runoff, evaporation and the movement of water through rivers and lakes and soil. It's not just an academic exercise: Hydrologic insights are put to use in fields ranging from agriculture to forestry to urban development.
“NASA has long produced advanced hydrology and land-surface datasets, powering breakthroughs in drought early-warning systems, environmental planning and environmental research,” Juan Carlos López, a senior solution specialist at Microsoft who focuses on space and AI, wrote in a blog post. “Yet despite their value, these datasets and the specialized tools required to navigate and interpret them remain difficult to access for many who could benefit most.”
That's where Hydrology Copilot comes in: The platform, which is powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Microsoft Foundry, lets researchers and others query NASA's data using straightforward questions — for example, “Which regions may be facing elevated flood risk?”
Hydrology Copilot simplifies access to one of NASA's most advanced hydrology datasets, the North American Land Data Assimilation System Version 3. NLDAS-3 matches up satellite measurements with state-of-the-art computer models to present a detailed, continuously updated, continental-scale view of the water cycle.
The dataset can provide a wealth of insights for drought monitoring, agricultural planning, water resource management, flood risk assessment and emergency preparedness. This month's flooding in Western Washington, brought on by an onslaught of storm systems, shows how important it can be to gain such insights — and how useful Hydrology Copilot can be.
“The goal of this project is to provide the tools that can enable local officials, city planners and emergency responders more easily understand weather patterns and better prepare for the types of hydrological events we are seeing now in the Pacific Northwest and around the world, and will likely continue to see in the future,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GeekWire in an emailed statement.
Hydrology Copilot is still under development, and is being used primarily by researchers for now. Microsoft's Azure AI team can provide further information about the platform. To take a test spin through other, more publicly accessible hydrology datasets, check out King County's Hydrologic Information Center and the interactive map provided by the National Water Prediction Service.
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As the U.S. races against China to land astronauts on the Moon, two American spaceflight titans are locked in their own competition to secure NASA's victory. The agency's new chief just sounded the starter's gun.
Jared Isaacman was sworn in as NASA's 15th administrator on Thursday. The pilot, two-time commercial astronaut, and tech billionaire is under enormous pressure to get the agency back on track after a year of uncertainty while also ensuring that the U.S. wins the new space race. On his first day on the job, he told Bloomberg TV that he's going to let competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin propel NASA back to the Moon.
“I don't think it was lost on either vendor that whichever lander was available first to ensure that America achieves its strategic objectives on the Moon is the one we were going to go with,” Isaacman said.
SpaceX and Blue Origin, led by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, respectively, are developing landers designed to carry astronauts to the lunar surface. The first NASA mission to do so will be Artemis 3, which is now slated to launch sometime in 2028 after being pushed back several times.
The latest delay is largely due to stagnant progress on SpaceX's crew lander—the Starship Human Landing System (HLS)—which NASA contracted for Artemis 3 back in 2021. In October, Acting Administrator Sean Duffy opened up the contract to other companies in an attempt to spur competition and accelerate lander development. Since then, Blue Origin has emerged as the worthiest opponent for SpaceX.
Blue has spent the past two years building its crew lander for the Artemis 5 mission, which aims to land two NASA astronauts on the lunar surface in 2030. The company has taken a two-pronged approach to lander development, working on both cargo- and crew-rated versions of its Blue Moon spacecraft.
The cargo lander, Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1), is expected to perform a demonstration landing on the lunar surface in early 2026. If it succeeds, this will pave the way for the crew-rated Blue Moon Mark 2 (MK2), which could replace SpaceX's Starship HLS as the Artemis 3 lander.
The risk of losing the Artemis 3 contract lit a fire under SpaceX. After Duffy opened it up to other vendors, the company presented NASA with a simplified mission architecture but still said it probably won't be able to land astronauts on the Moon until 2028.
Isaacman intends to keep stoking that fire. Dangling the Artemis 3 carrot in front of two industry leaders is exactly the type of strategy he believes will usher NASA into a new era of commercial partnership and accelerated innovation. He plans to run NASA more like a business than a bureaucracy, leaning heavily on private companies to expedite the agency's goals.
The competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin will serve as a proof of concept for this strategy—and one with very high stakes. On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order committing the U.S. to a crewed lunar landing by 2028. With this deadline looming, both companies are under serious pressure to get their landers off the ground.
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What happens here matters everywhere
by Kurt Schlosser on Dec 19, 2025 at 8:12 amDecember 19, 2025 at 9:54 am
In the city that's home to Microsoft, Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe isn't just watching technological innovation from the sidelines — he's integrating it into his department's daily operations.
Lowe, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, views Redmond as the ideal staging ground for a new era of policing that capitalizes on advancements ranging from drones as first responders to artificial intelligence. When he became chief six years ago, his vision was to transform the department into a premier agency; technology has been a cornerstone of that mission.
“The public safety tech space is blowing up right now with a lot of interest and investment and VC money,” Lowe told GeekWire. “Being in Microsoft's backyard doesn't hurt, but it's not like Microsoft is cutting checks for the Redmond Police Department.”
Lowe, who also runs his own public safety tech consultancy, primarily seeks tools that increase staff efficiency and simplify officer tasks. An AI-powered investigative platform from San Francisco-based Longeye fits that bill. Longeye ingests digital information such as surveillance video, phone records, crime scene photos and interviews to analyze data at speeds that exceed human review.
Lowe recently told KING 5 how the tool helped investigators confirm key evidence in a cold case by combing through 60 hours of jail phone calls in minutes.
However, he maintains that such tools are part of the equation rather than the total solution.
“It's really important for law enforcement agencies and officers not to get lazy and think AI is the answer, because you still have to corroborate whatever that is,” Lowe said.
While AI is a newer addition to Lowe's tech toolbox, the department has a history of technical adoption. Previous deployments included adhesive GPS trackers fired at cars to catch fleeing suspects and handheld narcotics analyzers that can scan through transparent packaging and identify more than 530 controlled substances, such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.
But drones — specifically drones as first responders — are Lowe's pride and joy. He equates their impact on modern policing to the era when handheld radios replaced police call boxes.
With a current staff of approximately 85 officers, Lowe employs two full-time drone pilots operating from a flight control center equipped with autonomous drones from Seattle-based Brinc and Skydio. Integrated directly into the department's dispatch system, the drones can launch and arrive on-scene in under two minutes.
Lowe recalls a recent call regarding an individual experiencing a mental health crisis on a street corner. The person was screaming at the sky and waving his arms.
“Typical police response is you send an officer on the ground to make contact. We've seen those calls escalate and go wrong,” Lowe said.
Instead, a drone arrived in 30 seconds. From 250 feet, a pilot observed the individual, determined no crime was occurring and no one was in danger, and watched as the person eventually walked away.
“We canceled the ground unit response. There was no need for police contact,” Lowe said.
To address privacy concerns, Lowe implemented a “horizon-first” policy: drone cameras are pointed at the sky during transit and only tilt down once they reach the specific GPS coordinates of a call.
While drones have been a “game changer,” other technologies have hit speed bumps. The Redmond City Council recently paused the department's license plate reader program following regional concerns about data sharing and whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could access the data.
Redmond PD started deploying Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) this summer to alert officers and analysts when a vehicle linked to a crime, missing person, stolen vehicle, or other critical incident is detected.
Lowe pushed back on what he calls “hysteria” surrounding the technology, arguing that cameras have a proven, valuable place in law enforcement.
“There is no expectation of privacy in a public place on a tax-funded road,” Lowe said, noting that Washington's tolling cameras often capture more personal data (including driver faces) for longer periods than his ALPR systems. “The privacy concerns, while I understand they are legitimate, they also have to be balanced against what the law says.”
Because the City of Redmond signed a contract to launch the ALPR technology, Lowe noted that the council must now consider any legal ramifications of a potential breach of contract.
Reflecting on a long career that began in an innovative department in Santa Monica, Calif., under then-Chief Jim Butts, Lowe feels fortunate to have technology embedded in his “cop DNA.”
Now he laughs at how much the job description has evolved.
“When we all got into this, we wanted to go out there and catch bad guys … play cops and robbers and that whole thing,” he said. “I never imagined that I'd be negotiating multi-million-dollar, multi-year [tech] contracts as a cop.”
But even with modern advances, Lowe insists technology will never replace an officer's empathy.
“We can never take the human out of the loop,” he said. “When people contact the police, it's often not on their best day. It's to have another human there to empathize and sympathize. It's the reason why most of us got into this profession — to help others.”
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The company says users will be able to delete the Copilot tile after confusion over recent software updates.
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LG has clarified how Microsoft Copilot appears on its webOS smart TVs following recent coverage that described the feature as a non-removable app bundled into the operating system. According to the company, Copilot is not installed as a native application and does not run as an embedded service within webOS.
In a statement provided to Tom's Hardware, Chris De Maria, Director of Public Relations at LG Electronics North America, said the Copilot presence on LG TVs is implemented as a shortcut icon designed to improve accessibility. When selected, the icon opens Microsoft's Copilot website through the TV's built-in web browser rather than launching a dedicated app.
This changes how Copilot interacts with the TV. LG says features such as microphone input are not enabled by default and are only activated after a user explicitly grants permission through the browser interface. In other words, the shortcut behaves in the same way as manually navigating to Microsoft's site using the webOS browser, rather than operating with deeper access to the operating system.
LG also acknowledged concerns around user choice. De Maria said, “LG Electronics respects consumer choice and will take steps to allow users to delete the shortcut icon if they wish,” addressing complaints that the Copilot tile appeared on home screens without a clear option to remove it. LG has not yet shared a timeline for when or how that change will roll out.
The clarification follows reports from users who noticed the Copilot tile appearing after recent webOS updates on select LG TV models. Those reports raised questions about whether LG had begun preinstalling third-party AI services at the OS level, particularly given Microsoft's broader push to integrate Copilot across Windows, browsers, and consumer devices at the behest of CEO Satya Nadella. He recently made headlines after warning executives that those who don't embrace AI within Microsoft must leave the company.
LG's explanation suggests a more limited implementation, at least for now. By keeping Copilot confined to a browser shortcut, the company avoids deeper integration with webOS services, data, or system resources. It is not currently known whether additional Copilot integrations are planned for the Linux-based webOS or whether similar shortcuts could appear for other web-based services in future updates.
For now, the company says its intent is to balance convenience with user control and to give owners the ability to decide whether the Copilot shortcut remains on their TVs.
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Reading time 3 minutes
What if you could bring your ultrawide monitor with you on the go? It's a silly idea, but one that's immediately appealing if you've spent any time within the constrained jail cell walls of your gaming laptop's screen bezels. Lenovo, the one company that would do something so eccentric, is reportedly gearing up to launch a rollin' gaming laptop. Instead of extending north of the laptop, this supposed screen would extend to both the east and west.
The leaks come from Windows Latest, which includes several renders of what seems to be a 16-inch Lenovo Legion Pro 7i but with an OLED screen that can extend horizontally in both directions up to 24 inches. The supposed Legion Rollable would also sport an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 and a “maxed-out Intel Core Ultra processor.” This could refer to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which came in many of the top-end gaming laptops in 2025. However, perhaps it could refer to one of the specific Intel Panther Lake chips built for lightweight laptops.
The 16-inch screen could extend partially to just 21.5 inches or to the full 24 inches. That's with a supposed “tension-based mechanism” and two motors to let it extend from both sides at once. Windows Latest suggests the device is being targeted to esports pros or wannabe hardcore gamers who need to brush up on their skills when on the move. Instead, I can imagine it would appeal to the more sedentary types who don't have the space for a bigger screen. Lenovo's Legion Pro 7i was not an easily transportable laptop, especially since it came packed with a 400W power brick nearly half the size of its folded-up chassis.
Exclusive: Here's your closer look at Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable, the company's first rollable gaming laptop that runs Windows 11 with AI features.
Everything we know so far:
– RTX 5090 + maxed-out Intel Core Ultra for top-tier competitive performance– 16-inch PureSight OLED… pic.twitter.com/ns4f5Bk6w0
— Windows Latest (@WindowsLatest) December 18, 2025
Lenovo isn't the kind of company to keep things subtle. At nearly every tech conference, the major PC brand shows up with a few radical designs. Some of those weird and wild concept devices actually become real products, which is how we got the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable. That odd creature is a 14-inch laptop with a bunch of mechanical parts that extend the screen to a vertical 16.7-inch display. Believe it or not, that extra screen space is a boon if you're doing any writing tasks or are just looking to read an internet article without having to scroll past a mountain of ads.
The problem will be price. A Legion Pro 7i already sells for around $3,000 with the higher-end specs that don't include an RTX 5090 GPU. The ThinkBook Rollable sells for $3,300. The “Legion Pro Rollable” will likely be very expensive. Lenovo is expected to show off the new rollable laptop at CES 2026 next month.
Sure, the rolling gaming laptop won't be for everyone. Still, Lenovo has other gaming products it could show off soon. Windows Latest also shared specs on a supposed Legion Go 2, but this time it comes with SteamOS rather than Windows 11. This version of Lenovo's handheld PC would maintain the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. Of course it will still have that big, beautiful 8.8-inch OLED display.
Like with the Legion Go S, the version with SteamOS performed far better than the same device chugging along with Windows 11. I expect the same with the Legion Go 2. I dual-booted Lenovo's latest handheld with Bazzite, itself a similar Linux-based operating system to SteamOS, and saw boosts in frame rate in some games between 3 and 5, and in some cases 10 fps. The version without Windows may cost less than the $1,350 Windows 11 version. Still, with RAM prices completely out of control right now, who knows what next year's devices may cost?
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Largely maintained for now, it is set to go in the future.
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Being concerned that TSMC's expansion into the United States could dilute Taiwan's semiconductor leadership, Taiwanese authorities are mulling setting a new export rule that would only let the world's number-one foundry export technologies that are two generations behind its leading-edge production node, reports CNA. If this happens, this could slow down TSMC's expansion in the U.S., as it currently relies on aggressive building of advanced fabs there.
The core of this new export policy is the government's N-2 rule, which permits offshore deployment only of process technologies that trail Taiwan's leading-edge by two generations. Previously, Taiwanese authorities stuck to their N-1 rule, allowing TSMC to export all technologies that are at least one generation behind the leading-edge fabrication process. The new framework is much stricter; depending on how one counts generations, it means that TSMC may only be allowed to export nodes that are two or even four years behind its best technology.
Under this approach, if TSMC were to develop a 1.2nm or 1.4nm-class fabrication process domestically, then only its 1.6nm-class production would be eligible for use abroad, according to Lin Fa-cheng, Deputy Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
For now, TSMC's Fab 21 phase 1 in Arizona is capable of making chips on N4/N5 fabrication technologies (which belong to the same generation). Domestically, TSMC has several fully ramped fabs capable of 3nm-class manufacturing processes (N3B, N3E, N3P, etc.) and is about to begin high-volume production of chips on its N2 production nodes, which belong to its 2nm-class. Formally, TSMC's Fab 21 phase 1 already complies with the N-2 rule. However, once TSMC begins to make chips on 3nm-class technologies at Fab 21 phase 2 in 2027, the facility will not be compliant with the N2-2 rule because N3 is formally just one generation behind N2/N2P/A16. Yet, while A16 is N2P with a backside power delivery network, if one considers A16 an all-new generation, then Fab 21 phase 2 will comply with the new high-tech export framework.
Lin also emphasized that most of TSMC's research and development workforce remains in Taiwan and noted that the company's R&D footprint aligns with government requirements. In practice, this concentration of engineers and scientists ensures that future process development stays anchored domestically, even as the company builds manufacturing capacity and R&D centers overseas. Lin also emphasized that all qualified personnel employed in the semiconductor industry are subject to regulatory oversight, which extends protection of IP and hardware to human capital.
In addition, any future U.S. investments by TSMC will be examined under existing laws, and projects exceeding certain thresholds must be reviewed by the MOEA's Investment Commission, said Chou Yu-hsin, Deputy Director-General of the Industrial Development Administration under the MOEA.
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Users of Google and its offshoot services including YouTube and YouTube TV are reporting issues with the services as of Friday morning.
Google did start rolling out a core algorithm update on December 11. Otherwise, its service page is currently all quiet, possibly indicating a more modest outage. If you were having trouble with any of the aforementioned services, its possible they might be back online shortly.
The spike for reports of an outage on YouTube are much higher than Google and Google TV, with nearly 10,000 reports in the last hour of problems on the popular video service. Reports for Google and Google TV meanwhile, are in the hundreds.
The difficulty with any large outage is determining the spread. As noted, a trio of Google services being affected by spikes this significant points to an in-house problem at Google. But there are also Downdetector spikes for The Weather Channel and Target. Users of apps for both are reporting issues.
YouTube TV users are reporting server connection and streaming issues in the last hour in the U.S.. It's not available anywhere else.
Since the reports of YouTube issues, YouTube TV and Google itself have started spiking on Downdetector. YouTube users are reporting problems with the website and streaming videos. On Google itself, users are reporting problems with both the website and trying to search for issues. While these are spiking in the U.S. and the UK, not everyone is affected. My own Google is working just fine right now, for instance.
Some early Cloudflare disruption was reported on Friday morning. Clouflare says it has been monitoring a network performance issue, but a fix for that was implemented about an hour ago.
Downdetector spikes have been reported on YouTube, YouTube TV, and Google in the past hour. It is unclear at this stage if these are confined to Google's services, or part of a larger outage of a service like Cloudflare or Azure.
Morning folks, users of Google, YouTube, and more are reporting issues with the services. Stay tuned.
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Plus: TikTok has finally signed a deal to keep operating in the US
This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology.
China figured out how to sell EVs. Now it has to bury their batteries.
In the past decade, China has seen an EV boom, thanks in part to government support. Buying an electric car has gone from a novel decision to a routine one; by late 2025, nearly 60% of new cars sold were electric or plug-in hybrids.But as the batteries in China's first wave of EVs reach the end of their useful life, early owners are starting to retire their cars, and the country is now under pressure to figure out what to do with those aging components.The issue is putting strain on China's still-developing battery recycling industry and has given rise to a gray market that often cuts corners on safety and environmental standards. National regulators and commercial players are also stepping in, but so far these efforts have struggled to keep pace with the flood of batteries coming off the road. Read the full story.—Caiwei Chen
The AI doomers feel undeterred
It's a weird time to be an AI doomer.This small but influential community believes, in the simplest terms, that AI could get so good it could be bad—very, very bad—for humanity.The doomer crowd has had some notable success over the past several years: including helping shape AI policy coming from the Biden administration. But a number of developments over the past six months have put them on the back foot. Talk of an AI bubble has overwhelmed the discourse as tech companies continue to invest in multiple Manhattan Projects' worth of data centers without any certainty that future demand will match what they're building.So where does this leave the doomers? We decided to ask some of the movement's biggest names to see if the recent setbacks and general vibe shift had altered their views. See what they had to say in our story.—Garrison Lovely
This story is part of our new Hype Correction package, a collection of stories designed to help you reset your expectations about what AI makes possible—and what it doesn't. Check out the rest of the package.
Take our quiz on the year in health and biotechnology
In just a couple of weeks, we'll be bidding farewell to 2025. And what a year it has been! Artificial intelligence is being incorporated into more aspects of our lives, weight-loss drugs have expanded in scope, and there have been some real “omg” biotech stories from the fields of gene therapy, IVF, neurotech, and more.Jessica Hamzelou, our senior biotech reporter, is inviting you to put your own memory to the test. So how closely have you been paying attention this year?
This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review's weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here.
The must-reads
I've combed the internet to find you today's most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 TikTok has signed a deal to sell its US unit Its new owner will be a joint venture controlled by American investors including Oracle. (Axios)+ But the platform is adamant that its Chinese owner will retain its core US business. (FT $)+ The deal is slated to close on January 22 next year. (Bloomberg $)+ It means TikTok will sidestep a US ban—at least for now. (The Guardian)2 A tip on Reddit helped to end the hunt for the Brown University shooterThe suspect, who has been found dead, is also suspected of killing an MIT professor. (NYT $)+ The shooter's motivation is still unclear, police say. (WP $)3 Tech leaders are among those captured in newly-released Epstein photosBill Gates and Google's Sergey Brin are both in the pictures. (FT $)+ They've been pulled from a tranche of more than 95,000. (Wired $)
4 A Starlink satellite appears to have explodedAnd it's now falling back to earth. (The Verge)+ On the ground in Ukraine's largest Starlink repair shop. (MIT Technology Review)
5 YouTube has shut down two major channels that share fake movie trailersScreen Culture and KH Studio uploaded AI-generated mock trailers with over a billion views. (Deadline)+ Google is treading a thin line between embracing and shunning generative AI. (Ars Technica)
6 Trump is cracking down on investment in Chinese tech firmsLawmakers are increasingly worried that US money is bolstering the country's surveillance state. (WSJ $)+ Meanwhile, China is working on boosting its chip output. (FT $)
7 ICE has paid an AI agent company to track down targetsIt claims to be able to rapidly trace a target's online network. (404 Media)8 America wants to return to the Moon by 2028And to build some nuclear reactors while it's up there. (Ars Technica)+ Southeast Asia seeks its place in space. (MIT Technology Review)
9 Actors in the UK are refusing to be scanned for AIThey're reportedly routinely pressured to consent to creating digital likenesses of themselves. (The Guardian)+ How Meta and AI companies recruited striking actors to train AI. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Indian tutors are explaining how to use AI over WhatsAppLessons are cheap and personalized—but the teachers aren't always credible. (Rest of World)+ How Indian health-care workers use WhatsApp to save pregnant women. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
"Trump wants to hand over even more control of what you watch to his billionaire buddies. Americans deserve to know if the president struck another backdoor deal for this billionaire takeover of TikTok."
—Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren queries the terms of the deal that TikTok has made to allow it to continue operating in the US in a post on Bluesky.
One more thing
Synthesia's AI clones are more expressive than ever. Soon they'll be able to talk back.
—Rhiannon Williams
Earlier this summer, I visited the AI company Synthesia to create a hyperrealistic AI-generated avatar of me. The company's avatars are a decent barometer of just how dizzying progress has been in AI over the past few years, so I was curious just how accurately its latest AI model, introduced last month, could replicate me.I found my avatar as unnerving as it is technically impressive. It's slick enough to pass as a high-definition recording of a chirpy corporate speech, and if you didn't know me, you'd probably think that's exactly what it was.My avatar shows how it's becoming ever-harder to distinguish the artificial from the real. And before long, these avatars will even be able to talk back to us. But how much better can they get? And what might interacting with AI clones do to us? Read the full story.
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.)
+ You can keep your beef tallow—here are the food trends that need to remain firmly in 2025.+ The Library of Congress has some lovely images of winter that are completely free to use.+ If you've got a last minute Christmas work party tonight, don't make these Secret Santa mistakes.+ Did you realize Billie Eilish's smash hit Birds of a Feather has the same chord progression as Wham's Last Christmas? They sound surprisingly good mashed together.
Plus: OpenAI is sounding the "code red" alarm
Plus: China is considering cutting its native data centers a deal
Plus: DOGE is no more
Plus: OpenAI's AI-powered web browser is coming
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Some residents feel they've been railroaded by the very public service officials that were meant to protect them.
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The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has given DTE Energy permission to deliver 1.4 gigawatts of power to a planned data center that will be built in Saline Township, about 40 miles southwest of downtown Detroit. This data center project is part of the Stargate data center project by OpenAI and Oracle, which aims to deliver more than 5GW of computing capacity. According to the Detroit Free Press, DTE filed an “ex parte” motion with the MPSC to get the nod for its contract without contest, with the commission voting 3-0 for its approval.
This move meant that DTE Energy did not have to go through a lengthy hearing, wherein opposing groups could seek expert testimony and present evidence to challenge DTE's claims. Many residents are concerned that this massive project would cause electricity prices to spike and affect the water quality in the area — issues that several U.S. senators are also looking into. On the other hand, the utility company argued that it didn't need to prove that this project would affect energy prices for local residents, especially as a 2024 state law prevents data centers from passing on energy costs to the community to qualify for preferential tax treatment.
Aside from this, DTE's contract with Green Chile Ventures, an Oracle subsidiary, requires that the latter will pay 80% of the contracted capacity, whether or not it actually uses it. This ready-to-serve provision in the power agreement helps ensure the power utility's expenditure on additional infrastructure to support the AI data center will not be passed on to the average consumer. The contract will also last for at least 19 years, giving the power provider ample time to recoup its expenses from the data center and not from the community. Furthermore, if the data center fails to pay for its energy costs, DTE cannot pass them on to other consumers.
Despite these mechanisms, opponents of the plan were still dismayed about not being heard. “I, along with everyone here… probably don't feel like they've been publicly served today. When you make these decisions, you're eliminating the very necessity of what public service bodies are all about,” Wendy Albers, a resident of nearby Augusta Township, told the MPSC. “I appreciate the protections you put in place, but I just don't trust them.”
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Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He's been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he's been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.
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Reading time 8 minutes
I'm curious about the folk with deep-pockets who dare hope to remain budget conscious, even while they're considering a $4,000 laptop like the MSI Raider 18 HX. Will those same consumers balk at spending another $100? How about $500? What about $1,000 or more? What would you pay for peak performance? How much would you spend for perfection? Because the 18-inch gaming laptop certainly has its share of drawbacks—many of the same flaws shared between practically every large gaming laptop released this year.
I started out 2025 by reviewing the MSI Titan 18 HX, a monstrous and monsterously powerful gaming laptop that packed in everything I could ever want in a desktop replacement device. Its more-than $5,000 price tag is what helps you come back down to earth. Due to tariffs, MSI routinely boosted the costs of its gaming behemoth over and over throughout 2025. So now, the Raider 18 HX costs closer to $4,000 (it's $3,740 on Amazon at the time of this writing) for a model whose specs include an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, and a whopping 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. Laptops on the whole cost more now than they did in January. It's a bad situation for everybody. It's likely to get worse next year.
MSI Raider 18 HX
When you only care about having a great gaming suite in laptop form, and you don't much care about a lame shell, MSI's Raider 18 HX will more than suffice.
Pros
Cons
There are glaring obvious reasons why the Raider 18 HX is appealing. Hell, my model—the A2XWIG-1009US—sports an 18-inch 4K mini LED display. You don't see that too often, even on this size of laptop (probably because it just makes the whole thing cost more). It's the main reason you go for the Raider 18 HX above something like an Alienware 18 Area-51 or an Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, even though those laptops feel better to use. In that way, the Raider 18 HX feels like a one-trick pony. It's for gamers who want to feel like gamers, never mind whether you're getting the best possible experience for your rmoney.
We don't know what next year's laptop designs may yield, but I'm not expecting anything spectacular. The jump to RTX 50-series GPUs brought us our most powerful gaming laptops yet. Unless AMD makes a Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU for notebooks, that probably won't change.
Do you need a 4K screen on a laptop when the mini LED isn't going to offer you the best image quality? Will taking up so much space on your desk matter if the keyboard doesn't feel that premium? That's up to each buyer. If all you want is performance, then the Raider 18 HX has your back. And considering what's on the horizon, maybe all high-end gaming laptops will cost $4,000 not long from now.
When I first tipped open the lid of the Raider 18 HX, the first word that came into my head was “plastic.” First time buyers are greeted with black plastic bezels and a black plastic palm rest. Even the small red fan embellishments that scream “gamer” aesthetic are plastic. The internal components, such as the fan grills along the rear shelf, are aluminum, so I'm not inferring the laptop will melt under stress any time soon. Instead, the few trims on the interior panel feel far too Mattel for a $4,000 gaming rig.
See MSI Raider 18 HX at Amazon
The plastic parts don't make this laptop any less weighty at 7.94 pounds. When you factor in the 400W power brick that comes with the laptop, you come to realize quickly that this is not a machine for taking out on the town—at least not if you don't want a back and shoulders workout. The weight should come as expected. Even a 16-inch model like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i needs a similar-sized 400W doorstop for power. What's less acceptable is the keyboard. The keys feel fine to type on, but they're on the squishy, less impactful side with their shallow travel.
Also, surprisingly for a laptop of this size, the per-key RGB behind the keyboard really isn't as bright as I would want, even in dimly lit environments. You need to change the keyboard lighting through the SteelSeries GG app that comes pre-installed. At least, the Raider 18 HX is free of other bloatware except for MSI Center, which is one of a few ways you can change the laptop's performance settings.
Even if the chassis doesn't feel premium, the port and connectivity selection on offer definitely is. The device comes with three USB-A on the sides plus two Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports. That means the laptop can accept 240W of power delivery through its sides if you don't want to go for the 400W brick (however, you'll still need it for gaming). There's an additional SD card slot, a headphone jack, and an HDMI and Ethernet port on the rear panel. It's the perfect placement of ports, meaning the power goes out the back while the sides are left free for all your dongles and peripherals.
I won't knock anybody for wanting the pixel density of a 4K display, especially at this size of laptop. If you're stacking an RTX 5080 GPU inside a laptop, you damn well should want the highest-end display. But that's not the only thing you should consider about screens, especially for a premium.
The mini LED screen on the Raider 18 HX looks fair in most dimly lit rooms. The colors are vibrant, and the blacks are deeper than the “dark gray” you may find with other LCD-type displays. That being said, mini LED is the type of screen with a matte layer that doesn't so much as reduce glare as it diffuses it and spreads it across the screen. In a room with a few lights in the background, you may see distortion that could completely mar the viewing experience, depending on your desk placement.
In the right conditions, a Raider 18 HX will be a great small-scale all-in-one entertainment experience. The laptop contains four 2W speakers alongside two 2W woofers made by Dynaudio. What came out of the laptop's audio suite can be both loud and bassy, without any of the unnecessary spine-tingling lows that don't actually impact immersion. The speaker setup is so good I didn't imagine I'd need to reach for anything but the more expensive soundbars to enhance it. You'd need thick thighs if you imagine putting this beast on your laptop to watch Netflix. If you do, it will offer a solid miniature theater so long as you can ignore the fan sounds blasting out the back.
The current memory crunch is making every PC buyer antsy—both for the future of desktops and laptops. RAM is going for such a premium, you're probably wondering how much 64GB of RAM makes a difference compared to many other laptops from this year that only have 32GB. In my tests, the Raider 18 HX does slightly better for base productivity tasks. As for gaming—what you're paying $4,000 for—how much better more RAM gets you depends on the game.
For instance, in Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024 tests, the CPU scored just above that from other laptops like the ROG Strix Scar 18. And yet, in 3DMark tests, the Raider 18 HX underperformed slightly compared to many of the other 16- and 18-inch gaming laptops I reviewed this year—all with very similar specs. An Alienware 16 Area-51 hit about 200 points higher in 3DMark “Speed Way” test and 100 points more in the “Steel Nomad” test. It did even worse compared to a Lenovo Legion Pro 7i. Both those gaming laptops were running with the same RTX 5080 GPU and an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, a step down from the Raider 18 HX's Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX. Compared to MSI's own Titan 18 HX with RTX 5090 GPU, the Raider 18 HX does around 500 points worse in both these 3DMark tests.
I can't stress enough how little differences in synthetic benchmark actually matter for real-world performance. Throughout all my benchmarks testing games like Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, and Assassin's Creed Shadows, I could get more than playable frame rates with high settings at 4K, though it necessitated some amount of upscaling in every case. In Cyberpunk 2077, when set to “Ray Tracing Ultra” settings with DLSS on balanced mode, the Raider 18 HX netted me around 49 average fps with a low of 41 fps. That may not be enough for some, so if you drop the ray tracing settings down a smidge, you can equal the fabled 60 fps.
In tests for some other titles, like Black Myth: Wukong, the Raider 18 HX excelled. With the game set to “Cinematic” settings and ray tracing on very high, the laptop benched more than 100 fps. That's with DLSS enabled and set to its default “balanced” setting. Total War: Warhammer III was an excellent experience at 4K, especially at “Ultra” settings, proving I could do 92 fps in battle scenes and just under 90 fps in the campaign map. It's a very CPU-intensive game, so the more RAM and better CPU will help it compared to competing laptops.
There's a lot to like about the in-game performance on the Raider 18 HX. Similarly, this hefty gaming laptop does well in my tests with 3D rendering tasks as well. When rendering our test scene of a BMW on the CPU using Blender, it takes a few seconds less than on similarly sized gaming laptops with a lesser Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX. Rendering the same scene on the GPU takes just a few seconds, of course. The only ever reason to not push the GPU is if you're trying to save what little battery you have.
There is no gaming laptop you want to leave without a plug. That's the case for 14-inch models all the way up through clamshells as humongous as the Raider 18 HX. MSI's brand does a little better than some others thanks to its smart use of software to auto-switch from CPU graphics to the discrete GPU. Let's face it, you're not carrying this thing around with you anyway. It's packing a 99.9Wh battery, which sounds good enough on paper.
The Raider 18 HX is also plenty loud when it starts going. It's not enough to eclipse the max sound of the speakers. Still, you'll need to bump up the volume if you expect to play at your desk. The cooling apparatus keeps the heat well away from the palm rest and your fingers. The surface temperature could hit around 100 degrees Fahrenheit near the center of the keyboard. Still, it wasn't enough to cause any real discomfort.
When you spend so much money on a laptop, the last thing you want to feel is that you're leaving something behind—especially for the sake of a desktop replacement computer as big as this one. And at its price point, the Raider 18 HX's lame chassis containing such a lame keyboard feels more insulting. In the same vein, if all I wanted was performance in games, these specs help me reach the fabled land of 4K, and I may not feel the need to buy an extra monitor or soundbar for that premium experience.
These are the sacrifices of the 2025-era laptops. So many different flavors of the same crusty lollipop combine in the mouth until all I can taste is sugar. Everybody likes sugar, but I'm craving something distinct. I don't know if I'll get that anytime soon with next year's gaming laptops. At least the sugar high is just as good with MSI's devices.
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Lenovo reportedly has other plans for rolling laptops, as well as a surprise handheld.
Windows users can't go back to 8GB of RAM, but laptop makers may not have a choice.
Get ready for even more game-key cards on Switch 2.
I never want to sideload anything ever again.
No matter what, consumers are going to lose.
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SK hynix on Thursday said that its range-topping 256 GB DDR5 RDIMM based on 32 Gb memory devices has passed the Intel Data Center Certified process, the industry's first memory module at this capacity to do so. Normally, certification of a memory module by Intel would be mundane, but this module is special; it combines capacity, low power consumption, and performance, thus potentially saving data center operators millions of dollars.
AI servers not only consume plenty of premium high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used on AI accelerators like Nvidia B300, but also tons of commodity server DDR5 SDRAM that connect to x86 processors. A single high-capacity DDR5 memory module can consume up to 15W or even 25W (depending on performance, capabilities, and workloads), so a fully equipped 12-channel Xeon 6 memory subsystem can draw between 180W and 300W, comparable to the CPU's power consumption.
A 32 Gb memory chip made on SK hynix's 1b process technology (5th Generation 10nm-class DRAM process) consumes significantly less power than two 16 Gb memory ICs made on the company's 1a production node (4th Generation 10nm-class DRAM node), so using a 256 GB DDR5 RDIMM based on the latest DRAMs leads to significant energy savings.
SK hynix claims that these new 256 GB DDR5 RDIMMs "achieve up to approximately 18% lower power consumption than previous 256 GB products."
Offering 32.4W lower power consumption per single-CPU Xeon 6 machine translates into significant savings for modern AI or hyperscale cloud deployments that typically use tens of thousands of machines.
As a result, a relatively simple Intel certification to earn the Intel Data Center Certified badge could drive success for SK hynix in the data center market, particularly in the Xeon 6-based AI server space.
"We are now able to respond more swiftly to customer needs, solidifying our leadership in the server DDR5 DRAM market," said Sangkwon Lee, head of DRAM Product Planning & Enablement at SK hynix. "As a full-stack AI memory creator, we will actively address the growing demand for high-performance, low-power, and high-capacity memory solutions to further enhance customer satisfaction."
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Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom's Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.
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Neither Matt Damon nor James Cameron is hurting for wealth or fame, so their polite public disagreement over Damon's supposed near-miss with Cameron's Avatar franchise is already pretty silly to consider. The one thing that lines up with their stories is that at some point during Cameron's multi-year process of putting together the first Avatar film, he thought Damon might be a good fit for the lead role.
The Hollywood Reporter surfaced a two-year-old video of Damon explaining, “Jim Cameron offered me 10 percent of Avatar,” and—in a sort of “Will Smith talks about passing on The Matrix” sort of way—that “you will never meet an actor who turned down more money than me.”
To hear Damon tell it, he had to say “no” because at the time he was committed to “the Bourne movie.” The first installment in that series, The Bourne Identity, was released in 2002; Damon also starred in installments that hit theaters in 2004 and 2007 ahead of Avatar‘s 2009 release.
He recalled Cameron as being “lovely” and saying to him, “This movie doesn't really need you; it doesn't need a movie star at all.” (Sam Worthington was eventually cast as main character Jake Sully.)
And he doubled down on the money detail, reiterating that Cameron promised him “10 percent of the movie” if he agreed. Avatar, of course, went on to earn nearly $3 billion worldwide, still a record-setting amount; the first sequel, The Way of Water, racked up well over $2 billion, and Fire and Ash looks to add to the pile when it opens December 19.
However, Cameron tells THR he has a different memory of that long-ago conversation.
“He was never offered the part,” Cameron said. There was a phone call where they discussed their shared desire to work together, but Avatar wasn't going to fit the bill because of Damon's Bourne scheduling conflicts, and Cameron recalled that it ended there.
“Now what he's done is he's extrapolated ‘I get 10 percent of the gross on all my films'… if, in his mind, that's what it would've taken for him to do it, then it wouldn't have happened.”
However, Cameron at least views Damon's tale with amusement, saying with the record now set straight in Cameron's mind, Damon “doesn't have to beat himself up anymore” about the lucrative payday he believes he missed out on. Also, for what it's worth, Cameron said he'd still love to work with Damon on a future project someday.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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And we mean that literally. Christopher Nolan directs the 2026 epic starring Matt Damon and Tom Holland.
Cameron has a plan that may involve fewer blue aliens and more 'Terminator' (without Schwarzenegger).
James Cameron's new film, starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang, is in theaters December 19.
Eywa as his witness, James Cameron has pledged to make movies for theaters so that side of the business stays alive.
With James Cameron's latest blockbuster on the way, it's time to refresh yourself on the world of Pandora.
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These are some of our favorite tech treats for the hobbyists and PC lovers in our life
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It's the holiday season, which means it's gift-giving season. Sure, you could spend thousands on tech, especially if you're looking at a new PC or laptop (or just some RAM, the way things are going), but if your budget is a little more modest, there are still plenty of options out there.
I don't believe you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a gift for the tech lovers in your life. I'm the perfect example: my desk and office drawers are filled with gadgets and tools, ranging from the useful to the unusual, all with a purpose that makes them essential (usually when I least expect it), and many of them bought at a discount.
Sticking to a budget of $100 won't limit you as much as you think. The collection of tech gifts priced under $100 that we've collated below are some of our firm Tom's Hardware favorites, from soldering irons to mouse mats. If you're in the market for a stocking filler, then these are the gifts you'll want to consider first.
What do you get for a techie who already has the big stuff, like a new PC or monitor? This 3.5-inch Hagibis mini screen. This is both a retro desk ornament and a fully-functional LCD display with a built-in SD card reader and USB hub.
Techies are the absolute target market for a gadget like this 3.5-inch Hagibis display. Yes, we'll admit, this mini monitor isn't in the same league as a big OLED displays, and it certainly isn't the biggest out there, but its design is a nostalgic throwback that makes for a lovely holiday gift.
It uses an IPS panel with a 178° viewing angle and supports resolutions from 800 x 600 to 2,560 x 1,600, although the screen's native resolution is 960 x 640. This Hagibis monitor also has a great set of USB ports, along with an SD card reader, allowing you to use it as an attractive desk hub.
This retro Hagibis monitor features a 3.5-inch IPS LCD display with a native resolution of 960 x 640, although it can scale up to 2,560 x 1,600 if you like punishing your eyes. It also includes several USB-A and USB-C ports with Gen 3.1 speeds, an HDMI port, and SD and TF card readers.
I think that every hobbyist, PC builder, and all-around DIYer needs a Hoto screwdriver in their life. At least three Tom's Hardware editors and writers own one, myself included, and it's a great starter kit for dealing with any very small screws you (or a loved one) might encounter.
This upgraded PixelDrive model features a 2,500 mAh battery. It uses USB-C for charging via the supplied cable, so there's no need to worry about finding AA batteries, either. You get 30 bits with this kit, including a range of different heads and styles, while the driver supports six different torque settings, depending on the power you use.
Give a kit like this for Christmas, and you'll make one enthusiast very happy indeed.
All-time low price
The Hoto PixelDrive is a magnetic, precision cordless screwdriver powered by a 2,500 mAh battery and charged via a USB-C cable. An upgrade over the Tom's Hardware favorite, the Nex O1 Pro, this model includes a built-in LCD screen to display torque and battery levels. It weighs 317g, features six different torque settings, and includes 30 different ultra-hard screw bits.
I've learned the hard way that you shouldn't go anywhere without a backup power source for your tech. My Samsung smartphone has been saved on more than one occasion in a busy city or the great outdoors by a power bank, but this Ugreen Nexode model easily outperforms my existing kit.
This is a huge power bank, at least based on its electrical capacity, with a 20,000 mAh battery that can output 165W and fully recharge in just under two hours. That means you can fast charge a laptop or MacBook, along with a smartphone, at once. You can use the built-in retractable USB-C cable to do this, or hook up a USB cable to one of the two other ports.
A 20,000 mAh power bank with fast charging for my phone and laptop for less than $70 is simply a steal. If you're thinking about a practical gift for a loved one, put this Ugreen battery on your short list.
I never go anywhere without a power bank like this Ugreen Nexode. It has a whopping 20,000 mAh battery, capable of a max 165W output for charging multiple devices at once, including laptops and smartphones with fast charging. It includes a built-in retractable USB-C cable, two additional USB ports, and can be recharged in just under two hours.
In a world of streaming services and cloud storage, physical media might seem quaint, even obsolete. Wrong. Physical storage guarantees ownership of the media it contains, along with its control.
That's where this interesting Suidek DVD drive comes in. It's more than just a DVD drive, though. It writes CDs and DVDs, but it also has a built-in SD card reader, along with spare USB-A and USB-C ports to use this as a quick-and-easy hub for a laptop or PC.
This is a genuine Swiss Army knife for a PC owner without an optical drive who wants to access or store files across multiple storage devices. If you know someone with a serious media collection, get them a drive like this one for the holidays.
This optical CD/DVD writer from Suidek is all that and more. It features an SD card reader and a selection of USB-A and USB-C ports. If you need a jack-of-all-trades reader for all of your media, then this is the one for you.
Most PC users have been using the same layout for decades. One mouse, one keyboard. While these can accommodate extra buttons for quick commands and macros, a dedicated option like Elgato's Stream Deck Neo can make a lot of sense.
The Stream Deck Neo is a dedicated tool for macros and quick commands. It has eight programmable buttons and LCD screens that you can customize for the app or command you want to set up. This can do anything you like, like performing an action in a game, launching an app on your desktop, or controlling actions like your system volume.
I'd love a gift like this, as it's thoughtful and (more importantly) really useful for my line of work. Check out our Elgato Stream Deck Neo review for a full run-through if you want to hear more.
You don't need to be a streamer to want Elgato's Stream Deck Neo on your deck. This beginner-friendly macro pad features eight tactile LCD buttons you can configure for various commands and actions, along with an infobar with two touch-sensitive buttons for navigation.
Ledger has been in the cryptocurrency hardware business for over a decade. I've owned a Ledger Nano S for about the same time, and used it to hold a whole array of (tiny) crypto investments, including Bitcoin.
This upgraded model, the Ledger Nano S Plus, is still one of the few hardware wallets I'd trust to recommend. It provides you with a safe and secure way to protect your crypto investments because, rather than relying on a software-based wallet, you need physical access to this key to approve transactions.
It supports thousands of cryptocurrencies, including big ones like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, and allows you to manage up to a hundred different wallets on one device. It features physical buttons and a small display to help you approve transactions. If you have a crypto enthusiast in your life, make sure they're using a hardware wallet like this one.
The upgraded model of Ledger's original Nano S hardware cryptocurrency wallet is a must-have if you own any form of crypto and want to keep it secure. It supports thousands of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, allowing you to manage up to a hundred different wallets on one device.
Before the recent SSD price increases started to affect the market, I'd collected quite a few M.2 SSDs. I've installed them on laptops and PCs I've built for myself and family members, but I've also had quite a few to spare.
Rather than leaving them to gather dust in a drawer, I've used this Ugreen M.2 enclosure to turn them into quick, easy-to-use external drives. The enclosure supports all M.2 form factors, including 2230 for laptops and handhelds and 2280 for PCs. It uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection via a USB-C cable, with data transfer rates up to 10 Gbps while remaining backwards compatible.
This doesn't require any tools, either. Drives up to 8TB simply plug into the enclosure and clip into place. Give this to a serious data hoarder in your life; it'll definitely come in handy.
If you have a spare M.2 drive, or you just want to make one portable, this Ugreen enclosure is a cost-effective and easy way to do it. It supports all major M.2 drive sizes and up to 8TB of capacity. It uses a USB-C 3.2 connection to connect your SSD to your PC.
I grew up in the 1990s, and I fondly remember playing on the original Game Boy. While I'm also lucky enough to still own the original version, not everybody does, so if you're looking for a nostalgic gift to share this Christmas, then this Lego Game Boy could be it.
This 1:1 scale replica of Nintendo's Game Boy isn't a working model (at least not without some modding), but it's still a gorgeous kit for building a model that looks a lot like the original. It comes with two "game cartridges" for Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, along with lenticular screen inserts to showcase both games.
This is gorgeous. I love Lego and school Nintendo, and I'd be very happy if I woke up with this to build on Christmas morning.
A 1:1 scale replica of the gaming handheld that dominated the 1990s. Nintendo's Game Boy is an iconic piece of tech, and this Lego model is an exact replica of the great handheld. It includes two cartridges; Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. The screen can be replaced with a lenticular screen that recreates the original console's pixels.
I know far too many family members and friends who use dusty, old office-grade peripherals. If you're the same, it's time to replace the membrane boards and invest in the Cooler Master MK770 instead.
First, this board is gorgeous. It comes in a couple of different colorways, including Space Gray, Macaron Red, and just plain Macaron with pastel-like colors. This 96-percent, wireless mechanical keyboard is packed with a strong set of features, however, including five different connectivity modes, a built-in volume dial, and customizable RGB lighting. However, its greatest feature is the combined gasket mount design and Kailh Box V2 switches, which make it quick and comfortable to type for long periods.
With an affordable price that is nearly half the original MSRP, this is one keyboard worth gifting this holiday season. You can check out our Cooler Master MK770 review to see our full thoughts on this pastel-flavored board.
The Cooler Master MK770 features Kailh Box White V2 switches and gasket mounting for the best typing experience you can get. It also can connect via Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless or USB-C. It comes with RGB lighting and built-in volume controls.
Don't let your friends, colleagues, and loved ones head out into the online world without protection. A hardware security key like this Yubico YubiKey 5C NFC can be the ultimate upgrade to avoid account breaches, adding a physical layer of security that a remote hacker 5,000 miles away can't replicate.
The YubiKey 5C NFC is used for two-factor authentication. When you sign in to an account that supports 2FA, like a Google account, for instance, you can use the YubiKey to approve access without relying on a smartphone or, worse still, SMS approval. It works with thousands of services as a physical layer of protection to approve sign-ins. This model uses USB-C, although you can get a USB-A version for a similar price.
A physical hardware key like the YubiKey 5C NFC is a formidable way to protect your accounts. Gifting it to someone you care about might not be flashy, but it's a worthwhile investment nevertheless.
The YubiKey 5C NFC security key uses the latest passkey standards, including FIDO2/WebAuthn, along with other security options, like FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. Protect your login credentials and accounts with a physical security fob that connects to your PC or laptop via USB-C.
A mouse mat might seem like an odd gift these days, but for a gamer? It's essential. Not only do they provide a level surface for seriously sensitive gaming mice to work, but they can also protect your desk and keep it looking smart.
This Razer Firefly V2 Pro mouse mat does all of that and more while remaining affordable. It's on our best gaming mouse pads guide for a reason: it's the world's first RGB-backlit mouse pad.
Lighting is what dominates this Razer mat, with 15 RGB lighting zones that you can configure. It's a hard-surface mouse mat with three layers, covered in a thin micro-textured surface at the top that won't affect your mouse accuracy. At just $69.99 right now, this is a nice addition for any gamer's setup.
The Razer Firefly V2 Pro is the world's first RGB backlit mouse pad. This is a hard-surface mouse pad with 15 RGB lighting zones, which are located in a black bar along the top of the mouse pad. The mouse pad comes in black and white colorways, and both allow for plenty of bright, colorful RGB lighting to shine through (especially in the dark).
Seriously, who doesn't love a cool, retro wireless gaming controller? 8Bitdo is great at making peripherals that look as great as they work. This SNES-inspired SN30 Pro is easy to hold and makes a great gift for anyone who loves playing retro games.
This controller isn't picky about what it connects to; it's rated to work on Windows, macOS, Android, and the Nintendo Switch. It isn't mentioned in the specs, but Linux support is pretty good, too.
The SN30 Pro comes in a few different colorways, but I really like this SNES-colored model. This Pro update also features Hall Effect joysticks for greater durability, too. This is a great gift, just don't let those Mario Kart games go to your head.
This 8Bitdo SNES-inspired controller will appeal to gamers of a certain age. Its appeal goes beyond its looks: it includes Hall Effect joysticks and supports the Switch, PC, macOS, and any OS that supports games and Bluetooth.
One of the biggest upgrades I ever made to my PC setup was buying a half-decent optical mouse. If you know somebody using a tired, old mouse with low sensitivity, then this Logitech upgrade should be on your shortlist for gifts.
The Logitech G Pro 2 Lightspeed features an optical sensor with a sensitivity of up to 44,000 DPI. That vastly outstrips most gaming mice, including several in our best gaming mouse guide. Sensitivity like this makes it a brilliant option for competitive gaming and for actions on your PC or laptop that require small, precise movements, such as graphic design.
This particular wireless mouse is rated for 95 hours of battery life and charges over USB-C. It has four customizable buttons, which, along with the RGB lighting and DPI sensitivity, you can customize using Logitech's G Hub software. This is an awesome gift for a PC user.
If you want a super-fast, easy-to-grip gaming mouse with a classy design, then this Logitech G Pro 2 Lightspeed option is for you. You can connect this wireless mouse via Bluetooth or using Logitech's 2.4 GHz Lightspeed low-latency wireless mode. It features a 44K DPI optical sensor, four customizable side buttons, USB-C charging, and 95-hour battery life.
Yes, another Hoto product, but it's a good one. If you know someone who needs to clean out their PC case or blast away crumbs on their desk, this Hoto vacuum and air blower is the perfect gift.
It's not just a vacuum cleaner, though. It's a 4-in-1 device with two ends that let you alternate between sucking the air and blasting it away, with five different attachments to use, depending on the scenario. It has a 1,900 mAh battery that lasts for a continuous ten minutes and weighs just 0.78 lbs.
PC owners will want this to keep their PC dust-free, but you can also use it around your table or chair to clean up any fallen debris. You can also use it for inflation, such as air beds, as well as vacuum packing. Pick this up for a loved one, and they'll never need to worry about dust balls in their PC again.
If your loved one suffers with a crumby desk or a dusty PC, this all-in-one desk vacuum and portable air blower is the appropriate gift to share. One side is for blowing, one side is for sucking, with various magnetic tools, depending on your environment. This 4-in-1 tool is also good for inflating and vacuum sealing.
A smart soldering iron, meaning one with its own operating system and temperature control system, is a serious upgrade. You don't have to break the bank to get one, though, as this Fnirsi HS-01 kit proves.
Our Fnirsi HS-01 review put this model through its paces. It's entry-level but easy to use, featuring a metal body and a rubberized finger guard. You'll need to power this with a USB-C cable, and it supports a range of USB PD voltages from 9V to 24V.
A soldering iron like this is a great tool in the budding hobbyist's arsenal. It's great for beginners, but serious makers will fancy their chances with an iron like this one, too.
When we reviewed this Fnirsi soldering iron kit, we said it was low-cost and high-precision. That's what you're getting: it heats up fast, is easy to use, and isn't outrageously expensive. This is a good option for a hobbyist who needs an upgrade.
I like to build stuff, and I've built quite a collection of parts, wires, and components over the years to help me do that. For the maker in your life who doesn't have a collection like that, especially a beginner, you might want to pick up this Elegoo Mega R3 project starter kit.
This kit is genuinely exciting for anyone who likes to tinker with electronics. It has a programmable Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller board along with a breadboard, buzzer, tilt switch, various resistors, and wires. It also has LEDs, jumper wires, buttons, and more.
This is a treasure trove of equipment to kickstart the journey of any electronics enthusiast. It also comes with a CD that includes 35 lessons to help you with the kit. This'll keep a hobbyist in your life busy for weeks!
Elegoo has put together an awesome maker kit for beginners with the Mega R3. It features a whole array of items for building mini projects with 200 individual bits, including an Arduino Mega 2560, sensors, wires, LEDs, buttons, screens, and more.
If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
Ben Stockton is a deals writer at Tom's Hardware. He's been writing about technology since 2018, with bylines at PCGamesN, How-To Geek, and Tom's Guide, among others. When he's not hunting down the best bargains, he's busy tinkering with his homelab or watching old Star Trek episodes.
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There's more to watch than ever before, but perhaps you still find yourself idly flicking through the “What's New” carousel on Netflix and not seeing anything that really grabs you … so then you do the same for Prime Video and Disney+ too.
The reality is that there's so much on each one of these streaming services that we can never hope to get through the whole lot. The fix is to be a little more targeted in curating your viewing queue. By spending more time finding the stuff you actually like, you can spend less time cycling through the thumbnails.
There are apps and sites that can help here, cataloging everything that's currently available on your streaming platforms of choice. There are a number to pick from, but these are four of the best options.
JustWatch aims to provide a comprehensive listings service for movies, shows, and sports, and you can find it on the web, on Android, and on iOS. You don't have to pay or even register an account to use the basic search function, but if you do sign up you can start curating your own watchlists. Paying $2.49 a month, meanwhile, removes the ads from the JustWatch apps, and gives you access to more lists and more filters.
There are two ways to use JustWatch: You can look for something specific that you want to watch, or you can browse around and see what's available, platform by platform. If you're taking the former approach, on the web you can simply type the name of a movie or show into the search box at the top of the screen.
When you get a match, you'll be shown all your viewing options. These are split by streaming platform but also by how much you'll have to pay (if anything), and whether you can watch them as part of a subscription (like Netflix) or whether you need to buy or rent the title.
Alternatively, just click around JustWatch to see what's good. Select a specific streaming platform, for example, and you can see what's new or popular on that service. You can even combine filters to cover all the services you're signed up for. Click through on any title and you get a host of information about it, as well as options to add it to your JustWatch lists.
Reelgood is similar to JustWatch in a lot of ways, with up-to-date listings for all the big streaming services, and various options for creating your own custom lists of content. It's all free, with no subscription tier, and you don't even need to register an account to start searching for titles. You can find Reelgood on the web, on Android, and iOS.
If there's something specific you're looking for, you can use the search box at the top of the web interface. When you find a match, you'll see key information about the movie or show—such as the running time, year of release, or number of episodes—as well as links to streaming services where you can watch it in your part of the world.
As with JustWatch, you get a full range of viewing options: Places where the title can be streamed as part of an existing subscription, as well as platforms where you can pay to rent or buy the movie. In a lot of cases you can click through and start watching right away in your web browser, if you're signed up to the right service.
There are lots of other browsing options available too, if you're not so certain what you want to watch. You can see what's new and what's popular on each streaming platform, filter the results based on user reviews, release year, and genre, and put together your own curated lists of films and shows you want to watch.
Besides the general streaming searching sites we've already mentioned, you'll come across listings services dedicated to specific platforms, and there's no bigger platform than Netflix. New on Netflix is not an official, Netflix-run site, but it offers a comprehensive catalog of everything arriving on and leaving the platform.
This isn't available for your mobile device, it's just the website, though you can sign up to get personalized email updates for the movies and shows you're interested in: You'll be pinged whenever something you want to watch either turns up on Netflix or is about to be removed (so you've got chance to catch it).
Getting around the website is straightforward. The quick menu links at the top will lead you straight to everything that's new on Netflix in your region, titles that are coming soon on the platform, and to the full Netflix catalog—if you want to, you can see absolutely everything on Netflix in alphabetical order, though you'll probably want to use one of the genre filter options.
As soon as you load up the site, you get the newest titles shown on screen, and you can click through to everything that's been added in the current month and during the last month. Every listing comes with information such as release date, cast, running time, and ratings, and you can of course click through to watch the film or movie on Netflix.
Besides the services we've already mentioned, Google is better than you might think at helping you find what you watch and where (if you scroll past all the AI-generated text, that is). The search engine is smart enough to realize when you're looking for a movie or show and will adapt accordingly.
Search for a title and you should see a number of different widgets appear, showing an overview of the film, the cast, its release date, and the average online ratings that it's been given (which you may or may not want to take any heed of). Look for a Where to watch widget up in the top right corner—click on this and you should see viewing options for the movie or show in your country, with direct links to start streaming.
Further down on the right, look for a Watch film or Watch show box: This will be a more basic widget showing you exactly which streaming platform you can watch the selected title on (click through for the link). Select Edit services to tell Google which streaming services you're signed up for and get a more personalized response.
In this same box you'll see a Want to watch button, which you can click to start a basic watchlist that gets synced across Google services (as long as you're signed into your Google account). You can find the list at any other time by running a Google search for "my watchlist," and the list also shows up in the Library tab on Google TV.
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The Avatar video game is better than the movies.
I say this as someone who has dumbly adored James Cameron's Avatar movies for a long time. The original 2009 film was my first ever midnight premiere, which I attended along with a friend who sat in the theater shirtless with his entire body painted blue. I can't forget that experience, or the nearly three-hour bioluminescent journey that followed, and the series has kept me hooked since.
People talk a lot of shit about Avatar. They find the movies' plots derivative, the characters forgettable, the run times almost inhumanely long. (The third movie, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is out now and clocks in at a whopping 3 hours and 15 minutes, not including previews.)
Those criticisms are fair. Correct, even. But the true Avatar sickos (hi) might ask, What if that experience could be even longer, actually? What if you could spend even more time trekking through the sprawling, glowing forests of a verdant alien moon? If that sounds appealing, boy, are you going to be excited to hear about the concept of video games.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, a game developed by Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft in 2023, lets you cavort around in the form of a 10-foot-tall Na'vi, the tribal species who live on the alien moon Pandora.
While the Avatar films are blockbusters that have melted the box office, the game was released to little fanfare and middling reviews, though it grew to become a sleeper hit. It has since garnered enough of a fan base that it has received significant updates in the two years since its debut, including downloadable content expansions and a free mode that switches the game's first-person view to a third-person view, letting players bask in all their character's big blueness. A new DLC story, titled From the Ashes, was released today, the same day as the third film of the series.
The game might be the best thing to ever happen to the Avatar series. Where the movies have their own stories to tell (family, love, that kinda thing), the game plays very differently with your own custom Na'vi.
It is a righteous ecoterrorism simulator wrapped in the most gorgeous botanical garden I've ever seen. Your gargantuan blue treehugger runs around a world where all the very pretty plants want to kill you. Your job is to impale puny human colonizers with your log-sized spears. By wiping out the bad guys and demolishing their camps that gush pollution into the air and water, you can allow the world's foliage to grow back in its place. (Do not feel bad for the humans. They are sad, angry creatures, and I will kill thousands of them if it makes the pretty forest look even a little prettier.) Then spend all the downtime you want just hanging out in Pandora's verdant paradise, bouncing across neon lily pads and running through spiral plants that go THOOOMP and shrink into the ground when you touch them.
People have written off the game as a re-skinned Far Cry, another very popular Ubisoft title, but that misses the sheer amount of Avatar details that have been pumped into Frontiers. Jennifer Bartram, Massive's senior narrative coordinator and the game's “lore keeper,” is responsible for maintaining consistency between the films and the game, working closely with Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment.
“They call this series not science fiction, but science fact,” Bartram says. “Everything needs to be researched and correct for the world. It really needs to have a science background, a technological background. We need to show on paper, how does this actually work? What's the small leap or change in evolution or biology that our brain could understand that this is actually possible on a moon somewhere else in the universe?”
Sure, the same criticisms commonly applied to the Avatar movie could also be leveled at its spinoff videogame. The game is gorgeously splendid to look at, but the plot is as dense as a floating rock and the characters slip from your brain almost immediately after you meet them. It is a thrilling, action packed adventure, but maybe a bit too bloated for its own good.
But Avatar has always been more about the lush world in which the story takes place than the story itself. When you're controlling your own experience through that world, taking all the time you like to explore, hunt, or just stare at the glowing plants, it becomes clear that Frontiers is the superior Avatar experience.
“We try to make sure that everyone gets to tell their own story,” says Amandine Lauer, the lead game designer of Frontiers of Pandora. “Lightstorm has their story and we have our story. We want to make sure that everybody has the room to share the same DNA in the same world.”
Seth Wright, who goes by Mako, is the director of operations at Kelutral, an Avatar fanclub that has grown to around 12,300 members. He has watched the first Avatar movie in theaters eight times and learned the fictional language spoken by the Na'vi enough to be fluent. (There's an online Na'vi dictionary for the rest of us.) Initially, Mako and the community were skeptical about an Avatar game. But after playing through the base story and the DLC expansions, Mako says the game has become a staple of the fandom.
“Avatar as a franchise is really well suited to interactive experiences,” Mako says. “When you take the world of Pandora, the beautiful technical, immersive detail, and put it into a video game, I think that you are fulfilling one of the strongest points the franchise has to offer.”
Mako calls Avatar the ultimate escapist fantasy: It presents a gorgeous, alien world, grounded in a believable, but fantastical, peaceful culture. He also lauds how director James Cameron has bristled at using AI in favor of human-created technical artistry.
“It is just so far removed from our actual reality,” Mako says. “It does inspire those feelings of longing. Like, what are we doing? And how can we be doing what we're doing differently?”
Not to be a real kalweyaveng about it, but Frontiers of Pandora feels like just the right amount of Avatar. Like unobtanium, the sought-after resource that drives the greedy humans in the first film, Avatar's narrative fuel seems to be a finite resource. While Cameron has plans for two (2) whole more Avatar movies, he is also looking to the reception of Fire and Ash to decide whether to produce more films.
I have not yet seen the third Avatar movie. Maybe it will be excellent. Maybe it will be sngel. (That's the Na'vi word for garbage.) I'll find out when I watch it on Christmas Day in 4DX with those moving seats that occasionally spray water at you. Maybe three-and-a-half hours of trying to get maximum immersion into the land of Pandora will be enough to satiate my Avatar fix.
But I think not. And in that case, Frontiers of Pandora will be there, and available to explore long after. To that, I say: I see you.
Update, December 19 at 11 am: After this story published, Mako reached out to correct some improper Na'vi language usage. The proper form of the word Na'vi does not use a capital V. Reykunyu, the Na'vi language tool linked to in the story, is better described as a dictionary, as Na'vi cannot be easily translated to English.
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Back in 2017, The Defenders paid off on several comic book team-ups that had been years in the making on Netflix across its various Marvel streaming shows—putting together Luke Cage and Danny Rand, turning Colleen Wing and Misty Knight into the Daughters of the Dragon, things that comic book readers knew to expect and enjoy. And yet, the absolute best pairing in the whole series ended up being the delectably abrasive banter between Jessica Jones and Matt Murdock.
Alas, we'd never get more of it after Defenders came and went, with the slow but steady cancellation of the Netflix-Marvel shows, followed by the rise of Disney's own streaming network over the course of the next few years. That is, until Marvel revived Daredevil with Born Again and then decided it should bring Ms. Jones along for the ride in season two.
“Just by the nature of who Jessica is and who Matt is, they both give as much as they get,” Charlie Cox told Entertainment Weekly of the duo's vibe in both Defenders and Born Again, as part of a preview that gave us our first official preview of Jessica's return in season two. “I'm not sure we were aware of it when we were shooting [Defenders]. So we've been really waiting for this opportunity for so long now to put these two on screen together and have more fun with them.”
Thankfully, the opportunity to do so will be pretty involved. According to Born Again producer and Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum, Jessica will play a similarly sized role to Jon Bernthal's return as the Punisher in Born Again‘s first season and will definitely keep the tone between her and Matt similar to their Defenders screentime.
“We both talked about it being important to play some of the hits, as it were, make sure that we have that same dynamic,” Winderbaum added. “Tongue in cheek, take the piss out of each other, but also get down to business and make sure that we're serving the story appropriately.”
Daredevil: Born Again returns to Disney+, with Alias Investigation's finest in tow, sometime in March 2026.
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Rachel Reid didn't intend for anyone to write a dissertation about her horny little gay hockey series.
Then again, the Nova Scotia author behind the Game Changers series could never have anticipated the level of fanfare that's accompanied the television adaptation of her books: Heated Rivalry.
The show, commissioned by Canada's Crave and distributed by HBO Max in the US, debuted in late November and quickly became a massive hit. It's the number one Crave original series of all time, and it also climbed to number 1 on HBO Max. A second season has already been greenlit.
If you're not watching it yet, you know someone who is. (Full disclosure: I threw a Heated Rivalry–themed holiday party last week, which just meant playing it on mute in my apartment for the vibes.) From Reddit to BookTok, the show and its source material have also sparked a lot of discourse, ranging from speculation about lead character Shane's neurodivergence, commentaries about race in hockey, and accusations that Reid favors mischievous Russian Ilya over Shane.
“I didn't expect this book to be analyzed like The Great Gatsby when I wrote it. It's really just a hockey romance,” Reid, now a New York Times bestselling author, tells me over Zoom, laughing. Still, she's flattered at the time people have spent theorizing. “I'm impressed with some of the things that people have really dug into. I feel like some of them make me sound a lot smarter than I am.”
The show also sparked criticism from I Love LA star Jordan Firstman, who told Vulture that the intimacy depicted on the show is “not how gay people fuck.” He went on to say that lead actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie should out themselves if they are gay. The actors, who Williams described as “best friends,” have been posting flirty videos with each other, and even have matching “sex sells” tattoos, but neither has disclosed his sexual orientation. “A gay guy would say it,” Firstman told Vulture. “I don't respect you because you care too much about your career and what's going to happen if people think you're gay.”
The comments prompted fellow Heated Rivalry actor François Arnaud to clap back on Instagram, commenting “Should the sex that closeted hockey players have look like the sex that sceney LA gay guys have?” (Firstman has since apologized and the spat seems to have blown over.)
Here's what Reid had to say about all the discourse surrounding everyone's favorite hockey smut and why so many women are obsessed with the genre.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
MANISHA KRISHNAN: As a fellow Canadian, hockey is just in the air that we breathe. Is it a sport that you found inherently sexy or horny?
RACHEL REID: No, I wouldn't say so. I don't think I ever really felt that way about it. I think, for me, I'm using these books to work out some thoughts about men and masculinity. It's not really that I'm hot for hockey players. I'm just using hockey because I know a lot about hockey. So that's a good backdrop for my story, but it's also a good backdrop for my story because of all the toxic masculinity there.
How did you end up writing hockey smut?
I just had this idea about what it might be like to be a closeted NHL player, and then to come out as the first openly gay NHL player. So it was just like something that had been on my mind for a while. And I thought about it as writing it as a romance with a happy ending. And, yeah, I guess I just enjoyed writing the sexy scenes too, so they got in there.
I mean, the hockey romance genre has a big following on BookTok. Why do you think that is?
When my first book came out, publishers were starting to look for hockey romance actively. But now it's a really, really huge subgenre of romance. I don't know the reasons, but I do think a big part of it is that a lot of people don't really know much about hockey, so it's not something that they're going to nitpick the details of. It doesn't really matter to them how realistic it is. But it's also an exciting, dangerous sport with a really weird set of skills that you have to learn. So it's just different. I think if you're not somebody who grew up in hockey culture, it's almost a sci-fi thing.
One of the Reddit posts referenced how you had mentioned that Ilya has grief and trauma and Shane does not. And some of the commenters were like, “How could Shane not have trauma as an Asian man in a very white-dominated sport, or being a closeted man?” People were saying that that is indicative of your blind spots as an author. I'm curious what you make of that criticism?
I totally welcome that criticism. I don't think Heated Rivalry is a, you know, excellent representation of an Asian-Canadian person. But for me, that specific note that they're referring to was from my own personal notes on the characters. The trauma Ilya carries is very specific around the death of his mother. And Shane is a character who's always been very loved and supported and a little bit sheltered by his parents. Ilya has not had that, his father was really awful, and his mother died very young when he was young. And so he carries a lot of trauma that he doesn't talk about and hasn't processed and hasn't dealt with in a healthy way, whereas Shane hasn't had that sort of trauma.
Do you favor Ilya as a character? This is like another comment that I've seen quite a bit of.
I have too. Shane is probably my—I mean, I don't want to pick favorites, but Shane, to me, has the hero arc of the series. If you take their two books, Shane, I think, has the hero's arc, and he's my favorite character to write, especially from his point of view. So no, I don't prefer one over the other. They're very different characters. I think they're fun to write for different reasons, and there are different reasons to like them, and there are different reasons why they're sometimes very frustrating characters.
I want to talk about Shane being neurodivergent. That was not expressed in the books, correct? But you have since said that he is. How did that come about? Is that something that you had already been thinking about? Because that's definitely something a lot of the fans have commented on.
So that's something that I think is expressed in the book. It's just not explicitly stated, because I don't think the character of Shane would be aware of it himself, or it's not something that he would be looking into. In Heated Rivalry, he's very young, and he's a superstar, and he's surrounded by hockey players. And I just don't think it's something that he's thinking about.
I think it's plausible Shane might go the rest of his life without ever being diagnosed or even really thinking seriously about it. But to me, as the person who created him, that was definitely a part of his character, and it's something that, as I continued writing him, became clearer as I myself learned more about autism.
There are a bunch of references to Shane being a boring Canadian and being teased for that. Do you think he is actually boring, or is that more just playing off a stereotype about us?
I don't think he's as boring as the characters around him like to tease him for being, because I think he's quite funny. I don't know, he's a hockey superstar, so he's not that boring. I think he's just focused. He's not like a party guy. He's not flashy, he's not spending his money on sports cars and cool clothes. Ultimately, he's a hockey star who's best friends with a movie star and is dating another hockey star. That's not boring. None of that's boring.
Let's talk about Jordan Firstman's comments that what the show depicts isn't how gay people have sex. I'm curious what you made of that and what you make of the conversation that's ensued around who gets to tell stories about queer people.
I'm not super familiar with what he said. I didn't really look into it too much. But I've been hearing the conversation around it for years. I knew it would be amplified by this show.
I feel personally, that as long as you're willing to be sensitive and thoughtful about what you're writing, and most importantly, are willing to listen to feedback from the community that you're trying to represent, then you can write what you want to write. But you have to be careful and sensitive. And certainly, if you're getting criticism or feedback from the community that you're representing, you should listen to it and take notes.
Show creator Jacob Tierney said, with respect to the actors, that he didn't think that there was any reason to get into their sexual orientations. Have you fielded similar criticisms?
I know, generally women who write romances about two or more men get criticized. I haven't heard a lot of it directed at me specifically, but I agree with Jacob about the actors, and I extend that to myself and anyone else involved with the show or these books. I think it's OK to keep your personal life personal.
When I was in my early twenties, I wrote some Smallville fanfic. I wouldn't say I was active in the fandom, but I had a LiveJournal and was doing that. I shouldn't even say that. People would dig it up somehow, but it's long gone, guys, and it's terrible. Don't do it.
I know that season 2 of the show has been announced. Do you have plans to write another book with these characters?
I've always said no, but, you know, I think like stories maybe. I mean, I'm always thinking about these guys.
Are you working on any books right now?
I am. I'm not allowed to talk about it, because it's going to be announced in January.
Being Canadian and seeing this show blow up—it's all over every American publication—what's that aspect of it been like for you?
It's been really surreal and amazing. I still can't really believe how much people have embraced the show. I feel like it's a really unlikely hit, but I think it's a nice thing to be a hit right now. It's really joyful, and I know that some of the episodes are sad, but it is ultimately a joyful show. It's sweet, it's romantic, it's nice, and I think it's a nice thing to have right now.
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Americans are becoming more open to the idea that aliens have visited Earth, according to a series of polls that show belief in alien visitation has been steadily on the rise since 2012.
Almost half—47 percent—of Americans say they think aliens have definitely or probably visited Earth at some point in time, according to a new poll from YouGov conducted in November 2025 that involved 1,114 adult participants. That percentage is up from roughly a third (36 percent) of Americans polled in 2012 by Kelton Research, with the exact same sample size. Gallup published polls on this question in 2019 and 2021 that likewise show an upward trend.
Moreover, people seem to be getting off the fence on this issue, one way or the other. Just 16 percent of Americans said they were unsure if aliens had visited Earth in the new poll, down from 48 percent who were unsure in 2012. Meanwhile, even as belief in alien visitation has risen, so has doubt: The new poll shows that 37 percent of Americans said Earth likely hasn't been visited by aliens, more than double the 17 percent logged in 2012.
It's impossible to know exactly why Americans have become more receptive to alien visitation from these polls alone; they only include raw statistics, and lack granular details about the specific motivations for the participants' responses.
“It's important to note that this is a poll about belief,” says Susan Lepselter, an author and associate professor of anthropology and American Studies at Indiana University who has written extensively on alien beliefs and UFO experiences. “It's not a poll about experience, contact, feelings—nothing like that.”
“We don't know what their engagement is; we don't know if their belief has been life-changing,” she adds. “We just know one thing, which is that the statistics have moved from one set of beliefs to another.”
Of course, it's still possible—and let's be real, fun—to speculate on the drivers of the trend. One obvious culprit is a new posture from institutional news sources, such as the US government and legacy media, which have finally started taking unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) seriously.
This shift began with the release of mysterious Pentagon UAP videos by The New York Times in 2017, and has since been accelerated by spate of Congressional hearings, and a NASA independent study on UAP. The newly released documentary The Age of Disclosure, which features claims by former military officials that the US government has covered up evidence of aliens visiting Earth, has supercharged the legitimacy to this once marginalized topic.
“The American public's getting, on the one hand, reputable people from the government talking about UFOs in The Age of Disclosure,” says Diana Walsh Pasulka, an author and professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington who is an expert on alien-related beliefs and subcultures.
On the other hand, Pasulka notes, pop culture is completely overrun by aliens. In 2025 alone, aliens were central to superhero blockbusters (Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps), children's movies (Lilo & Stitch and Elio), and even the arthouse film Bugonia. The Star Trek, Alien, and Predator franchises all released new products this year. To top it off, Steven Spielberg will return to his cinematic obsession with aliens in his much-anticipated film Disclosure Day , due out in 2026.
Pasulka points to research by neuroscientist Jeffrey Zacks that shows these popular fictional representations have an immense impact on our imaginations and worldviews. This proliferation of alien fiction, combined with the normalization of aliens in real-life public forums, are like a “one-two punch,” Pasulka says.
“Science fiction plays a huge role in how we think of aliens and extraterrestrial life,” she notes. “With what the government is beginning to say, you have the reality factor. These two things that are happening at this very same time. That's really going to impact what Americans are going to believe.”
As recently as the aughts, the idea that aliens might be visiting Earth, or that they had in the past, was coded as fringe, or even actively stigmatized. Jim Harold, host of The Paranormal Podcast and Jim Harold's Campfire, long-running shows that often discuss the possibility of alien visitation, calls this phenomenon “kookification.”
“If you believe in the idea that something is visiting us, unfortunately, people would say you were a kook,” he says. “I still think some of that perseveres. I actually think there are people out there who are trying to put it back in that bucket. I call it the re-kookification of the topic.”
Harold adds that much of his audience feels vindicated by the flood of admissions from the US government, and the interest from traditional media in recent years. “For people like me, who believe that something's been going on for a long time, it was kind of like, ‘See, I told you,'” he says. “There are some things in our skies we can't explain.”
Harold also notes that interest in aliens—and specifically the belief that they have visited Earth—is a rare issue that enjoys some bipartisan agreement in the United States. This insight is backed up by the new poll, which found that 51 percent of Democrats believe aliens have visited Earth, compared with 49 percent of Independents and 42 percent of Republicans. Elected representatives of both parties have taken an open interest in aliens and UAP, including Jared Moskovitz, the Florida Democrat, and Tim Burchett, the Tennessee Republican.
Likewise, social media has played an undeniable role in the rise of the belief in alien visitation. An ever-evolving pantheon of online platforms has allowed people to make unprecedented connections and build vast communities with like-minded thinkers.
“Belief isn't this singular thing that resides in us individually,” notes Lepselter. “Belief is social and it emerges between people. It's a whole atmosphere that connects with other contexts that we find ourselves in.”
Subcultures centered on a host of alien theories have flourished, as influencers, podcasters, and all manner of other content creators share hunches and experiences. Harold speaks to experts on many of these sub-theories, which touch on inter-dimensional beings, paranormal ghostly encounters, and aliens that might emerge from inside Earth or its oceans.
“People who are interested in this subject, particularly people who have been interested for some time, are broadening their possible explanations,” he says.
Of course, while social media has inspired new connections, it can also trap people in conversational silos. Harold recommends that all media consumers be wary of their sources—whether it's a legacy cable network or his own podcasts.
“It's a double-edged sword,” he says. “On one hand, I think it's fantastic that people have places where they can discuss these things with like-minded people who will be open to discussing it. Sometimes it's just fun to talk about. Let's face it: Everything doesn't have to be a scientific study.”
But, he added, “the consumer needs to be intelligent and try to separate the wheat from the chaff. I say: Keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out.”
While it's clear that Americans are increasingly entertaining the possibility of alien visitation, Lepselter isn't sure that the recent polling is a sign of a major sea change.
“I'm not seeing some gigantic apocalyptic movement towards a life-altering belief system,” she says. “You can't tell that from the poll. It just seems that this is entering the realm of the thinkable and the sayable.”
Pasulka, meanwhile, predicts that the percentage of Americans who believe in alien visitation will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
“There's no stopping this,” she concludes. “This is a new way of understanding reality.”
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Users report Copilot appearing after a recent software update, with no option to uninstall.
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Update - December 19 5 am ET: In a statement of clarification to Tom's Hardware, LG US' Director of Public Relations Chris De Maria told us that the inclusion of Microsoft Copilot on LG TVs was provided as "a shortcut icon to enhance customer accessibility and convenience," and said, "It is not an application-based service embedded in the TV." As such, the company says features such as microphone input are only activated by customer consent, because the shortcut opens Microsoft's website through the TV's web browser. Regardless, LG says that it "respects consumer choice and will take steps to allow users to delete the shortcut icon if they wish."
LG smart TV owners are reporting that a recent webOS software update has added Microsoft Copilot to their TVs, with no apparent way to remove it. Reports first surfaced over the weekend on Reddit, where a post showing a Copilot tile pinned to an LG TV home screen climbed to more than 35,000 upvotes on r/mildlyinfuriating, accompanied by hundreds of comments from users describing the same behavior.
According to affected users, Copilot appears automatically after installing the latest webOS update on certain LG TV models. The feature shows up on the home screen alongside streaming apps, but unlike Netflix or YouTube, it cannot be uninstalled.
LG has previously confirmed plans to integrate Microsoft Copilot into webOS as part of its broader “AI TV” strategy. At CES 2025, the company described Copilot as an extension of its AI Search experience, designed to answer questions and provide recommendations using Microsoft's AI services. In practice, the iteration of Copilot currently seen on LG TVs appears to function as a shortcut to a web-based Copilot interface rather than a fully native application like the one described by LG.
The issue, for many, isn't necessarily what Copilot does, but that it has been forced onto consumers with no option to remove it. LG's own support documentation notes that certain preinstalled or system apps cannot be deleted, only hidden. Users who encounter Copilot after the update report that this limitation applies, leaving them with no way to fully remove the feature once it has been added. It's a similar story on rival models, for instance some Samsung TV's include Gemini.
The overwhelmingly negative reaction from users indicates a growing frustration with AI features being imposed on consumers in every way possible. Smart TVs have naturally become platforms for advertising, data collection, and now AI services, with updates adding new functionality that owners did not explicitly request and, in most cases, do not want. While LG allows users to disable some AI-related options, such as voice recognition and personalization features, those settings do not remove the Copilot app itself.
Ultimately, those wanting to minimize Copilot's presence on their TVs are limited to keeping it disconnected from the Internet. That's about the most that can be done at the moment, unless LG backtracks and either allows users to disable or completely uninstall the app in response to backlash, which seems unlikely.
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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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Give yourself a nice gift this holiday season. Download a free Chrome extension that replaces those incessant LinkedIn posts about artificial intelligence with facts about a very different kind of AI: Allen Iverson. Yes, the answer to your generative AI woes is “The Answer,” the crossover king, the four-time NBA scoring champ.
One of the defining traits of LinkedIn has always been unhinged posts from power users—the r/LinkedInLunatics subreddit exists for a reason—but the obsessive tenor of LinkedIn posting has become, somehow, more unbearable over the past few years as the generative AI hype cycle has grown. More and more self-proclaimed AI-first experts have been dominating my algorithmic feed with their unsolicited advice.
For my sanity, and for anyone else who needs to take a break from the barrage of posts about AI, it's time to get the AI2AI extension.
Johnross Post, a creative director in advertising, and Aurora Johnson, an information security researcher, are the two developers behind this Chrome extension. It's their first project together. The duo was inspired by feeling professionally pressured to stay active on LinkedIn, while simultaneously being exhausted by many posters' obsession with generative AI.
“As a freelancer, a lot of my ability to get jobs is based on being on LinkedIn and being engaged,” says Post.
If they were going to stay on the platform, they needed to make it bearable, and spinning up a Chrome extension felt like an easy way to class up the joint. “You can quickly make something that allows you to take back control of your feed and take back control of your experience of the internet,” says Johnson.
With the AI2AI browser extension activated, I was finally brave enough to reopen my LinkedIn feed after avoiding the platform for most of 2025. Thank god I waited. The extension immediately spared me from having to read about generative AI. The first post I encountered in my feed, something about an AI event, was replaced with a colorful card displaying a fact about Iverson: He made the All-NBA First Team a total of three times.
The next two posts in my feed were also zapped and replaced with Iverson deets. As I scrolled for 20 or 30 minutes, instead of encountering boring posts about AI, I relished in the Iverson lore like: “At 6 feet tall, Allen Iverson was one of the shortest players to win the NBA MVP.”
Surprisingly enough, this is not the first Chrome extension to replace generative AI with Allen Iverson.
Earlier in 2025, another developer dropped an extension that switches every mention of AI on LinkedIn with the words “Allen Iverson,” as if that's obviously what the LinkedInfluencer meant when they typed the initialism. Still, the extension created by Post and Johnson takes it even further, with factoid cards that overlay on top of the entire post about AI. These cards can be closed so you can see who the offending posters are in your timeline and react in accordance.
I'd much rather learn random tidbits about an iconic basketball player, than whatever tips about usage-maxxing generative AI in some enterprise workflow. I mean, did you know that Iverson's hometown in Virginia named a street after him? I do now, thanks to this browser extension. And that's neat.
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TikTok has reached a deal to cede a substantial portion of its U.S. operation to a group of American investors, thus ending a years-long tussle in which the federal government has sought to force the platform to do just that.
The new partnership is described as a “new TikTok U.S. joint venture” in an internal memo from ByteDance CEO Shou Chew, which was viewed by TechCrunch.
That arrangement will see major American investors take over significant control of the U.S.-based business. The newly formed investor group includes cloud giant Oracle, the tech-focused private equity firm Silverlake, and MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm focused on AI. Together, those companies will own 45% of the U.S. operation, while ByteDance retains a nearly 20% share, the memo states. The new entity formed by this partnership has been dubbed “TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.”
That new entity will be responsible for overseeing the app, including data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance, the memo states. “A trusted security partner will be responsible for auditing and validating compliance with the agreed upon National Security Terms, and Oracle will be the trusted security partner upon completion of the transaction,” the document says.
The closing date for the deal is listed as January 22, 2026. The news was originally reported by Axios.
Much of the deal, as it has been described in the memo, parallels the language in an executive order signed by President Trump in September. That memo similarly approved the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations to an American investor group. CNBC previously reported that Oracle, Silverlake, and MGX would be the primary investors in the deal. Until now, ByteDance had not divulged details of such a deal, except to say that it would abide by U.S. law to ensure that TikTok remained available to U.S. users.
The U.S. government has long sought to cleave TikTok's U.S.-based business away from its Chinese parent company, espousing national security concerns as the rationale.
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Reading time 4 minutes
Giant monsters and manga are a goated combo that has only gotten stronger as a staple in pop culture. Much of this is thanks in part to series like Kaiju No. 8, which set the bar high with its adult-cast twist, serving as an iconoclast to the well-trodden teenage somethings who've exclusively been allowed to play starring roles in shonen series.
But another series hewing close to its winning formula, deserving just as much praise as its star begins to rise, is Rai Rai Rai, an underappreciated Viz Media manga rich with gag-comedy charm and a deceptively provocative narrative hidden beneath the appeal of its cute girl donning an even cuter kaiju design.
Rai Rai Rai (which translates to “Lightning Lightning Lightning”), written by Yoshiaki, is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action comedy series. In 2052, the world is on the upswing after an alien invasion half a century prior. Now, organizations are tasked with cleaning up the remaining alien monsters called varmints.
The series follows our crybaby hero, Sumire Ichigaya, an 18-year-old woman who, after getting abducted by aliens, has the power to transform into a kaiju. At this point, you don't have to squint too hard to think that its premise is pretty much a gender-bent version of Kaiju No. 8, only trading homegrown kaiju for space kaiju. And well, yeah. That's certainly much of its onboarding, but as the series evolves, Rai Rai Rai branches itself out from being a twin series to Kaiju No. 8 in interesting ways worth getting in on the ground floor now before it really takes off or gets cancelled (KNOCKS ON WOOD).
This is not a spoiler for the series' twist, but what Rai Rai Rai does more than be the kind of “Kaiju No.8 manga is over, here's something similar” recommendation that would come readers' way is that, despite feeling like the median of multiple manga's core premises, it still manages to dig its feet in and hold strong as a series worth reading for its own merits. Those inspirations include early Dragon Ball‘s comedic timing, Ranma 1/2 and Kaiju No. 8‘s aesthetics, and a hint of Gunbuster and Chainsaw Man‘s rule of cool to round it out.
For one, Rai Rai Rai harkens back to the softer, rounder character designs of seminal manga series. Sumire's ponytail look is peak Ramna 1/2—a style newer manga like Gokurakugai and Dandadan have wisely folded into their DNA, because creator Rumiko Takahashi is worth mimicking. Yet the series doesn't just bask in charm; it layers an edge that's reminiscent of, of course, Kaiju No. 8, but also Chainsaw Man.
That edge shows most clearly in the militaristic varmint-killing organization Sumire is coerced into joining, Raiden, where operatives are outfitted in sleek plug suits that boost one's combat prowess—always a plus in any sci-fi series. But clumsy Sumire, Rai Rai Rai‘s crybaby hero—born to whimsy, forced to lock in—anchors the story by persevering as its loveable goofball harboring her own tragedy.
Despite Rai Rai Rai‘s deceptively cute veneer, the series digs into heavy themes. Key among them being the physical abuse Sumire suffered at the hands of her mother, her parents' crushing debt, and the exploitative jobs she takes to help them crawl out of it.
She's a Denji-like figure, throwing herself into harm's way for pay to the point that Raiden doesn't have to bother hiding that they're using her as some grand secret. You'd think all of this would coalesce in her kaiju transformation to look like something that crawled out of Q Hayashida's Dai Dark drafts. Instead, we have a cute subversion: Sumire's kaiju form is more like an overstuffed plushy (or a Labubu). Witnessing her struggle to repress a Godzilla-style atomic breath, only to rally as a symbol citizens can embrace rather than fear (peep her Gunbuster pose), feels closer to Superman-levels of hope-maxing than the sharp-edged poster boys of shonen manga usually parade.
More crucially, despite being only roughly 40 chapters deep, Rai Rai Rai strikes a charming balance between gag‑manga comedy and its battle‑shonen‑meets‑horror aesthetic. In the same way that Magilumiere Co. LTD. riffs on My Hero Academia and Sailor Moon to prove girls can lead these series without looking like Hot Topic knockoffs, Rai Rai Rai pushes the oddly winning combo of a cute girl in a cute kaiju suit fighting for her life as something that doesn't feel derivative but fresh. It's mile‑a‑minute physical comedy that knows what makes kaiju media cool and leans heavily into that, with gnarly battles, unsettling kaiju designs, and a sharp critique of rah-rah militaristic obedience, making its whimsy feel not just charming but subversive and vital.
The manga industry is cutthroat, with countless promising series cancelled before they ever take off. Especially when women are at their centers, too often their survival depends on word‑of‑mouth to champion them long enough to reach their full potential—as we've seen with titles like Love Bullet.
Hopefully, Rai Rai Rai sparks that same groundswell, because I want to see Yoshiaki keep cooking. It just introduced a Metal Gear Rising-coded muscle grandma as a wild new rival character, and it'd be a shame if this series ended up as another “what could've been” manga.
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This article and associated images are based on a poster originally authored by Hassan Kotey, Gideon Helegbe, Humphrey Bonney and Samuel Kwofie and presented at ELRIG Drug Discovery 2025 in affiliation with University for Development Studies, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and University of Ghana.
This poster is being hosted on this website in its raw form, without modifications. It has not undergone peer review but has been reviewed to meet AZoNetwork's editorial quality standards. The information contained is for informational purposes only and should not be considered validated by independent peer assessment.
The Ns2b-Ns3 protease plays a crucial role in replicating the dengue virus, yet no effective treatment has been found to completely block its activity and prevent viral replication.
To address this, we employed a multidisciplinary approach, combining pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and in vitro studies to identify potential antiviral compounds. Our research revealed three promising compounds that successfully bound to key sites on the protease, offering new avenues for inhibiting dengue virus infection.
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Hassan Kotey et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Hassan Kotey et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
A pharmacophore model was employed to guide the screening process, and a threshold of 55 was set for the pharmacophore fit.
Following this criterion, three compounds emerged as top candidates, having successfully met the specified threshold and demonstrating a strong alignment with the pharmacophore model.
Compound 1_Ns2b-Ns3 protease interactions. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Hassan Kotey et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Compound 3_Ns2b-Ns3 protease interactions. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Hassan Kotey et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Compound 2_Ns2b-Ns3 protease interactions. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Hassan Kotey et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Hassan Kotey et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Hassan Kotey et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Compound 3 exhibited a complete absence of bands. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Hassan Kotey et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
The University for Development Studies (UDS) is Ghana's first public University in the North. It was established by the Government of Ghana by PNDC Law 279 and gazette on 15th May, 1992.
The pedagogical philosophy of UDS is said to have been borne out of a new thinking in higher education emphasizing the need for universities as teaching and research institutions to play more active role in addressing societal problems (especially rural areas) for speedy development.
The University by its mandate and constituency has a pro-poor focus and this is reflected in its methodology of teaching, research and outreach services. The specific emphasis on practically-oriented, research and field-based training is aimed at contributing towards poverty reduction in order to accelerate national development.
The European Laboratory Research & Innovation Group (ELRIG) is a leading European not-for-profit organization that exists to provide outstanding scientific content to the life science community. The foundation of the organization is based on the use and application of automation, robotics, and instrumentation in life science laboratories, but over time, we have evolved to respond to the needs of biopharma by developing scientific programs that focus on cutting-edge research areas that have the potential to revolutionize drug discovery.
Comprised of a global community of over 12,000 life science professionals, participating in our events, whether it be at one of our scientific conferences or one of our networking meetings, will enable any of our community to exchange information, within disciplines and across academic and biopharmaceutical organizations, on an open access basis, as all our events are free of charge to attend!
Our values are to ensure the highest quality of content, make it readily accessible to all, and maintain an inclusive organization that serves a diverse scientific network. In addition, ELRIG will always be a volunteer-led organization, run by and for the life sciences community, on a not-for-profit basis.
ELRIG is a company whose purpose is to bring the life science and drug discovery communities together to learn, share, connect, innovate, and collaborate on an open-access basis. We achieve this through the provision of world-class conferences, networking events, webinars, and digital content.
Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.net, which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices, and treatments.
Last Updated: Dec 19, 2025
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
APA
University for Development Studies. (2025, December 19). Molecular insights into inhibition of dengue virus NS2B-NS3 protease by antiviral compounds. News-Medical. Retrieved on December 19, 2025 from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Molecular-insights-into-inhibition-of-dengue-virus-NS2B-NS3-protease-by-antiviral-compounds.aspx.
MLA
University for Development Studies. "Molecular insights into inhibition of dengue virus NS2B-NS3 protease by antiviral compounds". News-Medical. 19 December 2025.
This article and associated images are based on a poster originally authored by Mette Juul Jacobsen, Anastasios Glaros, Abrahan Hernandez-Hernandez, Anja Mezger, Tina Friis, and Peter Mouritzen and presented at ELRIG Drug Discovery 2025 in affiliation with Samplix ApS, SciLifeLab Karolinska Institute, and Statens Serum Institut.
This poster is being hosted on this website in its raw form, without modifications. It has not undergone peer review but has been reviewed to meet AZoNetwork's editorial quality standards. The information contained is for informational purposes only and should not be considered validated by independent peer assessment.
High-throughput functional screening of antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) accelerates antibody discovery, overcoming the slow, labor-intensive limitations of hybridoma and memory B cell screening, and capturing rare, high-affinity clones. Here, we present a new Xdrop protocol that enables rapid functional screening of plasma cells from immunized animals.
With a throughput of over eight million droplets in a few minutes, Xdrop compartmentalizes single cells, along with the antibody discovery assay, inside FACS-compatible droplets.
This approach preserves cell viability, detects secreted antibodies within droplets, and supports direct V(D)J repertoire analysis as well as recovery of antigen-specific cells. With a streamlined, same-day workflow, this method dramatically reduces discovery timelines and enhances the identification of functional antibody candidates.
Image Credit: Image courtesy of Mette Juul Jacobsen et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Figure 2. Antibody discovery assay in droplets. Secreted human anti-TNFα-specific antibodies bind to the hTNFα-coated microspheres, allowing fluorescent detection via a labeled goat anti-mouse detection antibody, generating a concentrated and identifiable signal on the spheres. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Mette Juul Jacobsen et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Figure 3. Image of droplets containing the Xdrop ASC screening assay taken with Xcyto®5 (ChemoMetec). For imaging, cells were stained post-droplet production with Calcein Blue, AM. Cells secreting anti-hTNFα-antibodies clearly show an accumulated fluorescent signal on the TNFα-coated microspheres. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Mette Juul Jacobsen et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Figure 4. Gating strategy for sorting Xdrop DE50 droplets containing plasma cells sorted on Sony MA900 Cell Sorter with Large Particle Sorting upgrade. The DE50 droplets are identified on a scatter plot. Since only dead cells are labeled, both droplets containing live cells as well as empty droplets are gated. From these, droplets containing plasma cells that secrete anti-hTNFα antibodies clearly show an accumulated fluorescent signal from the AF594-labeled detection antibody. The plot on the far right is a zoom-in. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Mette Juul Jacobsen et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Table 1. Summary of results of ASC screening in two mice. Source: ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
Figure 5. A. Heavy chain isotype distribution showing enrichment of IgG in TNFα-specific ASCs. B. Light chain isotype distribution frequency was uniform as expected. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Mette Juul Jacobsen et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
From approximately one million CD138+ B cells screened per mouse, droplets with the strongest TNFα-specific signal yielded ~16,000 (Mouse A) and ~10,000 (Mouse B) sorted droplets (Table 1). V(D)J sequencing produced 2,510 and 1,153 paired sequences, corresponding to 739 and 432 clonotypes, respectively. This represents roughly one-third of each mouse's plasma cell pool, suggesting over 10,000 sequences could be obtained in total.
Sequencing showed a clear enrichment of class-switched IgG plasma cells within the antigen-specific fraction, whereas the non-screened ASCs displayed a more mixed profile dominated by IgM (Figure 5). This pattern indicates that the screening method preferentially isolates mature, class-switched plasma cells that are likely to secrete high-affinity anti-TNFα antibodies.
Figure 6. Clonotype distribution plots. Each cluster represents a unique clonotype, with cluster size proportional to its relative frequency within the repertoire. Expanded clonotypes are represented by larger clusters concentrated toward the centre, whereas rare clonotypes appear as smaller symbols at the periphery. A. Enriched anti-hTNFα plasma cells from Mouse A and Mouse B display distinct clonotype repertoires. B. The Xdrop ASC screen enriches specific clonotypes shared with the unscreened population, while others remain dominant only in unscreened ASCs and are not enriched by the screen. Image Credit: Image courtesy of Mette Juul Jacobsen et al., in partnership with ELRIG (UK) Ltd.
This study demonstrates a rapid, one-day workflow for screening and isolating targeted plasma cells based on their secreted antibody specificity, yielding thousands of high-quality V(D)J sequences.
The method effectively enriches for class-switched, antigen-specific clonotypes, enabling focused analysis of functional antibody repertoires. Based on the number of paired V(D)J sequences obtained, it is estimated that over 10,000 sequences can be acquired from the full plasma cell population of the two animals.
Samplix offers a cutting-edge droplet-based instrument for single-cell analysis in immunotherapy research. Their double emulsion technology enables seamless analysis and sorting on flow cytometers. Empower your research today!
Xdrop encapsulates living cells and reactive molecules in highly stable double-emulsion droplets that act as microenvironments for rapid cell–cell and cell–molecule interactions during incubation. The droplets are suitable for flow cytometry and sorting.
The European Laboratory Research & Innovation Group (ELRIG) is a leading European not-for-profit organization that exists to provide outstanding scientific content to the life science community. The foundation of the organization is based on the use and application of automation, robotics, and instrumentation in life science laboratories, but over time, we have evolved to respond to the needs of biopharma by developing scientific programs that focus on cutting-edge research areas that have the potential to revolutionize drug discovery.
Comprised of a global community of over 12,000 life science professionals, participating in our events, whether it be at one of our scientific conferences or one of our networking meetings, will enable any of our community to exchange information, within disciplines and across academic and biopharmaceutical organizations, on an open access basis, as all our events are free of charge to attend!
Our values are to always ensure the highest quality of content, that content will be made readily accessible to all, and that we will always be an inclusive organization, serving a diverse scientific network. In addition, ELRIG will always be a volunteer-led organization, run by and for the life sciences community, on a not-for-profit basis.
ELRIG is a company whose purpose is to bring the life science and drug discovery communities together to learn, share, connect, innovate, and collaborate on an open-access basis. We achieve this through the provision of world-class conferences, networking events, webinars, and digital content.
Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.net, which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices, and treatments.
Last Updated: Dec 19, 2025
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
APA
Samplix. (2025, December 19). Accelerating antibody discovery with high-throughput plasma cell screening. News-Medical. Retrieved on December 19, 2025 from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Accelerating-antibody-discovery-with-high-throughput-plasma-cell-screening.aspx.
MLA
Samplix. "Accelerating antibody discovery with high-throughput plasma cell screening". News-Medical. 19 December 2025.
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Indicated for add-on maintenance treatment of severe asthma characterized by an eosinophilic phenotype in patients aged ≥12 years
100 mg SC every 6 months
Limitations of use: Not indicated for relief of acute bronchospasm or status asthmaticus
Indicated for add-on maintenance treatment of severe asthma characterized by an eosinophilic phenotype in patients aged ≥12 years
100 mg SC every 6 months
Limitations of use: Not indicated for relief of acute bronchospasm or status asthmaticus
Upper respiratory tract infection (9%)
Allergic rhinitis (6%)
Influenza (5%)
Arthralgia (4%)
Pharyngitis (4%)
Injection site reactions (1%)
None
Available data from clinical trials use in pregnant women are insufficient to identify a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes
There are risks to mother and fetus associated with asthma in pregnancy
Placental transport of endogenous IgG antibodies and monoclonal antibodies (eg, depemokimab) increases as pregnancy progresses and peaks during in third trimester
Impact of the amino acid substitution within depemokimab on placental transfer is uncertain; however, presence of this substitution may lead to prolonged and increased in utero exposure to infant
No treatment-related effects on embryofetal or postnatal development have been shown in animal studies targeting IL-5 signaling pathways
Pregnant women exposed or their healthcare providers, should report exposure by calling 1-888-825-5249
There are no data on presence of depemokimab in either human or animal milk, effects on breastfed infants, or effects on milk production
However, depemokimab is a humanized monoclonal antibody (immunoglobulin G1 [IgG1] kappa), and maternal IgG is present in human milk in small amounts
Effects of local gastrointestinal exposure and extent of systemic exposure in breastfed infants are unknown
A: Generally acceptable. Controlled studies in pregnant women show no evidence of fetal risk.
Humanized IgG1 kappa monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin 5 (IL-5)
Depemokimab contains a triple amino acid substitution (YTE) in fragment crystallizable (Fc) region which increases binding to neonatal Fc receptor and thereby extends elimination half-life
IL-5 is the major cytokine responsible for growth and differentiation, recruitment, activation, and survival of eosinophils
Inflammation is an important component in pathogenesis of asthma
Multiple cell types (eg, mast cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes) and mediators (eg, histamine, eicosanoids, leukotrienes, cytokines) are involved in inflammation
By inhibiting IL-5 signaling, production and survival of eosinophils are reduced; however, a precise mechanism of action in asthma has not been definitively established
Peak plasma time: ~14 days
Estimated average steady-state plasma concentration over single dosing interval: 6.16 mcg/mL
Trough (Week 26): ~1.3 mcg/mL
Vd: 6.3 L
Expected to be metabolized into small peptides and amino acids by catabolic pathways
Half-life: 48 days
Clearance: 0.092 L/day
Remove prefilled pen or prefilled syringe from refrigerator
Holding middle of prefilled pen or prefilled syringe, take it out from tray and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before injection; do not warm pen or syringe in any other way
Do not remove needle cap until you are ready to inject
Do not use pen or syringe if it has been left out of carton >8 hr
Visually inspect pen or syringe for particulate matter and discoloration before administration; solution should be colorless to yellow to brown, clear to opalescent in color
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Leon Harris, 35, is intimately familiar with the devastation guns can inflict. Robbers shot him in the back nearly two decades ago, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. The bullet remains lodged in his spine.
"When you get shot," he said, "you stop thinking about the future."
He is anchored by his wife and child and faith. He once wanted to work as a forklift driver but has built a stable career in information technology. He finds camaraderie with other gunshot survivors and in advocacy.
Still, trauma remains lodged in his daily life. As gun violence surged in the shadows of the covid pandemic, it shook Harris' fragile sense of security. He moved his family out of Philadelphia to a leafy suburb in Delaware. But a nagging fear of crime persists.
Now he is thinking about buying a gun.
Harris is one of tens of thousands of Americans killed or injured each year by gun violence, a public health crisis that escalated in the pandemic and churns a new victim into a hospital emergency room every half hour.
Over the past two decades, the firearm industry has ramped up production and stepped up sales campaigns through social media influencers, conference presentations, and promotions. An industry trade group acknowledged that its traditional customer was "pale, male and stale" and in recent years began targeting Black people and other communities of color who are disproportionately victimized by gun violence.
The Trump administration has moved to reduce federal oversight of gun businesses, heralding a new era announced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as "marked by transparency, accountability, and partnership with the firearms industry."
The pain of gun violence crosses political, cultural, and geographic divides — but no group has suffered as much as Black people, such as Harris. They were nearly 14 times as likely to die by gun homicide than white people in 2021, researchers said, citing federal data. Black men and boys are 6% of the population but more than half of homicide victims.
Washington has offered little relief: Guns remain one of few consumer products the federal government does not regulate for health and safety.
"The politics of guns in the U.S. are so out of whack with proper priorities that should focus on health and safety and most fundamental rights to live," said attorney Jon Lowy, founder of Global Action on Gun Violence, who helped represent Mexico in an unsuccessful lawsuit against Smith & Wesson and other gunmakers that reached the Supreme Court. "The U.S. allows and enables gun industry practices that would be totally unacceptable anywhere else in the world."
KFF Health News undertook an examination of gun violence during the pandemic, a period when firearm deaths reached an all-time high. Reporters reviewed academic research, congressional reports, and hospital data and interviewed dozens of gun violence and public health experts, gun owners, and victims or their relatives.
The examination found that while public officials imposed restrictions intended to prevent covid's spread, politicians and regulators helped fuel gun sales — and another public health crisis.
As state and local governments shut down schools, advised residents to stay home, and closed gyms, theaters, malls, and other businesses to stop covid's spread, President Donald Trump kept gun stores open, deeming them essential businesses critical to the functioning of society.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai did not respond to interview requests or answer questions about the Trump administration's efforts to reduce regulation of the firearm industry.
During the pandemic, the federal government gave firearm businesses and groups more than $150 million in financial assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program, even as some businesses reported brisk sales, according to an analysis from Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy group.
Federal officials said the program would keep people employed, but millions of dollars went to firearm companies that did not say whether it would save any jobs, the report said.
About 1 in 5 American households bought a gun during the first two years of the pandemic, including millions of first-time buyers, according to survey data from NORC at the University of Chicago.
Harris is keenly aware of what drives the demand.
"Guns aren't going away unless we get to the root of people's fears," he said.
Surveys show most Americans who own a gun feel it makes them safer. But public health data suggests that owning a gun doubles the risk of homicide and triples chances of suicide in a home.
"There's no evidence that guns provide an increase in protection," said Kelly Drane, research director for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "We have been told a fundamental lie."
Less than a year into the pandemic, 20-year-old Jacquez Anlage was shot dead in a Jacksonville, Florida, apartment. Five years later, the killing remains unsolved.
His mother, Crystal Anlage, said she fell to her knees and wailed in grief on her lawn when police delivered the news.
She said Jacquez overcame years in the foster care system — living in 36 homes — before she and her husband, Matt, adopted him at age 16.
Jacquez Anlage had just moved into his own apartment when he was shot. He loved animals and wanted to become a veterinary technician. He was kind and loving, Crystal Anlage said, with the 6-foot-4, 215-pound physique of the football and basketball player he'd been.
"He was just getting to a point in life where he felt safe," Crystal Anlage said.
Gun violence researchers say parents like Crystal Anlage carry trauma that destroys their sense of security.
Anlage said she endures post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. She is terrified of guns and fireworks.
But she has made something meaningful of her son's killing: She co-founded the Jacksonville Survivors Foundation, which works to raise awareness about the impact of homicide and to support grieving parents.
"Jacquez's death can't be in vain," she said. "I want his legacy to be love."
His legacy and that of other young men killed by guns is muted by firearm manufacturers' powerful message of fear.
During the pandemic, gun marketers told Americans they needed firearms to defend themselves against criminals, protesters, unreliable cops, and racial and political unrest, according to a petition filed by gun control advocacy groups with the Federal Trade Commission.
In a since-deleted June 18, 2020, Instagram post from Lone Wolf Arms, an Idaho-based manufacturer, a protester is depicted being confronted by police officers in riot gear between the words "Defund Police? Defend Yourself," the petition shows. The caption says, "10% to 25% off demo guns and complete pistols."
Impact Arms, an online gun seller, posted a picture on Instagram on Aug. 3, 2020, showing a person putting a rifle in a backpack, the document says. "The world is pretty crazy right now," the caption reads. "Not a bad idea to pack something more efficient than a handgun."
The National Rifle Association in 2020 posted on YouTube a four-minute video of a Black woman holding a rifle and telling viewers they need a gun in the pandemic. "You might be stockpiling up on food right now to get through this current crisis," she said, "but if you aren't preparing to defend your property when everything goes wrong, you're really just stockpiling for somebody else."
The messaging worked. Background checks for firearm sales soared 60% from 2019 to 2020, the year the federal government declared a public health emergency.
The same year, more than 45,000 Americans died from firearm violence, the highest number up till then. In 2021, the record was broken again.
Weapons sold at the beginning of the pandemic were more likely to wind up at crime scenes within a year than in any previous period, according to a report by Democrats on Congress' Joint Economic Committee, citing ATF data.
Gun manufacturers "used disturbing sales tactics" following mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, "while failing to take even basic steps to monitor the violence and destruction their products have unleashed," according to a separate memo released by congressional Democrats in July 2022 following a House Oversight and Reform Committee investigation of industry practices and profits.
The firearm industry has marketed "to white supremacist and extremist organizations for years, playing on fears of government repression against gun owners and fomenting racial tensions," the House investigation said. "The increase in racially motivated violence has also led to rising rates of gun ownership among Black Americans, allowing the industry to profit from both white supremacists and their targets."
In 2024, then-President Joe Biden's Department of the Interior provided a $215,000 grant to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a leading firearm industry trade group, to help companies market guns to Black Americans.
The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for protecting consumers from deceptive and unfair business practices and has the power to take enforcement action. It issued warnings to companies that made unsubstantiated claims their products could prevent or treat covid, for instance.
But when families of gun violence victims, lawmakers, and advocacy groups asked the FTC in 2022, during Biden's term, to investigate how firearms were marketed to children, people of color, and groups that espouse white supremacy, officials did not announce any public action.
This summer, the National Shooting Sports Foundation pressed its case to the FTC and derided "a coordinated 'lawfare' campaign" that it said gun control groups have waged against "constitutionally-protected firearm advertising."
FTC spokesperson Mitchell Katz declined to comment, saying in an email that the agency does not acknowledge or deny the existence of investigations.
Serena Viswanathan, who retired as an FTC associate director in June, told KFF Health News that the agency lost at least a quarter of the staff in its advertising practices division after Trump came into office in January.
Gun companies Smith & Wesson, Lone Wolf Arms, and Impact Arms did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did the National Shooting Sports Foundation or the NRA.
In an August 2022 social media post, Smith & Wesson President and CEO Mark Smith said gun manufacturers were being wrongly blamed by some politicians for the pandemic surge in violence, saying cities experiencing violent crime had "promoted irresponsible, soft-on-crime policies that often treat criminals as victims and victims as criminals."
He added, "Some now seek to prohibit firearm manufacturers and supporters of the 2nd Amendment from advertising products in a manner designed to remind law-abiding citizens that they have a Constitutional right to bear arms in defense of themselves and their families."
In 2015, the National Shooting Sports Foundation gathered supporters at a conference in Savannah, Georgia, and urged the firearm industry to diversify its customer base, according to a YouTube video and reports from Everytown for Gun Safety and the Violence Policy Center.
Competitive shooter Chris Cheng gave a presentation called "Diversity: The Next Big Opportunity." Screenshots from the conference include slides purporting to show "demographics," "psychographics," and "technographics" of Black and Hispanic shooters.
The slides described Black shooters as "expressive and confident socially, in a crowd" and "less likely to be married and to be a college grad." They said Hispanic shooters were "much more trusting of advertising and celebrities."
Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, said industry marketing shifted in the latter half of the 20th century as the popularity of hunting declined. The new sales pitch: guns for personal safety.
"They said, 'We need to break into new markets,'" Suplina said. "They identified women and people of color. They didn't have a lot of success until the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the death of George Floyd. The marketing says, 'You deserve the Second Amendment too.' They are selling the product as an antidote to fear and anxiety."
Gun manufacturers were harshly criticized in the Oversight Committee's 2022 investigation for marketing products to people of color, as gun violence remains a leading cause of death for young Black and Latino men.
At the same time, some companies also promoted assault rifles to white supremacist groups who believe a race war is imminent, the investigation found. One company sold an AK-47-style rifle called the "Big Igloo Aloha," a reference to an anti-government movement, it said.
Still, Philip Smith wants more Black people to get guns for protection.
Smith said he was working as a human resources consultant a decade ago when he got the idea to form the National African American Gun Association, which helped the National Shooting Sports Foundation compile its report on communicating with Black consumers.
Smith encourages Black people to buy firearms for self-defense and get proper training on how to use them.
After 10 years, Smith said, his group has about 45,000 members nationwide. Single members pay $39 a year and couples $59, which gives them access to discounts from the organization's corporate partners, including gunmakers, and raffles for gun giveaways, according to its website.
The police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin helped spark early interest from doctors, lawyers, and others in joining the group, he said. But interest took off during the pandemic, he said, even among Democrats who had resisted the idea of owning a gun.
"Hundreds of people called me and said, 'I don't agree with anything you're saying, but what kind of gun should I buy,'" Smith recalled.
Smith, describing himself as "quiet, nerdy, and Afrocentric," said criticism of guns misses the point.
"My ancestors bled for us to have this right," he said. "Are there some racist white people? Yes. But we should buy guns because there is a need. No one is forcing us to buy guns."
During the pandemic, gun violence took its greatest toll on racially segregated neighborhoods in places such as Philadelphia, where roughly 1 in 4 residents live in poverty.
A city report says a one-year period in the pandemic saw more than 2,300 shootings, or about six a day. Many of the cases haven't been solved by police.
City officials cited the boom in gun sales in the report: Fewer than 400,000 sales took place in Pennsylvania in 2000, but in 2020 it was more than 1 million.
Gun sales have dropped since the pandemic ended, but the harm they've caused persists.
At a conference last year inside the Eagles' football stadium, victims of firearm violence or their relatives joined activists to share accounts of near-death experiences and the grief of losing loved ones.
Paintings flanked the stage and the meeting space to commemorate people who had been fatally shot, nearly all young people of color, under messages such as "You are loved and missed forever" and "Those we love never leave."
Marion Wilson, a community activist, said he believes the nation has forgotten the suffering Philadelphia and other cities endured during the pandemic.
"We suffer from the disease of American amnesia," he said.
Harris was on his way home from a job at Burlington Coat Factory nearly two decades ago when robbers followed him from a bus stop and demanded money. He said he had none and was shot.
Harris had spent his early life fixing cars with his grandfather, when he wasn't at school or attending church. He remembers lying in a hospital bed, overcome with a sense of helplessness.
"I had to learn to feed myself again," he said. "I was like a baby. I had to learn to sit up so I could use a wheelchair. The only way I got through it was my faith in God."
Harris endured years of rehabilitation and counseling for PTSD. As someone in a wheelchair, he said, he sometimes fears for his safety — and a gun may be one of the few ways to protect himself and his family.
"I'm mulling it over," Harris said. "I'm afraid of my trauma hurting someone else. That's the only reason I haven't gotten one yet."
If you or someone you know has experienced the pain of a gunshot wound, and are willing to talk about the medical experience, please fill out our form here.
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Evidence from Spain's regional reforms suggests that delaying legal access to alcohol can support adolescent well-being.
Study: Minimum legal drinking age and educational outcomes. Image credit: Daisy Daisy.Shutterstock.com
A recent study in the Journal of Health Economics explores the impact of minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) changes on educational outcomes for teenagers, using different implementation timelines across Spain's regions.
Alcohol use among European teenagers is notably higher than in other parts of the world. Nearly half of European adolescents aged 15 to 16 reported drinking alcohol in the past month, and 30 % engaged in at least one binge drinking episode during that time. In comparison, just 12 % of U.S. teens aged 14 to 17 drank alcohol, and only 6 % reported binge drinking over the same period.
To curb alcohol use among adolescents, many European governments have introduced measures such as higher alcohol taxes, stricter licensing regulations, and tighter advertising restrictions.
One of the most significant changes has been the widespread increase in the MLDA. Around the year 2000, most European countries set the MLDA at 16, which is much lower than the U.S. limit of 21. Over the past two decades, however, many European nations have raised the MLDA to 18, enacting broad reforms that limit minors' access to alcohol, restrict sales, and further regulate alcohol promotion.
Research shows adolescent alcohol use negatively impacts brain development, academic performance, and long-term outcomes. Young drinkers have reduced grey and white matter and are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that hinder learning and mental health.
Despite its importance, little empirical research has examined how MLDA laws affect educational outcomes, especially in Europe, where youth may be more vulnerable to alcohol's effects. Most studies focus on the US and show mixed results, suggesting European outcomes may differ due to cultural and legal differences and higher youth drinking rates.
This paper examines the impact of raising the MLDA from 16 to 18 on educational outcomes, using the staggered introduction of the law across Spanish regions. Before 1991, the MLDA nationwide was 16.
From 1991 to 2019, regions gradually raised the MLDA to 18, usually alongside restrictions on minors' access to alcohol venues and advertising, referred to as ‘MLDA changes'. The current study focuses on reforms from 2003 to 2019, when four regions (Castile and Leon, Galicia, Asturias, and the Balearic Islands) implemented MLDA increases.
This study used a difference-in-differences approach, which revealed medium-term educational effects and peer spillovers not captured by earlier US studies using regression discontinuity designs (RDD). Teenage alcohol and substance use were measured using Spain's High School Survey on Drug Use, a biennial, anonymous in-class survey of approximately 250,000 students from 2004 to 2021.
During this period, alcohol use was widespread among Spanish teenagers, with 60% of those aged 14 to 17 having consumed alcohol in the previous month, 34 % engaging in binge drinking, and 24 % experiencing intoxication. Additionally, 19 % reported memory loss after drinking, 15 % struggled to focus at school, and 33% had hangovers.
Information on educational outcomes was obtained from two sources. Academic performance was assessed using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a triennial OECD survey that used standardized tests and measured educational inputs, covering about 180,000 students from 2003 to 2022. Educational attainment was measured using the 2021 census, focusing on individuals born between 1987 and 2002 (approximately 600,000 people); 78 % completed secondary education, and 42 % attended or completed college.
The effect of MLDA changes was estimated using a difference-in-differences approach with wild bootstrap standard errors. After the MLDA rose to 18, it became modestly harder for underage youth to get alcohol. Fewer teenagers bought alcohol in bars, but the majority obtained it through adults. Parents' attitudes remained the same, but more young people saw heavy drinking as a problem.
The MLDA changes improved educational outcomes, raising average PISA scores by about 4 % of a standard deviation. The effect was stronger for children of highly educated parents, reflecting their greater reduction in alcohol use, although this was not statistically significant. However, these results were not explained by changes in school resources, class size, instructional hours, or student effort.
Long-term, the MLDA changes did not affect secondary school completion, but there was suggestive evidence of a small increase in college attendance. Raising the MLDA was also associated with modest improvements in mental-health–related outcomes, as less access to alcohol was associated with lower use of anxiety or sleep medications.
It must be noted that the MLDA increase did not significantly affect the use of other illegal substances, smoking, or cannabis. It also had no clear impact on teens' social lives or leisure activities such as going out, internet use, gaming, or sports.
Raising the MLDA from 16 to 18 in Spain led to a decrease in underage drinking, which was consistent across age, gender, and region.
Reductions in alcohol consumption were accompanied by improvements in academic performance and a decrease in the use of anxiety and sleep medications among teens. The findings suggest that, across Europe, stricter MLDA laws could effectively improve student outcomes at a relatively low cost.
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Bagues, M. and Villa, C. (2025) Minimum legal drinking age and educational outcomes. Journal of Health Economics. 104, 103078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2025.103078. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629625001134
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On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medication Addyi (flibanserin) for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in postmenopausal women under the age of 65.
Addyi was previously approved in 2015 for the treatment of HSDD in premenopausal women. Premenopause or “before” menopause refers to the reproductive time in a cisgender woman's life when they have regular menstrual cycles.
Postmenopause refers to the time period after the person finishes menopause and no longer has a menstrual cycle. The majority of people start menopause between the ages of 49 and 52.
While people can experience HSDD at any age, it is not uncommon to experience a low libido during menopause and postmenopause. Past research shows that between 40-55% of women advancing through menopause experience low sexual desire, and about 9% of postmenopausal women have HSDD.
With the expanded approval to postmenopausal women under 65, Medical News Today spoke with three women's health experts to find out more about how Addyi works, its side effects, what does this approval mean for menopausal women, and any non-medication alternatives they suggest for low libido.
Addyi is a prescription medication manufactured by Sprout Pharmaceuticals.
“Addyi is a non hormonal medication that works on neurotransmitters in the brain to help regulate mood and increase sex drive,” Susan Marie Pacana, MD, minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon and OB/GYN at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, told MNT.
“Addyi is a medication for women that, according to the manufacturer, increases sexual desire,” Prudence Hall, MD, an OB/GYN in private practice in Santa Monica, CA, and author of Radiant Again & Forever: Overcome Menopause & Restore Your Radiance, added.
“After taking it for a month, dopamine and serotonin levels are apparently enhanced, which supposedly increases sexual desire.”— Prudence Hall, MD
With the expanded approval for postmenopausal women under the age of 65, G. Thomas Ruiz, MD, a board certified OB/GYN at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, told MNT that Addyi could now help a greater number of women.
“The group of women where I get the biggest complaints of decreased libido is in the 50 to 60 year old age bracket, so potentially this could be a very important medication for them,” Ruiz added.
Pacana, who is also a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, commented that the lack of medications for low libido has been a long-standing issue, but the new FDA approval for this treatment up to age 65 is a major step forward.
“Women of all ages present to our office with complaints of low sex drive that affect their relationships, self-esteem, and body image,” she explained. “It often is accompanied by feelings of shame, frustration and guilt when women are unable to meet their partner's sexual expectations.”
“Previously, I could prescribe it off-label for postmenopausal women, but they were unfairly denied insurance coverage. Now, with this official approval, we can finally expect insurers to cover this necessary treatment for a wider population of women.” — Susan Marie Pacana, MD
Like all medications, Addyi has known potential side effects, including:
However, Addyi also carries a “black box” warning from the FDA as when taken with alcohol or certain medications, Addyi can cause low blood pressure (severe hypotension) or a risk of fainting (syncope).
Ruiz said it would be very helpful for the drug company to issue a simple handout of all the “do's and don'ts” associated with Addyi.
“They've got to make it as least confusing for patients to use as possible, so a simple do's and don'ts information sheet would be useful,” he detailed. “And that would be useful for providers.”
For women who may not want to take medication, what other things can they do to help with a low libido? For perimenopausal and menopausal women, Hall said optimizing their declining and absent hormones is extremely effective.
“Over the 40 years of my work in this area, I commonly see women's sexuality bloom into a renaissance of youthful passion,” she explained.
“Estradiol is extremely effective for this, with the estradiol patch and compounded cream being my top two choices. When testosterone is low and replaced to youthful levels, orgasms become more easily accessed and are stronger. It is not uncommon for women to tell me that their desire is completely gone and that they can't even have an orgasm.” — Prudence Hall, MD
“Also when thyroid and adrenal stress hormones are precisely optimized, energy is increased and depression recedes. Women report that their sexuality returns to youthful levels causing a resurgence of intimacy and contentment with themselves and their relationships,” Hall continued.
Ruiz said that sometimes a low libido comes down to a lack of a female patient's understanding of how their body functions sexually, and how to communicate it to her partner.
“In terms of the first stage of sexual activity, for men arousal is instantaneous. For women, [i]t's a little bit more diffused and not as direct, so that arousal time may take 20 to 30 minutes.” — G. Thomas Ruiz, MD
“Scheduling time for intimacy where that is the primary goal, things like that are helpful. Common activities where they're together with their partner. Foreplay may take all day — it's not a crazy thing to think about. And of course a good relationship with your partner — if you don't have a good relationship with your partner, there's not going to be a sex drive,” Ruiz explained.
“I also will also encourage women to practice with self stimulation so that they understand how their body works and they communicate that to their partner,” he added. “And that actually works for menopausal women as well.”
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We explore what everyone should know about menopause with broadcaster Rachel New and menopause specialist Dr. Louise Newson.
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Chitose Laboratory Corp., (CHITOSE), a leading company of the bioeconomy and provider of advanced cell line development services, and FUJIFILM Biosciences Inc., a global leader in the innovation and manufacture of cell culture solutions for the life science market, today announced a new strategic alliance that leverages the strengths of both companies in advancing biopharmaceutical production.
CHITOSE's expertise in cell line development using the established CHO-MK cells aligns seamlessly with FUJIFILM Biosciences' advanced culture media development and manufacturing capabilities. By combining these complementary capabilities, the alliance will help accelerate biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes and support the development of innovative solutions for the industry. The growth characteristics of CHO-MK cells cultured in the optimized AdaptPD CHO-MK Platform Medium A and AdaptPD CHO-MK Feed 1 have made it possible to generate highly productive cells, resulting in higher titers and quality of the biopharmaceutical products.
With CHITOSE, its strength lies in the company's proprietary CHO-MK cell line and high-expression vector system, which enable exceptional productivity and scalability for antibody and recombinant protein production. This advantage positions CHITOSE as a key innovator in reducing manufacturing time and costs.
Together, the combined expertise of CHITOSE and FUJIFILM Biosciences is set to create comprehensive solutions that not only enhance manufacturing efficiencies but also provide an integrated approach to tackling challenges in the global biopharma landscape."
Takayuki Horiuchi, Chief Technology Officer, Chitose Laboratory Corp
FUJIFILM Biosciences complements this innovation with its state-of-the-art GMP manufactured cell culture AdaptPD CHO-MK Platform Media, designed to optimize CHO-MK cell growth and productivity across diverse biopharmaceutical applications. Leveraging decades of expertise in life sciences, FUJIFILM Biosciences' solutions ensure consistency and reliability at every stage of bioprocessing.
The collaboration brings together the unique strengths of both companies to improve the way medicines are produced, supporting the development of new therapies for patients worldwide and helping more people access life-saving treatments.
"We're excited about this strategic alliance as it underscores a shared vision of advancing therapeutic development by providing solutions designed to meet the growing demand for making biopharmaceuticals more accessible for treating conditions," said Yutaka Yamaguchi, chairman and chief executive officer at FUJIFILM Biosciences. "FUJIFILM Biosciences forms alliances with like-minded companies like CHITOSE to drive meaningful progress and to create a lasting impact across life sciences."
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To date, more than 100 clinical trials with human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived products have been initiated worldwide and an increasing number of potential hPSC-derived clinical products have entered early developmental pipelines. For off-the-shelf (allogeneic) products, the identification and selection of the right hPSC line early on during this process is of utmost importance as failure to do so may delay or completely stall product development. While developers acknowledge the importance of this issue, a comprehensive, accessible listing of globally available hPSC lines to inform cell line selection for clinical use has been elusive until now.
To address this knowledge gap, Tenneille Ludwig, WiCell Research Institute, and Melissa Carpenter, Carpenter Consulting Corporation, have screened the scientific literature, websites, and gathered information from hPSC manufacturers to identify 166 hPSC lines for use in clinical applications which are currently available from 18 global distributors. Critical details about those cell lines including informed consent procedures, donor sex, blood and HLA type, quality standards applied, and modalities for licencing and distribution were compiled into a paper published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports. This unique resource will guide researchers and developers in selecting the optimal cell line for their specific needs with the goal to drive hPSC-derived products towards the clinic.
International Society for Stem Cell Research
Carpenter, M. K. & Ludwig, T. E. (2025). Pluripotent stem cell lines available for use in clinical applications: A comprehensive overview. Stem Cell Reports. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102741. https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/fulltext/S2213-6711(25)00345-5
Posted in: Cell Biology | Medical Science News | Medical Research News
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Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
Dr. Raj Singh
Learn how digital connectivity and the PathoVerse are improving pathology workflows and accelerating access to expert diagnostics.
Yavuz Çelik
Discover how real-time cell density monitoring boosts yield, lowers media costs, and improves viability in bioprocessing.
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An estimated 5-15% of people have problems with dry eyes, with symptoms including eye redness, stinging, or burning sensation, and eye fatigue. Dry eye disease (DED) occurs when the eyes' tear glands produce insufficient or poor-quality tears which can be due to allergy or autoimmune disease, hormonal changes, aging, etc. When left untreated, DED can increase the risk of eye infections and abrasion damage to the ocular surface, which may impair vision.
A process called autophagy, which is needed to clear up a cell's interior from damaged proteins etc., is thought to be compromised in tear glands of people with DED. To understand the connection between DED and autophagy and to potentially open up new therapeutic avenues, Sovan Sarkar and his team from the University of Birmingham, UK, have generated tear gland organoids from stem cells, 3D structures resembling human tear glands. The work was recently published in Stem Cell Reports. These organoids contained the different cell types which build up human tear glands and made tear proteins required for eye lubrification and for the prevention of infections. Interestingly, when autophagy was disabled in the organoids using a genetic tool, the cellular composition of the organoids was disrupted, the secretion of tear proteins was reduced, and cell death was increased. Pharmacological intervention with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) or melatonin had a beneficial effect in this model and helped to prevent cell death and to restore tear protein secretion in the autophagy-deficient organoids.
Autophagy is essential for proper tissue development and organ function. Here, we provide genetic evidence that autophagy is required for glandular tissue development by using autophagy-deficient human embryonic stem cells to generate tear glands with developmental and functional defects."
Sovan Sarkar, University of Birmingham, UK
This new human stem cell-based tear gland model will be an accessible tool to study tear gland function and how it can be modulated to prevent or treat DED.
International Society for Stem Cell Research
Kocak, G., et al. (2025). Autophagy is required for the development and functionality of lacrimal gland-like organoids. Stem Cell Reports. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102744. https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/fulltext/S2213-6711(25)00348-0
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Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
Dr. Raj Singh
Learn how digital connectivity and the PathoVerse are improving pathology workflows and accelerating access to expert diagnostics.
Yavuz Çelik
Discover how real-time cell density monitoring boosts yield, lowers media costs, and improves viability in bioprocessing.
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Diabetes, particularly Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM), has been linked to an increased risk of various cancers, including liver, colorectal, and breast cancer. While glycemic control and weight management are crucial in managing diabetes, emerging evidence suggests these factors alone are insufficient to explain the full impact on cancer risk. This has prompted an exploration into how anti-diabetic medications might influence cancer beyond their role in controlling blood sugar and body weight. By addressing this gap, researchers aim to better understand how these medications could potentially offer benefits or pose risks in the context of cancer prevention and treatment. Given these challenges, further studies are required to fully understand the mechanisms involved.Published (DOI: 10.1093/pcmedi/pbaf028) on December 10, 2025, in Precision Clinical Medicine, this review article explores the impact of anti-diabetic medications on cancer, moving beyond the conventional focus on glycemic control and weight management. The research, conducted by experts at Peking University People's Hospital, examines how medications like metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, and GLP-1 receptor agonists might alter cancer progression through various biological pathways, offering new insights into the complex relationship between diabetes treatments and cancer outcomes.The review systematically examines the preclinical and clinical evidence linking anti-diabetic medications to cancer. Metformin, one of the most widely used anti-diabetic drugs, is shown to influence cancer through various mechanisms, including enhancing anti-cancer immunity and inhibiting tumor growth by affecting the tumor microenvironment (TME). It also modifies the activity of key cancer-related pathways like AMPK, mTOR, and PI3K/AKT, which are involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Similarly, other medications like SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists have shown potential in altering cancer cell proliferation, reducing inflammation, and promoting apoptosis. However, their effects vary depending on the type of cancer and specific drug used. For example, while metformin has shown promise in reducing the risk of colorectal and liver cancers, its effects on breast cancer remain inconclusive. Furthermore, the review highlights the importance of considering individual medications and their specific mechanisms of action, as well as the need for further clinical trials to confirm these findings and explore their therapeutic potential in cancer treatment.According to Dr. Linong Ji, one of the leading researchers in this field, "While anti-diabetic medications are crucial in managing diabetes, their broader effects on cancer are still not fully understood. This review sheds light on the intricate mechanisms through which these drugs may influence cancer progression. However, the evidence is mixed, and we must continue to investigate the long-term impacts of these medications in cancer patients, as well as the potential for developing targeted therapies based on these findings."The findings from this review underscore the importance of personalized medicine in treating diabetic patients with cancer. Understanding the specific ways anti-diabetic medications influence cancer progression could lead to better-targeted treatments, improving both cancer prevention and patient outcomes. This research also paves the way for future clinical trials to explore how existing medications can be optimized for cancer therapy or used as adjuncts to conventional treatments. The role of medications like metformin in cancer prevention could also inform public health strategies, particularly in managing diabetes and related comorbidities in populations at higher risk for cancer.
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cao, M., et al. (2025). Anti-diabetic medications and Cancer: links beyond glycemic and body weight control. Precision Clinical Medicine. DOI: 10.1093/pcmedi/pbaf028. https://academic.oup.com/pcm/article/8/4/pbaf028/8316832
Posted in: Medical Research News | Medical Condition News | Pharmaceutical News
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Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
Dr. Raj Singh
Learn how digital connectivity and the PathoVerse are improving pathology workflows and accelerating access to expert diagnostics.
Yavuz Çelik
Discover how real-time cell density monitoring boosts yield, lowers media costs, and improves viability in bioprocessing.
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A study by Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals researchers has overturned long-held assumptions about why more cancer patients don't enroll in clinical trials that could potentially save their lives.
They found that financial factors-not race or demographics-are the strongest predictors of participation in cancer research studies.
Clinical trials save lives, but financial barriers prevent too many patients from participating. Addressing the real-world costs patients face, like transportation, childcare and lost wages, can make trials more equitable and ensure advances in cancer care benefit everyone."
Weichuan Dong, adjunct assistant professor at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine & Houston Methodist
The study, recently published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, analyzed more than 12,000 cancer patients' electronic health records from University Hospitals in Northeast Ohio. The researchers learned that income, property ownership and financial stability were the most powerful factors determining enrollment in clinical trials.
Clinical trials are research studies involving people to test new ways to prevent, detect or treat diseases that, when successful, can be lifesaving. Yet only one in five cancer patients participate, according to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. The low participation rate means breakthrough treatments take longer to reach patients, and underserved communities often miss out on cutting-edge care.
"Conversations about clinical trial enrollment often focus on education and trust, but in clinical practice, we see very practical barriers," said Richard Hoehn, co-author and assistant professor of Surgical Oncology at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. "For many patients, participation comes down to logistics and money. Addressing those challenges is one of the most direct ways to make trials more inclusive."
Instead of focusing solely on demographic factors, the researchers advocate for structural solutions that address the financial realities patients face: Reimbursement programs for travel and lodging expenses, compensation for lost wages during treatment, childcare assistance for parents in trials and transportation vouchers or services.
The team is now expanding the work, integrating clinical trial data from Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and MetroHealth with the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System, the state cancer registry.
"This larger study, expected to be published in early 2026, will provide the first comprehensive map of clinical trial enrollment among cancer patients-identifying where structural barriers prevent access to potentially life-saving treatments," Dong said. "We're working to map 'clinical trial deserts' and understand how geographic and structural barriers influence access across urban, suburban and rural communities."
Case Western Reserve University
Dong, W., et al. (2025). A Novel Evaluation of Patient Socioeconomic Characteristics That Predict Clinical Trial Enrollment. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2025.7092. https://jnccn.org/view/journals/jnccn/aop/article-10.6004-jnccn.2025.7092/article-10.6004-jnccn.2025.7092.xml
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Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
Dr. Raj Singh
Learn how digital connectivity and the PathoVerse are improving pathology workflows and accelerating access to expert diagnostics.
Yavuz Çelik
Discover how real-time cell density monitoring boosts yield, lowers media costs, and improves viability in bioprocessing.
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Feeding babies peanut-containing foods as early as possible can help prevent peanut allergy, but a new study published in JAMA Network Open found that parents need more support to get it right. Interviews with parents revealed widespread confusion about the purpose, risks, and timing of early peanut introduction guidelines.
"While some parents we talked to understood correctly that starting their baby on peanut foods trains the immune system in order to prevent the development of peanut allergy, other parents mistakenly believed that the purpose is to test if their baby is allergic – a misconception that fueled fears of severe allergic reaction, leading to hesitation and delays in peanut introduction," said lead author Waheeda Samady, MD, a hospital-based pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
"For prevention of peanut allergy, timing and consistency are of the essence," she said. "We encourage peanut introduction as soon as the baby starts eating solids, before or around 6 months of age. It's also important to continue peanut exposure twice a week through the first year and into toddler years. Feeding babies peanut foods just once or twice is not enough."
Early peanut introduction guidelines were issued in 2017 following groundbreaking research showing over 80% reduction in peanut allergy development. Peanut allergy affects approximately 2% of U.S. children and is the least likely food allergy to be outgrown, making prevention through early introduction an important public health strategy.
Dr. Samady and colleagues analyzed 49 interviews with Chicago parents of infants aged 8-13 months from diverse backgrounds. Participants were recruited from primary care academic clinics, federally qualified health centers and private clinics.
Researchers also found that parents mostly did not understand that eczema places their baby at high risk for developing food allergy, making early peanut introduction even more critical.
If a baby has eczema, peanut introduction should start early, around 4 months of age, if possible, to maximize peanut allergy prevention coupled with good skincare. Pediatricians need to reinforce this message, given that most parents we interviewed were not aware that eczema increases the baby's chances of developing food allergies."
Waheeda Samady, MD, Lead Author
In the study, parents reported that pediatricians were their primary source of information about early peanut introduction.
"Pediatricians are key to successful guideline implementation, but they need better resources for families to provide comprehensive information during busy well-child visits," Dr. Samady noted. "Overall, we found that parents are accepting of early peanut introduction, but they need clearer guidance and more support."
Dr. Samady emphasized that improved messaging and resources for families should clarify that early peanut introduction prevents peanut allergy through regular dietary exposure, address the connection between eczema and food allergy risk, provide specific guidance on timing and frequency, and reassure parents about the low risk of severe allergic reactions in infants.
"Parents need to be reassured that if their baby is allergic to peanut, they may see hives, some swelling, or vomiting, but allergic reactions in infancy are usually mild," she explained. "We should empower parents with information and action plans so this does not stop them from participating in early peanut introduction."
This research was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID K23AI159517).
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Samady, W., et al. (2025). Parental Understanding and Implementation of Early Peanut Introduction. JAMA Network Open. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.50915. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2842887
Posted in: Child Health News | Medical Research News | Healthcare News
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Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
Dr. Raj Singh
Learn how digital connectivity and the PathoVerse are improving pathology workflows and accelerating access to expert diagnostics.
Yavuz Çelik
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As antibiotic-resistant infections rise and are projected to cause up to 10 million deaths per year by 2050, scientists are looking to bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, as an alternative. A new study shows how these phages use a tiny RNA molecule, called PreS, to hijack bacterial cells and boost their own replication. By acting as a hidden genetic "switch" that rewires key bacterial genes, PreS helps the virus copy its DNA more efficiently, offering important insights that could guide the design of smarter phage-based therapies.
A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals how viruses that infect bacteria, called bacteriophages or "phages," use a tiny piece of genetic material to hijack bacterial cells and make more copies of themselves.
The research shows that a very small RNA molecule, called PreS, acts like a hidden "switch" inside the bacterial cell. By flipping this switch, the virus can change how the bacterial cell works and push the infection forward.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest global health threats of our time. It is currently estimated that by 2050, infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria could kill up to 10 million people every year worldwide. One promising alternative being developed is phage therapy, using viruses that specifically attack bacteria instead of relying only on antibiotics.
By uncovering how phages use tools like PreS to take control of bacterial cells, this study provides important basic knowledge that could help scientists design smarter, more effective phage treatments in the future.
The research team at the Hebrew University, led by Dr. Sahar Melamed, PhD student Aviezer Silverman, MSc student Raneem Nashef, and computational biologist Reut Wasserman, in collaboration with Prof. Ido Golding from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discovered that the phage makes a small RNA molecule called PreS that acts as a molecular switch.
Until now, most phage research has focused on viral proteins. This study shows that phages also use RNA molecules to quickly reprogram the host cell after the bacterial genes have already been read and bacterial messages (mRNAs) were made, adding an extra layer of control during infection.
PreS attaches to these important bacterial messages and tweaks them in a way that helps the virus copy its DNA and move more efficiently toward the stage where new viruses are produced and burst out of the cell, killing the bacterium.
Using advanced methods to map RNA–RNA interactions (termed RIL-seq), the researchers found that one of PreS's key targets is a bacterial message that makes DnaN, a protein that plays a central role in copying DNA. By helping the cell make more DnaN, PreS gives the virus a strong head start in the infection process.
Interestingly, PreS works by changing the shape of the bacterial dnaN message.
Normally, part of this message is tightly folded, which makes it hard for the cell's protein-making machines (ribosomes) to access. PreS binds to this folded region, opens it up, and allows ribosomes to read and translate the message more efficiently.
The result: more DnaN protein, faster viral DNA copying, and a stronger infection. When the researchers removed PreS or disrupted the spot where it binds, the phage became weaker, multiplied more slowly, and its destructive phase was delayed.
This discovery is particularly striking because small RNAs have not traditionally been seen as major players in phage biology. Yet PreS is highly conserved in many related viruses, suggesting that phages may share a common "toolkit" of small RNAs that scientists are only beginning to uncover.
This small RNA gives the phage another layer of control. By regulating essential bacterial genes at exactly the right moment, the virus improves its chances of successful replication. What astonished us most is that phage lambda, one of the most intensively studied viruses for more than 75 years, still hides secrets. Discovering an unexpected RNA regulator in such a classic system suggests we have only grasped a single thread of what may be an entirely richer, more intricate tapestry of RNA-mediated control in phages."
Dr. Sahar Melamed
Understanding how phages control bacterial cells is crucial for both basic science and future medical applications. As the world searches for solutions to antibiotic-resistant infections, phages are drawing growing interest as a targeted, flexible therapy.
Discoveries like PreS show that even the smallest viral molecules can have a big impact on whether an infection succeeds. In the long term, this knowledge could help researchers engineer phages that are safer, more predictable, and more powerful in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Silverman, A., et al. (2025). Phage-encoded small RNA hijacks host replication machinery to support the phage lytic cycle. Molecular Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2025.11.019. https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(25)00936-0
Posted in: Cell Biology | Medical Science News | Medical Research News
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Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
Dr. Raj Singh
Learn how digital connectivity and the PathoVerse are improving pathology workflows and accelerating access to expert diagnostics.
Yavuz Çelik
Discover how real-time cell density monitoring boosts yield, lowers media costs, and improves viability in bioprocessing.
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Fertility rates in much of Sub-Saharan Africa remain high, despite declining child mortality and improved access to contraceptives and female education - factors that generally lead to smaller families and improved economic conditions in developing countries. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at men's and women's desired fertility in rural Tanzania, gauging some of the factors that influence how many children they want.
This conversation about fertility preferences is very important to the demographic transition of Sub-Saharan Africa. Families may adopt family planning practices in the short term, yet still plan to have more children in the long term, presenting a puzzle for researchers and policy makers."
Catalina Herrera Almanza, corresponding author, assistant professor, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Illinois
She co-authored the study with Aine Seitz McCarthy, associate professor of economics at Lewis & Clark College.
"There is evidence that people in poor, rural areas are having large families because they want to, not because they don't have enough access to contraception. For households that depend on agricultural labor, wanting more children can make economic sense," McCarthy said. "Men typically want more children than women, but we found that the husband's preferences can strongly influence their wife's."
The researchers evaluated the results of a 15-month family planning program for rural households in Tanzania's Meatu district, conducted in partnership with the country's Ministry of Health and the Meatu District Hospital. Local women were trained to provide education on birth spacing, the safety of contraceptives, and free birth control options available from public dispensaries.
The study followed 515 households in 12 villages, randomly assigned to one of three groups: joint consultations for couples, individual consultations for wives only, and a control group. Before and after the program, each spouse was asked privately and separately by a person of their own gender how many additional children they wanted.
Participants were, on average, 37 years old for men and 30 for women, and already had five children. Before the intervention, 89% of women were not using contraception.
"The program triggered the opportunity for these men and women to learn about their spouse's fertility preferences. Most of them had never talked about it before - about two-thirds of couples had never discussed how many children they wanted," Herrera Almanza said.
The researchers found that men, on average, wanted 4 more children, while women would like 2.4. However, after participating in the couples consultations, both spouses' fertility preferences increased. After the joint counseling, husbands desired an additional 0.77 children, while there were no differences for men who did not receive counseling.
Women who participated in joint counseling increased their desired fertility by 1.6 children. In contrast, women in the individual group reported lower desired fertility after the program. Furthermore, women in the couples' group overestimated their husbands' desire for more children after the consultations, while this was not the case for the individual group.
The researchers found the results were driven by women in polygamous marriages, which was nearly a third of the sample.
"In polygamy, this can be strategic behavior where women want children because there is no old-age security, and land inheritance follows the sons. A wife with more children might be able to claim more resources," Herrera Almanza said.
Older women were also more likely to increase their fertility preferences, perhaps reflecting a strategic desire to have as many children as possible while they can.
The researchers speculated that power imbalances in the relationship might influence the result, causing women to say they want more children simply to appease their husbands.
"This increase in desired additional fertility might seem to be 'cheap talk' that may not be backed up by actual desire to increase your fertility. For example, women who are in a domestic violence situation may be fearful and therefore be willing to go along with what their husbands are saying. However, we didn't find any evidence of that being the case. If anything, women who are more empowered in their household were more likely to increase their fertility preferences," Herrera Almanza said.
People were overall very responsive to learning about contraceptives, but they want to use them to space their children out, not to have fewer children.
This is aligned with the policy of Tanzania's Ministry of Health in Tanzania, which recommends spacing children two years apart to improve the health of both babies and mothers.
Many countries in Africa have a large proportion of young people, and this leads to policy discussions about addressing the demographic dividend by delaying the first birth for young women and men, so they can be more productive. Teen pregnancy is high, which decreases the chances of completing high school, Herrera Almanza explained.
The study highlights the dichotomy between uptake in contraceptives and preference for large families.
"If the policy goal is to address the women's desired fertility and have healthier birth spacing, then it would make more sense to have joint family planning consultations, but to avoid asking couples about the number of children they want, and allow those discussions to happen more organically," McCarthy said.
While this study only measured fertility preferences, the researchers are in the process of conducting follow-up interviews with participants, and preliminary results suggest that women are having the children they indicated they would.
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Herrera-Almanza, C. & Seitz McCarthy, A. (2025). Strategic responses to disparities in spousal desired fertility: experimental evidence from rural Tanzania. Journal of Population Economics. doi: 10.1007/s00148-025-01142-y. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00148-025-01142-y
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USMNT star Daryl Dike is the latest high-profile guest to join Adebayo Akinfenwa on the Beast Mode On Podcast. The West Bromwich Albion star opens up on his rise through college football, facing Real Madrid star Antonio Rudiger, and naming the best opponent he's gone head-to-head with throughout a meteoric rise that has earned him 10 international caps ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has come to the aid of Bruno Fernandes, saying the midfielder is only on the receiving end of “lazy” criticism because he is in the spotlight as the club's talisman. The Red Devils captain has been told he - like Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo - is an easy target for scorn because of his “enormous” contribution at Old Trafford.
Following a difficult start to the 2025-26 season, United have been in fine form in recent months under Ruben Amorim's stewardship. The 20-time champions are currently sixth in the Premier League and just two points outside of the Champions League places following a run of form which has seen them lose just one of their last 10 matches.
One man who has been key to United's rise up the table has been Fernandes, who has been back to his creative best this term. Leading by example, the 31-year-old is the league's current top assist provider with seven, while he has also found the back of the net on five occasions himself.
However, while Fernandes has been become one of the league's best performers since moving to United from Portuguese giants Sporting CP in 2020, he has come in for criticism from time to time.
A fiery character on the pitch, the former Sampdoria and Udinese has - at times - divided football fans with the way he communicates with his team-mates in the heat of battle.
While some say Fernandes' arm-waving is a sign of his passion and never-say-die attitude, others feel he should opt for a calmer approach when United are under pressure.
Very much a part of the former, ex-United forward Saha has since defended Fernandes' intensity, saying it comes with the territory of being the club's main man.
In an interview with BOYLE Sports, Saha - who represented United between 2004 and 2008, winning four major honours - said: “Bruno Fernandes is always showing the tempo, showing the commitment, and showing class on a regular basis.
“The kind of criticism this guy has been under just amazes me, it's a very cheap way to comment on football sometimes, just by claiming people should do this or do that.
“Comparisons between Fernandes and Roy Keane are understandable because he is the focal point of this team. We also saw that with Cristiano Ronaldo. They get criticism because of it, it's the lazy way to just comment on the focal point. Now we can see that the structure [at United] is better, he is thriving.
“That's why I think when you look at Bruno's contribution, it's just enormous, and it's not just about the numbers. It's his running, his intensity, and his capacity to sometimes show rage in his own way.”
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Saha's comments come after Fernandes revealed earlier in the week that he has turned down two opportunities to leave United in the past, such is his love for the club.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, he said: ”When I came to the club, apart from loving being here and loving the club, I think my loyalty was like in the toughest periods I had the club and I could have left two times. The club said, ‘No, we need you.' And I said, ‘Okay, you gave me something. I will give you something.'
“I'm very aware that I could have done a different path. I could have gone in a different way and probably won more trophies and [had more] people talking about me in a different way. Nowadays, people talk more like you are a better player or a worse player if you win or you lose trophies.”
Fernandes and United face a stern test when they travel to high-flying Aston Villa in the league on Sunday afternoon. Unai Emery's men are currently third in the table, having won their last six top-flight fixtures.
Amorim's United will then round off 2025 with successive home games against Newcastle United and winless Wolves on Friday, 26 December and Tuesday, 30 December respectively.
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In the wake of FIFA's recent reveal of the 2026 World Cup schedule, representatives from a number of nations have visited Kansas City and Lawrence to check out both areas as potential “base camp” sites for their soccer teams.
As The Star previously reported, reps from England, Germany, Colombia and South Korea have paid visits to Lawrence.
The Star was told that Argentina and Algeria visited Lawrence last week. This is especially relevant as both are scheduled to play games at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City — and a source close to the situation told The Star that Lawrence is a likely base camp location for a team playing in KC.
Which team that might be is unknown, for now. Here's the list of the seven squad that will be playing matches in KC: Netherlands, Argentina, Algeria, Tunisia, Curaçao, Ecuador and Austria.
With that, it's time for another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. Thanks, as always, for the questions ...
Are you out on Dawson or Rosario? What do they need to do to get going? @NickSpringer29
I'm not out on either one of them, but the clock is ticking on both players. As KU moves toward conference play, each must provide something that this team lacks.
That means shooting proficiency. Both players were supposed to carry the load in 2025-26, but neither is shooting better than 25% on 3-pointers.
The path to more playing time starts with hitting shots. If they can't do that, it's hard to justify having either on the court.
Does KU basketball have access to gatorade, bananas, or other advanced technology for hydration and cramping?
I believe so (lol). Here's what coach Bill Self said when I asked him about it.
“We've talked to everybody,” he said. “We've only had a couple of guys that have had this. Devonte' (Graham) probably had it as bad as anyone. He worked through it, but it took a while to work through it. ...
“Everybody has an idea of (how to fix this), whether it's mustard packets or eating bananas or drinking this (drink) ... there's a lot of things that people can do. And sometimes your body just doesn't react how it reacts to a nephew or uncle('s remedy) in your family.”
If you didn't want to go to work, what injury would you use? @bewarephog
I can't remember the last time I took a sick day, but when I was a kid I usually went with a stomach ache.
Nobody can really question it and make you prove your stomach doesn't hurt, so it's pretty safe.
I didn't miss a ton of school days, either, though. My parents could usually figure out when I was lying, so I didn't try it too often. Ha ha.
As for how this pertains to Peterson, I really do believe he has cramps and wants to play. It's clear that this is a frustrating situation for everyone involved — one that will hopefully be resolved soon.
What's Santa need to bring to both KU programs? @MrEd315
For KU basketball, it's a healthy Darryn Peterson. Simple as that.
For KU football, it's a little more complicated. The Jayhawks have a lot of needs to address, with 33 departing seniors and a number of players in the transfer portal.
So, I think the best hope football-wise is that Kansas can bring in impact transfers at such positions of need as linebacker and defensive line.
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 11:51 AM.
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After Tyler Adams was withdrawn only minutes into Bournemouth's 4-4 draw against Manchester United on Monday, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola confirmed the worst. Adams suffered a torn MCL and could be out for around two to three months, which not only delivers a blow to Bournemouth, but could also put his participation in critical United States men's national team friendlies in March, facing Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta, in doubt, and adds questions about his potential fitness for the World Cup itself.
In his pre-match presser ahead of facing Burnley on Saturday, Iraola made it clear that losing Adams is a blow to the Cherries and it's something that may force a tactical rethink.
"We've had some experiences before with other players. Remembering Lewis Cook, [James] Tavernier. Normally two, three months. Two months, optimistic two months, pessimistic three, something like this," Iraola said. "So, yes, it's a big blow. It's a big blow because it's an important player for us. But straight away, when you see the mechanism, the action, we were feeling that there could be something there. Yes.
"Tyler is very valuable for us. I think he's also a very unique player, very specific player in what he does. But we also have options. Alex [Scott] has been playing there as a number six. We have Lewis Cook, that is his natural position, and we recover him from the suspension. But it's true that he's a player that is difficult to replace because he's very, very unique," Iraola continued.
Those qualities are what have made Adams indispensable for club and country. Scott isn't a natural number six, and Cook is more of a possession number six than the defensive shield that Adams has been. He's also added a long shot to his game with two goals this season in 15 league appearances for Bournemouth.
On the bright side, this injury isn't one that is currently set to keep Adams out of the 2026 World Cup, but that doesn't mean that there isn't reason for Mauricio Pochettino to be concerned as well. Adams captained the United States men's national team, and he'd likely be in the running to do the same in 2026 on home soil, if he can stay on the pitch that is.
Pochettino has now managed 22 games for the USMNT since taking over in September of 2024. Adams has only been available for 10 of them, missing time with various injuries. The Argentine has worked on a contingency plan due to the USMNT also not having another defensive midfielder of Adams' quality, and he has introduced a back three to cover the midfield while progressing the ball out wide.
A healthy Adams would give Pochettino tactical flexibility, being able to set up in a 4-2-3-1 against top teams without needing to worry about cover, but over the past few years, a healthy Adams has become more of a hope than an expectation. The heights of what the USMNT can do with him in the engine room were seein in 2022 durign a 0-0 draw with England as Adams marshalled the defense and with the World Cup on home soil, the hope is that he could help lead them past the round of 16 for the first time since 2002 when they were knocked out by Germany in the quarter finals of the tournament.
But to do that, Adams will need to be on the pitch, and after missing significant time since coming to the Premier League to join Leeds United, it's unknown if Adams will ever be 100% again. But some Adams on the pitch is better than none, and that's where his recovery and how his playing time in the spring will be critical in the buildup to the World Cup.
If Adams isn't 100% come the World Cup, then Pochettino will need to take a look at what his other options are in defensive midfield:
Weston McKennie: Despite being in and out of the USMNT and having his position shuffled from being a winger, a 10 or a box-to-box midfielder, McKennie is still atop the central midfield depth charts for the USMNT. Few players can bring the magic like McKennie when it comes to unleashing devastating passes or arriving in the box to head in a goal. Consistency has been an issue for the American over the years, but as his playing time with Juventus ramps back up, the expectation would be for McKennie to be back with the national team in March for the push toward the World Cup.
Tanner Tessmann: Growing as a player by the day at Lyon, Tessmann is likely the next man up as a defensive midfielder for the USMNT, but he's also been playing center back for the French side, which could make him valuable elsewhere in the World Cup squad. Tessmann's rise has been rapid since leaving Venezia for Lyon, and with the club taking part in the Europa League and pushing for a Champions League place in Ligue One, he's gaining experience that will translate to the heightened pressure of a World Cup on home soil.
Aidan Morris: There was a time when it seemed like Morris would be the next man up if anything were to happen to a player like Adams, but injuries have stunted his season, while Middlesbrough has also gone through a managerial shift during the season as Kim Hellberg has taken over for Michael Carrick. Boro are still reliant on Morris when he's healthy, but the rise of Tessmann and the uncertainty at the club has also pushed him down the USMNT depth chart.
Other players to consider: There's still a strong chance that Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan could start when the World Cup kicks off after his strong performances under Pochettino without McKennie, but no matter what, he's in a position to be a squad player for the USMNT as things kick off. Johnny Cardoso is another player who has struggled to stay healthy and break into the XI for Atletico Madrid, but if he does so ahead of the March international break, that's another player who could be an x-factor in the squad. Sebastian Berhalter has been the best player in the squad at set piece delivery, which needs to be taken into consideration, and while Yunus Musah is also struggling for playing time, given his talent level, there could be a conversation to have if he earns more playing time at Atalanta.
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White House aides asked that the trophy for the new Fifa Peace Prize created for Donald Trump should be as tall as the World Cup, sources have told this column.
It is understood that the US president's officials were consulted about both the glittering gold trophy and the ceremony where it was awarded to Trump before the World Cup draw by Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, this month. The Nobel Peace Prize winner only gets a medal, whereas Trump was given the trophy, a medal and a certificate by Fifa.
And for those who thought it was incongruous that two US marines should carry in the peace trophy, the original White House idea was that the soldiers should be next to Trump when he was presented with the award, but Fifa must have talked them out of it.
Meanwhile, Infantino's previous references to the draw venue as the Trump-Kennedy Cultural Center displayed remarkable insight — the name change from the John F Kennedy Center was only confirmed by the White House this Thursday.
The Times has approached both Fifa and the White House for comment, and also asked whether the trophy will remain with Trump permanently or whether he will return it at the end of the year. No response had been received at the time of publication.
Where does all the Fifa World Cup ticket money go? A not insignificant chunk will have gone on 500 officials from 211 countries being flown to Doha, Qatar, this week for a jamboree.
Infantino has more than tripled the number of committees from nine to more than 30, providing hundreds of new officials with generous per diems of $500 (about £375) when attending meetings, as well as business-class flights and five-star hotels. Fifa's bill for the “inaugural committee plenary session” is expected to be £3million.
Ironically, Infantino was part of a reform panel that reduced the number of standing committees before his 2016 election. Perhaps like his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, he realised that a bloated committee structure is a good way of handing out favours to the people who vote for him.
Russian influence in Olympic sports continues despite the country's ban from the Games, with shooting now caught up in claims of a vote-buying controversy involving an oligarch.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has announced an independent investigation into the re-election of Alexander Ratner, a Russian-born German citizen, as president of the European Shooting Confederation.
His defeated opponent, Karoliina Nissinen of Finland, registered a complaint after Ratner promised in his manifesto that a Russian oligarch, Vladimir Lisin, would provide each of the 51 member nations €200,000 (€23.1million, about £20.2million, in total) if they extended his presidency.
Lisin was present at the vote in Armenia in October despite being forced to stand down as the ISSF president three years ago, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Ratner has denied any wrongdoing in an email, dismissing the claims of “a defeated candidate”. He said Lisin has been “the main and traditional sponsor of the European and international shooting sports for over 15 years”.
Nissinen objected to Ratner's offer, saying federations operating on an annual budget of as little as €50,000 per year were suddenly given a huge incentive to vote for him. She said in her complaint to the ISSF that Lisin had told her: “This is money I will give to whoever I want, to whoever I like, and to whoever supports my candidate.”
Oldham rugby league club decided to mark their 150th anniversary with a commemorative shirt saying “150 — Stronger Together” on the back.
Unfortunately, spelling was not the manufacturer's strong point and hundreds have been printed with the words “Stronger Toghether”. The club have told fans who have bought them as Christmas presents that they will replace them for free once correctly spelt versions arrive in the new year, but insiders say many supporters have chosen to buy the duds as a collector's item.
England's Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor are in the running to referee at the 2026 World Cup, having been chosen by Fifa to attend a seminar in March as part of the pre-selection process. France is the only other European country to have two referees selected.
Another English official, Chris Kavanagh, has been promoted to Uefa's elite referees group, having been in charge of a number of Champions League games.
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New Jersey might charge its own congestion pricing toll to World Cup soccer fans driving to MetLife Stadium to see the finals next summer.
Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said a Jersey congestion pricing toll is a possibility after talking to reporters at her second diner tour stop in Waldwick on Wednesday.
Sherrill, a Democrat won last month's election to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, responded to a comment from a radio reporter that a resident suggested New Jersey drivers should not pay New York's $9 congestion pricing fee to go to FIFA World Cup events in New York City.
“Or people coming to our state from New York will pay us a congestion toll so they can enjoy the game,” Sherrill replied.
When asked if it's a possibility for the World Cup games, she said: “Yeah, certainly.”
This isn't the first time a congestion pricing fee to enter New Jersey has been suggested after New York implemented a law passed in 2019 that led to the program that charges drivers a toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street and started on Jan. 5. 2025.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop proposed a reverse toll on New Yorkers in April 2019 that would exempt New Jersey residents. He included that idea in his 2023 transportation platform when he ran for the Democratic nomination for governor.
His 2023 plan would have charged a fee only to New York drivers coming to the state and dedicated those revenues to PATH and Light Rail improvements. Fulop lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to Sherrill in June 2025.
There are few examples of highway tolls being charged for a specific event.
A toll agency in Washington State did the opposite on Dec. 11, when the Washington State Transportation Commission voted not to charge a $1 surcharge in addition to regular tolls to use the Highway 99 tunnel in Seattle during the summer World Cup games.
That idea was proposed by state lawmakers as a way to cover cost of handling additional traffic during the games in June and July.
In 2024, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority wanted to charge the New York City Marathon organizers $750,000 to use the Verrazzano Narrows bridge.
The charge was to make up for lost toll revenue and planned to limit runners to using the bridge's lower deck instead of both the upper and lower decks, the New York Times reported.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the MTA to drop it.
The MTA also tried to charge Bike New York, the organization that runs the annual Five Boro Bike Tour, a fee to use the bridge's lower level to compensate for lost tolls in March 2024.
The reverse toll was mentioned after Sherrill was asked a question about New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani referring to the World Cup finals as a New York event. New Jersey and New York made a joint bid to FIFA to be host cities.
“With all due respect, maybe he doesn't know where the games are going to be played because that's in New Jersey,” she said, adding the state is proud to host the games and the fan zone in Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
“Governor-elect Sherrill is fully committed to hosting the most exciting and successful World Cup Final in history,” said Sean Higgins, a Sherrill spokesman. “And she is equally committed to ensuring that New Jersey sees as much benefit from our investment as possible, both to the state and to its residents.”
Sherrill, a former congresswoman, will take office Jan. 20.
Larry Higgs is the transportation and commuting reporter at NJ.com and the Star-Ledger, covering a wide range of topics affecting how we travel in one of the most congested states in the country. Whether on... more
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RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Sébastien Haller, who led host nation Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations title in the last edition, has been ruled out of the tournament starting on Sunday because of injury.
The Ivorian Federation of Football said on social media on Friday that Haller will miss the event in Morocco because of an injury sustained while playing for Dutch team Utrecht. Haller reportedly injured his hamstring in a match against NAC Breda last Sunday.
He was to be replaced in the Ivorian squad by Aston Villa player Evann Guessand.
Haller missed the start of the 2023 Africa Cup because of an ankle injury but he returned to score winning goals against Congo in the semifinals and Nigeria in the final as the host team completed a remarkable turnaround after near elimination.
Haller became the team's hero one year after returning from cancer treatment.
Ivory Coast begins its title defense on Wednesday against Mozambique. Host Morocco plays the opening match against Comoros in Rabat on Sunday.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
For the first time in the Premier League era, there is only one top-flight fixture scheduled for Boxing Day this season.
Whether or not there is any football on Christmas Day, a break from a century-old Boxing Day tradition in Premier League is something else. Normally, there is a full slate of English top tier football action on December 26, but for 2025/26 there is just one - Manchester United vs Newcastle United.
Amid all the fixtures from across various competitions on TV on Boxing Day, and while all other Premier League games from Matchweek 18 are instead spread across Saturday (December 27) and Sunday (December 28), GOAL looks at why it was necessary...
The Premier League intentionally scheduled just one match on December 26 — Manchester United vs Newcastle — due to wider fixture congestion and broadcast contract requirements.
To put it into context, with December 26 falling on a Friday and the league committed to 33 weekends of matches, plus the expanded European season, the only broadcast slot available that day went to the United–Newcastle match.
As a result, this season, only one Premier League match was scheduled for December 26.
Football fanatics need not fear, however, since there is still a plethora of matches on TV on Boxing Day 2026.
Liverpool fans can keep a close eye on Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Egypt vs South Africa live on Channel 4 at 3pm. There are three other AFCON games on TV on Boxing Day, with Angola vs Zimbabwe on at 12:30pm, Zambia vs Comoros on at 5:30pm and Morocco vs Mali on at 8pm.
Fans of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham can watch their game against Sheffield United at 5:30pm live on Sky Sports Main Event. In fact, there is a whole slate of Championship action on Sky Sports+, including Birmingham City vs Derby County and Millwall vs Ipswich Town.
With just the United-Newcastle game on December 26 this season, Premier League has acknowledged this impacts a long-standing Boxing Day tradition in English football. However, the league has assured that when the date falls on a weekend in future seasons, more Boxing Day matches will return. So next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday.
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Scott McTominay has received glowing praise from an unlikely source after Hollywood star Timothee Chalamet hailed the midfielder following his heroics in Scotland's successful World Cup-qualifying campaign. The Napoli ace scored a stunning overhead kick to help his country defeat Denmark and book their place at next summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
In search of a hero in their quest to qualify for their first World Cup in almost 30 years, McTominay stepped up for Scotland when they really needed him. With a packed-out Hampden Park bouncing on a cold, Tuesday night on 18 November, the 29-year-old inspired his nation to the perfect start with a remarkable bicycle kick inside three minutes.
However, that was just the beginning of what turned out to be a long, anxious rollercoaster for Scotland. After McTominay's Napoli team-mate Rasmus Hojlund equalised from the penalty spot for Denmark in the second half, Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland fired Scotland back in front after 78 minutes.
The home fans were not celebrating for too long, however, as Denmark left-back Patrick Dorgu levelled the affair just four minutes later. Needing another hero to step up in the dying embers of the game, Scotland received two, as both Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean scored in stoppage time, the latter doing so from his own half, as Steve Clarke's men reached their first World Cup since 1998.
Following McTominay's incredible contribution to Scotland's emotional victory, the former Manchester United man was lauded by his manager after the full-time whistle. Speaking to BBC Scotland, Clarke said: "Scott McTominay scored the best overhead kick I've ever seen and it might not have been the best goal of the night!”
And when discussing the game as a whole, he added: “It was a lot of emotions. High and low. At times, you're looking for solutions and thinking how to change it. I knew at some stage we'd have to go two up front.
"I felt the Danes were dominating us a little. It seemed like a good time [to make the changes]. Whether they were 10 or 11 [men], we were going to do that.
"I spoke to Kieran (Tierney) before the first game. He's a key player for me, one of my men. I've got loads of them. Fourteen were involved in the play-off game.
"I'm not sure I envisioned the goal... but when it was rolling back to him on his left foot, I knew he would score.”
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And just over a month after his overhead kick, McTominay is continuing to receive plenty of plaudits - although they are now starting to come from influential figures outside of football.
While he may have needed a brief breakdown of both a goal and a result he was clearly unaware of beforehand, two-time Oscar nominee Chalamet was soon full of praise for McTominay upon learning of his brilliant strike.
In an interview with the BBC, the Call Me By Your Name and A Complete Unknown actor - who is currently promoting his new film, ‘Marty Supreme', which releases in the United Kingdom on Boxing Day, described McTominay as “fantastic” when learning who scored Scotland's goals in their thrilling win.
After Chalamet was then told of McLean's miraculous effort from inside his own half, the 24-year-old told the BBC's Scottish reporter, Colin Paterson: “Fantastic, I will watch that (Scotland's 4-2 victory). Hey, good luck to you guys!”
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After first getting his head around receiving praise from arguably the best male actor of his generation, McTominay will then be busy preparing for Napoli's return to Serie A action on Sunday. Antonio Conte's men, who are currently third in the table, travel to Jamie Vardy's Cremonese, who are 11th.
Meanwhile, Chalamet is a name to keep an eye out for when the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards are announced on Thursday, 22 January 2026. The American-French talent is being widely tipped to receive his third Oscar nod following his performance in Marty Supreme, where he plays an aspiring table tennis champion.
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by: James Robson, The Associated Press
Posted: Dec 19, 2025 / 10:38 AM EST
Updated: Dec 19, 2025 / 10:38 AM EST
by: James Robson, The Associated Press
Posted: Dec 19, 2025 / 10:38 AM EST
Updated: Dec 19, 2025 / 10:38 AM EST
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The winner of the 2026 World Cup will receive $50 million from a $655 million prize pool, FIFA said Wednesday in announcing record financial rewards for teams in a tournament with ticket prices that have sparked outcries.
The champion's figure is up from $42 million won by Argentina in 2022 and $38 million gained by France in 2018 but less than half of what Chelsea earned for winning the much less-hyped Club World Cup this year.
The total prize fund for the World Cup, staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, is up 48.9% from the $440 million for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The 2026 total will be nearly six times the $110 million in prize money for the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. FIFA president Gianni Infantino in 2023 set a target of equal prize money for men and women at their next World Cups — the next women's tournament is scheduled for 2027 in Brazil.
The Club World Cup, controversially expanded from seven teams to 32 and shoehorned into the soccer calendar last summer, had a total prize fund of $1 billion. Chelsea won the top prize of up to $125 million for a tournament that faced fierce resistance from players and leagues and drew sparse crowds for some matches.
FIFA has a different distribution model for the national team and club tournaments, with the disparity in prize money reflecting factors such as clubs with higher wage costs than national teams.
Beyond prize money, further funds are put toward development of soccer globally.
Infantino said the World Cup will be “groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community.”
In Europe, the Champions League also has a much bigger top prize than the European Championship for national teams. The maximum winnings for last year's Euros were 28.5 million euros ($33.5 million). Real Madrid picked up around $154 million for winning the Champions League in the same year. Both competitions are run by European soccer's governing body UEFA.
FIFA approved the prize money for the World Cup at a meeting of its council in Doha. In March it projected revenue for its current four-year cycle through 2026 at $13 billion, up from $7.5 billion for 2019-22.
Each of the 48 national federations at the expanded 2026 World Cup will receive $1.5 million for preparation costs and $9 million for participating in the group stage, the same as for the 2022 tournament.
Teams advancing to the new round of 32 get $11 million and those reaching the round of 16 receive $15 million. Nations reaching the quarterfinals are paid $19 million, the fourth-place team $27 million, the third-place team $29 million and the final loser $33 million.
Including participation fees, FIFA will distribute $727 million to the 48 federations.
Each federation decides what to pay its players. The French sports daily L'Equipe reported France players were in line for a bonus of $586,000 by their federation if they won the trophy in 2022. France was ultimately beaten by Argentina in the final.
The U.S. Soccer Federation's 2022 collective bargaining agreements with the unions for its men's and women's national teams call for prize money for men in 2026 and women in 2027 to be pooled together, and 80% of the money to be distributed among the players.
___
AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.
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FC Bayern officially loses two world championship titles – a FIFA decision with far-reaching consequences. The reform of the Club World Cup means that previous titles will be re-evaluated. Munich are also affected
FC Bayern can no longer officially call themselves Club World Champions in future due to a fundamental reform of the FIFA Club World Cup, which has far-reaching consequences for all previous title holders – including the German record champions
With the introduction of the new FIFA Club World Cup in XXL format from 2025, the world governing body has made a historic change. In future, the competition will only be held every four years and will include 32 teams for the first time. As part of this reorientation, FIFA has reclassified all previous Club World Cup titles won between 2000 and 2023. The designation „Club World Champion“ will be withdrawn retroactively
This decision is particularly controversial for FC Bayern, who won the FIFA Club World Cup twice – in 2013 and 2020, both a few months after their Champions League triumph. According to FIFA statistics, these successes will no longer be considered world championship titles in future
Instead, all previous winners will now be listed as „FIFA Intercontinental Champions“. In doing so, the world governing body is formally moving the old Club World Cup to a new level and clearly separating it from the new competition, which was first played in 2025. Chelsea FC is the first official winner of this new Club World Cup and therefore, from FIFA's perspective, the first „real“ Club World Cup champion of the new era
With this renaming, FIFA wants to make it clear that the new Club World Cup is not seen as a further development, but as a completely new competition. In order to nevertheless maintain an annual international club title, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup was introduced at the same time. This competition effectively replaces the old Club World Cup on an annual basis
The winners of the six most important continental competitions take part in the Intercontinental Cup – including the UEFA Champions League, the Copa Libertadores and the Champions Leagues of the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF and OFC. Paris Saint-Germain won this title in 2025 and was therefore no longer awarded the title of world champion, but of intercontinental champion
The renaming is therefore less motivated by sporting considerations than a strategic decision by FIFA to clearly define and enhance the status of the new tournament
Formally, FC Bayern will lose two World Cup titles in the official FIFA count, but the Munich club will continue to list their successes as „FIFA Club World Cup Winners“ on their own club website
However, the World Cup triumphs of 1976 and 2001 remain unaffected. The World Cup was an independent competition between the Champions League and Copa Libertadores winners. However, in 2017 FIFA also retroactively awarded these winners the title of „Club World Champion“ – a decision that is at least called into question by the current reform
In addition to FC Bayern, almost all international heavyweights will be affected by the revocation: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Liverpool FC, Manchester City and many others will lose their previous world champion status. In total, all Club World Cup winners between 2000 and 2023 will be affected
So far, neither FC Bayern nor other top clubs have publicly criticized the decision, but one thing is clear: the reform is causing discussions – not only about titles, but also about the sovereignty of interpretation in international club soccer.
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Dele Alli has hinted that a return to the professional ranks may be pending, with the former Tottenham midfielder continuing his search for a new club. The ex-England international has been a free agent since seeing his contract at Serie A side Como terminated. He has been working on an individual fitness programme, allowing him to stay sharp while waiting on offers.
Dele saw his Italian job cut short in September 2025. He had stepped out of his comfort zone and left British shores late in 2024. Any hope of getting his career back on track while working under ex-Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas quickly faded.
Just one substitute appearance was taken in for Como, with that outing lasting less than 10 minutes after an unfortunate red card was collected against AC Milan. No more minutes were seen prior to his release.
Inevitable questions have been asked of what happens next for Dele. At 29 years of age, he should be at his peak. He has, however, seen virtually no game time since enduring more injury struggles during a forgettable loan spell at Turkish side Besiktas in 2023.
No extension was earned at Everton after taking in just 13 appearances for the Toffees, which dropped him into the free agent pool for the first time. With his Como adventure also turning into a disaster, Dele is considered to have made his way into the last-chance saloon.
Fellow former Spurs star Stephen Carr told GOAL recently: "It's scary how he's fallen. He's only 29, just gone past being in his peak, but the amount of football he has played in the last few years is very low.
"It's very hard. It's no different to when you get injured, you do all the training and getting back fit takes time. He's missed a lot of football. The way he sounds, it seems he still has the hunger. But his chances are getting very slim now."
Carr added on Dele having to earn another chance: "Wherever he ends up, he isn't going to get to pick. It could be a trial where you have to prove it. It's whether he has the stomach for that. I've done it myself, going for a trial. For me, it didn't bother me. It's very difficult, it's a different situation.
"I don't know the lad, his personality or the people around him. He has fallen from grace dramatically. It's very difficult to get back in. I know your head says it, but his body won't be saying it because he hasn't played in so long and he's not used to it."
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Dele appears ready to embrace any opportunities that come his way. He has posted another picture on social media that shows him booted up and being put through his paces. A proven Premier League performer now needs the phone to ring.
It could be that he is offered a return to action in the EFL, allowing him to rebuild slowly. Following talk of interest from the likes of Wrexham, Birmingham and Swansea, ex-MK Dons striker Clinton Morrison told GOAL of Championship sides taking a punt: “If I'm a Championship manager or chairman, I'm looking to sign Dele Alli. I'm giving him the love that he needs, arm around the shoulder and say ‘you're going to be the main man here, we'll give you the game time'. You have got to get fit and earn the right, but when he is fit and flying there aren't many players that are as good as Dele Alli in the Championship.
"I do believe that he doesn't need to think about the Premier League and maybe take a step back to the Championship and play football there. Go and enjoy yourself. That's what you want, Dele Alli enjoying himself and playing with a smile on his face and showcasing his ability. We know he has got loads of ability and that's what you want from him."
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Dele has taken in close to 200 Premier League appearances over the course of his career, scoring 51 goals. He is a two-time PFA Young Player of the Year, with 37 senior England caps to his name, and was once linked with La Liga giants Real Madrid.
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RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The Africa Cup of Nations begins Sunday with host Morocco aiming to put on a spectacle befitting its quest to become a global soccer power.
The four-week tournament has been framed as a high-visibility dress rehearsal for the World Cup in 2030, when Morocco will be one of the main co-hosts, and the kingdom has embarked one of the most aggressive infrastructure programs in African sporting history to prepare.
Twenty-four teams from across the continent will compete in nine new or completely renovated stadiums in six cities. Morocco is among the favorites after its unprecedented run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
Defending champion Ivory Coast enjoyed a hardly believable run to the title as host last time out, and Nigeria will hope to go one better after losing the final.
Sadio Mané's Senegal is back again after winning the 2021 edition, and Egypt will hope speculation over Mohamed Salah's future does not distract the team from claiming a record-extending eighth continental crown.
Here's all you need to know about the 35th edition of the biennial tournament:
Guinea was initially scheduled to host the 2025 edition, but the West African country was stripped of the tournament in 2022 when the organizing Confederation of African Football determined the country would not have adequate infrastructure and facilities in place. Morocco, which was stripped of the tournament in 2015, offered to step in. Every Africa Cup since 2013 has been moved because of problems with the original host.
This tournament was initially meant to be played in the summer, but CAF agreed to postpone it so it wouldn't clash with FIFA's new Club World Cup competition.
CAF switched the Africa Cup to a summer schedule in 2017, effective from the 2019 tournament in Egypt. Then the 2021 tournament that was postponed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic was switched to January because of the “unfavorable climatic conditions” during summer in host nation Cameroon.
Morocco, which won in 1976, is under pressure to claim what would be just its second Africa Cup title. The Atlas Lions begin their quest against tiny Comoros in the newly constructed 69,500-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday. Also in Group A are Mali and Zambia.
Group B sees a clash between Egypt and South Africa, which eliminated Morocco at the last edition, while Angola and Zimbabwe will hope to upset the favorites.
Nigeria will be expected to emerge from Group C, where the Super Eagles will face Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.
Senegal and Congo face off in Group D, alongside Benin and Botswana. Congo was only beaten by eventual winner Ivory Coast in the semifinals at the last edition.
Algeria is under pressure in Group E after a group-stage exit in the last edition. The Desert Foxes will face Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan.
Group F sees a tussle between defending champion Ivory Coast and five-time champion Cameroon, whose preparations have been overshadowed by the firing of the coach amid a dispute with federation president Samuel Eto'o. Gabon and Mozambique complete the group.
Four-time winners Ghana didn't qualify.
The top two in each group and the four best third-place teams will progress to the knockout stage.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi's face beams from — it seems — every advertising display sign in Rabat. Time will tell if he recovers from an ankle injury to feature for the team.
Salah will be the focus of attention in the Egypt camp amid speculation he could leave Liverpool after he vented his frustrations at his lack of playing time there. The 33-year-old Salah has never won the Africa Cup, but he went close in 2017 and 2022 when Egypt reached the finals.
Victor Osimhen remains Nigeria's key player. The Galatasaray forward's absence through injuries is a big reason the Super Eagles did not qualify for next year's World Cup.
Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo will be key for Cameroon's hopes, and Yan Diomande is expected to sparkle for Ivory Coast after his brilliant start to the season for German club Leipzig.
The Africa Cup will be shown on beIN Sports in the United States and Canada. The Qatari broadcaster also holds rights to show the tournament in France and many other countries.
“AFCON is a fantastic international tournament that is only gaining greater recognition on the world footballing stage,” Richard Verow, beIN's chief sports officer, told The Associated Press.
Channel 4 will show the tournament free-to-air in the United Kingdom, Movistar is showing it in Spain, Sportdigital will broadcast it in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and Sport Italia will show it in Italy.
CAF published a full list of European broadcasters on its website.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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In Cobb County, the Atlanta United Training facility will serve as a base camp. Teams will also train at Kennesaw State University and Paces Academy. FOX 5's Denise Dillon has more.
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Some of the teams in the FIFA World Cup will be training in Cobb County, and county leaders are expecting big crowds as fans try to get a glimpse of their favorite players.
"The more popular the team, the more crowds we can anticipate," said Cobb EMA Director Cassie Mazloom.
What they're saying:
The county says there will be extra public safety, transportation and emergency management needs.
To help with this, the county has applied for millions of dollars in federal grants, including one which would be used for training and overtime for personnel and another to enhance the county's ability to detect unauthorized drone activity.
"We really have to be conscientious in our planning, to make sure we're very detailed, to make sure we're ready to meet that demand from a public safety standpoint," said Cobb County Public Safety Director Mike Register.
The backstory:
Cobb has experience when it comes to large sporting events. The county hosted the MLB All-Star game this past summer at Truist Park.
"You look at MLB All Star week, it was a condense area, this is going to be spread out," said Register.
The international fans will add another twist.
"You're going to have fans from across the globe. Of course we have an international airport in Cobb County that we'll be addressing from a public safety standpoint," said Register.
What's next:
Cobb leaders have already had numerous planning sessions with the local, state and federal partners to prepare for the FIFA World Cup. There will be many more meetings before the World Cup. Cobb leaders say they'll be ready.
"I'm honored to be part of a county that will host FIFA. I'm looking forward to a very enjoyable, safe event," Register.
What we don't know:
Cobb County officials say they won't know which teams will be training in Cobb until March.
The Source: This is an original report by FOX 5's Denise Dillon, who spoke with Cobb County leaders about how they are preparing for the influx of people.
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Similar to the work the WTA has done, the policy aims to ensure players and staff feel safe from abuse on tour and know how to report inappropriate behavior.ByAssociated PressPublished Dec 19, 2025 copy_link
Published Dec 19, 2025
© 2025 Silvia Lore
LONDON (AP) — The ATP Tour set out a new safeguarding policy Friday which aims to ensure players and staff feel safe from abuse on tour and know how to report inappropriate behavior.In a move which mirrors work done by the WTA in women's tennis, the ATP's code of conduct sets out how investigations should be conducted and a range of potential punishments, from reprimands up to permanently revoking access to its tournaments.The ATP also says it will launch training for players, coaches and staff throughout next year.Read more: The ATP is adding a heat rule like the one the women have had for more than 30 years"Everyone involved in our events — from players and their teams to staff and volunteers — deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued," chief executive Eno Polo said in a statement. "This program helps make that a reality. By introducing clear protections against abuse, we're strengthening the culture of tennis and aligning our sport with global standards of governance and care."The code of conduct covers areas like bullying, sexual harassment and violence, as well as behavior which could constitute an "abuse of trust" in a professional relationship.
In a move which mirrors work done by the WTA in women's tennis, the ATP's code of conduct sets out how investigations should be conducted and a range of potential punishments, from reprimands up to permanently revoking access to its tournaments.The ATP also says it will launch training for players, coaches and staff throughout next year.Read more: The ATP is adding a heat rule like the one the women have had for more than 30 years"Everyone involved in our events — from players and their teams to staff and volunteers — deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued," chief executive Eno Polo said in a statement. "This program helps make that a reality. By introducing clear protections against abuse, we're strengthening the culture of tennis and aligning our sport with global standards of governance and care."The code of conduct covers areas like bullying, sexual harassment and violence, as well as behavior which could constitute an "abuse of trust" in a professional relationship.
The ATP also says it will launch training for players, coaches and staff throughout next year.Read more: The ATP is adding a heat rule like the one the women have had for more than 30 years"Everyone involved in our events — from players and their teams to staff and volunteers — deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued," chief executive Eno Polo said in a statement. "This program helps make that a reality. By introducing clear protections against abuse, we're strengthening the culture of tennis and aligning our sport with global standards of governance and care."The code of conduct covers areas like bullying, sexual harassment and violence, as well as behavior which could constitute an "abuse of trust" in a professional relationship.
Read more: The ATP is adding a heat rule like the one the women have had for more than 30 years"Everyone involved in our events — from players and their teams to staff and volunteers — deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued," chief executive Eno Polo said in a statement. "This program helps make that a reality. By introducing clear protections against abuse, we're strengthening the culture of tennis and aligning our sport with global standards of governance and care."The code of conduct covers areas like bullying, sexual harassment and violence, as well as behavior which could constitute an "abuse of trust" in a professional relationship.
"Everyone involved in our events — from players and their teams to staff and volunteers — deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued," chief executive Eno Polo said in a statement. "This program helps make that a reality. By introducing clear protections against abuse, we're strengthening the culture of tennis and aligning our sport with global standards of governance and care."The code of conduct covers areas like bullying, sexual harassment and violence, as well as behavior which could constitute an "abuse of trust" in a professional relationship.
The code of conduct covers areas like bullying, sexual harassment and violence, as well as behavior which could constitute an "abuse of trust" in a professional relationship.
The image the ATP shared in conjunction with the announcement.© ATP Tour
© ATP Tour
It also commits players, coaches and tour personnel to report any concerns about abusive behavior and to tell the ATP's safeguarding director if they are facing investigations from police or social services about "any behavior constituting either a criminal offence or a safeguarding concern."Friday's launch of the safeguarding program brings more structure to the tour's approach, which was previously in the spotlight when the ATP commissioned an investigation in 2021 into German player Alexander Zverev. The ATP said in 2023 that the investigation found "insufficient evidence" to substantiate domestic abuse allegations against Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, who denied wrongdoing.
Friday's launch of the safeguarding program brings more structure to the tour's approach, which was previously in the spotlight when the ATP commissioned an investigation in 2021 into German player Alexander Zverev. The ATP said in 2023 that the investigation found "insufficient evidence" to substantiate domestic abuse allegations against Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, who denied wrongdoing.
The ATP today announced the launch of The ATP Store, a dedicated global shopping destination for all things tennis. Scheduled for official launch in January 2026, the e-commerce store is delivered in partnership with Levy Merchandising, now the Official Retail & Merchandise Supplier of the ATP Tour.
Featuring a comprehensive catalogue of tennis apparel and accessories, The ATP Store will be the go-to destination for tennis fans globally, providing year-round access to merchandise. The initial launch line-up includes ATP principal partners Lacoste, Dunlop and Waterdrop, alongside ATP's recent collaboration with Palmes. The platform will also debut an exclusive ATP branded fanwear collection designed and developed in collaboration with Levy Merchandising's in-house team.
Levy Merchandising, known for delivering bespoke retail solutions across sport, entertainment, and venues, will bring global scale and innovation to the ATP's product and retail. The scope of the agreement includes global e-commerce, with the option to operate official ATP Stores at select tournaments and across other offline channels. This will be supported by a licensed product line created by Levy's specialist design team and utilising their best in-class global supply chain.
Eno Polo, ATP CEO, said: “The ATP Store opens up a new way for fans to connect with our brand. Through merchandise, we see a real opportunity to raise the sport's profile off court, reach new fans, and deliver meaningful value to our partners. We now have a dedicated licensing and retail team to strengthen our focus in this space, and we're excited to partner with Levy to keep building on this momentum.”
Vinny Clark, CEO of Levy Merchandising, said: “We feel an enormous sense of pride to be trusted by the ATP Tour to build out this global retail platform with them. The ATP Tour has a genuinely global reach, with highly engaged fans supporting avidly wherever it goes. Merchandising is a great way for fans to feel connected to the sports and athletes that they love, and we are excited to provide the premium, customised shopping experience they deserve through bespoke product creation and a truly globalised e-commerce platform. This is a significant moment in our evolution as our growth journey continues.”
The ATP Store sign-up page is live now here, offering fans the chance to enter a prize draw to win a £500 (or equivalent) gift voucher and a match-worn item from an ATP player just by signing up, ensuring they are the first to know when the full store launches.
Visit The ATP Store online at: www.atptourstore.com
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Alcaraz isn't the only one to make changes this month, with Paolini earlier making doubles partner Errani an official member of her coaching team.ByTENNIS.comPublished Dec 19, 2025 copy_link
Published Dec 19, 2025
© Matt Fitzgerald
With every tennis off-season, it's only natural to see players shake up their teams ahead of the New Year. Call it the coaching carousel.Wednesday brought the biggest bombshell of all when Carlos Alcaraz announced he and long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero had parted ways. Ferrero and Samuel Lopez—set to lead Team Alcaraz in the interim—shared 2025 ATP Coach of the Year honors after their charge earned his second year-end No. 1 finish and upped his major title tally to six at the age of 22.Read More: Carlos Alcaraz moved up with Juan Carlos Ferrero—now, he moves on without himIt emerged Thursday that another familiar duo had ended its collaboration, for a second time. Updating followers on his Instagram story, Grigor Dimitrov thanked Daniel Vallverdu for, “believing in me and pushing me to be my best. You'll always be a part of my story.”
Wednesday brought the biggest bombshell of all when Carlos Alcaraz announced he and long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero had parted ways. Ferrero and Samuel Lopez—set to lead Team Alcaraz in the interim—shared 2025 ATP Coach of the Year honors after their charge earned his second year-end No. 1 finish and upped his major title tally to six at the age of 22.Read More: Carlos Alcaraz moved up with Juan Carlos Ferrero—now, he moves on without himIt emerged Thursday that another familiar duo had ended its collaboration, for a second time. Updating followers on his Instagram story, Grigor Dimitrov thanked Daniel Vallverdu for, “believing in me and pushing me to be my best. You'll always be a part of my story.”
Read More: Carlos Alcaraz moved up with Juan Carlos Ferrero—now, he moves on without himIt emerged Thursday that another familiar duo had ended its collaboration, for a second time. Updating followers on his Instagram story, Grigor Dimitrov thanked Daniel Vallverdu for, “believing in me and pushing me to be my best. You'll always be a part of my story.”
It emerged Thursday that another familiar duo had ended its collaboration, for a second time. Updating followers on his Instagram story, Grigor Dimitrov thanked Daniel Vallverdu for, “believing in me and pushing me to be my best. You'll always be a part of my story.”
The two initially joined forces from July 2016 through May 2019, before reuniting at the end of the 2022 season. Vallverdu worked with three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka in-between the pair of stints with Dimitrov.The Bulgarian climbed back inside the Top 10 with Vallverdu at the helm during an encouraging 2024 comeback season, but played just one tournament after sustaining a gut-wrenching shoulder injury at Wimbledon this year. Dimitrov won his singles return at the Rolex Paris Masters, before opting to shut down his 2025 campaign for good.As seen at this week's Next Gen ATP Finals, Gilles Cervara has found a new home following his departure from Daniil Medvedev's camp in August. Cervara is now guiding American Nishesh Basavareddy, a former standout at Stanford University.🖥️📲 Stream the Next Gen ATP Finals on the Tennis Channel App!
The Bulgarian climbed back inside the Top 10 with Vallverdu at the helm during an encouraging 2024 comeback season, but played just one tournament after sustaining a gut-wrenching shoulder injury at Wimbledon this year. Dimitrov won his singles return at the Rolex Paris Masters, before opting to shut down his 2025 campaign for good.As seen at this week's Next Gen ATP Finals, Gilles Cervara has found a new home following his departure from Daniil Medvedev's camp in August. Cervara is now guiding American Nishesh Basavareddy, a former standout at Stanford University.🖥️📲 Stream the Next Gen ATP Finals on the Tennis Channel App!
As seen at this week's Next Gen ATP Finals, Gilles Cervara has found a new home following his departure from Daniil Medvedev's camp in August. Cervara is now guiding American Nishesh Basavareddy, a former standout at Stanford University.🖥️📲 Stream the Next Gen ATP Finals on the Tennis Channel App!
🖥️📲 Stream the Next Gen ATP Finals on the Tennis Channel App!
Earlier this month, two-time Grand Slam singles finalist Jasmine Paolini revealed that her Paris Olympics gold medal winning partner Sara Errani was officially coming on board as a team member for the 2026 season. The 29-year-old shared on the Italian talk-show Che Tempo Che Fa that, “I'll have two people. Danilo Pizzorno will be my coach, and she (Errani) will take care of the tactics, because she's on another level.”Paolini qualified for singles and doubles at the WTA Finals for the second year running, highlighted by sweeping the hardware on home soil at Rome's Internazionali BNL d'Italia. She and Errani were crowned ITF World Champions once again Wednesday, thanks largely to their Roland Garros and Billie Jean King Cup triumphs.Lois Boisson, who produced one of 2025's most memorable Cinderella runs when she made the semifinals of her home major in Paris as a wild card entrant, will continue with Carlos Martinez following a successful trial run during the Asian swing. The WTA's French No. 1 is scheduled to make her United Cup debut in January alongside Arthur Rinderknech.
Paolini qualified for singles and doubles at the WTA Finals for the second year running, highlighted by sweeping the hardware on home soil at Rome's Internazionali BNL d'Italia. She and Errani were crowned ITF World Champions once again Wednesday, thanks largely to their Roland Garros and Billie Jean King Cup triumphs.Lois Boisson, who produced one of 2025's most memorable Cinderella runs when she made the semifinals of her home major in Paris as a wild card entrant, will continue with Carlos Martinez following a successful trial run during the Asian swing. The WTA's French No. 1 is scheduled to make her United Cup debut in January alongside Arthur Rinderknech.
Lois Boisson, who produced one of 2025's most memorable Cinderella runs when she made the semifinals of her home major in Paris as a wild card entrant, will continue with Carlos Martinez following a successful trial run during the Asian swing. The WTA's French No. 1 is scheduled to make her United Cup debut in January alongside Arthur Rinderknech.
She's the only player EVER to reel off three bagel sets to finish off winning a Grand Slam singles title.ByJohn BerkokPublished Dec 19, 2025 copy_link
Published Dec 19, 2025
© 2025 Getty Images
The stars of the ATP and WTA rewrote history time and time again in 2025, and this week on TENNIS.com we've been celebrating some of their biggest achievements with our top five stats of the year.So far, we've covered Jannik Sinner becoming the youngest player ever to reach the final of all four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals in the same season, Aryna Sabalenka breaking the record for most tie-breaks won in a row by a woman in the Open Era, Novak Djokovic becoming the first man in the Open Era to win a title in 20 different seasons and Carlos Alcaraz becoming the youngest man ever to win multiple Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces.Today, a historic finish on a historic stage...
So far, we've covered Jannik Sinner becoming the youngest player ever to reach the final of all four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals in the same season, Aryna Sabalenka breaking the record for most tie-breaks won in a row by a woman in the Open Era, Novak Djokovic becoming the first man in the Open Era to win a title in 20 different seasons and Carlos Alcaraz becoming the youngest man ever to win multiple Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces.Today, a historic finish on a historic stage...
Today, a historic finish on a historic stage...
Iga Swiatek achieved a lot by winning Wimbledon this year—she became the first woman to win her first six Grand Slam finals since Monica Seles and the youngest woman to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces since Serena Williams, to name a few.But the way she won it was even rarer—in fact, it's never happened before, and it's very possible it will never happen again.By winning her semifinal match against Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-0, and her final match against Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0, she became the first tennis player ever—female or male—to reel off three bagel sets to finish off winning a Grand Slam singles title.
But the way she won it was even rarer—in fact, it's never happened before, and it's very possible it will never happen again.By winning her semifinal match against Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-0, and her final match against Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0, she became the first tennis player ever—female or male—to reel off three bagel sets to finish off winning a Grand Slam singles title.
By winning her semifinal match against Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-0, and her final match against Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0, she became the first tennis player ever—female or male—to reel off three bagel sets to finish off winning a Grand Slam singles title.
Two other players have finished off with two bagels.Dorothea Lambert Chambers won Wimbledon in 1911 with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Dora Boothby, but that was when the Challenge Round format was in place, where the defending champion only had to play the final, so that was her only match of the event.And Steffi Graf won Roland Garros in 1988 with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Natasha Zvereva, but she had a much tougher battle in her semifinal match, defeating Gabriela Sabatini, 6-3, 7-6 (3).Swiatek is the only player ever to clinch a Grand Slam title with three bagels in a row, and she actually won her last 20 games in a row at the All England Club this year—from 4-2 in the first set against Bencic, she didn't lose another game the rest of the way.And that, tennis fans, is our No. 1 Stat of the Year for 2025.
Dorothea Lambert Chambers won Wimbledon in 1911 with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Dora Boothby, but that was when the Challenge Round format was in place, where the defending champion only had to play the final, so that was her only match of the event.And Steffi Graf won Roland Garros in 1988 with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Natasha Zvereva, but she had a much tougher battle in her semifinal match, defeating Gabriela Sabatini, 6-3, 7-6 (3).Swiatek is the only player ever to clinch a Grand Slam title with three bagels in a row, and she actually won her last 20 games in a row at the All England Club this year—from 4-2 in the first set against Bencic, she didn't lose another game the rest of the way.And that, tennis fans, is our No. 1 Stat of the Year for 2025.
And Steffi Graf won Roland Garros in 1988 with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Natasha Zvereva, but she had a much tougher battle in her semifinal match, defeating Gabriela Sabatini, 6-3, 7-6 (3).Swiatek is the only player ever to clinch a Grand Slam title with three bagels in a row, and she actually won her last 20 games in a row at the All England Club this year—from 4-2 in the first set against Bencic, she didn't lose another game the rest of the way.And that, tennis fans, is our No. 1 Stat of the Year for 2025.
Swiatek is the only player ever to clinch a Grand Slam title with three bagels in a row, and she actually won her last 20 games in a row at the All England Club this year—from 4-2 in the first set against Bencic, she didn't lose another game the rest of the way.And that, tennis fans, is our No. 1 Stat of the Year for 2025.
And that, tennis fans, is our No. 1 Stat of the Year for 2025.
DID YOU KNOW❓🇵🇱 @iga_swiatek has become just the second woman this century to finish four straight years in the Top 2—she was #1 in 2022, #1 in 2023, #2 in 2024 and now #2 in 2025. 🔥🔥🔥🔥The only other woman to do that since 2000? Serena Williams:https://t.co/a19jxi9crQ
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As can happen in adaptations, writer and director Nia DaCosta‘s decision to abandon the period-specific trappings of 1890s Norway for “Hedda,” her film version of “Hedda Gabler” which takes place in a much glossier, jazzier English countryside in the early 50s, not only brings the audience closer to the story but brings the story closer to the heart of the characters. For production designer Cara Brower, the assignment wasn't about designing sets that were perfect historical recreations, but revealing a perfect window into Hedda's (Tessa Thompson) impish tastes and proclivities.
“So when I met up with Nia, she wanted to mae a period film that was really unique and had its own voice and didn't look like anything else,” Brower said as part of IndieWire's recent crafts roundtable. “I dove deep into the socialites of the era, and then I could see that some of these houses were really flamboyant, and so then that gave me the freedom to do something that wasn't expected.”
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Brower used that freedom to defy the conventions and colors of a typical English manor house in the exact same way the film's protagonist would have, too, burning through her hapless husband's (Tom Bateman) borrowed cash to make a house that looks rakishly cool and original, just as she is. Without stepping beyond pieces and designs that would be plausible for the post-war period, Brower packed each room with touches that Hedda would've chosen to stick it to the gentry lineage she feels cut off from.
The playfulness of the production design bleeds into the party atmosphere of most of the film, into Hedda's schemes against her former lover Eileen (Nina Hoss), and new partner Thea (Imogen Poots), and the strong, dark, rotten colors of “Hedda” are indeed a lot of fun — until, of course, they aren't. “We still tried to make it feel like the '50s, but we layered a lot of different eras in modern paintings, and we had contemporary wallpaper that felt period. We had a lot of Art Deco furnishings because they feel so timeless. We just felt like we had the freedom to play,” Brower said.
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Carrie Underwood delivers beautiful vocals on her HBO Max Christmas special, but one video from the special has fans all saying the same thing. They are especially smitten by the “American Idol” judge's angelic white dress for “O Come All Ye Faithful.”
On December 18, Underwood took to Instagram to share a video of one song from her 2020 holiday special.
“Get into the holiday spirit with this performance of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful' from my @hbomax special, ‘My Gift: A Christmas Special from Carrie Underwood,' now on YouTube. Check out the full special on HBO Max!”
Of course, Underwood's vocals are elite as she belts out the Christmas classic, but her white dress is getting plenty of love, too.
Fans flooded the comments section, writing, “Voice of an angel,” “Sweetest voice on Earth,” and “The undisputed queen of Christmas music.”
“Carrie, this song and this dress are all beautiful! Favorite look from this Christmas special,” one fan noted.
Another person shared, “I watched this special so many times! It's great.”
“This song, that voice, and that dress is truly EPIC!!” another person noted.
“Absolutely LOVE your version of this song,” one fan gushed.
Others shared, “Angelic voice and THE DRESS 🙌,” “The angel dress is stunning,” and “Not only do you have the voice of an angel, but that gown makes you look like one.”
The Christmas special included an appearance from John Legend on the song “Hallelujah” and a behind-the-scenes look at her son Isaiah recording “Little Drummer Boy” with Underwood. She also performed “Favorite Time of Year,” “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
She explains in the behind-the-scenes video, “The ‘Little Drummer Boy' is a central song in ‘My Gift.' That's where the title of the album came from, and it's one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs. I started thinking about what would make it extra special, so I have a very special duet partner.”
Underwood continued, “He loves to sing, and that is so his personality. He'll make crafts, or he'll do things for you, and he's like, ‘Didn't I do a good job? Didn't I do my best? Are you proud of me?' And it's the sweetest thing. And I just thought his sweet little voice would just sound perfect.”
“If nothing else, I will have this for the rest of my life,” the singer added. “I think it's the perfect piece of the puzzle for this whole album.”
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By Ted Johnson
Political Editor
Today co-host Savannah Guthrie said that she will be absent from the show for a couple of weeks to have surgery on her vocal cords.
Guthrie told viewers on Friday that she has “felt like Peter Brady these past few weeks and months. Some of you have noticed that my voice has been very scratchy and started to scratch a little bit like Peter Brady.”
She was referring to an episode of The Brady Bunch in which Peter Brady's voice cracks just as he and his siblings are trying to establish singing careers.
“I have found out what it is. I have vocal nodules, and now I also have a polyp. It's not a big, big deal, but I am going to have a surgery real early in the new year and be off for a couple of weeks. So it's my last day for a little while. So I just want to let everyone know, and if you've been wondering, do I have the world's longest head cold? No, I don't.”
“You'll love this, guys. I have to be silent for a couple of weeks, totally silent,” she said, adding, “the jokes write themselves.”
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By Nellie Andreeva
Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV
EXCLUSIVE: Laura Marcus (Death by Lightning, Sunrise on the Reaping) has been cast as a series regular in Netflix's Assassin's Creed. In the live-action series based on Ubisoft's bestselling video game franchise, she joins previously cast leads Toby Wallace and Lola Petticrew and fellow series regular Zachary Hart.
Assassin's Creed is a high-octane thriller centered on the secret war between two shadowy factions — one set on determining mankind's future through control and manipulation, while the other fights to preserve free will. The series follows its characters across pivotal historical events as they battle to shape humanity's destiny.
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No details about Marcus' role are being disclosed. Assassin's Creed is targeting a 2026 start of production in Italy, which serves as a setting of the series, with the exact time period unclear.
Showrunners Roberto Patino and David Wiener executive produce alongside Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, Austin Dill, Genevieve Jones for Ubisoft Film & Television, and Matt O'Toole.
With more than 230 million units sold, Assassin's Creed franchise is one of the bestselling series in video game history.
This marks Marcus' second Netflix series; she can be seen in the streamer's limited series Death By Lighting as former U.S. president James Garfield's (Michael Shannon) daughter Mollie Garfield. She recently recurred on Season 2 of Disney+'s Andor and next stars as Silka in The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping.
English actress Marcus, whose series credits also include Starz's The Serpent Queen, BBC's Bad Education and The Jetty and Prime Video's The Devil's Hour, is repped by Conway Van Gelder Grant, Luber Roklin Entertainment and Michael A. Auerbach.
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Clint Bentley's latest film, “Train Dreams,” has a hard balance to strike between the meditative, almost shy, and quite heartbreaking interiority of its protagonist, logger and lumberman Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), and the harsh, cyclical world in which he lives. The look of the film needs to support both a grounded sense of the period and a slightly lyrical quality, where a thin curtain blowing in the wind or the shine of an axe can mean more, emotionally, than simply what we see. Every choice production designer Alexandra Schaller made needed to support both worlds that the film moves effortlessly between.
”We wanted a very documentary-like quality to the movie. We wanted the design to feel invisible,” Schaller told IndieWire as part of our recent craft roundtable. “I did a lot of research at the outset — and we're talking about a very specific world, which is the niche world of logging in the early 20th century. I learned everything about it. We listened to a lot of oral histories from the time.”
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It was these stories of men building cabins and drifting from job to job and fishing from the river that inspired Schaller to make choices that would speak to what it would actually be like to live in the Pacific Northwest of that time — not just the right items from a Sears catalogue, but a lived-in sense of what it would be like to live that particular life. “What we wanted to focus on was, ‘How do we want to feel?' A lot of the movie is from one person's point of view, and it's really like his interior landscape. And there's a lot in Dennis Johnson's novella, and in [Clint Bentley's and Greg Kwedar's] script. There's a dreamlike quality woven through the narrative.”
It's the more dreamlike movements of “Train Dreams” that inspired Schaller and her art team to elevate the period details slightly, to go a little bit further in terms of how colors match or create depth, to set off Grainier's memories and imagination. “We want it to be completely, completely immersive,” Schaller said.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have rebranded their Archewell Foundation — named after their son — on the charity's fifth anniversary.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced Friday that the Archewell Foundation will now be called Archewell Philanthropies.
“Five years ago, The Archewell Foundation was born from a simple but profound belief: to show up and do good,” an impact report issued Friday read.
“Today, as we mark our fifth anniversary, that mission remains as vital and urgent as ever — now carried forward through Archewell Philanthropies, a growing platform designed to deepen and expand how we serve communities around the world.”
The statement concluded, “What began as a commitment to compassion has evolved into a powerful force for meaningful change, particularly in championing global mental wellness across our communities.”
Markle, 44, and Prince Harry, 41, launched the foundation in 2020 after stepping down from their royal duties.
The foundation aims to support women's causes, parents whose children have been affected by online harm and other important issues.
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The name change comes after Netflix announced that the couple — who are parents to Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — will be part of a new series on the streamer.
According to Deadline, the couple will produce an adaptation of the 2018 book “The Wedding Date,” the first novel in a six-part series from New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.
“The Wedding Date” follows Alexa Monroe, who goes on a fake date for Drew Nichols at his ex's wedding.
The new project comes nearly five months after Page Six exclusively reported that their $100 million Netflix deal will end this year after teaming up with the streamer in 2020.
Archewell Philanthropies agreed to a new deal with Netflix — but for far less money.
“There are more TV projects coming soon with both the Duke and Duchess,” a source told Page Six in July.
Markle, who also runs her lifestyle brand, As Ever, and Prince Harry are also producing a film adaptation of Carley Fortune's novel “Meet Me at the Lake” for the streamer. However, Page Six previously reported that they have not yet hired a director or cast.
By Nancy Tartaglione
International Box Office Editor/Senior Contributor
James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash is off to a $43.1M start across two days at the international box office. That includes 18 markets that opened on Wednesday and another 25 which joined the Na'vi on Thursday.
Among the debuts, the 20th Century Studios/Disney sci-fi adventure posted the highest opening day of 2025 in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Iceland, New Zealand, Indonesia (non-local) and Thailand (non-local) as well as several smaller European markets. Check the pic's U.S. box office here.
RELATED: James Cameron And Sam Worthington On Their ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash' Collaboration, The Declining Box Office And The Real Truth About AI
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The $43.1M total above does not include China, where it opened released today after limited sneaks on Wednesday in the Cinity format and PLFs on Thursday. The Friday estimate in China is coming in around $17.1M, placing it No. 1. That would represent the third-highest opening day for a studio film since Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022, behind only Zootopia 2 and 2023's Fast X. Early social scores are strong with Maoyan at 9.4 (even with the first Avatar and above Way of Water's 9.0) and TPP at 9.5 (Avatar 9.3, Way of Water 9.2).
Wednesday's key openers included France, where Fire and Ash bowed at No. 1 with a 50% market share and 75% of the box office coming from 3D and premium formats. In Germany, the threequel claimed 67% market share at No. 1 on launch day with 80% of takings from 3D and premium. In Italy, the No. 1 start saw a 72% share of the market (44% from 3D and premium).
RELATED: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water' Trailer: Return To Pandora With A Mighty Heartbeat
Also on Wednesday, Korea launched at No. 1 as the second-biggest studio start of 2025 with 72% of the market.
Thursday's major debuts included Australia with a No. 1 and 62% market share. All Latin American markets opened to No. 1 including Mexico (68% market share) and Brazil (70% market share).
Through the first two days, the Top 10 markets are France ($5.5M), Germany ($4.7M), Korea ($3.4M), Mexico ($2.7M), Australia ($2.5M), Italy ($2.2M), Indonesia ($1.8M), Brazil ($1.6M), Thailand ($1.4M) and Taiwan ($1M). Note that Korea is up to $5.4M through today, though Friday's estimate is not included in the international total above.
RELATED: The All-Time Longest Films: A Photo Gallery of The Top 50
Along with China, Fire and Ash today adds such markets as UK, Spain, Japan, Poland, Turkey, India and Vietnam.
We'll have more updates throughout the weekend.
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By
Kory Grow
Close to 70 years after German instrument company Höfner started selling an electric bass that looked like a violin, the company has filed for bankruptcy. The news has hit Paul McCartney, who has made the Höfner 500/1 his signature instrument, especially hard.
“It is very sad to see Höfner go out of business,” McCartney wrote on Instagram. “They have been making instruments for over 100 years, and I bought my first Höfner bass in the Sixties. I have loved it ever since. It's a wonderful instrument to play: lightweight, and it encourages me to play quite freely. It also offers pleasing variations in tone that I enjoy. So commiserations to everyone at Höfner, and thank you for all your help over the years.”
The Beatles‘ association with Höfner instruments goes back to their Quarrymen days. George Harrison's brother Harry taught him guitar chords on a Höfner Committee and later played a Höfner President and a Höfner Club 40. John Lennon's first “good” guitar, according to Mark Lewisohn's Beatles biography Tune In, was also a Club 40. The band's original bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe, started playing a Höfner President 333, which looked similar to the instrument McCartney would later make famous, in 1960. During times when Sutcliffe wasn't around, McCartney would pick up the 333 and play it upside down, as he is left-handed.
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McCartney purchased his first Höfner 500/1 in Hamburg at a Steinway & Sons shop in 1961. He was able to get a left-handed instrument on short order, according to Tune In, because Höfner was based in Germany. The instrument cost him a little less than £31. Höfner would later give McCartney another left-handed “Violin bass” in 1963 after the band broke into the mainstream.
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Somebody stole the original 500/1 from the back of a van in London on Oct. 10, 1972. Through the help of a grassroots campaign called “The Lost Bass Project,” the thief was identified, and the bass was returned to McCartney in 2024. The instrument's history will be the focus of an upcoming documentary.
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“TODAY” host Savannah Guthrie announced on Friday, December 19, that she will be undergoing surgery that will force her to step away from her hosting role for weeks.
Guthrie, 53, opened up about a health battle she has been dealing with for years. During the Friday, December 19, episode of “TODAY,” the cohost revealed she will be undergoing a vocal surgery ahead of the holiday that will force her to take a break from work going into the new year.
“Some of you have noticed that my voice has been very scratchy and started to crack a little bit,” Guthrie told viewers on Friday. “Well, I have found out what it is. I have vocal nodules and I also have a polyp. It's not a big, big deal, but I am going to have to have a surgery early in the new year and be off for a couple of weeks, so this is my last day for a little while.”
During her recovery, Guthrie will have to remain “totally silent” for a couple weeks, which she joked would be an “early” Christmas gift for her family.
Guthrie's cohost and longtime friend, Sheinelle Jones, revealed she previously underwent the same surgery.
“The silver lining is you have permission to be still,” Jones shared. “The house gets quiet, the kids are gonna want to help you out.”
She then presented a useful gift to her costar before her departure: A whiteboard.
“A lot of the greats in the business have done it, maybe you'll come out singing like, I don't know, Celine Dion,” Jones joked.
According to Guthrie, she's “really excited” about finally having the surgery and putting this issue in the past.
“This has been going on for years, honestly,” she told her cohosts.
This will not be the first time Guthrie has stepped away from her hosting job to recovery from surgery.
The mother of two was forced to take a break in 2019 to undergo eye surgery to reattach her right retina after her 3-year-old son accidentally hit her with a toy train.
“The retinal tear had deteriorated sharply, and I lost my vision,” she told People at the time. “And that's what happens if you don't fix this: You lose your sight.”
She added, “That was the first time I felt freaked out. I was hoping that they weren't going to get in there and see, ‘Oh, it's worse than we thought. We can't fix it.' That was probably the lowest I felt, because I was just really scared.”
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Pete Davidson's girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, underwent a wisdom tooth removal the day after giving birth to the couple's baby girl.
The new mom shared a selfie revealing her bandaged and swollen face via Instagram Stories on Thursday.
“Who else had to get a wisdom tooth removed directly from hospital the day after they gave birth?” the 29-year-old asked.
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In the shot, Hewitt sat in the backseat of a car with her hand on her infant's carseat.
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The model went on to share a separate snap giving a close-up look at her bloated face.
Earlier that same day, Hewitt debuted her and Davidson's “perfect angel,” who arrived Dec. 12, in a touching Instagram slideshow.
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“12/12/2025 scottie rose hewitt davidson ♥️,” the actress captioned the carousel. “my best work yet, i am absolutely overflowing with love and gratitude and disbelief.”
She concluded with a message from Davidson, 32, reading, “wu tang forever.”
The couple, who have been an item since March, named their little one after the comedian's late father, Scott Davidson, a firefighter who died during the World Trade Center attacks.
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The roundup included photos of the “King of Staten Island” star giving Scottie milk, the couple kissing the infant's head and more.
In one candid snap, Hewitt put her postpartum body on display in a sports bra and leggings as she ate ice cream.
The “Dave” alum announced in July that she and the “Saturday Night Live” alum were starting a family.
“welp now everyone knows we had sex,” she quipped in her Instagram baby bump debut.
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Hewitt dated A-listers prior to her relationship with Davidson, including Selena Gomez's now-husband, Benny Blanco, and “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis.
As for Davidson, the “Guy Code” alum's dating history includes Kim Kardashian, Kate Beckinsale, Ariana Grande and more.
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Page Six broke the news earlier this year that he was seeing someone “very different from anybody else.”
At the time, a source told us, “She respects Pete and his desire for privacy.”
Davidson and Hewitt went public with their romance in March, packing on the PDA during a Florida vacation.
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An investigation into the industry's tumultuous tug-of-war with Kobe's widow over the priceless, unseen footage the late Lakers legend shot during his final season.
By
Peter Kiefer
Writer-at-Large
Kobe Bryant didn't like what he was seeing. It was the fall of 2019, and the NBA legend was tucked inside an editing bay at an office in Irvine, staring at a roughly assembled two-hour cut drawn from tens of thousands of hours of footage he'd commissioned during the 2015-16 Lakers season — his farewell tour. The material captured everything: the dunks, the jumpers, the no-look passes, yes, but also his life away from the court. Moments in the locker room at Staples Center. Evenings at home with family. And, in several haunting instances, scenes aboard his helicopter.
But the cut didn't measure up. According to a source present at the screening, Bryant was visibly frustrated. “Kobe was like, ‘Yeah we're scrapping that and starting over,'” he recalls.
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Even so, everyone in that office must have understood the significance of what was being projected on that screen. Its working title was 20th Season, and it was an intimate record of the final year of one of the greatest athletes in modern history. At a moment when demand for prestige sports documentaries had been booming, it was more than gold — it was a Hope diamond.
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Just a few months later, of course, it would become even more valuable. After the tragic helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others, the footage would take on a sacred sheen, transformed into arguably the most precious sports footage in the world.
Indeed, to those few aware of its existence — Bryant's inner circle as well as a small group of Hollywood insiders — those thousands of hours of footage have become something like a holy shrine to a mythic figure. A slew of prominent producers and directors, including two Oscar winners, have lined up with offers to shape it all into the documentary Bryant once imagined creating for himself.
So far, though, none has signed on. According to the filmmakers and others familiar with the talks, they've all run into the same stubborn obstacle: Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's widow, who, it turns out, has her own very specific vision for what sort of movie should be made. And it's not a film anyone else seems interested in making.
“It's the white whale,” says one top producer of Bryant's final footage. “But it can't hold a director, and it's been sitting out there with this eternal promise that never seems to materialize.”
***
Bryant's offices at Granity Studios did not look like what you might expect. There were no jerseys or trophies decorating the walls, or even photographs of other sports icons. Instead, there were framed images of Walt Disney, Steve Jobs and John Williams. Bryant placed them there intentionally to signal — to himself and to those around him — that he was pursuing a different kind of greatness.
Bryant's ambitions were not unusual among sports figures — plenty of athletes have chased Hollywood after retiring — but the scale and seriousness of his pivot were different. He wasn't looking to do cameos, brand deals or vanity projects. He wanted a second career as a creator and producer, something that could stand on its own apart from basketball. Inside Granity, he treated that goal with the same intensity he once brought to Lakers practices.
On THR‘s Awards Chatter podcast in 2017, Bryant was asked what his life would've looked like without basketball. “I'd be writing stories,” he said. “That's something that's just part of me and something that I love every bit as much as I have ever loved basketball.”
His first major Hollywood collaboration was Muse, the 2015 Showtime doc he made with Gotham Chopra, co-founder of the documentary company Religion of Sports. “Working with Kobe was both exhilarating and exhausting. He was as intense off the court as he was on,” Chopra tells THR. Muse wasn't just Bryant's first serious Hollywood project, it was also the beginning of his relationship with Jake Bloch, the young director of photography he later hired to oversee the embedded crew filming his final season.
His next project, the animated short Dear Basketball, pushed him further into the creative world he was building — and in a big way, winning a 2018 Academy Award. To Bryant, it was confirmation that the stories he wanted to tell — and the way he wanted to tell them — could resonate beyond the court. From there, he scaled up. He expanded his team at Granity Studios, developing multiple projects. ESPN ran his basketball-analysis series Detail. His scripted children's podcast, The Punies, was headed toward an animated TV series.
“He was world-building and trying to win the public's imagination,” says Kevin McCollum, the Tony-winning producer behind In the Heights, Avenue Q and Rent. In 2018, Bryant contacted McCollum about adapting The Wizenard Series: Training Camp, a children's book he co-wrote with Wesley King, into a Broadway musical. Bryant even explored working with Harry Potter director Chris Columbus on a film version.
But the most ambitious project on his slate was the 20th Season documentary built from the footage chronicling his final stint with the Lakers. Along with Bloch, Bryant hired Jim Hession, a film editor who would later cut the 2023 Jon Batiste doc American Symphony, and Tony Hardmon, the cinematographer behind 2020's John Lewis: Good Trouble (both declined comment for this story, citing NDAs, as did numerous others contacted by THR).
Filming was complicated. There were early disputes with the NBA, which enforces strict limits on who can shoot during games. “Kobe didn't ask for permission — for anything, really. He did what he wanted,” says a Lakers source. Eventually, the NBA agreed to an arrangement, granting wide access with one restriction: The crew could not fly on the team plane.
As for what Bryant intended the documentary to be?
“I think the feeling was just shoot everything. Get a million hours of raw footage and then assess what he had and decide what to do,” says the Lakers source.
Another collaborator recalls some uncertainty but notes Bryant was aware that a prestige documentary could bring in revenue to support his expanding creative ventures. Bryant's appearance in 2019's The Last Dance, the Emmy-winning Michael Jordan doc series that sold for $20 million and became a global sensation, may have also been an inspiration. Although it wasn't released until three months after his death, Bryant was likely aware of what a game-changer that series was destined to become.
“Kobe would have wanted to double that [$20 million],” says the Lakers source. “And if The Last Dance won three Emmys, Kobe would've wanted his to win five.”
***
When Bryant's helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside on Jan. 26, 2020, the public impact was immediate and overwhelming. Cable networks aired continuous coverage. Thousands gathered at Staples Center to pay tribute. Twenty thousand people attended the official memorial, and millions watched or streamed it online. Murals of Bryant appeared not only across Southern California but around the world — more than 600 in total.
In the years since, it's been Vanessa, Bryant's widow, who has become the central figure shaping and protecting his reputation — a new and sadly unexpected role. Throughout most of Bryant's playing career, and beyond, she had maintained a relatively low profile. “I wasn't privy to their conversations at home, but she only made a handful of appearances at Granity events,” notes Craig Greiwe, the former chief strategy officer at Rogers & Cowan PMK who oversaw accounts for both Bryant and Granity (and is one of the few collaborators who did not sign an NDA). “Mostly red carpets. And I've never once seen her speak publicly in support of any of the work he did after the NBA.”
Today, though, Bryant's legacy appears to be an all-consuming occupation — and one she has often pursued with an army of lawyers beside her. For starters, she sued Los Angeles County in a U.S. district court after first responders circulated graphic crash-site photos; she ended up being awarded $44 million. In 2021, Vanessa resolved a lawsuit — filed against her in Orange County Superior Court by her own mother — alleging unpaid wages as a nanny and a broken promise of lifetime support. And she prevailed in a legal dispute with Bryant's former business partner and onetime close friend Molly Carter over profits from his investment in the sports-drink company BodyArmor — a case that made international headlines when texts between Carter and Bryant entered the Orange County Superior Court record, including messages in which Carter referred to Kobe as a “douche nugget” and called Vanessa a “bitch.”
Carter declined comment but according to Greiwe she “was one of the few people in the world who was always fiercely loyal to [Kobe] and to his vision, and that's why he trusted her,” adding that he believes the released texts were taken out of context. “They were like brother and sister, and sometimes they fought like that. But they had each other's backs, and there's no question he trusted Molly to run his empire.” (A spokesperson for Vanessa disputes this characterization, insisting that “it is absolutely not true” that Bryant and Carter were friends).
Adds a veteran sportswriter who covered Bryant: “I always heard that both in their marriage and outside of it he played the good cop and [Vanessa] was the bad cop. People were very wary of Vanessa.”
Today, among those most wary of Vanessa — or, at least, of her creative vision — are the Hollywood directors and producers who've approached her about the mountain of priceless footage she now controls. While Bryant's plans for his documentary may not have been fully formed before his death, hers are now crystal clear. Multiple sources say she wants to turn it into an epic romance, with herself as the central love figure.
“Vanessa knows how she wants it set up,” says one of those sources. “The construction of the film that she wants is a very personal story to her and to her family.”
In all fairness, it's not an entirely uncompelling narrative. Kobe and Vanessa met on the set of a 1999 rap video. He was 21, already an NBA slam dunk contest winner; she was a 17-year-old high schooler. They became engaged six months later. Throughout the next 20 years, she sat beside him through triumphs and turbulence: his early rivalry with Shaquille O'Neal; the 2003 sexual assault case involving a 19-year-old hotel worker (charges were dropped when the accuser declined to testify, and Bryant later settled a civil suit); his estrangement from his parents, whom he sued in 2013 for auctioning memorabilia without permission (reports have suggested that Bryant's decision to marry Vanessa contributed to tensions with his family). There were moments of turbulence in their own marriage — in December 2011, she filed for divorce, with the couple reconciling in January 2013 — but the two were clearly devoted to each other.
Still, editing those thousands of hours of priceless footage into a romantic idyll is probably not the movie Bryant imagined making — and it's certainly not the movie Hollywood wants to make. What's more, Vanessa's influence is not limited to the 20th Season footage. Her representatives have also moved to shape — or halt — other nonfiction projects about her husband. One high-profile example: a doc being developed by Thunder Road Films' Basil Iwanyk and Select Films' Mark Ciardi, which draws heavily on taped interviews Bryant recorded at 17. When an early version of that film was shopped to buyers last year, interest was strong — until WME, which represents the Bryant estate, privately warned that purchasing it could jeopardize any future chance at accessing the 20th Season material.
“I was told by the agent — and he told the whole town this — that if you buy it, you'll never get a shot at the project that Kobe shot,” the buyer tells THR.
This sort of strong-arming — or, from Vanessa's point of view, safeguarding — clearly hasn't gone over well in Hollywood, where Vanessa has been climbing higher and higher on many filmmakers' life-is-too-short list. “Why is it that so many people are terrified to talk? I think it's clear that her actions have spelled the destruction of Kobe's legacy and his vision, at least the one he articulated to me,” says Greiwe. “All the things that he had planned for are gone.”
A spokesman for the estate says that “Craig Greiwe has never met [Vanessa] Bryant and is making unfounded statements,” adding that Greiwe has previously made “disparaging remarks about Kobe and Vanessa.” The spokesman insists that whatever documentary is ultimately released will be “in line with Kobe's wishes and intent.”
Of course, as executor of the estate, Vanessa Bryant — who declined to be interviewed for this story — is fully empowered to determine what, if any, documentary moves forward — and nobody could blame her if she ended up spiking the entire project. Sifting through hundreds of hours of footage of her late husband surely takes an emotional toll.
In 2020, Granity Studios shut down, abruptly halting nearly every creative project in development, (although, according to Vanessa's spokesperson, she kept as many staff members on the payroll as possible during COVID and fulfilled “Kobe's projects”). Those offices have since been taken over by a real estate brokerage firm. Former staffers — a publishing department, the development team and young employees who believed they were helping Bryant build something lasting — have scattered across the entertainment industry or left it entirely. The Granity Studios website, which is still accessible, is the only vestige of Bryant's grand ambitions.
“Kobe knew he had influence, but what he really wanted was to help kids who felt alone and offer them a path,” says McCollum. “Kobe's legacy is not just the stories but the ideas. If the Bryant family was interested, I would do anything to help get the musical made. It's still a worthy project. But I don't want to be presumptuous.”
Little is known about where the thousands of hours of behind-the-scenes footage is stored, or who has access to it. What is clear is that the raw material capturing one of the most enigmatic, driven and influential athletes of modern times possibly sits on a hard drive somewhere, or maybe in the cloud, waiting — perhaps indefinitely — to be unlocked.
Scott Feinberg contributed to this report.
This story appeared in the Dec. 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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Amanda Seyfried, Laura Dern and Renate Reinsve joined in with intimate tales of getting drunk with a co-star and letting out a primal screen on camera.
By
Seija Rankin
Senior Editor
This year's Oscar frontrunners have more in common than usual. Start with their films, of course, where overlapping themes abound. The darker sides of motherhood, and the way grief seeps in, are front and center for Jennifer Lawrence‘s Die My Love, Jessie Buckley‘s Hamnet and even Amanda Seyfried‘s The Testament of Ann Lee — which trades more specifically in the grief of not being a mother. There are bad dads of every variety: Renate Reinsve‘s Sentimental Value (distant, narcissistic); Lawrence's Die My Love again (apathetic, bumbling); Cynthia Erivo‘s Wicked: For Good (megalomaniac). And though Laura Dern was on hand to discuss Is This Thing On?, it's worth mentioning that she also stars in Jay Kelly, the final boss of complicated fatherhood.
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The actress' performances, though varied in breadth and scale, are all deeply personal to the women who embody these roles. Lawrence and Buckley found themselves unlocking a new connection to their own matrescence. Erivo's time as Elphaba mirrored her own journey to superstardom. Reinsve and Dern both reunited with dear friends (directors Joachim Trier and Bradley Cooper, respectively) behind the camera. And Seyfried worked through newfound levels of discomfort for Ann Lee‘s absurd (a compliment!) song-and-dance numbers.
All six women gathered on a rainy Los Angeles afternoon to discuss their experiences onscreen — as it turns out, it's normal to feel embarrassed! — and in navigating the months-long road show that is compulsory to releasing a film these days. “I really appreciate when other actors do it, and I watch these interviews all the time because I'm so curious about other people's processes,” says Reinsve. “But doing it myself, it's weird and the opposite of what I do on set.”
What is a favorite, or most rewarding, way that you have gotten to know a recent co-star? Jessie, I believe you have a great story about going out with Paul Mescal before Hamnet.
JESSIE BUCKLEY I told you that in absolute secrecy. What happens at Joyface stays at Joyface [a vibey NYC bar]. They play ABBA and all the old hits. We got really drunk and went out dancing, which is a good thing to do with Paul Mescal when you're getting to know him.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE [Die My Love director] Lynne Ramsay had me and Rob Pattinson do interpretative dance lessons before we started filming. And then our first day on set was a naked scene where we were attacking each other like tigers. But it was kind of nice that it was day one because then it wasn't hanging over our heads.
AMANDA SEYFRIED That's actually brilliant. And if you know what the genitals look like, you don't wonder.
CYNTHIA ERIVO Mine pales in comparison because [Ariana and I] just went to my house and sat on the floor and ate crudités. We talked for five hours, got to know each other, and the next time [we saw each other], we were singing.
LAWRENCE Nobody was naked?
ERIVO Nobody was naked.
LAURA DERN Bradley Cooper and I are old friends, and so are Bradley and Will Arnett, so we just dove into a workshop. We shared our dreams and our childhoods because in our movie, there's no backstory. It's about a marriage, and in the first scene it's falling apart, so you have to come in feeling like you know everything.
You're all in various stages of your careers, and I'm curious at what point you started to feel full autonomy and control over your circumstances in this business?
ERIVO I feel as though we all have that at the beginning, but we just didn't know it. We relinquish the power to everybody else, and we're pressured into doing some things that we don't need or want to do — but from the beginning, our yeses and our nos are our own. I don't think the choice to do what I wanted was ever not there — it's just louder now.
RENATE REINSVE I think the signals you get from inside yourself about what is right are really small in the beginning and get stronger and stronger the more you get scolded by experiences. These past few years, I finally feel like I'm on the right path, but it's taken a long time.
Renate, you were offered a lot of romantic comedies after the success of The Worst Person in the World, but did you feel they weren't right for you?
REINSVE I love a good rom-com, I really do. They're really hard to make really good. But I felt like if I do one after Worst Person, then that will just become what I do. So instead I did A Different Man, which was more like a Charlie Kaufman world. It was the opposite of Worst Person.
DERN Renate and I were talking before we started about how lucky we've been that we found a filmmaker to work with numerous times. You feel like, “Oh, OK, I know my place in this world.” And that takes me back to the question of autonomy. Especially on a film, I think a lot of times it can feel the same as having autonomy in a partnership. It's complicated because you want to involve the other person, for people to be your true teammate and partners.
Laura, your movie Is This Thing On? is a great example of a movie that could have been about the male lead, but it is a true two-hander about a relationship. Is it easy for you all to find movies that are about women as opposed to a movie that just has women in it?
ERIVO No. That's the short answer.
LAWRENCE Do you care if it passes the Bechdel Test?
ERIVO You know what, I didn't care, but now I do. I'm always like, “How much is she speaking, and what is she saying when she does speak?”
Is there any sort of formula to finding, and then keeping, those long-standing director-actor collaborations?
REINSVE Joachim Trier and I mutually felt on the set on Worst Person in the World that we had more things we wanted to explore together. We didn't really say it because it's up to him [whether we keep working together]. In Norway, it's really the director's vision and not so much an actor. It's almost the opposite, where if you're too famous or you become a star, it can get in the way of things. So Joachim and his co-writer Eskil Vogt had to decide if they wanted to work with me again. And then they did write that character [in Sentimental Value] for me.
BUCKLEY Did your relationship change the second time around?
REINSVE Yes, because Nora is really angry. I don't do the thing where you're in the role all the time, but it's like a transference of feeling. I talked to him in a different tone. The character also is depressed throughout the movie, so it affected our communication. After you have that experience, you come out of it and you're still friends, and you actually get closer.
SEYFRIED It's intimate. Growing as an artistic couple, the things you create grow, it seems like the best of both worlds. They say don't mix business with pleasure, don't mix business with relationships and love, but I don't agree with that because you're going to make something deeper and be fulfilled by it. Unless of course, somebody does something fucked up and you're not friends anymore.
DERN Cynthia, I'm curious how the experience was in making the second iteration of this film.
ERIVO We actually shot simultaneously.
LAWRENCE So some days you're shooting for number two and some days you're shooting for one?
ERIVO Sometimes all in the same day. When we shot the song “For Good,” we were meant to be shooting something for film one, but it was supposed to be outside, and it was raining. It's a sort of surrender. There's something lovely about being able to just let it be.
LAWRENCE Well, at least you're green no matter what. [On X-Men,] we could never do that because sometimes I'd be blue, sometimes I'd be blond. They'd say, “We're going to try to shoot something else,” and it's like, “OK, just give me eight hours.”
Is that hard to get used to? Since there's probably no world in which you could say, “I'm just not ready for that scene yet.”
LAWRENCE I worked with one actor who did that.
Did it work?
LAWRENCE Yeah. We didn't shoot the scene that day.
Amanda, with all of the choreography and singing you did on The Testament of Ann Lee, did you always feel ready?
SEYFRIED We did get this luxurious preparation period that you don't get for other genres. If there's music and movement involved, there's built-in time. And thank God because my brain is not clicked into the movement. I am always very uncomfortable dancing.
ERIVO I would never have known that you were uncomfortable.
SEYFRIED Thanks. It's the preparation, right? It's also very intuitive movement, so it's different than Mamma Mia!
REINSVE Were you uncomfortable in that too?
SEYFRIED Very much so. And it's internal because no one's got time for that [on set]. There are too many people doing too many things. So I'm just like, “I'm a piece of shit, I'm a piece of shit, are we rolling?”
LAWRENCE That's a good mantra.
Jennifer, it seems as though there's a fair amount of improv involved in Die My Love, especially during the moments when your character is breaking down or acting out.
LAWRENCE In the bathroom scene, what was in the script was just: “She destroys the bathroom.” So I did that. I scratched at the wall and then in post, they peeled off the wallpaper for me. It was just me in the bathroom with the camera guy. Once it got going, it was like I was living an intrusive thought out loud. How often do you want to take a shampoo bottle and just (mimes squeezing it out) and smash things?
Do you ever feel like, in promoting this film, you have to be the poster child of the postpartum experience?
LAWRENCE Not to sound stupid, but it is a privilege to talk about something that, 10 years ago, we weren't talking about. I had really bad postpartum with my second — whom I was actually pregnant with while we were making this [movie] — so I had to watch cuts of it while I was suffering from postpartum. More than any other movie I've made, it's very ripe for projection about your own relationships and family. But I've talked about postpartum a lot in the last six weeks, for sure.
Does the subject matter of a film, and more specifically the subject matter that you'll be required to discuss ad nauseam during the press tour, ever influence your decision to take a role?
LAWRENCE I was surprised when I started doing this because I've always been really strict about, “I don't want to talk about my kids.” But it's impossible not to, so I've landed on, “I will talk about my experience as a mother.” But it did make me realize that it was not something I had considered.
And you're really generous with it —
LAWRENCE Too generous. I hear what you're saying.
Like the interviews talking about the meds that helped you.
LAWRENCE Zurzuvae. Really helpful.
REINSVE It's funny, I struggle with the period where you're like, “Oh, I have to articulate what I did a year ago.” You never think that you're going to be an advocate for anything when you're making the movie, and then you end up in conversations with people having similar experiences [to the movie].
BUCKLEY I find it can narrow the experience. Everybody can have a completely personal, unique relationship to whatever you've made. Sometimes I wish we didn't have to talk about it at all and could just put it out there and let it be.
LAWRENCE We have to turn into a salesman. I get it, it's a business, but it's bizarre.
SEYFRIED And we're not experts on what we're talking about.
DERN Often people turn to the actors when the director doesn't want to tell you what his or her movie's about. Actors often become the spokespeople of the intentions. I don't know if you guys ever had a director upset with you about how you described their movie …
LAWRENCE Was it David Lynch?
DERN Yes. It was funny. It was the first time I had to describe what Blue Velvet was about, and I was 17 years old. And he was like, “You don't ever have to tell them anything about what we're making. You could just say that we had fun.” I was like, “Oh.” And, by the way, and then I betrayed that because I'm still trying to explain what our movie was about.
LAWRENCE I really love that moment when he brought a cow.
DERN Yes, for the first Oscar campaign. He did find it kind of insane what has happened with the promotion of movies.
BUCKLEY I never want to project any idea of what the women I play are meant to be, I just want to go down the river with them and let them have their own voice with it.
In the scene when Hamnet dies, you have this incredibly visceral scream-cry. How did you get yourself there that day?
BUCKLEY Well, it wasn't in the script, that moment. I guess my job in exploring grief was to try and touch the edges of that in as honest a way possible. The little boy who plays Hamnet, Jacobi Jupe, is so extraordinary. We shot that setup maybe three times, and the scream came out on the third time. I'd created a really strong bond with this little boy, and it felt like that scream was ancient. It just came through, I have no idea how.
ERIVO I've got a question. How do you come out of something like that? How do you protect yourself? I'm always concerned when I watch your films.
BUCKLEY I have a pretty simple life outside of my work, and coming back to something grounded is really important to me. Making a slice of toast or gardening or going for a walk. I'm also grateful for it because I don't want to wear a mask — I want all the shadowy bits to show. But I have an amazing husband, I have great siblings and I'm very close to them. Don't be worried, I'm fine. I also have therapy.
DERN As actors, we give ourselves permission to feel all the things because they're true, and then in life, culture teaches us not to have those feelings. Sometimes I think I'm more compassionate about needing that time [in work] than I am in real life, when I'm supposed to be together and show up for my kids even though I'm in pain.
Earlier, Amanda pointed out that no one here is an expert in whatever topic their movie is about — but what are you experts in?
LAWRENCE English royal history. I love it, I always have. The Tudors, specifically.
REINSVE I love quantum physics.
SEYFRIED I believe that.
LAWRENCE That's so annoying.
BUCKLEY That's really hot.
REINSVE You said you garden?
BUCKLEY I'm absolutely rubbish at gardening. I have grown one flaccid courgette. But I love my garden.
SEYFRIED I keep trying to picture it, but I can't.
BUCKLEY It was small, yellow and flaccid.
SEYFRIED Flaccid?
LAWRENCE If she says “flaccid” one more time, I'm leaving.
ERIVO I feel like it's obvious, but music really is my second language.
SEYFRIED You are an expert at finding notes and making them fucking throttle your soul. You are an expert at moving metaphorical mountains in people's bodies. I don't know how else to articulate it.
I'd like to end by asking if any of you have a memory of what you bought yourself with your first Hollywood paycheck.
REINSVE Probably just rent.
BUCKLEY I think it was rent as well. I got a bit nicer place.
ERIVO I bought my first Chanel bag and paid off my student loans.
Do you still have the bag?
ERIVO It was stolen. I remember I went into the store and paid for it with cash because I'd saved up my per diems from the job. I was like a little grandma putting it away in a cupboard.
SEYFRIED My favorite Louis Vuitton bag that I spent too much money on during an early movie was also stolen.
DERN I bought a camera and a tripod. And then the camera was stolen. I was so proud that I got to buy this for myself, so I put the tripod in the corner of my bedroom and used it as a coatrack for two years because I wanted it to matter. I don't know why I didn't just save up and get another camera, but I was so traumatized. I had been studying photography, and I just sort of let go of the passion. By the way, it might have been a boyfriend who stole the camera. He knows who he is.
ERIVO Fuck him.
LAWRENCE Fucking bitch.
DERN I think it's time to get myself a camera, guys.
ERIVO You must, I'll go with you.
DERN OK, I love this.
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The ceremony will be held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in L.A. on Jan. 31.
By
Paul Grein
The Recording Academy has announced the recipients of its 2026 Special Merit Awards. Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon and Whitney Houston are the lifetime achievement recipients; Bernie Taupin, Eddie Palmieri and Sylvia Rhone are the Trustees Award honorees; and John Chowning is the Technical Grammy Award honoree.
The ceremony will be held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday Jan. 31, the afternoon before the 68th annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A.
“It's a true honor to recognize this year's Special Merit Award recipients — an extraordinary group whose influence spans generations, genres and the very foundation of modern music,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “Each of these honorees has made a profound and lasting impact, and we look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements.”
Palmieri, a Latin music legend, will be honored less than six months after he died at age 88. Two other artists are being honored posthumously – Afrobeats pioneer Kuti, who died in 1997, and Houston, who died in 2012.
Simon is being honored as a solo artist. Simon & Garfunkel received a lifetime achievement award as a duo in 2003. Simon joins the short list of people who have been honored both solo and in groups or duos. Others include Diana Ross (the Supremes) and Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison (The Beatles).
Houston receives the honor seven years after her cousin Dionne Warwick was honored.
Taupin is this year's only Special Merit Award recipient who is also a 2026 Grammy nominee. The night after he picks up this honor, he'll win or lose for best song written for visual media for “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late. Incredibly, Taupin has yet to win a competitive Grammy.
Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Trustees Awards are presented to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording. Both are voted on by the academy's national trustees.
Technical Grammy Awards are presented to individuals, companies, organizations or institutions who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field. They are voted on by the Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and chapter committees and ratified by the academy's national trustees.
Here's a closer look at this year's honorees:
Cher will receive her lifetime achievement award 60 years after receiving her first Grammy nomination – best new artist as one-half of Sonny & Cher. Cher is an Oscar, Grammy, Primetime Emmy, and Golden Globe winner whose influence has shaped pop culture and fashion worldwide. Rising to fame with the Billboard Hot 100-topping hit “I Got You Babe,” she went on to land such solo hits as “Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves,” “Half-Breed,” “Dark Lady” and “If I Could Turn Back Time,” before taking on dance-pop with the Grammy-winning “Believe” (which was nominated for record of the year). On TV, she scored big with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and Cher. As an actress, Cher earned acclaim in films such as Silkwood, Mask and Moonstruck, the latter bringing her an Oscar for best actress. Her world tours and Las Vegas residency have drawn millions of fans. Cher received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018 and was voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. She may be the youngest and hippest 79-year-old on planet Earth.
Houston, who died in 2012 at age 48, earned worldwide renown as “The Voice.” Born into a dynasty of legendary singers, she rose from performing in New York clubs to signing with Clive Davis' Arista Records in 1983. Two years later, she released her self-titled debut album, which became the best-selling debut album by a solo artist. Houston made history by stringing together seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. Her acting debut in The Bodyguard (1992) led to one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time and to her career-defining recording of Dolly Parton's “I Will Always Love You.” The Bodyguard soundtrack won album of the year at the 1994 Grammys, while that megahit single took record of the year. A six-time Grammy winner, Houston was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
For nearly six decades, Carlos Santana, 78, has been a pioneering force in music, fusing Afro-Latin, blues, rock, and jazz into a sound that transcends genre, culture and generation. He and his band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. They made Grammy history in 2000, receiving eight Grammys in a single night, tying Michael Jackson for the single-year Grammy record. Their haul included album of the year for Supernatural and record of the year for “Smooth,” a propulsive smash featuring Rob Thomas. A 10-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy winner, Carlos Santana received Billboard‘s Century Award in 1996 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013. His Las Vegas residency at House of Blues is now in its 14th year.
Khan is a 10-time Grammy winner, a 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a creative innovator whose influence reaches across genres – pop, R&B, jazz, rock, country, gospel, dance, classical, indie, and beyond. Her biggest solo hit, a cover of Prince's “I Feel for You,” featured a rap by Grandmaster Melle Mel and a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder, bridging generations of R&B artist and sensibilities. Khan, 72, is a trailblazer, storyteller and the voice of power and freedom for many generations. She remains a living force in music – an artist whose work and life continue to inspire, elevate and redefine what is possible.
Simon, 84, has shaped the sound of contemporary music for 60 years. Widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, he has received 16 Grammy Awards. He has won album of the year with three albums, record of the year with three singles, and song of the year once, for “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” one of the most universally admired songs of our time. He is a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He was inducted as one-half of Simon & Garfunkel in 1990 and on his own in 2001. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982 and received that organization's top honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 1998. His accolades also include the Kennedy Center Honors, the inaugural Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the Polar Music Prize, and the Smithsonian's Great Americans Medal. In 2023, Simon released Seven Psalms, receiving his 36th Grammy nomination (best folk album) and inspiring the documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.
Fela Kuti, who died in 1997 at age 58, was a Nigerian musician, producer, arranger, political radical, outlaw, and the father of Afrobeats. In the 1960s, he created the genre by combining funk, jazz, salsa, calypso, and a blend of traditional Nigerian rhythms. A titanic sociopolitical voice, Afrobeat's revolutionary politics brought Fela into violent conflict with successive Nigerian military regimes. Fela's influence and music catalog have been widely celebrated and explored, including the podcast series Fela Kuti: Fear No Man and the Broadway musical Fela!, which received 11 Tony nominations in 2010, winning three awards. Fela's influence spans generations, inspiring such wide-ranging artists as Beyoncé, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats. An annual celebration in his honor, Felabration, takes place in Lagos and around the world each October.
As noted above, Taupin is this year's only Special Merit Award recipient who is also a 2026 Grammy nominee. He's nominated for best song written for visual media for “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late. Incredibly, Taupin, 75, has yet to win a competitive Grammy. Best known for his legendary partnership with Elton John, Taupin helped create one of the best-selling singles of all time, “Candle in the Wind 1997.” His achievements have earned him the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, a dozen Ivor Novello Awards, an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, and a Commander of the British Empire honor. He and John were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and received that organization's top honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 2013. A best-selling memoirist, Taupin continues to write across genres, most recently contributing to the Grammy-nominated album Who Believes in Angels? by John and Brandi Carlile. Taupin's Trustees Award is noteworthy because John has yet to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy (though he did receive the less defined Grammy Legend Award in 2000).
Palmieri, who died on Aug. 6 at age 88, was a visionary pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader who took Afro-Caribbean music to new horizons for more than seven decades. Born in 1936 in Spanish Harlem to Puerto Rican parents, he began playing piano in childhood and launched his professional career in the 1950s. In 1961, he founded La Perfecta, replacing trumpets with trombones to forge a bold new sound that helped define modern salsa. His 1965 recording Azúcar Pa' Ti exemplified his groundbreaking works and was inducted into the Library of Congress in 2009. In 1975, Palmieri became the inaugural winner of best Latin recording for Sun of Latin Music. He eventually received eight Grammy Awards and two Latin Grammys and was honored with the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the NEA Jazz Master distinction and induction into Lincoln Center's Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame.
Rhone, 73, is a pioneering music executive whose five-decade career reshaped the recording industry and forged historic pathways for women and people of color. Rising from Harlem, she became the first woman to serve as CEO of a major record label owned by a Fortune 500 company and went on to hold top executive roles across all three major music groups. She served in top posts at Atlantic, Elektra, Motown, and Epic, where she was named chairwoman and CEO in 2019. Rhone expanded the labels' global reach, overseeing career-defining releases across genres — from Travis Scott, Future, En Vogue, Metallica, Björk, and Tracy Chapman to Zara Larsson and Tyla — while playing a vital role in shaping the rise of hip-hop and championing female trailblazers including MC Lyte and Missy Elliott to Nicki Minaj. Her leadership has earned her numerous honors, including the Recording Academy's Global Impact Award, Billboard's Executive of the Year and the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award.
Chowning, 91, is a composer and computer-music innovator whose discovery of frequency modulation (FM) synthesis in 1967 revolutionized electronic sound. After studying with Nadia Boulanger and earning his doctorate at Stanford, he launched the university's early computer-music program and developed the first digital algorithm for surround-sound localization. Stanford's licensing of his FM patent to Yamaha led to the most successful synthesis engine in the history of electronic instruments. A co-founder of Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics in 1974, Chowning helped establish one of the world's leading hubs for computer-music research. Even after retiring in 1996, he continued a teenage interest in exploring reverberant caves. His honors include election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the French Ordre des Arts et Lettres and the Giga-Hertz Award.
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's desire to play pioneering UFC fighter Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine,” an adaptation of the 2002 documentary of the same name, about the athlete's rise through the ranks of professional mixed martial arts, on the precipice of the sport becoming a worldwide sensation, predates when the WWE-superstar-turned-blockbuster-actor even started producing films through his company Seven Bucks Productions in 2012.
He simply had watched the HBO documentary in the burgeoning days of his pivot to film stardom, and thought to himself, “I would love to play Mark Kerr.” But even at that point, he told IndieWire over Zoom, doubt had already creeped in. “The realness was, ‘Are you ready to make this film? Are you ready to go there?' Because at the end of the documentary, [Kerr] is still battling his addictions, and he's trying, and things are hard, and he loses everything,” said Johnson. “Are you ready to go there?”
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The first time he thought he'd lived enough life to revisit the role was around 2019, at a point where Johnson had become the highest paid actor of the year off a string of hits that included the “Fast and Furious” franchise, the new “Jumanji” franchise, and big budget actioners like “San Andreas,” “Rampage,” and “Skyscraper” (plus the animated phenomenon that is “Moana”). He said, “I started getting this little voice behind my rib cage that was speaking to me and saying, ‘Hey, what does the next challenge look like in this career? You're at this point where you could continue to do the films that you're doing and its status quo. Everybody's happy, but there's more.'”
After seeing “Uncut Gems,” and how the Safdie brothers directed comedian Adam Sandler toward a dark horse awards run for his lead performance in the high octane crime drama, Johnson landed on the younger sibling, actor/director Benny Safdie, helping him realize his vision of playing Kerr. The filmmaker was game, but the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way of them being able to shoot the picture.
But still, Johnson said, “When I was first thinking, ‘Hey, that's a movie there,' admittedly, that was my commercial instincts taking over. ‘Hey, I think there's a great movie there that people would like, and we can make [that] movie.'” By the time he was actually back on track to make the film around 2023, a whole lot more life had happened to him, and “it was very specific and very declarative. I need to make this movie,” said Johnson. “I need this for my soul. I feel like I need to tell this story. I need to challenge myself and I need to listen to my gut and my instinct and this little voice that has now become very resounding, banging on my rib cage, ‘You must do this. A change has to happen, and it's scary, and that's ok. Go for it. There's a cliff and you don't know what's down below, but jump.' You don't want to wake up 25 years from now and go, ‘I just wish I did.'”
While there were the public elements, like tentpoles “Black Adam” and “Red Notice” not being received as well as his past work, there were also private moments in his personal life, like the sudden death of his father, pro wrestler Rocky Johnson, in January 2020, which brought upon a lot of introspection that would prove foundational to his portrayal of Kerr.
He cited a scene in the hospital opposite first-time actor and UFC alum Ryan Bader as Kerr's best friend and pending opponent Mark Coleman, where his character makes a futile attempt to mask what got him admitted. “He's trying to turn it on. ‘Could you believe it? They were asking me who the president is? That's kind of unfair, right? Because I'm in the—' and he's just trying, and it's what addicts do. And the moment they feel like, ‘Oh, this person is buying into the story, there's my hook. Got it. Great. They're buying into it,'” said Johnson. “I heard that story so many times from my dad. And so, there was so much in this. That was my experience with my dad, where I lived it, and their fights, and his own battles with alcoholism.”
The actor quoted author Louis L'Amour: “There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning.” And, “in this case, that's what I thought, ‘This was what “Smashing Machine” represented.' Because in many ways, it's wild how much goes back for me to my dad and this relationship that I had that just was complicated and fucked up and loving.” He added, “My dad's passing, there's not a day that goes by where I don't think about it and I don't try to reconcile because we fought, and we had the worst fight of our lives. We stopped talking. Two weeks later, out of the blue.” As he speaks, he trails off, gesturing a salute.
In Johnson's first real go at playing Kerr, he had a sense of himself as an entertainer, saying he approached all his projects with an “audience first” mindset, holding “Indiana Jones” as his north star. “To the studios and to directors and my fellow actors, and I would say, ‘Hey, let's send them home floating, and let's work for the four quadrants, and for the largest audience possible and serve them.' And it worked,” said Johnson. “But eventually, I got to a point where I felt like if it's truly ‘audience first,' then wouldn't that mean I should give them my full self?”
He did not have a sense of himself as the artist capable of opening up in the way he has now, promoting “The Smashing Machine” across several festival premieres, for your consideration events, and wide-ranging interviews, that have led to his first Golden Globes nomination for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. “There's just so much more I felt that I should explore, that I had been nervous about exploring. I never wanted to explore my own trauma and my own on shit on screen,” he said. “I felt like, ‘Hey, that's stuff that I should work out on my own.'” His “Jungle Cruise” co-star Emily Blunt, who had become one of his best friends, was actually key in rekindling “The Smashing Machine,” after her fellow “Oppenheimer” actor Safdie had asked her to watch the documentary and reach back out to Johnson.
When she finally reached him, “She goes, ‘Look, you're right there. Because the truth is, there's a reason why you ask me about every director I work with, from Nolan to Spielberg, you're always querying, investigating, “Tell me about this character. How did you put it together?” But it will require you to take all that trauma and shit that you've experienced in your life, and [now] you have a place to put it,'” said Johnson of his conversation with Blunt, who would eventually sign on to play Kerr's girlfriend Dawn Staples. “I finally realized, ‘Wow, I can do that! I could do the thing I love, which is storytelling. But now, I also have a place to put all this stuff and show the audience my full self.”
His thought process behind wanting to make “The Smashing Machine” became “Oh, wait a second, that's a human being who I can relate to, that's in this volcanic relationship with his ex-girlfriend and who eventually became his wife. I can relate to that relationship.” He did not have experience with addiction to the point of overdosing on pain medication, as Kerr did twice, “but I do know what it's like to have a relationship with pain, physical pain. I know what it's like to have a relationship to pressure, the pressure of this idea that people think, ‘Hey, you are who you are,' and there's an invincibility to you. And you make these films, and there's these kinds of characters, and that's who you are outside of Hollywood. And that kind of image, it's hard to live up to.”
While A24, Safdie, Johnson, and those working on “The Smashing Machine” did not release the film thinking it did not have the potential to do well in theaters, it failing to catch fire at the box office in October (a month that saw historic low grosses across the board), does complement its narrative. “It's not ‘Rocky.' It looks like ‘Rocky.' It has the bones of ‘Rocky.' But in the end, he doesn't win, and he loses everything. And what is that like? And he almost dies twice with his overdosing. And it's OK,” said Johnson. The concluding shot of “The Smashing Machine” is the real Kerr exiting the grocery store, which cues the audience in on life going on well enough for the fighter, and what a transformation Johnson went through, with help from Oscar-winning makeup artist Kazu Hiro, to transform into Kerr.
“That's the thing that Benny wanted to show at the end of the film. He goes, ‘If I can make a film in the sports biopic [genre] where typically you win at the end, but he doesn't. And if I can make people walk out of the theater, hopefully, [helping] them go, ‘But you know what? It's OK. And I feel good about my life choices.' Then, he goes, ‘I think we might succeed at making something that's unique and different and maybe perhaps even talked about for some years to come,” said Johnson.
He added, “Sometimes with success, you think you want it so badly, you get it, and then it's empty. And you don't know why it's empty. And then, you question should I even have it? Do I deserve it? Self-sabotage begins to kick in, and before you know it you're in this cycle, you're spinning. And throw in an addiction to drugs, and on top of that potentially a relationship that's codependent, that has drugs involved too as well. And it's a hard, hard place to live, and it's a lonely place.”
While that is all more true to the real life person he played, instead of Johnson, the actor sees his film as a win for the way that it has reconnected him to his peers in the artistic community. “My relationship with success for ‘The Smashing Machine' is not a number. And it may sound convenient, but I mean this from the heart, it's just peace. Being at peace with it, and being at peace with the performance. Because I've got to tell you, for decades, admittedly, it was always about numbers, right? And what's the exit score? What's the Rotten Tomatoes score?,” he said. “And all that stuff, it all works together and it's all important.”
But what Johnson realized was “there is just such anchoring satisfaction in the conversation where you create something that then sparks conversations that I have never had in my life, and I have been blown away by every conversation that I have had, [from] DMs, to text messages, to fellow actors, journalists, directors, you name it.”
He actually was in the audience when Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan told his director Safdie, “I don't think you'll see a better performance this year or most other years.” Johnson said, “I just wanted to watch this conversation between these two beautiful directors and was holding my wife's hand. And he said what he said, and I must have broken three bones in her hand because I squeezed her hand so hard. It's like, ‘Holy shit, you said what?'”
Johnson's movie career has seen a lot of the highest highs, but “what I'm saying is I've never had that before,” he said. “And so, I'm not dismissing anything about our business, our process, numbers, etc., but just that to me is the biggest win of all.” There's been no motivation to continue down the path of making films that feel like they come from his soul than the multiple times peers have told him “Hey, we've been waiting for this. We've been waiting.”
Next up: Johnson is already set to reteam with Safdie on an adaptation of the Daniel Pinkwater novel “Lizard Music,” where he will play an eccentric septuagenarian known as the Chicken Man. “Dude, there is so much of my dad's shit that I'm putting into this [character],” he said. “The closer [Benny and I] get, it's like, ‘Wait, your dad did that too? My dad did that. He left you like that?'”
He is also still attached to Darren Aronofsky's “Breakthrough.” “There's something really chemical that's happening that, even in this very, very early process of working with Darren has been phenomenal,” said the actor, who has known the filmmaker since his uncles The Wild Samoans consulted on Aronofsky's “The Wrestler.” Finally, he compares his still-in-development film with Martin Scorsese, about the Godfather of Hawaii, Nappy Pulawa, to his co-star Blunt getting to work with Steven Spielberg on a film about UFOs. “This is Marty's anchor and his powerhouse. And this is what is probably the last great mob story that's never been told,” said Johnson.
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Grande previewed her "SNL" gig this weekend, including meeting Cher, and revealed what kind of present wrapper she is on Thursday night's (Dec. 18) "Late Night."
By
Gil Kaufman
You should forgive Ariana Grande if you're on her Christmas list and your present doesn't come exactly on time, or wrapped like you might expect. She's, you know, kind of busy still promoting Wicked: For Good and her return to Saturday Night Live this weekend for the fifth time with musical guest Cher. But she did take time out on Thursday night (Dec. 18) to chat with Seth Meyers for the first time on Late Night, where she explained what kind of Christmas person she is while also revealing the one Wicked tie-in item that kind of gives her the willies.
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Asked if she manages to buy gifts for everyone on her list amid her busy schedule, Grande said she tried to get as much of her shopping done as possible before the brutal scheduled of her SNL week. “I've been managing to wrap some of the gifts in the morning before I leave for SNL, and then when I get home I'm usually too tired,” said Grande.
Meyers, who thanked Grande for showing up in exactly the kind of outfit he'd expect from good witch Glinda, a long, gauzy princess dress fit for a ball, wondered if she had magical wrapping skills as well.
“I think it looks… well-intentioned,” Grande admitted of her gift wrapping skills. “I think it's the thought that counts. And I do feel guilty about the amount of tape used. That's gotta be bad, but I make up for it in other ways… It's hideous, but it's with love.”
As for her favorite Christmas tradition, Grande paid homage to her beloved Nonna — who died in June at 99 years old — revealing that her go-to holiday activity was baking traditional Italian Zeppole donut-like treats with her late grandma. “My mission this year is to come up with a plant-based Zeppole. She would not like that, maybe I won't actually.”
After talking about the emotionally taxing filming of the Wicked movies and how the role of Glinda came at the perfect time in her career, Meyers asked Grande to pivot to the mountain of Wicked tie-in merchandise that many boys and girls (and men and women) will likely find under their trees this year. “Was there a particular piece of merch that you were most covetous of when you saw it?,” he wondered.
“First of all, my mom has everything,” Grande said. “She went a little too hard. And I was like, ‘Mom, it's okay, Universal, they're gonna send it, it's okay!' And then she'd be like, ‘No, no, no, no, I need, like, 30!” Grande said a few of the items, though, were “a little disturbing. Like the pink and green — I hope this is okay to say — the pink and green, was it mac and cheese that they did?”
“Yeah, I think it's fair to say that's disturbing,” Meyers assured Grande.
“That was when I knew, ‘Oh, this is big!',” Grande said. “It's a little bigger than I thought.”
Grande also revealed that she had just been introduced to this weekend's musical guest on SNL, Cher, who she had not met until they filmed the promos for the show earlier this week. “I mean, she's just the one and only. It was so spectacular. And she's just brilliant and I'm so excited,” Grande said of the music icon who will be marking her return to the sketch show for the first time in nearly 40 years this weekend.
Watch Grande on Late Night below.
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Taylor Swift made rare comments about her “rough” breakups with longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn and on-again, off-again fling Matty Healy on “End of an Era.”
“I went through two breakups in the first half of this tour and that's a lot of breakups, actually,” Swift said on episode four of her Disney+ docuseries.
She noted that the show gave her “purpose” and helped her “get out of bed” despite the “s–t that was going on.”
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“Men will let you down. The Eras Tour never will,” Swift added.
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The “Opalite” singer also discussed recording her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which had many references to both Alwyn and Healy.
She explained how the album was “everything bad [she] felt for two years” and a “rough time in [her] life.”
“I'm a big conglomerate no one sees as a human being, especially not the men that I date,” she said. “Nothing works, there is no one for me in the world.”
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On episode three, Swift commended her crew and loved ones for helping her through the hard times.
“It's so wonderful being able to carry a professional family with you as you go through phases of life, as you go through ups and downs and heartbreaks,” Swift gushed.
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Swift, 36, and Alwyn, 34, broke up in 2023 after six years together.
Alwyn was spotted supporting Swift at a March Eras Tour show before their split.
Swift's “The Tortured Poets Department” had various songs about her split with the actor, including “So Long, London,” “Loml” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
Swift has had an on-again, off-again romance with Healy, 36, through the years, as they dated before her romance with Alwyn.
The “Elizabeth Taylor” singer and The 1975 frontman reconnected soon after her split from the actor, as they were spotted on a date at New York City's Casa Cipriani in May 2023.
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“The Tortured Poets Department,” “Guilty as Sin,” “Down Bad,” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and other songs are references to Healy.
The latter tune appears to give insight into their June 2023 split, as she sings, “You tried to buy some pills / From a friend of friends of mine” and “they just ghosted you, now you know what it feels like.”
Of course, Swift moved on with now-fiance, Travis Kelce, who she began dating in the summer of 2023 after he called her out on his “New Heights” podcast.
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The Kansas City Chiefs star has been seen singing along at Swift's many shows, as he even made a surprise appearance on stage at one of her London concerts.
The docuseries also gives insight into her romance with Kelce, with episode one featuring an emotional phone call between the couple.
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The two announced via Instagram in August that they are engaged after two years of dating, and Page Six has learned they plan to marry in Rhode Island over the summer.
The final two episodes of the Disney+ docuseries drop on Dec. 23.
Look what Taylor Swift's mom made her do.
Andrea Swift encouraged her daughter to pursue Travis Kelce after the Kansas City Chiefs player's viral “New Heights” episode, she revealed on Friday's new “End of an Era” docuseries episodes.
Andrea, 67, recalled seeing headlines about the athlete's interest in the pop star while looking “around on the internet.”
She subsequently called her cousin, whom she considers an “expert” on the Missouri-based NFL team, to ask about the Super Bowl winner.
Andrea reflected on this with Taylor in her dressing room ahead of an October 2024 Eras Tour stop in New Orleans, saying, “She said, ‘Oh, my God. He's the nicest guy. And you know what? He really loves his mom, [Donna Kelce].'”
“I went, Ding, ding, ding. Now, how in the world am I gonna get her to meet him?” she asked, with Taylor confirming that her dating history had indeed skewed “non-athlete.”
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Additionally, Andrea noted that Travis' gesture — bringing a friendship bracelet with his phone number to a show in the hopes of giving it to Taylor — “said a lot” about his character.
“It was so earnest,” she explained. “I thought it was the sweetest thing in the world that he came to your show, he brought you something from your world … I liked it.”
At the time, Andrea spoke to Taylor on the phone about Travis' interest.
“You called me up with this tone of, ‘Hey, so I know you're not gonna react well to this. But there's a guy,'” the Grammy winner remembered. “You said something to the effect of, ‘You've got to start doing something different.'”
Andrea added that Travis is “really cute.”
Taylor and Travis ultimately began dating in July 2023, with the tight end getting down on one knee in August.
When the first trailer for Taylor's Eras Tour docuseries dropped the following month, Andrea made headlines for gushing about the “happiness” her daughter's fiancé brings.
The duo are expected to tie the knot in June, with Page Six hearing they want to walk down the aisle at Rhode Island's Ocean House in Watch Hill.
Episodes 1 through 4 of “End of an Era” are streaming on Disney+, with the final two coming out Dec. 23.
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Bleecker Street's Crosswalk will release 'Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience' in North America, with Universal handling most international territories.
By
Patrick Brzeski
Asia Bureau Chief
Bleecker Street's event cinema division Crosswalk and Universal Pictures Content Group (UPCG) have acquired rights to Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience, a concert film capturing the K-pop group's sold-out performances at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium.
Under the deal, Crosswalk will release the film theatrically in North America, while UPCG will handle international distribution across most of the rest of the world, excluding South Korea, China and Japan. A global theatrical rollout is planned for early 2026, including Imax engagements.
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Produced by Live Nation Studios, the film combines concert footage from Stray Kids' dominATE world tour with behind-the-scenes material. It is directed by Paul Dugdale (Adele: One Night Only, Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour), with documentary segments directed by Farah X (The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion).
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The acquisition was negotiated by Miranda King and Avy Eschenasy for Bleecker Street, Ingrid Pittana for UPCG and Ross Putman on behalf of Live Nation.
“Stray Kids' global reach and passionate fan base perfectly represent the bold, wide-reaching experiences we are constantly wanting to bring to audiences on the big screen,” Bleecker Street CEO Kent Sanderson said in a statement, describing the film as a natural extension of the company's push into event cinema.
UPCG EVP Helen Parker said the company plans to position the release as a global theatrical event, citing the group's international audience and the growing appetite for concert films outside traditional music markets.
The deal comes as K-pop concert films continue to build theatrical appeal across Asia and in select Western markets, particularly for fan-driven event releases. Recent titles headlined by BTS, BLACKPINK and NCT have delivered strong per-screen averages in South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia, with premium formats and limited-run engagements offsetting shorter play dates. Distributors have been leaning on such titles as low-risk event cinema, combining theatrical exclusivity with built-in fan engagement.
Live Nation Studios head of film and TV Ryan Kroft said the project aims to translate the scale of Stray Kids' live performances to theaters, combining concert footage with the feeling of behind-the-scenes access.
Formed by JYP Entertainment in 2018, Stray Kids has emerged as one of the most commercially successful K-pop groups of its generation, with more than 30 million albums sold worldwide. The group has logged multiple Billboard 200 No. 1 debuts and has expanded its footprint through film and television soundtracks, including recent contributions to Netflix's Arcane and Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine.
The release adds to Crosswalk's growing slate of event-focused theatrical titles following Bleecker Street's 2025 launch of the division. The company's upcoming projects include Stop! That! Train!, directed by Adam Shankman and starring RuPaul, and Alex Gibney's much-anticipated Elon Musk doc, Musk.
The partners have yet to reveal a release date for Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience.
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By Jesse Whittock
International TV Co-Editor
Toho, the Japanese anime company behind Godzilla Minus One, is setting up a regional European headquarters in the UK for its overseas business division, Toho Global.
At the same time, Toho has reached an agreement to acquire all shares in Glasgow-based Anime Limited from Germany's Plaion Pictures and make it a subsidiary of the new European base. Tokyo-based Toho Global and Munich-based Plaion will become “preferred partners” in Europe through a strategic alliance.
Financial terms of the deal was not disclosed. Toho said the impact of the acquisition could be “negligible” on this year's consolidated financial results, but noted the focus is on the “medium- to long-term,” and that the deal was part of its Toho Vision 2032 Group Management Strategy. This is based on four verticals: Planning and IP, animation, digital, and overseas.
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Toho plans to use Anime as its conduit into the UK and France, focusing on theatrical distribution, home video and streaming for anime titles, and will work closely with Plaion to target Germany, Italy and other European countries on local marketing and distribution.
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Andrew Partridge, the founder and Managing Director of Anime, will join the leadership team of Toho's European regional headquarters. The Euro base will work across theatrical distribution, TV/streaming, home video, merchandise, and games for anime and select live-action IP.
This comes just over a year after Toho acquired U.S.-based animation distributor GKids, which sits under the L.A.-based Toho International, and the launch of a central Asian hub in Singapore, Toho Entertainment Asia. Toho also owns 25% of Fifth Season.
Toho Global pointed to the European anime market being worth an estimated $4.77B in 2024, with projections suggesting it will hit $9.05B by 2030 with an average annual growth rate of 11.2% over the next five years, thanks to increasing penetration, a diverse range of anime services and expanding merchandising sales. While Studio Ghibli films have always been popular in the UK, there has been a noticeable rise in anime's visibility around Europe over recent years.
For Toho, the plan is to maximize the value of properties such as Godzilla through the three European businesses working in lockstep. Its 2023 pic, Godzilla Minus One, was a big international box office hit, taking $116M, and won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. A sequel, Godzilla Minus Zero, is set to drop next year.
Koji Ueda, President and Representative Director at Toho Global, said: “This move accelerates the timeline to realize the ‘Toho Vision 2032 Group Management Strategy' by giving Toho an immediate pan-European distribution capability as well as access to Plaion Pictures' highly additive infrastructure for merchandise operations. We look forward to working together with our new team members and partners to bring amazing content to fans in the UK, France and across the continent.”
Anime's Partridge added: “Both myself and the team have long loved working together on Toho properties, as evident from making Godzilla Minus One, the best Japanese live-action box office hit of all time in the UK. We look forward to becoming part of the Toho family and working closer and more collaboratively with its group companies to expand the interest of anime across our territories. I look forward to continuing to work with Anime Limited both during the transition and from my new role at Toho's European regional headquarters.”
Stefan Kapelari, Managing Director of Plaion said: “Anime Ltd is exceptionally well positioned in the anime market,” adding: “The sale to Toho creates entirely new growth opportunities for Anime Ltd. in the UK and France through strong synergies across content, distribution, and marketing. We would like to thank Andrew Partridge and the entire Anime Ltd. team for their dedication and outstanding collaboration over the past four years, and we wish them every success in this forward-looking new constellation.”
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By
Emily Zemler
According to The Late Show, Donald Trump won't be content until he completely ruins Christmas. Last night, Stephen Colbert aired an animated clip titled “Colbert's Canceled Christmas: The Last Noel,” taking aim at Trump's desire to ruin everything good.
The video, narrated by Nick Offerman, centers on “King Jag Bag” (a.k.a. Trump) as he cancels Christmas, sends ICE to the North Pole, destroys Santa's workshop to build a new ballroom, and forces Santa into Alligator Elfcatraz. “No inch of that fellow was nice, kind, or thankful,” Offerman narrates. “From his weird rotting hand to his large swollen cankles.”
Santa and his elves find themselves locked up alongside the Sesame Street characters in a cell previously inhabited by “Donald Trump's best and only friend Jeffrey Elfstein.” There, they discover the “Elfstein list,” which Santa uses to try to take the president down. When he fails, a group of popular children's characters appear, call him a loser, and give Santa the power to boot Trump back to the White House.
Colbert has gone no holds barred against Trump after CBS pulled the plug on The Late Show earlier this year. In July, after the network announced the late-night show would come to an end in May 2026, Colbert noted, “But they made one mistake. They left me alive.”
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The host acknowledged, to chants of his name from the crowd, that this means that “now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off.” He continued, “I can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump starting right now. I don't really care for him. Doesn't seem to have the skill set to be president. Just not a good fit.”
In November, Colbert addressed the unexpected cancellation of The Late Show, declining to say whether he thinks CBS axed the show due to political pressure from the Trump administration, but saying otherwise: “It's a reasonable thing to think.”
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By
Emily Zemler
Jimmy Kimmel opened his final monologue of 2025 by sharing his gratitude with viewers for supporting him through an unprecedented year.
In September, Jimmy Kimmel Live was indefinitely suspended by network ABC after Kimmel was targeted by the Trump administration. The late-night show as brought back to air relatively quickly after a public backlash, and Kimmel has continued to trade blows with Donald Trump since.
“This has been a strange year. It's been a hard year,” Kimmel acknowledged. “We've had some lows, we've had some highs. For me, maybe more than any year in my life.”
The host began to tear up as he continued, “But on behalf of all of us—I'm crying already, I'm sorry. On behalf of all of us at the show, I just want to say that we appreciate your support, your enthusiasm. And not just for watching. This year you literally pulled us out of a hole, and we cannot thank you enough, personally, professionally.”
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“I know there are a lot harder jobs, but this is not an easy job to do,” Kimmel said. “And sometimes it feels like we're spinning our wheels. You see so many awful and destructive acts, so much damage we inflict on ourselves on purpose, and it can make you feel crazy trying to wrap your head around these things that are so clearly wrong. You grow up reading Superman and you learn to value truth, justice, and the American way, and then you start to realize, especially over the last year, you don't know where that all went. You don't know what the American way is even more.”
He added, “But when I hear from people who tell me that they watch our show and the shows that our friends and colleagues do on the other channels and it makes them feel less crazy, it makes me feel less crazy too. And I think that's an important thing.”
Before getting into the get of his monologue, Kimmel noted, “I also think it's important that we as Americans let our friends in other countries who watch the show on YouTube, on Instagram, Hulu, wherever, know that a lot of us are not okay with what is happening. There is still much more good in this country than bad and we hope that you will bear with us during this extended psychotic episode that we're in the middle of.”
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Jimmy Kimmel Live will return in 2026. Earlier this month, Kimmel renewed his deal to host the show until May 2027. The deal was reportedly finalized over the summer — before ABC's September suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, following a monologue in the wake of Charlie Kirk‘s murder.
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That suspension, which came after heavy pressure from the Trump administration, conservative activists, and network affiliates, was billed as “indefinite.” It ended up lasting just a few days, after it prompted a ferocious backlash of its own, with consumers apparently canceling their Disney+ subscriptions en masse and actors and other showbiz figures condemning ABC and its parent company, Disney.
Kimmel returned to the show with a studio audience chanting his name. His 17-minute monologue, in which he said it was “never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” drew 6.26 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular episode in the show's history.
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Jeff Mills' legendary Live at Liquid Room mix, recorded during his 1995 DJ set at Tokyo's Liquidroom nightclub, has come to streaming for the first time. The mix is available to stream exclusively via Apple Music. Listen to it below.
The 66-minute, 36-song Live at Liquid Room was condensed down from Mills's original three-hour set, and spans 17 of his own tracks—including an early version of what would become his calling-card single, “The Bells”—alongside contemporaries like Richie Hawtin, Robert Armani, and Joey Beltram. The mix was originally available in CD and cassette formats as the second entry in Sony Japan's short-lived Mix-Up series, but has never seen a widespread digital release.
Revisit Pitchfork's Sunday Review of Live at the Liquid Room, Tokyo, and read about “The Bells” at No. 130 on “The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s.”
© 2025 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Pitchfork may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices
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Ciara performed a medley. Paris Hilton was named muse of the year.
By
Paul Grein
Alex Warren was crowned breakthrough of the year at the inaugural TikTok Awards, which were presented at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Thursday (Dec. 18). The “Ordinary” hitmaker proved not so ordinary, coming out on top in a stacked category that also included KATSEYE, Laufey, Ravyn Lenae and sombr.
This is Warren's second new artist win. He won best new artist at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7. He's also nominated for best new artist at the upcoming Grammy Awards, where he is again squaring off again KATSEYE and sombr, as well as Olivia Dean, The Marías, Addison Rae, Leon Thomas and Lola Young. The winner will be crowned on Feb. 1.
In other categories at the TikTok Awards, Paris Hilton was named Muse of the Year, while LawbyMike won the I Was Today Years Old Award.
Ciara performed a medley which included “Ecstasy” from her newest album CiCi as well as such hits as “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step” and “Like a Boy.” The show opened with a performance led by Mikey Angelo. Gold-medalist Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa reprised their Dancing with the Stars pairing during Recap Guy's performance.
Ahead of the show, there was a live pre-show hosted by correspondents Dylan Kevitch, Hannah Kosh, and Taylor King.
In the spirit of Creator of the Year winner Keith Lee, TikTok is making a $50,000 donation to Feeding America.
The show streamed on @TikTok and on Tubi, the official streaming partner of the TikTok Awards 2025. The ceremony will also be available on demand the next day on Tubi.
Here are the nominees in key categories at the first TikTok Awards, with winners marked.
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The star's label argues in new court papers that it followed proper licensing procedure for the dance hit.
By
Rachel Scharf
Beyoncé's label and management company, Parkwood Entertainment, says in new court papers that it properly licensed the EDM sample that opens her 2022 Renaissance track “Alien Superstar.”
Parkwood filed a motion on Wednesday (Dec. 17) to dismiss the copyright lawsuit brought this summer by indie label Soundmen on Wax Records, which claims to own the rights to the 1998 song “Moonraker.” Beyoncé sampled the song as the introduction to “Alien Superstar,” which hit No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Please do not be alarmed, remain calm/ Do not attempt to leave the dancefloor/ The DJ booth is conducting a troubleshoot of the entire system,” the spoken-word “Moonraker” lyrics read.
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It's undisputed that Parkwood cleared the sample; court filings show that the company bought both a recording and composition license from “Moonraker” artist John Holiday in exchange for $10,000 and a 0.5% share of the “Alien Superstar” royalties. What's in question, rather, is whether Holiday was the correct licensing party.
Soundmen on Wax claims it purchased the “Moonraker” rights from Holiday as part of a distribution deal back in 1998, and therefore it should have been the one to clear Beyoncé's sample. But Parkwood maintains in Wednesday's court filing that it followed proper procedure.
According to Parkwood's lawyers from Latham & Watkins, there's no paperwork documenting the supposed transfer of Holiday's rights to Soundmen on Wax. Without documentation, Parkwood says, it couldn't have been expected to know about conflicting claims to the “Moonraker” rights.
“As plaintiff concedes, Parkwood obtained a master use and composition license for the relevant ‘Moonraker' sample from Holiday,” write the Parkwood lawyers. “That good faith, nonexclusive license prevails over plaintiff's alleged undocumented and undisclosed transfer, which was never recorded.”
Parkwood argues that this glaring issue makes the whole lawsuit “meritless,” and it should be easily thrown out. Sony Music and Warner Chappell, both named as defendants in the lawsuit as well, are backing Parkwood's motion to dismiss. Beyoncé is not being sued.
Renaissance debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in August 2022 and was noted at the time for its extensive samples and interpolations. Some artists celebrated their references on the record, like “Show Me Love” singer Robin S, while others, such as “Milkshake” hitmaker Kelis, were less pleased.
These many samples spurred multiple lawsuits. In addition to the “Alien Superstar” claims, a little-known New Orleans group sued Beyoncé last year over the chart-topping Renaissance lead single “Break My Soul.” That suit, which alleged the song's properly-cleared Big Freedia sample copied lyrics from a 2002 track called “Release a Wiggle,” was quickly dropped.
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With the Sundance Film Festival just a month away, a potential new film buyer is emerging on the market.
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group heads Pamela Abdy and Michael de Luca are launching a new label that will specialize in global theatrical releases of “contemporary” films, IndieWire has confirmed. The currently untitled division will be led by departing Neon Chief Marketing Officer Christian Parkes, who announced his plans to leave the indie distributor on December 12.
He'll be joined by Neon colleagues Jason Walde, who will serve as Head of Acquisitions & Production; and Spencer Collantes, who will be named VP, Marketing & Creative.
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Parkes, whose official title at the new venture will be Chief Content Officer, is known for overseeing Neon's marketing during its Best Picture-winning Oscar campaigns for “Parasite” and “Anora.” Other major releases under his leadership included “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Titane,” and “Longlegs.”
“We firmly believe in the power of storytelling and have worked to create a home at the studio for filmmakers who share the high standards of creative excellence that Warner Bros. has upheld for over a century,” Abdy and De Luca said in a statement. “As the global theatrical marketplace continues to embrace fresh ideas and welcome new audiences, we are excited that Christian will lead our efforts to amplify the voices of bold, audacious, and original storytellers. The new label will fearlessly champion unique perspectives from both established and emerging talent, and we are grateful to David Zaslav and the company's leadership for their ongoing passion and support in making this label possible.”
“I've spent my life marveling at the Cinema of Warner Bros.; my education came from Peckinpah, Miller, Friedkin, and Kubrick. To be a part of this studio's future and the transformative change that Pam and Mike are creating is an honor and an exhilarating opportunity to collaborate with some of the world's best filmmakers,” Parkes added.
The announcement comes after a year of high highs and significant uncertainty for Warner Bros. The film division dominated Hollywood in 2025, releasing critically acclaimed blockbusters such as “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another,” “Weapons,” and “F1.” The hits turned Abdy and De Luca into the toast of Hollywood despite beginning the year with public uncertainty about their job status after “Joker: Folie a Deux” flopped in 2024.
But those theatrical successes did not prevent the studio from being put up for sale, and Netflix agreed to acquire it after winning a bidding war that also included Paramount. If the $82.7 billion dollar deal closes, it will put the Warner Bros. brand under the control of Netflix, which has been famously averse to theatrical distribution. Many expect the studio's exclusive theatrical windows to significantly shrink, and it remains to be seen how that will impact plans for the new theatrically focused label.
For now, a new potential buyer will be welcomed at Sundance. The new division will join a small group of serious landing spots for festival breakouts that includes A24, MUBI, and Parke's old home, Neon.
News of the new label was first reported by Deadline.
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By Patrick Hipes
Executive Managing Editor
UPDATED with deal amount in U.S. dollars: Sony‘s Sony Music Entertainment Japan and U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment said Thursday that they have signed an agreement with WildBrain to acquire the latter's 41% stake in Peanuts Holdings Llc, the holding company for the Charles M. Schulz-created cartoon franchise that includes Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang.
The deal is for CAN$630 million, Wildbrain said in a release announcing the deal. That is roughly $457 million U.S.
When the transaction is completed, Sony — which already owns approximately 39% of Peanuts Holdings after a 2018 acquisition — will own 80% of the company. The Schulz family will retain its current 20% stake.
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Sony said Wednesday in announcing the deal that ownership of rights to Peanuts and the management of its business will continue to be handled by Peanuts Worldwide, a wholly owned subsidiary of Peanuts Holdings LLC. Peanuts Holdings and Peanuts Worldwide will become a consolidated subsidiary of the Sony Group, with Sony Music taking the lead in managing Peanuts Holdings in partnership with SPE.
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“Since 2018, SMEJ has been proud to be part of the partnership behind ‘Peanuts', an iconic global entertainment brand with a 75-year legacy of delighting audiences worldwide,” said Shunsuke Muramatsu, President and Group CEO, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan). “With this additional ownership stake, we are thrilled to be able to further elevate the value of the ‘Peanuts' brand by drawing on the Sony Group's extensive global network and collective expertise. We are deeply committed to carrying forward the legacy of Charles Schulz and the Schulz family. Together with SPE, and backed by WildBrain's continued partnership, we will continue to embrace new opportunities to ensure that ‘Peanuts' remains a relevant and beloved presence across generations — reaching new audiences and sharing the timeless charm of the ‘Peanuts' gang for years ahead.”
Said SPE president and CEO Ravi Ahuja: ” ‘Peanuts' is enduring and iconic. We value the deep collaboration we have with our SMEJ colleagues and look forward to building on their meaningful partnership with WildBrain and the Schulz family. With our combined strengths, we have the unique capability and extraordinary opportunity to protect and shape the future of these beloved characters for generations to come.”
Created by Schulz and first introduced as a comic strip in October 2, 1950, the Peanuts gang has been an indelible presence in pop culture via its TV series on specials (currently available as part of a deal with Apple TV), consumer products, amusement park attractions, cultural events, social events, social media, and comics from traditional to digital formats.
Toronto-based Wildbrain has held majority rights to the Peanuts brand since 2017 when, as DHX Media, it acquired Peanuts and Strawberry Shortcake rightsholder Iconix Brand Group for $345 million.
Under terms of the Sony deal, Wildbrain will remain the exclusive licensing agent through WildBrain CPLG for consumer products in all current territories across Europe, the Middle East, China, and Asia Pacific (excluding Japan & ANZ); the exclusive production studio for new Peanuts content — including the previously announced feature film — under an expansive partnership with Apple TV, recently renewed through 2030; and distributor of WildBrain-produced Peanuts content and continued management of the Snoopy YouTube channel.
“Sony has been an excellent partner on the ‘Peanuts' brand for many years, and we're confident that Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang are in good hands with them,” Wildbrain president and CEO Josh Scherba said. “We'd like to thank the Peanuts Worldwide team, as well as the Schulz family, for their incredible collaboration, and we look forward to working with them and Sony going forward to continue driving global success for ‘Peanuts'.”
Wildbrain says it will use the proceeds to eliminate its debt, accelerate growth of its Strawberry Shortcake and Teletubbies franchises, and invest in its digital content network across its YouTube, FAST and AVOD channels.
Apple TV has been ramping up its Peanuts content since making a rights deal in 2020, in October inking a five-year extension to be the exclusive streaming home. That deal also includes new series and specials and an animated feature that was announced in late 2023 from some of the team behind 2015 then-20th Century Fox feature film The Peanuts Move, including director Steve Martino.
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wild is not doing to well and sony of japan will legal own said half
But weekly scale is all they have on your next supporting lead.
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Gil Gerard, best known for starring in “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” has died at 82 after battling cancer. The actor is remembered for his legacy and candor. Gerard, the actor best known for bringing the wisecracking space hero to life on “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” has died.
He was 82. Gerard died Tuesday in Georgia after battling “a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer,” his wife, Janet, announced in a Facebook post.
The Arkansas-born actor became a familiar face on television through sci-fi and drama, and in an unusually candid later chapter of his life.
Gerard rose to fame as Capt. William Anthony “Buck” Rogers, a NASA and U.S. Air Force pilot accidentally frozen in space and awakened centuries later, in NBC's “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” The lighthearted sci-fi series ran from 1979 to 1981 and was preceded by a feature-length television movie that became an unexpected hit.
The role nearly passed him by. Gerard later admitted he was hesitant to take it on.
“I saw what it did to Adam West's career with Batman, and this was another cartoon character. I didn't want to do this campy stuff,” he said in a 2018 interview.
Ultimately, he agreed to star in the project, and the “Buck Rogers” movie finished among the top 25 domestic box office releases of 1979.
The film was later retooled into the show's two-hour pilot episode. The series ran for two seasons, producing 32 episodes, and ended in April 1981.
In later years, Gerard reflected on what made the character resonate with audiences.
“I thought the character had a sense of reality about him,” he said in 2017. “The sense of humor, I liked very much, and his humanity, I liked. I thought it was kind of cool. He wasn't a stiff kind of guy. He was a guy who could solve problems on his feet, and he wasn't a superhero.”
Born Gilbert Cyril Gerard on January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkansas, he was the youngest of three boys. His father worked as a knife salesman, and his mother was a teacher.
After graduating from Little Rock Catholic High, Gerard studied at Arkansas State Teacher College before moving to New York in 1969. He trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and supported himself by driving a cab.
One passenger helped him land an audition for “Love Story.” Though his scene was cut, Gerard worked on the film for weeks and soon found steady work in commercials, appearing in more than 400 ads by his own count, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.
Gerard later spoke candidly about lifelong struggles with weight and health. He became the focus of the 2007 Discovery Health Channel documentary “Action Hero Makeover,” which followed his decision to undergo gastric bypass surgery after his weight reached 350 pounds.
In a 1990 interview with People, Gerard estimated that overeating had cost him nearly $1 million in lost work opportunities over the years.
Gerard was married four times, including a high-profile marriage to actress Connie Sellecca from 1979 to 1987. He is survived by Janet, his wife of 18 years, and his son, Gib.
In a final message shared on his Facebook account, Gerard reflected on his life with gratitude and perspective.
“My life has been an amazing journey. The opportunities I've had, the people I've met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying. … Don't waste your time on anything that doesn't thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”
For fans of classic television and science fiction, Gil Gerard leaves behind a legacy rooted in humor, honesty, and a hero who felt unmistakably human.
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Follow-up to the original 2022 James Fox film "Moment of Contact" about UFO and alien activity in Varginha, Brazil
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"Moment of Contact: New Revelations of Alien Encounters" is the follow-up documentary by acclaimed filmmaker James Fox to his own "Moment of Contact" released in 2022. The focus is, once again, on the reported alien visitation of Varginha, Brazil in 1996 and the subsequent official cover up...
Below, we reveal where to watch "Moment of Contact: New Revelations of Alien Encounters" online and from anywhere with a VPN.
"Moment of Contact: New Revelations of Alien Encounters" has an international digital release on Saturday, December 20 on several platforms including Amazon Prime, Plex, Roku and others.• Global stream — Amazon Prime (FREE 30-day trial)• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free
Fox was driven to return to the original "Moment of Contact" film by developments in the U.S. where the momentum towards some form disclosure about UFO/UAP activity has seen several senior intelligence officials acknowledge a long-running, secret UFO crash-retrieval program in a series of congressional hearings. Fox filmed the hearings and spoke to several relevant parties. There are claims concerning recovered alien craft and bodies.
Back in Varginha, while Fox's team were conducting further interviews with city's former police chief and other witnesses, Dr. Italo Venturelli - head neurosurgeon from the Regional Hospital - confessed to a four-minute interaction with a captured entity. Both "Moment of Contact" films are ensuring that events alleged almost 30 years ago in this city equidistant from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are becoming accepted as one of the most famous extraterrestrial encounters of all time.
Below is our full guide to how to watch "Moment of Contact: New Revelations of Alien Encounters" online with an Amazon Prime Video 30-day FREE trial.
"Moment of Contact: New Revelations of Alien Encounters" lands on Prime Video from Saturday, December 20 from: 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET in the U.S. and Canada; 8 a.m. GMT in the UK; and 6 p.m. AEDT in Australia.There's good news for new and eligible returning Amazon subscribers. They'll be entitled to a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, which includes perks like free delivery, ad-free music, and access to thousands of hit films and TV shows.After this trial period ends, a subscription costs:U.S. – $14.99 per month / $139 annuallyU.K. – £8.99 per month / £95 annuallyCanada – CA$9.99 per month / $99 annuallyAustralia – AU$9.99 per month / $79.99 annually
If you try to access your Amazon Prime account from abroad, you might find that your access is restricted — and some titles might be unavailable until your return home. The solution? A VPN, which lets you access your Prime Video content as if you were in your regular region of the world. Our all-time favourite is NordVPN (save up to 70% with this deal). Here's why it's the best:
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The 57 year old Fox is responsible for “UFOs: 50 Years of Denial?” (1997), “Out of the Blue” (2003), “I Know What I Saw” (2009), “The Phenomenon” (2020), “Moment of Contact” (2022) and “The Program” (2024)
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Bill Borrows is an award-winning journalist, feature writer and columnist (Times Magazine/ Guardian/ Telegraph/ Daily Mirror/ Mail On Sunday/ Radio Times), former editor-at-large at Loaded magazine, author (The Hurricane: The Turbulent Life and Times of Alex Higgins) and book editor. A frequent contributor on talkSPORT and talkRADIO, his areas of specialisation include sport, history, politics, TV and film. He doesn't get much free time but does admit to an addiction to true crime podcasts, following Man City home and away, and a weakness for milk chocolate cookies.
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History can be a mirror or a wall. For many people, it's a mirror only when they see their own family reflected in it—an ancestor who fought in a war, survived a famine, or emigrated under duress. For others, history is a wall they can never climb. The view on the other side is fixed: the past is not what was done to them, but what their parents or grandparents did to others.
That is the reality I discovered when interviewing the sons and daughters of leaders of the Third Reich.
When I began work on Hitler's Children, I was not looking for new evidence about what happened in the Nazi Holocaust. The bureaucratic record of the Third Reich was already vast—memos, orders, trial transcripts, camp rosters—the Germans were masters of documenting their crimes.
What I wanted was something the archives could never provide: a human portrait of the children of top Nazis, the men and women who grew up in the shadow of fathers whose names had become synonyms for evil.
I wanted to know: What is it like to love a parent whom the world knows as a war criminal? How do you form a sense of self when the world has already decided who you are—and it is an identity you neither chose nor can easily shed? What happens to ordinary human relationships—marriage, friendship, parenthood—when your family name carries an explosive moral charge?
Those questions took me across Germany and Austria and into conversations that were often guarded, sometimes raw, and occasionally redemptive. Some doors never opened. Some opened a crack and then slammed shut the minute I explained that I could not promise a sympathetic portrait. A few opened wide, and what came out was not a clean confession or a tidy arc toward reconciliation but something more human: ambivalence, anger, loyalty, shame, defiance, grief. What emerged was not a single “Nazi progeny” experience but a spectrum of responses to inherited guilt.
Tracking down the children of the regime's inner circle required patience and a tolerance for being told no. Some had changed their surnames and slipped into anonymity. Others had moved abroad, where the name on their passport did not immediately freeze a room. Many were instantly hostile when I contacted them. They assumed—not unreasonably—that I was there to condemn their parents or to dredge up what they had spent decades trying to bury.
I learned quickly that the children of perpetrators could be as guarded as the children of victims. I knew many of the latter intimately because I had earlier co-authored a biography of Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele. I had spent countless hours with concentration camp survivors about their experience and the trauma it had left them. When I approached the children of the perpetrators, I discovered some had been burned by journalists who came for sensational quotes and left nuance on the cuttingroom floor. Others feared the moral judgment of strangers or the social cost in their own communities if they were seen as disloyal to family.
A few, though, agreed to speak. Some said they wanted the truth to be known while they were still alive. Others hoped that narrating their story aloud might lighten the weight they had carried in silence. What I heard, over time, was less a series of disconnected biographies than a set of recurring moral dilemmas.
To make sense of what I was hearing, I came to think of my interviewees along four rough lines. These are not scientific categories—lives overflow categories—but they capture distinct ways the various individuals navigated the same shadow.
1. The Rejectors. These were the sons and daughters who saw their fathers' crimes with scorching clarity and devoted their lives to exposing them. Niklas Frank, son of Hans Frank—the Nazi Governor-General of occupied Poland—was the most uncompromising. He called his father a “spineless jerk,” wrote a book that dismantled the family mythology, and made no room for sentimentality in the face of historical fact. “You don't put love for your father above the truth,” he told me. The choice for him was not between love and hate but between complicity and moral independence.
2. The Defenders. At the other end of the spectrum were those who insisted their fathers were maligned by history or punished beyond proportion. Wolf Hess defended his father, Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, as a “man of peace” betrayed by political enemies and victors' justice. For Wolf, to defend his father was to defend himself from the conclusion that he was the son of a villain. The defense became a scaffold for identity, a way to live in the world without constantly negotiating contempt.
3. The Divided. In the middle were those who could neither fully condemn nor fully exonerate. Rolf Mengele—son of Dr. Josef Mengele—met his father only twice after the war. Rolf was sixteen the first time, when his father traveled from his South American hideaway for a skiing vacation in the Swiss Alps. Rolf's mother had told him his real father had died in war, and the visitor was “Uncle Fritz.” Three years later he learned that Uncle Fritz was in reality his father and he learned about his crimes. He only met him again when Rolf was 33, a visit to South America to confront him about Auschwitz. The elder Mengele closed that door, telling his son never to question him about what happened at the camp and what led to the prisoners dubbing him the “Angel of Death.”
Rolf did not deny his father's atrocities; he had studied the documents as had everyone else. However, his sense of loyalty to his family had fractured the moral clarity that comes easily to people who never face the person behind the infamy. Rolf carried two incompatible truths: the father he barely knew and whom his family loved and the historical perpetrator he could not defend.
4. The Transcenders. Finally, there were those who took the moral debt they inherited and turned it outward—into a public ethic. Dagmar Drexel's father was not a senior Nazi official but instead one of the murderous Einsatzgruppen, the mobile death squads that killed more than a million civilians. She chose the path of engagement and reconciliation, visiting Israel, supporting dialogue, and insisting that her children and grandchildren be raised in the light of historical truth. Dagmar hoped, as many did, that if her generation did the hard work, the third generation might be free of the burden.
These categories blur at the edges. People moved along the spectrum over time—hardening or softening as new documents and eyewitness accounts surfaced, as they aged, as their own children asked harder questions than journalists ever could.
Taken together, however, the spectrum reveals the variety of human strategies for living with the inheritance of atrocity.
For outsiders, the hardest truth to grasp may be the most banal: perpetrators are still parents. A man who signed deportation orders may also have read bedtime stories, taught a child to swim, or taped the wobbling seat on a first bicycle. Public history sees uniforms and titles. Private memory remembers the warmth of a hand, the tone of a voice in the kitchen at night.
Reconciling those two realities—public monstrosity and private tenderness—was the central torment for many I met. Some resolved it by letting historical fact erase the personal. They repudiated the father and severed the line. Others clung to the personal, even when it meant being accused of denial.
Edda Göring, devoted to her father's memory, described Hermann Göring as generous and loving. She did not deny the crimes of the regime for which he was one of its top leaders but resisted the idea that her father had been a fanatic. To critics, that sounded like apologetics. To her, it was loyalty to the man she knew as a kindly father.
The tension here is not reducible to “truth versus lies.” Rather, it is a collision of kinds of truth—the truth of documented atrocity and the truth of attachment, which does not yield easily to hard facts. I came to believe that part of the work of reckoning is sometimes learning to hold both truths at once without letting either evaporate the other.
Psychology offers a vocabulary for what I heard. The “intergenerational transmission of trauma” is well documented among the children of victims—especially Holocaust survivors—where symptoms include anxiety, hypervigilance, and a deep mistrust of institutions. Among the children of perpetrators, I discovered that a related but distinct process plays out. Their inheritance is not injury but stigma—the corrosive effects of shame, moral ambiguity, and the fear that others see an invisible mark.
Guilt is about actions; shame is about identity. One can confess guilt and make amends. Shame, by contrast, whispers that one is something tainted. Several interviewees spoke of carrying a “name that enters the room first.” It affected romance (when to disclose the name), employment (whether a boss would know the family and decide against them), and decisions about parenthood (whether to have children at all).
Coping strategies reflected familiar psychological defenses. Some changed their names or emigrated—geographic cures for a moral biography. Others chose radical transparency—publicly condemning their fathers in books and interviews to reclaim their own moral agency. A third group practiced radical silence, hoping that if the topic never arose, the past might recede on its own. It never did. Silence, I learned, is a temporary dam. The water rises behind it.
Beyond the individual psyche lies the family system—the ways stories are told or not told, the rituals of commemoration or erasure. Some families preserved elaborate mythologies in which the father had resisted orders, saved a Jewish neighbor, or known nothing about the machinery of murder.
The myths were often anchored in a single ambiguous episode—an order not carried out, a mild reprimand from a superior—that became the seed for an alternative history.
Other families split. Siblings took opposing stances. One condemned; another defended. At holiday meals, the past was both present and forbidden.
The emotional economy of those households looked familiar to anyone who has studied families marked by addiction or scandal: unspoken rules, competing narratives, and a tacit agreement that love depended on staying within one's assigned role.
Children who broke the family line—who published a denunciation or appeared in a documentary—sometimes became moral exiles among their own kin. That rupture was the price of telling the truth as they saw it. In those moments, “intergenerational trauma” named not only what moved from parent to child but what moved from child back to parent: a judgment the older generation could not bear.
The burden was not only private. Society itself became a mirror in which these children saw themselves reflected, often in distorted ways. Several spoke of the quiet pause when a teacher or colleague recognized the surname—and then the question that followed, carefully phrased to sound neutral but freighted with suspicion: “Any relation to … ?” In adulthood, some learned to bring it up first, defanging the question with a practiced sentence—“Yes, I'm his daughter; no, I do not share his politics”—and moving on before the conversation stalled.
In public life, the reception depended on the role they chose. The rejectors found a kind of moral home among activists and historians. The defenders found communities that resent “victors' justice.” The divided and the transcenders navigated lonelier paths, neither embraced by partisans nor comfortable with silence.
We sometimes imagine that moral burdens fade in predictable half-lives. In my experience, time changed the tone but not always the weight. As my interviewees aged, many reported that reckoning deepened, not because new facts appeared but because their own children asked better questions.
The third generation—further from the emotional bond and closer to the educational curriculum—refused family mythologies in a way the second often could not. “Grandpa couldn't have known,” a parent would say. “But he was there,” a teenager would answer.
Anniversaries, documentaries, and new archival releases periodically reset the conversation. A case reopened, a grave discovered, a diary authenticated—and the private work of reconciliation was hauled into public light. At those moments, people who had made peace with their own narrative found themselves having to make peace again, this time with an audience.
The Nazi case is singular in scale and intent, but the dynamics I heard are not unique. Descendants of slave owners in the American South wrestle with family papers that list human beings as property and calculate children as “increase.” In post-apartheid South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission exposed a generation of children to testimony that shattered family legends. In Rwanda, the gacaca courts forced communities to confront the fact that génocidaires were not abstract monsters but neighbors—and often fathers. Across the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal's judgments collided with nationalist narratives passed down at kitchen tables.
In all these contexts, the same questions surface: Am I responsible for the sins of my father? Can I love my parent without condoning their crimes? What do I owe to victims and their descendants? How do I build a life that is truly my own?
The answers vary by culture and circumstance, but the structure of the dilemma is recognizably human.
If “intergenerational trauma” names an outcome, what are the mechanisms? Scholars point to at least four:
Silence. When families refuse to speak, children fill the vacuum with fantasy or shame. The mind abhors a narrative void. In several households I encountered, silence was the loudest sound in the room. It produced neither absolution nor forgetfulness—only rumination.
Mythmaking. The stories families tell—of resistance, ignorance, or necessity—shape the moral horizon. Even a small act of decency can be inflated into an alibi. Conversely, some families cultivate a punitive myth of inherited stain, a fatalism that imprisons the young in a script they cannot revise.
Ritual and Place. What families visit—or avoid—matters. One daughter told me she had been taken to battlefields but never to camps. Another said the first time she saw the Nuremberg courtroom, she felt she had stumbled into a photograph that had been waiting for her.
Rituals of remembrance can either widen or narrow moral imagination.
Institutional Echoes. Schools, museums, and media frame the past in ways that either invite reckoning or permit evasion. A curriculum that skips over the depth and breadth of atrocities—as has happened in many academic settings when it comes to the Hamas terror attack of October 7—makes it easier for descendants to imagine their relatives are free of any responsibility.
Institutions can either dignify the moral labor families attempt or tempt them with a ready-made script of innocence.
“Moral injury”—a term developed to describe soldiers who feel they have violated their own ethical codes—offers another lens. The second generation experiences a kind of indirect moral injury: an injury not from what they themselves did but from what knowing does to them. Knowledge damages one's relationship to a beloved parent; truth injures attachment.
Some choose not to know much. Others choose to know everything and live with the ache. One daughter, who had read deeply in trial transcripts, said that learning the exact logistics of a deportation under her father's authority broke something in her. “I used to think there must have been chaos,” she said. “It was worse—there was order.”
For her, the injury was precision—the bureaucratic elegance of evil.
A notable fraction of those I interviewed had chosen not to become parents. The reasons varied: fear of passing on a name, a desire to end a line, uncertainty about what one could say to a child who asked, “Who was my grandfather?” One son told me that he chose not to become a father because he could not bear to pass on a story line he had never been able to fully explain.
None believed in genetic guilt. The concern was narrative. Parenthood would require mastering a story they themselves had not yet mastered. Others chose to have children precisely as a defiance of history—an insistence that a life could be built that was neither repetition nor repudiation but revision.
These decisions often intersected with partners' views. Some marriages could not bear the weight of history. One woman described the look on a fiancé's face when he first grasped the details of her father's role.
“It wasn't revulsion,” she said. “It was calculation. He was calculating whether he could carry it with me.” The engagement ended.
A skeptic acknowledges the limits of memory and the demands of evidence. Interviews with perpetrators' children are not court records; they are human documents, shaped by self-protection, loyalty, and fatigue. Defensiveness, denial, and selective recall were constants. My job, then and now, is to triangulate: place personal accounts against trial transcripts, diaries, and the scholarship of historians and psychologists.
Skepticism here is not cynicism. The aim is to understand without excusing, to listen without indulging. If we want to interrupt the transmission of harm—whether its currency is trauma or shame—we must map the routes it travels. That map requires both archival rigor and an ear for the ways people live with the past.
Again and again, interviewees asked whether their children—grandchildren of the perpetrators—could be free. There is some evidence that the burden lightens with distance, especially when the second generation does the work of truthtelling. But it is not inevitable. Silence begets fantasy, and fantasy rarely lands on justice.
The most hopeful conversations I had were with families who had made memory a practice rather than a panic. They visited sites of the crimes together. They read. They argued. They did not ask love to overrule truth or truth to annihilate love. They let both inhabit the same home. In those households, the third generation seemed less haunted and more oriented—not weighed down by a surname but awake to what it should mean to carry one.
A line of Dagmar Drexel stays with me: “Our generation has the obligation to confront the truth. Only then can the next one be free.”
The obligation is not to perpetual penance but to honest narration. Freedom comes not from forgetting, but from telling the story in a way the young can live with.
The story of the children of Nazi leaders is not only about Germany, nor only about the Holocaust. It is about the universal human challenge of living with a family legacy that collides with one's moral values. We do not inherit guilt in the legal sense. Yet we can inherit its shadow—in our names, our family stories, our silences, and our choices.
The work of a lifetime, for some, is not to step out of the shadow but to learn how to live within it without becoming it. That means choosing accuracy over myth, candor over silence, accountability over performative shame. It means loving a parent, if one can, without lying about him—and refusing to let that love dictate the terms of one's moral life.
If there is a single lesson my interviews taught me, it is that history is never safely past; it lives inside our most intimate relationships. To reckon with that is not to remain trapped. On the contrary, it is the only way through—an insistence that the very human bonds that transmitted the shadow can also be the ones that transform it.
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Gerald Posner is an award-winning journalist and author of thirteen books, including NYT bestsellers Why America Slept (about 9/11), God's Bankers (about the Vatican), and Pulitzer Prize finalist Case Closed (about JFK). His latest book, Pharma, critiques the pharmaceutical industry's profit-driven practices. A UC Berkeley graduate and former Wall Street litigation associate, Posner provided pro bono legal representation for Auschwitz Nazi experiment survivors before becoming a journalist.
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3I/ATLAS has passed its closest point to Earth, meaning we will soon lose sight of it for good. Some scientists want to send a spacecraft to chase down the alien comet — or the next interstellar object.
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We've watched it speed through the solar system using the most powerful telescopes in human history. We've studied its light with probes whipping around the sun and robots marooned on Mars. Countless eyes watched it make its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 19 — and yet, for all of this, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS remains little more than a blur of gas, shrouded in mystery.
Since its discovery in early July, 3I/ATLAS has been studied more enthusiastically than practically any other celestial object in recent memory. Still, for all its fame, much remains unknown about it. The comet's origins, from somewhere far across our galaxy, may never be known. Its true age, size, composition, and shape are also poorly constrained.
But how can we learn more about this alien interloper — or indeed, the next one — when we're already studying it with everything we've got?
Some scientists are proposing a bold solution: We have to "intercept" it with a spacecraft.
Doing so would not only help us to better understand its key characteristics but also photograph its surface and potentially collect our first-ever interstellar samples, which could help reveal how alien exoplanets form, how common our type of solar system is and maybe even help answer the question of whether or not we are alone in the universe.
"We only have one shot at this object and then it's gone forever," Darryl Seligman, an astronomer at Michigan State University and the lead author of the first paper published about 3I/ATLAS, previously told Live Science. "So we want as much information from all of our observatories as we can possibly get."
On July 1, astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) revealed they had spotted a mysterious object traveling toward us from beyond Jupiter, at more than 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h). ATLAS, which automatically scans the skies using telescopes in Hawaii, Chile and South Africa, was hunting for potential threats to Earth. It found something else entirely.
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Less than 24 hours later, NASA confirmed that the speeding blur of light was an interstellar object — an alien asteroid or comet that originated outside the solar system — and named it 3I/ATLAS. It was only the third-ever detection of an interstellar object in our solar system, after the anomalous space rock 'Oumuamua in 2017 and Comet 2I/Borisov in 2019.
Despite the rapid spread of unfounded theories that the object could be an alien probe, early observations confirmed that 3I/ATLAS is a comet — potentially the oldest of its kind ever seen — that likely originated from the Milky Way's "frontier" region.
Interstellar visitors like this are exciting to astronomers because they are one of the few opportunities we have to explore neighboring star systems, which would take generations and the invention of sci-fi technology to reach aboard a spacecraft.
"ISOs are relics from planetary formation, so studying these objects and comparing them to what we have closer to us [could] lead to an interesting view of how other planetary systems in the galaxy formed," Pedro Bernardinelli, a planetary scientist at the University of Washington's DiRAC Institute, told Live Science in an email.
But our Earth-based observatories, and even orbiting spacecraft such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), can only tell us very rough information like general size, shape and composition. To really reveal ISO secrets, we will need to get much, much closer — possibly even close enough to grab a fragment.
Doing so won't be easy, but given the valuable insights it could reveal about the star systems beyond our own, it would be well worth the effort, experts say.
"Each one of these ISOs is a little piece of low-hanging fruit from a tree that can tell us a great deal about the trees growing in some other neighborhood," Wesley Fraser, an astronomer with the National Research Council Canada, previously told Live Science.
But the time to catch this speeding comet is fast approaching. 3I/ATLAS is now reaching its closest point to Earth, around 168 million miles (270 million km) miles away. From there it will move quickly away from us and will likely be beyond Neptune within another year.
Because it is now too late to intercept 3I/ATLAS within the inner solar system, most researchers agree that there is now only one viable option to study this object: to chase it down as it leaves the solar system.
This would require the spacecraft to carry out what researchers call "Oberth maneuvers," where a probe is gravitationally slingshotted around massive objects, such as the sun, to pick up enough speed to allow it to catch up to and intercept an ISO at a specific point along its predicted trajectory.
This idea was first proposed in 2022 to catch up with the first known interstellar object, 'Oumuamua. The plan, dubbed Project Lyra, was to launch a probe in 2028 that would intercept and investigate that object, after completing an Oberth maneuver around Jupiter.
But this chaser method has a huge limitation: Scientists would need to wait decades for data to come back. For example, if Project Lyra launched a spacecraft in 2030, it would not intercept 'Oumuamua until 2052 at the earliest, Adam Hibberd, a researcher with the U.K.-based nonprofit Initiative for Interstellar Studies (I4IS) who worked on Project Lyra, told Live Science.
So far, Project Lyra has not moved past the planning stage — making a 2028 launch highly unlikely — but the project could still reach 'Oumuamua if launched in 2030 or 2033, Hibberd said. This means we would likely still have plenty of time to chase down 3I/ATLAS, if we want to.
Future propulsion methods, such as a solar sail, could drastically cut the travel time of missions like this from decades down to just a few years, he added. But these technologies are decades away from becoming a reality themselves.
But given that 3I/ATLAS will be very hard to chase down, some astronomers argue that we shouldn't bother hunting it. Rather we should prepare to intercept the next interesting ISO.
By launching an interceptor spacecraft and parking it in a gravitationally stable position around Earth, known as a Lagrange point, we could, in theory, be ready to quickly intercept a passing object, they argue.
This idea, also first proposed in 2022, has been dubbed the "hide-and-seek" approach. However, unlike Project Lyra, it is much closer to becoming a reality.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing the Comet Interceptor mission, which is currently scheduled to launch in 2029, on board the same rocket as ESA's Ariel space telescope, said Colin Snodgrass, an astronomer at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland who specializes in comets and was the deputy project investigator on the proposal for this mission.
The Comet Interceptor probe isn't specifically aimed at interstellar visitors. Instead, it's designed to hunt nonperiodic comets like Comet Lemmon, which has been visible in the night sky, alongside 3I/ATLAS, in recent months. These comets drift toward the sun every few hundred or thousand years and have poorly defined orbital pathways around the sun.
When ESA researchers spot a comet they can reach, they will "fire the rockets, get to the right place in space to cross the path of the comet and have this fast flyby encounter, where we go shooting past the comet, getting as much data as we can," Snodgrass told Live Science.
And while the mission is not designed to study interstellar objects, the project will be perfectly placed to intercept them.
"The whole science team is very much in agreement that if an interstellar object was to pop up, we wouldn't let that opportunity go by," Snodgrass said.
The main advantage of the hide-and-seek approach is that we wouldn't have to wait decades for a probe to catch up to its target. Additionally, we'd be reaching it at the best time to study it. That's because interstellar comets, like 3I/ATLAS, soak up more solar radiation when in the inner solar system — which, in turn, means they give off more light, gas and dust, giving us a better chance to learn about their composition.
However, a hide-and-seek mission might not be able to catch all the objects we care about. For example, ESA's Comet Interceptor probe would have been unlikely to reach 3I/ATLAS, had it been in orbit when the ISO was first discovered, because the comet was too far away from us, a recent study from Snodgrass and others found.
A major limitation of both the chaser and hide-and-seek missions is that ISOs travel too fast for their respective spacecraft to travel alongside, or rendezvous with, these objects.
This makes it "almost impossible" for the probes to directly obtain samples from the objects' surfaces as NASA did during its OSIRIS-REx mission, which successfully landed a probe on the asteroid Bennu in 2020 and collected samples that were later returned to Earth, Hibberd said. Due to fuel limitations, it is also unlikely that these samples could be easily returned to Earth, especially during a chaser mission, he added.
However, there is a third option that could yield valuable interstellar samples: the "impactor" method.
Similar to NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which successfully deflected the asteroid Dimorphos after smashing into the space rock in 2022, an interceptor probe could also be sent to crash into an ISO, Hibberd suggested. While this probe would be destroyed, a second spacecraft could be deployed to analyze the debris field and potentially even collect leftover fragments of the alien object, he added.
But an impactor mission would need to overcome serious technical challenges. First, ISOs travel much faster than solar system objects, like Dimorphos, meaning it's more difficult to smash them apart. Second, this method would likely work only on an asteroid, not on comets, which have hard, icy shells. And third, a collision could accidentally send chunks of debris on a collision course with Earth, like DART did. As a result, most of the experts who talked to Live Science, including Hibberd, agreed that it is probably too risky to attempt an impactor mission until more research has been done on the subject.
If money were no object, we could pursue all of these options. But if an agency like NASA has the budget for only one such mission, which one should be selected?
A chaser mission would allow astronomers to target a specific object they know they want to study, while a hide-and-seek mission would be limited to objects that happened to pass nearby. On the other hand, the hide-and-seek mission could reliably predict objects' locations in the inner solar system, whereas the chaser method would target objects in the dark, more chaotic outer solar system, where it would be harder to find and photograph them, Snodgrass said.
Another issue is that signals from a more distant chaser mission would take longer to send and receive, so mission operators would be unable to monitor and adjust an ISO flyby in real time or fix technical difficulties easily — a difficulty NASA faces with its distant Voyager probes, Snodgrass said.
There is also the matter of money. Project Lyra would likely cost the same as NASA's New Horizons mission, which flew by Pluto in 2015 and cost at least $700 million, Hibberd said. Meanwhile, ESA's Comet Interceptor mission has a budget of around $150 million, Snodgrass said.
As a result, most researchers who spoke to Live Science agreed that a hide-and-seek interceptor would likely be the best way of studying an ISO up close.
But if this is the method we end up using, how should we design the resulting spacecraft to maximize its chances of collecting useful data?
While ESA's Comet Interceptor is relatively inexpensive, a dedicated ISO interceptor mission — with a bigger budget — would allow us to launch a faster probe that could carry more fuel and thus travel farther. However, the craft doesn't need to be fancy.
A "fairly stripped-back" probe with a decent camera and a few spectrographs, capable of analyzing the light given off by the different gases, would be more than enough to collect sufficient data from any flyby, Snodgrass said.
If the probe were intercepting a comet, and not an asteroid, it could also be fitted with a device to catch specks of dust from the comet's coma or tail during a superclose approach, just as NASA's Stardust probe did with "Comet Wild 2" in 2004.
Assuming that the interceptor hasn't depleted its fuel reserves and can be returned to Earth, this may be the only reliable way of actually getting our hands on interstellar samples, Snodgrass said.
Once the "perfect" interceptor is in position around Earth, researchers will have to choose which ISO to go after. And because any spacecraft is unlikely to be reusable, it may get only one shot at picking the right target.
We may soon be spoiled for choice. ISOs may be far more common than we realize. "There are likely thousands of other ISOs in the solar system right now," Fraser said. "We just can't see them because they are too faint, too far and too fast."
—'No radio astronomy from the ground would be possible anymore': Satellite mega-swarms are blinding us to the cosmos — and a critical 'inflection point' is approaching
—Planet Nine: Is the search for this elusive world nearly over?
—'Like trying to see fog in the dark': How strange pulses of energy are helping scientists build the ultimate map of the universe
But thanks to the newly operational Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is designed to spot more small and dim objects in the outer solar system, we are likely to find many more ISOs in the coming decades and, more importantly, spot them much earlier on their journey toward us, which would give us a better chance of studying them.
The first thing to consider is whether to go after an asteroid or a comet. Because comets become more active near the sun and present the most likely route for collecting interstellar samples, they would likely take priority, Snodgrass said.
The next consideration would be the target's distance from Earth. As we have already seen, ESA's Comet Interceptor may have struggled to reach 3I/ATLAS on its journey through the inner solar system. Therefore, it might pay to wait for an ISO that is on a favorable trajectory relative to Earth.
Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior and paleontology. His recent work on the solar maximum won "best space submission" at the 2024 Aerospace Media Awards and was shortlisted in the "top scoop" category at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence in 2023. He also writes Live Science's weekly Earth from space series.
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The Bay Area JCRC has called for Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez to resign for his rhetoric.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area is calling for the resignation of a local mayor who reposted conspiracy theories to his Linkedin account that claimed the Bondi Beach attack on a Hanukkah celebration was a “false flag” perpetrated by Israel.
“When an elected official's words and actions make a segment of the community feel unsafe and abandoned by their government, that official can no longer effectively serve,” the group said in a statement.
“For these reasons, Mayor Eduardo Martinez must resign,” the statement continued. “No community should be led by someone whose conduct contributes to fear, division, and exclusion. This is a stark example of where toxic social media, unchecked rhetoric, and the constant demonization of Israel and Jews can lead—and why it must be confronted.”
Martinez, 76, is the mayor of Richmond, California, a city north of Berkeley that is home to one Reform congregation, Temple Beth Hillel. Elected in 2022, he has been a longtime and vocal critic of Israel.
It is unusual for a Jewish group to call for the resignation of a local elected official. But Martinez's rhetoric about the Bondi Beach attack, the JCRC said, was “dangerously antisemitic, deeply offensive, and wholly unacceptable.”
Following the attack in Sydney that left 15 killed and dozens injured, Martinez reposted several antisemitic sentiments and conspiracy theories on his Linkedin page.
“The root cause of antisemitism is the behaviour of Israel & Israelis,” read one since-deleted post shared by Martinez, according to J. The Jewish News of Northern California.
Another post shared by Martinez compared the Bondi celebration with hypothetical Hanukkah displays at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, writing that both should be seen as “performative assertions of dominance.”
The post continued: “Hanukkah, traditionally a time of personal and private reflection, has in recent years been appropriated by Jewish Zionist organisations and weaponised as a political tool.” In his repost, Martinez commented, “What are your thoughts?”
Martinez appeared to issue an apology for the post about Israel on Wednesday, as a backlash grew.
“I want to apologize for sharing my previous posts without thinking. Of course we know that antisemitism was here before the creation of the state of Israel,” he wrote on Linkedin. “As I've said many times before, we should not conflate Zionism with Judaism. They are two separate beliefs.”
In another apology on Thursday, Martinez distanced his rhetoric from his role as mayor.
“I want to assure everyone that these postings are my opinions (or my mistakes) and mine only. They are not statements from my office or the city of Richmond. If I make a mistake, that mistake is mine only,” he wrote. “Once again, I apologize for posting in haste without full understanding of the posting.”
Following the attack on Sunday, the online antisemitism watchdog Cyberwell said that it had seen a “surge of hatred and incitement” on social media. Australian officials said the two attackers were motivated by “Islamic State ideology.”
“We are also seeing a dangerous denial narrative online that blames the Jewish community itself, falsely labeling the attack a ‘false flag' or ‘Mossad' operation, orchestrated to divide Australians,” said CyberWell founder and CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor in a statement.
The latest controversy was not the first time the Richmond mayor has landed in hot water over his commentary on Israel.
In August, while speaking at the People's Conference for Palestine, Martinez compared Hamas to a child bullied on a playground and said whether he supports Hamas was a “complicated question,” according to J.
“If Palestine were a schoolyard playground, I would be a Palestinian, and that part of me that couldn't endure the abuse anymore would be Hamas,” Martinez said at the time. While there, he also wore a hat with the letters “DDTTIDF,” an acronym calling for “death to the IDF.”
In the JCRC's letter, the organization also noted that under Martinez' leadership, Richmond had passed a resolution two weeks after Oct. 7 condemning Israel and “affirming Richmond's support and solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza.”
Martinez' rhetoric following the Bondi attack was also condemned by the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League Central Pacific, Marc Levine.
“There's no excuse for an elected leader to be amplifying warped antisemitic conspiracy theories that seek to blame the victim,” Levine said in a statement to J. “The Australian community has already faced enough tragedy over the last few days. We hope Mayor Martinez will reconsider his hurtful words, which have absolutely no place in public discourse.”
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A new high-power laser system will soon be sent to sea for its first tests under maritime conditions.
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Japan has deployed a system that fires laser beams with 100 kilowatts of energy — powerful enough to disable small drones. It was installed on board a 6,200-ton (6.3 million kg) warship.
The weapon combines 10 lasers (each 10 kW in power) into a single 100 kW beam, giving it enough focused power to burn through metal surfaces. It is a fiber laser, meaning the beam is generated by light being amplified and focused as it travels through a solid-state optical fiber doped with rare earth elements. Engineers designed this system specifically to shoot down drones, mortar rounds and other lightweight airborne threats.
On Dec. 2, Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) confirmed in a statement that the laser system was installed on the JS Asuka test ship after arriving at one of Japan Marine United's shipyards. It was seen packed into two 40-foot (12-meter) domed modules.
The system will soon be sent to sea for its first trials under real maritime conditions. These are due to start after February 27, 2026, according to @AGChatch, a YouTube account that monitors Japanese naval technology.
The laser weapon has been in development since 2018, and a prototype was confirmed to have been delivered to ATLA by the manufacturer, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, in February 2023. Officials delivered a briefing upon its docking, saying that "provided sufficient power, the system can continue to engage targets without running out of ammunition," according to The Asia Live.
They added that it boasts "unlimited magazine depth," so the only limitation on its use is the amount of electricity available, and that its cost-per-shot is substantially lower than conventional air-defense systems. They also confirmed that the weapon was successful against mortar rounds and unmanned aerial vehicles in ground-based tests earlier this year.
ATLA's next goal is to carry out successful sea trials, where the laser will face tougher conditions like wind and moisture. It will have to keep its aim steady on a pitching deck while handling atmospheric scattering and reflections.
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But there are more roadblocks for laser weapons like Japan's to overcome before they can reach the battlefield. Directed‑energy systems — those that damage targets with highly-focused energy instead of a solid projectile — often need lots of time to recharge between shots and demand substantial cooling and electrical power. Even in ideal conditions, fiber lasers typically only reach about 25% to 35% efficiency, and their energy requirements are especially challenging to accommodate on a ship.
According to The Asia Live, ATLA officials said that operational deployment is still years away, but this set of trials will help them evaluate whether an even more powerful laser could be used to intercept missiles in the future.
Japan now joins the U.S., France, Germany, and the U.K. on the list of nations confirmed to be developing a directed‑energy weapon. China is also suspected to be among them, after a photo emerged on social media of what appeared to be a laser on a Chinese amphibious transport dock in 2024.
—Lasers powered by sunlight could beam energy through space to support interplanetary missions
—DARPA smashes wireless power record, beaming energy more than 5 miles away — and uses it to make popcorn
—Scientists uncover the secret to building Star Wars-style laser weapons — but don't worry, we won't have a Death Star anytime soon
Nevertheless, the only publicly scheduled deployment of a sea-based laser system is on vessels equipped with "Aegis" — an advanced naval defense platform ordered by Japan's Ministry of Defense, according to Naval News. These are expected to enter service after 2032.
Almost two years ago, the U.K. government announced that its system, dubbed "DragonFire," had passed its first field test by shooting down several drones over the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland. Furthermore, in late 2024, Chinese scientists claimed to have created a new type of microwave weapon that could concentrate high-powered electromagnetic waves onto a target.
Fiona Jackson is a freelance writer and editor primarily covering science and technology. She has worked as a reporter on the science desk at MailOnline, and also covered enterprise tech news for TechRepublic, eWEEK, and TechHQ.
Fiona cut her teeth writing human interest stories for global news outlets at the press agency SWNS. She has a Master's degree in Chemistry, an NCTJ Diploma and a cocker spaniel named Sully, who she lives with in Bristol, UK.
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05:23 EST 19 Dec 2025, updated
06:03 EST 19 Dec 2025
By
JONATHAN CHADWICK, ASSISTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Saturn's largest moon Titan has 'slushy tunnels' beneath its surface that could potentially harbour alien life, a new study shows.
Scientists at NASA and the University of Washington have analysed data captured by the Cassini space probe, which completed more than 100 targeted flybys of Titan.
They reveal that the faraway moon has 'a slushy high–pressure ice layer' similar to the melting Arctic that could hide extraterrestrial life.
What's more, it means Titan may not have a waterworld–style liquid ocean under its frozen surface as previously thought.
'Instead of an open ocean like we have here on Earth, we're probably looking at something more like Arctic sea ice or aquifers,' said study author Professor Baptiste Journaux at the University of Washington.
'[This] has implications for what type of life we might find, the availability of nutrients, energy and so on.'
Around 3,200 miles in diameter, Titan is described by NASA as an icy world whose surface is completely obscured by a golden hazy atmosphere.
It is the sole other place in the solar system known to have an Earth–like cycle of liquids raining from clouds, flowing across its surface, filling lakes and seas, and evaporating back into the sky – akin to the water cycle of our planet.
NASA's spacecraft Cassini launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in October 1997 and spent two decades observing Saturn and its moons.
As Titan circled Saturn in an elliptical (not perfectly circular) orbit, the moon was observed changing shape depending on where it was in relation to Saturn.
In 2008, researchers proposed that Titan must possess a huge ocean beneath the surface to allow such significant 'stretching and smushing'.
'The deformation we detected during the initial analysis of the Cassini mission data could have been compatible with a global ocean,' Professor Journaux said.
'But now we know that isn't the full story.'
For the study, scientists performed a reanalysis of radiation data acquired by Cassini using improved modern techniques.
Interestingly, they found that Titan's shape–shifting or 'flexing' occurs about 15 hours after the peak of Saturn's gravitational pull.
This time delay allowed scientists to estimate how much energy it takes to change Titan's shape, allowing them to make conclusions about the moon's interior.
Essentially, the amount of energy lost, or dissipated, in Titan was 'very strong' and much greater than would be observed if Titan were to have a global liquid ocean.
'That was the smoking gun indicating that Titan's interior is different from what was inferred from previous analyses,' said study author Flavio Petricca at NASA.
According to the study, Titan's frozen exterior hides more ice giving away to pockets of meltwater (water formed by the melting of snow and ice) near a rocky core.
The model they propose in their paper, published in Nature, features more slush and quite a bit less liquid water on Titan than previously thought.
The discovery of a slushy layer on Titan has 'exciting implications' for the search for life beyond our solar system as it expands the range of environments considered habitable.
Although the idea of a liquid ocean on Titan was a promising indication of life there, researchers believe the new findings might improve the odds of finding it.
Analyses indicate that the pockets of freshwater on Titan could reach 68°F (20°C) – which is the optimal temperature for life on Earth to thrive.
Any available nutrients would be more concentrated in a small volume of water, compared to an open ocean, which could facilitate the growth of simple organisms.
More could be revealed about the moon's habitability after NASA's upcoming Dragonfly mission to Titan launches in July 2028.
The Dragonfly lander is expected to launch in July 2028 and take six years to reach Titan, arriving by 2034.
Scientists are still reaping the rewards of the rich data obtained by the Cassini robotic spacecraft, which was active for nearly 20 years after launching in October 1997.
Cassini's mission ended in September 2017 when it was deliberately flown into Saturn's upper atmosphere before it ran out of fuel.
In 2019, Cassini data revealed that a lake on Titan is rich with methane and 300 feet deep.
Cassini launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1997, then spent seven years in transit followed by 13 years orbiting Saturn.
In 2000 it spent six months studying Jupiter before reaching Saturn in 2004.
In that time, it discovered six more moons around Saturn, three-dimensional structures towering above Saturn's rings, and a giant storm that raged across the planet for nearly a year.
On 13 December 2004 it made its first flyby of Saturn's moons Titan and Dione.
On 24 December it released the European Space Agency-built Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan to study its atmosphere and surface composition.
There it discovered eerie hydrocarbon lakes made from ethane and methane.
In 2008, Cassini completed its primary mission to explore the Saturn system and began its mission extension (the Cassini Equinox Mission).
In 2010 it began its second mission (Cassini Solstice Mission) which lasted until it exploded in Saturn's atmosphere.
In December 2011, Cassini obtained the highest resolution images of Saturn's moon Enceladus.
In December of the following year it tracked the transit of Venus to test the feasibility of observing planets outside our solar system.
In March 2013 Cassini made the last flyby of Saturn's moon Rhea and measured its internal structure and gravitational pull.
In July of that year Cassini captured a black-lit Saturn to examine the rings in fine detail and also captured an image of Earth.
In April of this year it completed its closest flyby of Titan and started its Grande Finale orbit which finished on September 15.
'The mission has changed the way we think of where life may have developed beyond our Earth,' said Andrew Coates, head of the Planetary Science Group at Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London.
'As well as Mars, outer planet moons like Enceladus, Europa and even Titan are now top contenders for life elsewhere,' he added. 'We've completely rewritten the textbooks about Saturn.'
By Saffron Hibbert
It's rare that a story makes you think a communal haunting might be a good catalyst for sibling reconciliation. It's unlikely that that's really the primary intent behind Callum McCartney's Playback, but it's definitely a possible take away. Despite the extreme premise, there is a lot of feeling and depth to this familial drama that asks the question: what if your abusive dad died, but didn't leave?
Antwerp Mansion has made its 2025-26 debut, taking on the guise of a well-worn family home left to siblings Sara (Hattie Wood), Maddy (Theodore Anderson-Lincoln), and Robin (Fred Potts). Sara, the oldest, more responsible – and more on edge – is struggling to manage her younger brother Robin's more laissez-faire, almost unstable personality in the wake of their father's recent death, and tensions only rise with Maddy's arrival after years of fractious absence.
Throughout it all, some version of their father, ghostly or zombie-like (Paddy Stockwell), lingers in an old armchair. The credit must go to designer Benedict Zephyr and the production team for making Stockwell particularly ghoulish: though it would be hard to pass him off as a man old enough to be anybody's father, his strange youth adds a wistful element to the way his children must see him.
The play opens on the morning of the funeral, with Robin describing a strange and unnerving dream he had the night before about their dad, and from there unspools into a tightly wound emotional three-way tug of war between brother and sisters as the shadow of unresolved issues looms over them.
Finding an old cassette and tape player, the siblings are forced to relieve their early childhoods as they hear their dad's old superhero games he used to play with them (replayed to great effect in a gloomy, smoke-filled Antwerp). It's evidently a relic from a time before it all went wrong and, ironically, it's through these recordings that his malevolent spirit comes out to haunt them.
In a series of stilted, fraught conversations between family members, we see the picture of this family's dysfunction come to life. Sara, forced into a lifelong habit of responsibility and duty, can't bear seeing Maddy – outspoken and obviously braver – back at home after she escaped for so long, but she's also growing tired of taking care of Robin, and resents the chance he's had that she never got while Maddy is free to encourage him.
The ghost of their father is able to find fault in all of them, dogging their footsteps and taking a moment to berate each child in turn.
Playback has a well-executed, thoughtful setup, and easily tapped into the rich interpersonal drama that the premise would suggest. It wasn't at all hard to sympathise with all three of the siblings despite their clashes, and although there are some themes that are perhaps not given their full weight, like the suggested impact of class, the emotional understanding the audience gets of their home life growing up feels as tangible and heavy as the presence of the ghost in the armchair.
The production shines in its more serious moments rather than the more comedic lines, though some to serve to break up the tension well, and the fantastical, exorcism-based ending felt like a rewarding climax to the building emotion.
Hattie Wood as Sara was also a particular highlight. Her shows of frustration and quiet resignation were artfully grounded, and her rare outbursts vivid and moving. It is a stellar performance made doubly impressive by Wood's late arrival to the Playback team, among whom she seems to have fitted in seamlessly.
All in all, UMDS‘ Playback was a well formed and cohesive production, with co-directors Scarlett Bartman and Roisin Harder carefully distilling the familiar horror of familial conflict into a tightly dynamic piece of narrative theatre.
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3I/ATLAS aliens come in peace to save earth from nuclear disaster? Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS passes through the solar system as experts and commentators debate its origin.
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Fleets of drones and suspected UFOs have been spotted hovering over a Wyoming power plant for more than a year, while a local sheriff's department is still searching for clues.
Officials with the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office recorded scores of beaming, drone-like objects circling around the Red Desert and Jim Bridger Power Plant in Rock Springs over the last 13 months — though they didn't specify how many, the Cowboy State Daily reported.
Sheriff John Grossnickle was one of the first to witness the spectacles, and last saw the mind-boggling formation on Dec. 12, his spokesperson Jason Mower told the outlet.
The fleets periodically congregate over the power plant in coordinated formations, Mower claimed.
The sheriff's office hasn't been able to recover any of the suspected UFOs, telling the outlet they're too high to shoot down.
The law enforcement outpost's exhaustive efforts to get to the truth haven't yielded any results, even after Grossnickle enlisted help from Wyoming US Rep. Harriet Hageman — who Mower claimed saw the formation during a trip to the power plant.
Hageman could not be reached for comment.
“We've worked with everybody. We've done everything we can to figure out what they are, and nobody wants to give us any answers,” Mower said, according to the outlet.
At first, spooked locals bombarded the sheriff's office with calls about the confounding aerial formations. Now, though, Mower said that people seem to have accepted it as “the new normal.”
Mower noted that the objects, which he interchangeably referred to as “drones” and “unidentified flying objects,” have yet to pose a danger to the public or cause any damage to the power plant itself.
“It's like this phenomenon that continues to happen, but it's not causing any, you know, issues that we have to deal with — other than the presence of them,” he told the outlet.
The spokesperson promised the sheriff's office would “certainly act accordingly” if the drones pose an imminent harm.
Meanwhile, Niobrara County Sheriff Randy Starkey told the Cowboy State Daily that residents of his community also reported mystery drone sightings over Lance Creek — more than 300 miles from the Jim Bridger Power Plant — starting in late October 2024 and ending in early March.
Starkey said he's “just glad they're gone,” according to the outlet.
Drone sightings captured the nation's attention last year when they were causing hysteria in sightings over New Jersey.
Just days into his second term, President Trump had to clarify that the drones were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to quell worries that they posed a national security threat.
Still, the public wasn't convinced, but the mystery slowly faded as the sightings plummeted.
In October, though, an anonymous source with an unnamed military contractor told The Post that their company was responsible for the hysteria.
Advertisement
Fleets of drones and suspected UFOs have been spotted hovering over a Wyoming power plant for more than a year, while a local sheriff's department is still searching for clues.
Officials with the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office recorded scores of beaming, drone-like objects circling around the Red Desert and Jim Bridger Power Plant in Rock Springs over the last 13 months — though they didn't specify how many, the Cowboy State Daily reported.
Advertisement
Sheriff John Grossnickle was one of the first to witness the spectacles, and last saw the mind-boggling formation on Dec. 12, his spokesperson Jason Mower told the outlet.
The fleets periodically congregate over the power plant in coordinated formations, Mower claimed.
The sheriff's office hasn't been able to recover any of the suspected UFOs, telling the outlet they're too high to shoot down.
Advertisement
The law enforcement outpost's exhaustive efforts to get to the truth haven't yielded any results, even after Grossnickle enlisted help from Wyoming US Rep. Harriet Hageman — who Mower claimed saw the formation during a trip to the power plant.
Hageman could not be reached for comment.
“We've worked with everybody. We've done everything we can to figure out what they are, and nobody wants to give us any answers,” Mower said, according to the outlet.
Advertisement
At first, spooked locals bombarded the sheriff's office with calls about the confounding aerial formations. Now, though, Mower said that people seem to have accepted it as “the new normal.”
Mower noted that the objects, which he interchangeably referred to as “drones” and “unidentified flying objects,” have yet to pose a danger to the public or cause any damage to the power plant itself.
“It's like this phenomenon that continues to happen, but it's not causing any, you know, issues that we have to deal with — other than the presence of them,” he told the outlet.
Advertisement
The spokesperson promised the sheriff's office would “certainly act accordingly” if the drones pose an imminent harm.
Meanwhile, Niobrara County Sheriff Randy Starkey told the Cowboy State Daily that residents of his community also reported mystery drone sightings over Lance Creek — more than 300 miles from the Jim Bridger Power Plant — starting in late October 2024 and ending in early March.
Starkey said he's “just glad they're gone,” according to the outlet.
Drone sightings captured the nation's attention last year when they were causing hysteria in sightings over New Jersey.
Just days into his second term, President Trump had to clarify that the drones were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to quell worries that they posed a national security threat.
Still, the public wasn't convinced, but the mystery slowly faded as the sightings plummeted.
In October, though, an anonymous source with an unnamed military contractor told The Post that their company was responsible for the hysteria.