This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Retired NYPD inspector Paul Mauro joins 'Fox & Friends Weekend' to discuss the unknown motive of the shooter suspected of killing two Brown University students and an MIT professor after being found dead in a New Hampshire storage unit. New details are emerging about the suspected gunman in the killings of an MIT scientist and two Brown University students, with a top Portuguese nuclear fusion official telling the Daily Mail the suspect may have fixated on the victim as a symbol of success he never achieved. Police believe the gunman was Claudio Neves-Valente, 48, a onetime physics prodigy from Portugal who later died by suicide after a multistate manhunt. The case widened dramatically after authorities identified Neves-Valente as the suspect in a mass shooting at Brown University days earlier. Police say Neves-Valente opened fire on Dec. 13 inside a campus building, killing two students and injuring nine others. Investigators later confirmed he was also responsible for the Dec. 15 fatal shooting of Loureiro at his Brookline, Massachusetts, home. Neves-Valente was a Portuguese national and former Brown student who studied physics from the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2001 before withdrawing from the program by 2003, according to Brown University President Christina Paxson. According to the Daily Mail, Dr. Bruno Goncalves, president of Portugal's Institute of Plasma and Nuclear Fusion, said Neves-Valente did not maintain any known relationship with Loureiro in the decades after they studied together there, underscoring that the attack was not the result of an ongoing rivalry or dispute. Instead, Goncalves said Neves-Valente may have fixated on what Loureiro had come to represent. "The strongest theory is that Claudio saw Nuno as a symbol of the academic and professional success that he himself had failed to achieve," Goncalves said. He stressed that the resentment was one-sided and did not exist during their student years. "It's not a rivalry that existed at the time," Goncalves said, adding that it "developed later." Goncalves also rejected claims that institutional pressure or academic culture bore responsibility for the violence, telling the Daily Mail that Portugal's elite technical universities provide psychological support and that many graduates successfully transition into other careers. MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was shot at this Brookline apartment building. "It was not the course," he said. While noting that Neves-Valente may have struggled after leaving elite academia, Goncalves emphasized that others in similar circumstances did not resort to violence. "It's strange," Goncalves said, according to the Daily Mail, "that he didn't just try to make something of himself in another field, like many IST students do." Images of Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente were 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. Law enforcement officials said Loureiro had no recent contact with Neves-Valente and described the attack as a deliberate, unilateral act of criminal violence carried out against a victim unconnected to his personal or professional failures. At the time of his death, Loureiro was widely regarded as one of the leading figures in fusion-energy research. MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was shot at his home on Monday, Dec. 15. Loureiro met last year with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), both at MIT and at an international fusion summit in Rome that brought together senior government officials, scientists, and global energy leaders. Goncalves told Fox News Digital previously that Loureiro was "leading one of the top research institutes in fusion" and was "very well known and recognized internationally for his contributions and his leadership." Loureiro lived in a Brookline condominium with his wife and three daughters. Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

The patriotic spectacle will kick off celebrations nation-wide leading up to Independence Day. This image provided by America250 in December 2025 shows the New Year's Eve ball designed for the U.S.'s 250th year. After the crystal ball drops on New Year's Eve in New York City, it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue to usher in 2026 and kick off months of celebrations for the nation's upcoming 250th birthday. The patriotic touches at this year's Times Square gathering, including a second confetti drop, will offer an early glimpse of what's ahead: hundreds of events and programs, big and small, planned nationwide to mark the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. “I'm telling you right now, whatever you're imagining, it's going to be much more than that,” said America250 Chair Rosie Rios, who oversees the bipartisan commission created by Congress in 2016 to organize the semiquincentennial anniversary. They're also planning a second ball drop event on July 3, the eve of the nation's birthday, “in the same beautiful style that Times Square knows how to do it,” Rios said. It will mark the first time in 120 years there will be ball drop in Times Square that doesn't occur on New Year's Eve, she said. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Built by a young immigrant metalworker named Jacob Starr, the 700-pound (318-kilogram), 5-foot- (1.5-meter-) diameter ball was made of iron and wood and featured 100 25-watt light bulbs. It measured about 12 feet (3.7 meters) in diameter and weighs nearly 12,000 pounds (5,400 kilograms). The only years when no ball drop occurred were 1942 and 1943, when the city instituted a nightly “dimout” during World War II to protect itself from attacks. Crowds instead celebrated the new year with a moment of silence followed by chimes rung from the base of One Times Square. This year, the stroke of midnight will also mark the official launch of America Gives, a national service initiative created by America250. On the following day, America250 will participate in the New Years Day Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, with a float themed “Soaring Onward Together for 250 Years.” It will feature three larger-than-life bald eagles representing the country's past, present and future. What better way to think about it than going from New York to California,” Rios said. President Donald Trump has also announced the “Freedom 250” initiative to coordinate additional events for the 250th anniversary. Rios said she sees the wide range of celebrations and programs planned for the coming months, from large fireworks displays and statewide potluck suppers to student contests and citizen oral histories, as an opportunity to unite a politically divided nation. “If we can find something for everyone ... having those menus of options that people can pick and choose how they want to participate,” she said.

A low-cost autonomous cruise missile Barracuda 500, jointly manufactured by U.S Anduril and Taiwan''s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, isndisplayed during the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) at Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 20, 2025. BEIJING (AP) — Beijing imposed sanctions on Friday against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington annoucned large-scale arms sales to Taiwan. The companies include Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, L3Harris Maritime Services and Boeing in St. Louis, while defense firm Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey is one of the executives sanctioned, who can no longer do business in China and are barred from entering the country. Their assets in the East Asian country have also been frozen. The announcement of the U.S. arms-sale package, valued at more than $10 billion, has drawn an angry response from China, which claims Taiwan as its own and says it must come under its control. “We stress once again that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China－U.S. relations,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. “Any company or individual who engages in arms sales to Taiwan will pay the price for the wrongdoing.” Taiwan is a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations that analysts worry could explode into military conflict between the two powers. China's military has increased its presence in Taiwan's skies and waters in the past few years, holding joint drills with its warships and fighter jets on a near-daily basis near the island. Under the American federal law, the U.S. is obligated to assist Taiwan with its self-defense, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China. Beijing already has strained ties with Washington over trade, technology and other human rights issues.

The National Retail Federation estimates 17% of holiday purchases will be sent back this year. More retailers are reporting extended return windows and increased holiday staff to handle the rush this year. A major driver for returns is uncertainty. Online purchases have higher return rates because finding the right size and color is tough when you're just staring at images on screens. “Clothing and footwear, as you can imagine, because fit is such an important criteria, they have higher rates of returns,” said Saskia van Gendt, chief sustainability officer at Blue Yonder, which sells software designed to improve companies' supply chain management. Returns come with an environmental cost, but there's a lot consumers and companies are doing to minimize it. If you buy a thing and return it, it goes through most or all of that all over again. And once those products are back with the retailer, they may be sent along to a refurbisher, liquidator, recycler or landfill. Joseph Sarkis, who teaches supply chain management at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, estimates that returning an item increases its impact on the planet by 25% to 30%. Roughly a third of the time, those returns don't make their way to another consumer. “It can be quite expensive,” said Sarkis. “And if you send it out to a new customer and the phone is bad, imagine the reputational hit you'll get. So the companies are hesitant to take that chance.” But that $6 silicone spatula you got off Amazon? “Refurbishment, inspection, repackaging, all of these things get factored into the retail price,” said Christopher Faires, assistant professor of logistics and supply chain management at Georgia Southern University. If you want to reduce the impact of your returns, the first move is to increase their chances of resale. Be careful not to damage it, and reuse the packaging to send it back, said Cardiff University logistics and operations management lecturer Danni Zhang. If you have to return something, do it quickly. That ugly Christmas sweater you got at the white elephant office party has a much better chance of selling on Dec. 20 than it does on Jan. 5. Zhang said it's not worth the cost to the company to store that sweater once it's gone out of season. Another tip: in-person shopping is better than online because purchases get returned less often, and in-person returns are better, too — because those items get resold more often. Sarkis said it reduces emissions because companies with brick-and-mortar locations spread out across the country and closer to consumers thus move restocked goods shorter distances. Obviously the best thing consumers can do is minimize returns. Many shoppers engage in “bracketing behavior,” or buying multiple sizes of the same item, keeping what fits, and returning the rest. “This behavior of bringing the dressing room to our homes is not sustainable,” said Faires. If you're buying for someone else, you can also consider taking the guesswork out of the equation and going for a gift card. But if we are more sustainable, probably the gift card will be much better than just purchasing the product,” Zhang said. Sarkis wants to see companies provide more information in product descriptions about the environmental impact of returning an item, or how much of the purchase price factors in return costs. “But I don't know if they want to send a negative message,” he said. Sarkis and Zhang both say charging for returns would help. Already Amazon is requiring customers pay in certain situations. On the tech side, Blue Yonder's recent acquisition of Optoro, a company that provides a return management system for retailers and brands, uses a software to quickly assess the condition of returned products and route them to stores that are most likely to resell them. “Having that process be more digitized, you can quickly assess the condition and put it back into inventory,” said van Gendt. Many sizes do not reflect specific measurements, like women's dresses, so they vary a lot between brands. Zhang said better sizing could help reduce the need for returns. On top of that, Sarkis said more 3D imaging and virtual reality programs could help customers be more accurate with their purchases, saving some returns. The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. 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.

President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said the United States launched a “powerful and deadly” strike against forces of the Islamic State group in Nigeria, after spending weeks accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the targeting of Christians. A Defense Department official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss details not made public, said the U.S. worked with Nigeria to carry out the strikes and that they'd been approved by Abuja. Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the cooperation included exchange of intelligence and strategic coordination in ways “consistent with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty and shared commitments to regional and global security.” “Lakurawa is a group that is actually controlling territories in Nigeria, in Sokoto state and in other states like Kebbi,” said Malik Samuel, a Nigerian security researcher at Good Governance Africa. Trump said the airstrikes were launched against IS militants “who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.” Residents and security analysts have said Nigeria's security crisis affects both Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, who are the majority in the north. “Terrorist violence in any form, whether directed at Christians, Muslims or other communities, remains an affront to Nigeria's values and to international peace and security,” the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Nigeria's government has previously said in response to Trump's criticisms that people of many faiths, not just Christians, have suffered attacks at the hands of extremist groups. Trump ordered the Pentagon last month to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria to try and curb what he called Christian persecution. The State Department recently announced it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in killing Christians there. Trump said U.S. defense officials had “executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing” and added that “our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.” Nigeria's population of 220 million is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts, including Boko Haram, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough. But attacks in Nigeria often have varying motives. The U.S. security footprint has diminished in Africa, where military partnerships have either been scaled down or canceled. U.S. forces likely would have to be drawn from other parts of the world for any larger-scale military intervention in Nigeria. Trump has nonetheless kept up the pressure as Nigeria faced a series of attacks on schools and churches in violence that experts and residents say targets both Christians and Muslims. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted Thursday night on X: “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end.” Hegseth said that U.S. military forces are “always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas” and added, “More to come…Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation” before signing off, “Merry Christmas!”

NEW YORK (AP) — When Cami Teacoach's son turned three she set out to find volunteer opportunities they could do together. He helped harvest produce at community gardens and made seed balls out of mud, throwing them into the forest to promote wildflower growth. Teacoach had reached out to many organizations looking for volunteer projects that she could do with her young child, but most places said no, so she came up with her own. “Everyone was like, ‘A 3-year-old can't do that,'” Teacoach said. During the holiday season, many people seek such opportunities, looking for ways to give back. But often nonprofit organizations seek helpers who are at least 18 years old. Finding volunteer work to do as a family with young children can be challenging, but there are opportunities, if you persist. “There's a million different ways to help people and volunteer. So many families want to do this and literally just don't know where to start,” said Polly Lagana, executive director of Volunteer New York!, which connects people with service opportunities. This article is part of AP's Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Children excel at activities such as sorting coats, packing groceries and following through on tasks, said Sapreet Saluja, executive director of New York Cares, which works with organizations to develop volunteer programs in New York City. And in many cases, they're more detail-oriented than the adults, which I think is very inspiring.” To get started, look for organizations in your community that match volunteers with family-friendly projects and reach out to ask if there's a minimum age requirement. Here are some other ways to involve little ones in projects that help the community. “Let them know what problem you're trying to fix in your community, and maybe one or two options of how that problem can be fixed,” Lagana said. For example, you can explain there are people who don't have enough food, and children in the hospital who might not have blankets, and then ask, ‘Which one do you think you want to help out with?' Children understand hunger, and they can help alleviate the problem. They can sort grocery boxes at a food pantry or help deliver sustenance to home-bound individuals. Aviva Davis was about eight years old when she and her brother Brendan began helping her parents deliver Meals on Wheels to senior citizens and medically frail individuals in Denver. “It definitely opened my eyes to what the world is like outside of our bubble. Davis became a resource at school for fellow students looking to volunteer. She still does monthly meal deliveries with her parents. “When we're not all on our phones, you get some pretty cool quality time.” Her brother is now in college, but when he's home, they do deliveries altogether. When Teacoach couldn't find organizations willing to accept her toddler, she started a group in Pittsburgh called VolunTOTs, which creates service opportunities for children as young as 3. The children and their parents pack 500 boxes of groceries to distribute to families in need, play bingo with seniors in nursing homes and make dog treats for an animal rescue center, among other projects. Parents have told Teacoach their children's conduct improves after volunteering. Stephanie Bernaba's family started “Tough Cookies,” a project where they bake and deliver cookies to veterans, when her son Matthew was in eighth grade and had to complete a service project for school. “Going up to the houses, it was very nice, because they're mostly living alone. A lot of their family or friends died,” said Michael Bernaba, 14, now a freshman at The Prout School in Wakefield, Rhode Island. They were very happy, especially for someone to bring them treats like that.” The project also helped the teens learn social skills and meet people in various stages of life and health conditions, Stephanie Bernaba said. “We went to the first couple of places and I was really scared, because I'm more of a shy person,” Matthew Bernaba, now 15, said. “For the first couple of deliveries I was more to myself, and as we kept going, we talked more with the veterans and got to hear great stories from them.” You can also connect with a nonprofit in need of a service and invite other families over to do a project together, as Lagana's friends have done, organizing clothing donations or assembling snack packs in living rooms. Bonnie Davis organized a drive for menstrual supplies, and families gathered in her backyard to assemble the baskets. Send your wellness questions and story ideas to [email protected]. Follow AP's Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., announced the death of his longtime aide and campaign manager on Christmas Day, a passing which "shocked" those who knew her during the holiday. The congressman and Senate candidate posted about the passing of his deputy chief of staff and campaign manager Tatum Dale on Thursday, noting the contributions she made not only to his current office, but to his mission to serve in statewide office. "For over 15 years, Tatum was the heart and soul of my team," Barr posted to X. "With Tatum's leadership, my office favorably closed thousands of cases for Kentuckians—helping veterans, seniors, and families throughout our district. "She loved helping people and was a servant of others, just as Christ envisioned us all to be. Maybe that's why her birth in heaven is a shared birthday with our Lord and Savior," Barr continued. "While our hearts are broken, our team finds peace and hope knowing that Tatum is now home with Christ, resting comfortably in the arms of her Savior." Barr's run to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced his retirement in February, has been a battle between GOP candidates in the early stages of the race. Despite the competition, former Kentucky attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron set aside their differences to weigh in on the passing of Dale. "Tatum Dale was a friend," Cameron posted on social media. Congressman Andy Barr announced the death of his longtime aide and campaign manager, Tatum Dale, prompting tributes from colleagues across the GOP. Cameron's post was joined by several others who posted to social media in remembrance of the staffer. GOP strategist and communications director for Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said he was shocked by the news and that "Tatum was one of those hardworking people who seemed to be at every GOP event." Daniel Cameron, former Kentucky attorney general and U.S. Senate candidate, set aside their differences to weigh in on the death of Barr's longtime staffer. Dale originally joined Barr's Washington, D.C., office in 2013 as a scheduler. The cause of death is not currently clear. "She made me a better Congressman, our staff better public servants, and we will all miss her forever," Barr posted. "From Murray to Lexington and everywhere in the Commonwealth that she touched, we hope you will all join us in praying for Tatum's family and friends—and be forever inspired by her memory to serve others." Fox News Digital reached out to Barr's office for comment. Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. John Bennett Ramsey details how new DNA technology could help solve JonBenet Ramsey's decades-long murder case, while calling on President Donald Trump to aid in the search for his daughter's killer. It's been nearly 30 years since JonBenet Ramsey's haunting Christmastime murder — and there's renewed optimism that investigators could be closer than ever to solving it. "Techniques and technology constantly evolve," Chief Stephen Redfearn, of the police department in Boulder, Colorado, said in a video statement. "This is especially true with technology related to DNA testing." This combined image shows JonBenet Ramsey before her 1996 murder as well as her father, John Ramsey, in a 2022 interview with Fox News Digital. The case remains unsolved, and he has advocated for years for authorities to conduct new DNA testing on evidence from the Dec. 26, 1996 homicide. (Left and inset: Courtesy of the Ramsey family, Right: Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital) JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, met with Boulder police last January and said it was "an important meeting." He told Fox News Digital earlier this year that he urged the department to accept help from a private genetics lab with a track record of cracking other cold cases. In a September interview with Fox News Digital, he implored President Donald Trump to get involved in the case. "I told the DA that money should not be a restrictor here," he said during an interview at CrimeCon in Denver. "I need to get Donald Trump on them. He'll stir things up one way or the other, but somehow we've got to get them to do that." He said he believes that ongoing advances in forensic genetic genealogy could be the key to solving the case. "I am absolutely convinced that's the gold standard today," Ramsey said. I know they listen, but I don't know where they are mentally, in terms of making that happen." Ramsey echoed his sentiments in an interview this month with the Daily Mail, when he added that leaders at advanced DNA laboratories had informed him about how investigative genetic genealogy only requires a minuscule sample to yield results – while also insisting he believes there is a 70% chance his daughter's killer could be named within months. "IGG is a very powerful tool – just use it," Ramsey told the outlet. Ramsey also pointed to a list of potential suspects compiled by legendary homicide detective Lou Smit in the 1990s, with Smit theorizing his daughter's killer was someone who held a grudge against Ramsey, the outlet reported. "There's so many leads – but using DNA makes this case solvable." Ramsey, who was previously a vocal critic of the Boulder Police Department over its handling of the case, is now praising investigators in light of the new developments. It was not very good for 25 to 26 years. And now, knowing Chief Redfearn from the outside, I've met with him three or four times. John and Patsy Ramsey, the parents of JonBenet Ramsey, meet with a small selected group of the local Colorado media after four months of silence in Boulder, Colorado, on May 1, 1997. Although Boulder police in the past have been resistant to sacrificing what few samples they have left to new testing, Redfearn is a new leader in the department and may change course. There are items in the case that have never been tested. "That had to have DNA evidence on it because it was a very complex knot, I'm told, and the assumption is that this creature couldn't have tied that wearing gloves – so that was a real piece we want to be either tested or re-tested." JonBenet was reported missing by her mother, Patsy Ramsey, on Dec. 26, 1996, after finding a ransom note demanding $118,000. John Ramsey found her body later that same day in the basement of their Boulder home. JonBenet Ramsey, found murdered in her Boulder home in 1996, may see her case revived as new DNA technology offers hope for answers. An autopsy revealed that JonBenet died of strangulation and a blow to the head, and DNA testing ruled out her family as suspects early on. Boulder police say they've followed up on "every lead" they've received over the years, including interviewing more than 1,000 people and sorting through more than 21,000 tips. "It is never too late for people with knowledge of this terrible crime to come forward, and I urge those responsible for this murder to contact us," Redfearn said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Death toll rises in Louisville UPS plane crash HOLIDAY HORROR – Grandfather dies in 'freak accident' at McDonald's drive-thru window before Christmas. ‘NOT BACKING DOWN' – TPUSA head vows to fight on after stubborn student gov denies chapter approval twice. HORRIFIC RAMPAGE – Father allegedly shoots family after wife asked him to turn off 49ers game. HOLIDAY HEIST – Travis Kelce held scoreless as Chiefs fall in his possible Arrowhead Stadium finale. PRESSURE POINTS – Travelers warned as dangerous airplane sleeping position gains popularity. DEADLINE DISASTER – Congress enters new year with major fights looming. PLEA FOR PEACE – Pope Leo urges end to conflicts in Middle East and Ukraine in first Christmas address. DUTY CALLS – American troops sacrifice Christmas with family while defending freedom abroad. POLITICAL PUNT – Congressional NIL bill collapses amid Lane Kiffin controversy and bipartisan pushback. SHACKLES OFF – 2025 lookback: Quitting or fired liberal journalists opt for the independent route. SUCCESS SKEPTIC – Crockett accuses Trump admin of dishonesty over border encounter numbers. TAKING SIDES – Katie Couric insists people don't want 'just the facts' when consuming news. NOT BACKING DOWN – Bari Weiss stands by decision to delay '60 Minutes' segment amid staff criticism. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER – I'm the new Virginia governor and affordability is what everyone needs. HOLIDAY HIJACK – Charles Barkley blasts NFL for Christmas Day games. DREAMS CRUSHED – Vikings squash Lions' playoff chances on Christmas Day, force six turnovers. DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ – Erika Kirk endorsed which Republican? RED FLAGS – Ford shatters decade-old recall record with 152 safety alerts issued this year alone. NEW TRADITION – Man completely replaces holiday dinner for one important reason. RILEY GAINES – Only through God can grieving widow Erika Kirk do this. Tune in for a look at what people can do to get more out of their money in 2026. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Monday. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty of abuse of power on Friday in the biggest trial yet in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, a ruling that could have significant political repercussions. Malaysia and US investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state fund Najib co-founded in 2009 while in office. More than $1 billion allegedly made its way into accounts linked to Najib, who has consistently denied wrongdoing. Najib could face maximum jail terms of between 15 and 20 years on each charge, as well as a fine of up to five times the value of the alleged misappropriations. Najib, 72, has been in prison since August 2022, when Malaysia's top court upheld a verdict convicting him of corruption for illegally receiving funds from a 1MDB unit. His 12-year jail sentence in that case was halved last year by a pardons board. Najib last year apologized for mishandling the scandal while in office but had consistently denied wrongdoing, saying repeatedly that he was misled by 1MDB officials and the fugitive financier, Jho Low, about the source of the funds. Judge Sequerah in reading the verdict had earlier said evidence had revealed Najib had an “unmistakable bond and connection” with Low, who acted as the then prime minister's “proxy and intermediary” in 1MDB affairs. Low, who has been charged in the United States for his central role in the case, denies all wrongdoing and his whereabouts are unknown. Najib has maintained he was misled by Low and other 1MDB officials into believing that funds deposited into his account were donations from the Saudi royal family. But Sequerah said Najib's argument was “implausible” and dismissed letters on the donations produced by Najib that allegedly originated from the Saudi royal family, saying they were not corroborated by evidence and were probably forgeries. The verdict came just days after another court denied a bid by Najib to serve his jail sentence under house arrest - a decision that reignited tensions within current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration. Najib's party, the United Malays National Organisation, campaigned against Anwar in a 2022 election but joined his coalition to form a government after the poll ended in a hung parliament. Some UMNO leaders expressed disappointment with the decision to deny Najib house arrest and others were angered by social media posts by some members of Anwar's coalition celebrating the earlier ruling. Anwar on Tuesday called for calm, urging all parties to accept the court verdict with “full patience and wisdom.”

After months of warning that the US could take military action to stop violence against Christians in Nigeria, President Donald Trump announced on Christmas Day that he had done just that – delivering a strike on Islamic State terrorists in the country's northwest. US Africa Command said it conducted the strikes in Sokoto state, which borders Niger to the north, “in coordination with Nigerian authorities.” AFRICOM's initial assessment is that “multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the ISIS camps,” according to a news release. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar told CNN Friday that he had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio prior to the strike and that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu gave the “go ahead.” Details are still emerging about the strike, which came after Trump threatened to suspend aid to Nigeria over violence against Christians, even calling on his secretary of defense to “prepare for possible action” against Africa's most populous nation in November. But the reality on the ground is more nuanced than Trump's characterization suggests, experts and analysts have told CNN this year. Both Christians and Muslims – the two main religious groups in the country of more than 230 million people – have been victims of attacks by radical Islamists. Nigeria has grappled for years with deep-rooted security problems driven by various factors, including religiously motivated attacks. Sokoto state, in Nigeria's northwestern corner, is bordered to the north by Niger, and is home to 4 million people – the majority of whom are Muslim. The violence in the country's northwest is mainly driven by criminal bandit groups, analysts say, but growing links with Islamic State-affiliated jihadists have created a hybrid crime-terrorism threat. “The region where the strike has actually taken place is dominated by criminal bandits, who have been tormenting rural villages and towns with some form of ISWAP (a Boko Haram breakaway group known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province) presence in that region, but not really specifically in Sokoto,” Oluwole Ojewale, a Dakar-based African security analyst told CNN Friday. Security analysts said Lakurawa, a lesser-known group prominent in northwestern states, could have been the target of Thursday's strikes. Lakurawa – an offshoot of Boko Haram – has become increasingly deadly this year, often targeting remote communities and security forces, and hiding in the forests between states. In January, Nigeria's authorities declared the group a terrorist organization and banned its activities nationwide. Ansaru, an al-Qaeda-aligned jihadist group that also splintered from Boko Haram, operates in the country's northwest and north-central regions and is known for its kidnappings, attacks on civilians and cooperation with transnational jihadist actors. Nigeria has not named a specific organization that was targeted on Thursday. “The way most of these strikes work is that they need to be part of a larger campaign, and what we're not seeing here is that larger campaign.” However, this year has seen a spate of high-profile attacks in predominantly Christian pockets of the north, which has drawn international attention and condemnation. Two months later, more than 100 people were massacred in Yelwata, a largely Christian community in the southeastern state of Benue, according to Amnesty International. “Yes, these (extremist) groups have sadly killed many Christians. However, they have also massacred tens of thousands of Muslims,” said Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian human rights advocate specializing in security and development. What little data exists also does not support Trump's claims that Christians are being disproportionately targeted. Out of more than 20,400 civilians killed in attacks between January 2020 and September 2025, 317 deaths were from attacks targeting Christians while 417 were from attacks targeting Muslims, according to crisis monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data. Nigeria is already divided along political and religious lines, Oyewale said, who added that the US president's rhetoric “goes a long way to actually open the fault lines of division that already exist in the country.” In November, Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” under the US International Religious Freedom Act – which suggests his administration has found that Nigeria has engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom.” But the Nigerian government rejected claims that it was not doing enough to protect Christians from violence. At the time, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said that “the characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality.” However, several experts and analysts told CNN they believed the government needed to better protect all citizens – as people are being impacted by mass killings regardless of their religion or background. Tinubu has not yet publicly commented on Thursday's strike, but earlier in the day, had shared a Christmas message on social media.