South Korean lawmakers pass bill targeting false information despite warnings on censorship

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's liberal-led legislature on Wednesday passed a bill allowing heavy punitive damages against traditional news and internet media for publishing "false or fabricated information," brushing aside concerns the legislation could lead to greater censorship.

Journalist groups and civil liberty advocates urged PresidentLee Jae Myungto veto the bill pushed by his Democratic Party. They say the wording is vague about what information would be banned and lacks sufficient protections for the press, potentially discouraging critical reporting on public officials, politicians and big businesses.

The Democrats, who have failed to pass similar legislation under past governments, say the law is needed to counter a growing threat offake news and disinformationthat they argue undermine democracy by fueling divisions and hate speech.

The bill would allow courts to award punitive damages of up to five times the proven losses against news organizations and large YouTube channels that disseminate "illegal information or false, fabricated information" to cause harm or seek profit.

The bill also would allow damages of up to 50 million won ($34,200) for losses that are difficult to quantify in court. The country's media regulator would be able to fine outlets up to 1 billion won ($684,000) for distributing information a court confirms to be false or manipulated more than twice.

The bill passed the National Assembly by a vote of 170-3 with four abstentions after many lawmakers from the main conservative opposition People Power Party boycotted the vote. The vote was delayed after a 24-hour filibuster by PPP, during which lawmakers from both parties debated the bill.

PPP lawmaker Choi Soo-jin said during the filibuster that the bill fails to define the degree of inaccuracy for information to be banned, warning it could be broadly applied to content containing minor errors or general claims and used as a tool to silence critics with the threat of lawsuits.

The Democrats argue punitive damages would apply only when there is clarity that false information has been deliberately spread for harmful or profit-seeking purposes and causes actual damage, while routine allegations or claims would not be penalized.

They note the law prohibits filing damage claims with the purpose of "obstructing just criticism or oversight conducted in the public interest," although legal experts and journalist groups have criticized the provision as vague and unrealistic.

"What the law targets is not (legitimate) criticism but the malicious and deliberate dissemination of false information," Democratic Party spokesperson Park Soo-hyun said. "(The bill) is based on the requirement of intent and also exempts satire and parody, clearly distinguishing (what should be respected as) freedom of expression."

The National Union of Media Workers urged Lee's government and the Democrats to address concerns that regulating false or manipulated information by law could infringe on freedom of expression and expose media companies to abusive lawsuits, chilling scrutiny of those in power.

"We urge (them) to clearly reaffirm that the law would target only a tiny portion (of content) that's 'false or fabricated information' and to carefully review the bill to eliminate any potential infringement on freedom of the press and of expression," the group said in a statement. "We call on them to carefully define the law's scope when drafting (the law's) enforcement ordinance."

byCosmopolite

in

December 24, 2025

South Korean lawmakers pass bill targeting false information despite warnings on censorship

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's liberal-led legislature on Wednesday passed a bill allowing heavy punitive da...

Read More

Atlanta Housing Authority official charged with fraud, theft, feds say

The senior vice president of the Atlanta Housing Authority was accused of creating a scheme to collect Section 8 housing assistancepaymentson her property and those of family members while also submitting fraudulent applications forpandemic relieffunds,federal prosecutorssay.

Tracy Denise Jones, a 61-year-old woman from Atlanta, was arraigned on Dec. 19 onfederal charges of conspiracyto commit theft of government funds, wire fraud and credit application fraud, according to a Dec. 22 news release from the Northern District of Georgia's U.S. Attorney's Office.

"A long-time senior executive of one of the largest housing authorities in the nation, Jones was entrusted to deliver vast sums of government assistance to our community's neediest members," U.S. attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in the release. "But Jones allegedly exploited a variety of assistance programs and chose to line her own pockets using an alternate identity, multiple business entities, a false affidavit and a cadre of associate willing to lie on her behalf."

Atlanta Housing Authority: Fake name and shell business conceal identity

Jones served with the Atlanta Housing Authority over the Housing Choice Voucher Program since 2017, which includes one of the largest Section 8 housing programs in the nation.

Section 8 offers rental assistance payments to landlords to supplement rent from low-income individuals and families. There are often long waits to get approved for Section 8 assistance, and the funds are limited, federal prosecutors said.

Jones is accused of creating a fake name and a shell business entity in order to complete Section 8 documents for a home she owned and rented to her family members, generally prohibited for housing authority staff.

She received more than $36,000 in Section 8 funds she wasn't eligible for, and when an investigation was launched into the fake identity, Jones is accused of submitting a false affidavit and then convincing friends to lie on her behalf, prosecutors said.

Used shell business for COVID-19 relief funds

While the shell business was used to funnel money from Section 8, prosecutors say Jones also used it to apply for more than $27,000 in U.S. Small Business Administration COVID-19 pandemic relief programs.

Jones claimed her business was functioning and was carrying a staff, and that the company made $56,000 in gross revenue in 2019. When one application was denied Jones appealed the decision and said she was "truly a[n] honestly business owner," and that she had "heard how people abused the PPP loans to establish a lavish lif[e] style," but "that is not me."

Fraud across finances

As investigators took a closer look at Jones' Section 8 property, they found she had refinished the mortgage but lied on her application.

Jones claimed the $219,780 loan was for a property that was her primary residence and not a rental. She also stated she didn't own any other property.

The investigation into Jones was part of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force established in 2021.

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today's Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Atlanta Housing Authority senior vice president charged with fraud

byCosmopolite

in

December 24, 2025

Atlanta Housing Authority official charged with fraud, theft, feds say

The senior vice president of the Atlanta Housing Authority was accused of creating a scheme to collect Section 8 housing ...

Read More

Pro-Russian hackers claim cyberattack on French postal service

PARIS (AP) — A pro-Russian hacking group claimed responsibility for amajor cyberattackthat halted package deliveries by France's national postal service just days before Christmas, prosecutors said Wednesday.

After the claim by the cybercrime group known as Noname057, French intelligence agency DGSI took over the investigation into the hacking attack, the Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The group has been accused of other cyberattacks in Europe, including around a NATO summit in the Netherlands and French government sites. It was the target of abig European police operationearlier this year.

Centralcomputer systemsat French national postal service La Poste were knocked offline Monday in a distributed denial of service, or DDoS, cyberattack that still wasn't fully resolved by Wednesday morning, the company said.

Postal workers couldn't track package deliveries, and online payments at the company's banking arm were also disrupted. It was a major blow to La Poste, which delivered 2.6 billion packages last year and employs more than 200,000 people, during the busiest season of the year.

France and other European allies ofUkraineallege that Russia is waging a campaign of "hybrid warfare" to sow division in Western societies and undermine their support for Ukraine. The AP has tracked more than 145incidentsincluding sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks, disinformation and other hostile acts that are increasinglydraining police resources.

byCosmopolite

in

December 24, 2025

Pro-Russian hackers claim cyberattack on French postal service

PARIS (AP) — A pro-Russian hacking group claimed responsibility for amajor cyberattackthat halted package deliveries by F...

Read More

Problems continue for England as star bowler Jofra Archer is out of the final two Ashes tests

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Bowler Jofra Archer will not play in the remaining two Ashes tests due to a left side strain, a team official said Wednesday, adding to England's problems both on and off the field that include accusations of drunken behavior by opener Ben Duckett.

The 30-year-old Archer spent four yearsbattling a variety of fitness issues, including stress fractures of the back and right elbow, but has been in strong form since making a long-awaited red-ball return against India.

The fourth test begins Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the fifth on Jan. 4 in Sydney. Australia has awinning 3-0 leadin the five-test series and has retained the Ashes.

Archer joined the squad at training on Wednesday at the MCG, but played no part in practice and a spokesperson later confirmed he was out for the remainder of the tour.

He had bowled a total of 80 overs in the games at Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, taking nine wickets at 27.11 and maintaining the lowest strike-rate among England bowlers.

In the third test at Adelaide, he took five for 53 in the first innings and scored 51 runs.

Gus Atkinson replaced Archer in the visitors' XI named Wednesday while Jacob Bethell has replaced No. 3 Ollie Pope for the Melbourne test. Pope is averaging 20.83 with the bat for the series.

But Duckett, thesubject of a team investigationafter footage purportedly showing the 31-year-old intoxicated between the second and third tests emerged this week, has held his spot despite averaging 16 for the series.

England captain Ben Stokes said he had spoken to Duckett.

"I've obviously reached out, spoken to him and offered my complete support throughout this, particularly in a moment like this where everything feels like it's on top of you," Stokes said.

"My job as England captain is obviously to be out there and get results for the team, but also to try to give people the best chance of being in a mental space where they can go out there and perform."

England team: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue.

AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

byCosmopolite

in

December 24, 2025

Problems continue for England as star bowler Jofra Archer is out of the final two Ashes tests

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Bowler Jofra Archer will not play in the remaining two Ashes tests due to a left side strain,...

Read More

Johnson scores 25 points and Spurs win 7 straight with 130-110 win over Thunder

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Keldon Johnson had 25 points, Stephon Castle added 24 points and the San Antonio Spurs stormed past Oklahoma City 130-110 on Tuesday night, winning their seventh straight and beating the Thunder for the second time in 10 days.

Victor Wembanyama's streak of consecutive games with at least one block ended at 101 games, but the Spurs were just happy to have him on the court after he was downgraded to questionable on Monday. Wembanyama finished with 12 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points for Oklahoma City. Jalen Williams added 17.

San Antonio has won 14 of 17 to move into second in the West. Oklahoma City has lost three of five games since opening the season 24-1. The defending champions' fourth loss this season was by far their worst, as the previous three were by 2, 2 and 5 points.

The Thunder's second loss of the season was 111-109 against the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinal on Dec. 13 in Las Vegas.

HORNETS 126, WIZARDS 109

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball had 23 points and nine assists, Brandon Miller added 20 points Charlotte pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Washington.

Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel finished with 19 points and provided a huge spark with five second-half 3-pointers for the Hornets. Moussa Diabate had a career-high 18 rebounds and 12 points for the Hornets and Miles Bridges flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Khris Middleton scored 16 points to lead the Wizards.

Charlotte entered the fourth quarter up 92-90, but used a 12-4 run — sparked by seven points from Ball — to begin to pull away.

Miller's 3 from the top of the key pushed the lead to double digits with 5 minutes remaining and Knueppel buried three more 3s to give the Hornets breathing room.

In Charlotte's last game, Knueppel became the fastest rookie to reach 100 3-pointers. He missed both 3-point attempts in the first half, but connected on 5 of 7 from beyond the arc after halftime.

The Hornets outscored the Wizards 34-19 in the fourth quarter and made 20 of 50 3s for the game.

NETS 114, 76ERS 106

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. scored 28 points, Egor Demin added 20 and Brooklyn beat Philadelphia.

Porter went 5 of 12 from the 3-point arc and Demin hit a couple of late 3s after the 76ers cut a 19-point lead to nine in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn shot 17 of 46 from 3-point distance to win for the third time in four games. Nic Claxton added 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Philadelphia's Joel Embiid scored 27 points despite going out briefly early in the third quarter after banging his right knee. Paul George added 19 points, but 76ers leading scorer Tyrese Maxey was held to 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting. Andrew Drummond finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Porter scored 24 points in theNets' 96-81 winover Toronto on Sunday and eclipsed that in the first half against Philadelphia.

Porter had 25 points and hit 5 of 8 from 3-point range, helping the Nets build a 63-57 halftime lead.

Embiid did most of his work inside the arc, hitting 7 of 10 shots to score 19 points by halftime. Maxey, coming off a 38-point game against Dallas, had five first-half points on 1-of-7 shooting.

RAPTORS 112, HEAT 91

MIAMI (AP) — Scottie Barnes scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Toronto Raptors beat reeling Miami.

Immanuel Quickley scored 18 for the Raptors — who got their 18th win in their 31st game of the season. They needed 57 games last season to get to the 18-win mark and are over .500 at Christmas for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 14 and Brandon Ingram finished with 12 for Toronto, which again played without RJ Barrett. He's recovering from a sprained right knee.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 21 for the Heat, who are back to the .500 mark at 15-15 and have dropped nine of their last 11 games. They've been held under 100 points twice this season, both by Toronto and both in losses — with Tuesday's 91-point figure the lowest. The Raptors beat the Heat 106-96 on Dec. 15.

Toronto won for only the fourth time in its last 12 games, with both wins over the Heat part of that span.

Norman Powell scored 17, Andrew Wiggins added 14 and Bam Adebayo grabbed 12 rebounds for the Heat. Miami played again without Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson, all who remain injured.

The Heat shot 40.2%, their worst at home this season.

CAVALIERS 141, PELICANS 118

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points, Sam Merrill added 22 and Cleveland pulled away in the second half for a victory over New Orleans.

Nine of the 11 players used by the Cavaliers players scored in double figures as they won consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 21-23. Cleveland also evened its December record at 5-5.

The 23-point victory was the Cavaliers' second-biggest margin this season.

It was the fifth time in the NBA this season and the second time in three days a team has had nine players score in double figures. According to Sportradar, it was only the second time in franchise history the Cavaliers had done it. The previous time was Nov. 10, 1992, against the Washington Bullets.

Cleveland scored at least 139 points for the second straight night and eighth time this season.

The Cavaliers got 57 points from their reserves as Jaylon Tyson scored 18 and Jaylon Tyson added a season-high 15.

Center Jarrett Allen had 14 points, including his first 3-pointer since Jan. 29, 2023.

BULLS 126, HAWKS 123

ATLANTA (AP) — Josh Giddey had 19 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds, Coby White hit a tiebreaking free throw with 1.9 seconds left, and Chicago rallied for its fourth straight victory with a win over Atlanta.

White finished with 24 points for the Bulls, who trailed by 18 points in the second quarter, by 15 late in the third and by 10 with less than six minutes left.

Giddey's triple-double was his seventh this season, the second-most in the league behind Denver's Nikola Jokic, who has 14. Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Bulls moved to 3-0 against the Hawks this season.

Jalen Johnson had 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Hawks, who have lost four straight. Trae Young contributed 22 points and 15 assists.

Atlanta was missing Dyson Daniels for the first time this season. He sat out with right hip inflammation.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit a driving layup for the Hawks with 1.9 seconds left to tie it at 123-all. The Bulls advanced the ball with a timeout, and then Zaccaharie Risacher fouled White before the inbound pass, giving White one free throw that he converted.

The Hawks fouled Vucevic on the next inbounds play, and he made two free throws with 1.5 seconds left. A desperation 3-pointer by Alexander-Walker wasn't close.

BUCKS 111, PACERS 94

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Porter Jr. scored 24 points, Ryan Rollins had 23 and Milwaukee, playing its seventh consecutive game without the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo, beat Indiana.

Kyle Kuzma scored 15 and Bobby Portis had 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds as the Bucks shot 51% to snap a three-game losing streak.

Former Pacers center Myles Turner, who got booed every time he touched the ball, finished with 10 points and three blocked shots.

T.J. McConnell led the Pacers, who dropped their sixth consecutive game, with 16 points off the bench. McConnell had missed Monday's loss at Boston with left knee soreness.

Pascal Siakam had 15 points and team-high nine rebounds for the Pacers. Andrew Nembhard scored 14 and Bennedict Mathurin had 13 for Indiana, which shot 41%.

The Pacers made 8 of 31 3-pointers while the Bucks hit 10 of 30 3-point attempts.

TIMBERWOLVES 115, KNICKS 104

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 38 points to helpMinnesotabeat former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns for the first time and hold off New York.

Julius Randle had 17 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and Rudy Gobert contributed 11 points, 16 rebounds and his reliably fierce rim protection for the Wolves (20-10), who have won 10 of 12.

Towns scored a season-high 40 points before fouling out in the final minute for the Knicks (20-9) in the absence of fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson, who rested his previously injured ankle. Tyler Kolek started for Brunson and had 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Brunson, who had 47 points in a win over Miamion Sunday, joined O.G. Anunoby (ankle), Miles McBride (ankle) and Landry Shamet (shoulder) on the shelf to leave the backcourt thin — and make Towns the go-to scorer in his homecoming game against his original team.

Towns had 32 points and 20 rebounds in hisfirst game backat Target Center a year ago, when the Knicks won133-107. He didn't play in the rematch in New York the next month, a116-99win for the Wolves. Earlier this season, Towns had 15 points toward a137-114 victoryover Minnesota at Madison Square Garden.

MAVERICKS 131, NUGGETS 130

DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg had 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Anthony Davis had 31 points and nine rebounds as Dallas beat Denver.

Flagg's career-high fourth 3-pointer gave Dallas a 126-121 lead with 3:17 left, and he assisted on Naji Marshall's left-corner 3 that put the Mavericks ahead 131-125 with 1:12 left.

The Nuggets, who trailed 50-29 early in the second quarter, got their first lead early in the fourth quarter and pulled within a point in the final minute, having a shot to win after forcing the Mavericks into a 24-second violation with 7.8 seconds left. However, Peyton Watson's 3-point attempt from the left corner at the buzzer rimmed out.

The Mavericks snapped a two-game losing streak, during which they blew fourth-quarter leads, and have taken the first two games from the Nuggets this season. They won 131-121 at Denver on Dec. 1.

Jamal Murray had 31 points and 14 assists, and Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 14 assists for the Nuggets, who had an 11-game road winning streak snapped. Jokic, the NBA leader averaging 12.1 rebounds, had seven to match his season low.

SUNS 132, LAKERS 108

PHOENIX (AP) — Dillon Brooks scored 25 points, Devin Booker added 21 and Phoenix pulled away in the second half to beat Los Angeles.

The Lakers were playing without five-time All-Star Luka Doncic, who was out with a lower leg contusion. They did welcome the return of Austin Reaves, who missed the past three games with a left calf strain.

Reaves finished with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting off the bench, while LeBron James led the Lakers with 23. Los Angeles has lost two straight.

The Suns — who have won two out of three against the Lakers this season — led by 10 at halftime and quickly pushed that advantage to 99-72 midway through the third. They took a 112-86 lead into the fourth after scoring 45 points in the third on 16-of-22 (72.7%) shooting.

Brooks scored 12 in the decisive third and finished 10 of 15 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range. The 29-year-old came into the game averaging 21.7 points, which is easily a career high.

GRIZZLIES 137, JAZZ 128

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Santi Aldama made seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 37 points to lead Memphis to a victory over Utah Jazz.

Jaren Jackson Jr. chipped in 21 points, GG Jackson II had 18 points, and Jock Landale added 17.

Cam Spencer dished out a career high 13 assists to go with 11 points, while Aldama added a season-high seven assists to help the Grizzlies snap a two-game losing streak.

Memphis shot 56% from the field and made 19 3-pointers.

Kyle Filipowski led Utah with 25 points and 13 rebounds while Keyonte George added 24 points. Taylor Hendricks had a career-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting and Ace Bailey chipped in 17.

PISTONS 136, KINGS 127

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 23 points and 14 assists, Jalen Duren had 23 points and 12 rebounds, and the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit beat Sacramento.

Tobias Harris scored 24 points for the Pistons, who have won nine of 11.

Duren's double-double was his fourth straight and 17th of the season. Ausar Thompson had 19 points for Detroit, and Isaiah Stewart added 16 points off the bench.

DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points and Russell Westbrook had 27 for the Kings, who have lost 10 of 12.

Westbrook had four assists to reach 10,140 for his career, one short of Magic Johnson for seventh in NBA history.

The Pistons, who lead the NBA in points in the paint at 58.1 per game, had 70 points inside to the Kings' 48.

CLIPPERS 128, ROCKETS 108

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 41 points and James Harden added 29 as Los Angeles beat Houston.

Leonard shot 16 for 23 from the field and 4 for 5 from long distance as the Clippers won consecutive games for just the second time this season. Los Angeles was coming off a 103-88 win over the Lakers on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. The Clippers also won consecutive games Oct. 24-26, against Phoenix and Portland.

Harden, who shot 7 for 14 from the field and 3 for 8 from long distance, was helped by 12-for-13 shooting from the line.

John Collins and Kobe Sanders added 13 points apiece and Kris Dunn scored 11 for Los Angeles, which shot 54% (20 for 37) from 3-point range.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting, and Alperen Sengun finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for Houston, which was 9 for 30 (30%) from long distance.

Amen Thompson added 19 points for Houston, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 16 for the Rockets, who have lost four of their last five games.

MAGIC 110, TRAIL BLAZERS 106

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 23 points, Anthony Black added 22 and Orlando turned back Portland's comeback attempt for a victory over the Trail Blazers.

After trailing by 17 in the third quarter, the Blazers took a one-point lead early in the fourth before Tyus Jones answered with a 3-pointer and Wendell Carter Jr. hit a jumper for the Magic.

Shaedon Sharpe had a chance to tie it with 38.9 seconds left but made only one of two free throws, leaving Portland down 107-106.

Bane missed a pull-up jumper at the other end, then blocked a layup attempt by 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan with 12 seconds remaining to preserve the lead. Bane sank two free throws to make it 109-106 and Deni Avdija missed a long 3 for the Trail Blazers before Black added a foul shot for the final margin.

byCosmopolite

in

December 24, 2025

Johnson scores 25 points and Spurs win 7 straight with 130-110 win over Thunder

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Keldon Johnson had 25 points, Stephon Castle added 24 points and the San Antonio Spurs stormed past Ok...

Read More

In role reversal, Chiefs look to play spoiler vs. Broncos

Late December has arrived and the Kansas City Chiefs are playing out the string while the Denver Broncos are focused on grabbing the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

It is a major change of the script as the Broncos look to protect their AFC West lead when they visit the Chiefs on Thursday for a Christmas night kickoff.

Denver (12-3) holds a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Chargers in the division race and is tied with the New England Patriots for the top record in the conference. The Broncos hold the tiebreaker edge over New England.

Denver is coming off a 34-20 loss to the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday that halted an 11-game winning streak. If the Broncos lose again Thursday, then the Week 18 battle with the host Chargers will be for the AFC West crown.

"Every one of these players understands the significance of where we're at with two games left in the season," Broncos coach Sean Payton said Tuesday.

Denver has its sights on sweeping the Chiefs (6-9) for the first time since 2014, and the players are aware a stumble could be disastrous.

"You've just got to keep winning," Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said. "Whatever it takes to win the game. Doesn't really, at this point, matter what it looks like. All the cool, flashy stuff can have already happened. Now, it's just who's got more points."

The Broncos beat the Chiefs 22-19 on Nov. 16 when Wil Lutz kicked the winning 35-yard field goal as time expired. Denver has won three of the teams' past four meetings after the Chiefs won 16 straight in the series.

Kansas City limps into the rematch with six losses in the past seven games and with its streak of consecutive seasons reaching the playoffs over at 10.

Patrick Mahomes sustained a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee during a 16-13 loss to the visiting Chargers on Dec. 14. Then last week, Gardner Minshew (lower leg) sustained his own season-ending injury in a 26-9 road loss against the Tennessee Titans.

That leaves Chris Oladokun as a first-time starter against Denver. He finished the game against the Titans and completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards.

"There's always something to clean up," Oladokun said. "But for a first outing, I felt really proud of myself."

Oladokun, 28, has been in the Chiefs' organization since 2022, when he was signed to the practice squad. He had appeared in just one game prior to replacing Minshew, and he had never thrown an NFL pass.

"There's a little more electricity because I'm the guy actually going through it," Oladokun said of leading the offense in practice.

The Chiefs signed quarterback Shane Buechele off the Buffalo Bills' practice squad on Monday to be the backup. Buchele was in the Kansas City organization in 2021-22.

While Oladokun relishes the opportunity, the contest could be star tight end Travis Kelce's final home game.

Kelce, 36, is weighing retirement for the second straight campaign.

"I don't know if it is or not," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of the possibility of Kelce playing his farewell home game. "His numbers and personality and the person, I think, speak for themselves."

Kelce was named to his 11th Pro Bowl on Tuesday. He has 68 receptions for 803 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Kelce made nine receptions for 91 yards and a score in the first matchup against the Broncos.

Denver ranks fifth in scoring defense (19.7 points per game) and fourth in total defense (291.6 yards per game).

Three Denver defenders -- cornerback Pat Surtain II, linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive end Zach Allen -- were selected to the Pro Bowl.

Kansas City receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton both have concussions and didn't practice on Monday and Tuesday. Cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (knee) and Jaylen Watson (groin) also missed those two sessions.

Four Broncos haven't practiced this week through Tuesday: receiver Pat Bryant (concussion), tight end Nate Adkins (knee), center Luke Wattenberg (shoulder) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (hamstring).

--Field Level Media

byCosmopolite

in

December 24, 2025

In role reversal, Chiefs look to play spoiler vs. Broncos

Late December has arrived and the Kansas City Chiefs are playing out the string while the Denver Broncos are focused o...

Read More

Sarah Jessica Parker Dazzles at the Debut of Her First Jewelry Collection

Sarah Jessica Parkerhas officially added another facet to her style legacy. The actress, producer, and global fashion icon debuted her very first jewelry collection in partnership with Astrea London, marking a sparkling new chapter in her creative career. The collection was unveiled on a global stage in Dubai, a fitting backdrop for pieces that blend timeless elegance with modern values.

Taking to Instagram to share the news, Parker expressed her excitement and personal connection to the project.

"I'm delighted to share my first jewelry collection with @astrealondon," she wrote, describing the line as a celebration of diamonds selected from the top 1% in the world for their exceptional color, shape, and brilliance. The collection exclusively features lab-grown diamonds, a deliberate choice that reflects Parker's growing passion for sustainability and innovation.

Over months of collaboration, Parker says she fell in love not only with the beauty of lab-grown diamonds, but also with what they represent. For her, they offer the possibility of honoring the romance and symbolism of diamonds while embracing science, technology, and responsible sourcing.

"Today, luxury and sustainability can exist beautifully side by side," she noted—an ethos that sits at the heart of the collection.

View this post on Instagram

As Global Creative Director for Astrea London, Parker worked closely with the brand's design team to create pieces inspired by her longtime love of vintage jewelry. The result is a refined yet contemporary assortment that feels both classic and relevant, designed for modern women who value craftsmanship, meaning, and mindful luxury.

Parker also highlighted the importance of collaboration, thanking Astrea London founder Nathalie Morrison for their shared values, as well as Ylana Azoulay and Catherine Prevost for their guidance and support throughout the process. Celebrating the launch together in Dubai, she said, was a "true joy."

The limited-edition collection marks a significant moment not just for Parker, but for the evolving luxury jewelry space—proof that glamour, conscience, andcreativitycan shine brightest when they come together.

This story was originally published byParadeon Dec 24, 2025, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Sarah Jessica Parker Dazzles at the Debut of Her First Jewelry Collection

Sarah Jessica Parkerhas officially added another facet to her style legacy. The actress, producer, and global fashion ico...

Read More

Daniel Curtis Lee Says He Helped Tylor Chase, His “Ned’s Declassified” Costar Who Is Experiencing Homelessness, with a Hotel Room

Michael Bezjian/Getty; Daniel Curtis Lee/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Daniel Curtis Lee helped his former Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide costar Tylor Chase with a hotel room and a meal

• Chase is currently experiencing homelessness in California

• Lee stepped in to help Chase for the holidays as his fellow Ned's costars work towards a plan for long term assistance

Daniel Curtis Lee is helping his formerNed's Declassified School Survival Guidecostar Tylor Chase in a time of need.

Lee, 34, shared updates on Instagram of himself visiting Chase, 36, who is experiencing homelessness in California, days after a video of the actor went viral on social media. In the clips, the two men share a meal at a pizza restaurant, then Lee accompanies Chase to a hotel room, where Lee says he'll stay as he works with others toward a plan for long-term assistance.

The actor then offered an update on Chase's situation after the visit.

"So, a lot of people have been reaching out, and seeing if I'm still in touch with Tylor since that last TikTok video where I went to visit him," Lee said in the firstInstagramclip he posted. "And, yeah, man, as a matter of fact, I just got off a call with him."

He then said that communicating with Chase has been "hard," because "he'll have a phone one day and then maybe not the next."

Lee elaborated that he was hoping to form a "trust" to which people could donate funds to help Chase get back on his feet, and was looking into rehabilitation programs that would best suit his needs.

In asecond Instagram video, published on Tuesday, Dec. 23, Lee went on to explain that Chase was able to speak with his father over FaceTime, and several of Chase's former costars are working together to help him get into a facility.

"A lot of you guys are concerned about Tylor Chase this holiday season, and I just wanted to give you an update. Shaun Weiss and his team put a lot of effort into trying to get him into a hospital last night, and I thought it worked. His dad told me it worked, but it turns out he kind of backed out," Lee explained.

"So they couldn't get him into a car last night, and that's why they weren't able to get him to the hospital," Lee explained.

"Yeah, it's the holiday season. It's raining out, and I just want them to have at least some basic accommodations. He wanted to stay local, and this was the only one that was open and accepted people," Lee said.

Nickelodeon

"Okay, thank you so much," Chase replied as Lee hugged him inside the hotel room.

"Give me a hug, man. Love you, brother. Love you, man. So happy to see you, dude," Lee said. "You're the man, brother, and I believe in you, and we're gonna win, bro. All we got to do is stay with it and keep working, dude."

On Monday, Dec. 22, Weiss — who starred in theMighty Ducksmovies — shared in anInstagram videothat he's received "many messages" about Chase and that he's taken action.

"I reached out to some friends of mine and we have a bed for him at a detox and we have a place for him to go and get long-term treatment," Weiss, 47, said, sharing the actor's apparent location and asking fans to get in touch if they can help.

The actor has previously opened up about his own past experiences with homelessness, as well as addiction, amid his sobriety journey. He shared on an April episode ofPod Meets Worldthat he benefited from "a tremendous amount of support from people" who were invested in his recovery as fans of his acting.

Chase played Martin Qwerly inNed's Declassified, which ran for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2004 to 2007.

Lee and Chase's other former costars, Devon Werkheiser andLindsey Shaw, addressed videos "circulating on the internet" of their friend "going through some stuff," during an episode ofNed's Declassified Podcast Survival Guideback in September.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"All of us in theNed'scommunity are figuring out what it looks like to see him," Werkheiser, 34, said at the time. "How can we help? What can we do?"

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Daniel Curtis Lee Says He Helped Tylor Chase, His “Ned’s Declassified” Costar Who Is Experiencing Homelessness, with a Hotel Room

Michael Bezjian/Getty; Daniel Curtis Lee/Instagram NEED TO KNOW Daniel Curtis Lee helped his former Ned's Declassified School Surviva...

Read More

If You Score Less Than 20/30 On This Ultimate Christmas Quiz, You’re A Real-Life Grinch

Do you still get that childlike feeling when Christmas is coming? Or are you slowly turning into the Grinch without even realizing it? Don't worry – this quiz is for everyone.

Christmas has a funny way of filling your head with little bits of knowledge. Mariah Carey hits that first note and suddenly it's officially Christmas. Home Alone is on TV again, and you're still cheering Kevin on. And somehow, you also remember random Christmas traditions from around the world without knowing exactly when you learned them.

This quiz brings all of that together – a festive mix of classic films, well-loved songs, and traditions from different places.

Settle in, take your time, and enjoy a little Christmas trivia moment!🎄

🚀 💡 Want more or looking for something else? Head over to theBored Panda Quizzesand explore our full collection of quizzes and trivia designed to test your knowledge, reveal hidden insights, and spark your curiosity.💡 🚀

Image credits:Anastasia Shuraeva

In which country is Santa known as Julenissen?

◯ Finland◯ Norway◯ Denmark◯ Sweden

In Elf, what are the four main food groups for elves?

◯ Candy, candy canes, candy corn, syrup◯ Candy, chocolate, gumdrops, syrup◯ Cookies, gingerbread, cocoa, marshmallows◯ Peppermint, chocolate, candy canes, frosting

True or false: "All I Want for Christmas Is You" never hit #1 in the 90s.

◯ True◯ False

In Icelandic folklore, how many Yule Lads are there?

◯ 7◯ 9◯ 11◯ 13

In the classic 1964 stop-motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special, what is the name of Rudolph's love interest?

◯ Clarice◯ Holly◯ Noel◯ Snowflake

In "Last Christmas", what does the singer give away?

◯ A letter◯ His heart◯ His scarf◯ A gift box

In Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", who arrives second?

◯ Jacob Marley◯ Ghost of Christmas Past◯ Ghost of Christmas Present◯ Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

Which country invented the snow globe?

◯ Austria◯ United States◯ South Korea◯ Switzerland

🧠 Curious to see the rest? Take the full quiz here 🧠

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

If You Score Less Than 20/30 On This Ultimate Christmas Quiz, You’re A Real-Life Grinch

Do you still get that childlike feeling when Christmas is coming? Or are you slowly turning into the Grinch without even ...

Read More

Trooper and suspect killed in a shooting at a Delaware DMV

After a gunman shot a Delaware state trooper inside a DMV office near Wilmington on Tuesday, the wounded trooper pushed a nearby employee to safety before the gunman shot him again, killing him, authorities said. A police officer then confronted, shot and killed the gunman.

The trooper, who has not yet been named, was working an overtime assignment at the reception desk when the 44-year-old gunman walked in, approached the trooper and fired, state police said at a news conference Tuesday night.

The gunman and state trooper were transported to a hospital, where they died.

"We lost a brother, a son, a best friend, a coach, a husband and a father," Col. William D. Crotty of the state police said at the news conference. "His last actions were that of a hero, a hero who saved lives today while sacrificing his own."

The threat was over before 3 p.m., according to state police. A woman and second state trooper had minor injures not from gunshots.

"What happened today was an act of pure evil, and if not for the heroism of several troopers and other officers, the consequences could have been so much worse," Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said at the news conference.

The state DMV said it has closed its offices statewide.

This story has been updated with additional information.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Trooper and suspect killed in a shooting at a Delaware DMV

After a gunman shot a Delaware state trooper inside a DMV office near Wilmington on Tuesday, the wounded trooper pushed a nearby employee t...

Read More

Oklahoma instructor removed from teaching for failing a Bible-based gender essay

The University of Oklahoma has removed an instructor who was accused by a student of religious discrimination overa failing gradeon a psychology paper in which she cited the Bible and argued that promoting a "belief in multiple genders" was "demonic."

The university said ina statementposted Monday on X that its investigation found the graduate teaching assistant had been "arbitrary" in giving 20-year-old junior Samantha Fulnecky zero points on the assignment. The university declined to comment beyond its statement, which said the instructor "will no longer have instructional duties."

Through her attorney, the instructor, Mel Curth, denied Tuesday that she had "engaged in any arbitrary behavior regarding the student's work." The attorney, Brittany Stewart, said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press that Curth is "considering all of her legal remedies."

Conservative groups, commentators and others quickly made Fulnecky's failing grade an online cause, highlighting her argument that she'd been punished for expressing conservative Christian views. Her case became a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over academic freedom on college campuses as President Donald Trump pushes toend diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and restrict how campuses discuss race, gender and sexuality.

Fulnecky appealed her grade on the assignment, which was worth 3% of the final grade in the class, and the university said the assignment would not count. It also placed Curth on leave, and Oklahoma's conservative Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, declared the situation "deeply concerning."

"The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in both its faculty's rights to teach with academic freedom and integrity and its students' right to receive an education that is free from a lecturer's impermissible evaluative standards," the university's statement said. "We are committed to teaching students how to think, not what to think."

A law approved this yearby Oklahoma's Republican-dominated Legislature and signed by Stitt prohibits state universities from using public funds to finance DEI programs or positions or mandating DEI training. However, the law says it does not apply to scholarly research or "the academic freedom of any individual faculty member."

Home telephone listings for Fulnecky in the Springfield, Missouri, area had been disconnected, and her mother — an attorney, podcaster and radio host — did not immediately respond Tuesday to a Facebook message seeking comment about the university's action.

Fulnecky's failing grade came in an assignment for a psychology class on lifespan development. Curth directed students to write a 650-word response to an academic study that examined whether conformity with gender norms was associated with popularity or bullying among middle school students.

Fulnecky wrote that she was frustrated by the premise of the assignment because she does not believe that there are more than two genders based on her understanding of the Bible, according toa copy of her essayprovidedto The Oklahoman.

"Society pushing the lie that there are multiple genders and everyone should be whatever they want to be is demonic and severely harms American youth," she wrote, adding that it would lead society "farther from God's original plan for humans."

In feedback obtained by the newspaper, Curth said the paper did "not answer the questions for the assignment," contradicted itself, relied on "personal ideology" over evidence and "is at times offensive."

"Please note that I am not deducting points because you have certain beliefs," Curth wrote.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Oklahoma instructor removed from teaching for failing a Bible-based gender essay

The University of Oklahoma has removed an instructor who was accused by a student of religious discrimination overa failing gradeon a psych...

Read More

Search teams probe wreckage after Libyan army chief and 7 others are killed in Turkey plane crash

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Search and recovery teams on Wednesday intensified their operations at the site of aplane crash that killed Libya's military chiefand other high-level officers, working to secure the area and locate the aircraft's flight recorders after a night of heavy rain and fog, Turkey's state-run news agency said.

The private jet carrying Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other officers and three crew members crashed in Turkey on Tuesday after taking off from the capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane.

The Libyan delegation was on its way back to Tripoli after holding high-level defense talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the deaths, describing the incident on Facebook as a "tragic accident" and a "great loss" for Libya.

Al-Hadad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a crucial role in the ongoing, U.N.-brokered efforts to unify Libya's military, which has split, much like Libya's other institutions.

The four other officers who died in the crash were Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, the head of Libya's ground forces, Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, who led the military manufacturing authority, Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, advisor to the chief of staff, and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer with the chief of staff's office.

The identities of the three crew members were not immediately released.

Turkish officials said the Falcon 50 type business jet took off from Ankara's Esenboga airport at 8:30 p.m. and that contact was lost some 40 minutes later. The plane notified air traffic control of an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing. The aircraft was redirected back to Esenboga, where preparations for its landing began.

The plane, however, disappeared from the radar while descending for the emergency landing, the Turkish presidential communications office said.

The wreckage was found near the village of Kesikkavak, in Haymana, a district some 70 kilometers (about 43.5 miles) south of Ankara.

At Haymana, gendarmerie police sealed off the area where the plane crashed, while the Turkish disaster management agency, AFAD, set up a mobile coordination center, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Specialized vehicles, such as tracked ambulances, were deployed because of the muddy terrain.

Anadolu said Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya is expected to visit the site along with prosecutors assigned to lead the investigation.

Libya was also expected to send a team to Ankara to work with Turkish authorities investigating the crash.

While in Ankara, al-Haddad had met with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and other officials.

Libyaplunged into chaos after the country's 2011 uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west, backedby an array of rogue militiasand foreign governments.

Turkey has been allied withLibya's government in the west, but has recently taken steps to improve ties with the eastern-based government as well.

Tuesday's visit by the Libyan delegation came a day after Turkey's parliament approved to extend the mandate of Turkish troops serving in Libya for two years. Turkey deployed troops following a 2019 security and military cooperation agreement that was reached between Ankara and the Tripoli-based government.

Abuelgasim reported from Cairo.

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Search teams probe wreckage after Libyan army chief and 7 others are killed in Turkey plane crash

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Search and recovery teams on Wednesday intensified their operations at the site of aplane crash tha...

Read More

Leonard's 41-point game powers Clippers to a 128-108 victory win over the Rockets

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 41 points and James Harden added 29 as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Houston Rockets 128-108 on Tuesday night.

Leonard shot 16 for 23 from the field and 4 for 5 from long distance as the Clippers won consecutive games for just the second time this season. Los Angeles was coming off a 103-88 win over the Lakers on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. The Clippers also won consecutive games Oct. 24-26, against Phoenix and Portland.

Harden, who shot 7 for 14 from the field and 3 for 8 from long distance, was helped by 12-for-13 shooting from the line.

John Collins and Kobe Sanders added 13 points apiece and Kris Dunn scored 11 for Los Angeles, which shot 54% (20 for 37) from 3-point range.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting, and Alperen Sengun finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for Houston, which was 9 for 30 (30%) from long distance.

Amen Thompson added 19 points for Houston, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 16 for the Rockets, who have lost four of their last five games.

The Clippers, who trailed by six points after one period, outscored Houston 34-23 in the second and led 63-58 at the break. The Rockets were helped by 10-for-22 shooting from 3-point range in the first half. Leonard had 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting in the opening quarters and Harden scored 11.

Durant had 17 first-half points to lead the Rockets. Sengun scored 15 and Smith had 11.

The Clippers led 98-82 after three periods.

Rockets: At Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

Clippers: At Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Leonard's 41-point game powers Clippers to a 128-108 victory win over the Rockets

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 41 points and James Harden added 29 as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Houston ...

Read More

Bane's work on both ends helps Magic hold off Trail Blazers, 110-106

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 23 points, Anthony Black added 22 and the Orlando Magic turned back Portland's comeback attempt Tuesday night for a 110-106 victory over the Trail Blazers.

After trailing by 17 in the third quarter, the Blazers took a one-point lead early in the fourth before Tyus Jones answered with a 3-pointer and Wendell Carter Jr. hit a jumper for the Magic.

Shaedon Sharpe had a chance to tie it with 38.9 seconds left but made only one of two free throws, leaving Portland down 107-106.

Bane missed a pull-up jumper at the other end, then blocked a layup attempt by 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan with 12 seconds remaining to preserve the lead. Bane sank two free throws to make it 109-106 and Deni Avdija missed a long 3 for the Trail Blazers before Black added a foul shot for the final margin.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Bane's work on both ends helps Magic hold off Trail Blazers, 110-106

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 23 points, Anthony Black added 22 and the Orlando Magic turned back Portland...

Read More

Biggest 2026 Pro Bowl snubs: Jared Goff, Jordan Love among deserving NFL stars overlooked

Jared Goff is tied with MVP frontrunner, Pro Bowler and intertwined trade counterpart Matthew Stafford for the lowest interception rate in the league this season. Goff has thrown only five interceptions while amassing the second-most passing touchdowns (32) of any quarterback in the league during the 2025 campaign.

Through 15 games, he also ranks third in passing yards (4,036), fifth in completion percentage (68.6%), second in passer rating (109.4) and, according to Next Gen Stats, tied for fifth in EPA per dropback (+0.15).

Goff has done all of that while playing in front of a Detroit Lions offensive line that has taken a step back, and particularly struggled on the interior, this season. Yet, he might miss out on the playoffs.

He's on the outside looking in ofthe 2026 Pro Bowl rosters, too.

So is division rival Jordan Love, who is tied with Stafford for first in EPA per dropback (+0.20), according to NGS. Like Goff, Love has suffered some heartbreaking losses this season. But, in that advanced metric, both are ahead of two of the NFC's Pro Bowl quarterbacks: the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott and the Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold, who are tied for seventh (+0.12) and tied for 10th (+0.08) in EPA per dropback, respectively.

If the rudimentary QB wins stat was a factor, then it's fair to ask why Prescott got the nod over Goff and Love, given that the six-win Cowboys have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

As for Darnold, as great of a story as he continues to be, his 24 passing touchdowns are only one more than Love's 23. Plus, Darnold has thrown 13 interceptions, whereas Love has tossed just six picks.

Darnold's interception rate (3.1%) is more than double Love's (1.4%). Love notably completed a franchise record-tying 20 straight passes in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8, and his 66.3% completion percentage is the second best of his career.

Goff and Love each have a convincing case for this year's Pro Bowl Games. They're among the biggest snubs.

[Read: 2026 Pro Bowl rosters announced]

The Pro Bowl Games include a skills competition and a 7-on-7 flag football game that's scheduled for Feb. 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, which will host Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 8.

Long gone are the days of a "real" Pro Bowl, but the exhibition unraveled into glorified two-hand touch over the years anyway. Nevertheless, a Pro Bowl nod is still meaningful in the league.

That said, it's not a foolproof measuring stick for player excellence. The Pro Bowl Games rosters are determined by a combination of votes from coaches, players and fans. Each group accounts for a third of the consensus vote.

An accomplished player with just an OK season can occasionally receive the All-Star tag line because of name recognition or lifetime achievement. It's an imperfect system.

Here are the rest of the snubs...

Indianapolis Colts TE Tyler Warren

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers earned a spot on the AFC roster despite making a mere eight starts and averaging 13.5 fewer receiving yards per game than he did during his head-turning rookie campaign. Bowers is a stud, but Warren's body of work this year is more impressive. He's caught 66 passes for 748 yards and four touchdowns. He's second among all tight ends this season in yards after the catch (467), behind only Arizona Cardinals star Trey McBride (520), per NGS. Oh, and he's rushed for a score and, according to Pro Football Focus, lined up three snaps at QB.

New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave

It's hard to argue with the NFC's Pro Bowl receivers this season. But there's definitely an argument to be made for Chris Olave, who has enjoyed a bounce-back season while starring in an offense that's turned from Spencer Rattler to Tyler Shough under center. Olave has dipped back into the 1,000-yard receiving pool, and he's got as many contested catches (16) as Cincinnati Bengals standouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, per PFF.

Miami Dolphins C Aaron Brewer

Brewer was at the heart of a Dolphins offensive line that paved the way for Pro Bowl running back De'Von Achane. Among all NFL centers with at least 500 offensive snaps this season, Brewer ranks second in PFF run blocking grade, one spot behind the Kansas City Chiefs' Creed Humphrey and three spots ahead of the Baltimore Ravens' Tyler Linderbaum, both of whom made the AFC roster. Also, Brewer has allowed just one sack this season, per PFF.

Los Angeles Rams RG Kevin Dotson

The Rams' run game is in some desperate need of Pro Bowl representation. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum have formed quite the one-two punch in L.A. They've been running behind one of the best offensive lines in football this season. Dotson is a force to be reckoned with at the point of attack. He can carry his power to the second level as well. There's no reason why Dotson couldn't have joined Atlanta Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom and Chicago Bears left guard Joe Thuney on the NFC roster.

Baltimore Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley

Joe Alt is awesome. He's played in only six games for the Los Angeles Chargers this season, though. His spot should be occupied by someone else, like Stanley. While the Ravens have had trouble at guard this season, their tackles have been solid. Stanley has conceded the sixth-fewest pressures (23) of any AFC tackle with 700-plus offensive snaps this season, per PFF.

Philadelphia Eagles DT Jordan Davis

The voters selected the wrong Eagles defensive tackle. Jalen Carter is a game-wrecker, but his linemate, Jordan Davis, has simply had a better season. Davis blocked a potential game-winning Rams field goal in Week 3 and then returned it for a walk-off touchdown. He batted down three passes in a Week 11 victory over the Lions. He dropped weight before the season, and his trimmed-down physique has invited a rare Year 4 leap. Davis' 65 total tackles, 9 TFLs and 4.5 sacks are all career highs.

Pittsburgh Steelers DT Cameron Heyward

In the AFC, Heyward should have been in over Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones. At 36 years old, Heyward has followed up his fourth first-team All-Pro campaign with another age-defying run. This time, he's piled up 66 total tackles, 8 TFLs, 6 passes defended and 3.5 sacks. For reference, the 31-year-old Jones is responsible for 24 total tackles, 9 TFLs, 2 passes defended and 4 sacks. Jones has generated five more pressures (53) than Heyward (48) this season, per PFF, but Heyward has proven superior in run defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars OLB Josh Hines-Allen

It's time the Jaguars are given their flowers. Their only Pro Bowler this season is long snapper Ross Matiscik. That's not reflective of an 11-4 Jacksonville team that's playoff-bound with a shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Trevor Lawrence has been a prolific dual threat of late, but the Jags' defense needs more love. Hines-Allen has seven sacks to his name, and, maybe more importantly, four turnovers caused by pressure, per NGS. His pressure rate (15%) is significantly higher than Pro Bowler T.J. Watt's (9.8%).

Jacksonville Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd

Staying in Jacksonville, Lloyd can't be ignored, either. He's picked off five passes. Four of those interceptions arrived over the first five games of the season. One of them was a 99-yard pick 6 in a Week 5 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. That went down as the longest defensive touchdown in Jags history. Lloyd has made a handful of critical plays in run defense, too. To top it off, he's logged 22 pressures on 84 pass rushes, resulting in a pressure rate of 26.2%, per NGS.

Let's take a look at the numbers on Devin Lloyd's 99-yard interception return, via@NextGenStats📊🔹 116.8 yards traveled 🏃‍♂️🔹 18.92 MPH top speed 💨🔹 +42% win probability 📈pic.twitter.com/dfSAPmcCIf

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus)October 7, 2025

Miami Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks

The AFC's linebackers are Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans and Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens. Brooks should have gotten the edge over both of them. For one, he leads the NFL with 169 total tackles and 93 solo tackles. But he's more than just a tackle vacuum. Those tackles mean something, especially against the run. Of the linebackers with 100 or more run defense snaps this season, Brooks is tied for fifth in run-play stop percentage (9.7%), according to PFF.

Chicago Bears CB Nahshon Wright

Wright's coverage stats don't jump off the page — PFF has him down for seven touchdowns allowed, after all — however, it's hard to discount the special season he's having for an opportunistic Bears defense. Wright has intercepted five passes, including one that he took 74 yards to the house in Week 1 versus the Minnesota Vikings, and forced a pair of fumbles. Speaking of fumbles, he's recovered three of them.

Houston Texans S Jalen Pitre

Yes, Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is on the AFC roster. It still feels like the Texans' secondary deserves more of a Pro Bowl presence. The unit has had a Texas-sized hand in Houston giving up the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (176.1) this season. Corner Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock warranted consideration. Fellow safety Jalen Pitre was due for selection. He's been dynamite in the slot and in the box. He hasn't allowed a touchdown in coverage this season, according to PFF, and he's picked off four passes, defended a total of 11, and combined for 66 tackles.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers S Tykee Smith

Whatever could go wrong has gone wrong for the Arizona Cardinals, and that's made it hard to measure Budda Baker's effectiveness in a truly porous defense out there in the desert. Perhaps another safety could have taken his place on the NFC's roster. Either that or Antoine Winfield Jr. could have been passed up by his teammate, Tykee Smith. Smith has been electric in 2025, with 13 passes defended, a pair of sacks and 94 total tackles.

Seattle Seahawks P Michael Dickson

Washington Commanders punter Tress Way made his third Pro Bowl. Dickson would have been a better pick for the NFC. Although Way has dropped more punts inside the 20-yard line (27) than Dickson (20) this season, Dickson's hang time (4.56 seconds), the best among NFC punters per PFF, is much longer than Way's (4.22). That's played a role in only 38.8% of Dickson's punts being returned, according to PFF.

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Biggest 2026 Pro Bowl snubs: Jared Goff, Jordan Love among deserving NFL stars overlooked

Jared Goff is tied with MVP frontrunner, Pro Bowler and intertwined trade counterpart Matthew Stafford for the lowest int...

Read More

The Pluribus Season 1 Finale Answers Some Questions—and Raises One Big One

Spoilers below.

"The girl or the world." That's the English translation of thePluribusseason 1 finale's title, but it's also a condensed version of the ultimatum Manousos Oviedo (Carlos Manuel Vesga) gives Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) near the end of the episode: "Carol Sturka," he asks. "Do you want to save the world or get the girl?"

The individual or the collective? It's the one big questionPluribushas been poking and prodding for the entirety of its first season, and like Carol, the show itself refuses to settle on one unimpeachable answer. Every time the Others who occupy the hive mind demonstrate themselves to be patient, happy, and perhaps even perfect, they do something unsettling or otherwise taboo. (As Carol underlines on her white board multiple times, "THEY. EAT. PEOPLE.") And yet every time Carol herself tries to make an argument for the importance of each distinct, autonomous human soul, she encounters the ugliness that same individualism has wrought: the selfishness, the destruction, and the isolation of humanity.

At the beginning of the finale, as Manousos steers his (borrowed, not stolen!) yellow ambulance from Panama City into Albuquerque, Zosia (Karolina Wydra) ducks out, temporarily shattering the domestic bliss she and Carol have found in the days prior. The Others believe (correctly) that Manousos wants nothing to do with them, and that, in fact, he might be eager to hurt them if granted an opportunity. Somewhat reluctantly, Carol agrees to speak with him.

Despite having been first to send a call-to-arms to her fellow humans—the ones immune to the hive mind, anyway—Carol has soured on the whole saving-the-world plan. She hasn't abandoned it entirely; she still seems eager to glean as much information from Zosia as possible, curious if it might be useful in the long-term fight. But, whether she likes it or not, the Others interest her. They appeal to her. She's a fantasy writer, after all—what fantasy writerwouldn'tfind an alien race at least worth studying? Maybe even up close? And yet the closer Carol gets to Zosia, the more she starts to think of her Raban-like "chaperone" as an individual rather than an Other. She's come to like Zosia, whom she's convinced to start using first-person singular pronouns rather than plural ones. The more Carol can make herself believe Zosia is like any of the ordinary humans lost to the hive mind, the more she can make herself comfortable in the hive mind's new world.

As Manousos has already demonstrated—thanks to his daring, dangerous trek through the Darién Gap—he has no such weakness for comfort. Upon his arrival in Albuquerque, he delivers to Carol the exact speech he practiced over his multi-thousand-mile trek: "My name is Manousos Oviedo. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world." It's a commitment from which he has not wavered, not even once.

This meeting has been a long time coming, and so it's fascinating to watch Carol and Manousos have such an awkward, anti-climatic first interaction. They stand several yards away from each other, their mannerisms stiff and skeptical. They've craved this human companionship for weeks, and yet, now that it's here, they realize they can't trust a human the way they can an Other.

Carol attempts to use an app on her phone to translate for them, but Manousos throws the device into a sewer drain, only to fish it back out again when it becomes clear Carol won't talk to him unless he's less…paranoid. Poor Manousos. It's not as if his paranoia is unwarranted. The Others—or, as Manousos calls them, the "weirdos"—are certainly watching. But his insistence to Carol that "they've stolen everyone's soul," and that "if we can't fix them, they're better off dead" fails to resonate with her. She doesn't see the Others as evil, necessarily. Or maybe she does. She's not sure. Manousos is sure.

Inside her house, Manousos searches for bugs—the spy variety, not the insect kind—and tries not to grow increasingly irritated with Carol's stunning lack of urgency. (When he snaps at her for her phone, she replies, "I don't speak snap." She, of course, snaps at him later when she wants him to leave.) Despite his thorough sweep, Manousos doesn't find any bugs…not until he searches Carol's liquor cabinet, where, it turns out, Carol's late wife, Helen, planted a sensor. Over the phone, Zosia gently reminds Carol that she and Helen had been in the process of freezing Carol's eggs at the time. Helen had wanted to keep an eye on her wife's drinking habit. The revelation is a complicated one for Carol: She obviously feels hurt, even betrayed. And yet none of that softens her obvious grief for her dead wife, whose grave Manousos silently notices in her backyard.

When it becomes obvious Manousos isn't going anywhere, Carol attempts to set him up in a neighbor's house. Initially, he refuses; the house does not belong to him. (As we've seen in earlier episodes, Manousos is already awaiting the world returning to normal—and he doesn't want to be caught with stolen property on his hands when it does.) Exasperated, Carol leaves him alone and retreats to her liquor cabinet and herGolden GirlsDVD. But she wakes a few hours later to discover Zosia's little blue sedan sitting outside Manousos's (borrowed) driveway, and she rushes over to discover the two deep in conversation.

Skeptical as to why the Others returned to Carol after "abandoning" her earlier this season—for a Biblical 40 days, I might add—Manousos has called the Others and requested Zosia's presence. To Carol, Manousos points out that she herself told him he should talk to the Others, to see what they're really like. "Not to her," Carol practically snarls.

But when Carol drags Zosia away, Manousos simply calls the Others and orders up another one of them. It makes no difference if they bear Zosia's face; they all share the same knowledge anyway.

Meanwhile, Carol tries not to take out her frustration on the innocent Zosia, who has, of course, told Manousos "everything." (Including, presumably, the sex stuff.) "It's just not in us to lie to you," Zosia says, by way of apology.

"Yes, but tome, not to him," Carol replies.

Zosia tries to explain. "I know this is hard for you, but we love him the same as we do you."

Carol reacts to this as if she's been slapped in the face. "No," she says. "You can't love him the same. It's not the same. It's different." She stammers: "We—you're—you're my…" She sighs, leaning back on her coping mechanism: cynicism. "You're my chaperone. Mine."

She demands Zosia stay away from Manousos, and Zosia gently drops to the ground, pulled into another of her potentially deadly seizing episodes. But this time it's not Carol who's prompted this reaction. It's Manousos. When Carol sprints back into his (borrowed) living room to find him leaning over another of the seizing Others, she catches him in the midst of an inexplicable process: First, he references the wonky radio frequency we watched him record in his journal earlier this season. Next, he screams into the face of the Other, causing the latter to slip into yet another seizing episode. Finally, Manousos crouches close to the Other's face, clutching their hand close to his radio as he whispers in their ear, "Rick. I know you are there. I help you. I am here. You come back, yes?"

So what, exactly, is happening here? The most obvious explanation is that Manousos has discovered a means of communicating with the human souls still "inside" the hijacked bodies of the Others. We know from episode 8 that the Others communicate via a "natural electric charge," which is how Zosia is able to silently cue her fellow Others to turn a city's lights on and off or to make a passing train blow its whistle. It would seem Manousos has figured this out on his own, but he's also discovered that their electric charges dosomethingto his radio. Here's at least one question answered: We know now why Manousos recorded the radio frequencies in his journal. It seems he was looking to understand—and interfere with—the Others' electromagnetism.

What we can't yet know is whether Manousos's attempt to contact the aforementioned "Rick" actually works. Before Manousos can further explore the possibility, Carol fires a pump-action shotgun over his head, demanding he leave Rick's body alone.

In the aftermath, the Others abandon Albuquerque, presumably for another 40-plus days. (Their feelings for Carol—and for Manousos—haven't changed, of course. They just need a little space!) It's only after they've scattered that Manousos finally asks Carol the big question: "Do you want to save the world or get the girl?"

At first, her answer seems obvious. She drives off, leaving Manousos behind with his textbooks on electromagnetism, circuits, data acquisition, and crystallography. She goes off to be with Zosia: strolling along the ocean shore, sharing tea and a bathtub, staying together in a luxurious (and aggressively open-concept) ski chalet, readingThe Left Hand of Darknessby the swimming pool. (This last one is a hilarious, fascinating meta-reference, given that Ursula K. Le Guin's 1969 sci-fi novel follows an ambisexual alien species that the book's protagonist struggles to comprehend.)

At the ski chalet, a visibly nervous Carol asks Zosia if the OG Zosia—the "unjoined" one—had a partner. Although Zosia doesn't say it directly, her response implies that the OG Zosia's partner, whoever they were, must have died before the Others came along. Carol's reaction to this is interesting to watch; it's clear she wants to forget OG Zosia existed at all, but she can't quite bring herself to do it.

"I don't think I'm good at just—feeling good," she admits. She tells Zosia she's happy, really happy, with every "happy chemical" floating through her bloodstream, but she seems to doubt it will last. Sure enough, Zosia breaks her reverie with a seemingly off-hand comment.

"And it only gets better," the Other says with one of her characteristically warm, almost maternal smiles.

It takes Carol barely more than a beat to register what Zosia is referencing: the "joining." The Others still desperately want Carol to become a part of their hive mind, and after some light interrogation, Carol realizes they've discovered a way of harvesting her stem cells without jamming "a giant needle in [her] ass." But how? Finally, the answer dawns on her: her eggs. The ones she had frozen when she was with Helen. She asks Zosia if the Others have them in their possession, and Zosia confirms. She estimates Carol has somewhere between one and three months before her stem cells are ready and the Others can initiate her joining.

Zosia insists that the joining is an act of benevolence. It's a joyous occasion, as we witnessed at the very beginning of the finale, when the young Peruvian girl named Kusimayu willingly joins the Others, all of them singing and smiling around her. "I promise you," Zosia tells Carol, "[Kusimayu] is happier than she's ever been."

Carol isn't so certain. Her free will is what makes her human. She doesn't want tonotbe human. "If you loved me, you wouldn't do this," she says.

"Carol, please understand we have to do thisbecausewe love you," Zosia replies, before switching tactics. "BecauseIlove you," she adds.

This last distinction almost works. Carol wavers. But she knows it's ultimately an empty gesture. There is no "I" among the Others.

Instead, she returns to Albuquerque and to Manousos, now holed up in his (borrowed) Albuquerque home, where he's studying furiously for his saving-the-world mission. When he hears the approaching whir of a helicopter, he steps outside to watch its descent. Perplexed, he crawls onto his belly as it deposits a square shipping container mere yards from his doorstep. It's a package for Carol, he soon realizes, but it's only after she exits the chopper that he learns what's inside it.

After having bid Zosia a silent, wistful goodbye, Carol watches as her "chaperone" flies off into the distance, then she sighs and turns to face Manousos. "You win," she tells him, sounding more exhausted than resolved. "We save the world."

"Carol Sturka," he begins, following her as she ambles toward her front door. He points at the shipping container. "What is this?"

Carol practically shrugs. "Atom bomb."

And so ends the first (fantastic) season ofPluribus: with the all-too-human threat of nuclear destruction. It's both a fitting ending and an effective one, delivering a wicked cliffhanger and a symbolic reckoning wrapped in the same package.

What, exactly, does Carol plan to do with an atom bomb? Does she intend to use it, or did she simply wish to demonstrate to the Others (and to Manousos) that she had the power to obtain it?Pluribuswon't give us the satisfaction of knowing—at least, not yet—and that's to its credit. Vince Gilligan's latest drama has little interest in obvious answers or in obvious plot beats. It's a simmering pot of a series, and it's going to make you sit, wait, and wonder.

You Might Also Like

• The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types

• 100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

The Pluribus Season 1 Finale Answers Some Questions—and Raises One Big One

Spoilers below. "The girl or the world." That's the English translation of thePluribusseason 1 finale's title, but it...

Read More

Sean 'Diddy' Combs seeks immediate release from prison in appeals argument

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for hip-hop mogulSean "Diddy" Combsurged a federal appeals court in New York late Tuesday to order his immediate release from prison and reverse his conviction on prostitution-related charges or direct his trial judge to lighten his four-year sentence.

The lawyers said in a filing with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that Combs was treated harshly at sentencing by a federal judge who let evidence surrounding charges he was acquitted of unjustly influence the punishment.

Combs, 56, incarcerated at a federal prison inNew Jerseyand scheduled for release in May 2028, was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking at a trial that ended in July. Combs was convicted under theMann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for any sexual crime.

Lawyers for Combs said Judge Arun Subramanian acted like a "thirteenth juror" in October when he sentenced Combs to four years and two months in prison. They said he erred by letting evidence surrounding the acquitted charges influence the sentence he imposed.

They noted that Combs was convicted of two lesser counts, prostitution offenses that didn't require force, fraud, or coercion. They asked the appeals court, which has not yet heard oral arguments, to acquit Combs, order his immediate release from prison or direct Subramanian to reduce his sentence.

"Defendants typically get sentenced to less than 15 months for these offenses — even when coercion, which the jury didn't find here, is involved," the lawyers wrote.

"The judge defied the jury's verdict and found Combs 'coerced,' 'exploited,' and 'forced' his girlfriends to have sex and led a criminal conspiracy. These judicial findings trumped the verdict and led to the highest sentence ever imposed for any remotely similar defendant," the lawyers wrote.

At sentencing, Subramanian said that when calculating the prison term, he considered Combs' treatment of two former girlfriends who testified that the Bad Boy Records founder beat them and coerced them into having sex with male sex workers while he watched and filmed the encounters, sometimes masturbating.

At the trial, former girlfriendCasandra "Cassie" Venturatestified that Combs ordered her to have "disgusting" sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade-long relationship that ended in 2018. Jurors saw video of him dragging and beating her in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after one such multiday "freak-off."

The second former girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym "Jane," said she was pressured into sex with male workers during what Combs called "hotel nights," drug-fueled sexual encounters from 2021 to 2024 that also could last days.

At sentencing, Subramanian said he "rejects the defense's attempt to characterize what happened here as merely intimate, consensual experiences, or just a sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll story."

He added: "You abused the power and control that you had over the lives of women you professed to love dearly. You abused them physically, emotionally, and psychologically. And you used that abuse to get your way, especially when it came to freak-offs and hotel nights."

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Sean 'Diddy' Combs seeks immediate release from prison in appeals argument

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for hip-hop mogulSean "Diddy" Combsurged a federal appeals court in New York late Tuesd...

Read More

Bindi Irwin’s Daughter Grace ‘Shares Thoughts’ with Her Tortoise 'Best Friend' in New Photo

Chandler Powell/Instagram; Terri Irwin/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Bindi Irwin posted an adorable snap of her daughter, Grace, posing with a tortoise on Sunday, Dec. 21

• The Instagram post declared Grace and the tortoise as "best friends"

• Although the caption didn't name the turtle, Bindi said in the past that her daughter befriended one named Igloo
  

Bindi Irwin's daughter,Grace, is still best friends with a tortoise!

On Sunday, Dec. 21, Bindi, her husbandChandler Powell, and her mother,Terri Irwin, posted a collaborativeInstagramphoto of the 4-year-old posing with a giant turtle. Grace wore a floor-length green ballgown as she pet the reptile's head.

"Best friends seem to share thoughts. So much love.💕," the caption read.

The post doesn't clarify who the tortoise is, but Bindi, 27, previously toldEntertainment Tonightthat Grace is "best friends" with an Aldabra tortoise named Igloo.

Instagram users guessed in the comments that Grace was spending quality time with Igloo. One user wrote, "Grace and Igloo are the bestest of friends ❤️🥹🥰🐢." Another added: "I bet they can practically read each others minds 🥹❤️."

Other users commented on the young girl's fashionable outfit, "Oh my goodness❤️❤️! What a gorgeous dress Princess Grace is wearing❤️💚❤️💚," one person wrote.

Terri Irwin/Instagram

On Nov. 28, the proud mom posted a video of Grace greeting Igloo for the first time after the family had been in Los Angeles to supportRobert IrwinonDancing with the Starsfor several months.

"H O M E. 🐢 The first thing Grace wanted to do? See her best friend, Igloo," Bindi'sInstagramcaption read.

In the video, Grace hugged the tortoise and said, "I missed you." She then excitedly fed the reptile.

"When he sees Grace, he runs across his paddock, which is huge. If you're a tortoise, you can't really run very fast, but he does his best, runs across the paddock to see her and just sits," Bindi toldEntertainment Tonightof her then-10-month-old daughter's relationship with Igloo. "She tries to pat him, and she just ends up kind of like hitting him on the head."

"They love each other! It's the funniest thing you've ever seen," she noted at the time. "I love that my daughter's best friend is a tortoise."

Bindi Irwin/Instagram

In June, Bindi explained on theNot Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelcepodcast that she and her husband decided toslowly let Grace be around animals like tortoises, wombats and echidnas. Bindi is teaching Grace to read animal cues and hopes to build on that.

"And that's what my parents did with me. It was a slow progression as I got older," Bindi said. "And then it kind of becomes second nature."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Bindi remarked that her daughter still wants to "be part of everything."

"So like, when we're feeding the crocodiles, she's like, 'Why can't I be there with you?' She's crying, 'I just wanna feed the crocodiles!'"

She added that Grace is a "wild child," whose personality is similar to that of her father, the lateSteve Irwin.

"I did not expect that having a little one. I was like, 'Where did this come from?' Oh, my dad," she said.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Bindi Irwin’s Daughter Grace ‘Shares Thoughts’ with Her Tortoise 'Best Friend' in New Photo

Chandler Powell/Instagram; Terri Irwin/Instagram NEED TO KNOW Bindi Irwin posted an adorable snap of her daughter, Grace, posing with a t...

Read More

US judge rejects business group's challenge to Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee

By Daniel Wiessner and Nate Raymond

Dec 23 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a challenge by the largest U.S. business lobby group to President Donald Trump's $100,000 fee on new ​H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, saying it fell under his broad powers to ‌regulate immigration.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell inWashington, D.C., rejected arguments by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that the fee conflicts ‌with federal immigration law and will lead many companies, hospitals and other employers to cut jobs and the services they provide to the public.

"The parties' vigorous debate over the ultimate wisdom of this political judgment is not within the province of the courts," Howell wrote. "So long as the actions dictated by the policy decision and articulated ⁠in the Proclamation fit within the ‌confines of the law, the Proclamation must be upheld."

Howell is an appointee of Democratic former President Barack Obama.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request ‍for comment.

The Chamber's executive vice president and chief counsel, Daryl Joseffer, said many small and medium-sized businesses will be unable to afford the fee.

"We are disappointed in the court's decision and are considering further legal options to ensure that the H-1B ​visa program can operate as Congress intended," Joseffer said in a statement.

The H-1B program allows U.S. ‌employers to hire foreign workers with training in specialty fields. Technology companies in particular rely heavily on workers who receive H-1B visas. The program offers 65,000 visas annually, with another 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees, approved for three to six years.

Trump's order would sharply raise the cost of obtaining H-1B visas, which had typically come with about $2,000 to $5,000 in fees depending on various factors.

The Chamber in its lawsuit says ⁠the new fee would force businesses that rely on the ​H-1B program to choose between dramatically increasing their labor costs ​or hiring fewer highly-skilled foreign workers.

A group of Democratic-led U.S. states and a coalition of employers, nonprofits and religious organizations have also filed lawsuits challenging the fee.

Trump in an ‍order imposing the fee ⁠invoked his power under federal immigration law to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals that would be detrimental to U.S. interests.

Howell on Tuesday said Trump had adequately backed up his claim ⁠that the H-1B program was displacing U.S. workers, including by citing examples of companies that laid off thousands of Americans while ‌simultaneously petitioning for H-1B visas.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York and Nate Raymond ‌in Boston; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Sonali Paul)

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

US judge rejects business group's challenge to Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee

By Daniel Wiessner and Nate Raymond Dec 23 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a challenge by the la...

Read More

Raw oysters linked to ongoing salmonella outbreak infecting 64 across 22 states: CDC

Raw oysters have beenlinked to an ongoing salmonella outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.

So far, 64 people across 22 states have gotten sick with the same strain of salmonella. At least 20 people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

State and local public health officials have been interviewing patients about what they ate in the week before they became ill. Of the 27 people interviewed, about three-quarters said they ate raw oysters.

Over 1.7 million eggs sold in 9 states voluntarily recalled due to salmonella concern

"People in this outbreak are being hospitalized at a higher rate than expected when compared to other Salmonella outbreaks linked to oysters," the CDC wrote in a media release.

The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating to determine if a common source of oysters can be identified. No recall notices have been announced so far.

The CDC recommends that people cook raw oysters to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Salmonella are bacteria that live in the intestinal tract of people and animals, which cause an illness called salmonellosis, according to theCDC.

People can get infected by eating contaminated food, drinking or coming into contact with contaminated water, or touching animals, animal feces or the places animals live and roam, the federal health agency said.

Symptomscan begin between six hours and six days after getting infected and include watery diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps with less common symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headache and loss of appetite.

Home delivery meals linked to salmonella outbreak, CDC warns

Illness with salmonella lasts between four and seven days, and most people recover without treatment.

In some cases, illness can severe that the patient is hospitalized, according to the CDC.Treatmentincludes drinking fluids to prevent dehydration and may include anti-diarrheal medication or antibiotics for those who develop severe intestinal illness.

The CDC says children younger than age 5, adults aged 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to get severely sick.

Salmonella bacteria are a leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. -- as well as a leading causes of hospitalizations and death linked to foodborne illness -- but the CDC estimates cases are underreported with just one in every 30 infections being diagnosed.

byCosmopolite

in

December 23, 2025

Raw oysters linked to ongoing salmonella outbreak infecting 64 across 22 states: CDC

Raw oysters have beenlinked to an ongoing salmonella outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said ...

Read More