The Netflix logo is shown in this photo from the company's website on Feb. 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)2025-12-05T12:35:46Z NEW YORK (AP) Netflix has struck a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to buy the legacy Hollywood giants studio and streaming business for $72 billion.The acquisition, announced Friday, would bring two of the industrys biggest players in film and TV under one roof. Beyond its namesake television and motion picture division, Warner owns HBO Max and DC Studios. And Netflix has rose to dominance as a household name ubiquitous to on-demand content, while building of its own production arm to release popular titles like Stranger Things and Squid Game.The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion. The transaction is expected to close after Warner separates its Discovery Global cable operations into a new publicly-traded company in the third quarter of 2026.

Nature, Published online: 05 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03936-2Artificial intelligence tools are boosting researchers productivity, but some worry about the effect of a growing reliance on them.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives before the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, near the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-12-05T00:52:08Z WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. Southern Command announced that it had conducted another strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, following a pause of almost three weeks.It is the 22nd strike the U.S. military has carried out against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that the Trump administration claimed were trafficking drugs. There were four casualties in Thursdays strike, according to the social media post, bringing the death toll of the campaign to at least 87 people.In a video that accompanied the announcement, a small boat can be seen moving across the water before it is suddenly consumed by a large explosion. The video then zooms out to show the boat covered in flames and billowing smoke. The strike was conducted the same day Adm. Frank Mitch Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers began an investigation into the very first strike carried out by the military on Sept. 2. The sessions came after a report that Bradley ordered a follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths demands. Bradley told lawmakers there was no kill them all order from Hegseth, but a stark video of the entire series of attacks left some lawmakers with serious questions. Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the laws of military warfare. Bradley spoke to lawmakers alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, in a classified session. His testimony provided fresh information at a crucial moment as Hegseths leadership comes under scrutiny, but it did little to resolve growing questions about the legal basis for President Donald Trumps extraordinary campaign to use war powers against suspected drug smugglers. Lawmakers offered differing accounts of what they saw on the video. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said he saw the survivors trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for United States back over so they could stay in the fight.Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things Ive seen in my time in public service.You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel, he said, adding they were killed by the United States.Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said the survivors were basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water until the missiles come and kill them.

Pope Francis leaves at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, May 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)2025-12-05T12:02:38Z The death of Pope Francis brought change to the Catholic Church, which counts 1.4 billion adherents and is now led for the first time by an American pope. The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as he spoke before a crowd horrified many and prompted somber conversations about political violence.And when trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre died by suicide, it brought additional scrutiny to the investigations of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They were among the noteworthy and influential people who died in 2025 where the deaths themselves had a widespread impact.The deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife became a source of both sadness and mystery after their bodies were found in their home in February. Authorities ultimately determined that Hackman, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimers, died of heart disease, likely unaware that Betsy Arakawa had died from hantavirus a week earlier. Meanwhile, the death of heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, which came just weeks after his farewell concert, marked the end of an era in music. The year also saw the death of boxing great George Foreman, who memorably lost a much-watched match to Muhammad Ali but whose career had inspiring second and third acts as a world champion and successful business owner. And the world said goodbye this year to Dick Cheney, the hard-charging conservative whose long career in public service included becoming one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history under President George W. Bush. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Here is a roll call of some influential figures who have died this year (cause of death cited, if available): ___JANUARY___Wayne Osmond, 73. The singer and guitarist was a founding member of The Osmonds, a million-album-selling family act known for such 1970s teen hits as One Bad Apple, Yo-Yo and Down By the Lazy River. Jan. 1. Rosita Missoni, 93. She was the matriarch of the iconic Italian fashion house that made colorful zigzag-patterned knitwear high fashion and helped launch Italian ready-to-wear. Jan. 1.James Arthur Ray, 67. A self-help guru, his multimillion-dollar business toppled after his sweat lodge ceremony in Arizona left three people dead. Jan. 3.Costas Simitis, 88. As prime minister, the socialist leader was the architect of Greeces joining the common European currency, the euro. Jan. 5.Jean-Marie Le Pen, 96. The founder of Frances far-right National Front was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism, earning him staunch support and widespread condemnation. Jan. 7.Peter Yarrow, 86. The singer-songwriter was best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war. Jan. 7.Nancy Leftenant-Colon, 104. The first Black woman to join the U.S. Army Nurse Corps after the military was desegregated in the 1940s retired as a major and was remembered by relatives and friends for quietly breaking down racial barriers during her long military career. Jan. 8. Sam Moore, 89. He was the higher voice of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave, known for such definitive hits of the era as Soul Man and Hold On, Im Comin. Jan. 10.David Lynch, 78. The filmmaker was celebrated for his uniquely dark and dreamlike vision in such movies as Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, and the TV series Twin Peaks. Jan. 16.Bob Uecker, 90. He parlayed a forgettable playing career into a punch line for movie and TV appearances as Mr. Baseball and a Hall of Fame broadcasting tenure. Jan. 16.Joan Plowright, 95. She was an award-winning British actor who, with her late husband Laurence Olivier, did much to revitalize the U.K.s theatrical scene after World War II. Jan. 16.Cecile Richards, 67. A national advocate for abortion access and womens rights, she led Planned Parenthood for 12 tumultuous years. Jan. 20.Mauricio Funes, 65. After serving as president of El Salvador, he spent the final years of his life in Nicaragua to avoid various criminal sentences. Jan. 21. Valrie Andr, 102. An aviator and parachutist with a medical degree, she was the first woman to become a general officer in France. Jan. 21.Garth Hudson, 87. The Bands virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician drew from a unique palette of sounds and styles to add a conversational touch to such rock standards as Up on Cripple Creek, The Weight and Rag Mama Rag. Jan. 21.Richard Williamson, 84. An ultratraditionalist Catholic bishop, his denial of the Holocaust created a scandal in 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI rehabilitated him and other members of his breakaway society. Jan. 29.Dick Button, 95. He was one of the most accomplished mens figure skaters in history, and one of his sports great innovators and promoters. Jan. 30. Marianne Faithfull, 78. The British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied. Jan. 30.___FEBRUARY___Horst Khler, 81. A managing director of the International Monetary Fund, he became a popular German president before stunning the country by resigning abruptly in a flap over comments about its military. Feb. 1.Barbie Hsu, 48. A Taiwanese actress who starred in the popular TV drama Meteor Garden that swept Asia, she died of pneumonia triggered by the flu. Feb. 2.The Aga Khan, 88. He became the spiritual leader of the worlds millions of Ismaili Muslims at age 20 as a Harvard undergraduate and poured billions of dollars in tithes into building homes, hospitals and schools in developing countries. Feb. 4.Kultida Woods, 80. Tiger Woods credited his Thai-born mother with instilling his dominant spirit and encouraging him to wear red shirts on Sundays as his power color. Feb. 4.Irv Gotti, 54. A music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records, he was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists such as Ashanti and Ja Rule. Feb. 5.Tony Roberts, 85. The versatile, Tony Award-nominated performer in plays and musicals appeared in several Woody Allen movies often as Allens best friend. Feb. 7.Sam Nujoma, 95. Known as the father of Namibia, the fiery, white-bearded freedom fighter led his nations independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years. Feb. 8.Anne Marie Hochhalter, 43. She lived in pain for 25 years after being partially paralyzed in the Columbine High School shooting and her death of sepsis, related to her injuries, was ruled a homicide. Feb. 16.Gene Hackman, 95. The Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industrys most respected and honored performers. Feb. 18. Found dead with his wife Betsy Arakawa.Paquita la del Barrio, 77. The Mexican musical legend was known for her powerful voice and fierce defense of women. Feb. 17.James Harrison, 88. He was credited with saving 2.4 million babies through his record-breaking blood plasma donations over six decades in Australia. Feb. 17.Souleymane Ciss, 84. The Malian filmmaker was a pioneer of African cinema with a career spanning 50 years. Feb. 19.Mabel Staton, 92. The Black track and field standout broke through barriers as the only woman to compete for the United States in the long jump at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Feb. 20.Clint Hill, 93. The Secret Service agent leaped onto the back of President John F. Kennedys limousine after the president was shot, then was forced to retire early because he remained haunted by memories of the assassination. Feb. 21.Joe Fusco, 87. A College Football Hall of Fame coach, he won four NAIA Division II national championships in 19 years at Westminster College. Feb. 22.Roberta Flack, 88. The Grammy-winning singer and pianists intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after that. Feb. 24.Michelle Trachtenberg, 39. A former child star in the hit 1996 movie Harriet the Spy, she went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl. The cause and manner of her death were officially listed as undetermined. Feb. 26.Boris Spassky, 88. A Soviet-era world chess champion, he lost his title to American Bobby Fischer in a legendary 1972 match that became a proxy for Cold War rivalries. Feb. 27.___MARCH___Angie Stone, 63. The Grammy-nominated R&B singer, a member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence who was known for the hit song Wish I Didnt Miss You, died when her van crashed. March 1.Lincoln Diaz-Balart, 70. He was a Cuban American who opposed his uncle Fidel Castro and spent 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of a politically powerful South Florida family. March 3.Carl Dean, 82. Dolly Partons devoted husband of nearly 60 years avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit Jolene. March 3.Oleg Gordievsky, 86. The Soviet KGB officer helped change the course of the Cold War by covertly passing secrets to Britain. March 4.Roy Ayers, 84. The jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist was known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit Everybody Loves the Sunshine, sampled by such R&B and rap heavyweights as Mary J. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube. March 4.Robert G. Clark, 95. He was elected in 1967 as Mississippis first Black lawmaker of the 20th century and rose to the second-highest leadership role in the state House of Representatives. March 4.DWayne Wiggins, 64. He co-founded the Grammy-nominated group Tony! Toni! Tone! behind the classic songs Anniversary, It Never Rains (In Southern California) and (Lay Your Head on My) Pillow. March 7.Junior Bridgeman, 71. A basketball standout who led Louisville to a Final Four, he starred for the NBAs Milwaukee Bucks and then launched an even more successful career as a business owner with stakes in restaurants, publishing and the Bucks franchise. March 11.Alan Simpson, 93. The former U.S. senator was a political legend whose quick wit bridged partisan gaps in the years before todays political acrimony. March 14.Nita Lowey, 87. The former congresswoman was a long-serving New York Democrat and the first woman to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee. March 15.milie Dequenne, 43. The Belgian actor who won a top Cannes Film Festival prize for her breakout role in Rosetta died of a rare form of cancer. March 16.Eddie Jordan, 76. He was a Formula 1 team owner and media personality whose humor, strong opinions and often extravagant dress sense made him a popular TV pundit after selling the team. March 20.George Foreman, 76. The fearsome heavyweight boxer lost the Rumble in the Jungle to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second and third acts as a 45-year-old world champion and a successful business owner. March 21.Kitty Dukakis, 88. The wife of former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis spoke openly about her struggles with depression and addiction. March 21.Mia Love, 49. A daughter of Haitian immigrants, the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress died of brain cancer. March 23.David Childs, 83. He was the lead architect of the One World Trade Center skyscraper that rose from the site where the twin towers collapsed in New York City during the 9/11 attacks. March 26.Richard Chamberlain, 90. The handsome hero of the 1960s television series Dr. Kildare came out as gay four decades later and was known as the king of the miniseries for his roles in The Thorn Birds and Shogun. March 29.___APRIL___Val Kilmer, 65. The brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in Top Gun, donned a voluminous cape as Batman in Batman Forever and portrayed Jim Morrison in The Doors, died of pneumonia. April 1.Theodore McCarrick, 94. The formerly powerful Catholic cardinal was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he had molested adults and children. April 3.Jay North, 73. He starred as the towheaded mischief-maker on TVs Dennis the Menace for four seasons starting in 1959. April 6.Clem Burke, 70. His versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes. April 6.Rubby Prez, 69. Known for songs such as Volver, El Africano and Tu Vas a Volar during a career devoted to merengue, the signature musical style of the Dominican Republic, he died after a nightclub roof collapsed. April 8.Octavio Dotel, 51. He pitched for 13 major league teams in a 15-year career and won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals, and died in the same roof collapse in the Dominican Republic. April 8.Kim Shin-jo, 82. He was a North Korean commando who resettled in South Korea as a pastor after the failure of his mission to assassinate South Korean President Park Chung-hee in 1968. April 9.Mario Vargas Llosa, 89. The Peruvian author was a Nobel literature laureate and a giant of Latin American letters. April 13.Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, 85. The former Malaysian prime minister was a moderate who extended the countrys political freedoms but was criticized for lackluster leadership. April 14.Wink Martindale, 91. The genial host of such hit game shows as Gambit and Tic-Tac-Dough also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley. April 15.Nora Aunor, 71. She became one of the biggest stars of Philippine cinema during a career that spanned seven decades. April 16.Bob Filner, 82. A 10-term U.S. congressman, his political career ended abruptly after he was elected mayor of San Diego and driven from office amid sexual misconduct allegations. April 20.Pope Francis, 88. Historys first Latin American pontiff charmed the world with his humble style and concern for poor people but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change. April 21.Steve McMichael, 67. A star defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears 1985 Super Bowl championship team whose larger-than-life personality later made him a natural for professional wrestling as Ming the Merciless, he died after battling ALS. April 23.Virginia Giuffre, 41. She accused Britains Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein. An advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in Epsteins downfall, she died by suicide according to her publicist. April 25.Dick Barnett, 88. A basketball Hall of Famer, he played on both New York Knicks NBA championship teams after being part of a historic college powerhouse at Tennessee A&I. April 27.___MAY___Ruth Buzzi, 88. She rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series Rowan & Martins Laugh-In and made more than 200 television appearances during a 45-year career. May 1.Jill Sobule, 66. The award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song I Kissed a Girl, died in a house fire. May 1.George Ryan, 91. A tough-on-crime Republican who as Illinois governor cleared the states death row, he was disgraced by a corruption scandal that landed him in prison. May 2.David H. Souter, 85. The retired Supreme Court justice was an ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a favorite of liberals during nearly 20 years on the bench. May 8.Johnny Rodriguez, 73. The country music star was a popular Mexican American singer whose 1970s hits included I Just Cant Get Her Out of My Mind, Ridin My Thumb to Mexico and Thats the Way Love Goes. May 9.Robert Benton, 92. The Oscar-winning filmmaker co-created Bonnie and Clyde, and received mainstream validation as the writer-director of Kramer vs. Kramer and Places in the Heart. May 11.Christopher Kit Bond, 86. The Republican was Missouris youngest governor and later brought billions of dollars in federal funding to the state as a four-term U.S. senator. May 13.Jos Mujica, 89. The former Uruguayan president and Marxist guerrillas radical brand of democracy, plainspoken philosophy and simple lifestyle as a flower farmer fascinated people around the world. May 13.George Wendt, 76. An actor with an everyman charm, he played the affable barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy Cheers and performed on Broadway in Art, Hairspray and Elf. May 20.Susan Brownmiller, 90. A feminist whose landmark 1975 book Against Our Will was an intensely debated bestseller about sexual assault. May 24.Phil Robertson, 79. The Duck Dynasty patriarch turned his small duck-calling interest in the sportsmans paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon. May 25.Charles Rangel, 94. The former New York congressman was an outspoken, gravel-voiced Harlem Democrat spent nearly five decades on Capitol Hill and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. May 26.Presley Chweneyagae, 40. The South African actor gained international recognition for his leading role in the 2005 film Tsotsi, which won South Africas first-ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. May 27.Ngg wa Thiongo, 87. The revered Kenyan man of letters was a voice of dissent who, in dozens of fiction and nonfiction books, traced his countrys history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny. May 28.Bernard Kerik, 69. He served as New York Citys police commissioner on 9/11 and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before being pardoned. May 29.Loretta Swit, 87. She won two Emmy Awards playing Maj. Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a Korean War surgical unit on the pioneering hit TV series M.A.S.H. May 30.Etienne-Emile Baulieu, 98. The French scientist was best known as the inventor of the abortion pill. May 30.___JUNE___Shigeo Nagashima, 89. He was known in Japan as Mr. Pro Baseball, one of the most famous people in the country during his playing days. June 3.Jim Marshall, 87. The former Minnesota Vikings defensive end was one of four members of the famed Purple People Eaters, the backbone of four Super Bowl teams. June 3.Nide Guidon, 92. The Brazilian archaeologist discovered hundreds of prehistoric cave paintings in northeastern Brazil, and her research challenged theories of ancient human presence in the Americas. June 4.Edgar Lungu, 68. The former Zambian president led the southern African nation from 2015 to 2021. June 5.Nina Kuscsik, 86. She campaigned for womens inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year women were officially allowed to run. June 8.Sly Stone, 82. The revolutionary musician and dynamic showman led Sly and the Family Stone, transforming popular music in the 1960s and 70s and beyond with such hits as Everyday People, Stand! and Family Affair. June 9.Frederick Forsyth, 86. The British author wrote The Day of the Jackal and other bestselling thrillers. June 9.Brian Wilson, 82. The Beach Boys visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired Good Vibrations, California Girls and other summertime anthems, becoming one of the worlds most influential recording artists. June 11.Ananda Lewis, 52. The former MTV and BET host who became a beloved television personality in the 1990s with her warmth and authenticity died of breast cancer. June 11. Anne Burrell, 55. The TV chef coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of Worst Cooks in America. June 17.Mick Ralphs, 81. The guitarist, singer and songwriter was a founding member of the classic British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople. June 23.Bobby Sherman, 81. His winsome smile and shaggy mop top helped make him into a teen idol in the 1960s and 70s with bubblegum pop hits like Little Woman and Julie, Do Ya Love Me. June 24.Carolyn McCarthy, 81. She served nine terms in Congress after being elected in 1996 as a crusader for gun control following a mass shooting on a New York commuter train that left her husband dead and her son severely wounded. June 26.D. Wayne Lukas, 89. The Hall of Famer became one of horse racings most accomplished trainers and a face of the sport for decades. June 28.___JULY___Jimmy Swaggart, 90. The televangelist amassed an enormous following and multimillion-dollar ministry, only to be undone by his penchant for prostitutes. July 1.Alex Delvecchio, 93. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he helped the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup three times in the 1950s. July 1.Michael Madsen, 67. The actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino, including Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill: Vol. 2. July 3.Muhammadu Buhari, 82. He led Nigeria twice, as a military head of state and a democratic president. July 13.Fauja Singh, 114. An Indian-born runner nicknamed the Turbaned Torpedo, believed to be the worlds oldest marathoner, died after being hit by a car. July 14.Bradley John Murdoch, 67. Known as the Outback Killer, he was convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio, who vanished in arid central Australia in 2001. July 15.Connie Francis, 87. The wholesome pop stars 1950s and 60s hits included Pretty Little Baby and Whos Sorry Now? the latter serving as an ironic title for a personal life filled with heartbreak and tragedy. July 16.Felix Baumgartner, 56. The extreme athlete stunned the world in 2012 by skydiving faster than the speed of sound during a 24-mile (39-kilometer) leap from the stratosphere. He died in a paragliding crash. July 17.Alan Bergman, 99. The Oscar-winning lyricist teamed with his wife, Marilyn, in a loving partnership that produced How Do You Keep the Music Playing?, It Might Be You and the classic The Way We Were. July 17.Rex White, 95. He was NASCARs oldest living champion and a 2015 inductee into its Hall of Fame. July 18.Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 54. His 40-year career as an actor and director began as teenage son Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, a cultural phenomenon that helped define the 1980s. He drowned in the Caribbean Sea. July 20.Thomas Anthony Durkin, 78. The criminal defense attorney was a fixture for five decades in Chicagos courthouses, known for his relentless advocacy for a roster of notorious clients. July 21.Ozzy Osbourne, 76. The gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath became the godfather of heavy metal and then a doddering dad on reality TV. July 22.Chuck Mangione, 84. The two-time Grammy Award-winning musician achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-flavored single Feels So Good and later became a voice actor on the animated TV comedy King of the Hill. July 22.Joey Jones, 70. The Welsh soccer hero won two European Cups with Liverpool and was dubbed Mr. Wrexham. July 22.Hulk Hogan, 71. The mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his influence into TV, pop culture and conservative politics during a long and scandal-plagued second act. July 24.Cleo Laine, 97. Her husky contralto was one of the most distinctive voices in jazz, and she was regarded by many as Britains greatest contribution to the quintessentially American genre. July 24.Dwight Muhammad Qawi, 72. The Hall of Fame fighter took up boxing in prison and became a two-weight world champion. July 25.Ryne Sandberg, 65. The Hall of Fame second baseman became one of baseballs best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs. July 28.Flaco Jimenez, 86. The legendary accordionist from San Antonio won multiple Grammys as he expanded the popularity of conjunto, Tejano and Tex-Mex music. July 31.___AUGUST___Jeannie Seely, 85. She was the soulful country music singer behind such standards as Dont Touch Me. Aug. 1.Stella Rimington, 90. Dame Stella was the first female chief of Britains MI5 intelligence agency and later a successful thriller writer. Aug. 3.Loni Anderson, 79. She played a struggling radio stations empowered receptionist on the hit TV comedy WKRP in Cincinnati. Aug. 3.Ion Iliescu, 95. Romanias first freely elected president after the fall of communism in 1989 later faced charges of crimes against humanity for his role in the bloody revolution. Aug. 5.James Lovell, 97. The commander of Apollo 13 helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering. Aug. 7.Myint Swe, 74. He became Myanmars acting president under controversial circumstances after the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Aug. 7.William H. Webster, 101. His troubleshooting skills and integrity helped restore public confidence as director of the FBI from 1978 to 1987 and the CIA from 1987 to 1991. Aug. 8.Genshitsu Sen, 102. He promoted peace as a grand master of the Japanese tea ceremony after being trained to be a Kamikaze pilot during World War II. Aug. 14.Mike Castle, 86. The Republican moderate and former Delaware governor served 18 years in Congress, championing the popular 50 State Quarters Program. Aug. 14.Tristan Rogers, 79. He played super spy Robert Scorpio on ABCs General Hospital. Aug. 15.Terence Stamp, 87. The British actor often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films. Aug. 17.Humpy Wheeler, 86. He was a pioneering motorsports promoter as president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Aug. 20.Frank Caprio, 88. A retired municipal judge in Rhode Island, he found online fame as a caring jurist and host of Caught in Providence. Aug. 20.James Dobson, 89. Founder of the conservative Christian ministry Focus on the Family, the child psychologist was a politically influential campaigner against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Aug. 21.Ron Turcotte, 84. The Hall of Fame jockey rode Secretariat to the Triple Crown in 1973. Aug. 22.Angela Mortimer Barrett, 93. She overcame partial deafness and an intestinal infection to win three Grand Slam singles titles, including the 1961 Wimbledon. Aug. 25.Randy Duke Cunningham, 83. His feats as a U.S. Navy flying ace during the Vietnam War catapulted him to Congress, where the Republican served eight House terms before pleading guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes. Aug. 27.___SEPTEMBER___Graham Greene, 73. A trailblazing Indigenous actor, his long career included an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves. Sept. 1.Giorgio Armani, 91. The iconic Italian designer turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire. Sept. 4.Joseph McNeil, 83. He was one of four North Carolina college students whose refusal to leave a racially segregated Woolworths lunch counter 65 years ago helped spark nonviolent civil rights sit-ins across the South. Sept. 4.The Duchess of Kent, 92. Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, she famously broke royal protocol to hug a Wimbledon runner-up and stepped away from family duties to teach music in a public school. Sept. 4.Polly Holliday, 88. The Tony Award-nominated screen and stage actor turned the catchphrase Kiss my grits! into a national retort as the gum-chewing, beehive-wearing server on the long-running CBS sitcom Alice. Sept. 9.Charlie Kirk, 31. Rising from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump, he was fatally shot during an appearance at a college in Utah. Sept. 10. Bobby Hart, 86. The songwriter was a key part of the Monkees multimedia empire, teaming with Tommy Boyce on such hits as Last Train to Clarksville and Im Not Your Steppin Stone. Sept. 10.Kim Seong-Min, 63. The defector who founded Seoul-based Free North Korea Radio used USB sticks and a network of sources in the secretive country to inform the North Korean public about their authoritarian government. Sept. 12.Ricky Hatton, 46. The former boxing world champion who rose to become one of the most popular fighters in the sport had mental health struggles and was found dead due to hanging. Sept. 14.Robert Redford, 89. The Hollywood golden boy became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters. Sept. 16.Brett James, 57. The Grammy award-winning country songwriter whose top hits included Jesus, Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood and When the Sun Goes Down by Kenny Chesney died in a plane crash. Sept. 18.Sonny Curtis, 88. A vintage rock n roller, he wrote the raw classic I Fought the Law and posed the enduring question Who can turn the world on with her smile? as the writer-crooner of the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Sept. 19.Bernie Parent, 80. Considered one of the greatest hockey goalies, the Hall of Famer anchored the net for the Philadelphia Flyers two Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s. Sept. 21.Bobby Cain, 85. As one of the so-called Clinton 12 in 1956, he endured racist violence to become the first Black student in Tennessee to graduate from an integrated state-run school. Sept. 22.Claudia Cardinale, 87. The acclaimed Italian actor starred in some of the most celebrated European films of the 1960s and 1970s. Sept. 23.Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, in his 80s. Saudi Arabias grand mufti served as the kingdoms top religious figure for a quarter of a century as the ultraconservative Muslim nation socially liberalized. Sept. 23.Sara Jane Moore, 95. She was imprisoned for more than 30 years after she made an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975. Sept. 24.Assata Shakur, 78. The Black liberation activist was given political asylum in Cuba after her 1979 escape from a U.S. prison where she had been serving a life sentence for killing a law enforcement officer. Sept. 25.Russell M. Nelson, 101. He was the oldest-ever president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sept. 27.___OCTOBER___Jane Goodall, 91. The conservationist was renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and globe-spanning environmental advocacy. Oct. 1.Jilly Cooper, 88. The bestselling British author chronicled class and sex in risqu novels, including Rivals and Riders. Oct. 5.Joan B. Kennedy, 89. The former wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy endured family tragedies, her husbands infidelities and decades-long struggles with alcoholism and mental health. Oct. 8.Diane Keaton, 79. The Oscar-winning stars quirky manner and emotional depth enthralled fans in movies including Annie Hall, The Godfather films and Father of the Bride. Oct. 11.DAngelo, 51. The Grammy-winning R&B singer recognized by his raspy yet smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless Untitled (How Does It Feel) music video died of cancer. Oct. 14.Raila Odinga, 80. The populist campaigns of the former prime minister and perennial presidential candidate challenged one-party rule, rattled authorities and gave him outsized influence in Kenya. Oct. 15.Ace Frehley, 74. The original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam-rock band Kiss captivated audiences with his elaborate galactic makeup and smoking guitar. Oct. 16.Susan Stamberg, 87. The founding mother of National Public Radio was the first female broadcaster to host a national news program. Oct. 16.Kanchha Sherpa, 92. The Nepalese mountain guide was last surviving member of the expedition team that first conquered Mount Everest. Oct. 16.Tomiichi Murayama, 101. Japans former prime minister was known for his 1995 Murayama statement apologizing to Asian victims of his countrys aggression. Oct. 17.Chen Ning Yang, 103. The Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist was one of the most influential scientists in modern physics. Oct. 18.Daniel Naroditsky, 29. The chess grandmaster who started as a child prodigy quickly became one of the most influential American voices in the sport. His cause of death was not made public. Oct. 20.June Lockhart, 100. She became a mother figure for a generation of television viewers, whether at home in Lassie or Lost in Space. Oct. 23.Queen Mother Sirikit, 93. She supervised royal projects in Thailand to help the rural poor, preserve traditional craft-making and protect the environment. Oct. 24.Nick Mangold, 41. As a New York Jets center he was one of the franchises greatest players, twice helping lead the team to the AFC championship game. He died of complications of kidney disease. Oct. 25.Prunella Scales, 93. A versatile actor, she was best known as acid-tongued Sybil Fawlty in the classic British sitcom Fawlty Towers. Oct. 27.___NOVEMBER___Martha Layne Collins, 88. She was the first and only woman elected governor of Kentucky. Nov. 1.Stanley Chesley, 89. A class-action lawsuit pioneer who took on cigarette companies and the makers of faulty breast implants, his legal career ended amid accusations of unethical conduct. Nov. 2.George Banks, 83. He became one of the most notorious mass murderers in the U.S. by shooting 14 people, and killing 13, including his own children, during a 1982 rampage in Pennsylvania. Nov. 2.Dick Cheney, 84. The hard-charging conservative was a leading advocate for invading Iraq as one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history. Years later, he became a critic and target of President Donald Trump. Nov. 3.Diane Ladd, 89. The actor was nominated three times for Academy Awards, as the brash waitress in Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore, the scheming parent in Wild at Heart and her role with daughter Laura Dern in Rambling Rose. Nov. 3.Kim Yong Nam, 97. North Koreas longtime ceremonial head of state was best known for his deep, booming voice in propaganda-filled speeches supporting the ruling Kim dynasty. Nov. 3.James D. Watson, 97. His co-discovery of the twisted-ladder structure of DNA in 1953 helped light the long fuse on a revolution in medicine, crimefighting, genealogy and ethics. Nov. 6.Paul Tagliabue, 84. He helped bring labor peace and riches to the NFL during his 17 years as commissioner but was criticized for not taking stronger action on concussions. Nov. 9.Sally Kirkland, 84. The stage, film and TV actor was best known for sharing the screen with Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting and her Oscar-nominated title role in the 1987 movie Anna. Nov. 11.Juan Ponce Enrile, 101. He was the Philippines defense chief during the martial-law era notorious for human rights atrocities, democratic setbacks and plunder, then broke from Ferdinand Marcos, leading to the dictators overthrow in a 1986 people power uprising. Nov. 13.Todd Snider, 59. The singers thoughtfully freewheeling tunes and cosmic-stoner songwriting made him a beloved figure in American roots music. Nov. 14.H. Rap Brown, 82. One of the most vocal leaders of the Black Power movement, he died serving a life sentence for the killing in 2000 of a Georgia sheriffs deputy. Nov. 23.Dharmendra, 89. A defining screen presence of 1970s and 1980s Bollywood films, he was one of Indian cinemas most popular stars. Nov. 24.Jimmy Cliff, 81. The charismatic reggae pioneer and actor starred in the landmark movie The Harder They Come and preached joy, defiance and resilience in such classics as Many Rivers to Cross, You Can Get it If You Really Want and Vietnam. Nov. 24.Viola Ford Fletcher, 111. As one of the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma, she spent her later years seeking justice for the deadly attack by a white mob on the thriving Black community where she lived as a child. Nov. 24.Fuzzy Zoeller, 74. One of golfs most gregarious characters, the two-time major champions career was tainted by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods. Nov. 27.Tom Stoppard, 88. The British playwright was a playful, probing dramatist who won an Academy Award for his screenplay for 1998s Shakespeare In Love. Nov. 29.___DECEMBER___Charles Shay, 101. The decorated Native American veteran was a 19-year-old U.S. Army medic when he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day and helped save lives. Dec. 3.Steve Cropper, 84. A lean, soulful guitarist and songwriter, he helped anchor the celebrated Memphis backing band Booker T. and the M.G.s at Stax Records and co-wrote the classics Green Onions, (Sittin on) the Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour. Dec. 3. BERNARD MCGHEE McGhee is a U.S. Desk editor for The Associated Press based in Atlanta. Hes been with the AP for more than 25 years including time spent in bureaus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Des Moines, Iowa; and Seattle. twitter mailto

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has instructed inspectors to stop evaluating prison standards for stopping sexual violence against transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming people, NPR reported.A newly unveiled DOJ memo revises the standards of the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) in light of the presidents January executive order denying any federal recognition of non-cisgender identities. During this revision, the memo says, PREA audits will no longer evaluate jail, prison, and detention center standards to protect LGBTQ+ and intersex people. Related Donald Trump orders trans women inmates to be housed with men: There will be rapes As a result, auditors will no longer review whether trans inmates get housed according to their gender identity nor will they consider whether instances of sexual violence were motivated by victims LGBTQ+ identities.The PREA audits are some of the only federal tools for ensuring that detention facilities follow laws meant to stop rape, harassment, and retaliation, NPR reported. Such audits involve a review of current procedures, a tour of the facilities, and interviews with prison staff and inmates. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Usually, revisions to federal legislation must go through a formal rule-making process to enact changes, and until that process is completed, federal agents must comply with current federal law. However, the DOJ memo instructs PREA auditors to mark trans-related standards as not applicable during the revision process (possibly violating federal law).However, in a statement, the National Association of PREA Coordinators said that staff at detention centers can continue following the [trans-inclusive] regulation[s] or, if they choose, to ignore [them]. Whether a system adopts a binary sex approach or one that recognizes a spectrum of gender, we cannot forsake our primary responsibility to keep the most vulnerable individuals in our care safe from those who present a threat of sexual abuse or sexual harassment, the association said in a statement.Linda McFarlane, executive director of Just Detention International, said the revised policy will immediately put peoplein danger.Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ and non-cisgender people experience higher rates of sexual violence in prisons, jails, and detention centers. Near the start of his second term, the president ended federal policies allowing trans female inmatesto be housed in facilities matching their gender identity. The ending of these policies increases the risk of sexual violence against trans female inmates. Earlier this year, the Trump administration ended funding for the National PREA Resource Center, a federally funded training and technical assistance to states and localities which serves as a single-stop resource for research and tools for all those in the field working to come into compliance with the federal standards, according to the centers website.The National PREA Resource Center also tracks the outcomes of investigations and provides rape-prevention resources to victims and inspectors.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

An elderly Christian nationalist televangelist has said there will be no more rainbow flags now that Donald Trump has won re-election. In a recording of his Sunday sermon following Election Day, 87-year-old Kenneth Copeland said, I believe its here right now, the [Christian spiritual] awakening weve been waiting for. Now the atmosphere has been cleansed. No more rainbow flags. No more. An audience member can be heard exclaiming, Thank you, Jesus! in response. Related To understand JD Vance, you need to meet the TheoBros Copeland continues, And the spirit of Margaret Sanger is gone. Sanger is an American birth control activist and sex educator who opened the first birth control clinic in the nation, and established other organizations that evolved into Planned Parenthood, local clinics that offer reproductive and womens health, especially to low-income individuals. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Televangelist Kenneth Copeland used his Sunday service to declare that Trump's election will unleash a "spiritual awakening" in America because "the atmosphere has been cleansed": "No more rainbow flags. No more. And the spirit of Margaret Sanger is gone." pic.twitter.com/W6vTbzdlsT Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) November 12, 2024The televangelists comments arent surprising. He wasa member of former Trumps Faith Advisory Council. Before Trumps election, he led a prayer asking God to break the power of the homosexual lesbian spirits that are trying to ruin our children and ruin this nation.Copelands prayer made during a broadcast of the Rescue America Tour hosted by FlashPoint Live, a Christian evangelical political program began by asking the Christian God to oversee in school board elections, judges, sheriffs, mayors, city managers [and] college presidents.Those that refuse to hold to your will and do it, remove them and put someone in there that will, Copeland said, before continuing, We pray that your will be done on this Earth as it is in Heaven. We pray for the people that devils are fighting in and trying to ruin their lives with perverted ideas and perverted ways. Copeland, who has been twice divorced despite the Bibles prohibitions on divorce, continued, The people that are addicted to pornography and addicted to the things of the flesh in this world, and we break the power we break the power of the homosexual lesbian spirits that are trying to ruin our children and ruin this nation. Get down from there! We sit by the throne. You are under our feet.Copeland has previously made headlines for advocating for in-person worship services during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. He claimed thatJesus made Trump immune from COVID-19(even though Trump conducted the deadly virus during his presidency). He also told his followers thathe could cure them of COVID-19 through the TV.Copeland and his wife have earned millions throughout their careers and living in a $6.3 million mansion paid for by the church and using its$20 million private jet for vacations. In 2015, they were criticized by comedian John Oliver onLast Week Tonightfor their luxurious, tax-exempt lifestyle.In 2021, Copeland was also one of several mega-pastorsaccused of sexual abuseby former adult film actor Madyson Marquette.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Spoilers for Heated Rivalry, season 1 episode 3, follow, so proceed accordingly. Everyone is dying to see Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov on our screens again after the heartbreaking way episode two ended the internet may never get over we didnt even kiss and get to the infamous tuna melt scene, but fans are going to have to wait because Heated Rivalry took a Game Changer detour this week.Bisexual actor Franois Arnaud has shown up a few times on the show so far, playing veteran hockey star Scott Hunter, who keeps clocking the heat between Shane and Ilya, but episode three takes viewers away from their rivals-to-lovers story and throws us right into the plot of Rachel Reids first book in the gay hockey romance series, Game Changers.The third episode attempts to speed-run through the entire book, only leaving the ending for later in the season. The episode starts with Scott being visibly shaken at the Sochi Olympics when his teammate brings up that gay athletes who came to Russia are brave and have balls of steel before the show backtracks to New York four months earlier.Scott stops for a smoothie while on a run and ends up meeting his dream man instead. Kip Grady, played by Robbie G.K., makes him an off-menu smoothie, and then Scott keeps coming back after the new routine helps him win his next game, but really, it's so he can continue flirting with Kip and keep overtipping him.Kip, who is working at the smoothie shop while he applies to grad school to study art history, is instantly smitten too, and while his friends tease him about a star hockey player having a crush on him, the two start dating in secret after they run into each other literally at a charity event.Just like the first two episodes felt like an extremely faithful adaptation of the Heated Rivalry book, episode 3 may have changed a few things for the sake of fitting it into a 45-minute episode, but it is truly a condensed version of Game Changers brought to life. Sadly, this means that there are fewer opportunities for hot gay sex since there is so much plot to get through. But dont worry, this is still Heated Rivalry after all, so instead of heading to a diner for their first date like in the book, Scott and Kip decide to order in at Scotts apartment, where the only thing on the menu is Kip.Their chemistry isnt as palpable as Ilya and Shanes, but that level of intensity between actors is a rare thing; its just too bad that theyre all part of the same show, so that the comparison is unavoidable. Skip, as they are affectionately called by fans, still have a few hot sex scenes, and their love is playful and affectionate right off the bat. Wow, you are so beautiful, Scott says to Skip when he sees him naked for the first time.Shane and Ilya may be too scared to tell each other how they feel or ever spend the night together, but Scott wears his heart on his sleeve. After their first night together, Kip tries to sneak out, but Scott coaxes him back to bed. When he finds Kip making him his signature smoothie in just his underwear, Scott picks him up and asks if he can f*ck him? And then after they finally manage to drink their smoothies, Scott admits that hes never brought a guy home before, and he cant come out yet, but hes falling hard and doesnt want Kip to ever leave at all. I really, really like you and I want you to stay, Scott says. So Im asking for what I want. I want you to be here when I get back from practice later, and I want you to be here when I come home from my game tonight. I want you more than Ive wanted anything in a long time.Where Ilya and Shane burn for each other over the course of years as rivals become lovers, Scott and Kips story is about insta-love. They fall fast and commit to each other even faster, and its only Scotts deep fear of being outed that causes the inevitable third-act breakup.But before that, we get more sex scenes and a hint that the two men are vers when there is a call back to an earlier moment and Kip asks Can I f*ck you? as well as a cute moment pulled directly from the book where Kip gifts Scott a pair of blue socks with bananas on them so that hell have his lucky blueberry banana smoothies even at away games.After months of hiding and lying to his friends and family Scott even has a panic attack when they go to an art gallery together they attend another charity event, Scott on his own, and Kip as the date of his close friend Elena (Nadine Bhabha). We learn that Scotts deep love of hockey and reluctance to jeopardize his place in the sport are because his parents died in a drunk driving accident when he was 12 years old, and a hockey scholarship saved him and gave him a sense of family again.Elena, being the queen that she is, dances with Scott at the fundraiser so she can explain that Kip loves Scott enough to stay with him even though hes miserable. Nobody wants to be kept a secrethes so in love with you that hell put up with it, but its killing him, she says. Later that night, the deception and isolation that come with being forced back in the closet finally become too much for Kip when he realizes Scott wont even attend his birthday party as a friend, so he leaves and goes home to his dad.Much like the heartbreaking conclusion to episode 2, the episode closes with the two men no longer together. For people who havent read Game Changers, this episode may seem out of place, especially because it ends fairly abruptly with the couple you spent 45 minutes rooting for breaking up, but if youve read the series, you would know exactly how it ties into Shane and Ilyas love story and why director Jacob Tierney thought it was important to include.Shane and Ilya are sadly absent from this episode, except for a handful of cameo moments like Ilya chirping at Scott and Shane and Scott getting into a brawl on the ice after Scott insinuates Shane and Ilya know each other a little too well. Now the question is, when will we get to see Scott and Kip reunite? Not only are we just about guaranteed to get a satisfying conclusion to Scott and Skips episode before the season is over, but the trailer for the show also gave us a sneak peak into a handful of scenes were still waiting to see, including Shanes relationship with Rose, steamy shower blowjobs, and the infamous tuna melt scene, so we still have a lot to look forward to!

I'm no stranger to earworms. I have a musically inclined eight-year-old daughter who belts out songs regularly, owing to whatever she hears in school, around friends, or during her latest streaming binge.Once she hears it, it's only a matter of time before she starts humming it, and then it's seared in my brain on an endless loop for hours, sometimes even longer. For that reason, I didn't give it much thought when songs from the television series Electric Bloom entered the queue a few months ago. What surprised me was how quickly "One Little Spark," a song from the show, stayed with me, playing on repeat in my mind for days. Just when I thought she had moved on and another earworm would take its place, it came roaring back.On its face, the song was catchy, but I couldn't figure out why the lyrics kept sticking in my head. I was drawn, in particular, to the songs lyric, all it takes is one little spark to start a fire that can light the whole world. There are specific musical characteristics that make songs more likely to become earworms, and one of them is whether the song triggers some emotional charge, consciously or not, for the listener.I initially thought this earworm was the result of fatigue and the daily barrage of the news cycle, which was triggering anxiety about everything from the increased presence of ICE to the latest kerfuffle over the Supreme Court arguments. And yet, the more I listened to the words, the more I realized it wasn't trauma that was causing this particular earworm, but the search for some joy in these trying times.I run an initiative that provides legal services to unhoused and at-risk LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in New York City. Many of our clients have lived their lives in a near-constant state of trauma and injustice. Some traveled thousands of miles seeking the chance to live a life free from gender-based violence. Others found themselves rejected from their families, more susceptible to adverse health outcomes, and overly presented in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. I spend a lot of time working with young people navigating fear and crisis. And the heavy toll they bear is made infinitely more complex by the current administration's zealous attacks on their existence.And yet, each of them represents a story of hope and the search for something more.Each of these clients is rewriting their own story when they come through our doors. I think of the seventeen-year-old transgender girl who survived the death of a parent while walking from Venezuela to the United States. Or the queer young man whose family disowned him, leaving him on the streets for years, and yet came through our door with a warm smile on his face and excitement over the start of a new school year. Each of them is a testament to the value that comes when we prioritize change for one person.A colleague once remarked that one of the most valuable things we can do when faced with adversity is to realize that we're not as powerless as we often think. He said, "If you can find a way to help one person, help one person."This past summer, one of our clients, a transgender woman from Central America, was detained by ICE. During the nearly two months that she was detained, I agonized over every choice we made in her case and the potential consequences if we failed to secure her release. When she was ultimately released from custody, I felt an overwhelming rush of breath as I let out months of anxiety and was finally able to breathe. In that moment, I thought about the song and the impact that comes from that one spark, that one heart that's strong enough to keep moving forward. I didn't know it then, but when I heard the song, I realized I had been trying to find my own spark of light. I was looking for the joy, resonance, or meaning that comes from changing one person's life.For our clients, it's often as simple as believing in them and showing up with compassion and kindness. They bring light into our lives by reminding us why we do this work.What started as just another earworm has now been the mantra getting me through these difficult times. On frustrating days marked by bureaucracy, intolerance, and an ever-shifting legal landscape, I am reminded that, collectively, we can all be that spark. Each person can help transform the lives of queer and trans youth from fear and instability to stability and possibility. - YouTube www.youtube.com Amy Leipziger is the Project Director of the Free to Be Youth Project at the Urban Justice Center, which works to interrupt the cycles of poverty and criminalization that prevent homeless and street-involved LGBTQ+ young people from living fulfilling lives free from discrimination, abuse, and oppression.Perspectives is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit Pride.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at voices@equalpride.com. Views expressed in Perspectives stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of Pride or our parent company, equalpride.

Four sacks shy of making NFL history, the Cleveland Browns veteran is among the all-time great pass rushers.

All eyes will be on the Kennedy Center as the draw is made for next year's tournament.

Bill Connelly looks at key angles for all nine games -- and why the playoff committee could get a headache.

Matt Miller unveils his initial prospect rankings for the 2026 draft.

From top stars Ilia Topuria and Dakota Ditcheva to rising contenders Joshua Van and Natalia Silva, ESPN ranks the top 30 fighters under age 30.

Boris Pistorius, Germanys defense minister, is pushing to expand its military in case tensions with Russia escalate. Thats tricky in a country where the Nazi era casts a long shadow.

Americas goal should be to help Europe correct its current trajectory, the administration said in its new National Security Strategy.

Gary Goldman, who has battled Disney in court over the franchise, thinks the viper Gary DeSnake is based on him.

The bride and groom want to call what happened on Saturday a wedding, but it wasnt even in a churchand they both wore tennis shoes!The post Reyna Cobb and Luke Butler appeared first on The Onion.

VATICAN CITYIn a milestone many Roman Catholics hope will bring the church into the 21st century, Vatican officials issued a statement Tuesday formally recognizing Generation Zs first demon.For his innovative use of digital communications to torment and possess the Christian faithful, Melapheus, better known by his online handle DiabolusMel, is hereby accorded full demonhood, Pope Leo XIV wrote in an official decree announcing the decision, adding that countless young sinners had been inspired to lead lives of infernal debauchery thanks to the 23-year-old malevolent spirits wretched example. The church has verified and can attribute to him the demonic possession of a girl who was left in a coma after a car accident. Through the intercession of Melapheus, this child was awakened from her state of unconsciousness and forced to pick up a surgical scalpel, which she then used to carve out the hearts of several doctors and nurses. His live-streamed inflictions of strange maladies that defy scientific explanation have spread the unholy word of Lucifer to millions who might not have heard the vile blasphemy otherwise. Indeed, many in their late teens and 20s say it was Melapheus terrible screeching emanating from their phones that first led them to seek out our churchs exorcists.At press time, the Vatican confirmed that Melapheus was eligible to become an archdemon after a verified possession that gave a blind man the ability to see into the endless depths of hell.The post Vatican Formally Recognizes FirstGen Z Demon appeared first on The Onion.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela are escalating, with President Trump stating that land strikes on drug traffickers could come very soon. The Onion examines the pros and cons of entering a war against Venezuela.PROCaracas fun to sayRaises total number of countries Americans can name to respectable nineWould be nice to invade somewhere warm for the holidaysSomething to tide us over until war with ChinaCONKind of an inconvenient timeMay have to come up with a reason for doing soDont know how to roll our RsKathryn Bigelow already won two OscarsThe post Pros And Cons Of War With Venezuela appeared first on The Onion.

In the world of business, integrity is everything. There has to be a baseline level of trust, or the entire system collapses. Thats why I make honesty a top priority in my professional life, even in situations where bending the truth a little would be to my personal benefit. For example, I would never misrepresent my level of expertise when applying for a job, even if I needed the work to keep my family from going hungry.Yes, I would let my wife and young children starve before Id defile my resume with exaggerations about my marketing background.I know what youre thinking: Whats a little white lie about my experience improving user engagement and SEO going to hurt? If I were faced with the prospect of sending my son and daughter to bed with empty stomachs, then surely there would be no harm in covering a small gap in my employment history by saying I worked at Icon Synergistics from 2021 to 2023 when, more precisely, it was February 2021 to November 2023. The truth is, a lot of harm would be done, and not just to my malnourished household.You see, its when your back is against a wall that you find out what your true convictions are. Suppose I were jobless and could no longer put food on the table. Then, in a moment of weakness, I decided to claim on my resume that I was fluent in HubSpot and Marketo Engage, when in reality, I had familiarity with both but was only truly proficient in HubSpot. Where would it stop? Would I next say Im the social media strategist at a place Ive worked for five years, without clarifying that this is only my most recent title and that I actually began there in the junior role of social media assistant? Thats inexcusable.My family might be able to enjoy three meals a day, but what would become of my self-respect? At the end of the day, I want to feel good about the marketing professional I see staring back at me in the mirror.Dont write me off as cold or uncaring. I have a heart. It would be painful to watch as my 5-year-old and 7-year-old were forced to beg for scraps of food on the streets. But when youre creating a resume, ethics must come first. If the price of putting bread in the mouths of my children is adding a bullet point that overstates my ability to optimize social content, then I say no deal. After embellishing a cover letter to imply that I achieved over 30% conversion in data-driven bundling, how could I look my famished, hollow-cheeked family in their sunken eyes?Above all, I wouldnt want to set a bad example for my kids. Surely Id be doing them no favors if I taught them it was okay to lie to a job recruiter about your B2B client retention rate in order to get a job that provides your loved ones with basic nutritional sustenance. Then theyd grow up to lie on their own resumes, and the web of deceit would continue from generation to generation.So I would choose to do the right thing, no matter how visible my childrens ribcages might become. And while I hope she would support me in my decision, I would stand firm even if my emaciated wife grabbed my collar and demanded I lie about rolling out strategic acquisition channels and spearheading effective hashtag campaigns. Because falsely listing survey design as a special skill on my resume is a moral failure I could never countenance.When all is said and done, I know the only special skill I really have is my honor.The post Id Sooner Let My Family Starve Than Exaggerate My Marketing Experience On My Resume appeared first on The Onion.

NEW YORKConfirming his new film fell somewhere between fact and fiction, director Josh Safdie explained to reporters Friday that Marty Supreme was a slight dramatization of LeBron James life. I wouldnt call it a biopic, exactly, but yes, Marty Supreme is about King James, said the filmmaker, who sought to dispel any confusion surrounding the sports drama by clarifying that the film was loosely inspired by the life of the 40-year-old NBA star. We took a few creative liberties, of course: the name Marty Mauser, his personality and physical appearance, the fact that hes playing ping-pong. But hes still just a kid from Akron, even if the movie is set in New York City in the 1950s. And obviously, [Timothe] Chalamet does a great job capturing this. At press time, Safdie was praising Kevin OLearys performance as Bronny James.The post Marty Supreme Director Explains Film Slight Dramatization Of Real-Life LeBron James appeared first on The Onion.

I never have to open my suitcase in public again!READ MORE...

Options trader Joseph D'Arrigo works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)2025-12-05T05:38:03Z NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. stock market is ticking toward the edge of its all-time high on Friday as Wall Street drifts toward the finish of a quiet week.The S&P 500 rose 0.3% and is just 0.2% below its record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 46 points, or 0.1%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% higher. The Russell 2000 index of small stocks edged back 0.2% from its record set the day before. Netflix offered some splash and fell 2.1% after the streaming company said it would buy Warner Bros. following its split from Discovery Global. Netflix will pay $72 billion in cash and stock for the company behind HBO Max, Casablanca and Harry Potter, and Warner Bros. Discovery rose 2.6%.Ulta Beauty jumped 11% after the retailer reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Kecia Steelman said its customers are broadly feeling pressure, but Ulta saw growth across its categories, particularly in e-commerce. It raised its forecast for revenue over the full year. Another encouraging signal for the crucial holiday shopping season came from Victorias Secret & Co. It reported a smaller loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected, and it likewise raised its forecast for sales over the full year. Its stock jumped 14.4%. They worked against a 3.9% drop for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts forecast, though its profit topped expectations. The U.S. stock market broadly has been much quieter this week. Its a respite following earlier weeks of sharp and scary swings driven by worries that too many dollars may be flowing into artificial-intelligence technology, along with concerns about what the Federal Reserve will do with interest rates.After some back and forth, the widespread expectation among traders is that the Fed will cut its main interest rate next week in hopes of shoring up the slowing U.S. job market. If it does, that would be the third cut of the year. Investors love lower interest rates because they boost prices for investments and can juice the economy. The downside is that they can worsen inflation, which is stubbornly remaining above the Feds 2% target. The S&P 500 has run back toward its all-time high, which was set in late October, in large part because of expectations for a coming cut to interest rates. That leaves the question of what Fed officials will do next year on rates, with traders waiting for any clues that may come out of next weeks Fed meeting.In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady amid the wait. The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.11%, where it was late Thursday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do, edged up to 3.54% from 3.52%. In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia. Germanys DAX returned 0.9%, and South Koreas Kospi jumped 1.8% for two of the worlds bigger gains.Tokyos Nikkei 225 fell 1.1% after data showed household spending in Japan fell 3.0% in October from a year earlier. It was the sharpest drop since January 2024. Japanese markets have been shaky recently after the Bank of Japan hinted that hikes to interest rates may be coming. ___AP Writer Teresa Cerojano contributed.

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seated left and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, seated left. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-12-05T13:59:12Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps administration set forth a new national security strategy that paints European allies as weak and aims to reassert Americas dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The document released Friday by the White House is sure to roil long-standing U.S. allies in Europe for its scathing critiques of their migration and free speech policies, suggesting they face the prospect of civilizational erasure and raising doubts about their long-term reliability as American partners.It reinforces, in sometimes chilly and bellicose terms, Trumps America First philosophy, which favors nonintervention overseas, questions decades of strategic relationships and prioritizes U.S. interests above all. The U.S. strategy is motivated above all by what works for America or, in two words, America First, the document said. This is the first national security strategy, a document the administration is required by law to release, since the Republican presidents return to office in January. It is a stark break from the course set by Democratic President Joe Bidens administration, which sought to reinvigorate alliances after many were rattled in Trumps first term and to check a more assertive Russia. The United States is seeking to broker an end Russias nearly 4-year war in Ukraine, a goal that the national security strategy says is in Americas vital interests. But the document makes clear the U.S. wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending that war is a core U.S. interest in order to reestablish strategic stability with Russia. The document also is critical of Americas European allies. They have found themselves sometimes at odds this year with Trumps shifting approaches to the Russia-Ukraine war, and are facing domestic economic challenges as well an existential crisis, according to the U.S. Economic stagnation in Europe is eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure, the strategy document said. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/monroe-doctrineThe U.S. suggests that Europe is being enfeebled by its immigration policies, declining birthrates, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition and a loss of national identities and self-confidence. Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less. As such, it is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies, the document said. Many of these nations are currently doubling down on their present path. We want Europe to remain European, to regain its civilizational self-confidence.Despite Trumps America First maxim, his administration has carried out a series of military strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean while weighing possible military action in Venezuela to pressure President Nicols Maduro. The moves are part of what the national security strategy lays out as a Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The 1823 Monroe Doctrine, formulated by President James Monroe, was originally aimed at opposing any European meddling in the Western Hemisphere and was used to justify U.S. military interventions in Latin America.Trumps strategy document says the U.S. is reimagining its military footprint in the region even after building up the largest military presence there in generations.That means, for instance, targeted deployments to secure the border and defeat cartels, including where necessary the use of lethal force to replace the failed law enforcement-only strategy of the last several decades, it says. MICHELLE L. PRICE Price covers the White House. She previously covered the 2024 presidential campaign and politics, government and other news in New York, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. She is based in Washington. twitter mailto

A San Diego school teacher has won a major settlement in a lawsuit that accused her superiors of labeling her a lesbian witch.Rose Tagnesi was head of her school districts Special Education Department for over a decade when she was suddenly demoted to a class teaching role at the direction of what she described as an anti-LGBTQ+ majority on the school board. Related Cherished teacher fired for calling student by preferred name. The community is rallying for her. Her demotion followed an unrelated sex-trafficking case at the school that Tagnesi wasnt named in, and a subsequent investigation targeting her.The hostile climate created by the earlier inquiry set the stage for a broader discriminatory campaign by the board majority, she alleged in her suit, which included her demotion, LGBTQ+ book bans, and cutting ties with an LGBTQ+ mental health care provider previously contracted by the district. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Ms. Tagnesi, a proud member of the LGBTQ community who served GUHSD [Grossmont Union High School District] for over 28 years in exemplary fashion, was one of the many victims of the anti-LGBTQ majority boards discriminatory campaign, her lawsuit said.Tagnesi also alleged that the investigations lead attorney wrote in reference to her, one down, one to go, in a text message.Ive never been told what I did. Ive never been told what I was accused of doing. Ive never been even asked a question, Tagnesi told ABC affiliateKGTV last year about the investigation and her lawsuit.Tagnesi alleged that her supervisor advised her to keep a low profile about her sexuality, citing hostility among board members for gay people.Tagnesi accused one board trustee of referring to her and another female staffer as witches who were part of an LGBTQ coven. The board member also claimed that the same second female staffer was only hired because Tagnesi thought, she is hot. The Grossmont Union High School District will pay Tagnesi $700,000 over the next 20 years under terms of the settlement, theSan Diego Union Tribunereported on Tuesday. Theyll also cover nearly $500,000 in attorneys fees as part of the deal. A spokesperson for the district made clear that Tagnesis employers didnt admit wrongdoing in relation to her claims. The district said it agreed to settle to allow all parties to move forward in the most productive way possible.In the future, Im hopeful the district will take decisive action toward creating the culture of inclusivity its students and teachers deserve, Tagnesi said in a statement following the settlement.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

With every win, Detroit and its young core are moving further away from the dregs of a grueling rebuild.

Former basketball player Elden Campbell died Monday from drowning after suffering a medical emergency while out fishing, his sister and a Broward County official confirmed.

Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos is appealing to the NCAA for another year of eligibility.

It's fitting that MLS Cup takes place on the same weekend as Miami's art fair, as old masters Lionel Messi and Thomas Mller prepare to face off.

The Capitals, Penguins and Flyers are the big risers this week, with the Ducks, Devils and Mammoth sliding.

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Committee member Vicky Pebsworth, speaks during a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the CDC, Sept. 18, 2025, in Chamblee, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)2025-12-05T15:34:29Z NEW YORK (AP) A federal vaccine advisory committee voted on Friday to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day theyre born.A loud chorus of medical and public health leaders decried the actions of the panel, whose current members were all appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a leading anti-vaccine activist before this year becoming the nations top health official.This is the group that cant shoot straight, said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert who for decades has been involved with ACIP and its workgroups.For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses. But Kennedys Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices decided to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive, and in cases where the mom wasnt tested.For other babies, it will be up to the parents and their doctors to decide if a birth dose is appropriate. The committee voted to suggest that when a family decides not to get a birth dose, then the vaccination series should begin when the child is 2 months old. The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jim ONeill, is expected to decide later whether to accept the committees recommendation. The decision marks a return to a public health strategy that was abandoned more than three decades ago. Asked why the newly-appointed committee moved quickly to reexamine the recommendation, committee member Vicky Pebsworth on Thursday cited pressure from stakeholder groups wanting the policy to be revisited. She did not say who was pressuring the committee, and a spokesman for Kennedy did not respond to a question about it. Committee members said the risk of infection for most babies is very low and that earlier research that found the shots were safe for infants was inadequate.They also worried that in many cases, doctors and nurses dont have full conversations with parents about the pros and cons of the birth-dose vaccination. The committee members voiced interest in hearing the input from public health and medical professionals, but chose to ignore the experts repeated pleas to leave the recommendations alone.Dr. Peter Hotez of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development in Houston declined to present before the group because ACIP appears to have shifted its mission away from science and evidence-based medicine, he said in an email to The Associated Press.The committee gives advice to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how approved vaccines should be used. CDC directors almost always adopted the committees recommendations, which were widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs. But the agency currently has no director, leaving acting director ONeill to decide.In June, Kennedy fired the entire 17-member panel earlier this year and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices. Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that, for most people, lasts less than six months. But for some, especially infants and children, it can become a long-lasting problem that can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and scarring called cirrhosis.In adults, the virus is spread through sex or through sharing needles during injection drug use. But it can also be passed from an infected mother to a baby. In 1991, the committee recommended an initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Experts say quick immunization is crucial to prevent infection from taking root. And, indeed, cases in children have plummeted.Still, several members of Kennedys committee voiced discomfort with vaccinating all newborns. They argued that past safety studies of the vaccine in newborns was limited and its possible that larger, long-term studies could uncover a problem with the birth dose. But two members said they saw no documented evidence of harm from the birth doses and suggested concern was based on speculation.The panel was to vote Thursday, but voted to postpone after some members said they had just received the densely-worded vote proposals and wanted clarification and more time to consider it.Three panel members asked about the scientific basis for saying that the first dose should be delayed for two months for many babies.This is unconscionable, said committee member Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, who repeatedly voiced opposition to the proposal during the sometimes-heated two-day meeting.The committees chair, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, said two months was chosen as a point where infants had matured beyond the neonatal stage. Hibbeln countered that there was no data presented that two months is an appropriate cut-off. Some observers criticized the meeting, noting recent changes in how they are conducted. CDC scientists no longer present vaccine safety and effectiveness data to the committee. Instead, people who have been prominent voices in anti-vaccine circles were given those slots.The committee is no longer a legitimate scientific body, said Elizabeth Jacobs, a member of Defend Public Health, an advocacy group of researchers and others that has opposed Trump administration health policies.In a statement, she described the meeting this week as an epidemiological crime scene a slaughter of how disease control professionals usually examine and act on evidence.___AP writer Laura Ungar in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. MIKE STOBBE Stobbe mainly covers public health for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-12-05T14:16:24Z NEW YORK (AP) President Donald Trumps White House is taking on the role of media critic and asking for help from everyday Americans.Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the White House launched a web portal it says will spotlight bias on the part of news outlets, targeting the Boston Globe, CBS News and The Independent as its inaugural media offender of the week.Its the latest wrinkle in the fight against what Trump, back in his first term, labeled fake news. The Republican president has taken outlets like CBS News and The Wall Street Journal to court over their coverage, is fighting The Associated Press in court over media access and has moved to dismantle government-run outlets like Voice of America.Trump has also engaged in personal attacks, last month alone saying quiet, piggy, to a female reporter who was questioning him on Air Force One, calling a reporter from The New York Times ugly, both inside and out and publicly telling an ABC News journalist she was a terrible reporter. Its honestly overwhelming to keep up with it all and to constantly have to defend against this fake news and these attacks, said press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who called the new web portal an attempt to hold journalists accountable.After its debut, the White House asked for volunteers to submit their own examples of media bias. So-called journalists have made it impossible to identify every false or misleading story, which is why help from the American people is essential, Trumps press office said. Devouring the media like hot french friesDespite the attacks, Axios wrote this week that the mainstream media is ending the year as dominant as ever in capturing the presidents attention and setting Washingtons agenda, citing as one example The Washington Posts reporting on military strikes against boats with alleged drug smugglers.The irony is that Trump engages with reporters at a level he hasnt seen with any other president in his lifetime, said Axios CEO Jim VandeHei, co-author of the report with Mike Allen.Hes always bitched about the media and the press, VandeHei told The Associated Press. He gobbles this stuff up like hot McDonalds french fries. Hes a mass consumer of this. He watches it, he calls reporters, he takes calls from reporters. ... Thats always been the contradiction with him.The first media honorees were criticized for stories about Trumps reaction to Democratic lawmakers who recorded a video reminding military members they were not required to follow unlawful orders. Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition punishable by death.The White House said it was a misrepresentation to say Trump had called for their executions. The portal also said news outlets subversively implied that the president had issued illegal orders. The news articles they cited did not specifically say whether Trump had or had not ordered illegal activities.The new portal also contains an Offender Hall of Shame of articles it deems unfair and a leaderboard ranking outlets with the most pieces they object to. Twenty-one outlets are represented, led by The Washington Posts five stories. CBS News and MS NOW, the network formerly known as MSNBC, had four apiece. No news outlets that appeal to conservatives were cited for bias.Responded a Post spokeswoman: The Washington Post is proud of its accurate, rigorous journalism. Media watchdog welcomes the companyThe conservative media watchdog Media Research Center, which has accused news outlets of having a liberal bias since 1987, welcomes the company.Were pleased, said Tim Graham, MRCs director of media analysis. Its a stronger effort than Republican presidents have done before. I think all Republicans realize today that the media is on the other side and need to be identified as on the other side.VandeHei said about the portal, I cant think of anything I care less about. If they want to set up a site and point out bias, great. Its called free speech. Do it. I dont think it makes a damned bit of difference.What is damaging is a constant drumbeat of claims that what people read in the media is false. It makes people suspicious of the truth and the country suffers when were not operating from some semblance of a common truth, VandeHei said.___David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social. DAVID BAUDER Bauder is the APs national media writer, covering the intersection of news, politics and entertainment. He is based in New York. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-12-05T15:15:23Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Federal Reserves preferred measure of inflation slowed a bit in September, likely easing the way to a widely expected interest rate cut by the central bank next week.Prices rose 0.3% in September from August, the Commerce Department said Friday, the same as the previous month. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 0.2% in September from August, the same as the previous month and a pace that if it continued for a year would bring inflation closer to the Feds 2% target.Compared with a year ago, overall prices rose 2.8%, up slightly from 2.7% in August. Core prices also rose 2.8% from a year earlier, a small decline from the previous months figure of 2.9%.The data, which was delayed for five weeks by the government shutdown, show that inflation was muted in September and will bolster the case for a cut to the Feds key interest rate at its next meeting Dec. 9-10. Inflation remains above the central banks 2% target, partly because of President Donald Trumps tariffs, but many Fed officials argue that weak hiring, modest economic growth, and slowing wage gains will steadily reduce price gains in the coming months.The Fed is facing a tricky decision next week: It would typically keep rates high to fight inflation. At the same time, it is worried about weak hiring and a slowly rising unemployment rate. It hopes that reducing rates will spur more borrowing and boost the economy. CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Rugaber has covered the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for the AP for 16 years. He is a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb award for business reporting. twitter mailto

The 2009 SEC championship was the last time the No. 1 and No. 2 teams met in a conference championship game.

The most recent Personal Consumption Expenditures index was delayed because of the government shutdown.

A federal panel voted on Friday to recommend halting the at-birth shots for all infants, in a step toward Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s goal of upending the nations vaccine policy.

ARLINGTON, VADescribing the incident as a split-second operational judgment made under rapidly evolving conditions, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked the fog of war Thursday to explain why he urinated inside a Pentagon break room refrigerator. In the heat of the moment, youve got to make a decision, and sometimes that decision is imperfect, said Hegseth, arguing that under the intense pressure of warfare it can be nearly impossible to distinguish between a porcelain urinal and a white refrigerator. Civilians can never understand what its like to be in the thick of it. On the ground, you dont have time to dilly-dally. You just unzip and go. When youre back home, its easy to have all these high-minded ideals about the rules of combat, but the truth is, when you find yourself totally blasted and face-to-face with a brightly lit shelf of individually wrapped string cheeses, you dont have the luxury of calculating whether theres time to run to the bathroom or even open a window. Throw around terms like war criminal or coworkers insulin-ruiner all you want, but I acted with significant restraint by urinating in the vegetable crisper when, by all accounts, I would have been totally justified in fully dousing every inch of the fridge in my piss. Asked for comment, President Donald Trump defended Hegseths actions and appeared to imply that the Pentagon custodian who filed the initial complaint should be investigated for treason.The post Pete Hegseth Invokes Fog Of War After Pissing In Break Room Refrigerator appeared first on The Onion.

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