Browns coach Kevin Stefanski accepted blame for a failed 2-point conversion attempt in his team's 31-29 loss to the Titans on Sunday that saw rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders watching from the sideline on the decisive play.

After a critical 27-22 loss to the rival Steelers, many of the Ravens questioned calls made by the referees -- notably an overturned touchdown reception by Isaiah Likely in the fourth quarter -- that ultimately could cost them a chance at the postseason.

Yes, the antique clawfoot tub got to stay.READ MORE...

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear waves to a cheering crowd after his speech during the Ben Nelson Gala Nov. 7, 2025, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)2025-12-08T00:23:58Z PHOENIX (AP) Democratic governors met this weekend in Arizona, looking to parlay last months big victories for the party in New Jersey and Virginia into campaigns for next years midterms, when a majority of governors seats will be up for election.Those elections helped Democrats zero in on what they see as a strategy to help grow their ranks in office and recover from big losses in 2024, when voters put Donald Trump back in the White House and gave Republicans majorities in both houses of Congress.The plan is to focus intently on making life more affordable, a message they hope will work even in some conservative-leaning states.We have to be laser focused on peoples everyday concerns and how hard life is right now for the American people, said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, the new chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and a possible candidate for president in 2028. Everybody wants the economy of tomorrow, but paying the bills today is absolutely critical. He and other governors said Democrats can use the affordability message as a cudgel against Trump without making him the central focus of their campaigns.Yes, we can judge a president, and we should judge this president, Beshear said. But we never judge those voters. Democrats hone in on costsThe meeting of Democratic governors comes as blue states have been under fire from the Trump administration, which is exercising power in novel ways against the presidents perceived enemies.Trump has deployed the National Guard in California, Oregon and Illinois over the objections of their Democratic governors. His administration has demanded detailed voter data and threatened to cut off food assistance for states that dont provide information to support his immigration crackdown.Heading into a primary season in which factions will battle over the future of the party, Democratic governors largely sang from the same sheet over the weekend. A dozen candidates and sitting governors all said they plan to talk extensively about the costs of housing, child care, utilities and groceries during Trumps second term. But the unified focus on affordability papers over real divisions in the partys ranks over how aggressively to confront Trump, who won all of the presidential battleground states last year, and how to deal with the rising costs that are squeezing Americans.On the same day Democratic moderates with national security credentials, Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, won their governors races, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won election as New York mayor. All ran on promises to tackle affordability, but they offered very different visions for how to deliver.The affordability strategy isnt without risk. Economic conditions could change, making concerns about prices less salient or urgent.And Democrats could be setting themselves up for disappointment down the road if they win in 2026 but are unable to bring down costs to voters satisfaction, allowing Republicans to capitalize on the same buyers remorse Democrats are now seeking to stoke. For Democratic incumbents seeking reelection, they cant rest on fighting the Trump administration, said two-term Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico. They need to show results. Deliver for me. But dont forget to fight this, said Lujan Grisham, who is barred by term limits from seeking reelection. They do want both, and finding ways to cross-cut those and marry that I think is going to be a winning set of messages. Affordability also becomes a focal point for TrumpAfter the New Jersey and Virginia elections last month, the White House began shifting its message to focus more on affordability. Trump, who has not done much domestic travel during his second term, is scheduled to visit Pennsylvania on Tuesday to highlight his efforts to reduce inflation.The president has talked more about affordability recently, and he reduced tariffs on beef and other commodities that consumers say cost too much. But Trump also has said the economy is better and consumer prices lower than reported by the media.The word affordability is a Democrat scam, he said during a Cabinet meeting last week.He continues to blame his Democratic predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for the increase nationwide in inflation rates that occurred this year after his return to the White House. Overall, inflation is tracking at 3% annually, up from 2.3% in April when Trump rolled out a sweeping set of import taxes.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said the administration will be intent on reducing inflation, after tackling immigration and pushing to have interest rates cut.I expect inflation to roll down strongly next year, he said on CBSs Face the Nation.Democratic governors and candidates were largely aligned in the conclusion that many voters in 2024 didnt feel as if their party was focused on their concerns or shared their anger at a system they believe is failing average Americans. I think if there was any failure in the presidential election, its we forgot what real people care about, said Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, who is expected to seek a second term next year.Weve got to listen to people, said Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta who is running for Georgia governor.Democrats believe some red states could be in playOnce Spanberger takes office in January, Democrats will control 24 governors offices, a significant improvement from the low point of just 16 following the 2016 election but still slightly behind the Republicans 26 seats. Thirty-six states will hold elections for governor next year.Among the hardest-fought contests will be in swing states that flipped between supporting Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024. Those include Arizona, where Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is seeking a second term, and Nevada, where Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is up for reelection. Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia all have open seats that are widely expected to attract a large field of candidates and big spending.The retirement of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly in Kansas, an overwhelmingly Republican state in presidential contests, gives the GOP the upper hand there. But Democrats are talking about expanding the field by competing in states such as Iowa or Ohio, where the party used to be competitive but has struggled in the Trump era.Gina Hinojosa, a Texas lawmaker running for governor in the nations second-most populous state, is making the case to Democratic donors that investing in Texas will be crucial to her partys hopes of winning power in Washington before the 2030 census. Her state is projected to pick up at least four House seats and Electoral College votes at the expense of blue states such as California and Illinois. If we dont flip before the end of the decade, there wont be Democratic control of Congress or the White House, Hinojosa said. Because the math doesnt work. JONATHAN J. COOPER Cooper is a national politics reporter based in Phoenix. He previously covered news and politics in Arizona, California and Oregon. mailto

Los Angeles Dodgers Jeff Kent hits a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants in the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sept. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)2025-12-08T00:47:41Z ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Jeff Kent was elected to baseballs Hall of Fame on Sunday by the contemporary era committee, while steroids-tainted stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were among seven players who fell short once again.Kent appeared on 14 of 16 ballots, two more than the 12 ballots needed for the 75% minimum.Carlos Delgado received nine votes, followed by Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy with six each.Bonds, Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela each received fewer than five votes.Kent will be inducted at the hall in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26 along with anyone chosen by the Baseball Writers Association of America, whose balloting will be announced on Jan. 20.A five-time All-Star second baseman, he batted .290 with 377 homers and 1,518 RBIs over 17 seasons with Toronto (1992), the New York Mets (1992-96), Cleveland (1996), San Francisco (1997-2002), Houston (2003-04) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2005-08). His 351 home runs as a second baseman are the most by a player at that position.Kent received 15.2% in his first BBWAA appearance in 2014 and a high of 46.5% in the last of his 10 times o the ballot in 2023. The Hall in 2022 restructured its veterans committees for the third time in 12 years, setting up panels to consider the contemporary era from 1980 on, as well as the classic era. The contemporary baseball era holds separate ballots for players and another for managers, executives and umpires. Each committee meets every three years. Contemporary managers, executives and umpires will be considered in December 2026, classic era candidates in December 2027 and contemporary era players again in December 2028.Under a change announced by the Hall last March, candidates who received fewer than five votes are not eligible for that committees ballot during the next three-year cycle. A candidate who is dropped, later reappears on a ballot and again receives fewer than five votes would be barred from future ballot appearances. Bonds and Clemens fell short in 2022 in their 10th and final appearances on the BBWAA ballot, when Bonds received 260 of 394 votes (66%) and Clemens 257 (65.2%). Sheffield received 63.9% in his final BBWAA vote in 2024, getting 246 votes and falling 43 shy.Bonds denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs and Clemens maintains he never used PEDs. Sheffield said he was unaware that substances he used during training ahead of the 2002 season contained steroids.A seven-time NL MVP and 14-time All-Star outfielder, Bonds set the career home run record with 762 and the season record with 73 in 2001.A seven-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens went 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts, third behind Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Randy Johnson (4,875).The December 2027 ballot is the first chance for Pete Rose to appear on a Hall ballot after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred decided in May that Roses permanent suspension ended with his death in September 2024. The Hall prohibits anyone on the permanent ineligible list from appearing on a ballot.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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A game after he failed to reach 10 points for the first time in 17 years, LeBron James authored an impressive fourth quarter on Sunday night, posting 10 straight points in lifting the Lakers to a 112-108 victory over the 76ers.

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"In hindsight, it was wrong," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of his fourth-down decision late in Sunday night's game against Houston that led to an eventual 20-10 loss. "I messed that one up."

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The chemical industry finally got its wish.Industry lobbyists have long pushed the federal government to adopt a less stringent approach to gauging the cancer risk from chemicals, one that would help ease regulations on companies that make or use them.Last week, in a highly unusual move, the Environmental Protection Agency embraced that approach in announcing that it is revising an assessment of the health dangers posed by formaldehyde, a widespread pollutant that causes far more cancer than any other chemical in the air. Working on that effort were two of those former industry insiders, who are now top EPA officials.The proposed revisions to the assessment, released Wednesday, nearly double the amount of formaldehyde considered safe to inhale compared with the version that was finalized in the last weeks of the Biden administration. Even that older assessment significantly underestimated the dangers posed by formaldehyde, a ProPublica investigation published last year found.Under previous Republican and Democratic administrations, EPA scientists were instructed to assume that chemicals that cause cancer by damaging DNA the largest group of carcinogens, which includes formaldehyde pose a linear risk, meaning that even small exposures can be dangerous. The agency adopted the approach almost 40 years ago to protect against the multitude of low-level cancer threats the public faces daily. But the industrys favored method assumes that certain carcinogens pose no risk at lower levels and that the danger should only be considered once exposure reaches a certain threshold.The Trump administration has already criticized the use of the linear model for calculating the risk of cancer from radiation and could scrap its use in examining other chemicals.The EPAs adoption of this threshold model for formaldehyde might come as little surprise given that some of the scientists who have promoted the approach on behalf of companies are now running the agency.Among them are Nancy Beck and Lynn Dekleva, who both previously worked for the chemical industrys main trade group, the American Chemistry Council, which represents more than 190 companies and has vigorously pushed back against the EPAs efforts to regulate formaldehyde. As recently as 2022, Dekleva, then senior director of the trade groups chemical products and technology division, wrote to an EPA scientist to advocate using the threshold approach in assessing the chemical. The EPA subsequently explored and dismissed the suggestion; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine independently examined the decision and supported it.Today Dekleva serves as the deputy assistant administrator of the EPAs Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, which conducted the formaldehyde assessment. Beck, a principal deputy assistant administrator who runs the office, signed off on the official agency memo that described the changes.According to federal conflict of interest rules, EPA employees are prohibited for a year from working on specific issues in which their former employer is a party or represents one, unless they first obtain written permission from the agencys ethics office. Beck and Dekleva did not respond to requests for comment.Asked about Dekleva and Becks involvement in the recent decision to change the agencys approach to the risks of formaldehyde, an EPA spokesperson wrote in an email to ProPublica that Beck and Dekleva had obtained ethics advice from the agency that approved their work on the issue. Because formaldehyde is produced by many manufacturers and is used across many industrial sectors, this risk evaluation is not a specific party matter that raises concerns for them under the federal ethics rules, the spokesperson wrote.The spokesperson described the changes to the formaldehyde assessment as corrections of past scientific mistakes. Through a rigorous peer review process, we determined the Biden Administration used flawed analyses in its risk assessment of formaldehyde, the spokesperson wrote. We are correcting the record to reflect the best available science and our core statutory obligations.The assessment released under Biden found 58 situations in which workers or consumers face an unreasonable risk to health from formaldehyde a designation that requires the agency to mitigate it. Among the items that can emit dangerous levels of the chemical are automotive-care products like car waxes, along with crafting supplies, ink and toner, photographic supplies and fabrics, building materials, textiles and leather goods. The EPA is reversing the finding that formaldehyde presents an unreasonable risk to health in five situations while leaving dozens more standing. One of those five involves the manufacturing of wood products.The agency contends that the level of formaldehyde the EPA now says is acceptable under the revised assessment will protect people from cancer and the other harmful effects, which include asthma, miscarriage and fertility problems.But environmental advocates see the Trump administrations reversal on cancer risk as a reflection of industrys influence over the agency.The science on formaldehyde hasnt changed; these are the same arguments that the chemical industrys been peddling for the last decade, said Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, an attorney at Earthjustice, the countrys biggest public interest environmental law firm. The only difference is that theyve finally found an administration willing to ignore the findings of its own scientists.For decades, formaldehyde has been at the center of bitter battles between industry and regulators. Sometimes described as the backbone of American commerce, the chemical is used in everything from binding particleboards in furniture to serving as a building block in plastic and preserving bodies and has fierce defenders in many sectors.Our investigation identified significant levels of formaldehyde inside cars, stores and our own homes. ProPublicas analysis of EPA data also determined that, in every census block throughout the country, the risk of getting cancer from exposure to formaldehyde in outdoor air over a lifetime is higher than the limit of one incidence of cancer in a million people, the agencys goal for air pollutants. According to our analysis, some 320 million people nearly all Americans live in areas of the U.S. where the lifetime cancer risk from outdoor exposure to formaldehyde is 10 times higher than the agencys ideal.As of last year, official EPA estimates put the average risk from formaldehyde in the air at 20 times higher than the limit. But, as our investigation found, that number does not reflect the risk of myeloid leukemia, a potentially fatal blood cancer. (EPA scientists calculated that risk but, because of internal disputes about its certainty, left it out of their final number.) When myeloid leukemia is included, the cancer risk from formaldehyde jumps to 77 times higher than the limit.Former EPA veterans fear that the threshold approach to evaluating cancer risk could be applied to ease health-based protections on other carcinogens. This will open the floodgates, said Tracey Woodruff, a scientist at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine who worked at the EPA for 13 years. Chemical companies want every carcinogen to be considered a threshold carcinogen, which would allow them to say that their chemicals are safe when we know that is not true.The agency is in the process of producing risk evaluations for several other potentially cancer-causing chemicals, including 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,3-butadiene, which are used in plastics manufacturing. These decisions are especially consequential because, after the EPA finalizes a rule based on the assessment, states are prohibited from issuing their own protections on the same chemical.The EPA can finalize its proposed changes to its formaldehyde assessment after the public comment period ends on Feb. 2. Then it must issue a rule that addresses any unreasonable risk posed by the chemical.Read MoreFormaldehyde Causes More Cancer Than Any Other Toxic Air Pollutant. Little Is Being Done to Curb the Risk.The Trump administration is also taking aim at the use of the linear approach to cancer risk from radiation. An executive order issued in May deemed the method of assessing a chemicals cancer risk to be flawed and directed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to consider adopting new radiation exposure limits. Project 2025, the blueprint for the Trump presidency, similarly urges the EPA office that handles radiation to reassess the linear approach it has taken to cancer risk from radiation in the past. The EPA press office did not respond to a question about whether this work is underway.The new revision to the formaldehyde assessment also marks a stark break with the Integrated Risk Information System, or IRIS, an EPA program that quantified the health risks from formaldehyde last year. Previously, reports like the formaldehyde assessment, which was conducted under the federal chemicals law known as the Toxic Substances Control Act, have relied on values calculated by IRIS. But, in what appears to be an agency first, the EPA rejected the levels that the program calculated for the chemical last year.The sidelining of IRIS was another item on the chemical industrys wishlist and, with the EPAs latest changes on formaldehyde, also appears to be near complete. Project 2025 called for the elimination of the program. Of 55 scientists who worked on its recent assessments, only eight remain in their jobs after a reorganization of the agency, ProPublica found in October. The EPA has still not published the most recent IRIS report, an assessment of the toxicity of the forever chemical PFNA, which was finalized in April.The EPA did not respond to questions about when it plans to publish the PFNA assessment or the status of the program.The post Under Former Chemical Industry Insiders, Trump EPA Nearly Doubles Amount of Formaldehyde Considered Safe to Inhale appeared first on ProPublica.

Ukraines president was expected in London to discuss with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany ways of ending the conflict against Russia. Negotiations thus far have made little progress.

El presidente de Ucrania, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, en una rueda de prensa conjunta con el primer ministro irlands, Michael Martin, en Dubln, Irlanda, el martes 2 de diciembre de 2025. (Foto AP/Peter Morrison)2025-12-08T10:14:00Z LONDON (AP) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was meeting the French, German and British leaders in London on Monday as Kyivs European allies try to strengthen Ukraines hand in thorny talks on a U.S.-backed plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.Prime Minister Keir Starmer was due to gather with Zelenskyy, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leaders 10 Downing St. residence.Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defense and long-term funding for Ukraines war effort. The leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again.U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administrations peace proposal. Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram that talks had been substantive and that National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov were traveling back to Europe to brief him. A major sticking point in the proposal is the suggestion Ukraine must cede control of its eastern Donbas region to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of its territory. Ukraine and its European allies have balked at the idea of handing over land. In an exchange with reporters on Sunday night, President Donald Trump appeared frustrated with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader hasnt yet read the proposal.Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but Im not sure that Zelenskyys fine with it, Trump said before taking part in the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington. His people love it, but he hasnt read it.Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since riding into a second White House term insisting that the war was a waste of U.S. taxpayers money. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede land to Russia to bring an end to the nearly four-year conflict. The European talks follow the publication of a new U.S. national security strategy that alarmed European leaders and was welcomed by Russia.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document, which spells out the administrations core foreign policy interests, was largely in line with Moscows vision.The document released Friday by the White House said the U.S. wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core U.S. interest to reestablish strategic stability with Russia.The document also says NATO must not be a perpetually expanding alliance, echoing another complaint of Russias. It was scathing about the migration and free speech policies of longstanding U.S. allies in Europe, suggesting they face the prospect of civilizational erasure due to migration. Starmers government has declined to comment on the American document, saying it is a matter for the U.S. government. As diplomatic efforts continued, Russian forces continued to assault Ukraine over the weekend. At least four people were killed in drone and missile strikes on Sunday, while Moscow continues to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure as winter sets in.Meanwhile, Russian air defenses destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russias Ministry of Defense said Monday. The drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions, it said.___Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 08 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03976-8From flaming raisins to robots and rockets, the institutions Christmas Lectures have educated and entertained for two centuries.

For months, the Trump administration has been accusing its political enemies of mortgage fraud for claiming more than one primary residence.President Donald Trump branded one foe who did so deceitful and potentially criminal. He called another CROOKED on Truth Social and pushed the attorney general to take action.But years earlier, Trump did the very thing hes accusing his enemies of, records show.In 1993, Trump signed a mortgage for a Bermuda style home in Palm Beach, Florida, pledging that it would be his principal residence. Just seven weeks later, he got another mortgage for a seven-bedroom, marble-floored neighboring property, attesting that it too would be his principal residence.In reality, Trump, then a New Yorker, does not appear to have ever lived in either home, let alone used them as a principal residence. Instead, the two houses, which are next to his historic Mar-a-Lago estate, were used as investment properties and rented out, according to contemporaneous news accounts and an interview with his longtime real estate agent exactly the sort of scenario his administration has pointed to as evidence of fraud.At the time of the purchases, Trumps local real estate agent told the Miami Herald that the businessman had hired an expensive New York design firm to dress them up to the nines and lease them out annually. In an interview, Shirley Wyner, the late real estate agents wife and business partner who was herself later the rental agent for the two properties, told ProPublica: They were rentals from the beginning. Wyner, who has worked with the Trump family for years, added: President Trump never lived there.Despite signing a mortgage that pledged he would live in each house, Trump listed both homes as rentals. Palm Beach Daily News via Newspapers.com. Redactions by ProPublica.Mortgage law experts who reviewed the records for ProPublica were struck by the irony of Trumps dual mortgages. They said claiming primary residences on different mortgages at the same time, as Trump did, is often legal and rarely prosecuted. But Trumps two loans, they said, exceed the low bar the Trump administration itself has set for mortgage fraud.Given Trumps position on situations like this, hes going to either need to fire himself or refer himself to the Department of Justice, said Kathleen Engel, a Suffolk University law professor and leading expert on mortgage finance. Trump has deemed that this type of misrepresentation is sufficient to preclude someone from serving the country.Mortgages for a persons main home tend to receive more favorable terms, like lower interest rates, than mortgages for a second home or an investment rental property. Legal experts said that having more than one primary-residence mortgage can sometimes be legitimate, like when someone has to move for a new job, and other times can be caused by clerical error. Determining ill intent on the part of the borrower is key to proving fraud, and the experts said lenders have significant discretion in what loans they offer clients. (In this case, Trump used the same lender to buy the two Florida homes.)But in recent months, the Trump administration has asserted that merely having two primary-residence mortgages is evidence of criminality.Bill Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director who has led the charge, said earlier this year: If somebody is claiming two primary residences, that is not appropriate, and we will refer it for criminal investigation.Trump hung up on a ProPublica reporter after being asked whether his Florida mortgages were similar to those of others he had accused of fraud.In response to questions, a White House spokesperson told ProPublica: President Trumps two mortgages you are referencing are from the same lender. There was no defraudation. It is illogical to believe that the same lender would agree to defraud itself.The spokesperson added, this is yet another desperate attempt by the Left wing media to disparage President Trump with false allegations, and said, President Trump has never, or will ever, break the law.The White House did not respond to questions about any other documents related to the transactions, such as loan applications, that could shed light on what Trump told the lender or if the lender made any exceptions for him.At the time Trump bought the two Florida properties, he was dealing with the wreckage of high-profile failures at his casinos and hotels in the early 1990s. (He famously recounted seeing a panhandler on Fifth Avenue around this time and telling his companion: You know, right now that man is worth $900 million more than I am.) In December 1993, he married the model Marla Maples in an opulent ceremony at The Plaza Hotel. And in Florida, he was pushing local authorities to let him turn Mar-a-Lago, then a residence, into a private club.Trump bought the two homes, which both sit on Woodbridge Road directly north of Mar-a-Lago, and got mortgages in quick succession in December 1993 and January 1994. The lender on both mortgages, one for $525,000 and one for $1,200,000, was Merrill Lynch.Each of the mortgage documents signed by Trump contain the standard occupancy requirement that he must make the property his principal residence within 60 days and live there for at least a year, unless the lender agreed otherwise or there were extenuating circumstances.But ProPublica could not find evidence Trump ever lived in either of the properties. Legal documents and federal election records from the period give his address as Trump Tower in Manhattan. (Trump would officially change his permanent residence to Florida only decades later, in 2019.) A Vanity Fair profile published in March 1994 describes Trump spending time in Manhattan and at Mar-a-Lago itself.Trumps real estate agent, who told the local press that the plan from the beginning was to rent out the two satellite homes, was quoted as saying, Mr. Trump, in effect, is in a position to approve who his neighbors are.In the ensuing years, listings popped up in local newspapers advertising each of the homes for rent. At one point in 1997, the larger of the two homes, a 7-bedroom, 7-bathroom Mediterranean Revival mansion, was listed for $3,000 per day.Even if Trump did violate the law with his two primary-residence mortgages in Florida, the loans have since been paid off and the mid-1990s is well outside the statute of limitations for mortgage fraud.In 1993, Trump signed a mortgage for a Bermuda style home in Palm Beach, pledging that it would be his principal residence. Just seven weeks later, he got another mortgage for a seven-bedroom, marble-floored neighboring property and attested that it too would be his principal residence. Obtained by ProPublicaA spokesperson for Bank of America, which now owns Merrill Lynch, did not answer questions about the Trump mortgages.Its highly unlikely we would have original documents for a 32-year-old transaction, but generally in private client mortgages the terms of the transactions are based on the overall relationship, the spokesperson said in a statement, and the mortgages are not backed by or sold to any government sponsored entity.Trumps two mortgages in Palm Beach bear similarities to the loans taken out by political rivals whom his administration has accused of fraud.In October, federal prosecutors charged New York Attorney General Letitia James over her mortgage. James has been one of Trumps top targets since she brought a fraud lawsuit against the president and his company in 2022.A central claim in the case the Trump Justice Department brought against her is that she purchased a house in Virginia, pledging to her lender that it would serve as her second home, then proceeded to use it as an investment property and rent it out. This misrepresentation allowed James to obtain favorable loan terms not available for investment properties, according to the indictment.Trumps Florida mortgage agreements appear to have made a more significant misrepresentation, as he claimed those homes would be his primary residence, not his secondary home as James did, before proceeding to rent them out.James has denied the allegations against her, and the case was dismissed last month over procedural issues, though the Justice Department has been trying to reindict her.The circumstances around Trumps mortgages are also similar to the case his administration has made against Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.Trump declared he was firing Cook earlier this year over her mortgages, as he has sought to bend the traditionally independent agency to his will and force it to lower interest rates. Cook, who denied wrongdoing, has sued to block the termination and continues to serve on the Fed board as that legal fight continues.In a letter to Cook, Trump specifically noted that she signed two primary residence mortgages within weeks of each other just as records show he did in Florida.You signed one document attesting that a property in Michigan would be your primary residence for the next year. Two weeks later, you signed another document for a property in Georgia stating that it would be your primary residence for the next year, Trump wrote. It is inconceivable that you were not aware of your first commitment when making the second.He called the loans potentially criminal and wrote, at a minimum, the conduct at issue exhibits the sort of gross negligence in financial transactions that calls into question your competence and trustworthiness.The Trump administration has made similar fraud allegations against other political enemies, including Democrats Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell, both of whom have denied wrongdoing.In September, ProPublica reported that three of Trumps Cabinet members have called multiple homes their primary residences in mortgage agreements. Bloomberg also reported that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent did something similar. (The Cabinet members have all denied wrongdoing.)Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency head, has denied his investigations are politically motivated. If its a Republican whos committing mortgage fraud, were going to look at it, he has said. If its a Democrat, were going to look at it.Thus far, Pulte has not made any publicly known criminal referrals against Republicans. He did not respond to questions from ProPublica about Trumps Florida mortgages.The post Trumps Own Mortgages Match His Description of Mortgage Fraud, Records Reveal appeared first on ProPublica.

Plus, the social changes sweeping Iran.

A year ago, rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad, ending decades of dictatorship and civil war. But challenges remain for the new leadership.

A cease-fire after two years of war with Israel has allowed Hamas to tighten its grip on power again. Its still standing, one Israeli official said.

As a lawyer for a conservative think tank, Ms. Bondi, now the attorney general, filed a Supreme Court brief last year saying service members who followed such orders were committing crimes.

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Nature, Published online: 08 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03904-wThe German government has committed half a billion euros for research on long COVID and other post-infection syndromes.

Nature, Published online: 08 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03979-5Students and a financial planner give their advice on budgeting, saving and investing during doctoral studies.

Nature, Published online: 08 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09995-9Publisher Correction: CRISPR activation for SCN2A-related neurodevelopmental disorders

Terry Rozier, who is scheduled to be arraigned Monday for his alleged role in a betting scheme, was traded to Miami in 2024 without any investigation being disclosed.

We spoke to past and present quarterbacks about whether arguing with officials helped them.

A drastic turnaround for Barkley might feel far-fetched, but notable improvement in the run game is attainable.

We examine an investigation that is testing Volodymyr Zelenskys government.

The courts conservative majority has generally let President Trump remove leaders of independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission, at least temporarily.

The chair of the central bank is dealing with internal divisions while being besieged by President Trump and front-runners jockeying to replace him.

Democrats see their voters energized in a county that President Trump won. Republicans fear the runoff could add to recent losses.

Movies like One Battle After Another and Hamnet are considered strong contenders for the top awards, along with television shows like The Pitt and The Studio.

Nature, Published online: 08 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03978-6Misunderstanding and hubris have broken public trust in governments use of science, but it can be restored.

From first-round draft pick to iconic character, Ryan's path is a unique one. Plus, this week's key NHL games.

WSL champions Chelsea were on a 34-game unbeaten run, but lost to Everton at the weekend to open up the title race.

It appears this Premier League title race can be summed up with one question: Can Arsenal can hold their nerve with Man City breathing down their necks?

From predicting who will sign to the latest buzz from Florida, here's everything you need as baseball's hot stove season heats up.

The gutting of the East Wing of the White House and our national preoccupation with renovation.