Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03827-6More than 7,000 languages are spoken around the world, but the human brain becomes highly specialized to process speech in an individuals own language. Recordings from human brains reveal the shared and language-specific neural mechanisms that arise in the superior temporal gyrus to achieve this feat.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09753-xA Review of the impacts of short-lived halogens on air quality and climate identifies gaps in our knowledge of short-lived halogen emissions, chemistry, and the environmental and climate impacts.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09800-7Experimental observations in small-grained polycrystals suggest a new concept of considering metallic grain boundaries not as defects but as separate defect-containing lattices, providing a potential explanation for the deformation behaviour of nanocrystalline metals.

First baseman Pete Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $155 million contract, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

ESPN's Stuart Scott changed the way we talked about sports, and in doing so put himself on ESPN's Mount Rushmore, writes Michael Wilbon.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels aggravated his elbow injury on a hit against the Vikings and will not play in Week 15 against the Giants.

Travis Kelce said on the "New Heights" podcast that he is struggling to find the answers for his play this season.

Less than a year after his first league start, Josh King is earning praise from sporting directors and agents alike.

The United States history in the region includes several about-faces, contradictions and missteps.

Through their reporting, the columnists share how regular citizens stand up to governments they oppose.

Sophie Kinsella, the author of Confessions of a Shopaholic, packs love, laughter and a harrowing real-life health ordeal into a 133-page novella.

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Chad Walker, right, and Adrienne Higbee help an out-of-town neighbor with their property as the Skykomish River rises on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Index, Snohomish County, Wash. (Nick Wagner /The Seattle Times via AP)2025-12-10T05:18:44Z PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Pacific Northwest residents braced for another round of heavy rain, flooding and evacuations on Wednesday after a powerful storm clobbered the region a day earlier, swelling rivers, closing roads and prompting high water rescues.Rivers across western Washington were rising again after a brief morning lull, the National Weather Service said, warning travelers to use caution. Major or record flooding was expected along the Skagit and Snohomish rivers north of Seattle, and overtopping of levees was possible, the National Water Center said.Evacuations were ordered Wednesday in part of the town of Orting in the foothills of Mt. Rainier south of Seattle. Officials said there was a significant threat to life or property amid extremely high river levels and concerns about levees upstream on the Puyallup River. Teams planned to go door to door to alert residents, and an evacuation center was set to open. Forecasters warn that the worst river flooding is still to come. By early Wednesday, parts of the Cascade Range in Washington were reporting impressive hourly rain rates near or above a half-inch (1.2 centimeters) per hour, the weather service posted on X. The Paradise area on the slopes of Mount Rainier picked up 3.25 inches (8.2 centimeters) of rain in 10 hours. On Tuesday, a storm caused power outages, flooding and school closures in parts of Oregon and Washington. Drivers navigated debris slides and water that closed roads and submerged vehicles. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Fire officials northeast of Seattle said rescue crews used inflatable kayaks to pull people from stranded cars, and carried another person about a mile (1.6 kilometers) to safety after rising water trapped them in the woods. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday night that the states Emergency Operations Center had moved to its highest activation level because of the rain and wind. Major rivers are forecast to crest later this weekThe Skagit River near the northern Washington town of Concrete was forecast to rise more than 15 feet (4.6 meters) above major flooding levels by Thursday, which would break a record, according to the National Water Prediction Service.Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the weather service in Seattle, described the atmospheric river soaking the region as a jet stream of moisture stretching across the Pacific Ocean with the nozzle pushing right along the coast of Oregon and Washington.The weather service expects several days of heavy rainfall along the coast and more than a foot (30 centimeters) of new snow in the northern Rockies in northwestern Wyoming. Flood watches were in effect, with scattered flash flooding possible along the coast and into the Cascade Range through midweek.Along Interstate 5 between Seattle and Portland, firefighters conducted five rescues for people who tried to drive on flooded roads, including a semitruck driver, said Malachi Simper, spokesperson for Lewis County Fire Protection District 5. Authorities also rescued a family of six from their home in Chehalis, he said, adding that the road to the house was under about 4 feet (1.2 meters) of water at the time. No one was injured. Authorities go door to door warning about floodingDeputies in Washington knocked on doors in certain neighborhoods to warn residents of imminent flooding, and evacuated a mobile home park along the Snohomish River. The city of Snohomish issued an emergency proclamation, while workers in Auburn, south of Seattle, installed temporary flood control barriers along the White River.Farther south near the Oregon border, the city of Longview on the Columbia River said it was opening a severe weather shelter Tuesday night.Another storm system is expected to bring more rain starting Sunday, Rademacher said. The pattern looks pretty unsettled going up to the holidays.In southeast Alaska, an arctic blast could bring wind chills as low as minus 50 degrees (minus 45.6 Celsius) in Skagway and minus 15 degrees (minus 26 Celsius) in the capital Juneau, according to the weather service. Severe weather also targets the Upper MidwestA fast-moving storm brought freezing rain, high winds and heavy snow to the Upper Midwest on Tuesday, forcing some schools to close or move to virtual lessons.Parts of central and northern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin saw heavy snow, while the Twin Cities metro and southwest Minnesota got a mix of wintry weather. St. Cloud, Minnesota, got nearly 6 inches (15 centimeters) of snow by Wednesday morning, the weather service said. The storm was heading into the Great Lakes region on Wednesday. Parts of upstate New York near Lake Ontario, including the western Adirondacks, were under a winter storm warning with heavy snow expected. ___ CLAIRE RUSH Rush is an Associated Press reporter covering Oregon state government and general news in the Pacific Northwest more broadly. twitter mailto

New York Mets' Pete Alonso, left, stands with Francisco Lindor after flying out with the bases loaded during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)2025-12-10T18:28:13Z BALTIMORE (AP) The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $155 million, five-year deal with slugger Pete Alonso, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical.Its a major move for a Baltimore team that vowed to be aggressive following a last-place finish. Alonso hit .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs this year for the New York Mets, posting an .871 OPS that was his highest since he hit 53 home runs as a rookie in 2019.Alonso, who turned 31 on Sunday, hit 264 homers over seven seasons with the Mets. Hes earned All-Star honors five times, including each of the past four years.Nicknamed the Polar Bear, Alonso became a Citi Field fan favorite as a home-grown member of the Mets. He was NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, when he hit .260 with a major league-high 53 homers a rookie record and 120 RBIs. He had a career-high 131 RBIs in 2022. Alonso batted a career-low .217 in 2023 while hitting 46 homers and driving in 118 runs and hit .240 with 34 homers and 88 RBIs in 2024. After a slow free agent market last winter, Alonso signed a $54 million, two-year contract to stay with the Mets, but he opted out of the final year of the deal.Alonso met with teams at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida. Pete lives in Tampa, its rather warm there, his agent, Scott Boras, said Tuesday. So the polar vortex of last year has kind of thawed. So the prior market that prior bear market is exhausted.___AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

The piece includes references to suicide. LGBTQ+ youth can reachThe Trevor Project lifeline at 866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678. You can also call or text988for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time.A new brief from The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth, examines the link between pronoun respect and mental health outcomes for transgender and nonbinary young people. The report, Pronoun Usage and Mental Health Impacts of Pronoun Respect in TGNB Young People, analyzes national survey data to show how pronoun affirmation relates to lower rates of suicide attempts.Nearly one third of transgender and nonbinary youth use binary pronouns (32 percent). 68% reported using nonbinary pronouns like they/them or a combination of binary and nonbinary, like she/they for example. Among those using other pronouns, also referred to as neopronouns, the most common were it/its, xe/xi, and ze/zi.Respect rates were higher for transgender boys and men (52 percent) and girls and women (48 percent) than for nonbinary youth (37 percent) or those questioning their gender (40 percent). Youth whose pronouns were respected reported lower past-year suicide attempts, 11 percent compared with 17 percent among those who were not respected.Chart courtesy of The Trevor Project. Pronoun respect remains inconsistent. About half of youth ages 18 to 24 say most people in their lives use their pronouns, while rates are lower among younger teens (13 to 17) and among those who use nonbinary or less familiar pronouns. Respect also varies by age, race, sexuality and gender identity.Because pronoun respect is tied to reduced suicide attempts, the authors call for stronger awareness, training and daily practice across schools, health care, homes and online spaces.Trevors crisis services remain available for support.The post Respecting pronouns linked to better mental health outcomes for TGNB youth, per Trevor Project report appeared first on News Is Out.

The president of the United States claimed that Democrats want to turn everyone transgender if theyre not feeling well, while he ranted at a recent speech that was ostensibly about the economy.I think transgender for all is a great, great thing for the Democrats to be talking about, he said during a speech at the Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, casino yesterday. The speech was billed as a chance for Trump to reclaim the economic narrative, according to The Guardian. Related Mark Takano blasts Republicans for cruelly blaming shutdown on trans people Transgender for every member of your family. If theyre not feeling well that night, lets just change their sex, he said, getting the crowd to laugh. Lets not talk about it. Let em go and let em fight, fight, fight just to get these things.Trump: "Transgender for every member of your family. If they're not feeling well that night, let's just change their sex." Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-12-10T00:40:17.363Z 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 While Trump claimed that Democrats wont stop talking about transgender issues, thats far from the truth. Trump made trans peoples rights the centerpiece of his 2024 campaign, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on anti-trans ads, while Kamala Harris campaign stayed fairly silent on trans rights.Trump has repeatedly used the expression transgender for all he generally presents it as something that he believes Democrats are demanding over the past several years, even though its not clear what he means by it. This was perhaps one of the few times that he has offered more of an explanation as to what he means when he says that: He appears to believe that Democrats want everyone to transition, as if transitioning is something people do irrespective of their identity In reality, liberals see trans people as a discrete, historically oppressed minority in need of the protection of the law. Expanding or restricting transgender peoples rights wont change the number of transgender people; it will just change whether they feel safe in living their lives authentically, according to the liberal worldview. Trumps argument appears to be that the fact that Democrats want to make transitioning easier for some people means that they want everyone to do it.Also in his speech on Tuesday, Trump attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who is a Black, Muslim woman, falsely accusing her of having married her brother, calling her a b**ch, and saying that she wears a little turban. The crowd then started chanting Send her back! even though she is a naturalized U.S. citizen.Trump: "Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is. With her little turban. I love her. She comes in, does nothing but bitch we ought to get her the hell out she's here illegally."The crowd in Pennsylvania then starts chanting "send her back!" Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-12-10T00:43:34.210ZTrump also admitted that he referred to Haiti and African nations as s**thole countries in 2018, which was a scandal at the time. At the time, he lied and said he never said it, but he is apparently now willing to admit he did.We had a meeting, and I said, Why is it we only take people from s**thole countries, right? he recounted on Tuesday. Why cant we have some people from Norway, Sweden, just a few. Let us have a few. From Denmark send us some nice people. Do you mind? But we always take people from Somalia, places that are a disaster, right? Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime. The only thing theyre good at is going after ships.I already knew Donald Trump was a liar and corrupt and incompetent, but there were a lot of people who did go into this election with a real hope that Donald Trump was going to lower costs, out Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D) said. Now he says that affordability is a hoax. They thought that Donald Trump was going to get us out of foreign wars and entanglements. Now hes looking at invading Venezuela.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Gay Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has revealed the biggest scandal to hit the Republican Party in the 2024 election, and its not the 34 criminal convictions of former President Donald Trump, the classified governments he took from the White House, or the childless cat ladies comments that have continually haunted Trumps running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).Speaking inside Chicagos Sheraton Grand Hotel last Thursday during the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Buttigieg said, Most people say elections arent really about policy anymore, but if you think about it This is an extraordinary thing, that the biggest scandal to hit the Republican Party in the 2024 election, the one thats the most damaging, the one theyre actually most afraid of, the one thats gotten them doing damage control, isnt a criminal cover-upalthough they got one of those too. It isnt a sex scandal, although and he reportedly trailed off, according to Jezebel, alluding to Trumps illegal hush money payments to cover up his alleged extramarital affair with adult video performer Stormy Daniels. Related JD Vances foreword to Project 2025 founders book says Democrats are wolves who must be killed He then revealed the scandal, saying, Its that they wrote down their own policies, and everybody saw what theyre planning to do in this country, and its wildly unpopular. That is the thing that they might not recover from. 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 Buttigieg was referring to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundations Christian Nationalist blueprint for a second Trump presidency. He added, I actually think were still under-reacting to Project 2025.The 900-page blueprint includes plans to ban abortion nationwide and to require doctors to report abortions and miscarriages to the federal government. It calls for removing LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination protections and for the federal government to promote a biblically based definition of marriage (i.e., only between a man and a woman) and to reinstate the Trump-era ban on transgender military members. It calls for the firing of numerous nonpartisan government employees, the jailing of journalists and activists, and the dismantling of the National Weather Service, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Education, and other federal agencies, as well as all government-funded diversity, equity, and inclusion (or DEI) initiatives. It all calls for a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants.Democrats repeatedly mentioned Project 2025 during DNC speeches, with out gay Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) and others even showing a large bound copy of the blueprint onstage during their speeches. While a recent YouGov survey found that Democratic voters are more likely than Republicans or independents to have heard of Project 2025, a majority of all Americans who have heard of it are very or somewhat against it. Trump has repeatedly said that he doesnt know anything about the blueprint, but at least 140 people who worked in his administration had a hand in its creation, writing 25 of its 30 chapters. Hundreds of Trumps stated goals for a second term match the blueprint. Trump has a close relationship with its lead architect, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, and Trumps running mate wrote a violent foreword to Roberts book praising his ideas and calling for the murder of Democrats and liberals.Donald Trump and JD Vance their Project 2025 will make things much, much harder for people who are just trying to live their lives, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz said during his DNC speech. They spent a lot of time pretending they know nothing about this, but look, I coached high school football long enough to know and trust me on this: When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, theyre going to use it.

Can Friday come already?!Heated Rivalry is the breakout sensation as the spicy gay hockey series is going viral all over social media for the unbelievable chemistry between the show's leads Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams.The handsome actors are keeping their foot on the gas as the fourth episode is about to drop later this week. New sneak peek images show the pair taking a steamy shower together and fans are going feral online. Check out the highlights below!New episodes of Heated Rivalry drop every Friday on HBO Max in the U.S. and on Crave in Canada. (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

Fans at Hi Tops, a beloved LGBTQ+ bar and community hub on Santa Monica Boulevard, got an unexpected early holiday gift Tuesday night when Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie walked into the venue during its weekly trivia event.The pair, who play rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov on the breakout Canadian series, were greeted with cheers and applause as they entered the crowded bar. The surprise appearance quickly turned the festive trivia night into an unofficial fan meet-and-greet, complete with jokes, selfies and heartfelt messages from the actors.Thank you for watching our show, Williams told the audience shortly after arriving. Storrie followed with a line that sent the room into laughter: Thank you for tweeting about our butts. The show has earned a reputation online for its intimate scenes, which have helped fuel the series viral success.But the actors quickly shifted from playful banter to appreciation, acknowledging the strong support theyve received from LGBTQ+ audiences since Heated Rivalry premiered. It means a lot to have so many people in this community embrace us and love this show, Storrie said. I think its awesome.Hudson Williams attends the premiere of Heated Rivalry at TIFF Lightbox on November 24, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario.The night took an even more meaningful turn when Williams and Storrie asked which charity the trivia event was supporting. Hi Tops staff announced that the proceeds would benefit Rainbow Labs, an LGBTQ+ youth mentoring program based in Los Angeles. The bar later confirmed that more than $1,500 was raised during the event.Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in Episode 104 of Heated Rivalry. Photo: Sabrina Lantos 2025When asked if they had a message for queer youth, both actors offered words that resonated throughout the room.Heated Rivalry. Photo: Bell MediaTake up space, be yourself, be really loud, and dont take s**t from anyone, Storrie said, receiving cheers from patrons.Williams added his own spirited advice: Believe in yourself, be yourself, and just f***ing schwing it and bang it, and fling it in every direction. Dont let anyone shut you up or shut you down. Storrie quickly clarified with a grin, It meaning your authenticity.Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, Sophie Nlisse as Rose Landry, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana, and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in Episode 104 of Heated Rivalry. Photo: Sabrina Lantos 2025The appearance marks the latest moment in the growing cultural footprint of Heated Rivalry, which has become one of the most talked-about queer dramas of the year. Adapted from Rachel Reids Game Changers novels, the series centers on Rozanov and Hollander, two professional hockey players whose rivalry masks a secret, passionate relationship.Heated Rivalry. Photo: Bell MediaThe show has also expanded its universe to include a fan-favorite episode inspired by Reids first book, Game Changer, highlighting the romance between hockey player Scott Hunter (Franois Arnaud) and barista Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.).Heated RivalryAs for Williams and Storrie, their West Hollywood drop-in proved theyre not just stars of a hit series, theyre eager participants in the community that helped turn Heated Rivalry into a phenomenon.Source

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09869-0Beneficial effects of fasting combined with endocrine therapy for oestrogen receptor--expressing breast cancers can be recapitulated using exogenous glucocorticoid receptor ligands instead of fasting to reduce harmful effects.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-04059-4Archaeological evidence makes a compelling case for Neanderthal-created fires 400,000 years ago in Suffolk, UK plus, how chatbots can sway the opinions of voters.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09824-zThe tolerogenic activity of type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) is determined by EPOR, which is preferentially expressed in cDC1s and induces antigen-specific FOXP3-expressing regulatory T cells.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03734-wTransposable elements can insert into genes, disrupting protein-coding potential. Researchers discover a mode of RNA processing, SOS splicing, that provides a quick fix.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09829-8An intestinal organoid model recapitulates human microfold (M) cell function and transcriptomic profiling and biochemical assays demonstrate that M cells uptake and present antigens to the immune system via the class II major histocompatibility complex.

Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was named the team's starter for the remainder of the season on Monday by coach Kevin Stefanski, says he's focused only on this week's opportunity against the Bears.

The Colts will wait to see how this week of practice goes before deciding who will start Sunday at quarterback but Philip Rivers, 44, is under serious consideration.

EA Sports also released its latest Team of the Week for Madden NFL 26.

Andre Snellings digs into the numbers and explains what has to happen for LeBron to get back on track, and what the chances are of that happening this season.

A draft memo from the E.P.A. assumes a safe threshold exists for formaldehyde, upending earlier findings that there is no safe level of exposure to the carcinogen.

The government faces a dilemma over what to do with civil-war-era prisons and detention camps that hold thousands of ISIS fighters and tens of thousands of their family members.

Investigators said that a security camera recorded thieves preparing to burgle the Louvre, but that guards didnt watch the feed in time. The museums director had previously said the camera was facing the wrong way.

Republicans redid their voting maps so they could flip those seats to help keep control of the U.S. House. But achieving that goal is far from guaranteed.

FEMA rejected requests for federal assistance, twice, after devastating floods in western Maryland, part of a larger pattern of making communities pay for their own disaster recovery.

The Golden Globe Awards announced the addition of a new best podcast category, with the inaugural nominees avoiding podcasts that are controversial and politically charged. What do you think?I got into podcasting because Im an idiot, not for accolades.Lou Farmer, Embroidery EnthusiastNow theres a new way for podcasters to be losers.Aaron Barsanti, Hubcap ShinerIf I wanted to hear friends banter for 45 minutes, I would just make friends.Philippa Thorpe, Composting AdvocateThe post Golden Globes Introduces Best Podcast Category appeared first on The Onion.

Travelers wait in a TSA checkpoint at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, in Romulus, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)2025-12-10T19:17:59Z WASHINGTON (AP) Foreigners who are allowed to come to the United States without a visa could soon be required to submit information about their social media, email accounts and extensive family history to the Department of Homeland Security before being approved for travel. The notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register said Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years worth of social media information from travelers from select countries who do not have to get visas to come to the U.S. The Trump administration has been stepping up monitoring of international travelers and immigrants.The announcement refers to travelers from more than three dozen countries who take part in the Visa Waiver Program and submit their information to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which automatically screens them and then approves them for travel to the U.S. Unlike visa applicants, they generally do not have to go into an embassy or consulate for an interview. DHS administers the program, which currently allows citizens of roughly 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for three months without visas. The announcement also said that CBP would start requesting a list of other information, including telephone numbers the person has used over the past five years or email addresses used over the past decade. Also sought would be metadata from electronically submitted photos, as well as extensive information from the applicants family members, including their places of birth and their telephone numbers. The application that people are now required to fill out to take part in ESTA asks for a more limited set of questions such as parents names and current email address.The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed changes before they go into effect, the notice said. CBP officials did not immediately respond to questions about the new rules.The announcement did not say what the administration was looking for in the social media accounts or why it was asking for more information. But the agency said it was complying with an executive order that Republican President Donald Trump signed in January that called for more screening of people coming to the U.S. to prevent the entry of possible national security threats. Travelers from countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program system are already required to submit their social media information, a policy that dates back to the first Trump administration. The policy remained during Democratic President Joe Bidens administration.But citizens from visa waiver countries were not obligated to do so.Since January, the Trump administration has stepped up checks of immigrants and travelers, both those trying to enter the U.S. as well as those already in the country. Officials have tightened visa rules by requiring that applicants set all of their social media accounts to public so that they can be more easily scrutinized and checked for what authorities view as potential derogatory information. Refusing to set an account to public can be considered grounds for visa denial, according to guidelines provided by the State Department. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services now considers whether an applicant for benefits, such as a green card, endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views.The heightened interest in social media screening has drawn concern from immigration and free speech advocates about what the Trump administration is looking for and whether the measures target people critical of the administration in an infringement of free speech rights. REBECCA SANTANA Santana covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Associated Press. She has extensive experience reporting in such places as Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. twitter mailto

Michael Gallucci works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)2025-12-10T03:48:32Z NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. stock market remains largely quiet on Wednesday as Wall Street waits to hear what the Federal Reserve will say in the afternoon about where interest rates may be heading.The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged and remains near its all-time high, which was set in October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 198 points, or 0.4%, as of 12:33 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% lower.Among the markets big movers was GE Vernova, which flew 13.9% higher after the energy company raised its forecast for revenue by 2028, doubled its dividend and increased its program to buy back its own stock. Palantir Technologies added 2.8% after saying the U.S. Navy will use its artificial-intelligence technology as part of a $448 million program.On the losing end of Wall Street was GameStop, which fell 4.8% after reporting weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The video-game retailers profit topped forecasts, though. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store rose 1.1% after swinging between gains and losses. The restaurant chain caught up in a furor around its logo design reported better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected but also cut its forecast for revenue this fiscal year, as well as for an underlying measure of earnings. In the bond market, Treasury yields eased a bit as the countdown ticks toward the Feds announcement at 2 p.m. Eastern time. The widespread expectation is that it will cut its main interest rate for a third time this year in hopes of bolstering the job market. That expectation is so strong that U.S. stock prices have already run to the edge of their records because of it. The more important question for Wall Street will be what Fed officials will say about where they see interest rates potentially heading in 2026. Wall Street has been bracing for Fed officials to imply fewer cuts to rates in 2026 than this year, and potentially fewer than the two that many traders are expecting now, even after they downgraded their forecasts. While lower interest rates can boost the economy and send prices for investments higher, they can also worsen inflation. With inflation remaining stubbornly above the Feds 2% target, Fed officials are notably split about whether high inflation or the slowing job market is the bigger threat to the economy. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.16% from 4.18% late Tuesday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, dipped to 3.59% from 3.61%. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed amid mostly modest movements across Europe and Asia.___AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

An Afro-Latina trans woman is suing Hilton, claiming she was assaulted earlier this year by an employee of one of the hotel chains locations in Dallas, Texas.As The Dallas Voice reports, the lawsuit, filed December 9, indicates that Nebraska resident Kimberly Barnett was staying at the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre from June 20 to 24 while attending LGBTQ+ Pride events in the city. Upon returning to the hotel around 3:45 a.m. on June 24, Barnett was approached in the lobby by a hotel employee identified as Jeremy Morton. According to the lawsuit, Morton identified himself as hotel security and offered to take her car keys to the hotels valet parking service. Related A trans woman secretly recorded her doctors during cancer surgery. Shes suing over what she heard. After handing her keys over to Morton, Barnett went to her 20th-floor room. According to the lawsuit, Morton showed up at Barnetts door around 4:15 a.m. with a stack of towels she had not requested and forced his way partially into her room.Morton forced his way into the doorway, grabbed [Barnett] by her waist, fondled her breast and buttocks and proceeded to kiss her neck, the lawsuit states, according to The Dallas Voice. Morton also allegedly told Barnett, Im going to eat your p***y. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The lawsuit notes that Barnetts fear in the moment was exacerbated by the fact that she was unsure whether Morton was aware that she was trans. As a trans woman, the lawsuit explains, Barnett feared that if Morton did not already understand that she was trans, he might react with hostility and violence when he did become aware of her gender identity.As a Black and Latina trans woman, I live with an added awareness of how quickly situations can become dangerous when someones identity is discovered without warning, Barnett said in a statement. At that moment, I feared for my physical safety. After Barnett was able to push Morton out of the room and lock her door, Morton allegedly sent her several messages from his personal cell phone, including an unsolicited and explicit video of himself masturbating and an offer to send her money via Cash App.Barnett reported the incident to the hotels management the next morning and a subsequent investigation by Dallas Police revealed that Morton had accessed hotel records to get Barnetts cell phone and room numbers. Morton was charged with assault with offensive contact and unlawful electronic transmission of sexually explicit material, according to The Dallas Voice. He was also suspended by the hotel pending an internal investigation, but later resigned.A representative for Tolbert and Associates Law, the firm representing Barnett, told The Dallas Voice that Barnett chose to move forward with the lawsuit after conversations with Hilton to reveal systemic failures on their part failed. The rep also alleged that Hilton representatives repeatedly misgendered Ms. Barnett, and invalidated and dismissed her assault because of her being a trans woman.I am here today because what happened to me should not happen to anyone. No guest at a Hilton or any other hotel should ever have [to] trade their safety or dignity for a place to rest, Barnett said in a statement. Hilton has a responsibility to protect the people who stay with them. I want accountability, and I want change not just for me, but so no one ever has to experience what I did.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09822-1A finely balanced ratio of ferredoxin-2 (FDX2) and frataxin (FXN) is essential for the synthesis of ironsulfur clusters, and interventions targeting this ratio could provide a way to treat related diseases, such as Friedreichs ataxia.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09836-9Data collected from zoos and aquariums worldwide show that hormonal contraception or permanent surgical sterilization in mammals increase life expectancy, with different mechanisms in males and females.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09855-6Baked sediment, heat-shattered artefacts and introduced pyrite in a 400,000-year-old Palaeolithic occupation site in Suffolk, UK provide evidence of intentional fire-making, marking a pivotal moment in human development.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09775-5The ALICE Collaboration provides details on the microscopic mechanism that ends up creating antideuteron in high-energy protonproton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09728-yThirty years of forest demographic data, combined with recent ecophysiological measurements, reveal that intense Amazon droughts sharply increase tree mortality once soil moisture falls below a threshold, and that these hot droughts will become more frequent and intense as Earth warms towards hypertropical conditions.

The NCAA accused a former men's basketball player at the University of San Francisco of knowingly sharing information about his statistics in upcoming games with a player at a different school who was betting on his stats on daily fantasy sites.

The actor, 60, was struck by a vehicle in Midtown Manhattan late on Monday, her agent and the police said.

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration had illegally kept troops in Los Angeles after emergency conditions had ended. The administration is expected to appeal.

Midpriced steakhouses and fine-dining establishments are trying to figure out how to cover their rising costs without scaring away customers.

The Southern Transitional Council has seized control of parts of Yemen over the past week, with ambitions to create a south Arabian state.

A Colorado museum cited state law while rejecting an artwork with unflattering depictions of politicians. Free speech groups called the decision censorship.

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