The woman who helped coerce other women into the clutches of sex trafficking ring GirlsDoPorn will spend two years in prison, a federal judge ordered on Friday.GirlsDoPorn operated for almost a decade; its owners and co-conspirators were indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in October 2019. Over the years, its content became wildly popular on some of the worlds biggest porn tube sites, including PornHub, where the videos generated millions of views.Valorie Moser was the bookkeeper for GirlsDoPorn and met victims as they arrived in San Diego to be filmedand in many cases, brutally abusedby sex traffickers Michael Pratt, Matthew Wolfe, and their co-conspirators. More than 500 women were coerced into filming sex scenes in hotel rooms across the city after responding to modeling ads online. When they arrived, many testified, they were pressured into signing convoluted contracts, given drugs and alcohol, told the content they were filming would never appear online or reach their home communities, and were sexually abused for hours while the camera rolled.GirlsDoPorn edited those hours of footage into clips of the women seeming to enjoy themselves, according to court documents. Many of the women were college agedone celebrated her 18th birthday on camera as part of her GirlsDoPorn appearanceand nervous or inexperienced.During Mosers sentencing, U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino told Moser, You provided them assurances and comfort, Courthouse News reported from the courtroom. Much of that comfort was false assurances, and assurances you knew to be false. The court does believe you were involved in the fraud and took part in the fraud.Michael Pratt, GirlsDoPorn Ringleader, Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonMichael James Pratt was sentenced to federal prison on charges of sex trafficking connected to the GirlsDoPorn crime ring. He turned my pain into profit, my life into currency, said one victim.404 MediaSamantha ColeMoser was charged with federal sex trafficking counts in 2019 alongside Pratt, Wolfe, and several other co-conspirators. According to prosecutors, Pratt instructed Moser to deceive women about the scheme and how she was involved. Moser worked for GirlsDoPorn from 2015 to 2018. Pratt instructed Moser not to tell the women the truth about their videos distribution as she drove the young women to and from the video shoots, prosecutors wrote in 2021 after she pleaded guilty to charges of sex trafficking. Moser was to tell the women that she was just an Uber driver. Later, Pratt told Moser to tell the women that she was bound by a non-disclosure agreement and could not discuss it. After the videos were posted on-line and widely available, many women contacted Moser to ask that their videos be taken down. Pratt, Wolfe and co-defendant Ruben Garcia all told Moser to block any calls from these women.Moser wept during the sentencing and was unable to read her own statement to the victims, according to Courthouse News; her attorney Anthony Columbo read it on her behalf. I want you to know that I hurt you, she wrote. I want you to know that I listened and I learned so much. I feel disgusted, shameful and foolish [] I failed and I am truly sorry.US Attorney Alexandra Foster read impact statements from victims, according to the report. Valorie Moser was the one who picked me up and drove me to the hotel where I was trafficked, an anonymous victim wrote, as read by Foster. Her role was to make me feel more comfortable because women trust other women. She reassured me on the way to the hotel that everything would be OK... She wasnt just a bookkeeper, she was a willing participant. She deserves to be sentenced to jail.She Turned Ghost White: How a Ragtag Group of Friends Tracked Down a Sex Trafficking RingleaderMichael Pratt hid a massive sex trafficking ring in plain sight on PornHub. On the run from the FBI, an unexpected crew of ex-military, ex-intelligence officers and a lawyer tracked him down using his love of rare sneakers and crypto. For the first time, the group tells their story.404 MediaSamantha ColeMoser is ordered to self surrender to start her sentence at noon on January 30.Judge Sammartino sentenced Pratt to 27 years in prison in September; Andre Garcia, the main actor in GirlsDoPorn videos, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 14, 2021; Theodore Gyi, the primary cameraman for the ring, was sentenced to four years on November 9, 2022 and ordered to pay victims $100,000; Wolfe was sentenced to 14 years on March 20, 2024; Douglas James Wiederhold, who performed in videos before Garcia and was the co-owner of MomPOV.com with Pratt, is set to be sentenced in January.

Out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rejected several woke designs for commemorative coins for the nations 250th anniversary next year, choosing instead a set of coins that will mostly honor white men. And now the administration seems poised to issue a coin bearing the face of a current, living president, something usually seen only in monarchies and dictatorships. Related Gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is hiding evidence of Jeffrey Epsteins crimes, senator says The Treasury unveiled a set of commemorative coins that will be available next year, mostly for collectors, even though they will be legal tender. The designs for the quarters in the collection were unveiled last week and will feature various presidents on one side and moments in U.S. history on the other: a straight Pilgrim couple and the Mayflower; George Washington and a Revolutionary War soldier; Thomas Jefferson and the Liberty Bell; James Madison and Independence Hall; and Abraham Lincoln and two interlocking hands to represent the Gettysburg Address.The collection will also include a nickel with a new picture of Thomas Jefferson on it and a dime with the only solo woman featured on one of these coins: Liberty herself, along with an eagle on the back, removing Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt from the coin. 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 The New York Times reports that the designs announced at an event last week were selected by Bessent himself over the recommendations of an 11-member committee of numismatists, historians, and other members of the public. The committees recommendations included designs that portrayed a more colorful and diverse history of the U.S., including one with abolitionist Frederick Douglass to honor the end of slavery, a Suffragette carrying a Votes for Women flag to honor womens rights, and Ruby Bridges, the 6-year-old Black girl who attended a formerly whites-only school, to honor the Civil Rights Movement.This is the first time since the committee was created in 2003 that the U.S. Mint approved designs that were not vetted by it. Members of the committee did not attend the ceremony announcing next years designs. But one coin whose design has not yet been officially announced is the dollar coin. U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach a Trump appointee said earlier this year that the Treasury would mint a dollar coin with Trump on both sides next year. The front would have a portrait of Trump on it, and the back would have a picture inspired by the image of Trump during an assassination attempt last year. The move would end the practice of not putting the current president on currency, something started by George Washington in the 1700s, who rejected a proposal to put his own face on U.S. coins. While monarchs like those of Great Britain are depicted on other countries currency, Washington thought putting his own face on a coin would be too similar to what was the practice in England.CNBC reports that the Treasury still says the design for the dollar coin has not been finalized, but the U.S. Mints webpage about the dollar coin lists only three contenders for the heads side, and all three are pictures of Trump. The six designs shown on that webpage for the tails side are all of eagles. A Mint spokesperson pointed out that there is no law against putting a sitting president on money without commenting on the appropriateness.In Congress, Democrats are trying to pass a law to ban the Treasury from putting Trumps face on the dollar coin. The Change Corruption Act, introduced by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), would ban the U.S. Mint from making any currency with the likeness of a living or sitting President.President Trumps self-celebrating maneuvers are authoritarian actions worthy of dictators like North Koreas Kim Jong Un, not the United States of America,said Merkley in a press release.We must reject his efforts to dismantle our We, The People republic and replace it with a strongman state by demanding strong accountability to prevent further abuse of taxpayer dollars. Since Republicans control both chambers of Congress and Trump himself is president the bill is unlikely to pass. Beach snarked that Democrats were so triggered by the proposed coin celebrating our nations 250th anniversary that they are trying to recklessly change law to block it.The coins are authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, signed by Trump in January 2021, which mandates the Treasury to create commemorative coins for the nations 250th anniversary. The law mandates five designs for quarters, with the requirement that one of them represent womens contributions to the U.S. That was supposed to be the quarter depicting a Suffragette, but its now the coin with the straight Pilgrim couple.The Mayflower Compact Quarter fulfills this legislative requirement, a Mint official told the Times. The women of the Plymouth colony were essential for the colonys survival by making medicines from native plants, preserving food, and educating children. Its likely the women formed early connections with the Native American Wampanoag community, collecting knowledge about farming and food preparation.Two other coins a penny and a half-dollar will be released only as collectibles.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Nature, Published online: 15 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03078-5Olivier Chastel travels to Svalbard in northern Norway to study the impact of contaminants such as mercury on black-legged kittiwakes.

The New York Jets have fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and have turned play calling over to interim DC Chris Harris, who has served as the passing game coordinator.

Packers receiver Christian Watson did not sustain a long-term injury and it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could play in the next game on Saturday against the Bears, a source told ESPN.

Put it on your countertop or in your fridge itll work double time.READ MORE...

The new head of Britain's MI6 Blaise Metreweli makes her first public speech in London, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth,pool)2025-12-15T08:17:30Z LONDON (AP) President Vladimir Putin is stalling efforts to end Russias war on Ukraine, and is testing the West with tactics that fall just below the threshold of war, the head of Britains MI6 spy agency said Monday.Blaise Metreweli said Putin is dragging out negotiations on stopping the conflict, and remains determined to subjugate Ukraine and harass NATO members.We are now operating in a space between peace and war, Metreweli said in her first public speech since becoming chief of Britains foreign intelligence agency two months ago, Russia accused of exporting chaosMetreweli accused Moscow of sponsoring cyberattacks on other countries critical infrastructure, drone incursions around European airports, campaigns of arson, sabotage and disinformation, and aggressive activities in our seas, above and below the waves.The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in this Russian approach to international engagement, and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus, she said.Metreweli is the first woman to head the U.K.s 116-year-old foreign intelligence service. She gave reporters a rare glimpse inside MI6 headquarters in London, which she noted was familiar to movie fans everywhere from the James Bond spy thrillers. Speaking inside the spy chiefs wood-paneled dining room overlooking the River Thames, she said rapidly evolving technology is rewriting the rules of conflict, while hybrid threats from states and extremist groups mean the front line is everywhere. The speech made a brief reference to Chinas implications for national security, but Metreweli focused on the threat from an aggressive, expansionist and revisionist Russia.Russia is testing us in the gray zone with tactics that are just below the threshold of war, she said. Warning comes amid Ukraine peace talksThe warning came amid a flurry of diplomatic meetings aimed at ending the almost four-year war sparked by Russias invasion of its neighbor.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Berlin Monday to meet U.S. envoys, and will meet later with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain. Kyivs allies are trying to bolster support for Ukraine amid Washingtons pressure to swiftly accept a U.S.-brokered peace deal.The MI6 chief, known as C, is the only employee of the secretive agency whose name is made public. In a speech that, unusually, touched on her personal backstory, Metreweli said that coming from a family shaped by devastating conflict, I grew up with a deep sense of gratitude for the U.K.s precious democracy and freedom.After Metrewelis appointment was announced in June, media reported that her grandfather, Constantine Dobrowolski, had been a Nazi spy in Ukraine during World War II.MI6 said Metreweli never met her grandfather. Spies must master technologyMetreweli, who has almost three decades of clandestine service and a background in anthropology, psychology and AI, was previously the MI6 director of technology and innovation the real-world equivalent of the fictional Bond gadget-master Q.She said technological savvy and human intelligence are both key to combating an interlocking web of security threats, and MI6 officers must be as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple languages.Our world is more dangerous and contested now than it has been for decades, she said, adding that we are being contested from sea to space, from the battlefield to the boardroom and even our brains, as disinformation manipulates our understanding of each other and ourselves.The foundations of trust in our societies are eroding. Information, once a unifying force, is increasingly weaponized, she added.We are now operating in a space between peace and war, Metreweli saidAnd in a warning to Britains adversaries, she said MI6 will sharpen our edge and impact and take calculated risks.We will never stoop to the tactics of our opponents. But we must seek to outplay them, she said. A series of security warningsThe speech is the latest in a series of warnings by Western defense and security authorities about the growing hybrid threat from states such as Russia, Iran and to an extent China, whose use of cyber tools, espionage and influence operations they say threatens global stability.Last week, the U.K. imposed sanctions on several Russian media outlets for alleged information warfare and two Chinese tech firms for vast and indiscriminate cyberactivities.In a separate speech, the head of the British military, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, will say Monday that Putins aim is to challenge, limit, divide and ultimately destroy NATO.The war in Ukraine shows Putins willingness to target neighboring states, including their civilian populations ... threatens the whole of NATO, including the U.K., Knighton plans to say, arguing that Britain needs both a stronger military and more resilient infrastructure to meet the evolving threat. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto

2025-12-15T15:57:47Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Federal authorities on Monday announced the arrests of four alleged members of an extremist group who are suspected of planning coordinated bombing attacks on New Years Eve across Southern California.The suspects were arrested last week in Lucerne Valley, a desert city east of Los Angeles, where they were suspected of preparing to test improvised explosive devices ahead of the planned bombings, according to the federal criminal complaint filed Saturday. They are members of an offshoot of a pro-Palestinian group dubbed the Turtle Island Liberation Front, the complaint said.They each face charges including conspiracy and possession of a destructive device, court documents show.The group is alleged to have been plotting to set off a series of bombings at multiple targets in California beginning on New Years Eve and also planned to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media. Evidence photos included in the court documents show a desert campsite with what investigators said were bomb-making materials strewn across plastic folding tables. The suspects all brought bomb-making components to the campsite, including various sizes of PVC pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, charcoal powder, sulfur powder, and material to be used as fuses, among others, the complaint states.Federal authorities planned a Monday morning news conference to discuss the arrests.

Specialists Alex Weitzman, left, and Meric Greenbaum work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)2025-12-15T04:16:33Z NEW YORK (AP) Wall Street is drifting in mixed trading on Monday at the start of a week full of economic reports that could drive where interest rates, and thus stock prices, go.The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged in morning trading, coming off its first losing week in the last three. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 5 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 10 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% lower. Helping to keep the overall market in check were stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry, which were mixed following their scary swings last week. Nvidia, the chip company thats become the face of the AI boom, rose 1.1%. It was one of the strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500 Monday after dropping 4.1% last week. But Oracle sank another 4.3% following its 12.7% tumble last week, which was its worst in more than seven years. Broadcom fell 2.7%. AI stocks have been shaky on worries that all the billions of dollars flowing into chips and data centers may not produce a big-enough payoff of profits and productivity to make it worth it. The doubts are causing cracks for the industry, whose earlier surges was the main driver for the U.S. markets rally to records. Besides AI, the main focus on Wall Street this week will be what several big updates on the U.S. economys health say. On Tuesday will come the jobs report for November, and economists expect it to show employers added 40,000 more jobs than they cut during the month. Thursday will bring an update on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling, and economists expect it to show inflation was at 3.1% last month, still higher than households and policymakers would like. Such data is under the microscope because the Federal Reserve is trying to figure out if a slowing job market or high inflation is the bigger problem for the economy. The Fed is in a potentially tough spot because fixing one of those problems by moving interest rates would likely worsen the other in the short term. The hope on Wall Street is that the job market weakens, but only by a little: enough to get the Fed to lower interest rates but not so much that a recession swamps the economy. Wall Street loves lower rates because they can give the economy and prices for investments a boost, even if they also may worsen inflation.With the Fed still appearing to be more focused on labor-market weakness than inflation, were likely facing a bad news is good scenario for the jobs report, according to Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.As long as the numbers dont suggest employment is falling off a cliff, that would mean the market would likely welcome soft numbers, he said. The spotlight will be brightest on the unemployment rate, not the overall job growth numbers, because the latter is feeling downward pressure from a drop-off in immigrant workers. Economists expect Tuesdays report to show the unemployment rate at 4.4%, which would keep it near its highest and worst level since 2021. Treasury yields eased in the bond market ahead of the updates. A report earlier on Monday morning also said that a measure of manufacturing strength in New York state unexpectedly weakened, when economists expected to see continued growth. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.15% from 4.19% late Friday.Elsewhere on Wall Street, shares of iRobot tumbled 66.8% after the maker of Roomba vacuums said holders of its stock will likely face a total loss after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the weekend. The company has reached an agreement with its primary contract manufacturer, Picea, to buy it through a court-supervised process. In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Europe following weaker finishes in Asia. Indexes fell 1.3% in Hong Kong and 0.6% in Shanghai after the Chinese government reported a drop in investment in factory equipment, infrastructure and other fixed assets. Its the latest signal that demand in the worlds second-largest economy remains weak. Japans Nikkei 225 sank 1.3% after a quarterly survey of big manufacturers by the central bank showed a slight improvement in sentiment. That could encourage the Bank of Japan to go ahead with a hike to interest rates. ___AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Mike Johnsons days as speaker of the House are numbered. The only question is how long he will last.A series of events in the past few weeks has undercut what little power Johnson ever had among his fellow Republicans in the House. GOP representatives the group that he theoretically leads are so angry that they publicly call him names. Republicans are using parliamentary procedures to get votes on bills that Johnson doesnt want to bring to the floor. Related MAGA Republicans threaten to lay waste to Mike Johnson if he doesnt keep all his promises Incumbents panicking over the potential to lose their seats, in a Democratic landslide, are blaming Johnson for their problems. He has to make promises he must know he cant keep to get bills passed. And Donald Trump is doing nothing to help Johnson in his time of need.It couldnt happen to a nicer guy. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today Johnson has always been a weak speaker. As a reminder, he got the job primarily because no one else was bland enough to win the requisite number of votes. Johnson was the fourth choice for the job. That hes managed to hold onto his job for more than two years is a testament to the partys unwillingness to go through the humiliation of another long, drawn-out search for a replacement that will satisfy both the far-right and the less far-right wings in the House.Apparently, though, Johnson has infuriated enough people that he is barely holding onto his job. The far-right House members have never been fans,threatening him since day one. Despite Johnsons impeccable credentials as a bigot and Christian nationalist, the extremists dont think he is pushing their agenda hard enough. Because the GOP holds such a slim majority in the House, a handful of dissident votes would cost Johnson the speakership. There have been past attempts. In May 2024, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was booed off the House floor for trying to oust Johnson.If she had only waited, shed have had the support she needed to succeed.He certainly wouldnt have the votes to be speaker if there was a roll-call vote tomorrow, Rep. Elise Stefanik told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month. I believe that the majority of Republicans would vote for new leadership. Its that widespread. Stefanik called Johnson a political novice unfit to be speaker. Shes angry that he pulled her nomination as ambassador to the United Nations to satisfy some personnel shuffling in the White House.Usually, that kind of rhetoric would be a cloak for personal ambition. But Stefanik is running for governor of New York (very likely losing) and will be leaving Congress. Johnsons treatment of women in the House is, by most accounts, what youd expect from a man who believes women should be subservient to men. Speaking anonymously, one female GOP representative slammed Johnson for refusing to treat women as equals.We arent taken seriously, the representative told NBC News. You have women who are very accomplished, very successful, who have earned the merit, who arent given the time of the day. That attitude has led some incumbents to consider retirement like Greene while complicating efforts to recruit women as candidates.Its not just women heading for the door. A flood of GOP representatives are unhappy and leaving, especially when faced with brutal polls for Republican candidates everywhere. The count is over two dozen so far and likely to keep rising. The less extreme Republicans in swing districts are furious that Johnson hasnt let them have a vote on extending subsidies for insurance premiums under Obamacare, knowing that they will be hammered during next years election cycle for supporting the cuts. In the meantime, Republicans in the House are treating Johnson as a roadblock that they can go around. Johnson can determine what bills come to the floor for a vote, but through a process called a discharge petition, House members can bring a bill to the floor directly. There have been a record number of discharge petitions this year.The most famous one was the petition to release the files related to convicted pedophile (and erstwhile Trump pal) Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson was so desperate to prevent that vote that he kept the House out of session for almost eight weeks during the government shutdown. He refused to swear in newly elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) for 50 days, knowing that she would be the final signature needed to force the vote. House members steamed over Johnsons tactic because other work should have been happening during their forced leave. In the end, Johnson burned his political capital for nothing, since Trump caved to pressure and announced that he supported the release of the files. Other end runs around Johnson have been equally humiliating. With bipartisan support, the House passed a bill to protect some federal workers who are union members and another bill banning stock trading by members of Congress. Neither bill is going to pass the Senate, but Johnson earned a lot of enmity for blocking his party members from bringing the bill to the floor the usual way.Not that thats been working for Johnson anyway. He had to pull out all the stops to get the National Defense Authorization Act passed. The spending bill, which is marked by anti-trans bigotry, should have been an easy sell. Instead, the America-first contingent in the House hated spending money on foreign wars while the federal deficit grew. That led to promises from Johnson that he may not be able to keep.If Johnson was looking for backup from the president, hes learning that loyalty is a one-way street for Trump. Trump hasnt spent any energy on a health care bill that Republicans could use to mitigate the cuts that they voted for. Indeed, at times, Trump has seemed to go out of his way to embarrass Johnson. Trump didnt inform the speaker before he pardoned Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), a Democrat indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges (which Cuellar denies). Republicans had considered Cuellars seat a good prospect to flip, but not anymore. Trump had hoped Cuellar, a conservative with an anti-trans voting record, would become a Republican, but Cuellar said he will remain a Democrat.I didnt know anything about it, Johnson was forced to admit.The main issue before Johnson now is how long until hes no longer the speaker of the House. Its possible that Republicans, knowing they will lose the House anyway, will decide not to go through another demeaning exercise of trying (and failing) to find a new speaker. On the other hand, they may just want to kick Johnson out for the sheer pleasure of it.Either way, Johnson will be out one way or another. The only question is whether its due to voters angry with Republicans in the House or Republicans in the House angry with one of their own.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

An anti-trans bathroom bill that took effect in Texas on December 4th is proving complicated to enforce, something trans advocates have known all along would be the case. On December 6, transgender protestors with a group called the 6W Project visited the Texas Capitol and attempted to use the restrooms that aligned with their gender identities to make a point about the lack of enforcement mechanisms in the law. Related Nancy Mace blames transgender people for her public airport freak-out At first, they easily entered the bathrooms of their choice, then proceeded to give speeches in the Capitol Rotunda, The Texas Tribune reported. But when they attempted to use the restrooms a second time, officers stopped them and asked to see their IDs. Officers claimed in a statement that the ID requests were voluntary, though those who did not show their IDs were barred from entering the bathroom. The officers did allow two trans women with female markers on their IDs to enter the womens restrooms. Officers also reportedly only guarded the womens restroom and not the mens. 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 I think that the Texas government just established that they have no consistent enforceable standards for this law, protester Matilda Miller told the Texas Tribune.What we did was not radical, it was not profound, added 6W Project co-founder Ry Vazquez. People use the restroom every day in a public setting, and for it to become what it is now, where it is now an active threat to someone who is not prepared, is utterly abysmal.Marketed as The Texas Womens Privacy Act, TexasSenate Bill 8has become better known as the bathroom bill. Its enactment marks the culmination of a10-year effort by Texas Republicans. Under the bill, access to restrooms and other facilities in taxpayer-funded buildings must be limited based on sex assigned at birth. The law applies to county and city buildings, state agency buildings, city-managed airports, public schools, and public universities.The law does not allow an individual to be punished or fined by the state; rather, it fines the institution that allowed the infraction $25,000, plus an additional $125,000 per day for additional violations. Critics of the law have worried that it will spark violent over-policing by the institutions at risk of these massive fines. This policing will affect both trans and cis people who dont fit strict gender norms. AsBrian Klosterboer, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas, said, Were still very worried that its gonna lead to a lot of harassment against trans people in particular, but also against any person who maybe looks too masculine or too feminine, or someone just wants to report them to the police or to a local entity.The law has already been used in ways that lawmakers may not have intended. Students at the University ofTexasSan Antonio (UTSA), for example, are being forced out of their current dorm rooms and made to relocate because of the ban. At UTSA, mixed-gender dorms include pairs of rooms separated by a shared bathroom; often, those rooms are occupied by people of different genders.Any students sharing a bathroom between their rooms with someone of a different sex assigned at birth are being forcibly rehoused to comply with the new law. I dont understand how you can police this to fully consenting adults, said Katarina Rendon, a UTSA sophomore. Theyre separating brothers and sisters. Theyre separating couples. You choose to live with who you want to live with, and theyre taking that choice away. Rendon says that she and her mother were given only one day to relocate her room to a different wing.Even more, research has shown no evidence that allowing trans women access to single-sex spaces like bathrooms poses a safety risk to cisgender women.In fact, forcing trans people to use facilities that do not align with their gender identity can result in high rates of harassment and violence against transgender people as well as cisgender people, particularly women who do not conform to traditional ideas of femininity, according to theMovement Advancement Project. A 2021 study from UCLAs Williams Institute found that trans people arefour times more likely than cis peopleto be victims of violent crime.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Former United States men's national team captain Michael Bradley has been named as the next coach of the New York Red Bulls.

Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons' home was broken into while the team was in Santa Clara, California, to face the 49ers on Sunday.

After three seasons, the NBA is considering moving the location of the NBA Cup away from Las Vegas next season, sources told ESPN.

All the free agent options worth adding as we dive into Week 16 and the fantasy football playoffs.

Video of Ahmed el Ahmed disarming one of the gunmen has gone viral, and officials around the world have hailed his bravery.

He and his father, the director Rob Reiner, also worked together on a film that was loosely inspired by the sons early life.

In her first public speech as head of MI6, Blaise Metreweli said Russia was attempting to export chaos to Europe through hybrid attacks and disinformation.

The shooting attack in Palmyra, Syria, on Saturday struck troops deployed as part of an antiterrorism mission. Two were killed, along with an American civilian interpreter; three others were wounded.

The data centers used for work on artificial intelligence can cost tens of billions to build. Tech giants are finding ways to avoid being on the hook for some of those costs.

PROVIDENCE, RIIn the hours following a violent rampage in Rhode Island in which a lone attacker killed at least two individuals and injured several others, citizens living in the only country where this kind of mass killing routinely occurs reportedly concluded Monday that there was no way to prevent the massacre from taking place. This was a terrible tragedy, but sometimes these things just happen and theres nothing anyone can do to stop them, said Idaho resident Kathy Miller, echoing sentiments expressed by tens of millions of individuals who reside in a nation where over half of the worlds deadliest mass shootings have occurred in the past 50 years and whose citizens are 20 times more likely to die of gun violence than those of other developed nations. Its a shame, but what can we do? There really wasnt anything that was going to keep this individual from snapping and killing a lot of people if thats what they really wanted. At press time, residents of the only economically advanced nation in the world where roughly two mass shootings have occurred every month for the past eight years were referring to themselves and their situation as helpless.The post No Way To Prevent This, Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens appeared first on The Onion.

In-N-Out Burger quietly removed 67 from its order call-out system nationwide, apparently to deter youths from erupting into cheers when the number was announced. What do you think?Im proud of the younger generation for forcing company higher-ups to have a conversation that stupid.Adam Thach, Lunch OrdererBut that was my order.Zach Cabralda, Holiday DesignatorA shrewd marketer would take the opportunity to embrace the meme and ruin it forever.Kara Ripner, Jar SealerThe post In-N-Out Removes 67 From Ordering System appeared first on The Onion.

Theyre perfect for cozy winter vibes.READ MORE...

This courtroom sketch depicts Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in court on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Adele Tesnow via AP, Pool)2025-12-15T04:40:45Z MADISON, Wis. (AP) A prosecutor told jurors Monday that a Wisconsin judge said she would take the heat for directing an immigrant to dash through a private courtroom door while federal agents were trying to arrest him.Opening remarks by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Alexander kicked off an extraordinary trial for a public official. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan is charged with obstruction and concealment for her actions this spring during President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown.The trial in federal court in Milwaukee will center on what happened when Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, reported to the county courthouse in April for a hearing on a state crime.Authorities say Dugan led him out through a back door that led to a public corridor after she told immigration agents to speak with the chief judge about trying to arrest people at the courthouse. They did not expect a judge, sworn to uphold the law, would divide their arrest team and impede their efforts to do their jobs, Alexander told the jury.He said Dugan informed her court reporter that she would take the heat for helping Flores-Ruiz. The governments case is expected to run through at least Thursday, with roughly two dozen witnesses lined up to testify. Dugan faces up to six years in prison if convicted on both counts. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on During his opening remarks, defense attorney Steven Biskupic said the judge had no intention of obstructing agents. He said Dugan was following policy when she directed federal agents to Chief Judge Carl Ashleys office. Biskupic said other agents still in the courthouse hallway decided not to arrest Flores-Ruiz when he emerged through the door and instead followed him outside the building.Now, after the fact, everyone wants to blame Judge Dugan, Biskupic said.Flores-Ruiz was arrested after a foot chase. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in November that he had been deported after he pleaded no contest in the local battery case and was sentenced to time served. Ahead of the trial, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman declined to dismiss the charges, saying there was no firmly established immunity for Dugan. Democrats say Trump is looking to make an example of Dugan to blunt judicial opposition to immigration arrests. Dugan told police she and her family found threatening flyers at their homes this spring. The administration has branded her an activist judge. Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a fierce Trump loyalist running for Wisconsin governor next year, urged authorities to lock her up in a recent tweet. TODD RICHMOND Richmond is an Associated Press reporter covering Wisconsin politics and courts as well as environmental issues and breaking news across the Great Lakes region. He is based in Madison. twitter mailto

Conservative Christians including the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Family Research Council (FRC) are outraged that Chick-fil-A isnt as homophobic as they would like the fast food chain to be.At issue is a Facebook post from an Orem, Utah, franchisee celebrating two young men who got married. Related Chick-fil-A isnt going to be happy with this Texas restaurants new chicken sandwich CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE! the December 3 post reads. Dougie & Toby recently got married and we are so beyond happy for them!The restaurant has limited comments on the post, and most of them at the moment are supportive of the couple. 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 Instead of celebrating the happiness that Dougie and Toby found, FRC was outraged that the pictures were posted at all. A December 4 article on the groups Washington Stand website says the restaurant waffles on wokeness for condoning a message that is radically at odds with the biblical values that most people associate them with.While most of Chick-fil-As chains are run by local operators, the fact that any location felt comfortable posting such a controversial message is further proof that the company hasnt weeded out the LGBT extremism that sparked so much backlash just a couple of years ago, FRCs website states. Chick-fil-A built a business model based almost entirely on faith. And frankly, that means they should be held to a higher standard.Christians even tried to get Chick-fil-A corporate to denounce the franchisee, but no dice. Chick-fil-A embraces all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity, the companys corporate office said in a statement its been sending out to people who complained about the Facebook post, according to FRC. The statement also says that the company is embedding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in everything we do. When Chick-fil-A says it embraces everyone, thats faithful to Scripture, David Closson, director of FRCs Center for Biblical Worldview, said. But to embrace contested identities such as transgender identities or identities rooted in same-sex behavior as morally legitimate expressionsis something altogether different. A company grounded in Christian conviction should be able to love and serve every person without endorsing categories that contradict biblical truth.For years, social conservatives were buoyed in the culture wars by the ability of companies like Hobby Lobby to resist left-wing political trends and fads because of their private ownership, said Steve Soukup of Political Forum, a rightwing blog.Chick-fil-As insensitivity to the current of cultural rebalancing represents the mirror image of that resistance.Free Enterprise Project Director Stefan Padfield told the Washington Stand: Chick-fil-A is free to embrace DEI and we are free to eat elsewhere.The media first reported on Chick-fil-As anti-LGBTQ+ donations in January 2011, when several large donations to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations like Family Research Council and the conversion therapy group Exodus International were uncovered. The companys CEO, Dan Cathy, said thatthey were guilty as charged when it came to homophobia.Despite some attempts to shift, Chick-fil-A has continued to donate to organizations that discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and that have official anti-LGBTQ+ policies,until as recently as 2017.But the fast food chain has cleaned up its image in the last several years as it tries to expand internationally, and has even been accused by major Republicans of being too woke. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) said that Chick-fil-A surrendered to anti-Christian hate groups last year, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said the chain badly lost its way for having a DEI initiative at all.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Donald Trump has used the sudden and tragic deaths of legendary director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, to brag about his own greatness. The Reiners were found dead in their Los Angeles home Sunday afternoon from an apparent homicide. Despite there being almost no information on what happened (other than their son, Nick Reiner, being arrested afterward), Trump blamed the late directors death on his being anti-Trump. Related Donald Trump calls reporter dramatic for saying Americans will suffer if health care prices rise A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood, the president wrote. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. Trump then proceeded to brag about being the best president ever, in a post that was ostensibly about mourning the loss of the Reiners. 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 He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace! Trump wrote.Folks on social media even conservatives and his own supporters were horrified by Trumps comments. Political commentator Brian Krassenstein called it the most disgusting post hes ever written. Imagine if I said this about Charlie Kirk, Krassenstein said.BREAKING: This is the most disgusting Post Donald Trump has ever made. He claims that Rob Reiner was killed "due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME"Imagine pic.twitter.com/u91iOKpePz Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) December 15, 2025 Conservative commentator Evan Kilgore who once supported Trump but broke with the president over the Epstein files- called the post distasteful and disrespectful, regardless of politics. Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were stabbed to death by their son.Today, Donald Trump is seemingly making fun of him and saying he died of Trump Derangement Syndrome.This is just distasteful and disrespectful, regardless of politics.Be honest. pic.twitter.com/A9ke27tMOK Evan Kilgore (@EvanAKilgore) December 15, 2025Right-wing journalist Peter Laffin, wrote that while he agrees with much of what [Trump has] done, he has drawn the line at this post. Only a truly despicable person would use the occasion of a son murdering a father to score a point, Laffin said, calling Trump a parody of a man. Others on all sides of the aisle expressed similar horror at the presidents words. DISGRACEFULPresident Trump just responded to the brutal murder of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele by blaming Trump Derangement Syndrome.Two people were stabbed to death in their own home.And the President chose mockery, cruelty, and self-obsession.This is who he is. pic.twitter.com/mddL6XYalE Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) December 15, 2025Donald Trump is clearly insane This is by far and away his most pointedly reprehensible post, and thats saying something Blaming murder victims Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle for creating the anger that saw them stabbed to death due to Trump Derangement Syndrome Septic pic.twitter.com/3OTqgITdjO Stuzi (@stuzi_pants) December 15, 2025Trump's callous mockery of Rob Reiner's tragic death by attributing it to 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' reveals a shocking depth of cruelty and narcissism that undermines any pretense of presidential dignity. https://t.co/aTS2PqVW9y ENGR. OJ (@OyokunyiOkon) December 15, 2025Trump's ghoulish mockery of Rob and Michele Reiner's brutal murders as "Trump Derangement Syndrome" exposes a president utterly devoid of empathy or decency. Richard Angwin (@RichardAngwin) December 15, 2025At least Rob was a decent person at heart. Unlike Trump. https://t.co/Jy7Rpc6HI6 Lisa Christine . (@lisachristinect) December 15, 2025Trumps behavior isnt just cruel its formative.He doesnt simply say vile things.He reshapes the people who follow him, training them to mistake degradation for honesty and empathy for weakness.Thats how one mans emptiness becomes a movements identity. https://t.co/Y9ii0wAyRs BLUE VANGUARD (@Thomasstjames3) December 15, 2025 Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A careful balance between intimacy and anonymity has long defined Ahmad Nasers photography. Across his body of work, he consistently finds ways to bring the viewer close to the male form while withholding the details that might fully define it. In revisiting his archive, ten images stood out to us for how distinctly they engage with space, posture, and vulnerability.Related | Peek Into This Intimate Set of 17 Seductive PolaroidsA Visceral CollectionThese photographs place unclothed male figures within industrial and partially ruined environments. Concrete pipes, tagged walls, rubble, and exposed structures form the backdrop. The settings feel utilitarian and worn, shaped by time and use rather than aesthetics. Against these surroundings, the male body becomes the focal point, not as spectacle, but as something present and unguarded.Intimacy VS AnonymityIts no secret were fans of Nasers work here at Gayety. What continues to resonate is the way he captures the male body as something both deeply intimate and deliberately anonymous. That tension alone opens up broader questions about gay male visibility and desire. With this selection of images, however, another layer emerges. The focus shifts from closeness and softness toward physical tension and containment.As we moved through the collection, these ten images felt especially visceral. The bodies are often hunched, crouched, or folded inward, positioned in ways that suggest alertness or self-protection. Rather than reclining comfortably within the frame, the men appear aware of their surroundings, as if responding to the environment as much as occupying it. This recurring posture becomes a quiet throughline within the collection.The Faceless MenOne of the most consistent elements in Nasers work is the absence of faces, and it is particularly noticeable here. This is an intentional choice. The idea is to allow the viewer to connect with the image as a reflection of themselves, Naser explains. I focus on the male body and physical form more so than the faces or other more personal features of the individuals I am photographing.Related | 91 Close-Up Studies of the Male Form by Ahmad NaserBy removing facial identity, Naser shifts the emphasis away from individual narrative. These figures are not introduced to us through expression or eye contact. Instead, meaning is carried through posture, gesture, and physical presence. The anonymity creates openness. Viewers are not directed toward a specific story but are given room to interpret what they see through their own experiences.In this way, the work resists categorization. The men are neither archetypes nor portraits in the traditional sense. They exist somewhere in between, familiar yet undefined.Male Bodies in ContrastThe settings play a critical role in shaping that interpretation. The environments feel exposed and utilitarian, marked by concrete, graffiti, and industrial materials. These are not spaces designed for comfort or display. Within them, the male body appears softened by contrast. Sunlight hits bare backs and shoulders. Skin meets rough surfaces. The positioning of the figures often feels tentative, as if the body is negotiating its place within the frame.What stands out is the sense of tension created by this contrast. Masculinity here is not presented as dominant or expansive. It feels grounded, cautious, and physically aware. The lack of faces heightens that effect, leaving the viewer acutely conscious of their own position as an observer.Ahmad Naser in ContextBorn and raised in Jerusalem, Ahmad Nasers work is shaped by lived experience in a region defined by complexity, restriction, and cultural tension. His time in the West Bank and Montreal further informs his sensitivity to place and visibility. Now living and working in Jerusalem, he continues to build a body of work that feels personal without becoming prescriptive.This selection of images fits naturally within his broader practice. Where some of his work leans toward softness and stillness, these photographs feel more physical and immediate. They explore what masculinity looks like when placed in spaces that are not designed to accommodate it, and what happens when the body is left without context or explanation.Taken together, these ten images highlight another facet of Nasers ongoing exploration of the male form. Masculinity here is not idealized or exaggerated. It is present, exposed, and quietly resilient. Naser calls his work intimate body documentation, which perfectly describes the duality at play here. The result is a body of work that invites reflection rather than instruction, asking viewers to sit with what they see and decide what it means for themselves.Follow Ahmad Naser onInstagramandXor visit hiswebsiteto explore more of his collections and upcoming projects.Source

Nature, Published online: 15 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-04066-5Policies should reflect the new reality of researchers increasing reliance on tools that can summarize manuscripts and draft reports.

Nature, Published online: 15 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-04067-4Agency staff members say that the changes are reasonable, but they are worried about the potential effects on review.

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SNAP EBT information sign is displayed at a gas station in Riverwoods, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, file)2025-12-15T17:47:41Z President Donald Trump s administration is talking tough about SNAP, saying the governments biggest food aid program is riddled with fraud that must be stopped.His appointees are looking at Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from an enforcement perspective, seeing fraud as a major and expensive problem, perpetrated by organized criminal organizations, individual recipients and retailers willing to break the laws for profit.We know there are instances of fraud committed by our friends and neighbors, but also transnational crime rings, Jennifer Tiller, a senior advisor to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, said in an interview.Some experts agree that SNAP fraud is a major problem. But there is little publicly available data showing the extent of it, and others who study the program are skeptical about the scale.It youre spending $100 billion on anything, youre going to have some leakage, said Christopher Bosso, a professor of public policy and politics at Northeastern University who published a book on SNAP. The administration leans into fraud allegationsOf the $100 billion spent on SNAP a year, about $94 billion goes to benefits and the rest to administrative costs.About 42 million people or 1 in 8 Americans receive SNAP benefits averaging about $190 per person per month. The number of recipients is in the same ballpark as the number of people in poverty 36 million by the traditional measure and 43 million under a more nuanced one also used by the federal government. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Under federal law, most households must report their income and basic information every four to six months and be fully recertified for SNAP at least every 12 months. The Trump administration has demanded that states turn over data on individual SNAP recipients including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and immigration status as part of its effort to root out fraud. States with Republican governors, plus North Carolina, have complied. Most led by Democrats are pushing back in court, arguing that providing the data would violate recipients privacy. The USDA says that from the records that have been shared, it found 186,000 deceased people about 1% of participants in those states receiving benefits and about 500,000 people about 2.7% receiving benefits in more than one jurisdiction.The USDA has not made public detailed reports on the data and has not broken down the estimates by type of alleged fraud. The department also hasnt answered questions about what portion of any improperly awarded benefits was actually spent and how much sat unclaimed on EBT cards after recipients moved or died.The department estimated in a letter to the states that have refused to turn over data that the nationwide total combining fraud and undetected errors could be $9 billion a year or more. Democratic-led states responded in a letter last week that states already have systems to catch wrongdoing and that USDA isnt explaining how its crunching the numbers.Program participants can be perpetrators or victims of fraudThere are a lot of forms of wrongdoing. SNAP benefits are put on EBT cards that recipients swipe in stores like debit cards. Organized crime groups put skimmers on EBT readers to get information used to make copies of the benefit cards and steal the allotments of recipients or to use stolen identity information to apply for benefits for fictitious people. A Romanian man who was in the U.S. illegally pleaded guilty last year to skimming cards in California. Authorities say he took more than 36,000 numbers over three years. A USDA employee pleaded guilty this year to accepting bribes in exchange for providing registration numbers for EBT card readers placed illegally in several New York delis. Authorities said more than $30 million passed through those terminals.And three people were charged this year in Franklin County, Ohio, accused of using stolen benefits to order big quantities of energy drinks and candy apparently to resell it. Mark Haskins, who worked on USDA investigations from 2013 until leaving the department in August as branch chief of a special investigations unit, said there have been cases of retailers running similar operations. Several states are barring using SNAP for some junk food products with policies that kick in as soon as Jan. 1. Haskins also says some legitimate recipients buy non-grocery items with SNAP benefits by persuading a store employee to ring up the wrong item generally one that costs more than whats being bought or to sell benefit cards. He said he thinks those forms of fraud are more costly than the ones run by organized criminal groups.Haskins and Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Government, which helps create fraud prevention strategies, both believe fraud costs significantly more than the USDAs $9 billion estimate.The system is corrupt. It doesnt need a fix here and there, it needs a complete overhaul, said Haskins, who would like to see fewer retailers in the network and participants having to reapply, even if that makes it harder for qualified people to access benefits. Advocates and researchers see a different systemThe USDA last published a report on SNAP fraud in 2021. It covered what happened in from 2015 through 2017 and found that about 1.6% of benefits were stolen from recipients accounts.The government replaced benefits that were stolen between Oct. 1, 2022 and Dec. 20, 2024. The value of replaced benefits over that time was $323 million or about 24 cents for every $100 in SNAP benefits, though thats believed to be an undercount.Its reports like those that lead advocates and academics who research SNAP to see fraud, while troublesome, as less than the massive problem the USDA makes it out to be.Dartmouth College economist Patricia Anderson, who studies food insecurity, said in an email that the maximum benefits for a family of four are about $1,000 a month. It really takes organized crime that is either stealing from the EBT cards or creating a lot of fake recipients out of whole cloth before the gain for the fraudster really starts to be worth it, she said.Jamal Brown, a 41-year-old food stamp participant who lives in Camden, New Jersey, said hes witnessed people selling benefits to bodegas to get cash. And hes had his benefits stolen by a skimmer.He also said he had to deal with benefits being cut off after being told he missed an interview to recertify his need when a county welfare worker didnt call him as planned.Its always something that goes wrong, Brown said, unfortunately. GEOFF MULVIHILL Mulvihill covers topics on the agendas of state governments across the country. He has focused on abortion, gender issues and opioid litigation. twitter mailto

This photo provided by Ah Louis Store shows the store decorated for the holidays on Nov. 24, 2025 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. (Ah Louis Store via AP)2025-12-15T10:05:06Z NEW YORK (AP) The Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, California, turns into a winter wonderland every holiday season.Green garlands, giant nutcrackers, baubles and bows go up in early November on the historic downtown building that houses the gift shop. Inside, customers can choose from over 500 different types of ornaments and a variety of holiday gift baskets.We really just make it a magical spot, co-owner Emily Butler said. Whether you come in or not, we want to make sure that were spreading that holiday joy.But Butler says she and her twin sister-business partner had to work harder this year to turn browsers into buyers and to make a profit. Many of the decorations and stocking stuffers they sell are made overseas and either did not arrive or got more expensive when President Donald Trump imposed unusually high taxes on imported goods, she said. In response, the sisters focused their selection on more profitable items like nutcrackers and gift baskets. Theyve also noticed customers cutting back, selecting a $100 gift basket over the $150 version, or buying one ornament instead of several, Butler said..Were definitely seeing more cautious spending this year, she said. Along with the unpredictable tariffs, stubborn inflation and weak hiring have shaken consumer confidence in the U.S. economy. The vast majority of U.S. adults say theyve noticed higher than usual prices for groceries, electricity and holiday gifts in recent months, according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A Gallup index that summarizes Americans assessments of current economic conditions fell to a 17-month low in November. Consumers also indicated less enthusiasm for spending money on holiday gifts; their estimated gift budgets decreased $229 between October and November, the largest drop Gallup has recorded at that point of the holiday shopping season. The survey was conducted in November, partially during the government shutdown, which might have tempered spending plans.However, the worst-case impact on consumer prices that many economists foresaw from the Trump administrations tariff policies hasnt materialized. Some products have been affected more than others. Heres a look at what has happened with supplies and prices in popular gifting categories. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Games and toysGame and toys were particularly susceptible to tariff-related price increases since the majority of the ones sold in the U.S. are made in China, according to industry trade group The Toy Association. The tariff rate the Trump administration imposed on Chinese goods became a rollercoaster that started at an additional 10%, peaked at 145% and ended up at 47%. The uncertainty made it hard for toy shops to decide what to order for the holidays. Dean Smith, who co-owns independent toy stores JaZams in Princeton, New Jersey, and Lahaska, Pennsylvania, said the manufacturers in China that he buys toys from did not pass on their tariff costs all at once but he has seen their prices inch higher with every reorder. Co-owners Dean Smith, left, and Joanne Farrugia pose for a photograph in JaZams, one of their toy stores Friday, June 27, 2025, in Princeton, N.J. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Co-owners Dean Smith, left, and Joanne Farrugia pose for a photograph in JaZams, one of their toy stores Friday, June 27, 2025, in Princeton, N.J. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Smith estimated that wholesale prices for 80% of his inventory went up anywhere from 5% to 20%. Some shoppers who dont buy toys regularly might be surprised by price increases he adopted in turn, Smith said. A doll that sold for $20 to $25 last year now costs $30 to $35 at JaZams, he said.For folks with marginal incomes, this is going to be a very difficult holiday, Smith said. ElectronicsConsumer electronics are mostly made in China and other Asian countries. In 2023, China accounted for 78% of U.S. smartphone imports, and 79% of laptop and tablet imports, according to the Consumer Technology Association trade group. Best Buy said in May that it was raising prices due to tariffs. But CEO Corie Barry said late last month that the consumer electronics chain made sure to stock computers, phones and other products at different price levels, a decision she credited with helping Best Buy attract more lower-income shoppers. The consumer is not a monolith, Barry told reporters. Game consoles are always a popular holiday item, and console makers made news earlier this year when they announced price increases. Sony raised the price of the PlayStation 5 by $50 to $550 in August, following Microsoft and Nintendo raising prices for their game consoles. JewelryJewelry shoppers will likely see higher prices, but that has more to do with the soaring price of gold than tariffs so far, according to David Bonaparte, president & CEO of trade group Jewelers of America. The varying tax rates Trump set for countries that import American goods with a total value less than their exports to the U.S. affected jewelry in various ways. Watches from Switzerland, for example, were subject to a 39% tariff from July 31 until the country struck a deal with the Trump administration last month to lower the import tax rate on its products to 15%. India, which refines many of the diamonds sold in the U.S., rushed in shipments of the gemstones before a 50% tariff on the countrys products took effect on Aug. 27. Higher prices for jewelry made with diamonds shipped from India will likely start to be felt in 2026, Bonaparte said. Its really a matter of what happens after Jan. 1, he said. If these tariffs are still in place, then prices will probably increase.Holiday decorHoliday decorations are yet another category that mostly comes from overseas, particularly China. Jeremy Rice co-owns House, a home-dcor shop in Lexington, Kentucky, that specializes in artificial flowers, wreaths and table decorations. He said the tariffs slowed down production of much of his fall stock and seasonal merchandise like ribbon. Some larger and more expensive items he didnt order at all because they would have been too expensive to retail. This undated photo provided by Jeremy Rice shows Rice at House, a home-dcor shop that specializes in artificial flower arrangements for the home. in Lexington, Ky. (Jeremy Rice via AP) This undated photo provided by Jeremy Rice shows Rice at House, a home-dcor shop that specializes in artificial flower arrangements for the home. in Lexington, Ky. (Jeremy Rice via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Rice raised prices on the products he did get. The popular red berry stems that House long has carried increased from $8.95 last year to $10.95 due to higher import costs, he said. We sell thousands of these berry stems, and every time we sold one, I flinched from knowing what it should have been, knowing that our supplier paid more for them, which made us pay more for them, which made our customer pay more for them, Rice said.Shopping strategicallyFor those looking to avoid tariff-related price increases, John Harmon, managing director of technology research at technology consulting company Coresight Resarch, recommends checking out secondhand stores and discount retailers like T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods. The off-price chains buy much of their inventory from leftover stock that would have entered the U.S. before new tariffs kicked in. Joe Adamski, senior director at procurement services company ProcureAbility, said books, food and beverages are some of the domestically produced goods that make good gifts. MAE ANDERSON Anderson reports for The Associated Press on a wide range of issues that small businesses face. She is based in New York. twitter mailto

Alabama forward Amari Allen (5) shoots and hits a three-point shot over the defense of Alabama forward Taylor Bol Bowen (7) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)2025-12-15T18:01:14Z No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Michigan remained locked in place atop The Associated Press mens college basketball poll released Monday while No. 15 Nebraska jumped to its highest Top 25 ranking in nearly 35 years.The Wildcats had 42 of 61 first-place votes to hold the top spot while the Wolverines received 15 to keep the teams at 1-2 for a second consecutive week. The top 10 was largely unchanged, with No. 7 Gonzaga and No. 8 Houston swapping spots from last week the only new wrinkle. No. 3 Duke (three) and No. 4 Iowa State (one) were the only other teams to earn first-place votes.UConn and Purdue were next after the Cyclones, and Michigan State and BYU rounded out the top 10.The Cornhuskers (11-0) had the weeks biggest jump of eight spots after Saturdays win at then-No. 13 Illinois on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. That marked the highest ranking for the program since it was No. 11 in March 1991 for the final poll of that season. The now-No. 18 Illini and 23rd-ranked Florida had the weeks biggest slides, with each falling five spots.Georgia was the lone new addition to the poll, moving in at No. 25 to replace UCLA.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball AARON BEARD Beard covers sports in North Carolina for The Associated Press with an emphasis on college basketball. His coverage includes ACC sports and the NHLs Carolina Hurricanes. twitter mailto

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced an investigation that may simply be an attempt to prevent access to gender-affirming care. The investigation targets the specter of health care professionals being pressured to provide care that might be against their moral or religious views, but experts suggest that it is really about creating an atmosphere of fear around offering gender-affirming care and abortion care.The OCR press releasefrom Tuesday reveals a major investigation into the health department of a state that is not named in the announcement. The OCR suggested that its licensing policies, interpretations, or enforcement practices regarding behavioral health might violate federal law by discriminating against providers who refuse to provide certain types of care or by requiring them to provide that care. Behavioral health refers to mental health, substance abuse, and associated conditions and symptoms. Related Allowing parents to opt kids out of lessons doesnt protect religious freedom. It destroys it. In particular, the investigation targets sex-rejecting procedures, female genital mutilation, and abortion. Both sex-rejecting procedures and female genital mutilation seem to be intended to target gender affirming care with inaccurate and derogatory terms. The Department of Justice, this year, said that it would try to prosecute doctors who provide gender-affirming care under a law that bans female genital mutilation.It is important to note that the presidential administration has not shown any interest in addressing the nonconsensual surgeries conducted on intersex children. 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 As the press release does not name the state the OCR is investigating, it is unclear what they believe is a possible violation. Some medical organizations in the United States and some state laws require providers to either administer care or, if it conflicts with their religious or moral views, provide a timely referral to another provider.The OCR claims that the investigation is driven by a need for more healthcare providers to be available, seemingly suggesting that behavioral healthcare providers are choosing not to practice because they fear being required to violate their own beliefs. Paula M. Stannard, the OCRs director, said in the announcement, Amid a national shortage of behavioral health providers, every qualified professional is essential to meeting the needs of people in crisis. OCR is committed to ensuring that faith-based organizations can contribute fully and that no provider is asked to violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions as they step forward to serve.While the presidential administration is eager to claim that this is about religious and moral freedom, advocacy experts insist that these sorts of investigations are about creating a system of fear and deterring doctors from providing certain types of care at all.Theyre only obsessed with preventing trans people from accessing the care that their bodies need, Adrian Shanker, a deputy assistant secretary for health policy under Biden, told Advocate. Between these investigations, consistent rule changes, and public announcements of federal enforcement plans, Shanker suggests that the intended effect is to leave healthcare providers wrong-footed and unsure of what they can do without fearing reprisal from the federal government. The result, Shanker says, is for providers to offer compliance in advance, or to roll back their offerings of abortion or gender-affirming care entirely.The HHSs announcement is light on specifics, and it asks anyone who feels theyve been discriminated against for their exercise of conscience to come forward. This might suggest that they are seeking justification for an expanded investigation or an ideal plaintiff for a test case.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Heated Rivalry has been driving fans wild since its very first episode.Were only four episodes deep into the first season of the popular gay hockey show, and the fan edits are already taking over. The show has captured the minds and imaginations of people across the internet who became obsessed immediately after the first episode premiered. Heated Rivalry has inspired fans to start making fan edits where viewers combine clips from the show with music to match the themes or emotions of the characters that have quickly gone viral on social media platforms like TikTok and X.Fans who cant get enough of the show about two rival hockey players, Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), engaging in an eight-year-long secret sexual relationship, are spending their time rewatching the show on an endless loop, dissecting every moment on social media, and watching these viral fan edits.There are basically two kinds of fan edits about Heated Rivalry: ones that will turn you on by showing Ilya and Shanes hottest moments, and ones that will break your heart in a million pieces because these two closeted queer men cant admit they love each other. The fan edits have gotten so popular that the official Heated Rivalry TikTok account even got in on the action, making their own emotionally devastating version.But if youve somehow missed this creative and horny trend, take a look at the best and most viral Heated Rivalry fan edits the internet has to offer!@uhbuckyheated rivalry being peak tv iktr #heatedrivalry #shanehollander #ilyarozanov #heatedrivalryedit #hollanovedit @cravecanada @Heated Rivalry @Connor Storrie@beysluxshane hollander you deserve everything | #heatedrivalry #shanehollander #ilyarozanov #gamechangers #heatedrivalryedit@gangjaexthe accent holy #heatedrivalry #connorstorrie #ilyarozanov #heatedrivalryedit@heatedrivalrycraveThe Rose Landry effect. #HeatedRivalry@lonerismmm#HEATEDRIVALRY II this fits them so perfectly #ilyarozanov #shanehollander #heatedrivalryedit #edit heated rivalry crave hbo tv show series book rachel reid ilya rozanov shane hollander hollanov scott hunter kip grady edit book series viral famous after effects taylor swift reputation dress edit audio episode 3@mviti.aeHEATED RIVALRY X MANEATER // #foryou #heatedrivalry #ilyarozanov #shanehollander #shanehollanderedit FAKE EVERYTHING TIKTOK @Heated Rivalry @HBO Max@tinyacd_finally made an ilya edit #ilyarozanov #heatedrivalry #connorstorrie #edit #zxycba #fyp #foryou scp bttmscp@laynawritesThis was so painful #heatedrivalry #shanehollander #ilyarozanov #heatedrivalryedit #hollanov@percystidesMY BABIES THEY DESERVE TO BE HAPPY MY STOMACH HURTS | #shanehollander #ilyarozanov #heatedrivalry #heatedrivalryedit #hollanov@alldreamingeditsmy new obsession #heatedrivalry #Edit #dancingonmyown #fyp #foryoupag@momentedits1another heated rivalry edit w this song requested I love them so much perfect husbands #fyp #heatedrivalryrachelreid #heatedrivalry #edit@itsphilno1trshepisode 4 destroyed me guys scenes: bttmscp #heatedrivalry #heatedrivalryedit #ilyarozanov #ilyarozanovedit #connorstorrie@morteus.aepwill we ever learn? #hollanov - sign of the times #ilyarozanov #shanehollander #heatedrivalry #heatedrivalryedit connor storrie hudson williams heated rivalry ilya rozanov shane hollnder hollanov@thoroughbreds2017rock me by one direction x heated rivalry (2025) version two #heatedrivalry #heatedrivalryedit #shanehollander #ilyarozanov #hollanov FAKE EVERYTHING ALL FICTIONAL not this getting flagged bye@kittyheronthornIlya Rozanov Victor Nikiforov || Shane Hollander Yuri Katsuki #heatedrivalry There is something about a cute boy with Asian genes and a hot Russian who fall in love while dancing around their blades and making history #heatedrivalryrachelreid #shanehollander #ilyarozanov #yurionice

Patrick Wilson's still got it!The acclaim actor is known for wowing audiences for his impressive roles in The Conjuring, Phantom of the Opera, and more, but his latest steamy vid at the gym is getting plenty of attention online.Rocking tight white shorts and flexing his sexy six-pack, Wilson's fans naturally went berserk on social media once the video was posted. Check out the highlights below! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

The sixth in-season women's AP Top 25 poll is out. Here's what's next for every team in the standings.

The sixth in-season edition of the men's poll is out. Arizona retains the No. 1 spot amid a mostly unchanged top 10.

An MRI confirmed that Packers star pass rusher Micah Parsons suffered a season-ending torn ACL, a source told ESPN.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola, son of former NFL OL Dominic Raiola, plans to enter the transfer portal, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Coach Steve Kerr said "I'm not doing my job well this year" after the Warriors fell to 13-14 despite continued outstanding play from star Steph Curry.

As it tries to demonstrate its continuing ability to fight, Ukraine said it had used drones to inflict serious damage on a Russian Kilo-class submarine at a Black Sea port.