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Judge orders Trump to end California National Guard troop deployment in Los Angeles The Trump administration must stop deploying the California National Guard in Los Angeles and return control of the troops to the state, a federal judge ordered Wednesday in an emphatic ruling. https://apnews.com/article/california-national-guard-trump-los-angeles-a8a201d234d655a7e65fb4c3dd320116?

Justice Department can unseal records from Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case, judge says NEW YORK (AP) — Secret grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case can be made public, a judge ruled on Wednesday, joining two other judges in granting the Justice Department’s requests to unseal material from investigations into the late financier’s sexual abuse. https://apnews.com/article/epstein-sex-trafficking-case-records-justice-department-016bbded12959c90d1679e15aa273b60?

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Epic comeback at the Garden: No. 10 BYU erased a 22-point deficit against Clemson on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, completing the 67-64 comeback victory on a wild three at the buzzer. In today's edition: Utah's landmark deal, Messi wins MVP (again), NFL power rankings, Teddy Bear Toss, A'ja Wilson named TIME's Athlete of the Year, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ MLB Draft Lottery: The White Sox won the MLB Draft lottery, earning the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft after entering the night with the best odds of any team. The Rays, Twins, Giants and Pirates round out the top five. ⚽️ Messi wins MVP: Lionel Messi won his second straight MLS MVP, becoming the first player in league history to win the award in consecutive seasons and just the second to win the award multiple times, period. ⚾️ MLB Winter Meetings: Kyle Schwarber is signing a five-year, $150 million deal to stay in Philly and Edwin Díaz is joining the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million deal, giving the two-time defending champs the best reliever on the market. 🏈 Rivers returns to Indy: The Colts signed Philip Rivers to their practice squad as a potential replacement for Daniel Jones (Achilles). Rivers, 44, hasn't played since 2020, when he led the Colts to the playoffs in his 17th NFL season. ⚽️ USMNT to face Senegal: The Americans will play Senegal in Charlotte on May 31 in their penultimate World Cup tuneup. Their other three tuneups will come in Atlanta in late March (against Belgium and Portugal) and in Chicago in early June (against Germany).   🎓 PAY TO PLAY PRIVATE EQUITY HAS ARRIVED ON CAMPUS (Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) College sports' rapid transformation from amateur endeavor to professional industry has taken another leap forward in the wake of Tuesday's news: private equity has officially arrived on campus. A landmark deal: The University of Utah is finalizing a first-of-its-kind agreement with PE firm Otro Capital to create a for-profit entity that will operate the university's athletics business and is expected to generate upwards of $500 million in capital, reports Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. The venture is centered around the creation of Utah Brands & Entertainment LLC — a private, independent offshoot of the athletic department whose primary goal is to generate more revenue across areas including ticketing, concessions, corporate sales and sponsorships. In a fascinating wrinkle, the university — which retains majority ownership of the new entity — is allowing prominent donors to purchase a stake, essentially formalizing their status as boosters. Indeed, the $500 million figure includes both Otro's nine-figure cash infusion and commitments from donors. The big picture: The early NIL era was heralded as the culmination of a decades-long fight against the myth of amateurism. Turns out it was just the beginning, with schools now set to share revenue directly with athletes and enlist outside capital partners — like Utah is doing — to help navigate this brave new world. Here's Ross: The emergence of private equity in college sports is a long time coming. For the last two years, as university athletic departments face mounting financial stressors, dozens of schools pursued private capital or equity deals, including conferences as a whole — most notably the Big 12 and Big Ten. However, when these projects reached the finish line, they were stymied for various reasons. For instance, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has twice presented such a deal before his presidential board. Big Ten officials nearly reached the point of a vote on a $2.4 billion capital deal before at least two schools — USC and Michigan — scuttled the project. Yormark's pursuit of a capital deal caught the attention of Harlan and Utah administrators, who, more than two years ago, began the process that resulted in the potential deal with Otro. Looking ahead: There are only so many more ways to continue closing the gap between college and pro sports, and one of the biggest — collective bargaining — may be on its way. Athletes.Org released a detailed framework on Monday for what a college sports CBA could look like, and dozens of athletic directors are meeting this week at an annual conference in Las Vegas where collective bargaining will be a main topic of conversation.   🏈 WEEK 15 NFL POWER RANKINGS (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The top of our NFL power rankings held steady this week outside of two scorching-hot newcomers to the top 10, which replaced two reeling teams. Moving in: The Texans (8-5) jumped seven spots to No. 7 (and climbed into the AFC playoff picture) after winning their fifth straight game behind the league's best defense. The Chargers (9-4) jumped three spots to No. 10 after winning five of their last six and gutting out Monday's overtime victory against Philly. Moving out: Speaking of the Eagles (8-5), they fell five spots to No. 12 after Jalen Hurts' five-turnover performance resulted in their third straight loss. The Colts (8-5), meanwhile, fell 12 spots to No. 22 after losing their third straight game, losing Daniel Jones for the season and losing their grip on a playoff spot.   🇺🇸 SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Orlando, Florida — The Magic overcame a game-opening 15-0 deficit to beat the Heat, 117-108, and advance to the NBA Cup semifinals. Desmond Bane (37-6-5) led the way for Orlando, scoring exactly 37 points for the third time in his last six games. The nightcap: The Knicks also advanced after cruising past the Raptors, 117-101, behind Jalen Brunson (35-3-4) and Josh Hart (21-6-4). Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates his game-winner. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) 🇮🇹 Milan, Italy — Liverpool beat Inter Milan, 1-0, on an 88th-minute penalty to climb into the top eight of the Champions League table three-quarters of the way through the league phase. Elsewhere: Tottenham beat Slavia Prague, 3-0, on two penalties and an own goal; Atalanta came back to beat Chelsea, 2-1; Barcelona beat Frankfurt, 2-1, on a brace from Jules Koundé in a three-minute span. Calgary goalkeeper Eric Tu dives into the pile of teddy bears. (Leah Hennel/Getty Images) 🇨🇦 Calgary, Canada — Fans of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen showered the ice with 26,828 stuffed animals on Sunday during the team's 30th annual Teddy Bear Toss, which remains one of the great traditions in sports. Teddies for charity: Since their inaugural 1995 toss — triggered by the team's first goal in each annual game — the Hitmen have collected 508,300 teddy bears, which they then donate to local hospitals and charities.   🏀 SPOTLIGHT WILSON NAMED TIME ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (Kanya Iwana/TIME) Aces superstar A'ja Wilson was named TIME's Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, becoming the second straight WNBA player to earn that honor after Caitlin Clark in 2024. Unmatched résumé: Wilson won her record fourth WNBA MVP in 2025 after leading Vegas to their third title in four years. She also won her second straight scoring title, second WNBA Finals MVP and third DPOY, all while being a "culture shifter" whose impact merely begins on the court. While refusing to relinquish her supremacy on the basketball court, Wilson has managed to extend her power far beyond the field of play, a trick that only a precious few athletes can pull off. LeBron. Ali. Serena. A'ja. "A'ja isn't a rising star anymore," says philanthropist Melinda French Gates, whose publishing imprint released Wilson's best-selling memoir, Dear Black Girls, in 2024. "She's at the center of her own solar system."   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10 OKC beat Phoenix, 123-119, late last month. (Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) 🏀 NBA Cup Quarterfinals The knockout round of the in-season tournament continues tonight with two Western Conference matchups. First up, the historically-hot Thunder host the Suns (7:30pm ET, Prime). Then it's Spurs at Lakers in the nightcap (10pm, Prime). Best start ever? OKC (23-1) is one win away from matching the 2015-16 Warriors for the best 25-game start in NBA history. ⚽️ Real Madrid vs. Manchester City Today's Champions League slate is headlined by a heavyweight clash between 2023 champion City and 2024 champion Madrid (3pm, Paramount+), both of whom currently sit second in their respective domestic leagues. Best of the rest: Defending champion PSG visits Athletic Club (3pm, Paramount+) and Premier League leader Arsenal, the lone undefeated team in Champions League play, visits Club Brugge (3pm, Paramount+). 🏈 Overtime Nationals Powerhouse programs Corner Canyon (Utah) and St. Frances Academy (Maryland) will go head-to-head tonight (7pm, ESPN2) in the inaugural Overtime Nationals High School Football Championship at Baltimore's Under Armour Stadium. What's at stake: In addition to owning the title of National Champion, the winner of the game will also receive a $250,000 donation to their school. More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Rangers at Blackhawks (7:30pm, TNT); Kings at Kraken (10pm, TNT) … Connor Bedard is thriving (40 points, sixth-most in the league), but Chicago has lost eight of 10. 🏀 NCAAW: No. 11 Iowa at No. 10 Iowa State (7pm, ESPN) … The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last nine games in the Cy-Hawk Series. 🏒 Women's Hockey: USA vs. Canada (7pm, NHL) … Edmonton hosts Game 3 of the Rivalry Series after the Americans won the first two games at home. ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Barcelona vs. Benfica (12:45pm, Paramount+) … One of five matches to close out the penultimate Matchday of the group stage.   ⚾ CLOSERS MLB TRIVIA (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Edwin Díaz, the newest Dodger, has 253 saves since his MLB debut in 2016, tied for the second-most in the majors in that time. Question: Who is the only player with more saves since Díaz's debut? Hint: He began his career with the Dodgers. Answer at the bottom.   📚 GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ Jake Mintz: If the Tigers aren't trading Tarik Skubal, they need to go for it this winter With the back-to-back AL Cy Young set to hit free agency next fall, Detroit must act aggressively this offseason to try to build a legitimate World Series contender for what might well be Skubal's final year with the team. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 Charles McDonald: The Chiefs are staring at their longest offseason in a decade — and it could be just the reset they need After seven straight years of reaching at least the AFC Championship, the Chiefs are 6-7 and looking like a good bet to miss the playoffs entirely. Maybe that's just the medicine they need after coasting for so long on Patrick Mahomes' arm and Steve Spagnuolo's game-planning. (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports) 🏀 Morten Stig Jensen: The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market: What's the best deal for all 30 teams? The Greek Freak hasn't formally requested a trade yet, but it certainly seems like we might be heading that way. So it feels prudent to gauge what each team could theoretically offer the Bucks for their two-time MVP.   Trivia answer: Kenley Jansen (334 saves)

Trump Candidate Blows 30-Year GOP Stranglehold on Major City The victory is a boost for Democrats going into next year’s midterms. Miami has elected its first Democratic mayor in 30 years, giving the party a boost ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrat candidate Eileen Higgins defeated Republican Emilio Gonzalez, who had been personally endorsed by President Donald Trump, gaining nearly 60 percent of the vote. Higgins, 61, will also become the first woman to lead the city of Miami. During her campaign, she criticized ICE raids that have impacted the city’s large Hispanic community. “Tonight, the people of Miami made history,” said Higgins, a former county commissioner. “We are facing rhetoric from elected officials that is so dehumanizing and cruel, especially against immigrant populations,” Higgins told the Associated Press following her victory speech. “The residents of Miami were ready to be done with that.” Chair of the Florida Democratic Party, Nikki Fried, was thrilled with the result, noting in a statement, “I am thrilled for Eileen and cannot think of a better person to shatter Miami’s glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to lead the city in its 129-year history.”Prior to her election, Higgins had said she had never been prouder to be a Democrat.“We’re living in the state of Florida, where we have people that are building cages for our residents rather than affordable housing for them.” Higgins’ victory reverses a shift to the right in South Florida in recent elections. The Democrats also enjoyed victories in Virginia and New Jersey last month. The Democrat made affordability a key issue in the campaign, promoting the construction of more affordable housing. Gonzalez supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to eliminate property taxes for primary residences. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-backed-emilio-gonzalez-blows-30-year-gop-hold-on-miami/?

Stephen Miller’s Wife Gushes Over Leaving Him for Elon Musk The MAGA podcast host has taken her fawning interviews to a whole new level. Katie Miller lavished Elon Musk with praise during a fawning interview with the billionaire businessman in which she described how “inspirational” it was to work for him. The podcast host, who previously worked at the White House with her husband, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, quit the administration in May to go into the private sector and work directly for Musk. On the latest episode of The Katie Miller Podcast, the unusually animated host gushed over her previous boss months after unconfirmed rumors of a relationship between the pair outside the workplace. “Everyone always thinks you’re a very difficult person to work for,” Miller said, before adding, “I think you’re very kind,” prompting Musk to thank her for the compliment. “People think, which you are, like, a very demanding boss,” Miller continued. “I’ve never heard you yell at any employee,” she said. “Yeah, I don’t yell,” Musk replied. Miller worked as a spokesperson for Musk as he oversaw the so-called Department of Government Efficiency between January and May this year, before leaving with him to work for the billionaire personally, prior to launching her podcast. The podcast love-in continued with Miller telling Musk that “every employee who works at every single one of your companies is incredibly mission-driven,” noting that fact was “unlike any other workplace I’ve seen.” She went on to single out Musk’s Starbase compound in South Texas, which was created around SpaceX’s rocket development and launch site. “Like Starbase is the most inspirational place you’ll ever go to, right?” Miller said, before claiming that all his employees are “fiercely loyal.” She added, “You are a very good employer to work for and I think people assume you are not.” “Well, why would they think anyone would work at the companies?” Musk pondered out loud. “Talented people can go work anywhere they want... if they’re mistreated in some way, they would leave and go work somewhere else.” Miller’s podcast has struggled to find an audience after three months. Her first interview, with Vice President JD Vance, remains the most popular on YouTube with 85,000 views. Her lowest-viewed episode has been viewed a dismal 2,700 times. The Musk interview has already scored more views in six hours than last week’s episode with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his third wife, Jen, has clocked up in an entire week. When news of Miller’s resignation from her husband’s place of work first emerged, the Democrats taunted Trump’s deputy chief of staff with an image of an empty chair in a hotel room, appearing to suggest there was trouble in the marriage. During the podcast, the pair avoided discussion of a mishap in June on Musk’s social media platform, X, where a fake screenshot of Musk bragging that he “took” Miller’s wife went viral online, forcing the billionaire to correct his own AI assistant, Grok. The AI assistant claimed, “The post from Elon Musk likely existed and was deleted,” noting that the “metrics and context align with Musk’s behavior.” “The evidence leans toward the post being real but removed, consistent with Musk’s pattern of deleting controversial posts.” Musk then intervened, replying “No, it’s fake ffs… I never posted this.” Miller never directly commented on the whispers. https://www.thedailybeast.com/stephen-millers-wife-gushes-over-leaving-him-for-elon-musk/?

New Thailand-Cambodia border fighting shows no sign of stopping SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Renewed border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia showed no signs of abating Wednesday, with hundreds of thousands of displaced people in strained conditions as more flooded into temporary shelters. https://apnews.com/article/thailand-cambodia-border-dispute-fighting-displaced-3f6300a3e77bbf0479acc6f8ceace12d?

2 Democrats, 2 strategies: Texas Senate race shows party split on Trump-focus in midterm elections Democratic candidates Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico have launched their Texas Senate campaigns with contrasting strategies. While Crockett takes direct aim at President Donald Trump, using his insults to energize her campaign, Talarico emphasizes economic divides rather than political ones. This split highlights a broader divide among Democrats over how much to center Trump in their campaigns. Read more. What to know: During her first stump speech on Monday, Crockett addressed the president directly: “You better get to work because I’m coming for you.” Her primary opponent, Talarico, has said that Americans are tired of “politics as a blood sport.” For nearly a decade, Democrats have used attacks on Trump to draw attention and fuel fundraising. Governors who are considered potential 2028 presidential contenders, including California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’ JB Pritzker, saw their profiles rise as they positioned themselves as staunch opponents of the president. But some democrats warn that while Trump motivates his critics to vote, it isn’t enough for Democrats to rely solely on anti-Trump fervor. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years Georgia Democrat Eric Gisler claims upset state House win in historically Republican district Trump’s speech on combating inflation turns to grievances about immigrants from ‘filthy’ countries Trump once denied using this slur about Haiti and African nations. Now he boasts about it Federal agents use pepper spray on crowd in Somali neighborhood of Minneapolis amid Trump crackdown Illinois law protects immigrants from arrest near courthouses, hospitals or colleges Opponents of Trump-backed redistricting in Missouri submit a petition to force a public vote Mexico will send more water to US but not immediately, President Sheinbaum says Wisconsin judge refuses to step aside as requested by former Trump attorney Justice Department challenges court order limiting access to evidence in Comey investigation Florida Muslim group vows lawsuit against DeSantis over ‘foreign terrorist’ label Southeast Asia embraces offshore wind power, as Trump bashes renewable energy Soccer peace prize for Trump triggers complaints about FIFA president to ethics investigators

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel committee will hand out its Peace Prize today, but this year's winner will not attend the award ceremony in Norway. Under persecution from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government, opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has been living in hiding since last year, and her current whereabouts are unknown. Machado received the accolade for tirelessly promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and "for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," the Nobel Committee said. Machado's daughter will accept the prize and deliver a speech on her mother's behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel committee will hand out its Peace Prize today, but this year's winner will not attend the award ceremony in Norway. Under persecution from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government, opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has been living in hiding since last year, and her current whereabouts are unknown. Machado received the accolade for tirelessly promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and "for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," the Nobel Committee said. Machado's daughter will accept the prize and deliver a speech on her mother's behalf.

Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his team is preparing an updated version of the Trump administration's peace plan and could send it to the US later today. Zelensky has been clear that his country will not surrender Russian-occupied territory, even as President Trump pressures him to agree to a peace deal with Moscow. In an interview with Politico taped Monday, Trump once again expressed frustration with Zelensky, saying, "He's going to have to get on the ball and start accepting things, you know, when you're losing." Russia has insisted on territorial concessions being part of a settlement to end its war in Ukraine.

It's not the EU or Ukraine that's making this hard! It's the Invader and his side kick trump who are making this harder!! If we gave Ukraine what it needs to fight, Russia would stop and end this!!!!!

Campus shooting One student is dead and another remains in critical condition following a shooting at Kentucky State University on Tuesday. Police said a 48-year-old suspect from Indiana, who is not a student, was arrested moments after opening fire. Authorities are now investigating what Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called an isolated attack on the historically Black university. It is the 73rd shooting on school grounds this year, most of which took place on college campuses. The incidents have left at least 29 people dead and more than 100 other victims injured, according to a CNN analysis. Shooting at Kentucky State University leaves 1 dead, 1 hurt and a suspect in custody, officials say Shooting at Kentucky State University leaves 1 dead, 1 hurt and a suspect in custody, officials say https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-state-university-shooting-976289946dde326a7e9f97a62bb2f82d?

Economy As high costs continue to squeeze US households, President Donald Trump is trying to allay affordability concerns and deflect blame for the financial strain felt by millions of Americans. During a speech in Mount Pocano, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, he debuted a new economic message: Democrats drove up prices, "and we're bringing them down." But he undercut his argument at times, often veering into insult-ridden tangents. Trump repeatedly pinned high prices on former President Joe Biden, relentlessly mocking his predecessor. While Trump has dismissed concerns about affordability as a "Democratic hoax," a Fox News national survey from November found that 76% of voters view the economy negatively.

The following article is shocking: https://atoday.org/new-travel-bans-lead-to-critical-loss-for-adventist-clinic-in-chad/

In response to the question that Gustave asked: I do not believe that we will lever have accurate numbers as to people who SDA are members but maintain a very limited relationship with this denomination.

It gets very confusing with all the different religions and claims that this or that belief or ideas from various movements that they have the path that leads to God, so is it. But when you hear a Christian religious leader or teacher claim that all religions lead on a path to God, that raises questions. Scripture is clear that is not the case. We find it in John 14... John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus declares that the only way to God is through Him. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5fd0...cmVsaWdpb25zX2xlYWRfdG9fb25lX2dvZC5odG0&ntb=1

President Trump has issued a new deadline for President Zelensky to sign the U.S.-backed peace deal with Russia, giving him days, some say until Christmas Day to sign the agreement. "US President Donald Trump's envoys have given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a fresh deadline to respond to Washington's proposed peace plan, unnamed officials told the Financial Times. The officials said Zelenskyy has only "days" to reply, even as the Ukrainian leader insists he will not accept any deal that redraws Ukraine's borders." MSN Trump also criticized the European Union's efforts in influencing what was a US plan in which they seem to be urging Zelensky to take a hard stand against giving up any territorial concessions to secure a peace agreement. It seems that the EU wants to 'trump' the Presidents peace negotiations and impose a more comprehensive security protection for Ukraine and piece-meal annexation such as the Sudetenland by Germany which was a cause of WWII. But much as they dont want such a capitulation on Ukraine, it seems that is the only path to peace, at least in Trumps view.. "US President Donald Trump has criticized European leaders as "weak" and suggested the US could scale back support for Ukraine. In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, he said "decaying" European countries had failed to control migration or take decisive action to end Ukraine's war with Russia, accusing them of letting Kyiv fight "until they drop". He argued that Russia held the "upper hand" and urged Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky to "play ball" by ceding territory to Moscow. In the UK, Downing Street rejected Trump's claim that Europe had failed to act, citing the UK's leadership on sanctions and reiterating support for the US-led peace process."... MSN But Zelensky seems to be digging in against any concessions on Ukrainian land.. "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine will not give up any territory to Russia and said components of a plan to end the war between the countries are ready to be presented to the U.S. "Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything," Zelenskyy said in an online press conference Monday, the AFP news agency reported. "We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don't have any moral right either," Zelenskyy said after leaving London, where he met with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Zelenskyy's remarks suggest he will not bend to pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin or President Trump, whose negotiators had proposed Ukraine give up its eastern region of the Donbas – about 20% of the country's territory – as part of a plan to end Russia's war on Ukraine, according to a draft shared publicly by a Ukrainian opposition politician and confirmed by a White House official.... MSN And even the Pope has weighed in on the situation... "Pope Leo has hit out at President Donald Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace proposal and has warned that the administration risks destroying the longstanding alliance between Europe and the United States. As Ukraine faces growing pressure from the U.S. to accept major territorial losses and other concessions as a trade-off for Russia to end its years-long incursion, the pope has weighed in with a stinging rebuke to America’s approach."... Pope Leo Takes Shocking Swipe at Trump Over Old Friends Something has to give, and it looks like the EU allies and their backing of Ukraine's hardening stance..

Note: After I posted about the differences between the Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort’s beliefs about hell, an alert reader contacted me and asked if I had the specific quotations from Plato that undergirded the traditional (and I would argue […] The post How Plato and pagan myth shaped the traditional Christian doctrine of hell appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

December 10, 2025 By Sam Sifton Good morning. President Trump had a rally last night to discuss the cost of living. He kept going off script. And in Australia, a social media ban for children under 16 has taken effect. Some teens aren’t happy. I’d like to start, though, with two very different pieces of business. One’s about the drama surrounding the purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, by Netflix or Paramount. The other’s about climate fixes that are actually working. FIGHT FOR THE STREAMING FUTURE Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif. Aleksey Kondratyev for The New York Times Paramount and Netflix are in a corporate knife fight, competing for the chance to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, including its TV and film studios, its HBO Max streaming service and (maybe, depending on how everything shakes out) its cable channels, including CNN. It could be the biggest media deal in a decade — shaping the news, shows and movies consumed by hundreds of millions of people around the world. What is happening? Last week, Netflix unveiled an $83 billion deal to take control of Warner Bros. On Monday, Paramount tried to snatch the deal away, going straight to Warner Bros. shareholders with what it called a superior offer, one that valued the company at approximately $108 billion. Aggressive! How is Trump responding? Either deal would need the government’s blessing. And President Trump has broken precedent by placing himself at the center of the regulatory process, our media reporter Michael Grynbaum explained. “I’ll be involved in that decision,” Trump vowed. Paramount and Netflix have both made nice with Trump. Ted Sarandos, a chief executive of Netflix, visited the Oval Office in November, while David Ellison, the Paramount chairman, was spotted with Trump on Sunday, just hours before his company made its offer. What could happen next? It’s possible a Paramount victory could bring the future company more in line with Trump’s views. Ellison and Trump are close, and a private equity firm founded by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, is part of the Paramount deal. The president says a Netflix win “could be a problem,” giving it too much market power. That’s Paramount’s argument, too. Still, Trump has praised Sarandos. And while Paramount, which owns CBS, paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit that Trump brought against “60 Minutes,” Trump has continued to criticize the show. He wrote that since CBS came under Ellison’s leadership, “60 Minutes has actually gotten WORSE!” Warner Bros. Discovery said it would have more to say next week. Stay tuned. 50 states, 50 fixes The New York Times Solutions to big, seemingly intractable environmental problems are hard to come by. But people all over the country are coming up with local answers. The Times set out this year to document one of those solutions in every state. Let us take you to a few of them. South Dakota During a class at South Dakota State University. Joe Dickie Photography For decades, Eastern red cedar trees have crept across South Dakota and the Plains States, earning them a regional nickname: the “green glacier.” The spread has overtaken native grasslands, which are one of the most endangered kinds of habitats in the world. They’ve also drastically reduced the amount of land available for grazing. Ranchers in the state have embraced an old method for getting that land back: They carefully burn specific parcels. As Native tribes in the region did for generations before settlers began suppressing fire in the late 19th century, they burn the land in order to preserve it. See what’s happening in South Dakota. Texas It’s not just oil under the ground in the Lone Star State. There’s also geothermal energy. It has made the state a hub of innovation in geothermal power. One of the new systems works by using electricity to pump water deep into underground cracks — similar to gas fracking. Once it’s there, the “well” holds the water under pressure. When electricity is needed on the grid, technicians release a valve, sending the water through a turbine, turning the water pressure back into electricity. Just don’t call it renewable energy. “We describe it as inexhaustible rather than renewable,” one leader in the field told The Times. Read more about Texas. Utah In Millville, Utah. (And yes, it’s normal for beavers to have orange teeth.) Kim Raff for The New York Times Beavers are top-notch engineers, driven to slow flowing water and create ponds. They’re a nuisance for ranchers across the West, some of whom loathe the animals for their ability to wreak havoc on pastures, leaving them muddy and unpassable. But they can also be a force for good. Their dams reduce runoff, recharge groundwater, build habitat for fish and other wildlife, help streams recover sediment and create watering holes. In Utah, that led to an idea: Why not relocate the nuisance beavers to places where their dams would be helpful — improving the environment, rather than destroying it? Check out these beavers in Utah. Wyoming More than 620,000 miles of barbed-wire fences divide the American West. They keep cattle contained. They’re expensive to build and expensive to maintain. A single mile of new fence line can cost a rancher $25,000. And margins in that business are thin. Enter virtual fences and GPS collars, which some livestock managers are using on their cattle in Wyoming to manage their herds from afar, with much less need for fencing. The tech is reminiscent of the invisible fencing used by some suburban dog owners. As a cow approaches a boundary, the collar beeps. If she crosses, it delivers a mild electric shock. Ranchers use GPS coordinates to set precise boundaries on pastures to keep cows away from streams or sagebrush. They can move cows around to prevent overgrazing. They can also monitor cows’ exact locations, and, if they see the herd bunched up, they can ride out to see if the animals are under threat from a wolf or a grizzly bear. Another benefit: With fewer fences, elk, pronghorn and mule deer can migrate more easily. Read about the other 46 states and fixes here. They include the Library of Things in Maine and, in Florida, the rise of the “mangrove mamas.” THE LATEST NEWS Politics President Trump Doug Mills/The New York Times President Trump gave the first of a series of speeches intended to alleviate Americans’ concerns about the cost of living, but instead he mocked the term “affordability.” Miami voters elected a Democratic mayor, Eileen Higgins, for the first time in almost 30 years. Marco Rubio ordered the State Department to return its default font to Times New Roman. It rejected the Biden administration’s switch to Calibri, done for accessibility reasons, as a D.E.I play. Supreme Court The Supreme Court heard arguments about whether to lift campaign finance limits. That case, brought by Republican groups, could undercut one of Democrats’ financial advantages in the midterm elections. Today, the justices will revisit how states assess intellectual disabilities to decide who should be spared the death penalty. More on the Courts A federal judge granted the government’s motion to unseal records from the grand jury investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime companion. For the third time, a judge suggested that Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-appointed prosecutor who pursued criminal charges against Letitia James and James Comey, should resign. Latin America The Times uncovered more details about how the Pentagon has scrambled to deal with survivors of Caribbean boat strikes. The goal has been to keep the survivors out of the U.S. justice system, where courts could demand justification for the military’s campaign. Legal groups sued for the release of a secret memo justifying the attacks. And Democrats said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wouldn’t commit to showing Congress the full video of a contentious strike from Sept. 2. María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, has embraced Trump’s military buildup. Here is a look at the long history of U.S. military intervention in Latin America. War in Ukraine Source: The Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project (as of Dec. 8, 2025) Josh Holder After weeks of peace talks and high-level meetings, Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on a central issue: who gets to keep a chunk of land about the size of Delaware. Trump called Europe “decaying” and criticized leaders there for their handling of migration and the war in Ukraine. Lithuania’s government declared a nationwide emergency over suspicious balloons that have floated in from Belarus, Russia’s main European ally. More International News An executive left the Taiwanese company TSMC, the world’s leading computer chip maker, to work for Intel. The Taiwanese government says the move could threaten its national security. Israel continues to bar journalists from freely entering Gaza despite a cease-fire. The Foreign Press Association in Israel called the ban “beyond absurd.” OPINIONS Congress pours billions of dollars into the Pentagon, but much of it goes to waste. The safety of the country depends on getting serious about the military’s finances, the editorial board writes. Early-decision college applications are a racket. They should be shut down, Daniel Currell writes. Morning readers: Save on the complete Times experience. Experience all of The Times, all in one subscription — all with this introductory offer. You’ll gain unlimited access to news and analysis, plus games, recipes, product reviews and more. MORNING READS Japanese toilets: In public restrooms in Tokyo, you may hear birdsong, ocean waves or a babbling river. It’s courtesy audio meant to mask bathroom noises — “an auditory simulacrum of nature, perfect for responding to its call,” as Tim Hornyak writes. Now, the sound machines are becoming more popular. A formative read: There’s an enduring appeal to James Marshall’s “George and Martha” series about hippos who are best friends, Hannah Kingsley-Ma writes. She grew up reading the children’s books “the same way an athlete runs drills — in an exhaustive repetitive cycle, as if they were preparing me for something.” Your pick: The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about how to fall asleep with cognitive shuffling. TODAY’S NUMBER 187,460 — That is the estimated number of miles in the Roman Empire’s road system, according to a new study. One of the longest tracks stretched from Bordeaux, France, to Jerusalem. SPORTS N.F.L.: The Indianapolis Colts are poised to bring Philip Rivers, 44, out of retirement after losing almost every quarterback on their roster to injuries. Rivers hasn’t thrown an N.F.L. pass in five years. College football: In college sports’ biggest step yet into private equity, the University of Utah is forming a partnership with a private investment firm. RECIPE OF THE DAY Beef biryani with cumin raita. Linda Xiao for The New York Times When you can make something delicious and complicated quickly, you generally have to rely on what we call in the cooking game a cheat. (A cheat is a good thing!) For this weeknight beef biryani, you get the rice going in a Dutch oven, then brown up a mixture of ground meat, spices and aromatics in a skillet. Get the meat on top of the still-cooking rice, cover and allow it all to come together while you whisk together a musky, tangy cumin raita to drizzle over the top. Thirty minutes. Five stars! YOU LOOK SPECTACULAR John Taggart for The New York Times In the social media demimonde of downtown Manhattan, Judi Jupiter has become one of the city’s most improbable chroniclers of street style. In the 1970s, she was a house photographer at Studio 54, capturing images of Debbie Harry, Andy Warhol and many others. Now, at 76, she films and interviews beautiful young people with her phone, breaking through the algorithm with a combination of affable kindness and what our reporter Alex Vadukul calls a “borderline invasive curiosity.” She asks a lot of questions. “I love the Gen Z’s,” she told Alex. “I love their attitude. They think the world is in a bad place and that we’ve got to make it better. That’s their thing.” Spend some time with her. More on culture More than 125 years after British forces looted the Benin Bronzes from a royal palace, they have returned to Nigeria, where about 100 of them are on view at the Benin City National Museum. The bronzes are beautiful, but their new home is a far cry from the state-of-the-art museum that many had hoped would house them. There are no high-tech climate or security systems protect them, Alex Marshall reports from Benin City. A Nigerian cultural official said no one had any right to tell Nigerians what to do with their heritage. Gwyneth Paltrow and Jacob Elordi interviewed each other on Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series. See it here. Nnena Kalu, an artist known for making huge cocoonlike sculptures out of found fabric and videotape, won the Turner Prize yesterday. It is one of the art world’s most prestigious awards. Kalu, 59, has autism and a learning disability, with limited verbal communication. The chair of this year’s jury said she received the award for the “sheer quality and verve and beauty” of her abstract art. Late night hosts joked about the Trump administration’s push to build fitness stations at airports. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Play Skate Story, a video game about a skateboarding demon in the underworld who is made of glass. Don’t fall! Read romantasy to reinvigorate your sex life. Seriously. We spoke with women who said the genre had helped them reach a new level of intimacy. Evaporate at will with the best humidifier, approved by the water lovers at Wirecutter. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was cornball. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 10 1901 First Nobel Prizes awarded The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace on December 10, 1901. The ceremony came on the fifth anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other high explosives. In his will, Nobel... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1778 John Jay is elected president of the Continental Congress Arts & Entertainment 1830 Emily Dickinson is born 1905 O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” is published 1967 Soul legend Otis Redding dies in a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin 2009 “Avatar” makes its world premiere in London Black History 1950 American diplomat Ralph Bunche receives Nobel Peace Prize Cold War 1977 Soviets arrest dissidents on United Nations Human Rights Day Colonial America 1690 First paper currency is authorized in the Colonies European History 1898 Treaty of Paris ends Spanish-American War Inventions & Science 1903 Marie and Pierre Curie are awarded Nobel Prize for their work with radium Sports 1922 Canton Bulldogs claim NFL’s first title U.S. Government and Politics 1974 Sex scandal leads to political fallout for Arkansas congressman U.S. Presidents 1920 Woodrow Wilson awarded Nobel Peace Prize Women’s History 1869 Wyoming grants women the right to vote World War I 1917 Red Cross is awarded Nobel Peace Prize

📖 Workplace word of the year Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios "Fatigue" is online career platform Glassdoor's word of the year, Axios' Emily Peck writes. Why it matters: Anxious about keeping jobs, people are burning out. Mentions of "fatigue" were up 41% this year in posts, comments and reviews on the jobs site.

🛰️ SpaceX pursues biggest IPO of all time Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Elon Musk is planning the biggest IPO in history for SpaceX, one that would value his rockets-and-satellites company at $1.5 trillion, Bloomberg reports. Stunning stat: At those sums, Musk's reported 42% stake in SpaceX would be worth more than $600 billion, bringing the world's richest man closer to becoming history's first trillionaire. 💸 By the numbers: A $1.5 trillion valuation would make SpaceX worth more than Tesla — and one of the world's 10 most valuable companies, Axios' Ben Berkowitz writes. Bloomberg notes the IPO would raise more than $30 billion, topping Saudi Aramco, the previous record holder. The IPO could take place as soon as mid-to-late next year. The timeline could slip into 2027. Keep reading (gift link), Katie Miller interviews Elon Musk in Austin. Photo: "The Katie Miller Podcast" 🎙️ In an interview on "The Katie Miller Podcast," Musk said DOGE was "somewhat successful" but he wouldn't do it again, Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes. "Instead of doing DOGE, I would have worked at my companies, essentially, and they wouldn't have been burning the cars," he added. Miller worked with Musk on DOGE. Video: Musk on DOGE ... Musk on God ... Full interview.

🎤 Trump's rally return President Trump arrives at Mount Airy Casino Resort last night in Mount Pocono, Pa. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP In Pennsylvania last night at the first stop of a planned economic tour, President Trump repeatedly called the term "affordability" a "hoax" and blamed Democrats for high prices. "I have no higher priority than making America affordable again. They caused the high prices and we're bringing them down," Trump told a crowd at a casino resort in the Poconos. 🗳️ Trump said White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told him he needs to hit the campaign trail again to engage MAGA voters for next year's midterms. "I haven't made a speech in a little while. You know, when you win, you say, 'I can now rest.' ... The chief of staff — and she is fantastic — said: 'We have to start campaigning, sir.'" Go deeper.

📉 Small biz loses confidence Data: The MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index. Chart: Axios Visuals Small-business owners were excited for Trump 2.0. Now, tariffs and inflation are causing headaches and eroding optimism, Axios' Emily Peck writes from new MetLife and the Chamber of Commerce data out this morning. Why it matters: Main Street's pain drags down the entire economy. 🧮 By the numbers: 45% of small-business owners cited inflation as their biggest challenge in the Chamber's survey, conducted in October during the government shutdown. They're raising prices just to keep up: 58% said they expect to raise prices this holiday season, but 52% also expect lower revenue. The other side: That's better than in 2022, when inflation peaked. 69% expected to raise prices, and 61% expected less revenue.

⚡ Trump brings legal immigration to a halt Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios In just the last few weeks, the Trump administration has threatened to expand the travel ban list, paused all asylum decisions and signaled it will reopen Biden-era immigration cases. Why it matters: Any of these changes would strain the system. Doing them all at once could overwhelm it, Axios' Brittany Gibson writes. Policy changes announced after the National Guard shooting near the White House last month are expected to grow the backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the office that handles legal migration. Green cards and asylum claims will be re-reviewed, slowing processing for everyone, not just the targeted nationalities. Overall, USCIS faces 11 million pending cases across all forms of immigration status, from asylum and green cards to work visas and family-based applications. 🔭 Zoom in: The impact has been immediate for people from the 19 countries on the travel ban list, including Afghanistan, Somalia, Venezuela and Iran. The travel ban, when unveiled this summer, shut down travel for those passport holders to the U.S. But now that list is being used against immigrants already here applying for visas, work authorization or permanent legal status. Some saw interviews with USCIS officers canceled. Others have been pulled out of citizenship ceremonies. Keep reading.