Powerball hits $1.7 billion for Christmas Eve drawing, 4th largest jackpot in U.S. history - NBC News
The Powerball jackpot for Christmas Eve has grown to $1.7 billion after no winner was called Monday night, becoming the fourth highest jackpot in Powerball history.
US Jobless Claims Fall to 214,000 During Volatile Holiday Season - Bloomberg.com
Applications for US unemployment benefits fell last week, highlighting the seasonal swings in the data at this time of year.
Starting 5: Spurs keep rolling, beat Thunder to key 14-game night - NBA
The Spurs surge past the Thunder in a rivalry rematch to key a 14-game slate marked with thrills and other showdowns.
Stock Market Today: Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq point to lower start ahead of shortened holiday trading session. Gold, silver and copper near record highs. - MarketWatch
Wednesday marks the start of the so-called Santa Claus rally period that has typically coincided with strong gains for U.S. stocks.
Zelenskyy floats terms for peace plan, signaling possible withdrawal from eastern Ukraine - politico.eu
The Donbas region — the majority of which is currently occupied by Moscow’s troops — would be turned into a demilitarized “free economic zone” under the plan.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs seeks immediate release from prison in New York appeals argument - ABC7 Los Angeles
Lawyers for hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs urged a federal appeals court in New York late Tuesday to order his immediate release from prison.
'16 and Pregnant' Star Whitney Purvis Avoids Arrest in Child Support Case - TMZ
Whitney Purvis has avoided arrest in her ongoing child support case after coughing up a hefty payment ordered by a judge ... TMZ has learned.
UK campaigners among five denied US visas - BBC
The Trump administration bans five people who have called for tech regulation from entering the country.
2 dead, 20 hospitalized after explosion at Bucks County, Pennsylvania nursing home - 6abc Philadelphia
An apparent gas explosion collapsed part of a nursing home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, leaving two women dead and 20 hospitalized.
New Epstein files mention Trump. And, SCOTUS rules on National Guard in Chicago - NPR
The DOJ released tens of thousands of new documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And, the Supreme Court ruled that the National Guard must stay out of Chicago.
Tim Benz’s Steelers stocking stuffers: DK Metcalf ‘whataboutism,’ T.J. Watt’s murky status, resting if Ravens lose - TribLIVE.com
Search teams probe wreckage after Libyan army chief and 7 others are killed in Turkey plane crash - AP News
Search teams in Turkey have recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from the jet that crashed and killed Libya’s military chief and seven others. The discovery on Wednesday came a day after the crash outside Ankara killed everyone on board. Liby…
Doctors fear rising tetanus cases as vaccine rates drop - NBC News
Tetanus could make a comeback, especially in states vulnerable to climate-linked natural disasters like Florida and Texas, an NBC News investigation finds.
Where the national redistricting fight is heading in 2026 - NBC News
The 2026 midterm elections are fast approaching, but for some states, their congressional boundary lines are far from settled
It’s boom times for Trump’s economy. Especially if you’re rich. - Politico
The robust GDP numbers reported this week mask the extent to which wealthy Americans are driving growth.
The internal dispute that could derail the GOP’s 2026 agenda - Politico
With the midterms around the corner, top Republican voices are clashing about the prospects for another reconciliation bill.
Unknown human ancestors lived in Europe for 80 generations then vanished forever - Earth.com
Early human ancestors called the LRJ Group lived in Europe for 80 generations, intermingling with Neanderthals, before vanishing forever.
3 die in explosion in area of Moscow where car bomb killed a general Monday - CBS News
Three people, including two police officers, were killed in an explosion in Moscow, Russian investigators said, days after a car bomb killed a high-ranking general not far away.
19 states sue HHS over a move that could curtail youth gender-affirming care - NPR
A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Department of Health and Human Services over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people.