Mickey Lee, ‘Big Brother’ Alum, Dies at 35 After Flu-Related Cardiac Arrests

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Former Big Brother cast member Mickey Lee died on Thursday at age 35 after suffering multiple cardiac arrests linked to complications from the seasonal flu, her family announced. The family shared the news Friday via the star’s Instagram account and described Lee as a bright, authentic presence who formed lasting bonds with fans and fellow … Read more

Google May Finally Let Users Change Embarrassing Old Gmail Addresses – Gizmodo

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Lead: Google is rolling out a new option that appears to let some users change their @gmail.com email addresses, a move first noticed in non‑English help pages in late 2024. The update — spotted by members of a Google Pixel Hub Telegram group and now visible in several language versions of Google’s support site — … Read more

Zelensky to meet Trump in Florida Sunday to discuss U.S.-backed peace plan

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Lead: Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to advance negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s full-scale invasion. The talks are expected to center on a US-brokered 20-point peace framework and separate US security guarantees. Zelensky described the plan as about 90% complete and said the meeting … Read more

Najib Razak Sentenced to 15 Years and RM11.4 Billion Fine over 1MDB

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Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak was sentenced on Dec. 26, 2025 in Putrajaya after a High Court found him guilty of corruption and money laundering tied to the 1MDB scandal. The court imposed a 15-year prison term and ordered an RM11.4 billion (about $2.8 billion) fine, while directing recovery of more than $500 million … Read more

Michigan focusing on Kyle Whittingham in head-coaching search: Source – The Athletic – The New York Times

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Lead: Michigan is reported to be close to reaching an agreement to hire former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham as its next head coach, a person familiar with the process said on Dec. 26, 2025. The move follows Michigan’s Dec. 10 firing of Sherrone Moore and aims to steady a program beset by off-field turmoil and … Read more

UK campaigner facing US removal accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’

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Lead: Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the London-based Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), says he has been targeted by powerful tech companies after the US State Department placed him among five European nationals barred from entering the United States. The move—announced in late December 2025—accused the group of pushing platforms to censor or suppress … Read more

In the ’90s, Wing Commander: Privateer made me realize what kind of games I love – Ars Technica

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In 1993, Wing Commander: Privateer taught a generation of players — including the author of this piece — a simple lesson about what a game could be: a space to live an invented life rather than a sequence of authored challenges. That realization has shaped how the writer evaluates games ever since, and it explains … Read more

Google lets some users change their @gmail address

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Google has begun offering a way for certain users to replace their @gmail.com address, according to a Hindi support page surfaced via translation. The change functions largely as adding a new primary address while preserving the old one as an alias, so messages and sign-in links continue to work. The feature appears to be limited … Read more

Week 17 showdowns — 49ers‑Bears and the games that will reshape the playoff map

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Lead With two regular-season weeks left, Week 17 will sharply reshape the NFL playoff landscape. Seven of eight division races remain undecided and neither conference has a team with a better-than-60-percent chance to secure the No. 1 seed. Several matchups this weekend — headlined by 49ers vs. Bears — will determine division fates and set … Read more

Johnson & Johnson Halts Mid‑Stage Trial of Experimental Eczema Drug

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Lead Johnson & Johnson on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, said it has discontinued a mid‑stage study of its experimental atopic dermatitis candidate JNJ‑5939 after an interim analysis failed to meet pre‑specified efficacy thresholds. The company said the medicine was generally well tolerated but did not clear the “high‑bar” needed to advance. The decision affects the … Read more

Winter storm tests airlines during peak holiday travel — what travelers need to know

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Lead A major winter storm is set to challenge U.S. carriers during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. A winter storm warning takes effect Friday afternoon for New York City, New Jersey and Long Island, with the National Weather Service forecasting up to 9 inches of snow, much falling overnight. Major U.S. … Read more

Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic: An Update

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Lead: On Dec. 26, 2025, The Daily revisited reporting on how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound are reshaping more than bodies — they are altering romantic relationships. Reporter Lisa Miller recounts a case in which the medications contributed to strains in a marriage of about 15 years, and clinicians warn the drugs’ … Read more

2025: Denisovans Finally Get a Face

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In 2025 researchers connected a long-mysterious fossil skull to Denisovan DNA, offering the first plausible cranial portrait of a population first revealed by ancient DNA in 2010. The breakthrough ties Harbin’s so-called “Dragon Man” skull to Denisovan mitochondrial sequences and protein evidence, and links it to a broader Denisovan record spanning Asia. That convergence of … Read more