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Lead: Less than 24 hours after an overtime comeback against Green Bay, the Chicago Bears clinched a spot in the 2025 NFL postseason on Sunday when the Detroit Lions lost 29-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Detroit. The Bears improved to 11-4 with Saturday night’s 22-16 OT win over the Packers and now qualify for … Read more

Lead: The U.S. Department of Justice restored an image from the Jeffrey Epstein files to its public archive on Sunday after temporarily removing it following its initial posting on Friday. The photo contained two separate pictures that included former President Donald Trump among other prominent figures; the DOJ said the Southern District of New York … Read more

James Ransone, a character actor best known for roles in IT Chapter Two, The Wire, Inside Man (2006) and Red Hook Summer (2012), has died at 46. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s report states he was found hanging on Friday and the death is being treated as a suicide. News of his death prompted … Read more

Lead: A former classmate of the man accused in the Brown University and MIT killings says the suspect displayed signs of anger and social awkwardness while they were students in Providence. The shootings occurred Dec. 13 at Brown’s Barus & Holley building, where two students were killed and nine others wounded, and on Dec. 15 … Read more

Lead On December 21, 2025 in Cleveland, the Buffalo Bills edged the Cleveland Browns 23-20 as James Cook carried the offense with 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Josh Allen, playing through a right-foot injury sustained in the second quarter, completed 12 of 19 passes for 130 yards while the Bills improved to 11-4 and … Read more

Lead Video recorded at a Canton, Ohio Walmart shows 21-year-old Shane Newman producing a handgun and attempting to shoot a police officer during a Thursday afternoon arrest; the weapon failed to fire and no injuries were reported. The two people detained at the store were identified as Newman and 23-year-old Katerina Jeffrey, who was also … Read more

Lead: Jim Beam’s owner, James B. Beam Distilling Co., announced that production at its primary distillery on the James B. Beam campus in Clermont, Kentucky, will pause beginning January 1, a move the company says accompanies site investment work. The pause comes amid a record inventory of aging bourbon barrels in Kentucky and continuing trade-policy … Read more

Lead: In Arlington on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys—already eliminated from playoff contention—faced the Los Angeles Chargers, who needed a victory to clinch a postseason berth. The Chargers prevailed, as Justin Herbert hurt Dallas with both his passing and his mobility, and a handful of less-noticed plays helped determine the final margin. Five specific moments — … Read more

Scientists from the California Academy of Sciences say that after retrieving autonomous reef monitoring structures from deep coral reefs off Guam, they collected 2,000 specimens over two weeks in November and identified 100 species in the area for the first time. Preliminary analysis and DNA sequencing indicate more than 20 of those organisms may be … Read more

Lead: On Dec. 21, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, the Carolina Panthers edged the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 to take a major stride toward the playoffs. A 48-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald with 2:20 remaining set up a tense finish that ended when rookie safety Lathan Ransom intercepted Baker Mayfield with … Read more

Lead: The U.S. Coast Guard, operating in the Caribbean Sea, on Sunday pursued a sanctioned oil tanker that U.S. officials say is part of Venezuela’s so-called “shadow fleet.” The action, confirmed by an official briefed on the operation, came days after U.S. authorities announced the seizure of another tanker and follows a Dec. 10 boarding … Read more

Lead Sources with knowledge of the investigation say Nick Reiner was prescribed medication for schizophrenia at some point before the Dec. 14 killings of his parents, actor-director Rob Reiner, 78, and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, 70. Authorities charged the 32-year-old with two counts of murder; investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive. The couple’s bodies … Read more

Lead The Dallas Cowboys, already eliminated from the 2025 playoffs after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Commanders, traveled to Los Angeles and dropped a 34-17 decision to the Chargers. Dallas opened the game with an efficient touchdown drive but could not sustain enough defensive resistance or consistent rushing production to keep pace. Quarterback Dak … Read more

Actor James Ransone, 46, died Friday in Los Angeles in what the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner described as an apparent suicide. Ransone rose to prominence for his portrayal of Ziggy Sobotka on HBO’s The Wire and later as Eddie Kaspbrak in the 2019 film It: Chapter Two. His career spanned film and television projects … Read more

Lead: The Carolina Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in a close Week 16 game in Charlotte, capped when Panthers defensive back Lathan Ransom intercepted Baker Mayfield at the Carolina 30-yard line to end Tampa Bay’s final drive. Carolina built an early lead and converted late with a 48-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald … Read more