DETROIT (AP) — John Gibson kept up his hot December with 24 saves, Dylan Larkin and Mason Appleton scored goals, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the slumping Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Gibson won for the ninth time in 10 starts as the Red Wings improved to 11-3-1 in December.
The Jets lost their seventh straight game (0-4-3) on a night where Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves. Logan Stanley scored Winnipeg’s goal.
The Red Wings took a 1-0 lead at 8:22 of the first period when Larkin ripped a shot through traffic over Hellebuyck’s glove while on the power play. Larkin and Hellebuyck, who grew up a few miles apart in Detroit’s western suburbs, are expected to be teammates on Team USA in the upcoming Olympics.
Appleton put the Red Wings ahead 2-0 with 5:12 left in the first, finishing off a two-on-one break with J.T. Compher. Hellebuyck made the initial save, but defenseman Luke Schenn knocked the puck into the net while trying to clear the crease.
Gustav Nyquist nearly made it 2-1 late in the second period against his former team, but hit the crossbar from a sharp angle.
Stanley made it 2-1 at 7:04 of the third with a shot along the ice that seemed to fool Gibson.
Detroit Red Wings center Mason Appleton (22) celebrates his goal against the Winnipeg Jets with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
The Jan. 6., 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol does not happen without Donald Trump, former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers earlier this month in characterizing the Republican president as the most culpable and most responsible person in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released on Wednesday a transcript and video of a closed-door interview Smith gave about two investigations of Trump. The document shows how Smith during the course of a daylong deposition repeatedly defended the basis for pursuing indictments against Trump and vigorously rejected Republican suggestions that his investigations were politically motivated.
The evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy. These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol, part of this case, does not happen without him. The other co-conspirators were doing this for his benefit, Smith said, bristling at a question about whether his investigations were meant to prevent Trump from reclaiming the presidency in 2024.
So in terms of why we would pursue a case against him, I entirely disagree with any characterization that our work was in any way meant to hamper him in the presidential election, he added.
The Dec. 17 deposition was conducted privately despite Smiths request to testify publicly. The release of the transcript and video of the interview, so far Smith's only appearance on Capitol Hill since leaving his special counsel position last January, adds to the public understanding of the decision-making behind two of the most consequential Justice Department investigations in recent history.
Smith repeatedly made clear his belief that the evidence gathered against Trump was strong enough to sustain a conviction. Part of the strength of the Jan. 6 case, Smith said, was the extent to which it relied on the testimony of Trump allies and supporters who cooperated with the investigation.
We had an elector in Pennsylvania who is a former congressman, who was going to be an elector for President Trump, who said that what they were trying to do was an attempt to overthrow the government and illegal, Smith said. Our case was built on, frankly, Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before the party.
Accounts from Republicans willing to stand up against the falsehood that the election had been stolen even though it could mean trouble for them created what Smith described as the most powerful evidence against Trump.
When it came to the Capitol riot itself, Smith said, the evidence showed that Trump caused it and that he exploited it and that it was foreseeable to him.
Asked whether there was evidence that Trump had instructed supporters to riot at the Capitol, Smith said that Trump in the weeks leading to the insurrection got people to believe fraud claims that weren't true.
He made false statements to state legislatures, to his supporters in all sorts of contexts and was aware in the days leading up to Jan. 6th that his supporters were angry when he invited them and then he directed them to the Capitol, Smith said.
Now, once they were at the Capitol and once the attack on the Capitol happened, he refused to stop it. He instead issued a tweet that without question in my mind endangered the life of his own vice president, he added. And when the violence was going on, he had to be pushed repeatedly by his staff members to do anything to quell it.
Some of the deposition focused on Republican anger at revelations that the Smith team had obtained, and analyzed, phone records of GOP lawmakers who were in contact with Trump on Jan. 6. Smith defended the maneuver as lawful and by-the-book, and suggested that outrage over the tactic should be directed at Trump and not his team of prosecutors.
Well, I think who should be accountable for this is Donald Trump. These records are people, in the case of the senators, Donald Trump directed his co-conspirators to call these people to further delay the proceedings. He chose to do that, Smith said. If Donald Trump had chosen to call a number of Democratic senators, we would have gotten toll records for Democratic senators.
The communications between Trump and Republican supporters in Congress were an important component of the case, Smith said. He cited an interview his office did with Mark Meadows in which Trump's former chief of staff referenced that Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican and current chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, had been in touch with the White House on the afternoon of the riot.
And what I recall was Meadows stating that Ive never seen Jim Jordan scared of anything, and the fact that we were in this different situation now where people were scared really made it clear that what was going on at the Capitol could not be mistaken for anything other than what it was, Smith said.
Smith was also asked whether his team evaluated former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinsons explosive claim that Trump that grabbed at the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when the Secret Service refused to let him go to the Capitol after a rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021.
Smith told lawmakers that investigators interviewed the officer who was in the car, who said that President Trump was very angry and wanted to go to the Capitol, but the officers version of events was not the same as what Cassidy Hutchinson said she heard from somebody secondhand.
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Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
Two of the NFL's three Christmas Day games set viewership records.
The Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings late afternoon game on Netflix became the most-streamed NFL game in U.S. history and the Denver Broncos-Kansas City Chiefs night game set a record for Amazon Prime Video.
The Vikings' 23-10 victory over the Lions averaged 27.5 million U.S. viewers, according to Nielsen. The audience peaked at over 30 million. That surpasses the 27.2 million average for last year's Christmas game on Netflix between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texas, which was also in the late afternoon slot.
The Broncos' 20-13 win over the Chiefs had a 21.06 million average on Prime Video, breaking the network's 19.39 million mark for most-watched Thursday Night Football game in the four seasons it has had the package. The audience peaked at 22.9 million during the second quarter.
The first game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders averaged 19.9 million. The Cowboys' 30-23 win was sharply down from the 25.8 million that tuned in for last year's early afternoon contest between the Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Figures for the three games also include local market viewing on broadcast stations and viewing on NFL+ via mobile or web viewing.
Netflix and Nielsen said Snoops Holiday Halftime Party which occurred at halftime of the Lions-Vikings game averaged 29 million.
The two Christmas games on Netflix were streamed globally, with viewers from over 200 countries and territories watching at least one of the games. The Cowboys-Commanders game had a global average of 22.4 million while Lions-Vikings had 30.5 million.
Netflix said its NFL Christmas Gameday drew more than 632 million social impressions globally, with Snoop Dogg's halftime show garnering over 100 million impressions. Snoop was the number one trend socially in the U.S. along with Andrea Bocelli, Lainey Wilson and Duck Hodges.
Though he didn’t mention the late Tatiana Schlossberg by name or reference her death, Trump harvested screenshots of his supporters’ posts belittling the famous family after his newly handpicked board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted to tack the president’s name onto the venue.
Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, addresses an audience during the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award ceremony, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
Schlossberg had written poignantly about her diagnosis and treatment in The New Yorker in November, a powerful account of a year-long journey that paralleled her cousin Robert Kennedy Jr.’s attack on the nation’s public health system as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
As condolences poured in, Trump, reportedly miffed at the raft of performance cancellations in the wake of the board’s Dec. 18 name change, pulled supporters’ social media posts out of mothballs and onto Truth Social. He re-upped such gems as, “The Kennedy Family have LONG neglected the Kennedy Center, btw. They don’t raise money for it. They never show up. And the only Kennedy who has been there recently is a member of Trump’s cabinet,” and, “The Trumps have always been supporters of the arts. The Kennedys are supporters of the Kennedys.”
New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, is unveiled on the Kennedy Center, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“On a day when the Kennedy family is grappling with an unimaginable personal loss, Donald Trump chose to use his platform to launch petty, vindictive attacks against them,” Meidas Touch wrote on X. “Yet another stunning display of cruelty and utter lack of basic human decency.”
With News Wire Services
FILE – Tatiana Schlossberg, second right, granddaughter of President J.F. Kennedy pauses for a moment of silence during a short ceremony at the JFK memorial Runnymede, England, Friday, Nov. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
Families across Metro Detroit didn't wait until midnight to ring in 2026. Many venues hosted early celebrations designed specifically for children, allowing them to participate in New Year's festivities without staying up past their bedtime.
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report: Kids celebrate New Year's Eve early at Clarkston family fun center
Fairytale Fun Place in Clarkston hosted what they called a "Noon Year's Eve Party," complete with all the traditional New Year's celebrations moved to a more kid-friendly time.
"I love that it's kid-friendly at Noon-Year's! We're definitely not going to stay up all night, so this is amazing that they put this on for the kids," Maria Deachin of Clarkston said.
The concept proved popular with parents who knew their children wouldn't make it to the traditional midnight celebration.
"I didn't think he'd make it to midnight, so it's great to noon instead," Carolyn Robertson of Waterford said.
Amy Demoff, who owns Fairytale Fun Place with her husband, said the timing works perfectly for families with young children.
"We know that 12 o'clock midnight is really hard for little ones, and so Noon Year's Eve is perfect. You can come out with your family and have so much fun here with the kids, and get them home in time for a nap," Demoff said.
The couple has owned the Clarkston venue since 2021and started this New Year's Eve tradition the following year.
The party space also offers numerous activities for children and families, featuring arcade games and an indoor playground, creating an environment where children can play and celebrate.
"It's a lot of fun for the kids. This is just a really great place to just let come and play and unwind for a little while," Sarah Paluch of Clio said.
To celebrate 2026, children learned iconic dance moves from different decades and met characters Elsa and Anna from the movie "Frozen." The celebration culminated with a balloon drop at noon, mimicking the traditional Times Square ball drop.
"It made us so happy to see him having a great time. He's got a big personality. It's nice for him to be able to show it," Bill Robertson of Waterford said.
Demoff emphasized that the business focuses on bringing families together across generations.
"Everything we do here is family-centered, moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles. Everybody comes out together and hangs out together as a family," Demoff said.
The event attracted families from various locations, including one family visiting from Japan after being away for 10 years.
"You know, spending time with family and friends, there's nothing better than that," Adrienne Uchida said.
Young Wyatt Paluch from Clio summed up the day's festivities with enthusiasm: "Happy New Year!"
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
As Detroit prepares to ring in the new year, police are reminding residents that celebratory gunfire remains illegal and dangerous, nearly three decades after a local family lost their loved one to this reckless tradition.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report: Detroit police warn against celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve
Chalaundra Latham was just a teenager when her mother, Saundra Latham, was killed by celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve 1996. The family was celebrating near Grand River Avenue and Robson Street when the clock struck midnight and gunfire erupted in their neighborhood.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, get to one and you hear the shots, I hear, 'Get down, get down!'" Chalaundra Latham said, recalling that tragic night.
When the gunfire stopped, her mother didn't get up.
"It came in through the side window. Hit her in the eye," Latham said.
Saundra Latham lost her life that day, leaving behind a devastated family that continues to feel the impact nearly 30 years later.
FULL INTERVIEW: Chalaundra Latham talks about her mother, Saundra Latham, shooting death due to celebratory gunfire FULL INTERVIEW: Chalaundra Latham talks about her mother, Saundra Latham, shooting death due to celebratory gunfire
"That was a big loss. My mom played a big roll in me and my sister and our family's life, we're very family orientated, her grandkids, it was hard, it's still hard around the holidays," Chalaundra Latham said.
Since then, the Latham family has upheld a campaign encouraging people to "ring in the new year with bells, not bullets."
At Detroit Police Department headquarters on Wednesday, Assistant Police Chief Franklin Hayes emphasized that the department has two main priorities on New Year's Eve: watching for impaired drivers and preventing celebratory gunfire.
"I want to remind everyone that discharging a firearm in the city limits is a crime," Hayes said. "Prosecution will follow."
While Hayes noted that the department has seen less of this disturbing tradition over the years, it still exists.
"We want them to bring the year in ringing a bell, and not in a jail cell," Hayes added.
The ongoing concern affects how some Detroit residents celebrate. Ronald Cranford, a Detroit resident, said he and his neighbors avoid being outside right at midnight to stay safe.
"We definitely go in early," Cranford said.
Meanwhile, the Latham family's message remains simple as another New Year's Eve approaches.
"Ring it in with a bell, not a bang, that's what I'm asking people," Chalaundra Latham said.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Michigan's marijuana industry faces a significant tax increase as a new 24% wholesale excise tax takes effect January 1, 2026, prompting cannabis users to stock up on products before the deadline.
Watch Peter Maxwell's video report: Michigan implements 24% wholesale marijuana tax starting January 1
The additional tax will be imposed on top of the existing 10% retail tax and 6% sales tax, bringing the total tax rate to 40%. The measure is expected to generate over $400 million per year to fund road and bridge work, along with other infrastructure projects.
"It's really unfortunate," said Sam from Berkley, one of several cannabis users I spoke with who are purchasing products before the tax increase.
The tax hike has already forced some businesses to make difficult decisions. Eric Slutzky, CEO of Dog House Farms, said his wholesale growing operation has had to scale back operations.
"We've implemented things to try to get leaner. We went through every expense over the past few months with a fine-tooth comb to try and figure out what needs to happen here. We had lay-offs too," Slutzky said.
Several cannabis companies in Michigan have laid off workers or shut down entirely due to market saturation and the new marijuana tax. Others are strategizing for the long term.
Aric Klar, founder of Quality Roots, said his company has prepared for the tax increase by stocking inventory.
"Quality Roots has stocked our shelves for the next two to three months to maximize our ability to keep our price points where they've been and hopefully continue to keep them as long as we can," Klar said.
Cannabis users said they're taking advantage of current prices before the tax takes effect.
FULL INTERVIEW: Aric Klar, founder of Quality Roots, talks about marijuana tax FULL INTERVIEW: Aric Klar, founder of Quality Roots, talks about marijuana tax
"I think that's probably a great idea for a consumer to do today before the prices increase that much," said Kristin Hinchman from Berkley.
"When I heard the news, I was definitely surprised. It's definitely going to have a huge impact, so I plan on stocking up before midnight," Sam said.
Cannabis industry groups are challenging the new tax in court as the implementation date arrives.
Some customers expressed mixed feelings about the tax increase. Brenden Bowers from Berkley said the tax makes sense to some extent, but questioned whether the revenue could be found elsewhere.
"I feel like it makes sense to a certain extent, but on the other hand, they can probably find that tax within other places," Bowers said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
ORLANDO, Fla. – For the last six days since Michigan arrived here to prepare for the Citrus Bowl, the game felt like an afterthought.
After all, Michigan hired new coach Kyle Whittingham on Dec. 26, the day the team flew to Florida from Ann Arbor, and two days later he was formally introduced as the program’s 22nd head coach. His hiring dominated interviews and headlines, and, oh, yeah, there was a game coming up for a team that had faced many distractions since their previous coach, Sherrone Moore, was fired on Dec. 10 creating turmoil within the program.
Michigan and Texas both entered the Citrus Bowl with the goal of winning their 10th game at Camping World Stadium. But it was the Longhorns, with two previous wins against Michigan, who prevailed, with a 41-27 win in an entertaining, high-scoring game with Whittingham observing his new team from the press box suites.
The game featured two of the most hyped quarterbacks in the game, but it was Texas quarterback Arch Manning who had the spectacular performance. He threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns, including a 60-yard run that converted on his counterpart Bryce Underwood’s second interception and put Texas up two scores, 38-27.
Underwood, Michigan’s freshman quarterback, had not had a touchdown pass in four of his last five games and had two against Texas, to Andrew Marsh and Kendrick Bell. He also rushed for 69 yards with one touchdown. But trumping all of that was his three interceptions, the third coming with 4:33 left that led to a Texas field goal and a 41-27 lead. He was picked off three times in the second half, including back-to-back fourth-quarter drives.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) crosses the goal line for a touchdown against Texas during the second half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (JOHN RAOUX — AP Photo)
Michigan was short-handed in the run game with both of the Wolverines’ top rushers, Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes, on the sideline, leaving the bulk of the job to Bryson Kuzdzal, who led the team with 82 yards on 20 carries. Haynes, who has been recovering from a foot injury suffered in the Michigan State game, was in street clothes, but Marshall, who suffered a right shoulder injury in Game 11 against Northwestern, was in uniform. And there were the opt-outs, including sack leader Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham.
The Wolverines regained the lead, 27-24, with 11 minutes left in the game with a 5-yard run by Underwood that was reviewed after it appeared he may have fumbled as the ball crossed the pylon.
But Texas had a strong reply and drove 75 yards on nine plays as Manning made a stunning pass to Kaliq Lockett for a 30-yard touchdown and the 31-27 lead with just less than seven minutes left.
Michigan built a 20-17 lead early in the second half on Dominic Zvada’s second field goal, this time from 31 yards, but Texas responded with a touchdown drive as Manning scored on a 23-yard run to give the Longhorns a 24-20 lead.
The Wolverines were driving on their next possession when Underwood was intercepted on a poor pass on third-and-17 at the Texas 25-yard line. But Michigan’s defense stepped up and forced a three-and-out.
Michigan had 192 total first-half yards while Texas had 233. Underwood was 12 of 18 for 112 yards and the TD passes to Bell and Marsh. He also ran for 49 yards on five carries. The Wolverines, who struggled finding any semblance of a pass rush against Ohio State in the final regular-season game, didn’t pressure Manning much in the first half. Manning was 14 of 23 for 147 yards and a score.
Texas made it 10-10 early in the second quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run, but Michigan, playing behind a reconfigured offensive line after center Greg Crippen left the game with injury, responded with an efficient drive.
With Crippen out, Jake Guarnera moved from right guard to center and freshman Kaden Strayhorn came in at right guard, shuffling a line that was already featuring a new starter at right tackle, Brady Norton for Andrew Sprague, and Nathan Efobi at left guard for Gio El-Hadi, who decided not to play in the bowl.
Michigan needed seven plays, with Underwood running four times, including a 33-yard gain to the Texas 4-yard line. Marsh, who switched to No. 3, his high school number, before the game, scored on a pass from Underwood give Michigan a 17-10 lead.
Texas tied the game 17-17 the next drive on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Jack Endries.
Michigan’s defense came up big on Texas’ final drive of the half. The Longhorns reached the UM 21-yard line and Manning looked to have another touchdown on a second-down throw but TJ Metcalf broke up the play in the end zone. On third down, the snap went over Manning’s head for a 12-yard loss. Michigan got the ball back with 48 seconds left and after reaching the Texas 27-yard line, Zvada missed a 45-yard field goal wide right as time expired. He made a 53-yarder in the first quarter.
The Wolverines took a 10-3 lead in the first quarter, scoring twice in 46 seconds, first on a 53-yard field goal from Zvada. On the ensuing kickoff, Texas’ Ryan Niblett was hit by Cole Sullivan, who forced a fumble that Metcalf recovered at the Longhorns’ 23-yard line.
On third-and-16, Underwood connected with Bell in the end zone, but it was officially ruled incomplete. The Michigan players, however, began to celebrate, throwing up their arms to signal a touchdown, after watching a replay on the videoboard. The call was overturned after the review showed Bell got his right toe down for the score and a 10-3 lead.
Texas opened the game a 43-yard field goal after having two 22-yard plays in the drive.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) dives as he is tackled by Michigan defensive back Jordan Young during the second half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (JOHN RAOUX — AP Photo)
Scammers impersonating law enforcement officers are stealing thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims in Dundee, prompting police to issue urgent warnings to the public.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report: Dundee woman loses $9,500 to scammer impersonating Monroe County deputy
A Dundee woman recently lost $9,500 to a scammer who claimed to be a Monroe County Sheriff's deputy and told her there was a federal warrant for her arrest for missing jury duty, according to the Dundee Police Department.
The scammer called the woman from an unregistered, anonymous number and convinced her she could avoid arrest by depositing money into a Bitcoin ATM in Carleton. Once she made the payment, the caller immediately hung up.
The Dundee Police Department says law enforcement will never demand bond money, cryptocurrency, or gift cards for the immediate payment of anything.
Tracie Simpson from Monroe experienced a similar scam a month and a half ago when her daughter got into legal trouble. Scammers posing as sheriff's deputies told her they could get her daughter out of jail and into a rehab program.
"I had to pay to get that ankle monitor on her and get her out that night," Simpson said.
The scammers had Simpson send $400 through a Green Dot bank card.
"As soon as the money hit, they disconnect," Simpson said.
David Derigiotis, cyber risk expert and President of RT Specialty Detroit, demonstrated how easily scammers can create fake arrest warrants using artificial intelligence tools.
"So many tools are available that use AI. You can create flawless-looking images. You can create documents that look to be official," Derigiotis said. "It took me seconds to create that."
To avoid becoming a victim, Derigiotis recommends being skeptical of unsolicited communications.
"You have to be incredibly skeptical of any unsolicited communication that you receive, whether it's phone, text, or email," Derigiotis said.
Dundee Police are working the case and coordinating with other law enforcement agencies in hopes of recovering the woman's money. Anyone who has been scammed or suspects they were targeted should contact their local police department or sheriff's office.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday that the Constitution remains a sturdy pillar for the country, a message that comes after a tumultuous year in the nation’s judicial system with pivotal Supreme Court decisions on the horizon.
Roberts said the nation’s founding documents remain “firm and unshaken,” a reference to a century-old quote from President Calvin Coolidge. “True then; true now,” Roberts wrote in his annual letter to the judiciary.
The letter comes after a year in which legal scholars and Democrats raised fears of a possible constitutional crisis as Republican President Donald Trump’s supporters pushed back against rulings that slowed his far-reaching conservative agenda.
Roberts weighed in at one point in March, issuing a rare rebuke after Trump called for the impeachment of a judge who had ruled against him in a case over the deportation of Venezuelan migrants accused of being gang members.
The chief justice’s Wednesday letter was largely focused on the nation’s history, including an early 19th-century case establishing the principle that Congress shouldn’t remove judges over contentious rulings.
He also called on judges to “continue to decide the cases before us according to our oath, doing equal right to the poor and to the rich, and performing all of our duties faithfully and impartially under the Constitution and laws of the United States.”
While the Trump administration faced pushback in the lower courts, it has scored a series of some two dozen wins on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket. The court’s conservative majority has allowed Trump to move ahead for now with banning transgender people from the military, clawing back billions of dollars of congressionally approved federal spending, moving aggressively on immigration and firing the Senate-confirmed leaders of independent federal agencies.
The court also handed Trump a few defeats over the last year, including in his push to deploy the National Guard to U.S. cities.
Other pivotal issues are ahead for the high court in 2026, including arguments over Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship and a ruling on whether he can unilaterally impose tariffs on hundreds of countries.
Roberts’ letter contained few references to those issues. It opened with a history of the seminal 1776 pamphlet “Common Sense,” written by Thomas Paine, a “recent immigrant to Britain’s North American colonies,” and closed with Coolidge’s encouragement to “turn for solace” to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence “amid all the welter of partisan politics.”
With the Supreme Court Building under renovations, the justices hear oral arguments on President Donald Trump’s push to expand control over independent federal agencies, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Watch Brad Galli's report on the game: Wolverines fall to Longhorns in Citrus Bowl 41-27
Manning was an easy choice as the Citrus Bowl MVP, and that was before he burst up the middle on his 60-yarder that gave the Longhorns (10-3) a 38-27 lead, the first time all game either team led by more than one score.
Watch Darren Cunningham's report on Michigan fans: Wolverines fans disappointed by Citrus Bowl loss
Manning was 21 of 34 for 221 yards passing, and he ran nine times for 155 yards.
He delivered a perfect throw to Kaliq Lockett on a 30-yard TD for a 31-27 lead, the first time Texas led since a field goal on its opening drive.
That was one play after he scrambled 15 yards for a first down on fourth-and-2. Manning twice converted on fourth down with clutch runs, both times extending drives that led to touchdowns.
Kyle Whittingham, who arrived in Orlando on Saturday to start meeting with players, watched from the box at the Citrus Bowl. The longtime Utah coach takes over a Michigan team (9-4) that produced a strong running game and played tough on defense despite missing its top two defenders who opted out of the game.
But there was no answer for Manning, who accounted for about 80% of the Longhorns' offense.
Bryce Underwood, Michigan's freshman quarter, kept the Wolverines in the game until a pair of late interceptions sealed it. He was 23 of 42 for 199 yards and two touchdowns, along with three interceptions in the last 18 minutes of the game.
Underwood, who ran for 77 yards, scampered for a 5-yard touchdown run by diving to touch the pylon, giving Michigan its last lead at 27-24 with just under 11 minutes to go.
Hisd pass was intercepted by Ty'Anthony Smith over the middle after Texas had taken the lead, and Smith picked him another along the sideline on the next drive.
Biff Poggi lost for the first time as Michigan's interim coach. Poggi coached victories over Nebraska and Central Michigan when former coach Sherrone Moore served a two-game suspension related to the sign-stealing scandal from 2023.
Moore was fired three weeks ago for having an extramarital affair with a staffer, and he was arrested and charged with three crimes later in the day for breaking into the woman's home.
Whittingham brings a history of toughness and discipline from his 21 years at Utah, which Michigan hopes can go a long way toward bringing some stability to a culture in chaos.
The Takeaway
Michigan: Bryson Kuzdzal gave Michigan strength in the running with 82 hard-earned yards on 20 carries. He converted first downs on fourth-and short on three occasions.
Texas: While Manning ran the show for the Longhorns, they got great production from freshman running back Christian Clark, who had one touchdown and rushed for 105 yards on 20 carries. Texas was without its leading three rushers, all of whom are entering the transfer portal.
Too much yellow
The field only looked like it was sprinkled with Cheez-It crackers from the bowl sponsor. Michigan and Texas combined for 21 penalties. The most devastating for Michigan was a blind side block on a second-and-2 from the Texas 10. Underwood threw an interception two players later.
Up next
Michigan: New coach Kyle Whittingham fills out his staff. The Wolverines open at home Sept. 5 against Western Michigan.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four firms operating in Venezuela’s oil sector and designated four additional oil tankers, which the U.S. accuses of being part of a shadow fleet serving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government, as blocked property.
A set of strikes announced Wednesday increased the death toll from the attacks to at least 110 people since early September. And in a new escalation marking the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil, the CIA carried out a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by drug cartels.
The latest sanctions from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control target ships called Nord Star, Lunar Tide, Rosalind and Della, and their registered ownership companies.
“Today’s sanctions continue President Trump’s pressure campaign on Maduro and his cronies,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement. “The Trump Administration is committed to disrupting the network that props up Maduro and his illegitimate regime.”
The sanctions are meant to deny the firms and tankers access to any property or financial assets held in the U.S. People, banks and financial institutions that violate that restriction expose themselves to sanctions or enforcement actions.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States “will not allow the illegitimate Maduro regime to profit from exporting oil while it floods the United States with deadly drugs.”
President Donald Trump has announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of the South American country. He has demanded that Venezuela return assets that it seized from U.S. oil companies years ago and has said Maduro’s government is using oil profits to fund drug trafficking and other crimes.
“The Treasury Department will continue to implement President Trump’s campaign of pressure on Maduro’s regime,” Bessent said.
U.S. Department of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks before President Donald Trump arrives at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The U.S. Postal Service has issued new guidance clarifying that postmarks may not always reflect the actual date you mailed your letter or package, a change that could significantly impact time-sensitive documents like ballots, tax returns and legal papers.
Under the USPS Final Rule on Postmarks and Postal Possession, most postmarks are now applied at large processing plants and show the date mail is first processed, not necessarily when the Post Office accepted it from you.
With new transportation schedules called Regional Transportation Optimization, your letter might sit for a day before receiving that familiar round black stamp, even if you dropped it off on time.
For documents with hard deadlines, the Postal Service recommends bringing items to a Post Office counter and requesting a manual local postmark. This service is free and will always show the date you handed over your mail.
The Postal Service also suggests mailing items at least a week before deadlines and purchasing a Certificate of Mailing for proof of submission when necessary.
The change doesn't affect how the Postal Service handles mail but aims to help customers understand what postmarks mean so they can plan accordingly for important deadlines.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Farmers are now learning how much aid they can expect to receive from a $12 billion package that President Donald Trump announced earlier this month.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the figures Wednesday for how much aid per acre farmers can plan on for each row crop. The details arrived after most farmers have already met with their bankers to arrange financing for next year’s crops and placed orders for the seed and fertilizer they will need. But officials have promised that the payments should arrive by the end of February.
Soybean farmers have been hit especially hard by Trump’s trade war with China, which stopped buying any American crops after Trump announced his tariffs this spring. China is the world’s largest buyer of soybeans. This aid package is expected to help farmers weather the trade disruptions until China buys more soybeans under an agreement announced in October and until provisions of Trump’s massive budget bill take effect later this year.
Soybean farmers will get $30.88 per acre while corn farmers will receive $44.36 per acre. Another crop hit hard when China stopped buying was sorghum, and those farmers will get $48.11 per acre. The amounts are based on a USDA formula on the cost of production.
Farmers say they need more buyers for their crops
But farmers say the aid won’t solve all their problems as they continue to deal with the soaring costs of fertilizer, seeds and labor that make it hard to turn a profit right now. Some agricultural trade groups have said they worry that thousands of farmers could go out of business, but others have said they believe most farmers have the financial resources and equity needed to survive.
Kentucky soybean farmer Caleb Ragland, who was president of the American Soybean Association until recently, said the aid is “a Band-Aid on a deep wound. We need competition and opportunities in the market to make our future brighter.”
The President of the National Corn Growers Association Jed Bower also urged the Trump administration to focus on cultivating additional uses for their crops. Farmers will benefit from having more buyers whether it is for ethanol and animal feed at home or for international markets.
“Corn growers have been sounding the alarm about the fact that farmers have been faced with multiple consecutive years of low corn prices and high input costs,” Bower said. “While this financial assistance is helpful and welcomed, we urgently need the administration and Congress to develop markets in the United States and abroad that will provide growers with more long-term economic certainty.”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that is the goal and promised to continue working to open new markets while strengthening the safety net for farmers.
Minnesota Soybean Growers Association President Darin Johnson said the aid number for soybeans fell short of what farmers had been hoping for, so more help could be needed, though this package will help.
Most farmers remain steadfast supporters of Trump even after the disruptions caused by the trade war. They generally support many of his other policies and believe they will get a better trade deal in the end.
White House and farmers encouraged by China’s purchases
These aid payments will add up to $11 billion for row crop farmers who raise corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum and other crops. Another $1 billion has been set aside for specialty crops and sugar, but the administration hasn’t released any details of aid for those crops.
After Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, the White House said Beijing had promised to buy at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of the calendar year, plus 25 million metric tons a year in each of the next three years. Officials have said China is on track to meet the 12 million metric ton goal by the end of February.
As of Dec. 18, China had bought about 6 million metric tons of soybeans, according to the latest USDA’s weekly report. Separately, the federal agency reported that China since then bought at least three more batches totaling 600,000 metric tons.
Beijing has yet to confirm any commitment to buying 12 million metric tons of soybeans for this season, but the Chinese embassy in Washington said earlier this month that “agricultural trade cooperation between China and the United States is proceeding in an orderly manner.”
However, the recent increase in international purchases is encouraging to farmers, said Tim Lust, CEO of the National Sorghum Producers, who has seen more than 1 million metric tons of sorghum purchased in just the past few weeks. Like soybeans, more than half of the sorghum crop is exported each year with China traditionally being the biggest buyer.
The aid payments will be capped at $155,000 per farmer or entity, and only farms that make less than $900,000 in adjusted gross income will be eligible. During the first Trump administration, a number of large farms found ways around the payment limits and collected millions.
The USDA says the average size of the 1.88 million farms nationwide was 466 acres last year, but many farmers are much larger than that as larger operations have continued to buy up neighboring farms over time.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on farm subsidies in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
All it took was a couple weeks worth of evidence that Birmingham Groves’ new approach this season was going to result in some eye-popping numbers.
Averaging 60 points in their two first games? Nothing out of the ordinary.
Then the Falcons set a new school record for points in a game when they beat Fenton 103-45 on Dec. 16. Just three days later, they improved to 2-2 by waxing Fraser 92-61.
Triple-digit evenings are going to mean double-digit individual performances will be more common in that neighborhood, whether it’s Sophie Schwanik, Mallory Killian, Jacey Roy or take your pick.
But no one is benefitting more than Groves junior Harlem Simpson, as if she was going to fly under the radar for long regardless.
Nothing tells the tale better than the Falcons’ loss to Mercy in their second game of the season. Simpson, who admitted it wasn’t her brightest and best performance, was quiet for three quarters. Then she ripped off five 3-pointers in the fourth and still finished with 26 points.
Against Fenton, Simpson was far more efficient, shooting over 53 from the field (including 7 of 12 from downtown) as she finished with a new career-high 45 points.
In the victory over the Ramblers, she nearly followed up with a triple-double, scoring 35 points while pulling down 13 rebounds and finishing with seven steals.
The points will pull in the most attention, but Simpson’s ability to be a disruptive force with steals like she had against Fraser are what will only make Groves more dangerous as they acclimate to the Grinnell system, which second-year head coach Jessica Duleba installed over the summer.
“It’s just new,” Simpson said after the Mercy loss. “We’ve just got to get used to it. We’ve got to know we can still take layups, know that we don’t have to shoot all the time. We’ve got to listen to coaches, but if you are open, you’ve got to see it, and when you get the ball you’ve got to realize it. But we’ll get used to it.”
Groves junior Harlem Simpson (13) attempts a perimeter shot in a home game against Mercy on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)
Simpson has basketball in her blood. Her mom, Kisha, graduated as Michigan State’s all-time leading scorer and was the program’s first All-American, enough to earn her a place in MSU’s Hall of Fame (2011), and older brother John helped make Groves history by being part of last year’s senior class that brought the Falcons their first OAA Red title.
Harlem began to make her own name known on a bigger stage with AAU performances this past summer and her development has earned her double-digit Division 1 offers that include Penn State, Oakland, Detroit Mercy and Central Michigan, though that attention doesn’t seem to bother her or have her in any rush to decide on a destination. “You just gotta keep it spread out,” she said after at least a few schools were in attendance watching the loss to the Marlins. “I’ve been on a few visits. I’m just talking to everybody, feeling them out, figuring out where I want to be at.”
One of the state’s best from the Class of 2027 has the quickness to get by defenders, but her perimeter offense is where the focus has been placed to make her even more dangerous.
“In practice, she’s shooting the ball at 80%, so for me, she has the green light,” Duleba said. “If you’re open, you better shoot it, because I’ll take my chances (with her). I think that’s the biggest improvement in her game that she’s now added that 3-point shooting piece, because there isn’t a girl that can stand in front of her. I’d like to know who’s a better ball-handler than she is.”
Harlem talked about the work that’s seemed to translate into these recent performances, saying, “Every day, every practice, 100 threes over the summer. I was in the gym every day, every week shooting threes on the gun, getting up over 500 shots every day.”
Considering that Roy is the team’s only senior, the ceiling for the Falcons seems to match its talented star.
“It’ll be good,” Simpson said. “Everyone will get more comfortable with each other because there’s a lot of freshmen that are playing and a lot of us hadn’t played together. We’ve just got to get used to playing with each other and we’ll be straight.”
Duleba issued a reminder after falling to 0-2 that the goal was to be winning in March, but with the results Simpson and her teammates are producing already, opponents won’t be sleeping on the Falcons when that time comes.
Birmingham Groves guard Harlem Simpson surveys the floor in a home defeat to Farmington Hills Mercy on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. The Falcons have rebounded from that loss with two high-scoring victories, one of which included a 45-point game from Simpson, one of the state's top juniors. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Wednesday it struck three more boats that were allegedly smuggling drugs, killing three people while others jumped overboard and may have survived.
The statement by U.S. Southern Command, which oversees South America, did not reveal where the attacks occurred. Previous attacks have been in the Caribbean Sea and in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
A video posted by Southern Command on social media shows the boats traveling in a close formation, which is unusual, and the military said they were in a convoy along known narco-trafficking routes and “had transferred narcotics between the three vessels prior to the strikes.” The military did not provide evidence to back up the claim.
The military said three people were killed when the first boat was struck, while people in the other two boats jumped overboard and distanced themselves from the vessels before they were attacked. Southern Command said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search and rescue efforts.
The attacks occurred on Tuesday. Southern Command’s statement did not say whether those who jumped off the boats were rescued.
Calling in the Coast Guard is notable because the U.S. military drew heavy scrutiny after U.S. forces killed the survivors of an attack in early September with a follow-up strike to their disabled boat. Some Democratic lawmakers and legal experts said the military committed a crime, while the Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers say the follow-up strike was legal.
The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 33 and the number of people killed to at least 110 since early September, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.
Along with the strikes, the Trump administration has built up military forces in the region as part of an escalating pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the United States.
Meanwhile, the CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter.
It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began strikes in September, a significant escalation in the administration’s pressure campaign on Maduro’s government.
President Donald Trump listens during a news conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has ended the lease agreement for three public golf courses in Washington, a move that offers President Donald Trump an additional opportunity to put his stamp on another piece of the nation’s capital.
The National Links Trust, the nonprofit that has operated Washington’s three public courses on federal land for the last five years, said Wednesday that the Department of the Interior had terminated its 50-year lease agreement. The Interior Department said it was terminating the lease because the nonprofit had not implemented required capital improvements and failed to meet the terms of the lease.
While it was unclear what the Trump administration’s plans are for the golf courses, the move gives Trump, whose private company has developed numerous golf courses in the U.S. and abroad, the chance to remake links overlooking the Potomac River and in Rock Creek Park and a site that is part of Black golf history.
Officials for the National Links Trust said in a statement that they were “devastated” by the decision to terminate the lease and defended their management of the courses. They said $8.5 million had gone toward capital improvements at the courses and that rounds played and revenue had more than doubled in their tenure managing the courses. The nonprofit has agreed to keep managing the courses for the time being, but long-term renovations will stop.
“While this termination is a major setback, we remain stubbornly hopeful that a path forward can be found that preserves affordable and accessible public golf in the nation’s capital for generations to come,” the officials added.
The Department of the Interior’s decision comes as Trump rebrands civic spaces in Washington and deploys National Guard members to the streets for public safety. The Kennedy Center added Trump’s name this month after the center’s board of trustees — made up of Trump appointees — voted to change the name of the performing arts space designated by Congress as a memorial to John F. Kennedy. Trump is also in the midst of a construction project to build a ballroom on the White House’s East Wing, and he has put his name on the U.S. Institute of Peace.
President Donald Trump speaks during a joint news conference with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Jan. 6. riot at the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without Donald Trump, former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers earlier this month in characterizing the Republican president as the “most culpable and most responsible person” in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released on Wednesday a transcript and video of a closed-door interview Smith gave about two investigations of Trump. The document shows how Smith during the course of a daylong deposition repeatedly defended the basis for pursuing indictments against Trump and vigorously rejected Republican suggestions that his investigations were politically motivated.
“The evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy. These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol, part of this case, does not happen without him. The other co-conspirators were doing this for his benefit,” Smith said, bristling at a question about whether his investigations were meant to prevent Trump from reclaiming the presidency in 2024.
“So in terms of why we would pursue a case against him, I entirely disagree with any characterization that our work was in any way meant to hamper him in the presidential election,” he added.
The Dec. 17 deposition was conducted privately despite Smith’s request to testify publicly. The release of the transcript and video of the interview, so far Smith’s only appearance on Capitol Hill since leaving his special counsel position last January, adds to the public understanding of the decision-making behind two of the most consequential Justice Department investigations in recent history.
Smith repeatedly made clear his belief that the evidence gathered against Trump was strong enough to sustain a conviction. Part of the strength of the Jan. 6 case, Smith said, was the extent to which it relied on the testimony of Trump allies and supporters who cooperated with the investigation.
“We had an elector in Pennsylvania who is a former congressman, who was going to be an elector for President Trump, who said that what they were trying to do was an attempt to overthrow the government and illegal,” Smith said. “Our case was built on, frankly, Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before the party.”
Accounts from Republicans willing to stand up against the falsehood that the election had been stolen “even though it could mean trouble for them” created what Smith described as the “most powerful” evidence against Trump.
When it came to the Capitol riot itself, Smith said, the evidence showed that Trump “caused it and that he exploited it and that it was foreseeable to him.”
Asked whether there was evidence that Trump had instructed supporters to riot at the Capitol, Smith said that Trump in the weeks leading to the insurrection got “people to believe fraud claims that weren’t true.”
“He made false statements to State legislatures, to his supporters in all sorts of contexts and was aware in the days leading up to January 6th that his supporters were angry when he invited them and then he directed them to the Capitol,” Smith said.
“Now, once they were at the Capitol and once the attack on the Capitol happened, he refused to stop it. He instead issued a tweet that without question in my mind endangered the life of his own Vice President. And when the violence was going on, he had to be pushed repeatedly by his staff members to do anything to quell it.”
Some of the deposition focused on Republican anger at revelations that the Smith team had obtained, and analyzed, phone records of GOP lawmakers who were in contact with Trump on Jan. 6. Smith defended the maneuver as lawful and by-the-book, and suggested that outrage over the tactic should be directed at Trump and not his team of prosecutors.
Former Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith accompanied by his attorney Lanny Breuer, leave after his closed-door interview with House Republicans at Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“Well, I think who should be accountable for this is Donald Trump. These records are people, in the case of the senators, Donald Trump directed his co-conspirators to call these people to further delay the proceedings. He chose to do that. If Donald Trump had chosen to call a number of Democratic senators, we would have gotten toll records for Democratic senators.”
The communications between Trump and Republican supporters in Congress were an important component of the case, Smith said. He cited an interview his office did with Mark Meadows in which Trump’s then-chief of staff referenced that Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican and current chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, had been in touch with the White House on the afternoon of the riot.
“And what I recall was Meadows stating that ‘I’ve never seen Jim Jordan scared of anything,’ and the fact that we were in this different situation now where people were scared really made it clear that what was going on at the Capitol could not be mistaken for anything other than what it was,” Smith said.
Smith was also asked whether his team evaluated former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s explosive claim that Trump that grabbed at the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when the Secret Service refused to let him go to the U.S. Capitol building after a rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021.
Smith told lawmakers that investigators interviewed the officer who was in the car, “who said that President Trump was very angry and wanted to go to the Capitol,” but the officer’s version of events “was not the same as what Cassidy Hutchinson said she heard from somebody secondhand,” Smith said.
Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
In this image from video released by the House Judiciary Committee, former special counsel Jack Smith speaks during a deposition Dec. 17, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (House Judiciary Committee via AP)
Authorities in Texas confirmed Wednesday that a body found a day earlier is that of 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos, who had been missing since Christmas Eve.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Tuesday evening that the body was found in an area "a few hundred yards" from Olmos' residence. He added that a firearm was also found in the area but said it remains unclear whether that weapon was the same one recently reported missing by family members.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has yet to confirm a cause of death in the case, though multiple local reports state the medical examiner's office ruled Olmos' death a suicide by gunshot wound to the head. Salazar warned when the body was found that there were "some indicators" of self-harm.
Olmos was last seen next to her car outside her family's home the morning of Christmas Eve. Authorities conducted multiple searches with ground teams, drones and cadaver dogs. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security also joined the search effort, as well as a team of about 60 or 70 volunteers who helped search near her home earlier this week.
If you need to talk to someone, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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