South Florida Local News

Today is Saturday, Dec. 13, the 347th day of 2025. There are 18 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 13, 2014, thousands of protesters marched in New York, Washington and other U.S. cities to call attention to the killing of unarmed Black men by white police officers.

Also on this date:

In 1862, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside launched failed frontal assaults against entrenched Confederate soldiers during the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg; the soundly defeated Northern troops withdrew two days later after suffering heavy casualties.

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In 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese soldiers captured the Chinese city of Nanjing and began what would be a weekslong massacre of an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 citizens, war prisoners and soldiers.

In 1996, the U.N. Security Council chose Kofi Annan of Ghana to become the world body’s seventh secretary-general.

In 2000, Republican George W. Bush claimed the presidency a day after the U.S. Supreme Court shut down further recounts of disputed ballots in Florida; Democrat Al Gore conceded, delivering a call for national unity.

In 2001, the Pentagon publicly released a captured videotape of Osama bin Laden in which the al-Qaida leader said the deaths and destruction achieved by the Sept. 11 attacks exceeded his “most optimistic” expectations.

In 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces while hiding in a hole under a farmhouse in Adwar, Iraq, near his hometown of Tikrit.

In 2019, the House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment accusing President Donald Trump of abuse of power in his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress in the investigation that followed. He would later be acquitted by the Senate.

In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act providing federal recognition and protection for same-sex and interracial marriages, calling it “a blow against hate in all its forms.”

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor-comedian Dick Van Dyke is 100.
• Music/film producer Lou Adler is 92.
• Singer-TV host John Davidson is 84.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins is 83.
• Rock musician Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is 77.
• Rock musician Ted Nugent is 77.
• Country singer-musician Randy Owen (Alabama) is 76.
• Actor Wendie Malick is 75.
• Country musician John Anderson is 71.
• Actor Steve Buscemi (boo-SEH’-mee) is 68.
• Singer-actor Morris Day is 68.
• Football Hall of Famer Richard Dent is 65.
• Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 58.
• Actor-reality TV star NeNe Leakes is 58.
• Hockey Hall of Famer Sergei Fedorov is 56.
• Rock singer-musician Tom Delonge (Blink-182) is 50.
• Rock singer Amy Lee (Evanescence) is 44.
• Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is 36.
• Actor Maisy Stella is 22.

GAINESVILLE — UCF defensive backs coach Brandon Harris reportedly will join new UF coach Jon Sumrall’s staff instead of heading to Florida State.

According to Matt Zenitz of CBSSports, Harris is headed to Gainesville after the 35-year-old appeared bound for Tallahassee to replace Patrick Surtain Sr.

Harris is the younger brother of former UCF offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr., who also coached the Knights’ receivers in 2024 under former head coach Gus Malzahn. Tim Harris Sr. was a highly successful coach at Miami’s Booker T. Washington Senior High School.

Under Brandon Harris, UCF ranked 25th in the country in passing defense, allowing an average of 185.1 yards.

Harris inherited a secondary with veteran safety Braeden Marshall among a dozen returners. Nine newcomers  included seven transfers, including cornerbacks Jayden Bellamy, who led UCF with nine passes defended, and Phillip Dunham, who had a team-leading three interceptions.

Harris signed a two-year agreement in February to serve under Scott Frost, earning $275,000 annually. Harris’ buyout is 50% of the remaining balance of his payable salary, except if he resigns for a head coaching or coordinator position (collegiate or higher) or an NFL coaching job.

After the 2024 season, the Gators hired Deron Wilson, who earned $300,000 to coach cornerbacks, and Vinnie Sunseri to coach safeties at a salary of $400,000.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Two minors were arrested this week after a fight near a Plantation school ended with one person shot in the shoulder, the police department said Friday.

On Monday afternoon, officers were called about a group of minors fighting near the intersection of Northwest 70th Avenue and Northwest 16th Street, which is across the street from Plantation High School. When they arrived, officers saw multiple minors running away and one who had been shot in the shoulder, Plantation Police said in a news release.

The victim was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover. The police department did not provide the person’s age or gender.

Investigators said during the fight, one minor “approached the group, produced a handgun, and pistol-whipped the victim,” causing the gun to go off and a bullet to hit the victim’s shoulder, according to the news release. The crowd dispersed after hearing the gunshot.

Plantation Police collect evidence at the scene of a shooting at the intersection of Northwest 70th Avenue and Northwest 16th Street in Plantation, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The minor who initially had the gun gave it to another minor, and both ran away, the police department said. Investigators later found and recovered the gun from a canal in Lauderhill.

Both minors were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. Plantation Police did not provide their ages or genders or specify what charges they are facing.

Police do not believe that the gun was ever on the nearby school campus, the news release said. The fight and shooting happened after school hours and off campus.

There may be additional arrests, the police department said.

By JOSH FUNK

New York is the eighth state found to routinely issue commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants that are valid long after they are no longer legally authorized to be in the country, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday, and he threatened to withhold $73 million in highway funds unless the system is fixed and any flawed licenses are revoked.

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New York was the fourth state run by a Democratic governor called out publicly by Duffy in his effort to make sure truck and bus drivers are qualified to either haul passengers or 80,000 pounds of cargo down the highway. He previously questioned similar practices in California, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

But letters have gone out to other states as well without fanfare, or comments from Duffy, including Republican-run Texas and South Dakota.

In addition to finding licenses that remained valid longer than they should have, these federal audits have also discovered instances where the states may not have even checked a driver’s immigration status before issuing a license. Investigators check a small sample of licenses in each state.

Duffy launched the review this summer, but it became more prominent after a truck driver who was not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people in August. The rules on these licenses the Transportation Department is enforcing have been in place for years.

The AP discovered letters online Friday that were sent to Texas, South Dakota, Colorado, and Washington in October.

Most of the states that have been the focus of the investigation so far have defended their practices and said they were following the federal rules. But Duffy has said the high percentage of problems in some states, combined with the defensive responses from officials, suggests a systematic problem, and he insisted Friday this effort is about safety — not politics.

“When more than half of the licenses reviewed were issued illegally, it isn’t just a mistake — it is a dereliction of duty by state leadership,” Duffy said about New York on Friday.

Investigators also found that nearly half of the 123 licenses reviewed in Texas were flawed. Some of the other states involved small numbers, but most of the problems were similar. Since Duffy pressed the issue in California, the state has revoked some 21,000 commercial driver’s licenses that were issued improperly.

The Transportation Department has threatened to withhold federal highway funding from these states — including $182 million in Texas and $160 million in California — if they don’t reform their licensing programs and invalidate any flawed licenses.

So far, no state has lost money because they complied or because they have more time to respond. But as part of a separate review, California lost $40 million for failing to enforce English language requirements for truckers that the Trump administration began enforcing this summer.

States defend their licensing practices

New York State Department of Motor Vehicles spokesperson Walter McClure said the state is following all the federal rules.

“Secretary Duffy is lying about New York State once again in a desperate attempt to distract from the failing, chaotic administration he represents. Here is the truth: Commercial Drivers Licenses are regulated by the Federal Government, and New York State DMV has, and will continue to, comply with federal rules,” McClure said in a statement.

Duffy has previously threatened to pull federal funding from New York if the state did not abandon its plan to charge drivers a congestion pricing fee in New York City and if crime on the subway system was not addressed. The Transportation Department also put $18 billion of funding on hold for two major infrastructure projects in New York, including a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey, because of concerns about whether the spending was based on diversity, equity and inclusion principles.

A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that “public safety is the Governor’s top priority, and we must ensure that truckers can navigate Texas roadways safely and efficiently. To support this mission, Governor Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to strictly enforce English language proficiency requirements and to stop issuing intrastate commercial driver’s licenses to drivers who do not meet those standards.”

Most of the other states have said they are working to address the concerns the Transportation Department raised.

Previous efforts to restrict immigrant truck drivers

Immigrants account for about 20% of all truck drivers, but these non-domiciled licenses only represent about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses or about 200,000 drivers. The Transportation Department also proposed new restrictions that would severely limit which noncitizens could get a license, but a court put the new rules on hold.

Trucking trade groups have praised the effort to get unqualified drivers and drivers who can’t speak English off the road along with the Transportation Department’s actions last week to go after questionable commercial driver’s license schools. But immigrant advocacy groups have raised concerns these actions have led to harassment of immigrant drivers and prompted some of them to abandon the profession.

“For too long, loopholes in this program have allowed unqualified drivers onto our highways, putting professional truckers and the motoring public at risk,” said Todd Spencer, who is president of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association.

Associated Press writers Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, and Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, New Jersey, all contributed to this report.

By Nilesh Christopher, Los Angeles Times

Chatty bots are sharing their hot takes through hundreds of thousands of AI-generated podcasts. And the invasion has just begun.

Though their banter can be a bit banal, the AI podcasters’ confidence and research are now arguably better than most people’s.

“We’ve just begun to cross the threshold of voice AI being pretty much indistinguishable from human,” said Alan Cowen, chief executive of Hume AI, a startup specializing in voice technology. “We’re seeing creators use it in all kinds of ways.”

AI can make podcasts sound better and cost less, industry insiders say, but the growing swarm of new competitors entering an already crowded market is disrupting the industry.

Some podcasters are pushing back, requesting restrictions. Others are already cloning their voices and handing over their podcasts to AI bots.

Popular podcast host Steven Bartlett has used an AI clone to launch a new kind of content aimed at the 13 million followers of his podcast “Diary of a CEO.” On YouTube, his clone narrates “100 CEOs With Steven Bartlett,” which adds AI-generated animation to Bartlett’s cloned voice to tell the life stories of entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Richard Branson.

Erica Mandy, the Redondo Beach, California-based host of the daily news podcast called “The Newsworthy,” let an AI voice fill in for her earlier this year after she lost her voice from laryngitis and her backup host bailed out.

She fed her script into a text-to-speech model and selected a female AI voice from ElevenLabs to speak for her.

“I still recorded the show with my very hoarse voice, but then put the AI voice over that, telling the audience from the very beginning, I’m sick,” Mandy said.

Mandy had previously used ElevenLabs for its voice isolation feature, which uses AI to remove ambient noise from interviews.

Her chatbot host elicited mixed responses from listeners. Some asked if she was OK. One fan said she should never do it again. Most weren’t sure what to think.

“A lot of people were like, ‘That was weird,’ ” Mandy said.

In podcasting, many listeners feel strong bonds to hosts they listen to regularly. The slow encroachment of AI voices for one-off episodes, canned ad reads, sentence replacement in postproduction or translation into multiple languages has sparked anger as well as curiosity from both creators and consumers of the content.

Augmenting or replacing host reads with AI is perceived by many as a breach of trust and as trivializing the human connection listeners have with hosts, said Megan Lazovick, vice president of Edison Research, a podcast research company.

Jason ⁠Saldanha of PRX, a podcast network that represents human creators such as Ezra Klein, said the tsunami of AI podcasts won’t attract premium ad rates.

“Adding more podcasts in a tyranny of choice environment is not great,” he said. “I’m not interested in devaluing premium.”

Still, platforms such as YouTube and Spotify have introduced features for creators to clone their voice and translate their content into multiple languages to increase reach and revenue. A new generation of voice cloning companies, many with operations in California, offers better emotion, tone, pacing and overall voice quality.

Hume AI, which is based in New York but has a big research team in California, raised $50 million last year and has tens of thousands of creators using its software to generate audiobooks, podcasts, films, voice-overs for videos and dialogue generation in video games.

“We focus our platform on being able to edit content so that you can take in postproduction an existing podcast and regenerate a sentence in the same voice, with the same prosody or emotional intonation using instant cloning,” said company CEO Cowen.

Some are using the tech to carpet-bomb the market with content.

Los Angeles podcasting studio Inception Point AI has produced its 200,000 podcast episodes, accounting for 1% of all podcasts published on the internet, according to CEO Jeanine Wright.

The podcasts are so cheap to make that they can focus on tiny topics, like local weather, small sports teams, gardening and other niche subjects.

Instead of a studio searching for a specific “hit” podcast idea, it takes just $1 to produce an episode so that they can be profitable with just 25 people listening.

“That means most of the stuff that we make, we have really an unlimited amount of experimentation and creative freedom for what we want to do,” Wright said.

One of its popular synthetic hosts is Vivian Steele, an AI celebrity gossip columnist with a sassy voice and a sharp tongue. “I am indeed AI-powered — which means I’ve got receipts older than your grandmother’s jewelry box, and a memory sharper than a stiletto heel on marble. No forgetting, no forgiving, and definitely no filter,” the AI discloses itself at the start of the podcast.

“We’ve kind of molded her more towards what the audience wants,” said Katie Brown, chief content officer at Inception Point, who helps design the personalities of the AI podcasters.

Inception Point has built a roster of more than 100 AI personalities whose characteristics, voices and likenesses are crafted for podcast audiences. Its AI hosts include Clare Delish, a cooking guidance expert, and garden enthusiast Nigel Thistledown.

The technology also makes it easy to get podcasts up quickly. Inception has found some success with flash biographies posted promptly in connection to people in the news. It uses AI software to spot a trending personality and create two episodes, complete with promo art and a trailer.

When Charlie Kirk was shot, its AI immediately created two shows called “Charlie Kirk Death” and “Charlie Kirk Manhunt” as a part of the biography series.

“We were able to create all of that content, each with different angles, pulling from different news sources, and we were able to get that content up within an hour,” Wright said.

Speed is key when it comes to breaking news, so its AI podcasts reached the top of some charts.

“Our content was coming up, really dominating the list of what people were searching for,” she said.

Across Apple and Spotify, Inception Point podcasts have now garnered 400,000 subscribers.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By STEPHEN GROVES

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee threatened Friday to begin contempt of Congress proceedings against former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton if they refuse to appear for depositions as part of the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

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Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement late Friday that the Clintons had “delayed, obstructed, and largely ignored the Committee staff’s efforts to schedule their testimony” for several months and said the committee would begin proceedings to try to force them to testify if they don’t appear next week or schedule an appearance in January.

Comer’s statement came just hours after Democrats on the committee had released dozens of photos they had received from Epstein’s estate, including images of Clinton and President Donald Trump.

Contempt is one of U.S. lawmakers’ politically messiest and, until recent years, least-used powers. But the way Congress has handled demands for disclosure in the investigation into Epstein has taken on new political significance as the Trump administration faces a deadline next week to release the Department of Justice’s case files on the late financier.

Bill Clinton was among a number of high-powered people connected to Epstein, a wealthy financier, before the criminal investigation against him in Florida became public two decades ago. Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by any of the women who say Epstein abused them.

One of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre, once gave a newspaper interview in which she described riding in a helicopter with Clinton and flirting with Trump, but she later said in a deposition that those things hadn’t actually happened and were mistakes by the reporter. Clinton has previously said through a spokesperson that while he traveled on Epstein’s jet, he never visited his homes and had no knowledge of his crimes.

Multiple former presidents have voluntarily testified before Congress, but none has been compelled to do so. That history was invoked by Trump in 2022, between his first and second terms, when he faced a subpoena by the House committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot by a mob of his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.

By EDITH M. LEDERER and MARK BANCHEREAU

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States accused Rwanda on Friday of violating a U.S.-brokered peace agreement by backing a deadly new rebel offensive in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, and warned that the Trump administration will take action against “spoilers” of the deal.

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The remarks by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz came as more than 400 civilians have been killed since the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels escalated their offensive in eastern Congo’s South Kivu province, according to regional officials who also say that Rwandan special forces were in the strategic city of Uvira.

Waltz told the U.N. Security Council that the U.S. is “profoundly concerned and incredibly disappointed with the renewed outbreak of violence” by M23.

“Rwanda is leading the region towards increased instability and war,” Waltz warned. “We will use the tools at our disposal to hold to account spoilers to peace.”

He called on Rwanda to respect Congo’s right to defend its territory and invite friendly forces from neighboring Burundi to fight alongside Congolese forces. He also said the U.S. is engaging with all sides “to urge restraint and to avoid further escalation.”

M23’s latest push

The rebels’ latest offensive comes despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement signed last week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington.

The accord didn’t include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating. However, it obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups like M23 and work to end hostilities.

The rebels’ advance pushed the conflict to the doorstep of neighboring Burundi, which has maintained troops in eastern Congo for years, heightening fears of a broader regional spillover.

Congo’s ministry of communication confirmed in a statement Friday that M23 has seized the strategic port city of Uvira in eastern Congo, on the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika and directly across from Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura.

Uvira was Congo’s government’s last major foothold in South Kivu after the provincial capital of Bukavu fell to the rebels in February. Its capture allows the rebels to consolidate a broad corridor of influence across the east.

M23 said it had taken control of Uvira on Wednesday afternoon, following a rapid offensive since the start of the month. Along with the more than 400 killed, about 200,000 have been displaced, regional officials say.

Concerns over an escalation

Civilians fleeing eastern Congo have also crossed into Burundi, and there have been reports of shells falling in the town of Rugombo, on the Burundian side of the border, raising concerns about the conflict spilling over into Burundian territory.

• Thousands fleeing fighting in Congo’s South Kivu arrive in Cibitoke, Kansega, Burundi, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo)
• Thousands fleeing fighting in Congo’s South Kivu arrive in Cibitoke, Kansega, Burundi, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo)
• Thousands fleeing fighting in Congo’s South Kivu arrive in Cibitoke, Kansega, Burundi, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo)

Show Caption1 of 3Thousands fleeing fighting in Congo’s South Kivu arrive in Cibitoke, Kansega, Burundi, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo) Expand

More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the U.N. agency for refugees.

Congo, the U.S. and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which has grown from hundreds of members in 2021 to around 6,500 fighters, according to the U.N.

Waltz said Rwandan forces have provided “logistics and training support to M23” and are fighting alongside the rebels in eastern Congo, with “roughly 5,000 to 7,000 troops as of early December.”

Congo calls for more pressure on Rwanda

Congo’s Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner accused Rwanda of trampling on the peace agreement, which she described as bringing “hope of a historic turning point.”

FILE – Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Departmentin Washington, June 27, 2025. (AP Pho to/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

She warned, however, that the “entire process … is at stake,” and urged the Security Council to impose sanctions against military and political leaders responsible for the attacks, ban mineral exports from Rwanda and prohibit it from contributing troops to U.N. peacekeeping missions.

“Rwanda continues to benefit, especially financially but also in terms of reputation, from its status as a troop-contributing country to peacekeeping missions,” Wagner told The Associated Press.

Rwanda currently is one of the largest contributors of U.N. peacekeepers, with nearly 6,000 Rwandan troops.

Wagner also said economic agreements signed with the Trump administration as part of the peace deal will hinge on stability. “We have told our American partners that we cannot envision any path toward shared economic prosperity without peace,” she told the AP.

Eastern Congo, rich in critical minerals, has been of interest to Trump as Washington looks for ways to circumvent China to acquire rare earths, essential to manufacturing fighter jets, cell phones and more.

Wagner said the economic partnership is still at an early stage.

“Everything will start to take shape and become much more tangible once the joint governance mechanisms are put in place,” she said. “What we want is a win-win partnership … far beyond the single issue of minerals and their transfer,” she added.

Rwanda accuses Congo of ceasefire violations

Rwanda’s Ambassador to the U.N. Karoli Martin Ngoga accused Congo of repeatedly breaking the ceasefire. He also accused the Congolese government of supporting the mostly Hutu Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which “threatens the very existence of Rwanda and its people.”

Nearly 2 million Hutus from Rwanda fled to Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed 800,000 Tutsi, moderate Hutus and others. Rwandan authorities have accused Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide, alleging that the Congolese army protected them.

“Rwanda reiterates its full commitment to implement its part of the agreement,” Ngoga told the Security Council.

While Rwanda denies the claim that it backs M23, it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Jean-Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo, contributed to this report.

General Daily Insight for December 13, 2025

Conversations could open doors we didn’t expect. Early missteps from fiery Mars challenging unpredictable Uranus may test patience and plans, but stubborn standoffs shouldn’t be necessary once we see the smarter adjustments available. With clever Mercury sextiling transformative Pluto at 11:32 am EST, we’re likely to find serious thoughts linking with real resolve, empowering us to make meaningful decisions. Later, the emotional Moon sextiles romantic Venus, making room for simple warmth expressed through kind gestures. Speak clearly, because honest words invite honest support.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

A bigger map unfolds before you today. As intellectual Mercury in your 9th House of Travel and Higher Learning sextiles powerful Pluto in your 11th House of Social Networks, plans and conversations are likely to click into place. You may finally be ready to schedule a trip or course of study that you’ve been considering for a long time. Try to avoid going it alone, though. At this time, allies are especially happy to open doors! Spread the word about what’s on your mind.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Today calls for calm, grounded choices. As action-oriented Mars in your 8th House of Shared Resources stirs up trouble with radical Uranus in your sign, your financial arrangements and intimate interactions may genuinely need some adjustments. Indulging every vision of sweeping overhaul that pops into your head probably isn’t a wise move, though. At heart, all you really want is fairness and a clear path forward! Keep that in mind as you work to bridge different needs. Avoid knee-jerk reactions that strain trust and budgets.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Identifying what’s necessary to move forward in a significant relationship or negotiation is possible at this time. Chatty Mercury, energizing your 7th House of Partnerships, sextiles intense Pluto in your philosophical 9th house, empowering you to dig deep. You might revisit or rewrite a contract because you value lasting clarity more than quick peace. It’s crucial to see the potential good in others’ motives rather than defaulting to fear and suspicion. Still, remember to stay firm about what fits your needs and schedule right now!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Quiet focus can keep you on track through a busy day. Your 6th House of Work and Wellness gains momentum as cerebral Mercury there reaches out to powerful Pluto, so you’re in a great place to implement a new system to keep your attention from getting scattered. Although you still might come in contact with heavier topics, maintaining a steady rhythm can keep discussions of money and other contentious subjects calm and helpful for everyone involved. No matter what happens, not everything has to change!

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Leo, your voice lights hearts and rooms. Your kind words can travel far as the nurturing Moon in your 3rd House of Communication sextiles romantic Venus. Perhaps you’ll write a heartfelt thank-you note to someone who showed up for you. If you’re looking to interact further, support from Venus in your 5th House of Romance and Creativity helps conversations turn into fun plans, even with shy folks who need extra encouragement. Your joyful energy becomes the spark others gladly follow.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Knowing your limits can help you now. Your 4th House of Home and Family takes center stage as information-gathering Mercury there sextiles cosmic detective Pluto, inviting honest talks that finally clear the air. You might revisit holiday plans with a family member if it starts to look like you’ve taken on more than you can handle. A simpler approach could ease their nerves too! Remember that sticking to your usual routine as much as possible keeps everything moving smoothly and protects your energy.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Today, you’re likely to glow without even having to think about it! Charm could come naturally as the intuitive Moon lights up your 1st House of Self and sextiles sensual Venus, allowing your presence to soothe and attract without effort. Perhaps you’ll smooth a moment of tension between friends because you sense what makes everyone comfortable and safe. This ability to read the room helps texts and emails land kindly, even when discussing touchy topics. Offer grace, and people will probably reciprocate.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Scorpio, your resolve could find the right target today. Combative Mars, stirring your 2nd House of Money and Self-Worth, provokes reactive Uranus, turning your attention toward pricing, payments, or possessions. You might renegotiate a rate with a client, cancel an order, or talk with a partner about cutting costs. Although there may be many opinions in the mix, you’ll be best served by thoughtful adjustments instead of all-or-nothing moves. Let your sharp instincts sense the workable compromise before tempers flare.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Fresh confidence can rise as you clarify your message. Mental Mercury in your sign sextiles transformative Pluto, boosting your sense of identity. Rewriting your bio because you want the outside to match the inside is a great way to invite new opportunities. Your words carry weight, and they’ll help you get what you want. Having a firm grasp of your top priorities helps you nail timing and details without losing excitement. Thoughtful humor keeps listeners engaged, so don’t be afraid to have a little fun!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Being goal-oriented doesn’t have to make you scary, Capricorn. Your reputation could soften in a good way as the emotional Moon, lighting your 10th House of Career and Status, sextiles compassionate Venus in your selfless 12th house. Bringing kindness into public conversations is especially likely to make your name shine. You may feel moved to thank a mentor whose generous leadership gave you opportunities as well as a warm example to follow. Small courtesies are likely to open bigger doors!

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Your quiet leadership can provide needed direction to a group effort at this time. As intellectual Mercury in your 11th House of Friends and Community sextiles intense Pluto in your sign, you’re likely to be surrounded by companions who have plenty to say. Turning their flurry of ideas into shared goals will require a little more effort, though. Remembering what you’ve learned from a past project might hold the key. As you advise, maintain a collaborative tone that keeps everyone engaged and eager to contribute.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Stepping into a bigger role is an option now. As cerebral Mercury in your 10th House of Career and Public Image activates unearthing Pluto in your private 12th house, the growth you’ve undergone behind the scenes lately might be ready for display. When you speak from experience, your message is likely to land with authority and thoughtful depth. Old doubts may still haunt you, but your courage should expand once you get going. Let good work be seen, and kind support is likely to follow!

The Transportation Security Administration is renewing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s push to end a collective bargaining agreement with airport screening officers — the second such attempt this year and one that comes just a month after the longest government shutdown on record.

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• US accuses Rwanda of violating the peace deal as M23 rebels seize a key eastern Congo city
• Navy investigation finds Osprey safety issues were allowed to grow for years
• Trump was unable to insult his way to victory in Indiana redistricting battle

The agency said Friday the move is based on a September memo from Noem that says TSA screeners “have a primary function of national security” and therefore should not engage in collective bargaining or be represented by a union.

The American Federation of Government Employees swiftly vowed to fight the decision, calling it illegal and a violation of a federal judge’s preliminary injunction issued in June that blocked Noem’s first attempt to terminate the contract representing 47,000 workers. Emailed requests for comment were sent to TSA and Homeland Security.

TSA said it plans to rescind the current seven-year contract in January and replace it with a new “security-focused framework.” The agreement was supposed to expire in 2031.

Adam Stahl, acting TSA deputy administrator, said in a statement that airport screeners “need to be focused on their mission of keeping travelers safe.”

“Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, we are ridding the agency of wasteful and time-consuming activities that distracted our officers from their crucial work,” Stahl said.

The announcement also comes weeks after Noem held a news conference in which she handed out $10,000 bonus checks to TSA officers who she said went “above and beyond” during the 43-day shutdown, when thousands of airport screeners continued reporting for duty despite missing more than six weeks of pay during the lapse in funding.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, right, shakes hands with Transportation Security Administration Officer Monica Degro at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

“Merely 30 days ago, Secretary Noem celebrated TSA officers for their dedication during the longest government shutdown in history,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement. “Today, she’s announcing a lump of coal right on time for the holidays: that she’s stripping those same dedicated officers of their union rights.”

AFGE entered into the collective bargaining agreement with TSA last May. But Noem issued a memo on Feb. 27 rescinding that agreement, and TSA notified the union a week later that the contract had been terminated and all pending grievances would be deleted.

The union sued, claiming the move was retaliation for AFGE’s resistance to the Trump administration’s attacks on federal workers. A trial is currently scheduled for next year.

The Trump administration has been laying the groundwork to weaken or eliminate protections for federal workers as it moves swiftly to shrink the bureaucracy.

In granting a preliminary injunction in June, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman of Seattle said the order was necessary to preserve the rights and benefits TSA workers have long held under union representation.

Pechman wrote that AFGE had shown in its lawsuit that Noem’s directive “constitutes impermissible retaliation,” likely violated the union’s due process, and was “arbitrary and capricious” — findings that the judge said make it likely AFGE will ultimately prevail.

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a spate of deadly accidents that have claimed the lives of 20 service members in the past four years, a Navy report acknowledges that the military failed to address a growing series of issues with the V-22 Osprey aircraft since it took flight almost 20 years ago.

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“The cumulative risk posture of the V-22 platform has been growing since initial fielding,” according to the report by Naval Air Systems Command released Friday. It added that the office in charge of the aircraft “has not promptly implemented … fixes to mitigate existing risks.”

“As a result, risks continue to accumulate,” the report said.

The Associated Press reported last year that the most serious types of accidents for the Osprey, which is the only aircraft to fly like a plane but convert to land like a helicopter, spiked between 2019 and 2023 and that, unlike other aircraft, the problems did not level off as the years passed.

“As the first and only military tiltrotor aircraft, it remains the most aero-mechanically complex aircraft in service and continues to face unresolved legacy material, safety, and technical challenges,” the report said.

Commissioned in 2023 by NAVAIR, the Navy command responsible for the purchase and maintenance of aircraft, the investigation reveals that the Osprey not only has the “second highest number of catastrophic risks across all Naval Aviation platforms” but that those risks have gone unresolved for an average of more than 10 years.

By contrast, the average across other aircraft in the Navy’s inventory is six years.

The Navy’s response

Vice Adm. John Dougherty, commander of NAVAIR, said the service is “committed to improving the V-22’s performance and safeguarding the warfighters who rely on this platform.” He offered no details on any actions taken for years of failing to address the Osprey’s risks.

The command did not respond to questions about what, if any, accountability measures were taken in response to the findings.

• FILE – A Boeing V-22 Osprey is seen on Aug. 13, 2022, in Senja, Norway, after an emergency landing due to a clutch issue. (Norwegian Armed Forces via AP, File)
• FILE – U.S. MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft are parked at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, south of Okinawa, southern Japan, Sept. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)
• A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey, carrying first lady Melania Trump, lands before a Toys for Tots charity drive event at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Quantico, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Show Caption1 of 3FILE – A Boeing V-22 Osprey is seen on Aug. 13, 2022, in Senja, Norway, after an emergency landing due to a clutch issue. (Norwegian Armed Forces via AP, File) Expand

The lack of details on accountability for missteps also came up when the Navy recently released investigations into four accidents during a U.S.-led campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. A senior Navy official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity to offer more candid details, said that he didn’t believe the service had an obligation to make accountability actions public.

Risks were allowed to build up, the report says

The investigation lays much of the responsibility for the problems on the Osprey’s Joint Program Office. Part of the mission for this office, which operates within NAVAIR, is making sure the aircraft can be safely flown by the Marine Corps, the Navy and the Air Force, all of which use different versions of the aircraft for different missions.

The report found that this office “did not effectively manage or address identified risks in a timely manner, allowing them to accumulate,” and it faced “challenges” in implementing safety fixes across all three services.

Two major issues involve the Osprey’s complicated transmission. The aircraft has a host of gearboxes and clutches that, like a car’s transmission, are crucial to powering each propeller behind the Osprey’s unique tilting capability. The system also helps connect the two sides of the aircraft to keep it flying in the event of engine failure.

One problem is an issue in which the transmission system essentially shreds itself from the inside due to a power imbalance in the engines. That brought down a Marine Corps Osprey, killing five Marines in California in 2022.

The other issue is a manufacturing defect in the gears within the transmission that renders them more brittle and prone to failure. That was behind the crash of an Air Force Osprey off the coast of Japan in November 2023 that killed eight service members.

The report reveals that this manufacturing issue went back to 2006 but the Osprey’s Joint Program Office did not formally assess or accept this risk until March 2024.

Besides these mechanical issues, the report found that the program office failed to ensure uniform maintenance standards for the aircraft, while determining that 81% of all the accidents that the Ospreys have had on the ground were due to human error.

Recommendations for the issues revealed

The report offers a series of recommendations for each of the issues it uncovered. They range from rudimentary suggestions like consolidating best maintenance practices across all the services to more systemic fixes like developing a new, midlife upgrade program for the Osprey.

While fixes for both mechanical issues are also in the report, it seems that it will take until 2034 and 2033 for the military to fully deal with both, respectively.

Naval Air Systems Command did not reply when asked if it had a message for troops who will fly in the aircraft in the meantime.

Watchdog also releases Osprey report

The Government Accountability Office, an independent watchdog serving Congress, made similar conclusions and recommendations in a separate report released Friday.

The GAO blamed most Osprey accidents on part failures and human error while service members flew or maintained the aircraft. It determined that the military hasn’t fully “identified, analyzed, or responded” to all of the Osprey’s safety risks.

The GAO said the Pentagon should improve its process for addressing those risks, while adding more oversight to ensure they are resolved. Another recommendation is for the Navy, Air Force and Marines to routinely share information on hazards and accidents to help prevent mishaps.

Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.

MIAMI — St. Thomas Aquinas delivered another dominant performance to capture their state-record seventh consecutive state title as the Raiders cruised past Lakeland 29-0 in the 5A state championship on Thursday night at Pitbull Stadium on the campus of FIU.

The St. Thomas Aquinas football program won its 17th state championship in school history. They defeated Lakeland in the state title contest for the second straight season and recorded a shutout as well last year in a 34-0 win.

St. Thomas Aquinas senior quarterback Mason Mallory finished 21 of 32 for 264 passing yards and had eight carries for 103 yards to the lead the Raiders offense. Mallory, who won a state championship with West Boca Raton last season, enjoyed a standout senior year with the Raiders.

“This whole season was special,” Mallory said. “I was very blessed to lead a group of guys like this and have a coaching staff that believed in me. This playoff run showed how resilient we were. It’s a great feeling.”

St. Thomas Aquinas senior kicker Johnny DiSalvatore tied a state record in the state championship with five field goals.

“It means so much to have such a good game,” DiSalvatore said. “I will remember this the rest of my life. We have overcome so much adversity throughout the season with so many people doubting us.”

The Raiders defense recorded seven sacks and created three turnovers. Junior Jaden Carey and junior Zayden Gamble each recorded interceptions while senior Mekhi Bradley had a fumble recovery. Senior Daniel Norman had six tackles and two sacks.

St. Thomas Aquinas Julius Jones (81) runs with the ball against Lakeland during the HS Football 5A state championship game at Pitbull Stadium at Florida International University in Miami.(Michele Eve Sandberg/Contributor)

“The feeling is amazing after we put in hard work and dedication the whole season,” Norman said. “Our coaches did an awesome job preparing us for this week.  This was our night and we wanted the shutout. We did not let up. For the last game of my high school career, I have so much joy that we came out here and did what we were supposed to do. I love this feeling.”

Junior wide receiver Julius Jones recorded seven catches for 127 yards and sophomore wide receiver Levi Thomas had seven receptions for 90 yards.  Senior running back Jaden Desir and senior running back Morris Choice each rushed for touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

DiSalvatore converted three field goals in the first half. The Raiders led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter and had a 9-0 advantage at halftime. DiSalvatore drilled two field goals to give the Raiders a 15-0 advantage entering the fourth.

“When you have a tremendous special teams unit, we have a great advantage,” St. Thomas Aquinas coach Roger Harriott said. “That particular phase of the game is neglected by most teams. We put a tremendous amount of time and effort into that phase of the game. We have all the confidence in the world in our kicking game.”

St. Thomas Aquinas Morris Choice (24) reacts, and held in the air by Mark Matthews (55) during the HS Football 5A state championship game at F.I.U/Pitbull Stadium on Dec.11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Contributor)

The Raiders marched downfield on their opening possession and settled for a 19-yard field goal by DiSalvatore with 8:23 left in the first.

Jones made a highlight-reel one-handed 44-yard catch to the Lakeland 12-yard line on their next series on offense. DiSalvatore connected on a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead to 6-0 with 51 seconds left in the first.

Carey stepped up with an interception at the Raiders 26-yard line in the second quarter.

DiSalvatore converted a 30-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.

Gamble stepped up with an interception on the opening possession of the second half. The Raiders drive stalled as DiSalvatore drilled a 33-yard field goal.

Lakeland failed to get a punt away deep in their own territory at their own 14.  DiSalvatore connected on another 33-yard field goal to push the lead to 15-0.

St. Thomas Aquinas students cheer during the HS Football 5A state championship game at F.I.U/Pitbull Stadium on Dec.11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Contributor)

Mallory had a 67-yard run down the left sideline to the Lakeland 2-yard line in the fourth. Desir rushed for a 1-yard score to extend the lead to 22-0 with 8:00 remaining.  Bradley recovered a fumble at the Lakeland 29 on the ensuing drive. The Raiders capitalized as Choice rushed for a 6-yard touchdown run with 6:27 left.

St. Thomas Aquinas entered the state final as the No.11-ranked team nationally by MaxPreps. The Raiders won 14 straight games after a 26-23 loss to California’s Mater Dei in the season opener.

“Our coaches get the most out of our guys,” Harriott said. “Our scheme [on defense] is exceptional. The guys believe in what we do. They fly around. We had all the faith in our team.”

St. Thomas Aquinas wins the HS Football 5A state championship game at F.I.U/Pitbull Stadium on Dec.11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Contributor)

Today is Friday, Dec. 12, the 346th day of 2025. There are 19 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 12,2010, the inflatable roof of the Minneapolis Metrodome collapsed in the early morning hours after a snowstorm dumped 17 inches on the city. (There were no injuries, but the NFL had to shift an already rescheduled game between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants to Detroit’s Ford Field.)

Also on this date:

In 1870, Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina became the first Black lawmaker sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.

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In 1963, the east African nation of Kenya declared independence from Britain; it became a republic exactly a year later.

In 1985, 248 American soldiers and eight crew members were killed when an Arrow Air charter crashed after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland.

In 2000, George W. Bush became president-elect as a divided U.S. Supreme Court reversed a state court recount decision in Florida’s tightly contested presidential election.

In 2015, nearly 200 nations meeting in Paris adopted the first global pact to fight climate change, calling on the world to collectively cut greenhouse gas emissions but imposing no sanctions on countries that didn’t do so.

In 2020, thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in Washington for rallies to back his efforts to subvert the election he lost to Joe Biden.

In 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, capping a whirlwind two-day visit to Washington, D.C., urged Congress to approve more assistance to fight Russia’s invasion of his country.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Pettit is 93.
• Singer Dionne Warwick is 85.
• Hall of Fame race car driver Emerson Fittipaldi is 79.
• Actor Bill Nighy is 76.
• Gymnast-actor Cathy Rigby is 73.
• Singer-musician Sheila E. is 68.
• Actor Sheree J. Wilson is 67.
• Tennis Hall of Famer Tracy Austin is 63.
• Football Hall of Famer John Randle is 58.
• Actor Jennifer Connelly is 55.
• Actor Regina Hall is 55.
• Actor Mayim Bialik is 50.
• Model-actor Bridget Hall is 48.
• Actor Lucas Hedges is 29.
• Actor and rapper Sky Katz is 21.

GAINESVILLE — The first schedule for Jon Sumrall at Florida offers a chance to quickly see how he stacks up against fellow first-year SEC coaches at schools interested in Sumrall’s services to fill their job openings.

Following a soft opening with visits from Florida Atlantic Sept. 5 and Campbell University Sept. 12, Florida heads to Auburn Sept. 19 to face former USF coach Alex Golesh and the Tigers as the first game of the new nine-game SEC schedule. The trip will be the Gators’ first to iconic Jordan-Hare Stadium since a 17-6 loss in 2011.

On Sept. 26, Ole Miss will visit the Swamp with new coach Pete Golding, who stepped in for one-time UF top target Lane Kiffin after he left for LSU.

The Auburn visit is one of six games away from Gainesville.

The Gators will visit Missouri Oct. 3 and Texas Oct. 17 followed by an open date before squaring off with Georgia Oct. 31 in Atlanta. The longtime rivals will play away from Jacksonville, the home to the series since 1933, because of stadium renovations at EverBank Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2027, Gators and Bulldogs will meet in Tampa.

UF has a Nov. 14 visit to Kentucky, where the Gators have lost three straight games, including a 38-7 blowout loss Nov. 8. On Nov. 28, Florida will visit Florida State — 40-21 losers last month in the Swamp.

Besides the visits from FAU, Campbell and Ole Miss, Florida will host South Carolina Oct. 10, Oklahoma Nov. 7 and Vanderbilt Nov. 21. Oklahoma and Florida never have met in the Swamp, with their two meetings in the 2008 national title game, a 24-14 Gators’ win, and a Sooners 55-20 rout in the 2020 Cotton Bowl.

New Florida football coach Jon Sumrall (right) is 17-9 away from home during two-year stints at each Tulane and Troy. Billy Napier's teams were 5-18 during his four seasons. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Winning outside of Gainesville will be key to Sumrall’s long-term success in Gainesville.

Former coach Billy Napier’s were 5-18 away from the Swamp in four seasons.

Entering No. 11 Tulane’s Dec. 20 visit to No. 6 Ole Miss, Sumrall is 17-9 in away games during four seasons as a head coach, two with the Green Wave (2024-25) and two at Troy (2022-23).

The trip to Auburn and visit from Ole Miss in consecutive weeks are especially intriguing.

Sumrall was in Auburn’s sights after the school fired Huge Freeze, but once Florida shifted its focus from Kiffin, the Tigers were forced to change direction and hire Golesh. Golesh led USF to an 18-16 upset against UF Sept. 6 in Gainesville.

Sumrall’s ties to Ole Miss, where he coached linebackers in 2018, and his 43-11 record as a head coach made the Rebels another potential suitor for the 43-year-old Gators’ coach.

UF’s new coordinators will each have their own storylines.

Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner will face Georgia, where he worked from 2020-22, in Atlanta, where he oversaw Georgia Tech’s attack the past three seasons. Defensive coordinator Brad White will return to Kentucky, where he coached since 2018, including as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator since 2019.

UF’s 2026 schedule

Sept. 5 FAU

Sept. 12 CAMPBELL

Sept. 19 at Auburn

Sept. 26 OLE MISS

Oct. 3 at Missouri

Oct. 10 SOUTH CAROLINA

Oct. 17 at Texas

Oct. 24 OPEN

Oct. 31 vs. Georgia (Atlanta)

Nov. 7 OKLAHOMA

Nov. 14 at Kentucky

Nov. 21 VANDERBILT

Nov. 28 at Florida State

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By JONATHAN J. COOPER

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at blocking states from crafting their own regulations for artificial intelligence, saying the burgeoning industry is at risk of being stifled by a patchwork of onerous rules while in a battle with Chinese competitors for supremacy.

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Members of Congress from both parties, as well as civil liberties and consumer rights groups, have pushed for more regulations on AI, saying there is not enough oversight for the powerful technology.

But Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that “there’s only going to be one winner” as nations race to dominate artificial intelligence, and China’s central government gives its companies a single place to go for government approvals.

“We have the big investment coming, but if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you can forget it because it’s impossible to do,” Trump said.

The executive order directs the Attorney General to create a new task force to challenge state laws, and directs the Commerce Department to draw up a list of problematic regulations.

It also threatens to restrict funding from a broadband deployment program and other grant programs to states with AI laws.

David Sacks, a venture capitalist with extensive AI investments who is leading Trump’s policies on cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, said the Trump administration would only push back on “the most onerous examples of state regulation” but would not oppose “kid safety” measures.

What states have proposed

Four states — Colorado, California, Utah and Texas — have passed laws that set some rules for AI across the private sector, according to the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Those laws include limiting the collection of certain personal information and requiring more transparency from companies.

The laws are in response to AI that already pervades everyday life. The technology helps make consequential decisions for Americans, including who gets a job interview, an apartment lease, a home loan and even certain medical care. But research has shown that it can make mistakes in those decisions, including by prioritizing a particular gender or race.

States’ more ambitious AI regulation proposals require private companies to provide transparency and assess the possible risks of discrimination from their AI programs.

Beyond those more sweeping rules, many states have regulated parts of AI: barring the use of deepfakes in elections and to create nonconsensual porn, for example, or putting rules in place around the government’s own use of AI.

By SAFIYAH RIDDLE

More than 18,000 Amtrak workers will receive a $900 bonus before the end of the year, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Thursday evening.

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Funding for the bonuses will come from Amtrak’s executive leadership team bonus packages, the statement said. The federal administration urged executive leadership “to forgo 50% of the bonus packages that would have been paid out under the misplaced priorities of the previous executive bonus structure.”

Amtrak set all-time records for both ridership and revenue in the 2025 fiscal year, according to its annual report, with over $2.7 billion in ticket revenue from 34.5 million riders.

The bonuses were applauded by some unions representing train workers.

“End-of-year bonuses will now go to 18,000 front-line workers rather than being limited to the executive ranks. This long-overdue recognition of the employees who keep the railroad moving is a step in the right direction,” Mark Wallace, the president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen National union, said in a statement.

The announcement comes amid ongoing controversy over the Trump administration’s decision to limit $10,000 bonuses to air traffic controllers and technicians who had perfect attendance during the government shutdown — a measure that rewarded only 776 people, and left nearly 20,000 other workers without the payment.

The disparity was blasted by air traffic controller unions at the time of the announcement in November.

“We are concerned that thousands of air traffic controllers who consistently reported for duty during the shutdown, ensuring the safe transport of passengers and cargo across the nation, while working without pay and uncertain of when they would receive compensation, were excluded from this recognition,” the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union said in a statement.

By JOSH FUNK

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration has not sold off his multimillion-dollar stake in the airline he led since 1999 despite a promise to do so as part of his ethics agreement, according to a Democratic senator.

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In a letter to Bryan Bedford this week, Sen. Maria Cantwell said he vowed to sell all his shares in Republic Airways within 90 of his confirmation but 150 days have now passed. In Bedford’s financial disclosures, he estimated that his Republic stock was worth somewhere between $6 million and $30 million.

Republic completed a merger last month with another major regional airline, Mesa Air Group. Republic’s stock closed Thursday at $19.02, nearly double what it was before the deal was announced in April.

“It appears you continue to retain significant equity in this conflicting asset months past the deadline set to fully divest from Republic, which constitutes a clear violation of your ethics agreement. This is unacceptable and demands a full accounting,” Cantwell said in the letter.

Bedford declined a request for comment, and an FAA spokesperson said he plans to respond directly to Cantwell.

The agency has been in the spotlight since January, when an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., killing 67 people. The investigation has already highlighted shortcomings at the FAA, which failed to recognize an alarming number of close calls around Reagan National Airport in the years beforehand.

Then, in the spring, technical problems at the center that directs planes into New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport highlighted a fragile and outdated system relied on by air traffic controllers.

And in the fall, a longstanding shortage of controllers led to thousands of flight cancellations and delays during the longest government shutdown ever as more controllers missed work while going without a paycheck.

Bedford has pledged to prioritize safety and upgrade the nation’s outdated air traffic control system. Congress approved $12.5 billion for that project, and last week the FAA picked the company that will oversee the work.

By JONATHAN J. COOPER

The U.S. Mint unveiled the designs for coins commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence next year. They depict the founding documents and the Revolutionary War, but so far, not President Donald Trump, despite a push among some of his allies to get his face on a coin.

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The Mint abandoned designs developed during Joe Biden’s presidency that highlighted women’s suffrage and civil rights advancements, favoring classical depictions of America over progress toward a more inclusive society.

A series of celebrations are planned next year under the banner America 250, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. All U.S. coins show the year they were minted, but those made next year will also display 1776.

Trump, at least for now, isn’t getting a coin

No design was released for a $1 coin, though U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose duties include oversight of the U.S. Mint, serving as a liaison with the Federal Reserve and overseeing Treasury’s Office of Consumer Policy, confirmed in October that one showcasing Trump was in the works. A draft design showed Trump’s profile on the “heads” side, known as the obverse, and on the reverse, a depiction of Trump raising his fist after his attempted assassination, The words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” appear along the top.

By law, presidents typically can’t appear on coins until two years after their death, but some advocates for a Trump coin think there may be a loophole in the law authorizing the treasury to mint special coins for the nation’s 250th birthday.

Neither the Mint nor the Treasury Department responded when asked whether a Trump coin is still planned.

The new designs depict classical Americana

New designs will appear only on coins minted in 2026, with the current images returning the following year.

The nickel, dime and five versions of the quarter will circulate, while a penny and half dollar will be sold as collectibles.

Five versions of the quarter are planned depicting the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address.

The dime will show a depiction of Liberty, a symbolic woman facing down the tyranny of the British monarchy, and an eagle carrying arrows in its talons representing America’s fight for independence.

The commemorative nickel is essentially the same as the most recent nickel redesign, in 2006, but it includes two dates on the head’s side instead of one, 1776 and 2026.

Two collectible coins are planned

A half dollar coin shows the face of the Statue of Liberty on one side. The other shows her passing her torch to what appears to be the hand of a child, symbolizing a handoff to the next generation.

The penny is essentially the same as the one in circulation, which was discontinued earlier this year and will be produced only as a collectible with two dates.

Prices for collectible coins were not released. The Mint sells a variety of noncirculating coins on its website, with a vast range of prices reflecting their rarity.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps founding, for example, a commemorative half dollar coin is available for $61, while a commemorative $5 gold coin goes for $1,262. Up to 750,000 copies of the former will be minted, but no more than 50,000 of the latter.

The abandoned designs

Congress authorized commemorative coins in 2021. During the Biden administration, the Mint worked with a citizens advisory committee to propose designs depicting the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, abolitionism, suffrage and civil rights.

Those designs included depictions of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Ruby Bridges, who was escorted to school by the National Guard at age 6 years amid opposition to racial integration at public schools.

Those designs represented “continued progress toward ‘a more perfect union,’” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, quoting a phrase from the preamble to the Constitution.

“The American story didn’t stop at the pilgrims and founding fathers, and ignoring anything that has happened in this country in the last 162 years is just another attempt by President Trump to rewrite our history,” Cortez Masto said in a statement.

By Zoe Tillman, Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON — Almost 400 people pardoned or granted clemency by President Donald Trump in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol are now seeking millions of dollars in payouts from the federal government, according to their lawyer.

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Attorney Mark McCloskey on Wednesday delivered hundreds of claims in person, wheeling a cart with five bankers’ boxes into a Justice Department office building in Washington. The St. Louis-based lawyer declined to share copies, citing his clients’ privacy, but said most are seeking $1 million to $10 million for alleged injuries and property damage during their arrest, prosecution and, in many cases, imprisonment.

It’s the latest instance of Trump supporters and allies pressing claims for taxpayer funds since he reclaimed the White House a year ago. The Justice Department confirmed in court papers that it’s in settlement talks with Michael Flynn, an ex-Trump administration official and conservative activist, and Stefan Passantino, who served as a White House lawyer during Trump’s first term.

Trump previously told reporters that the Justice Department “probably” owes him “a lot of money” but said he’d give it “to charity” or use it to pay for White House renovations. The New York Times reported that he had filed administrative claims seeking $230 million for the now-defunct investigations into his 2016 campaign and his handling of classified material after he left the White House in 2021.

After Trump won the 2024 presidential race, he signed a proclamation on his first day in office granting pardons, sentence commutations and other clemency to the more than 1,500 people charged with playing a role in the riot that unfolded as Congress met to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump.

Trump’s order described the prosecution effort — the largest in the Justice Department’s history — as “a grave national injustice.”

Earlier this year, U.S. officials agreed to pay nearly $5 million this year to settle a claim brought by the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a police officer inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

The president’s Jan. 6 clemency action covered an array of crimes prosecuted by Biden’s Justice Department, from misdemeanor trespassing to felony charges for assaulting police — approximately 140 officers were injured, according to government reports — carrying guns and other weapons to the Capitol, and seditious conspiracy. Trump pardoned nearly everyone who had pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial and ordered pending cases dropped.

McCloskey said in an interview his clients deserved to be paid because they had “lost everything,” from jobs and professional licenses to their ability to travel freely and maintain bank accounts. McCloskey gained notoriety — and support from Trump — after he and his wife faced state charges for pointing guns at racial justice protesters passing their home in St. Louis in 2020. They later received gubernatorial pardons. He expressed optimism that Trump would aid the Jan. 6 defendants, noting the president’s record of public support before and after his November electoral win.

Mary McCord, a former senior Justice Department official, said that Trump’s clemency actions didn’t undermine the original legal foundations for Jan. 6-related charges, and that the bar generally is high to press claims against prosecutors and law enforcement officers.

“Because somebody was pardoned, that absolutely does not mean there wasn’t a basis for the prosecution,” said McCord, executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law Center.

The U.S. government and federal employees are largely immune from being sued for official actions, but there are exceptions for allegations of personal injuries or property damage. Under the Federal Tort Claims Act, individuals can sue in federal court if an agency denies their claim — known as a Standard Form 95 or SF 95 — or fails to act within six months.

Paul Figley, a former senior official in the Justice Department office that handles tort claims, said that presidential clemency shouldn’t affect how the government decides if a person has a valid case for government compensation.

“If they were convicted and had a good claim, they could still bring the claim,” said Figley, an emeritus professor at American University’s Washington College of Law and a visiting professor at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law.

McCloskey said the Justice Department rebuffed several Jan. 6-related claims he submitted earlier in the year for what he described as procedural defects, but that more recently he hadn’t received rejections. He said the collection of claims he brought to Washington on Wednesday — directed to the Justice Department, FBI, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Capitol Police — was the largest group he’d filed to date.

“I’m hoping this mass filing today will bring it to the attention of the powers that be,” McCloskey said.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

General Daily Insight for December 12, 2025

Our patience could be tested today. As the fussy Virgo Moon opposes frustrating Saturn, reaching agreements or firm answers might seem impossible. We may need to slow down to check facts and choose kinder words. Meanwhile, Luna’s opposition to dreamy Neptune can both blur signals and soften rough edges. Once the Moon enters diplomatic Libra at 11:04 am EST, we’re likely to end up with fair talk and simple choices. Taking the time to hear everyone out can build the trust we crave!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Keeping your brain turned on will be crucial for your relationships today. With the instinctive Moon entering your 7th House of Partnerships, you’ll have to weigh fairness in close connections at work or home before making firm commitments. Although your brave heart wants quick action, anxious Saturn in your perceptive 12th house nudges you to pause and notice worries. Suggest a middle option instead of quietly accepting a plan you don’t actually like. Thoughtful compromise keeps momentum strong without draining your energy or goodwill.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Keeping a steady rhythm can be especially nourishing now. As the observant Moon arrives in your 6th House of Work and Wellness, you’re in a good place to pin down what makes you most productive. Perhaps you’ll tidy your desk or renegotiate a deadline with a coworker — small choices like this can enhance focus and reduce distractions. If someone piles on tasks, calmly propose priorities that protect your energy and quality of output. Embrace consistency, because comfort grows where routines support you daily.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Fun returns as you follow your curiosity. Passion and self-expression are likely to beckon when the intuitive Moon lights your 5th House of Creativity and Romance. Perhaps you’ll pitch an idea and share a spark. If plans shift, your flexible mind can find a new path that still feels fun. Say yes to a game or brainstorm that sparks joy — the ensuing flow state might bring you genuinely unique insights. Still, remember that your words land most warmly when you listen first.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Calm, comfortable connection is currently possible. With the sensitive Moon entering your 4th House of Home and Family, you may be in the mood for a long, relaxed talk with relatives or housemates. If reminiscing about the past gets too emotional, turn toward practical concerns like revising weekend plans or negotiating house rules. Even as disciplined Saturn in your dogmatic 9th house emphasizes duties, you can create warmth by focusing on nourishment. Protect your peace, because the roots you build now shape your future possibilities.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Your words are likely to carry extra weight today. With the moody Moon in your 3rd House of Communication, you may need to intentionally choose kinder phrasing and steadier pacing. A sibling, neighbor, or teammate might annoy you by pushing for instant answers. Asking for any clarification you need can help you maintain the generosity your sign is known for. To reduce confusion, offer a short phone call instead of adding to a long text thread. Addressing misunderstandings now can smooth everyone’s path forward!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Making practical choices may be necessary at this time. The temperamental Moon in your 2nd House of Money and Values highlights the eternal dilemma of needs versus wants. Perhaps you’ll pause before buying or try to renegotiate a fee. With testy Saturn in your relationship zone, you might run into some resistance from another person involved in the situation. If you can keep your ego out of it, you’re likely to turn a tense chat into cooperation. Stay focused on finding the best long-term solution.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Libra, your presence invites harmony and truth. Balance becomes personal as the instinctive Moon lights your 1st House of Self and Identity, encouraging you to set the tone and model collaboration with your actions. It might surprise you that your grace actually grows when you name your needs first and then ask for feedback. Being honest about your boundaries and intentions protects your peace and keeps relationships feeling equal. Lead with fairness, and others are likely to gladly meet you halfway!

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Quiet spaces can help you hear the truth now. The unconscious Moon in your 12th House of Solitude and Closure is likely to pull you toward rest and reflection. Hidden worries like unsent email drafts or abandoned promises might rise to the surface, giving you an opportunity to choose whether to address them or release them. Journaling or taking a walk can help you process. Choose honest pauses and deliberate downtime over scrolling and indulgent distraction. Insight grows when noise finally fades away!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Support shows up when you join in. With the intuitive Moon visiting your 11th House of Social Networks, invitations to connect with others could feel especially meaningful. Getting involved with a project that gives you an opportunity for shared ownership might be rewarding, although it’s crucial to keep fairness in focus. Notice who shows up reliably, and then nurture those bonds, since friendship grows through small, steady contributions from each side. Saying yes to the right things can help you build the community you want!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Clarifying your goals can currently bring you closer to meeting them. With the fluctuating Moon awakening your 10th House of Career and Status, you may need to admit that you’ve changed your mind about something. This doesn’t mean that you’ve failed, though. More likely, you’ve learned new information and adapted to it! You might as well outline your new priorities and take one visible step toward meeting them. Anyone who’s watching should see that your commitment to achieving a good outcome is not in question.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Reframing a frustrating debate has the potential to break you out of a rut now. As the emotional Moon activates your 9th House of Travel and Learning, you might simply realize that the world is a lot bigger than some situation you’re upset about. This won’t necessarily bring all the answers you seek immediately, but it is likely to give you a starting point for further research. Try sharing one thoughtful source and inviting others to test ideas with you. They may welcome the opportunity!

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Gentle candor and care may be required at the moment. With the moody Moon in your 8th House of Shared Resources and Intimacy, tender topics (like money matters or hurt feelings) may surface with a loved one. You might name one fear and one wish, and then ask your companion to do the same in return. If numbers feel fuzzy, you can always review the facts and figures later. This opportunity to access the emotional heart of the matter is not one to pass up!

By SEAN MURPHY

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal grand jury indicted the leader of the Black Lives Matter movement in Oklahoma City over allegations that millions of dollars in grant funds were improperly spent on international trips, groceries and personal real estate, prosecutors announced Thursday.

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Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, was indicted earlier this month on 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering, court records show.

Court records do not indicate the name of Dickerson’s attorney, and messages left Thursday at her mobile number and by email were not immediately returned.

According to the indictment, Dickerson served since at least 2016 as the executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC, which accepted charitable donations through its affiliation with the Arizona-based Alliance for Global Justice.

In total, BLM OKC raised more than $5.6 million dating back to 2020, largely from online donors and national bail funds that were supposed to be used to post bail for individuals arrested in connection with racial justice protests after the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer in 2020, the indictment alleges.

When those bail funds were returned to BLM OKC, the indictment alleges, Dickerson embezzled at least $3.15 million into her personal accounts and then used the money to pay for trips to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, retail shopping, at least $50,000 in food and grocery deliveries for herself and her children, a personal vehicle, and six properties in Oklahoma City deeded to her or to a company she controlled.

The indictment also alleges she submitted false annual reports to the alliance stating that the funds were used only for tax-exempt purposes.

If convicted, Dickerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of wire fraud and 10 years in prison and fines for each count of money laundering.

In a live video posted on her Facebook page Thursday afternoon, Dickerson said she was not in custody and was “fine.”

“I cannot make an official comment about what transpired today,” she said. “I am home. I am safe. I have confidence in our team.”

“A lot of times when people come at you with these types of things … it’s evidence that you are doing the work,” she continued. “That is what I’m standing on.”

The Black Lives Matter movement first emerged in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. But it was the 2014 death of Michael Brown at the hands of police in Ferguson, Missouri, that made the slogan “Black lives matter” a rallying cry for progressives and a favorite target of derision for conservatives.

The Associated Press reported in October that the Justice Department was investigating whether leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars during racial justice protests in 2020. There was no immediate indication that Dickerson’s indictment is connected to that probe.