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Tag: Life

  • Illinois surgeon pleads not guilty to the killings of his ex-wife and her dentist husband in Ohio

    An Illinois doctor indicted on murder charges in the December shooting deaths of his ex-wife and her dentist husband in their Columbus home pleaded not guilty to the killings in an Ohio courtroom on Friday.Michael David McKee, 39, appeared remotely on camera from jail for his arraignment in Franklin County, where he faced four aggravated murder counts and one count of aggravated burglary while using a firearm suppressor in connection with the Dec. 30 double homicide of Monique Tepe, 39, and Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37. He was garbed in prison attire and did not speak during the brief hearing. Defense attorney Diane Menashe waived a request for bond, at least for now.The mystery that first surrounded the case — which featured no forced entry, no weapon and no obvious signs of theft, additional violence or a motive — drew national attention. McKee, of Chicago, was arrested 11 days later near his workplace in Rockford, Illinois. He was returned to Ohio on Tuesday to face the charges against him.Who is Michael David McKee?McKee attended Catholic high school in Zanesville, a historic Ohio city about 55 miles (89 kilometers) east of the capital, according to the Diocese of Columbus. He enrolled at Ohio State University in September 2005 — the same semester that his future wife, then Monique Sabaturski, enrolled, university records show. Both graduated with bachelor’s degrees in June 2009. Sabaturski earned a master of education degree from Ohio State in 2011, and McKee earned his medical degree there in 2014.Sabaturski and McKee married in Columbus in August 2015 but were living apart by the time Monique filed to end in the marriage in May 2017, court records show. Their divorce was granted that June. McKee was living in Virginia at the time, court and address records show. He completed a two-year fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center in October 2022, according to the school.McKee also lived in and was licensed to practice medicine in both California and in Nevada, where he was among doctors named in a personal injury lawsuit in a Las Vegas court in 2023. OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois, where McKee was working at the time of his arrest, declined to provide specific information on the dates of his employment. His Illinois medical license became active in October 2024.What is McKee accused of?An Ohio grand jury indicted McKee in the double homicide last week.McKee is accused of illegally entering the Tepes’ home with a firearm equipped with a silencer, shooting the Tepes — whose bodies were found in a second-floor bedroom — and leaving the property along a dark alley alongside the house.Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant has said that McKee was the person seen walking down that alley in video footage captured the night of the killings. She also said a gun found in his Chicago apartment was a ballistic match to evidence at the scene and that his vehicle’s movements were tracked from Columbus back to Illinois.A message seeking comment was left with McKee’s attorney.McKee is charged with two aggravated murder counts for each homicide, one for prior calculation and design and one for committing the crime, as well as facing the aggravated burglary count. If convicted, he faces a minimum of life in prison with parole eligibility after 32 years and a maximum term of life in prison without parole.How were the killings discovered?Columbus police conducted a wellness check on Spencer Tepe at around 10 a.m. on Dec. 30, after his manager at a dental practice in Athens, Ohio, reported that he had not shown up to work on that day, saying tardiness was very worrying and “out of character” for Tepe, according to a 911 call.Someone else called to request a wellness check before a distraught man who described himself as a friend of Spencer Tepe called police and said, “Oh, there’s a body. There’s a body. Oh my God.” He said he could see Spencer Tepe’s body was off the side of a bed in a pool of blood.The Franklin County Coroner’s Office deemed the killings an “apparent homicide by gunshot wounds.”Who were the Tepes?Family members said the Tepes were “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.”They have described Monique as a “joyful mother,” avid baker and “thoughtful planner.” According to their obituaries, which were issued jointly, the pair were married in 2020.Spencer Tepe got his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in 2012 and earned his doctor of dental surgery degree in 2017, according to school records. He was a member of the American Dental Association and had been involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.They had two young children. Both were home at the time of the killings and left unharmed, as was the family dog.

    COLUMBUS, Ohio —

    An Illinois doctor indicted on murder charges in the December shooting deaths of his ex-wife and her dentist husband in their Columbus home pleaded not guilty to the killings in an Ohio courtroom on Friday.

    Michael David McKee, 39, appeared remotely on camera from jail for his arraignment in Franklin County, where he faced four aggravated murder counts and one count of aggravated burglary while using a firearm suppressor in connection with the Dec. 30 double homicide of Monique Tepe, 39, and Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37. He was garbed in prison attire and did not speak during the brief hearing. Defense attorney Diane Menashe waived a request for bond, at least for now.

    The mystery that first surrounded the case — which featured no forced entry, no weapon and no obvious signs of theft, additional violence or a motive — drew national attention. McKee, of Chicago, was arrested 11 days later near his workplace in Rockford, Illinois. He was returned to Ohio on Tuesday to face the charges against him.

    Who is Michael David McKee?

    McKee attended Catholic high school in Zanesville, a historic Ohio city about 55 miles (89 kilometers) east of the capital, according to the Diocese of Columbus. He enrolled at Ohio State University in September 2005 — the same semester that his future wife, then Monique Sabaturski, enrolled, university records show. Both graduated with bachelor’s degrees in June 2009. Sabaturski earned a master of education degree from Ohio State in 2011, and McKee earned his medical degree there in 2014.

    Sabaturski and McKee married in Columbus in August 2015 but were living apart by the time Monique filed to end in the marriage in May 2017, court records show. Their divorce was granted that June. McKee was living in Virginia at the time, court and address records show. He completed a two-year fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center in October 2022, according to the school.

    McKee also lived in and was licensed to practice medicine in both California and in Nevada, where he was among doctors named in a personal injury lawsuit in a Las Vegas court in 2023. OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois, where McKee was working at the time of his arrest, declined to provide specific information on the dates of his employment. His Illinois medical license became active in October 2024.

    What is McKee accused of?

    An Ohio grand jury indicted McKee in the double homicide last week.

    McKee is accused of illegally entering the Tepes’ home with a firearm equipped with a silencer, shooting the Tepes — whose bodies were found in a second-floor bedroom — and leaving the property along a dark alley alongside the house.

    Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant has said that McKee was the person seen walking down that alley in video footage captured the night of the killings. She also said a gun found in his Chicago apartment was a ballistic match to evidence at the scene and that his vehicle’s movements were tracked from Columbus back to Illinois.

    A message seeking comment was left with McKee’s attorney.

    McKee is charged with two aggravated murder counts for each homicide, one for prior calculation and design and one for committing the crime, as well as facing the aggravated burglary count. If convicted, he faces a minimum of life in prison with parole eligibility after 32 years and a maximum term of life in prison without parole.

    How were the killings discovered?

    Columbus police conducted a wellness check on Spencer Tepe at around 10 a.m. on Dec. 30, after his manager at a dental practice in Athens, Ohio, reported that he had not shown up to work on that day, saying tardiness was very worrying and “out of character” for Tepe, according to a 911 call.

    Someone else called to request a wellness check before a distraught man who described himself as a friend of Spencer Tepe called police and said, “Oh, there’s a body. There’s a body. Oh my God.” He said he could see Spencer Tepe’s body was off the side of a bed in a pool of blood.

    The Franklin County Coroner’s Office deemed the killings an “apparent homicide by gunshot wounds.”

    Who were the Tepes?

    Family members said the Tepes were “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.”

    They have described Monique as a “joyful mother,” avid baker and “thoughtful planner.” According to their obituaries, which were issued jointly, the pair were married in 2020.

    Spencer Tepe got his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in 2012 and earned his doctor of dental surgery degree in 2017, according to school records. He was a member of the American Dental Association and had been involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.

    They had two young children. Both were home at the time of the killings and left unharmed, as was the family dog.

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  • ICE deports Maryland father despite ‘do not remove’ orders

    Federal immigration authorities removed a Maryland father to El Salvador on Tuesday despite two court orders saying not to.During an emergency hearing Thursday at federal court in Baltimore, a federal judge examined what happened to Jose Serrano-Maldonado.Federal authorities admitted they made a mistake, conceding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated court orders filed in the system, even with a banner in Serrano-Maldonado’s file that said, “Do not remove.”But the feds couldn’t say why they did it anyway.The judge called this a very bad situation and demanded to know, in writing, exactly who took what steps, when and why.Serrano-Maldonado’s immigration attorney, Anna Alyssa Tijerina, is fighting for his immediate return to the United States, telling the judge that her client’s life is in danger.”He told me he is going to try and remain in his house as much as possible until this is resolved. He told me he wants to come back to the United States, even if it’s back to the detention center,” Tijerina told sister station WBAL-TV.Assistant U.S. Attorney Beatrice Thomas offered no comment outside the court when asked questions by WBAL. In court, Thomas told the judge that the government is working to fly Serrano-Maldonado back on “ICE Air” but that there’s a lot of red tape and it could take many days.The judge ordered status updates to be filed daily until Serrano-Maldonado is returned to the U.S. It’s unlikely that those daily status updates will be accessible publicly because the government said it plans to file the updates under preliminary seal.”I can’t imagine being in (the family’s) position of knowing, not knowing. At least, ‘There’s no new update today,’ is an update, right? They know something, they know that nothing was done today, but something will be done tomorrow,” Tijerina told WBAL. “For the sake of my client, for the sake of my client’s life in El Salvador, and for the sake of his family, I hope that this gets resolved quickly.”Thursday’s hearing was the first of three immigration hearings for this sole judge in the single courtroom on just one day.

    Federal immigration authorities removed a Maryland father to El Salvador on Tuesday despite two court orders saying not to.

    During an emergency hearing Thursday at federal court in Baltimore, a federal judge examined what happened to Jose Serrano-Maldonado.

    Federal authorities admitted they made a mistake, conceding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated court orders filed in the system, even with a banner in Serrano-Maldonado’s file that said, “Do not remove.”

    But the feds couldn’t say why they did it anyway.

    The judge called this a very bad situation and demanded to know, in writing, exactly who took what steps, when and why.

    Serrano-Maldonado’s immigration attorney, Anna Alyssa Tijerina, is fighting for his immediate return to the United States, telling the judge that her client’s life is in danger.

    “He told me he is going to try and remain in his house as much as possible until this is resolved. He told me he wants to come back to the United States, even if it’s back to the detention center,” Tijerina told sister station WBAL-TV.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Beatrice Thomas offered no comment outside the court when asked questions by WBAL. In court, Thomas told the judge that the government is working to fly Serrano-Maldonado back on “ICE Air” but that there’s a lot of red tape and it could take many days.

    The judge ordered status updates to be filed daily until Serrano-Maldonado is returned to the U.S. It’s unlikely that those daily status updates will be accessible publicly because the government said it plans to file the updates under preliminary seal.

    “I can’t imagine being in (the family’s) position of knowing, not knowing. At least, ‘There’s no new update today,’ is an update, right? They know something, they know that nothing was done today, but something will be done tomorrow,” Tijerina told WBAL. “For the sake of my client, for the sake of my client’s life in El Salvador, and for the sake of his family, I hope that this gets resolved quickly.”

    Thursday’s hearing was the first of three immigration hearings for this sole judge in the single courtroom on just one day.

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  • Contributor: A Senate war powers resolution on Venezuela actually could curb Trump

    President Trump seemed angry after the Senate voted last Thursday to pass a war powers resolution to the next stage, where lawmakers could approve the measure and seek to curb the president’s ability to wage war in Venezuela without congressional authorization.

    Trump said that day that five Republican senators who supported bringing the measure to a vote — Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.), Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Todd Young (Ind.) — “should never be elected to office again.”

    Why should he get so riled up about this, to the point where he could put his own party’s control of the Senate at risk in November? Even if this resolution were to pass both houses of Congress, he could veto it and ultimately be unrestrained. He did this in 2019, when a war powers resolution mandating that the U.S. military cease its participation in the war in Yemen was passed in both the Senate and the House. Many people think that such legislation therefore can’t make a difference.

    But the president’s ire is telling. These political moves on the Hill can get results even before the resolution has a final vote, or if it is vetoed by the president.

    The Trump administration made significant concessions before the 2019 resolution was approved by Congress, in an attempt to prevent it from passing. For instance, months before it was approved, the U.S. military stopped refueling Saudi warplanes in midair. These concessions de-escalated the war and saved tens of thousands of lives.

    A war powers resolution is an act of Congress that is based on a 1973 law of the same name. That law spells out and reinforces the power that our Constitution has allocated to Congress, to decide when the U.S. military can be involved in hostilities.

    The U.S. military raid in Caracas that seized Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, is illegal according to international law, the charters of the Organization of American States and the United Nations, as well as other treaties to which the United States is a signatory. According to our own Constitution, the government violates U.S. law when it violates treaties that our government has signed.

    None of that restrained the Trump administration, which has not demonstrated much respect for the rule of law. But the White House does care about the political power of Congress. If there is an expanded war in Venezuela or anywhere else that Trump has threatened to use the military, the fact that Congress took steps to oppose it will increase the political cost to the president.

    This is likely one of the main reasons that the Trump administration has at least promised to make concessions regarding military action in Latin America — and who knows, possibly he did make some compromises compared with what had been planned.

    On Nov. 5, the day before the Senate was to vote on a war powers resolution to halt and prevent hostilities within or against Venezuela by U.S. armed forces, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and White House counsel had a private briefing with senators.

    They assured lawmakers that they were not going to have a land war or airstrikes in Venezuela. According to news reports, the White House counsel stated that they did not have a legal justification for such a war. It is clear that blocking the resolution was very important to these top officials. The day after that meeting, the war powers resolution was blocked by two votes. Two Republicans had joined the Democrats and independents in support of the resolution: Murkowski and Paul. That added up to 49 votes — not quite the needed majority.

    But on Thursday, there were three additional Republicans who voted for the new resolution, so it will proceed to a final vote.

    The war powers resolution is not just a political fight, but a matter of life and death. The blockade involved in the seizure of oil tankers is, according to experts, an unlawful use of military force. This means that the blockade would be included as a participation in hostilities that would require authorization from Congress.

    Since 2015, the United States has imposed unilateral economic sanctions that destroyed Venezuela’s economy. From 2012 to 2020, Venezuela suffered the worst peacetime depression in world history. Real (inflation-adjusted) GDP, or income, fell by 74%. Think of the economic destruction of the U.S. Great Depression, multiplied by three times. Most of this was the result of the sanctions.

    This unprecedented devastation is generally attributed to Maduro in public discussion. But U.S. sanctions deliberately cut Venezuela off from international finance, as well as blocking most of its oil sales, which accounted for more than 90% of foreign exchange (mostly dollar) earnings. This devastated the economy.

    In the first year of Trump sanctions from 2017-18, Venezuela’s deaths increased by tens of thousands of people, at a time when oil prices were increasing. Sanctions were expanded even more the following year. About a quarter of the population, more than 7 million people, emigrated after 2015 — 750,000 of them to the United States.

    We know that the deadly impact of sanctions that target the civilian population is real. Research published in July by the Lancet Global Health, by my colleagues Francisco Rodriguez, Silvio Rendon and myself, estimated the global death toll from unilateral economic sanctions, as these are, at 564,000 per year over the past decade. This is comparable to the worldwide deaths from armed conflict. A majority of the victims over the 1970-2021 period were children.

    The Trump administration has, in the last few days, been moving in the direction of lifting some sanctions to allow for oil exports, according to the president’s stated plan to “run Venezuela.” This is ironic because Venezuela has for many years wanted more investment and trade, including in oil, with the United States, and it was U.S. sanctions that prohibited it.

    Such lifting of sanctions would be a big step forward, in terms of saving lives of people who are deprived of food, medicine and other necessities in Venezuela, as a result of these sanctions and the economic destruction that they cause.

    But to create the stability that Venezuela needs to recover, we will have to take the military and economic violence out of this campaign. There are members of Congress moving toward that goal, and they need all the help that they can get, before it’s too late.

    Mark Weisbrot is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and author of “Failed: What the ‘Experts’ Got Wrong About the Global Economy.”

    Mark Weisbrot

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  • ‘We just want our lives back.’ Maduro’s gone, but what’s next for 8 million Venezuelans who fled?

    MEXICO CITY — Andrea Paola Hernández has one sister in Ecuador and another in London. She has cousins in Colombia, Chile, Argentina and the United States.

    All fled poverty and political repression in Venezuela. Hernández, a human rights activist and outspoken critic of the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, eventually left, too.

    Since 2022 she has lived in Mexico City, working odd jobs for under-the-table pay because she lacks legal status. She cries most days, and dreams of reuniting with her far-flung relatives and friends. “We just want our lives back,” she said.

    One of Maduro’s darkest legacies was the exodus of 8 million Venezuelans during his 13-year rule, one of the largest mass migrations in modern history. The flight of a third of the country’s population ripped apart families and has shaped the cultural and political landscape in the dozens of nations where Venezuelans have settled.

    The surprise U.S. operation to capture Maduro this month has prompted mixed feelings among the diaspora. Relief, but also apprehension.

    From Europe to Latin America to the U.S., those who left are asking whether they finally can go home. And if they do, what would they return to?

    ‘An ounce of justice’

    Hernández was distressed by the U.S. attack, which killed dozens of people and is widely seen as illegal under international law. Still, she celebrated Maduro’s arrest as “an ounce of justice after decades of injustice.”

    Andrea Paola Hernández, 30, an Afro-Indigenous, queer, feminist activist and writer from Maracaibo, Venezuela, stands for a portrait on the roof of her building on Friday in Mexico City. Hernández left Caracas in 2022.

    (Alejandra Rajal / For The Times)

    She is wary of what is to come.

    President Trump has repeatedly touted Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, saying little about restoring democracy to the country. He says the U.S. will work with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who has been sworn in as Venezuela’s interim leader.

    Hernández doesn’t trust Rodríguez, whom she believes is as responsible as anyone else for Venezuela’s misery: the eight-hour lines for food and medicine, the violent repression of street protests and the 2024 election that Maduro is widely believed to have rigged to stay in power.

    Hernández blames the regime for personal pain, too. For the death of an aunt during the pandemic because there was no electricity to power ventilators; for the widespread hunger that caused her mother to tell her children: “We can have dinner or breakfast, but not both.”

    Hernández, who believes she was being surveilled by Maduro’s government, says she will return to Venezuela only after elections have been held. “I’m not going back until I know that I’m not going to be killed or put in jail.”

    ‘Our identity was shattered’

    Many in the diaspora are trying to reconcile conflicting emotions.

    Damián Suárez, 37, an artist who left Venezuela for Chile in 2011 and who now lives in Mexico, said he was surprised to find himself defending the actions of Trump, a leader whose politics he otherwise disdains.

    “We were fragmented and demoralized, and then someone came along and imprisoned the person responsible for all of that,” Suárez said. “When you’re drowning, you’re going to thank the person rescuing you, no matter who it is.”

    A man in black clothing stands in an art gallery.

    Damián Suárez at his studio in the Condesa neighborhood on Friday in Mexico City. He arrived from Venezuela in 2011 and works as an artist and curator.

    (Alejandra Rajal / For The Times)

    Many countries have denounced the attack on Caracas and Trump’s vow to “run” the country in the short term as an unacceptable violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.

    For Suárez, those arguments ring hollow. For years, he said, the international community did little to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

    “A cry for help from millions of people went unanswered,” Suárez said. “The only thing worse than intervention is indifference.”

    A work of embroidery art.

    One of the first embroidery art works made by Damián Suárez as a child on display in his studio, in la Condesa in Mexico City. To this day, he uses string as his primary material, a form of resistance and defiance rooted in the hand-labor traditions of the community he comes from.

    (Alejandra Rajal / For The Times)

    Suárez, who is organizing an art show about Venezuela, blames Maduro for what he sees as a “spiritual void” among migrants who lost not just their physical home but also the people who gave meaning to their lives.

    “Our identity was shattered,” he said, comparing migrants with “plants ripped from their soil.”

    And though Maduro now sits in a jail in Brooklyn facing drug trafficking charges, Suárez said he will not go back to Venezuela.

    He has a Mexican passport now and helped his family migrate to Mexico City. After years of feeling stateless, he’s finally planted roots.

    Building lives in new countries

    Tomás Paez, a Venezuelan sociologist living in Spain who studies the diaspora, says that surveys over the years show that only about 20% of immigrants say they would return permanently to Venezuela. Many have built lives in their new countries, he said.

    Paez, who left Venezuela several years ago as inflation spiraled and crime spiked, has grandchildren in Spain and said he would be loath to leave them.

    “There isn’t a family in Venezuela that doesn’t have a son, a brother, an uncle, or a nephew living elsewhere,” he said, adding that 50% of households in Venezuela depend on remittances from abroad. “Migration has broadened Venezuela’s borders. We’re talking about a whole new geography.”

    Migrants left Venezuela under diverse circumstances. Earlier waves left on flights with immigration documents. More recent departees often take clandestine overland routes into Colombia or Brazil or risked the dangerous journey across the Darien Gap into Central America on their way north.

    The restriction of immigration law across Latin America has made it harder and harder for migrants to find refuge. One fourth of Venezuelan migrants globally lack legal immigration status, Paez said. And a majority don’t have Venezuelan passports, which are difficult to acquire or renew from abroad.

    ‘So tired of politics’

    Throughout the Western Hemisphere, enclaves of Venezuelans have sprouted up, such as one in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, a Mexican town near the border with Guatemala.

    Richard Osorio ended up there with his husband after a stint living in Texas. Osorio’s husband was deported from the U.S. in August as part of Trump’s crackdown on Venezuelan migrants. Osorio joined him in Mexico after a lawyer told him that U.S. immigration agents might target him, too, because he has tattoos, even though they are of birds and flowers.

    The pair are undocumented in Mexico and work for cash at one of the Venezuelan restaurants that have sprung up in recent months.

    On the day of the U.S. operation that resulted in Maduro’s arrest, hundreds of Venezuelans cheered the news in a local square. Osorio was working a 14-hour shift and missed the party. It was fine. He didn’t have the energy to celebrate.

    “I’m so tired of politics, of these ups and downs that we’ve experienced for years,” Osorio said. “At every turn, there’s been suffering.”

    Richard Osorio poses for a portrait in Juarez, Mexico.

    Richard Osorio poses for a portrait in Juarez, Mexico, in July.

    (Alejandro Cegarra / For The Times)

    He had a hard time conjuring warm feelings for Trump given the U.S. president’s war on immigrants, including the deportation of more than 200 Venezuelans that he claimed were gang members to an infamous prison in El Salvador.

    Maduro and Trump, he said, are more alike than many people admit. Neither cares for human rights or democracy. “We felt the same way in the U.S. as we did in Venezuela,” Osorio said.

    He said he wouldn’t return to Venezuela until there were decent jobs and protections for the LGBTQ+ community. Life in southern Mexico was dangerous, he said, and he wasn’t earning enough to send money to relatives back home.

    But returning to Venezuela didn’t feel like an option yet.

    Daring to dream

    Hernández, the writer and activist, said many in the diaspora are too traumatized to imagine a future in Venezuela. “We’ve all been deprived of so much,” she said.

    But when she dares to dream, she pictures a Venezuela with free elections, functioning schools, hospitals and a vibrant cultural scene. She sees members of the diaspora returning, and improving the country with the skills they’ve learned abroad.

    “We all want to go back and build,” she said. The question now is when.

    Kate Linthicum

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  • Saint John’s Program for Real Change offers hope to Sacramento women and children

    SAINT JOHN’S PROGRAM FOR REAL CHANGE HAS IMPROVED THE LIVES OF SACRAMENTO AREA WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THE NONPROFIT PROVIDES A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE AND AN ARRAY OF SERVICES FOR FREE. IT ALSO OFFERS A REAL COMMUNITY FOR WOMEN WHO ARE WORKING TO STABILIZE THEIR LIVES. KCRA 3’S LEE ANNE DENYER INTRODUCES US TO A LOCAL WOMAN WHO SAYS SAINT JOHN’S NOT ONLY KEPT HER FROM LIVING ON THE STREETS OF SACRAMENTO, BUT ALSO TRANSFORMED HER ENTIRE WAY OF THINKING. GET YOURSELF SET UP. EVEN WITH HER RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE KITCHEN AND HER CLASSES, THERE’S TIME FOR REFLECTION. SO WE ALL MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT STORIES, AND WE ALL ARE DIFFERENT PLACES AT DIFFERENT TIMES. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALL KIND OF HAVE ENDED UP HERE AND WE ALL HAVE. THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING IN COMMON. LAUREN LOUDERMILK SAYS IT WASN’T ONE THING THAT LED HER HERE. I WAS PROBABLY ENTERING LIKE A MENTAL BREAKDOWN. I WAS ABOUT TO LOSE EVERYTHING. CHALLENGES WITH HER MENTAL HEALTH, HER PHYSICAL HEALTH AND EVICTION. BEING A SINGLE MOM WERE MOUNTING AND SHE HAD NOWHERE TO GO. AND I HAD MY CAT ON A HARNESS, AND I WAS TRULY PREPARED TO LIVE ON THE STREET OF SACRAMENTO IF I WERE NOT SAINT JOHN’S, I WOULD BE ON THE STREET. I WOULD BE. AND IT’S IT’S SCARY TO THINK, BECAUSE I WOULD NOT BE HEALTHY. THERE’S NOWHERE YOU CAN BE ON THE STREET AND BE HEALTHY. BUT A FAMILY MEMBER, SHE SAYS, CONNECTED HER WITH SAINT JOHN’S PROGRAM FOR REAL CHANGE IN SACRAMENTO. WHEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE STAYING HERE, WE PROVIDE ALL THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT THEY WOULD NEED AS THEY’RE WORKING TOWARDS RECOVERY AND THEIR GOALS. SO THAT INCLUDES BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, EDUCATION, CHILDCARE, JOB TRAINING, FAMILY SERVICES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS KIND OF TOGETHER. THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION HAS HELPED WOMEN FOR DECADES, GIVING THEM A SPACE TO LIVE, HEAL AND REBUILD WITH SUPPORT AND AT THEIR OWN PACE. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU DO SOME HARD WORK. YOU REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU’RE AT, WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR FAMILY. CHANGE WAS EXACTLY WHAT LOUDERMILK NEEDED. SO MANY THINGS HERE TO REALLY HELP US LEARN TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND REALLY HELP US DIVE DEEP AND FIGURE OUT, LIKE WHAT WE’VE HAD THAT’S, YOU KNOW, CAUSING TRAUMA AND WHAT WE HAVEN’T HEALED FROM TO SOMEONE ELSE. MORE TASKS AFTER AN AFTERNOON LUNCH RUSH MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT JUST NEEDS TO GET DONE. FOR LOUDERMILK, IT’S JOB TRAINING, IT’S STRUCTURE. IT’S A WAY TO GIVE BACK. AND THAT ALL STARTED WHEN SHE ASKED FOR HELP. WE ALL HAVE TO BE READY ON OUR TIME, BUT DO NOT BE ASHAMED TO ASK FOR HELP. DO NOT BE ASHAMED. THERE IS. THERE IS STRENGTH IN ASKING FOR HELP. SHE’S FINDING HER STRENGTH AND LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT AS SHE CONTINUES HER PROGRAM WITHIN SAINT JOHN’S. GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY OF WOMEN BECAUSE LIFE HAPPENS ON LIFE’S TERMS AND YOU ARE RESILIENT FOR FOR MAKING THE CHOICE TO GET YOURSELF THROUGH IT. IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY, LEE ANNE DENYER KCRA THREE NEWS. FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED IN THE WORK THAT THEY’RE DOING THERE AT THE SAINT JOHN’S PROGRAM FOR REAL CHANGE, YOU CAN TAKE A TOUR, VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME, OR DONATE MONEY. PEOPLE CAN SUP

    Saint John’s Program for Real Change offers hope to Sacramento women and children

    Saint John’s Program for Real Change in Sacramento provides wraparound services and a supportive community to help women and children rebuild their lives.

    Updated: 12:28 AM PST Jan 8, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    For more than 40 years, Saint John’s Program for Real Change has been a lifeline for women and children in Sacramento, offering safe housing and a wide range of services to help them stabilize their lives.“The idea behind real change is that we are looking for people that really want to work towards change, for themselves and for their families,” said CEO Scott Richards. Lauren Loudermilk, 35, said she was on the verge of “breakdown”, had been evicted and was preparing to live on the streets of Sacramento when a family member connected her to Saint John’s.“I was about to lose everything,” she said. “If I were not at Saint John’s, I would be on the street. I would be. And it’s scary to think, because I would not be healthy. There’s nowhere you can be on the street and be healthy.”Loudermilk said, for the first time in her life, she’s felt able to combat the inner and outer challenges she has faced over the years. “What’s most beneficial to me here is the testimonies,” she said. “There are so many things here to really help us learn to take care of ourselves and really help us dive deep and figure out, like, what we’ve had that’s causing trauma, what we haven’t healed from.”Services offered to the women participating in the program range from behavioral health, to education, job training, and family services. Childcare and housing are also provided. “We provide the space to allow people to figure out where they want to go, help them give the resources and skills development that they need so they can reach those goals,” Richards said.As she continues her program within Saint John’s, Loudermilk is continuing to build her strength and resiliency — and looking for employment.“We all have to be ready on our time, but don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Do not be ashamed. There’s, there’s strength in asking for help,” she said.For those interested in supporting the work at Saint John’s Program for Real Change, opportunities are available to take a tour, volunteer, or donate to support individual clients, families, and specific programs.Saint John’s Program for Real Change is a nonprofit organization whose programming is possible due to city, county and state partnerships as well as private and corporate donations. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    For more than 40 years, Saint John’s Program for Real Change has been a lifeline for women and children in Sacramento, offering safe housing and a wide range of services to help them stabilize their lives.

    “The idea behind real change is that we are looking for people that really want to work towards change, for themselves and for their families,” said CEO Scott Richards.

    Lauren Loudermilk, 35, said she was on the verge of “breakdown”, had been evicted and was preparing to live on the streets of Sacramento when a family member connected her to Saint John’s.

    “I was about to lose everything,” she said. “If I were not at Saint John’s, I would be on the street. I would be. And it’s scary to think, because I would not be healthy. There’s nowhere you can be on the street and be healthy.”

    Loudermilk said, for the first time in her life, she’s felt able to combat the inner and outer challenges she has faced over the years.

    “What’s most beneficial to me here is the testimonies,” she said. “There are so many things here to really help us learn to take care of ourselves and really help us dive deep and figure out, like, what we’ve had that’s causing trauma, what we haven’t healed from.”

    Services offered to the women participating in the program range from behavioral health, to education, job training, and family services. Childcare and housing are also provided.

    “We provide the space to allow people to figure out where they want to go, help them give the resources and skills development that they need so they can reach those goals,” Richards said.

    As she continues her program within Saint John’s, Loudermilk is continuing to build her strength and resiliency — and looking for employment.

    “We all have to be ready on our time, but don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Do not be ashamed. There’s, there’s strength in asking for help,” she said.

    For those interested in supporting the work at Saint John’s Program for Real Change, opportunities are available to take a tour, volunteer, or donate to support individual clients, families, and specific programs.

    Saint John’s Program for Real Change is a nonprofit organization whose programming is possible due to city, county and state partnerships as well as private and corporate donations.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan, dies at 80

    Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan and a conservative commentator, has died. He was 80.Video above: Remembering those we lost in 2025The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced his death in a post on the social platform X on Tuesday, calling him “a steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy.”“Michael Reagan lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals,” the foundation said.His cause of death was not immediately announced.Reagan was a contributor to the conservative Newsmax television network and was known for his talk radio program, “The Michael Reagan Show.”Reagan was born to Irene Flaugher in 1945 and adopted just hours after his birth by Ronald Reagan and his then-wife, actor Jane Wyman.The young Reagan followed in his parents’ footsteps.After attending Arizona State University and Los Angeles Valley College, Reagan took up acting, built his syndicated radio show and authored several books, including two about his personal journey titled “On the Outside Looking in” and “Twice Adopted.”Throughout his life, Reagan also focused his time on several charities, raising money in powerboat racing and serving as chair of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation board for three years.Ronald Reagan, who was known for trying to scale back government and devoting his presidency to winning the Cold War, died in 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Michael Reagan pushed his father’s ideas forward as chair of the Reagan Legacy Foundation.Michael Reagan’s second marriage was to Colleen Stearns, with whom he had two children.

    Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan and a conservative commentator, has died. He was 80.

    Video above: Remembering those we lost in 2025

    The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced his death in a post on the social platform X on Tuesday, calling him “a steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy.”

    “Michael Reagan lived a life shaped by conviction, purpose, and an abiding devotion to President Reagan’s ideals,” the foundation said.

    His cause of death was not immediately announced.

    Reagan was a contributor to the conservative Newsmax television network and was known for his talk radio program, “The Michael Reagan Show.”

    Reagan was born to Irene Flaugher in 1945 and adopted just hours after his birth by Ronald Reagan and his then-wife, actor Jane Wyman.

    The young Reagan followed in his parents’ footsteps.

    After attending Arizona State University and Los Angeles Valley College, Reagan took up acting, built his syndicated radio show and authored several books, including two about his personal journey titled “On the Outside Looking in” and “Twice Adopted.”

    Throughout his life, Reagan also focused his time on several charities, raising money in powerboat racing and serving as chair of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation board for three years.

    Ronald Reagan, who was known for trying to scale back government and devoting his presidency to winning the Cold War, died in 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Michael Reagan pushed his father’s ideas forward as chair of the Reagan Legacy Foundation.

    Michael Reagan’s second marriage was to Colleen Stearns, with whom he had two children.

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  • How to actually make getting fit a successful New Year’s resolution

    FROM TOWSON. A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IS I HAVE A TWIN SISTER, SO OUR GOAL IS TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OUR FITNESS GOALS, BE DISCIPLINED AND THAT’S WHY KARISMA GREEN IS UP EARLY AT PLANET FITNESS IN TOWSON. FOR TYRA WHEELER. CONSISTENCY HERE HASN’T JUST HELPED HIM CHANGE HIS BODY, IT’S CHANGED HIS LIFE. WITH MY CAREER, MY SCHOOLING, MY FAMILY, IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO GO HARDER IN EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE. REALLY. ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, ON NEW YEAR’S DAY, IN FACT, TYRELL SET OUT TO GO FROM FROM EXTREME BEING TO, YOU KNOW, A MEAN GREEN. AND BY NOT GIVING UP, HE’S GONE FROM THIS TO THIS. PUTTING ON NEARLY 30 POUNDS OF MUSCLE. AND ONCE YOU START TO SEE A CHANGE IN YOUR BODY, IT’S NO STOPPING THERE. PLANET FITNESS GENERAL MANAGER QUINTIN DAILEY SAYS THE KEY TO MAKING SURE YOU DON’T GIVE UP WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH, LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE DO, IS IT’S FINDING YOUR WHY, FINDING WHY YOU WANT TO DO THIS. IT MIGHT BE FOR HEALTH, IT MIGHT BE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. IT MIGHT BE FOR TO YOUR FAMILY CAN SEE YOU A LITTLE LONGER SO YOU CAN MOVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER SO YOU CAN GET A LITTLE STRONGER. ONCE YOU FIND YOUR WHY IT BECOMES A LOT EASIER. GETTING FIT IS A NUMBER ONE RESOLUTION ACCORDING TO YOUGOV.COM. ALSO ON THE LIST. BEING HAPPY, EATING HEALTHIER AND SAVING MORE MONEY. ADULTS UNDER 45 ARE ALSO ABOUT TWICE AS LIKELY AS OLDER AMERICANS TO SAY THEY WILL MAKE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION. DO YOU HAVE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION? NO, I DON’T HAVE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION. I BELIEVE IN MAKING PLANS EVERY DAY AND CARRYING THEM OUT EVERY DAY, INSTEAD OF JUST SAVING THEM UP FOR ONE DAY A YEAR. IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO IT, DO TODAY. MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTION IS TO BE AT THE BE AT PEACE WITH THE WORLD. THE FIRST ONE IS FINISH COLLEGE. THAT’S THAT’S LIKE BOTTOM LINE, WORK IN THE FIELD WOULD BE THE SECOND GOAL AND JUST KEEP GROWING. IF YOU HAVE RESOLVED TO GET OUTDOORS MORE, WHY NOT JUST TAKE A HIKE? FIRST DAY HIKES IS A NATIONWIDE INITIATIVE THAT THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS TAKING PART IN. SO YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO ONLINE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN DO A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OR A RANGER LED TOUR. AND IT RUNS THROUGH JANUARY THE 2ND H

    Getting fit, healthy is a common New Year’s resolution. Here’s how to actually find success

    Updated: 10:38 AM EST Jan 4, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    People typically consider setting goals at the new year, so how does one find success?When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, many people got up early Thursday morning with a goal of getting fit in 2026.At Planet Fitness in Towson, Maryland, Tyrell Wheeler said consistency helped him change more than his body — it changed his life.”With my career, with my schooling, with my family, it just makes me want to go harder in every aspect of my life,” Wheeler said.On New Year’s Day about three years ago, Wheeler set out to “(go) from a string bean to a mean green.” And, by not giving up, he put on almost 30 pounds of muscle.Quintin Dailey, the gym’s general manager, said the key to making sure you don’t give up within the first month, as he sees most people do, is to find your why.”Once you start to see a change in your body, there’s no stopping there,” Dailey said. “(Find) the why you want to do this: It might be for health, it might be for your mental health, it might be so your family could see you longer, move a little bit better, so you can get stronger. Once you find your why, it becomes a lot easier.” Getting fit is the No. 1 resolution, according to a YouGov survey. Also on the list: Being happy (23%), eating healthier (22%) and saving more money (21%).The survey found adults under 45 are about twice as likely as older Americans to say they will make a New Year’s resolution (43% vs. 21%).”I don’t have a New Year’s resolution. I believe in making plans every day, carrying them out every day, (not) just saving them up for one day a year. If it’s the right thing to do, do it today,” said Bernie Simon, a gym patron.”The first one is finish college, bottom line. Second would be to work in the field. And then, just keep growing,” said Dylan Johnson, a gym patron.

    TOWSON, Md. —

    People typically consider setting goals at the new year, so how does one find success?

    When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, many people got up early Thursday morning with a goal of getting fit in 2026.

    At Planet Fitness in Towson, Maryland, Tyrell Wheeler said consistency helped him change more than his body — it changed his life.

    “With my career, with my schooling, with my family, it just makes me want to go harder in every aspect of my life,” Wheeler said.

    On New Year’s Day about three years ago, Wheeler set out to “(go) from a string bean to a mean green.” And, by not giving up, he put on almost 30 pounds of muscle.

    Quintin Dailey, the gym’s general manager, said the key to making sure you don’t give up within the first month, as he sees most people do, is to find your why.

    “Once you start to see a change in your body, there’s no stopping there,” Dailey said. “(Find) the why you want to do this: It might be for health, it might be for your mental health, it might be so your family could see you longer, move a little bit better, so you can get stronger. Once you find your why, it becomes a lot easier.”

    Getting fit is the No. 1 resolution, according to a YouGov survey. Also on the list: Being happy (23%), eating healthier (22%) and saving more money (21%).

    The survey found adults under 45 are about twice as likely as older Americans to say they will make a New Year’s resolution (43% vs. 21%).

    “I don’t have a New Year’s resolution. I believe in making plans every day, carrying them out every day, (not) just saving them up for one day a year. If it’s the right thing to do, do it today,” said Bernie Simon, a gym patron.

    “The first one is finish college, bottom line. Second would be to work in the field. And then, just keep growing,” said Dylan Johnson, a gym patron.

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  • Diane Crump, first woman to ride in Kentucky Derby, dies at 77

    The first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, Diane Crump, has died.She was 77.”Mom passed away peacefully tonight. She ended her life surrounded by friends and family. Thank you for being the best support system. We have been truly blessed by your generosity and kindness. I hope my mom’s legacy of following dreams and helping others continues through those that were touched by her amazing life,” said Crump’s daughter, Della Payne, in a GoFundMe post on New Year’s Day.In the player up top: Diane Crump’s Kentucky Derby boots on display at Kentucky Derby MuseumCrump had been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.For the first 95 years of the Kentucky Derby’s existence, only male jockeys were allowed to compete. But that all changed in 1970 when Crump became the first woman to ride in the Derby.She received her jockey license just one year prior and would go on to finish 15th in the 96th Run for the Roses.Through 1,682 starts, Crump amassed 228 wins and collected more than $1.2 million in earnings during her jockeying career.“Diane Crump was an iconic trailblazer who admirably fulfilled her childhood dreams. As the first female to ride professionally at a major Thoroughbred racetrack in 1969 and to become the first female to ride in the Kentucky Derby one year later, she will forever be respected and fondly remembered in horse racing lore. The entire Churchill Downs family extends our condolences to her family and friends,” Churchill Downs said in a statement.Following her career as a jockey, Crump started Diane Crump Equine Sales as a way to connect buyers and owners in the sporthorse world. She also volunteered at hospitals and nursing homes with her dachshunds to provide animal-assisted therapy.

    The first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, Diane Crump, has died.

    She was 77.

    “Mom passed away peacefully tonight. She ended her life surrounded by friends and family. Thank you for being the best support system. We have been truly blessed by your generosity and kindness. I hope my mom’s legacy of following dreams and helping others continues through those that were touched by her amazing life,” said Crump’s daughter, Della Payne, in a GoFundMe post on New Year’s Day.

    In the player up top: Diane Crump’s Kentucky Derby boots on display at Kentucky Derby Museum

    Crump had been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

    For the first 95 years of the Kentucky Derby’s existence, only male jockeys were allowed to compete. But that all changed in 1970 when Crump became the first woman to ride in the Derby.

    She received her jockey license just one year prior and would go on to finish 15th in the 96th Run for the Roses.

    Through 1,682 starts, Crump amassed 228 wins and collected more than $1.2 million in earnings during her jockeying career.

    “Diane Crump was an iconic trailblazer who admirably fulfilled her childhood dreams. As the first female to ride professionally at a major Thoroughbred racetrack in 1969 and to become the first female to ride in the Kentucky Derby one year later, she will forever be respected and fondly remembered in horse racing lore. The entire Churchill Downs family extends our condolences to her family and friends,” Churchill Downs said in a statement.

    Following her career as a jockey, Crump started Diane Crump Equine Sales as a way to connect buyers and owners in the sporthorse world. She also volunteered at hospitals and nursing homes with her dachshunds to provide animal-assisted therapy.

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  • Central Florida woman accused of drugging disabled great-granddaughter in attempted murder-suicide

    A woman was arrested after deputies caught her in the process of an apparent murder-suicide with her great-granddaughter Monday, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said the woman, Deborah Collier, 69, was charged with attempted first-degree murder. It all started when Collier’s family found a suicide note. Deputies began looking for her after she left her home in the Daytona Park Estates area of DeLand and left behind a suicide note.A VSO deputy spotted her vehicle and conducted a traffic stop for a well-being check. Collier was located behind the wheel, while her 13-year-old great-granddaughter was unconscious in the passenger seat, according to the VSO. Deputies said the child had white pill residue on her and found her totally unresponsive. Inside Collier’s purse, authorities found prescription pills and a typed note explaining she was ending her and her great-granddaughter’s lives to spare the family further stress.Detectives learned that the victim requires 24-hour care due to her disabilities. Collier and her husband were her sole guardians since birth. VSO said the demands of caretaking have contributed to significant stress in the family.Because Collier opposed placing the victim in an assisted living facility, she acted out of desperation and decided to end both her great-granddaughter’s life and her own, according to deputies. Collier believed that no one would care for her like family.Deputies said she was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail and is currently being held without bond.If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or sending a text message to 988, or you can chat online here.

    VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. —

    A woman was arrested after deputies caught her in the process of an apparent murder-suicide with her great-granddaughter Monday, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

    Deputies said the woman, Deborah Collier, 69, was charged with attempted first-degree murder.

    It all started when Collier’s family found a suicide note.

    Deputies began looking for her after she left her home in the Daytona Park Estates area of DeLand and left behind a suicide note.

    A VSO deputy spotted her vehicle and conducted a traffic stop for a well-being check.

    Collier was located behind the wheel, while her 13-year-old great-granddaughter was unconscious in the passenger seat, according to the VSO.

    Deputies said the child had white pill residue on her and found her totally unresponsive.

    Inside Collier’s purse, authorities found prescription pills and a typed note explaining she was ending her and her great-granddaughter’s lives to spare the family further stress.

    Detectives learned that the victim requires 24-hour care due to her disabilities. Collier and her husband were her sole guardians since birth.

    VSO said the demands of caretaking have contributed to significant stress in the family.

    Because Collier opposed placing the victim in an assisted living facility, she acted out of desperation and decided to end both her great-granddaughter’s life and her own, according to deputies.

    Collier believed that no one would care for her like family.

    Deputies said she was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail and is currently being held without bond.

    If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or sending a text message to 988, or you can chat online here.

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  • Avalanche on Mammoth Mountain kills 30-year-old ski patroller

    KCRA.COM, AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION. TONIGHT WE ARE LEARNING A SKI PATROLLER CAUGHT IN AN AVALANCHE ON MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN HAS DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. 30 YEAR OLD COLE MURPHY IS BEING REMEMBERED BY HIS FAMILY FOR HIS KINDNESS AND DEVOTION, SAYING THE MOUNTAIN IS WHERE HE FELT MOST ALIVE. THE SKI RESORT SAYS TWO OF THEIR PATROLLERS WERE PERFORMING AVALANCHE MITIGATION WORK FRIDAY MORNING, WHEN THEY WERE CAUGHT IN THAT SLIDE. ONE OF THEM WAS BEING ASSESSED FOR INJURIES, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW THEIR CONDITION AT THIS POINT. MURPHY WAS HOSPITALIZED AND DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. THE RESORT WARNS ANY SKIERS TO BE MINDFUL OF DEEP SNOW

    Avalanche on Mammoth Mountain kills 30-year-old ski patroller

    Updated: 9:29 PM PST Dec 28, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    A man died after getting caught in an avalanche at Mammoth Mountain on Friday, according to the ski resort. Cole Murphy, a 30-year-old ski patroller, was out with another patroller performing avalanche mitigation work when the avalanche happened on Lincoln Mountain. Mammoth Mountain said the two of them were immediately taken to a nearby hospital.Murphy died in the hospital on Friday, Mammoth said. The resort described him Sunday as “an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and love for his career.” Murphy’s family provided the following statement: With hearts that are aching and full of love, we share the passing of our beloved son, Cole Murphy, who was involved in a tragic accident at Mammoth Mountain. He was just 30 years old. In these tender days, he is held close by the family and friends who cherished him deeply. Cole moved through the world with kindness, intention, and a wholehearted devotion to the life he chose.The mountain was where Cole felt most alive. It was his place of purpose, his community, and his second home. Serving on ski patrol wasn’t just a role for him—it was a calling. To his ski patrol family, the ones who worked beside him, had confidence in him, and shared a bond shaped by snow, service, and unwavering camaraderie: thank you for loving him as one of your own. That brotherhood meant more to him than words can ever express.At the center of Cole’s heart was Hayley—his partner, his joy, his steady place in the world. Their love was built on adventure, laughter, and a connection that ran deep. She is forever a part of who he was, and always will be. Cole also held his family close, meeting life with an easy smile, a generous spirit, and a warmth that drew people in wherever he went.We find ourselves without the right words, but never without love. We are profoundly grateful for the compassion, tenderness, and support that have surrounded our family during this unimaginable time. As we begin to navigate the path ahead, we carry with us the memories, the love, and the bright, enduring light that Cole brought into all of our lives.This was the second second ski patroller death on the mountain this year.Mammoth Mountain’s ski area was closed after the avalanche on Saturday and reopened on Sunday. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    A man died after getting caught in an avalanche at Mammoth Mountain on Friday, according to the ski resort.

    Cole Murphy, a 30-year-old ski patroller, was out with another patroller performing avalanche mitigation work when the avalanche happened on Lincoln Mountain. Mammoth Mountain said the two of them were immediately taken to a nearby hospital.

    Murphy died in the hospital on Friday, Mammoth said. The resort described him Sunday as “an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and love for his career.”

    Murphy’s family provided the following statement:

    With hearts that are aching and full of love, we share the passing of our beloved son, Cole Murphy, who was involved in a tragic accident at Mammoth Mountain. He was just 30 years old. In these tender days, he is held close by the family and friends who cherished him deeply. Cole moved through the world with kindness, intention, and a wholehearted devotion to the life he chose.

    The mountain was where Cole felt most alive. It was his place of purpose, his community, and his second home. Serving on ski patrol wasn’t just a role for him—it was a calling. To his ski patrol family, the ones who worked beside him, had confidence in him, and shared a bond shaped by snow, service, and unwavering camaraderie: thank you for loving him as one of your own. That brotherhood meant more to him than words can ever express.

    At the center of Cole’s heart was Hayley—his partner, his joy, his steady place in the world. Their love was built on adventure, laughter, and a connection that ran deep. She is forever a part of who he was, and always will be. Cole also held his family close, meeting life with an easy smile, a generous spirit, and a warmth that drew people in wherever he went.

    We find ourselves without the right words, but never without love. We are profoundly grateful for the compassion, tenderness, and support that have surrounded our family during this unimaginable time. As we begin to navigate the path ahead, we carry with us the memories, the love, and the bright, enduring light that Cole brought into all of our lives.

    This was the second second ski patroller death on the mountain this year.

    Mammoth Mountain’s ski area was closed after the avalanche on Saturday and reopened on Sunday.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • He risked his life for American soldiers in Afghanistan. Would America let him in?

    CHICAGO — Barely half an hour had passed since the flight landed at O’Hare International Airport, and the Army combat veteran’s palms were already sweating.

    Spencer Sullivan, 38, situated himself at the front of a crowd of people waiting near the exit for international arrivals. He knew it could be hours before his friend got through customs.

    Still, he said, “I’ve been waiting so long for this moment. I don’t want to miss it.”

    It had been just over 13 years since Sullivan, who now works in corporate development, first began helping his former interpreter in Afghanistan petition for a visa to live in the U.S.

    The process had been full of big hopes and bigger letdowns. Then, after they finally secured the visa in September, an Afghan immigrant was accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington.

    In the politicized aftermath, Sullivan wondered: Would his friend get in?

    Abdulhaq Sodais, left, and Spencer Sullivan have breakfast at a hotel in Skokie, Ill., a day after Sodais’ arrival in the U.S.

    After the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, teenage Abdulhaq Sodais enrolled in English classes with the goal of becoming an interpreter for coalition forces. Nearly a decade later in 2010, employment records show he was contracted by Mission Essential, one of the largest companies that supplied interpreters in Afghanistan to Western forces.

    Sodais, 33, and Sullivan, then a platoon leader, met two years later at a military base in the remote Zabul Province.

    Together they would go on intel-gathering missions, talking to village leaders, scouting unfamiliar terrain and observing the Taliban from hilltops, where Sodais interpreted their radio transmissions for Sullivan in real time.

    In December 2012, Sullivan returned to the U.S., though he and Sodais stayed in touch. The following year, the blast of an improvised explosive device left Sodais with a concussion and a bulging spinal disk. He returned to his parents’ home in Herat to recover.

    After his convalescence, he said, his supervisor told him to take a dangerous road back to the Zabul base — a day’s drive for a journey commonly traveled by air. Afraid it would be a suicide mission, he declined to take the land route and was fired for job abandonment.

    The denial of his first Special Immigrant Visa application soon followed.

    Those visas offer a pathway to citizenship for Afghans who were employed by the U.S. government or its private contractors. In establishing the program, federal officials acknowledged a moral obligation to protect allies who risked their lives to help the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

    More than 50,000 such visas have been approved since 2009, according to the State Department.

    One requirement is “faithful and valuable service to the U.S. government.” Applicants denied visas are often deemed to have failed that provision, though interpreters and advocates have said the smallest inconsistency could trigger a denial. Over the next few years, Sodais said, three more visa applications would be denied.

    In a Nov. 23, 2014, recommendation letter, Sullivan, by then an Army captain, wrote that granting Sodais a visa “is the least that can be done in order to express America’s gratitude for his services.”

    “On multiple missions in enemy controlled villages, his life was threatened by local nationals in support of the Taliban for his assistance of [coalition] forces,” Sullivan wrote. “Abdulhaq did not cover his face while on mission, leaving him recognizable to Taliban informants, further endangering his life.”

    He was rehired by Mission Essential in 2014, but fired again in 2016, with a civilian contractor writing in his file that he had an “incompatible skill set with [the] unit’s mission.” She accused him — falsely — Sodais says, of checking his personal Facebook at the office.

    Mission Essential later told The Times that he was terminated by the military for poor performance but that it had no record of the incident he referred to.

    Sodais said he was confronted by his local mullah, or Muslim clergy leader, in 2015 for working with Western armed forces. The mullah said he was labeled an infidel, and his death had been sanctioned by the Taliban. He went into hiding at his parents’ home.

    Then, in July 2017, the Taliban killed Sayed Sadat, another interpreter who had worked with the platoon Sullivan had led. Devastated by the news, Sullivan reached out to Sodais, asking if he was OK.

    Sodais had gotten a new phone and didn’t reply. Sullivan, who now wears a metal memorial band with Sadat’s name and date of death, feared Sodais also was dead.

    two men walk in a wooded park

    Abdulhaq Sodais and Spencer Sullivan walk through a park in Bremen, Germany, in 2021. Sodais fled Afghanistan for Germany, and Sullivan worked for years to get him a visa to travel to the U.S.

    (Peter Dejong / Associated Press)

    What Sullivan didn’t know was that Sodais had fled Afghanistan and arrived in Germany in 2018 after seven months of travel with smugglers by land.

    After his first German asylum claim was rejected, a lawyer told Sodais he needed more evidence to back up his claims of working for the U.S. So, that Christmas Eve, he messaged Sullivan asking for photos from their missions together. He told Sullivan that if he couldn’t find safety and stability, he would take his own life before the Taliban could.

    Sullivan had been wracked with guilt since Sadat’s death and vowed to help. He sent the photos Sodais requested, wrote a letter of support and helped him navigate German bureaucracy. He even flew to Germany from his home in Virginia in 2019 to offer encouragement.

    But the asylum process moved slowly. By March 2021, Sodais, overwhelmed by fear of deportation, became deeply depressed and attempted suicide. At a psychiatric hospital, medical records show, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

    That August, as the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, Sullivan returned to Germany to help Sodais prepare for his final asylum appeal hearing.

    The verdict arrived a month later. He’d won.

    Sodais found succeeding in German society difficult. He felt a palpable sense of discrimination and was laid off from various contract jobs, including as a forklift operator and an aid helping special needs children on and off school buses.

    While Sullivan was happy his friend had found safety, he was disappointed that the country he had served continued to reject his requests for a visa.

    “He should be in America,” he said at the time. “We failed him.”

    In the meantime, life continued. Sodais married another Afghan refugee, Weeda Faqiri, in 2022. Sodais’ and Sullivan’s families met for the first time in 2022 when Sullivan, his wife and son visited Germany.

    Also that year, Sodais said, he won a $15,000 legal judgment against Mission Essential over lack of medical care after the explosive device blast more than a decade earlier.

    He and Sullivan decided to write a book about Sodais’ life and their friendship. “Not Our Problem: The True Story of an Afghan Refugee, an American Promise, and the World Between Them” is scheduled to publish in April.

    Last year, Sodais decided to make a final pitch to the U.S. government. On Feb. 4 came a reply unlike the others: “Approval of Appeal for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program.”

    people reach for food at a shared meal at a Kabob restaurant

    Abdulhaq Sodais and his wife, Weeda Faqiri, share their first meal in the United States at a restaurant in Chicago on Dec. 17.

    On Sept. 25, Sodais was issued a visa valid for just over five months, until March 3. Overjoyed, he and Faqiri, 26, began planning their move.

    Two months later, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was charged in the shooting that killed Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounded Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.

    Lakanwal, who pleaded not guilty, entered the U.S. in 2021 through a Biden administration program for Afghans in the wake of the military withdrawal, and his asylum application was approved in April. In Afghanistan, he served in a counterterrorism unit operated by the CIA.

    After the shooting, the Trump administration enacted sweeping restrictions to legal immigration programs, including halting visa applications for Afghans and others.

    Worried that further restrictions could follow, Sullian called Sodais and told him there were likely two options: stay permanently in Germany, or attempt to move immediately to the U.S.

    Sodais chose the move.

    Sullivan learned that RefugeeOne, a Chicago-based group that aids refugees, could help. Using money from their book advance, Sullivan booked Sodais and Faqiri flights from Munich to Chicago, arriving Dec. 17.

    The night before their trip, the Trump administration announced a new proclamation titled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.” Under that order, even Afghans who had secured Special Immigrant Visas — people like Sodais — could be denied entry into the U.S.

    Sullivan panicked.

    “Well, this confirms our decision to get them here as fast as possible,” he said that night. “This is a deliberate dismantling of the SIV program, one brick at a time.”

    Then he learned the proclamation wouldn’t take effect until Jan. 1. The panic subsided a little.

    A woman is taken into custody by Border Patrol agents

    A woman is taken into custody by Border Patrol agents after she was accused of using her vehicle to block their vehicles while they were patrolling in a shopping center in Niles, Ill., on Dec. 17.

    (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

    On the day of Sodais’ arrival, Border Patrol leaders returned to Chicago for a fresh round of immigration raids and patrolled a neighborhood near the hotel where he and Faqiri would be staying.

    Sullivan said he would put himself physically between Sodais and immigration agents. He was half-joking, but it underscored the political moment.

    After Sodais’ plane landed, Sullivan knew he had seen one of his WhatsApp messages because of the two blue checkmarks next to it. But others were unread. Had he been denied entry?

    “After so many disappointments over the years, it’s hard to believe that anything’s going to go right,” Sullivan said, later admitting that “I was convinced they were cuffed face-down on the linoleum somewhere.”

    Spencer Sullivan, left, guides Abdulhaq Sodais to a parking garage at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Dec. 17.

    Spencer Sullivan, left, guides Abdulhaq Sodais to a parking garage at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Dec. 17.

    The arrival of three giddy RefugeeOne employees lifted the mood. After years of serving mostly Afghans, Syrians and Ukrainians, they hadn’t picked up an arriving refugee since January, said Emily Parker, who oversees contract compliance.

    Parker said a private donor had paid for Sodais and Faqiri to stay a week in a hotel. They qualified for food stamps, three months of rental assistance, cash assistance and four months of Medicaid, a welcome provision because Sodais still suffers back pain from the explosion.

    On the other side of the arrivals door, Sodais and Faqiri were stuck in a winding line with hundreds of other foreigners. Sodais later said they were nervous — they had been questioned for an hour in Munich and nearly just as long on their layover in Lisbon.

    When they finally got to the front, the customs officer asked what Sodais did for work in Afghanistan. Sodais said he had been an interpreter for U.S. forces. Great, he recalled the agent replying, before welcoming them through.

    At 5:24 p.m., Sullivan’s phone rang. Sodais had exited through a different door, so Sullivan rushed to another part of the airport and pointed excitedly when their eyes locked.

    “You made it!” Sullivan said, pulling his friend in for a bear hug as they both sobbed.

    Without Sullivan, Sodais told the RefugeeOne workers, he would never have made it to the U.S.

    “He saved my life.”

    Abdulhaq Sodais, right, listens to Adriano Gasparini, a housing manager with RefugeeOne, after viewing potential apartments.

    Abdulhaq Sodais, right, listens to Adriano Gasparini, a housing manager with RefugeeOne, after viewing potential apartments in Chicago.

    The next morning, Parker conducted an intake interview with Sodais to determine potential job placements and explain the services her organization would provide. She said Sodais had technically entered the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident, and his green card should arrive in the mail within a few months.

    “That’s how it works with SIVs,” she said. “They’re already 100 steps ahead of any asylee or other refugee.”

    Sullivan let out a deep breath. “In my mind, we were playing a long gamble on the courts challenging the executive orders, so that’s good news,” he said.

    Sodais, who had applied for the visa with only Sullivan’s help and no lawyer, was also pleasantly surprised.

    “This is very exciting for me, because I heard Donald Trump say he stopped everything about refugees,” he said.

    a man looks out of a living room window

    Spencer Sullivan looks out of a living room window in a potential apartment for Abdulhaq Sodais and his wife in Chicago.

    After dinner — the couple’s first Chicago tavern-style pizza — Sullivan offered Faqiri a box to save her last slice, and she hesitated. Sodais gently explained that in Afghanistan, it’s not cultural norm to take food home from restaurants.

    “I just realized something,” Sullivan said. “You’re going to be my interpreter for the rest of our lives.”

    Sodais shot back a knowing smile.

    Andrea Castillo

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  • News We Love: Two friends celebrated at school after one saved the other from drowning

    STREET MARKET ON OUR WEBSITE WKYC.COM. A YOUNG INDIANA BOY IS BEING CALLED A HERO AFTER SAVING HIS FRIEND FROM DROWNING AT AN INDOOR POOL. IT WAS HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY AND LIKE, I WAS EXCITED, SO I JUST JUMPED IN THE POOL. I SAW HIM LIKE, DROWNING. LIKE HE WAS LIKE, NOT SWIMMING. SO I HELD A HOLE, LIKE, GET HIM. AND THEN I GOT HIM. WELL, BRAXTON THOUGHT THE WATER WAS SHALLOW ENOUGH WHEN HE JUMPED IN. HIS FRIENDS SAW HIM STRUGGLING AND SWAM RIGHT TO HIM, LIFTING BRAXTON UP AND HOLDING HIM ABOVE THE SURFACE. EVENTUALLY, BOTH BOYS WERE ABLE TO GET OUT SAFELY. I WAS THANKING HIM HOW HE JUST SAVED MY LIFE AND I WAS LIKE, THANK GOD. LIKE GOD SENT HIM TO SAVE ME. FAMILY TO ME, HE’S MY BEST FRIEND AND I JUST LOVE TO BE WI

    News We Love: Indiana boy praised for heroic effort to save friend from drowning at birthday party

    Updated: 6:05 PM PST Dec 20, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    A young Indiana boy is being called a hero after saving his friend from drowning at an indoor pool.”It was his birthday party, and like I was excited, so I just jumped in the pool,” Braxton said.His friend Clark jumped into action when he noticed Braxton wasn’t swimming.”I saw him like, drowning, like he was, like, not really swimming. So I had to… to get him, and then I got him,” Clark said.Braxton said he thought the water was shallow enough when he jumped in.After Clark jumped in and pulled Braxton to the surface, the boys were able to get out safely.”I was thanking him how he just saved my life, and I was like, Thank God, like God sent him to save me,” Braxton said. “He’s like family to me. He’s my best friend, and I just love to be with him.”The boys were honored at their school’s character award ceremony.

    A young Indiana boy is being called a hero after saving his friend from drowning at an indoor pool.

    “It was his birthday party, and like I was excited, so I just jumped in the pool,” Braxton said.

    His friend Clark jumped into action when he noticed Braxton wasn’t swimming.

    “I saw him like, drowning, like he was, like, not really swimming. So I had to… to get him, and then I got him,” Clark said.

    Braxton said he thought the water was shallow enough when he jumped in.

    After Clark jumped in and pulled Braxton to the surface, the boys were able to get out safely.

    “I was thanking him how he just saved my life, and I was like, Thank God, like God sent him to save me,” Braxton said. “He’s like family to me. He’s my best friend, and I just love to be with him.”

    The boys were honored at their school’s character award ceremony.

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  • Commentary: Trump’s callous political attack on Rob Reiner shows a shameful moral failure

    Hours after Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead in their home in what is shaping up to be a heartbreaking family tragedy, our president blamed Reiner for his own death.

    “A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS,” President Trump wrote on his social media platform. “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!”

    Then, in the Oval Office, Trump doubled down on Reiner.

    “He was a deranged person,” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question about his social media post. “I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape or form. I thought he was very bad for our country.”

    Rest in peace, indeed.

    It’s a message steeped in cruelty and delusion, unbelievable and despicable even by the low, buried-in-the-dirt bar by which we have collectively come to judge Trump. In a town — and a time — of selfishness and self-serving, Reiner was one of the good guys, always fighting, both through his films and his politics, to make the world kinder and closer. And yes, that meant fighting against Trump and his increasingly erratic and authoritarian rule.

    For years, Reiner made the politics of inclusion and decency central to his life. He was a key player in overturning California’s ban on same-sex marriage and fought to expand early childhood education.

    For the last few months, he was laser-focused on the upcoming midterms as the last and best chance of protecting American democracy — which clearly enraged Trump.

    “Make no mistake, we have a year before this country becomes a full on autocracy,” Reiner told MSNBC host Ali Velshi in October. “People care about their pocketbook issues, the price of eggs. They care about their healthcare, and they should. Those are the things that directly affect them. But if they lose their democracy, all of these rights, the freedom of speech, the freedom to pray the way you want, the freedom to protest and not go to jail, not be sent out of the country with no due process, all these things will be taken away from them.”

    The Reiners’ son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Nick Reiner has struggled with addiction, and been in and out of rehab. But Trump seems to be saying that if Nick is indeed the perpetrator, he acted for pro-Trump political reasons — which obviously is highly unlikely and, well, just a weird and unhinged thing to claim.

    But also, deeply hypocritical.

    It was only a few months ago, in September, that Charlie Kirk was killed and Trump and his MAGA regime went nuts over anyone who dared whisper a critical word about Kirk. Trump called it “sick” and “deranged” that anyone could celebrate Kirk’s death, and blamed the “radical left” for violence-inciting rhetoric.

    Vice President JD Vance, channeling his inner Scarlett O’Hara, vowed “with God as my witness,” he would use the full power of the state to crack down on political “networks” deemed terrorist. In reality, he’s largely just using the state to target people who oppose Trump out loud.

    And just in case you thought maybe, maybe our president somehow really does have the good of all Americans at heart, recall that in speaking of Kirk, Trump said that he had one point of disagreement. Kirk, he claimed, forgave his enemies.

    “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie,” Trump said. “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.”

    There’s a malevolence so deep in Trump’s remarks about Reiner that even Marjorie Taylor Greene objected. She was once Trump’s staunchest supporter before he called her a traitor, empowering his goon squad to terrorize her with death threats.

    “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” Greene wrote on social media. “Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder.”

    But Trump has made cruelty the point. His need to dehumanize everyone who opposes him, including Reiner and even Greene, is exactly what Reiner was warning us about.

    Because when you allow people to be dehumanized, you stop caring about them — and Reiner was not about to let us stop caring.

    He saw the world with an artist’s eye and a warrior’s heart, a mighty combination reflected in his films. He challenged us to believe in true love, to set aside our cynicism, to be both silly and brave, knowing both were crucial to a successful life.

    This clarity from a man who commanded not just our attention and our respect, but our hearts, is what drove Trump crazy — and what made Reiner such a powerful threat to him. Republican or Democrat, his movies reminded us of what we hold in common.

    But it might be Michael Douglas’ speech in 1995’s “The American President” that is most relevant in this moment. Douglas’ character, President Andrew Shepherd, says that “America is advanced citizenship. You’ve got to want it bad, because it’s going to put up a fight.”

    Shepherd’s rival, a man pursuing power over purpose, “is interested in two things and two things only — making you afraid of ‘it’ and telling you who’s to blame for ‘it.’ ”

    Sound familiar?

    That our president felt the need to trash Reiner before his body is even buried would be a badge of honor to Reiner, an acknowledgment that Reiner’s warnings carried weight, and that Reiner was a messenger to be reckoned with.

    Reiner knew what advanced citizenship meant, and he wanted badly for democracy to survive.

    If Trump’s eulogy sickens you the way it sickens me, then here’s what you can do about it: Vote in November in Reiner’s memory.

    Your ballot is the rebuke Trump fears most.

    And your vote is the most powerful way to honor a man who dedicated his life to reminding us that bravery is having the audacity to care.

    Anita Chabria

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  • Did the U.S. attack? Maduro flee? No, but in Venezuela, rampant rumors fly

    CARACAS, Venezuela — Even in Venezuela, a nation battered by years of economic, social and political turmoil, the Christmas season is a time to put aside one’s troubles, spend time with family, enjoy a bit of holiday cheer — if you can escape the ubiquitous uncertainty and rumors that mark life here.

    On one day social media will be ablaze with reports that President Nicolás Maduro has fled to Brazil. Or to Turkey. Or that he stopped in Turkey on his way to Qatar. Or that the U.S. invasion had begun. None of it (so far) is true.

    Social media daily fuels the rumor mill, in part, because access to independent news is severely restricted.

    “One hears so much on social media, but learns little,” said Begoña Monasterio, 78, who was out shopping in Caracas for ingredients to prepare las hallacas, the country’s emblematic Christmas dish. It’s a succulent mix of cornmeal, meat, olives, raisins and other delectables cooked and wrapped in banana leaves, a kind of Venezuelan tamale.

    “I want to give a surprise to my eldest son, who is having a birthday during the holiday,” said the grandmother.

    She toted a small shopping bag and vowed to buy “the minimum,” now the custom in a once-wealthy South American nation that has suffered a decade of hyperinflation, ravaged wages, lost savings, mass displacement and migration — the equivalent of multiple Great Depressions.

    But the rumors of war, and peace — and all manner of other developments, from the trivial to the momentous — are never far away, even as shoppers make their way through storefronts and well-lighted malls brimming with holiday fare, much of it beyond most family budgets.

    A lot of the current chatter-cloud hovers above María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition activist and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She lives “in hiding” in the capital, though the government’s pervasive security apparatus probably watches her movements closely.

    Members of the Bolivarian militia wave Venezuelan flags in Caracas on Wednesday during a march to commemorate a 19th century military battle.

    (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

    After days of conflicting reports about her whereabouts, Machado showed up in Oslo a day after the Nobel award ceremony, reportedly following a covert, U.S.-aided voyage via land, sea and private jet. Thousands of ecstatic supporters greeted her in the Norwegian capital, a publicity coup for the opposition and another round of bad optics for Maduro’s embattled administration.

    Though Machado did indeed make it to Norway, the Venezuelan rumor mill still churned out theories about her arrival.

    President Nicolás Maduro addresses supporters during a rally

    Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro addresses supporters during a rally Wednesday in Caracas.

    (Pedro Rances Mattey / Anadolu / Getty Images)

    “We heard at one point that María Corina left the country in the fuselage of an airplane carrying migrants, and that once she was out los gringos would arrive,” Monasterio said. “Then we hear that Maduro has fled to Brazil. Really, nothing has turned out to be true. So I try to continue with my life, savoring my little alegrías [joys] as long as I can.”

    It’s a sagacious survival strategy in a country where what will happen next is anybody’s guess. Will Maduro negotiate a stay-in-power deal with President Trump? Will U.S. forces, already amassed off the Venezuelan coast, attack? Or will the tense status quo just drag on?

    “One doesn’t know whom to believe,” said Sebastián López, 33, a public employee who participated in a pro-government political rally downtown, one of a series organized these days by the ruling socialist party. “Many rumors originate outside the country, from Venezuelans who have left and can write what they want on the internet. … Yes, it’s true, María Corina left. But she’ll be back again.”

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions during a press briefing

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions about the recent U.S. military seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

    (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

    One report circulating is that high-ranking chavistas — the hard-core government supporters named after late ex-President Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s mentor — are sending their families abroad, anticipating a U.S. strike. But there have been no reported high-level defections, a stark contrast from 2019, when Trump, during his first-term “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuela, also attempted to force Maduro out.

    Another rumor is that, in some fashion, Washington and its allies will officially recognize as the legitimate leaders of Venezuela the opposition tandem of Edmundo González Urrutia and Machado.

    González, a veteran diplomat who lives in exile in Spain, ran as a stand-in presidential candidate for Machado in last year’s national election. Maduro claimed victory in balloting results widely denounced as fraudulent.

    Whether such a move by Washington would even make much difference is not clear. During his first term, Trump followed a similar strategy, declaring Juan Guaidó, then an opposition legislator, as the U.S.-recognized president of Venezuela, providing diplomatic backing and funding for a shadow government. The gambit failed. Guaidó has since joined the large Venezuelan exile community in Miami.

    The news this week that U.S. forces had seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast only fueled the prevalent climate of unease. Maduro’s government denounced the seizure as an act of international piracy. Fears now abound about a possible U.S. blockade, potentially throttling oil exports, Venezuela’s economic lifeline, and deepening hardships for civilians.

    “I’ve heard all the rumors — that the invasion will happen before Christmas, that Maduro is negotiating his departure, to Doha, to Cuba, to Russia — but I pay no attention,” said Carmen Luisa Jiménez, a Maduro supporter in the capital’s working-class Artigas district. “We know that el presidente will never leave, that he will remain with us. … We are a nation of peace, but prepared to confront whatever attack comes from the United States.”

    Members of the militias march during a commemoration

    Militia members wave Venezuelan flags Wednesday in Caracas during a ceremony marking the anniversary of a 19th century military battle.

    (Pedro Rances Mattey / Anadolu / Getty Images)

    Sonia Bravo, 40, who hawks Christmas trinkets from a makeshift stand, has also heard that “zero hour” is imminent. She has no idea. A bigger concern, she says, are slumping sales and trying to put food on the table for her family.

    “People can’t afford to buy much,” said Bravo. “Right now, anything seems possible. But what we are all hoping is this: That something will happen to end this nightmare.”

    Meantime, Venezuelans will keep on stocking ingredients for las hallacas, a complex dish that can take days to prepare. There is no doubt about the delicacy’s comforting presence in homes this Christmas, providing a sense of continuity absent from so many other facets of contemporary life in Venezuela.

    Special correspondent Mogollón reported from Caracas and Times staff writer McDonnell from Mexico City.

    Mery Mogollón, Patrick J. McDonnell

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  • 55 Gifts W Editors Are Giving (Or Wanting) for the 2025 Holidays

    Ever wish you could ask some cool, tapped-in people what they’re eyeing for a gift? You’re in luck. Below, seventeen W editors answer that age-old question: what do you want—and what are you giving—for the holidays?

    Maybe it’s because I’m Colombian, but whenever the temperature dips below 40 degrees, I go into shock. This winter, I’m counting on this fabulous Zegna shearling coat to keep me warm without making me look like the Michelin Man. —Armand Limnander, Executive Editor

    I love the idea of receiving a beauty treatment as a gift. I’m also obsessed with Sofie Pavitt’s skincare line, especially the mandelic serum; it changed my face in a major way this year. What better gift than a facial from the acne-clearing queen herself? With my wedding happening next year, my skin needs to be radiant and texture-free—and I would love to get a few extra tips from her. —Ashley Peña, Senior Designer

    I know what I’ll be wearing to pretty much every holiday party I attend this year: these ultra-comfy velvet ballet flats from Longchamp. They come in a range of colors and the dainty double buckle adds shine to an all-black look. —Maxine Wally, Senior Digital Editor

    I often jump to ready-to-wear or collectables when curating my holiday gift list—but this year, skin is in. I’ve been using Clarins’ glow serum for a few weeks; it has a light floral scent (don’t worry, I usually detest strong-smelling skincare, but this is actually nice) and it’s a great pick-me-up for dull skin during winter. —Matthew Velasco, Staff Writer, News

    Here’s a simple LED table lamp for people who have a lot of work to do, but not a ton of space. I’ll be putting this in my office in the New Year. —Tobias Holzmann, Design Director

    I’ve had my eye on the Toteme T-Lock bag for quite a while now. There’s something about the shape—which toes a delicate line between structured, yet still slouchy—and the way it looks when held under the arm. Now all I need is to decide whether I’d get more use out of the clutch or the top handle style… —Carolyn Twersky Winkler, Staff Writer

    This leather trench from Nour Hammour is the gift I’m fully manifesting this holiday season—like, I’m lighting a candle, writing it in my journal, and hoping the universe hears me. It’s the kind of coat that makes you look like you have your life together, even if you certainly do not. If this shows up at my door wrapped in a bow, just know I will be wearing it indoors, outdoors, and possibly to bed. —Che Baez, Visuals Editor

    I’m from Florida, which means two things. One: I’m heading back there for the holidays. Two: Despite nearly a decade in New York, I’m still kind of clueless about outerwear. So, consider this a perfect pick for anyone in your life who’s constantly moving between frigid and temperate climates. It’s a chic silhouette that keeps you warm, but compresses down for easy packing and storing. —Kyle Munzenrieder, Senior News & Strategy Editor

    My mother, who is constantly adventuring and already has planned a multicountry trip across Europe in 2026, will receive this book for Christmas. She can pore over the photographs of lavender fields months before she actually sees them in real life. —M.W.

    This is much more than just your average embroidered evening bag. You buy the purse, and then choose different veils with which to decorate it—from intricate embroidery to playful fringe. The veil slips on and attaches to the bag with invisible magnets. In this case, I like the beaded macramé style, which features black mesh and is finished with glass-beaded tassels. —Allia Alliata di Montereale, Style Director

    This scent by Yves Saint Laurent is the perfect blend of sweet and savory—it’s rich in its lavender and orange tones, and it’s led by a warm vanilla that isn’t overpowering in the slightest. And, from firsthand experience, the metallic exterior looks quite chic on a nightstand. —M.V.

    For your aspiring barista bestie, this is an elevated take on your average Nespresso machine, replete with a steaming wand for milk. We have one in the W office and it is our biggest mascot (and motivator). —M.W.

    For the spiritually inclined friend, sister, or daughter, Gazza Ladra’s talisman charm bracelet is a beautiful gift. Handcrafted with a gold chain and adorned with moon and eye pendants, plus turquoise and coral accents, the piece feels both personal and protective. —Nora Milch, Executive Fashion Director

    Here’s an indulgence in self-care—which I rarely permit myself—that I would really love to get my hands (and body) on. HigherDOSE’s mat supports skin, mood, muscle recovery, and circadian balance, all from the comfort of home, my favorite place to tune out and chill. —Maryam Liberman, Contributing Beauty Editor

    I love a classic gift, and this Burberry scarf is just that. I also adore the fact that you can personalize it. —Jenna Wojciechowski, Fashion Market and Menswear Director

    This one is for the jewelry minimalists. When it comes to style and function, I love how petite the Kimsey watch by March Hare is. It feels light on the wrist and looks timeless with every outfit. —A.P.

    Winter makes my skin flare up—blame the cold, dry air; my heightened anxiety surrounding the holidays, or whatever else. But I need hydration that goes beyond a standard moisturizer, and Rose Los Angeles x Marie Veronique crafted the perfect potion: a lightweight, milky emulsion for all skin types. Plus, they added CBD and THC, which pair anti-inflammatory benefits with Rose’s flower rosin. Although this is a topical and not an edible, I will be gifting this to anyone that needs (their skin) to calm the hell down this season. —C.B.

    My sister recently moved out of the city, so I’ll be spending chilly weekends in Rockland County wearing my chocolate-brown fleece from The North Face and Cecilie Bahnsen’s latest collaboration. It’s got all the nostalgia of the classic North Face fleeces I wore as a teenager, but with cheeky upgrades like floral-cut zipper pulls and a nylon interior. —M.W.

    While I was not into the sheer flat trend, I am very drawn to these heels. There’s a simple whimsy to the design, and the low heel makes them accessible for everyday use. I’ve already mentally styled them with multiple outfits, so here’s hoping someone plucks them from my wishlist. —C.T.W.

    There’s something really sexy about someone telling you you smell good (I’ll die on that hill!). My signature scent for the past decade has a woody base with sweet and spicy notes (à la Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille), but these days, I’m seeking a more niche perfume. That’s why Maison d’Etto’s new I—Dream is for me. Not only is the bottle itself a work of art, the scent hits many of the notes I love, like leather and frankincense. And out of all the perfumes I’ve worn recently, it truly lingers on my skin all day. —Tori López, Fashion Market Editor

    Lately, I’ve been on the hunt for getaways at pristine, restful locations north of New York City. The Bedford Post Inn is a perfect example of a place that’s far outside of the hustle and bustle, but doesn’t feel like an epic novel in terms of travel. The hotel property is meticulously groomed and intentionally chic, the service is warm and welcoming (while still feeling private and not in your face), and the hotel suites are generously sized and include the most thoughtful details, like fresh bath salts and natural sponge exfoliators laid on your bath caddy each morning. While you’re relaxing in the natural landscape, pay a visit to The Bedford Post Tavern, the Inn’s famed restaurant (managed by Sunday Hospitality, also known for the viral Brooklyn restaurants Rule of Thirds and Sunday in Brooklyn) for a scrumptious meal to top off the perfect stay. The caramelized red onion tart was like nothing I’ve ever tasted before—try it. —Oona Wally, Associate Visuals Director

    Here’s a polo-collar sweater that should fit perfectly into almost any guy’s wardrobe. You can’t go wrong. —K.M.

    I love gifting these playing cards as a housewarming gift, or around the holidays. This year, there are newlyweds in my life who will love the look of robin’s-egg blue on their coffee table—and the nudge to turn off Netflix, put down their phones, and play a hand of cards. —Claire Valentine McCartney, Culture Editor

    It may not be the most romantic gift, but I’ll be asking my boyfriend to get me one of Dyson’s best products this year: an air purifier that can also heat or cool your space, depending on your needs. I can’t think of a better addition to a New York City apartment (or any home, for that matter) than clean, temperate air. —C.V.

    This isn’t technically a wintertime scent—it’s a year-round scent, in my opinion. Slightly gourmand and totally scrumptious to sniff, this perfume from Loewe falls in the funk category, but not in an alienating way. The fragrance reminds me of taking a walk in the forest: you smell the sharpness of pine needles, the warmth of the forest floor. It’s also wonderfully genderless. —M.W.

    This French skincare secret is, well, no longer a secret. But consider gifting it to your skincare-obsessed loved one—or better yet, yourself. It’s the ideal winter moisturizer, but I’d suggest for those with oily skin to only use it at night, since the formula is rather rich. —M.V.

    If these earrings could flirt, they would leave a trail of suitors in their wake. Irene Neuwirth’s Gemmy Gem collection is colorful and chic—these one-of-a-kind, 18-karat yellow gold earrings, to me, are pure elegance. There’s a gorgeous array of full-cut emeralds, mixed indicolites, and chrysoprase spheres, finished on diamond pavé hooks. —M.L.

    If you’re thinking about gifting someone a skincare tool this season, the NIRA Pro Laser is the best thing I’ve tried in recent memory. It’s also the closest you can get to having a dermatologist living in your medicine cabinet (minus the small talk). —C.B.

    We test out a lot of scented candles this time of year—and Trudon’s products stand at the top of the list every time. My latest favorite is Luna, from the brand’s zodiac line. The smell is rich and warm, and the vessel is artfully decorated with a starry night sky and holiday ephemera. —M.W.

    Instead of bringing a bottle of wine to a friend’s house for dinner, come with this olive oil in hand. It will not disappoint, and it’s worth the shipment! —A.a.d.M.

    I always think I want an oversize wool coat—but on my 6’1” frame, the look is less “slouchy and cool” and more “giantess and possible Stop Making Sense extra.” So now, I have my sights set on The Row’s Arista Coat—its length is perfect for me, and its slim proportions are much more flattering. —Sally Law Errico, Managing Editor

    This is a great moisturizer for those who want skin that feels extra quenched and bouncy. I just finished a jar, and my mom loves antiaging skincare gifts, so I know she’ll be obsessed. —A.P.

    You don’t need to be a pilot to wear this jacket. The bomber style is right on-trend for winter, according to my colleagues. —T.H.

    If you or someone you know is dreaming of sun-soaked escapes this winter, Dutch cinematographer Robby Müller—who helped shape visual classics like Paris, Texas and Repo Man—captures Los Angeles in quiet, radiant polaroids in this new book. From the cozy corners of Santa Monica to beaches bathed in yellow light, his images reveal the city from a bygone era. Alongside the polaroids are texts from his collaborators, like directors Alex Cox and Wim Wenders, and actor Willem Dafoe. —C.B.

    This gift makes for a great stocking-stuffer, but it’s also exciting enough to stow under the tree with the big presents. The best lip glosses we’ve used to date, Rhode’s Peptide Lip Trio is a special treat each time you use it, with a buttery-soft consistency and nice flavors without overpowering scents. —M.W.

    The best gifts are the ones people don’t want to indulge in for themselves—and a massage at the Shibui Spa perfectly fits that bill. The luxurious oasis is tucked away in Tribeca, and boasts breathtaking facilities, led by experts. There is little else better than treating your loved ones to an hour (or longer, depending on how generous you’re feeling) of bliss. —Molly Cody, Assistant to the Editor in Chief

    After running a marathon a month ago (yes, that’s my excuse for being extra), I’ve developed an obsession with contrast therapy. Enter this ice bath: it’s not just about plunging into cold water—it’s a full-on recharge for the body and mind, promoting faster muscle recovery, reduced inflammation, and an instant energy jolt. Plus, with a built-in timer and breathwork light, I can practice mindfulness like a pro. —C.B.

    Arma’s suede blazer is a modern classic: impeccably tailored, ultra-soft, and endlessly wearable. The leather-focused brand nails essential outerwear every time. —N.M.

    Often packaged in a quaint cobalt-blue tin can, the highly sought-after Rocky’s Matcha remains the superior tea in my life—and yes, I’ve got all my matcha-loving friends hooked, too. This holiday season, the brand is releasing a limited-edition box set of their favorite matcha blends, so you can taste test (or, like me, replenish your empty stock). —T.L.

    This is the kind of cornbread I like. And it has zero calories. —T.H.

    Vacations don’t necessarily happen every year—which is why gifting someone a staycation can be a truly stress-free treat. After eight years out of commission, the Waldorf Astoria recently reopened in Midtown Manhattan and features bigger rooms, new restaurants, and a Guerlain Wellness Spa—everything you need for an exceptionally luxurious experience. The best part? No schlepping required. —C.T.W.

    My baby cousin loves sweet scents, so she’ll be getting Miutine this holiday season. (At 17, she’s not a baby anymore, which she’ll likely remind me when we get together on Christmas Eve.) She knows this perfume from the ads with Emma Corrin. —M.W.

    I put this gift on my list every single year, hoping someone will buy it for me. (Ahem, to my dear fiancé: take note.) The mini version of Gaetano Pesce’s Vessel is the perfect luxury bedside table jewelry catch-all. —O.W.

    You won’t truly appreciate how special this faux-fur hooded cardigan is until you try it on. The plush collar wraps around your face, giving you an instant feeling of luxury. The garment even comes with matching mittens for an extra touch of warmth. —A.a.d.M.

    I’ve been a Freja fan since I gifted myself the Lafayette bag a couple of years ago; it has been my go-to work bag since. The new Ida style is calling my name now. I love that it can hold my laptop and also can be worn as a slouchy clutch for evening. —A.P.

    Sumptuous is the word here, from the luxe gilded bottle to the ceramides, squalane, and hyaluronic acid in the formulation. I can’t get enough of this Prada skin cream, so I’m giving it to my very closest kin this year. —M.W.

    I’m heading into the new year absolutely determined to get my glow back—because honestly, this year has taken it out of me. So, I’m gifting myself the HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask, the only skincare gadget that actually understands my constantly-in-motion lifestyle. It has an extra head strap and real eye holes, so I can use it while I’m reading, working out, or cleaning my apartment. You can also use their Light Activated Glow Serum while masked up for an extra-powerful skincare session. No cords, no lying still, just a gentle way to boost my mood and revive my skin radiance while I live my chaotic little life. —C.B.

    I’ve lived in New York for 20 years, but my heart still belongs to my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and I try to shop local whenever I return to visit my family. On my next trip, I hope to pick up the Plentiful Bellfield Tote from Fount, a Cleveland-based leather-goods business run by a husband-and-wife team. The bag’s hand-sewn straps and “unique interior weight-bearing pieces” make me think it’s strong enough to schlep my laptop—and an issue or two of W. —S.L.E.

    I’m a maniac for mohair, so this cozy sweater will be wrapped all around me for the rest of the year. The piece comes in another, darker colorway that’s equally charming. —M.W.

    Designed by Eleni Petaloti and Leonidas Trampoukis in collaboration with Tacchini, the resin vases from Objects of Common Interest are crafted with the duo’s signature blend of sculptural form and functionality. I love how each piece reflects their unique eye and their attention to craftsmanship. —N.M.

    I love these candlesticks, which are handmade in France. No matter where you put them, they’ll transport you to an even warmer, brighter place. —A.a.d.M.

    We talk all the time about whether or not advent calendars are worth their price tags. This year, I am telling you to definitely grab this cheerful Rubik’s Cube from Benefit. It contains cutesy miniatures of their signature products, like They’re Real! Mascara and Benetint. This is one that’s worth its price, and its weight in holiday cheer. —M.W.

    For me, gourmand fragrances can be hit or miss, but this cherry-inspired scent from Abel is too good. The fruit here isn’t obnoxiously sweet, and it mixes well with the sophisticated floral layers. My soon-to-be sister in law and I have similar fragrance tastes, so I’ll be gifting this to her this year. —A.P.

    My favorite team in my favorite museum’s font—the two things I love most. Go Mets! —T.H.

    Long admired for impeccably designed rugs, Nordic Knots has expanded into bedding—and naturally, the selection is just as chic. The new percale Egyptian cotton collection comes in a Shirt Blue hue with contrasting red piping. Consider this my not-so-subtle hint to my husband that this is the gift I would like. —N.M.

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  • Forgiveness, redemption and leadership define Team USA wheelchair curler Steve Emt

    Forgiveness, redemption, and leadership. Those three principles define Team USA curler Steve Hempt. Here’s how Steve Hemp describes growing up in Hebron, Connecticut All American childhood, most popular kid in my high school, great student, and that 6 ft 5, *** great athlete, one who earned an appointment to the United States Military Academy and then transferred to play basketball for the powerful UConn Huskies. But in 1995, his life changed forever. I was *** drunk driver and fortunately I’m lucky to be alive and sitting here with you all great people today. I was left for dead on the side of the road. I woke up from my coma and I was told I was never gonna walk again at 25 years old. He passed out behind the wheel, flipping his pickup truck, and he was ejected. After the crash, Steve spent months lying to people, telling them *** deer caused his accident. Then he accepted responsibility. We’re human, we’re gonna mess up. Forgive yourself, accept what happened, and move on. Steve’s new direction becoming *** high school teacher and basketball coach and finding the sport wheelchair curling. I’m an 11 time national champion, two time Paralympic, going on 3, world championships, and my life slogan, I live by this and I. Every day it’s not what happens to you it’s what you decide to do with what happens. What’s happening now for Emp is historic. He just qualified with Laura Dwyer for the first ever mixed doubles curling event at the Paralympics, and he’s excited to travel to Italy for the first time. I’m looking forward to eating pizza. I don’t know, is it different than what we have in New York or Chicago? I don’t know, um, but just the landscape, the people, just being out there, and again, the opportunity to. Represent Team USA and the grant it’s the stages. It’s goosebumps. On top of being *** teacher, coach, and Paralympian, Empt is also *** motivational speaker who’s written *** self-help book. On the road to Milan Cortina, I’m Fletcher Mackel.

    Forgiveness, redemption and leadership define Team USA wheelchair curler Steve Emt

    Forgiveness, redemption and leadership define Team USA wheelchair curler Steve Emt

    Updated: 3:00 AM PST Nov 28, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Forgiveness, redemption, and leadership: Those three principles define Team USA wheelchair curler Steve Emt. Here’s how Emt describes growing up in Hebron, Connecticut: “All American childhood, most popular kid in my high school, great student.”Standing 6-foot-5, Emt was a great prep athlete who earned an appointment to the United States Military Academy and then transferred to play basketball for the powerful University of Connecticut Huskies.But life changed in 1995.”I was a drunk driver; fortunately, I’m lucky to be sitting here with you, great people, today. I was left for dead on the side of the road, and when I woke up from a coma two weeks later, I was told I’d never walk again, at 25 years old,” said Emt. He passed out behind the wheel, flipping his pickup truck, and was ejected. After the crash, Steve spent months lying to people, telling them a deer caused his accident, then he accepted responsibility. “We’re human. We’re gonna mess up, forgive yourself, accept what happened, and move on,” Emt said.Steve’s new direction, becoming a high school teacher and basketball coach, and finding the sport of wheelchair curling. “I’m an 11-time national champion. two-time Paralympian going on three, world championships, too. My life’s slogan, I live by this, and I say it every day, ‘it’s not what happens to you, it’s what you decide to do with what happens,’” said Emt. What’s happening now is historic. He qualified with Laura Dwyer for the first-ever mixed doubles curling event at the Paralympics, and he’s excited to travel to Italy for the first time. “I’m looking forward to eating pizza. I don’t know, is a different than what we have in New York or Chicago? I don’t know, but just the landscape, the people just being out there. And again, the opportunity to represent Team USA on the grandest stage, I get goosebumps,” said Emt. On top of being a teacher, coach and Paralympian, Emt is also a motivational speaker who’s written a self-help book.

    Forgiveness, redemption, and leadership: Those three principles define Team USA wheelchair curler Steve Emt.

    Here’s how Emt describes growing up in Hebron, Connecticut: “All American childhood, most popular kid in my high school, great student.”

    Standing 6-foot-5, Emt was a great prep athlete who earned an appointment to the United States Military Academy and then transferred to play basketball for the powerful University of Connecticut Huskies.

    But life changed in 1995.

    “I was a drunk driver; fortunately, I’m lucky to be sitting here with you, great people, today. I was left for dead on the side of the road, and when I woke up from a coma two weeks later, I was told I’d never walk again, at 25 years old,” said Emt.

    He passed out behind the wheel, flipping his pickup truck, and was ejected. After the crash, Steve spent months lying to people, telling them a deer caused his accident, then he accepted responsibility.

    “We’re human. We’re gonna mess up, forgive yourself, accept what happened, and move on,” Emt said.

    Steve’s new direction, becoming a high school teacher and basketball coach, and finding the sport of wheelchair curling.

    Steve Emt poses for a portrait during the Team USA Media Summit ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on Oct. 28, 2025, in New York City.

    Mike Coppola/Getty Images

    Steve Emt poses for a portrait during the Team USA Media Summit ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on Oct. 28, 2025, in New York City.

    “I’m an 11-time national champion. two-time Paralympian going on three, world championships, too. My life’s slogan, I live by this, and I say it every day, ‘it’s not what happens to you, it’s what you decide to do with what happens,’” said Emt.

    What’s happening now is historic. He qualified with Laura Dwyer for the first-ever mixed doubles curling event at the Paralympics, and he’s excited to travel to Italy for the first time.

    “I’m looking forward to eating pizza. I don’t know, is a different than what we have in New York or Chicago? I don’t know, but just the landscape, the people just being out there. And again, the opportunity to represent Team USA on the grandest stage, I get goosebumps,” said Emt.

    On top of being a teacher, coach and Paralympian, Emt is also a motivational speaker who’s written a self-help book.

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  • The ultimate editor-approved holiday gift guide

    Know someone who lives in their kitchen. These delicious proof tools make mealtime simpler and make great gifts. I’m going to show you three amazing products, ones we’ve tested, we just love, and they’re unbelievably versatile. First, this warming mat is great for holiday parties and buffets and costs about $40 on Amazon. The temperature, set the timer for it to shut off. This is *** must, must have, especially if you’re doing *** lot of cooking. It’s it’s the holidays and you’ve got big pots and you don’t have much space. If you’re always on the go, check out NutriBullet’s $70 portable rechargeable blender. You can even use your laptop to charge it. You’re at your desk the middle of the day. You’re like, you know what, it’s smoothie time. And what is totally awesome is you don’t have to lug around this the base, the base and just take this. It’s done, boom. Finally, this space saving collapsible steamer and strainer from Williams Sonoma costs just under $30. It pops open like this, and you can either use it to steam or you can fully immerse whatever food you want to cook. Give the gift of self-care. Women’s Health has you covered with gift suggestions that are equal parts relaxing and thoughtful. We have curated *** few of our favorite gifts and products that will make an amazing present for anyone in your life that needs *** little extra rest or relaxation, and don’t we all? First up, the $19 Beauty Sleep fabric spray from Laundreist. Put it on your pillow for *** calming effect before bed. This is *** very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster. There’s also an active wear version that is great for refreshing gym clothes. Next, Nodpod’s $38 weighted sleep mask. So *** lot of sleep masks, when you wrap them around your head. They can be kind of uncomfortable when you’re laying on your back or on your side. This one really takes away that whole issue. And for *** soft, luxurious splurge, Brook Lennon’s super plush robe starts at $95. The Women’s Health editors are obsessed with this robe because it is really like stepping into *** five-star spa when you get out of the shower. Shopping for someone who loves their home, look no further than these Good Housekeeping approved gifts. The three gifts that we’ve chosen here today for the home are award winners and editor favorites from Good Housekeeping for 2025. 1st, something practical and perfect for anyone with *** green thumb. These $14 Fiskers pruning and gardening shears. This pair of shears from Fisker’s cuts easily. Through stems and branches whether you’re pruning house plants or pruning shrubs outside, we love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with *** lifetime guarantee. Next, *** gift that brings peace of mind, the $75 smoke and carbon monoxide detector from Kitty is Ring App enabled and connects to your smartphone. The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger. And simultaneously sound an alarm through all of the connected detectors in your home. And for the home cook who loves *** clean countertop, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum costs about $89. They’re your batch cooking on Sundays like me or baking for the holidays. We all know what *** mess the kitchen counter and stove can look like after this vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen clean up quick and easy. Looking for something special for the beauty lovers in your life? Cosmopolitan has you covered. Cosmo Beauty editors test products all year long. We’re always researching, reviewing, swiping, swatching all of the newest beauty launches. Let’s start small and affordable with *** perfect stocking stuffer. These $9 lip balms from EELF come in tons of colors. You can use them on your own or layered over ***. Lip pencil for *** fun lip combo, but really great stocking stuffer at $9. You can’t go wrong. Next, Dazzle Dry’s fast track mini kit for $39 you’ll get salon quality nails at home. So on average, you’ll get 10 days out of *** Dazzle Dry Manny. You can do it at home. It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally 5 minutes for that fresh from the salon blowout. Multi-stylers are having *** major moment. The T3 Air is *** splurge at $250 but that’s half the price of *** Dyson Airwrap. So there’s one base, and then there’s all these interchangeable parts. This is the blow dryer, round brush, really good for *** bouncy blowout, and then two interchangeable curling wands, super easy to use, works on all hair types, and also comes in three really cute colors. Shopping for the outdoorsmen or woman in your life, Men’s Health has *** few solid picks to choose from. all year long at Men’s Health, our team is testing the latest and greatest in new gear. Like these tumblers, Arctic has been one of Men’s Health’s top cooler brands for years. Now they have *** $20 to $25 happy hour collection. What I love about these is that they’re. Insulated, that means that anything you’re putting into them, whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste for camping trips, the $40 Coast voice control lantern is *** great find. Now these things can operate with *** button press, but you can also activate this little one here and say coast red. And it changes for you and for *** sensible splurge, the Amaze Fit Active 2 smartwatch costs about $100. *** lot of guys on staff have these, including myself. Set up is *** cinch. It’s incredibly easy to navigate and it has *** 160+ workout mode so you can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy in your life.

    The ultimate editor-approved holiday gift guide

    Our experts from Good Housekeeping, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan and Delish share their top holiday gift picks.

    Updated: 12:38 PM PST Nov 24, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ


    National Consumer Producer

    Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? We teamed up with editors from Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping and Delish to round up thoughtful, top-tested gifts for everyone on your list. Cosmopolitan-approved gifts for the beauty lover For an easy stocking stuffer, check out e.l.f.’s Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms, which come in a variety of colors for $9. “You can use them on your own or layered over a lip pencil for a fun lip combo,” said Lauren Balsamo, beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you are shopping for someone who loves doing their nails at home, Dazzle Dry’s Fast Track Mini Kit offers long-lasting polish that dries super fast. “It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally five minutes,” Balsamo said. For a beauty splurge, the T3 Aire 360 multi-styler includes interchangeable attachments for blowouts, curls and more. It’s “super easy to use, works on all hair types, and comes in three really cute colors,” Balsamo said.Men’s Health-approved outdoor gifts If you are shopping for someone who loves the outdoors, RTIC’s Happy Hour Collection includes insulated tumblers that keep drinks cold. “What I love about these is that they’re ceramic insulated,” said Paul Kita, deputy editor at Men’s Health. “Whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, it doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste.” For campers, the Coast EAL35R voice-controlled lantern is a hands-free lighting option that responds to simple commands. “If a guy in your life loves camping but he doesn’t like getting up off of the camp chair, this is the gift for him,” Kita said.For a tech-forward gift, Amazfit’s Active 2 Adventure Smartwatch offers easy setup, crisp visibility in bright light and more than 160 workout modes. “A lot of guys on staff have these, including myself,” Kita said. “You can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy’s in your life.” Cozy gifts backed by Women’s Health To elevate a bedtime routine, The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray adds a light, calming scent to bedding and pajamas. “This is a very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster,” said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor at Women’s Health. There is also an activewear version that is great for refreshing your gym clothes. For a comfort-focused gift, the Nodpod weighted sleep mask provides gentle pressure similar to a weighted blanket. “It just feels like a weighted hug on your face and on your eyes at night,” Cuffey said.If you want to splurge, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Robe brings spa-level softness to everyday routines. “It is really like stepping into a five-star spa when you get out of the shower,” Cuffey said. Home gifts approved by Good Housekeeping For plant lovers, Fiskars’ pruning shears make trimming stems and branches easy thanks to their sturdy construction and smooth locking mechanism. “We love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with a lifetime guarantee,” said Elspeth Velten, Good Housekeeping’s editor in chief. To add safety and peace of mind at home, Kidde’s smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector connects to a phone and links with other alarms in the house. “The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger and simultaneously sound an alarm,” Velten said.For quick cleanups, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum tackles crumbs on counters, stoves and tight corners. “This vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen cleanup quick and easy,” Velten said. Foodie gifts loved by Delish For holiday hosting, the rollable FYY warming mat keeps dishes warm for hours without taking up extra space. “This is a must-must-have, especially if you’re doing a lot of cooking … and you don’t have much space,” said Robert Seixas, senior food director at Delish.For the smoothie lover, the is rechargeable, travel-friendly and great for keeping at your desk. “You can even use your laptop to charge it,” Seixas said.For an inexpensive tool that saves cabinet space, the Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket is collapsible, making storage easy. “You can either use it to steam or fully immerse whatever food you want to cook,” Seixas said. Need holiday recipe ideas to go with your new kitchen tools? Explore the new Delish app for endless cooking inspiration.

    Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? We teamed up with editors from Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping and Delish to round up thoughtful, top-tested gifts for everyone on your list.

    Cosmopolitan-approved gifts for the beauty lover

    For an easy stocking stuffer, check out e.l.f.’s Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms, which come in a variety of colors for $9. “You can use them on your own or layered over a lip pencil for a fun lip combo,” said Lauren Balsamo, beauty director at Cosmopolitan.

    If you are shopping for someone who loves doing their nails at home, Dazzle Dry’s Fast Track Mini Kit offers long-lasting polish that dries super fast. “It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally five minutes,” Balsamo said.

    For a beauty splurge, the T3 Aire 360 multi-styler includes interchangeable attachments for blowouts, curls and more. It’s “super easy to use, works on all hair types, and comes in three really cute colors,” Balsamo said.

    Elf Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm

    Dazzle Dry Fast Track Cherry Mini Kit

    Men’s Health-approved outdoor gifts

    If you are shopping for someone who loves the outdoors, RTIC’s Happy Hour Collection includes insulated tumblers that keep drinks cold. “What I love about these is that they’re ceramic insulated,” said Paul Kita, deputy editor at Men’s Health. “Whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, it doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste.”

    For campers, the Coast EAL35R voice-controlled lantern is a hands-free lighting option that responds to simple commands. “If a guy in your life loves camping but he doesn’t like getting up off of the camp chair, this is the gift for him,” Kita said.

    For a tech-forward gift, Amazfit’s Active 2 Adventure Smartwatch offers easy setup, crisp visibility in bright light and more than 160 workout modes. “A lot of guys on staff have these, including myself,” Kita said. “You can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy’s in your life.”

    Happy Hour Lowball Tumbler

    RTIC Happy Hour Pint Tumbler

    Coast EAL35R Voice Control Lantern

    Cozy gifts backed by Women’s Health

    To elevate a bedtime routine, The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray adds a light, calming scent to bedding and pajamas. “This is a very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster,” said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor at Women’s Health. There is also an activewear version that is great for refreshing your gym clothes.

    For a comfort-focused gift, the Nodpod weighted sleep mask provides gentle pressure similar to a weighted blanket. “It just feels like a weighted hug on your face and on your eyes at night,” Cuffey said.

    If you want to splurge, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Robe brings spa-level softness to everyday routines. “It is really like stepping into a five-star spa when you get out of the shower,” Cuffey said.

    Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray

    Laundress Activewear Fabric Spray

    Brooklinen Super-Plush Robe

    Home gifts approved by Good Housekeeping

    For plant lovers, Fiskars’ pruning shears make trimming stems and branches easy thanks to their sturdy construction and smooth locking mechanism. “We love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with a lifetime guarantee,” said Elspeth Velten, Good Housekeeping’s editor in chief.

    To add safety and peace of mind at home, Kidde’s smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector connects to a phone and links with other alarms in the house. “The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger and simultaneously sound an alarm,” Velten said.

    For quick cleanups, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum tackles crumbs on counters, stoves and tight corners. “This vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen cleanup quick and easy,” Velten said.

    Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears

    Kidde Ring App Enabled Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector

    KitchenAid Go™ Cordless Kitchen Vacuum

    Foodie gifts loved by Delish

    For holiday hosting, the rollable FYY warming mat keeps dishes warm for hours without taking up extra space. “This is a must-must-have, especially if you’re doing a lot of cooking … and you don’t have much space,” said Robert Seixas, senior food director at Delish.

    For the smoothie lover, the is rechargeable, travel-friendly and great for keeping at your desk. “You can even use your laptop to charge it,” Seixas said.

    For an inexpensive tool that saves cabinet space, the Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket is collapsible, making storage easy. “You can either use it to steam or fully immerse whatever food you want to cook,” Seixas said.

    Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender

    Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket

    williams-sonoma.com

    $29.95

    Need holiday recipe ideas to go with your new kitchen tools? Explore the new Delish app for endless cooking inspiration.

    Source link

  • The ultimate editor-approved holiday gift guide

    Know someone who lives in their kitchen. These delicious proof tools make mealtime simpler and make great gifts. I’m going to show you three amazing products, ones we’ve tested, we just love, and they’re unbelievably versatile. First, this warming mat is great for holiday parties and buffets and costs about $40 on Amazon. The temperature, set the timer for it to shut off. This is *** must, must have, especially if you’re doing *** lot of cooking. It’s it’s the holidays and you’ve got big pots and you don’t have much space. If you’re always on the go, check out NutriBullet’s $70 portable rechargeable blender. You can even use your laptop to charge it. You’re at your desk the middle of the day. You’re like, you know what, it’s smoothie time. And what is totally awesome is you don’t have to lug around this the base, the base and just take this. It’s done, boom. Finally, this space saving collapsible steamer and strainer from Williams Sonoma costs just under $30. It pops open like this, and you can either use it to steam or you can fully immerse whatever food you want to cook. Give the gift of self-care. Women’s Health has you covered with gift suggestions that are equal parts relaxing and thoughtful. We have curated *** few of our favorite gifts and products that will make an amazing present for anyone in your life that needs *** little extra rest or relaxation, and don’t we all? First up, the $19 Beauty Sleep fabric spray from Laundreist. Put it on your pillow for *** calming effect before bed. This is *** very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster. There’s also an active wear version that is great for refreshing gym clothes. Next, Nodpod’s $38 weighted sleep mask. So *** lot of sleep masks, when you wrap them around your head. They can be kind of uncomfortable when you’re laying on your back or on your side. This one really takes away that whole issue. And for *** soft, luxurious splurge, Brook Lennon’s super plush robe starts at $95. The Women’s Health editors are obsessed with this robe because it is really like stepping into *** five-star spa when you get out of the shower. Shopping for someone who loves their home, look no further than these Good Housekeeping approved gifts. The three gifts that we’ve chosen here today for the home are award winners and editor favorites from Good Housekeeping for 2025. 1st, something practical and perfect for anyone with *** green thumb. These $14 Fiskers pruning and gardening shears. This pair of shears from Fisker’s cuts easily. Through stems and branches whether you’re pruning house plants or pruning shrubs outside, we love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with *** lifetime guarantee. Next, *** gift that brings peace of mind, the $75 smoke and carbon monoxide detector from Kitty is Ring App enabled and connects to your smartphone. The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger. And simultaneously sound an alarm through all of the connected detectors in your home. And for the home cook who loves *** clean countertop, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum costs about $89. They’re your batch cooking on Sundays like me or baking for the holidays. We all know what *** mess the kitchen counter and stove can look like after this vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen clean up quick and easy. Looking for something special for the beauty lovers in your life? Cosmopolitan has you covered. Cosmo Beauty editors test products all year long. We’re always researching, reviewing, swiping, swatching all of the newest beauty launches. Let’s start small and affordable with *** perfect stocking stuffer. These $9 lip balms from EELF come in tons of colors. You can use them on your own or layered over ***. Lip pencil for *** fun lip combo, but really great stocking stuffer at $9. You can’t go wrong. Next, Dazzle Dry’s fast track mini kit for $39 you’ll get salon quality nails at home. So on average, you’ll get 10 days out of *** Dazzle Dry Manny. You can do it at home. It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally 5 minutes for that fresh from the salon blowout. Multi-stylers are having *** major moment. The T3 Air is *** splurge at $250 but that’s half the price of *** Dyson Airwrap. So there’s one base, and then there’s all these interchangeable parts. This is the blow dryer, round brush, really good for *** bouncy blowout, and then two interchangeable curling wands, super easy to use, works on all hair types, and also comes in three really cute colors. Shopping for the outdoorsmen or woman in your life, Men’s Health has *** few solid picks to choose from. all year long at Men’s Health, our team is testing the latest and greatest in new gear. Like these tumblers, Arctic has been one of Men’s Health’s top cooler brands for years. Now they have *** $20 to $25 happy hour collection. What I love about these is that they’re. Insulated, that means that anything you’re putting into them, whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste for camping trips, the $40 Coast voice control lantern is *** great find. Now these things can operate with *** button press, but you can also activate this little one here and say coast red. And it changes for you and for *** sensible splurge, the Amaze Fit Active 2 smartwatch costs about $100. *** lot of guys on staff have these, including myself. Set up is *** cinch. It’s incredibly easy to navigate and it has *** 160+ workout mode so you can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy in your life.

    The ultimate editor-approved holiday gift guide

    Our experts from Good Housekeeping, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan and Delish share their top holiday gift picks.

    Updated: 3:38 PM EST Nov 24, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ


    National Consumer Producer

    Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? We teamed up with editors from Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping and Delish to round up thoughtful, top-tested gifts for everyone on your list. Cosmopolitan-approved gifts for the beauty lover For an easy stocking stuffer, check out e.l.f.’s Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms, which come in a variety of colors for $9. “You can use them on your own or layered over a lip pencil for a fun lip combo,” said Lauren Balsamo, beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you are shopping for someone who loves doing their nails at home, Dazzle Dry’s Fast Track Mini Kit offers long-lasting polish that dries super fast. “It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally five minutes,” Balsamo said. For a beauty splurge, the T3 Aire 360 multi-styler includes interchangeable attachments for blowouts, curls and more. It’s “super easy to use, works on all hair types, and comes in three really cute colors,” Balsamo said.Men’s Health-approved outdoor gifts If you are shopping for someone who loves the outdoors, RTIC’s Happy Hour Collection includes insulated tumblers that keep drinks cold. “What I love about these is that they’re ceramic insulated,” said Paul Kita, deputy editor at Men’s Health. “Whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, it doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste.” For campers, the Coast EAL35R voice-controlled lantern is a hands-free lighting option that responds to simple commands. “If a guy in your life loves camping but he doesn’t like getting up off of the camp chair, this is the gift for him,” Kita said.For a tech-forward gift, Amazfit’s Active 2 Adventure Smartwatch offers easy setup, crisp visibility in bright light and more than 160 workout modes. “A lot of guys on staff have these, including myself,” Kita said. “You can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy’s in your life.” Cozy gifts backed by Women’s Health To elevate a bedtime routine, The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray adds a light, calming scent to bedding and pajamas. “This is a very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster,” said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor at Women’s Health. There is also an activewear version that is great for refreshing your gym clothes. For a comfort-focused gift, the Nodpod weighted sleep mask provides gentle pressure similar to a weighted blanket. “It just feels like a weighted hug on your face and on your eyes at night,” Cuffey said.If you want to splurge, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Robe brings spa-level softness to everyday routines. “It is really like stepping into a five-star spa when you get out of the shower,” Cuffey said. Home gifts approved by Good Housekeeping For plant lovers, Fiskars’ pruning shears make trimming stems and branches easy thanks to their sturdy construction and smooth locking mechanism. “We love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with a lifetime guarantee,” said Elspeth Velten, Good Housekeeping’s editor in chief. To add safety and peace of mind at home, Kidde’s smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector connects to a phone and links with other alarms in the house. “The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger and simultaneously sound an alarm,” Velten said.For quick cleanups, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum tackles crumbs on counters, stoves and tight corners. “This vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen cleanup quick and easy,” Velten said. Foodie gifts loved by Delish For holiday hosting, the rollable FYY warming mat keeps dishes warm for hours without taking up extra space. “This is a must-must-have, especially if you’re doing a lot of cooking … and you don’t have much space,” said Robert Seixas, senior food director at Delish.For the smoothie lover, the is rechargeable, travel-friendly and great for keeping at your desk. “You can even use your laptop to charge it,” Seixas said.For an inexpensive tool that saves cabinet space, the Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket is collapsible, making storage easy. “You can either use it to steam or fully immerse whatever food you want to cook,” Seixas said. Need holiday recipe ideas to go with your new kitchen tools? Explore the new Delish app for endless cooking inspiration.

    Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? We teamed up with editors from Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping and Delish to round up thoughtful, top-tested gifts for everyone on your list.

    Cosmopolitan-approved gifts for the beauty lover

    For an easy stocking stuffer, check out e.l.f.’s Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balms, which come in a variety of colors for $9. “You can use them on your own or layered over a lip pencil for a fun lip combo,” said Lauren Balsamo, beauty director at Cosmopolitan.

    If you are shopping for someone who loves doing their nails at home, Dazzle Dry’s Fast Track Mini Kit offers long-lasting polish that dries super fast. “It’s inexpensive, but the best part is it dries in literally five minutes,” Balsamo said.

    For a beauty splurge, the T3 Aire 360 multi-styler includes interchangeable attachments for blowouts, curls and more. It’s “super easy to use, works on all hair types, and comes in three really cute colors,” Balsamo said.

    Elf Glow Reviver Melting Lip Balm

    Dazzle Dry Fast Track Cherry Mini Kit

    Men’s Health-approved outdoor gifts

    If you are shopping for someone who loves the outdoors, RTIC’s Happy Hour Collection includes insulated tumblers that keep drinks cold. “What I love about these is that they’re ceramic insulated,” said Paul Kita, deputy editor at Men’s Health. “Whether it’s wine or coffee or even an old fashioned, it doesn’t take on that tinny metallic taste.”

    For campers, the Coast EAL35R voice-controlled lantern is a hands-free lighting option that responds to simple commands. “If a guy in your life loves camping but he doesn’t like getting up off of the camp chair, this is the gift for him,” Kita said.

    For a tech-forward gift, Amazfit’s Active 2 Adventure Smartwatch offers easy setup, crisp visibility in bright light and more than 160 workout modes. “A lot of guys on staff have these, including myself,” Kita said. “You can specialize it to whatever kind of active guy’s in your life.”

    Happy Hour Lowball Tumbler

    RTIC Happy Hour Pint Tumbler

    Coast EAL35R Voice Control Lantern

    Cozy gifts backed by Women’s Health

    To elevate a bedtime routine, The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray adds a light, calming scent to bedding and pajamas. “This is a very light scent that is made to help you relax and ease stress and fall asleep faster,” said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor at Women’s Health. There is also an activewear version that is great for refreshing your gym clothes.

    For a comfort-focused gift, the Nodpod weighted sleep mask provides gentle pressure similar to a weighted blanket. “It just feels like a weighted hug on your face and on your eyes at night,” Cuffey said.

    If you want to splurge, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Robe brings spa-level softness to everyday routines. “It is really like stepping into a five-star spa when you get out of the shower,” Cuffey said.

    Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray

    Laundress Activewear Fabric Spray

    Brooklinen Super-Plush Robe

    Home gifts approved by Good Housekeeping

    For plant lovers, Fiskars’ pruning shears make trimming stems and branches easy thanks to their sturdy construction and smooth locking mechanism. “We love that they’re easy to lock and unlock and that they come with a lifetime guarantee,” said Elspeth Velten, Good Housekeeping’s editor in chief.

    To add safety and peace of mind at home, Kidde’s smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector connects to a phone and links with other alarms in the house. “The detector will ping your phone at the first sight of danger and simultaneously sound an alarm,” Velten said.

    For quick cleanups, the KitchenAid Go cordless kitchen vacuum tackles crumbs on counters, stoves and tight corners. “This vacuum gets into every corner and crevice and makes kitchen cleanup quick and easy,” Velten said.

    Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears

    Kidde Ring App Enabled Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector

    KitchenAid Go™ Cordless Kitchen Vacuum

    Foodie gifts loved by Delish

    For holiday hosting, the rollable FYY warming mat keeps dishes warm for hours without taking up extra space. “This is a must-must-have, especially if you’re doing a lot of cooking … and you don’t have much space,” said Robert Seixas, senior food director at Delish.

    For the smoothie lover, the is rechargeable, travel-friendly and great for keeping at your desk. “You can even use your laptop to charge it,” Seixas said.

    For an inexpensive tool that saves cabinet space, the Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket is collapsible, making storage easy. “You can either use it to steam or fully immerse whatever food you want to cook,” Seixas said.

    Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender

    Williams Sonoma Silicone Steamer Basket

    williams-sonoma.com

    $29.95

    Need holiday recipe ideas to go with your new kitchen tools? Explore the new Delish app for endless cooking inspiration.

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  • Bride helps crash victim while still in her wedding dress

    Moments after tying the knot on her wedding day, a bride who works as a nurse stepped in to save a life while she was still wearing her wedding dress.The same night Heather Schubert walked down the aisle celebrating her new union, she ended up at a crash scene.”We saw a man laying across the road, and his car, all the airbags were deployed,” Heather Ramsey Schubert said.Schubert and her husband were driving home on a Louisiana highway Saturday night, and the off-duty nurse saw a call to action.”When you’re a nurse and you always put other people first, that’s always my first instinct,” Schubert said.She wasted no time, rushing to help a man critically injured in a crash, before EMS arrived.”I assisted in the manner of seeing what his pupils were like if we had any trauma responses, which he, in fact, did have trauma. His pupils were not reactive to light,” Schubert said.Schubert works to save lives every day as a nurse at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. She says it’s just in her blood to protect.”There’s never a question or a hesitation; I will probably always be the person to run into the accident and see if I can help,” Schubert said.Critical care paramedic Steven Tafoya said emergency teams are trained on how to respond to situations like this.”Just because we’re off the clock doesn’t mean that instinct stops,” Tafoya said. “So what this lady did on her wedding day was remarkable and shows her commitment to health care in general.”Although it was not the ending Heather expected for her wedding day, she said she would not change a thing.”I would hope that anybody, whether they’re a nurse or not, anybody if they see someone in trouble would run and do the same thing,” Schubert said.The victim’s condition is unclear, but everyone involved hopes for a full recovery.

    NEW ORLEANS —

    Moments after tying the knot on her wedding day, a bride who works as a nurse stepped in to save a life while she was still wearing her wedding dress.

    The same night Heather Schubert walked down the aisle celebrating her new union, she ended up at a crash scene.

    “We saw a man laying across the road, and his car, all the airbags were deployed,” Heather Ramsey Schubert said.

    Schubert and her husband were driving home on a Louisiana highway Saturday night, and the off-duty nurse saw a call to action.

    “When you’re a nurse and you always put other people first, that’s always my first instinct,” Schubert said.

    She wasted no time, rushing to help a man critically injured in a crash, before EMS arrived.

    “I assisted in the manner of seeing what his pupils were like if we had any trauma responses, which he, in fact, did have trauma. His pupils were not reactive to light,” Schubert said.

    Schubert works to save lives every day as a nurse at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. She says it’s just in her blood to protect.

    “There’s never a question or a hesitation; I will probably always be the person to run into the accident and see if I can help,” Schubert said.

    Critical care paramedic Steven Tafoya said emergency teams are trained on how to respond to situations like this.

    “Just because we’re off the clock doesn’t mean that instinct stops,” Tafoya said. “So what this lady did on her wedding day was remarkable and shows her commitment to health care in general.”

    Although it was not the ending Heather expected for her wedding day, she said she would not change a thing.

    “I would hope that anybody, whether they’re a nurse or not, anybody if they see someone in trouble would run and do the same thing,” Schubert said.

    The victim’s condition is unclear, but everyone involved hopes for a full recovery.

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  • Christian missionary father and daughter died when plane bound for Jamaica crashed in Florida

    A Christian missionary father and his daughter were killed when a small plane bound for a hurricane relief mission in Jamaica crashed in a South Florida neighborhood.Christian ministry organization Ignite the Fire identified the two victims of the Monday morning crash as the group’s founder, Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena Wurm, 22.The pair were bringing humanitarian aid to Jamaica, according to the organization, when the Beechcraft King Air plane they were flying in crashed into a pond in a residential area of the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs, narrowly missing homes. As of Tuesday morning, investigators had not reported any other victims. In recent weeks, Alexander Wurm had helped deliver medical supplies, water filters and StarLink satellite internet equipment to Jamaica for the relief organization Crisis Response International, according to a video statement the group posted online. “He really made a difference in the lives of the people on the ground by getting the resources in that he did. He saved lives and he gave his life,” Crisis Response International founder Sean Malone added. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the plane was manufactured in 1976 and its registered owner is listed as International Air Services, a company that markets itself as specializing in providing trust agreements to non-U.S. citizens that enable them to register their aircraft with the FAA. A person who answered the company’s phone Monday afternoon declined to answer questions from a reporter, stating “no comment” and ending the phone call.Posts by Alexander Wurm on social media in recent days suggested the evangelist had recently acquired the plane to further his missionary work across the Caribbean, describing the aircraft as “an older King Air with brand new engines,” and “perfect” to ferry deliveries of generators, batteries and building materials to Jamaica. Photos and videos on social media show Wurm posing for a picture in the plane’s cockpit and unloading boxes of supplies from the packed aircraft with teams of volunteers.The flight tracking website FlightAware shows the plane made four other trips to or from Jamaica in the past week, traveling between George Town in the Cayman Islands and Montego Bay and Negril in Jamaica, before landing in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. A powerful Category 5 storm, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 28 and tied for the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane in history. The storm also caused devastation in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic and prompted relief organizations to mobilize.

    FLORIDA, USA —

    A Christian missionary father and his daughter were killed when a small plane bound for a hurricane relief mission in Jamaica crashed in a South Florida neighborhood.

    Christian ministry organization Ignite the Fire identified the two victims of the Monday morning crash as the group’s founder, Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena Wurm, 22.

    The pair were bringing humanitarian aid to Jamaica, according to the organization, when the Beechcraft King Air plane they were flying in crashed into a pond in a residential area of the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs, narrowly missing homes. As of Tuesday morning, investigators had not reported any other victims.

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    In recent weeks, Alexander Wurm had helped deliver medical supplies, water filters and StarLink satellite internet equipment to Jamaica for the relief organization Crisis Response International, according to a video statement the group posted online.

    “He really made a difference in the lives of the people on the ground by getting the resources in that he did. He saved lives and he gave his life,” Crisis Response International founder Sean Malone added.

    According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the plane was manufactured in 1976 and its registered owner is listed as International Air Services, a company that markets itself as specializing in providing trust agreements to non-U.S. citizens that enable them to register their aircraft with the FAA. A person who answered the company’s phone Monday afternoon declined to answer questions from a reporter, stating “no comment” and ending the phone call.

    Posts by Alexander Wurm on social media in recent days suggested the evangelist had recently acquired the plane to further his missionary work across the Caribbean, describing the aircraft as “an older King Air with brand new engines,” and “perfect” to ferry deliveries of generators, batteries and building materials to Jamaica.

    Photos and videos on social media show Wurm posing for a picture in the plane’s cockpit and unloading boxes of supplies from the packed aircraft with teams of volunteers.

    The flight tracking website FlightAware shows the plane made four other trips to or from Jamaica in the past week, traveling between George Town in the Cayman Islands and Montego Bay and Negril in Jamaica, before landing in Fort Lauderdale on Friday.

    A powerful Category 5 storm, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 28 and tied for the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane in history. The storm also caused devastation in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic and prompted relief organizations to mobilize.

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