The Everett Leader-Herald, a Massachusetts local paper in business for nearly 140 years, will shut down over a $1.1 million defamation suit for fabricating stories about Everett’s mayor. Court documents showed that the paper’s editor, Joshua Resnek, admitted to making up allegations about Mayor Carlo DeMaria to hurt him politically, including branding him as “Kickback Carlo.” “Each week, 52 times a year, I invent the Leader Herald… The mayor is my enemy… It takes me two days away from important writing every week to create this s---,” Resnek wrote in an email, according to the court docs. DeMaria filed a suit against the paper’s leaders in 2021. After the settlement, he said in a statement: “What the Everett Leader-Herald, its owner, and its publisher and editor did to my family and me... wasn’t just dishonest. It was corrupt.” The paper agreed to cease publication this week and pay the mayor $1.1 million, he said.

John Lennon’s son revealed he underwent a seven-hour emergency surgery after discovering a cancerous mole on his arm. Julian, the eldest son of the late Beatles legend, detailed the medical emergency in a post on X, five years after his first public skin cancer scare. The 61-year-old explained that the abnormal growths were spotted by his dermatologist, whom he visited ahead of a trip to New York. She urged him to come back for surgery on his shoulder and forearm shortly after he appeared on Good Morning America. “So instead of going home to put my Christmas tree up and happily finish the year off, relaxing at home, I flew directly back to Los Angeles, after all my work in New York was done,” he wrote on X. “And went directly from LAX airport, to surgery, with a surgeon recommended by Dr. Tess, who spent several hours cleaning up and operating on me, with large margins, in the hope that we have, at the end of the day - clear margins...” Julian also encouraged his followers to get their skin checked regularly. Although his surgery was successful, he added that the results of his biopsies may not come until after the holidays.

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Bissell is known for its grime-busting devices, and the Steam Shot OmniReach delivers more unbelievable portable cleaning power just in time for holiday hosting. This handheld device blasts steam to break down even tough stains. Think stovetops, bathroom soap scum, outdoor furniture: wherever your toughest stains live, your Bissell will ensure cleaning is the easiest thing to check off your holiday list.

The 16-foot cord means you’ll have maneuverability without worrying about battery life. The tank holds over six ounces of water, minimizing the number of times you’ll need to refill. The ten included specialty cleaning tools–multiple included brush heads and scrapers–will help you bust stains of any size, depth, and (nearly any) surface. And that’s everything you need! The steam-powered cleaning doesn’t require any additional soaps or solvents to sanitize–perfect for households with pets or infants. With just the 100-watt steam power, up to 99.9 percent* of germs are killed.

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If you’re the type of person who loves watching grout deep-cleaning videos on Instagram, but hasn’t touched your own on tiles in a decade, this product will bring out your inner cleanfluencer. The fabric steamer, window cleaner tool, and extension wand will have you looking around your home thinking, “What else can I steam?”

*Kills 99.9% of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella aerogenes, and Aspergillus niger when used as directed. Testing conducted in a third-party laboratory under controlled conditions. Results may vary.

The brother of late Patriots player Aaron Hernandez has pleaded guilty to threatening a mass shooting at the University of Connecticut’s main campus. Federal prosecutors said Dennis Hernandez, 38, who played football at UConn, sent threatening Facebook messages in July 2023. Police said Hernandez drove to UConn and Brown University, where he once served at the quarterbacks coach, to “map the schools out” for a shooting. “I would recommend remaining away from there because when I go I’m taking down everything,” Hernandez wrote, according to court documents. “And don’t give a f–k who gets caught in the crossfire. I’ve died for years now and now it’s others people turn. I’m prepared to give my life. ... Not all shootings are bad I’m realizing. Some are necessary for change to happen.” He pleaded guilty to transmitting interstate communications containing a threat to injure, which carries up to five years in prison. Hernandez has been in jail since his arrest in 2023. His younger brother, Aaron, was arrested for murder after three seasons as a tight end for the Patriots. He died by suicide in jail in 2017.

RFK Jr. faced a tricky dilemma as he sat with Donald Trump on the jubilant president-elect’s plane shortly after the election. Trump has made no secret of his liking for McDonald’s fast food and the table—where Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., and House Speaker Mike Johnson were also seated—was set with trays full of Big Macs, fries, and soda. By the same token, Kennedy is disdainful of junk food, calling it “poison.” But according to his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, Kennedy decided he had no choice but to take his “poison.” She told TMZ: “I don’t think he had a choice … it’s all they had.” But Hines isn’t worried that he’ll be swayed by Trump’s bad eating habits in Washington, D.C. if he is confirmed as the nation’s next health chief. “Bobby is a very strong-willed, strong-minded person,” she said, adding that she plans to continue acting even if Kennedy does join Trump’s administration. “I will pay attention to my career and do what I do and support my husband,” she said.

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved smoothies, but they were something I only enjoyed once in a while. So, five years ago, I asked for a Nutribullet blender for the holidays, and I’ve probably averaged 350 smoothies a year ever since. They’ve become part of my morning routine, and starting my day with fruit, veggies, and protein feels fantastic. What I don’t love is the clean-up. Plus, when I travel, I have to give up my smoothie fix (which is why I’m at 350 smoothies a year and not 365). Enter the Nutribullet Flip, an insulated portable blender. The size is just right for making my morning smoothie—wherever I am.

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The portable blender is incredible for mornings when I’m in a time crunch and just need to get out the door. Plus, I can easily pack it on road trips. Best of all, I just put a little soap and water in it and press the blend button to clean it. Viola! Charging the Flip is easy, as it uses a USB-C port, and the insulated, stainless steel tumbler can keep smoothies cold for 24 hours, making it easy to blend and go (or go and blend later). I didn’t really think my smoothie habit could get much more efficient, but the simplicity of this mini blender has saved me some serious time during my morning routine. Now, I can have smoothies 365 days out of the year.

Kevin Costner had a short and not so sweet answer when quizzed on comments made about him by former Yellowstone co-star Luke Grimes. “To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone,” Grimes told Esquire earlier this month. “Obviously, it didn’t make it super fun to be around. Not pointing any fingers, but it was actually the easiest season we’ve filmed.” And after the series finale aired on Dec. 15, a paparazzi in Aspen, Colorado, asked Costner whether he and Grimes, who played his son in Yellowstone, had been in touch. “We’re done talking,” he responded simply. But, earlier in the video obtained by DailyMail.com the Oscar-winner was more forthcoming. He was asked if he watched the season finale—in which his character John Dutton was killed off—and said: “I’m not thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve given it any thoughts, we’ll just let it go.”

Britain’s rural outpost of private members club Soho House, whose customers have included Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has been hit by a fire in the establishment’s main venue in the crucial run-up to Christmas. A source told The Daily Beast that the fire started in a wood-fired pizza oven connected to a chimney in the venue’s so-called Main Barn, the central restaurant that typically serves hundreds of diners a day. While the Main Barn remains open for drinks, food service was suspended in that location with reservations moved to another temporary event space, the source said. The club’s clientele include Jeremy Clarkson, David Cameron and David and Victoria Beckham, who have a house nearby. Adding to the misery for the club’s exclusive clientele, the club’s fancy Asian restaurant, Pen Yeng, was hit by flooding two weeks ago and has also relocated to another space. One member told The Daily Beast the club typically hosts hundreds of people for Christmas Day meals at prices of up to $200 a head. A spokesperson told The Daily Beast: “There was a small, contained kitchen chimney fire but member and guest experience is not affected with all eating and drinking spaces open including Pen Yen.”

A photo snapped by a Google Street View car in October has led Spanish police to two people suspected of being involved in a missing person case, The Guardian reported. In November 2023, relatives of a Cuban national living in Spain reported the man had gone missing while searching for a woman believed to have been his partner. In October, a car taking photos for Google Street View in the remote northern town of Tajueco captured an image of a man loading a bulky white sack into the trunk of a red car. The photos—which are still visible on Google Maps—helped lead police to the missing man and her suspected new partner, both of whom were arrested last month. A few weeks later, a torso believed to be that of the missing man was found in a nearby village. Neighbors told the Spanish newspaper El Paìs that they had seen the photos on Google Maps but never imagined that the man was doing anything untoward. It’s not clear from the images if the suspect knew he was being captured on camera. Photos taken from different angles show the camera car passed the suspect’s car, shooting from both the front and the back while the trunk was still open.

The White House released a fiery statement after President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, and billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk successfully blew up a bipartisan package in Congress that would have stopped a government shutdown and funded the government through March. “Republicans need to stop playing politics with this bipartisan agreement or they will hurt hardworking Americans and create instability across the country,” a statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre read Wednesday. “President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance ordered Republicans to shut down the government and they are threatening to do just that—while undermining communities recovering from disasters, farmers and ranchers, and community health centers.” The statement went on to note all the parties at risk if the government were to shut down, including families, veterans, and Social Security recipients. “A deal is a deal,” the statement concluded. “Republicans should keep their word.”

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Consuming cannabis as an adult feels very different than doing so as a fresh-faced 21-year-old—so why should your smoking habits make your space feel like a disheveled college dorm room? NWTN Home’s collection of chic smoking essentials offers a more elevated way to enjoy cannabis in the comfort of your home.

NWTN Home is a smokeware brand bringing craftsmanship to the cannabis industry by designing what they call “homeware for the high-minded.” Its weed-associated products are built to double as elegant and functional houseware items, helping you upgrade your home into a full smoking sanctuary. Plus, they make the perfect holiday gifts for your favorite creative cannabis connoisseur!

This hand-poured, marbled ashtray rests atop a sleek melamine rolling tray and includes a helpful brass tool that can assist in your rolling process, making it the perfect blend of form and function.

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This standout stackable flower pot ashtray set is a surefire solution to keep your space clean—and your houseguests impressed.

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No cannabis collection is complete without something to smoke out of! These avant-garde gravity bongs are inspired by vintage housewares and designed to seamlessly blend into your barware and greenware set-ups.

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Squirrels in California have added a new dish to their menu: meat. A study at UC Davis revealed that California ground squirrels were hunting, killing and eating voles. Researchers called the animals an “opportunistic omnivore” and said the rodents were more flexible in their diet than they had previously assumed. “We had never seen this behavior before. Squirrels are one of the most familiar animals to people. We see them right outside our windows; we interact with them regularly,” said Jennifer E. Smith, a biology professor who leads the long-term squirrels ground project at UW-Eau Claire. “Yet here’s this never-before-encountered-in-science behavior that sheds light on the fact that there’s so much more to learn about the natural history of the world around us.” Voles were the only mammal seen to be hunted by the squirrels during the study. “The researchers said many questions remain unanswered, including how widespread the hunting behavior is among squirrels, whether and how it is passed down from parent to pup, and how it affects ecological processes,” the study read.

Courteney Cox is set to reprise her iconic role as Gale Weathers for Scream 7. Citing sources familiar with the project, Variety reports that Cox has signed on to appear in the horror franchise’s seventh installment, which is slated to be released on Feb. 27, 2026. Although Cox previously told Variety that she was “not officially signed on” in September, she said that she was still waiting for a final script and was “excited” about Kevin Williamson directing the seventh film. Williamson wrote the script for the first two Scream films, and Scream 7 will mark his debut as a director in the franchise. “You can’t get better than that choice,” Cox told Variety at the time. “It’s going to be fun.” Scream is a slasher franchise that follows the murderous spree of different killers who don a similar ghost mask. Alongside Cox, Isabel May and Mason Gooding are also set to star in the latest installment in the series.