Cheat Sheet
Top 10 Right Now
1
12 Found Dead in Freak Accident at Popular Ski Resort
TRAGIC
Updated 12.18.24 12:17PM EST 
Published 12.18.24 11:43AM EST 
A church on the Georgian Military Road in the Greater Caucasus. Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty I

Twelve people died at a popular ski resort in Georgia from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, the country’s officials announced. The bodies of 11 Indian nationals and one Georgian national were found on Saturday in a sleeping area above an Indian restaurant at Gudauri, a skiing destination in the Caucasus Mountains near the Russian border. A preliminary investigation found no signs of injuries or violence, authorities said, though a generator was found in an enclosed space nearby. Authorities said the generator was likely plugged in the previous day when the restaurant lost power. The deaths will be investigated as negligent homicides. Police said the victims were all employed at the restaurant. The Indian embassy in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, said it was “committed to providing all possible support” to the grieving families and is working to repatriate the bodies of the Indian nationals. Gudauri, which sits at one of the highest points in the Caucasus Mountains, has become a popular alternative to the more expensive European skiing resorts in the Alps.

Read it at ABC News

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2
‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Speaks Out After Domestic Violence Arrest
TIME TO REFLECT
Published 12.18.24 9:41AM EST 
James Kennedy attends DIRECTV's Christmas At Kathy's on December 10, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

A reality TV star has broken his silence on his arrest for alleged domestic violence, pledging to make “meaningful changes in my life.” In a statement posted Wednesday on Instagram, James Kennedy, a recurring cast member of Vanderpump Rules, said he is “taking time to focus on my sobriety, personal growth, and being present for my loved ones.” He added that “navigating challenging moments is not easy, but I am determined to learn, grow, and move forward with the incredible support system around me.” Kennedy’s comments offer a contrast to his earlier refusal to apologize after police responded to calls about a man and women arguing at his home last week and he was was arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery. “We are in the process of conducting our own investigation into the allegations levied by the Burbank Police Department against James,” his attorneys told the Daily Mail last Friday, adding there had been no injuries and that they were confident no formal charges would be filed. The alleged victim, who has not been formally identified, reportedly told officers that she’d been lifted up and then thrown to the ground by her boyfriend.

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Turn Your Home Into a Smoking Sanctuary With These Chic Cannabis Essentials
HIGH STANDARDS
Updated 12.13.24 5:04PM EST 
Published 12.13.24 4:54PM EST 
Hands holding a marijuana cigarette over a NWTN Home Flower Pot Ashtray
NWTN Home

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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.

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

Flower Pots Ashtray Set
Available in four colors

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.

Vesper Gravity Bong
Available in four colors

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3
Trump Takes His Canada Trolling Up a Level in Bizarre Early Morning Post
‘A GREAT IDEA’
Updated 12.18.24 8:30AM EST 
Published 12.18.24 6:40AM EST 
Donald Trump continued to troll Canada and Justin Trudeau in an early morning Truth Social post.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Donald Trump ramped up his campaign of mockery against Canada on Wednesday with a trolling Truth Social post in the early hours. “No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense!” the president-elect wrote. “Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!” Trump has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada if it fails to stem the flow of migrants and drugs over the border into the United States. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago—where he reportedly warned Trump that such tariffs would kill the Canadian economy, leading Trump to suggest Canada could become the 51st state. The Republican has since publicly referred to Trudeau the “governor” of “the Great State of Canada” even as the Canadian government has been plunged into crisis, spiraling this week as the powerful Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned and accused Trudeau of being ill-prepared to deal with a “coming tariff war.”

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4
Young Americans Have Never Been Richer—But Face Unprecedented Problems
KIDS THESE DAYS
Published 12.18.24 9:05AM EST 
Americans under-40s are richer than ever before, according to a Treasury Department report.
Sutthipong Kongtrakool/Getty Images

Young adult Americans are richer than ever before but, according to the Treasury Department, they still feel “an increasing sense of economic fragility.” Research released by the department Wednesday showed that real median wealth for Americans between 25 and 39 climbed to $80,500 in 2022—an increase from $23,750 in 2010, as measured in 2023 dollars. While young American adults have enjoyed a surge in net wealth during the recovery from the pandemic, today’s under-40s are also being hit by a wide array of economic headwinds. The Treasury research points to real non-housing debt almost doubling between 1989 and 2022—fueled by student loan debt—while the costs of housing, healthcare, and childcare have all risen faster than young adults’ incomes. The report also gave a “special mention” to the aging U.S. population which has meant that the young face increasing competition for jobs and housing from “older, wealthier, and more experienced counterparts.” It’s perhaps small wonder that a recent poll found Gen Zers think they need to earn almost $600,000 to consider themselves “financially successful.”

Read it at Axios

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Cleaning Is Fun and Chemical-Free With This Steam-Powered Device
DREAM STEAM
Updated 12.17.24 9:18PM EST 
Published 12.17.24 9:16PM EST 
Woman using the BISSELL Steam Shot OmniReach handheld steam cleaner to clean bathroom tiles, showcasing its powerful steam cleaning capabilities.
BISSELL

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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.

Steam Shot™ OmniReach™

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.

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5

Pope Reveals Suicide Bombers’ Failed Plots to Assassinate Him

THWARTED
Published 12.18.24 8:20AM EST 
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Iraqi police intercepted and killed at least two would-be suicide bombers who had planned to assassinate Pope Francis during a papal visit in 2021, the pontiff revealed in his upcoming autobiography. His advisors had warned him against making the three-day trip, which required intense security after years of rising sectarian violence. The country was also in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, heightening the risks. But Pope Francis felt he had to go, he wrote in a book except published by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera. As soon as he landed in Baghdad, he was told, “A woman packed with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was heading to Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit. And a van had also sped off with the same intent,” he wrote in his book Spera, which means “Hope.” The next day, he asked his Swiss Guards what they knew about the attackers. “The commander told me laconically, ‘They are no more.’ The Iraqi police had intercepted them and blown them up,” the pontiff wrote. “This too was the poisonous fruit of war.” The except also describes the pope’s interfaith meetings in Iraq and his attempts to bridge religious divides. Despite previous attempts, his visit marked the first time a pope traveled to the country believed to have been the birth place of Abraham. Spera is set to be released on Jan. 14.

Read it at Corriere della Sera

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6
Prince Andrew Photographed Ogling Young Woman’s Chest
GROSS
Published 12.18.24 7:31AM EST 
The front pages of national newspapers the day after the Duke of York suspended his work with his charities, organisations and military units because of the fallout from his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Zoe Linkson/PA Images via Getty Images

A photograph has emerged of Prince Andrew appearing to stare down the top of a young woman at an official engagement about 20 years ago. The woman in the photo has now come forward and told U.K. tabloid The Sun that she was 24 at the time. She told the paper: “He wouldn’t leave me alone. As soon as he saw me he darted over for a chat. I was young, blonde, slim and attractive. He seemed a lot more inclined to speak to me than the middle-aged female MD… He was more interested in looking at my boobs than learning about our business. It was a bit creepy.” The woman said that when the Jeffrey Epstein sex allegations against Andrew emerged years later, “It made my tummy turn.” Andrew has been excluded from royal Christmas celebrations over his links to alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.

Read it at The Sun

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7
Kimberly Who? Don Jr. Takes New Girlfriend on Romantic Italian Vacation
COUPLES RETREAT
Updated 12.18.24 6:43AM EST 
Published 12.17.24 9:51PM EST 
Donald Trump Jr., son of former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Donald Trump Jr., son of former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson are reportedly on vacation in Venice, Italy, according to Page Six. The socialite has been posting vacation photos on her Instagram Stories, with one post picturing her on a gondola ride and another showing a throwback image of her mom, Inger, on a gondola years ago. She also posted a picture of Fretter slippers, an item available at luxury hotels. While Don. Jr was not pictured in any of Anderson’s Venice pictures, the pair were photographed holding hands in Palm Beach in photos published by the Daily Mail last week. President-elect Donald Trump also announced the appointment of Kimberly Guilfoyle, Don. Jr’s onetime fiancée, as ambassador to Greece on the same day The Daily Mail published photos of Don. Jr’s new squeeze. “Kimberly and I will never stop caring for each other and will always keep a special bond,” Don Jr. told Page Six in a statement. “I could not be more proud of her and the important role she’ll continue to play in my father‘s administration,” though he didn’t address rumors on the couple’s apparent split.

Read it at Page Six

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8
Arizona News Anchors Tearfully Announce Colleague’s Unexpected Death at 28
FINAL SIGN OFF
Updated 12.18.24 3:36AM EST 
Published 12.17.24 8:19PM EST 
Ana Orsini.
Ana Orsini. Facebook

Anchors at a local news station based in Tucson, Arizona, tearfully announced the death of their 28-year-old colleague in a Monday broadcast that seemed to stir the anchors on air. “Sad news to share with you, our beloved friend and co-anchor Ana Orsini passed away unexpectedly last week,” said anchor Tyler Butler of the CBS affiliate KOLD-TV. Co-anchor Carsyn Currier added, “Ana has been here at 13 News since June of 2023, and we are devastated by this loss.” Reaching out to hold Currier’s hand, Butler added, “We had the opportunity to work with her every day, and we do want you to know that what you saw with her on air, the funny, crazy person she was, she was just like that off-camera and more so.” Orsini is believed to have died from a brain aneurysm, Butler announced on Facebook Tuesday. A Colorado native, Orsini landed her first job at a Lubbock, Texas, news station and spent three years as a morning/midday anchor in Medford, Oregon, before arriving at KOLD, reported People. “She was truly one of a kind,” Butler wrote in his Facebook post.

Read it at People

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Partner update

This Performance-Enhancing Ring Vibrator Is Perfect for Couples
CAME FOR THE VIBES
Published 11.19.24 2:13PM EST 
A person holding MysteryVibe's Tenuto Mini Vibrator on a bed with white bed sheets.
MysteryVibe

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Sex toys are a fun and spicy way to add more excitement to the bedroom. However, most are designed for solo pleasure—which is a lot less exciting.MysteryVibe solved this issue with its Tenuto 2 vibrator. Now, MysteryVibe has improved its design and effectiveness in the new Tenuto Mini.

The secret to the Tenuto Mini is the three robust motors that deliver powerful vibrations on key erogenous zones at the head or base of the penis. It’s made with a water-resistant and flexible silicone that fits most penis sizes, soft or hard. The vibrations stimulate the penis to increase blood flow and arousal for harder erections.

Tenuto Mini
30% off the original price

However, that’s not all this small-yet-mighty vibrator can do. The Tenuto Mini keeps men harder longer. Slide the vibrator down to the base of the penis to gently constrict blood flow, extending performance and pleasure. Plus, those powerful motors don’t forget the clit exists, stimulating it as well for mind-blowing pleasure.

Everything can be controlled via buttons on the vibrator itself or Bluetooth with the free companion app—opening up a whole new avenue of pleasure and play. With the app, you or your partner can explore and control 16 different vibrational intensity levels, fine-tuning the vibrator to both of your likings. Once you nailed it, save the vibration patterns for quick access for the next time. The only limitation is your imagination. Worried about privacy? MysteryVibe thought of that. The packaging is discreet and—as a bonus—the shipping is free.

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9
Trump’s Lawyers Try New Tactic to Escape Hush Money Sentencing
TRY TRY AGAIN
Updated 12.18.24 3:30AM EST 
Published 12.17.24 10:50PM EST 
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023 in Waco, Texas.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023 in Waco, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Donald Trump’s lawyers are claiming to have received evidence of “grave juror misconduct” in his New York hush money case, part of yet another bid to have the case dismissed. Now the president-elect, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts earlier this year—but his election last month raised questions about whether he would ever be sentenced for the crimes. Trump’s lawyers did not disclose what the misconduct in question was in a Dec. 3 letter unsealed by the court Tuesday, according to NBC News—but that didn’t stop Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emile Bove from asking that the case be dismissed. “This behavior is completely unacceptable and it demonstrates without question that the verdicts in this case are as unreliable as DA Bragg’s promise to protect Manhattanites from violent crime,” the pair wrote, according to NBC News. In a reply to the letter, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office described the misconduct allegations as “vague” and said that their summary of the situation, which was not made public, “contains inaccuracies.” Judge Juan Merchan, for his part, said it contained “unsworn and contested statements” that could threaten jurors’ safety. The news comes just one day after Judge Merchan ruled that the case should not be dismissed because of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.

Read it at NBC News

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10
Virginia Man Dies After Bear Falls on Him While Hunting
TRAGEDY
Published 12.17.24 6:16PM EST 
A bear cub lays on a tree branch as the inhabitants of the bear shelter at Karacabey district are fed with nearly half a ton of food a day before hibernation period when their metabolism slows down and their body temperature decreases in order to withstand the difficult winter conditions in Bursa, Turkiye on November 15, 2024.
Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images

A Virginia man died in a bizarre hunting accident when the bear his partner shot careened out of a tree and fell onto his head, state officials announced this week. The hunting group was following the bear when it ran up the tree, the state’s Department of Wildlife Resources said in a statement. One hunter shot the bear while the group retreated away—causing it to fall off its perch and crush another hunter, Lester C Harvey. THe 58-year-old was at least 10 feet away from the tree when the incident occurred, the department said. A member of the group administered first aid on Harvey before he was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries last Friday. The hunting excursion took place 70 miles south of Richmond. Harvey was a contractor, as well as a married father of five with eight grandchildren. His online obituary said he was a “friend to all” and an “avid outdoorsman.”

Read it at The Guardian

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