Every president makes their mark on the White House in some way. They extend, rebuild or renew. First Ladies order new China sets or redesign the grounds. And when Joe Biden checks out on Jan. 20, the staff have to begin a rapid makeover. Unusually, however, the new White House residents have been there before–and the staff will be bringing back their creature comforts. Which is why, the Daily Mail reports, President-elect Donald Trump’s Resolute Desk will have a vital feature re-installed: the Diet Coke button. The small red button, mounted in a wooden box with the presidential seal, sits in front of the Resolute Desk’s array of phones and was a frequent power flex for the 45th president when he conducted interviews in the Oval Office. One press and a butler brings in a chilled glass of his favorite drink. The White House staff will also rearrange furniture and the Oval Office’s collection of art, particularly presidential portraits. Biden removed Trump’s portrait of the populist Andrew Jackson and replaced it with Benjamin Franklin and also added a bust of the labor organizer César Chávez.

An Azerbaijan Airlines plane which crashed in a fireball in Kazakhastan was “likely shot down by a Russian military air defense system,” an aviation security firm has said. The plane was en route to Grozny, in Chechnya, when it was diverted almost 300 miles to the east after the pilot declared an emergency. Instead of landing at Aktau in Kazakhstan, it came down almost two miles short of the runway and exploded in flames, killing 38 passengers and crew. Twenty nine people survived. Although the airline said it was diverted because of fog, UK-based Osprey, said there appeared to have been Ukrainian drones attacking Grozny at the time. A second security firm boss, Justin Crump of UK-based Sibylline, told the BBC that the damage to the plane was consistent with an air defense missile strike. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are both allies of Putin, while Chechnya is a Russian autonomous republic run by a bloodthirsty warlord who is one of Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin’s closest associates. The Kremlin has declined to speculate on the cause of the crash.

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Neil deGrasse Tyson. Martin Scorsese. Bill and Hillary. Martha Steward. These are just some of the people we are unlikely to meet in person, but at least we can get up close and personal with them by taking their MasterClass online courses—and at a major discount for a limited time. The expert-led platform has a robust library of educational classes on far-ranging topics: science, music, arts, personal empowerment, and more. The classes are taught by industry experts and household names, including Gordon Ramsey, Mariah Carey, David Lynch, Jeff Koons, and many more.

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Right now, you can score up to 50 percent off on MasterClass subscriptions just in time for last-minute holiday gifting. You do have to take a short quiz to get to the deal, but honestly, it’s worth the 60 seconds. Honestly, whether you waited until the last minute or not, you’ll be gifting the dad in your life with intelligent, cultured content and giving them the opportunity to learn something new from someone famous.

Chinese students in the United States are being advised not to return home for the holidays amid uncertainty over whether it could become more difficult for them to get back into the country once Donald Trump moves into the White House. China’s Consulate General in Chicago wrote on its website that students should “try to reduce unnecessary cross-border travel.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington is also reminding students about security concerns coming into the U.S. During the president-elect’s first term, Chinese students faced tougher restrictions with 1,000 having visas revoked in 2020 over concerns that their scientific study posed security risks, according to the Wall Street Journal. Several colleges, including UPenn and Cornell University, have also highlighted the issue of holiday travel with their foreign students. Meanwhile, the number of Americans studying in China has dropped dramatically since the pandemic, from 11,000 pre-COVID to just 469 in academic-credit courses in China in the 2022-23 year, wrote the Journal.

China’s Xi Snubs Trump’s Historic Inauguration InviteNO THANKS

David Gardner

Netflix is celebrating the holidays with the release of the first teaser trailer for Happy Gilmore 2. Starring Adam Sandler, the highly-anticipated flick is a sequel to the ‘90s golf comedy, Happy Gilmore, that followed Sandler’s character as he tried to win a golf tournament to raise enough money for his grandmother’s house. For its second round on the golf course, Happy Gilmore 2 packs on a star-studded ensemble including artists Eminem and Bad Bunny, as well as Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce who opens the teaser with a cheeky, “It’s good to have you back, Mr. Gilmore.” Elsewhere in the teaser, Christopher McDonald returns as Sandler’s nemesis in the film, Shooter McGavin, much to the delight of fans. While Netflix hasn’t announced the exact date for the sequel’s release, it’s so far slated to premiere sometime in 2025.

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2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur.

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It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. Mr Black sources its ingredients, including 100 percent specialty-grade Arabica coffee, from local farmers and cooperatives. The liqueur is then slowly brewed with purified cold water to preserve its delicate, complex flavors. The result? A bittersweet masterpiece with bold flavor, balanced sweetness, and a lasting coffee kick. Its rich, coffee-forward taste is a crowd-pleaser, and the sleek bottle design adds a touch of elegance to any bar cart. Making an espresso martini is simple. Combine Mr Black, vodka, and freshly brewed espresso in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until cold. Then, strain the mixture into a martini glass and finish with three coffee beans as a garnish. Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini.

Luigi Mangione’s first Christmas behind bars likely involves a festive meal. In an interview with People magazine, prison consultant Sam Mangel disclosed that Mangione will be given a meal of Cornish hen and green beans. Although the consultant isn’t working with Mangione, he previously worked for other clients like Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. Along with his Christmas meal, Mangel also said that Mangione is sleeping on a mattress that’s “2-inches thick at best” with a “little bump in the end for a pillow.” If Mangione is in protective custody, he’ll spend Christmas day alone in his cell, however if he’s been moved to a different unit with other inmates, he’ll be allowed an hour-long visit from family. It’s unclear what unit Mangione is in while he’s in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center. The 26-year-old was arrested Dec. 9 in Pennsylvania for his alleged involvement in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York. He faces charges in both states, as well as federal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to his murder charges in New York.

Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off a slimmer build in a Christmas day tweet in which he declared himself, “Ozempic Santa.” In the photo shared with the tweet, Musk strikes a modelesque pose in front of a Christmas tree while dressed as Santa Claus. In follow up tweets, Musk suggested that his smaller frame was the result of a weight loss drug. Musk added, “Like Cocaine Bear, but Santa and Ozempic!” In another tweet, he added, “Technically, Mounjaro, but that doesn’t have the same ring to it.” His post was quickly retweeted and co-signed in the dark corners of #DarkMAGA, with unhinged MAGA politico wannabe Valentina Gomez commenting, “African Santa*” under his post. Musk is only the latest political player who has been pawing for the public’s attention during the holidays. Musk’s bff President-elect Donald Trump also posted his way through the afternoon with troll worthy claims against China, Canada, and “the Radical Left Lunatics.”

The Kardashian-Jenner clan opted for a more “low-key” Christmas eve party this year. Although the family is known for their annual star-studded bash, this year they rang in Christmas by celebrating at home with some card games and Legos. Kim also posted a video to her Instagram Stories of their guests' parting gift—a tequila bottle from her sister Kendall’s brand 818. “We’re doing a really low-key Christmas Eve party this year,” Kim told Vogue at the opening of her SKIMS flagship store in New York. “Just because we have a lot of construction going on, so we’re doing a really family intimate one that I’m really excited about.” She added they were still planning on “dressing up to the nines” because that’s “what we do.”

A “stressed” Amazon driver in Massachusetts has fessed up after they ditched dozens of undelivered packages in the woods just days before Christmas, police said. The employee, who has not been identified, came clean after police stumbled across 80 discarded packages in a wooded area of Lakeville around 2 a.m. Sunday, USA Today reported. The driver told cops that they had left the packages “because they were stressed.” No charges will be filed against the driver, who said they plan to report the incident to their supervisor. “I am proud of the way our Lakeville Police officers handled and investigated this matter. At this time, we are not seeking criminal charges and are considering this a human resources matter for Amazon,” Police Chief Matthew Perkins said.

Managing your period shouldn’t feel like a full-time job—you already have one of those. That’s why Knix’s leakproof period underwear is an incredibly thoughtful holiday gift for yourself or someone special. What makes Knix underwear special is the unique gusset. Built into the underwear’s crotch section, the gusset is a liner that—depending on the style chosen—absorbs up to five tampons worth of liquid. Knix offers more than just underwear, too. You’ll also find supportive wireless bras, silhouette-accentuating bodysuits, and ultra-comfy PJs (perfect for those tough, crampy days).

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Right now, you can score up to 60 percent off sitewide, including shapewear, leakproof underwear, loungewear, activewear, and more during its epic end-of-the-year sale. This is one of Knix’s biggest sales of the year, so if you’ve been wanting to try the brand or restock some of your favorite items, now’s the time to get shopping.

It may have been the most expensive pizza pie ever sold, but all for a good cause. Dave Portnoy, the president of Barstool Sports, saved a Baltimore pizza shop from closing down on Christmas Day by gifting its owner $60,000 to keep its doors open for a year. The polarizing media mogul stopped by TinyBrickOven in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Charm City to test out a slice as part of his wildly popular One Bite Pizza Reviews series. In the nearly 6-and-a-half-minute video, which is posted on Portnoy’s @stoolpresidente social accounts and his YouTube page, TinyBrickOven’s upbeat, enthusiastic owner tells Portnoy that, because the shop hasn’t been able to attain a liquor license, it hasn’t been making enough money and will close down.

After being impressed by the pizza—he scored it a 7.9—and the shop’s commitment to paying it forward by supporting veterans, Portnoy asks how much money it would take to keep doors open for another year: “If there’s somebody super rich right in front of your face who’s in the pizza business, and by serendipity he’s like, ‘What do you need to stay open for a year?’ you gotta give him some figure, because otherwise he’s gonna walk away.” They eventually land on $60,000, which Portnoy pledges to give before Christmas.

A body was found in a wheel well of a United Airlines plane on Christmas Eve as it landed in Hawaii, officials said. The body had been lodged in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears when the aircraft arrived Tuesday afternoon at Kahului Airport in Maui, United Airlines told People Magazine. “At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well,” the airline said in a statement. The plane had departed around 9:49 a.m. from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Maui police also said in a statement that it was “conducting an active investigation regarding a deceased individual.” “At this time, no further details are available,” cops said.