Flash flooding in northern California leads to soaked roads, water rescues and 1 death
REDDING, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain and flash flooding have soaked roads in northern California, leading to water rescues and at least one confirmed death. Authorities say police in the city of Redding received numerous calls Sunday from stranded motorists who tried to drive through flooded areas. According to Mayor Mike Littau on Monday, one person died who was pulled out of a vehicle that was flooding. The National Weather Service expects more rain through the Christmas week and warns of potentially flooding, mudslides and rockslides. The flooding in California comes after stubborn atmospheric rivers drenched Washington state earlier this month.
Hundreds mourn Brown University sophomore Ella Cook, killed in campus shooting
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Hundreds of Alabama funeralgoers mourned a Brown University sophomore killed in a recent campus attack. Friends and family members gathered at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham to honor the memory of 19-year-old Ella Cook. Cook and another student were killed Dec. 13 when a gunman opened fire during a study session. Authorities believe a former graduate student carried out the attack. He was later found dead in New Hampshire. Cook was described as smart, confident, and kind. Cook was an accomplished pianist who was studying French, math and economics at Brown, where she also served as vice president of the college Republicans.
’60 Minutes’ pulls story about Trump deportations from its lineup
Hours before airtime on Sunday, CBS News’ “60 Minutes” held a planned story on President Donald Trump’s deportation policy at the order of the network’s new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss. Weiss, the founder of the Free Press website, had sought to get Trump administration perspective included in the story. The move is sure to increase scrutiny on CBS and “60 Minutes,” which Trump sued last fall over an interview with Kamala Harris and has recently complained about stories critical of him. Weiss said in a statement that holding stories that aren’t ready, because they lack context or are missing critical voices, happen every day in newsrooms.
Coast Guard is pursuing another tanker helping Venezuela skirt sanctions, US official says
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. Word of the pursuit comes as the Trump administration appears to be intensifying its targeting of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government. The tanker pursuit Sunday was confirmed by a U.S. official. The official says the vessel was flying a false flag and was under a judicial seizure order. Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro Maduro says on Telegram that his country has spent months “ denouncing, challenging and defeating a campaign of aggression” being waged against it.
Cyberattack disrupts France’s postal service and banking during Christmas rush
PARIS (AP) — A suspected cyberattack has knocked France’s national postal service and its banking arm offline during the busy Christmas season. La Poste said Monday the attack disrupted package deliveries and online payments, but customer data was not impacted. Customers of La Banque Postale were blocked from using the application to approve payments or conduct other banking services. No one immediately claimed responsibility. Officials didn’t comment on the culprit. Paris prosecutors were examining the case. What La Poste called a ’’major network incident″ remained unresolved by Monday evening.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says progress in US-led peace talks is ‘quite solid’
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kyiv’s demands, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Monday, he said that while the drafts look solid, neither side is likely to get everything it wants. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff held productive talks with Ukrainian and European representatives. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have struck deep inside Russia, targeting an oil terminal, pipeline, and military assets. These attacks aim to disrupt Russia’s war effort. Russia continues targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, trying to deprive civilians of heat and water during winter.
Pop culture in 2025: A ring for Taylor, an ill-timed KissCam … and whatever ‘6-7’ means
In a year of pop culture moments, some things were old and some things were very new. What does the term “6-7” mean? Dictionary.com designated it the word of 2025 but even they couldn’t define it. People were talking about “KPop Demon Hunters,” and especially singing its songs. They were talking about the Coldplay KissCam, and how adorable the capybara was. But then there were two names that have dominated our pop culture for years now. Taylor Swift kept making records with her album sales, and got engaged. And Beyoncé finally won her overdue Grammy for album of the year.
Most US adults aren’t making year-end charitable contributions, new AP-NORC poll finds
NEW YORK (AP) — A new AP-NORC poll finds that most Americans aren’t making end-of-year charitable giving plans, despite the many fundraising appeals made by nonprofits that rely on donation surges in the calendar’s final month to reach next year’s budget targets. The survey found that about half of U.S. adults say they’ve already made their charitable contributions for 2025. Just 18% indicated they’ve donated and will donate again before the year is over. Only 6% reported they haven’t given yet but will do so by year-end. Everyday donors faced competing priorities this year, but weaker income gains and steep price inflation meant that lower-income households had less money to redistribute.
