The Gorga Family Had an Incredible First Christmas in Their New House (PICS)

AFP
Slovakia says ready to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks
Slovakia on Friday confirmed its readiness to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, despite Kyiv's accusation that it is playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.He said Slovakia had told Kyiv in October that it was available to host peace talks.
Associated Press
Venezuela accuses an Argentine officer of terrorism as relations deteriorate
An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuela’s attorney general said Friday. In a statement published on Instagram, Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused the officer, Nahuel Gallo, of “being part of a group of people who tried to commit destabilizing and terrorist acts (in Venezuela) with the support of international far-right groups.” In a press conference on Friday, Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich described the charges as “another lie” by Venezuela’s government, and said that Gallo should be returned to Argentina “immediately.”
Associated Press
New York state government to monitor its use of AI under a new law
New York state government agencies will have to conduct reviews and publish reports that detail how they're using artificial intelligence software, under a new law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul, a Democrat, signed the bill last week after it was passed by state lawmakers earlier this year. The law requires state agencies to perform assessments of any software that uses algorithms, computational models or AI techniques, and then submit those reviews to the governor and top legislative leaders along with posting them online.
Associated Press
Final crystal triangles installed on Times Square ball ahead of New Year's Eve
The last of the crystal triangles that make up this year's Times Square New Year's Eve ball were installed on Friday morning, marking the first time in 10 years that all 2,688 were replaced at once. Rapper Pitbull and inventor Joy Mangano were among those on hand to help the organizers of the celebration put the final pieces in place atop One Times Square, the skyscraper from which the 11,875-pound (5,386-kilogram) geodesic sphere drops to mark the new year. A New Year's Eve ball was first dropped in Times Square in 1907.
CBS News
Mega Millions jackpot jumps to $1.22 billion for Friday's drawing
Winners can either take the cash payout of $549.7 million or the $1.22 billion annuity paid out over 30 years.
Reuters
Engineer pleads not guilty in US case over deadly Iran-linked drone strike
A former engineer at a semiconductor manufacturer pleaded not guilty on Friday to U.S. charges that he illegally procured technology for an Iranian firm that made a key component of a drone used in a January attack by Iran-backed militants in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members. Mahdi Sadeghi, who was fired by Analog Devices after his Dec. 16 arrest, pleaded not guilty during a hearing in federal court in Boston to charges that he engaged in a scheme to violate U.S. export control and sanctions laws. He entered the plea nearly two weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against the dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and the head of an Iranian navigation systems manufacturer, Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested in Italy.
AFP
Several wounded N.Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukraine: Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that "several" wounded North Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukrainian forces, as he accused Russia of throwing them into battle with "minimal protection".Zelensky did not specify how many North Koreans had died after being captured by Ukrainian troops.
AFP
South Korean lawmakers impeach second president in two weeks
South Korean lawmakers impeached acting president Han Duck-soo on Friday, sinking the country even deeper into political crisis two weeks after his predecessor was suspended over a martial law declaration that shocked the world.Amid the ongoing crisis, South Korea's won touched a 16-year low against the US dollar on Friday, faring worse than in the immediate aftermath of Yoon's martial law declaration, which sent the currency sliding to a two-year low against the greenback.
NBC News
11 Illinois teens charged with felonies after men lured and beaten using dating apps
Eleven Illinois teenagers were hit with felony charges in connection with the alleged luring and beating of two men using dating apps this summer, according to police.
AFP
US homelessness hits new record in 2024: report
The number of people in the United States experiencing homelessness reached a new record this year, with lingering inflation and high housing prices among likely drivers, a government report said Friday.While people identifying as Black form 12 percent of the United States' population, they made up 32 percent of people experiencing homelessness.
Reuters
US adds 9th telcom to list of companies hacked by Chinese-backed Salt Typhoon cyberespionage
U.S. officials have added a ninth telecommunications company to the list of entities compromised by a sweeping Chinese-linked cyberespionage operation known as Salt Typhoon, a top White House official said Friday. Anne Neuberger, the U.S. deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, told reporters on a call that the unnamed telecom was added to the list after the U.S. government shared guidance on how to detect and defend against the operation. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Dec. 18 urged senior government and political figures to move mobile communications to end-to-end encrypted apps as a result of the Salt Typhoon campaign, which has targeted officials associated with the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, according to reports.
Associated Press
US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, pushing to get aid out before Biden leaves office
The United States is expected to announce that it will send $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds, officials said.
AFP
New bird flu mutation discovered in US as cat infections cause alarm
The ongoing spread of bird flu in the United States has alarmed experts -- not just because of human cases causing severe illness, but also due to troubling new instances of infections in cats. A sample of the virus found in a critically ill patient in the United States has shown signs of mutating to better suit human airways, although there is no indication it has spread beyond that individual, authorities report.
AFP
Cracks emerge in Trump's MAGA coalition
Donald Trump has yet to move back into the White House and already fissures are opening in his coalition, amid squabbling between Elon Musk and his Silicon Valley "tech bros" and his hardcore Republican backers.The permits are widely used in Silicon Valley, and Musk -- who himself came to the United States from South Africa on an H1-B -- is a fervent advocate.
AccuWeather
New Year's Eve weather is shaping up rainy for some popular destinations in US
Just about every small town and major city has some sort of New Year's Eve celebration, whether it is an officially scheduled event or just a friends and family gathering to ring in 2025. The good news is that the weather will be dry and cooperative across much of the United States as the last minutes of 2024 wind down and the first moments of 2025 begin. However, AccuWeather meteorologists caution that there will be some trouble spots in late December and early January. Unfortunately, most of t
Associated Press
Another unticketed passenger attempts to stow away on a Delta flight this holiday season
In the thick of holiday travel, another unticketed passenger attempted to stow away on a Delta Air Lines flight. The stowaway, who has not been identified by name, boarded a flight from Seattle to Honolulu on Christmas Eve. Atlanta-based Delta said that the unticketed passenger was discovered while the plane was taxing for departure.
Yahoo Finance
How to overcome the 'financial vortex' to save for retirement
A significant number of Americans facing the "financial vortex" believe they will need to delay retirement. But that's not always a great option.
AFP
Brazil views labor violations at BYD site as human 'trafficking'
Authorities in Brazil said Friday they were probing Chinese auto giant BYD and one of its contractors for suspected "trafficking" of Chinese workers who were building a factory in the South American country.The workers, employed by BYD contractor Jinjiang Open Engineering, were viewed as "victims of international trafficking for the purpose of labor exploitation," said the statement.
Reuters
Free-speech advocates tell Supreme Court US TikTok law reminiscent of dictatorships
A U.S. law against Chinese-owned TikTok evokes the censorship regimes put in place by the United States' authoritarian enemies, free-speech advocates told the Supreme Court on Friday. In an amicus filing, PEN America, Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute, and the Free Press urged the country's highest court to strike down the federal TikTok law to ban it or force its sale. The brief noted the Soviet Union and Chinese communists jammed Western radio broadcasts following World War Two, while modern-day Russia and China have a host of restrictions on websites and apps including Facebook, X, and YouTube.
CNN
Video of inmate’s fatal beating shows him handcuffed as correctional officers punch and kick him
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday released what she described as “shocking and disturbing” footage from body-worn cameras of correctional officers showing the fatal beating of an inmate at the Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

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