Misty Cheng looks at damage from this week’s heavy storms to her home in Wrightwood on Christmas Day. Misty Cheng described what happened as the “nightmare before Christmas” — when tons of water, mud and rock flowed through her Wrightwood home Wednesday. I don’t know where to begin.”AdvertisementStorm damage in Wrightwood, where a mudslide slammed through on Christmas Eve. A flood watch remained in effect for major portions of L.A. County through 6 p.m. on Friday. Firefighters rescued a woman after she was swept nine miles down San José Creek, the L.A. County Fire Department said Wednesday.

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CNN New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will feature Greater Fort Lauderdale's waterfront celebration as the destination ushers in 2026 with a full day of festivities. Visit Lauderdale, the tourism marketing agency, said from family fun at the Museum of Discovery and Science to a nationally televised countdown at Pier Sixty-Six, the region is ready to shine. As night falls, the spotlight shifts to Greater Fort Lauderdale’s iconic waterways. Visit Lauderdale will partner with CNN for a live, three-minute segment aboard a luxurious Sanlorenzo yacht at the newly opened Pier Sixty-Six, showcasing the destination’s vibrant water culture and festive spirit. To amplify the celebration, Visit Lauderdale will launch dynamic Times Square advertising alongside CNN’s telecast, extending the destination’s reach to millions worldwide.

ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 24: Sandbags being taken from a distribution site in preparation for storm runoff in Altadena, California on December 24, 2025. AdvertisementThe National Weather Service said waves near the San Francisco Bay Area could reach up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) Friday. Debris from storm damage covers a car in Wrightwood, California, on Dec. 25, 2025. Workers dig out a storm drain amidst storm damage in Wrightwood on Dec. 25, 2025 in Wrightwood, California. The state deployed resources and first responders to several coastal and Southern California counties, and the California National Guard was on standby.

At least, that’s what one would think from reading CNN’s “Women’s rights are on a sharp decline in Israel. The continued distortion of women’s rights is not accidental but structural, rooted in how CNN selects imagery, language, and ultimately the data it relies on to construct its narrative. The findings declared that Israel ranked in 84th place, noting that in 2023, Israel ranked 27th. Remarkably, Israel is behind several countries that have extremely poor women’s rights. Skewing the RealityCNN additionally suggests that because there are currently fewer women in Israel’s parliament, this correlates to a lack of women’s rights.

Gold futures traded in New York have soared almost 71% this year, on pace for their best annual gain in 46 years. “Uncertainty remains a defining feature of the global economy,” said Joe Cavatoni, senior market strategist at the World Gold Council. In 2024, gold futures gained 27% while the S&P rose by 24%. A weaker US dollar is helping boost the price, too, as it makes buying gold relatively more affordable for international investors. And the gold rush isn’t just fueled by Americans snapping up gold bars from Costco — it’s countries buying gold by the ton.

National Guard giving back this holiday season It's been a rough year for National Guard service members, but that hasn't stopped them from giving back, carrying presents through the streets of Washington, D.C. to some very deserving children.

Flash flood, thunderstorm alerts in effect for California Heavy rains inundated the California coast on Wednesday, sparking numerous flash flood and even short-lived tornado warnings, turning roads into rivers and sending debris cascading down hillsides.

Residents of Somalia’s capital are set to vote in a controversial local election that marks the country’s first-ever one-person, one-vote poll since 1969Somalis vote in the first one-person, one-vote local election in decadesMOGADISHU, Somalia -- Residents of Somalia’s capital are set to vote Thursday in a controversial local election that marks the country’s first-ever one-person, one-vote poll since 1969. Since 2016, different administrations have promised to reintroduce one-person, one-vote elections, but insecurity and internal disputes between the government and the opposition have delayed their implementation. This will be the first major voting exercise overseen by the country’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, with up to 20 political parties fielding candidates. Security in the capital has intensified ahead of the local elections. “Mogadishu has demonstrated that local elections are technically feasible,” said Mohamed Husein Gaas, founding director of the Raad Peace Research Institute.

County police in Maryland say federal immigration agents shot at a moving vehicle on Christmas Eve during an enforcement and removal actionGLEN BURNIE, Md. -- Federal immigration agents shot at a moving vehicle on Wednesday morning during an enforcement and removal action, striking one person and injuring another, officials said. Anne Arundel police responded to a report of a shooting involving federal agents at about 10:50 a.m. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were the only officials involved in the shooting, police said. Anne Arundel police said they will investigate the shooting, while the FBI investigates the alleged assault on the agents and ICE conducts an internal investigation.

Williamson Medical Center, the flagship facility of Williamson Health, was recently named to Forbes Magazine’s inaugural Top Hospitals 2026 list. The Franklin-based hospital was one of two hospitals in Tennessee, the only hospital in Middle Tennessee and one of just 253 hospitals nationwide …

Feet of mountain snow, severe thunderstorms and strong winds round out the multiple threats the state is facing. Part of California State Route 138 washes away from flooding Wednesday, outside of Wrightwood, California. One person near a burn scar had to rescued by helicopter on Christmas Eve, Los Angeles City Fire Department Capt. Roughly 120 emergency personnel from several jurisdictions worked overnight Christmas Eve into Christmas Day helping residents. Impossible travel conditions in the mountainsA family walks with their dog during heavy snow near Donner Lake in Truckee in California on Christmas Eve.

San Francisco also experienced a multi-day blackout recently after a fire at a substation in its South of Market District left hundreds of thousands of customers without power. Early Christmas morning, a line of severe thunderstorms moved into Northern California with wind gusts in excess of 70 mph, setting off flash flooding in the San Francisco metro. San Francisco International Airport recorded a wind gust of 72 mph, and numerous gusts to 80 and 90 mph occurred in higher elevations, according to the NWS. San Francisco International Airport recorded a wind gust of 72 mph, and numerous gusts to 80 and 90 mph occurred in higher elevations, according to the NWS. Flooding rain risk continues: About 8 million people in portions of Southern California are in the moderate-risk zone on Christmas Day, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

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LOADING ERROR LOADINGEarlier in December, the White House unveiled its 2025 holiday decor. “The best thing I can say about 2025’s holiday decorations is that they’re not 2017’s,” said interior designer Annie Elliott. The Washington Post via Getty Images The White House holiday decorations include tree ornaments with first lady Melania Trump's "Be Best" campaign slogan. “There’s a renewed love for ‘grandmillennial’ holiday charm — saturated, cozy, and sentimental ― and this year’s White House decor fits right into that shift.”For Elliott, however, there’s an absence of warmth and connection compared to previous White House decor and general merriment. “Historically, White House holiday decor invites the public into a shared national space.