California milk cartons may lose their coveted recycling symbol, the one with the chasing arrows, potentially threatening the existence of the ubiquitous beverage containers. AdvertisementThe company decision means the number of Californians with access to beverage carton recycling falls below the threshold in the state’s “Truth in Recycling” law, or Senate Bill 343. In updated guidelines for the Truth in Recycling law, recycling rates for carton material have fallen below the state threshold. Others said it was a sign that the Truth in Recycling law was working: Markets were being discovered and in some cases, created, to provide recycling. Now we ask them and other waste companies to stop illegally exporting mixed paper waste to countries that have banned it.”

Jim Carrey in the beloved film adaptation of The Grinch Moviestore/ShutterstockIn the last two decades, the 2000s big-screen adaptation of The Grinch has become an undeniable festive classic. The Grinch is actually an Oscar-winning filmWhen you think “Grinch”, you don’t necessarily think: Academy Awards – but you should. Eddie Murphy auditioned for the role of The GrinchThough the role went to Jim Carrey, multiple other actors auditioned, including Jack Nicholson. Jim Carrey improvised some of The Grinch’s most iconic linesOne such iconic line – “6:30pm – dinner with me. And yes... Cindy Lou Who did, indeed, grow up to be a rock singerJim Carrey with a young Taylor Momsen in The Grinch Ron Batzdorff/Universal/THA/ShutterstockAdvertisement

Zelensky Calls Peace Plan ‘Quite Solid,’ Russia Then Launches MissilesTuesday morning, hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said that the latest American-backed proposals for a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow looked “quite solid,” Russia launched a series of drone and missiles strikes against Ukraine. By Jamie LeventhalDecember 23, 2025

If China were to conquer Taiwan, it would do little to facilitate further Chinese military expansion. Moreover, the added strength of other allies and partners, including Australia, India, South Korea, and Vietnam, suggests that Chinese military hegemony in the Asia-Pacific will remain a pipedream even in the event of a Chinese conquest of Taiwan. Over the last 15 years, significant tensions have surfaced in Japan-China relations, but these have never concerned Chinese military threats against Japan’s home islands. Still, Chinese conquest of Taiwan isn’t a foregone conclusion even when it is outside the American defense perimeter. Stepping away from Taiwan’s defenseA U.S. that steps away fully from any Taiwan defense commitment will be significantly better off.

The positions being eliminated include primary care doctors and nurses, mental health care providers and social workers, among many others. The VA said the cuts are an effort to remove postings for outdated positions that have long been vacant. “It’s hard to watch.” The person said that over half of the 1,000 or so open job positions at their facility are being eliminated. “What freaked us out is that we didn’t expect them to cut mental health providers,” another source, a VA management official in mental health, said. “They aren’t firing anyone, but all open positions are gone and they may not let us re-fill when people leave,” said one source.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to reallocate federal Homeland Security funding away from states that refuse to cooperate with certain federal immigration enforcement. The cuts were unveiled shortly after a separate federal judge in a different legal challenge ruled it was unconstitutional for the federal government to require states to cooperate on immigration enforcement actions to get FEMA disaster funding. In her 48-page ruling, McElroy found that the federal government was weighing states’ police on federal immigration enforcement on whether to reduce federal funding for the Homeland Security Grant Program and others. The Trump-appointed judge then ordered the Department of Homeland Security to restore the previously announced funding allocations to the plaintiff states. “We will fight to restore these critical reforms and protect American lives.”Meanwhile, attorneys general who sued the administration applauded the order.

Pope Leo’s first Christmas brings a powerful messageThe Vatican’s Christmas Nativity scenes go beyond tradition, aiming to convey a present-day message of Christmas. The main display in St. Peter’s Square is joined by more than 100 Nativity scenes from countries around the world, as the Vatican prepares for Pope Leo’s first Christmas since his election. CNN's Christopher Lamb reports.

You have permission to edit this article.

(Photos by Getty Images)AdvertisementFor those not familiar, method dressing is when stars wear looks on a press tour inspired by the movie they’re promoting. “Method dressing often becomes prologue to the film itself — it sets the tone and the context of the film and makes you curious about it,” says Ross Martin, president of marketing agency Known. They’re not just showing up, they’re actually embodying the character in the world of the film.”‘Wicked’ stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Bretaña says method dressing tends to work best with sci-fi or fantasy projects because of the inherent drama in their costuming. “I think ‘Wuthering Heights’ will be our litmus test to see if method dressing will spill over into historically inspired garments,” says Bretaña.

California led the nation in 2020, outlawing a debt collection practice that sometimes kept low-income college students from getting jobs or advanced degrees. Any community college whose website still shows the unpaid debt warning is doing so in error, the California Community Colleges chancellor’s office said. When colleges choose to withhold transcripts, the burden falls more heavily on low-income students and students of color , according to the American Assn. In California, some community colleges used federal COVID relief money to forgive students’ debts. Transcript withholding was never an especially effective collection tool for schools, researchers have found.

Forbes Inc. recently ranked UT’s full-time MBA program ninth among top-tier public schools and 24th nationally in its “Best Business Schools” list released earlier this month. MBA program director Glen Schuler and other officials singled out the program’s integrated curriculum as a unique offering that serves as an impetus for the program’s success. Schuler explained that an integrated curriculum seeks to combine all aspects of business — from marketing a product to distributing it to the consumer — in hopes of simulating the process of a real-life enterprise. Because of its adherence to an integrated curriculum, graduating students are reaping the benefits, and going on to work at major corporations. According to Forbes.com, UT MBA students had an average $38,000 salary upon enrolling — five years after graduating, former students were making $92,000 on average.

A musician who canceled a show at the Kennedy Center is defending her choice following President Donald Trump’s decision to give it a MAGA makeover. But losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck,” folk singer Kristy Lee wrote in a postto her social media pages on Monday. The moniker reportedly crept its way onto Tuesday’s broadcast of “The Kennedy Center Honors” on CBS, as well, despite the taping having occurred earlier this month. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementIt’s the latest controversial, MAGA-friendly move at the center, which has seen plummeting ticket sales since Trump took office. “Performing under these circumstances would conflict with the values of artistic freedom, public trust, and constitutional principles that the Kennedy Center was created to uphold,” she wrote.

Former Roomba C.E.O. Reminisces on 2008’s Viral ‘Shark Cat’ MemeIn conversation with Kevin Roose and Casey Newton on the “Hard Fork” podcast, the former Roomba C.E.O. Colin Angle shares how YouTube’s viral shark cat brought him joy in 2008. By ‘HARD Fork’December 23, 2025

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, CanadaZip Code

Credit: Los Angeles TimesThe historic New York Post is expanding to the West Coast in the new year with the California Post, and it appears the new publication will have a strong sports focus. Two of the top sportswriters at the Los Angeles Times announced this week that they are joining the California Post, with longtime columnist Dylan Hernandez moving over alongside Dodgers beat reporter Jack Harris. The California Post is a rare, well-funded journalism outlet to launch these days. Since billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong purchased the Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2018, the Times has struggled to find its footing. Clearly, the California Post sees an opening to develop an audience in the region.