Senate to take final vote on boosting Social Security benefits for many public service retirees

Notre Dame made history by winning the first home College Football Playoff game, defeating Indiana 27-17 with key plays by Jeremiyah Love and Riley Leonard. Despite Indiana's late efforts, Notre Dame's strong performance led to a Sugar Bowl matchup against Georgia on New Year's Day in New Orleans. Full Article

St. John’s struggled with free throws in their 72-70 victory over Providence, going 11-for-26 at the line, with Ejiofor and Luis missing 11 free throws. Despite the poor performance, Coach Pitino remains confident in their abilities and attributes the misses to mental pressure. Richmond's patellar tendonitis limited his playing time, but Pitino expects him to be ready for the next game against Delaware. Full Article

Sandy Fonzo criticized President Biden for commuting the sentence of Pennsylvania Judge Michael Conahan, who was involved in a corrupt kickback scheme. Biden is considering commuting the sentences of most federal death row inmates, frustrating President-elect Trump's plans. Attorney General Merrick Garland recommended commuting all but a few sentences, potentially excluding high-profile cases like the Boston Marathon bomber and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter. The decision could come by Christmas, with the scope of the commutation...

Shortly after a school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, false claims about the shooter's gender identity began to spread, with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones suggesting a high likelihood of the shooter being transgender. Conservative websites and social media accounts fueled the speculation, despite the shooter being identified as a 15-year-old girl with no evidence of being transgender. Law enforcement, media, and LGBTQ advocates warn that such baseless claims distract from the facts of the case and...

A U.S. Marine Corps helicopter's engine caught fire midflight, leading to an emergency landing at Camp Pendleton with all four crew members safely exiting and no injuries reported. The CH-53E Super Stallion from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing landed near Interstate 5 in San Diego County at 3:11 p.m., where emergency responders extinguished the fire. The incident caused delays on Interstate 5 as the California Highway Patrol warned of the burning helicopter emitting dark smoke...

The Red Sox are looking to add a right-handed hitter like Randal Grichuk to balance their lefty-heavy lineup in 2025, along with considering Alex Bregman and Teoscar Hernandez. Grichuk, a veteran outfielder who batted .291 in 2024, excelled against left-handed pitchers with a .319 average and .913 OPS. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow emphasized the team's aggressive pursuit of improvements through signings or trades for players like Grichuk to enhance the roster. Full Article