1. New clues about long covid’s cause could unlock treatments  The Washington Post
2. Long COVID involves activation of proinflammatory and immune exhaustion pathways  Nature
3. Chronic inflammation may cause long COVID — and could be the secret to treatment, new study says  The Boston Globe
4. Researchers identify viral suspects that could be fueling long COVID  ScienceDaily
5. Break in the case for long COVID investigators  Harvard Gazette

1. S&P 500 gives up gain as AI-related stocks come under pressure again: Live updates  CNBC
2. Stock Market Today: Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq waver between gains and losses as AI trade faces renewed pressure  MarketWatch
3. Morning Bid: Stocks catch a break after bruising AI selloff  Reuters
4. Stocks Sink as Chip Stocks Retreat and Bond Yields Climb  Nasdaq
5. Oracle and Broadcom rattle markets as AI trade hits a reality check  CTech

1. Brian Walshe murder trial: Jury finds husband guilty of killing and dismembering wife  ABC News
2. Jury resumes deliberations in the murder trial of Brian Walshe  CNN
3. Brian Walshe found guilty of killing his wife and dismembering her body  NBC News
4. Watch live: Verdict reached in murder trial of Brian Walshe, the Massachusetts man charged with killing wife  CBS News
5. Brian Walshe convicted of murder for killing his wife, Ana Walshe. Follow live updates.  The Boston Globe

1. Warning: Apple’s iOS 26.2 Update Is Quietly Changing A Key iPhone Feature For Some Users  Forbes
2. With iOS 26.2, Apple lets you roll back Liquid Glass again — this time on the Lock Screen  TechCrunch
3. New software is rolling out for iPads with the iPadOS 26.2 update – and it's great for multitasking  TechRadar
4. iOS 26.2 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.2  MacRumors
5. Apple releases iOS 26.2, and new Edge Light tool. Here's how to try all the OS updates.  Mashable

Officials are investigating the death of the Hollywood director as a homicide.

(Image credit: Jesse Grant)

1. Federal authorities arrest 4 suspected extremists in New Year's Eve bombing plot across Southern California  PBS
2. FBI arrests four people it says were planning to detonate pipe bombs on New Year’s Eve in California  CNN
3. Terror attack plot involving ‘series of bombings’ across California thwarted, officials say  KTLA
4. 4 charged with plotting New Year’s Eve attacks in Southern California, prosecutors say  Politico
5. FBI foils bombing plot targeting Los Angeles, US attorney general says  Reuters

1. Trump admin launches US Tech Force to recruit temporary workers after shedding thousands this year  Nextgov/FCW
2. Trump admin to hire 1,000 specialists for 'Tech Force' to build AI, finance projects  CNBC
3. US government launches ‘Tech Force’ to hire AI talent  CNN
4. US government launches campaign to hire engineers for AI, tech roles  Reuters
5. Trump turns to Big Tech for AI government workforce  Axios

1. Trump slams Rob Reiner after killing; director's son Nick in custody  CNBC
2. Live updates: Rob Reiner and wife Michele dead, LAPD investigating apparent homicide at director’s home  CNN
3. An argument at a Hollywood Christmas party hours before Rob Reiner, wife killed  Los Angeles Times
4. Live Updates: Hollywood Director Rob Reiner and His Wife, Michele, Are Found Dead  The New York Times
5. Director Rob Reiner and wife Michele Singer stabbed to death in Brentwood home, sources tell ABC News  ABC7 Los Angeles

1. GOP Rep. says ACA subsidy users shouldn't 'pay the price for congressional inaction'  NPR
2. Here’s what’s in the House GOP health care bill  CNN
3. States work to lower ACA costs  WBUR
4. Capitol agenda: House GOP at the Obamacare cliff  Politico
5. Analysis | Rank-and-file Republicans feel heat from constituents on health care  The Washington Post

1. From puppies to superheroes, Chinese AI toys are bringing hugs — and hesitation  CNBC
2. AI toys offer emotional support to consumers  People's Daily Online
3. AI Embraced in China as Emotional Support Toy Market Thrives  chinaretailnews.com

1. Patrick Mahomes tears ACL, Broncos eke past Packers and Bills tighten AFC East: NFL Week 15 Sunday review  CNN
2. The Day of Brutal Injuries That Upended the NFL’s Balance of Power  The Wall Street Journal
3. Analyzing the ACL tear of Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes  Arrowhead Pride
4. Chiefs' playoff elimination and Patrick Mahomes' knee injury puts Chiefs dynasty at a crossroads. Is it a pause or the end?  Yahoo Sports
5. Is eliminated Chiefs' Super Bowl window closing -- and what changes are ahead?  ESPN

1. Airbnb fined £56m by Spain for advertising unlicensed properties  BBC
2. Spain fines Airbnb $75 million for unlicensed tourist rentals  ABC News
3. Spain issues €68 million fine to Airbnb for advertising unlicensed tourist apartments  Catalan News
4. Airbnb’s Legal Battle with Spain Escalates as the Country Fines the Platform £56 Million for Unregulated Listings: What Travelers Must Know Now  Travel And Tour World
5. Airbnb faces a heavy fine in Spain for unlicensed listings (ABNB:NASDAQ)  Seeking Alpha

1. Brussels imposes sanctions on oil trader Murtaza Lakhani over Russia allegations  Financial Times
2. EU imposes sanctions on oil traders with links to Russia's shipping network  Reuters
3. EU Sanctions Lakhani, Eyyub for Involvement in Russia Oil Trade  Bloomberg.com
4. EU targets Russia’s shadow fleet with new sanctions, hitting businessmen and companies  AP News
5. Rival Kingpins of Russian Oil Trade Hit by EU Sanctions  The Wall Street Journal

1. Josh Allen: The love we have for each other fueled Sunday’s comeback  NBC Sports
2. NFL stats and records, Week 15: Bills' Josh Allen joins elite company with sixth season of 35-plus offensive TDs  NFL.com
3. Your Mike Vrabel Monday rundown: Patriots coach talks officiating, play-calling, and more after loss vs. Bills  The Boston Globe
4. Buffalo’s ‘ImprobaBills’ may have found their identity in yet another unlikely win  The New York Times
5. Bills ride 'vibe' to beat Pats, stay in AFC East race  ESPN

1. Ample oil supply shields China from impact of Venezuela disruption, for now  Yahoo Finance
2. Opinion | Seizing Venezuelan oil tankers could backfire on Trump  The Washington Post
3. The global shadow economy behind Trump’s latest move on Venezuela  Vox
4. Is seized Venezuela oil tanker headed to Galveston? Here's what we know.  Houston Chronicle
5. U.S. unseals warrant behind oil tanker seizure near Venezuela  Axios

1. Interstellar comet keeps its distance as it makes its closest approach to Earth  ABC News
2. Why interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS' close Earth approach is an early Christmas gift for astronomers  Space
3. Gemini North Color Images Reveal Greenish Glow of Comet 3I/ATLAS  NOIRLab
4. The UN's International Asteroid Warning Network is closely watching comet 3I/ATLAS. Here's why.  Live Science
5. XMM-Newton sees comet 3I/ATLAS in X-ray light  European Space Agency

1. Brown University Shooting: Detained Person Of Interest—Touted By FBI’s Patel—Released After Investigation  Forbes
2. Brown University Shooting Live Updates: Families Mourn Victims as Police Search for Gunman  The New York Times
3. ‘Lock doors, silence phones, and stay hidden’: Brown alerted students 11 times, while neighbors, RISD students complain they were in the dark  The Boston Globe
4. Brown University shooting manhunt resets with release of person of interest  Fox News
5. Live updates: Manhunt for Brown University shooter enters third day as person of interest released  CNN

1. Merriam-Webster names slop as its 2025 word of the year  NBC News
2. 'Slop' is Merriam-Webster's 2025 word of the year  AP News
3. Disney Dealt Dismal Box Office Flop With New Political Dramedy  The Daily Beast
4. 'Slop' is Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2025  CBC
5. Merriam-Webster releases 2025 Word of the Year  WWLP

1. Ukraine ceasefire talks continue as US says 'progress was made'  BBC
2. Zelenskyy says US talks ‘not easy’ but ‘productive’ as he prepares to meet European leaders in Berlin – Europe live  The Guardian
3. US, Ukraine Hail ‘Real Progress’ at Berlin Peace Talks  Bloomberg.com
4. Russia-Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy says US talks not easy, but productive  Al Jazeera
5. Zelensky Meets U.S. Envoys in Berlin in New Round of Ukraine Peace Talks  The New York Times

1. 15 killed in mass shooting in Sydney. And, Rob Reiner and his wife found dead  NPR
2. Bondi Beach: Witnesses recall 'bullets flying' as victims remembered as 'bright, joyful and talented'  BBC
3. How Australia’s deadly Bondi Beach shooting unfurled, visualized  CNN
4. Israel's Netanyahu lashes out while world shows shock and sympathy over Australia shooting  AP News
5. Ahmed el Ahmed, Who Tackled One of the Bondi Beach Gunmen, Is Recovering in a Hospital  The New York Times

Here's what we know about the mass shooting that left at least 15 people dead. And, authorities found director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, dead in their Los Angeles home.

(Image credit: Izhar Khan)

1. Lasting Statehouse fallout from Indiana redistricting debate?  Indiana Capital Chronicle
2. 24 hours that showed the limits of Trump’s power  CNN
3. Backlash intensifies after Indiana Senate kills Trump’s mid-decade congressional redistricting push  WFYI
4. The Memo: Trump’s hold on GOP loosens, a bit  thehill.com
5. Solidarity beat MAGA's nihilism in Indiana redistricting | Opinion  IndyStar

1. J.J. McCarthy’s growth is evident in Vikings’ primetime win over the Cowboys  The New York Times
2. McCarthy hits 'Griddy' before TD, irking O'Connell  ESPN
3. Zero to 100: Numbers behind Cowboys' 34-26 loss to Vikings  Dallas Cowboys | Official Site of the Dallas Cowboys
4. Vikings vs. Cowboys Game Observations: McCarthy to Nailor for 2 TDs; Defense Diffuses in 1,000th Regular-Season Game  Vikings.com
5. Latest Dallas Cowboys playoff picture: Are they eliminated yet? It's close  WFAA

1. NYT Connections Answers for Dec. 16, 2025  The New York Times
2. NYT Connections Answers for Dec. 15, 2025  The New York Times
3. Today's NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Dec. 15, #918  CNET
4. Connections hints, clues and answers on Monday, December 15 2025  USA Today
5. NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for Monday, December 15, 2025  Yahoo Sports

1. Micah Parsons, Pro Bowlers and torn ACLs: A case study  Acme Packing Company
2. How two seismic Week 15 injuries impacted the NFL: Barnwell on Parsons, Mahomes and the fallout  ESPN
3. Packers injuries: What we know about Micah Parsons, Christian Watson, others  Packers Wire
4. Inbox: There’s a lot of fight in this team  Green Bay Packers – packers.com
5. Cowboys react as Micah Parsons fears ACL tear  CBS Sports

Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley of California says a health care proposal from House Speaker Mike Johnson — which is expected to get a vote this week — was "hastily thrown together."

(Image credit: Eric Lee)

1. SpaceX launches 120th Starlink mission of 2025 with midnight hour Falcon 9 flight  Spaceflight Now
2. Back to back rocket launches from Florida: List of best places to watch  Florida Today
3. SpaceX launches Starlink satellites into orbit on 100th Falcon 9 flight from Florida in 2025 (video)  Space
4. Busy SpaceX Manifest Continues at Vandenberg SFB  Noozhawk
5. SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center  WKMG

1. Hong Kong court convicts pro-democracy activist and mogul Jimmy Lai  NPR
2. Trump Said Freeing Jimmy Lai Would Be Easy. He Should Prove It.  The New York Times
3. Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai found guilty in landmark national security trial, faces possible life sentence  CNN
4. Hong Kong court finds pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai guilty of sedition and collusion with foreign forces  CNBC
5. Pro-democracy Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai convicted in high-profile national security trial  BBC

1. Apple’s iPhone 20 To Feature A ‘Four-Sided Bending Design’ And Fully Bezel-Less Display; LG Reportedly Investing Nearly $300 Million As Production Line Requires Overhaul  Wccftech
2. The 20th Anniversary iPhone Could Feature Apple's Most Futuristic Design Yet  bgr.com
3. Why is Samsung distancing itself from Apple’s most promising iPhone?  PhoneArena
4. All-screen display for 20th anniversary iPhone gets closer to production  AppleInsider
5. Apple Plans All Screen IPhone 20 For 2027  Evrim Ağacı

1. Conservative hardliner wins Chile’s presidency in election landslide  Financial Times
2. Chile shifts sharply right as José Antonio Kast wins the presidency  NPR
3. Chile’s conservative landslide gives Trump new Latin America ally  Financial Times
4. Fear of crime and migration fuels Chile's swing to the right  BBC
5. Who is Jose Antonio Kast, Chile’s newly elected far-right leader?  Al Jazeera

1. Bird flu found in dairy herd in Dodge Co.  Channel 3000
2. Bird flu found in Wisconsin dairy herd for first time  WPR
3. First Case of Avian Flu Detected in Wisconsin Dairy Herd  Dairy Herd
4. Bird flu detected in Dodge Co. dairy cattle  WSAW
5. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Found in Wisconsin Dairy Herd  Bloomberg.com

1. You Might Soon See 8GB Laptops Everywhere, as Manufacturers Are Likely to Make High-RAM Configurations Unaffordable  Wccftech
2. The AI race is pushing up Dell computer prices. Here's what to expect, and what the PC giant is telling its sales staff.  Business Insider
3. Memory Price Surge to Persist in 1Q26; Smartphone and Notebook Brands Begin Raising Prices and Downgrading Specs  TrendForce
4. Why You Might Not Want to Wait Until Next Year to Buy Your Next Laptop  CNET
5. GPU Prices Crater Before Inevitable Opportunity to Screw Consumers  GamersNexus

1. Watch Atlas V rocket launch 27 of Amazon's internet satellites to orbit early Dec. 16  Space
2. ULA postpones Atlas V rocket launch for Amazon Leo to Tuesday, citing winds  Florida Today
3. Live coverage: ULA Atlas 5 launch will put Amazon’s 180th broadband satellite in low Earth orbit  Spaceflight Now
4. United Launch Alliance Set for Early Tuesday Morning Rocket Launch from Cape Canaveral  Space Coast Daily
5. Florida rocket may be visible in Michigan. When to watch the skies  The Holland Sentinel

1. LG Update Installs Unremovable Microsoft Copilot on Smart TVs, Ignites Backlash  WebProNews
2. LG TV users baffled by unremovable Microsoft Copilot installation — surprise forced update shows app pinned to the home screen  Tom's Hardware
3. Microsoft Copilot AI Comes to LG TVs, and Can't Be Deleted  TechPowerUp
4. LG's latest TV update installs mandatory AI - and you can't delete it or opt-out  Pocket-lint
5. LG Quietly Installs Microsoft Copilot on Its Smart TVs—And You Can't Delete It  PCMag