Self-driving cars left stranded as massive blackout plunges San Francisco into darkness
A massive power outage plunged large swaths of San Francisco into darkness Saturday, knocking out electricity to about 130,000 homes and businesses and leaving self-driving cars stalled in city streets.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. did not immediately say what caused blackouts to roughly one-third of the utility company’s customers in the city. Fire officials posted on X at about 3:15 p.m. that at least some of the blackouts were caused by a fire that broke out inside a PG&E substation at 8th and Mission streets.
The outage darkened large parts of the city’s north side, starting in the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park early in the afternoon before spreading further.
Autonomous vehicles stalled in the middle of streets, reportedly unable to detect down traffic lights, triggering traffic jams across affected areas.
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The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said on X there were “significant transit disruptions” happening citywide and urged residents to avoid nonessential travel and treat down traffic signals as four-way stops.
Waymo said it temporarily suspended its autonomous ride-hailing service in the wake of the blackout.
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“We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services in the San Francisco Bay Area due to the widespread power outage,” the company told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement. “Our teams are working diligently and in close coordination with city officials to monitor infrastructure stability, and we are hopeful to bring our services back online soon. We appreciate your patience and will provide further updates as soon as they are available.”
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PG&E later said that as of 11:30 p.m. Saturday, crews had restored power to about 95,000 customers, with about 35,000 customers remaining without power. The utility company added that crews would continue working through the night.
Elite girls’ school rocked by explosive report detailing decades of sex abuse
A prestigious all-girls boarding school in Massachusetts, where students pay up to $79,000 a year for tuition and room and board, is facing a sweeping sexual-abuse scandal after a newly released independent investigation found decades of misconduct by multiple employees and years of institutional failures that allowed alleged predators to remain in the classroom.
The investigation centers on former Miss Hall’s School history teacher Matthew Rutledge, who taught at the elite Pittsfield, Massachusetts, campus for more than 30 years. According to the Aleta Law investigative report, Rutledge engaged in a long pattern of grooming, sexualized behavior and sexual assault of students beginning in the 1990s. Five former students came forward with firsthand accounts.
The findings go far beyond Rutledge, with the 60-page report outlining eight substantiated cases of sexual misconduct by former Miss Hall’s employees from the 1940s through the 2010s, including teachers who allegedly exploited students emotionally, crossed physical boundaries, engaged in sexualized conduct or committed sexual assault.
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Two former Miss Hall’s students, Hilary Simon and Melissa Fares, have sued the school, alleging negligence and emotional and physical harm. Both women testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary in June, urging lawmakers to strengthen protections for students.
“What began as compliments and extra attention turned into forcible touching and sexual intercourse with this man who is 25 years older than me,” Simon testified. “He isolated me physically and emotionally.”
Rutledge has never been criminally charged.
“This is where Massachusetts is way behind,” Wendy Murphy, a Massachusetts-based attorney and national advocate for sexual-assault survivors, told Fox News Digital. “The law treats these students as if they’re capable of consenting, but consent isn’t real when the perpetrator is in a position of authority over you.”
The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office concluded in October 2024 that under Massachusetts’s General Law, no criminal conduct occurred.
“Massachusetts law defines the age of consent as 16. While the alleged behavior is profoundly troubling, it is not illegal,” District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said.
Read the report here:
According to the Aleta Law report, Miss Hall’s administrators, including senior leaders and at least one former head of school, received multiple reports or warnings about Rutledge’s behavior over the years but failed to intervene. The report concluded that the school’s leadership “failed to adequately investigate and respond.”
A recent Vanity Fair investigation likewise reported that school officials were alerted to Rutledge’s concerning behavior as early as 2005, and that administrators at one point instructed him to cease contact with a former student, but allowed him to remain in the classroom.
“The investigation revealed horrible truths about a community we hold dear,” Head of School Julia Heaton wrote in a letter to the Miss Hall’s community.
The Aleta Law report describes a school environment in the 1990s and 2000s where teachers regularly spent time alone with students, invited them into faculty apartments, gave personal gifts and blurred emotional and physical boundaries.
Several employees admitted they suspected inappropriate relationships involving Rutledge but feared retaliation or believed leadership “would not listen.” Students who raised concerns about other teachers in past decades reported being ignored, discouraged or even punished.
“It’s very common for schools to get rid of the noisemaker—the victim who won’t shut up,” Murphy said. “The message becomes: if you complain, you’ll be punished.”
“If a teacher hurt a Jewish or Asian student, they’d be fired instantly. But when the victim is a girl, schools often treat the abuse as less serious. Girls keep getting second-class treatment,” she said. “Victims have a long, long time to file lawsuits.”
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The school has apologized to its community and acknowledged “past failures” in safeguarding students. According to the report, Miss Hall’s has begun implementing extensive reforms, including:
- New employee code of conduct
- Strengthened reporting protocols
- Shared faculty office spaces
- 24/7 multilingual counseling access for students
- Survivor-centered listening sessions
- The creation of a Survivor Therapy Fund
Miss Hall’s said it is committed to “ensuring every student is seen, safe, cared for, and able to thrive.”
Rutledge has not publicly commented on the allegations. Fox News Digital has reached out to his attorney and to Miss Hall’s School for comment.
Travelers fake disabilities for boarding perks as ‘miracle flights’ spark outrage
Social media users are blasting so-called “Jetway Jesus” and “miracle flight” occurrences, accusing more and more airline passengers of scamming the travel system by using wheelchairs to dodge lines and board planes early — then walking off their planes unassisted once they land at their destinations.
In the “r/todayilearned” forum on Reddit, one user detailed the way “miracle flights” appear to be working lately.
“People fake mobility issues, arrive at the boarding gate in wheelchairs, [then] secure better treatment and better seats,” the user noted.
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The person added, “Once the flight is over, [these travelers] leave the plane unassisted and [don’t] need wheelchairs — in effect, [the] flights miraculously cure these people.”
One user openly admitted, “I have my grandma wheeled around when I take her to the airport, so she doesn’t get lost on the way to the gate. No mobility issues whatsoever.”
Another person said, “This is just corporate propaganda against the Americans With Disabilities Act.”
A different person claimed, “The airline told me that when connecting at O’Hare [in Chicago] — when you have to travel a long distance in a short amount of time — you should ask for a wheelchair.”
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And yet another user commented, “Obviously, some people are committing fraud… Some people probably can walk, but only with a cane or with significant issues.”
Airlines have recorded a 30% yearly increase in wheelchair assistance requests at bigger airports, according to the International Air Transport Agency (AITA), a trade group representing airlines around the world, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.
“The considerable increase in wheelchair assistance requests is a key issue for the aviation industry,” the organization noted in a recent memo. “To understand the scale of the problem, IATA is looking at the issue through surveys and studies.”
Airlines have recorded a 30% yearly increase in wheelchair assistance requests at bigger airports.
It noted that “the requests are more prevalent in specific geographies (e.g. flights to and from India, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Europe).”
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It also said that “many assistance requests may come from passengers who do not have physical disabilities but do not feel confident navigating through a busy airport, or people who need directional assistance for whatever reason, including age.”
Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog “View From the Wing,” told Fox News Digital that “boarding early [may] get you access to a better seat on board,” depending on the airline.
He added, “There are only so many contract workers assisting with wheelchairs at each airport, so frivolous requests hurt those with a real need.”
Leff said that “those passengers find themselves waiting longer to deplane, or waiting on the jet bridge for a wheelchair to show up.”
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Major airlines such as Jetblue, Delta and American allow passengers to request wheelchairs while booking flights.
Fox News Digital reached out to several airlines about whether documentation is required when requesting a wheelchair. A spokesperson for United Airlines responded, “No, we do not require a doctor’s note or any other proof of disability.”
The Wall Street Journal, in a piece this week about the issue, quoted a passenger who said his recent flight was delayed when 25 wheelchair passengers held up the boarding process.
The passenger, Carlos Gomez, said he sees “more wheelchair fraud each time he travels,” according to the article. “It makes an already hectic experience of flying even slower.”
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Many travelers are “bemoan[ing the] rise of able-bodied passengers who game the system to skip the lines,” the article noted about the “Jetway Jesus” phenomenon.
When passengers walk off the plane at their destination, requiring no assistance at all after they were wheeled on board — “that’s some good healing right there!” the publication said.
Nelson twins reveal how they went from arena-filling stars to ‘broke’ overnight
The Nelson twins — heirs to a television dynasty — burst onto the music scene as rock stars, earning Geffen Records about $23 million while packing arenas. But at the height of their success, they learned a devastating truth: a $1 million equity line had been opened in their names without their consent. The young, inexperienced rockers were suddenly broke and blindsided by debt.
The brothers, famous for their unmistakable platinum-blonde manes, which they joked made them look like “hot Swedish chicks,” shot onto the music scene in 1990 with their debut single, “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love & Affection.”
The 58-year-old twins have written a memoir, “What Happened to Your Hair?” detailing their rise to stardom — and how it all came crashing down.
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“There were so many things we had to go through,” Matthew told Fox News Digital. “There were so many sacrifices we had to make. But we played loud, proud and we never backed down. We needed each other because this is a horrible business, honestly. There’s got to be something profoundly wrong.”
The Nelson twins, performing as “Nelson,” grew up steeped in Hollywood royalty. Their lineage includes grandparents Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, father Ricky Nelson, sister Tracy Nelson, and uncle Mark Harmon. Still, the brothers bristle at the idea of being classified as “nepo babies.”
“We sold millions of records of songs that we wrote and produced ourselves to people who had no idea who Ricky Nelson or Ozzie and Harriet were,” Gunnar explained. “Our fans had no clue. The only people who were impressed were the older interviewers at the time who were interviewing us. To us, it was always surprising when we got a family-related question.”
WATCH: NELSON TWINS REFLECT ON FAMILY LEGACY AND THE TRUE COST OF FAME
The brothers began performing at clubs in Los Angeles a decade before they found themselves at the center of the hair-metal craze that took over the Sunset Strip. With their signature tresses, the siblings appeared to be another band eager to make their mark.
“We had long hair, but it was different,” said Matthew. “We thought our music was a little smarter, maybe more heavy-folk than metal.”
“I remember exactly where Gunnar and I were the very first time that we heard our song, ‘Love and Affection,’ on the radio in a car with our manager back then,” he shared.
“We’d just gone to a promotional event for our upcoming single release, and the disc jockey came on and said, ‘I think this is going to be a hit record.’… We had no idea how big it was going to get — how quickly it was going to blow up.”
The Nelsons were signed by Geffen Records, which Gunnar described as “the 800-pound gorilla in the industry at the time.” The label’s roster included Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Whitesnake and Cher — just to name a few.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to David Geffen for taking a chance on us, and [executive] John Kalodner as well,” said Gunnar. “Neither one of those gentlemen is easy to work with. They’re very opinionated, and they’ve had incredible careers because of that. And we were kids, man. But that friction made great art.”
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But fame came at a price.
“We made the record company millions and millions of dollars,” Gunnar explained. “Actually, we made everybody around us millions of dollars — and we wound up in the hole.… Everybody’s there getting their commission off the top, but they’re not around when that fiddler has to get paid. You have to recoup as an artist at the reduced royalty rate.”
“Imagine getting a 30-year mortgage on a house you can’t afford and being diligent with your payments, paying it off over that 30-year period. And at the end of that 30-year period, after you made every single payment, the bank still owns your house. That’s the music business.”
Gunnar claimed that he and Matthew weren’t given tour support to promote their hit song. They played big venues, but “we had to pay for it,” he said.
“We were the ones fronting the costs,” he said. “We had a 40-person entourage — that’s buses, trucks, sound.”
“Band and crew,” Matthew chimed in.
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“And everything that goes along with that,” Gunnar added.
Gunnar shared that when they got a $1 million advance, “every penny of it went into paying for the tour.”
“You get an advance of a million dollars — bang, that’s 20% going to management off the top. So that’s $800,000. Now you’ve got to pay taxes. What’s left over? You’ve got to design the look of the band. You’ve got to fund your own videos — those monster-hit videos that we paid for. There’s the tour that we paid for. We were told, ‘It’s like any starting business, guys. You have to invest at the beginning, and over time, it’s going to pay off.’”
According to their book, the Nelsons had a financially successful tour. They were eager to buy a house for their grandmother when their business manager called to remind them about the $1 million equity line they still owed the bank.
“It was only at that moment that Matthew and I discovered the very hard way that our manager had conspired with our business manager to disguise the shortfall in our tour by going to our bank several months earlier, without our knowledge, and had taken out an equity line in our names for $1 million and had used everything we owned as secured collateral,” Gunnar wrote.
When Gunnar confronted his manager about having made enough money to put $1 million each in their bank accounts at the end of the tour, the manager reportedly asked, “What $1 million each?”
“It was all a lie. All of it,” Gunnar wrote. “Everything we’d been told to placate us every time we’d demanded to see the books when we were out on the road…. The truth was, we weren’t just broke… We were f—— broke… Buying a home was off the table now. The bank wanted its money, and it wanted it now… and if we didn’t pay it, we would lose absolutely everything down to the last guitar pick.”
Gunnar wrote that Geffen agreed to “give us another half million just to pay our bills… but as a loan, not an advance against future earnings.
“We’d had to pay that back upon demand one day, with interest, no matter what. That ‘loan’ followed us around like an albatross for decades and grew into a fearsome amount.”
It wasn’t just the mounting debt that derailed their career. It was also the sudden arrival of grunge and a new band, Nirvana.
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“It was the single largest paradigm shift in music industry history, except for the whole punk thing that happened with disco,” said Gunnar.
In 1993, the band Nelson was dropped by Geffen. They went on to create their own label, Stone Canyon Records. Over time, they took full control of their music and finances.
Today, the brothers are still performing — and amused by their legacy.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the picture that William Wegman, the famous photographer, took for our second record — it’s his two Weimaraners in blonde wigs,” said Gunnar. “It’s pretty cool when your image is so strong that people see a couple of dogs in blonde wigs and go, ‘Oh, Nelson!’”
DNI’s Gabbard delivers ideological warning about Islamism at TPUSA AmericaFest
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a blunt warning about “Islamist ideology” at a high-profile conservative gathering Saturday, casting the threat as fundamentally incompatible with Western freedom.
“The threats from this Islamist ideology come in many forms,” Gabbard told an audience at Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA) annual AmericaFest conference.
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“As we approach Christmas, right now in Germany they are canceling Christmas markets because of this threat.”
Gabbard, who oversees the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, said the ideology stands in direct conflict with American liberty.
“When we talk about the threat of Islamism, this political ideology, there is no such thing as individual freedom or liberty,” she said.
Gabbard’s remarks were notable given her role overseeing the nation’s intelligence community, a position that traditionally avoids overt ideological framing in public remarks, particularly at partisan political events.
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Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest has become a marquee gathering for conservative activists, lawmakers and influencers, where national security, immigration and cultural issues are increasingly framed as part of a broader ideological struggle.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment clarifying whether Gabbard’s remarks reflected official U.S. intelligence assessments or her personal views.
TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk positioned the organization as a hub for conservative youth activism, frequently hosting high-profile figures who frame political and security debates in ideological terms.
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Kirk carried that influence onto college campuses nationwide, drawing large crowds for live, unscripted debates on religion, Islamism, free speech, immigration and American culture. It was at an event at Utah Valley University, where he was fielding open-mic questions from thousands on Sept. 10 when he was shot and killed.
The charged nature of modern political activism has also raised alarms about political violence, with authorities increasingly warning of threats tied to large public gatherings.
European security officials have raised security alerts around holiday events in recent years following a series of Islamist-inspired attacks, including deadly incidents in Germany, France and Belgium, prompting heightened police presence or temporary cancellations at some Christmas markets.
From Henry Fonda to tragedy, Reiner family home carries decades of Hollywood history
While Rob Reiner‘s home in Brentwood, California, will forever be linked to the grisly murders of the iconic filmmaker and his wife, Michele, the house has a storied history that precedes the crimes committed inside.
While Reiner and his family called the estate in the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood home for decades, its ties to Hollywood go back to its creation.
Actor Henry Fonda, best known for classic films like “12 Angry Men” and “On Golden Pond,” had the house built in 1936. Then, it was a Pennsylvania-style farmhouse, complete with a nine-acre farm.
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Henry tended the farm himself so much that Jane Fonda once told Time magazine that she didn’t even know her father was an actor until she asked him why he occasionally had a beard.
She and her brother, Peter Fonda, would often play with other children in the neighborhood while their fathers — including John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart — would work on the property.
“Sometimes we did improvisations with our governesses,” Peter told Time in a 1962 interview. Jane added, “We lived pretty much the same life my father lived on the screen. It was all a big act.”
Henry sold the home in 1947 to “Casablanca” star Paul Henreid. Peter would later try to buy it back, but he was unsuccessful.
In 1972, the home changed hands again when Henreid sold it to legendary screenwriter and producer Norman Lear. By that time, Lear was already acquainted with Rob — the two worked together on “All in the Family,” where Lear was a writer and producer. The show ran from 1971 to 1979.
Rob left the show in 1978 to pursue creative endeavors behind the camera. The 1980s saw him release some of his most iconic films, including “Stand by Me” and “The Princess Bride.” Lear was a producer on both.
During a 2015 conversation with PBS, Rob recalled going over to Lear’s house to play tennis while they were working on “All in the Family.”
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“I used to say, ‘Boy, if ever I get money, if ever I have some money to buy a house… this is the kind of house that I would like,’” he said. “I mean, it has this kind of New England charm, and it’s kind of got this great, you know, classic look to it.”
In 1991, he was able to purchase the home from Lear for $4.75 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Rob told PBS that Michele, whom he married in 1989, had been shopping around for a house for the couple. She liked the Brentwood home, but hesitated to tell Rob about it when she learned that it was owned by Lear, thinking it might have been “weird” for him.
“I said, ‘Honey, this is exactly the kind of house that I’ve always wanted,'” he recalled.
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While the house itself has been owned by Hollywood royalty for nearly a century, the neighborhood of Brentwood has had its fair share of darkness.
Marilyn Monroe’s home was also located in Brentwood. In 1962, she was found dead in her bedroom from an apparent overdose. Her death was ruled a probable suicide, though conspiracy theories surround the case to this day.
In 1994, a crime that took place in the neighborhood captured the entire country’s attention. It was in Brentwood that Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered.
Nicole’s ex-husband, O.J. Simpson, became the prime suspect. He was charged with the murders, but was ultimately found not guilty after a high-profile trial.
Now, the murders of Rob and Michele have added to Brentwood’s dark history.
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On Dec. 14, the two were found dead in their bedroom from apparent knife wounds. Hours later, their son, Nick, was arrested on suspicion of committing the murders.
After being held in custody for two days, Nick was officially charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He appeared in court for the first time on Dec. 17, wearing a blue suicide-prevention vest, and he only spoke once when he agreed to waive his right to a speedy arraignment.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 7.
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If found guilty, Nick faces the maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. There’s also the possibility that prosecutors will seek the death penalty, though California Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019.
REVIEW: Sydney Sweeney can’t clean up the mess that is ‘The Housemaid’
Deception can be its own art form on the big screen — if it is well executed. Otherwise, it can be a chore. The latter was how it felt watching “The Housemaid.”
The relationship between Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) and Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) was built entirely on deception. The film begins with Millie sitting down for an interview with Nina to be the family’s live-in housemaid. Millie presents herself as an overqualified applicant, but in reality, she’s living out of her car and struggling to find work since she’s out on parole from a prison sentence she was serving. She doesn’t even need the glasses she wore in the interview, and she made up everything on her resumé, which is why she was shocked that she landed the job.
Meanwhile, Nina presents herself as a bubbly, put-together mother who keeps her luxurious home tidy. But when Millie shows up for her first day on the job, the house is an utter mess and Nina is completely scatter-brained.
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Millie has various tasks like cleaning, cooking, picking up Nina’s snobby daughter Cici (Indiana Elle) from ballet class. Pretty normal stuff, right? But what isn’t exactly normal is Millie’s living situation. Nina sets her up in perhaps the sketchiest guest room; a small attic with a tiny window that doesn’t open and a door that locks from the outside. Millie immediately requests a key and a new window and Nina concedes the bad optics, jokingly saying, “What kind of monsters are we?”
Nina’s personnel decision comes as a surprise to Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), her dreamy husband who quickly sneaks into Millie’s fantasies.
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It doesn’t take long before Millie realizes how Nina is a real nutcase, going completely berserk as she accuses her new housemaid of misplacing her much-needed PTA notes for a meeting she’s attending. Andrew is able to calm her down, but Nina maintains a scornful resentment toward Millie that only builds. Andrew, however, shows her kindness.
What unfolds is the peeling of an onion with plot twist after plot twist. And a narration-dominated second act that’s meant to flip everything on its head seems more like a creative copout. Instead of naturally feeling mounting anxiety, I found myself chuckling at the increasing absurdity.
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Sweeney and Sklenar have one main objective: be sexy onscreen. That they accomplish. Their performances offer not much else, though they’re their most fun in the third act. Seyfried does go all in as the seemingly deranged Nina.
Paul Feig, best known for directing comedies like “Bridesmaids,” has had a thriller itch ever since 2018’s “A Simple Favor,” which this attempts to be. However, “A Simple Favor” is far superior with an intricate plot and well-earned laughs. “The Housemaid,” adapted from Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel, comes off like a campy Lifetime soap getting laughs for the wrong reasons.
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The Verdict:
There may be a target audience that will eat it up, but “The Housemaid” is a mess of a movie that Sweeney and Seyfried can’t clean up despite their best efforts. On a scale between setting the table to scrubbing a nasty toilet, this rates closer to taking out the garbage.
★½ — SKIP IT
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Colorado church hosts LGBTQ-themed nativity show with ‘magical queers’
Progressive churches in Colorado and Washington are hosting drag-themed Christmas events alongside more traditional services this holiday season.
Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, Colorado, hosted its third annual drag Christmas show, “A Drag Christmas Spectacular,” on Dec. 19 and 20. The 90-minute performance is advertised as “a joyful, irreverent reimagining of the nativity story that celebrates queer joy, chosen family, and the power of love and acceptance.”
“Get ready for the ultimate festive extravaganza with ‘A Drag Christmas Spectacular,’ where magical Queers will slay their way to Bethlehem,” the event description says.
The event website notes that the show contains adult themes and is recommended for ages 16 and older.
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Rev. Sean Neil-Barron, a queer-identifying minister at Foothills Unitarian, told Colorado Public Radio that he created the event two years ago in response to what he described as anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced across the country.
“I was kind of sitting with that reality, and also being a queer person myself, I was just realizing what the church needs to step into this gap and say something,” Neil-Barron told the outlet in 2024. “What if we created this queer little oasis, this little queer sacred space at the holidays for folks to come and see their lives and their community lifted up as worthy, which is so needed right now?”
He called the Magi “outside figures” in the biblical story, which he said helped inspire the idea to incorporate drag and LGBTQ themes into a different Nativity story.
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“What if they embodied this search for queerness?… Instead of just finding Jesus, what if they actually stumbled upon queer people coming alive, being born again, claiming joy, claiming hope, claiming resilience?” he said.
The Colorado church is not the only congregation hosting Christmas events with LGBTQ themes this year.
Emmaus Table in Seattle, Washington, which describes itself as a “spiritual community” that is LGBTQ-affirming and is connected to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, also hosted a “Christmas Carol” inspired drag event on Dec. 12 called, “Drag Church: The Yassification of Ebenezer Scrooge.”
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“The Yassification of Ebenezer Scrooge is a traditional Christmas pageant reimagined through a queer lens,” the event description says. “Based on Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol, the audience follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he is guided by three drag queen spirits on a transformative journey. Together, they help him release shame and anger, embrace his true self, and rediscover the joy of community.”
The event is described as “spiritually-inclusive [and] family-friendly” and open to all ages.
Progressive denominations such as the Episcopal, United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist and the United Church of Christ openly welcome LGBTQ clergy and some churches are known for hosting drag worship and other ministry events.
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Foothills Unitarian and Emmaus Table did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
‘Massive refund checks’ may hit American wallets as tax law changes take effect
A leading contender to become President Trump’s next Federal Reserve chair said the administration expects larger tax refunds and higher take-home pay next year, as many Americans continue to express concerns about affordability.
“We are going to see the biggest refund cycle ever in the history of America, and people are going to get massive refund checks,” National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said in an interview on FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.” on Thursday.
“We’re expecting just that part of it alone to be worth a couple-thousand-dollar refund … the numbers are striking.”
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During his Wednesday evening address, President Trump said the administration expects “the largest tax refund season of all time” next spring and claimed many families would save between $11,000 and $20,000 annually.
Hassett backed up this claim and pushed back against sentiment from a recent Fox News Poll, which found that 44% of those surveyed say they are falling behind financially, and 74% view the economy as “not so good” or “bad.”
“You saw in the jobs report that … wages for the typical worker were up 3.7%. So if you’re running 3.7% wage increases at 1.6% core inflation, then real wages are growing at a rate of about 2 [to] 2.5%. By our estimates right now, blue-collar workers have already seen an almost $2,000 raise this year after inflation, because wages are growing so much faster than prices,” Hassett explained.
“I think that what happens in the end — and this is what happened in the first [Trump] term — is that people will see it in their wallets,” he continued. “We didn’t pass the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ until the middle of the summer. And so a lot of the tax changes, which affect last year, weren’t in any tax forms that people filled out at the beginning of the year.”
Overall, Hassett struck a bullish tone on the economy and pointed to what he described as a “blockbuster” November inflation report, with figures coming in cooler than economists expected.
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“What’s happened is, as we predicted throughout this term, that if you really put the pedal to the metal on aggregate supply, then that’s gonna put downward pressure on prices,” he said.
“And don’t forget, that’s where we were last time in President Trump’s first term. We were growing in the 3% range, and we had inflation in the 1% range. And it looks like that’s where we are again.”
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