Reckless driver destroys town Christmas tree during joyride, forced to fix mess
Video shows a late-night joyride spiraling out of control as a driver raced around a central square in southern Kazakhstan before crashing into a towering Christmas tree and knocking it over.
CCTV footage from the town of Saryagash shows the driver speeding into the largely empty square during the early morning hours and performing tight circular spins, commonly known as donuts, in a Russian-made Lada sedan.
As the driver attempted to complete a second consecutive spin, the vehicle swung wider than before and headed directly toward a 40-foot Christmas tree positioned in the center of the square.
The car continued forward and slammed into the decorated tree, sending it crashing to the ground as lights scattered across the pavement. The impact flattened the illuminated holiday display almost instantly.
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The driver sped away, leaving the toppled tree lying flat in the square.
According to The Sun, witnesses said the vehicle’s tires screeched as the driver circled the square, narrowly missing street furniture and festive decorations in the moments leading up to the crash.
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The Sun also reported that Saryagash District Police said in a statement they received a report around 3 a.m. that an unknown driver had crashed into the main Christmas tree installed in the central square and then fled.
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“Officers carefully studied the recordings from the area using CCTV cameras,” police said in the statement. “As a result, the identity of the offender was established.”
Police later confirmed the driver was behind the wheel of a VAZ-2105 Lada.
Investigators tracked him down after reviewing the surveillance footage, and his vehicle was subsequently impounded, according to the report.
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Authorities said the driver was issued a fine for dangerous driving. In an unusual outcome, police also ordered him to repair the damage he caused to the holiday display.
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“The young driver repaired the damaged tree and promised not to commit similar offenses in the future,” police said.
Trump tells child ‘we need more high IQ people’ during Christmas Eve Santa calls
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump spoke with several children on Christmas Eve as Santa Claus made his rounds across the globe, praising “clean, beautiful coal” and referring to one child as a “high-IQ person.”
The pair joined the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker hotline from Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where they fielded calls from kids about what they hoped St. Nick would bring them for Christmas.
One child spoke to Trump about wanting a Kindle, the e-reader designed and marketed by Amazon.
INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS CARD TRADITION – FROM COOLIDGE TO TRUMP
“That’s pretty good. You must be a high-IQ person. We need more high-IQ people in the country,” he replied.
One 8-year-old North Carolina girl asked if Santa would be upset if she didn’t leave him cookies.
“I think he won’t get mad, but I think he’ll be very disappointed,” said Trump. “Santa tends to be a little on the cherubic side.”
Trump asked one child in Kansas for a Christmas wish.
“Um, not coal,” the child replied.
MELANIA TRUMP GIVES UPLIFTING MESSAGE ABOUT SANTA TO YOUNG KIDS AT HOSPITAL
“Not coal. No, you don’t want coal. You mean clean, beautiful coal. I had to do that, I’m sorry,” Trump said.
“No, coal is clean and beautiful. Please remember that at all costs,” he added. “But you don’t want clean, beautiful coal, right? What would you like?”
Trump has frequently referred to coal as “clean” and “beautiful” in an effort to boost its use.
During a call with a child in Oklahoma, he said he was fond of the state, which he won in the 2024 presidential election.
“Santa loves you. Santa loves Oklahoma like I do. You know, Oklahoma was very good to me in the election. So, I love Oklahoma. Don’t ever leave Oklahoma, OK?” he said.
During the same call, Trump talked about tracking Santa.
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“We track Santa all over the world. … We want to make sure that he’s not infiltrated — that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa,” he said. “We found that Santa is Good!”
Former first-round NBA draft pick makes unprecedented move to college basketball
It’s common for players to announce they are heading to the pros from college — not the other way around.
But a recent report in basketball has fans baffled after Nigerian center James Nnaji, the 31st overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, has committed to play at Baylor.
The 7-foot center will be able to play the second half of the Bears’ season, according to On3 Sports, and will be granted four years of NCAA eligibility.
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How is this possible for someone who not only declared for the NBA Draft but was taken in the first round in 2023?
Well, Nnaji never signed an NBA contract. When he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons, Nnaji had his rights moved to the Charlotte Hornets. Then, in the three-team deal for Karl-Anthony Towns, his rights moved to the New York Knicks.
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Nnaji never appeared in a regular-season NBA game and decided to go overseas to continue his pro career. He played for FC Barcelona in Liga ACB in Spain. They mutually parted ways in August.
Then, Nnaji returned to the Knicks to play in the Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds over five games.
With the Bears thin in the front court — Maikcol Perez and Justin Bodo Bodo are both dealing with injuries — Nnaji will come in and should play significant minutes for Scott Drew’s team at Baylor.
Nnaji was just 18 years old when he was drafted, and teams liked his measurables with the hopes of developing his talent in the league.
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“Nnaji’s measurables in terms of his size and length are impressive, and he’s a big leaper who can finish above the rim, though he does present as something of a project for the Hornets,” CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone wrote about Nnaji when he was taken in 2023.
Baylor is 9-2 to start the 2025-26 season.
Feds fire back after van driver tries to mow down ICE agents on Christmas Eve
Two people were injured after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents opened fire on a van in Maryland on Christmas Eve when the driver allegedly tried to run them over during a law enforcement operation, officials said.
Anne Arundel County Police Department spokesperson Justin Mulacahy said officers responded to West Court in Glen Burnie at about 10:50 a.m. Wednesday for reports of a shooting involving ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents.
A preliminary investigation found that ICE agents were conducting a detail in the area when they approached a white van, according to police.
Police alleged the driver attempted to run the agents over, prompting ICE agents to open fire on the vehicle.
DEMS URGED TO ‘STOP SIDING WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS’ AFTER ACTIVIST RAMS AGENTS IN SANCTUARY CITY
The van then accelerated before stopping in a wooded area of a nearby residential neighborhood.
Mulacahy said one person inside the van was struck by gunfire and transported to an area hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
Another person outside the van sustained minor injuries and was treated at an area hospital.
ICE ARRESTS CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF FLEEING HEAD-ON CRASH THAT SEVERELY INJURED MARYLAND WOMAN
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on X that the agents identified the driver of the van as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, an illegal alien from Portugal. Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was the passenger, DHS said.
According to DHS, the officers approached the van and told Sousa-Martins to turn off the engine, but he refused and attempted to flee. Sousa-Martins also allegedly began to ram his vehicle into several ICE vehicles before driving the van at ICE agents.
“Fearing for their lives and public safety, the ICE officers defensively fired their service weapons, striking the driver,” DHS said. “Sousa-Martins then wrecked his van between two buildings, injuring the passenger.”
BLUE STATE ICE AGENTS DODGE BULLETS, SPEEDING CARS AS LEFT RAMPS UP TRACKING CAMPAIGNS
The agents rendered medical aid to both the driver and passenger, DHS added, before they were transported to the hospital for treatment.
“Our brave officers are risking their lives every day to keep American communities safe by arresting and removing illegal aliens from our streets,” DHS said. “Continued efforts to encourage illegal aliens and violent agitators to actively resist ICE will only lead to more violent incidents. The extremist rhetoric must stop.”
The incident has triggered at least three investigations. The Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division will review the shooting, while the FBI will investigate the alleged assault on federal agents.
US MARSHAL, ILLEGAL ALIEN SHOT IN LOS ANGELES IMMIGRATION OPERATION
ICE will also conduct an internal investigation through its Office of Professional Responsibility.
Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad said the multiple investigations are standard procedure in incidents involving federal and local agencies and emphasized that her department was not involved in the shooting.
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“No Anne Arundel resources were involved in this incident, nor were they present,” she said.
No further details were immediately available as the investigations continue.
Television actor Pat Finn passes away following devastating cancer diagnosis
Pat Finn, best known for his role as Bill Norwood in “The Middle,” has died. He was 60.
The actor died on Monday after a battle with cancer, a source close to the family confirmed to Fox News Digital.
After a beautiful life filled with laughter, love, family, and friends, we share the heartbreaking news of the death of Pat Finn,” a representative for the family said in a statement to Fox News Digital i. “Pat bravely battled cancer over the past few years. We know heaven is going to have quite the party with Pat Finn‘s arrival.”
“In Pat’s final days, he often showed the biggest signs when the Bears scored a touchdown. No pressure, Bears — just saying — do it for Pat,” the statement continued.
“His life and legacy will be carried on through his beautiful family, including his wife Donna and three children, Cassidy, Caitlin and Ryan and the thousands of friends and family that he impacted,” the statement concluded.
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“In 2022, Pat battled bladder cancer, went into remission, but the cancer returned and metastasized. He was a warrior in every sense of the word,” the statement added.
Comedian Jeff Dye posted a tribute to his friend on Wednesday.
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“I don’t like to be the guy who post pics with celebrities that pass. But this guy wasn’t just a celebrity to me. He was a friend,” Dye, 42, wrote on X. “One of the best dudes I knew with a PERFECT sense of humor. I love you Pat Finn and I’ll see again in the after, we can sing together and shake our heads about all the meannes [sic] in the used to be.”
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Finn appeared in various other TV shows such as “Murphy Brown,” “Seinfeld,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “That ’70s Show” and “Friends.”
Finn is survived by his wife Donna and their three children.
Officer tells Democrat: ‘I’m not the guy for that’ following comment at traffic stop
A prominent Rhode Island Democrat was captured on police bodycam video asking an officer, “You know who I am?” before her arrest during a recent traffic stop.
Maria Bucci, 51, who is the chairwoman of the Democratic committee in Cranston – the second-largest city in the state – is now facing a misdemeanor DUI charge following a traffic stop on Dec. 18 in East Greenwich, according to media reports.
“You know who I am right?” Bucci is heard telling an East Greenwich police officer just moments after he said he smelled alcohol in her breath and described her driving as erratic.
“I don’t know who you are miss,” the officer responds, before adding, “You can start throwing out names and start doing out what you need to do, it’s not going to work with me, I’m telling you right now, I’m not the guy for that.”
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The bodycam footage shows the officer trying to lead Bucci through a series of sobriety tests.
Bucci, a former Cranston mayoral candidate, previously served on the City Council from 2004 to 2008 and also launched an unsuccessful bid for a Rhode Island House of Representatives seat last year, the Cranston Herald reported.
At one point during the traffic stop, Bucci is heard saying, “Call my husband right now, and call the attorney general and everybody else in town, cause this is disgusting, God forbid I was a Black person, I’d be arrested.”
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The officer eventually takes Bucci into custody. As she is placed in handcuffs, she says “you’re a d—” and looks towards the body camera.
“Like I am not drinking, you’re a loser,” she adds.
At the beginning of the video, Bucci told the officer she had a glass of wine and had attended a Christmas party.
Bucci, who is expected to be arraigned on Jan. 5, was released on a $1,000 personal recognizance, according to WPRI.
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Bucci and the Rhode Island Democratic Party did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Doctor’s family says airline tried to silence them over bed bug bites
A Virginia family, in a lawsuit, alleges they were bitten and injured by bed bugs during a transatlantic flight operated by Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
In a complaint filed last week, the Albuquerque family of Roanoke, Virginia, said the bugs had infested the cabin of a plane during a March 21 trip.
“The Albuquerque family developed raised and itchy welts, lesions, and rashes across their torsos and extremities, which ruined their family vacation and has caused humiliation, embarrassment, anxiety, discomfort, inconvenience, medical expenses, and loss of clothing and personal items,” the lawsuit states.
FAMILY KICKED OFF FLIGHT OVER SON’S INSECT BITES DESPITE DOCTOR’S APPROVAL
The family—identified as Romulo Albuquerque; his wife, Lisandra Garcia; and their two children, Benicio and Lorenzo Albuquerque—boarded a Delta flight from Roanoke to Atlanta on March 21. That flight was followed by a KLM flight to Amsterdam and another to Belgrade, Serbia, where they planned to visit family and friends, the lawsuit said.
Romulo Albuquerque purchased the airline tickets through Delta’s SkyMiles program, the lawsuit states.
Two hours into the flight to Amsterdam, Lisandra Garcia began feeling bugs crawling on and biting her, the suit said.
The couple alerted a flight attendant, who allegedly told them to keep their voices down to avoid “panic” on the plane, according to the lawsuit.
The bugs repeatedly bit the family during the flight, it said.
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“Prior to landing in Amsterdam, the flight attendants again urged Dr. Albuquerque and Mrs. Garcia not to tell anyone about the infestation because, if they did so, they would miss their connecting flight to Serbia,” the lawsuit alleges.
Albuquerque and Garcia took photos of the bugs and recorded videos showing bugs crawling on her sweater and other parts of the cabin, the suit said.
Images attached to the lawsuit show what are described as bed bugs on a KLM napkin and a sweater, as well as visible bites on their bodies. The family had to wash their clothes in boiling water once they arrived at their destination, according to the complaint.
“As this pending litigation eventually states, the allegations at issue relate to flights not operated by Delta Air Lines,” Delta told Fox News Digital. “Delta will review the complaint and respond accordingly in due course.”
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The lawsuit asks that the family be compensated $200,000. Fox News Digital has also reached out to KLM for comment.
Dangerous flu mutation sweeps nation as experts warn of ‘pretty severe variant’
A new form of the flu, which is highly contagious and aggressive, is sweeping the nation this season.
A mutation of influenza A H3N2, called subclade K, has been detected as the culprit in rising global cases, including in the U.S.
The World Health Organization stated on its website that the K variant marks “a notable evolution in influenza A (H3N2) viruses,” which some say calls into question the effectiveness of this season’s influenza vaccine against the strain.
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The K variant causes more intense flu symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat and runny nose, according to experts.
Among 216 influenza A(H3N2) viruses collected since Sept. 28, 89.8% belonged to subclade K, a CDC report states.
The agency continues to release a weekly influenza surveillance report, tracking which states are seeing the most activity for outpatient respiratory illness.
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Below are the states and regions within the highest range of reported medical visits, not necessarily confirmed influenza cases, as of the week ending Dec. 13.
Very High (Level 1)
- New York City
Very High (Level 2)
- New York State
Very High (Level 3)
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- Louisiana
- Colorado
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High (Level 1)
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Michigan
- Idaho
- South Carolina
High (Level 2)
- New Mexico
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High (Level 3)
- Washington, D.C.
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Georgia
The CDC has estimated that there have been at least 4.6 million illnesses, 49,000 hospitalizations and 1,900 flu deaths this season so far. The flu vaccine is recommended as the best line of defense against the virus.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Boston’s Northeastern University, shared details on the early severity of this emerging flu strain.
“It’s becoming evident that this is a pretty severe variant of the flu,” he said. “Certainly, in other parts of the world where this variant has been prevalent, it’s caused some severe illness, and we’re seeing an aggressive flu season already.”
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Subclade K is the “perfect storm” for an aggressive flu season, Maniar suggested, as vaccination rates overall are down, and it’s uncertain whether this year’s flu vaccine directly addresses this specific mutation.
“The vaccine is very important to get, but because it’s not perfectly aligned with this variant, I think that’s also contributing to some degree to the severity of cases we’re seeing,” he said. “We’re going in [to this flu season] with lower vaccination rates and a variant that in itself seems to be more aggressive.”
Maniar stressed that it’s not too late to get the flu vaccine, as peak flu season has not yet arrived.
“The vaccine still provides protection against serious illness resulting from the subclade K variant that seems to be going around,” he said. “There are likely to be lots of indoor gatherings and other events that create risk of exposure, so protection is important.”
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Even healthy individuals can become seriously ill from the flu, Maniar noted, “so a vaccine is beneficial for almost everyone.”
“Individuals typically start to develop some degree of protection within a few days and gain the full benefit within about two weeks, so now is the time for anyone who hasn’t gotten the vaccine yet.”
Martha Stewart faces online backlash over her unconventional bagel-eating method
Martha Stewart set off an online debate after sharing her unconventional way of eating a bagel.
The author and lifestyle icon shared photos on Instagram earlier this month demonstrating what she described as her preferred way to enjoy the New York staple.
Instead of eating the bagel as a sandwich or in traditional open-face form, Stewart cut it into smaller portions — topping each piece individually with cream cheese.
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In the caption, Stewart revealed the approach helps her feel satisfied without overeating, calling the method “very satisfying.”
She added that the bagel must come from Connecticut-based PopUp Bagels — noting that the technique was introduced to her years ago by her daughter, Alexis.
The post quickly drew attention on social media, sparking strong reactions from bagel enthusiasts.
One commenter joked, “Queen Martha, this is a violation of the bagel code of ethics.”
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Another reaction took a more extreme tone, with one user actually declaring, “Put her back in jail.”
Others argued the method felt overly restrictive or sent the wrong message about food.
Not all responses were negative, however.
Some users said Stewart’s post inspired them to try the method themselves, saying they adopted the same approach after watching her break the bagel into smaller pieces and add cream cheese to each one.
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“PopUp Bagels is known for eating bagels a little differently — grip, rip and dip style. That being said, we encourage everyone to enjoy their bagel however they want, which is why we sell them hot and whole,” founder Adam Goldberg told Fox News Digital.
“Queen Martha, this is a violation of the bagel code of ethics.”
“Martha just took that idea to a whole new level, and we love seeing all the creative ways people make it their own.”
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Stewart later updated the caption to strike a more humorous tone, emphasizing the post was meant lightheartedly.
“CAN’T ANYONE TAKE A JOKE??????YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?!!!!” she wrote.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Stewart’s team for comment.