Barbie has had many jobs throughout the years like astronaut, chef & fashion designer! Now, she’s going to be add Queen of Christmas to her resume! Mariah Carey is officially getting her own Barbie this year in her classic sparkly red dress! Maybe she’ll sing All I Want For Christmas Is You!!
Image: (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, KEVIN FREKING and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
Congressional Republicans scored a massive victory this summer when they passed President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts without a single Democratic vote. But as they return to Washington this fall after a monthlong August recess, they will have to find a way to work with Democrats — or around them — as a government shutdown looms.
The annual spending battle will dominate the September agenda, along with a possible effort by Senate Republicans to change their chamber’s rules to thwart Democratic stalling tactics on nominations. The Senate is also debating whether to move forward on legislation that would slap steep tariffs on some of Russia’s trading partners as the U.S. presses Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine.
In the House, Republicans will continue their investigations of former President Joe Biden while Speaker Mike Johnson navigates a split in his conference over whether the Trump administration should release more files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
A look at what Congress will be doing as lawmakers return from the August break:
The priority is to keep the government open
The most urgent task for Congress is to avoid a government shutdown on Sept. 30, when federal funding runs out. And it’s so far unclear if Republicans and Democrats will be able to agree on how to do that.
Congress will have to pass a short-term spending measure to keep the government funded for a few weeks or months while they try to finish the full-year package. But Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass an extension, and Democrats will want significant concessions. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s vote with Republicans to avoid a shutdown in March prompted furious backlash within his party.
The Trump administration’s efforts to claw back previously approved spending could also complicate the negotiations. Republicans passed legislation this summer that rescinded about $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds and Trump notified Congress again on Friday that he will block $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid.
Democrats have warned that such efforts could tank the broader negotiations. “Trump is rooting for a shutdown,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., posted on social media Friday.
Senate nominations fight looms
Senators are expected to return to Washington right where they left off in early August — fighting over Trump’s nominees.
Exasperated Republicans fled Washington for the month after making little headway with Senate Democrats over their nominations blockade, which has forced delays in confirmations and angered Trump as many of his administration’s positions remain unfilled. Republican leaders called it quits after a rare Saturday session that ended with a breakdown in bipartisan negotiations and Trump posting on social media that Chuck Schumer could “GO TO HELL!”
Republicans now say they’re ready to try and change Senate rules to get around the Democratic delays, and they are expected to spend the next several weeks discussing how that might work.
Stiffer Russia sanctions are sought
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trump’s closest congressional allies, has pushed the president for months to support his sweeping bipartisan sanctions bill that would impose steep tariffs on countries that are fueling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by buying its oil, gas, uranium, and other exports. The legislation has the backing of 85 senators, but Trump has yet to endorse it, and Republican leaders have so far said they won’t move without him.
Graham has stepped up his calls after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy last month in hopes of a peace deal. Since then, Russia has continued to step up attacks on Ukraine.
“If we don’t have this thing moving in the right direction by the time we get back, then I think that plan B needs to kick in,” Graham said of his bill in an interview with The Associated Press last month.
Senate panel awaits RFK Jr. appearance
Health and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear before the Senate Finance Committee to discuss his health care agenda on Thursday, less than a week after he ousted Susan Monarez as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several other top officials also resigned in protest.
Kennedy has tried to advance anti-vaccine policies that are contradicted by decades of scientific research. Monarez’s lawyers said she refused “to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts.”
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the panel that oversees the CDC and a member of the Finance Committee, has called on the CDC to delay a meeting of outside experts who make recommendations on the use of vaccines until Congress can look into the issue.
A House divided over Epstein
The House left Washington in July in the midst of disagreements among Republicans about whether they should force President Donald Trump’s administration to release more information on the sex trafficking investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein. The pressure for more disclosure could only get more intense when lawmakers return.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky are pushing the House to take up their bill to force the Justice Department to release its investigation. They are planning a news conference joined by Epstein victims. The House Oversight Committee is also investigating the issue.
Democrats are eager to keep pressing on the Epstein files, especially after the Trump administration reneged on pledges for transparency. The case for years has been the subject of online conspiracy theories and speculation about who may have been involved or aware of the wealthy financier’s abuse.
GOP focuses on Biden’s mental fitness in office
The House Oversight Committee will return from August recess with a slate of interviews lined up as part of its investigation into former President Joe Biden’s mental state while in office. The committee has already conducted interviews and depositions with nearly a dozen former top Biden aides and members of the president’s inner circle.
The Republican-led committee will hear from former top Biden staffers in September like Jeff Zients, Biden’s final White House chief of staff, Karine Jean-Pierre, the former White House press secretary, and Andrew Bates, a top press aide.
Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., has said public hearings and a full report can be expected sometime in the fall.
A stock trading ban is weighed
Congress has discussed proposals for years to keep lawmakers from engaging in trading individual stocks, nodding to the idea that there’s a potential conflict of interest when they are often privy to information and decisions that can dramatically move markets.
That push is now gaining momentum. A Senate committee has approved legislation from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri that would also extend the prohibition on stock trading to future presidents and vice presidents — while notably exempting Trump. In the House, several members are putting forward proposals and even threatening to maneuver around the GOP leadership to force a vote.
Still, there is plenty of resistance to the idea, including from many wealthy lawmakers who reap dividends from their portfolios.
A man died Friday afternoon after falling from the top of the Fire Island Lighthouse, Suffolk County police said.
According to investigators, the man purchased a ticket around 2 p.m. to climb the tower. He made his way to the observation deck and then jumped, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kevin Beyrer of the Suffolk County Homicide Squad said video shows the man handing over cash for the ticket and later leaping from the platform in what appeared to be a suicide.
Witnesses noted the observation platform is surrounded by a fence about four feet high.
Authorities have not released the man’s name or age. Because the lighthouse is part of the Fire Island National Seashore, the National Park Service is working with county police on the investigation.
Four people were rescued Sunday morning after their 16-foot fishing boat capsized off Lido Beach, according to Nassau County police.
Police said the incident happened around 10 a.m. near Jones Inlet. The Nassau County Police Department’s Marine Bureau was monitoring VHF radio channels when officers heard a distress call about the overturned vessel with four passengers onboard.
By the time rescuers arrived, all four boaters had reached a nearby sandbar. They were transported safely to Point Lookout by Town of Hempstead Bay constables, with assistance from Marine 6, police said.
Sea Tow later retrieved the capsized boat. No injuries were reported.
By JACK BROOK Associated Press
Rudy Giuliani is recovering from a fractured vertebra and other injuries following a car crash in New Hampshire in which he was a passenger, a spokesperson for the former New York City mayor said Sunday.
Giuliani was being driven in a rented Ford Bronco by his spokesperson Ted Goodman when their vehicle was struck from behind by a Honda HR-V driven by a 19-year-old woman late Saturday evening, New Hampshire State Police said in a statement.
Troopers witnessed the crash, which caused both vehicles to hit the highway median and left them “heavily damaged,” state police said. Goodman and the 19-year-old suffered “non-life-threatening injuries” and were taken to hospitals for treatment, the agency added.
State police said they are investigating the crash and no charges have been filed.
Giuliani, 81, was taken to a nearby trauma center and was being treated for a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg, according to a statement posted on X by Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security.
Giuliani “sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Ragusa said, adding: “This was not a targeted attack.”
Prior to the accident, Giuliani had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police assistance on her behalf, Ragusa said. After police arrived, Giuliani continued on his way and his vehicle was hit shortly after pulling onto the highway in a crash that was “entirely unrelated” to the domestic violence incident, Ragusa told The Associated Press in an emailed statement.
State police said troopers were investigating a domestic violence report on the southbound Interstate 93 highway shortly before 10 p.m. and observed the crash, which occurred on the northbound lanes. Troopers and fire personnel quickly crossed to provide help.
New Hampshire State Police declined to comment on whether Giuliani had contacted the agency regarding the account of a domestic violence incident.
Goodman did not respond to requests for comment and Giuliani’s team did not provide additional details about the circumstances surrounding the crash.
“Thank you to all the people that have reached out since learning the news about my Father,” Andrew Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani’s son, wrote in a post on X. “Your prayers mean the world.”
The crash follows some rocky years for the onetime Republican presidential candidate, who was dubbed “America’s mayor” in light of his leadership in New York after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
Giuliani later became President Donald Trump’s personal attorney for a time and a vocal proponent of Trump’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error.
Two former Georgia elections workers later won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. As they sought to collect the judgment, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets. He ultimately struck a deal that let him keep his homes and various belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the ex-election workers. __
Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York City contributed to this report.
AARP ranked the hottest actors over 50 and Idris Elba took the #1 spot. Pedro Pascal is the youngest on the list and even though he is #2 on the list he is having quite the year with Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four,” “The Materialists,” and “Eddington.” Plus he is also working on “Avengers Doomsday” and “The Mandalorian & Grogu” plus I’m sure a few other things we don’t know about
Here are the Top 10…
1. Idris Elba, 52
2. Pedro Pascal, 50
3. Noah Wyle, 54
4. George Clooney, 64
5. Denzel Washington, 70
6. Brad Pitt, 61
7. Daniel Craig, 57
8. Patrick Dempsey, 59
9. Dwayne Johnson, 53
10. Keanu Reeves, 60
(Image: AP Newsroom)
Princess Diana’s time capsule from the 90s was found, and it was the most random item to represent the times! Anna and Raven pick what they would put in their 90s-time capsule!
Are you up to date on this week’s biggest news story? Anna and Raven will get you caught up on the trending news including the drama at the U.S. Open!
Anna and Raven talked about how they both had Thai food and it was crazy hot! Raven quizzes Anna about spice and for every question she gets wrong, she has to eat a Shishito Pepper!
Anna’s school lunch update! Anna asked ChatGPT to come up with new menus all week and today she tried a new one to see if her 6-year-old will eat healthier food! Find out what her favorite food was this week!
Anna lists three news stories that seem almost out of this world, and Raven can only pick and hear about one!
Every week Anna and Raven invite a middle school student to participate in Middle Schooler News! They report the headline news and Anna and Raven comment on it! This week Sara joins the show!
Anna says for all you do, and all you put up with this week, you’ve earned yourself a drink. What did you do to earn your Mommy Margarita?
Donovan bought his girlfriend, Britney, a cat for her birthday because she’s such a huge Taylor Swift fan and thought it would be a personal and fun gift. She does not agree and has no interest in having any pets. She’s in medical school, constantly working, and adding a pet to her routine is not something that she ever wanted. He thinks it’s too late now; he got the cat, she wants him to return it to the organization where he got it. They don’t live together yet, but he also can’t bring a cat back to his rental because of their no pet policy. What would you do? He wants her to keep it so when they do move in, it can be their shared cat.
Bruna and Mark have a chance to win $5000! All they have to do is answer more pop culture questions than Raven in Can’t Beat Raven!
This Labor Day weekend, travel is expected to hit record levels. AAA warns of heavy traffic on highways, while the TSA projects 17.4 million air travelers—the busiest since before the pandemic. Gas prices are at a bright spot, averaging $3.15 per gallon, the lowest since 2020. Top destinations include Seattle, Washington D.C., and Yosemite. Officials advise planning ahead, avoiding peak travel times, and allowing extra time for delays.
National Grid Ventures will install the world’s first 100 percent hydrogen-fueled linear generator at its Northport Power Plant in Fort Salonga, officials announced.
The pilot project, supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Long Island Power Authority, will test the generator for 12 months using only green hydrogen. The technology produces electricity through a low-temperature, flameless reaction and can switch fuels in real time, offering a flexible backup during peak demand.
Company leaders say the project will help meet rising energy needs while reducing carbon emissions. Stony Brook University will conduct independent evaluations, giving students hands-on research opportunities.
In addition to advancing clean energy, the initiative is expected to create dozens of local jobs and provide training for National Grid employees.
Officials call the project a groundbreaking step toward a resilient, zero-carbon grid for New York.
Two men have been indicted on Long Island in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose that left a 4-year-old girl to discover her father dead in their Brentwood home, Suffolk County prosecutors announced.
According to the district attorney’s office, investigators determined the victim died from fentanyl intoxication. The case led authorities to two suspects who were allegedly involved in the sale of counterfeit pills.
As part of the investigation, undercover officers arranged several drug purchases, with prosecutors saying the pills matched those tied to the Brentwood overdose. Officials stressed that each overdose death must be treated not as an accident, but as a preventable tragedy caused by deliberate criminal conduct.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to multiple drug-related charges and remain in custody on bail. If convicted, they face lengthy prison sentences.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pop singers Conan Gray and Tate McRae will each make their performance debut on the MTV Video Music Awards stage next month, the VMAs announced Tuesday.
The newcomers are accompanied by more seasoned VMAs performers confirmed for this year’s roster, including Doja Cat, who will give the first ever televised performance of her new single “Jealous Type.” Jelly Roll will also perform and is competing for the first time in four categories. Post Malone, a six-time VMA winner, is also set to take the stage.
The five artists join a slew of stars already confirmed to perform.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s MTV VMAs.
Who is performing at the VMAs?
Gray, McRae, Jelly Roll, Doja Cat and Post Malone join a growing list of confirmed performers for this year’s VMAs.
Rhymes and Martin will both perform, as well as a slew of other artists, including Alex Warren, J Balvin, Sabrina Carpenter and sombr.
Warren, who’s nominated for best new artist, best pop and song of the year, will take the VMA stage for the first time, performing his breakout hit, “Ordinary.” Newcomer sombr, a singer-songwriter and producer, will also be making his award show debut.
Balvin will perform “Zun Zun” with Latin singers Justin Quiles and Lenny Tavárez, and “Noventa” with producer DJ Snake.
Carpenter, who offered a debut performance at the VMAs last year, taking home song of the year, will return to perform “Manchild.”
McRae is also up for four first-time nominations, including song of the year and best pop artist.
When are the MTV Video Music Awards?
The 2025 VMAs will air on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern, live from the UBS Arena on New York’s Long Island.
New awards honor Latin and Rap artists
This year’s MTV Video Music Awards is shaking things up, handing out two new awards to decorated artists in the rap and Latin music genres.
Rapper Busta Rhymes will receive the first ever MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award and Ricky Martin will be honored with the inaugural Latin Icon Award.
The Rock the Bells Visionary Award celebrates the hip-hop star’s “boundary-breaking cultural impact and an indomitable musical career,” the announcement read. Rhymes, who has taken the VMAs stage various times since his first performance in 1997, will also perform during the ceremony.
Martin, whose long VMAs history began with his first performance in 1999, will also perform, and be honored for a “four-decade career that launched Latin music and culture into the mainstream,” according to the announcement.
Who will host the VMAs?
LL Cool J has snagged wins, co-hosted and performed atop the MTV Video Music Awards stage. Now, the Grammy-winning rapper-actor-author is going solo to host the 2025 awards ceremony.
He’s retaking the stage, this time without Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow, with whom he co-hosted in 2022.
He’s also up for the best hip-hop award for his single “Murdergram Deux” featuring Eminem. The single is part of his most recent album, “THE FORCE,” which released in September and was his first album in 11 years.
LL Cool J is a longtime champion of the VMAs, having won his first Moon Person in 1991. He became the first rapper to receive the Video Vanguard Award, in 1997. He also performed in an all-star tribute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary in 2023 and a celebration for Def Jam Records’ 40th anniversary last year.
Can I stream the VMAs?
Yes, the show will be broadcast by CBS for the first time, and also simulcast on MTV and available for streaming on Paramount+ in the United States.
Who’s nominated for the VMAs?
Lady Gaga is leading this year’s awards with 12 nominations, including artist of the year. The “Mayhem” singer was nearly tied with Bruno Mars, who has 11 nods. The pair’s duet, “Die with a Smile,” is up for four awards, including song of the year.
Gaga’s plethora of nominations dethrones Taylor Swift, who held the top spot for two years. This time around, Swift received one artist of the year nomination. The two are accompanied by Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen and The Weeknd in that category.
Gaga and Mars are followed by Lamar with 10 nominations, ROSÉ and Carpenter with eight each, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd with seven each and Billie Eilish with six.
Charli XCX also received love with five nominations for her “Brat” Summer success “Guess,” featuring Eilish.
Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus and McRae have four nominations each.
How can I vote for the VMAs?
Fan voting across the 19 categories is live now on the VMAs website. Voting closes on Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. Eastern, except for the best new artist category, which will accept votes into the live show. The public can vote up to 10 times a day until voting closes.
Who will receive the Video Vanguard Award?
Mariah Carey will receive this year’s Video Vanguard Award.
The award was given to Katy Perry last year. Previous recipients include Shakira, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and Madonna.