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• A viral video alleging day care fraud in Minnesota drew a response from the FBI.

• The U.S. offered Ukraine a 15-year security guarantee in a potential peace settlement with Russia, Zelenskyy says.

• Beyoncé is now a billionaire, according to Forbes.

Jane Onyanga-Omarahere, bringing you the news to know on Tuesday, from winter weather havoc to the country's safest cities and how Fernando Mendoza rose to college football's top spot. 😎And make sure you have your 2026New Year's glasses.

Blizzard warnings as snowstorm barrels across northern US

Temperatures are set to plunge from the Plains to the East Coast and Gulf Coast, along with snow in the Midwest and Northeast, AccuWeather forecasts. Tens of millions of people were under blizzard and winter storm warnings on Monday, from Minnesota and Iowa to Michigan, New York and Maine. As snow piles up across the northern U.S., the Arctic air will also march southward, breaking a days-long heat spell that broughtrecord warm temperatures to several cities.

• Thousands are without power in Michigan due to the 'bomb cyclone.'

More news to know now

• Will the Gaza peace plan move forward? Trump says Hamas must disarm.

• What are America's safest cities? When Mayor Frank Picozzi learned Warwick, Rhode Island, had topped a list of the safest cities in the United States, here's why he wasn't surprised.

• Drops at midnight. Meet the famous New Year's Eve ball up close (you can even touch it if you're willing to pay for a deluxe ticket).

Take a look

From 1,249th to 1st in the nation

Fernando Mendoza is both the first Indiana University Hoosier and first Cuban-American to ever win the Heisman Trophy, college football's highest honor.Mendoza's coming of age in Miamiwould be marked by a cultural changing of the guard, when tackle football was becoming increasingly popular among Cuban-Americans, who had traditionally focused on baseball.

Things to talk about

All the places you'll go (in 2026)

If there's one thing the USA TODAY Travel team never gets tired of, it's chasing moments that remind us why travel matters.  Over the past year, our team crossed the globe by plane, ship and the occasional winding back road, uncovering places that surprised, inspired and stayed with us long after we unpacked. From laid-back coastal hideaways to buzzing cities,here's where we suggest traveling in 2026.

Before you go

• Let's get some matcha.

• Britney Spears lashed out at family for celebrating Christmas without her.

• NFL power rankings Week 18: Who's No. 1 as playoffs near?

Have feedback on the Daily Briefing? Email NFallert@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Winter weather, New Year, Fernando Mendoza, 2026 travel: Daily Briefing

Joshua, a two-time heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist, was under "observation" while recovering from minor injuries following the crash, his promoter said Monday.

Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Corps said the accident along a major highway connecting Lagos, the country's economic hub, and Ogun state was a result of "excessive speed and wrongful overtaking," which had caused the car to collide with a stationary truck by the roadside. Eyewitnesses say the vehicle's tire had burst at high speed.

Joshua hadrecently won a boutagainst Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Dec. 19, a fight he used to improve fitness in a bid to contest future top-flight boxing titles.

The former world heavyweight champion, who also holds Nigerian nationality, is in "stable condition" and would remain in hospital for further "observation" according to his promoter, Matchroom Boxing. Joshua's long-term friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, were killed in the crash,the promoter saidin a statement posted on X.

Ghami was Joshua's strength and conditioning coach while Ayodele was a trainer. Just hours before the crash, Joshua and Ayodele posted clips on social media playing table tennis together.

Concerns over frequent road crashes in Nigeria

The high-profile accident has prompted serious concerns about road safety on Nigerian highways, whereaccidents are common.

The West African nation recorded 5,421 deaths in 9,570 road accidents in 2024,according to databy the country's Federal Road Safety Corps. Its data showed 340 more people were killed in road accidents last year compared to 2023.

Experts say a combination of factors including a network of dilapidated roads, lax enforcement of traffic laws, and indiscipline by drivers, produces the grim statistics.

The stationary truck that Joshua's vehicle hit is a fixture of Nigeria's thoroughfares, often causing massive gridlocks. Goods and food are transported across Nigeria's vast geographical reach via these trucks, which experts say tend to be in poor condition and are responsible for many accidents.

"The prevalence of accidents in Nigeria is a serious issue," Ache Ogu, the CEO of the Road Accident Prevention Network Centre, an Abuja-based nongovernmental organization, told The Associated Press. "Most of the trucks are not in order, and the law enforcement agency needs to step up its efforts."

Monisola Abosede, a 27-year-old marketer who lives in Lagos and commutes several kilometers every weekday for work, has been involved in two accidents in December alone.

"In Lagos, everyone is in a rush to get somewhere; people are always on the move," she told The AP, blaming crashes on the city's heavy traffic combined with the bad state of its road network.

Three days later, the44-year-old wife and mother of four from Indianapolis was found shot dead. That protective order filing would make its way through the courts a day after her killing without a judge ruling on it.

Her husband, Cecil Raymond Mains, 46, is behind bars at the Marion County Jail facing a preliminary charge of murder. Their children, ages 19, 17, 14, and 10, are left in the current care of family members while grieving the loss. The family is trying toraise money through a GoFundMeaccount to support the children.

Before she would be found shot on the driveway of her home, she would share personal stories in mom groups on Facebook, with many pouring out support and praying for her.

Petitions filed online spell out what some say she was experiencing at the hands of her husband, and court documents state what allegedly happened the day she was shot and killed.

Family members reached by IndyStar requested privacy, but close friends spoke with IndyStar, stating she was a very loving, hard-working mom.

At one point, she had an in-home daycare, and for a long time, she was part of her homeowners' association.

They would also share that she was in a very controlling relationship.

Jeri Mae Mains, 44, filed a protective order Christmas Day

At 10:28 a.m., on Dec. 25, Jeri Mains filed an order of protection citing herself as being a victim of domestic or family violence. The petition states that her husband threw kitchen tongs that hit her arm, which caused a laceration and bruising on Christmas Eve.

The day before, the petition states that she was in theJustice Center parking lotwhen her husband threatened to kill her and himself because she wanted to file for divorce. She wrote that she had a recording of the conversation. Later on, he threatened to kill himself in front of her and their children, the petition said.

On Dec. 10, during a fight, her husband punched her computer and knocked hot chocolate all over her, according to the petition.

In November, she said he punched her in the face, making her nose bleed and causing her face to bruise. At the beginning of the year, she wrote in the petition that he punched the driver's side window of her truck and broke the glass. She said that he had said he was going to kill her, their kids, and pets several times over the last few years, and had hoped the protective order would be a crucial step in leaving a dangerous situation.

Once a petition is filed, a clerk receives it, assigns a case number, and sends it to a judge or court. Had it been filed on a non-holiday, a judge could have seen it the very next day, but offices were closed from Dec. 24-28.

Mother and wife found shot dead after Christmas

Holiday homicide:'Why would he do that?' Family baffled by couple's Thanksgiving killing

At 2:17 p.m., on Dec. 28, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called about a disturbance with a weapon at the Mains' southeast side home in the8100 block of Meadow Bend Lane. Court documents state a 911 caller said their father had a gun and shot their mother before fleeing in his gray Toyota Tundra.

Officers found the mother shot on the ground in the driveway of her home. She was taken to Eskenazi Hospital in critical condition before being pronounced dead.

Officer Daniel Beasleysaw Cecil Mains' car going northbound onFive Points Road near Edgewood Avenue. Beasley initiated a traffic stop at the intersection ofThompson Road and Lakesedge Boulevard, nearly 4.5 miles away from their home, and arrested Mains.

According to a probable cause for Mains' arrest, the couple's 19-year-old son told police he saw his father waving a gun at his mother inside the home near the front door on Dec. 28. He followed his parents outside when he said he saw his father shoot his mother in the driveway.

He called 911 and rendered aid to his mom before first responders came to the scene.

Their other children, ages 10, 14, and 16, all said they heard gunshots and or saw their father come home early to retrieve his gun and was arguing with their mother, according to court records. Their 10 and 14-year-old daughters called 911, while their 16-year-old son stayed in his room until officers came to the scene after seeing his older brother try to intervene.

While being read his Miranda Rights, the father requested a lawyer.

His next court hearing is set for Dec. 30.

Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her atJade.Jackson@IndyStar.comand follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star:Woman filed protective order on Christmas, days before her death

Frazer Harrison/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• At a time when plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures are popular in Hollywood, some celebrities have been outspoken against them

• Stars like Meryl Streep have shared their take on the aging process

• Many famous women have chosen to embrace their natural look instead
  

In an age of unattainable beauty standards, news about innovative cosmetic procedures and the latest in "anti-aging" products, it can be easy to feel influenced by Hollywood stars.

Yet, several stars have chosen to speak out against surgical enhancements and embrace their natural selves.

"I feel a responsibility to put myself out there as I am," former supermodelPaulina Porizkovatold PEOPLE in October 2023. "Why do I need improvement? I'm in my prime right now. I'm sorry that you think my wrinkles dismiss me from being in my prime, but as a person, as a fully formed woman at the height of her power, this is it."

Whether to fight against societal pressures of "looking young" or to prevent any potential cosmetic disasters, these celebrities have committed to steering clear of plastic surgery.

Barbra Streisand

Kevin Mazur/Getty

In her 2023 memoir,My Name Is Barbra,Barbra Streisandrecounted the numerous instances where people suggested sheget a nose job and dental capsto advance her career in Hollywood.

"I thought, 'Isn't my talent enough? A nose job would hurt and be expensive,' " theEGOT-winning singer said. "Besides, how could I trust anyone to do exactly what I wanted and no more?"

Streisand continued, "It was too much of a risk. And who knew what it might do to my voice? Once a doctor told me I had a deviated septum … maybe that's why I sound the way I do. Besides, I liked long noses … the Italian actress Silvana Mangano had one, and everyone seemed to think she was beautiful."

Justine Bateman

Jeremy Chan/Getty

Throughout the years,Justine Batemanhas remained steadfast in her anti-plastic surgery beliefs.

In 2021, theFamily Tiesalum spoke to PEOPLE about the current age of plastic surgery and why she'llnever undergo any cosmetic procedures.

"I find it really wrong that women right now are absorbing this idea that their faces need to be fixed," she said. "I realized my face is only going to get older. So why not take care of whatever fear I have attached to that."

The Emmy-nominated actress andVioletdirector continued, "I think getting all this plastic surgery is just people-pleasing. You don't want people to criticize you anymore, so you appease them. The more you do that, the further away you get away from your true self. It doesn't work for me."

Later, in 2023, Bateman addressed the online criticisms about her natural appearance.

"I just don't give a s---. I think I look rad. I think my face represents who I am. I like it," she said during aninterview on60 Minutes Australia. "I feel like I would erase not only all my authority that I have now, but also, I like feeling that I am a different person now than I was when I was 20. I like looking in the mirror and seeing that evidence."

Sarah Paulson

Leon Bennett/Getty

While speaking with her close friendPedro Pascalin an April 2024 interview forInterview Magazine,Sarah Paulsonopened up about her perspective on aging the natural way.

"Well, since I don't shoot anything into my face at this particular juncture,I imagine everyone knows I'm 49," the actress said. "If there's anything that's going to age me rapidly, it's going back to the theater."

She continued, "Sometimes I'm backstage doing this play,Appropriate, and I'm thinking, 'Wow, I'm making these facial expressions multiple times a day all day for months on end. I've never had those lines in between my eyebrows.' Well, I expect when I'm done with this play, they'll be there permanently."

Drew Barrymore

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

When it comes to herself, talk show hostDrew Barrymorehas a firm stance against plastic surgery for herself, though she holds no criticisms for those who choose it.

"I haven't done anything, and I'm going to maintain that as long as possible," she told PEOPLE in November 2023. "I have zero judgment for anyone doing anything. But I don't see myself resorting to it."

The actress and TV host added, "And I look forward to seeing what I look like as a leather bag in the future!"

Barrymore's hesitation towards cosmetic procedures stems largely from her fear of becoming fixated.

"I have a highly addictive personality, so I worry I'd continue to chase it, get this and that done," she explained. "That scares me, just because of my own approach to things. So, I'm waiting on making any alterations."

Paulina Porizkova

Porizkova has made it clear thatshe is #proaging.

"Combat age. Reverse aging. Rejuvenate. Anti age. None of this is possible. Yet, if you do an internet search on aging, this is what you'll get. Pills, potions and workouts to fight the aging process. You know what the only way to stop aging? Dying," the supermodel captioned a bikini photoon Instagramin 2021.

"But I do want to make the best of what I was given. And I want to shine a bright light in the dark corners of the shame that is heaped on women for daring to age," Porizkova continued. "I can't change the world alone, but if you feel like I do, there are some amazing women here on IG that I get inspired by everyday. There are many many more, and inspirations for all different reasons, but for now I'm just picking those who are accepting their aging and making it beautiful."

She finished the caption with a few hashtags: "#nobotox #nofillers #nointerventions YET #nofilter #noshame #proaging."

Sharon Osbourne

Dave Benett/Getty

After an October 2021 facelift resulted in an unsettling outcome,Sharon Osbournecalled it quits on any further procedures.

"That was the worst thing that I ever did. I looked like Cyclops," shetoldThe Sunday Timesin December 2023. "I had one eye here and one eye there, and my mouth was all skewwhiff, and then I had to wait for that to heal before I could go back and have it corrected."

The procedure was Osbourne's third rhytidectomy, following surgeries in 1987 and 2002, per her 2013 autobiography,Unbreakable. The TV personality attributed her retirement from cosmetic surgery to a recent facelift.

"That one put me off, and it frightens me," OsbournetoldThe Sunin August 2023. "I really f------ pushed it with the last facelift, and I am now like, no more ... Time is against me; I cannot have another facelift."

Emma Thompson

Emma Thompsonwas candid about her opinion on plastic surgery in 2014.

"It's mad," shetoldHello Magazine. "It's not a normal thing to do, and the culture that we've created that says it's normal is not normal. Why do people ask persons to cut them open and put things into their body? What is that, what are we doing to ourselves?"

The Oscar-winning actress added that she's worried about how cosmetic surgery will affect the future of society: "It's chronically unhealthy, and there's this very serious side to all of that because we're going to end up with this sort of 'super-culture' that's going to suggest to young people, girls and boys, that this looks normal. And it's not normal."

Thompson doubled down on her take in early 2022,telling The Wrapshe considers this phenomenon as "a form of collective psychosis."

She added, "I've always thought that, though. But I've always been a kind of card-carrying, militant feminist when it comes to women's bodies and what's been done to them, what we're told to expect of ourselves, what we're told to do to ourselves."

Pink

In 2020,Pinkshared a candid "note to self" in a since-deleted post on Twitter (now X) about how she's beginning to notice the effects of aging and how they make her feel "weird" — but thatshe's working to embrace them.

"Dear Me, you're getting older. I see lines. Especially when you smile. Your nose is getting bigger… You look (and feel) weird as you get used to this new reality," she wrote. "But your nose looks like your kids, and your face wrinkles where you laugh… and yeah you idiot… u smoked."

The singer continued, "Every once in a while, you consider altering your face, and then you watch a show where you want to see what the person is feeling… and their face doesn't move. I cannot get behind it. I just can't."

To round out her empowering message, Pink encouraged her followers to "get on board cause I am about to AGE THE OL FASHIONED WAY (in a tutu ruling s--- at 30 mph 100 ft in the air over 40) yassssssss."

Pinkrefused to be shamed for aging naturally. Clapping back to an online troll who ridiculed her looks, she wrote in a deleted post on X: "Yes, although I don't feel old, and I still get to wear a leotard to work, growing older is actually my first 'grateful' every day. What a blessing to have life, years. To be this strong, to be able to still piss off complete strangers just by existing."

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streepis decidedly against plastic surgery after seeing it go wrong for too many of her peers.

"When I see it in people I meet, it's like an interruption in communication with them," shetoldVanity Fairin December 2009. "It's like a flag in front of the view, and that, for an actor, is like wearing a veil — it's not a good thing."

In July 2008, she elaborated on the importance of embracing the "gift" of aging,tellingGood Housekeeping,"You'd be amazed at how many men in this industry have gone down that road [of getting plastic surgery]."

Streep added, "I just don't get it. You have to embrace getting older. Life is precious, and when you've lost a lot of people, you realize each day is a gift."

Amanda Peet

"I've never gotten Botox or fillers,"Amanda Peetsaid during a 2016 interview on SiriusXM'sConversations with Maria Menounos. "I've never done anything to my face that's 'invasive.' "

While the actress says being a mother probably influenced her decision to forgo injections, she does concede that a much less noble factor might have also affected her choice.

"I think it has a lot to do with having two girls," Peet said. "Maybe I'm afraid. I'm afraid … it's like I've never done cocaine either!"

Peet said that surgery not being involved in her beauty routine doesn't mean she hasn't put significant effort into her looks: "I've certainly spent a lot of time and money doing other stuff, and I certainly am vain!"

Ina candid 2017 essayforLena Dunham's Lenny Letter, Peet further explained why sherefuses to go through cosmetic procedures.

"Since we're all going to get wrinkly and die, maybe we've got to move in the direction of acceptance about that," she wrote. "Botox or no Botox, we shouldn't feel bitter because we're ALL going to look like s---. Every last one of us. EvenAlicia Vikander. (Sorry, Alicia.)"

Julianne Moore

"I hate to condemn people for doing [Botox], but I don't believe it makes people look better,"Julianne MooretoldAllurein October 2010. "I think it just makes them look like they had something done to their face. When you look at somebody who's had their face altered in some way, it just looks weird."

The Oscar winner later talked about the phrase "aging gracefully" in 2021,tellingW Magazine, "There's so much judgment inherent in the term ... Is there an ungraceful way to age? We don't have an option, of course. No one has an option about aging, so it's not a positive or a negative thing; it just is."

She continued, "It's part of the human condition, so why are we always talking about it as if it is something that we have control over? How do we continue to evolve? How do we navigate life to have even deeper experiences? That should be what aging is about."

Halle Berry

Halle Berryadmits that being an actress comes with a lot of "pressure" to get plastic surgery, but says she's standing her ground when it comes to nips and tucks.

"When you see everybody around you doing it, you have those moments when you think, 'To stay alive in this business, do I need to do the same thing?' I won't lie and tell you that those things don't cross my mind because somebody is always suggesting it to me," the actresstoldYahoo! Beautyin 2015. "It's almost like crack that people are trying to push on you. That's what I feel like. I just have kept reminding myself that beauty really is as beauty does, and it is not so much about my physical self. Aging is natural, and that's going to happen to all of us."

She added, "I just want to always look like myself, even if that's an older version of myself. I think when you do too much of that cosmetic stuff, you become somebody else in a way."

Salma Hayek

"No surgical tweaks. No Botox either,"Salma Hayekreportedly toldInStylein June 2010, confirming that she's never opted for cosmetic surgery.

"I think it is terrible, these girls in their late 20s injecting their faces and lips. One told me, 'If I kill my muscles now, I'll never get wrinkles.' Can you imagine?"

The actress revealed her beauty secret in 2015.

"I use an ingredient called Tepezcohuite that's used in Mexico for burn victims because it completely regenerates the skin," shetoldElle. "Some of the ingredients, when I took them to the American labs, they were like, 'Oh my God! How come nobody is using this?' This is why I have no Botox, no peels, no fillings."

Julia Roberts

"It's unfortunate that we live in such a panicked, dysmorphic society where women don't even give themselves a chance to see what they'll look like as older persons,"Julia RobertstoldEllein August 2010. "I want to have some idea of what I'll look like before I start cleaning the slates. I want my kids to know when I'm pissed, when I'm happy, and when I'm confounded. Your face tells a story ... and it shouldn't be a story about your drive to the doctor's office."

In 2014, the actress toldYou Magazinethat her anti-surgery views are rare in the business, stating, "By Hollywood standards, I guess I've already taken a big risk in not having had a facelift."

Jodie Foster

"[Plastic surgery is] not my thing,"Jodie FostertoldMoremagazinein 2007. "I don't have anything against it for other people. Whatever they want to do, I'm fine with it. For me, it's really a self-image thing. Like, I'd rather have somebody go, 'Wow, that girl has a bad nose' than, 'Wow, that girl has a bad nose job.' I'd rather have a comment about who I am than about something that identifies me as being ashamed of who I am."

Staying firm in her beliefs, Foster has had to learn how to embrace aging in Hollywood.

"Sixty was the best shift of all because I was struggling in my 50s. I was sort of like, 'Am I ever going to do anything meaningful again? Is this all there is," the actresstoldInterviewMagazinein November 2023. "There's that awkward phase where everybody who's in their late forties or fifties is very busy getting all plumped and shooting s--- into their face. I didn't want that life, but I also knew that I couldn't compete with my old self."

She continued, "Then something happened when I turned 60. I was like, 'I figured it out. This is good.' There was something about going back to the work with a different attitude, I think, about really enjoying supporting other people and saying to myself, 'This is not my time. I had my time. This is their time.' "

Kate Winslet

Kate Winsletisn't shy about her staunch anti-surgery views. "It goes against my morals, the way that my parents brought me up, and what I consider to be natural beauty. I will never give in," shetoldThe Telegraphin August 2011. "I am an actress; I don't want to freeze the expression of my face."

She spoke outagainst plastic surgery and Botox againin December 2025, telling theSunday Times, "We have to keep being real."

"And it's puzzling because I have moments when I think it's better, when I look at actresses at events dressed how they want, whichever shape," she said. "But then so many people are on weight-loss drugs. It's so varied. Some are making choices to be themselves, others do everything they can to not be themselves."

Alicia Silverstone

Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

While speaking toByrdiein August 2025,Alicia Silverstoneconfirmed that she's never had Botox, and instead wants to age naturally.

"I have lines," she said. "I don't know.I'm curious to see what happens. I'd like to be an example [of what that would look like]."

Read the original article onPeople

But enough with the bad stuff. You didn't click on this story for that. You're here for the good stuff, which we found in abundance through apop culture lens. That's the power of entertainment – to inspire us, lift us up and make us feel seen when we need it the most.

It's the most wonderful time of the year: The start of awards season!

The month of December kicked off on a star-studded note with the Gotham Awards, the first major awards ceremony of Oscar season. As the end of the year approaches, December will also see A-listers step out at the premieres of highly anticipated movies like "Avatar: Fire and Ash" and "Marty Supreme."

Scroll through for the best celebrity photos of December 2025 so far, starting with A$AP Rocky and Rihanna attending the Gotham Awards on Dec. 1, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner attend the Los Angeles premiere of A24's "Marty Supreme" at Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Dec. 8, 2025, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kylie Jenner attends the Los Angeles premiere of A24's "Marty Supreme" at Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Dec. 8, 2025, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gwyneth Paltrow

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Josh Hutcherson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Samuel Jaimez, Khrystian Ramos, Jesus Ortiz Paz, Moises Lopez and José "Pelón" García of Fuerza Regida

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gwyneth Paltrow and Moses Martin

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Halsey

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Josh Safdie and Gwyneth Paltrow

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Penn Jillette, Kevin O'Leary, Timothée Chalamet, Odessa A'zion, Tyler The Creator, Gwyneth Paltrow and Koto Kawaguchi

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Odessa A'zion

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Timothée Chalamet

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tyler, the Creator

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Frances Turner and Walton Goggins attend the "Fallout" Season 2 red carpet premiere event at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Dec. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Macaulay Culkin

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Annabel O' Hagan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ella Purnell

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Walton Goggins

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kyle MacLachlan and Annabel O'Hagan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lisa Joy, Walton Goggins and Jonathan Nolan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Mike Hopkins, Worldwide Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, Kyle MacLachlan, Justin Theroux, Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins and Aaron Moten

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ron Perlman

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sabrina Carpenter speaks onstage at Variety Hitmakers 2025 on Dec. 6, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. The "Espresso" singer was award with the Hitmaker of the Year Award.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rosé speaks onstage at Variety Hitmakers 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Addison Rae and Tate McRae

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Josh Conway, Maria Zardoya, Edward James and Jesse Perlman of The Marías at Variety Hitmakers 2025 on Dec. 6, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Samuel Jaimez, Khrystian Ramos, Jesus Ortiz Paz, Moises Lopez and José "Pelón" García of Fuerza Regida at Variety Hitmakers 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tyler, the Creator

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Laufey

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tate McRae

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Swizz Beatz speaks during the Art Basel Awards Night in Miami Beach at New World Symphony on Dec. 4, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ice Spice and Suni Lee attend NYLON House at Miami Art Week Presented by e.l.f. Cosmetics 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lori Harvey attends NYLON House at Miami Art Week Presented by e.l.f. Cosmetics 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Diplo attends NYLON House at Miami Art Week Presented by e.l.f. Cosmetics 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Honoree Jennifer Lopez, recipient of the Equity in Entertainment award, and Robert Downey Jr. attend The Hollywood Reporter Women In Entertainment, presented by Lifetime, at The Beverly Hills Hotel on Dec. 3, 2025, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Honorees Gwyneth Paltrow, recipient of the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, and Jennifer Lopez, recipient of the Equity in Entertainment award, attend The Hollywood Reporter Women In Entertainment luncheon.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sarah Paulson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Goldie Hawn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jimmy Kimmel

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Robert Downey Jr.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Karen Pittman and Kerry Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kerry Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> L'Oréal Paris marked the 20th anniversary of its Women of Worth program with a star-studded celebration on Dec. 2 in Los Angeles at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

The night saw an A-list lineup of their global ambassadors including Helen Mirren, Andie MacDowell, Kendall Jenner, Aja Naomi King, Gillian Anderson, Ariana Greenblatt and Heidi Klum.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ariana Greenblatt

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kendall Jenner

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Aja Naomi King

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gillian Anderson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sophia Bush

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Heidi Klum

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kris Jenner

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lucy Liu attends a screening of "Rosemead" on Dec. 2, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jamie Lee Curtis attends a screening of "Ella McCay" at Museum of Modern Art on Dec. 2, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Josh Hutcherson attends the premiere of "Five Nights At Freddy's 2" on Dec. 2, 2025, in Hollywood.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> McKenna Grace

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Skeet Ulrich, left, and Matthew Lillard

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amanda Seyfried attends a New York screening of "The Housemaid" on Dec. 2, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Brandon Sklenar

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Michelle Pfeiffer attends the premiere of "Oh. What. Fun." on Dec. 2, 2025, in New York City

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Felicity Jones

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chloë Grace Moretz

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Miley Cyrus, left, and Maxx Morando attend the premiere of "Avatar: Fire and Ash" in Hollywood on Dec. 1, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Billie Eilish

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sam Worthington, left, and Lara Worthington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Zoe Saldaña

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sigourney Weaver

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Xochitl Gomez

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A$AP Rocky, left, and Rihanna attend the Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Dec. 1, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Michael B. Jordan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jennifer Lawrence

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Elle Fanning

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hugh Jackman, left, and Kate Hudson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tessa Thompson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jackie Sandler, left, and Adam Sandler

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kristen Stewart

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jacob Elordi

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Colman Domingo attends The Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on Dec. 1, 2025, in London, England.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lily Allen

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sienna Miller

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> LaKeith Stanfield

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> FKA Twigs

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Pink Patherness

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rooney Mara

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Cate Blanchett

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ncuti Gatwa

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sharon Stone

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Emily Ratajkowski

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Will Poulter

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Raye

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gabbriette

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Myha'la

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jodie Comer

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lila Moss

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rita Ora

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Billie Piper

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amelia Dimoldenberg

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Russell Thomas, left, and Kim Cattrall

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kylie Minogue

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Joe Alwyn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gwendoline Christie

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Gwyneth Paltrow in the best celebrity photos from December

It's the most wonderful time of the year: The start of awards season!The month of December kicked off on a star-studded note with the Gotham Awards, the first major awards ceremony of Oscar season. As the end of the year approaches, December will also see A-listers step out at the premieres of highly anticipated movies like "Avatar: Fire and Ash" and "Marty Supreme."Scroll through for the best celebrity photos of December 2025 so far, starting with A$AP Rocky and Rihanna attending the Gotham Awards on Dec. 1, 2025, in New York City.

From stars' historic achievements to their outrageous shenanigans – and everything in between – here are the things that brought joy toUSA TODAY's entertainmentstaff in 2025, in no particular order.

1. Charli XCX bringing the spirit of "Brat Summer" to the Grammy Awards with her electric performance.

2. Watching Beyoncé watch her daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi with her on stage during the opening show of her Cowboy Carter tour with pride and tenderness. It was a fourth-wall-breaking reminder that despite her goddess stature in music, Bey most treasures being a mom.

3. David Corenswet's new Man of Steel was the best dog dad putting off saving the world to save pooch Krypto in "Superman": "He's out there alone, and probably scared."

4. Listening to the soundtrack of "KPop Demon Hunters" over and over, and not even because my kid wanted to. Because I did. And it was "Golden."

5. Sabrina Carpenter releasing a "God-approved" album cover for "Man's Best Friend" after controversy.

6. Meryl Streep, as her "Devil Wears Prada" character Miranda Priestly, uniting with Anna Wintour at Milan Fashion Week.

7. Lindsay Lohan paying homage to her past characters on the "Freakier Friday" press tour, delivering a refreshing boost of Zillennial nostalgia.

8. Karol G performing "Papasito" on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" (and teaching Jimmy Fallon the "Tropicoqueta" dance).

9. Kate McKinnon explaining the mating habits of angler fish on "Hot Ones" in the most NSFW nature lesson ever.

10. Paul McCartney playing for a few hundred fans at The Bowery Ballroom, proving that spirit defies age and true legends don't need the big stage.

11. Austin Butler going viral for his dancing at Bad Bunny's Puerto Rico residency in an edibles-induced daze.

12. Lady Gaga going on tour with The Mayhem Ball and reviving her theatrical pop spectacle.

13. The Twilight Saga returning to theaters for the 20th anniversary of "Twilight" (the novel), reigniting the passion of Twihards everywhere.

14. Pop princess and Disney Channel icon Hilary Duff making her much-anticipated musical comeback with her single "Mature."

15. Jonathan Bailey making history as the first openly gay Sexiest Man Alive, sparking an explosion of queer joy.

16. Benson Boone backflipping his way through a sold-out arena tour while still nailing Freddie Mercury-like vocals and making jumpsuits and mustaches look cool.

17. Experiencing "The Wizard of Oz" at Sphere in Las Vegas. Judy Garland's crystalline delivery of "Over the Rainbow" on the Sphere's immaculate sound system coupled with the intensity of feeling like you're in that tornado that drops Dorothy in Munchkinland is absolutely inimitable.

18. Latina icon Rita Moreno giving Bad Bunny his flowers at the Billboard Latin Music Awards by presenting him with the top Latin artist of the 21st century award.

19. Selena Gomez marrying Benny Blanco and sharing wedding photos with fans.

20. Taylor Swift revealing her engagement to Travis Kelce and breaking the internet (again).

21. Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers performing a pitch-perfect parody of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" at Las Culturistas Culture Awards.

22. Cole Escola becoming the first nonbinary actor to win best leading actor in a play at the Tony Awards.

23. Jennifer Lopez teaming up with Linda Perry for the delightfully chaotic "What's Up?" x "Beez in The Trap" mashup trend.

24. Dolly Parton playfully reassuring fans that she "ain't dead yet" after illness rumors.

25. The entire original cast of "The Breakfast Club" reuniting at the C2E2 convention for the first time in 40 years.

26. Cyndi Lauper hitting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stage with an all-women band and reunited Salt-N-Pepa to sing "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and saying about induction: "See what happens when you let the riff-raff in?"

27. How do you outshine surviving the ire of Trump? Jimmy Kimmel's late-night eulogy to his friend and band-leader Cleto Escobedo III. Heartbreaking, inspiring, devastatingly perfect.

28. Michelle Yeoh couldn't stop saying "Madame Morrible, flip it around Wicked Witch!" on every "Wicked" red carpet interview.

29. Addison Rae came out of nowhere (well, TikTok, if that's your thing) to drop one of the most effortlessly confident, singular and transcendent debut pop LPs since the likes of Madonna and Britney Spears (yes, really). A new supreme rises.

30. Two years after his death, the resolutely private and enigmatic Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman) let fans into his life and world via Matt Wolf's revelatory, moving two-part docuseries "Pee Wee as Himself."

31. Role Model surprised us with a new "Sally" during every performance of "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" on his "No Place Like Tour," including Natalie Portman, Al Roker, Hilary Duff, Bowen Yang and his mom.

32. Beyoncé finally won album of the year at the Grammys for "Cowboy Carter" after four previous losses in the coveted category. She became the first Black woman to win the award since Lauryn Hill's "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in 1999.

33. The cast of "Stranger Things" said goodbye to the sci-fi juggernaut that launched their careers. Stars like Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard shared heartfelt moments at the Season 5 premiere after growing up together over the past decade.

34. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo made us cry by kicking off the Oscars with a stunning live performance, culminating in a chill-worthy rendition of "Defying Gravity."

35. Ego Nwodim debuted her new stand-up character Miss Eggy on "Saturday Night Live" and accidentally prompted the crowd to curse, reminding us of the joys – and pitfalls – of live television.

36. Marvel's most exciting 2025 release was, improbably, a five-and-a-half hour shot of a series of chairs, as the studio slowly revealed the cast of "Avengers: Doomsday" in a live stream that had us riveted for nearly an entire work day.

37. Bill Burr and Billy Corgan addressed whether they're half-brothers in a hilariously awkward interview on Howie Mandel's podcast, sure to appeal to fans of cringe comedy everywhere.

38. Horror icon Tony Todd delivered a posthumous, meta goodbye to fans in a beautiful unscripted scene in "Final Destination Bloodlines."

39. Ana de Armas gave us action-movie life by lighting up bad guys like a champ in the memorable flamethrower faceoff from "John Wick" spinoff "Ballerina."

40. Benicio del Toro hilariously acknowledged having had "a few small beers," and showed off some pre-arrest dance moves as Sergio St. Carlos in "One Battle After Another."

41. All the music in "Sinners," was delectable, but the energy of Jack O'Connell's performance of "The Rocky Road to Dublin" amidst his new vampire creations while covered in blood was the heady climax of the film that kept playing in my head, and on social media, for long after.

42. Rush choosing the ridiculously talented Anika Nilles to claim the hallowed drum stool of the late Neil Peart for the band's 2026 tour. Never doubt chicks with sticks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Good things that got us through 2025