Month: December 2025

Florida-born Koepka, who is married and has a young son, turned professional in 2012 and won nine PGA Tour events during his nine seasons on North America’s elite professional circuit.

The PGA Tour also wished Koepka and “his family continued success” in a statement, before adding they “continue to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness”.

A three-time US PGA champion, Koepka, has also twice triumphed at the US Open.

His defection from the PGA Tour, along with big names such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, was seen as a major coup for LIV during a period when the sport appeared to be at civil war.

Koepka’s captaincy of the LIV Golf team, Smash, will now pass to Talor Gooch, with the side having an opening to fill for the start of the 2026 season in February.

Koepka becomes the first star player to leave LIV Golf, however, there has been speculation over his future for months and a possible return to the PGA Tour.

The Tour has suspended players who competed in LIV Golf events after categorising them as unauthorised. Non-members have been subject to a year ban following their previous LIV event.

Koepka will also be eligible to join the DP World Tour and have exemptions to compete in golf’s four major championships.

Earlier this week, Chilean Mito Pereira announced his retirement from golf aged 30 after three seasons with LIV.

Dec. 23 (UPI) — The U.S. Department of Education has signaled that next year it will resume garnishing wages of people who’ve defaulted on their student loans.

The change, reported by multiple news outlets, comes after a years-long respite on garnishment that began as a pandemic-era economic relief measure. The resumption follows other Trump administration efforts to recoup past-due student loan debt.

The department intends to notify about 1,000 borrowers who have defaulted on their debt that it will begin seizing parts of their paychecks, The Washington Post reported Monday. The initial notices will go out the week of Jan. 7, with more going out to borrowers each month, according to the paper.

Roughly 5.3 million borrowers have not made student loan payments, with many having fallen behind before the federal government stopped collecting on defaulted loans nearly six years ago, the Post reported.

A borrower is considered to be in default on their loan when they have not made a payment for more than 270 days. Up to 15% of their pay can be garnished as a result.

After returning to power earlier this year, the Trump administration has sought to undo Biden-era policies meant to ease the burden of student loans on borrowers. The department announced in April that it would again require defaulted borrowers to make payments on their loans and has sought to tighten rules for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

The Trump administration has defended its approach, saying it’s holding irresponsible borrowers accountable for loans that have cost taxpayers billions.

However, the Student Borrower Protection Center criticized the department for resuming garnishments, saying the measure is used without oversight and has been used to unjustifiably seize wages from hundreds of millions during the pandemic.

“At a time when families across the country are struggling with stagnant wages and an affordability crisis, this administration’s decision to garnish wages from defaulted student loan borrowers is cruel, unnecessary, and irresponsible,” Persis Yu, the group’s deputy executive director and managing counsel, said in a statement. “As millions of borrowers sit on the precipice of default, this administration is using its self-inflicted limited resources to seize borrowers’ wages instead of defending borrowers’ right to affordable payments.”

Venezuela’s National Assembly has passed a law enacting harsh penalties for those who support or help finance blockades and acts of piracy, including up to 20 years in prison.

The legislation was passed on Tuesday after the United States seized oil tankers linked to Venezuela, acts that the government of President Nicolas Maduro has denounced as lawless acts of piracy.

“This law seeks to protect the national economy and avoid the erosion of living standards for the population,” lawmaker Giuseppe Alessandrello said, while presenting the law before the National Assembly, controlled by Maduro’s governing party.

The US has carried out a series of increasingly aggressive measures over the past several months, deploying sizeable military forces to Latin America, seizing oil tankers, killing dozens of people in military strikes on what it says are drug-trafficking boats, and threatening land strikes on Venezuela itself.

The legality of some of those acts, such as the seizure of oil tankers in international waters, is contested. Others, such as the strikes against alleged drug traffickers, are widely considered illegal.

“We are in the presence of a power that acts outside of international law, demanding that Venezuelans vacate our country and hand it over,” Samuel Moncada, Venezuela’s representative at the United Nations, told the Security Council (UNSC) during a meeting on Tuesday.

“The threat is not Venezuela,” he added. “The threat is the US government.”

China and Russia also criticised US actions. Russia’s ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said that the Trump administration was creating a “template” for the use of force that could be used against other Latin American countries in the future.

“We saw clear support for Venezuela from Russia and China, but also from Colombia, and even from some other member states, talking about how the US needs to abide by international law and calling for de-escalation,” Al Jazeera correspondent Gabriel Elizondo said from the UN.

He added that several Latin American countries with right-wing governments, such as Argentina, Panama and Chile, appeared to side with the US.

“The bottom line here is that we have not gotten any better sense from the United States on what their endgame is here, where they plan to take this,” he added.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the US military had moved special operations aircraft and cargo planes with troops into the Caribbean this week.

“We have a massive armada formed, the biggest we’ve ever had, and by far the biggest we’ve ever had in South America,” Trump told reporters on Monday.

Maduro has said the US is seeking to topple his government and seize control of Venezuela’s large oil reserves, which members of the Trump administration have falsely claimed rightfully belong to the US. Trump said on Monday that the US would retain the oil seized from the tankers as well as the tankers themselves.

Addressing the UNSC, the US ambassador, Mike Waltz, said that oil sales were a “primary economic lifeline for Maduro and his illegitimate regime”, repeating an unsubstantiated claim that Maduro oversees a vast criminal enterprise that traffics drugs to the US.

“The single most serious threat to this hemisphere, our very own neighbourhood and the United States, is from transnational terrorist and criminal groups,” Waltz said.

The US pressure campaign has become a useful pretext for the Venezuelan government’s efforts to crack down on internal dissent.

Rights groups have said that Maduro’s government has become more repressive since the presidential election in July 2024, in which Maduro claimed victory despite the widespread doubts about the credibility of the results. The opposition has maintained it was the true winner, and few countries have recognised Maduro’s victory.

Former EastEnders star Liam Hatch has addressed the backlash he faced when he was cast as a schoolboy in the legendary BBC soap opera, despite nearing the age of 30

An EastEnders star has opened up about the backlash they faced over their controversial casting. Liam Hatch, 29, was cast as school bully Logan in the BBC soap opera last year, and fans were left quite bewildered.

Despite playing a Year 12 schoolboy, who intimidated Amy Mitchel and Denzel Danes, Liam’s character was ten years older than the typical Year 12 students in England, who are between 16 and 17 in the UK. Introduced by Kate Oates and Chris Clenshaw, Liam’s character appeared in just one episode and attracted a fair amount of criticism on social media.

Many viewers were shocked to discover his Instagram page, which boasts topless gym snaps and his annual birthday snap, which sees him posing nude as the camera takes a picture from behind. Now, the actor has spoken in depth about the backlash he faced.

“The grief I had from it, from Twitter – I sell mortgages, I’m 41, the oldest man alive,” he said. Liam joked: “I don’t look that old!” He went on to explain that he wasn’t 16 when he took on the role, saying: “I was 26.”

Speaking about the response he received from friends and family, the athlete and actor added on the Rokman Podcast: “All my friends and family were like ‘Are you okay? People are taking the p**s out of you. Your age, looks.’ I was like ‘Oh God, I’m not that bad. I’m sure I SPF every day. I look good.

“My dad was loving it, he was like ‘He’s on The Sun!’ I think I’m the only man to be on Page 3 of The Sun topless!” He continued: “I always say to everyone, if your name is coming out of other people’s mouths, you’ve done something, and it doesn’t matter how good or bad it is, it’s happening.”

At the time of Liam’s episode airing, fans were quick to share their thoughts on social media. One said: “Why is this 44-year-old man walking around in a school uniform and picking fights with the local kids?” A second penned: “Almost certain that this schoolboy sold me my mortgage.”

Shortly after the criticism, Liam explained that the comment about being 44 had stuck with him. Speaking to The Guardian, Liam said: “I was looking in the mirror, thinking ‘surely I can’t be looking 44 – that’s five years younger than my dad!'”

Liam, who works as a personal trainer when he’s not preparing for his latest HYROX challenge, said that some of his clients believed he was around the age of 23.

He added to the outlet: “A few of my friends asked if I was OK. But I’m in the performance and fitness industries, I know you’re going to get critics. As long as the performance is showing you are that character, that’s what’s important to an actor. You’re not looking at the appearance but the emotion.”

Liam also explained that while he played a younger character, times had completely changed since he was around the same age as a Year 12 student. He explained that he tried to modernise himself, including his posture and body language as the current generation of teens “have more suave” when they walk and talk.

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The oldest baby boomers — once the vanguard of an American youth that revolutionized U.S. culture and politics — turn 80 in 2026.

The generation that twirled the first plastic hula hoops and dressed up the first Barbie dolls, embraced the TV age, blissed out at Woodstock and protested and fought in the Vietnam War — the cohort that didn’t trust anyone over age 30 — now is contributing to the overall aging of America.

Boomers becoming octogenarians in 2026 include actor Henry Winkler and baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, singers Cher and Dolly Parton and presidents Donald Trump, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

The aging and shrinking youth of America

America’s population swelled with around 76 million births from 1946 to 1964, a spike magnified by couples reuniting after World War II and enjoying postwar prosperity.

Boomers were better educated and richer than previous generations, and they helped grow a consumer-driven economy. In their youth, they pushed for social change through the Civil Rights Movement, the women’s rights movement and efforts to end the Vietnam War.

“We had rock ‘n’ roll. We were the first generation to get out and demonstrate in the streets. We were the first generation, that was, you know, a socially conscious generation,” said Diane West, a metro Atlanta resident who turns 80 in January. “Our parents played by the rules. We didn’t necessarily play by the rules, and there were lots of us.”

As they got older they became known as the “me” generation, a pejorative term coined by writer Tom Wolfe to reflect what some regarded as their self-absorption and consumerism.

“The thing about baby boomers is they’ve always had a spotlight on them, no matter what age they were,” Brookings demographer William Frey said. “They were a big generation, but they also did important things.”

By the end of this decade, all baby boomers will be 65 and older, and the number of people 80 and over will double in 20 years, Frey said.

The share of senior citizens in the U.S. population is projected to grow from 18.7% in 2025 to nearly 23% by 2050, while children under 18 decline from almost 21% to a projected 18.4%.

Without any immigration, the U.S. population will start shrinking in five years. That’s when deaths will surpass births, according to projections from the Congressional Budget Office that were revised in September to account for the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Population growth comes from immigration as well as births outpacing deaths.

The aging of America is being compounded by longer lives due to better healthcare and lower birth rates.

The projected average U.S. life expectancy at birth rises from 78.9 years in 2025 to 82.2 years in 2055, according to the CBO. And since the Great Recession in 2008, when the fertility rate was 2.08, around the 2.1 rate needed for children to numerically replace their parents, it has been on a steady decline, hitting 1.6 in 2025.

Younger generations miss boomer milestones

Women are having fewer children because they are better educated, they’re delaying marriage to focus on careers and they’re having their first child at a later age. Unaffordable housing, poor access to child care and the growing expenses of child-rearing also add up to fewer kids.

University of New Hampshire senior demographer Kenneth Johnson estimates that the result has been 11.8 million fewer births, compared to what might have been had the fertility rate stayed at Great Recession levels.

“I was young when I had kids. I mean that’s what we did — we got out of college, we got married and we had babies,” said West, who has two daughters, a stepdaughter and six grandchildren. “My kids got married in their 30s, so it’s very different.”

A recent Census Bureau study showed that 21st-century young adults in the U.S. haven’t been adulting like baby boomers did. In 1975, almost half of 25-to-34-year-olds had moved out of their parents’ home, landed jobs, gotten married and had kids. By the early 2020s, less than a quarter of U.S. adults had hit these milestones.

West, whose 21-year-old grandson lives with her, understands why: They lack the prospects her generation enjoyed. Her grandson, Paul Quirk, said it comes down to financial instability.

“They were able to buy a lot of things, a lot cheaper,” Quirk said.

All of her grandchildren are frustrated by the economy, West added.

“You have to get three roommates in order to afford a place,” she said. “When we got out of college, we had a job waiting for us. And now, people who have master’s degrees are going to work fast food while they look for a real job.”

Implications for the economy

The aging of America could constrain economic growth. With fewer workers paying taxes, Social Security and Medicare will be under more pressure. About 34 seniors have been supported by every 100 workers in 2025, but that ratio grows to 50 seniors per 100 working-age people in about 30 years, according to estimates released last year by the White House.

When West launched her career in employee benefits and retirement planning in 1973, each 100 workers supported 20 or fewer retirees, by some calculations.

Vice President JD Vance and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk are among those pushing for an increase in fertility. Vance has suggested giving parents more voting power, according to their numbers of children, or following the example of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán in giving low-interest loans to married parents and tax exemptions to women who have four children or more.

Frey said programs that incentivize fertility among U.S. women hardly ever work, so funding should support pre-kindergarten and paid family leave.

“I think the best you can do for people who do want to have kids is to make it easier and less expensive to have them and raise them,” he said. “Those things may not bring up the fertility rate as much as people would like, but at least the kids who are being born will have a better chance of succeeding.”

Schneider writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Emilie Megnien in Atlanta contributed to this report.

MONDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

San Pedro 92, South East 40

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 65, Palmdale 41
Aliso Niguel 77, San Clemente 74
Baldwin Pak 49, Glenn 46
Bishop Amat 81, Chadwick 59
Blair 59, Grace 46
Calabasas 66, Santa Monica 61
Chaminade 67, Oxnard 38
Covina 49, Sultana 44
Dos Pueblos 67, Pasadena Poly 56
Duarte 79, El Monte 25
Edison 67, Northwood 55
Edgewood 68, Southlands Christian 40
Eisenhower 74, Montebello 49
El Modena 65, Rim of the World 45
Elsinore 72, Vista Murrieta 60
Gabrielino 69, Bell Gardens 56
Gardena Serra 63, Downey 48
Golden Valley 60, Moorpark 52
Irvine University 75, Tarbut V’ Torah 52
La Mirada 66, San Gabriel Academy 53
Lawndale 48, Riverside North 42
Oak Park 77, Newbury Park 58
Paramount 69, Saddleback 68
Pioneer 58, Valley View 45
Portola 79, California 69
Rancho Buena Vista 53, Linfield Christian 42
Ramona 80, Indio 42
Redlands East Valley 75, Norco 56
Redondo Union 78, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 68
San Berardino 82, Westminster 35
San Jacinto Leadership 49, United Christian Academy 46
San Marcos 62, Mission College Prep 54
San Marino 44, Rowland 29
Santa Maria St. Joseph 77, Bishop Montgomery 42
Santa Ynez 74, Foothill Tech 60
Shalhevet 49, Littlerock 28
South Hills 35, Northview 32
South Torrance 74, CAMS 24
Thousand Oaks 59, Alemany 54
Torrance 69, St. Genevieve 59
Victor Valley 77, Perris 74
Westminster La Quinta 54, Bolsa Grande 33

INTERSECTIONAL

Agoura 69, Stockdale 56
Aurora (CO) Cherokee Trail 60, West Torrance 49
Birmingham 55, Canyon Springs 35
Centennial (CO) Eaglecrest 53, Leuzinger 51
Chino 77, North Las Vegas (NV) CIVICA 45
Burbank 57, Marquez 46
Corona Centennial 71, Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman 59
Corona Santiago 66, lano (TX) Prestonwood Christian 32
Eastvale Roosevelt 81, Miami (FL) Mater Lakes Academy 71
Fresno San Joaquin Memorial 76, Mater Dei 53
Granada Hills 64, YULA 39
JSerra 60, Orlando (FL) Edgewater 57
Knight 65, Magna (UT) Cyprus 62
Lake Oswego (OR) Lakeridge 76, Chino Hills 75
Lehi (UT) Skyridge 72, West Ranch 32
Maranatha 61, Bullard 57
Marrieta (GA) Osborne 67, Buckley 62
Merced 52, Dominguez 32
Oaks Christian 72, Aurora (CO) Smoky Hill 46
Orlando Christian (FL) 61, LA Jordan 43
Pasadena 61, Gilbert (AZ) Perry 42
Peninsula 53, Carson 30
Provo (UT) Timpview 61, Santa Margarita 59
San Fernando Valley 72, Northridge Academy 68
Saugus 51, El Camino Real 49
St. Paul 68, Henderson (NV) Basic 65
Viewpoint 73, Granada Hills Kennedy 30
Village Christian 66, Tacoma (WA) Lincoln 59
Warren 58, Las Vegas (NV) Durango 56
Washington Prep 68, Las Vegas (NV) Meadows School 38

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Bernstein 52, Rancho Dominguez 28
Bravo 45, Port of Los Angeles 22
East College Prep 28, EAMCP 10
San Pedro 53, Gardena 31
South East 68, South Gate 10

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 45, Victor Valley 29
Alemany 56, Hart 34
Apple Valley 40, Lakeside 33
Beaumont 62, Riverside Notre Dame 27
Buena Park 69, Bloomington 12
Burbank 75, Muir 36
Burbank Burroughs 51, Santa Monica 27
Camarillo 56, Rio Mesa 37
Capistrano Valley 53, Garden Grove 42
Chaffey 53, Colton 31
Corona 65, Patriot 19
Costa Mesa 41, Westminster La Quinta 21
Edgewood 43, Southland Christian 31
Edison 61, Northwood 30
El Modena 63, Rim of the World 23
Hacienda Heights Wilson 59, Sunny Hills 55
Hesperia 55, Citrus Valley 15
Hillcrest 39, Western 31
La Habra 42, Tustin 36
Lakewood 30, Gahr 26
Lakewood St. Joseph 59, Santa Margarita 46
Lompoc 47, Foothill Tech 21
Los Altos 58, Temecula Valley 50
Ocean View 34, Saddleback 32
Pasadena Poly 73, San Gabriel Academy 20
Portola 60, Lawndale 37
Ramona 55, Vista del Lago 14
Rancho Christian 102, Chaparral 67
Rancho Verde 49, Colony 39
Rialto 95, Riverside Prep 25
Riverside Poly 81, Grand Terrace 25
Riverside King 57, Heritage 49
San Marino 49, Royal 41
Silverado 40, Fontana 34
Valley View 48, Elsinore 37
Walnut 35, Santa Ana Foothill 27
West Torrance 73, Marina 47
Whittier Christian 54, Savanna 46
Woodbridge 37, Loara 33

INTERSECTIONAL

Birmingham 72, Palo Verde 30
Cardinal Newman 54, Lynwood 49
Coeur d’Alene (ID) 60, Villa Park 44
Denver South (CO) 54, St. Monica 48
Dublin 63, Westchester 57
Etiwanda 64, Clayton Valley Charter 32
Gardena Serra 61, Carson 29
Gilbert (AZ) 64, Marlborough 24
Gunderson 63, Granada Islamic 18
Las Vegas (NV) 47, Narbonne 45
Laurel (MD) Pallotti 53, San Clemente 49
Mary Star of the Sea 51, LA Marshall 30
Montgomery 61, Dominguez 15
Newcastle (OK) 61, Mater Dei 35
North County San Marcos 57, Vista Murrieta 33
Quartz Hill 61, Justin Garza 53
Reno (NV) 52, South Torrance 46
Sage Hill 57, Francis Parker 55
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 67, Aurora (CO) Overland 44
Sierra Vista 49, Palisades 33
Spokane (WA) Gonzaga Prep 70, Xavier Prep 28
St. Anthony 68, Inderkum 40
Washington Prep 56, Arcadia 41

Dec. 23 (UPI) — A Delaware state trooper and a shooting suspect are dead after an incident occurred before 2 p.m. EST at a Division of Motor Vehicles office in New Castle, Del.

Neither the deceased officer’s name nor the suspect’s name were released as law enforcement investigated the matter, USA Today reported.

No information has been provided about potential injuries to others, but local police are assessing them.

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer confirmed the shooting and said there was no active threat against the public in a post on X.

“Law enforcement acted swiftly to secure the scene, and the shooter has been confirmed deceased,” Meyer said. “State and local law enforcement are on the scene and coordinating response efforts.”

He asked the public to avoid the area and said updates would be released when available.

Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings sent “senior prosecutors” to the scene to help with the investigation, WDEL reported.

No information was initially provided regarding the shooting’s circumstances, and all Delaware DMV offices were closed for the day as of 3 p.m.

Hessler Boulevard and Route 13 were closed in the area near the New Castle DMV location.

New Castle is about 6 miles south of Wilmington, Del.

Across a large conference room table somewhere inside the bowels of the Wynn Las Vegas, the members of Grupo Frontera appeared tired.

The Tex-Mex quintet had been shuffling up and down the Las Vegas strip for eight straight hours doing media interviews in the lead-up to the Latin Grammys, held on Nov. 13 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. They were nominated twice in the regional Mexican song category for their cumbia norteña tracks “Me Jalo,” a collaboration with the clamorous Mexican American band Fuerza Regida, and “Hecha Pa’ Mí,” but would lose out to Los Tigres del Norte’s “La Lotería.”

Despite the exhaustion, Grupo Frontera was happy to be back in Sin City once again — a testament to how far they’ve come in such a brief period of time.

In 2022, shortly after forming, the South Texas band showed up during the last Latin Grammys week held in Las Vegas, uninvited to any legitimate ceremony; it’s a common move by growing artists to get their name out there and possibly rub elbows with some of the biggest stars and producers in the Latin music world.

“We were just doing everything around it but not the [Latin] Grammys,” says lead vocalist Adelaido “Payo” Solís III. “I always think of that time that we came with nothing under our belt.”

Grupo Frontera had already generated buzz thanks to their cover of “No Se Va,” a 2018 hit by Colombian pop band Morat. Their norteño take cracked the Billboard Hot 100 despite the group having no major label deal or studio album of their own. Fame came quickly for them after linking up with fellow border kid Edgar Barrera. The award-winning songwriter-producer (Madonna, Shakira, Karol G and The Weeknd) took the band under his wing after watching them perform at the grand opening of a tire shop in McAllen, Texas.

In early 2023, Barrera paired them up with Bad Bunny for “Un x100to.” Backed by the accordion — a staple of borderland music for more than a century — the modern lovelorn cumbia about stalking an ex on Instagram and using the last remaining bit of phone battery to apologize broke containment, propelling Grupo Frontera into the mainstream. A week after its release, Bad Bunny brought Solís on stage to perform the track at Coachella.

With a co-sign from the biggest artist on the planet and under the tutelage of Barrera, Grupo Frontera quickly cemented itself as the Texas representative of the new wave of música Mexicana, becoming one of the biggest players in a genre on the cusp of dominating the global streaming charts.

“The first year was a hundred percent the songs, lyrics and what [Barrera] told us to do,” said Solis. “We didn’t really know anything about the music industry so in the beginning we just let him guide us and develop the sound he wanted for us.”

The band called Barrera their Rick Rubin, referencing the Def Jam Records co-founder who produced albums for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slayer, Run-D.M.C., Lady Gaga and plenty more seminal acts.

Since then, Grupo Frontera has put out three full-length albums and four EPs, collecting three Latin Grammys in the process — they won for Regional Mexican song in 2023 (“Un x100to”) and 2024 (“El Amor de su Vida” a collab with Grupo Firme), and Norteño album in 2023 for their debut studio album, “El Comienzo,” which peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard 200.

Their most recent LP, “Lo Que Me Falta Por Llorar” (released Oct. 23), is a blend of classic cumbias norteñas (the bouncy, heart-torn “Que Bueno Que Te Fuiste”), swaying Tejano songs (“Si me Quiere”) and a hip-churning huapango (“Quien la Manda”). It also leans into other popular Latin genres, with strands of reggaetón in “No Lo Ves” (featuring Ozuna) and trap flare in “Triste Pero Bien C—,” (featuring rapper Myke Towers).

“It’s like ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears,’ fame,” said Solís. “The first [album] was too small, the second one was too big, and this one was just right.”

In November, Grupo Frontera received their first two Grammy nominations for their joint EP “Mala Mia” with Fuerza Regida, and a solo EP titled “Y Lo Que Viene.” The band was notified before performing at the Grand Ole Opry, marking yet another milestone as it became the first regional Mexican group to play at the iconic Nashville venue.

There’s an ongoing bet within the group: If Grupo Frontera wins an American Grammy, Juan Javier Cantu, the group’s accordion player and secondary vocalist, will tattoo a gramophone somewhere on his person. It’s a big deal given his apprehension toward body art.

All other band members, which also include congas player Julian Peña Jr., bajo quinto player Alberto “Beto” Acosta and drummer Carlos Guerrero, already have a gramophone tattoo to represent their Latin Grammy victories to date. They’re an expensive habit, Solís noted, pointing to Acosta, whose neck and arms are covered in ink, as evidence.

“ I think Beto’s body is worth more than his watches,” he said.

“He’s worthless,” Cantu chimed in. Confused, I asked if he instead meant “priceless.”

“No, he meant worthless,” Guerrero jokingly interjects, causing the group to jolt in roaring laughter. Teasing aside, there is an unequivocal sense of respect and appreciation for one another. Throughout the interview, the band members busted each other’s chops, throwing in the occasional “Te amo, compadre!”

“We want to always be the five of us, however long the group lasts,” said Cantu, who admits he’s the most sentimental of the bunch. “We’ve had our differences but there’s never been a moment where someone wants to leave [the band].”

The latest album comes at a pivotal time for the Texas band, which will embark on its international “Triste Pero Bien C—” tour next year. Not everything about their meteoric rise has been rosy.

Earlier this year in a now-deleted TikTok video, Grupo Frontera appeared to be dancing to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.,” a song associated with Donald Trump’s rallies since at least 2020. Other videos of Solis’ grandparents dancing to the song while holding voting stickers circulated online, prompting many spectators to wonder if the members were Trump supporters.

“No way, I don’t think people will believe that! It didn’t happen,” Solis first told himself when he saw the rumors begin to spread online.

“It’s like when you are a little kid and your mom asks you, ‘Who did this?’ You know you didn’t do anything but they blame you for it, but your mom knows you didn’t do it,” added Solis. “That’s a bit of how we were feeling at the moment.”

Shortly after the social media frenzy, Grupo Frontera was named as a headliner for the Sueños music festival in Chicago, inciting backlash among many attendees. One person online created a petition for its removal from the lineup on Change.org.

The growing onslaught of criticism prompted the band to respond, posting a message on its social media platforms on Feb. 7 and again on Feb. 22 stating that Grupo Frontera had “no affiliation, nor any alliance, with any political party that’s against immigrants and the Latino community.”

The statements came at a fraught political moment for many in the Latino community. Trump, who has vehemently targeted immigrant groups, had just been sworn into office for his second term and was promising to conduct “the largest mass deportation in U.S. history.” Many political experts also pointed to the Latino vote swaying toward Trump.

“Our music is to make love, connect people by the border, not the opposite,” Cantu said. “Why would we get involved in something that is seriously damaging families?”

Solis hoped to clear the air on the topic once and for all, and move forward from the social media rumors.

“Any person who is against our people and who is harming our people, not just our Mexican community but all Latinos, we do not support that,” he said. “Not just the president, but anybody.”

The band members say they’ve learned several key lessons from this experience. For one, they’ve continued to show up where they believe counts the most, in the communities they hold dear to their heart. In March, when flash floods impacted Reynosa, Mexico, the border city across from the river from the Rio Grande Valley, the group delivered aid to support impacted individuals. The band also donated a portion of all proceeds from its surprise EP “Y Lo Que Viene” to frontline organizations in the wake of the ongoing immigration raids targeting Los Angeles since June.

“When it comes from the heart, people feel it and know it,” Cantu said.

“That’s how this dream began with us five, we wanted to make music that was different from what people were hearing, [music] that made sense and that everyone who is in their homes can unite over a song,” said Cantu. “[We want to hear ] a kid say, ‘I want to listen to ‘No Capea’’ and his grandfather too!”

One could assume that such online rumors would weigh on the mental health of each member, perhaps frustrate them to no avail, but the group has made peace with the idea that some individuals will continue to question the group’s intentions.

“But we understand people that are frustrated and want to take out their anger towards someone, no one wants to see [their favorite artist] supporting someone who is against the community,” said Cantu. “But we are with you.”

While mostly quiet during the entire interview, Peña, who often delivers the group’s tagline at the end of every song (“Y esto es Grupo Frontera!”), lifted up his sleepy gaze from the table to deliver one final statement of the afternoon: “There’s a saying, that what one does not owe, one does not fear.”

WASHINGTON — Tips provided to federal investigators about Donald Trump’s alleged involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s schemes with young women and girls are “sensationalist” and “untrue,” the Justice Department said on Tuesday, after a new tranche of files released from the probe featured multiple references to the president.

The documents include a limousine driver reportedly overhearing Trump discussing a man named Jeffrey “abusing” a girl, and an alleged victim accusing Trump and Epstein of rape. It is unclear whether the FBI followed up on the tips. The alleged rape victim died from a gunshot wound to the head after reporting the incident.

Nowhere in the newly released files do federal law enforcement agents or prosecutors indicate that Trump was suspected of wrongdoing, or that Trump — whose friendship with Epstein lasted through the mid-2000s — was investigated himself.

But one unidentified federal prosecutor noted in a 2020 email that Trump had flown on Epstein’s private jet “many more times than previously has been reported,” including over a time period when Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s top confidante who would ultimately be convicted on five federal counts of sex trafficking and abuse, was being investigated for criminal activity.

The Justice Department released an unusual statement unequivocally defending the president.

“Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election,” the Justice Department statement read. “To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”

“Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims,” the department added.

The Justice Department files were released with heavy redactions after bipartisan lawmakers in Congress passed a new law compelling it to do so, despite Trump lobbying Republicans aggressively over the summer and fall to oppose the bill. The president ultimately signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law after the legislation passed with veto-proof majorities in both chambers.

One newly released file containing a letter purportedly from Epstein — a notorious child sex offender who died in jail while awaiting federal trial on sex-trafficking charges — drew widespread attention online, but was held up by the Justice Department as an example of faulty or misleading information contained in the files.

The letter appeared to be sent by Epstein to Larry Nassar, another convicted sex offender, shortly before Epstein’s death. The letter’s author suggested that Nassar would learn after receiving the note that Epstein had “taken the ‘short route’ home,” possibly referring to his suicide. It was postmarked from Virginia on Aug. 13, 2019, despite Epstein’s death in a Manhattan jail three days prior.

“Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls,” the letter reads. “When a young beauty walked by he loved to ‘grab snatch,’ whereas we ended up snatching grub in the mess halls of the system. Life is unfair.”

The Justice Department said that the FBI had confirmed that the letter is “FAKE” after it made the rounds on Tuesday.

“This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual,” the department posted on social media. “Nevertheless, the DOJ will continue to release all material required by law.”

The department has faced bipartisan scrutiny since failing to release all of the Epstein files in its possession by Dec. 19, the legal deadline for it to do so, and for redacting material on the vast majority of the documents.

Justice Department officials said they were following the law by protecting victims with the redactions. The Epstein Files Transparency Act also directs the department not to redact images or references to prominent or political figures, and to provide an explanation for each and every redaction in writing.

The latest release, just days before the Christmas holiday, includes roughly 30,000 documents, the department said. Hundreds of thousands more are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a statement in response to the Tuesday release accusing the Justice Department of a “cover-up,” writing on social media, “the new DOJ documents raise serious questions about the relationship between Epstein and Donald Trump.”

Documents from Epstein’s private estate released by the oversight committee earlier this fall had already cast a spotlight on that relationship, revealing Epstein had written in emails to associates that Trump “knew about the girls.”

The latest documents release also includes an email from an individual identified as “A,” claiming to stay at Balmoral Castle, a royal residence in Scotland, asking Maxwell if she had found him “some new inappropriate friends.” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has come under intense scrutiny over his ties to Epstein in recent years.

Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, Trump said the continuing Epstein scandal amounts to a “distraction” from Republican successes, and expressed disapproval over the release of images in the files that reveal associates of Epstein.

“I believe they gave over 100,000 pages of documents, and there’s tremendous backlash,” Trump told reporters. “It’s an interesting question, because a lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein. But they’re in a picture with him because he was at a party, and you ruin a reputation of somebody. So a lot of people are very angry that this continues.”

From a financial perspective, well-placed sources insist interested clubs are all willing to pay a very similar remuneration package to Semenyo, whose final decision will be made with an emphasis on his personal sporting ambitions.

He turns 26 on 7 January and there is a recognition he is entering the prime of his career.

“I know there is lots of noise around him,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. “[It is] not my concern, my concern is it doesn’t affect his performances. It is not doing, he is very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him here.

“[A] situation we cannot control, but Antoine right now is our player, going to continue playing for us. If you ask me, I don’t want to lose him, definitely don’t. But every time the market opens, you never know what is going to happen.”

With that in mind, it is understood Semenyo will prioritise a club he believes can provide him with what he views as the most suitable project to compete for major trophies on a long-term basis.

The location and impact on his family will also be a contributing factor to his decision and it is understood he does not want the saga to become a long drawn-out process.

Other countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Turkiye, have already joined the case in The Hague.

Belgium has formally joined the case launched by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ICJ – The Hague-based highest court of the United Nations – said Belgium had filed a declaration of intervention in the case.

Other countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Turkiye, have already joined the proceedings.

South Africa brought the case in December 2023, arguing that Israel’s war in Gaza violates the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Israel has rejected the allegations and criticised the case.

While a final ruling could take years, the ICJ issued provisional measures in January 2024 ordering Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.

The court’s orders are legally binding although it has no direct mechanism to enforce them.

The ICJ also said Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and its policies amount to annexation.

Israel has continued its assaults in Gaza and the occupied West Bank despite the rulings and growing international criticism while advancing plans to seize large parts of Palestinian territory.

Meanwhile, the United States and several of its European allies continue to provide military and financial support to Israel.

Washington has rejected the merits of South Africa’s case, and US lawmakers have criticised the country and issued threats against it.

The US has also imposed sanctions on members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Belgium was also among a group of countries that recognised the State of Palestine in September. Nearly 80 percent of UN member states now recognise Palestine.

Since a ceasefire began on October 10, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said, Israel has killed at least 406 Palestinians and injured 1,118 in the enclave. Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, the ministry said, at least 70,942 Palestinians have been killed and 171,195 wounded.

Emmerdale’s Claire King has suffered from a debilitating health condition for several decades

Emmerdale legend Claire King has candidly opened up in the past about her health battles.

Claire has been a firm favourite on the long-running soap since 1989 – and as the man-eater queen of the village Kim Tate, she has played a part in several big storylines.

From her many feuds in the Dales to faking her own death, her time on the show has not been short of drama over the years.

Kim’s also been involved in several famous romances – including her affair and marriage to Frank Tate (Norman Bowler) and her recent romance with Will Taylor (Dean Andrews), who sadly died at Christmas last year.

And on the soap recently, Kim was left fighting for her life after her horse Ice was spooked by shooters on the Home Farm estate and she was thrown off. Although managing to make a recovery, her beloved horse had to be put to sleep after sustaining a horrific injury.

However, away from the soap Claire has faced her own health battles. Over the years, she has been open about her struggle with rheumatoid arthritis over the years.

Claire told OK!: “When I was first diagnosed I was worried, as I was ignorant of the ins and outs of it. I was only in my twenties.

“Over the years they’ve improved various treatments, so my doctors are very good. I manage it. I have various pills and injections every week and I just get on with it. There are certain things I can’t do at work, like wearing killer heels for more than five minutes.

“And the costume department has to do up all of my buttons, as it takes me ages. Doing my hair and make-up takes me a bit longer too, as I’ve got metal in some of my fingers.”

She also said: “I struggled to go to work and do the things I love, like horse-riding, because of the terrible pressure it put on my knees.

“I can certainly relate to the ‘invisible disease’ – although my symptoms don’t always show, it doesn’t mean I’m not in pain or feeling exhausted.”

Meanwhile talking to Health Awareness, Claire revealed: “My joints swelled up, and my knees felt like someone had hit them with a mallet.” Making a heartbreaking confession, Claire added: “You just think, ‘this is an old person’s disease, am I going to end up in a wheelchair?’.

“There was very little treatment available at the time. You just tend to think the worst.”

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new ** Everything Gossip ** website**

WASHINGTON  — The Supreme Court ruled against President Trump on Tuesday and said he did not have legal authority to deploy the National Guard in Chicago to protect federal immigration agents.

Acting on a 6-3 vote, the justices denied Trump’s appeal and upheld orders from a federal district judge and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that said the president had exaggerated the threat and overstepped his authority.

The decision is a major defeat for Trump and his broad claim that he had the power to deploy military forces in U.S. cities.

In an unsigned order, the court said the Militia Act allows the president to deploy the National Guard only if U.S. military forces were unable to quell violence.

“At this preliminary stage, the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois. The President has not invoked a statute that provides an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act,” the court said.

Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch dissented.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had allowed the deployments in Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., after ruling that judges must defer to the president.

But U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled Dec. 10 that the federalized National Guard troops in Los Angeles must be returned to the control of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Trump’s lawyers had not claimed in their appeal that the president had the authority to deploy the military for ordinary law enforcement in the city. Instead, they said the Guard troops would be deployed “to protect federal officers and federal property.”

The two sides in the Chicago case, like in Portland, told dramatically different stories about the circumstances leading to Trump’s order.

Democratic officials in Illinois said small groups of protesters objected to the aggressive enforcement tactics used by federal immigration agents. They said police were able to contain the protests, clear the entrances and prevent violence.

By contrast, administration officials described repeated instances of disruption, confrontation and violence in Chicago. They said immigration agents were harassed and blocked from doing their jobs, and they needed the protection the National Guard could supply.

Trump Solicitor Gen. D. John Sauer said the president had the authority to deploy the Guard if agents could not enforce the immigration laws.

“Confronted with intolerable risks of harm to federal agents and coordinated, violent opposition to the enforcement of federal law,” Trump called up the National Guard “to defend federal personnel, property, and functions in the face of ongoing violence,” he told the court in an emergency appeal filed in mid-October.

Illinois state lawyers disputed the administration’s account.

“The evidence shows that federal facilities in Illinois remain open, the individuals who have violated the law by attacking federal authorities have been arrested, and enforcement of immigration law in Illinois has only increased in recent weeks,” state Solicitor Gen. Jane Elinor Notz said in response to the administration’s appeal.

The Constitution gives Congress the power “to provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.”

The Militia Act of 1903 says the president may call up and deploy the National Guard if he faces an invasion, a rebellion or is “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”

Trump’s lawyers said that referred to police and federal agents. But after taking a closer look, the court concluded it referred to the regular military forces. By that standard, the president’s authority to deploy the National Guard comes only after the military has failed to quell violence.

But on Oct. 29, the justices asked both sides to explain what the law meant when it referred to the “regular forces.”

Until then, both sides had assumed it referred to federal agents and police, not the military.

Trump’s lawyers stuck to their position. They said the law referred to the “civilian forces that regularly execute the laws,” not the military.

If those civilians cannot enforce the law, “there is a strong tradition in this country of favoring the use of the military rather than the standing military to quell domestic disturbances,” they said.

State attorneys for Illinois said the “regular forces” are the “full-time, professional military.” And they said the president could not “even plausibly argue” that the U.S. soldiers were required to enforce the law in Chicago.

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Newsom filed a brief in the Chicago case that warned of the danger of the president using the military in American cities.

“On June 7, for the first time in our Nation’s history, the President invoked [U.S. law] to federalize a State’s National Guard over the objections of the State’s Governor,” they said.

“President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth transferred 4,000 members of California’s National Guard — one in three of the Guard’s total active members — to federal control to serve in a civilian law enforcement role on the streets of Los Angeles and other communities in Southern California.”

That has proved to be “the opening salvo in an effort to transform the role of the military in American society,” they said. “At no prior point in our history has the President used the military this way: as his own personal police force, to be deployed for whatever law enforcement missions he deems appropriate.

“What the federal government seeks is a standing army, drawn from state militias, deployed at the direction of the President on a nationwide basis, for civilian law enforcement purposes, for an indefinite period of time,” they said.

It’s been one surprise after another lately from Lindsey Vonn. And the announcement that the 41-year-old slopes queen has qualified for the Milano Cortina Olympics in February isn’t the last of it.

It might have been her post on Instagram that stated unequivocally that this will be the end.

“I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my 5th and final Olympics!” Vonn said.

Vonn’s remarkable and inspiring comeback from injuries and a seven-year hiatus from top-level competitive skiing has injected the U.S. team narrative with an irresistible story line. That her quest will culminate in the mountains of northern Italy just two months from now will make it must-watch television and social media video.

The last two weeks have thrust Vonn back onto the international stage as well as the podium, which she climbed in four of her first five races this season. That includes a spectacular win in the downhill in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Dec. 12.

That marked her first World Cup victory since 2018. And now it’s official that Vonn will compete in her fifth Olympics where she won gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G at the 2010 Games in Vancouver and bronze in the downhill in the 2018 Games in PyeongChang.

Much of the astonishment circles back to her age. Vonn’s win in St. Moritz made her the oldest woman to win a World Cup race — by seven years. Federica Brignone of Italy set a record a year ago when she won 10 races at age 34.

She also is the first World Cup winner with titanium implants in her right knee. And she’ll become the first quadragenerian to lead the U.S. Alpine skiiing squad seven years after she had all but retired.

In a moving column on Feb. 10, 2019, at the World Championships, The Times’ Helene Elliott wrote what essentially was a sendoff for Vonn: “She went all out to the very end, because that’s the only way Lindsey Vonn knew how to ski. She was bruised and battered as she went to the start gate on Sunday for the final race of her career, sore all over and her right eye blackened by the impact of a crash she suffered during a super-giant slalom race earlier in the week at the World Championships. Her ligaments tore and her bones sometimes broke but her competitiveness was never dimmed, never dented, never compromised.”

Well, 2026 is around the bend and Vonn is back and intact, her competitiveness never compromised still. She has not officially qualified for the Olympics in the super-G, but she’s the fastest American and No. 3 in the world, so count on that as her next headline.

“Lindsey qualifying for the 2026 Olympic team is a testament to her resilience and dedication, and the remarkable results she’s delivered on the World Cup this season,” Sophie Goldschmidt, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “She’s proven once again that elite performance isn’t just about past success, it’s about rising to the moment, race after race.

“We’re thrilled to cheer her on at the Olympics.”

As the year comes to an end, a deal between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces was expected to come into force.

Instead, fighting has erupted between the two sides in the northern city of Aleppo.

They later agreed to stop the fighting, while blaming each other for the violence.

That deal was supposed to lead to the SDF integrating with the army, but it is stalling on how that should be implemented.

This renewed tension comes as Damascus faces other threats, ranging from ISIL (ISIS) to recurrent conflicts with the Druze community and continuing attacks by Israel.

So what does this complex security situation mean for Syria, a year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests

Haid Haid – Researcher at Chatham House

Steven Heydemann – Professor and Middle East Studies programme director at Smith College

Omer Ozkizilcik – Nonresident fellow for the Syria project in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programme

The 50-year-old comedian is already facing similar charges, including rape and sexual assault, involving four women.

British authorities have brought new counts of rape and sexual assault against comedian Russell Brand, who is already facing similar charges involving four women.

The United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday that the new charges – one count of rape and one of sexual assault – against Brand were in relation to two further women. The alleged offences took place in 2009, the CPS said.

Brand, 50, had already been charged in April with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges were brought after an 18-month investigation launched when four women alleged they had been assaulted by the comedian.

Prosecutors said these offences took place from 1999 to 2005, one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in London.

Brand pleaded not guilty to those charges in a London court.

He is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on January 20 in relation to the two new charges. A trial has also been scheduled for June 16 and is expected to last four to five weeks.

The Get Him to the Greek actor, known for risque stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, has dropped out of the mainstream media in recent years. He built a large following online with videos mixing wellness with conspiracy theories as well as discussions about religion.

When the first group of charges was announced in April, Brand said he welcomed the opportunity to prove his innocence.

“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord,” he said in a social media video. “I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was, was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”

Detective Chief Inspector Tariq Farooqi said the women involved in the case “continue to receive support from specially trained officers”.

He added the police investigation was ongoing and urged “anyone affected by this case or anyone with information to come forward”.

California milk cartons may lose their coveted recycling symbol, the one with the chasing arrows, potentially threatening the existence of the ubiquitous beverage containers.

In a letter Dec. 15, Waste Management, one of the nation’s largest waste companies, told the state the company would no longer sort cartons out of the waste stream for recycling at its Sacramento facility. Instead, it will send the milk- and food-encrusted packaging to the landfill.

Marcus Nettz, Waste Management’s director of recycling for Northern California and Nevada, cited concerns from buyers and overseas regulators that cartons — even in small amounts — could contaminate valuable material, such as paper, leading them to reject the imports.

The company decision means the number of Californians with access to beverage carton recycling falls below the threshold in the state’s “Truth in Recycling” law, or Senate Bill 343.

And according to the law, that means the label has to come off.

The recycling label is critical for product and packaging companies to keep selling cartons in California as the state’s single-use packaging law goes fully into effect. That law, Senate Bill 54, calls for all single-use packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. If it isn’t, it can’t be sold or distributed in the state.

The labels also provide a feel-good marketing symbol suggesting to consumers the cartons won’t end up in a landfill when they’re discarded, or find their way into the ocean where plastic debris is a large and growing problem.

On Tuesday, the state agency in charge of waste, CalRecycle, acknowledged Waste Management’s change.

In updated guidelines for the Truth in Recycling law, recycling rates for carton material have fallen below the state threshold.

It’s a setback for carton manufacturers and their customers, including soup- and juice-makers. Their trade group, the National Carton Council, has been lobbying the state, providing evidence that Waste Management’s Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station successfully combines cartons with mixed paper and ships it to Malaysia and other Asian countries including Vietnam, proving that there is a market. The Carton Council persuaded CalRecycle to reverse a decision it made earlier this year that beverage cartons did not meet the recycling requirements of the Truth in Recycling law.

Brendon Holland, a spokesman for the trade group, said in an email that his organization is aware of Waste Management’s decision, but its understanding is that the company will now sort the cartons into their own dedicated waste stream “once a local end market is available.”

He added that even with “this temporary local adjustment,” food and beverage cartons are collected and sorted in most of California, and said this is just a “temporary end market adjustment — not a long-term shift away from historical momentum.”

In 2022, Malaysia and Vietnam banned imports of mixed paper bales — which include colored paper, newspapers, magazines and other paper products — from the U.S. because they were so often contaminated with non-paper products and plastic, such as beverage cartons. Waste Management told The Times on Dec. 5 that it has a “Certificate of Approval” by Malaysia’s customs agency to export “sorted paper material.” CalRecycle said it has no regulatory authority on “what materials may or may not be exported.”

Adding the Sacramento facility to the list of waste companies that were recycling cartons meant that the threshold required by the state had been met: More than 60% of the state’s counties had access to carton recycling.

At the time, CalRecycle’s decision to give the recycling stamp to beverage cartons was controversial. Many in the environmental, anti-plastic and no-waste sectors saw it as a sign that CalRecycle was doing the bidding of the plastic and packaging industry, as opposed to trying to rid the state of non-recyclable, polluting waste — which is not only required by law, but is something state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta is investigating.

Others said it was a sign that the Truth in Recycling law was working: Markets were being discovered and in some cases, created, to provide recycling.

“Recyclability isn’t static, it depends on a complicated system of sorting, transportation, processing, and, ultimately, manufacturers buying the recycled material to make a new product,” said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste.

He said this new information, which will likely remove the recycling label from the cartons, also underscores the effectiveness of the law.

“By prohibiting recyclability claims on products that don’t get recycled, SB 343 doesn’t just protect consumers. It forces manufacturers to either use recyclable materials or come to the table to work with recyclers, local governments and policymakers to develop widespread sustainable and resilient markets,” he said.

Beverage and food cartons — despite their papery appearance — are composed of layers of paper, plastic and sometimes aluminum. The sandwiched blend extends product shelf life, making it attractive to food and beverage companies.

But the companies and municipalities that receive cartons as waste say the packaging is problematic. They say recycling markets for the material are few and far between.

California, with its roughly 40 million residents, has some of the strictest waste laws in the nation. In 1989, the state passed legislation requiring cities, towns and municipalities to divert at least 50% of their residential waste away from landfills. The idea was to incentivize recycling and reuse. However an increasing number of products have since entered the commercial market and waste stream — such as single use plastics, polystyrene and beverage cartons — that have limited (if any) recycling potential, can’t be reused, and are growing in number every year.

Fines for municipalities that fail to achieve the required diversion rates can run $10,000 a day.

As a result, garbage haulers often look for creative ways to deal with the waste, including shipping trash products overseas or across the border. For years, China was the primary destination for California’s plastic, contaminated paper and other waste. But in 2018, China closed its doors to foreign garbage, so U.S. exporters began dumping their waste in smaller southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia and Vietnam.

They too have now tried to close the doors to foreign trash as reports of polluted waterways, chokingly toxic air, and illness grows — and as they struggle with inadequate infrastructure to deal with their own domestic waste.

Jan Dell, the founder and CEO of Last Beach Cleanup, released a report with the Basel Action Network, an anti-plastic organization, earlier this month showing that the Sacramento facility and other California waste companies were sending bales of carton-contaminated paper to Malaysia, Vietnam and other Asian nations.

According to export data, public records searches and photographic evidence collected by Dell and her co-authors at the Basel Action Network, more than 117,000 tons or 4,126 shipping containers worth of mixed paper bales were sent by California waste companies to Malaysia between January and July of this year.

Dell said these exports violate international law. A spokesman for Waste Management said the material they were sending was not illegal — and that they had received approval from Malaysia.

However, the Dec. 15 letter suggests they were receiving more pushback from their export markets than they’d previously disclosed.

“While certain end users maintain … that paper mills are able to process and recycle cartons,” some of them “have also shared concerns … that the inclusion of cartons … may result in rejection,” wrote Nettz.

Dell said she was “pleased” that Waste Management “stopped the illegal sortation of cartons into mixed paper bales. Now we ask them and other waste companies to stop illegally exporting mixed paper waste to countries that have banned it.”

Five Chargers were named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl squad Tuesday, including the team’s “quarterbacks” on both sides of the ball.

Both quarterback Justin Herbert and safety Derwin James Jr. received the honor. They are joined by outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, tackle Joe Alt and kicker Cameron Dicker.

Herbert, receiving Pro Bowl recognition for the second time, is the third player in NFL history to begin a career with six consecutive seasons with at least 3,000 yards passing and 20 touchdowns.

James, a five-time Pro Bowl pick, is the only defensive back in the NFL this season to collect at least 80 tackles (five for loss) with multiple sacks and interceptions.

Dicker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history and the team’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner. He leads all AFC kickers with 36 made field goals and 141 points scored.

Tulipulotu, a former USC standout, is ranked third in the NFL with 13 sacks, and has a career-high 20 tackles for loss.

The only surprise in that group is Alt, who made the transition from right to left tackle after left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. Alt was a stalwart on the line for the first three weeks of the season before sustaining an ankle injury 10 snaps into the Week 4 game against the New York Giants. He returned in Week 8 to face Minnesota, but was carted off in Week 9 at Tennessee an injury to the same ankle, this time requiring season-ending surgery.

Nonetheless, he’s an outstanding tackle and earned his first Pro Bowl honor, which is determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches.

Four more Chargers were named Pro Bowl alternates: outside linebacker Khalil Mack, linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips for special teams, cornerback Donte Jackson and fullback/defensive lineman Scott Matlock.