good

WASHINGTON — The killing of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is reverberating across Capitol Hill where Democrats, and certain Republicans, are vowing an assertive response as President Trump’s aggressive deportation operations spark protests nationwide.

Lawmakers are demanding a range of actions, including a full investigation into Renee Nicole Good’s shooting death, policy changes over law enforcement raids, the defunding of ICE operations and the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in what is fast becoming an inflection point.

“The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said as details emerged. “And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats.”

Yet there is almost no consensus among the political parties in the aftermath of the death of Good, who was behind the wheel of an SUV after dropping off her 6-year-old at school when she was shot and killed by an ICE officer.

The killing immediately drew dueling narratives. Trump and Noem said the ICE officer acted in self-defense, while Democratic officials said the Trump administration was lying and they urged the public to view the viral videos of the shooting for themselves. The videos appear to contradict at least some aspects of the Trump administration’s assertions.

Vice President JD Vance blamed Good, calling it “a tragedy of her own making,” and said the ICE officer may have been “sensitive” from having been injured during an unrelated altercation last year.

But Good’s killing, at least the fifth known death since the administration launched its mass deportation campaign, could change the political dynamic.

“The videos I’ve seen from Minneapolis yesterday are deeply disturbing,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said in a statement last week.

“As we mourn this loss of life, we need a thorough and objective investigation into how and why this happened,” she said. As part of the investigation, Murkowski said she is calling for policy changes, saying the situation “was devastating, and cannot happen again.”

Homeland Security funding up for debate

The push in Congress for more oversight and accountability of the administration’s immigration operations comes as lawmakers are in the midst of the annual appropriations process to fund agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to prevent another federal government shutdown when money expires at the end of January.

As anti-ICE demonstrations erupt in the aftermath of Good’s death, as seen in many U.S. cities this weekend, Democrats have pledged to use any available legislative lever to apply pressure on the administration to change the conduct of ICE officers.

“We’ve been warning about this for an entire year,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.).

The ICE officer “needs to be held accountable,” Frost said, “but not just them, but ICE as a whole, the president and this entire administration.”

Congressional Democrats saw Good’s killing as a sign of the need for aggressive action to restrain the administration’s tactics.

Several Democrats joined calls to impeach Noem, who has been under fire from both parties for her lack of transparency at the department, though that step is highly unlikely with Republicans in control of Congress.

Other Democrats want to restrict the funding for her department, whose budget was vastly increased as part of Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending bill passed last summer.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that handles Homeland Security funding, plans to introduce legislation to rein in the agency with constraints on federal agents’ authority, including a requirement that the Border Patrol stick to the border and that Homeland Security enforcement officers be unmasked.

“More Democrats are saying today the thing that a number of us have been saying since April and May: Kristi Noem is dangerous. She should not be in office, and she should be impeached,” said Democratic Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, who represents parts of Chicago where ICE launched an enhanced immigration enforcement action last year that resulted in two deaths.

Immigration debates have long divided Congress and the parties. Democrats splinter between more liberal and stricter attitudes toward newcomers to the United States. Republicans have embraced Trump’s hard-line approach in trying to portray Democrats as radicals.

The Republican administration had launched the enforcement operation in Minnesota in response to an investigation of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Prosecutors said the organization was at the center of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud scams, when defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.

Heading into the November midterm election, which Democrats believe will hinge on issues such as affordability and healthcare, national outcry over ICE’s conduct has pressured lawmakers to speak out.

“I’m not completely against deportations, but the way they’re handling it is a real disgrace,” said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), who represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Right now, you’re seeing humans treated like animals,” he said.

Other ICE shootings have rattled lawmakers

In September, a federal immigration enforcement agent in Chicago fatally shot Silverio Villegas Gonzalez during a brief altercation after Gonzalez had dropped off his children at school.

In October, a Customs and Border Protection agent also in Chicago shot Marimar Martinez, a teacher and U.S. citizen, five times during a dispute with officers. The charges the administration had brought against Martinez were dismissed by a federal judge.

To Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.), Good’s death “brought back heart-wrenching memories of those two shootings in my district.”

“It looks like the fact that a U.S. citizen, who is a white woman, may be opening the eyes of the American public, certainly of members of Congress, that what’s going on is out of control,” he said, “that this isn’t about apprehending or pursuing the most dangerous immigrants.”

Republicans expressed some concern at the shooting but most stood by the administration’s policy, defended the officer’s actions and largely blamed Good for the altercation.

“Nobody wants to see people get shot,” said Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.).

“Let’s do the right thing and just be reasonable. And the reasonable thing is not to obstruct ICE officers and then accelerate while they’re standing in front of your car,” he said. “She made a mistake. I’m sure she didn’t mean for that to happen, nor did he mean for that to happen.”

Brown and Mascaro write for the Associated Press.

Ever since Donald J. Trump descended from a gold escalator at his eponymous Manhattan tower in 2015, he has sworn that a scorched-earth campaign against “illegal immigrants” would make life safer for Americans and that citizens had nothing to worry about.

Well.

In 2025, Trump’s campaign vow to target “the worst of the worst” was set aside in the name of not just going after all undocumented immigrants and limiting legal migration but even the goal of remigration — the idea that immigrants of any status should return to their home countries. Now, U.S. citizens Keith Porter Jr., shot at a Northridge apartment complex, and Renee Nicole Good, whose shooting sparked large protests in Minneapolis, are dead.

ICE is about to storm American streets and neighborhoods with thousands of new recruits who received just eight weeks of training instead of what used to be five months. The Fourth Amendment bans the government from subjecting Americans from “unreasonable searches and seizures” yet we now have a vice president promising that they’re forthcoming across the country.

“I think … we’re [going] to see those deportation numbers ramp up,” JD Vance told Fox News’ Jesse Watters, “as we get more and more people online working for ICE going from door-to-door.”

He repeated his boast the following day during a news conference while adding that the killing of Good — shot while trying to drive away from an agent who stood in front of her SUV during an immigration enforcement operation — was justified, adding that the 37-year-old mother of three was “brainwashed” and “radicalized in a very, very sad way.”

The beginning of 2026 now shows even those in the United States legally are targets for for the too often Keystone Kops-like, eager beaver, trigger happy federal immigration enforcement force I like to call la migra.

This isn’t anything new, of course. Since June, when ICE, Border Patrol and their sister agencies used Los Angeles as a testing ground for what they have inflicted on the rest of the country, the government has treated citizens who dare oppose mass-scale deportations — veterans, Democrats or Republicans, old and young, Latino and not — as an enemy of the “homeland.” Citizens have had their front doors blown out, been hit with pepper balls for praying outside government facilities, been wrongfully charged with assaulting agents, and have seen their identification papers dismissed as fake and thus grounds for detainment.

With the Trump administration’s accelerated recruitment drive for immigration officers and rhetorical bloodlust, don’t be surprised if these masked Bizarro Barney Fifes knock on your door or demand to see your papers. In fact, expect it.

The MAGA excuse for those caught up in la migra‘s crackdown — the way to stay out of trouble is by avoiding it — doesn’t work when the trouble comes to you.

That’s why it seems that the deaths of Porter and Good in the last week, coupled with Vance’s authoritarian promise, seems to be waking up Americans into resisting the deportation Leviathan like never before.

A woman is taken into custody by Border Patrol agents after she was accused of using her vehicle to block their vehicles while they were patrolling in a shopping center in December in Niles, Ill.

(Scott Olson / Getty Images)

Anti-ICE protests are happening across the country this weekend. On social media, conservatives and libertarians who largely stayed silent on Trump throughout 2025 are criticizing him over Good’s death and his administration’s insults against her. Trump’s approval rating has slipped since the start of his presidency, even among supporters — and ICE’s out-of-control conduct is becoming a bigger and bigger factor.

A YouGov poll conducted on the day of Good’s killing found 52% of Americans surveyed don’t like how ICE is operating, while the agency’s approval rating has gone from plus-16% to negative 14% in a year. While the poll unsurprisingly splits on partisan lines — Democrats overwhelmingly oppose ICE, Republicans still think they’re Trump’s Hardy Boys — the independents who delivered the 2024 election to Trump oppose ICE’s actions by a healthy majority.

If he’s losing the middle, he’s losing America.

Unless, of course, Trump goes full banana republic dictator and decides his regime isn’t leaving office — no matter what. And honestly, would you be shocked if this administration tried to make its wet dream a reality?

Every movement needs martyrs, and if the deaths of Porter and Good prove to American citizens and permanent residents once and for all that they’re not safe from ICE, then their deaths weren’t in vain. That’s why the Trump administration and its lackeys are straining so hard to slime Good’s name — because they know the public isn’t having its lies.

Their smears don’t have the same effect they used to, thankfully. Just look at what happened recently with Grok, Elon Musk’s AI creation on X.

You have to take what it digitally blurts out with a grain of salt — Grok once started calling itself “MechaHitler” and spewed anti-semitic conspiracies after an update that Musk swore “improved [it] significantly.”

But consider what Grok did when the billionaire Trump enabler “tweeted” of Good: “She tried to run people over.”

When asked whether it “would have authorized lethal forced based solely on this video evidence” even Musk’s creation, even Grok, replied (while noting that “ICE claims differ”):

“Based on descriptions from multiple sources… it shows the vehicle moving slowly backward and forward without clear evidence of attempting to ram officers. Under objective standards like [the Supreme Court decision] Graham v. Connor, which require an imminent threat for deadly force, I would not authorize lethal force solely on this footage.”

I guess even Grok is capable of calling out Trumpworld’s BS when it “sees” what millions of other people across the U.S. have seen with their own eyes.

Stephen A. Smith is arguably the most-well known sports commentator in the country. But the outspoken ESPN commentator’s perspective outside the sports arena has landed him in a firestorm.

The furor is due to his pointed comments defending an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot a Minneapolis woman driving away from him.

Just hours after the shooting on Wednesday, Smith said on his SiriusXM “Straight Shooter” talk show that although the killing of Renee Nicole Good was “completely unnecessary,” he added that the agent “from a lawful perspective” was “completely justified” in firing his gun at her.

He also noted, “From a humanitarian perspective, however, why did he have to do that?”

Smith’s comments about the agent being in harm’s way echoed the views of Deputy of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said Good engaged in an “act of domestic terrorism” by attacking officers and attempting to run them over with her vehicle.

However, videos showing the incident from different angles indicate that the agent was not standing directly in front of Good’s vehicle when he opened fire on her. Local officials contend that Good posed no danger to ICE officers. A video posted by partisan media outlet Alpha News showed Good talking to agents before the shooting, saying, “I’m not mad at you.”

The shooting has sparked major protests and accusations from local officials that the presence of ICE has been disruptive and escalated violence. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye condemned ICE, telling agents to “get the f— out of our city.”

The incident, in turn, has put a harsher spotlight on Smith, raising questions on whether he was reckless or irresponsible in offering his views on Good’s shooting when he had no direct knowledge of what had transpired.

An angered Smith appeared on his “Straight Shooter” show on YouTube on Friday, saying the full context of his comments had not been conveyed in media reports, specifically calling out the New York Post and media personality Keith Olbermann, while saying that people were trying to get him fired.

He also doubled down on his contention that Good provoked the situation that led to her death, saying the ICE agent was in front of Good’s car and would have been run over had he not stepped out of the way.

“In the moment when you are dealing with law enforcement officials, you obey their orders so you can get home safely,” he said. “Renee Good did not do that.”

When reached for comment about his statements, a representative for Smith said his response was in Friday’s show.

It’s not the first time Smith, who has suggested he’s interesting in going into politics, has sparked outside the sports universe. He and journalist Joy Reid publicly quarreled following her exit last year from MSNBC.

He also faced backlash from Black media personalities and others when he accused Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas of using “street verbiage” in her frequent criticisms of President Trump.

“The way that Jasmine Crockett chooses to express herself … Aren’t you there to try and get stuff done instead of just being an impediment? ‘I’m just going to go off about Trump, cuss him out every chance I get, say the most derogatory things imaginable, and that’s my day’s work?’ That ain’t work! Work is, this is the man in power. I know what his agenda is. Maybe I try to work with this man. I might get something out of it for my constituents.’ ”

In Springfield, Ill., in 1838, a young Abraham Lincoln delivered a powerful speech decrying the “ravages of mob law” throughout the land. Lincoln warned, in eerily prescient fashion, that the spread of a then-ascendant “mobocratic spirit” threatened to sever the “attachment of the People” to their fellow countrymen and their nation. Lincoln’s opposition to anarchy of any kind was absolute and clarion: “There is no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law.”

Unfortunately, it seems that every few years, Americans must be reminded anew of Lincoln’s wisdom. This week’s lethal Immigration and Customs Enforcement standoff in the Twin Cities is but the latest instance of a years-long baleful trend.

On Wednesday, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mom, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Her ex-husband said she and her partner encountered ICE agents after dropping off Good’s 6-year-old at school. The federal government has called Good’s encounter “an act of domestic terrorism” and said the agent shot in self-defense.

Suffice it to say Minnesota’s Democratic establishment does not see it this way.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responded to the deployment of 2,000 immigration agents in the area and the deadly encounter by telling ICE to “get the f— out” of Minnesota, while Gov. Tim Walz called the shooting “totally predictable” and “totally avoidable.” Frey, who was also mayor during the mayhem after George Floyd’s murder by city police in 2020, has lent succor to the anti-ICE provocateurs, seemingly encouraging them to make Good a Floyd-like martyr. As for Walz, he’s right that this tragedy was eminently “avoidable” — but not only for the reasons he thinks. If the Biden-Harris administration hadn’t allowed unvetted immigrants to remain in the country without legal status and if Walz’s administration hadn’t moved too slowly in its investigations of hundreds of Minnesotans — of mixed immigration status — defrauding taxpayers to the tune of billions of dollars, ICE never would have embarked on this particular operation.

National Democrats took the rage even further. Following the fateful shooting, the Democratic Party’s official X feed promptly tweeted, without any morsel of nuance, that “ICE shot and killed a woman on camera.” This sort of irresponsible fear-mongering already may have prompted a crazed activist to shoot three detainees at an ICE facility in Dallas last September while targeting officers; similar dehumanizing rhetoric about the National Guard perhaps also played a role in November’s lethal shooting of a soldier in Washington, D.C.

Liberals and open-border activists play with fire when they so casually compare ICE, as Walz previously has, to a “modern-day Gestapo.” The fact is, ICE is not the Gestapo, Donald Trump is not Hitler, and Charlie Kirk was not a goose-stepping brownshirt. To pretend otherwise is to deprive words of meaning and to live in the theater of the absurd.

But as dangerous as this rhetoric is for officers and agents, it is the moral blackmail and “mobocratic spirit” of it all that is even more harmful to the rule of law.

The implicit threat of all “sanctuary” jurisdictions, whose resistance to aiding federal law enforcement smacks of John C. Calhoun-style antebellum “nullification,” is to tell the feds not to operate and enforce federal law in a certain area — or else. The result is crass lawlessness, Mafia-esque shakedown artistry and a fetid neo-confederate stench combined in one dystopian package.

The truth is that swaths of the activist left now engage in these sorts of threats as a matter of course. In 2020, the left’s months-long rioting following the death of Floyd led to upward of $2 billion in insurance claims. In 2021, they threatened the same rioting unless Derek Chauvin, the officer who infamously kneeled on Floyd’s neck, was found guilty of murder (which he was, twice). In 2022, following the unprecedented (and still unsolved) leak of the draft majority opinion in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case, abortion-rights activists protested outside many of the right-leaning justices’ homes, perhaps hoping to induce them to change their minds and flip their votes. And now, ICE agents throughout the country face threats of violence — egged on by local Democratic leaders — simply for enforcing federal law.

In “The Godfather,” Luca Brasi referred to this sort of thuggery as making someone an offer that he can’t refuse. We might also think of it as Lincoln’s dreaded “ravages of mob law.”

Regardless, a free republic cannot long endure like this. The rule of law cannot be held hostage to the histrionic temper tantrums of a radical ideological flank. The law must be enforced solemnly, without fear or favor. There can be no overarching blackmail lurking in the background — no Sword of Damocles hovering over the heads of a free people, ready to crash down on us all if a certain select few do not get their way.

The proper recourse for changing immigration law — or any federal law — is to lobby Congress to do so, or to make a case in federal court. The ginned-up martyrdom complex that leads some to take matters into their own hands is a recipe for personal and national ruination. There is nothing good down that road — only death, despair and mobocracy.

Josh Hammer’s latest book is “Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West.” This article was produced in collaboration with Creators Syndicate. X: @josh_hammer

Good Morning Britain hosts Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh were left stunned on Friday

A Good Morning Britain guest has revealed the “horrific” ordeal that left her “fighting for her life”. Friday’s (January 9) edition of the hit ITV breakfast show saw Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh bring viewers the latest developments from Britain and beyond.

Weather presenter Laura Tobin was also on hand in the studio to provide crucial updates on Storm Goretti, following the Met Office’s stark “danger to life” alert.

During the programme, Kate and Ranvir interviewed Sara Platt, whose botched cosmetic procedure in Turkey left her facing serious health complications.

“The government has issued a fresh warning on botched cosmetic surgery, saying it’s going to take decisive action to crack down on rogue operators and treatments that offer, when you look at them, do seem too good to be true,” Kate explained, reports Wales Online.

Ranvir continued: “It’s the subject ITV News has been investigating for two years, and as part of that, we met Sara Platt. She travelled to Turkey for surgery, and she says it left her life at risk.”

Before the interview progressed, Ranvir cautioned viewers: “[The surgery] went horribly, horribly wrong. We’re going to show some pictures which might be distressing.”

As photographs of Sara’s injuries appeared on screen, she explained: “I lost 12 stone [during] Covid. I had severe excess skin, so I went and had an uplift implant and a tummy tuck, because I had constant skin infections.”

She continued, “[The surgery] just made it tenfold worse. What I’m left with now, not just body but my mental health, is really bad.”

As Sara delved into the difficulties she encountered, including multiple infections, Kate and Ranvir were visibly taken aback. “You thought you might die,” Ranvir said.

Sara responded: “It was extremely bad. I lost my right breast. I had gaping holes in my stomach. I was only supposed to have a tummy tuck and impact, but they cut from my arms, sides, and my back because, obviously, there was not enough skin to close me.

“On day nine, I was operated on awake and part of my body was placed by the side of my head.”

A shocked Kate replied: “Oh, Sara. We’re hearing this [and] it’s obviously horrific.”

The guest concluded: “We do get bad comments and this is why I’m trying to get change made, so people coming back from Turkey don’t use the NHS. It was life-saving surgeries for me. This is why we need regulations. The government need to take a stand.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am

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

WASHINGTON — When a 37-year-old mother of three was fatally shot by an immigration agent Wednesday morning, driving in her Minneapolis neighborhood after dropping her son off at school, the Trump administration’s response was swift. The victim was to blame for her own death — acting as a “professional agitator,” a “domestic terrorist,” possibly trained to use her car against law enforcement, officials said.

It was an uncompromising response without any pretense the administration would rely on independent investigations of the event, video of which quickly circulated online, gripping the nation.

“You can accept that this woman’s death is a tragedy,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media, defending the shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent within hours of her death, “while acknowledging it’s a tragedy of her own making.”

The shooting of Renee Nicole Good, an American citizen, put the administration on defense over one of President Trump’s signature policy initiatives, exponentially expanding the ranks of ICE to outnumber most armies, and deploying its agents across unassuming communities throughout the United States.

ICE had just announced the deployment of “the largest immigration operation ever” in the Minnesota city, allegedly targeting Somali residents involved in fraud schemes. But Good’s death could prove a turning point. The shooting has highlighted souring public opinion on Trump’s immigration enforcement, with a majority of Americans now disapproving of the administration’s tactics, according to Pew Research.

Despite the outcry, Trump’s team doubled down on Thursday, vowing to send even more agents to the Midwestern state.

It was not immediately clear whether Good had positioned her car intentionally to thwart law enforcement agents, or in protest of their activities in her neighborhood.

Eyewitnesses to the shooting said that ICE agents were telling her to move her vehicle. Initial footage that emerged of the incident showed that, as she was doing so, Good briefly drove her car in reverse before turning her front wheels away to leave the scene.

She was shot three times by an officer who stood by her front left headlight, who the Department of Homeland Security said was hit by Good and fired in self-defense.

Only Tom Homan, the president’s border czar, urged caution from lawmakers and the public in responding to the incident, telling people to “take a deep breath” and “hold their judgment” for additional footage and evidence.

He distanced himself from the Department of Homeland Security and its secretary, Kristi Noem, who took mere hours to accuse the deceased of domestic terrorism. “The investigation’s just started,” Homan told CBS in an interview.

“I’m not going to make a judgment call on one video,” he said. “It would be unprofessional to comment.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Renee Nicole Good was engaged in “domestic terrorism” when she was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent.

(Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)

Yet, asked why DHS had felt compelled to comment, Homan replied, “that’s a question for Homeland Security.”

It was not just the department. Trump, too, wrote on X that the victim was “obviously, a professional agitator.”

“The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer,” Trump wrote, “who seems to have shot her in self defense.”

Noem was unequivocal in her assessment of the incident during engagements with the media on Wednesday and Thursday.

“It was an act of domestic terrorism,” Noem said. “A woman attacked them, and those surrounding them, and attempted to run them over.”

But local officials and law enforcement expressed concern over the incident, warning federal officials that the deployment had unnecessarily increased tensions within the community, and expressing support for the rights of residents to peacefully protest.

“What I think everybody knows that’s been happening here over the last several weeks is that there have been groups of people exercising their 1st Amendment rights,” Minneapolis Chief of Police Brian O’Hara said in an interview with MS NOW. “They have the right to observe, to livestream and record police activity, and they have the right to protest and object to it.”

“The line is, people must be able to exercise those 1st Amendment rights lawfully,” O’Hara said, adding, “and to do it safely.”

On Thursday, Trump administration officials told local law enforcement that the investigation of the matter would be within federal hands.

Vance told reporters at the White House on Thursday that the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security would both investigate the case, and said without evidence that Good had “aimed her car at a law enforcement officer and pressed on the accelerator.”

“I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it’s a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement, a lunatic fringe, against our law enforcement officers,” Vance said.

Good Morning Britain host says she’s ‘more than happy’ with the ITV breakfast show’s new set as viewers slam the ‘small’ and ‘cramped’ studio

ITV Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid has responded to criticism that the breakfast programme’s revamped studio appears “cramped” after viewers flocked to social media to voice concerns about the reduced space.

The programme made its comeback on Monday (January 5) for its inaugural 2026 broadcast, showcasing a completely refreshed appearance.

The flagship morning programme has been extended by half an hour, whilst Lorraine has been shortened by 30 minutes following a scheduling overhaul that was revealed in May 2025.

As part of these alterations, production has relocated from ITV‘s studios to ITN’s headquarters in Central London, with other daytime programmes now being recorded at The H Club in Covent Garden.

The redesigned studio arrangement positioned Susanna and co-presenter Ed Balls in much closer proximity to their guests than previously, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, reports the Express.

Nevertheless, Susanna appears unbothered by the more compact setting and took to X to share coverage of the changes whilst voicing her enthusiasm. “@gmb studio = big headlines! More than happy to be closer to our brilliant guests…,” she posted.

Her message followed viewers taking to X to criticise the fresh appearance, with one commenting: “ITV cuts showing in the new set. So small, looks cheap and people sitting on top of each other.”

Another commented: “The problem with the smaller studio is when there are four people at the desk, everyone leans outwards when speaking to look directly at those around them. Unfortunately, in a single camera shot, it looks like we are constantly looking at human leaning towers.”

A third viewer added their two pence: “It’s too small a table. Preferred the other one. You’re all on top of each other.”

Another chimed in with: “Sorry, but not a fan of the new set. It looks really small and cramped, and the London skyline behind where you sit looks like a very bad print. It used to look like a decent photograph.”

The last episode from the old studio aired on New Year’s Eve, leaving the presenters and crew emotional as they bid farewell to the familiar set. The move resulted in at least 220 job losses as part of cost-cutting measures.

Susanna Reid took to Instagram later that day to commemorate the moment, expressing her gratitude to those who weren’t making the transition with them.

Sharing a series of snaps, including a group photo of the entire team before the set was taken apart, she penned: “NEW YEAR’S EVE! A fabulous gathering of the BEST team in television @gmb and a farewell to those off to new adventures..

“I’ll be back in January in our new home. Goodbye to those leaving and a huge thank you to everyone who has made – and those who continue to make – GMB such a fantastic programme – and to Television Centre for being our home for the past few years.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.

Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway was on hand to deliver the latest news headlines on Monday’s show

Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway delivered devastating news during Monday’s broadcast.

On Monday’s (January 5) instalment of the popular ITV morning show, Ed Balls and Susanna Reid were at the helm, bringing viewers up to speed with breaking stories from Britain and beyond.

Kate joined them in the studio to cover additional headlines, but within moments of her segment beginning, she broke the tragic news about 15-year-old Charlotte Niddam, who lost her life in a devastating bar fire at a Swiss ski resort.

Addressing viewers, Kate disclosed that the teenager was among 40 victims who perished in the inferno at Crans-Montana on New Year’s Day.

Authorities have now confirmed the identities of all those who died, with 15 of the victims being under 18 years of age, reports Wales Online.

She added: “Amy Lewis is now live in Crans, Montana. I mean, this is devastating, of course, for the families directly involved, but I’m sure a huge loss for the whole community there as well.”

The programme then switched to ITV correspondent Amy, broadcasting from the location, who reported: “Yesterday there was a huge march here, and thousands of people turned out.”

Gesturing towards tributes, she went on: “Just behind me is the bar where it happened, the scene, and over here hundreds of flowers have been laid and candles are burning around the clock.

“What has been so shocking is how young some of the victims are just children aged 14 and one case and 15 year old Charlotte Madame she studied in Hertfordshire, her family have said that they are devastated.”

She continued: “The bar’s managers are under investigation, and there will be a special ceremony here on Friday. A moment of national mourning.”

The devastating news prompted an outpouring of grief on social media, with one person writing on X: “So sad and most likely preventable. Deepest condolences to all the families who have lost a loved one. RIP Angels.”

Another expressed: “Oh no! That makes my tail droop. Sending lots of love and cuddles to everyone affected. Life can be rough, but every moment is precious! Let’s hold our loved ones close and shake off the sadness!”

A third added: “Sending all my love to everyone involved. This is truly heartbreaking.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.

THEY have barely aged in 20 years and can still fit into the hotpants that turned them into overnight stars.

Now, Cheeky Girls Monica and Gabriela Irimia, who first ­wiggled their way into the public eye on 2002 TV show Popstars: The Rivals, have revealed their secret to defying time at 43.

Gabriela said with a laugh: “People always ask us our secret to looking good. We have a few strict rules — no eating after 7pm, exercise every day . . . and lots of sex.”

Gabriela was famously engaged to ex-Liberal Democrat MP Lembik Opik, prior to meeting partner Adam Zubek seven years ago.

She said: “I’m really happy in my life now. Lembik was a ­genuine guy, we had a great relationship. But there was a lot of pressure from all sides, including from his party.”

Monica married building contractor Shaun Taylor in 2016.

POP ROYALTY

Boyband star, 53, looks unrecognisable 32 years after pop fame

RIP MTV

Inside mad world of MTV that launched careers of Davina and stars as channel closes

Their catchy Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum) co-written by their mum, Hungarian former midwife Margrit, was voted the “worst pop record of all time” in a 2004 Channel 4 poll.  

Yet it sold 1.2million copies worldwide, reaching No2 in the UK charts.

And bookings are hotter than ever for the twins, who also work in the motoring trade, due to the famous track ­taking off on social media and TikTok.

Monica, who is younger by ten ­minutes, said: “People ask us if we’re now ‘cheeky women’ but no, we’re still cheeky girls.

We haven’t had any work done — except our boobs and our teeth, which were a 40th ­birthday present to ourselves.

“We’re proof that, at 43, you can still be sexy, have two successful careers and also have fun.

‘Best of both worlds’

“We’ve performed at some of the biggest festivals, tiny gigs and at old people’s homes and student unions, and we love every minute of it.

“Our smallest gig was for three people at a hunting lodge for a multi- millionaire on a shooting weekend. Our strangest was for a room of deaf people who danced to the vibrations.”

As for those shiny silver hotpants, two years after Kylie Minogue rocked hers in Spinning Around?

Monica said: “The hotpants still fit. I think the bums have got a tiny bit bigger. We’re a little bit curvier, but in a good way.”

The hotpants still fit. I think the bums have got a tiny bit bigger. We’re a little bit curvier, but in a good way

Part of the siblings’ appeal these days is they cock a light-hearted snook at woke cancel culture.

Gabriela said: “Society is now becoming so serious. You can’t say this, you can’t do that . . . Where’s the novelty? Where’s the fun?

“But you can’t cancel us for being cheeky or you’d have to cancel Kylie Minogue and her hotpants, too.”

At the height of their fame, the girls mingled with A-list celebs and ­Gabriela claimed Robbie Williams once tried to charm her when they were both single.

She said: “Robbie was my teenage crush and I was privileged to meet him at an after-party for the Ant And Dec TV show.

“He chatted me up and I chatted him up. He was single, I was single. He told me, ‘You’re beautiful’. I ­fancied him. But it stopped there, unfortunately. Nothing happened.”

And they revealed their biggest celebrity fan was none other than heavy-metal legend Alice Cooper.

Monica said: “When we met Alice Cooper, who is our idol and an iconic artist, he said ‘Oh my god, girls. I love you!’ We were like, ‘Alice Cooper, a fan?’ That made our year.”

We’ve still got it and we are loving every moment

Now, 23 years on from their breakthrough hit, the Romanian twins both work in Audi car showrooms by day — Gabriela in York and Monica in Boston, Lincs — and insist: “There’s always a cheeky deal to be had.”

But people still sing the lyric, “We are the Cheeky Girls” at them in the supermarket or shout, “Cheeky, cheeky!” on the street.

Senior car saleswoman Gabriela said: “By day, we are suited and booted working for Audi cars, but we perform as the Cheeky Girls in ­hotpants by night.

“So we have the best of both worlds. We’ve still got it and we are loving every moment.”

Monica revealed that when customers come in, some do a double take, while others struggle to place how they know the pair.

She revealed: “All the time, customers say to us, ‘Do I know you from somewhere?’. We joke, ‘Do you want a cheeky deal?’.

“You see them frantically scrolling on their phones to check if it’s really us. Others say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be cheeky, but can I have £1,000 off?’ — then you know they know!

“I’ll joke, ‘Maybe that’s a little too cheeky, but I can definitely offer you a great deal . . .’

“Both of us are petrolheads who love prestige cars, so we love our career as much as we love being pop stars.

“The only thing that could top it would be if we were invited to present Top Gear or appear on Strictly Come Dancing.”

To celebrate the release of their new song Drive, inspired by their day job, they have performed a tongue-in-cheek version of the Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum), instead singing “touch my bumper”, exclusively for Sun on Sunday readers to watch online.

The twins revealed that Love Island bosses had begged them to appear on the show — but they refused.

Gabriela said: “We did get an invitation to go to Love Island but it’s not our thing.

“We wouldn’t want to be seen ­having sex on camera or kissing boys. It’s tacky. If we were to go to Love Island, we’d be boring!”

We are available, 23 years on! We reckon we’d take Britain to glory again

They also insisted they will never do OnlyFans.

Gabriela said: “Twenty years ago, we did magazine covers, including FHM. We’d still be up for that. But you’ll never find us on OnlyFans. If anyone claims to be a Cheeky Girl on there, it’s not us.”

One gig the girls would love to land is Eurovision.

Louis Walsh, who was a judge on the show that shot them to fame, wanted the duo to represent ­Britain in the contest with a version of ­Baccara’s 1977 hit, Yes Sir, I Can ­Boogie.

Gabriela revealed: “At the time, we had the dilemma: would we represent Romania or the UK? But we’d do it now for the UK.

“So Louis, call us. We are available, 23 years on! We reckon we’d take Britain to glory again.”

‘Loss of control’

As well as the highs that come with scoring hit singles, including Take Your Shoes Off and (Hooray Hooray) It’s A Cheeky Holiday, there have been crushing lows.

It all nearly came crashing down as their record label, Telstar, collapsed — reportedly owing them more than £1million. They were declared ­bankrupt in 2009.

Monica recalled: “We are ­talking huge bills. Where do you go? What do you do?”

The pressures led them to spiral into an eating disorder. At one point, they each weighed just 6.5st.

Monica added: “It started with loss of control over everything. You feel like you want to take control of something and the only thing you can control is what you put in your mouth and do with your body.”

While both have now recovered, they are open about their battle to let other sufferers know there is hope.

Monica said: “We recovered many years ago. But we speak openly about this to raise awareness because of the pressures young people feel, ­particularly with social media.

“It also taught us a really important lesson — to stay positive.”

The twins both felt pressure to have boob jobs, after being sidelined for a bustier woman in their music video for Cheeky Holiday.

Gabriela’s first operation was a ­disaster, and she said: “My body rejected the implant. One boob was up, one boob was down.”

She has had a series of operations to correct it.

In 2017, one of her sister’s implants ruptured in two places.

But Monica said they now love their bodies, adding: “When I was in my 20s, you’re not that confident.

“I’ve now reached a stage where I feel I’m completely confident. I feel really sexy. We both feel that way.”

The twins hope to continue juggling their day jobs and singing careers.

Gabriela said: “Due to social media and TikTok, a whole new generation is coming to see us. It’s amazing.

“As long as the phone keeps ringing, the Cheeky Girls are going to be around.

“It’s worked for 23 years, we hope it will work for another 23. Who knows, we may even end up performing one day as the Cheeky Grandmas!”

THE COLOURFUL costumes and heart-warming songs of The Lion King first graced the West End over 26 years ago, yet one person knows the show more intimately than anyone else.

Leading actor George Asprey never imagined he would’ve stayed playing Scar in The Lion King for six months, let alone over 17 years, but it didn’t take him long to fall in love with the production.

Since then, millions have watched him act Scar on stage at the Lyceum Theatre.

And as a result, the actor obviously has a lot of tips for visitors.

His first piece of advice, is that whether you are new to the show or have seen it a thousand times, to come with no expectations.

He said: “Allow yourself to just open up to the set and the costumes.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

LUCKY DIP

I tried Wowcher’s £99 Mystery Christmas Market – everything you need to know

“It is difficult to take everything in, in one sitting, and when you come again, you’ll pick up the different nuances.

“Maybe in the scenery, for example.”

George shared how this is particularly true for one fan, who has seen the show over 100 times “just because she loved it so much and said there was always something to see”.

He added: “She would say ‘this is what I love to do’ – different shows affect different people in different ways, and for her, it was just her love of life in the show.”

One moment is particularly special though, admitted George.

He said: “When people watch The Lion King for the first time, they will never get that experience again – that feeling or reaction.

“I think I am always aware of that kid in the audience, mainly because of having my own children and I know firsthand, as to him and to everyone at the show, I need to be the best possible Scar I can be.

“It is a huge responsibility for all of us to consider the legacy and I think that’s probably one of the reasons I like to think the show continues to impress people.”

And having been in the show for such a long time, George of course has tips for those heading to the show.

He revealed: “I’ve had friends right at the front of the stalls and I have had friends right at the bottom end of the upper circle, and I think the one thing about the Lyceum is that all of the viewing is extraordinary.

“I really don’t think there’s a vantage point in the upper circle where you won’t see everything still.

“I think it its decent price for a reason and I don’t think it’s not worth it and I wouldn’t avoid coming if you can only afford a certain seat, because you still get a wonderful experience.”

George added how it is so much more than a show, that the costumes are all like their own pieces of art.

“Like you have a full-size elephant just walking down he aisle – it is such a feast for the eyes,” he said.

“There are just so many incredible moments in the show.

“I follow two of the greatest numbers in the show – Scar comes on and completely changes the tone.

“I think the Lion King has one of the greatest opening numbers of any musical ever,” he added.

And whilst people may think The Lion King is a show for kids, they couldn’t be more wrong.

George said: “When you’re younger, of course, you think Scar is the scariest character, but then as you get older – you start to think the language is so beautiful, his costume is so interesting and everything he says actually has a point to it.

“It truly is a family show, because every member of the family will get something different from it.”

Each time George performs, he gets to the show around 5:30pm and then by 6pm he is in costume.

He revealed: “We have to be there at 6pm, to start vocal and physical warm up – which runs until 6:30pm – then I am straight into hair and makeup and after makeup straight down to costume.

“I’ll get back to my dressing room by five past 10 and considering the amount of makeup I’m wearing, I’m so quick at getting it off – I am normally out the building by 10:15/10:20pm.”

Of course, they are days where it is more difficult though, like when he is unwell, but he did share “it’s never to do with the job itself”.

As for his routine to ensure he doesn’t get unwell often, he makes sure to eat clean – apart from Sundays, when “all bets are off”.

He also works out as much as he can.

Through 17 years George has had many memorable moments as well – but the most memorable?

“The first show back after Covid,” he revealed, “theatre was the last thing to return so it was a long time coming.

“And of course, it meant a lot to everyone.

“I’m actually welling up at the thought of it.

“To not be able to do what you love doing for 17 months and not seeing the people you love seeing – it’s hard and suddenly, people could enjoy the theatre again.”

He concluded: “All I can say is that it is a huge honour [to play Scar] and something that I never take for granted.”

For more inspiration on things to do in London, here’s everything you can do at one of London’s most popular attractions before it closes ahead of £240million renovation.

Plus, London’s best free indoor attractions for families – perfect for rainy days.

As Villa manager Unai Emery’s changes swung the game in their favour, Maresca’s substitutes made little impact.

Star attacker Cole Palmer reacted furiously to being taken off in the 72nd minute for 18-year-old Estevao Willian, while the decision to withdraw Marc Cucurella drew criticism – though it was later revealed that the Spaniard had a potential hamstring issue.

Maresca’s substitutions have faced scrutiny before, notably in defeats with 10 men against Manchester United and Brighton earlier this season. Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere even suggested they “drop” in the second half after his side came from behind to beat Chelsea in their Champions League game in Italy earlier this month.

While Maresca’s changes have occasionally worked, it has usually been when resting key players. In the Carabao Cup against Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Cardiff City, he rotated heavily but ultimately relied on star players to secure wins.

This has sparked a chicken-and-egg debate: some blame the lack of quality on the fringes of the squad, while others question Maresca’s handling of certain players.

Asked about the issue by BBC Sport, Maresca smiled before replying: “No, I think it’s in general.”

That guarded response came after a defeat defined by substitutes.

Villa’s quintet of Watkins, Amadou Onana, former Chelsea loanee Jadon Sancho, Lucas Digne and Lamare Bogarde, had an average age of over 26.

Chelsea, meanwhile, made four changes – Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Malo Gusto – with an average age of under 21.

In terms of attacking impact, Estevao has delivered five goals and an assist since moving to Stamford Bridge, but injury-hit Delap has scored just once, as has Gittens, albeit having also delivered five assists in all competitions.

“It’s probably how we can improve after we concede a goal, to manage the game a little bit better, in terms of experience game after game,” says Maresca.

Chelsea rely on youth, and have had minimal impact from their changes in the Premier League this season.

The average age of their starting XI is 24 years and 219 days, while substitutes average 21 years and 349 days – both are the youngest in the league.

Alongside Arsenal, Chelsea make the earliest changes, averaging their first substitution at 48 minutes, often at half-time. Despite this, their substitutes have contributed only three goals and one assist in the league this season.

My Christmas shopping is done. My annual rewatch of “The Family Stone” is queued up. And our last issue of 2025 is out in the world. Which means it’s time to sign off and start food prep. (I’m doing beef Wellington this year.)

But before I do, I wanted to share stories from this week’s edition of The Envelope, and my thanks to all of you out there for reading. Have a very happy holiday!

The Envelope Directors Roundtable

(Jason Armond / For The Times)

As Rian Johnson said while taping this year’s Envelope Directors Roundtable, filmmakers don’t get many chances to hang out and talk shop — so when they do, it’s always an engaging and illuminating conversation.

Led by moderator Mark Olsen, participants Johnson (“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”), Jon M. Chu (“Wicked: For Good”), Nia DaCosta (“Hedda”), Guillermo del Toro (“Frankenstein”), Mona Fastvold (“The Testament of Ann Lee”) and Benny Safdie (“The Smashing Machine”) shared their unvarnished views on theatrical moviegoing, budgets and artificial intelligence. It’s absolutely worth your time.

And by the by: I’m not sure what The Times’ standard is on the, uh, pungent phrase Del Toro used to describe A.I. during the conversation, so I’ll just say that you can and should see it in all its glory on our Instagram.

‘Roofman’ Is a Christmas Movie

(The Tyler Twins / For The Times)

If you’re looking for a new Christmas movie to watch before Santa squeezes down the chimney tonight, “Roofman” is just the ticket. Like “The Holdovers” last year, Derek Cianfrance’s charming fable about a fugitive (Channing Tatum) who falls for a single mom (Kirsten Dunst) while hiding out in a Toys R Us channels Old Hollywood in a way that can seem sadly out of fashion.

“As we were selling this movie, trying to get it financed, I was pitching it to everyone as a Capra movie and what I kept hearing is, ‘We don’t make those movies anymore,’” as Cianfrance told Kristen Lopez.

Perhaps they should reconsider. Unfairly written off after its $8 million opening weekend in October, “Roofman” went on to gross $34 million worldwide from a slim $19 million budget. Not exactly “Home Alone,” to be sure, but a respectable showing nonetheless — and that’s before its streaming afterlife. And those of us who dearly miss the mid-budget studio movie will take any data we can to show they can still thrive at the right price.

Imax’s banner year

(Robert Alexander / Getty Images)

Speaking of box office, one big bright spot in 2025 was the performance of Imax and other premium formats, which are attracting cinephiles to see movies theatrically, often multiple times, and at a higher price point than the standard movie ticket.

With an estimated $1.2 billion take this year, and a raft of highly anticipated films like Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” slated for 2026, Imax has forged an alliance between our most committed moviegoers and some of our most exciting filmmakers that bodes well for the future of cinemas, writes Daron James.

“Imax superfan Shane Short, who saw ‘Oppenheimer’ 132 times and once sat next to [cinematographer Autumn Durald] Arkapaw during a screening of ‘Sinners,’ says it’s a good thing. ‘What really pulls me into movies is the emotional aspect when connecting with something. For me, it’s hard to get that in a normal theater. Imax is truly the ultimate immersive experience that draws me in.’”

More stories from this week’s issue

It has been a year. And for many of us, not a great one. Fires, political chaos, rising unemployment, the loss of beloved cultural icons — it’s understandable if you want to toss 2025 in the trash heap where it belongs.

And you should, at least symbolically. Ending a collective or personal era with a closing ritual can be therapeutic and allow you to make room for something new. The goal is not to work abracadabra-type magic, but to “enact a symbolic shift,” as University of British Columbia anthropologist Sabina Magliocco puts it.

“When you do a New Year’s ritual, you are symbolically shifting to a new beginning,” she said. “That might involve rituals to usher in good luck or health, more prosperity, more creativity, or just out with the old, in with the new.”

Humanity has been enacting rituals to transition from one year to the next for millennia, and they are part of our lives today — drinking sparkling beverages, watching the ball drop in Times Square, cheering as the clock strikes midnight — these are all ways of celebrating the completion of one cycle and welcoming the start of the next one with joy and the hope that this time may be better.

We’ve collected and created 25 practices to help you say goodbye to 2025. Some of our rituals are serious, others more lighthearted, yet all should be done with intention for maximum effect. We’ve included some places around L.A. that would be ideal for these activities — for instance, Downtown’s Rage Ground where you can (safely) smash a car, or San Pedro’s Cabrillo Beach, where you can plunge into water that’s freezing by L.A. standards (it’s about 59 degrees).

So sweat it out, sweep it out, dance it out or melt it away. Whichever way you choose to say good riddance, we hope it brings you a bit of peace and helps you slide purposely into the new year (which surely, hopefully, God-willing has to be better than the one we just finished, right?).

— Deborah Netburn

1. Scream into the void

“Scream therapy,” or “primal scream therapy,” dates back to the early ‘70s and is an underrated — and free — way to release bottled-up tension and anger (or a relentlessly stressful year). Find an open expanse with a dramatic view — check out our guide to shout-worthy spots in L.A. — take a few deep breaths, engage your core and let out an unbridled scream. Not ready to howl in a place where other people may be in the vicinity? A primal scream into a pillow at home can offer a similar sense of release. — Deborah Vankin

2. Sweat 2025 out of your system

Koreatown’s Wi Spa, open 24/7, has five progressively hot saunas in a coed community space. But its single hottest sauna — one of the toastiest in all of L.A. — is the Bulgama sauna. It looks like an igloo from the outside, though the interior is made mostly of oak wood. The sauna is set at an intense 231-degrees (by contrast, my gym’s dry sauna is 160-180 degrees). There are no benches to sit on; guests lie on the floor or sit upright against the wall, their faces flushing scarlet and sweat dripping down their cheeks and limbs. Tough it out for as long as you possibly can, perhaps while meditating on all you want to let go of, and sweat out every bit of this difficult year. Just be sure to hydrate afterward. — D.V.

3. Roll down a hill

If the heaviness of 2025 has you feeling stuck, shake up your perspective by making like a 5-year-old and rolling down a grassy hill. Luckily, L.A. is filled with hills perfect for rolling, including the popular Hancock Park near the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. I guarantee that you’ll feel different at the end of your roll than you did at the start. (And if I’m wrong, try climbing the hill and rolling down again!) — Deborah Netburn

4. Jump into the ocean

The “polar bear plunge” is a popular tradition in many places, including San Pedro’s Cabrillo Beach, where people have been jumping into the water on New Year’s Day for at least 73 years. The Cabrillo Beach Polar Bears name a king and queen and hand out polar bear certificates — in fact, so many people joined in last year that the club ran out of certificates. The water in San Pedro is typically about 59 degrees. But this tradition persists in places much colder — for instance, Scheveningen, the Netherlands. There, as many as 10,000 brave bathers show up each New Year’s Eve to dip into the North Sea, which is usually between 37 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit. — Christopher Reynolds

5. Rage … and smash a car!

When I’m angry — like fuming, stomping, raging mad (which is a lot, lately, considering the state of, well, everything) — I often think of Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist’s video, “Ever Is Over All.” In it, Rist saunters down an urban sidewalk in a light blue sundress smashing car windows as she goes. The crinkly, cacophonous sound of shattering glass is amplified each time she bashes a car. Sounds awesome, right? You can do the same at L.A. Rage Rooms such as Rage Ground and Break Room Los Angeles. Visitors don protective gear while wrecking an entire automobile — windows, doors, headlights and all — to the angry playlist of their choice. Unleashing rage can be cathartic and healing — not a bad way to put 2025 behind you for f— good! — D.V.

6. Burn some incense — or join a safe, fire department-sanctioned communal blaze

Maybe you’ll spark some sage, as people do when hoping to rid a room of bad vibes. You could also burn a little incense, cedar, yerba santa, palo santo, rosemary, mugwort, juniper or sandalwood. Or, if you crave a bigger blaze, you could head up to Solvang, where on Friday, Jan. 9, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department will supervise a community Christmas Tree Burn. Local authorities bill the event as “a powerful safety demonstration” in the empty lot next to the Mission Santa Ines (1760 Mission Drive). But you’ll know that it’s really about purging the vile remnants of the last year. — C.R.

7. Walk a labyrinth

Labyrinths can be a great tool for release. To make a labyrinth walk extra meaningful, find a trinket or stone that represents 2025 to you and then walk slowly toward the labyrinth’s center, infusing the stone with whatever you want to leave behind in 2025. When you get to the center of the labyrinth, drop the stone, and breathe out the year. As you leave the center, imagine filling yourself up with your hopes for the new year. Looking for a labyrinth to walk? Check out our list of great labyrinths in the L.A. area, including the one at Peace Awareness that uses the same pattern design as the labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France — D.N.

8. Travel through time

If you visit the Time Travel Mart in Echo Park or Mar Vista, you’ll come to understand that its true mission is to promote literacy and writing skills among kids. But the goofball retail goods in both shops — alleged supplies for chrononauts — are a comfort to anyone seeking maximum distance from 2025. Buy candles honoring patron saints of time travel (including theoretical physicists Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein and Ronald Mallett). Pick up some robot milk or canned mammoth. Or, perhaps best of all, grab a copy of “The Time Traveler’s Almanac,” a 2013 collection of 72 literary “journeys through time” by writers including Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Ursula K. Le Guin, George R.R. Martin and H.G. Wells. As the largest collection of time-travel stories ever assembled, it won’t just take you to 2026, but far beyond. — C.R.

9. Dance it out

Shake your booty, swing your limbs, wriggle your hips. Literally shake off the year while working up a sweat at any number of dance events. I do it at Zumba class; others at nightclubs and dance parties. LA Dance Project offers weekly, community dance classes for all levels; Wiggle Room holds improvisational movement workshops; Pony Sweat, a “fiercely noncompetitive dance aerobics celebration,” holds $10 classes on Monday nights; and Ecstatic Dance LA is a “substance-free, all ages community celebration” of dance. Even the Los Angeles Public Library holds free ‘80s-era dance classes. Or travel to another part of the world for the night at ¡BAILE!, a recurring world music dance party — one of many in L.A. You’ll forget all about 2025, if just momentarily. — D.V.

10. Challenge yourself with one of L.A.’s hardest hikes

You made it through a hard year. Celebrate by making it through a hard hike. For a serious challenge, try the Vital Link Trail at Wildwood Canyon Park in Burbank where you’ll do an elevation gain of 1,700 feet in just two miles. Because the trail is sandy and has some erosion, it’s best to navigate it with trekking poles. Also, remember that “challenging” is a relative term. If Vital Link Trail is not for you, check out other options on our list of local hikes for all skill levels. — D.N.

11. Write a year-end letter

This could be a pep talk, a condemnation of the last 12 months, a breakup letter to your past self or a hopeful letter to your future self. Or take control of your life by starting a diary, as the main character does in the Helen Fielding novel and subsequent Renée Zellweger movie “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” Maybe with less smoking, drinking and mixing it up with Hugh Grant. — C.R.

12. Visit a cemetery to reflect on the past

L.A.’s legendary Hollywood Forever Cemetery just held an end-of-year event with a cord-cutting meditation meant to help participants “dispel the shadows” of their lives and let go of what no longer serves them. You could create a similar ritual. Visit one of the city’s many cemeteries and as you stroll through the space, think about laying to rest what’s been weighing on you most this past year. — Michelle Woo

13. Be your own Death Bear

More than a decade ago, New York performance artist Nate Hill created a Death Bear character. He would appear at people’s homes in a strange black PVC costume, then remove items that triggered bad memories and take them away forever to his Death Bear Cave, location unspecified. Hill seems to have retired Death Bear, but you could always create your character to vanquish bad memories. — C.R.

14. Bury the year

You could throw 2025 in the trash, but consider composting it instead. Write down “2025” on a small scrap of paper along with an few aspects of the year you would like to leave behind. Bury the paper in a garden or a flower pot along with some seeds of your choice. Over the next few weeks, watch with satisfaction as a budding seedling transmutes 2025 into something beautiful and fresh. — D.N.

15. Shed 2025 along with your dead skin with an intense body scrub

Vigorous, bracing, borderline painful, there is nothing like a no-frills full-body scrub at one of L.A.’s many Korean spas. For as little as $50 you will feel like you’ve removed the hard crust of the bygone year from your body, emerging shiny, soft and new. Let the shedding begin! — D.N.

16. Cut your hair

Or change it. Various cultures have ideas about this and exactly when you should do it. I say the sooner we turn the page, the better. Along with shedding skin, getting a trim is one of the most literal ways you can change your body to signal a new era. — C.R.

17. Purge your closet — and donate

This summer, the fluff and fold I bring my laundry to burned down — with three enormous bags of my clothing and linens inside. At first I was upset: beyond its practical function, our clothing is an extension of our identity and often beloved items house emotional memories from the places they’ve traveled to. It felt like a loss, not to mention a financial burden. But surprisingly quickly, silver linings surfaced. My closet was roomier and more navigable — it was easier to put outfits together. Friends and family offered blankets, sheets and sweaters, and I felt supported. I somehow also felt lighter? A purposeful, DIY closet purging can feel cathartic at the end of year. And in hauling off a bag or two of your clothing to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, you’ll not only be releasing a little bit of 2025, but helping others, who need your recycled goods, in the process. — D.V.

18. Cry in the shower

I get my best creative ideas in the shower. And I indulge my fiercest sobbing sessions there as well. The act of crying — anywhere — lowers stress hormones such as cortisol and releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin. But there’s something about being in a cozy, private space, ensconced by rushing water and plumes of steam, that allows me to fully release and opens the floodgates. Try it. Bonus: no tear-stained face afterward. — D.V.

19. Rearrange your house

Switch up the energy in your home by switching up the placement of your furniture. It will help you see your space, and perhaps your life, in a fresh light. The bed in that corner? That was so 2025. The dresser on that wall? Last year’s news! Try working with the items you have before going out to buy something new. — D.N.

20. Sweep the worst of 2025 out the door

Deep cleaning followed by ritually sweeping misfortune and bad energy out of your home before the start of the Lunar New Year is a tradition in Chinese culture. I’ve also seen ritual sweeping practiced by modern witches and other spiritual questers. The ritual itself is simple but deeply symbolic: For a fresh start to the new year, fully clean your house top to bottom and then finish by holding a broom just a bit off the floor and use a sweeping motion to push the bad energy out of your house. — D.N.

21. Make a physical threshold and cross it

New Year’s Eve party idea: Just before midnight create a physical threshold on the ground using a stick, a piece of string, or draw an actual line in the sand if you happen to be at the beach (this is L.A. after all). As the clock strikes midnight, invite guests to cross the threshold one by one and cheer as you step into 2026 and leave 2025 behind. — D.N.

22. Watch 2025 melt away

Find a small candle and carve “2025” onto the side of it using a small knife. Light the candle and let it burn until 2025 has melted away. — D.N.

23. Watch the sunset

Is there a more symbolic way to say farewell to 2025 than watching the sun literally dip below the horizon for the final time on this god-awful year? Consider this nature’s ball drop. — D.N.

24. Toss 2025 into the waves

Tashlich is a Jewish new year ritual of symbolically releasing your sins by throwing them into a natural body of water. When I was a kid, my family used bread crumbs to represent our sins. Now I use small stones or torn-up bits of leaves to keep from polluting the environment. Whatever you use, hold it in your hand and imagine what it is that you want to release. Then toss it into the water and imagine yourself letting it go. The Jewish new year holiday, Rosh Hashanah, is celebrated in early fall, but there’s no reason you can’t give this ritual a whirl on the Gregorian calendar’s new year too. — D.N.

25. Take a final photo

2025 may not have looked like how you hoped it would look, but now you are in control. As the year draws to a close, set yourself a task of taking one final photo of the year that is meaningful to you. Sad or hopeful, lush or desolate: you decide. Perhaps it is someone or something you love. Or a representation of the loss you experienced. We take photos all the time without thinking. Choose to make this one count. — D.N.

Good Morning Britain host Adil Ray discussed a “serious situation” on Friday

A Good Morning Britain star warned “they could die” in a heartbreaking news update on Friday (December 19).

During the latest episode of the popular ITV breakfast show, presenters Adil Ray and Charlotte Hawkins brought viewers up to speed with breaking news from Britain and beyond.

They were accompanied in the studio by Sean Fletcher, who covered additional news items, whilst Laura Tobin delivered regular weather forecasts live from Nottingham.

Later in the programme, Adil and Charlotte examined the day’s pressing issues alongside regular panellists Salma Shah and Caroline Flint.

The discussion soon turned to the continuing Middle East conflict, with Adil identifying the eight Palestine Action campaigners who have been engaged in an indefinite hunger strike at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, reports Wales Online.

The protest action commenced on November 2 and has been characterised as “the biggest coordinated prison hunger strike” in nearly four decades in Britain, according to campaign organisation Prisoners for Palestine, speaking at a press briefing on Thursday (December 18).

Over 800 medical professionals, legal specialists, and relatives have written to Justice Secretary David Lammy, calling on him to meet with their legal representatives to address the continuing demonstration.

“They have been arrested and charged because they were part of the Palestinian protests. Some of them have been on hunger strike for 47 days, it’s 48 now actually,” Adil stated.

“I’m too young to remember, but in 1981, IRA prisoners went on hunger strike. Some of them died within 46 days. It’s a serious situation.

“Should we be doing more in this case, Salma? Should the government be intervening? They’re saying the prisons have a system to deal with this. These could die. These prisoners are on remand, but they could die in prison.”

Salma responded: “It’s a difficult situation because nobody wants them to die, and they have decided to take a very drastic measure by going on a hunger strike.

“As I understand it, of the eight, there were six that were in critical condition; two of them have now stopped their hunger strike because they were in such a bad way.

“What we need to do is ensure that the medical support team that is in prison is allowed to try and convince them that this is not the right action going forward, because losing lives is not going to fundamentally change what they want to change.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice previously stated: “The Deputy Prime Minister has responded to and will continue to respond to correspondence on this issue, and is being kept informed of the situation. We continually assess prisoners’ wellbeing and will always take the appropriate action, including taking prisoners to hospital if they are assessed as needing treatment by a medical professional.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am

Noble laureate’s son says military must ‘prove’ Suu Kyi is healthy after her years in detention and unseen following military coup.

Military-ruled Myanmar has said the country’s jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is “in good health” amid concerns about the health of the pro-democracy leader who was removed from power by a coup in 2021.

“Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health,” a statement posted on the military-run Myanmar Digital News said on Tuesday, using an honorific for the country’s leader.

The military, which offered no evidence or details about Aung San Suu Kyi’s condition, issued the statement one day after her son, Kim Aris, told the Reuters news agency that he had received little information about the 80-year-old’s condition and fears she could die without him knowing.

“The military claims she is in good health, yet they refuse to provide any independent proof, no recent photograph, no medical verification, and no access by family, doctors, or international observers,” Aris told Reuters on Wednesday in response to the military’s statement.

“If she is truly well, they can prove it,” he said.

A Myanmar regime spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Interviewed in October, Aris told the Asia Times news organisation that he believed his mother, who has not been seen for at least two years, was being held in solitary confinement in a prison in the capital Naypyidaw and “not even the other prisoners have seen her”.

Aung San Suu Kyi was detained after the 2021 military coup that toppled her elected civilian government from power, and she is now serving a 27-year prison sentence on charges that are widely believed to be trumped-up, including incitement, corruption and election fraud – all of which she denies.

Aris also said the military was “fond of spreading rumours” about his mother’s health in detention.

“They have said she is being held under house arrest, but there is no evidence of that at all. At other times, they said she has had a stroke and even that she has died,” he told Asia Times.

“It’s obviously hard to deal with all this false information,” he said.

A civil war has gripped Myanmar since the 2021 coup, but the military plans to hold elections at the end of this month that analysts and several foreign governments have dismissed as a sham designed to legitimise military rule.

While fighting rages across the country, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), Myanmar’s largest political party, remains dissolved, and several anti-military political groups are boycotting the polls.

On Wednesday, the military said it was pursuing prosecutions of more than 200 people under a law forbidding “disruption” of the election, legislation that rights monitors have said aims to crush dissent.

“A total of 229 people” are being pursued for prosecution “for attempting to sabotage election processes”, the military regime’s Home Affairs Minister Tun Tun Naung said, according to state media.

Convictions under election laws in Myanmar’s courts can result in up to a decade in prison, and authorities have made arrests for as little as posting a “heart” emoji on Facebook posts criticising the polls.

The legislation also outlaws damaging ballot papers and polling stations – as well as intimidating or harming voters, candidates and election workers, with a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.

Kicker Charlie Smyth says “we’re looking pretty good” as he looks to secure a place on the New Orleans Saints’ permanent 53-man roster.

Former gaelic footballer Smyth kicked a winning 46-yard field goal with six seconds left in his home debut against the Carolina Panthers, which was his third NFL appearance.

Smyth landed a 56-yard field goal and made an onside kick on his NFL debut against the Miami Dolphins, and also featured against the Tampa Bay Bucaneers.

After three practice squad elevations already this season, NFL rules state the 24-year-old would need to be signed to the 53-man roster in order to feature against the New York Jets on Sunday.

“I think we’re looking pretty good on that right now,” Smyth told BBC Sport NI’s Thomas Niblock on his contract situation.

“I’m delighted to have had those moments over the past few weeks, and hopefully I can help the team going forward.”

Smyth said he is letting “everyone else deal with that in the background” as his focus shifts towards Sunday’s game with the Jets at the Superdome.

“The hope is that I’ll get into the 53 next week, that’s the plan,” Smyth said.

“I would like to think I’m playing this week, so we’ll just let that take care of itself and I’ll stay focused on what I do, which is kicking a ball.”

Rob Reiner was born into the lineage of comedy thanks to his father, television pioneer Carl Reiner, and he first gained recognition as an actor, including his Emmy-winning role on “All in the Family.” And while there is certainly a streak of humor through almost all of his films, what marks Reiner’s work as a director is his astonishing versatility, able to switch styles from one project to the next with remarkable ease. The run of films that begins with his feature directing debut, 1984’s “This Is Spinal Tap,” on through 1986’s “Stand by Me,” 1987’s “The Princess Bride,” 1989’s “When Harry Met Sally…,” 1990’s “Misery,” 1992’s “A Few Good Men” and 1995’s “The American President” is simply breathtaking for its mastery across the specrum of popular Hollywood moviemaking.

‘This Is Spinal Tap’ (1984)

Harry Shearer, left, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean in the movie “This Is Spinal Tap.”

(Archive Photos / Getty Images)

Though not strictly the first to explore the form, Reiner’s first feature as director more or less cemented the concept of the “mockumentary,” presenting itself as a documentary on the (fictional) rock band Spinal Tap. Reiner appeared onscreen as Marty DiBergi, director of the faux film-within-the-film, forming a neat transition from his career as an actor to director. And while this year’s sequel “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” was not particularly well received, the legacy of the original, still among the most quotable comedies ever made, remains untouchable. — Mark Olsen

‘The Sure Thing’ (1985)

Made amid the teen sex comedy craze of the 1980s, Reiner’s second film, about two college students sharing a cross-country car trip together, had something special and different about it — namely the performances of John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga, who both brought an openhearted tenderness to a story that might have toppled into cynicism. The emotional earnestness that would often come through in Reiner’s work first emerged here, making what could have been a run-of-the-mill exercise into something more. — M.O.

‘Stand by Me’ (1986)

Wil Wheaton, left, River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell and Corey Feldman in the movie “Stand by Me.”

(Columbia Pictures)

Based on a novella by Stephen King, “Stand by Me” is about four boys — played by Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell and River Phoenix — who find their friendship tested during a particularly eventful Labor Day weekend of 1959. Approaching the story with a mix of dewy nostalgia and incisive clarity, the film earned Reiner the first of three nominations from the Directors Guild of America. — M.O.

‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)

Robin Wright and Cary Elwes in the movie “The Princess Bride.”

(20th Century Fox / Kobal / REX / Shutterstock)

It would be inconceivable to not include “The Princess Bride” in any consideration of Reiner’s best, as the swashbuckling fantasy romance embodies a sense of playful inventiveness and anything-can-happen ethos. An elderly man reads a story to his grandson as the action comes to life in the tale of a farm boy and a princess who are fated to be together, if only they can overcome all manner of trials and challenges. The movie has now enchanted multiple generations of children and adults alike. — M.O.

‘When Harry Met Sally…’ (1989)

Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in the movie “When Harry Met Sally…”

(Castle Rock Entertainment)

As much as any other movie, “When Harry Met Sally…” (scripted by Nora Ephron) has come to embody the modern romantic comedy with its will they-won’t-they tale of two good friends who come to realize they may also work as something more. Grounded by the charming performances of Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, as well as a strong supporting cast including Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby, the film has a rare warmth. It was Reiner’s mother Estelle who delivered the unforgettable punchline, “I’ll have what she’s having.” — M.O.

‘Misery’ (1990)

Kathy Bates and James Caan in “Misery.”

(Archive Photos / Getty Images)

Reiner named his production company Castle Rock Entertainment in honor of his deep love for Stephen King’s fiction and after making a splash with “Stand by Me,” there was no way he wasn’t going do something scarier as a follow up. (You get a hint in “When Harry Met Sally” — look at the hardcover Crystal is skimming.) King’s captive-author nightmare gets classed up by two knockout performances calibrated in perfect harmony: Kathy Bates’ psycho fan, a turn that earned her an Oscar, and James Caan as the bedbound writer. At the time, Caan was an actor in need of a second chance. Reiner was it. — Joshua Rothkopf

‘A Few Good Men’ (1992)

Jack Nicholson, left, and Tom Cruise in the movie “A Few Good Men.”

(Mondadori Portfolio / Mondadori via Getty Images)

Reiner seemingly conquered yet another movie genre with this tightly wound military courtroom thriller and received his only Academy Award nomination, for best picture. Reiner was also recognized with nominations from the Directors Guild, Producers Guild and Golden Globes for the film. Written by Aaron Sorkin and featuring a cast that includes Tom Cruise and Demi Moore, this has Jack Nicholson’s volcanic delivery of the now-legendary line, “You can’t handle the truth!” — M.O.

‘The American President’ (1995)

Michael Douglas and director Rob Reiner on the set of “The American President.”

(Archive Photos / Getty Images)

A president as a romantic lead? Such things actually happened during the Clinton era. Reiner injects warmth and realism to Sorkin’s swaggering original script, loaded with wonky dialogue and walk-and-talks. But it’s the careful steering of Michael Douglas as a widowed U.S. leader and rising star Annette Bening as an extra-persuasive eco-lobbyist that distinguish this gentle comedy, one that seems positively alien to our current climate. Widely known for his vigilant activism in later years, Reiner’s on-screen politics were no less optimistic. — J.R.

‘Rumor Has It’ (2005)

Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner in the movie “Rumor Has It.”

(Melissa Moseley / Warner Bros. Pictures)

Not many would dare to take on a sort-of sequel to a movie as beloved as “The Graduate,” but Reiner brought a casual ease to the tale of a woman, played by Jennifer Aniston, who believes her mother and grandmother were the inspiration for Charles Webb’s original source novel. Though reviews at the time largely savaged the movie, it now seems just the kind of self-assured studio comedy audiences yearn for, buoyed by Shirley MacLaine’s outrageous performance as a woman who may be the real Mrs. Robinson. — M.O.

‘Albert Brooks: Defending My Life’ (2023)

Albert Brooks, left, and Rob Reiner in the documentary “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life.”

(HBO)

Reiner received two Emmy nominations for this documentary tribute to comedian, actor and filmmaker Albert Brooks, a friend of Reiner’s since the two met as teenagers at Beverly Hills High. It’s captured as an expansive conversation with the two sharing a meal in a restaurant. As much as the film is a portrait of Brooks, it also reflects Reiner’s own unique position as someone who knew show business and its ups and downs with a rare intimacy. — M.O.