(NEW YORK) — This year is expected to be the busiest on record for holiday travel, but rough weather can make getting to your Christmas destination even harder.
Here’s a look at the Christmas week weather forecast:
Tuesday
The Northeast will get some pre-Christmas snow on Tuesday. New York City will see snowfall from about 6 a.m. to noon, while Boston will get hit from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
About 1 inch of snow is expected along the Interstate 95 corridor and about 3 to 6 inches of snow is possible in the inland Northeast.
On the West Coast, those driving to their Christmas destination should try to head out the door during the day on Tuesday, because a storm will move in Tuesday night, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.
Wednesday
On Christmas Eve, the weather will be calm across most of the country — but not on the West Coast.
Heavy rain is forecast to fall on burn scar areas in Southern California, prompting a level 3 out of 4 risk for excessive rain and flash flooding.
Some parts of Southern California could see 9 inches of rain just on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Debris flows and landslides are also possible.
Thursday
On Christmas Day, record high temperatures are possible for millions from the Midwest to the South.
Temperatures are forecast to soar to record highs of 66 degrees in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Rapid City, South Dakota; 79 degrees in Midland, Texas; 77 degrees in St. Louis, Missouri; and 75 degrees in Atlanta.
While not record highs, temperatures could also jump to 80 degrees in Austin and Houston, 79 degrees in Miami and Orlando, Florida, and 72 degrees in Memphis, Tennessee. It’ll even warm up to 53 degrees in Washington, D.C.
One of the only parts of the country that has a good chance for a white Christmas is inland New England, where the snow from Tuesday could linger on the ground through Christmas Day.
Some mountainous areas in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado and California will also see a white Christmas.
Meanwhile, the rough weather will continue on the West Coast, with another round of rain and mountain snow moving in on Christmas Day.
Rep. Thomas Massie speaks alongside Rep. Ro Khanna during a news conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol, November 18, 2025 in Washington. Heather Diehl/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation on Monday that would direct the Senate to initiate legal action to hold the Justice Department accountable for failing to release the complete files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by Friday’s deadline, which was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Schumer’s announcement came after Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie announced on Sunday that they are pursuing “inherent contempt” charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi for not complying with the law to release the complete Epstein files.
If the effort passes, it could lead to Bondi’s arrest — though the pair is expected to introduce the resolution as “privileged” once the House returns in January, which would force a vote within two legislative days on the House floor, and it’s unclear if this effort would even be successful when it comes up for a vote.
“The law Congress passed is crystal clear: release the Epstein files in full so Americans can see the truth,” Schumer said in a statement. “Instead, the Trump Department of Justice dumped redactions and withheld the evidence — that breaks the law. Today, I am introducing a resolution to force the Senate to take legal action and compel this administration to comply.”
The DOJ faced a Friday deadline imposed by Congress and signed into law by the president to release a massive cache of records gathered during government investigations into the sex offender, who died in jail in 2019.
The Justice Department released thousands of files — ranging from investigative documents to grand jury testimony to snapshots taken by Epstein and his friends — but said it would fail to fully release all the files by the deadline. The law contains exceptions to protect victims and other circumstances, but critics say the DOJ is not following the letter and spirit of the law.
Schumer called the DOJ’s partial release on Friday a “blatant cover-up.”
“Pam Bondi and [Deputy Attorney General] Todd Blanche are shielding Donald Trump from accountability, and the Senate has a duty to act,” Schumer said.
Schumer is expected to force consideration of this bill on the Senate floor in January when the Senate returns from its holiday break. The bill would likely require unanimous consent to pass.
It is unclear if it would have that support, but the Senate unanimously passed the Epstein Transparency Act, which compelled the release of the Epstein documents.
On Sunday, Khanna and Massie, the co-authors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, announced their intent to pursue inherent contempt proceedings.
The inherent contempt power permits Congress to rely on its own constitutional authority to detain and imprison a “contemnor” — someone held in contempt — until the individual complies with congressional demands like a subpoena or a monetary fine, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The power directs the Sergeant at Arms to arrest the individual who refuses to comply with a subpoena or fine, however, once the witness complies with the subpoena, they are released.
Notably, the resolution would not require passage in the Senate to be enforced.
“The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi,” Massie said on “CBS News’ Face the Nation” on Sunday.
Khanna, who also appeared on the same program on Sunday, reiterated that inherent contempt is the right path at this point.
“We only need only need the House for inherent contempt, and we’re building a bipartisan coalition, and it would fine Pam Bondi for every day that she’s not releasing these documents. I’ll tell you why, I’ve talked to the survivors, why this is such a slap in the face,” Khanna said.
On NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Blanche said he wasn’t taking Massie and Khanna’s threats seriously because he said he believes they are in compliance with the law. Specifically regarding threats of legal action against the department, Blanche said, “Bring it on.”
A statement released Monday morning by attorneys representing a group of Epstein survivors said omissions in the files by either redactions or unreleased pages amounted to a failure.
“We are told that there are hundreds of thousands of pages of documents still unreleased,” the statement said.
Paul McCartney performs on ‘SNL50’ on February 16, 2025 (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)
Paul McCartney had a busy 2025, so it wasn’t easy for him to nail down a highlight of the year.
In the final website Q&A for 2025, McCartney was asked to name his “professional highlight” of the year, and he couldn’t pick just one.
“The great thing is there’s so much suddenly happening,” he said. “It’s like a log jam, loads of things have just come in.”
He then mentioned things like his Wings book, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, and that High in the Clouds, an animated film based on his 2005 children’s book, “is finally getting made.”
McCartney also called his Got Back tour “spectacular,” noting, “the audiences were so warm and receptive.” He specifically mentioned shows like his Bowery Ballroom club gigs, and dates in Santa Barbara and Nashville, where phones were not allowed.
He said those “were really cool, because it’s a completely different type of show. People aren’t just holding up phones, so you really see the whites of their eyes. It’s lovely!”
“This idea of everything coming home to roost, all these projects I’ve done over the years, it’s very exciting,” he added. “But yeah, if I had to pick one I think the tour was probably the highlight of the year for me – it was so successful and enjoyable for everyone involved.”
McCartney also dropped some exciting news for fans when asked what he’s most looking forward to in 2026.
“My new album!” he said, adding, “We’re just starting to think about how to put that together.”
As for his New Year’s resolution, McCartney first joked, “To be a good boy!,” before adding, “I normally don’t have one, but what comes to mind is things like ‘to eat sensibly.’ That’s always a good one.”
Drake performs live on stage during day one of Wireless Festival 2025 at Finsbury Park on July 11, 2025, in London, England. Drake is headlining an unprecedented all three nights of Wireless Festival. (Photo by Simone Joyner/Getty Images for ABA)
Drake is giving fans a chance to win a portion of his gambling winnings just in time for the holidays. He’s announced he’s teamed with online betting company Stake for a three-night livestream on Kick, which comes to an end on Tuesday.
Each stream ends with five lucky winners who will split 10% of the balance Drake has in his wallet.
“Can we end my roughest gambling year on a good note?? I want to MAXWIN and share 10% of it with you,” he wrote on Instagram. Details on how to enter the giveaway are on the Stake website.
Drake kicked off his the three-night stream on Kick Sunday, appearing alongside BenDaDonn and previewing some songs, including the previously leaked “National Treasure.”
“I know what you’re waiting on, trust me, we cheffin,'” Drake said of his upcoming album, Iceman. The project doesn’t have a release date.
(NEW YORK) — The Powerball jackpot has soared to one of the largest in the lottery game’s history.
The current jackpot is estimated to be $1.6 billion ahead of Monday night’s drawing. That would make it the fourth-largest in Powerball history and the fifth-largest among U.S. lottery jackpots.
The estimated cash value of the current jackpot is $735.3 million.
Both figures are before taxes.
A player who wins the Powerball jackpot can choose between the lump sum payment or an annuity option, in which one immediate payment is received followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.
The game’s jackpot was last won in September, when two tickets in Missouri and Texas split the $1.787 billion prize — Powerball’s second-largest jackpot ever.
The game’s largest prize ever was $2.04 billion, won on Nov. 7, 2022, in California.
Tickets are $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Monday night’s drawing is at 10:59 p.m. ET.
LOCASH finishes 2025 with one of the top five most successful songs of the year, as “Hometown Home” comes in at #4 on Country Aircheck‘s ranking of the year’s top 25.
It’s an especially significant milestone, since the Bet the Farm track was the first release from their own company, Galaxy Label Group. The “Hot Mix” of the multi-week country #1 heads into 2026 as a top-20 hit on the Hot AC chart, as their follow-up, “Wrong Hearts,” is climbing the country ranking.
2025 also brought a year of collaborations between LOCASH and the popular Savannah Bananas, as Preston Brust and Chris Lucas played the first-ever halftime show in an NFL stadium in Tampa in March.
Their halftime gigs continued in November, as the duo kept the energy going when the New England Patriots took on the New York Jets on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football.
You can check out LOCASH’s original Christmas song, “Snow Angel,” and their cover of “O Holy Night,” which are both new for 2025.
They’re set to ring in 2026 Dec. 31 at Gilley’s in Park City, Kansas.
Matt Damon as Odysseus on the poster for Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’ (Universal Pictures)
This isn’t an enchantment from a siren: the official trailer for Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey has arrived.
Universal Pictures shared the brand-new trailer for the upcoming film adaptation of Homer‘s epic poem on Monday.
The trailer, which is just under two minutes, finds Matt Damon starring as Odysseus.
“After years of war, no one could stand between my men and home. Not even me,” Damon’s Odysseus says in voiceover atop of scenes of Trojan War soldiers marching.
We then see Telemachus and Penelope, played by Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway, awaiting Odysseus’ arrival.
The star-studded ensemble cast of The Odyssey also includes Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.
Universal describes the adaptation as “a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology,” which will bring the foundational, classic story to IMAX screens for the first time.
Homer’s The Odyssey, of course, tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus’ 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. He is filled with interruptions in his quest to return home to his wife, Penelope, and his grown son, Telemachus, who fights off suitors who are desperate to steal his father’s throne.
Nolan wrote and directed the film, his first since the best picture Oscar-winning blockbuster Oppenheimer. He also produced the movie with his wife, Emma Thomas.
The Odyssey opens in movie theaters on July 17, 2026.
Lady Gaga ‘Harlequin Live: One Night Only’ (Courtesy Morningview Productions)
Merry Christmas, Little Monsters: Lady Gaga‘s Harlequin concert film will hit YouTube on Dec. 24.
Gaga announced the news on Instagram, writing, “Happy holidays to you and yours. Harlequin Live: One Night Only Coming Xmas Eve @ 4pm PT on my YouTube channel.”
The movie, recorded last September at LA’s Belasco Theatre, features Gaga performing all the songs from her Grammy-nominated Harlequin album, which she released as a companion to her film Joker: Folie à Deux.
Varietyreports that during a recent screening of the film at the Grammy Museum, followed by a Q&A, Gaga explained why she’s putting out the film on Christmas Eve.
“I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans,” she said. “It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.”
The Harlequin album, featuring Gaga performing standards from the Great American Songbook in her own style, is nominated for best traditional pop album, but she feels it’s closer to the jazz records she made with the late Tony Bennett.
According to Variety, Gaga said, “This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going.”
“And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough. Because even when I’m in my nineties, I will never have gone through every genre and figured it all out.”
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Chris, who died peacefully earlier today following a short illness,” read the statement. “Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind.”
“Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. The track was such a hit it earned Rea a best new artist Grammy nomination in 1978.
Rea’s other hits include 1989’s “Working on It,” which went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and 1988’s “Driving Home for Christmas,” which went to #1 in the U.K.
Artwork for Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska Live’ (Sony Music)
When Bruce Springsteen released the box set Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition in October, it included a present-day recording of The Boss performing his album Nebraska in its entirety at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. Now, the rocker is giving fans who didn’t buy the box set a chance to experience it.
Springsteen has now made the performance available to rent or own via digital outlets.
Bruce has performed songs from Nebraska live over the years, but he never toured behind the album. This concert marks the first time he performed the record from start to finish.
Springsteen’s longtime collaborator Thom Zimny, directed the concert, which was shot in black and white without an audience. Springsteen is backed by only two musicians: Larry Campbell and Charlie Giordano.
According to the description posted to Instagram, the performance offers “fresh insight through the subtleties of his live performance, while remaining true to the spirit of the original recordings.” The performance is offered without narration or commentary, so, as Bruce notes, “Only the voices of the characters are heard.”
In addition tothe concert, Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition includes a remastered version of the original album, along with previously unreleased material such as the long-rumored “Electric Nebraska.” It also features solo outtakes, including additional songs from Springsteen’s original Nebraska home recordings that didn’t make the album, as well as recordings from a 1982 solo studio session.
