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George Stephanopoulos, the prominent host of This Week on ABC News, may be out of a job after a defamation settlement involving former President Donald Trump. The deal, authorized by Disney CEO Bob Iger, includes a $15 million payout to Trump, plus an additional $1 million to cover Trump’s legal fees. This settlement stems from a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump earlier this year after Stephanopoulos inaccurately claimed that Trump was “found liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll case.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has become the first Republican to publicly announce he will not support Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in the upcoming January speakership vote, following backlash over a massive spending bill released Tuesday evening. The bill, a 1,537-page continuing resolution (CR), has sparked outrage among conservative lawmakers, who argue it contradicts the mandate given by voters in the November elections.

The Federal Reserve made its third consecutive interest rate cut on Wednesday, reducing its benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point. The move, widely anticipated by investors and financial markets, brings the federal funds rate to a target range of 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent. Since beginning its rate cuts in September, the Fed has now lowered rates by a total of 100 basis points, or one percentage point.

Nineteen suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang were arrested this week following a brutal home invasion in Aurora, Colorado.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Wednesday the detention of a suspect in connection with the killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov in Moscow....

The Biden administration’s Energy Department released a report that could complicate President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to promote liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushed back against "false media narratives" about illegal immigration, following a report highlighting the state's economic growth.

A group of Palestinians filed a lawsuit against the U.S. State Department over its military aid to Israel.

The prosecution concluded its case on Wednesday in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, setting the stage for closing arguments in the coming days.

Many famous composers wrote classic Christmas music. In 1741, George Frideric Handel wrote his oratorio Messiah. In 1734, Johann Sebastian Bach wrote his Christmas Oratorio. Twenty years after composer Bach died, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, and...