Beginning Feb. 1, travelers who arrive at airport security without a REAL ID or passport will be required to pay a$45 identity-verification fee, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday. The amount is significantly higher than the previously proposed $18 fee.
Part of REAL ID Implementation
The fee supports the next phase of the REAL ID rollout. Travelers without compliant identification will need to verify their identity through TSA’s biometric or biographic system before being allowed through security.
TSA official Steve Lorincz said the fee helps modernize and secure the verification system and ensures costs are covered by travelers rather than taxpayers.
How the Process Works
Individuals can visit TSA.gov to complete the online verification steps and submit payment. Afterward, they’ll receive an email confirmation to show officers at the checkpoint. The process typically takes 10–15 minutes but may take up to 30 minutes or longer.
TSA warns that verification isn’t guaranteed—travelers may still be denied if their identity can’t be confirmed.
Impact on Travelers at Airports
Anyone who reaches the checkpoint without acceptable ID will be removed from the line to complete the online process. Those with a lost or stolen REAL ID or passport must also pay the fee.
Once approved, the verification is valid for up to 10 days. If travelers fly again without a REAL ID after that window, the fee must be paid again.
Most Travelers Already Compliant
According to TSA, roughly 94% of passengers already use a REAL ID or another approved form of identification.
The World Health Organization has issued its first-ever guidelines on GLP-1 medications for adults with obesity, recommending long-term, continuous use when medically appropriate. The guidance covers semaglutide (Wegovy), liraglutide (Saxenda) and tirzepatide (Zepbound).
GLP-1s Aren’t a Standalone Solution
Published inJAMA, the guidelines stress that GLP-1 drugs must be paired with healthy eating, regular physical activity and ongoing counseling. WHO officials emphasize that obesity is a chronic disease requiring lifelong management, not a short-term fix.
Dr. Louis Arrone of Weill Cornell Medicine said the recommendations validate obesity treatment as mainstream medical care: “Treating obesity early — as a chronic disease — is finally moving into the mainstream.”
Access, Cost and Supply Remain Barriers
The WHO notes significant hurdles, including high drug prices, limited supply and unequal access globally. The organization urges countries to create fairer pathways to ensure those with the greatest medical needs receive treatment first.
How the Medications Help
GLP-1 drugs often reduce hunger and make it easier for patients to follow nutrition plans, according to Arrone. Many people feel full sooner and report less emotional pull toward certain foods. He also highlighted the importance of resistance training to prevent loss of muscle mass during rapid weight loss.
“Medicines work best when they go hand in hand with changes in eating habits and daily behaviors,” he said.
A Growing Global Crisis
More than 1 billion people currently live with obesity, a number projected to reach 2 billion by 2030. The WHO says future guidelines will focus on identifying and prioritizing those at highest risk.
A Call for System-Wide Change
The organization is urging member nations to “reboot” their approaches to obesity care by strengthening prevention, treatment and health-system capacity. Arrone described the shift as unprecedented: a move toward treating obesity proactively rather than waiting for complications to develop.
President Donald Trump will meet with top national security officials Monday evening to discuss the administration’s next moves on Venezuela, according to sources familiar with the planning. The Oval Office meeting is set for 4 p.m. CT.
Key Attendees
Expected participants include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Escalating Military Pressure
The meeting comes as the U.S. ramps up its campaign against Venezuela, launching strikes on suspected drug vessels and deploying more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops to the Caribbean under “Operation Southern Spear.” Trump also signaled the U.S. will soon target land-based trafficking routes.
Warnings and Diplomatic Moves
Over the weekend, Trump urged airlines, pilots and criminal networks to avoid Venezuelan airspace—an order he later downplayed. He also confirmed speaking by phone with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, days after the U.S. designated Maduro and his allies as members of a foreign terrorist organization to broaden military options.
Legal Concerns Over Deadly Strikes
The administration faces growing scrutiny over U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats that have killed more than 80 people. Lawmakers from both parties question the legality of the operations since the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela.
A CNN report revealed the U.S. conducted a second strike on survivors of an initial attack. Sen. Angus King of Maine called such action “a stone-cold war crime” if confirmed, adding that Congress will question officials “up and down the chain of command.”
Congressional Oversight Ahead
King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said lawmakers will investigate whether defense orders were properly executed and who authorized the actions.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Get ready for a chilly and messy start to the week as widespread showers are expected across Southeast Texas Monday.
An area of low pressure attached to our most recent cold front will track northeast through the Gulf and sling rain over us. We are expecting widespread rain through most of the day with rain become a bit more scattered into the evening. A few claps of thunder will be possible but not widespread. With all the clouds and rain, temperatures will struggle to get out of the 40s.
What more can you tell me about Monday’s weather?
It’s going to feel like winter has arrived! Monday will be cold all day with widespread rain showers. The rain will likely keep our temperatures trapped in the 40s all day, so it will be a rude welcome back to work and school after the long holiday weekend.
How long will the cold air stick around?
It will stay chilly through noon Tuesday, then warm slightly Wednesday and Thursday as the mild Gulf breeze returns. Speaking of Tuesday, temps will start off in the middle and upper 30s. Even though we aren’t expecting a freeze, it’ll feel like with wind chills ranging from the upper 20s to the middle 30s to start the day.
When else could it rain this week?
Another rainmaker looks to blow in Wednesday night and depart on Friday. For now we have a 60% chance of thunderstorms on Thursday and a 40% chance of showers on Friday.
When could we get our first freeze?
We have no freezing weather in forecast over the next 10 days, and long range signals indicate we probably have to wait until mid December at the earliest for a chance of freezing weather in Houston. On average, Houston historically gets its first freeze during the second week of December.
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” dominated the Thanksgiving box office, earning$156 million domesticallyand $400 million internationally for a $556 million global debut. The animated sequel set multiple records, including the largest global opening for an animated film ever and the fourth-biggest worldwide debut in history, trailing only “Avengers: Endgame,” “Infinity War,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Why the Sequel Is a Hit
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, “Zootopia 2” reunites a rabbit police officer (Ginnifer Goodwin) and a con-artist fox (Jason Bateman) as they investigate a mysterious new reptile in the city. The film’s PG rating, established brand, and family-friendly appeal contributed to its massive draw.
Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said, “The incredible response reflects both its worldwide appeal and the remarkable work of our filmmakers and cast.”
Record-Breaking Numbers
Global Achievements:
Highest animated global opening of all time
Largest Walt Disney Animation international launch ever
Biggest animated sequel debut worldwide
U.S. Achievements:
Second-biggest Thanksgiving Day gross ($28 million)
Highest animated opening ever for a non-local title
Fourth-highest international opening of all time
Disney’s Bounce Back
After a summer of underperforming releases, “Zootopia 2” gives Disney a major box office win. With “Avatar: Fire and Ash” scheduled for December, the studio looks set to end 2025 on a high note.
The memo, written Friday by Dr. Vinay Prasad, said FDA staff found the deaths to have a “likely, probable, or possible” connection to vaccination. But the agency has not explained how those conclusions were reached, and the findings have not been made public or reviewed by outside experts.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary told Fox News over the weekend that the agency intends to release information about the cases — material he says the Biden administration did not previously share.
“It makes a mockery of science if we’re just going to rubber-stamp things with no data,” Makary said, while also noting that the COVID vaccine “was amazing for people at risk and for older people.”
The memo surfaced days after the CDC dropped its universal COVID vaccine recommendation, shifting toward a more targeted approach.
Experts Say FDA Must Produce Evidence
Public health experts across the U.S. expressed alarm at the lack of supporting data.
Dorit Reiss, a professor at UC Law San Francisco who studies federal regulatory processes, criticized Prasad for proposing changes to vaccine review protocols based on an unpublished and unvetted internal review.
“Dr. Prasad is not suggesting a deliberative process to assess next steps, as was FDA’s usual practice,” she wrote. “It’s more problematic given that Dr. Prasad’s expertise is not in vaccines.”
Dr. Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said the memo contains “no actual medical data” that could justify linking the children’s deaths to vaccination.
“To make such a claim, one would need to know basic things such as age, vaccine type, underlying conditions, and what analysis was done to establish causality,” Adalja told ABC News.
He warned the statement could fuel misinformation: “It will only serve to increase anti-vaccine sentiment and further politicize an issue that should not be politicized.”
Questions Loom as Agencies Stay Silent
ABC News contacted both the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services for comment. Neither has released additional details about the children’s deaths or the internal review cited in the memo.
With no publicly available data, the episode has intensified tension around U.S. vaccine oversight, raising concerns from both vaccine experts seeking transparency and parents looking for reliable guidance.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday confirmed that she authorized the deportation of Venezuelan detainees to El Salvador—even after a federal judge ordered the flights to stop. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Noem said the decision was hers alone.
“The decisions that are made on deportations, where flights go, and when they go are my decision,” she told host Kristen Welker. “We will continue to do the right thing and ensure that dangerous criminals are removed.”
The Justice Department revealed in recent court filings that Noem instructed officials to continue the removals to a Salvadoran megaprison while the courts review whether the Trump administration defied a lawful order. District Judge James Boasberg had orally instructed authorities to return more than 100 Venezuelan detainees to the United States.
The administration insists it wasn’t obligated to follow that directive, arguing the judge’s oral order lacked binding force at the time.
The Alien Enemies Act at the Center of the Fight
This spring, President Trump invoked the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations of Venezuelan nationals, framing it as part of what he calls the largest removal operation in American history.
DOJ’s latest filing says Noem believed she was acting within the bounds of the law when she authorized transferring detainees already removed from the U.S. to Salvadoran custody. “The decision was lawful,” the filing states, describing it as a reasonable interpretation of the court’s instruction.
Migrants Released After Prisoner Swap
The Venezuelan detainees held in El Salvador were released over the summer and later transferred to Venezuela in a wide-reaching prisoner exchange between the two countries.
Boasberg has already found probable cause to begin contempt proceedings over the deportations. That process was on hold until an appeals court ruled last week that the judge could move forward.
Legal Battle Continues
The underlying lawsuit—brought by the American Civil Liberties Union—challenges the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. Judge Boasberg is still weighing the case.
Noem stood by the administration’s approach.
“I’m proud of President Trump, and his leadership, and the decisions that we have made,” she said.
If you’d like, I can create an even shorter version, a version with more political context, or one tailored for social media.
Most American parents have probably worried about their kid’s screen time. But in Australia, the debate has escalated into something far more dramatic: a nationwide ban on social media for anyone under 16. And as Australia prepares to enforce the first law of its kind among major Western countries, U.S. policymakers, tech companies, and parents are paying close attention.
The question now is unavoidable: Is this a preview of what could happen in the United States?
What Australia Is Doing — and Why It Matters to Americans
Starting December 10, Australia will require major platforms — including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook — to block or remove all users under 16, threatening multimillion-dollar fines for noncompliance.
It’s one of the strictest tech regulations ever directed at kids, and it lands just as more U.S. states are considering their own versions of youth social media restrictions. At least 20 states have already passed laws targeting social media and minors, but none go as far as an outright ban.
That’s why researchers, lawmakers, and parent groups across the U.S. are watching closely. Australia is about to run the world’s biggest real-time experiment in raising the digital age — and its results could shape American policymaking.
Why American Families Should Pay Attention
Australia’s decision stems from concerns familiar to many U.S. parents:
• Rising teen anxiety and depression • Online bullying • Sexual exploitation and predatory behavior • Algorithm-driven addiction • Disrupted sleep, attention, and development
If Australia sees improvements in youth mental health — or even a cultural shift toward offline play, socializing, and schooling — expect American lawmakers to seize that evidence quickly.
Platforms, meanwhile, may soon roll out age-verification technology globally, not just in Australia.
What U.S. Teens Can Learn from Down Under
Many Australian teens are devastated. Creators fear losing hard-earned followings. Students worry about losing contact with friends. Some are trying to find loopholes.
Others — especially those who’ve already quit social media — are seeing it as a rare chance to hit reset.
Their reaction mirrors America’s divided culture around youth tech:
Some kids need the break. Some kids rely on online communities for support. Most kids feel both.
That same complexity exists in the U.S., where vulnerable teens use social media to find identity-affirming spaces but also report harmful content and conflict.
Could This Happen in the U.S.?
Not immediately — but momentum is building.
• Utah, Arkansas, and Texas have passed laws requiring parental consent for social media accounts. • Congressional proposals are gaining bipartisan support, including federal age-verification mandates. • Dozens of lawsuits accuse Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat of designing addictive platforms that harm children.
If Australia’s law appears effective — or even politically popular — it could accelerate similar efforts in the U.S., especially as both parties search for child-safety wins heading into future election cycles.
The Gap That Should Worry American Parents: Gaming
Australia’s ban does not include gaming or chat-based platforms like Roblox, Discord, or Steam — all extremely popular among American kids.
U.S. educators warn that predators often use these platforms precisely because they’re less regulated.
Australia’s experience may spark parallel conversations here: If we regulate social media, do we also need to regulate gaming?
Why Silicon Valley Is Nervous
American tech companies will be forced to implement new age checks, moderation tools, and parental controls for Australia — and they tend to scale new systems globally to save costs.
That means U.S. users could soon see:
• more aggressive age verification • stricter parental control dashboards • reduced features for minors • content restrictions inspired by Australia’s policy
The U.S. tech industry is watching Australia like a stress test — and preparing for ripple effects.
A Global Turning Point
For decades, America has led the world in shaping the internet. But now, the biggest policy experiments are happening elsewhere — especially in Australia and the EU.
Australia’s under-16 ban may be remembered as the moment lawmakers decided youth mental health mattered more than Silicon Valley’s business model. Or it may spark backlash, lawsuits, and workarounds that show the limits of tech regulation.
Either way, its impact won’t stop at Australian borders.
A Year of No Social Media: The Big Question
Australian 14-year-old Maxine, who already quit social media, says she’s looking forward to “a year of peace and silence.”
Her perspective raises the underlying question that resonates across America: What would happen if U.S. teens had a year to unplug?
Would mental health improve? Would connection suffer? Would kids rediscover offline childhood — or just find new online escapes?
Russia launched a deadly overnight drone strike on Kyiv, killing at least one person and injuring 19, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Residential buildings in the Vyshhorod area were heavily damaged as emergency crews worked through the night.
“Such attacks happen every day,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing the strain on Ukraine’s defenses as Russia escalates its aerial campaign.
Delegation Travels to Florida for High-Stakes Negotiations
The attack coincided with Zelenskyy’s top advisers traveling to the United States for key discussions with the Trump administration on a proposed peace plan. The delegation is expected to meet in Florida with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.
Witkoff is then scheduled to visit Moscow next week to present the U.S. proposal to Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, skepticism remains high; Putin has repeatedly suggested that talks with Zelenskyy are “pointless,” raising doubts about whether any plan acceptable to Kyiv could win his approval.
Contentious Issues Remain Unresolved
This round of talks follows earlier negotiations in Geneva, where a 28-point U.S. plan was trimmed to 19 points but left major sticking points unsettled—particularly whether Ukraine might cede territory and whether it could pursue future NATO membership.
The Ukrainian delegation is led by National Security Council head Rustem Umerov. His role comes amid political turbulence at home, including the resignation of Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak following a corruption scandal.
Intensifying Air Campaign Sparks Urgency
Zelenskyy said Russia has launched roughly 1,400 drones, 66 missiles, and over a thousand aerial bombs in the past week alone, underscoring the growing pressure as peace talks advance.
“This is why we must strengthen Ukraine’s resilience every single day,” he said, calling for continued air-defense support and “real, reliable solutions” to bring the war to an end.
Vanessa Hudgens has announced the birth of her second child with her husband, professional baseball player Cole Tucker. The actress shared the news on Instagram with a photo from her hospital bed, smiling as she held Tucker’s hand.
“Well… I did it. Had another baby! What a wild ride labor is,” she wrote, adding a tribute to mothers and “what our bodies can do.”
Fans Celebrate the Growing Family
Hudgens and Tucker, who welcomed their first child in July 2024, were quickly flooded with congratulations from fans. Cole responded to her post with three red heart emojis.
Speculation about the birth had already begun after Hudgens shared a photo without her baby bump, prompting followers to guess that the baby had arrived.
A Look Back at the Announcement
The couple, married since 2023, revealed they were expecting again when Hudgens posted a glowing maternity photo in July. Earlier this year, she spoke openly about wishing for more privacy after paparazzi captured her leaving the hospital following her first child’s birth.
Postpartum Moment Captured
Following her latest delivery, photos circulated of Hudgens being wheeled out of the hospital while holding her newborn, dressed comfortably in a black jumpsuit with her hair pulled back.
The couple now celebrates life as a family of four, receiving love and support from fans around the world.
