The News

The Honey browser extension, a tool widely promoted by social media influencers for finding discounts, is facing allegations of misleading practices. YouTuber MegaLag claimed in a recent video that Honey, owned by PayPal, selectively displays discount codes at checkout, prioritizing those that benefit its business partners over better deals available to users.

MegaLag explained that Honey sometimes shows smaller discounts, such as 5% off, even when more significant savings, like 30%, are available. This practice reportedly occurs because Honey partners with businesses that dictate which codes are promoted, potentially costing consumers money. He further alleged that these actions contradict the extension’s promise to provide the best deals automatically.

The accusations extend to how Honey affects influencers. MegaLag claimed the extension reattributes sales made through affiliate links, ensuring Honey, not the influencers, receives credit for the sale. This denies influencers the commissions they would typically earn for driving purchases, undermining their revenue streams.

These revelations sparked backlash on social media. Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, criticized Honey for what they perceive as predatory practices. One user warned, “If you’re using the Honey browser extension, remove it. This is predatory and bad for customers, brands, and content creators.” Another highlighted previous security concerns raised by Amazon about Honey, stating, “Now this video from MegaLag shows in detail how Honey is outright stealing commissions from YouTubers.”

Honey and PayPal have yet to comment on these allegations. The controversy has reignited concerns about the transparency of browser extensions and their impact on consumers and content creators alike. This case serves as a reminder for consumers to remain vigilant when using browser tools that claim to enhance their shopping experience.

 Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican who briefly stood to become President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general, was found by congressional ethics investigators to have paid numerous women — including a 17-year-old girl — for sex, and to have purchased and used illegal drugs, including from his Capitol Hill office, according to a final draft of a comprehensive investigative report obtained by CBS News.

Those were among the findings of the long-running investigation by the House Ethics Committee into Gaetz, which concluded the former Florida congressman violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.

"The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress," the 37-page report concludes.

On Monday, Gaetz filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the release of the report, saying that he is now a private citizen and not subject to the jurisdiction of the committee.

Gaetz resigned from Congress in November after Trump announced plans to nominate him for attorney general. But facing opposition from some fellow Republicans, Gaetz withdrew from consideration a week later. The release of the ethics report, expected Monday, brings to a close — at least for now — Gaetz's incendiary tenure on Capitol Hill, where he became one of the most vocal and provocative members of the pro-Trump faction in Congress. 

Gaetz has denied any improper conduct and asserted the claims were a "smear" invented by his political enemies. The committee said the congressman refused to sit for sworn testimony, though he did submit written answers to some of the committee's questions. 

The report gives fresh voice to allegations of misconduct that have circulated around Gaetz for years, in spite of his firm denials. It draws on testimony from witnesses who told the committee they were paid to have sex with Gaetz, text messages discussing the transactions, and Venmo and PayPal receipts. 

Among the report's most lurid findings were the allegations of sex- and drug-fueled parties and travel, including a 2018 trip to the Bahamas where witnesses say he took ecstasy and had sex with four women. 

"From 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use," noted the report, which lists payments totaling more than $90,000 to 12 different women.

The committee said it also received testimony that at a 2017 party, Gaetz twice had sex with "Victim A," who was 17 years old at the time and had just completed her junior year in high school.

"Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex," the committee wrote. "Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age."

In his written responses to the committee, Gaetz denied having sex with a minor. The Department of Justice previously investigated Gaetz for violating sex trafficking laws but did not bring charges. The committee said it did not find sufficient evidence Gaetz violated the federal sex trafficking statute because although he transported women across state lines for the purpose of sex, those women were all 18 or older at the time.

The report noted that while all the women who testified said the sexual encounters with Gaetz were consensual, one woman told the committee the use of drugs at the parties and events they attended may have "impair[ed their] ability to really know what was going on or fully consent."

Another woman told the committee, "When I look back on certain moments, I feel violated."

The report found "substantial evidence" Gaetz engaged in rampant illicit drug use. The committee said it obtained text messages he sent where he referred to drugs as "party favors," "rolls" or "vitamins." It also said he created a fake email from his Capitol Hill office "for the purpose of purchasing marijuana." The report noted that Gaetz had denied using illicit drugs in his written answers to the committee. 

In addition to sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, the report also accused Gaetz of accepting gifts of luxury travel in excess of permissible limits with the 2018 trip to the Bahamas. And, it said he arranged for his chief of staff to assist a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity in obtaining a passport, falsely indicating to the State Department that she was one of his constituents.

Gaetz told conservative personality Charlie Kirk last month that he plans to spend the coming years "fighting for President Trump." 

"I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress," Gaetz said, though last week, he floated in a post on X the idea of returning to participate in the election for House speaker.

The House Ethics Committee had initially voted to keep the report under wraps, but reversed course in a secret vote earlier this month. Two Republican members of the committee were among those who voted for its release, according to two sources familiar with the vote. The committee has 10 members, evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.

 The Cowboys’ season ended before they had even had a chance to play this week. While nobody actually expected them to reach the postseason, Dallas was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention early on Sunday, when Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a go-ahead touchdown with six seconds left to upset the Eagles.

A few hours later, the Cowboys kicked off a prime time showdown against a Buccaneers team with plenty left to play for, but it was the Cowboys who looked like a team trying to prove something. This game came right down to the wire, but when all was said and done the Cowboys emerged victorious with one of their toughest wins of the year.

Things couldn’t have started out better for Dallas, who began the game on offense. Cooper Rush came out with his hair on fire, completing all six of his passes on the opening drive for 21 yards, navigating the team down into field goal range. Brandon Aubrey nailed a 58-yarder with ease to put them up 3-0.

Then it was the defense’s turn. Baker Mayfield managed to pick up a first down early, but Mike Zimmer’s creative pressure schemes proved to be too much, forcing errant throws from the Texas native on third and fourth down. Just like that, the defense forced a turnover on downs.

Rush and the offense took over right at midfield and ripped off two big plays in short order. KaVontae Turpin took a handoff for 12 yards before Rush hit Brandin Cooks on the move for 29 yards. A few plays later, Jalen Tolbert made an impressive toe-tap touchdown and the Cowboys were up 10-0.

The two teams traded punts after that before Tampa Bay managed to get a touchdown finally. But Aubrey hit a 49-yarder to extend the lead to 13-7. Their defense forced another punt, and the offense started moving down the field with haste. Two ridiculous plays from CeeDee Lamb set up an easy one-yard touchdown scamper for Ezekiel Elliott.

The Buccaneers managed to match that with a touchdown of their own, but the Cowboys were left with 48 seconds and all three timeouts before halftime. A big catch-and-run from Jake Ferguson just about put them in field goal range right away, and Aubrey nailed a 58-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a two-score lead, up 23-14 at halftime.

The third quarter went by with both teams notching just a field goal, and an impressive endzone interception from Jourdan Lewis with six and a half minutes left in the game seemed to ice things. But Rush nearly threw a pick on the first play, and then Dallas had their next two run plays gain eight yards and fall short of the first down, bringing up a punt.

Tampa Bay got the ball back with four and a half minutes remaining, and Mayfield went supernova. He racked up 75 passing yards with a 100% completion rate and also scrambled for a first down, finding a wide open receiver in the endzone with two and a half minutes left.

With two timeouts and the two minute warning remaining, Tampa Bay opted for a regular kickoff instead of the onside kick. The Cowboys tried to catch the Buccaneers off guard with a jet sweep to Turpin, but he was stopped for a loss of one yard. Two quick passes helped burn the two timeouts, but Dallas was forced to punt with 1:52 remaining.

Suddenly, it looked as if the Buccaneers might pull this thing off. Then came one of the most chaotic plays that can only be seen:

The Philadelphia Phillies have traded for one of the most electric arms in baseball. The Phillies have acquired lefty Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins for a package of 19-year-old shortstop Starlyn Caba and 21-year-old outfielder Emaarion Boyd, reports The Athletic.

Luzardo, 27, threw 66 ⅔ innings with a 5.00 ERA around back and elbow trouble in 2024. Injuries have, unfortunately, been an issue throughout his career. Luzardo had Tommy John surgery as an amateur in 2016 and in recent years has dealt with finger, forearm, elbow, and back trouble. The 2023 season is the only time Luzardo's made more than 18 starts in a single year in the majors.

That 2023 season shows Luzardo's potential and why the Phillies wanted him, however. He tossed 178 ⅔ innings with a 3.58 ERA and stellar strikeout (28.1% of batters faced) and walk (7.4%) rates. When healthy, Luzardo sits in the mid-90s with two fastballs (four-seamer and sinker) and has two swing-and-miss secondary offerings in his slider and changeup. It's nasty, nasty stuff.

Luzardo has two years of team control remaining and he joins an already impressive Philadelphia rotation. Here is the Phillies rotation depth chart at the moment:

1. RHP Zack Wheeler
2. RHP Aaron Nola
3. LHP Jesús Luzardo
4. LHP Cristopher Sánchez
5. LHP Ranger Suárez
6. RHP Taijuan Walker
   

Andrew Painter, a once highly touted prospect, could be ready for his MLB debut as soon as the summer, two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

For a team that just watched their division rivals sign Juan Soto, the Phillies have had a relatively quiet winter so far. They added Jordan Romano to the bullpen on a one-year deal and picked up outfielder Max Kepler last week. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Friday that his club is unlikely to make any big-ticket free-agent signings, identifying the need for a bench player and a pitcher. Luzardo clearly covers the latter.

Caba, the young shortstop headed to Miami, is a contact-first speedster who struck out less than 50 times in 78 games in 2024. Boyd, signed in the 11th round of the 2022 draft, has added power as he's advanced through the minors, though his game too is more about getting on base.

The Marlins are in the fairly early stages of another rebuild. New POBO Peter Bendix has traded away Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, Jake Burger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryan De La Cruz, A.J. Puk, and Tanner Scott since replacing Kim Ng last November. Sandy Alcantara could be next to go once he shows he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery early next season.

In their first season under Bendix, the Marlins went 62-100, tied for the third-most losses in franchise history. Miami snuck into the postseason as the third wild-card team in 2023. Less than two years later, they're back into another deep rebuild.

 President-elect Trump took issue with fees charged to use the Panama Canal, a vital shipping route, on Saturday night, claiming that he will demand oversight of the waterway be given back to the U.S. when he returns to office if it’s not changed. 

“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop….”

Panama charges tariffs for boats and ships to pass through its canal. Fees vary based on the size and purpose of vessels, and the charges range from as low as $0.50 to as high as $300,000.

“If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question,” Trump continued. “To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!

The U.S. uses the Panama Canal more than any other country. Control of the canal was transferred from the U.S. to the Central American country in 1999 as a result of a 1979 treaty under President Jimmy Carter, which Trump said was a foolish decision. 

“When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar, during his term in Office, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else,” he stated. “It was likewise not given for Panama to charge the United States, its Navy, and corporations, doing business within our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage.” 

The construction of the Panama Canal began in 1904 under President Teddy Roosevelt. The waterway was built to provide a speedy way to ship goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. At the time, it was viewed as one of the most critical foreign policy achievements.

Trump, on Saturday, called for a “secure” Panama Canal, underscoring its importance to American national security and the economy.

“The United States has a vested interest in the secure, efficient, and reliable operation of the Panama Canal, and that was always understood. We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands! It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama,” he added, stating that the country is being treated “in a very unfair and injudicious way.”

 El Real Madrid busca aprovechar la derrota del Barcelona y cerrar el año como sublíder de LaLiga a un punto del Atlético, ambos con un partido pendiente.

 DuckChain, powered by TONScale Labs and Arbitrum, is excited to announce that it has secured $5 million in funding. The round was led by top investors, including Dao5, Tandem by Offchain Labs, Kenetic Capital, DWF Ventures, Oak Grove Ventures, Skyland Ventures, Geekcartel, Gate Labs, Presto and others. Additionally, the funding saw participation from angels from Camelot, Quantstamp, and other strategic backers.

Alongside this exciting funding milestone, DuckChain is thrilled to unveil the Yellow Duck Mission—a global Web3 hackathon designed to bring together developers, creators, and innovators to build the next-generation decentralized applications. Co-hosted by OKX Wallet, Arbitrum, and OnePieceLab, this event will gather Web3 pioneers to drive blockchain innovation. With a staggering $1,000,000 prize pool in DuckChain Tokens, the hackathon promises to be a transformative moment for the Web3 ecosystem.

What Is the Yellow Duck Mission?

The Yellow Duck Mission is more than a hackathon—it's a launchpad for the next wave of Web3 innovation. From December 15, 2024, to January 15, 2025, participants will have the opportunity to build creative solutions that push the boundaries of blockchain technology, from DeFi protocols to AI-powered applications, meme-centric platforms, and more. The winners will be announced on January 23, 2025.

DuckChain’s mission is to bridge billions of Telegram users from off-chain to on-chain by creating groundbreaking dApps and integrating DuckChain’s "Duck" brand identity. Whether you’re crafting the next viral meme launchpad or a decentralized finance solution, the sky’s the limit!

Why Join?

• Massive Rewards: A total of $1,000,000 in DuckChain Tokens will be distributed after the DuckChain Token Generation Event (TGE), including:
  • Golden Duck Prizes: $500,000 for top-performing projects.
  • Quack-tastic Mentions: $200,000 for outstanding creativity.
  • Duckling Star Award: $50,000 for the most community-engaged project.
• Unparalleled Opportunities: Gain visibility, attract investors, and showcase your work to a global Web3 audience.
  

Hackathon Tracks

1. Meme: Create meme-centric dApps that combine humor, creativity, and blockchain technology.
2. DeFi: Build decentralized finance applications with innovative use cases for stablecoins.
3. Telegram-Powered dApps: Leverage Telegram's ecosystem to develop bots, mini-apps, or games.
4. AI: Explore AI-powered blockchain solutions, from DAO, Agent, NFTs to applications.
5. Infrastructure: Innovate with tools for decentralized social networks, bioinformatics, and more.
   

How to Join?

Submissions open on December 15, 2024. Register now at DuckChain Hackathon Portal and take the first step toward shaping the future of Web3.

About DuckChain

DuckChain is the first TON Consumer Layer, committed to bridging billions of Telegram users into the blockchain space. With over 50 ecosystem partners, 10 million total transactions, and 2.6 million on-chain users, DuckChain is leading the charge to redefine Web3.

Shameik Moore, who provides the voice of Miles Morales in the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movies, recently made headlines after sharing a social media post that a lot of people viewed as a response to Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Gwen) announcing her engagement.

"There’s still more people to meet. More opportunities to come. And more chances to try. Live, learn, apply," the actor Tweeted.

Moore later denied that his post had anything to do with Steinfeld's news: "Had no idea Hailee is engaged! That's amazing, I'm here reflecting on my 2024 goals that are rolling over into 2025. Gods timing."

This might well have simply been an ill-timed post taken out of context, but this isn't the first time Moore has been accused of "creeping" on his co-star, and a compilation video of the actor supposedly making Steinfeld uncomfortable during interviews soon followed.

Some feel that Moore has been treated unfairly by the internet, but it might be a little more difficult to defend his latest actions.

Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home actress Laura Harrier (Liz Allen/Toomes) shared a video to social media, calling out Moore for posting a year-old photo of the two of them together at a party with the caption "Coming Soon."

Harrier says she texted Moore and asked him to remove it at the time because she's engaged and didn't want people to think something was going on between them, and decided to respond when she realized that the picture was still up.

“I texted him, ‘Hey can you take this down? I don’t know why you would post that, I’m getting married, I don’t like this insinuation.’ It’s still up… You’re a f*cking weirdo.”

Again, not nearly as easy to pass this off as coincidence or Moore's comments/posts being misconstrued. Moore has now deleted the photo and shared the following response.

"After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

 This could be your lucky day. You could be the next Mega Millions lottery jackpot winner.

This jackpot was an estimated $862 million for Friday night's drawing, according to the Mega Millions website.

The last jackpot was won on September 10, a single winner from Texas won an $800 million jackpot.

The numbers will be listed below when they're drawn. The numbers are in.

Mega Millions winning numbers for December 20, 2024

The winning numbers for December 20, 2024 are 2-20-51-56-67. Mega Ball 19. Megaplier 2x.

Did anyone win the Mega Millions jackpot?

This will be determined later.

To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website.

When is the next Mega Millions drawing?

After tonight's drawing the next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday, December 24. Drawings are held at 11 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday.

How late can you buy a Mega Millions ticket in New York?

In New York, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 10 p.m. on the night of the draw. Mega Millions costs $2 to play. In New Jersey and Connecticut you can purchase a ticket until 10:45 p.m. the night of the draw.

What is the Megaplier?

The Megaplier feature increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four or five times. It costs an extra $1 per play. The Megaplier is drawn on Tuesday and Friday before the Mega Millions drawing. The pool includes 15 balls. Five are marked with 2X, six with 3X, three with 4X and one with 5X.

What are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots of all-time?

1. $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023: Won in Florida
2. $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
3. $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023: Won in Maine
4. $1.337 billion: July 29, 2022: Won in Illinois
5. $1.1 billion, March 23, 2024: Won in New Jersey
6. $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan
7. $800 million, Sept. 10, 2024: Won in Texas
8. $656 million, March 30, 2012: Three winners in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland 
9. $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013: Two winners in California, Georgia
10. $560 million, June 4, 2024: Won in Illinois