Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier entered a not guilty plea on Monday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, facing charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money. Prosecutors allege he assisted gamblers in placing wagers on his own performance during NBA games.
European leaders held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London on Monday to discuss Ukraine’s long-term security and efforts to end the war with Russia.
Eileen Higgins wins the Miami mayoral runoff with 59% of the vote, defeating former city manager Emilio Gonzalez and ending a 30-year absence of Democrats in the office. The new mayor pledges to focus on housing affordability, climate resilience, and rebuilding public trust at City Hall, with plans for infrastructure upgrades, transparency measures, and expanded affordable housing efforts as Miami confronts rising costs, sea level threats, and ongoing development pressures.
Philippine embassies worldwide have been urged by Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco to locate former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co and help bring him back to the country after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the cancellation of Co’s passport. Tiangco said he had long pressed the Department of Foreign Affairs to revoke Co’s passport following the filing of charges linked to an alleged flood control corruption scandal. He vowed to monitor the investigation and emphasized the role of foreign posts and concerned agencies in enforcing the implications of the passport cancellation.
The U.S. Department of Justice ended its monitoring of Houston’s response to illegal dumping after a civil rights investigation into conditions in a historically Black neighborhood. The agreement that followed the probe required the city to improve complaint tracking, cleanup response times, and surveillance in areas with chronic dumping. City officials report that they continue to use the enhanced procedures, while community advocates and residents say dumping has persisted and response times have slowed since federal oversight ended. The article details the investigation, the terms of the agreement, city actions, and advocates’ ongoing monitoring efforts.
Houston usually sees its first freeze around Dec. 9, but National Weather Service forecasters say this year’s first freeze will likely arrive later—if at all in early December—because La Niña and returning Gulf warmth are keeping temperatures above freezing, even as weak cold fronts move through the region.
Music 2 Ur Ears School of Music marked a milestone on Dec. 7, celebrating its 25th founding anniversary with a vibrant gathering at the Houston Marriott Westchase Hotel.
President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers aimed at offsetting losses tied to tariffs and trade tensions, particularly with China. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will administer the program through direct payments, commodity purchases and trade promotion efforts, focusing on producers of soybeans, corn, pork, dairy and other key crops. Farmers, lawmakers and analysts are examining eligibility rules, timing and potential effects on exports, prices and rural economies as the federal government rolls out this temporary relief measure.
Texas Republican Party leaders have launched a statewide initiative to establish Turning Point USA chapters in every public high school, charter school, and college, coordinating with students, educators, and local GOP officials to expand the conservative youth organization’s presence on Texas campuses. The plan follows similar efforts by Republican officials in Oklahoma and Florida, where leaders have promoted Turning Point USA as a vehicle for conservative political engagement among young people. The Texas GOP says it will assist students with school approval processes and work with Turning Point USA staff to comply with district rules for student organizations, while tracking the creation of new chapters over coming school years.
The Bureau of Immigration intercepted a 25-year-old Filipino woman at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on December 7, 2024, after officers suspected she was a mail-order bride bound for Beijing on an Air China flight. Authorities reported that inconsistencies in her travel purpose, financial arrangements funded by a foreign contact, and incomplete tourism documents led to her offloading. The BI coordinated with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and cited Philippine laws prohibiting mail-order spouse schemes as it referred the woman for counseling and further evaluation.