Friday, December 27, 2024

Don't tell anyone you're a millionaire

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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Fri Dec 27 2024

Nicole Fallert | Newsletter Writer

@nicolefallert

The Mega Millions jackpot keeps getting bigger and bigger after no one managed to hit all six numbers on Christmas Eve. Holidays are upon us — and so is the flu. A U.S. center to combat global propaganda was shut down by GOP opposition.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Hope you had restful holidays. If not — here's how to manage the stress of the season.

What would you do if you won millions?

Whether you bought a ticket yourself or got some as a stocking stuffer, could that $1.15 billion Mega Millions jackpot have your name on it?

If there is a winner Friday night, the jackpot would be the fifth-largest in Mega Millions history, making the take-home prize a lump-sum payment of an estimated $516.1 million after taxes.

•	A lot of folks got tickets for holiday gifts: To play, you will need to pick six numbers. Five numbers will be white balls ranging from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball is one number between 1 and 25.
•	How do you even begin to get ready for a windfall like that? The odds may be against you − like 1 in 302.6 million − and 2024 has seen the least amount of jackpot winners in a calendar year with only three so far.
•	The best advice: Winners keep it quiet. If you find yourself in a winning situation, the best people to get in touch with are financial experts right off the bat so scammers don't get the chance to bleed you dry before you even get the chance to cash in.

How not to miss holiday parties due to flu

Americans are getting infected with seasonal influenza and seeking care, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. One important step, if people haven't done so, is to get vaccinated. Full protection takes a couple weeks to kick in, but it has benefits in preventing serious illness. Here is what to know about where the flu is currently spreading and how to protect yourself.

More news to know now

•	Do you qualify for an IRS stimulus check?
•	The head of the World Health Organization says he was about to board a plane in Yemen when the airport came under attack by Israel.
•	A Russian air-defense system downed an Azerbaijan plane this week, killing dozens, sources say.
•	A massive sinkhole swallowed part of the New Jersey interstate.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Why center for coordinating US efforts to counter foreign disinformation shut down this week

The State Department's Global Engagement Center, the highly touted nerve center for coordinating U.S. efforts to counter foreign disinformation – especially by Russia and China – closed this week after becoming a lightning rod for conservative criticism. But the GEC, with a relatively tiny $60 million budget and staff of 120, was first criticized in 2023 by Elon Musk, the multibillionaire advisor to President-elect Donald Trump, as the "worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation." Read more about why the GEC was shuttered.

Guatemala open to accepting Trump Central American deportees, sources say

Guatemala is open to receiving citizens of other Central American nations who are deported from the U.S., three sources familiar with the matter said, as the country looks to build a positive relationship with the incoming Trump administration. Ongoing meetings with the Trump transition team signal the center-left government of President Bernard Arevalo, a Biden administration ally, wants to start on smooth terms with the incoming administration. Read more

Today's talkers

•	Your EV battery range could plummet in cold weather.
•	Here are our 25 predictions for 2025 in sports.
•	Watch Beyoncé's Netflix halftime show without the football.
•	We can't wait to stream "Wicked" on New Year's Eve.

The bald eagle has made a soaring comeback

The bald eagle, with its history as the symbol of the nation going back over 200 years, made a roaring comeback from near extinction to becoming America's official bird. President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday that designated the bald eagle as the national bird. Despite appearing on the Great Seal of the U.S. since 1782, the bald eagle has never legally been recognized as the national bird until now. Here's how the population was able to regrow.

Photo of the day: 'Squid Game' at the game

Netflix's "Squid Game" appeared at the Chiefs-Steelers game on Christmas Day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The South Korean horror sleeper that became the biggest Netflix series of all time is back for a second season, with more deadly children's games and deeply unsettling musical motifs. Read USA TODAY's review of the new episodes.

NETFLIX Squid game is seen in the stands of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on December 25, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Joe Sargent, Getty Images

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here . Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.