U.S. Fighter Jet Mistakenly Shot Down by American WarshipFIGHT OR FLIGHTMike Nelson/AFP via Getty Images A U.S. Navy fighter jet was shot down over the Red Sea on Saturday in an apparent friendly fire incident, authorities have said. Two U.S. Navy pilots ejected safely after it was mistakenly fired upon by the USS Gettysburg in a non-specified location, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. One of the pilots sustained minor injuries and authorities said a full investigation is underway. The F/A-18, was operating from the USS Harry S. Truman, when the guided-missile cruiserpart of the Truman carrier strike groupfired during a refueling operation. The incident happened a day after U.S. forces hit Houthi structural targets in Yemen. The rebel group appeared to try and take credit for the incident Sunday, but it has a reputation for false claims. The U.S. has a presence in the area due to the Iran-backed Houthi campaign of targeting ships in the busy waterway. Read it at New York TimesADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTTrump Hands Stephen Millers Wife a White House GigBACK IN BUSINESSALASTAIR PIKE/AFP via Getty Images Katie Miller, a former Mike Pence press secretary who married the controversial aide Stephen Miller during Donald Trumps first term, has been announced as the latest addition to Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency. Trump revealed the move in a post to Truth Social on Sunday night, but stopped short of saying what exact role the 33-year-old will have in DOGE. She has been a loyal supporter of mine for many years, and will bring her professional experience to Government Efficiency, he wrote. Katie is a deeply experienced communications professional respected by all. The pick keeps Trumps trend of appointing Floridians to roles in his administration going, as Miller is a native of Fort Lauderdale. She married Stephen, Trumps soon-to-be deputy chief of policy, in 2020with Trump in attendance. Like her husband, shes considered to be far-righteven by MAGA standardsand has been at the center of controversy over the years, like the time she allegedly trashed hundreds of copies of a student newspaper at the University of Florida after it ran an article about the schools football coach endorsing an opposing student government candidate.Read it at The HillADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTShop with ScoutedThe AI-Powered Bike Is Engineered to Give You the Most Effective Workout in the Shortest Time PossibleRIDE ONCAROL Bike. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.If youre looking to revamp your at-home fitness lineup ahead of 2025 and dont have hours to commit to exercising each day, allow us to introduce you to the CAROL Bike. The science-backed and AI-powered fitness bike is engineered to give you maximum results in the shortest time possibleand by the shortest time, we mean as little as five minutes. 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You can try the CAROL Bike for yourself risk-free for 100 days, and the brand offers free shipping (7-10 business days) in the U.S. ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTNetflix Boss Ted Sarandos Bends the Knee to Trump With Mar-a-Lago VisitSTREAMING INMario Anzuoni/REUTERS Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week, according to reports, just the latest in a procession of business elites suddenly seeking face-time with the president-elect. The 60-year-old has previously donated to Democrats including President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to Reuters. Sarandos is also married to Nicole Avant, who was Obamas United States Ambassador to the Bahamas between 2009 and 2011. A dizzying array of high-powered business moguls have tried to curry favor with Trump since his election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Last week, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos joined Trump for a dinner at Mar-a-Lago that was also attended by Trumps outspoken cheerleader and Twitter owner, Elon Musk. Fellow social media mogul Mark Zuckerberg also paid a visit to the president-elects Palm Beach club last month, while Apple CEO Tim Cook made his visit earlier in December. Zuckerbergs Meta donated $1 million to Trumps inaugural fund after his house call, a move that Amazon is also reportedly considering. Trump seems to be thrilled with his newfound popularity, posting last week: EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND.Read it at AxiosADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTUnruly Passenger Forces U.S.-Bound Flight to Divert to TokyoMIDAIR MELTDOWNTyrone Siu/Reuters A Cathay Pacific flight destined for Boston diverted to Japan because of an unruly passenger who allegedly assaulted people during a midair meltdown. Passengers endured a 15-hour delay and a forced stopover at Tokyo Haneda after flight CX812, which originated in Hong Kong, descended into chaos. The disruptive individual was banned from future flights with the airline, Hong Kongs flag carrier. Reports suggest the person, who was arrested upon touchdown, assaulted others onboard. Passengers initially departed Hong Kong International Airport 7:40 p.m. local time on Saturday, but after the incident, the were loaded onto a new plane, which departed at 10:45 a.m. and reached Boston at 12:26 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday. They were compensated with meal vouchers and lounge access, while the airline also apologized. Hong Kongs Aviation Security Ordinance has strict penalties for unruly behavior, including fines of up to around $6,500 and imprisonment for up to five years.Read it at South China Morning PostADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTShop with ScoutedMake Incredible Espresso Martinis on New Years Eve With This Cold Brew Coffee LiqueurESPRESSO YOURSELFMr Black Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.2025 is quickly approaching, and theres no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024s cocktail du jourthe espresso martini. Its the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you cant make the buzzy beverage at home because youre not a bartender? Think again. 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Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini. ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTNebraska Gov Faces Christmas in Hospital After Horse-Riding AccidentNOT SO MERRYJIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images The governor of Nebraska, Jim Pillen, is facing Christmas in hospital after he was bucked off a horse. The Republican state leader, who turns 69 next week, was out riding with family members when the horse, which was described as new, sent him flying. His office said he is alert and is in continuous touch with his team, after the incident Sunday. However, it added that he was expected to remain in hospital for several days. This means Pillen could spend Christmas Day in the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he was transported out of an abundance of caution after initial treatment at Columbus Community Hospital, according to his office. Gov. Pillen and his family are very appreciative of the thoughts and prayers given to them by Nebraskans and they wish all Nebraskans a very merry Christmas, his office added in the statement.Read it at ABCADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTSki Lift Crack Leaves 170+ Stranded for Hours in Nightmare ScenarioALL DOWNHILLHyoung Chang/The Denver Post More than 170 skiers and snowboarders experienced the stuff of nightmares over the weekend when they were left stranded for several hours on a ski lift whose structure had cracked, the Colorado Sun reported. A gondola lift at Winter Park Resortlocated about 70 miles west of Denver, Coloradowas halted on Saturday just after noon after technicians discovered the crack. Over the course of about five hours, ski patrollers climbed into each gondola and lowered the riders equipment to the ground. They then used swinging ropes with seats attached to them to lower the 174 riders. No injuries were reported during the evacuation, which wrapped up around 6 p.m. Videos posted to social media showed the surreal rescues, which apparently used a belay system similar to the kind used in rock climbing. Officials were still investigating on Sunday to try to determine what had caused the structure to crack. The ski lifts system detected the malfunction and automatically stopped, according to the resort. In the meantime, the resorts other 21 lifts remained open. Read it at The Colorado SunADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTBill Belichick to Hire His Own Son for Key Coaching Role at UNCFAMILIAR FACEEric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Bill Belichick is expected to soon poach his son from the University of Washington to be his defensive coordinator at the University of North Carolina. The bombshell hiring, which reports say will become official after Steve Belichicks $1.2 million buyout at Washington expires on Dec. 31, is perhaps the biggest hire Belichick has made since he was announced as UNCs head coach earlier this month. The younger Belichick, 37, was a defensive assistant under his father in New England for 12 years. Hes the third hire in Belichicks Tar Heel era, coming after Freddie Kitchens was announced as an offensive assistant and Michael Lombardi as its general manager. The elder Belichick, who boasts an impressive eight Super Bowl wins as a head and assistant coach, worked in the NFL between 1975 and this January. The 72-year-old is now risking his legacy to take on college football, where hes carrying big expectationsand a fat paycheck of $10 million annually, doubling that of his predecessorto turn around UNCs middling football program and have it competing for a national championship as early as next season.Read it at ESPNADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTElon Musks British Cousin: I Think Hes StupidFAMILY FEUDBUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 05: Elon Musk leaves the stage after addressing a campaign rally with Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds on October 05, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. This is the first time that Trump has returned to Butler since he was injured during an attempted assassination on July 13. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The British branch of Elon Musks family is unhappy with the South African-born billionaire, according to an interview with his cousin. Musks grandmother was from the U.K. before she moved to South Africa, where she married his grandfather. Their son, Errol, had three childrenone of which was Elon. But his British relatives seem to have been shunned by the SpaceX founder, with his cousin Marshall Robinson, 86, going so far as to call him stupid in an interview with The Daily Mail. I think hes stupid with all the things he comes out with, Robinson said, citing his connection with Donald Trump. Its pretty shocking with what he has become and how hes linked to the President-elect Trump. The cousin, living in Fleetwood, said that although hes never met Musk, another family member reached out to the billionaire and received a cold shoulder response. I have never been in touch but one of the family did send him a social media message and he just said: What do you want? That was it. 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Results may vary.ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTDenzel Washington Gets Baptized and Becomes a Minister on the Same DayNEW GIGDenzel Washington attends the "Gladiator II" Paris Special Screening at Pathe Palace on November 10, 2024, in Paris, France. Kristy Sparow/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures Denzel Washington is now a minister. On Saturday, the Gladiator II star was baptized at the Kelly Temple in New York City, where he also received a ministers license. It took a while, but Im finally here, Washington said of his journey with faith during the services livestream. If [God] can do this for me, theres nothing He cant do for you. The sky literally is the limit. The soon-to-be 70-year-old penned an essay for Esquire in November where he discussed his relationship with God and said that he was unafraid of the publics reaction to his faith. Its my job to lift God up, to give Him praise, to make sure that anyone and everyone I speak to the rest of my life understands that He is responsible for me, Washington wrote at the time. The actors wife, Pauletta Washington, was also in attendance Saturday and disclosed how proud she was of her husband. You are the head of our house and you have set a great example for our children, who are now adult children who know the difference because we have shown them the difference, she gushed.Read it at Page SixADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTSonic Flies Past Mufasa In Box Office DebutNEED FOR SPEEDSignage on display at the premiere of "Sonic The Hedgehog 3" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on December 16, 2024. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images) MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has taken the lead over Mufasa this weekend in box office sales. Ahead of Christmas on Wednesday, Paramounts $122 million video-game inspired movie had a $62 million opening in North America. The film easily surpassed Disneys $200 million prequel Mufasa, which had a $35 million start in the U.S. According to Variety, Paramounts third movie about the famous video game character beat the first of the trilogy, which released in February 2020 at $58 million. It just came below the sequel, which was released in March 2022 with a $72 million start. We saw a window in the marketplace in December where we thought we could stand out, Paramount domestic distribution president Chris Aronson said. Sonic is going to dominate through the holidays. The movie received an 86% Rotten Tomatoes score with high audience reviews. Mufasa, on the other hand, is trailing far behind. The Disney movie that was a prequel to The Lion King landed $35 million. Variety reported that an above $200 million production had a $100 million promotion budget worldwide, and fell far behind expectations of a $50 million start. The film also had relatively high reviews from audiences, with a 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Read it at VarietyADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT