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By Siddharth Karthikeyan

December 31, 2025

In the news today: The Trump administration says it's freezing child care funds to Minnesota because of fraud schemes; flu cases are rising fast across the U.S.; and how scientists are mapping the inside of one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Also, check out AP’s most stunning nature photos from 2025.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, June 12. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

POLITICS

Trump administration says it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud schemes

President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota and demanding an audit of some day care centers after a series of fraud schemes involving government programs in recent years. Read more.

What to know:

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said that the move is in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country.” He referenced a right-wing influencer who posted a video Friday claiming he found that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pushed back, saying fraudsters are a serious issue that the state has spent years cracking down on but that this move is part of “Trump’s long game.” “He’s politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans,” Walz said.

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HEALTH

Flu is rising rapidly in the US, driven by a new variant

The variant that’s driving the rise is known as “subclade K.” On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states. Read more.

Why this matters:

Cases are expected to keep growing with holiday travel. The CDC estimated there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from flu so far this season. That includes at least eight child deaths, according to data as of Dec. 20.
Flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children and people of any age who have chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and weak immune systems. It’s not too late to get a flu shot, which health experts say can still prevent severe illness even if someone gets infected.

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In a tumultuous year, US health policy has been dramatically reshaped under RFK Jr.

SCIENCE

Scientists obtain first 3D images of one of the world's most active volcanoes

For five years, a group of scientists has climbed Mexico’s Popocatépetl volcano, whose eruption could affect millions of people, with a risky and critical mission: figure out what is happening under the crater. Read more.

Why this matters:

Most of the world’s volcanoes that pose a risk to humans already have detailed maps of their interiors, but not Popocatépetl. The team has created the first three-dimensional image of the whole 17,883-foot volcano’s interior. It tells them where the magma accumulates and will help them better understand its activity, and, eventually, help authorities better react to eruptions.

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