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The NewsWorthy
Dramatic Rescue, Dueling Healthcare Bills & Disney's AI Deal - Friday, December 12, 2025
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Today is Friday, December 12th. We'll tell you how Americans played a role in the dramatic rescue of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, just as the US Targets the country she's from. Also, senators just blocked dueling plans that could affect how much millions of Americans pay for health insurance. And what to know about President Trump's latest AI Order. Plus, a major Hollywood deal that could change how Disney characters show up in AI Videos, who Time magazine just named as person of the year. And a woman's surprising thank you notes to the law enforcement officer who arrested her. Those stories and even more news to know coming up. Welcome. Welcome to the Newsworthy. All the day's news in around 10 minutes. Fast, fair, fun and on the go. I'm Erica. Mandy, thanks so much for being here. You ready? Let's do this. Well, the US has found another way to put pressure on Venezuela. It issued new sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry and on members of President Nicolas Maduro's family. Specifically, the sanctions target three of Maduro's nephews and six shipping companies. Venezuela's economy depends on oil and it's already been hurt by American sanctions, so much so that Maduro's government has worked to evade them by smuggling and selling crude through a so called ghost fleet of tankers and middlemen. One of those tankers is apparently the one the US Seized earlier this week. And the Trump administration is now seeking the legal authority to seize all the oil that was on board. Next, U.S. officials say they could seize more tankers carrying Venezuelan oil in the future. Separately, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was able to escape the country after more than a year of hiding. She didn't get into the exact details, but an American private rescue team told CBS News it was behind the mission. Machado reportedly had to wear a disguise as she made her way to a coastal fishing village where she caught a boat. And that part of the trip took 10 hours. And she hit 10 military checkpoints on the way, avoiding capture each time. The next leg of the journey apparently took 15 to 16 hours on rough seas. And the US military was warned to avoid any kind of airstrike like the ones that have targeted suspected drug boats. Eventually, Machado's boat made it to another location where Machado caught a flight to Norway to collect her Nobel Peace Prize and be reunited with her family for the first time in about two years. Now Machado plans to rest for a few days and drum up support for her cause before she plans to head back to Venezuela where she could face arrest and prosecution. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was on Capitol Hill this week to defend the Trump administration's immigration crackdown during a tense House Committee hearing. Noem said she worries about the government not knowing all the people in the country, who they are and what their intentions are. And she said arrests, deportations, and new restrictions on foreigners are all justified. Many Republicans on the panel backed her up and thanked her for keeping the country safe. Democrats, though, grilled her and spoke about families being torn apart, pointing to people who have not committed any serious crimes getting deported. One lawmaker brought up cases of veterans family members being deported or detained. Democrats have also accused ICE officers of misconduct. Meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the government to free Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and with that, he was able to walk away from detention. Remember, Abrego Garcia is the man who was mistakenly deported from the US To a notorious El Salvadoran prison a few months ago. He was brought back to the US where he was again detained. Well, yesterday a federal judge said authorities did not have any legal basis to do that. Now Abrego Garcia is asking an immigration court to reopen his case so he can seek asylum in the U.S. the Trump administration still says Abrego Garcia is a threat with gang ties, and the government is still trying to deport him, likely to a country in Africa. To be continued. Some Indiana lawmakers defied President Trump's push for a new congressional map that would have made it easier for Republicans to hold on to control of the US House. Trump has been demanding the state's Republicans redraw their map, like lawmakers have already done in a handful of other states. But in a vote yesterday, more than half of Republican state senators joined all Democrats to vote against a new map. It was seen as a surprise since President Trump has promised to back primary challengers against anyone who voted against it. But at least some Indiana Republicans say the federal government should not dictate what happens in their state. Across the country, mid cycle redistricting has so far created nine more congressional seats Republicans believe they can win, and six more that Democrats think they can win. But some of those new maps are being challenged in court. Stay tuned. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been spending a lot of time focused on health care, as millions of Americans are about to see their premiums rise at the start of the new year. In fact, the only reason the longest government shutdown in history eventually ended was because lawmakers were promised a vote on health care. Well, yesterday the Senate did finally vote on two proposals, one from Democrats, one from Republicans, and they both failed. The Democrat solution would have extended expiring insurance subsidies for three years. The GOP is largely against that idea, saying it's wasteful spending that benefits insurance companies. The Republican alternative would have replaced those subsidies with an expansion of health savings accounts and direct payments for people on high deductible plans, something Dems were against since they said it wasn't enough to cover the rising costs. Now Senate Majority Leader John Thunes says he's open to more bipartisan talks about another potential health care package. A measles outbreak is growing in South Carolina, and now hundreds of people are quarantined, including students from elementary, middle and high schools. Already, at least 111 people have been sick in there, most of them not vaccinated. Separately, the CDC put out a new study about the impact COVID 19 shots have had on children. It found last year's shot significantly lowered kids emergency room and urgent care visits. Specifically, it said visits linked to the virus were down nearly 80% for kids 9 months to 4 years old and down nearly 60% in children 5 to 17. But remember, earlier this year, the CDC dropped a broad COVID vaccine recommendation and this information comes out even as the FDA has been investigating complications and deaths possibly linked to the shots. So far, studies have shown bad reactions are rare and the American Academy of Pediatrics does still recommend the vaccine. We have more news for you still coming up. But first a quick break for our sponsor. This time of year, my skin always needs a little extra care. Think cooler weather, travel, the rush of the holidays. But I've kept my skin looking and feeling great thanks to One Skin. You know how much I love their face moisturizer already. And I've recently added their new peptide lip mask to my nightly routine and I love it. And it's just been so great to have this powerful combination of skincare ready to go on my bathroom counter every day. It's one less thing I have to think about while it's delivering the skincare I need now and giving me long term benefits. Because remember, at the core of One Skin is their OS1 peptide, so proven to target the key signs of aging and the results have now been validated in five different clinical studies. Oneskin also just launched their limited edition holiday sets including the nightly Rewind gift set featuring their best selling face moisturizer, that new peptide lip mask I talked about, and a sculpting Gua Sha tool. Each element is designed to work together overnight, helping renew skin at the cellular level for a stronger, smoother and more youthful looking complexion. For a limited time, you can Try OneSkin for 15% off using the code Newsworthy at Oneskin Co Newsworthy. Again, Try OneSkin for 15% off using the code Newsworthy at Oneskin Co Newsworthy. After your purchase, they'll ask you why you've heard about them. So please support our show and tell them we sent you. Now back to the news. Time magazine has chosen its 2025 Person of the Year, or should we say People of the Year? Time went with the architects of AI, saying they've delivered the age of thinking machines, wowed and worried humanity, transformed the present and transcended the possible. One of the COVID images resembles a famous photo from the 1930s called Lunch Atop a Skyscraper, but it shows eight tech leaders sitting on the beam, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla CEO elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Each year, Time chooses a person, group, idea or object that has done the most to influence the headlines of the year. For better or for worse, President Trump is trying to keep states from regulating AIT technology. He signed an executive order that gives the US Attorney general the power to sue states and overturn AI laws that don't support the federal goals. And it says states that keep their own laws in place could lose federal funding. Supporters say it makes sense, since it could be tough for AI companies to navigate different regulations state to state, setting the US Back as it competes in the global AI race. But critics argue President Trump should establish national regulations first so states don't need to fill the gap. This year, all 50 states introduced AI legislation, and 38 states adopted about 100 laws to address things like misinformation, data collection and mental health. And some legal experts say only Congress has the authority to override state laws, so the order is likely to be challenged in court. Walt Disney is now investing a billion dollars in OpenAI, and it's going to let the company use its characters. The video generator Sora and ChatGPT images will start generating content using licensed Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Mufasa starting early next year. The deal also includes characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises, but not any actors or voices. There are also some guardrails to keep the characters from being depicted in inappropriate situations. A selection of videos made by OpenAI customers will be made available for streaming on Disney. Disney says it will also use OpenAI models to build new products and support film production. Reports say it's a deal that could reshape how Hollywood makes content. It's been called NASCAR's trial of the century and this week it came to an end without a winner or a loser. NASCAR reached a settlement with the two race teams that had been suing, something they've resisted over the last year. Apparently things changed as the trial was in its ninth day and moving closer to a verdict. Both sides have now decided not to let it go to a jury. As we've told you, one of those teams is 2311, which is owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan and three time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. The other is from Front Row Motorsports. Both of them were accusing NASCAR of running an illegal monopoly through its charter system, which is basically NASCAR's version of the franchise model used by most other pro sports leagues. As part of the settlement, NASCAR is updating some of the terms of the charter agreements and giving the teams their charters back, though the exact terms of the settlement, including the financial terms, have not been released. You may soon be able to catch one of the best meteor showers of the year. The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight and tomorrow night. NASA calls the Geminids one of the best and most reliable meteor showers. Because the meteors are bright and frequent, scientists say stargazers could see up to 120 shooting stars an hour. Of course, it'll depend on whether you have clear skies. The show is expected to start around 9 or 10pm peak at around 2am and will last until dawn. Well, that's it for the main news today. So now it's time for Feel Good Friday when we bring you one extra Feel Good or positive news story before the weekend. But first, I want to take a moment to thank our sponsor. I might not be able to control when my kiddo gets up too early in the morning, but the one thing I can control is how comfortable and cozy I feel when I get into bed and and the quality of sleep I get. And for me, that includes wearing skims pajamas. They're the best. I really feel like I sleep better when I feel good in the fabrics that I'm wearing. Plus, with the cute holiday patterns available right now, I feel more intentional and put together walking downstairs in my cute holiday PJs to our decorations already filling the living room and this latest set from Skims I Got. The Skims Sleep Set is the softest pair of pajamas I have ever owned. It's such a good feeling to be in my new Skims sleep set around the house, cuddled up with a cup of hot tea or even hot cocoa in the evenings. And it'll be so fun to have these as we wake up for the holidays later this month. You'll find me in these PJs all season long. Shop my favorite pajamas@skiMs.com and after you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you select podcast in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. And if you're looking for the perfect gifts for everyone on your list, the Skims Holiday Shop is now open@skims.com now back to Feel Good Friday Today we're talking about a woman in Ohio who formed a special bond with a law enforcement officer who arrested her. Ohio Highway Patrol Trooper Brett Lee pulled over Kimberly Slavens for traffic violations. She ended up being charged for drunk driving. Then a year later, Lee got a thank you card from her. In it, Slavens explained how shortly after the arrest, she signed herself into rehab and committed to a sober lifestyle. The trooper was shocked, saying it was definitely the first time anyone had thanked him for arresting them. Now it's been 10 years, and writing Lee a thank you card is a yearly tradition for Slavens. She started delivering the cards in person every year on the day of her arrest so they could meet and catch up. Lee makes sure to be there even if he has the day off work, and he keeps all the cards in his work binder as a reminder that he's appreciated. This tradition helps keep Slavens motivated too. She says now even if she wants to drink, she thinks about Lee and how she doesn't want to have to miss a visit with him to tell him she's still sober. Earlier this year, the two celebrated the 10th anniversary of the arrest. The Ohio State Highway Patrol awarded Slavens with a medallion and certificate. Thank you so much for listening today. We'll be back tomorrow with our special edition Saturday episode. It's a year in review, all about tech, the wins, surprises and letdowns this year and what's to come in 2026. Then we'll have all the news you need to start the week on Monday. For now, have a great week. Sam.