Author: Action News 7

Last Updated: Dec. 19, 2025 at 4:08 p.m. ETFirst Published: Dec. 19, 2025 at 3:17 p.m. ETAfter President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to reclassify cannabis, Wall Street is now focused on the when the change will actually happen, as the marijuana industry waits for tax relief and expanded research opportunities. And looking further out, observers are also wondering about the implications of easier banking access for the cannabis sector, as well as broader state legalization efforts and industry consolidation.

Charles Graves, also known as Deaf Santa, shows his journey of bringing Christmas magic in the new documentary, ‘Deaf Santa Claus.’

The last big Saturday of nonconference action is upon us, and it brings one final opportunity for several marquee teams to make a statement before league play ramps up after Christmas. Among them are four brand-name programs who will be featured in the CBS Sports Classic.Tipping first from State Farm Arena in Atlanta at 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday will be No. 6 seed St. John’s vs. No. 7 seed Kentucky. The game marks a reunion between UK coach Mark Pope and St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, who coached Pope as part of the Wildcats’ 1996 national championship team.Between their connection…

Anonymous messaging app NGL announced on Friday that it has been acquired by Mode Mobile, a smartphone rewards company that makes money by flooding its users with ads. NGL quickly climbed the App Store charts after its launch in late 2021, joining a group of similar apps popular among teens that allow users to send and receive anonymous questions and messages. But it’s been embroiled in controversy for most of its existence. Anonymous messaging apps are problematic because they can encourage bullying among teens — Snapchat banned third-party apps like NGL, LMK, Sendit, and YOLO from its platform in 2022…

OpenAI may be building up to one of the largest initial public offerings ever, but CEO Sam Altman says he is not necessarily looking forward to helming a public company. “Am I excited to be a public company CEO? 0%,” Altman said in an episode of the “Big Technology Podcast” published on Thursday. “Am I excited for OpenAI to be a public company? In some ways, I am, and in some ways I think it’d be really annoying.” OpenAI is laying the groundwork for an IPO, with a Thursday report from The Wall Street Journal putting early talks of a…

A protester holds a sign related to the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images A top Justice Department official says the government will not fully release its files on the life and death of Jeffrey Epstein by Friday’s deadline. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an interview with Fox News Friday morning he expects “several hundred thousand documents” would be released today and hundreds of thousands more would come later. “I expect that we’re…

SYDNEY — In the first full day of opening since a mass shooting driven by antisemitism killed 15 people at Australia’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, thousands of people returned to the waterfront Friday to commemorate the losses and try to heal through a sense of community.In a hastily organized event, people gathered shoulder to shoulder on Bondi’s pristine crescent of sand and then formed an enormous circle in the ocean in an expression of solidarity among Sydney’s residents and support for the Jewish community. Police reopened parts of the beach Thursday, sparking a return to one of the country’s…

President Trump references a map while talking to reporters about Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 4, 2019. The map appears to have been altered by a black marker to extend the hurricane’s range to include Alabama. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The White House plans to break up a key weather and climate research center in Colorado, a move experts say could jeopardize the accuracy of forecasting and prediction systems. It’s the latest climate-related move by President Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, cut funding for climate research, and removed climate and weather scientists…

In the heat of awards season, Hollywood’s prestigious guild ceremonies have also become pit stops in the race to the Academy Awards, illuminating lane changes and roadblocks as the industry speeds toward Oscar night. Rack up more guild honors and your performance, your cinematography, your film could capture Oscar glory. The Screen Actors Guild Awards has served as a final pit stop, functioning as a bellwether for Oscar night’s big winner and, at times, a red herring — just ask Ron Howard. The SAG Awards, now known as the Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA, often prognosticates an Oscar best picture…

Dec 19, 2025, 02:01 PM ETThe offense-starved Pittsburgh Pirates finally made an aggressive offseason move, agreeing to acquire two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Houston Astros, according to multiple reports.The Rays will send Lowe, left-hander Mason Montgomery and outfielder Jake Mangum to Pittsburgh. The Pirates will deal right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows to Houston. Tampa Bay is acquiring a pair of prospects from Houston as part of the deal.Lowe, an All-Star in 2019 and 2025, gives the Pirates a veteran bat for a lineup in desperate…