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TIME mgazine on Thursday named the ‘Architects of Artificial Intelligence” as the 2025 Person of the Year, with the magazine citing 2025 as when the potential of artificial intelligence “roared into view” with no turning back.

Time is highlighting the people whose work propelled artificial intelligence from a cutting-edge experiment into a defining force of modern life. The decision marks a moment the magazine describes as the year when AI’s potential “roared into view” and firmly embedded itself in everyday society.

The publication emphasized that the recognition is directed at the innovators behind the technology rather than the systems they built. The group includes the “individuals who imagined, designed, and built AI,” a choice that editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs said reflects the scale of their impact on global culture, politics, and industry. “This was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back or opting out,” Jacobs wrote, calling AI “the most consequential tool in great-power competition since the advent of nuclear weapons.”

The Person of the Year issue features two separate covers: one showing workers assembling the towering letters “AI,” and another paying homage to the 1932 “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” photograph, with tech leaders perched on a steel beam above a city skyline. The artwork includes figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Lisa Su, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis, Dario Amodei and Fei-Fei Li. A second cover story explores the perspectives of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Baidu CEO Robin Li.

Analysts noted that 2025 marked a turning point: AI moved from an early-adopter technology to one embraced by a broad consumer base. According to research firm Forrester, a “critical mass of consumers” now sees AI as part of routine life. Prediction markets had also listed AI, along with prominent tech CEOs, Pope Leo XIV, President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, as leading contenders for the title.

Time’s long-running Person of the Year tradition dates back to 1927. The honor has sometimes gone to groups or concepts—not only individuals—such as “the endangered earth” in 1988, the personal computer in 1982, and “You” in 2006. In 2024, the magazine chose President Donald Trump after his return to the White House, following Taylor Swift’s selection in 2023.

Alongside its main announcement, Time also revealed several other annual honors: YouTube’s Neal Mohan was named CEO of the Year, Leonardo DiCaprio received Entertainer of the Year, A’ja Wilson was named Athlete of the Year, and KPop Demon Hunters earned Breakthrough of the Year.

The 2025 Person of the Year issue goes on sale Dec. 19.

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Updated 12/12/25: Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been released from immigration detention, his attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg told ABC News.

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A federal judge has ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported earlier this year and has since been held in immigration detention, finding that the Trump administration has held him for months without the legal authority required to continue his detention or remove him from the United States.

The ruling, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland, granted Abrego Garcia’s habeas petition, concluding that federal authorities lacked the legal basis to continue holding him.  In her decision, Xinis determined that the government had no valid final order of removal allowing Abrego Garcia’s deportation, despite repeated attempts by the Trump administration to expel him: “Because respondents have no statutory authority to remove Abrego Garcia to a third country absent a removal order, his removal cannot be considered reasonably foreseeable, imminent, or consistent with due process,” Xinis wrote, adding, “Although respondents may eventually get it right, they have not as of today. Thus, Abrego Garcia’s detention for the stated purpose of third country removal cannot continue. Respondents’ conduct over the past months belie that his detention has been for the basic purpose of effectuating removal, lending further support that Abrego Garcia should be held no longer.”

The judge directed federal officials to release Abrego “immediately,” notify him in advance of the precise time and location of that release, and update the court by 5 p.m. Eastern. She also noted that the government’s conduct “belie[s] that his detention has been for the basic purpose of effectuating removal.” DHS spokespersons sharply attacked the decision after Thursday’s ruling, calling it “naked judicial activism by an Obama-appointed judge” and asserting that the order “lacks any valid legal basis.”

Abrego, a Salvadoran national, first entered the U.S. in 2012 and has long maintained that he fled “gang violence targeting his family.” Although an immigration judge granted him “withholding of removal” in 2019—barring his return to El Salvador due to credible threats—he was nevertheless deported in March to the CECOT megaprison after officials later claimed he was linked to MS-13, an accusation he denies and has never been convicted of. Government lawyers later conceded the deportation was an “administrative error,” prompting the Supreme Court in April to require his return.

Following months of resistance, the administration brought Abrego back in June, immediately charging him with human smuggling based on a 2022 traffic stop. He has pleaded not guilty. After briefly living with family in Maryland under pretrial conditions, he was taken into ICE custody again—despite the absence of a removal order—and held for third-country deportation.

Throughout the case, the administration has explored sending him to a series of countries with which he has no ties, including Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and Liberia. Xinis criticized those efforts, noting that officials ignored Costa Rica, which publicly confirmed it would accept Abrego as a refugee. “Respondents’ calculated effort to take Costa Rica ‘off the table’ backfired,” she wrote, citing repeated notifications to him of expulsion to African nations “that never agreed to take him.” The administration has continued to insist that Abrego is a gang member, though judges have questioned the evidence. Senior officials, including President Donald Trump and top homeland security leaders, have vowed that Abrego would “never walk America’s streets again.”

Xinis summarized the situation bluntly: “The history of Abrego Garcia’s case is as well known as it is extraordinary.” Now with the judge’s order in effect, Abrego will resume complying with pretrial conditions in his criminal case under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

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Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt was hospitalized Wednesday after experiencing lung-related discomfort at the team’s practice facility, leaving his availability for Monday night’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins in doubt.

The Steelers announced the situation in a statement from team spokesman Burt Lauten, saying: “T.J. Watt is currently in a local hospital for further medical evaluation of his lung after experiencing discomfort at the practice facility on Wednesday. He will not be at practice on Thursday, and his status for Monday night’s game vs. Miami is in question. Coach [Mike] Tomlin will provide more updates at the appropriate time.”

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Thursday: “I’m a little bit cautious about what I say, because I am not a medical expert. But to make a long story short, he was experiencing some discomfort when he was at the facility [Wednesday}. So, we took him to the docs and they’re going through some procedures. He stayed overnight in the hospital. He has a lung situation that’s being addressed. I think he has some testing and so forth ahead of him this afternoon, and that’s all I know at this juncture. He and I communicated last night, he was comfortable, and that’s all I have really at this point.”

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watt reportedly sustained the injury while receiving treatment at the team’s facility and has been hospitalized since Wednesday.  Tomlin was he was unaware when or how Watt’s symptoms started, and he only learned of Watt’s situation when he was in the team’s cafeteria on Wednesday. He added that Watt was not dealing with an injury coming out of Week 14’s game: “Not to my knowledge at all, particularly in game or after the game, nothing.”

The 31-year-old Watt is in the middle of his ninth season with the Steelers, and has appeared in all 13 games. He’s registered 53 tackles and seven sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception for the Steelers, who are currently 7-6 and lead the Baltimore Ravens by one game in the AFC North standings. He signed a three-year, $123 million extension in July and has remained one of the league’s most consistent pass rushers.

Watt, selected by the Steelers as the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, is a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 after tying the league’s single-season record of 22.5 sacks. Watt, who has led the NFL in sacks on three separate occasions, is the Steelers’ career leader with 115 sacks. Earlier this season, he surpassed his brother and future Hall of Famer JJ Watt on the NFL’s career sack list.

If Watt is ruled out of Monday’s game vs. Miami, he will be replaced by Nick Herbig, who has made nine starts over the past two years. Herbig has recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks to go with three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception this season.

The Steelers’ wideout DK Metcalf’s was also hospitalized in Baltimore after experiencing stomach pains following Pittsburgh’s Week 14 win over the Ravens. Tomlin said earlier this week that Metcalf is “moving in the right direction.”   The team is also dealing with injuries to tight end Darnell Washington, offensive tackle Andrus Peat, linebacker Malik Harrison, cornerback James Pierre, defensive linemen Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon, and safety Kyle Dugger.

Washington, Peat, and Harrison are in the concussion protocol; while Pierre and Benton are dealing with calf and ankle injuries, respectively, that were sustained during last Sunday’s win over Baltimore. Dugger (hand) has a chance to play against the Dolphins after missing last Sunday’s game. Harmon’s status for Monday night is up on the air as he has missed Pittsburgh’s last two games with a knee injury.

Pittsburgh (7-6) hosts Miami on Monday night at Acrisure Stadium in a pivotal matchup with AFC playoff implications.

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Former University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore remains in custody after being arrested Wednesday evening, which came just hours after the school announced he had been fired for “an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” Moore, 39, was booked into the Washtenaw County Jail around 8:30 p.m., according to Pittsfield Township police, who are investigating an alleged assault.

According to a report from ESPN’s Dan Wetzel: “Breaking: Ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was detained by police in Saline, Mich. this evening and turned over to police in Pittsfield Township for investigation into potential charges.”  Colleague Pete Thamel added that “Pittsfield Charter Township sent ESPN this press release, which does not name Sherrone Moore but references “investigating an alleged assault.” Statement: “A suspect in this case was taken into custody….”

The Pittsfield Charter Township (Michigan) Department of Public Safety announced on Thursday that Moore is expected to appear in court for arraignment on Friday. The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office told ESPN that it does not expect a decision Thursday on whether to file criminal charges against Moore.

Per the Detroit News, authorities said officers responded at 4:10 p.m. to an address on Ann Arbor–Saline Road to investigate an alleged assault. Police emphasized the incident “does not appear to be random” and posed no ongoing threat to the public. While the Pittsfield Township Police Department did not identify the suspect in its statement, Saline police confirmed they had earlier “assisted in locating and detaining former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore,” before turning him over to Pittsfield Township for “investigation into potential charges.” No charges have yet been filed, and investigators say they cannot release additional details due to the nature of the allegations and the ongoing inquiry.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel had confirmed Moore’s firing in a statement on Wednesday which read: “U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately. Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”  The university has named Biff Poggi, 66, as interim head coach

The university’s internal review earlier this fall did not initially uncover proof of misconduct, but new information that surfaced Wednesday prompted immediate action, according to sources familiar with the process. The school’s decision may void a buyout estimated at roughly $14 million.

Moore’s firing ended a tenure that began when he succeeded Jim Harbaugh after Michigan’s 2023 national championship season. He compiled a 17-8 overall record (11-6 in the Big Ten) across two years as head coach, having previously served as offensive coordinator and, before that, the team’s tight ends coach. His rapid rise within the program began in 2018 when Harbaugh added him to the staff.

Moore, married with three daughters, had signed a five-year contract worth at least $5.5 million annually before the 2024 season. His tenure was already marked by previous disciplinary issues, including suspensions related to a recruiting violation and the sign-stealing investigation tied to former staffer Connor Stalions.

Michigan, which finished the regular season 9-3, is slated to face Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.

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Clipse released their fourth studio album Let God Sort Em Out earlier this year, and now they’re dropping the official video for “F.I.C.O.” directed by Hannan Hussain

Let God Sort Em Out debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard 200. The album, executive produced by Pharrell Williams, features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, Nas, John Legend, Ab-Liva, Stove God Cooks, and more.

In addition to being nominated for Best Rap Album at the upcoming 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the Virginia duo is also up for Album Of The Year, Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips” with Kendrick Lamar, and Best Rap Song for “Birds Don’t Sing” with John Legend.

Watch Clipse’s “F.I.C.O.” video featuring Stove God Cooks – HERE.

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Diana Ross has been announced as the headliner for the 2026 ‘Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve With Ryan Seacrest.’ The night kicks off in New York and continues through Las Vegas, Chicago, Puerto Rico and beyond.

Ross will perform a medley of her hits live in Times Square, including “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down” — which has seen a huge surge in popularity since being featured in Season 5 of Stranger Things. “Together we begin a new year. Let’s embrace a new beginning, new opportunities, new joy — a celebration of love, where we all come together as we begin 2026,” said Ross in a statement.

Seacrest co-hosts alongside Rita Ora from New York City at Times Square, with Chance the Rapper hosting from his native Chicago, and former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and Julianne Hough co-hosting from Las Vegas.

This year’s Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve features the most expansive lineup in the show’s more than 50-year history, with performers including Mariah Carey, Post Malone, Chappell Roan, Demi Lovato and Maren Morris, as well as 50 Cent, Charlie Puth, OneRepublic and Pitbull.

Additional performers include: Ciara, Goo Goo Dolls, Lil Jon, Little Big Town, Madison Beer, New Kids on the Block, Jordan Davis, 6lack, The All-American Rejects, Rick Springfield and the voices of “KPop Demon Hunters.”

The 2026 ‘Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve With Ryan Seacrest’ will air live on Wednesday, Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. EST to 4 am EST on ABC, and stream the next day on Hulu.

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A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to relinquish control of California National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles, ruling that the federalization of the state’s Guard units violated longstanding limits on presidential power.

Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued the  35-page ruling on Wednesday in San Francisco, granting California’s request for an injunction but delaying its effect until Monday to allow the Justice Department time to appeal. The ruling marks the second time Breyer has sided with state officials who challenged President Donald Trump’s move to deploy Guard members without the governor’s approval.

The Trump administration originally sent more than 2,000 troops to Los Angeles in June, citing unrest surrounding protests against Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. Although the number dropped to roughly 100 by late fall, the White House extended the deployment into February and attempted to reassign additional California Guard personnel to Portland, Oregon, over objections from local leaders.

State officials argued that conditions had changed dramatically since the initial activation, and that the president was effectively using Guard members as a federal police force. They said such actions ran afoul of the Posse Comitatus Act and exceeded the circumstances in which a president may seize control of state units. Breyer agreed, writing, “The Founders designed our government to be a system of checks and balances. Defendants, however, make clear that the only check they want is a blank one.”

The Justice Department maintained that troops were still needed to safeguard federal personnel and facilities. In court filings, administration lawyers argued that protests and sporadic violence made it impossible to carry out federal law with ordinary resources. But Breyer rejected the claim that such assertions placed the president beyond judicial review, concluding the legal threshold for federalization had not been met. “Without a demonstration that the President’s ability to execute the law is currently being impeded at the time of deployment, he lacks adequate grounds for federalization,” he wrote.

Breyer’s latest decision halts an extension that would have kept about 300 California Guard members under federal control, with many stationed in Oregon and the remainder still in Southern California. California Governor Gavin Newsom—who sued along with Attorney General Rob Bonta—welcomed the outcome, while Los Angeles leaders reiterated there was never a legitimate emergency requiring military intervention. Newsom said, “Trump is unlawfully using the military to terrorize Americans,” and Mayor Karen Bass added that “Los Angeles will not buckle and we will not break.”  Unless an appellate court intervenes, command of the Guard will revert to Gov. Newsom early next week,

The dispute is part of a broader legal battle over Trump’s efforts to send military forces into Democratic-led cities. Courts have already blocked similar deployments to Portland and Chicago, and the Supreme Court is currently weighing an emergency appeal related to troops sent to Illinois.

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A federal judge in New York has ordered the DOJ to unseal grand jury materials and investigative records from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 sex-trafficking case.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman issued the four-page ruling Wednesday, becoming the third federal judge in a week to grant similar DOJ requests following passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act last month. The law requires the department to publicly release materials related to past federal investigations of Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Berman said the statute’s language leaves little room for interpretation, calling it “clear” and emphasizing that Congress intended to override traditional grand jury secrecy. “The Court hereby grants the Government’s motion in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act and with the unequivocal right of Epstein victims to have their identity and privacy protected,” he wrote. He also noted that attorneys for survivors stressed that disclosure “CANNOT come at the expense of the privacy, safety, and protection of sexual abuse and sex trafficking victims.”

The ruling follows similar decisions issued Tuesday by Judge Paul Engelmayer, who approved the release of a “voluminous” set of Maxwell grand jury materials in New York, and last week by Judge Rodney Smith in Florida, who authorized unsealing records from the mid-2000s federal probes into Epstein. All three judges required the redaction of victims’ identifying information and sensitive personal details.

Berman had previously rejected the DOJ’s request in August—before the law existed—arguing that the department had not met the legal threshold for unsealing grand jury testimony and already possessed a substantial investigative record. At the time, he pointed out that “the Government’s 100,000 pages of Epstein files and materials dwarf the 70 odd pages of Epstein grand jury materials,” and cited possible risks to victims’ privacy.

But he said Wednesday that the new statute resolves those concerns, referencing a 2004 precedent holding that when a law’s text is unambiguous, courts must follow it. The act requires that records be made public “not later than 30 days” after its Nov. 19 enactment, setting a Dec. 19 deadline for disclosure.

The renewed push to release the files gained bipartisan momentum in Congress after years of controversy over how federal authorities handled Epstein’s earlier cases. The political debate intensified this summer as the administration faced internal divisions over the issue. In July, the president criticized supporters pressing for release of the documents, calling them “weaklings,” before later urging Republicans to back the bill once its passage became certain.

The Justice Department has not announced when the newly unsealed materials will be made available. Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, a death that has fueled persistent conspiracy theories and renewed scrutiny of the handling of his case.

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Former Mets slugger and free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso has agreed to a 5-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report: “BREAKING: First baseman Pete Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $155 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Alonso leaves the Mets to make a loaded AL East even better.”

Alonso, 31, opted out of his contract with the Mets following the World Series, becoming a free agent for the second straight offseason.The move comes a day after the Mets lost Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers on a three-year deal worth $69 million.

Selected by the Mets in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Alonso has spent his entire career with New York. Last winter, the first baseman’s first foray into free agency resulted in a two-year pact with the Mets worth $54 million, with an opt-out in mid-February. He would have earned $24 million in the final year of that contract but chose to re-enter free agency after boosting his value in 2025.

Alonso also just had one of the best seasons of his career, earning his fifth All-Star selection and finishing with 38 homers, 41 doubles, 126 RBIs and hitting .272.  In addition to those impressive marks, Alonso is also a two-time Home Run Derby champion (winning the contest in 2019 and ’21), and has played 1,008 of a possible 1,032 games beginning his rookie year.

The slugger also has 264 career HRs (ranking third behind Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber) and has tallied more RBIs (712) than anyone else since his debut year of 2019 (where he hit 53 home runs, setting an MLB rookie record and earning him National League Rookie of the Year honors).  With his 253rd career home run this past August, Alonso passed Darryl Strawberry for first on the Mets’ all-time list.

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Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his right foot, the team confirmed Wednesday. The procedure, to be performed in London by Dr. James Calder, follows weeks of consultations as lingering pain continued to limit the 21-year-old.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported: “Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II will undergo season-ending right foot procedure to address lingering discomfort, sources tell me and Tim MacMahon. Lively, who played 7 games this season, is expected to make a full recovery.”

Lively has dealt with repeated problems with the same foot, including a fracture that required offseason surgery. ESPN first reported that this latest procedure is expected to fully resolve the chronic discomfort that has derailed his year.

Co-interim general manager Matt Riccardi said: “Dereck has handled every challenge of this season with professionalism and resilience. While this is a setback, we’re confident in his long-term future and will support him fully through his recovery.”

The surgery marks the latest in a string of setbacks for Lively, who dealt with knee trouble earlier this year, and the foot issue resurfacing soon after his last appearance during the Mavs win over New Orleans on Nov. 21.  He played 36 games last season and averaged 8.7 points and 7.5 rebounds; this year, he averaged 4.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in limited action.

The organization expects Lively to be ready for training camp, and are hopeful this latest surgery finally stabilizes his foot.

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