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Chicago Med is finally on the verge of arriving in the 2025 TV schedule. Although an early January winter premiere after a November fall finale isn’t too painful of a break, the cliffhanger at the end of 2024 had Sharon Goodwin’s (S. Epatha Merkerson) life in the balance and Dean Archer (Steven Weber) the only one with a chance at saving her. Speaking with CinemaBlend, Weber opened up about the show getting “down and dirty” with life-and-death cliffhangers in Med’s new era and how Season 10 picks up in the new year.

In case you missed the fall finale back in November and/or haven’t checked it out streaming with a Peacock subscription, Goodwin spent most of the episode bleeding out on the floor of her office after being stabbed by the widow of a woman who’d died because of a tough call the administrator had to make. She finally made a break for it when Archer arrived on her otherwise empty floor at Gaffney, but he only spotted her when the elevator doors were closing… and Cassidy was seemingly on the verge of stabbing Goodwin again.

Cue the credits rolling, of course, and fans having weeks to wait to find out Archer’s next move and Goodwin’s fate! Who would have guessed that Archer would start that episode depressed over being demoted and end with him as his boss’ only hope of survival? When I spoke with Steven Weber during NBC’s One Chicago winter press event, he clarified whether there was a break between filming the fall finale and the winter premiere, saying:

Oh, no, we went right on. There’s a kind of emotional momentum, or dramatic momentum, that they kept going. There’s no real break, so it was really good to continue on and see if we resolved what we set up so beautifully.

The promo for the first installment of 2025 certainly indicated that the story wouldn’t pause for even a moment after Archer’s horrified reaction to seeing Goodwin’s bloody state, and that was evidently the case behind the scenes. I went on to ask the actor if the same director worked on both episodes for an easy transition or if there was a switch in the middle of the sequence, and Weber explained:

There was a switch, but it’s interesting because there’s also a slight tone switch. Everybody is in constant communication with each other, so it’s not like one is really fast and suddenly we segue into this kind of turgid, slow, dark thing. No, everybody is very well equipped at maintaining the flavor and the energy of all the episodes, but it was interesting. I think people will be surprised, thrilled, pleased. Maybe! We’ll see. But questions get answered, new questions are posed. It’s gonna be pretty good.

Confirmation of questions being answered certainly sounds good to me, since Med has been heavier on cliffhangers in Season 10 than previous seasons. With the medical drama’s fall finale standing as my favorite of the three One Chicago episodes that ended 2024, I noted that it was a stressful and wonderful way to conclude the fall finale, and Steven Weber agreed that “it was a great, a great thing to imbue this show with, to infuse the show with, with real dramatic tension that hooks everybody.”

Of course, of the three shows, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. are historically the more likely ones to end a finale with a main character’s life in the balance, and Goodwin is arguably the most essential character in the show. There are plenty of doctors who can fill in for each other in the ED if needed, but Goodwin? Certainly not. Steven Weber weighed in on this life-and-death cliffhanger from the fall finale as part of Med’s new era under new showrunner Allen MacDonald:

That’s a function of Allen MacDonald and [producer] Anna Dokoza, who ably picked up the gauntlet that [former showrunners] Andy [Schneider] and Diane [Frolov] kind of placed gently down. As great as they are and as great as the shows were, this season has been amped up. The connections are deeper. It’s been a real infusion of energy and enthusiasm on the part of not only the cast, but the crew as well. Everybody has been really chuffed, getting down and dirty. Also with our fantastic DP, who has again added a lot of texture and a lot of depth to the world, to Gaffney, and to the whole Chicago Med world. It’s been great. It’s been a real shot in the arm, as we doctors say.

Allen MacDonald was entirely new to One Chicago when he arrived to take over Med as showrunner, after the departures of previous EPs/showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov. While the newcomer didn’t speak with his predecessors prior to Season 10, he got to work by watching the first 176 episodes, and Steven Weber has only had high praise for how the show has gotten “gritty” this time around. Or, in the context of Goodwin’s cliffhanger, “down and dirty” for the winter premiere!

The winter premiere is nearly here, but if you want an early taste of the action ahead, check out the promo below!

Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, January 8 at 8 p.m. ET for the winter premiere of Chicago Med, called “No Love Lost.” As always, Med leads into Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and then Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. The network is bringing all three shows together before the end of the month for the first three-part crossover event since 2019, so there’s a lot for fans to look forward to in the new year.

American Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration say the wing of an American Airlines passenger jet struck the tail of a United Airlines jet at O ‘Hare Airport Wednesday morning.

The wingtip of an American Airlines Flight 1979 bound for Los Angeles struck the tail of a United Airlines Flight 219 bound for Honolulu around 10 a.m. as the two planes were taxiing on separate taxiways, aviation officials said
No one was injured in the incident, and the United Airlines plane is currently undergoing a thorough examination.

Another plane will take the passengers to Hawaii.

Passengers on the American Airlines flight were deplaned at the gate and would take off on a replacement plane on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman said.

The American Airlines plane involved has been taken out of service for inspection.

“We apologise to customers for the inconvenience this has caused,” the spokesman said.

Officials said the impact on airport operations would be minimal.

The FAA will investigate the cause of the collision.

In 2024, there were 21 “runway incursions” at O ‘Hare. These incidents are near-misses, where the plane (or anyone on the tarmac) is in the wrong place at the wrong time, either by accident or due to confused instructions. The security risks of all events fall into the two lowest event categories.

The last time O ‘Hare had A Category A runway incursion – the most serious collision or near miss – was in 2015.

Trump also vowed to use “economic force” when asked if he would attempt to annex Canada and called their shared border an “artificially drawn line”.

The boundary is the world’s longest between two countries and it was established in treaties dating back to the founding of the US in the late 1700s.

The president-elect said the US spends billions of dollars protecting Canada, and he criticised imports of Canadian cars, lumber and dairy products.

“They should be a state,” he told reporters.

But outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there isn’t “a snowball’s chance in hell” of the two countries merging.

The news conference was initially billed as an economic development announcement to unveil Dubai developer Damac Properties’ $20bn investment to build data centres in the US.

But the president-elect went on to criticise environmental regulations, the US election system, the various legal cases against him, and President Joe Biden.

Among a variety of other things, he suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” and restated his opposition to wind power, saying wind turbines are “driving the whales crazy”.

His remarks came as his son, Donald Trump Jr, was visiting Greenland.

Before arriving in the capital Nuuk, Trump Jr said he was going on a “personal day trip” to talk to people, and had no meetings planned with government officials.

When asked about Trump Jr’s visit to Greenland, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish TV that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” and that only the local population could determine their future.

She agreed that “Greenland is not for sale”, but stressed Denmark needed close co-operation with the US, a Nato ally.

Greenland lies on the shortest route from North America to Europe and is home to a large American space facility. It also has some of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, which are crucial in the manufacture of batteries and high-tech devices.

Trump suggested the island is crucial to military efforts to track Chinese and Russian ships, which he said are “all over the place”.

“I’m talking about protecting the free world,” he told reporters.

Since winning re-election Trump has repeatedly returned to the idea of US territorial expansion – including taking back the Panama Canal.

During the news conference, Trump said the canal “is vital to our country” and claimed “it’s being operated by China”.

He previously accused Panama of overcharging US ships to use the waterway, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has rejected Trump’s claims and said there is “absolutely no Chinese interference” in the canal.

A Hong Kong-based company, CK Hutchison Holdings, manages two ports at the canal’s entrances.

The canal was built in the early 1900s and the US maintained control over the canal zone until 1977, when treaties negotiated under President Jimmy Carter gradually ceded the land back to Panama.

“Giving the Panama Canal to Panama was a very big mistake,” Trump said. “Look, [Carter] was a good man… But that was a big mistake.”

It’s unclear how serious the president-elect is about adding to the territory of the US, particularly when it comes to Canada, a country of 41 million people and the second-largest nation by area in the world.

During the news conference, Trump also repeated a number of falsehoods and odd conspiracy theories, including suggesting that Hezbollah, the Islamist militant group, was involved in the US Capitol riot of 2021.

Tom Holland and Zendaya are headed down the aisle.

TMZ confirmed via sources on Monday morning that the longtime couple is engaged, this after Zendaya stepped out at Sunday night’s Golden Globes wearing a diamond sparkler on her ring finger. While she always turns heads on red carpets, the choice of accessory instantly fed the rumor mill within minutes of her touching down outside the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Eagle-eyed fans and fashion insiders noted that the bling was not Bulgari, which she is contractually obligated to wear as a longtime ambassador of the luxury house.

Then during the Globes, the Instagram account for Max, home to her series Euphoria for which she has won back to back Emmy Awards, seemingly confirmed the news with a post showing off the ring with a clip from the show. “I have never, ever been happier,” read the caption. Reps for both stars have not returned comment to The Hollywood Reporter, not surprising since Holland and Zendaya have long kept their personal lives as private as possible considering their global stardom.

Per TMZ, the proposal was also low-key and private. Sources told the outlet that Holland proposed at some point between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, “dropping to one knee in a very intimate setting in one of Zendaya’s family homes in the United States.” It was a “just a sweet moment” between the pair and former Spider-Man co-stars, TMZ added. They met and reportedly fell in love while playing Peter Parker and MJ, respectively, in the blockbuster franchise Spider-Man.

On the heels of that report, People reported that Holland had been “keen” to propose for a while. “He’s always been crazy about her. He always knew she was the one. They have something very special,” a source told People, adding that they are in no rush to plan a ceremony. “They will just enjoy things for now and won’t rush a wedding. They are both busy with work projects.”

It was recently announced that Holland and Zendaya have both joined the cast of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey alongside Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o. Universal has slated a 2026 release date for the star-packed film.

Holland shed some light on their relationship and red carpet appearances in a cover profile published by Men’s Health just days ago. The Marvel superstar said he doesn’t typically walk red carpets with her for projects or award shows where she’s nominated “because it’s not my moment, it’s her moment, and if we go together, it’s about us.”

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster have finally confirmed their relationship after over a year of rumors swirling around about them.

The 56-year-old Deadpool & Wolverine actor and the 49-year-old Tony-winning Broadway actress were spotted holding hands while taking a romantic stroll to dinner on Monday night (January 6) in Santa Monica, Calif.

The dinner date comes just two days after Hugh was spotted in the audience at Sutton‘s performance of the musical Once Upon a Mattress on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

People has published the exclusive photos of the new couple looking so happy together. Hugh was dressed in a dark jacket, a gray shirt, and white jeans while Sutton wore a brown coat over an olive-colored dress.

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster
If you didn’t know, Hugh and Sutton worked together on the Broadway musical The Music Man. The production was set to open in 2020, but then was delayed because of the pandemic. It began performances in December 2021 and then closed in January 2023 after a massively successful run.

Hugh announced his separation from wife Deborra-Lee Furness in September 2023 and rumors about his relationship with Sutton started swirling just months later, though she seemingly shot down the reports by sharing a family photo at the time.

Sutton then filed for divorce from her husband Ted Griffin in October 2024 after 10 years of marriage.

Weeks later, one of Deborra-Lee‘s friends spoke out to claim that the rumors of Hugh and Sutton‘s affair were “on point.”

The husband of a Republican senator refused to shake Vice President Kamala Harris’ hand during his wife’s swearing-in ceremony on Friday, as seen in a now-viral video that captured the awkward exchange.

Sen. Deb Fischer (R.-Neb.) appeared to be all smiles while being sworn in by Harris for her third term in the U.S. Senate while standing alongside her husband, Bruce Fischer.

The moment appeared to turn frosty, however, as the senator repeatedly nudged her husband to stand closer to the vice president as he held a cane with one hand and a Bible in the other.

“It’s OK, I won’t bite. I’m not going to bite. Don’t worry,” a smiling Harris is heard telling him as he appears to avert his gaze and keep his eyes on the Bible.

Deb Fischer shook Harris’ hand after completing her oath and thanked the vice president. When Harris expressed congratulations to the senator’s husband, he offered a short “thank you” and then dropped his newly freed left hand and put it in his pants pocket, prompting a raised-eyebrows reaction from Harris.

The senator shared photos of the event on her social media account along with a pledge about continuing to stand together.

“Together we will continue to stand tall for our shared values and take care of our people. We will protect this nation. We will build a stronger Nebraska. And we will secure that brighter future for our children and grandchildren,” her post read.

Representatives for her office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment Monday on the handshake (or lack thereof).

Topline
The northern lights may be brighter than usual in the northernmost states Monday night as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects an unusually strong aurora borealis forecast, following a strong geomagnetic storm expected to take place overnight.

Key Facts
Monday night’s northern lights could have a Kp index as strong as 6.67 on a scale of 0 to 9, according to NOAA’s three-day aurora borealis forecast, indicating lights that are “quite bright and active.”

The potentially strong lights will be prompted by a strong G3-level geomagnetic storm that is expected to take place overnight, NOAA said, which is the result of an ejection of solar material that took place Sunday.

The strong forecast is expected to continue into Tuesday night with a slightly lower projected Kp index of 5, according to NOAA’s forecast.

Where Will The Northern Lights Be Visible?
Alaska has the highest likelihood of an aurora sighting Monday night (see map below). Other states with a lower likelihood of viewing the northern lights include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. States along the aurora’s projected view line—the southern extent of its visibility—include Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

What’s The Best Way To See The Northern Lights?
NOAA says the best time to catch the lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. The agency also recommends finding a high vantage point with unobstructed views, avoiding light pollution and traveling as far north as possible.

What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights?
National Geographic recommends using a tripod for stability, a lower shutter speed, a wide-angle lens and night mode, if using an iPhone.

Key Background
Northern lights visibility hit a 500-year peak this year, NASA said, because solar activity has exceeded scientists’ expectations. The agency announced in October the sun had reached its “solar maximum” in its current 11-year solar cycle, which means the sun is in a period of heightened activity that includes solar flares, geomagnetic storms and coronal mass ejections. NASA expects heightened solar activity to continue into 2025 and 2026, before decreasing in the latter part of the decade.

Two Oregon men were found dead in a Washington state forest after they failed to return from a trip to look for Sasquatch, authorities said Saturday.

The 59-year-old and 37-year-old appear to have died from exposure, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said via Facebook. The weather and the men’s lack of preparedness led the office to draw that conclusion, it said.

Sasquatch is a folkloric beast thought by some to roam the forests, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

The two men were found in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Portland.

A family member reported them missing at around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day after they failed to return from a Christmas Eve outing.

Sixty volunteer search-and-rescue personnel helped in the three-day search, including canine, drone and ground teams. The Coast Guard used infrared technology to search from the air.

Two Oregon men were found dead in a Washington state forest after they failed to return from a trip to look for Sasquatch, authorities said Saturday.

The 59-year-old and 37-year-old appear to have died from exposure, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said via Facebook. The weather and the men’s lack of preparedness led the office to draw that conclusion, it said.

Sasquatch is a folkloric beast thought by some to roam the forests, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

The two men were found in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Portland.

A family member reported them missing at around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day after they failed to return from a Christmas Eve outing.

Sixty volunteer search-and-rescue personnel helped in the three-day search, including canine, drone and ground teams. The Coast Guard used infrared technology to search from the air.