13 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Richard Lawler

Richard Lawler

Senior News Editor

Senior News Editor

    More From Richard Lawler

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Hands-on with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Trifold.

    Three folding panels, two sets of hinges, and a frame that’s just barely thinner than a USB-C port, what more could you want? Allison Johnson finally got some hands-on time with Samsung’s trifold at CES 2026, and she’s already thinking of ways to replace her laptop.

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    How well are ChatGPT’s apps working?

    While trying to find vacation info, the chatbot told a WSJ reporter that “Tripadvisor is being a little useless.” They tested several chatbot AI apps, and apparently, Instacart is one of the better ones -- having your former CEO become OpenAI’s “CEO of Applications” must have helped.

    Other apps were slow, buggy, and complicated, and, at this stage, still slower than traditional iPhone apps.

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Duffer Bros. say that rumors of cut or unseen Stranger Things season five footage are “obviously” fake.

    If you believe internet rumors claiming the Stranger Things finale had “two hours” cut from its two-hour runtime, and have ignored actors and others saying that the claim is fake, the show’s creators have responded.

    Asked about it by Variety, Matt Duffer said, “Obviously, that’s not a real thing,” while Ross Duffer added, “I don’t think there’s a single cut scene in the entire season.”

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Apple Fitness Plus brings new fitness plans, musical guests, and podcasts for 2026.

    Just like last year, Apple has announced new fitness content that will start rolling out next week (if you want to try another app, we’ve got suggestions).

    There are new multi-week Strength, HIIT, or Yoga Fitness Comeback workouts, new music playlists, a Strava challenge for Apple Watch owners, and new Time to Walk audio episodes with Penn Badgley, Mel B, and Michelle Monaghan.

    Three simulated screenshots of Apple Fitness Plus content on iPhone and Apple Watch
    Image: Apple
    Amelia Holowaty Krales
    Amelia Holowaty Krales
    New York City’s eyes were on Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration.

    As we noted about Mamdani’s successful mayoral campaign, not everything can be done online, including his New Year’s Day public inauguration (following the private midnight swearing-in). Then the transition team, including former FTC boss Lina Khan, started work on the “sewer socialism” that Mamdani projects as part of “a new story” for the city.

    The Verge senior photo editor, Amelia Holowaty Krales, took these photos at a block party during the event.

    1/34Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    MegaLag digs up more alleged Honey fraud.

    After going a year between his first and second videos investigating the PayPal-owned shopping extension, MegaLag didn’t make us wait long for part three.

    Here, he says he has evidence of how Honey evaded detection by affiliate networks with “stand-down” rules against referral-fee-stealing behavior, and responses to Honey co-founder Ryan Hudson’s Reddit AMA. PayPal has not responded to requests for comment.

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    The Strangest Thing.

    The main Stranger Things series is coming to an end when the final episode is released tomorrow, on New Year’s Eve at 8PM ET.

    Netflix released this new trailer for the finale, which is also going to be shown in theaters, where people can watch together regardless of their familiarity with “shipping” and/or fandom designation.

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Meta acquires ‘general-purpose’ AI agent startup Manus.

    Zuckerberg’s 2025 AI spending spree now includes snagging Manus and autonomous bots that turn “advanced AI capabilities into scalable, reliable systems that can carry out end-to-end work in real-world settings.”

    As we wait for agent reality to match agent hype, Manus says it plans to expand on its existing subscriptions via Meta’s platforms in the future.

    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Kalshi and Polymarket keep partnering with fake newsbreaker accounts on X.

    “Prediction markets” continue to appear everywhere, including CNN and CNBC, and Polymarket is shitposting about citizen journalism.

    Meanwhile, The Athletic is the latest (following Awful Announcing and Front Office Sports) reporting on sports misinformation X accounts like “Emma Vance” and “Scott Hughes” have spread while sporting those site’s affiliate badges.