This short says a lot. New spin on the U.S. government's part but the same old song and dance.
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Monday, January 5, 2026
TRANS GYM GOER CAUGHT MASTURBATING IN WOMEN'S BATHROOM
New York Post
Trans gymgoer caught ‘masturbating’ in women’s bathroom at California Planet Fitness
By Emily Crane and Patrick Reilly
Published Jan. 5, 2026
Updated Jan. 5, 2026, 9:16 a.m. ET
Disturbing viral video shows the moment a transgender gymgoer appears to be masturbating in a stall inside the women’s bathroom at a Planet Fitness in California.
Planet Fitness patron Grace Hutson claims she encountered the ordeal while she was using the female restroom at the gym’s Concord location, just outside San Francisco, last May — but the footage only exploded online over the weekend.
The clip, which she originally posted on TikTok, showed the shadow of an unidentified person appearing to perform the sex act on themselves.
“At the end of the day, whether you’re transgender or not, you should not be stroking your s–t in the women’s bathroom,” Huston said in a TikTok video posted late Sunday after the footage started going viral.
“Okay, that’s definitely some weirdo s–t.”
The young woman alerted the front desk staff at the time, but the employees didn’t know how to handle the situation, she said.
Her boyfriend eventually stepped in to confront the trans gymgoer.
Addressing the saga, the young woman said she now regrets not doing more at the time.
“I was just really uncomfortable and, honestly, I kind of just wanted to say my piece and get the f–k out of there. Looking back, I do have regrets, like I should have done more. I should have called the cops,” she said.
“I thought about it, but I was like there’s no way anything is gonna come of this. People are just gonna say I’m transphobic.”
The Post reached out to Planet Fitness but didn’t hear back immediately.
The viral clip resurfaced months after Grammy-nominated singer Tish Hyman was kicked out of a Gold’s Gym in Los Angeles after confronting a wife-beating transgender woman who allegedly exposed his male genitals in the women’s locker room.
The 42-year-old musician, who has been outspoken about keeping transgender women out of women’s spaces, posted a response to the Planet Fitness video on her social media accounts.
“When you see me speak with passion, this is why,” she wrote.
“Women and girls deserve truth, safety, and protection — not confusion, not denial, not lies dressed up as compassion,” Hyman continued.
“Sex is real. Boundaries matter. Reality matters. Enough with pretending otherwise.
“This isn’t hate. This is care. This is love. This is standing up.”
Hyman was filmed last year getting into a heated argument with Alexis Black, a convicted wife-beater who is transitioning.
Hyman had filed complaints against Black for using the women’s locker room and accused Black of exposing himself and harassing her in the locker room, which he has denied.
Black, formerly Grant Freeman, pleaded guilty in 2022 to savagely beating his wife, Alexis Freeman, while still living as a man in Ohio.
The attack left his wife with a compound fractured jaw and other serious injuries.
FOUR THINGS TO DRINK IF YOU EAT TOO MUCH
New York Post
Ate too much? 4 things to drink to settle your stomach
By Carly Stern
Published Dec. 25, 2025, 1:59 p.m. ET
‘Tis the season for overdoing it.
Sometimes, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs — and the holidays are prime time for stuffing your face and quickly regretting it.
If you’ve already feasted enough to make a Santa suit feel a bit snug, there are a few drinks you can chase it down with to help settle your stomach, stat.
Ginger tea
Ginger is a powerhouse ingredient for digestive issues. Numerous studies have shown it can reduce nausea, vomiting, bloating and gas.
Gingerols and shogaols — two active compounds in ginger — can relax stomach muscles and stop the cramping that leads to farting and throwing up. That’s good news for you and whoever you share a bathroom with.
Ginger also speeds up gastric emptying — meaning how everything makes it’s way through and out of your stomach — to get you back to normal.
“As a dietitian who has always struggled with gut issues, ginger tea is one of my go-to remedies. I always recommend a soothing ginger tea with lemon and honey to help ease stomach pain and discomfort,” Crystal Orozco, RD, told EatingWell.
Fennel tea
The fennel plant contains anethole, which relaxes intestinal muscles — so using the seeds in water or tea can relieve gas, stomach pain and muscle cramps.
It’s also been shown to make you poop more, moving all that excess food out of your system faster. If your issues are more chronic, it may help with IBS as well.
Lemon water
Squeeze some lemon juice into your tea or a glass of water — it can significantly speed up how quickly your stomach empties. In fact, one study found it increased the rate by 1.5 times.
But it’s also acidic, so don’t go overboard — and if you have acid reflux or GERD that’s acting up, you may want to avoid it altogether.
Baking soda in water
Perhaps the least tasty of the bunch, water with a bit of baking soda may be the quickest fix to reduce acid if you’re feeling heartburn, queasiness or the urge to hurl.
“Some people find that drinking water with a spoonful of baking soda helps relieve indigestion,” Jennifer Christman, a registered dietitian nutritionist, told The Skimm. “That’s because baking soda — which is sodium bicarbonate — is a base that can, if used in certain quantities, lower the pH of an acidic solution.”
Just make sure you’re not overdoing it, since too much baking soda can actually cause diarrhea and vomiting. A quarter teaspoon will do.
It’s also definitely not meant to be an everyday remedy, as using it too regularly will increase your sodium intake
HOW TO GET THE MOST MONEY WHEN RETURNING UNWANTED CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
How to get the most money when returning unwanted Christmas gifts
By Ella Gonzales
Updated December 25, 2025 3:11 PM
Sometimes the gift you got from Uncle Frank just isn’t something you would ever use, or maybe that sweater just doesn’t fit right.
There are options for unwanted gifts — returns, exchanging, reselling or regifting. Ultimately, it’s best when you can replace that wrapped present with something you really want.
Here’s how to get the most when returning an unwanted gift. (Just don’t tell Uncle Frank.)
The sooner, the better
It’s always best to check the store policy of where your gift came from.
Most stores have a return window (typically around 30 days) of when you can exchange your unwanted item. If you miss the window, then, sorry Charlie!
Some stores do offer returns via shipping. So before braving the mall, check the store’s policy on returning the gift via the mail.
It’s safest to do Christmas returns during the month of January and no later. Bottom line: The sooner, the better.
Keep receipts or proof of purchase
If you receive a gift receipt, or a normal receipt, it’s more likely you can get cash back instead of store credit.
The receipt will also guarantee that you get the full amount of money that the gift was worth when it was bought.
If you try on your gift or use your gift before returning it, do not remove any tags or packaging hardware.
Most stores will accept gifts without receipts as long as they are still tagged or in the original packaging.
Note that for electronics, stores often charge restocking fees if you unwrap them. Keep electronics in the box it came in, untouched.
It’s best to keep the gift in the same condition as when you received it.
Resell or re-gift
If for any reason a gift is unreturnable or unexchangeable, you can always resell it online on eBay, Facebook Marketplace or another site.
If you don’t care about getting your money’s worth, you can always save the gift to re-gift to someone else.
This story was originally published December 25, 2025 at 2:30 PM.
CLASSIC CHRISTMAS SIDE DISHES THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED FROM AMERICAN TABLES
New York Post
Here are the classic Christmas side dishes that have disappeared from American tables
By Fox News
Published Dec. 25, 2025, 3:13 p.m. ET
Fox News
Christmas dinner may revolve around a honey-glazed ham or prime rib today, but for generations of Americans, it was the side dishes that truly defined the holiday table.
Long before trendy TikTok foods, freezer-aisle staples and sheet-pan shortcuts, Christmas spreads featured labor-intensive recipes that were passed down and cooked fresh once a year.
Creamed vegetables, piped potatoes and slow-braised winter produce reflected regional roots and Old World traditions.
As tastes shifted, entertaining grew more casual and time became a luxury, many of these classic sides quietly faded from Christmas menus.
Here’s a look at six vintage Christmas side dishes that were once enjoyed by millions — and aren’t truly forgotten.
1. Creamed onions
Once a staple of Christmas dinners across the Northeast and Midwest, creamed onions were traditionally served alongside roast beef or ham as a rich, celebratory side, along with their close cousin, creamed celery.
The dish fell out of favor because peeling pearl onions is labor-intensive and American tastes leaned away from boiled vegetables, though home cooks still debate the best version — fresh, canned or frozen — on Reddit’s r/Cooking page.
“Creamed onions were a staple,” one user recently recalled. “They were a hit with everyone.”
2. Duchess potatoes
This elegant, piped potato dish originated in 19th-century France and was a popular Christmas showpiece.
Enriched with butter and egg yolks and baked into decorative shapes, duchess potatoes stay fluffy in the center and develop a crisp, golden exterior.
As holiday entertaining became more casual and convenience foods like instant mashed potatoes took over, duchess potatoes largely vanished from American tables.
3. Braised red cabbage
Sweet-and-sour red cabbage was brought to the U.S. by German, Scandinavian and Danish immigrants and became a familiar Christmas side in many households, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast.
In Denmark, the dish emerged as a Christmas staple in the 1800s during a period of national romanticism, when red cabbage and boiled potatoes were chosen to reflect the red-and-white colors of the Danish flag, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
4. Spinach soufflé
Spinach soufflés were a mid-century symbol of sophistication for hosts and frequently appeared at Christmas dinners in the 1950s through the 1970s, according to food blogs.
Because they could deflate easily and required careful timing, they gradually fell out of favor as holiday cooking became more focused on easier, less stressful dishes.
5. Yorkshire pudding
This traditional British side is made from a batter of eggs, flour and milk, baked until light and crisp, and historically served with roast beef to soak up drippings.
It appeared on Christmas menus in the 19th century, according to the food site Epicurious — and while it was once common in American households, it gradually faded from many Christmas tables as roast beef gave way to other holiday mains.
Reddit users recently debated whether Yorkshire pudding belongs again on holiday tables, with one commenter arguing that if beef is the main course, it is “surely required.”
6. Parsnips
Parsnips were once a common winter vegetable before potatoes took over American tables.
Parsnip cakes — a humble British staple introduced to Americans in the early 1900s — remained popular through World War II because the hardy vegetable was easy to grow during rationing, with the mixture baked or fried and enriched with butter or gravy rather than tasting strongly of roots, according to Tasting Table.
Over time, parsnips fell out of favor — they gained a reputation for bitterness if overcooked, and tastes shifted toward milder, more familiar vegetables.
WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BAKE YOUR PASTA DISH IN A STEEL PAN
NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
‘Lasagna battery': Why you shouldn't bake your pasta dish in a steel pan
This one mistake could turn your holiday dinner into an accidental galvanic cell.
By Joseph Lamour | TODAY • Published December 24, 2025 • Updated on December 24, 2025 at 11:10 am
Homemade lasagna can be an exciting dinner, but one cooking mistake could instead make it electrifying — literally.
On Dec. 5, Threads user Tay Tanesha posted about her lasagna mishap: After the aluminum foil melted into it as it baked, it became inedible.
“I didn’t know aluminum foil melted in such low heat tf is this 🤔😒🤬,” she wrote.
In a trio of photos, we see the aftermath: The first shows the aluminum foil on top of the pan speckled with burn holes; the second shows the foil melted into the lasagna; and the third shows the many holes in the foil held up to the light.
“Did you set it to hell,” one user asked.
“Lasagna looking like E.T. at the end of the movie,” joked another.
But Tanesha is far from the first person to create such a charged dish — or, as one user put it, “L A S A G N A B A T T E R Y.”
What is a ‘lasagna battery’?
“Me when I create a simple galvanic cell where the aluminum and steel act as electrodes and the food’s moisture/ions act as the electrolyte, causing the foil to corrode and the food to taste metallic 😔,” explained one person who clearly aced CHEM101.
“Put enough of these together and you can light an LED!” wrote another Threads user, posting an Instagram Reel of someone making lasagna batteries … on purpose.
A few folks wondered about the science involved in Tanisha’s melty metal mishap.
“Can you explain this is standard American English for me so I can explain it to my boyfriend who doesn’t believe I taste the metal when food is cooked in these types of pans???” one such user asked.
Batteries are devices that store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy, which convert that energy into electricity to conduct it. Your TV remote, mobile phone and mid-sized sedan all have different types of batteries — and others can be made with food like lemons, potatoes or, in this case, tomato sauce and pasta.
Lasagna batteries in pop culture
According to a comment, lasagna batteries were mentioned in the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” A more recent clip in the Netflix show “A Man on the Inside” shows a lasagna battery created during a Thanksgiving dinner.
“I think what just happened was you accidentally made a lasagna battery,” Charles (Ted Danson) says in a Season 2 episode. “The steel pan acts as the cathode and the aluminum port, and then all the acid and the salt in the lasagna is the electrolyte. So a current just runs all through it.”
Smart, though Danson’s character then suggests scraping off the corrosion to serve, which is probably a bad idea.
The science behind lasagna batteries
Whether you make a lasagna with three or 50 layers, tomatoes and cheese need a metal pan and aluminum foil to conduct electricity. What happened to these lasagnas has a scientific term: galvanic corrosion, an electrochemical process that occurs when two different metals are in contact with each other in the presence of an electrolyte.
Shane C. Street, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Alabama, explains that a galvanic, or spontaneous, electrochemical cell in the dish “apparently formed” between the iron or steel pan and the aluminum in the foil, all supported by an electrolyte — namely, tomato sauce, which is salty and acidic.
“The aluminum oxidizes to aluminum oxide (gives up electrons) and iron oxide in the pan is reduced to metallic iron (takes the electrons),” Street explains to TODAY.com, adding that the overall reaction is exothermic, meaning it gives off heat and could become hot enough to melt aluminum.
The melting point of aluminum is 1220 F, by the way.
Jin Suntivich, associate professor of materials science and engineering at Cornell University, says the electrochemical reaction causes holes in the foil due to a few factors.
“Tomato sauce contains water and dissolved salts that allow charged atoms (so-called ‘ions’) to move,” Suntivich tells TODAY.com. “Aluminum foil is a material that readily gives up electrons, while oxygen in the air can accept them. Together, they form a battery that slowly eats away the foil.”
Suntivich says the principle is similar to an aluminum-air battery, which scientists have explored for energy storage like data centers and other large-scale applications.
“A more dramatic form of this reaction is called the thermite reaction,” Street adds. “This forms molten iron and gives off a tremendous amount of heat (energy), so much that it can be used in welding!”
He notes, though, that a thermite reaction and the exothermic nature of the lasagna may be making for a faster cooking environment. He adds the conditions of these two reactions are “totally different.”
“Science in action,” Street says of the accidental power source.
Regardless, while chemistry is a delightful subject to learn, maybe cook your next lasagna in a glass or ceramic pan to avoid any surprise lessons.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com.
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