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By JOSH FUNK, Associated Press The Senate moved quickly Wednesday afternoon to close a loophole that could allow military aircraft to fly without broadcasting their locations just like an Army helicopter was doing last January before it collided with an airliner over Washington, D.C., killing 67 people. Just hours after passing a massive defense bill that included the worrisome provisions about military flights, the Senate approved a bipartisan bill that will require all aircraft use ADS-B technology — or Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast technology — to broadcast their locations. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said that “tragedy could have been avoided” if the Army Black Hawk had been using its ADS-B system to broadcast its location before the crash. It is not clear exactly when the ROTOR act that Cruz and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell both support will be taken up by the House and whether changes will be made. But Cruz said that the White House supports the version that passed the Senate Wednesday and promised to help get it approved. Cruz said he is optimistic the bill could head to the president’s desk as soon as next month. Related Articles Nebraska plans to be the first state to implement Trump’s new Medicaid work requirements Trump’s National Guard deployment in Washington can continue for now, an appeals court says Senate passes $901 billion defense bill that pushes Hegseth for boat strike video FCC leader grilled over Jimmy Kimmel controversy stands his ground against Democrats Trump is previewing his 2026 agenda in an address to the nation as his popularity wanes Republican leaders decided not to delay the defense bill by amending it to address the flight safety concerns because doing that would have sent the bill back to the House for another vote. The final report on the crash won’t be completed until sometime next year. But Cruz said it makes sense to take this step now to force the military to operate under the same rules as airliners do around Washington, D.C., after the National Transportation Safety Board found 85 near misses in the three years before the crash. The NTSB has been recommending requiring these locator systems for decades, but it has never been enacted partly because of concerns about the potential cost burden on the average Cessna owner. Airline jets are already equipped with a version of an ADS-B. The Black Hawk helicopter involved in the deadly collision with a plane trying to land at Reagan National Airport also had such a system, but it was flying with it turned off because the military was concerned about observers being able to pinpoint its location during a training mission. In March, the Federal Aviation Administration required all military helicopters to turn on their locator systems at all times when flying through the crowded airspace around the nation’s capital. The agency also took action to ensure that helicopters and planes would no longer share the same airspace by pausing takeoffs and landings anytime a helicopter is passing the airport. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford promised Tuesday to maintain those safety measures to ensure flying around Washington doesn’t get riskier even if the military bill becomes law. Bedford is scheduled to testify at a Senate committee Wednesday afternoon. The bill also requires a review of safety at airports across the country to ensure they don’t face the same hazards that contributed to the crash at Reagan Airport. And the military and FAA will have to share safety data more freely.

Perry Minasian believes the Angels can help Jordan Romano rediscover himself. A day after the Angels signed the former All-Star reliever to a $2 million deal, the general manager explained why he thinks there is hope for him to put last season’s 8.23 ERA behind him. “There are some things we feel like we can do delivery-wise,” Minasian said Wednesday. “There are some things we feel like we can do with the slider. The biggest thing is the stuff is still good. He missed bats. I know the ERA was high, but the underlying numbers were pretty good. We felt that with the combination of tightening up some things from a grip standpoint, doing some things with a delivery standpoint, he could have a more productive year. And he’s really motivated.” Romano, 32, was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had arthroscopic elbow surgery in 2024 and struggled with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025. Romano still struck out 47 in 42⅔ innings. Much of the damage against him came on an unsightly 10 homers allowed. His expected ERA was 3.99 and his Fielding Independent Pitching ERA was 5.39, which both suggest he was at least partly a victim of bad luck last season. Getting more out of Romano will be one of the projects for new pitching coach Mike Maddux. The Angels also signed right-hander Alek Manoah, who will be looking for a similar bounceback to his All-Star form. The pitching staff also includes right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who missed the past season and a half with injury. “Is there risk? Yes,” Minasian said. “There’s going to be risk. We have done a lot of things that have an element of risk to it this offseason. With that being said, we believe there’s a major reward on a lot of these guys. They’ve done it in the past and they’re motivated to do it again. So we’ll see how it all plays out.” The other reliever the Angels signed this week did this year exactly what they’d like to see Romano and Manoah do next year. Left-hander Drew Pomeranz did not pitch in the majors from 2022-24 because of various injuries. In 2025, Pomeranz posted a 2.17 ERA with the Chicago Cubs. That earned him a $4 million deal with the Angels. Pomeranz held lefties to a .176 average in 2025, which is appealing to the Angels. Brock Burke, the other lefty currently in the Angels’ bullpen, is no more effective against lefties than righties. “There’s a lot of really good left-handed hitters that you’re going to see later in games, in big moments,” Minasian said. “To have a guy like Drew out there definitely makes us feel a lot better than we did a day ago.” Minasian said the bullpen roles are to be determined. “There’s no set closer right now,” Minasian said. “We’re still looking at the bullpen. It’s not an area where we’re done. We’re still going to look to add to that group that we currently have. In our eyes, it’s to get as many good arms as we can and see what happens.” Romano could win the closer role with a good spring. Otherwise, the job could go to Robert Stephenson or Ben Joyce. Both pitchers have the stuff to close games, but both missed almost all of the 2025 season with injuries. Minasian said Joyce is “doing great,” but they “are not going to rush him. He’s too valuable. Once he gets to spring training, we’ll see where he’s at. We’ll go to day to day.” Stephenson has started a throwing program and “all signs point to him being ready to go” in spring training, Minasian said. Beyond the bullpen, the Angels still need a third baseman and they could use another starting pitcher and a center fielder. They are currently about $38 million below their 2025 payroll. “There’s definitely opportunity,” Minasian said. “There’s a number of very good players out in the market, be in trade or free agency, and we’re active in a lot of areas. We’ll see how it all plays out.” Related Articles Angels add relievers Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano Jury gets Tyler Skaggs wrongful-death case against the Angels Former Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was an opioid…

Well, here we are, mere nanoseconds away from Christmas and I’m completely ready to go. My tree is glowing, the presents are all wrapped, the table is set with beautiful decorations and the lights are illuminating the front of the house in the most festive way possible, even outdoing Clark Griswold. For the first time in recent years, I got around to sending Christmas cards that I made by hand while otherwise wasting time watching Hallmark movies on TV. And, if you believe all that, I have some deeds to acreage on the planet Mars that I’d like to sell you. Okay, okay, truthfully, I’m not ready at all, but I have friends who have seized the festive spirit and embraced Christmas like it was an elderly billionaire uncle with no children and a bad heart. I haven’t quite gotten around to decorating our evergreen petroleum-based Christmas tree, although Cheetah Boy has brought it in from the garage, taken it out of its traditional plastic bag and erected it next to the fireplace. I have one friend who would definitely scoff at this, because she’s already finished not one, not two, not three but four holiday trees that she annually spreads around her 1,200-square-foot house, fully decorated and shouting the festive spirit of the holidays. Actually, she’s feeling a bit guilty because in the past she’s put up five trees, but now she has a slightly smaller space to work with. We all admire this person for many reasons (and some of you regular readers would recognize her name) because she’s talented, funny, hard-working, sincere, beautiful and generous. But I particularly admire her verve at celebrating Christmas. There was a time I, too, went overboard at the season, hanging, nailing, or otherwise attaching decorations on every conceivable space inside and outside the house. I haunted the thrift shops for vintage finds. “Ooh, a ratty old plastic Santa in his sleigh from the 1950s! This will look great on the porch!” It was like I created my own personal holiday pop-up Christmas bar, except I limited who could come in and get smashed. I still enjoy decorating, but I just can’t get into taking everything down afterward. So I’ve scaled back to more modest proportions, especially now that my kids are adults. I suspect some of you feel the same. I’ve replaced this with just going to existing Christmas pop-up bars and enjoying other people’s decorations. Luckily, more and more places are jumping on this bandwagon, apparently attracted by the chance to charge $18 for an eggnog cocktail. However, this year I’m excitedly looking forward to the arrival of my oldest (well, okay, only) female child, Curly Girl, who will be flying home with two babies from her new abode in northern Washington State. This is the first time she’s been back since she moved up there in August, and I can’t wait to see her. There’s been widespread flooding due to heavy rain where she lives, and I used the opportunity to ask her whether she’s ready to move back home now. “Mom, I like the rain,” was her response, leading me to believe that living up there has driven her crazy. My first grandchild, Floyd, is about to turn three, and he also seems excited to see me, his Nana. This is thrilling to me, and I can’t wait. I’ve never been much of a baby person, so I’m looking forward to spending more time with him now that he’s able to communicate with more than a loud wail. Then there’s Mabel, who just turned one a few weeks ago. She’s a beautiful girl and, like her mother, very smart. Advice: Try not to have smart children or pets. They’ll drive you crazy, although they are useful for fixing your smartphone when it mystifies you. Santa with baby Floyd, grandson of Frumpy MIddle-aged Mom, at Christmas 2024. (Photo courtesy of Marla Jo Fisher) I’m in the midst of a massive cleaning and decluttering spurt before they get here, so there’s a clear path to walk through the rooms. I’m joking about that part, but I would like to remove everything that toddlers can grab and break or…

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