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NPR's Leila Fadel asks the president of the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union about why the team is dropping an effort to unionize.

AI in the home is turning out to be fewer impressive displays of robotics and more sanding off rough edges to make running your home cheaper, safer and easier to manage.

Oppressive, unstimulating urban architecture isn’t just about eyesores; there’s evidence that it can cause actual harm to its residents. To fix this in 2025, we must start building for joy.

Researchers have probed the genetics of one of Australia's most elusory animals, the marsupial mole.

(Image credit: Mike Gillam)

Max's January 2025 schedule features an impressive lineup to start the new year right. From timeless classics and kid-friendly favorites to edge-of-your-seat thrillers, there’s no shortage of excellent movies to watch on Max this month. Plus, several new seasons of top Max TV shows are ready to binge.

As one of the best streaming services out there, Max consistently delivers fresh content for those who love movies, TV shows and even documentaries. In this guide, we’ve rounded up all of the titles arriving in January 2025 to keep you entertained through the winter chill. If you’re after the cream of the crop, don’t miss our separate guides to the best Max movies and best Max shows. For now, here’s everything coming to Max this month.

Everything new on Max in January 2025

Arriving on January 1

A Star is Born (movie)
Act of Valor (movie)
Annabelle Comes Home (movie)
Annabelle: Creation (movie)
Balls Out (movie)
Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World (documentary)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (movie)
Batman: The Killing Joke (movie)
Best Of Enemies (movie)
Bitter Creek (movie)
Black Gold (movie)
Blue Velvet (movie)
Buffaloed (movie)
Calamity Jane (movie)
Call Me by Your Name (movie)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (movie)
Cow Country (movie)
Crazy Rich Asians (movie)
Desperately Seeking Susan (movie)
Destination Tokyo (movie)
Diggers (movie)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (movie)
Each Dawn I Die (movie)
Eat Pray Love (movie)
Fast & Furious (movie)
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (movie)
Free Birds (movie)
Green Lantern (movie)
Heaven Help Us (movie)
Home Again (movie)
Hot Tub Time Machine (movie)
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (movie)
House at the End of the Street (movie)
I Am Love (movie)
Injustice (movie)
Iris (movie)
It Follows (movie)
It: Chapter Two (movie)
Jason Bourne (movie)
Johnny Angel (movie)
Justice League vs. Teen Titans (movie)
Justice League: Doom (movie)
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (movie)
Justice League: War (movie)
Keeping Up with the Joneses (movie)
Kept Husbands (movie)
Kicks (movie)
Lemon (movie)
Mad Max (movie)
Matilda (movie)
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (movie)
Morgan (movie)
Mortdecai (movie)
Mrs. Doubtfire (movie)
My Favorite Wife (movie)
Mystic Pizza (movie)
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (movie)
Night and Day (movie)
Nocturne (movie)
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band (documentary)
Paddington (movie)
Rebel Without a Cause (movie)
Red Light (movie)
Reframed: Next Gen Narratives, Season 1 (TV show)
Room for One More (movie)
School Life (movie)
Sex and the City 2 (movie)
Shining Vale, Season 1 (TV show)
Shining Vale, Season 2 (TV. show)
Showing Up (movie)
Silver Linings Playbook (movie)
St. Vincent (movie)
Steel Magnolias (movie)
Stephen King's It (movie)
Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (documentary)
Sully (movie)
Supergirl (movie)
Superman & Lois, Season 4 (TV show)
Tangerine (movie)
Task Force (movie)
Teen Wolf (movie)
Tennessee Johnson (movie)
The Accountant (movie)
The Addams Family 2 (movie)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (movie)
The Big Year (movie)
The Birth of a Nation (movie)
The Boondock Saints (movie)
The Cable Guy (movie)
The Conjuring 2 (movie)
The Craft (movie)
The Curse of La Llorona (movie)
The Imitation Game (movie)
The Leopard Man (movie)
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (movie)
The Mouthpiece (movie)
The Narrow Margin (movie)
The Prince and the Pauper (movie)
The Prisoner of Zenda (movie)
The Purge: Election Year (movie)
The Red Badge of Courage (movie)
The Student Prince (movie)
The Usual Suspects (movie)
The Whistlers (movie)
The Wrong Man (movie)
Volunteers (movie)
Warcraft (movie)
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic (TV show)
Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulger (documentary)
Wild Boys of the Road (movie)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (movie)
Woman in Gold (movie)
World Without End (movie)

Arriving on January 2

Expedition Files, Season 1 (documentary)
Isadora Moon, Season 1A (TV show)
My 600-lb Life, Season 13 (TV show)

Arriving on January 3

Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation, Season 10 (TV show)
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Season 49 (TV show)
The Front Room (movie)

Arriving on January 4

Belle Collective, Season 5 (TV show)

Arriving on January 5

Craig of the Creek, Season 6B (TV show)
Mecum Top 10, Season 10 (TV show)
Totally Spies, Season 7A (TV show)

Arriving on January 6

Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition: Heroes vs. Villains (TV show)

Arriving on January 7

Cleats & Convos with Deebo Samuel, Episode 111 (TV show)
How It Really Happened, Season 8 (TV show)
Kids Baking Championship, Season 14 (TV show)
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter, Season 3 (TV show)
The Edge with Micah Parsons, Episode 219 (TV show)

Arriving on January 8

7 Little Johnstons, Season 15 (TV show)
CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute (TV show)
Fixer to Fabulous, Season 6 (TV show)
Wildcard Kitchen, Season 2 (TV show)

Arriving on January 9

Aaron Hernandez and the Untold Murders of Bristol (documentary)
Sons of Ecstasy (documentary)
The Pitt, Season 1 (documentary)

Arriving on January 10

Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This? (TV show)
Black Butterfly (movie)
Holla (movie)
Look Into My Eyes (movie)
Vinnie Jones: In the Country, Season 1-2 (TV show)

Arriving on January 12

Naked and Afraid Spain (Aventura En Pelotas Espana), Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 13

Barney's World, Season 1B (TV show)

Arriving on January 14

Baylen Out Loud, Season 1 (TV show)
Death by Fame, Season 3 (TV show)
The Curious Case of..., Season 1 (TV show)
The Last Party: Death on Tresco, Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 15

An Update On Our Family (documentary)
Cult of Fear: The Asaram Bapu Story (documentary)
Marshall (movie)
Uncharted (movie)

Arriving on January 16

Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail (documentary)
Divided By Design, Season 1B (TV show)
Harley Quinn, Season 5 (TV show)
Murder Under the Friday Night Lights, Season 4 (TV show)
My Sesame Street Friends, Season 15 (TV show)
Sesame Street, Season 55 (TV show)

Arriving on January 17

A Different Man (movie)
Better Off Dead (movie)
Real Time with Bill Maher, Season 23 (TV show)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (movie)

Arriving on January 21

Contraband: Seized at the Airport, Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 22

Expedition X, Season 8 (TV show)

Arriving on January 23

C.B. Strike: The Ink Black Heart (TV show)

Arriving on January 24

Harpoon Hunters, Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 25

Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 2B (TV show)

Arriving on January 27

Scars of Beauty (Beleza Fatal), Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 28

Chopped, Season 60 (TV show)

Arriving on January 29

The Flip Off, Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 30

Mermicorno: Starfall, Season 1A (TV show)
The Other Side (Del Otro Lado Del Jardín) (movie)

Arriving on January 31

Guy's Ultimate Family Cruise (TV show)
The Eastern Gate (Przesmyk), Season 1 (TV show)

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CreditKarma is part of the Intuit company, which also owns the likes of TurboTax, Quickbooks and Mailchimp. It’s been designed to make life easier when it comes to monitoring personal finances, with tools that cover everything from credit ratings and card ownership through to offering help with tax and accounts.

Adding to the appeal are options for handling everyday essentials on the money front as well as guidance on loans plus home and auto matters. CreditKarma comes with a sign up for free option for anyone just curious as to how useful if can be to them. Intuit reckons over 130 million members are already part of the CreditKarma club, which suggests it must be doing something right although it's not as appealing as the now defunct Mint app, also owned by Intuit.

• Want to try CreditKarma? Check out the website here

One of the most important issues relating to the best personal finance software packages is ease of use. Convenience and time-saving features are vital, which is some that Credit Karma aims to offer. So, if you find staying on top of monetary matters a chore and welcome help when it comes to filing tax returns or optimising how you spend and save, CreditKarma could be worth exploring.

You'll need to sign up for an account prior to being able to use CreditKarma. (Image credit: CreditKarma) CreditKarma: Pricing

The best personal finance software market is a competitive one, which means that Intuit has to provide value for money when it comes to CreditKarma services. The initial sign-up process can be done for free, which is obviously appealing.

Naturally, with something that comes as free initially, CreditKarma can also tend to provide the user with a bewildering blizzard of financial products. The deeper you get into its offerings, the more this seems to intensify. It’s fine for anyone looking for such things, but this can also detract from the initially appealing free stance.

CreditKarma offers advice and guidance on every area of personal finances. (Image credit: CreditKarma) CreditKarma: Features

CreditKarma works by offering free access to your credit score and, from there, allows much more effective management of personal finances. It’s a sort of helping hand, offering guidance as to the best way to move forwards, which could be a real boon for anyone who struggles with managing personal money matters.

Once you’ve signed up for an account, you’ll have your own log-in details, which will enable you to peruse personal credit scores from the leading names including TransUnion and Equifax. Being able to do this at your leisure and whenever it suits can be very handy as is the suggestions CreditKarma makes to help you navigate your money management chores.

CreditKarma also offers lots of free advice even if you don't go on to become a subscriber. (Image credit: CreditKarma) CreditKarma: Performance

Many of use lead such busy lives that staying on top of personal finances can be tricky. So aside from the desktop website, CreditKarma works best when it’s used via the app. This means it’s quick and easy to tap into the incredible array of help and guidance using Intuit’s large-scale volumes of data. It also means that checking the latest deals of loans, credit cards and mortgages can be done on-the-go too.

Such is the level of information offered, both via the desktop website and through the app, Intuit has done a great job and users of CreditKarma might end up finding it their won one-stop shop when it comes to managing personal finances. It’s all here, and everything seems to flow very nicely indeed too. So, it’s a thumbs-up to CreditKarma on the operational front.

CreditKarma: Ease of use

As expected, the slick CreditKarma website and app combination works every bit as easily as other products in the Intuit portfolio. This is a big company, with seemingly endless resources so it’s little wonder that using the CreditKarma features and functions is a breeze. However, it’s interesting that Intuit also owns budgeting app Mint, which was very popular with lots of people.

Since the acquisition though, Intuit has closed down the apparently loss-making Mint and now points customers in the direction of CreditKarma. Some users who have done this report that it’s not such plain sailing and another complaint is that there are less budgeting features and functions on offer compared to Mint. However, CreditKarma does make it immediately obvious that it is more concerned with offering advice on credit scores. And for that purpose, it seems to work well enough.

(Image credit: CreditKarma) CreditKarma: Support

There’s not too much to go wrong with CreditKarma as the areas where it gives you an overview of your credit scores and the information relating to how that is shaped proves straightforward. In that respect, it seems unlikely that help will be needed for users dipping in and making the most of the free service. Anyone who does come unstuck is pointed to the Help Center, which is, in essence, an online portal offering predetermined answers to questions. It is comprehensive, mind.

CreditKarma: Final verdict

On initial inspection, CreditKarma is impressive enough with lots of tools that purport to help you better manage your personal finances. However, dig a little deeper and there are obviously lots of features and functions that have the potential to draw users deeper into the world of personal loans, offers of credit and other such schemes.

There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but anyone using CreditKarma who isn’t confident with their own financial management processes will want to tread carefully. It doesn’t cost anything to sign up, so CreditKarma is worth an experimental look. The comprehensive advice sections on the website could prove handy too, but there isn’t anything here that can’t be found elsewhere, as our best personal finance software guide attests only too well.

• We've also highlighted the best tax software

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Fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group have displaced some 12 million people in one of Africa's biggest countries. In a story we first brought you in October, our correspondent travels to Sudan and gives us a glimpse of the devastation the war has caused.

A gunman who fatally shot at least 12 people, including two children, in Montenegro has killed himself while surrounded by police, officials said Thursday.

(Image credit: Risto Bozovic)

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 2.

Lights returned to households as well as to Puerto Rico's hospitals, water plants and sewage facilities after the massive outage that exposed the persistent electricity problems plaguing the island.

(Image credit: Alejandro Granadillo)

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections: Sports Edition No. 101 for Jan. 2.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for the Jan. 2 Strands puzzle, No. 305.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,293 for Jan. 2.

In the early hours of New Year's Day, a truck rammed into crowds on the French Quarter's heavily foot-trafficked street. Police are looking into whether the suspect had ties to any terror groups.

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Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1074) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1074) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1074) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1074) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1074) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• U

• S

• D

• I

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1074) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1074, are…

• UNIFY
• SWORE
• DEPOT
• INTRO

This was close to being my most successful game of Quordle for ages but in a choice between Snore and SWORE I picked the wrong word – I think it’s because I’ve got snoring on my mind, seeing as I woke myself up snoring last night. Although that did also involve some swearing, so…

Getting the O for INTRO in my first round was also a big help, as was landing all five letters with subsequent guesses. So far, 2025 is looking good.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1074) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1074, are…

• BASIN
• CADDY
• SLACK
• MUDDY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1073, Wednesday 1 January: CLING, SUITE, WORRY, TONIC
• Quordle #1072, Tuesday 31 December: PLUMP, TUBER, IRATE, ICILY
• Quordle #1071, Monday 30 December: TODDY, GROIN, GROWN, VERVE
• Quordle #1070, Sunday 29 December: PURER, SPLAT, RABID, EMCEE
• Quordle #1069, Saturday 28 December: BUNCH, LABOR, TRIPE, BUNNY
• Quordle #1068, Friday 27 December: BRAWL, LYING, ORGAN, CRONY
• Quordle #1067, Thursday 26 December: TATTY, OVERT, FLOUR, SWEPT
• Quordle #1066, Wednesday 25 December: LIVER, CRIER, SHORE, MURKY
• Quordle #1065, Tuesday 24 December: TIPSY, SCALE, FLYER, VALVE
• Quordle #1064, Monday 23 December: SNAKE, SAVVY, ELBOW, TWEED
• Quordle #1063, Sunday 22 December: DOUBT, SLURP, PAPER, CIVIL
• Quordle #1062, Saturday 21 December: STRIP, BUDGE, SAPPY, SHELF
• Quordle #1061, Friday 20 December: PENAL, EAGLE, DILLY, QUITE
• Quordle #1060, Thursday 19 December: JEWEL, GNOME, TRAMP, IDLER
• Quordle #1059, Wednesday 18 December: LITHE, BIRTH, HUMID, ROBOT
• Quordle #1058, Tuesday 17 December: DOING, ENJOY, SNAKY, AMPLE
• Quordle #1057, Monday 16 December: HYDRO, CREAM, CHIDE, SLIME
• Quordle #1056, Sunday 15 December: DROVE, STILT, LINEN, GIANT
• Quordle #1055, Saturday 14 December: SPIEL, ONSET, TIGER, DITTO
• Quordle #1054, Friday 13 December: ERECT, REBAR, MOIST, IDIOM

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #305) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Super bowl

NYT Strands today (game #305) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LOSER
• POOL
• STUN
• CRANK
• CHICK
• PICK

NYT Strands today (game #305) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• … for the soul

NYT Strands today (game #305) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #305) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #305, are…

• STOCK
• CELERY
• ONIONS
• CARROTS
• PEPPER
• NOODLES
• SPANGRAM: CHICKEN SOUP

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The classic ingredients (although you may want to add some water/stock) to chicken soup – or any soup for that matter – make up today’s Strands.

Soup is the perfect January meal – it’s really simple to make, as once you have your base ingredients loaded you are virtually there and no matter what you’ve put in the pot it will feel way healthier than anything you ate in December.

The problem is, no matter how hearty a soup is, it seldom feels enough and I can never resist the temptation to supplement it with a sandwich… or two sandwiches. But maybe that’s because I’m British, we’re a bit obsessed with sandwiches.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 1 January, game #304)

• CRUNCH
• SQUAT
• LUNGE
• PLANK
• SITUP
• DEADLIFT
• BURPEE
• SPANGRAM: EXERCISE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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