TL;DR: Live stream Morocco vs. Comoros in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off with the hosts taking on Comoros. Fans will be expecting Morocco to come away with a confident win here, but anyone who has ever watched AFCON will know that you should always expect the unexpected. Morocco are on a winning run of 18 consecutive victories, making them firm favorites to lift the trophy on home soil. They've not won this competition since 1976, so the pressure will be on Achraf Hakimi and teammates to deliver that sought-after title. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! If you want to watch Morocco vs. Comoros in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.When is Morocco vs. Comoros?Morocco vs. Comoros in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 21. This fixture takes place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.How to watch Morocco vs. Comoros for freeMorocco vs. Comoros in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.Live stream Morocco vs. Comoros for free by following these simple steps:Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)Open up the app and connect to a server in the UKVisit Channel 4Watch Morocco vs. Comoros for free from anywhere in the world Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Morocco vs. Comoros (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.What is the best VPN for Channel 4?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:Servers in 105 countries including the UKEasy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and moreStrict no-logging policy so your data is secureFast connection speeds free from throttlingUp to eight simultaneous connections30-day money-back guaranteeA one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).Watch Morocco vs. Comoros in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you like it just right.Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace. SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 21, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 21, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Big bad wolfThe words are related to books. Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe a popular children's story.NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Three Little Pigs.NYT Strands word list for December 21HuffThree Little PigsPuffSticksBlowDownBricksStrawLooking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to knit.If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 21, 2025 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers. Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though. SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for December 21, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:A thick blanket.Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no recurring letters.Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter Q. SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.Drumroll please!The solution to today's Wordle is... QUILTDon't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands. SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 21, 2025 Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love a cuppa.Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media. SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for December 21, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:Yellow: A kettleGreen: Book havenBlue: To come upPurple: To fallHere are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:Yellow: Features of a teapotGreen: Library sectionsBlue: ArisePurple: ___ DropLooking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.Drumroll, please!The solution to today's Connections #924 is...What is the answer to Connections todayFeatures of a teapot: HANDLE, LID, SPOUT. STRAINERLibrary sections: CIRCULATION, PERIODICALS, REFERENCE, STACKSArise: EMERGE, FLOW, ISSUE, RESULT___ Drop: AIR, EAVES, GUM, RAINDon't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 21, 2025 Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

TL;DR: Secure 20TB of storage with this Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription on sale now for just $399.97 (reg. $4,900) through Dec. 21. Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription (20TB) $399.97 $4,900 Save $4,500.03   Get Deal Do you rent your cloud storage? Not only is that a hefty expense every month, but it just keeps rising as you need more space. If you’re looking for a more cost-effective way to store your important files safely, it’s time to check out Internxt Cloud Storage.Right now, you can pay once and lock in 20TB of cloud storage for only $399.97 (reg. $4,900) through Dec. 21. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! Cloud storage offers a lot of convenience, but it can be costly month after month. You also have to continuously upgrade your plan to meet your storage needs. That’s where Internxt Cloud Storage really shines, letting you pay once and own 20TB of space for life.12TB of storage from Apple sets you back $60 a month, or $720 a year. You’ll nearly double that amount of storage for almost half the price with Internxt, and you only have to pay once for life. This deal for 20TB of storage lets you store 6.5 million photos, 5 million documents, or thousands of hours of HD video.Aside from letting you own enough storage to grow with for life, Internxt Cloud Storage also offers next-level security with end-to-end encryption. Your data is safe, and not even Internxt itself can access it. They are also GDPR-compliant, adhering to strict European laws regarding user privacy and data security.Get cloud storage for life with this Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription, now only $399.97 (reg. $4,900) through Dec. 21.StackSocial prices subject to change.

The data center market is booming with little indication it'll be slowing down anytime soon — despite efforts to halt the processing sprawl. According to a new report by S&P Global, the global data center market ballooned to $61 billion in 2025, a half billion dollar increase from last year and another record high for the industry. The money is trying to keep pace with expanding infrastructure projects needed to funnel more data processing power to generative AI and its makers. SEE ALSO: NVIDIA earnings report: Why the AI bubble will bounce into 2026 Despite concerns that interest in AI will wane and render projects moot, S&P experts told CNBC that they predict demand for AI applications will stay strong in 2026, and skepticism of major AI players is unlikely to change the market trends. Still, the numbers may not be as positive as they appear. S&P Global found that a majority of the financing surge came from private equity financing, a precarious debt model that's needed to feed the massive, energy-intensive industry, CNBC reported. According to an October S&P Global report, data centers were expected to increase their power grid use by another 22 percent by the end of 2025, and predict that number will triple by 2030. Other experts have spotted similar trends. In response to these trends, communities around the country have been pushing back against data center deals. Earlier this month, a coalition of 350 nonprofit environmental organizations signed a letter outlining major concerns about the environmental impact of large data centers, urging all 50 states to halt the expansion of data center projects. Over the last year, data center deals have faced legal and social blowback from community groups and local advocacy organizations, including cases in Virginia and Wisconsin. Advocates have even created litigation tool kits to support the fight against AI data center expansion. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pledged to accelerate federal data center permitting and bypass established environmental laws in order to meet goals outlined in its new AI action plan.

A debris field comprised of a Starlink satellite's remains is floating through space, after a minor explosion broke off pieces of the tech and sent them tumbling around Earth's orbit. Space X reported the anomaly earlier this week, which the company said resulted in trackable debris that included the satellite's propulsion tank and the largely intact satellite body, which is still in orbit. SpaceX says the satellite, which the company says isn't close enough to the International Space Station (ISS) to pose a risk to astronauts, will reenter the atmosphere and reach its "demise" in the next week. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. "As the world’s largest satellite constellation operator, we are deeply committed to space safety. We take these events seriously. Our engineers are rapidly working to root cause and mitigate the source of the anomaly and are already in the process of deploying software to our vehicles that increases protections against this type of event," wrote SpaceX. Earth's orbit is filled with such debris, prompting concern among experts who warn that accumulating space junk will impede our space efforts, lead to greater and more dangerous collisions, and, more importantly, pose increased risk to humans on the ground. Last week, a SpaceX satellite and a satellite from Chinese company CAS Space nearly crashed into each other. The anomaly comes one week after the aerospace and telecommunications companies launched 27 new Starlink satellites into the Earth's orbit, marking the 580th flight of the company's Falcon 9 rocket since its first successful deployment in 2015 — it was the 162nd flight in 2025 alone, Space reported. Out of more than 10,000 Starlink satellites sent into space, around 9,300 are still active. The Elon Musk-owned company is continuing a major push to become the leading supplier of rural broadband internet and emergency satellite communications services, including ongoing deals with the U.S. government. SpaceX has struck out against federal funding allocations for fiber internet access projects and courted favor with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an effort to gain priority for satellite internet over other broadband efforts.

ChatGPT can act even friendlier now, with new personality customization options that let users choose just how warm and enthusiastic the bot is in conversation. SEE ALSO: ChatGPT is changing the abortion landscape OpenAI announced the new personality settings in a Friday post on X. The update rolled out immediately to ChatGPT users alongside a long-awaited pinned chats feature, new ways to generate or edit emails, and updates to ChatGPT browser Atlas. The new tools add more fine tuning of ChatGPT's personality using levels of warmth and enthusiasm (labelled as "more," "less," or "default"). Users can also adjust the way the bot organizes its responses, such as how frequently it generates lists, as well as the amount of emojis it employs, in addition to its base style and tone. There's still no option to exclude emojis entirely. Professionals have warned that overly anthropomorphic and sycophantic chatbots can exacerbate mental health concerns, including AI psychosis and dependency. A previous ChatGPT model, the still-available GPT-4o, was adjusted earlier this year after facing criticism for "overly agreeable" behavior. CEO Sam Altman has referred to the issue as a "personality problem." This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. OpenAI launched its new GPT-5.2 model series one week ago, boasting new capabilities for "professional knowledge work" that include better processing benchmarks and less hallucinations, the company reports. ChatGPT's developers also recommitted itself to its mental health and teen safety promises amid escalating lawsuits. In a blog post published Thursday, OpenAI explained it was introducing a new set of under-18 user principles to GPT-5.2 intended to create additional guardrails around sensitive topics and encourage age-appropriate interactions. It's also working on a new age verification system for young users. GPT-5.2 reportedly scores higher on internal mental health safety tests, including stress testing for self harm, than previous models.Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

"Elite gift giver" is a title we all strive to achieve in life. But I'd argue that finding a unique eco-friendly gift is the final boss of thoughtful gifting — thoughtful because you clearly carefully considered what'd make them happy, and because you made a conscious effort to not fall into the wasteful overconsumption trap.I mean, consumerism really puts a damper on holiday cheer, particularly as it applies to waste and ethics. Consider how much non-recyclable packaging will be used, how many old tech devices will be trashed to make room for new ones, or how many underpaid workers put in extra hours to get those Shein prices so sketchily low. Of course, there's always the question of whether your giftee will even use that gift you bought in a hasty scramble, or if they'll gift it to the trash can to keep the peace in their junk drawer. SEE ALSO: The best 'buy it for life' products, backed by Mashable reporters and editors Outside of voting, using your dollar to shop and gift sustainably is a tangible way to get involved at the individual level. I've gathered a list of the best unique sustainable gift ideas below, including several items that I personally use and tell loved ones about. This isn't your average list of fancy reusable grocery bags and succulent gift boxes: There are affordable stocking stuffers that simply act as a less-wasteful version of something people already use regularly, as well as more creative, premium eco-friendly gifts like comfiest comforter ever that happens to be made from recycled plastic bottles. There's a gift for every point (and budget) on the journey to create less waste.

It’s not just you (and Rian Johnson): Social media these days feels like a big trough of AI slop. It’s just…everywhere. Swipe through your FYP, your Reels, your timeline, and you’ll see slop on slop. Mashable associate editor Tim Marcin explains how we got here.

Jodi Carreon began worrying about her older child's spelling ability a few years ago, when the child was in second grade. In Carreon’s southern California school district, students had returned to the classroom following pandemic restrictions. Each child had a laptop, a feature of distance learning Carreon thought would be phased out as schooling returned to normal. But that didn't happen. Her child, she says, was expected to use Google Docs before they knew how to type, and could also access spell check. Though they were also practicing handwriting, her student wasn't coming home with spelling lists or tests, either. Carreon recalls wondering at the time how they were learning to spell. SEE ALSO: What to know before you buy an AI toy "Over the next couple of years, I started to understand…they aren't explicitly teaching spelling in the way that I understood it to happen," said Carreon, a stay-at-home parent and co-lead of the advocacy group Distraction-Free Schools CA. (Mashable isn't sharing specific details about Carreon's children for privacy reasons.)By the time her child reached the end of elementary school, Carreon decided they would benefit from spelling tutoring. She also knew that letting them rely on error-correcting technologies like autocorrect, spellcheck, and generative artificial intelligence would only mask the problem. So she downloaded spelling lists from the internet and reviewed words with them every week. Carreon was improvising: "I'm not a teacher," she said. "I don't exactly know the proper way to do this. I would help them as best as I could, based on the rules I remembered."  Parents are on their own with spellingWhat Carreon didn't know then was that many teachers no longer understand how to effectively teach spelling, and don't receive high-quality curriculum to help them, according to literacy experts interviewed by Mashable.This may surprise parents of a certain age, who attended elementary school in the 1980s and early 1990s and likely became proficient spellers thanks to formalized spelling instruction. While the literacy crisis frequently makes headlines, parents are less aware of the decline in formal instruction, which contributes to difficulties with reading, comprehension, and writing. There is no annual national spelling assessment and states generally don't explicitly test spelling, so it's difficult to know the extent of the problem. Complicating matters are tools and products like spellcheck, Google Docs, Grammarly, and ChatGPT, which parents themselves might favor and which can make spelling appear an obsolete skill. But literacy experts interviewed by Mashable say that while such tools can be helpful later in a child's schooling, students must learn the vital skill of spelling or risk falling behind academically. Spelling may seem like an optional skill these days, but literacy experts say it's foundational for being able to read, write, and comprehend well. Absent a nationwide movement to standardize spelling instruction, parents are in a position they dread: On their own. Spelling struggles? What to do next.None of the literacy experts Mashable interviewed blamed teachers for the lack of spelling instruction in schools. Instead, they pointed to a decades-long shift away from science-based literacy in favor of a since-debunked philosophy known as “whole language,” which posited, among other things, that students didn't need formal spelling instruction. Instead, the thinking went, they'd learn to spell through reading. The abandonment of formal spelling instruction, beginning in the late 1980s, meant that educators stopped learning how to formally teach the subject. Nor are they routinely provided comprehensive lesson material that includes spelling, said Dr. Brennan Chandler, professor at Georgia State University who researches literacy and dyslexia.  "I really try to approach these conversations from a place of curiosity." - Jodi Carreon, parent education advocate Even though "whole language" and the widespread curriculum that supported it has been thoroughly rejected by scientific research in recent years, spelling instruction has not recovered. Although most states have passed science-based literacy standards, spelling continues to be an afterthought, Chandler said. Carreon had to cobble together at-home spelling resources for her child. She also initially approached her child's teacher and school administration about the role of technology in the classroom, using access to spellcheck in early grades as one example of concern. "I really try to approach these conversations from a place of curiosity," Carreon said, noting that she's never taught in a classroom. She recommends parents ask their child's teacher or school about the spelling curriculum, as well as the value placed on spelling as a skill. Spelling resources to consider Chandler acknowledged that there isn't an obvious or well-vetted solution for parents facing this problem. Khan Academy, a go-to tutoring platform for many parents, doesn't offer a spelling curriculum, for example. Additionally, students need more than just memorization drills; instead they must develop an understanding of the English language. Chandler recommends parents familiarize themselves with the rules that govern English spelling, which they themselves may have forgotten or never learned. He suggests the slim book Uncovering the Logic of English: A Common-Sense Approach to Reading, Spelling, and Literacy for this purpose. Dr. J. Richard Gentry, an education researcher and co-author of Brain Words: How the Science of Reading Informs Teaching, says children need to systematically use the spelling words for the week, connecting them to broader skills, such as phonics, reading comprehension, writing, and building their vocabulary. His Spelling Connections series teaches the subject with this approach. Individual student guides retail for $30 each, but the publisher also offers school and homeschool packages.Gentry recommends parents begin paying close attention to their child's spelling toward the end of first grade and continue monitoring it throughout elementary school. Chandler acknowledges that little or non-existent spelling instruction puts children with an existing or emerging learning disability at a serious disadvantage. If most students in a class can't spell well either, it may prevent teachers and parents from accurately identifying challenges specific to dyslexia, for example. That risk gets higher with the use of error-correcting tools and products like spellcheck and ChatGPT. Students with undiagnosed dyslexia can unwittingly lean on that technology to conceal their disability. Deanna Fogarty, vice president and head of reading science at the literacy curriculum company Wilson Language Training, encourages parents to talk directly with their child's teacher about their spelling, particularly if they believe their child might have a learning disability. Parents can ask the teacher about ways to support their child at home. Fogarty says the teacher will ideally offer more than a list of words to memorize, since that approach doesn't help students internalize the English language's coding system. "If the support you're seeking doesn't [teach spelling] in a logically sequenced way, it's still going to be very random and probably not make the impact that parent would be looking for," Fogarty said. Still, Fogarty said parents can seize the opportunities they get. If they're provided with just a list of words, Fogarty suggests looking for commonalities, such as a shared prefix or suffix. That presents an opportunity for the child to better grasp the rules that define English spelling. Fogarty also recommends the website TextProject, a nonprofit literacy organization that offers a list of the 4,000 most common word families. She said parents tutoring their child could use the list to identify high-frequency words with commonalities.Carreon wishes parents in her position could easily find spelling resources and support. In addition to at-home studying with her child, she's paid for tutors and taken advantage of writing courses for them. "We're in a position to be able to do this," she said. "But not all families are, and that's my real concern." 

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has spotted fresh clues around a nearby star that strengthen the case that an object previously seen there was not a planet but an enormous space crash.A team of astronomers observed a new, faint point of light near the inner edge of a broad ring of dust circling Fomalhaut in 2023. The object closely resembles an earlier detection in the mid-2000s, which gradually faded. Both objects appear at locations where scientists would expect debris from high-speed collisions between large planetesimals, the early rocky building blocks of exoplanets. Capturing such a rare event is "amazing," said Paul Kalas, the principal investigator from UC Berkeley. Together the two detections provide direct evidence that large cosmic collisions are still happening in mature planetary systems. By observing these impacts almost in real time, scientists can estimate how often these kinds of crashes happen, how much material they release, and how debris disks — and the planets that may emerge from them — continue to evolve long after a star forms."This is certainly the first time I’ve ever seen a point of light appear out of nowhere in an exoplanetary system," Kalas said in a statement. "It’s absent in all of our previous Hubble images, which means that we just witnessed a violent collision between two massive objects and a huge debris cloud unlike anything in our own solar system today."  SEE ALSO: Scientists discover a lemon-shaped planet with something they've never seen before Fomalhaut lies about 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, aka the Southern Fish, and is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It is surrounded by several belts of dust and debris, material left over from the planet-building process, similar to our solar system’s Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune.In 2004, Hubble saw a compact source inside this belt, dubbed Fomalhaut b. At the time, scientists debated whether it was a planet surrounded by dust or something else entirely. By 2008, some believed it could be the first exoplanet discovery made with a visible light telescope. But over the ensuing years, the object’s behavior raised doubts. The mysterious source dimmed instead of brightened, appeared to stretch outward, and eventually vanished. Those changes better matched what scientists would expect from a cloud of debris created when two large bodies smash and then slowly disperse. When astronomers had another look at the system nearly 20 years later, they did not see the original object at all. Instead, they found a new source nearby along the same dust ring, suggesting that a second major collision had occurred in roughly the same region. The study results appear in the journal Science."What we learned," Kalas said, "is that a large dust cloud can masquerade as a planet for many years."What's strange is that the team is seeing the two debris clouds in close proximity. If these collisions were haphazard, experts would think they'd appear in totally random places. The researchers also can't yet explain why these two crashes happened within such a short span of time. Previous theories would suggest a collision of this magnitude should only happen once in 100,000 years or so. Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google."If you had a movie of the last 3,000 years, and it was sped up so that every year was a fraction of a second, imagine how many flashes you'd see over that time," Kalas said. "Fomalhaut’s planetary system would be sparkling with these collisions." Astronomers propose that a second dust cloud around the nearby star Fomalhaut formed after two massive objects, seen in the first panel, approach and crash into each other. Credit: NASA / ESA / STScI / Ralf Crawford illustration The dust clouds shine by reflecting starlight, making them visible to telescopes like Hubble. But that same starlight also pushes on the tiny dust grains, causing the clouds to spread outward and fade. This process explains why the first cloud disappeared and why the second may also fade.Based on the brightness of the debris, researchers estimate that the colliding objects were likely 37 miles wide — larger than most asteroids involved in known crashes in our own solar system. Such impacts release enormous amounts of dust, briefly lighting up otherwise invisible events.For astronomers, this discovery offers a rare chance to witness the kinds of destructive events that once shaped — and may still shape — planetary systems across the galaxy, said coauthor Mark Wyatt, who is based at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The team looks forward to what additional insight the James Webb Space Telescope, which observes in invisible infrared light, can reveal about the size and makeup of the dust."The system is a natural laboratory to probe how planetesimals behave when undergoing collisions," said Wyatt in a statement, "which in turn tells us about what they are made of and how they formed."

If you know where to look online, you'll find concerned whispers about the ability of America's schoolchildren to spell. One teacher-creator on TikTok who goes by the handle @oopsdaaliya recently posted about her first-grade students' alarming spelling test results. On a 10-item quiz of high-frequency words (think the, with, has), most of her students struggled. Sometimes they wrote only a single letter or left the blank space completely empty. The video has been viewed 1.3 million times. "This is my reality," she said in the video. "I really don't know what to do."  SEE ALSO: What to know before you buy an AI toy Elsewhere, in a subreddit for teachers, a parent recently shared a post entitled, "5th grade kids can't spell, why?". The question elicited dozens of passionate responses from current and retired educators. The spelling crisis in their classrooms, many of them argued, could be traced back to a theory known as “whole language,” which rejected science-based literacy, including spelling instruction, in favor of since-discredited reading and comprehension strategies. "[N]ow we have a generation of struggling students," wrote one commenter. While the anecdotes are troubling, data is hard to find. There is no annual national spelling assessment, and states generally don't explicitly test spelling, so it's difficult to know the extent of the problem. Still, top literacy experts interviewed by Mashable agree the whole language approach marked the beginning of depriving countless students of formal spelling instruction for decades. Other educational policies that overlooked the crucial role spelling plays in reading and writing also didn't help. Even though many schools have pivoted back to science-based literacy approaches, specifically phonics, spelling often remains an afterthought. These experts also have a warning for parents and educators who dismiss spelling as an obsolete skill, given the widespread availability of error-correcting digital technologies and products like spellcheck, autocorrect, Google Docs, Grammarly, and ChatGPT. Relying on these tools without becoming a proficient speller can put students at a lifelong disadvantage, they say. That's because learning to spell correctly from the beginning gives students the "underlying linguistic knowledge" they need to read, write, and communicate effectively, says Dr. Brennan Chandler, a professor at Georgia State University who researches literacy and dyslexia. "Spelling really has quietly eroded," Chandler adds, "even as evidence mounted that spelling is really a driver of reading development and not this optional add-on." "Everybody really wants this" Parents coming to terms with the role spelling plays in the literacy crisis shouldn't blame themselves or teachers, Chandler says. He tutors students with dyslexia and conducts research in classrooms. He hears from both parents and teachers that they desperately want students to learn to spell correctly. "This is where I get frustrated, see, because everybody really wants this, but we're still neglecting it," says Chandler, who's developing a teaching curriculum for spelling. (Chandler also serves on the advisory board for the literacy education company Amplify.) Parents feel ill-equipped to tutor spelling at home for obvious reasons, like time and patience. There are also relatively few trustworthy home learning products available, compared to those for subjects like math and English. Plus, students and their parents may resist the hard work required to spell proficiently, given the availability of error-correction technology. But those tools, Chandler says, "mask student difficulties and further normalize a decline of explicit spelling instruction."Meanwhile, because literacy curricula abandoned formal spelling instruction for nearly three decades, teachers stopped learning how to teach the subject. Nor are they routinely provided the resources they need for explicit spelling instruction. Educators may do their best with word lists and weekly quizzes, but instruction is often haphazard if they don't have access to a formal spelling curriculum, says Dr. Richard Gentry, an education researcher and co-author of Brain Words: How the Science of Reading Informs Teaching. In the classroom, Gentry recommends 20 minutes of daily classroom spelling instruction. To be effective, the material should cover specific spelling rules, phonics patterns, and foundational vocabulary appropriate for each grade level. "This kind of instruction using a curriculum leads to long-term mastery as opposed to simply memorizing words in short-term memory for a test or reliance on digital devices without teacher guidance," says Gentry. When to worry about your child's spellingParents should begin paying close attention to their child's spelling in kindergarten. Toward the end of first grade, students are typically expected to develop more sophisticated spelling knowledge. At that point, students may not be able to spell more complex words correctly, but they should be able to use logical syllable patterns accurately (think e-g-u-l for eagle). If they struggle with letter recognition and phonic sounds during kindergarten, it's important to begin shoring up that foundational knowledge as soon as possible. Consistently poor spelling can indicate that a child has dyslexia or another related learning challenge. If that's masked by technology or limited instruction and testing in school, it may take years to discover the root cause. Gentry says parents should continue monitoring their child's spelling proficiency — and the school's curriculum for the subject matter — throughout elementary school. What kids learn when they learn to spellDeanna Fogarty, vice president and head of reading science at the literacy curriculum company Wilson Language Training, says parents shouldn't assume spelling isn't being taught if their child isn't becoming proficient in the skill. Instead, educators may be focusing on memorization without teaching the rules of spelling. Or spelling may be part of a student's English Language Arts curriculum, but not delivered using science-based principles. Additionally, in the English language, there are over 1,100 ways to spell 44 sounds, Fogarty says. That's why memorization tactics alone fail students. They need to know, for instance, that c represents /s/ when placed before e, i, and y, and that c represents /k/ before the vowels a, o, and u, among other instances. Knowing these rules helps students understand spelling in a way that memorization doesn't. (For a crash course in these conventions, Chandler recommends the slim book Uncovering the Logic of English: A Common-Sense Approach to Reading, Spelling, and Literacy.)Fogarty, who previously tutored dyslexic children, says students often express relief when they realize that standardized rules govern the English language. They often labor under the impression that English spelling is too difficult and unpredictable to master.Chandler says that as kids feel more competent in spelling, their motivation to improve grows. As they become proficient, Chandler says they can use tools like autocorrect and ChatGPT to strategically check or finesse their work. But relying on them from the beginning may prevent students from developing critical reading and writing skills. He notes that the ability to write fluently and with ease, which requires accurate spelling, may very well influence their life's direction. 'When you teach students to write, we're not just preparing them to pass an exam or perhaps an essay," Chander says. "We're teaching them to reason, argue, to clarify their thoughts, to communicate their ideas, to advocate for themselves."

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options: BEST FOR ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year (save $15) Shop Now Best for Fox and Big Ten Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year (save $39.89) Shop Now BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month (save $30) Get Deal Best for channels Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now Best for affordability Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months (save $50.95) Shop Now BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER YouTube TV 5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 3 months (save $99) Shop Now The James Madison Dukes made college football history when they rolled over Troy in the Sun Belt Championship Game and — with other results going their way — received an automatic for the college football playoffs over Power Four programs from the ACC. It's not only the first time that James Madison have made the CFP but the first time the Sun Belt Conference has been represented at this level. James Madison are this season's great underdog story.But the Duke will certainly have their work cut out if they want to keep making history. As No. 12 seed they're in good form, but Oregon are the No. 5 seed with an overall record this season of 11-1. The Ducks are also on a six-game winning streak. Following Tulane vs. Ole Miss, this is the final game in the CFP first round. Expect main event-level drama. If you want to watch James Madison vs. Oregon for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.When is James Madison vs. Oregon?James Madison vs. Oregon takes place at 7.30 p.m. ET on Dec. 20. This game takes place at Autzen Stadium.James Madison vs. Oregon is broadcast on TNT and TruTV.How to watch college football in 2025/26Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.ESPN Unlimited (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year Shop Now Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNXESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.Fox One (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year Shop Now Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten NetworkFox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.FuboTV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CWFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment. Hulu + Live TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CWHulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.Sling (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC NetworkSling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a whole host of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.YouTube TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV 7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CWYouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.How to watch James Madison vs. Oregon from anywhere in the worldIf you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.Live stream James Madison vs. Oregon from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.Sign in to your favorite streaming serviceWatch James Madison vs. Oregon from anywhere in the worldExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and moreStrict no-logging policy so your data is secureFast connection speeds free from throttlingUp to eight simultaneous connections30-day money-back guaranteeA one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee). Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options: BEST FOR ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year (save $15) Shop Now Best for Fox and Big Ten Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year (save $39.89) Shop Now BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month (save $30) Get Deal Best for channels Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now Best for affordability Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months (save $50.95) Shop Now BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER YouTube TV 5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 3 months (save $99) Shop Now Today's college football action sees a huge triple header in the first round of the playoffs, beginning with Miami FL vs. Texas A&M and rounding off later tonight with James Madison vs. Oregon. Sandwiched between them is another must-watch game as Tulane visit Ole Miss.On paper this looks like a sure thing for the Ole Miss Rebels. They're ranked at No. 6 and trounced the Tulane Green Wave, the No. 20 seed, earlier this season. That said anything can happen in the playoffs and Tulane have had a strong season — they've been solid since that loss to Ole Miss — with just one more loss than the Rebels overall. Ole Miss are also going into the playoffs with a new coach. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! If you want to watch Tulane vs. Ole Miss for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.When is Tulane vs. Ole Miss?Tulane vs. Ole Miss takes place at 3.30 p.m. ET on Dec. 20. This game takes place at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.Tulane vs. Ole Miss is broadcast on TNT and TruTV.How to watch college football in 2025/26Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.ESPN Unlimited (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year Shop Now Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNXESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.Fox One (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year Shop Now Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten NetworkFox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.FuboTV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CWFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment. Hulu + Live TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CWHulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.Sling (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC NetworkSling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a whole host of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.YouTube TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV 7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CWYouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.How to watch Tulane vs. Ole Miss from anywhere in the worldIf you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.Live stream Tulane vs. Ole Miss from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.Sign in to your favorite streaming serviceWatch Tulane vs. Ole Miss from anywhere in the worldExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and moreStrict no-logging policy so your data is secureFast connection speeds free from throttlingUp to eight simultaneous connections30-day money-back guaranteeA one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee). Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options: BEST FOR ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year (save $15) Shop Now Best for Fox and Big Ten Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year (save $39.89) Shop Now BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month (save $30) Get Deal Best for channels Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now Best for affordability Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months (save $50.95) Shop Now BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER YouTube TV 5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 3 months (save $99) Shop Now It's the most wonderful time of the year for college football. No, not Christmas but playoffs season. The CBF first round kicked off last night with Oklahoma vs. Alabama and continues tonight with a stacked triple header. First up is Miami Hurricanes at Texas A&M Aggies, ranked as the No. 10 and No. 7 seeds.This will likely be the most exciting and most closely fought game of the day. There's barely anything separating these programs. Both teams have had strong seasons, with Miami FL at 10-2 and Texas A&M at 11-1. Not to mention the fact this marks the CFP debut of both programs. So expect an excitement-cranking atmosphere at Kyle Field, which will almost certainly give the Aggies a boost. If you want to watch Miami Fl vs. Texas A&M for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.When is Miami FL vs. Texas A&M?Miami FL vs. Texas A&M takes place at 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 20. This game takes place at Kyle Field.Miami FL vs. Texas A&M is broadcast on ABC and ESPN.How to watch college football in 2025/26Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.ESPN Unlimited (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year Shop Now Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNXESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.Fox One (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year Shop Now Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten NetworkFox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.FuboTV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CWFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment. Hulu + Live TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CWHulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.Sling (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC NetworkSling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a whole host of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.YouTube TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV 7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months Shop Now Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CWYouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.How to watch Miami FL vs. Texas A&M from anywhere in the worldIf you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.Live stream Miami FL vs. Texas A&M from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.Sign in to your favorite streaming serviceWatch Miami FL vs. Texas A&M from anywhere in the worldExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and moreStrict no-logging policy so your data is secureFast connection speeds free from throttlingUp to eight simultaneous connections30-day money-back guaranteeA one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee). Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

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Welcome to Mashable's first annual Best Theater Experiences of the Year list. While our entertainment team's main focus has long been on films and television, we've many theater lovers in our ranks. And this year, with all the incredible shows we've seen on stage, it seemed downright wrong not to expand our Best of 2025 lists to include our favorites. Now, there's a slight caveat here in that we decided to do this list after some critically heralded shows had already closed, and we were therefore unable to see them. (Apologies to Tony Award winner Purpose and the much-buzzed-about West End production of Evita!) Then, there are some shows that have gotten the internet giddy, like Sunset Blvd. with its outdoor antics and Tony wins, or Waiting for Godot for its most-excellent casting of Bill & Ted's Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in the lead roles. But when it came down to what we liked best, these revivals just didn't make the cut. So, what did? This list includes productions that are new, ongoing, and closed. Beyond that, we sorted our list by Off Broadway and Broadway, noting how you can see them (if you still can). In the mix, we've got inventive reinterpretations of classic shows, musicals inspired by movies, jaw-dropping new shows, the Broadway sensation that keeps us coming back, and the Broadway bomb that we thought deserved better. So, take a look for what tickets you ought to book. And look for Mashable to take on more theater coverage in 2026. Best of Off Broadway 2025The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The ensemble cast of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Credit: Joan Marcus Off Broadway, new revivalLearning new words has never been more fun than in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin, and Rebecca Feldman's beloved musical throws audiences into a middle school spelling showdown — sometimes literally, as four audience members get to join the spellers onstage. The high-stakes bee is no ordinary competition, though. It's also an invitation into the young spellers' inner lives, as they deal with high pressure, puberty, and family drama.Danny Mefford's Off Broadway revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a non-stop delight, brimming with relentless energy and a stacked cast. It's undeniably fun to watch a group of adults play middle schoolers, but thanks to the actors' commitment, your awareness of the age discrepancy quickly disappears, replaced by sheer investment in these kids' success. Look no further than when my whole audience gasped whenever someone got a word wrong. Like us, you'll get sucked in in no time, and leave with a whole host of musical bangers stuck in your head. G-O S-E-E I-T! — Belen Edwards, Entertainment ReporterStarring: Philippe Arroyo, Autumn Best, Leana Rae Concepcion, Justin Cooley, Lilli Cooper, Jason Kravits, Matt Manuel, Kevin McHale, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Brandon L. Armstrong, Jahbril Cook, Emily N. Rudolph, and Cecilia SnowHow to watch: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is now running until Apr. 12, 2026.Critic's Pick: Beau the Musical Off Broadway, newAn Off-Broadway musical so successful it bounced from one venue to another and kept on rockin', Beau the Musical unfurls the queer coming-of-age story of Ace Baker (Matt Rodin), a pop-country musician who found his love of music and himself by growing closer to his estranged grandfather, Beau (Dead Outlaw's Jeb Brown). Staged in a theater space/dive bar, Beau the Musical feels like wandering into a concert with the power of flashbacks. Eight actor/musicians play both Baker's band, and then also an array of characters, like his hard-as-nails mom, his best friend, and the vicious bully on whom he had a confusing crush. Songs in this show run from rollicking to heartbreaking and back again. 100 minutes with no intermission, it's a moving and joyous celebration of love, family, and music. And it's best enjoyed with a beer (or hard cider) in hand, so you too can feel like you're on the porch with Beau and Ace, taking in the night air and the guitar playing. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor Starring: Matt Rodin, Amelia Cormack, Luke Darnell, Seth Eliser, Andrea Goss, Ryan Halsaver, Tyler Donovan McCall, Miyuki Miyagi, Max Sangerman, Derek Stoltenberg, Lauren Jeanne Thomas, Rose Van Dyne, and Jeb BrownHow to watch: Beau the Musical is now playing at The Distillery at St. Luke's Theatre through Jan. 4, 2026. Gwyneth Goes Skiing  Off-Broadway, new On a snowy day at the Deer Valley Ski Resort in Park City, Utah, a normal optometrist accidentally skied into a very famous actor and wellness guru. The world would be changed forever. Based on the real Gwyneth Paltrow trial and created by the dynamic duo behind independent theater group Awkward Productions, Joseph Martin and Linus Karp, Gwyneth Goes Skiing has been a traveling staple since 2023, with runs in London, Edinburgh Fringe, and Park City, Utah (the site of the now-infamous trial). This year it took over NYC, too, with two separate Off-Broadway turns that brought audience members themselves to the stage. That's right, the majority of the cast is solicited from the seats, like interactive dinner theater, who are given their lines through a video monitor and audio cues. There are flying wigs, a sock puppet, props manned by what feels like a single overworked crew member. At one point, an audience member stood up on top of his seat to deliver his line, and we threw wool snowballs at the stage. I made my Off-Broadway debut, too, as a totally-over-it resort shopkeeper. Congratulations to my fellow co-stars, Darren Criss (voice only) and Trixie Mattel (video cameo as Blythe Danner). The show's fiercest critics consider it to be weighed down by the kind of brain rot internet humor that's becoming more and more passé — the pre-show was just a slideshow of Paltrow's filmography and Glee references. But I think this is exactly how you make near-cosmic levels of self-referential humor and internet memes work: with a couple bucks and nary a care in the world.  — Chase DiBenedetto, Social Good ReporterStarring: Joseph Martin, Linus Karp, Darren Criss, Catherine Cohen, Trixie Mattel, the audience How to Watch: Gwyneth Goes Skiing closed off Broadway, but is doing limited-run shows in Aspen, Colorado, and Los Angeles, California, in January.Heathers: The Musical Off Broadway, new revivalBefore there was Mean Girls, there was Heathers. This is true of both the teen comedies, and the stage musicals they inspired. This 2025 revival brings plenty of snark, energy, and camp. When I saw it, Lorna Courtney starred as Veronica, the moody cool girl whose best friends and worst enemies are the Heathers, a trio of vicious and popular girls. Recreating classic scenes from the 1988 movie with songs that share its bite, Heathers: The Musical is an outrageous night at the theater. Sure, not all the big movie moments can be translated to the stage. But the book and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy are smart about where they stay true and where they expand. Like, there's a lot of catchy songs on this soundtrack. But for someone who grew up quoting Heathers' darkest lines with friends, the rousing number "My Dead Gay Son" had me rolling. — K.P. Starring: Lorna Courtney, Casey Likes, McKenzie Kurtz, Kiara Michelle Lee, Elizabeth Teeter, Kerry Butler, Erin L. Morton, Xavier McKinnon, Cade Ostermeyer, Ben Davis, and Cameron LoyalHow to watch: Heathers: The Musical is now playing in New York through Mary 2026, plus shows are offered in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Messy White Gays Derek Chadwick and Drew Droege in "Messy White Gays." Credit: Marc J. Franklin Off Broadway, newImagine Alfred Hitchcock's Rope minus the queer subtext, and just scads and scads of queer text. American comedian Drew Droege, whom millennials might remember as Chloë Sevigny for a series of scorching web videos, satirizes gay culture and white privilege with Hitch's familiar framework. Lights up on two young men strangling a third to death. This is their throuple-mate, whom they have both grown to loathe. But how will they hide his body — especially when a gaggle of their party pals are due for Sunday brunch any minute!? This deeply absurd premise is set in a high-rise apartment with a view of Central Park, but the humor is determinedly and deliciously lowbrow. The kooky cast of characters gleefully skew archetypes of queer men, from the femme theater boy to the himbo gym rat, the OnlyFans model, and the twink with more money than sense. Then, there's Droege, who makes a grand entrance as a nosey neighbor who proceeds to read everyone on stage like he's Dorothy from The Golden Girls. Simply put, Messy White Gays is outlandish, hilarious, and unapologetically for gay people by gay people. — K.P. Starring: Drew Droege, Derek Chadwick, James Cusati-Moyer, Aaron Jackson, and Pete ZiasHow to watch: Messy White Gays is ongoing until Jan. 11. Critic's Pick: A Streetcar Named Desire Off Broadway, new revival Is this a safe space to admit I never liked A Streetcar Named Desire? My introduction to the Tennessee Williams classic, which debuted on Broadway in 1947, was the 1951 film adaptation staring Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski. And I just couldn't understand this Stanley, who was such a crude brute yet drew Stella toward him by screaming like a wounded animal. Well, this revival — which was borne on the West End with two sold-out runs — made me understand Stanley and Streetcar as I never had before. Paul Mescal brought his Sad Boy energy to Kowalski, transforming the character I only knew through Brando. Mescal infused the character with a rage that not only hurts those around him, but immolates himself. Opposite Patsy Ferran as Blanche, he was snarling beast and bully. But before the two have their most climactic conflict, Mescal showing off Stanley's silk pajamas hit different. He was showing a soft side to Blanche, thinking she'd understand it — understand him. But when she rejects him (because of everything before), he turns violent and violating. He despises Blanche for the softness she has, because his own has been so long denied. And in that, the tragedy of Streetcar hit me like — well, a streetcar. Before, I felt sympathy for these women, but Stanley felt such a caricature of toxic masculinity I couldn't make sense of how they fit. Now, here, where all are equally ferocious and punished for vulnerability, I was in awe and tears. I was literally on the floor. Okay, so that last part was because the BAM run sold out tickets so fast that added literal floor seats (a cushion literally on the floor before the stage). But you know what, I've paid more for way worse seats this year. (Sorry, Vanya.) — K.P. Starring: Paul Mescal, Patsy Ferran, and Anjana VasanHow to watch: A Streetcar Named Desire ran Feb.-April 2025, but is now closed. Tartuffe Bianca Del Rio in New York Theatre Workshop's 'Tartuffe.' Credit: Valerie Terranova Off Broadway, newIn a wild bit of symmetry, theater director Sarah Benson helmed the first production I saw in 2025, and the last! In January, I was delighted to see one of the final performances of Teeth, a chaotic and hilarious musical adaptation of the horror film that imagined what might happen if a teen girl had the infamous vagina dentata (aka, teeth in vagina)! And this month, I closed out a week of much theater-seeing with the newly debuted revival Tartuffe! And lucky me, because Benson knows how to make a comedy truly outrageous. Originally written by Molière in 1664, Tartuffe centers on the titular charlatan (Matthew Broderick) who claims to be Christian, while driving a wealthy French family to bickering, division, and shenanigans. But this Off-Broadway revival isn't the farce I studied in college. Writer Lucas Hnath leans into bawdiness and frank crassness, allowing his characters to read each other to filth and curse throughout — while rhyming! A perfect introduction to this take is RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio, who opens the show by strutting in, adorned in fierce 17th-century fashion and spitting barbs at all in her view. From there, it's a no-bullshit housekeeper who will drag every affluent fool in this house. And the jibes are as hilarious as the physical comedy. Another show with no intermission, Tartuffe is a terrifically entertaining night at the theater, and star-studded to boot. —K.P. Starring: Matthew Broderick, David Cross, Bianca Del Rio, Amber Gray, Ryan J. Haddad, Emily Davis, Ikechukwu Ufomadu, Lisa Kron, and Francis JueHow to watch: Tartuffe is running through Jan. 24, 2026. Twelfth Night  Off Broadway, new revivalThere's magic in publicly funded art. There's love in a group of New Yorkers gathered together in one place, finally off their feet, to watch that magic be made, just a few months before the city would rally together in one of the greatest political campaigns of the 21st century. It's why this year's free Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night —  the first in Central Park's newly renovated Delacorte Theater — was perhaps the best to ever do it. It's one of Shakespeare's classic comedies: a pair of separated twins, a woman pretending to be a man (while falling in love with another man), pranks and miscommunication, a satisfying ending. But this version is a little more queer, a bit more musical, and even funnier than the original, soundtracked by the sultry songs and guitar strums of Moses Sumney in a standout performance as Feste. I think I speak for everyone (even you, Tina Fey, who sat behind me) when I say Lupita Nyong'o's gender-swapping performance, complete with small mustache and expertly tailored Brooks Brothers suit to match her real-life sibling and co-star Junior Nyong'o, stirred something carnal. By the end, we were enrapt. The city was uproarious. The cast strutted onto stage in glimmering festooned garments and danced with the crowd for their bows. Stage lights reflected off of sequins and up into the New York City sky to fill the space where stars were missed. A being floating above could have looked down and spotted those celestial beings right there, not up in the night but sat around the Delacorte — a group of performers, of audience members, of artists, of hard workers. All equals, all there to enjoy a little Shakespeare funded by each other, built for each other, in love with each other. — C.D.Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Sandra Oh, Peter Dinklage, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Moses Sumney, Khris Davis, Junior Nyong'o, b, John Ellison Conlee, and Kapil TalwalkarHow to Watch: Twelfth Night ran the summer of 2025, and has since closed, but a recorded performance is available on PBS.  Vanya Off Broadway, new One of the hardest tickets to get this year was Vanya. A bold reinvention of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, this production — from writer Simon Stephens, director Sam Yates, and designer Rosanna Vize — reimagined the 1897 drama about a family farm, ripe with heartache, into a one-man show. And what one man could pull it off? It was Andrew Scott, who has awed audiences with Sherlock, Fleabag, and Ripley. First, he wowed the West End with a sold-out run. Then, he came across the pond to Off Broadway, where critics cheered and audiences clamored for tickets. Scott was outstanding, playing a cavalcade of roles. With a tilt of his head, or the picking up of a prop, or the softening of his tone, he gracefully transformed from an elegant woman to a fumbling doctor, or wizened professor, or sheepish girl. A simple stage with one set and simple props, he made use of all of it. However, the seats on the mezzanine at the Lucille Lortel Theatre are far from ideal for such a staging. Any time Scott went toward the very front of the stage, or got on his knees even midway downstage, the whole of the mezzanine's audience would shift to find him again, causing a wave of movement as we all blocked each other's view. This frustration aside, the show itself was fascinating. The arguably gimmicky approach essentially erases the idea that we people are all that different, or perhaps shows how we all contain multitudes. For Scott fans, it was a showcase of his range and vulnerability. And you can stream it now. — K.P. Starring: Andrew Scott How to watch: Vanya ran from March 10 to May 11 off Broadway. Though now, closed, a recorded performance of Vanya can be streamed through the National Theater. Best of Broadway 2025Death Becomes Her Broadway, ongoing Death Becomes Her is one of my all-time favorite movies. The comedy-noir is about two feuding besties whose battle over a mediocre man leads them to take a youth potion that gives them back their looks, but at a twisted cost. And for Broadway, it now has comical songs added to the macabre slapstick. I've seen the show twice, once with Megan Hilty and once with her understudy, Kaleigh Cronin. And both times, it's a terrifically funny and rousing time — which is good news, as Hilty exits the production in January. Props to writer of the book, Marco Pennette, with lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, for keeping true to Martin Donovan and David Koepp's sublimely silly and surly script, while finding new extremes to push Mad (Hilty) and Hel (Jennifer Simard). Props to the divas who brought them to fresh life, and cheers to the clever stunts and effects team who turns falling down the stairs into an epic comic climax. No wonder TikTok's been going wild for its soundbites. —K.P. Starring: Megan Hilty, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard, and Michelle WilliamsHow to watch: Death Becomes Her is now on Broadway, with a North American Tour coming in 2026. Critic's Pick: John Proctor Is the Villain Broadway, new revivalArthur Miller's The Crucible gets reframed in Kimberly Belflower's revelatory John Proctor Is the Villain. The play takes place in a small Georgia town in 2018, when a spate of sexual harassment allegations force a classroom of high school students to reconsider who the true villain of The Crucible is. Is it Abigail Williams, who spearheads the Salem witch hunt? Or could it be John Proctor, the supposedly "good man" who began a relationship with the much younger Abigail?The reconsideration of an American classic turns John Proctor Is the Villain into a thoughtful, thorny exploration of feminism and the #MeToo movement. Each of the show's young characters approach the issue in a different way, from the rage-filled Shelby (Sadie Sink, later replaced by Chiara Aurelia, whom I saw in the role) to the conflicted Beth (Fina Strazza). The result is an exquisitely layered ensemble, all brought to life by an incredibly talented cast. As if that weren't enough, the show's final five minutes are the most cathartic theatrical experience I've ever had: a raw exorcism of a dance scene set to Lorde's "Green Light." You'll never hear the song the same way again. — B.E.Starring: Sadie Sink, Chiara Aurelia, Nihar Duvvuri, Gabriel Ebert, Molly Griggs, Maggie Kuntz, Hagan Oliveras, Morgan Scott, Fina Strazza, Amalia Yoo, Noah Pacht, Fiona Robberson, Shian Tomlinson, Garrett Young, and Victoria VourkoutiotisHow to watch: John Proctor Is the Villain ran on Broadway from April 11 to Sept. 7. It is now closed.Critic's Pick: Just In Time Broadway, newTony Award winner Jonathan Groff is in the role he was born as Bobby Darin. Look, I didn't know anything about the American singer before seeing the jukebox musical Just In Time. But part of the brilliance of the book by Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver is that it's written with fourth-wall breaks that allow the show to be not just about Darin, but also about Groff. The Circle in the Square Theatre, which Groff calls correctly "the basement of Wicked," is lit to look like a dazzling night club. Curtains, stages, and central tables where audience members can be a part of the action, are all draped in gorgeous blue lighting. Groff explodes onto stage with his beaming band and his sirens, an incredibly talented trio of dancers/singers. And he introduces himself, shares his enthusiasm and then dives into the story of Bobby Darin, with support from an ensemble that is audaciously talented. When I went, Sarah Hyland and Sadie Dickerson played the loves of Darin's life, Connie Francis and Sandra Dee, respectively. And they were remarkable, shifting from bubbly romance to aching loss. (Hyland in particular had the audience sobbing with a teary "Who's Sorry Now.") Meanwhile, Valeria Yamin as Darin's mother is a bawdy broad I fell for hard. But even the smaller players like Joe Barbara, who plays Bobby's gruff brother-in-law, manager, and cigarette-chomping camera operator, are captivating. But of course, Groff is the headliner. And he's as good as you'd expect, even better. He explodes on stage, singing and dancing (and yes, spitting) like the living Broadway legend he is. It is a very "wet" performance, and those aforementioned lights mean you can see just how much Groff is giving with every projection. But while fans might lovingly joke about the wetness (as Groff does in an opening speech), it's that radiant passion for performing that makes him a marvel. He shines, bright and dazzling, in every moment of Just In Time. And the staging, which runs from one stage to another, up the stairs of the audience and back again, makes the whole theater feel a part of the show. I can say with confidence that I've never seen anything like this. Is it like seeing Darin at the Copa? I couldn't say. But I can say this show, nominated for six Tonys, including Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical, Just In Time is absolutely outstanding. Get tickets if you can. — K.P. Starring: Jonathan Groff, Sarah Hyland, Sadie Dickerson, Valeria Yamin, Claire Camp, Julia Grondin, Michele Pawk, Emily Bergl, Caesar Samayoa, and Lance RobertsHow to watch: Just In Time is now playing on Broadway through March 2026. Critic's Pick: Liberation Broadway, newWhat in the world happened between the activism of '70s-era feminism and today, when the government is revoking hard-won wins like the right to an abortion? That's the daunting question playwright Bess Wohl wrestles with in her staggering play Liberation, which alternates between the '70s and present. In the past, aspiring reporter Lizzie (Susannah Flood) starts a women's group in a high school gym. Decades later, her daughter (also played by Flood) reconnects with the remaining group members to better understand not just the movement, but her mother as well.Liberation's folding of time makes for a powerful reminder of how many of the same issues women faced 50 years ago still echo today, as well as a moving mother-daughter story. (See it with your mom for the Liberation 4D experience.) Elsewhere, the group meeting scenes provide powerful moments of catharsis, as Lizzie's group — all women from different walks of life — commiserate over sexism they face at work and at home. However, Liberation also acknowledges the flaws of second-wave feminism, including its failure to make space for Black women. Here, Wohl reckons with her own role as a white playwright. Who gets to tell whose story, and how? The play doesn't reach any tidy answers on this, or on its central questions about feminism. But given such a sprawling topic, who could? Instead, it's Liberation's own acknowledgement of its limits that turns it into such an astounding work. — B.E.Starring: Betsy Aidem, Audrey Corsa, Kayla Davion, Susannah Flood, Kristolyn Lloyd, Irene Sofia Lucio, Charlie Thurston, Adina Verson, Britt Faulkner, Leeanne Hutchison, Matt E. Russell, and Kedren SpencerHow to watch: Liberation runs on Broadway until Feb. 1. Oedipus Broadway, newThough Sophocles' Oedipus Rex dates back to about 428 BC, you don't need to be a classics enthusiast to know this story is about a real motherfucker. The Greek tragedy centers on the eponymous man, who is undone by discovering he's killed his father and bedded his mother. Mark Strong stars as the eponymous politician, who's run his election campaign on a policy of truth — always. On election night, he gathers with his family at the campaign HQ, looking to celebrate. The future is bright. He seems certain to win the election, and once he does, he will do as he's promised, revealing his birth certificate to the public, and finding the real killer of the long-dead ruler Elis [Laius?]. But the visit from a blind soothsayer (Samuel Brewer) sours things with a disturbing prediction. Writer/director Robert Icke updates Oedipus with a modern setting and a firm awareness that his audience knows what's coming. So, there's a lot of ironic lines about Oedipus and his wife/mother that the characters on stage do not realize are jokes, but we do. But this same certainty from the audience ramps up tension as Oedipus doggedly pursues the truth. Onstage, a literal timer counts down as the play rolls on, but counting down to what? You know. It might be gimmicky, especially as scene transitions happen with the clock audibly ticking away the seconds. But when the big reveal hits, and the timer hits zero — I felt it hit hard in my gut. Admittedly, the staging of the show — set entirely in a minimalistic office — is a bit boring, seeming too much like an workplace TV show than a Broadway spectacle. But Lesley Manville turned me around on the show, which has no intermission to interrupt its tension. As Jocasta, mother and lover of Oedipus, she goes from breezy to tormented as dark truths are unearthed. She delivers monologues that radiate with rage and pain, and still rattle in my head days later. When she declares, "Cowardice is sometimes the cost of survival," I felt my heart crumble for her. And I could see by the counter, we still had a ways to go before the terrible, tragic end. A nail-biter, indeed. — K.P. Starring: Mark Strong, Lesley Manville, Anne Reid, John Carroll Lynch, Teagle F. Bougere, Samuel Brewer, Ani Mesa-Perez, Bhasker Patel, Olivia Reis, Jordan Scowen, and James Wilbraham How to watch: Oedipus is now playing through Feb. 8. Critic's Pick: Oh, Mary! Broadway, ongoingFamously, Cole Escola wrote a juicy role for themselves by creating a historical comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln that cares far more about "bratty curls" and bad attitudes than actual history. And thank the theater gods. From its 2024 to 2025, Oh, Mary! went from buzzy Off-Broadway hit to a Tony Award–winning Broadway smash. Originating the role, Escola scored the Tony for playing Mary Todd Lincoln as a booze-swilling, cabaret-obsessed maniac. But as new leads stepped into those character shoes, Oh, Mary! proved it could survive without Escola's distinctive star power. Betty Gilpin, Tituss Burgess, Jinkx Monsoon, and Jane Krakowski all followed. Between the Mashable staff, we've seen every incarnation of the show so far. And with its outrageous humor, twisted turns, and crackling comedic timing, it's a reliably sensational night at the theater. (For everyone but Abe). 30 Rock's Jane Krakowski is currently in the role on the Great White Way. Playing it like Jenna Maroney, she's absolutely hilarious in her commitment to every bit, while Cheyenne Jackson is stealthily hysterical as Mary's unexpected friend. Jinkx Monsoon, who took the role this summer, will return in January for another stint, followed by John Cameron Mitchell. And across the pond, Oh, Mary! has opened with Mason Alexander Park tossing the bratty curls. So choose your fighter, and have some fucked-up fun. — K.P. Starring: Cole Escola, Betty Gilpin, Tituss Burgess, Jinkx Monsoon, Jane Krakowski, and Mason Alexander ParkHow to watch: Oh, Mary! is now playing on Broadway through July 2026 and on the West End. The Queen of Versailles Broadway, newSee it while you can! Wicked's composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz and first Galinda Kristin Chenoweth reunited for this wild musical based on a critically heralded 2012 documentary. But critics met this musical adaptation with brutal reviews. And yet, I liked it! This musical interpretation reimagines the life of Jackie Siegel, a trophy wife who dreamed of building the castle of Versailles in Florida, into a darkly comic — and definitely campy — parable. As I wrote in my review, "Jackie becomes a tragic figure, like King Lear or Anna Nicole Smith." And her obsession with more, more, more will cost her dearly. Plus, "Like she did as Glinda with 'Popular,' Chenoweth is a force of unrepentant whimsy as she trots and glides around the stage in furiously sequined mini-dresses and heels." She's a legend of Broadway for a reason, and she reminds us all why with Queen of Versailles. — K.P. Starring: Kristin Chenoweth,  F. Murray Abraham, Tatum Grace Hopkins, and Nina WhiteHow to watch: Queen of Versailles is now on Broadway until Dec. 21. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Broadway, newTwo Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is exactly what it sounds like, and so much more. This charming two-person show sees Robin (Christiani Pitts), a jaded Brooklynite, cross paths with Dougal (Sam Tutty), an Englishman in New York City for the very first time. They're headed to the same wedding, but first, they've got to usher the cake from Brooklyn to Manhattan. It's not long before their errand morphs into a chance at deeper connection.Robin and Dougal's ensuing journey is an adorable New York odyssey that'll leave you fizzing. While its songs never quite reach the highs of opening number "New York," Two Strangers runs on Pitts' and Tutty's charming performances. She's an eternal bundle of cool, he's an excitable Golden Retriever, and together, they both have a lot of baggage to unpack — a fact made literal by the set made up of giant pieces of luggage. Original and inventively staged, Two Strangers is an endearing treat. — B.E.Starring: Christiani Pitts, Sam Tutty, Phoenix Best, and Vincent MichaelHow to watch: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is now playing on Broadway through July 6.

At present, I think the best Windows laptop for most people is the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 powered by the Snapdragon X Elite chip. It's a stylish workhorse with enough power to handle demanding workloads and has a premium build as well as an amazing all-day battery life (outdone by just two other models). Even the M4 MacBooks can't keep up. Beyond that, I have other picks for users with different budgets, use cases, and design preferences.I chose my picks based on hands-on testing conducted by myself and other Mashable staff and contributors. We've reviewed dozens of PCs on the basis of performance, build quality, battery life, and value over the years, and the ones I'm recommending are the cream of recent-gen crops. Most of them scored high enough to secure a Mashable Choice Award, the highest honor we give to the gadgets we review.Why now is a good time to buy a new Windows laptopAI data centers have gobbled up DDR5 RAM and SSDs in recent months, leading to a shortage of such components for consumer devices — laptops included. Experts predict that PCs will get pricier over the coming months or ship with lesser specs, as Mashable's Alex Perry reported. Remember the dark days when mid-range laptops started with just 8GB of RAM? That's looking like a possibility again. (Yeah, it's bad out there.)This is all to say that I recommend buying a new Windows laptop sooner rather than later, and to consider a storage or memory upgrade if you can afford it. You'll add some extra future-proofing while avoiding imminent price hikes amid the persistent AI boom.On a more positive note, now is the time of year when I typically see many current-gen laptops go on sale at deep discounts. They're about to be refreshed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a huge tech industry trade show that happens in early January, so retailers price them to move. Act snappy and you could score a great laptop at a great price before the RAM and SSD shortage (probably) makes everything a worse value.What's newAs of December 2025, I've added a couple new picks based on our latest round of testing. The Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14 (Gen 10) is our new favorite Windows laptop for students, and the HP OmniBook 5 14 is our new battery life champ. Both are new categories for this guide.I've also removed the Acer Swift X 14 (2024) as our top pick for photo and video editing, as it's getting difficult to find in stock. The newer Acer Swift 14 AI isn't a good replacement because it lacks a powerful dedicated GPU, has an ARM-based processor that might pose software compatibility issues, and doesn't have a microSD card slot or HDMI port. I'm currently on the hunt for a new winner in that category.What didn't make the cut?We've tested other very good-but-not-great Windows laptops so far this year. They might meet some users' needs or have a couple of standout features, but our top picks outclass them in their respective categories.The Acer Predator Helios 16 is a powerhouse with a stellar thermal design and a matte display, but its obnoxious, gamer-y look is a turnoff.The Alienware 16 Area-51 (RTX 5080) is another lightning-fast gaming laptop. It has fun, customizable RGB lighting, tons of ports, and an excellent keyboard, but it's hot, loud, and clunky.The Dell XPS 13 (9530) has a fantastic tandem OLED display and a slick edge-to-edge design — it's such a striking laptop, and a very portable one, too. Unfortunately, its keyboard is cramped, its touchpad is glitchy, and it's scant on ports.The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (AMD) is an impressive performer for the price, but it has poor speakers, a crude webcam, and a cheap feel to it.The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is configurable with a gorgeous mini-LED touchscreen, but it has a mediocre battery life and a creaky build.The Dell 14 Premium is a powerful, well-made laptop with an oh-so-sexy design, but it's heavy for a 14-inch laptop, its battery life isn't great, and it has a frustrating capacitive touch function row.Similarly, Dell 16 Premium (RTX 5070) is beastly and drop-dead beautiful, but it's too heavy, too expensive, and needs to ditch that capacitive function row. Plus, we got better graphics performance from cheaper last-gen gaming laptops.The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is a handsome convertible with a velvety touchpad, a springy keyboard, and a rich 3K OLED touchscreen, but it underperforms for the price and has some strange port placements on its corners.The HP OmniBook X Flip 14 is another pretty 2-in-1. Its thin, travel-friendly design features a vivid 2.8K OLED touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and an aluminum chassis that doesn't cling to fingerprints, and it comes with a stylus. However, its battery life disappoints, and its lattice-style keyboard takes a while to get used to. It's a runner-up to the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14 as a good pick for students.The HP Omnibook X Flip 16 is an oversized hybrid laptop with a vibrant 3K OLED touchscreen, a strong hinge, and an above-average battery life. But it's weighed down by an awkward zero-lattice keyboard, middling performance for the price, and a heavy build. If you really want a 16-inch hybrid laptop, I'd go with this one before the two others on this list.The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 16 (Gen 10) has a solid battery life, but most of the other convertibles we've tried offer better build quality, performance, and future-proofing.The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 OLED (Gen 10, RTX 5080) is the fastest Windows laptop we've ever tested. Its 240Hz OLED display, RGB keyboard, and port selection are all wonderful, but it's really expensive and overkill for the average PC gamer.The MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo is extremely lightweight and compact, and it has a nice (albeit overly glossy) 2.8K OLED display. But it otherwise felt and looked cheap, and isn't an impressive performer compared to cheaper models. It doesn't take much to get its fan to turn on, and you can feel it whir through the keys.