By Jacqueline Howard, CNN

(CNN) — When the flu strikes, it can feel relentless: rising fever, hacking cough, stuffy nose and sore throat. For many people, relief can come in the form of Tamiflu, a prescription antiviral medication used to treat and even prevent the illness.

But some people may not realize that Tamiflu isn’t the only option.

Other flu treatments are available in the United States. These alternatives sometimes fly under the radar, in part because some are targeted for specific populations. But Xofluza, a one-dose pill, is approved for people 5 years and older – and can be a strong alternative for some people who may otherwise be prescribed Tamiflu.

Antiviral medications tend to work best when started within two days after symptoms begin, so having easy access to treatment options is key for treating the flu most effectively.

To treat flu this season, there are four antiviral drugs recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tamiflu or oseltamivir, Xofluza or baloxavir, Relenza or zanamivir, and Rapivab or peramivir.

Tamiflu is used to treat flu in people ages 2 weeks and older, and to reduce the chance of getting the flu in people 1 year and older. The medicine is administered in liquid form or capsules, and typically must be taken twice daily for five days when used for flu treatment. When used for prevention after exposure, it is typically taken once daily for 10 days. Available as a generic or under the trade name Tamiflu, it may cost about $50 or less without insurance. The most common side effects include nausea and vomiting.

As another option, Xofluza is administered as a single-dose tablet and approved for ages 5 and older. It can be used to treat or prevent the flu, and it may cost nearly $200 without insurance, but eligible patients can use coupons to lessen costs. The most common side effects include diarrhea and vomiting.

“The most common complaint I hear about is vomiting from Tamiflu,” Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician based in Texas and author of the Baby 411 book series, said in an email. She referenced a 2023 study that showed about 18% of people experience vomiting with Tamiflu versus 5% with Xofluza.

The study also found that about 5% of people get diarrhea with Xofluza compared with none taking Tamiflu. “I’ve also had a few pediatric patients experience moodiness with Tamiflu, which is reported in the literature,” she said.

The “biggest difference” between Tamiflu and Xofluza is that Xofluza can stop viral shedding in one day while Tamiflu may take about three days, Brown said.

That means the rest of the household may have less exposure to the flu and fewer people may come down with it, but “both antivirals will help reduce the duration of the misery by a couple of days,” Brown said. For instance, with treatment, some people may experience five days of flu symptoms instead

By Samantha Delouya, CNN

(CNN) — Next year may mark a turning point for the US housing market.

After several years in a deep freeze, with high borrowing costs and soaring prices locking many Americans out of homeownership, economists say conditions may begin to shift in 2026

But next year, many economists are optimistic about the housing market. Many anticipate that rising incomes will start to outpace home prices, making homes feel more affordable for many Americans.

Redfin has dubbed 2026 “The Great Housing Reset,” while Compass has described it as the start of a “new era.”

And after years of historically low sales volumes, even a small increase in activity would mark a turning point for the housing market. The shift would come as the Trump administration has signaled it intends to prioritize housing affordability in 2026, though details of those plans remain limited.

The last few years, the housing market has felt stuck, said Mike Simonsen, the cheif economist at Compass. Fewer homes changed hands, but home prices kept relentlessly climbing.

“In the next era, we’ll have sufficient inventory on the market across the country, allowing sales to increase,” he said, predicting that the number of home sales would finally tick higher in 2026.

That may happen for a number of reasons – but government reform probably isn’t one of them.

Will home prices fall?

Home prices have exploded since the pandemic, as demand for homes outstripped supply, pricing many Americans out. Between the start of 2020 and the third quarter of 2025, home prices climbed nearly 55% nationwide, according to a recent report from the National Association of Homebuilders.

Beyond the general lack of housing already, many sellers have been unwilling to give up the ultra-low mortgage rates they locked in years ago, held off on listing.

But as homeowners adjust to rates above 6%, more may decide it’s time to sell in 2026, adding inventory to the market and easing price pressure, said Simonsen.

This year, there were glimmers of affordability, with some states like Florida, Texas, and California seeing average home prices decline in 2025 from their peaks.

But don’t expect a sharp nationwide drop in home prices in 2026, Simonsen said. Prices are more likely to hover near current levels.

“We’re forecasting a half a percent increase in home prices next year, which is essentially flat,” he said.

Even so, many buyers may still feel priced out in 2026. The best way to make homes more affordable long term would be to build more homes, Simonsen noted.

But when it comes to homebuilding, Simonsen said “we are behind.”

What will happen to mortgage rates?

Mortgage rates have trended lower in the second half of this year. Last week, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 6.18%, significantly lower than at the start of 2025, when rates were approaching 7%.

Simonsen expects mortgage rates to stay above 6% next year, but that could change. A wea

Por CNN Español

La otra cara de la Navidad en Venezuela. Corea del Norte revela nuevas imágenes de su primer submarino “de propulsión nuclear”. Detienen a “Santa Claus” y a su esposa por exceso de velocidad en Ohio. Esto es lo que debes saber para comenzar el día. Primero la verdad.

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La política inmigratoria de línea dura de Trump en 2025 llevó a deportaciones masivas, miedo cotidiano y la cancelación de programas clave como el TPS y, para muchos, del parole. Miles de personas abandonaron EE.UU., algunos piensan rehacer su vida en México y cientos de famlias con niños viven una pesadilla de estrés e incertidumbre. Esta es una mirada humana al impacto de esa ofensiva del segundo mandato de Trump.

En esta Navidad en Venezuela hay sillas vacías, regalos sin destino y abrazos postergados. Un panorama marcado por familias separadas tras la cancelación de los vuelos en medio de la tensión con EE.UU., crisis económica y arrestos que empañan la celebración festiva. Aunque algunos mantienen las tradiciones, a la espera de que la paz y los cambios lleguen al país, el desánimo es cada vez mayor.

• Rusia critica las acciones de EE.UU. sobre Venezuela y dice que la situación en el Caribe es un “caos legal”
• Reportan la excarcelación de al menos 99 personas detenidas en Venezuela

Nasry “Tito” Asfura, declarado como ganador de las elecciones presidenciales de Honduras por la autoridad electoral, llamó este miércoles a la reconciliación en un mensaje de Nochebuena, al tiempo que su competidor más cercano en el recuento de los votos, Salvador Nasralla, aseguró que no acepta el resultado.

• Qué países y organismos ya reconocieron la declaratoria presidencial de Asfura en Honduras

La sombra que Rusia proyecta sobre Europa reafirma que el riesgo de guerra ya no es solo teórico: expertos en defensa señalan que Europa no está preparada para un posible conflicto directo con Moscú en los próximos años, lo que provoca llamados a reforzar la seguridad y la inversión en defensa ante la amenaza rusa.

Corea del Norte difundió este jueves nuevas imágenes de lo que, según afirma, es su primer submarino de propulsión nuclear, una enorme embarcación comparable en tamaño a algunos de los submarinos de ataque de la Marina de Estados Unidos. La construcción de un submarino de propulsión nuclear ha sido durante años una de las metas de Kim Jong Un.

————–

¿En dónde se vendió el boleto ganador del premio mayor de Powerball de US$ 1.800 millones?

A. Arkansas.

B. Florida.

C. California.

D. Delaware.

Read more

CNN

By Kevin Liptak, CNN

West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he’d ordered a deadly strike on Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria, who he has accused of persecuting Christians in the country.

In a post on social media, Trump said he’d directed a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” who he said had been killing innocent Christians.

US Africa Command said it conducted the strikes in Sokoto state, which borders Niger to the north, “in coordination with Nigerian authorities.” AFRICOM’s initial assessment is that “multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the ISIS camps,” according to a news release.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar told CNN Friday that he had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio prior to the strike and that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu gave the “go ahead.”

“Whoever is prepared to work with us to fight terrorism, we’re ready, willing and able,” he said.

“We demonstrated this yesterday,” he later added.

In an earlier statement posted to X on Thursday, which was later deleted, AFRICOM said it had conducted the attack at the request of Nigerian authorities.

CNN has reached out to AFRICOM and the White House for additional comment. In a separate post on social media, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation.”

In a statement shared with CNN, the Nigerian Foreign Ministry confirmed cooperation with the US on air strikes on “terrorist targets” and reiterated the country’s commitment to upholding the rights of all citizens, “irrespective of faith or ethnicity.”

Daniel Bwala, special adviser to Tinubu, told CNN: “The US and Nigeria are on the same page in the fight against terrorism.”

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday evening. “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”

“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” concluded the president, who is spending the Christmas holiday at his estate in Palm Beach.

Trump has focused for the last several months on the plight of Christians in Nigeria, including calling in November on his secretary of defense to “prepare for possible action” and warning the US would enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to protect the Christian population of Africa’s most populous country.

Tuggar told CNN: “We’re not going to dwell or pour over forensically on what has been said – or what hasn’t been said,” stressing that Nigeria’s focus is “to fight against terrorism, to stop the terrorists from killing innocent Nigerians, be

* WHAT…Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts 45 to 50 mph.

* WHERE…Eastern Antelope Valley Foothills, Eastern San Gabriel
Mountains, Interstate 5 Corridor, Northern Ventura County
Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains, Southern Ventura County
Mountains, Western Antelope Valley Foothills, and Western San
Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor.

* WHEN…Until noon PST today.

* IMPACTS…Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree
limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

The post Wind Advisory issued December 26 at 2:05AM PST until December 26 at 12:00PM PST by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA appeared first on News Channel 3-12.