At Zohran Mamdani's swearing in, Rama Duwaji remains art-world chic

As New York City's first lady,Rama Duwajichannels art-world chic.

The Syrian-American illustrator held two Qurans asZohran Mamdanitook the oath of office as New York City mayor after midnight on New Year's Day, in a minimalist black coat, a knee-length black dress or skirt and black ankle boots, with a pair of gold, sculptural statement earrings.

Duwaji, 28, has continued to subvert expectations in her clothing choices as the incoming first lady, favoring understated, modern looks with creative-class sensibility. Online, she's seen insimilarly modernist looks, and as the34-year-old democratic socialistmade hisvictory speechin November, Duwaji was by his side wearing a dark denim square-neck top by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zeid Hijazi and a Ulla Johnson black skirt, also with statement dangling earrings by New York City jewelry designer Eddie Borgo.

Duwaji obtained a master's degree in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post as well as Apple and Spotify.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Duwaji, 28, was born in Houston to Syrian parents, spending part of her childhood in Dubai.

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Get to know Rama Duwaji, Zohran Mamdani's wife and NYC's youngest first lady

Duwaji obtained a master's degree in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post as well as Apple and Spotify.

Rama Duwaji, illustrating her own life,is more than Zohran Mamdani's wife

At Mamdani's swearing in, he called taking the office "the honor and a privilege of a lifetime" after signing the paperwork and paying a $9 filing fee to make it official.

Mamdani, who was also surrounded by his parents, Mahmood Mamdani and Mira Nair, was administered the oath by New York Attorney GeneralLetitia Jamesunder the Spanish-tiled arches of alandmarked former subway station below City Hallin Lower Manhattan.

Inauguration live updates:Zohran Mamdani takes office as NYC mayor

Mamdani will also be sworn in outside City Hall bySen. Bernie Sandersafter an introductionby Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Mamdani is the 112th person — but thefirst Muslim and the first person of South Asian descent— to lead the nation's largest city. By taking his oath on the Quran, he is now the first mayor of New York to do so,according to the New York Times.

Contributing: Victoria E. Freile, Eduardo Cuevas, Dan Morrison and Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Zohran Mamdani's wife Rama Duwaji faithful to all-black aesthetic

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

At Zohran Mamdani's swearing in, Rama Duwaji remains art-world chic

As New York City's first lady,Rama Duwajichannels art-world chic. The Syrian-American illustrator held two Q...

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Will There Be a “Stranger Things” Spinoff?

Courtesy of Netflix

NEED TO KNOW

• Netflix has multiple Stranger Things spinoffs in the works, including some co-creator Matt Duffer referred to as a "clean slate"

• An animated show, first announced in 2023, will feature the original characters and premiere later this year

• The sci-fi show wrapped its fifth and final season on Dec. 31

After nearly a decade,Stranger Thingshas come to an end — but fans may get to revisit the world created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer again soon.

Netflix's nostalgia-filled sci-fi show wrapped its fifth and final season with the release of its series finale on Dec. 31, bringing to an end the characters' long fight against the terrors in the Upside Down. Though the Duffer brothers have assured that all possible loose ends have been tied up, spinoffs are already in the works.

Speaking toVarietyin October ahead of the release of season 5's first wave of episodes in November, the Duffers stressed the importance of giving the story closure.

"We do every last remaining thing we wanted to do with the Demogorgons and Mind Flayer and Vecna and the Upside Down and Hawkins and these characters," Matt said. "This is a complete story. It'sdone."

Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

That being said, fans can still head to Broadway to see the prequel play,Stranger Things: The First Shadow,which first opened in London in December 2023 before making its Broadway bow in April 2025.

And in early November 2025, Netflix unveiled a first look atStranger Things: Tales from '85, an animated series first announced in 2023, which is set in Hawkins in winter 1985. According to the official logline, "the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town."

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

"With animation, there's really no limits," Ross toldTudum.

"And it's nice, because the kids can stay young forever," Matt toldVariety. The show will premiere later this year and feature an entirely new cast voicing the beloved characters.

But the Duffers have confirmed another spinoff in the works as well — only that will feature "a different decade and different characters, but of course, still connected to theStranger Thingsuniverse," Ross toldTHR. "It's an idea we've had for years and something we're just really excited and passionate about."

As Matt toldVariety, "You're starting with new characters. It's like clean slate. You're not tied up into any knots."

"It's really its own entity," he added to ScreenRant.

As Ross noted toVariety, the spinoffs are "going to live in a bit of a different world. There's going to be connective tissue, but you're almost anthologizing in a way. Because we're notStar Wars. We can't be like, 'Oh, now we're on this planet.'"

Courtesy of Netflix

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While the Duffer brothers are creating the new series and will be, as Ross toldVariety, "heavily creatively involved" and "helping shepherd it along," they won't be its showrunners, as they have a new deal to develop projects for Paramount.

All five seasons ofStranger Thingsare available for streaming on Netflix.Stranger Things: Tales from '85will premiere on Netflix later this year.

Read the original article onPeople

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Will There Be a “Stranger Things” Spinoff?

Courtesy of Netflix NEED TO KNOW Netflix has multiple Stranger Things spinoffs in the works, including some co-creator Matt Duffer referr...

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What we know about the 'Stranger Things' spinoff — plus the one cast member who guessed it correctly

For the Duffer brothers,Stranger Thingsmarks the end of an era… sort of. Though the hit Netflix series is coming to an end after nine years and five seasons, fans won't be saying goodbye to theStranger Thingsuniverse for good. In fact, Ross and Matt Duffer have practically said as much: There's aStranger Thingsspinoff in the works.

The Duffers have remained tight-lipped when it comes to sharing details about the spinoff, though they have sharedsomeinsight into what fans may be able to expect — and aStranger Thingsstar has even weighed in on the discourse.

Will the same cast be involved? And what exactly have the Duffer brothers said about it? Yahoo is rounding up everything we know about theStranger Thingsspinoff (so far), below.

Will theStranger Thingscast return for the spinoff?

Unfortunately,Stranger Thingsfans shouldn't expect to see any familiar faces in the spinoff series. Matt Duffertold Screenrantof the forthcoming project: "It relates in some ways, but it really is a completely different story and a completely different location with completely different actors and characters. So it's its own. It's really its own entity."

What else do we know about the spinoff?

While it won't follow the Hawkins gang we've come to know and love, theStranger Thingsspinoff, Matt Duffer previouslytold Variety, will still be part of the show's brand and style of storytelling, and will revolve around "kids, adventures, sci-fi/fantasy, rather than increasingly expand what could become an insanely convoluted mythology."

"You're starting with new characters — it's like clean slate," he told the outlet. "You're not tied up into any knots. There's something refreshing about it."

The Duffers will be involved in "helping shepherd it along," per Variety, but given theirnew Paramount deal, they won't serve as showrunners of the spinoff.

Has theStranger Thingscast said anything about it?

So far, Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, is the only member of theStranger Thingscast to correctly guess what the spinoff may revolve around.

"Nobody — not Netflix, not any of the producers, not any of the directors, not any of the actors — nobody else has figured out what the spinoff is. Finn figured [it] out, which is pretty remarkable," Ross Duffertold Variety. "We've mind-melded with this kid a bit."

While chatting with Variety, Wolfhard speculated about what the forthcomingStranger Thingsspinoff could be about, and compared it to another beloved cult series.

"Like David Lynch'sTwin Peaks," he told the outlet. "Sort of an anthology and different tones but similar universe or same universe. I think set in different places and all tied together through this mythology of the Upside Down. Don't even talk about Hawkins. Don't have any mention of our characters. They were toying around with ideas in case Netflix wanted them. I'm sure they do, and I'm sure it will happen, but there's nothing official. I think the coolest way, the way that I would do it, there has to be labs everywhere. If there was one in Hawkins, there's one in Russia. Where else could they be?"

TheStranger Thingsspinoff was confirmed in November 2025 when Matt Duffertold Deadline, "We are moving forward with it. Netflix, they finally know what it is. We held it. They were so frustrated. We just would not tell them. Finn guessed what it was. So he was the only one who knew."

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

What we know about the 'Stranger Things' spinoff — plus the one cast member who guessed it correctly

For the Duffer brothers,Stranger Thingsmarks the end of an era… sort of. Though the hit Netflix series is coming to an en...

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Russia rings in new year with mass drone strike on Ukraine, Putin says he's confident of victory

KYIV, Ukraine —Russiarang in the new year by launching more than 200 drones atUkraine, whilePresident Vladimir Putinused his year-end address to rally support for his troops and to assure his nation of victory.

In Ukraine itself,President Volodymyr Zelenskyy'sDec. 31 address was replete with defiance but also optimism aboutthe frenetic shuttle diplomacy being brokered by the United States.

Zelenskyy said that Russia,whose officials are also in talks with the Americans, remains the central blocker to peace, with Putin unyielding in his maximalist demands.

"I would give anything in the world if, in this address, I could say that peace will also come in just a few minutes," Zelenskyy said just before the clock struck midnight. "Unfortunately, I cannot say that yet. But with a clear conscience, I — all of us — can say that Ukraine is truly doing everything for peace."

The Ukrainian leader has just returned froma Florida meeting with President Donald Trumpon Sunday. Afterwards, Zelenskyy said Trump had offered 15 years ofthe crucial "security guarantees"that he says are essential to stop Putin attacking again. Ukraine had asked for 50 years, he said.

Hours before the new year's bells chimed Wednesday, Trump's special envoySteve Witkoff posted on Xthat he had held a call with Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and the national security advisers of Britain, France and Germany.

In his own post on X,Umerov saidSecretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were also on the call.

Though Zelenskyy said that the "peace agreement is 90 percent ready," he suggested that the remaining 10% contained the thorniest issues preventing peace.

"Those are the 10% that will determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe, how people will live," he said. "Ten percent to save millions of lives. Ten percent of the determination needed for peace to work one hundred percent. Ten percent of the unity and wisdom so desperately needed — Ukrainian, American, European, from the entire world. Ten percent to peace."

The Ukrainian leader charted what has been a rollercoaster year trying to retain the goodwill of Trump, a pivotal and changeable figure in the peace process. Zelenskyy said "it was not easy at all to achieve such a change in the tone of relations between Ukraine and the United States" after he clashed with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in anextraordinary White House meetingin February.

Trump has often shifted between appearing to favor Russia and then Ukraineduring these negotiations, and has at various points been criticized for freezing Ukraine and Europe out of the process.

"Without Ukraine, nothing will work. Ukraine has defended its right to have a voice," Zelenskyy said, adding later that: "Ukraine is, in fact, the only shield that now separates Europe's comfortable way of life from the Russian world."

Hours after Zelenskyy spoke, Russia launched 205 drones — mostly Iran-designed Shehads along with some Russian Gerbera drones — into Ukraine, according to the country's military. Air defense systems downed 176 of these but 24 strikes were recorded at 15 locations, it said. There was also shelling right along the line of contact between Russia and Ukraine.

At least two people were killed and more than a dozen injured across the country, according to regional officials.

For its part, Ukraine launched a strike against Russia's Rosrezerv oil depot in the Yaroslavl region, the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, said in a statement. The SBU said this was the latest strike designed to "cut off the supply chains of Russian petroleum products with surgical precision, both abroad and for the troops attacking Ukraine."

Russia claimed this week thatUkraine had attempted to assassinate Putinwith a drone strike on his country residence, something that Ukraine denied and the CIA concluded was not true, a source with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

In his own new year's address, Putin said his country was striving "to bring joy and warmth" to those in need, as well as the "heroes" fighting in Ukraine. "I wish all our soldiers and commanders a happy New Year! We believe in you and in our victory," he said.

Daryna Mayer reported from Kyiv and Alexander Smith from London.

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Russia rings in new year with mass drone strike on Ukraine, Putin says he's confident of victory

KYIV, Ukraine —Russiarang in the new year by launching more than 200 drones atUkraine, whilePresident Vladimir Putinused ...

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Italy says US has sharply cut proposed pasta tariffs after a review

ROME, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Italy's foreign ministry said on Thursday the United States had sharply lowered proposed duties ​on several Italian pasta makers following a reassessment of ‌their U.S. activities.

In October, the United States said that 13 Italian pasta companies ‌would face an extra 92% duty - on top of the regular 15% rate on most EU imports - from January 2026, accusing two producers in particular, La Molisana and Garofalo, of selling pasta ⁠at unfairly low prices.

However, ‌after a review, the U.S. Department of Commerce cut the tariff for La Molisana to 2.26%, ‍while Garofalo's rate was set at 13.98%, the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The remaining 11 producers, which were not individually examined in ​the review, face a tariff of 9.09%.

"The recalculation of ‌the duties is a sign that U.S. authorities recognise our companies' constructive willingness to cooperate," the foreign ministry said.

It added that the full conclusions of the U.S. review would be released on March 11, adding that the ministry would continue to provide ⁠help to the companies affected in ​the coming weeks.

The threatened pasta tariffs ​had been an embarrassment to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had hoped that her close ties with U.S. ‍President Donald ⁠Trump would shield Italian companies from any additional tariffs.

Italy's total pasta exports were worth over 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) ⁠in 2024, according to data from national statistics agency ISTAT. The U.S. market ‌was worth almost $800 million to Italian firms.

(Reporting by Crispian ‌Balmer; Editing by Ros Russell)

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Italy says US has sharply cut proposed pasta tariffs after a review

ROME, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Italy's foreign ministry said on Thursday the United States had sharply lowered proposed duti...

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Federal employees file complaint against Trump administration's ban on gender-affirming care

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is facing a new legal complaint from a group of government employees who are affected by a new policy going into effect Thursday that eliminates coverage for gender-affirming care in federal health insurance programs.

The complaint, filed Thursday on the employees' behalf by the Human Rights Campaign, is in response to an August announcement from the Office of Personnel Management that it would no longer cover "chemical and surgical modification of an individual's sex traits through medical interventions" in health insurance programs for federal employees and U.S. Postal Service workers.

The complaint argues that denying coverage of gender-affirming care is sex-based discrimination and asks the personnel office to rescind the policy.

"This policy is not about cost or care — it is about driving transgender people and people with transgender spouses, children, and dependents out of the federal workforce," Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson said in a statement announcing the move.

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The complaint, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, includes testimonies from four current federal workers at the State Department, Health and Human Services and the Postal Service who would be directly affected by the elimination of coverage.

For instance, the Postal Service employee has a daughter whose doctors recommended that she get puberty blockers and potentially hormone replacement therapy for her diagnosed gender dysphoria, which would not be covered under the new OPM policy, according to the complaint.

The complaint notes that the workers are making the claim on behalf of themselves and a "class of similarly situated federal employees."

The Trump administration has taken other steps to restrict care for transgender Americans, particularly minors. In December, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesreleased proposals that would block gender-affirming careto minors, including a policy that would bar Medicare and Medicaid dollars to hospitals that provide such care to children.

Senior Trump officials, such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., call gender-affirming care "malpractice" for minors. But such restrictions go against recommendations from major medical groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Federal employees file complaint against Trump administration's ban on gender-affirming care

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is facing a new legal complaint from a group of government employees who are a...

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Garcelle Beauvais Reveals the Surprising Thing Sean Penn Did When They Met: 'What the Hell Is Happening?' (Exclusive)

Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty;Dominique Charriau/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• Garcelle Beauvais stepped out on Dec. 9 to support CORE's 15th Anniversary Livestream Benefit Concert, a nonprofit humanitarian organization founded by Sean Penn

• At the event, Beauvais recalled to PEOPLE what shocked her most when she first met Penn

• Penn cofounded CORE after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Beauvais' native Haiti in 2010

Garcelle Beauvaisis opening up about her friendship withSean Penn.

TheReal Housewives of Beverly Hillsalum, 59, met Penn, 65, over a decade ago, when she began working with his disaster response organizationCORE(Community Organized Relief Effort). Penn and Ann Lee cofounded CORE after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, killing more than 220,000 people.

"I'm from Haiti, so when Sean rushed to Haiti right after the earthquake, it meant the world to me," Beauvais told PEOPLE at CORE's 15th Anniversary Livestream Benefit Concert in Los Angeles on Dec. 9. "I just started volunteering and really championing what they do. Sean and Ann do really great work."

When Beauvais met Penn she says "he spoke Creole," one of the official languages of Haiti. "When I heard him speaking Creole, I was like, 'What the hell is happening?'" she recalls.

Amy Sussman/Getty

Beauvais adds that Penn is a "warrior."

"I don't know what it is about him, but this man has the guts, the balls," she says. "He's brave, and when the earthquake happened in Haiti and infrastructure was still shaking, he went in without even thinking about it. And he's done it over and over again. He's not just an actor. He's a great human being."

Beauvais previously revealed on an episode ofRHOBHthat she dated Penn when asked by costar Erika Jayne the "biggest star" she's gone on a date with. "Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Sean Penn," Beauvais said.

CORE's 15th Anniversary Livestream Benefit Concert featured performances from Win and Régine of Arcade Fire, Beach Weather, Claire Rosinkranz, Medium Build, Remi Wolf and Saint Motel. In addition to Beauvais, the celebration was attended by stars including Casey Affleck and Soleil Moon Frye and raised funds for the organization's emergency response efforts around the world.

During the evening, Penn delivered a heartfelt message of hope and resilience and also thanked the crowd for their generous support of CORE's ongoing mission to directly reach and respond to the most vulnerable communities in crisis.

Read the original article onPeople

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Garcelle Beauvais Reveals the Surprising Thing Sean Penn Did When They Met: 'What the Hell Is Happening?' (Exclusive)

Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty;Dominique Charriau/WireImage NEED TO KNOW Garcelle Beauvais stepped out on Dec. 9 to support CORE's 15th Anni...

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