Tony Stewart reflects on stepping away from the sport and opens up on what he misses the most.

The Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates reportedly discussed an offseason trade that would have sent Pirates pitcher Jared Jones to Boston.

Biden signed 50 bills into law on Christmas Eve, including a proposal backed by Paris Hilton and a measure seeking to curb campus hazing.

Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are challenging NASCAR's recent appeal in the antitrust lawsuit.

Texas is being battered by huge hailstones the size of quarters, powerful winds of up to 65mph and thunderstorms on Christmas Eve.

The bald eagle is now officially the national bird of the U.S. after President Biden signed into law legislation amending a code to formally recognize the previously unofficial American emblem.

Why it matters: "The Bald Eagle has symbolized American ideals since its placement on the Great Seal in 1782," per a statement from Preston Cook, co-chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center after Congress passed earlier this month the bill that was sent to Biden's desk.

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• "With this legislation, we honor its historic role and solidify its place as our national bird and an emblem of our national identity," added Cook, who spearheaded the legislative effort with Minnesota Reps. Brad Finstad (R) and Angie Craig (D) and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).

Zoom out: The bill officially recognizing the bird of prey was among some 50 bills Biden signed into law on Christmas Eve.

The big picture: The bald eagle has unofficially been the national bird since its appearance on the Great Seal, which symbolizes the sovereignty of the U.S. as a nation.

• The bird also features on the president's flag, the mace of the House of Representatives, military insignia and "billions of one-dollar bills," per a Department of Veterans Affairs post.
• However, it had never been legally designated as the country's national bird until now.

Fun fact: Founding father Benjamin Franklin objected to the bald eagle's appearance in a letter to his daughter describing it as "a bird of bad moral character," per the Franklin Institute.

Go deeper: U.S. bald eagle population has quadrupled since 2009

• The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to $1 billion ahead of a Christmas Eve drawing.
• If someone wins on Tuesday, they will score the seventh-largest prize in the game's history.
• The lump sum cash option is about $448.8 million, according to the Mega Millions website.

One lucky lotto player could wake up to a billion-dollar Christmas morning this year.

The Mega Millions jackpot hit an estimated $1 billion on Tuesday ahead of the Christmas Eve drawing, according to the Mega Millions website.

If someone does score a six-number winning ticket on Tuesday, the jackpot would be the largest prize ever won in December and the seventh-largest in the game's history.

Choosing the lump sum cash option would cut the prize money in half to about $448.8 million, according to the Mega Millions website. Winners can also choose annual payments over time. Mega Millions winnings are subject to state and federal income taxes.

Nobody has won the jackpot since September, when a Texan nabbed $810 million. The pot has continued to climb in the previous 29 drawings.

Several of the largest-ever lotto jackpots have happened in recent years.

A California man won a whopping $2.04 billion Powerball — the largest-ever lotto prize — in 2022. Earlier this year, a different California man claimed a $1.7 billion Powerball prize.

The largest Mega Millions prize, meanwhile, went to a Florida winner last year who won a $1.6 billion jackpot.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about one in 302,575,350, according to the Lotto website.

If someone wins on Tuesday, they wouldn't be the first Christmas Eve Mega Millions winner. A $68 million jackpot was won in 2022, but nobody ever claimed the prize, ABC News reported.

Houston Astros infielder Alex Bregman may be favored to land with the Detroit Tigers instead of the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.

Former Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants utility man Ehire Adrianza has announced his retirement at the age of 35.

The Toronto Blue Jays are looking for ways to add to their offensive production for 2025 and beyond, and one AL outfielder would be a good fit.

The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't re-signed outfielder Teoscar Hernández yet. Everybody is left wondering why they haven't made the simple signing.

Second baseman Gleyber Torres' time with the New York Yankees appears to be over. Will he take his talents across the country and join the Seattle Mariners?

• A new lawsuit filed Tuesday by publicist Stephanie Jones alleges that Justin Baldoni and his PR reps tried to smear Blake Lively.
• Jones, a former employer of Baldoni's PR rep Jennifer Abel, alleges in the suit that Abel ran an operation in secret while she was working for Jones.
• Abel disparaged Jones and tried to steal clients for a competing firm, the lawsuit alleges.

A publicist who previously represented Justin Baldoni says one of her former employees orchestrated a smear campaign against Blake Lively without the public relations firm's knowledge — and then stole Baldoni and other celebrities as clients.

In a civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan state court Tuesday, Stephanie Jones said the ex-employee, Jennifer Abel, ran a secret operation with Melissa Nathan, a communications professional with her own firm.

The lawsuit alleges that the goal was to "destroy" Lively, Baldoni's co-star in "It Ends With Us," to cover up Baldoni's own misconduct on set.

"Their plan was covert, deliberately concealed from Jones, and went far beyond the legitimate scope of Abel's employment," Tuesday's lawsuit says.

Abel and Nathan used the same tactics to wreck Jones's own reputation in order to siphon clients from her public relations company, Jonesworks, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit from Jones — a powerful Hollywood publicist who has represented Jeff Bezos, Tom Brady, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson — is the second legal salvo against Baldoni, Abel, and Nathan this past week.

On Friday, Lively filed a complaint against the same group with the California Civil Rights Department, a possible precursor to a lawsuit.

Lively alleges in the complaint that Baldoni — who also directed "It Ends With Us" — created a hostile workplace by frequently talking about pornography, adding sexually explicit scenes between their characters into the script, pressuring her to lose weight, and walking into her trailer unannounced while she was undressed and breastfeeding, among other offenses.

Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Baldini, Abel, Nathan, and their companies, previously called Lively's allegations "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious." Freedman didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment Tuesday.

Lively's complaint — wielding numerous text messages and emails her lawyers obtained — also alleged Baldoni worked with Abel and Nathan on a sophisticated public relations campaign through manipulated social media activity and stories published in tabloids.

"You know we can bury anyone," Nathan wrote to Abel in a February text message included in Lively's complaint as they discussed how to propose the communications strategy to Baldoni.

Lively's complaint alleges the campaign on behalf of Baldoni unfolded in secret alongside the public relations campaign for the movie, which was released in theaters in August and grossed over $350 million worldwide.

Jones said in her lawsuit she fired Abel in August after she had "stolen more than 70 proprietary and sensitive business documents" as well as client information. Abel also tried to poach employees for a competing public relations firm, RWA Communications, the lawsuit alleges.

Nathan didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment Tuesday.

In an email Tuesday, Abel provided a different account of how she left Jonesworks. She sent BI an email and text messages showing she submitted her resignation in July with plans to start her own public relations firm.

Jones's attorney Kristin Tahler said she filed the lawsuit "to stop defendants' continuing misconduct and for Steph to recover the reputation."

"For months, this group has gaslit and disparaged Stephanie Jones and her company for financial gain, to settle personal scores and most recently to distract from their disgraceful smearing of Blake Lively," Tahler, an attorney at Quinn, Emmanuel, said in a statement Tuesday.

Lively's complaint doesn't indicate how her lawyers obtained the purported campaign plan or the texts between Abel and Nathan.

Jones's lawsuit offers a possible explanation: It says Abel's company-issued phone from Jonesworks was forensically preserved and examined after Jonesworks received a subpoena. On the phone, "Abel and Nathan's covert take down and smear campaigns were revealed in black and white," Jones alleges.

"Jones discovered the breadth and intensity of Abel and Nathan's duplicity from these records, including that Abel was actively encouraging other Jonesworks clients and employees to leave Jonesworks while Abel was still employed there," Jones's lawsuit alleges.

On her way out the door from Jonesworks, Abel tried to turn Jones's clients against her so she and Nathan could steal them for her own firms, Jones's lawsuit says.

Jones's lawsuit alleges that, as part of a smear campaign, the two spoke with a reporter at Business Insider, which published an article in August about Jones and the workplace culture at Jonesworks.

While Abel waged an intense publicity campaign on Baldoni's behalf, text messages show she held him in "extremely low regard," Jones's lawsuit alleges.

"He may fire us because even if we put together an amazing campaign, it's not going to change the fact that he's so unlikable and unrealistic as a leading man," Abel wrote in one text message included in the lawsuit. "there's no chemistry with him and Blake."

• A luxury jewelry authenticator said there are some telltale signs of a fake Van Cleef & Arpels piece.
• The real deal is made with precision and quality, and counterfeiters often miss the small details.
• Here's what to look out for, from thickness to shape.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ng Yong Shen, the vice president of Re-Loved Luxury, a Dubai-based secondhand luxury retailer. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I got into the business of authenticating luxury goods during the pandemic when I was hired as a purchaser for a secondhand luxury goods company.

In that role, I was exposed to a large volume of luxury items on a daily basis. Bags, watches, and jewelry have become my strong suits when it comes to authentication.

I went on to pursue similar roles, first as an authenticator for Carousell Group, an online marketplace similar to Craigslist, and later as a commercial manager at Luxehouze, a marketplace focused on pre-owned luxury goods.

Now, after four years in the industry, my day involves procuring secondhand pieces from online marketplaces or vintage shops, authenticating pieces for corporate clients at midday, and then working as Re-Loved Luxury's vice president, trying to scale up its business.

I also buy and trade vintage luxury pieces for my personal collection.

One question I get asked a lot as an authenticator is: How can I distinguish a real Van Cleef & Arpels piece from a fake?

For me, the fakes are easy to spot. A friend recently asked me to look at a piece, and just eyeballing it was enough to tell it wasn't authentic.

But to the untrained eye, I can see how it wouldn't be so straightforward. So here are four things to look out for when checking if the Van Cleef piece you're interested in is the real deal.

1. Shape of the clover prongs

The first thing to check is the shape of the four prongs.

The prongs that make up the clover pattern of Van Cleef & Arpels' pieces are very distinct and round, but the fake ones have a more elongated shape.

The fake ones often look almost teardrop-shaped, while an authentic piece has a more even and rounded profile.

2. The spheres surrounding the center stone

Then, look at the small spheres that outline the clover stone.

If you look closely at the fake ones, you can see that the spheres surrounding the stone are not very uniform.

Van Cleef & Arpels is a high-end jewelry brand, so the workmanship is premium. But with replicas, counterfeiters often work faster and may skimp on these small details.

The spheres are often either too big or too small on fakes. Whereas on the real ones, you can see that they are very fine, and very easy on the eyes.

3. Hallmark on the jump ring

One crucial telltale sign is the clasp. You can open and close the clasp, and then you loop it into the jump ring.

Look at the jump ring closely. It has a small dent in it. If you flip it around and look under the loop, you will find that the dent on an authentic piece has a very small hallmark pressed into it.

Upon closer inspection, you will see that the jump ring is imprinted with an eagle's head, the French hallmark for 18-karat gold jewelry.

That's a detail that a lot of counterfeiters tend to miss out on.

4. Neatness of the side profile

Finally, turn the piece to examine its side profile. The rounded area on a fake bracelet is often messier compared to a real one, which is a lot crisper and sharper.

There is also a certain thickness to the center stone itself. You will notice that the fake ones are often thin, which can be another dead giveaway.

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil "fanned the flames" after allegedly setting a woman on fire on the subway, prosecutors said.

• China has been trying to get its people to be more vigilant for foreign spies this year.
• The government has pushed warnings for things to beware of, like weird pens and strangers.
• Xi urged officials last year to adopt "worst-case-scenario thinking" for national security.

It's been a busy year for the front-facing team of China's State Security Ministry.

They've been following up on a nationwide push by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to maximize public awareness of foreign espionage.

Xi told officials in June 2023 that the country's national security issues had risen significantly, and that they should adopt "worst-case-scenario thinking" to prepare for potential "perilous, stormy seas" ahead.

That mandate has, in part, taken shape in 2024 through a series of posts on government accounts on WeChat, or China's version of Facebook.

Those include cautionary anecdotes of military documents being found in recycling plants, tour guides uncovering spies, and students getting duped by agencies promising entry into good colleges.

But they also contain clear warnings for things that could seem innocent, such as beautiful women offering "love traps" or drones disguised as dragonflies.

Funny-looking lighters, pens, and dragonflies

Spy gadgets aren't just a movie concept, the State Security Ministry said in August.

"In real life, some inconspicuous daily necessities around us may also contain mysteries," it wrote in a post about "hidden gadgets."

It told the story of an unnamed businessman bidding on an overseas project who discovered microphones in a box of napkins.

The ministry added that pens can be cameras, lighters can be listening devices, and insect-like drones could be used to gather intelligence.

'Good-hearted people' with cash to spare

The same month, the ministry told the tale of Little Wei, a senior university student who grew up orphaned in a poor mountainous region.

It warned that Wei, a budding, top-scoring student, had come across a generous donor named "Teacher L" who offered to subsidize him until he graduated from college. In return, Wei would have to help with research projects and field surveys, for which he would be paid even more money.

The ministry said Wei later found a job that gave him access to confidential information, which he passed to Teacher L at the latter's behest.

The ministry dubbed such people "wolves in sheep's clothing."

"Their methods are despicable and have no bottom line. They often disguise themselves as 'good-hearted people,' 'passionate people,' and 'caring people' around young people," it added.

Job offers

Young students have been a recurring concern in the ministry's messaging this year.

It wrote in September that it had found foreign spy agencies trying to recruit students with market research or science-related jobs touting "small efforts and high returns."

Officials said that eventually, the spies would ask the students to start "collecting and compiling internal scientific research and academic materials, photographing military sensitive areas."

'Handsome men or beautiful women'

Online dating could also be teeming with danger, the ministry warned in the same September post.

Foreign spies may "even disguise themselves as 'handsome men' or 'beautiful women' and pretend to be close friends and drag young students into a false 'love' trap," it wrote.

The ministry urged young people making friends online to be "highly vigilant and clear-headed."

Express delivery

Authorities have also released statements about courier deliveries, which are especially cheap and widely used in China.

"In recent years, foreign espionage and intelligence agencies have been increasingly rampant in stealing secrets through delivery channels," the ministry wrote in August.

It said it had found a case where a "foreign institution" had sent a hazardous powder to a Chinese research center. The ministry also said it had uncovered shipments of non-native animal species, sent to disrupt the local ecology, like "red-eared sliders, alligator snapping turtles, American bullfrogs, fall armyworms, and red fire ants."

Telling your date you work in the military

In November, the Chinese navy told its personnel in the "internet generation" — or millennials and Gen Z sailors — not to post their military status online.

"A military profession is of a political, confidential, and disciplinary nature. Resolve not to reveal your military identity online," the navy said in its post.

It warned especially of young officers and seamen who are "eager for love" and might try to snag dates by displaying their military status.

"If you expose your military identity to gain attention, it's very easy to become the focus of criminals," the navy wrote.

Rock music

The South China Morning Post reported in September that a new foundational textbook for college students warned of rock music and pop culture as "covers" for color revolutions.

Color revolutions generally refer to the Arab Spring and anti-government protests in post-Soviet states. For years, Beijing has accused the US of orchestrating them.

The textbook is likely to be made mandatory reading in at least some schools. State media has called it the "first unified textbook" of all of the principles and ideals that a core committee answering to Xi has tried to promote in the last 10 years.

The part left unsaid

Notably, China rarely says who these "foreign spies" work for, though these messages have come against the backdrop of frosty tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The US Justice Department, on its part, has been regularly charging people this year accused of spying for China and trying to manipulate local politics in Beijing's favor.

"Part of this is inevitable," Dylan Loh, a professor at the Public Policy and Global Affairs program at Singapore's National Technological University, told Business Insider. "As China grows, the amount of national security concerns and interests will certainly increase."

"The other part is reflective of geopolitics today, especially in the context of US-China competition," he said.

Overall, Loh said, it's indicative of a bigger push by China to group more issues into the domain of national security.

Ian Ja Chong, a professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said it's not clear how effective China's messaging is, but that its strategy seems to rely on repetition.

"Even if a vast majority of people ignore or become desensitized to such claims, there may be some among the public for whom these ideas of danger become a source of motivation," he said.

The danger could lie in this suspicion growing into nationalism, he said.

"There remain allegations that attacks on Japanese schools in Suzhou and Shenzhen earlier this year, as well as an attack on US teachers in Jilin, resulted from a growing sense of foreign threat in the PRC," Chong said, referring to China by its formal name.

Xi's drive goes beyond social media messaging. BI's Huileng Tan reported in May 2023 about China's sweeping updates to its anti-espionage law that broadened the definition of spying and the transfer of important information.

Since the original law passed in 2014, China has detained and charged dozens of foreign businesspeople with espionage. One of the most recent cases involves a Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma, a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical firm, accused by China of spying. According to Japanese media, he was the 17th Japanese citizen to be detained under suspicion of espionage in China, and his trial opened in November.

"That is the way it should be for all dogs!" said one TikTok user after watching the clip of the pet sleeping off the festivities.

Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel are the publicists accused of helping Justin Baldoni create a smear campaign against Blake Lively.

DNC fundraiser Lindy Li said this after she announced her departure from the Democratic Party.

Denmark is increasing defense spending in Greenland, said a Danish official Tuesday who called the announcement's timing with President-elect Trump's suggestion that the U.S. should own the territory an "irony of fate."

The big picture: Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told the outlet Jyllands-Posten on Tuesday that Denmark would spend a "double-digit billion amount" in krone equivalent to at least $1.5 billion on the self-ruled territory that's part of its kingdom to ensure a "stronger presence" in the Arctic.

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• Trump said on the Sunday the "ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" for the U.S., which has a strategically important base on the northwest coast of the territory.
• His remarks that built on comments he made during his first term about buying Greenland prompted the territory's prime minister to say on Monday that it is "not for sale and will never be for sale."

State of play: Poulsen noted in his interview that Denmark had "not invested enough" for many years in in the Arctic — where countries including China and Russia have been racing for resources in the region that's feeling the effects of climate change.

• Russia has already sought to claim territory up to Greenland's Exclusive Economic Zone.

Between the lines: The Danish Defense Academy's Army Maj. Steen Kjaergaard told the BBC Tuesday that Trump may have been pressing Denmark's government to act on this threat.

• "It is likely to be sparked by the renewed Trump focus on the need for air and maritime control around Greenland and the internal developments in Greenland where some are voicing a will to look towards the U.S. — a new international airport in Nuuk was just inaugurated," Kjaergaard said.
• "Trump is smart… he gets Denmark to prioritize its Arctic military capabilities by raising this voice, without having to take over a very un-American welfare system," he added, in reference to Greenland's reliance on money from Copenhagen.

Zoom in: The United States' Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) has a missile early warning radar that can detect Russian missiles.

• The base once sought to secretly store a nuclear reactor under an Arctic ice sheet called Camp Century during the Cold War era, also known as the "city under the ice," in a drive called Project Iceworm.
• Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Go deeper: Trump dreams of empire expansion

Editor's note: Andrew Freedman contributed reporting.