Month: December 2025

American Scotch drinkers have been waiting nearly 18 months for the Bowmore Sherry Oak Cask Collection to be available in the United States. The wait is now over. 

Just in time for the holidays, Islay’s oldest licensed distillery is now selling the 12-year-old and the 15-year-old single malts in the U.S.

Details on the Bowmore Sherry Oak Cask Collection 

The Bowmore Sherry Oak Cask Collection consists of four single malt whiskies: 12-, 15-, 18-, and 21-year-old expressions. All of the whiskies were aged in European oak casks seasoned with oloroso sherry and in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. However, what sets each whisky apart, other than age, is the finishing cask. 

The 12-year-old and 15-year-old single malts were both finished in oloroso sherry seasoned casks. The 18-year-old Scotch was finished in pedro ximénez sherry casks. And the 21-year-old bottling was finished in both oloroso and pedro ximénez sherry casks. 

Both sherry cask types impart fruity, nutty flavors to Bowmore’s signature mineral-forward and peaty profile, which has the result of tempering its smokiness. The oloroso influence tends to lean on the drier, woodier side, while the pedro ximénez casks double down on bright, fruity flavors.

Related: How Glendronach’s Master Blender Rachel Barrie Turned the Science of Whisky Into Art

“We’re excited to share this new collection with our fans in the U.S., where appreciation for barrel aging, and the whisky finesse they’ve come to expect, is at an all-time high,” national ambassador of Scotch at Suntory Global Spirits, Simon Brooking, said in a press release. “The expressions’ brilliantly showcase the exceptional craft of Bowmore, under the leadership of Master Blender Dr. Calum Fraser, with four age statements that provide a master class in the use of sherry finishing in whisky production.”

Bowmore Sherry Oak Cask Collection Price & Availability

Bowmore 12-Year-Old Sherry Oak Cask is bottled at 40 percent ABV and carries a suggested retail price of $90. The 15- and 18-year-old bottlings both clock in at 43 percent ABV and are priced at $160 and $325, respectively. The Bowmore 21-Year-Old Sherry Oak Cask is bottled at an assertive 47 percent ABV, and is set to retail for $450 per bottle. The 12- and 15-year-old expressions are available now, while the 18- and 21-year-old whiskies are expected to arrive before Valentine’s Day 2026.

Get a Bottle of Bowmore 15-Year-Old Sherry Oak Cask Single Malt Scotch Now!

What was supposed to be a typical segment about the Washington Commanders’ defense turned into immediate worry when NBC Sports NFL analyst Rodney Harrison froze up and couldn’t answer Jac Collinsworth’s question.

What Happened?

Harrison, Collingsworth, and former NFL head coach Tony Dungy were in the middle of their Sunday Night Football pregame show, Football Night in America, talking about the Commanders’ defense. Collinsworth asked Harrison the best way the Denver Broncos could attack the Commanders’ defense.

Harrison froze.

“Yeah, I look at,” said Harrison, before appearing to mumble.

Harrison then apologized before asking Collinsworth to repeat the question.

Harrison made a second attempt, but then bailed halfway through his analysis.

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“The best way to attack them. I’m sorry, there’s a lot of stuff going on. I’m sorry. They don’t have a lot of discipline on the defensive side of the ball. That’s it. I’m sorry, guys,” Harrison said.

NFL Fans Seriously Concerned

It didn’t take long for fans to race to social media to express concern for the two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.

One fan tweeted, “He was swaying, appeared to nearly faint, then couldn’t answer or even understand a simple question. I don’t think he’s ‘fine.'”

Another added, “Rodney mentioned that ‘there is a lot going on.’ Then he kept looking down at papers on the desk in front of him. Maybe he has some life challenges right now. Wishing the best for him.”

The scary episode was eerily similar to what happened to a Los Angeles news reporter in 2011, when Serene Branson mumbled her way through a live segment about the Grammys. Viewers feared she had suffered a stroke live on the air, but it turned out to be a migraine, per ABC News.

Harrison Is ‘Fine’

The sports media website Awful Announcing tweeted that “there was some concern about NBC’s Rodney Harrison not appearing well during ‘Football Night in America,’ the SNF pregame show.'”

The outlet added, “We are told he is fine and will appear postgame on Peacock.”

Harrison is a three-time All-Pro who joined NBC Sports after he retired from the NFL in 2009. Before leading the Patriots to two Super Bowl wins, Harrison had a standout career with the San Diego Chargers, which inducted him into its Hall of Fame in October.

The holiday season is in full swing, and for millions of shoppers around the world, that means deals are abundant. Some shoppers braved the crowds and cold weather for in-person deals on Black Friday and over the Thanksgiving weekend, while others have waited to shop from the comfort of their own homes on Cyber Monday.

Stores around the world have either extended their Black Friday sales or incorporated new deals for Cyber Monday, but a major outage has rendered several shoppers without the ability to take advantage.

Major e-commerce platform Shopify has experienced delays and outages on Cyber Monday, prompting angry messages from potential customers and business owners, as well as a statement from the company itself. Customers are able access stores and their corresponding websites, but merchants are unable to properly access the Shopify interface.

Shopify is Aware of the Issue, Seeking Fix

“We’re aware of an issue with Admins impacting selected stores, and are working to resolve it,” Shopify said on Monday. “For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our status page at http://shopifystatus.com. Thank you for your patience.”

According to DownDetector.com, over 4,000 online stores reported issues with Shopify on the morning of December 1. These numbers were repored across the United States, and similar numbers and reports emerged out of the United Kingdom.

Shopify serves over five million customers around the world, and processed more than $300 billion in transactions in 2024 alone, per data from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shoppers React to the Shopify Outage

Shopify is typically thought of as a commerce hub for small businesses, but many major companies like PepsiCo, Kraft, Heinz, Whole Foods and Red Bull use the service as well.

One shopper on social media called the outage “one of the biggest fails of the year,” while another said that the outage happening during Cyber Monday was “embarrassing.” Some suggested that fees should be refunded for small businesses who host their items on the platform to make up for the estimated loss of sales and traffic.

Shopify’s reach over the online commerce space is believed to be at least six times larger than eBay, one of the world’s longest-standing and most trusted platforms. On Black Friday alone, the platform helped generate more than $6 billion in gross merchandise value, up 25% from the previous year.

In 2024, the company processed nearly $300 billion in transactions, and its stock has surged by nearly 50% since the start of the current year.

Creatine is one of the most thoroughly researched supplements on the market. Praised for its ability to boost strength, power, and muscle mass, it’s earned die-hard fans everywhere, from gym rats to endurance athletes. Research in recent years has also highlighted a surprising bonus. Creatine may support memory, reasoning, and overall mental function by helping fuel the brain and reducing mental fatigue.

But despite all those proven benefits, the supplement’s reputation has taken a few hits. Rumor mills, locker-room lore, and Reddit threads have long insisted it leads to weight gain, and that claim has stuck around. To sort out what’s real and what’s bro-science, we turned to expert dietitians and nutritionists who break down the truth.

Related: Want to Get in the Best Shape of Your Life? These Muscle-Building Supplements Will Take Your Gains to the Next Level

Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight?

“In short, creatine does not cause actual weight gain, but can cause the number on the scale to increase,” says Tiffany Ma, a board-certified sports registered dietitian. “During the initial phases of supplementation, water is being pulled into muscle cells as a result of saturation of phosphocreatine in the skeletal muscle. The body reacts to this saturation of creatine by balancing it out with water.”

In other words, early water retention is normal (and temporary). Studies show that during the first few days of taking creatine, your muscles hold onto a bit more fluid, which can nudge the scale upward. But this effect usually levels off quickly. When people notice a more lasting change in weight, it’s rarely water. Instead, it’s typically a small increase in muscle mass, which is exactly what creatine is designed to support when paired with resistance training.

What’s a Loading Phase?

The amount of temporary weight you might gain also depends on whether you do a creatine loading phase. A loading phase is a short period of taking a higher dose of creatine to quickly saturate your muscles. Typically, it involves 20 to 25 grams per day, split into multiple servings, for about 5 to 7 days before dropping to a maintenance dose of 3 to 5 grams.

“Skipping the loading phase does not reduce the long-term benefits, but it makes the change slower and often less noticeable in the beginning,” says Ma. “A standard daily dose without loading gradually increases muscle creatine stores, so any water retention tends to be more subtle and spread out over weeks rather than happening abruptly in a few days.”

According to Dr. Mark Kovacs, PhD, FACSM, CSCS, people who load usually see a quick bump of about one to three pounds within the first week. After that, weight may continue to rise slightly, usually another pound or so, more gradually over the next three to four weeks.

Related: This Is The Best Time to Take Creatine, According to Science

How Long Does Creatine Take to Work?

The effects of creatine depend on whether you use a loading phase, how much you take, and your consistency. Ma says most people start noticing results within about two weeks, but it varies based on your protocol.

“If someone uses a loading approach, their muscles saturate more quickly, and weight changes can happen within the first week,” she says. “Without loading, the process is slower, and many people see gradual changes over two to four weeks. Some individuals may not notice much change at all, even if creatine is working, because the response varies based on muscle mass, training routine, hydration, and baseline creatine levels.”

Easily one of the biggest movie stars of his era, generations of moviegoers spent years watching Bruce Willis on the big screen. Thanks to his roles in movies like the Die Hard franchise, The Sixth Sense, The Fifth Element, Pulp Fiction, Unbreakable, and Looper, among others, Willis’s incredible career made him a truly beloved figure.

Since millions of people have been invested in Willis’ career, there has been a lot of interest in what the Hollywood icon’s life is like now. Recently, observers have learned more about how the actor’s life has changed.

Bruce Willis’ Wife Revealed Their Family Celebrates Christmas Differently Because of His Dementia

On November 27, 2025 People published an article about how Bruce Willis and his family have continued to celebrate Christmas as he copes with dementia. Willis’ wife was attending the End Well 2025 conference, where she had an onstage conversation with Yvette Nicole Brown about dementia, when she spoke to the outlet. While talking to People, Emma Heming Willis revealed that Bruce Willis’ family still loves celebrating Christmas as they adjust their traditions due to his dementia symptoms.

“It’s joyous. It’s just different. Bruce loved Christmas, and we love celebrating it with him. It just looks different, so we’ve kind of adapted to that… You have to learn and adapt and make new memories, bring in the same traditions that you had before. Life goes on. It just goes on.”

While Heming Willis has often been blunt about the difficulties of having a loved one who is coping with dementia, she provides a multifaceted perspective on the realities of that situation. A perfect example of that is the fact that she also spoke to People about finding joy while caring for a loved one who has the symptoms of dementia.

“Dementia is hard, but there is still joy in it. I think it’s important that we don’t paint such a negative picture around dementia. We are still laughing. There is still joy. It just looks different.”

On top of having some fascinating things to say to People, Heming Willis also showed off her humor to the outlet. After she stated that dementia can make the holidays “so hard” for families, she joked about one of the most hotly debated pop culture Christmas topics. “I think it’s important to put Die Hard on because it’s a Christmas movie.”

Why Bruce Willis Copes With Dementia Symptoms

In March 2022, members of Bruce Willis’ family announced on social media that the movie star had been diagnosed with aphasia. Aphasia is a disorder that damages the parts of the brain that are considered the language centers.

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As a September 2025 Today article states, it has also been revealed that Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, or FTD. The form of dementia that Willis is coping with affects his behavior and ability to communicate. That makes the actor’s form of dementia different than other types of dementia that are more associated with memory loss.

Back in May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) instituted a change requiring all travelers to have a REAL ID-compliant form of identification. Up to this point, exceptions have been made for travelers who did not have compliant forms of identification, but now flying without a REAL ID is going to come at a cost.

On Monday, the TSA officially announced that it will begin referring passengers to a fee-based TSA “Confirm.ID” payment option if they do not present a valid, acceptable ID at airport security checkpoints.

TSA Confirms the New Change

Last month, the TSA announced that it was considering a plan to charge travelers without compliant forms of identification a small fee to go through a new identity verification process. On Dec. 1, however, the TSA officially confirmed the change.

Beginning on Feb. 1, travelers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly will have an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system. This $45 fee will allow travelers to use TSA Confirm.ID for a 10-day travel period.

“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA, Adam Stahl, said in a TSA news release on Monday.

“The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are. Beginning February 1, travelers who do not present an acceptable form of ID at our security checkpoints and still want to fly can pay a $45 fee and undergo the TSA Confirm.ID process,” Stahl said. “This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer. The security of the traveling public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights.”

TSA Urges Travelers to Update Their IDs

As the TSA prepares to implement this change, the agency has urged travelers to book an appointment at their local BMV or DMV to update their form of identification to a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state ID.

The list of acceptable forms of identification includes passports, REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and learns permits, as well as a list of many other acceptable alternatives.

Needless to say, this is something a regular traveler would like to have figured out before Feb. 1, or it will cost a $45 fee at the airport.