Pope asks that Rome welcome foreigners as he closes out 2025

ROME (AP) —Pope Leo XIVclosed out 2025 on Wednesday with a prayer that the city of Rome might be a welcoming place for foreigners and fragile people, young and old.

Leo presided over aNew Year's Evevespers service in St. Peter's Basilica, giving thanks for the2025 Holy Yearthat brought millions of pilgrims to Rome in the once-every-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.

Leo will officially close out the Jubilee on Jan. 6. But in his homily, he thanked the city of Rome and the volunteers who helpedkeep crowds movingas they visited St. Peter's and passed through its Holy Door.

He recalled that Pope Francis, who inaugurated the Holy Year on Dec. 24, 2024, had asked that Rome be a more welcoming place. "I would like it to be so again, and I would say even more so after this time of grace," Leo said.

"What can we wish for Rome? That it may be worthy of its little ones. Of children, of lonely and fragile elderly people, of families who struggle to get by, of men and women who have come from afar hoping for a dignified life," he said.

In the pews was Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and other dignitaries.

In addition to the Jubilee, 2025 was momentous because of the papal transition afterFrancis died in Apriland cardinals elected history's first pope from the United States.

The Vatican this week released statistics showing 3.2 million people had participated in Vatican liturgies, audiences, Angelus prayers and Jubilee audiences this year. The numbers were small in the first quarter, given Francis' long hospitalization and illness, and then greatly shot up afterLeo's May election.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP'scollaborationwith The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

byAlex Forten

in

December 31, 2025

Pope asks that Rome welcome foreigners as he closes out 2025

ROME (AP) —Pope Leo XIVclosed out 2025 on Wednesday with a prayer that the city of Rome might be a welcoming place for fo...

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Sydney holds moment of silence on New Year's for Bondi Beach victims

A celebratory moment turned more somber as Australia welcomed 2026.

Ahead of Sydney's festivities to ring in the New Year, attendees held a moment of silence to remember the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting, in which two gunmen fatally shot 15 people and wounded 40 others at the Sydney Jewish festival at the popular beach on Dec. 14.

At 11 p.m. local time on Dec. 31, the Sydney crowd was watching a fireworks display over the Harbor Bridge when a menorah was projected onto the structure's pylons along with the words "peace" and "unity." In response, those in attendance held up their phone flashlights in solidarity.

An hour later, the city rang in the New Year with a spectacular fireworks display. The show, titled "Calling Country," was dedicated to the country's Indigenous history.

Thousands of armed police officers were present at the event to ensure its safety following the attack.

Watch the moment of silence at the top of this story.

In this aerial view, members of the Bondi community paddle and swim into the ocean and form a circle to pay respect during a Paddle Out to honour victims, survivors and first responders of the December 14th Bondi Shootings on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. At least 16 people, including one suspected gunman, were killed and more than 40 others injured when two attackers opened fire near a Hanukkah celebration at the world-famous Bondi Beach, in what authorities have declared a terrorist incident. The government is moving to tighten gun laws across the country.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Maddy and Rani embrace as hundreds participate in a paddle-out and swim during sunrise at Bondi Beach to honor the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting from December 14, on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hundreds participate in a paddle-out and swim during sunrise at Bondi Beach to honor the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting from December 14, on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> In this aerial view, members of the Bondi community paddle and swim into the ocean and form a circle to pay respect during a Paddle Out to honour victims, survivors and first responders of the December 14th Bondi Shootings on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> In this aerial view, members of the Bondi community paddle and swim into the ocean to pay respect during a Paddle Out to honour victims, survivors and first responders of the December 14th Bondi Shootings on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hundreds participate in a paddle-out and swim during sunrise at Bondi Beach to honor the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting from December 14, on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> People watch as hundreds participate in a paddle-out and swim during sunrise at Bondi Beach to honor the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting from December 14, on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A father and son from the Cussen family participate in a paddle-out and swim during sunrise at Bondi Beach to honor the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting from December 14, on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Mish, right, embraces her friend, Ingrid, as hundreds participate in a paddle-out and swim during sunrise at Bondi Beach to honor the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting from December 14, on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See the massive heart surfers formed to honor the Bondi Beach victims

In this aerial view, members ofthe Bondi communitypaddle and swim into the ocean and form a circle to pay respect during a Paddle Out to honour victims, survivors and first responders of the December 14th Bondi Shootings on December 19, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. At least 16 people, including one suspected gunman, were killed and more than 40 others injured when two attackers opened fire near a Hanukkah celebration at the world-famous Bondi Beach, in what authorities have declared a terrorist incident. The government is moving to tighten gun laws across the country.

Details on the Bondi Beach attack

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised the country would crack down on hate speech following the attack. The youngest of the 15 victims was a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, who was laid to rest earlier this month. The eldest victim was 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman.

Speaking at the service honoring the girl's life, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman said: "The tragic, so totally cruel, unfathomable murder of young Matilda is something to all of us as if our own daughter was taken from us. Matilda grew up like a child would, loving what children love. She loved the outdoors, animals. She went to school, she had friends, everybody loved her."

The two men suspected of carrying out the attack are 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was killed exchanging gunfire with police, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Authorities have said the attack appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sydney goes silent on New Year's for Bondi Beach victims

byAlex Forten

in

December 31, 2025

Sydney holds moment of silence on New Year's for Bondi Beach victims

A celebratory moment turned more somber as Australia welcomed 2026. Ahead of Sydney's festivities to ring in...

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Law enforcement ramps up New Year's security measures across the country

Washington— As cities and towns across the U.S. prepare for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations, local, state and national law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for potential threats — concerns that are heightened in the wake of the recentBondi Beach terror attackin Australia and the deadly attack on last year's celebrations onBourbon Street in New Orleans.

Lone actors and small groups with a range of ideological motives pose the most significant threat to New Year's Eve celebrations, according to a joint bulletin from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security reviewed by CBS News.

The assessment, which is done routinely ahead of large public gatherings, notes there is no specific, credible threat this holiday. But the bulletin describes the persistent risk of small groups of people "seeking to commit acts of violence motivated by a broad range of racial, ethnic, political, religious, anti-government, anti-immigration, societal or ideological beliefs and grievances."

In New York City, the NYPD has been working on security for the Times Square area since last year's festivities, said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. There are "no known specific credible threats" to the celebration, Tisch said Wednesday, but the public should expect to see "thousands" of NYPD officers in the area.

Intelligence teams will also be monitoring social media for threats, Tisch said. Times Square is expecting more than a million visitors from around the world, she noted, making it "one of the largest and the most complex safety operations anywhere in the world."

In Las Vegas, Andrew Walsh, undersheriff for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told reporters at a news conference this week that the National Guard will be present in Vegas, as they have been in years past.

Recent memory serves as a sobering reminder of how critical it is for law enforcement to be vigilant.

Earlier this month, the FBI announced it hadfoiledan alleged New Year's Eve bombing plot in Southern California. The four people who face charges in the alleged plot are members of a group known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front. Attorney General Pam Bondi described the organization as a "far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group."

Hundreds of National Guard troops have deployed toNew Orleansone year after the devastating New Year's Day attack there, at the request of Louisiana's Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. On Jan. 1, 2025, investigators say Shamsud-Din Jabba rammed a pickup truck into the crowd onBourbon Streetin New Orleans, killing 14 people and leaving many more injured in an act of terror. The FBI said the attacker, a U.S. Army veteran, was radicalized by ISIS.

Police report details charges against Patriots' Stefon Diggs, who denies the allegations

DHS conducting "massive investigation" after viral video alleges fraud at Minnesota day care centers

New Orleans boosts New Year's security 1 year after deadly truck attack

byAlex Forten

in

December 31, 2025

Law enforcement ramps up New Year's security measures across the country

Washington— As cities and towns across the U.S. prepare for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations, local...

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No. 16 USC suffers shocking, walk-off loss to TCU in overtime of Alamo Bowl

For a nine-win team such asUSC, once again on the outside looking in at theCollege Football Playoff, the bowl season can feel a bit like purgatory. One foot in the past season, the other in the future, your team trapped somewhere in-between.

There were glimpses of each Tuesday night for USC in a brutal30-27 overtime defeatto Texas Christian in the Alamo Bowl. There were equal reminders all night both of what could have been this season, had USC ever played at its best for long, and also flashes of why it never managed to be.

In one moment, there was freshmanTanook Hines, sprinting to catch a deep ball in stride, announcing himself as a rising star. In another, a TCU running back was busting his way through tackles on third-and-long, rumbling improbably into the end zone, deflating any such delusions of grandeur.

But after oscillating between those opposing poles, the final minutes against TCU took the Trojans on a tour of all their most glaring concerns from the 2025 season, from the leaky defense to the missed opportunities on offense.

The Trojans saw a two-score lead evaporate in the final minutes of regulation. They got all the way to the five-yard line in overtime, only for the offense to stall and settle for a field goal. They even sacked TCU quarterback Ken Seals on second and 10, pushing the Horned Frogs out of field-goal range and forcing a third and 20.

All signs in that moment pointed toward the Trojans securing their 10th win, a feat they achieved only once over the past eight years. But then, against a three-man USC rush and with eight defenders in coverage, Seals checked down to running backJeremy Paynein the flat.

"We did everything right defensively to put them in that position,"USC coach Lincoln Rileysaid.

Nothing, though, went right for USC after that. Payne broke through a tackle from cornerbackMarcelles Williams. Two defenders, linebackerJadyn Walkerand safetyKennedy Urlacher, collided as they reached Payne next, missing him entirely. Then, he slipped through safetyChristian Pierce's hands and was suddenly sprinting free 35 yards for the win.

"Wasn't a lot of time this year that we missed multiple tackles on a play," Riley said. "It just happened in the worst time possible."

Read more:Meet the Hanson family, the secret to USC's offensive line success

That's how most of the fourth quarter and overtime felt for USC, as TCU racked up 159 yards and 17 points over its final three drives.

Of course, there had been multiple chances before then for USC to put the game away, just like there were multiple chances for USC to make more of its 9-4 finish this season. The Trojans averaged nearly a full yard per play more than TCU. They racked up eight plays of 20 yards or more — a reminder of how explosive they could be.

In the red zone, though, the offense unraveled. QuarterbackJayden Maiava, who was inconsistent most of the night, threw a third-quarter interception in the end zone, just as USC looked primed to push down the gas pedal.

Four other times, the Trojans stalled inside of TCU's 25-yard line and settled for field goals. In the process, kickerRyon Sayeriset the USC record for field goals in a season at 21.

"We just did not execute good enough in the red zone on either side of the ball," Riley said. "If we did that, it's probably a different feeling."

Instead, the Trojans will have to carry this bitter taste into the offseason, with questions already looming about what comes next. Not the least of which being what direction USC will take its defense, after coordinatorD'Anton Lynn departed for Penn Statejust before the game.

Riley wouldn't comment on why Lynn was replaced as playcaller the day of the bowl game. But when asked how he felt about the future of his defense, Riley projected a particularly sunny outlook.

"I feel fantastic," he said. "But those who really study the game and watch how we've played and the way we've been able to improve, the arrow is just pointing straight up."

Of all the questions raised Tuesday, how USC might replace its No. 1 wideout next season was not one of them. Hines had already done his part to earn that role, but declared it to the world anyway in a six-catch, 163-yard performance.

King Miller also continued to solidify his place in a tandem with Waymond Jordan in 2027, as he rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown, coming up just short of the 1,000-yard mark in a season he started as a walk-on.

But the silver linings largely stopped there, even if the circumstances made for an unusually uphill climb with USC's roster. Over a dozen starters or would-be starters sat out. Three of the Trojans' starting offensive linemen didn't dress. Both of their top receivers and top tight end were in street clothes, having declared for the NFL draft. Twenty-five players listed in USC's two-deep Tuesday were either freshmen or redshirt freshmen.

Without Lynn calling plays, which a source described as "a mutual agreement", defensive line coach Eric Henderson stepped into the role.

It went quite smoothly at first. USC held TCU to two straight three-and-outs — and just 11 total yards in two drives — to open the game.

Read more:USC defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn takes Penn State defensive coordinator job

But on the ensuing possession, Maiava threw into heavy coverage and was intercepted, his first of two on the day. The momentum USC had built up early dissolved almost instantly.

The defense's strong start faded into disarray. And while it came roaring back after halftime, forcing an interception and limiting TCU to just 35 yards in the third quarter, USC's offense couldn't fully capitalize. A one-handed touchdown pass to Jaden Richardson nearly did the trick, giving the Trojans a 21-14 lead that seemed primed to balloon from there.

But it never did. And in the final, stunned moments of its season, Riley was left offering the same assurances that USC will soon be out of purgatory.

"When you've been in those programs and been a part of those teams that have done those things, you feel what it's like," Riley said. "And this place is doing all the things that you need to do to put yourself in position to go bust that door down and do it."

Sign up for more USC news with Times of Troy. In your inbox every Monday morning.

This story originally appeared inLos Angeles Times.

byAlex Forten

in

December 31, 2025

No. 16 USC suffers shocking, walk-off loss to TCU in overtime of Alamo Bowl

For a nine-win team such asUSC, once again on the outside looking in at theCollege Football Playoff, the bowl season can feel a bit like pu...

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Big Ten dunks on SEC in college football coaching carousel. That's the cold truth

TheBig Ten is thrivingso far this postseason. (OK, so maybe Southern Cal's tackling isn't thriving, but the rest of theB1Gis doing just fine.)

With a couple of exceptions, theSEC is wilting.

And what of the coaching carousel? Did the Big Ten club theSECthere, too? You could make that case.

LSU scored the big fish by securingLane Kiffin. Mostly, though, SEC schools hired promising but largely unproven up-and-comers, while Big Ten schools like Michigan and Penn State landed veteran winners with solid resumes.

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hostsBlake ToppmeyerandJohn Adamsevalute which conference did it better in this hiring cycle.

Subscribe to SEC Football UnfilterediTunes|Google Play|Spotify

They also debate which conference has the better complete roster of coaches. And they discuss which SEC schools would have been well-served by hiringKyle Whittingham, who wound up at Michigan.

Coaching hires in the SEC

• LSU: Lane Kiffin (Mississippi)

• Auburn: Alex Golesh (South Florida)

• Florida: Jon Sumrall (Tulane)

• Arkansas: Ryan Silverfield (Memphis)

• Kentucky: Will Stein (Oregon offensive coordinator)

• Ole Miss: Pete Golding (promoted from defensive coordinator)

Overview:LSU made the splashiest hire of this coaching cycle, plundering Kiffin from a conference rival and luring him away from a playoff team. Elsewhere, three SEC schools hired coaches from the American Conference, while two schools went the coordinator route.

TOPPMEYER:How can Ole Miss get revenge on Lane Kiffin? By proving him wrong

ADAMS:Tennessee football goes out with a whimper against Illinois

Coaching hires in the Big Ten

• Michigan: Kyle Whittingham (Utah)

• Penn State: Matt Campbell (Iowa State)

• Michigan State: Pat Fitzgerald (formerly at Northwestern)

• UCLA: Bob Chesney (James Madison)

Overview:This marks a sharp pivot from the SEC's strategy of raiding the American. UCLA went the Group of Five route with Chesney, but the other three Big Ten schools making hires turned to veterans. Whittingham is the winningest coach in Utah history. Campbell is the winningest coach in Iowa State history. Fitzgerald is the winningest coach in Northwestern history.

Which conference hired better?

Advantage goes to the Big Ten. Bravo to LSU for securing Kiffin, but the rest of the SEC hired less proven coaches than Whittingham, Campbell or Fitzgerald. That doesn't mean someone like Sumrall or Golesh won't succeed, but any of the SEC's hires not named Kiffin seems riskier than someone who's as accomplished as Campbell.

Which conference has better roster of coaches?

Toppmeyer:The Big Ten has the better full roster of coaches. At the top, the SEC is just as good. I'd put an SEC five-pack of Kirby Smart, Kalen DeBoer, Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian and Josh Heupel up against the Big Ten's Ryan Day, Curt Cignetti, Dan Lanning, Whittingham and Campbell.

In the middle of the conferences and in the lower-third, I give the nod to the Big Ten. Consider, Bret Bielema (Illinois) probably ranks somewhere in the No. 8 range of the Big Ten's pecking order of coaches. Bielema beat South Carolina and Tennessee in bowl games in the past two seasons. He's won 19 games with the Illini the past two years. That's no small feat, and he's just one example of the Big Ten's solid collection of down-ballot coaches.

A few years from now, we might say the SEC's coaches are as good or better than the Big Ten's, but we can't say that now. Too many unproven figures.

Adams:Toppmeyer is right. The Big Ten enjoys the edge.

The SEC remains strong at the top, but it can't match the Big Ten's quality in the middle or lower ranks. The Big Ten upgraded its roster of coaches in this hiring cycle. The SEC took ambitious shots on younger candidates. That might work, so we reserve the right to re-evaluate this in a couple of years. For now, I'd take the Big Ten's coaching roster.

Later in the episode

∎ The hosts unpack theCollege Football Playoffquarterfinal matchups, includingwhat's at stake for Kalen DeBoerin Alabama-Indiana and whetherMississippi plays with house moneyin a rematch with Georgia.

Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered

• Apple

• Spotify

• iHeart

• Google

Blake Toppmeyeris the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist.John Adamsis the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel.Subscribe to theSEC Football Unfilteredpodcast, and check out theSEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Big Ten beats SEC in college football coaching carousel

byAlex Forten

in

December 31, 2025

Big Ten dunks on SEC in college football coaching carousel. That's the cold truth

TheBig Ten is thrivingso far this postseason. (OK, so maybe Southern Cal's tackling isn't thriving, but the rest ...

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The NFC South, the NFL's weirdest division, will end the year on a perfectly ridiculous note

The battle for the NFC South will come down to a game between the division's top two teams on Saturday …but the title itself might not be decided until Sunday.

The Panthers (8-8) face the Buccaneers (7-9) on Saturday night in Tampa. If the Panthers win, end of story, Carolina takes the division. (More on that in a moment.) If the Bucs win, though, the two teams would be tied at 8-9 … and they'd have to wait until the outcome of Sunday's Falcons-Saints game. If the Falcons win, you'd have three teams tied at 8-9 … and thePantherswould win by a series of tiebreakers.

For any other division in football, this would be a ridiculous, borderline unbelievable turn of events. For the NFC South, it's called "a season."

The NFC South is the point on the NFL map where the border with the college football universe is the thinnest, and consequently a whole lot of SEC crazy tends to seep into the water supply. The four teams that make up the NFC South — Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay and New Orleans — are the most ramshackle collection of weirdos in the NFL.

You don't want to play any NFC South team at any point in the year, because you never quite know how it's going to go (see:Monday night's Rams-Falcons game). These four teams shoot themselves in the foot with numbing regularity, but they might just be standing on your foot when they fire.

Five of the NFL's eight divisions have sent all four members to the Super Bowl. (Sorry, AFC South and AFC/NFC Norths.) No division has sent all four teams to the big game more recently than the NFC South (New Orleans 2009, Carolina 2015, Atlanta 2016, Tampa Bay 2020). And yet, almost every time an NFC South team manages to reach the big game, it faceplants for a few seasons afterward, like a pageant winner ascending the podium and then immediately falling off the back as soon as she receives her crown.

In other words, you must take the NFC South seriously, even though it is a profoundly unserious division.

Consider how this season alone has gone:

• The Falcons' backup quarterback is on a $180 million contract. They have one of the game's three best running backs, a vicious pass defense, a young and hungry receiving corps, and yet have lost nine games already this season. They've beaten both the Rams and Bills in prime time … and lost to both the Dolphins and Jets. They might well finish with a record equal to the division winner … and they were eliminated from the playoff picture weeks ago.

• The Panthers are the odds-on favorite to win the division — a 78 percent chance, per The Athletic — and yet nobody's quite sure if their quarterback will be around much longer. Bryce Young has engineered six game-winning drives this season, second in the league only to Bo Nix's seven, but the fact that the Panthers have won only eight games total is a sign that this is a team that needs game-winning drives a little too often. And again, Carolina being a division winner with a below-.500 record is very much on the table.

• The Bucs are the four-time defending division champs, and after starting the season 5-1, appeared headed to an easy fifth. But they've lost seven of their past eight, including four in a row. They've won exactly one game since before Halloween — and that was a three-point victory over the woeful Arizona Cardinals. Everybody on the entire team is injured, including two separate players since you started reading this sentence.

• The Saints somehow built an entire 2025 team and forgot they might need an NFL-caliber starting quarterback. They immediately proceeded to go 1-8 to start the season. But they've swept the season series against the likely division winner, and they're on a four-game winning streak. Of course.

This is the division victimized by 28-3 andthe Minneapolis Miracle, the division where Cam Newton capped an MVP season with an LVP Super Bowl, where a creamsicle-clad team lost its first26games. Sub-.500 teams have won the divisiontwicein the past 11 seasons. So are you at all surprised that the 2025 season might end in a three-way 8-9 tie?

The chaos of the NFC South is glorious to behold, yes. But it might be time to institute some changes. Idea: After this season, relegate the entire division to the SEC and promote some replacements. Bringing Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas into the NFL couldn't be any weirder than what we're dealing with now.

byAlex Forten

in

December 31, 2025

The NFC South, the NFL's weirdest division, will end the year on a perfectly ridiculous note

The battle for the NFC South will come down to a game between the division's top two teams on Saturday …but the title...

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Travis Kelce Says Taylor Swift Gave Him the 'Best' Christmas Gift But Refuses to Share It: 'We're Trying to Keep in House'

Travis Kelce/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Travis Kelce said his fiancée, Taylor Swift, got him his favorite Christmas gift this year

• But the NFL star opted not to share what the gift was on the Dec. 31 episode of his podcast, New Heights, noting the couple was trying to keep it "in house"

• The couple are currently in the midst of planning their wedding after announcing their engagement in August

Travis Kelceisn't letting anything private out of the vault!

The 36-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end reflected on his favorite Christmas gift this year, sharing that it, of course, came from his bride-to-be,Taylor Swift.

"The best gift that I got was from Taylor, but it gives away things that we're trying to keep in house, so not gonna say it," the NFL star teased on the Wednesday, Dec. 31 episode of he and brotherJason Kelce'sNew Heightspodcast.

He added that Taylor's younger brother,Austin Swift, "got me a great gift as well," also opting not to share what his future brother-in-law picked for him.

Jason called out the fact that "the Swifts are good gift givers," and Travis agreed, adding, "They are great gift givers."

Bruce Bennett/Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Travispreviously opened upabout the best gift he's ever gotten for the "So High School" singer, during the Christmas Eve episode ofNew Heights.

"I will say one of Tay's favorite gifts that I got her was the bread slicer," Travis told Jason and his wife,Kylie, who was that episode's guest.

"[I bought it] because she's been throwing together so much f---ing sourdough," Travis joked of Taylor's knownsourdough bread obsession.

Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce

Travis and Taylor announced theirengagementin August after more than two years together. The couple have been keeping their plans under wraps, but asource recently told PEOPLEthat they are "equally involved" in the preparations for their big day.

"When it comes to wedding planning, nothing feels rushed or one-sided," a source exclusively told PEOPLE earlier this month. "They're both equally involved and excited, and this isn't something one or the other is carrying on their own. They're approaching it as a partnership, talking things through together and enjoying the process in a way that feels natural to them."

Perry Knotts/Getty

However, all the details are likely to be kept under wraps, with another source previously telling PEOPLE that the A-listers plan to keep their celebrations private.

"It willdefinitely be a private affairand not a spectacle," the source explained in September. "They both have a close circle of friends, and they'll respect their privacy."

Read the original article onPeople

byAlex Forten

in

December 31, 2025

Travis Kelce Says Taylor Swift Gave Him the 'Best' Christmas Gift But Refuses to Share It: 'We're Trying to Keep in House'

Travis Kelce/Instagram NEED TO KNOW Travis Kelce said his fiancée, Taylor Swift, got him his favorite Christmas gift this year But the NF...

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