The top stories of 2025, according to you!     December 19, 2025

 

Hello, sunshine, happy holidays and happy Friday, Fri-ya, most of us are getting ready to this long holiday break for the most wonderful time of the year for a last show before the break here at CNN 10.

 

We're going to do this 10 stories, 10 categories, a snapshot of the world in 2025. From extreme weather to global politics to pop culture.

 

We're looking back at some of the stories that shaped the year based off of the feedback we received from you.

 

The top weather story of 2025, Hurricane Melissa, the category five storm rapidly intensified as it crossed the Atlantic, earning the nickname Storm of the Century.

 

The massive system brought torrential rain, destructive winds and dangerous storm surge to coastal communities, flooded neighborhoods, damaged infrastructure and prolonged power outages caused recovery efforts to go on long after the storm weakened.

 

People are still coming to grips with the destruction. But from what I've seen and the interaction, the people here are strong, resilient and positive in outlook.

 

cometo grips with 开始理解并着手处理；了解并应付（问题或局面）

outlook [ˋaʊt͵lʊk] n. 展望，前景

 

In climate and the environment, Los Angeles devastated.

 

Satellite images show the breadth and depth of the runaway Eaton and Palisades wildfires. The fast moving flames this past January forced thousands to flee their homes in search of safer ground. Devastation like this will take years to rebuild.

 

runaway [ˋrʌnə͵we] adj. 控制不住的；发展迅猛的

 

In global news, Israel and Hamas agreed to a U.S. brokered ceasefire in Gaza that paused active fighting and included a phased plan for releasing hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. It's a very important day. Nobody thought this was possible.

 

While all living hostages have returned to their families, the ceasefire has not fully held. Negotiations remain fragile as international mediators work to prevent renewed fighting.

 

mediator [ˋmidɪ͵etɚ] n. 调停者；调解者

 

History made the first ever American pope.

 

In May, shortly after the death of Pope Francis, the College of Cardinals elected their next leader.

 

College of Cardinals 枢机团

 

And to the surprise of many, the choice was Chicago's very own Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the first Augustinian pope. Even more surprising, he briefly spoke in English during his first mass.

 

Augustinian [͵ɔgəˋstɪnɪən] adj. 圣奥古斯丁的；奥古斯丁的；圣奥古斯丁修会的

mass [mæs] n.【宗】弥撒

 

You have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission.

 

In crime and culture, the Louvre jewelry heist. French authorities investigated a high-profile jewelry theft inside the Louvre Museum, one of the world's most visited cultural landmarks.

 

heist [haɪst] n. 抢劫，拦劫

 

The incident raised renewed concerns about security at major museums and how priceless collections are protected.

 

The top science story of 2025? You guys voted almost unanimously for this one. A deep-sea expedition off Argentina recorded dozens of previously unseen species, including a rounded sea star that quickly went viral for its unusual shape.

 

Nicknamed the Big Butt Starfish, the discovery highlighted how much of the ocean's depths remain unexplored.

 

In global politics, the feud seen around the world. On the left, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, hoping to win more lethal aid from U.S. President Donald Trump, who moments later launched into a verbal rampage against Zelensky.

 

feud [fjud] n.（部落或家属间的）世仇；（个人或团体间的）仇恨；长期不和

rampage [ˋræm͵pedʒ] n. 暴跳；横冲直撞

 

Today, diplomatic efforts to end the war are more productive, but active combat is still unfolding, particularly in eastern Ukraine.

 

Oh, it's their moment. K-pop demon hunters? Domination.

 

The Netflix animated series became a breakout hit, blending K-pop, action, and Korean folklore.

 

breakout hit 一首歌曲或一个作品突然爆红、大获成功，使创作者（歌手、乐团）声名大噪，成为众人皆知的热门歌曲

breakout [ˋbrek͵aʊt] adj. Characterized by a sudden significant improvement or increase in popularity

 

Fans praised its music, visuals, and cultural references, turning the show into a global pop culture moment.

 

And finally, in technology news, artificial intelligence playing an increasingly visible role in daily life.

 

From classrooms, to media, to medicine, Time magazine named the architects of AI its Person of the Year, highlighting the people behind the technology and the influence it had across society.

 

Field trip time. Holiday season is in full swing.

 

Many of the world's most famous places are going all out with holiday displays.

 

Check out the scene in Rio de Janeiro, the world's largest floating Christmas tree, clocking in at nearly 250 feet tall, featuring millions of LED lights. And Rome, Copenhagen, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Tokyo, and more.

 

clock in（在专门的机器上）纪录(上班时间)，上班打卡   

 

Some of the world's most scenic cities going all in on the holiday spirit. In the ancient city of Bethlehem, crowds celebrated in Manger Square, nestled between the Church of the Nativity and a mosque adorned with lights. If Christmas markets are your thing, there is a dreamy scene in Strasbourg, France.

 

manger [ˋmendʒɚ] n. 秣桶，马槽

nativity [nəˋtɪvətɪ] n.【文】出生，诞生[U][C]；（大写）耶稣的诞生；耶稣诞生图

 

And there's a full-blown winter wonderland in Bucharest, Romania. In the U.S., there's no shortage of holiday cheer. Chicago, Los Angeles, New York.

 

The country's biggest cities are showing out and glowing out in festive decor. In Washington, D.C., President Trump and First Lady Melania oversaw the lighting of the national Christmas tree at the White House.

 

On Sunday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick scaled the massive National Menorah to officially kick off Hanukkah with a ceremonial lighting.

 

menorah [məˋnorə] n.（犹太教）七灯或九灯烛台

 

Ten Second Trivia.

 

What was Amazon's inspiration for the name of their AI assistant Alexa?

 

Founder Jeff Bezos' dog, the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Former Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, or Alexa Khan, the vocabulary of a person, language or branch of knowledge.

 

jeopardy [ˋdʒɛpɚdɪ] n. 危险，风险，危难

 

My name is Alexa because it's more dignified than hey, robot. But seriously, I was inspired by the ancient library of Alexandria, that legendary center of knowledge where scholars could find answers to anything.

 

dignified [ˋdɪgnə͵faɪd] adj. 有尊严的；庄严的；高贵的

 

As the year comes to a close,Amazon is taking a look back at the last 12 months, Alexa style.

 

The Uber popular AI assistants field countless questions around the world every day, and Amazon has released a list of this year's top queries.

 

field [fild] v. 巧妙地回答

query [ˋkwɪrɪ] n. 质问；询问；疑问；（用以提出问题）请问

 

Taylor Swift topped the list of most asked about celebrities. She was joined by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's richest man, Elon Musk and YouTube juggernaut Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a. Mr. Beast.

 

juggernaut [ˋdʒʌgɚ͵nɔt] n.【印神】世界主宰（印度教主神之一Vishnu的化身）; 骇人的毁灭力量；重型卡车

 

But what about Alexa's biggest bops of the year? Swift was also Alexa's most played artist, closely followed by Bruno Mars, whose earworm duet with Rosé, APATAY PATAY, was the most played song.

 

bop [bɑp] n.【美】【口】波普爵士音乐

earworm [ˈɪrwɝm] n.【喻】余音缭绕

duet [duˋɛt] n. 二重唱；二重奏

 

The top album, K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack, with three songs in the top 10 most played.

 

Other unique asks ranged from everyday requests like, how long do I poach an egg? And how to fall asleep to deeper dives like how to solve a Rubik's cube? What's the diameter of the Earth? And even what is A.I.?

 

poach [potʃ] v. 水煮（蛋）

deep dive 深入探索或研究

 

If you ask an A.I. assistant to define A.I., does it have an existential crisis?

 

existential [͵ɛgzɪsˋtɛnʃəl] adj. 有关存在的

 

Today's story, getting a 10 out of 10, one wicked super fan getting a wickedly cool surprise.

 

Meet Rooney, a nine year old from Virginia who watches the movie adaptation of Wicked weekly and loves New York City.

 

Rooney suffers from an inflammatory condition, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation partnered with Teleflora to send her to Broadway to see her favorite show live. But what she didn't expect was a surprise visit from the O.G., the original Glinda Kristen Chenoweth.

 

The Broadway superstar brought the role to the stage during Wicked's original run and the heartwarming moment had the good witch feeling good.

 

Who doesn't want to be a part of helping make someone's wish come true? The secret is you think, oh, that's going to make them feel so good. But no, it makes you feel good, too.

 

The two spent the day together bonding and building bears as part of the fundraiser for the foundation. It's safe to say the experience left Rooney feeling like she is defying gravity.

 

It was amazing. The best thing ever. I'm just speechless. It's incredible.

 

Talk about Christmas come early. All right, jolly old friends. Time to close out our last show of 2025.

 

We will miss you during the break. So keep in touch. @CoyWire, @CNN10, on Instagram, TikTok.

 

We'll be posting and replying. Looking forward to sharing some holiday fun. Speaking of holiday fun, our last shout out to the year go to Miss Bell and Mrs. Harris at Elrando Charter School in Anaheim Hills, California.

 

We hear your class elf Pepe is a big CNN10 fan as well. Putting a little Pepe in our step. And speaking of elves, Mrs. Cheats, Mr. Moose and Mr. Trucks at Lancaster High School in Lancaster, Ohio.

 

elf [ɛlf] n. 小精灵

 

They elf myself and all of their students, too. Sending elf sized cheer and big holiday smiles. Absolutely.

 

Thank you for sending us some holiday laughs. All right. Cue that Friday music, Nadir.

 

My team, Nadir, Issa, Brendan, Sabrina and Chelsea. We wish you many blessings and lots of holiday cheer. Remember, you are more powerful than you know.

 

So rise up, shine bright. We'll see you in 2026. I'm Coy Wire and we are CNN10.