Authored by Shan Lam & JoJo Novaes via The Epoch Times,

A woman in her 50s had multiple dental mercury amalgam fillings placed during childhood—the routine treatment at a time when dental care offered few alternatives. Although durable, the fillings can be a source of chronic mercury exposure.

(fizkes/Shutterstock）

Decades later, she had the amalgams removed by a dentist who was not trained in safe removal protocols. During drilling, toxic mercury vapor was released and rapidly absorbed through her oral cavity into her brain and nervous system.

Soon after, devastating symptoms emerged: sudden, profound memory loss, chronic insomnia, emotional turmoil, and roving, electric-shock-like neuropathic pain. Her immune system weakened sharply, leading to frequent illnesses, loss of appetite, and an inability to perform everyday activities. Her life unraveled.

The consequences extended beyond the patient—the treating dentist also suffered health complications from the unprotected exposure to mercury vapor.

Mercury: Acute and Chronic Hazards

Dr. Lin Shao-zhen, a neurologist and director of Pinxin Clinic, presented the above mercury-poisoning case—the most severe she has ever handled—to raise public awareness of the hidden dangers of mercury exposure.

In an episode of “Health 1+1” on NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, Lin recommended that people with mercury amalgam fillings should seek treatment only at dental clinics equipped with professional mercury-removal tools and staffed by trained practitioners.

For physicians, Lin suggested optimizing a patient’s nutritional status before proceeding with mercury removal. This ensures normal liver and kidney function and builds sufficient antioxidant capacity, thereby minimizing heavy metal damage during the procedure.

In addition to acute poisoning, chronic mercury overload is equally dangerous, potentially triggering a range of symptoms, including chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, insomnia, tremors, and impairments in liver or kidney function and blood sugar regulation. In children, mercury exposure may increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning difficulties.

Beware Heavy Metals in Fish

The adage claims that “eating fish boosts brainpower,” however, Lin said that selecting the wrong species can have the opposite effect—potentially harming memory and brain function. Environmental mercury enters the food chain via plankton, she said. Small fish accumulate it first, and concentrations rise dramatically with each step up the trophic ladder. As a result, large predatory species such as tuna, swordfish, and shark harbor the highest levels of methylmercury—the form most toxic to the nervous system.

Many mistakenly assume that heavy metals concentrate mainly in a fish’s head, skin, or organs; however, Lin said they primarily accumulate in the muscle tissue—the flesh we most often eat. By comparison, the skin is relatively safe, whereas organs tend to retain mostly inorganic mercury.

Occasionally eating large predatory fish poses little risk for most adults. However, Lin urged pregnant women and children to avoid them entirely. Safer choices are small fish about the size of an adult’s palm—lower on the food chain, they contain far less accumulated heavy metals.

Lead: The Ever-Present Threat

Beyond mercury, lead remains one of the most insidious and overlooked heavy metals. Lin recounted a case where a patient suffered rapid cognitive decline, slowed movements, profound memory loss, and disrupted circadian rhythms—symptoms closely mimicking atypical Parkinson’s disease. A detailed investigation identified the likely culprit as long-term use of lead-contaminated cookware.

Lead’s toxicity is far-reaching and multifaceted. Chronic exposure can impair vascular smooth muscle function, narrowing blood vessels and raising the risk of cardiovascular disease. In children during critical brain development stages, even low-level exposure can cause attention deficits, delayed language skills, and an increased likelihood of cognitive impairment later in life. For women of reproductive age, lead poisoning may elevate risks of infertility and miscarriage.

These health threats can stem from hidden sources within our homes. Lin said that many unexpected routes of lead exposure exist in daily life:

Brightly Colored Cups and Utensils: To achieve brighter, more vivid hues and greater contrast, some manufacturers add lead and other heavy metals to glazes or coatings. If these coatings have poor adhesion, lead can gradually leach out during routine washing or when the vessels are used to hold acidic or hot foods.
Lead Pipes in Older Houses: If an old house still has lead pipes, the water running through them may contain lead.
Paints and Building Materials From Before the 1960s: When old, colorful paints chip off, touching them with bare hands or cleaning without proper protection can cause lead to enter the body through skin contact or inhalation.
Cosmetics: For example, Kohl eye makeup contains ingredients such as lead powder. Applying it directly around the eyes poses significant health risks.
Cheap Metal Jewelry: Some inexpensive jewelry uses lead alloys to increase weight. Prolonged contact with the skin can lead to absorption into the body.

How to Assess Heavy Metal Risk and Protect Yourself

If you’re struggling with chronic pain, memory decline, or autoimmune disorders, and are meeting any of the following conditions, you may be at high risk for heavy metal poisoning if you:

Have Mercury Fillings: Lin routinely checks for and examines mercury fillings in consultations.
Frequently Eat Large Fish: Certain fish and other seafood may lead to the accumulation of heavy metals.
Smoke or Are Exposed to Secondhand Smoke: Tobacco smoke contains heavy metals.
Have Occupational Exposure: Working with machinery, organic solvents, auto repair, or factory environments with metal dust may lead to heavy metal toxicity.
Live in a Home Near Environmental Risks: Living near industrial zones or coal-fired power plants can lead to exposure.
Take Herbal or Traditional Chinese Medicines of Unknown Origin: Some herbs may be contaminated with heavy metals during cultivation or processing.

For daily prevention of heavy metal poisoning, Lin suggested:

When purchasing everyday items, select only those bearing certified safety labels, and replace cookware and tableware regularly. Steer clear of vessels from unknown sources, those with excessively bright colors, or any showing scratches or wear. In older homes, keep children away from peeling paint to prevent contact or ingestion.

For cooking, Lin recommended stainless steel and cast-iron pots. Choose cast iron with a natural matte-black interior over colorful enameled versions. Even if scratched, it primarily releases iron—an essential trace element beneficial to the body. Scratched stainless steel may leach small amounts of iron, nickel, and chromium. While nickel can trigger reactions in sensitive individuals, cast-iron pots are generally safe for most people.

How to Safely Reduce Heavy Metal Burden

While eliminating stored heavy metals from the body often requires medical supervision, Lin noted that we can significantly reduce exposure risk and support the body’s natural detoxification through targeted diet and lifestyle changes.

Incorporate Detox-Supporting Foods

Sulfur-Rich Foods: Garlic, onions, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, coriander, and other sulfur-containing vegetables support liver function and maintain its detoxification capacity.
Balanced Mineral Intake: Supplementing with iron, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc enables these essential minerals to compete with heavy metals for cellular receptors, thereby reducing metal absorption.
Antioxidants: Vitamins C and E exhibit potent antioxidant activity, neutralizing free radicals generated by heavy metals and thereby minimizing oxidative cellular damage.
Liver-Supporting Nutrients: Alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetylcysteine, and glutathione promote detoxification processes.

Lin underscored the importance of dietary variety—aim for a broad range of foods and avoid eating any single item, even if it is considered healthy.

Revamp Your Lifestyle

Stay Well-Hydrated: Water is the primary medium in which the kidneys filter and eliminate toxins.
Support Gut Health: A balanced intestinal microbiome serves as a critical protective barrier in the body.
Promote Regular Bowel Movements: This reduces the chance of toxins being reabsorbed in the intestines.
Encourage Regular Sweating: Toxins can be excreted via sweating during exercise, foot baths, or sauna sessions.

A viral video that has topped 76 million views on X within 48 hours has significantly heightened public scrutiny of multiple Minneapolis daycare centers linked to Somali operators that received millions in state and federal funding despite showing minimal operational activity. The apparent mismatch between allocated taxpayer funds and observable services strengthens a recent report by Christopher F. Rufo, which alleges that Somali-linked fraud in the left-wing-controlled state may involve front companies potentially diverting taxpayer funds to at least one overseas terrorist network.

The Democratic Party and its PR machine across left-wing corporate media outlets, including CBS, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and the Associated Press, have largely remained silent on citizen journalist Nick Shirley’s investigation.

Not CBS

Not PBS

Not CNN

Not ABC

Not MSNBC

Not Fox News

Not 60 Minutes

Not New York Times

Not Washington Post

Not Associated Press

But an independent Journalist on 𝕏, exposed millions of Fraud with a hoodie and a camera

KEEP GOING NICK SHIRLEY pic.twitter.com/40RX4wW3go

— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) December 27, 2025

We assess that as the dominant narrative of the widening Somali-linked fraud scandal in Minneapolis continues to go viral on X through “America First”-linked accounts, Democrats and their PR machine will move to advance a counter-narrative, given how optically damaging these revelations are ahead of the midterm cycle.

The days of Democrats defaulting to labeling opponents as “racists” or “fascists” appear to be over. They will likely need to develop new pejoratives to target those investigating allegations of welfare fraud on a scale larger than Somalia’s GDP.

In just one day, Shirley and a private investigator visited Somali-linked businesses operating in the child daycare, adult and autism care, home healthcare, and non-emergency medical transportation industries. They say they uncovered $110 million in highly questionable payments, largely because many of these companies were not operating as they should during peak hours of operation and appeared mostly inactive.

Thank you all for watching and sharing, it’s important that this fraud is exposed. I tried my best to just show the facts and make it transparent for everyone to see.

I’ve been getting thousands of messages from people who want to support my work, the most important thing is to…

— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) December 26, 2025

The next critical step, and one we suspect federal investigators are already pursuing, is comprehensive entity mapping of the targets Shirley identified.

This analysis moves beyond isolated entities and enables the detection of network behavior, including shared addresses, recycled officers, repeated vendors, circular payment flows, and clusters of entities with minimal real-world operations. Such pattern recognition is essential for identifying front companies.

Here is the network mapping of Shirley’s identified targets:

Mako Childcare Center, Inc.

Mini Childcare Center Inc.

Pattern detection: Both Mako and Mini share the same address.

Sweet Angel Child Care Inc.

Quality Learning Center Inc.

And now the fun begins.

Future Leaders Early Learning Center

Shirley and the private investigator note that Creative Minds Daycare L.L.C. was shuttered due to violations and reopened the next day as Super Kids Daycare Center LLC.

Creative Minds Daycare L.L.C.

Super Kids Daycare Center LLC

Minnesota Childcare Center Inc. 

And this. 

60 active Somalian DHS-licensed providers at 1821 University Ave W. St. Paul, Minnesota 😳 @nickshirleyy found a new spot to check out. pic.twitter.com/eaJSqPni3n

— Jammles (@jammles9) December 27, 2025

To sum up, this data transforms fragmented public records into actionable network intelligence maps, enabling X users to dig deeper and understand how money, control, and influence actually flow across Shirley’s target entities.

Authored by Sam Dorman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The federal court system returned some landmark rulings for the American people in 2025, but many legal questions remain unanswered as judges absorb the flood of litigation challenging President Donald Trump’s policies.

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Nov. 10, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

In his second term, Trump has pursued an ambitious agenda on spending, diversity, gender, federal workforce reductions, and immigration, among other things.

With those moves towards change came major constitutional questions that have, or are likely to result in, landmark precedents.

Within months of Trump’s second term, hundreds of court cases led to a spike in roadblocks to executive action and a wave of emergency docket decisions that have led many to question the Supreme Court’s discretion.

So far, the justices have considered more than 20 emergency appeals and held three oral arguments over major challenges to Trump’s policies, including tariffs, firing employees, and nationwide injunctions.

Meanwhile, the ensuing court battles have prompted tense confrontations with federal judges and reinvigorated debate about how much the third branch of government can restrain the second.

Immigration

Perhaps Trump’s top policy priority, immigration, has been the focal point of these tensions—testing not only the parameters set up by Congress but how the judiciary can enforce those as well.

By June, Trump’s birthright citizenship restrictions had led the Supreme Court to weaken judges’ longstanding but controversial practice of issuing sweeping blocks—otherwise known as nationwide injunctions—on presidents’ policies.

That decision and others involving Trump amplified tensions judges had with each other and the president; each side accusing the other of overstepping their authority and disrupting the nation’s separation of powers.

A particularly tense exchange saw Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accusing Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the other conservatives of undermining the rule of law.

In a biting response, the majority said Jackson was advancing a view of injunctions that was “at odds with more than two centuries’ worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself.”

Barrett, who released a book in September, maintained that she respected Jackson.

Charged rhetoric also emerged from cases challenging Trump’s attempt to deport Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act.

After U.S. District Judge James Boasberg blocked those deportations in March, Trump called for his and other judges’ impeachment.

That appeared to prompt a rare response from Chief Justice John Roberts, who admonished impeachment over legal rulings.

The following months saw tense exchanges between federal judges and the Justice Department, which faced potential contempt from Boasberg and U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis.

Xinis was the Maryland judge who ordered the return of a deportee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, despite the administration’s contention that she was intruding on its authority over foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, the administration has filed a formal complaint against Boasberg in the D.C. Circuit, which is also reviewing whether he overstepped his authority in the way he probed potential contempt.

Social Issues

In a February hearing, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes pressed the administration on its attempt to ban military troops with gender dysphoria.

That led the Justice Department to file a formal complaint, which was dismissed in September.

Regardless, Reyes’s conflicts with the administration appear far from over.

After she blocked the troop ban, the administration was able to win some temporary relief through a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Writing for the majority, U.S. Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas indicated that Reyes’s block conflicted with at least two recent Supreme Court decisions.

Among Trump’s many wins on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket was a temporary stay on another judge’s decision to block his troop policy.

Although the court has been working out its approach to gender issues, that decision and another—in U.S. v. Skrmetti—cited by Katsas provided legal support for Republicans’ position.

In June, the Supreme Court delivered a win for social conservatives when it upheld Tennessee’s ban on certain gender-related medical interventions for minors.

Other decisions allowed states greater flexibility in regulating pornography and defunding Planned Parenthood.

The high court has yet to provide final rulings on Trump’s policies targeting “gender-affirming care,” Planned Parenthood funding, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

However, its decisions on the emergency docket have indicated Trump faces an advantage on at least some of those issues.

Executive Authority

One of the primary ways Trump has put forth socially conservative values is through attempts to defund organizations that engage in certain activities.

Those defunding efforts extended to other issues, such as National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, as well.

While lower courts questioned whether Trump is intruding on Congress’s power of the purse, the Supreme Court has indicated that many of the legal challenges weren’t even brought in the right court.

A majority of the court did allow a lower court’s order requiring the disbursal of billions in foreign assistance.

That prompted a fiery dissent from Justice Samuel Alito, who, with Justice Clarence Thomas, issued criticisms of their colleagues’ decisions to block some of Trump’s deportations.

More tension was revealed in dissents by the three liberal justices when the court halted blocks on some of Trump’s policies.

Justice Elena Kagan, for example, suggested the Supreme Court was abusing the emergency docket by disregarding precedent at a more preliminary stage of litigation.

One of those cases involved Trump’s decision to fire Rebecca Slaughter, a member of the Federal Trade Commission, without following Congressional limits that a 90-year-old Supreme Court precedent had upheld.

Slaughter’s case underwent oral argument in December when the justices appeared poised to overturn that landmark precedent, known as Humphrey’s Executor v. United States.

Just ahead of President Zelensky arriving in Florida where he hopes that talks with President Trump on the US-proposed Ukraine peace plan can achieve something favorable for Ukrainians, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov once again blasted European leadership as the main obstacle to peace.

“After the change of administration in the U.S., Europe and the European Union have become the main obstacle to peace,” Lavrov told TASS. “They are making no secret of their plans to prepare for war with Russia,” he continued, and underscored that the ambitions of European politicians are “literally blinding them.”

“Not only do they not care about Ukrainians, but they also don’t seem to care about their own population,” he added.

December 27, 2025 attacks on Kyiv, via Reuters.

However, he did also say that Moscow plans to continue its “engagement with American negotiators” and “address the root causes of the conflict.”

Just the day prior, starting Saturday morning,  Russia carried out one of the biggest attacks on the Ukrainian capital in months, involving powerful Kinzhal missiles along with over 500 drones. Kiev was pounded, and several buildings were on fire.

Zelensky has in the meantime been seeking as much leverage from the European corner as possible, before getting face to face with Trump. Russia demands territorial concessions, but Zelensky seems only willing to talk about a temporary freeze to the war, and not necessarily the kind of full, permanent political recognition of Russia’s hold over most of the Donbass.

Ahead of the Mar-a-Lago meeting, Zelensky commented that his capital is on fire as winter temperatures freeze:

The meeting, to be hosted by Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence at 1:00 p.m. (18:00 GMT) according to the White House, will be their first in-person encounter since October, when the U.S. president refused to grant Zelensky’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.

Zelensky said during a stopover in Canada on Saturday he hoped the talks would be “very constructive,” adding that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had shown his hand with the latest assault on the Ukrainian capital.

“This attack is again Russia’s answer [to] our peace efforts. And this really showed that Putin doesn’t want peace,” he said.

Things aren’t looking ideal for a finalized peace plan, also given that Zelensky during a Christmas Day message essentially wished for Putin’s death. 

Zelensky will push for NATO ‘Article 5-style’ security guarantees for Ukraine in his Sunday meeting with Trump:

Zelensky said the US has proposed 15-year security guarantees for Ukraine as part of the peace plan.

In his view, Ukraine needs guarantees for a longer period and added that he would consider it a major success if Trump agrees during their meeting at Mar-a-Lago this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/ZYI1oeYGY9

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) December 26, 2025

As the The Hill reviews of the message:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged in his Christmas Eve message that many Ukrainians want to see Russian President Vladimir Putin dead.

“‘May he perish,’ each of us may think to ourselves,” Zelensky said in the broadcast. “But when we turn to God, of course, we ask for something greater.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded soon after the message by blasting it as “uncultured, embittered, and coming from a seemingly unhinged person” – while further questioning whether “he’s capable of making any rational decisions.”

This latter reference to his decision-making ability is another card Moscow might play if the US and Ukrainian sides come out of the Florida meetings with a less than optimal peace deal. President Putin has long said that because Zelensky canceled elections, he has no legal mandate, and is thus ‘illegitimate’ and lacks authority to sign a binding peace settlement.

Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com,

U.S. equity markets began the holiday‑shortened trading week on a firm footing. Broad gains in major indexes and the start of the Santa Claus rally marked this week. Following modest volatility in trading earlier in December, sentiment improved significantly as investors bet on year-end flows. As shown, the CNN Fear-Greed Index has moved materially higher from its readings earlier in the month.

Furthermore, the seasonal patterns that have historically favored stocks continued and bode well for a year-end push.

The Santa Claus rally window officially began on Christmas Eve. That rally is traditionally defined as the final five trading days of December, plus the first two of January. This seasonal effect has occurred in roughly three‑quarters of years since the 1950s, with positive average returns of 1.4%. However, that did not happen in the last two years, but there have never been three consecutive years without a positive return.

Despite a strong seasonal start, trading remained light throughout Christmas week. On Friday, markets dipped slightly in thin post-holiday trading, with the S&P 500 retreating marginally. That pullback reflected the typical lack of liquidity during this period.

The Santa Claus Rally spilled over into gold and silver, which hit record levels, driven by expectations of lower interest rates and persistent market uncertainty. But the pace and shape of these rallies are unusual. Parabolic breakouts often occur when price momentum accelerates rapidly, driven by speculative capital and short‑term positioning, rather than by gradual accumulation based on long‑term fundamentals. Recent reports indicate that speculative traders are adding aggressive net long positions in silver futures, amplifying momentum beyond typical levels.

Fundamental support for precious metals remains. Physical demand, supply constraints, and geopolitical tensions underlie current price levels. But the intensity of the recent rally suggests speculative forces are in play alongside fundamentals. Investors should prepare for higher volatility, and understand that a speculative peak often precedes a corrective phase, not a straight continuation of the parabolic trend.

Overall, the start of the Santa Claus rally and record index levels reflect persistent confidence among investors, even as market leadership shifts and year‑end thin trading raise the potential for volatility. Strategic positioning now hinges not only on seasonal history but also on evolving monetary policy expectations and corporate earnings outlooks as the new year approaches.

📈Technical Backdrop – Market Rallies As Expected

The technical picture for U.S. equity markets remains bullish but precarious as the year draws to a close. Major indexes are trading near key highs, but momentum indicators and price structure suggest caution in the near term.

The S&P 500 continues to hover just under all‑time highs, reflecting the Santa Claus rally, as the index reached fresh record levels earlier in the week before pulling back modestly in thin post‑holiday trading. The S&P 500’s proximity to prior highs has created a critical technical inflection point. The 7,000 level remains a key target for the markets to trade toward, and with markets just 80 points away, the goal could be reached early next week.

Support for the S&P 500 is situated in a confluence zone between 6,850 and 6,880, an area that capped recent rallies and served as resistance before the brief breakout. Should price fall back below this area, the next significant cushion lies nearer the 6,760–6,780 range. A break below that zone would suggest weakening internal breadth and could signal a deeper pullback toward mid‑December support levels in the 6,600s. Updating our chart from last week, we see the minor breakout above previous all-time highs, and the triggering of a fresh momentum “buy signal,” which is also supportive heading into next week.

However, heading into next week, such a pullback seems less likely, but not impossible. As such, investors should continue to monitor and manage risk accordingly.

Momentum indicators such as RSI remain elevated but not yet extreme, implying that while the trend is intact, upside extension could fatigue without fresh catalyst. Seasonal patterns and low liquidity during holiday trading often distort technical signals, increasing the probability of false breakouts and whipsaw price action as we move further into the New Year.

From a risk management perspective, consider taking some profits and rebalancing risk toward the end of next week if the market pushes toward 7,000.

Specific Key Levels to Watch Next Week

S&P 500 Support: 6,848, which is the running 20-day moving average.

Next Support: 6,790 just below at the 50-day moving average

Crucial Support: 6,671 is the 100-day moving average.

Critical Support: 6,267 is the 200-day moving average

S&P 500 Resistance: 6,940ish, which was Friday’s intraday high.

Technical risk remains asymmetrical. A clean breakout above resistance would justify continued positioning. At the same time, failure to hold key support zones would shift focus to deeper retracements early in 2026, especially if liquidity thins further and sentiment deteriorates.

🔑 Key Catalysts Next Week

As the markets transition continue the Santa Claus Rally next week, catalysts are concentrated around monetary policy insight and sparse macroeconomic data. Thin holiday liquidity increases the potential impact of isolated releases. Investors should prepare for volatility around Fed minutes and select housing and leading indicators that could influence early 2026 positioning.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes, scheduled for Tuesday, December 30, are the standout catalyst. The minutes will provide deeper insight into the Federal Reserve’s current thinking on inflation dynamics, labor markets, and the likelihood and timing of future rate adjustments. After the Fed’s recent series of rate cuts and Powell’s “wait and see” commentary, markets will be parsing language for shifts in tone and future guidance.

Other scheduled releases are modest but still relevant for sentiment and intermediate trends. Pending home sales on Monday, and S&P Case‑Shiller home price data on Tuesday, offer incremental insight into the housing market. Higher rates and affordability pressures continue to be the primary concerns.

Finally, global data including Chinese purchasing managers’ indexes on Wednesday, December 31, could influence risk appetite and commodity demand expectations, particularly in industrial metals and energy markets.

With the calendar light, the Santa Claus rally will depend more on narrative and positioning than data, increasing the influence of technical levels and seasonal flows on direction. Record highs in major indexes and continued seasonal strength set the stage for thin market catalysts to provoke outsized reactions.

Conclusion for Investors

Seasonal strength remains supportive, and broad indexes are near key technical thresholds. However, with catalysts light, and positioning and sentiment skewed, these will be the dominant drivers of risk assets. Investors should watch for volatility around the release windows, maintain risk discipline, and ensure risk exposures align with both technical signals and evolving macro expectations as markets transition into 2026.