Minnesota officials have until next week to turn over information on childcare providers and parents receiving federal funds or risk losing federal childcare funding, according to a notice sent to providers.

Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) told childcare providers in an email Friday that information about funding recipients must be sent to the federal government by Jan. 9, The Associated Press reported.

The notification came after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Tuesday it will freeze all childcare payments to Minnesota following fraud allegations involving some childcare centers.

“We recognize the alarm and questions this has raised,” DCYF said in the email. “We found out about the freezing of funds at the same time everyone else did on social media.”

MINNESOTA FRAUD COMMITTEE CHAIR CLAIMS WALZ ‘TURNED A BLIND EYE’ TO FRAUD WARNINGS FOR YEARS

The DCYF instructed providers and families relying on the frozen funds to continue the program’s “licensing and certification requirements and practices as usual.” The email does not say if recipients need to take any action or provide any information.

The state agency said it “did not receive a formal communication from the federal government until late Tuesday night,” after the DHS announced it would freeze all childcare payments to Minnesota.

All states must submit additional verification before receiving more childcare funding.

CNN ROASTED FOR ‘EFFORT TO DISCREDIT’ SHIRLEY’S VIRAL REPORTING ON ALLEGED FRAUD AT MINNESOTA DAYCARE CENTERS

On Friday, the DCYF said the state Office of Inspector General conducted on-site compliance checks this week at nine childcare centers referenced in a viral video by independent journalist Nick Shirley, who was accusing them of committing fraud.

In his video, Shirley visited several Minnesota childcare facilities, including the Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, which he said appeared inactive despite receiving state childcare assistance funds.

Investigators found the centers operating “as expected,” according to DYCF, and children were present at all sites except for one, which it said was not yet open for families at the time of the visit.

The department said it has ongoing investigations at four of the centers, and has 55 open investigations involving providers receiving funding through the Child Care Assistance Program.

INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST SAYS HE’S GOTTEN DEATH THREATS, TOLD HE’LL BE ‘KIRKED’ OVER MINNESOTA FRAUD VIRAL VIDEO

At a news conference Monday, Minnesota DCYF Commissioner Tikki Brown said prior inspections of the centers did not uncover fraud, noting that regulators are conducting unannounced visits in response to concerns raised by the video.

“We are aware of a video that’s being circulated that has gained local and national attention about childcare centers in Minnesota,” Brown said. “While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner, Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Chicago Bears have already made it into the NFC playoffs, but a Week 18 win against the Detroit Lions will determine their seed in the postseason and what happens next in the wild card round. The Lions are out of playoff contention, but they face a tricky situation themselves; while a win would be great for morale in the short term, a loss ultimately gives them a better draft position.

The Lions vs. Bears game will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET this Sunday on Fox. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch this Sunday’s game and get the full Week 18 schedule for the rest of the league.

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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears:

Date: Sunday, Jan. 4

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

TV channel: FOX

Streaming: DirecTV, FOX One, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo + more

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears game time:

The Lions vs. Bears game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET/1:25 p.m. PT this Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears game channel:

The game between the Lions and the Bears will air on FOX.

How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears game without cable:

You can stream FOX on platforms like DirecTV and Fubo, and the game will also be available on FOX’s streaming platform FOX One. You can also tune in on NFL+ for mobile viewing.

DirecTV is currently offering its Entertainment tier package for just $49.99 for your first month – a $40 savings over the regular rate.

DirecTV’s Entertainment tier gets you access to loads of channels where you can tune in to college and pro sports, including ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and, depending on where you live, local affiliates for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.

The best part is that you can currently try all this out for free for 5 days. If you’re interested in trying out a live-TV streaming service for football season but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.

Try free at DirecTV

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FOX One is a streaming service from FOX that launched in August. With a subscription to FOX One, you can tune in to all your favorite FOX channels like FOX News, FOX Sports, FOX Weather, FS1, FS2, FOX Business, FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network (B1G), and local FOX stations all in one place.

FOX One offers live programming, as well as on-demand shows and movies. At launch, the base price for FOX One will cost $19.99 a month, or you can save with an annual subscription for $199.99. FOX Nation fans can even bundle it with FOX One for $24.99 a month, or opt for an annual subscription, which nets out to $19.99/month.

You can also bundle FOX One with ESPN’s newly revamped streaming service for $39.99/month.

$19.99/month at FOX

NFL Week 18 schedule:

All times Eastern.

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Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026

• Panthers vs. Buccaneers: 4:30 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)

• Seahawks vs. 49ers: 8:00 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)

Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026

• Colts vs. Texans: 1:00 p.m.(CBS)

• Chargers vs. Broncos: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

• Browns vs. Bengals: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

• Packers vs. Vikings: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

• Jets vs. Bills: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

• Commanders vs. Eagles: 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

• Saints vs. Falcons: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

• Titans vs. Jaguars: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

• Cowboys vs. Giants: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

• Lions vs. Bears: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• Cardinals vs. Rams: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• Dolphins vs. Patriots: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

• Ravens vs. Steelers: 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

How to watch NFL games in 2025:

Many NFL games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna) or finding a live TV streaming service that carries the correct RSN (Regional Sports Network). If you want to watch out-of-market games, a $7 monthly subscription to NFL+ will let you watch every out-of-market-game local and primetime game in the season on your phone — but only a select few regular season games on your TV. You could also spring for the uber-expensive NFL Sunday Ticket package to get every out-of-market Sunday game of the season.

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When it comes to nationally broadcast games, NFL games typically air across ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network. Thursday Night Football games stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, select football games will stream exclusively on Peacock, games on CBS will stream live on Paramount+, and Monday Night Football games will air on ESPN or ABC and stream on the newly revamped ESPN+ this season. That’s six channels and four streaming platforms to keep up with this season — and that’s not counting your local RSN’s for in-market games and an NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for out-of-market games. Plus, Netflix is once again hosting at least two Christmas Day matches, so add that subscription into the mix. And we can’t forget about Fox One, Fox’s first streaming service, a place where you can also stream games airing on FOX (if you don’t already have access to it).

Confused? You’re not alone. Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we recommend checking out ahead of the 2025 NFL season, so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV.

DirecTV is currently offering its Choice tier (typically $108+/month with fees) for just $79.98 (after fees) for your first month.

DirecTV’s Choice tier gets you access to all the usual football suspects: NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, plus ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network and plenty more local Regional Sports Networks. (If you want to avoid paying the RSN fees, the Entertainment Tier has plenty of channels you can catch NFL games on, too.)

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Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.

The best part is, currently, you can try all this out free for 5 days. So if you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service for football season, but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.

Pros

• Full package free trial available
• Many local RSNs included
• Free ESPN unlimited
• Unlimited Cloud DVR

Cons

• Cost
• Regional Sports Network fee

$79.98 for your first month at DirecTV

Fubo’s new skinny sports bundle, Fubo Sports, includes local broadcast stations owned-and-operated by ABC, CBS and FOX, plus additional affiliates in select markets, as well as ACC Network, Big 10 Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox News, FS1, FS2, Fubo Sports Network, ION, NFL Network, SEC Network and Tennis Channel. It also includes free access to ESPN’s new ESPN+ unlimited plan. Fubo subscribers also get unlimited cloud DVR storage.

You can get $10 off your first month of the Fubo Sports package, which brings the cost to $45.99. After your first month it goes up to $55.99/month.

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This new Fubo package has you covered for most nationally broadcast or in-market NFL games, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package.

The platform offers a free trial period, so you can check it out for a few days of the 2025 NFL season and decide if it’s right for you this year.

Pros

• Free trial available
• Unlimited cloud DVR storage
• Free ESPN unlimited

Cons

• Entirely sports-focused
• Doesn’t include NBC

$45.99 for your first month at Fubo

Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games. On top of Amazon Prime Video, an Amazon Prime subscription includes free shipping, exclusive deals, access to the Prime Day 2025 sale event, Amazon Music, a year of free GrubHub+ and more. A standard Amazon Prime subscription is $15 monthly or $139 annually, but discounts are available for students and those on qualified government assistance. You can try Amazon Prime free for 30 days.

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Pros

• You probably already have access to Prime Video

Cons

• Only Thursday Night Football games

$15 at Amazon

A basic $6.99 per month (or $40 annually) NFL+ subscription will get you live local and primetime regular and preseason NFL games exclusively on your phone or tablet, plus live audio for every game of the season across supported devices and access to NFL Network. NFL+ Premium, while a little pricier at $14.99 per month (or $80 annually) also includes access to NFL RedZone, plus full and condensed replays of every game across supported devices.

Cons

• Can only watch MOST live games on your phone

$6.99/month at NFL

ESPN’s revamped streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows and acclaimed series that air across ESPN’s suite of 7 linear channels, as well as exclusive content on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX and some content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone. The new tier costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.

Also of note, for its first year in existence, ESPN unlimited includes “bundle” access to Disney+ and Hulu at no extra cost!

And starting September 3, for an extra $10/month, you can bundle ESPN unlimited with NFL+ Premium, which includes full access to NFL Network and NFL Redzone, plus out-of-market NFL games on mobile.

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Pros

• All ESPN content in one place
• Content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone
• Bundle option with NFL+

Cons

• Only ESPN games available with the base service

$29.99/month at ESPN

FOX One is a streaming service from FOX that launched in August. With a subscription to FOX One, you can tune in to all your favorite FOX channels like FOX News, FOX Sports, FOX Weather, FS1, FS2, FOX Business, FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network (B1G), and local FOX stations all in one place.

FOX One offers live programming, as well as shows and movies on demand. At launch, the base price for FOX One will cost $19.99 a month, or you can save with an annual subscription for $199.99. FOX Nation fans can even bundle it with FOX One for $24.99 a month, or opt for an annual subscription which nets out to $19.99/month – that’s like getting a year of FOX Nation free.

$19.99/month at FOX

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Paramount+ offers subscribers access to loads of sports, including loads of weekly NFL games all season long, plus great shows like Survivor, The Challenge and more.

Unlike a lot of other streaming services these days, Paramount+ still offers a free trial — so new subscribers can sign up to watch Week 1 of the NFL season and all the other great programming on the platform. Once the trial ends, you can choose the ad-supported Essential plan or their ad-free Premium plan with Showtime for access which also gives you ad-free streaming of on-demand content, live access to your local CBS station, and full streaming access to Showtime. Paramount+ Essential plan costs $7.99/month, while Paramount+ Premium plans cost $12.99/month.

Try it free at Paramount+

How to watch NFL games in person:

Tickets for the 2025 NFL season are on sale now.

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Find tickets

Every way to watch NFL games this season:

To recap, here are all the ways you can watch NFL games in 2025.

The Sacramento Kings (8-27) will be trying to stop a four-game losing streak when hosting the Milwaukee Bucks (15-20) on Sunday, January 4, 2026 at Golden 1 Center. It airs at 9 p.m. ET on FDSWI and NBCS-CA.

The Bucks hit the court as 6.5-point favorites against the Kings. The over/under for the game is set at 228.5.

Bucks vs. Kings betting odds

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 3:29 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

• Spread: Milwaukee -6.5
• Total: 228.5
• Moneyline: Milwaukee -244, Sacramento +200

Watch this game on Fubo!

Bucks at Kings odds, spread, & more

Prediction

• Pick ATS: Kings (+ 6.5)
• Pick OU:
  Over (228.5)
• Prediction:
  Bucks 116 – Kings 115

Moneyline

• The Bucks have won 56.2% of the games this season when they were the moneyline favorite (9-7).
• Milwaukee has gone 3-3 when playing as a moneyline favorite with odds of -244 or shorter (winning 50%).
• The Bucks have an implied moneyline win probability of 70.9% in this matchup.
• This season, the Kings have been the underdog 32 times and won six, or 18.8%, of those games.
• This season, Sacramento has won five of its 20 games, or 25%, when it is the underdog by at least +200 on the moneyline.
• The implied probability of a win by the Kings based on the moneyline is 33.3%.