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Almanac for Jan. 7, 2026

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 7, the seventh day of 2026. There are 358 days left in the year. Today in history: In 2015, masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French newspaper that had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, methodically killing 12 people, including the editor, before escaping. (Two suspects were killed two days later.) Also on this date: In 1610, astronomer Galileo Galilei observed three of Jupiter's moons for the first time and a fourth days later. In 1955, Marian Anderson became the first African American to sing with the Metropolitan Opera in ...

On immigration and citizenship, listen to George Washington

As news reports proliferate of multimillion-dollar — and possibly billion-dollar — fraudulent diversions of government funds involving Minnesota's Somali immigrant community, it may be time at one year's end and the next one's beginning to take a longer look at America's experience with ...

Cuba’s future uncertain after actions in Venezuela

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban officials on Monday lowered flags before dawn to mourn 32 security officers they say were killed in the U.S. weekend strike in Venezuela, the island nation's closest ally, as residents here wonder what the capture of President Nicolás Maduro means for their future. The ...

Almanac for Jan. 6, 2026

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 6, the sixth day of 2026. There are 359 days left in the year. Today in history: In 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump, fueled by his false claims of a stolen election, assaulted police and stormed into the U.S. Capitol to interrupt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory, forcing lawmakers into hiding. A Trump supporter, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed by police as she tried to breach a barricaded doorway inside the Capitol. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, injured while confronting the rioters, suffered a stroke the next day and ...

Napolitano’s office pool for 2026

1. On Jan. 1, 2027, Joe Biden will be a. A criminal defendant in a case brought by the Trump Department of Justice. b. Generally regarded as smarter than he appears to be today. c. Gone from this vale of tears. d. In hospice. 2. On Jan. 1, 2027, Donald Trump will still be a. Blaming JD ...

US actions in Venezuela could test Trump’s hold on GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's military intervention in Venezuela will pose a fresh test of his ability to hold together a restive Republican coalition during a challenging election year that could be defined by domestic concerns like health care and affordability. While most Republicans lined up behind the president in the immediate aftermath of the stunning U.S. mission to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and bring him to New York to face criminal charges, there were signs of unease across the spectrum within the party. In particular, Trump's comments about the ...