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Almanac for Feb. 18, 2026

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 18, the 49th day of 2026. There are 316 days left in the year. Today in history: In 2001, auto racing star Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a crash in the final lap of the Daytona 500; he was 49. Also on this date: In 1885, Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in the U.S. In 1930, the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh. In 1970, the "Chicago Seven" defendants were found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention; five were convicted of violating the ...

The Democrats’ opportunity – if they can seize it

President Donald Trump's approval rating is sinking and gasping for air. His average net approval stands at -13.7, which is lower than Joe Biden's was at this point in his term. This matters beyond cosmic justice: The president's approval rating is the best predictor of midterm election ...

Judge asked to protect against ‘misuse’ of Georgia voter data

ATLANTA (AP) — The NAACP and other organizations are asking a judge to protect personal voter information that was seized by the FBI from an elections warehouse just outside Atlanta. Georgia residents entrusted the state with their "sensitive personal information" when they registered to ...

Almanac for Feb. 17, 2026

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 17, the 48th day of 2026. There are 317 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1801, the U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president; Burr became vice president. Also on this date: In 1863, five appointees of the Public Welfare Society of Geneva announced the formation of an "International Committee for the Relief of Wounded Combatants," which would later be renamed the International Committee of the Red Cross. In 1864, during the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic ...

Nudity is the new submission

Some listeners who are not entirely sold on Chappell Roan's artistry brush off her songs and bawdy stage persona as "campy and loud." They see a flashy, attention-grabbing circus act. And even as Roan markets herself as an over-the-top lesbian, the styling still reads as catering to the male ...

What to know about the Homeland Security shutdown

Another shutdown for parts of the federal government is expected this weekend as lawmakers debate new restrictions on President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agenda. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire today. Democrats say they won't help approve more ...