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Almanac for Feb. 7, 2026

Today is Saturday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2026. There are 327 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1964, the Beatles were met by thousands of screaming fans at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport as they arrived to begin their first American tour. Also on this date: In 1904, the Great Baltimore Fire began; one of the worst city fires in American history, it destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in central Baltimore. In 1943, the U.S. government announced that wartime rationing of shoes made of leather would soon take effect, limiting the number of pairs a ...

Girls vs. boys, women vs. men

Am I sexist? I think there are differences between men and women — traits beyond obvious physical ones. But when I was young, feminist leaders said there were no differences. The only reason men ran most things was sexism. There was plenty of that. One example people forget: Until ...

Homeland Security shutdown more likely over ICE demands

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday that demands made by Democrats for new restrictions on federal immigration officers are "unrealistic" and warned that the Department of Homeland Security will shut down next week if they do not work with Republicans and the ...

Almanac for Feb. 6, 2026

Today is Friday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2026. There are 328 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1952, Britain's King George VI, 56, died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his 25-year-old eldest daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II. Also on this date: In 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, the United States won official recognition and military support from France with the signing of the Treaty of Alliance in Paris. In 1862, during the Civil War, Fort Henry in Tennessee fell to Union forces. In 1899, a peace treaty ...

Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’

Alex Pretti wasn't killed while "protesting." This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he'd very likely be alive ...

Washington Post cuts staff by a third, ends sports section

The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff Wednesday, eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage in a widespread purge that represented a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands. The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, ...