Trending News
Needles, pins found in Halloween candy collected by Toronto child, police investigating
Toronto police are investigating after a family reported discovering sewing needles and pins hidden inside Halloween candy collected by a child while trick-or-treating in the city’s east end over the weekend. A family member contacted CityNews saying they found multiple sharp objects embedded in Halloween treats gathered on Halloween night in the Main Street area […]
How Kimi Antonelli saw off the grid to become F1's youngest world champion
Mercedes driver makes history at 20 years old by exceeding all expectations in only his second seasonBefore the 2026 season had begun there was something of a consensus within Formula One. Mercedes appeared to have the fastest car and George Russell was favourite for the title. Beside him in what was indeed a dominant Mercedes, his teenage teammate, Kimi Antonelli, was the prodigious talent who was expected to require honing after a tricky rookie season. Said consensus lasted one race, by the sixth it had been turned on its head and Antonelli was squarely on his way to being champion.Few had doubted that the then 19-year-old Italian would prove to be strong in a car that for the first two-thirds of the season was the class of the field but for Antonelli to come out of the blocks with such verve, aggressive skill and also the judgment and at times maturity of a veteran was revelatory. As the youngest F1 world champion and Italy's first since Alberto Ascari in 1953, Antonelli made history this year but it was the way he did it which truly caught the eye. Continue reading...
It's time to block reckless AI IPOs and tax billionaires | Naomi Klein and Ilana Glazer
We cannot let the billionaire class take unprecedented risks with our futureAmerica is a divided country in crisis. Despite the sunny economic forecast coming from the Trump administration, millions of Americans are struggling to find and keep jobs, getting crushed under the rising cost of living, and losing health insurance when they need it the most.Meanwhile, via corporate consolidation and political corruption, the billionaire class is getting richer faster than ever before: a 40% increase in wealth in just the last two years. Today, the combined wealth of nearly 3,000 global billionaires equals one-fifth of the entire world's yearly output. Nearly 1,000 billionaires live and do business in the United States. Continue reading...
Jury selection to begin in re-trial of Pacific Palisades arson suspect
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday morning in the federal case re-trial of a man charged with starting a fire that grew into the deadly January 2025 Palisades Fire on the Los Angeles County coast.The first trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht earlier this year ended with a deadlocked jury. The new indictment for the second trial dropped one of three original charges and revised two others. Wildfires Jun 26 Juror explains Palisades arson trial decision and initial confusion over verdict California Wildfires Jul 16 Man accused in Palisades Fire arson 'looking forward' to retrial Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty to the revised indictment that accuses him of igniting the Lachman Fire, the first of the two fires in Pacific Palisades. Authorities said the Lachman Fire exploded into the Palisades Fire six days after it ignited when powerful Santa Ana winds swept into Southern California on Jan. 7, 2025.The redefined counts separate the arson allegation from the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1 from the devastating Palisades Fire, which burned 23,400 acres and resulted in 12 deaths and the destruction of more than 6,800 structures.In the first trial in June, the two fires were characterized as a single event. Jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal. U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang has ruled that there be no reference to the first trial during the retrial.Rinderknecht has remained in federal custody with no bail.Federal prosecutors said they believe Rinderknecht intentionally ignited the Lachman Fire around midnight on New Year’s Day 2025 along a hiking trail in the Palisades Highlands neighborhood because he was frustrated with his place in society and harbored particular anger at wealthy people.His defense attorney argued there was insufficient evidence to show the Lachman Fire was arson at all, and far from conclusive proof that embers smoldering underground after the fire appeared to be extinguished reignited in the intense winds a week later.
Lindsay Clancy returns to court in a bid to dismiss charges she killed her three young children
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Lindsay Clancy returned to court Monday in a bid to dismiss the charges that she murdered her three young children. The hearing Monday was the second time the Massachusetts mother has been in court since her trial ended with a deadlocked jury in September after jurors were una...
Trump promised a steel mill in this rural Iowa region. But is it all a midterm election ploy?
Residents would welcome the development, but the president's past false promises cast doubt on the proposalOn a Monday afternoon in late September, Donald Trump gathered Iowa Republicans in the Oval Office to make a big announcement: the firm Mesabi Metallics would invest $15bn to make the midwestern state the site of the largest steel mill in the country.One month later, and just days before the midterm election, word has spread in the small town of Wever, population 142, that the mill will be built somewhere nearby. And that's been about it – no shovels in the dirt, workers on a job site or machinery on the dirt roads leading down towards the Mississippi River. Continue reading...
Trump's wrecking ball has been fused flawlessly with the Dem's secret weapon
I spent six years as a press secretary on Capitol Hill and 25 years in media and public relations. Those jobs required a deep understanding of trends, gauging the mood of ordinary people, and analyzing economic data — whether people could afford to pay a little extra or were looking for ways to spend less.You learn to sense where public sentiment is heading and how much of it comes down to what's in people's wallets. I've also studied and worked on campaigns since the 1980s, and I have never seen a landscape like this midterm election or a storm so perfect.At the risk of repeating every political pundit, James Carville was 1,500% right — as Donald Trump might claim. It's the economy, stupid. Always. That's because prices are the nearest and dearest thing to the average voter, and their main connection to politics. When groceries, gas, health care, and electric bills climb, voters look for someone to blame or someone to help them.Whether that's fair will be debated forever. But it's how elections work. And it will always be that way.What's different this year is that Democrats have fused affordability with corruption, and they've done it flawlessly, in a way that has eluded them throughout the Trump era, which began in 2015.We've been told for decades that voters overlook corruption if they can still afford their groceries and summer vacation. It wasn't a coincidence that when the economy started to unravel in 1973, voters began paying more attention to Nixon's Watergate scandal.This year, the economy and Trump's overt corruption have been joined at the hip. In several polls, corruption has run neck and neck with the economy as the top issue. When I saw that corruption had landed at the top of some polls as the midterms headed into the final stretch, I knew Democrats were likely headed toward unprecedented success.If you understand PR, you know that Trump's corruption is different because it doesn't need a lengthy explanation to the average American, as Watergate, Iran-Contra, or Russiagate did. In other words, voters didn't need a news article to understand it.They saw the wrecking ball hit the East Wing to make way for a White House ballroom. They saw the photos of the grand staircase in the Qatari luxury jet and an overdone gold Oval Office. They also saw Trump in photos surrounded by tech and AI billionaires. And they saw those same CEOs pour massive amounts of money into campaigns while aggressively pushing data centers into the backyards of communities.Good political imagery like that needs no distillation, and all of this imagery is devastating.Then there's that famous do-nothing current Congress. Republicans have accomplished almost nothing, and what they're known for is deference to Trump. When you have no record to run on, you reach for culture-war attacks, like the ones aimed at trans kids or the attempts to paint James Talarico as effeminate in Texas and Abdul El-Sayed as a terrorist in Michigan.But this time, with voters' household budgets bleeding and corruption so easily identifiable, people aren't falling for the distractions. Costs and corruption outdo cruelty every time.Then there's Trump himself, who refused to stay off the campaign trail. Every unscripted, deranged rally reminds independents and moderates why they've drifted away. He has left the GOP with its hardcore base and little else. And even they are metaphorically and literally walking out on him.To top it off, Republicans have fielded a very weak class of candidates, and nowhere is that clearer than in the Deep South. Two examples, Darline Graham in South Carolina and Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi — Ken Paxton is in a league of his own — are counting on built-in advantages that may not hold this year. Hyde-Smith has held no town halls. Graham is a really bad campaigner and is woefully inexperienced. Both have tied themselves tightly to Trump at a moment when that's poison with swing voters.Democrats Annie Andrews in South Carolina and Scott Colom in Mississippi are the kind of candidates who can exploit that weakness. In a normal year, those seats are safe. This isn't a normal year.Early voting backs this up. Turnout has been huge, including among Black and Hispanic voters, and that's exactly the pattern you'd expect when the energy is on the Democratic side. Democratic voters see a massive opportunity to confront Trump - finally. Moderate voters see a chance to redeem themselves after being lied to by Trump, and economically challenged and frustrated GOP voters - not the rich 1% - are crying for help.So here's my call. Democrats will win in Michigan, North Carolina, Maine, Georgia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas, Iowa, and Alaska. They will edge out wins in South Carolina and Mississippi, and I expect them to be competitive enough elsewhere to push the total to 55 seats. That's a sweep, and I'm saying so a day before the votes are counted.The House is harder to call because those races are so local, and the unknown effects of redistricting, among other variables, but Democrats should land around 230 seats, on the higher end, if this perfect storm spreads — metaphorically expanding storm warning zones with a Sharpie like Trump did.Perfect storms are rare in politics, but this is one. An unpopular president, a stalled economy, corruption in plain sight, a weak GOP candidate class, a record of nothing to run on, and an electorate that has had enough, with early voting soaring. When all of those line up, the usual rules don't apply.Tomorrow night may be a long one for Republicans. I'm crossing my fingers, toes, legs, and arms, saying 10 Hail Marys and 10 Our Fathers, knocking on wood, and avoiding ladders and black cats for the next 48 hours.
Eagles grades by position after loss to Commanders on Sunday Night Football
LANDOVER, Md. — The Eagles didn't do anything well on Sunday.They drove down I-95 to get their butts kicked by a team that had just one win entering Week 8, losing 27-10 to the Washington Commanders.If you had any hopes that the Eagles would be able to turn their season around, that evaporated on Sunday night just as fast as the Eagles' 10-point lead to begin the game. The Eagles are a bad football team right now and there's still two months left to go.Let's get to the grades:QuarterbackTanner McKee: 23/34, 212 yards, 1 INT, 1 fumble lostSure, Tanner McKee ended up throwing for 212 yards but his pocket presence on Sunday night was bad and he just can't turn the football over twice. The fumble was a situation where the Eagles were close to field goal range and it happened on a play the Eagles simply couldn't get sacked; he got sacked and lost the football. McKee did make some nice throws in this game and even scrambled 15 yards to convert a third down, but it wasn't enough. If the Eagles continue to lose with McKee, it's fair to wonder if they'd turn to Joe Milton, who has been the No. 2 the last couple weeks.Grade: DRunning backSaquon Barkley: 13 carries, 30 yards, 1 TDYou have to give Saquon Barkley credit for trying to play through hamstring and back injuries in this game but he didn't have the same magic he had on Monday night against the Cowboys. Barkley was bottled up for most of the game but did manage to scamper into the end zone on a direct snap in the first half. It was the Eagles' only touchdown. Elijah Mitchell did some OK things and finished with 34 yards on 11 carries. But the Eagles clearly miss a healthy Barkley and if he keeps playing, we might not get to see that for a while.Grade: C-ReceiverMakai Lemon: 6 catches on 9 targets, 57 yardsThere haven't been many bright spots during this six-game losing streak but Makai Lemon has been one of them. The rookie from USC continues to make strides. He catches the ball well and is able to muscle through traffic. He nearly caught an incredible diving pass in the first half right in front of DeVonta Smith on the sideline. Smith and Wicks each missed this game so the Eagles were short-handed at receiver. Darius Cooper had 2 catches for 19 yards and Hollywood Brown had 2 for 17.Grade: CTight endEli Stowers: 3 catches on 3 targets, 53 yardsDallas Goedert caught 4 passes for 30 yards, including a 16-yarder to move the chains on third down. And Stowers caught a seven-yarder and added a couple more catches later in the game. Those were his first NFL receptions. Johnny Mundt continues to struggle as a blocker, even though that's why he's on the team. And the Eagles used Grant Calcaterra as a lead blocker out of the backfield, which was baffling.Grade: COffensive lineThe Eagles' offensive line just wasn't good on Sunday night. The O-line got a chance to have the same configuration for a second straight game but it didn't matter. Even facing a Commanders line without its top couple defensive tackles didn't help. The Eagles weren't able to create holes in the run game and they allowed Tanner McKee to get sacked five times for 35 yards. On top of that, Markel Bell and Jordan Mailata had back-to-back penalties in the fourth quarter that took points off the board and all but sealed the Eagles' fate. The communication issues up front, especially against blitzes, is troubling.Grade: D-Defensive lineJalen Carter: 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PBUThe Eagles improved up front. There's no doubt that the defensive line played better this week than it did on Monday night against the Cowboys, but it still wasn't good enough and it wasn't enough to win. Washington finished with 135 yards and the Eagles sacked Jayden Daniels just twice for 13 yards. There were good individual plays by Jalen Carter, Jalyx Hunt, Moro Ojomo and others. But this line is supposed to be the strength of the defense and it just hasn't been.Grade: C-LinebackerJeremiah Trotter Jr.: 10 tacklesThe Eagles didn't have Jihaad Campbell in this game so Jeremiah Trotter Jr. started and played the whole game next to Zack Baun. Trotter didn't have a perfect game but he led the team in tackles and seemed to hold his own. Baun had 7 tackles and a fumble recovery.Grade: C+SecondaryDrew Mukuba: 9 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 FFThe Eagles got some help early from Jayden Daniels, who simply missed some throws. He ended up completed 16 of 29 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown. The Commanders entered this game without Terry McLaurin, who was lost for the season. Treylon Burks, Antonio Williams and Stefon Diggs all made plays in this game. Heck, even Quinyon Mitchell got beat over the top by Burks. Mukuba did force a fumble but it was just the Eagles' fourth takeaway on the season. He also had an interception but it was taken away by a penalty.Grade: D+Special teamsBraden Mann: 5 punts, 44.2 average, 3 inside 20While Braden Mann continues to perform pretty well each week, the Eagles' special teams haven't been solid. They gave up a 44-yard kick return to begin the game and later gave up a 27-yard to set up a field goal drive. Jake Elliott attempted his first kicks since the Jacksonville game. He made his 40-yarder in the first quarter. In the fourth, Elliott made a 36-yarder but when Jordan Mailata was ruled for lining up illegally, Elliott hit a 41-yarder off the left upright. Grade: DCoachingRecord: 2-6It didn't seem like effort was an issue in this game but the Eagles' are killing themselves right now. Nick Sirianni always talks about "tough, detailed, together." Well, the Eagles have been together and they might be tough, but they are certainly not detailed. Those little details are crushing them right now and they aren't good enough to overcome it. Vic Fangio looks like he lost his magic and the offense is lost. There were some fun wrinkles on offense like the touchdown play from Barkley and the direct snap to Dallas Goedert … but that's tough to get excited about when the ship is sinking.Grade: F
Netanyahu pushing Trump for nuclear strike on Iran? US commentator makes big claim
Tucker Carlson has claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressuring US President Donald Trump for military action. This action is reportedly a nuclear strike aimed at Pickaxe Mountain in Iran, where nuclear activities are believed to be ongoing. Carlson suggests that the pressure could lead to a decision within days, escalating regional tensions. Diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran continue, though military options remain under consideration.
One Canadian among 69 dead in last week's Spanish train crash
Spanish authorities have confirmed one Canadian is among those killed in last week's high-speed rail collision.
On TV

Nothing airing worth remote control today. The screen can rest.

New Music

No new drops today. Go rediscover something in your old playlists.

In theaters

No new releases hitting theaters today. Your popcorn can wait.

Launching today

Nothing launching today. Every rocket is staying grounded and behaving.

Useless Fact

If Texas were a country, its GNP would be the fifth largest of any country in the world.

The loonie
CAD → USD
0.7163
▲ 0.0013
CAD → EUR
0.6418
▲ 0.0008
Today In History
2000 — First Crew Arrives at International Space Station
The first resident crew of the International Space Station, including one American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts, arrived at the orbiting laboratory in 2000.
1988 — Robert Morris Releases First Internet Worm
In 1988, computer science student Robert Morris released the first computer worm onto the Internet. The worm, intended as an experiment, ended up bringing down around 6,000 computers, which was about one-tenth of the entire Internet at the time.
1983 — U.S. President Reagan Establishes MLK Jr. National Holiday
U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill in 1983 designating the third Monday in January as a national holiday in memory of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial was later constructed in Washington, D.C.
1976 — Jimmy Carter elected 39th U.S. president
Jimmy Carter, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002 and Democratic former governor of Georgia, was elected 39th president of the United States this day in 1976, narrowly defeating Republican Gerald R. Ford
1964 — King Saud of Saudi Arabia Deposed, Succeeded by Brother Faisal
King Saud of Saudi Arabia was formally deposed; he was succeeded by his brother Faisal
1963 — Assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem
South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diemwas killed in a coup
1960 — UK Court Rules D.H. Lawrence Novel Not Obscene
In a landmark British trial in 1960, a jury ruled that D.H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover was not obscene, allowing Penguin Books to publish the work in its entirety. Previously, only an expurgated version had been available.
1950 — Irish Playwright George Bernard Shaw Dies at 94
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925, died at age 94
1949 — Netherlands-Indonesia Hague Agreement to End Conflict
The Netherlands and the Republic of Indonesia signed the Hague Agreement in 1949, an attempt to end the conflict over Indonesia's proclaimed independence.
1947 — Howard Hughes Pilots the Spruce Goose on Its Only Flight
American aviator and filmmaker Howard Hughespiloted the Spruce Goose, an eight-engine wooden flying boat intended to carry 750 passengers, on its only flight—one mile
1936 — BBC Launches World's First Regular TV Service
The British Broadcasting Corporation officially launched its first television channel, which was also the world's first regular TV service
1930 — Tafari Makonnen Crowned Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia
Tafari Makonnen, also known as Haile Selassie, was crowned emperor of Ethiopia in 1930, officially taking the name Haile Selassie I. This marked a significant moment in Ethiopian history as Haile Selassie went on to lead the country for several decades.
1917 — British Balfour Declaration Supports Jewish Homeland
The British issued the Balfour Declaration, a statement of support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people"; it was made in a letter from Arthur James Balfour, the British foreign secretary.Bassano and Vandyk
1889 — North and South Dakota Statehood in 1889
North Dakota was admitted to the union as the 39th U.S. state and South Dakota as the 40th
1755 — Birth of Queen Marie-Antoinette of France
Marie-Antoinette, the queen consort of King Louis XVI of France (1774–93), was born. Did Marie-Antoinette really say "Let them eat cake"?

This is today, boiled down to the essentials. The full stash lives at logicalchaos.ca. Go get lost in it.