Trending News
Cristiano Ronaldo merely the latest example of a great player who couldn't let go | Jonathan Wilson
There is no doubt his international career was an incredible one, but it would have been greater still if he had not lingered on the stage so longNothing, perhaps, is quite so difficult for an elite sportsperson as timing their exit. It's not easy for any person in any job to weigh the hope of having more to give with the desire not to linger beyond their usefulness, but it's perhaps particularly hard for top athletes because unrealistic self-confidence is so essential to their success. It takes an almost unhealthy level of self-belief for anybody to make the sacrifices to get to the top, to dedicate themselves to such a precarious vocation, to overcome all the setbacks and injuries and failures. How can someone – whose whole life has been spent assuring themselves there are no odds they cannot overcome – accept that is it, that the time has come to say goodbye?The news that Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football brings with it, inevitably, a sadness. Sadness we will no longer see him skipping past a defender, or burying a neck-thrusting header, and sadness in that the end of the career of any great is a reminder of mortality; all things in time must pass. But there is also a sadness he timed his departure so badly. For at least three tournaments, there has been a sense of Ronaldo holding Portugal back. Continue reading...
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra wins California governor's race
For a decade, the political map has been largely stagnant, locked into the same half-dozen or so political battlegrounds, reflecting a polarized, evenly divided country. On Tuesday, voters took a wrecking ball to that map, electing Democrats in states that were long considered reliably Republican.Kansas, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Iowa — all states that President Donald Trump easily won two years ago — backed Democrats for the U.S. Senate and, in several of them, for governor, too.Though it’s unclear whether the results represent a durable tectonic shift, they at least open the conversation about whether the country may move beyond its geographic deadlock, and whether Democrats can compete in nominally red states in the next presidential campaign, most notably in Republicans’ electoral stronghold of Texas. "Even though Democrats haven’t won Texas in a presidential race since Jimmy Carter, last night’s historic results may entice them to make a real run at the state’s robust 40 electoral votes," said Texas Republican strategist David Polyansky. Only California has more electoral votes. "At a minimum, that would cost Republicans countless millions of dollars and untold manpower to defend against," he added. Such a shift would also signal a sea change in the way political parties function, said Joshua Huder, a Georgetown political scientist. For Democrats to hold onto their gains in the red center of the country, they would likely need to embrace causes like the farm bill that are vital to voters there but not on the mind of your typical liberal activist. "Are they willing to compete in places like Kansas, Iowa and Texas?" Huder asked of Democrats. "That fundamentally changes politics if they do." Elections 20 hours ago Analysis: Trump has defied political consequences for years. The midterms changed that health care 5 hours ago 5 healthcare fights Democrats could take on after midterms sweep The path to the presidency will not be redrawn overnight, Democratic strategists cautioned. Most of Tuesday’s results stemmed from Trump's deep unpopularity and voters' unhappiness with the cost of living. But Democrats’ widespread, statewide and down-ballot victories in conservative states and onetime swing-states like Iowa and Ohio allow the party to start building an organizational structure they’ve not had for more than 10 years.Democrats won their first Texas Senate race in 38 years, but they also knocked off three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and won control of the state House. It was part of an electoral shock wave that swept across the entire country, knocking out incumbents in long-safe conservative strongholds, flipping reliably right-leaning statehouses in places like Arizona and Wisconsin and delivering the biggest shift in political power since the post-Watergate election of 1974."It clearly was some type of a breakthrough; the level of discontent with Trump and his policies was so strong," said Alan Abramowitz, a political scientist at Emory University. He doesn’t expect it to last. "We remain very polarized, despite what happened in this election," Abramowitz added. "Supporters of each party perceive the other side as a threat to their way of life."But Abramowitz and others noted that the dynamic that fueled the historic election will still be around in 2028. Democrats have for months hoped to repeat the successes of the 2006 and 2008 elections, when they won back Congress and then, two years later, expanded their margins in Barack Obama’s first presidential run.Jim Messina, who worked on that 2008 campaign and managed Obama’s 2012 reelection team, said Democrats will now be able to build up their local apparatus in Texas while taking a careful look ahead of 2028."Texas is a hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars decision for a presidential campaign manager, and you’re going to wait as long as you can to decide," Messina said. That’s why the analysis begins now in states such as Ohio, Iowa and Texas, said Democratic pollster John Anzalone, President Joe Biden’s chief pollster and senior adviser in 2020 and pollster for Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns."What we’ll do is research it. We’ll go into these states, do polling and focus groups and see what the rate of return might be," said Anzalone, who polled for and advised former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s winning Senate campaign. "It’s all about the resources." Still, the Democratic wins were about more than resources. The party was outspent across much of the country, but still racked up wins, including gains among demographics that normally favor Republicans.Democrats nationwide fared better this year, relative to 2024, among white voters without college degrees, according to The AP Voter Poll and AP VoteCast, although Republicans still won them overall. This group was critical to Trump’s success in onetime battlegrounds like Iowa and Ohio after Obama carried them twice.The erosion of Republican support in rural areas was especially pronounced in Iowa, where Trump had dominated in his three presidential races. About 6 in 10 Iowa voters who say they live in a rural area or small town backed Republicans in 2022, but their vote was more closely split this year as tariffs and high fuel prices weighed on farmers' profits. Republican candidate Ashley Hinson won just over half of rural or small-town voters this year, The AP Voter Poll found, while Democratic candidate Josh Turek won about 4 in 10 voters in this group.Turek also triumphed in lightly populated, rural counties in eastern Iowa that no Democratic Senate candidate had carried since former five-term Sen. Tom Harkin won in 2008 before retiring. "We're in a very volatile political era," said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is finishing his second term, during a news conference Wednesday. DeSantis will be replaced by Rep. Byron Donalds, a fellow Republican who was only narrowly elected as his successor despite the state's recent reputation as a conservative stronghold. "Things shift quickly, and leaders just got to recognize that," said DeSantis, "and don't act like whatever worked even two years ago in a campaign is necessarily going to work today or would work going forward."Republican strategist Kristin Davison said her party shouldn’t panic, urging members to dig into the results, learn what happened and chart a path forward."I think anyone immediately presuming 2028 implications as the dust settles today will need to make revisions," she said.___Josh Boak contributed to this report.
Golden State Valkyries championship parade: Route map and how to watch
Bingo, Care Bears, the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the humble playground slide have all made it into the National Toy Hall of Fame, taking their place alongside classics like Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe.The winners emerged Thursday from a field of 12 finalists that included Bop It!, mahjong, Monster High dolls, Polly Pocket, Tickle Me Elmo, Yahtzee and the board games Sorry! (Sorry, Sorry!) and Mouse Trap.Experts at The Strong National Museum of Play, home to the National Toy Hall of Fame, note that bingo, which "descends from an Italian lottery played around 1530," is now played virtually worldwide."While bingo is now often associated with an older audience, it has become increasingly popular with young adults. Recently, public bingo games have gone beyond fundraising and have become popular in bars and nightclubs," curator Mirek Stolee said in a statement.The effort to get the Care Bears into the Hall was helped by earning nearly 1 million followers on social media, while Pokémon trading cards were buoyed by anime enthusiasts and manga readers.The Hall said the slide helps children develop motor skills and encourages exploration. "People of all ages remember fondly the simple, satisfying, and energizing experience of racing down a slide," said Jeremy Saucier, vice president for collections.While anyone can nominate a toy, the ones that make it into the Hall must be considered icons, have engaged multiple generations, fostered creativity, or profoundly changed play or toy design.The four 2026 winners will join the 90 toys already enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame, a list that includes Cabbage Patch Kids, Dungeons & Dragons, Hot Wheels and Frisbee.
Chino Hills homeowner catches trespasser inside home thanks to surveillance camera
Russell Brand was convicted Thursday of rape and sexual assault charges on allegations dating back more than 20 years.Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand would receive a prison term when he is sentenced Monday. He was taken into custody.A prosecutor said the British actor-comedian was a ruthless, calculating, manipulative "sexual predator."Brand, 51, denied the charges and testified that he was obsessed with sex as a young man and once led a promiscuous life but had never forced anyone to do something against their will.Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. He was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.The jury of eight men and four women in Southwark Crown Court deliberated more than eight hours over two days.Known for risqué stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek" and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry. Crime and Courts Feb 24 Russell Brand pleads not guilty to new rape and sexual assault charges Crime and Courts Dec 23, 2025 Russell Brand faces new charges of rape and sexual assault In recent years he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion.Brand said the criminal case had a devastating impact on his life and family."My entire life has been consumed by these events, these allegations, these accusations," he said.Brand's lawyers argued that the alleged victims were undermined by the fact that they only went to police years after the alleged assaults, and following the broadcast of a 2023 documentary that contained anonymous allegations against Brand.Brand testified that friends and colleagues had abandoned him.His wife, Laura, who accompanied him to court, testified as a character witness in his defense, but no one with relevant evidence was willing to give evidence on his behalf, Brand said.
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 years in prison in national security case
Wong, 30, in prison since 2020, is only activist in Hong Kong prosecuted twice under national security lawExclusive: Joshua Wong laments city's fate from inside maximum security prisonThe Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to "foreign collusion", his second conviction under a national security law critics say has been used to silence political opposition in the city.Wong, who rose to prominence as the teenage face of Hong Kong's 2014 pro-democracy demonstrations, submitted his guilty plea in September. He had been accused of working with the exiled Hong Kong activist Nathan Law to urge foreign powers to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile measures against China. Continue reading...
A Democratic-controlled Congress will likely try to constrain Trump's foreign adventures
But the president still has veto power, which he can wield to dictate policy over tariffs, the war in Iran or aid for UkraineIn a rare occurrence, a US election may have actually been decided by foreign policy. Donald Trump's war in Iran and international tariffs are seen as playing a key role in the inflationary pressures that drove so many Americans to vote against his party on Tuesday in what has been described as a "generational wipeout" for the Republicans.And in the coming months, the president is going to face severe headwinds on those policies as Democrats storm back into control of Congress, threatening investigations of some of his top envoys and Pentagon contractors, big fights over budgets linked to the Iran war, and greater scrutiny of US relationships with allies such as Israel. Continue reading...
'Yikes:' Uproar over report Hegseth's wife quietly cashed in with Trump-connected firm
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's wife is under fire from critics across the political spectrum after a report revealed who cut her checks last year.Jennifer Hegseth, a former longtime Fox News producer, was paid for consulting work last year by Watchtower Strategy, a Trump-connected Washington firm that also did work for Lockheed Martin that same year, Politico's Daniel Lippman reported via a post on X Wednesday. The payments showed up on her husband's annual financial disclosure, though the amount she earned was not listed.Watchtower launched in January 2025 and counts former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and several Republican operatives among its ranks, according to Politico. Jenniger Hegseth is also the daughter of a Lockheed Martin executive, and she joined her husband at meetings with GOP senators as he fought for confirmation.A Watchtower spokesperson told Politico she helped the firm navigate conservative TV media and "has not interfaced with any clients." A Lockheed spokesperson would not say directly whether the company still works with Watchtower."Secretary Hegseth and his wife are in full compliance with all ethics laws and regulations, and their sole focus is serving our warfighters, President Trump, and the American people," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to Politico. However, the line did not land with critics like Chris Meagher, who led Pentagon public affairs under former President Joe Biden."The quote about how Hegseth and wife's 'sole focus is serving our warfighters' in a story about her being paid by Kevin McCarthy's consulting firm was a nice touch," Meagher quipped on X.Luke Nicastro, a senior editor at The American Conservative and former national security adviser to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), reacted with a blunt "Yikes," adding that it's "astonishing the degree to which Hegseth embodies two of the dynamics—War & Corruption—most responsible for last night's bloodbath" for Republicans.Matt Getz, the former Florida Republican congressman, turned his fire on Hegseth directly."I'm a former member of the House Armed Services Committee. If Lloyd Austin's wife was working for a lobbying firm while he was leading the Pentagon, I would have exposed the wrongdoing," Gaetz fumed. "Wives of Cabinet members shouldn't be paid by lobbyists."Jennifer Hegseth did not respond to Politico's request for comment.
Delhi riots case: Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam challenge Delhi HC's bail refusal in Supreme Court
Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam have filed for bail in the Supreme Court concerning the Delhi riots case. They contend that the prosecution has failed to call any witnesses during their extensive period of detention. The activists pointed out the looming deadline for submitting new bail applications as established by the Supreme Court.
Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk begins 2nd spacewalk
Joshua Kutryk and NASA astronaut Anil Menon stepped into the vacuum of space this morning after undergoing lengthy and detailed preparations with the help of their support team.
Cristiano Ronaldo announces Portugal retirement after fallout with coach: ‘NOT AN EASY DECISION’
Ronaldo made his international debut in 2003, scoring 146 goals and won 234 caps for his country since, and has played in 12 major tournaments
On TV

Black Doves — 2x1: "Black Door" (Netflix)

As her husband steps up as prime minister, Helen helps Reed steal files codenamed Wildflower and a shadowy organization coerces Sam into a contract.

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent — 4x7: "Fireworks" (Citytv)

Law & Order — 26x5: "Rage Bait" (NBC)

When a college basketball star is shot dead after winning the championship game, Walker and Calvino uncover a trail of online vitriol that leads far beyond the internet; Price and Maroun face an uphill battle when the defendant claims self-defense.

Grey's Anatomy — 23x4: "Love on the Brain" (ABC)

Amelia sees a young patient with an extremely rare condition, and Bailey receives unfavorable feedback from a TA at school. Jo attends a birth trauma support group, and the Olympic floor is rocked by family drama.

Black Doves — 2x2: "Put Your Head on my Shoulder" (Netflix)

Helen realizes her investigation into Reed's mysterious past connects to Sam's new targets — just after he silences their best hope for answers.

Black Doves — 2x3: "P Is for Poison" (Netflix)

Sam grapples with the fallout of a desperate choice. Helen presses an old foe for answers on Reed and Wildflower before a tense dinner with the Chernovs.

Black Doves — 2x4: "The Opportunity to Become Savage" (Netflix)

East Berlin, 1988. Reed's cover in Kestrel is blown when a botched mission forces an unforgivable choice — and its deadly aftermath reaches into the present.

Black Doves — 2x5: "Murder Mix" (Netflix)

Helen recruits Sam, Williams and Eleanor to extract a high profile target from a secure site, but Kestrel's influence threatens the mission.

Black Doves — 2x6: "Peace Summit" (Netflix)

Kestrel enacts its plan ahead of Wallace's peace summit — forcing Sam to decide where his loyalties lie, and pushing Helen to admit a dangerous truth.

Ask This Old House — 25x6: "Smart Window Film; Walkway Garden" (PBS)

New Music

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

In theaters
Drummer Boy (129 minutes)
As America’s fight for independence begins, a young drummer boy, an enslaved woman, and a divided family search for freedom. Through battle and loss, music carries hope in a deeply human story of faith and forgiveness.
Launching today

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

Useless Fact

Hannibal had only one eye after getting a disease while attacking Rome.

The loonie
CAD → USD
0.7163
▲ 0.0017
CAD → EUR
0.6374
▼ 0.0011
Today In History
2024 — Donald Trump Wins 2024 U.S. Presidential Election
Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, defeating Kamala Harris. He became the first convicted felon to be elected president and the second to win a nonconsecutive second term.
2013 — India's First Mars Orbiter Mission
India launched its first interplanetary spacecraft, the Mars Orbiter Mission, which was unmanned
1998 — DNA Testing Confirms Jefferson-Hemings Family Relationship
The journal Nature published a report that DNA testing had confirmed (still disputed by some) that a member of Thomas Jefferson's family had fathered a child with the slave Sally Hemings; the testing, however, was unable to definitively prove that Jefferson was the father. Read more about the Jefferson-Hemings paternity debate Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Gift of Thomas Jefferson Coolidge IV in memory of his great-grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, his grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Coolidge II, and his father, Thomas Jefferson Coolidge III, 1986.71
1940 — Franklin D. Roosevelt's Unprecedented Third Term as US President
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented third term as president of the United States
1930 — Sinclair Lewis Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
Social critic Sinclair Lewis won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first American to receive the honour
1914 — France and Britain declare war on Turkey, 1914
France and Britain declared war on Turkey, widening the conflict of World War I
1913 — Vivien Leigh Born in India, 1913
British actress Vivien Leigh, known for her acclaimed performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind and Blanche Du Bois in A Streetcar Named Desire, was born in India in 1913.
1911 — Birth of American Cowboy Actor and Singer Roy Rogers
Americancowboyactor and singer Roy Rogers—who starred in films and television shows, often alongside his wife, Dale Evans—was born
1872 — Susan B. Anthony Votes Illegally in 1872 Election
Susan B. Anthony, a leader in the American women's suffrage movement, cast a ballot in the presidential election, and she was later arrested for voting illegally and convicted in a trial she called "the greatest outrage history ever witnessed." How much do you know about famous suffragettes?
1838 — Honduras declares independence from Central America
Hondurasdeclared its absolute independence, seceding from the United Provinces of Central America
1605 — Gunpowder Plot
Celebrated with fireworks as Guy Fawkes Day, this English holiday marks the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, when Roman Catholics led by Robert Catesby tried to blow up Parliament, the king, and his family this day in 1605
1556 — Bayram Khan's Victory at the Second Battle of Panipat
Mughal power was restored in India following Bayram Khan's victory at the second Battle of Panipat in 1556.

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