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Lead For Sunday, January 4, 2026, readers should note an early-morning moon alert in Chicago: avoid nonessential shopping and postpone major decisions between 6:30 and 8:00 a.m. CT. After 8:00 a.m., the Moon moves from Cancer into Leo, shifting attention from home and finances toward social life, creativity and romance. Many signs may find the … Read more
Swiss prosecutors in the canton of Valais opened a criminal investigation on 3 January 2026 into the managers of Le Constellation, a bar in the Crans‑Montana ski resort, after a New Year’s Eve blaze killed at least 40 people and injured 119. Authorities have accused the two managers of homicide by negligence, causing bodily harm … Read more
Lead: James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash cleared the $1 billion global threshold over the New Year’s weekend, paced by steady overseas receipts and continued domestic holdovers. Through New Year’s Day the film had amassed $935 million worldwide—$266 million in North America and $699 million internationally—with Friday’s returns pushing the domestic total to $280 million. … Read more
Lead: On January 3, 2026, the United States carried out an operation in Caracas that officials say resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The announcement prompted rapid, sharply divided reactions from foreign-policy analysts, investors, and business leaders. Some see the removal of Maduro as a near-term economic opening—particularly for … Read more
With one regular-season day remaining, 12 of the 14 playoff seeds are unresolved as teams across both conferences play for positioning and byes. Seattle clinched the NFC’s top seed Saturday night by beating San Francisco, but the AFC No. 1 spot and most of the bracket remain up for grabs. The AFC’s top seed could … Read more
Lead: In San Francisco on Jan. 3, 2026, Stephen Curry returned from a one-game absence and scored 31 points, including six 3-pointers, to power the Golden State Warriors to a 123-114 victory over the Utah Jazz. The Warriors, back to a fuller rotation after a 37-point loss the night before, overcame late-game discipline issues to … Read more
Lead: On Jan. 3, 2026, Delta Air Lines announced it will restart service to 13 Caribbean airports after the Federal Aviation Administration indicated a regional airspace-closure directive would expire early on Sunday, Jan. 4. Delta said it expects to operate its normal Caribbean schedule on Jan. 4, while noting some schedule adjustments may be required … Read more
Lead: Saturday’s first two games of NFL Week 18 produced decisive moves in the NFC playoff race: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers, while the Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers. The Buccaneers’ win keeps Tampa’s division hopes alive but leaves them dependent on New Orleans losing to Atlanta on Sunday to … Read more
Lead Venezuelans woke to uncertainty on Saturday after U.S. military forces captured President Nicolás Maduro, leaving the country’s 29 million people unsure who now holds authority. Venezuela’s high court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the interim presidency, while President Donald Trump said Rodríguez had been in direct contact with U.S. officials and indicated … Read more
Lead About 20 U.S. investors are organizing a March trip to Venezuela after reports that President Nicolás Maduro was taken into U.S. custody. Charles Myers, chairman of Signum Global Advisors, said he is preparing to visit the country in March and described investor sentiment as one of “cautious optimism.” Myers told Business Insider that foreign … Read more
Lead North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea on Sunday, South Korean and Japanese authorities reported, detecting the launches from the capital region at about 7:50 a.m. The missiles traveled roughly 900 kilometers, and Seoul, Washington and Tokyo said they are analyzing flight data and other details. The strikes occurred hours before South … Read more
Lead Leonardo DiCaprio will not attend the Palm Springs International Film Festival gala on the evening of Jan. 2, 2026, after travel disruptions tied to restricted Southern California airspace. The festival is still presenting him with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. Organizers said the … Read more
Lead On Jan. 3, 2026 in San Antonio, the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Spurs 115-110 as Deni Avdija recorded a 29-point triple-double and Donovan Clingan posted a career-high 24 points. Portland led virtually the entire game, holding the edge for all but 18 seconds, and closed out a second straight victory. San Antonio, missing … Read more
Jan 03, 2026 — At Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Saturday night, the Seattle Seahawks closed their regular season with a 13-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers to secure the NFC West crown and the conference’s No. 1 seed. Seattle’s defense smothered a red-hot 49ers offense while the Seahawks’ ground game controlled tempo … Read more
Lead Saturday’s Powerball drawing on Jan. 3, 2026 produced the numbers 18-21-40-53-60 with the red Powerball 23. The advertised jackpot for that drawing was $64 million, with a stated cash option of $28.9 million. Separately, the $1.817 billion Christmas Eve prize sold in Cabot, Arkansas remains unclaimed; state rules give that ticket until June 22, … Read more
