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2026 Milano Cortina Olympics: Athletes to Watch The Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games will be held in northern Italy on February 6–22, 2026. The international athletic competition will feature 116 events across 16 winter sports and is expected to draw some 2,900 athletes from 90 countries as participants. Which competitors should be on your... -
Merrily We Roll Along Merrily We Roll Along, American musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Merrily We Roll Along follows the lives of three friends who meet in college and whose connection sours over time... -
USS Gerald R. Ford USS Gerald R. Ford, U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier commissioned in 2017. It is the lead ship in the Gerald R. Ford class, and, with a displacement of more than 100,000 tons and a length of 1,106 feet (337 meters), it is the largest warship afloat. U.S. Nimitz-class carriers debuted in... -
Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games, international athletic competition scheduled to be held in Los Angeles July 14–30, 2028. It will be the fifth Summer Olympics to be hosted by the United States, after St. Louis in 1904, Atlanta in 1996, and Los Angeles itself in 1932 and 1984; the United... -
Who’s Who in the Wizarding World? The magic and enchantment of the wizarding world of Harry Potter, created by author J.K. Rowling, have endured the test of time. Since the first title, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, released in 1997, more than 600 million copies of the seven books in the series have been sold globally,... -
Bond risk: How rates, duration, and structure drive fixed-income performance “Stocks are for speculators. Stick to clipping coupons.” For a lot of investors, that quip formed their earliest impressions of bonds as a “safe” investment. It often came from someone who’d lived through recessions, the Great Depression, even world wars—someone like Great-Aunt Geneva, who’d seen... -
How to amend a tax return after you’ve filed Filing your taxes can be complicated, especially if you later realize you need to amend a tax return. Even if you think you did your taxes correctly and included every required form, mistakes still happen. Sometimes, new or updated information arrives after you file and changes what you originally... -
Pluribus Pluribus, American science fiction series created by Vince Gilligan, writer and producer of the prestige television drama Breaking Bad (2008–13) and its prequel Better Call Saul (2015–22). The plot of Pluribus centers on a strange virus, created by scientists based on signals from outer space, that... -
Tesero Tesero, comune (municipality), located in the province of Trentino in Italy. Situated in the Val di Fiemme in the Dolomites, Tesero is an important venue for winter sports. Tesero has a long prehistory. Human habitation probably began in the region as long ago as the 6th–7th millennium bce.... -
What the earned income tax credit means for working families The earned income tax credit (EITC) is one of the federal tax code’s largest benefits for workers with low to moderate incomes. Rather than just reducing the amount of tax you owe, the EITC is refundable, meaning you can get a refund even if you owe no tax. The credit adds money to the budgets of... -
oxidation Oxidation, chemical process in which an atom, ion, or molecule loses electrons as it interacts with another chemical species. This shift in electrons alters the substance’s composition and energy state, thereby dictating the behavior, stability, and utility of substances. Oxidation is an essential... -
nitazene Nitazene, class of potent synthetic opioid drugs that are extremely effective at binding to opioid receptors, resulting in powerful analgesic (pain-relieving) and sedative effects. Nitazenes are structurally distinct from other opioids, including naturally occurring substances such as morphine and... -
Systematic risk: The PRIME forces that move markets Diversifying your portfolio is the investing equivalent of eating your vegetables—it’s simple, sensible, and almost always good for you. Diversification broadens your potential return sources and reduces the risk of relying too heavily on any single investment. But diversification can only go so... -
Is Comet 3I/ATLAS an Alien Spacecraft? If you don’t hang out in the wilder areas of YouTube or TikTok, you may be thinking, “Wait. What? Is this a thing? The answer is no, right? Right?” The answer is no. Comet 3I/ATLAS is not an alien spacecraft. But it is very interesting in its own right. The I in its name stands for “interstellar,”... -
What Sports Are in the Winter Olympics? Since the first Winter Olympic Games, held in 1924, athletes have come together to compete in sports that test their speed, strength, and gracefulness on ice and snow. Learn which sports will be included in the program at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games in 2026 in the table below. (Learn... -
The Rest Is Speculation: Hamnet and the Question of Historical Accuracy Written by Michael Nordine, resident film critic for the weekly newsletter Movie Brief. The central premise of Hamnet, director Chloé Zhao’s acclaimed 2025 film adaptation of author Maggie O’Farrell’s celebrated 2020 novel of the same name, is simple: William Shakespeare wrote the play Hamlet as a... -
Predazzo Predazzo, village and comune (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in the Val di Fiemme in the regione (region) of Trentino. Its location in the Dolomites has endowed it with an outstanding geological heritage, giving it the nickname “Geological Garden of the Alps.” Predazzo is also renowned... -
50 Cent By the time he was 25 years old, American rapper, actor, author, producer, and entrepreneur 50 Cent had survived a hardscrabble upbringing, an attempt on his life, and the loss of a big-label record deal. By the time he turned 30, however, he had become a major hip-hop star and one of the most... -
Has an Athlete Died During an Olympic Competition? The Olympics are filled with memorable moments, from close finishes to remarkable triumphs. Yet it can be easy to overlook how demanding—and potentially dangerous—the events can be. Injuries are common, and a number of athletes have suffered fatal incidents during competition or training. Below we... -
soup joumou Soup joumou, traditional Haitian soup made with beef, winter squash, and vegetables. It is typically eaten every year on January 1 to commemorate Haiti’s independence from France in 1804. The soup also serves as a Sunday breakfast dish. Preparation of the soup is usually a family or community...
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What’s the Tush Push in the NFL? It’s fourth down, and the offense is just inches from the goal line. What play does the team run? In some cases, the call is the controversial tush push. In this play, the football is snapped to the quarterback, and his teammates then push him forward, trying to drive through the opposing team’s... -
Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack The Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack is an annual periodical released in April at the start of the English county cricket season. It was first published in 1864, by John Wisden, a former cricket player and a sports equipment shop owner, in England under the name The Cricketer’s Almanack. Referred to as... -
Condé Nast When Condé Montrose Nast bought a publication called Vogue in 1909, he was a man with a vision. He recognized that creating publications that served a niche audience—a rich, class-conscious one—could be a successful business model. As a business colleague recalled, “He didn’t want a big... -
Arcane Arcane, animated TV show that adapts and enriches the in-game lore of the popular online multiplayer video game League of Legends. The show is set in a world torn apart by inequality and obsessed with the control of magic-powered technology. The action-packed narrative centers on the relationship... -
What Is the Most Potent Opioid? The most potent opioid is generally considered to be carfentanil, which is used in veterinary medicine, primarily to tranquilize elephants and other large mammals. Although some formulations of the illicit opioid nitazene can reach or exceed the potency of carfentanil, many others are less potent....
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1936–39 Arab Revolt in Palestine 1936–39 Arab Revolt in Palestine, popular Palestinian Arab uprising against British governance, driven largely by opposition to British policies toward the Zionist movement. Although sparked by escalating violence between Arabs and Jews in 1935–36, the rebellion began in April 1936 as a general... -
K-shaped economy: When growth moves in two different directions Here’s a picture of two economies. In the first, consumer sentiment sinks to record lows as staple goods grow increasingly unaffordable; even “cheap” items like fast food start feeling like luxury buys for many households. In the second, high-ticket discretionary goods are flying off the shelves as... -
Social Security Disability Insurance: How to qualify and what affects your benefits A long-term disability can take you out of the workforce with little or no warning, leaving you without a paycheck. With no income, bills can pile up quickly. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can help you stay afloat. It offers monthly benefits to help you remain financially stable when... -
Robert F. Smith Robert F. Smith is one of the most successful investors in modern private equity and a defining figure in the software industry’s growth. The founder, chair, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, he built the firm into one of the world’s top-performing investors in companies that build software for... -
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, beloved American Christmas story that originally appeared as a children’s book by American author Dr. Seuss in 1957. It was adapted into a wildly popular animated television special that aired on CBS on December 18, 1966. The story was later made into two... -
Why Is Bollywood Film Dhurandhar Controversial? Spy thriller Dhurandhar (“Expert”), one of the best-performing Bollywood films of 2025, has polarized opinion in India and abroad since its release on December 5. Dhurandhar, the first of a two-part series by director Aditya Dhar, depicts an anti-terror covert operation conducted by India on... -
Common Figure Skating Jumps Explained The 2026 Winter Olympics are just around the corner, and, with no disrespect intended to curling and skeleton, figure skating is the perennial marquee event of the Winter Games. That means that many people pay attention to figure skating only once every four years. You can be forgiven for not... -
Western Philosophers: Timeline, History, and Movements Philosophy is the rational, abstract, and methodical consideration of reality and the fundamental dimensions of human existence and experience. The questions that form the subject matter of philosophy at a given time do not have definitive answers. As history shows, when such questions are finally... -
Are Olympic Medals Made of Gold? For athletes who stand on the top step of the Olympic podium and get a gold medal placed around their necks, the moment—and the medal—is priceless. But the reality is that the gold medal is not worth much more than the silver medal around the neck of the second-place finisher. That is because,... -
Are Chunga Palms Really Dangerous? The following article contains spoilers for the Apple TV show Pluribus, season 1, episode 7 (“The Gap”). Looking for the biology and facts behind that ominous warning and chilling encounter with the chunga palms in the Darién Gap? Nothing like a surprising episode to pique your interest in botany,... -
What Is the Difference Between Classicism and Romanticism? Think of a marble statue standing near a stormy sea—its calm, measured form facing nature’s wild energy. The statue embodies the balance and restraint of classicism while the sea symbolizes the emotion and imagination of Romanticism. Classicism is an aesthetic attitude and artistic style rooted in... -
Why Is Fracking Harmful? In the world’s pursuit of petroleum and natural gas, the technique of fracking—injecting a liquid at high pressure into underground rock to open fissures and release natural gas or crude oil—surged starting at the end of the 20th century. Although fracking processes had been developed decades... -
Eileen Gu Eileen Gu is a Chinese American freestyle skier who won a trio of medals, including two golds, at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Only 18 years old at the time, she became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing and the first competitor in her sport to capture three medals in one... -
Vocabulary Quiz Test or refresh your knowledge of key words, terms, and concepts used in discussions and debates about money issues, the economy, work, and taxation. Each answer links to the related ProCon debate featuring the word, term, or concept. Enjoy the challenge. Good... -
List of Musical Symbols Music often sounds effortless to the ear, but behind every performance is a carefully written language that directs how sound is created and expressed. Written symbols on a musical score guide musicians, telling them when to play, when to pause, and how each note should sound and feel. For someone... -
Obama Presidential Center For a historic president, there will be a historic presidential library. The Obama Presidential Center Groundbreaking: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined former Pres. Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama for the 2021 groundbreaking of the historic presidential center. An imposing... -
What Is the Most Popular Christmas Song? On December 25, 1941, mellow-voiced singer and actor Bing Crosby first crooned what would become a perennial holiday classic. The song, a wistful ballad called “White Christmas,” was written by Irving Berlin. Crosby performed it on his weekly radio show, and a few months later he recorded it for... -
Infinite Hotel Paradox Imagine arriving at a hotel that claims to have infinitely many rooms: room 1, room 2, room 3, and so on forever. You walk to the front desk and say, “I need a room.” The manager looks up from her ledger and says, “Every room is taken—but don’t worry, I can make space.” She phones every guest and... -
Today in History: December 25—The Day Christmas Made the Calendar On this day in 352, Pope Liberius celebrated the first official Christmas mass in Rome—marking the moment December 25 became the day on the calendar. This wasn’t the first time Christians had celebrated Jesus’ birth: Some observances likely took place as early as the 2nd century, and the church in... -
2025 Bondi Beach shooting 2025 Bondi Beach shooting, mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025. Two gunmen—identified by Australian authorities as a father and son—targeted a crowd of hundreds at a gathering of Sydney’s Jewish community on the first night of Hanukkah. They killed 15 people and wounded more... -
greaser Greaser, member of a youth subculture that was prominent in the United States in the 1950s and ’60s. Greaser culture was embraced mostly by young, white working-class men who either rejected or did not fit in with the “bright and shiny” facade of the Cold War era. By the late 1960s the subculture... -
The Day of the Jackal The Day of the Jackal, television thriller series created by screenwriter Ronan Bennett and starring Eddie Redmayne as the titular Jackal. It is a modern-day adaptation of a 1971 novel of the same name by English author Frederick Forsyth. The show first aired in November 2024 and follows a seasoned... -
Do Jews Celebrate Christmas? A straightforward yes or no answer to this question is not possible, because Jews around the world, like followers of most religions, are not uniform in their beliefs and practices, so they may or may not observe Christmas to various degrees. Many Jews would strongly respond no, because Christmas... -
Santa Claus rally: A seasonal pop with surprising consistency Every year in late December, day traders, chart watchers, and other active traders look to the skies to see if Santa Claus will deliver a year-end rally or drop lumps of coal into stock portfolios. It’s called the Santa Claus rally—a quirky bit of Wall Street seasonality—but the numbers say it... -
Ferrero Group Ferrero is a private multinational manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products. Founded and headquartered in Alba, Piedmont, Italy, Ferrero’s best-known brands include Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, Kinder, and Tic Tac. Family owned since its inception, Ferrero is among the top... -
2025: Year in Review In 2025 numerous countries—such as the United States, Canada, and Germany—installed new national leaders, and some transitions were contentious. Several African countries experienced coups, and Gen Z-led protests resulted in the ouster of Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. Armed conflicts... -
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), based in Las Vegas, is an organization that promotes professional mixed martial arts (MMA) contests. It produces dozens of live events each year, and its pay-per-view cable television broadcasts and live streams have reached viewers in more than 160... -
What Is the Christmas Bird Count? The Christmas Bird Count is an annual large-scale bird census organized by the National Audubon Society—a U.S.-based conservation organization—that takes place in early winter across the Western Hemisphere. It enlists volunteer bird-watchers to count birds within a 24-km- (15-mile-) diameter circle... -
Today in History—December 24: Before Spotify, There Was Tinfoil Thomas Edison gave the first demonstration of his phonograph in early December 1877, hauling his little hand-crank machine to the New York City office of Scientific American and using it to converse with the magazine’s staff. His voice came through tinny and distant, and not all his words were... -
Today in History—December 23: The Incident at the Yellow House Name an artist, any artist. If you said Vincent van Gogh, perhaps you were primed by our reference to ears: Van Gogh famously cut off his left earlobe with a razor on December 23, 1888. The Dutch Post-Impressionist painter lived a life of indecision and turmoil. One person who always had his back,... -
Today in History—December 20: “Hansel and Gretel” and the Gingerbread Boom On this day in 1812 brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of stories that would make them famous: Kinder- und Hausmärchen (“Children’s and Household Tales”). Among the 156 fables in the first collection was “Hansel and Gretel,” which introduced the world to one unforgettable... -
Today in History—December 22: “The Heart of Berlin Hangs On This Gate” Just after midnight on December 22, 1989, workers punched a hole in the Brandenburg Gate. Once the first openings were made, West German police officers and East German border guards shook hands. Germans on both sides cheered in the darkness, celebrating with sparkling wine. Later that day, West... -
Today in History—December 21: The Birth of Basketball It was a stormy day in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the students at the International Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Training School were restless. It was too cold to play football or lacrosse outside, and gym teacher James Naismith didn’t dare attempt those sports indoors. He needed... -
operating room Operating room (OR), specially designed medical facility where surgical procedures are performed under sterile conditions to prevent infection and ensure patient safety. It is equipped with advanced surgical instruments, an anesthesia machine, monitoring systems, and specialized lighting, which... -
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA): Federal insurance and oversight for credit unions Credit unions may feel more community focused than big banks, but they still depend on a strong regulatory and insurance framework to keep consumers’ money safe. At the center of that system is the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the federal agency that regulates credit unions,... -
Elif Shafak She was branded a traitor for writing in a language that was not her own, faced with legal charges for “insulting Turkishness,” and denounced by Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s supporters. A widely praised writer with works translated into nearly 60 languages, she transcends boundaries,... -
Why Is it Illegal to Visit North Sentinel Island in India? Along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory in the Bay of Bengal in India lies a remote island called North Sentinel. Covered by thick forests, North Sentinel Island has no roads, ports, or any modern infrastructure. For centuries it has been home to the Sentinelese, a hunter-gatherer... -
Jeremy Hansen Jeremy Hansen is a Canadian astronaut who is part of the crew of the Artemis II mission, which will journey to the Moon in early 2026. He will be the first Canadian to travel to the Moon, and Artemis II will be his first spaceflight. Hansen was interested in spaceflight from a young age. At age 12...
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Why Do People Kiss Under the Mistletoe? Every Christmas season, sprigs of mistletoe become an unlikely symbol of romance, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. A small bouquet of mistletoe, usually hung from a doorway or other location, beckons couples to exchange a quick kiss—an oddly tender custom for a plant that... -
Seth Meyers Seth Meyers is an American comedian and host of the nightly talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers, a gig he has had since 2014. Meyers is known for his wry sense of humor and laid-back style. In late 2025 Meyers became the latest in a string of late-night talk show hosts to incur the wrath of U.S....
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Research and Analysis Wing Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW or RAW), India’s external intelligence agency, founded in 1968 following purported shortcomings in the country’s intelligence system during the 1962 Sino-Indian War and the 1965 India-Pakistan War. The agency is tasked with gathering foreign intelligence and has...
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Christmas Plants and Animals: 12 Festive Species By one estimate, more than 30 plants and animals have Christmas in their names. And they all come bearing gifts: vital ecological roles that underpin valuable ecosystem services that directly or indirectly support human well-being. Here are 12 of the most popular among such organisms—one for each... -
Today in History—December 19: Bah, Humbug! Charles Dickens’s parable A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843. Firmly entrenched in the genre of holiday classics, the tale was written by Dickens in the span of six weeks. And lucky for him, the story was wildly popular, selling out by Christmas Eve. Dickens didn’t write it... -
Travel Ban List The first—and thus far only—major federal legislation to explicitly suspend immigration to the United States for a specific nationality was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Since then, immigration and travel to the United States have been restricted to various groups at various times through a... -
Nuclear Power Natural resources—materials or substances found in nature that can be used by humans for personal or economic gain, or even survival—include water, minerals, forests, and fossil fuels, and they are widely used as energy sources. There are two types of natural resources: renewable and nonrenewable.... -
What Are the Most Dangerous Winter Olympic Sports? The most dangerous sports at the Winter Olympics, which see the highest number of and most severe injuries, include events such as the ski half-pipe, ski big air, ski aerials (jumps), and snowboard and ski slopestyle, which involve athletes flying through the air and making hard landings. Data... -
Today in History—December 18: Piltdown Man: The Missing Link That Wasn’t At a meeting of the Geological Society of London on this day in 1912, respected paleontologist Arthur Smith Woodward of the British Museum made an announcement that seemed to rewrite human history. For the next 40 years, anyway. Woodward debuted the bones of what he believed to be a previously... -
Today in History—December 17: America’s Favorite Cartoon Family The Simpsons first appeared as an independent series on December 17, 1989, with a Christmas special that helped launch one of TV’s most enduring animated series. “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” was actually scheduled to be the eighth episode in the show, but when the pilot’s animation proved... -
Today in History—December 16: “Boston, a Teapot Tonight!” On this night 252 years ago, up to 150 men marched to Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, cheered on by thousands. They donned Mohawk headdresses and painted their faces to disguise their identities. They boarded three ships in the harbor—the Dartmouth, Beaver, and Eleanor. With methodical precision, they... -
Today in History—December 15: Gone with the Wind Premieres in Atlanta Gone with the Wind premiered on December 15, 1939, at the Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. It would become one of the most successful films of all time, nabbing eight Academy Awards (and two honorary Oscars) in the process. But the glittering premiere was not without its problems. The film... -
The Easter Story The principal festival of Christianity, Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after his betrayal and his death by crucifixion. All four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) depict a heartbreaking drama that culminates in the hope of eternal life through God’s plan of salvation.... -
Winter Holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and More The turn of seasons from winter to spring (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) is celebrated with great zeal and varied traditions around the world. For some, the end of the year is synonymous with Christmas, a festival of joy. For others it is the time for Hanukkah, the festival of lights. Still... -
Debbie Harry Debbie Harry is an American singer-songwriter who fronts the new wave band Blondie, which gained prominence in the late 1970s with chartbusters such as “Heart of Glass” (1978). Known for her signature platinum blonde hair and distinctive blend of feminine allure and fearless songwriting, Harry is... -
Is There a Kennedy Curse? The Kennedy family has known great privilege and power. Often referred to as American political royalty, the name Kennedy is associated with presidents, senators, and ambassadors. It is also associated with tragic loss, including the assassinations of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy and his brother Sen.... -
David Ellison David Ellison is an American film producer and media executive who founded Skydance Media, the studio behind some of the most commercially successful films of the early 21st century. After establishing Skydance in 2010, he produced the Mission: Impossible and Star Trek series of movies as well as... -
Farewell, My Lovely Farewell, My Lovely, detective novel written by American author Raymond Chandler and published in 1940. This was his second book in which the protagonist and narrator is Los Angeles private detective Philip Marlowe. Farewell, My Lovely is constructed around two complicated narrative strands which... -
Formula Racing Terminology Formula racing is one of the most popular competitive automobile sports in the world. It usually comprises contests between single-seat, open-wheel vehicles (a type of race car design that accommodates only one driver, with the wheels outside and not covered by the vehicle’s main body), which are... -
Today in History—December 14: The Tumultuous Tale of Mary, Queen of Scots Few historical figures inspire such heated debate among historians as Mary Stuart, better known as Mary, Queen of Scots. Seen as a romantic innocent by supporters and a scheming adultress by detractors, Mary, with her flaming red hair and contentious political maneuvers, was nothing if not... -
monk fruit Monk fruit, (Siraitia grosvenorii), perennial, herbaceous, tuberous vine found in the humid subtropical mountain forests of southern China, where it is native. It occurs mainly in Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guizhou provinces. The fruit of this plant has both medicinal and culinary... -
Today in History—December 13: The Pope Who Quit to Live in a Cave On this day in 1294, PopeCelestine V became the first pope to voluntarily resign the papacy—declaring that he’d rather…live in a cave. Born Pietro Angelerio in Sicily, in what is now southern Italy, to a peasant family, he joined the Benedictine monks, a fairly strict religious order, at age 17... -
A Guide to Art Movements and Styles Art movements break up tens of thousands of years of art history into time periods or categories that have common techniques, themes, or philosophies. Some movements have been demarcated retrospectively, some identified contemporaneously as part of a larger cultural trend, and others defined by the... -
Today in History—December 12: Checking in at the First Motel If you were driving your shiny new Model T—with its 10-gallon tank—from San Francisco to Los Angeles, what were your options for stopping along the way? Hotels existed, of course, but they were pricey. Auto camping was also an option for travelers willing to pitch a tent or sleep in their cars. But... -
qualified business income (QBI) The qualified business income (QBI) deduction is a tax concept that allows many small business owners to deduct up to 20% of their business profits directly from their federal taxable income. The deduction—often called the 199A deduction—was originally created under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of... -
How Does a Grand Jury Work? In the United States a grand jury is a group of 16 to 23 people chosen by a court for the purpose of determining whether a person suspected of having committed a crime may be indicted. Prosecutors present the grand jury with evidence of the suspect’s alleged criminal activity, and the jury usually... -
Today in History—December 11: The GoodFellas Behind the Lufthansa Heist “To be a wise guy was to own the world.” That is, according to Henry Hill, noted Mafia associate, FBI informant—and Lufthansa heist accomplice. On December 11, 1978, six gangsters quietly stole a sum of $5.875 million (roughly $28 million today) from the Lufthansa cargo hold at JFK airport. It was... -
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, upcoming television series adapted from the Tales of Dunk and Egg, a novella series by writer George R.R. Martin. The show is a prequel to the TV sensation Game of Thrones (2011–19), which was based on his A Song of Ice and Fire novels. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms... -
Vocabulary Quiz Test or refresh your knowledge of key words, terms, and concepts used in discussions and debates about health, health care, and medicine. Each answer links to the related ProCon debate featuring the word, term, or concept. Enjoy the challenge. Good...
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Netflix, Paramount, and the battle for Warner Bros. Discovery In December 2025, Netflix (NFLX) agreed to acquire the studio and streaming divisions of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at about $72 billion, or roughly $82.7 billion including the assumption of Warner’s debt. Here’s a look at the deal and its potential impact.... -
Are Santa’s Reindeer Female? Magic certainly abounds when it comes to the jolly man at the North Pole, but if Santa Claus’s reindeer have a life cycle like wild reindeer, then yes, his animal helpers are all female. Reindeer, which are also known as caribou, are a species of large deer found in the Arctic tundra and the nearby... -
What is a Trump account? Tax-advantaged investment accounts for children Tucked away inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is a provision to create special tax-advantaged investment accounts for children known as “Trump accounts.” These accounts are meant to give kids an early stake in the stock market, with the federal government providing a one-time $1,000... -
Risk-on vs. risk-off: How market mood moves money Financial markets don’t just move on corporate earnings, economic reports, or interest rates. They also move on moods (what traders call sentiment). When investors are confident about the economy, they tend to be more comfortable taking risks and investing in growth-oriented and even speculative... -
How Old Was Mary When She Had Jesus? No one knows the exact age at which Mary gave birth to Jesus, but she may have been a teenage mother. There are only two scriptural accounts of Christ’s birth in the New Testament—in the Gospel According to Matthew and in the Gospel According to Luke—and neither provides much insight into how old... -
Stephen A. Smith Stephen A. Smith is one of America’s most recognizable, most controversial, and most highly paid sports commentators. A fixture on ESPN, Smith is known for his blunt, quick-witted, and highly opinionated takes on sports and societal and, increasingly, political issues. Smith has said he has been... -
Bormio Bormio, town and comune (township or municipality) in the Italian Alps. Located in the region of Lombardy, Bormio is known as a resort town, as well as a venue for winter sports, Alpine skiing in particular. It is connected to the Stelvio Pass, the highest car pass in Italy, which offers many... -
Livigno Livigno, town, comune (administrative district), and valley located at the elevation of 5,958 feet (1,816 meters) in the Italian Alps, on the border with Switzerland. It is well known as a venue for high-altitude winter sports, Alpine skiing in particular. The name Livigno probably derives from a... -
Today in History—December 10: The Great Emu War Ends (Badly, for Humans) It was on this day in 1932 that the Australian government officially surrendered after a monthlong battle: Despite a valiant effort, three machine gunners from the Royal Australian Artillery had failed in their mission to defeat invading forces in Western Australia. The opposition? Emus. The fast,... -
Who Has Won the Most Grammy Awards? First presented in 1959, the Grammy Awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious prizes in the music industry. Who’s won the most? With 35 Grammys, Beyoncé currently holds the record for most wins. In second place is Georg Solti with 31. Tied for third are Chick Corea and Quincy Jones, both... -
Goa Inquisition Goa Inquisition, judicial institution orchestrated by the kingdom of Portugal in the Portuguese colony of Goa, India, intended to combat supposed heresy among converts to Christianity and suppress local Hinduism and Islam. It lasted from 1560 to 1812, save for a brief suspension from 1774 to 1778,... -
mainline Protestantism Mainline Protestantism, in American Protestantism, a group of historically prominent churches and denominations that are theologically, and often politically, liberal and pluralistic. The term is generally used to distinguish these traditions from evangelical Protestants and predominantly Black... -
Do Muslims Celebrate Christmas? Christmas is traditionally a Christian festival, with markedly Christian teachings, and so Muslims do not typically celebrate the holiday. However, Muslims believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus, whom Islam considers to be the Christ and Messiah (but not the Son of God), and so the birth itself is a... -
What Is the Origin of Hanukkah? The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah owes its origins to Judas Maccabeus’s victories over the Seleucid armies and the Maccabees’ subsequent rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 164 bce. However, the meaning of that origin story has been interpreted in different ways over the centuries. The... -
How Long Does Hanukkah Last? The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days or—more importantly—eight nights. Days in the Jewish calendar begin and end at sundown, and the holiday’s main ritual of lighting the menorah occurs over the course of eight nights. Hanukkah begins on the evening of Kislev 25 on the Jewish... -
Rod Blagojevich Rod Blagojevich is an American politician, lawyer, and the 40th governor of Illinois. In 2008 Blagojevich, a Democrat, was arrested by the FBI on charges related to his attempt to sell an appointment to the vacant U.S. Senate seat of newly elected Pres. Barack Obama. He was convicted and spent... -
Jared Kushner Jared Kushner is a billionaire real estate developer, a two-time Nobel Peace Prize-nominee, the first son-in-law, and a close adviser to U.S. Pres. Donald Trump, such that he has been called the “Trump whisperer.” His diplomatic work on Middle East conflicts has earned him accolades while inviting...
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Mellody Hobson Mellody Hobson became one of America’s most prominent business leaders through a career defined by discipline, long-term vision, and deep loyalty to the firm where she built her reputation. After joining Chicago-based Ariel Investments as a young college graduate, she rose through the company over... -
Regency dress Regency dress, style of clothing prevalent in Great Britain during the Regency period (1811–20) when George, prince of Wales, acted as regent for his father, George III. Many historians, however, define the Regency era more broadly as between the mid-1790s and mid-1830s. Often described as a... -
Asia Floods of 2025 Several South and Southeast Asian countries witnessed destructive flooding in November and December of 2025, causing tragic loss of life, widespread displacement, and severe infrastructure damage that strained national economies and disaster-response systems. In Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand,... -
What Was the Pink Tide in Latin America? The Pink Tide refers to a wave of left-leaning political movements and governments that swept across Latin America beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The term “pink,” implying a softer form of communism than “red,” captured the diverse ideological range of leaders who rejected the... -
What Impact Did the Sexual Abuse Crisis Have on the Catholic Church in America? In 2002, Americans were rocked by a news investigation that exposed widespread sexual abuse of children in one of the country’s largest Roman Catholic dioceses. As reported by The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, numerous pedophile priests in Boston had been transferred from parish to parish in an... -
What Is Happening Between the United States and Venezuela? Tensions between the United States and Venezuela rose sharply in late 2025 after the U.S. military carried out a series of lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which U.S. officials said targeted vessels involved in drug trafficking. Many of these strikes were carried out along... -
Paris Olympics 2024: Athletes, Sports, and History From July 26 to August 11, 2024, Paris hosted one of the world’s largest and most-watched sporting events: the Summer Olympic Games. Athletes from around the globe converged on the French capital to compete for glory and gold. There were exciting triumphs and heartbreaking disappointments. Who were... -
Perpetual futures: A crypto-driven force reshaping global markets The future no longer has a “sell-by” date. That’s the idea behind perpetual futures, a fast-growing new type of derivative that never expires. Also known as “perps” or “perpets,” perpetual futures differ from their traditional forebears in at least one key way: they have no delivery or expiration... -
How much did I earn? Total income, AGI, taxable income, and MAGI If you’ve ever stared at a Form 1040 and wondered why the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses so many different terms to describe “income,” you’re not alone. Even seasoned filers—and sometimes financial pros—get tripped up by the labels. The IRS uses three distinct, but seemingly interchangeable,... -
Prabhas Noted for his charismatic screen presence, actor Prabhas is a pioneer of the “pan-India film” (a 2020s practice of making movies in multiple Indian languages). Indeed, he is regarded by many as the first “pan-India superstar,” a status he achieved with the release of the two-part fantasy epic... -
How to Watch the Northern Lights The northern lights, or aurora borealis, occur when particles from the solar wind interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere. The solar wind particles are protons and electrons. These particles are charged. Most are deflected by Earth’s magnetic field, but some are funneled toward the magnetic... -
Big Mac index Currency values vary from country to country. For example, a dollar spent in the U.S. might not buy the same amount of goods in another country. So, when comparing economies, it isn’t enough to just find equivalence between two currencies—you have to consider how far that money actually goes. But... -
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Explained Since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in late 2023, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East continues to dominate the world’s attention. But it’s impossible to understand the headlines without knowing the history. The “Holy Land”—a moniker that Israelis and Palestinians share... -
What does “pit stop” mean? A pit stop is a brief halt during an automobile race or journey for refueling, maintenance, or rest. The phrase was first used in racing during the early 20th century in the initial days of organized motorsports. In motor racing, a pit stop occurs when a driver takes the car along a road called the... -
Vocabulary Quiz Test or refresh your knowledge of key words, terms, and concepts used in discussions and debates about holidays and social issues. Each answer links to the related ProCon debate featuring the word, term, or concept. Enjoy the challenge. Good...
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Kevin Hassett Kevin Allen Hassett is a leading conservative economist who has advised prominent Republican politicians and policymakers for much of the early 21st century. He held senior economic roles in both administrations of U.S. President Donald Trump, and in late 2025 was considered a front-runner to... -
What Factors Determine Height? An individual’s height is determined by the interplay between inherited genes and environment. A person’s genetics determines potential height, setting the upper limit, while environment—through nutrition, health, and hormones—determines how fully that potential is realized. In genetic terms,...
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6 Mind-Altering Animals Humans have used substances to change their mood and senses for thousands of years. Plants are the most common source of these psychoactive (mind-altering) chemicals (see also 9 Mind-Altering Plants). Although some plants are toxic in certain doses, people have learned to use them in quantities and... -
Why Are Some Scandals Called “-Gates”? In the early morning hours of June 17, 1972, five burglars broke into Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. A little more than two years later U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, and Watergate had become synonymous with scandal. Ultimately,... -
Double Indemnity Double Indemnity, novel by James M. Cain that was first published as an eight-part serial in Liberty magazine in 1936 and later appeared both in the collection Three of a Kind and as a stand-alone novel in 1943. It became the basis for the quintessential film noir of the same title (1944). Cain’s... -
How Does Carbon Dating Work? Carbon dating, also known as radiocarbon dating or carbon-14 dating, is a technique used to learn the age of organic (here meaning “organism-derived”) remains. It works in part by comparing the amounts of the naturally occurring carbon isotopes—namely, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14—in a... -
metric versus Imperial converter The metric system is designed on the basis of powers of 10. The length of one meter can be divided into 10 decimeters, a decimeter can be divided into 10 centimeters, one meter can be divided into 100 centimeters, and so on. However, the system of units used in the United States, often called the... -
Attack on Nancy Kerrigan On January 6, 1994, American figure skater and reigning national champion Nancy Kerrigan was attacked in an incident that became known as “The Whack Heard ’Round the World.” Clubbed near her right knee after a practice session for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Kerrigan suffered a cut and... -
Vocabulary Quiz Test or refresh your knowledge of key words, terms, and concepts used in discussions and debates about animals and the environment. Each answer links to the related ProCon debate featuring the word, term, or concept. Enjoy the challenge. Good...
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Saint Levant Saint Levant is a Palestinian trilingual singer and rapper known for music that blends funk, rock, hip-hop, and rhythm and blues with traditional Palestinian and Algerian rhythms, including raï. He gained a wide audience in November 2022 when his single “Very Few Friends” went viral on TikTok. The... -
Catan Catan is a multiplayer strategy board game in which players compete to settle the fictional island of Catan and develop the most successful colony. Created by Klaus Teuber, a German dental technician turned game designer, the game was first published in Germany in 1995 as Die Siedler von Catan and... -
Why Are Male Animals More Colorful? Sexual selection, according to English naturalist Charles Darwin, is an evolutionary process that “depends on the advantage which certain individuals have over other individuals of the same sex and species, in exclusive relation to reproduction.” That is, the reproductive edge that some animals... -
Why Does Louisiana Have Parishes Instead of Counties? Of the 50 states that make up the United States, Louisiana is the only one that designates each of its largest local administrative districts as a “parish.” Of the other states, 48 use the term county and Alaska uses the term borough. Why does Louisiana use parish? The answer lies in the state’s... -
Are There Towns in the United States That Are Surrounded by Cities? Yes, there are—but that depends on the definition of “surrounded.” To put it more precisely, there are many smaller municipalities in the United States that are completely or mostly surrounded by larger ones. Examples of such urban enclaves include Hamtramck, Michigan (surrounded by Detroit), and...
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Jane Austen’s family Anna Austen Lefroy, Jane Austen’s beloved niece and a budding writer of the 1800s, once received her aunt’s advice on the setting of a story she had been writing: “Three or four families in a country village is the very thing to work on...” But what kind of family did Austen herself belong to? How... -
Vocabulary Quiz Test or refresh your knowledge of key words, terms, and concepts used in discussions and debates about sports. Each answer links to the related ProCon debate featuring the word, term, or concept. Enjoy the challenge. Good...
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Wind Power Natural resources—materials or substances found in nature that can be used by humans for personal or economic gain, or even survival—include water, minerals, forests, and fossil fuels, and they are widely used as energy sources. There are two types of natural resources: renewable and nonrenewable.... -
The Diary of Samuel Pepys The Diary of Samuel Pepys, one of the most famous and comprehensive memoirs ever written in English. In the nine years that Samuel Pepys kept his diary, 1660–69, he chronicled his life and times in extraordinary, vibrant detail. It was first published, in two volumes, in 1825. Various other... -
Usha Vance Usha Vance is the second lady of the United States and the first Indian American and practicing Hindu to hold the role. Married to U.S. Vice Pres. J.D. Vance, Usha Vance is also the youngest second lady since the Harry S. Truman administration. Usha Chilukuri was born to Telugu Indian parents who... -
Julie Sweet Julie Sweet broke barriers as the first woman to lead Accenture, one of the world’s largest consulting and technology services companies. A former corporate attorney who combined her legal expertise with strategic skills, she became chief executive officer in 2019 and later board chair. Under her... -
Does Eating Turkey Make You Sleepy? Contrary to popular belief, eating turkey itself does not cause drowsiness. The sleepiness that is often felt after a big turkey dinner—such as that enjoyed on Thanksgiving Day in the United States—is more likely due to the consumption of large portions of food, which alters blood flow and triggers... -
How Did Thanksgiving Become a National Holiday? It was more difficult than one might think. In its early history, Thanksgiving Day was more of a lightning rod for controversy than a unifying force in the United States. The Continental Congress periodically issued Thanksgiving proclamations during the Revolutionary War, but after the U.S. federal... -
The E.W. Scripps Company The E.W. Scripps Company is one of the oldest and largest American media enterprises, known for its role in local broadcasting and public service journalism. Founded in 1878 by newspaper publisher Edward Willis Scripps, for whom the company is named, it began as a chain of newspapers serving... -
Hayli Gubbi Hayli Gubbi, shield volcano that erupted on November 23, 2025, its first documented eruption in about 12,000 years, though unrecorded eruptions may have occurred during that time. Hayli Gubbi is situated near the southern end of the Erta-Ale range, a line of volcanoes in the Afar region of eastern...