3 mins read

Meet Merlin the duck, a Mexico City streetside regular turned World Cup mascot

MEXICO CITY | Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez may have scored the goals, but a duck stole the show. As Mexico celebrated its World Cup-opening victory over South Africa on Thursday, Merlin, a 2-year-old duck dressed in the national team’s colors, became an unlikely internet sensation and the tournament’s first unofficial mascot. Images of Merlin […]

5 mins read

Five ways to avoid tax penalties in 2026

As a certified public accountant, the most common question I hear in the spring is, “How much do I actually have to pay the IRS right now?” In a perfect world, the IRS wants 90% of your total tax liability paid “ratably” (equally) throughout the year. The problem? Most successful people don’t have perfectly predictable […]

2 mins read

A month-old pony moves to a 4th-floor apartment in Croatia. Neighbors don’t mind

ROVINJ, Croatia | A month-old pony named Mile is the newest resident of an apartment building in the northern Croatian coastal town of Rovinj. Mile has moved in temporarily to his owners’ fourth-floor flat because his mother rejected him at birth. He also needs round-the-clock care after undergoing an operation for a life-threatening infection in […]

7 mins read

Most Americans see freedoms under threat but core to nation’s identity, AP-NORC poll finds

WASHINGTON | Most Americans believe civil liberties like the right to vote are under threat, according to a new AP-NORC poll, while also continuing to agree that the rights expressed in the nation’s founding documents are still core to American identity. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that most […]

8 mins read

The cost to overcome a Trump endorsement? $100 million. Plus more takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries

WASHINGTON | An endorsement from President Donald Trump is worth a lot in Republican primaries. But it’s not foolproof, especially when there’s a lot of money involved. Rick Jackson’s campaign spent more than $100 million, largely out of his own pocket, to defeat Trump-endorsed Burt Jones in the Republican runoff for Georgia governor. It was […]

8 mins read

Iran to receive $300 billion in aid under US accord

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | Iran will immediately take steps to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once a tentative deal with the U.S. to end the war is signed and will be allowed to sell its oil without restrictions, according to leaked copies of an interim agreement that officials say broadly matches the document. The […]

6 mins read

G7 leaders back Trump’s plan to end Iran war that faces skepticism at home

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France | Leaders at the Group of Seven summit on Wednesday threw their support behind U.S. President Donald Trump’s tentative agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and further extend a shaky ceasefire — even though he’s offered scant specificity about how that would be implemented. In a declaration issued overnight, the […]

1 min read

Toon in Wednesday

Read more Juneteenth 2026: Black history still in the making across the nation, Aurora and Denver Read more Trump ramps up Education Department’s dismantling with changes on special education and civil rights Read more Willi Castro and TJ Rumfield each drive in two runs as the Rockies beat the Cubs, 5-2