Messina used his phone to snap a quick photo before a mountain lion rushed him. The woman whose body was found Thursday on the same Crosier Mountain trail had “wounds consistent with a mountain lion attack,” said Kara Van Hoose with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. A search for a third mountain lion reported in the area was ongoing Friday, Van Hoose said. A mountain lion was nearby and they threw rocks to scare it away. Thursday's killing would be the fourth fatal mountain lion attack in North America over the past decade, and the 30th since 1868, according to information from the California-based Mountain Lion Foundation.

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California’s ban on the open carry of firearms in most parts of the state is unconstitutional, a San Francisco-based federal appeals court ruled Friday. “The historical record makes unmistakably plain that open carry is part of this Nation’s history and tradition,” he wrote. He wrote that open carry has been the “default lawful means” to carry a firearm for most of American history and that more than 30 states, including those with significant urban populations, currently allow the open carry of firearms. The state had argued that changes in technology make modern handguns more dangerous, thereby justifying the open carry ban. While the appeals court ruled the open-carry ban unconstitutional, it upheld the state’s open-carry permit process.

He is the latest in a line of personal physicians who have praised Trump’s physical health and cognition. But he withdrew his nomination a month later amid allegations about his professional conduct while in the White House. President Trump waves from the back of a car in a motorcade outside of Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on October 4, 2020. Alex Edelman/AFP/Getty ImagesThe White House physicians were preceded by Dr. Harold Bornstein, Trump’s longtime personal physician in New York City. However, Trump told the Journal that he had a CT scan.

Venezuela’s vice president demanded in a speech that the U.S. free Maduro and called him the country’s rightful leader. FUERTE TIUNA, CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- JANUARY 03, 2026: 02 -- Vantor satellite image shows an overview of the Fuerte Tiuna military complex and surrounding areas after strikes in Caracas. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a government-organized civic-military rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Smoke is seen over buildings after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard on January 03, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela. If you can hear us, we are here!”AdvertisementVenezuelans living in Argentina celebrate at the Obelisk in Buenos Aires on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

“Top lawmakers on congressional intelligence committees split along sharp partisan lines Saturday on the U.S. seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Republicans and Democrats agreed that Maduro was not the country’s rightful leader, but broke over President Donald Trump’s unilateral action and the question of what’s next for Venezuela,” the Washington Post reports. Politico: Democrats seethe at Trump’s surprise Venezuela strike. Wall Street Journal: Congressional committees not notified before Maduro raid.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're an original. NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: I've never seen that before! NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal? Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical. NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Break New Ground.

The rioters lost, and so did Mr. Trump, who had summoned them to Washington and urged them to march to the Capitol. It was a turning point toward a version of Mr. Trump who is even more lawless than the one who governed the country in his first term. Convicting Mr. Trump would have required 17 Republican votes in the Senate, and seven senators courageously voted for conviction. agents, prosecutors, congressional aides and others investigated the day’s events and created a historical record that Mr. Trump cannot erase. Lower-court judges, including some appointed by Mr. Trump, have blocked some of his policies and called out his brazen disregard for truth.

The United States Commerce Department is poised to significantly reduce the tariffs set to take effect on over a dozen Italian pasta makers’ products later this year. The pasta-specific tariffs, initially proposed in October at 92%, would have subject Italian pasta to a total rate of 107%. “Italian pasta makers have addressed many of Commerce’s concerns raised in the preliminary determination, and reflects Commerce’s commitment to a fair, transparent process,” the official added. The potential tariffs, which impact 13 Italian pasta makers, are due to an antidumping complaint two American companies filed with the US Commerce Department last July. In the complaint, two Midwestern companies, 8th Avenue Food & Provisions and Winland Foods, alleged that several Italian companies underpriced pasta that was shipped to the United States.

Testosterone replacement therapy: Is it safe? As social media fills with influencers touting testosterone therapy, experts warn it’s not for everyone and urge patients to consider the potential risks.

Flu activity rising as new variant spreads The CDC says cases are rising sharply nationwide, with New York reporting its highest weekly flu hospitalizations.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGJan 3 (Reuters) - Following are reactions to Saturday’s U.S. strikes on Venezuela. RUSSIA FOREIGN MINISTRY“This morning, the United States committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. This was a violation of international law. We are facing a blatant violation of international law, which certifies the dominance of the strongest and best equipped militarily...

The Trump administration relied on elite Delta Force and CIA covert action units for the operation to seize President Nicolás Maduro in a highly secretive “snatch and grab” mission to force the Venezuelan leader from power, according to multiple people familiar with the deployments. The CIA identified the location where Maduro and his wife were, and Delta Force soldiers sent by President Donald Trump to the Caribbean conducted the raid. The CIA also provided support to the air, sea and land operations, according to two people familiar with the mission. Those CIA units, among the U.S. government’s most secretive, specialize in irregular warfare and other covert action, and have regularly worked with both the Army’s Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 over two decades of battling Islamist militant groups in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.

In a move that could reshape US–Taiwan relations, President Donald Trump has reportedly declined to approve more than $400 million in military aid for Taiwan¹, just days before crucial trade negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping. For Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province, such military assistance remains a red line. Between Trade Deals and Defense CommitmentsFriday’s planned conversation between Trump and Xi marks their second call since Trump’s return to the Oval Office earlier this year. Analysts warn that reducing military aid to Taiwan, even temporarily, could be interpreted by China as a sign of wavering resolve—potentially emboldening Beijing’s ambitions in the region. By using Taiwan’s aid as leverage in negotiations with Xi, he may be seeking greater concessions on trade, technology, and global supply chains.

Photo: ReutersA recent opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal has warned of what it described as a sustained rise in violence, intimidation and hostility toward Christians and other religious minorities in India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014. It noted that at least 12 Indian states have enacted anti-conversion laws that ban religious conversions on grounds of force, fraud or allurement. The article cited incidents around Christmas in several Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states. The article noted that Modi attended Christmas Mass in New Delhi this year and spoke of harmony and compassion. However, it argued that his government has not publicly condemned recent attacks attributed to hardline Hindu groups in other parts of the country.