U.S. finds Ukraine did not try to kill Putin in alleged drone strike, source says

A CIA assessment concluded thatUkrainedid not try to kill Russian PresidentVladimir Putinat hiscountry residenceasalleged by the Kremlin, a source with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

Ukraine had been aiming to hit a military target in the same region as the Russian president's country residence, the source said.

The director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, briefed PresidentDonald Trumpon the issue earlier Wednesday. Afterward, Trump posted a link to aNew York Post editorialthat said Ukraine had been falsely accused of attacking Putin with the headline "Putin 'attack' bluster shows Russia is the one standing in the way of peace."

TheWall Street Journal first reportedon the assessment and the briefing of the president.

The CIA declined to comment.

Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that he was "very angry" after Putin claimed in a phone conversation that Ukrainian drones had attacked his residence on the shore of Lake Valdai in the northern Russian region of Novgorod.

The phone call on Monday followed a nearly three-hour meeting the day before between Trump and Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyyat Trump's Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.

Trump and Zelenskyy said after the meeting that they were "very close" to a deal, an assessment the Kremlin agreed with on Monday though it continued to makehard-line territorial demands.

Zelenskyy vehemently rejected Russia's allegation in posts on social media, accusing Moscow of trying to sabotage peace negotiations.

"Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump's team," Zelenskyywrote on X.

"This alleged 'residence strike' story is a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia's own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war. Typical Russian lies," he added.

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December 31, 2025

U.S. finds Ukraine did not try to kill Putin in alleged drone strike, source says

A CIA assessment concluded thatUkrainedid not try to kill Russian PresidentVladimir Putinat hiscountry residenceasalleged by the Kremlin, a...

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January 2026 calendar includes New Year's Day, MLK Jr. Day, more

It's the start of a new month and a new year! January 2026 marks new beginnings.

But what does the first month of the year have in store for us? There will not only be two federal holidays but also religious holidays and some celestial stargazing events.

While it won't be as busy as December, there is still plenty to look forward to in January.

So break out the 2026 calendars, because here's what you should make note of for the month of January.

Ready for 2026?Big holidays, celebrations fall on Fridays, Saturdays.

Are there any federal holidays in January?

Yes, there are two federal holidays, and they will occur on the following day, according to theU.S. Office of Personnel Management:

• New Year's Day- Thursday, Jan. 1

• Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.- Monday, Jan. 19

After January, the next federal holiday, President's Day/Washington's Birthday, will take place on Monday, Feb. 16

Religious holidays taking place in January

The following religious holidays and holy days will take place throughout the month, according toDiversity Resources:

• Mahayana New Year- Saturday, Jan. 3

• Guru Gobind Singh Gurpurab- Monday, Jan. 5

• Epiphany (also called Three Kings Day or Día de los Reyes)- Tuesday, Jan. 6

• Christmas (celebrated by Coptic Orthodox Christians)- Wednesday, Jan. 7

• Pongal- Wednesday, Jan. 14

Celestial events occurring throughout January

Multiple celestial events will also happen throughout January, including a super moon, according toNASA.

Here's what to look up for:

• Full moon/super moon: Saturday, Jan. 3

• Quadrantid meteor shower peaks: Saturday, Jan. 3

•  Moon Occults Mars: On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the moon will look like it passes in front og Mars

• Venus and Saturn will be in conjunction: From Saturday, Jan 17 to Sunday, Jan. 18, the two planets will look like they are right next to each other, though they will be visible throughout the month.

Throughout January, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will be visible with the naked eye within the first few hours after it gets dark, according to NASA.

Venus and Saturn can be spotted in the southwest part of the sky, while Jupiter will be overhead, and Mars will be in the east. Apps like SkyView or SkySafari Pro can help backyard astronomers spot the planets.

Uranus and Neptune will also be visible in the night sky, but folks will need a telescope to see the planets.

January 2026 National Days

There are also several notable National Days in January. They include:

• National Hangover Day: Thursday, Jan. 1

• National Trivia Day: Sunday, Jan. 4

• National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day: Friday, Jan. 9

• National Popcorn Day: Monday, Jan. 19

• National Pie Day: Friday, Jan. 23

Julia is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers scientific studies and trending news. Connect with her onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andTikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:January 2026 calendar includes federal holidays and more. See list.

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December 31, 2025

January 2026 calendar includes New Year's Day, MLK Jr. Day, more

It's the start of a new month and a new year! January 2026 marks new beginnings. But what does the first mon...

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Chief Justice John Roberts dodges contentious issues in year-end message to judiciary

WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts scrupulously avoided touching on contentious issues facing judges at a time of widespread discord within the federal judiciary in his annual end-of-year report Wednesday.

Roberts'seven-page statementfocused mostly on the history of the Declaration of Independence even as judges have faced harsh criticism this year for ruling against Trump administration policies amid a period of rising violent threats.

Addressing his colleagues in the judiciary, Roberts said it is the duty of everyone in government to live up to the ideals of the 1776 declaration that paved the way to American independence and expressed confidence in the sturdiness of the Constitution.

"Those of us in the Third Branch must continue to decide the cases before us according to our oath, doing equal right to the poor and to the rich, and performing all of our duties faithfully and impartially under the Constitution," he wrote.

Roberts, whoearlier in the yearpushed back on President Donald Trump over a call to impeach judges simply for ruling against him, did not directly address that issue or the threats that have prompted some judges tochange their daily lives.

Judges have alsocriticized Robertsand the court as a whole for not doing enough to defend them.

Roberts didaddress threatsand other challenges facing judges in his 2024 report, issued before Trump took office.

In his latest report, Roberts did make some oblique references to topics of particular salience in 2025. He noted, for example the importance of judicial independence, citing the Declaration of Independence's mention of how Great Britain's King George III exercised too much control over the judiciary.

"The Constitution corrected this flaw, granting life-tenure and salary protections to safeguard the independence of federal judges and ensure their ability to serve as a counter-majoritarian check on the political branches," Roberts wrote. "This arrangement, now in place for 236 years, has served the country well."

Roberts also remarked that an early attempt to impeach a Supreme Court justice, Samuel Chase, failed in the Senate because "many senators concluded that disapproval of a judge's decisions provided an invalid basis for removal from office."

The Supreme Court will issue a series of rulings on contentious Trump policies in the coming months, including his sweeping tariffs and his attempt to end automatic birthright citizenship.

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December 31, 2025

Chief Justice John Roberts dodges contentious issues in year-end message to judiciary

WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts scrupulously avoided touching on contentious issues facing judges at a time of widespread discord w...

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Defending champ Ohio State loses to Miami as teams with first-round byes drop to 0-5 in playoff

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jeremiah Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes won't be the school's first back-to-back national champions, and the College Football Playoff still doesn't have a winner from teams with the first-round byes.

No. 10 Miami held on for a24-14 victoryin the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal Wednesday night, bouncing the No. 3 Buckeyes a year after they won four CFP games on the way to the title.

Ohio State (12-2, CFP No. 2 seed) trailed 14-0 at halftime, but was within three at 17-14 after Smith's 14-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-2 early in the fourth quarter.

Smith, the All-America receiver, ended up with 157 yards on seven catches, including a 59-yarder that didn't lead to points in a scoreless first half for the Buckeyes.

The sluggish first half meant Smith's shiny second half wasn't enough as Ohio State finished the season with two losses following a 12-0 start. Top-ranked Indiana beat the Buckeyes 13-10 in the Big Ten championship game.

In the first year of the 12-team playoff last season, all four teams that got first-round byes lost in the quarterfinals. Now that record is 0-5, but this time it's different. A year ago, two teams with first-round byes were lower seeds. This time, the top four seeds got the byes.

Miami's Keionte Scott returned Julian Sayin's interception 72 yards for a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Sayin's second interception in the final minute sealed the win for the Hurricanes (12-2, CFP No. 10 seed).

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphere. AP college football:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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December 31, 2025

Defending champ Ohio State loses to Miami as teams with first-round byes drop to 0-5 in playoff

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jeremiah Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes won't be the school's first back-to-back natio...

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Has NBA fought off NFL's Christmas Day invasion? Viewership up for hoops

For the NBA, Christmas Day in 2025 was a resounding success — at least in terms of viewership.

Across the five-game slate on the Disney networks, 47.19 million unique viewers tuned in, making it the most-watched Christmas Day since 2010 and representing a 45% year-over-year increase, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. These data exclude 2011, when a lockout prompted the start of the regular season to fall on Dec. 25.

Interestingly, Christmas Day viewership may also be hinting at a general changing of the guard. The first two games of the slate — Knicks vs.Cavaliersand Thunder vs. Spurs — were the ones with the highest viewership.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Knicks-Cavs averaged 6.37 million viewers, making it the most-watched 12 p.m. ET Christmas game in history. Thunder-Spurs averaged 6.71 million, making that the most-viewed second game since 2017.

The league made an impact on social media, as well. According to Videocites, the NBA generated more than 1.6 billion views across social platforms, making it the brand with most views on Christmas.

This is notable, given that the NFL has also laid claim to the holiday, broadcasting Christmas games over the past two years. NFL remains king in broadcast viewership, but this year's games proved to besignificantly inconsequential, with injuries marring the matchups, which mostly featured teams already eliminated or in danger of elimination from playoff contention.

The Knicks-Cavaliers game featured a late flurry from New York, whichrallied back from a 17-point fourth quarterdeficit to beat Cleveland, 126-124.

TheThunder-Spurs gamefeatured the latest iteration ofan emerging rivalry in the NBA, one that features a pair of the game's most dynamic young stars in Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama and reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilegous-Alexander.

The other games on the 2025 Christmas slate wereWarriors-Mavericks, Lakers-Rockets and Nuggets-Timberwolves.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NBA on Christmas Day TV ratings up as NFL invasion continues

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December 31, 2025

Has NBA fought off NFL's Christmas Day invasion? Viewership up for hoops

For the NBA, Christmas Day in 2025 was a resounding success — at least in terms of viewership. Across the five-g...

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Steven Stamkos scores goal No. 600, Predators win New Year's Eve matinee in Vegas 4-2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored his 600th career goal and the Nashville Predators beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Wednesday.

The Predators, in the middle of a season-long seven-game road trip, won for the 12th time in 17 games, including the third of their first four on the trip.

The win put the Predators (18-17-4) above .500 for the first time since Oct. 16, just five games into the season, when they were 2-1-2.

Vegas, meanwhile, lost for the sixth time in seven games. The Knights closed their four-game homestand with a 1-2-1 mark.

Now in his 18th season, Stamkos scored his 18th of the season and ninth against the Golden Knights since they entered the league in 2017. The game-tying goal was part of an unanswered three-goal spurt over five minutes that turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead for the Predators.

Nick Perbix, Reid Schaefer and Michael Bunting also scored for the Predators. Justus Annunen made 29 saves.

Former Knight Erik Haula, who is two games shy of skating in his 800th game, registered the 200th assist of his career on Bunting's goal.

Mark Stone, who earlier in the day was named toCanada's Olympic roster, scored his 10th goal of the season, while Ben Hutton added his sixth for the Knights. Akira Schmid stopped 15 shots before being pulled late in the third period for an extra skater.

Vegas forward Mitch Marner and defenseman Shea Theodore were also named to Canada's team. All three of the Knights represented their homeland in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

Nashville: Visits Seattle on Thursday.

Vegas: Visits St. Louis on Friday.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

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December 31, 2025

Steven Stamkos scores goal No. 600, Predators win New Year's Eve matinee in Vegas 4-2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored his 600th career goal and the Nashville Predators beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-...

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Hello Kitty's Besties! Meet the Sanrio Characters Debuting in 2026 That Fans Will Be Obsessed with (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Twelve of Hello Kitty's friends are being introduced in the US for the first time by Sanrio

• The new characters will be available across games and shows in 2026

• Jill Koch, SVP of Brand Management and Marketing at Sanrio Inc., tells PEOPLE about the roll out and what fans can expect

It's time to meet some of Hello Kitty's closest pals!

Sanrio is introducing new characters to the U.S. market in 2026, sharing the first looks at the new lineup with PEOPLE.

The new characters are Cogimyun, a wheat flour fairy; My Sweet Piano, a gentle, sweet-natured girl sheep; Lloromannic, a little devil duo consisting of Berry, a demon boy with big ram horns, and Cherry, his cunning demon girl counterpart; Lovelymocha, best friend of Cinnamoroll; U*SA*HA*NA is a lively, colorful rabbit.

There's also Spottie Dottie, a fashion-forward girl Dalmatian; Wish Me Mell, a sweet rabbit girl; Info: Hanamaruobake, a white ghost; Marumofubiyori, a polar bear cub; the Magical Twin Comets, a pair of twin witch girls, Lili and Lulu; Kirimichan, a piece of sliced salmon; Corocorokuririn, a small hamster boy.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"Bringing these characters to the North America market brings us great joy because our fans — like our characters - are wonderfully diverse. We're delighted to bring these characters with distinct traits and personalities to our fans, so each person can find a character they truly connect with,"  Jill Koch, SVP of Brand Management and Marketing at Sanrio Inc., tells PEOPLE.

If these characters look familiar, it's because some of them have already been introduced to Japanese audiences. For fans in the US, this will be the first time getting to know the extended gang.

"What's exciting about this group is the range of energy they represent: from soft and comforting personalities like My Sweet Piano and Hanamaruobake, to bold and playful characters like lovelymocha and U*SA*HA*NA , giving fans even more ways to discover a character they connect with," Koch says.

"For example, My Sweet Piano is a gentle, sweet-natured sheep who loves picking flowers and playing the piano, while lovelymocha is an outgoing and talkative puppy who dreams of becoming a bride."

Just like Hello Kitty, these characters have fun facts that help fans form deeper bonds with them.

"All of these characters have unexpected backstories and fun facts that fans will enjoy discovering. It's the little revelations that make each character feel rich and dimensional, and we love seeing how fans connect with the characters' charm points."

And of course, the crew is full of cute characters, which is "absolutely core to Sanrio's DNA."

"What's wonderful about this group is how each character's design embodies 'kawaii' in a unique way: the soft, pastel delicacy of Cogimyun and My Sweet Piano; the bold, colorful energy of U*SA*HA*NA; the fashionable flair of Spottie Dottie; and the playful mischief of Lloromannic. Each aesthetic invites fans to experience a different kind of joy," Koch says.

"But it's always cuteness with purpose and heart. These characters resonate internationally because 'kawaii' goes beyond language and culture - it's an immediate emotional response."

Sanrio fans will have exciting opportunities to interact with these characters across different platforms.

"Fans can currently interact with U*SA*HA*NA in the Hello Kitty Island Adventure digital game, and with Cogimyun in the Wheatflour Wonderland DLC. My Sweet Piano has also become a fan favorite in the My Melody and Kuromi series on Netflix," Koch shares.

"Fans can engage with all these characters across Sanrio's social channels as well. It's been thrilling to see fans connect with the new characters in all these storytelling formats. And in 2026, they'll be popping up in even more places – new content, products, and experiences – bringing their kawaii charm and playful energy to fans everywhere."

Koch is excited to see the brand continue the momentum that began with Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary celebrations this past year.

"It was also a reminder of why she's endured as a cultural icon across generations: she brings people together and will always be a fan favorite. At the same, we've always been about creating characters that resonate with people on a personal level. Each of these characters comes with a distinct personality and backstory, giving fans the opportunity to form their own meaningful connections with them," Koch says.

"By introducing new friends into the Sanrio universe, we're creating space for new stories, new connections, and new best friends for the next generation of fans while continuing to honor the character who started it all."

"Our goal is always to meet fans where they are, bringing these characters into the moments and places that matter most to them. We're excited to continue expanding our current collaborations and have some supercute ones in store for 2026!"

She adds, "These characters have been beloved in Japan for some time, and we're thrilled to now introduce them thoughtfully to American audiences. We can't wait for fans in North America to discover these characters and connect with their stories just like fans around the world have."

Read the original article onPeople

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December 31, 2025

Hello Kitty's Besties! Meet the Sanrio Characters Debuting in 2026 That Fans Will Be Obsessed with (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW Twelve of Hello Kitty's friends are being introduced in the US for the first time by Sanrio The new characters will be av...

Read More