2026 Winter Olympics

     The Winter Olympics are a global event that takes place every four years in rotating countries to showcase international athletic talent and skill in tight competition and large-scale coverage. 2026’s Winter Olympics will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from February 4th to February 22nd 2026. 

     During the Winter Olympics, 16 different sports will be played, including figure skating, ice hockey, Alpine Skiing, figure skating, luge, skeleton, curling, snowboarding, and the brand new ski mountaineering.  Additionally, there will be 116 gold medals to be handed out during the month-long games. 

     Geographically, the Winter Olympics will be extremely scattered compared to other games due to the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo being 250 miles apart, the addition of three extra mountain clusters, and the ceremony taking place in Verona, Italy, which is 100 miles from Milan, Italy. 

In order to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics, one can go to NBC on cable and stream the games on Peacock.

Louvre Heist

On October 19th, 2025, at the Louvre, a famous French art museum, 8 items were stolen at a value of up to $102 million. They were famous pieces of French jewelry owned by royalty and Napoleon. The heist involved multiple people who used a basket lift to go up to an unsecured window, smashing the glass, and stealing the jewelry. They did this half an hour after the museum opened due to improper security.

     The swift heist lasted only 8 total minutes, and the suspects fled the Gallery of Apollo, where the jewels were held, on scooter bikes. One suspect even attempted to burn the basket lift, but fortunately was coerced by circumstance to flee, avoiding even more damage.

     Months prior to the heist, the “Louvre New Renaissance” plan went into effect in order to strengthen security and protect the art museum and its 10 million yearly visitors. Additionally, the heist has caused major controversy in France over the issue of security; the museum was closed afterwards, alongside rapid changes made in order to defend against theft.

     Furthermore, 4 suspects have been arrested, as of November 25th, for the daylight heist. They were aged 31 to 40 years old, and the French government is investigating and interrogating them for more information and vital details. No jewels were recovered yet from the robbers, except an emerald crown of Napoleon’s wife, discovered on the exterior of the museum.

     The works of luxury jewelry art that were stolen are as follows,  Empress Eugénie’s tiara which held 1,998 diamonds and 212 pearls;  Empress Eugénie’s decorative bow which had 2,438 diamonds; her brooch meant for reliquary, a container for holy relics, despite no place to house them; Napoleon’s emerald wedding gifts with 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds combined of which were earrings and a necklace; and, a 19th century sapphire jewelry set of a tiara, necklace, and earrings which housed 24 sapphires and 1,038 diamonds.

     French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin had commented on the heist, “Having (previously) been interior minister, I know that we cannot completely secure all places, but what is certain is that we have failed”. The French government is still trying to gather more information, recover the jewels, and find any other suspects involved with the daytime heist.

The Ball Drop and the United States of America’s 250th Anniversary

     Every year on December 31st at 11:59 pm in Times Square, New York City lights up and a ball drops following the countdown of each second until the start of the new year. This event, “The Ball Drop”, is a tradition dating back to 1907. Now, millions of Americans turn on the television to watch the illuminated sphere drop into the new year.

     However, 2026’s Ball Drop was different from every other year. At 12:04 am, January 1st, the ball dropped again with red, white, and blue colors for the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. 

     July 3rd 2026, at 11:59 pm, there will be a Ball Drop, not for New Year’s Day, but for the true 250th anniversary of the United States of America. There has never been a Ball Drop outside of New Year’s Eve, but the 250th anniversary of the USA is a special milestone in its history that needs to be celebrated. 

     Additionally, the facilitation of the 250th anniversary events is handled by America250, the bipartisan commission created by Congress in 2016 to manage the anniversary of the United States of America. Hundreds of events and activities will be held for the anniversary, and America250 aspires to create the record for the most aggregated volunteering time in the USA.

References

Associated Press. (2026, January 7). Winter Olympics 2026 guide: All you need to know about the Milan Cortina Games. Associated Press. Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://apnews.com/article/milan-cortina-olympics-a45ed8457db9ef06ce7c91f727afcfba

Haigh, S. (2025, December 25). Times Square to feature patriotic crystal ball for New Year’s Eve, kicking off US’s 250th birthday. Associated Press. Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://apnews.com/article/new-years-eve-ball-drop-america-250-08a94fa44ef84b7f5f18f35bcec78d91

Corbet, S. (2025, October 20). Louvre remains closed a day after daring theft of Napoleonic jewels. Associated Press News. Retrieved December 2, 2025, from https://apnews.com/article/louvre-closed-jewel-heist-2cc473fc178ae6a3513daa0c71b43409

Marshall, A. (2025, October 19). See what was taken in the Louvre heist. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-heist-items.html

Reuters. (2025, November 25). Four further suspects arrested in Louvre heist probe. Reuters. Retrieved December 2, 2025, from https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/four-other-suspects-arrested-louvre-heist-probe-paris-prosecutors-office-says-2025-11-25/