Le Journal

In our newsletter in December, we featured seven dogs, 19 cats, two rabbits and one sparrow. To see more pet photos from our readers, check out our November slideshow. To sign up for the Morning Report newsletter, which is sent by email daily, follow the prompts at twincities.com/newsletters. Wednesday, Dec. 31 Sookie “Sookie, Karen and Patrick’s rescue dog. approved of the festive holiday tree,” Geri writes. “Sookie politely declines to take any ornament as a personal toy. Probably because there’s not a ball, her favorite toy to play with is not easily accessible.” Tuesday, Dec. 30 Gracie “This is Gracie, adopted two years ago from Feline Rescue,” Liz writes. “She is 11 now, and wants to wish everyone a merry Christmas.” Monday, Dec. 29 Virgil and friend. “We live on the North Shore and this December winter has arrived with a vengeance,” Lisa writes. “Here’s Virgil pouting because I wouldn’t take him out in sub-zero temperatures with the crazy wind howling to walk on glare ice last week. I call this his Mom-you’re-such-a-wimp face.” Friday, Dec. 26 Merry Christms, Lulu and Tommy! “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Lulu and Tommy!” Thursday, Dec. 25 Fluff! “Fluff has accomplished her mission and is so proud,” writes Sarah of St. Paul. Wednesday, Dec. 24 Nixie “Here’s a picture of Nixie, all comfy in her little bed near a seasonal throw on the back of the couch,” Jeanne writes. “She agrees that this is as close she will get to dashing through the snow with a one-horse open sleigh.” Tuesday, Dec. 23 Tucker “Good morning!!” Jeanette writes. “Here is the newest edition to our family, his name is Tucker. Our daughter adopted him after their dog Gunnar passed away suddenly. Tucker and his siblings were called the Brady bunch. He has brought healing from Gunnar’s passing and great joy to his family. They aren’t sure what his mix is, but he has endless energy and boundless love.” Monday, Dec. 22 Missy “We read that you are running low on submissions so here is one of our favorites of Missy,” write Diane and Jim of New Brighton. “She’s an old girl now at 18 but still active and fun. But slowing down. Here she is sitting on the glass topped table in our sun room. She loves watching the backyard critters around our pond and waterfalls so she spends much time there. Merrry Christmas and a great New Year too!” Friday, Dec. 19 Brian, a Morning Report reader, sent us this holiday photo of Hank, Mila and Bauer that was taken by their mom, Jamie, and featured in our newsletter on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Courtesy of Jamie) “These three are ready for Christmas!” Brian writes. “Hank is the 2-year-old Labradoodle on the left, Bauer is the 11-month-old Bernadoodle on the right and Mila is the 11-year-old Lab front and center!! Our three boys are grown and out of the house so the puppies replaced them to keep the chaos in the house.” Thursday, Dec. 18 Trixie's tree. “As you can see, Trixie is very merry about her new Christmas tree!” Amanda writes. “Happy holidays to you!” Wednesday, Dec. 17 Zelda, Loki and Cheddar “We lost the second of our beloved duo Jingles and Bells before Thanksgiving last year,” Tom writes. “Decided we couldn’t have Xmas without a kitty … and went to adopt two but ended up with three! Cheddar just wouldn’t let us leave without him. With Zelda and Loki beside him, they bring so much joy and laughter to the house. Along with the occasional knocked-over plant!” Tuesday, Dec. 16 Nina “Sweet little Nina loves it when we put the Christmas tree up,” Carrie writes. “It’s her favorite place to hang out during the season. Plus, she loves to drink water from the tree stand!” Monday, Dec. 15 Frank SinatraA “This is Frank (Sinatra), who crossed the Rainbow Bridge last month after 19-1/2 years with me. He was a talker and an excellent listener (okay, he was deaf his last few years, but he at least SEEMED to listen) and in his last two years as my only cat, he became a lap cat when he didn’t have to fight for space! He was a very…

DENVER — From the time he was in fifth grade, Richie Harris aspired to be a rodeo clown. For Harris, who was raised in Westminster, Colorado, going to the National Western Stock Show in Denver with his grandparents was family tradition as far back as he can remember. During one formative trip as a kid, he met legendary rodeo clowns Leon Coffee, Rick Chatman and Tom Feller. The allure of the arena was inescapable. “Ever since that day, I said, ‘This is what I want to be,’” he said. Coloradoan Richie Harris (pink shirt) has been a rodeo clown since he was 16 years old. Now, at age 49, he spends more time perfecting his comedic acts and less time fighting bulls. (Provided by Lexi Christopher Photography) Harris followed his ambitions and, at age 16, attended a multi-day clinic where he learned tricks of the trade. He has been performing at rodeos in some capacity in the 30-plus years since, including appearances at the National Western Stock Show in the early 2000s, which Harris affectionately calls the biggest moments of his clowning career. “(My) hometown rodeo and there being 14,000 people in the arena surrounding you and walking into a place that kind of was the start for me,” Harris said. “That feeling, that opportunity was something that will always stick with me.” Funnymen, barrelmen and bullfighters have been integral parts of rodeo for almost as long as these competitions have existed. Historically, “rodeo clown” was a catch-all moniker for the folks who performed essential functions from entertaining crowds to protecting cowboys in bullriding competitions. In the latter half of the 20th century, however, the profession began to splinter into distinct roles. The titles of rodeo clown and bullfighter, once interchangeable, are less so today, with men typically working as one or the other — or both at different points of their career. “I would consider myself both just for the fact that as a kid going to rodeos and watching rodeos, that’s kind of what it was,” said Harris, who now at age 49 spends less time as a bullfighter and more time as a barrelman. “As time has gone by, it has evolved, but as a kid, that’s what I grew up watching and wanting to be.” Since the start, the rodeo clown’s job has changed alongside the rodeo itself. According to historian Megan Winterfeldt, clowns were part of the Wild West entertainment shows that predated the formalized competitions we know today. These were similar to the circus in that they featured myriad entertainers, but the concept was all about celebrating the new American frontier with bronc riding, steer wrestling and battle reenactments. Clowns were largely animal trainers at that time who performed acts with dogs, donkeys and more, Winterfeldt said. As the rodeo developed to become its own unique attraction in the late 1800s and early 1900s, clowns were woven into the format and tasked with keeping butts in seats between events. “The clowns provided entertainment between the different rodeo events because if you’re switching from one end of the arena, say from a timed event to a roughstock event, there’s a little bit of switch over,” said Winterfeldt, who serves as the exhibitions and collections coordinator at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy in Colorado Springs. When a new, disagreeable breed of cattle called the Brahma bull was introduced into bull riding in the 1920s, rodeo clowns had a new job: To distract the animals and lead them away from fallen riders, a skill that would come to be known as bullfighting. Rodeo bullfighter and clown memorabilia at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Those cattle “tend to keep their heads up when they charge, and so they became more dangerous for the fallen cowboys when they’d fall off the back,” Winterfeldt said. “So that’s where clowns stepped in and started to become more of the bullfighters.” Some clowns brought large…

By Erin El Issa, NerdWallet Americans’ financial confidence is strong coming into the new year, but some are feeling more equipped to deal with 2026 obstacles than others. A recent NerdWallet survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll, found that Americans are more often confident than not about their ability to withstand money misfortune should it occur this year. Over 3 in 5 Americans (62%) say they could financially withstand a 2026 recession, and more than half (55%) think they could withstand income loss in 2026. But digging into the demographics reveals differences across genders. Men are consistently more likely than women to say they’re confident about their ability to financially withstand these events. For example, 65% of men say if they experienced income loss in 2026, they’d be able to financially cope, compared to just 46% of women. Why are men more likely to feel confident about their ability to deal with these potential financial black swans? It’s likely due to a combination of factors, including financial literacy and wage gaps, as well as a gender gap in general confidence. A 2025 study by the FINRA foundation found that men score higher on a financial literacy quiz than women, though that gap is narrowing for younger generations. This slight leg up on financial knowledge may lead men to have extra confidence about dealing with money events, even potentially stressful ones. As for the wage gap, women earned an average of 85% of what men earned in 2024, according to the Pew Research Center. And it’s arguably easier to withstand a financial hiccup or two for those who have more resources to do so. Related Articles Budget office expects Federal Reserve to cut rates in 2026 New year brings big changes for retirement planning What is a robo-advisor? How it works, how much it costs, and pros and cons Why home maintenance deserves a spot in the annual health and budget plans 6 fast ways to simplify your finances in 2026 A 2022 report on the gender gap in confidence points to another possible reason why men are more self-assured in navigating negative financial events: They appear to have more self confidence in general than women. This doesn’t necessarily mean men will be more likely to successfully cope with these potential events than women. It just means they view themselves — and therefore, perhaps, their ability to financially withstand negative economic and personal financial events — more positively than women view themselves and their abilities. Regardless of your gender (or confidence level), being able to financially navigate negative money events gets easier when your financial house is in order. For most, this probably means saving for emergencies, paying off debt and investing for the future. Saving for emergencies: Experts recommend an emergency fund of three to six months worth of expenses, but we all begin somewhere. If you’re starting from scratch, aim for an initial goal of $500 to $1,000, which could cover some basic home or auto repairs, or even a surprise medical bill. Then set the next goal — maybe one month of expenses — and so on. A fully funded emergency fund will likely take years to amass, but the ability to use it to handle setbacks can be a financial confidence booster. Paying off debt: High-interest debt is not just costly, it also eats up your budget with monthly payments. Making a debt payoff plan and sticking to it can free up cash and save money in interest costs. Investing for the future: Once immediate financial priorities are covered, it’s smart to look to the future and start putting away money for your older self. Investing early and regularly can give you confidence that whatever the future holds, whether in 2026 or 2056, you’re doing what you can to financially prepare. More From NerdWallet 6 Fast Ways to Simplify Your Finances in 2026 Asked on Reddit: Can I Justify an Expensive Hobby? Quiz: The One Big, Beautiful Bill Challenge: Do You Know The 2025 Tax Changes? Erin El…

The former vice president supposedly added, "And when we go there, we are in another country."