The Wall Street Journal

The Epic Mess at TGI Fridays

The chain that spread happy hour and family dining across America has vacated its headquarters and left bills unpaid. One restaurant owner sees a revival plan.

Azerbaijan Airlines Says Deadly Crash Caused by ‘External Interference’

Strongest statement yet to support suspicions plane was downed by Russian air-defense system

Germany Opened Its Doors to Migrants. Now It’s Struggling to Cope.

Even before Christmas market attack, nation was straining under influx; economy needs new workers

The Seven Objects I’d Choose to Let Future Generations Know Who I Was

What do I want my children or grandchildren or great-grandchildren to understand about me? These items will tell them more than any photo album ever could.

Behind Closed Doors: The Spy World Scientists Who Argued Covid Was a Lab Leak

The idea that the pandemic’s origins lie with a research facility in China was once labeled a conspiracy theory

Dozens Dead in Airliner Crash ‘Likely’ Caused by Russian Air Defenses

Ukraine and aviation experts rejected other explanations for an Azerbaijan Airlines crash that killed at least 38 people

It Was a Bad Year for the World’s Autocrats

Regimes in Syria and Bangladesh fell, marking unexpected defeats against a rising tide of authoritarianism in the world

As Fertility Rates Fall, Some Scientists Say Everyday Chemicals Are a Factor

Concerns grow about so-called endocrine disrupters, found in everything from plastic packaging to toys and cosmetics

The Milan Olympics Has a Backup Location. It’s in Upstate New York.

Organizers are in a race against the clock to complete a track for bobsled, luge, and skeleton for the 2026 Winter Games. Should they fall short, those events will take place in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Tracking Putin’s Most Feared Secret Agency—From Inside a Russian Prison and Beyond

The spy unit that arrested a Wall Street Journal reporter is leading the biggest campaign of internal repression since the Stalin era

From Fox News to NBC, Legacy Media Wants In on TikTok

Some big brands have been slow to join the platform but now are experimenting with ways to reach a new audience

Syria’s Rebel Leaders Have Control of the Country. Now What?

The new Islamist-led government promises moderation, but officials aren’t committing to such issues as women’s rights or free elections

White House Says Pakistan Is Developing Long-Range Missile Capable of Hitting the U.S.

U.S. revealed intelligence after Islamabad rebuffed confidential discussions about its missile program

House Ethics Report Says Matt Gaetz Regularly Paid Women For Sex

The Florida Republican abruptly resigned from Congress last month

Biden Commutes Sentences of 37 Death Row Inmates

‘In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted,’ the president says

The Hunt for the Assad Dynasty’s Missing Billions Begins

On the back of its brutal rule, the House of Assad built an international real-estate empire

Suspect in German Christmas Market Ramming Had One Main Enemy: Islam

The 50-year-old psychiatrist is a well-known anti-Islam activist who seems to have felt increasingly persecuted by Germany

The Secret Weapon Helping Businesses Get Results From AI: Humans

It turns out the latest machines need us as much as we need them

Brevity of Some Pelicot Rape Trial Sentences Is French-Style Justice

Legal systems in Europe are often geared more toward rehabilitation than punishment, but the prison terms surprised many