This Column Will Probably Change Your Mind

PARIS — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died. He was 96. A polarizing figure in French politics, Le Pen’s controversial statements, including Holocaust denial, led to multiple convictions and strained his political alliances. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Le Pen, who once reached the second round of the 2002 presidential election, was eventually estranged from his daughter, Marine Le Pen, who renamed his National Front party, kicked him out and transformed it into one of France’s most powerful political forces while distancing herself from her father’s extremist image. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally as the party is now known, confirmed Le Pen’s death in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday.

Dear Eric: My wife and I have a fair number of friend groups. We enjoy social gatherings, especially dinners out, with all the groups. But only one or two of the couples ask us out as much as we ask them. The majority of the other couples only seem to go out with us when we initiate it, although they seem to go out frequently with other mutual friends. We’re certain they enjoy our company as much as we enjoy theirs and they readily accept our invitations when available, but we feel we’d never hear from them unless we initiate the contact.

In the evening of Jan. 4, 2025, as I sat in my backyard for dinner with my family, a round of explosions went off into the air. Mid-bite, we all froze and exchanged wide-eyed glances. My father broke the tension with a nervous laugh, and the rest of us followed with uneasy chuckles as we realized the explosions were only fireworks from our neighbor’s yard—a belated New Year’s celebration.

Unpaid medical bills will no longer appear on credit reports, where they can block people from mortgages, car loans or small business loans, according to a final rule announced Tuesday by the Biden administration. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule will remove $49 billion in medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, according to the bureau, which means lenders will no longer be able to take that into consideration when deciding to issue a loan. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The change is estimated to raise the credit scores by an average of 20 points and could lead to 22,000 additional mortgages being approved every year, according to the bureau.

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 7, the seventh day of 2025. There are 358 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 7, 2015, masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French newspaper that had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, methodically killing 12 people, including the editor, before escaping.

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or important decisions from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST today (1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. PST). After that, the Moon moves from Aries into Taurus. Happy Birthday for Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2024: You are cheerful, affectionate, loyal and generous. You have empathy for others, which is why you are cherished by friends and family.