NEW YORK (AP) — The operator of roughly 180 Eddie Bauer stores across the U.S. and Canada has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming declining sales and a litany of other industry headwinds. “This is not an easy decision,” said Marc Rosen, CEO of Catalyst Brands, which maintains the license to operate Eddie Bauer stores in the U.S. and Canada. Eddie Bauer's e-commerce and wholesale operations will also not be impacted by the wind down, as they are operated by a company called Outdoor 5, LLC. That was a transition it made in January and became effective Feb. 2. Eddie Bauer joins a growing list of U.S. retailers this year that are closing stores, as companies reorganize under bankruptcy protection or pare down their operations to focus on the most profitable businesses. The parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue said last month that it was seeking bankruptcy protection, buffeted by rising competition and the massive debt it took on to buy its rival in the luxury sector, Neiman Marcus, just over a year ago. A few days later, the parent company said it was closing most of its Saks Off 5th stores. Amazon said earlier this month that it was closing almost all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations within days as it narrows its focus on food delivery and its grocery chain, Whole Foods Market. Eddie Bauer's namesake founder — an avid outdoorsman — started the company in Seattle in 1920 as Bauer's Sports Shop, according to the brand's website. In 1945, after making more than 50,000 jackets for the military, it launched a mail-order catalog. “Bauer's Sports Shop was not just a place where people purchased clothing and gear, it was a community hub where folks gathered to share their wisdom, learn, and talk about their experiences in the outdoors,” the website says. It also outfitted the first American to climb Mount Everest — James W. Whittaker — with an Eddie Bauer parka in 1963. After Spiegel filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and most of its assets were sold, the remainder of the company was reorganized in 2005 as Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. In June 2009, Eddie Bauer filed bankruptcy and was acquired by Golden State Capital, the following month. In 2021, it was acquired by Authentic Brands and SPARC Group LLC. A year ago, Catalyst was formed by the merger of SPARC and JCPenney, which Simon Property Group and fellow mall landlord Brookfield bought out of bankruptcy. Rosen noted that even prior to the inception of Catalyst Brands last year, Eddie Bauer was in a “challenged situation.” “Over the past year, these challenges have been exacerbated by various headwinds, including increased costs of doing business due to inflation, ongoing tariff uncertainty, and other factors,” he said. He noted that while Catalyst's leadership was able to make improvements in product development and marketing, those changes could not be implemented fast enough to fully address the problems created over several years. Eddie Bauer had nearly 600 stores at its peak in 2001, according to CoStar Group Inc., a commercial real estate data firm. In a note published earlier this month, Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, wrote that while the Eddie Bauer name is “well known”, the brand hasn't kept pace with rivals like Swedish outdoor brand Fjallraven and Canadian label Arc'teryx. He also cited issues with quality deteriorating, which, for an outdoor brand measured by the performance of its products, is very problematic. AP Business Writer Mae Anderson contributed to this report.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks with members of the audience after delivering a speech at Horntye Park Sports Complex in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, England, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with Britain's ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador's residence on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 in Washington. Read more: Thames Valley police ‘assesses claims' the ex-prince Andrew sent sensitive reports to Epstein The prime minister's authority with his own Labour Party has been battered by fallout from the publication of files related to Epstein — a man he never met and whose sexual misconduct has not implicated Starmer. “There have been too many mistakes,” Sarwar said, attempting to distance himself from the unpopular Starmer ahead of elections for Scotland's semi-autonomous Parliament in May. AP correspondent Laurence Brooks reports on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's attempt to fight for his job as revelations about Jeffrey Epstein's ties to a former ambassador spark a leadership crisis. Starmer's chief of staff and his communications director have also quit in the last 24 hours. But Starmer's office said Monday that he does not plan to step down. “He has a clear five-year mandate from the British people to deliver change, and that is what he will do,” Downing Street said in a statement. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy wrote on X: “We should let nothing distract us from our mission to change Britain and we support the Prime Minister in doing that.” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper posted: “At this crucial time for the world, we need his leadership not just at home but on the global stage.” Treasury chief Rachel Reeves wrote: “With Keir as our Prime Minister we are turning the country around.” Lawmakers considered likely candidates to replace Starmer also backed him, including his former deputy Angela Rayner, who said the prime minister “has my full support.” Starmer fired Mandelson last September after emails were published showing that he maintained a friendship with Epstein after the financier's 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor. Critics say Starmer should have known better than to appoint Mandelson in the first place. The 72-year-old Labour politician is a contentious figure whose career has been tarnished with scandals over money or ethics. A new trove of Epstein files released by authorities in the United States last week has revealed more details about the relationship and put new pressure on Starmer. Starmer apologized last week to Epstein's victims and said he was sorry for “having believed Mandelson's lies.” They must be vetted on national security grounds and for potential conflicts with a police investigation. Police are investigating Mandelson for potential misconduct in public office over documents suggesting he passed sensitive government information to Epstein a decade and a half ago. McSweeney has been Starmer's most important aide since he became Labour leader in 2020 and is considered a key architect of Labour's landslide July 2024 election victory. But some in the party blame him for a series of missteps since then. Since winning office, Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. He pledged a return to honest government after 14 years of scandal-tarred Conservative rule, but has been beset by missteps and U-turns over welfare cuts and other unpopular policies. Labour consistently lags behind the hard-right Reform UK party in opinion polls, and its failure to improve had sparked talk of a leadership challenge, even before the Mandelson revelations. Under Britain's parliamentary system, prime ministers can change without the need for a national election. If Starmer is challenged or resigns, it will trigger an election for the Labour leadership. Labour lawmaker Clive Efford said Starmer's critics should “be careful what you wish for.”

House Democrats say Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and confidante of Jeffrey Epstein, is appealing to President Donald Trump for clemency. This comes after lawmakers tried Monday to interview Maxwell, but she invoked her Fifth Amendment rights. The former girlfriend and confidante of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, is declining to answer House Oversight Committee questions, citing her 5th Amendment rights. GOP Rep. James Comer, who chairs the committee, says it is “very disappointing.” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., flanked by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., left, and Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., speaks to reporters after a closed-circuit deposition with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and confidante of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. This undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Ghislaine Maxwell. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., joined at left by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., speaks to reporters after a closed-circuit deposition with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and confidante of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. WASHINGTON (AP) — House lawmakers tried Monday to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, but the former girlfriend and confidant of Jeffrey Epstein invoked her Fifth Amendment rights to avoid answering questions that would be self-incriminating. The House Oversight Committee wanted Maxwell to answer questions during a video call to the federal prison camp in Texas where she's serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. She's come under new scrutiny as lawmakers try to investigate how Epstein, a well-connected financier, was able to sexually abuse underage girls for years. Amid a reckoning over Epstein's abuse that has spilled into nations around the globe, lawmakers are searching for anyone who was connected to Epstein and may have facilitated his abuse. Several also planned on Monday to look through unredacted versions of the files on Epstein that the Department of Justice has released to comply with a law passed by Congress last year. Maxwell has been seeking to have her conviction overturned, arguing that she was wrongfully convicted. The Supreme Court rejected her appeal last year, but in December she requested that a federal judge in New York consider what her attorneys describe as “substantial new evidence” that her trial was spoiled by constitutional violations. An attorney for Maxwell cited that petition and also told lawmakers that if President Donald Trump ended her prison sentence, she would be willing to testify that neither Trump nor former President Bill Clinton were culpable for wrongdoing in their relationships with Epstein, according to both Democratic and Republican lawmakers who exited the closed-door meeting. Democrats said that was a brazen effort by Maxwell to have Trump end her prison sentence. “It's very clear she's campaigning for clemency,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, a New Mexico Democrat. Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, described Maxwell's demeanor during the short video call as “robotic” and “unrepentant.” However, Comer came under pressure to hold the deposition as he pressed for the committee to enforce subpoenas on Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After Comer threatened them with contempt of Congress charges, they both agreed to sit for depositions later this month. Comer has been haggling with the Clintons over whether that testimony should be held in a public hearing, but Comer reiterated Monday that he would insist on holding closed-door depositions and later releasing transcripts and video.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hit back at media outlets questioning the FBI seizing ballots and other documents related to the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia. A federal judge in Georgia has ordered the unsealing of documents tied to an FBI raid that seized 2020 election ballots from a Fulton County facility, potentially shedding new light on the bureau's investigation. Judge J.P. Boulee, who was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2019, gave the government until Tuesday to file the documents, including the search warrant affidavit with redactions. FBI officers are seen at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center, Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Ga, near Atlanta. The FBI raid took place Jan. 28 at Fulton County's main election facility in Union City, near Atlanta, and focused on records connected to the 2020 general election. A warrant cover sheet provided to the county listed items agents sought, including ballots, tabulator tapes, electronic ballot images and voter rolls. The Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center on Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Ga, near Atlanta, as FBI agents search the facility. Last week, Fulton County officials filed a motion seeking the return of around 656 boxes of original 2020 election materials that the FBI had seized. The heavily Democratic Fulton County has come under scrutiny following President Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden. Biden carried Georgia, but Trump has insisted that widespread voter fraud contributed to him losing the state. Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Logan Paul gives one word answer to Fox News Digital as to whether he's excited for Bad Bunny's halftime show. Boxer Jake Paul on Sunday explained his "fake citizen" jab aimed at singer Bad Bunny ahead of the Grammy Award winner's Super Bowl LX halftime show performance. Paul wrote on social media he wasn't taking a swipe at Bad Bunny because he's from Puerto Rico, but instead because he was speaking out against things like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. "To clarify: I wasn't calling anyone a ‘fake citizen' because they're from Puerto Rico. I have used my platform to support Puerto Rico time and time again and will always do so," he wrote. "But if you're publicly criticizing ICE who are doing their job and openly hating on America, I'm going to speak on it. That's the same reason I called out Hunter Hess. "If you benefit from a country and the platform it gives you, but publicly disrespect it at the same time, that's what I mean by being a fake citizen. And I agree love is more powerful than hate. Jake Paul is introduced during a weigh-in ahead of his heavyweight boxing match against Anthony Joshua, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. Paul wrote earlier in the day he was boycotting the Super Bowl halftime show over Bad Bunny's stance against ICE, adding that he was a fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. The singer prominently spoke out against ICE when he received his Grammy Award for Album of the Year earlier this month. Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. The War Department announced on Monday morning that the U.S. military boarded a vessel overnight "without incident." "When the @DeptofWar says quarantine, we mean it. Nothing will stop DoW from defending our Homeland — even in oceans halfway around the world. Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility," the Monday post explained. "The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. It ran, and we followed. "No other nation on planet Earth has the capability to enforce its will through any domain. By land, air, or sea, our Armed Forces will find you and deliver justice. You will run out of fuel long before you will outrun us," the department asserted. The department's post included footage of troops descending a rope to board the vessel from a hovering helicopter. As we've publicly stated, our quarantine measures are ironclad, and no vessel defying them can evade justice, whether in the Caribbean or the far reaches of the Indian Ocean," Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The Department of War will continue to project power across every domain to safeguard our homeland and deter illicit actors worldwide," Wilson added. Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. The couple, who were on stage during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, were legally married, according to multiple reports. The couple originally invited Bad Bunny to attend their wedding, but instead Bad Bunny invited them to get married in front of a massive audience, according to the reports. A couple dressed as a bride and groom participate in the Bad Bunny performance during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. The game was in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2026. President Donald Trump did not mince words, calling it the worst ever in a post to Truth Social. A couple dressed as a bride and groom participate in the Bad Bunny performance during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. The game was in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2026. It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn't represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World," Trump wrote on Truth Social. The halftime show also featured surprise performances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2026. Trump may not have enjoyed the show, but Seattle Seahawks fans certainly had fun during the game. The Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Nick Wright unveils his Super Bowl LX pick, New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks prop bets. Drake has leaned into the chatter and long-running jokes about his betting habits by openly sharing his sports wagers on social media. On Saturday, Drake, who has a business partnership with Stake — an online sportsbook — took to social media to say he picked the Patriots to win the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California. Drake performs live on stage during day two of Wireless Festival 2025 at Finsbury Park on July 12, 2025, in London, England. "Bet against me if you dare," he captioned an Instagram post showing a screenshot of a $1 million wager on New England to win. The Seahawks defense dominated the Patriots to secure a 29-13 victory, giving Seattle its second Vince Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. A website, thedrakecurse.com, tracks the "One Dance" singer's wager activity. According to the site, Drake has placed 12 wagers related to the Super Bowl since 2022, compiling a 4-8 win-loss record. Rapper Drake performs onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on Dec. 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 35 yards Sunday and was named Super Bowl LX MVP. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye threw two touchdowns but was also intercepted twice. Next year's big game shifts from Northern California to Southern California as it returns to SoFi Stadium — the shared home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

Federal agents conduct immigration enforcement operations Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. Police and federal officers throw gas canisters to disperse protesters near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Ore., Oct. 5, 2025. Observers film while federal agents conduct immigration enforcement operations Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. WASHINGTON (AP) — Beyond the car windows being smashed, people tackled on city streets — or even a little child with a floppy bunny ears snowcap detained — the images of masked federal officers has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations. Not in recent U.S. memory has an American policing operation so consistently masked its thousands of officers from the public, a development that the Department of Homeland Security believes is important to safeguard employees from online harassment. Whether to ban the masks — or allow the masking to continue — has emerged as a central question in the debate in Congress over funding Homeland Security ahead of Friday's midnight deadline, when it faces a partial agency shutdown. “Humans read each others' faces — that's how we communicate,” said Justin Smith, a former Colorado sheriff who is executive director and CEO of the National Sheriffs' Association. “When you have a number of federal agents involved in these operations, and they can't be identified, you can't see their face, it just tends to make people uncomfortable,” he said. Masks on federal agents have been one constant throughout the first year of President Donald Trump's mass deportation operation. What began as a jarring image last spring, when plain-clothed officers drawing up their masks surrounded and detained a Tufts University doctoral student near her Massachusetts home, has morphed into familiar scenes in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities. The shooting deaths of two American citizens at the hands of federal immigration officers during demonstrations against ICE raids in Minneapolis sparked widespread public protest and spurred lawmakers to respond. “Cameras on, masks off” has become a rallying cry among Democrats, who are also insisting the officers wear body cameras as a way to provide greater accountability and oversight of the operations. All ICE law enforcement officers carry badges and credentials and will identify themselves when required for public safety or legal necessity.” Homeland Security did not respond to an emailed request for further comment. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he just can't agree with Democrats' demand that officers unmask themselves. It appears no other policing agency in the country regularly uses masking on a widespread basis. Experts said only perhaps during the Ku Klux Klan raids or in the Old West has masking been a more widely used tool. She said the idea of masked patrols on city streets seeking immigrants can leave people scared and confused about who they are encountering — which she suggested is part of the point. “I think it's calculated to terrify people,” she said. “I don't think anybody viscerally feels like, OK, this is something we want to become a permanent fixture in our streets.” Toward the end of the first Trump administration, Congress sought to clamp down after masked federal agents showed up in 2020 to quell protests in Portland and other cities. A provision requiring agents to clearly identify themselves was tucked into a massive defense authorization bill that Trump assigned into law. Last year, California became the first state in the nation to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces. He suggested perhaps a middle ground could be reached — one that would allow officers to wear masks, but also require their badge or other identifying numbers to be prominently displayed. Advocates said while unmasking the federal agents would be an important step, other restraints on immigration enforcement operations may be even more so. There is also an effort to end roving patrols — the ability of immigration officers to use a person's race, language or job location to question their legal status, sometimes called “Kavanaugh stops” after Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurring opinion to a Supreme Court decision last summer. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., who recently returned from Minnesota, said the weight of the masked enforcement operation can be felt in ways that impact everyone — regardless of a person's own immigration status.

Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-KY) fight for political survival is bleeding into Kentucky's Senate race after two of the Republican contenders endorsed his challenger to curry favor with President Donald Trump. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and entrepreneur Nate Morris endorsed Ed Gallrein in quick succession on Thursday, leaving former Attorney General Daniel Cameron as the only major candidate to stay on the sidelines in Massie's race. Massie, a libertarian and six-term House member, has embraced his status as a pariah in Trumpworld, owing to his opposition to the president's tax law and role in forcing the release of the Epstein files. In announcing the endorsement, Barr's campaign said he would be hosting a meet-and-greet with Gallrein in Kentucky on Friday and dubbed Morris as “Late Nate” for offering his endorsement later the same afternoon. Early on, that meant distancing themselves from McConnell, himself a foe of the president, and promising to be a reliable Trump defender in Congress. Barr, meanwhile, made a donation in 2020 through his leadership PAC. The falling out between Trump and former Rep. Liz Cheney is another feud shaping the campaign, with Morris citing donations Barr gave through his leadership PAC to Cheney and three other House Republicans who voted to impeach the president in 2021. Barr, in turn, notes that Morris donated to former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley two years before she challenged Trump for the presidential nomination. “Those guys endorsing Woke Eddie isn't about my race. It's about their campaigns,” Massie told the Washington Examiner in a statement. The Cameron campaign did not respond to a request for comment, but his team has largely stayed out of the mud-slinging between Morris and Barr as they seek to overtake him in polling. Until recently, Cameron had a comfortable lead over both competitors, but two independent polls released this week showed them siphoning off support, with Cameron now in a close second and Morris roughly 10 points behind. One poll from Quantus Insights found that almost half of Republican primary voters would be more likely to support a candidate who gets Trump's backing. A large percentage of voters are also still undecided. They are appealing to Trump himself in the hope that he wades into the race, or at least decides not to back a challenger. “I don't think that these guys endorsing Massie's challenger is really aimed at Kentucky politics,” said John Feehery, a Republican strategist. Cameron lost a 2023 bid for governor to Democrat Andy Beshear despite a Trump endorsement and has struggled to keep up with fundraising in his Senate race. But his strong polling position is due in part to his name ID in the state and endorsements from a number of Kentucky officials. But Morris is newly touting a $10 million cash infusion from tech mogul Elon Musk and has steadily pumped his own wealth into the campaign. In addition to Musk, Morris has endorsements from the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, multiple Trump-aligned senators, and former White House strategist Steve Bannon. Morris is attempting to make the border a mainstay of his campaign, advocating a freeze on immigration until everyone in the country illegally is deported. All three are also painting one another as too “woke” for Kentucky, a message that has seeped into Massie's race as well. Just this past week, Trump called Massie a “moron” at a prayer breakfast in Washington, prompting Massie to accuse him of being upset because “I'm still fighting for what he promised the American people.” The two have had an on-and-off-again relationship for years, with Massie notoriously holding up pandemic-era spending over Trump's objections during his first term as president.

In the days leading up to Epstein's arrest in July 2019, the two men exchanged a steady stream of text messages, veering from breezy banter and dark humor to more serious strategizing around Bannon's efforts to foment a global populist movement. Bannon, meanwhile, wanted Epstein's help connecting a close ally in Israel with the country's former prime minister. They also traded barbs about the indictment of a British anti-Muslim activist and made plans to meet the morning of July 7 once Epstein returned from Europe. After messaging with Bannon that day about their upcoming rendezvous, Epstein suddenly wrote, “All canceled.” He sent the message at 7:37 p.m. By then, federal authorities had intercepted Epstein at a New Jersey airport and arrested the New York financier on charges he sex trafficked minors. Until now, his maneuverings abroad, well documented by US and foreign media, have drawn little speculation that Epstein played any role. Conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein — whose body was found in his jail cell while he was awaiting trial in August 2019, with his death ruled a suicide — have long animated Bannon's followers, generally directed at the same elites he regularly targets and not Bannon himself. Last summer, Bannon joined other MAGA loyalists in criticizing the Trump administration's handling of documents related to Epstein's crimes. He has been far less vocal, however, about his own relationship with Epstein. Bannon did not return phone calls and text messages from CNN. He appeared increasingly invested in Bannon's success even as he recognized his own history — Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to two state prostitution charges, one involving a child — could complicate their cause. “Lets make sure you are keeping your own path on front burner. Strategy etc.,” he wrote Bannon in August 2018, before adding: “at the same time. Bannon, for his part, appeared eager to capitalize on the relationship despite Epstein's criminal past. He regularly shared headlines from his efforts abroad and tapped into Epstein's extensive network. At one point, he asked Epstein: “Do u know anyone in Europe that wants to control the European Parliament and with it the EU.” In private exchanges, the two sometimes plotted next steps and workshopped Bannon's messaging. The night before Bannon was set to appear at a September 2018 forum hosted by The Economist, Epstein suggested framing for how Bannon should discuss Trump's contentious trade wars. Business leaders across Europe, a senior British politician, a pair of prominent journalists and a New Age guru all reached out to Epstein by email, searching for insight into what the outcome would mean for financial markets, politics and the world order. “I have been comforting people all day,” he replied from Paris to a particularly despondent email. One acquaintance, however, shared something other than shock — sending Epstein a 2014 interview of Bannon, granted before he became Trump's campaign manager and the architect of his improbable win. In it, Bannon had predicted with eerie precision the populist uprising that would carry Trump to the White House, forecasting a middle-class revolt, led by right-wing forces, that would soon upend geopolitics. Epstein was introduced to Bannon shortly after the election, the journalist and author Michael Wolff wrote in his 2019 book, “Siege: Trump Under Fire.” In a passage Wolff shared with Epstein before publishing, Bannon reportedly told Epstein, “You were the one person I was truly afraid of coming forward during the campaign.” But more than a year would pass before they connected to export Bannon's global vision. Their alignment took shape as both men found themselves on the margins of Trump's orbit. In early 2018, Wolff shared with Epstein gossip that Bannon was weighing a formal public break from the president while forming his own nationalist party. (Asked for comment about the email, Wolff didn't address his remarks and instead encouraged CNN to read the chapter on Epstein in his 2021 book, “Too Famous,” which he said “has substantial material about Steve.”) Over the next month, Bannon appeared to walk Epstein through his plans for a new center-right coalition, one that could outlast democratic elections for more than a decade. Over email, Bannon described his movement as “reverse Alabama” — “Populist/Nationalist first; Conservative Christians (catholic/evangelical) next.” for policy meetings.. though (sic) leaders.” He mentioned cryptocurrency as a potential option and encouraged Bannon to study the blockchain. Communications accelerated from there, and so did their relationship. “We have become friends,” Epstein confided to a Dubai businessman. He kept Epstein apprised of his movements, at one point sharing a news clip with the headline: “German Media Confess to Underestimating Steve Bannon; He Is ‘As Dangerous as Ever. Lajčák, Epstein told Bannon in an email, would “guide the EU project if you like him.” “his govt will fall this week - as planned,” Epstein wrote in March 2018, punctuating it with a smiley face. Lajčák, a former foreign minister in Slovakia, resigned last month from his position as an adviser to the Slovakian government after the latest Epstein release, according to Reuters. Epstein also offered to serve as an intermediary with “Kurz,” a likely reference to then-Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose rise was on Epstein's radar. “Now you can understand why trump wakes up in the middle of the night sweating when he hears you and I are friends,” Epstein once texted Bannon. By August 2018, Bannon indicated the tide was turning in their favor. In a text message to Epstein, he took credit for the fall of the Belgian government (“5 hours after my speech” in Brussels, he noted) and predicted populist and nationalist groups would soon flex their numbers in Great Britain, France and elsewhere. In 2019, moderate and establishment parties took hits across the continent, while nationalist, anti-migrant messengers made considerable gains. Bannon's ties to Epstein grew more problematic during this period. In November 2018, The Miami Herald started publishing a series of meticulously reported stories by Julie K. Brown including accounts from dozens of Epstein's victims and detailing how he had evaded more serious federal charges. Republicans had taken a beating during the midterm elections, and special prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference was casting a shadow over Trump's presidency. Bannon told Epstein in May 2019 that Trump's political operation was in “chaos” with internal polls predicting an Electoral College landslide against the president. He appeared concerned about Bannon's well-being and encouraged him to get more sleep. The two were also working on another project that was eating up their busy schedules: a potential documentary featuring Epstein. Many of their final emails concern missed chances for them to record more footage, unaware that a deadline was fast-approaching. So no worries,” Epstein wrote on June 11 after one such failed get-together. Less than a month later, Epstein was in federal custody.

Kenneth Walker Jr. never saw his son play in the NFL before Sunday night. He'd sat with him in the hospital when his boy was treated for blood clots in his lungs and he'd worked with his son to prove the doctors wrong – to prove that he would play football again. But the overwhelming in-person experience of an NFL game was too much. ‘Those are a bunch of bad boys': Seattle's defense beats up the Patriots in a Super Bowl performance for the ages Walker, a fourth-year player out of Michigan State University, ran for 135 juking, sliding, shuffling, lung-busting yards against the New England Patriots on Sunday night and put himself among the greats of the game by being voted the MVP of Super Bowl LX. “My dad, he comes out to Seattle all the time and watch games, but he never goes to the game because he don't like crowds,” Walker said after his stellar performance. “So, this is his first NFL game, and we won a Super Bowl, so it means a lot to me and I know you're proud of me for real.” Walker has had some dominating performances in big games throughout his football career – five touchdowns in a classic Spartan win over Michigan in 2021 and 116 yards over the San Francisco 49ers and three touchdowns in the divisional round of these playoffs spring to mind – but he's never really had a game like this. With his defense dominating on the other side of the ball and his own offense sputtering, Walker had to be Him for the Seahawks in a way that he hadn't been asked all year – mostly because he had Zach Charbonnet beside him. So, the ball, literally and figuratively, was given to Walker. “You never want to see your brother get hurt, but I was gonna have to pick up the slack and I just wanted to make a positive impact on my team in whatever way possible,” Walker told reporters after the game. At one point, NBC's color commentator Cris Collinsworth openly wondered how many yards Walker had picked up after going backward. He was all over the place, breaking tackles and making guys miss when they had a clean shot at him. But, we won the game, so I'm not gonna complain.” There's one word that his teammates kept using about Walker. “K9 is special,” said Seattle safety Julian Love. “There's not a person in the building that doesn't believe that we're a better team when he's going, and so to see him and when he gets MVP, it's crazy. I mean, there's been so much doubt on his name. The MVP is crazy, his whole playoff run. Obviously, Zach (Charbonnet), we love him, and it was vital having both of them all season. But it was more on K9's shoulders when Zach went down. And so, he showed up for us.” “I'm so happy for him,” said Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the team's star wide receiver. “Y'all don't understand what K9 has gone through. We have a special group of guys and I feel like when you look back at this team, y'all will realize how special we are.” It can be the way that a defense softens up to the point that you can finally get in the end zone, even if it doesn't count. It can lead you down the field for five goals – a new Super Bowl record. And it can win you the Vince Lombardi trophy. “When the doctor told me I couldn't play no more – I just thought football was over,” Walker said after the game. “That's what I was doing all my life, so it was a shocking moment, but you know my dad worked with me throughout that whole process and he was in the hospital with me, as well and my mom.

Bad Bunny performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, and brought out special guest Lady Gaga. Grammy Award-winner Coco Jones performs “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during pregame festivities for Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs before the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Stars were front-and-center at Super Bowl 60, with Chris Pratt and Jon Bon Jovi introducing the teams, a series of soaring pre-game performances and Bad Bunny's much-anticipated halftime show featuring a tour of Puerto Rican culture and a real-life marriage. Before the game at Levi's Stadium, Blue Ivy Carter and her sister Rumi leaped in an end zone and Green Day delivered a tribute to the Super Bowl's 60th anniversary. Bad Bunny brought Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and a whole lot of his native Puerto Rico to his halftime show. Then he gave a roll call of the nations of North, South and Central America, including Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, the United States and Canada. A parade of flags from those nations marched through the sugar plantation fields that functioned as the show's centerpiece. He also brought out a parade of celebrities, including Cardi B, Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal. The 31-year-old began the performance in the furrows of the faux sugar cane crops, walking past unmistakable Puerto Rican imagery including farmers in straw hats, old men playing dominos and a shaved ice stand as he performed his 2022 reggaeton hit “Tití Me Preguntó.” He carried a football and wore an all-white football jersey with the number 64 and his real last name, Ocasio. He then stood atop a tiny pink house with dancers in the front yard and performed “Yo Perreo Sola” and stood atop a pickup truck as he did “EOO.” The couple was actually married during the show, according to a representative for Bad Bunny, who said he served as a witness and signed their marriage certificate. Bad Bunny then broke into his “NuevaYol” in a faux shopping center parking lot. Bad Bunny appeared and handed the boy a Grammy statuette. It had a message that was also on the scoreboard: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” San Francisco Bay Area punk-pop vets Green Day took the pre-game stage and performed a snippet of their song “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” to a parade of former Super Bowl MVPs. Local heroes Steve Young, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were among those who walked out during the song meant to celebrate 60 years of Super Bowls. Billie Joe Armstrong, of Green Day performs before prior to the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Singer-songwriter Charlie Puth delivered a sweeping and soulful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The 34-year-old from New Jersey stood at a Rhodes electric piano as he sang and was backed by a choir and horn section. Before that, Brandi Carlile gave an earnest acoustic rendition of “America, the Beautiful.” After the song Carlile, who is from Ravensdale, Washington, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) outside Seattle said she was “relieved, and so excited for the Seahawks baby let's go!” Coco Jones performs “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Doug Benc) Jay-Z's daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter, leaped in one of the end zones to take a photo. During game breaks, Bay Area rapper LaRussell jammed alongside a choir, performing everything from rap classics such as his song “I'm From the Bay” and a rendition of Too $hort's “Blow the Whistle,” along with gospel melodies. Among the commercials shown during the game was an unexpected first look at “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” a Netflix sequel to Quentin Tarantino's “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” with Brad Pitt reprising his stuntman character and David Fincher directing.

Over 100 million viewers were presented with a choice at halftime of the 2026 Super Bowl: stick with Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny's performance on NBC or tune into an alternative show featuring Kid Rock that was hosted by the right-wing organization Turning Point USA. It sparked a boycott from President Donald Trump and his Cabinet, who have appeared at some of the biggest sporting events over the past year but passed on traveling to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for the game. The criticism culminated in Turning Point hosting its own program dubbed the “All-American Halftime Show,” which featured Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett. Bad Bunny retains a huge following, though, setting up what has turned out to be a significant cultural clash on the sidelines of the big game. Here's how the two performances went down on Sunday night. Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, came out on the field of Levi's Stadium shortly after 8 p.m., donning an all-white suit with a jersey over it and singing “Titi Me Pregunto,” a song he released in 2022. The show included him singing 14 of his hit songs as he navigated an island-themed set, likely a nod to his hometown in Puerto Rico. It included numerous surprise guests, most notably Lady Gaga, who sang in English. Turning Point's “All-American Halftime Show” began with an electric guitar version of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” followed by songs from country musician Brantley Gilbert, Gabby Barrett, Lee Brice, and finally Kid Rock. He later played a cover of “Til You Can't” by Cody Johnson. Despite not being held at a bigger stadium, there was still an in-studio audience present, though nothing approaching the number of people at Levi's Stadium. While Bad Bunny's performance had the advantage of being live at the game, Turning Point's show brought in a sizable number of streamers. Despite previously saying he wouldn't watch the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny, Trump nonetheless weighed in on it in a screed posted to Truth Social. He called it “absolutely terrible” and “an affront to the Greatness of America,” while expressing displeasure with Bad Bunny singing in Spanish and the performers' dance routine. It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn't represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. “This ‘Show' is just a ‘slap in the face' to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day — including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History! There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven't got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD,” Trump added. War Secretary Pete Hegseth also suggested he skipped Bad Bunny's performance in favor of Turning Point's event, posting on X that he and his family were watching the latter show.

Key Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa was arrested by heavily armed men on Sunday night, his supporters said, just hours after he had been released from a jail where he was held as a political prisoner. Guanipa's family and political allies said he had been “kidnapped” by a group of men and accused the Caracas regime of being responsible. The country's public prosecutor's office later confirmed it had requested Guanipa be placed under house arrest, claiming a breach of his release conditions, without providing details. Leader of the conservative Primero Justicia party, Guanipa was among several high-profile political prisoners freed on Sunday, in the latest effort from Caracas to satisfy US demands following Washington's ouster of strongman leader Nicolás Maduro. But Guanipa, 61, was later snatched by a group of men in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas, said Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Laureate María Corina Machado, who is not in the country. Guanipa's son Ramón said in a video that his father was “ambushed” at a late night event “by approximately 10 agents who had no identification whatsoever.” “We hold (interim President) Delcy Rodríguez, (National Assembly President) Jorge Rodríguez, and (Interior Minister) Diosdado Cabello responsible for any harm against the life of Juan Pablo,” it said in a statement on X. In the past, conditions have ranged from travel bans and periodic court appearances to gag orders, according to lawyer Gonzalo Himiob, vice president of the rights group Foro Penal. He emphasized that even after political prisoners are released, legal proceedings remain open in all cases, so they are not considered fully free. Guanipa was arrested in May 2025, following claims by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, made without evidence, that he was involved in an alleged “terror” plot against regional and legislative elections. Guanipa was freed earlier Sunday night after more than eight months in prison. Shortly after walking out of a detention center in Caracas, Guanipa had uploaded a video on social media, declaring, “Today we are being released. Machado had celebrated the news of his release earlier Sunday. “My dear Juan Pablo, counting down the minutes until I can hug you! You are a hero and history will always recognize it,” she wrote on social media. In return she received a swag bag but no promise of support Another of Machado's allies, lawyer Perkins Rocha, was also released on Sunday, but under strict restrictions, according to his wife María Constanza. Foro Penal said it had confirmed that at least 30 political prisoners were released on Sunday, according to the group's director, Alfredo Romero. Others who were freed include Luis Somaza, a member of the Popular Will party, and Jesús Armas, an activist and former opposition councilman. Venezuela's opposition and human rights groups have long accused the country's authoritarian regime of using arbitrary arrests to suppress dissent. Foro Penal estimates that hundreds of additional political prisoners still remain behind bars. Sunday's releases come days after Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez promised relatives of political prisoners that “all detainees” would be freed. College students in Venezuela confronted acting President Delcy Rodríguez during her visit to the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) on Tuesday to demand that her government release professors and students imprisoned for political reasons. His announcement comes as the acting socialist government moves forward with an amnesty bill that could lead to the mass release of prisoners – some of whom have been held since 1999, when strongman leader Hugo Chávez came to power – as a first step toward what officials describe as national reconciliation. So far, more than 380 people have been freed from prison, according to Foro Penal, while the government claims to have released more than 800.