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Secretary of State Marco Rubio applied a velvet glove to the Trump administration's still-clenched fist during his high-profile speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, offering some reassurance to uneasy European leaders that the US remains committed to their long-standing partnership but without backing away from its underlying demand that they change course on a number of fronts.
Rubio's message that Washington is not looking to abandon the transatlantic alliance was well-received by European allies in the audience who just one year ago sat stone-faced as Vice President JD Vance stood at the same podium and delivered a broadly false desecration of Europe's culture and values.
The top US diplomat twice received applause when he evoked Europe and the US' shared histories — saying America is a “child” of Europe with the continents' fates “intertwined.”
But Rubio's message was still stark. It carried a warning from the Trump administration that it would “do this alone” unless Europe assumes more responsibility for its own security and shares the same values as the US — a shift that requires reforming the current system of international cooperation.
“We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength,” Rubio said.
“For we in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West's managed decline. We do not seek to separate but to revitalize an old friendship,” he added.
President Donald Trump has often criticized Europe for relying too heavily on US assistance, particularly when it comes to security, and demanded that NATO allies increase defense spending.
More broadly, Trump has also vowed to disrupt the international status quo and, one year into his second term, has done exactly that at remarkable speed.
Rubio's speech comes as US allies have increasingly grown concerned and questioned whether the country intends to abandon its partnership with Europe due to Trump's threats of retaliatory tariffs, bid to take over Greenland and pullback of international aid.
Vance's speech at last year's Munich Security Conference exacerbated concerns as he vented to European leaders, telling them the biggest threat to their security came “from within,” rather than from China and Russia — remarks that have formed the White House's black-and-white national security strategy.
Vance's words were still ringing in the ears of European officials as they arrived this week in Munich, where many have focused on the end of the US-led international order — one of the few points of agreement between Washington and its NATO allies.
“A divide has opened up between Europe and the United States,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday ahead of Rubio's speech.
“The United States' claim to leadership has been challenged, and possibly lost,” he said.
Rubio acknowledged as much on Thursday as he departed for Munich, telling reporters that “the old world is gone, frankly” and that “we live in a new era in geopolitics.”
He delivered a similar message during the speech on Saturday, though with a softer touch.
“While we are prepared, if necessary, to do this alone, it is our preference and it is our hope to do this together with you, our friends here in Europe,” Rubio told the audience in Munich.
“For the United States and Europe, we belong together,” Rubio added, emphasizing the importance of the long partnership, which has come under intense strain.
Rubio acknowledged that the US can, at times, be somewhat “direct and urgent in our counsel,” but sought to reassure European leaders that the Trump administration is committed to the alliance.
“We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilization, and who together with us are willing and able to defend it,” he said.
Rubio's tone was in stark contrast to that used by Vance a year ago. But the message to Europe was the same: Reform, or you're on your own.
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Wall Street Journal says Claude used in operation via Anthropic's partnership with Palantir Technologies
Claude, the AI model developed by Anthropic, was used by the US military during its operation to kidnap Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela, the Wall Street Journal revealed on Saturday, a high-profile example of how the US defence department is using artificial intelligence in its operations.
The US raid on Venezuela involved bombing across the capital, Caracas, and the killing of 83 people, according to Venezuela's defence ministry. Anthropic's terms of use prohibit the use of Claude for violent ends, for the development of weapons or for conducting surveillance.
Anthropic was the first AI developer known to be used in a classified operation by the US department of defence. It was unclear how the tool, which has capabilities ranging from processing PDFs to piloting autonomous drones, was deployed.
A spokesperson for Anthropic declined to comment on whether Claude was used in the operation, but said any use of the AI tool was required to comply with its usage policies. The US defence department did not comment on the claims.
The WSJ cited anonymous sources who said Claude was used through Anthropic's partnership with Palantir Technologies, a contractor with the US defence department and federal law enforcement agencies. Palantir refused to comment on the claims.
The US and other militaries increasingly deploy AI as part of their arsenals. Israel's military has used drones with autonomous capabilities in Gaza and has extensively used AI to fill its targeting bank in Gaza. The US military has used AI targeting for strikes in Iraq and Syria in recent years.
Critics have warned against the use of AI in weapons technologies and the deployment of autonomous weapons systems, pointing to targeting mistakes created by computers governing who should and should not be killed.
AI companies have grappled with how their technologies should engage with the defence sector, with Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, calling for regulation to prevent harms from the deployment of AI. Amodei has also expressed wariness over the use of AI in autonomous lethal operations and surveillance in the US.
This more cautious stance has apparently rankled the US defence department, with the secretary of war, Pete Hegseth, saying in January that the department wouldn't “employ AI models that won't allow you to fight wars”.
The Pentagon announced in January that it would work with xAI, owned by Elon Musk. The defence department also uses a custom version of Google's Gemini and OpenAI systems to support research.
As medical neglect and abusive treatment threaten those imprisoned, DHS prepares for a massive expansion of detention.
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President Donald Trump's anti-immigration agenda has supercharged opposition in cities where he has deployed federal agents to conduct raids, and communities in states including New York and Missouri are already working to block the next step the Department of Homeland Security plans to take in its push for mass deportations: acquiring massive warehouses across the country to use as immigrant detention centers.
US immigration and Customs Enforcement documents that were provided to Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire — one of the states where ICE aims to acquire a building and retrofit it to house at least 1,000 people at a time — show that the administration plans to spend $38.3 billion on its mass detention plan.
It would buy 16 buildings across the country to use as “regional processing centers” that could hold 1,000-1,500 people. Another eight detention centers would hold as many as 10,000 people at a time, with the detainees awaiting deportation.
The Washington Post reported that a review of state budget data showed that the amount of money the White House intends to pour into the project over the next several months is larger than the total annual spending of 22 US states.
“Thirty-eight billion dollars,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). “That's what Trump is spending to turn warehouses into human holding facilities. Not on schools. Not on healthcare. Not on veterans. On warehousing humans.”
Moulton also condemned ICE's claim that the new network of detention facilities will ensure the “safe and humane civil detention” of immigrants.
At least six people died in ICE detention centers in January, and one of the deaths, that of Geraldo Lunas Campos at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, was ruled a homicide.
Medical neglect and abusive treatment — including some that amounts to torture — has been reported at multiple facilities.
ICE has already spent more than $690 million purchasing at least eight warehouses in Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Michigan in recent weeks. Documents posted on Ayotte's website show the agency is pursuing additional acquisitions in New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Georgia.
Communities are already rallying against the plan and questioning whether the small towns ICE has selected have sufficient water and sewer infrastructure to support thousands of people detained in a warehouse.
In New York, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) said last week that 25,000 people in his district have signed a petition opposing the use of a local warehouse to house immigrants and pointed to the “major corruption and graft” evident in the plan to purchase and run the warehouses.
“The site in my district that's proposed is owned by one of Trump's multibillionaire donors, who would directly financially benefit from this site,” said Ryan, referring to former Trump adviser Carl Icahn.
“I'm telling you, we are not going to let this happen in my district.”@PatRyanUC is pushing back on the Trump administration's plan to buy warehouses across the country to turn them into mass detention centers, including one in his New York district. pic.twitter.com/KYOQb4WJx6
As Common Dreams reported Friday, private prison firm GEO Group raked in a record $254 million in profits last year as it secured contracts with the Trump administration to build new ICE facilities across the US.
ICE has attempted to make purchases in Oklahoma City; Kansas City, Missouri; and in Virginia, but those plans have fallen through, with the Kansas City Council passing a five-year ban on new nonmunicipal detention centers after the public learned that DHS was the potential buyer of a warehouse in the city.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has also joined his constituents in speaking out against ICE's $100 million purchase of a warehouse in his state to house at least 1,000 people at a time.
“This administration is spitting in the face of communities from Minneapolis to Maryland and wasting our tax dollars. We won't back down,” said Van Hollen late last month.
Trump's ICE just purchased a warehouse in MD for $100M to hold 1,000+ detainees.Last week, I joined Marylanders demanding that ICE stay out.This Admin is spitting in the face of communities from Minneapolis to Maryland & wasting our tax dollars.We won't back down. pic.twitter.com/PixP52EapP
The details of the administration's planned conversion of warehouses were reported less than two weeks after Pablo Manríquez of Migrant Insider revealed that a US Navy contract originally valued at $10 billion “has ballooned to a staggering $55 billion ceiling to expedite President Donald Trump's ‘mass deportation' agenda” and to help build “a sprawling network of migrant detention centers across the US.”
At Common Dreams last week, talk show host and author Thom Hartmann wrote that the warehouses Trump plans to use to hold people — purchased by an agency whose own data shows it has largely been detaining people with no criminal records — are best described as concentration camps like those used in Nazi Germany.
“By the end of his first year, [Adolf] Hitler had around 50,000 people held in his roughly 70 concentration camps, facilities that were often improvised in factories, prisons, castles, and other buildings,” wrote Hartmann. “By comparison, today ICE is holding over 70,000 people in 225 concentration camps across America,” with hopes to “more than double both numbers in the coming months.”
“Germany's concentration camps didn't start as instruments of mass murder, and neither have ours; both started as facilities for people the government's leader said were a problem. And that's exactly what ICE is building now,” he continued. “History isn't whispering its warning: It's shouting.”
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This academic year, for the first time, Italy extended university scholarships to more than 180 students from Gaza.
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Since September 30, 2025, the Italian government has undertaken a major operation to offer a future for Gaza's students. While evacuation to Italy was previously available to Palestinians only for medical treatment and family reunification, the Italian government has now taken the unprecedented step of opening the nation's universities under the Italian Universities for Palestinian Students project, allowing Gazan students to pursue their studies abroad away from the war.
The Italian Universities for Palestinian Students project offers a unique lifeline for young students whose academic futures were destroyed in Gaza. Since October 2023, nearly all of Gaza's universities and schools have been bombed, leaving students struggling to access education. Back in August 2025, the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education reported that more than 18,000 Palestinian students had already been killed since October 2023, and the deaths have continued to mount since then.
I am one of the more than 180 Palestinian students who fled to Italy from Gaza through the new Italian Universities for Palestinian Students program. I was evacuated from Gaza in December 2025 and am now pursuing a bachelor's degree in languages at the University of Siena. Even though Gaza is my beloved home, I made the painful decision to leave because I cannot watch and do nothing as my education journey is destroyed in front of my eyes.
Since arriving in Italy, I have interviewed three other Palestinian students who also recently arrived through the Italian Universities for Palestinian Students project. All three spoke to me about how, despite their successful escape from the terror that the Israeli military had brought down on Gaza, they still struggle with the feeling that the war has destroyed their lives' meaning.
Tarek Al Farra, 23, worked as a storyteller and teacher for children in Gaza's tents after their schools were destroyed. While in Gaza, he was documenting the war on Instagram, capturing his experiences of displacement, hunger, and loss. Arriving in Turin, Italy, has given Al Farra the chance to save his future and start to share his experiences in a safer environment. “I feel free, I feel like a bride,” he wrote on Instagram when he first left Gaza.
This feeling of freedom is often the first emotion anyone experiences after years of suffocation. For Palestinians, however, happiness almost always comes at a price. “I left my backpack in Gaza. I left my parents suffering in tent life,” Al Farra said during our interview.
Al Farra was accepted into the Italian Universities for Palestinian Students project to study comparative law and economics at the University of Turin, one of the 41 Italian universities participating in the program. He completed his bachelor's degree in English translation at Al-Azhar University in Gaza and had a clear plan for his future. Then the war left him with no choice but to flee in order to save his future.
When I did the interviews with these three brave students, it was a rainy day in Gaza. They were speaking to me, but their minds went to their families in Gaza, in tents.
Starting a new life in Italy has meant adapting to different cultures, people, and places. Al Farra set his previous dreams on the shelf and began down a path shaped by circumstances rather than choice. “Economics is not my career,” he said, “I had no luxury to choose.”
His experience closely matched that of his younger brother, Fares Al Farra, 21, who was injured during the war when his home was bombed in 2024. For Fares, the Italian Universities for Palestinian Students program is more than just a scholarship — it is also the vehicle through which he hopes to receive medical treatment and heal enough to return to his normal life after almost two years of living between hospitals and tents. “I am not only here to study,” Fares said, “I am here in order to receive the treatment I could not find in Gaza.” Fares's situation clarifies that the Italian Universities for Palestinian Students program is not only an educational initiative, but also a humanitarian mission that restores some of the rights and opportunities taken from Palestinian in Gaza.
Because evacuations take place on different dates — due to the scale and complexity of the missions — Fares left Gaza before Tarek. “I felt terrible leaving before my older brother,” Fares said. His fear was rooted in the reality that Gaza remains unsafe, despite the supposed ceasefire. Tarek shared the same anxiety, “I was afraid … Not afraid of death, afraid of being attacked and injured in Gaza before reaching the freedom date.”
Fares was accepted to study political science at the University of Bari Aldo Moro in Italy. He completed his high school education in Gaza before the war and had never experienced studying or attending classes in a university setting under normal circumstances. Alongside his studies, he must also manage ongoing medical treatments abroad.
“People see my opportunity as the best possible outcome,” Fares said. “But they do not understand how hard it is to carry both visible and invisible pain.”
Students who receive scholarships abroad often face pressure to appear happy, satisfied, and grateful. Many of them genuinely do. However, it is very hard to do so when their hearts are still broken. “I don't know what I should post to my followers on Instagram,” Tarek told me. “I need to be very careful before explaining my feelings.”
Yahya Hassan Nasrallah's story illustrates another aspect of evacuation from Gaza.
Nobody can fully see the pain they carry, and the pain I carry too, as one of the students who also arrived in Italy through a scholarship.
Nasrallah is 21 years old and is working online to complete his bachelor's degree in software development from the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, even as he also studies in person in Italy. His story is a bit different: He had totally forgotten that he had once applied to study in Italy, seeing it as a possible ticket to survival. He had applied for the Italian Universities for Palestinian Students program in May 2024, and then the war became even harder and more devastating. Nasrallah had previously had a chance to leave Gaza before the war through a different program, but at that time he refused. “I don't like to leave Gaza. I had the opportunity, but I felt Gaza was the best place for me,” he said. However, his feelings started to change after living in Gaza became an experience of constant suffering.
Nasrallah found out that he had qualified for evacuation just five days before his official departure date, and he had no time to even remember when he had applied. “Maybe I forgot, but God doesn't,” he said.
Nasrallah left his family in Gaza — as all the students did. For two years, he endured the pain of Israel's assault without even one tear, but on his last night in Gaza, he broke down in tears in his family's tent. “It was like a flashback of everything I experienced with my family,” he said.
Nasrallah has now begun a new chapter in Bari, Italy. He studies in a safe environment, surrounded by kind people, and he is finally getting closer to himself again. “I feel myself again, finally,” Nasrallah posted on Instagram when he marked two months in Italy.
When I did the interviews with these three brave students, it was a rainy day in Gaza. They were speaking to me, but their minds went to their families in Gaza, in tents.
“I am trying to bridge the gap between them and me,” Nasrallah said.
“I hate when they ask me about my routine,” Fares Al Farra added.
We hold on to the hope of returning and reuniting with our families — with more strength, hope, and determination. Palestine needs us.
These are just a few perspectives from three of the 180 Gazan students now in Italy. Nobody can truly understand what they feel — whether they try to or not. Nobody can fully see the pain they carry, and the pain I carry too, as one of the students who also arrived in Italy through a scholarship.
But for me, and for all Palestinian students in Italy, we are here to rebuild what was destroyed. We hold on to the hope of returning and reuniting with our families — with more strength, hope, and determination. Palestine needs us. We must make the impossible possible for Gaza and Palestine.
We are deeply thankful to all those who have worked — and continue to work — for students from Gaza. We are grateful to finally experience the right to education and to life, and we hope that other universities across the world will offer similar opportunities for evacuation and education to the tens of thousands of other university students in Gaza whose education has been disrupted by the genocide and scholasticide committed by the Israeli military.
Additionally, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Anna Giada Altomare, the founder of the project Fiori Dai Cannoni, which was created to support students from Gaza. The four students mentioned in this article, including me, received our scholarships through this project. We urge universities, organizations, and individual projects to continue supporting students from Gaza like Fiori Dai Cannoni and the Italian Universities for Palestinian Students program do, so that many students from Gaza can access education, safety, and a chance to rebuild their future.
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Sara Awad is a Palestinian writer who evacuated from Gaza to Italy in December 2025 after being granted a scholarship from the University of Siena to pursue a bachelor's degree in languages. Her work has appeared in The Intercept, Al Jazeera English, TRT World, Drop Site News, The Independent, Truthout, Prism, and other platforms. Passionate about capturing human experiences and shedding light on untold stories, she focuses on social issues, resilience, identity, and hope amid the ongoing realities of war and occupation.
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The great ones make it look so easy that we forget how hard it is to be exceptional.
Secretariat running like a machine in the Belmont and Michael Phelps gobbling up gold medals in 2008; Tom Brady engineering seven Super Bowl victories and Simone Biles coming back for more golds after battling the twisties; Carl Lewis winning golds in 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996 and Katie Ledecky lapping Olympians like she's out for a rec league swim.
There is, however, a fragility to true excellence. As thin, you might say, as a skate blade or a ski's edge.
What Ilia Malinin failed to do in his free skate at these Olympics and what Mikaela Shiffrin has struggled to do at her last Games and in her first event here do not erase anything that they have accomplished elsewhere. They are champions.
Alas, the reality of sports demands that true greatness is measured only on the biggest stage, where the physical strength and innate talent gifted to every superior athlete takes a backseat to mental fortitude. It becomes more about compartmentalizing while simultaneously absorbing the moment, blocking out the noise and still embracing the pressure.
It is true for every athlete in every sport, the delineation between having an asterisk – the greatest who never won – to just being the greatest.
But reaching that singular plateau is especially tricky for Olympic athletes. Like Malinin and Shiffrin, they can achieve record-setting numbers in the off years between the quad cycle only to have it all rendered irrelevant by one misstep in the Games.
Ilia Malinin seemed at ease carrying the weight of Olympic expectation on his shoulders – until he wasn't
In the course of her track career, Mary Decker Slaney set 17 official and unofficial world records and became the first woman to run a sub 4:20 in the mile. Even now, more than 40 years later, the lasting image of her career is of Decker laying on the track in anguish and tears after colliding with Zola Budd in the 1984 Olympic 3,000-meter run. She never got a gold.
Everyone remembers the “Miracle on Ice.” No one talks much about the heavily-favored Russian team that had won five of the previous six gold Olympic gold medals only to lose to the upstart Americans.
Shiffrin, who has succeed and failed in three Games prior to this one, talked about the unique spotlight of the Olympics before racing here. She said she wished more people recognized what happens during the longevity of a career versus the quadrennial, three-week window of the Olympics. But she's also smart enough to understand that's not how it works.
Sometimes, Olympians are like basketball teams that win big in the regular season only to get bounced in the NCAA Tournament or the NBA Playoffs.
Kentucky won 38 games in 2014-15 and lost one, but the one came in the national semifinal to Wisconsin. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors went a record 73-9 in the regular season and were 3-1 up in the NBA Finals – but they unbelievably lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.
No banner, no glory.
”I really chose to believe that it's a beautiful gift, despite maybe feeling a little bit of pressure at times,'' Shiffrin said.
“Knowing that judgments can be made on the sole moment when there's so much else that has gone into the course of the last four years, in the last eight years and 16 years of my career so far, so pressure can exist. Billie Jean King said pressure is a privilege, but maybe that doesn't always feel that way.''
Malinin discovered the enormity of the Games only when it was too late. “It's not like any other competition,'' Malinin said. “It's the Olympics, and I think people only realize the pressure and the nerves that actually happen from the inside. It was just something that overwhelmed me, and I felt like I had no control.''
It is a strange tightrope if you think about it – to be so incredibly gifted that everyone presumes you will win, and yet in that very presumption is the biggest obstacle to keep you from winning.
With apologies to Thanos, both Malinin and Shiffrin seemed inevitable here.
Malinin took the ice in Milan having not lost a competition in more than two years. He held a commanding five-point lead heading into the free skate, a gap that only widened while his challengers skidded and fell before him. Average “Quad God” would have earned him a gold medal.
Instead, Malinin popped his quad axel, the beginning of four minutes that started to feel like rubbernecking a car accident. You didn't want to watch; you couldn't stop watching.
His failure in real time was somehow more jaw-dropping for its unexpected underperformance than his usual quad-popping is for its overperformance. “All the traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head,” he said later.
Malinin now has four long years to determine if this moment defines his career or not, something Shiffrin understands all too well. Four years ago, she entered six events in Beijing, a favored to medal in each. She failed to finish three races and didn't medal in the others. Much like Decker left on the track, Shiffrin's lasting imagine from 2022 was of her sitting in the snow, as if unsure what had just happened.
Which is what raised the stakes on Sunday, when she stepped into the starting gate for her portion of the alpine skiing women's team combined.
Mikaela Shiffrin's disappointing start to 2026 Winter Games heightens the pressure on one of the greatest skiers of all time
Gifted a first-place cushion by her downhill partner – gold medalist Breezy Johnson – Shiffrin, much like Malinin, only needed to be herself to secure gold. With 108 World Cup victories on Shiffrin's resume, 71 of them in the slalom, even her US teammate Jacqueline Wiles figured the day was as good as done. Clinging to third place and needing Shiffrin to fail to reach the podium, Wiles conceded, “We need a miracle.''
And then Shiffrin skied, tentatively and unassuredly. She didn't fall, she just failed to rise up to the moment. She finished 15th out of 18 skiers, her worst finish in more than 13 years and the tandem of Johnson and Shiffrin went from gold medal favorites to off the podium.
Taken in a vacuum, it would have been mystifying. Combined with Shiffrin's horrific Games in Beijing four years ago – three DNFs and three finishes off the podium in six events – it was fair to question if she had a sort of Olympic block.
Shiffrin has the blessing and the curse of two more tries. She gets the redo, but having failed already, that pressure she spoke of only grows. And her next event has been her recent nemesis: the giant slalom.
In November 2024, she suffered what turned out to be a near life-threatening puncture wound during a race in that event in Killington, Vermont. It left her with real trauma response and even when she returned to competition two months later, she struggled in the faster GS than in slalom. She went 12 races without reaching the podium, from January 2024 to the last GS race prior to the Olympics in January of this year, where she took bronze.
“I'm at a point now where I'm excited to ski fast in the GS,'' she said.
“There's maybe, you know, five turns in the course where I'm thinking that's enough. And that might not be anything about mental. That just might be that I don't particularly like to go that fast.''
If that doesn't go well, there is the slalom on Wednesday.
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Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, who died two years ago, was killed while in prison by a lethal toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America, five European countries have said in a statement Saturday.
Analyses of samples taken from Navalny's body have “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine,” the statement said. The substance is not found naturally in Russia, it added.
The five countries – UK, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands – said Moscow “had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison” to Navalny while he was held in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle.
Only “the Russian state had the combined means, motive and disregard for international law” to contribute to Navalny's death, they added.
Russian officials have repeatedly denied being responsible for Navalny's death. CNN has reached out to the Kremlin for comment.
The announcement came during the Munich Security Conference in Germany, during which Navalny's death was announced in 2024.
During the event two years ago, Navalny's wife Yulia Navalnaya came on stage at the conference in tears and received a standing ovation.
In a post on X Saturday, Navalnaya said that she “was certain from the first day that my husband had been poisoned, but now there is proof: (Russian President Vladimir) Putin killed (Alexey) with chemical weapon.”
“I am grateful to the European states for the meticulous work they carried out over two years and for uncovering the truth,” she said, adding: “Vladimir Putin is a murderer. He must be held accountable for all his crimes.”
When Navalny died, the Russian prison service said that he had “felt unwell after a walk” and “almost immediately” lost consciousness.
He had been imprisoned in an Arctic penal colony since returning to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated after being poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent.
A joint investigation by CNN and the group Bellingcat implicated the Russian Security Service (FSB) in the poisoning. It found that the FSB had formed an elite team specializing in nerve agents that trailed Navalny for more than three years.
Russia denied involvement then, too, with Putin saying at the time that if the Russian security service had wanted to kill Navalny, it “would have finished” the job.
Navalny, who had organized anti-government street protests and used his blog and social media to expose alleged corruption in the Kremlin and in Russian business, was viewed as one of the most serious threats to Putin before his death.
In a 2018 interview with CNN, he said that he had a “clear understanding” of the risks involved in taking on the government.
“But I'm not afraid and I'm not going to give up on what I'm going to do. I won't give up on my country. I won't give up on my civil rights. I won't give up on uniting those around me who believe in the same ideals as me. And there are quite a lot of people like that in Russia,” he said.
In a statement released on Saturday, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that “Russia saw Navalny as a threat. By using this form of poison, the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition.”
The five countries said in their joint statement that they have written to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons about what they called a “Russian breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.”
CNN's Sebastian Shukla, Anna Chernova and Christian Edwards contributed to this reporting.
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Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill arrived at the Supreme Court shortly before 10 a.m. on January 9 and took a seat in the spectator section of the columned courtroom. When US Solicitor General John Sauer, the Trump administration's top courtroom lawyer, entered a few minutes later, he cut across the room to warmly greet her.
Murrill was waiting for ruling in a redistricting case that could unwind protections for Blacks and Latinos under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The decision could simultaneously boost the GOP's chances in the US House of Representatives this year.
Louisiana, backed by the Trump administration and several other Republican-controlled states, has its eye on the upcoming midterm elections and told the justices it wanted a decision by early January as it seeks to replace its current congressional map – which includes two court-ordered majority Black districts – with a new map for this year's midterm elections.
But it did not take long after the justices ascended the bench that day for the gavel to fall. There was no decision in Louisiana v. Callais. Nor has one come since.
Speculation has only grown about the case and its consequences for voters and control of the US House, where the GOP holds a slim margin. (The justices announced on Friday that they will be issuing more opinions later this month.)
The case tests the Voting Rights Act's Section 2, which prohibits race discrimination, and a remedy that judges have often required when they find that maps have diluted the voting power of Blacks or Hispanics. Such “majority-minority districts” are intended to give them a chance to elect a candidate of choice.
States have been closely watching for Supreme Court action, some of them anticipating an opportunity for relief from earlier court orders and a chance to redistrict before November's midterm elections. Each week that passes, however, makes it harder for some places to consider such an option. In Louisiana, where primary deadlines were pushed back last year to potentially take advantage of a Supreme Court ruling, deadlines are closing.
Irrespective of what happens in the current cycle, the eventual Supreme Court decision is certain to give states more latitude for 2028 and future elections. That's because over the past two decades the conservative court has been steadily erasing the racial remedies of the Voting Rights Act and deferring to state legislatures.
So far, the court's actions in the Louisiana dispute suggest the majority will make it more difficult to bring Section 2 claims. The only question is to what degree. At the most extreme, the court could outright invalidate Section 2's protection for minorities in the redistricting process.
After a round of oral arguments in an earlier court session, the justices suddenly scheduled a second hearing in Louisiana v. Callais and broadened their review of the Voting Rights Act. Based on that second round of arguments, held last October, the justices appear ready to further limit the protections of the law considered an exemplar of the nation's civil rights era. The VRA was passed after the March 7, 1965, “Bloody Sunday” attack on marchers as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama.
Yet the court majority may be more apt to adopt the Trump administration's argument for scaling back coverage, rather than accept Louisiana's move for fully dismantling the VRA provision intended to protect against race discrimination. Even that approach, however, could diminish Black representation in public office.
The justices have splintered so deeply on past voting-rights controversies that the case may produce a series of separate writings, from both the majority and dissenting camps. The final ruling may not come until later in the spring.
The court under Chief Justice John Roberts and the Trump administration have aligned in their antagonism to race-based measures and interest in lifting federal election regulations. Within days of taking office last year, Trump's lawyers retracted the Biden Justice Department brief in the Louisiana case that sought to preserve the Voting Rights Act.
Well before Trump first came to office, the Roberts Court had begun retrenching on the VRA.
William and Mary law professor Rebecca Green, an election-law expert, attributes its pattern to the current majority's “colorblind” approach, attempting to eliminate racial remedies across the board. That was seen in its 2023 decision forbidding colleges and universities from considering students' race in admissions.
In the context of redistricting, some justices similarly are trying to keep race from ever being a factor in drawing legislative lines. But, Green said, “Congress has prohibited minority vote dilution. And there's really no way to comply with the Voting Rights Act or provide a remedy for a violation without taking race into account.”
Green also noted that the court has “doubled down on the idea that state legislatures are acting in good faith,” for example, with its December order to leave in place a new Texas congressional map challenged as a racial gerrymander.
The map, with potentially five new Republican seats, arose from President Donald Trump's 2025 push for off-year redistricting to potentially increase the number of Republicans in the US House; California responded with a new map that could add five additional Democratic seats. The Supreme Court recently allowed that map to stand, too.
In the high court's more consequential pattern favoring states and localities, Chief Justice Roberts in 2013 led the court to a 5-4 decision, in Shelby County v. Holder, that gutted a VRA provision (known as Section 5) requiring states with a history of discrimination to obtain approval from the US Justice Department before making electoral changes.
Then, in 2021, the majority diminished the reach of Section 2 for certain challenges to state practices. That Arizona case, Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, concerned requirements that ballots cast at the wrong precinct be discarded and criminalized the third-party collection of absentee ballots (such as were sometimes used in remote tribal areas of the state).
Now Section 2's coverage for redistricting practices hangs in the balance. Conflicts among the justices in the Louisiana case were evident from the start. The dispute was first heard in March 2025, but then in June the justices issued the unusual order calling for re-argument.
Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the order, making clear he wanted the court to avoid any delay in finding that Section 2 violates the Constitution as it takes voters' race into account. “I am hopeful,” Thomas wrote then, “that this Court will soon realize that the conflict its Section 2 jurisprudence has sown with the Constitution is too severe to ignore.”
Thomas has yet to claim a majority for his view that Section 2 clashes with the constitutional guarantee of equal protection. And as recently as a 2023 case from Alabama, Allen v. Milligan, the justices said the awareness and use of race was not only permissible but might be required, to compensate for a prior map that, for example, was the result of legislative “cracking” and “packing” techniques – that is, dispersing or concentrating Blacks among districts.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was the key fifth vote in that Alabama case, has suggested that Section 2's race-based safeguard may no longer be needed some 60 years after passage of the VRA and that, as the court found in the context of higher education, it may violate the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection of the law. Kavanaugh appears positioned to be a decisive justice here.
Lower court judges who heard the Louisiana controversy had ordered the second majority-Black district after finding that the state legislature had, in an atmosphere of racially polarized voting, divided Black voters across districts in a way that diluted their electoral power. A group of mainly White residents subsequently sued, contending that the revised map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
The state initially defended the revised map, but Attorney General Murrill and her legal team argued more recently, once the justices reframed the case, that “race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution.”
The US solicitor general's office does not go that far. It instead focuses on how lower court judges assess a VRA violation in the first place and whether a legislature's map might be driven by politics rather than by race.
“In short,” Sauer wrote in the federal government's brief, “this Court's Section 2 jurisprudence should account for the fact that, today, a State's failure to create a compact majority-minority district, even where demographically possible, is far more likely to reflect political motives than racial ones.”
Kavanaugh latched on to the option regarding a state's “political objectives.” He called it a “real innovation.”
Under the US solicitor general's approach, challengers trying to succeed on a VRA Section 2 claim would have to separate party from race and show that the state's failure to create a majority-minority district reflected racial motives rather than political ones.
Critics, including Harvard University law professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos, say that could extinguish Section 2 claims, particularly in the South, where Blacks overwhelmingly vote Democratic and Whites overwhelmingly vote Republican. Legislators could assert that arguably discriminatory maps protected incumbents and preserved a partisan balance.
“(T)he SG's position would render Section 2 a dead letter in the southern jurisdictions where the provision has historically had its greatest impact,” Stephanopoulos said of the solicitor general's position, noting that an additional minority district can usually be drawn only at the cost of an existing Republican district. “This swap of an old Republican district for a new minority-opportunity district, however, is exactly what the SG's proposal would prevent.”
During October's oral arguments, Janai Nelson, NAACP Legal Defense Fund director-counsel, told Kavanaugh that requiring new scrutiny of partisanship could undercut state responsibility “to ensure that all voters have an equally open electoral process.”
“The fact that Black voters may correlate with voting Democrat or White voters may correlate with voting Republican does not deny the fact that there is racially polarized voting,” Nelson said. “And the totality of the circumstances, including the inability to elect Black candidates in Louisiana on a statewide basis for a number of offices – there's never been a Black person in Louisiana elected statewide – is additional indicia that race is playing an outsized role in the electoral process in Louisiana.”
The state legislature, meanwhile, postponed filing deadlines for the midterm elections, as Murrill and other Louisiana officials anticipated a high court ruling and possible opportunity to change the current map with two Black-majority districts.
But the filing period for the general primary now is upon candidates. A deadline was Friday, and the justices are not scheduled to return to their courtroom until February 20.
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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny speaks to the media at the Foundation for Fighting Corruption office in Moscow on Dec. 26, 2019.Alexander Zemlianichenko/The Associated Press
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with a lethal toxin derived from the skin of poison dart frogs, five European countries said Saturday.
The foreign ministries of the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said analysis of samples from Navalny, who died two years ago, “have conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine.” It is a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America that is not found naturally in Russia, they said.
The countries said in a joint statement that “Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison.” They said they were reporting Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said “Russia saw Navalny as a threat. By using this form of poison the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition.”
Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin's fiercest foe, died in the Arctic penal colony in February 2024. He was serving a 19-year sentence that he believed to be politically motivated.
Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said last year that two independent labs had found that her husband was poisoned shortly before he died. Navalnaya has repeatedly blamed Putin for Navalny's death, something Russian officials have vehemently denied.
Navalnaya said Saturday that she had been “certain from the first day” that her husband had been poisoned, “but now there is proof.”
“Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon,” she wrote on social network X, calling Putin “a murderer” who “must be held accountable.”
Russian authorities said that the politician became ill after a walk and died from natural causes.
In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent attack he blamed on the Kremlin, which always denied involvement. His family and allies fought to have him flown to Germany for treatment and recovery. Five months later, he returned to Russia, where he was immediately arrested and imprisoned for the last three years of his life.
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Big Bad Brody King stood in one corner, long gray-streaked beard jutting out, all hulking muscle and tattoos above his barbed-wire logo trunks. In the other corner, hair combed neatly back and beard tidily trimmed, stood Maxwell Jacob Friedman, the reigning All Elite Wrestling World Champion. With the two pro wrestlers about to square up in a Wednesday night match in Las Vegas this month, the fired-up crowd spoke with one voice: “F**k ICE!”
The video, with a stiff-faced Friedman casting wide-eyed sideways looks at the crowd, quickly spread outside the circles of wrestling fandom. A great match is a great match, and a wildly charismatic babyface or heel has been known to make the leap to Hollywood stardom and beyond. But rarely does a crowd reaction at an event make a splash in the broader world.
Professional wrestling has always drawn on politics as a source of melodrama. There was Hulk Hogan, who stomped into the ring while his theme song, “Real American,” blared over the speakers, rousing the arena for him to fight the “foreign” Iron Sheik. Or Sgt. Slaughter, whose villainous persona made him a Saddam Hussein sympathizer at the height of the Gulf War.
But the chants at the recent AEW match showcased a new, more specific way that wrestling is grappling with politics. If American political life has, as commentators say, come more and more to resemble pro wrestling, then pro wrestling has also evolved to meet it. Where wrestlers used to work in broad, cartoonish themes that appealed to the agreed-on sympathies of the entire audience, today the question of what the good guys stand for is a live dispute, matching the conflicts playing out in the real world.
King has raised money to support immigrants in Minnesota and has worn an “Abolish ICE” shirt in the ring; “Hangman” Adam Page gave a speech in Spanish during a show in Mexico City, reminiscing to the roaring crowd about working side by side with Mexican farm workers in the US and praising their values and work ethic — and then declaring that he planned to hunt down his rival Jon Moxley and “Le voy a partir su madre!”
The most prominent political chant in wrestling history is the “USA” chant, for jeering wrestlers who hailed from outside the US, said Eero Laine, a professor of theater who studies the history of professional wrestling at the State University of New York at Buffalo. World Wrestling Entertainment also had a tag team named the Real Americans, portrayed by American wrestler Jack Swagger and Swiss wrestler Cesaro, who led crowds in a “We the People” chant.
Wrestlers, Laine said, “could embody an idea.”
“You can actually watch two ideas fight each other in the ring, and you can cheer and boo for each of them,” he said. “So there's a kind of morality play at work in the ring.”
Sometimes wrestlers have even portrayed real political figures, as when impersonators of then-Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton squared off during the 2008 presidential campaign.
But the anti-ICE calls from the crowd at AEW, Laine said, “are interesting in that they support a political stance associated with one of the wrestlers, but they are not necessarily directly related to what's happening in the ring. And the chant is not part of the repertoire of standard wrestling chants.”
The embrace of contemporary issues is part of a larger, politically shaded rivalry playing out in the industry, between the 7-year-old AEW and the industry's ruling juggernaut for generations, WWE (Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's parent corporation, owns a minority stake in AEW).
WWE, founded by the McMahon family, started in the 1950s as a relatively small company based in the northeastern United States, then rolled up its regional rivals in the 1980s to dominate wrestling coast to coast. It is the largest wrestling promotion in the world, and it regularly garners double, if not triple the audience of AEW, according to Wrestlenomics.
As WWE grew, the conservative political involvement of the McMahon family grew with it. Vince McMahon, who purchased the company from his father in 1982 and was executive chairman before resigning in 2024, is a personal friend of President Donald Trump. His wife, Linda McMahon, is the US education secretary. His son-in-law, Paul Levesque — also known by his wrestling name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, or Triple H — is the vice chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Trump himself is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
AEW's willingness to have wrestlers take stances on contemporary issues has become, for fans, a point of distinction between the promotions, drawing audiences wary of the McMahons' connections back to sports entertainment.
Scott Lange, of Atlanta, was a wrestling fan when he was in college. Wrestlers like former Olympic gold medal winner Kurt Angle and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson were popular, and he enjoyed how it all seemed simultaneously over-the-top, yet self-aware.
But then there was a lot of “tawdry, ugly stuff,” he said. He stopped watching for 20 years.
AEW brought him back, though. And in large part, he said, it was because the wrestlers were allowed to express themselves more freely. A lot of the main roster is “politically aware and seems to care about making the country a better place,” Lange said.
(Representatives for King declined to comment. Representatives for AEW, Friedman, and WWE did not respond to requests for comment.)
The founding family of AEW, like the McMahons, rose from relatively humble origins. The father of AEW founder Tony Khan, Shahid Khan, was born in Pakistan in 1950, and moved to the US when he was 16 for college. While still in college, he began working for Flex-N-Gate, an automotive supplier. By the time he was 30, he bought the company. By 2012, he had bought the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tony Khan founded AEW in 2019. While Shahid Khan has called himself a “big fan” of President Trump's economic policies, and donated to his 2017 inauguration, Shahid did not donate to his 2025 inauguration and has said he differs with Trump on social issues like religion and immigration. Both Khans have donated to both political parties, according to public filings.
Unlike the McMahons, Tony Khan has said that he doesn't like to publicly involve himself in politics.
But if wrestlers do so, it's all part of the show.
“The wrestlers, they are themselves and that's part of what makes the show great,” Khan said on a media call this past September. “Whether everyone agrees with everything every wrestler says or not is not the point of the show to me. It's that it's a great wrestling show.”
The key to understanding business strategy in wrestling, Laine said, is in the title of a book by the former wrestling executive and WWE Hall of Fame member Eric Bischoff: “Controversy Creates Cash.”
“That's the bottom line with wrestling, it's attention,” Laine said. “They're selling attention.”
Regardless of its ownership's Trump ties, the WWE shows signs it recognizes the usefulness of playing to the other side, too. Lately, Laine noted, the WWE's star villain Becky Lynch has been using some familiar-sounding language while playing up her status as a sore loser. “I've gotten counsel from the best lawyers in the world,” Lynch declared in one recent in-story interview. “I have won 100% of my matches that haven't been rigged!”
The real point, Lange said, is still the spectacle.
“I don't necessarily want didactic political speech out of wrestlers,” Lange said. “But I enjoy watching a company where I feel like people's hearts are in the right place. They're aware of what's going on.”
“You can subtly comment on the world and the things that are happening without beating your heads in about it,” he added.
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Intelligence agencies say deadly toxin in skin of Ecuador dart frogs found in Navalny's body and highly likely resulted in his death
Munich Security Conference – live updates
Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, was killed by dart frog poison administered by the Russian state two years ago, a multi-intelligence agency inquiry has found, according to a statement released by five countries, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.
The US was not one of the intelligence agencies making the claim.
Navalny died in a remote Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. Samples from his body were secured before his burial and sent to the laboratories of two countries.
The UK, describing the poisoning as barbaric, said it would be reporting Russia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as a flagrant violation by Russia of the chemical weapons convention (CWC).
The intelligence agencies claimed laboratory testing found that the deadly toxin in the skin of Ecuador dart frogs (epibatidine) was found in samples from Navalny's body and probably resulted in his death.
The statement adds: “Only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin to target Navalny during his imprisonment in a Russian penal colony in Siberia, and we hold it responsible for his death.”
“Epibatidine can be found naturally in dart frogs in the wild in South America. Dart frogs in captivity do not produce this toxin and it is not found naturally in Russia. There is no innocent explanation for its presence in Navalny's body.”
Although it had been widely assumed that Navalny had been poisoned by the Russian state, the evidence of the specific poison in his body is a new development. His wife, Yulia Navalny, posted in September that there was evidence of poison in his body at the time an autopsy was conducted.
Yulia wrote in a post on X that the named poison “causes paralysis, respiratory arrest, and a painful death. I was certain from the first day that my husband had been poisoned, but now there is proof: Putin killed Alexei with [a] chemical weapon. I am grateful to the European states for the meticulous work they carried out over two years and for uncovering the truth. Vladimir Putin is a murderer. He must be held accountable for all his crimes.”
The Kremlin has a long history of using poison as a weapon against its enemies. The death of Alexander Litvinenko in London from radioactive polonium in 2006, the nerve agent attack on the former spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018, and a previous poisoning attempt on Navalny have cemented Russia's reputation for resorting to toxins to silence critics and defectors.
The Foreign Office, which oversees the intelligence agencies, said it has pursued the truth of Navalny's death with partners from Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Germany. The UK added: “We know the Russian state now used this lethal toxin to target Navalny in fear of his opposition.”
The release of the information during the Munich Security Conference was designed to remind everyone that Russia announced the news of Navalny's death just as the conference convened two years ago.
His wife, after some hesitation, made a short address to the conference in 2024 saying: “I would like Putin and all his staff, everybody around him, his government, his friends, I want them to know that they will be punished for what they have done with our country. With my family and with my husband, they will be brought to justice. And this day will come soon.”
The UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “Only the Russian government had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin against Alexei Navalny during his imprisonment in Russia.
“Today, beside his widow, the UK is shining a light on the Kremlin's barbaric plot to silence his voice.
“Russia saw Navalny as a threat. By using this form of poison the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition.”
The UK has led the way in trying to expose what it regards as nefarious Russian suppression of the regime's opponents using poison, including the attempted killing of the UK agent Sergei Skripal with novichok on the streets of Salisbury in 2018. The UK has also led claims about Russian troops' frequent use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine.
In it statement the UK said it was clear Russia did not destroy all its chemical weapons as claimed in 2017, and that it has not renounced biological weapons, as it is obliged to under the biological and toxin weapons convention.
MUNICH, February 14. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that India had assured Washington of its "commitment" to refrain from buying Russian oil.
"The United States has imposed additional sanctions on Russia's oil. In our conversations with India, we've gotten their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil. Europe has taken its set of steps moving forward," he said at the Munich Security Conference.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that no one besides US officials had spoken about India possibly halting Russian oil imports. He added that the Indian government never made such statements.
Luis Muñoz Pinto, 27, who was sent to notoriously brutal prison in El Salvador, would like to clear his name after US judge's ruling
A US federal judge's order that some of the Venezuelan men sent by the Trump administration to a notorious prison in El Salvador must be allowed to return to the United States to fight their cases has been greeted with hope and a sense of vindication – but also fear – by one of the deportees.
US district judge James Boasberg ruled on Thursday in Washington DC that the Trump administration should facilitate the return of deportees who are currently in countries outside Venezuela, saying they must be given the opportunity to seek the due process they were denied after being illegally expelled from the US last March.
Boasberg added that the US government should cover the travel costs of those who wish to come to the US to argue their immigration cases.
Luis Muñoz Pinto, 27, is one of the men affected and he spoke exclusively to the Guardian on Thursday by telephone from Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, where he has lived since being released from detention in El Salvador.
“I would like to go back to the US to defend myself in court and prove that I am not a member of the Tren de Aragua [gang] – but what happens if they detain me and I have to live through another nightmare?” Muñoz Pinto said.
He has no criminal record in any country. He was an engineering student in Venezuela and fled in 2024 after being beaten by police while protesting against the dictatorship there, first to Colombia and then north. He had an appointment in the US to request asylum under the Biden administration but instead was arrested and accused of being a member of the dangerous Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua because he had some tattoos, despite no evidence being presented of actual gang connections.
The judge acknowledged that if any of the men return to the US to argue in court, it was his understanding that “they will be detained upon their arrival”.
Muñoz Pinto said: “Do you have any idea what my family went through after finding out I was sent to that prison in El Salvador? I went from chasing a dream to work and support my family to being humiliated by guards beating me in the face and my entire body.”
On the night of Saturday 15 March last year, the Trump administration abruptly deported more than 250 Venezuelan men to El Salvador, defying a court block and orders that any such flights should turn around.
Images then emerged of the men shackled held bent over by baton-wielding Salvadoran police, before their heads were shaved and they were imprisoned at the notorious Cecot mega-prison. Former detainees said they were told they would die there, and had no outside communications with lawyers or family. Then last July they were returned to Venezuela in a US-brokered prisoner swap.
Boasberg on Thursday told the Trump administration to prioritize the deportees currently living in third countries but also explain “the feasibility of returning plaintiffs still in Venezuela”, while US-Venezuela relations remain vexed.
A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, blasted Boasberg's ruling, saying in a statement it was “an absurd, unlawful ruling from a far-left judicial activist trying to undermine the president's lawful authority to carry out deportations”.
She added: “Americans elected President Trump based on his promise to deport criminal illegal aliens and Make America Safe Again. Boasberg has no right to stop the will of the American people, and this will not be the final say on the matter.”
Lee Gelernt, the lead ACLU attorney in the case, said he was aware of only a small group of the deportees living outside Venezuela.
Boasberg's order in principle applies to the 137 men deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act invoked by Donald Trump, when the US president made an unprecedented claim that the US was being “invaded” by gang members allegedly with ties to the Venezuelan state. The others sent to Cecot last year were deported under regular US immigration law and are not covered by the current case.
“It is worth emphasizing that this situation would never have arisen had the government simply afforded plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them,” Boasberg said on Thursday.
However, he added that the number of men who may seek to return to the US “would be likely very small if not zero”.
Muñoz Pinto is torn.
“I know Trump deported me to Cecot and I'm not over that nightmare yet, but the US is still the land of opportunities,” he said.
He was deported under the Alien Enemies Act, he said, a fact which the Guardian verified via sources familiar with the case, who were not authorized to speak openly on the matter.
Before Boasberg's latest order, the ACLU had argued in court that the men should have the right to either return to the US or have a remote hearing to challenge their deportation.
In January, lawyers for the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, argued in a court filing that bringing the 137 men back into the US “would risk material damage to the US foreign policy interests in Venezuela”.
Even remote hearings, lawyers for Rubio added, “also present a serious risk of intentional interference by anti-American elements in Venezuela that would undermine the interests of justice”.
Human rights investigators found that Cecot guards dished out beatings, torture, denial of food and alleged sexual assault. Lawyers for some of the Venezuelans said they endured “state-sanctioned torture”.
El Salvador's government does not make efforts to publicly rebut allegations of violence and deprivation amounting to torture. The president, Nayib Bukele, responded sarcastically to allegations of cruelty at Cecot made by Hillary Clinton last year. Some online influencers are invited in to make videos of the harsh conditions.
Before Boasberg's latest ruling, Muñoz Pinto had also spoken to the Guardian in person, in Bogotá, in his first non-TV interview. He was briefly featured on CBS's 60 Minutes show, aired in the US last month.
Muñoz Pinto recounted that on arrival at Cecot: “Three guards threw me to the ground and kicked me in the face so badly that it caused me a nosebleed and all my gums bled too.”
He added: “I started to cry because I didn't know what to do, I had tried to be a good man since I was little, I had gone to college, I had tried to help my parents, who are still sick in Venezuela, and I was then in the worst prison on the entire planet and I had not committed a crime.”
Old friends in Colombia helped him find work delivering food across Bogotá, arguing it was a better opportunity to support his family financially than he could get in Venezuela.
Muñoz Pinto said: “This court decision is devastating because I want to go back [to the US], yes, but why do they want me detained again? How many months this time? I am not sure if I can do it again.”
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
Luis Muñoz Pinto, 27, who was sent to notoriously brutal prison in El Salvador, would like to clear his name after US judge's ruling
A US federal judge's order that some of the Venezuelan men sent by the Trump administration to a notorious prison in El Salvador must be allowed to return to the United States to fight their cases has been greeted with hope and a sense of vindication – but also fear – by one of the deportees.
US district judge James Boasberg ruled on Thursday in Washington DC that the Trump administration should facilitate the return of deportees who are currently in countries outside Venezuela, saying they must be given the opportunity to seek the due process they were denied after being illegally expelled from the US last March.
Boasberg added that the US government should cover the travel costs of those who wish to come to the US to argue their immigration cases.
Luis Muñoz Pinto, 27, is one of the men affected and he spoke exclusively to the Guardian on Thursday by telephone from Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, where he has lived since being released from detention in El Salvador.
“I would like to go back to the US to defend myself in court and prove that I am not a member of the Tren de Aragua [gang] – but what happens if they detain me and I have to live through another nightmare?” Muñoz Pinto said.
He has no criminal record in any country. He was an engineering student in Venezuela and fled in 2024 after being beaten by police while protesting against the dictatorship there, first to Colombia and then north. He had an appointment in the US to request asylum under the Biden administration but instead was arrested and accused of being a member of the dangerous Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua because he had some tattoos, despite no evidence being presented of actual gang connections.
The judge acknowledged that if any of the men return to the US to argue in court, it was his understanding that “they will be detained upon their arrival”.
Muñoz Pinto said: “Do you have any idea what my family went through after finding out I was sent to that prison in El Salvador? I went from chasing a dream to work and support my family to being humiliated by guards beating me in the face and my entire body.”
On the night of Saturday 15 March last year, the Trump administration abruptly deported more than 250 Venezuelan men to El Salvador, defying a court block and orders that any such flights should turn around.
Images then emerged of the men shackled held bent over by baton-wielding Salvadoran police, before their heads were shaved and they were imprisoned at the notorious Cecot mega-prison. Former detainees said they were told they would die there, and had no outside communications with lawyers or family. Then last July they were returned to Venezuela in a US-brokered prisoner swap.
Boasberg on Thursday told the Trump administration to prioritize the deportees currently living in third countries but also explain “the feasibility of returning plaintiffs still in Venezuela”, while US-Venezuela relations remain vexed.
A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, blasted Boasberg's ruling, saying in a statement it was “an absurd, unlawful ruling from a far-left judicial activist trying to undermine the president's lawful authority to carry out deportations”.
She added: “Americans elected President Trump based on his promise to deport criminal illegal aliens and Make America Safe Again. Boasberg has no right to stop the will of the American people, and this will not be the final say on the matter.”
Lee Gelernt, the lead ACLU attorney in the case, said he was aware of only a small group of the deportees living outside Venezuela.
Boasberg's order in principle applies to the 137 men deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act invoked by Donald Trump, when the US president made an unprecedented claim that the US was being “invaded” by gang members allegedly with ties to the Venezuelan state. The others sent to Cecot last year were deported under regular US immigration law and are not covered by the current case.
“It is worth emphasizing that this situation would never have arisen had the government simply afforded plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them,” Boasberg said on Thursday.
However, he added that the number of men who may seek to return to the US “would be likely very small if not zero”.
Muñoz Pinto is torn.
“I know Trump deported me to Cecot and I'm not over that nightmare yet, but the US is still the land of opportunities,” he said.
He was deported under the Alien Enemies Act, he said, a fact which the Guardian verified via sources familiar with the case, who were not authorized to speak openly on the matter.
Before Boasberg's latest order, the ACLU had argued in court that the men should have the right to either return to the US or have a remote hearing to challenge their deportation.
In January, lawyers for the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, argued in a court filing that bringing the 137 men back into the US “would risk material damage to the US foreign policy interests in Venezuela”.
Even remote hearings, lawyers for Rubio added, “also present a serious risk of intentional interference by anti-American elements in Venezuela that would undermine the interests of justice”.
Human rights investigators found that Cecot guards dished out beatings, torture, denial of food and alleged sexual assault. Lawyers for some of the Venezuelans said they endured “state-sanctioned torture”.
El Salvador's government does not make efforts to publicly rebut allegations of violence and deprivation amounting to torture. The president, Nayib Bukele, responded sarcastically to allegations of cruelty at Cecot made by Hillary Clinton last year. Some online influencers are invited in to make videos of the harsh conditions.
Before Boasberg's latest ruling, Muñoz Pinto had also spoken to the Guardian in person, in Bogotá, in his first non-TV interview. He was briefly featured on CBS's 60 Minutes show, aired in the US last month.
Muñoz Pinto recounted that on arrival at Cecot: “Three guards threw me to the ground and kicked me in the face so badly that it caused me a nosebleed and all my gums bled too.”
He added: “I started to cry because I didn't know what to do, I had tried to be a good man since I was little, I had gone to college, I had tried to help my parents, who are still sick in Venezuela, and I was then in the worst prison on the entire planet and I had not committed a crime.”
Old friends in Colombia helped him find work delivering food across Bogotá, arguing it was a better opportunity to support his family financially than he could get in Venezuela.
Muñoz Pinto said: “This court decision is devastating because I want to go back [to the US], yes, but why do they want me detained again? How many months this time? I am not sure if I can do it again.”
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
Staffers believe network has decided to retain Attia, who issued apology after inappropriate Epstein emails, as on-air analyst
Two weeks after a trove of files revealed extensive – and inappropriate – communications between Jeffrey Epstein and a recently named CBS News contributor, the longevity expert Peter Attia, the network appears to have settled on keeping him.
“Everyone internally unofficially concluded he was staying as of about a week ago,” one CBS News staffer told the Guardian.
Officially, CBS News has been silent about Attia, and declined to comment when asked on Friday. Attia is one of the 19 on-air contributors that editor-in-chief Bari Weiss said she was “so excited” to announce during an all-staff meeting on 27 January.
“We're pissed off about it,” a second CBS News staffer, who was also not authorized to comment, said.
Announcing his appointment, CBS News said the contributors, “all experts in their field”, would allow the network to “significantly [expand] its knowledge base”. Attia, who hosts a popular podcast, is known as an expert in the fields of longevity and preventative medicine, though he has faced skepticism from some in the medical world.
But on 30 January, the justice department's release of millions of documents showed that Attia had expressed a fondness for Epstein and used extremely graphic language in at least one email to him. That Attia had met with Epstein was previously known before CBS News hired him.
A search of Attia's name in the justice department's database returns 1,838 results.
“I go into JE withdrawal when I don't see him,” Attia wrote in one January 2016 email to Epstein's assistant.
A year earlier, in an exchange with Epstein, Attia seemed to hint at his knowledge of Epstein's misdeeds – though he has denied that he was referring to criminal sexual activity.
“You [know] the biggest problem with becoming friends with you?” he wrote in the email. “The life you lead is so outrageous, and yet I can't tell a soul … ”
And in one particularly lewd 2016 email, Attia wrote to Epstein: “Pussy is, indeed, low carb. Still awaiting results on gluten content, though.”
Attia also stayed at one of Epstein's apartments, according to the correspondence made public. “I'm spoiled after staying in your great place. Mine is kind of a dump,” Attia wrote Epstein in February 2016.
On 2 February, Attia published a long message he had sent to his employees explaining his connections to Epstein.
“I was not involved in any criminal activity,” he wrote. “My interactions with Epstein had nothing to do with his sexual abuse or exploitation of anyone. I was never on his plane, never on his island, and never present at any sex parties. That said, I apologize and regret putting myself in a position where emails, some of them embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible, are now public, and that is on me.”
Attia said he met with Epstein approximately seven or eight times between 2014 and 2019 “regarding research studies and to meet others he introduced me to”. He also admitted to answering Epstein's medical questions and recommending doctors to him on occasion.
“The man I am today, roughly 10 years later, would not write them and would not associate with Epstein at all,” he wrote.
Attia appeared in an October episode of 60 Minutes and was interviewed by correspondent Norah O'Donnell, who said he “has become both a pioneer and a star in the growing field of longevity medicine”.
CBS had been scheduled to re-air O'Donnell's interview of Attia on 8 February, Super Bowl Sunday, but decided against it amid the backlash.
Although Attia is still on the payroll as a CBS News contributor, it's not clear when – or if – he will actually appear on air.
When addressing her staff, Weiss had encouraged shows to book the network's new contributors – but programs are not obligated to book specific individuals.
Attia has been keeping a low profile. He has not posted on X since his apology. He also has not posted any episodes of his popular podcast, The Peter Attia Drive, this month.
Jennifer Ashton, a one-time CBS News medical correspondent who then spent more than a decade as ABC News's chief health and medical correspondent, recently criticized her former network and said she would not appear while Attia remains a contributor.
“The fact that CBS News hasn't taken action is deeply troubling,” she wrote on Instagram. “People have been fired from network television for far less. Morality clauses exist for a reason. If documented language like this doesn't cross that line, then the bar has fallen dangerously low.”
Mary Claire Haver, a menopause specialist, said her publisher had arranged an exclusive interview on CBS Mornings to promote her forthcoming book, The New Perimenopause. “But given their decision to retain Peter Attia, I'm making the decision not to go on CBS,” she said in her own Instagram post. “This is my way of saying no, I'm not going to stand for this.”
An Indian citizen has pleaded guilty to plotting the murder of a US-based Sikh separatist, the US Office of the Southern District of New York said on Friday.
Nikhil Gupta admitted to paying $15,000 to a person he believed was a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
New Delhi considers SFJ, which advocates for the secession of the Indian state of Punjab to form an independent country called Khalistan, to be a “terrorist” group.
“Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a US citizen in New York City,” US attorney Jay Clayton said on Friday. “He thought that from outside this country he could kill someone in it without consequence, simply for exercising their American right to free speech. But he was wrong, and he will face justice.”
Gupta was arrested in June 2023 in the Czech Republic and later extradited to the US.
He pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering charges, all of which carry a combined maximum prison sentence of 40 years.
Indian National Pleads Guilty in US to Failed Murder Plot Against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun Nikhil Gupta, 54, has pleaded guilty in a New York federal court to three charges tied to a plot to kill the SFJ leader.Gupta was arrested in June 2023 in the Czech Republic and later… pic.twitter.com/5c7wwsuX1s
US prosecutors claim that Gupta was directed by an Indian government official to carry out the plot to murder Pannun, who regularly makes violent threats to India on social media. India has denied any role in the alleged plot to murder the separatist.
Pannun's SFJ is among several Khalistan outfits banned by the Indian government that primarily operate outside India in countries with significant Sikh diasporas.
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MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. BRICS is not a military union and there are no plans to transform it into one, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has told TASS.
"I would like to remind you that BRICS is not a military union and not a collective security organization with collective defense commitments. It has never been planned as such, and there are no plans to transform it for the purpose," he said.
"As far as the recent naval exercise in South Africa is concerned, BRICS members participated in it as sovereign nations. It was not a BRICS event," he added.
When asked whether BRICS can somehow safeguard commercial ships of its members from attacks, he said the group had no collective mechanisms for the purpose, "other than improving logistics and ensuring greater protection from sanctions."
"This is not the task that we have set for ourselves. This security needs to be ensured by other means," he added.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect details on the Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling on Feb. 13, which upheld the disqualification.
Wearing a helmet commemorating Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia is not allowed, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled on Feb. 12.
Vladyslav Heraskevych, Ukraine's skeleton racer, was scheduled to compete in his third Olympic Games on Feb. 12. He was barred from taking part in the competition after refusing to change his helmet, one depicting the faces of Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia's full-scale invasion.
The IOC and the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) ruled that the tribute violated competition rules, bringing his Olympic stint to an abrupt end.
"This is the price of our dignity," Heraskevych, 27, wrote on Instagram after being informed — a few hours before his Olympic run — that he had been disqualified.
On the eve of the competition, Heraskevych told the Kyiv Independent that he had been approached by a third party and urged not to stage any demonstrations in support of Ukraine at the Winter Olympics in Italy — a request he believed may have come from the IOC.
It did not deter him. The helmet at the center of the controversy depicted more than 20 Ukrainian athletes killed in the war. Among them are former competitors who left their sporting careers to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as civilians killed in Russian attacks. Some were children, at the very start of their careers.
"For me, the sacrifice of the people depicted on the helmet means more than any medal — because they gave the most precious thing they had," Heraskevych said.
"Plain, simple respect for them is exactly what I wanted to give."
Heraskevych believed he had not violated Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which bans demonstrations or political, religious, or racial propaganda at Olympic venues. No slogans or chants were depicted on the equipment piece banned by the Olympic Committee.
The ban set off a ripple effect, as other Ukrainian athletes joined the line wearing gloves with the phrase "remembrance is not a violation." The spontaneous display soon grew into a flash mob, with Ukrainian soldiers and public figures adding their support for Heraskevych.
At the same time, other Ukrainian athletes have spoken out about similar restrictions imposed by the IOC.
Freestyle skier Kateryna Kotsar said she was barred from wearing a helmet that depicted the following words: "Be brave like Ukrainians." Likewise, short-track speed skater Oleh Handei said he was prohibited from wearing a helmet that read — "where there is heroism, there can be no final defeat" — a verse written by the renowned Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko.
"(Organizers) banned it, saying it was a political slogan, about war, and it was not allowed," Handei told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.
Expressing his disagreement with the IOC's position on social media, Heraskevych pointed to several similar instances at the 2026 Olympics in which athletes honored the memory of the deceased without facing punishment.
At the opening ceremony, Israeli skeleton racer Jared Firestone honored the memory of those lost at the 1972 Munich Games by wearing a kippah inscribed with the names of the athletes and coaches who were killed.
American figure skater Maxim Naumov paid tribute to his own family after his performance. He held his childhood photo depicting him and his parents, who died in a 2025 plane crash. Canadian skier Jessica Linton also carried a personal message on her helmet, "I ski for Brayden," and displayed it to the cameras after her run, likely in memory of moguls skier Brayden Kuroda, who passed away in 2020.
Heraskevych slammed the IOC's stance as a glaring case of "double standards" and continued to wear his helmet during official training sessions. Yet, he never wore it during an official race.
In the Feb. 12 statement, the IOC cited a breach of its Athlete Expression guidelines as the reason for barring the Ukrainian athlete from competing. The committee also said Heraskevych's case was distinct, describing it as a deliberate and premeditated act, in contrast to the "spontaneous" expressions seen from other athletes at the 2026 Olympics.
"If everyone is allowed to express themselves in that way, beyond a black armband, it could turn the field of play into a field of expression," Mark Adams, IOC spokesperson, said during a press briefing on Feb. 12.
"And even if one agrees or disagrees with the sentiments, you can see how that could lead to a chaotic situation," he added.
The committee also said that it had offered Heraskevych alternatives, such as wearing a black armband and displaying his helmet before and after the race, but the athlete rejected these proposals.
"No one is disagreeing with the messaging. The messaging is a powerful message of remembrance, it is a message of memory, and no one is disagreeing with that," IOC President Kirsty Coventry told journalists on Feb. 12.
"Sadly, we have not been able to come to that solution. I really wanted to see him race today. It has been an emotional morning."
Vadym Guttsait, president of Ukraine's National Olympic Committee, told the Kyiv Independent that the entire Ukrainian team supported Heraskevych's actions and did not expect him to be suspended.
Ukraine's political leaders also expressed their support for Heraskevych in wake of the IOC's decision, with President Volodymyr Zelensky thanking Heraskevych for his "clear stance."
"His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honor and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken," Zelensky said.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed similar comments, calling the incident a "moment of shame."
"The IOC has banned not the Ukrainian athlete, but its own reputation," Sybiha added.
Heraskevych's team appealed the IOC's decision in an international arbitration court. The case was brought before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which handles disputes related to the Olympic Games.
In an ruling on Feb. 13, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Milan dismissed Heraskevych's appeal, upholding the disqualification, ruling that Heraskevych's gestures violated competition rules.
Despite siding with the IOC's decision, the unnamed arbitrator said she was "fully sympathetic to Mr. Heraskevych's commemoration and his attempt to raise awareness for the grief and devastation suffered by the Ukrainian people, and Ukrainian athletes because of the war."
Jeremy Pizzi, legal advisor at Global Rights Compliance, said that the disqualification of the Ukrainian athlete is not the only issue at play in this case.
"The real problem is the inconsistencies between the IOC permitting Russian athletes to compete when they violated neutrality rules with pro-war actions and allowing athletes to compete with a Russian flag," Pizzi told the Kyiv Independent.
"This raises the question of why one form of expression to support victims of aggression is banned, but other expressions supporting brutal crimes are not."
According to the Kyiv Independent's sources on the ground, on the day of his disqualification, Heraskevych left the Olympic Village, even though the IOC had allowed him to remain at the venues, albeit without competing.
"I did not break any rules. I defended the interests of Ukraine — not just the country, but the memory of these athletes. They deserve it," Heraskevych said before leaving the Olympic village.
News Editor
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
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RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says the shooting at the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School wasn't targeted.
“In speaking with investigators, there was no specific targeting of any individuals,” McDonald said in an update on Feb. 13. “This suspect was, for lack of a better term, hunting. They were prepared and engaging anybody and everybody they could come in contact with.”
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President Donald Trump, joined by IndyCar team owner and chairperson Roger Penske, signs an executive order in the Oval Office on Friday to bring a race to Washington, D.C., as part of the America250 celebrations.
Virginia Democrats just proposed an electoral map that would potentially give Democrats 10 of the state's 11 representatives in the House. In a state that voted 46% for Trump, it is outlandish to only give Republican voters roughly 9% of the state's representation. Virginia should be careful though. The only reason it has that much representation is because of its racist past. Perhaps President Trump should rectify that historical wrong with a long overdue fix.
You see, 179 years ago, Arlington, once part of the District of Columbia, was given to Virginia for the express purpose of continuing slavery in Northern Virginia. Now, Arlington, once part of the District of Columbia, is home to nearly 200,000 Virginians, a great many of whom are D.C. bureaucrats, who now enjoy the benefits of living in the states while also exerting disproportionate influence over the federal government. They receive essentially double representation. If Arlington residents want to influence Washington, they should be in Washington, just as the founders intended.
The US Capitol from North Capitol street in Washington, D.C.. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Some history: In 1790, the District of Columbia was created. Its location was seated directly in between Maryland and Virginia, with both states ceding five miles of their land. But in 1847, after the District pressed for abolition of slavery, Alexandria, now Arlington County, was officially retroceded after President James K. Polk issued a proclamation and the Virginia legislature accepted.
Like the Civil War that followed, while there were financial, strategic, and voting interests at stake at the time, it is hard to argue that slavery was not the primary motivator. Virginians were afraid that "slaves" would simply walk across the boundary into the District and become free. With the physical barrier of the Potomac River parting Virginia from the District, slaves would be unable to gain their freedom. And indeed, as a result of retrocession, slavery expanded in Virginia even after the District abolished it.
VIRGINIA JUDGE VOIDS REDISTRICTING PUSH, RULES LAWMAKERS OVERSTEPPED AUTHORITY
The Supreme Court never weighed in as to whether this maneuver was constitutional. It did acknowledge the transfer, but in a tax dispute. The D.C. Circuit issued a ruling that presumed constitutionality, but in an estates case.
As a result, legitimate constitutional questions have been left to linger for 179 years. The Contract Clause of Article I of the Constitution states that "No state shall enter into any … law impairing the obligation of Contracts." In Virginia's agreement with the United States, it "forever ceded and relinquished … in full and absolute right and exclusive jurisdiction …." The land was given for the "permanent seat" of government. If the agreement was "permanent" and "forever," how then could a state initiate a law that impairs that contractual agreement?
US President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Trump signed an executive order intended to launch an IndyCar race on the streets of Washington as part of a series of America250 celebrations. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
There are additional constitutional concerns. Numerous agencies are housed in Arlington County. Yet, Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution that describes the "seat of government" as a tract of land that had been "by cession of particular states." In other words, the Constitution contemplated the seat of government to be independent of any state.
BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH VIRGINIA AS COURT OKS HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING VOTE
This makes sense. By placing a substantial portion of the federal government in a single state, that state, by logical extension, gains more power than the rest. That is precisely why separate land was so important to the founders. Everything was about balance and separating power and influence.
An attempt to restore the District would not be unique to President Trump. Subsequent presidents, like Abraham Lincoln, called for undoing retrocession. President William Taft, who said it was not even constitutional, called for restoring the land back to the District. An article at the time noted that the entire effort for retrocession was "to prevent fugitive slaves escaping from Virginia."
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In a time of efforts to undo historical injustices around race, it is hard to understand how this has not been revisited. But not for racist motives, the land would have remained a part of the District "permanently" and "forever," just as both the states and President George Washington intended. Thus practically, legally, and from a historical injustice perspective, it makes sense that "recession" (i.e. restoring the original cession) be revisited.
President Trump should consider issuing an Executive Order directing the DOJ (or other agencies) to explore the constitutionality of the 1847 retrocession and, potentially, actions that could be taken to restore the District to its original intended boundaries and purposes. As we prepare to celebrate America's 250th birthday, it would be a fitting moment for him to return Arlington residents to their constitutionally-approved residence. Virginians could also sleep better knowing they had righted a centuries' old wrong.
Curtis Schube is the director of research and policy at the Center to Advance Security in America.
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One American woman was killed and four others injured after a rogue wave hit the cruise ship. (Credit: Ann Clark Mah)
Cruise passengers expecting to visit Kauai, Hawaii, this week faced a scary "man overboard" alert.
The Emerald Princess was about to enter a port at Nāwiliwili Harbor on the southeast side of the island on Feb 10. As the ship approached, a harbor pilot who was climbing a rope ladder from a pilot boat next to the ship slipped and fell into the water, according to Kauai Now and other accounts.
"Scary situation off the coast of Kaua‘i on the [Princess Cruises] Emerald Princess," user whereswaltertravel — otherwise known as travel agent and founder Walter Biscardi Jr. of Florida — wrote in an Instagram post.
RESCUE OPERATION UNDERWAY AFTER POSSIBLE OVERBOARD INCIDENT ON CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP
"Our pilot slipped on the ladder trying to board the ship in very rough weather conditions," he added. Biscardi was a passenger on the cruise.
Witnesses said the pilot tried multiple times to board during rough seas before he lost his footing.
Passengers on a Hawaii cruise ship such as the one above were stunned when a harbor pilot slipped while climbing and fell into the water. (James D. Morgan)
One passenger said the harbor pilot fell around 10 to 20 feet from the ship's hull, not alongside it.
The crew on the boat worked quickly to rescue the pilot. Video shows that the man was pulled back onto the small vessel within minutes.
ISLAND CRACKS DOWN AS TOURISTS ARE SLAPPED WITH NEW FEES, FED-UP LOCALS REVOLT
He did not seem to be injured, according to Cruise Hive.
"Fortunately, the crew on the boat were able to retrieve him safely," Biscardi wrote on Instagram.
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"Our port call is waived … but none of that matters when a life and death situation unfolds."
After the cruise's port call on Kauai was canceled due to the emergency, it traveled on to Maui — where the ship was slated for its next port call.
Due to an emergency situation, passengers of the cruise ship never got off at the port in Kauai. (Patrick Pleu)
"Thanks to God for a quick recovery and a well-trained crew … [The harbor pilot] is healthy and fine," a passenger told Cruise Hive.
"I am amazed [at] how [the] well-trained and efficient Emerald staff handled everything quickly and professionally. Well done, crew."
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Fox News Digital reached out to Princess Cruise Line for comment.
The 3,090-passenger cruise ship departed Los Angeles on Feb. 4 for a 16-night Hawaii voyage, with Kauai scheduled as the first port call.
Trish Walters of Portland, Oregon, another passenger, recounted the frightening incident on social media.
Replying to a Facebook post by her husband, she mentioned how choppy the waters were that day.
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"Very windy — and kinda scary," Walters wrote.
"We could see the breakwaters for the Kaua‘i port, but the ship needed lots of room to fit into the harbor; the wind was pushing us pretty good, so the captain and port folks decided it was too dangerous to try."
The crew on the boat were able to retrieve the harbor pilot during the scary incident. (Patrick Pleul)
Strong winds caused massive breaking waves along the shorelines of the island, according to Cruise Hive.
The National Weather Service recently issued a high surf advisory.
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"We will come back to visit another day," Biscardi said.
"Thankful for the safety of the pilot and for the work all pilots do to help make our cruises amazing."
Jessica Mekles is an editor on the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
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Minutes after getting to a park in the middle of Phoenix, you can see flashes of green and hear the chatter. They're rosy-faced lovebirds, and they may have something to teach humans this Valentine's Day about keeping their romantic bonds strong. (AP Video: Ross Franklin, Thomas Peipert)
A lovebird sings in Encanto Park, Jan. 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Robert Carter, of the Maricopa Bird Alliance, looks through binoculars for love birds in Encanto Park, Jan. 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Lovebirds gather on the ground to feed in Encanto Park, Jan. 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Lovebirds perch in a palm tree in Encanto Park, Jan. 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Robert Carter, of the Maricopa Bird Alliance, looks for lovebirds to photograph in Encanto Park, Jan. 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX (AP) — Minutes after getting to a park in the middle of Phoenix, you can see flashes of green in the sky and hear chatter because love is in the air — or at least, the lovebirds are.
The small parrots are transplants from the other side of the world that are thought to be descendants of pet birds. Arizona is believed to be home to the largest colony of rosy-faced lovebirds outside southwestern Africa. They've been able to survive in a place known for sweltering weather by sticking close to humans and their air conditioning.
The lovebirds may have something to teach humans this Valentine's Day about keeping strong romantic bonds.
Rosy-faced lovebirds are originally from another arid region, the Namib Desert, which stretches from Angola, across Namibia and into South Africa. They are one of nine species of lovebirds.
Around the world, lovebirds are a popular pet. No one knows for sure how the lovebird colony started in Phoenix but they were first noticed around the city in the 1980s.
Some think pet lovebirds escaped or were let loose by their owners or escaped from a pet store, said Robert Carter, a volunteer for the Maricopa Bird Alliance who leads bird walks in the Phoenix area. Others have speculated that they could have flown all the way to Arizona but Carter thinks in that case, they would've found another arid area to stay along the way. The population has grown to an estimated 2,000 birds in Phoenix today, he said.
They can be seen sticking their heads out of the holes in cactus and palm trees that they roost in. They're also known to hang out near air conditioning vents on really hot days to at least be a little less hot, including at Arizona State University's science building.
While Carter thinks they should have been left in Africa, he admires their adaptability.
“They definitely show a sense of resilience to the situation that they're in,” he said.
While Phoenix's lovebirds are believed to be the largest, most firmly established colony outside of Africa, there are also fairly well-established colonies of rosy-faced lovebirds in parts of Hawaii — on the Big Island and in Maui, said Kenn Kaufman, field editor for Audubon magazine who has written about lovebirds.
Another kind of lovebird, the Fischer's lovebird, appear to have established a small colony on the southern coast of Portugal, he said.
Lovebirds earned their name because of their tendency to form lifelong bonds with their mates, who like to perch close together, almost like they're cuddling. While many parrots mate for life, fewer than half of bird species do, Kaufman said.
While genetic testing has revealed that birds considered “socially monogamous” sometimes also breed with other birds while raising their young with their mate, lovebirds are not known to stray. They often clean their mate's feathers, especially the hard-to-reach ones, and feed one another food throughout their lives, not just when they are courting, like some other birds, Kaufman said.
People who have kept lovebirds as pets report that their mate seems depressed when they lose their partner by not being active or making abnormal calls, said Dr. Stephanie Lamb, associate veterinarian and bird specialist at the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital.
Even when they are with other birds, lovebirds are not afraid to engage in some PDA — or as Kaufman says, “parrot display of affection.” They pass food to each other with their beaks, which often looks like kissing, he said.
But the reality might strike people as not so cute: the food they're exchanging is regurgitated.
“It wouldn't be quite so romantic if humans were doing it,” he said.
All that care and attention helps keep their bonds strong over their long lives, he said. They live about 20 years, less than bigger parrots but longer than smaller songbirds, he said.
Still, Lamb said lovebirds, like other parrots, can sometimes be violent with each other, screaming and pecking one another with beaks powerful enough to crack open seeds. Sometimes they have to sit at opposite ends of their cage for a bit, until one comes over and nudges their way back into a cuddle, she said.
“Then everything's good,” she said. ___ Slevin reported from Denver.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Thorbjorn Jagland announces the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, at the Nobel Institute in Oslo, Friday Oct. 11, 2013. (Heiko Junge/NTB Scanpix via AP, File)
STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly played up his ties to the former head of the Nobel Peace Prize committee in invitations to and chats with elites like Richard Branson, Larry Summers, Bill Gates and Steve Bannon, a top ally of President Donald Trump, the Epstein files show.
Thorbjørn Jagland, who headed the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015, turns up hundreds of times in the millions of documents about the former U.S. financier and convicted sex offender that were released by the U.S. Justice Department last month.
Since the release, Jagland, 75, has been charged in Norway for “aggravated corruption” in connection with an investigation prompted by information in the files, the economic crime unit of Norwegian police Økokrim said.
Økokrim has said it would investigate whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with Jagland's position. Its teams searched his Oslo residence on Thursday, plus two other properties in Risør, a coastal town to the south, and in Rauland to the west.
His attorneys at Elden law firm in Norway said Jagland denies the charges, and was questioned by the police unit on Thursday.
While there is no evidence in the documents seen so far of any outright lobbying for the Nobel Peace Prize, Epstein repeatedly played up hosting Jagland at his properties in New York and Paris in the 2010s.
In September 2018, during Trump's first term and in an apparent allusion to his interest in the peace prize, Epstein had a varied text-message exchange with Bannon, at one point writing — in one of many messages with untidy grammar: “donalds head would explode if he knew you were now buds with the guy who on monday will decide the nobel peace prize.”
“I told him next year it should be you when we settle china,” he added, without elaborating.
In one email from 2013, mixing in investment tips and praise for PR tips, Epstein told British entrepreneur and magnate Richard Branson that Jagland would be staying with Epstein in September that year, adding: “if you are there, you might find him interesting.”
A year after she left a job as White House counsel to President Barack Obama, in 2015, Kathy Ruemmler got an email from Epstein saying: “head of nobel peace prize coming to visit, want to join?”
In 2012, Epstein wrote former Treasury Secretary and Harvard University president Larry Summers about Jagland, saying “head of the nobel peace prize staying with me, if you have any interest.”
In that exchange, Epstein referred to Jagland — also a former Norwegian prime minister and former head of the Council of Europe, a human rights body — as “not bright” but someone who offered a “unique perspective.”
The financier wrote Bill Gates in 2014, saying that Jagland had been reelected as head of the Council of Europe.
“That is good,” the Microsoft co-founder and the world's former richest man, wrote. “I guess his peace prize committee job is also up in the air?”
During Jagland's tenure as chair of the committee, it gave the peace prize to Obama, in 2009, and the European Union in 2012.
Jagland was brought into Epstein's orbit by Terje Rød Larsen, a Norwegian diplomat who helped broker the Oslo Peace Accords between Israel and Palestinians. Larsen and wife are also facing corruption charges in Norway due to their association with Epstein.
___
Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.
___
The AP is reviewing the documents released by the Justice Department in collaboration with journalists from CBS, NBC, MS NOW and CNBC. Journalists from each newsroom are working together to examine the files and share information about what is in them. Each outlet is responsible for its own independent news coverage of the documents.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Remember "Netflix and chill?" About 10 years ago, the slang emerged like a Gen Z mating call: "Wanna come over and … hang out?"
Maybe it wasn't the most elegant dating scene, but at least it was a dating scene. According to new study from the Wheatley Institute and the Institute for Family Studies, today's young adults are in a "dating recession" — 2026 is all Netflix and no chill.
Our 2026 "State of our Unions" report, which surveyed 5,275 single adults between the ages of 22-35, found that only one in three of eligible young adults are actively dating. Nearly three quarters of women (74%) and two-thirds of men (64%) had not a single date, or dated only a few times, in the last year.
So, what's throwing cold water on what's supposed to be the most sexually charged phase of adult life?
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The relationship recession is keeping many single people from even trying to date. (iStock)
One of the most significant barriers to dating is an epidemic loss of self-confidence among young adults. Only about one in three said they felt comfortable approaching someone they were interested in, and less than 40% said they felt confident in their ability to talk about their feelings with a dating partner.
That's not altogether alarming — vulnerability with a new person is always uncomfortable. Dating has always been a high-risk, high-reward game. What's more alarming than that fear of intimacy is our finding that only 36% of young adults say they're confident they can read social cues on dates. They don't know how to be with someone else.
This hints at a bigger cause: kids aren't just avoiding dates, they aren't socializing at all. Last year, the Institute for Family Studies found that the average time young adults spent in person with friends in a given week has fallen by 50% since 2010. Other research has found that American adults are spending more time alone today — even post-pandemic — than ever before.
American teens spend an average of nearly four hours a day on social media and even longer on their smartphones generally. Is it any wonder that kids buried in a virtual world don't know how to make eye contact or read body language? You can't learn to read social cues unless you try reading social cues. Maybe Netflix actually killed the chill.
KRISTIN CAVALLARI'S STRICT 6-MONTH DATING RULE SHE FOLLOWS AFTER PAST RELATIONSHIP MISTAKES
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt believes so much smartphone use also arrests development of resilience. Young people who don't take risks don't learn how to weather failure. Our research found another significant reason (48%) that young people aren't asking each other out is their fear of repeating a painful past dating experience.
Still, the ‘dating recession' is not for lack of desire. Despite their loner tendencies, 86% of our survey respondents said they hope to get married one day.
That, at least, is encouraging: our research also suggests married adults, particularly married parents, consistently report the highest levels of personal well-being and happiness. Recent research found married mothers and fathers 18 to 55 are almost twice as likely to be "very happy" with their lives, compared to their single and childless peers.
CANDACE CAMERON BURE SAYS ‘MEN ARE SCARED TO TALK TO WOMEN' IN TODAY'S DATING WORLD
Unfortunately, if today's trends continue, at least one in three adults who are in their twenties today will never marry. That means fewer people will have children, too. A dating recession will make those numbers even bleaker.
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One of the most significant barriers to dating is an epidemic loss of self-confidence among young adults.
That means more young adults risk the fate of Elizabeth, a charming and ambitious young lawyer living in Texas. Elizabeth says she's always desired marriage, but didn't prioritize dating in her college years. "I thought, let's wait until I'm established, and have gotten through my education and I'm settled somewhere long-term for my career before I really look for someone," she said.
Fast-forward to Elizabeth's graduation from law school, when she finally came up for air and found that marriage seemed farther away than ever. "Having not been in any serious relationship before, I didn't really know how to do it," she said.
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By pop-culture standards, Elizabeth did everything right: she worked hard, built an impressive career, and didn't get ‘tied down' too early. But visiting her sister recently, who took the opposite path — got married young, and had just had her third baby — Elizabeth said she was gutted to realize she'd have given "every dollar in [her] bank account" to have her sisters' life.
This Valentine's Day, young adults who desire a relationship should embrace the risk. They might not feel particularly confident, but there's good news: according to our research, neither does anyone else. That's ok. Love is messy. But it's what makes life worthwhile.
Brad Wilcox, author of "Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization," is distinguished university professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia and a senior fellow at the Institute for Family Studies.
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Maria Baer is a contributing writer at the Institute for Family Studies.
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First lady of Florida Casey DeSantis joins ‘Fox & Friends' to discuss the Florida Department of Health's study on arsenic levels in candy.
Conversation hearts — the tiny pastel candies stamped with messages like "Be Mine" and "XOXO" — have been quietly documenting and adapting to the ways Americans talk about love for more than a century.
The chalky sweets trace their roots to 19th-century Boston, where pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine in 1847 to press sugar lozenges, which led to the founding of the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO), according to National Geographic.
In 1866, his brother, Daniel Chase, developed a method for stamping words directly onto the candy — and by 1902, they were being cut into heart shapes, paving the way for them to become a Valentine's Day staple.
AMERICANS SPLIT OVER 'GRANDMA CANDIES' AS CARAMELS AND CIRCUS PEANUTS SPARK DEBATE
Over time, lengthy Victorian sentiments popular among couples and wedding parties such as "How long shall I have to wait?" and "Married in satin, love will not be lasting" — which were stamped on the larger wafers — gave way to short phrases like "Kiss Me" and "Marry Me" on tiny hearts.
While the messages have changed over time, experts say the purpose of candy hearts remains largely the same.
First introduced in the 1860s, conversation candy hearts have become a Valentine's Day staple. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
"Conversation hearts succeed because they're low-cost emotional currency," Nicole Arnett Sanders, Ph.D., a Florida-based consumer behaviorist and marketing professor, told Fox News Digital.
"They let you say something without actually having to say it yourself. The candy does the emotional labor."
The candy's phrases have reflected each era, from millennium-themed messages like "2000 Kisses" to phrases such as "Call Me," "Text Me" and "Tweet Me," according to Reader's Digest. Some messages, including "Fax Me" and "1-800-CUPID," are now relics of the past.
FROM RETRO TO REFINED: JELL-O SALAD AND SAVORY GELATIN DISHES MAKE UNEXPECTED RETURN
Sweethearts this year introduced "Love in This Economy" sayings such as "Splint Rent," "Share Log-In" and "Buy N Bulk," reflecting rising costs and budget-conscious dating trends.
Eighty percent of respondents said the economy is affecting their Valentine's Day plans, according to the company.
Nostalgia and comfort continue to fuel consumers' growing interest in the pastel Valentine's Day staple. (iStock)
"Sweethearts has always evolved with the times," Evan Brock, vice president of marketing for the Ohio-based Spangler Candy Co., said in a statement.
Brach's — America's top-selling conversation heart brand, which produces three million pounds of conversation hearts annually — debuted a "Sweet Bright" line featuring tangier flavors, dual-sided messages and emoji-inspired phrases, according to the company.
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"The shift from 'Be Mine' to 'Text Me' to 'GOAT' tells us less about candy and more about how Americans have become increasingly uncomfortable with direct, earnest expressions of romance," Sanders said.
"We've replaced vulnerability with humor and internet shorthand — and conversation hearts track that evolution in real time."
Conversation hearts have been sharing sweet sentiments from "Be Mine" to "Text Me" for more than a century. (iStock)
Interest in the candy also appears to be growing.
Conversation around candy hearts has increased more than 26% in the past two years — a notable rise for a product that has changed little in form, according to consumer insights platform Tastewise.
"They've evolved from a romantic token to a playful, social ritual," said Miriam Aniel, head of integrated marketing and senior consumer trends analyst at Tastewise, based in Tel Aviv. "Nostalgia thrives on ritual and comfort — and candy hearts hit both."
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Nostalgic products compete not on innovation but on consistency, delivering what Aniel called "repeatable joy."
"When life feels noisy or uncertain, people naturally reach for small, comforting rituals that have stood the test of time," she told Fox News Digital.
Conversation hearts have held their own alongside chocolate as a Valentine's Day staple for generations. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Sanders agreed that uncertainty fuels nostalgia purchases.
"Consumers reach for products that transport them to a time that felt safer and simpler. … For millennials and Gen X especially, retro candy isn't just sugar — it's a sensory time machine," she said. "The taste, the texture, even the packaging triggers a full emotional memory. That's not something a new product can manufacture."
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That emotional comfort is something consumers are often willing to prioritize even when they're trimming other expenses, Sanders added.
Candy hearts have tracked how Americans express love throughout generations. (iStock)
But nostalgia isn't a free pass.
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Push too hard, Sanders cautioned, and brands risk sliding into "gimmick territory" — especially with Valentine's Day's biggest buyers.
"Women, who drive most Valentine's Day candy purchases, can tell the difference between a brand that genuinely understands the cultural moment and one that's just chasing a trending hashtag," she warned.
Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital.
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After deciding carbon dioxide does no harm, it was the logical next move.
“President Trump on Thursday announced he was erasing the scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment, ending the federal government's legal authority to control the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.” — The New York Times
A new ruling from the Trump administration says that when the sun disappears at night, we don't know where it goes. All remaining top scientists have been taken from their positions and tasked with getting to the bottom of this.
The National Institutes of Health has orders to devote every whiteboard in every conference room to this pressing question. In the Oval Office, under the gold leaf, the president and his advisers are making a big list of possibilities:
The sun might be on the back of a big beetle—a dung beetle, maybe. (The EPA will work to determine what kind of beetle.) Where is the beetle going with it? Will the beetle bring it back?
Or maybe the witches take it. (They are pretty sure in the White House that witches are real.)
Maybe the immigrants steal the sun in the evenings.
Maybe the sun is the yellow scribble in the top corner of the page with sunglasses drawn on it in marker, and it disappears when someone puts it in a drawer. (But who? Emmanuel Macron?)
Maybe the sun is in Greenland. (If so, it is even more important to get control of Greenland.)
Maybe Bad Bunny has taken the sun hostage and is keeping it in his halftime grass. (He must be held to account.)
Maybe the groundhog knows. (Can the groundhog be made to talk?)
Maybe Jerome Powell has put the sun in his office.
Maybe the children have the sun, and we had better warehouse them all in Texas until one of them gives it up.
Maybe a wolf swallows it.
Maybe Mark Kelly and several other dissident members of Congress are hiding the sun in a big bag. (He got the bag when he was in space. Fortunately, soon only billionaires will be allowed to visit space and get the bags for the sun, and they will be required to give the bags to the president directly.)
Maybe Hillary Clinton ate it. (We put nothing past her.)
It's very frightening when the sun goes away, now that we have decided we don't know where it goes at night.
You can just decide that you don't know things, it turns out, even if you do know them. You can simply decide to forget progress. Disease is caused by miasma, insufficient beef tallow, corn syrup, the evil eye. You can simply decide to burn coal and witches and books again.
Be especially sure to burn the books. We must do whatever we can to make light until the sun comes back.
I hope it comes back soon.
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Wanted poster that Tonya Miller made in the desperate search for her mother, Betty Miller, who went missing in 2019. (Tonya Miller via the AP)
In this undated image released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations shows missing Cynthia Acevedo. (FBI via AP)
In this undated image released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations shows missing Laverda Sorrell. (FBI via AP)
In this undated image released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations shows missing Ella Mae Begay. (FBI via AP)
In this undated image released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations shows missing Carlotta Maria Sanchez. (FBI via AP)
As hundreds of federal and local agents scoured the Arizona desert and chased down potential leads in the nearly two weeks since Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her affluent neighborhood, families of other missing people are reminded how elusive answers can be.
On the one hand, families who spoke to The Associated Press share in the deep pain that Nancy Guthrie's children, including the well-known “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, have expressed publicly.
On the other, people like Tonya Miller — whose own mother disappeared under suspicious circumstances in Missouri in 2019 — say they feel frustrated as they watch seemingly endless resources flood into the search for Guthrie.
“Families like ours that have just your normal missing people, they have to fight to get any help,” Miller, 44, said.
Miller's mother, Betty Miller, is one of the thousands of people who are listed as abducted each year, according to federal statistics. In most cases, families like Tonya Miller's say it's a full-time job advocating for a fair and thorough investigation.
The country has been engrossed by the apparent kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, after authorities said they believe she was taken against her will. People in her neighborhood have tied yellow ribbons to tree to express their support.
Multiple news outlets have reported receiving ransom notes, and the Guthrie family has expressed a willingness to pay — although it's not known whether ransom notes demanding money with deadlines that have already passed were authentic.
In the meantime, several hundred detectives and agents are now assigned to Nancy Guthrie's investigation, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said.
FBI spokesperson Connor Hagan declined to say how many of those agents were federal law enforcement, and how many were already assigned in Arizona. He also didn't clarify how the federal agency prioritizes different missing persons cases.
However, he said agents from the Critical Incident Response Group, technical experts and intelligence analysts are working to bring Guthrie home. There is also a 24-hour command post where dozens of agents parse through the 13,000 tips that have flooded in from the public, among other responsibilities, according to a post the agency made.
The vast majority of people who are reported missing are believed to be runaways — not kidnapped or abducted.
Throughout all of 2024, the latest year that National Crime Information Center published the data, over 530,000 missing person records were entered. By the end of the year, just over 90,000 cases remained unresolved on that list — some going back decades.
Roughly 95% of the hundreds of thousands of cases filed in 2024 were believed to be runaways and only 1% were listed as abducted.
Often, the abductor is a parent who doesn't have legal guardianship over a child, the report said. It's even more rare for someone to be abducted by a stranger.
The FBI names five kidnapped or missing people, including Nancy Guthrie, from Arizona on its online database of 125 missing or kidnapped people. All five from Arizona are listed as Native American or otherwise disappeared from tribal communities, except for Guthrie.
That racial trend holds true for the rest of the country, too.
A disproportionate number of Black and Indigenous people were among the abducted in 2024, according to the National Crime Information Center report. Roughly a third of the 533,936 missing people listed as abducted in 2024 were Black, even though the U.S. Census reports only 13% of the U.S. population as Black. Similarly, almost 3% of the missing people listed as abducted were Indigenous, compared to the 1.4% of people who are Indigenous in the U.S. writ large.
“Every person deserves to be safe, and when someone is missing, there should be an immediate, coordinated, and effective response,” Lucy Simpson, the chief executive officer for the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center said. “For many Native women, longstanding gaps in resources, coordination, and systemic support for Tribal Nations have made prevention and response more difficult.”
Experts have said that sometimes the attention on high-profile cases can be a major obstacle to law enforcement operations. But Savannah Guthrie's celebrity status has also garnered extensive resources from the federal and local government — including a $100,000 FBI reward for accurate information about her whereabouts or that could lead to an arrest and conviction of whoever took her.
That's in stark contrast, Miller said, to the dearth of help she's received in Sullivan, Missouri, where she's had to use her own time and money to search for her mom, who was last seen in her apartment in the roughly 7,000 person town. A box of Betty Miller's prescribed fentanyl patches were missing from the apartment and her prescription eye glasses were left on an armchair, Tonya Miller said. There was a massive scratch on her mom's front door that wasn't there before.
The Sullivan Police Department didn't respond to an emailed request for comment Friday.
Despite those suspicious circumstances, local police didn't treat her mother's apartment like a crime scene, Tonya Miller said. She had to beg them to take fingerprints and often had to prod them to follow up on tips filed by the public. In the weeks that followed, Tonya Miller organized search parties, printed out fliers and held fundraisers to scrape together a $20,000 reward for her mother.
Tonya Miller said it has become harder as the years go by to know how to help find her mom. She's written letters to elected officials at all levels of government, including President Donald Trump.
“I feel so helpless,” Miller said, “because you just don't know what to do anymore.”
___
Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Born in Ramallah at the end of the ‘90s, Ayham Hassan grew up privy to the political weight attributed to certain sartorial practices. “I became aware early on that Palestinian textiles are not just objects,” said the designer, who is based between London and the occupied West Bank. “They are evidence carrying geography, lineage, and memory.”
When Hassan graduated from London's Central Saint Martins art and design college last June, he titled his final collection “IM-Mortal Magenta: The Color That Doesn't Exist.” Shaped by his understanding of this relationship between art and politics, it was infused with visual elements inspired by Gaza. “The color magenta became a conceptual anchor, used to speak about erasure and survival,” he explained in an email. “And tatreez informed not only the visual language, but also the structure of the work, and fundamentally how I design.”
This perception of tatreez, or traditional Palestinian embroidery, as a type of visual language is widely shared, owing to its intimacy with the land and biographical characteristics. A centuries-old creative practice, tatreez originally married its maker (usually women from rural communities) with their respective region. Details like color, technique and even its depictions of certain plants and flowers were tied to specific areas; by design it denoted social status and personal life events, including marriage or widowhood.
Beginning in 1948, following the Arab-Israeli war (recognized as the Nakba, or catastrophe, during which 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes) – as well as later intifadas, or uprisings, against the occupation in 1987 and 2000 – tatreez became a political vehicle, actively embodying resistance for many Palestinians.
“Today it's become part of an understanding of Palestinian steadfastness, or ‘sumud' — of resistance more broadly,” Rachel Dedman, a curator of Middle Eastern art at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and author of “Stitching the Intifada: Embroidery and Resistance in Palestine,” said during a video call. “And its practice as one of solidarity is becoming more and more clear. On TikTok you get lots of results for people running stitching circles and tatreez workshops.”
“The purpose of tatreez was a celebration of culture, land and identity. It was never meant to be political.”
Samar Abdrabbou, a Palestinian program manager for Made in Palestine (MIP), a humanitarian non-profit
Dedman has spent the past decade researching tatreez and curating exhibitions in Europe and across the Middle East, following an initial invitation from the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, north of Ramallah, in 2014. “Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine” is currently on show at the V&A Dundee in Scotland while more recently “Embroidering Palestine” opened at MoMu, the fashion museum of Antwerp, where work by Hassan is displayed alongside thobes (embroidered ankle-length dresses, also known as thobs) made over a century ago.
“Often in museums there's a feeling that historic fashion is something that's unchanging and static, held in amber,” said Dedman. “In the 19th century, tatreez and Palestinian dress was fashion – women were looking at each other. Being in MoMu then, I was excited to really approach this as fashion in the fullest sense, carving that connection between a 19th century embroidered thobe and the work of designers in the present.”
“The purpose of tatreez was a celebration of culture, land and identity,” added Samar Abdrabbou, a Palestinian program manager for Made in Palestine (MIP), an Australian humanitarian non-profit, who is based in Bethlehem. Many women used the traditional craft to “celebrate their beauty and femininity – they were not trying to fight or resist,” Abdrabbou explained. “Tatreez was never meant to be political, but during the Nakba many women left with only the thobe they were wearing, and a lot of fabric factories were burned. Palestinian women never stopped stitching.”
After 1948, tatreez became important as material evidence of Palestinian presence on the land, and women started to insert politically charged motifs into their work. They also began appropriating colors in their tatreez, and the watermelon became a symbol of Palestinian solidarity with its red flesh, white rind, black seeds, and green skin mirroring the Palestinian flag. “Those objects are fascinating because they render women's bodies sites of active political power, engaging in this explicitly political moment, making tatreez with a view to being seen,” said Dedman. “And they're not what we associate with protest, because they take so long to make and they're often stitched in difficult circumstances.”
In 2021, the global significance of tatreez was recognized by UNESCO, when it was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a safeguarding measure to ensure its preservation. Its political interpretations still continue today. As Hassan asserted, “Carrying embroidery between London and Palestine has never felt neutral to me. Tatreez is read very differently depending on who is looking at it. It is framed as ‘heritage' or ‘folk craft', or under occupation it is immediately politicized.”
Being a part of the exhibition at MoMu then, alongside other contemporary designers like Studio Nazzal and Zeid Hijazi, feels particularly remarkable. “Presenting Palestinian embroidery and contemporary design within a major European fashion museum is an act of visibility at a time when Palestinian lives, histories, and voices are systematically erased or misrepresented,” said Hassan. “Tatreez is not simply ornamentation; it is a living language, a form of resistance, and an intergenerational archive.”
“It's really about looking at the wealth of beauty, that side that we don't necessarily see,” added Dedman, in reference to the images of destruction in Gaza after two years of war. “We're celebrating Palestinian joy, creativity and brilliance, as much as we are engaging with the realities of the situation. To be able to bring people closer to the intimate lives, of Palestinian women in particular, is very important.”
For Abdrabbou, who in 2024 established SAMARKAND, a cultural initiative dedicated to preserving and teaching tatreez, practicing the art feels most keenly like a way to honor her heritage. Traditionally passed between generations in families, increasingly she recognized an absence of knowledge about the craft amongst younger Palestinians and sought to rectify this. “I'm doing it to celebrate and keep this traditional art alive,” she said, though acknowledged there is a political component too. “I remember seeing a photo of a tatreez piece under the rubble (in Gaza), the first thing I thought about was the time and effort that the woman who made this piece put in it. This was my personal urgent response.”
“The sense of community while stitching with other people is so powerful. Women feel comfortable and supported, everyone shares personal stories,” continued Abdrabbou, discussing her weekly Tatreez circle at a local café in Bethlehem. Open to men as well as women, she receives both Palestinians and international audiences. “I believe it's important for everyone living in Palestine to learn about the traditions and culture of the country. And since it's a diverse group, of Palestinians and internationals, we hear about crafts and traditions from different countries and cultures too.”
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For Ashley Garley, the past year has been “messy, challenging and heartbreaking.”
Garley, a former contractor and malaria expert with the US Agency for International Development, was among the first people impacted by the Department of Government Efficiency's massive shrinking of the federal workforce last year, led by billionaire Elon Musk, which began almost immediately after President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Garley, who lost her job after the US froze all foreign aid in late January 2025, is struggling to find a full-time job with benefits more than a year later. To contribute to the bills, she has returned to a job she held in her teens and 20s: swim instructor.
Going from a jet-setting job with global impact, to teaching part-time at her county pool in Maryland has been “pretty emotional,” Garley told CNN.
“My world has gotten very small, very quickly.”
Ashley Garley, former USAID contractor
Like Garley, hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors have had their lives upended by Trump's quest to clamp down on the federal workforce, whom he sees as a threat to his ability to execute his priorities.
More than 350,000 workers have left the federal government's payroll since the president started his second term on January 20, 2025, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
After accounting for new hires, the federal workforce shrunk by 242,000 people – or just over 10% – between his inauguration day and December. Nearly 2.1 million federal civilian employees remain.
Trump said last month that he doesn't feel bad about the downsizing, claiming without evidence that former federal workers are now making more money in the private sector.
But that's not been everyone's experience. CNN spoke with several former federal workers who were laid off or accepted buyouts amid DOGE's aggressive and controversial cuts last year. Some of them, like Garley, have struggled to find a job and pay the bills. Meanwhile, others have pivoted careers, moved across the country for new jobs or are dedicating their time to volunteer work – and finding a silver lining in their new lives.
Here are some of their stories:
The stress of losing her dream job at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention landed Morgan Hall in the hospital.
A few months after she received her final paycheck in August, Hall told CNN that she had been in bed for days without eating or answering the phone. Her son ultimately found her, and she was hospitalized in October for 10 days with severe depression, anxiety, and physical complications tied to a preexisting medical condition that can be worsened by stress.
“The only other time I dealt with depression was when my grandmother died.”
Morgan Hall, former analyst at CDC
Hall – who worked as an analyst for CDC's violence prevention division – was initially placed on administrative leave on February 14, 2025, and later terminated as part of the sweeping layoffs known as a “reduction in force,” or RIFs. She is among the 10,500 people across agencies who were affected by RIFs.
Hall says she has fallen behind on bills, which includes roughly $57,000 in hospital costs. For two months, she relied on food stamps to buy groceries, sought state assistance for utilities, and a relative helped cover her mortgage so she would not lose her home.
In January, Hall began a temporary 12-week stint that placed her back at CDC, working through a contractor. However, she says she is still unable to meet her expenses. She is also continuing to apply for jobs, submitting at least five applications on most days.
“My hope and prayer is that one day I can go back and continue to complete my mission at CDC,” Hall told CNN, adding “I feel like a part of me is gone.”
When Casey Hollowell decided to take the second buyout offer, known as the deferred resignation program, from the US Department of Agriculture in April, he figured he'd have no trouble finding a job by the time his federal paychecks would stop at the end of September.
An Army veteran who served in Iraq, Hollowell hadn't wanted to leave his post as an investigative analyst but felt he had no job security after being laid off in the administration's purge of probationary workers last February and then reinstated by a federal judge.
Initially, he thought he could be picky, looking for remote jobs so he could stay in Biloxi, Mississippi, close to his teenage son. But Hollowell, 40, grew concerned after applying for multiple positions and not getting any responses. So he widened his search, applying to as many as 30 jobs a day, including ones that were in-person or part-time or entry level.
Though his grandparents helped him cover his bills, the fruitless job hunt weighed on him. He stopped hanging out with his friends because he felt he couldn't afford it.
“I became a hermit,” said Hollowell. “I just stayed at home, like, all the time.”
Then in December, he got a big break. Hollowell applied for a data analyst position at an insurance claims management company, and less than a week later, he was asked to interview. He started on February 2, nearly one year to the day after his initial layoff from USDA.
Now Hollowell is making some other big changes. He just put an offer on a house, which was accepted. And the whole ordeal prompted him to switch from being Republican to an independent.
“The journey from leaving the USDA to now was not an easy one, but at the same time, there was a lot of self-reflection in that time period. I think I came out better in the end.”
Casey Hollowell, former investigative analyst at USDA
Similarly, Kit Rees, a former investigator at the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, also accepted the administration's second deferred resignation offer and ended their tenure in the federal government in September.
Rees' journey to securing a full-time job in their field has been difficult and tiring, they told CNN.
Before their federal paychecks stopped, Rees began piecing together whatever work they could find. They picked up a job at an ACE Hardware store in May 2025 and found part-time work with a restoration construction company, filling in on job sites when it needed additional help.
The jobs didn't pay nearly as much as their federal government salary but it gave Rees the mental break they said they needed.
“It was healing, lifting mulch, helping people match screws and working through house projects,” Rees said. The customer service job allowed them to talk “to dozens of people,” and those conversations reminded them “that tragedies don't happen to everybody.”
However, struggling to pay the bills, Rees took out a $15,000 loan.
Just weeks away from asking their family for financial help, Rees secured a job in their field earlier this month.
“It's more than a $30,000 pay cut. But it's still the best offer that I've gotten,” they told CNN.
Rees said they are cautious about feeling relieved after securing the job.
“I will not feel anything until I'm sitting at my desk on the first day. And then I will probably cry in the bathroom because I don't count anything as certain with my unemployment right now.”
Kit Rees, former DOJ employee
After accepting a deferred resignation offer, Steve Leibman says he was lucky to be at the point of his career where he didn't feel immediate pressure to take a new job right away. He took some consulting work and helped a non-profit, but it was his trek on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania that changed his perspective on his next real move.
Leibman – who worked remotely from the Boston area at the US Digital Service, which later formally turned into DOGE – is now enrolled in a teacher license program at Harvard University. The program is a one-year master's degree, after which he hopes to teach high school math.
“A big part of it was just interacting with people whose perspective of the world are just different and gives a different view of how can you have impact in the world,” Liebman told CNN about his trip.
“That was part of me saying, ‘Yeah actually, I am valuable and fun, and I could be doing interesting things on a local small scale.'”
Steve Liebman, former USDS/DOGE employee
Meanwhile, David Schwark began looking for another job when a court order brought him back to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in Cleveland after he had been laid off in March 2025. He was uncertain when he would be formally let go.
The Department of Education was the second hardest hit agency in the federal government overhaul, losing 49% of its staff, according to OPM. Meanwhile, agencies that are a higher priority for Trump were shielded. For instance, staffing at the Department of Homeland Security only dipped 11%.
Schwark, who was a prosecutor before he joined the Department of Education, is now a magistrate in a local municipal court in Lakewood, Ohio.
“It's a lot different. I loved my job with Ed,” Schwark told CNN. “It's been a big shift to go back to dealing with criminal law and being in the court room for a long time.”
When Cameron Hilaker was laid off as an emergency manager at USAID, his wife was six-months pregnant with their first born. Their son is now eight months old and Hilaker still has not found work. He has defaulted to being a stay-at-home-dad.
“I'm very happy to be a stay-at-home dad, don't get me wrong by any means, but this was never anywhere in our sketch of what our life would look like.”
Hilaker says his family is really starting to feel the crunch financially and are considering moving out of Washington, DC, for a better cost-of-living.
“I feel burned by Elon Musk and DOGE,” Hilaker, a member of AFGE Local 1534 union, told CNN. “They came in, they said they were going to slash and burn the federal government, they were going to reduce the deficit.”
“[DOGE] had all these pie in the sky dreams and ideals. And the only thing they did, quite frankly, is ruin my career, ruined my life and ruined a lot of other like good people's lives as well.”
Cameron Hilaker, former emergency manager at USAID
For Vi Le, a former behavioral scientist and violence prevention researcher at the CDC, finding a new role has become its own full-time job.
She has a small contract related to violence prevention, but it is not enough to replace her previous salary. Until she finds a job in her field, Le told CNN that she is trying to expand a hobby business designing floral arrangements for events.
“For now, flowers might be the full-time job, and my career might be the hobby,” Le said.
After losing his DC-based contractor job at USAID, Nathan Karrel said he “went straight into survival mode.” He found a new role with the city of Tucson, Arizona, where he knew nobody – and moved there “sight unseen.”
“I'm not in international development anymore, which was my plan,” said Karrel, 42. “But I really love Tucson, except for the heat. It's a whole different culture than DC. The food scene is amazing. The people are kind, and the mountains are great. Now I know all about mesquite trees and cacti.”
He is one of several federal employees who told CNN that the Trump-era cuts were so disruptive to their lives that they moved across the country – highlighting the nationwide impact of DOGE, which affected communities far beyond DC where the bulk of federal workers live.
“You reach a point of asking yourself, ‘how desperate are you?'”
Nathan Karrel, former contractor at USAID
CivicMatch, a jobs platform that connected nearly 190 former federal workers to new jobs last year at state and local governments, said roughly 33% of those people moved to a new state, and 10% did cross-country moves.
One of these people moved all the way from DC to Honolulu, Hawaii. An employee from the Department of Interior moved from Pennsylvania to Oregon. A federal health official moved from Texas to Richmond, Virginia.
“As the federal government retrenches, the work obviously does not disappear. It shifts to cities and states,” CivicMatch founder Caitlin Lewis said. “This has become a talent redistribution engine, to the benefit of local governments. Federal workers were desperate to continue serving.”
Lucas King, 36, who was also a USAID contractor, relocated from DC to Idaho, where he grew up. He previously managed some of USAID's largest projects in Africa, including initiatives from Trump's first term. Now he oversees permits and inspections for Ketchum, Idaho, a ski town with 3,600 residents.
“I wasn't getting traction in DC, so we moved back to Idaho,” King said. “My new boss was clear that this was kind of a step down, given my experience. It was traumatic, but it worked out. I feel lucky that I found a place to live, a good employer, with good benefits, and I'm back with family and friends.”
The DOGE layoffs also sent Nathaniel Haight on a path closer to family.
He started as an intern at USAID in 2015, and worked his way up over 10 years, handling grants and contracts. But after getting swept up in the dismantling of USAID, he cast a wide net during his job search, looking far beyond DC, so he could start providing again for his wife and four children.
“I had my dream job in DC, and it was heartbreaking for our lives to be uprooted like that. But moving to Indiana has been a silver lining.”
Nathaniel Haight, former USAID employee
He landed a new role handling grants for the city of Indianapolis, which came as a relief. His parents and four siblings live in Indiana. His kids had to switch to new schools, but they now have much deeper bonds with their cousins, he said.
“I found a new job in public service, much closer to my parents and siblings,” Haight said. “I'm seeing a lot of positives that have come out of it.”
After being placed on administrative leave from USAID, Julianne Weis began going to Capitol Hill to stress the impacts of the agency's funding cuts and advocate for foreign aid to be restored. She co-founded Aid on the Hill, a volunteer advocacy organization.
Weis worked in USAID's global health bureau, particularly in the areas of family planning and reproductive health. She eventually was formally terminated from the agency as part of reduction in force efforts.
These days, Weis spends most of her week meeting with congressional staffers — sometimes virtually and other times, taking her kids along to Capitol Hill.
“It's hard for me to sit, sit and not respond when there is injustice, and this is an incredible amount of injustice.”
Julianne Weis, former USAID employee
Weis will be starting a full-time job soon, and she shared with CNN that she plans on having “a side role in helping” Aid on the Hill in her own time.
Similarly, as Deborah Kaliel – who worked at USAID's Office of HIV/AIDS – searches for a job, she is dedicating her time as a volunteer for Crisis in Care, a fundraising effort she co-founded to provide support for HIV services in other countries.
“That has kind of taken over my life,” Kaliel told CNN. She added: “It's been really rewarding and, and a really wonderful way for me to stay engaged with the topic and the people and the communities that I'm most passionate about.”
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The United States's efforts to permanently neutralize the Iranian threat are getting tangled by disagreements between allies who, theoretically, should be cheering on the regime's collapse.
President Donald Trump has ordered a second aircraft carrier to join military patrols in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. envoys are meeting with increasingly desperate Iranian counterparts with the goal of negotiating an end to the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Yet in ally Saudi Arabia, more ink is being spilled over the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), widely considered the Senate's supreme warhawk toward the Islamic Republic, had a hard time controlling his anger at the Munich Security Conference on Friday as he lambasted the Middle East leaders he believes are holding back an anti-Iran coalition with petty feuds.
“As to [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] and [UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan] — knock it off. … I'm tired of this crap,” he shouted from the stage, warning that “any leader in the region that doesn't understand you're on the verge of history — history will judge you poorly.”
The Saudis and Emiratis have escalated their rhetoric against one another in recent weeks, focusing more public statements on each other's perceived duplicity than on the Shia dictatorship that is under threat of collapse.
The sour relations emerged in December 2025, ostensibly over conflicting visions for leadership in Yemen and Sudan. That complicated dispute has quickly mutated into tit-for-tat insults using Israel as a wedge.
Saudi media outlets and sermons delivered by state-sanctioned clerics have renewed campaigns characterizing Israel as “Zionist aggressors” and decrying the Jewish state's treatment of muslims' “downtrodden brothers in Palestine.” The Saudis have used this narrative as a cudgel to hammer the UAE, which maintains a close relationship with Israel, as a “Zionist Trojan Horse” and “proxy” being used to “divide Arab states.”
The UAE has been accused of lobbying American advocacy groups to brand Saudi Arabia as “antisemitic” in response.
Graham, exasperated in Munich on Friday, urged Salman to abandon his line of attack on the UAE and focus on the Iranian regime — a Shia extremist government despised by both the Saudis and Emiratis.
“MBS is not a Zionist, and you're emboldening Iran by having this conflict,” Graham pleaded. “Now I know they have differences in Yemen and differences in Sudan, but we've got to think big picture.”
He added: “Sunni Islam will go, if it were up to the ayatollah [Ali Khamenei]. They want to destroy Islam, and they want to kill us. We've got a lot in common here.”
The Saudi government has been mercurial in its public statements about possible further U.S. and Israeli intervention in the Islamic Republic, fluctuating between tacit support and refusal to cooperate.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman reportedly warned U.S. officials late last month that failing to follow through on Trump's early threats of military action would “only embolden the regime.”
But the U.S. and Israel should not expect any help from Riyadh. Salman has barred U.S. and Israeli forces from using any part of his territory to stage such an attack.
Jacob Olidort, chief research officer and director of American security at the America First Policy Institute, told the Washington Examiner that the Saudis' refusal to be entangled with U.S. operations is not based on diverging visions about Iran, but instead concerns about how a conflict with Tehran could spill over into their own borders.
“Any public expressions of concern on the part of Saudi Arabia vis-a-vis military action towards Iran are a reflection of their concerns about being on the receiving end of any Iranian response,” Olidort said, adding that there appears to be a “consensus between Saudi Arabia and Israel on the need to eliminate threats from the Iranian regime, which is the view of the United States as well.”
Olidort added, “Whether this is ultimately achieved diplomatically or militarily, the outcome will likely encourage greater cooperation between Israel and its neighbors.”
Edmund Fitton-Brown, former British ambassador to Yemen and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, speculates that the reduction of Iranian influence caused by U.S.-Israeli military operations has counterintuitively given Saudi Arabia less reason to work with its Sunni rivals.
“They're very conscious of their national security — both who is threatening them and also how do they avoid having unnecessary fallings out with dangerous neighbors or partners or interlocutors,” Fitton-Brown told the Washington Examiner.
He continued, “By making Iran look a lot less scary, which is what Israel did last year with U.S. involvement as well, that has changed the calculation for a number of countries in the region who are now less afraid of Iran than they were. And I think that's true of Saudi Arabia.”
The State Department believes that despite the current bickering, efforts to reduce Iranian influence can only have a positive effect on the region.
“We do not share the premise that efforts to counter the Iranian regime's malign activities undermine regional integration,” a spokesperson for the State Department told the Washington Examiner. “On the contrary, reducing the Iranian regime's destabilizing activities creates conditions for broader stability and long-term cooperation.”
The State Department is optimistic about the future of the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic framework crafted by the first Trump administration to normalize relations between Israel and its surrounding Arab neighbors.
The United Arab Emirates was the first Arab nation to sign on, followed by Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco in the following years — all Sunni nations concerned with the existential threat of growing Iranian influence.
The U.S. believes the Abraham Accords remain a valuable mechanism for stabilizing the region and still sees them as an option on the table to bring Saudi Arabia closer in alignment with the West.
“The Abraham Accords have already delivered tangible security and economic benefits,” the State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “The United States remains committed to building on those gains in consultation with regional partners.”
The spokesperson added, “Expanding the Abraham Accords strengthens regional security, economic integration, and deterrence against malign actors.”
Since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas reignited Israel's war in Gaza, Saudi Arabia has maintained that while it is interested in signing onto the accords, recognition of a Palestinian state and defense agreements with the U.S. are a precondition for normalizing its relationship with Israel.
“We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path to a two-state solution,” the Saudi crown prince said in November 2025. “We had a healthy discussion with Mr. President that we're going to work on that to be sure that we can prepare the right situation as soon as possible.”
This position has been a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's efforts to maintain its status as an independent power with its feet firmly planted in the Islamic world, even as it modernizes and cooperates with Western powers such as the U.S. and Israel.
“Publicly, Saudi Arabia has not changed its stance on these positions — whether because doing so could expose it to new risks amid changing regional dynamics or frustrate its deepening ties with other regional actors,” Olidort told the Washington Examiner.
He continued, “Regardless, insofar as both of these demands are informed by Saudi Arabia's need to create diplomatic and military buffers against Iran and its proxies, presumably the neutralization of threats from the Iranian regime could remove the sense of urgency of needing either or both, creating a new opportunity to work towards normalization of ties with Israel.”
Fitton-Brown believes the Saudis' conditions for joining the Abraham Accords are ultimately a self-sabotaging position, leaving too much power in the hands of foreign actors who can willfully reset the board to keep the two countries from normalizing.
“If you set too many conditions — if you say that every star has to align before you can ever join the Abraham Accords — you're actually effectively giving a veto to wreckers who don't want it to happen,” he said. “And that was definitely one of the things that was in Hamas's mind when they attacked Israel nearly two and a half years ago.”
“Is it really consistent with the dignity of Saudi Arabia that they give Hamas a veto?” he asked.
Israeli policies and military actions following its launch of the war in Gaza have cost it considerably when it comes to goodwill from its regional neighbors.
PENTAGON LOOKING TO REPLACE MASSIVE BOMBS USED IN IRAN ATTACK
Expansion of settlements into Palestinian territory, incursions into Syria following the fall of President Bashar Assad, and its unilateral strikes on Iranian military infrastructure have all contributed to diplomatic fatigue from Arab neighbors.
A pan-Arab survey conducted by the Arab Center Washington DC found that an overwhelming majority of respondents, 87%, opposed the idea of normalizing relations with Israel.
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National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Rep. Richard Hudson tells Fox News Digital: "I like our chances' of holding the House majority in the midterms.
EXCLUSIVE - Emboldened congressional Democrats are expanding their battleground map for this year's midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their razor-thin majority in the House.
But the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chairman, Rep. Richard Hudson, isn't buying it.
"I mean, I've read fiction my whole life, and I recognize it when I see it," Hudson said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
Republicans currently control the House 218-214, with two right-tilting districts and one left-leaning seat currently vacant. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats in the midterms to win back the majority for the first time in four years.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS ON OFFENSE: EXPAND GOP TARGET LIST
An exterior view of the House side of the U.S. Capitol, on Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) this week added five more offensive opportunities in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, South Carolina and Virginia to their list of what they consider are vulnerable Republican-held House districts.
That brings the total number of districts Democrats are hoping to flip to 44. The DCCC notes that all five of the new districts they're adding to their list of "offensive targets" were carried by President Donald Trump by 13 points or fewer in the 2024 elections.
FOX NEWS POLL: AN EARLY LOOK AT THE 2026 MIDTERMS
"Democrats are on offense, and our map reflects the fact that everyday Americans are tired of Republicans' broken promises and ready for change in Congress," DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene emphasized earlier this week.
And DCCC Spokesperson Viet Shelton told Fox News Digital, "In a political environment where Democrats are overperforming by more than 17 points in congressional special elections, it's pretty clear we're poised to re-take the majority. Momentum and the American people are on our side while Republicans are running scared."
Asked about the DCCC's move, Hudson scoffed.
"They've got to have a list they can present to their donors," he said as he pointed to the DCCC. "But it's not realistic. I mean, if you look at the map, there are very few seats up for grabs, and the majority of those seats are held by Democrats, but they're seats that Donald Trump has carried or came very close....if you look at the seats that we'll be competing for this fall. They're all favoring Republicans."
The House GOP campaign chair added, "If you look at the map, it's a Republican map. We just got to go out and win those races."
The move by the DCCC comes as Democrats are energized, despite the party's polling woes. Democrats, thanks to their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation, scored decisive victories in the 2025 elections and have won or over performed in a slew of scheduled and special ballot box contests since Trump returned to the White House over a year ago.
GOP CALLS TRUMP ITS ‘SECRET WEAPON' — BUT POLLS SHOW WARNING SIGNS HEADING INTO MIDTERMS
Republicans, meanwhile, are facing traditional political headwinds in which the party in power in the nation's capital normally suffers setbacks in the midterm elections. And the GOP is also dealing with Trump's continued underwater approval ratings.
The latest national surveys, including the most recent Fox News poll, indicate the Democrats ahead of the Republicans by mid-single digits in the so-called generic ballot question, which asks respondents whether they'd back the Democratic or GOP candidate in their congressional district without offering specific candidate names.
Asked about the polls, Hudson said, "We almost never lead in the generic ballot. But a single digit generic ballot, we do very well."
And the House GOP campaign chair added he remains "very bullish."
Cost of living concerns helped boost Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories in 2024, but affordability and overall economic concerns may work against them this year.
While the latest AP/NORC national poll indicated the GOP with a slight advantage over Democrats on handling the economy, a bunch of surveys, including the latest Fox News poll, indicate many Americans feel things are worse off than they were a year ago and remain pessimistic about the economy.
But on Friday the latest government numbers indicated that inflation eased during January.
And Hudson says the economy is still a winning issue for Republicans.
CASH SURGE: HOUSE GOP SMASHES FUNDRAISING RECORDS AS REPUBLICANS GEAR UP TO DEFEND SLIM MAJORITY
Pointing to the numerous tax cuts kicking in this year in the GOP's sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed into law last summer, Hudson touted "we put policies in place that are going to bring prosperity to the American people, and they're starting to feel it."
"And as we move into tax season...folks who work overtime, folks who work for tips, they're going to see a lot more money in their pocket thanks to no tax on tips, no tax on overtime," he added.
The GOP is also dealing with a low propensity issue: MAGA voters who don't always go to the polls when Trump's name isn't on the ballot.
"Our voters tend to be more working-class voters, and you have to put in extra effort to get them to the polls," Hudson said. "We know that's our challenge. President Trump knows that's the challenge, and he's committed to helping us."
President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to deliver remarks on the economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Pointing to the NRCC's annual fundraising gala, which Trump will once again headline this year, Hudson said this dinner will be a great kickoff for this year. We raised a whole lot of money with President Trump last year. We plan to raise a lot of money in March with President Trump, and then he's going to get out on the campaign trail and help us turn out those voters and make that case."
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Asked about midterm election predictions, Hudson shied away from giving any hard numbers.
"Not going to give you a number, but we're going to hold the majority," he predicted. "President Trump was elected with a very specific agenda. We delivered almost his entire domestic agenda, and we're going to go back to the voters and say promises made, promises kept, and they're going to keep this House majority."
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast."
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Madiha Maria, left, cries with Rana Abbas Taylor of Northville, Mich., who lost her only sister, brother-in-law and their three children to a drunk driver, during a candlelight vigil for people who had family members killed by drunk drivers, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, on the National Mall, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
A federal law requiring impairment-detection devices inside all new cars survived a recent push to strip its funding but remains stalled by questions about whether the technology is ready.
Rana Abbas Taylor lost her sister, brother-in-law, nephew and two nieces when a driver with a blood-alcohol level almost four times the legal limit slammed into their car in January 2019 as the Michigan family drove through Lexington, Kentucky, on the way home from a Florida vacation.
The tragedy turned Abbas Taylor into an outspoken advocate for stopping the more than 10,000 alcohol-related deaths each year on U.S. roads. Lawmakers attached the Honoring Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate Drunk Driving Act to the $1 trillion infrastructure law that then-President Joe Biden signed in 2021.
The measure, often referred to as the Halt Drunk Driving Act, anticipated that as early as this year, auto companies would be required to roll out technology to “passively” detect when drivers are drunk or impaired and prevent their cars from operating. Regulators can choose from a range of options, including air monitors that sample the car's interior for traces of alcohol, fingertip readers that measure a driver's blood-alcohol level, or scanners that detect signs of impairment in eye or head movements.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving called it the most important piece of legislation in the organization's 45-year history. Still, implementation has been bogged down by regulatory delays, without any clear signals that final approval is near.
“The way we measure time is not by days or months or years. It's by number of lives lost,” Abbas Taylor said in an interview with The Associated Press. “So when we hear manufacturers say, ‘We need more time,' or ‘The tech is not ready,' or ‘We're not there yet,' all we hear is, ‘More people need to die before we're willing to fix this.'”
A Republican-led effort to remove the Halt Act's funding was defeated in the U.S. House last month by a 268-164 vote. Another bill to repeal it entirely awaits a committee vote.
Most of the opposition has stemmed from suggestions that the law would require manufacturers to equip cars with a “kill switch”. That would essentially allow them to “be controlled by the government,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on the social platform X, drawing comparisons to George Orwell's dystopian novel “1984.”
The alcohol industry has fiercely defended the law against such arguments. Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, said it specifically requires the technology to be passive, similar to other current safety mandates such as seat belts and air bags.
“There is no switch, there's no government control, there is no sharing of data,” he said. “That's just an unfortunate scare tactic.”
But Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who authored the defunding effort, said even the dashboard acting on its own could serve as “your judge, your jury, and your executioner.” He cited the example of a mother who swerves in a snowstorm to avoid hitting a neighbor's pet, only for her car to deactivate itself because it determines she's impaired.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade association for U.S. automakers, made a similar case to regulators in 2024, arguing that much more research was needed before mandating the technology.
“Even if 1 in 10,000 trips were expected to experience a false positive, this could result in thousands of unimpaired drivers encountering problems that prevent them from driving each day,” the Alliance wrote.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is establishing the rules to implement the Halt Act, told the AP in an email that it's still “assessing developing technologies for potential deployment” and expects to report back to Congress soon. Even supporters predict the agency will push the decision at least into 2027, and auto companies still would have another two to three years to install it.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research arm funded by auto insurers, recently announced that impairment detection and other technology aimed at curbing risky driving behavior would soon be included as criteria for a vehicle to earn one of its top safety awards.
Many states already have laws requiring breath-activated ignition interlock systems to be installed on the cars of DUI offenders. The system ultimately chosen under the Halt Act is intended to detect impairment beyond just drunk driving.
“We're still sort of pushing back against this narrative that the technology doesn't exist,” said Stephanie Manning, chief government affairs officer at MADD. “We've seen many different types of technology that can solve drunk driving. We just haven't seen it deployed and implemented the way that we would like.”
To accelerate the timeline, one bill advancing in Congress would offer a $45 million prize to whoever can produce and deploy the first consumer-ready piece of technology. Abbas Taylor, whose family members were killed in the Kentucky crash, said efforts like that give her hope.
“When you've lost everything, there is nothing that will stop you from fighting for what is right,” she said. “But we see the writing on the wall, and we know it's only a matter of time before this happens.”
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Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram joins 'The Faulkner Focus' to break down the economic impact of the looming partial government shutdown on FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard and more.
The third government shutdown in under half a year has officially begun just after midnight on Saturday after Democrats and Republicans spent recent weeks battling over President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Just one area of government has been left without federal funding as of midnight — the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Congress has completed roughly 97% of its yearly government spending responsibilities, but a deal on DHS has proved elusive after Democrats walked away from an initial bipartisan plan released last month.
Now DHS, the third-largest Cabinet agency with nearly 272,000 employees, will see key areas of operation limited or paused altogether. Some 90% of DHS workers will continue on the job during the funding lapse, many without pay, according to the department's Sept. 2025 government shutdown plan.
Established in 2003 after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, DHS has jurisdiction over a wide array of agencies and offices. That includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Service, among others.
DHS SHUTDOWN LOOMS AS JOHNSON NAVIGATES GOP DIVIDE OVER STOPGAP SOLUTIONS
The U.S. Capitol is pictured in Washington, D.C., Sept. 30, 2025. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)
Among those working without pay will be some 64,000 TSA agents and 56,000 active-duty, reserve, and civilian Coast Guard personnel. Those people and others are expected to receive back pay when the shutdown is over.
But as of Friday afternoon, it does not appear the two parties are any closer to an agreement despite the Trump White House sending a potential compromise offer on Wednesday night.
"It's our expectation that we will respond to the unserious offer that Republicans have made that clearly omits things that need to happen," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said during a press conference.
"There are a variety of different areas where clearly the administration has fallen short of doing things that make things better for the American people. Until that happens, unfortunately, it appears that Donald Trump and the Republicans have decided to shut down other parts of the Department of Homeland Security."
NOEM SLAMS DEMS BLOCKING DHS FUNDING BILL CITING TSA, FEMA, COAST GUARD: 'I HOPE THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES'
Democrats blew up bipartisan negotiations over DHS funding last month after federal law enforcement agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during anti-ICE demonstrations there.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
They are now demanding significant reforms to rein in ICE and CBP, many of which Republicans in Congress have long panned as non-starters, including banning ICE agents from wearing masks and requiring them to obtain judicial warrants before pursuing suspected illegal immigrants.
What happens next will be up to Senate Democrats and the White House, who are expected to continue negotiating through the weekend and into next week if need be.
SCHUMER, JEFFRIES MEND RIFT, PRESENT UNITED FRONT ON DHS REFORMS AS DEADLINE NEARS
Both sides have traded proposals and legislative text on a compromise DHS funding bill, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus remained steadfast in their position that the GOP's offer didn't go far enough.
Meanwhile, the majority of House and Senate lawmakers left Washington on Thursday and are not currently expected to return until Feb. 23.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that he would give lawmakers 24 hours' notice to return to Washington, D.C., should there be a breakthrough, and remained optimistic that there was a path forward despite Democrats' blockade.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., turns to an aide during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, June 3, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
"Every iteration of this gets a step closer, because I think the White House is giving more and more ground on some of these key issues," Thune said. "But so far, they're not getting any kind of response to Democrats, even allowing us to continue this, allowing [the] government to stay open."
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But Democrats have reiterated several times that they believe their demands are simple.
"Again, the only — the fundamental ask is that ICE abide by the same principles and policies of every other police force in the country, and if we can get there, then we can resolve the problem," Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said.
Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., gave House lawmakers his blessing to leave Washington with a 48 hours' notice to return pending Senate action, two sources told Fox News Digital.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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Observers film while federal agents conduct immigration enforcement operations, on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Federal authorities announced an investigation Friday into two immigration officers who appeared to have made untruthful statements under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis last month.
It is among at least five shootings in which initial descriptions by the immigration officials were later contradicted by video evidence. Those included the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, where bystander video quickly raised questions about how they were initially described.
The probe Friday came hours after a federal judge dismissed felony assault charges against two Venezuelan men who were accused of beating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel on Jan. 14. The officer, who is not named in court filings, fired a single shot from a handgun that struck one of the men, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, in the thigh.
In an unusual reversal, prosecutors asked to dismiss the cases because they said new video evidence contradicted allegations made against the men in a criminal complaint and at a hearing last month.
Here is a look at how the five shootings were initially described and what was later learned:
Date and location: Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis
What federal officials said initially: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the immigration officer was “ambushed” by Sosa-Celis and others, and fired a “defensive shot” out of fear for his life. “What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder of federal law enforcement,” she said.
What came out later: Investigators have not released the new evidence that led charges to be dropped, but cracks were already apparent in a Jan. 21 court hearing. The immigration officer's testimony recounting the moments before the shooting differed significantly from that of the defendants and three eyewitnesses. Available video evidence did not support the officer's account of being assaulted with a broom and shovel.
Date and location: Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis
What federal officials said initially: Noem described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle.” She said the immigration agent shot “defensively” to protect himself and the people around him. Good died of gunshot wounds to the head.
What came out later: Videos filmed from multiple angles challenged the administration's narrative. Shortly before the shooting Good is seen at the wheel of her SUV that is parked diagonally on a street. She tells an immigration officer, “I'm not mad at you.”
Seconds later, another immigration officer grabs at the driver's side door while Good's wife urges her to “drive, baby, drive.” It's unclear in the videos if the SUV makes contact with ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who shoots while standing in front of the vehicle and then twice more while quickly moving to the driver's side of the SUV as it pulls forward.
Date and location: Jan. 24, 2026, in Minneapolis
What federal officials said initially: Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Pretti approached Border Patrol officers with a handgun and he “violently resisted” when they tried to disarm him. An agent feared for his life and fired defensive shots, she said. Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene. Border Patrol senior official Greg Bovino claimed Pretti intended to “massacre law enforcement,” and Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller described him as “a would-be assassin.”
What came out later: None of the half-dozen bystander videos collected by investigators showed Pretti brandishing his gun, which he had a permit to carry. The videos showed Pretti was holding his mobile phone as a masked Border Patrol officer opened fire.
In a tense hearing Thursday in Washington, Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky made leaders tasked with carrying out Trump's mass deportation agenda watch a video of the shooting while he repeatedly scrutinized the forceful tactics used by immigration agents. Paul argued that Pretti posed no threat to the agents and said it was clear from the video that he was “retreating at every moment.”
Date and location: Sept. 12, 2025, in suburban Chicago
What federal officials said initially: Homeland Security officials said federal agents were pursuing a man with a history of reckless driving who entered the country illegally. They alleged Silverio Villegas González drove at officers and dragged one with his car. DHS said the officer fired because he feared for his life and was hospitalized with “serious injuries.”
What came out later: Body camera videos from local police contradicted the Trump administration's account. Footage showed the agent who shot Villegas González walking around afterward and dismissing his own injuries as “nothing major.”
An autopsy made public in November declared Villegas González's death a homicide. The report showed he was shot at “close range,” with wounds to his neck and fingers.
Date and location: Oct. 14, 2025, in Chicago
What federal officials said initially: A DHS news release asserted that Martinez and the driver of another car involved in a crash with a Border Patrol officer were “domestic terrorists.” An FBI agent said in court documents that she was chasing the Border Patrol vehicle and drove at one of the officers after they got out of the vehicle. The officer was forced to open fire, the FBI agent alleged, striking Martinez seven times. She was treated at a hospital and arrested on felony assault charges.
What came out later: Videos emerged that her attorneys said showed agent Charles Exum steering his SUV into her truck.
In a text message presented during a Nov. 5 hearing, Exum appeared to brag about his marksmanship. “I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys,” the text read.
The case against her was dismissed.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
President Donald Trump said he would present an “irrefutable” legal argument to require voter ID, whether or not Congress would back him.
In two posts on Truth Social, Trump criticized Democrats for their opposition to voter ID, claiming it was because they were looking to “cheat in Elections.” He claimed he had “searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject,” and that he would be presenting the “irrefutable” argument in the near future.
“There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not! Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel,” he said.
MUNICH SUMMIT BECOMES EARLY STAGE FOR 2028 DEMOCRATS
A second post, a half hour later, was more hostile, deriding Democrats as “horrible, disingenuous CHEATERS.”
“They have all sorts of reasons why it shouldn't be passed, and then boldly laugh in the backrooms after their ridiculous presentations. If it weren't such a serious matter, it would be considered a TOTAL JOKE! No Voter I.D. is even crazier, and more ridiculous, than Men playing in Women's Sports, Open Borders, or Transgender for Everyone,” Trump said.
He asked Republicans to start every speech with a voter ID demand, and said that it must be implemented before the midterm elections.
He called Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries “Crooked Losers,” saying that they “have no shame, and explain why it's ‘racist,' and every other thing that they can think of. This is an issue that must be fought, and must be fought, NOW!”
He cited “Legal reasons” why voter ID must be halted, and said he would present it soon in the form of an executive order.
DAVID HARSANYI: THE PREPOSTEROUS ARGUMENTS AGAINST VOTER ID
If measures implementing voter ID weren't passed quickly, he warned, the “Corrupt and Deranged Democrats” would regain power, add two more states, then “PACK THE COURT with a total of 21 Supreme Court Justices, THEIR DREAM,” which would then implement all their policies.
Implementing voter ID has been expedited as a Republican priority in recent days, as Trump hopes to shore up Republican chances in the midterm elections.
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Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych's push to legally wear a customized helmet as he competed in races at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics ran into perhaps its most daunting obstacle Friday.
Heraskevych took his plea to don the helmet that paid tribute to Ukrainian war victims to the winter sliding sport's highest court.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against Heraskevych's appeal, effectively ending his final opportunity to compete for a medal at this year's Games.
Heraskevych was disqualified from a skeleton race over the helmet, which displayed the faces of more than 20 Ukrainian coaches and athletes who have been killed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives at the finish during a men's skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation also concluded that Heraskevych's intention to wear the helmet was in direct violation of Olympic rules. The IOC cited rules against making political statements on the field of play.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry met with Heraskevych before Thursday's men's skeleton event to try to change his mind about wearing the helmet, ultimately to no avail.
"We didn't find common ground in this regard," Heraskevych said.
Heraskevych's attorney, Yevhen Pronin, reacted to the court ruling in step with the IOC, arguing his client did not actually commit misconduct.
"The court sided with the IOC and upheld the decision that an athlete could be disqualified from the Olympic Games without actual misconduct, without a technical or safety threat and before the start," Pronin said.
Vladyslav Heraskevych of Ukraine during training wearing a helmet in tribute to athletes who have died in Russia's attack on Ukraine Feb. 11, 2026. (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
CAS, the sole arbitrator hearing the case, said it "found these limitations reasonable and proportionate," especially since Heraskevych could show his helmet away from the racing surface, such as in interview areas and on social media. Heraskevych also wore the helmet in training runs.
The appeal was largely moot anyway. He was disqualified from the competition less than an hour before its start on Thursday, and whatever CAS said on Friday wouldn't have changed that.
"Looks like this train has left," Heraskevych said after Friday's hearing.
AMERICAN OLYMPIAN AUSTIN FLORIAN GOES VIRAL FOR INCREDIBLE HELMET DESIGN
He left Cortina d'Ampezzo's Olympic Village on Thursday night with no plans to return, then headed to Milan and arrived in Munich on Friday night — helmet in hand — for a dinner with Ukrainian officials at a security conference. He is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this weekend as well.
Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives at the finish during a men's skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Heraskevych admitted he was surprised by the strong reaction.
s"I never expected it to be such a big scandal," he said.
He also said he found his accreditation for the Games being taken away, then returned shortly afterward Thursday in what seemed like a goodwill gesture, puzzling.
"A mockery," he said.
CAS did agree that Heraskevych should keep his accreditation.
Tributes from other athletes competing in Milan Cortina were permitted without penalty, including American figure skater Maxim Naumov displaying a photo of his late parents who were killed in a plane crash last year.
Italian snowboarder Roland Fischnaller had a small Russian flag image on the back of his helmet during the Games, and Israeli skeleton athlete Jared Firestone wore a kippah bearing the names of 11 athletes and coaches killed while representing that country during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
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The IOC said those cases were not in violation of any rules.
Naumov showed his photo in the kiss-and-cry area and not while he was actually on the ice. Fischnaller's helmet was a tribute to all the past Olympic sites he competed at, with Sochi included. And Firestone's kippah "was covered by a beanie," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.
The IOC offered Heraskevych a chance to compete with a different helmet and bring the tribute through the interview area after his runs. He also could have worn a black armband.
"I think it's the wrong side of history for the IOC," Heraskevych said.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
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U.S. Border Patrol officers walk along a street in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Gray,File)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal authorities have opened a criminal probe into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis last month, as all charges were dropped against two Venezuelan men.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said Friday that his agency opened a joint probe with the Justice Department after video evidence revealed “sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements” about the shooting of one of the Venezuelan men during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown across the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
The officers, whose names were not disclosed, are on administrative leave while the investigation is carried out, he said. Lyons said the two ICE officers could be fired and face criminal prosecution.
“Lying under oath is a serious federal offense,” said Lyons, adding that the U.S. attorney's office is actively investigating.
“The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct,” Lyons said. “Violations of this sacred sworn oath will not be tolerated. ICE remains fully committed to transparency, accountability, and the fair enforcement of our nation's immigration laws.”
Earlier Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson dismissed felony assault charges against Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who were accused of beating an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel during a Jan. 14 fracas. The officer fired a single shot from his handgun, striking Sosa-Celis in his right thigh.
The cases were dropped after a highly unusual motion to dismiss from U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel N. Rosen, who said “newly discovered evidence” was “materially inconsistent with the allegations” made against the two men in a criminal complaint and at a hearing last month.
The reversal follows a string of high-profile shootings involving federal immigration agents in which eyewitness statements and video evidence have called into question claims made to justify using deadly force. Dozens of felony cases against protesters accused of assaulting or impeding federal officers have also crumbled.
The immigration lawyer representing Aljorna and Sosa-Celis said they are “overjoyed” that all charges have been dismissed. Had they been convicted, the two immigrants would have faced years in federal prison.
“The charges against them were based on lies by an ICE agent who recklessly shot into their home through a closed door,” said attorney Brian D. Clark. “They are so happy justice is being served.”
It is unclear whether the men could still be deported.
Last month, an FBI investigator said in a now-discredited court affidavit that ICE officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Aljorna on Jan. 14. He crashed the vehicle and fled on foot toward the apartment duplex where he lived. An immigration officer chased Aljorna who — according to the government — violently resisted arrest.
The complaint alleged Sosa-Celis and another man attacked the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle as the officer and Aljorna struggled on the ground. The officer, who is not named in court filings, fired his handgun, striking Sosa-Celis. The men ran into an apartment and eventually were arrested.
After the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attacked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, accusing the Democrats of “encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement which is a federal crime, a felony.”
“What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder of federal law enforcement,” Noem said in a Jan. 15 statement. “Our officer was ambushed and attacked by three individuals who beat him with snow shovels and the handles of brooms. Fearing for his life, the officer fired a defensive shot.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not responded Friday to questions about whether Noem stands by those statements, which ICE — part of DHS — says are now under investigation.
Robin M. Wolpert, a defense attorney for Sosa-Celis in the criminal case, said she was pleased ICE and the Justice Department are publicly acknowledging and investigating apparent untruthful statements by the two ICE officers.
“These untruthful statements had serious consequences for my client and his family,” Wolpert said. “My client is a crime victim.”
Clark, the immigration lawyer for Aljorna and Sosa-Celis, urged the government to release the name of the ICE officer who shot his client and charge him.
Court filings show state authorities have opened their own criminal investigation into the shooting, though the FBI has thus far refused to share evidence, provide the name of the ICE officer who fired his weapon or make him available for an interview.
Rosen's motion seeking to drop the charges did not detail what new evidence had emerged or what falsehoods had been in the government's prior filings, but cracks began to appear in the government's case during a Jan. 21 court hearing to determine whether the accused men could be released pending trial.
In court, the ICE officer's account of the moments before the shooting differed significantly from testimony from the two defendants and three eyewitnesses. Available video evidence did not support the ICE officer's account of being assaulted with a broom and snow shovel.
Aljorna and Sosa-Celis denied assaulting the officer. Testimony from a neighbor and the men's romantic partners also did not support the agent's account that he had been attacked with a broom or shovel or that a third person was involved.
Frederick Goetz, a lawyer representing Aljorna, said his client had a broomstick in his hand and threw it at the agent as he ran toward the house. Wolpert, representing Sosa-Celis, said he had been holding a shovel but was retreating into the home when the officer fired, wounding him. The men's attorneys said the prosecution's case relied wholly on testimony from the agent who fired the gun.
Neither Aljorna and Sosa-Celis had violent criminal records. Both had been working as DoorDash delivery drivers at night in an attempt to avoid encounters with federal agents, their attorneys said.
Aljorna and Sosa-Celis retreated into their upstairs apartment and barricaded the door, so federal officers used tear gas to try to force the men out, the FBI agent said. Concerned about the safety of two children under 2 inside the home, Aljorna and Sosa-Celis surrendered.
A third Venezuelan man, Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez Ledezma, who lived in the apartment downstairs was also arrested.
Though he was never federally charged, a Jan. 30 court petition seeking his release says Hernandez Ledezma was detained without a warrant and within hours flown to an ICE detention facility in Texas. He alleges his removal was to prevent him becoming a material eyewitness who could undercut the federal government's case and help the Minnesota state investigation.
Hernandez Ledezma was returned to Minnesota and discharged from ICE custody on Monday after a federal judge ordered his release.
___
Biesecker reported from Washington.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reports on the arrest of two in connection to the Louvre jewel robbery.
A man who had recently been released from prison on a terrorism charge was shot and killed by a police officer after he allegedly tried to attack another officer with a knife and scissors near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris Friday.
The incident happened near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the ceremony for relighting the eternal flame, which is carried out nightly.
The unidentified man, who is a French national born in 1978, allegedly tried to attack an officer guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and was shot by another officer.
He died of his wounds at a hospital, the French counterterrorism prosecutor's office said.
GENEOLOGY COMPANY EXEC SLAMS PIMA SHERIFF'S ‘DEVASTATING' MOVE TO SHIP NANCY GUTHRIE EVIDENCE TO FLORIDA LAB
French police stand in front of the Arc de Triomphe Friday night after a man allegedly tried to attack an officer with a knife. (Guillaume Baptiste/AFP via Getty Images)
He was sentenced to 17 years in prison in Brussels in 2013 on a terrorist-related offense of attempted murder of three police officers in Belgium and had just been released in December.
The man served 12 years in prison and was placed under police supervision with routine checks, the French prosecution office said.
VIDEO SHOWS THE ‘HEIST OF THE CENTURY' AT THE LOUVRE
The French counterterrorism prosecutor's office said it had opened an investigation into the man related to his ties to a "terrorist enterprise" before his death.
French President Emmanuel Macron visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arc de Triomphe in 2021. ( Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters)
The man was held in a Belgian prison until 2015, when he was transferred to France and released on Christmas Eve.
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The Arc de Triomphe was closed to guests after the incident, which had no other reported injuries.
The man was killed in the incident. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva, File)
The Arc de Triomphe, at the end of the Champs-Élysées, is one of Paris and Europe's most popular sights, and millions of tourists visit the monument in the heart of the French capital each year.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Criminal defense attorney Josh Ritter joins "Fox & Friends Weekend" to discuss the push to reopen the suicide ruling in Texas A&M student Brie Aguilera's death and the potential for charges against Anna Kepner's stepbrother in her cruise ship death.
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The Travis County Medical Examiner has determined Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera died by suicide after falling from an Austin high-rise in November, a ruling that aligns with police findings but is being forcefully challenged by the teen's family, whose attorney called the conclusion "flawed."
Aguilera, 19, died after falling from a high-rise apartment after a Texas A&M vs. University of Texas football tailgate at about 1 a.m. Nov. 29, according to police.
"Austin Police (APD) is aware that the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office has concluded its final autopsy report regarding the death of Brianna Aguilera and ruled it a suicide," authorities wrote in a statement to affiliate FOX 7 Austin. "The investigation remains open, and until it is closed, Austin Police will not be providing any additional information."
Attorneys representing Aguilera's family previously claimed she was killed despite the discovery of an alleged suicide note and suicidal texts to her friends on the night of her death.
Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera was found dead in Austin in November. (GoFundMe)
COPS RULE COLLEGE FRESHMAN'S DEADLY DORM FALL AN ACCIDENT, BUT DA DELAYS CLOSURE AS FAMILY FIGHTS FOR ANSWERS
After the release of the medical examiner's findings, Tony Buzbee, the attorney for Aguilera's family, issued a statement criticizing the investigation.
"Since Brianna Aguilera tragically lost her life, there has been an overwhelming amount of love and support for Brianna and her family. There has also been an overwhelming amount of criticism concerning the authorities for their handling of the investigation surrounding her death," Buzbee wrote in the statement, obtained by FOX 7.
"Specifically, the Austin Police Department, without a legitimate investigation, quickly concluded that Brianna's death was a suicide. This effort was far from what's expected of law enforcement.
Brianna Aguilera died after falling from a high-rise apartment Nov. 29. (Instagram/brie.aguilera)
"As an example, the Austin Police Department and those involved in the investigation failed to review phone records of Brianna and those immediately connected to her or those at the scene," he continued.
"They failed to interview all witnesses, failed to take statements under oath, failed to put together an accurate timeline, failed to secure video footage, and, most importantly, failed to follow through and interview witnesses, even the ones that we identified for them."
COLLEGE FRESHMAN DIED AFTER FRATERNITY HAZING LED TO 'HORRIFIC' ABUSE, FAMILY SAYS
Buzbee described the medical examiner's ruling as "expected," alleging the finding was "made in large part based on the shoddy work of the Austin Police Department."
"To be clear. The Austin Police Department's ‘investigation' fell woefully short," he wrote. "Brianna deserved better. Her family deserves better."
The Buzbee Law Firm filed a lawsuit Jan. 5 related to Aguilera's death.
Brianna Aguilera was found dead hours after attending a tailgate party. (Facebook/Brie Aguilera)
Attorneys said the legal action will allow the family to put witnesses under oath, subpoena records and compel cooperation of potential witnesses.
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"We will do what the police and other authorities have failed to do," Buzbee wrote. "We will perform a complete and thorough investigation and get the answers that Brianna and her family deserves. The medical examiner's flawed conclusion changes nothing."
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
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The blast radius keeps widening.
The Justice Department's release of over 3 million pages of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents has led to a fresh wave of backlash for people associated with the pedophile financier, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
The documents have revealed friendly communications with Epstein, even after his 2008 conviction for sex offenses. Some of the people who've experienced fallout exchanged crude messages about women, shared government secrets, or had a more expansive relationship with him than previously known. One high-profile entertainment industry executive said he wanted to see Ghislaine Maxwell in "bondage gear" — well before any public accusation that she facilitated Epstein's sex-trafficking operation.
It's not the first time the vast trove of documents, broadly known as the Epstein files, has had consequences for his associates. Last fall, the release of tens of thousands of Epstein's emails by the House Oversight Committee led to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor being stripped of his title as a British royal. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers took a leave from his teaching duties at Harvard University while the school investigates; he also resigned from OpenAI's board.
Here are 10 people who've experienced consequences following the Justice Department's January 30 data dump. None of the people featured in this story has been accused of participating in Epstein's sex-trafficking scheme.
Goldman Sachs' top lawyer turned in her resignation following weeks of scrutiny over her communications with the convicted sex offender. June 30 will be her last day as the Wall Street bank's chief legal officer and general counsel, the bank said on Thursday.
The DOJ's latest tranche of documents showed her offering Epstein advice on his legal troubles, including lawsuits brought by women accusing him of sexual abuse. She gushed over expensive gifts from him, including a $9,350 Hermes handbag, and referred to him in an email as "Uncle Jeffrey."
She has previously said her relationship with the convicted sex offender was "a professional association" and has expressed "regret" over it. In the statement to Business Insider about her resignation, Ruemmler said it was her duty "to put Goldman Sachs' interests first."
The high-powered corporate lawyer resigned as chairman Paul Weiss, calling reports about his relationship with Epstein a "distraction" for the white-show law firm. He also stepped down from the board of trustees of his alma mater, Union College.
The documents include emails showing he worked with Epstein to surveil a woman in a dispute with one of Karp's clients. Business Insider has confirmed that the client was billionaire private equity titan Leon Black, who counted Epstein among his advisors.
Karp also visited Epstein's Manhattan mansion and asked him to help his son get a job with director Woody Allen.
Representatives for Paul Weiss declined to comment beyond their press release announcing Scott Barshay as the law firm's new chair.
The CBS News contributor and longevity expert stepped down as the chief science officer of David Protein, a protein bar brand, and is no longer an adviser to the sleep technology company Eight Sleep.
In the emails from the mid-2010s, Attia gives Epstein health advice that included crude remarks about women. In one email, he said a woman's genitalia was "low carb."
In a social media post, he denied involvement in any criminal activity and said the emails were "embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible."
The US Commerce Secretary is facing bipartisan calls from lawmakers to resign after emails show he planned a visit to Epstein's island with his family in 2012. Lutnick previously said he served ties with Epstein, his former Manhattan neighbor, after first meeting him in 2005.
"My wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again," Lutnick told the New York Post last year.
Lawmakers asked Lutnick about the discrepancy on Tuesday at a prescheduled Senate hearing over broadband. He testified that he, his wife, and kids were at the island "for an hour" for lunch. The DOJ's files show the two men exchanged calls in 2011 and invested in the same company around the time of the island visit.
The White House has stood by Lutnick, with the Commerce Department saying: "Mr. and Mrs. Lutnick met Jeffrey Epstein in 2005 and had very limited interactions with him over the next 14 years."
In 2013, Tisch, owner of the New York Giants, exchanged numerous emails with Epstein about women, triggering a review by the National Football League.
The emails show Epstein updating Tisch on the women, including their ages, nationalities, and "working girl" status.
After the emails were made public, he said he regretted associating with Epstein and that the women discussed in the emails were adults.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said the league will review the communications and weigh whether they violate its personal conduct policies.
Casey Wasserman announced on February 13 that he is selling his talent agency after his name appeared in the Epstein files, sparking a growing fallout.
Soccer player Abby Wambach and singer Chapell Roan earlier said they were parting ways with Wasserman's agency.
Wasserman flew on Epstein's jet with a group of people that included former President Bill Clinton. The files also show Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell exchanging racy and flirtatious emails in 2003, well before police began investigating Epstein, and over a decade before Maxwell's arrest on sex-trafficking charges in 2020.
"Casey - I will be coming back to NY torn late afternoon," Maxwell wrote in one email. "I shall be wearing a tight leather flying suit."
Wasserman said in a statement that he regretted his messages with Maxwell, which took place "long before her horrific crimes came to light" and that he never had any personal or business relationship with Epstein.
Wasserman announced his intentions to sell his agency in a memo to staffers, which the agency shared with Business Insider.
"I'm deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about," Wasserman wrote. "The pain experienced by the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is unimaginable - and I'm glad, as I'm sure you all are, that those who helped them commit their crimes are rightly being held accountable."
Wasserman wrote that he had "become a distraction."
"That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway. During this time, Mike Watts will assume day-to-day control of the business while I devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles an Olympic Games in 2028 that is worthy of this outstanding city," he wrote.
A charity chaired by Ferguson — the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew — shuttered following the Justice Department's document dump. A spokesperson for the foundation, called Sarah's Trust, said the decision was made after "months" of discussion.
The records show Ferguson sent warm emails to Epstein in 2009, when he was imprisoned for soliciting sex from a minor. She referred to him as the "brother I have always wished for" and signed off another email with "love you."
Ferguson previously said she regretted any association with Epstein. Representatives for Ferguson didn't respond to requests for comment.
Mandelson quit his job as the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States, and left the British Labour Party itself, after the Epstein files showed him providing sensitive government information to the convicted sex offender.
The emails, dating back to Mandelson's time in senior posts under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, show him informing Epstein about a change in tax rules, the sale of government assets during a UK financial crisis, and a European Union bailout of Greece's economy. The records also show Epstein sent money to Mandelson's husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva.
London's Metropolitan Police said it's investigating Mandelson over the emails appearing to leak financial information to Epstein. Mandelson has denied any illegal activity and told The Times of London that his husband accepting the funds from Epstein reflected "a lapse in our collective judgment."
McSweeney resigned as the chief of staff for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Mandelson, whom he recommended for the ambassadorship job.
"I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice," McSweeney said in a statement upon his resignation on Sunday. "In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside."
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem was replaced as chairman and CEO of Dubai-based logistics firm DP World on February 13, after emails between the Emirati executive and Epstein were published by the Justice Department.
DP World, which is owned by Dubai's royal family, is one of the world's largest logistics companies and runs Jebel Ali, the largest port in the Middle East.
The company did not mention bin Sulaymen in its statement announcing a leadership transition, but said that Essa Kazim and Yuvraj Narayan would take on his roles as chairman and CEO, respectively.
Emails published by the Justice Department show that Epstein referred to bin Sulayem as his "close personal friend" in a 2010 email. In an email to Epstein in 2015, bin Sulayem said that a girl he met "two years ago" who went to the American University in Dubai was "the best sex I ever had amazing body."
Representatives at DP World did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Jump to
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with a lethal toxin derived from the skin of poison dart frogs, five European countries said Saturday.
The foreign ministries of the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said analysis of samples from Navalny, who died two years ago, "have conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine." It is a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America that is not found naturally in Russia, they said.
The countries said in a joint statement that "Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison." They said they were reporting Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said, "Russia saw Navalny as a threat. By using this form of poison the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition."
Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin's fiercest foe, died in the Arctic penal colony in February 2024. He was serving a 19-year sentence that he believed to be politically motivated.
Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said last year that two independent labs had found that her husband was poisoned shortly before he died. Navalnaya has repeatedly blamed Putin for Navalny's death, something Russian officials have vehemently denied.
Navalnaya said Saturday that she had been "certain from the first day" that her husband had been poisoned, "but now there is proof."
"Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon," she wrote on social network X, calling Putin "a murderer" who "must be held accountable."
Russian authorities said that the politician became ill after a walk and died from natural causes.
In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent attack he blamed on the Kremlin, which always denied involvement. His family and allies fought to have him flown to Germany for treatment and recovery. Five months later, he returned to Russia, where he was immediately arrested and imprisoned for the last three years of his life.
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New York City shoppers lined up in Greenwich Village on Thursday for the grand opening of The Polymarket, a free grocery store. The market — perhaps a nod to New York mayor Zohran Mamdani's proposed city-run grocery stores — is only operating through 7 p.m. on Sunday.
But its namesake sponsor, a prediction market that allows users to trade binary "yes" or "no" contracts on the outcome of real-world events, from the Super Bowl coin flip to Federal Reserve rate cuts, appears to be here to stay.
That didn't always appear to be the case. In 2022, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission fined Polymarket $1.4 million for operating as an unregistered derivatives market and forced the firm to block U.S. users.
The company continued to operate offshore, and in July 2025 spent $112 million to acquire QCEX, the holding company for a regulated and licensed options trading platform. The move paved the way for U.S. federal regulatory approval, which the firm received in November. The firm has relaunched a beta version of its app in the U.S., which is gradually being rolled out to users who sign up to be on a waitlist. Polymarket is not disclosing how many users it currently has.
Polymarket and rival prediction market Kalshi are currently embroiled in legal battles at the state level, where regulators in states including Nevada, New York and New Jersey say that trading event contracts on sports amounts to gambling that falls under state jurisdiction and is taxed differently than financial markets.
State regulators in Massachusetts recently won an injunction against Kalshi in court, which temporarily banned the firm from offering sports-related contracts in the state.
In response to the lawsuit, a Kalshi spokesperson told CNBC, "Massachusetts is trying to block Kalshi's innovations by relying on outdated laws and ideas." The company said it is "ready to defend [its technology] once again in a court of law."
This week Polymarket filed a lawsuit against the state, in which the company's representatives say Polymarket hopes to avoid "imminent and irreparable harm arising from Massachusetts's enforcement of state gambling laws against federally regulated derivatives exchanges."
In the meantime, customer money continues to pour in. Kalshi's CEO estimated the firm saw more than $1 billion in trades on the Super Bowl. That includes $100 million in trades coming on which song halftime performer Bad Bunny would perform first alone.
So how does this all work? Prediction markets run on event contracts, financial instruments that essentially let you buy a share in the outcome of an event. The price of those shares ranges between $0 and $1, with the value reflecting the likelihood of your chosen outcome coming to fruition.
Ahead of the Super Bowl, contracts predicting that the Seattle Seahawks would win on both Polymarket and Kalshi cost $0.68, per Barron's, implying a 68% chance of a Seattle victory according to these markets. At the game's final whistle, all Seattle contracts bought at any price went to $1 per share. All New England Patriots contracts went to $0.
Unlike a traditional casino, those buying events contracts aren't playing against the "house." Rather, platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi allow traders to buy and sell contracts among themselves, with the companies collecting a small fee on each trade. The more money piles in on the "yes" or "no" side of a particular event, the more expensive that contract gets.
For example, shares predicting a Seahawks victory in the Super Bowl, increased closer and closer to $1 the more it became apparent that Seattle was going to win.
Importantly, investors can buy or sell their options at any time before the event is over. Say you picked "yes" on a fringe political candidate to win an election at $0.05. Then, a month later, that candidate made a landmark speech that boosted popularity. After more money comes in on your candidate, the price is now $0.10. You could hang onto your shares if you think they may go higher (or actually win) or you could sell them for double what you paid.
Essentially, these markets provide real-time odds on future events, according to a crowdsourced pool of people who have skin in the game.
On some level this has always been the case, says Stephane Ouellette, co-founder and CEO of digital asset investment bank FRNT Financial. Some who understood the intricacies of oil futures, for instance, could suss out whether political tensions in the Middle East might boil over, he says.
"There's been a huge innovation where now we're turning these markets into more digestible information that a retail trader can now understand," Ouellette says. "Whereas before you needed like a Ph.D. in market analysis to be able to figure this out."
Whether buying contracts on prediction markets constitutes gambling akin to making a bet with a sportsbook is up for legal debate. But the distinction is moot when it comes to investing and managing your money, says Ivory Johnson, a certified financial planner and founder of Delancey Wealth Management.
"It's that old adage, you've got to know how much you're willing to lose," he says. "It's no different than if you go to Vegas with your friends."
Of course, no matter how convicted you may feel on the future outcome of a particular event, you'd be wise to not make prediction contracts a major part of your investing strategy, financial pros say.
At most, they belong in an "opportunity portfolio," says Doug Boneparth, a CFP and founder of Bone Fide Wealth. This sleeve of your portfolio, which might constitute 5% to 10% of your investable assets, is reserved for riskier plays such as individual stocks, cryptocurrencies, niche exchange-traded funds and maybe a prediction or two, Boneparth says.
The rest of it generally belongs in a broadly diversified portfolio of investments you plan to buy and hold for the long term, he says. The thinking here is that, even if your predictions end up going to zero, the loss won't be enough to derail your financial plans.
"Most retail investors should be approaching investing as a long-term consistency and discipline game. That's how you quietly compound your returns over time," Boneparth says. "So while [prediction markets] may be a piece of the puzzle, and I think it's a little bit of a stretch, it definitely would go into that more speculatory opportunity bucket."
Johnson recommends thinking of prediction markets as part of your entertainment budget, the same way you might think about what you spend each month on a hobby like golf. That way, you're doing it for fun, and whether you turn a profit on your predictions is incidental, he says.
"If I make money, great," he says. "But when you start getting into, 'I'm going to do this because I'm smarter than everybody else, and I'm going to pay my mortgage with it,' that's when you that's you have a problem."
Disclosure: CNBC and Kalshi have a commercial relationship that includes a minority investment.
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(This is the Warren Buffett Watch newsletter, news and analysis on all things Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. You can sign up here to receive it every Friday evening in your inbox.)
Berkshire Hathaway's new CEO likes the surprise course reversal announced this week by the new CEO of Kraft Heinz.
In the food company's Q4 earnings release, Steve Cahillane said in the time since he joined the company five weeks ago, he has "seen that the opportunity is larger than expected and that many of our challenges are fixable and within our control."
As a result, he's decided to "pause work" on the planned separation of Kraft from Heinz that was announced last September. It would have essentially reversed the merger Warren Buffett helped orchestrate in 2015.
Berkshire is KHC's biggest shareholder with a 27.5% stake currently worth $8.1 billion.
In a statement given to CNBC and other news outlets, Berkshire CEO Greg Abel endorsed the change. "We support CEO Steve Cahillane and the Kraft Heinz Board of Directors' decision, under Steve's new leadership, to pause work on the company's previously planned separation. As a result, management can commit to strengthening Kraft Heinz's ability to compete and serve customers."
Buffett, who usually does not criticize the management of a Berkshire holding, was uncharacteristically vocal about his disapproval when plans for the split were made public more than five months ago.
In an off-camera phone call with CNBC's Becky Quick, he said he was "disappointed" and didn't rule out selling some or all of Berkshire's stake.
"It certainly didn't turn out to be a brilliant idea to put them together, but I don't think taking it apart will fix it."
Just three weeks ago, Abel appeared to signal a sharp reduction of Berkshire's KHC position with an SEC registration for "the potential resale" for "up to" 99.9% of the 325.6 million shares it reported holding as of September 30.
Kraft Heinz's decision to remain intact may help keep those potential sales from becoming reality.
Did Berkshire's preparation for KHC share sales play a role in Cahillane's reversal?
I certainly don't know, but if it did, and if it was an intentional effort to pressure KHC, it would be a significant departure from Buffett's long-standing hands-off policy when it comes to the companies in Berkshire's equity portfolio.
Kraft Heinz shares fell when the split reversal was announced Wednesday morning but quickly rebounded to end the week with a small 0.7% gain.
Berkshire Hathaway is expected to file its latest portfolio snapshot with the SEC after Tuesday's closing bell.
It will reveal what stocks it owned as of December 31, the end of its fourth quarter.
Among the key questions:
Looking further ahead, Greg Abel's first annual letter to shareholders will be released Saturday morning, February 28 around 8 AM ET (7AM CT), according to a Berkshire news release.
The company's annual report and a fourth quarter earnings release will be out at the same time, along with information about Berkshire's May 2 shareholders meeting.
Some links may require a subscription:
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger discuss the best books they've read in the previous year.
AUDIENCE QUESTION: What were the three best books you read last year outside of the investment field? Why don't — even one will do.
WARREN BUFFETT: I'll give you — I'll tout a book first that I've read but that isn't available yet. But it will be in September.
The woman who wrote it, I believe, is in the audience and it's Ben Graham's biography, which will be available in September, by Janet Lowe. And I've read it and I think those of you who are interested in investments, for sure, will enjoy it. She's done a good job of capturing Ben.
One of the books I enjoyed a lot was written also by a shareholder who is not here because he's being sworn in, I believe today or tomorrow, maybe tomorrow, as head of the Voice of America.
And that's Geoff Cowan's book, which is on "The People v. Clarence Darrow." It's the story of the Clarence Darrow trial for, essentially, jury bribery in Los Angeles back around 1912, when the McNamara brothers had bombed the LA Times.
It's a fascinating book. Geoff uncovered a lot of information that the previous biographies of Darrow didn't have. I think you'd enjoy that...
CHARLIE MUNGER: Well, I very much enjoyed Connie Bruck's biography Master of the Game, which was a biography of Steve Ross, who headed Warner and later was, what, co-chairman of Time Warner.
WARREN BUFFETT: Yeah, he's a little more than co-chairman. (Laughs)
CHARLIE MUNGER: Yeah, and — she's a very insightful writer and it's a very interesting story.
I am rereading a book I really like, which is Van Doren's biography of Benjamin Franklin, which came out in 1952 [1938], and I'd almost forgotten how good a book it was. And that's available in paperback everywhere. We've never had anybody quite like Franklin in this country. Never again.
Four weeks
Twelve months
BRK.A stock price: $751,425.00
BRK.B stock price: $497.55
BRK.B P/E (TTM): 15.91
Berkshire market capitalization: $1,076,049,449,409
Berkshire Cash as of September 30: $381.7 billion (Up 10.9% from June 30)
Excluding Rail Cash and Subtracting T-Bills Payable: $354.3 billion (Up 4.3% from June 30)
No Berkshire stock repurchases since May 2024.
(All figures are as of the date of publication, unless otherwise indicated)
Berkshire's top holdings of disclosed publicly traded stocks in the U.S. and Japan, by market value, based on the latest closing prices.
Holdings are as of September 30, 2025, as reported in Berkshire Hathaway's 13F filing on November 14, 2025, except for:
The full list of holdings and current market values is available from CNBC.com's Berkshire Hathaway Portfolio Tracker.
Please send any questions or comments about the newsletter to me at alex.crippen@nbcuni.com. (Sorry, but we don't forward questions or comments to Buffett himself.)
If you aren't already subscribed to this newsletter, you can sign up here.
Also, Buffett's annual letters to shareholders are highly recommended reading. There are collected here on Berkshire's website.
-- Alex Crippen, Editor, Warren Buffett Watch
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Luxury brands from Harry Winston to Loewe are going all in on Lunar New Year collections in a bid to attract Chinese customers.
Ahead of the Year of the Horse, which starts on Tuesday, Harry Winston unveiled a limited-edition, $81,500 rose gold watch with diamond bezels and a red lacquer horse. High-end fashion brand Chloé released a capsule collection, ranging from $250 silk scarves to a $5,300 snakeskin and leather shoulder bag with a horse head and tail linked by a horsebit chain. A slew of other brands, including Loewe, Gucci and Loro Piana, have introduced new bag charms with horse motifs.
The Year of the Horse arrives at a time of cautious optimism for designer brands and could mark the start of a China's luxury market comeback.
Chinese consumers were once the primary driver for the global luxury sector but have cut back sharply in recent years, weighed down by the country's slowing economy and depressed housing values.
The Chinese luxury market stood at about 350 billion RMB in 2024, or about $50 billion, according to estimates from Bain. While the consultancy estimates that market contracted by 3% to 5% in 2025, Bain analysts noted that the sector started showing signs of recovery in the second half of 2025 on the back of stronger stock market performance and consumer confidence.
Bernstein senior analyst Luca Solca said he predicts Chinese luxury spending will stabilize, forecasting mid-single-digit percentage growth in 2026. However, the market is still far more competitive than at its peak, he said.
Before the Covid pandemic, Chinese consumers accounted for about one-third of the global luxury goods market, according to Solca. That percentage has since dipped to about 23%, he said.
The luxury market's fortunes do not solely rest on Lunar New Year, but it is an opportunity for Western brands to show respect for Chinese culture, he said.
The annual holiday is associated with the colors red and gold, which symbolize good luck and fortune in Chinese culture. Each Lunar New Year is represented by one of 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Last year's animal was the snake.
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But Solca said in order to best capture the Chinese luxury consumer, brands need to go beyond the expected motifs.
"The Chinese are no longer in awe of anything that comes from the West," Solca said. "A perfunctory interpretation of CNY is not going to go far."
Veronique Yang, who leads BCG's consumer practice in Greater China, said literal interpretations can come across as lazy or even disrespectful to Chinese consumers. Younger shoppers are also looking for fresher takes, she said.
"Chinese young people, they respect the old Chinese culture, but to be honest, a lot of parts of it they don't understand, or they want it to be reinterpreted in a modern way," she said. "It's important to weave a narrative that connects the heritage with a contemporary vision."
Lunar New Year collections date back to the early 2010s, as Western brands were eager to tap into the rapidly growing Chinese luxury consumer market, according to Daniel Langer, professor of luxury strategy at Pepperdine University. At the time, newly wealthy Chinese consumers were eager to spend on designer goods, especially when they traveled abroad, he said, as there were few luxury boutiques in China outside major cities like Shanghai and Beijing.
Now, with broader access and more choice, brands have to work harder to bring in new clients.
And in the 12 years since the last Year of the Horse, Chinese high-income consumers have become more discerning, Langer said.
"They've been to the best places in the world. They've dined in the best restaurants in the world. They've shopped in the best shops in the world. Their expectations towards brands are significantly higher," he said. "China has completely changed from a country where there was pent up demand for luxury goods to a country of the highest sophistication."
They also have grown accustomed to spending less on Western brands between pandemic travel restrictions and the rise of domestic high-end labels, according to Langer.
Before the pandemic, Chinese consumers did most of their luxury shopping abroad. Pandemic travel restrictions permanently changed that dynamic. According to Bain, two-thirds of Chinese luxury goods spending was done abroad in 2019. Last year, overseas spending made up only a third.
The Year of the Horse provides a natural opportunity for a sizable number of Western brands to connect to the holiday. Langer said he preferred brands who take a less literal approach, such as Loewe, which adorned its signature Puzzle bags with fringes and tassels for a cowboy aesthetic.
Yang noted, however, that the year's zodiac animal is a good luck symbol only for people who were born in that year, which makes playing too much into horse imagery a risk.
Instead, she said, brands can use immersive experiences to connect to Chinese customers, especially younger ones, in a more authentic way.
Valentino, for instance, held a three-day lantern festival in January at Tianhou Palace, a historic temple along the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai. Burberry launched an extensive Lunar New Year campaign in mid-December, with Chinese brand ambassadors and a pop-up boutique and ice rink in Beijing.
"There's a lot of different cultural elements that you can integrate and build a narrative around," Yang said. "It's not only about animals."
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A shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that took effect early Saturday impacts the agency responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports across the country. Travelers with airline reservations may be nervously recalling a 43-day government shutdown that led to historic flight cancellations and long delays last year.
Transportation Security Administration officers are expected to work without pay while lawmakers remain without an agreement on DHS' annual funding. TSA officers also worked through the record shutdown that ended Nov. 12, but aviation experts say this one may play out differently.
Trade groups for the U.S. travel industry and major airlines nonetheless warned that the longer DHS appropriations are lapsed, the longer security lines at the nation's commercial airports could get.
Here's what to know about the latest shutdown and how to plan ahead.
Funding for Homeland Security expired at midnight. But the rest of the federal government is funded through Sept. 30. That means air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will receive paychecks as usual, reducing the risk of widespread flight cancellations.
According to the department's contingency plan, about 95% of TSA workers are deemed essential personnel and required to keep working. Democrats in the House and Senate say DHS won't get funded until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations.
During past shutdowns, disruptions to air travel tended to build over time, not overnight. About a month into last year's shutdown, for example, TSA temporarily closed two checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport. That same day, the government took the extraordinary step of ordering all commercial airlines to reduce their domestic flight schedules.
John Rose, chief risk officer for global travel management company Altour, said strains could surface at airports more quickly this time because the TSA workforce also will be remembering the last shutdown.
"It's still fresh in their minds and potentially their pocketbooks," Rose said.
It's hard to predict whether, when or where security screening snags might pop up. Even a handful of unscheduled TSA absences could quickly lead to longer wait times at smaller airports, for example, if there's just a single security checkpoint.
That's why travelers should plan to arrive early and allow extra time to get through security.
"I tell people to do this even in good times," Rose said.
Experts say flight delays also are a possibility even though air traffic controllers are not affected by the DHS shutdown.
Airlines might decide to delay departures in some cases to wait for passengers to clear screening, said Rich Davis, senior security adviser at risk mitigation company International SOS. Shortages of TSA officers also could slow the screening of checked luggage behind the scenes.
Most airports display security line wait times on their websites, but don't wait until the day of a flight to check them, Rose advised.
"You may look online and it says two-and-a-half hours," he said. "Now it's two-and-a-half hours before your flight and you haven't left for the airport yet."
Passengers should also pay close attention while packing since prohibited items are likely to prolong the screening process. For carry-on bags, avoid bringing full-size shampoo or other liquids, large gels or aerosols and items like pocketknives in carry-on bags.
TSA has a full list on its website of what is and isn't allowed in carry-on and checked luggage.
At the airport, Rose said, remember to "practice patience and empathy."
"Not only are they not getting paid," he said of TSA agents, "they're probably working with reduced staff and dealing with angry travelers."
The White House has been negotiating with Democratic lawmakers, but the two sides failed to reach a deal by the end of the week before senators and members of Congress were set to leave Washington for a 10-day break.
Lawmakers in both chambers were on notice, however, to return if a deal to end the shutdown is struck.
Democrats have said they won't help approve more DHS funding until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis last month.
In a joint statement, U.S. Travel, Airlines for America and the American Hotel & Lodging Association warned that the shutdown threatens to disrupt air travel as the busy spring break travel season approaches.
"Travelers and the U.S. economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay, which increases the risk of unscheduled absences and call outs, and ultimately can lead to higher wait times and missed or delayed flights," the statement said.
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I know, I know, it's Valentine's Day, so who wants to read about breakups? Hear me out. Today isn't just about love; it's about every part of a relationship — the meet-cute, the intoxicating limerence, and even splitting up over soup. Meet the breakup economy.
Business Insider's Juliana Kaplan writes about how breaking up in public is still a thing, and many are choosing restaurants, bars, and coffee shops to do the deed. It's not only affecting the two people sitting at the table. Waitstaff are also taking notice and trying their best to navigate what happens when someone suddenly leaves the table.
Chef Gabrielle Macafee encountered this exact scenario when she worked at a Brooklyn restaurant serving a small tasting menu. After a couple walked in looking "morose," the man stood up and left halfway through the $130 meal.
"My teammates and I were like, wait, how do we handle this? He's gone. You can only hold the food for so long," Macafee told BI's Kaplan, who added that the woman still seated paid for both meals. "We offered to send her the rest, but obviously, she just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible."
If you do find yourself giving the "it's not you, it's me" speech in public, dating coach Julie Nguyen advised picking a neutral spot, such as a park, and avoiding regular haunts you both frequent. "You don't want either of you to feel dread going back, or tie bad memories to a spot they love. A neutral, quiet outdoor setting is the best play," she added.
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Lane Denbro, a former line cook, said that if you're not in total shock at what's happening, be thoughtful of the staff, the servers, and the bartenders. "If you're going through a breakup, make sure to tip well, because the service staff in the back of house, we're going to try to support you however we can," Denbro said.
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On July 6, 2019, federal agents arrested Jeffrey Epstein aboard his private jet, which had just landed in New Jersey from a trip to Paris.
At the same time, another set of FBI agents raided his mansion in Manhattan. They took photos of everything, from a taxidermied tiger in the library, to framed pictures of Epstein with Donald Trump, Pope John Paul II, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman scattered across his desks.
The agents also seized more than 70 computers, iPads, and hard drives, as well as boxes of shredded paper and financial documents. They sawed open a metal safe and found even more hard drives, along with a binder of CDs, 48 loose diamonds, and a Saudi Arabian passport with his photo.
Six weeks later, after Epstein killed himself in jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, agents raided his US Virgin Islands estate, where they seized even more electronic devices and documents.
On January 30, the US Department of Justice put much of that material on the internet.
It created an immediate explosion of news. The public already knew that numerous powerful people in politics, business, and academia spent time with Epstein even after he had already registered as a sex offender, in 2008. The files demonstrated a vaster scope than previously known.
Emails show Tesla CEO Elon Musk and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made plans to visit Epstein's island. Epstein exchanged crude emails with Virgin founder Richard Branson and other businessmen. The UK's ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, resigned from the Labour Party after the files revealed a photo of him in his underwear and emails showed him sharing government secrets with Epstein. Kathryn Ruemmler announced she would resign as the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs after emails showed years of warm — and at times intensely personal — emails between her and Epstein. The documents disclosed that prosecutors investigated sexual abuse allegations against Leon Black, a billionaire acquaintance of Epstein, but did not charge him. A financial document which had been kept secret since Epstein's death showed he asked his girlfriend to marry him and planned to give her $100 million and all of his properties.
The records also include a number of unsubstantiated tips sent to the FBI, which include unproven allegations about President Donald Trump.
Before the release, the public knew there was more to the Epstein story.
A glimpse of the Epstein files was shown in the criminal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, which I covered for Business Insider, in Manhattan federal court in 2021. Victims testified about how Epstein and Maxwell would name-drop Trump, Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew, showing them how many friends he had in high places.
After the jury found Maxwell guilty of trafficking girls to Epstein for sex, I filed my story, and then got drinks with a few other journalists who covered the five-week trial, including Julie K. Brown, the Miami Herald journalist whose stories about Epstein's abuses led to his arrest.
It had been a grueling trial, filled with horrific testimony from women who had recounted the darkest moments of their lives. The trial took place in December, requiring journalists to show up at 4 a.m. in the 20-degree weather to get a seat in the courtroom.
We were happy for the trial to be over and for the jury to reach its verdict. But a question hung in the air. Was what we heard at the trial really all there was to say?
Questions about Epstein and his sex-trafficking operation continued to persist in the years following the trial. How did Epstein get so rich? Was there any truth to rumored connections to the CIA or the Mossad? Did Epstein traffic girls to some of his powerful friends, as some victims alleged? Did he really kill himself in prison, as authorities concluded, or was he assassinated to cover up an elite pedophile ring, as some theorized?
Civil lawsuits generated new revelations. A judge in New York unsealed documents from a long-running case that Epstein's most outspoken victim, Virginia Giuffre, filed against Maxwell. Groups of victims sued big banks, accusing them of ignoring red flags about Epstein's finances. (Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan each settled class-action lawsuits with victims; similar lawsuits against Bank of America and BNY Mellon are pending.) JP Morgan and the US Virgin Islands government filed lawsuits in which each accused the other of facilitating Epstein's sex-trafficking operation. And a compensation program identified 150 victims.
The lawsuits delivered a steady drip of details: how Epstein trafficked girls and hushed them up with money, more names of people in his orbit, and the financial red flags waved before banks. A Justice Department inspector general report analyzing the circumstances of his death concluded that poor management at the federal jail created the conditions that allowed him to kill himself. Another Justice Department report criticized Alexander Acosta, the prosecutor who gave Epstein a plea deal in 2007 on light charges, for "poor judgment," but found nothing that substantiated a vast conspiracy. (The latest file release includes a copy of the robust indictment prosecutors had initially drafted, with 19 victims.)
As theories about Epstein continued to swirl online, the Justice Department refused requests by journalists and Epstein's victims to make the files public.
By the 2024 presidential campaign, speculation about Epstein had reached fever pitch among members of Trump's political base, who had for years been steeped in other conspiracy theories, including QAnon. Podcasters and journalists pressed Trump to promise to release the Justice Department's vast trove of Epstein files.
The issue was potentially awkward for Trump. Epstein was affiliated with prominent Democrats, including Clinton, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and diplomat Bill Burns. But Trump and Epstein had been friends in the 1980s and 1990s, both spending time together in the Manhattan and Palm Beach social circuits. Epstein also forged close ties with Steve Bannon, Trump's former White House advisor, in the months before his arrest on sex-trafficking charges.
Shortly after Trump won the presidential election, Giuffre — who was a teenager when Maxwell recruited her from Mar-a-Lago, where she worked, and brought her to Epstein for sex — urged him to release the files.
"We need someone who despises these sick people with the power to help make it easier to hold these monsters accountable, no matter how much $$ they have," she wrote on X. "God bless you and Thank you for caring!"
When Trump took office in January 2025, the job of releasing the Epstein files fell to his attorney general, Pamela Bondi.
For months, Bondi promised but failed to provide any substantial new information about Epstein. Then, in July, the Justice Department and FBI abruptly announced they would not release any more Epstein files after all. On Truth Social, responding to backlash from his supporters, Trump praised Bondi, called the Epstein files a "hoax," and urged his supporters to "not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about."
Todd Blanche, the No. 2 official in the Justice Department, and Trump's former personal lawyer, traveled to Florida to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence, for reasons that remain unclear. Then she was mysteriously transferred to a nicer, lower-security prison also for reasons that remain unclear.
Trump's and the Justice Department's perplexing handling of Epstein brought fresh attention to the story. I spoke to four people who had access to the Justice Department's files, and who said there was no trace of intelligence material, which would have been the case if Epstein or Maxwell's crimes were tied to the CIA or Mossad. The New York Times produced deep investigations into Epstein's ties to JPMorgan and how he accumulated his wealth by exploiting his network and his complicated relationships with his two main patrons, Black and fellow billionaire Les Wexner. The Wall Street Journal found a copy of a 2003 book of birthday well-wishes, prepared by Ghislaine Maxwell, which included an apparent letter from Trump.
These developments together created the perfect storm and prompted Congress to take ook action.
In August, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for its Epstein-related records. It also issued subpoenas throughout the year to Epstein's estate, former Justice Department officials, Clinton, and banks where Epstein had accounts.
Republicans and Democrats on the committee released tranches of various "Epstein files," most of which came from his estate. It put out a copy of the "birthday book." prepared for his 50th birthday. A letter attributed to Trump is accompanied by a crude illustration of a female body, calls Epstein a "pal," and says that "enigmas never age." Trump is suing The Wall Street Journal over a story it published earlier about the letter, which his lawyers maintain is a fabrication.
The most potent revelations came from tens of thousands of emails, text messages, and other files from Epstein's estate. Some of those emails included cryptic references to Trump. In one email to Maxwell, Epstein called Trump "the dog that hasn't barked." In another, Epstein told writer Michael Wolff that Trump "knew about the girls."
Larry Summers, the former treasury secretary and Harvard president, was removed or resigned from various positions after it was revealed that he sought the Epstein's advice for pursuing an extramarital affair. Prince Andrew stayed in touch with the pedophile long after he previously said they cut ties. The House Oversight Committee also released numerous photos of Epstein hanging out with Branson, Bannon, Noam Chomsky, Woody Allen, and other powerful and influential people.
The flood of revelations now pale in comparison to what we've learned from the files in the Justice Department's possession. At the time, they raised the question: Why was the Justice Department resisting calls to release the files?
Public pressure — including from Epstein's victims, who wanted more transparency from the government — led to a flood of support for the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The law required the Justice Department to do what it had initially promised: release all of its Epstein files. It allowed minimal redactions to protect the privacy of victims and gave a 30-day deadline. In November, both houses of Congress passed the bill. Trump — seeing any veto would be overridden — signed it into law.
When the December 19 deadline arrived, the Justice Department published several hundred thousand documents. There were a lot of photos of Clinton, including one of him in a pool with Maxwell, and more photos of Epstein's home and his friends. Emails between prosecutors provided insight into how they built the cases against Epstein and Maxwell, although many of them were redacted. There was very little information about Trump.
In court filings several days later, the Justice Department revealed that it still had to review several million Epstein-related documents. It had blown past its 30-day deadline.
On January 30, Blanche announced that the Justice Department would keep its promise and release whatever Epstein files it could — millions more pages.
He said the department would withhold another 200,000 documents, asserting legal "privilege," even though the law doesn't allow for that.
The redactions in the files are inconsistent and baffling. Victims' names, which were supposed to be kept secret, have been exposed. In one photo, Melania Trump's face is blacked out, even though the photo — of her, Epstein, Maxwell, and the president — had widely circulated for years.
There are other odd omissions. The Epstein files have surprisingly few financial records. An interview with Kristin Roman, the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on Epstein's body, is missing. There's an incomplete record of prosecutors deciding which of his acquaintances they would face criminal charges.
Members of Congress who have been permitted to view the unredacted files have pushed the Justice Department to make more documents public. The House Oversight Committee is scheduling interviews with people who might know more about Epstein's activities.
The fight for the Epstein files isn't over yet.
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The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics chief, Casey Wasserman, is putting his talent and marketing agency up for sale, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, following criticism for flirtatious email exchanges with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell more than 20 years ago.
Wasserman has been criticized and called on to resign as the LA28 chief after the release of messages. His firm has lost pop star Chappell Roan as a client, with Roan saying earlier this week she was no longer represented by his company.
Wasserman has denied having a personal or business relationship with late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has previously apologized for his association with Maxwell, saying their relationship came before her or Epstein's crimes were revealed.
Wasserman's talent agency did not respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
According to the Journal, Wasserman told his firm's staff in an internal memo that he felt that he had "become a distraction" to its work and had begun the process of selling the company.
"I'm deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort," Wasserman wrote in the memo, reported by the newspaper.
"It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about," he wrote.
The LA28 said earlier this week that Wasserman will remain chairman of the 2028 games after organizers conducted a review of his past interactions with Maxwell and Epstein, and found his relationship with them did not go beyond what had already been publicly documented.
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If the Lucid Gravity were an Olympic figure skater, it would go for the quadruple axel — flashy, ambitious, and a little audacious.
The Gravity blends beauty with physical prowess: striking design, blistering speed, and enough battery range to get from New York to Boston and halfway back on a single charge.
Beyond the showmanship, this SUV carries serious stakes for Lucid. It's the money-losing automaker's first SUV, giving the company a foothold in America's most popular vehicle segment.
I tested the Gravity in New York City to see whether Lucid's big bet sticks the landing.
My verdict: It earns a spot on the podium. But a few technical wobbles keep it from taking gold.
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In my career, I've test-driven 72 vehicles — from V8 muscle cars to new-wave EVs, including Lucid's only other model, the Air sedan.
The Gravity ranks among the five most fun-to-drive cars I've ever tested.
Its 123-kWh battery launches the SUV from 0 to 60 mph in about three seconds — quicker than a Ferrari Portofino. Instant torque makes it feel ferocious off the line.
Steering is tight and surprisingly nimble for a long three-row SUV. Thanks to its low-mounted battery pack, the Gravity stays planted through sharp corners, masking its weight well.
New York City's potholes are a brutal suspension test — and the Gravity passed, delivering just enough cushiness without drifting into numbness.
The "squircle"-shaped steering wheel — a square-circle hybrid — reinforces the athletic, easy-to-control vibe.
While the SUV is a powerhouse, its design leans heavily into luxury.
From the outside, it's long and dramatic, defined by width-spanning LED light bars and a cab-forward profile. From certain angles, it looks like a high-end minivan redesigned by a Silicon Valley startup.
Inside, nearly every surface feels premium from all seven seats. Open-pore wood, supple leather, and an expansive windshield that stretches overhead create an airy, lounge-like cabin. There are no obvious hard plastics.
Heated seats are available in the first two rows, while front passengers can also opt for ventilation and five-mode massaging seats.
The dashboard is dominated by a sweeping curved display for gauges, maps, and media. A secondary center screen handles climate, seat controls, and deeper vehicle settings. Together, they reinforce the Gravity's futuristic, software-first identity.
Its battery is also impressive. With nearly 400 miles of range, when plugged into a fast charger, the Gravity can add juice for 200 miles in just 15 minutes.
To get back to our Olympic metaphor: The Gravity is impressive — but it enters a brutally competitive three-row EV tournament.
The segment includes well-appointed heavy hitters like the Rivian R1S, Cadillac Escalade IQ, Hyundai Ioniq 9, and Kia EV9.
That makes small flaws harder to ignore.
The most frustrating issue I experienced was the key fob. From a few feet away, repeated clicks didn't always fully latch the doors. That's particularly annoying given that key proximity controls certain vehicle functions, like turning the vehicle's battery off.
Lucid told me it is aware of the issue and has pushed an over-the-air update to address it.
It's a fixable problem — but for buyers spending well into six figures, even small execution misses stand out.
Some essential controls are also buried in screens. Adjusting the windshield wiper speed, for example, requires navigating a digital menu rather than using a traditional stalk.
Then there's the eye-watering price tag: the Gravity starts around $80,000. The fully loaded Grand Touring model I tested — with upgraded materials, advanced driver assistance, and additional luxury features — stickered at roughly $124,000.
That's serious, serious money, especially when rivals undercut it by thousands while offering similarly refined packages.
The Lucid Gravity is one of the most thrilling SUVs I've ever driven.
It's beautiful, blisteringly fast, and packed with forward-looking tech. For buyers who want hair-raising acceleration wrapped in futuristic luxury — and who aren't price-sensitive — it's hard to beat.
If value matters more than spectacle, rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 9 or Kia EV9 may make more sense. Meanwhile, the Rivian R1S offers a fun mix of optional features and family-friendly character.
But none of them were as fun to drive.
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It's a scene many office workers would recognize — a consultant arguing with their boss about how they should be logging, or not logging, the hours they're putting in, using insider language like daily "touch points" and charging the "client code." Eventually, the boss slips up.
"We just don't want your utilization to get too high so we have a reason to lay you off when it comes to layoff season," the boss says. "Oh, wait. I said the quiet part out loud."The scene — "Timesheets In Consulting Make No Sense" — is actually a comedy sketch, one of the most viewed videos on Joe Fenti's Instagram account. It's racked up 1.8 million views and hundreds of comments from users who say they can relate.
Fenti, a 29-year-old in Boston, is also saying the quiet part out loud, depicting the frustrations that are all too common in corporate America but often go unacknowledged.
They're situations he knows firsthand: Before becoming a full-time content creator and stand-up comedian, Fenti spent five years as a consultant at a Big Four firm.
"I found myself doing a lot of repetitive work and just noticing a lot of silliness in the workday," Fenti told Business Insider.
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When he started posting videos online, the ones mocking corporate culture resonated the most, and not just with fellow consultants but also with folks in other fields like accounting, investment banking, and private equity.
"Wow, this is such a universal experience," he realized. "Corporate is corporate is corporate."
Lampooning professional services firms comes with a large potential audience, as the Big Four — Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG — collectively employ 1.5 million people.
A post shared by Joe Fenti (@fentifriedchicken)
Fenti started working as a consultant in 2019. Little frustrations quickly started piling up, like having to write emails for his boss to a client, but the boss knew everything that needed to be in the email, so he had to ask the boss what to write. "The whole time I'm thinking, 'This would be so much faster if you just did this,'" he said.
When he began posting videos around the spring of 2021, the ones about work were taking off, so he started posting more frequently. Since around 2023, he's been posting six videos a week, and for much of that time, he also had his full-time consulting job.
"I really was maximizing every minute of my day just to make this content and comedy thing work," he said. He'd write his scripts during the day on a notepad so he could film immediately when he got home. He'd edit his videos while on the bus to work or to a stand-up comedy show.
By early 2024, the money he was making from content, primarily from brand deals, exceeded his consulting salary. He said he realized he was treating his consulting job more like a side gig and quit in early 2025 to do content full time. Today, he has nearly half a million followers on Instagram and more than 340,000 on TikTok.
Fenti said he always loved comedy, but never imagined it could be something he actually did for a job. He remembers saying to his friend when he first started, "If I even make a dollar doing this, it'll be a good adventure."
While he makes most of his income from content, he also travels for stand-up comedy shows and plans to do more of that. He also recently recorded a 60-minute special that should be coming out this spring.
Even as a content creator, it's hard to escape the realities of corporate culture. He's had brands approve a script only to ask for edits once the video was already done. But he loves being his own boss and setting his own schedule.
Now that he's left the corporate world, he can't imagine ever going back. "I love not having to get anything approved," he said. "It's whatever I think is funny."
While his comedy goes beyond mere mockery of corporate culture, it's a topic that continues to resonate. A year out from his consulting job, he said he still has no shortage of ideas for jokes about work.
Fans come up to him after shows and tell him his videos helped them get through a hard time or an especially annoying project. He thinks people want to see their world reflected back at them, and that they appreciate seeing the frustrations they're experiencing actually be acknowledged.
"People want their lives to be seen and understood," he said. "When you have a humor page about it, that's really the most understanding you can get."
Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at kvlamis@businessinsider.com or Signal at @kelseyv.21. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
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When automakers went electric, they also went sleek and digital.
Climate control knobs disappeared. Door handles tucked themselves into body panels. Audio volume dials became haptic sliders.
Now, as automakers face regulatory pressures and customer blowback, some of the industry's biggest names are reversing course and reintroducing physical buttons.
Audi's upcoming 2027 e-tron updates promise a more "tactile" interior experience. Ferrari's first EV — designed in collaboration with former Apple design chief Jony Ive — is filled with physical controls. Even Tesla is redesigning its flush door handles.
"We will never, ever make this mistake anymore," Andreas Mindt, the head of design at Volkswagen, told AutoCar last year when asked about filling cars with digital screens.
"Honestly, it's a car. It's not a phone: it's a car."
The move to giant screens was about aesthetics, economics — and influence.
Sam Abuelsamid, co-host of the Wheel Bearings podcast, told Business Insider it all started with Tesla's lead.
Tesla's Model S, its first-ever ground-up design, centered much of its interface around a 17-inch touchscreen.
"It gives cars a more high-tech look and feel," Abuelsamid said. "Also, it cut costs. It costs a lot of money to develop and validate physical controls."
When Tesla's sales started to take off, the industry tried to mimic the sleek styling. Throughout the industry, the influence of Tesla's pared-down approach was evident.
Volkswagen's ID.4 never had climate knobs. Rivian's door handles electronically slid inside the door frame. Ford added huge tablets to the center of its Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning.
Even Tesla took it a step further, removing the physical turn-signal stalks from the Model 3 — before bringing them back.
At first, the tech-forward approach worked for the target audience.
"It goes back to the types of consumers who adopt these technologies," Eleftheria Kontou, an assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Illinois, said to Business Insider.
"Environmentalists and technically-inclined shoppers are the most common EV buyers," Kontou added. "They want a new tech gadget, so EVs are a very attractive option."
But as EVs moved beyond tech enthusiasts and into the broader market, expectations shifted.
As EVs went mainstream, the downside of screen-heavy cabins became harder to ignore.
"The core safety concern isn't mechanical reliability — it's distraction," Spencer Penn, a former Tesla Model 3 engineer and now CEO of sourcing platform LightSource, told Business Insider. "Touchscreens require visual attention and lack haptic feedback."
The advantage of physical controls, he said, is ergonomic and psychological immediacy rather than mechanical redundancy.
That usability tension has begun drawing regulatory scrutiny.
China recently moved to ban certain flush and hidden door handle designs over safety concerns. In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has investigated complaints involving electronic door mechanisms. And in 2024, the European Transport Safety Council said it would not afford five-star safety ratings to vehicles with too many screens.
The EV revolution was built on the promise that cars could function more like smartphones — constantly updated, endlessly configurable, and increasingly software-driven.
That vision isn't disappearing — and touchscreens aren't going anywhere.
General Motors is building subscription revenue around digital features. Tesla continues to push new full self-driving updates. Ford's next generation of EVs will rely heavily on cloud-connected systems.
Instead, they're restoring some physical controls for high-frequency or safety-critical functions — volume, climate adjustments, hazard lights, windshield wipers — while leaving navigation, media, and ambient light settings to digital menus.
"Inspired by the functional aesthetic of the well-received Audi Concept C and the tactile experience of its physical controls reflecting mechanical quality, the familiar scroll wheel returns, permitting operation of various functions and replacing the previous touch-sensitive interface controlling volume and MMI menu selection," Audi says about its 2027 e-tron.
But even in a software-defined future, drivers still expect something smartphones don't require: the ability to drive down the road without looking at a screen.
"It is less expensive when you remove dozens of switches with a singular screen panel," Penn said. "However, it's more expensive if you misalign yourself with the voice of the customer."
Jump to
The U.S. has no intention of abandoning its deep alliance with Europe and wants the region to succeed, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday.
"We care deeply about your future and ours," Rubio told the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
"We want Europe to be strong," he said. "We believe that Europe must survive, because the two great wars of the last century serve, for us, as history's great reminder, that ultimately, our destiny is, and will always be, intertwined with yours."
U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently criticized Europe for being too reliant on the U.S. for its security and has pushed NATO allies to boost defense spending. His pursuit of ownership of Greenland, a Danish territory, has also rattled European leaders in recent months.
"We do not need to abandon the system of international cooperation we authored, and we don't need to dismantle the global institutions of the old order that together we built. But these must be reformed. These must be rebuilt," Rubio said.
The U.S.'s top diplomat told the gathering of European leaders that American leadership has succeeded in resolving thorny issues such as the Israel-Gaza conflict and made progress in ending Russia's war with Ukraine which multilateral organizations including the U.N. have so far failed to.
"The United Nations still has tremendous potential to be a tool for good in the world, but we cannot ignore that today, on the most pressing matters before us, it has no answers and has played virtually no role. It could not solve the war in Gaza," Rubio said. "Instead, it was American leadership that freed captives from barbarians and brought about a fragile truce. It has not solved the war in Ukraine."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the U.S. for its help in Ukraine's fight against Russia.
"I am grateful to every American heart that was helping us no matter what. Thank you. Without you, Americans, Europeans and everyone who stands with us, it would have been very, very difficult to hold on," Zelenskyy said to applause.
But he criticized the administration of Trump's predecessor for being slow to ramp up military aid to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also had harsh words for Iran's government, which he accused of supplying the drones Russia uses to attack Ukrainian territory.
"Ukraine does not share a border with Iran and we have never had a conflict of interests with the Iranian regime," Zelenskyy said. "But the Iranian Shahed drones they sold to Russia are killing, especially, our people, Ukrainians, and destroying our infrastructure."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, speaking next to Zelenskyy, urged member countries to step up military support for Ukraine under the alliance's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.
"Keep (Ukraine) strong in the fight. They will do it, but they need our support," Rutte said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking after Rubio at the conference, said the region faces "the very distinct threat of outside forces trying to weaken our union from within, the return of overtly hostile competition and power relations."
Von der Leyen said Europe needs to become more independent "in every dimension that affects our security and prosperity, defense and energy, economy and trade, raw materials and digital tech."
But she emphasized that that does not mean weakening the trans-Atlantic bond.
"The opposite is true and we've just heard it from State Secretary Rubio. An independent Europe is a strong Europe and a strong Europe makes for a stronger transatlantic alliance."
On Friday, the EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, urged European leaders to stand up to Russian aggression.
"The lesson learned is that appeasement always brings new wars," Kallas told CNBC in an interview. "That's very clear. If you think that, okay, let them have this territory. ... We will have peace that is actually never going to work. It actually increases the appetite. They walked away with more territory, more valuables, than they had before."
Also speaking to CNBC on Friday ahead of the conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, the organization's chairman, said it was Europe's "own fault" that its power on the global stage has been diminished.
"Europe has failed to speak with one voice to China and about China, Europe has failed with one voice, to come up with a clear concept about the future of the Middle East, including about how to deal or not to deal with the Iranian nuclear question," said Ischinger, who is a former German ambassador to the U.S.
Earlier this week, the MSC published its 2026 report, for which Ischinger wrote the foreword. It warned that "the world has entered a period of wrecking-ball politics," where "sweeping destruction … is the order of the day."
The report said that Trump was "at the forefront of those who promise to free their countries from the existing order's constraints and rebuild stronger, more prosperous nations," arguing he was just one movement "driven by resentment and regret over the liberal trajectory their societies have embarked on."
Ischinger said that Europeans were "totally on the sidelines" on negotiations around Gaza and Ukraine.
Rubio said the U.S. sought a "reinvigorated alliance" with Europe, "one that does not maintain the polite pretense that our way of life is just one among many and that asks for permission before it acts."
In a wide-ranging speech, Rubio criticized past policies that encouraged mass migration, outsourced supply chains and contributed to "deindustrialization," which he said was "not inevitable."
"It was a conscious policy choice, a decades-long economic undertaking that stripped our nations of their wealth, of their productive capacity, and of their independence. And the loss of our supply chain sovereignty was not a function of a prosperous and healthy system of global trade. It was foolish," Rubio said.
Rubio also discussed how greater trans-Atlantic cooperation could reposition the West to lead in 21st-Century industries.
"Together, we can reindustrialize our economies and rebuild our capacity to defend our people," he said.
"Commercial space travel and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, industrial automation and flex manufacturing, creating a Western supply chain for critical minerals not vulnerable to extortion from other powers, and a unified effort to compete for market share in the economies of the global South."
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In this article
While U.S. markets have been focused on the impact of Anthropic and Altruist's tools on software and financial services, China's tech giants have released AI models this week that have shown advancements in robotics and video generation.
Alibaba, TikTok creator ByteDance and short-video platform Kuaishou, have all released new AI models that underscore how Chinese firms are keeping up with those in the U.S.
It comes after Google DeepMind boss Demis Hassabis told CNBC that Chinese AI models are just "months" behind Western rivals.
These models from China are directly competing with video generation models such as OpenAI's Sora, as well as robotics models from Nvidia and Google.
Here's a rundown of the models.
Alibaba's DAMO Academy unveiled RynnBrain this week, an AI model designed to help robots comprehend the physical world around them and identify objects.
In a video demo, Alibaba showed a robot with pincers for hands that appeared to be able to count oranges, pick them up and place them in a basket. It was also shown taking milk out of a fridge.
Models require extensive training to enable them to identify everyday objects to interact with, which means that simple tasks like picking up fruit can be challenging in robotics.
RynnBrain now puts Alibaba in competition with the likes of Nvidia and Google which are developing their own AI models for robots.
"One of its key innovations is built-in time and space awareness," Adina Yakefu, a researcher at Hugging Face, told CNBC.
"Instead of simply reacting to immediate inputs, the robot can remember when and where events occurred, track task progress, and continue across multiple steps. This makes it more reliable and coherent in complex real-world environments."
Yakefu added that Alibaba's "broader ambition" was to "establish a foundational intelligence layer for embodied systems."
Seedance 2.0 is a video generation AI model capable of generating a realistic video from just a text prompt from a user. But prompts can also contain other videos and images.
Videos created with Seedance 2.0 and reviewed by CNBC appear to show quite realistic imagery and video that has been fully created with AI.
Billy Boman, who is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and runs a creative advertising agency that produces AI-generated content, has used Seedance 2.0.
He said AI video generation has made significant strides over the past two years, with rapid improvements across the industry.
"Back in 2023 … it was difficult to get someone to run or to walk. Any type of realism was [limited to] very short clips, everything was very slow, bad textures, no skin textures, lacking detail. Now the script has flipped. Now I can do anything. It has been nothing short of exceptional, the technological advancements," Boman told CNBC in an interview.
Hugging Face's Yakefu, added that the Seedance 2.0 model has shown progress from previous generations in "controllability, speed and production efficiency."
"Seedance 2.0 is one of the most well-rounded video generation models I've tested so far. It genuinely surprised me by delivering satisfying results on the first try, even with a simple prompt. The visuals, music, and cinematography come together in a way that feels polished rather than experimental," Yakefu said.
However, while users have praised the technology, Seedance has run into trouble. Local Chinese media reported that Seedance has suspended a feature that allowed the AI to generate the voice of a person based on a picture they uploaded. It came after a blogger in China raised concerns about the voice generation taking place without consent.
ByteDance was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Released last week, Kuaishou's Kling 3.0 is another video generation model to rival ByteDance's.
Kling 3.0 "features major upgrades in consistency, photorealistic output, extended video duration up to 15s, and native audio generation across multiple languages, dialects, and accents.
The model is only available to paying subscribers but will be available to the public soon, Kuaishou said.
Kuaishou's success with its Kling models has been a key factor behind its more than 50% share price rise over the last year.
Zhipu AI — which trades as Knowledge Atlas Technology in Hong Kong — saw its shares surge on Thursday after it released GLM-5, an open-source large-language model with enhanced coding capabilities and long-running agent tasks.
The company said the model approaches Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5 in coding benchmarks while surpassing Google's Gemini 3 Pro on some tests. CNBC could not verify those claims.
Shares of MiniMax also jumped Thursday after it launched its updated M2.5 open-source model with enhanced AI agent tools. "Agents" or "agentic AI" refers to AI tools designed to automate tasks.
— CNBC's Anniek Bao and Dylan Butts contributed to this report.
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¡Vaya! Parece que algo no ha ido bien
Bitcoin traders hoping that the top crypto asset has already marked its bottom for the cycle are likely to be disappointed, according to a new report from CryptoQuant.
The firm's weekly report insists traders need patience, noting that bear market bottoms “take time to form,” while citing the true bottom for BTC is $55,000.
“Bitcoin's ultimate bear market bottom is around $55K today,” the report reads. “This level represents the realized price, which historically has been a major price support area in previous bear markets.”
The realized price—a metric that tracks the average price at which investors have purchased a specific cryptocurrency—has been touched during both of the last two bear market bottoms, according to data from the firm.
“Once the price gets to this level, it tends to gravitate around it for 4-6 months,” the firm wrote.
The firm's report also notes that its bull-bear market cycle indicator is only in the “bear” phase, and has not entered the “extreme bear” segment that has typically marked the beginning of a bottom phase.
Bitcoin Will Fall to $50K and Ethereum Will Hit $1,400 Before Rebound: Standard Chartered
CryptoQuant's analysis mirrors that from others in the last few weeks. Galaxy's head of research noted the asset's lack of near-term catalysts and structural weakness as reasons it could head towards its 200-week moving average around $58,000.
Plus, earlier this week, Standard Chartered updated its forecast to indicate that BTC could drop to $50,000 before any sort of rebound towards $100,000.
Predictors on Myriad—a prediction market operated by Decrypt's parent company, Dastan—feel similarly, favoring Bitcoin's drop to $55,000 before a pump to $84,000 at around 54% as of Saturday morning.
Nevertheless, BTC has climbed 1.6% in the last 24 hours, recently changing hands around $69,724. At that mark, it has now dropped around 27% in the last 30 days and has fallen nearly 45% from its October all-time high of $126,080.
Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores
Bitcoin BTC$69,706.52 has clawed its way back above $70,000, recovering from a sharp drop near $60,000 earlier in the month.
The cryptocurrency is up nearly 5% in the last 24-hour period, while the broader CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index rose 6.2% in the same period.
The rebound comes as investors react to a cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation print and signs of renewed risk appetite. The Consumer Price Index for January rose 2.4% year-over-year, just below the forecasted 2.5%.
That gave markets a reason to believe interest rate cuts could arrive sooner than expected, lifting both stocks and cryptocurrencies. Lower interest rates make risk assets more attractive, as the rate of return on risk-free or low-risk investments lowers.
Traders on prediction market Kalshi are currently weighing a 26% chance of a 25 bps rate cut in April, up from 19% earlier in the week. On Polymarket, the odds rose from 13% to 20%.
Still, the rally masks deeper fractures beneath the surface.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index continues to reflect deep anxiety, hovering near extreme fear levels last seen during the 2022 bear market over the collapse of FTX. The index has been sitting in “extreme fear” since the beginning of the month.
Bitwise analysts noted that $8.7 billion in bitcoin losses were realized in the last week, second only to the fallout from the 3AC collapse.
“Nevertheless, the rotation of supply from weaker hands to conviction investors has historically been associated with market stabilisation phases, though such redistribution requires time to fully unfold,” Bitwise wrote.
Bitcoin treasury firms were sitting on over $21 billion of unrealized losses, an all-time high. Bitcoin's recovery has seen that figure drop to $16.9 billion.
Thinner trading volumes are supporting the current rally during the weekend and seller exhaustion. The $8.7 billion in realized losses in the last week could be seen as a “textbook capitulation event.”
Yet, the extreme fear gripping the market poses a challenge. As Bitwise research analyst Danny Nelson told CoinDesk, the market's “main driver right now is fear. Fear that we'll go lower.”
That fear is seeing investors take any coming rally as a chance to sell. Whether that will keep on materializing or the shift to higher-conviction holders will see the market change directions remains to be seen.
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Trump-linked Truth Social seeks SEC approval for two crypto ETFs
The filings include a bitcoin and ether ETF and a staking-focused Cronos fund, deepening the Truth Social brand's ambitions in digital asset investing.
What to know:
Bitcoin BTC$69,210.75 has clawed its way back above $70,000, recovering from a sharp drop near $60,000 earlier in the month.
The cryptocurrency is up nearly 5% in the last 24-hour period, while the broader CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index rose 6.2% in the same period.
The rebound comes as investors react to a cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation print and signs of renewed risk appetite. The Consumer Price Index for January rose 2.4% year-over-year, just below the forecasted 2.5%.
That gave markets a reason to believe interest rate cuts could arrive sooner than expected, lifting both stocks and cryptocurrencies. Lower interest rates make risk assets more attractive, as the rate of return on risk-free or low-risk investments lowers.
Traders on prediction market Kalshi are currently weighing a 26% chance of a 25 bps rate cut in April, up from 19% earlier in the week. On Polymarket, the odds rose from 13% to 20%.
Still, the rally masks deeper fractures beneath the surface.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index continues to reflect deep anxiety, hovering near extreme fear levels last seen during the 2022 bear market over the collapse of FTX. The index has been sitting in “extreme fear” since the beginning of the month.
Bitwise analysts noted that $8.7 billion in bitcoin losses were realized in the last week, second only to the fallout from the 3AC collapse.
“Nevertheless, the rotation of supply from weaker hands to conviction investors has historically been associated with market stabilisation phases, though such redistribution requires time to fully unfold,” Bitwise wrote.
Bitcoin treasury firms were sitting on over $21 billion of unrealized losses, an all-time high. Bitcoin's recovery has seen that figure drop to $16.9 billion.
Thinner trading volumes are supporting the current rally during the weekend and seller exhaustion. The $8.7 billion in realized losses in the last week could be seen as a “textbook capitulation event.”
Yet, the extreme fear gripping the market poses a challenge. As Bitwise research analyst Danny Nelson told CoinDesk, the market's “main driver right now is fear. Fear that we'll go lower.”
That fear is seeing investors take any coming rally as a chance to sell. Whether that will keep on materializing or the shift to higher-conviction holders will see the market change directions remains to be seen.
More For You
More For You
Trump-linked Truth Social seeks SEC approval for two crypto ETFs
The filings include a bitcoin and ether ETF and a staking-focused Cronos fund, deepening the Truth Social brand's ambitions in digital asset investing.
What to know:
The current impasse over stablecoin yields in the U.S. Senate's crypto market structure bill is now in writing, and the crypto side is holding the line on needing some forms of rewards for stablecoin users.
A White House meeting between Wall Street bankers and crypto executives hit a wall this week, despite officials in President Donald Trump's administration urging the sides to find a compromise. The banks held their line that no stablecoin yield or reward is acceptable, arguing that such yields threaten the depository activity at the heart of the U.S. banking system, explaining their position in a one-page paper entitled "Yield and Interest Prohibition Principles."
The Digital Chamber has now penned its own set of principles and began circulating it on Friday, defending the need for the section in the Senate Banking Committee's draft bill that outlines a range of situations in which rewards could be acceptable. The latest document, obtained by CoinDesk, also says that the bankers' request for a two-year study on stablecoins' effect on deposits is acceptable, as long as it doesn't come with an automatic regulatory rulemaking in response.
"We want to make the case known for policymakers that we do think this is a compromise," said Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone, in an interview on Friday. With this document, the industry group is putting in writing that it's willing to give up ground on anything that looks like an interest payment for static holdings of stablecoins, which would most closely resemble a bank savings account.
While the crypto sector has been pursuing stablecoin products allowed under last year's Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, the bankers are trying to dial back that law with edits included in this pending Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. But the GENIUS Act represents the current law of the land, so Carbone suggested that his industry's willingness to scrap rewards on stablecoin holdings is a significant concession, and the crypto companies should still be able to offer rewards when customers engage in transactions and other activity. Bankers should return to the table to talk again, he said.
"if they don't negotiate, then the status quo is that just rewards continue as-is," said Carbone, who suggested that his group's wide membership — which includes banking members — can put it closer to the middle of the discussion. "If they do nothing and they continue to say, 'We just want a blanket prohibition,' this goes nowhere."
He hopes the Digital Chamber's new position paper can reset the negotiations that have halted progress on the legislation since an 11th-hour disagreement derailed a hearing on the bill in the banking panel a month ago.
"Hopefully we can be the voice or the middle man who helps drive this conversation once again, because we are the one trade that represents both sides," Carbone said, though his group hadn't been among those negotiating in the White House at the most recent meeting.
The Digital Chamber's principles on Friday highlighted two particular reward scenarios it wanted protected – those tied to providing liquidity and those fostering ecosystem participation. The group argued those two provisions of the draft bill's Section 404 are especially important in decentralized finance (DeFi).
The White House is said to have called for a compromise by the end of this month. So far, the bank side hasn't seemed to budge in repeated meetings, though Trump crypto adviser Patrick Witt said in a Friday interview with Yahoo Finance that another gathering may be scheduled for next week.
"We're working hard to address the issues that were raised," Witt told Yahoo Finance, saying he's encouraged both sides to bend on the details.
"It's unfortunate that this has become such a big issue," he said, because the Clarity Act isn't really about stablecoins, which was more appropriately the business of the already-passed GENIUS Act. "Let's use a scalpel here to address this narrow issue of idle yield," he added.
The Senate Agriculture Committee has already passed its own version of the Clarity Act, which focused on the commodities side of the ledger, while the Senate Banking Committee's version is more about securities. If the banking panel follows its agriculture counterparts, it'll advance the bill along partisan lines. But if a final bill is to eventually be approved in the entire Senate, it'll need a lot of Democratic support to clear the chamber's 60-vote margin.
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U.S.-based DeFi group urges UK FCA to anchor crypto rules to 'unilateral control'
DeFi Education Fund says developers of non-custodial protocols should not be regulated as intermediaries under the U.K.'s proposed crypto regime.
What to know:
Singapore, Singapore, February 14th, 2026, Chainwire
LBank, the leading global crypto exchange, today announced the launch of the 16th BoostHub initiative, featuring Ethereum with a total reward pool of 30 ETH. The campaign will run from February 14, 09:00 to February 21, 09:00 (UTC), offering eligible users worldwide the opportunity to share ETH rewards through a fair, transparent, and low-barrier participation model.
The campaign features two participation pools tailored to different user profiles. The Smart Pool offers a total allocation of 6 ETH, with an individual hard cap of 0.015 ETH, and is open to users who maintain a minimum holding of 1,000 USDT and complete at least one spot or futures trade during the event period. Complementing this, the Futures Pool provides a larger allocation of 24 ETH, with an individual hard cap of 0.03 ETH, and is available to users meeting a minimum holding requirement of 1,000 USDT.
Designed to broaden access to high-quality crypto opportunities, BoostHub continues to lower entry thresholds while ensuring equitable distribution. Since its inception, LBank has rolled out 15 BoostHub projects, with notable performers such as AIAV surging by as much as 6,900% and CODEX achieving gains of 4,910%, highlighting the platform's strong track record in identifying and delivering early-stage growth opportunities.
Looking forward, LBank will continue to evolve as a key gateway for early-stage Web3 discovery. The platform plans to introduce more high-quality campaigns, expand user incentives, and further refine product features — delivering smoother participation experiences, more attractive reward structures, and greater overall accessibility for users worldwide navigating the rapidly growing crypto and Web3 ecosystem.
About LBank
Founded in 2015, LBank is a leading global cryptocurrency exchange serving over 20 million registered users in 160 countries and regions. With a daily trading volume exceeding $10.5 billion and 10 years of safety with zero security incidents, LBank is dedicated to providing a comprehensive and user-friendly trading experience. Through innovative trading solutions, the platform has enabled users to achieve average returns of over 130% on newly listed assets.
LBank has listed over 300 mainstream coins and more than 50 high-potential gems. Ranked No. 1 in 100x Gems, Highest Gains, and Meme Share, LBank leads the market with the fastest altcoin listings, unmatched liquidity, and industry-first trading guarantees, making it the go-to platform for crypto investors worldwide.
Users Can Follow LBank for Updates:
Website: https://www.lbank.com/
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Ethereum price has pushed decisively back above the $2,000 mark, trading between $2,060 and $2,080 after gaining more than 6% in the latest session. While the broader crypto market has turned positive, ETH's rebound carries deeper structural implications as institutional flows stabilize and on-chain participation accelerates. The move follows weeks of pressure that saw Ethereum retest the lower boundary of its multi-month range. However, fresh ETF data, improving network activity, and historical volatility patterns now suggest the rebound may be evolving beyond a simple relief rally.
ETF Inflows Flip Positive After Heavy Outflows
Data from U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs shows a meaningful shift in capital flows. On Feb. 13, ETFs recorded $10.26 million in daily net inflows, reversing back-to-back outflows of $129.18 million (Feb. 11) and $113.10 million (Feb. 12). Cumulative net inflows now stand at $11.65 billion, while total net assets hover around $11.72 billion. Daily total value traded reached $1.10 billion, highlighting that institutional participation remains active even amid volatility.
This shift is particularly notable given the aggressive withdrawals seen at the end of January, including a $252.87 million outflow on Jan. 30 and $155.61 million on Jan. 29. The stabilization and quick return of capital suggest repositioning rather than capitulation.
Tom Lee's Historical V-Bottom Thesis Gains Traction
Market attention has also turned to Fundstrat's Tom Lee, who argues that Ethereum may be setting up for another classic V-shaped rebound. His thesis is grounded in repeated historical behavior. Since 2018, Ethereum has endured eight separate drawdowns exceeding 50%, with declines ranging between -50% and -81%. In every instance, the correction eventually gave way to sharp V-bottom recoveries once leverage was flushed and macro pressures stabilized. The 2022 cycle serves as a prominent example. After collapsing more than 80% from its peak, ETH staged a powerful recovery as inflation peaked and monetary tightening expectations softened. Similar snapback rallies occurred in prior reset cycles when positioning became overly defensive.
JUST IN : Ethereum might be down, but Tom Lee says don't get too comfortable being bearish.
He believes BITSTAMP:ETHUSD is setting up for a V-shaped rebound.
His reasoning is simple:
Since 2018, Ethereum has crashed over 50% eight different times… and every single time it eventually… pic.twitter.com/zTxeG2iuDT
Lee's perspective aligns with current conditions. Sentiment recently turned cautious, price retraced significantly from highs, ETF outflows peaked late January, and now flows are stabilizing while on-chain activity strengthens. This convergence of reset positioning and improving fundamentals mirrors the early stages of prior V-shaped recoveries.
Ethereum's Network Growth Strengthen the Bullish Case
Network usage data adds another layer of confirmation. Ethereum's active addresses have risen to cycle expansion levels, according to recent analytics. This increase in network participation has occurred even while price was correcting earlier this year. In prior cycles- notably 2017, 2020, and 2021, sustained expansions in active addresses either preceded or aligned with strong price appreciation phases.
The current divergence between rising participation and earlier price compression suggests that structural demand remained intact.
Such behavior typically reflects accumulation rather than speculative exhaustion. When network growth accelerates while price stabilizes, it often marks the early stage of a broader recovery cycle rather than a short-lived bounce.
Ethereum Price Structure Shows Early Signs Of Reversal
Following a severe decline, Ethereum price has rebounded from the demand zone of $1600 and reclaimed the $2000 mark. The latest recovery is technically significant because it follows a classic liquidity sweep beneath the $1800-$2000 demand zone before aggressively reclaiming lost territory.
By reclaiming the lower boundary and pushing decisively above $2k, ETH has shifted from distribution risk back toward re-accumulation structure. The short-term moving averages are beginning to flatten and curl upward, signaling improving momentum.
In case of further upward movement, immediate resistance sits near $2200-$2450. A sustained close above the region would invalidate the lower-high structure and open the path toward $2500-$2800 where broader macro resistance aligns. On the downside, $1900 now acts as the first-line support, while $1800 remains the deeper structural defense level that must hold to preserve the bullish reset narrative.
FAQs
Ethereum is rallying due to a rebound in institutional ETF inflows, rising on-chain network activity, and historical patterns suggesting a classic V-shaped recovery after a deep correction.
While no investment is guaranteed, recent data shows institutional flows stabilizing and network growth accelerating, which historically signals structural demand and potential for a broader recovery cycle.
If momentum continues, ETH faces immediate resistance at $2,200-$2,450. A break above that level could open a path toward the $2,500-$2,800 range. Key support sits at $1,900.
Immediate support is near $1,900, with $1,800 as critical structural support to maintain the current bullish recovery setup.
Select market data provided by ICE Data Services. Select reference data provided by FactSet. Copyright © 2026 FactSet Research Systems Inc.Copyright © 2026, American Bankers Association. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2026 TradingView, Inc.
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In 2026, couples still swap playlists and promise forever, but now they also swap custody arrangements for a ledger, argue over who pays the gas fees, and discover that “our savings” includes a wallet named DefinitelyNotMaritalAssets.eth.
Young adults are building wealth in ways the legal system wasn't designed for, with cryptocurrency holdings, monetized social accounts and creator brands. This is pushing prenups from cold-hearted to common sense, Irwin Mitchell, a law firm in the United Kingdom, reported Jan. 16.
In a survey of 1,000 Brits aged 18 to 44 with assets, 47% said they're open to a prenup, 32% said they own cryptocurrency, and 58% of crypto owners said they're considering a prenup to protect that digital wealth.
The creator economy is also showing up, as 17% said they are content creators with monetized accounts, and 65% of those creators are considering a prenup.
Just as telling, 67% of digital asset holders said they think the law hasn't kept up with the digital world.
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The report also flagged a practical headache for divorce courts: Crypto's value can swing dramatically between financial disclosure and a final hearing.
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The funny thing about internet money is that it's now treated like property in plenty of places. In England and Wales, the Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025 reinforces that digital assets like crypto tokens can attract property rights, useful when the marital estate includes a pile of Bitcoin next to the kitchen renovation budget.
In practice, crypto turns breakups into three mini-problems: finding it, valuing it and moving it.
Finding it can be easier than people think (blockchains are traceable), but only if you know where to look, such as exchanges, on-chain wallets, hardware devices and that definitely-not-mine browser extension.
Valuing it is the chaos engine. Unlike pensions or property, crypto can whipsaw between dates, which is why Irwin Mitchell's lawyers are already talking about the system needing fresher, closer-to-real-time valuations.
Moving it is the part no one tells you at the altar. Coins don't move without private keys, device access or exchange cooperation.
So, if you're listing crypto for a prenup or divorce disclosure, think like a compliance officer.
Six notable crypto prenup/divorce moments:
The upside of all this? Crypto is finally making couples talk about money early, clearly and in writing. The downside is that those talks now include phrases like “cold storage,” “staking rewards” and “multi-sig.”
Consider it the new love language. Right after, “I trust you,” and right before, “Please confirm you've disclosed all wallets.”
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Coinme, a Seattle-based cryptocurrency exchange company serving the Tri-Cities area, has resumed full operations after state regulators ordered the company to halt collecting new funds and refund customers.
SEATTLE, Wash. – Coinme, a Seattle-based cryptocurrency exchange company serving the Tri-Cities area, has resumed full operations after state regulators ordered the company to halt collecting new funds and refund customers. The order was originally issued based on allegations that the firm wrongfully claimed millions of dollars of wired funds as its own income.
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) issued a temporary restraining order on December 1, 2025, following an investigation into Coinme's money transmission and virtual currency kiosk operations.
Coinme reached an agreement with DFI in late December. The agreement allows Coinme to continue operations while the investigation is ongoing.
A temporary resolution was reached after Coinme submitted financial records and operational information to clarify its business practices. The investigation by DFI remains ongoing.
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Russia's central bank is reassessing its previous opposition to stablecoins, signaling a potential shift in digital currency strategy. First Deputy Chairman Vladimir Chistyukhin confirmed that the Bank of Russia will conduct a formal study into the feasibility of launching a domestic stablecoin. While this does not mean immediate approval, it marks a significant policy rethink.
Previously, Moscow rejected centralized stablecoin models due to financial stability and regulatory risks. Now, officials argue that global developments, particularly in the United States and the European Union, justify a renewed evaluation. Stablecoins have evolved from niche crypto tools into key infrastructure for payments, trading, and cross-border settlements. Ignoring them could leave Russia at a strategic disadvantage.
How Russia Could Approach a Domestic Stablecoin
If pursued, a Russian stablecoin would likely be structured with sovereign oversight and regulated reserves. The goal would not simply be to create another crypto token, but to design a state-aligned digital asset capable of supporting trade and financial settlement outside traditional Western-controlled systems.
The shift is partly influenced by the rapid regulatory progress in the US and EU. The United States' GENIUS Act formalized strict rules for dollar-backed stablecoins, strengthening their legitimacy in global finance. Meanwhile, Europe's digital euro initiative and MiCA-compliant euro stablecoins aim to secure regional monetary sovereignty.
Faced with these developments, Russia may see a domestic stablecoin as a defensive move to maintain control over its monetary ecosystem and reduce reliance on foreign-issued digital currencies.
What Impact Could This Have on Crypto?
Russia's entry into the regulated stablecoin arena could have meaningful implications for the broader crypto market. First, it would reinforce the idea that stablecoins are becoming core financial infrastructure rather than speculative instruments. More sovereign-backed or state-aligned stablecoins could accelerate the institutionalization of digital assets.
Second, it may increase fragmentation in the stablecoin market. Instead of dollar dominance alone, regional digital currencies could compete for cross-border settlement flows. This could reshape liquidity patterns in crypto exchanges and decentralized finance platforms.
Finally, the geopolitical dimension cannot be ignored. If sanctions pressure is driving this reconsideration, stablecoins may increasingly be viewed as tools of monetary sovereignty. That could push other nations to explore similar initiatives, intensifying the global race to control digital payment rails.
For now, Russia remains in the exploratory phase. However, even studying the concept reflects how stablecoins are rapidly becoming central to the future structure of global finance and crypto markets alike.
FAQs
Global regulation in the US and EU has legitimized stablecoins. Russia wants to avoid falling behind in digital payments and monetary strategy.
It would likely have state oversight, regulated reserves, and strict controls, designed for trade and settlements rather than open speculation.
Potentially yes. A domestic stablecoin could support cross-border trade outside Western systems, strengthening monetary independence.
It could boost trust in regulated digital assets, but also increase market fragmentation as regional stablecoins compete globally.
Select market data provided by ICE Data Services. Select reference data provided by FactSet. Copyright © 2026 FactSet Research Systems Inc.Copyright © 2026, American Bankers Association. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2026 TradingView, Inc.
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Shubham Vishwakarma is a crypto market analyst and technical content writer who covers price action, on-chain signals, and breaking blockchain news. He simplifies complex market data into sharp, easy-to-understand insights, helping readers stay ahead of trends in Bitcoin, altcoins, and DeFi. His writing combines technical precision with compelling market storytelling.
Zcash (ZEC) price surges over 22%, breaking out of a multi-week compression range as volume expands sharply.
HBAR price climbed more than 10% following FedEx's entry into the Hedera Governing Council, reinforcing its enterprise narrative.
The broader crypto market is finally flashing green after days of pressure, and capital rotation is already visible beneath the surface. While Bitcoin stabilizes and Ethereum regains short-term structure, selective altcoins are accelerating at a much faster pace. Today, Zcash (ZEC) and Hedera (HBAR) are leading that recovery, posting double-digit gains and drawing renewed trader attention.
Is this merely a relief rally in sync with Bitcoin's bounce, or are token-specific catalysts adding fuel to the move. A closer look at both price structures and recent developments suggests the rally may have deeper foundations than just market-wide momentum.
Zcash (ZEC) has staged one of the strongest single-day recoveries among mid-cap altcoins, rebounding sharply from its recent demand zone near the $210–$220 region. ZEC daily chart shows price reacting aggressively from a long-standing horizontal support area that previously acted as accumulation during earlier cycles. The 22% surge has propelled ZEC price back toward the $280–$300 resistance cluster, an area that aligns with the breakdown point from January's corrective leg. From a structural standpoint, ZEC token appears to be attempting a recovery from a broader descending pattern, with the current candle challenging the upper boundary of short-term compression.
If ZEC token secures a daily close above $300, the next hurdle lies near $330–$350, where prior distribution occurred. On the downside, immediate support now shifts to the $250 region, followed by the stronger base near $220. A failure to hold above $260 could turn this rally into a short-lived squeeze rather than a structural reversal. The broader privacy-coin narrative has also regained modest traction amid renewed interest in decentralized financial autonomy, which may be adding speculative tailwinds to ZEC's breakout attempt.
A key catalyst behind today's HBAR's price surge is the announcement that FedEx Corp has joined the Hedera Governing Council, signaling deeper enterprise integration and expanding institutional credibility for the network. FedEx's involvement centers around leveraging Hedera's distributed ledger technology to move aspects of global supply chain tracking on-chain. This development strengthens Hedera's enterprise narrative and reinforces its positioning as a high-performance, corporate-friendly blockchain infrastructure. HBAR price has rebounded from the lower boundary of its multi-month descending channel. The 10% surge has pushed price back toward the mid-range resistance near $0.10–$0.11, where previous recovery attempts faced rejection.
If buyers manage to break above the channel's upper trendline and sustain momentum beyond $0.14, the next upside target could emerge near $0.18-$0.20. However, failure to clear resistance could keep HBAR locked within its broader corrective structure. The combination of technical rebound and enterprise-backed news flow provides a stronger foundation for HBAR's move compared to purely sentiment-driven rallies.
Both ZEC and HBAR are benefiting from the broader crypto market recovery, but their magnitude of gains suggests selective capital rotation into tokens with either technical breakout setups or credible fundamental triggers. ZEC is attempting to transition from accumulation to expansion, while HBAR is leveraging enterprise-driven optimism to reclaim lost ground. Whether these rallies evolve into sustained uptrends will depend on follow-through buying and the ability to convert resistance into support. For now, both tokens have shifted momentum decisively in favor of bulls, but confirmation will come only if key breakout levels hold in the sessions ahead.
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A crypto rally is happening today, with Bitcoin price rising to $68,000, and top altcoins like Zcash (ZEC), Humanity Protocol (H), Lighter (LIT), Hedera (HBAR), and Pippin (PIPPIN) soaring by over 10% in the last 24 hours.
The market capitalization of all coins jumped by 3.6% to over $2.35 trillion. Other top gainers were coins like Bittensor (TAO), Dash (DASH), Jupiter (JUP), and Ondo Finance (ONDO).
The ongoing crypto rally coincides with the stock market rebound. Data shows that the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 indices rose by 50 points and 10 points, respectively. Some of the top gainers in the stock market were companies like Corsair Gaming, Coinbase, Rivian, and Fastly.
Crypto prices rose after the US released the latest consumer inflation report on Friday. A report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) dropped from 2.7% in December to 2.4% in January, while the core CPI remained unchanged at 2.5%.
READ MORE: BitMine Stock Forms Bullish Pattern as Tom Lee Insists This is No Crypto Winter
The report came after the bureau published the latest non-farm payrolls (NFP) data. This report showed that the economy added 130k jobs in January as the unemployment rate dropped to 4.3%.
The latest inflation report means that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates more times than expected. Still, some Federal Reserve officials have warned that rate cuts may take longer as long as inflation remains above the 2% target. In a statement, Austan Goolsbee said:
“I think rates can go down more — even several cuts more — from where they are today. But that's conditional on getting inflation back on the path to 2%. Right now, we are not on a path back to 2%. We're kind of stuck at 3%, and that's not acceptable.”
The crypto rally also happened as the open interest rebounded. Data compiled by CoinGlass shows that the futures open interest rose by 4.12% in the last 24 hours to over $97 billion. Rising open interest is a bullish sign as it means that investors are increasing their positioning.
Still, the main risk is that the ongoing crypto market rally is a bull trap or a dead-cat bounce, where tokens in a downward trend rebound briefly and then resume the downward trend.
These dead-cat bounces have become highly popular in the crypto market recently. A good sign of this is that the Bitcoin price has failed to crack the $70,000 level after the US inflation data.
READ MORE: Cardano Price Sits at a Make-or-Break Level Ahead of Midnight Mainnet Launch
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Crypto正从独立行业转变为隐形基础设施，最好的应用是用户感知不到它的存在。
我在 Crypto 行业待了六七年，近两年同时深入 AI 赛道，常驻硅谷。因为同时在两个圈子里，一个很明显的体感是：硅谷主流圈子里，Crypto 这个词越来越少被提起，但 Crypto 做的事越来越多地被用到。
我想从 AI 这边带一些信号回来，供 Crypto 从业者参考。
这种错位在 YC 身上表现得最明显。
YC Winter 2026 刚刚公布，149 家公司里有 5 家和 Crypto 相关。这个数字不高，但如果你拉一下历史数据，会发现这 5 家背后藏着一个很清晰的故事。
YC 从2014 年开始投 Crypto 项目，到现在一共投了 177 家。我把每个批次的数量拉出来，变化很直观：
2018-2019 年，每批 3-7 家，稳步爬坡。2020 年，每批 5-7 家，开始提速。2021 年，直接跳到每批 13-15 家。2022 年到了顶峰——Winter 一个批次投了 24 家，Summer 投了 20 家，一年投了 44家 Crypto 公司。
然后就是断崖。
2023 年还有每批 10-13 家，撑了一年。2024 年开始崩——Winter 7 家、Fall 4 家、Summer 直接掉到 1 家。一整个夏天，YC 只投了 1家 Crypto 公司。
2025年 Winter 短暂反弹到 10 家，但紧接着 Spring和 Summer 又掉到每批只有 2 家。
到了 2026年 Winter，5 家。
如果你是 Crypto 从业者，看到"从 1 回到 5"可能会觉得是回暖信号。但如果你去看这 5 家到底在做什么，你会发现它们和 2022 年那 24 家几乎是两个物种。
2022年 YC 投的 Crypto 公司在做什么？DeFi 协议、NFT 基础设施、DAO 工具、L2 扩容、链游、社交代币。
2026 年这 5 家在做什么？稳定币存款 API、跨境新银行、交易执行引擎、AI Agent 支付网关、注意力交易所。
没有一家在做链，没有一家在做协议，没有一家在做任何你能叫得出名字的传统"Crypto 赛道"。
这不是回暖，这是换血。
先快速过三个相对好理解的。
Unifold，纽约团队，做 Crypto 存款的 Stripe。一套 API+SDK，让任何 App 用不到 10 行代码接入跨链、跨 Token 的链上存款。联合创始人 Timothy Chung 之前做过 Streambird（钱包即服务，后来被 MoonPay 收购变成了 MoonPay Wallets），在 Polymarket和 Instabase 也待过。另一位创始人 Hau Chu 毕业于康奈尔科技学院（Cornell Tech）。这是一个典型的开发者工具生意——用户不需要知道底层是 Crypto。
SpotPay，旧金山团队，基于稳定币的跨境新银行。CTO Thomas 之前在 Google，是 Brex 的第 4 号工程师。CEO Zsika 也是 Google 出身，斯坦福 MBA（Stanford MBA），在加勒比和拉美长大，亲身经历过跨境汇款有多痛苦。产品很直接：一个账户搞定海外收款、本地支付、全球消费（有实体卡）、储蓄生息。底层跑稳定币，但前端就是一个 Fintech App，和 Crypto 没有任何视觉关系。
Sequence Markets，纽约，5 人团队，做数字资产的智能交易执行。帮机构投资者跨交易所做智能路由，拿更好价格、更低滑点。完全非托管，不碰用户资产，只做技术层——典型的卖水模式。
这三家的共同点很明确：Crypto 是管道，不是卖点。
这个项目我觉得 Crypto 从业者应该认真看看。
创始人 Christian Pickett 之前在 Coinbase 做支付，还在 Vercel 待过。Bera Sogut在 Google 做过 reCAPTCHA和 Maps APIs，在 Amazon Robotics 也待过，两次 ACM ICPC（国际大学生程序设计竞赛）世界总决赛选手。
他们要解决的问题是这样的：现在 AI Agent 越来越多，这些 Agent 需要调用各种付费 API 来完成任务。但 Agent 没有信用卡，没有银行账户，没法像人一样走注册-绑卡-付款的流程。目前的做法是开发者预先给 Agent 充值或绑自己的 API key，Agent 少的时候能凑合，但当成千上万个 Agent 需要自主调用数百个付费服务时，这套体系撑不住。
Orthogonal 做了一个统一网关：Agent 通过 MCP或 SDK 接入，即时访问数百个付费 API，按请求付费，不需要管理 API key，不需要建立计费关系。API 提供者上架一次，就能被所有 Agent 发现和调用。底层用 Crypto 做结算，支持 x402 协议——HTTP 402 Payment Required 的链上实现。
为什么这件事和 Crypto 行业有关？因为机器对机器的实时微支付，恰好是传统金融体系做不好的事——信用卡有手续费门槛，银行转账有到账延迟，这些在人类交易中可以忍受的摩擦，在 Agent 每天调用几千几万次 API 的场景里就变成了硬伤。而 Crypto 的可编程性、即时结算、无许可性，天然适配这个场景。
值得注意的时间线：YC 在2025 年秋季的 RFS（选题指南）中重点推了"Infrastructure for Multi-Agent Systems"，半年后就投了 Orthogonal。早期支持者里有 Precip（W24）、Riveter（F24）、Andi（W22）、Fiber AI（S23）等一批做 Agent 产品的 YC 校友公司，说明这个需求不是理论推演，是真实存在的。
这里有个有意思的交叉点：橘子最近那篇刷屏的文章里说"Agent 才是软件的新主人"，SaaS 要从 2B、2C 变成 2A（to Agent）。如果这个判断成立，那 Agent 之间的支付就是一个必须被解决的基础设施问题——而 Orthogonal 押注的是 Crypto 来解决它。
这个项目的想象力最大，风险也最大。
创始人 Owen Botkin 之前在 Balyasny（全球顶级对冲基金之一）做多空股票交易。Joseph Thomas 做过 NASA（美国国家航空航天局）和 DreamwaveAI 的工程师。YC 给这个项目配的 Partner是 Jared Friedman——这位是 YC 的核心合伙人之一。
Forum 要做的是"第一个受监管的注意力交易所"。具体来说：从搜索引擎、社交媒体、流媒体平台的数据中构建指数，量化某个话题、品牌、文化现象"被关注的程度"，然后让用户做多或做空这个关注度的变化。
举个例子：如果你判断某个品牌即将因为 PR 危机失去公众注意力，你可以做空它的注意力指数。如果你判断某个文化现象正在快速升温，你可以做多。
他们的核心论点是：注意力是数字时代商业成功的首要驱动力，广告、流量、用户增长，归根到底都是注意力的变现。但注意力本身从来没有被直接定价和交易过。
这个项目目前的标签里没有写 Crypto/Web3，但"regulated exchange"加上"创造新资产类别"这个形态，大概率会涉及 token 化。2026 年春季 YC的 RFS 里首次出现了"new financial primitives"（新金融基元）的说法，Forum 正好踩在这个方向上。
对 Crypto 行业来说，Forum 代表的方向比稳定币支付远得多——如果 token 化的对象不再是 JPEG、不再是房地产份额，而是"注意力"这种此前无法量化的东西，那这是一个完全不同的故事。当然，能不能跑通还太早说。
除了看 YC 投了什么，还值得看 YC 公开说它想投什么。
YC 每个季度会发布 RFS（Request for Startups），相当于官方选题指南。我把最近三期的 Crypto 相关内容梳理了一下：
2025 年夏季：14 个方向，Crypto 一个字没提。连"AI for Personal Finance"这条讨论投资和税务优化的都完全没提 Crypto。YC 的注意力被 AI 占满了。
2025 年秋季：还是没有 Crypto 专条，但两个方向埋了伏笔——"AI-Native Hedge Funds"（数字资产市场 24/7、数据开放，天然适合 AI 量化），以及"Infrastructure for Multi-Agent Systems"（这正是 Orthogonal 后来切入的场景）。
2026 年春季：变化来了。Daivik Goel 专门写了一条"Stablecoin Financial Services"，直接点名 GENIUS Act和 CLARITY Act 这两个美国稳定币法案，说稳定币正处于 DeFi和 TradFi 之间的监管中间地带。原话是："The regulatory window is open. The rails are being laid."（监管窗口已经打开，轨道正在铺设。）
同期 RFS 的整体介绍里还首次出现了"new financial primitives"（新金融基元）的说法，和 AI-native workflows、现代化工业系统并列。
这是 YC 近两年来第一次在 RFS 中为 Crypto 相关方向单独开题。措辞也很具体——不是说"区块链"或"Web3"，而是精确到"stablecoin financial services"，并给出了具体方向：yield-bearing accounts、tokenized real-world assets、跨境支付基础设施。
作为一个同时在 Crypto和 AI 两个赛道的人，我觉得这组数据对我们 Crypto 从业者其实是个好消息——只是好消息的方式可能和很多人预期的不一样。
YC 没有放弃 Crypto，但 YC 重新定义了什么样的 Crypto 公司值得投。
用一句话概括就是：YC 不再投 Crypto，YC 在投用 Crypto 的公司。
区别在哪？前者的价值主张是"我在建设 Crypto 生态"，后者的价值主张是"我在解决一个真实问题，而 Crypto 恰好是最合适的工具"。
前者的用户需要理解什么是钱包、Gas 费、链上交互。后者的用户根本不知道自己在用 Crypto——SpotPay 的用户以为自己在用一个银行 App，Unifold 的客户以为自己在接入一个支付 SDK，Orthogonal的 Agent 甚至没有"以为"这个概念。
这对我们意味着什么？
首先是好消息：稳定币支付赛道已经从圈内共识变成硅谷主流共识。YC在 RFS 里单独开题，GENIUS Act和 CLARITY Act 推进，Stripe 收购 Bridge——这些信号叠在一起，说明稳定币的合规路径正在打通。对于一直在这个赛道深耕的团队来说，融资环境和市场认知都在改善。
其次是新机会：Agent 支付是一个从 AI 行业内部长出来的需求，Crypto 从业者有天然优势去接住它。机器对机器的实时微支付，可编程货币，无许可结算——这些我们讲了好几年的东西，在 Agent 经济里突然有了最具体的应用场景。这不是我们去找场景，是场景自己找上了门。
当然也有需要正视的现实：竞争对手的 profile 变了。SpotPay的 CTO是 Brex 的第 4 号工程师，Orthogonal 的创始人来自 Coinbase和 Google——这些人不是 Crypto native，但他们带着传统科技公司的工程能力和产品方法论进来了。我们 Crypto 行业的人要和他们竞争，光靠对链的理解不够，还需要补上产品体验和工程化的课。
另外，L1/L2、DeFi 协议、NFT、DAO 工具这些方向——不是说没有价值，但在硅谷主流加速器和 VC 的视野里，确实已经不在优先级上了。这不等于这些方向完蛋了，但如果你在做这些方向，融资策略和叙事方式可能需要调整。
最后，"24→1→5"这条数据线，我觉得最准确的解读不是"Crypto 在复苏"，也不是"Crypto 在衰落"，而是：Crypto 正在被重新定义。
YC 花了两年时间想清楚了一件事——Crypto 最大的价值可能不是成为一个独立的行业，而是成为其他行业的基础设施。这个判断对不对，还需要时间验证。但作为同时在两个赛道的人，我觉得这里面有大量属于 Crypto 从业者的机会——前提是我们愿意换一个角度看自己。
Crypto 不需要消失，但 Crypto 最好的产品，用户可能感觉不到 Crypto 的存在。
这不是妥协，这可能是最大的胜利。
你可以不同意这个判断，但这就是目前硅谷最有影响力的创业加速器，用真金白银表达的立场。
数据来源：YC Directory（Crypto/Web3 标签，All batches 共177 家）、YC Winter 2026 Launch List（149 家公司）、YC Request for Startups（Summer 2025 / Fall 2025 / Spring 2026 三期）。5个 Crypto 相关项目的详细信息来自 YC 官网及各公司公开资料。
作者：aiwatch，Crypto 行业六年+，近两年同时深入 AI 赛道，常驻硅谷，专注 GenAI 产品分析与 Crypto×AI 交叉领域研究。
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AINFT打造的Web3原生AI大模型聚合平台，一站式汇集ChatGPT、Claude、Gemini等全球顶尖AI大模型能力，使用钱包即可调用各类AI服务，上线即赠百万免费积分，零门槛解锁前沿AI体验。
如果 10 年后的世界变得彻底无法辨认，从今天开始，你会做出哪些改变？
成为一个更会用 AI 的人很重要，但在此之前，也许更重要的是，不要忘记如何成为一个人。
硅谷最富有的风险投资公司成为了"游说巨头"，力求最小化人工智能监管。
AINFT推出AI聚合平台直击大模型订阅痛点，支持链上按需支付。新人上线立送百万积分，让AI工具触手可及。
AI 叙事正在吸收原本属于比特币甚至软件股的资金。
产业洗牌已然开始。
以太坊正在完成一次从计算层转向 AI 经济与验证层的战略升级。
市场已经进入“先抛售再提问”的非理性状态。
这场革命，可能让 AI 的卖铲人精心举办的这场盛大派对，比所有人想象的都更早结束。
Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. has filed new proposals for crypto exchange-traded funds. The filings follow delays by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in deciding on prior ETF applications.
The company is seeking to list a Bitcoin ETF, an Ethereum ETF, and a Truth Social Cronos Yield Maximizer ETF. The latter fund would track the Cronos token developed by Crypto.com.
The Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs will provide investors with direct exposure to these digital assets. They are designed to allow participation in staking rewards while operating under oversight by Yorkville America Equities.
Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com, said, “We are pleased to provide digital asset custody, liquidity, and staking services for these new Truth Social Funds ETFs.” He added that Crypto.com supports the value proposition of the two digital asset ETFs.
JUST IN: Trump Media & Technology Group is seeking to launch a Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, along with a fund tracking the native token of the Cronos blockchain developed by Crypto .com.
Last August, the SEC delayed decisions on several of TMTG's crypto ETF proposals. pic.twitter.com/77sxlsUlvJ
— SwanDesk (@SwanDesk) February 13, 2026
The Truth Social Cronos Yield Maximizer ETF will focus on Crypto.com's Cronos blockchain token. It will offer network staking rewards for investors while being managed in collaboration with Yorkville and Crypto.com.
Trump Media first announced plans to enter the crypto ETF market in June 2025. The initial registration included a Bitcoin ETF and a broader “Crypto Blue Chip” fund tracking multiple tokens, including BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, and CRO.
In August 2025, the SEC delayed decisions on several TMTG crypto ETF proposals. The agency's review process has been faster for some funds, but those staking underlying assets or tracking smaller tokens remain under scrutiny.
The new filings indicate that Trump Media and Technology Group is continuing efforts to list ETFs despite regulatory delays. All purchases for the funds will be conducted through Crypto.com's broker-dealer, Foris Capital US LLC.
Both of the new ETFs will have a management fee of 0.95 percent. They are designed to provide investors access to staking rewards while maintaining a regulated framework.
TMTG has partnered with Crypto.com on several initiatives, including a prediction market and a Cronos token treasury. Crypto.com and Anchorage Digital also support Trump Media's Bitcoin treasury.
The company is working to expand its crypto offerings alongside its other business ventures. Future plans include a non-equity rewards token for DJT stockholders that may also use the Cronos blockchain.
Trump Media's CEO is former California Congressman Devin Nunes, who left office in 2021. The company announced an all-stock merger with fusion energy company TAE Technologies in December 2025.
These ETF filings follow previous regulatory delays and indicate the company's continued interest in digital asset investment products. TMTG is positioning itself to participate actively in the crypto investment space.
Kelvin Munene is a crypto and finance journalist with over 5 years of experience in market analysis and expert commentary. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Actuarial Science from Mount Kenya University and is known for meticulous research in cryptocurrency, blockchain, and financial markets. His work has been featured in top publications including Coingape, Cryptobasic, MetaNews, Coinedition, and Analytics Insight. Kelvin specializes in uncovering emerging crypto trends and delivering data-driven analyses to help readers make informed decisions. Outside of work, he enjoys chess, traveling, and exploring new adventures.
In a recent report, an analyst argued that the real “supercycle” is unfolding in AI…
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China vowed to further tighten its crackdown on virtual currencies on Friday and banned unauthorised offshore issuance of yuan-pegged stablecoins.
Authorities will also strictly vet offshore issuance of tokens backed by Chinese onshore assets, according to a notice published on the central bank's website.
Although the statement largely reiterates Beijing's existing ban on cryptocurrency, some are encouraged by signs China is setting up a legal framework for the real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation business.
“The biggest breakthrough is a clear separation between virtual currencies and RWA,” said Louis Wan, CEO of Unified Labs.
“Virtual currencies will still be outlawed, but RWA is being included in the regulatory system. For China's RWA business, this is a milestone.”
Winston Ma, an adjunct professor at NYU School of Law, said that China's central bank is essentially highlighting that only its own digital yuan is legitimate, “not a patchwork of private RMB (yuan) stablecoins circulating on global crypto exchanges.”
Beijing has long taken a tough stance on virtual currencies, but officials said recent “speculative activities” posed new challenges that warranted additional measures.
“Virtual currencies do not have the same legal status as fiat currencies,” the People's Bank of China and seven other agencies said in a joint statement, adding that business activities related to virtual currencies are “illegal financial activities.”
Without official approval, “domestic entities and their controlled overseas entities are prohibited from issuing virtual currencies overseas,” they said.
Regulators also banned domestic and foreign entities from issuing offshore stablecoins pegged to the yuan without authorization.
“Stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies effectively perform some of the functions of fiat currencies in circulation,” they said.
The central bank also warned financial institutions against providing banking and clearing services to virtual currency-related businesses.
Regarding the RWA business, under which all kinds of Chinese goods are being turned into digital assets with little oversight, offshore issuance of tokens must be strictly regulated by relevant authorities, according to the notice.
“To some extent, this means China is allowing the issuance of offshore tokens based on onshore assets,” said Alex Zuo, senior vice president of Singapore-based crypto custodian provider Cobo.
Previously, such a business was in a grey area.
“Next, we need to see if there will be detailed rules for execution, and whether there will be successful cases,” Zuo said.
Shares of Coinbase (COIN) jumped 12% Friday despite the crypto exchange missing fourth-quarter earnings expectations, as analysts reacted to the report with a mix of caution on short-term pressures and optimism about the company's evolving business model.
The company posted net revenue of $1.71 billion, below Wall Street estimates of $1.81 billion, while its core operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) came in at $566 million, missing the consensus of around $653 million.
Coinbase reported a net loss of $667 million under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), primarily due to a $718 million unrealized loss on its crypto investment portfolio and a $395 million loss on strategic investments.
Barclays analyst Benjamin Budish called Q4 “a miss across the board,” citing weak transaction and subscription revenues alongside higher-than-expected operating expenses. Budish lowered his price target to $149 from $258, writing that trading activity, stablecoin-related interest income and crypto asset prices still account for most of Coinbase's performance.
Still, he acknowledged encouraging trends, including a rise in Coinbase's share of the USDC market cap, a growing subscriber base for Coinbase One and continued share buybacks, which reduced the share count by roughly 8% quarter-over-quarter.
Benchmark's Mark Palmer echoed a more bullish long-term view. While headline results missed, Palmer pointed to Coinbase's growing derivatives business, expanding product suite and stablecoin adoption as signs that the company is becoming more “diversified and durable.” He maintained a buy rating on the stock but cut his price target in half to $267 from $421.
Clear Street's Owen Lau noted that Coinbase's consumer monetization is under pressure, with the retail take rate falling from 1.43% in Q3 to 1.31% in Q4. That decline, driven by a shift to advanced trading tools and the Coinbase One subscription model, reduced per-trade revenue but was partially offset by stronger engagement and cross-sell. He cut his price target to $277 from $344, citing a prolonged crypto downturn, weak retail participation and a more hawkish macro backdrop.
Despite the weak print, Lau said Coinbase's longer-term positioning looks stronger. The company now has 12 business lines generating over $100 million in annualized revenue, including two at more than $1 billion. Its base-layer network, derivatives platform and growing stablecoin infrastructure show signs of broader utility beyond trading, he indicated.
JPMorgan also lowered its price target on COIN after the report, citing near-term earnings pressure.
Still, Coinbase reiterated its commitment to remaining adjusted EBITDA positive across market cycles, supported by $14.1 billion in total available resources. Management said it continues to buy back stock and accumulate bitcoin BTC$69,210.75 using a portion of operating income.
More For You
More For You
Bitcoin claws back to $70,000 on cooling inflation after $8.7 billion wipeout
Despite the price recovery, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains in “extreme fear,” indicating underlying market anxiety.
What to know:
Publicly Traded Blockchain Lender Figure Confirms Customer Data Breach
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Figure Technology confirmed Friday that it suffered a customer data breach after an employee was targeted in a social engineering attack.
The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility, saying Figure refused to pay a ransom and that it published 2.5 gigabytes of stolen data. TechCrunch, which first reported on the breach, said that it reviewed some of the files, which included customers' full names, home addresses, dates of birth, and phone numbers.
“We recently identified that an employee was socially engineered, and that allowed an actor to download a limited number of files through their account,” Figure said in a statement shared with Decrypt. “We acted quickly to block the activity and retained a forensic firm to investigate what files were affected.”
Social engineering refers to when attackers manipulate employees through deceptive emails, calls, or messages to gain access to corporate systems, often by tricking them into sharing credentials or approving unauthorized requests.
A January report by Chainalysis said that over $17 billion in crypto was stolen last year through AI-powered impersonation scams.
Data breaches remained widespread in 2025, with regulators logging more than 8,000 notification filings tied to over 4,000 separate incidents affecting at least 374 million people, according to a December 2025 report by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
Founded in 2018, Figure is a New York–based lender that runs its loan platform on the Provenance blockchain, focusing on home equity lines of credit. Figure went public in September 2025 under the ticker FIGR, raising $787.5 million in an IPO that valued it at about $5.3 billion.
While the spokesperson declined to go into further detail, a member of ShinyHunters reportedly told TechCrunch the breach was part of a broader campaign targeting companies that rely on single sign-on provider Okta. Other alleged victims included Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Figure said it is communicating with partners and impacted parties, as well as implementing additional safeguards.
“We are offering complimentary credit monitoring to all individuals who receive a notice,” the company said. “We continuously monitor accounts and have strong safeguards in place to protect customers' funds and accounts.”
The news of the data breach comes as Figure announced Friday the launch of a proposed secondary public offering of up to 4,230,000 shares of its Series A Blockchain Common Stock, with plans to repurchase up to $30 million of Class A shares from underwriters.
Figure's stock finished the day up 3.57% at a price of $35.29, though it has fallen 37% over the last month.
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© A next-generation media company. 2026 Decrypt Media, Inc.
Couples who intentionally pause to appreciate the enjoyable experiences they share tend to be more satisfied in their relationships, argue less, and feel more confident that their partnership will endure, according to researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
"Savoring involves slowing down to become aware of and focus on positive experiences," said first author Noah Larsen, a graduate student at Illinois. "Savoring can occur when we reminisce on a past experience, focus on the present moment or look ahead to a future experience."
Previous studies have shown that savoring benefits individuals. Larsen and his colleagues, Illinois human development and family studies professors Allen W. Barton and Brian G. Ogolsky, wanted to see what happens when couples practice savoring together as a shared activity. The participants were drawn from a larger project examining resilience in romantic relationships.
Study of Joint Savoring in Romantic Relationships
The research included 589 adults from across the United States who completed an online survey. The questionnaire measured how often they and their partners intentionally appreciated positive experiences in their relationship. Researchers used a scale called Joint Savoring in Romantic Relationships, adapted from the widely used Savoring Beliefs Inventory, which assesses how individuals savor positive moments.
Participants also answered questions about how satisfied they felt with their spouse or significant other, how much conflict they experienced in communication, and how confident they were that their relationship would last.
The survey assessed stress as well. Participants reported how frequently during the past month they felt in control of their responsibilities or, on the other hand, overwhelmed by what they had to handle. They also rated their overall quality of life, general health, and psychological distress.
Who Took Part in the Study
Of the 589 respondents, more than 85% were married, around 10% were engaged, and 4% were in committed dating relationships. Their partners did not participate in the survey. The average age was about 39. Slightly more than half were women, more than 85% were white, and the typical household income ranged from $85,000 to $95,000.
Overall, participants reported relatively high levels of both individual savoring and joint savoring, along with generally low stress levels.
How Savoring Buffers Relationship Stress
"We found that joint savoring has the most benefits for romantic relationships, as well as secondary benefits for individuals' health and well-being," Larsen said. "Specifically, individuals who engaged in more joint savoring with their partners reported less conflict with them, more satisfaction with their relationship and more confidence in their future together."
The protective effect was especially noticeable among couples facing higher stress. "When couples face greater stress, savoring can serve as a buffer, helping protect their confidence in their relationship and their mental health," Larsen said.
"Being able to identify factors that provide this type of buffering effect is important for marriage and romantic relationships, as they provide tangible things that couples can do to keep their relationship strong, even in the midst of heightened levels of stress," Barton said.
The researchers noted that intentionally focusing on shared positive experiences can serve as a practical strategy for maintaining or strengthening a relationship.
A Simple Weekly Habit for Stronger Love
"We all are busy and have so many things going on in our day-to-day lives," Larsen said. "Finding time -- even just once a week -- to slow down, be present with your partner and talk about positive experiences in your relationship or focus on something you both enjoy can really benefit you as a couple. That might be reminiscing about a memory from earlier in your relationship, enjoying a dinner together or talking about an upcoming event that you both are excited about. And if you are going through a stressful time, making time for these conversations can be especially important."
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February 14, 2026
3 min read
How often do people fall passionately in love? The answer may be less than you think
A large survey of U.S. singles reveals the different ways people experience passionate romantic love
By Allison Parshall edited by Tanya Lewis
Anna Vereshchak/Getty Images
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On average, single adults in the U.S. report they have fallen in passionate love twice in their life so far, according to a new survey. And 14 percent of the 10,036 respondents said they had never fallen in passionate love at all.
The results highlight the diversity of people's experiences with love, says the study's lead author Amanda Gesselman, a psychologist at Indiana University's Kinsey Institute. “There's a lot more variation than we really know about,” she says.
Researchers have proposed many ways to understand romantic love. One popular model is the triangular theory of love, which divides romance into three pieces: passion, intimacy and commitment. The balance of these factors typically changes throughout the life cycle of a relationship, with passionate love happening earliest. “It's that first feeling of magnetism to a partner, that feeling of obsession—just this intense longing to be together,” Gesselman says. It also typically fades over time and is often replaced by companionate love—a steadier, “warm and cozy kind of love,” she explains.
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Stories of passionate love are everywhere—in movies, books and the narratives we tell ourselves about what it means to live a fulfilling life. These stories often “really center the experience of passion and talk about how universal this is and how everyone feels it,” Gesselman says. Despite this, researchers have relatively little data about how common the experience is across the population.
Gesselman and her team analyzed data from 2022 and 2023 studies of singles in the U.S. Respondents between 18 and 99 years old were asked to report how many times during their life so far they had experienced passionate love. The average was 2.05 times across the whole sample and increased slightly with participants' age.
Amanda Montañez; Source: “Twice in a Lifetime: Quantifying Passionate Love in U.S. Single Adults,” by Amanda N. Gesselman et al., in Interpersona, Vol. 20, No. 1, Article No. e733. Published online February 9, 2026 (data)
Not everyone experiences passionate love, the results show, but the chances increase with age. More than a quarter of people aged 18 to 19 reported never having felt it, and the number decreased to 7.6 percent for those older than age 70. Heterosexual men also reported feeling passionate love more times on average than heterosexual women, but no such differences appeared between men or women who were gay, lesbian or bisexual.
The results suggest that passionate love is a widespread but infrequent experience for individuals, the authors write. But a big question remains unstudied, Gesselman says: How do people's appraisals of these experiences change across the life cycles of their relationships and across their own life? People likely reevaluate their past romantic experiences as time goes on, a phenomenon that is crucial for understanding survey data like these.
A key limitation of the study is the fact that it included people of all age groups, who would have had different amounts of time to accumulate relationship experience. Furthermore, the study only included single people, which make up about 31 percent of the adult U.S. population. The results of a similar survey of all adults, including those with romantic partners, would likely look very different. Partnered people are likely to have experienced passionate love at least once, so a survey that excludes them can't reveal the full picture of this phenomenon, notes Jaimie Krems, a social psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved with the study.
Passionate love could also exist outside of romantic relationships. As the proportion of the U.S. population that is single continues to grow, it is increasingly important to understand the role these platonic relationships play in people's lives, Krems says. “I think that is part of the human repertoire, to feel passionate love” in both romantic and nonromantic relationships, she says.
Allison Parshall is associate editor for mind and brain at Scientific American and she writes the weekly online Science Quizzes. As a multimedia journalist, she contributes to Scientific American's podcast Science Quickly. Parshall's work has also appeared in Quanta Magazine and Inverse. She graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with a master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Georgetown University.
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Mood disorders are associated with complex disruptions in brain networks, including those associated with the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC). Differential functions of these regions, especially the functions of the far-caudal OFC, are incompletely understood. We trained macaques to perform an approach-avoidance task and recorded cOFC and pACC neuronal activity and autonomic/somatic responses during performance, including during electrical microstimulation (EMS) of the cOFC. The cOFC was sensitive to both positive and negative stimuli, whereas the pACC was significantly more active during aversive outcomes. cOFC EMS increased avoidance, suggesting a causal cOFC function in cost-benefit decision-making. The cOFC activity led pACC activity during the decision period, supporting cOFC network prominence. Autonomic and somatic responses were positively correlated with behavioral patterns, consistent with a coordinated body-brain involvement during emotionally significant decision-making. We suggest that dysfunction of this network could potentially contribute to the etiology of mood disorders.
The Source Data underlying all main figures and Supplementary Figs. have been deposited in Figshare under the accession code doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.30652049. Sample datasets used to illustrate the analysis workflow are provided in the associated GitHub repository. Other data that cannot be formatted in Excel (including large raw continuous electrophysiological and physiological recordings and related files in specialized formats that are not practical to deposit as Excel-compatible tables) are available under restricted access and may be requested by contacting the corresponding authors at: graybiel@mit.edu and georgios.k.papageorgiou@gmail.com.
All MATLAB code used for data analyses and figure generation is available at: https://github.com/geokpap/natcomm_gp. The repository includes all scripts and a README file with instructions for reproducing the workflow using the accompanying sample datasets.
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We thank H. F. Hall, and Y. Kubota (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for technical support, research insight, and manuscript preparation. This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (P50 MH119467, to A.M.G.), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS025529, to A.M.G.), the Army Research Office (W911NF-16-1-0474, to A.M.G.), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JP24H02163 and JP22H04998, to K.A.), the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (JP24wm0625210h and JP24gm6910012h, to K.A.), the K. Lisa Yang Integrative Computational Neuroscience Center (to R.G.Y.) and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University (Emergent Ventures fellowship, to M.C.W.).
McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Georgios K. Papageorgiou, Daniel J. Gibson, Michelangelo Naim, Michelle C. Wang, Tomoko Yoshida, Jitendra Sharma, Guangyu Robert Yang & Ann M. Graybiel
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Georgios K. Papageorgiou, Daniel J. Gibson, Michelangelo Naim, Michelle C. Wang, Tomoko Yoshida, Jitendra Sharma, Guangyu Robert Yang & Ann M. Graybiel
Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Ken-ichi Amemori
Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Helen N. Schwerdt
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Michelle C. Wang
Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Michelle C. Wang
Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and HMS, Boston, MA, USA
Jitendra Sharma
CNPRC, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
Jitendra Sharma
Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Urvashi Upadhyay
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Conceptualization, G.K.P., K.A., and A.M.G.; Methodology, G.K.P., K.A., and A.M.G.; Experimental Software, G.K.P.; Formal Analysis, G.K.P., D.J.G., K.A., M.N., and G.R.Y.; Writing—Original Draft, G.K.P.; Review, D.J.G., A.M.G., K.A., and H.N.S.; Experimental work, G.K.P., K.A., H.N.S., M.C.W., J.S., U.U., T.Y., and A.M.G.
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Papageorgiou, G.K., Amemori, Ki., Gibson, D.J. et al. Functional distinctions between orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex subregions in decision-making and autonomic regulation.
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A remarkable new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope highlights a striking mix of brightness and shadow inside the Egg Nebula. This dramatic scene has been shaped by clouds of dust recently expelled by a dying star. About 1,000 light years away in the constellation Cygnus, the nebula surrounds a hidden central star buried within a thick blanket of dust, resembling a glowing "yolk" inside a dark "egg white." Hubble's exceptional resolution reveals fine structures that help scientists understand how this unusual object is taking shape.
The Egg Nebula holds a special distinction. It is the first, youngest, and closest pre-planetary nebula ever identified. (A pre-planetary nebula is a precursor stage of a planetary nebula, which is a structure of gas and dust formed from the ejected layers of a dying, Sun-like star. The term is a misnomer, as planetary nebulae are not related to planets.)
A Rare Glimpse of Stellar Evolution
Because it is in such an early phase, the Egg Nebula offers astronomers a valuable chance to study what happens as Sun-like stars approach the end of their lives. At this stage, the nebula shines by reflecting light from its central star. That light escapes through a polar opening, or "eye," in the surrounding dust. The glow comes from a dusty disk that the star expelled only a few hundred years ago.
Two bright beams stream outward from the star, lighting up fast-moving polar lobes that punch through older, slower rings of material arranged in concentric arcs. The structure and motion of these features point to possible gravitational effects from one or more unseen companion stars, which remain concealed within the dense disk of dust.
From Dying Star to Planetary Nebula
Stars similar to our Sun eventually run out of hydrogen and helium fuel and begin shedding their outer layers. As the hot core becomes exposed, it emits intense radiation that energizes the surrounding gas, producing the glowing shells seen in planetary nebulae such as the Helix, Stingray, and Butterfly nebulae. The Egg Nebula, however, has not yet reached that fully developed stage. It remains in a short-lived transitional period known as the pre-planetary stage, which lasts only a few thousand years. Observing it now allows scientists to examine the ejection process while the evidence is still fresh.
The patterns visible in Hubble's image are highly symmetrical, ruling out a chaotic explosion like a supernova. Instead, the arcs, lobes, and central dust cloud likely formed through a coordinated series of sputtering outbursts deep within the carbon-rich core of the aging star. Stars at this stage manufacture and release large amounts of dust, material that can later become part of new star systems. Our own solar system, including Earth and the other rocky planets, formed from such recycled material about 4.5 billion years ago.
Hubble's Continuing Observations
Hubble has studied the Egg Nebula multiple times over the years. An early visible light image from WFPC2 (Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2) was followed in 1997 by a near infrared view from NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer), offering a closer look at the nebula's glow. In 2003, the ACS (Advanced Camera for Surveys) revealed the full sweep of dusty ripples surrounding the object. Observations from WFC3 (Wide Field Camera 3) in 2012 zoomed in on the dense central cloud and powerful gas outflows. The newest image combines data from the 2012 program with additional observations, providing the clearest and most detailed portrait yet of this intricate cosmic egg.
For more than 30 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has continued to deliver discoveries that reshape our understanding of the cosmos. The mission is a partnership between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland oversees telescope and mission operations, with additional operational support from Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, manages Hubble's science operations for NASA.
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An international group of astronomers has identified a faraway planetary system that calls into question one of the most widely accepted ideas about how planets take shape.
In most planetary systems observed across the Milky Way, scientists see the same basic layout. Small, rocky planets circle close to their star, while large gas giants orbit at greater distances. Our own Solar System fits this pattern. The inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, are made mostly of rock and metal. Farther out, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are dominated by thick layers of gas.
This arrangement is explained by a leading theory of planet formation. Young stars emit intense radiation that can strip away gases from nearby developing planets, leaving behind solid, rocky worlds. Farther from the star, cooler temperatures allow planets to hold onto thick atmospheres, leading to the formation of gas giants.
A Rule Breaking System Around LHS 1903
A newly identified system orbiting the star LHS 1903 does not follow that script. The discovery, reported in Science, centers on a small, faint red dwarf star that is cooler and less massive than the Sun.
Researchers led by Prof. Ryan Cloutier of McMaster University and Prof. Thomas Wilson of the University of Warwick combined data from telescopes on Earth and in space to study the system. They initially identified three planets. The innermost world is rocky, followed by two gas rich planets similar to smaller versions of Neptune, a lineup that matches standard expectations.
But years of additional observations brought an unexpected twist. New measurements from the European Space Agency's CHEOPS satellite revealed a fourth planet, called LHS 1903 e, orbiting farthest from the star. Surprisingly, this outer world appears to be rocky.
"We've seen this pattern: rocky inside, gaseous outside, across hundreds of planetary systems. But now, the discovery of a rocky planet in the outer part of a system forces us to rethink the timing and conditions under which rocky planets can form," says Cloutier, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Ruling Out Collisions and Planetary Shifts
The team explored several possible explanations. They considered whether a massive impact might have stripped away the planet's atmosphere. They also examined whether the planets could have shifted positions over time. Detailed computer simulations and studies of the planets' orbits ruled out both scenarios.
Instead, the findings point to a more unexpected idea. The planets in this system may not have formed simultaneously. Rather, they could have developed one after another as conditions around the star changed.
Inside Out Planet Formation
Standard models propose that planets arise within a protoplanetary disc, a swirling cloud of gas and dust surrounding a young star. In this environment, clumps of material form several planetary embryos at roughly the same time. Over millions of years, these growing bodies evolve into fully formed planets with a range of sizes and compositions.
The structure of the LHS 1903 system suggests a different pathway known as inside out planet formation. In this scenario, planets take shape sequentially in shifting environments. The local conditions at the time each planet finishes forming determine whether it becomes gas rich or remains rocky.
This framework could explain the unusual nature of LHS 1903 e. By the time it began to assemble, much of the gas in the surrounding disc may have already dissipated, leaving too little material to build a thick atmosphere.
"It's remarkable to see a rocky world forming in an environment that shouldn't favour that outcome. It challenges the assumptions built into our current models," says Cloutier, who adds that the discovery raises broader questions about whether LHS 1903 is an anomaly or an early example of a pattern scientists have yet to recognize.
"As telescopes and detection methods become more precise, we are strengthening our ability to find planetary systems that don't resemble our own and that don't conform to longstanding theories," he says.
"Each new system adds another data point to a growing picture of planetary diversity -- one that forces scientists to rethink the processes that shape worlds across the galaxy."
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Astronomers have directly observed a massive dying star skip a supernova explosion and instead collapse into a black hole. This event provides the most detailed set of observations ever assembled of a star making that transition, giving researchers an unusually complete view of how stellar black holes form.
By combining fresh telescope data with more than a decade of archived observations, scientists were able to test and refine long standing theories about how the most massive stars end their lives. Rather than exploding outward in a brilliant supernova, this star's core gave way under gravity and formed a black hole. In the process, its unstable outer layers were gradually pushed outward.
The findings, published February 12 in Science, are drawing attention because they offer a rare look at the birth of a black hole. The results may help explain why some massive stars explode dramatically at the end of their lives, while others collapse quietly.
"This is just the beginning of the story," says Kishalay De, an associate research scientist at the Simons Foundation's Flatiron Institute and lead author on the new study. Light from dusty debris surrounding the newborn black hole, he says, "is going to be visible for decades at the sensitivity level of telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope, because it's going to continue to fade very slowly. And this may end up being a benchmark for understanding how stellar black holes form in the universe."
The Disappearance of M31-2014-DS1 in Andromeda
The star, known as M31-2014-DS1, was located about 2.5 million light-years away in the Andromeda Galaxy. De and colleagues examined data collected between 2005 and 2023 from NASA's NEOWISE mission along with other ground and space telescopes. They discovered that the star began brightening in infrared light in 2014. Then in 2016, its brightness dropped sharply in less than a year.
By 2022 and 2023, the star had nearly vanished in visible and near-infrared wavelengths, fading to just one ten-thousandth of its former brightness in those bands. What remains can now only be detected in mid-infrared light, where it glows at roughly one-tenth of its original intensity.
De says, "This star used to be one of the most luminous stars in the Andromeda Galaxy, and now it was nowhere to be seen. Imagine if the star Betelgeuse suddenly disappeared. Everybody would lose their minds! The same kind of thing [was] happening with this star in the Andromeda Galaxy."
When the team compared the observations with theoretical predictions, they concluded that such an extreme drop in brightness strongly indicates that the star's core collapsed and formed a black hole.
Why Some Massive Stars Fail to Explode
Stars shine because nuclear fusion in their cores converts hydrogen into helium, creating outward pressure that counteracts gravity. In stars at least 10 times more massive than our sun, this balance eventually breaks down when nuclear fuel runs low. Gravity then overwhelms the outward pressure, causing the core to collapse and form a dense neutron star.
In many cases, a flood of neutrinos released during this collapse generates a powerful shock wave that tears the star apart in a supernova. But if that shock wave is too weak to eject the surrounding material, much of the star can fall back inward. Theoretical models have long suggested that this fallback can turn the neutron star into a black hole.
"We've known for almost 50 years now that black holes exist," says De, "yet we are barely scratching the surface of understanding which stars turn into black holes and how they do it."
The Key Role of Convection
The detailed study of M31-2014-DS1 also helped researchers revisit a similar object, NGC 6946-BH1, which had been identified a decade earlier. Reanalyzing both cases revealed a crucial missing ingredient in understanding what happens to a star's outer layers after a failed supernova. The answer lies in convection.
Convection arises from large temperature differences inside a star. The core is extremely hot, while the outer layers are much cooler. This contrast drives gas to circulate between hotter and cooler regions.
When the core collapses, the outer gas is still in motion because of this churning process. According to models developed at the Flatiron Institute, that motion prevents most of the outer material from plunging straight into the black hole. Instead, some inner layers circle the black hole, while the outermost layers are pushed outward.
As the expelled material travels away, it cools. At lower temperatures, atoms and molecules combine to form dust. That dust blocks light from the hotter gas closer to the black hole, absorbs energy, and reemits it in infrared wavelengths. The result is a lingering reddish glow that can last for decades after the original star has disappeared.
Co-author and Flatiron Research Fellow Andrea Antoni developed the theoretical framework behind these convection models. Drawing on the new observations, she says, "the accretion rate -- the rate of material falling in -- is much slower than if the star imploded directly in. This convective material has angular momentum, so it circularizes around the black hole. Instead of taking months or a year to fall in, it's taking decades. And because of all this, it becomes a brighter source than it would be otherwise, and we observe a long delay in the dimming of the original star."
Much like water spiraling down a drain rather than dropping straight through, gas continues orbiting the newly formed black hole as gravity gradually pulls it inward. This delayed infall means the entire star does not collapse all at once. Even after the core quickly gives way, some material falls back slowly over many decades.
Researchers estimate that only about one percent of the star's original outer envelope ultimately feeds the black hole, producing the faint light still observed today.
Building a Bigger Picture of Black Hole Formation
As they analyzed M31-2014-DS1, the team also reexamined NGC 6946-BH1. The new study provides strong evidence that both stars followed a similar path. What first seemed like an unusual case now appears to be part of a broader category of failed supernovae that quietly produce black holes.
M31-2014-DS1 initially stood out as an "oddball," De says, but it now seems to be one of several examples, including NGC 6946-BH1.
"It's only with these individual jewels of discovery that we start putting together a picture like this," De says.
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Inverse design enables automating the discovery and optimization of devices achieving performance significantly exceeding that of traditional human-engineered designs. However, existing methodologies to inverse-design electromagnetic devices require computationally expensive and time-consuming full-wave electromagnetic simulation at each iteration or generation of large datasets for training neural-network surrogate models. This work introduces the Precomputed Numerical Green Function method, an approach for ultrafast electromagnetic inverse design. The static components of the design are incorporated into a numerical Green function obtained from a single fully-parallelized precomputation step, reducing the cost of evaluating candidate designs during optimization to only being proportional to the size of the region under modification. A low-rank matrix update technique is introduced that further decreases the cost of the method to milliseconds per iteration without any approximations or compromises in accuracy. This method is shown to have linear time complexity, reducing the total runtime for an inverse design by several orders of magnitude compared to using conventional electromagnetics solvers. The design examples considered demonstrate speedups of up to 16,000x, shortening the design process from multiple days to weeks down to minutes. The approach enables practical and ultrafast design of complex structures that are prohibitively time-consuming for prior inverse design methods.
Source data are provided with this paper.
The source code for the PNGF method is publicly available at: https://github.com/ACME-Lab-Stanford/PNGF67.
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The authors gratefully acknowledge support by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-20-1-0087, C.S., and FA9550-25-1-0020, C.S.) and the National Science Foundation (CCF-2047433, C.S.).
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jui-Hung Sun, Mohamed Elsawaf, Yifei Zheng, Ho-Chun Lin & Chia Wei Hsu
Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
Constantine Sideris
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C.S. conceived the idea and supervised the work. J.H.S. and Y.Z. performed numerical simulations. C.S., J.H.S., and Y.Z. carried out the inverse design of the example studies. M.E. measured the fabricated devices. H.C.L. and C.W.H. implemented augmented partial factorization for precomputations. J.H.S. and C.S. participated in the writing of this manuscript.
Correspondence to
Constantine Sideris.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Communications thanks Geun Ho Ahn and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
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npj Breast Cancer
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We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its
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HER2-low expression is associated with hormone receptor (HR) expression in HR-positive breast cancer. We aimed to evaluate its association with androgen receptor (AR) among 196 patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). Central determination of AR showed significant enrichment in HER2-low compared with HER2-0 mTNBC (mean: 33.7% vs. 21.4%, p = 0.038), whereas no significant immunological differences were observed. HER2-low/AR-positive patients trended towards longer overall survival, highlighting the potential relevance of these biomarkers.
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This study was funded by the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation, a METAvivor Early Career Investigator Award, the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation, Mehlman Family Funds, Benderson Family Funds, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Susan G. Komen. The authors acknowledge Kaitlyn T. Bifolck, full-time employee of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, for providing editorial assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.
Bojana Jovanović
Present address: Loxo@Lilly, Indianapolis, IN, USA
These authors contributed equally: Paolo Tarantino, Jaeyoon Cha.
Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
Paolo Tarantino, Bojana Jovanović, Melissa Hughes, Molly DiLullo, Eileen Wrabel, Rinath Jeselsohn, Nancy U. Lin, Shom Goel & Sara M. Tolaney
Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
Paolo Tarantino, Bojana Jovanović, Melissa Hughes, Rinath Jeselsohn, Nancy U. Lin, Jamie Carter, Yisang Serenity Chen, Elizabeth A. Mittendorf, Stuart J. Schnitt, Shom Goel & Sara M. Tolaney
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Paolo Tarantino, Jaeyoon Cha, Bojana Jovanović, Andrew Zhou, Rinath Jeselsohn, Nancy U. Lin, Nabihah Tayob, Elizabeth A. Mittendorf & Sara M. Tolaney
Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Busem Binboga Kurt & Stuart J. Schnitt
Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
Xiangying Chu, Douglas Russo, Tianyu Li & Nabihah Tayob
Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Conceptualization: P.T., J.C., S.M.T.; Data curation: P.T., X.C., N.T., B.B.K., S.J.S.; Formal analysis: X.C., N.T.; Funding acquisition: P.T., S.M.T.; Investigation: P.T., J.C., X.C., N.T., S.G., S.M.T., B.B.K., S.J.S.; Methodology: P.T., J.C., X.C., N.T.; Project administration: P.T., S.M.T.; Resources: P.T., S.M.T.; Software: X.C., N.T.; Supervision: P.T., S.M.T., N.T.; Validation: P.T., S.M.T., N.T.; Visualization: P.T., J.C., X.C., N.T.; Writing – original draft: P.T., J.C.; Writing – review & editing: P.T., J.C., B.B.K., X.C., B.J., A.Z., M.H., D.R., M.D., E.W., R.J., N.U.L., J.C., Y.S.C., T.L., N.T., E.A.M., S.J.S., S.G., S.M.T.
Correspondence to
Paolo Tarantino.
P.T. reports consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead, Genentech/Roche, Novartis, Menarini/Stemline, and Eli Lilly. NUL reports institutional research support from Genentech, Pfizer, Merck, Seattle Genetics, Zion Pharmaceuticals, Olema Pharmaceuticals, and AstraZeneca; consulting honoraria from Seattle Genetics, Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Olema Pharmaceuticals, Stemline/Menarini, Artera Inc., Eisai, and Shorla Oncology; royalties from Up to date (book); and travel support from Olema Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, and Daiichi Sankyo. SMT reports consulting or advisory roles for Novartis, Pfizer/SeaGen, Merck, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Genentech/Roche, Eisai, Bristol Myers Squibb/Systimmune, Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead, Blueprint Medicines, Reveal Genomics, Sumitovant Biopharma, Artios Pharma, Menarini/Stemline, Aadi Bio, Bayer, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Natera, Tango Therapeutics, eFFECTOR, Hengrui USA, Cullinan Oncology, Circle Pharma, Arvinas, BioNTech, Johnson&Johnson/Ambrx, Launch Therapeutics, Zuellig Pharma, Bicycle Therapeutics, BeiGene Therapeutics, Mersana, Summit Therapeutics, Avenzo Therapeutics, Aktis Oncology, Celcuity, Boehringer Ingelheim, Samsung Bioepis, Olema Pharmaceuticals, Tempus, and Boundless Bio; institutional research funding from Genentech/Roche, Merck, Exelixis, Pfizer, Lilly, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Gilead, NanoString Technologies, Seattle Genetics, OncoPep, Daiichi Sankyo, Menarini/Stemline, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and Olema Pharmaceuticals; and travel support from Eli Lilly, Gilead, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Arvinas, and Roche.
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by Todd Bishop & John Cook on Feb 14, 2026 at 8:00 amFebruary 14, 2026 at 8:09 am
We took the GeekWire Podcast on the road this week, but not very far — recording the show in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, the “Center of the Universe,” just a few blocks from our own offices, with a lively crowd, great beer, and plenty to talk about in Seattle tech and beyond.
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Taking down an app is hardly unprecedented. Forcing companies to add backdoors in secret is, so it's a stretch to think that ADP is compromised.
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We have precedent: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/apple-admits-to-... Apple has since confirmed in a statement provided to Ars that the US federal government “prohibited” the company “from sharing any information,”
Apple has since confirmed in a statement provided to Ars that the US federal government “prohibited” the company “from sharing any information,”
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[1] https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1732
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It really isn't. The reason I used the specific wording for "records kept in the usual course of business" is that's the legal standard for subpoenable information. It shouldn't be surprising to any legal expert that it was fair game for the government to request. The only thing surprising is that we didn't know it specifically happened before, so it's only as "surprising" as chatgpt logs being subpoenaed. Yes, it's "surprising" for the people using chatgpt as their therapist and think it should have been protected, but ask any lawyer and they'll all agree it's fair game. On the other hand forcing apple to specifically insert a backdoor runs into all sorts of constitution/due process issues.
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Apple: sure, but only if you pretend you didn't get accessBrits: jolly good
Brits: jolly good
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Add to the list of grievances social media platforms that include bot farms and organized political operatives. Also political activist celebrities.All of these diminish the one person / one vote / one voice ideal.
All of these diminish the one person / one vote / one voice ideal.
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Now we certainly see some excesses with companies like Palantir and others ramping up government surveillance.Each side ramps up the encroachment on privacy and civil liberties without realizing the next time the other side comes into power they will gladly use and abuse everything the previous administration put in place during their rule.
Each side ramps up the encroachment on privacy and civil liberties without realizing the next time the other side comes into power they will gladly use and abuse everything the previous administration put in place during their rule.
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AFAIK the bar is even higher - incitement to violence is allowed, as long as it's not 'imminent': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imminent_lawless_action
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Be serious, please.
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You'd need to say something which directs others to violate the law or commit acts of violence, at a specific time ("imminent"), and your statement must be likely to be effective at causing them to do so.Protesting, encouraging others to protest, expressing your political beliefs, organizing a protest, etc. are not incitement to violence. Nor is "doxxing" (filming, identifying) a public employee. None of these activities satisfy those criteria.Remember the "Twitter files" nonsense? I recall they were upset at the government influencing the expression of political views on social media. Not hearing much backlash about this from the same people, because this is what they were claiming, but 100x worse.
Protesting, encouraging others to protest, expressing your political beliefs, organizing a protest, etc. are not incitement to violence. Nor is "doxxing" (filming, identifying) a public employee. None of these activities satisfy those criteria.Remember the "Twitter files" nonsense? I recall they were upset at the government influencing the expression of political views on social media. Not hearing much backlash about this from the same people, because this is what they were claiming, but 100x worse.
Remember the "Twitter files" nonsense? I recall they were upset at the government influencing the expression of political views on social media. Not hearing much backlash about this from the same people, because this is what they were claiming, but 100x worse.
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We have so many agencies that can regulate businesses to death without any congressional intervention that it would be beyond idiotic to stand against them.Not to mention that it's been proven again and again that the American populations attention span is far too short to do anything meaningful about the aforementioned powers / abuses.Maybe it's age, or the attention I've paid to the erosion of liberties post 9/11. but is this headline a surprise to anyone?
Not to mention that it's been proven again and again that the American populations attention span is far too short to do anything meaningful about the aforementioned powers / abuses.Maybe it's age, or the attention I've paid to the erosion of liberties post 9/11. but is this headline a surprise to anyone?
Maybe it's age, or the attention I've paid to the erosion of liberties post 9/11. but is this headline a surprise to anyone?
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https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47013059
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[1] https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-polit...
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Does it matter? If all their actions are in support of a regime, does it matter if they secretly don't agree with it and don't even say it? Does it matter that your neighbour says they don't agree with ICE of they still rat you out to them? Ideologies without action aren't worth much. At this point, we should assume these CEOs are fully on board with and support Trump's policies. There's no reason to make up excuses that they might not be when they repeatedly demonstrate the opposite.
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Having been around for a while, to go from optimistic, but sort of naive techno-libertarianism that was once a thing in Silicon Valley to kissing up to a would-be authoritarian is a very sad arc.
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I definitely don't think what these CEOs are doing is moral, but it's certainly rational.
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I think that a 30%, 64% or 145% tax on Chinese imports would be a huge blow for a $400 billion business importing Chinese-made phones.And Trump can impose such taxes (and grant exemptions from them) at will, apparently.
And Trump can impose such taxes (and grant exemptions from them) at will, apparently.
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Maybe it is time people move to that. Sadly I forgot its name or where to get it. Of course the app stores could block that too.There is always USENET I guess. I wonder if there are apps on Cell Phones that can access USENET and format the posts to work with the small screens. And of course reformat posts to comply to USENET formatting requirements (ie: wordwrap at Col 70).
There is always USENET I guess. I wonder if there are apps on Cell Phones that can access USENET and format the posts to work with the small screens. And of course reformat posts to comply to USENET formatting requirements (ie: wordwrap at Col 70).
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Are you thinking of HKmap.live?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HKmap.live> Of course the app stores could block that too.And Apple did.https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49995688
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HKmap.live> Of course the app stores could block that too.And Apple did.https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49995688
> Of course the app stores could block that too.And Apple did.https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49995688
And Apple did.https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49995688
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49995688
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A portable device that could effortless hook up to the existing decentralized wireless networks would be even better, Freifunk covers large part of Germany, Guifi covers large parts of Spain, probably there are more somewhere else too, but AFAIK there is no portable device that lets you easily just connect and chat, still requires a bit of setup to participate.
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That is the problem with technical solutions. Governments can ban them, or mandate on device scanning to monitor your usage.
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My entire life it's been about nothing more than domination of the “immoral” and the end justifies any means when the alternative is someone else winning the vote.They are the people the phrase “there is no hate like Christian love” is referring to.
They are the people the phrase “there is no hate like Christian love” is referring to.
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They are against very specific parts of big government and censorship
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The liberal position on bodily autonomy (and indeed most things) has never been absolute. If an action is likely to cause harm to others (and forgoing a vaccine in the midst of a deadly pandemic is indeed likely to cause harm to others), then reasonable action to curtail the harm is justified. As recently as the 2010s, both parties supported vaccine mandates. I remember conservatives making fun of the antivax movement as liberal lunacy as recently as 2019.>"I thought liberals were for free speech" (with regards to cancel culture).Cancel culture is itself a form of free expression and association.
>"I thought liberals were for free speech" (with regards to cancel culture).Cancel culture is itself a form of free expression and association.
Cancel culture is itself a form of free expression and association.
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Until the COVID-conspiracism came around, vaccine mandates had been supported by a massive bi-partisan consensus - for decades - because they make sense. Just take a look at this article on The Federalist of all places, from 2015: https://thefederalist.com/2015/02/03/the-insane-vaccine-deba...> Fundamentally, the protection against life-threatening plague is one of the original reasons government exists. We've had mandatory vaccines for schoolchildren in America since before the Emancipation Proclamation. The Supreme Court has upheld that practice as constitutional for over a century, and only the political fringes believe there ought to be a debate about such matters. This is one of the few areas where government necessarily exercises power.> You shouldn't be compelled to vaccinate your child, but neither should the rest of us be compelled to pretend like you did.> It's the failure to deal with those consequences that frustrates me about this debate. If you choose to not vaccinate your children, that is your choice. In the absence of an immediate threat, such as a life-threatening plague or outbreak, the state doesn't have a compelling reason to administer that vaccination by force or to infringe on your rights. But that doesn't mean there are no tradeoffs for such a decision. If you choose not to vaccinate, private and public institutions should be able to discriminate on that basis.
> Fundamentally, the protection against life-threatening plague is one of the original reasons government exists. We've had mandatory vaccines for schoolchildren in America since before the Emancipation Proclamation. The Supreme Court has upheld that practice as constitutional for over a century, and only the political fringes believe there ought to be a debate about such matters. This is one of the few areas where government necessarily exercises power.> You shouldn't be compelled to vaccinate your child, but neither should the rest of us be compelled to pretend like you did.> It's the failure to deal with those consequences that frustrates me about this debate. If you choose to not vaccinate your children, that is your choice. In the absence of an immediate threat, such as a life-threatening plague or outbreak, the state doesn't have a compelling reason to administer that vaccination by force or to infringe on your rights. But that doesn't mean there are no tradeoffs for such a decision. If you choose not to vaccinate, private and public institutions should be able to discriminate on that basis.
> You shouldn't be compelled to vaccinate your child, but neither should the rest of us be compelled to pretend like you did.> It's the failure to deal with those consequences that frustrates me about this debate. If you choose to not vaccinate your children, that is your choice. In the absence of an immediate threat, such as a life-threatening plague or outbreak, the state doesn't have a compelling reason to administer that vaccination by force or to infringe on your rights. But that doesn't mean there are no tradeoffs for such a decision. If you choose not to vaccinate, private and public institutions should be able to discriminate on that basis.
> It's the failure to deal with those consequences that frustrates me about this debate. If you choose to not vaccinate your children, that is your choice. In the absence of an immediate threat, such as a life-threatening plague or outbreak, the state doesn't have a compelling reason to administer that vaccination by force or to infringe on your rights. But that doesn't mean there are no tradeoffs for such a decision. If you choose not to vaccinate, private and public institutions should be able to discriminate on that basis.
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If there are genuine aims to censor or target Americans who are genuinely simply criticizing ICE, I don't understand why the media isn't naming names with their permission. For instance when Jay Bhattacharya was revealed as one of the people censored for having contrarian views on COVID related decisions, I think it was a major turning point because it made it clear that the censorship extended to the point of censoring highly qualified people simply for having different opinions.
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Republicans today are far-right extremists straight out of an authoritarian regime, operating within the friend-enemy mode of politics ("everything for my friends, the law for my enemies"). And the project is to preserve this hierarchy with themselves at the top.https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/your-comprehensive-guide-to-...> The far right is animated by the revolutionary project of reconfiguring society along the exclusionary or hierarchical lines patterned after a “divine” or “natural” order. Far-right figures envision societies organized through hierarchies—whether racial, ethnic, religious, or ideological. They aspire to deploy state power to defend the “true people” (sometimes called the Volk), who often already occupy the top rungs of society, from a constellation of perceived enemies or from relative or outright disempowerment. The far-right ideal is a homogeneous society, and that ideal is diametrically opposed to a liberal, pluralistic order. The far right believes that liberal pluralism represents a dangerous and unprecedented upheaval of the natural order. The far right blames most or all social problems on that upheaval—that is, on liberalism. Instead of seeing social order as emerging from the interactions of many diverse persons and groups cooperating in a polycentric system, the far right believes a homogeneous order must be imposed—and imposed in a holistic fashion, incorporating all forms of social interaction, from the structure of the nation-state to the most intimate relationships in the home.> The far right's commitment to freedom extends only to the “true people,” whose values align with far-right goals. This is an exclusionary conception of freedom, entirely contraposed to a neutral rule of law. Generally for the far right, discussion and deliberation are denigrated in favor of authoritarianism and “decisive action,” although the far right will also frequently invoke values like “freedom of speech” to exert pressure on discourse communities to welcome its ideas and rhetoric (see Why do far-right groups often talk about “freedom”?).
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/your-comprehensive-guide-to-...> The far right is animated by the revolutionary project of reconfiguring society along the exclusionary or hierarchical lines patterned after a “divine” or “natural” order. Far-right figures envision societies organized through hierarchies—whether racial, ethnic, religious, or ideological. They aspire to deploy state power to defend the “true people” (sometimes called the Volk), who often already occupy the top rungs of society, from a constellation of perceived enemies or from relative or outright disempowerment. The far-right ideal is a homogeneous society, and that ideal is diametrically opposed to a liberal, pluralistic order. The far right believes that liberal pluralism represents a dangerous and unprecedented upheaval of the natural order. The far right blames most or all social problems on that upheaval—that is, on liberalism. Instead of seeing social order as emerging from the interactions of many diverse persons and groups cooperating in a polycentric system, the far right believes a homogeneous order must be imposed—and imposed in a holistic fashion, incorporating all forms of social interaction, from the structure of the nation-state to the most intimate relationships in the home.> The far right's commitment to freedom extends only to the “true people,” whose values align with far-right goals. This is an exclusionary conception of freedom, entirely contraposed to a neutral rule of law. Generally for the far right, discussion and deliberation are denigrated in favor of authoritarianism and “decisive action,” although the far right will also frequently invoke values like “freedom of speech” to exert pressure on discourse communities to welcome its ideas and rhetoric (see Why do far-right groups often talk about “freedom”?).
> The far right is animated by the revolutionary project of reconfiguring society along the exclusionary or hierarchical lines patterned after a “divine” or “natural” order. Far-right figures envision societies organized through hierarchies—whether racial, ethnic, religious, or ideological. They aspire to deploy state power to defend the “true people” (sometimes called the Volk), who often already occupy the top rungs of society, from a constellation of perceived enemies or from relative or outright disempowerment. The far-right ideal is a homogeneous society, and that ideal is diametrically opposed to a liberal, pluralistic order. The far right believes that liberal pluralism represents a dangerous and unprecedented upheaval of the natural order. The far right blames most or all social problems on that upheaval—that is, on liberalism. Instead of seeing social order as emerging from the interactions of many diverse persons and groups cooperating in a polycentric system, the far right believes a homogeneous order must be imposed—and imposed in a holistic fashion, incorporating all forms of social interaction, from the structure of the nation-state to the most intimate relationships in the home.> The far right's commitment to freedom extends only to the “true people,” whose values align with far-right goals. This is an exclusionary conception of freedom, entirely contraposed to a neutral rule of law. Generally for the far right, discussion and deliberation are denigrated in favor of authoritarianism and “decisive action,” although the far right will also frequently invoke values like “freedom of speech” to exert pressure on discourse communities to welcome its ideas and rhetoric (see Why do far-right groups often talk about “freedom”?).
> The far right's commitment to freedom extends only to the “true people,” whose values align with far-right goals. This is an exclusionary conception of freedom, entirely contraposed to a neutral rule of law. Generally for the far right, discussion and deliberation are denigrated in favor of authoritarianism and “decisive action,” although the far right will also frequently invoke values like “freedom of speech” to exert pressure on discourse communities to welcome its ideas and rhetoric (see Why do far-right groups often talk about “freedom”?).
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Yes. Both sides censor people. I'm sure we'll see a comment about Biden censoring anti covid vaccine posts and the poster is somewhat right.The difference is the Republicans run on freedom of speech making them hypocrites.Being a hypocrite is the worst attribute a politician can have in a representative democracy
The difference is the Republicans run on freedom of speech making them hypocrites.Being a hypocrite is the worst attribute a politician can have in a representative democracy
Being a hypocrite is the worst attribute a politician can have in a representative democracy
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As I've gotten older, I've become less fond of slippery slope style arguments. People love making them for censorship-related rules and laws."Oh if
There's no escaping the memory black hole.
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It's long been said that the insane rise in DRAM pricing would eventually affect common household electronics, and those predictions are starting to come true, likely sooner than most people imagine or would like to admit. The latest casualty is the market for ISP-provided broadband routers, set-top boxes (STBs), and gateways, which could see prices for the memory they require rise sevenfold.
Counterpoint researchers state that this steep climb should last at least through June, and is likely to continue due to the ongoing supply crisis. Whereas memory used to account for about 3% of the average bill of materials (BOM) for producing one of these pieces of equipment, that percentage has now ballooned to 20%, and it will have an outsized influence on the equipment's final price.
While this likely won't have a direct impact on the monthly price of your internet connection, the usual "free installation" and similar deals, such as a free set-top box, may disappear over time. The graph below shows a significant difference in LPDDR4 pricing for mobile phones versus the standard DDR4 used in consumer-facing telco gear.
According to Counterpoint, routers could be affected the most, as the OEMs of these devices don't tend to have the kind of negotiation power and long-term supply contracts as the bigger industry players. DDR4 was already being phased out before the crisis hit, and supply constraints forced a surge in prices. The fact that the AI craze led to the addition of memory-hogging features in routers and STBs didn't help matters, as some equipment has as much RAM as a common PC.
The market researchers also note that this problem may even affect ISP fiber rollouts. It's not hard to imagine that the combined price of the equipment becomes a significant factor, especially when the time comes to pass the costs on to consumers, who may balk at paying for equipment that was often "free" for many years.
Even big telecom and phone gear manufacturers have started specifically calling out the problem in their quarterly earnings statements. In the statement for its Q4 2025 results, Nokia's CEO said that although "at a macro level across the company, [RAM pricing] is not a huge part", the firm intends to "secure the supply based on the commitments [it does have]" and that "[it expects ] to be passed through to pricing".
Meanwhile, MediaTek reportedly stated that it's got enough memory for its datacenter needs, but that for other segments it will "adjust its pricing to reflect the rising supply chain costs and allocate our supply across products based on the overall profitability". Likewise, Qualcomm's CEO said that, with data centers as priority #1, "industry-wide memory shortage and price increases are likely to define the overall scale of the handset industry through the fiscal year."
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Micron's new drive is so fast that it fully benefits from liquid cooling, but air cooling is still supported
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If you thought NVMe SSDs were already super-fast, think again. Micron has officially introduced the world's first mass-produced PCIe 6.0 SSD. The all-new Micron 9650 series takes full advantage of a PCIe 6.0 x4 interface to achieve up to a whopping 28 GB/s in read speeds, double that of the world's fastest PCIe 5.0 SSDs. The drive is optimized for AI/data center deployments and comes in data center-focused E1.S and E3.S form factors. Pricing was not disclosed, but since the 9650 is a datacenter drive, don't expect a static MSRP to be announced.
Micron will have several iterations of the 9650 featuring the 9650 Pro and 9650 Max. The Pro variant will feature three capacities: 7.68 TB, 15.36 TB, and 30.72 TB. The Max variant offers lower-capacity trims across the board compared to the Pro models, with 6.4TB, 12.8TB, and 25.6TB models, respectively. Sequential read speeds peak at up to 28 GB/s, sequential write speeds 14GB/s, random read speeds 5,400 KIOPS, and random write speeds 500 KIOPS for both Pro and Max models.
Where both models differ is in mixed performance conditions and endurance. In a 70/30 random read/write split workload, the Pro drive delivers up to 1,100 KIOPS, while the Max version delivers 400 KIOPS more at 1,500 KIOPS. Random and sequential endurance ratings are similar, with the Max models having noticeably better endurance than the Pro models of similar capacities. For instance, the 9650 Pro 30.72TB has a random endurance rating of 56,064 TBW. The 9650 Max 25.6TB has a random endurance rating of 140,160 TBW.
Overall, according to Micron's numbers, its new 9650 is 40% faster in write speeds than PCIe Gen 5 SSDs, 67% faster in random read speeds, and 22% faster in random write speeds. Take this info with a pinch of salt, as Micron did not share the exact PCIe 5.0 SSD model it is referring to, but most outgoing PCIe 5.0 SSD write speeds sit around the 10GB/s to 13GB/s range.
Surprisingly, power consumption has not increased to match the extra performance the 9650 offers over PCIe 5.0 drives. Micron's 9650 is rated at up to 25 watts, the same as the most power-hungry enterprise PCIe 5.0 SSDs consume today. But if you want to compare consumer PCIe 5.0 SSDs, which generally top out at 12 to 15 watts, the 9650 consumes up to 67% more power than those drives.
What has changed is the cooling requirements for Micron's new drive. The 9650 is Micron's first SSD to support both air and liquid cooling, with liquid cooling being supported specifically on the E1.S version. The introduction of OEM liquid cooling is already happening with PCIe 5.0 SSDs in the datacenter world to help tame the heat generated by these high-power-consuming drives. It may seem silly to have to liquid-cool a device that only draws 25 watts, but cooling becomes complicated quickly when you have multiple 25-watt drives sitting side by side in a server rack. Solidigm was the first manufacturer to release a liquid-cooled enterprise SSD.
We can expect drives like the 9650 to be prioritized for mass production due to the demands of AI servers. LLMs require a lot of high-speed storage to move data quickly where it's needed. And just as GPUs do, AI servers will take advantage of as much high-speed storage as modern PCIe standards allow. Also, don't expect Micron's announcement to be any indication of a consumer PCIe 6.0 coming out anytime soon; not only is the AI race consuming NAND flash at an extraordinary rate, but consumer platforms have not yet adopted PCIe 6.0 (and won't until 2030), making a consumer variant completely useless.
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A moderator on diyAudio set up an experiment to determine whether listeners could differentiate between audio run through pro audio copper wire, a banana, and wet mud. Spoiler alert: the results indicated that users were unable to accurately distinguish between these different 'interfaces.'
Pano, the moderator who built the experiment, invited other members on the forum to listen to various sound clips with four different versions: one taken from the original CD file, with the three others recorded through 180cm of pro audio copper wire, via 20cm of wet mud, through 120cm of old microphone cable soldered to US pennies, and via a 13cm banana, and 120cm of the same setup as earlier.
Initial test results showed that it's extremely difficult for listeners to correctly pick out which audio track used which wiring setup. “The amazing thing is how much alike these files sound. The mud should sound perfectly awful, but it doesn't," Pano said. "All of the re-recordings should be obvious, but they aren't."
This is quite surprising, especially as we often don't think of bananas, or even wet mud, as great conductors. However, the tester surmised that introducing the materials into the circuit is just like adding a resistor in series, and they're unlikely to distort the audio too much, except by lowering the signal level.
After waiting a month for testers to submit their results, the following results were tabulated:
As we can see in the image above, there are only six correct answers out of 43 guesses. We put these numbers in a spreadsheet, which showed that only 13.95% of the answers were correct. Furthermore, we used the binomial distribution formula and determined there's a 6.12% chance that we'd get the same or fewer correct answers if the listeners were randomly guessing — slightly above the 5% significance threshold many statisticians use, meaning the results are consistent with randomness. This goes in line with Pano's conclusion that "listeners can't reliably pick out the original from the looped versions," suggesting that they cannot detect any changes introduced by the loop — whether it's pro-grade copper wire or wet mud from somebody's backyard.
Pano came up with this idea after they watched a documentary, Amigo, where the U.S. Army was setting up a singular telegraph wire in the Philippines. They thought that it wouldn't work as “you need two wires to complete the circuit.” However, it turns out that the telegraph system used the earth as a return, even through long distances. This got them thinking that if you could send telegraphy signals across the ground, what would an audio signal using the same medium sound like? They then tried various materials like mud and banana, which, although they're pretty poor conductors, still seemed to introduce imperceptible changes to the signal, at least for the average person.
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A perfect answer to the new proprietary bit designed to stop ‘unauthorized individuals' servicing or repairing these cars.
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Automaker BMW has filed a patent for a new fastener that takes design cues from its iconic segmented roundel logo. To a casual observer, this might look like a fun, or even novel and worthwhile, secure new fastener innovation. However, digging into the patent reveals that the goal may actually be an anti-competitive and right-to-repair-restricting maneuver. Naturally, sites like iFixIt and Adafruit are irked by the recently unearthed patent application, and the latter has already shown makers can do something about it.
Patent drawings show a threaded fastener with a head in which two of the four segments of the BMW roundel logo are voids. Thus, a corresponding driver bit will be required for ideal torque transfer, and to minimize wear, slippage, cam-out, etc.
Clearly, this isn't the ‘best' fastener design, as the world has already decided Torx and Hex rule the roost. However, the main argument against the BMW bolt or screw has been precipitated by the official patent application docs. Digging through the filing reveals that BMW wants its admittedly stylish fastener to be implemented “…to prevent being loosened or tightened…by unauthorized individuals.”
Repair-centric site iFixIt calls BMW's plans “a logo-shaped middle finger to right to repair.” But the site says this isn't a surprising move from BMW, which has a track record of trying to gatekeep its ecosystems.
However, Adafruit seems to think the BMW patent application is vulnerable, as the problems it addresses, the solution, and other aspects of the design aren't really patentable. Other than that, the BMW screw is branding and merely cosmetic, it says. Thus, the “claim risks collapsing into a predictable variation optimized for brand identity rather than engineering necessity,” reckons the open-source community driven hardware company.
Adafruit demonstrated that it can design and 3D print a screw and bit that are very much like BMW's proposed patented fasteners. Both plastic and metal 3D prints were output, and the maker-centric site says that the fastener and driver bit worked cleanly. Moreover, Adafruit provided some technical guidance for folks who may want to do the same. In addition to the design tips, it mentions that the material chosen for output should be “strong enough to survive sharp internal corners without fracture.”
While we didn't see Adafruit actually share files created during its BMW patent-busting replica work, a little Google-fu found several others have already uploaded 3D printable screw and bit files. These may be useful if BMW's patent application sees this fastener implemented in production vehicles.
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Authorities in Mexico's Guadalupe, Nuevo León, this week unveiled four robot dogs that will be part of the security devices at BBVA Stadium, one of the three Mexican venues of the 2026 World Cup.
The “K9-X” unit functions as a kind of first responder only. The robot dogs are not armed, but each unit incorporates video cameras, night vision, and communication systems that are used to issue warnings or instructions. Its function is to deter illegal activity, detect unusual behavior, identify suspicious objects, control crowds, and immediately alert law enforcement when the system deems necessary.
Robot dogs operate semi-autonomously: They do not make decisions or execute movements on their own. Instead, they require an operator to control them as if they were handling a drone or a video game. The operator can even use the robot's command system to issue instructions during a crisis.
“These K9-X robot dogs are going to support the police with an initial intervention, providing video and ultimately entering high-risk locations—that is, before public security forces go in—and to protect officers' physical safety, the robots will intervene in the event of a fight or an intoxicated person,” Héctor García, mayor of Guadalupe, said at a press conference. “We have good police officers, and we are working hand in hand with cutting-edge technology for the safety of the people of Guadalupe.”
The K9-X unit has already made its first official intervention. During the last match of Club de Futbol Monterrey in the Concachampions, the robots patrolled the perimeter of the BBVA Stadium. According to the official press release, the “robodogs” carried out preventive patrols at the entrances and in main gathering areas.
The robot dogs are just one part of Guadalupe's security strategy for the 2026 World Cup. The city also plans to use advanced surveillance drones and anti-drone technology to protect large events. The authorities have not disclosed the model, manufacturer, or many technical details of the K9-X units.
When the World Cup kicks off in June, the BBVA Stadium will host four matches: three in the group stage and one in the round of 16.
This story originally appeared in WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
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Element was a bit too raw for me - mobile wasn't great either. Ymmv
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Ideal Solution (that has existed for a very long time): Legislate the requirements for most clients used by young children to look for the RTA server header and trigger parental controls if the parent thinks they should be enabled. It's not perfect, nothing is nor ever will be but using the header solution is entirely private, does not store or leak data and puts the decision into the device owners rather than creating perverse incentives to track everyone. It may actually protect most small children whereas today teens quickly find a work-around and then teach smaller children how to work around these centralized gate-keepers. The current solutions are just about tracking people by real identity and incentivizing teens to commit identity crimes thus feeding the prison industrial complex. Parents are already legally responsible for their offspring. If parents are having difficulty with raising their children that is a different problem and would require a different solution after significant critical thinking.Less Than Ideal solution: Create a maintain multiple deny-lists of domains that are using 3rd party age verification or gathering personal data in any way shape or form. Incorporate the deny-lists into uBlock and related add-ons.Non starters: Anything that suggests the 3rd party verification is anonymous and includes cryptographic terminology. It may start off anonymous and with time the verification will include a unique code that can be reversed through some obfuscated method. Anything involving a 3rd party whether directly or indirectly must be entirely rejected.Previous Discussion: [2][1] - https://www.rtalabel.org/page.php[2] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46152074
Less Than Ideal solution: Create a maintain multiple deny-lists of domains that are using 3rd party age verification or gathering personal data in any way shape or form. Incorporate the deny-lists into uBlock and related add-ons.Non starters: Anything that suggests the 3rd party verification is anonymous and includes cryptographic terminology. It may start off anonymous and with time the verification will include a unique code that can be reversed through some obfuscated method. Anything involving a 3rd party whether directly or indirectly must be entirely rejected.Previous Discussion: [2][1] - https://www.rtalabel.org/page.php[2] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46152074
Non starters: Anything that suggests the 3rd party verification is anonymous and includes cryptographic terminology. It may start off anonymous and with time the verification will include a unique code that can be reversed through some obfuscated method. Anything involving a 3rd party whether directly or indirectly must be entirely rejected.Previous Discussion: [2][1] - https://www.rtalabel.org/page.php[2] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46152074
Previous Discussion: [2][1] - https://www.rtalabel.org/page.php[2] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46152074
[1] - https://www.rtalabel.org/page.php[2] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46152074
[2] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46152074
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How do you think EU and UK came to this idea ? Google was pushing it from some time but they needed a "legal framework".In the future they will not need your phone anymore for border or house searches.
In the future they will not need your phone anymore for border or house searches.
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Every single thing you ever put into discord via text or voice has already and was already being sold to advertisers. If you were ever logged into Google simultaneously while on Discord it's already linked up to the real information they have about you.I've just seen numerous things I've talked about or typed about with friends promptly appear on my YouTube feeds.So like.. ?
I've just seen numerous things I've talked about or typed about with friends promptly appear on my YouTube feeds.So like.. ?
So like.. ?
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2. Already collecting a lot of data is not a reason to collect even more sensitive data. Plenty of people use Discord differently than you do. Anonymously participating in projects that use Discord and never saying anything personal over it, for example. This would possibly remove the ability to do so, for example if Discord's secretive AI decided that an LGBTQ+ project's Discord should be age restricted, and you would be forced to submit enough information to be fully identified and deanonymized, and now some foreign government could build a database that includes your full identity and your affiliation to such project
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/10/german-v...https://www.statista.com/statistics/237420/economic-damage-c...https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/one-de...And then there was the morroco, greek and italian floods.Its expected to hit mountanous areas the hardest, devaluing cities in valleys like they are in a warzone. And this is the smallest, obvious event series kept on the downlow, because society already falls apart, loosing its structure.The panopticon is a desperate attempt to controll the only thing controllable in situations to come.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/237420/economic-damage-c...https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/one-de...And then there was the morroco, greek and italian floods.Its expected to hit mountanous areas the hardest, devaluing cities in valleys like they are in a warzone. And this is the smallest, obvious event series kept on the downlow, because society already falls apart, loosing its structure.The panopticon is a desperate attempt to controll the only thing controllable in situations to come.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/one-de...And then there was the morroco, greek and italian floods.Its expected to hit mountanous areas the hardest, devaluing cities in valleys like they are in a warzone. And this is the smallest, obvious event series kept on the downlow, because society already falls apart, loosing its structure.The panopticon is a desperate attempt to controll the only thing controllable in situations to come.
And then there was the morroco, greek and italian floods.Its expected to hit mountanous areas the hardest, devaluing cities in valleys like they are in a warzone. And this is the smallest, obvious event series kept on the downlow, because society already falls apart, loosing its structure.The panopticon is a desperate attempt to controll the only thing controllable in situations to come.
Its expected to hit mountanous areas the hardest, devaluing cities in valleys like they are in a warzone. And this is the smallest, obvious event series kept on the downlow, because society already falls apart, loosing its structure.The panopticon is a desperate attempt to controll the only thing controllable in situations to come.
The panopticon is a desperate attempt to controll the only thing controllable in situations to come.
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https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/23/us/gamergate-harassment-reddi...
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Gamergate directly brought the shitty 4chan kind of toxicity and harassment to the national stage. No we didn't have this kind of "trolling" by a major political party and the POTUS himself. To pretend otherwise is either being intentionally dense or merely ignorant.
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Now, there is no digital dual. https://www.roughtype.com/?p=2090And worse here, the very worst have figured out how to keep making reality pay attention to the absolute garbage misery show. A newsgroup dust-up might have caught some small coverage, but the way the troll-forces of the world have mobilized and radicalized their shitizens at scale, and the stochastic terror they have focused on creating: it keeps the rest of reality all too glued to the sick farce programming the aggressor forces against the world anti-campaign on.
And worse here, the very worst have figured out how to keep making reality pay attention to the absolute garbage misery show. A newsgroup dust-up might have caught some small coverage, but the way the troll-forces of the world have mobilized and radicalized their shitizens at scale, and the stochastic terror they have focused on creating: it keeps the rest of reality all too glued to the sick farce programming the aggressor forces against the world anti-campaign on.
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Meta was funded by Thiel, yet most of the people in this thread use their products.The CCP has technology that dwarfs Palantir, but a ton of people in this thread use TikTok, because they don't recognize fascism unless it's perpetrated by somebody that looks like the Nazis they see in movies.I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. I hated it. Everything was this moralistic condemnation and guilt by association game, played by people who had absolutely no sense of perspective and had zero interactions outside of there group think circles. Constantly condemning people they don't know and have never met and don't understand.I've been on HN for 13 years now. It looks more and more like that every day.This comment will be down voted without any substantive critique other than "I guess you're a fascist too."Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.
The CCP has technology that dwarfs Palantir, but a ton of people in this thread use TikTok, because they don't recognize fascism unless it's perpetrated by somebody that looks like the Nazis they see in movies.I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. I hated it. Everything was this moralistic condemnation and guilt by association game, played by people who had absolutely no sense of perspective and had zero interactions outside of there group think circles. Constantly condemning people they don't know and have never met and don't understand.I've been on HN for 13 years now. It looks more and more like that every day.This comment will be down voted without any substantive critique other than "I guess you're a fascist too."Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.
I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. I hated it. Everything was this moralistic condemnation and guilt by association game, played by people who had absolutely no sense of perspective and had zero interactions outside of there group think circles. Constantly condemning people they don't know and have never met and don't understand.I've been on HN for 13 years now. It looks more and more like that every day.This comment will be down voted without any substantive critique other than "I guess you're a fascist too."Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.
I've been on HN for 13 years now. It looks more and more like that every day.This comment will be down voted without any substantive critique other than "I guess you're a fascist too."Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.
This comment will be down voted without any substantive critique other than "I guess you're a fascist too."Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.
Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.
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Don't such absolute statements (everyone, everything) remind you of religion as well?> Meta was funded by Thiel, yet most of the people in this thread use their products.I imagine it might be as true as:- most people in this thread also using Discord, despite criticizing it and- most people using Meta criticize its products.That is, You can use something and criticize it, and it probably happens both with Discord and e.g. Facebook.> The CCP[…]I'm happy to see in the political threads there's very often in the very least a significant presence of critique against China and maybe even overwhelming the defenders of the regime.> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
> Meta was funded by Thiel, yet most of the people in this thread use their products.I imagine it might be as true as:- most people in this thread also using Discord, despite criticizing it and- most people using Meta criticize its products.That is, You can use something and criticize it, and it probably happens both with Discord and e.g. Facebook.> The CCP[…]I'm happy to see in the political threads there's very often in the very least a significant presence of critique against China and maybe even overwhelming the defenders of the regime.> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
I imagine it might be as true as:- most people in this thread also using Discord, despite criticizing it and- most people using Meta criticize its products.That is, You can use something and criticize it, and it probably happens both with Discord and e.g. Facebook.> The CCP[…]I'm happy to see in the political threads there's very often in the very least a significant presence of critique against China and maybe even overwhelming the defenders of the regime.> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
- most people in this thread also using Discord, despite criticizing it and- most people using Meta criticize its products.That is, You can use something and criticize it, and it probably happens both with Discord and e.g. Facebook.> The CCP[…]I'm happy to see in the political threads there's very often in the very least a significant presence of critique against China and maybe even overwhelming the defenders of the regime.> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
- most people using Meta criticize its products.That is, You can use something and criticize it, and it probably happens both with Discord and e.g. Facebook.> The CCP[…]I'm happy to see in the political threads there's very often in the very least a significant presence of critique against China and maybe even overwhelming the defenders of the regime.> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
That is, You can use something and criticize it, and it probably happens both with Discord and e.g. Facebook.> The CCP[…]I'm happy to see in the political threads there's very often in the very least a significant presence of critique against China and maybe even overwhelming the defenders of the regime.> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
> The CCP[…]I'm happy to see in the political threads there's very often in the very least a significant presence of critique against China and maybe even overwhelming the defenders of the regime.> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
I'm happy to see in the political threads there's very often in the very least a significant presence of critique against China and maybe even overwhelming the defenders of the regime.> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
> I grew up around brainwashed religious zealots. […] moralistic condemnation […] [HN] looks more and more like that every day.I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
I think it's good religious zealots don't have the monopoly on moralistic condemnation. Just because A is bad, and B has feature x just like A, doesn't mean the feature x is bad.> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
> Meanwhile, Discord will not have the slightest tiny drop in user numbers, because nobody outside of this moralistic circle jerk cares.Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
Discord is not going to delete users, and few people care to request their account to be deleted. If Discord asked me to provide ID, I'd probably at least try to resist by not using it and maybe eventually succumb by providing a fake ID - but as far as I know, Discord will just set my account to a teenager mode, so instead of speaking about a drop in user numbers, we should speak about a drop of activity in adult interactions (or interactions/activity in general) on Discord.
reply
> therefore everyone and everything is oriented around tribal group thinkYou can be more convincing if you don't group everyone into one bucket and throw insults at it.A reader can pull your claims out - meta bad, thiel bad, ccp bad, sheeple bad - but there isn't anything substantive there (WHY are these bad; it's all ad hominem so far) and we have to sift through a bunch of insults in order to do it ( 1. Tribal group thinkers. 2. Can't recognize fascism. 3. Looking like religious zealots blindly condemning people we don't know. 4. Going to downvote without thinking or participating.)Your comment looks a LOT like insult #3 up there, with some whining thrown in on top.If you want a substantive conversation or debate about the different facets of data privacy then lay the groundwork with some good faith place to start. If you instead just post mini screeds pre-insulting everyone then lamenting that nobody engages then nothing is going to change for you.
You can be more convincing if you don't group everyone into one bucket and throw insults at it.A reader can pull your claims out - meta bad, thiel bad, ccp bad, sheeple bad - but there isn't anything substantive there (WHY are these bad; it's all ad hominem so far) and we have to sift through a bunch of insults in order to do it ( 1. Tribal group thinkers. 2. Can't recognize fascism. 3. Looking like religious zealots blindly condemning people we don't know. 4. Going to downvote without thinking or participating.)Your comment looks a LOT like insult #3 up there, with some whining thrown in on top.If you want a substantive conversation or debate about the different facets of data privacy then lay the groundwork with some good faith place to start. If you instead just post mini screeds pre-insulting everyone then lamenting that nobody engages then nothing is going to change for you.
A reader can pull your claims out - meta bad, thiel bad, ccp bad, sheeple bad - but there isn't anything substantive there (WHY are these bad; it's all ad hominem so far) and we have to sift through a bunch of insults in order to do it ( 1. Tribal group thinkers. 2. Can't recognize fascism. 3. Looking like religious zealots blindly condemning people we don't know. 4. Going to downvote without thinking or participating.)Your comment looks a LOT like insult #3 up there, with some whining thrown in on top.If you want a substantive conversation or debate about the different facets of data privacy then lay the groundwork with some good faith place to start. If you instead just post mini screeds pre-insulting everyone then lamenting that nobody engages then nothing is going to change for you.
Your comment looks a LOT like insult #3 up there, with some whining thrown in on top.If you want a substantive conversation or debate about the different facets of data privacy then lay the groundwork with some good faith place to start. If you instead just post mini screeds pre-insulting everyone then lamenting that nobody engages then nothing is going to change for you.
If you want a substantive conversation or debate about the different facets of data privacy then lay the groundwork with some good faith place to start. If you instead just post mini screeds pre-insulting everyone then lamenting that nobody engages then nothing is going to change for you.
reply
Anyway, people are free not to use Discord if they don't like their age verification feature. It is one chat service amongst many, not a monopoly.
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A security lapse by one of India's largest pharmacy chains allowed outsiders to gain full administrative control of its platform, exposing customer order data and sensitive drug-control functions, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.
The issue affected DavaIndia Pharmacy, the pharmacy arm of Zota Healthcare, which operates a large network of retail outlets across India. Security researcher Eaton Zveare told TechCrunch that he discovered the flaw after identifying insecure “super admin” application programming interfaces on DavaIndia's website and privately shared details with Indian cybersecurity authorities.
The bug is now fixed, and Zveare disclosed his findings.
The exposure comes as Zota Healthcare rapidly scales DavaIndia Pharmacy's retail business. The Gujarat-headquartered company operates more than 2,300 DavaIndia stores across India, including 276 new outlets announced in January, and plans to add another 1,200 to 1,500 over the next two years.
Zveare told TechCrunch that the flaw stemmed from insecure admin interfaces, which allowed unauthenticated users to create “super admin” accounts with high privileges.
With that level of access, an attacker could view thousands of online orders containing customer information, modify product listings and prices, create discount coupons, and change settings governing whether certain medicines required a prescription, the researcher said.
Based on system timestamps, Zveare said the vulnerable administrative interfaces appeared to have been live since late 2024. The access exposed nearly 17,000 online orders and administrative controls spanning 883 stores, he said, allowing changes to product pricing, prescription requirements, and promotional discounts. Zveare said the access allowed edits to website content that could have been used for defacement or disruption.
Pharmacy order data can be particularly sensitive, as it may reveal information about a person's health conditions, medications or other private purchases. Exposure of such data, even without evidence of misuse, carries heightened privacy and patient-safety risks compared with other consumer information.
“Customer information was linked to their orders,” said Zveare. “This includes name, phone numbers, email IDs, mailing addresses, total amount paid, and the products purchased. Since this is a pharmacy, the products being purchased could be considered private and even embarrassing for some people.”
Zveare said he reported the issue to CERT-In, India's national cyber emergency response agency, in August 2025. The vulnerability was fixed within weeks, though confirmation from the company took longer and was provided to the cyber authorities in late November, he said.
Sujit Paul, chief executive of Zota Healthcare, did not respond to emails sent by TechCrunch last month. The researcher said there was no indication the flaw had been exploited before it was patched.
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Airbnb has taken its time to launch AI features within the app, but CEO Brian Chesky on Friday said the company is now planning to bake in features powered by large language models that would help users search for listings, plan their trips, and aid hosts in managing their properties.
Speaking at the company's fourth-quarter conference call, Chesky said the company wants to increase its use of large language models for customer discovery, support and engineering.
“We are building an AI-native experience where the app does not just search for you. It knows you. It will help guests plan their entire trip, help hosts better run their businesses, and help the company operate more efficiently at scale,” he said.
The company separately said it is testing a new feature that lets users search and ask questions about properties and locations using natural language queries.
Currently, Airbnb offers an LLM-powered customer service bot, for some personalization, and communications. The new AI search feature is expected to “evolve into a more comprehensive and intuitive search experience that extends through the trip.”
Questioned by analyst whether Airbnb would roll out sponsored property slots within AI search, Chesky said the company wants to get the design and user experience right first.
“AI search is live to a very small percentage of traffic right now. We are doing a lot of experimentation. Over time, we are gonna be experimenting with making AI search more conversational, integrating it into more than the trip, and, eventually, we will be looking at sponsor listings as a result of that,” Chesky said, adding that Airbnb would consider designing an ad unit that fits the conversational search flow.
Chesky said Airbnb plans to tap the AI expertise of its new CTO, Ahmad Al-Dahle (he worked on Meta's Llama models previously), to use its trove of identity and review data to make the app more useful.
Airbnb claimed its AI-powered customer support bot, launched in North America last year, now handles a third of customer problems without needing any human intervention. Chesky noted there are plans to enable customers to call the AI bot for support, and expand language coverage to customer support as well.
“A year from now, if we are successful, significantly more than 30% of tickets will be handled by a custom service agent, in many more languages, in all the languages where we have live agents. AI customer service will not only be chat, it will be voice,” he said.
The company is also thinking about increasing AI usage internally. Airbnb said 80% of its engineers use AI tools, but the goal is to get to 100%.
Airbnb reported better-than-expected revenue of $2.78 billion in the fourth quarter, up 12% from a year earlier.
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New research reveals how attachment insecurity and materialistic values fuel 'phubbing' in romantic relationships.
Constantly checking your phone during conversations with a partner - a behavior known as phubbing - may be less about bad manners and more about deeper psychological needs.
New research led by the University of Southampton, the Vinzenz Pallotti University and Ruhr University Bochum in Germany has examined why our phones come between us, even when we don't mean them to.
The study, published in Behavioral Sciences, shows that people who feel insecure in close relationships are more likely to engage in phubbing or feel hurt by it - particularly when they also place a high value on material success, status, and external validation.
Phubbing, short for 'phone snubbing', refers to ignoring someone you are with in favour of your smartphone. While often dismissed as a modern habit or social faux pas, the research suggests it can be driven by attachment-related anxieties and seeking reassurance, attention and self-worth.
The researchers surveyed over 200 adults in romantic relationships, measuring their attachment styles, materialistic values, and both 'enacted phubbing' (how much they phub their partner) and 'perceived phubbing' (how much they feel phubbed).
They found that, for some people, phones are a source of reassurance, status, or distraction from uncomfortable emotions - even at the cost of face-to-face connection.
The results showed:
Study co-author Dr Claire Hart, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Southampton, said: "Phubbing isn't just about screen time or poor etiquette. For many people, it reflects deeper concerns about security, self-worth, and where attention and value are coming from."
The study demonstrates for the first time that materialistic values help explain why attachment insecurity leads to phubbing.
Smartphones offer constant access to social comparison, validation and symbolic 'value', from messages and likes to curated online identities.
For people who feel uncertain in relationships, this can make the phone especially hard to put down.
"Materialism amplifies the pull of the phone," explained Dr Hart. "If self-worth is tied to external symbols or validation, digital engagement can start to compete with, or even replace, real-world connection."
The findings suggest that tackling phubbing in relationships may require more than simply telling people to use their phones less.
Instead, the researchers argue, interventions should focus on strengthening relationship security, reducing reliance on external validationand helping people reflect on the values that drive their digital habits.
Dr Hart said: "Taking this approach could be especially valuable in relationship counselling, digital wellbeing initiatives, and conversations between couples about technology and intimacy."
The research builds on Dr Hart's previous work that examined people's emotional responses to phubbing. She added: "Understanding why people reach for their phones helps us move beyond blame. Phubbing can be a signal of unmet emotional needs - not just distraction."
University of Southampton
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Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of focal epilepsy, affecting a significant proportion of patients who develop drug-resistant epilepsy. Surgical interventions, particularly stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)-guided temporal lobe resection (TLR) and SEEG-guided responsive neurostimulation (RNS), have emerged as pivotal treatment options. This systematic review aims to compare the efficacy, safety, and quality of life (QoL) outcomes associated with these two interventions in adults with drug-resistant TLE.
The review followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, with a comprehensive literature search conducted across multiple databases from January to February 2025. Eligible studies included adult patients (≥18 years) with drug-resistant TLE who underwent SEEG-guided TLR or RNS, with preoperative SEEG used for localization. Primary outcomes included seizure freedom, seizure reduction, adverse events, and QoL improvements. Quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomized trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies.
Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing sample sizes ranging from 10 to 440 participants. Key findings include:
Seizure freedom: SEEG-guided TLR achieved an average seizure freedom rate of 58.5% (range: 32–85%), while SEEG-guided RNS resulted in 12.85% seizure freedom on average.
Seizure reduction: TLR showed a mean seizure reduction of 75% (range: 60–90%), compared to 63.2% for RNS.
Quality of life: QoL improvements were reported in 72–82% of TLR patients and 44% of RNS patients.
Safety: Both interventions demonstrated strong safety profiles. TLR was associated with transient memory deficits (12%) and mild infections (8%). RNS had higher device-related issues, including lead revisions (10%) and minor infections (4%). Cognitive outcomes were better preserved with RNS.
The review highlights that SEEG-guided TLR offers superior seizure freedom and reduction rates, making it a highly effective option for patients with well-localized epileptogenic zones. However, it carries risks of cognitive decline, particularly in dominant hemisphere resections. In contrast, RNS provides meaningful seizure reduction with cognitive preservation, making it a valuable alternative for patients with bilateral onset, eloquent cortex involvement, or prior failed resections.
The direct comparison of outcomes is limited by inherent differences in patient populations-RNS cohorts often include more complex cases. Both interventions improve QoL, but standardization of QoL assessment remains lacking. Individualized treatment planning is essential, balancing seizure control, cognitive risks, and patient-centered outcomes.
Most included studies were observational, with only two randomized controlled trials, limiting the strength of comparative conclusions. Variability in outcome definitions and reporting also complicates synthesis. Future research should focus on:
Standardized outcome metrics for seizure freedom and QoL.
Long-term prospective studies on cognitive and psychiatric outcomes.
Investigation of demographic and socio-economic factors influencing treatment response.
Systematic reporting of device-related complications to refine clinical guidelines.
SEEG-guided TLR and RNS are both effective and safe interventions for drug-resistant TLE, with distinct profiles: TLR offers higher seizure freedom, while RNS preserves cognitive function. Treatment should be personalized based on patient-specific factors, including seizure localization, cognitive risks, and QoL priorities. Future studies should prioritize long-term outcomes and refined patient selection criteria to optimize epilepsy care.
Xia & He Publishing Inc.
https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2472-0712/ERHM-2025-00035
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Adult survivors of childhood cancers are at higher risk for another cancer – such as breast, colorectal, sarcomas and thyroid cancer – that is not a relapse of their original illness. Previous cancer therapies are largely responsible, however up to 13 percent of survivors also have hereditary predisposition that elevates their risk of subsequent cancer. A recent clinical trial found that genetic services via remote centralized telehealth and in collaboration with primary care increased the uptake of genetic counseling and testing in this population. Results were published in Lancet Regional Health – Americas.
"Identifying survivors with cancer-predisposing genetic variants allows personalized survivorship care with early screenings and preventive measures," said lead author Tara Henderson, MD, MPH, childhood cancer survivorship expert and Chair of Pediatrics at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, as well as Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Our study is the first national randomized trial to show that remote telehealth services, working with primary care providers, improve access to genetic counseling and testing for adult survivors of childhood cancers. Genetic services also drive earlier detection of subsequent cancer, which reduces morbidity and mortality."
The study included 391 participants, with the mean age of 44 years. All participants were provided with information on the benefits of genetic testing. Dr. Henderson and colleagues found that at six months, 43 percent of participants in the remote telehealth services group received genetic services, compared to 15 percent in the usual care group.
"Notably, 10 percent of participants who completed genetic testing in the telehealth group had actionable results, which underscores the significant impact of this intervention for the survivors and their families," said Dr. Henderson. "Better access to genetic services is critical for improving outcomes in childhood cancer survivors. We show that integrating remote genetic services in primary care works well, although more survivors still need to pursue genetic testing. Enhancing motivation for testing may require personalized decision aids, further education about its benefits, and financial support mechanisms to reduce concerns about testing costs."
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanam/article/PIIS2667-193X(26)00004-9/fulltext
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Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.
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In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.
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When couples attend relationship counseling, it benefits not only their partnership but also their individual well-being. But which aspects of the training are most influential in this respect? A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines how a popular intervention program affected individual outcomes such as mental health, sleep, and substance use.
"Past research has looked at different factors that might explain why these programs are helping couples' relationships. But we thought it was remarkable that relationship education also benefits people's individual health, and we wanted to find out what might explain this," said lead author Noah Larsen, a graduate student in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois. The study's co-author is Allen Barton, Illinois Extension specialist and assistant professor in HDFS.
The study included individuals who participated in the Strong Couples Project, a research-based relationship education program available at no cost to couples in the U.S. The program covers topics such as communication, conflict, problem-solving, commitment, and friendship. It is delivered through online modules and video calls with a program coach. Study participants were either married, engaged, or in a cohabitating relationship. They completed surveys prior to the intervention, immediately after its conclusion, and six months later.
Larsen and Barton focused on three program components – partner support, better communication, and increased relationship confidence. They found all three factors were important but improvements in relationship confidence had the biggest impact on individual outcomes, including improved mental health, better sleep, and reduced substance use.
"Relationship confidence involves the belief that my partner and I can handle whatever challenges come our way and build a lasting future together. It involves trusting that our relationship will continue and feeling assured that we have the skills to manage conflicts and keep the relationship strong," Larsen explained.
Communication and support are crucial in everyday interactions, but relationship confidence involves a deeper, more ongoing commitment to maintaining the relationship, which might provide unique benefits for individual mental health, Larsen said.
He suggests couples can be mindful of building or maintaining that sense of confidence in their relationship. For example, they can reflect on their strengths and accomplishments as a couple. Remembering hard times they've made it through successfully can reinforce the belief that they can handle whatever comes next.
Relationship counselors can help couples build skills to deal with challenging situations and encourage them to talk about their future together and develop a sense of being a team.
The researchers found the results applied to all participants regardless of income, age, education level, and gender. The only difference was that married individuals experienced greater improvements in relationship confidence at the end of the program.
"Marriage often comes with a long-term commitment to the relationship. When couples reflect on that commitment and their shared future, it can strengthen their confidence in the relationship even more," Larsen said.
The Strong Couples Project is offered through Illinois Extension and directed by Barton. It is available free of charge to qualifying participants nationwide.
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
DOI: 10.1111/jmft.70104
Posted in: Medical Research News | Healthcare News
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Dr. Lena Smirnova
Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling.
Natasha Bury
Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.
Rosanna Zhang
In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.
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Please note that medical information found
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Last Updated: Saturday 14 Feb 2026
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Don Hutchison and Kieran Gibbs speak after Manchester City's 2-0 win over Salford City in the FA Cup fourth round. (1:57)
MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester City's FA Cup tie against Salford City will not live long in the memory. The two teams produced a combined six shots on target on Saturday, City won 2-0 and there was no cup upset.
The most interesting thing that happened was two fans racing round the pitch in house costumes at halftime. Afterward, even Pep Guardiola called it "boring."
It was forgettable, indeed. For everyone, that is, except for John Stones.
If Stones is going to have a successful second half of the season, he might end up looking back at this routine fourth-round fixture as the beginning. His path to the FIFA World Cup, and possibly a new City contract, starts with Salford.
It was Stones' first start for nearly three months after recovering from a thigh injury. He will have far tougher tests than the one offered by Ryan Graydon, a 26-year-old striker who was playing in the League of Ireland as recently as 2023, but if Stones is going to secure a seat on England's plane to North America and stay at the Etihad Stadium beyond the summer, then he has to start somewhere.
Guardiola wasn't thrilled with his team's performance -- he called it "no good" until the second goal went in nine minutes from time -- and in his eyes, the return of Stones was one of the only positives.
"He's back," said the City boss. "He still needs time. He's not the John Stones that we knew, but that's normal after more than two months [out]. His body language was really good.
"It's normal that he had the tempo to fight the duels, it happened after more than two months injured but it's important that he played 60 minutes. That's good."
For a player who has struggled to stay fit for the past 18 months, it was valuable time on the pitch. No doubt Thomas Tuchel has taken note.
The England boss isn't blessed with many options at center back. Stones started the last World Cup qualifier against Albania in November alongside Dan Burn.
The squad also included Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Guéhi, now Stones' teammate at City after joining from Crystal Palace in January for £20 million and scorer of the second goal against Salford. Harry Maguire is back in contention for the camp in March after forcing his way back into the team at Manchester United.
With 87 international appearances and experience at five major tournaments, though, Stones is still England's senior man at the back. If he can prove his fitness, he's likely to go to his third World Cup.
What's more up in the air is his future at City.
Stones is out of contract in the summer, and Guardiola has raised the possibility that this season could be Stones' last at the Etihad. He's won everything since arriving in 2016, but his injury record is becoming a concern.
"I think what's happened in the last two seasons will define the decision at the end of the season," said Guardiola in October. "He's been injured many times so that is why we have to wait and see."
Stones has been central to what Guardiola has achieved at City.
Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).
A ball-playing center back was deemed so important to his style of play that the club were told to step up their pursuit while Guardiola was still at Bayern Munich. City were so keen to do the deal that when he arrived from Everton in the same summer as Guardiola, he became the second-most-expensive defender ever.
With 13 major trophies in 10 years, it's been money well spent.
Sources have told ESPN that, right now, Stones is likely to leave at the end of the season. He hasn't started a Premier League game since October and was restricted to just six league starts last season.
Given Guardiola's bleak assessment of Stones' chances of a new deal, the writing appears to be on the wall, but it wouldn't be the first time he's battled back from the brink.
Short of form and fitness at the end of the COVID-delayed 2019-20 season, he looked to be on his way out. Three years later, though, as City marched toward the treble, Stones was Guardiola's main man.
It was the season City fans began singing "Johnny, Johnny Stones" to the tune of Boney M's "Daddy Cool" in recognition of his impact, often playing in a hybrid role between defense and midfield. The song hasn't had much of an airing in the past year and a half as Stones has struggled to make himself available.
Back on the pitch against Salford, it was the first tune that came drifting down from the stands after kickoff. The fans who belted it out had probably forgotten the game as soon as they got to their cars after the full-time whistle had blown.
Stones may remember it more fondly, particularly if it leads to the World Cup and a new contract.
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San Diego Wave FC are reportedly in advanced talks to sign U.S. international Catarina Macario, with ESPN confirming the NWSL side are front-runners for her signature. The Chelsea forward, who is nearing the end of her contract in London, prefers a return to the United States despite interest from top European clubs, including Barcelona.
Macario's arrival would be a major boost for the Wave, as the club has lost Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw in recent years and saw Alex Morgan also retire.
Macario is a prolific scorer and playmaker, scoring 26 goals in 62 appearances at stops in Lyon and Chelsea.
While no deal has been finalized, discussions are progressing as Macario approaches the final months of her contract with Chelsea. Under FIFA regulations, the 26-year-old is eligible to sign a pre-contract within six months of her current deal expiring.
According to ESPN, Macario received several offers from European clubs, including Barcelona, but her preference is to return to the United States to be closer to home. She is believed to be enthusiastic about the prospect of playing in the NWSL for the first time, with personal factors playing a significant role in her decision.
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Her time in London was hampered early by recovery from a long-term ACL injury that sidelined her for 20 months. Although she dealt with recurring fitness issues, Macario was more consistently available in 2025 and won two Women's Super League titles with the Blues. She has scored 15 goals in 59 appearances for Chelsea.
Macario was notably left out of Chelsea's Champions League squad in January, with manager Sonia Bompastor citing injury concerns related to a heel issue. She has not featured since early December.
At the international level, Macario has scored 16 goals in 29 appearances for the United States women's national soccer team, including eight in 10 matches last year.
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Leeds fans have voted U.S. men's national team midfielder Brenden Aaronson the club's Player of the Month for January.
Notching 55 percent of the votes, Aaronson dominated the competition against teammates Ethan Ampadu, James Justin and Gabriel Gudmundsson.
Aaronson started all six of the club's Premier League matches in January, scoring three goals.
"It's an amazing feeling to get this award," Aaronson said. "But most of all it was a really good month for the team too, with some great performances across the pitch."
Despite suffering a 4-3 loss at Newcastle United on Jan. 7, Aaronson stood out in that match by securing a brace. However, the USMNT midfielder believes his most impactful moment was against Manchester United.
"I'd probably say my goal against Man United," said Aaronson on his best moment in January. "Just to be at home, in front of our fans, a big rivalry between the two clubs — to score in that game will always feel the best."
Once ostracized by the club and fans, Aaronson has been on a tear this season, with hopes of securing a spot on Mauricio Pochettino's squad for the upcoming World Cup.
With Leeds hoping to avoid relegation, Aaronson is motivated to continue his impressive form in the latter stages of the season.
"That's the minimum for me now. I want to continue to play at this high level and show what I can do on the pitch, so that's the goal," he said.
"We've got to get ready for these next couple of big months and keep performing at the level that we're doing."
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Ernest Nuamah is nearing his return from ACL injury
Ghanaian winger Ernest Nuamah has resumed ball work in training after spending ten months on the sidelines following surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The winger has begun rehabilitation and is now back on the training ground, working with the ball as he aims to regain full fitness.
In a video that surfaced on social media on February 14, 2026, Nuamah was seen in his Olympique Lyonnais training kit, making runs across the pitch under the watchful eyes of his coaches.
He undertook passing and shooting drills, looking sharper and showing encouraging signs as he edges closer to a return to action.
Daniel Laryea to officiate Asante Kotoko vs Hearts of Oak Super Clash The development comes as a positive boost for both club and player, with Lyon preparing for the final phase of the season.
His full recovery will also be a major advantage for the Ghana national football team, as he played a key role in their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nuamah featured prominently during the qualification matches and is expected to be a key member of the squad when head coach Otto Addo announces the official list by June 1, 2026.
Watch the video below: 🇬🇭 Ernest Nuamah is back in training. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MKhmZeyuAd— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) February 14, 2026 SB/MA
Watch as fuel tanker catches fire after accident on Nsawam Accra-Road
🇬🇭 Ernest Nuamah is back in training. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MKhmZeyuAd
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NWSL
With a fresh look, Bay FC is looking to flip the script in 2026. Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images
SAN JOSE, Calif. — After a sophomore season that carried the high of a knockout attendance record and the low of a 13th-place finish out of 14 teams in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), Bay FC is eager to embrace its next chapter. The team has a new female managing duo in head coach Emma Coates and assistant Gemma Davies, a $1.1 million signing in 20-year-old U.S. women's national team midfielder Claire Hutton, and a young squad hungry for minutes and a chance to prove themselves on the global stage.
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There's only so much to glean from press conference talking points, but on paper, that just might be enough to give the glass a half-full appearance, even in the expanding chaos of the NWSL.
“I think last year we really came together as a team despite anything on the field,” said midfielder Hannah Bebar, who joined Bay FC last season. “Personally, I just want to keep growing and learning from our experience and just try to keep adapting to this pace and this level.”
A stronger bond is both understandable after the season Bay had last year and among the best possible outcomes. Then-coach Albertin Montoya, the club's first head coach, announced in September that he would step down from his position, but saw out the rest of the season with the team. Three months later, Bay FC replaced Montoya with Coates, who last coached the England U-23 national team.
Bay FC's first match of the season — a meeting at home with expansion side Denver Summit on March 14 — will mark Coates' official start in the NWSL and a return to managing a professional club, which she has not done since coaching the Doncaster Rovers Belles in what was then the first division women's soccer in the U.K. a decade ago.
The NWSL has proven a challenging league to adjust to for players and managers alike coming over from Europe, and for players with their eyes on the next two World Cups in 2027 and 2031 and the 2028 Olympics between them, they'd be forgiven for any hesitation around working with a first-time NWSL coach this season. But Bay FC players were anything but, as new players cited Coates and Davies as their reason to join the team, and returning players their reason to remain hopeful.
“What we're most excited about is for the group we have right now and for the team that we are, and just the expectations and clarity of what Emma is bringing to the group and coming in with such a clear idea in mind,” said midfielder Taylor Huff. The Florida State alum joined the team last season and made an immediate impact in the midfield, playing each of Bay's 26 games as a rookie.
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“I think it's easy to play under her for that reason, and so that makes us on the same page,” she added of Coates. “We're so excited for this year because of that, and there's high expectations on us from the coaching staff, and we feel that and are living up to that.”
Players are drawn to Coates' tactics, which seem rooted in a philosophy that places creative agency within a disciplined structure — and, crucially for Bay, places an emphasis on playing through the midfield rather than relying on long balls sent over the top for forwards to sprint onto.
For 19-year-old forward Onyeka Gamero, who signed with Bay last season after beginning her professional career with Barcelona's B team, getting the needed results isn't enough. She wants to do it properly, following Coates' plan.
“We want to win, obviously, but how we do it is important,” she said. “How we play, how we move the ball, (play) each player's role, how we work together. Those are all things that we talk about in training, and again, like, winning 3-0 is nice, winning 1-0 is nice, but how you do it is what's most important to us.”
On Friday, U.S. Soccer announced its roster for U-20 national team training camp, and Gamero was on it, along with forward Alex Pfeiffer, who signed with Bay last month from the Current. This is Gamero's first national team call-up since 2023. Coates' commitment to supporting players for club and country remains fresh.
“First and foremost, I really care about international football,” Coates said. “I want to help our players achieve what they can on the world stage with us at Bay, but obviously for their countries as well. And coming from international football, I know how important that relationship is for the player, and you put the player in the middle of it.”
Coates emphasized that when it comes to communicating with U.S. head coach Emma Hayes and U.S. Soccer, she's “absolutely been in contact with them and we've had conversations, as I have with (national team manager) Sarina (Wiegman), England, and so we're trying to develop really good relationships with all the players, all the coaches, associations and nations that they play for. Our job is to get as many players as we can on the roads to Brazil, and getting them competing on the world stage.”
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The players' palpable hunger was one of the first things Coates noticed when she arrived in San Jose for preseason.
“I always knew how competitive American people were,” she said. “I really like that because it means that I can focus on the detail, the playing style, the clarity that we're trying to build, and I don't have to drive the other things. And that's just a really refreshing place to be.”
She may occasionally swerve on the wrong side of San Jose roads (“Stay off if we're driving,” she warned) and use the wrong vernacular for the other football — she commented during the Super Bowl, “Their press is really good,” only to learn that was not, in fact, the way to describe the Seahawks' defense) — but when it comes to settling in at Bay FC, Coates already feels at home with her husband and 5-year-old.
She is one of four permanent female head coaches heading into the 2026 season, offering some players yet another novelty that signals a positive step.
“It's the first time in my career that I've been coached by a female coach,” Bebar said. “Growing up and having role models like that, especially for younger girls and seeing the change in the growth of our sport is super important.”
“I've had male coaches, I've had female coaches, and they bring different things to the table, and I think there is an element of emotional intelligence with females, and especially females who played in the league and played soccer,” said Penelope Hocking, citing her Penn State coach Erica Dambach.
Midfielder Caroline Conti concurred. “Yeah, this is my first female head coach, and I've loved every second of it so far.”
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Tamerra Griffin is a women's soccer writer for The Athletic covering the women's game around the world. She also hosts the weekly “Full Time” women's soccer podcast. As a freelance journalist, she covered the 2023 World Cup in Australia and the CONCACAF W Gold Cup for The Athletic, as well as women's soccer stories for ESPN Andscape, USA Today's Pro Soccer Wire, and other publications. Prior to that, she was an international correspondent based in Kenya, where she reported on presidential elections and political movements, LGBTQ and women's rights, climate change, and much more across East and Southern Africa. Follow Tamerra on Twitter @tamerra_nikol
Gennaro Gattuso and his coaching staff have been busy speaking and meeting with a long list of players ahead of the World Cup play-offs in March, and according to recent reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, there are currently around 50 players on the Italy national team radar. Here is a look at all of them.
Italy have not yet secured their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and must go through the play-offs if they are to avoid missing out on the final tournament for the third cycle in a row.
The Azzurri will play against Northern Ireland in Bergamo on March 26 in the World Cup play-off semi-final, and should they win that game, they will progress to a one-legged play-off final away against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina a few days later: A one-off knock-out match for a spot at the World Cup.
Gattuso and his staff had sought to bring the national team squad together once more before the World Cup play-offs in March, given that they have not got together since the end of the November international break.
This has not been possible, however, largely due to a congested fixture schedule at club level.
Instead, Gattuso and his staff have arranged a series of meetings and dinners with groups of Italy players and national team hopefuls over the last few months in an attempt to keep the squad somewhat together.
Here is the long list of players Gattuso has supposedly spoken to ahead of the World Cup play-offs.
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham), Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Elia Caprile (Cagliari), Alex Meret (Napoli).
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Matteo Gabbia (Milan), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Diego Coppola (Brighton/Paris FC), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Honest Ahanor (Atalanta).
Wing-backs: Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Marco Palestra (Atalanta/Cagliari), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham), Leonardo Spinazzola (Napoli).
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Al Duhail), Nicolo Rovella (Lazio), Samuele Ricci (Milan), Niccolo Pisilli (Roma), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna/Fiorentina), Nicolo Fagioli (Fiorentina), Cesare Casadei (Torino).
Trequartistas/Wingers: Matteo Politano (Napoli), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Federico Chiesa (Liverpool), Daniel Maldini (Atalanta/Lazio), Nicolo Cambiaghi (Bologna), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Nicolo Zaniolo (Udinese).
Strikers: Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Pio Esposito (Inter), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Giacomo Raspadori (Atalanta), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds).
Peter Young is a Senior Reporter with Football Italia.
Bartesaghi?
don't think the list is right if Gnonto is in it as he has played very very little over the last 3 months (and it is Leeds not Man city or Arsenal we are talking about here)but then again Gattuso the coach so..
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Barcelona's players shared their concerns with manager Hansi Flick about his tactics in the wake of their 4-0 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. The result leaves the Blaugrana with a mountain to climb ahead of the second leg of the tie at Camp Nou in March, and the players have called on the manager to make changes to his system.
Barcelona have been in impressive form again this season under Hansi Flick, topping the table in La Liga, qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League and beating Real Madrid to lift the Spanish Super Cup in January. However, their hopes of retaining the Copa del Rey unravelled on Thursday night as they were beaten 4-0 by Atletico in the first leg of their semi-final. Diego Simeone's side ruthlessly exposed Flick's infamous high line and gave the Catalans a tough time. A difficult night for the club was compounded by a Pau Cubarsi goal being ruled out for offside after an eight-minute VAR delay, while Eric Garcia was sent off late on as Flick's side finished the game with 10 men.
The result led to some soul searching on the training ground the following day, according to The Athletic. Flick had his say and questioned the players' mentality and intensity, while there was also criticism of the coach. Barcelona stars revealed their concerns to their manager about his tactics, claiming his high line "was not the best idea, as conditions were not right for that in their eyes". The players feel it's incredibly hard to apply his style when key players such as Raphinha and Pedri are absent. Both players were ruled out of the match due to injury and were badly missed by Flick's side. While Barcelona's players do not want to abandon Flick's approach, they do want "more pragmatism around key games and against certain opponents, as well as greater adaptation to the players available".
Flick spoke about his team's defeat after the game and admitted Barca had been taught a lesson by Atletico. He told reporters: "We didn't play very good in the first half as a team. We had too much distance between everyone. We didn't press how we wanted. In the first 45 minutes or more, we got a lesson. Sometimes it's good in the right moment. Maybe today was the right moment. I am still proud of my team, maybe not today in the first 45 minutes, but across the whole season. When you see how many injuries we have all season, how we adapt...Today was a heavy loss but I am proud of my team. We will come back. We need to start from the beginning [of games]. When you see Atlético players, they had more will, more hunger. And this is what I want from the first minute. We didn't show that in the first half. We have the second leg. We will fight for that. If we are able to win each half 2-0, this is our goal. We need our fans in Camp Nou and we will see what happens."
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Barcelona have also been left furious by the decision to disallow Cubarsi's goal after a farcically long VAR delay. The defender netted early in the second half and his strike would have made it 4-1, giving Barca hope of trying to find a way back into the game. The lengthy delay was due to the failure of the semi-automated offside technology, forcing VAR officials to draw the lines manually. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong did not hold back in his criticism of the situation. He said: "In the offside photo, you can't even see the contact with the ball at the moment Fermin shoots. Later, another image came out where it was clear the defender was a meter behind Lewandowski. This is very strange, it's a scandal."
The second leg of the tie is not due to take place until March 3, giving Flick plenty of time to get his injured players back. In the meantime, the German coach will hope to see a response from his players on Monday when they resume their title challenge away at Girona.
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Don't worry, Boston taxpayers.
Mayor Michelle Wu is not using city dollars to send Seattle kids to an expensive World Cup match in their home city, a spokesperson from her office has told the Herald.
“As part of a friendly Super Bowl wager between Boston and Seattle,” the spokesperson said, “Mayor Wu and the Boston26 World Cup Host Committee worked in partnership with the Seattle World Cup Host Committee to provide 12 tickets to a FIFA World Cup match for young people from Seattle at no expense to the City of Boston.”
The Herald reported earlier this week that Wu and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson agreed to send World Cup tickets to the Super Bowl's winning city. That meant if the Patriots defeated the Seahawks, Wilson would have sent Boston kids to a match at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
New England's improbable season, though, ended in a devastating blow, with a 29-13 loss.
Wu's office did not respond to Herald requests for details regarding the World Cup ticket giveaway on Wednesday and Thursday, including costs and funding. A city spokesperson ultimately responded on Friday.
“The selection of the 12 young people will be determined by Mayor Wilson and the Seattle team,” the spokesperson added. “Boston 26 will coordinate with Seattle's Host Committee.”
The spokesperson confirmed that Boston 26, the nonprofit committee responsible for organizing the World Cup in Foxboro and related events in Boston and elsewhere in the Bay State, is covering ticket expenses.
“A deal is a deal,” Wu said at a Tuesday news conference announcing that Boston's City Hall Plaza was selected as the site of FIFA's Fan Fest for the seven games scheduled to be played at Gillette this summer.
“I want to thank both of the host committees for being such great partners,” the mayor added, “and giving young people the chance to watch their heroes play.”
Boston 26 is being supported by private fundraising, which has struggled, and public funding.
State lawmakers last year approved $10 million to support World Cup-related transportation, public safety, wayfinding and signage, services for individuals with disabilities, equity, inclusion and sustainability efforts, and volunteer support costs.
The state has also received over $47 million from the feds, earmarked for safety and security in the 11 cities hosting matches across the country.
This all comes as the town of Foxboro has warned that it will not issue an entertainment license for the World Cup at Gillette without more than $7 million in grant funding for security, which it has requested.
And World Cup tickets are expensive, too. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have spoken out against the costs. In Seattle, the cheapest ticket went for around $380 earlier this week.
Wilson said that her administration would be “working to make some tickets available, hopefully at a lower cost” in Seattle.
“And I had a wager with Boston's mayor over the Super Bowl,” the Seattle mayor added, “and I believe that what we're winning is some tickets for maybe underserved youth in our community to attend the games, so I'm really excited about that.”
Copyright 2026 Boston Herald. All rights reserved. The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.
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Karen Carney, centre, celebrates after Chelsea win the FA Cup in 2018. (Jordan Mansfield / Getty Images)
Paul Green was one of the main reasons I signed for Chelsea.
Emma Hayes showed me around, explained the project and was the one to try and woo me. But I was still a bit unsure.
It was 2015 and Chelsea's forward line was stacked. They already had established Women's Super League players such as Ji So-yun, Eni Aluko and Gemma Davison, plus a 22-year-old Fran Kirby. It was such a competitive squad — I wanted to play, and knew that would not be a guarantee if I signed.
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But Green was direct. He was Chelsea's head of women's football and said it was down to me. I'd been shown what the club was doing and what they were offering, but they would carry on in that direction with or without me. He introduced jeopardy and I realised I wanted to be part of a team with that mentality. I don't think even Green knows it, but that conversation cemented it for me: I had to sign for Chelsea.
Now that Chelsea have parted ways with him, and are nine points behind Manchester City in the WSL table, the team will have to rebuild without him.
Green and Hayes were a really good team. They were complete opposites but they complemented each other, especially with recruitment and contract negotiations. Hayes was all in and wanted to show players everything, while Green offered a bit of balance. He was not a man of many words but the words he chose had impact.
Hayes trusted Green and they backed one another. Together, they built a dominant women's team in England over 12 years, winning seven WSL titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups, and reaching the Champions League final in 2021.
When I was at the club, the key for Green and Hayes was to evolve and transition the team while they were winning. It sometimes looked like the team was being broken up when it didn't need fixing, but they planned two or three years ahead, refreshed the squad when it was at its peak and stayed at the top.
The club's model was very clear. As a player, you joined Chelsea knowing that you would win. It was that type of culture. Winning was non-negotiable. If you didn't deliver that, you'd be looking over your shoulder and another player would be coming in to make sure that they won. Chelsea signed ready-made players primed to win from the off. I remember time and time again, a new face would come in, and in pre-season, I'd know I'd have to push myself even more. It set the tone.
When Hayes moved to the United States women's national team in 2024 and took some of her coaching staff with her, I was a bit surprised that Green didn't go too. Instead, he stayed at Chelsea, and his knowledge and that consistency would have been invaluable to Hayes' successor, Sonia Bompastor, if he had stayed for longer.
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Bompastor impressed in her debut season, winning the domestic treble and going unbeaten in the WSL. But the struggles have shown over recent months, and the transition, after more than a decade doing things one way, suddenly looks more challenging
In the recent 5-1 loss against Manchester City, I didn't recognise Chelsea. I couldn't recognise a style. I couldn't recognise what they were trying to do. I thought Bompastor's first year would be the transition season after 12 years of Hayes, but it actually feels like the transition is happening now. They're going to have a massive reset in the summer, with incomings and outgoings. And now they're going to do that without the person responsible for so much of their work in the transfer market over the last decade.
This summer is going to be massive for Chelsea, and for the first time in years, they're not pitching to potential recruits as the top team in England. To keep evolving a team when they're winning is hard. It is much harder to attract a player if they're going to join a team with growing pains.
Selling the club's vision before was: we're Chelsea, we win, and this is what we do. Do you want to come? This summer, they're going to have to pitch it a little bit differently. This pitch is a harder sell, telling players: “We're chasing other teams and it's going to be tough.” It will be interesting to see the type of pulling power they have.
It's not only how they recruit a player, but how they keep them, too. Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Catarina Macario, Guro Reiten, Sam Kerr, Aggie Beever-Jones, Millie Bright and Rebecca Spencer are all out of contract in the summer. They've won trophies, but how do Chelsea make sure they keep them? If you don't, what's next?
This summer will be a real test of Chelsea's direction and the type of player they're recruiting. We'll learn a lot more about the club's model. The calibre, age and experience of those players they're recruiting will be really telling.
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The men's side have gone through a transition where they've changed the model of player recruitment and gone for younger players on longer-term contracts. It's interesting if the women's side is going to follow. This summer, we're going to see who's taking control of recruitment and what the look and feel of Chelsea Women really is.
In the four transfer windows since Bompastor joined, Chelsea have only signed one player older than 28 (Bronze). I wouldn't be surprised if the average age of the players they're signing drops again in the summer.
Green and Hayes had something about them when it came to the transfer window, particularly the ability to talk to a player and recruit them. They personally invested in the player they wanted and knew so much about them, and then went above and beyond to persuade them to join. It was old-school recruitment, and it built a club that cleaned up domestically.
Chelsea face a crucial moment, with their usual pulling power diminished and without the knowledge of Green. I'm really interested to see how it plays out.
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With 144 caps, Karen Carney is England's third-most capped player. Karen's expertise and experience at playing football at the very highest level includes competing in the Champions League final, four World Cups, four European Championships and also for Team GB at the London Olympics in 2012. Her began her broadcast career covering all football on both BBC TV and Radio 5 Live and BT Sports. She is now across Sky Sports Football output as their lead pundit for the Barclays FA Women's Super League, and part of the matchday team for the Premier League and the EFL.
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Wrexham are one win away from the FA Cup quarter-finals after beating Ipswich Town Martin Rickett - PA Images
They're at it again.
Almost 30 years on from their last appearance in the FA Cup fifth round, Wrexham will take their place in Monday's draw after seeing off fellow Championship promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town.
Considering the glorious days the Welsh club has enjoyed down the years in the world's oldest knockout competition, this victory, achieved via Josh Windass' ninth goal of the season, felt to be more of a routine affair.
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Not only were Ipswich unable to muster a single shot on target but the 10 changes made by Kieran McKenna to the visitors' starting line-up suggested priorities lie elsewhere. Ipswich, relegated from the Premier League last season, were third in the Championship table on Friday night, with Wrexham seven points below them in sixth, the final play-off spot. Nevertheless, this was still a win that mattered hugely to the Welsh side.
“We spoke to the players before the game about our chance to create a bit of history,” said manager Phil Parkinson after the game. “We did that and I am so pleased. You have to savour the FA Cup and it was important we backed up the (Nottingham) Forest win (in the last round).
“It is great for our owners. This week was their fifth anniversary (of buying Wrexham) so to get into the fifth round is great for them as well.”
To underline just how long it is since Wrexham last appeared in the fifth round, goalscorer Windass had just celebrated his third birthday when Brian Flynn's third-tier side headed to Birmingham City in February 1997.
A 3-1 victory over a team from the division above made the occasion even more memorable, setting up a quarter-final tie at Chesterfield that was lost 1-0.
Wrexham will be at a hotel in Bristol, preparing for the following night's Championship clash against City at Ashton Gate, when the draw for the fifth round is made live on TNT.
“The percentages are in our favour to draw a Premier League team,” said Parkinson. “Is it greedy to ask for another home draw after being at home in the last two rounds? I don't think so.
“It's still a 50-50 shout. I would love to give our supporters another great Cup tie here at home. When you get into this round, you've got a great chance of bringing a big team here or playing them away.”
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Chelsea are already through to the fifth round after thrashing Hull City 4-0 on Friday night. As for the rest of the Premier League sides, only Manchester United are already out of the Cup so, providing the weekend's remaining ties go to form, Wrexham may well get that glamour tie Parkinson craves.
“Hopefully (it's) not a big team away because you don't touch the ball,” deadpanned Windass.
Next week, Ipswich will make the same 450-mile round trip to play Wrexham once again, this time with Championship points up for grabs on Saturday, February 21.
Fans of baseball or basketball in the United States may shrug their shoulders and ask, “So what?”
But, here in the UK, back-to-back clashes are, if not a rarity, then certainly far from commonplace. Only once this season in the top four divisions of English football have the same two teams met at the same venue in either consecutive fixtures or weekends, back in late August when Wigan Athletic beat Stockport County 1-0 in the Carabao Cup four days before the two clubs drew 1-1 in League One.
Asked if he thought the Cup game would have any bearing on next Saturday's league encounter, McKenna replied: “I am sure Phil will be hoping this week can have a positive effect on next week.
“In reality, I probably don't think so. But, it is good to have been up here, if I am honest. This was the first visit to this ground for myself. Same for a lot of the players and the staff. That's always useful.
“We knew Wrexham were a good team anyway but we saw some of their strengths tonight and now have a week to prepare now and come back up here to deliver a real good performance and get the result we want.”
Ipswich's return visit will be the 21st time since the start of the 2021-22 season that the same two teams in the top four divisions have met at the same venue in either consecutive fixtures or over back-to-back weekends.
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Those Wrexham fans hoping Friday's victory could have a bearing on the scrap for league points may take encouragement from how seven of those previous 20 double-headers saw the same club win both meetings.
Two players who have experience of facing the same team in close proximity are Windass and Ben Sheaf, now team-mates but in early 2024 on opposing sides as Sheffield Wednesday met Coventry City three times in 17 days.
“You obviously get familiar with each other,” said Windass, part of the Wednesday team beaten twice by Coventry either side of a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup at Hillsborough.
“I am sure both teams will have to adjust their game plans, based on what went well tonight and what didn't. But next week is a completely different challenge.”
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Still just 22 years old, Jhon Duran has joined the sixth club of his increasingly nomadic career and his third in the space of just 12 months, making the controversial decision to head to Russia and sign for Zenit St Petersburg. It is a little over a year since the former Aston Villa hitman was being linked with European giants Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, but after spells in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the striker is already drifting further into obscurity.
Duran emerged as a potential world-beater in his second season at Aston Villa, making a name for himself as a super-sub in both the Premier League and Champions League in the first half of 2024-25 and scoring some outrageous goals in the process.
That success seemed to go to his head, and he agitated for more minutes as rumours linking him with some of Europe's big hitters gathered steam. Ultimately, though, he would pick money over prestige as he joined Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr late in the 2025 January transfer window.
That proved to be the first misstep on a sharp downward trajectory over the 12 months since, as Duran finds himself in the footballing wilderness...
After a fairly unremarkable start to life at Villa having joined from MLS' Chicago Fire in January 2023, it's not an overstatement to say that Duran took English football by storm in the early part of last season. The Colombian scored four times in Villa's opening five Premier League games - all as a substitute - including an absolutely outrageous winner against Everton from way, way out.
He replicated that form in Europe, netting in two out of the Villans' opening three Champions League league phase matches, bagging himself another late winner in the remarkable victory over Bayern Munich at Villa Park to etch himself into the club's folklore.
Those exploits didn't earn him a starting berth, though, with England international Ollie Watkins preferred by head coach Unai Emery. Speaking at the time, the Spanish tactician said: "His potential is huge and I want to get the best of him, support him, help him and be demanding of him. He is taking confidence from scoring goals. We have to feel comfortable with both strikers and proud of how we can play with two strikers, one or both. This is the challenge we have."
However, amid a Premier League goal drought between late September and early December 2024, with his minutes still limited, it became clear that all was not well behind the scenes. While he had scored in the Champions League against Bayern and Bologna, Duran had developed a reputation for being temperamental (perhaps unsurprisingly, he idolises the notoriously hot-headed Zlatan Ibrahimovic).
A first flashpoint came when he reacted very badly to being substituted in the 66th minute against the Italian side in October, having been handed a rare start. The striker was caught on camera punching and kicking the seats in the Villa Park dugout, before throwing something in the vague direction of the touchline in a shocking outburst.
Emery tried to play down the situation afterwards, but it was becoming increasingly clear that he was struggling to man-manage the fiery Colombian. "I have no problem with his reaction," he said. "Every message we send in the dressing room is about respect and having our values. Some young players can react a little bit, but it is under my control. His first start of this year - always it is more difficult to start when the opponents are fresh."
Discussing his relationship with the Villa head coach in an interview with Sky Sports the following month, Duran said: "There are [moments of] love and hate, sometimes! But no, I feel very grateful to him, very grateful to him and his coaching staff. We've had many problems, but they're normal, I think.
"Sometimes it happens, and there are sparks! So we're constantly fighting! But I think it's normal for a young man of my age, and a person like him who already knows a lot, who has already achieved so many things. And the truth is, I feel very, very grateful to be in this space, and that he's a person as great in football as he is. Yes, sometimes we argue. Because he has his point of view, I have mine, and I've never been the one who stays quiet. If I have something to say, no matter who it is, I say it."
While his tone in that interview may have been jovial, his words spoke to his underlying discontent with his role as a super-sub. By December he had generated transfer links with the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Chelsea - who had tried to sign him in January that year when he was really an unknown quantity - despite penning a new long-term contract two months prior.
He seized his opportunity when he was handed his first league start of the season against struggling Southampton, netting the winner and following that up with strikes against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City as he was also named in the starting XI in Villa's next two games. However, just when it seemed like he had earned Emery's trust, he blew it.
With his side already 1-0 down against Newcastle at St James' Park on Boxing Day, Duran was adjudged to have raked his boot up Fabian Schar's back as he fell on top of the centre-back shortly after the half-hour mark, and he was duly given his marching orders. Villa would go on to lose the game 3-0 in what would ultimately prove to be a costly defeat in the race for Champions League football, as the Magpies finished above Emery's side on goal difference to claim the fifth and final place.
A three-game suspension would follow, and even when he was available again he was left on the bench against Everton, seeing just half an hour of action across clashes with Arsenal and West Ham before his Villans career came to an abrupt end. By that time it was January, and while Villa's stance was initially that Duran wasn't for sale, concerns over the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) and the acceptance that it was impossible to keep two elite strikers happy meant he was available if the price was right. Rather conveniently, Al-Nassr would come calling, and the player was willing to follow the money.
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The moneyed Saudi giants paid an eye-watering €77 million (£64.5m/$80m) to sign the No.9 at the end of the winter window, and that's not even including bonuses - adding him to an attack that already contained Ronaldo and former Liverpool star Sadio Mane. His contract was said to be worth an incredible £17m ($21m) per year, which works out at around £1,900 an hour. Villa, meanwhile, were reportedly happy to see him head to the Pro League, rather than join a European rival.
While goal-scoring was initially no issue for Duran, as he bagged four times in his first two league outings in his new surroundings, off-field issues saw his time in the Gulf State swiftly go awry. The first signs of trouble were reports that he wasn't actually living in Riyadh and had instead taken up residence in neighbouring Bahrain - 270 miles away - to avoid Saudi Arabia's strict laws that would have prevented him from living with his girlfriend. It was claimed that he was taking daily 80-minute flights just to attend training.
Al-Nassr dismissed the reports as "obnoxiously funny fake news", although the theory was never truly disproven. "We all heard about what's called 'fake news', but this is an obnoxiously funny fake news!" the club said in a tweet. "We are happy that our club matters this much. Jhon loves Riyadh and his house is near the club and the stadium. He is our new family member."
However, as his performances dipped and with Al-Nassr lagging behind in the table, it became clear that Duran had indeed failed to settle in Saudi Arabia, which had supposedly resulted in personal issues off the pitch as his mental state was affected. Amid the club's overall struggles under Stefano Pioli, the striker became a scapegoat having failed to deliver on the significant investment in him, and many fans called for him to be sold.
Just five months after his arrival in Saudi Arabia, reports emerged that Duran could leave having failed to make himself at home at Al-Nassr, albeit he had found the net 12 times in just 18 appearances. Despite being offered the chance to retrace his steps to the Premier League by as many six different clubs, the centre-forward once again took the most lucrative option as he headed to Turkey to join Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce on loan.
The Super Lig giants made a huge play to get their man, with their sporting director even flying out to Medellin for face-to-face talks in an attempt to convince Duran to pick them over a return to England, according to The Athletic. Meanwhile, their pitch to Al-Nassr was that he could drive his market value back up over the course of a season in Turkey, rather than being sold for an embarrassing loss that summer.
Once more, though, things did not go to plan. It was alleged that Mourinho was irked that the then-21-year-old had failed to show up for the very first day of pre-season training, with quotes attributed to him in the Spanish press labelling Duran "disrespectful". However, Fener denied the head coach had made any such statement, although seemed to admit that the player had indeed arrived late. Whether or not that was pre-agreed is still unclear. "The statements made by our manager Jose Mourinho in the foreign press regarding our player Jhon Duran are completely false," they said. "Our manager has not made a statement on the matter. Our player arrived in Portugal this evening to join our team's Algarve camp."
Mourinho was then sacked just a month into the new season after failing to secure qualification for the Champions League proper. His dismissal coincided with Duran suffering a bone inflammation issue that kept him sidelined from late August and early November, with newly-elected club president Sadettin Saran incredibly forced to deny sensational rumours that the striker was feigning injury as he didn't want to play, having been irked by the decision to axe the renowned Portuguese tactician. "Jhon Duran genuinely has an injury. I spoke with his doctor in Spain and reviewed his MRI results. He will rejoin us within a few weeks," Saran said in a press conference in October.
When he was available Duran was far less prolific amid reports he was again struggling mentally, scoring just five times in 21 appearances, while his attitude was also a problem. Regardless of those issues, he was widely expected to see out the season in Istanbul, but in early February he suddenly terminated his loan at Fenerbahce and descended even deeper into obscurity.
Still just 22 years old, Duran has joined the sixth club of his budding career and his third in the space of just 12 months - and this is his most left-field move yet. The forward has signed with Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg for the remainder of 2025-26 in another decision that is seemingly financially motivated, first and foremost.
Zenit might offer the chance of silverware as they sit second in the Russian Premier League, but that is surely where the attraction ends; Duran will be out of sight and out of mind there, as clubs from the country have been banned from UEFA competition since Russia's unlawful invasion of Ukraine four years ago, and their top flight is barely broadcast across the rest of Europe.
The intention seems to be to make himself a hell of a lot of money and to secure his place in Colombia's World Cup squad. He has not played for his country since June 2025 and was left out of their most recent camp in November. "They explained Zenit's goals to me. I was so impressed that I wanted to continue my career here. I am trying to choose the best path for myself and my family. I believe I will be successful and happy at Zenit," Duran said by way of explanation.
"We all know that he's a top quality player, but things haven't been going as well for him as he'd probably like," Zenit manager Sergei Semak said on Duran's arrival. "We're expecting him to be motivated to go to the World Cup with Colombia and compete with John Cordoba for a spot in the starting XI. We'll be looking for him to be useful for us, and we've no doubt in his quality."
Notably, the loan deal reportedly includes an option (€35m (£30.5m/$41.5m)) rather than an obligation to buy the striker from his parent club Al-Nassr, which suggests he will consider his options after the World Cup this summer. For now, though, he is heading into the unknown and faces a real challenge to arrest a self-inflicted slide into obscurity at such a young age.
00:41 EST 14 Feb 2026, updated
00:55 EST 14 Feb 2026
By
ANDREW PRENTICE, SPORT REPORTER, AUSTRALIA
Countless rusted-on Socceroos fans have been priced out of tickets to the FIFA World Cup this year, with some greedy scalpers asking for an astonishing $322,000 for some games.
It comes after many supporters paid a $99 fee to Football Australia just to lodge an application for World Cup tickets, which they missed out on once the random ballots were revealed this week.
Mark Bowman has followed the Socceroos since their first World Cup appearance in 1974, and hoped to travel to the tournament that will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11.
But Bowman, 65, was left disgruntled after only securing tickets to one of Australia's group matches - against Paraguay - on June 26 in Santa Clara, California.
'To have created a scheme which charges money, knowing people are desperate and are going to pay, and that you have fans who have been with the Socceroos through thick and thin, but to ultimately allocate the tickets at random, that really bugs me,' Bowman told the Sydney Morning Herald.
With thousands of Socceroos supporters heading to the World Cup - many not armed with tickets - they are in for a rude shock.
If they are lucky enough to watch Tony Popovic's men in the flesh, it won't come cheap.
Tickets to Australia's game with the US in Seattle on June 20 are listed online for as much as $40,700.
Even tickets for the lowest-quality seating, category 4, which are worth $60, are currently listed for $6,500.
Attending the World Cup final will be unrealistic for many, with some tickets listed for a jaw-dropping $322,000.
Patrick Clancy, the head of advocacy group Football Supporters Australia, expects many fans to instead watch the action at home.
'At this stage, people are probably not going to go if they can't get any tickets,' he told the ABC.
'I will say this...some Australian football fans are so passionate they won't let anything get in their way.
'They see this as a huge four-year event and they'll go wherever it is...and they'll empty their pockets so that they can attend.'
Despite the hefty price tag, sales remain brisk, with FIFA claiming they are catering to 500 million ticket requests globally.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams and will take place from June 11 to July 19.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Swope Soccer Village wasn't supposed to be a FIFA World Cup 26 base camp this summer, but England's love for Kansas City and its respect for Sporting Kansas City mean the Three Lions are coming to town after all.
“I'd say England has been the most engaged club from the beginning,” Sporting Kansas City President and CEO Jake Reid said Thursday at Swope. “Over a year now, they've been in Kansas City meeting with us.”
England confirmed Wednesday that it will use the facility — where Sporting KC II, the club's second team, and its youth academy teams train.
“Yeah, this one came out of, I shouldn't say to nowhere, but the facility came out of nowhere,” Reid said. “Obviously, it wasn't one of the ones listed as the official three from day one.”
Officially, the Kansas City region started with three base camp options, but now seems poised to land four.
Sporting KC's first-team training facility Compass Minerals National Performance Center, which will be branded as the Sporting Kansas City Training Centre for Argentina's World Cup base camp; the Current's University of Kansas Health System Training Facility, which will be branded as the Kansas City Current Training Facility for the Netherlands' World Cup base camp; and the Rock Chalk Park at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
RELATED | ‘Quasi-spiritual moment': Argentina's base camp brings joy for Grant Wahl's brother, friends
Algeria, which plays two group-stage games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, is expected to train at the Jayhawks' facility, but there hasn't yet been a formal announcement. Arrowhead will be called Kansas City Stadium during the World Cup.
Exactly how England landed at Swope, where Sporting KC used to train before moving to the newer and bigger state-of-the-art facility it shares with US Soccer in 2018, is a crazy journey.
FIFA originally said it would use the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking to allocate base camps and set a Jan. 9 deadline for the 42 teams that have already qualified — six more will be determined via playoffs in late March — to submit base-camp preferences.
RELATED | Dive deeper into the 6 FIFA World Cup 26 matches coming to KC
Soccer's world governing body planned to sort through the allocation process from there and England, which is ranked fourth in the world, felt great about its chances to land in Kansas City.
But things changed after the Dec. 5 draw, when Argentina was drawn into Group J with games in Kansas City, Dallas and Santa Clara, California.
La Albiceleste had been expected to build a base camp in Miami, so they weren't very engaged in the process of visiting base-camp sites, but the draw changed those plans.
“We had no engagement with Argentina up to the draw,” Reid said. “Then, suddenly they called us after wanting to come out.”
FIFA also added a new tiebreaker to its base-camp allocation process, giving teams in the same pot priority, regardless of world ranking, if they were playing a game in the same market as the base camp.
That allowed two fellow Pot 1 teams — second-ranked Argentina, which opens defense of its World Cup title June 16 against Algeria at Arrowhead, and the Netherlands, who are ranked seventh and play Tunisia on June 25 in Kansas City — to cut the line in front of England for Sporting KC's and the Current's training grounds.
RELATED | Contraction talk to ‘Soccer Capital of America,' KC's soccer culture took decades to build
England still coveted Kansas City for its central location, but it seemed like Lawrence was its only option — and the Three Lions wanted to stay closer to the city center.
“Panic might be too strong, but they were concerned at that point, because they knew they're going to be on the outside looking in,” Reid said.
Until they weren't.
“They loved the city,” Reid said. “They loved us, just from the relationship and what we could bring to the table for them in terms of their time here, so they approached us and said, ‘Hey, is Swope an option?'”
Sporting KC, which had been a driving force in getting the ball rolling to get the World Cup in Kansas City more than a decade ago, happily obliged.
Still, when Kansas City was named one of 16 North American host cities in June 2022, organizers optimistically hoped to land four games and a base camp.
Being allocated six games, including a coveted quarterfinal, and having three of the top seven teams in the world coming for base camps is more than anyone could have dreamed at the outset.
“It is absolutely crazy to think about that,” former Sporting KC left back Seth Sinovic said. “It's also extremely cool. ... It's incredible. It makes sense, just logistically, that teams probably want to have this location just being centrally located in the country.”
Sinovic, Sporting KC's 2014 Defensive Player of the Year, knows Swope well. The Leawood native trained there as a youth player and with Sporting KC from 2011-19.
“It's a great facility,” Sinovic said. “The fields are always in fantastic shape. The facility itself, while it's smaller, is great. It has everything you need.”
He would know. Sinovic and his Sporting KC teammates trained at Swope during the club's glory days from 2012 to 2017 — a stretch that included winning the 2013 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015 and 2017.
It's not as fancy as the new training facility, but it's got a championship pedigree, which England will now tap into.
“You've got a few more bells and whistles, obviously, at Compass with the first team, but at the end of the day, this was a great option for them once they got out here and saw it,” Reid said.
Sinovic believes there's still magic to conjure there.
“It's smaller,” he said. “I mean, it's not where Sporting is training right now, but it's a great facility. ... I just felt like we bonded pretty well there, and maybe close quarters were a big reason for that.”
Sporting KC's second team welcomes the chance to share their fields this summer with the Three Lions, whose only World Cup title came in 1966.
“That is going to be a surreal experience,” Sporting KC II starting goalkeeper Jacob Molinaro said. “I'm excited for it, for sure.”
—
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Extending his England men's team contract until 2028 means increased stability and a less relentless form of pressure
Thomas Tuchel was supposed to be here for a good time, not a long time. It was win or bust when he signed up to become England's head coach in October 2024. The target was clear – lead the side to glory at the 2026 World Cup – and it came with an acceptance that the German was nothing more than a very expensive gun for hire.
An 18-month deal, which began on 1 January 2025, saw to that. Tuchel talked about it giving him focus. He said it streamlined the role. “It's a little bit of a step into the unknown for me,” he said. Tuchel would have to adapt. He loves being out on the training pitch, working with his players, honing their understanding of his tactics. Wouldn't he get bored during the long months without a game? Wouldn't he get itchy feet as soon as he saw a job open up at a big club?
This week we saw the clearest evidence yet of Tuchel's transformation into staunch international football enthusiast, as the 52-year-old beamed for the cameras and spoke excitedly about extending his contract until Euro 2028. What changed? Was it just how bonds were tightened as England sealed World Cup qualification with a series of strong, unified performances between September and November? Perhaps, but it is also worth considering what else is out there. Tuchel is not English. Unlike Gareth Southgate he is not on some deep, emotional quest to heal society. He is doing a job and, taking a pragmatic view, has realised that another two years with England is a better career choice than returning to the volatility of club management.
It is mid-February and already there have been bitter separations at Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham since the turn of the year. Nottingham Forest, admittedly not the calmest club, are appointing their fourth manager of a tumultuous season. Tuchel, meanwhile, can go serenely about his business. Yes, managing England at a tournament is stressful and demanding, particularly if performances dip for a second or two. Even so, it happens only once every two years. Club managers are on the hamster wheel constantly. There is no rest any more. The Champions League is bigger. The Club World Cup is a thing. Owners are more involved. Media duties are relentless. Sporting directors are more influential than ever but are rarely the first to carry the can for a poor run of form or a bad transfer window.
It says a lot that a mid-career Tuchel is not in a rush to go to Manchester United. There may be vacancies at Barcelona, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Spurs this summer. Antonio Conte has had a tough season at Napoli. Big jobs will be going around. But Tuchel is happier where he is now.
He will have seen Enzo Maresca's implosion at Chelsea and Ruben Amorim's run-in with the United politburo. Thomas Frank looked haunted roughly two seconds after joining Spurs. Eddie Howe led Newcastle to a trophy last year but is under pressure. Xabi Alonso, the brightest young manager around, was torn to shreds and lasted less than a year at Real. Arne Slot is one of two managers to have won the Premier League at Liverpool, yet it would not be a major shock if he left before the year is out.
Stability is in short supply. It is not obvious which job would appeal to Tuchel. Working at United and Chelsea requires a lot of managing upwards. Spurs are a mess and Newcastle have spending restrictions. The Premier League is the place to be but few clubs seem happy. A lot of fans have grown weary. The club game feels increasingly hard and cynical. Managers are chewed up and spat out. The problem with looking away from English football is the financial inequality choking much of Europe. Many of Italy's big clubs do not have the resources to compete in the Champions League. The idea of joining Juventus or Milan should be more attractive to a manager of Tuchel's calibre. The reality is more sober. In Spain, there is not much beyond the two giants. Valencia, who reached Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, have fallen. Atlético remain awkward but are not as strong as they were a decade ago.
It is not just La Liga. Where in France, apart from a reunion with Paris Saint-Germain? As for Germany, there is not much beyond Bayern Munich, who are unlikely to want a reunion with Tuchel after their bitter split in 2024.
There is a shift. Maresca and Amorim appeared happy to leave big jobs. Alonso needs to choose his next job carefully. Tuchel is not alone in not hankering for a club job. Other Germans have walked away. Jürgen Klopp needed a break after leaving Liverpool and is still happy on the padel court. International management was supposed to be for older coaches but Julian Nagelsmann, 38, is about to take Germany into a second tournament.
It is not so hard to understand. The Football Association is only too delighted to have Tuchel. He does not have to deal with meddling owners or egotistical sporting directors. He does not have to worry about transfer budgets. Away from tournaments he does not hold press conferences every three days. Tuchel gets to breathe. Maybe he gets to read a book or watch a film. True, the vibe will change if England falter this summer. It does not change the central point. It does not alter that sense of international football feeling purer than the club game in its current state.
Part of its beauty is that it is, to a much greater extent, just about the football. Tuchel has his pick of some of the best players in the world. He coaches as he sees fit. The World Cup will be tough and intense but a home Euros is something to savour. Tuchel's shift is not that big a surprise.
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Turkey's national flag carrier announced Zheng Qinwen as its new global brand ambassador last week.ByStephanie LivaudaisPublished Feb 14, 2026 copy_link
Published Feb 14, 2026
© AFP or licensors
After making history for Turkiye on court, Zeynep Sonmez is now flying solo.Sonmez, Turkiye's No. 1 singles player, shared a message on social media Friday announcing the end of her partnership with Turkish Airlines, the country's national flag carrier.Read More: WATCH: Zeynep Sonmez aids ill ball girl during milestone Australian Open victory“Following sponsorship discussions regarding the 2026 season, the sponsorship relationship with Turkish Airlines will not continue,” Sonmez wrote.“I was honored to represent Turkey's national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, at the opening tournaments of 2026, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Open event. I carried this responsibility with the same seriousness and respect at all times, both on and off the court.“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”
Sonmez, Turkiye's No. 1 singles player, shared a message on social media Friday announcing the end of her partnership with Turkish Airlines, the country's national flag carrier.Read More: WATCH: Zeynep Sonmez aids ill ball girl during milestone Australian Open victory“Following sponsorship discussions regarding the 2026 season, the sponsorship relationship with Turkish Airlines will not continue,” Sonmez wrote.“I was honored to represent Turkey's national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, at the opening tournaments of 2026, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Open event. I carried this responsibility with the same seriousness and respect at all times, both on and off the court.“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”
Read More: WATCH: Zeynep Sonmez aids ill ball girl during milestone Australian Open victory“Following sponsorship discussions regarding the 2026 season, the sponsorship relationship with Turkish Airlines will not continue,” Sonmez wrote.“I was honored to represent Turkey's national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, at the opening tournaments of 2026, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Open event. I carried this responsibility with the same seriousness and respect at all times, both on and off the court.“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”
“Following sponsorship discussions regarding the 2026 season, the sponsorship relationship with Turkish Airlines will not continue,” Sonmez wrote.“I was honored to represent Turkey's national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, at the opening tournaments of 2026, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Open event. I carried this responsibility with the same seriousness and respect at all times, both on and off the court.“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”
“I was honored to represent Turkey's national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, at the opening tournaments of 2026, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Open event. I carried this responsibility with the same seriousness and respect at all times, both on and off the court.“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”
“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”
#BasınAçıklaması#PressRelease pic.twitter.com/Px31UNgKOw
The timing has raised eyebrows, coming on the heels of a breakthrough 2025 season.The 23-year-old became the first player representing Turkiye to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2025—a feat she matched at this year's Australian Open as a qualifier.Read More: Zeynep Sonmez, "playing together" with unreal AO atmosphere, equals her historic major runShe also played a starring role in Turkiye's upset win over Germany in its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs appearance.Sonmez broke into the Top 70 last year, reaching a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. Currently, no other Turkish player—male or female—is ranked inside the Top 300 in the WTA or ATP rankings.The news also comes less than a week after Turkish Airlines announced another major move in tennis, unveiling Zheng Qinwen as a new global brand ambassador on Feb. 6.
The 23-year-old became the first player representing Turkiye to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2025—a feat she matched at this year's Australian Open as a qualifier.Read More: Zeynep Sonmez, "playing together" with unreal AO atmosphere, equals her historic major runShe also played a starring role in Turkiye's upset win over Germany in its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs appearance.Sonmez broke into the Top 70 last year, reaching a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. Currently, no other Turkish player—male or female—is ranked inside the Top 300 in the WTA or ATP rankings.The news also comes less than a week after Turkish Airlines announced another major move in tennis, unveiling Zheng Qinwen as a new global brand ambassador on Feb. 6.
Read More: Zeynep Sonmez, "playing together" with unreal AO atmosphere, equals her historic major runShe also played a starring role in Turkiye's upset win over Germany in its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs appearance.Sonmez broke into the Top 70 last year, reaching a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. Currently, no other Turkish player—male or female—is ranked inside the Top 300 in the WTA or ATP rankings.The news also comes less than a week after Turkish Airlines announced another major move in tennis, unveiling Zheng Qinwen as a new global brand ambassador on Feb. 6.
She also played a starring role in Turkiye's upset win over Germany in its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs appearance.Sonmez broke into the Top 70 last year, reaching a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. Currently, no other Turkish player—male or female—is ranked inside the Top 300 in the WTA or ATP rankings.The news also comes less than a week after Turkish Airlines announced another major move in tennis, unveiling Zheng Qinwen as a new global brand ambassador on Feb. 6.
Sonmez broke into the Top 70 last year, reaching a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. Currently, no other Turkish player—male or female—is ranked inside the Top 300 in the WTA or ATP rankings.The news also comes less than a week after Turkish Airlines announced another major move in tennis, unveiling Zheng Qinwen as a new global brand ambassador on Feb. 6.
The news also comes less than a week after Turkish Airlines announced another major move in tennis, unveiling Zheng Qinwen as a new global brand ambassador on Feb. 6.
Already the airline that flies to more countries than any other in the world, Turkish Airlines said the partnership is part of a broader strategy to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.Turkish Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Ahmet Olmuştur stated: “As we continue to strengthen our presence across the Asia-Pacific region, this partnership reflects our commitment to connecting the region with the world while supporting excellence in sport and cultural exchange.”The 23-year-old from China is one of the highest-earning women in sports. She adds the airline to a sponsorship portfolio that includes Nike, Dior, Rolex and Audi, among others. According to Forbes, she earned an estimated $21 million in endorsements alone in 2025.She was sidelined by an elbow injury that required arthroscopic surgery, causing her to miss the 2025 US Open and the 2026 Australian Open. The setback has not slowed brands' interest in her global reach.
Turkish Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Ahmet Olmuştur stated: “As we continue to strengthen our presence across the Asia-Pacific region, this partnership reflects our commitment to connecting the region with the world while supporting excellence in sport and cultural exchange.”The 23-year-old from China is one of the highest-earning women in sports. She adds the airline to a sponsorship portfolio that includes Nike, Dior, Rolex and Audi, among others. According to Forbes, she earned an estimated $21 million in endorsements alone in 2025.She was sidelined by an elbow injury that required arthroscopic surgery, causing her to miss the 2025 US Open and the 2026 Australian Open. The setback has not slowed brands' interest in her global reach.
The 23-year-old from China is one of the highest-earning women in sports. She adds the airline to a sponsorship portfolio that includes Nike, Dior, Rolex and Audi, among others. According to Forbes, she earned an estimated $21 million in endorsements alone in 2025.She was sidelined by an elbow injury that required arthroscopic surgery, causing her to miss the 2025 US Open and the 2026 Australian Open. The setback has not slowed brands' interest in her global reach.
She was sidelined by an elbow injury that required arthroscopic surgery, causing her to miss the 2025 US Open and the 2026 Australian Open. The setback has not slowed brands' interest in her global reach.
Zheng recently returned to action in Doha—only her second tournament since last year's Wimbledon—reaching the round of 16 before falling to Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.Read More: Aryna Sabalenka named first tennis ambassador for Emirates AirlinesMajor airlines continue to eye tennis for lucrative partnerships. In January 2026, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was named the first-ever tennis ambassador for Emirates Airline, with the partnership announced ahead of the 2026 Australian Open.Novak Djokovic became a global brand ambassador for Qatar Airways in 2024, while Emma Raducanu partnered with British Airways after her US Open win in 2021.
Read More: Aryna Sabalenka named first tennis ambassador for Emirates AirlinesMajor airlines continue to eye tennis for lucrative partnerships. In January 2026, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was named the first-ever tennis ambassador for Emirates Airline, with the partnership announced ahead of the 2026 Australian Open.Novak Djokovic became a global brand ambassador for Qatar Airways in 2024, while Emma Raducanu partnered with British Airways after her US Open win in 2021.
Major airlines continue to eye tennis for lucrative partnerships. In January 2026, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was named the first-ever tennis ambassador for Emirates Airline, with the partnership announced ahead of the 2026 Australian Open.Novak Djokovic became a global brand ambassador for Qatar Airways in 2024, while Emma Raducanu partnered with British Airways after her US Open win in 2021.
Novak Djokovic became a global brand ambassador for Qatar Airways in 2024, while Emma Raducanu partnered with British Airways after her US Open win in 2021.
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She'll become the fourth Canadian woman ever to crack the elite when the new rankings come out on Monday.ByJohn BerkokPublished Feb 13, 2026 copy_link
Published Feb 13, 2026
© AFP or licensors
Victoria Mboko has made all kinds of breakthroughs since last summer, and now she's secured another one—she'll crack the Top 10 for the first time when the new rankings come out on Monday.By winning her semifinal match at the WTA 1000 event in Doha on Friday night—defeating Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 6-2—she's projected to rise from No. 13 to at least No. 10 after the tournament.She could rise even higher should she go on to win the title."It's kind of crazy. I never expected something to happen so fast for me," Mboko said after the match. "Yeah, I've just been taking it day by day, tournament by tournament. Every tournament I enter, I want to do well. I don't really—I don't hold that much expectation of myself. It's not like when I enter a tournament I'm going to say I'm going to win it, but you always want to try your best."This came relatively fast, but it's a nice feeling. It's nice to have that milestone, to see that number. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with that."
By winning her semifinal match at the WTA 1000 event in Doha on Friday night—defeating Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 6-2—she's projected to rise from No. 13 to at least No. 10 after the tournament.She could rise even higher should she go on to win the title."It's kind of crazy. I never expected something to happen so fast for me," Mboko said after the match. "Yeah, I've just been taking it day by day, tournament by tournament. Every tournament I enter, I want to do well. I don't really—I don't hold that much expectation of myself. It's not like when I enter a tournament I'm going to say I'm going to win it, but you always want to try your best."This came relatively fast, but it's a nice feeling. It's nice to have that milestone, to see that number. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with that."
She could rise even higher should she go on to win the title."It's kind of crazy. I never expected something to happen so fast for me," Mboko said after the match. "Yeah, I've just been taking it day by day, tournament by tournament. Every tournament I enter, I want to do well. I don't really—I don't hold that much expectation of myself. It's not like when I enter a tournament I'm going to say I'm going to win it, but you always want to try your best."This came relatively fast, but it's a nice feeling. It's nice to have that milestone, to see that number. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with that."
"It's kind of crazy. I never expected something to happen so fast for me," Mboko said after the match. "Yeah, I've just been taking it day by day, tournament by tournament. Every tournament I enter, I want to do well. I don't really—I don't hold that much expectation of myself. It's not like when I enter a tournament I'm going to say I'm going to win it, but you always want to try your best."This came relatively fast, but it's a nice feeling. It's nice to have that milestone, to see that number. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with that."
"This came relatively fast, but it's a nice feeling. It's nice to have that milestone, to see that number. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with that."
Mboko is set to become the fourth Canadian to break into the Top 10 in WTA rankings history, which dates back to 1975.CANADIANS TO REACH WTA TOP 10 (since 1975):Carling Bassett-Seguso [Top 10 debut in 1985, career-high No. 8]Eugenie Bouchard [Top 10 debut in 2014, career-high No. 5]Bianca Andreescu [Top 10 debut in 2019, career-high No. 4]Victoria Mboko [Top 10 debut in 2026, career-high TBD]Three Canadians have broken into the Top 10 over on the ATP rankings, which began in 1973—Milos Raonic in 2013, Denis Shapovalov in 2020 and Felix Auger-Aliassime in 2021. They reached career-highs of No. 3, No. 10 and No. 5, respectively.Of all seven Canadians to break into the Top 10 in either ATP or WTA rankings history, the 19-year-old Mboko will be the third-youngest to do it, after Bassett-Seguso, who was 17, and Andreescu, who was a slightly younger 19. The other four were all in their early 20s.
CANADIANS TO REACH WTA TOP 10 (since 1975):Carling Bassett-Seguso [Top 10 debut in 1985, career-high No. 8]Eugenie Bouchard [Top 10 debut in 2014, career-high No. 5]Bianca Andreescu [Top 10 debut in 2019, career-high No. 4]Victoria Mboko [Top 10 debut in 2026, career-high TBD]Three Canadians have broken into the Top 10 over on the ATP rankings, which began in 1973—Milos Raonic in 2013, Denis Shapovalov in 2020 and Felix Auger-Aliassime in 2021. They reached career-highs of No. 3, No. 10 and No. 5, respectively.Of all seven Canadians to break into the Top 10 in either ATP or WTA rankings history, the 19-year-old Mboko will be the third-youngest to do it, after Bassett-Seguso, who was 17, and Andreescu, who was a slightly younger 19. The other four were all in their early 20s.
Three Canadians have broken into the Top 10 over on the ATP rankings, which began in 1973—Milos Raonic in 2013, Denis Shapovalov in 2020 and Felix Auger-Aliassime in 2021. They reached career-highs of No. 3, No. 10 and No. 5, respectively.Of all seven Canadians to break into the Top 10 in either ATP or WTA rankings history, the 19-year-old Mboko will be the third-youngest to do it, after Bassett-Seguso, who was 17, and Andreescu, who was a slightly younger 19. The other four were all in their early 20s.
Of all seven Canadians to break into the Top 10 in either ATP or WTA rankings history, the 19-year-old Mboko will be the third-youngest to do it, after Bassett-Seguso, who was 17, and Andreescu, who was a slightly younger 19. The other four were all in their early 20s.
All love at the net 🤗What a way for Victoria Mboko to make the Doha championship match 🔥#QatarTotalEnergiesOpen pic.twitter.com/6NDwh9NKl7
Mboko's Top 10 debut is just the latest chapter in her meteoric rise.After starting 2025 ranked No. 333, and having been at No. 211 on this day a year ago, she broke into the Top 200 last March, the Top 100 last June, and—after her sensational run to the first WTA title of her career at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal last August—she burst into the Top 50 for the first time, soaring from No. 85 to No. 24.She made her Top 20 debut last November after winning the second WTA title of her career in Hong Kong, and now, after reaching another WTA 1000 final in Doha, she'll be Top 10.Awaiting her in the final in the Qatari capital on Saturday will be one of two former Top 10 players, Karolina Muchova or Maria Sakkari, who played each other in the second semifinal on Friday.
After starting 2025 ranked No. 333, and having been at No. 211 on this day a year ago, she broke into the Top 200 last March, the Top 100 last June, and—after her sensational run to the first WTA title of her career at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal last August—she burst into the Top 50 for the first time, soaring from No. 85 to No. 24.She made her Top 20 debut last November after winning the second WTA title of her career in Hong Kong, and now, after reaching another WTA 1000 final in Doha, she'll be Top 10.Awaiting her in the final in the Qatari capital on Saturday will be one of two former Top 10 players, Karolina Muchova or Maria Sakkari, who played each other in the second semifinal on Friday.
She made her Top 20 debut last November after winning the second WTA title of her career in Hong Kong, and now, after reaching another WTA 1000 final in Doha, she'll be Top 10.Awaiting her in the final in the Qatari capital on Saturday will be one of two former Top 10 players, Karolina Muchova or Maria Sakkari, who played each other in the second semifinal on Friday.
Awaiting her in the final in the Qatari capital on Saturday will be one of two former Top 10 players, Karolina Muchova or Maria Sakkari, who played each other in the second semifinal on Friday.
By Ted Johnson
Political Editor
Donald Trump returned to bashing Bill Maher on Saturday, almost a year after the HBO Real Time host dined with him at the White House.
The president took offense at some of Maher's jokes and commentary on Friday, including the president's prediction that China would end all hockey in Canada.
In a lengthy Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump wrote, “Sometimes in life you waste time! T.V. Host Bill Maher asked to have dinner with me through one of his friends, also a friend of mine, and I agreed. He came into the famed Oval Office much different than I thought he would be. He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in himself and, to soothe his nerves, immediately, within seconds, asked for a ‘Vodka Tonic.' He said to me, ‘I've never felt like this before, I'm actually scared.' In one respect, it was somewhat endearing! Anyway, we had a great dinner, it was quick, easy, and he seemed to be a nice guy and, for his first show after our dinner, he was very respectful about our meeting — But with everything I have done in bringing our Country back from ‘OBLIVION,' why wouldn't he be?”
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Trump wrote, “In any event, it was a total waste of time for me to have this jerk at the White House and last night, after explaining what a DISASTER Canadian ‘Leaders' are to deal with, how Canada has “ripped off” the United States for years on TRADE (But not anymore!), I jokingly stated in a TRUTH that, “The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.”
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Trump also wrote that Maher “went on and on about the Hockey statement, like ‘What kind of a person would say such a foolish thing as this,' as though I were being serious when I said it. Fortunately, his Television Ratings are so low that nobody will learn about his various Fake News statements about me. He is no different than Kimmel, Fallon, or Colbert but, I must admit, slightly more talented! Anyway, Bill Maher is a highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT, and Republicans should stop using him to show how the Left is coming over our way — Our Base, the Greatest of All Time, laughs at your weakness when you do it! Maher asked me if he could come back to the White House again and, with his friend, also asked to come to the wonderful White House Christmas Party, but he didn't. Regardless, I'd much rather spend my time MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN than wasting it on him. Bill continues to suffer from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS!), and there is nothing that will ever be done to cure him of this very serious disease. Thank you for your attention to this minor matter! President DJT”
In April, Maher dined with Trump at the White House, in a visit arranged by Kid Rock, who is a longtime supporter of the president. Maher described Trump as “gracious and measured,” and “much more self-aware than he lets on in public.”
He also said that he still didn't “have a good feeling” about the Trump administration “and will be critical about a lot of what he's doing … But I also think he now understands that I have a job to do.”
A spokesperson for Maher did not immediately return a request for comment.
Sometimes in life you waste time! T.V. Host Bill Maher asked to have dinner with me through one of his friends, also a friend of mine, and I agreed. He came into the famed Oval Office much different than I thought he would be. He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in…
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How can u take trump seriously when he calls a made up disease he made up as a very serious disease?
Man the next Bill Maher news segment on IHBM is going to be great!
I wonder what pearls of wisdom will come out of Maher's mouth now.
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By
Daniel Kreps
Jimmy Fallon has reportedly nixed a line of pasta sauces he was set to release with music mogul Tommy Mottola due to the latter's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The late-night host and Mottola Media Group chairman have long been friends, and have shared photos of themselves dining at Italian restaurants like Rao's on social media. The pair were reportedly set to release their own line of pasta sauces next year, but that plan has been “paused” after Mottola appeared frequently in the Epstein Files due to his frequent correspondence with the convicted sex offender, Page Six first reported.
The Hollywood Reporter added that the sauce venture is “definitely not moving forward” due to Mottola's close contact with Epstein, with conversations ranging from travel arrangements and helicopter renting to more concerning topics, like procuring a private investigator and their response to the #MeToo movement. “Shut up and lay low,” Mottola wrote to Epstein.
Mottola also reported visited Epstein's residences in New York and Paris between 2006 and 2008, after the financier served time for soliciting minors.
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A former Sony Music CEO and Mariah Carey's ex-husband, Mottola is the latest powerful entertainment figure to incur repercussions due to their presence in the Epstein Files: On Friday, Casey Wasserman announced that he was selling his namesake talent agency, as he had become a “distraction” after his emails with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell were revealed.
In a memo sent to Wasserman agency employees and obtained by Rolling Stone following an exodus of talent, the founder apologized for his “past personal mistakes” that have caused “so much discomfort.” “It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about,” he added.
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Is it weird to still be turning to a fictional network TV show, some two decades after it debuted, for life advice? Absolutely. Pathetic? More than a bit. Advisable? There's a 99-percent chance that, no, it's not. But it depends, as there's one clear-eyed outlier. Because if we're talking about Friday Night Lights, the full-hearts-on-its-sleeves NBC drama about a small town in Texas and its lifeblood of a high-school football program that arrived back in the fall of 2006, there is a strong case to be made that, yes, it is.
If you haven't watched the show, you're probably still aware that Friday Night Lights, which ran for five seasons and 76 episodes, has its fair share of big locker-room speeches. There have been sketches about it and, if memory serves, at least one not particularly funny joke about it at the Emmys. It's something that was just kind of in the air in the aughts, like knowing that The Sopranos is about a guy who yells a lot and is in the mafia, even if you've never seen a second of it, or being aware that the world agrees that the guys on Entourage are very, very cool. (That was, admittedly, also not a particularly funny joke.)
For as much as Friday Night Lights is about so much more than those game-day, fire-'em-up monologues—just like it's about so much more than football or high school or small towns or, as a devotee of the show maybe annoyingly explained to you at a bar once, America—when boiled down, the series really is just one big ol' locker-room speech. And the people giving those speeches are either Eric (Kyle Chandler) or Tami Taylor (Connie Britton), who have an onscreen marriage so solid that the pair has been accurately dubbed “The Greatest TV Couple Of All Time” and has inspired love-letter essays with titles like “I Want What They Have” about their very enviable—but decidedly not perfect or drama-free—relationship. So as The A.V. Club‘s Love Week continues, let's look at why the town of Dillon, and the viewers at home, fell so hard for them.
For a very tiny taste of the advice the pair gives out on the regular (those locker-room speeches, if you will), here's a bit Coach gives Jason Street (Scott Porter) at Applebee's near the end of the show's very busy second season. “Everything I know about women you can stick in this damn coffee cup here,” the coach tells the 19-year-old former star quarterback, who is now using a wheelchair and just informed his old coach that he got a one-night-stand pregnant and wants her to keep the child. “But I do know you have to have trust and honesty. Without trust and honesty, it is not gonna work.” It's good advice (and it's also notable, and wise, that he doesn't tell him what to do), and you get the impression that Street went to Coach to gauge whether he's ready to have a kid when he's pretty much still one himself first.
There are countless scenes like this (some are more effective than others, but a few land so hard that you may be left wishing you had your own Coach or Tami Taylor in your life), and over the course of the show, these two essentially become Dillon's Problem Solvers. If there is an issue, they undoubtedly will fix it—or completely change your life for the better. That's certainly the case with Vince Howard (Michael B. Jordan), who was headed toward a life of crime only to become a star quarterback and, in the series finale, explicitly says “You changed my life, Coach,” and Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki), who escaped her upbringing and went to college pretty much because of Tami's persistence.
The first time we meet Tami, Eric is studying game tape in his dark office, his eyes fixed on the small screen and not her. And the first time we see her in her home, he's doing the exact same thing while she talks about wanting to get a bigger place and their daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden) compares the football drama in Dillon to Moby-Dick. But pretty quickly, the show makes sure Tami isn't just Coach's wife, the better half who lives in her husband's shadow. And it's not a stretch to say that by the finale, she's a more interesting and complex character than he is or that, if the show has a lead, it would have to be the Taylors as a couple.
And as a couple, they're tested, sometimes in a funny ha-ha way, like when Tami's co-worker (played by Steven Walters) drunkenly tries to kiss her outside a work happy hour or when her motormouthed ex (portrayed by Peter Berg, who developed the show) drunkenly gets in a fight with Eric. But sometimes things got pretty dire. No, they never cheated on each other. In fact, Britton said the following to EW: “[Chandler and I] were like, ‘We're never letting the writers have us have an affair. If they try to do it, we're not going to do it.' And we told them so.” But they did have some serious struggles in their marriage.
Near the end of the series, Tami is offered Dean Of Admissions at Braemore College in Philly, a prospect Eric doesn't humor, even after several pleas from her to do so. (Here's a sample, which she gives teary-eyed outside a restaurant: “It's my turn, babe. I have loved you and you have loved me and we have compromised, both of us, for your job. Now it's time to talk about doing that for my job. Because otherwise, what am I gonna tell our daughter?”) Eric eventually comes to his senses, delivering an apologetic “Will you take me to Philadelphia with you, please?” and a dose of the feels for the audience. And the show ends not with Vince's state-winning Hail Mary (the completion of which we don't even see) but this same couple on a different field in a very different place, embracing as they walk into the darkness together.
Tim Lowery is The A.V. Club‘s TV editor.
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Authorities reportedly detained at least four people for questioning as the hunt for Nancy Guthrie continues.
The people were picked up Friday by a SWAT team with the Pima County Sheriff's Department after both a home and vehicle were swarmed near the 84-year-old's Tucson property, according to multiple reports.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant for the home after receiving a tip, a local police source told Fox News Digital. Two men along with one of their mothers were detained after the house search, according to The Post.
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The FBI also conducted a traffic stop on a gray Range Rover in the parking lot of a Culver's restaurant. An image obtained by Fox New showed the unidentified man, who was linked to the search warrant that was being served at the house, in handcuffs with a hoodie partially covering his face.
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Law enforcement questioned the man in the vehicle but released him, believing him not to be the kidnapper, a law enforcement official told CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller.
All four people were eventually released and no arrests were made, according to Fox News.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to Page Six's request for comment.
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Prior to these potential breaks in the case, authorities detained a man named Carlos during a traffic stop in Rio Rico, Ariz., south of Tucson near the Mexico border on Feb. 10 in connection to the investigation, but he was released the following day.
He told local outlets he was “detained for kidnapping” while he was out DoorDashing.
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“I asked, ‘The kidnapping of who?' and they told me this lady … I don't know her name,” he said of Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mom.
Carlos explained he works for a delivery service in Tucson, but declared that he never kidnapped anyone and was released after questioning.
Authorities also performed a court-approved search of his home.
The latest news comes after Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed they recovered DNA from someone in the home who is not “close” to Nancy.
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“DNA other than Nancy Guthrie's and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property. Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to,” they announced on Feb. 13, declining to share where in the home they collected the DNA from.
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Earlier in the week, they also collected DNA samples from hired workers around Guthrie's residence.
In addition to the DNA, cops confirmed they recovered “several items of evidence” this week, including black gloves that were discovered two miles away from the property.
FBI Phoenix on Feb. 12 provided a physical description of an “armed individual” who was seen on Nancy's home security camera wearing a mask in the early morning hours of Feb. 1.
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Via X, the agency said the suspect is a 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 male with an average build, who also carried a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
They also announced they'd be doubling the reward to $100,000 “for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.”
Nancy was reported missing on Feb. 1 after she failed to attend church following an evening out with family members.
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Several ransom notes have landed at news organizations including TMZ demanding bitcoin transactions by specific deadlines.
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A small deposit was made into a bitcoin wallet associated to Nancy's case on Tuesday.
A cryptocurrency expert told Page Six the deposit indicated the alleged captor lost “control” of the situation because “once a transaction is made, they become the one being watched.”
Savannah and her siblings Annie and Camron Guthrie have continued to express hope for their mother's return through various social media posts.
“Our lovely mom. 💛” Savannah captioned throwback footage of her mother on Thursday. “we will never give up on her. thank you for your prayers and hope.”
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Some great Letts jokes landed as the stars of Karim Aïnouz's 'Rosebush Pruning,' including Pamela Anderson, Jamie Bell and Lukas Gage, gathered for the film's press conference on Saturday.
By
Lily Ford
Pamela Anderson, Callum Turner, Tracy Letts, Lukas Gage and Jamie Bell gave the Berlinale some much-needed star power at the press conference for Rosebush Pruning on Saturday.
The cast and their director, Karim Aïnouz, arrived as the temperature dropped even further in the German capital. The film — following an American family who butt heads while staying in a Spanish villa, described by the film fest as “a biting satire about the absurdity of the traditional patriarchal family” — will get its world premiere Saturday evening at the Berlinale Palast. Co-stars Elle Fanning and Riley Keough were notably absent.
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At the top of the presser, a journalist decided to address “the elephant in the room” and ask Turner about the fervent rumors that he is the next James Bond: “It's very early for that question,” Turner agreed, smiling slightly. “I'm not going to comment on it.” Letts jokingly interjected: “I'm sorry… I'm the next James Bond!” prompting laughter around the room.
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Callum Turner is immediately asked about playing the next James Bond at the Berlin Film Festival.“I'm not going to comment.” His ‘Rosebush Pruning' co-star Tracy Letts then interjects: “… I'm the next James Bond!” pic.twitter.com/LIUS73TEEh
The Berlin Film Festival and its celebrity attendees have been under scrutiny so far this week after jury president Wim Wenders, Golden Bear recipient Michelle Yeoh, and Sunny Dancer star Neil Patrick Harris all declined to talk about cinema's relationship with politics and the rise of fascism. European journalists have voiced their disapproval that Berlin, historically a politically active festival, has seemingly shut out urgent conversations as they arise at the pressers.
Acclaimed Indian author Arundhati Roy (The God of Small Things) pulled out of the fest entirely on Friday in response to comments by Wenders that “art should not be political.” Yeoh told journalists at her press conference that “I don't think I am in the position to really talk about the political situation in the U.S., and also I cannot […] say I understand it, so it is best not to talk about something I don't know about,” while Harris said he prefers to “do things that are apolitical” when hit with a barrage of questions on U.S. politics.
This time around, Letts, who plays the wealthy patriarch character in Rosebush Pruning, was first to answer questions on politics: “This movie speaks for itself. This movie has its own beautiful statement to make, courtesy of [a] beautiful screenplay and beautiful ensemble cast and beautiful director.”
“I can't speak for other artists,” he continued, “I don't necessarily feel comfortable taking away from the work that they've done… It's an awkward thing to discuss because of our political situation, but one of the things that this movie gets at, I think, on the face of it, is that this extreme disparity in wealth breeds bad behavior, and, in fact, probably creates fascism. This is one of the […] ways around it in terms of working as an artist. We're all artists coming together to work on a thing together and politics taking place in one's country don't necessarily impact each of us as we gather together.”
Brazilian filmmaker Aïnouz was also asked about the public financing for the film and help from the German Federal Film Board (FFA) and U.K. Global Screen Fund.
“We live in a time where censorship and political judgments of what we're doing are really, really dangerous, particularly in certain countries,” he answered. “I think public funding is really important. We're not only doing something for audiences, but sometimes, to get there, we do need to be accompanied by the initiatives, like from Germany… I come from a country where cinema would not exist if it weren't for public funding.”
The Last Showgirl star Anderson later touched on playing the mother in Aïnouz's film: “It's always complex, being a mother and the shame that carries anyway and just the generation of mothers in my own life… That was quite an interesting journey.” She added: “Obviously, she is gay, and there's a lot of interesting rebellion going on in her.”
The Berlin Film Festival 2026 runs Feb. 12-22.
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The development follows the release of hundreds of gigabytes of documents connected to federal investigations into Epstein.
By
Jessica Lynch
Jimmy Fallon and longtime music executive Tommy Mottola have scrapped plans to launch a branded pasta sauce line following renewed scrutiny tied to recently released Epstein-related documents.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fallon and Mottola had been in early development on a pasta sauce brand that could have launched as late as 2027. However, the project is no longer moving forward as attention intensifies around Mottola's association with Jeffrey Epstein.
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Page Six first reported that the collaboration had been placed on “pause,” citing a source close to the project who said, “Nobody wants to be within 50 feet of anyone in the Epstein files.” The Hollywood Reporter later reported that the venture has been shelved entirely.
The development follows the release of hundreds of gigabytes of documents connected to federal investigations into Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
The files, made public after congressional action compelled the Department of Justice to release additional materials, include communications and records involving numerous high-profile figures.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mottola's name appears in approximately 600 documents released to date, with the materials showing contact between Mottola and Epstein over multiple years, including references to travel arrangements and other communications.
Fallon and Mottola have been friends for years and have frequently been seen together in New York. Mottola has appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his projects.
Mottola is chairman of Mottola Media Group and co-founder of Ntertain Studios. Fallon continues to host NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
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In her sophomore feature, premiering in the Berlinale's Forum program. Ralitza Petrova observes "the emptiness left by absent fathers, and how daughters carry that weight."
By
Georg Szalai
Global Business Editor
Love may be in the air this Valentine's Day, but Berlin had better get ready to be consumed by Lust. A prison parole officer faces her past through an unlikely journey of control and intimacy after the death of her long-absent father in Ralitza Petrova's sophomore feature of that name. The movie will world premiere in the Forum program at the Berlin International Film Festival on Monday, Feb. 16. Petrova's 2016 debut feature, Godless, debuted at the Locarno Film Festival, winning the Golden Leopard for best film.
Lust is about Lilian, a parole officer whose life is governed by clinical precision, with her body, emotions, and desires held under strict control. “When she is summoned back to her hometown to settle the death of an absent father, what should be a brief administrative detour unravels into unresolved debts, institutional inertia, and a decaying body caught in bureaucratic limbo,” explains a synopsis. “Moving through offices, hotel rooms, and abandoned dwellings, Lust charts a descent into proximity – with grief, flesh, and a desire long anesthetized. An uneasy connection with a Shibari rigger offers a practice of controlled vulnerability, where intimacy is negotiated rather than promised.” Shibari is Japanese rope bondage.
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Snejanka Mihaylova stars in Lust, along with Nikola Mutafov, Mihail Milchev, and Alexis Atmadjov.
“In 2016, my father passed away – someone I barely knew,” explains Petrova. “What followed was not conventional grief, but the mourning of an absence already in place. Lust emerged from this space as a way of framing what is missing and how it lingers. I wanted the film to observe with a minimalist gaze the emptiness left by absent fathers, and how daughters carry that weight. Conceived as a coming-of-mid-age psychodrama, Lust moves between mystery, fantasy, and ghost story – not to resolve absence, but to trace how it unsettles control and, at times, creates an opening.”
Lust was produced by Petrova for Aporia Filmworks in Bulgaria, in collaboration with Nikolay Todorov and Poli Angelova for Screening Emotions in Bulgaria, and co-produced by Denmark's Snowglobe and Sweden's Silver Films, with backing by the Bulgarian National Film Center, Danish Film Institute, Film I Vast and Eurimages. Inwave Films is handling international sales.
THR can now exclusively premiere the trailer for Lust, hinting at the restrained mix of trauma, emptiness, tenderness, and austerity that awaits us. Handle with care!
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A renowned forensic artist stepped out of retirement to draw an unofficial sketch of the masked suspect in the Nancy Guthrie case.
Lois Gibson, a Guinness World Record title holder and retired Houston Police Department forensic artist, created the sketch based on the grainy surveillance footage released by the FBI.
Gibson clarified that she was not asked by any agency to do an official police sketch, but she felt a hard need to help in the search for Nancy.
“I knew the pain that the loved ones were going through,” Gibson told FOX 26. “It's the most horrific, insane torture if you have a kidnapping… every minute seems like a half hour because you say, ‘Where are they? Are they being killed? Can I stop it?'”
Gibson, who retired in 2021, acknowledged that creating the sketch was especially challenging because the suspect's face was covered.
She noted that much of her work is an “educated guess” based on mathematical probability and decades of experience.
Given that the suspect is wearing a mask, the forensic artist focused on the visible features, including the eyes, eyelids, and mustache.
“I have the philtrum ratio to where the eyes are, and I know the nose ends there,” Gibson explained to FOX 26. “I got the eye shape… I got this mustache. If I had to bet my house and car, yeah, he had the mustache.”
Gibson also believes that the man in the video is “young” and could be of any race.
“He's young. He's below 40, I believe,” she told Inside Edition. “And other than that, he could be Latino, white, Lebanese, just any kind of race.”
Despite her 43 years of experience in the field, Gibson acknowledges her sketches in this case may not be completely accurate.
“The guy might have tattoos all over his face. I might have the facial hair wrong,” she pointed out. “But I had to try, and I'll take the hit if I'm wrong.”
As the search for Nancy Guthrie enters its second week, Lois Gibson hopes her unofficial sketch will help generate new leads and ultimately aid in solving the case.
Gibson holds the Guinness World Records title for “Most criminals positively identified due to the composites of one artist.” Over the span of her career, she has worked with over 5,000 cases and helped identify 1,313 suspects with her sketches.
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At least three individuals have been detained in connection with the search for Nancy Guthrie, which has now entered its second week.
A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that authorities detained two men and the mother of one of them after acting on a tip. The source also confirmed that a warrant was executed, noting that during its execution, “technically everyone is detained.”
It is unclear if anyone is a suspect.
The latest detainments come after a SWAT team from the Pima County Sheriff's Department swarmed an area about two miles from Nancy Guthrie's home late Friday night.
NewsNation reported that authorities searched a home in the area and ordered two individuals, a woman and a man, to come out. Both subjects complied.
A third individual was simultaneously detained nearby during a traffic stop. The driver, a male, was reportedly heading to the property that was being searched.
Footage from FOX 11 shows the FBI fingerprinting someone at the back of a police car. Authorities are also investigating a Range Rover at the scene, not a white van, according to Fox News Digital.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed the latest development in a statement shared on X, saying “Law enforcement activity is underway at a residence near E Orange Grove Rd & N First Ave related to the Guthrie case. Because this is a joint investigation, at the request of the FBI – no additional information is currently available.”
Earlier Friday, a Pima County Sheriff's surveillance plane was tracked in the area where the major operation unfolded. The plane reportedly circled the area for about an hour before moving south.
The FBI is zeroing in on a description of Nancy Guthrie's captor. The suspect is described as a man about 5'9″ – 5'10” tall, with an average build. He was also wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack in the video.
The FBI has increased its reward to up to $100,000 for any information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie or the suspect/s.
Meanwhile, a crew of pool cleaners, escorted by the Pima County Sheriff's Department, was able to access the home on Friday.
Drone footage shared by MS Now reporter Alex Tabet shows two men dragging nets through the water in Nancy's backyard. TMZ later confirmed with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos that the Guthrie family had requested the cleaners to service and maintain the pool.
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The world lost Shannen Doherty on July 13, 2024, at the age of 53. Before her passing, the star lived in her Malibu home, which was “where she was able to escape the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, particularly during her lengthy cancer battle,” according to Realtor.com.
Doherty bought the house in 2004 for $2.56 million, and it's been listed a few times since the actress's passing. “The home was first put on the market by her longtime friend, Compass real estate agent Chris Cortazzo, just over one year after she died, originally listing for $9.5 million. That price was lowered to $9.45 million just days later, however,” per Realtor.com. Most recently, it was listed for $8.75 million before being taken off the market.
“I was fortunate to share an incredibly close bond with Shannen, whose deep and lasting friendship meant the world to me,” Cortazzo said in a statement to People. “When I sold her the property, she fell in love with it instantly. It was everything she wanted: a private compound with ocean views, a flat piece of land, a lush hedge for seclusion, and a stunning open floor plan.”
“She transformed the home with her signature touch, turning it into one of the most beautiful and inviting spaces for entertaining,” Cortazzo added. “The open-concept kitchen flowed effortlessly into the dining and family rooms, framed by glass, all reflecting her love for connection. Shannen cherished a close-knit circle of loved ones, and this home became a sanctuary for her friends and family.”
The house offers residents 5,360 square feet of space, along with three bedrooms and three full bathrooms. The home went through “an extensive renovation in 2018, after the property was damaged in the Woolsey Fire that same year,” according to Realtor.com.
With an exterior that is “largely stucco,” there are also “enormous glass walls that feature prominently at the back of the home, providing stunning views of the surrounding area—particularly from the primary suite, which features a retractable glass wall,” per Realtor.com.
The interior features desirable details such as beamed ceilings, custom cabinetry in the kitchen and sliding barn doors.
The home sits on a 1-acre property that is lined with hedges to create privacy, which Doherty appreciated.
Along with “a glittering lap pool that overlooks the ocean … [t]he yard also boasts an edible garden as well as a canopy of trees to provide natural shade on hot days,” according to Realtor.com. That's not to mention the tiered gardens, dining terrace and fruiting trees.
A detached guest house can also be found on the property, which can be used for various purposes depending on the owner's needs.
While all of that makes it clear why Doherty fell in love with the home, People also notes that it “is located just minutes away from Malibu's famous beaches. “
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Jason Aldean had a simple response to Zach Bryan's continued criticism after the Turning Point USA alternative halftime show.
Bryan took aim at Aldean and Brantley Gilbert, who performed “Dirt Road Anthem” at the Feb. 8 show.
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The “Something in the Orange” singer posted a video of himself and Harley Carmichael singing a parody of Gilbert's song – which Aldean covered on his 2010 album, “My Kinda Party.”
Gilbert seemingly laughed off the jab, posting a video of himself eating a chili dog in response to Bryan's parody song – which featured the changed lyrics: “Chili on a hot dog, talkin' 'bout chili on a hot dog.”
“@zachlanebryan, you can climb all the fences you want, you're not getting my chili dog,” Gilbert wrote in his caption, referencing a video of Bryan climbing a fence in an argument with fellow country singer Gavin Adcock.
“Best song I've heard from that guy,” Aldean quipped in the comments, referring to Bryan's parody.
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The online back-and-forth comes after Bad Bunny took the stage at Super Bowl LX. Bryan initially criticized the TPUSA halftime show on Instagram.
“What kid rock actually thinks is happening across America,” he wrote on his Instagram Story, per Whiskey Riff.
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The video featured Bryan's friend watching the TPUSA show on a cell phone, while pretending not to watch the Bad Bunny-led performance playing on the television in the background.
He shared a message he received from a follower that read, “wtf happens to you? Boy you turned into a Hollywood sell out b—- real quick. You were my favorite artist. Now you are nothing but another dumba– out of touch elitist. S–t happens real quick homie.”
Bryan wrote, “I don't care what side you're on, a bunch of adults throwing temper tantrums and their own halftime show is embarrassing as hell and the most cringe s–t on the planet.”
The show, featuring Gilbert, Kid Rock, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, streamed on YouTube at the same time as the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny took place.
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Fans were quick to criticize Bryan's remarks.
“Where'd your patriotism go?” one fan wrote on Instagram.
“Look who didn't get invited to the Super Bowl or the turning point halftime show,” another commented.
“lol go throw another cringe worth tantrum Zach and get over your jealousy of KidRock! lol! Your career is over lol” one added.
Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
By Glenn Garner
Associate Editor
Some familiar faces are dropping in as Disney gets into the micro-drama craze with its new short-form series, Locker Diaries.
Designed for vertical viewing, the series features characters from Zombies, Descendants and Phineas & Ferb in bite-size adventures that blend comedy, drama and thrills, all unfolding in school hallways and told through open locker doors.
The first two Zombies-themed episodes of the 11-part series are now available to stream on Disney+ and the Disney Channel YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. They feature Malachi Barton, Freya Skye, Swayam Bhatia, Julian Lerner and Mekonnen Knife, reprising their roles from Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires.
Rolling out every Saturday through mid-April, episodes will also air next month on the Disney Channel, in addition to being made available on Disney Channel On Demand.
Watch on Deadline
The series comes as Disney+ embraces vertical video to drive daily engagement, part of a larger trend of major studios and execs adapting to a growing demand for micro-dramas. The booming medium was projected to surpass $9.4B in China last year.
Erin Teague, EVP of Product Management for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, previously said “everything's on the table” in terms of how vertical video is delivered on Disney+. It could be original short-form programming, repurposed social clips, refashioned scenes from longer-form episodic or feature titles or a combination. “We're obviously thinking about integrating vertical video in ways that are native to core user behaviors,” Teague said. “So, it won't be a kind of a disjointed, random experience.”
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A SWAT raid was conducted at a residence approximately two miles from Nancy Guthrie's Tucson, Arizona, home, on Friday evening, according to a new report.
Reporter Brian Entin, who has been on the scene in Arizona since Guthrie was reported missing, “There is an active situation happening right now involving the Pima County swat team connected to the Nancy Guthrie investigation. I'm here but not revealing location to not interfere with investigation.”
Entin went live on News Nation on Friday evening, when he revealed that authorities brought two individuals, a man and a woman, out of the home.
“They have already, from what I can tell, pulled two people out of the house,” Entin said, as seen in footage shared via X. “And I know that this is connected to the Nancy Guthrie investigation. That I have confirmed…The amount of resources here is massive. We saw dozens of SWAT members, at least two SWAT trucks fully armored, there is the FBI that is out here, there's the Pima County Sheriff's Office.”
It remains unclear if the two individuals are suspects or persons of interest in the case.
He later shared on X, “Appears two individuals were taken out of the house where swat operation is happening. I'm told a nearby traffic stop is also connected. I'm outside the house.”
Earlier Friday the Pima County Sheriff's Department revealed that DNA evidence was found at Guthrie's home belonging to another individual.
“DNA other than Nancy Guthrie's and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property,” the statement said, according to CNN. “Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to. We are not disclosing where that DNA was located.”
Another update in the investigation came from TMZ, which reported receiving a third communication from an individual who claims to know the identity of Guthrie's abductor.
According to TMZ, the sender upped their asking price from 1 bitcoin (worth approximately $68,000) to $100,000 in return for critical information in the case. His $100,000 demand matches what the FBI has offered for information “leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.”
The outlet later added that the email hinted that the kidnapper may have crossed the border to Mexico.
“For the man hunt of the main individual that can give you all the answers and be prepared to go International,” the message concluded.
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Los Angeles 2028 Olympics boss Casey Wasserman is selling his high-profile talent agency amid heavy backlash for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell — as a growing list of celebrities have exited over the fallout.
“First and foremost, I want to apologize to you. I'm deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about,” Wasserman said in an email to staff Friday night, which was obtained by Page Six.
“At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts. That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.”
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Wasserman has handed duties of the company to longtime executive Mike Watts, while vowing to remain in control of the group in charge of the Summer Olympics scheduled for the City of Angels in two years.
“During this time, Mike Watts will assume day-to-day control of the business while I devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles an Olympic Games in 2028 that is worthy of this outstanding city,” Wasserman revealed.
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The LA28 Executive Committee previously announced Wasserman would remain as chairman of the LA28 Organizing Committee for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The controversial executive has been under fire since the Department of Justice released over 3 million files connected to the convicted pedophile that included racy emails between Wasserman and Maxwell.
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One correspondence was prompted by Wasserman looking for the convicted Epstein confidante back in April 2003.
“Where are you, I miss you,” he wrote to Maxwell.
“I will be in NYC for 4 days starting april 22…can we book that massage now?”
Maxwell replied two days later with a steamy message of her own: “all that rubbing — are you sure you can take it? The thought frankly is leaving me a little breathless.
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“There are a few spots that apparently drive a man wild — I suppose I could practise them on you and you could let me know if they work or not?”
After the files were made public, Wasserman said he “deeply regretted” the messages but said it was before Maxwell's “heinous crimes” were revealed.
“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” the Hollywood mogul said.
In the aftermath of the email scandal, a mass exodus of top Hollywood clients broke ties with Wasserman's eponymous talent agency, with some even calling for his resignation.
Grammy winner Chappell Roan and US Women's National Team legend Abby Wambach have already cut ties.
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The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer said “no artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”
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Other music clients who either left the agency or spoke out include the Dropkick Murphys, John Summit, Orville Peck, Weyes Blood, Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino and the indie group Wednesday.
Wasserman hosted his annual NBA All-Star reception in Los Angeles on Friday, hours before announcing his decision to sell the company.
Over 300 guests attended the event at Beverly Hills' Gagosian, the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, and ESPN chairman James Pitaro.
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Genre:
Rock
Label:
Capitol
Release Date:
2026
Just a decade after the release of Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys had tumbled from pop's avant-garde pinnacle to washed-up Golden Oldies. Endless Summer, a compilation of songs from 1962 to 1965, was a huge, nostalgic hit in 1974, and they followed it up with the toothless 15 Big Ones, a record that paid homage to classic rock'n'roll in a way that pushed precisely no envelopes. Brian Wilson was back, as the promotional campaign around 15 Big Ones excitedly proclaimed, and that meant the rockin' good times were here to stay.
And then, as happens so often with this most enigmatic of bands, the pendulum swung back. The group's next album, The Beach Boys Love You, was a proto-synth-pop bomb with songs about Johnny Carson and “Honkin' Down the Highway,” and its intended follow-up, Adult/Child, was a mixture of big-band jazz and adolescent reverie that was shelved for fear it would further upset the group's already bemused fanbase. This is unlikely territory for a band to re-evaluate. But that's exactly what they do on We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years, a new 73-track box set loosely hung around recordings Brian Wilson made in the group's Brother Studio from 1976 to 1977.
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This is not the Beach Boys box set to win over doubters and welcome newbies to the band. It covers one of the least renowned periods in the Beach Boys' history. Love You has, over the years, gained a cult following, but for a long time it was a curio that fans tended to explore many years into their Brian Wilson obsession: It was the band's 21st studio album and, back then, it probably only just edged into their top 20 best. This was a period when the Beach Boys powered down blind alley after blind alley in search of their lost mojo, and the decision to go full orchestral swing, on Adult/Child songs like “Life Is for the Living,” wasn't one of their best.
And yet, for all these reasons, 1976 to 1977 is among the most fascinating periods of the Beach Boys' career, a time when songwriting brilliance and mythical vocal interplay met Wilson's rudderless genius and a desire to expand the band's sound in ways that looked to both the future and past of pop music. The counterpoint to the sharp, “Surfin' U.S.A.”-style early Beach Boys is not Pet Sounds' baroque pop arrangement; it's “Mona”'s rough synth swing next to “Johnny Carson”'s rollicking boogie and very literal lyrics about Ed McMahon, sequenced in a way that probably has only ever made sense to Brian Wilson circa 1976.
Throughout Brian Wilson's psychological torment, he still wrote excellent songs. And the Beach Boys, for all their sometimes grating complaints about his output, kept singing them, delivering incredible vocal harmony even when they didn't fully grasp the material. Love You is historically important for its pioneering use of synths and Moog-heavy production, like David Bowie's Low on Californian zinfandel. But it also contains stunning pop songs that shine through the novelty. “The Night Was So Young” is a touching tale of thwarted love, sung like a nostalgic angel by Carl Wilson; “Let's Put Our Hearts Together” is a charming duet between Brian and his then-wife Marilyn, which runs warm through the veins like love itself.
Adult/Child is similarly haphazard. On the box set, the disc is titled the Adult/Child Sessions in reference, perhaps, to the fact that it misses a couple of songs generally thought to belong on the lost album. “Life Is for the Living,” with its gratingly peppy lyrics and jaunty swing, would almost certainly have been better as a Frank Sinatra record, for whom some of the songs on Adult/Child were apparently intended, while “Deep Purple” and “New England Waltz” are unpalatable schmaltz. “It's Over Now” and “Still I Dream of It,” on the other hand, are among Brian Wilson's greatest songs. Their elegant, time-worn melodies point to an unrealized future where the Beach Boys mutated into a creatively vibrant pop act of the third age, with death at their elbow and a mind full of memories.
That both these songs have already been released, on the Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys box set in 1993, points to the slightly awkward position in which We Gotta Groove finds itself. The Beach Boys have an incredibly deep catalog of unreleased material. But anyone with enough interest in an unreleased Beach Boys album from 1977 will have already sought it out online, and the unreleased songs on We Gotta Groove aren't as strong as on the recent glut of Beach Boys box sets like 1967 - Sunshine Tomorrow and Feel Flows.
The dozen 15 Big Ones Outtakes are essentially 12 Slightly Smaller Ones, a handful of rock'n'roll covers that add very little to vintage songs like “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and “Mony Mony,” alongside “Short Skirts,” a lower-middling Brian Wilson original, and a handful of backing track mixes. The outtakes and alternate mixes of Love You are largely for completists, while Brian's cassette demos from the same period are moving in their distressed beauty. But they are fundamentally solitary works rather than representing the Beach Boys' gilded group dynamic, bereft of the band's powerful harmonic interplay.
But there is unreleased gold in there. “Sherry She Needs Me,” a Love You outtake with a long history, showcases Brian Wilson's voice at its most lost and lovely, as it curls up against the comforting radiance of the band's fraternally perfect backing vocals with the distinct air of Pet Sounds reverie. “Everybody Wants to Live,” one of the Adult/Child tracks that hasn't seen the light of day, is lavish and wistful, like a synth-y Surf's Up. And “We Gotta Groove” and “Shortenin' Bread” give us the Beach Boys at their most sloppily, gloriously funky.
The undeniable highlights, though, are the 1974–1977 outtakes. “Holy Man (2025 Mix Carl Wilson Vocal),” a song whose existence seems to have surprised most fans, is an elegiac take on a great tumbling wave of a Dennis Wilson track that was originally intended for his Pacific Ocean Blue album. “Carl's Song 2 (Angel Come Home) (2025 Mix)” is an embryonic instrumental version of a song that would turn up on L.A. (Light Album), its velvety guitar ambience like the Durutti Column crossed with the Eagles; and “String Bass Song (Rainbows) (2025 Mix)” tastes like heartbreak in an expensive hotel suite.
Raked over like this, We Gotta Groove sounds like an academic exercise, a foot-noted path to explore one of the wildest times in Beach Boys history and make some sense of their bizarre choices. It's an artifact, too, a multi-disc object for Beach Boys obsessives to fawn over. But the streaming era, for all its woes, has opened up what would once be little-heard historical documents like We Gotta Groove to an audience of interested, rather than merely hardcore, fans. And, shorn of all context and dusty import, We Gotta Groove still works. You'd have to be in a particularly loose frame of mind to listen to it top to tail; but there is enough of the Beach Boys' singular genius—perhaps the expression in pop of a musical mind pulled to and fro by the heavy weathers of psychological torment—to deliver. This is the Beach Boys at their best, their worst, and most frustratingly human—just like we want them to be.
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By
Charisma Madarang
Following an exodus of talent who have left the Wasserman Group talent agency after emails between founder Casey Wasserman and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell were revealed in the Justice Department's latest tranche of documents, pressure for the founder to step down came to a boiling point in recent days. On Friday, Wasserman announced that he was selling the company as he had become a “distraction” to the business he founded 24 years ago.
In a memo sent to Wasserman agency employees and obtained by Rolling Stone, the founder apologized for his “past personal mistakes” that have caused “so much discomfort.” “It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about,” he added.
Wasserman acknowledged the “pain experienced by the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is unimaginable,” and reiterated claims that his interactions with Epstein were limited a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 and “a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending.”
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The recent batch of Epstein files unveiled salacious emails exchanged between Wasserman and Maxwell years before Epstein's criminal behavior came to light. In one of the messages, Wasserman asked Maxwell, “What do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?” In a separate message dated April 1, 2003, he asked, “Where are you, I miss you. I will be in nyc for 4 days starting april 22…can we book that massage now?”
Maxwell wrote back, “All that rubbing – are you sure you can take it?” and, “There are a few spots that apparently drive a man wild – I suppose I could practise them on you.” Maxwell mentioned being in Brazil and asked Wasserman if he had ever been. He responded, “Never…take me!”
Maxwell was later convicted of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors between 1994 and 2004. Wasserman has not been accused of any criminal activity.
In his memo on Friday, Wasserman wrote, “I'm heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship over the past days and weeks.” The founder praised the agency's 4,000 employees, calling them “the absolute best in the business” and said their clients “expect – and deserve – world-class representation.
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“At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts. That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.” In the interim, Mike Watts, the company's chief operating officer, will assume day-to-day control of the business. Wasserman, who still serves as the chairman and president of the LA28 Olympic committee, wrote in his note that he will devote his “full attention to delivering Los Angeles an Olympic Games in 2028 that is worthy of this outstanding city.” The LA28 executive committee said on Wednesday that Wasserman will continue leading preparations for the Summer Games despite calls for him to step down.
Before signing off, he added, “I'm beyond proud of what this company has accomplished to date and excited to watch its next chapter.”
Over the past week, Chappell Roan, Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino, Weyes Blood, Chelsea Cutler, Wednesday, Water From Your Eyes, Orville Peck, and Beach Bunny have cut ties with the Wasserman Group. “I hold my teams to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well,” Roan told fans in her announcement. “No artist, agent, or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”
As previously reported by Rolling Stone, Wasserman had found himself in an untenable situation internally in recent months. Having been confronted by executive leadership in an intervention-like setting prior to the latest release of documents (reports of his association with Maxwell began circulating in 2024), and questioned about the nature of his relationship with Epstein, Wasserman assured his senior staff that “there's nothing else” that would come out and implicate him with the Epstein-Maxwell trials, according to one person privy to the meeting. Then, the emails in the latest Epstein files dropped, leaving his closest associates feeling betrayed, says the source.
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Casey Wasserman, the grandson of late Hollywood mogul Lew Wasserman, first made his name in the sports agency sector. He launched Wasserman Media Group after graduating from UCLA, building its roster to include leagues and players spanning basketball, baseball, and soccer, among other sports. An interest in the live music space would bring him to the attention of Paradigm's Tom Gores, who was looking to sell the agency's music vertical. The acquisition would bring to Wasserman a slew of new music clients, including arena- and stadium-fillers Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar, Phish, and Dave Matthews, along with hundreds of smaller acts across all genres, and especially in indie rock.
In a way, Wasserman, by virtue of his last name, was no stranger to scandal. Lew Wasserman, who transformed the Hollywood agency business in the Sixties and Seventies as head of MCA, weathered anti-trust scrutiny and criticism of perceived Washington-Hollywood collusion. And as Casey Wasserman detailed to The Hollywood Reporter in a 2025 cover story, his father, from whom he was estranged, was convicted of money laundering. “My biological father was about as bad a human being as you could imagine,” said Wasserman.
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Casey Wasserman's own appearance as a bold-faced name also preceded the Epstein debacle by more than a year. On Aug. 1, 2024, The Daily Mail featured an expose on Wasserman alleging the executive engaged in inappropriate relationships with female staffers. He disputed the facts laid out in the article, but the damage was done when it came to one marquee client: Billie Eilish, who would decamp to rival WME two weeks later.
This article was updated on Feb. 14, 2026, at 1:25 a.m. ET to include additional background.
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By Dominic Patten
Executive Editor, Legal, Labor & Politics
A besieged Casey Wasserman is putting his entire talent and marketing agency on the auction block as the fallout from revelations of his relationships with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell continue to batter the LA28 chair.
“This organization, its leadership and the entire team mean the world to me,” Wasserman said in a memo to staff today two weeks after his carnal 2003 correspondence with presently incarcerated sex offender Maxwell became public. “Our 4,000 employees are the absolute best in the business. I see you put it all on the line for your clients every day. Our clients expect – and deserve – world-class representation. And that's exactly what they get because of all of you.”
Despite clients heading for the exit doors, rumblings of a LA28 board uprising (that eventually fizzled out), and talk around town of internal and external efforts to offload various divisions of the agency, sources close to Wasserman have been insisting for weeks he would never sell the organization he started 20 years ago. Now, in an industry where the truth is almost always a negotiated asset, that is clearly not the case as Wasserman apologized again Friday and sought to reframe his move as being to serve the City of Angel's Olympic goals even more.
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The truth is a little different.
The facts are that in the past 48 hours, big bands like Phish have been kicking the tires of seeking new representation. Add to that, execs at the Brad Pitt-representing Brillstein Entertainment Partners have openly discussed a pathway out too as Wasserman's flurry of connections with the very well-connected and now toxic Epstein became public and the backlash intensified.
Read Casey Wasserman's full memo below on selling his agency
“At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts,” Wasserman added late Friday of his ability to run his companies in the Epstein Files aftermath, echoing terms used by clients and L.A. politicians over the past two weeks since the massive document dump by Donald Trump‘s DOJ. “That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.”
Wasserman has received the ongoing support of IOC brass earlier this month and then the unanimous backing of his handpicked Los Angeles Olympics board on February 11. Yet, he and his Wasserman company have also seen superstars like Chappell Roan and soccer legend Abby Wambach exit over concerns about “moral values” for his association with the now dead pedophile and his jailed procurer. In that context, a number of the recipients of Friday's memo include more than a few agents who have been publicly talking about moving to another organization or seeing if they can purchase parts of the Providence Equity Partners-back Wasserman group themselves.
Soon to likely to be in pieces like a Tinseltown version of Alexander the Great's empire after his death, Wasserman's 2002-formed company took a giant leap up in 2021 with the acquisition of the Paradigm Talent Agency. As Wasserman devoted more and more time to the successful L.A. Olympic bid that he had spearheaded, the rapid growth of his business was rocket fueled by the 2023 buy of management heavyweights Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
All of that, plus the music, sports and branding units are on the table for the highest or fastest bidder to scoop up. As Wasserman himself and others whoop it up at NBA All-Star Weekend events ahead of Sunday's big game(s) at the Intuit Dome, smartphones all over the 310, 213, 818 and 323 area codes region must be lighting up with a combo of “WTF?” and “Are you interested?”
Subject to bad timing, bad judgement and more, Wasserman has proven more collateral damage to himself and his companies in a scandal of financier Epstein and a perverted elite. A scandal upon scandals that has rocked governments, media, corporations and the very rich over the abuse and trafficking of young women over decades.
“Hopefully by now you know the facts about my limited interactions with those two individuals,” the grandson of legendary Hollywood chief Lew Wasserman proclaimed of Epstein and Maxwell in his note to employees tonight. “It was years before their criminal conduct came to light, and, in its entirety, consisted of one humanitarian trip to Africa and a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending. And I'm heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship over the past days and weeks.”
“Hardship” might be considered a very circumspect way of putting it.
Sports marketing and talent agency founder Wasserman left supporters and staff blindsided when a collection of seemingly adulterous and compromising emails from over 20 years ago between himself and press baron offspring Maxwell emerged on January 30 among the millions of heavily-redacted pages and images on Epstein. Less than 24 hours after the DOJ document dump, as Wasserman prepared to head to Italy for the opening of the XXV Winter Olympics Games, his PR team put out a circumspect statement insisting the exec was “terribly sorry for having any association” with the 2019 deceased Epstein and Maxwell.
Today's memo reiterates much of that sentiment, and may not be the last shoe to drop.
Currently estimated at costing just over $7 billion and growing, the 2028 Summer Olympics in the City of Angels will take place from July 14-30 two years from now.
See Casey Wasserman's memo to staff about selling his agency here:
Team:I wanted to write to you all directly to share a few important updates. Over the past couple of weeks, I have spoken to many of you directly – and I wish I could have spoken with each and every one of you because you all have put your hearts and souls into this incredible organization.First and foremost, I want to apologize to you. I'm deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about.The pain experienced by the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is unimaginable – and I'm glad, as I'm sure you all are, that those who helped them commit their crimes are rightly being held accountable. Hopefully by now you know the facts about my limited interactions with those two individuals. It was years before their criminal conduct came to light, and, in its entirety, consisted of one humanitarian trip to Africa and a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending. And I'm heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship over the past days and weeks.Other than my children and my fiancée, there are two things that matter most to me in this world: this company that I founded 24 years ago, and the dream I've pursued for more than a decade of bringing the Olympic Games back to the city I love.This organization, its leadership and the entire team mean the world to me. Our 4,000 employees are the absolute best in the business. I see you put it all on the line for your clients every day. Our clients expect – and deserve – world-class representation. And that's exactly what they get because of all of you.At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts. That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway. During this time, Mike Watts will assume day-to-day control of the business while I devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles an Olympic Games in 2028 that is worthy of this outstanding city.I so appreciate the passion and fight you bring to your jobs. It's why you succeed. I'm beyond proud of what this company has accomplished to date and excited to watch its next chapter.All my best,Casey
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He's selling his company and the guy in the “Oral Office” is selling America.
Everyone who traveled with or hung out with Epstein knew what he was, and in my opinion, these people should be shunned by the rest of us, regardless of their political affiliation — the Epstein scandal transcends politics and that's why people from all across the political spectrum are condemning all who associated with this monster.
He has about another week before LA28 lets him go.
What else can he do, all his clients are leaving to avoid any bad optics. It's either do this or watch it all burn. And it might already be too late.
Not long for the Olympics, either
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The star, who received the ASCAP Founders Award in recognition of his musical accomplishments, also reminisced about his salad days of busking on subway platforms.
By
Ryan Gajewski
Senior Entertainment Reporter
Adam Sandler was a guest of honor at the 2026 ASCAP Experience on Thursday, where the star admitted that music, even more than comedy, has been his top passion throughout his career.
Sandler accepted the ASCAP Founders Award to recognize his contributions as a songwriter and performer, following in the footsteps of such previous recipients as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Carly Simon, Dr. Dre and Tom Petty. ASCAP president and chair Paul Williams and chief executive officer Elizabeth Matthews introduced Sandler, who came to the podium following a video highlighting his musical performances from Saturday Night Live, his comedy specials and such features as The Wedding Singer and Billy Madison.
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“Comedy wasn't first,” he told the crowd about his early creative pursuits. He shared memories of starting a band at age 12 and then learning to play Beatles songs on guitar. “I always used music. It's always made me the happiest.”
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The honoree went on to note that his daughters — Sadie Sandler, 19, and Sunny Sandler, 17 — have carried on his passion for music. The pair starred with their dad in Netflix's You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, among other projects.
“Both of my daughters, they jam in the house all day long like I used to,” the Happy Gilmore 2 actor said. “I walked by last night, and my one kid's playing the piano, writing a song. My other kid's in New York now. Every time I visit her, all her friends are like, ‘All she does is play guitar all day long.' It's really cool. Music's the best.”
As Williams stood on stage with Sandler, the Jay Kelly star recalled making extra money busking with his guitar at subway stations in Manhattan while he was attending NYU and starting to pursue stand-up.
“It was always nerve-racking,” Sandler said of playing for fellow subway passengers. He pointed out that he would get attention when performing the Carpenters' 1970 hit that Williams co-wrote: “I used to play ‘We've Only Just Begun' on guitar and sing that all the time. Always the showstopper. Always changed everybody's moods — maybe they just didn't like the way I sang it.”
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Expressing what we can't help but think of as the “making a movie for several tens of millions of dollars” equivalent of an apparently incurable verbal tic, Hollywood has decided it's just got to reboot the Charlie's Angels franchise as a movie. Again.
This is per THR, which reports that Sony has apparently put a new film version of the classic '70s cheesefest into early development, following some deep, unknowable, and possibly tidal Tinseltown whim. Although Sony itself is in “no comment” mode on the project, THR reports that Peter Chiarelli—a writer whose biggest job prior to this was on Crazy Rich Asians, and who has a “story by” credit on Sony's current animated feature Goat—is being tapped to write this latest version of the story.
We'll be honest here, folks: This one has us flummoxed. It's not like Charlie's Angels hasn't been a workable brand at some point in living memory: The original show was wildly popular back in its day, and the 2000 film, directed by McG, managed to be a pretty fun time by dint of not getting in the way of Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu's goofball energy. But subsequent efforts to keep the series going really don't seem to have paid off on producers' beliefs that the Angels brand has some sort of inherent staying power. The 2003 sequel Full Throttle performed decently at the box office, but a 2011 attempt to bring the Angels back on TV crashed out after less than a single season. And while we wouldn't argue that Elizabeth Banks' 2019 film reboot is entirely dire—if nothing else, Patrick Stewart and Kristen Stewart are both having a lot of fun playing various genre tropes—it was also a notorious box office bomb.
Are we simply underestimating film execs' belief that you can make a bankable movie out of any name that most of the people on the planet have heard of? Or is Chiarelli sitting on some dynamite idea to make “young, attractive women solve crimes or do spy stuff or whatever” really pop? Is it a rights thing? What sound echoes in the modern film executive's mind, that tells them that they will be the ones to make Charlie's Angels work for more than a single film at a time? Is it the flapping of angel's wings? Or those of some kind of cinematic, feminism-lite Icarus? Regardless, here we are: They'll probably outlive us all.
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Authorities have recovered DNA from Nancy Guthrie's Arizona home that doesn't belong to anyone “close” to her as the investigation into her disappearance continues.
“DNA other than Nancy Guthrie's and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property. Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to,” the Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a Friday update.
The department declined to disclose where the DNA was discovered.
Earlier this week, it was reported that law officials took DNA samples from hired workers around Guthrie's residence.
On Wednesday, authorities discovered a suspicious black glove similar to the one Nancy Guthrie's suspected kidnapper used during her abduction near her property.
In their Friday update, PCSD addressed the cops' recent findings, saying “several” gloves have been recovered during their investigation.
“The closest gloves were found approximately two miles from the home. Reports that a glove was found inside the residence or on the property are inaccurate,” reads the statement.
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Law enforcement officials went on to share that the collected evidence has been submitted for laboratory analysis.
In collaboration with the FBI, the evidence has been sent to the “same out-of-state lab that has been utilized since the beginning of this case,” they said as reports of clashes between the teams came out Friday.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department continued to emphasize that they will “continue to follow up on all leads” and added that the suspect description posted by the FBI earlier this week “remains a key focus.”
“However, investigators are not ruling out any individuals or possibilities. No suspect vehicles have been identified. We ask the public to continue submitting actionable tips. All submitted videos are being reviewed,” they said.
On Thursday, FBI Phoenix shared on X that the suspect is a male who's approximately 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10, with an average build. He carried a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack with him.
The agency also announced that it would be increasing its reward up to $100,000 “for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.”
Nancy, the 84-year-old mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since Feb. 1. She was last seen on Jan. 31 around 9:45 p.m. after having dinner with some family members.
Her son-in-law, Tomasso Cioni, was the last person to see the grandmother when he dropped her off at home shortly before police believe she was taken while sleeping in the middle of the night.
FBI released disturbing photos of an “armed individual” in a mask at Nancy's front door on Tuesday.
According to cops, the suspect appeared to tamper with the camera on her front porch.
By
Charisma Madarang
A lone blanket belonging to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly led to a poor U.S. Coast Guard pilot being fired, then soon rehired, after it was forgotten on a plane.
In a wide-ranging story by The Wall Street Journal — which explores the “constant chaos inside DHS” amid a federal immigration crackdown and Noem's alleged rivalry with Trump's border czar Tom Homan, among other things — her relationship with close adviser Corey Lewandowski came under scrutiny and their alleged penchant for firing DHS employees or putting them on administrative leave. According to WSJ, the pair have “fired or demoted roughly 80% of the career ICE field leadership that was in place when they started.”
During the blanket debacle, a maintenance issue reportedly forced her to switch planes, but, alas, Noem's blanket didn't make the trip and was left behind. The Coast Guard pilot was allegedly fired by Lewandowski after the unforgivable faux pas and told to hitch a commercial flight home, but was quickly reinstated when it dawned on those in power that no one else could fly them back.
A rep for DHS did not immediately reply to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment. WSJ said that while a spokeswoman did not address the alleged incident, the rep said that Noem has “made personnel decisions to deliver excellence.”
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Elsewhere in the report, the publication claimed that Noem and Lewandowski have launched a “rehabilitation tour” following public backlash over the secretary's handing of the immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis and the fatal shooting by federal agents of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse in the intensive care unit of a local V.A. hospital, and Renee Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother of three on her way home from school drop-off. Following the tragedies, Noem falsely claimed that Pretti “committed an act of domestic terrorism” before he killed. Trump eventually sent Homan to take charge in Minnesota, who announced on Thursday that the Trump administration would end the immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Amid her alleged battle for clout, Noem reportedly scolded staff if she saw Homan on TV and kept track of both their appearances to make sure she got more screen time.
The WSJ report also mentions that Noem and Lewandowski's close relationship has made the president and his top advisers “uncomfortable.” Both Lewandowski and Noem are married and publicly denied the reports of an affair.
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By Nellie Andreeva
Editor-In-Chief
EXCLUSIVE: Tèa Leoni is returning to broadcast — and multi-camera comedy — with a starring role in NBC‘s pilot Newlyweds, co-created by Gail Lerner and Jamie Lee Curtis. Landing Leoni, who had multiple pilot offers, firmed up Newlyweds‘ green light, which had been cast-contingent, clearing the project for production.
Written by Lerner, Newlyweds is a later-in-life love story about a free-spirited woman, Jeanie (Leoni), and a buttoned-up professor who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship.
Lerner and Curtis executive produce alongside Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Scott Schwartz and Lionsgate Television. Leoni is a producer. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.
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As Deadline reported, the project was once set up at Netflix with Curtis attached to star as the female lead. She is expected to take on a supporting/guest role in the NBC incarnation.
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After a stint as the female lead on the short-lived Fox sitcom Flying Blind, Leoni headlined her own multi-camera comedy series, the 1995 The Naked Truth, which ran for three seasons, one on ABC and two on NBC.
Leoni went on to star in the CBS drama series Madam Secretary, which aired for six seasons. Since returning to acting a couple of years ago following a break, she did a season-long arc on the most recent fifth season of Hulu's Only Murders In the Building after first appearing in the Season 4 finale.
Newlyweds marks Leoni's first multi-camera comedy since The Naked Truth. It is one of two multi-cam pilots at NBC this season, along with an untitled Kari Lizer project starring Katey Sagal and Jane Lynch.
Leoni, also recently seen opposite Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega in the film Death of a Unicorn, which premiered at the 2025 SXSW, is repped by Gersh and attorney Peter Nelson.
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Well now Tim Daly HAS to play the professor
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By Jill Goldsmith
Co-Business Editor
Amid a rising storm of angst over AI video, Disney fired off a cease and desist letter to China's ByteDance for stocking its new Seedance 2.0 platform “with a pirated library of Disney's copyrighted characters” as the platform treats Disney IP from Star Wars to Marvel to Family Guy as if it was “free public domain clip art.”
Axios was the first to report the letter from Disney, which follows Seedance 2.0 backlash from the Motion Picture Association and, earlier today, the Human Artistry Campaign, whose members include SAG-AFTRA and the DGA.
“ByteDance's virtual smash-and-grab of Disney's IP is willful, pervasive, and totally unacceptable,” wrote the entertainment giant's counsel.
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The Human Artistry Campaign called Seedance 2.0, which the parent company of TikTok launched this week, “an attack on every creator around the world. Stealing human creators' work in an attempt to replace them with AI-generated slop is destructive to our culture: stealing isn't innovation.”
Seedance triggered the outrage in record time after a series of highly authentic-looking deepfakes based on copyrighted Hollywood film and TV IP went viral, led by a Tom Cruise vs Brad Pitt fight scene and including alternative endings to the series Stranger Things and much more.
On Wednesday, the MPA called on ByteDance “to immediately cease its infringing activity.”
“In a single day, the Chinese AI service Seedance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale. By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs,” said the studio trade group.
Disney sent a similar cease and desist letter to Google in December and, as Deadline reported recently, its tools including Gemini and Nano Banana, have now started denying prompts that contain Disney-owned characters.
Separately, seeking a piece of the growing market, Disney signed a $1 billion deal with OpenAI to licensing characters to the generative video app Sora.
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Good for China.
Capitalism, man. Good ol' healthy competition.
Cope and seethe.
Disney complaining about IP theft while partnering with OpenAI whose technology was built on the same is peak capitalism.
NOW they're sending letters, after they made a billion dollar deal.
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A woman told reporter Tony Ortega that the singer sent her inappropriate clips after she congratulated him on his new album.
By
Hannah Dailey
Evan Dando of The Lemonheads has been hospitalized for mental health issues following recent allegations he sent a fan unwanted sexual content.
In a statement shared with Billboard Friday (Feb. 13), a representative said that the grunge rocker was seeking treatment. “Evan Dando has long struggled with mental health issues dating back to his childhood,” it read. “He's been admitted to a local hospital where he's receiving comprehensive help from experienced doctors and mental health professionals.”
The news comes shortly after an anonymous fan claimed that the singer-songwriter had sent her unsolicited and inappropriate videos. As reported by journalist Tony Ortega on his Underground Bunker Substack, the fan — whose husband reached out to Ortega, and whom the reporter referred to as “Dawn” — claims to have simply congratulated Dando on releasing new album Love Chant this past October when, after a brief exchange, she received footage the musician had allegedly filmed of himself masturbating.
Speaking to Billboard over the phone, Dando's wife, Antonia Teixeira, provided more context. According to her, the musician — who has been open about his past struggles with addiction — had been wrestling with periods of heavy drinking and prescription drug abuse for several years before suffering a mental episode earlier this year. She believes he then relapsed and ingested high amounts of Adderall, mushrooms and TCH at once earlier in February, after which he began exchanging sexual videos with numerous women on X — one of whom happened to have the same name as the woman who claimed to have received one of the videos unsolicited. Teixeira believes that he confused the woman who made the accusation with the other woman he was already receiving sexual videos from.
“He betrayed me … I'm very pissed, and I think that no women deserve to go through that, and I'm very sympathetic to that lady,” Teixeira said, noting that she's already spoken to the woman who made the allegation and apologized. “He doesn't remember what happened to start with … he was totally out of his mind.”
After discovering that Dando had been sending and receiving the explicit videos, Teixeira says she decided to take him to a mental health treatment center in Brazil, where they live. She added that while she loves her husband, she gave him an ultimatum before he was admitted; if he doesn't complete the treatment, which she thinks will take at least 30 days, she'll get a divorce.
Billboard has reached out to Dando's rep for comment on Teixeira's account of what happened.
Dando previously wrote about his experiences with addiction in his 2025 memoir, Rumors of My Demise. Though he quit using heroin, speed and cocaine after spending time in rehab in late 2021, Dando told The New York Times last year that he was still taking “over-the-counter” substances.
“I don't believe God meant us to be sober,” he told the publication, which noted he'd “clutched a pre-rolled joint in his left hand for the duration of the interview” at the time. “Why would monks make booze? I just know that heroin is really, really satanic for me.”
Shortly after publishing Rumors of My Demise, The Lemonheads' Love Chant dropped, marking the band's first album of original music in 19 years. “We've been around so long that it's almost like a grudging respect — like the ugly building or the old hooker that just won't go away, so people have to deal with it,” Dando said candidly in an interview with Billboard shortly after it was released. “I love that. It's a very human quality, this dogged refusal to give up.”
The Lemonheads have scored a handful of hits on Billboard‘s alternative charts, as well as four entries on the Billboard 200. The band's song “Into Your Arms” also reached No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993.
If you or anyone you know is in need of support after experiencing sexual harassment, assault or abuse, reach out to RAINN — which is available 24/7 online, via phone at 800-656-HOPE or text 64673 — for live, confidential help and resources.
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In what we can only assume was a joint project with The Council For Bad Sentences to find a string of words that would finally knock us stone-cold fucking dead, Variety reports today that Doug Liman's Pete Davidson-starring biopic about the creator of Bitcoin will apparently be filmed in an artificial intelligence-painted void, as genAI tech is used to “adjust” actors' performances rather than bother paying for reshoots.
Everybody still with us? Need a glass of water? Some orange slices? We got orange slices for anyone who needs 'em.
In any case: Liman's film, Killing Satoshi, has been in the works since last year, when Davidson and Casey Affleck were attached to star. (The film centers around “Satoshi Nakamoto,” an anonymous person or persons foundational to the creation of the cryptocurrency back in the late 2000s—and who purportedly still has control of the “genesis” Bitcoin wallet that now contains what is currently about $75 billion in crypto.) The film caught renewed attention a few days ago, though, when a recent casting notice included some disclaimers that raised numerous red flags, i.e., that anyone who wanted to be in the movie would be giving consent for producers to “change, add to, take from, translate, reformat or reprocess” performances using “generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and/or machine learning technologies.”
(In fact, the original notice also included a disclaimer that participants would “acknowledge they may be sharing scenes with AI-generated performers,” although producers have now stated that this was inaccurate, and that all actors in the film are real people—even if they will be, uh, tweaked.)
Even without the thought of Tilly Norwood suddenly popping up behind you like the ghost in the machine, though, this thing still sounds pretty hellish to film: Variety quotes sources saying that Liman intends to forego such trivialities as backgrounds or scenery, instead using AI tech to paint everything in in post. (The casting notice states that filming will happen on a “markerless performative capture stage and not in any locations, using new Al technologies.”) And if they don't like anyone's performance? Well, “They won't be made to say anything they didn't say, but let's say the way they said it in conjunction with the movement doesn't look perfect, you wouldn't need to reshoot it. We'd just use AI to make it look better.” Charming!
Ryan Kavanaugh, a veteran Hollywood guy who's a producer on the film, has fallen back on the old “cost-cutting” excuse for all this, noting that he and Liman are trying to do this bad thing they're determined to do in a thoughtful, responsible way. “We were very cautious, sensitive, and overly protective of our actors to make sure we only use performance capture AI which means that we will not have any AI-generated actors that do not exist,” Kavanaugh said in a statement. “AI is a tool we're using to make the filmmaking process more efficient while maintaining all department heads' jobs, all actor jobs, and hopefully helping to grow the industry in a positive way.”
Recommended for You1Let's find out how weird techbros can be in this exclusive teaser for AMC's The Audacity2Deadpool & Wolverine writer thinks Hollywood's "over" after seeing another crappy AI video3Whether or not you speak Spanish, there's no misunderstanding what Bad Bunny meant4It's time to lower the curtain: The Muppet shows that weren't5Wonder Man nods to the MCU without feeling like homework
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Mehdi, who has spent decades debunking conspiracy theorists, is wondering whether he has become one himself, as the latest release of the Epstein files continues to reveal just how far-reaching Epstein's elite circle was.
Who better to help him and viewers make sense of it all than Zeteo contributor Naomi Klein – who authored the New York Times best-selling book, Doppleganger, which explores conspiracy theory culture and the forces that are driving real conspiracies (like the Epstein files). Yes, some conspiracies are indeed genuine!
In this first ‘Unshocked' episode of 2026, Naomi and Mehdi talk about how people come to believe conspiracy theories, and discuss what the latest Epstein file revelations say about power and wealth, and of course, the people named in it. The conversation is insightful, impassioned, and wide-ranging, and tackles how the left should deal with conspiracy theories.
A few of the topics they cover include:
The difference between real conspiratorial plots and “conspiracy grifters” like Alex Jones and Candace Owens
Steve Bannon's use of faux conspiracy theories to distract from the revelations about his own involvement with Epstein
“The conspiracy that is capitalism”
Epstein's relationships with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel
What Epstein represented to the “Davos class” (“He could let them act on their impunity.”)
Naomi also manages to offer viewers hope. “What they [the Epstein class] fear most is these mass movements leading eventually to some kind of accountability. I think we should actually give them what they're afraid of.”
Share
Paid subscribers can watch the entire 35-minute conversation between Mehdi and Naomi. Free subscribers can watch a 4-minute preview. Consider upgrading to a paid subscription today to support the work Zeteo does, and to never hit a paywall again.
And, if you like this conversation, then good news: ‘Unshocked' is finally back for 2026! Be on the lookout for more episodes from Naomi and Mehdi coming your way soon, as they pull viewers “out of shock” through analysis, facts, and history.
You can also listen to ‘Unshocked' wherever you get your podcasts.
Spotify:
Apple Podcasts:
Check out Zeteo's other recent stories:
By
Avispita Saha
Last Updated:
Feb 14, 2026 | 20:07:59 IST
The Conjuring franchise began in 2013, and has since spawned a number of sequels, prequels and spin-offs. Notably, it consists of four films in the main series: The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), and The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025). As horror fans might already be aware, all of these stories are loosely based on real cases investigated by renowned paranormal investigators, Ed Warren and his wife, Lorraine Warren. Now, it is worth mentioning that fans of The Conjuring Universe in India have been having a jolly (and spooky) time since the last instalment of the franchise, The Conjuring: Last Rites, released on OTT on February 13, 2026. Continue reading to learn how the movie ends. (Spoilers ahead).
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The plotline of The Conjuring: Last Rites
The Conjuring: Last Rites begins with a flashback in which we see 'Ed' (Patrick Wilson) and 'Lorraine Warren' (Vera Farmiga) tackling a paranormal case involving a haunted mirror. The case soon comes to a standstill when 'Lorraine', who is heavily pregnant at the time with 'Judy', is induced to give birth after she sees a terrifying vision. It is worth noting that during her labour, 'Lorraine' is haunted by a demonic presence. Now, when 'Lorraine's' baby is born, she comes out as a 'stillborn'. By some miracle, however, she returns to life when 'Lorraine' takes her daughter into her arms.
ADVT.
ADVT.
TRENDING NOW
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Jumping back to the present, 'Judy' (Mia Thompson) is an adult who even has a fiancé. The 'Warrens' have aged significantly, and to everyone's surprise, have stepped away from the paranormal world. One of the major reasons for the same is 'Ed's' poor health. Secondly, ‘Lorraine' has also developed serious trauma from all that she has experienced in life while dealing with the paranormal. She appears to be afraid that, similar to her, ‘Judy' has inherited the power of seeing visions. To help ‘Judy' effectively suppress her ‘dark side', ‘Lorraine' teaches her a nursery rhyme.
advertisement
Despite this, what propels the movie is when ‘Judy' meets up with the ‘Smurl' family. Apparently, the family, who live in Pennsylvania, begins experiencing severe paranormal activity after acquiring an antique mirror, which turns out to be the same haunted mirror frame from the beginning of the film. 'Judy' convinces her parents to take on their case and help stop whatever is haunting the family.
ADVT.
The Conjuring: Last Rites ending explained
As The Conjuring: Last Rites nears its end, ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' Warren engage in a fight with the haunted mirror. Amid this, ‘Lorraine' realises that by teaching ‘Judy' (who becomes possessed by the demon and tries to harm herself and her parents) how to suppress her visions, she is passing down her own bad habits to her daughter. Following her realisation, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Judy' to completely embrace them and not push them away. By allowing herself to use the power of clairvoyance and with the help of her family, ‘Judy', ‘Ed', and ‘Lorraine' successfully vanquish the demon. It is worth noting that prior to this, ‘Ed' had tried to take the mirror off the ‘Smurl' family property, but couldn't be removed as it was too powerful. Even when he tried to perform an exorcism on the haunted mirror, it failed completely.
advertisement.
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Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites begins with a flashback in which we see 'Ed' (Patrick Wilson) and 'Lorraine Warren' (Vera Farmiga) tackling a paranormal case involving a haunted mirror. The case soon comes to a standstill when 'Lorraine', who is heavily pregnant at the time with 'Judy', is induced to give birth after she sees a terrifying vision. It is worth noting that during her labour, 'Lorraine' is haunted by a demonic presence. Now, when 'Lorraine's' baby is born, she comes out as a 'stillborn'. By some miracle, however, she returns to life when 'Lorraine' takes her daughter into her arms.
ADVT.
ADVT.
TRENDING NOW
advertisement
advertisement
Jumping back to the present, 'Judy' (Mia Thompson) is an adult who even has a fiancé. The 'Warrens' have aged significantly, and to everyone's surprise, have stepped away from the paranormal world. One of the major reasons for the same is 'Ed's' poor health. Secondly, ‘Lorraine' has also developed serious trauma from all that she has experienced in life while dealing with the paranormal. She appears to be afraid that, similar to her, ‘Judy' has inherited the power of seeing visions. To help ‘Judy' effectively suppress her ‘dark side', ‘Lorraine' teaches her a nursery rhyme.
advertisement
Despite this, what propels the movie is when ‘Judy' meets up with the ‘Smurl' family. Apparently, the family, who live in Pennsylvania, begins experiencing severe paranormal activity after acquiring an antique mirror, which turns out to be the same haunted mirror frame from the beginning of the film. 'Judy' convinces her parents to take on their case and help stop whatever is haunting the family.
ADVT.
The Conjuring: Last Rites ending explained
As The Conjuring: Last Rites nears its end, ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' Warren engage in a fight with the haunted mirror. Amid this, ‘Lorraine' realises that by teaching ‘Judy' (who becomes possessed by the demon and tries to harm herself and her parents) how to suppress her visions, she is passing down her own bad habits to her daughter. Following her realisation, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Judy' to completely embrace them and not push them away. By allowing herself to use the power of clairvoyance and with the help of her family, ‘Judy', ‘Ed', and ‘Lorraine' successfully vanquish the demon. It is worth noting that prior to this, ‘Ed' had tried to take the mirror off the ‘Smurl' family property, but couldn't be removed as it was too powerful. Even when he tried to perform an exorcism on the haunted mirror, it failed completely.
advertisement.
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Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
ADVT.
ADVT.
advertisement
advertisement
Jumping back to the present, 'Judy' (Mia Thompson) is an adult who even has a fiancé. The 'Warrens' have aged significantly, and to everyone's surprise, have stepped away from the paranormal world. One of the major reasons for the same is 'Ed's' poor health. Secondly, ‘Lorraine' has also developed serious trauma from all that she has experienced in life while dealing with the paranormal. She appears to be afraid that, similar to her, ‘Judy' has inherited the power of seeing visions. To help ‘Judy' effectively suppress her ‘dark side', ‘Lorraine' teaches her a nursery rhyme.
advertisement
Despite this, what propels the movie is when ‘Judy' meets up with the ‘Smurl' family. Apparently, the family, who live in Pennsylvania, begins experiencing severe paranormal activity after acquiring an antique mirror, which turns out to be the same haunted mirror frame from the beginning of the film. 'Judy' convinces her parents to take on their case and help stop whatever is haunting the family.
ADVT.
The Conjuring: Last Rites ending explained
As The Conjuring: Last Rites nears its end, ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' Warren engage in a fight with the haunted mirror. Amid this, ‘Lorraine' realises that by teaching ‘Judy' (who becomes possessed by the demon and tries to harm herself and her parents) how to suppress her visions, she is passing down her own bad habits to her daughter. Following her realisation, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Judy' to completely embrace them and not push them away. By allowing herself to use the power of clairvoyance and with the help of her family, ‘Judy', ‘Ed', and ‘Lorraine' successfully vanquish the demon. It is worth noting that prior to this, ‘Ed' had tried to take the mirror off the ‘Smurl' family property, but couldn't be removed as it was too powerful. Even when he tried to perform an exorcism on the haunted mirror, it failed completely.
advertisement.
Continue reading below
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Plot, Storyline, Early Reviews Of 'Assi', Here's What We Know About Anubhav Sinha's Courtroom Drama
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Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 17:30:18 IST
Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
advertisement
advertisement
Jumping back to the present, 'Judy' (Mia Thompson) is an adult who even has a fiancé. The 'Warrens' have aged significantly, and to everyone's surprise, have stepped away from the paranormal world. One of the major reasons for the same is 'Ed's' poor health. Secondly, ‘Lorraine' has also developed serious trauma from all that she has experienced in life while dealing with the paranormal. She appears to be afraid that, similar to her, ‘Judy' has inherited the power of seeing visions. To help ‘Judy' effectively suppress her ‘dark side', ‘Lorraine' teaches her a nursery rhyme.
advertisement
Despite this, what propels the movie is when ‘Judy' meets up with the ‘Smurl' family. Apparently, the family, who live in Pennsylvania, begins experiencing severe paranormal activity after acquiring an antique mirror, which turns out to be the same haunted mirror frame from the beginning of the film. 'Judy' convinces her parents to take on their case and help stop whatever is haunting the family.
ADVT.
The Conjuring: Last Rites ending explained
As The Conjuring: Last Rites nears its end, ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' Warren engage in a fight with the haunted mirror. Amid this, ‘Lorraine' realises that by teaching ‘Judy' (who becomes possessed by the demon and tries to harm herself and her parents) how to suppress her visions, she is passing down her own bad habits to her daughter. Following her realisation, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Judy' to completely embrace them and not push them away. By allowing herself to use the power of clairvoyance and with the help of her family, ‘Judy', ‘Ed', and ‘Lorraine' successfully vanquish the demon. It is worth noting that prior to this, ‘Ed' had tried to take the mirror off the ‘Smurl' family property, but couldn't be removed as it was too powerful. Even when he tried to perform an exorcism on the haunted mirror, it failed completely.
advertisement.
Continue reading below
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Plot, Storyline, Early Reviews Of 'Assi', Here's What We Know About Anubhav Sinha's Courtroom Drama
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 20:08:10 IST
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Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 18:28:00 IST
'Wuthering Heights' Ending Explained, What Happens To 'Heathcliff' After 'Catherine' Passes Away?
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 17:54:48 IST
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Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 17:30:18 IST
Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
advertisement
Despite this, what propels the movie is when ‘Judy' meets up with the ‘Smurl' family. Apparently, the family, who live in Pennsylvania, begins experiencing severe paranormal activity after acquiring an antique mirror, which turns out to be the same haunted mirror frame from the beginning of the film. 'Judy' convinces her parents to take on their case and help stop whatever is haunting the family.
ADVT.
The Conjuring: Last Rites ending explained
As The Conjuring: Last Rites nears its end, ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' Warren engage in a fight with the haunted mirror. Amid this, ‘Lorraine' realises that by teaching ‘Judy' (who becomes possessed by the demon and tries to harm herself and her parents) how to suppress her visions, she is passing down her own bad habits to her daughter. Following her realisation, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Judy' to completely embrace them and not push them away. By allowing herself to use the power of clairvoyance and with the help of her family, ‘Judy', ‘Ed', and ‘Lorraine' successfully vanquish the demon. It is worth noting that prior to this, ‘Ed' had tried to take the mirror off the ‘Smurl' family property, but couldn't be removed as it was too powerful. Even when he tried to perform an exorcism on the haunted mirror, it failed completely.
advertisement.
Continue reading below
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Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 17:30:18 IST
Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
advertisement
Despite this, what propels the movie is when ‘Judy' meets up with the ‘Smurl' family. Apparently, the family, who live in Pennsylvania, begins experiencing severe paranormal activity after acquiring an antique mirror, which turns out to be the same haunted mirror frame from the beginning of the film. 'Judy' convinces her parents to take on their case and help stop whatever is haunting the family.
ADVT.
The Conjuring: Last Rites ending explained
As The Conjuring: Last Rites nears its end, ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' Warren engage in a fight with the haunted mirror. Amid this, ‘Lorraine' realises that by teaching ‘Judy' (who becomes possessed by the demon and tries to harm herself and her parents) how to suppress her visions, she is passing down her own bad habits to her daughter. Following her realisation, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Judy' to completely embrace them and not push them away. By allowing herself to use the power of clairvoyance and with the help of her family, ‘Judy', ‘Ed', and ‘Lorraine' successfully vanquish the demon. It is worth noting that prior to this, ‘Ed' had tried to take the mirror off the ‘Smurl' family property, but couldn't be removed as it was too powerful. Even when he tried to perform an exorcism on the haunted mirror, it failed completely.
advertisement.
Continue reading below
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Plot, Storyline, Early Reviews Of 'Assi', Here's What We Know About Anubhav Sinha's Courtroom Drama
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 20:08:10 IST
Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 18:28:00 IST
'Wuthering Heights' Ending Explained, What Happens To 'Heathcliff' After 'Catherine' Passes Away?
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 17:54:48 IST
'Chatha Pacha' OTT Release Date, When And Where To Watch Roshan Mathew And Arjun Ashokan's Movie
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 17:30:18 IST
Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
ADVT.
The Conjuring: Last Rites ending explained
As The Conjuring: Last Rites nears its end, ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' Warren engage in a fight with the haunted mirror. Amid this, ‘Lorraine' realises that by teaching ‘Judy' (who becomes possessed by the demon and tries to harm herself and her parents) how to suppress her visions, she is passing down her own bad habits to her daughter. Following her realisation, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Judy' to completely embrace them and not push them away. By allowing herself to use the power of clairvoyance and with the help of her family, ‘Judy', ‘Ed', and ‘Lorraine' successfully vanquish the demon. It is worth noting that prior to this, ‘Ed' had tried to take the mirror off the ‘Smurl' family property, but couldn't be removed as it was too powerful. Even when he tried to perform an exorcism on the haunted mirror, it failed completely.
advertisement.
Continue reading below
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Plot, Storyline, Early Reviews Of 'Assi', Here's What We Know About Anubhav Sinha's Courtroom Drama
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 20:08:10 IST
Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 18:28:00 IST
'Wuthering Heights' Ending Explained, What Happens To 'Heathcliff' After 'Catherine' Passes Away?
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 17:54:48 IST
'Chatha Pacha' OTT Release Date, When And Where To Watch Roshan Mathew And Arjun Ashokan's Movie
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 17:30:18 IST
Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
ADVT.
As The Conjuring: Last Rites nears its end, ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' Warren engage in a fight with the haunted mirror. Amid this, ‘Lorraine' realises that by teaching ‘Judy' (who becomes possessed by the demon and tries to harm herself and her parents) how to suppress her visions, she is passing down her own bad habits to her daughter. Following her realisation, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Judy' to completely embrace them and not push them away. By allowing herself to use the power of clairvoyance and with the help of her family, ‘Judy', ‘Ed', and ‘Lorraine' successfully vanquish the demon. It is worth noting that prior to this, ‘Ed' had tried to take the mirror off the ‘Smurl' family property, but couldn't be removed as it was too powerful. Even when he tried to perform an exorcism on the haunted mirror, it failed completely.
advertisement.
Continue reading below
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Plot, Storyline, Early Reviews Of 'Assi', Here's What We Know About Anubhav Sinha's Courtroom Drama
Published: Feb 14, 2026 | 20:08:10 IST
Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
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Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
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The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
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Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
Ultimately, the film ends with the demon defeated and the haunting over. 'Judy' gets married to her fiancé, ‘Tony', and while dancing at their wedding, ‘Lorraine' tells ‘Ed' that she had a good vision. In the vision, she sees them growing old together, even becoming grandparents and great-grandparents. While ‘Ed' and ‘Lorraine' stop taking any more paranormal cases, they do write a book and occasionally support those people who are being haunted.
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
ADVT.
advertisement
The Conjuring: Last Rites is available for streaming in India on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the ending after watching the film.
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
Also read: Conjuring Last Rites' Hugh Jackman Connection Revealed Amid OTT Release, Here's All You Need To Know
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In an interview with former Fox News host-turned-independent journalist Megyn Kelly, Erika discussed the Turning Point USA founder's “frequency.”
Erika Kirk claimed that her deceased spouse, Charlie Kirk, had an unexplained “frequency” as she'd see “lights flicker” around him throughout their time together.
In an interview with former Fox News host-turned-independent journalist Megyn Kelly, Erika discussed the Turning Point USA founder's “frequency.”
“When we first started dating, we were walking to dinner one night -and this happened a lot- the lights would start to flicker, and he would look up at the light and be like ‘ you know what this is, so weird this happens a lot' she said.
“Our whole dating and whole marriage, any time we'd be in a room and a light started to flicker, he'd just look at me and wink.”
“It's a total frequency thing,” she added.
Erika recounted how she felt her husband's presence on the night of his assassination as the lights flickered in her hotel room.
“The night everything happened, and we were in Utah, I was in the hotel room by myself, and the bathroom light was on, and it was just a strobe light, all night."
"Part of me couldn't sleep because it was a strobe light, the other part of me couldn't sleep because of how my world had just crumbled, and another part of me couldn't sleep because I was like, Baby, I feel you, I know you're here,” she said.
(Image: Getty Images)
Charlie's close friend, Candace Owens, had similar supernatural claims about the deceased conservative public figure.
"Charlie and I spoke a lot about his third eye,” she said in a recent episode of her podcast, which was addressed to Erika Kirk.
“We spoke about the street lamps that would go off when he would run. About the special school that he had to go to.
We spoke about a lot of the things that were strange in our childhoods, the testing that both of us had to endure,” she added.
“We spoke about the fact that we could both astral project…and how surprised we were that not everybody does that naturally,” Owens added.
Furthermore, Owens suggested in other instances that Charlie believed he would die at a young age. “I don't think I will ever get over the fact that Charlie Kirk knew he would die young,” Owens said, adding, “I am starting to believe that so did the agents that surrounded him his entire life.”
Owens has previously faced backlash for Erika and fellow conservatives for making various unfounded claims and conspiracies surrounded Charlie Kirk's death.
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By
Naman Ramachandran
Following the breakout success of her debut feature, “A Dance With Rainbows,” director Lee Yi-shan is developing supernatural crime thriller “Ghostbusters Club” (working title), Taiwan's Flash Forward Entertainment revealed at Berlin's European Film Market.
The announcement comes as Flash Forward hosts the market premiere of “A Dance With Rainbows” at EFM. The coming-of-age boxing drama opened to strong box office results in Taiwan in January and stars Golden Horse best new performer nominee Lin Yi-ting alongside veterans Tsai Chen-nan and You An-shun. Golden Scene acquired Hong Kong rights to the film.
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The project represents a significant stylistic departure for Lee, who won the Golden Horse Award for best action choreography with her gritty boxing drama. The new film combines elements of Taiwanese folk religion with a police procedural format.
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“Ghostbusters Club” centers on Shu-Miao, a spirit calmer who operates a vegetarian noodle shop while performing exorcisms; she's guided by a statue of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, whose voice only she can hear. The narrative pairs her with Sister Ying, a detective investigating a series of infant corpse cases where bodies are discovered sealed in luxury apartment walls.
The antagonist, a drug lord known as “Screw,” employs Thai dark arts to conceal structural defects in construction projects, creating what Flash Forward describes as both a social commentary on corruption and a mystical thriller.
“The ritual of ‘spirit calming' sits in the liminal space between faith and daily reality in Taiwan,” Lee said. “It defies rational explanation, making it the perfect challenge for cinematic storytelling.”
Flash Forward founder Patrick Mao Huang added: “This is not just a ghost story. Lee Yi-shan has a unique ability to ground the supernatural in the emotional reality of her characters. ‘Ghostbusters Club' explores justice — both human and divine — through the lens of two powerful women from completely different worlds forced to collaborate.”
Flash Forward's EFM slate also includes Japan-Taiwan-Poland co-production “Good Death,” currently in production with a cast featuring Yo Yang, Chen Shu-fang and Eliza Rycembel; “Lotus Feet,” the second feature from Cannes Grand Prix winner Amanda Nell Eu, which was selected for the Berlinale Co-Production Market; and animated sci-fi anthology “Bliss: Beyond the Edge of Time,” which brings together six directors for a genre-spanning exploration of time, technology and alternate realities.
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Brokerage firm Northrop & Johnson has announced the sale of a 66.8-metre offshore rescue vessel, presented to the market as the 70-metre explorer platform known as Ocean Falcon.
Ocean Falcon was originally delivered in 2015 by Spanish shipyard Astilleros Zamakona as a commercial rescue ship, though she was purchased not long after by an owner who sought to transform her into an explorer yacht for charter.
As such, in September 2022, the vessel arrived at Lürssen's facilities in Bremen, Germany, where she was set to receive a four-metre extension and undergo a thorough conversion. Two years later, in August 2024, it was announced that Ocean Falcon would no longer undergo her rebuild due to a "number of challenges". She was listed for sale shortly after as a "highly adaptable explorer platform" ready for conversion.
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According to the brokers, Ocean Falcon offers her new owner a solid foundation for long-range operations and is ideally suited for private exploration, research-focused programs or future charter conversion – as was previously intended.
Thanks to her previous rescue ship background, highlights of the vessel include a steel hull and a significant 2,950GT of volume, allowing her new owner to undertake extensive expeditions, including operations in remote and challenging environments such as the Arctic or the South Pacific. She can cruise at 12.5 knots with a top speed of 15 knots.
Northrop & Johnson brokers Kevin Merrigan and Kristen Klein closed the sale. “Ocean Falcon is a remarkable platform,” commented Merrigan. “Safe, spacious and robust. We hope to see her in challenging and exotic locations around the world.”
Lürssen was the second shipyard to accept but ultimately did not proceed with Ocean Falcon's conversion. The first was Icon Yachts, which announced its plans to take on the rebuild at the 2022 Monaco Yacht Show. The project initially had Murray & Associates on exterior design and interiors from British studio H2 Yacht Design.
Original plans for the conversion project indicated a high-volume interior with room for four tenders, a submarine, a 10-metre swimming pool and two fully certified helicopter landing pads with an accompanying helicopter hanger. Details of the new conversion are yet to be unveiled.
Ocean Falcon was last asking €14,950,000 with Northrop & Johnson.
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