A Star-Studded Stink Bomb Lands in Berlin

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Lead Rosebush Pruning, a high-profile new film that premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, assembles a glamorous cast only to deliver a divisive, often frustrating experience. The story tracks a dysfunctional American family living in a grand Spanish house and foregrounds incest, violence and moral decay while leaning on glib, self-aware narration. Despite pedigree—writer Efthimis … Read more

Shiffrin’s Olympic medal drought continues after giant slalom miss

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Lead On Feb. 15, 2026 at the Milano Cortina Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Mikaela Shiffrin finished 11th in the women’s giant slalom with a combined time of 2:14.42, missing a second Olympic podium opportunity. Italy’s Federica Brignone won gold in 2:13.50, while Sweden’s Sara Hector and Thea Louise Stjernesund tied for silver. Shiffrin, 30, … Read more

Winter storm watch expected to disrupt Northern California travel over Presidents Day weekend

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A winter storm watch issued Feb. 15, 2026, covers much of Northern California as communities prepare for heavy snow during the Presidents Day holiday weekend. Meteorologists say a travel window exists Saturday through Sunday morning but warn conditions will deteriorate Sunday afternoon into Monday, with major travel impacts likely. Areas between 3,000 and 4,000 feet … Read more

iOS 27 code cleanup and UI tweaks aim to improve battery life

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Lead: On February 15, 2026, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter that Apple is preparing iOS 27 with a focus on tidying its codebase, applying modest interface adjustments and subtly updating older apps. The reported goal is cleaner internal systems and improved efficiency, which Apple engineers hope will translate into better … Read more

Why snakes keep evolving cannibalism, and what researchers think is driving it

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A 2025 literature review led by Bruna Falcão of the University of São Paulo examined 503 reports from 207 species and found that snake cannibalism has evolved independently at least 11 times across global lineages. Published on Nov. 2, 2025 in Biological Reviews, the study links these occurrences to factors such as dietary flexibility, jaw … Read more

Nancy Guthrie search enters third week as task force awaits forensic results

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The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, entered its third week as investigators await forensic confirmations from evidence recovered miles from her Tucson home. Authorities say no suspects or persons of interest have been publicly named, and a federally assisted task force is balancing field searches with lab analysis. … Read more

Report: Apple’s Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook in ‘Fun’ Colors to Launch in March

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Lead: Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says Apple will unveil a lower-cost MacBook in March that uses an A18 Pro chip and comes in several bright color options. The device is reported to feature a display just under 13 inches and a new, cost-saving aluminum shell process rather than a plastic case. Early price estimates center … Read more

Harper Beckham Affirms Bond with Brothers During Family Rift

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Lead: On February 14, 2026, Harper Beckham posted a Valentine’s Day Instagram tribute that tagged all three of her brothers — Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz — and expressed deep affection for them. The post arrived amid public tension between Brooklyn and other family members, including his parents and his wife, Nicola Peltz. Romeo and Victoria … Read more

How an AI-Driven Stock-Market ‘Doom Loop’ Is Spreading Across Sectors

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February 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC Lead Investors on February 15, 2026 drove a broad market sell-off tied to worries about artificial intelligence, triggering a feedback loop that is compressing valuations across companies that touch AI. The sell-off reflects two competing anxieties: that AI will upend whole industries and that market prices have become … Read more

How Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware Presaged a Changing World

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Lead On Christmas night 1776, General George Washington led Continental troops across an icy Delaware River and won at Trenton, a reversal that revived American hopes. That freezing weather, once ordinary in the Mid-Atlantic, played a tactical role by reducing enemy vigilance and enabling surprise. Today the same landscape records an accelerating climate signal: regional … Read more

Students Across U.S. Stage Walkouts Over ICE; Texas Threatens School Sanctions

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Lead: On Feb. 15, 2026, students in more than three dozen states staged walkouts to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation tactics, disrupting classes in cities from Salt Lake County, Utah, to coastal Maine. Demonstrations included coordinated exits from multiple schools, marches that halted traffic and public gatherings on bridges and school parking … Read more

Minneapolis Indigenous Patrols Watch for ICE as History Echoes

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This winter, volunteers in south Minneapolis took up community patrols after federal immigration teams repeatedly operated in the city, stopping people across neighborhoods that include a concentrated Native American corridor. Residents and organized groups such as the Many Shields Society scanned streets, bus stops and online alerts for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, deploying … Read more

Israel approves proposal to register West Bank lands as ‘state property’

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Lead: On 15 February 2026 the Israeli cabinet approved a proposal to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as ‘state property’, a move driven by ministers from the political right and described by critics as a step toward formalizing Israeli control over Palestinian land. The measure was submitted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich … Read more

Berlinale defends Wim Wenders after Arundhati Roy quits over ‘jaw‑dropping’ comments

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In the opening days of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, organisers issued a lengthy defence of their jury after remarks by jury president Wim Wenders about art and politics sparked a media backlash and prompted Indian author Arundhati Roy to withdraw on Friday. The festival said a “media storm” had swept the Berlinale in … Read more