Tesla avoids 30-day California license suspension after dropping ‘Autopilot’ term

tesla-california-autopilot-suspension

Who: Tesla and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). When: decision issued late Tuesday, following regulatory actions begun in November 2023 and a December administrative ruling. Where: California, Tesla’s largest U.S. market. What happened: the DMV will not enforce a 30-day suspension of Tesla’s dealer and manufacturer licenses after Tesla ceased using the term … Read more

U.S.-Japan Deal: $36 Billion First Investments Under $550B Pledge

japan-us-36bn-investments

Lead On Feb. 17, 2026, the U.S. Commerce Department announced that Japan will commit $36 billion to three U.S. projects — a natural gas plant in Ohio, a crude‑oil export terminal on the Gulf Coast, and a synthetic diamond manufacturing site — marking the initial tranche of a broader $550 billion investment pledge. The announcement, … Read more

Measles exposure reported at Powdersville Walmart amid Upstate outbreak

measles-exposure-powdersville-walmart

Lead South Carolina health officials on Tuesday reported a possible measles exposure at the Walmart at 11410 Anderson Road in Powdersville on Sunday, Feb. 8 between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The Department of Public Health (DPH) says people who were at the store during that window should monitor for measles symptoms through March 1, … Read more

Two Changes Made To Current WWE Championship? – WrestleTalk

wwe-speed-championship-changes

On the February 18, 2026 episode of WWE NXT, a WWE Speed Championship tournament final between Elio LeFleur and Eli Knight finished in a three-minute time-limit draw. Interim NXT General Manager Robert Stone addressed the stalemate in-ring and announced two rule changes: the first-ever triple-threat match for the WWE Speed Championship will take place next … Read more

Judge blocks deportation of Palestinian activist who led protests at Columbia – AP News

palestinian-activist-deportation

Lead: An immigration judge has stopped the Trump administration from deporting Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian graduate student who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. The judge, Nina Froes, terminated the removal case after government lawyers failed to properly certify a document they wanted to use as evidence; the decision was made public on Tuesday. The … Read more

Christine Lagarde to leave ECB before the end of her eight-year term

lagarde-leave-ecb-early

Christine Lagarde has informed colleagues at the European Central Bank that she will leave the post before completing her eight‑year term, the Financial Times has reported. Lagarde has led the ECB since November 2019 and is nearing the midpoint of the mandate set by EU governments. The report says her decision was communicated internally and … Read more

Asia Set for Positive Open After Choppy US Session: Markets Wrap – Bloomberg

asia-positive-open-us-session

Feb. 17, 2026, 10:37 PM UTC — Updated Feb. 18, 2026, 5:55 AM UTC. Asian equity markets looked poised to open higher after a volatile US trading day, as pressure tied to artificial-intelligence–linked selling showed signs of easing and precious metals staged a rebound. Futures pointed up: contracts on the S&P 500 rose 0.2% after … Read more

‘Just push us into the sea’: The frustration of an area failed by politics – BBC

horden-failed-politics

Lead: Residents of Horden, a former coal-mining village in east County Durham, say decades of decline and unmet political promises have left their community hollowed out and angry. Over the past 40 years the population has fallen from around 15,000 in 1951 to roughly half that size, child poverty in parts of the village runs … Read more

RFK Jr. posts workout video with Kid Rock urging Americans to ‘get active’

rfk-jr-kid-rock-workout-video

Lead Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 72, posted a 90-second workout video with musician Kid Rock on Tuesday afternoon urging Americans to ‘get active’ and ‘eat real food’. The short montage, shared on the secretary’s social account, shows the pair in a mix of gym, pool and sauna scenes and concludes … Read more

Copeland, NC State lead short-handed Tar Heels

copeland-nc-state-beats-unc

Lead: On Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC State routed No. 16 North Carolina 82-58 in a game that marked coach Will Wade’s first meeting with the Tar Heels. Quadir Copeland paced the Wolfpack with 18 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals, and NC State capitalized on UNC’s absence of … Read more

San Antonio signs Mason Plumlee to a 10-day contract

san-antonio-mason-plumlee-10-day

Veteran center Mason Plumlee has signed a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs, according to a report from Shams Charania. The 35-year-old joins the roster after the team opened a spot by waiving Jeremy Sochan last week. Plumlee began this season with the Charlotte Hornets, appearing in 14 games and averaging 1.9 points and … Read more

NFL review of Tyreek Hill’s personal-conduct case remains open

tyreek-hill-conduct-review

Lead: The NFL is continuing its Personal Conduct Policy review of free-agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill as he recovers from a serious knee injury, the league confirmed via email on Tuesday. Hill’s past and recent allegations of domestic violence — first publicly detailed in October 2025 after an investigation opened in September 2025 — complicate … Read more

Bayer Proposes $7.25 Billion Settlement to Resolve Thousands of Roundup Cancer Claims

bayer-roundup-settlement-7-25b

Lead: Bayer and attorneys for people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement on Tuesday to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn consumers that the weedkiller Roundup can cause cancer. The filing was made in St. Louis Circuit Court in Missouri, where many suits have been brought. … Read more

AOC Just Debuted on a New International Stage. How Did She Do? – Slate

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Lead: At the Munich Security Conference this weekend (coverage dated Feb. 17, 2026), two U.S. figures—Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez—drew disproportionate attention as European officials and journalists weighed what each signaled about America’s role in the transatlantic alliance. Rubio delivered a keynote that won a standing ovation but, critics say, left open questions … Read more

Spurs Sign Veteran Center Mason Plumlee to 10-Day Deal

spurs-mason-plumlee-10-day

Veteran center Mason Plumlee agreed to a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 17, 2026, his agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move adds short-term frontcourt depth behind Victor Wembanyama and three other bigs on the Spurs’ active roster. Plumlee, in his 13th NBA season, was recently … Read more