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Lead: Newly released Department of Justice files show federal investigators examined Les Wexner’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein over decades, probing whether the billionaire retail magnate had knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s sex-trafficking network. The records, disclosed in a large DOJ production and reviewed by news outlets, include references to subpoenas, interviews and allegations dating … Read more

Lead: On Feb. 18, 2026, a sizable group of House and Senate Democrats planned to skip President Trump’s first State of the Union of his second term and instead attend a competing event on the National Mall called the “People’s State of the Union.” The rally, coordinated by MoveOn and MeidasTouch and hosted by Joy … Read more

Rescuers continued to race against the clock on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, after an avalanche near Castle Peak in the Lake Tahoe region left nine backcountry skiers unaccounted for. The group of 15 — which included four guides staying at the Frog Lake huts near Truckee — was returning to the trailhead on Tuesday when … Read more

Lead Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was reappointed by Parliament on Wednesday and immediately outlined plans to deepen ties with the United States, including cooperation on rare-earths development, ahead of a planned Washington visit in March. Her reappointment follows a landslide victory that gave the ruling Liberal Democratic Party a two-thirds supermajority in the lower … Read more

Lead: Representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday for trilateral negotiations intended to halt Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The sessions ran late on Tuesday and lasted about two hours on Wednesday, but ended without an agreement on territorial issues, which are central to any ceasefire. Delegations reported … Read more

Lead: The Kansas City Chiefs have converted portions of Patrick Mahomes’ 2026 compensation into a fully guaranteed roster bonus, a move announced on Wednesday that created approximately $43.56 million in immediate cap room. The change repackaged $44.05 million of Mahomes’ 2026 base salary plus a $10.4 million roster bonus into a guaranteed roster bonus. That … Read more

Lead On Feb. 18, 2026, Moderna said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reversed a recent refusal and agreed to review the company’s influenza vaccine that uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The agency had rejected the application last week, citing flaws in the study design, but resumed talks and accepted the submission for formal review. … Read more

Lead On Feb. 18, 2026, forecasters said the U.S. economy produced abundant output in 2025 while job creation stagnated, with projections pointing to 2.7% GDP growth for the year. The discrepancy — strong aggregate income but weak payroll gains — has prompted comparisons to the early-2000s “jobless recovery.” The contrast raises fresh questions for policymakers, … Read more

Lead: In mid-February 2026, House Republicans accelerated a push for new federal voting restrictions as they prepare for competitive midterm contests and respond to President Trump’s repeated, but false, claims of widespread voter fraud. A strict voter-identification measure cleared the House on a near-party-line vote, and Representative Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) has unveiled a broader package … Read more

Lead: Federal and local investigators have expanded their probe into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie, using genetic genealogy tools after DNA from gloves recovered near her Tucson home returned an unknown male profile. Guthrie was last seen the evening of Jan. 31, and evidence collected at the scene … Read more

Lead: In comments reported by the Financial Times, CDU leader Friedrich Merz said a current fighter-jet development effort does not satisfy Germany’s defence requirements. His remarks, made publicly in recent reporting, raise questions about procurement strategy, industrial partnerships and the government’s ability to meet operational needs. The statement has reverberated across Berlin and in partner … Read more

Lead — U.S. equity benchmarks advanced on Wednesday as traders awaited the Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes while technology names led gains. The S&P 500 rose about 0.8%, the Nasdaq Composite added roughly 1.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 307 points, or 0.6%. Nvidia shares gained after Meta said it will deploy millions … Read more

Lead U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Geneva on Feb. 18, 2026 concluded after a two-hour session, signaling limited progress toward a broader settlement. Officials said some technical matters, including cease-fire monitoring mechanisms, saw headway, but political disputes — chiefly over control of Ukrainian-held territory in the east — remain unresolved. President Volodymyr … Read more

Lead Who: U.S. states and national lawmakers; When: ahead of the 2026 midterm elections; Where: across the United States; What: a wave of mid-decade map changes is reshaping House districts; Result: political control of the U.S. House of Representatives is at stake as partisan mapmaking accelerates in several states. The pace and timing of these … Read more

Lead: The Miami Dolphins face a consequential roster and payroll choice for 2026 involving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Contract language from 2024 leaves the team owing Tagovailoa $54.0 million that is fully guaranteed for the coming season, while releasing him without a post‑June 1 designation would create a $99.2 million dead‑money charge in 2026. The club … Read more