Ford adopts 48‑volt electrical architecture for new UEV pickup

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Detroit — Ford Motor said on Feb. 17, 2026, that its next-generation electric pickup, built on a new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, will use a 48‑volt electrical architecture similar to the system Tesla introduced on the Cybertruck in 2023. The company described the move as part of a $5 billion investment to redesign vehicle … Read more

Record-Breaking Cocaine Boom and Its Deadly Fallout

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In recent years a surge in Colombian coca cultivation and global cocaine supply has coincided with rising overdose deaths in the United States and heightened violence in transit and producer countries. Since about 2015, policy changes in Colombia and shifts in trafficking control have helped drive production upward, while U.S. law enforcement reports larger seizures … Read more

Dave’s Hot Chicken investors bet on birria with national franchise expansion plan – CNBC

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Lead: Investors behind Dave’s Hot Chicken are moving to scale birria nationally by backing Mike’s Red Tacos, a San Diego chain known for birria tacos. The backers — Bill Phelps and Andrew Feghali — made an early-2025 investment and will support a new franchising push to build hundreds of outlets across the U.S. Mike’s, founded … Read more

Partial government shutdown over DHS oversight poised to drag on

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Lead A partial shutdown of the federal government began Saturday as Democrats and the White House failed to agree on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through September. Lawmakers are clashing over new oversight and conduct rules for federal immigration officers after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in … Read more

Futures Fall In Dangerous Market; Five Titans In Focus – Investor’s Business Daily

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Lead On Tuesday morning, Feb. 17, 2026, U.S. equity futures opened lower after the Presidents Day holiday, with Dow Jones futures edging down while S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures slipped modestly. The move followed a choppy week in which major indexes retreated, and both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell below their 50-day moving averages. … Read more

Daniel Jeremiah 2026 NFL mock draft 2.0: Giants one of six teams to pick WR; Chiefs go RB

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Lead With the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine imminent, Daniel Jeremiah released his second Round 1 projection, mapping how teams might address immediate needs and upside on the board. The mock — published on NFL.com ahead of Combine coverage that begins Feb. 26 — features only one quarterback in Round 1 but highlights a strong class … Read more

Stock Market Today: Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq set to retreat as tech stocks continue to reel

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Lead U.S. equity benchmarks were poised to slip as technology shares extended losses on the trading day, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all set to open lower. Market data underpinning the session were supplied by FactSet, while last-sale quotes for U.S. stocks reflect trades reported through Nasdaq. Intraday feeds used … Read more

The Alzheimer’s Symptom You Might Not Expect — Or Worse, Blame Yourself For – HuffPost

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Lead Alzheimer’s disease, which affects roughly 72 million Americans, produces a spectrum of cognitive and behavioral changes that extend beyond memory loss. One frequently overlooked—and commonly misattributed—manifestation is agitation, which can include pacing, angry outbursts and attempts to leave. Caregivers often assume these behaviors reflect their own shortcomings, but clinicians say agitation is a direct … Read more

Measles Outbreaks Are Increasingly Common. Here’s What You Need to Know.

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Lead As of Feb 17, 2026, measles outbreaks are resurging across the United States and beyond, with a South Carolina cluster approaching 1,000 reported cases and infections now recorded in 20 states. Last year’s largest U.S. outbreak—762 cases in Texas—was the biggest annual total since 1991, and Canada has recently lost its measles elimination status. … Read more

Spain Asks Prosecutors to Probe X, Meta and TikTok in AI‑Generated Abuse Case

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Lead On Feb. 17, 2026, Spain’s government said it will ask public prosecutors to open investigations into X, Meta and TikTok over the spread of AI‑generated child sexual abuse material on their platforms. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez framed the move as a legal step to protect children and to hold technology companies accountable for content … Read more

Whirlwind diplomacy in Geneva: US-led talks on Iran and Ukraine

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Lead On February 17, 2026, Geneva hosted a compressed day of diplomacy as US envoys held separate indirect talks with Iran and then joined trilateral discussions with Russia and Ukraine. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner led the American delegation in the Iran exchanges, while a parallel three-way session involving Vladimir Medinsky and Ukraine’s … Read more

Warner Bros. Discovery Restarts Deal Talks with Paramount – The New York Times

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Warner Bros. Discovery on Feb. 17, 2026 said it would reopen merger talks with Paramount Skydance, giving Paramount until Feb. 23 to present a best-and-final offer. The decision revives a months-long contest with Netflix after WBD in December favored Netflix’s $83 billion acquisition of its streaming and studio assets over Paramount’s earlier $108 billion takeover … Read more

Thrive Capital Raises $10 Billion in New Fund Led by Josh Kushner

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February 17, 2026 — Thrive Capital, the venture firm founded by Josh Kushner, said it has raised more than $10 billion in its largest-ever fund. The oversubscribed raise—announced on Feb. 17 and later updated—saw the firm turn away billions in potential commitments. Thrive said the new capital will expand investments across artificial intelligence applications and … Read more

Om Birla Meets Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman, Delivers PM Modi’s Letter

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Lead: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Bangladesh’s newly sworn-in prime minister, Tarique Rahman, on Tuesday and handed over a personal congratulatory letter from India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi. The meeting took place shortly after Rahman’s oath-taking in Dhaka, where Birla represented the Indian government. Bangladesh’s high commissioner to India said both leaders exchanged greetings … Read more