Jeffries: Democrats will block Trump’s bid to nationalize midterms

democrats-block-trump-nationalize

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries warned on 8 February 2026 that Democrats will prevent former president Donald Trump from attempting to “nationalize” this year’s midterm elections, framing such a move as an effort to steal results. Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Jeffries said the Constitution assigns election administration to states and that Congress … Read more

Box Office: ‘Melania’ Drops 67% to No. 9; ‘Send Help’ Holds No. 1 on Frigid Super Bowl Weekend

melania-drops-67-send-help-no1

Super Bowl weekend and severe winter weather across the East Coast and Midwest produced a subdued box office, with Sam Raimi’s survival thriller Send Help remaining No. 1 and the high-profile documentary Melania tumbling into ninth place. Send Help earned $10 million from 3,475 North American locations, a 47% decline from its $19.1 million opening, … Read more

Democrat Chasity Verret Martinez wins Louisiana state House special seat in district Trump won

chasity-martinez-louisiana-seat

Updated Feb. 8, 2026 / 9:59 AM EST Democrat Chasity Verret Martinez won a Louisiana state House special election Saturday night, defeating Republican Brad Daigle 62% to 38% in a district President Donald Trump carried by 13 points in 2024. The contest filled a vacancy created when the prior Democratic representative was appointed by Republican … Read more

At the Super Bowl, it’s Nice Guy vs. Underdog

nice-guy-underdog-super-bowl

Lead On Feb. 8, 2026, The New York Times podcast The Daily turned its Sunday episode into a primer for this year’s Super Bowl, framing the matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks as a contrast of temperament: the established, methodical Patriots versus the kinetic underdog Seahawks. Host Michael Barbaro, a self-described … Read more

The troubling rise of longevity fixation syndrome: ‘I was crushed by the pressure I put on myself’ – The Guardian

longevity-fixation-syndrome-rise

Lead: Jason Wood, 40, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, says a simple pitta bread mistake triggered a breakdown after years of obsessive health tracking and costly treatments aimed at extending his life. His routine — strict diets, twice-daily workouts, regular IV vitamin drips and repeated biomarker tests — collapsed under mounting anxiety. Clinicians and rehab clinics … Read more

Retro Recap: All The Classic Gaming News From The Past Week (February 8th 2026) – Time Extension

retro-recap-classic-gaming-feb8

Lead On February 8, 2026, this week’s Retro Recap gathers the most notable developments from the vintage gaming scene: Namco’s Rave Racer is finally receiving a home-console release, a newly announced SNES shoot ’em up aims to stretch the Super Nintendo’s limits, and composer Nobuo Uematsu reflected on the influence of Quintet’s ActRaiser. Other headlines … Read more

Apple to Kick Off 2026 with iPhone 17e, Updated iPads and Macs

apple-iphone-17e-ipads-macs

Apple is preparing an early‑2026 product push that will include a new iPhone 17e model alongside refreshed entry‑level and Air iPads and updated Mac laptops, sources reported on Feb. 8, 2026. CEO Tim Cook used a recent all‑hands meeting to discuss immigration, artificial intelligence and Apple’s 50th anniversary, according to the report. The company has … Read more

The ‘996’ work culture taking over Silicon Valley is coming at a ‘human expense,’ these AI researchers say

996-silicon-valley-burnout

Lead: On 8 February 2026, two AI researchers told podcaster Lex Fridman that a ‘996’ style schedule — roughly 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week — is becoming more common among AI teams in San Francisco. Nathan Lambert of the Allen Institute for AI and Sebastian Raschka, an AI lab founder, described … Read more

Trump’s World Liberty Hits $5 Billion as Binance Drives Growth

world-liberty-5b-binance

Lead World Liberty Financial, the Trump family–linked issuer of the USD1 stablecoin, reached $5 billion in circulation last month, largely concentrated on Binance. The surge followed a string of Binance promotions and a post-pardon rapprochement between Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and the Trump administration. Roughly 85 percent of USD1 tokens are held on Binance accounts, … Read more

New Epstein files reveal the scale and secrecy of Zorro ranch outside Santa Fe

epstein-zorro-ranch-santa-fe

Lead: Newly released legal files and photos have cast fresh light on Jeffrey Epstein’s vast Zorro ranch outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, a property he owned from 1993 and where survivors say abuse took place. The 9,900–10,000 acre (about 4,000 hectare) estate included a 26,700 sq ft main house, a private runway and hangar, stables … Read more

Thailand election: PM Anutin claims victory

thailand-election-anutin-claims-win

Lead Thailand's incumbent prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, declared victory on Sunday after television projections showed his conservative Bhumjaithai Party winning nearly 200 seats in the 500-seat lower house. The announcement came as Thais also voted in a constitutional referendum and amid economic strains and border tensions with Cambodia. Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut conceded that his … Read more