Top stories
Lead Early voting opened on Tuesday across Texas as the state prepares for its 3 March primary elections, a contest that could reshape the 2026 Senate map. On the Republican side, four-term Senator John Cornyn faces a bruising challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton, while an intra-party alternative, Representative Wesley Hunt, also seeks traction. Democrats … Read more
Lead: A powerful storm system drenched Southern California on Monday, producing flash flooding and debris-flow warnings across Los Angeles and nearby coastal valleys while a separate winter system is developing into a dangerous blizzard for the Upper Midwest. Northern Minnesota faces up to 24 inches of snow in places and wind gusts near 60 mph … Read more
Lead The 2026 franchise-tag window has opened — teams can apply the tag once per club between this Tuesday and March 3 — and a handful of notable players are in the crosshairs. Only two players were tagged in 2025 (Bengals WR Tee Higgins and Chiefs G Trey Smith), both of whom later secured long-term … Read more
Iran Says It Temporarily Closed Strait of Hormuz During Indirect U.S. Talks Lead: Iran announced on Tuesday that it briefly closed the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire drills as negotiators held another round of indirect talks with U.S. representatives in Geneva. The government said missiles were fired toward the waterway and that the strait would … Read more
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
At the top of his March monologue, Stephen Colbert told viewers that Texas state representative James Talarico was meant to appear on The Late Show but was barred by CBS lawyers. Colbert said the network not only prohibited the booking but also told staff they could not disclose the ban on air, prompting Colbert to … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
