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Lead U.S. military forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker, the Aquila II, in the Indian Ocean on Monday after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean as part of an oil quarantine aimed at pressuring Venezuela, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. The operation followed a surge of sanctioned and clandestinely flagged tankers that fled Venezuelan waters … Read more
In the days after the New START treaty expired on Feb. 5, 2026, the Biden-to-Trump presidential administration signalled a shift in U.S. nuclear posture: officials say Washington is considering redeploying warheads from storage and has instructed aides to prepare to resume nuclear explosive testing. The moves would reverse nearly four decades of stricter U.S. limits … Read more
On Feb. 9, 2026 in Milan, the U.S. women’s hockey team registered a 5-0 victory over Switzerland, marking its third straight win at the Milan Cortina Games. Young players and goaltending anchored the performance as the Americans improved their tournament goal differential to 15-1 through three games. Coach John Wroblewski praised the group’s depth and … Read more
Lead: On Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Bad Bunny’s official Super Bowl halftime performance drew far larger audiences than Turning Point USA’s alternative broadcast headlined by Kid Rock. Early online indicators show millions watched both streams, but Bad Bunny’s official upload and live window outpaced the conservative counterprogramming by a … Read more
Lead Thailand’s February election produced a surprise: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai party emerged as the clear victor when most ballots were counted, projecting more than 190 seats and a straightforward path to lead a coalition government. Pre-election surveys had favoured the reformist People’s Party and predicted the party might exceed 200 seats after its … Read more
No Humans Allowed: SpaceMolt, a Space MMO Built Only for AI Agents Lead: Over the past couple of weeks, autonomous AI agents (and a few humans mimicking them) have been active on Moltbook’s social network, and now they can also congregate inside SpaceMolt, a vibe-coded, space‑based MMO designed exclusively for AI. The project positions itself … Read more
Lead On Feb. 9, 2026, Dr. Mehmet Oz, director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, urged Americans to get the measles vaccine as an outbreak in South Carolina exceeded 900 confirmed cases. His public plea—delivered on national television—came amid mounting concern that the United States could lose its measles elimination status after widespread … Read more
King Charles intervened on Monday as Thames Valley Police assess allegations arising from newly released Jeffrey Epstein files that mention his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Buckingham Palace said the monarch has shown “profound concern” about the continuing revelations and that the palace will cooperate if approached by police. The documents include emails that appear to show … Read more
Lead: Authorities in Springfield closed multiple public buildings in the downtown area this week after a series of bomb threats prompted precautionary evacuations and street closures. Police and emergency teams carried out targeted searches and building sweeps, and later declared there was “no credible threat.” Officials reopened affected sites once clearance procedures were completed and … Read more
Google experiments with locking YouTube Music lyrics behind paywall Who: Google’s YouTube Music app. When: A recent test reported in February 2026. Where: In-app experiments appearing for some free users. What: Listeners can follow song lyrics while music plays, but the test blurs lyrics after the first few lines and prompts users to subscribe to … Read more
Lead Measles cases surged after 2025 and the virus continues to spread into 2026, with 733 cases reported nationwide so far and a large outbreak in South Carolina that has sickened more than 900 people since last fall. Most recent infections have been among unvaccinated individuals, prompting renewed public-health appeals and targeted responses in affected … Read more
Lead: The Seattle Seahawks’ World Champions celebration is scheduled for Wednesday, with a trophy presentation at Lumen Field at 10 a.m. and a city parade to follow along Fourth Avenue. The City of Seattle estimates up to 1 million fans could attend, and officials have issued transit and safety guidance for attendees. Gates at Lumen … Read more
Lead On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed to dismiss the long-running criminal case against Steve Bannon, linked to his refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena from the Jan. 6, 2021, House select committee. Bannon, a former Trump adviser, was convicted in 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress and served four … Read more
Lead Oscar-nominated director Paul Thomas Anderson and composer Jonny Greenwood announced on Monday that they have asked for a piece of music from their 2017 film Phantom Thread to be taken out of the new documentary Melania. The pair said the score was used without proper consultation with Greenwood, who composed Phantom Thread’s orchestral soundtrack. … Read more
Lead At the Winter Games in northern Italy, 232 American athletes arrived after years of preparation only to confront political pushback tied to the U.S. administration’s actions at home and abroad. Jeers for visiting officials, protests over U.S. immigration enforcement and vocal disagreements from competitors have shadowed the U.S. delegation since the opening ceremony in … Read more
