Top stories
Feb. 3, 2026 — A U.S.-flagged tanker, the Stena Imperative, was approached and ordered to stop by small armed boats identified by a maritime security company as belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while transiting the Strait of Hormuz near Oman. The encounter occurred about 16 nautical miles north of Oman’s coast; the tanker … Read more
At 82, Ted Milton remains an improbably persistent figure of British counterculture: a saxophonist, poet, former avant‑garde puppeteer and the longtime leader of post‑punk trio Blurt. We met in his Deptford studio above a rehearsal space, where record boxes, poetry pamphlets and a conspicuously orange suitcase sit among tools for his woodblock prints. He is … Read more
Lead An 18-year-old from Raleigh who, as a 15-year-old, killed his brother and four neighbors during an Oct. 13, 2022 attack is facing a sentencing hearing that began Tuesday. The defendant, Austin Thompson, pleaded guilty on Jan. 21 to five counts of first-degree murder and multiple related charges, according to court filings. Authorities say the … Read more
February 3, 2026 — Builders and private financiers are advancing a proposal to deliver roughly 1,000,000 entry-level houses through a program dubbed “Trump Homes,” aiming to ease U.S. affordability pressures while letting private capital deploy many billions of dollars. Major homebuilders including Lennar Corp. and Taylor Morrison Home Corp. have helped craft a structure under … Read more
Lead On 17 February 2026 Nintendo will add a Virtual Boy experience to Nintendo Switch Online, and a hands-on preview left this writer both surprised and impressed. The company is selling a full replica headset for £66.99 / $99.99 alongside a cardboard alternative, and the demo was run on a Switch 2 unit. In a … Read more
Organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics announced on Tuesday that six U.S. cities will host group-stage soccer matches as part of the Games. New York City, Columbus (Ohio), Nashville (Tennessee), St. Louis (Missouri), San Diego and San Jose (California) were selected for group play, while knockout and medal matches remain slated for the Rose … Read more
Lead: A lawyer’s multi-year probe, presented in a 75-page written statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 3, 2026, asserts that Credit Suisse and banks later merged into it maintained previously unreported financial links to Nazi institutions and individuals. The filing credits accounts tied to the German foreign office, an SS officer who managed … Read more
Lead: Marius Borg Hoiby, 29 and the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette‑Marit, went on trial in Oslo on Feb. 3, 2026, facing a sweeping indictment including rape and filming women without consent. Prosecutors have brought 38 counts against him, among them four counts of rape and six counts of non‑consensual filming. He pleaded … Read more
The Financial Times reports that Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior British politician and EU trade official, lobbied U.S. lawmakers and regulators to oppose proposed bank-reform measures on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein and Jes Staley. The FT says the lobbying focused on changes to U.S. banking rules that Mandelson argued would harm clients represented by his … Read more
On Feb. 3, 2026, critic Jason Farago published a guide to five art sites that, he argues, prove Los Angeles is far more than a film town. From a Malibu shore-house filled with antiquities to encyclopedic gardens and museums across the basin, these destinations map the city’s deep, varied cultural life. Farago’s picks — including … Read more
A longitudinal study of 292 U.S. families found that fathers’ early interaction patterns — measured at 10 months — were associated with children’s cardiovascular and metabolic markers at age 7, while comparable maternal behaviors showed no similar link. Researchers from Penn State observed three-way interactions among infants, mothers and fathers, then revisited the families when … Read more
In a high-profile Super Bowl placement airing just after halftime, Svedka — owned by Sazerac — has revived its long-dormant robot mascot Fembot in a 30-second commercial that the company says was created primarily with generative AI. The spot pairs Fembot with a new companion, Brobot, whose TikTok-style dance was chosen from a user contest … Read more
On Feb. 3, 2026, U.S. premarket trading opened with pronounced activity in several large-cap names, led by Palantir Technologies, Merck and Pfizer. Traders and market-watchers noted sharper-than-normal order flow before the regular session as investors reacted to company news, analyst notes and broader macro headlines. Data used in premarket snapshots are delayed by at least … Read more
Lead Pfizer reported on Thursday that its experimental obesity injection PF’3944 produced substantial weight loss when given once monthly in a mid-stage (phase 2) trial. In the ongoing study patients with obesity or who are overweight lost up to 12.3% more weight than placebo at week 28; an analysis that included all randomized patients regardless … Read more
The 2026 McDonald’s All American rosters were released on Monday, naming 24 high school standouts for the 48th annual game set for March 31 at Desert Diamond Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. While the event remains a top showcase for future college and professional talent, several of the highest-ranked prospects in the 2026 Rivals150 were not … Read more
