Top stories
This winter, volunteers in south Minneapolis took up community patrols after federal immigration teams repeatedly operated in the city, stopping people across neighborhoods that include a concentrated Native American corridor. Residents and organized groups such as the Many Shields Society scanned streets, bus stops and online alerts for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, deploying … Read more
Lead: In early February 2025, Moderna disclosed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had issued a “refuse to file” notice for the company’s mRNA seasonal-flu vaccine application, saying the submission did not meet newly articulated standards. The decision—sent on February 3—halted formal review even after earlier consultations in 2024 during which FDA career reviewers … Read more
Lead: A New York Times–based report says that, in recent months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued administrative subpoenas to major tech platforms and that Reddit, Meta and Google voluntarily complied with some requests for identifying information about users who had posted criticism of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The requests arrived as part … Read more
Lead Johannes Høsflot Klæbo became the Winter Olympics’ most decorated athlete after claiming a record ninth Olympic gold on Sunday at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Games. The 29-year-old anchored Norway to victory in the men’s 4×7.5km relay, securing his fourth title of these Games alongside teammates Emil Iversen, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget and Einar Hægegård. Norway finished … Read more
South Carolina extended its winning streak against LSU to 18 games with a 79-72 victory on Saturday, a game that combined competitive heat with personal subplots. The matchup featured former teammates MiLaysia Fulwiley facing her old roster and produced few overt confrontations, though competitive edge was evident. The Gamecocks leaned on their starters while a … Read more
Lead: Rescuers and Gaza health officials say Israeli strikes on Sunday morning killed 11 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip. Palestinian emergency services reported at least six deaths in a northern tent encampment and five in a separate southern strike. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted militants it said had violated a ceasefire … Read more
Lead Across the United States, more employees are stepping away from steady work for weeks or months — calling it a mini‑sabbatical, adult gap year or micro‑retirement — to recover from burnout, pursue projects or travel. Research teams and career coaches say the resurgence spans people who self‑fund leaves, those who negotiate unpaid time with … Read more
Lead Researchers at the University of Rochester reported on Feb. 15, 2026, that they have engineered narrow aluminum tubes that can trap air and remain buoyant even when punctured or subjected to harsh conditions. The devices—about one-fifth of an inch in diameter—use a superhydrophobic surface to hold pockets of air, allowing stacks of tubes to … Read more
Karim Aïnouz’s Rosebush Pruning, presented ahead of its world premiere in Berlin, is a compact, darkly comic assault on privilege and patriarchy set inside a single Spanish villa. The film centers on a disastrously wealthy American family — led by a blind, domineering father and three fractured siblings — whose brittle order unravels after the … Read more
Lead Buyers in 2026 can sometimes take over a seller’s low, pandemic-era mortgage rate through an “assumable mortgage,” letting them inherit sub-3% financing in some cases. Around 6 million U.S. homes are estimated to have an assumable mortgage with an interest rate below 5%, offering a potential shortcut to affordability. The transfer can benefit sellers … Read more
At the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, 2026, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain has moved beyond the politics of the 2016 Brexit vote and pledged to deepen cooperation with the European Union on defence and trade. Speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Starmer framed the shift as pragmatic and immediate, … Read more
Lead: President Donald J. Trump’s second year back in the White House has been marked by an intensified program of self-promotion that reaches from social posts to monumental statuary. In recent weeks a 15-foot bronze — later gold-covered — statue dubbed “Don Colossus” and a briefly shared racist video provoked national attention, while his administration … Read more
Lead: A Ukrainian long-range drone strike on Sunday set fires at the Taman port in Russia’s Krasnodar region, officials said, injuring two people and damaging an oil storage tank, a warehouse and terminals. The incident occurred just days before U.S.-brokered talks between Russian and Ukrainian envoys in Geneva, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Ukrainian and … Read more
Lead On March 25, 1969, 17-year-old Mary Kay Heese disappeared after leaving school in Wahoo, Nebraska; later that night her body was found with multiple stab wounds. The case went cold for decades as investigators in 1969 lacked modern forensics and a clear suspect. Renewed inquiries — including a 1999 cold-case review, a new probe … Read more
Lead: The death of actor James Van Der Beek at 48 has reignited concern about colorectal cancer in younger adults. Medical specialists say colorectal cancer incidence has risen among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s even as overall cancer mortality under 50 has fallen since 1990. Federal and major medical groups currently recommend routine … Read more
