Don Lemon, an independent journalist who formerly worked for CNN, has pled not guilty to charges of violating federal civil rights protections when a protest interrupted a worship service in a Minnesota church in January, the Associated Press reports.
Lemon appeared in court Friday as one of five people arraigned in the case. He entered a not guilty plea.
He later issued a statement through his attorneys:
"The events before my arrest, and whats happened since, show that people are finally realizing what this Administration is all about. For them, the process is the punishment. Like all of you here in Minnesota, I will not be intimidated, I will not back down, and I will fight these baseless charges," he said.
Lemon said he was covering the protest as an independent journalist when demonstrators confronted a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, whom they accused of being an immigration enforcement agent. The coverage drew backlash from conservatives, who accused him of participating in the protest.
In January, Lemon was arrested "in the middle of the night" by a team of federal agents while he was in Los Angeles to report on the Grammy Awards.
He was released on a personal recognizance bond. Speaking to the media immediately following his release, Lemon said, "I will not stop now, I will not stop ever."
The federal government is poised to partially shut down at midnight, though the impact would be more limited than in past shutdowns.
Lawmakers are leaving Washington without passing funding for the Department of Homeland Security after Democrats pushed for immigration enforcement reforms as part of the spending bill.
Democrats are seeking new policies, including mandatory body camera use, adherence to standard warrant procedures and limits on mask-wearing by immigration agents. Republicans have not agreed to all of the proposals, leaving DHS funding in limbo.
Other federal agencies have already been funded, meaning only agencies within DHS would be affected until Congress reaches an agreement.
DHS oversees numerous agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard.
According to testimony before a House subcommittee, thousands of DHS employees would be required to work without pay when the shutdown begins.
At the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 888 of its 2,341 employees would be required to work without pay, with activities limited to those considered essential to protecting life and property.
At the Secret Service, officials said about 6% of its more than 8,000 employees would be furloughed.
Roughly 95% of TSA employees, about 61,000 workers, are considered essential and would continue working without pay.
A shutdown lasting more than a few days would result in missed pay for approximately 56,000 active-duty, reserve and civilian Coast Guard personnel.
FEMAs Disaster Relief Fund has enough money to continue operating for the foreseeable future, according to the testimony. However, state reimbursements would be disrupted and many FEMA employees would be furloughed.
South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the countrys future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation.
The assessment by the National Intelligence Service comes as North Korea is preparing to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his major policy goals for the next five years and take steps to tighten his authoritarian grip.
In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they are closely monitoring whether Kims daughter believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and around 13 years old appears with him before thousands of delegates at the upcoming Workers Party Congress, said lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended the meeting.
First appearing in public at a long-range missile test in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has since accompanied her father to an increasing number of events, including weapons tests, military parades and factory openings. She traveled with him to Beijing last September for Kim's first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years on the sidelines of a World War II event.
Speculation about her political future intensified last month when she joined her parents on a New Years Day visit to Pyongyangs Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a sacred family mausoleum displaying the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, the countrys first- and second-generation leaders. Some experts saw the visit as the clearest sign yet that shes positioned to be the heir to her 42-year-old father.
South Korean officials initially expressed doubt that she could be chosen as a North Korean leader, citing the countrys deeply conservative culture and tradition of male-dominated leadership. But her increasingly prominent appearances in state media have prompted a reassessment.
In its previous assessment of Kim Ju Aes status in September, the NIS told lawmakers that Kim Jong Uns decision to bring her along on his trip to China was likely part of an effort to build a narrative possibly paving the way for her succession.
In the past, (NIS) described Kim Ju Ae as being in the midst of successor training. What was notable today is that they used the term successor-designate stage, a shift that's quite significant, Lee said.
According to Lee, the agency cited her growing presence at high-profile military events, her inclusion in the family visit to Kumsusan, and signs that Kim Jong Un was beginning to seek her input on certain policy matters.
Not much is known about Kims daughter
Despite her increased visibility in propaganda, North Korean state media have never published the name of Kim Jong Uns daughter, only referring to her as his respected or most beloved child.
The belief that she is named Kim Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, in which he recalled holding Kim Jong Uns baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013. South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born sometime that year.
In 2023, South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un and his wife also likely have an older son and a younger third child whose gender is unknown.
Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has been ruled by male members of the Kim family, beginning with the countrys founder Kim Il Sung and followed by his son, Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Un was just 26 when he was officially named heir during a 2010 party conference, two years after Kim Jong Il suffered a debilitating stroke. Following his fathers death in December 2011, he was abruptly thrust into the throne with relatively little preparation.
Some analysts suggest that Kim Jong Uns decision to debut his daughter early possibly reflects his own experience of being rushed into power.
Party congress may offer hints toward succession plans
Kim Ju Aes first known visit to Kumsusan last month was also her fathers first visit to the site in three years. Given the palaces status as a key symbol of the Kim family rule, the trip should be seen as a symbolic gesture by Kim Jong Un to present his daughter as his heir before his grandfather and father as he prepares for the major ruling party congress, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Koreas Sejong Institute.
The Workers Party congress in late February, last held in 2016 and 2021, could provide a stage for Kim Jong Un to formalize his succession plans, possibly by giving his daughter the partys first secretary post, its No. 2 job, although such a decision might not be immediately disclosed to the outside world, Cheong said.
Other analysts question whether she would receive such a high-profile post or any formal party role, given that party rules require members to be at least 18.
If Kim Jong Un does use the party congress to cement his daughter as successor, the signs would be more subtle, said Koh Yu-hwan, former president of South Koreas Institute of National Unification.
For example, the party may issue self-praise about how North Korea has survived longer than most other Communist states and credit that to how the country established a "successful inheritance of the revolution, he said.
If you see comments like that, it would be reasonable to think that Ju Ae has been cemented, as heir, Koh said.
Kathy Ruemmler, the top lawyer at storied investment bank Goldman Sachs and former White House counsel to President Barack Obama, announced her resignation Thursday, after emails between her and Jeffrey Epstein showed a close relationship where she described him as an older brother and downplayed his sex crimes.
Ruemmler said in a statement that she would "step down as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Goldman Sachs as of June 30, 2026.
Up until her resignation, Ruemmler repeatedly tried to distance herself from the emails and other correspondence and had been defiant that she would not resign from Goldmans top legal post, which she had held since 2020.
While Ruemmler has called Epstein a monster in recent statements, she had a much different relationship with Epstein before he was arrested a second time for sex crimes in 2019 and later killed himself in a Manhattan jail. Ruemmler called Epstein Uncle Jeffrey in emails and said she adored him.
In a statement before her resignation, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson said Ruemmler regrets ever knowing him.
In her statement Thursday, Ruemmler said: Since I joined Goldman Sachs six years ago, it has been my privilege to help oversee the firms legal, reputational, and regulatory matters; to enhance our strong risk management processes; and to ensure that we live by our core value of integrity in everything we do. My responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs interests first."
Goldman CEO David Solomonsaid in a separate statement: "As one of the most accomplished professionals in her field, Kathy has also been a mentor and friend to many of our people, and she will be missed. I accepted her resignation, and I respect her decision.
During her time in private practice after she left the White House in 2014, Ruemmler received several expensive gifts from Epstein, including luxury handbags and a fur coat. The gifts were given after Epstein had already been convicted of sex crimes in 2008 and was registered as a sex offender.
So lovely and thoughtful! Thank you to Uncle Jeffrey!!! Ruemmler wrote to Epstein in 2018.
Historically, Wall Street frowns on gift-giving between clients and bankers or Wall Street lawyers, particularly high-end gifts that could pose a conflict of interest. Goldman Sachs requires its employees to get preapproval before receiving or giving gifts from clients, according to the companys code of conduct, partly in order to not run afoul of anti-bribery laws.
As late as December, Goldman CEO David Solomon described Ruemmler as an excellent lawyer and said she had his full faith and backing.
The United States will send the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Middle East to back up another already there, a person familiar with the plans said Friday, putting more American firepower behind President Donald Trump's efforts to coerce Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.
The USS Gerald R. Ford's planned deployment to the Mideast comes after Trump only days earlier suggested another round of talks with the Iranians was at hand. Those negotiations didn't materialize as one of Tehran's top security officials visited Oman and Qatar this week and exchanged messages with the U.S. intermediaries.
Already, Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Iranians are beginning to hold 40-day mourning ceremonies for the thousands killed in Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month, adding to the internal pressure faced by the sanctions-battered Islamic Republic.
The Ford's deployment, first reported by The New York Times, will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region. Already, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers are in the Arabian Sea.
The person who spoke to The Associated Press on the deployment did so on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements.
Ford had been part of Venezuela strike force
It marks a quick turnaround for the Ford, which Trump sent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean last October as the administration build up a huge military presence in the lead-up to the surprise raid last month that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro.
It also appears to be at odds with Trumps national security strategy, which put an emphasis on the Western Hemisphere over other parts of the world.
Trump on Thursday warned Iran that failure to reach a deal with his administration would be very traumatic. Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman last week.
I guess over the next month, something like that, Trump said in response to a question about his timeline for striking a deal with Iran on its nuclear program. It should happen quickly. They should agree very quickly.
Trump told Axios earlier this week that he was considering sending a second carrier strike group to the Middle East.
Trump held lengthy talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and said he insisted to Israel's leader that negotiations with Iran needed to continue. Netanyahu is urging the administration to press Tehran to scale back its ballistic missile program and end its support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as part of any deal.
The USS Ford set out on deployment in late June 2025, which means the crew will have been deployed for eight months in two weeks time. While it is unclear how long the ship will remain in the Middle East, the move sets the crew up for an usually long deployment.
The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ford's deployment comes as Iran mourns
Iran at home faces still-simmering anger over its wide-ranging suppression of all dissent in the Islamic Republic. That rage may intensify in the coming days as families of the dead begin marking the traditional 40-day mourning for the loved ones. Already, online videos have shown mourners gathering in different parts of the country, holding portraits of their dead.
One video purported to show mourners at a graveyard in Iran's Razavi Khorasan province, home to Mashhad, on Thursday. There, with a large portable speaker, people sang the patriotic song Ey Iran, which dates to 1940s Iran under the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. While initially banned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran's theocratic government has played it to drum up support.
Oh Iran, a land of full of jewels, your soil is full of art, they sang. May evil wishes be far from you. May you live eternal. Oh enemy, if you are a piece of granite, I am iron.
Lawmakers sparred with witnesses on Thursday during another combative hearing on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said the goal of the hearing was to restore public trust in Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
But early on, it became Republican attacks against Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison, including from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who suggested Ellison had "encouraged" the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
"A tragedy was going to happen and you encouraged it, and you ought to feel damn guilty about it," Sen. Johnson said.
Ellison rejected the accusation and defended Minnesota's cooperation with ICE.
Later, Sen. Paul and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) questioned federal immigration officials about the moments leading up to Pretti's death.
"I don't think, as terrible as this is, it's a crime," said Sen. Paul about the encounter that ended in Pretti's killing. "I think it's terrible police work, but there has to ultimately be repercussions."
The Congressional hearing was the latest that put a spotlight on the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions, and took place with lawmakers still in conflict over future funding for ICE's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security.
Lawmakers on Thursday failed to reach a funding agreement for DHS, setting up a partial government shutdown that would take effect on Friday night at midnight.
Congress has not set any more votes on the matter for this week and is scheduled to leave Washington for the next week.
Democrats have said they won't sign off on a budget unless a list of reforms are met.
With Valentines Day two weeks away, many couples and friends are preparing to celebrate. But holidays can also intensify feelings of grief, especially for those who have lost loved ones.
Its a topic David McClain and Jamal Jones have explored deeply through their podcast, "Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death."
A tragic twist of fate brought the two men together. During a childrens play date, the dads met and discovered they had both lost their wives. From that connection, they turned shared grief into a safe space for candid conversations about emotional recovery.
When it comes to grief during the holidays, McClain told Scripps News its important to embrace it.
I think you always know its there and you just manage from that knowing its going to get better, its not going to occupy your life and existence, he said. So its really that sense of remembrance, being around people you enjoy, and just accepting and remembering what does bring you joy and put smiles on your face.
Meanwhile, feelings of loss don't only apply to people who have lost a loved one. It can also happen when somebody you love has a chronic disease or illness. Jones said forgiveness is one of the biggest things that's helped him through hard times.
You have to be forgiving of yourself and understand that youre going through a lot just like everybody around you, he said. ... Ground yourself and those closest to you. Connect with those closest to you. You know, you would realize that communicating and talking and understanding and sharing and telling those stories will bring a closer bond. But also realize that, hey, youre feeling the same exact way as everybody around you.
Jones added its important to accept the ups and downs that come with grief.
Its absolutely okay, he said. You know, I think you have to be comfortable navigating all of the different emotions that youre going through as long as theyre safe and youre not hurting yourself or hurting anybody else. You know, you really just have to accept them. Theyre going to flow in and flow out. Theyre going to feel some of them are going to feel uncomfortable, going to feel abnormal, but theyre a normal part of the process. There is no perfect, you know, recipe or perfect process for grief and coping.
For McClain, a strong support system is vital.
Its everything, he said. It bolsters you, it buoys you. Those people know your history as well and I think when you have that decades of friendship or more with people maybe less just those people are present in your life. That means absolutely everything because you jump ahead knowing they understand and love you and understand what youve undergone.
Watch Scripps News' full interview with David McClain and Jamal Jones in the video player above.
Authorities investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie have increased the reward to $100K for any information on her whereabouts or the arrest and conviction of her suspected kidnapper. Guthrie is the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie.
In a post Thursday on social media, FBI Phoenix also released new identifying details on the suspect, including pictures of a black backpack that's believed to be in their possession.
"The suspect is described as a male, approximately 59 - 510 tall, with an average build," the statement reads. "In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. We hope this updated description will help concentrate the public tips we are receiving."
Today, the FBI is increasing its reward up to $100,000 for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.New identifying details about the suspect in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie have been pic.twitter.com/GJcx4ra6wX FBI Phoenix (@FBIPhoenix) February 12, 2026
Authorities say they have collected over 13,000 tips since the search for Guthrie began on Feb. 1 after she was reported missing from her home in southern Arizona. A 24-hour command center has been established with dozens of FBI agents and investigators to manage all of the incoming tips.
Earlier Thursday, the Pima County Sheriffs Office said it also recovered gloves as part of its investigation into the 84-year-old's disappearance. Investigators are analyzing the gloves to determine whether they match those worn by a masked man seen on surveillance video at Guthries home the morning she was abducted.
Meanwhile, authorities were seen Thursday putting up a white tent near Guthrie's front door. It's unclear what exactly investigators were doing behind the tent. DNA testing previously confirmed that blood found on the front porch did belong to Guthrie. It's also where the masked man was seen on video.
Savannah Guthrie is holding out hope that her mother will be found. She posted a home video on social media of her mother, with the caption reading: "Our lovely mom. We will never give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope."
The Trump administration this week began cuts to $600 million in funding used to track and prevent HIV and STDs in four Democrat-led states.
The Centers for Disease Control plans to suspend grants to local public health agencies, hospitals, NGOs and universities in California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota.
Cuts began the week of February 9 and are expected to continue over the next several weeks.
Historically, the groups used the money to study the spread of HIV and STDs, track outbreaks or offer pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Some funding cuts would also apply to groups that supported children's gender transition or provided social programs for LGBTQ+ adults.
A spokesperson from the Trump administration's Department of Health and Human Services said the agency would cut funds "because they do not reflect agency priorities."
In September of 2025, the CDC revised some of its policies, saying efforts to pursue health equity were ideologically-laden and had "undermined core American values.
Target states sue
Attorneys general in the four states set to lose funding have sued to block the cuts, saying the changes are retaliation over state resistance to the administration's immigration priorities. In the suit, they argue the cuts are unconstitutional because they impose conditions on funding after the fact.
California's Attorney General Rob Bonta said the cuts would irreparably harm public health efforts.
President Trump is resorting to a familiar playbook. He is using federal funding to compel states and jurisdictions to follow his agenda," Bonta said. "Those efforts have all previously failed, and we expect that to happen once again.
The lawsuit is before a federal judge in Illinois.
A standout wide receiver at Brigham Young University in Utah is charged with rape for an alleged incident that occurred in 2025.
The Washington County Attorney's Office announced that it filed a first-degree felony rape charge against 21-year-old Parker Trent Kingston on Tuesday. He was arrested and is being held in the Washington County Jail without bail.
A BYU Athletics spokesperson confirmed that they became aware of Kingston's arrest on Wednesday.
"The university takes any allegation very seriously, and will cooperate with law enforcement," their statement read.
The county attorney's office said a 20-year-old woman reported a sexual assault to police at St. George Regional Hospital in February of 2025. No further details about the alleged assault are currently available.
The St. George Police Department investigated the allegation, collected evidence and interviews and then the county attorney screened the case and filed charges.
The Washington County Attorneys Office asks anyone with information on the case to call them at (435) 301-7100.
With Valentines Day this weekend, some people are preparing for romance but others may be feeling heartbreak or noticing a missing spark. That can be especially true for those dating after a traumatic breakup or life event.
Dr. Shahrzad Jalali, a licensed clinical psychologist, trauma expert and author of "The Fire That Makes Us: Unveiling the Transformative Power of Trauma," told Scripps News that people dont have to be fully healed to form a new, healthy relationship. She said awareness, self-trust and emotional safety can be built while healing in real time.
The book serves as a guide to help people heal through this trauma and learn to take back ownership of their lives, Jalali said.
Jalali said people often see pain as something to eliminate, but she encourages a different viewpoint: reframing emotional pain as fuel rather than something to avoid.
If we could get rid of pain, I would be the first one to make it happen, she said. Unfortunately, life doesnt operate that way. When we go through something it changes us, it becomes part of us, it takes away a lot of our power, but at the same time gives us power in a different way.
In order to move forward, we have to learn to embrace this, how to negotiate with it, how to sew it into the dynamic that is our life, she added. And the only way to do that is to build awareness around it, understand it, and then to look at it from a different perspective.
Watch Scripps News' full interview with Dr. Shahrzad Jalali in the video player above.
Discord users will soon see a major change aimed at protecting younger users.
The messaging platform is moving to a teen-by-default setting for all accounts. Under the change, which begins in March, users who want to access certain content will be required to verify their age.
"We design our products with teen safety principles at the core and will continue working with safety experts, policymakers, and Discord users to support meaningful, long term wellbeing for teens on the platform, said Savannah Badalich, the head of Product Policy at Discord.
Discord said users will be able to verify their age either through facial recognition or by submitting identification. The company said video selfies used for age verification do not leave a users device, and that identity documents are deleted shortly after age verification is completed.
Users can also appeal their assigned age group or retry the process from the My Account settings if they believe its incorrect.
Discord has grown into one of the worlds most popular communication platforms, with a reported more than 200 million users. The app allows users to interact in online communities known as servers, which are organized around shared interests.
A record snow drought with unprecedented heat is hitting most of the American West, depleting future water supplies, making it more vulnerable to wildfires and hurting winter tourism and recreation.
Scientists say snow cover and snow depth are both at the lowest levels they've seen in decades, while at least 67 Western weather stations have measured their warmest December through early February on record. Normal snow cover this time of year should be about 460,000 square miles about the size of California, Utah, Idaho and Montana but this year it's only California-sized, about 155,000 square miles, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
"I have not seen a winter like this before," said center director Mark Serreze, who has been in Colorado almost 40 years. "This pattern that we're in is so darned persistent."
The snowpack measured by how much water is trapped inside in Oregon is not only record low, but 30% lower than the previous record, said Jason Gerlich, regional drought early warning system coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Much of the U.S. east of the Rockies is snowbound and enduring more than two weeks of bone-chilling abnormal cold, but in West Jordan, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, Trevor Stephens went to the store last week in gym shorts and a T-shirt.
"Right now there's no snow on the ground," he said in a video interview, looking out his window and lamenting the lack of snowboarding opportunities. "I'd definitely rather have icy roads and snow than whatever is going on out here right now."
Concerns over water supply and wildfires
Ski resorts had already been struggling through a difficult season, but the lack of snow has been persistent enough that concerns are growing about wider effects.
Oregon, Colorado and Utah have reported their lowest statewide snowpack since the early 1980s, as far back as records go.
A dry January has meant most states have received half their average precipitation or even less. Along with sunny days and higher-than-average temperatures, that's meant little snow buildup in a month that historically gets a lot of snow accumulation across much of the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. Because of heavy rains in December, California is in better shape than the other states, scientists said.
As of Monday, it had been 327 days since Salt Lake City International Airport got 1 inch of snow, making it the longest stretch since 1890-91, according to the National Weather Service.
The meager snow in Colorado and Utah has put the Upper Colorado River Basin at the heart of the snow drought, said Gerlich.
A robust mountain snowpack that slowly melts as winter warms to spring provides a steady flow of water into creeks and rivers. That helps ensure there's enough water later in the year for agriculture, cities, hydropower electric systems and more.
But lack of snow or a too-fast melt means less water will replenish rivers like the Colorado later in the season.
"This is a pretty big problem for the Colorado basin," said Daniel Swain of the University of California's Water Resources Institute.
Experts said the snow drought could also kick-start an early wildfire season. Snow disappearing earlier than average leaves the ground exposed to warmer weather in the spring and summer that dries soils and vegetation quicker, said Daniel McEvoy, researcher with the Western Regional Climate Center.
While it's been dry, the record-low snowpack is mostly due to how warm the West has been, which is connected to climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, several scientists said. Since Dec. 1, there have been more than 8,500 daily high temperature records broken or tied in the West, according to NOAA data.
Much of the precipitation that would normally fall as snow and stay in the mountains for months is instead falling as rain, which runs off quicker, Swain and other scientists said. It's a problem scientists have warned about with climate change.
Going snowless happens from time to time, but it's the warmth that has been so extreme, which is easier to tie to climate change, said Russ Schumacher, professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University and Colorado State Climatologist.
"It was so warm, especially in December, that the snow was only falling at the highest parts of the mountains," McEvoy said. "And then we moved into January and it got really dry almost everywhere for the last three to four weeks and stayed warm."
Wetter, cooler weather is coming
Meteorologists expect wetter, cooler weather across the West this week with some snow so this may be the peak of the snow drought. But it'll still be warmer than usual in many areas, and scientists aren't optimistic the snow will be enough.
"I don't think there's any way we're going to go back up to, you know, average or anywhere close to that," said Schumacher. "But at least we can chip away at those deficits a little bit if it does get more active."
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych will be allowed to wear a black armband in competition at the Milan Cortina Games, the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday, but not the helmet he wants to wear that is painted to commemorate the lives of athletes from his country who were killed in the war with Russia.
The IOC called the move a compromise.
I think what weve tried to do is to address his desires with compassion and understanding, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Tuesday. He has expressed himself on social media and in the training and, as you know, we will not stop him expressing himself in press conferences, as he leaves competition in the mixed zone and elsewhere. We feel that this is a good compromise in the situation.
Not long afterward, Heraskevych wore the tribute helmet for his first of two training runs on Tuesday, which suggests that Ukraine has filed an appeal. He did not appear to be wearing a black armband.
In a letter to the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, the IOC said Heraskevych would not be able to compete in the personalized helmet. What is permitted for training runs was not specified.
Heraskevych said the IOC told him Monday night that he could not wear the helmet that shows the faces of several Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since 2022 because Olympic officials decided it broke the rule banning political statements.
Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter in part states that no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.
Heraskevych who was fourth at last year's world championships and is generally considered a medal hopeful at these Games has more training runs scheduled for Wednesday, and he is expected to compete in the Olympic men's skeleton race Thursday.
The IOC noted that it has banned armbands in the past, but is willing to make an exception in Heraskevych's case. The move by the IOC doesn't mean all athletes can wear armbands, and if Heraskevych chooses to do so, it cannot include any text, Adams said.
We dont want everyone wearing a black armband for every competition," Adams said. "But where theres a good reasoning, it will be considered properly.
Heraskevych said he is still pushing for a fair outcome, adding that he has seen Russian flags which were supposed to be banned at these games in the stands at some events, and wonders why they are allowed by the IOC.
We didnt violate any rules, and it should be allowed for me to compete with this helmet, Heraskevych told The Associated Press on Monday, before Ukrainian sliding officials met with a representative from the IOC and learned the helmet would not be allowed. I cannot understand how this helmet hurt anyone. Its to pay tribute to athletes and some of them were medalists in the Youth Olympic Games. That means theyre Olympic family. They were part of this Olympic family, so I cannot understand they would find a reason why not.
Figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, a onetime Youth Olympic Games teammate of Heraskevych, is on the helmet, as are boxer Pavlo Ishchenko, hockey player Oleksiy Loginov and others. Some, Heraskevych said, were killed on the front lines; at least one died while trying to distribute aid to fellow Ukrainians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy weighed in on Heraskevychs quest, with a post on his Instagram page saying that he wanted to thank the slider for reminding the world the price of our struggle.
Heraskevych, a flag bearer for Ukraine at last weeks opening ceremony, displayed a sign after his fourth and final run of the 2022 Beijing Olympics saying No War in Ukraine. Days after those Games ended, Russia invaded his country and the war has continued since.
The heads of the agencies carrying out President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda will testify in Congress Tuesday and face questions over how they are prosecuting immigration enforcement inside American cities.
Trump's immigration campaign has been heavily scrutinized in recent weeks, after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two protesters at the hands of Homeland Security officers. The agencies have also faced criticism for a wave of policies that critics say trample on the rights of both immigrants facing arrest and Americans protesting the enforcement actions.
Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Rodney Scott, who heads U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Joseph Edlow, who is the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will speak in front of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
The officials will speak at a time of falling public support for how their agencies are carrying out Trump's immigration vision but as they are flush with cash from a spending bill passed last year that has helped broaden immigration enforcement activities across the country.
The administration says that activists and protesters opposed to its operations are the ones ratcheting up attacks on their officers, not the other way around, and that their immigration enforcement operations are making the country safer by finding and removing people who've committed crimes or pose a threat to the country.
Under Lyons' leadership, ICE has undergone a massive hiring boom funded by Congress last summer and immigration officers have deployed in beefed-up enforcement operations in cities across the country designed to increase arrests and deportations. The appearance in Congress comes as lawmakers are locked in a battle over whether DHS should be funded without restraints placed over its officers' conduct.
Lyons is likely to face questioning over a memo he signed last year telling ICE officers that they didn't need a judge's warrant to forcibly enter a house to arrest a deportee, a memo that went against years of ICE practice and Fourth Amendment protections against illegal searches.
During Scott's tenure, his agency has taken on a significant role in arresting and removing illegal immigrants from inside the country. That increased activity has become a flashpoint for controversy and marks a break from the agency's traditional job of protecting borders and controlling who and what enters the country.
Under the leadership of commander Gregory Bovino, a group of Border Patrol agents hopscotched around the country to operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and New Orleans where they were often accused of indiscriminately questioning and arresting people they suspected were in the country illegally. Bovino says his targets are legitimate and identified through intelligence and says that if his officers use force to make an arrest, it's because it's warranted.
A Border Patrol agent and Customs and Border Protection officer both opened fire during the shooting death of Alex Pretti, one of two protesters killed in Minneapolis in January. The other protester, Renee Good, was shot and killed by an ICE officer.
After the Pretti shooting, Bovino was reassigned and Trump sent his border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to assume control.
USCIS has also faced criticism for steps it has taken including subjecting refugees already admitted to the U.S. to another round of vetting and pausing decisions on all asylum cases.
President Donald Trump's tariff policies cost each American household an average of $1,000 last year, and are set to cost those households an average of $1,300 through 2026, according to new analysis.
A new review of the president's tariff policies by the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan research group, shows that tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico and the EU "amount to an average tax increase per U.S. household of $1,000 in 2025."
If the tariffs stay in place, their costs could be equivalent to an average tax per household of $1,300 in 2026.
Because most costs are passed on to consumers, experts say the majority of tariff costs are paid by those consumers not by foreign countries, manufacturers, importers, or other intermediaries in the supply chain.
A study last year by The Kiel Institute found similar results: Americans are paying 96% of the cost of the tariffs, while foreign exporters are absorbing about 4%. The Kiel Institute said it analyzed over 25 million shipment records from over $4 trillion in U.S. imports.
President Donald Trump issued a stark warning in January of this year, saying the U.S. would be screwed if the Supreme Court overturns his authority to impose tariffs.
The Trump administration has relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, as the legal basis for imposing the tariffs. During November's oral arguments, however, several justices appeared skeptical over whether the law can be used for that purpose.
The court has not yet ruled on the legality of IEEPA tariffs.
Four people in California have now died after eating toxic wild mushrooms, state health monitors say.
Between November 18 of 2025 and February 7 of 2026, there have been 40 hospitalizations and four deaths linked to consumption of dangerous mushrooms, according to California's Department of Public Health.
Two of the most dangerous varieties of mushroom are the Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel mushrooms, which grow more commonly following wet weather.
Such mushrooms may appear and even taste similar to store-bought mushrooms that are safe to eat, the health agency says. But they can cause nausea, stomach pain and diarrhea, and in serious cases can cause liver and kidney damage, seizures and death.
Officials recommend avoiding eating wild-picked mushrooms, keeping children and pets away from growing mushrooms and buying mushrooms only from trusted grocers.
The toxic mushrooms cannot be made safe by cooking.
Several patients, including children, have suffered severe liver damage in the latest outbreak of poisonings, and at least one person may require a liver transplant.
Officials urged the public to avoid foraging entirely during what it called a high-risk season for toxic mushrooms.
King Charles III is ready to support UK police examining claims that the former Prince Andrew gave confidential information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace said on Monday.
The statement came after Thames Valley Police said Monday that they were assessing reports that the former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, sent trade reports to Epstein in 2010. The department, which serves an area west of London that includes Mountbatten-Windsors former home, previously said it was evaluating allegations that Epstein flew a young woman to Britain to have sex with Andrew, also in 2010.
The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsors conduct, the palace said in a statement. While the specific claims in question are for Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.
The statement is just the latest effort by the palace to distance the royal family from Mountbatten-Windsor as the U.S. Justice Departments release of more than 3 million pages of documents from its investigation into Epstein reveal more embarrassing details about the relationship between the two men. Earlier in the day, Prince William and Princess Catherine released their own statement saying they have been deeply concerned by recent revelations.
The palace also reiterated Charles and Queen Camillas concern for the victims of Epsteins abuse.
As was previously stated, Their Majesties thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse, the palace said.
The jeopardy faced by the royal family could be seen Monday when Charles visited Lancashire, in northwest England. While most of the crowd clapped, cheered and waved flags, one person shouted, How long have you known about Andrew?
Concerns about Mountbatten-Windsors links to Epstein have dogged the royal family for more than a decade.
The late Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain away his friendship with Epstein during a catastrophic interview with the BBC. After more details about the relationship emerged in a book published last year, Charles stripped him of the right to be called a prince and ordered him to move out of a royal residence close to Windsor Castle.
But the Justice Department documents have brought new attention to Mountbatten-Windsor as reporters home in on dozens of email exchanges between Epstein and the former prince, many of which took place after the financier was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008.
Correspondence unearthed in recent days appear to show that Mountbatten-Windsor sent Epstein copies of his reports from a 2010 tour of Southeast Asia, which he undertook as Britains envoy for international trade. An earlier email appears to show Andrew sharing his itinerary for the two-week trip to Hanoi, Saigon, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong with Epstein.
We can confirm receipt of this report and are assessing the information in line with our established procedures, Thames Valley police said in a statement released on Monday.
Adding to the storm, a U.S.-based attorney said on Feb. 1 that he represented a woman who alleges Epstein flew her to Britain to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor. The encounter took place at Royal Lodge, the former princes longtime home in Windsor, the attorney said in an interview with the BBC.
Police previously said they were assessing this report.
The king last week forced Mountbatten-Windsor to move out of Royal Lodge months ahead of schedule. Anger over Mountbatten-Windsors living arrangements had grown amid concern that he was still reaping rewards from his status as a royal even though he is no longer a working member of the royal family.
Mountbatten-Windsor is now living on the kings Sandringham estate in eastern England. He will live temporarily at Wood Farm Cottage while his permanent home on the estate undergoes repairs. Unlike Royal Lodge, which is owned by the crown and managed for the benefit of taxpayers, Sandringham is owned privately by the king.
Thames Valley Police began its latest inquiry after Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, reported Mountbatten-Windsor for suspected abuse of public office and violations of Britains Official Secrets Act.
Smith, whose group seeks to replace the king with an elected head of state, compared Mountbatten-Windsors correspondence with Epstein to earlier revelations about Peter Mandelson, Britains former ambassador to the U.S., who is already the subject of a police investigation into whether he shared sensitive information with Epstein. Those communications were also revealed in the Justice Department documents.
I cannot see any significant difference between these allegations and those against Peter Mandelson, Smith said on social media.
The Trump administration has launched a new online tool it says will significantly lower prescription drug costs for some Americans.
The website, called TrumpRX, went live on Thursday and allows patients to search for prescription medications and view the lowest available cash prices.
This launch represents the largest reduction in prescription drug prices in history, President Trump said.
According to the administration, patients can either use coupons at local pharmacies or, in some cases, purchase medications directly from pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Darren Covington, the executive vice president of the Indiana Pharmacy Association, said the tool does not appear to have income restrictions and could be especially helpful for people without insurance or those whose medications are not covered by their plans.
Experts pointed to fertility medications and some GLP-1 drugs as examples.
So a lot of the GLP -1s are covered for diabetes, but it may be obesity, but generally for if you're taking it for weight loss, is the primary indication, because they are so expensive, you aren't necessarily seeing insurance companies cover them, Covington said.
One of the most notable discounts listed is for the weight loss drug Wegovy, which is priced around $150 per month on the site, down from a retail price of more than $1,300.
However, some patients were already paying about $199 per month last year.
You hear the criticism, well, in Europe or Canada, they pay so much less for the same drug. So this is an effort to get those,to get manufacturers to offer those same kind of prices in the United States, Covington said.
The discounts are available to cash-paying customers and options may be cheaper through insurance.
Covington said patients with insurance should check with their providers first as it might not count toward insurance deductibles or annual out-of-pocket maximums.
This means users with high-deductible plans might spend more over the year by not applying their medication costs toward their deductible.
Covington added the early reaction to the tool has been mixed, but believes it could help improve access to medications in Indiana.
I talked to individuals, you know, some are very excited about it and some are skeptical of it, Covington said. We know that when patients are able to afford and access their medications,that leads to healthier outcomes. So, we're hopeful, yes.
Currently, 43 drugs are available on the website, with more expected to be added.
Two of the medications listed are Indianapolis-based Eli Lillys Zepbound and lispro insulin.
The Scripps News Group reached out to Eli Lilly to ask how Trump RX could impact consumers. A spokesperson said:
We are committed to expanding access and affordability for our medicines and continue to support efforts to increase price transparency. Making self-pay pricing information for select medicines available on TrumpRX is another step in that effort to help patients access authentic Lilly medicines.This story was originally published by Naja Woods with the
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