ReportWire

Tag: NNT

  • Hillary Clinton testifies in House committee probe into Jeffrey Epstein

    [ad_1]

    Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are both scheduled to give testimony to the House Oversight Committee this week as part of the congressional committee’s probe into the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are both scheduled to give testimony to the House Oversight Committee this week as part of the committee’s probe into the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein

    • Hillary Clinton is being deposed Thursday, with Bill Clinton’s testimony on the calendar for Friday. 

    • The former president had a well-documented relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the Clintons have said they had no knowledge that Epstein was sexually abusing underage girls before his arrest

    • The Clintons had initially been scheduled to testify last year, but that was postponed, launching a months-long back-and-forth between the couple and committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.

    Hillary Clinton is meeting with the committee Thursday, with Bill Clinton’s testimony on the calendar for Friday. Both are taking place in Chappaqua, New York, according to a spokesperson for the committee.

    On Thursday morning, committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he expected Hillary Clinton’s deposition to be “long” and Bill Clinton’s to be “even longer.”

    “No one’s accusing at this moment the Clintons of any wrongdoing,” Comer said. “They’re going to have due process. But we have a lot of questions.The purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein. How did he accumulate so much wealth?
How was he able to surround himself with some of the most powerful men in the world?”

    Several photographs of Bill Clinton were included in the trove of files made public in December by the Justice Department. The former president had a well-documented relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Clintons have said they had no knowledge that Epstein was sexually abusing underage girls before his arrest.

    “We have a very clear record that we’ve been willing to talk about,” Hillary Clinton said in an interview with the BBC last week. “My husband has said, he took some rides on the airplane for his charitable work.
I don’t recall ever meeting (Epstein).”

    Epstein died by suicide in a New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Officials believe that the disgraced financier abused more than 1,000 girls and young women. 

    The Clintons had initially been scheduled to testify last year, but that was postponed, launching a monthslong back-and-forth between the couple and committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. 

    Last month, the House Oversight Committee voted to recommend contempt of Congress charges for the Clintons, but less than two weeks later, Comer announced that the couple had “caved” and agreed to “appear for transcribed, filmed depositions.” The Kentucky Republican said that a recording of each deposition “would be made public” afterward.

    After that announcement, the Clintons called for their testimony to not take place behind closed doors. 

    “If they want answers, let’s stop the games & do this the right way: in a public hearing, where the American people can see for themselves what this is really about,” Bill Clinton said in a Feb. 6 post on X. 

    Comer accused the couple of “pushing a false narrative to play victim” in an interview the following day and indicated that the closed-door depositions would take place as planned.

    Clintons’ depositions follow testimony of others in House probe

    The Clintons’ deposition follows that of Victoria’s Secret co-founder Les Wexner, who spoke to lawmakers last week in New Albany, Ohio, as well as that of Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, who was deposed by video from the Texas prison camp where she is currently serving her 20-year prison sentence on sex trafficking charges

    Comer has also indicated that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who has denied any wrongdoing, may be asked to testify as well. 

    As part of its investigation, the House Oversight Committee has made more than 30,000 documents public. Democrats on the congressional body in recent months have shared additional files, including photos of powerful men in Epstein’s orbit without corresponding caption information or context. The records have served to illustrate Epstein’s ties to high-profile figures in business, government and entertainment.

    The Justice Department’s disclosure of records

    The committee’s probe into Epstein is separate from the Justice Department’s release of millions of files, as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. 

    Under the law passed overwhelmingly by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in November, prosecutors were required to make public all of the files in its investigation into Epstein by Dec. 19 and then provide Congress with a report identifying the categories of records released and withheld, as well as summarizing redactions and their corresponding legal bases.  

    Several batches of documents were shared in December, and then last month, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department was releasing more than 3 million additional pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images in its final Epstein disclosure.

    In response to the release, prosecutors have faced criticism that the trove of records has contained unredacted identifying information and images of sex abuse victims and that other names and documents were improperly redacted or withheld from the disclosures. 

    Among files reportedly missing from the trove are ones pertaining to a woman’s unverified accusation that Trump assaulted her when she was a minor in the 1980s, journalist Roger Sollenberger –– and subsequently NPR and The New York Times –– reported. 

    California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said in a post on Bluesky on Tuesday that Democrats on the committee are opening a “parallel investigation into why these documents are missing.”

    In response to a request for comment about the files, the Justice Department directed Spectrum News to a post on its Rapid Response X account, which contended that “NOTHING has been deleted” and that “ALL responsive documents have been produced unless a document falls within one of the following categories: duplicates, privileged, or part of an ongoing federal investigation.”

    The White House referred any questions about the implementation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act to the DOJ, and pointed to a section of the department’s news release about its disclosure, which stated that “Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.”

    Fallout continues in U.S. and U.K.

    Revelations stemming from the trove of records has led to fallout both in the U.S. and abroad. Most recently, Harvard University announced Wednesday that former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from his teaching role at the school amid a campus review of his ties to Epstein. 

    Meanwhile, in the U.K., British police arrested Peter Mandelson, a former U.K. ambassador to the United States, on Monday in a misconduct probe 

    Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his princely title last year due to revelations about his relationship with Epstein, was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid allegations that he shared confidential documents with the late financier during his time as trade envoy.

    Summers, Mandelson and Mountbatten-Windsor have all denied wrongdoing. 

    The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

    [ad_2]

    Christina Santucci

    Source link

  • 8 takeaways from Trump’s State of the Union address

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — In his first State of the Union address of his second term, President Donald Trump on Tuesday night declared that “our nation is back — bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.” He also proclaimed that the state of the nation is “strong.”

    Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress — at 108 minutes, a new record long for a State of the Union — touched on a wide range of topics, including the economy, immigration, foreign affairs and the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary. At times, he lashed out at congressional Democrats for not applauding his policies, while Republicans cheered on the president at every turn.

    Here are eight takeaways from the address. For an in-depth recap, visit Spectrum News’ live blog.

    Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., reacts as President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

    Trump defends immigration crackdown, clashes with Dems in attendance

    The president took several opportunities to highlight what his administration has done to reduce illegal immigration. He contended that “zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States” over the past nine months through the border.  

    Trump later asked attendees to stand if they believed “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens” and condemned Democrats for not showing their approval for the statement.  

    “You should be ashamed of yourselves for not standing up,” Trump said. “That is why I’m also asking you to end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal aliens — in many cases, drug lords, murderers all over our country.” 

    Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was at one point shown pointing her finger back at Trump and appearing to say, “You should be ashamed” in response.  

    Trump blames Democrats for affordability concerns

    After blaming former President Joe Biden for inflation, Trump put the onus on Democrats for affordability concerns.

    “You caused that problem,” Trump said to Democrats, prompting Republican lawmakers to stand and applaud. 

     He called Democratic-led criticism about affordability a “dirty, rotten lie.” 

    The president touted his economic record over the last year. He said inflation has fallen to its lowest level in more than five years, dropping to 1.7% in the last quarter of 2025. He also said gas prices had fallen to below $2 per gallon in some parts of the country. 

     He took credit for declining mortgage rates and a rising stock market.  

    Trump calls Supreme Court tariff decision ‘very unfortunate,’ pledges to use alternatives to impose import duties

    Trump took a measured tone when talking about the Supreme Court ruling issued Friday that invalidated his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping tariffs on most U.S. trading partners around the globe. 

     “Just four days ago, an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court. It just came down, very unfortunate ruling,” Trump said.  

    The language was strikingly different from how he described the decision, as well as the justices whom he had appointed and who ruled against his tariffs, in a news conference on the day the decision was announced. 

    Four justices were in attendance at the State of the Union: Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored Friday’s opinion, and Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett. Roberts and Barrett – along with Justice Neil Gorsuch – sided with liberal justices in ruling against Trump’s usage of IEEPA to levy the import duties.  

    Trump has said he plans to impose a 15% global tariff on top of existing import duties, and on Tuesday he contended that “congressional action will not be necessary.” One of the statutes that the Trump administration has said would be used to impose tariffs puts a 150-day cap on their implementation “unless extended by an Act of the Congress.” 

    President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

    President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

    Trump said tech companies will have to ‘provide for their own power needs’

    The president said his administration planned to address concerns over the amount of power used by data centers with a “unique strategy” to make tech companies construct their own electricity infrastructure.  

    “We’re telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs,” he said. “They can build their own power plants as part of their factory so that no one’s prices will go up, and in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community.”  

    The president noted that many Americans have been growing increasingly concerned about the power demands of companies involved in artificial intelligence.  

    Trump did not provide details about the logistics of the plan other than calling it a “new rate payer protection pledge.” 

    Trump says Iran has yet to say they will never have a nuclear weapon

    On Iran, Trump noted that his administration is currently in negotiations with the country’s leadership but said they have yet to say “those secret words” that they “will never have a nuclear weapon.” 

    Trump went on to say that his “preference” is to solve the situation with Iran through diplomacy but suggested other options are on the table if that doesn’t work. 

    “But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “Can’t let that happen.” 

    Trump has been urging Iran to make a nuclear deal with the U.S. and officials from both sides have been involved in talks in Geneva. The president responded to a reporter’s questions at an unrelated event last week by confirming that limited strikes against Iran were an option and has been sending U.S. resources to the area.  

    Trump’s comments on Iran came as he was talking about his efforts to end wars and usher in peace around the world. He started by touting his administration’s strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites this past summer. 

    Trump blames Democrats for partial shutdown of Department of Homeland Security

    As Democrats and Republicans continue to wrangle over immigration enforcement reform to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security, Trump blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown, which was in its 11th day. 

    “They have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murderers,” Trump said.  

    He demanded the “full and immediate restoration of all funding” for DHS, which oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and “for helping people clean up their snow. We have no money because of the Democrats.” 

    The Northeast has been hit with blizzard conditions in recent days. FEMA helps reimburse local governments for snow removal costs during designated periods of record snowfall. 

    Shortly before the speech Tuesday, legislation to fund the department failed to advance in the Senate yet again as every Democrat present except Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against it. There has been little sign of movement toward an agreement to reopen DHS since it shut down 10 days ago.

    Trump again expresses voter fraud claims, calls for new requirements

    The president used his address to reiterate his long-held and frequently mentioned qualms with elections in America while pressing lawmakers to pass a Republican bill seeking to implement new proof of citizenship and photo identification requirements to vote.  

    Without citing evidence, Trump claimed that “cheating is rampant” in U.S. elections before going on to call for all voters to show a photo ID and proof of citizenship to vote and an end to most voting by mail.  

    “Why would anybody not want voter ID? One reason: because they want to cheat,” Trump claimed, again without citing evidence.  

    He asserted such a prospect was widely popular, which comes as the White House has been sharing polling on the voter ID issue. 

    Republicans and Trump have been pushing a bill called the SAVE America Act that would require a person to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and “present an eligible photo identification document before voting.” It passed the House but faces a more difficult path in the Senate, where it would need some Democratic support to overcome the chamber’s filibuster rule.  

    Trump has long claimed there was fraud in the 2020 election despite audits, courts and the president’s former attorney general not finding evidence of widespread fraud. 

    President invokes America 250 to begin, conclude remarks

    In closing out his State of the Union, Trump returned to the theme that he focused on at the start of his remarks: the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.  

    “Less than five months from now, our country will celebrate an epic milestone in American history,” Trump said during the first few minutes of his speech.  

    The U.S. has planned a number of events this year to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. 

    “The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended,” Trump said in concluding his remarks. “It still continues because the flame of liberty and independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot, and our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder and more glorious than ever before.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    [ad_2]

    Christina Santucci, Susan Carpenter, Maddie Gannon

    Source link

  • British royal family faces its worst crisis in generations

    [ad_1]

    LONDON — King Charles III’ s brother was under arrest. Police were searching two royal properties, and news commentators were endlessly discussing the details of a sex scandal with tentacles that stretched to the gates of Buckingham Palace.

    What You Need To Know

    • The British royal family sought to carry on with their normal duties in the hours after the former Prince Andrew was arrested

    • The king attended the first day of London Fashion Week

    • Queen Camilla attended a lunchtime concert, and Princess Anne visited a prison

    • The decision to continue their usual activities was more than just an example of British stoicism in the face of the monarchy’s biggest crisis in almost a century

    So how did Britain’s royal family spend Thursday afternoon? The king sat in the front row on the first day of London Fashion Week. Queen Camilla attended a lunchtime concert, and Princess Anne visited a prison.

    The decision to continue normal royal duties was more than just an example of British stoicism in the face of the monarchy’s biggest crisis in almost a century. It was the opening act of the House of Windsor’s fight for survival as the arrest of the former Prince Andrew threatens to undermine public backing for the monarchy.

    After pledging to support the police investigation into his brother’s friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the king stressed his intentions.

    “My family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all,” he said in a statement signed “Charles R.,” using the abbreviation for Rex, the Latin word for king.

    Biggest crisis since 1936 abdication

    The simple fact that Charles made the statement showed the scale of the problem created by the arrest of the king’s 66-year-old sibling, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was held for 11 hours and then released under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor exonerated.

    The event was so unprecedented that commentators had to reach back to the 1640s and the arrest and execution of King Charles I during the English Civil War to find a parallel.

    Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office is shaping up to be the monarchy’s biggest crisis since Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson.

    That scandal weakened public support for the monarchy, which did not fully recover for 15 years. The turnaround came only after Edward’s successor, King George VI, refused to flee Britain during World War II, demonstrating his solidarity with a nation ravaged by Nazi bombs.

    Even before she ascended the throne, Queen Elizabeth II followed her father’s lead and publicly pledged her life in service to Britain.

    But while the impact of Edward’s abdication lingered for years, the crisis reached a crescendo in a few days. And the solution in that case was relatively simple: Edward stepped aside, and his oldest brother took his place.

    By contrast, the drama surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor is ongoing, with no end in sight.

    No ‘clear route forward’

    The current crisis stems from revelations about the relationship between the former prince and Epstein that were uncovered when the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of documents last month from its investigation into Epstein.

    Police have previously cited reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor, in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade.

    At least eight U.K. police forces have said they are looking into issues raised by the documents.

    Compared with previous royal scandals, “this time there doesn’t seem to be any clear route forward,” said Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?” “There’s no blueprint to follow” in terms of how the monarchy and associated organizations deal with the allegations.

    The last time the monarchy had to manage these kinds of questions was after the death of Princess Diana, Charles’ ex-wife. Elizabeth and Charles were criticized for failing to respond to the outpouring of public grief as tens of thousands of people swarmed to Kensington Gardens to lay flowers outside the late princess’ home. Some even called for Charles to step aside as heir to the throne in favor of his son William.

    The queen later commissioned focus groups to better understand the public mood and determine why people felt so strongly about a person they never met. The crisis forced the royals to recognize that Diana’s common touch had connected with people in ways that had not yet occurred to the House of Windsor.

    Those lessons have since inspired other royals, including Diana’s sons, Princes William and Harry, to be more informal and approachable.

    But this moment is different, in part because it is taking place in a rapidly changing media environment at a time when people are demanding transparency from their leaders.

    Family could face uncomfortable questions

    Moving forward also means facing uncomfortable questions about what the institution — and the family members themselves — may have known about Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities. The palace has sought to draw a bold line separating the former prince and the rest of the monarchy by stripping him of his titles, including the right to be called a prince.

    In another blow for the former prince, the British government is considering formally removing him from the line of succession to the crown. Despite losing his status and his honors, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne. That can only be changed with legislation.

    Charles is the first monarch “that has to meet our expectations of figures in public life, which is to be accountable and to explain yourself,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London. “And you always have to work to earn the support of the public. And that is a particular challenge when you’re facing a controversy such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.”

    Critics argue that the monarchy was slow to respond to the pressure, given that Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have been discussed for more than a decade.

    The best outcome for the monarchy is for the police investigation to focus solely on the information in the Epstein files and how that relates to Mountbatten-Windsor, said Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent. The worst outcome would be if police expand their inquiries to what the broader institution might have known and when.

    “Were questions raised about his behavior as a trade envoy over those 10 years? Were they answered? What did people do about them?” Hunt said on the BBC.

    And perhaps there’s more to learn.

    “Will there be files?” he asked.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Trump says he’ll enact additional 10% tariff after Supreme Court decision

    [ad_1]

    Hours after the Supreme Court struck down many of President Donald Trump’s far-reaching tariffs in a 6-3 decision, the president said Friday he plans to sign an excecutive order imposing 10% global import duties “over and above our normal tariffs already being charged,” citing a different statute. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Hours after the Supreme Court struck down many of President Donald Trump’s far-reaching tariffs in a 6-3 decision, the president said he planned to impose a 10% global import duties through another statute

    • The country’s top court issued its long-awaited decision Friday, ruling the president does not have the authority to impose sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, passed in 1977

    • “We claim no special competence in matters of economics or foreign affairs. We claim only, as we must, the limited role assigned to us by Article III of the Constitution. Fulfilling that role, we hold that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion

    • Justices Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson all sided with Roberts in invalidating many of Trump’s import taxes levied on U.S. global trading partners; yhree justices –– Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito –– dissented from the majority opinion

    During a news conference at the White House after the ruling, Trump quoted Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s dissenting opinion as the president justified pressing on with his tariffs. “Although I firmly disagree with the Court’s holding today, the decision might not substantially constrain a President’s ability to order tariffs going forward,” Kavanaugh wrote.

    The country’s top court issued its long-awaited decision Friday, ruling the president does not have the authority to impose sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, passed in 1977.

    “IEEPA’s grant of authority to ‘regulate . . . importation’ falls short. IEEPA contains no reference to tariffs or duties,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. “The Government points to no statute in which Congress used the word ‘regulate’ to authorize taxation. And until now no President has read IEEPA to confer such power.” 

    Justices Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson sided with Roberts in invalidating many of Trump’s import taxes levied on U.S. global trading partners. Three justices –– Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito –– dissented from the majority opinion.

    “We claim no special competence in matters of economics or foreign affairs. We claim only, as we must, the limited role assigned to us by Article III of the Constitution. Fulfilling that role, we hold that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs,” the opinion concluded.

    In his news conference, Trump called the ruling “deeply disappointing” and condemned the Supreme Court majority who struck down the IEEPA duties, accusing the justices of being “swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think.”

    Trump pledged to employ “very powerful alternatives.”

    “We’ll take in more money, and we’ll be a lot stronger for it,” he said. “We’re taking in hundreds of billions of dollars. We’ll continue to do so.”

    Separate tariffs that Trump had previously imposed, including ones on goods such as aluminum, steel, lumber and automobiles through Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, were not part of the case considered by the Supreme Court and still remain in place. During his remarks Friday, the president also highlighted several additional methods to levy tariffs, including Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits import duties of up to 15% to be imposed for 150 days. 

    “I can do anything I want with IEEPA, anything. I just can’t charge anybody for it,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”

    In November, the nation’s top court heard oral arguments for a consolidated challenge from several Democratic-led states and a handful of small businesses over the president’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, as well as ones he levied on China, Mexico and Canada over what his administration described as “the flow of contraband drugs like fentanyl to the United States.” 

    In both, Trump contended that the situations constituted national emergencies and relied on IEEPA as the justification for imposing tariffs. 

    During nearly three hours of oral arguments before the justices late last year, attorneys for the plaintiffs insisted that only Congress has the power to tax and argued that tariffs are not included in the scope of IEEPA. They were followed by U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who contended that tariffs fell under the president’s authority to “regulate foreign commerce.”

    Liberal and some conservative justices at the time seemed to express skepticism about the Trump administration’s arguments.

    One of the plaintiffs in the case –– Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources and hand2mind –– praised the ruling in a statement Friday.

    “With today’s decision, we will continue to pursue our mission through innovation, investment, and hard work supporting educators, families, and children around the world, without the burden of unlawful tariffs,” Woldenberg wrote.

    What will happen with the tariffs that have been paid?

    Barrett had asked during oral arguments about logistics of giving refunds to importers if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and remarked that the process may be “a mess.”

    During that exchange, Neal Katyal, who was representing small-business plaintiffs, contended that only the companies that were party to the suit would be entitled to receive their money back, and other businesses would have to individually seek repayment.

    To protect their right to request refunds, retail giant Costco and hundreds of other businesses have launched legal challenges. 

    It was not immediately clear from the ruling what would happen, regarding potential refunds.

    Kavanaugh in his dissent Friday echoed Barrett’s comments, writing that the U.S. “may be required to refund billions of dollars to importers who paid the IEEPA tariffs, even though some importers may have already passed on costs to consumers or others.” 

    “As was acknowledged at oral argument, the refund process is likely to be a ‘mess,’” Kavanaugh contended, adding that the Supreme Court’s ruling could also “generate uncertainty” about trade agreements Trump reached with other countries to lower the import duties. 

    On Friday, Trump criticized the Supreme Court majority for not addressing the issue in its opinion, suggesting that the refunds will be subject to a lengthy legal fight.

    “We’ll end up being in court for the next five years,” the president said.

    A coalition of roughly 800 small businesses, We Pay the Tariffs, called on the federal government to expeditiously refund tariff payments to U.S. companies. 

    “But a legal victory is meaningless without actual relief for the businesses that paid these tariffs,” the group wrote in a statement. “The administration’s only responsible course of action now is to establish a fast, efficient, and automatic refund process that returns tariff money to the businesses that paid it.” 

    Customs and Border Protection estimated in December it collected more than $200 billion from new tariffs last year. Of that figure, approximately $133.5 billion was brought in from IEEPA import duties through Dec. 14, 2025, but that number is believed to have ticked up in the weeks since. Reuters reported Friday that more than $175 billion in tariffs may need to be refunded if the Supreme Court rules against Trump, citing an estimate from Penn-Wharton Budget Model economists.

    Trump had previously speculated that the amount would be even higher.

    “The actual numbers that we would have to pay back if, for any reason, the Supreme Court were to rule against the United States of America on Tariffs, would be many Hundreds of Billions of Dollars,” he said Jan. 12 on social media. 

    In a statement, the Committee For a Responsible Federal Budget called on lawmakers to address the lost tariff revenue.

    “With the national debt already the size of the entire U.S. economy and interest on the debt costing more than $1 trillion this year, this is very bad news,” the nonpartisan think tank wrote. “Congress should work quickly to fill that hole.”

    Before Trump’s tariffs took effect last year, the U.S. saw a surge of imports of foreign goods in the first few months. The trade-gap then narrowed for most of the rest of the year, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. 

    But, while the overall trade deficit of goods and services fell to $901 billion last year, the gap between the amount of goods imported versus exported rose to a record-high $1.24 trillion in 2025, the report found, meaning the U.S. ultimately brought in more foreign products than American exporters sent overseas.

    [ad_2]

    Christina Santucci

    Source link

  • Jesse Jackson celebration of life scheduled for next week

    [ad_1]

    CHICAGO — A celebration of life for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson will take place next week in Chicago, his family announced Wednesday. His body will lie in state at the headquarters of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition he founded 30 years ago to advocate for civil rights and economic justice, followed by a church service and final celebration Feb. 28, the family said.

    What You Need To Know

    • A celebration of life for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson will take place next week in Chicago, his family announced Wednesday

    • His body will lie in state at the headquarters of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition he founded 30 years ago to advocate for civil rights and economic justice, followed by a church service and final celebration Feb. 28, the family said

    • “Dad’s homegoing services, which are difficult for all of us to accept, are just that: a national and international gathering and meeting of people most importantly from our community who uplifted him and put him on a perch that allowed him to share a vision with all people,” Jesse Jackson Jr. said at a news conference Wednesday with his siblings

    • Jackson Jr. said his father’s funeral is “not for those of you who have an opinion” but for “people who are coming to pay their respects”


    “Dad’s homegoing services, which are difficult for all of us to accept, are just that: a national and international gathering and meeting of people most importantly from our community who uplifted him and put him on a perch that allowed him to share a vision with all people,” Jesse Jackson Jr. said at a news conference Wednesday with his siblings.

    A two-time presidential candidate who fought for social justice in the decades following the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, Jackson died Tuesday at the age of 84.

    Jackson was a young community organizer in Chicago when he was called to meet with King at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, shortly before King was killed. From that point on, he positioned himself as King’s successor, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care.

    On Wednesday, his children pledged to continue advocating for the same causes and encouraged younger generations to follow in their father’s footsteps.

    “Now this mantle of standing up for freedom, standing up for dignity, standing up for those that have been marginalized is now passed on — not to be inherited by a person, but to be taken over and taken up by another generation,” the reverend’s second oldest son, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said Wednesday. “It’s a continuous fight as we see the rollbacks of our rights that he’s fought so hard for are now being challenged.”

    As the Trump administration works to root out diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in government and the country, the congressman said, “DEI has been a major part of my father’s work. These are the guardrails to fight against racism and to bring about inclusion to make this a better country.”

    One week after President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term in January 2025, Rep. Jackson said he formed the DEI Caucus with Rep. Cleo Fields, D-La.

    “We can’t say we’ve made enough progress on race and equity and racial justice,” he said, adding that U.S. DOGE Service cuts to federal agencies last year disproportionately affected African American women. “This is not one man or one woman’s work.”

    Jackson Jr. credited his father with opening the door to the 62 African Americans who currently serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and the five who serve in the Senate.

    Jackson Jr. called on his congressman brother to “find creative ways to do something” about unpaid home health care providers in the United States, saying he and his five siblings had each provided caregiving for their father, who lived with the rare brain disorder known as progressive supranuclear palsy for a decade before his death.

    Jackson Jr. said his father’s funeral is “not for those of you who have an opinion” but for “people who are coming to pay their respects.”

    “We expect a grand meeting of people who are beneficiaries of the life and the work of Jesse Jackson,” he said. “We expect it from the far right, and they are welcome if they come respectfully, and we expect it from the far left to honor Mrs. Jesse Jackson. This is her request.”

    [ad_2]

    Susan Carpenter

    Source link

  • FBI: DNA recovered from glove found near Guthrie home

    [ad_1]

    A glove containing DNA found about two miles from the house of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her front door in Tucson the night she vanished, the FBI said Sunday.

    What You Need To Know

    • The FBI says a glove containing DNA was found about two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home and appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her front door the night she vanished

    • The glove, found in a field near the side of the road, was sent off for DNA testing

    • The discovery was revealed days after investigators had released surveillance videos of the masked person outside Guthrie’s front door in Tucson

    • Guthrie is the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie and was last seen at her home on Jan. 31

    The glove, discovered in a field beside a road, was sent for DNA testing. The FBI said in a statement that it received preliminary results Saturday and was awaiting official confirmation. The development comes as law enforcement gathers more potential evidence as the search for Guthrie’s mother heads into its third week. Authorities had previously said they had not identified a suspect.

    On Sunday night, Savannah Guthrie posted an Instagram video in which she issued an appeal to whoever abducted her mother or anyone who knows where she is being kept. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” Guthrie said. “And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it’s never too late.”

    Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Arizona home on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

    The discovery was revealed days after investigators had released surveillance videos of the masked person outside Guthrie’s front door. A porch camera recorded video of a person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves.

    On Thursday, the FBI called the person a suspect. It described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build. The agency said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.

    Late Friday night, law enforcement agents sealed off a road about two miles from Guthrie’s home as part of their investigation. A series of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock.

    The investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot late Friday. The sheriff’s department later said the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation but no arrests were made.

    On Tuesday, sheriff deputies detained a person for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. Authorities didn’t say what led them to stop the man but confirmed he was released. The same day, deputies and FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, about an hour’s drive south of the city.

    In this image provided by NBCUniversal, Savannah Guthrie, right, her mom Nancy speak, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in New York. (Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal via AP)

    Authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and have dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

    Earlier in the investigation, authorities had said they had collected DNA from Nancy Guthrie’s property which doesn’t belong to Guthrie or those in close contact with her. Investigators were working to identify who it belongs to.

    The FBI also has said approximately 16 gloves were found in various spots near the house, most of which were searchers’ gloves that had been discarded.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Jordan Stolz wins second speedskating gold of Olympics

    [ad_1]

    MILAN — For a while now, Jordan Stolz’s talent and dominance as a speedskater, and his much-anticipated potential for Olympic success, prompted many to repeatedly mention his name — prematurely, no doubt — alongside that of Eric Heiden. Now they really do belong in the same sentence, at least in one regard.

    What You Need To Know

    • Jordan Stolz has won his second speedskating gold medal of the Milan Cortina Olympics by finishing first in the 500 meters in an Olympic-record time. Saturday’s race was the American’s second of the Winter Games

    • The 21-year-old from Wisconsin was coming off a victory in Wednesday’s 1,000, the first of his four individual events in Milan

    • He came to these Games as someone considered a contender for gold in all four

    • The men’s record for most speedskating titles at one Olympics is the five for Eric Heiden at Lake Placid in 1980

    Stolz established himself as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, halfway to his goal of four at the Milan Cortina Games, by winning the 500 meters on Saturday to follow up his victory in the 1,000. Those twin triumphs allowed Stolz, a 21-year-old from Wisconsin, to join Heiden as the only men to complete the 500-1,000 double in speedskating at one Olympics.

    Heiden, of course, did it as part of his record sweep of all five individual events at the 1980 Lake Placid Games for the U.S., taking everything from the 500 to the 10,000, and all in Olympic-record time.

    Stolz finished the 500 in an Olympic-record time of 33.77 seconds, after also setting a Games mark in his win in the 1,000 on Wednesday. Both times, the silver went to Jenning do Boo of the Netherlands, who clocked 33.88 in the shortest speedskating event. Both times, they raced head-to-head in the same heat.

    Stolz was leading Wednesday as they came out of the final curve, then they were even entering the last stretch. But Stolz, who overcame a deficit in the 1,000, turned on the speed and leaned across the line first again in the 500. De Boo slipped and fell into the wall afterward, while Stolz skated past and shook his right fist overhead.

    Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil got the bronze in 34.26.

    The last American to win Olympic gold in the men’s 500 was Casey FitzRandolph in 2002.

    The soft-spoken Stolz acknowledges that, yes, his aims are high, and, sure, he is flattered by the comparisons to Heiden. But Stolz, who isn’t entered in the 5,000 or 10,000 in Milan, also knows he isn’t trying to recreate the same sort of unprecedented and all-encompassing performance turned in by Heiden.

    Still, Stolz does have a real shot at the four medals, maybe even four golds, he is seeking at his second Winter Games.

    At Beijing in 2022, just 17 years old, Stolz finished 13th in the 1,000 and 14th in the 500. In the time since, though, he has established himself as the best in the world at his sport, including two world titles each at the 500, the 1,000 and the 1,500. And right now, Stolz is so far living up to the outsized expectations and accompanying pressure that follow his every stride on the ice at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a temporary facility created for this event.

    Two races, two golds, two Olympic records.

    Now there are two more to go for the six-time world champion: the 1,500 meters on Thursday, and the mass start on Feb. 21.

    The last man with three gold medals in speedskating at one Winter Games was Norway’s Johann Olav Koss, who won the 1,500, the 5,000 and the 10,000 at the 1994 Lillehammer Games

    Stolz took to the ice to warm up Saturday about 2 1/2 hours before his race. He paused at one point to plop himself down for a seat on the low boards along the ice, retying his black-and-green skates and smiling while chatting with his coach, Bob Corby.

    No sign of nerves. None at all.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Lake Erie ice fishers take advantage of frozen lake

    [ad_1]

    PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Before the sun rises on a February morning, a group of dedicated ice fishers journeys out onto Lake Erie.

    What You Need To Know

    • Ice fishing season on Lake Erie lasts anywhere from a couple of weeks to two months
    • This year, ice fishers have been taking advantage after arctic temperatures froze a majority of the lake
    • The area near Port Clinton is known for its great walleye supply, and the islands and shallow waters help keep the ice from breaking up 
    • Once Lake Erie freezes, locals who live on the islands near Port Clinton are entirely reliant on air travel

    “You got to be a little bit crazy, you got to be a little bit obsessed, because it’s not for the faint of heart,” said John Fickert, one of those ice fishers. 

    As the sun starts to poke out over the horizon, Fickert makes camp. 

    “We’re many miles offshore, really desolate, really peaceful,” he said.

    On Lake Erie, the ice fishing season lasts anywhere from two weeks to two months. During that time, Fickert goes every chance he gets.  

    “Probably as soon as I could walk, I was out here fishing with my dad,” Fickert said, lighting up when he recalls old memories. “Those were the good ol’ days when I’d get out of school, and he’d haul me out here.”

    Ice fisher John Fickert set’s up his gear as the sun rises on Lake Erie. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)

    Using a fish finder, he puts two rods in and can see when fish are near.

    “These are fish swimming across; do you see them?” he asks, pointing to two slender blobs on the screen of the fish finder. 

    However, after seeing a few fish, none of them wanted to bite.

    “He’s there, but he just won’t quite do it,” Fickert said. 

    Often, it’s a waiting game, and you don’t always get lucky. 

    “It’s just kind of unpredictable,” Fickert explains, adding that there was one day this year when he caught nothing. 

    He fishes around the Port Clinton area, near Put-in-Bay and Kelley’s Island. The ice on Lake Erie drastically transforms that area both visually and economically. 

    No one knows that better than Dustin Schaffer, owner of Island Air Taxi in Port Clinton. 

    “In the winter, it’s like a light switch when the boats quit,” Schaffer said. “In the winter, it’s the only way.”

    Once the ferries stop running because of the ice, all travel to and from this island have to be done by air. 

    “We have a lot of ice fishermen. There’s islanders, I fly teachers, there’s school kids that I transport back and forth,” Shaffer explained.

    In February, fishermen’s huts dot the lake, with the area known as one of the best places to catch walleye.

    Ice fishing huts dot Lake Erie. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)

    On the ground, Fickert finds a new place to set up after a couple of hours with no bites. This year, he didn’t get to come out with his father. 

    “He passed away last year,” Fickert said. 

    Fickert said he spread some of his father’s ashes across the frozen lake. Now, he uses his father’s snowmobile and gear. 

    Ice fishing is an activity he’ll always associate with his father, even when he’s not catching anything. 

    John Fickert and his father.

    John Fickert and his father. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)

    “Not a good sign… very negative mood,” Fickert said after a fish came near his lure but quickly swam away. 

    After a day where there were no bites, and right before he was planning to head back to shore, a fish finally bit. 

    “We’ve been waiting all day for her,” Fickert said, laughing. 

    But ask any ice fisher, it’s not all about the fish. 

    “The draw to it is just the rareness of it,” Fickert said. “It’s more like a treat when you get to do it.”

    [ad_2]

    Corey O’Leary

    Source link

  • Law enforcement block road near Nancy Guthrie’s home during investigation

    [ad_1]

    TUCSON, Ariz. — Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie ‘s mother sealed off a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona late Friday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother have blocked off a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona

    • A parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock Friday night

    • The roadblock is about 2 miles from the house

    • The agencies also tagged and towed a Range Rover from a nearby Culver’s restaurant parking lot

    • The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says the activity is part of the Guthrie investigation but declined to detail specifics

    A parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock that was set up about 2 miles from the house.

    The two agencies also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a Culver’s restaurant parking lot. The restaurant is just over 2 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home. This activity took place at the same time the sheriff’s office closed a road just north of the Guthrie home.

    The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie case. But it said the FBI requested that it not release further information. No new details were available early Saturday.

    Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch of her Tucson-area home. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

    Authorities have expressed concerns Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

    Investigators have studied surveillance video, sorted through thousands of tips and submitted DNA and other evidence for laboratory analysis.

    The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

    On Tuesday, authorities released footage showing an armed, masked person at Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted. The videos — less than a combined minute in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson.

    Experts say the video could contain a mountain of clues. 

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • U.S. military reports series of strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. military on Saturday reported a series of strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria in retaliation for the December ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter.

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.S. military is reporting a series of strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria

    • The strikes were carried out in retaliation of the December ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter

    • U.S. Central Command says American aircraft conducted 10 strikes against more than 30 IS targets between Feb. 3 and Thursday

    • The strikes were on weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure

    U.S. Central Command said in a statement that American aircraft had conducted 10 strikes against more than 30 IS targets between Feb. 3 and Thursday, hitting weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure.

    At least 50 members of IS have been killed or captured, while more than 100 IS targets have been struck since the United States began its strikes after the Dec. 13 ambush, according to Central Command. That attack killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, the civilian interpreter.

    Meanwhile, the Syrian Defense Ministry said Thursday that government forces took control of a base in the east of the country that was run for years by U.S. troops as part of the fight against IS. The Al-Tanf base played a major role after IS declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.

    The U.S. military on Friday completed the transfer of thousands of IS detainees from Syria to Iraq, where they are expected to stand trial. The prisoners were sent to Iraq at the request of Baghdad, in a move welcomed by the U.S.-led coalition that had for years fought against IS.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Experts say vetting tips in Guthrie case is huge but vital task

    [ad_1]

    An Arizona sheriff’s department got more than 4,000 calls within 24 hours after the release of videos of a masked person on Nancy Guthrie’s porch. Many tips will be worthless. Others could have merit. Experts say one thing’s certain: They can’t be ignored.

    What You Need To Know

    • More than 4,000 calls came into an Arizona sheriff’s department within 24 hours after the release of videos of a masked person on Nancy Guthrie’s porch

    • Many will be worthless, and others could have merit

    • Experts say one thing’s certain: The tips can’t be ignored

    • Images of a mysterious person have been the most significant clues shared with the public during Guthrie’s disappearance in the Tucson area

    Tips can solve crimes — big or small — and eerie images of a mysterious male covered head to toe have been the most significant clues shared with the public during Guthrie’s nearly 2-week-old disappearance in the Tucson area.

    “It’s a tremendous amount of work,” said Roberto Villaseñor, a former Tucson police chief.

    “In a situation like this, you really cannot do what’s been done without tips and public input,” he said. “They have processed the scene. But once that’s done and exhausted, it’s hard to move forward without additional information coming in.”

    This combo from images provided by the FBI shows surveillance footage at the home of Nancy Guthrie the night she went missing in Tucson, Ariz. (FBI via AP)

    Tens of thousands of tips

    The Pima County sheriff and the FBI announced phone numbers and a website to offer tips about the apparent kidnapping of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Several hundred detectives and agents have been assigned to the case, the sheriff’s department said.

    The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

    “Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance, and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement,” the FBI said Thursday on X, adding that the effort is a 24-hour operation. It said it won’t comment on the tips received.

    In this image provided by NBCUniversal, Savannah Guthrie, right, her mom Nancy speak, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in New York. (Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal via AP)

    In this image provided by NBCUniversal, Savannah Guthrie, right, her mom Nancy speak, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in New York. (Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal via AP)

    Tips have made a difference many times

    Major U.S. crimes for years have been cracked with a tip. In 1995, the brother and sister-in-law of Ted Kaczynski recognized certain tones in an anonymous, widely published anti-technology manifesto. Known by the FBI as the “Unabomber,” Kaczynski was found living in a shack in Montana and subsequently admitted to committing 16 bombings over 17 years, killing three people.

    The 1989 murders of an Ohio woman and two teen daughters in Florida were solved three years later when St. Petersburg police asked the public if they recognized handwriting found in the victims’ car. A former neighbor led investigators to Oba Chandler.

    Retired Detroit homicide investigator Ira Todd recalled how images from a gas station camera solved the disappearance and death of a 3-month-old baby — and stopped authorities from pursuing the wrong person in 2001. “A niece of this guy saw it on TV and says, ‘That’s my uncle,’” he said.

    The murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022 generated nearly 40,000 tips to state and federal authorities. None had a direct role in the capture of Bryan Kohberger, but the public’s involvement nonetheless was “absolutely” important, said Lt. Darren Gilbertson of the Idaho State Police.

    “That’s one of the things that kept us going for weeks,” he said, while authorities awaited DNA and other evidence.

    Law enforcement agents check vegetation areas around Nancy Guthrie s home in Tucson, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

    Law enforcement agents check vegetation areas around Nancy Guthrie s home in Tucson, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

    Sorting the helpful from the odd

    Gilbertson said much of the early vetting in the Idaho murders was done by the FBI. He said agents and analysts who were screening tips had a good grasp of what information could be spiked and what should be handed up to key investigators. Some tips arrived by regular mail.

    “Aliens to bears to crazy conspiratorial ideas — don’t even pass that along,” Gilbertson said.

    Nancy Guthrie was last seen Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Hours before her family knew she was gone, a porch camera recorded video of a person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves — images that were released by the FBI along with a public plea for help.

    The FBI on Thursday said the person, now a suspect, is a male, about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build. The agency also named the brand and model of the backpack.

    The sheriff’s department has not said whether any tips from the videos have advanced the investigation.

    “I’m hopeful,” said Villaseñor, the former Tucson chief. “I have seen cases where simpler and less detailed information has helped bring somebody about. Maybe someone recognizes clothing, maybe the bag. You never know what someone will key on.”

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Sweets rank as top gift for Valentine’s Day this year, retail group says

    [ad_1]

    Nothing says I love you like chocolate, which is why it comes as no surprise that candy tops the list of this year’s popular Valentine’s Day gifts. 

    Cards and flowers also rank high, as does jewelry, according to the National Retail Federation.

    What You Need To Know

    • Candy tops the list of this year’s popular Valentine’s Day gifts

    • Cards and flowers also rank high, as does jewelry, according to the National Retail Federation

    • With the holiday falling on a Saturday, experiential gifts are a big hit

    • The National Retail Federation says 83% of those celebrating will buy gifts for romantic partners, but plenty of others will spend on friends and coworkers, and a record 35% of Valentine’s Day shoppers are projected to spend a whopping $2.1 billion on their pets

    “In terms of spending and category, jewelry absolutely wins the love leaderboard,” said Michelle Dalton Tyree, a retail and trend expert. “Here’s what I think is funny. Only 25% of people are actually buying jewelry, but that jewelry that they are buying makes up $7 billion of that Valentine’s Day pie.” 

    Most shoppers prefer buying online, but department stores are a close second, and for many, Valentine’s goodies don’t come in heart shaped boxes or any box at all. 


    With the holiday falling on a Saturday, experiential gifts are a big hit. 

    “Couples don’t have to squeeze in something in the middle of the week,” Dalton Tyree said. “This is a perfect time to do experiences, to go out to dinner, to go for a weekend getaway. So it really comes at an ideal time this year. And who doesn’t love a fun, frivolous escape?” 

    One possible excursion is a trip to White Castle. For the 35th-year running, 300 locations of this fast-food franchise will turn into “Love Castle,” offering table-side service and special decor. 

    Pizza Hut is selling heart shaped pies, and McDonald’s offered a special Valentine’s Day kit. 

    “This included caviar from Paramount Caviar, a $25 McDonald’s gift card, creme fraiche and even a traditional mother-of-pearl caviar spoon,” Dalton Tyree said.
”It sold out in minutes.”

    The National Retail Federation says 83% of those celebrating will buy gifts for romantic partners, but plenty of others will spend on friends and coworkers, and a record 35% of Valentine’s Day shoppers are projected to spend a whopping $2.1 billion on their pets. 

    “One of the things driving this is we saw, obviously, a pandemic pet explosion,” Dalton Tyree said. “And a lot of those pets during the pandemic became people’s SOs. That was their significant other. And Gen Z’s and millennials are really, really driving this trend.”


    Consumers are expected to spend $200 per person — the highest amount ever seen — showing that even in times of economic uncertainty, Americans love to love.

    [ad_2]

    Alex Cohen

    Source link

  • Lindsey Vonn crashes in Winter Olympic downhill, taken away by helicopter

    [ad_1]

    CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn ‘s defiant bid to win the Winter Olympic downhill at the age of 41, on a rebuilt right knee and a badly injured left knee, ended Sunday in a frightening crash that saw her taken to safety by a rescue helicopter for the second time in nine days.

    What You Need To Know

    • Lindsey Vonn’s pursuit of a second Olympic downhill gold medal is over

    • The 41-year-old American, skiing with a badly injured left knee, crashed early in Sunday’s race in Italy

    • She was taken off the course by helicopter after receiving medical attention

    Vonn lost control within moments of leaving the starting gate, clipping a gate with her right shoulder and pinwheeling down the slope before ending up awkwardly on her back, her skis crisscrossed below her and her screams ringing out soon after medical personnel arrived. She was treated for long, anguished minutes as a hush fell over the crowd waiting far below at the finish line.

    She was strapped to a gurney and flown away, possibly ending the skier’s storied career. Her condition was not immediately known, with the U.S. Ski Team saying simply she would be evaluated.

    “She’ll be OK, but it’s going to be a bit of a process,” said Anouk Patty, chief of sport for U.S. Ski and Snowboard. “This sport’s brutal and people need to remember when they’re watching (that) these athletes are throwing themselves down a mountain and going really, really fast.”

    United States’ Lindsey Vonn is airlifted away after a crash during an alpine ski women’s downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

    Breezy Johnson, Vonn’s teammate, became only the second American woman to win the Olympic downhill after Vonn did it 16 years ago. The 30-year-old Johnson held off Emma Aicher of Germany and Italy’s Sofia Goggia on a bittersweet day for the team.

    “I don’t claim to know what she’s going through, but I do know what it is to be here, to be fighting for the Olympics, and to have this course burn you and to watch those dreams die,” said Johnson, whose injury in Cortina in 2022 ruined hopes of sking in the Beijing Olympics. “I can’t imagine the pain that she’s going through and it’s not the physical pain — we can deal with physical pain — but the emotional pain is something else.”

    Vonn had family in the stands, including her father, Alan Kildow, who stared down at the ground while his daughter was being treated after just 13 seconds on the course where she holds a record 12 World Cup titles. Others in the crowd, including rapper Snoop Dogg, watched quietly as the star skier was finally taken off the course. Fellow American star Mikaela Shiffrin posted a broken heart emoji on social media.

    Vonn’s crash was “tragic, but it’s ski racing,” said Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

    “I can only say thank you for what she has done for our sport,” he said, “because this race has been the talk of the games and it’s put our sport in the best possible light.”

    All eyes had been on Vonn, the feel-good story heading into the Olympics. She had returned to elite ski racing last season after nearly six years, a remarkable decision given her age but she also had a partial titanium knee replacement in her right knee, too. Many wondered how she would fare as she sought a gold medal to join the one she won in the downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

    The four-time overall World Cup champion stunned everyone by being a contender almost immediately. She came to the Olympics as the leader in the World Cup downhill standings and was a gold-medal favorite before her crash in Switzerland nine days ago, when she suffered her latest knee injury. In addition to a ruptured ACL, she also had a bone bruise and meniscus damage.

    Still, no one counted her out even then. In truth, she has skied through injuries for three decades at the top of the sport. In 2006, ahead of the Turin Olympics, Vonn took a bad fall during downhill training and went to the hospital. She competed less than 48 hours later, racing in all four events she’d planned, with a top result of seventh in the super-G.

    Cortina has had many treasured memories for Vonn beyond the record wins. She is called the queen of Cortina, and the Olympia delle Tofana is a course that had always suited Vonn. She tested out the knee twice in downill training runs over the past three days before the awful crash on Sunday in clear, sunny conditions.

    “This would be the best comeback I’ve done so far,” Vonn said before the race. “Definitely the most dramatic.”

    News of the crash spread quickly, including to the fan zone down the mountain in Cortina.

    “It’s such a huge loss and bummer,” American Megan Gunyou said. “I feel like hearing her story and just like the redemption of her first fall and like fighting to come back to the Olympics this year, I mean, I feel so sad for her.”

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • FBI concluded Epstein wasn’t running a sex trafficking ring for powerful men

    [ad_1]

    NEW YORK — The FBI pored over Jeffrey Epstein’s bank records and emails. It searched his homes. It spent years interviewing his victims and examining his connections to some of the world’s most influential people.

    What You Need To Know

    • The FBI pored over Jeffrey Epstein’s bank records and emails, searched his homes, spent years interviewing his victims and examining his connections to some of the world’s most influential people

    • But while investigators collected ample proof that Epstein sexually abused multiple underage girls, records released by the Justice Department show they found scant evidence he led a sex trafficking ring serving powerful men

    • Investigators wrote in one memo reviewed by The Associated Press that they were unable to substantiate one victim’s highly public claim that he “lent her” to his rich friends, and found no other victims telling a similar story

    But while investigators collected ample proof that Epstein sexually abused underage girls, they found scant evidence the well-connected financier led a sex trafficking ring serving powerful men, an Associated Press review of internal Justice Department records shows.

    Videos and photos seized from Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida and the Virgin Islands didn’t depict victims being abused or implicate anyone else in his crimes, a prosecutor wrote in one 2025 memo.

    An examination of Epstein’s financial records, including payments he made to entities linked to influential figures in academia, finance and global diplomacy, found no connection to criminal activity, said another internal memo in 2019.

    While one Epstein victim made highly public claims that he “lent her” to his rich friends, agents couldn’t confirm that and found no other victims telling a similar story, the records said.

    Summarizing the investigation in an email last July, agents said “four or five” Epstein accusers claimed other men or women had sexually abused them. But, the agents said, there “was not enough evidence to federally charge these individuals, so the cases were referred to local law enforcement.”

    The AP and other media organizations are still reviewing millions of pages of documents, many of them previously confidential, that the Justice Department released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and it is possible those records contain evidence overlooked by investigators.

    But the documents, which include police reports, FBI interview notes and prosecutor emails, provide the clearest picture to date of the investigation — and why U.S. authorities ultimately decided to close it without additional charges.

    Dozens of victims come forward

    The Epstein investigation began in 2005, when the parents of a 14-year-old girl reported she had been molested at the millionaire’s home in Palm Beach, Florida.

    Police would identify at least 35 girls with similar stories: Epstein was paying high school age students $200 or $300 to give him sexualized massages.

    After the FBI joined the probe, federal prosecutors drafted indictments to charge Epstein and some personal assistants who had arranged the girls’ visits and payments. But instead, then-Miami U.S. attorney Alexander Acosta struck a deal letting Epstein plead guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. Sentenced to 18 months in jail, Epstein was free by mid-2009.

    In 2018, a series of Miami Herald stories about the plea deal prompted New York federal prosecutors to take a fresh look at the accusations.

    Epstein was arrested in July 2019. One month later, he killed himself in his jail cell.

    A year later, prosecutors charged Epstein’s longtime confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, saying she’d recruited several of his victims and sometimes joined the sexual abuse. Convicted in 2021, Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term.

    Prosecutors fail to find evidence backing most sensational claims

    Prosecution memos, case summaries and other documents made public in the department’s latest release of Epstein-related records show that FBI agents and federal prosecutors diligently pursued potential coconspirators. Even seemingly outlandish and incomprehensible claims, called in to tip lines, were examined.

    Some allegations couldn’t be verified, investigators wrote.

    In 2011 and again in 2019, investigators interviewed Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who in lawsuits and news interviews had accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters with numerous men, including Britain’s former Prince Andrew.

    Investigators said they confirmed that Giuffre had been sexually abused by Epstein. But other parts of her story were problematic.

    Two other Epstein victims who Giuffre had claimed were also “lent out” to powerful men told investigators they had no such experience, prosecutors wrote in a 2019 internal memo.

    “No other victim has described being expressly directed by either Maxwell or Epstein to engage in sexual activity with other men,” the memo said.

    Giuffre acknowledged writing a partly fictionalized memoir of her time with Epstein containing descriptions of things that didn’t take place. She had also offered shifting accounts in interviews with investigators, they wrote, and had “engaged in a continuous stream of public interviews about her allegations, many of which have included sensationalized if not demonstrably inaccurate characterizations of her experiences.” Those inaccuracies included false accounts of her interactions with the FBI, they said.

    Still, U.S. prosecutors attempted to arrange an interview with Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He refused to make himself available. Giuffre settled a lawsuit with Mountbatten-Windsor in which she had accused him of sexual misconduct.

    In a memoir published after she killed herself last year, Giuffre wrote that prosecutors told her they didn’t include her in the case against Maxwell because they didn’t want her allegations to distract the jury. She insisted her accounts of being trafficked to elite men were true.

    Prosecutors say photos and videos don’t implicate others

    Investigators seized a multitude of videos and photos from Epstein’s electronic devices and homes in New York, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They found CDs, hard copy photographs and at least one videotape containing nude images of females, some of whom seemed as if they might be minors. One device contained 15 to 20 images depicting commercial child sex abuse material — pictures investigators said Epstein obtained on the internet.

    No videos or photos showed Epstein victims being sexually abused, none showed any males with any of the nude females, and none contained evidence implicating anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell, then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey wrote in an email for FBI officials last year.

    Had they existed, the government “would have pursued any leads they generated,” Comey wrote. “We did not, however, locate any such videos.”

    Investigators who scoured Epstein’s bank records found payments to more than 25 women who appeared to be models — but no evidence that he was engaged in prostituting women to other men, prosecutors wrote.

    Epstein’s close associates go uncharged

    In 2019, prosecutors weighed the possibility of charging one of Epstein’s longtime assistants but decided against it.

    Prosecutors concluded that while the assistant was involved in helping Epstein pay girls for sex and may have been aware that some were underage, she herself was a victim of his sexual abuse and manipulation.

    Investigators examined Epstein’s relationship with the French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who once was involved in an agency with Epstein in the U.S., and who was accused in a separate case of sexually assaulting women in Europe. Brunel killed himself in jail while awaiting trial on a rape charge in France.

    Prosecutors also weighed whether to charge one of Epstein’s girlfriends who had participated in sexual acts with some of his victims. Investigators interviewed the girlfriend, who was 18 to 20 years old at the time, “but it was determined there was not enough evidence,” according to a summary given to FBI Director Kash Patel last July.

    Days before Epstein’s July 2019 arrest, the FBI strategized about sending agents to serve grand jury subpoenas on people close to Epstein, including his pilots and longtime business client, retail mogul Les Wexner.

    Wexner’s lawyers told investigators that neither he nor his wife had knowledge of Epstein’s sexual misconduct. Epstein had managed Wexner’s finances, but the couple’s lawyers said they cut him off in 2007 after learning he’d stolen from them.

    “There is limited evidence regarding his involvement,” an FBI agent wrote of Wexner in an Aug. 16, 2019, email.

    In a statement to the AP, a legal representative for Wexner said prosecutors had informed him that he was “neither a coconspirator nor target in any respect,” and that Wexner had cooperated with investigators.

    Prosecutors also examined accounts from women who said they’d given massages at Epstein’s home to guests who’d tried to make the encounters sexual. One woman accused private equity investor Leon Black of initiating sexual contact during a massage in 2011 or 2012, causing her to flee the room.

    The Manhattan district attorney’s office subsequently investigated, but no charges were filed.

    Black’s lawyer, Susan Estrich, said he had paid Epstein for estate planning and tax advice. She said in a statement that Black didn’t engage in misconduct and had no awareness of Epstein’s criminal activities. Lawsuits by two women who accused Black of sexual misconduct were dismissed or withdrawn. One is pending.

    No client list

    Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in February 2025 that Epstein’s never-before-seen “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now.” A few months later, she claimed the FBI was reviewing “tens of thousands of videos” of Epstein “with children or child porn.”

    But FBI agents wrote superiors saying the client list didn’t exist.

    On Dec. 30, 2024, about three weeks before President Joe Biden left office, then-FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate reached out through subordinates to ask “whether our investigation to date indicates the ‘client list,’ often referred to in the media, does or does not exist,” according to an email summarizing his query.

    A day later, an FBI official replied that the case agent had confirmed no client list existed.

    On Feb. 19, 2025, two days before Bondi’s Fox News appearance, an FBI supervisory special agent wrote: “While media coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case references a ‘client list,’ investigators did not locate such a list during the course of the investigation.”

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • What to know about Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping and the race to find her

    [ad_1]

    TUCSON, Ariz. — It’s been a week since “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie ‘s mother disappeared from her home in Arizona in what authorities say was a kidnapping.

    What You Need To Know

    • It’s been a week since “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother disappeared from her home in Arizona in what authorities say was a kidnapping

    • Investigators have been examining ransom notes and looking for evidence but have not named a suspect

    • On Friday, officers returned to 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s home near Tucson and to the surrounding neighborhood to continue their search

    • Family members told officials they last saw Nancy Guthrie at 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 31 when they dropped her off at home after they ate dinner and played games together

    Investigators have been examining ransom notes and looking for evidence but have not named a suspect. On Friday, officers returned to 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie ‘s home near Tucson and to the surrounding neighborhood to continue their search.

    Here’s what to know about the case:

    The disappearance

    Family members told officials they last saw Guthrie at 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 31 when they dropped her off at home after they ate dinner and played games together. The next day, family learned she didn’t attend church. They reported her missing after they went to check on her.

    Guthrie has a pacemaker and needs daily medication. Her family and authorities are worried her health could be deteriorating by the day.

    Collecting evidence

    Authorities think Guthrie was taken against her will from her home in an upscale neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch matched hers, the county sheriff has said.

    This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff s Department, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie. (Pima County Sheriff s Department via AP)

    Investigators found her doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday and that software data recorded movement at the home minutes later. But investigators haven’t been able to recover the footage because Guthrie didn’t have an active subscription to the service.

    Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told The Associated Press in an interview that investigators have not given up on trying to access those images.

    “I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy. But it’s not,” Nanos told the AP on Friday. “There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say ‘This is what we have and we can’t get anymore.’”

    The president of the Catalina Foothills Association, a neighborhood group, thanked residents in a letter for being willing to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow their properties to be searched.

    Ransom notes

    At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.

    It’s unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn’t met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch, Janke said.

    Investigators said they are taking the notes seriously.

    On Friday, KOLD-TV in Tucson said it received a new message, via email, tied to the Guthrie case. The station said it couldn’t disclose its contents. The FBI said it was aware of a new message and was reviewing its authenticity.

    Family appeals

    Concern about Guthrie’s condition is growing because authorities say she needs daily medicine that’s vital to her health. She has a pacemaker, high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

    Guthrie’s children recorded two separate video messages to their mother’s abductor and posted them publicly on social media.

    Savannah Guthrie filmed a sometimes emotional message on Wednesday asking the kidnapper for proof their mother was alive. She noted that technology today allows for the easy manipulation of voices and images and the family needed to know “without a doubt” that she is alive and in the abductor’s hands.

    Police have not said that they have received any deepfake images of Nancy Guthrie.

    Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, spunky and clever.

    “Talk to her and you’ll see,” she said.

    She spoke some words directly to her mom, saying she and her siblings wouldn’t rest until they’re all together again.

    Trump’s involvement

    The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information about Guthrie’s whereabouts.

    Separately, a Kentucky priest has offered a $10,000 reward for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return.

    The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday. He posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.

    On Friday night, he told reporters flying with him to his Florida estate on Air Force One that the investigation was going “very well” and investigators had some strong clues.

    Famous kidnappings

    The kidnapping is the latest abduction to attract the American public’s attention.

    Other notorious kidnappings in U.S. history have included the son of singer Frank Sinatra, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and the 9-year-old girl for whom the AMBER Alert was named.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • DOJ to allow lawmakers to see unredacted Epstein files

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice will allow members of Congress to review unredacted files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein starting on Monday, according to a letter that was sent to lawmakers.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Department of Justice will allow members of Congress to review unredacted files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein

    • That’s according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press says that lawmakers starting Monday will be able to review unredacted versions of the more than 3 million files that the Justice Department has released

    • To access the files, lawmakers will need to give the Justice Department 24 hours advance notice

    • They will be able to review the files on computers at the Department of Justice, and only lawmakers and not their staff will have access to the files

    The letter obtained by The Associated Press says that lawmakers will be able to review unredacted versions of the more than 3 million files that the Justice Department has released to comply with a law passed by Congress last year.

    To access the files, lawmakers will need to give the Justice Department 24 hours’ notice. They will be able to review the files on computers at the Department of Justice. Only lawmakers, not their staff, will have access to the files, and they will be permitted to take notes, but not make electronic copies.

    The arrangement, first reported by NBC News, showed the continued demand for information on Epstein and his crimes by lawmakers, even after the Justice Department devoted large numbers of its staff to comply with the law passed by Congress last year. The Justice Department has come under criticism for delays in the release of information, failing to redact the personal information and photos of victims and not releasing the entire 6 million documents collected in relation to Epstein.

    Still, lawmakers central to the push for transparency, described the concession by the Justice Department as a victory.

    “When Congress pushes back, Congress can prevail,” Rep. Ro Khanna, who sponsored what’s known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, posted on social media.

    Khanna has pointed to several emails between Epstein and individuals whose information was redacted that appeared to refer to the sexual abuse of underage girls. The release of the case files has prompted inquiries around the world about men who cavorted with the well-connected financier. Still, lawmakers are pressing for a further reckoning over anyone who may have had knowledge of Epstein’s abuse or could have helped facilitate it.

    Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 while he faced charges that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls. The case was brought more than a decade after he secretly cut a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to dispose of nearly identical allegations. Epstein was accused of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Key participant in 2012 Benghazi attack is in custody, Bondi says

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — A key participant in the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans has been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in their deaths, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Attorney General Pam Bondi says a key participant in 2012 attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans is in custody

    • The 2012 attack on the U.S. compound killed Americans including Ambassador Chris Stevens and immediately emerged as a divisive political issue. Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the Democratic administration’s changing narrative about who was responsible

    • A Libyan militant suspected of being a mastermind of the attacks was convicted in the U.S. and is serving a prison sentence

    Bondi said in a news conference that Zubayr Al-Bakoush had landed at Joint Base Andrews at 3 a.m. on Friday.

    “We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation,” Bondi said.

    U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that an eight-count indictment charged Al-Bakoush with crimes including the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith. It was unclear if Al-Bakoush had an attorney representing him.

    The 2012 attack on the U.S. compound immediately emerged as a divisive political issue as Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the administration’s changing narrative about who was responsible and why.

    A final report by a Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attacs. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton.

    Clinton dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was “time to move on.” Other Democrats denounced the Republicans’ report as “a conspiracy theory on steroids.

    On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, U.S. officials have said, at least 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound and set buildings on fire.

    The fire led to the deaths of Stevens and Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby U.S. facility known as the annex.

    A large group assembled for an attack on the annex. That attack, including a precision mortar barrage, resulted in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

    A Libyan militant suspected of being a mastermind of the attacks, Ahmed Abu Khattala, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and was brought to Washington for prosecution. He was convicted and is serving a prison sentence. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive and that he was singled out because of his ultra-conservative Muslim beliefs.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Super Bowl LX will help celebrate America’s 250th anniversary

    [ad_1]

    SANTA CLARA, Calif. — With all the pomp and circumstance, it might not immediately register, but Super Bowl LX isn’t only the biggest annual sporting event in the United States — this year, it will also help commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.

    What You Need To Know

    • Super Bowl LX will help commemorate America’s 250th anniversary

    • The ball, the sidelines — even the coin that’s tossed to determine which team receives the ball first — will be emblazoned with the America250 logo to honor the country’s semiquincentennial

    • “This is a yearlong celebration tied to moments that bring communities together,” America250 Chair Rosie Rios told Spectrum News. “Football is something that’s very near and dear to many Americans”

    • After Super Bowl LX ends in a blizzard of confetti and the Vince Lombardi Trophy has been claimed, America250 will have a presence at another marquee moment in football: the NFL draft in Pittsburgh in April


    The ball, the sidelines — even the coin that’s tossed to determine which team receives the ball first — will be emblazoned with the America250 logo to honor the country’s semiquincentennial.

    “This is a yearlong celebration tied to moments that bring communities together,” America250 Chair Rosie Rios told Spectrum News. “Football is something that’s very near and dear to many Americans.”

    As they do every year, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy will conduct a joint Super Bowl LX flyover with an eight-ship aircraft formation. For 2026, it will honor USA’s 250th anniversary when the American flag used in Flag Sojourn 250 — a single American flag that’s traveled to every state, territory and overseas military cemetery — will be in the cockpit of one of the formation’s aircraft.

    To help honor America’s 250th, the NFL said it plans to assemble care packages for the military community through its Salute to Service initiative that seeks to honor, empower and connect with active-duty service members, veterans and their families, the league said.

    America250’s partnership with the NFL kicked off during Week 18 of the 2025 season that was played in early January 2026, following its presence at college football’s “Iron Bowl” in Auburn, Alabama, in November and the Rose Bowl Parade on Jan. 1.

    “Sea to shining sea is what’s really important,” Rios said of the organization’s goal of engaging all 350 million Americans to celebrate the country’s big birthday.

    On Super Bowl Sunday, as the New England Patriots square off against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, it will get almost two-thirds of the way there, when a record 213.1 million U.S. adults are expected to tune in, according to the National Retail Federation.

    In the days leading up to the game, America250 has been part of the Super Bowl Experience fan event at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, where an Airstream trailer has been transformed into a recording studio for Americans to share their personal stories — some of which will be archived at the Library of Congress.

    “The semiquincentennial is about storytelling. It is about convenings. It’s about making people feel at home,” Rios said.

    Sporting events are a natural connector.

    After Super Bowl LX ends in a blizzard of confetti and the Vince Lombardi Trophy has been claimed, America250 will have a presence at another marquee moment in football: the NFL draft in Pittsburgh in April.

    “We are going to the Super Bowl and beyond to show those experiences with the fans and in these beautiful moments that we’re sharing together,” Rios said.

    America250’s collaboration with the NFL is one of several with sports organizations as the country prepares to celebrate its big day.

    The sports collaborations will continue with Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia and the FIFA World Cup games over the summer.

    One day after America’s 250th birthday is officially in the books, America250 will hand off its U.S. celebrations to LA28 — the organizing committee for the next summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The handoff will take place July 5, during the FIFA World Cup.

    [ad_2]

    Susan Carpenter

    Source link

  • U.S. applications for jobless benefits jump by 22,000 to 231,000 last week

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped last week but remains in the same historically low range of the past few years.

    What You Need To Know

    • The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped last week but remains in the same historically low range of the past few years

    • Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Jan. 31 rose by 22,000 to 231,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday

    • That’s significantly more than the 211,000 new applications that analysts had forecast

    • Applications for unemployment benefits are seen as representative of U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market

    Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Jan. 31 rose by 22,000 to 231,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s significantly more than the 211,000 new applications that analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast.

    Applications for unemployment benefits are seen as representative of U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

    The four-week average of jobless claims, which balances out some of the week-to-week gyrations, rose by 6,000 to 212,250.

    The total number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the previous week ending Jan. 24 grew by 25,000 to 1.84 million, the government said.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Guthrie posts message to mother’s kidnapper asking for proof she is alive

    [ad_1]

    TUCSON, Ariz. — NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie sent a public message to her 84-year-old mother’s kidnapper on Wednesday saying that her family is ready to talk but wants proof that she is alive.

    What You Need To Know

    • NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie has sent a public message to her mother’s kidnapper saying that her family is ready to talk but wants proof that she is alive

    • Guthrie said in a recorded video posted on social media Wednesday that her family has heard about a ransom letter in media reports

    • Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday around 9:45 p.m. when she was dropped off at home by family after having dinner with them

    • She was reported missing midday Sunday after she didn’t appear at a church

    Guthrie said in a recorded video posted on social media that her family has heard media reports about a ransom letter for Nancy Guthrie, who authorities believe was taken from her home in Arizona against her will.

    “We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” Savannah Guthrie said while reading from a prepared statement. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”

    She was last seen around 9:45 p.m. Saturday, when she was dropped off at home by family after having dinner with them, the sheriff’s department said. She was reported missing midday Sunday after she didn’t appear at a church.

    The family posted the message after police conducted a search in and around Nancy Guthrie’s home for several hours Wednesday.

    Kevin Adger, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, said investigators had been at the home earlier in the week for a couple of days and then turned it back over to the family with the understanding they could go back if they needed to.

    “This is a follow up investigation,” he said in reference to officials returning Wednesday.

    Adger said the sheriff’s department was not commenting on the video released by the family.

    Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes Tuesday that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department had said it was taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.

    The family’s message for Nancy Guthrie

    Savannah Guthrie was at times emotional during the recording, with her voice cracking. She smiled and looked into the camera when addressing her mother directly, saying that the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.

    This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff s Department, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie. (Pima County Sheriff s Department via AP)

    “Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter,” she said.

    Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, spunky and clever.

    “Talk to her and you’ll see,” she said.

    Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron who both also spoke. Annie called their mother their beacon and said they need her.

    “Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.

    No suspect identified

    Authorities on Wednesday offered no detailed update on their search. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos’ office said detectives still were speaking with anyone who had contact with Nancy Guthrie last weekend but that no suspect or person of interest had been identified.

    Nanos suggested there was video from some cameras, though he didn’t elaborate, adding: “That’s all been submitted and we’re doing our best with the companies that own those cameras or built those cameras.”

    There were signs of forced entry at the home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood. Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. A sheriff’s dispatcher talking to deputies during a search Sunday indicated that she has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.

    Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search-and-rescue posse in Maricopa County, isn’t involved in the search for Guthrie but said desert terrain can make looking for missing people difficult. He said it can be hard to peer into areas that are dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and other desert brush.

    “Some of it is so thick you can’t drive through it,” Mason said.

    St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church hosted a candlelight service for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

    St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church hosted a candlelight service for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

    Supporters around the country

    A couple hundred people attended an evening vigil for Nancy Guthrie at a Tucson church where they heard prayers and placed lit candles on an altar. A priest prayed for God to comfort Guthrie and to bring her home to those she loves.

    Afterward, Jeremy Thacker had tears in his eyes as he described the heartbreak and helplessness he was experiencing over Guthrie’s disappearance. He worked with Savannah Guthrie at a local news station and they shared losing their fathers at a young age. His own sister was kidnapped when he was young.

    Thacker said he knew Nancy Guthrie to be sharp, grounded and earnest.

    “We’re all holding our breath,” Thacker said.

    On the other side of the country, Victory Church in Albany, New York, said it’s offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to finding Nancy Guthrie.

    “Me and my wife, we watch Savannah every single morning. We’ve heard of her faith. We’ve heard of her mom’s faith. And she’s got such a sweet spirit,” Pastor Charlie Muller said.

    The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday.

    “I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely.”

    For a third day, “Today” opened with Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Tuesday that she will not be covering the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”

    The “Today” host grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA. Her parents settled in Tucson in the 1970s when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she credits her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link