The Petersburg Post
Top News Stories for Friday, February 20th 2026
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
LONDON — The former Prince Andrew was arrested and held for hours by British police Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein, an extraordinary move in a country where authorities once sought to shield the royal family from embarrassment. It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest, and it underscored how ...
Source: bostonglobe.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
U.S. President Donald Trump has given Iran "10 to 15" days to make a meaningful deal over its nuclear program — or "really bad things" will happen. Oil prices held at six-month highs on Friday morning as energy market participants continue to closely monitor heightened geopolitical tensions. Strategists at Barclays said "if conflict is imminent it is likely to be short lived, in our view." In this article US ...
Source: cnbc.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
SODA SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Crews hope to resume efforts Friday to recover the bodies of eight people killed and one still missing in an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada after days of dangerous weather that has hampered safe access to the area. Six of the people who died were part of a close-knit group of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and knew how to navigate the alpine wilderness, ...
Source: apnews.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
In a Truth Social post, the U.S. president said his move was based on the "tremendous interest" in the subject, without providing additional details. Trump said the files will be related to unidentified aerial phenomena and unidentified flying objects. This comes after former U.S. President Barack Obama said on a podcast that aliens are real. Man and boy sit on a paved sidewalk and draw alien faces. U.S. President ...
Source: cnbc.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
Good news for taxpayers ages 65 or older: The 2025 tax season means a new deduction for certain older adults, giving them even more tax breaks. Last year's passage of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, gives seniors a $6,000 deduction, or $12,000 for married couples where both spouses qualify. And the deduction is available to filers who take the standard deduction or itemize. The new senior deduction is ...
Source: chicago.suntimes.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
MILAN — It was only fitting that Hilary Knight was in the middle of it all. As the United States women's hockey team prepared to receive their gold medals Thursday after a 2-1 win over Canada in overtime, the players lined up in numerical order. There was No. 21 in the center, with 12 teammates on one side and 10 on the other. Knight was in the middle of it an hour earlier, too, when a shot from Laila Edwards ...
Source: bostonglobe.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
– Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday remained defiant in his first reaction to a for rebellion handed down by a Seoul court the previous day. In a statement released by his lawyers, Yoon maintained that his abrupt and short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024 was done "solely for the sake of the nation and our people," and dismissed the Seoul Central District Court as biased ...
Source: news4jax.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
Nasa has sharply criticised Boeing's Starliner programme following an investigation into the spacecraft's troubled 2024 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), that led to astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore being stuck in space for months. The agency blamed both technical flaws and management shortcomings for the incident. The US space agency designated the test flight a "Type A mishap" — ...
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
You can now listen to Fox News articles! Ex-Victoria's Secret mogul Les Wexner's lawyer was caught on a hot mic jokingly threatening to "kill" him if he continued giving long answers to questions during his deposition on Jeffrey Epstein by the House Oversight Committee. The moment was caught after the committee released its full, nearly five-hour deposition of 88-year-old Wexner as part of its ongoing probe into ...
Source: foxnews.com
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
News , via Wikimedia Commons West Virginia attorney general sues Apple over encryption, child porn West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey filed suit against Apple on Thursday, arguing that the company turned a blind eye to iCloud encryption methods that facilitate mass transmission of child pornography. The suit focuses on Apple iCloud and its use of end-to-end encryption, which makes digital files ...
Source: jurist.org
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
The U.S. federal agency that enforces workplace civil rights is suing a regional Coca-Cola bottler for sex discrimination, alleging the company discriminated against male employees by only inviting women to a company-sponsored networking event. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit on behalf of a male employee of Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast who complained about a two-day networking ...
Source: wbur.org
Friday, Feb 20th, 2026 -
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA took another crack at fueling its giant moon rocket Thursday after leaks halted the initial dress rehearsal and delayed the first lunar trip by astronauts in more than half a century. For the second time this month, launch teams pumped more than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of supercold fuel into the rocket atop its launch pad. They counted all the way down to the ...
Source: military.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
For years, social media companies have disputed allegations that they through deliberate design choices that addict kids to their platforms and fail to protect them from sexual predators and dangerous content. Now, these tech giants are getting a chance to make their case in courtrooms around the country, including before a jury for the first time. Some of the biggest players from Meta to TikTok are facing federal ...
Source: news4jax.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
In a fiery speech in Los Angeles, the Vermont senator criticizes 'grotesque' levels of economic inequality Billionaires are "treading on very, very thin ice," Bernie Sanders warned on Wednesday during a fiery speech in Los Angeles, imploring California voters to fight "grotesque" levels of economic inequality by approving a proposed tax on the state's richest residents. The Vermont senator railed against the ...
Source: theguardian.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
The UK is blocking President Trump from using its military air bases for a possible attack on Iran — because the lefty government believes such strikes could violate international law and doesn't want Britain implicated, according to a new report. Trump has already hit back by slamming the UK prime minister's plan to resolve a long-running dispute over a strategically crucial chain of islands in the Indian ...
Source: nypost.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration has issued a sweeping new order that could lead to the arrest of tens of thousands of refugees who are lawfully in the United States but do not yet have permanent residency, overturning years of legal and immigration safeguards. A memo filed by the Department of Homeland Security ahead of a Thursday federal court hearing in Minnesota says refugees applying for green ...
Source: nbcnews.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Fledgling Indian artificial intelligence companies showcased homegrown technologies this week at a major summit in New Delhi. Fledgling Indian artificial intelligence companies showcased homegrown technologies this week at a major summit in New Delhi, underpinning big dreams of becoming a global AI power. But analysts said the country was unlikely to have a "DeepSeek moment" — the sort of boom China had ...
Source: digitaljournal.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
At the end of October last year, the RSF took over al‑Fashir, which had been the last remaining stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces in the Darfur region in the west of the country. paramilitary group captured the Sudanese city of al‑Fashir bear hallmarks that point to genocide, an independent UN probe said in a new report on Thursday. At the end of October last year, the RSF took over the city, ...
Source: jpost.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week to its lowest level in more than three years, but remains around 6% in the same narrow range it has been in this year. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.01% from 6.09% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.85%. The modest pullback brings the average rate to its lowest level since Sept. ...
Source: apnews.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Eric Dane has died. The beloved actor, known for his roles in Grey's Anatomy, Euphoria, and Burlesque , passed away at the age of 53 following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, People confirmed on February 19. The actor's family shared with that he died on Thursday. "With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous ...
Source: instyle.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The Commission of Fine Arts has unanimously approved plans for President Donald Trump 's almost 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom plans, the first hurdle in starting the building project. The commission, whose members were all appointed by Trump , including his executive assistant, Chamberlain Harris, 26. The original architect of the ballroom recused himself from the vote. Trump fired all ...
Source: upi.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
A new investigation found proposals for data centers across southwest Ohio are coupled with apprehension from local communities. The facilities are resource-hungry and subsidized by tax breaks. (TNS) — When Angie Markham first heard that a data center was planned about half a mile from her home in Trenton, her first words to her husband were, "We're going to have to move." The plans, reviewed by this news ...
Source: govtech.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
EPA based rescission on reinterpretation of Clean Air Act section 202 On Feb. 12, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final rule (published at 91 Fed. Reg. 7686) rescinding the 2009 Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act , 74 Fed. Reg. 66496 (Dec. 15, 2009) (Endangerment Finding) and all subsequent federal ...
Source: natlawreview.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Swipe for next article Stephen Colbert claims CBS told him not to broadcast an interview with Senate candidate James Talarico Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, has clapped back at Stephen Colbert after he claims CBS told him not to air an interview with a Democratic ...
Source: independent.co.uk
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Scientists showed in a new study published Thursday that they could use blood draws to build a "clock" for Alzheimer's disease that could roughly predict when symptoms will develop, findings that could eventually transform how the illness is diagnosed and treated. A simple blood test can help diagnose Alzheimer's, but the study in the journal Nature Medicine shows how these kinds of tests could one day play a ...
Source: bostonglobe.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
All AI-generated music includes Google's SynthID watermark for identification, providing ethical safeguards while making music creation more accessible to everyday users. Google is launching music generation in its Gemini app via the new Lyria 3 model developed by Google Deepmind. The feature is in beta and allows you to create 30-second pieces of music based on text prompts and/or uploaded images and videos, says ...
Source: pcworld.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Deal agreed to acquire British secondhand fashion resale app from Etsy as eBay attempts to fend off Amazon The online retailer eBay has agreed to buy the British secondhand fashion resale app Depop from Etsy for about $1.2bn (£890m) in cash, as eBay targets younger fashion-loving consumers. The deal comes at a time when secondhand marketplaces continue to soar in popularity , especially among gen Z shoppers ...
Source: theguardian.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
At the January 2026 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, the voting body chose to leave interest rates unchanged . The Federal Reserve's dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment have been at crossroads the past few months; inflation has trickled up, but the labor market shows signs of softness. At the January meeting, concerns about inflation won, as documented in the now-published ...
Source: rismedia.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
By Ben Casselman and Ana Swanson President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised that his steep tariffs would reduce U.S. imports, shrink the trade deficit and lead to a revival in American manufacturing. So far, the opposite has occurred. U.S. imports grew last year, and the trade deficit in goods hit a record high, data released Thursday showed, as Trump's policies scrambled trade but did not halt it. That was ...
Source: miamiherald.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Alysa Liu completed a stunning comeback to competitive figure skating by winning the first Olympic women's figure skating gold medal for the United States in 24 years on Thursday night. The 20-year-old from Clovis, California, who vanished from the sport nearly four years ago uncertain if she'd ever return, delivered a career-best long program to overtake Japanese rivals Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai. Skating in a ...
Source: theguardian.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
The Bears ditching the Windy City in favor of Indiana is becoming a serious endeavor. Lawmakers in the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved an amendment to a bill which clears a path for the Bears to build a stadium in Northwest Indiana. Indiana State Bill 27 was approved with a 24-0 vote on Thursday and would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, which would have the power to ...
Source: nypost.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
President Donald Trump offered a forceful defense of his tariff agenda Thursday at a steel manufacturing factory in northwest Georgia as the Supreme Court weighs whether to strike down the policy at the center of his economic platform. The justices could rule as early as Friday on Trump's authority to impose the kind of broad global tariffs he implemented last year. Losing the case would deal a major economic and ...
Source: nbcnews.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Google says 3.1 Pro is ready for "your hardest challenges." Another day, another Google AI model. Google has really been pumping out new AI tools lately, having just released Gemini 3 in November . Today, it's bumping the flagship model to version 3.1. The new Gemini 3.1 Pro is rolling out (in preview) for developers and consumers today with the promise of better problem-solving and reasoning capabilities. Google ...
Source: arstechnica.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
WASHINGTON — An executive jet the Department of Homeland Security has told the White House's Office of Management and Budget it needs for immigrant deportation flights and Cabinet officials' travel features a bedroom with a queen bed, showers, a kitchen, four large flat-screen TVs and even a bar, according to images of the aircraft obtained by NBC News. DHS recently began leasing the Boeing 737 Max 8, which ...
Source: nbcnews.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Bad Bunny to make lead acting debut in film inspired by Puerto Rican revolutionary Singer Bad Bunny is to take on his first lead acting role, starring in a film alongside Javier Bardem and Edward Norton. Porto Rico, described as a love letter to the 31-year-old's home of Puerto Rico, will be directed by rapper René Pérez, known as Residente. The film, which has been in development since 2023, is ...
Source: bbc.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Yvette Cooper criticises 10-year sentence for couple arrested on around-the-world trip and held on charges of espionage The 10-year jail sentence handed to a British couple in Iran is "totally unjustifiable", Yvette Cooper has said. Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through the country on an around-the-world motorcycle journey and detained on charges of espionage. The couple ...
Source: theguardian.com
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026 -
Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Swipe for next article The Trump administration is appealing the decision restoring the exhibit about history of slavery Parks workers have restored a series of exhibition panels about the history of slavery at a Philadelphia historical site that the Trump administration had removed last month, after a ...
Source: independent.co.uk
Wednesday, Feb 18th, 2026 -
By Moderna's mRNA-1010 flu vaccine for older adults could be made available by the end of 2026, the pharmaceutical company announced Wednesday. Officials at the Food and Drug Administration have agreed to undertake a review of Moderna's seasonal influenza vaccine. Moderna and FDA officials recently met to discuss the vaccine's review with the goal date of Aug. 5. "Pending FDA approval, we look forward to making our ...
Source: miamiherald.com
Wednesday, Feb 18th, 2026 -
Behind the scenes, real journalism faces real resistance. We keep reporting anyway. Member support protects our independence and keeps tough stories in the light. Join today to help defend a free press. Already a member? Feb 18 (Reuters) - Traffic was disrupted at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday after a Florida-bound JetBlue flight suffered an engine failure on takeoff and returned to the airport, ...
Source: huffpost.com