The Petersburg Post
Top News Stories for Wednesday, February 4th 2026
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
WASHINGTON — President Trump doubled down on his extraordinary call for the Republican Party to "nationalize" voting in the United States, even as the White House tried to walk it back and members of his own party criticized the idea. Trump said Tuesday that he believed the federal government should "get involved" in elections that are riddled with "corruption," reiterating his position that the federal ...
Source: bostonglobe.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
Expanding its AI CTRL Platform with agentic AI and hands-on engineering to move clients from AI pilot to production and drive bottom-line impact. , a leading provider of cloud infrastructure and data center services, announced a major expansion of its AI CTRL Platform with the general availability of its Agentic Workflow Engine, coupled with the launch of its AI Outcomes Team. Together, these offerings address a ...
Source: aithority.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
Trump on Tuesday signed into law an extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. But the extension is short-term, lasting only until Dec. 31. The trade office said the agreement, which gives eligible duty-free access to the U.S. market for some products, would be modified to account for on other countries as part of the Republican ...
Source: news.yahoo.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
– Despite rare negotiations between Democrats and President Donald Trump, a bipartisan agreement on new restrictions for in the next two weeks will be exceedingly difficult — or even "an impossibility," as Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said. Congress is discussing potential new rules for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection after officers shot and ...
Source: news4jax.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding. The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote. "This bill is a great victory for the American people," Trump said. ...
Source: military.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
TUCSON, Ariz. — Investigators found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie's mother, a person familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, as the host asked for prayers to help bring back the 84-year-old, who is believed to have been taken against her will . The host described her mother, Nancy Guthrie , as "a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant" in ...
Source: cleveland.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
After two decades and two stints as Walt Disney Co. boss, Bob Iger finally is hanging up the reins. Disney this week tapped 54-year-old parks chief Josh D'Amaro to succeed Iger as chief executive. The handoff is set for March 18, at the company's annual investor meeting, with Iger staying on as a senior advisor and board member until his December retirement. The changing of the guard atop one of America's iconic ...
Source: latimes.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has recently jointly released the Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles. The regulation mandates that all vehicles sold in China, except for tailgates, must be equipped with mechanical exterior door handles and interior door handles. Even if the vehicle is locked due to an accident or power failure, the doors must still be able to be ...
Source: technode.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Authorities in Britain confirmed Wednesday that a criminal investigation has been launched into Britain's former ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson , over allegations that he leaked government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein . The 72-year-old was fired as Britain's envoy to Washington in September following revelations of his friendship with the late disgraced ...
Source: upi.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
A Doberman pinscher named Penny is America's top canine after earning the title of best in show on Tuesday night at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York. Judge David Fitzpatrick tapped the four-year-old female with the mirror-sheen black-and-rust coat from Ontario, Canada, over a field of six other group champions, among them a Chesapeake Bay retriever named Cota, who was awarded reserve best in ...
Source: theguardian.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
A collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a Greek coast guard patrol vessel off the eastern Aegean island of Chios has killed at least 15 people, the coast guard said late Tuesday, while a search and rescue operation involving patrol boats, a helicopter and divers was underway for potentially missing people. The bodies of 14 people — 11 men and three women — were recovered from the sea, the ...
Source: cbsnews.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
Up to four in ten cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation – and for the first time – nine cancer-causing infections. ...
Source: news-medical.net
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
To ensure developer control, Xcode creates automatic milestones for every modification, allowing teams to revert the entire project to a pre-agent state. Apple announced Xcode 26.3 on Tuesday, introducing agentic coding tools such as Anthropic's Claude Agent and OpenAI's Codex directly within its app development suite. The Xcode 26.3 Release Candidate became available to all Apple Developers on the developer ...
Source: techbriefly.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
The deal embeds advanced OpenAI models directly into Snowflake's data platform, enabling secure, AI-powered analytics and agents across major clouds. Snowflake and OpenAI have struck a multi-year, $200 million partnership to bring OpenAI's advanced models, including GPT-5.2, directly into Snowflake's enterprise data platform. The collaboration is designed to let Snowflake's large customer base, more than 12,000 ...
Source: thenextweb.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
Last Tuesday, CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss announced that the longevity guru Dr. Peter Attia would be a contributor to the network, one of several high-profile hires to mark her takeover. Last Friday, in the latest congressional release of material related to the convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein , Attia's name appeared over 1,700 times, including in emails discussing Epstein's sex life. In the most widely ...
Source: nymag.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
China's President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin hailed their countries' "stabilising" economic, political and security alliance in the face of "turbulent" times globally, as they spoke via video call on Wednesday. Moscow and Beijing have sought to present a united front against the West, with ties deepening since Russia's 2022 Ukraine offensive. The call comes days after top officials from both ...
Source: digitaljournal.com
Wednesday, Feb 4th, 2026 -
– Envoys from Moscow and Kyiv met in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for of U.S.-brokered talks on ending the as Russian cluster munitions killed seven people at a market in Ukraine. The delegations from Moscow and Kyiv were joined in the United Arab Emirates by U.S. officials, Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council chief, who was present at the meeting, said on social media. Umerov said the ...
Source: news4jax.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Elon Musk's SpaceX announced the acquisition of AI startup xAI as the company prepares for a potential IPO Elon Musk's SpaceX said Monday it is acquiring artificial-intelligence startup xAI, a move that significantly expands the rocket and satellite company's ambitions in data centers and advanced computing. The deal brings together SpaceX's launch and satellite operations with the fast-growing AI company, giving ...
Source: foxbusiness.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's social network X (formerly Twitter) in relation to non-consensual sexual imagery generated by Grok, the platform's AI assistant. In a statement released on February 3, the UK's data protection watchdog said it was conducting the investigation because the reported creation of the content "raises serious concerns under UK ...
Source: infosecurity-magazine.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
NASA said Tuesday it was delaying its mission to send four astronauts on a journey around the moon, after issues arose during a critical test of its enormous rocket. Mission managers were conducting an elaborate launch day walkthrough, known as a "wet dress rehearsal," at Kennedy Space Center in Florida when engineers detected leaking hydrogen at the base of the Space Launch System rocket. NASA was forced to end ...
Source: nbcnews.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are in a standoff with House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., over testimony the panel is seeking in its investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The dispute is over the format of the Clintons' testimony to lawmakers. The Clintons' legal team wrote a letter to Comer on Tuesday ...
Source: nbcnews.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Leaders had been trading hostile remarks for months but Gustavo Petro's visit ended with warm words from US counterpart After months of trading insults – from "sick man" and "drug trafficking leader" on one side, to "accomplice to genocide" with a "senile brain" on the other – the first meeting between Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro ended with pleasantries, autographs and a Maga cap. The Colombian ...
Source: theguardian.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
NEW YORK (AP) — A deal was reached between lawyers for victims of Jeffrey Epstein and the Justice Department to protect the identities of nearly 100 women whose lives were allegedly harmed after the government began releasing millions of documents last week, a lawyer told a federal judge on Tuesday. Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan cancelled a hearing scheduled for Wednesday after he was notified by ...
Source: apnews.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
The Firefox 148 update introduces a settings toggle that prevents access to AI tools and removes all promotional reminders. Mozilla has announced that Firefox will soon enable users to block all current and future generative AI features. The update also allows users to disable specific AI features while retaining others. Firefox 148, set to roll out on February 24, introduces a new AI controls section in the ...
Source: techbriefly.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia, is facing widespread criticism from conservatives after she said in a Fox News interview Monday that anyone who brings a gun into the nation's capital would face jail time. "You bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you're going to jail," Pirro said in the interview. "I don't care if you have a ...
Source: nbcnews.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Feb. 3 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump late Monday said he is now seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, as he lashed out at reports that his administration had dropped its demand for financial compensation from the Ivy League school. "We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University," Trump said on his Truth Social media ...
Source: upi.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
OpenAI and Nvidia, the two companies at the center of the AI boom, have yet to make progress on a $100 billion agreement from September. Since the deal was announced, Nvidia has invested in other AI labs, while OpenAI has forged agreements with rival chipmakers. For all their reported friction, Nvidia and OpenAI still need each other to fuel their respective growth. In this article Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, at ...
Source: cnbc.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Zelenskyy says Putin 'taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorise people', as Kyiv hits lows of -20C More than 1,000 residential buildings in Kyiv were without heating on Tuesday after a massive Russian air attack during one of the coldest nights of the winter, with temperatures in the capital falling to -20C. Overnight, the Kremlin fired 450 attack drones and more than 70 missiles across the ...
Source: theguardian.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Feb. 3 (UPI) -- The daytime chat programs Sherri and The Show have been canceled. "This decision is driven by the evolving daytime television landscape and does not reflect on the strength of the show, its production -- which has found strong creative momentum this season -- or the incredibly talented Sherri Shepherd ," Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus said in a joint statement to Variety ...
Source: upi.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Utah researchers analyzed samples of Utahns' hair going back a century to document a 100-fold decrease in lead concentrations University of Utah Prior to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, Americans lived in communities awash with lead from industrial sources, paint, water supply pipes and, most significantly, tailpipe emissions. A dangerous neurotoxin that accumulates in human ...
Source: eurekalert.org
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
A 13-year-old boy is credited with saving the lives of his mother and two younger siblings with an hourslong swim after the family was swept out to sea off the Australian coast. Austin Appelbee swam 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) to shore to raise the alarm after he got into difficulties on Friday with his mother Joanne Appelbee, 47, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, 8, police said. Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander ...
Source: cbsnews.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
We report without fear or favor because our work is sustained by members, not influence. Your support helps ensure the truth is told clearly, even when those in power push back. Join HuffPost today. Already a member? WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, ...
Source: huffpost.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge on Monday blocked the end of protections that have allowed roughly 350,000 Haitians to live in the U.S., dealing President Donald Trump's immigration agenda another legal, though perhaps temporary, setback. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington granted a request to pause the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging it ...
Source: pbs.org
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Washington — Sen. Mitch McConnell checked himself into a hospital on Monday night "after experiencing flu-like symptoms," a spokesman for the Kentucky Republican said Tuesday. The spokesman, David Popp, said it was done out of an "abundance of caution" and McConnell's "prognosis is positive." "He is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving," Popp said. "He is in regular contact with his ...
Source: cbsnews.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
– The charity founded by , is shutting down following the release of emails showing the depth of her friendship with the late sex offender Sarah's Trust, which focused on improving the lives of women and children, said it will close for the "foreseeable future,'' following the revelations in latest documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Ferguson is the ex-wife of the former Prince due to his ...
Source: news4jax.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Investors remain concerned about the impact memory costs could have on the sales of Nintendo's gaming consoles. The share drop comes after Nintendo's quarterly revenue missed market estimates, despite an 86% surge from last year. Nintendo Co. Switch 2 game consoles at a Bic Camera Inc. electronics store in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, June 5, 2025. Nintendo Co. fans from Tokyo to Manhattan stood in line for ...
Source: cnbc.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By DEE-ANN DURBIN PURCHASE, NY (AP) — PepsiCo is cutting prices on Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos chips this year to win back customers exasperated by years of price hikes . "For some consumers, low- and middle-income consumers, the biggest friction they have today in our category… is affordability," PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said Tuesday ...
Source: orlandosentinel.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
Ideas The End of the Nuclear-Arms-Control Era The last significant treaty is about to expire, and Trump isn't putting anything in its place. Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani / The Atlantic. Sources: Bettmann; Peter Turnley / Corbis / VCG / Getty. Save Something very dangerous is on track to happen this Thursday. In two days, New START , the last significant survivor of the age of nuclear-arms-control agreements ...
Source: theatlantic.com
Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026 -
We report without fear or favor because our work is sustained by members, not influence. Your support helps ensure the truth is told clearly, even when those in power push back. Join HuffPost today. Already a member? WASHINGTON (AP) — A complaint made about Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard months ago relates to an allegation that she withheld access to classified information for political ...
Source: huffpost.com
Monday, Feb 2nd, 2026 -
WASHINGTON — Every Homeland Security officer on the ground, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras, Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday. Noem made the announcement on X. She said the body-worn camera program is being expanded nationwide as funding becomes available. I just spoke with @RealTomHoman @ICEDirector @CBPCommissioner . Effective immediately ...
Source: chicago.suntimes.com
Monday, Feb 2nd, 2026 -
Former IRS agent Brendan Banfield was convicted by a Fairfax County jury Monday of killing his wife and another man in a scheme prosecutors say he orchestrated with the family's au pair. Banfield, 40, was found guilty of aggravated murder and related charges in the deaths of his wife, 37-year-old Christine Banfield, and 39-year-old Joseph Ryan. The killings occurred in the morning of Feb. 24, 2023, in ...
Source: insidenova.com