The deal would cover current and future lawsuits claiming the weedkiller caused cancer. The detailsThe $7.25 billion settlement would create a fund that Bayer would pay into over the next 17 to 21 years. Bayer is hoping the settlement, combined with a potential Supreme Court victory, will provide the "tightest possible form of containment" for the Roundup litigation. The $10 billion Roundup settlement unraveled in 2020 after a judge objected to how future claims would be handled. Christopher Seeger One of the plaintiffs' lawyers in the Roundup lawsuits.

The NBA All-Star break did not end well for Charlotte Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball. He crashed his custom Hummer in the city Wednesday. AdvertisementBall’s custom Hummer isn’t going to be cheap to fix. LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets reacts during the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Spectrum Center Feb. 9, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. Original article source: LaMelo Ball's custom Hummer loses wheel in Charlotte crash during All-Star break

Shark attacks returned to near-average levels in 2025 after a dip the previous year, according to the latest report from the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, published Wednesday. Researchers recorded 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide last year, slightly below the 10-year average of 72, but an increase from 2024. But California stood out in another way: It had the nation’s only unprovoked fatal shark attack in 2025. It was the sole U.S. fatality among 25 reported shark bites nationwide. “In California, you tend to have year-to-year fewer attacks than other places in the U.S. and in the world,” Midway said.

- Denis Balibouse/ReutersNestlé said it would offload its remaining ice-cream business and pull back from a raft of brands as part of a broader plan to revive the packaged-food giant’s fortunes. As part of the overhaul, Nestlé said it planned to sell its remaining ice-cream operations to its Froneri joint venture, in which it keeps a 50% stake. Nestlé set up Froneri with private-equity firm PAI Partners in 2016 to house some of its ice-cream brands, including Häagen-Dazs. Unilever has spun off its ice-cream business, forming Magnum Ice Cream, while Keurig Dr Pepper plans to separate its coffee and beverage units. Nestlé had previously signaled that some of its business could be on the block, and launched strategic reviews of its vitamins and water units before Navratil took the helm.

But there’s no snow on the 101 Freeway near Thousand Oaks — which might come as a surprise to those who spied an errant travel alert from the California Department of Transportation. An agency advisory for the L.A.-Ventura county line went out Wednesday saying snow chains were required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks equipped with snow tires on at least two-drive wheels. Those with snow tires, the advisory warned, must still carry chains. “Blowing and driving snow with near zero visibilities possible,” the weather service said. Just not in Thousand Oaks.

Every hint, nudge and outright answer you need to complete today's NYT Strands puzzle. Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're an overthinker. NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal? Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal. NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Eureka.

We’d meet when I had study hall, or yearbook class, or after school while I was supposed to be tutoring younger students. He’d email me later about my “sweet tight jeans.” He openly resented my (age-appropriate) boyfriend until I ended the relationship. The one aunt who tried to raise the alarm — who saw him for what he was — was ridiculed and shunned. Because I did nothing about my high school teacher. We were a poorly kept secret all four years of college, but secrets are easy to keep when no one cares to know the truth.

NationalGirl awaiting heart forms bond with construction workersFebruary 18, 2026 | 10:01 PM GMTAs 4-year-old Brinley Wyczalek awaits a heart, a construction crew waves through the window of the building across to say hello.

Some of my readers may not know that I have another blog, RBN Royal Book News, where I review books about royals and royalty. The blog is the successor to my eponymous newsletter that I began in 1983 and was published for 25 years.

The Los Angeles taqueria where soft tacos were popularized starting 50 years ago is poised to become a city-designated historic-cultural site. The original King Taco sparked interest for generations of Angelenos in more varieties of Mexican cuisine and eventually influenced taco culture across the country. Four tacos at King Taco’s original location, in Cypress Park, clockwise from left: cabeza, chicken tinga, carne asada and al pastor. It’s also the birthplace of Lupe Martinez’s signature lightly smoky salsa roja, which can still smother King Taco’s dishes today. The patio at King Taco’s original location in Cypress Park.

But the Trump administration is recasting refugee status as conditional instead of permanent — a major change in how refugees have historically been regarded. The memo said refugees who haven’t adjusted their status must endure a second round of “congressionally mandated” vetting to screen for public safety, fraud and national security risks. The Trump administration also halted green-card processing months ago for scores of countries from which refugees originate, making it impossible to satisfy the requirement. There are no confirmed reports of DHS terminating an individual’s refugee status as a result of the operation. Owen, senior director of policy and advocacy at Refugee Council USA, said the memo directly threatens the very purpose of why the U.S. brings in refugees.

The U.S. merchandise trade deficit hit a record $1.2 trillion last year, despite President Donald Trump’s promise to eliminate it by imposing the highest tariffs in eight decades on foreign-made products. The president has described the trade deficit in goods, which the U.S. has run every year since 1975, as a “national emergency” resulting from unfair trade practices on the part of foreign nations. The sizable U.S. budget deficit, a sign of a nation living beyond its means, inevitably draws in large amounts of foreign goods, despite tariffs, they note. Although the president has failed thus far in his bid to shrink — let alone eliminate — the trade deficit, he has set in motion a fundamental reordering of global trade flows. At the beginning of 2025, businesses increased imports of foreign goods in hopes of front-running the new tariffs, which caused the trade deficit to balloon.

Attorney Brad Gage, who represented the officer’s mother, said they were disappointed after the two-week trial and planned to appeal. Steve McGuire argued that Tipping’s death was a tragic accident. According to the lawsuit, Cuellar and Tipping signed up for training that instructs bicycle officers on dealing with unruly people. An internal LAPD report on Tipping’s death found Tipping and the other officers involved in the training session followed standards set by a state agency. During his opening remarks, Gage described Tipping as a “by-the-book officer” who joined the force to make a difference.

It is normal for the department to stop employees from traveling across the country for various assignments, such as trainings, during a funding lapse, 10 current and former FEMA officials said. Typically, FEMA staffers who work on disasters are able to travel to and from ongoing recovery projects regardless of DHS funding issues. And a current veteran officials said that disaster travel is always allowed because it is mission-critical. “In most cases, FEMA’s ability to deploy staff to active disaster response and recovery operations is not impacted by a DHS funding lapse,” said former FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell. These rotations are critical to disaster work because they enable people who have been working nonstop to take a break and then come back to their work.

Air traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport was disrupted Wednesday evening after a JetBlue Airbus A320 experienced an engine failure during takeoff and returned to the airport, prompting an emergency evacuation. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft returned to Newark as a precaution. The aircraft came to a stop on a taxiway at approximately 5:55 p.m., where passengers and crew evacuated using emergency slides. Following the incident, airport operations were temporarily impacted. The FAA confirmed it will investigate the engine failure and associated smoke reports to determine the cause of the incident.