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Winderman’s view: Heat in victory work through either/or stage with robust rotation

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 19:46

ATLANTA — Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 128-97 victory over the Atlanta Hawks:

– For now, it appears it will start with the stagger, with so many options back in play for Erik Spoelstra with an injury-free roster.

– Which not only makes it appear it will be either/or with Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware, but also plenty of a similar either/or approach with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell.

– Neither Herro nor Ware started in this one, making the stagger easier for Spoelstra.

– In the first half, only in the later stages did we see Herro and Powell together.

– To maximize this roster, Herro and Powell can’t solely be splitting the minutes.

– This roster was built on the premise of more.

– Then again, Powell has the look of a player somewhat wearing down.

– So the Herro-only minutes could help in that regard.

– With Adebayo and Ware, it has never been as clear.

– With Ware again drawing an askance glare from Spoelstra.

– Even with Herro back, the Heat opened with a lineup of Adebayo, Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson.

– It was the ninth consecutive game the Heat have gone with a different lineup from the previous game.

– Mitchell had been questionable prior to the game with a head illness.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Ware entered first together off the Heat bench.

– Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis then followed together.

– With Myron Gardner making it 10 deep.

– With Gardner playing ahead of both Dru Smith and Nikola Jovic.

– And also no Simone Fontecchio in the rotation.

– Spoelstra ended the morning shootaround by putting an emphatic spin on what he hopes comes next.

– “I want them to enjoy this time of year,” he said of his players. ‘There’s been all the narratives all year long, but this is what competitors want. You want to be able to fight for something, compete for something. We have an opportunity in front of us, and we’re all looking forward to it.”

– He then continued the theme pregame.

– “We have a great opportunity in front of us,” he said. “Look, there’s been a lot of narratives around the league, a bunch of different things. We just see opportunity in front of us. We’re getting healthier right now, just at the right time.”

– He continued, “We feel like we have everything we need, to make a run, but we have to prove it. And that’s what’s exhilarating about it, is the competition.”

– He added, “We’re just looking forward to this final run. It’s the best time of year. The playoff picture is starting to become a little bit more clear. The games are really competitive. You can see what’s about to happen in the middle of April. And I know our guys are competitors and we’re looking forward to it.”

– Herro stressed he was just glad to be back.

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– “Just happy to be playing basketball again,” he said. “It’s been a rough couple of months going through different nicknack injuries, nothing really like super big of an injury that’s going to affect my whole body, career long term.”

– Herro indicated at Friday morning’s shootaround that the plan was to play both ends of the back-to-back set that concludes Saturday at home against the Hawks.

– “Over the last like week or so, I really ramped up trying to get ready for tonight and tomorrow and really for the rest of the season after the break,” he said. “But it responded well and just got to continue to see how it feels after I continue to do more.”

– Spoelstra downplayed a specific minutes limit.

– “But we’ll be certainly mindful,” he said. “I’m not going to play him 38 minutes. He hasn’t played a game in a while. He doesn’t have the build-up of a lot of games, but he always keeps himself in great condition.”

– Spoelstra downplayed being whole as being a panacea.

– “You have to just manage whatever is going on,” he said of his team’s previous injury situation. “These are things that you can’t control.”

– Powell didn’t downplay it at all.

– “It’s something that we’ve been wanting to have all year long,” he said, “finally having it, and it’s an important part of the season. It’s really crucial for us to build chemistry and start to stack together some really important wins going down the stretch of this season.”

– Said Adebayo, “It’s always good to go into the second half of the season fully healthy. It’s time to make a push.”

– The game opened the 14th of the Heat’s NBA-high 17 back-to-back sets this season. The Heat are 9-4 on the second nights of such pairings.

Justice Department swiftly fires lawyer chosen as top federal prosecutor for Virginia office

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 18:06

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer picked by judges to serve as the top federal prosecutor for a Virginia office that pursued cases against foes of President Donald Trump was swiftly fired Friday by the Justice Department in the latest clash over the appointments of powerful U.S. attorneys.

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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the firing of James Hundley on social media shortly after he was unanimously chosen by judges to replace former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. While the law says that the district court may choose U.S. attorneys when an initial appointment expires, the Trump administration has insisted that the power lies only in the hands of the executive branch.

“EDVA judges do not pick our US Attorney. POTUS does. James Hundley, you’re fired!” Blanche said in a post on X.

Hundley, who has handled criminal and civil cases for more than 30 years, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday evening.

The firing of Hundley is the latest reflection of tumult in one of the Justice Department’s most elite prosecution offices, which since September has been mired in upheaval following the resignation of a veteran prosecutor amid Trump administration pressure to prosecute two of the president’s biggest political foes, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

That prosecutor, Erik Siebert, was effectively forced out and swiftly replaced by Halligan, a White House aide who secured indictments against Comey and James but was later deemed by a judge to have been unlawfully appointed. The cases were dismissed, but the Justice Department has appealed that decision.

Halligan resigned from the position last month after judges in the district signaled continued skepticism over the legitimacy of her appointment.

U.S. attorneys, the top federal prosecutors in regional Justice Department offices around the country, typically require Senate confirmation but the law does permit attorneys general to make temporary appointments for limited time periods. In several instances, though, the Justice Department has attempted to leave its temporary appointees in place in ways that have invited court challenges and drawn resistance from judges who have found the appointments unlawful.

Last week, a lawyer appointed by judges to be the U.S. attorney for northern New York was fired by the Justice Department after spending less than a day in the job. Judges in the district appointed Kinsella after declining to keep the Trump administration’s pick, John Sarcone, in place after his 120-day term elapsed.

Trump seethes over Supreme Court justices who opposed him on tariffs, especially those he appointed

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 17:59

By MARK SHERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s vision of the Supreme Court, in which his three appointees are personally loyal to him, collided with the court’s view of itself Friday when six justices voted to strike down Trump’s signature economic policy — global tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law.

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The outcome led Trump to launch an unusually stark personal attack on the justices, with special rancor reserved for the two Trump appointees who defied him.

The case represented a challenge of Trump’s many untested, yet forcefully stated imperatives on everything from trade to immigration policy and the court’s ability to maintain its independence and, at times, act as a check on presidential authority.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling on tariffs is deeply disappointing and I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what’s right for the country,” Trump said in the White House briefing room several hours after the court issued its decision, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Trump said he expected as much from the three Democratic appointees on the court. “But you can’t knock their loyalty,” he said. “It’s one thing you can do with some of our people.”

Asked specifically about Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, who were part of the majority, Trump said, “I think it’s an embarrassment to their families, if you want to know the truth, the two of them.”

Vice President JD Vance, whose wife, Usha, spent a year as a law clerk to Roberts, echoed the president’s criticism, though he didn’t make it personal. “This is lawlessness from the Court, plain and simple,” Vance wrote on X.

Legal opposition to the tariffs crossed political lines, with a key challenge coming from the libertarian-leaning Liberty Justice Center and support from pro-business groups like the Chamber of Commerce.

Trump has had a checkered history with the court dating back to the start of his first White House term in 2017, though he won his biggest court battle in 2024, a presidential immunity ruling that prevented him from being prosecuted over efforts to undo his 2020 election loss.

In the first year of his second term, he won repeated emergency appeals that allowed him to implement major aspects of his immigration crackdown and other key parts of his agenda.

Presidential criticism of Supreme Court decisions has its own long history. President Thomas Jefferson was critical of the court’s landmark Marbury v. Madison case, which established the concept of judicial review of congressional and executive action. President Franklin Roosevelt, frustrated about decisions he thought blunted parts of the New Deal, talked about older justices as infirm and sought to expand the court, a failed effort.

In 2010, President Barack Obama used his State of the Union speech, with several members of the court in attendance, to take aim at the court’s just-announced Citizens United decision that helped open the floodgates to independent spending in federal elections. Justice Samuel Alito, who hasn’t attended the annual address since, mouthed the words “not true” in response from his seat.

Trump, though, crossed a line in the way he assailed the justices who voted against him, Ed Whelan, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a former law clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia, wrote in an email.

“It’s entirely fine for a president to criticize a Supreme Court ruling that goes against him. But it’s demagogic for President Trump to contend that the justices who voted against him did so because of lack of courage,” Whelan wrote.

Some presidents also have criticized justices they appointed for decisions they’ve made.

Following the seminal Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower told friends that appointing Chief Justice Earl Warren had been his biggest mistake, according to biographer Stephen E. Ambrose.

Objecting to a dissenting vote in an antitrust case, President Theodore Roosevelt once allegedly said of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, wounded in action during the Civil War, that he ”could carve out of a banana a judge with more backbone.”

But these remarks were conveyed in private, not at a livestreamed presidential appearance in the White House briefing room.

On a personal level, Trump has had a sometimes tense relationship with Roberts, who has twice issued public rebukes of the president over attacks on federal judges.

Trump didn’t mention Roberts by name on Friday, but he seemed to be assailing the chief justice when he said he lost the case because the justices “want to be politically correct,” “catering to a group of people in D.C.”

Trump used similar language when he criticized Roberts’ vote in 2012 that upheld Obamacare.

Similar to the timing following the Citizens United ruling, the president and some members of the court, dressed in their black robes, are likely to be in the same room Tuesday when Trump delivers his State of the Union address.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once nodded off during a presidential speech in the House of Representatives, attributing her drowsiness to some fine California wine. No justice is likely to be napping Tuesday night.

Scientists change how El Niño is labeled to keep up with spike in temperature

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 17:47

By SETH BORENSTEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The natural El Niño cycle, which warps weather worldwide, is both adding to and shaped by a warming world, meteorologists said.

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A new study calculated that an unusual recent twist in the warming and cooling cycle that includes El Niño and its counterpart La Niña can help explain the scientific mystery of why Earth’s already rising temperature spiked to a new level over the past three years.

Separately, scientists have had to update how they label El Niño and La Niña because of rapid weather changes cause by global warming. Increasingly hot waters globally have caused the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this month to alter how it calculates when the weather pattern has flipped into a new cycle. It’s likely to mean that more events will be considered La Niña and fewer qualify as an El Niño for warming tropical waters.

Earth’s average monthly temperature took a noticeable jump up from the long-term upward trend connected to human-caused climate change in early 2023, and that increase continued through 2025. Scientists have many theories about what’s happening, including an acceleration of greenhouse gas warming, a reduction in particle pollution from ships, an underwater volcano eruption and increased solar output.

In a new study in Nature Geoscience this month, Japanese researchers look at how the difference in energy coming to and leaving the planet — called Earth’s energy imbalance — increased in 2022. An increased imbalance, or more trapped heat, then leads to warmer temperatures, scientists said. The researchers calculate that about three-quarters of the change in Earth’s energy imbalance can be attributed to the combination of long-term human-caused climate change and a shift from a three-year cooling La Niña cycle to a warm El Niño one.

El Niño vs. La Niña

El Niño is a cyclical and natural warming of patches of the equatorial Pacific that then alters the world’s weather patterns, while La Niña is marked by cooler than average waters.

Both shift precipitation and temperature patterns, but in different ways. El Niños tend to increase global temperatures and La Niñas depress the long-term rise.

La Niñas tend to cause more damage in the United States because of increased hurricane activity and drought, studies have shown.

FILE – Villagers fetch water from a makeshift borehole in Mudzi, Zimbabwe, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. as the United Nations’ food agency says months of drought in southern Africa, triggered by the El Nino weather phenomenon, has had a devastating impact on more than 27 million people and caused the region’s worst hunger crisis in decades. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli, File) Why weather cycles switch from warm to cool

From 2020 to 2023, Earth had an unusual “triple dip” La Niña without an El Niño in between. In a La Niña , warm water sticks to a deeper depth, resulting in a cooler surface. And that reduces how much energy goes out into space, said study co-author Yu Kosaka, a climate scientist at the University of Tokyo.

She compared it to what happens when people have fevers.

“If our body’s temperature is high then it tends to emit its energy out, and the Earth has the same situation happening. And as the temperatures increase, it acts to emit more energy outward. And for three-year La Niña , it’s opposite,” Kosaka said.

So more energy — which becomes heat — is trapped on Earth, she said. La Niñas more typically correspond to a one- or two-year buildup of extra energy imbalance, but this time it was longer so the difference was more noticeable and included hotter temperatures, Kosaka said.

“When there is a transition from La Niña to El Niño , it’s like the lid is popped off,” releasing the heat, explained former NOAA meteorologist Tom Di Liberto, who’s now with Climate Central.

About 23% of the energy imbalance driving the recent higher temperatures comes from this unusually long La Niña pattern, with slightly more than half coming from gases from the burning of coal, oil and gas, the study authors said. The rest can be other factors.

Scientist Jennifer Francis of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, which wasn’t involved in the study, said the research makes sense and explains an increase in energy imbalance that some scientists were attributing to accelerated warming.

Changing how El Niños and La Niñas are labeled

For 75 years when meteorologists calculated El Niños and La Niñas , it was based on the difference in temperature in three tropical Pacific regions compared to normal. An El Nino was 0.5 degrees Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than normal and La Nina was cooler than normal by the same amount.

FILE – A man carries usable belongings salvaged from his flood-hit home across a flooded area in Shikarpur district of Sindh province, of Pakistan, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan, File)

The trouble in a warming world is what’s considered normal keeps shifting.

Until now, NOAA used the 30-year average as normal. It updated the 30-year average every decade, which is how often it updates most climate and weather measurements. Then the water warmed so much for El Niños and La Niñas that NOAA updated its definition of normal every five years, but that wasn’t enough either, said Nat Johnson, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab.

So NOAA came up with an El Niño index that’s relative, starting this month. This new index compares temperatures to the rest of Earth’s tropics. Recently that difference between the old and new methods has been as much as half a degree Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit), and “that’s enough to have an impact,” Johnson said.

That’s because what really matters with El Niños and La Niñas is the way the waters interact with the atmosphere. And recently the interactions didn’t match the old labeling, but they do match the new method, Johnson said.

This will likely mean a bit more La Niñas and fewer El Niños than in the old system, Johnson said.

Here comes another El Niño

NOAA’s forecast is for an El Niño to develop later this year in the late summer or fall. If it comes early enough, it could dampen Atlantic hurricane activity. But it would also mean warmer global temperatures in 2027.

“When El Niño develops, we’re likely to set a new global temperature record,” Woodwell’s Francis said in an email. “’Normal’ was left in the dust decades ago. And with this much heat in the system, everyone should buckle up for the extreme weather it will fuel.”

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Trump administration to stand by tough Biden-era mandates to replace lead pipes

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 17:20

By MICHAEL PHILLIS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Friday it backs a 10-year deadline for most cities and towns to replace their harmful lead pipes, giving notice that it will support a tough rule approved under the Biden administration to reduce lead in drinking water.

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The Environmental Protection Agency told a federal appeals court in Washington that it would defend the strongest overhaul of lead-in-water standards in three decades against a court challenge by a utility industry association.

The Trump administration has typically favored rapid deregulation, including reducing or killing rules on air and water pollution. On Friday, for example, it repealed tight limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from coal plants. But the agency has taken a different approach to drinking water.

“After intensive stakeholder involvement, EPA concluded that the only way to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act’s mandate to prevent anticipated adverse health effects ‘to the extent feasible’ is to require replacement of lead service lines,” the agency’s court filing said.

Doing so by a 10-year deadline is feasible, the agency added, supporting a rule that was based in part of the finding that old rules that relied on chemical treatment and monitoring to reduce lead “failed to prevent system-wide lead contamination and widespread adverse health effects.”

The EPA said in August it planned to defend the Biden administration’s aggressive rule, but added that it would also “develop new tools and information to support practical implementation flexibilities and regulatory clarity.” Some environmental activists worried that that meant the EPA was looking to create loopholes.

Lead, a heavy metal once common in products like pipes and paints, is a neurotoxin that can stunt children’s development, lower IQ scores and increase blood pressure in adults. Lead pipes can corrode and contaminate drinking water. The previous Trump administration’s rule had looser standards and did not mandate the replacement of all pipes.

Standards aimed at protecting kids

The Biden administration finalized its lead-in-water overhaul in 2024. It mandated that utilities act to combat lead in water at lower concentrations, with just 10 parts per billion as a trigger, down from 15. If higher levels were found, water systems had to inform their consumers, take immediate action to reduce lead and work to replace lead pipes that are commonly the main source of lead in drinking water.

The Biden administration at the time estimated the stricter standards would protect up to 900,000 infants from having low birth weight and avoid up to 1,500 premature deaths a year from heart disease.

“People power and years of lead-contaminated communities fighting to clean up tap water have made it a third rail to oppose rules to protect our health from the scourge of toxic lead. Maybe only a hidebound water utility trade group is willing to attack this basic public health measure,” said Erik Olson, senior director at the Natural Resource Defense Council, an environmental nonprofit.

The American Water Works Association, a utility industry association, had challenged the rule in court, arguing the EPA lacks authority to regulate the portion of the pipe that’s on private property and therefore cannot require water systems to replace them.

The agency countered on Friday that utilities can be required to replace the entire lead pipe because they have sufficient control over them.

The AWWA also said the 10-year deadline wasn’t feasible, noting it’s hard to find enough labor to do the work and water utilities face other significant infrastructure challenges simultaneously. Water utilities were given three years to prepare before the 10-year timeframe starts and some cities with a lot of lead were given longer.

The agency said they looked closely at data from dozens of water utilities and concluded that the vast majority could replace their lead pipes in 10 years or less.

Replacing decades-old standards

The original lead and copper rule for drinking water was enacted by the EPA more than 30 years ago. The rules have significantly reduced lead in water but have been criticized for letting cities move too slowly when levels rose too high.

Lead pipes are most commonly found in older, industrial parts of the country, including major cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee. The rule also revises the way lead amounts are measured, which could significantly expand the number of communities found violating the rules.

The EPA under President Donald Trump has celebrated deregulation. Officials have sought to slash climate change programs and promote fossil fuel development. On drinking water issues, however, their initial actions have been more nuanced.

In March, for example, the EPA announced plans to partially roll back rules to reduce so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water — the other major Biden-era tap water protection. That change sought to keep tough limits for some common PFAS, but also proposed scrapping and reconsidering standards for other types and extending deadlines.

PFAS and lead pipes are both costly threats to safe water. There are some federal funds to help communities.

The Biden administration estimated about 9 million lead pipes provide water to homes and businesses in the United States. The Trump administration updated the analysis and now projects there are roughly 4 million lead pipes. Changes in methodology, including assuming that communities that did not submit data did not have lead pipes, resulted in the significant shift. The new estimate does correct odd results from some states — activists said that the agency’s initial assumptions for Florida, for example, seemed far too high.

The EPA did not immediately return a request for comment. The AWWA pointed to their previous court filing when asked for comment.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

Texas man was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent last year during a stop, new records show

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 17:08

By MICHAEL BIESECKER and JESSE BEDAYN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly released records show a U.S. citizen was shot and killed in Texas by a federal immigration agent last year during a late-night traffic encounter that was not publicly disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security.

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The death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, would mark the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since the start of a nationwide immigration crackdown in President Donald Trump’s second term. On Friday, DHS said the shooting on South Padre Island last March occurred after the driver intentionally struck an agent.

The shooting involved a Homeland Security Investigations team that was conducting an immigration enforcement operation in conjunction with local police, according to documents obtained by American Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group based in Washington.

The records are part of a tranche of heavily redacted internal documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that the nonprofit obtained as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

Though Martinez’s death on March 15, 2025, was reported by local media outlets at the time, federal and state authorities did not disclose that the shooting involved the team from HSI. In a statement Friday, DHS said the driver who was killed “intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent,” resulting in another agent firing “defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.”

The department did not respond to questions about why it had made no media release or other public notification of the officer-involved shooting over the last 11 months.

Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, said her son was just days past his 23rd birthday when he and his best friend drove from San Antonio down to the beach for the weekend to celebrate. South Padre Island, located on the Gulf Coast just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, is a renowned spring break destination that attracts tens of thousands of college-aged partiers each March.

Martinez worked at an Amazon warehouse, liked to play video games and hang out with friends. His mother said he had never had any prior run-ins with law enforcement.

“He was a typical young guy,” Reyes told The Associated Press. “He never really got a chance to go out and experience things. It was his first time getting to go out of town. He was a nice guy, humble guy. And he wasn’t a violent person at all.”

Records show federal agents were assisting police

According to an internal two-page ICE incident report included in the newly disclosed documents, shortly after midnight, HSI officers were assisting South Padre Island police by redirecting traffic through a busy intersection after a vehicle accident with several injuries.

A blue, four-door Ford with a driver and passenger approached the officers, who ordered the driver to stop. The report does not say why. Initially, the driver didn’t respond to commands but did eventually come to a stop, according to the report.

Agents then surrounded the vehicle, telling those inside to get out, but the driver “accelerated forward” and struck an HSI special agent “who wound up on the hood of the vehicle,” the report said. An HSI supervisory special agent standing by the side of the car then fired his weapon multiple times through the open driver’s side window, and the vehicle stopped.

Paramedics already on the scene of the accident quickly provided medical aid and the driver was taken by ambulance to a regional hospital in Brownsville, where he was pronounced dead, according to the report. The passenger, also a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody.

The HSI officer who the report says was struck by the vehicle was treated for an unspecified knee injury at a nearby hospital and released.

The names of the two HSI agents involved in the shooting and the names of the two men in the car were all redacted from the ICE report, but Reyes confirmed the dead driver was her son. She said he was shot three times.

State investigation into shooting is still ‘active’

The report says the Texas Rangers responded to the shooting scene and took the lead as the primary agency investigating the shooting.

Reyes said she first learned her son had been shot by a federal agent, rather than a local police officer, about a week after he was killed. She was contacted by an investigator from the Rangers who she said told her there were videos of the shooting that contradicted the account provided by federal agents. DHS did not immediately respond to an email Friday about the claim that there is video showing a different account.

She said she was told by the investigator that the state report into the shooting was completed in October and that the case would be presented to a grand jury for potential criminal charges.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, which includes the Rangers, said in a statement Friday that the investigation into the shooting is still “active” and declined to offer more information.

Messages left with the office of Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz, an elected Democrat whose jurisdiction includes South Padre Island, received no response Friday. South Padre Island Police Chief Claudine O’Carroll also did not respond to requests for comment.

Attorneys for the family said Friday they have spent the past year pursuing accountability and transparency.

“It is critical that there is a full and fair investigation into why HSI was present at the scene of a traffic collision and why a federal officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen as he was trying to comply with instructions from the local law enforcement officers directing traffic,” attorneys Charles M. Stam and Alex Stamm said in a statement.

Agents involved were part of a border task force

According to the ICE report, the HSI agents involved in the shooting were part of a maritime border enforcement security task force typically focused on combating transnational criminal organizations at seaports. Over the last year, however, officers from across multiple federal agencies have been reassigned to prioritize immigration enforcement.

In January, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother in Minneapolis, was killed in the driver’s seat of her SUV by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. Trump administration officials initially attempted to paint Good as a “domestic terrorist” who tried to ram officers with her vehicle before multiple videos emerged of the incident that cast doubt on the government’s narrative.

As in the Good case, experts in police training and tactics questioned why a federal officer apparently positioned himself in front of Martinez’s vehicle.

“You don’t stand in front of the car, you don’t put yourself in harm’s way,” said Geoffrey Alpert, a police use-of-force expert at the University of South Carolina. He added that there’s never a scenario where it’s justified, “because you don’t know whether this person is going to flee, and if he flees, you could be dead.”

Alpert said investigators will likely review any available body camera video or other footage to examine how swiftly Martinez moved the car forward, if he merely took his foot off the break or pressed down hard on the accelerator.

Martinez’s mother said she didn’t believe he would ever intentionally assault a law enforcement officer.

“They didn’t give him a chance,” Reyes said. “It’s so excessive. They could have done anything else besides that. It’s like they shoot first and ask questions later.”

Bedayn reported from Denver.

Daily Horoscope for February 21, 2026

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 17:00
General Daily Insight for February 21, 2026

When we can’t find stable ground, we must build it ourselves. Our actions today could reopen old scars, but if they do, those wounds probably need to air out once more to truly heal. This will be especially poignant around the Moon’s merge with thoughtful Chiron this morning. We’re ready to choose empathy. Luna then settles into Taurus at 6:30 pm EST, inviting us to take our time building the life we want. Success comes from a lifetime of responsible routines and healthy choices.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You can channel courage into careful moves. The moody Moon conjoins tender Chiron in your sign, which impacts your 1st House of Individuality. Healing is possible, but you won’t be unchanged by your pains — and that’s okay! You might notice raw edges during introductions or while asking for help, but that’s a part of being human. Be honest when something hurts, and trust your loved ones to do the same. Consistent care teaches your body that you are (and will continue to be) safe.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Confidence grows as you trust your senses. The intuitive Moon is trotting into your sign, empowering your ability to get in touch with your soul and stay that way. Put your body in charge of your actions — this is not a day to do a ton of stuff that makes you uncomfortable. If you have a meeting, pick an outfit you love and keep your message simple, because ease in your skin helps others relax, too. Keep checking in with yourself throughout the day.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Patience is the key to ongoing success. Your 12th House of Subtlety welcomes the Moon, asking you to step back from noise so you have a chance to weave scattered thoughts into a gorgeous tapestry. If messages pile up, mute alerts and answer the main conversation first — it deserves your full powers of thought! A brief solo walk or a few hours alone should settle any nerves, allowing your wit to return in time. Protect quiet pockets, since silence helps ideas connect.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Morning soreness can lead you to evening satisfaction. Before Luna leaves your public 10th house, she’ll embrace cautious Chiron there, giving you a chance to grow your reputation without bowling over your softer side. You might feel sensitive about feedback from a leader, but they probably have excellent advice to offer. Even if they don’t, conversing with them could inspire valuable insights. Utilize teamwork moments to rebuild trust without draining your reserves. Offer a calm structure so progress can happen with care.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

A calm focus fuels your ambition more than chaotic passion. Let the Moon’s entry into your ambitious 10th house invite you to commit to your goals with your whole soul. Your intuition should be a superb guide at present, especially if you must present something in a public setting. Whenever you’re posting visible updates, keep it simple, because confidence helps people trust your direction. Keep the big picture in mind, even on minor tasks. Skipping steps isn’t the way to gain satisfying results.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Things don’t have to be so intricate — at least, not right now. Practical planning steadies curiosity as the Moon sails into your 9th House of Travel, turning big ideas into progress without overcomplicating details. If a class invite or adventurous plan calls your name, outline the next steps and set a deadline to ensure they actually happen. Your precise eye shines when you pace yourself, and you gain confidence as each box gets checked with care. Trust yourself to confirm your chosen path.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Good fences make good neighbors, and that currently goes for all relationships. Strong rules make for strong connections with the Moon-Chiron conjunction in your amicable 7th house. These personal agreements don’t have to resemble those in popular culture — romantic or otherwise. They just have to work for you and your loved ones! If a promise feels lopsided or chores aren’t shared equally, talk about it. Fairness grows when expectations are specific and kind. Speak clearly and gently to nurture continued goodwill.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Pain — emotional or physical — demands attention. That said, it doesn’t necessarily demand anger or conflict. Your 7th House of Partnership opens as the delicate Moon arrives, urging honest exchanges that respect privacy while naming what matters in a contract or friendship. If someone pushes for quick answers, don’t let them talk over you! Careful pacing protects trust. Your perceptive nature spots hidden pressure and opportunities to uncover deeper truths. Seeking shared clarity allows you and your loved ones to grow in tandem.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Progress is practically your middle name! The instinctive Moon slips into your 6th House of Work, nudging you to adjust routines so your energy stretches further. If your calendar feels packed, try to move a meeting or start with the toughest task first. That way, even if you can’t get anything else done, you can be certain you’ve done your best on whatever’s most vital. Don’t beat yourself up about not finishing every single task. Your body will thank you for setting a kinder rhythm.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Steady patience supports your long-term plans. The home-centered Moon is in your 4th House of Security, where she conjoins vulnerable Chiron in the same zone. This offers an opportunity for domestic repairs (literal and metaphorical). It’s possible that certain tasks will bring up unpleasant memories, but such discomfort can be vanquished by simply completing the task. If necessary, you can delegate to someone trustworthy, or have them comfort you as you work through your painful history. Tend your base so your bravest goals are supported.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Which comforts currently help you think more clearly? Your 4th House of Heritage welcomes the family-focused Moon, encouraging you to return to your foundational lessons. They may not directly apply to your recent life, but they probably have some sort of insight that you can put to good use. Maybe you no longer have toys to share during playdates, but you could have an appliance or power tool to lend to your loved ones. When you give support, you’re exponentially more likely to get it.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Understanding grows as conversations slow down. Your 3rd House of Communication welcomes the Moon, asking you to say less and mean more in all conversations (in-person or not). If a digital or written message feels off, you might want to pick up the phone and talk in a way where you can actually hear each other. Your empathy turns superficial chats into healing moments, and your peers should mirror back the kindness you offered. Speak softly and plainly, so confusion melts away.

US audit finds gaps in the FAA’s oversight of United Airlines maintenance

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 16:36

By RIO YAMAT

The ability of federal safety regulators to oversee airplane maintenance at United Airlines has been hindered by inadequate staffing, high employee turnover and the improper use of virtual inspections instead of on-site reviews in some cases, according to a government watchdog audit released Friday.

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The U.S. Transportation Department’s inspector general said the Federal Aviation Administration lacks sufficient staffing and workforce planning to effectively monitor United’s large fleet. Past audits by the government watchdog also highlighted FAA challenges overseeing other airline maintenance programs, including at American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Allegiant Air.

The FAA declined to comment on the findings but referred The Associated Press to a letter it sent the inspector general’s office that was included in the audit report. In it, the FAA said it agreed with most of the recommendations and was taking steps to address them by the end of the year.

“FAA will implement a more systemic approach to strengthen inspector capacity and will take other measures to ensure that staffing levels remain sufficient to meet surveillance requirements,” the letter said.

The recommendations included a reevaluation of staffing rules, an independent workplace survey of inspector workloads and office culture, and improved training on accessing and using United’s safety data — a current gap that the report said currently keeps inspectors from fully evaluating maintenance issues and safety risk trends.

In a statement to AP, United said it works closely with the FAA on a daily basis in addition to employing its own internal safety management system.

“United has long advocated in favor of providing the FAA with the resources it needs for its important work,” the carrier said.

The inspector general’s office said the audit was conducted between May 2024 and December 2025, amid a series of maintenance-linked incidents at United.

It found that the FAA sometimes had its personnel conduct inspections “virtually” when it lacked staffing or funding for travel even though agency policy requires postponing reviews that can’t be done on site. Doing the work remotely can create safety risks because inspectors may miss or misidentify maintenance problems, the reported stated.

“Inspectors we spoke with stated that their front-line managers instructed them to perform inspections virtually rather than postponing inspections,” the report said.

The audit also found that ongoing staffing shortages at the FAA inspection offices tasked with United’s oversight have resulted in fewer inspections being conducted, limited surveillance of the carrier’s maintenance operations and an “overall loss of institutional knowledge.”

In March 2024, passengers had to be evacuated from a United plane that rolled off a runway after landing in Houston. The next day, a United jetliner bound for Japan lost a tire while taking off from San Francisco but later landed safely in Los Angeles.

In December 2025, a United flight experienced an engine failure during takeoff from Dulles International Airport before safely returning to the airport.

Associated Press writer Josh Funk contributed.

‘Hotdog’ in the halfpipe! Alex Ferreira finally wins his Olympic gold

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 16:33

By EDDIE PELLS, AP National Writer

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — The next time you see a senior citizen barreling down the mountain, maybe doing a double-cork while he’s at it, don’t think twice. That might just be your neighborhood’s friendly new Olympic champion.

Alex Ferreira, the freeskier who occasionally dons prosthetics to look 80 and calls his alter ego “Hotdog Hans” when he’s not kicking butt in the halfpipe, added a gold medal Friday night to the silver and bronze he’d won at the last two games to “finish the rainbow,” as his mother said.

The 31-year-old, a longtime fixture on the slopes and in the schools and rec centers in Aspen, Colorado, also put America in the win column for the first time in two weeks of halfpipe, slopestyle and big air action at the Livigno Snow Park.

“I’m going to drink copious amounts of beer,” Ferreira said when asked how he would celebrate.

Show Caption1 of 5United States’ Alex Ferreira celebrates during the men’s freestyle skiing halfpipe finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Expand

He’s fun like that. This was a popular victory all across the park, squeezed out of a tight, brutal, all-night battle with Estonia’s Henry Sildaru — who skis slopestyle and big air, too, just like Eileen Gu — and Canada’s Brendan Mackay.

Bedlam and tears broke out in the stands after Mackay laid down the night’s last run, a solid one, but came up 2.75 points short of Ferreira’s winning score: 93.75.

When the Canadian’s mark came up, Ferreira bent to one knee and flashed a smile that lit up the mountain.

“Best moment of my life,” he said.

Asked what the best thing about the new gold medalist was, Mackay said there was too much to list.

“But honestly, the biggest thing that stands out about Alex, is that he is just an incredibly nice guy,” he said.

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Among those near the medal stand to congratulate Ferreira was two-time Olympic titlist David Wise, who made the trip despite not making the Olympic team. He was ranked eighth in the world in halfpipe this season — a true sign of how deep the American team runs.

Also sharing hugs was Nick Goepper, the American three-time medalist in slopestyle who switched to the halfpipe in search of his first gold.

In the evening’s most visceral sign of what this contest really meant, Goepper threw caution to the wind on his last run and flung his body high above the halfpipe, his back slamming wickedly on the deck before he bounced to the bottom of the pipe.

He was lucky to walk away from that — not as fortunate that Mackay’s 91 on the last run of the night bumped him from third to fourth by a scant 2 points.

“To go for it in that moment took serious guts,” Ferreira said. “He is a real man.”

Drama involving Hess extended beyond the halfpipe

Clutch skiing and huge crashes were only part of the drama that played out among these halfpipe riders. The show started two weeks earlier.

American Hunter Hess opened the morning’s qualifying by landing a good run, then putting his thumb and forefinger in the shape of an “L,” in a nod to the eruption that occurred Feb. 8 when President Donald Trump called Hess a “total Loser,” in response to Hess’ saying “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”

“I had a week that was pretty challenging,” Hess said after qualifying, speaking of the threats and vitriol lobbed his way after the president weighed in. He finished 10th in the final and did not stop for interviews.

Ferreira fills in the final missing piece to a fantastic career

Ferreira, not surprisingly, spent the entire aftermath of the contest smiling. There’s more to come.

He has already shot six episodes of his YouTube streamer “Hotdog Hans,” an entertaining trip to the mountain in which the 80-something daredevil does truck-driver grabs and 1080s in front of unsuspecting resort goers who cannot believe their eyes.

“Just trying to bring some humor and funniness to the world,” he explained.

In between the fun and games lies a more serious pursuit.

Ferreira went 7 for 7 in World Cup events in 2024 — the sort of undefeated streak that really doesn’t happen much in sports, especially not in this one, where talent, like the medals, are spread very evenly across the United States, Canada, Estonia — the world.

Those sort of streaks, in Olympic off-years, can sometimes leave a guy wondering.

“You don’t want to peak two years before the Games,” said Gus Kenworthy, the 2014 slopestyle silver medalist who finished sixth in this one. “But I’m stoked for him that it worked out tonight. It was one of the best runs I’ve seen him do in a long time, maybe ever, and I’m happy.”

When Ferreira’s skis smacked down lightly on the fifth of five butter-smooth landings in the contest winner, he started whipping around his right ski pole — his signature move in what now goes down as his signature win.

A few minutes later, his sisters and parents were crying and he was on the top step of the podium, singing out loud as the “Star-Spangled Banner” played for the first time at the Livigno Snow Park.

He used to be the best freeskier in the world without an Olympic title. Not anymore.

“He had the silver, the bronze and he needed the gold,” said Alex’s mother, Colleen Ferreira. “He was driven. A year ago, he said he was going to do this, and he did it.”

AP Sports Writer Joseph Wilson contributed.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

US sets up gold-medal game against Canada at the Olympics by cruising past Slovakia

Fri, 02/20/2026 - 16:26

By STEPHEN WHYNO, AP Hockey Writer

MILAN (AP) — The much-anticipated but never guaranteed U.S.-Canada showdown for gold in men’s hockey at the Olympics is on.

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Jack Hughes scored two goals, including one with a highlight-reel individual effort, and the Americans rolled into the final by routing Slovakia 6-2 in the semifinals on Friday night.

They’ll meet tournament favorite and top-seeded Canada on Sunday for the title, a year since the North American rivals played two memorable games against each other at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

That NHL-run event ended a drought of nearly a decade without an international tournament featuring the best hockey players in the world. Three fights in the first nine seconds in the first meeting put the 4 Nations in the spotlight, and their epic final won by Canada in overtime only built the anticipation for the Olympics.

After Canada did its part by rallying to beat Finland earlier in the day, the U.S. had no trouble against the Slovaks, who made an improbable run and were simply overmatched. They’ll face the Finns for bronze on Saturday night, looking for just the second hockey medal in the country’s history after getting the first with a third-place finish in Beijing in 2022.

Show Caption1 of 5United States’ Tage Thompson (72) celebrates with Matthew Tkachuk (19) and Jack Eichel (9) after Thompson scored against Slovakia during the first period of a men’s ice hockey semifinal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Expand

The U.S. is playing for gold after the semifinals were a much easier go than the quarterfinals against Sweden, when overtime was needed to survive a scare. Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Hughes and Eichel scored the four goals on 23 shots that chased Samuel Hlavaj out of Slovakia’s net past the midway point of the second period.

Thompson, one of just a handful of newcomers who did not play at the 4 Nations, exited later in the second after blocking a shot. He was held out the rest of the way, according to the NBC broadcast.

Hughes got his second just after a power play expired, and Brady Tkachuk scored on a breakaway with just over nine minutes left to provide some more breathing room.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck did his job as his teammates outshot Slovakia by a substantial margin. Everything he has done at the Olympics has validated coach Mike Sullivan’s decision to go with Hellebuyck as the U.S. starter over Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.

The U.S. last reached the final in 2010 when it lost to Canada in overtime on Sidney Crosby’s famous golden goal. Crosby’s status is uncertain this time after getting injured in the quarterfinals Wednesday and not playing Friday against Finland.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

  
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