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Guide company leading group caught in deadly avalanche warned of snow conditions days before incident
Just days before a deadly avalanche killed eight backcountry skiers near Tahoe, the guiding company leading the trip warned on social media that unstable snowpack could trigger “unpredictable avalanches.”
Blackbird Mountain Guides posted a video Sunday on Instagram cautioning that recent snow conditions around Tahoe were creating atypical layering in the snowpack — a combination that could lead to abnormal avalanche behavior.
The company was leading 15 backcountry skiers on a three-day trek to the Frog Lake Huts when they were caught in a football field-sized avalanche Tuesday near Castle Peak.
Six people survived. Eight were killed. One skier remains missing and is presumed dead as rescue efforts shift to recovery operations amid continued storm conditions and high avalanche danger.
Three of the four guides leading the trip were among those killed.
The Instagram post, published ahead of a major winter storm expected to dump several feet of snow across the Tahoe region, warned that recent dry periods followed by new snow had created a “particularly weak layer” within the snowpack.
In the video, guides on skis dig through layers of snow at Mount Rose on the Nevada side of Tahoe, identifying what they described as a “microcrust” and a layer of “sugary weak facets.” At higher elevations, they said, the crust was “almost nonexistent.”
“This weak layer could lead to some unpredictable avalanches!” text on the screen reads as a guide sifts soft snow through his fingers.
The company explained that the snowpack was forming “atypical layering” for this point in the season.
“Typically, we’d expect small amounts of faceting between big storms, but with a crust and extended dry period for the month of January into February, faceting has been a driving force in the snowpack,” the company wrote.
That layering, the post said, resulted in a “particularly weak layer.”
“As we move into a large storm cycle this week, pay close attention to places where faceting has been particularly strong — avalanches could behave abnormally, and the hazard could last longer than normal,” the company said, urging people to “use extra caution” and monitor alerts from the Sierra Avalanche Center.
The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche warning for the central Sierra Nevada — including the Castle Peak area — at 5 a.m. Tuesday, hours before the slide. The warning, initially set to run through early Wednesday, rated avalanche danger in the region as “high,” the second-most-dangerous level below extreme. The center later extended the warning through Wednesday.
Authorities have said severe weather has complicated efforts to determine exactly what triggered the avalanche. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said there were “great questions” about the company’s guiding decisions, though she did not elaborate.
Daily Horoscope for February 19, 2026
General Daily Insight for February 19, 2026
Small sparks could lead to brave starts now. With the emotional Moon entering bold Aries at 2:39 pm EST, following our impulses may be easier than usual. Soon after, Luna meets restrictive Saturn, asking for measured steps, simple promises, and patience as we shape plans we can actually keep. Moments later, the Moon’s contact with dreamy Neptune softens edges, encouraging us to listen from the heart. Checking the facts might ultimately be necessary, but our enthusiasm is potentially in the right place!
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
Aries, your passion meets sturdy focus today. The instinctive Moon in your 1st House of Identity conjoins disciplined Saturn, asking you to set a pace you can sustain. Although you may feel eager to just start moving, simple structure helps your energy land. Try outlining a plan before you pitch an idea. If inspiration swells later, let heart and practicality share the lead. Be open about your needs so others understand what you’re aiming for. A little foresight now can turn courage into results!
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
Quiet time can help you notice gentle truths today. Your 12th House of Solitude and Spirituality stirs as the intuitive Moon enters, inviting a pause that protects your energy. Although you need to acknowledge your emotions, acting on them immediately isn’t necessarily the best course. You might step outside for fresh air before you answer an upsetting message, or let patience soften a craving before you bite on an impulse purchase. Calm restores your strength, so don’t feel bad about stepping away from the whirlwind.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
What are your friends reflecting back to you? Plans could blur as the impressionable Moon merges with nebulous Neptune in your 11th House of Friendship and Community, bringing welcome compassion but also frustratingly hazy expectations. A chat may meander, or you might have to look for a new time to meet up. Do what you can to accommodate each person’s schedule, but be realistic about your own needs too. Sometimes the show must go on, whether or not it’s totally convenient for everyone involved!
CancerJune 21 – July 22
Seeing how far you’ve come is possible now. The nourishing Moon enters your 10th House of Career and Status, helping you step into visibility with both confidence and competence. You might briefly share a progress update with the people who count in order to keep their expectations clear and realistic. Choose a visible next step, like setting a date for a presentation, and let your sensitivity guide how you frame the message. Your gentle leadership can build trust and open doors.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
Thinking a few steps ahead could be crucial now. The temperamental Moon joins authoritative Saturn in your 9th House of Travel and Learning, urging you to balance bold opinions with realistic limits. You may sincerely believe that the world should function in a certain way. How do you plan to enforce that, though? A new rule may or may not be the right tool to address the issue currently weighing on you. Remember that some laws cause more problems than they solve.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Honesty could be necessary to clear knots around shared matters today. As the unconscious Moon encounters structured Saturn in your 8th House of Shared Resources and Intimacy, you may come to realize that you and another person assumed very different things about an arrangement that brings you together. Do you even have the same overall goal? You can at least be candid about what you’re personally looking for in order to reduce defensiveness and keep the process humane. Clearer terms should ultimately benefit both sides.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
Libra, empathy steers your choices with grace. The intuitive Moon in your 7th House of Partnership embraces psychic Neptune, heightening your perception so you sense the subtle needs of the people in your life. However, it’s also possible to mix up what’s yours and what’s theirs, so request feedback to confirm your impressions. You might echo back what you heard and ask a clear question, such as whether a call later would feel supportive. Compassion with boundaries keeps connections steady and sweet.
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Being conscious of your workflow can currently help you get the most out of it. Your 6th House of Work and Wellness activates as the emotional Moon enters, encouraging practical habits that support your intense focus without draining your reserves. You might set a timer to finish an assignment and then take a real stretch so your stamina returns. If a coworker interrupts, state your plan and circle back later. Boundaries protect quality of output and prevent resentment from poisoning relationships.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
A complicated form of pleasure may appeal to you now. Play could turn reflective as the moody Moon unites with idealistic Neptune in your 5th House of Creativity and Romance, blending imagination with tender feelings. You might bring a sketchbook to a café in order to temporarily live out a fantasy of a grand artistic life. However, don’t let this get you too depressed about how your current circumstances fall short of your dreams — no one gets to totally escape boring responsibilities!
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Comfort and care could be high priorities today. Your 4th House of Home and Family shifts as the nurturing Moon enters, encouraging you to create simple order in your domestic life. You might start a calm conversation about chores and then share a warm meal that brings everyone back to center. If you live alone, set a cozy tone with music and a gentle plan for the evening, because small routines rebuild stability. Nourish your roots, and tomorrow’s work should feel easier!
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Your perspective could carry extra weight today. The instinctive Moon sits with karmic Saturn in your 3rd House of Communication, grounding your thoughts and calling for careful messaging that respects limits. Although your emotions on a contentious subject need to be heard and processed by you, airing them carelessly to others might inflame the drama further. Read a draft of an email aloud, and take a short break to reflect before sending it. Make sure your words carry clarity, not heat.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
Needs and wants might compete for your attention at the moment. Money choices could feel foggy as the temperamental Moon in your 2nd House of Resources unites with elusive Neptune, mixing a craving for comfort with dreams of what feels perfect. Check the amount you can spend today, and pick a small treat inside it, like cooking something special instead of ordering out. The goal isn’t to feel deprived — it’s to balance current desires with bigger priorities. Gentle limits keep you on track.
Air Force One will be repainted as Trump has hinted, US military says
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
WASHINGTON (AP) — A red, white and blue color scheme championed by President Donald Trump will become the new look for Air Force One, the U.S. military said Thursday.
The Air Force said a “red, white, gold and dark blue paint scheme” will be used for the updated jet that is slated to serve as Air Force One as well as other, smaller jets that routinely fly other top government officials.
The military released a rendering of the new look that matches an airplane model that has been seen in the Oval Office for meetings with foreign leaders.
A model of Air Force One sits on a table as President Donald Trump meets with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)Boeing is in the process of modifying two of its 747-800 aircraft that are slated to replace the existing fleet of two aging Boeing 747-200 aircraft that the president currently uses and that take on the Air Force One call sign when the president is aboard.
In 2018, Trump directed that those new jets would ditch the iconic Kennedy-era blue-and-white design for a white-and-navy color scheme. Instead, the top half of the plane would have been white, while the bottom, including the belly, would have been dark blue. A streak of dark red would have run from the cockpit to the tail. The coloring was almost identical to the exterior of Trump’s personal plane.
An Air Force review had suggested the darker colors would increase costs and delay delivery of the new jumbo jets, and President Joe Biden reversed the decision in March 2023.
Show Caption1 of 3A plane with a United States flag believed to be Air Force One carrying US President Donald Trump comes in for landing at Zurich Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026.(Claudio Thoma/Keystone via AP) ExpandTrump told reporters last month that “we want power blue, not baby blue,” referring to the current color of the aircraft.
“Everything has its time and place. We’ll be changing the colors,” Trump added.
The Air Force’s statement says a third 747-8i Boeing jet will be painted in the same colors.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar last May for use as Air Force One despite questions about the ethics and legality of taking the expensive gift from a foreign nation.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers last June that the security modifications to the jet would cost less than $400 million but provided no details.
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Today in History: February 17, Danica Patrick wins Daytona 500 pole
Today is Tuesday, Feb. 17, the 48th day of 2026. There are 317 days left in the year.
Today in history:On Feb. 17, 2013, Danica Patrick won the Daytona 500 pole, becoming the first woman to secure the top spot for any Sprint Cup race.
Also on this date:In 1801, the U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president; Burr became vice president.
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In 1863, five appointees of the Public Welfare Society of Geneva announced the formation of an “International Committee for the Relief of Wounded Combatants,” which would later be renamed the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In 1864, during the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was rammed and sank in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, by the Confederate hand-cranked submarine HL Hunley, in the first naval attack of its kind; the Hunley also sank.
In 1897, the National Congress of Mothers, the forerunner of the National Parent Teacher Association, convened its first meeting in Washington with over 2,000 attendees.
In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Wesberry v. Sanders, ruled that congressional districts within each state must be roughly equal in population.
In 1992, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of 15 counts of first-degree murder.
In 1995, Colin Ferguson was convicted of six counts of murder in the December 1993 Long Island Rail Road shootings; he was later sentenced to 315 years in prison.
In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia.
In 2014, Jimmy Fallon made his debut as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” taking over from Jay Leno.
Today’s Birthdays:- Actor Brenda Fricker is 81.
- Actor Rene Russo is 72.
- Actor Richard Karn is 70.
- Olympic swimming gold medalist and television commentator Rowdy Gaines is 67.
- Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 64.
- Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan is 63.
- Film director Michael Bay is 61.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille is 60.
- Olympic skiing gold medalist Tommy Moe is 56.
- Actor Denise Richards is 55.
- Musician Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is 54.
- Actor Jerry O’Connell is 52.
- Actor Jason Ritter is 46.
- Media personality Paris Hilton is 45.
- Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is 45.
- Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is 35.
- Actor Jeremy Allen White is 35.
- Tennis player Madison Keys is 31.
- Actor Sasha Pieterse is 30.
Cuban drivers face monthslong wait for gasoline in a government app designed to reduce lines
By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ
HAVANA, Cuba (AP) — Drivers in Cuba are facing the prospects of waiting several months to refuel their cars, as fuel shortages caused by a U.S. oil siege intensify.
To avoid chaos outside gas stations, Cuba’s government last week made it obligatory for drivers to use an app known as Ticket to get refueling appointments.
But drivers in Havana told The Associated Press on Monday that the app is only awarding them appointments several weeks or months from now.
“I have (appointment) number seven thousand and something,” said Jorge Reyes, a 65-year-old who downloaded the app on Monday.
Reyes signed up to refuel at a gas station in Havana that is only awarding 50 appointments per day. “When will I be able to buy gas again?” he said.
Show Caption1 of 4Retiree Jorge Reyes pushes his motorcycle to refuel as it’s his turn in line at a gasoline station in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Expand Scoring a coveted appointmentThe app only allows drivers to sign up for appointments at one gas station at a time. So, on WhatsApp groups some drivers are sharing information on which places might be less crowded or which gas stations have a greater capacity to serve customers, noting that some locations are awarding up to 90 appointments per day.
But that is of little comfort to those who have downloaded the app, only to find out there are up to 10,000 appointments ahead of theirs.
The Cuban government has also stopped selling gasoline in local currency at subsidized rates of about 25 cents per liter, and is now only selling more expensive fuel, priced in U.S. dollars.
A liter of gasoline currently sells for $1.30 at gas stations and can cost up to six dollars in the growing black market for gasoline. Government workers in Cuba are earn less than $20 a month, when their earnings in Cuban pesos are converted to U.S. dollars using market rates.
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When drivers can finally refuel at service stations, they are only allowed to buy 20 liters of gasoline, or about 5.2 gallons.
“This will not last me long,” said Ariel Alonso, a businessman who refueled Monday at the El Riviera gas station.
“I have to leave a reserve of five liters in case anyone gets sick at home,” and has to be taken to the hospital, he said.
The Ticket app is run by XETID, a state owned software firm. Last week, the company’s commercial director Saumel Tejada, told news site Cuba Debate that more than 90,000 drivers had sought refueling appointments using the app.
Ticket has been around for three years, and was previously used by Cubans to secure appointments at notaries and at gas stations where they could pay for fuel in local currency. But now it is almost the only way for drivers to get their cars refueled — without going to the black market.
Vehicles used for the island’s tourism industry are the exception. Those cars have special license plates and are allowed to refuel at 44 service stations around the island, where long lines have formed. As with regular vehicles, tourism cars can only purchase 20 liters of fuel.
Crisis intensifiesFuels shortages and blackouts have been intensifying in Cuba this month, as the nation struggles to import oil for its power plants and refineries.
In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened any nation that sold oil to Cuba with tariffs, as Washington steps up efforts to pressure the island’s communist government to make economic and political reforms.
Cuba’s president Miguel Díaz-Canel has said that he is willing to negotiate with the U.S. “as equals” and without relinquishing his nations sovereignty. Díaz-Canel has accused the U.S. of staging an “energy blockade.”
Venezuela, one of Cuba’s main oil suppliers, stopped selling crude to the island in January after the U.S. captured then president Nicolás Maduro in a pre-dawn raid and flew him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
Mexico also cut off oil shipments to Cuba in January, after Trump issued the tariff threat.
Banks on the island have reduced their working hours in a bid to save electricity and earlier this month the Cuban government said that it will not provide fuel to planes that land on the island, prompting three Canadian airlines to cancel flights to Cuba. Other airlines will continue to fly to the island but will make refueling stops in the Dominican Republic.
A book fair and an annual cigar trade fair have also been postponed as officials look for ways to reduce fuel and electricity consumption.
Last week a group of United Nations human rights experts condemned the U.S oil siege, saying that it has “no basis on collective security and constitutes a unilateral act that is incompatible with international law.”
Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Trump administration ordered to restore George Washington slavery exhibit it removed in Philadelphia
By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
An exhibit about nine people enslaved by George Washington must be restored at his former home in Philadelphia after President Donald Trump’s administration took it down last month, a federal judge ruled on Presidents Day, the federal holiday honoring Washington’s legacy.
The city of Philadelphia sued in January after the National Park Service removed the explanatory panels from Independence National Historical Park, the site where George and Martha Washington lived with nine of their slaves in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was briefly the nation’s capital.
The removal came in response to a Trump executive order “restoring truth and sanity to American history” at the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks. It directed the Interior Department to ensure those sites do not display elements that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”
Show Caption1 of 3FILE – People walk past an informational panel at President’s House Site Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) ExpandU.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ruled Monday that all materials must be restored in their original condition while a lawsuit challenging the removal’s legality plays out. She prohibited Trump officials from installing replacements that explain the history differently.
Rufe, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, began her written order with a quote from George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” and compared the Trump administration to the book’s totalitarian regime called the Ministry of Truth, which revised historical records to align with its own narrative.
“As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto ‘Ignorance is Strength,’ this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims — to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts,” Rufe wrote. “It does not.”
She had warned Justice Department lawyers during a January hearing that they were making “dangerous” and “horrifying” statements when they said Trump officials can choose which parts of U.S. history to display at National Park Service sites.
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling, which came while government offices were closed for the federal holiday.
The judge did not provide a timeline for when the exhibit must be restored. Federal officials can appeal the ruling.
The historical site is among several where the administration has quietly removed content about the history of enslaved people, LGBTQ+ people and Native Americans.
Signage that has disappeared from Grand Canyon National Park said settlers pushed Native American tribes “off their land” for the park to be established and “exploited” the landscape for mining and grazing.
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Last week, a rainbow flag was taken down at the Stonewall National Monument, where bar patrons rebelled against a police raid and catalyzed the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The administration has also removed references to transgender people from its webpage about the monument, despite several trans women of color being key figures in the uprising.
The Philadelphia exhibit, created two decades ago in a partnership between the city and federal officials, included biographical details about each of the nine people enslaved by the Washingtons at the home, including two who escaped.
Among them was Oney Judge, who was born into slavery at the family’s plantation in Mount Vernon, Virginia, and later escaped from their Philadelphia house in 1796. Judge fled north to New Hampshire, a free state, while Washington had her declared a fugitive and published advertisements seeking her return.
Because Judge had escaped from the Philadelphia house, the park service in 2022 supported the site’s inclusion in a national network of Underground Railroad sites where they would teach about abolitionists and escaped slaves. Rufe noted that materials about Judge were among those removed, which she said “conceals crucial information linking the site to the Network to Freedom.”
Only the names of Judge and the other eight enslaved people — Austin, Paris, Hercules, Richmond, Giles, Moll and Joe, who each had a single name, and Christopher Sheels — remained engraved in a cement wall after park service employees took a crowbar to the plaques on Jan. 22.
Hercules also escaped in 1797 after he was brought to Mount Vernon, where the Washingtons had many other slaves. He reached New York City despite being declared a fugitive slave and lived under the name Hercules Posey.
Several local politicians and Black community leaders celebrated the ruling, which came while many were out rallying at the site for its restoration.
State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a Philadelphia Democrat, said the community prevailed against an attempt by the Trump administration to “whitewash our history.”
“Philadelphians fought back, and I could not be more proud of how we stood together,” he said.
Opening statements held in the trial of a Georgia high school shooting suspect’s father
By JOHN RABY
A man whose teenage son is accused of killing two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school should be held responsible for providing the weapon despite warnings about alleged threats his son made, a prosecutor said Monday.
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The trial of Colin Gray began Monday in one of several cases around the country where prosecutors are trying to hold parents responsible after their children are accused in fatal shootings.
Gray faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter and numerous counts of second-degree cruelty to children related to the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder.
“This is not a case about holding parents accountable for what their children do,” Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said in his opening statement. “This case is about this defendant and his actions in allowing a child that he has custody over access to a firearm and ammunition after being warned that that child was going to harm others.”
Prosecutors argue that amounts to cruelty to children, and second-degree murder is defined in Georgia law as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children.
Investigators have said Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time, carefully planned the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school northeast of Atlanta that is attended by 1,900 students.
But Brian Hobbs, an attorney for Colin Gray, said the shooting’s planning and timing “were hidden by Colt Gray from his father. That’s the difference between tragedy and criminal liability. You cannot hold someone criminally responsible for failing to predict what was intentionally hidden from them.”
Show Caption1 of 3District Attorney Brad Smith points to the defendant Colin Gray, the father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect Colt Gray, during Smith’s opening statements in the courtroom at the Barrow County courthouse, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, in Winder, Ga. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) ExpandWith a semiautomatic rifle in his book bag, the barrel sticking out and wrapped in poster board, Colt Gray boarded the school bus, investigators said. He left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the gun and then shot people in a classroom and hallways, they said.
Smith told the jury that Colin Gray’s daughter was in lockdown at her middle school and texted her father that there had been a shooting at the high school. When law enforcement arrived at Gray’s home, he met them in the garage and “without any prompting, he blurts out, ‘I knew it,’” Smith said.
Smith said that in September 2021, Colt Gray used a school computer to search the phrase, “how to kill your dad.” School resource officers were then sent to the home, but it was determined to be a “misunderstanding,” Smith said.
Sixteen months before the shooting, in May 2023, law enforcement acted on a tip from the FBI after a shooting threat was made online concerning an elementary school. The threat was traced to a computer at Gray’s home, Smith said.
Colin Gray was told about the threat and was asked whether his son had access to guns. Gray replied that he and his son “take this school shooting stuff very seriously,” according to Smith. Colt Gray denied that he made the threat and said that his online account had been hacked, Smith said.
That Christmas, Colin Gray gave his son the gun as a gift and continued to buy accessories after that, including “a lot of ammunition,” Smith said.
Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters, even having a shrine in his bedroom to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, prosecutors have said. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent had testified that the teen’s parents had discussed their son’s fascination with school shooters but decided that it was in a joking context and not a serious issue.
Three weeks before the shooting, Gray received a chilling text from his son: “Whenever something happens, just know the blood is on your hands,” according to Smith.
Colin Gray was also aware his son’s mental health had deteriorated and had sought help from a counseling service weeks before the shooting, an investigator testified.
“We have had a very difficult past couple of years and he needs help. Anger, anxiety, quick to be volatile. I don’t know what to do,” Colin Gray wrote about his son.
But Smith said Colin Gray never followed through on concerns about getting his son admitted to an in-patient facility.
The trial is being held in Winder, in Barrow County, where the shooting happened. The defense asked for a change of venue because of pretrial publicity, and prosecutors agreed. The judge kept the trial in Winder but decided to bring in jurors from nearby Hall County to hear the case. Jurors were selected last week.
Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia.
Injured seabird desperately pecks at hospital door for help
BERLIN (AP) — An injured seabird sought help by pecking at the door of an emergency room at a hospital in Germany until medical staff noticed it and called firefighters to help with its rescue.
The cormorant, a shiny black waterbird, had a triple fishing hook stuck in its beak when it made its presence known at the glass door of the Klinikum Links der Weser hospital in the northern city of Bremen on Sunday.
An injured cormorant stands in front of the door of an emergency room at a hospital in Bremen, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (Feuerwehr Bremen/DPA via AP)In a joint effort, medical staff and firefighters removed the fishhook and treated the wound, the Bremen firefighter department said in a statement. The bird was later released back into nature on the grounds of the hospital park.
“When an injured cormorant does approach humans, it is usually an animal in extreme distress that has lost its natural shyness,” the statement said.
A cormorant is a large bird with a long neck, wedge-shaped head and a distinctive sharp beak with a hooked tip. A fishhook in the bird’s beak would be extremely dangerous for the animal. Infections, pain and even starvation are possible, the firefighter department said.
A firefighter from the Bremen Fire Department holds an injured cormorant that had pecking at the door of an emergency room at a hospital in Bremen, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (Feuerwehr Bremen/ DPA via AP) Related Articles- Today in History: February 17, Danica Patrick wins Daytona 500 pole
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Al Pacino, Jamie Lee Curtis and others pay tribute to Robert Duvall, who died at age 95
By The Associated Press
Remembrances poured in Monday in honor of Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor known for roles in “Apocalypse Now,” “Lonesome Dove,” Tender Mercies” and as the intrepid consigliere of the first two “Godfather” movies.
Duvall died Sunday at age 95 at his home in Virginia, according to an announcement from his publicist and a statement posted on his Facebook page by his wife, Luciana Duvall.
Al Pacino“It was an honor to have worked with Robert Duvall. He was a born actor as they say, his connection with it, his understanding and his phenomenal gift will always be remembered. I will miss him.” — Duvall’s “Godfather” co-star, in a statement to The Associated Press.
Viola Davis“I’ve always been in awe of your towering portrayals of men who were both quiet and dominating in their humanness. You were a giant … an icon … Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tender Mercies, The Apostle, Lonesome Dove … etc … Greatness never dies. It stays … as a gift. Rest well, sir. Your name will be spoken.” — the actor, Duvall’s co-star in “Widows,” on Instagram.
Adam Sandler“Funny as hell. Strong as hell. One of the greatest actors we ever had. Such a great man to talk to and laugh with. Loved him so much. We all did. So many movies to choose from that were legendary. Watch them when you can. Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences.” — the actor, who starred with Duvall in “Hustle,” on X.
Michael Keaton“another friend goes down. acted with and became friends. shared a great afternoon on my front porch talking about horses. he was greatness personified as an actor.” — the actor, Duvall’s co-star in “The Paper,” on Instagram.
Robert Patrick“We talked horses, dogs, Clemson football, dancing the tango and Marlon Brando. At one point he told me to go find the letter Marlon had sent him after they worked together on The Godfather. It was typed and perfectly composed. Bobby was more proud of that letter than his Oscar. Marlon was the actor he looked up to.” — the actor, remembering a recent visit at Duvall’s home in Virginia, on Facebook.
Rob Schneider“Powerful yet gentle as a bird in his unforgettable turn in “The Lonesome Dove,” Bob had the ability to make you forget instantly the conceit that you were watching a performance and gripped us with the sincerity and emotion of a consigliere as Tom in “The Godfather.” Equally hilarious as the surfer loving Army Officer in “Apocalypse Now,” he never gave a moment for the audience to not believe.” — the actor, on Facebook.
Jamie Lee Curtis“The greatest consigliere the screen has ever seen. Bravo, Robert Duvall” — the actor, on Instagram
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“We celebrate the legacy of Robert Duvall, a true acting legend whose work shaped generations. Twice honored with SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards, his influence on the craft will endure. Our thoughts are with his wife, Luciana, and all who loved him.” — the union that represents actors and broadcasters, on X.
Mike Huckabee“One of my best days was spending a full day with Robert Duvall & his lovely wife at his ranch — interviewed him for my then Fox News show. He was gracious, hospitable, & humble. Truly a gentleman & one of the greatest actors of all time. He didn’t ‘play’ a role— he WAS the role.” — the U.S. ambassador to Israel, on X.
Reserve deputy accused of forging a month of timesheets for Broward Sheriff’s Office
New details emerged Monday about last week’s arrest of a Broward Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy who has been charged with official misconduct, forgery, scheme to defraud and grand theft.
Joshua Marc Passman, 44, was fired last week after his arrest. According to a probable cause affidavit outlining the case against him, Passman faked his working hours to be paid for time he wasn’t on the job and to boost his eventual retirement check.
Passman was originally hired by the Sheriff’s Office in 2006 and rose to the rank of sergeant before leaving the agency in 2022 for a private sector job. He remained with BSO as a reserve officer.
According to the affidavit, Passman submitted time sheets for 21 full working days throughout calendar year 2024, resulting in payments of about $3,200. The time sheets all bore the signature of a supervisor who told investigators he never saw the timesheets and never approved of them. The signature on the timesheets did not match the supervisor’s signature, according to the report.
Phone records show Passman was not in South Florida for some of the days he claimed to work, and was not in Broward County on some days he claimed to be attending meetings in Fort Lauderdale.
“A specific benefit of Passman’s continued service with the Broward Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy … allows him to fulfill service credit years necessary for vesting and eligibility under the Florida Retirement System,” according to Detective Daniel Sanchez, writing in the probable cause document. “The charges being presented suggest that Passman’s motive behind the actions detailed in this investigation was to accumulate sufficient service time through his misrepresented or inflated documentation to reach a threshold for monetary pension benefits.”
Attempts to reach Passman’s lawyer on Monday, a holiday, were unsuccessful.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.
3 killed, including suspect, in shooting during Rhode Island youth hockey game
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) — Three people, including the suspect, were fatally shot during a Rhode Island youth hockey game Monday, authorities said.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves told reporters that three other victims are hospitalized in critical condition.
“It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” she said. Goncalves did not provide details about the suspect or the ages of those who were killed, though she said it appeared that both victims were adults.
Show Caption1 of 5A father hugs his son outside of the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, R.I., after a shooting at the ice rink, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell) ExpandShe said investigators are trying to piece together what happened and speak with witnesses of the shooting inside Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, a few miles outside Providence. They are also reviewing video taken from the hockey game. Unverified footage circulating on social media shows players diving for cover and fans fleeing their seats after popping sounds are heard.
Outside the arena, tearful families and high school hockey players still in uniform could be seen hugging before they boarded a bus to leave the area. Roads surrounding the arena were shut down as a heavy police presence remained and helicopters flew overhead.
Monday’s shooting comes nearly two months after Rhode Island was rocked by a separate gun violence tragedy at Brown University, where a gunman killed two students and injured nine others. That shooter went on to also fatally shoot a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.
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Authorities later found Claudio Neves Valente, 48, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a New Hampshire storage facility.
“Fortunately, the two incidents are not related, but it is very tragic,” said Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien. “These are high school kids, they were doing an event, they were playing with fans watching and it turned into this.”
Pawtucket is nestled just north of Providence and right under the Massachusetts state border. A city of just under 80,000, Pawtucket had up until recently been known as the home to Hasbro’s headquarters.
Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed to this report.
Dave Hyde: Releasing Hill, Chubb was predictable — now, new Dolphins’ decisions get tougher
Start waving goodbye. Anyone can go. The new season began Monday for the Miami Dolphins’ new regime with the release of Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb, two names bigger than the decision to let them go.
Hill gave two great years in his four with the Dolphins, but was on the chopping block with a bloated 2026 price even before his nasty knee injury. He’ll be 32 in March, and his release saves the Dolphins $22.8 million.
Chubb is a pro’s pro and good edge rusher, but he turns 30 this summer, is regularly injured and was due $20.2 million this year. Those aren’t fits for a rebuilding team.
Throw in guard James Daniels, who declined to play with a pectoral injury even as the team thought he could, and receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and the Dolphins actually moved into the positive for salary-cap space. For now.
Now it gets tougher. Defining decisions loom for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, ones that will set the course of this season and offer a look into his building philosophy.
And, no, this doesn’t have anything to do with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The only decision there remains how to painfully extricate themselves from his contract. The hammer or the drill?
This is about moving on. It’s about how Sullivan will set policy and do business with the players he wants to keep. Or might want to keep. Or would keep at the right price, if that can be found.
You know how the Dolphins did business the past four years. If a player came to a bad mood to practice, he was given a new contract. Tua, Hill and Jalen Ramsey signed record-setting deals when new deals weren’t even necessary. Team owner Steve Ross is still signing checks from that.
It’s easy to toss money at players. But someone has to protect the organization with fair deals, and that’s Sullivan’s job now. Start with running back De’Von Achane, this offense’s best playmaker, who enters the final year of his rookie contract in 2026.
Garden-variety running backs don’t get paid anymore. But two-way threats like Achane do. Look at San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey ($19 million in 2026).
Achane doesn’t have McCaffrey’s receiving numbers. But his total yards compare to Buffalo running back James Cook, who signed four-year, $46 million deal ($29 million guaranteed) before last season.
Is that a year-ago framework for Achane? It would have been a year ago when every Dolphin got paid. Sullivan has yet to show how he work. He could have Achane play out his rookie deal. Or maybe start the season before negotiating? Would the franchise tag be in play?
Sullivan’s philosophy will weave through this rebuild. When Tua moves on, the Dolphins highest-paid players next year become safety Minkah Fitzpatrick ($18.9M) and right tackle Austin Jackson ($15.4M). That doesn’t look right, does it?
Each is average. Jackson has injury problems. Does Sullivan try to trade them, opening more holes on a roster full of holes? Does he re-negotiate their contracts — or try? Or does he just let them play out the year at those numbers? Decisions, decisions.
Then there are the returning leaders, good pros and great players any team wants in center Aaron Brewer and linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Each is in his prime at 28. Each enters the final year of his contract.
They’ll want new deals this winter. They deserve them because of their stellar play and attitude. The question becomes how Sullivan lines up a team with limited money with its across-the-roster needs and timeline to start winning again.
If he sees winning in 2027, sign them. But if it’s 2028 or even 2029? Does that change matters?
Bottom line: You could have made Monday’s decisions to release these four players. It started some predictable housecleaning on a roster that needed to get proper alignment by dollars, age and health to go though a rebuild.
But now the hard work is about to begin. Who to pay? Who not to pay, at least immediately? How to play hardball, if necessary?
It’s been a culture of comfort the past four years as coach Mike McDaniel attempted to buy the loyalty of star players with big contracts. GM Chris Grier and Ross went along for the bad ride.
Now it’s Sullivan’s turn to make some tough decisions. They won’t just show us his style of management. They’ll set the tone for how business is done in this new regime and lay the direction of this team’s latest rebuild.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill watches as time runs out in the loss to the New England Patriots on Sept. 14, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) prepares to play against the New York Jets on Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
