International News

Trump officials pitch Zelenskyy on U.S. owning 50% of Ukraine's rare earth minerals

Feb. 15, 2025

The Trump administration has suggested to Ukraine that the United States be granted 50% ownership of the country’s rare earth minerals, and signaled an openness to deploying American troops there to guard them if there’s a deal with Russia to end the war, according to four U.S. officials. Rather than pay for the minerals, the ownership agreement would be a way for Ukraine to reimburse the U.S. for the billions of dollars in weapons and support its provided to Kyiv since the war began in February 2022, two of the officials said.

International News

Zelenskyy: 'Very difficult' for Ukraine to survive without U.S. military support

Feb. 15, 2025

The Ukrainian president told NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he doesn't "want to think about" not having American support.

Business

Denny's set to close dozens more locations this year, though some openings planned too

Feb. 15, 2025

Breakfast specialists Denny's will accelerate planned store closures in 2025 amid continued consumer shifts toward preferences for fast-food and take-out options. On an earnings call Wednesday, CFO Robert Verostek said the closures would incorporate a mix of poorly performing restaurants and ones with expiring leases.

Business

Amazon 'anti-union propaganda,' employee surveillance loom over labor vote at North Carolina warehouse

Feb. 15, 2025

Italo Medelius-Marsano was a law student at North Carolina Central University in 2022, when he took a job at an Amazon warehouse near the city of Raleigh to earn some extra cash. The past month has been unlike any other during his three-year tenure at the company. Now, when he shows up for his shift at the shipping dock, Medelius-Marsano says he’s met with flyers and mounted TVs urging him to “vote no,” as well as QR codes on workstations that lead to an anti-union website. During meetings, managers discourage unionization.

Entertainment

King Charles likely relieved Trump won't deport Prince Harry, better he's 'out of sight, out of mind': expert

Feb. 15, 2025

King Charles III is "likely relieved" after President Donald Trump said last week that he doesn’t plan to deport his youngest son, Prince Harry, back to Britain despite his immigration issues, an expert told Fox News Digital. "It would put the spotlight back [on] the Sussexes," said royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams. "Harry would undoubtedly appeal. The publicity would be ceaseless." "Apart from the fact that the royal family is the [U.K.] government’s trump card in dealing with the most unpredictable president of them all, Harry is in self-imposed exile and the royal family have health struggles and do not trust the Sussexes," Fitzwilliams claimed.

International News

Israel-Hamas ceasefire live updates: 3 hostages set free in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians

Feb. 15, 2025

Israeli American Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Alexander Troufanov and Iair Horn were exchanged for 369 of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Sports

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner accepts three-month ban from tennis to settle doping case

Feb. 15, 2025

The men’s world No. 1 will be banned from February 9 to May 4 after twice testing positive for banned substance Clostebol in March 2024, meaning that he will be eligible to play in the French Open – the next grand slam on the calendar. Sinner had previously avoided suspension from competition with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announcing in August that he wasn’t at fault for the positive tests. Two samples collected eight days apart at Indian Wells in March 2024 showed low levels of Clostebol, an anabolic steroid.

Weather

Blizzard in the North and floods in the South while severe storms batter eastern U.S.

Feb. 15, 2025

Parts of the Southeast were experiencing potentially life-threatening flash floods Saturday as a severe weather system made its way across the country, also posing a risk of significant snow for the Upper Midwest and New England. The NWS warned early Saturday that severe flash flooding is likely in the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, particularly in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. Around 20 million people are under some measure of flood alert from Arkansas to Pennsylvania.

Health

Obesity wouldn't be solely defined by BMI under global experts' new plan

Feb. 15, 2025

A group of global experts is proposing a new way to define and diagnose obesity, reducing the emphasis on the controversial body mass index and hoping to better identify people who need treatment for the disease caused by excess body fat. Under recommendations released Tuesday night, obesity would no longer be defined solely by BMI, a calculation of height and weight, but combined with other measurements, such as waist circumference, plus evidence of health problems tied to extra pounds. Obesity is estimated to affect more than 1 billion people worldwide. In the U.S., about 40% of adults have obesity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sports

Warriors, Knicks top CNBC's Official NBA Team Valuations for 2025

Feb. 15, 2025

The average National Basketball Association team is worth $4.66 billion, according to CNBC Sport’s official NBA valuations. This places the league between the average National Football League team, worth $6.49 billion, and the average National Hockey League team, worth $1.92 billion.