Sports

WWE star CM Punk gives shoutout to firefighters battling Los Angeles wildfires

Feb. 13, 2025

WWE star CM Punk started "Monday Night Raw" addressing the crowd in San Jose, California. Before he started on about his aspirations of getting to WrestleMania 41 and taking another jab at Seth Rollins, Punk gave a special shoutout to the first responders and emergency personnel fighting the fires in the Los Angeles area.

Sports

Music star Bad Bunny wants another WWE match: 'I want to scare my mother'

Feb. 13, 2025

Latin music star Bad Bunny impressed the pro wrestling world when he battled Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight at WWE Backlash in 2023 and came out to a raucous crowd in Puerto Rico. It wasn’t the first time Bad Bunny had been in a WWE ring – he made several appearances for the company in 2021 – and he’s hoping it’s not his last.

Weather

Heavy rain and risk of ‘life-threatening’ debris flows prompt evacuation warnings in LA fire areas as snow hits the Midwest

Feb. 13, 2025

Evacuation warnings have been issued in parts of Los Angeles County ravaged by deadly wildfires last month, as Southern California’s most significant storm in more than a year stokes fears of life-threatening debris flows and a high risk of mudslides. It’s just one of three winter storms this week brought about by a hyperactive weather pattern that’s been slamming the US with snow, ice and rain since the start of the month – another storm is currently hitting the Plains and Midwest with heavy snow.

Weather

Evacuations issued in Southern California as heavy rain brings threat of debris flows in areas scarred by wildfires

Feb. 13, 2025

Southern Californians evacuated their homes for the second time this year, but this time, it’s for heavy rain and debris flows that threaten new destruction in areas still recovering from last month’s devastating wildfires. The strongest storm to impact parts of California in over a year has arrived and was drenching hundreds of miles of the state Thursday. Coastal areas and valleys in Southern California – including the Los Angeles basin – will see up to 3 inches of rain through Friday, according to the National Weather Service, with mountainous areas facing up to 6 inches.

International News

Putin goes from pariah to negotiating partner as Trump announces plans to meet

Feb. 13, 2025

For a decade, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been the West’s pariah after first annexing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and then launching a full-scale invasion of the country. Now, President Donald Trump has given Putin a big boost— and possibly re-entry onto the global stage — by offering him much of what he’s been asking for in Ukraine.

International News

With war still raging in Ukraine, Russian Olympic hopes look bleak

Feb. 13, 2025

With a little less than one year until the Winter Olympics unfold in Italy, Russia's hope to do battle on snow and ice on the world's biggest sports stage appear to melt by the day. Unless peace quickly comes to Ukraine and the International Olympic Committee and Moscow suddenly repair their long-fraught relationship, Russian athletes could be largely frozen out of their second consecutive Olympics.

International News

Amid Washington rancor, Trump basks in the glow of a hostage-release deal

Feb. 13, 2025

Presidents love to bask in the patriotic glow of bringing hostages home — none more than Donald Trump. Negotiations over prisoner swaps can be tough and the prices can be high, and experts warn that quickly giving hostage-takers the concessions they want gives them incentives for further kidnappings. But the immediate rewards are unambiguous: Americans, regardless of party, want their compatriots back.

Science & Tech

Google hub in Poland to develop AI use in energy and cybersecurity sectors

Feb. 13, 2025

Google and Poland on Thursday signed a memorandum for developing the use of artificial intelligence in the country’s energy, cybersecurity and other sectors. Poland has largely cut its previous dependence on Russian fuels, and is being targeted by various forms of cyberattacks and sabotage actions believed to be sponsored by Russia.

Science & Tech

Thomson Reuters scores early win in AI copyright battles in the US

Feb. 13, 2025

Thomson Reuters has won an early battle in court over the question of fair use in artificial intelligence-related copyright cases. The media and technology company filed a lawsuit against Ross Intelligence — a now-defunct legal research firm — in 2020, arguing they had used materials from Thomson Reuters’ own legal platform Westlaw to train an AI model without permission.

Sports

Barcelona player Mapi León denies ‘touching the private parts’ of an opponent

Feb. 13, 2025

In the 15th minute of the Barcelona derby, León appeared to touch Espanyol’s Daniela Caracas in the groin area and say something as the two players jostled for position. León has denied any wrongdoing and said there was “NO contact with (Caracas’) private parts, and certainly no intention.” Footage of the incident has since been widely shared on social media, and in a statement released on Monday, Espanyol said that the conduct of defender León “should not be overlooked” and “violated the intimacy of our player.”