Entertainment

SNL is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Here are USA TODAY's three favorite sketches

Feb. 12, 2025

USA TODAY reporter Kelly Lawler breaks down the top three most iconic SNL sketches and reveals what makes them so iconic.

Travel

Travelers claim this TikTok seatbelt hack makes it easier to sleep on the plane. Experts say it’s ‘extremely dangerous’

Feb. 12, 2025

For many travelers, sleeping while seated upright is a huge challenge, making long-haul flights an exhausting experience for those in economy-class seats. Passengers often go to great lengths to get some inflight Zs, whether they’re buying pricey neck pillows and “foot hammocks,” or contorting themselves into awkward positions.Most of the time these efforts — futile as they may be — are completely harmless. However one so-called flying hack making the rounds on TikTok and Instagram in recent months has experts alarmed. In the videos, which have racked up millions of views over the last year or so, passengers can be seen pulling their knees up to their chest and placing their feet at the edge of their seats. Then, they secure their seatbelts around their ankles to prevent their feet from slipping off the seat, allowing them to rest their heads on their knees.

Entertainment

Movie Review: Bridget Jones is middle-aged now. And we still love her, just as she is

Feb. 12, 2025

It is a truth universally acknowledged, as Bridget Jones herself might write in her diary, that at the end of any Bridget Jones movie, our heroine has triumphed over all doubts and obstacles and is finally happy. With a man. Well, so far, with one particular man:

Business

Treasury Secretary Bessent offers Zelenskyy an economic investment deal

Feb. 12, 2025

Edward Lawrence reported Zelenskyy would review the proposal and respond on Friday when he meets with Vice President JD Vance. President Donald Trump dispatched Vance and Bessent to the war-torn region in an effort to end the conflict with Russia. JD VANCE, TREASURY'S BESSENT TO MEET WITH UKRAINE PRESIDENT Hours after Bessent's meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump said he spoke to the Ukrainian president about peacemaking efforts in the region. He said that Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the delegation at Friday's meeting in Munich.

Automotive

Tariffs on steel, aluminum likely mean higher costs for auto industry

Feb. 12, 2025

President Donald Trump signed executive orders placing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. on Monday. The moves could make imported steel and aluminum more expensive for automakers and parts suppliers, creating additional challenges for a sector already dealing with a soft sales environment, experts say. “It’s another hit to the industry,” Jay Cushing, senior bond analyst with Gimme Credit, said in an email to Automotive Dive on Tuesday.

Automotive

Ford taps finance VP as new CFO

Feb. 12, 2025

Ford Motor Co. VP of finance Sherry House took over as CFO from long-time company veteran and finance chief John Lawler on Feb. 6, the automotive company announced in a securities filing and press release last week. The move is part of a planned leadership change the company announced last spring, when House — an alum of electronic vehicle company Lucid Motors — joined Ford as its VP of finance, with plans to assume the CFO role at some point this year, CFO Dive previously reported. Lawler, who has logged a 34-year career with the Dearborn, Michigan-based company, has served as Ford’s CFO since October 2020. He will remain with the company as its vice chair — a position he has held since June as part of the planned executive leadership changes — with “a focus on strategy, partnerships and alliances,” the company said.

International News

Netanyahu warns 'intense fighting' will resume in Gaza if Hamas delays hostage release

Feb. 12, 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday threatened to withdraw from his country's ceasefire with Hamas and resume “intense fighting” in the Gaza Strip if the militant group does not release more hostages by midday Saturday. Netanyahu's warning followed President Donald Trump's threat in recent days to let “all hell break out” in Gaza, after Hamas reiterated Tuesday that it would indefinitely postpone the next round of hostage-prisoner swap scheduled for Saturday. The Palestinian organization has accused Israel of violating terms of their three-week-old ceasefire.

Science & Tech

NASA, SpaceX reveal new date to return stranded Starliner crew back to Earth

Feb. 12, 2025

The two NASA astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station for more than seven months are scheduled to finally return home in March, sooner than expected. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stranded on the space station since they left Earth on June 5, 2024 aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which experienced helium leaks and propulsion system issues. Wilmore and Williams became aware of the issues once they docked at the space station. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to launch on March 12 to head to the space station, then return home with Wilmore and Williams after a handover period of several days, NASA said. The sped-up timeline comes after the agency said in December that late March would be the earliest launch date.

International News

Police raid at a rare island of dialogue in Jerusalem sparks fears of a free speech crackdown

Feb. 12, 2025

For years, the Palestinian-owned Educational Bookshop in east Jerusalem has been a rare island of dialogue in an increasingly divided city, but an Israeli police raid on the store this week has sparked fears about the suppression of free speech. While the well-known store and its smaller branch across the street were open Tuesday, the bust saw detectives confiscate books in trash bags and arrest two members of the owner’s family. The incident has raised broader concerns about the status of shared places where Israelis and Palestinians can peacefully come together and debate.

Entertainment

Prince Andrew's Jeffrey Epstein link has disgraced duke 'petrified' to step foot on US soil: expert

Feb. 12, 2025

Prince Andrew is "petrified" of ever stepping foot in New York City again. British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard made the claim as the FBI is being urged to launch a new probe into his friend, American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. "Prince Andrew is petrified of even thinking of returning to New York," Chard claimed to Fox News Digital. "He is very much rooted to his home, Royal Lodge, and isn't moving any time soon."