Asia's migrant workers debate if Gulf jobs are worth deadly risk of Iran war

All Norma Tactacon can do is pray as the sirens blare.
The 49-year-old, who works in the Middle East as a domestic worker, is thousands of miles away from her home in the Philippines, where her husband and three children live.
Stuck in Qatar, which is caught in the crossfire of the US and Israel's war on Iran, her only hope is that she makes it home to her family.
"I get scared and nervous every time I see pictures and videos of missiles in the air," she tells the BBC. "I need to be alive to be there for my fami

Could gas prices get even higher in Tampa Bay? Experts say yes.

Gas pricesare high and it could get worse, experts say, which could also create a major drag onFlorida’s economy.
It all depends on what happens in the Strait of Hormuz, economists say, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which about 20 million barrels of oil are carried each day — representing about a fifth of the world’s oil supply.
Since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes in Iran in late February, the country has blocked transportation through the strait, backing up thousands of vessel

Thousands turn out for ‘No Kings’ protests in CT, voicing concerns over economy, ICE and war in Iran

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Can you survive inside a tornado? This scientist did by accident – he’s lucky to be alive

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUStheconversation.com.
Can a person survive inside a tornado? – Sophia, age 14, Greencastle, Indiana
I have seen the center of a monster. Most people describe the sound of a tornado as like a freight train, but up close, it’s more like a thousand screaming jet engines. I am one of the few people on Earth who has driven into a tornado and lived to tell the tale.
While it mi

Mets Juan Soto cannot be more prepared for 2026 regular season after WBC experience

Juan Soto returned to the Mets lineup on Thursday after two weeks playing for the Dominican Republic at this year's World Baseball Classic, and the slugger was thrilled with his experience.
Although Soto and Team DR fell to the USA in the semifinals, Soto called it "one of the best experiences" he's ever had after he was pulled in the Mets' 6-2 win over the Astros. But it was more than just an experience for Soto, in fact, the Mets superstar credits the tournament for how he feels just a week

How to save money on gas, driving, according to AAA

Drivers can't do much to control gas prices, but they can take steps to reduce fuel usage.
AAA has offered these money-saving tips:
Watch your speed. Fuel economy peaks at approximately 50 mph on most cars. Reducing highway speeds by 5-10 mph may increase fuel economy by as much as 14%.
Avoid excessive idling. A car engine can consume as much as a half-gallon of fuel per hour when idling, but a warm engine only takes approximately 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart. Where safe to do so, shut off your engine if you'll be stopped for mor

“I'm from America, I love America... There's no bigger stage, or no greater honor than wearing USA across your chest.”

Paul Skenes proud to be AMERICAN

World Baseball Classic schedule 2026: Dates, times, channels, live streams, scores for every WBC game

World Baseball Classic schedule 2026: Dates, times, channels, live streams, scores for every WBC game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The World Baseball Classic is back, with some of the best players on the planet representing their country instead of their MLB team with national pride on the line.
The most recent WBC in 2023 lived up to the name, with ******* an edging Team USA in an electric championship game in Mia

Team USA Wins Historic 11th Gold Medal at 2026 Olympics, Breaking Winter Games Record for American Athletes

Jeff PACHOUD / AFP via Getty
Team USA has 11 gold medals at the Milan Cortina Games, the most ever won by American athletes at a Winter Olympics
The Team USA record of 10 was previously set in Salt Lake City in 2002
The record was broken by the freeski mixed team aerials athletes on Feb. 21
Gold sure looks good on Team USA.

https://sports.yahoo.com/a...

Manchester City vs. Newcastle United: Preview & More

Manchester City host Newcastle United, a tough home match up is here in a Premier League clash that is sure to excite.
The Premier League is off to the races and City look to have a great second half of the season.
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Time and Date: Premier League: Saturday 21 February 2026, Kickoff at 20:00 GMT, 3:00pm EST USA
Referee: Tom Bramall.

https://sports.yahoo.com/a...

Suns’ Jalen Green and Jordan Ott share opinions on Devin Booker’s injury

AUSTIN – Devin Booker’s exit from last night’s matchup due to hip soreness brought out nervous yet realistic reactions from both Head Coach Jordan Ott and Phoenix star Jalen Green.
Feb 19, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Suns guard Booker (1) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
When the Phoenix Suns fell 121–94 to the San Antonio Spurs, the box score told one story, and the sideline told another after Dev

Ledn's $188M Bitcoin-Backed ABS Deal Enters US Bond Market

The Bitcoin lender reportedly packaged thousands of Bitcoin-backed consumer loans into rated bonds, giving investors a new way to take crypto‑linked risk without holding BTC.
COINTELEGRAPH IN YOUR SOCIAL FEED
Bitcoin-backed loan platform Ledn sold about $188 million of bonds tied to Bitcoin‑collateralized consumer loans into the mainstream ******* et‑backed securities (ABS) market, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
In a first-of-its-kind deal, one of the two tranches — the investment‑grade p

Former Pro Bowl NFL lineman Tre' Johnson dies at 54

When was Tre' Johnson selected to the Pro Bowl?
How many recent NFL retirements or deaths have occurred?
What was Tre' Johnson's post-NFL career role?
Show me the most popular stories right now.
Former NFL offensive lineman Tre' Johnson died on Sunday while the family was on a trip, according to a Facebook post from his wife, Irene. He was 54 years old.

https://www.usatoday.com/s...

“It’s Kind of Getting Ridiculous”: Rob Gronkowski, Brock Purdy Reveal Which NFL ...

Between the Philadelphia Eagles’ Tush Push play and their past adjustments to the kickoff format, it’s safe to say that the NFL doesn’t always get things right when discussing potential changes to their rulebook. After all, ***** ody actually feels safer because the league decided to ban celebrations that include “violent gestures,” i.e., shooting and holstering a finger gun.
Of course, some rule changes have certainly proven to be more egregious than others. Hence why USA Today Sports allowed players to ai

NFL legend Jason Kelce tackles popular 2026 Winter Olympics event

Although his NFL playing days are behind him, former Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce continues to find ways to keep fans entertained.
That includes his latest endeavor trying out a new sport during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Prior to the Olympic Games, Kelce took part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Team USA.
The former NFL center traveled to Salt Lake City in order to challenge himself on the ice track with a bobsled. Jason Kelce managed to give amazing insight into what it’s like to be a bobsl

Iowa State win over Kansas a reminder of Cyclones' Final Four potential

What defensive strategy did Iowa State use against Kansas?
How does this win impact Iowa State's March Madness potential?
What was Milan Momcilovic's key contribution in the game?
What's a major issue I should understand better?
AMES, Iowa – In the attention economy, “What have you done lately?” has been largely replaced by, “What have you done right this second?” There’s no patience nor hardly any memory, but there certainly is an urgency bordering on frantic.

https://www.usatoday.com/s...

Thousands attend county's '100 objects' exhibition

An exhibition that showcased a county's history through items like graffiti art and a Dr Martens boot has been hailed a success, with thousands of visitors coming through the doors.
A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects ran at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery from 20 September to 8 February.
West Northamptonshire Council, which owns the museum, said it attracted 46,085 visitors - a 22% increase on the same period the year before.
James Petter, Reform-UK deputy leader and cabinet member for local economy, culture and leisure, sai

Minneapolis protests swell after fatal shootings and arrest of a journalist

Thousands of protesters rallied in Minneapolis on Friday in the latest show of anger over US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, as a prominent journalist was charged over his coverage of protests in the northern city.
Crowds marched with signs blasting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency leading Trump's mass deportation drive, in response to a call for a "national shutdown" across the United States.
Minneapolis has become the epicenter of the immigration policy backlash after two pro

Photos of Shiite Muslims displaced from Syria living at a newly opened camp in Lebanon

HERMEL, Lebanon (AP) — Thousands of Shiite Muslims who fled Syria after former President Bashar ****** ad's government was toppled in an offensive by Sunni rebels in December 2024 have found a new home in Lebanon.
Many of them stayed in mosques, schools or with relatives in Lebanon until the Imam Ali Housing Compound — funded by Lebanon's Shiite militant Hezbollah group and Shiite religious institutions in Iraq and Iran — was opened in late 2025. The camp, in the northeastern Lebanese town of Hermel, has

(WHNT) — Blue Origin has announced that it plans to put a pause on its New Shepard program for at least two years.
On Friday, the company announced it will pause its ****** e tourism flights to free up resources to accelerate development of its lunar program.
One injured after vehicle runs into Toney Fire Station
“The decision reflects Blue Origin’s commitment to the nation’s goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence,” the company said.
Blue Origin touts the New Shepard launch system as the first reusable ****** eflight system that can land vertic

More than 31,000 nurses and health care workers strike at Kaiser Permanente

Tens of thousands of nurses and health care workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities across California and Hawaii went on strike on Monday morning.
More than 31,000 workers across at least two dozen hospitals and hundreds of clinics run by the non-profit health care system walked off the job at 7 a.m. PT, marking the largest strike of health care professionals so far this year.
The striking workers, who are members of the United Nurses ***** ociations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), sa

FAA says 7 people died and 1 was injured in private jet that crashed in storm

A massive winter storm dumped heavy snow and ice across a huge swath of the United States, leaving more than 800,000 homes without power, making roads impassable and triggering thousands of flight cancellations.
More than 100 million people were under winter storm warnings from New Mexico to Maine over the weekend as the system walloped roughly two-thirds of the country. The storm ushered in frigid temperatures, with sub-zero lows expected in many of the same areas through the middle of the week.
Nearly two doze

Bitcoin’s network hit an unusual speed **** p over the weekend, not because of code, markets or a Fed policy change, but because the physical world intervened.
A sprawling winter storm strained regional power grids and knocked out electricity for hundreds of thousands of households.
The disruption briefly spilled into crypto infrastructure, as some US-based Bitcoin miners cut power use and the network’s block production slowed, without sparking market panic.
Related: U.S. Government Targets Russia’s Crypto Mining Industry for Sanctions Amid Ukraine War
Winter Storm Fern swept across a wide

A severe Arctic blast sweeping across the United States has forced Bitcoin miners to take more than 110 exahashes per second of computing power offline, temporarily slowing block production to 12 minutes as operators curtail operations to ease strain on regional power grids, according to The Miner Mag.
The widespread shutdowns mark one of the largest coordinated mining curtailments since the 2021 Texas grid crisis, with FoundryUSA’s hashrate dropping nearly 60% since Friday.
Real-time data from Mining Pool Stats shows FoundryUSA’s hashrate fell from approximately 340 EH/s to roughly 242 EH/s

Several US-based Bitcoin (BTC) mining pools have curtailed operations in response to extreme winter weather that strained electricity grids across the country.
The reductions came as an Arctic cold snap brought subfreezing temperatures across large parts of the United States.
According to TheMinerMag, 2 major Bitcoin mining pools serving North America collectively cut over 110 exahashes per second (EH/s) of hashrate in late January 2026.
Foundry USA, the world’s largest Bitcoin mining pool, saw a sharp drop in hashrate. It fell from nearly 340 EH/s to around 242 EH/s late last week.
Luxor

Forecasters warn of 'dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts' for days

A massive winter storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the U.S. on Sunday, bringing subzero temperatures and halting air and road traffic. Tree branches and power lines snapped under the weight of ice, and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Southeast were left without electricity.
The ice and snowfall were expected to continue into Monday followed by very low temperatures which could cause “dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts” for days, the National Weather Service said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard commander warns the US his force has its 'finger on the trigger'

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which was key in putting down recent nationwide protests in a crackdown that left thousands dead, warned that his force is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger,” as U.S. warships headed toward the Middle East.
Nournews, a news outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that the commander, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, warned the United States and Israel “to av

Scientists are debating the finer details of microplastics in the human body, according to The Washington Post.
It's often said that microplastics are everywhere, including in the environment and in living things, and an ever-growing body of research increasingly attests to their ubiquity as a contaminant.
On Jan. 13, the Guardian published an article about one researcher's objections to the structure of one study on microplastics and the human brain.
Dr. Dušan Materić is considered an expert in the field. In its article, the Guardian cited a February 2025 LinkedIn post in which he describe

Growing number of Republicans call for investigation into 2nd ICE shooting

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Minnesota leaders are vowing to hold federal officials accountable for the fatal shooting on Jan. 24 by a Border Patrol agent of a 37-year-old ICU nurse, whose death has sparked fresh protests in a state already rocked by the killing of Renee Nicole Good.
Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and registered nurse who treated veterans, was shot and killed by a federal agent after confronting immigration authorities.

A Danish American Trump town struggles with his threats to take Greenland

In the tiny Iowa town of Elk Horn, Danish and American flags flap side by side above Main Street. A bakery sells kringles and other Danish pastries. Down the block, a working windmill towers over the prairie.
Kitchens here are stocked with family recipes for dishes most Americans can’t ******* ounce: frikadeller (Danish meatballs), æbleskiver (Danish pancake ******* ) and medisterpølse (Danish sausages).
This town of about 600 people and the nearby city of Kimballton are known as the “Danish Villages,” the largest r