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What’s going on at Applebee’s? Closures were reported in these three states.

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What’s going on at Applebee’s? Closures were reported in these three states.

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Nearly a quarter of the way into the new year, Applebee’s has closed restaurants in multiple states, including Indiana, Missouri and New York, according to local reports and franchisees.

Four store closures have been confirmed so far, including two in Evansville, Indiana, operated by parent company Dine Brands. Franchise location in Columbia, Missouri. Another franchise location in Glenville, New York, is also scheduled to close.

According to the company’s website, Applebee’s currently has more than 1,500 locations around the world.

Two of the closures occurred in southwest Indiana on Thursday, Feb. 19, according to the Evansville Courier & Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. Both restaurants had been open for decades, but are no longer listed on Applebee’s website, the newspaper reported.

“Thank you for being our neighbor for the past 30 years,” a sign on the door said.

Applebee’s parent company Dine Brands, which also owns IHOP and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, filed its annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission in March 2025. In a report, the Evansville Courier and Press said Applebee’s franchisees have recently struggled with rising utility bills as well as fuel and food costs.

When USA TODAY asked Dine Brands for a list of closed restaurants on February 25, the company declined, instead sending a statement from Applebee’s President John Payton. Paton said in a statement that restaurant closures are “a natural part of running a mature national system, but they do not define our trajectory.”

“What’s important is our growth momentum, and we’re seeing real signs of a turning point,” Payton continued. “We are planning to open more restaurants this year than usual.”

Here’s what we know about the closure so far.

Applebee’s closes in New York and Missouri

In addition to the Evansville, Indiana store closing this month, the Columbia, Missouri store also closed on February 18 after more than 30 years, KIMZ-TV and the Columbia Missourian reported.

Apple Central LLC, the franchisee that operated the Columbia store, confirmed the closure of both stores.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of our neighbors over the past 30-plus years and look forward to continuing to serve them at our facility at 2601 East Broadway in Columbia,” Scott Fischer, director of marketing for Apple Central LLC, told the Columbia Missourian.

The Glenville store in New York’s Capital District will close on April 12, WSTM-TV and WTEN-TV reported. All employees have been offered positions at nearby locations, News10 ABC reports.

TL Cannon, the franchisee that operates Applebee’s Glenville, N.Y., store, said in a statement to WTEN-TV that the restaurant had been open for 10 years.

“(We) look forward to continuing to offer it at our other five restaurants in the Albany area,” Stephanie Griffin, vice president of marketing for TL Cannon, said in a statement.

USA TODAY reached out to franchisees Apple Central LLC and TL Cannon for more information about the Missouri and New York closures, but did not receive a response.

Closures elsewhere: Pizza Hut will close hundreds of stores in 2026. Here’s why:

More Applebee’s and IHOP dual-brand restaurants coming soon

Parent company Dine Brands held a fourth-quarter earnings conference on Wednesday, February 25, and executives said the brand’s 2025 results improved compared to 2024.

According to Dine Brands, the improvements were primarily due to the company’s efforts to “enhance the guest experience through operational improvements, strengthen marketing to connect with guests, and advance menu innovation.”

Dine Brands also announced that the company acquired certain restaurants from franchisees, resulting in overall revenue of $879.3 million, an 8.2% increase over 2024. Applebee’s sales increased 1.3%, compared with a -4.2% decline in 2024, according to the company.

The company has also opened a number of dual-brand or combination restaurants that serve both IHOP and Applebee’s. The company opened its first dual-brand restaurant in the U.S. in February 2025.

“As of today, we have opened 32 dual-brand restaurants in the United States, including three company-owned restaurants, and nine additional dual-brand restaurants are under construction,” the company said. “These restaurants continue to outperform single-brand locations, delivering approximately 1.5 to 2.5 times more revenue.”

The company expects to open at least 50 dual-brand restaurants in 2026, and by the end of the year its portfolio will be around 80 dual-brand stores in the United States.

Applebee’s customers and employees may also find it easier to find managers in the dining room. The company says it will focus on “core fundamentals that directly improve the guest experience and drive profitability.” The company says that manager visibility is “associated with improved guest satisfaction, more consistent execution, and improved (off-site) order accuracy.”

Saleen Martin is a reporter for USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia (757). Email sdmartin@usatoday.com.

Man sentenced in death of Dixie Chicks founder Laura Lynch

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Man sentenced in death of Dixie Chicks founder Laura Lynch

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EL PASO, Texas — A man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a head-on crash in west Texas that killed Laura Lynch, a founding member of the country music band now known as the Chicks, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, prosecutors announced.

As part of a plea agreement, Domenic Chavez, 33, admitted to driving recklessly on Dec. 22, 2023, causing the head-on crash that killed Lynch, the El Paso District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release Tuesday, Feb. 24. Lynch, 65, died shortly after Chavez tried to pass four cars and crashed into Lynch’s truck.

The incident occurred on an undivided highway in Hudspeth County, about 80 miles east of El Paso. The El Paso District Attorney’s Office also has jurisdiction over neighboring Hudspeth and Culberson counties.

“Ms. Lynch’s death has caused deep sadness for her family, the Del City community, and everyone who valued her music. That loss is made even more profound by the fact that it occurred just days before Christmas,” El Paso District Attorney James Montoya said in a statement. “Our office will continue to hold the defendant accountable for his choice to drive in an extremely dangerous manner.”

Laura Lynch dies in West Texas crash

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the District Attorney’s Office, Lynch was driving a 2016 Ford F-150 eastbound when he collided head-on with a 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 that was attempting to pass four vehicles at the same time. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to authorities, the fatal accident occurred at around 5:45 p.m. local time on a cloudy day when the road surface was dry. The other truck caught fire, and Chavez was hospitalized with injuries.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, but accident reconstruction investigators determined Chavez was driving between 166 and 114 mph at the time of the crash, the district attorney’s office said. He also had convictions in El Paso County in 2014 and 2017 for driving on a revoked license for failure to comply with DUI-related penalties, the district attorney’s office added.

Chavez’s lawyer, Manuel Parra, said in a statement that Chavez “has expressed deep remorse for the loss of life and the suffering it has caused, and has accepted responsibility by pleading guilty,” adding that Chavez decided to plead the case because he faces a possible sentence of five to 99 years in prison.

Celebrity Death: James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane and when celebrity deaths spark health fears

Lynch was a founding member of the Dixie Chicks.

Lynch, a graduate of El Paso’s Coronado High School, was a strong advocate for his hometown of Del City, a small community in Hudspeth County, the El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

She divided her time between Fort Worth and Del City and remained busy managing rental properties and advocating for her hometown. Her parents had deep roots in the town’s agriculture and water development.

Lynch was one of the four founding members of the Dixie Chicks band, formed in 1989 with sisters Marty McGuire and Emily Strayer (whose family name was Irwin) and Robin Lynn Macy.

Lynch played upright bass and later became the lead singer. They recorded three albums: Thank Heavens for Dale Evans in 1990, Little Ol’ Cowgirl in 1992, and Shouldn’t You Told You That in 1993?

She left the Dixie Chicks in 1995 and was replaced by Natalie Maines as the band pivoted from bluegrass to mainstream country. Mr. Lynch resigned long before Mr. Maines publicly criticized then-President George W. Bush in 2003, sparking a backlash and boycott of national radio.

The band changed its name to The Chicks in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and subsequent racial injustice. They dropped “Dixie” from their name to allude to the Confederate-era South during the national racial consciousness movement.

After Lynch’s death, The Chicks said in a social media post that she was a “bright light” and a “contributor” to the band’s early success.

The band wrote, “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks. The time we spent playing music, laughing, and traveling together holds a special place in our hearts.” “Her infectious energy and humor provided a spark in the early days of our band. Laura has a flair for design and a love of all things Texas that contributed to the band’s early success.”

Contributed by Gary Levin and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY. Aaron Martinez, El Paso Times

Cottage cheese sold at Walmart has been recalled. See affected items.

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Cottage cheese sold at Walmart has been recalled. See affected items.

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Cottage cheese sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand is currently under recall in 24 states, with officials saying the cheese may not have been properly pasteurized.

The problem was discovered by the cheese manufacturer, Saputo Cheese USA, during a “pasteurizer troubleshooting exercise,” according to a recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Officials said they discovered during the exercise that “liquid dairy ingredients used in the products may not have been fully pasteurized in accordance with state regulatory standards.”

The cottage cheese was sold under Walmart’s “Great Value” label in 24 states from February 17 to February 20, according to the FDA.

“The affected pasteurizer equipment has returned to normal function and has been verified and sealed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture,” officials said. Customers who purchased affected products should not consume the product and return it to Walmart for a full refund.

Here’s what you need to know:

What kind of cottage cheese from Walmart is being recalled?

According to the recall notice, the following types of Walmart cottage cheese are being recalled:

  • Great value non-fat small curd cottage cheese, 0% milk fat
  • Great value low fat small curd cottage cheese, 2% milk fat
  • Great Value Small Curd Cottage Cheese, Minimum 4% Milk Fat
    • 16 oz container, 24 oz container, 3 lb container

more: Frozen meatballs sold at Aldi recalled after ‘metal fragments’ found

Where was the recalled cottage cheese sold?

According to the FDA, the cheese was sold at Walmart stores in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

What happens if you eat unpasteurized cheese?

According to the Mayo Clinic, pasteurization means “a treatment to kill bacteria.” Therefore, cheese that has not been properly pasteurized can contain bacteria that are dangerous to people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women, infants, and young children.

The FDA said as of February 25, no illnesses or hospitalizations related to the recall had been reported.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.

Trump Account, new retirement plan aimed at helping Americans save

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Trump Account, new retirement plan aimed at helping Americans save

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President Donald Trump announced plans to roll out a new type of retirement system in his February 24 State of the Union address, highlighting the Trump Account, two initiatives aimed at helping Americans save.

“Trump Account” refers to a federal savings program for American children under 18 that is scheduled to begin on July 5 of this year. He also proposed creating a new retirement account for Americans who don’t have access to an employer match. White House officials said the account would be similar to the Thrift Savings Plan offered to federal employees.

President Trump said, “My administration will give America’s often forgotten workers, our great people, the people who built this country, access to the same kind of retirement benefits that are available to all federal employees.” “We will donate up to $1,000 each year to ensure all Americans benefit from the rise of the stock market.”

He also promised to “always protect” Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

What are President Trump’s plans for new retirement accounts?

Trump’s proposal for a new type of retirement benefit can be traced back to a 2021 white paper written by New School labor economist Teresa Ghilarducci and current National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.

The paper said evidence suggests that if retirement plans like the Thrift Savings Plan, combined with government matching, were made available to all Americans, low- and moderate-income households would generate “significantly more economic wealth” over time.

“We have a huge wealth inequality problem, and that actually means we have huge disparities in financial security,” Ghilarducci said. “This is a good step towards actually raising the bottom and getting everyone involved in building wealth, which is basically building security.”

According to AARP, nearly half of the U.S. civilian workforce, or about 56 million Americans, work for employers that do not offer traditional pension or retirement savings plans. Matched donations for all of them can add up quickly.

Fortunately, White House officials said, the existing “Saver’s Match” enacted under the Secure 2.0 Act of 2022, scheduled to go into effect in 2027 and replacing the Saver’s Credit that taxpayers can currently claim on their annual returns, could provide a path to an annual match of up to $1,000. Future legislation, specifically the Americans Retirement Savings Act, could help strengthen this plan, but the White House believes it can leverage existing executive authority to largely implement this plan.

Ghilarducci said Congress has already enacted the Sabers Match as a mandatory expenditure, meaning it is not subject to discretionary spending decisions. Replacing the Saver’s Credit with the Saver’s Match is expected to expand benefits, especially for low-income workers who pay little or no federal income taxes, but it also means the U.S. budget deficit will likely widen, he added.

Although his administration is still working out the details, he expects joining the new retirement plan will be as simple as checking a box on a tax return.

“All low-income workers, even young people, know they should save for retirement,” she added. “It’s just not encouraged. It’s not easy. It’s not automatic. … The Trump executive order just removed a lot of those administrative barriers.”

Are Americans saving for retirement?

Not enough.

The typical working-age American has $955 in retirement savings, and nearly half of households have no retirement savings at all, according to the National Institute for Retirement Security’s State of America’s Retirement 2026 report.

“Many of our retirement systems were created in the 1970s, so any changes or modernization would be very welcome,” said Miklos Ringbauer, a certified public accountant in Los Angeles. “The big questions are whether people want to participate, whether they can participate, and how easy or difficult it is to register.”

Dan Doonan, executive director of the institute, said Trump’s comments shined a welcome spotlight on the “serious challenges” facing many American families and noted that they were one of the few moments in the president’s speech that drew applause from both Republicans and Democrats.

“This bipartisan response reflects the gravity of the challenge and the growing recognition that strengthening Americans’ retirement security is an area where there is meaningful common ground,” Doonan said in a statement to USA TODAY.

What is a Trump account?

The president first announced the Trump Account program in June 2025, pledging to make a one-time $1,000 contribution to the savings account of every child born in the United States between 2025 and 2028 who has a Social Security number.

Any parent or legal guardian with a child under 18 can sign up for an account, but only children born during his administration are eligible to receive the $1,000 deposit. Like other retirement accounts, the money is placed in mutual funds or index funds that are tied to stock market performance.

In his speech, Trump encouraged billionaire businessman Michael Dell and his wife, philanthropist Susan Dell, who he said donated $6.25 billion to fund Trump’s account.

Several banks, financial institutions, businesses and celebrities have pledged to match the government’s $1,000 contribution, meaning participants could receive significantly more than their one-time federal deposit.

more: Injection of $6 billion into “Trump Accounts” for children. How do they work?

How to set up a Trump account

Parents or legal guardians interested in opening a “Trump Account” for their child can file IRS Form 4547 online at trumpaccounts.gov or along with their 2025 tax return.

The account does not require family members to contribute, but they can deposit up to $5,000 per year per account.

Contributor: Daniel De Vise, USA TODAY

Contact Rachel Barber rbarber@usatoday.com X Follow her at @rachelbarber_

FBI obtains phone records of Kash Patel and Susie Wiles in Trump investigation

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FBI obtains phone records of Kash Patel and Susie Wiles in Trump investigation

Jana Winter
|Reuters

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The FBI has subpoenaed records of phone calls made in 2022 and 2023 between Kash Patel, then a civilian, and Susie Wiles, who is now the FBI director and White House chief of staff, Patel told Reuters on Wednesday.

Patel said Reuters first reported on the FBI’s actions under the Biden administration, primarily during Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into whether President Trump interfered in the 2020 election and hid classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Mr Smith was appointed to take over the investigation in November 2022.

Patel portrayed the FBI’s seizure of his phone records and efforts to cover them up as an example of overreach by unelected government officials under former President Joe Biden’s administration, a theme often echoed by President Trump.

“It is deeply disturbing that former FBI leadership used flimsy pretexts to secretly subpoena my own phone records and that of current White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, hiding the entire process in a prohibited case file to avoid all scrutiny,” Patel said in a statement to Reuters.

Reuters was unable to independently verify many details about Patel’s claims, including the full extent, timing and motive of the seizure of phone records. Patel said the records were stored in a way that made them difficult for him and other FBI leaders to discover after he took over the bureau in February 2025.

10 FBI employees involved in classified investigation fired

At least 10 active FBI employees have been fired following revelations that Mr. Patel, Mr. Wiles and others involved in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case were targeted, according to three FBI officials.

Congressional Democrats have consistently defended Mr. Smith from past Republican criticism, insisting that he acted appropriately in seeking phone records and other evidence they say are necessary for a thorough investigation into allegations of wrongdoing by Mr. Trump and his associates.

Investigators routinely issue subpoenas and collect phone records, even of high-profile individuals, during investigations while trying to determine key facts of a case and who is involved in a particular case.

Patel publicly said in 2022 that Trump had declassified documents brought to Mar-a-Lago, a claim that prosecutors disputed and Trump’s lawyers did not argue in court. Patel was subpoenaed to hear evidence before a grand jury that year after being granted limited immunity from criminal charges.

Reuters could not independently reveal what records the FBI obtained or who authorized the subpoena. The news agency also could not confirm whether Patel or Wiles themselves are being investigated, and if so, why. Both men were close during this time, as Trump was working toward and eventually launching a campaign to regain the presidency in 2024.

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Jack Smith tells Congress that Trump is ‘engaging in criminal activity’

Former U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith told a House committee that Trump is “looking for ways to stay in power” following his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

Judge permanently bans publication of Jack Smith report

Mr. Patel and Mr. Wiles are known to have been questioned by investigators as part of Mr. Smith’s investigation into the retention of classified documents after Mr. Trump’s first term.

Two FBI officials said the FBI recorded a call between Wiles and his attorney in 2023. Wiles’ attorney was aware that the call was being recorded and agreed to it, but Susie Wiles was not recorded.

A spokesman for Mr. Smith declined to comment on Mr. Patel’s allegations on February 25. Biden, former Attorney General Merrick Garland and former FBI Director Chris Wray, who oversaw the bureau during the Smith investigation, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Garland appointed Smith as special prosecutor.

On February 23, a federal judge permanently barred the Justice Department from releasing Smith’s report on the document review. Smith told Congress that a court order prohibits him from discussing any aspect of the investigation not previously disclosed in court filings.

Smith previously told Congress that investigators had serious concerns about obstruction of justice in the investigation. He told lawmakers last month that his office “followed Department of Justice policy, complied with legal requirements, and acted based on the facts and law.”

The White House and Mr. Wiles did not immediately comment.

Patel said investigators used subpoenas to obtain so-called “call records,” which listed the times and details of the recipients of calls he and Wiles made, but did not include what was said on the calls. The government can legally obtain phone records through subpoena without a judge’s approval.

Patel said investigators obtained the records around the time Smith was leading an investigation into allegations that Trump illegally took classified documents to his Mar-a-Lago home in South Florida and obstructed federal efforts to return those documents after he left office in 2021.

Mr. Smith indicted Mr. Trump on felony charges related to the investigation in 2023, but the case was ultimately dismissed by a federal judge, and after Mr. Trump won a second term, Mr. Smith withdrew his appeal of the ruling. President Trump has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the Smith investigation.

Patel said she did not know the purpose of the FBI’s seizure of her phone records and that of Wiles, who became Trump’s top adviser after leaving office in 2021 and eventually co-campaign manager for his 2024 campaign with Biden. Mr. Patel was also a political ally of Mr. Trump during this period.

Patel said the collection of phone records extended to Wiles’ time as Trump’s co-campaign manager, but he declined to say when the collection began or ended.

The FBI found phone records in a file classified as “prohibited.” As a result, it is difficult to discover on FBI computer systems. Patel said he recently ended the FBI’s ability to classify files as “prohibited.”

Mr. Smith’s investigative methods have previously drawn criticism from Republican leaders, including the seizure of phone records of U.S. senators and other Republican officials during Mr. Smith’s investigation into allegations that he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Smith testified last year that members’ phone records helped investigators verify the timeline of events before and after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and that prosecutors “followed all legal requirements in obtaining these records.” He told a House committee that records obtained from lawmakers did not include the conversation.

Reporting by Jana Winter in Washington, DC. With contributions from Brad Heath and Andrew Goudsward in Washington, DC. Editing: Craig Tinberg and Michael Learmonth

South Florida crews battle huge wildfire near Alligator Alcatraz Island

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South Florida crews battle huge wildfire near Alligator Alcatraz Island

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Firefighters are working to extinguish a wildfire in South Florida that has grown to nearly 25,000 acres on Wednesday, February 25th. The wildfire burned near the state’s mass detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz, plunging the area into haze.

The fire, which remained 0% contained as of February 25, was discovered on federal land south of Interstate 75 about 32 miles east of Naples, Florida, on February 22, according to Big Cypress National Preserve. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified the fire as a human-caused fire.

Heavy smoke is creating dangerous driving conditions along Alligator Alley, a roughly 130-mile stretch of Interstate 75 from Naples, Fla., to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as firefighters try to extinguish the blaze, which has been dubbed the National Fire. The National Weather Service in Miami warned motorists that smoke had reduced visibility to near zero and that southerly winds were continuing to push the smoke across the highway.

Local officials said the change in winds could also increase smoke in other areas nearby, including State Route 29 and Tamiami Trail. Big Cypress National Preserve noted in its Feb. 25 update that smoke impacts may increase in these and surrounding areas during the night and early morning hours.

“Reduced visibility and temporary or intermittent road closures may continue to occur,” according to Big Cypress National Preserve. The fire could cause smoke to spread as far north as Naples, Glades and Hendry counties in the coming days.

The fire was also burning near the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Stephanie Hartman, director of public affairs for the Florida Department of Emergency Management, told USA TODAY there is no threat to the facility at this time.

“The fire is located 20 miles west of the facility and is burning in the opposite direction,” Hartman said in a Feb. 25 statement. “Increased humidity levels are speeding recovery and suppression of the fire.”

She said the department is in contact with the National Park Service and local and state emergency personnel and will notify within 24 hours if a facility needs to be evacuated. Hartman added that evacuation procedures have been “thoroughly implemented and can be implemented quickly and efficiently if necessary.”

Alligator Alcatraz has been the focus of the Trump administration’s controversial immigration crackdown and faces intense scrutiny and claims of secrecy over its operations, with reports of inhumane conditions and an ongoing legal battle. The facility was built in eight days on a runway that once served as a major airport, and is expected to open in July 2025.

US wildfire smoke map: Track the latest wildfire and red flag warnings across the United States

National fires break out amid drought conditions

The fire remained active on February 25 as “drought conditions continue and widespread frost-dead vegetation continues to create an unusually heavy and highly receptive fuel bed,” according to Big Cypress National Preserve.

Ana Torres Vazquez, a meteorologist with the Miami Weather Service, told the Naples Daily News and The News-Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, that dry conditions are expected to begin on February 19 and last through May 31.

The biggest challenges in fighting fires are drought conditions and dry vegetation. Michelle Lewis, the public information officer in charge of the fire, said the arctic explosion earlier this month killed vegetation that was now being used as fuel for the fire. She also noted that it was still early in Florida’s wildfire season.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Andrea Jones said the U.S. Wildland Fire Department will be the lead investigator on the fire. The group is comprised of wildlife fire management across the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Aviation Administration, Wildlife Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Authorities warn motorists about poor visibility due to smoke

Erika Hoopes, a spokeswoman for Big Cypress National Preserve, said the fire had grown to about 15,000 acres by the time firefighters began their defense efforts, adding 9,000 acres to the fire’s path to contain it. As of 2 p.m. local time, no property damage had been reported and authorities did not anticipate any damage, Hoopes said.

The fire has put Florida’s Big Cypress, Jerome, Copeland, Ochopee, Everglades City and communities along the Tamiami Trail on alert. Due to the fire, Florida Highway Patrol troopers monitored the scene from mile marker 65 to 85 along Interstate 75 in Collier County and alerted nearby residents.

“All lanes are open at this time, but wildfire activity and smoke could significantly reduce road visibility,” Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Greg Bueno said in a news release Monday morning. “Motorists traveling through the area are asked to use caution, reduce speed, and monitor for changing conditions.”

The city of Bueno urged drivers to reduce distractions, use wipers and defroster, and avoid passing cars.

Protecting more than 729,000 acres throughout South Florida, Big Cypress National Preserve is one of the largest protected areas in the United States. It is home to more than 350 bird species and 40 mammal species, including the black bear and the endangered Florida panther.

Contributor: Kim Luciani, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida

Frozen blueberry recall raised to FDA’s highest risk level

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Frozen blueberry recall raised to FDA’s highest risk level

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More than 55,000 pounds of frozen blueberries sold in four states are being recalled due to possible listeria contamination.

Salem-based Oregon Potato Company (OPC) has recalled approximately 55,689 pounds of individually flash-frozen blueberries due to the risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to a mandatory recall notice posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website. The recall was initiated on February 12th, but was classified as a Class I recall on February 24th, indicating a reasonable probability of causing serious illness or death.

No news release regarding the recall was issued. OPC did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the recall.

Here’s what you need to know about the frozen blueberry recall.

What frozen blueberries are recalled?

The recovered frozen blueberries were packaged in 30-pound cardboard cases with polyethylene liners and 1,400-pound tote bags.

The lot codes for the 1,400-pound tote are 3305 A1 and 3305 B1, both with an expiration date of November 25, 2027.

Lot codes for the 30-pound cases are 2055 B2, 2065 B1, and 2065 B3. The expiration date for the former is July 24, 2027, while the expiration date for the latter is July 23, 2027.

Further recalls: Check your pantry: Peanut butter recalled in 40 states

In what states were the recalled frozen blueberries sold?

The recalled products were sold by OPC, operating as Willamette Valley Fruit Company in Salem, Oregon. According to the report, the products were sold not only in Canada but also in the following states:

  • Michigan
  • Oregon
  • washington
  • wisconsin

However, it was never sold directly to consumers in retail stores. The report does not say exactly where the products were sold.

What should customers do?

The FDA did not specify in its report what customers should do after purchasing the product.

Meanwhile, the recall status is listed as ongoing, and the FDA noted that no press release had been issued by the company at the time of posting.

What is Listeria monocytogenes?

Listeria monocytogenes, commonly known as Listeria, is a disease-causing bacterium found in soil, water, sewage, rotting plant matter, and animals, according to the USDA. They can survive and multiply in refrigeration and can thrive in unsanitary food production conditions.

What are the symptoms of Listeria?

Listeria monocytogenes infects about 1,600 people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms of listeriosis vary from person to person, but there are two forms of the disease.

  • Less severe, non-invasive gastrointestinal listeriosis may manifest as mild symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. According to the USDA, these symptoms can last one to three days.
  • The more severe, life-threatening, invasive disease can manifest as headaches, stiff shoulders, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, the USDA reports. This more aggressive form of the disease can be life-threatening to newborns, pregnant people, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems.

Contributor: Greta Cross, USA TODAY.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Have a story idea? Contact her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com or follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

Fact or fiction? Ads about ICE hit US computers, TVs and phones

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Fact or fiction? Ads about ICE hit US computers, TVs and phones

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The portrayal on television could not be more different.

One recent TV ad aired on MSNOW and CNN featured images of the January 2026 killings of Renee Good and Alex Preti by federal agents in Minneapolis, as well as news footage of people violently confronting each other on the street. The montage is punctuated with excerpts from podcaster Joe Rogan asking, “Are we really going to become the Gestapo?”

Another high-profile ad that aired in some television markets presented the opposite perspective, depicting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as everyday community members doing a difficult job. The film ends with cinematic footage of unmasked investigators calmly escorting the detainee to a police vehicle.

These are contradictory portrayals aimed at shaping public opinion against a controversial agency whose aggressive tactics have caused shock and outrage across the country, with polls showing that nearly two-thirds of Americans now think ICE has gone too far. Advocacy groups have long used advocacy efforts like this to challenge public policy or shine a spotlight on social ills, but the Primarily Critical ICE-Focused Spot adds a new twist to the strategy by focusing directly on federal agencies and their agents.

“I’m having a hard time thinking of any precedent,” said Travis Redoubt, a professor of government and public policy at Washington State University in Pullman and an expert on political advertising. “This seems like something new.”

The ads have been airing in recent months as part of a six-figure campaign spearheaded largely by advocacy groups who have been affected by ICE operations or who feel they have a moral obligation to take a stand. Some aired in cities targeted for increased detention and deportation measures, such as Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte, while others focused on streaming services, such as Spotify, that post ICE job ads.

Most broadcasts last a few weeks at most, but are still available on social media and video sharing platforms like YouTube.

In November, the global advocacy group Women’s March created a one-minute ad aimed at people who work as ICE agents, depicting a young girl greeting her father with a confused look on his face as he returns home from work, with the word “ICE” visible on his shirt.

When she asked about her day, her father bent down and hugged her. The father’s mind flashed through television footage of crying mothers and children, masked agents smashing car windows, and people being thrown to the ground.

“A mask can’t hide you from your neighbors, your children, or God,” a voiceover says in the ad, titled “What Will You Say?” “They’ll know. They can leave before the shame comes home.”

That same month, a spot produced by the progressive nonprofit Move on Civic Action spoofed an ICE job ad by advertising, “Do you think it’s good to tear gas kids? Shoot dead pastors? Or kidnap grandmas? Then you’ve got exactly what Donald Trump is looking for.”

And in December, an ad created by the national civil and religious rights group Interfaith Alliance featured the voice of a child singing “Holy Night,” interspersed with footage of family and community holiday gatherings, interspersing news footage of ICE agents violently detaining people and bursting through doors brandishing guns.

The interfaith alliance’s video, titled “Choose Love, not ICE,” has been viewed nearly 2 million times on YouTube and was aired in Charlotte, New Orleans and other ICE-targeted markets, as well as on NBC’s Saturday Night Live Christmas special.

“We also made a small purchase on Fox News in West Palm Beach, in case the president happened to be watching,” said the group’s CEO, the Rev. Paul Brandeis Rauschenbusch.

Rauschenbusch said the ad was intended to galvanize faith communities and others against ICE tactics, including the Department of Homeland Security’s “almost obscene” use of Bible verses in social media posts promoting ICE enforcement.

The apparent contrast between the voices of children singing beloved hymns and the militaristic actions of government agencies was intended to “frame this as a tough choice to understand how your faith is being used and what your faith requires of you,” he said.

“It’s really about asking who we want to be as a country,” Rauschenbusch said. “There have been times when it was critical for faith communities to emerge around national politics, whether it was war or civil rights, and this is one of those moments.”

ICE crash depiction

Steven Medovic, a government professor at Franklin Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said the ad essentially treats ICE as a policy, and while critics aren’t necessarily calling for ICE to be abolished, they argue the action goes too far. As such, their pedigree lies in campaigns of the past several years aimed at swaying public sentiment about federal policy, he said.

“While the focus on specific institutions is unique, what is consistent with the ads in older issues is that they are about policy choices that were actually made,” he says.

Medovic described the move as similar to the 2025 ad produced by VoteVets, which criticized veterans’ layoffs by Elon Musk’s now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency, and the “Harry and Louise” ad campaign developed in the mid-1990s to oppose the Clinton administration’s national health care reform efforts.

An interesting outlier, he said, is a pro-ICE ad attributed to a shadowy group called American Sovereignty. Social media posts indicate it was driven during the Super Bowl in some markets.

The 30-second spot shows footage of people celebrating children’s parties, playing cards and coaching baseball, while a narrator describes them as friends, neighbors, sons, fathers, Little League coaches and veterans, before mentioning their jobs as ICE agents.

“They are removing violent criminals from our streets and neighborhoods,” the voiceover says. “This is a dangerous and difficult job. But ICE has one mission: to make America a safer place to live. And that’s what they’re working on.”

According to its website, American Sovereignty’s mission is to strengthen border security through collaboration with law enforcement, policy makers, and community leaders. It does not list leadership, staff, headquarters, funding sources or other identifying information, and the organization did not respond to questions from USA TODAY.

“We don’t know who’s behind it, but it’s clear they’re trying to improve ICE’s image as an agency,” Medovic said. “This may be in the mold of past Pentagon advertising for recruiting purposes, portraying the military in a positive light to attract new recruits, but it’s actually a response to public sentiment against ICE, and as such is quite unique.”

Comparisons with ‘Gestapo’ prompted government agency action

CEO Haley Soifer said it was in mid-January that Jewish Democratic Council of America leaders heard Joe Rogan’s views on ICE and knew the organization had to take action.

The 30-second ad titled “It’s Gone Too Far” featuring Logan’s comparison to “Gestapo” was released on February 9 and aired on MS NOW and CNN. They are calling on President Trump to “stop the abuse” and “investigate the killing.”

“Hearing Joe Rogan compare ICE’s actions to the Gestapo resonated with us,” Soifer said. “We have seen the White House use white supremacist dog whistles in its ICE recruitment efforts, invoking neo-Nazi slogans and white supremacist memes in deeply disturbing ways. We know from the darkest moments of our history where that will lead, and we will never allow it to repeat itself.”

She said the ad was in line with the group’s call for members to engage with political leaders on the issue, but that it was “not a campaign ad.” “It does not mention any candidate or party. This is part of a larger advocacy effort to rein in the policies of the current administration.”

President Trump announced on February 13 that ICE would be withdrawing its agents from Minneapolis after the controversial videotaped killings of Good and Preti sparked a spike in deaths. The incident sparked a fierce backlash, with many seeing the government as trying to falsely portray them as at fault.

One of the goals of the ad was to encourage its retraction, but Soifer said, “There has yet to be a transparent investigation into the killing, and there has been no accountability for what appears to be the unprovoked killing of an American citizen. This is a step in the right direction, but we still have a ways to go.”

US men’s team should have ‘reacted differently’ to President Trump’s comments

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US men’s team should have ‘reacted differently’ to President Trump’s comments

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NHL players returned to team practice on February 25th as the NHL prepares to resume the regular season.

Jeremy Swayman, a backup on the U.S. men’s ice hockey team that won gold in Milan-Cortina, rejoined the Boston Bruins on Wednesday after traveling to Washington, D.C., visiting the White House and attending the State of the Union address with most of his teammates.

During Wednesday’s media availability, Swayman was asked about the team’s reaction to President Donald Trump’s comments about the U.S. women’s ice hockey team, which also won a gold medal.

Swayman expressed support for the U.S. women’s team, saying the U.S. men’s team “should have reacted differently.”

“Yes, I should have reacted differently,” Swayman told reporters. “I know we are very excited about the women’s team. We have so much respect for the women’s team and being able to share the gold medal with them is something we will be forever grateful for.”

He added, “Now that we’re back home, we can see that we’ll be sharing it together forever and sharing this great gold medal with great support from the United States.”

What did President Trump say about the women’s ice hockey team?

FBI Director Kash Patel also celebrated with the U.S. men’s ice hockey team after they defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the gold medal in Milan. President Trump encouraged the gold medal winners to send messages of congratulations.

“What’s really cool? Next time we’ll do it at the White House. Just have fun. You’ve got medals,” Trump said on the phone call. “And we have to bring a girls team, you know that?”

He continued: “I believe I would probably be impeached” if the women’s team was not invited.

Members of the U.S. men’s ice hockey team chuckled at this comment. Their reaction received backlash from supporters of the women’s team.

Men’s team responds to backlash

Jack Hughes, the hero of the U.S. men’s ice hockey team who scored the goal in overtime to give the United States the gold medal, was also asked about his reaction.

“People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support (the women’s team) and how proud we are of them. And I know they feel about us the same way we feel about them,” Hughes said.

Swayman apologized for the men’s behavior.

But he called the visit to the White House “an incredible honor.”

“It was an incredible honor at the White House. We were all there to represent our country and celebrate America’s gold medal,” Swayman said. “That’s something we really represent and we’re really grateful to be a part of.”

Soybean exports plummet as farmers absorb damage from tariffs

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Soybean exports plummet as farmers absorb damage from tariffs

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  • Farmers, especially soybean producers, are facing significant economic hardship due to trade wars and tariffs.
  • Bulk U.S. soybean exports to China have fallen 76% in one year, forcing farmers to reconsider planting.
  • The Supreme Court’s decision nullified the president’s ability to impose tariffs through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
  • Some believe the $12 billion federal aid package for farmers is a “band-aid on a gunshot wound” rather than covering the total losses.

Farmers, particularly soybean producers, are “living with the damage” from tariffs and the resulting trade war as they face decisions about what crops to plant this year.

“What’s really on the minds of most of us in agriculture are the tariffs being imposed on our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, and our largest trading partner, China,” said Nick Levendowski, executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union. “We are seeing the damage and living with the damage of that move, including tariffs and trade wars.”

Levendowski spoke to the Capital Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, days before the U.S. Supreme Court. StrakOn February 20, most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs were lowered. This case specifically dealt with the use of international emergency economic powers laws to impose tariffs.

“The President asserts independent authority to impose tariffs on imports of any product from any country, at any time and for any period,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in a 6-3 opinion.

But the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to impose taxes, including tariffs, and “the executive branch is not vested with any part of the power to tax,” Roberts said. The court held that “IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.”

Trump trade war hits soybeans

Soybeans have been particularly hard hit by President Trump’s trade war.

“Soybeans are a major commodity grown here in Kansas, and China tends to be a major buyer of soybeans,” Levendowski said. “But now they have a choice, they can go elsewhere, and they have. They are investing their resources in South America, mainly Brazil and Argentina, and they have moved away from us.

“Sure, they’re buying soybeans, but that’s not enough. And no other customer consumes soybeans like China.”

U.S. bulk soybean exports to China have fallen 76% from $12.6 billion in 2024 to $3.1 billion in 2025, according to data from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

“We’re in kind of a predicament right now,” Levendowski said. “A lot of farmers are wondering if it’s worth trying to plant soybeans in the spring. They’re making plans for that right now. I think only time will tell if we’ll see a bigger soybean planting next year.”

He said there are other factors farmers must consider, especially the weather.

Domestic demand for soybeans is insufficient

A year ago, President Trump suggested that American farmers could substitute domestic markets for foreign markets.

“To the great farmers of America: Get ready to start producing tons of produce that can be sold in the United States,” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on March 3. “Customs duties will be applied to third-party products from April 2nd. Enjoy!”

This was not the case with soybeans.

In case you missed it: Is there an obligation to refund customs duties? What consumers should know.

“The real, honest truth is that we are overproductive,” Levendowski said. “We are so good as farmers that we produce more than we can consume.”

Soybeans are generally not used for human consumption.

“It’s mainly livestock feed and biofuels, but we don’t have enough livestock and there’s not enough demand for biofuels in this country alone,” Levendovsky said. “So what’s really driving all of this is demand. And when you lose that, it becomes a basic economics problem. We have supply and the world needs demand.

He said China has a lot of livestock that provide a lot of protein, but relies mainly on Brazil and Argentina for soybean production.

“We have to think about alternatives because we’re not the only ones playing this game anymore. We have to think about other places we can take this game, other things we can do with soybeans, and other possible markets,” Levendowski said.

Argentine beef, Canada and Mexico tariffs

Agricultural groups have also criticized the Trump administration’s agreement to import beef from Argentina.

“We don’t grow a lot of red beef in this country, so we ship our lean beef from other places around the world,” Levendowski said. “We tend to value more marbled, fatty beef, but that’s only part of the demand in this country. But leaner beef is grown elsewhere, primarily in South America.”

So while the United States was already importing lean beef, “large shipments of lean beef to help the Argentine people” are hurting the U.S. market.

He said, “Announcing about it from Air Force One and posting it on Truth social is detrimental to the market.” “Whether it’s intentional or not, it’s happening and farmers are suffering those consequences.”

Mr. Levendowski also mentioned tariffs with Canada and Mexico.

“The steel and aluminum tariffs are hurting farmers because we get a lot of equipment from Canada and a lot of equipment from Mexico,” he said. “This is just an additional cost on top of what farmers are already paying for the equipment.

“Farmers can’t pass those costs on to customers like business owners can. Farmers can’t raise prices to compensate for the costs and inputs and so on that come with it.”

He said the past year has not been easy, especially since the “Liberation Day” tariffs were announced on April 2.

“We’re hopeful that we can get through all of this and start rebuilding some of these markets,” Levendowski said. “We need to restore relationships because we have done so much damage to those relationships. We need to build new relationships around the world. We need to look at ways to expand our trade with other partners around the world and look at other crops that we might be able to start sending elsewhere.”

“Band-Aid for a bullet wound”

In December, the Trump administration announced a $12 billion one-time payment to U.S. farmers “in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.” Kansas farmers are expected to receive $888 million in payments, the third-highest payment of any state, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Mr Levendowski said it was his understanding that the aid would begin the week of February 23rd.

“I don’t see this as a bailout,” Levendowski said. “I think it’s better to keep people quiet and not talk about it as much.

“And, frankly, this isn’t going to bail anyone out. It’s just going to put a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It’s not going to cover all of the losses that farmers have seen since this trade war started.”

North Dakota State University previously estimated that agricultural losses could reach $44 billion in 2025. Levendowski said it could now be approaching $50 billion.

“The package they released is far from that,” Levendowski said. “It will be a temporary relief.

“While this will help some farmers pay some of their input bills and perhaps relieve some of their debt, it won’t put enough money in their pockets to live on. It won’t put enough money in their pockets to turn around and go buy the seeds they need for spring planting.

“So it won’t really make up for the losses they’ve suffered. But in a way, it will silence them.”

Jason Aratid is a Topeka Capital Journal statehouse reporter. You can reach us by email at jalatidd@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

Judge finds Trump administration’s third-country deportations illegal

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Judge finds Trump administration’s third-country deportations illegal

In a lawsuit expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, a federal judge said the Department of Homeland Security should stop sending immigrants to countries other than its own.

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A recent Department of Homeland Security policy that allows immigrants to be deported to countries other than their own can endanger immigrants and is illegal, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy said in a ruling Wednesday, Feb. 25, that the department may not remove immigrants to so-called “third countries.” Judge Murphy said the practice amounted to dropping people off at an “unknown location” and that “unless the department is already aware that there are people standing there waiting to be shot…that’s fine.”

In his ruling, Murphy cited a U.S. law that prohibits the government from taking someone to a country where their “life or liberty is threatened” because of their “race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,” which he said is “not good and not legal.”

“These are our laws, and it is with great gratitude that we have the incredible good fortune to be born in the United States that this court has affirmed these and our bedrock principles: that no ‘person’ in this country shall be ‘deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law,'” Murphy wrote.

Wednesday’s ruling was handed down in a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of immigrants facing deportation to countries that were not previously named in removal orders or identified in immigration court proceedings. The policy allows immigration authorities to deport migrants to such countries if they have credible diplomatic assurances that they will not be subject to persecution or torture if sent there, or if they provide six hours’ notice to the migrants that they will be sent there.

Murphy also criticized the Department of Homeland Security’s deportation policy, which does not require immigration officials to be given notice or an opportunity to object before deporting a person to an “unfamiliar and potentially dangerous country” as long as the government has “assurances” that the person will not be exposed to torture or persecution.

“This new policy, purporting to be a stand-in for Congress-mandated protections, fails due process for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that no one actually knows anything about these touted ‘guarantees,'” Murphy wrote. “Who are they covering? What are they covering? Why does the government consider them trustworthy? Who can know for sure that they exist?”

He continued: “These are the fundamental questions that the Constitution allows us to ask individuals before the government takes away their last and only lifeline.”

Losing support on immigration: What is President Trump’s approval rating?

Department of Homeland Security: ‘We are confident we will be vindicated again’

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement to USA TODAY saying the department “must be authorized to exercise its lawful authority and remove illegal aliens to host countries.”

“We are confident that he will be proven innocent again,” the ministry said, citing the previous two Supreme Court stays in the case.

“The Biden administration has allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood into our country, and the Trump administration has the constitutional authority to remove these criminal illegal aliens and wipe out this national security nightmare,” the agency added. “If these activist judges have their way, convicted murderers, child rapists, drug traffickers and other aliens too barbaric to be brought home will walk freely on America’s streets.”

Murphy, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, suspended the order for 15 days to give the department time to appeal, but observers believe the case will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Murphy said in his ruling that there are numerous examples of governments removing or attempting to remove immigrants without criminal records to third countries.

He cited the case of a Guatemalan man, identified only as an OCG, who had no known criminal history and whose deportation was suspended because he had been sexually assaulted there. The government then “threw him on a bus bound for Mexico, where he had just been raped. There he was immediately deported to Guatemala, where an immigration judge determined he was likely to be persecuted.”

An OCG lawyer said he “remains in hiding in Guatemala.”

Lawyer’s “Court’s Compulsory Statement” Judgment

The Murphy decision is based on a class action lawsuit filed on March 23, 2025 by four non-U.S. persons, including OCG. Other immigrants who have filed suit include a Cuban man living in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a Honduran man living in Fort Worth, Texas, and an Ecuadorian man living in Milford, Massachusetts. At the time the case was filed, all of them were facing imminent deportation to a third country.

USA TODAY is seeking an update on whether they have been removed or remain in the United States.

Trina Realmuto, a plaintiff’s attorney with the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, told Reuters that Murphy’s decision was “a forced statement from the court that the administration’s third-country expulsion policy is unconstitutional.”

“Government policy deports people to countries where U.S. immigration officials determine they will be subject to persecution or torture,” Realmuto told news outlets.

Contributed by: Reuters

Coca-Cola says Pibb has two new flavors available. see drinks

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Coca-Cola says Pibb has two new flavors available. see drinks

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Mr. Piv seems to be staying here.

Months after Coca-Cola announced it was bringing back Mr. Piv, and just 24 years after discontinuing the brand in favor of Piv Extra, two new variations have hit the market: Punchin’ Peach and Thrill Vanilla.

“Mr. Piv is elevating the flavor!” the Atlanta-based beverage giant said in a statement. “The Coca-Cola Company’s iconic spiced cherry-flavored soft drink is adding two new twists to its signature flavor: Punchy Peach and Thrilling Vanilla.”

Both flavors are “rooted in Mr. Pibb’s signature spicy cherry base,” but Punchin’ Peach introduces lively peach notes for a bright, fruity profile, while Thrilling Vanilla incorporates smooth vanilla for a layered, luxurious finish.

Both flavors are available in 12-ounce packs and 20-ounce bottles at participating retailers across the U.S., according to The Coca-Cola Company.

Click here to purchase.

Where to get new Mr. Pibb flavors

The flavor is available at participating retailers in select Western and Midwest markets, including Florida, Coca-Cola said. Availability may vary by retailer.

As for Mr. Piv and Mr. Piv Zero Sugar, both carbonated soft drinks will be introduced to additional retail locations in the West, Midwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Contributor: Greta Cross, USA TODAY

Bill, when will Hillary Clinton testify about her connection to the Epstein case?

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Bill, when will Hillary Clinton testify about her connection to the Epstein case?

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton are scheduled to give depositions to a House committee this week as part of the investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The deposition will take place near the Clintons’ home in Chappaqua, New York. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify on Thursday, February 26th, and Bill Clinton on Friday, February 26th. Both depositions will be transcribed and filmed. “We look forward to questioning Ms. Clinton as part of the horrific criminal investigation of Mr. Epstein and (Ghislaine) Maxwell, bringing transparency and accountability to the American people and their survivors,” said Congressman James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee. The Clintons agreed to appear in person after the Republican-led House of Representatives moved to vote on contempt of Congress, a move that could lead to criminal charges.

Prominent Democratic lawmakers had previously offered to cooperate with the panel but did not appear in person, calling the investigation a partisan exercise aimed at protecting President Donald Trump.

Here’s what you need to know before filing your affidavit.

Are the Clintons featured in Epstein’s files?

Bill Clinton appears in documents related to Epstein released by the Justice Department. The former president is one of many prominent figures in politics, finance, academia and business who appeared in Epstein’s file before and after he pleaded guilty to prostitution charges in 2008.

Clinton’s name appears on flight logs from 2002 and 2003, when she and Epstein visited destinations including Thailand, Portugal, Ghana, Russia and China. These trips took place years before Epstein pleaded guilty to charges related to underage prostitution in 2008.

The former president also appeared in photographs and handwritten notes in a book Epstein’s colleague Ghislaine Maxwell collected for Epstein’s 50th birthday.

more: Bill Gates admits extramarital affair and apologizes for relationship with Epstein, WSJ report

Hillary Clinton’s name appears more than 700 times in the Epstein dossier, mostly in news articles about her 2016 presidential campaign that were shared with Epstein.

Outside the files, Ms. Clinton has been questioned about Ms. Maxwell’s attendance at the 2013 Clinton Global Initiative conference. CNN reported that Maxwell was named as the guest of honor at the event because he was publicly accused in a civil lawsuit of aiding and abetting Epstein’s sexual abuse of minors.

Clinton said in an interview with the BBC that Maxwell’s attendance at the event was circumstantial because “thousands of people are participating in the Clinton Global Initiative.”

“So, to me, that’s not the heart of this issue,” she said. “They were accused of horrific crimes against girls and women and were convicted in both cases. That’s where the focus should be.”

USA TODAY’s Bart Jansen contributed to this report.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.

Powerball winning numbers for the February 25 drawing.

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Powerball winning numbers for the February 25 drawing.

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The Powerball jackpot continues to rise ahead of the drawing on Wednesday, February 25th, and is now at $218 million, with a cash value of $101.6 million.

According to Powerball, the jackpot has been won nearly 200 times since the lottery’s inception in 1992. Currently, 48 lotteries in the United States participate in Powerball games, but five states do not offer Powerball games: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.

Of the 48 lotteries, the top five states with the most winners include Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

With that in mind, here’s what you need to know as Wednesday’s Powerball drawing is just hours away.

more: Which Powerball number should you choose?

What are the winning Powerball numbers for February 25th?

USA TODAY will publish the winning numbers at 11pm ET after the lottery drawing.

Top 10 Powerball Jackpots

  • $2.04 billion in California on November 7, 2022
  • December 24, 2025, $1.817 billion in Arkansas.
  • $1.787 billion in Missouri and Texas on September 6, 2025
  • $1.765 billion in California on October 11, 2023
  • January 13, 2016, $1.586 billion in California, Florida, and Tennessee
  • April 6, 2024, $1.326 billion in Oregon.
  • $1.08 billion in California on July 19, 2023
  • $842.4 million in Michigan on January 1, 2024
  • March 27, 2019, $768.4 million in Wisconsin
  • August 23, 2017, $758.7 million in Massachusetts

Do I have to be a US citizen or resident to play Powerball?

The short answer is no. You do not need to be a US citizen or resident to play Powerball. Anyone visiting any of the 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands may purchase lottery tickets from authorized and licensed retailers, regardless of nationality, as long as they meet the legal age requirements (usually 18 years old) at the time of purchase.

How to play Powerball

Powerball tickets cost $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This can be done at a variety of locations, including local convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores. In some states, you can purchase Powerball tickets online depending on your local jurisdiction.

Once you have your ticket, you have to choose six numbers. Five of them are white balls numbered from 1 to 69. The red Powerball range is 1-26. You can also add a “Power Play” for $1, which increases your winnings on all non-jackpot prizes. “Power Play” multipliers allow you to increase your winnings by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x.

A “Quick Pick” option is also available if you want the computer to select the numbers for you. To win the jackpot, players must match all five white balls with the red Powerball in any order.

Powerball drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights. The winnings continue to increase even if no one wins the jackpot.

Winning Lottery Numbers is sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery delivery company of the USA TODAY Network.

more: Which states have the most lottery winners? What you need to know.

Can I get Powerball tickets online?

You can also order tickets online Jackpocket, USA TODAY Network’s official digital lottery delivery companythese states and territories in the United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington DC, and West Virginia.

The Jackpocket app allows you to choose your lottery games and numbers, place your order, check your tickets, and claim your winnings, all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery carrier of USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue from viewer referrals to the Jackpocket Service. Must be 18 years or older, 21 years or older in Arizona, 19 years or older in Nebraska. Not affiliated with any state lottery. Gambling problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (ALL OTHERS). visit jackpocket.com/tos Over the entire period.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.

The long-standing rocky relationship between the United States and Cuba

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The long-standing rocky relationship between the United States and Cuba

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  • Hostile relations between the United States and Cuba have continued for more than 60 years.
  • Major historical conflicts include the Cuban Revolution, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
  • Relations briefly normalized under President Barack Obama but were later reversed by President Donald Trump.
  • Tensions have escalated in recent days following the fatal speedboat crash and new Venezuela-related sanctions.

Hostilities between the United States and Cuba date back more than 60 years, if not longer.

The division further intensified on February 25 when Cuban troops opened fire on a speedboat from Florida off the coast of Cuba, killing four people on board, according to Cuba’s Interior Ministry in Havana.

It is unclear whether there were any Americans on board the ship.

Tensions between the two countries have increased recently, with President Donald Trump imposing new sanctions and tariffs on the Caribbean nation following the operation to capture Cuba’s ally and former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

Here, we will introduce the history of major conflicts between the two countries.

cuban revolution

Fidel Castro assumed power in Cuba in 1959 and overthrew the U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. Mr. Castro and a band of guerrilla fighters established a revolutionary socialist state in Cuba after a successful revolt against Mr. Batista, who was anti-communist and backed by the United States, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Batista fled Cuba after seven years of dictatorship, and Mr. Castro began to strengthen ties with the Soviet Union. The following year, Castro nationalized all foreign assets in Cuba, increased taxes on U.S. imports, and concluded a trade agreement with the Soviet Union.

President Dwight Eisenhower retaliated. He cut import quotas for Cuban sugar, froze Cuban assets in the United States, and imposed a near-total embargo. Eisenhower also severed diplomatic relations with the Castro regime.

Bay of Pigs invasion

In 1961, Cuban exiles trained by the CIA failed to overthrow Castro, leading to the severance of diplomatic relations.

President John F. Kennedy, implementing a strategy approved by the previous Eisenhower administration, dispatched a brigade of 1,400 Cuban exiles sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency by air, land, and sea in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Castro.

After several mistakes by the exiles, the Cuban military finally defeated the exiles in three days after it became clear that the United States was involved. More than 100 members of the exile force were killed and nearly 1,100 were taken prisoner and held in Cuba for almost two years.

Prisoners were released from Cuba to the United States between 1962 and 1965 in exchange for $53 million worth of food and medicine. Various reports estimate the total number of casualties among members of the Cuban Revolutionary Army to be up to 2,000.

Undeterred by the failed invasion, the Kennedy administration conducted Operation Mongoose to destabilize Cuba’s government and economy. This operation also included a plot to assassinate Castro.

Over the decades, several US presidential administrations conducted covert operations against Cuba.

cuba crisis

In 1961, the United States discovered that Soviet nuclear missiles were being manufactured in Cuba when an American U-2 reconnaissance plane photographed a nuclear missile site. The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 caused widespread panic during the Cold War, when the United States appeared to be on the brink of nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

Fearing a U.S. invasion, Cuban leader Castro allowed the Soviet Union to install missiles on his territory. The crisis was resolved when the Soviet Union promised to remove its missiles in exchange for the United States removing its missiles in Turkey.

Mariel’s Boatlift and “Escape from Cuba”

In 1980, after a lack of housing and employment caused a severe economic downturn, the Cuban government opened the coast to anyone with permission to flee the country by boat at Mariel Port, just west of Havana. As a result of the popular movement, nearly 125,000 Cubans were allowed to immigrate to the United States in five months.

Many moved to Florida. The Coast Guard has dubbed the wave of Cuban immigrants the “1980 Cuban exodus.”

After further economic turmoil, in 1993 Cuba legalized the American dollar and allowed privately owned businesses and services. Farmers can sell some of their produce individually, rather than just to the government.

But Cuba accused the United States of tightening economic trade measures and depriving Cubans of medical supplies and other necessary resources.

In 1994, U.S. authorities and Cuba reached an immigration agreement that allowed the United States to admit 20,000 Cubans a year, provided the Cuban government controlled the flow of Cuban refugees.

Helms-Burton method

After two U.S. civilian planes were shot down by Cuban Air Force planes in 1996, Congress passed legislation known as the Helms-Burton Act (Cuban Freedom and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996), which further strengthened the Cuban embargo between the two countries by punishing foreign companies doing business in Cuba.

When the Helms-Burton Act was passed, Congress gave the president the authority to suspend Title III on national security grounds. The provision has since been suspended by three presidents in hopes of avoiding diplomatic friction with U.S. allies, including Canada and Spain, whose companies have investments in Cuba.

However, President Donald Trump later lifted the suspension in 2019 during his first term in office.

cuba five

In 1998, the Clinton administration indicted five Cuban counterintelligence officers in the United States for conspiracy to commit espionage, among other illegal acts.

The officers were part of an organization known as the Wasp Network, sent by the Castro regime to infiltrate Cuban-American exile groups and politicians in South Florida opposed to the regime. They were convicted in 2001.

Two of the officers were released at the end of their terms in 2011 and 2014. The remaining three were released in late 2014 as part of a prisoner exchange with US intelligence officers held in Cuba.

Elian González custody battle

In 1999, a 6-year-old Cuban boy was rescued off the coast of Florida after the boat he was traveling with capsized.

Elian González became the symbol of an international custody battle and media firestorm as the boy’s uncle and relatives in Miami fought with his father and the Cuban government over where the boy would live.

In 2000, armed U.S. federal agents seized the boy from relatives in Miami and, after a long custody battle, eventually returned him to his father in Cuba. More than 20 years later, González is a member of the Cuban National Assembly.

Controversial boat-related murder case

In another boat-related shootout in 2022, the Cuban Coast Guard killed one person aboard a Florida-registered Dakota speedboat three nautical miles north of Bahia Honda.

Cuban authorities said at the time that they found evidence of drugs and firearms on board. In the same year, a speedboat carrying Cuban nationals collided with a Cuban Coast Guard vessel, killing five people, including an infant, according to the Cuban Ministry of Interior.

Survivors later said a Coast Guard vessel rammed their boat.

“Thaw in Cuba”

In 2016, President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro announced the historic normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, ending more than 50 years of hostility.

Nearly two years of talks resulted in a prisoner exchange, President Obama’s historic visit to Cuba in 2016, the reopening of the embassy, ​​and the easing of banking and travel restrictions for Americans and Cubans.

A White House brief announcing a major review of U.S.-Cuba relations said, “The President has directed the Secretary of State to immediately begin discussions on restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba, which were severed in January 1961.” “In the coming months, we will re-establish our embassy in Havana and conduct high-level exchanges and visits between our two governments as part of the normalization process.”

President Trump changes policy

Shortly after taking over the White House in 2017, the first Trump administration reversed many Obama-era policies regarding Cuba. The administration reimposed harsh sanctions and redesignated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Following Maduro’s arrest last month, the second Trump administration declared a national emergency regarding Cuba in January, calling the island an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security. The United States has blocked the flow of Venezuelan oil to Cuba and threatened to impose tariffs on countries that supply the fuel.

Is it safe to visit Cancun? Locals have a message for travelers.

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Is it safe to visit Cancun? Locals have a message for travelers.

Puerto Vallarta and Cancun are more than 1,100 miles apart, but the headlines are causing confusion for travelers.

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  • A military operation against cartel leaders in Puerto Vallarta has raised safety concerns for tourists traveling to Mexico.
  • Security experts and local residents say tourist destinations like Cancun, more than 1,000 miles away, have remained largely unaffected and calm.
  • The U.S. State Department is urging travelers to use “extreme caution” toward Mexico, with a particular warning for Quintana Roo.

Elizabeth Uraza works for the wedding planning company Paradise Wedding and is based in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in the state of Quintana Roo, about 45 minutes south of Cancun. After hearing about the military operation in Puerto Vallarta, many of her clients who are planning weddings in Cancun next year have called to ask what they should do.

“They’re panicking because the news is new to their homes,” Uraza told USA TODAY. “And people might see the news or just save the date and send it. They’re like, ‘Oh my god, we’re getting married in Mexico,’ but it’s probably a year and a half or a year away.”

On February 22, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, head of the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel and known as El Mencho, was murdered along with six other cartel members. His death sparked civil unrest in more than a dozen Mexican states, including Puerto Vallarta and Quintana Roo, where cars were set on fire and highways were blocked.

puerto vallarta riot Garagara LGBTQ+ Travel Hub

Tourists were evacuated and scrambled at the airport. Now, some people are so shaken by the incident that they are reconsidering vacations in Mexico outside of Puerto Vallarta. That includes Cancun, the country’s most visited destination.

By February 24, airport operations had returned to normal and flights from Puerto Vallarta were added. The US State Department’s advisory has also lifted shelter-in-place guidelines, and there are no reports of further road closures. Nevertheless, security experts warn of the risks of traveling to Puerto Vallarta and surrounding areas.

Cancun is over 1,997 miles from Puerto Vallarta, which is comparable to the distance between Los Angeles and Chicago.

The drop in visitors to Mexico’s biggest tourist hub could have far-reaching implications. Tourism is a major part of Mexico’s economy, generating $36.7 billion in revenue last year, with more than half of the tourists concentrated in Quintana Roo.

Many Cancun locals stress that the situation portrayed in the news does not fully reflect what is actually happening on the ground. They encourage travelers to look beyond the headlines and social media and instead seek out reliable, up-to-date information to make informed decisions, and may even proceed with their travel plans if they feel comfortable doing so.

“Everything is very controlled[in Cancun],” Uraza said. “So it’s like you get in the van and head to the resort and have a good time at the resort and come back. I think when you travel, just like anywhere else in the world, obviously be careful.”

mexican american Relying on private aviation, security and significant costs

Is it safe to visit Cancun?

Mexico is under a Level 2 travel advisory from the State Department, which urges travelers to “exercise caution” due to terrorism, crime and kidnapping. Travelers in some states are at high risk, reaching Level 4, a “do not travel” status. Quintana Roo has been given a Level 2 advisory for “risk of violence.”

Anxiety about visiting Mexico is not necessarily new. Although many travelers are aware that cartels exist in many parts of the country, violence like the one that occurred in Puerto Vallarta is usually rare in tourist destinations. “Because there are so many tourists, organized crime tends to leave the bears alone because they don’t want to peck them,” Mike Ballard, director of intelligence at security firm Global Guardian, previously told USA TODAY. “But people are going to have to rethink the whole security picture in those places.”

Local media outlet Riviera Maya News reported that Quintana Roo state was largely unaffected by the February 22 riots, which left several cars and stores set on fire.

Jason Wright, who founded Paradise Weddings and is primarily based in Montreal, said most travelers to Cancun don’t leave the resort, which is guarded and considered safe. “You go from one bubble, which is the airport, to another bubble, which is the resort. If you want to go on an excursion or something like that, it’s a different story. Or if you go into the city and walk down the street, it’s a different story.”

Wright doesn’t expect a significant number of tourists to stay away from Cancun for an extended period of time. “While incidents may temporarily raise questions, Cancun has decades of experience hosting millions of international tourists each year,” he said. “That familiarity breeds confidence, so we don’t expect demand to decline permanently or significantly.”

“One incident in one city”

As of the afternoon of February 23, life in Cancun is business as usual. Mariana Lange, who has lived in Cancun since 2019, said she finds the city “totally peaceful.” Lange, whose company Mexico Immigration Guide helps people move to Mexico, said people are flocking to beaches, public transportation is working, children are in school and businesses are open.

He added that while the event was “scary” and some people may wonder if “Riviera Maya is next”, most people don’t need to worry about safety. “Unfortunately, all of Mexico is now considered a war zone,” she added. “But nothing could be further from the truth. One incident in one city does not throw an entire country into chaos.”

She urges travelers to stay informed through government websites, including State Department advisories, and not just the videos and images of burning cars on social media.

Jeff Natale, an American who moved to Playa del Carmen six years ago and is working toward becoming a Mexican citizen, said he had never experienced anything like this cartel-related incident before. “I think the biggest impression people get here is that cartels control everything and it’s not safe,” Natale told USA TODAY. “Trust me, they don’t care about you guys. They have their own cartel-versus-cartel issues. … The only time it really makes the news is when foreigners are involved or when it’s at big resorts with tourists and travelers. But most of the time we don’t see that happening, it’s very few and far between.”

Uraza echoed that sentiment, saying that while some residents of Quintana Roo initially panicked when they heard the news, officials and officials have reassured everyone that everyone is safe and it feels like any other day in Cancun. “We are telling (customers) that things are business as usual in Cancun, just like last week,” she said.

Mary Cosby’s son Robert dies at 23 – ‘RHOSLC’ star speaks out

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Mary Cosby’s son Robert dies at 23 – ‘RHOSLC’ star speaks out

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Robert Cosby Jr., 23, the son of “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Mary Cosby, has died, police said.

Salt Lake City Police Department Public Information Officer Robert Cosby Jr. passed away on Monday, February 23rd. Greg Wilking confirmed this to USA TODAY over the phone on Wednesday, February 25th. TMZ was first to report the news.

“Our beloved son Robert Jr. has been called to be with the Lord,” Mary Cosby told USA TODAY in a statement Wednesday. “Our hearts are broken, but we are comforted by God’s promises and knowing that He is finally at peace. We are grateful for your prayers and for your trust in the Lord to carry us through this time of sadness.”

Mary Cosby has been a major cast member on the Bravo series for several years, forming part of the backbone of the original cast. She left in the third season and then returned.

“I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of Mary’s beloved son Robert Jr.,” Bravo said in a statement to USA TODAY on Wednesday. “Mary is a valued member of our family and our thoughts, love and deepest condolences go out to her and her loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

cause of death of robert cosby jr.

The cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Salt Lake City police said the investigation into Cosby’s death is still ongoing, saying authorities responded to a call of an overdose on Monday and the death has now been turned over to the medical examiner’s office.

Andy Cohen mourns the death of Robert Cosby Jr.

“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” executive producer Andy Cohen spoke about Cosby Jr.’s death in a thread on Wednesday.

“Devastatingly sad news from (Salt Lake City),” Cohen wrote. “This is every parent’s worst nightmare. Our hearts are broken for Mary. We send all our love to her and Robert Sr.”

Mary Cosby confronts son Robert Cosby Jr. about drug abuse

Robert Cosby Jr. has been featured several times on “RHOSLC,” including a candid and emotional conversation he had with his mother about his substance abuse issues.

Cosby Jr., who Mary Cosby said was a straight-A student and an honor roll student, told his mother that he had been taking Xanax, along with a host of other drugs, since he was 16 years old.

“I don’t judge you. I can try to help you, but you have to help yourself because I’m not going to support you,” a tearful Mary Cosby told her son. “You know I’m not.”

“I’m so disappointed in myself,” she added in a confessional interview. “I feel like I let him down somewhere. I know Robert smoked weed, I know he would eat edibles, but I still trusted him in my heart and thought he would stop there. And I was clearly wrong.”

The 23-year-old is the only child of Mary and Robert Cosby Sr., who married in 1998. The senior Cosby was previously married to Mary’s grandmother, leading to much speculation both on and off the show.

Mary, whose conversations with Cosby Jr. were praised for their kindness at the time of the broadcast, has been supportive of Cosby Jr. in recent years and candidly talked about his struggles.

“All I can do is push him, encourage him, love him, and that’s what I’m doing,” she said during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Reality Checked” in September. “I have hope and I believe in him. … I know he has all the tools and all the will, willpower and support he needs.”

Robert Cosby Jr.’s secret marriage and divorce

According to TMZ, Cosby Jr. reportedly married his girlfriend Alexiana Smokov in August 2022 after eloping in a courthouse ceremony.

After Mary heard rumors of Cosby Jr.’s marriage, he broke the news to Mary Cosby on the 2023 season 4 premiere of RHOSLC.

The “Real Housewives” star previously recalled that Cosby Jr. and Smokov were dressed up and “rushing to go do something,” but she hadn’t finalized plans for her son’s wedding. “They both live in my house, but we don’t see each other very often,” Mary Cosby said, according to People magazine. “We kind of have our own wings.”

However, in November, Smokov filed for divorce after three years of marriage, according to TMZ and People magazine.

Robert Cosby Jr. arrested months before death

According to People magazine, Cosby Jr. has had his fair share of legal troubles, including an arrest for drunk driving in 2022. He reportedly pleaded guilty to this crime in exchange for other charges being dropped.

According to People magazine, Cosby Jr. was arrested in September on multiple charges, including trespassing and assault, after an incident at his stepfather’s house. Mary Cosby later told the magazine that Cosby Jr. and Smokoff snuck out to be together after Smokoff “moved out” from Mary’s home, prompting Smokoff’s parents to report Cosby Jr. for trespassing.

“I was so hurt at the time. I was devastated, I was worried, I was scared,” Mary Cosby said. “But sometimes things happen for a reason, to show you the path you’re on. I feel like he needed that, and I think he understands that it’s the wrong journey.”

According to People magazine, Cosby Jr. was arrested again in November for violating a pretrial protection order. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and ordered to remain in custody until his sentencing in February.

This story has been updated to add new information.

If you or someone you know needs help battling substance abuse addiction, please contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Is there a 48-ounce iced coffee bucket from Dunkin? What we know.

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Is there a 48-ounce iced coffee bucket from Dunkin? What we know.

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Some Dunkin’ fans may be able to add a new coffee item to their bucket list.

According to posts circulating on social media in recent days, 48-ounce beverage buckets are now available at select Dunkin stores.

According to the post, customers who order a bucket can choose which beverage to put inside. Strawberry Dragon Fruit Lemonade Refresher for $9.49, Blueberry Cobbler Iced Latte for $11.49, and Caramel Coco Iced Coffee for $8.89.

By comparison, a large Dunkin iced coffee is 32 ounces.

Dunkin’ has not officially confirmed whether the buckets will be rolled out to all stores, but they are not available nationwide for now.

But if social media is any indication, the chain’s fans are already clamoring for a broader launch. Each of Bucket’s posts, including posts on X and Reels posts on Instagram, have received millions of views to date.

Here’s what we know:

Does Dunkin’ sell iced coffee buckets?

Dunkin’ has not announced whether it will sell iced coffee buckets, but social media experts say it appears to be limited to two New England states.

For now, the buckets appear to be being tested only at select Dunkin’ stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

If true, the limited testing area wouldn’t be too surprising considering Dunkin’ started in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Dunkin’ coffee bucket? “Sign up now,” says a fan

Whether or not Dunkin’ Coffee Buckets spread across the country, customers are already embracing them.

“I would rather have a bucket of Dunkin’ coffee than my next paycheck,” one user wrote to X.

Another posted: “Sign up now!!!!”

However, some expressed concerns about the high amount of caffeine in such a large drink.

“Why does everyone drink 48 ounces of coffee in a day?! Why?” one user said on X.

But some people don’t care at all.

“My whole group of friends are debating the 48-ounce buckets from Dunkin’. ‘We don’t drink that.’ ‘Who needs that much?’ ‘It’s probably mostly ice.’ ‘Let’s think about how much sugar is in that.’ Silence. I’d like to carry around a tub of coffee, and if I want, I’ll do it!” User X wrote.

Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

President Trump targets foreign truck drivers in crackdown during SOTU speech

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President Trump targets foreign truck drivers in crackdown during SOTU speech

Truck drivers play a critical role in driving the American economy, and there are approximately 3.5 million commercial driver’s license holders nationwide.

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Hundreds of thousands of truck drivers could be taken off U.S. roads under the Trump administration’s new aggressive enforcement and safety campaign.

President Donald Trump on January 24 drew new attention to his administration’s crackdown by highlighting the serious injuries suffered by Dalila Coleman, a young woman whose car was struck by a foreign-born truck driver who was speeding through a construction zone in California.

Coleman, who was 5 years old at the time, attended the February 24 State of the Union address as a guest of President Trump, who said he suffered from a traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy from the accident.

“Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs,” Trump said in his speech. “That’s why tonight I’m asking Congress to pass what’s called Dalila’s Law, which would prohibit any state from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”

The truck driver who hit the family’s car entered the United States from Mexico in 2022, was released by the Biden administration and eventually obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in California, according to federal authorities.

Similar to regular driver’s licenses, states can issue CDLs to truck drivers even if they do not have legal permission to reside in the country. The White House recently warned states to stop issuing CDLs to unvetted foreign nationals, except for Canadian and Mexican truck drivers who routinely cross the border to make deliveries.

Who drives America’s trucks?

There are approximately 3.5 million licensed truck drivers in the United States, ranging from bus drivers to RV delivery carriers to long-haul semitrailer owners.

The Department of Transportation is also encouraging CDL and the states that oversee trucking to more aggressively enforce current laws requiring drivers to have English proficiency.

Earlier this month, a federal inspector general recommended closing more than 550 track schools after concluding that the majority were operating in a bogus or unqualified manner. Federal officials say there are at least 194,000 licensed motor carriers that could be affected by the crackdown on non-American drivers.

The 37,000-member American Trucking Associations trade group supports President Trump’s efforts to crack down on trucking and say tighter regulations will make roads safer for all drivers. CDL holders have strict time limits while driving and must undergo regular medical exams to ensure they can drive safely.

“We support President Trump’s efforts to ensure that only properly trained, fully qualified and English-speaking drivers are behind the wheel of 80,000-pound commercial vehicles,” ATA President and CEO Chris Speer said in a statement. “We stand ready to work with the government and Congress to advance policies that raise standards and keep our highways safe.”

Crackdown on immigrant CDL holders

The legislation, proposed by President Trump on January 24, would complement a series of regulatory and enforcement changes being implemented by the federal Department of Transportation, which oversees motor carriers.

Although CDLs are typically governed by federal laws and regulations, they are issued by states. Federal officials say driver and trucking schools have discovered loopholes in the existing system that allow some noncitizens to obtain CDLs without background checks on their driving records in their home countries. In other cases, truck drivers illegally obtained Mexican truck driving licenses and used them to obtain U.S. reciprocal CDL status.

Last summer, federal authorities ordered a moratorium on issuing CDLs to foreign-born truck drivers.

“For too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing system and wreak havoc on our roads. Today, this safety loophole ends,” Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy said in a statement.

Federal officials said at least 17 fatal crashes and 30 non-fatal crashes were caused by truck drivers in 2025, and the new rules exempt them from the CDL, which primarily affects drivers from countries other than Mexico and Canada, who often operate under a special cross-border system.

Last year, U.S. citizens or green card CDL holders were involved in more than 85,000 injuries and more than 4,700 deaths, according to federal statistics.

Sikhs critical of new approach

Critics of the president’s move say the aim is misguided. Noncitizen CDL holders accounted for less than 2 percent of large truck accidents nationwide last year, compared with nearly 4 percent for all CDL holders, according to federal regulatory filings.

Among the most vocal critics of the measure are Indian-born Sikhs, who make up about 150,000 members of the trucking industry, according to regulatory data. Tens of thousands of Sikhs have sought asylum in the United States during the Biden presidency, many crossing the Mexican border without prior permission.

In testimony to federal regulators, some critics also feared that the crackdown on foreign drivers would cause them to lose their jobs and homes in one fell swoop, leaving many truck drivers living in semis while raising freight rates from U.S. consumers.

The White House has repeatedly named Sikh truck drivers as a source of concern, including Harjinder Singh, a California-licensed truck driver who is charged with causing a fatal crash that killed three people in Florida on August 12, 2025. Federal officials said in social media posts that Singh is an illegal immigrant and does not speak English well enough to obtain a California CDL.

The US-based group Sikhs for Justice donated $100,000 to victims of the accident allegedly caused by Singh. The group is also proposing to donate $1 billion to the Trump Peace Institute as a condition of holding a referendum on carving out a Sikh homeland from parts of India.

Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert mock President Trump’s State of the Union address

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Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert mock President Trump’s State of the Union address

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According to Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, the State of the Union address was not powerful.

Both late-night hosts went on air Tuesday night to share their immediate reactions to President Donald Trump’s first official State of the Union address on Feb. 24 of his second term.

Kimmel described it as an “angry” speech that was “like a Christmas message from the Grinch” and asked, “If you talk incoherently for almost two hours, is it still technically a speech, or does it turn into a conviction at some point?”

USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for comment.

The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host also had a field day with a historically long speech, which at one hour and 47 minutes was the longest on record. “He’s probably still going, right?” Kimmel quipped. “We’re going to have to hire an orchestra to make him perform like he did at the Oscars. When the 90 minutes are up, just go to the YMCA and be done.”

“Our country is back,” President Trump told lawmakers in a speech, characterizing the United States as being in a “golden age” in the year of the country’s 250th anniversary. The president was joined by Erica Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, to discuss everything from the economy to immigration.

colbert slams CBS agrees to interview with Trump critic

However, in his monologue, Kimmel described the “real situation in the Commonwealth” that the United States is led by “a lunatic who wants to be king.”

jimmy kimmel Bad Bunny slams President Trump on show: ‘Give the Spaniards a turn’

Colbert also appeared live on “The Late Show” after the State of the Union address and concluded that “there really wasn’t that much new content” in Trump’s speech.

Colbert noted that the speech came at a critical time when Trump was struggling with low approval ratings, but suggested it was unlikely to change people’s minds about the president and his policies.

“It was a dark speech full of divisive lies. It is unlikely to gain much support from voters disillusioned with the chaos and dysfunction of the second government,” the comedian said.

Colbert also teased that the theme of his speech is “250 Years of America: Strong, Prosperous, Respected,” and joked, “I feel like we’re not strong, prosperous, and respected.”

It was Colbert’s last time covering the President’s State of the Union address on “The Late Show,” with the final episode scheduled to air in May after CBS canceled the show last year.

Jimmy Fallon also joked about President Trump’s speech on “The Tonight Show,” telling viewers that the president’s speech was “focused on his major accomplishments, and after those eight seconds, he just kept going for an hour and a half.”

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