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Friday, February 13, 2026

US judge orders Trump administration to facilitate deported college student's return

February 13, 2026
US judge orders Trump administration to facilitate deported college student's return

By Nate Raymond

BOSTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a Honduran college student who was deported in ‌violation of a court order, a step the government had previously refused to take.

Boston-based U.S. ‌District Judge Richard Stearns gave the administration two weeks to enable the return of Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a student ​from Babson College in Massachusetts who was deported after being detained at Boston's Logan Airport while traveling to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with her family in Texas.

"Wisdom counsels that redemption may be found by acknowledging and fixing our own errors," Stearns wrote. "In this unfortunate case, the government commendably admits that it did wrong. Now ‌it is time for the government ⁠to make amends."

Stearns, who was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, said he had hoped to avoid holding anyone in civil contempt by giving the administration ⁠a chance to correct what he said everyone acknowledged was a "mistake."

But the State Department last week called the judge's recommendation to issue her a new student visa "unfeasible," and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to facilitate her ​return, ​prompting Friday's order.

Stearns gave the administration until February 27 ​to facilitate the student's return. Todd Pomerleau, ‌Lopez Belloza's lawyer, welcomed the ruling, calling her a "remarkable, resilient young woman deserving of this outcome."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, in a statement did not address whether or how it would comply with Stearns' order but said Lopez Belloza had received due process.

"There was no 'mistake,'" the spokesperson said.

The 20-year-old college freshman is a Honduran national who was brought to the U.S. by ‌her mother, who was seeking asylum, when she was ​8 years old. Babson is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Lopez Belloza ​has said she was unaware she was subject ​to a final order of removal, which was the basis for her arrest.

She ‌was flown to Honduras on November 22 ​even though her lawyer had ​secured a court order in Massachusetts on the previous day barring Lopez Belloza from being deported or transferred out of the state for 72 hours. She remains in Honduras with her ​grandparents.

A lawyer for the government at ‌a January hearing apologized for the violation of the court's order, attributing it to ​a "mistake" by an ICE officer who did not properly flag it.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond ​in Boston; Editing by Ethan Smith and Jonathan Oatis)

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Is Presidents Day a federal holiday? See full 2026 schedule

February 13, 2026
Is Presidents Day a federal holiday? See full 2026 schedule

Some Americans have an extra day off to look forward to this weekend.

USA TODAY

Presidents Day, originally created to celebrate George Washington's birthday, is a federal holiday that falls on the third Monday of February each year. Now seen as a day to honor every person who has held the United States' high office, the holiday gives government and some non-government workers alike a day off in the throes of winter.

Here's what to know ahead of Presidents Day this year, including the date, its origins and which businesses will be open or closed.

More:Shop the best Presidents Day sales 2026 happening this weekend

When is Presidents Day 2026?

This year, Presidents Day is on Monday, Feb. 16.

Is Presidents Day a federal holiday?

Yes, Presidents Day – the third Monday of February – is a federal holiday. It has been afederal holiday since 1879.

Presidents Day still technically has the formal title of "Washington's Birthday."

What will be closed on Presidents Day?

Presidents Day is a federal holiday, meaning some governmental entities and businesses will be closed.

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Government offices will be closed on Monday, Feb. 16, as will U.S. Postal Service post offices. Mail will not be delivered that day.

The stock market and banks, including branches of Capital One, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, PNC, Chase, Truist and Citibank, among others, will also be closed.

Retailers, grocery stores, and pharmacies may be closed or have modified hours for the holiday. Check your nearest location for holiday hour information before stepping out to shop on Feb. 16.

Full schedule of 2026 federal holidays

Federal holidays will fall on the following days in 2026, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM):

  • New Year's Day: Thursday, Jan. 1

  • Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.: Monday, Jan. 19

  • Washington's Birthday/Presidents Day: Monday, Feb. 16

  • Memorial Day: Monday, May 25

  • Juneteenth National Independence Day: Friday, June 19

  • Independence Day/Fourth of July: Observed Friday, July 3 (Because the Fourth of July falls on a Saturday, the day before is considered a federal holiday.)

  • Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 7

  • Columbus Day: Monday, Oct. 12

  • Veterans Day: Wednesday, Nov. 11

  • Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26

  • Christmas Day: Friday, Dec. 25

What is the history of Presidents Day?

Presidents Day was created by Congress in 1879 to celebrate the birthday of George Washington, the first president of the United States, according to theLibrary of Congress. In 1968, theUniform Holidays Actchanged the date of celebration from Washington's actual birthday, Feb. 22, to the third Monday of February.

With Abraham Lincoln's birthday falling on Feb. 12, the holiday soon evolved to be known colloquially as Presidents Day in honor of all U.S. presidents. However, no law or act was ever passed to change the holiday's official name, which is still formally designated as Washington's Birthday by theOPM.

As for the long weekend, Presidents Day affords many Americans a day off from work, thanks to PresidentLyndon B. Johnson, who mandated that it, along with Memorial Day and Veterans Day, occur on Mondays to avoid mid-week shutdowns. Through the signing of the Uniform Holidays Act, Johnson created longer weekends to enable Americans "to travel farther and see more of this beautiful land of ours," according toThe American Presidency Project.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Is Presidents Day 2026 a federal holiday? See the full schedule

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US sending second aircraft carrier group to Middle East, sources say

February 13, 2026
US sending second aircraft carrier group to Middle East, sources say

The Pentagon is sending a second aircraft carrier group – theUSS Gerald Ford– to the Middle East, according to a senior administration official and three sources familiar with the matter, a move that puts pressure on Iran even as President Donald Trump has said talks with Tehran will continue.

CNN The US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group operates as a joint, multi-domain force with a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, on November 13, 2025. - Petty Officer 3rd Class Tajh Pay/US Navy

Trump told reporters Friday he's dispatching the second carrier group in case he is unable to reach a diplomatic agreement.

"In case we don't make a deal, we'll need it," he said, later adding the ships would depart if diplomacy is successful.

The Ford carrier strike group – the US' most advanced – has been positioned in the Caribbean Sea for several months amid Trump's campaign in Venezuela, which has included strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.

It will now join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East region, expanding Trump's options for a potential strike on Iran. The move was first reported by theNew York Times.

The change comes even as Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a White House visit on Wednesday heintendsto keep pursuing a deal with Iran.

"They want to make a deal, as they should want to make a deal," Trump said last week. "They know the consequences if they don't. If they don't make a deal, the consequences are very steep. So we'll see what happens."

Trump said Thursday that he hopes to get a deal with Iran "over the next month."

But the president has not ruled out ordering new strikes and has ordered a buildup of assets that would allow for a major US air campaign against Iran's nuclear and missile assets. Aside from the USS Abraham Lincoln, several US warships have been positioned in the region, comprising what Trump has referred to as a "flotilla."

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The USS Abraham Lincolnarrived in the Indian Oceanlast month, putting it closer to assist in any potential US operations targeting Iran.

Days later, the Lincoln carrier was transiting the Arabian Sea about 500 miles from Iran's southern coast when itshot down an Iranian drone.

Meanwhile, delegations from the US and Iranmet earlier this monthin Oman for the first round of negotiations since the US and Israel struck Iran last summer. The talks came after Trumpheld off on strikesagainst Iran after seriously considering military action in response to the country's brutal crackdown on protesters.

After completing talks, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushnervisited the Lincoln carrier.

A spokesperson for US Southern Command, which oversees the military's operations in the Western Hemisphere, told CNN the change in force posture won't diminish the US' capabilities in the Caribbean.

"While force posture evolves, our operational capability does not. SOUTHCOM forces remain fully ready to project power, defend themselves, and protect U.S. interests in the region. At the direction of the President and the Secretary of War, we continue mission-focused operations to counter illicit activities and malign actors in the Western Hemisphere."

CNN has also reached out to the US Central Command, whose purview includes military operations in the Middle East.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN's Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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Breanna Stewart provides encouraging update on WNBA CBA negotiations

February 13, 2026
Breanna Stewart provides encouraging update on WNBA CBA negotiations

WNBA star Breanna Stewartis seemingly pleased with whereCBA negotiationscurrently are with the league.

During a recent episode of herpodcast with NBA star Myles Turner, Stewart provided an update about the current state of negotiations with the league. Stewart revealed that the players are "in a new place."

"I'm feeling better. I'm feeling like the owners are finally really acknowledging and being receptive of what we want and the players as well,"Stewart said.

"We all kind of had to put our business hats on and get into that mindset. I'm hoping we can get this thing done quickly so then we're not late [to start the2026 season]. That's the thing. It's like I've been telling them, is ― now that we're a part of a revenue-shared model, you miss games, it's less money. Not to say that we should submit and just say yes to any proposal that we don't like, but this is a business now. This is how businesses go."

In the league's latest proposal, the WNBA conceded team-provided housing, a person with knowledge of the matter told USA TODAY Sports. In the revised agreement, one-bedroom apartments will be available for players making the minimum salary. The two developmental players on each roster would be provided with studio apartments. The players' union also voiced setting a standard for team facilities that would be codified in the new CBA, the person with knowledge of the situation said.

Still, nothing has changed in terms of revenue sharing or player salaries. The WNBA is offering more than 70% of league and team net revenue. The players' union has asked for 30% of gross revenue. The salary cap would be $5.65 million per year, rising with league revenues.

Game 2: The Las Vegas Aces' Jewell Loyd (24) and A'ja Wilson (22) celebrate after scoring against the Phoenix Mercury. Game 2: The Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson (22) shoots the ball against the Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas. Game 2: The Phoenix Mercury's Kahleah Copper (2) drives the ball past Las Vegas Aces guards Jackie Young (0) and Dana Evans (11). Game 2: Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) drives the ball against Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally. Game 2: Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) shoots a layup against Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22). <p style=Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) celebrates with teammates after the Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 89-86, at Michelob Ultra Arena.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces battles for the ball with Alyssa Thomas #25 and Kahleah Copper #2 of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Chelsea Gray (12) and A'ja Wilson (22) of the Las Vegas Aces grab a rebound past DeWanna Bonner (14) and Satou Sabally (0) of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Alyssa Thomas (25) of the Phoenix Mercury shoots the ball against Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) looks to tip a loose ball away from Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33).

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith (3) shoots against Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack (4).

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: A'ja Wilson (22) of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates after making a basket against the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Satou Sabally (0) of the Phoenix Mercury shoots the ball against Megan Gustafson (17) of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Satou Sabally (0) of the Phoenix Mercury looks to shoot the ball against NaLyssa Smith (3) of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: NaLyssa Smith (3) of the Las Vegas Aces reacts during the third quarter.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Chelsea Gray (12) of the Las Vegas Aces reacts against the Phoenix Mercury during the fourth quarter.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Alyssa Thomas (25) of the Phoenix Mercury drives to the basket against Jackie Young (0) of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Alyssa Thomas (25) of the Phoenix Mercury shoots the ball against Jackie Young (0) of the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) dribbles against Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2).

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) drives against Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2).

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Kahleah Copper (2) of the Phoenix Mercury celebrates after her 3-point basket.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Head coach Nate Tibbetts of the Phoenix Mercury looks on during the first quarter.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Maddy Westbeld of the Chicago Sky (left) and Rae Burrell of the Los Angeles Sparks look on.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Jackie Young (0) of the Las Vegas Aces reacts in front of Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon looks on.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Dana Evans of the Las Vegas Aces, shoots the ball between Monique Akoa Makani and Natasha Mack of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces drives to the basket against Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury grabs a rebound against the Las Vegas Aces.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces shoots the ball against Monique Akoa Makani of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Game 1: A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces grabs a rebound against Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

The best photos as Aces, Mercury meet in 2025 WNBA Finals

"We're now going to be a part of a revenue-sharing model, which is historic for the WNBA and really for the future to come, and now, it's kind of understanding that," Stewart said on her podcast.

"While it istiring and taxing, you want to be a part of it to make sure that it's for the better of the players, and also the league is going to continue and grow and thrive at such an important point. So you know what? We're not done. Hopefully, eventually, I'll be able to be like, 'Oh, my God, Myles. It's finished. It's over.' It's going to be incredible, but until then, we just keep trucking along."

Stewart's NBA co-host seemed to sympathise with the work that WNBA players are doing in the ongoing negotiations. Turner admitted that many NBA players are in the dark on the work that's been completed.

"I just think that you're fighting the good fight, and I don't think the guys on the NBA side truly see what's really going on the WNBA side," Turner said.

"We only hear headlines. We don't realize that you're on Zoom calls for four hours the day that you have games. We don't realize that you're spearheading these conversations as one of the faces of the league. If the shoe was on the other foot, I think it'd be a lot tougher. I think you're handling it really well."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Breanna Stewart gives positive update on WNBA CBA negotiations

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Chris Paul announces NBA retirement after 21 seasons: 'It's hard to really know what to feel'

February 13, 2026
Chris Paul announces NBA retirement after 21 seasons: 'It's hard to really know what to feel'

Chris Paul officially ended his 21-season career as one of the NBA's greatest point guards, announcing his retirement on Friday onInstagram.

Yahoo Sports INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 29: Chris Paul #3 of the Los Angeles Clippers jogs off court during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome on November 29, 2025 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

"This is it! After 21 years I'm stepping away from basketball," Paul wrote in the social-media post. "As I write this, it's hard to really know what to feel, but for once — most people would be surprised — I don't have the answer lol! But, mostly I'm filled with so much joy and gratitude!

"While this chapter of being an 'NBA player' is done, the game of basketball will forever be engrained in the DNA of my life."

The fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of Wake Forest, Paul ranks second on the NBA's all-time assist list — his 12,552 assists trail only John Stockton's 15,806. He is also second behind Stockton in steals. He leaves as a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA point guard, five-time single-season assists leader, nine-time All-Defense selection and a member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team.

For his career, Paul averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. men's national team. His next stop will be the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Paul and the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James are the only players with at least 20,000 points and 10,000 assists in their careers.

"Playing basketball for a living has been an unbelievable blessing that came with lots of responsibility," Paul also said in his Instagram post. "I embraced it all. The good and the bad. As a lifelong learner, leadership is hard and is not for the weak. Some will like you and many people won't. But the goal was always the goal, and my intentions were always sincere (Damn, I love competing!!)"

Paul had previously announced this would be his final season, a farewell tour of sorts, after he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason. The Clippers struggled to a 5-16 start and then sent him home from a roadtrip on Dec. 3, saying they planned to part ways with him after he reportedly clashedClippers head coach Tyronn Lue and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

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The Clippers kept Paul on the roster until trading him to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline earlier this month. There was never an expectation Paul would play for the Raptors, and the team waived him on Friday shortly before his retirement announcement.

The final game of Paul's career was a 140-123 loss to the Miami Heat on Dec. 1 in which he had eight points and three assists in 14 minutes. He averaged a career-low 2.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 16 games with the Clippers this season.

This was Paul's second stint with the Clippers. He also played for the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets after beginning his career with the New Orleans Hornets.

Last season with the Spurs, Paul was the oldest player in NBA history to start all 82 games. It was only the second time in his career Paul played all 82. He finished his career having played in 1,370 regular-season games and 149 playoff games.

Despite Paul's success and longevity, he never won an NBA championship. Untimely injuries sometimes limited his advancement in the playoffs, including in 2018 when he missed the last two games of the Western Conference finals as the Warriors beat his Rockets. He reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 2021 with the Suns and took a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks only to lose the next four games.

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Teammates ‘Heartbroken’ After College Baseball Player, 19, Dies In Bus Crash on Iowa Highway While Traveling to Game

February 13, 2026
Carter Johnson Iowa Lakes Community College

Iowa Lakes Community College

NEED TO KNOW

  • The college baseball player killed in Wednesday's bus crash in Iowa has been identified as 19-year-old Carter Johnson from South Dakota

  • The bus carrying more than two dozen athletes and staff members from Iowa Lakes Community College crashed while it was en route to Arkansas

  • Teammates performed CPR on Johnson but he died at the scene, police said

An Iowa college baseball team is "heartbroken" this week as it mourns a 19-year-old freshman who died afterthe team's bus crashedon the way to a series of games this weekend in Arkansas.

Iowa Lakes Community College announced Carter Johnson died in the crash Wednesday morning, according to local affiliatesKCRGandKHAK.

"Carter was a great teammate, a friend, and a valued member of our athletic community," Iowa Lakes Community College's athletic director Troy Larson said in a statement, according to KCRG. "We're heartbroken for this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carter's family, we cannot imagine the depth of their loss, and we are holding them close in our hearts."

Johnson was a freshman from South Dakota, according to the outlet.

The crash, which also injured the other 32 passengers aboard the team's bus, happened on Highway 4 near Twin Lakes just after 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, the Iowa State Patrol (ISP) confirmed in apress release.

Citing police, KCRG reported that the team's 74-year-old bus driver veered off the road and crashed when he overcorrected while trying to get back in the lane, rolling the bus over into a ditch along the highway. Two of the passengers were reportedly ejected from the bus and trapped under the bus when it came to a stop. A van carrying other student-athletes that was traveling behind the team's bus stopped, and the classmates attempted to perform CPR on Johnson, who died at the scene, according to the outlet.

Images from the scene showed the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team's bus overturned on its side with visible damage to the front as it lay in a ditch before eventually being towed away.

Iowa Bus Crash KCCI/youtube

KCCI/youtube

At the time of the deadly crash, the baseball team was on their way to play North Arkansas College in Harrison, Ark., the Northark Pioneers confirmed in aFacebook post.

"Our hearts are heavy as we grieve alongside the Iowa Lakes College community," Dr. Rick Massengale, North Arkansas College president, said in a statement. "The loss of a life is a tragedy that reaches far beyond one campus."

Read the original article onPeople

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Don Lemon expected to plead not guilty to charges arising from his protest coverage

February 13, 2026
Don Lemon expected to plead not guilty to charges arising from his protest coverage

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was expected to plead not guilty on Friday to charges connected to his coverage of protests over federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

NBC Universal Don Lemon. (Craig Barritt / Getty Images)

Lemon, now a freelance journalist, followed protesters who entered a St. Paul church on Jan. 18. He live streamed the demonstration against a pastor there who protesters said works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Lemon, 59,was arrested on Jan. 30, in a federal prosecution that's drawn criticism from news media and free speech advocates. A federal grand jury returned theindictmentagainst him and eight co-defendants connected to that church protest.

Attorney General Pam Bondicalled the church protesta "coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota."

Lemon was charged with conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, intimidating and interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom at a place of worship.

The National Association of Black Journalists said the arrest of Lemon and fellow freelancer Georgia Fort are part of "the government's escalating effort and actions to criminalize and threaten press freedom under the guise of law enforcement."

"A government that responds to scrutiny by targeting the messenger is not protecting the public, it is attempting to intimidate it, and considering recent incidents regarding federal agents, it is attempting to distract it,"according to an NABJ statement.

Harmeet Dhillon, the Trump administration's top civil rights official in the Justice Department, said that there's no precedent for using statutes to protect worshippers against journalists covering an event.

"In all these years up until I was the assistant attorney general for civil rights, nobody ever used that houses of worship part to prosecute protesters or criminals blocking access to a house of worship, so we've started to do that,"Dhillon has said.

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Border Patrol and ICE agents have carried out raids in and around Minneapolis, leading to mass protests around the region.Border "czar" Tom Homansaid Thursday that the immigration enfrocement operation there would end.

Federal authorities fatally shotMinneapolis residentsAlex Pretti, 37,andRenee Good, 37,during these clashes.

Good appeared to be drivingaway from federal agents on Jan. 7 when she was fatally shot, while Pretti, a nurse who worked with veterans,was helping a womanwho'd been shoved to the ground when he was killed on Jan. 24.

TheTrump administrationlabeled both U.S. citizens as"domestic terrorists"with no immediate evidence the shooting victims had sought to harm federal agents when they were shot at close range.

Before taking office, Trump had complained about what he described as the weaponization of federal authority against political enemies.

Trump's Department of Justice created a "Weaponization Working Group"meant to root out "abuses of the criminal justice process" by federal law enforcement.

The Trump administration has been scrambling to issue a report when the working group's leader Ed Martin,who took over inMay,was removed from his earlier this monthwith no public explanation.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Selina Guevara reported from St. Paul, Minnesota, and David K. Li from Los Angeles.

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