TV News LIES

Ric Grenell is leaving his role as head of the Kennedy Center, a source close to the Trump Kennedy Center confirmed to The Hill on Friday.

President Trump announced in a Truth Social post that Matt Floca, the current vice president of operations, would succeed Grenell as CEO and executive director, pending approval from the Board of Directors.

“Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done,” Trump wrote.

Grenell’s departure, first reported by Axios, comes at a tumultuous time for the renowned arts and cultural institution, which has seen dramatic changes since Trump took it over early last year and overhauled the board.

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The suspect who killed one person and injured two others at Old Dominion University on Thursday was identified by authorities as Mohamed Jalloh, a former member of the army national guard who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State.

Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, told reporters the suspect had attempted to commit an “act of terrorism” and shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. He was subdued and killed by members of the university’s ROTC program in a university classroom, she said, praising them for demonstrating “extreme bravery and courage” and preventing further loss of life. (ROTC is a college-based program that allows students to train to become a US military officer while also earning a college degree.)

Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger identified ROTC instructor Lt Col Brandon Shah as the victim killed in the shooting.

“A devoted ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Shah didn’t just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path,” she wrote on social media.

Kash Patel, the FBI director, said the bureau was investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism”.

“Earlier today, an armed individual opened fire at Old Dominion University, leaving one person dead and two others wounded,” Patel said on social media. “The shooter is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him – actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement.

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A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a head-on collision in western Texas that killed Laura Lynch, a founding member of a country music band now known as The Chicks, prosecutors said.

As part of a plea agreement, Domenick Chavez, 33, admitted that he was driving recklessly and caused the head-on crash that killed Lynch on Dec. 22, 2023, the El Paso District Attorney's Office said in a news release on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Lynch, 65, was killed instantly after Chavez attempted to pass four vehicles and collided into Lynch's truck.

The incident occurred on an undivided highway in Hudspeth County, about 50 miles east of El Paso. The El Paso District Attorney's Office also covers neighboring Hudspeth and Culberson counties.

"The death of Ms. Lynch caused profound sadness for her family, the Dell City community, and all those who appreciated her music. It is a loss made more acute by the fact that it happened just days before Christmas," El Paso District Attorney James Montoya said in a statement. "Our office will continue to hold accountable those defendants who choose to drive in an extremely dangerous manner."

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Bill Gates "took responsibility for his actions" over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, the group said in a statement.

Gates answered questions at the twice-a-year meeting Feb. 24 on a range of issues, "including the release of the Epstein files," the foundation said. "In the townhall, Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions," the foundation said.

Documents released by the Justice Department have indicated Gates and Epstein met repeatedly to discuss expanding the Microsoft founder's philanthropic efforts. The meetings came after Epstein was imprisoned for 13 months, ending in 2009, for a conviction on state charges in Florida of soliciting the prostitution involving a minor. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in custody on federal charges that he had sex-trafficked underage girls.

According to the Journal report, Gates told staff it was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein and bring Gates Foundation executives into meetings with the sex offender. The report cited a recording of Gates' comments in the town hall.

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Former Treasury Secretary ‌and Harvard President Larry Summers will resign from teaching at the end of the academic year, a Harvard spokesperson told USA TODAY.

The Feb. 25 announcement comes more than three months after the Justice Department revealed the longtime economist's ties ‌with ​the ​late ​convicted ‌sex offender Jeffrey ​Epstein.

“In connection with the ongoing review by the University of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that were recently released by the government, Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein has accepted Professor Lawrence H. Summers’ resignation from his leadership position as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government," said Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton in an emailed statement to USA TODAY.

Summers is also resigning from his academic and faculty appointments and will remain on leave until then, Newton added.

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Volunteer searchers fanned out looking for clues as the hunt for the missing 84-year-old mother of "Today" show cohost Savannah Guthrie entered its 22nd day.

Early on Feb. 22, volunteers gathered in the parking lot of a Tucson, Arizona, Hobby Lobby before beginning an informal search not far from Guthrie's house. The group recovered a backpack that was handed over to deputies.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department later said on Feb. 23 that the backpack found by volunteers does not appear to be a "viable lead," noting that it seems to be a different brand than the one the suspect wore in the doorbell surveillance footage that the FBI previously released. The backpack also "appears to have been outside for much longer than three weeks" and "contained identification of a minor within it," the sheriff's department said.

Authorities had no updates on the investigation as of the morning of Feb. 22, according to Angelica Carrillo, a sheriff's department spokesperson.

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The final day of competition at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics has concluded and the Games have reached their end.

Athletes from more than 90 countries battled in 116 events over 16 days, and USA TODAY tracked each nation's podium finishes. Here's a look at the final medal standings as the Closing Ceremony in Verona begins the countdown for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date. Get our Chasing Gold newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

Broadcast coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortino Winter Olympics is airing exclusively airing across NBC's suite of networks with many competitions airing live on its streaming service, Peacock, which you can sign up for here.

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Nurses have reached tentative deals on new contracts to end their strikes at hospitals run by Mount Sinai and Montefiore after nearly a month on the picketline, the New York State Nurses Association announced Monday.

Nurses must first vote on whether to ratify the tentative agreements before they can go back to work. Voting on the contracts was set to start Monday afternoon at the two hospital systems and continue through Wednesday, according to NYSNA. If the contracts are ratified, nurses will return to work by Saturday, NYSNA said.

Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian said they were still negotiating Monday morning. A spokesperson for the hospital said there was movement at the bargaining table over the weekend.

“We reached a tentative contact agreement!” announced one email sent by Mount Sinai Hospital’s nurses union executive committee at 4:45 a.m. Monday.

A Montefiore spokesperson confirmed the tentative deal. At Mount Sinai, CEO Brendan Carr wrote in a message to employees, “This process has been difficult for all of us." He added, "I commit to you that we will heal the organization together in the service of continuing to help people to live longer and better lives.”

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