U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced intense questioning during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing yesterday, Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

While the session was intended to review Department of Commerce funding and broadband deployment, it was dominated by scrutiny over his past associations with Jeffrey Epstein. 

Lutnick admitted under oath that he and his family had lunch on Epstein’s private island in 2012. He characterized the visit as a brief one-hour stop during a family vacation and insisted he “barely had anything to do” with Epstein.

The “grilling” was intensified by newly released Department of Justice files suggesting more extensive contact than Lutnick previously claimed, including business dealings as recently as 2014 and several scheduled meetings in 2011.

The revelation sparked bipartisan criticism. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined Democrats like Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in expressing concerns about his credibility, with some calling for his resignation.

Despite the pressure, the White House has maintained its support, stating that Lutnick remains an “important member” of the administration. 

Analysts suggest this hearing provides a “grim glimpse” into a future where the administration faces persistent legal and ethical scrutiny.

The fallout complicates the administration’s policy agenda, as the controversy overshadowed Lutnick’s testimony regarding significant proposed cuts in the 2026 budget, including a 16.5% reduction for the Department of Commerce and $1.5 billion in cuts to NOAA.

By Anthony Solly

The number of British troops in Norway will double over the next three years as part of efforts to combat Russian threats in the High North.

Defence Secretary John Healey said the number of armed forces personnel stationed in the Arctic nation would rise from around 1,000 to 2,000.

The commitment follows increasing concern among Nato allies about Russia’s activities in the Arctic, including the reopening of old Cold War bases and a growing military presence in the region.

“Demands on defence are rising and Russia poses the greatest threat to Arctic and High North security that we have seen since the Cold War,” Healey said.

The defence secretary will join Nato counterparts at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the proposals.

By Anthony Solly

WASHINGTON

Moderna announced Tuesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has refused to review its application for a new mRNA flu vaccine, citing issues with its clinical trial design.

The FDA issued a “refusal-to-file” letter stating that Moderna’s 40,000-person trial did not constitute an “adequate and well-controlled” study.

While the trial showed the mRNA vaccine was somewhat more effective than a standard flu shot in adults 50 and older, regulators said it failed to compare the new vaccine to the “best-available standard of care in the United States at the time of the study.”

The decision is the latest sign of heightened FDA scrutiny of vaccines under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has publicly criticized mRNA technology.

In the letter, FDA vaccine director Dr. Vinay Prasad noted that the agency had offered Moderna related advice in 2024 under the previous administration, which the company did not follow.

Moderna’s mRNA platform, which won a Nobel Prize and was successfully used in COVID-19 vaccines, has faced significant regulatory and political hurdles in its expansion to other diseases.

The company must now decide whether to address the FDA’s concerns and resubmit its application.

By James Kisoo

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

Dubai International Airport (DXB) reinforced its status as the world’s busiest hub in 2025, handling a record 95.2 million passengers and cementing a dramatic post-pandemic rebound into a sustained boom.

The state-owned airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, has now set annual passenger records for three consecutive years.

Traffic grew from 86.9 million in 2023 to 92.3 million in 2024 before reaching the latest milestone, far surpassing the pre-pandemic high of 86.3 million in 2019.

“Record traffic is no longer an exception, but part of its operating reality,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

The airport’s growth mirrors Dubai’s expanding appeal as a global crossroads for tourism, business, and real estate.

The emirate reported 19.6 million visitors in 2025, a 5% increase and another annual record, driven by its network of state-linked enterprises known as “Dubai Inc.”

Officials attribute the sustained surge to pent-up travel demand and the city’s rising profile as a destination for investment, tourism, and major international events.

By James Kisoo

WASHINGTON

A new Gallup poll shows Americans’ outlook for the future has fallen to a historic low, underscoring a deepening national pessimism.

Only about 59% of Americans in 2025 gave high marks when asked to rate how good their life will be in five years—the lowest annual measure since Gallup began tracking the question nearly two decades ago.

The findings reveal a notable divergence between how people view their present and their future. Historically, Gallup’s measures of “current” and “future” life satisfaction have moved in tandem.

But over the last decade, while current satisfaction has declined, optimism about the future has fallen even more sharply.

This gap signals a profound shift in the national mood. The poll suggests Americans are not only unhappy with current conditions but are growing more doubtful that their lives will improve in the years ahead.

By James Kisoo

VANCOUVER, British Columbia

A female shooter opened fire at a secondary school in northern British Columbia on Tuesday, killing at least eight people and wounding more than 25 others before being found dead at the scene, authorities said.

Two additional victims were later discovered dead at a nearby home, bringing the total killed to 10, including the shooter, in a rare Canadian mass shooting.

The attack occurred at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, which serves about 175 students in Grades 7 through 12.

The small, remote community of Tumbler Ridge has a population of roughly 2,400 people and is located more than 600 miles north of Vancouver.

Police did not release the name of the suspected shooter and said the motive remained unclear. “We are not in a place to understand why or what may have motivated this tragedy,” RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd told reporters.

Two of the wounded were airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. Investigators are still working to determine the relationship between the shooter and the victims.

School shootings are exceedingly rare in Canada, which has stricter gun laws than the United States, making the scale of the violence in Tumbler Ridge a profound shock to the nation.

By James Kisoo

TUCSON, Ariz.

Investigators detained a person for questioning Tuesday in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, marking a potential break in a case that has captivated the nation for more than a week.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said deputies took the person into custody during a traffic stop south of Tucson.

Officials did not immediately confirm if the individual is the same masked person seen in surveillance footage released hours earlier by the FBI.

That footage, taken the night Guthrie vanished, shows a figure in a ski mask and backpack approaching her front door.

The person, who has a handgun holster visible, appears to be deliberately avoiding the doorbell camera—tilting their head down, trying to cover the lens with a gloved hand and a piece of a plant torn from the yard.

The FBI, which released the video, referred all questions about the detention to the sheriff’s department.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, is the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie. Her disappearance has prompted a massive search and public appeals, including a video statement from Savannah Guthrie directed at potential kidnappers over the weekend.

By James Kisoo