U.S.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — In some families, children are expected to attend the same college as their parents or root for mom or dad’s favorite team.

In Azaria Hill’s family, the children were encouraged to go to the Olympics. Not to watch, but to compete.

Hill’s father Virgil, a boxer, earned a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Games. Hill’s mother, Denean Howard, met Virgil at the 1984 Games and won Olympic gold that year running with her sister, Sherri Howard, in the 4×400-meter relay. The sisters won silver medals in the 4×400 at the 1988 Olympics before Denean earned another silver at the 1992 Games.

“At a very young age, since I could understand what the Olympics were and knew what my family did as Olympians, I knew that’s something that I wanted to do and wanted to experience,” Hill said.

But her top marks of 11.70 seconds in the 100 meters and 23.93 in the 200 didn’t rank in the top 100 for U.S. women in 2021, her senior year at Nevada Las Vegas. So if she was going to continue the family tradition, she knew she’d have to find another sport.

Jadin O’Brien was in a similar fix. She won two NCAA titles in the pentathlon but finished seventh at the U.S. trials ahead of the 2024 Games. To realize her Olympic dream, she’d have to change sports too.

Luckily for both women, there was a well-worn path from the track to the Winter Olympics: Just hop onto a sled. On Friday, Hill and O’Brien will complete their journeys when the two-woman bobsled competition gets underway at the Cortina Sliding Centre.

“I never thought that this would even be a possibility or an opportunity,” Hill said. “It just kind of fell into my lap and I was really good at it. I stuck it out and worked hard and here I am a Winter Olympian.”

She has Kaysha Love, a UNLV teammate, to thank for that. An 11-time high school track champion in Utah, Love was encouraged by her college coach to take part in a 12-day bobsled rookie camp after COVID shortened the track season her senior year. That led to more auditions and 14 months later she and pilot Kaillie Humphries won a World Cup race.

U.S. bobsledders Azaria Hill, left, and Kaysha Love take part in a training run Wednesday in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

(Aijaz Rahi / Associated Press)

After just six races, Love made the 2022 U.S. Olympic team as a brakewoman. She then tried to sell Hill on the sport.

“She was like ‘I think you should try it. Let’s see if you can do it,’” Hill remembered. “I went to my first rookie camp and I did really well, got invited back to some more camps, and ended up making my first World Cup team.”

That was in December 2023. Two years later she made it to the Olympics as the brakewoman for Love, who is now a driver.

“That’s completely opposite of what I thought I’d be doing,” Hill said. “The first time it is definitely scary. I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I even want to do this.’ It is an acquired taste.

“But Keisha Love was just super positive.”

O’Brien’s rise to Olympian in the two-person bobsled, the second-fastest sliding sport of the Winter Games, has been even swifter. Elana Meyers Taylor, a five-time Olympian and five-time medalist, began recruiting O’Brien to be her brakewoman after the Beijing Games. At first she resisted, but last summer O’Brien decided she needed a rest from track “and bobsled seemed like a good alternative, so I took it up.”

Jadin O’Brien, left, and Elana Meyers Taylor prepare for a bobsled training run at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games on Wednesday.

(Aijaz Rahi / Associated Press)

In her World Cup debut four months later, O’Brien pushed Taylor to a fourth-place finish, earning a spot on the Olympic team.

“There was so much I needed to learn,” she said. “Luckily there were quite a few girls who were very patient with me, who helped me understand the sport, understand form.”

One of the most important things she had to learn is when to pull the brake.

“If you do it too early, then you’re going to drastically hurt your time. If you do it too late, there’s a chance you’re going to ruin the runners because the track ends at a certain point,” O’Brien said.

And that decision has to be made in a heartbeat at the end of a mile-long ice chute covered at speeds exceeding 90 mph.

“It’s terrifying. You’re going super, super fast. As a brakeman you can’t see what’s going on because your head is down,” she said. “But at the same time it’s very thrilling. You feel like you’re flying if the run is done right. It’s almost addicting.”

Track athletes like Hill, 27, and O’Brien, 23, have a long history of success in bobsled, where speed and power at the start are important. Lauryn Williams won a gold medal on the track in the 2012 London Games and a silver on the back of Taylor’s sled two years later in Sochi. Lolo Jones won three world championships on the track and two in a bobsled. Most of the Jamaican team in Cortina is made up of sprinters who couldn’t catch Usain Bolt, so they climbed in a bobsled instead.

“They’ve got just an athleticism that is very applicable to pushing sleds,” said Curtis Tomasevicz, a former football player at Nebraska who won gold and silver Olympic medals in the four-man bobsled before becoming a coach with the U.S. team. “We’re recruiting athletes that have a sprinting ability and we feel like we can teach them to be bobsledders in a short amount of time.”

For Hill, that transition from the sprints to a sled has allowed her to carry on a family tradition. And she’ll have 11 relatives — including two Olympic medalists — at the Cortina Sliding Centre on Friday when she creates her own memories as the first Hill to compete in the Winter Games.

“They’re super excited seeing me on this journey, being that I’ve been able to kind of follow my own mission, create something for myself,” she said. “It’s almost like they’re kind of experiencing it again, but just in a different way.

“This has definitely exceeded my expectations of what I thought being an Olympian would be. It’s so much fun.”

Feb. 19 (UPI) — The United States has put military forces in place in the Middle East for a potential strike on Iran but President Donald Trump has not decided whether to attack or continue negotiations on Thursday.

A strike could occur as early as this weekend, with naval and air forces quickly coming into place. National security officials met in the Situation Room on Wednesday to discuss courses of action against Iran.

U.S. armed forces have been assembling in the Middle East in recent weeks as the United States and Iran have negotiated a scaling back of Iran’s nuclear program. The latest conversations took place in Geneva on Tuesday, sans Trump who said he would be involved “indirectly.”

The negotiations between the United States and Iran ended without a resolution on Tuesday. Trump has called for Iran to end its nuclear program.

Iranian officials said they agreed with U.S. negotiators on a “set of guiding principles.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said to expect more details about these negotiations to come forward in the weeks to come. She did not say whether Trump would take action before that happens.

“I’m not going to set deadlines on behalf of the president of the United States,” she said.

In recent weeks, the United States has moved warships to the Indian Ocean while Trump warned Iran over the killings and detainments of thousands of protesters against the Iranian regime.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has an interest in Iran drawing down its missile capabilities as well. Israeli forces have been on alert over the possibility of an open conflict as tensions have continued to heighten.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to meet with Netanyahu in Israel on Feb. 28, to provide an update on the negotiations with Iran.

The United States launched strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June, causing what Iranian officials called “serious and significant damage.”

Feb. 19 (UPI) — More than 550 commercial driver’s license schools were cited for safety violations, including employing unqualified teachers, using improper vehicles, failing to properly test students, among other violations, according to the Trump administration, which said the “sham” institutions received notice they would be removed from the federal government’s National Training Provider Registry.

The Department of Transportation said Wednesday that more than 300 investigators conducted 1,426 on-site inspections of driver training schools across the country in a five-day sting operation. The Commercial Vehicle Training Association said the inspections took place during the week of Dec. 8.

The DOT said more than 550 schools were found in violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s safety standards. Of those, 109 training providers agreed to voluntarily remove themselves from the registry, while an additional 97 schools remain under investigation.

“For too long, the trucking industry has operated like the Wild, Wild, West, where anything goes and nobody asks any questions. The buck stops with me,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.

“American families should have confidence that our school bus and truck drivers are following every letter of the law and that starts with receiving proper training before getting behind the wheel.”

The department said some of the schools lacked qualified instructors, used fake addresses or failed to properly train drivers in the transportation of hazardous materials. One school provided training for school bus drivers, the department said.

Following the inspections, CVTA, the largest association of commercial truck driver training programs, said in a statement that it welcomed the initiative, saying it strengthened “the integrity of commercial driver education and reaffirmed the critical role high-quality training plays in protecting the motoring public.”

Feb. 19 (UPI) — Several victims of an avalanche that hit Northern California’s backcountry on Tuesday were connected to a private school for competitive skiers, the institution said.

Officials with Sugar Bowl Academy in Norden, Calif., confirmed Wednesday that multiple victims were either members or had strong connections with the school. They said they would not release the names of the victims and survivors.

“We are an incredibly close and connected community. This tragedy has affected each and every one of us,” Stephen McMahon, executive director of Sugar Bowl Academy, said in a statement.

A group of 15 skiers, including four guides, set off Sunday for a three-day backcountry trip, and were returning amid dangerous conditions Tuesday when they were hit by an avalanche near Castle Peak in California’s mountainous Nevada County at about 11:30 a.m. PST.

Six members of the party became stranded, taking refuge in makeshift shelters. The remaining nine were unaccounted for.

Search teams were deployed, and the six surviving members — one guide and five clients — were rescued late Tuesday, according to authorities, who said the search for those missing would continue.

Authorities earlier Wednesday announced that eight of the unaccounted for had been confirmed dead and one was still missing. The deceased included three professional guides with Blackbird Mountain Guides, and one person was the spouse of a member of a deployed rescue team.

Of the six survivors, three were injured, including two who were unable to walk, authorities added.

The party consisted of nine men and six women whose ages ranged from 30 to 55.

Zeb Blais, founder of Blackbird Mountain Guides, which had organized the expedition, said all guides with the group were trained or certified in backcountry skiing and each was an instructor with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.

“There’s still a lot that we’re learning about what happened,” Blais said in a statement. “It’s too soon to draw conclusions, but investigations are underway.”

Blackbird Mountain Guides has suspended field operations through Sunday at a minimum, according to Blais.

“Our most important focus is on those directly impacted and supporting their needs,” Blais said.

“We ask that people following this tragedy refrain from speculating. We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do. In the meantime, please keep those impacted in your hearts.”

MILAN — The U.S. men haven’t stood on the podium at the end of an Olympic hockey tournament in 16 years and haven’t played for a medal in 12.

In fact, it’s been so long since an American hockey team took home a prize from the Winter Games none of the players on this year’s team, the second youngest in the Milan-Cortina competition, had finished high school the last time it happened.

No one on the team was even alive the last time the U.S. won gold in 1980.

This team has a chance to end that drought after beating Sweden 2-1 in overtime Wednesday to advance to Friday’s semifinals, where they will play Slovakia. The win was the Americans’ first over Sweden in an Olympic tournament in nine games dating to 1960.

The winning goal came from Quinn Hughes 3:27 into the extra period. Canada also advanced to the semifinals, overcoming one-goal deficits twice to beat Czechia 4-3 in overtime. Canada will play Finland, another overtime winner, in its semifinals.

The first U.S. goal came from Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings but Sweden forced the overtime when it pulled its goalie, allowing Mika Zibanejad to score on a slap shot from the left circle with 91 seconds left in regulation.

Hughes, a Minnesota Wild defenseman, then ended things, circling around the ice to create space, then skating into the high slot and blasting a shot between two defenders and past Swedish goalie Jacob Markstrom.

“Quinn, he’s a special player,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin of the Vegas Golden Knights. “So much swagger and confidence on the ice. And he’s always looking to take over. He did that for us in overtime.”

The game began like a heavyweight title fight, with both teams cautiously probing the other for weaknesses. The U.S. finally found one midway through the second period with Larkin deflecting in a one-timer from Jack Hughes at the blue line. Hughes’ shot was headed directly into the pads of Markstrom, who was perfectly positioned for an easy save, before Larkin, perched on the doorstep, reached out to deflect the puck by Markstrom on his gloved side.

The Americans haven’t trailed since the middle of the second period of their second game. But losing a lead with just 1 ½ minutes to play tested the team’s “character, just the will to win,” forward Brady Tkachuk said.

“That’s something that can deflate you and end your tournament, if you don’t just put your mind back in a good spot,” he added. “It shows the character being able to bounce back get that one.”

“That’s a big momentum shift. But there wasn’t any panic,” Charlie McAvoy added. “I got back to the bench [and] it’s just you’ve got to flush it. That was kind of what I was saying to myself. It’s a tie game now.”

Dylan Larkin (21) is congratulated by U.S. teammates on the bench as he skates off the ice after scoring a goal against Sweden during the second period Wednesday.

(Hassan Ammar / Associated Press)

It didn’t stay that way for long before Hughes broke Sweden’s heart, beating Markstrom cleanly. Markstrom was otherwise spectacular, making 38 saves — two with his helmeted head and probably deserved a better fate.

In the last two Olympic tournaments the Americans, playing without NHL players, were bounced in the quarterfinals while Canada got no further than the bronze-medal game. The top pros didn’t participate in the 2018 Games because of a dispute between the NHL and the International Olympic Committee regarding insurance, travel costs and marketing rights. They were held out four years ago over scheduling complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Not surprisingly, getting some of the best players in the world back has made a difference, with the unbeaten Canadians rolling to a tournament-best plus-18 goal differential while the averaged 4 1/2 goals a game in their four wins.

“It’s been unreal,” Hanifin said of the tournament. “It’s so fun to be a part of. Anytime you get into these one-game eliminations, anything can happen so you’ve got to be to be prepared.

“But that’s part of what makes the Olympics so special and hard to win.”

Canada’s comeback spoiled good performances by a pair of Anaheim Ducks. Defenseman Radko Gudas got an assist on the Czechs’ first score while NHL teammate Lukas Dostal turned away 37 shots in goal. But Montreal Canadiens’ captain Nick Suzuki got a fortunate bounce on a deflection to tie the score with 3:27 left in regulation before Vegas’ Mitch Marner scored the game-winner 82 seconds in overtime for Canada, which led for less than six minutes.

On his way to the dressing room, Gudas picked some snow off the ice and kissed it. At 35, this was his second and likely last Olympic tournament.

“It’s a mix of emotions, because you feel sad but proud in the same time,” said Dostal, who was playing in his first Olympics. “It hurts. It’s probably gonna hurt for a long time.”

The victory might have come at a high cost for Canada, which saw captain Sidney Crosby limp to the dressing room in the second period following a collision with Gudas along the boards. Crosby, who has two goals and four assists in the tournament, will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday; his status for Friday’s semifinal is unknown.

For the U.S. and Canada, two more wins brings a gold medal while a loss Friday means that dream is over.

“It’s a one-game tournament,” Canada’s Tom Wilson said. “It’s not seven games. It’s a one-game tournament. And everybody thinks they can win.”

Feb. 18 (UPI) — A federal court gave a final ruling Wednesday negating the Department of Education’s 2025 directive that sought to prevent federally funded schools and universities from practicing diversity, equity and inclusion.

The U.S. District Court in New Hampshire issued the ruling that permanently invalidated the “Dear Colleague” letter of Feb. 14, 2025, after the Department of Education backed down from the lawsuit. The letter, signed by Craig Trainor, who was then the acting assistant secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education, told schools they had 14 days to comply with the directive or face consequences, including loss of funding. Trainor cited the Supreme Court‘s 2023 ruling on Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard, which effectively ended affirmative action.

Soon after, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of New Hampshire, the ACLU of Massachusetts and lawyers for the National Education Association, filed suit to block enforcement of the letter. The Center for Black Educator Development and several New Hampshire School Districts later joined the case as plaintiffs.

In April, the court issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Department of Education from enforcing the new ruling.

District Court Judge Landya McCafferty ruled earlier in the case that the letter’s “isolated characterizations of unlawful DEI” conflicted with the term’s meaning, saying that DEI is fostering “a group culture of equitable and inclusive treatment.”

McCafferty said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in proving that the letter was vague, viewpoint discriminatory and unlawfully imposed new legal obligations.

Plaintiffs said they were pleased with the decision.

“This ruling affirms what educators and communities have long known: celebrating the full existence of every person and sharing the truth about our history is essential,” Sharif El-Mekki, CEO at The Center for Black Educator Development, said in a statement. “Today’s decision protects educators’ livelihoods and their responsibility to teach honestly.”

“While [President Donald] Trump and [Secretary of Education Linda] McMahon want to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion, educators know these values are at the core of our nation,” Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, said in a statement. “The Trump administration’s unlawful Dear Colleague letter and certification requirement have now been vacated and abandoned, underscoring how badly Trump and McMahon overreached in their attempt to interfere with curriculum and instruction.”

Feb. 18 (UPI) — White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett on Wednesday said that employees at the New York Federal Reserve should face punishment for publishing “the worst paper I’ve ever seen in the history of the Federal Reserve System.

The research published Feb. 12 concluded that most of President Donald Trump‘s tariffs are being paid by U.S. businesses and consumers. The authors said 90% of the costs are being passed on, though it acknowledged that the effect had dropped slightly as the year went on.

In an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, called it an “embarrassment” and said of the four authors, “the people associated with this paper should presumably be disciplined.”

He argued that tariffs are responsible for a higher standard of living.

“Prices have gone down. Inflation is down over time,” Hassett said. “Import prices dropped a lot in the first half of the year and then leveled off, and [inflation-adjusted] wages were up $1,400 on average last year, which means that consumers were made better off by the tariffs. And consumers couldn’t have been made better off by the tariffs if this New York Fed analysis was correct.”

Harvard Business School, Yale’s Budget Lab, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and the Congressional Budget Office have published similar findings, Politico reported.

“Our results imply that U.S. import prices for goods subject to the average tariff increased by 11% … more than those for goods not subject to tariffs,” the paper, written by Mary Amiti, Chris Flanagan, Sebastian Heise and David E. Weinstein, said. “U.S. firms and consumers continue to bear the bulk of the economic burden of the high tariffs imposed in 2025.”

Hassett was on Trump’s short list for Fed chair, but Kevin Warsh was chosen.

The United States spends more on its military than any other country. Military spending by the U.S. made up almost 40% of the total military spending worldwide in 2023, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). When adjusted to 2024 dollars, the U.S. spent $5.74 trillion on WWII alone. That’s more than WWI, Vietnam, Korean, or the post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

U.S. military spending is expected to increase by 10% over the next decade. Congress approved and signed the Department of Defense’s (DOD) new budget into law for fiscal year 2024, which included $841.4 billion in funding for the Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, National Guard, and more.

According to projections by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), military expenditures will reach $922 billion (in 2024 dollars) by 2038. Almost 70% of that increase will be for the operation and maintenance of military personnel. The DOD requested $850 billion for 2025 to spend on the military. That’s about 3% of the GDP and relatively low compared to other times in U.S. history. The financial methods used to fund these expenditures will include increasing taxes and the national debt.

This level of military spending has national and global impacts and affects the economy.

Analyzing U.S. Military Spending from WWI to Post-9/11

Looking at military spending by war can show us how wars and defense spending affected the U.S. economy, factors that influenced military spending, and trends in defense spending over the years.

The total amount spent on each major U.S. war has been inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. All estimates are of the costs of military operations only and do not reflect the costs of veterans’ benefits, interest on war-related debt, or assistance to allies.

WWI (1917 – 1918): $466.91 Billion

The total cost of World War I was about $466.91 billion in 2024 dollars. When WWI began in 1914, the U.S. was in a recession. However, the economy began to recover and boom after European demand for U.S. goods increased during the war. 

This only intensified when the U.S. entered WWI in 1917, causing a massive increase in federal spending due to shifting the economy from peacetime to wartime production. Entering the war also created new manufacturing jobs and left more jobs open in the labor force, as many young men were drafted into the military. The government also funded the war by increasing taxes and selling Liberty bonds to Americans, who were later paid back the value of their bonds with interest. 

Funding WWI increased the U.S. national debt to over $25 billion by the war’s end. However, the U.S. emerged from WWI as an economic world power. Going into the 1920s, the national debt decreased, the government had a budget surplus, and stock market returns increased. The effect lasted until the economy crashed in 1929, the beginning of the Great Depression.

WWII (1941 – 1945): $5.74 Trillion

The U.S. spent nearly $6 trillion on World War II in 2024 dollars. In the peak year of spending, WWII expenditures made up 35.8% of the national GDP. Federal government spending on WWII was unprecedented.

The U.S. had one of the most significant periods of short-term economic growth between 1941 and 1945, largely fueled by government spending on WWII. The government-funded WWII mainly by increasing taxes and taking on debt. Government debt grew to more than $258 billion by the end of WWII. Tax rates also increased sharply, resulting in even families in poverty having to pay taxes. The average tax rate for top incomes rose up to 90% as well.

War-time production also boomed during this time, with over 36% of the estimated GDP solely dedicated to producing war goods. Over this short period, the U.S. produced 17 million rifles and pistols, over 80,000 tanks, 41 billion rounds of ammunition, 4 million artillery shells, 75,000 vessels, and about 300,000 planes, among other equipment and services needed for the war. However, with so many resources going into war production, it became harder for families to purchase household items like washing machines, irons, water heaters, and food that had to be rationed.   

When the U.S. entered WWII, it was reeling from the effects of the Great Depression, the most severe and prolonged recession in modern world history, from 1929 to 1941. Many attribute government spending on WWII to the end of the Great Depression. However, this broken window fallacy challenges the notion that going to war is good for a nation’s economy.

The theory also suggests that a boost to one part of the economy can cause losses in another part. While WWII reduced unemployment from the Great Depression as many were enlisted or worked in factories, the standard of living declined because of rationing and high taxes. Private sector jobs and production fell, along with overall consumption and investment.

Korean War (1950 – 1953): $476.69 Billion

The U.S. spent about $476.69 billion on the Korean War in 2024 dollars. While it was technically a civil war between the two opposing sides of the Korean peninsula, the U.S. and the United Nations joined in 1950 to support South Korea in a clash over democracy versus communism.

The U.S. funded the Korean War by implementing higher tax rates, contrasting funding by debt as in WWII. To do this, the government enacted the Revenue Act of 1950, increasing income tax rates to WWII levels. Individual and corporate taxes were raised again in 1951.

This was a financially turbulent time as the government had to implement price and wage controls to respond to the inflation created by additional government spending. Consumption and investment, two key factors contributing to the GDP, slowed down during this time and did not go back to pre-war levels.

Vietnam War (1962 – 1973): $1.03 Trillion

The U.S. spent about $1 trillion on the Vietnam war between 1962 to 1973. Military operations for the Vietnam War ramped up more slowly than WWII and the Korean War, with troop deployments starting in 1965. However, the U.S. had been providing aid and military training to South Vietnam since 1954 when Vietnam split into communist North Vietnam and the democratic South.

President John F. Kennedy expanded military aid in Vietnam as the conflict escalated between the North and the South, and President Lyndon B. Johnson continued that trend after Kennedy’s assassination. Escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam was, in part, due to fears of the domino theory—the belief that if communism took over in Vietnam, it would spread through all of Southeast Asia.

The U.S. funded the war effort mainly by increasing taxes and advancing an expansive monetary policy that eventually led to high inflation in the mid-70s. Non-military spending was also very high during this time (unlike in previous wars, where military spending was significantly higher than non-military spending), largely due to President Johnson’s Great Society social programs, which included domestic policy initiatives such as work-study, Medicare, Medicaid, increased aid to public schools, and more.

Financing the war through increasing taxes and expansionary monetary policy left a lasting effect on the economy. It fueled inflation and caused the market to stagnate, which eventually turned into stubborn stagflation.

Afghanistan and Iraq Wars (2001 – 2021): $3.68 Trillion

The U.S. spent a total of $3.68 trillion in 2024 dollars on the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars over two decades. Military spending reached record levels under President George W. Bush, who launched the war in Afghanistan and the War on Terror in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and the Iraq War in 2003.

The Afghanistan and Iraq Wars began in weak economic conditions owing to the recession from 2001 to 2002 after the Dotcom Bubble burst. Since this was the first time in U.S. history when taxes were cut during a war, both of these wars were completely funded by deficit spending. The government used an expansionary monetary policy that included low interest rates and fewer bank regulations to help stimulate the economy, but it was unsustainable in the long term for the U.S. government’s finances. The Federal Reserve Board increased interest rates again in 2006 and 2007 to help curb the housing bubble before the Great Recession in 2008. 

Military spending on operations in the Middle East peaked at nearly $964.4 billion in 2010, although it decreased in 2012 after the Budget Control Act of 2011, which was enacted in part to limit military spending to help bring down the growing national debt. However, annual caps on military spending were removed as of 2021. The Iraq War ended in 2011 under President Barack Obama, while the Afghanistan War ended in 2021 under President Joe Biden.

Key Drivers Behind U.S. Military Spending

Breakdown of U.S. Military Spending Components

Every year, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) proposes a total budget and its specific allocations, which then go through Congress for approval. 

Military spending includes many different categories. The largest category is generally operation and maintenance, including military training and planning, maintenance of equipment, and a majority of the military healthcare system. In 2023, $318 billion was spent on military operation and maintenance.

The next biggest spending category is military personnel, which goes toward pay and retirement benefits for service members. About $184 billion was spent on military personnel in 2023. Other military spending categories include acquiring weapons and systems, research and development of weapons and equipment, and smaller categories such as building military facilities and family housing.

Influences on U.S. Military Expenditure

Military spending can be influenced by several factors, such as wars, international tensions, and government expenditures. For example, military spending dropped significantly during the 1990s after the end of the Cold War before increasing again in the 2000s because of the War on Terror and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  

A shift in government priorities can affect military spending. After the Budget Control Act of 2011 was passed, military spending decreased, placing annual limits on defense spending—although these limits no longer exist.

Due to the U.S.’s involvement in other countries’ economic and political landscape, humanitarian aid and development in other countries can further affect future military spending decisions. 

Advancements in science and technology influence military spending, too. Developments in medical research, artificial intelligence, and new technologically advanced military systems affect defense spending. The Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2024 approved $21.43 billion in funding for science and technology, about $3.6 billion above the budget requested by the DOD. The bill also included more than $100 million over the requested amount for adopting artificial intelligence.

Economic Impact of U.S. Military Spending

The U.S. government has historically used a combination of methods to help fund wars including increasing taxes, pulling back on non-military spending, debt, and managing the money supply. All of these methods have affected the economy in various ways.

For example, WWII and the post-9/11 wars were largely funded by debt, whereas the Korean and Vietnam wars were financed by increasing taxes and inflation. One common thread between the wars, however, is that they increased pressure on inflation. Though inflation can be useful for reducing debt, the overall effects harm the economy and cause issues such as eroding purchasing power and reducing international competitiveness.

Military spending can also spur technological growth and innovation, creating demand and new jobs. However, some argue that defense spending on military research can divert talent away from other industries. High levels of military spending during WWII helped end unemployment and even increased income distribution. However, consumption and investment decreased because of resource redirection to the war effort. 

While military spending has had some positive effects over the years, the macroeconomic effects of military spending on major U.S. wars have been largely negative, according to an analysis by the Institute of Economics and Peace. War financing through debt, taxation, or inflation puts pressure on taxpayers, reduces private-sector consumption, and decreases investment.

U.S. Military Spending Relative to GDP

It’s important to note that while current U.S. military spending is higher than at any point of the Cold War (when adjusted for inflation), it is still low when considering defense spending as a percentage of the country’s GDP. The DOD has requested $850 billion in spending for 2025, which is about 3% of the GDP—that’s relatively low compared to other times in U.S. history. Looking at military spending in terms of GDP reveals that the U.S. economy has generally grown faster than military spending, so its share of the GDP has been lower. Military spending in the U.S. increased by 62% between 1980 and 2023, from $506 billion to $820 billion after adjusting for inflation. However, military spending still trails behind overall federal spending, which increased 175% over the same period.

The Bottom Line

The U.S. spends more on its military than any other country. The government has financed major wars by increasing taxes and debt and adjusting the money supply. Although military spending has reduced unemployment and has led to new developments in technology, the financing methods have increased inflationary pressures, causing negative long-term effects such as decreased purchasing power.

The larger macroeconomic consequences of large-scale military spending have included issues such as higher taxes, inflation, and larger government budget deficits.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 18 (UPI) — The United States is tightening the noose on Iran-backed Hezbollah, stepping up pressure with new sanctions aimed at cutting it off from the global financial system and hindering its efforts to regroup and secure new funding sources.

Severely weakened by the recent war with Israel, the group is seeking to recover after losing much of its military capacity, senior leadership and key funding channels that once enabled it to become a powerful regional actor.

With the loss of Syria as its primary supply corridor from Iran after the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and of Venezuela as a suspected financial safe haven amid allegations of drug trafficking and money‑laundering operations, Hezbollah’s financial strains have emerged as one of its most pressing challenges.

Gone are the days when Hezbollah could generously support its popular base, paying reconstruction grants, salaries and stipends that helped it secure loyalty and maintain influence.

Today, the group is increasingly forced to prioritize its financial obligations, redirecting scarce resources to maintain core operations.

Limiting housing allowances or delaying payments to villagers whose homes were destroyed or damaged during the recent war in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs, illustrates Hezbollah’s growing inability to meet its regular financial obligations.

Its efforts to secure funds, generate revenue and evade international sanctions were again targeted by the U.S. Treasury Department, which last week sanctioned Jood SARL, a Lebanon-based company linked to the group’s gold trading network.

The firm is accused of creating a chain of businesses to trade gold within Lebanon and potentially abroad, converting Hezbollah’s gold reserves into liquid funds.

The sanctions also extend to an Iran-based shipping network with connections involving Turkey and a Russian national based in Moscow, underscoring the global reach of Hezbollah’s revenue-generating activities.

According to Mohammad Fheili, a risk strategist and monetary economist, the U.S. Treasury is attempting to “pollute the ecosystem” Hezbollah uses to convert assets into operational cash.

“The immediate effect is less about ‘zeroing funding’ and more about raising the friction cost of money,” Fheili told UPI, explaining that the sanctions increase counterparty caution among dealers, shippers and intermediaries, and can effectively freeze access to “clean” trade channels.

He pointed out that procurement then becomes slower and more expensive. When networks are exposed, replacement channels tend to be costlier, involving more intermediaries, greater leakage and a higher risk of interception.

“Even when Hezbollah can move value through cash-heavy channels, everyone around it — licensed exchange houses, logistics firms and commodity traders — faces higher compliance and reputational risks,” Fheili said. “This, in turn, shrinks the pool of ‘willing’ facilitators.”

Some Lebanese businessmen, who have long acted as Hezbollah’s facilitators both in the country and across the diaspora, are reportedly becoming more cautious, fearing they could be targeted by U.S. sanctions and face civil or criminal penalties.

Ali Al-Amin, who runs the “Janoubia” website from southern Lebanon, which focuses on the Shiite community and Hezbollah, said those businessmen were initially drawn to Hezbollah’s rising power — not its ideology — for financial gain.

Al-Amin said that some people, particularly those with established operations in African countries, worry they could face pressure or become targets of the new financial restrictions on Hezbollah in the coming phase.

“They are distancing themselves and keeping away from Hezbollah to protect themselves,” he told UPI. “Being close to the group has become more costly than rewarding.”

He contended, however, that if the Americans had wanted to put Hezbollah — which he said has long enjoyed freedom of movement in Europe and Africa — in check, they could have done so a long time ago.

“It gave facilitators the impression that they had some kind of cover, even internationally,” he said.

Although Hezbollah has long been under U.S. and international sanctions as a designated terrorist organization, U.S. Treasury officials say the group has managed to evade many of these restrictions by maintaining a complex global financial network and using front companies to launder funds.

At the height of the Hezbollah-Israel war, Lebanon tightened security at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport and indefinitely suspended flights to and from Iran to prevent Israeli strikes on the country’s main air and sea gateways, which Israel claimed were being used to smuggle funds and weapons to Hezbollah.

Rigorous security checks have been implemented at the airport, with stricter inspections on flights from Iraq and other designated destinations and thorough screenings of passengers and baggage. Even diplomatic pouches carried by visiting Iranian officials were denied clearance.

The measures forced Hezbollah to seek new smuggling methods, including passengers or pilgrims to Iraq’s holy sites in Najaf and Karbala carrying back cash money , or concealing funds in parcels from various countries.

Even if some of these attempts were successful, the smuggled funds remain limited and insufficient to meet Hezbollah’s actual needs, according to al-Amin, who said the group has “100,000 salaries to pay every month” and has shifted to dealing in gold and digital currencies.

He said that although Hezbollah’s followers are “worried and cautious,” they still view the group as a safety net, capable of leveraging its power and influence within public institutions “to secure government compensation, a hospital bed, or a school seat.”

“But the Shiites [in Lebanon] also realized that Hezbollah led them into disaster, leaving them without allies in Syria, Lebanon, or the wider world,” al-Amin said.

In a surprise move early this month, Kuwait placed eight Lebanese hospitals on its terrorism sanctions list, citing suspected involvement in or facilitation of terrorism — a move aimed at Hezbollah.

“This is significant because it extends ‘pressure targeting’ from financiers and front companies to service institutions such as healthcare, which are socially sensitive and politically symbolic,” Fheili said.

To confront the challenges stemming from the Israeli war, Hezbollah’s new leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, has embarked on what appears to be a comprehensive restructuring of the group, sidelining some figures, promoting others and dissolving or merging units.

The resignation of Wafic Safa, head of the Liaison and Coordination Unit — a post that allowed him significant influence and interference over security, political and judicial authorities — was a clear sign of structural change within Hezbollah.

Safa, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt during the war, will be reassigned as part of the group’s internal restructuring that began after the cease-fire agreement, according to Kassem Kassir, a political analyst who specializes in Islamic movements and is close to Hezbollah.

With Safa gone, reports suggest that merging the group’s security units under a central authority has limited its dealings with the Lebanese state to political intermediaries.

Kassir said a new media unit, consolidating all the party’s outlets, has been set up under Ibrahim Mousawi, a Hezbollah deputy in parliament. Former minister and MP Mohammad Fneish was appointed to oversee political relations and preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for May.

“Hezbollah is preparing more measures for the post-war phase to showcase its stability and evolution, highlighting its civil society organizations — from scouting and cultural groups to women’s and educational institutions,” he told UPI. “This is intended to reaffirm its commitment to the state option, to political engagement, and to the decline of its military role.”

However, that commitment may not be enough.

“Hezbollah knows its military role is over, but still cannot admit it,” al-Amin said. “Moving from being a resistance and a regional power to something else requires courage.”

He said the group is evading “difficult questions” and has failed to reassess its relations with Iran and Lebanon now that it is no longer a regional power.

“It seems there is confusion within Hezbollah, and much of it is tied to Iran and what its future holds — whether there will be a [U.S.-Israeli] war against Iran or not,” he said.

Feb. 18 (UPI) — Tesla will stop using the term “Autopilot” in marketing of its vehicles in California, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles announced.

In December, a judge ruled that the company was using deceptive wording in its marketing of the cars in California and recommended a suspension of sales and manufacturing in the state. But the DMV allowed the company 60 days to change its wording.

Autopilot is Tesla’s driver-assistance mode, and its self-driving setting is called Full Self-Driving. The DMV argued that both terms mislead customers and distort the abilities of the driver-assistance systems.

Tesla had changed the self-driving system to be called “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” to indicate that drivers must still monitor the system. But it stayed with “Autopilot,” prompting the DMV to refer the case to the California Office of Administrative Hearings.

The judge ruled with the DMV and recommended the suspension. But the DMV gave the company the grace period.

“Since then, Tesla took corrective action and has stopped using the misleading term ‘Autopilot’ in the marketing of its electric vehicles in California,” the DMV said in a press release Tuesday. “Tesla had previously modified its use of the term ‘Full Self-Driving’ to clarify that driver supervision is required. By taking this prescribed action, Tesla will avoid having its dealer and manufacturer licenses suspended in the state for 30 days by the DMV.”

But Tesla went a step further and changed its driver-assistance plan altogether. It discontinued the former Autopilot mode and now requires owners to pay for an FSD Supervised subscription. Until last week, owners paid a one-time fee of $8,000 for FSD. Now, they pay a $99 monthly fee. CEO Elon Musk has said the fee will increase as FSD Supervised improves, TechCrunch reported.

California is Tesla’s biggest market, with about 30% of its sales. Tesla recently announced that its Fremont, Calif., factory will begin making its Optimus humanoid robots by the end of 2027. It discontinued its Model S and X cars, previously manufactured there.

When women take the ice for Thursday’s Olympic free skate in the global fashion capital of Milan, five skaters will compete in dresses made by Los Angeles-based designer Lisa McKinnon.

McKinnon has become the must-have name in figure skating couture, dressing the entirety of the U.S. and South Korea women’s teams. Americans Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito wore McKinnon’s designs in the short program and will do so again in the free skate.

And one of those dresses may be featured on the medal podium. Liu stands in third place after Tuesday’s short program, while Levito is in eighth and Glenn tumbled to 13th with the free skate still to come.

McKinnon knows exactly how clothing needs to fit on bodies moving across the ice — for spins, for jumps, for everything it takes to win. The fabric must be able to stretch in all directions, which necessitates a four-way stretch fabric. Design with a two-way stretch and a skater might not be able to lift their arm. Dress skaters in spandex, power mesh and stretch velvet, and they’ll move like they do in training.

American Amber Glenn competes in the figure skating short program at the Winter Olympics in Milan on Tuesday.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

McKinnon sources most of the fabric locally from the fashion district in downtown L.A.

“It’s really great to just go in person because sometimes it’s the fabric that can inspire you to create something with,” McKinnon said.

McKinnon’s time on the ice that taught her how to create fashion for an athlete tailored for movement and aesthetic appeal. She grew up as a competitive figure skater in Sweden, and she started making bodysuits and dresses — which she wore to practice — for herself at age 11 or 12. By 16, she was designing dresses for elite skaters in her hometown, Mariestad, Sweden, including a Swedish national champion. At the time, they shared a coach, and the coach asked McKinnon to design a dress for the skater.

“They had seen the dresses that I made for other skaters,” she said. “They were just — you know — putting their faith in my hands that I could do this.”

After high school, McKinnon skated in tours in Europe and then North America. In the United States, she first settled in Las Vegas, where she designed dresses for local skaters. When she moved to L.A., bigger name skaters started calling. She designed for Ashley Wagner, three-time U.S. champion, and Karen Chen, who competed in her dresses at the 2018 Olympic Games. McKinnon says they were the ones who “got her noticed.” Noticed to the point that Milan is by no means the designer’s Olympic debut. In 2018, she outfitted pairs gold medalists Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot from Germany.

Since then, McKinnon has become the go-to designer for elite women’s figure skaters in the United States. At U.S. nationals in St. Louis in January, eight of the 18 senior women competed in McKinnon’s dresses. In the final warm-up alone — composed of the six skaters leading after the short program — five wore McKinnon designs. There, Glenn, Liu and Levito stood on the podium in her dresses.

In St. Louis, McKinnon hand delivered a dress to Liu, the reigning world champion who debuted a long-awaited Lady Gaga free skate routine. Liu practiced in the dress and McKinnon was able to make on-the-spot adjustments.

Surprisingly, hand delivery isn’t the norm for the dresses that run from $3,000-$8,000, averaging around $5,000 (McKinnon charges by the hour). Because McKinnon designs for skaters who train all over the country — Liu in Oakland, Glenn in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Levito near Philadelphia in southern New Jersey — FedEx shepherds the dresses across the country. Skaters make sure the dresses fit OK before McKinnon and her four-person seamstress team add sparkle, which usually means a crystal count in the thousands. Beads, paillettes and pearls are often mixed into the shine. Each crystal is hand affixed with E6000 glue.

American Christina Carreira and partner Anthony Ponomarenko compete during the ice dancing free skate at the Winter Olympics on Feb. 11 in Milan.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

McKinnon affixed faux rose pedals to a dress for American ice dancer Christina Carreira to debut during the skater’s own Olympic debut. Midway through the skating season, Carreira and partner, Anthony Ponomarenko, returned to their free dance from two years ago, “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.” They needed new costumes to differentiate from their performances two years ago, and McKinnon had already designed costumes for the team’s rhythm dance to La Bouche’s “Sweet Dreams.” McKinnon made the new dress in a little over a week, and it was set to arrive three days before Carreira left her training base in London, Canada, for the Games.

Except the dress didn’t arrive.

McKinnon learned that the package was stuck at a FedEx facility in Memphis, Tenn., after Winter Storm Fern pummeled the region.

“We would call and sometimes they’d say it’s in L.A., sometimes they’d say it’s in Memphis, so we didn’t know where it was,” Carreira said. “We weren’t getting answers, but going on social media actually helped.”

Carreira woke up after her flight to Milan to find an Instagram message with a photo of her dress. A woman told Carreira that her husband had found the package and put it on the first plane to Detroit, where Carreira’s coach, Scott Moir, retrieved the package to bring to Milan.

Carreira first tried on the dress in Milan. “It fit perfectly,” she said. “Lisa has never met me. She’s only seen me over FaceTime, and the two dresses she’s made fit perfectly.”

Carreira and Ponomarenko placed 11th in their Olympic debut.

“I wanted a dress that made me feel special at the Olympics,” Carreira said. “And both of those dresses did that.”

Carreira came to McKinnon’s designs through Glenn, who skated her short program to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” wearing a McKinnon design based on the 1989 music video. After admiring McKinnon’s designs, Carreira talked it over with Glenn at an early season competition in Oberstdorf, Germany.

“She said Lisa was super easy to work with,” Carreira said. “The dresses fit perfectly.”

McKinnon designs from her studio, which occupies the first floor of her apartment in West Hollywood. There, McKinnon and her team watch their dresses take the runway in Milan. Except the runway is made of ice and the skaters will do much more than walk.

Feb. 18 (UPI) — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify Wednesday in a trial that will decide if his social media platforms and YouTube intentionally harmed children and teens.

The lawsuit in Los Angeles was filed by a 20-year-old woman called KGM in the suit and her mother, Karen Glenn, who claim the platforms damaged her mental health as a child. It’s the first in a group of lawsuits brought by 1,600 parents, teens and school districts who allege that when teens are addicted to the platforms, they suffer from depression, self-harm, eating disorders and more.

KGM, also known as Kaley in the suit, began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at 9, said her lawyer, Mark Lanier. Despite her mother’s efforts to mitigate her social media use, Kaley sometimes used Instagram for “several hours a day.” The app’s addictive features led her to develop anxiety, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts, she alleges. She was also the victim of bullying and sextortion.

A Meta spokesperson said the company strongly disagrees with the allegations.

“The question for the jury in Los Angeles is whether Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff’s mental health struggles,” CNN reported a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. “The evidence will show she faced many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media.”

The company said it is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”

Plaintiffs’ lawyers in the cases say internal documents at the companies stress the goal of making apps difficult to put down like infinite scroll, auto-play, likes, beauty filters and push notifications.

“These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children,” lawyer Mark Lanier said in his opening statements, NPR reported. “And they did it on purpose.”

The trial is in state court, which means there only needs to be nine of the 12 jurors in agreement. If Kaley and her mother win, it could lead to settlements in the other cases.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — Search-and-rescue personnel were working through dangerous weather conditions Tuesday to reach a group of six stranded skiers and locate 10 others unaccounted for in Northern California’s backcountry following an avalanche, authorities said.

Rescue ski teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center have departed to reach the six known survivors sheltering at the avalanche site, while 46 first responders search for the 10 people unaccounted for, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Videos posted to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page show a handful of people, seemingly rescuers, bundled up and walking through heavy snow underfoot and through a snowstorm.

The avalanche occurred at about 11:30 a.m. PST Tuesday in Castle Peak, located in California’s mountainous Nevada County near Lake Tahoe, affecting the four ski guides and 12 clients of a ski tour.

Capt. Russell Green of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office told KCRA 3 that authorities were notified of the avalanche by activated emergency beacons and by the ski tour company.

His office described weather conditions as “highly dangerous,” and Green remarked that rescue efforts would be “slow going.”

Specialized SnoCat vehicles have been brought in, rescuers on skis have been deployed and snowmobilers are on standby, he said.

“We have several different ways that people are attempting to get in there,” he said. “It’s just going to be a slow, tedious process. They also have to be very careful accessing the area due to the fact that the avalanche danger is still very high.”

An avalanche warning from the Sierra Avalanche Center was in effect from 5 a.m. Tuesday through 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Green said people use the backcountry in all weather.

“We advise against it, obviously,” he said. “But I wouldn’t say it’s uncommon, not that it was a wise choice.”

Concerning the six people accounted for, Green said they have taken refuge in a makeshift shelter and are “doing everything they can to survive and wait for rescue.”

Truckee-based mountain guide company Blackbird Mountain Guides confirmed in a statement that four of its guides and 12 clients were involved.

“The group was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day trip when the incident occurred,” the company said, adding it was cooperating with authorities and was in contact with the emergency contacts of the clients and guides.

Last month, a snowmobiler was killed in the Castle Peak area after being buried in an avalanche while out for a ride.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — The Venezuelan government on Tuesday released Evanan Romero, a Venezuelan-American oil consultant detained four days earlier at the Maracaibo airport, without a judicial warrant or formal charges publicly announced.

Romero, 86, a Venezuelan with U.S. citizenship, was detained by authorities under Delcy Rodríguez’s government while attempting to travel from Maracaibo to Caracas, where he had scheduled a series of meetings with companies in the oil sector.

After an initial detention, Romero spent the first night at Interpol facilities at the airport. The next day, due to his advanced age and medical condition, authorities authorized his transfer to a private clinic in Maracaibo, where he remained under guard, local outlet Efecto Cocuyo reported.

The release occurred without official statements from the government. Local journalists and media outlets, such as Spain’s ABC, reported Romero’s detention.

“I’ve been here since Friday,” the expert said from a private clinic, while guards remained in an adjacent room.

Romero had planned to meet with the local management of Repsol and to participate in a videoconference with Reliance’s leadership in India to discuss a possible return to oil blocks in the Orinoco Belt.

He also had meetings scheduled with investors interested in the energy stabilization phase that would reportedly be coordinated from Washington after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation Jan. 3.

The consultant had arrived in Venezuela from Panama, with a stop in Colombia, intending to visit a relative before traveling to the capital.

In statements to ABC, Romero said his detention could be linked to a past administrative dispute related to a family investment, which he said was resolved in his favor by the Supreme Court of Justice.

No Venezuelan authority has publicly confirmed that or provided details about the case.

Romero is part of a committee of about 400 former state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela technicians and executives dedicated to developing proposals for rebuilding the energy sector under a future government, Infobae reported.

He has maintained contacts with U.S. oil companies such as Exxon and ConocoPhillips, and his name has appeared in discussions about compensation for expropriated assets and the opening of new blocks, the publication added.

Romero is considered a veteran expert in Venezuela’s oil sector, with more than six decades of experience. He served on the board of PDVSA, since the 1960s, with responsibilities in operational oversight, capital projects and maritime operations.

He later served as president and chief executive officer of Grupo Asesor Petrolero Venezolano LLC, a firm specializing in reservoir performance studies, reserves evaluation, thermal recovery of heavy crude and basin master development plans.

He has also been affiliated with the Harvard Electricity Policy Group at Harvard University.

The detention occurred just days after the visit to Caracas by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright at a time when the White House has intensified pressure for the release of political prisoners and reiterated that reconstruction of the oil sector will depend on clear legal and political guarantees.

President Donald Trump has publicly argued that major U.S. companies should invest billions of dollars to repair deteriorated infrastructure and restore production.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — Officials for Germany-based Bayer have agreed to pay $7.25 billion to settle a class action filed by those who say its Roundup weedkiller caused them or their loved ones to develop cancer.

The proposed settlement would create a fund to pay for existing and future claims filed by those who say the weed killer caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is blood cancer that forms in the body’s lymphatic system – most often in the lymph nodes — and spreads to other organs.

Bayer filed the proposed settlement in the city of St. Louis Circuit Court on Tuesday that also would include a separate Durnell case that is before the Supreme Court.

“The proposed class settlement agreement, together with the Supreme Court case, provides an essential path out of the litigation uncertainty and enables us to devote our full attention to furthering the innovations that lie at the core of our mission: Health for all, Hunger for none,” said Bayer Chief Executive Officer Bill Anderson.

“This litigation and the resulting cost underscore the need for guidance from the Supreme Court on clear regulation in American agriculture.”

“The class settlement and Supreme Court case are both necessary to help bring the strongest, most certain and most timely containment to this litigation.”

Bayer subsidiary Monsanto produces the popularly used Roundup weedkiller and will make annual payments into the settlement fund over the next 21 years.

Monsanto officials do not admit to any wrongdoing and said they agreed to the settlement to end the tens of thousands of lawsuits filed against it and stop more from being filed.

The settlement applies to those who say they were exposed to Roundup before Tuesday and who have a medical diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma or are diagnosed with it within 16 years of the proposed settlement gaining final approval.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — Officials for Fulton County, Ga., said in a filing Tuesday that the Department of Justice lied to get a warrant to raid and seize 2020 election materials from the county’s elections office.

The officials say President Donald Trump‘s former campaign attorney, Kurt Olsen, orchestrated the search and seizure by the FBI that happened on Jan. 18 at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center.

“The affidavit admits that the entire ‘criminal investigation originated from a referral sent by Kurt Olsen,’ but it conceals the fact that multiple courts have sanctioned Olsen for his unsubstantiated, speculative claims about elections,” the officials said in an amended motion filed Tuesday.

County officials want the Justice Department to return seized election ballots, voter rolls, digital ballot images and tabulator tapes that are related to the county’s certification of the 2020 presidential election.

“Instead of alleging probable cause to believe a crime has been committed,” the county officials say the Justice Department’s application “does nothing more than describe the types of human errors that its own sources confirm occur in almost every election — with no wrongdoing whatsoever.”

The FBI did not tell the magistrate judge who approved the search warrant that the claims made against Fulton County election officials already had been investigated and debunked, county officials said in their newest filing.

The federal lawsuit was filed on Sunday in the U.S. District Court of Northern Georgia by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, the NAACP and Atlanta and Georgia State Conference branches of the NAACP.

They want to stop the Trump administration from using the voter records to purge voters, improperly disclose information or intimidate or dox voters.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — The DNA on a glove found Nancy Guthrie’s home was not a match to anyone in the federal DNA database, police said Tuesday.

Guthrie, 84, is the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie. She has been missing from her home since Jan. 31 and was reported missing after she failed to show up the next morning to watch a live stream of a church service at a friend’s house.

“We’re hopeful that we’re always getting closer, but the news now, I think, is we had heard this morning that, of course, the DNA on the glove that was found two miles away was submitted for CODIS. And I just heard that CODIS had no hits,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told KARE 11 News.

The glove DNA was sent through the Combined DNA Index System, which is managed by the FBI. CODIS is a national DNA database that has more than 19 million profiles of offenders.

“There is additional DNA evidence that was found at the residence, and that is also being analyzed,” Nanos said.

There were about 16 gloves found near Guthrie’s home, and most of the gloves belonged to searchers who discarded them while in the area.

Investigators are also reviewing evidence taken via two search warrants from last week, CNN reported the sheriff said. All those detained for questioning have been released, Nanos said.

Police are “canvassing businesses and showing the doorbell video released by the FBI to determine whether the suspect appears familiar,” the sheriff’s department said in response to questions about gun shops.

On Monday, police confirmed that no members of Guthrie’s family are suspects and that the family have been “100 percent cooperative” in the investigation.

“Not one single person in the family is a suspect,” Nanos said. “Effective today, you guys need to knock it off. Quit. People are hurting — they are victims.”

He added that police took their phones and computers, and processed their vehicles and homes.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — Artificial intelligence and software analytics firm Palantir Technologies Inc. has moved its headquarters from Denver to Miami, company officials announced on Tuesday.

The announcement was made on social media and says only that Palantir has moved its headquarters to Miami without providing other information.

The tech firm has many government contracts, including with federal immigration law enforcement agencies and the military, which recently triggered protests and vandalism at Palantir’s Denver headquarters.

Palantir co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Alex Karp recently described it as a “completely anti-woke” firm that seeks employees who share its values, according to the Denver Gazette.

Palantir accepted a $30 million contract to create the ImmigrationOS app that enables Immigration and Customs Enforcement to support self-deportation, and the U.S. Army awarded the tech firm an up-to-$10 billion contract to provide data and software tools over the next decade.

Palantir also is among the corporate donors that contributed $300 million to build a ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House.

Palantir’s co-founders established the tech firm in Palo Alto, Calif., in 2003 and in 2020 moved its headquarters to Denver.

The move to Miami follows that of many other tech firms and positions the coastal city as a rival to California’s Silicon Valley.

Florida’s tax-friendly business environment has helped the state to lure many tech billionaires from California, where lawmakers are wrangling over a proposed 5% wealth tax on residents who have a net worth of $1 billion or more.

Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel has relocated to Miami ahead of the tech firm’s headquarters move, and Karp in 2020 said the tech firm does not share the same values as many others in Silicon Valley’s tech community.

Meta Platforms Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg also is among wealthy big-tech bosses who have moved from California to Florida, and many tech firms have established hubs in Miami.

A new artificial intelligence video generator from Beijing-based ByteDance, the creator of TikTok, is drawing the ire of Hollywood organizations that say Seedance 2.0 “blatantly” violates copyright and uses the likeness of actors and others without permission.

Seedance 2.0, which is available only in China for now, lets users generate high-quality AI videos using simple text prompts. The tool quickly gained condemnation from the movie and TV industry.

The Motion Picture Assn. said Seedance 2.0 “has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale.”

“By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs. ByteDance should immediately cease its infringing activity,” Charles Rivkin, chairman and chief executive of the MPA, said in a statement Tuesday.

Screenwriter Rhett Rheese, who wrote the “Deadpool” movies, said on social media last week that “I hate to say it. It’s likely over for us.” His post was in response to Irish director Ruairí Robinson’s post of a Seedance 2.0 video that shows AI versions of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Actors union SAG-AFTRA said Friday it “stands with the studios in condemning the blatant infringement” enabled by Seedance 2.0.

“The infringement includes the unauthorized use of our members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undercuts the ability of human talent to earn a livelihood,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “Seedance 2.0 disregards law, ethics, industry standards and basic principles of consent. Responsible AI development demands responsibility, and that is nonexistent here.”

ByteDance said in a statement Sunday that it respects intellectual property rights.

“[We] have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0. We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users,” the company said.

The dispute comes a month after ByteDance finalized a deal to secure TikTok’s future in America. ByteDance agreed to divest majority ownership of U.S. operations to an American-led investor group, averting a shutdown of the hugely popular social media app.

President Trump during his first term sought to ban the platform, citing national security concerns, but he shifted his views after ByteDance agreed to the new joint venture.

The venture now has three managing investors: Silver Lake, Oracle and Emirati investment firm MGX, each holding 15%, with ByteDance retaining 19.9% of investments.

Ortutay writes for the Associated Press. Times Staff writer Cerys Davies contributed to this report.

Feb. 16 (UPI) — Thomas Pritzker, executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, announced that he would leave his role at the company, weeks after his association with sex predator Jeffrey Epstein came to light.

Pritzker, who is the cousin of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, on Monday said in a letter to Hyatt’s board that he decided to leave in order to provide “good stewardship” to the company he has led for more than two decades, CBS News and CNBC reported.

In the letter, which was released by the Pritzker Organization, the 75-year-old said that he had “regret” over his connection to both Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who helped the pedophile in his schemes of abuse.

“Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which I deeply regret,” Pritzker said. “I exercised terrible judgement in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner.”

Hyatt’s board named Mark Hoplamazian, who already is the company’s president and chief executive officer, as chairman of its board effective immediately, the company said in a press release.

“Tom’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping Hyatt’s strategy and long-term growth, and we thank him for his service and dedication to Hyatt,” Richard Tuttle, chair of the company’s board’s nominating and corporate governance committee, said in the release.

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution and was arrested in 2019 on federal child sex trafficking charges but killed himself in jail before being brought to trial.

Pritzker, who had been a member of Hyatt’s board and its executive chairman since 2004, was named in Epstein court documents released on Jan. 3 by the Department of Justice, which also named Britain’s now-former Prince Andrew, former President Bill Clinton and current President Donald Trump, none of whom were accused of wrongdoing in the filings.

The documents showed that Pritzker continued to communicate with Epstein after his 2008 plea deal.

In addition to being named in the documents, Pritzker had previously been accused by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre as one of several men she was trafficked to for sex, although Pritzker has denied the allegations, according to CBS News.

Pritzker is the latest person to face consequences for a relationship with Epstein and Maxwell since the Jan. 3 release and the Jan. 30 release of more than 3 million more investigative and court documents related to the two sex offenders.

Among others, ex-Prince Andrew vacated the Royal Lodge, Britain’s former ambassador to the United States is being investigated for links to Epstein, lawyer Brad Karp has resigned and Davos CEO Borge Brende is also being investigated for his links.

Feb. 16 (UPI) — Ryan Routh, who was convicted of attempting to kill then-former President Donald Trump, has filed an appeal of his life sentence and his conviction.

Routh, 60, was convicted of hiding in the bushes at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in September 2024. He pointed a military-grade SKS rifle toward Trump, who was then a candidate running for his second term, and a Secret Service agent.

He defended himself in the trial that ended in September. When the verdict was read, he stabbed himself in the neck with a pen.

Routh was given an attorney for the sentencing portion of his trial. That attorney, Martin L. Roth, filed a notice Friday with the U.S. Court of Appeals stating that Routh will fight the conviction and his sentence, ordered Feb. 4. Routh was sentenced to life plus seven years.

He was convicted in October of all five charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Secret Service agent Robert Fercano testified that Routh hid behind a shrub-covered fence near the sixth hole of the course, aiming an AK-style weapon at Trump. Routh was found with a handwritten note that stated his intention to kill Trump.

Routh argued that he had a right to peacefully protest at the golf course.

“This is as far [from] peaceful assembly as you can imagine,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley responded. “Peaceful protest is one thing. An assassination attempt is another.”

Prosecutors said in a court filing that Routh deserved a life sentence.

“Routh’s crimes undeniably warrant a life sentence — he took steps over the course of months to assassinate a major presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims.”

Routh’s attorney argued that his conviction was faulty.

“Defendant recognizes that he was found guilty by the jury but asserts that the jury was misled by his inability to effectively confront witnesses, use exhibits, or affirmatively introduce impeachment evidence designed to prove his lack of intent to cause injury to anyone,” Roth wrote.

Feb. 16 (UPI) — Several civil rights groups are suing the Trump administration to prohibit it from misusing voter information that it seized from Fulton County, Ga., last month.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, the NAACP and Atlanta and Georgia State Conference branches of the NAACP filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on Sunday.

They seek to block the Trump administration from using the voting records to purge voters from the rolls, improperly disclose information, dox or intimidate voters.

“We have very serious concerns about what the Trump administration could do with the voting records of thousands of people from Fulton County,” Robert Weiner, director of the voting rights project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement.

“When people registered to vote, they did not sign up for the release of their private information and social security numbers, especially not to politicians and their loyalists bent on advancing debunked conspiracy theories.”

The FBI raided the Fulton County elections office in Union City, Ga., on Jan. 28, and commandeered sensitive voter information from the 2020 general election. The lawsuit alleges that this included personal data and documents that could identify who voted for a particular candidate.

About 700 boxes of ballots were taken from the elections office as well as other materials related to the election.

FBI agents executed a warrant at the direction of the White House, a warrant affidavit revealed.

President Donald Trump has maintained that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” and he was the true winner, despite numerous court decisions striking down his claims.

Trump’s claims have continued since his return to the White House, as well as broader claims of election fraud. He has called for elections to be “nationalized” in recent weeks, saying Republicans should “take over” elections in “at least maybe 15 places.”