Public health, green groups sue EPA over repeal of rule supporting climate protections
WASHINGTON (AP) — A coalition of health and environmental groups is suing the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging its determination last week that revoked a scientific finding that has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. A rule finalized by the EPA on Thursday rescinds a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment finding that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. The Obama-era finding is the legal underpinning of nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet. The lawsuit calls the EPA's action unlawful and says the 2009 finding supported common sense safeguards to cut climate pollution.
At the Olympics and beyond, women's sports media outlets are writing their own playbooks
Alongside the historic growth of women’s sports, the women’s sports media ecosystem is likewise flourishing, and outlets like TOGETHXR, The GIST, Just Women’s Sports, The IX Sports, GOALS and Good Game with Sarah Spain are expanding their reach and reshaping the industry. The Olympics have shown that when women’s sports receive meaningful media attention, they attract an enthusiastic audience, experts say. And while mainstream sports media are also upping their game by increasing the scale and quality of women’s sports coverage, University of Michigan sport management professor Ketra Armstrong says the recent influx of women-led media outlets is uniquely “liberating” because women athletes are “owning their stories and not waiting for it to be filtered through any traditional lens.”
Warner Bros reopens takeover talks with Paramount after receiving a waiver from Netflix
NEW YORK (AP) — Warner Bros. Discovery is briefly reopening takeover talks with Skydance-owned Paramount to hear the company’s “best and final” offer, while the Hollywood giant continues to back the studio and streaming deal it struck with Netflix. In a Tuesday regulatory filing, Warner said that Netflix had granted it a waiver to open discussions with Paramount for seven days. Paramount now has until Feb. 23 to negotiate a possible transaction. But in the meantime, Warner’s board is still recommending shareholders support of its proposed merger with Netflix. A special meeting is now scheduled for Friday, March 20 to hold a vote on that deal.
Moderna says the FDA will consider its new flu shot after resolving a public dispute
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vaccine maker Moderna says the Food and Drug Administration will decide whether to approve its new flu shot for older adults after all. Moderna announced the change Wednesday, about a week after revealing the FDA was refusing the review the new mRNA shot. The dispute centered over how the experimental vaccine was compared with today's shots. Moderna says it's now seeking full approval for adults age 50 to 64 and what's called accelerated approval for people 65 and older. The FDA is targeting a decision on the application by Aug. 5. Moderna hopes to make the vaccine available later this year.
Elevate Prize winners gain more than $300K in funding. They learn to better tell their own stories
The Elevate Prize Foundation named its 10 winners for 2026 on Tuesday, including Monica Ramirez of Justice for Migrant Women and Mara Fleishman of the Chef Ann Foundation. Each group gets $300,000 in unrestricted funding. Winners also get training to grow and raise their profile. CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram tells The Associated Press that increasing a group's visibility not only can increase fundraising and finding partners. It also helps protects leaders under pressure. The foundation also launched its “Good Is Trending” initiative Tuesday, taking over NASDAQ's Times Square billboards to promote the stories of this year's winners.
Bayer agrees to $7.25 billion proposed settlement over thousands of Roundup cancer lawsuits
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bayer has agreed to a proposed $7.25 billion deal to settle thousands of U.S. lawsuits that blame Roundup for causing cancer. Bayer and lawyers for cancer patients announced Tuesday that they were filing the proposed settlement in St. Louis. It comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hear Bayer’s argument about federal rules and warning labels for the popular weedkiller. That separate case will continue. Bayer says Roundup's key ingredient of glyphosate does not cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But the company says legal costs have threatened Roundup sales in U.S. farming markets. Bayer bought Monsanto, the original Roundup maker, in 2018.
US stocks are mixed as investors try to balance both the upside and potential downsides of AI
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are mixed, as investors try to balance both the upsides and potential downsides of the rush into artificial-intelligence technology. The S&P 50 rose 0.1% Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 88 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. Nvidia was the strongest force lifting the market after Meta Platforms announced a deal to use millions of its chips in AI data centers. But Meta was the heaviest weight on the market as worries continue about whether companies spending so much on AI will get a big enough return on their investment. Treasury yields ticked higher in the bond market.
UK interest rate cut expected in March after inflation drop
LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the U.K. has fallen to a 10-month low largely on the back of lower food and gas prices. The downward move has reinforced expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates in March. The Office for National Statistics reported Wednesday that the consumer prices index was 3% higher in January than the year before, down from 3.4% in December. The decline was in line with analysts’ expectations and puts inflation well on the path to hitting the central bank’s target of 2% over the coming months. The fall will provide some relief for the Labour government, which has seen its poll ratings fall sharply since it returned to power in July 2024, partly because of cost-of-living pressures.
Edmunds Top Rated vehicle awards for 2026
Earning a spot on the annual Edmunds Top Rated Awards list takes more than just having great track tests. It means a vehicle stands out from its competitors in real-world evaluations with a spark that makes it special and a class leader. This year those winners are the Ford Maverick, Honda Civic Hybrid, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, Rivian R1T and Tesla Model 3.
Sponsors are becoming more visible at the Winter Olympics with product placement and arena shoutouts
MILAN (AP) — Sponsors are showing up more and more inside Olympic venues at the Milan Cortina Games, even as TV viewers mostly still see the familiar “clean” look. Olympic organizers are continuing a trend of relaxing restrictions on sponsor logos ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. There’s product placement on TV, even if it’s not as intrusive as in most major American sports. In the arenas, announcers call out brands in fan games and on big screens. International Olympic Committee marketing director Anne-Sophie Voumard says “we continue to open up those opportunities for partners.”
