Colton Underwood on 'The Traitors' Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

This article contains spoilers forThe Traitorsseason 4, episode 8, "A Queen Never Comes Off Her Throne."

Against all odds,Colton Underwoodsurvived every roundtable he was at onThe Traitors... but that's only because he got murdered instead.

To add insult to injury, the gayBacheloralum was killed by his own castle BFF Rob Rausch, who allowed his fellow Traitor Candiace Dillard Bassett to make the decision, knowing it would expose her own game. By not telling Candiace that Colton had been saying her name the previous night, Rob stood back and let Candiace dig her own grave with Colton's murder, resulting in her immediate banishment at the roundtable.

Now that Colton is gone fromThe Traitors,he's able to speak freely about his entire experience on the Peacock reality competition series. And he mostly wants to praise the streamer forreleasing a statement to viewers condemning cyberbullying, and asking fans to stop sending hate to the contestants online.

Colton tellsEntertainment Weeklythat the statement was not just to protect him, although he has been the target of a lot of online hate for reasons both personal and regarding how he played the game.

"The statement was really important, and I'm really proud of Peacock for standing up for its cast, and also just the people who, we're playing heightened versions of ourselves on this competition reality show," he says. "And the statement was not fully and solely for me. I know there's other members of the cast struggling and going through some hard times too. And at the end of the day, it is a game."

Colton says he's not taking the negative comments personally.

"I understand what makes this show so brilliant is everybody comes into the game with their own fans and people rooting for them, and when you get the fans' player out, you're going to have some people who aren't happy," he explains. "I'm in a place in my life right now where I have support, I have love, I have what I call human Xanax, my little baby boy running around and giving me hugs, and I focus inward on that.... Everybody knows everything about my life now. I didn't have to sort of slowly come out of the closet, I'm already out, so I'm doing well."

Below, Colton reveals the messagehe wants to tell Lisa Rinna at the upcoming reunion, how he feels about his own murder, why he wanted to be recruited as a Traitor, and more.

Colton Underwood, Rob Rausch, and Eric Nam on 'The Traitors' Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: If you had not been murdered and gotten banished at the Roundtable instead, what would you have said in the Circle of Truth?

COLTON UNDERWOOD:To be honest with you, I've never thought of it, because if I was going to go out, I wanted to go out getting murdered. If you get banished, that sort of means, in my opinion, you didn't defend yourself well enough. You didn't play the game well enough. I would consider [getting banished] a loss at the Roundtable, and I really took a lot of pride in how I showed up there.

I didn't mind being challenged at the Roundtable — that's the whole point of the game, to just show that you could stand on business and you could bring facts and you could defend yourself, and then you can get the heat off of you.

How do you think you would have done if you hadn't been murdered? Would you have been the target at the next banishment?

The way that I played the game at that point, in order for me to make it to the end, I would've had to have been recruited. I think there would've been really a slim chance of me winning as a Faithful. I think I knew that the game that I played was big and bold and very proactive, and I knew that that was going to put a target on my back. There was only so much I could do to try to protect myself by being as loud as I could about some of the voices, but I knew ultimately if I was going to winTraitors, I had to become a Traitor.

What was your reaction to learning that your castle BFF Rob was a Traitor, and that he allowed you to be murdered to expose Candiace?

I think it was a genius move by Rob. It was, in my opinion, the best move of the game so far for him. I know he's been playing an excellent, excellent game, but the way that he handled that with precision, of letting Candiace basically dig her own grave without her even realizing that like, "Oh, Colton has been saying my name," and him holding that card, was the best play at the game so far.

Colton Underwood on 'The Traitors' Peacock

Is there anyone you're looking forward to confronting the most at the reunion?

Confronting? No. I think everybody showed up and played a great game. I think there's going to be a lot of conversations that fans are going to be very interested in hearing. I had the chance to spend time with Tiffany in New York, and I know she's going to have some questions in front of everybody for me as well, and I'll be willing to answer those.

My time on the show was so enjoyable. The fact that I got to meet these incredible people, that I was able to go against Lisa Rinna on a television show, was an honor. I just can't wait to see everyone, and I think if anything, people might have some questions for me and how I played the game. I'm excited to talk them through my strategy and how I showed up forThe Traitors.

What do you hope to say to Lisa at the reunion?

In regards to Lisa, I think what I would tell her is just it was an honor to play against her. What a fun opportunity. I know I pushed some buttons by calling her a Housewife. I now know she's so much more than that. She's a great competitor and was, in my opinion, one of the best TV nemesis. I had so much fun going against her, so I would just say it was an honor.

Additional reporting by Selena Schorken

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Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Colton Underwood addresses “The Traitors” cyberbullying, what he wants to tell Lisa Rinna at the reunion

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK This article contains spoilers forThe Traitorsseason 4, episode 8, "A Queen Never Comes Off Her Throne." Ag...
(Left) Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway attends Queen Sonja's Art Stable on June 23, 2025 in Oslo, Norway; (Right) Jeffrey Epstein at an event at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida on Feb. 22, 1997 Rune Hellestad - Corbis/Getty; Davidoff Studios/Getty

Rune Hellestad - Corbis/Getty; Davidoff Studios/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has apologized for her "friendship" with Jeffrey Epstein

  • Email correspondence between the Crown Princess, 52, and Epstein were released by the U.S. Department of Justice in its latest batch of Epstein files on Jan. 30

  • Crown Prince Haakon also spoke out on Friday in support of his wife

Crown Princess Mette-Maritof Norway is officially apologizing for her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

On Feb. 6, the Royal House of Norway released a newstatementfrom the Crown Princess, 52. The update came one week after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)publishedover three million additional pages related to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, including what appeared to be emails between Mette-Marit and Epstein that indicated a friendship.

"I would like to express my deepest regret for my friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. It is important for me to apologize to all of you that I have disappointed," began the statement from Crown Princess Mette-Marit, translated into English.

"Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be. I also apologize for the situation that I have put the Royal Family in, especially the King and Queen," she continued, referring to her in-laws,King HaraldandQueen Sonja.

(Left) Crown Princess Mette-Marit on Jan. 28, 2026; Right) Jeffrey Epstein on Sept. 8, 2004. Rune Hellestad - Corbis/Corbis via Getty; Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty

Rune Hellestad - Corbis/Corbis via Getty; Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty

Mette-Marit's apology was shared within a longer statement from the Royal House of Norway, which underscored her regret about her association with Epstein. The disgraced American financier was a convicted sex offender who died in prison while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in August 2019.

According to an English translation, the statement from the palace began, "We understand the strong reactions people have to what has emerged in recent days. The Crown Princess strongly disavows Epstein's abuse and criminal acts. She is very sorry for not having understood early enough what kind of person he was."

"The Crown Princess wants to tell about what happened and explain herself in more detail. She cannot do that now. The Crown Princess is in a very demanding situation," it continued. "She hopes for understanding that she needs time to gather herself."

The difficult predicament that the palace referenced could have been an allusion to the ongoing court case involving her son, Marius Borg Høiby. Marius, 29, is Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son from a relationship prior to her marriage toCrown Prince Haakon, and heheaded to trial this week on Feb. 3on 38 charges, including four counts of rape.

On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape and one count of domestic violence, and pleaded guilty to offensive sexual behavior, speeding and driving without a valid license,Reuterssaid.

A court sketch depicts Marius Borg Hoiby (C) with his defence lawyers Ellen Holager Andenaes (L) and Petar Sekulic (2ndR) during the third day of a trial at the District Court in Oslo, Norway, on Feb. 6, 2026. Ane Hem / NTB / AFP via Getty

Ane Hem / NTB / AFP via Getty

In December 2025, the palace also announced that the princess was being assessed for a lung transplant amid a "clear worsening" of her health. Mette-Marit haschronic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes scarred, and lung transplants are an option for treatment.

The palace's Feb. 6 statement also outlined Crown Princess Mette-Marit'sJan. 31 mea culpaabout regretting her contact with Epstein and detailed that she met Epstein in "social contexts, most of them in the United States." It also included Mette-Marit's December 2019 statementdisavowing her links to Epstein, a remark she released after then-Prince Andrewannounced hisstep back from his royal rolefollowing a damaging BBC interview about his ties to Epstein.

On Friday, Crown Prince Haakon, 52, spoke out to the press about the scandals affecting his family and his ongoing support for his wife. The future king of Norway "asked a large press corps to gather" before he spoke, opening up amid an official visit to Oslo Sami kindergarten,NRKreported.

"When there is a lot happening at once, as it has been for our family now, I am a little concerned that we must have the priorities in the right order," the outlet reported that Crown Prince Haakon said, per an English translation.

"For me, the most important thing in recent days has been to take care of the flock. We support Marius in the situation he is in, we look after the other children – they must also be looked after – and I have to look after and take care of the Crown Princess," he continued. "Fortunately, she takes care of me too."

Haakon acknowledged the attention around Mette-Marit and stressed that she wanted to respond.

Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit on their way to a gala dinner at dinner Oslo on April 8, 2025. Fredrik Varfjell/NTB via AP

Fredrik Varfjell/NTB via AP

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"The Crown Princess understands that there are many who want to hear from her. She would like to tell. But now she can't. And I also tell her that she is not allowed to," he said. "She would like to tell more about the case, and we hope there is understanding that she needs some time."

The prince's mention of children referencedPrincess Ingrid Alexandra, 21, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20, his daughter and son whom he shares with his wife.

At this time, Crown Prince Haakon is acting as regent while his father, King Harald, 88, is in Italy for the Winter Olympics.

Read the original article onPeople

Norway's Princess Mette-Marit Apologizes for Epstein Friendship: 'I Have Disappointed'

Rune Hellestad - Corbis/Getty; Davidoff Studios/Getty NEED TO KNOW Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has apologized for her "frie...
Halle Berry is engaged to Van Hunt, shows off ring on 'Tonight Show'

Halle Berryis ready to tie the knot.

The Oscar-winning actress, 59,revealed during anappearance on "The Tonight Show"Thursday that she and longtimepartner Van Huntare engaged.

Berrytold host Jimmy Fallon that fans were mischaracterizing her relationship.  "There's some confusion that he asked to marry me, and I said no,"Berrysaid. "That's not the case."

She continued, "I did not say 'no,' we just don't have a date. Of course, I said yes, I would marry him."

Berry went on to hold out her hand to dazzle Fallon with what could only be described as a multi-karat sparkler.

Actress Halle Berry during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.

"He did put a little ring on it," she quipped.

Berry and Hunt have been linked for five years, first going public with their relationship in 2020.

Once she and Hunt make it down the aisle, this will be Berry's fourth marriage. The "Monster's Ball" actress was married to former MLB player David Justice, from 1993 to 1997; then singer-actor Eric Benét, from 2001 to 2005, and finally Olivier Martinez from 2013 to 2016.

Van Hunt and Halle Berry attend the red carpet on the closing night of the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023 on Dec. 7, 2023, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Hunt, a singer, has been divorced once.

Berry previously gushed about her relationship with Hunt in a 2024 appearance on "Today with Jenna & Friends."

"We've been doing this for five years together, so this is like the longest relationship I've ever had," Berry said. "When you find your person, you find your person. And now I've found my person, finally."

She went on to explain how she was set up with Hunt in 2020 by his brother, who worked for her menopause care-focused company, Respin. They established a friendship while socially distancing, Berry explained.

<p style=Cue the wedding bells: Romance is taking center stage in 2026 as these celebrities marked the next chapter in their love stories with engagements and marriages.


After stars like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement last year, eyes are on what other celebrities will tie the knot.

Actress-turned-singer Dove Cameron and Måneskin frontman Damiano David kicked off 2026 by announcing their engagement on a Jan. 3 Instagram post.

"the 2 best years of my life. i am brought to tears at least once a week because life has become so beautiful with you in it. i love you in a way no words could ever express, but i will never stop trying," Cameron wrote sharing a gallery of the pair shamelessly showing affection toward one another.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Vanna White married her longtime partner, John Donaldson, in a private ceremony after more than 14 years together.

The "Wheel of Fortune" co-host revealed her newlywed status on social media on Jan. 21 with a photo of her husband carrying her bridal-style as she's wearing a beaded white gown.

"Surprise! We got married!" she wrote.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Rick Harrison kicked off 2026 by adding a wedding band to his ring finger. The 60-year-old "Pawn Stars" patriarch married fiancée Angie Polushkin, a 42-year-old nurse, on Jan. 3, Harrison's representative confirmed to USA TODAY.

The couple told People and TMZ that they'd exchanged their "I dos" in front of an Elvis impersonator at Las Vegas' Little White Chapel. A bigger wedding celebration will take place later in January, the couple told People, with Harrison revealing to TMZ that the event will take place in Cancún, Mexico. The couple, who'd met at the beginning of 2024, previously revealed their engagement in March.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Video game producer John-Michael Sudsina and comedian Joel Kim Booster got married after meeting in 2021, the New York Times reported on Jan. 13.

The pair held their wedding at the Exploratorium, an interactive science museum in San Francisco, on Dec. 30, 2025.

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

Vanna White, Dove Cameron and more celeb engagements, marriages in 2026

Cue the wedding bells: Romance is taking center stage in 2026 as these celebrities marked the next chapter in their love stories with engagements and marriages.After stars likeTaylor SwiftandTravis Kelceannounced their engagement last year, eyes are on what other celebrities will tie the knot.Actress-turned-singerDove Cameronand Måneskin frontmanDamiano Davidkicked off 2026 by announcing their engagement on a Jan. 3Instagram post."the 2 best years of my life. i am brought to tears at least once a week because life has become so beautiful with you in it. i love you in a way no words could ever express, but i will never stop trying," Cameron wrote sharing a gallery of the pair shamelessly showing affection toward one another.

"Before we ever got together in any physical way, I had fallen madly in love just through talking and telling and sharing every single thing," she said.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Halle Berry engaged to Van Hunt, shows off ring on 'Tonight Show'

Halle Berry is engaged to Van Hunt, shows off ring on 'Tonight Show'

Halle Berryis ready to tie the knot. The Oscar-winning actress, 59,revealed during anappearance on "The Ton...
Land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen at the V-Day military parade at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, China, on September 3, 2025. - VCG/Getty Images/File

The United States on Friday accused China of carrying out a secret nuclear test in 2020 as the Trump administration calls for a broader nuclear weapons agreement including both China and Russia.

The allegation comes a day after thelast remaining nuclear arms control treatybetween the US and Russia lapsed, leaving the world's largest nuclear superpowers without limits on their arsenals for the first time in decades.

President Donald Trump and other top officials in his administration have made clear they will no longer abide by the limitations of the New START Treaty and instead have argued they need a new deal to address threats from Moscow and Beijing. And Trump last year called for the resumption of US nuclear weapons tests.

"Today, I can reveal that the U.S. Government is aware that China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons," Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno said in remarks at a global Disarmament Conference in Vienna Friday.

"China conducted one such yield producing nuclear test on June 22 of 2020," he said, without providing further details. A former senior US official told CNN that information about China's 2020 test had been declassified.

DiNanno accused the Chinese military of seeking "to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognized these tests violate test ban commitments."

"China has used decoupling – a method to decrease the effectiveness of seismic monitoring – to hide their activities from the world," he said. According to experts, decoupling happens when a large cavern is dug to lessen the seismic activity from a nuclear explosion, making it harder to detect.

A top official from an organization that works to monitor for nuclear weapons tests worldwide said in a statement Friday that their system "did not detect any event consistent with the characteristics of a nuclear weapon test explosion" on June 22, 2020.

"Subsequent, more detailed analyses have not altered that determination," said Rob Floyd, the executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

Floyd said the organization's International Monitoring System (IMS) "is capable of detecting nuclear test explosions with a yield equivalent to or greater than approximately 500 tonnes of TNT." He noted it had detected "all six tests conducted and declared by" North Korea.

The alleged Chinese test had a yield "in the hundreds of tons," DiNanno said without providing a specific number, so it's unclear if it would have met the threshold to be be detected the monitoring system.

"If this was a very, very low yield test explosion…it is possible that it could be hidden from the CBTBO monitoring stations," explained Daryl Kimball, the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association.

Floyd noted that there are mechanisms "which could address smaller explosions" provided by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). That treaty prohibits "any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion." However, those mechanisms can only be used when the treaty enters into force.

Most of the world has signed onto and ratified the treaty. Although both the US and China signed, they have not ratified it and Russia withdrew its ratification in 2023. As such, the Treaty cannot enter into force.

The US and China in the past had said they adhere to a moratorium on nuclear testing, but last year, Trump called for US nuclear weapons testing to resume "on an equal basis."

In his remarks on Friday, DiNanno suggested that the alleged Chinese testing had motivated Trump's decree. He also said that "the annual US compliance report has previously assessed that Russia has failed to maintain its testing moratorium by conducting supercritical nuclear weapons tests."

Asked about the allegation of secret nuclear testing, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, said China "follows a policy of 'no first use' of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense, and adheres to its nuclear testing moratorium."

"We stand ready to work with all parties to jointly uphold the authority of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime," said Liu Pengyu.

"It's hoped that the US will earnestly abide by its obligations under the Treaty and its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing and take concrete actions to uphold the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, as well as global strategic balance and stability," he told CNN.

'The end of an era'

In his remarks Friday, DiNanno said that "February 5, 2026, indeed marks the end of an era: the end of US unilateral restraint," referencing the end of the New START Treaty. Although he did not explicitly say the US would upload additional nuclear weapons now that it was no longer bound by the agreement, he indicated it was likely.

"We will complete our ongoing nuclear modernization programs that were initiated while New START entered into force. The United States also retains non-deployed nuclear capacity that can be used to address the emerging security environment, if directed by the president," he said.

The US "will maintain a robust, credible, and modernized nuclear deterrent to ensure our security preserves peace and stability, and negotiate from a position of strength," he added.

"The next era of arms control can and should continue with clear focus, but it will require the participation of more than just Russia at the negotiating table," DiNanno said.

It is unclear how the US intends to get China to that negotiating table. Beijing has consistently rebuffed trilateral arms control negotiations, arguing that their stockpiles are not on par with Moscow and Washington.

Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, noted that if this is truly China's concern, "shouldn't they want arms control?"

"If they can get us to limit our weapons, that should be better for them," he argued. He said he believes Beijing doesn't want to negotiate because "they want a superpower nuclear force."

"They've invested a lot in building this force. They didn't spend all this money and bend all this metal to trade it away," he said.

Some US officials believe that the expiration of New START paves the way for the expansion of the US arsenal which could prompt enough Chinese concern to bring the expanding nuclear power the table, according to a US official.

Daryl Kimball, the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association, noted that "if there is any true violation of the test ban treaty, that's a big problem, but simply complaining about it doesn't solve the problem."

He called on the US to propose a "sensible approach" like bilateral talks over arms control.

"In the meantime, there is no reason why the United States and Russia should not and cannot continue to respect the central limits of New START," he said.

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

US accuses China of secret nuclear test as Trump admin calls for broader nuclear weapons agreement

The United States on Friday accused China of carrying out a secret nuclear test in 2020 as the Trump administration calls for a broader nuc...
Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen and Chicago resident who was shot five times by CBP agents, during a forum held by Democratic lawmakers ( Stefani Reynolds / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

CHICAGO — The text messages a Border Patrol agent sent to colleagues and family members after he repeatedly shot a Chicago woman in October can be released to the public, a federal judge ruled Friday. In messages previously made public,the agent braggedabout his marksmanship.

U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis stated in court that the text messages provide insight into the agent's and theDepartment of Homeland Security's credibility, as well as into how DHS leadership perceived the shooting.

The agent, Charles Exum, shot Marimar Martinez five times on Oct. 4, after she allegedly rammed her car into agents' vehicles. Martinez denies ramming them andsaid agents were the aggressors. Exum did not have his body camera turned on during the incident.

In one text message previously released,he bragged about his shooting skills,writing: "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys."

Government lawyers argued that the release of Exum's text messages would further sully the agent and his family.

The judge pushed back. "I don't know why the United States government has expressed zero concern for the sullying of Ms. Martinez's reputation," Alexakis said.

Marimar Martinez (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune via Getty Images file)

Martinez's attorney, Chris Parente, said his team would work over the weekend with government lawyers on redactions, and Martinez's legal team would be releasing the evidence no earlier than Monday.

Martinez pleaded not guilty in October to Justice Department charges that she used her vehicle "to assault, impede, and interfere with the work of federal agents in Chicago." The governmentdropped its case against Martinez, but her lawyers say officials have refused to correct the record afterbranding her a "domestic terrorist."

The judge ruled Friday that more evidence in Martinez's case could be made public, including emails, text messages, investigative reports and statements by higher ranking DHS officials. Martinez's lawyer said these will shine a light on their thinking and how they are instructing their officers. As part of this ruling, body camera footage from an agent who was in the vicinity of the shooting can also be released, as well as photos and reports from after the crash and audio from Martinez's 911 call.

Alexakis noted that DHS has not publicly addressed that they dropped the case with prejudice — meaning they cannot seek to charge her in the case in the future.

In court filings, Parente wrote that recent fatal shootings in Minnesota show why the evidence in Martinez's case is important to the public interest.

"Based on recent events in Minneapolis, Minnesota, involving the execution of two U.S. citizens who were engaged in similar peaceful protests as Ms. Martinez at the time of their killings, Ms. Martinez believes certain information disclosed in her case, and currently subject to the Protective Order, would be useful for both the public and elected officials to know regarding how DHS responds in cases where their agents use deadly force against U.S. citizens," he wrote.

Parente also laid out a series of high-ranking officials in the Trump administration who had made misstatements about Martinez.

That included an Oct. 6 post FBI Director Kash Patel shared from a different account that included a video on X that read: "This is the video where Marimar Martinez, aka La Maggie, rammed a white DHS vehicle who had their emergency lights on. Another DHS black SUV then attempts to ram Marimar's SUV from behind. One DHS agent is on the passenger side firing shots. Democrats are insane."

Marimar Martinez (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune via Getty Images file)

As of early Friday,Patel had not taken downthat post.

Martinez's attorneys also asked for the release of Flock surveillance camera footage from 30 days before the shooting — arguing that it would show her engaged in everyday activities and rebut DHS' statements that she has a history of doxxing federal agents and ambushing them.

The judge ruled in favor of releasing that footage but not license plate reader camera data, saying it would have "little value" to clear Martinez's name.

At one point during the court hearing, Parente said there would be no need to release any of the footage if the U.S. government publicly said that Martinez is not a domestic terrorist. The judge said the court wasn't expected to handle negotiations such as that.

After the hearing, lawyers for Martinez said they will continue to fight to clear her reputation.

"You can't call a U.S. citizen with no criminal history who's a Montessori school teacher a domestic terrorist, which is such a loaded word in this country, and repeat it over and over as late as yesterday," Parente said.

Border Patrol agent's texts after he shot a Chicago woman five times will be released, judge rules

CHICAGO — The text messages a Border Patrol agent sent to colleagues and family members after he repeatedly shot a Chicago woman in October...
US appeals court rejects challenge to Trump's efforts to ban DEI

By Nate Raymond

Reuters

Feb 6 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Friday rejected a challenge to a move by President Donald Trump's administration to ban diversity, equity and ​inclusion programs at federal agencies and businesses with government contracts.

A three-judge panel of the ‌Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an injunction that would have blocked Trump's administration from implementing executive ‌orders he signed shortly after taking office last year aimed at eliminating DEI programming in the government and private sector.

The court in March 2025 at the administration's urging put on hold that preliminary injunction, which had been issued by Baltimore-based U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson, while it weighed the government's appeal.

Democracy ⁠Forward, a liberal legal group that ‌represented the plaintiffs, said it is reviewing the ruling. The White House had no immediate comment.

Abelson's ruling came in a lawsuit by the city of ‍Baltimore, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and the American Association of University Professors.

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They challenged provisions of Trump's executive orders that directed federal agencies to eliminate DEI programs, certify government contractors and grant ​recipients do not operate them, and work with the Justice Department to take measures to ‌deter DEI programs and investigate companies with such policies.

Abelson had concluded Trump's directives likely violate the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment free speech protections and impose vague standards that fail to comply with the Fifth Amendment's due process requirements.

But U.S. Circuit Judge Albert Diaz, writing for Friday's panel, said Trump's directives could not be challenged head-on, saying they could instead be challenged based on how agencies ⁠apply them to specific grant recipients.

"President Trump has decided ​that equity isn't a priority in his administration and ​so has directed his subordinates to terminate funding that supports equity-related projects to the maximum extent allowed by law," Diaz wrote. "Whether that's sound policy or not isn't ‍our call."

Diaz, an appointee of ⁠Democratic President Barack Obama, in a separate concurring opinion said he had reached his conclusion "reluctantly," saying the evidence suggested a "sinister story" that resulted in important programs being terminated by ⁠keyword.

"For those disappointed by the outcome, I say this: Follow the law," Diaz wrote. "Continue your critical work. Keep the ‌faith. And depend on the Constitution, which remains a beacon amid the tumult."

(Reporting by ‌Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Alistair Bell)

US appeals court rejects challenge to Trump's efforts to ban DEI

By Nate Raymond Feb 6 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Friday rejected a challenge to a move by Presiden...
Special teams play has been critical to the Seahawks' success on the road to the Super Bowl

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — When Jay Harbaugh was hired as special teams coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in February 2024, long snapper Chris Stoll initially didn't like him because of his college ties.

Jay, the son of Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, coached for nine seasons at Michigan while Stoll spent six years at Penn State. It didn't take long for Stoll to come around on the younger Harbaugh, though.

"He is able to generate buy-in from guys, and that's also just the culture we have here in Seattle," Stoll said. "We know that we can make a difference and an impact on special teams."

The Seahawks specials teams certainly have under Harbaugh's direction in their leadup toSuper Bowl 60.

Including these playoffs, Seattle has scored five special teams touchdowns, four of them on returns. Rashid Shaheed, whom the Seahawksacquired from the New Orleans Saints in November,returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers, which was one of three special teams touchdowns for the speedy wide receiver.

Ahead of theSeahawks' 31-27 win against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game, Harbaugh said that in an era where 20-yard punt returns happen infrequently, rattling off as many special teams touchdowns as Seattle has is no small accomplishment.

"The investment that they have, that they put in day in and day out, unselfishness and commitment to doing it right and respecting the opponent in the process, they deserve to have success," Harbaugh said.

It isn't just the return game where Seattle has excelled.

In his 11th season, Jason Myers set the NFL record for most points by a kicker in a single season with 171, surpassing David Akers' 166. And punter Michael Dickson was a second-team AP All-Pro selection in his eighth year in the league after averaging 42.2 yards per punt, and landing 20 of his 52 punts inside the 20-yard line.

"They're studs," said special teams ace and fullback Brady Russell. "They're clearly two of the best in the world and their performance kind of reflects their work ethic."

Seattle was also tied in allowing the second-fewest punt returns (19) and fourth-fewest touchbacks (3) as a team in 2025. And unsung players like Dareke Young have risen to the occasion in big moments, too, like when he recovered a muffed punt in the NFC championship game to set up a touchdown.

"There's been a ton of games where we really flipped the game, got the momentum back," Myers said. "Or, it was a close game, and we really started the onslaught of points."

Stoll said it's no coincidence the Seahawks have enjoyed success on special teams.

Specials teams is the first meeting and practice period of the day. The expectation each year is for the Seahawks to generate special teams scores, even though they don't come in bunches every season.

Coach Mike Macdonald is thankful Harbaugh joined his staff in 2024.

Macdonald was Michigan's defensive coordinator in 2021 while Harbaugh oversaw the Wolverines' special teams. Their relationship dates back much further, though, to when Harbaugh was a quality control coach for the Baltimore Ravens and interviewed Macdonald for a job in 2014. They've been friends ever since.

"It was a very, very easy decision to beg him to come to Seattle and be our special teams coordinator," Macdonald said. "And he's done a tremendous job since Day 1. You talk about chasing edges, this guy, that's how he operates all the time. Pushing the envelope, he pushes me. He's got a great perspective."

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Special teams play has been critical to the Seahawks’ success on the road to the Super Bowl

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — When Jay Harbaugh was hired as special teams coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in February 202...

 

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