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In the news today: Another laser-drone incident shuts down air traffic in Texas; an American hockey gold medalist slams a TikTok video shared by the White House; and Netflix walks away from a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the path for Paramount. Also, the viral trend that has teens climbing trees dressed as cats and foxes. |
People stand in line at check-in counters at El Paso International Airport, Feb. 11, 2026, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) |
US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone, lawmakers say |
The drone was flying near the U.S.-Mexico border. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said. The case of mistaken identity prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to close additional airspace around Fort Hancock, about 50 miles southeast of El Paso. Read more. |
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- It was the second time in two weeks that a laser was fired in the area. The last time it was CBP that used the weapon and nothing was hit. That incident occurred near Fort Bliss and prompted the FAA to shut down air traffic at El Paso airport and the surrounding area.
"Our heads are exploding over the news," several top Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security committees said in a joint statement. They criticized the Trump administration for "sidestepping" a bipartisan bill to train drone operators and improve communication among the Pentagon, FAA and Department of Homeland Security, which includes CBP.
- The FAA, CBP and the Pentagon issued a joint statement late Thursday that acknowledged the military "employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace." The statement said it happened far from populated areas and commercial flights as part of the administration's efforts to strengthen protections at the border.
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US hockey player Brady Tkachuk slams White House TikTok as 'clearly fake' after anti-Canada slur |
American hockey player Brady Tkachuk said Thursday that he did not appreciate a doctored TikTok video shared by the White House that made it look like he was disparaging Canadians after winning Olympic gold, calling it fake and something he would never say. Read more. |
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The U.S. women also beat Canada 2-1 in overtime, the first time the Americans swept both Olympic hockey tournaments. The celebration of the twin victories has been shadowed by U.S. politics almost since the final horn of the men's game.
The video includes fabricated audio of Tkachuk referring to Canadians as "maple syrup eating (expletive)," with the expletive bleeped out. The video carries a note saying it "contains AI-generated media." Tkachuk, a 26-year-old Arizona native, is the captain of the NHL's Ottawa Senators and has played his entire career in the Canadian capital. "It's clearly fake because it's not my voice and not my lips moving," Tkachuk said. "I'm not in control of any of those accounts. … I know that those words would never come out of my mouth." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Netflix walks away from Warner Bros deal, clearing the path for Paramount |
On Thursday, Warner's board announced that Skydance-owned Paramount's latest offer to buy the entire company for $31 per share was superior to the agreement it had previously struck with Netflix. Warner gave Netflix four business days to come up with a counteroffer — but Netflix instead responded less than two hours later, declining to raise its proposal. Read more. |
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Netflix said the new price it would have to pay made the deal "no longer financially attractive." It's a stunning move that effectively puts Paramount in a position to take over its storied Hollywood rival.
A Paramount buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery would reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape. And unlike Netflix — which was only eyeing Warner's studio and streaming business — Paramount wants the entire company. That means HBO Max, cult-favorite titles like "Harry Potter" and even CNN could soon find themselves under the same roof as Paramount's CBS, "Top Gun" and the Paramount+ streaming service. The prospect of such a combination, which will still need the green light from both Warner shareholders and regulators, poses both antitrust concerns and questions of political influence.
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A youth jumps over other "therians" during a gathering in a square in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) |
Viral phenomenon in Argentina has young people identifying as animals
"Therians" are people who say they identify mentally, spiritually or psychologically with non-human animals. Over the past few months, the trend has gained traction on social media platforms like TikTok, where the hashtag #therian has surpassed 2 million posts. The surge has drawn the attention of influencers and media outlets alike, sparking reactions that range from laughter and bewilderment to outright anger. Aguara, who claims to identify as a Belgian Malinois and counts her age as the equivalent of two years and two months in dog years, says she's a lot like any other teenager. "I wake up like a normal person and live my life like a normal person," she said. "I simply have moments when I like being a dog." |
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