GRIF MAG

At least a half-dozen central and western U.S. states were undera severe fire threaton Monday, Feb. 16, as forecasters warn that high winds, warmer temperatures and low humidity are elevating the threat of wildfires in dry regions there.

Red flag warnings were active across counties in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Texas and Nebraska, according toan advisory issuedby the National Weather Service.

The warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly, forecasters said, and that the threat of fire is high in those areas and people should be both alert and proactive.

Winds across some the region could reach maximum speeds of 70 mph, the weather service said, and temperatures may hit the mid-80s.

RED FLAG Warning are in effect both Today and Tomorrow for a good part of the region. Please do not do anything which could cause a spark.#cowxpic.twitter.com/0VErDPmnXi

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo)February 16, 2026

Nearly the entire region is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, according to theU.S. Drought Monitor.

The advisory was in effect through as early as 5 p.m. on Feb. 17 through as late as 9 p.m. in some areas.

Deadly California fire updates:State to investigate if Eaton Fire response involved discrimination

Which states have a red flag warning right now?

The weather service reported counties in the following states were under a red flag warning as of Feb. 16:

• Colorado

• Kansas

• Nebraska

• New Mexico

• Texas

• Wyoming

Tips if you live in an area with a red flag warning

Forecasters as well as fire officials in those states with a red flag warninghave shared the following tipswhile the warning is in effect:

• Do not burn outdoor fires

• Never leave a fire unattended

• Do not toss cigarettes on the ground

• Do not drive through dry vegetation

• Keep grass and vegetation short and watered

Contributing: Christopher Cann and Doyle Rice, USA TODAY.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Wildfire threat: 'Red flag warning' issued for 6 central US states

A small "security force" will remain in Minnesota temporarily as the Trump administrationwinds down its immigration enforcement operationin the state, White House border czarTom Homansaid on Feb. 15.

In an interview onCBS News' "Face the Nation,"Homan said a limited number of agents would stay in Minnesota to respond if federal personnel find themselves "surrounded by agitators and things get out of control."

He did not say how many agents would comprise the rapid response force but said he's "hoping" they can be removed "fairly quickly."

Homan's comments come days after he announced theend of Operation Metro Surge, the immigration mission in the Midwestern state that drew nationwide and bipartisanbacklash against the Trump administrationafter the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal officers.

Federal agents continue surge of immigration enforcement in Minnesota

In his announcement of the withdrawal, Homan cast the operation as a success, touting the arrests of 4,000 undocumented immigrants, some of whom had been charged with violent offenses. Homan credited the withdrawal to "unprecedented" cooperation between national authorities and Minnesota state and local officials.

"As a result of our efforts here Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals," Homan said at a Feb. 12 news conference.

The move was welcomed by state and local officials in Minnesota, but several disputed Homan's claims and said no deals were struck to broaden cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

"We do not enforce federal immigration law, period. We do not cooperate with (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) or any agency around enforcement of federal immigration law," said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey at a news conference after Homan made his announcement. "The notion there was a deal is false."

In a separate interview withFox News' "Fox and Friends," Homan on Feb. 15 said Minnesota officials "ought to be saying thank you."

Homan was sent to Minnesota in the aftermath of the killings ofAlex Pretti, an ICU nurse, andRenee Nicole Good, a poet and mother of three, which triggered nationwide protests andintense scrutiny on the tactics of agentscarrying out the administration's deportation agenda.

The outrage led to a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, as Democrats vowed not to support a funding bill for the agency without reforms to immigration enforcement. Republicans described the demands as unrealistic.

Among the major points of contention are themasks worn by federal agents. Democrats are calling for them to be removed while Republicans say they're necessary to protect personnel from being doxxed and otherwise harassed.

Homan told CBS News that he was not part of the ongoing Homeland Security negotiations but said he doesn't "like the masks either." Still, the border czar called the coverings necessary amid an uptick in threats and assaults on immigration agents.

"These men and women have to protect themselves," he said.

Homan has conceded that the operation in Minnesota needed reform. In recent statements, Homan highlighted a series of internal changes he made when he arrived in Minnesota, from refocusing enforcement on undocumented immigrants with criminal histories to dispatching more internal affairs agents "to make sure officers in the field was doing the right thing."

But despite the controversy over the Minnesota operation, Homan has not ruled out future surges.

"I think it depends on the situation," he told CBS News. "I have said from day one that, you know, we need to – we need to flood the zone in sanctuary cities with additional agents. The number of agents depend on the situation on the ground, how many known criminal targets are out there, because we know we have a problem with sanctuary cities, because we know they're releasing public safety threats in the public."

He added: "I'm hoping other sanctuary cities look at what happened in Minnesota and how we got to the place we're at, which I think is a good place."

Christopher Cann is a national breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him via email at ccann@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Security force to remain in Minnesota amid ICE withdrawal, Homan says

One brand of farm-raised Atlantic salmon sold at BJ's Wholesale Club has been recalled due to a potential listeria contamination, according to a release from the Food and Drug Administration.

Wellsley Farms Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon is sold in 2-lb bags at BJ's and is packaged with the Wellsley Farms logo and text that reads "Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon" on the front. Lot 3896 of the product has been recalled by the company, Slade Gorton & Co., the FDA said.

The specific salmon product was sold at BJ's stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, the FDA release said.

According to the FDA, the agency found Listeria monocytogenes in the salmon through a sample the agency randomly collected. The company is investigating how its food was contaminated and is taking steps to prevent it from happening again in the future, the release said.

BJ's is working to notify members who may have purchased the recalled salmon. The UPC code (888670025963) and recalled lot number (3896) are on the back side of the packaging, below the cooking instructions, the FDA release said.

Short-term symptoms of a listeria infection for healthy individuals includes high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the FDA said. It can also cause miscarriage and stillbirth for pregnant women.

If you have symptoms of a listeria infection, the FDA says you should contact a health care provider. No illnesses related to this recall have been reported, according to the release.

If you think you bought the recalled product, call 1-888-628-0730 for instructions on how to obtain a full refund and what to do with the remaining product, according to the release.

Robert Duvall,a Hollywood veteran known for movies likeThe Godfather,Apocalypse Now,To Kill a Mockingbird,and more, haspassed awayat the age of 95. His demise was announced by his wife, Luciana, on Monday, February 16, on Facebook.

"Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time," she said, before adding, "Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort."

The actor was an Oscar winner, having received the golden statuette for his 1983 movieTender Mercies.

Luciana, in her tribute to her husband, added that Duvall "gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented."

Robert Duvall's life and career revisited amid his demise

Image credits:Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Duvall was born in San Diego, California, in 1931. His father was a rear admiral in the US Navy, leading Duvall and his two brothers to be raised in Annapolis, Maryland, near the Naval Academy.

Duvall's father expected him to follow in his footsteps, but he chose to carve his own path.

Image credits:Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

"I was terrible at everything but acting. I could barely get through school," the actor toldPeoplemagazine in 1977.

Duvall joined the Army after high school and served in Korea, but when he returned home, his parents encouraged him to pursue his passion.

Image credits:CBS/Getty Images

Duvall studied drama at Principia College in Illinois before moving to New York to study under Sanford Meisner at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse. His classmates included Gene Hackman, James Caan, and Dustin Hoffman.

Image credits:Warner Bros. Pictures

Duvall's Oscar forTender Mercieswas for his role as Mac Sledge, a washed-up country musician seeking redemption.

Image credits:American Zoetrope

InThe Godfather, Duvall portrayed Tom Hagen, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, though he did not win — like the five other times he was nominated for movies includingApocalypse Now,The Great Santini,The Apostle,A Civil Action, andThe Judge.

Duvall shared a message with his fans just months before his passing

Image credits:Bill Nation/Sygma/Getty Images

"To all my fans, have a happy Thanksgiving and a great year coming up," the actor said in a Facebook clip in November 2025. "God bless."

Duvall's final social media post, meanwhile, was a Facebook message on February 3 about his 2003 filmSecondhand Lions, starring Haley Joel Osment and Michael Caine.

Image credits:GP Images/Getty Images

"One day while filmingSecondhand Lions, the lion got out," Duvall joked just days before his passing. "Had he turned in my direction, I wouldn't be here today!"

Image credits:Library of Congress

Duvall had celebrated his milestone birthday on January 5 with a video clip that included pictures from his childhood as well as more recent footage. His wife put the video together.

Actor Ted Lange still has fond memories of the time thatDiahann Carrollappeared on a 1977 episode of his show,The Love Boat.

Lange played bartender Isaac Watson on all nine seasons of the ABC dramedy, which aired until 1986, and was he ever excited — perhaps too excited — to share a moment with his leading lady.

"I kissed Diahann Carroll about 15 times before she realized I was messing up on purpose," Lange said on theStill Here Hollywoodpodcasthosted by Steve Kmetko. "So then she said, 'Hey, hey, cut that out!'"

View this post on Instagram

Lange said that he immediately apologized for his behavior.

"You're just so beautiful," he recalled telling Carroll.

"And she could kiss." Lange said, before laughing. "That's my claim to fame!"

More seriously, he said that the Oscar nominee, who later appeared on series includingA Different World,Grey's Anatomy, andWhite Collar, had been "a delight."

The kissing took place when the long-running show was still a freshman. He and Carroll shared the screen in only the fifth episode of season 1, in which Isaac finds himself romancing his favorite singer, Roxy Blue, who was played by the actress.

Carroll, was already familiar to TV audiences by the time she appeared onThe Love Boat. Most significantly, she had starred on the groundbreaking sitcomJulia, which depicted a Black, widowed nurse raising her son alone, from 1968 to 1971. (She received her second Emmy nomination for the part; her first was for a 1962 episode of police proceduralNaked City.)

The veteran actressdied in 2019of cancer. She was 84.

Michael Simon/Getty

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AfterThe Love Boat, Lange continued acting in projects such asIn the Heat of the Night,General Hospital,The Cleveland Show, andAre We There Yet?.

Ahead of his conversation about Carroll, the actor had wisely made a point to say he was sorry for talking about it to his wife off-camera.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly