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Friday, February 20, 2026

Oregon Officials Declare Measles Outbreak, Say Known Cases Are ‘Just a Fraction of the True Number’ of Those Sickened

Allias Grif February 20, 2026

The state of Oregon has declared an outbreak of measles, as wastewater surveillance confirms the presence of the virus

NEED TO KNOW

There are five confirmed cases, and "these cases likely represent just a fraction of the true number of measles cases," a health official said
The U.S. is seeing an ongoing spike in measles infections

The state of Oregon has declared ameaslesoutbreak, as the five confirmed cases are likely "a fraction" of the overall infections.

"Measles is here in Oregon and spreading in the United States," Howard Chiou, M.D., Ph.D., medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Division, said in aFeb. 19 statement, "and vaccination remains the best way for people to protect themselves. We encourage everyone to talk with a healthcare provider to ensure they and their families are fully protected."

Stock image of the Oregon state sign. Getty

The state has launched awastewater surveillance tool, which, at press time, showed low levels of the virus in some counties. As Chiou said, "It's really important to remember that these cases likely represent just a fraction of the true number of measles cases," perOregonLive.

Four of the five people sickened with measles were unvaccinated, theOHA says, and the vaccination status of the fifth person is unknown.

This is the seventh measles outbreak in 2026, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.As of Feb. 19, there have been 982 confirmed cases of the wildly contagious virus in the U.S. This includes a massive outbreak inSouth Carolina, which largely sickened children and left at least19 hospitalized.

Cases in the U.S. have spiked year over year. Last year, there were 2,281 confirmed cases of measles, with illnesses reported in 45 states. In 2024, there were 285 cases — a third of the cases the U.S. has seen just two months into this year.

Measles is extremely infectious. As Oregon health officials point out, the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours. Nine out of ten people exposed are likely to get sick if they aren't protected from the virus.

TheCDCsays, "Two doses of the MMR vaccine are recommended by doctors as the best way to protect against measles, mumps and rubella."

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It's a two-shot series: The first dose is administered between 12 and 15 months of age and the second shot comes between 4 and 6 years.

Some adults may not remember getting the shots — or if they were born before 1957, traditional guidelines considered them immune. Measles was so widespread before the vaccine's introduction in 1963 that medical professionals assumed most people were exposed to it, resulting in some immunity.

The virus isn't "just a little rash," theCDCsays. Measles can also cause a high fever, cough, pneumonia, swelling of the brain (encephalitis) and death. The agency says one in five people with measles will be hospitalized, and one in 20 children will develop pneumonia, which it says is "the most common cause of death from measles in young children."

Read the original article onPeople

Epstein estate reaches settlement of up to $35 million with survivors

Allias Grif February 20, 2026

The estate ofJeffrey Epsteinagreed on Thursday to pay up to $35 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by survivors of the late convicted sex offender.

Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2004. - Rick Friedman/Corbis/Getty Images

The complaint, which was first filed in 2024, alleges that Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, co-executors of Epstein's estate, "facilitated" Epstein's "sex trafficking and abuse" and "were also integral in allowing Epstein to escape justice for years by concealing his litany of crimes."

Indyke and Kahn denied the allegations in Thursday's filing, adding that they were not involved in "the Epstein sex trafficking venture in any way" and that they do not believe "any Class Member has suffered any harm, injury, or damages as a result of their conduct." The settlement would resolve all claims against the two defendants and the estate. A judge must now sign off on the agreement.

It comes amid the fallout from the Justice Department's release of millions of pages of files related to Epstein in document dumps over the course of the last year. The files include numerousprominent names, and revelations have promptedseveral executives to step down.

The parties agreed on a settlement of up to $35 million, according to a court filing Thursday. The final figure depends on the number of survivors that signed onto the class-action lawsuit, and it could be as low as $25 million if there are less than 40 "Eligible Class Members."

An attorney for Indyke and Kahn stressed that they are not admitting to any wrongdoing by agreeing to the settlement.

"Neither of the co-executors has made any admission or concession of misconduct," lawyer Daniel Weiner said in a statement to CNN. "Because they did nothing wrong, the co-executors were prepared to fight the claims against them through to trial, but agreed to mediate and settle this lawsuit in order to achieve finality as to any potential claims against the Epstein Estate."

CNN has reached out to lawyers representing the survivors.

Several survivors have already received compensation since Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial.

In November 2019, attorneys for Epstein's estate executors filed a request to pursue a survivor compensation fund to avoid litigation and the program started in June 2020. By early 2021,payouts were pausedbecause the estate was low on cash. Before the pause, over 150 claims were filed and the program paid out over $50 million to eligible claimants.

Survivors have also reached settlements with two banks where Epstein was a client:JP Morgan Chase, which agreed to pay $290 million to settle a class-action lawsuit, andDeutsche Bank, which reached a $75 million settlement.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN's Lauren del Valle and Chris Isidore contributed to this report.

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Snow foolin': Weekend nor'easter to menace East Coast

Allias Grif February 20, 2026

Anor'easteris forecast for the East Coast this weekend, but the amount of snow that falls − and where − remains challenging to pinpoint as of Friday, Feb. 20.

"An East Coast storm is expected to develop this weekend, but the track of this potential nor'easter isn't yet determined, leaving impacts such as snow, rain, wind and coastal flooding from Sunday [Feb. 22] into Monday [Feb. 23] uncertain from New England to the mid-Atlantic states," saidWeather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in an online forecast from Friday morning, Feb. 20.

According toAccuWeather, there is a risk that the storm strengthens rapidly, bringing heavier snow to parts of the Interstate-95 corridor, including New York City and Philadelphia.

Clarity should come soon, however: "Forecast totals and timing should come into better focus by late tonight," theNational Weather Service in Philadelphianoted in an online forecast discussion posted early Friday, Feb. 20.

Regardless of the final outcome, the weather service also urged caution and preparedness: "We still remain in the 'wait and see' period with this storm, so just take precautions now, should the worst case scenario play out,"the weather service forecast office in Stirling, Virginia, said in an online forecast."Having a preparedness kit stocked up is never a bad idea."

Snow covers the ground in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. These photos captured the winter storm's aftermath from the sky.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A person shovels snow off their driveway covers in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.

A person shovels snow off their driveway covers in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.

A section of West 42nd Street remains snow covered Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Indianapolis.

Snow blankets the city Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, as motorists travel along Interstate 65 and West 38th Street in Indianapolis.

An aerial photo shows the University of Missouri sitting under several inches of fresh snow on Jan. 25, 2026 in Columbia, MO.

An aerial photo shows several inches of fresh snow covering a residential neighborhood on Jan. 25, 2026 in Columbia, MO.

Snow covers downtown after a winter storm in Oklahoma City, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.

People play in snow after a winter storm in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.

Downtown Louisville and snowy interstate conditions are seen on Jan. 25, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Downtown Louisville and snowy interstate conditions are seen on Jan. 25, 2026.

Mesmerizing drone photos taken after winter storm show power of nature

Snow covers the ground in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. These photos captured thewinter storm's aftermathfrom the sky.

Storm's track will determine impacts

For several days now, the computer models that meteorologists use to predict weather have had a hard time agreeing on the future path of the storm, which has yet to fully form. A track closer to shore means more snow, while a track farther offshore means less snow.

"The critical question for heavy versus light snow along I-95 is the track of the coastal storm," said Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather vice president of forecasting operations, in an e-mail to USA TODAY. "That track will depend on how quickly the storm intensifies."

Erdman agrees with this, noting that "the main uncertainty is where this offshore low tracks. That affects who may see snow, rain, wind and coastal flooding and the magnitude of those impacts."

A map from the National Weather Service shows the probability of at least minor winter weather impacts from early Sunday Feb. 22 to early Monday Feb. 23.

How much snow could fall?

According to Erdman, the heaviest snow is expected along the coast from New Jersey to Massachusetts, where totals could surpass 4 inches, and in the northern Appalachians, where totals could surpass a foot.

From Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston, precipitation is expected to fall mainly as snow, but marginal temperatures may limit accumulation on paved surfaces during daylight hours,AccuWeather said.

"During the day Sunday [Feb. 22] and Monday [Feb. 23], when snow is not falling heavily, highways and city streets can be just wet or slushy in spots due to temperatures near freezing combined with the higher sun angle in late February," DePodwin said.

"However, there will be periods when snowfall rates are heavy enough to overcome marginal temperatures and sunlight, especially at night," he added.

Another snowy weekend

For some Northeast cities, this would mark a fifth consecutive weekend with snowfall, AccuWeather said.

Overall, New York City has recorded 22.3 inches of snow this season, near the historical average of 22.1 inches, following a stretch of temperatures 9.4 degrees below the historical average.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Here's the latest forecast for the looming East Coast nor'easter

Project Runway Star Tim Gunn Gets Honest About Not Being Asked Back

Allias Grif February 20, 2026

Project Runwayis returning without one beloved mentor. Fashion mavenTim Gunnwill notreturn for Season 22, which is slated to premiere later this year. Instead, Season 4 winnerChristian Sirianowill serve as the mentor for the designers. Tim Gunn recently opened up about his exit from the runway in an episode ofChelsea Handler'spodcast, Dear Chelsea. He revealed he was not asked back for Season 22, calling the news "devastating." Here's what you need to know.

Tim Gunn has "no complaints" despite not returning to Project Runway

Fans were surprised when news brokethat Project Runwaywas returning without Tim. His name and the show have become synonymous, which may explain the uproar from fans after hearing word of his departure. He spoke candidly about the end of his Project Runway career in his conversation with Chelsea.

"I wasn't invited to return to the party," he shared. "My agent called the producers to say, 'We understandHeidi [Klum]signed up. We haven't heard a thing about Tim,' and they said, 'We don't want him.'"

Tim said the news initially devastated him, but he now looks back on the show with gratitude.

"I feel extremely lucky to have had 19 seasons of the show, 16 with Heidi, and I have a beautiful Emmy sitting on my kitchen counter," he said. "Yeah, so no complaints. I feel very, very, very lucky."

Producers offered Tim a cameo on the upcoming season, but he declined.

"What do I do? Wave from a bus? As the designers are going into Mood [Fabrics]? Heidi comes to see me at the retirement home, and we play croquet?" he joked. "No, thank you. And as Heidi would say, you're either in or you're out. And I'm out."

Project Runwayis streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

TELL US – DO YOU WANT TIM BACK ON PROJECT RUNWAY?

The postProject Runway Star Tim Gunn Gets Honest About Not Being Asked Backappeared first onReality Tea.

Can King Charles III pardon his brother Andrew? Why it's unlikely.

Allias Grif February 20, 2026

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 19, his 66th birthday, for suspicion of misconduct in public life. Hours later, he was released from police custody.

The former prince allegedly leaked confidential information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to previousUSA TODAY reporting. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing.

King Charles III is the older brother of Mountbatten-Windsor and in response to the arrest, issued a statement via Buckingham Palace signaling support for a "full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities."

"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," the king added. "As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all."

Still, some might wonder if the king could pardon his brother, former Prince Andrew. The short answer: it's very unlikely. Here's what to know.

Live updates:Former Prince Andrew seen in first photo since release after arrest

Police officers, unmarked vehicles and media were seen at residences linked to disgraced former royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Feb. 19, 2026. Windsor was reportedly arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on the Sandringham estate. In a statement, Thames Valley police said they were also "carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk" as part of the investigation. See the scene outside various residences, beginning here near the entrance to Wood Farm in Sandringham, Norfolk.