France will summon U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner to protest comments made by the Trump administration over the death of a far-right activist, the foreign affairs minister said on Sunday.
Jean-Noel Barrot was reacting to a statement by the U.S. State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau, which stated that “reports, corroborated by the French Minister of the Interior, that Quentin Deranque was killed by left-wing militants, should concern us all.”
The State Department said in its post on X that “violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque’s death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety. We will continue to monitor the situation and expect to see the perpetrators of violence brought to justice.”
Deranque, a far-right activist, died of brain injuries last week from a beating in the French city of Lyon. He was attacked during a fight on the margins of a student meeting where a far-left lawmaker, Rima Hassan, was a keynote speaker.
“We reject any instrumentalization of this tragedy, which has plunged a French family into mourning, for political ends,” Barrot said. “We have no lessons to learn, particularly on the issue of violence, from the international reactionary movement.”
Deranque’s killing highlighted a climate of deep political tensions ahead of next year’s presidential vote. French President Emmanuel Macron called for calm on Saturday as some 3,000 people joined a march in Lyon organized by far-right groups to pay tribute to Deranque.
Seven people have been handed preliminary charges. The Lyon public prosecutor’s office requested that each of them be charged with intentional homicide, aggravated violence and criminal conspiracy. Six of the accused were charged on all three counts. The seventh was charged with complicity in intentional homicide, aggravated violence and criminal conspiracy.
Barrot said he has other topics to discuss with Kushner, including U.S. decisions to impose sanctions on Thierry Breton, a former European Union commissioner responsible for supervising social media rules, and Nicolas Guillou, a French judge at the International Criminal Court.
Barrot said both are targeted by “unjustified and unjustifiable” sanctions.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry did not say when the meeting will take place.
This is the second time Kushner has been summoned by France. In August last year, he was summoned over a letter he sent to Macron alleging the country did not do enough to combat antisemitism.
In a statement obtained by CBS News at that time, France rejected the allegations, saying they “run counter to international law.”
“They also fall short of the quality of the transatlantic partnership between France and the United States and of the trust that must prevail between allies,” the statement said.
Macron told “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” in September that it was out of line for Kushner, who is the father of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to publicly accuse him of taking insufficient action to combat antisemitism.
Macron said a French ambassador would never be allowed to make similar public remarks about another country because it would risk diplomacy with those nations.
“So either you are a person who wants to express freely,” Macron said. “If you are a diplomat, you have to follow the rule of diplomacy. … The [American] taxpayer money is not properly used to finance this kind of statement.”
France’s foreign officials met with a representative of the U.S. ambassador since the diplomat did not show up to the meeting.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – In this week’s edition of the “Pick 6,” we highlight the best local plays and players from the week of sports. High School and collegiate athletes are all showcased. Here is the list:
Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.
Multiple Authors
LOS ANGELES — After the Celtics beat the Lakers111-89 on Sunday, fueled by Jaylen Brown‘s 32 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals, he received an MVP endorsement from the other side of the Boston-L.A. rivalry.
Four-time MVP LeBron James said he thinks Brown has a case this season to earn his first.
“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James said. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”
The win over the Lakers brought Boston’s record to 37-19, the second-best mark in the Eastern Conference.
Brown came into Sunday averaging career highs in points (29.2), rebounds (7.0) and assists (4.8).
James said Brown deserves consideration due to how competitive the Celtics have been despite Jayson Tatum being out all season while recovering from a torn Achilles and losing Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis from their 2024 championship team.
“I think he just used the motivation of a lot of people just saying that they’re going to have a down year,” James said. “The whole championship team pretty much is kind of revamped, and he used it as motivation to keep them afloat. They’re playing great basketball, and it’s because of him and the rest of those guys. He’s taken that next step.”
Brown said he tries not to pay too much attention to criticism or praise that comes his way, but he laid out his credentials for the award as he sees them.
“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” Brown said. “I play both ends on the court. Night to night, I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single night. So I’m grateful.
“It’s an honor to play the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. It’s an honor for LeBron, who’s arguably the best player to ever play the game, giving me some high praise. So, I’m just grateful.”
James and Brown were All-Star teammates on the USA Stripes team earlier this month.
Brown said it allowed him and James to reconnect about an interaction they shared when Brown was a rookie.
“When I first got into the league, my first start was against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and after the game he came up to me and he told me in my ear, ‘You’re going to be an All-Star one day, you’re going to be a great player,'” Brown said. “So, we talked about that at the All-Star Game. ‘You remember that 10 years ago?’ And he smiles like, ‘Of course, I’m not surprised at anything you’re doing right now. So just keep proving people wrong. Keep doing what you got to do and keep leading your team and people will take notice.'”
Brown said there was more he and James spoke about, but he was not going to share it.
He could have been referring to how he was caught on camera at a 2024 Las Vegas Summer League game questioning Bronny James‘ credentials as a pro while sitting courtside.
“Our relationship has been pretty respectful, besides the s— he said about Bronny at summer league,” James said of Brown. “But other than that, other than that we’ve been all right.”
Brown later addressed his thoughts about Bronny, sharing on social media: “It’s a flex to have your son alongside you in the NBA. … Bronny has all the tools around him to be successful. I look forward to watching his growth.”
James said he and Brown “will be all right.”
“I think he went on social media and said something about it,” James said. “It’s all good, but Bronny’s got a long way to go, but that’s another story. But the kid, I mean, listen, JB is doing [great]. S—, he’s playing great basketball, man.”
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne contributed to this report.
MEKELE, Ethiopia — Gebreegziabher Berehe has stopped waiting for tourists to arrive as many worry about a return to war.
The tour guide in Ethiopia ’s northern region of Tigray says his bookings have dried up, ATMs in the city of Mekele are empty and he is considering leaving a country where he can no longer afford to live.
“If war arises again, I think the situation will be even more severe than before,” the 37-year-old Berehe said. “My colleagues and I are now facing serious economic and moral crises, even before hearing the sound of any gun.”
There is a tense calm in Mekele, the regional capital, but tensions have been rising again between local authorities and Ethiopia’s government in Addis Ababa, the federal capital.
Tigray has been bracing for the possibility of renewed conflict after the parties signed a peace deal in November 2022, ending fighting that killed thousands of people as Ethiopian government troops, backed by allied forces from neighboring Eritrea, fought Tigrayan forces.
Now, Tigray’s rulers accuse Ethiopian federal authorities of breaching that agreement with drone strikes. At the same time, Ethiopia’s government accuses Eritrea of pivoting to mobilize and fund armed groups in Tigray, with which it shares a border.
In the feared scenario, Eritrea would team up with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the group that governs Tigray, in armed hostilities against Ethiopian forces.
The conflict that ended in 2022 was brutal, with widespread allegations of sexual violence and the withholding of food as a weapon of war.
Many residents of Mekele are looking for opportunities to escape any new fighting while they can, recalling the communications blackout and travel restrictions that Ethiopia’s government imposed on the region during the conflict.
Abiy told lawmakers earlier this month that the Red Sea and Ethiopia “cannot remain separated forever.” Yemane Gebremeskel, the Eritrean government spokesperson, dismissed Abiy’s ambition as “delusional malaise” in comments to The Associated Press.
Eritrea, fearing a military strike on its port of Assab, has responded by warming up to its former rivals, Tigray’s leaders, even as it denies any alliance. That has caused concern in Addis Ababa, where the Ethiopian government is calling up its reserve forces.
Abiy has tried to build a global image of Ethiopia as a rising power since he took office in 2018. But he has been set back by several conflicts over the years.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on all parties to exercise restraint, echoed by the European Union and the United Kingdom, which has warned its citizens against traveling to the region.
Ethiopian Airlines, the national carrier, on Jan. 29 canceled flights to Tigray after clashes broke out between federal troops and Tigrayan forces in Tselemti district, which is part of an area disputed by Tigray and the neighboring Amhara region. The airline resumed flights on Feb. 3.
The violence was followed by drone strikes that killed one person and injured another. Tigrayan authorities accused Ethiopian forces of carrying out the attack. Ethiopia’s military didn’t publicly respond to the allegation.
The events have affected travel to Tigray, whose ancient rock-hewn churches and dramatic highland landscapes make tourism a rare but vital source of hard currency and employment.
While Mekele business owners like Berehe worry about lost income, Tigray farmers like Johannes Tesfay worry.
Tesfay lives north of Mekele in Debretsion, where his family grows chili, potatoes and onions at the base of a mountain range that Eritrean troops used to cross into Ethiopia during the last conflict, trampling over farmland and destroying equipment.
Supply chain disruptions tied to the renewed tensions have left him gravely concerned.
“There’s no fuel for my irrigation pumps, there’s no fertilizer and there’s barely any transportation for buyers to bring the produce to market,” he said.
Asked what he would do if fighting returned to the region, Tesfay looked to the mountains and said, “What can we do? All we can do is pray. We need help from the global community to make some kind of reconciliation between all the forces.”
The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Professional hockey is returning to New Mexico after 17 years, as the New Mexico Goatheads announced their NHL affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche, drawing over 2,000 fans to Rio Rancho for the celebration. The announcement was made Saturday, Feb. 21. According to the ECHL, the agreement establishes a formal player development partnership, creating a clear pathway for players to advance within the Avalanche system while bringing professional hockey back to New Mexico. “The timing of the affiliation worked out perfectly,” Goatheads General Manager Jared Johnson said. “Outside of the name, probably the second-biggest secret we’ve had to keep in the last six months.” Johnson also said the Colorado Avalanche were the only team the Goatheads talked to, as they were looking for a new team in the ECHL due to their current team’s relocation at the end of the year.”It’s a close affiliation, you know,” said Mike Battaglia, who is head of U.S. scouting for the Colorado Avalanche. “It’s a fresh start with hockey here and for us.” The partnership aims to develop players for the next level. “It’s a way for us to bring more prospects in and have a little more time with all of them,” Battaglia said. The team plans to bring a consistent style to their play, emphasizing speed and competitiveness. “We like to play fast and we like to be competitive,” Battaglia said. “Those are two huge things for us. The only way players get better is by playing, and that’s a big piece, and winning. Hopefully we can establish that environment here.”The team also announced their mascot Billy as he energized the crowd, which has been eager to watch competitive hockey. While the possibility of hosting a preseason game with the Avalanche was discussed, the Goatheads’ general manager indicated it likely won’t happen this year but could occur in 2027.
Professional hockey is returning to New Mexico after 17 years, as the New Mexico Goatheads announced their NHL affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche, drawing over 2,000 fans to Rio Rancho for the celebration. The announcement was made Saturday, Feb. 21.
According to the ECHL, the agreement establishes a formal player development partnership, creating a clear pathway for players to advance within the Avalanche system while bringing professional hockey back to New Mexico.
“The timing of the affiliation worked out perfectly,” Goatheads General Manager Jared Johnson said. “Outside of the name, probably the second-biggest secret we’ve had to keep in the last six months.”
Johnson also said the Colorado Avalanche were the only team the Goatheads talked to, as they were looking for a new team in the ECHL due to their current team’s relocation at the end of the year.
“It’s a close affiliation, you know,” said Mike Battaglia, who is head of U.S. scouting for the Colorado Avalanche. “It’s a fresh start with hockey here and for us.”
The partnership aims to develop players for the next level. “It’s a way for us to bring more prospects in and have a little more time with all of them,” Battaglia said.
The team plans to bring a consistent style to their play, emphasizing speed and competitiveness. “We like to play fast and we like to be competitive,” Battaglia said. “Those are two huge things for us. The only way players get better is by playing, and that’s a big piece, and winning. Hopefully we can establish that environment here.”
The team also announced their mascot Billy as he energized the crowd, which has been eager to watch competitive hockey. While the possibility of hosting a preseason game with the Avalanche was discussed, the Goatheads’ general manager indicated it likely won’t happen this year but could occur in 2027.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are now officially over as the torch has been passed from Italy to France, who will host the 2030 Winter Games across the French Alps. The Closing Ceremony, which took place in Verona and was themed “Beauty in Action,” showcased Italy’s culture through operatic performances, an aerial ballet and numerous musical numbers.
Just as the Opening Ceremony did, Italy pulled out all the stops in highlighting its many contributions to the world of art, dance and theater. Italian ballet star Roberto Bolle performed a beautiful aerial ballet that was meant to symbolize the water cycle as he was suspended in the air like a falling water droplet. He previously performed at the Winter Olympics 20 years ago to kick off the Turin Games.
In between the many performances, was the parade of athletes, the passing of the Olympic torch and the awarding of the final two Olympic gold medals of the Winter Games.
Here are the highlights and best moments from the 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony.
Hilary Knight & Evan Bates walk in as flag bearers
Fresh off a winning a gold medal for the U.S. women’s hockey team, Knight was one of two flag bearers for the Americans. During the gold-medal match, Knight broke the American women’s record for career goals previously held by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King. In doing so, she also broke the record for most career Olympic points in U.S. women’s hockey history. It was a thrilling comeback win for the women’s hockey team, which rallied from a 1-0 deficit against Canada to win 2-1 in overtime. Knight’s game-tying goal in the third period kept the Americans alive to eventually win in overtime.
Bates won a gold medal in the figure skating team event with the United States, as well as a silver medal in the ice dance competition with partner, and wife, Madison Chock. The duo became just the third American duo to win a silver medal in ice dance, the first since the 2010 Winter Games.
Alysa Liu hints at future plans for skating
Ice skating sensation Alysa Liu was on hand for the closing ceremony, just as joyful as she was the day she won gold in the women’s singles event for the United States. Liu became the first American woman to take home gold in the singles event since 2002, jumping from third to first after a near flawless free skate program that went viral on social media.
Liu became a national treasure as her unique journey to becoming an Olympic gold medalist spoke to so many people. Liu had been competitively skating since the age of 10, and after winning multiple national awards, she announced her retirement at 16 years old. Two years later, though, Liu returned to the sport, vowing to do it her way by picking her own schedule and adhering to a less stringent regimen that is often associated with the sport. She returned in 2024, and the following year she became a world champion. Now, she’s an Olympic gold medalist and stands on top of the ice skating world.
At the Closing Ceremony, Liu was asked about her plans in skating for the future, to which she was enthused about continuing in the sport.
“I have no plans to leave yet,” Lu said when asked if she’ll perform at the 2030 Winter Games. “I can’t imagine not skating next year.”
Cross-country skiers awarded gold medals
As per tradition, the last two gold medals were awarded at the Closing Ceremony. That distinction goes to the winners of the 50 km classic mass start cross country skiers. The honor is meant to highlight the grueling endurance that it takes to compete in the sport. Marathon runners are given the same distinction at the Summer Games.
Sweden’s Ebba Andersson was awarded her gold medal after beating out Norway’s Heidi Weng by 2 minutes and 15 seconds in the event.
On the men’s side, Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo was awarded his sixth gold medal of the Milan Corina Games. With the 50 km classic mass start win, Klaebo set the record for the only winter sport athlete to win six gold medals in a single Winter Olympics. It brings Klaebo’s gold medal total to 11, which means swimmer Michael Phlelps as the only other Olympian to hold more gold medals than him.
Getty Images
Oldest Olympic volunteer honored at Closing Ceremony
Set to the catchy 1998 song by Italian music group Eiffel 65, Blue (Da Ba Dee), a performance was put on to honor the over 18,000 volunteers at the Winter Games. Amongst those volunteers is 88-year-old Mario Gargiulo, who was a volunteer the last time Milan Cortina hosted the Olympics back in 1956.
Teaser for 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles
While the Closing Ceremony focused heavily on Italian culture, and the passing of the Olympic flag to France to host the 2030 Winter Games, we also got a nice table setter for the next Summer Olympics in 2028. Held in Los Angeles, the Closing Ceremony broadcast ended with Academy Award-nominated actress and singer Kate Hudson singing a cover of “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas and the Papas.
As Hudson sang, a montage of various American athletes were featured in the promo video. It was the perfect video to get everyone hyped for the next Summer Games, which will surely be a spectacle in La La Land.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was reelected to the top post of the ruling Workers’ Party, with delegates crediting him for bolstering the country’s nuclear arsenal and strengthening its regional standing, state media reported Monday.The report from the party congress, a major propaganda spectacle where Kim is expected to outline his political and military goals for the next five years, suggests he will double down on accelerating a nuclear arsenal already equipped with missiles capable of threatening Asian U.S. allies and the American mainland.Video above: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees air force combat drillsThe party also released a new roster for its powerful Central Committee that confirmed a generational shift in Kim’s leadership circle, with aging military chiefs and the 76-year-old head of Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament among dozens replaced in the 138-member body.The congress, which began last Thursday, comes as Kim grows increasingly assertive in regional politics, following an aggressive expansion of his nuclear arsenal and closer ties with Russia forged through joint war efforts in Ukraine, which have deepened his standoffs with Washington and Seoul. Kim has also pursued stronger ties with China, traveling to Beijing last September and having his first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in six years.Analysts say Kim will likely use the meeting to unveil new military goals, including strengthening conventional forces and integrating them with nuclear capabilities, while reemphasizing a campaign for economic “self-reliance” through mass mobilization, following gradual post-pandemic gains fueled by rebounding trade with China and arms exports to Russia.Party credits Kim’s leadership as a boost to national prideNorth Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim was reelected as the party’s general secretary with the “unshakable will and unanimous desire” of thousands of delegates on the fourth day of meetings Sunday.Under party rules, the congress, which Kim has held every five years since 2016, elects the general secretary to serve as the party’s top representative and leader. Kim, 42, has held the party’s top post throughout his rule, though the title changed from first secretary to chairman at the congress in 2016 and then to general secretary at the congress in 2021.The party said in a statement that by building up nuclear forces, Kim has created a military capable of handling “any threat of aggression” and “any form of war,” and credited his leadership with “reliably guaranteeing” the country’s future and “boosting the pride and self-esteem” of North Koreans.It also praised Kim’s recent foreign policy, which it said raised national prestige. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said Xi congratulated Kim on his reelection.Party’s leadership reshuffle reflects generational shiftKCNA said the congress adopted revisions to party rules during Sunday’s meeting but did not immediately provide details. Experts had anticipated that Kim would use the congress to entrench his hard-line stance toward South Korea and possibly rewrite party rules to codify his characterization of inter-Korean relations as between two “hostile” states.State media so far haven’t mentioned any comments by Kim or other senior leaders at the congress directly addressing relations with Washington and Seoul.Yoon Min Ho, a spokesperson at South Korea’s Unification Ministry, described Kim’s reelection as a predictable move to further burnish his leadership and that Seoul will closely watch further messages from the congress.The most notable change to the new Central Committee list was the exclusion of Choe Ryong Hae, chairman of the standing committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, who during an earlier part of Kim’s rule was seen as the second most powerful individual in Pyongyang. Also left out were military marshals Pak Jong Chon and Ri Pyong Chol, who had rose in the leadership ranks while Kim sped up his nuclear development over the past decade.Yoon also noted the removal of senior officials who handled inter-Korean affairs, including Kim Yong Chol and Ri Son Gwon, who served key roles in carrying out Kim Jong Un’s diplomacy with then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019.North Korea has suspended all meaningful diplomacy with the United States and South Korea since the collapse of a 2019 summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump over disagreements about exchange sanctions relief for steps to wind down Kim’s nuclear and missile program.Kim’s government has rejected dialogue offers from Trump since the American president began his second term, urging Washington to drop its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization as a precondition for talks. Inter-Korean relations further deteriorated in 2024 when Kim abandoned the North’s long-standing goal of peaceful reunification and declared the war-divided South a permanent enemy.
, Seoul —
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was reelected to the top post of the ruling Workers’ Party, with delegates crediting him for bolstering the country’s nuclear arsenal and strengthening its regional standing, state media reported Monday.
The report from the party congress, a major propaganda spectacle where Kim is expected to outline his political and military goals for the next five years, suggests he will double down on accelerating a nuclear arsenal already equipped with missiles capable of threatening Asian U.S. allies and the American mainland.
Video above: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees air force combat drills
The party also released a new roster for its powerful Central Committee that confirmed a generational shift in Kim’s leadership circle, with aging military chiefs and the 76-year-old head of Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament among dozens replaced in the 138-member body.
The congress, which began last Thursday, comes as Kim grows increasingly assertive in regional politics, following an aggressive expansion of his nuclear arsenal and closer ties with Russia forged through joint war efforts in Ukraine, which have deepened his standoffs with Washington and Seoul. Kim has also pursued stronger ties with China, traveling to Beijing last September and having his first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in six years.
Analysts say Kim will likely use the meeting to unveil new military goals, including strengthening conventional forces and integrating them with nuclear capabilities, while reemphasizing a campaign for economic “self-reliance” through mass mobilization, following gradual post-pandemic gains fueled by rebounding trade with China and arms exports to Russia.
Party credits Kim’s leadership as a boost to national pride
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim was reelected as the party’s general secretary with the “unshakable will and unanimous desire” of thousands of delegates on the fourth day of meetings Sunday.
Ahn Young-joon
A TV screen shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 22, 2025.
Under party rules, the congress, which Kim has held every five years since 2016, elects the general secretary to serve as the party’s top representative and leader. Kim, 42, has held the party’s top post throughout his rule, though the title changed from first secretary to chairman at the congress in 2016 and then to general secretary at the congress in 2021.
The party said in a statement that by building up nuclear forces, Kim has created a military capable of handling “any threat of aggression” and “any form of war,” and credited his leadership with “reliably guaranteeing” the country’s future and “boosting the pride and self-esteem” of North Koreans.
It also praised Kim’s recent foreign policy, which it said raised national prestige. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said Xi congratulated Kim on his reelection.
KCNA said the congress adopted revisions to party rules during Sunday’s meeting but did not immediately provide details. Experts had anticipated that Kim would use the congress to entrench his hard-line stance toward South Korea and possibly rewrite party rules to codify his characterization of inter-Korean relations as between two “hostile” states.
State media so far haven’t mentioned any comments by Kim or other senior leaders at the congress directly addressing relations with Washington and Seoul.
Yoon Min Ho, a spokesperson at South Korea’s Unification Ministry, described Kim’s reelection as a predictable move to further burnish his leadership and that Seoul will closely watch further messages from the congress.
The most notable change to the new Central Committee list was the exclusion of Choe Ryong Hae, chairman of the standing committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, who during an earlier part of Kim’s rule was seen as the second most powerful individual in Pyongyang. Also left out were military marshals Pak Jong Chon and Ri Pyong Chol, who had rose in the leadership ranks while Kim sped up his nuclear development over the past decade.
Yoon also noted the removal of senior officials who handled inter-Korean affairs, including Kim Yong Chol and Ri Son Gwon, who served key roles in carrying out Kim Jong Un’s diplomacy with then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019.
North Korea has suspended all meaningful diplomacy with the United States and South Korea since the collapse of a 2019 summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump over disagreements about exchange sanctions relief for steps to wind down Kim’s nuclear and missile program.
Kim’s government has rejected dialogue offers from Trump since the American president began his second term, urging Washington to drop its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization as a precondition for talks. Inter-Korean relations further deteriorated in 2024 when Kim abandoned the North’s long-standing goal of peaceful reunification and declared the war-divided South a permanent enemy.
Dan Hajducky is a staff writer for ESPN. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and played on the men’s soccer teams at Fordham and Southern Connecticut State universities.
Multiple Authors
A recently discovered 1909 Sweet Caporal T206 Honus Wagner card, which had been pulled from a then newly released tobacco pack and kept in the same family for over a century, has been sold via Goldin Auctions for $5.124 million (including buyer’s premium). It’s the third-most expensive T206 Wagner behind the copy purchased for $6.606 million in August 2021 and the copy sold privately for $7.25 million in August 2022.
This Wagner received a 1 grade from Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA); the other two more expensive Wagners were graded by Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC) and received grades of 3 and 2, respectively.
“We are honored that the Shields family chose us to represent this historic card that has been in their family for 116 years,” said Ken Goldin, CEO and founder of Goldin in a statement.
This Wagner belonged to Douglas and Dennis Shields, whose grandfather Morton Bernstein, the son of the founder of The National Silver Company, collected and preserved trading cards in the early 1900s. After Bernstein purchased F.B. Rogers Silver Company in 1955 and expanded west, he framed his cards and decorated his businesses with them; when the National Silver Company folded, the cards were moved to a warehouse and eventually bequeathed to Dennis and Douglas.
Goldin announced the card in December, a discovery chronicled on Season 3 of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.”
“Tonight, the Shields shared with me that they are thrilled with the sale — and we hope the new owner treasures it as much as they did,” Goldin continued. “The T206 Honus Wagner remains the Mona Lisa of sports cards.”
The lore behind the T206 Wagner is one of sports cards’ most revered, given the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop asked the American Tobacco Company to pull it from production in 1909. Theories behind its scarcity range from a printing plate mishap to Wagner’s (unlikely) purported disagreement over hawking tobacco to children, to Wagner being somewhat of an NIL pioneer and objecting to his likeness being utilized without proper compensation.
It’s not the only Wagner currently in the news. An SGC Authentic (grade below a 1) currently sits at $2.318 million with six days left at Heritage Auction.
Violent clashes erupted in parts of western Mexico on Sunday amid a military operation that led to the death of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader, triggering widespread security concerns throughout the region.
Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” during an operation in the western state of Jalisco, Mexico’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement on X. It said he was wounded during the raid in the town of Tapalpa and died while being flown to Mexico City.
The state of Jalisco is the base of the cartel known for trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who also confirmed the cartel leader’s death, described him as “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins.”
“This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys,” he said on X.
A U.S. defense official told CBS News that the U.S. military played a role in the operation via the Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, which regularly works with the Mexican military through the U.S. Northern Command. The official emphasized that “this was a Mexican military operation, so the success is theirs.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media that the U.S. “provided intelligence” for the operation.
Mike Vigil, former DEA Chief of International Operations, told CBS News that the military operation was “one of the most significant actions undertaken in the history of drug trafficking.”
“Because we’re talking about someone that is almost at the same level as (Joaquin) “El Chapo” Guzman and (Ismael) “El Mayo” Zambada,” he added. “(Oseguera Cervantes) is one of the biggest drug capos in the history of drug trafficking around the globe.”
During the operation, troops came under fire and killed four people at the location. Three more people, including Oseguera Cervantes, were wounded and later died, the Ministry of Defense’s statement said. Two others were arrested and armored vehicles, rocket launchers and other arms were seized. Three members of the armed forces were wounded and are receiving medical treatment.
The killing of the powerful drug lord triggered several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.
A member of the Prosecutor’s Office stands guard near a burning bus set on fire by organized crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 2026.
Ulises Ruiz /AFP via Getty Images
Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus Navarro activated a “code red,” which is a protocol for a state of emergency or security crisis, in response to the clashes. In a post on X, he said public transportation was suspended across Jalisco and urged people in the area to remain in their homes until the situation was under control.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on social media acknowledged the roadblocks but stressed, “In the vast majority of the national territory, activities are proceeding with complete normality.”
Mexico’s security agency said Sunday night there were 252 blockades reported throughout the country, and that by 8 p.m., 23 still hadn’t been cleared. There were 65 roadblocks in Jalisco, the most in any single territory, the agency said.
Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the city of Puerto Vallarta, a major city in Jalisco, and sprinting through the airport of the state’s capital in panic.
“They are burning buses, they’re shutting down roads, not only in Jalisco, but Michoacan, Colima, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, and then also Aguas Calientes,” Vigil said. “And what they’re trying to do is show that they are still a force to be reckoned with, that this was not a lethal blow to them.
In Guadalajara, Jalisco’s capital and Mexico’s second-largest city where the World Cup is scheduled to host matches this summer, burning vehicles blocked roads.
A similar situation unfolded at the airport in Reynosa, a Mexican border city in the state of Tamaulipas, sources on the ground and family members in the city told CBS News’ Nidia Cavazos. They said roads to and from the airport had been blocked off by cartel members. Reynosa borders McAllen, Texas, and is typically packed with Americans traveling back and forth. While international bridges remained open, key streets to get to the bridges were blocked off.
The U.S. State Department has released a security alert advising American citizens in several Mexican states, including Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon, to shelter in place until further notice. The Department of State Consular Affairs, in a message telling U.S. citizens to continue sheltering in place, said on social media that taxi and rideshare service had been suspended in Puerto Vallarta.
Air Canada temporarily suspended operations at the Puerto Vallarta Airport because of what it described as “an ongoing security situation in Puerto Vallarta” that impacted the airport.
“We are monitoring the situation and in contact with local authorities who are working to resolve the issue,” the airline said.
A man extinguishes a burning truck set on fire by organised crime groups in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 2026.
Ulises RUIZ /AFP via Getty Images
Southwest and Alaska Airlines confirmed they canceled flights to and from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, while Delta Air Lines also canceled flights and issued travel waivers to customers with flights into or out of the airport in Puerto Vallarta as well as Guadalajara.
“The safety of our customers and crew always comes first and we are closely monitoring the situation in the region. We have taken steps to adjust our operation accordingly and are working to communicate with our impacted customers,” Delta said in a statement.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organizations in Mexico. Oseguera Cervantes, 59, was originally from Aguililla in the neighboring state of Michoacán. He had been significantly involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. He helped co-found the Jalisco New Generation Cartel with Érick Valencia Salazar, alias “El 85,” around 2007.
The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military — including on helicopters — and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital’s police force and now federal security secretary.
The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states.
Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho.
A U.S. wanted poster for “El Mencho,” head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization, saying that in addition to trafficking fentanyl, the group “engages in extortion, migrant smuggling, oil and mineral theft, as well as weapons trade.”
