Companies are back to appointing fewer women and minorities as political pressures have shifted.
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@nicolejcombs via Instagram
DEI Rules That Changed Corporate Boards Are Vanishing
2026 Genesis Invitational leaderboard: Rory McIlroy stellar, Scottie Scheffler not
On a day at Riviera Country Club that featured everything from a deluge of rain to a 3-hour weather delay to wind gusts hovering around 30 miles per hour, a man who has done just about everything in the game of golf rose to the top of the leaderboard. Rory McIlroy was nearly flawless in the first round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational, shooting his lowest-ever score across the first 18 holes at Riviera with a 5-under 66 to sit one stroke behind Aaron Rai.
Round 1 was suspended due to darkness with the likes of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth all needing to complete the majority of their back nines on Friday when play resumes at 7 a.m. PT.
Scheffler will take the interruption in stride as he was 5 over through 10 holes, 11 strokes off the lead and tied for last place when play was called. It’s the third straight week in which the best player in the game has slipped out of the gate.
McIlroy, meanwhile, was among the first players on the golf course; as such, he was able to finish his first round. He now looks to do what neither tournament host Tiger Woods nor legend Jack Nicklaus accomplished in their careers: win at the historic venue that is Riviera. On the line is not only the trophy and a signature event purse but the five-time major champion reaching the 30-win mark on the PGA Tour.
“I’ve definitely got more comfortable playing in conditions like this over the past few years as I’ve gotten more comfortable in controlling my ball flight, and controlling my ball flight taking a lot more club, hitting the ball low,” McIlroy said. “I’ve started to just really enjoy this style of golf.
“If you had asked me 10 years ago, I didn’t enjoy these conditions, but it’s been a shift in a mindset and maybe just a continuation of trying to build upon the skill set that I have. Then, when it does get to conditions like this, I’m a lot more prepared. I wouldn’t say I enjoy them, but I can certainly handle them better.”
If McIlroy plays the next 54 holes in the same manner as his first 18, he will win this tournament. Battling and overcoming the conditions, he played golf in its truest essence — flighting drives depending on the wind direction, leaving himself with easy leaves and taking care of the scoring holes.
Attacking the early portions of both nines, McIlroy started his round emphatically, making birdie on three of his first four holes to propel himself to the top of the leaderboard. His birdie on the newly lengthened par-3 4th came right out of the rain delay as his first stroke produced a 30-foot birdie.
Once the rain subsided, wind entered the equation, and McIlroy answered masterfully. Showing off every tool in his belt, the 36-year-old headlined his grouping that featured another round in the 60s from Tommy Fleetwood — the Englishman has broken 70 in 20 straight PGA Tour rounds — and a nifty 68 from last week’s winner Collin Morikawa.
“Just trying to keep the same mindset essentially,” Morikawa said. “You don’t want to get too relaxed, but you also want to kind of find that zone to go out and play golf. A long day, a lot of back and forth kind of rain, no rain, a lot of wind, no wind. Just was able to get the ball in the hole, which was kind of the whole goal.”
Leader
1. Aaron Rai (-6): Known as a Point A to Point B type of player, Rai kept everything in front of him on Thursday, and he was rewarded with a stellar performance on the greens. The Englishman opened with an eagle, tacked on six more birdies and made putts from nearly 80 feet on No. 9, 7 feet on No. 11, 21 feet on No. 13, 12 feet on No. 15 and finally 7 feet on No. 16. He will have a chance to extend his lead Friday morning as he starts his day on the par-5 17th.
Contenders
T2. Rory McIlroy, Jacob Bridgeman (-5)
4. Ryan Fox (-4)
T5. Pierceson Coody, Akshay Bhatia, Collin Morikawa, Aldrich Potgieter, Max Greyserman, Si Woo Kim, Marco Penge (-3)
T12. Jhonattan Vegas, Taylor Pendrith, Maverick McNealy, Viktor Hovland, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood, Ryo Hisatsune, Harry Hall (-2)
Only two weeks into his PGA Tour season, and Hovland is already searching for answers with his driver. He may have found them on Thursday. Missing only two fairways, the Norwegian looked noticeably more comfortable with the big stick in hand and was sensational from tee to green. He will need to clean up his play on and around the green as all three bogeys were courtesy of some sloppy play in that area, but if his full swing is in order, he should love his placement.
“You might have seen the band drill that I was messing around with now. It’s still trying to serve the same purpose, but I feel like that actually made it easier for me to find something tangible that I could take out on the golf course,” Hovland said. “Trying to just get a little bit wider in the downswing, not trying to pull my arms as close to me. That’s what the floaties were for, trying to get some space in the downswing. It was just hard to feel that when I took the floaties away.
“But the band, because it forces your body to push against the tension, and then when you take it away, it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s what it’s supposed to feel like.’ We’re not quite all there yet, even though this is a great round of golf, but that was a huge step in the right direction.”
Scheffler’s Thursday struggles continue
It was an inauspicious start from the world No. 1 on the first hole as Scheffler found the surface on the easy par 5 only to need three putts and walk off the green with a par. That ultimately told the tale of his day as Scheffler never made it easy on himself.
With two bogeys in his first six holes, he started to head even further south on the leaderboard when he made a head-scratching double bogey on No. 8, which featured another three-putt. He turned in 4 over, made an ugly bogey on the devilish, short par-4 10th and made par on another scoring chance on the par-5 11th to put a bow on his day.
Like the last three weeks, Scheffler faces a long climb back, and unlike last week, he will be staring the cutline directly in the face as the top 50 players and ties (as well as those within 10 strokes of the leader) will secure tee times over the weekend.
2026 Genesis Invitational updated odds, picks
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
- Rory McIlroy: +350
- Aaron Rai: 10-1
- Si Woo Kim: 13-1
- Jacob Bridgeman: 15-1
- Collin Morikawa: 15-1
- Tommy Fleetwood: 18-1
- Hideki Matsuyama: 19-1
Scheffler is at 26-1, if that tickles your fancy, but instead, we will look at someone else on the golf course with holes remaining in his first round: Matt Fitzpatrick at 36-1. The Englishman is 1 under, through 15 holes and will have a couple of scoring chances coming in Friday morning. He made nothing on the greens Thursday, so if his fortunes change, he will make up some ground.
2/19: CBS Evening News
Former Prince Andrew released but not cleared after arrest in connection with Epstein files; NASA’s new head criticizes Boeing, NASA for botched Starliner flight that left 2 astronauts stuck
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Albuquerque Film & Music Experience explains why they cancelled 2026 festival
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – More than a decade into its existence, a big festival celebrating film and music is putting its annual event on pause. What started with backing from the late Robert Redford, a longtime festival celebrating the Duke City’s film and music excellence, said this year will be different. “We decided that we […]
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Luke Combs + Wife Nicole Welcome Baby No. 3
Combs party of five! Luke Combs and his wife Nicole have welcomed baby No. 3 and it’s a boy!
The couple made the announcement on social media saying Chet Wiley Combs has arrived. Although the couple have not announced the official birth date, they did say they have enjoyed “these last few weeks of newborn snuggles.”
Many speculated their child was making their debut in early February, when Combs pulled out of his Madden Bowl ’26 performance on Super Bowl Weekend.
“Happy due date to the littlest Combs BOY! We’ve loved soaking up these last few weeks of newborn snuggles,” Nicole writes alongside a carousel of photos of the family.
Luke Combs and His Wife Nicole Kept Their Baby’s Gender a Surprise
For this pregnancy, the couple opted to do things differently. After celebrating their first two children with gender reveal parties, Combs and Nicole decided to keep this one as a surprise.
Nicole told fans of their plans during an “Ask Me Anything” on social media saying she wished they had done the same thing before Tex Lawrence and Beau Lee arrived in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Rockin’ That Baby Bump: Nicole Combs’ Pregnancy On Full Display at Husband’s Show
“Are you going to find out the gender this time around?” a fan asked.
“Nope! I’m so excited we did it this way though, if I could go back and not find out each time, I would!” Nicole wrote back.
“We don’t care what we have, ik a lot of people say that but we truly don’t,” she continues. “Happy & healthy is always the goal.”
Luke Combs and His Wife Nicole Each Had a Hunch About Baby No. 3
While the pair didn’t learn of the baby’s gender until they arrived, both Combs and Nicole had a hunch during the pregnancy. In the photo above, you can see the family’s guesses and it’s clear that the couple did not agree on what baby No. 3 would be.
Combs’s pink heart was proudly displayed in the ‘girl; category – next to “Mom H” who is likely Nicole’s mom – while Nicole’s blue heart was spotted in the ‘boy’ box.
Luke Combs Had Some Names Picked Out for His Third Child
Ahead of the CMA Awards, Combs offered up some baby names to Taste of Country. We put him on the spot, but he played along making sure we knew these names were not Nicole approved.
“Without approval, if I was just wildcarding it, I love the name Flint,” he shared at the time. “It would probably be a middle name. I would be a weird first name, but I would love to sneak that in. I doubt that that’s gonna get approved.”
“For a girl name, I feel like I would go with something old-school – something like Olive,” he continued. “Something kinda wild. My grandmother’s name was Donna. That’s not a common name either, but I think that would be kinda sick.”
Combs is the first country artist to welcome a baby in 2026, but there were quite a few born in 2025. See all 18 below.
Country Stars Who Are Having Babies in 2025
The country music family grew quite a bit in 2025! These country singers all made space for new bundles of joy this year. Some are first-time parents, while others are already experts at this “parenting” thing, but every new arrival is sure to be equally sweet. Keep scrolling to see photos of all the stars who became parents in 2025.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
Newmont Fourth-Quarter Sales Climb Amid Surging Gold Prices
The gold-mining company’s quarterly revenue rose 21% to $6.82 billion.
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Canada reaches gold medal game vs. Britain in Olympic men’s curling
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — After a rocky two weeks of Olympic curling that included accusations of cheating and a profanity-laced rant, the Canadian men will play for the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.
Canada beat Norway 5-4 in Thursday night’s semifinals after losing to the Norwegians earlier in the day.
The Canadians were the subject of a controversy that got attention far beyond the ice when several players were accused of double-touching the rock, a rules violation.
Canada’s opponent in Saturday’s gold medal game will be Britain, which stunned Switzerland 8-5. The Swiss were undefeated entering the semifinals.
Norway will play Switzerland for the bronze medal Friday.
The sport was sent into turmoil last week when Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of breaking the rules by touching the rock again after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice. Kennedy responded with an outburst full of expletives.
Several other accusations of double-touching followed, and Canada lost its next match against Switzerland before steadying itself to reach the semifinals.
Against Norway, Canada led 3-1 after the sixth end. Norway tightened the score with a single in the eighth. Canada went ahead 4-2 in the ninth.
Norway had the hammer in the tenth end. After a shot by Brad Jacobs that left a Norway stone on the edge of the house, Norway pulled a double, tying the match at 4-4 and pushing it into an extra end.
But Norway missed its final shot of the extra end to send the elated Canadians to the final. They are seeking their first gold in men’s curling since the 2014 Sochi Games, when Britain was also their opponent in the final.
Knowing that Canada is guaranteed a medal is a “pretty incredible feeling,” Kennedy said.
“We got a couple of old guys [on the team], so we’re gonna rest” before Saturday’s match, he added. “That’s going to be a good battle.”
Jacobs said his 11-year-old daughter and other family members were in tears in the stands.
“To give them even one more game to cheer for means everything to all of us,” he said.
Switzerland was in control for a good portion of its match against Britain.
The Brits scored two in the eighth end to take a 6-5 lead, their first of the match, and Switzerland was blanked in the ninth. Britain scored two more in the 10th to complete the stunner.
“GB into the finals with a record of 6-4 and Switzerland out with a record of 9-1. The Olympics are a cruel, cruel mistress,” curling commentator John Cullen posted on X.
Britain took silver in the 2022 Beijing Games, losing to Sweden in the final.
“It’s been a wee up and down,” skip Bruce Mouat said of this tournament. “But we play well when it matters.”
The Edinburgh native got emotional when he saw his family and friends cheering for him, but shedding tears is not his style, saying “I don’t think I have tear ducts.”
Neither, apparently, did a woman in the British fan section who spent much of the game knitting.
The women’s bronze medal game is Saturday, and the gold medal game is Sunday.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
North Korea opens major party congress with Kim emphasizing economy
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has opened its most important political event in which leader Kim Jong Un is expected to map out his domestic and foreign policy agenda for the next five years and further entrench his family’s authoritarian rule.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Friday that the ruling Workers’ Party Congress opened in Pyongyang the previous day with Kim delivering a speech emphasizing the economy.
Kim said the country has made significant progress since the 2021 congress, held during the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing economic gains and a firmer regional footing that he said marked an “irreversible” strengthening of the state’s status.
“This created favorable conditions and circumstances for giving a greater spur to our socialist construction,” he said. “Our party is faced with heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction and the people’s standard of living and transforming all realms of state and social life as early as possible.”
State media didn’t immediately mention any comments by Kim that directly addressed his standoffs with the United States and South Korea or his nuclear weapons program.
Kim in recent years has leveraged Russia’s war on Ukraine to advance his nuclear and missile capabilities and tighten alignment with Moscow, providing thousands of troops and substantial military equipment to sustain Russia’s campaign, possibly in exchange for economic aid and military technologies. He has also pursued stronger relations with China, traditionally the North’s primary ally and economic lifeline, traveling to Beijing last year for a World War II event and having his first summit in six years.
While North Korea’s strict information blockade obscures its true economic state, outside experts suggest there has been a gradual recovery, likely boosted by a post-pandemic rebound in trade with China and weapons exports to Russia.
The congress, which will likely run for days, came after a weekslong build up during which Kim flaunted his military capabilities and toured military sites and major industrial and housing projects to tout his alleged achievements over the past five years. About 5,000 delegates are participating in the congress, including 224 members of the party’s central leadership, Kim said.
Experts say Kim will likely use the meeting to lay out his next economic goals and further plans to expand his nuclear-armed military, already equipped with various systems targeting U.S. allies in Asia and long-range missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers last week it is watching for signs that Kim could use the congress to position his teenage daughter — believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and about 13 — as a potential successor, formalizing the regime’s fourth-generation succession.
Diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington has been frozen since 2019, following the collapse of a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump over disagreements regarding U.S.-led sanctions on the North’ nuclear program. Kim’s government has rebuffed U.S. offers for dialogue since Trump began his second term, demanding that Washington first abandon its calls for the North’s denuclearization as a precondition for any talks.
North Korea has also suspended nearly all talks and cooperation with South Korea since Kim’s fallout with Trump. Relations between the rivals have worsened in recent years as Kim discarded the North’s long-standing goal of peaceful reunification and declared a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean Peninsula, a stance he may further institutionalize in the Workers’ Party’s constitution during the congress, experts say.
Skiers with roots to Lake Tahoe among the 8 killed in avalanche
Families on Thursday identified six of the eight backcountry skiers killed in California’s deadliest avalanche in the state’s recorded history. Another skier who has yet to be found is also presumed dead.The six known victims of the avalanche are: Carrie AtkinLiz ClabaughDanielle KeatleyKate MorseCaroline SekarKate Vitt”We are devastated beyond words,” a statement from the families said. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”The statement said all were “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains.”They lived in the San Francisco Bay area, Idaho and the Truckee-Tahoe region.Vitt was a former vice president for SiriusXM and graduated from Boston College in 2004 with a degree in English, sister station WCVB confirmed. Caroline Sekar and Liz Clabaugh were sisters, family members told The New York Times. Sekar, 45, lived in San Francisco. Clabaugh, 52, lived in Boise, Idaho.The group of 15 skiers was concluding a three-day excursion when an avalanche swept them away around 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 17. Despite learning about the snow slide shortly after it happened, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said fierce blizzard conditions made accessing the avalanche scene difficult to reach.Search and rescue crews, comprising volunteers and multiple agencies, arrived at the site at 5:30 p.m. Once they got there, they took a snowcat for two miles before skiing the rest of the way to avoid the risk of another avalanche.What they found was an employee with Blackbird Mountain Guides and five clients, the only survivors. Three other guides and six clients died following the avalanche.On Thursday, the sheriff’s office said it paused efforts to recover the bodies amid hazardous weather conditions. Until the bodies are pulled from the mountain, officials will not be able to identify those killed.The statement from the families of the victims said there were eight skiers on the trip together, and all were close friends.”They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains,” the statement said. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”The families said they were “profoundly grateful for the extensive rescue efforts by Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and all of the authorities involved, and for the outpouring of support from the Tahoe community and beyond.””We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted,” the statement said. “We are asking for privacy and space as our families grieve this sudden and profound loss.”
Families on Thursday identified six of the eight backcountry skiers killed in California’s deadliest avalanche in the state’s recorded history. Another skier who has yet to be found is also presumed dead.
The six known victims of the avalanche are:
- Carrie Atkin
- Liz Clabaugh
- Danielle Keatley
- Kate Morse
- Caroline Sekar
- Kate Vitt
“We are devastated beyond words,” a statement from the families said. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”
The statement said all were “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains.”
They lived in the San Francisco Bay area, Idaho and the Truckee-Tahoe region.
Vitt was a former vice president for SiriusXM and graduated from Boston College in 2004 with a degree in English, sister station WCVB confirmed.
Caroline Sekar and Liz Clabaugh were sisters, family members told The New York Times. Sekar, 45, lived in San Francisco. Clabaugh, 52, lived in Boise, Idaho.
The group of 15 skiers was concluding a three-day excursion when an avalanche swept them away around 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 17. Despite learning about the snow slide shortly after it happened, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said fierce blizzard conditions made accessing the avalanche scene difficult to reach.
Search and rescue crews, comprising volunteers and multiple agencies, arrived at the site at 5:30 p.m. Once they got there, they took a snowcat for two miles before skiing the rest of the way to avoid the risk of another avalanche.
What they found was an employee with Blackbird Mountain Guides and five clients, the only survivors. Three other guides and six clients died following the avalanche.
On Thursday, the sheriff’s office said it paused efforts to recover the bodies amid hazardous weather conditions. Until the bodies are pulled from the mountain, officials will not be able to identify those killed.
The statement from the families of the victims said there were eight skiers on the trip together, and all were close friends.
“They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains,” the statement said. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”
The families said they were “profoundly grateful for the extensive rescue efforts by Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and all of the authorities involved, and for the outpouring of support from the Tahoe community and beyond.”
“We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted,” the statement said. “We are asking for privacy and space as our families grieve this sudden and profound loss.”
NEVERMORE Vocalist BERZAN ÖNEN Shares His First Audition, A Cover Of “Born”
Nevermore recently unveiled their 2026 reunion lineup, which includes new vocalist Berzan Önen. The guy is a powerhouse, but don’t take my word for it – check out his audition for the band via his cover of “Born” above. It’s pretty easy to see why the guy got the job. The lineup features founding members Jeff Loomis (guitar) and Van Williams (drums) alongside Jack Cattoi (guitar), Semir Özerkan (bass), and Önen.
Nevermore recently signed with Reigning Phoenix Music, which Loomis and Williams say was an obvious choice for supporting Nevermore‘s next era. “We are thrilled to announce that Nevermore has officially signed with Reigning Phoenix Music! Their passion for metal music combined with the extensive industry pedigree of their team made the choice easy,” the duo stated.
To introduce the new lineup, Nevermore will make their first live appearance on April 1, 2026, in Istanbul, Turkey, signaling a high-profile return.
Coinciding with the announcement, Nevermore released a documentary directed by Ola Englund, offering an inside look at the band’s January rehearsals in Sweden. The film features performances of classic tracks like “The River Dragon Has Come”, “Engines Of Hate”, and “The Heart Collector”.
“He really stood out strong in so many ways upon a first listen,” Loomis recalls about Berzan Önen. “I could really feel the emotion and passion when I heard him sing for the first time. He wasn’t just going through the motions… I could tell right away that he was a fan of Warrel‘s singing just by the way he delivered and said certain words.”
Nevermore, formed in the aftermath of Sanctuary, built a global following through albums like Dead Heart In A Dead World and This Godless Endeavor. After disbanding in 2011 and the passing of vocalist Warrel Dane in 2017, Loomis emphasizes that the band is not trying to replace Dane, but instead aims to honor the older material while introducing fresh elements for the next chapter.
“No one can replace Warrel Dane. Bottom line. We aren’t looking for a Warrel Dane clone. We are looking for someone that can carry the older Nevermore tunes in his vocal style, and someone who can add something new and refreshing to the next chapter of the band.”
The band is currently balancing writing new material with live preparations, planning festival appearances in 2026, and shaping the sound of their upcoming album. Van Williams adds: “Most musicians don’t do this for the money… This is what we chose to do in life because we’ve always loved it. That’s what drives us.”
Loomis concludes on the band’s mission for 2026: “Van and I are super passionate about the band. What we deliver and bring back to the audience is us wanting to hear those old tracks again just as much as the fans… and we also look forward to meeting a new generation of fans as well.”
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