The first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits against Meta is getting underway in New Mexico. New Mexico’s case is built on a state undercover investigation using proxy social media accounts and posing as kids to document sexual solicitations and the response from Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It could give states a new legal pathway to go after social media companies over how their platforms affect children, by using consumer protection and nuisance laws.Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed suit in 2023, accusing Meta of creating a marketplace and “breeding ground” for predators who target children for sexual exploitation and failing to disclose what it knew about those harmful effects.Live updates from the courtroom:Case backgroundA trial focused on the dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media and whether Meta misrepresented the safety of its platforms is set to start in New Mexico with opening statements Monday.It’s the first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits against major social media companies, including Meta, over harm to children, and one that is likely to highlight explicit online content and its effects.New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023. His team built the case by posing as kids through social media accounts, then documenting the arrival of sexual solicitations as well as the response by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.Prosecutors say they’ll provide evidence and testimony that Meta’s algorithms and account features enticed and addicted young people to social media, while also creating a “breeding ground” for predators who target children for sexual exploitation. Prosecutors allege Meta failed to disclose what it knew about those harmful effects, in violation of state consumer protection laws. Meta also is accused of creating a public nuisance.“Meta knowingly exposes children to the twin dangers of sexual exploitation and mental health harm,” the lawsuit states. “Meta’s motive for doing so is profit.”Meta denies any legal violations and says prosecutors are cherry-picking evidence to make sensationalist arguments. On Sunday, Meta called the state’s investigation “ethically compromised” in its use of child photos on proxy accounts, delays in reporting child sexual abuse material and the disposal of data from devices used in the investigation, in social media posts on X by company spokesperson Andy Stone.The company says lawsuits are attempting to place the blame for teen mental health struggles on social media companies in a way that oversimplifies matters. Meta says it has a longstanding commitment to supporting young people, highlighting a steady addition of account settings and tools — including safety features that give teens more information about the person they’re chatting with and content restrictions based on PG-13 movie ratings.“For over a decade, we’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most,” the company said in a statement. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made.”It’s unclear whether Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify at trial. New Mexico limits the ability to compel out-of-state witnesses to testify in person, while prosecutors can present testimony by Zuckerberg from a deposition.Personal opinions of Zuckerberg and evolving attitudes toward social media loomed over jury selection from a pool of more than 200 residents of Santa Fe County, including several educators, young adults who grew up with social media and others who never signed up.“Quite frankly, he’s the tech bro making money off of all of us,” one person said of Zuckerberg.An attorney for the state warned that there would be “very sensitive and very explicit material discussed in terms of safety to children” during the trial.More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming it is deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms. The majority filed their lawsuits in federal court, and New Mexico’s case against Meta is the first to reach trial.Opening statements have been postponed in a bellwether trial underway in California against social video companies, including Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube, that focuses on a 19-year-old who claims her use of social media from an early age addicted her to technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. settled claims in the case.Torrez, a Democrat seeking reelection this year to a second term, has urged Meta to implement more effective age verification and remove bad actors from its platform. He’s also seeking changes to algorithms that can serve up harmful material and criticizing end-to-end privacy encryption that can prevent the monitoring of communications with children for safety.
The first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits against Meta is getting underway in New Mexico.
New Mexico’s case is built on a state undercover investigation using proxy social media accounts and posing as kids to document sexual solicitations and the response from Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It could give states a new legal pathway to go after social media companies over how their platforms affect children, by using consumer protection and nuisance laws.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed suit in 2023, accusing Meta of creating a marketplace and “breeding ground” for predators who target children for sexual exploitation and failing to disclose what it knew about those harmful effects.
Live updates from the courtroom:
Case background
A trial focused on the dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media and whether Meta misrepresented the safety of its platforms is set to start in New Mexico with opening statements Monday.
It’s the first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits against major social media companies, including Meta, over harm to children, and one that is likely to highlight explicit online content and its effects.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023. His team built the case by posing as kids through social media accounts, then documenting the arrival of sexual solicitations as well as the response by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Prosecutors say they’ll provide evidence and testimony that Meta’s algorithms and account features enticed and addicted young people to social media, while also creating a “breeding ground” for predators who target children for sexual exploitation. Prosecutors allege Meta failed to disclose what it knew about those harmful effects, in violation of state consumer protection laws. Meta also is accused of creating a public nuisance.
“Meta knowingly exposes children to the twin dangers of sexual exploitation and mental health harm,” the lawsuit states. “Meta’s motive for doing so is profit.”
Meta denies any legal violations and says prosecutors are cherry-picking evidence to make sensationalist arguments. On Sunday, Meta called the state’s investigation “ethically compromised” in its use of child photos on proxy accounts, delays in reporting child sexual abuse material and the disposal of data from devices used in the investigation, in social media posts on X by company spokesperson Andy Stone.
The company says lawsuits are attempting to place the blame for teen mental health struggles on social media companies in a way that oversimplifies matters. Meta says it has a longstanding commitment to supporting young people, highlighting a steady addition of account settings and tools — including safety features that give teens more information about the person they’re chatting with and content restrictions based on PG-13 movie ratings.
“For over a decade, we’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most,” the company said in a statement. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made.”
It’s unclear whether Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify at trial. New Mexico limits the ability to compel out-of-state witnesses to testify in person, while prosecutors can present testimony by Zuckerberg from a deposition.
Personal opinions of Zuckerberg and evolving attitudes toward social media loomed over jury selection from a pool of more than 200 residents of Santa Fe County, including several educators, young adults who grew up with social media and others who never signed up.
“Quite frankly, he’s the tech bro making money off of all of us,” one person said of Zuckerberg.
An attorney for the state warned that there would be “very sensitive and very explicit material discussed in terms of safety to children” during the trial.
More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming it is deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms. The majority filed their lawsuits in federal court, and New Mexico’s case against Meta is the first to reach trial.
Opening statements have been postponed in a bellwether trial underway in California against social video companies, including Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube, that focuses on a 19-year-old who claims her use of social media from an early age addicted her to technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. settled claims in the case.
Torrez, a Democrat seeking reelection this year to a second term, has urged Meta to implement more effective age verification and remove bad actors from its platform. He’s also seeking changes to algorithms that can serve up harmful material and criticizing end-to-end privacy encryption that can prevent the monitoring of communications with children for safety.
As Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, await the arrival of their fifth child, the country music power couple revealed their baby could weigh as much as 11 pounds at birth.
Rhett and Akins shared the update while appearing on That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs, where they discussed what their OB-GYN recently told them.
“Today, I’m 32 weeks with a 6-pound baby,” Akins shared. “My girlfriends are like, ‘I delivered a 6-pound baby at 40 weeks.’”
How Big Will Thomas Rhett and Laura Akins’ Baby Be?
According to Rhett, their doctor told them the due date is March 2, adding that if the pregnancy goes that long, the baby will likely weigh around 11 pounds.
Rhett and Akins explained that their doctor estimates the baby is growing at roughly half a pound per week. At that pace, if Akins carries to full term, the baby could arrive weighing at or above 11 pounds.
Rhett joked, “I’ve never been more grateful to be a dude. I don’t think I could physically do it.”
Meanwhile, Akins said she’s trying to figure out a way to strap an 11-pound weight to her husband so he can walk around for a day and experience what she’s dealing with as they prepare to welcome their fifth child.
Akins joked that she isn’t in much pain right now — unless she has to bend over to pick something up.
“If something falls on the floor, I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s just gonna live there now,’” she said.
She explained that bending over knocks the air out of her lungs and creates uncomfortable pressure in her head, making it simply not worth the effort to pick something up off the floor.
Stay tuned as fans eagerly await not only the arrival of Rhett and Akins’ fifth child, but also whether the couple will finally welcome the baby boy they’ve been hoping for.
Country Artists Who Are Having Babies in 2026
The country music family is growing once again! 2026 will bring new additions to several artists and their families.
Keep scrolling to see which artists will be welcoming bundles of joy this year.
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.
The 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am marks the first Signature Event of the season, with several of the world’s best competing at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Northern California. Scottie Scheffler is the +300 favorite, per the latest PGA odds, while other contenders include defending champion Rory McIlroy (+1300), Xander Schauffele (+2500), Justin Rose (+2700) and Hideki Matsuyama (+3000). Outside of making PGA bets on the outright winner, you could create a 2026 Pebble Beach parlay featuring finishing positions, head-to-head outcomes and many other golf props.
Ryan Gerard may not be the first name you think of when constructing a PGA longshot parlay, but the UNC alum has three runners-up over his last four starts. He’s at +1000 to simply notch a top-5 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2026 and at +5500 to win his second PGA event as he makes his first-ever start at this course. That could be a standalone golf bet or part of a lucrative golf parlay for Pebble Beach 2026. Before making any 2026 Pebble Beach picks or golf parlays, you need to see this PGA Tour parlay from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June 2020. In fact, the model is up over $8,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.
This same model has also nailed a whopping 16 majors entering the weekend, including the 2025 Masters — its fourth Masters in a row — as well as this year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites.
Now that the 2026 Pebble Beach field is locked in, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times. It has locked in betting picks to form a 5-leg golf parlay that pays out over $40,000 for a $10 bettor. See the picks and full parlay by heading to SportsLine.
Top 2026 Pebble Beach parlay, PGA Tour picks
For the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2026, one of the picks featured in the model’s 5-leg PGA Tour parlay is McIlroy finishing as the Top European at +370. The defending event winner, McIlroy won at Pebble Beach with a score of 21-under-par last year, and that score to par is the lowest ever in the history of this tournament at this specific course. He broke par in all four rounds as that was his first of three victories in 2025. The Irishman is teeing off at his first PGA Tour event of this year, but he did place third in a European Tour event last month.
That event had many of the fellow Europeans he will be competing against at Pebble Beach, and McIlroy’s game is well-suited for what’s the second-shortest course in use for the 2026 PGA Tour season. McIlroy was second in driving distance last season as his length off the tee will well position him for easier chips. Then once he gets on the green, McIlroy is coming off a year in which he ranked in the top 10 in putting average and strokes gained: putting. Thus, his strengths are magnified at a short course like Pebble Beach, making this +370 golf prop one that’s worth investing in. See the rest of the PGA Tour parlay legs here.
The model has also picked an outright winner, plus a prop that returns nearly +1000 among its five PGA Tour picks for the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am parlay that pays over $40,000 on just a $10 bet. You can only see the picks and the full parlay at SportsLine.
Brussels — European allies at NATO on Thursday brushed aside concerns that the United States has stepped back from its leadership role of the world’s biggest security organization, leaving them and Canada to do the lion’s share of defending Europe.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not attend Thursday’s gathering of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels. His no-show came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the last meeting of NATO foreign ministers in December.
It’s rare for members of a U.S. administration to miss a meeting of the organization’s top decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, at the ministerial level, let alone two meetings in a row.
Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte (center) convenes the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 12, 2026.
Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu/Getty
U.S. Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby was sent in Hegseth’s place.
Hegseth “missing a good party,” but Europeans play down absence
“Sadly for him, he is missing a good party,” Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir told reporters. “Of course, it’s always better that the ministers attend here, but I would not describe it as a bad signal.”
“I’m not disappointed,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. “Each of us has a full agenda. And one time the American defense minister is here, and one time not, so it’s his decision and his duties he has to fulfill.”
When asked what NATO’s purpose was in its infancy in 1949, NATO’s first secretary-general, the British general and diplomat Lord Hastings Ismay, was reputed to have replied: “To keep the Americans in, the Russians out and the Germans down.”
Now, Germany is stepping up. After Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago, it vowed to spend $118 billion to modernize its armed forces in coming years.
A big part of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s job is to keep the Americans in.
“They have to take care of the whole world. This is the United States,” Rutte told reporters before chairing the meeting. “I totally accept it, agree with it.”
“They have always consistently pleaded for Europe doing more, Canada doing more, taking more care of the defense of NATO territory, of course in conjunction with the United States,” he said.
That means more European spending on conventional weapons and defense, while the U.S. guarantees NATO’s nuclear deterrent.
“What for me is the most important is the no-surprise policy that has been agreed between the NATO secretary-general and the U.S.,” Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
Publicly at least, the Trump administration is doing much less at NATO. A year ago, Hegseth warned that America’s security priorities lie elsewhere and that Europe would have to look after itself, and Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Supplies of U.S. guns and money that were sent to Ukraine by the previous administration of former President Joe Biden have dried up under Mr. Trump. European allies and Canada are obliged to buy weapons from the United States to donate now.
Western backers of Ukraine were also meeting at NATO on Thursday to drum up more military support. A scheme proudly championed by the Pentagon under Biden, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group is now chaired by the U.K. and Germany.
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey announced that Britain would provide “an extra half a billion pounds ($682 million) in urgent air defense to Ukraine. This is Britain being a force for good in the world, building a new deal for European security within NATO.”
Sweden also intends to fund the purchase of more American weapons. The Netherlands will send more flight simulators to help Ukrainian fighter pilots train to fly F-16 jets.
Which nations will power NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission?
The one “deliverable” from Thursday’s meeting was the formal announcement that NATO would launch Arctic Sentry, its response to U.S. security concerns in the high north, and an attempt to dissuade Trump from trying to seize Greenland.
It’s ostensibly aimed at countering Russian and Chinese activities or influence in the Arctic region.
But Arctic Sentry is essentially a rebranding exercise. National drills already underway in the region, like those run by Denmark and Norway, will be brought under the NATO umbrella and overseen by the organization’s military chief. It is not a long-term NATO operation or mission.
Denmark, France, Germany will take part in the “military activities” happening under Arctic Sentry, but they have not said in what way.
Calling the mission “very good news for us,” Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Thursday that the country had “made two Arctic packages with money for new Arctic ships, maritime patrol aircraft and strengthened satellite capacity. On top of that, we have entered into an agreement to acquire additional F-35 fighter jets that can be used to solve tasks in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. So, we are fulfilling our responsibility — and it will only get even better under the auspices of NATO’s efforts.”
Finland and Sweden are also likely to get involved, and Belgium is considering what role it might play.
“As a NATO Ally, Sweden has a responsibility to contribute to the security of the entire territory of the Alliance. The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important from a strategic perspective. Our participation in Arctic Sentry demonstrates that we are a loyal and active Ally that takes responsibility for our common security,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement on Thursday.
It remains unclear what role, if any, the United States will take.
A spokesperson for U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, told CBS News earlier this month that planning was underway for the new Arctic mission, calling it an “enhanced vigilance activity to even further strengthen NATO’s posture in the Arctic and High North.”
The spokesperson told CBS News that the planning had “only just begun, but details will follow in due course.”
“It can’t just be more from the United States,” U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said ahead of Thursday’s meeting. “We need capable allies that are ready and strong, that can bring assets to all of these areas of our collective security.”
Mr. Trump’s renewed threats last month to annex Greenland— a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark — have deeply shaken the rest of the alliance. NATO’s primary role is to defend the territory of its 32 ember states, not to undermine it.
European allies and Canada hope that Arctic Sentry and ongoing talks between the Trump administration, Denmark and Greenland will allow NATO to move on from the dispute and focus on Europe’s real security priority, Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said the Arctic security arrangement at least means that “we stop having some food fights over the Atlantic.”
“I think that the Greenland saga was not the best moment of NATO (over) the last 76 years,” he told reporters. “It was a crisis that was not needed.”
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A bill aimed at curbing gun violence in New Mexico continues to advance in the roundhouse. Senate Bill 17 passed the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee in a 6 – 5 vote. The bill would strengthen regulations and would require additional training for gun retailers to help prevent trafficking. It […]
Jeffrey Hatrix — also known as Jeffrey Nothing, the original voice and co-founder of Cleveland industrial metal pioneers Mushroomhead — has reached a settlement with the band’s drummer and producer Steve “Skinny” Felton, bringing a long-running legal dispute to a close.
On Monday, February 9, the two parties filed a notice of dismissal with prejudice in federal court in Cleveland, meaning the case cannot be refiled or pursued again in the future. The lawsuit, originally filed in August 2024, alleged copyright infringement and failure to pay royalties Hatrix said he was owed for decades of work with the band.
Hatrix, who departed Mushroomhead in 2018, claimed he had not received royalties for his music “for several years at least,” despite writing or co-writing 148 songs during his time with the masked alterna-metal collective.
Following the settlement, Hatrix shared a conciliatory statement on social media, signaling a clear end to the dispute — and to any public bad blood. “As a lot of you know, there has been an ongoing lawsuit between myself and my former band,” he wrote. “I’m happy to report that the situation is settled and over.”
He continued: “From here out, there will be nothing negative about Mushroomhead or Skinny on my page. He came to the table amicably and honorably and we found a solution that made both of us happy.”
Reflecting on the band’s origins, Hatrix emphasized the shared legacy between himself and Felton. “Skinny and I founded Mushroomhead and it’s great to see the fanbase and community it has built. I’m proud of that and I know he is,” he said. “Mushroomhead is his and I wish him the best. My creative baby is now my solo work.”
Hatrix also left the door open — at least slightly — to a future collaboration. “Will I ever work with SHROOM again? Time will tell. I’m not against it. But I have no ill feelings either way. I want everybody to win.”
He closed by thanking fans who supported him throughout the dispute: “Thank you all for your years of support and for having my back when it was needed, but from here on out it’s nothing but positivity in that direction. I said I was done with drama and I meant it.”
When the lawsuit was first filed, Hatrix alleged that “most of the [Mushroomhead] performing arts copyright registrations were registered as Stephen Felton being the copyright claimant.” While he was often credited as a songwriter, the suit claimed “there seems to be no record of mechanical royalty payments stemming from these performing arts registrations.”
The complaint further accused Felton of manipulating publishing splits in the years leading up to Hatrix‘s exit. According to the filing, “Felton‘s actions … became more nefarious, including the doctoring of publishing splits giving Skinny (Felton) double pay under 2 names ‘Tenafly Viper‘ and just plain ‘Steve Felton‘, along with 30% going to him under ‘unknown publicist’ and ‘unknown writer’.”
“In fact, most of the publishing splits seem to have disappeared as plaintiff has not received any mechanical royalties to speak of for several years at least,” the lawsuit continued. “Although the money coming increased, plaintiff was apparently receiving pennies on the dollar.”
Hatrix also claimed he was paid a flat touring “allowance” of $1,200 per week and “almost nothing beyond this,” alleging he was owed additional income from publishing, touring, sales, and film and media royalties.
At the time the suit was filed, Hatrix‘s attorney Ronald Stanley told Cleveland.com that his client was seeking at least $3.5 million, while noting, “We don’t know all what he is entitled to yet.”
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History is on the line for American snowboarder Chloe Kim at the Winter Olympics on Thursday.
Kim will compete in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final with a chance to become the first snowboarder to win three straight Olympic gold medals. She qualified for the final on Wednesday while racing with a brace on her left shoulder due to a torn labrum suffered last month. The 25-year-old still managed to finish first, setting up a potential date with destiny. Shaun White is the only Olympian to ever win three gold medals in the snowboard halfpipe competition, but he didn’t secure them consecutively. (He won in 2006, 2010 and 2018.)
The preliminary round for men’s ice hockey begins with the U.S. and Canada among countries in action. The U.S. team hasn’t won gold in men’s Olympic hockey since 1980, but this year it’s gold medal or bust. “That’s the expectation,” captain Auston Matthews said.
