META MAG

The twice-postponed Clash is in the rearview mirror, and NASCAR's top drivers have headed to the Sunshine State for the 68th Daytona 500 on Sunday.

Two-time defending winner William Byron and Denny Hamlin arrive in Daytona Beach, Fla., on the verge of entering rarified air.

If Byron is the first to the checkers in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in Sunday's 200-lapper, he would become just the fifth driver to click off three 500 wins.

But in the previous 67 runnings, no winner has ever reeled off three straight checkered flags. Not seven-time winner Richard Petty nor four-time victor Cale Yarborough, the only wheelmen ever to elevate themselves past three career victories.

Byron, 28, is one of five drivers to ever record consecutive 500 triumphs, after Hamlin (2019, 2020), Sterling Marlin (1994, 1995), Yarborough (1983, 1984) and Petty (1973, 1974).

Byron, who enters his ninth Cup Series season with 16 total victories, would give owner Rick Hendrick his 11th in the Great American Race and allow Byron to match Hamlin, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Allison and Jeff Gordon with exactly three wins of the sport's crown jewel.

"I get reminders of the previous races, whether I see just the videos or whatnot," Byron said Wednesday. "Yeah, it's great career-defining moments that we've had. It's awesome. It's special. But I don't really think ahead too much. I just think about what it's going to take in these next couple days leading up to it."

However, Byron ran into trouble Thursday, wrecking his No. 24 in Duel No. 1, and will race with a backup car Sunday.

Meanwhile, Hamlin will try to find some sense of normalcy: in his life, with his health and on the track.

During a difficult, tragic November and December, Hamlin lost his chance at his first Cup championship in the final laps at Phoenix to Kyle Larson as Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota, which led 208 laps, was driving away on an emotional win dedicated to his ailing father.

Then, as 2025 was ending, Hamlin's father died following a house fire at the parents' home. The son is also not fully healthy, as Hamlin chose not to have surgery for a torn labrum that had been surgically repaired before but was re-injured in a fall while walking through the house's burned wreckage.

"It's just going to take a little while to kind of get back in the swing of things," said Hamlin, 45. "You know, it certainly has not been an easy offseason by any means, and I'm sure I'm probably in a different headspace than most of the competitors that have been rip-roaring, ready to go racing the last month or so.

"I'm probably in a different spot than that. I would certainly appreciate a few more months, but I don't have that. But we'll just kind of see how it goes."

So there will be another season for Hamlin to grapple with, a new Chase point system to figure out and another Daytona 500 this Sunday.

Polesitter Kyle Busch will lead the pack to green, while Joey Logano and Chase Elliott will be ones to watch after their Duel qualifying victories Thursday.

Hamlin could certainly win Sunday -- his Daytona 500 record shows it. However, that next phone call he will want to make, to the person who started it all, will be his hardest to reconcile because it can't be made.

--Field Level Media

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Rome Flynn earned MVP honors for the second straight year in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night, scoring 17 points to lead a team coached by Giannis Antetokounmpo to a 65-58 victory.

Actor-comedian Anthony Anderson coached the losing team, led by former 7-foot-6 NBA player Tacko Fall with 20 points.

The game brought basketball back to the Forum, home of the Los Angeles Lakers' "Showtime" era until 1999, when they moved 10 miles away to downtown Los Angeles. Now, it has a different sponsor name under Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and is mostly used as a concert and entertainment venue.

K-pop made its debut at the game with boy group CORTIS performing at halftime.

Victor Wembanyama tossed up the opening tip between Team Giannis' Jenna Bandy and Team Anthony's Adrien Nunez, who got control, was fouled and missed his first throw.

Bandy was the only woman in either team's starting lineup.

Team Giannis had a huge advantage in the paint with Fall grabbing most of the rebounds. His dunk made it a one-point game in the third.

Chinese actor-singer Dylan Wang garnered the loudest screams of the night, especially after he scored back-to-back baskets in the first quarter for Team Giannis.

Two of the oldest guys on the court were Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia (age 46) and Rick Schnall (50-something), who's part of the Charlotte Hornets ownership group. Schnall fouled Ishbia in the first quarter, and Ishbia hit the free throws in a throwback to his Michigan State playing days.

Los Angeles Chargers star Keenan Allen hit a long shot from the red, white and blue line that was worth 4 points for Team Anthony. It launched a flurry of points for the wide receiver in the second quarter and he finished with 18 points.

Mascots from the Hornets and Mavericks alternated as sixth men restricted to playing in the backcourt for a bit in the third quarter.

Sidelined since Jan. 23 with a calf strain, Antetokounmpo won't be playing in the All-Star Game on Sunday.

But the two-time MVP was assisted by his brothers Thanasis and Alex on Friday. Another assistant was Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts.

Former NBA player Jeremy Lin credited Betts for an inspiring halftime speech. "He definitely knows a lot about basketball," Lin said.

The game marked the start of All-Star weekend, followed by the Rising Stars game down the street at Intuit Dome.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Tony Stewart's hopes of a win in his first NASCAR race back from retirement ended before the race was even halfway over.

Stewart's truck was shoved into the wall when Jake Garcia's truck got loose off Turn 4 in the second stage of the 100-lap Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona. As Stewart was to his outside, Garcia overcorrected and collided with Stewart as he hit the wall.

Wrong place, wrong time for Tony Stewart.pic.twitter.com/Uy8hTwsfaf

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX)February 14, 2026

The damage to Stewart's truck was significant enough that it ended any chance he had at winning the race. After his Kaulig Racing team made repairs, it decided to take the truck to the garage.

An early end to Tony Stewart's NASCAR return at Daytona.pic.twitter.com/gTkwMbTR9I

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX)February 14, 2026

The three-time Cup Series champion and Hall of Famer was making his first start in a NASCAR event since he retired after the 2016 season. Stewart won 49 races over 618 career Cup Series starts and was one of the best drivers of the 2000s before he stepped away. He won the 2002, 2005 and 2011 Cup Series titles, and his final title is widely credited with helping createNASCAR's recently ditched winner-take-all championship race.

That season, Stewart and Carl Edwards waged one of the greatest playoff battles in NASCAR history. Stewart, who won five races in the 10-race playoffs after going winless in the regular season, won the final race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway to tie Edwards and win the championship via tiebreaker because he had more wins.

Stewart was back in NASCAR on Friday thanks to Ram's reentry into the Truck Series. The manufacturer returned to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2025, and Stewart, whose NHRA team fields Dodges, was chosen to run the team's No. 25 truck, which will have a rotating cast of drivers throughout the 2026 season.

The race was Stewart's first Truck Series start in more than 20 years. He had last made a Truck start in 2005 and had won twice in six starts across NASCAR's third-tier series.

Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary, in an interview on Friday, urged Americans to ‌get vaccinated for measles, as the country faces its ‌largest measles surge in more than three decades.

"When we hear about cases of ​measles in an outbreak in South Carolina, that should serve as a good reminder for parents to make sure that their kids are vaccinated," Makary said during an appearance on MS NOW's "Chris Jansing ‌Reports".

The measles, mumps ⁠and rubella (MMR) two-shot protocol remains recommended at the federal level starting at 12 months of age, with ⁠a second at 4 to 6 years of age.

South Carolina reported 950 measles cases on Friday, including 17 new infections since Tuesday, ​according to ​state health officials. No deaths ​have been reported by the ‌state.

Among those infected, a significant majority of 883 individuals were unvaccinated, and 19 were partially vaccinated with one of the recommended two-dose measles-mumps-rubella vaccines.

Advertisement

"I think everyone in this administration has been pretty clear that the best way to prevent measles is to ‌get your kid vaccinated against measles," ​Makary added.

Earlier this week, National Institutes of ​Health Director Jay Bhattacharya ​also expressed his support for Americans getting vaccinated ‌against measles.

"The answer is yes," Bhattacharya ​said about the ​vaccines when asked by Reuters about recent outbreaks.

On Sunday, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz also ​urged Americans to ‌take the measles vaccine in an interview with CNN. "Take the ​vaccine, please," he said.

(Reporting by Sneha S K in ​Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)

The acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that two of its officers appear to have made "untruthful statements" about shooting a migrant in Minnesota and may face federal charges for their actions.

"Today, a joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice (DOJ) of video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements," Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement.

"Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation. Lying under oath is a serious federal offense. The U.S. Attorney's Office is actively investigating these false statements," the statement said.

"The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct. Violations of this sacred sworn oath will not be tolerated. ICE remains fully committed to transparency, accountability, and the fair enforcement of our nation's immigration laws," Lyons added.

The statement from Lyons comes a day after the top federal prosecutor in Minnesota asked a judge to dismiss charges against two men, including one who was shot in the leg by an immigration agent, citing "newly discovered evidence" in what was initially framed as a "violent" attack on law enforcement during an enforcement operation.

"Newly discovered evidence in this matter is materially inconsistent with the allegations in the complaint affidavit. ... as well as the preliminary-hearing testimony,"  U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel Rosen wrote in the filing Wednesday evening. It remains unclear what specific new evidence Rosen was referencing.

Rosen has asked the court to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be refiled.

"Accordingly, dismissal with prejudice will serve the interests of justice," Rosen wrote.

In the wake of the shooting on Jan. 14 --  a week after an ICE agentfatally shot Renee Goodin Minneapolis -- the Trump administration said the man who was shot, Julio Cesar Sosa-Selis, attacked a federal law enforcement officer with a "shovel or a broom stick" and that the incident was part of "an attempt to evade arrest and obstruct law enforcement."

Minneapolis live updates: Minneapolis surge ending, Homan says

Lawyers for another man charged in the incident, Alfredo Aljorna, said surveillance videos did not corroborate the FBI's claims that an agent was assaulted and said Sosa-Celis was shot while standing at his doorway some distance away from the officer.

Earlier this month attorneys for Aljorna also urged a judge to prohibit the government from deporting key witnesses who they said cast doubt that an agent was repeatedly struck with a broom or a snow shovel, Judge Paul Magnuson granted the request.

The reversal on the assault charges for Sosa-Celis and Aljorna comes after several discrepancies emerged between statements from Department of Homeland Security officials and details outlined in court records regarding their arrests.

DHS initially said in statements to media that officers were conducting a "targeted traffic stop" for Sosa-Celis when he fled in his vehicle, crashed into another car and attempted to evade arrest. The agency alleged that Sosa-Celis "violently" assaulted an officer and that two other individuals exited a nearby apartment and joined the attack "with a snow shovel and broom handle."

Lawyers allege Dept. of Homeland Security is denying legal counsel to Minnesota detainees

According to DHS, Sosa-Celis struck the officer with "a shovel or broom stick," prompting the officer to fire what the agency described as a defensive shot "to defend his life," striking Sosa-Celis in the leg.

"What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder of federal law enforcement," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in the Jan. 15 statement.

However, an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Timothy Schanz, who investigated the shooting, stated that ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents were attempting to stop a different man identified as Joffre Stalin Paucar Barrera -- not Sosa-Celis -- whom they believed was in the country illegally. According to Schanz, agents later identified the driver DHS agents stopped as a different man, Aljorna.

Schanz wrote that Aljorna struck a light pole and fled on foot toward his apartment building.

Sosa-Celis was allegedly standing on the porch and yelling at Aljorna to run faster, the affidavit says. Aljorna slipped and allegedly "began tussling" with the agent before Sosa-Celis grabbed a broom and began striking the agent, according to the affidavit.

The agent "then saw who he believed was a third Hispanic male approach with a snow shovel, and this male also began striking" him, Schanz said in the affidavit. The third man was identified as Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma by DHS, who accused him of also assaulting the officer.

Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg as he attempted to go inside the apartment, the affidavit says.

Video reviewed by ABC News' Visual Verification team includes a 911 call from individuals identified as relatives of Sosa-Celis, who said agents fired as he was attempting to close the door.

After Lyons issued his statement on Friday, attorney Brian D. Clark shared a reaction from the families of Sosa-Celis and Aljorna.

"Julio, Alfredo, and their families are overjoyed at this news. The charges against them were based on lies by an ICE agent who recklessly shot into their home through a closed door," they said in the statement. "They are so happy justice is being served by the government's request to dismiss all charges with prejudice. The identify of the ICE agent should be made public and he should be charged for his crime."

NEED TO KNOW

• Slade Gorton & Co., Inc, is recalling lot 3896 of Wellsley Farms Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon sold in 2-lb bags at BJ's Wholesale Club stores

• The recall comes from the FDA due to the product being contaminated with listeria

• The products were sold in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia from Jan. 31 through Feb. 7.

Salmon produced by Wellsley Farms has been recalled in seven states due to listeria contamination.

"Slade Gorton & Co., Inc, is recalling lot 3896 of Wellsley Farms Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon sold in 2-lb bags at BJ's Wholesale Club stores due to the potential for the product to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes," a statement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began.

The recalled salmon was sold only in BJ's Wholesale Club stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia from Jan. 31 through Feb. 7. It is packaged in 2-lb bags with the Wellsley Farms logo and Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon on the front. The UPC code (888670025963) and recalled lot number (3896) are on the reverse of the bag, below the cooking instructions and Nutrition Facts panel, per the FDA.

Consumers who believe they purchased the product call 1-888-628-0730 at any time for instructions on how to obtain a full refund and what to do with the remaining product, per the FDA.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Listeria is defined as "an illness caused by bacteria that can spread through many foods," perMayo Clinic. "It can be very serious for pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems," the clinic defines.

The most common foods to be infected with listeria are soft cheeses, deli meats and dairy products that haven't been pasteurized to kill bacteria, according to Mayo Clinic.

The recall comes after another widespread cheese recall that affected 20 states in January. Ambriola Company, a supplier to popular brands likeBoar's Head Brandand Locatelli,issued a recall of select pecorino Romano cheese productsback on Nov. 24. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reclassified the recall as Class I on Jan. 6.

The affected products came from five brands — Locatelli, Pinna, Boar's Head, Sam's Club's brand Member's Mark and Ambriola — and were sold directly to consumers and in large-scale sizes for restaurants.

Read the original article onPeople

The class-action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against the NFL filed by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, later joined by former Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks and longtime assistant Ray Horton, can be tried in open court, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on Friday.

The rulingupheld previous decisionsby the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan and U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni that stated Flores would be able to take his lawsuit to court, rather than go through arbitration that would have been overseen by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

"The court's decision recognizes that an arbitration forum in which the defendant's own chief executive gets to decide the case would strip employees of their rights under the law," Flores' attorneys, Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb,said in a statement. "It is long overdue for the NFL to recognize this and finally provide a fair, neutral and transparent forum for these issues to be addressed."

Flores' lawsuit against the NFL, Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans alleges racial discrimination in the league's hiring process for coaches.

An assistant for 11 years before being hired as the Dolphins' head coach, Flores was fired after the 2021-22 season. While pursuing other head-coaching opportunities as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he alleged that the Giants and Broncos only interviewed him to accommodate the league's Rooney Rule that mandates teams consider minority candidates for head-coach openings. The suit claims that those teams did not view him as a legitimate candidate for those jobs.

"The significance of the Second Circuit's decision cannot be overstated," Wigdor and Gottlieb added. "For too long, the NFL has relied on a fundamentally biased and unfair arbitration process—even in cases involving serious claims of discrimination.

"This ruling sends a clear message: that practice must end. This is a victory not only for NFL employees, but for workers across the country—and for anyone who believes in transparency, accountability and justice."

Flores provided evidence in his filing showing text messages from former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick congratulating him for getting the Giants' head-coaching job. However, Flores told Belichick that he had not yet interviewed for the position. Belichick believed his messages were going to Brian Daboll, who was hired by the Giants.

Wilks joined the class-action suit with claims against the Cardinals. He was fired as Arizona's head coach after only one season, after which the team hired Kliff Kingsbury. Wilks alleges he was only viewed as a one-year "bridge" during the 2018 season.

Horton named the Titans in his claims, alleging that the team had already decided to hire Mike Mularkey in 2016 when interviewing him, then the defensive coordinator, for its head-coaching position.