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Email Delays Fixed as Washington Reignites Its Merger Romance; Newcastle Edge Villa in Referee Furor; DHS Works Without Pay; Infant Death Charge; Rubio Courts Europe With Strings; Tucson Probe Finds Unmatched DNA, Impounds SUV
Support Email Delays Resolved
Support email processing delays have been resolved, and all impacted services have fully recovered.
Washington Rediscovers Its Love Language, Mergers
After DOJ antitrust chief Gail Slater was pushed out, companies and deal advisers say Trump’s Washington is suddenly feeling warm and receptive to consolidation. Business-friendly leadership is outmuscling populist skeptics like Slater, Vice President JD Vance, and Steve Bannon, and dealmaking is increasingly shaped by negotiable “remedies” and lobbying, rather than aggressive challenges. Merger investigations have fallen to record lows in 2025. A few trustbusting holdouts remain at the FTC and among some Republican senators, but the signal is clear, faster approvals, more deals, and populists on both the left and right get to be mad together for once.
FA Cup, Newcastle Edge Villa Amid Referee Controversy
Sandro Tonali scored twice as Newcastle United overcame several disputed refereeing decisions to beat 10-man Aston Villa and knock them out of the FA Cup. Nothing bonds football fans like the timeless tradition of everyone agreeing the officiating was, at best, a creative writing exercise.
DHS Funding Lapses, Essential Work Continues, Pay Does Not
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. DHS says essential missions will continue, though many employees will work without pay. ICE and CBP are funded separately through President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill Act,” while other components face shutdown impacts. FEMA can keep responding for now, but warns reimbursements and recovery work could be delayed, and a major disaster could strain the Disaster Relief Fund. TSA screeners keep working without pay, raising staffing and morale concerns. The Coast Guard continues core missions while pausing other activities, deferring maintenance and training, and pausing pay for tens of thousands. CISA retains limited “excepted” staff for imminent cyber threats, but broader cybersecurity services and development will be delayed. The Secret Service expects longer-term effects like delayed contracts, reduced hiring, and stalled programs. Lawmakers left Washington for an 11-day recess after failing to pass a short-term extension, and leadership signaled a near-term return is unlikely, because nothing says “national security” like “see you after vacation.”
Fort Wayne Woman Charged After Infant Death
Police in Fort Wayne say Quinzena Rancefer, 31, fell asleep on a couch while holding her 2-month-old daughter in March 2024, and the infant became wedged under a couch cushion and was later found face down and not breathing. The child was pronounced dead, with a reported cause of asphyxia due to overlay and wedging. Rancefer has been charged with neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury and is scheduled for an initial court hearing. Investigators also reported finding suspected drugs and paraphernalia in the apartment and said Rancefer tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine.
Rubio to Europe, “We Belong Together”, With Conditions
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told European leaders at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14 that the U.S. is not abandoning the transatlantic alliance, but wants a reset aligned with President Donald Trump’s priorities, stronger borders, increased defense capacity, and renewed industrial strength. Rubio argued the post–Cold War order encouraged misguided assumptions about globalization, borderless politics, and trade, and urged Europe to boost defenses, tighten migration policy, and reduce dependence on rivals by rebuilding manufacturing and securing supply chains.
Tucson Investigation, Unmatched DNA Found, SUV Impounded
Investigators said they found DNA at Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson home that does not match her or anyone close to her. Authorities also impounded an SUV as part of the investigation.
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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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