US Winter Olympics Gold, Ghislaine Maxwell Invokes Fifth, and Top News Updates

US & Global News Briefs

• 🥇 Team USA secured gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with Breezy Johnson winning in women's downhill and the American mixed team capturing gold in figure skating, placing the US third overall.
• 🎪 The TPUSA All-American halftime show garnered significant viewership, with 6.1 million YouTube live stream viewers, positioning itself as a patriotic alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show.
• ✈️ F-22 Raptor fighter planes originally slated for the Super Bowl flyover were rerouted for operational assignments at the last minute, amid heightened US military activity.

Legal & Political Developments

• ⚖️ Ghislaine Maxwell invoked the Fifth Amendment in response to nearly every question from the House Oversight Committee, stating she would give a full account if guaranteed clemency for her 20-year sentence.
• 🇬🇧 The British Prime Minister's chief of staff resigned over the weekend amid pressure concerning alleged Epstein links involving former UK ambassador Peter Mandlesson.
• 🔍 The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie continues, with her family issuing a public plea for help after a $6 million Bitcoin ransom deadline passed without any suspects identified.

International Relations & Elections

• 🇯🇵 Conservative Prime Minister Sai Takahuchi achieved a landslide victory in Japan's elections, securing a strong mandate to strengthen ties with the US, increase defense spending, and boost the economy.
• 🇭🇰 Jimmy Lie, publisher of Hong Kong's Apple Daily, was sentenced to 20 years in prison under a national security law, a move condemned by the US State Department.
• 🇦🇲 Vice President JD Vance visited Armenia, signing a civil nuclear agreement that promises $9 billion in potential US investment and aims to shift Armenia's energy and security reliance from Russia.
• 🇻🇪 US forces captured a Venezuelan oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, marking the eighth such seizure since the Trump administration began enforcing an embargo in January.

Health & Domestic Controversies

• 💊 Telehealth company HIMS reversed its plan to sell a compounded weight loss pill after an FDA warning regarding the unapproved pill form of GLP-1 drugs.
• 🗽 New York City Mayor Zoron Mandani faced criticism for defending a knife-wielding suspect who was shot by police during a mental health episode, advocating for mental health treatment over criminal prosecution.
• ⚠️ Former Green Beret Anthony Aguilar is running for Congress, despite Daily Wire reporting debunking his viral claims about a Gazin boy being shot, which led NBC News to retract their story.