Mud madness at Brazil’s Carnival in photos

PARATY, Brazil (AP) — Mud-covered revelers took over the beach in Paraty, Brazil, on Saturday as part of a Carnival tradition that has grown steadily since it began 40 years ago. In the seaside town near the country's historic colonial center, participants coated themselves in gray sludge, rolled through the silty shallows and emerged caked head to toe before dancing along the sand chanting "Uga! Uga!"

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 14, 2026

Mud madness at Brazil’s Carnival in photos

PARATY, Brazil (AP) — Mud-covered revelers took over the beach in Paraty, Brazil, on Saturday as part of a Carnival trad...

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Nancy Guthrie investigators "working a lead" at scene near her home, sheriff says

Law enforcement activity ramped up late Friday night at a location about two miles from Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Arizona,nearly two weeksintothe searchfor the missing 84-year-old. It was unclear what drew investigators to the site.

Pima County Sheriff Chris NanostoldCBS affiliate KOLD that the scene is connected to the Guthrie case, and they are "actively working a lead. I cannot say anything else."

After several hours, the Pima County Sheriff's Department issued a briefstatementsaying: "Law enforcement activity is underway at a residence near E Orange Grove Rd & N First Ave related to the Guthrie case. Because this is a joint investigation, at the request of the FBI - no additional information is currently available."

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-hostSavannah Guthrie, was last seen on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day, Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was abducted from her home in the middle of the night.

In an update Friday afternoon, the sheriff's department said DNA that didn't belong to Nancy Guthrie's or those in close contact with her had been collected from her residence, and investigators are working to identify who it belongs to. The department did not disclose where the DNA was found on the property.

The FBI on Thursdayreleased the first physical description of a male suspectwanted in connection with her disappearance. He is described as having an average build and an approximate height of 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10.

The suspect was seen on video recovered from the Nest doorbell camera system at Guthrie's home from the night she is believed to have been abducted. In the video and images released by the FBI, was wearing a ski mask, gloves and backpack.

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The FBI said the backpack was a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack model, which CBS News has learned is sold exclusively at Walmart. Sources with knowledge of the investigation told CBS News that law enforcement officials reviewed video at one Walmart location in Tucson. CBS News reached out to Walmart corporate offices, but a spokesperson declined to comment.

Investigators also recently found a pair ofblack glovesthat are being tested for DNA, sources close to the investigation confirmed to CBS News.

The FBI has increased its reward from $50,000 to $100,000 for information leading to either the location of Nancy Guthrie, and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. The FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department said they'vereceived thousands of tipsso far in the case.

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have released severalemotional video statementspleading fortheir mother's safe return andurging the publicto share any information that might help solve the case.

A ransom note that was first sent to KOLDdemanded payment in bitcoin, and the Guthrie family released a videooffering to paydespite receiving no proof of life. A second ransom note was also received, and two deadlines that were mentioned came and went with no further contact.

White tent set up on Nancy Guthrie's front porch

New details from FBI on Nancy Guthrie kidnapping investigation

Pool maintenance at Nancy Guthrie's home

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 14, 2026

Nancy Guthrie investigators "working a lead" at scene near her home, sheriff says

Law enforcement activity ramped up late Friday night at a location about two miles from Nancy Guthrie's home in ...

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Spend Early Valentine's Day Dinner at Their Go-to L.A. Hotspot

NEED TO KNOW

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spent a pre-Valentine's Day dinner at one of their go-to spots

• The Duchess of Sussex and the Duke of Sussex ate a meal at Funke in Beverly Hills on Feb. 13

• Meghan previously celebrated her 44th birthday at the restaurant back in August
  

Meghan MarkleandPrince Harryspent a pre-Valentine's Day dinner at one of their go-to spots.

On Friday, Feb. 13, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, and the Duke of Sussex, 41, ate a meal at Funke in Beverly Hills, photos obtained exclusively by PEOPLE show.

The couple opted for casual looks, with Meghan wearing a brown jacket and black pants, while Harry paired a black jacket with jeans.

Funke, an upscale restaurant belonging to chef Evan Funke, is where Meghandined to celebrate her 44th birthdayback in August.

At the time, she posted a photo from her celebrations onInstagram. In her caption, Meghan praised the restaurant, writing, "This dinner last night at @funke_la with the culinary mastery of @evanfunke and his team is in the top five meals of my life. Extraordinary 🍝 Thank you for a standout dining experience."

Last year, Meghan honored Harry with a loving post onInstagramas they spent Valentine's Day apart.

At the time,Prince Harry was in Canadafor the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler, where he kicked off the event with Meghan before she headed home to care for their children,Prince Archie, 6, andPrincess Lilibet, 4, several days later.

Meghanshared videos on social mediaof her children marking the holiday with a Valentine's Day-themed breakfast.

"Back home taking care of our babies, and missing my Valentine, as he continues on at the Invictus Games, changing lives and reminding all of us of the power of healing and resilience through these incredible veterans and their families. Beyond proud of my husband and what he's created," Meghan wrote below an undated black and white snap of her and Harry kissing.

"My love, I will eat burgers & fries and fish & chips with you forever. Thank you for you," she continued.

Meghan added the hashtag "#LoveWins," a throwback to a quote in the speech she made at theirroyal wedding receptionin 2018.

She signed the post, "As ever, M" — an Easter egg before she announced herAs everlifestyle brand.

Prince Harry and Meghanconnected through a mutual friendin the summer of 2016 and immediately began dating after they met.

Their relationship was long-distance at first, as Harry lived in the U.K. while Meghan was based in Toronto, starring on the legal dramaSuits.She later relocated to be with him.

The coupleannounced their engagementin November 2017. Prince Harry popped the question with an engagement featuring two diamonds from the personal collection of his late mother,Princess Diana.

Prince Harry and Meghan later married in a classicroyal weddingat St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in May 2018.Queen Elizabethgave them the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

The couple's first child, son Prince Archie, was born in London in May 2019. Less than a year later, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they werestepping back from their royal roles in the U.K.and they later settled in Meghan's home state of California. The family expanded when their daughter Princess Lilibet was born in June 2021.

Exclusively speaking to PEOPLE in 2025, Meghanreflected on being back in a "honeymoon period" with Harry.

"My husband met me when I hadThe Tig, and I see this spark in his eye when he sees me doing the thing that I was doing when he first met me," the Duchess of Sussex said, referring to her work launching As ever and appearing in her Netflix series,With Love, Meghan.

"It's almost like a honeymoon period again, because it's exactly how it was in the beginning when he'd watch me scribbling away, writing newsletters, fine-tuning edits and just really being in the details of it. I think he loves watching as much as I love doing that creative process. It's just been fun. This is who I've always been," she added.

Read the original article onPeople

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 14, 2026

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Spend Early Valentine's Day Dinner at Their Go-to L.A. Hotspot

NEED TO KNOW Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spent a pre-Valentine's Day dinner at one of their go-to spots The Duchess of Sussex and ...

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A Nigerian fishing festival returns to the joy of the community, despite setbacks

Thousands of fishermen descended Saturday on the milky waters of the Matan Fadan river, a UNESCO heritage site that snakes through lush vegetation at the town of Argungu in Nigeria's northwest.

Nigeria Argungu Fishing Festival

Several thousand onlookers, including President Bola Tinubu, cheered them on as they competed to hook the biggest fish, even as security issues kept some people away. Competitors used only traditional angling techniques, such as hand-woven nets and large calabash gourds. Some used their bare hands to demonstrate their skills.

The waterway in Kebbi state was filled with woven nets and canoes as the fishermen forded the river. This year's winner caught a croaker fish weighing 59 kilograms (130 pounds). The winner is paid a cash prize, and the other participants get to sell their catch, boosting the local economy.

The small river is closed for the rest of the year and maintained by a titled chief called Sarkin Ruwa, the chief of the water.

The fishing competition was the culmination of the annual international fishing festival that featured cultural events, including traditional wrestling and music.

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"I thank God that I got something to take home to my family to eat. I am very happy that I came," Aliyu Muhammadu, a 63-year-old fisherman who participated in the competition, told The Associated Press.

The festival dates back to 1934, when nearly 100 years of hostility between the ancient Sokoto Caliphate — a sprawling 19th-century Islamic empire reaching from Nigeria to parts of modern-day Burkina Faso — and a holdout Argungu emirate ended.

The fishing festival is regarded as a symbol of unity, and it has run for decades until it was paused in 2010 following infrastructural problems and because of festering insecurity in Nigeria's northern region. The festival returned in 2020 but was paused again until this year.

Nigeria is facinga complex security crisis, especially in the north, which for years has witnessed attacks that have left several thousand people dead. The attacks have been blamed on fighters with Islamist insurgent groups and criminal armed groups. The attacks arenow spreading to the southern region.

Tinubu said the festival is a return to stability but for many the festival's return restores a sense of communal pride.

"Our challenge now is that people are scared of coming. A lot of people don't attend the event like before because of insecurity," Hussein Mukwashe, the Sarkin Ruwa of Argungu, told The Associated Press.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 14, 2026

A Nigerian fishing festival returns to the joy of the community, despite setbacks

Thousands of fishermen descended Saturday on the milky waters of the Matan Fadan river, a UNESCO heritage site that snak...

Read More

Forget glitter, this Carnival party in southern Brazil is all about mud

PARATY, Brazil (AP) — Revelers heading to Carnival parties inBraziltypically don colorful, skimpy outfits and splatter glitter everywhere, but near an old colonial town in the south of the country people cover themselves in something very different – mud.

Partakers in this unusualCarnival partyin Paraty drape gray sludge on themselves and roll around in the silty shallows of a beach, forming a unified mass.

"Everyone is kind of the same (…), those who have money and those who don't: everyone comes here to jump into the mud," said Charles Garcia Pessoa, a 37-year-old entrepreneur.

Under a blazing sun, the mud-covered partygoers danced and grunted cavemen chants — "Uga! Uga!" — while marching along the sand, accompanied by musicians.

The tradition started in 1986, according to Paraty's tourism site. Friends were playing in the mangroves at Jabaquara Beach, and realized they weren't recognizable. They went strolling into the city's historic center and caused a stir.

The next year, a group lathered themselves up with mud to present themselves as a prehistoric tribe for Carnival. They carried skulls, vines and bones as they uttered their chants, the site said.

And so the mud party was born. And in the years since, it has become a beloved tradition.

Matt Bloomfield, a New Zealander who runs a film festival, decided to come to Paraty for the mud party after seeingcoverageof last year's event.

"Everyone's being so creative, you see people around decorating themselves with leaves," he said. "It's a great alternate version of Carnival."

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 14, 2026

Forget glitter, this Carnival party in southern Brazil is all about mud

PARATY, Brazil (AP) — Revelers heading to Carnival parties inBraziltypically don colorful, skimpy outfits and splatter g...

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Health care group wants RFK Jr. to 'resign' after cocaine confession

Health and Human Services SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.'sshocking admission that hesnorted "cocaine off toilet seats"amid hispast struggle with drug addictionhas led to detractors calling for his resignation, including a prominent health care advocacy group.

Protect Our Care, a nonprofit advocating for better and more affordable health care,issued a statementfollowing Kennedy Jr.'s confession on comedian Theo Von's podcast "This Past Weekend," which aired on Feb. 12.

"With his statement today that 'I'm not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats,' Trump HHS SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.continues to lay bare why he is the most dangerous, in over his head, ill-suited person ever to lead such an important federal agency that has life-and-death power," the statement reads.

President of Protect Our Care Brad Woodhouse addressed Kennedy Jr.'s remark with a one-word statement: "Resign."

The health secretary has been lambasted by critics over myriad issues ranging from vaccines to fluoride to dietary guidelines. USA TODAY has reached out to HHS for comment.

Robert Kennedy Jr. (R) speaks to the students at Pace University in New York Sept. 18, 2003, after endorsing Democratic Presidential hopeful John Kerry at a press conference. Kennedy endorsed Kerry citing his lifelong commitment and leadership to improve the environment.

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See Senators grill HHS Secretary RFK Jr. over vaccine rulings, CDC turmoil

RFK Jr. discusses sobriety on Theo Von's podcast

Although Kennedy's brief comment about the extent of his past drug use has circulated online, his interview with Von began with the two discussing their sobriety.

Kennedy, who admitted to being sober for more than 40 years, said he and the comedian met during morning recovery meetings before the COVID-19 outbreak and later formed a "pirate" group that continued meeting during the pandemic.

"I said, 'I don't care what happens, I'm going to a meeting every day,'" Kennedy said, explaining his mindset during the pandemic.

Kennedy also recalled thinking, "I know this disease will kill me. If I don't treat it, which for me means going to meetings every day, it's just bad for my life."

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Von and Kennedy also had a wider discussion about helping people addicted to drugs and alcohol, including HHS looking more at the medical "cost of the addict."

Kennedy said that HHS can look at the "collateral damage" in the health care system caused by addiction, including medical costs, lost jobs and inefficiencies. He said HHS is trying to look at the addict and follow them over the lifespan of their addiction.

The department iscurrently doing pilot programsconsisting of early interventions, confronting addicts on the street, getting them out of crisis and into treatment, helping them find a job once sober and stabilizing them, according to the HHS secretary.

"HHS is delivering on our promise to the American people for a healthier, brighter future," Kennedy, Jr. said in a statement about the $100 million pilot initiative. "Through this pilot program, we are launching a comprehensive, integrated care model that not only cures HCV but also tackles critical risk factors like substance use, mental health challenges, and homelessness head-on."

When did RFK Jr. first use drugs?

By Kennedy's own account, his first experience with drugs happened in the summer following the1968 assassination of his father, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. He said he took the hallucinogen LSD at a party, and was introduced to opioids by his neighbors while walking home later that day.

"They said, 'Try this,' and it was a line of crystal meth," he said during his speech at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit in Nashville in April 2025. "I took it, and all my problems went away. My addiction came on full force. By the end of the summer, I was shooting heroin, which was my drug of choice the next 14 years."

Also during the speech, Kennedy spoke about how hispolicy perspectives were influencedby the 14-year heroin addiction he overcame.

"I know that the only way I stay sober is through taking responsibility for my daily actions," Kennedy said at the time. "I accept the things I can't control and try to practice gratitude for them. I can have control over my behavior, my daily conduct, but not the world around me."

Watch RFK Jr. on Theo Von's 'This Past Weekend' podcast

Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr./ USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:RFK Jr. should 'resign' after cocaine remark, health care group says

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 14, 2026

Health care group wants RFK Jr. to 'resign' after cocaine confession

Health and Human Services SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.'sshocking admission that hesnorted "cocaine off toilet...

Read More