Business

State Rep. Mary Fitzgerald filed House Bill 1270 to extend the South Dakota Supreme Court's apprenticeship program to graduates of the University of South Dakota law school, amid a reported shortage of active in-state attorneys; the bill is scheduled for a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Monday.

A USA TODAY analysis found about 24% of U.S. counties now restrict large-scale wind or solar projects, and the article reports the Trump administration has tightened permitting and limited approvals since January 2025.

The United States is expanding economic partnerships with Central Asia as Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed investment agreements with US firms, including a $180 million Mars pet food plant and talks on Boeing 787 deliveries expected in the second half of 2026.

Tomislav Ivisic, a 7-foot-1 Illinois player, has shifted toward off-ball and perimeter play while remaining a screening and post threat; over the past six games he is 29-for-52 (55.8%) from the field.

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office launched a volunteer fraud awareness training program led by victim advocate Stephen Conley, beginning with sessions for seniors; the office cited FBI data showing Colorado residents lost more than $243 million to scammers in 2024.

A Reddit post showed a large amount of food discarded at an Aldi store and the poster said they redistributed some items and donated savings to charity. Aldi reported diverting 11.9 million pounds of food waste in 2024 and has a goal to cut food waste 50% by 2030.

The conflict that began in October 2023 led to staffing shortages as many reservists were called up, and the sector is now reporting early recovery with renewed investment and defence-focused innovation.

A care assistant pleaded guilty to multiple counts of rape and making indecent images and was sentenced to 21 years; police said their investigation remains ongoing.

Workers at three Nova Scotia museums were told the sites will close and their positions will end, and the province announced closures or reduced hours at several provincially run visitor information centres.

The Office for National Statistics reported a public sector surplus of £30.4bn in January 2026, double the surplus in January 2025 and above the OBR's November forecast; government borrowing for the financial year to January was £112.1bn, lower than a year earlier.

The article reports that Toto makes electrostatic chucks used in NAND memory production and Ajinomoto supplies insulating materials for advanced semiconductor packaging; both companies saw recent share gains as AI-related chip demand rose.

Workers at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant ratified a UAW contract by 96%, approving terms that include a 20% wage increase and bonuses.

Las Vegas police say a woman left her 2-year-old goldendoodle tied at the JetBlue check-in counter after being denied a boarding pass; she was arrested for animal abandonment and resisting arrest. The dog, now named JetBlue, is in foster care after a mandatory hold while a rescue reviews adoption applications.

The article mentions AmeraMex International said it drew strong buyer interest at the 77th Sierra Cascade Logging Conference, where exhibitor space was sold out and attendees showed demand for Tier 4 and electric equipment.

Dunnhumby found Walmart's grocery penetration rose to 72 percent, and the firm reported 70 percent of working-age Americans struggle to cover a $400 emergency.

Giuffre's siblings thanked Thames Valley Police after the arrest of former Prince Andrew on suspicion of misconduct in public office; Giuffre died last year and had accused him of assault when she was a teenager, which he denied.

Lewis University said it will shift in-person classes at its Oak Brook site to online delivery Feb. 16–21 after learning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is leasing office space in the same building, and the school is coordinating with property management while promising updates.

Vietnamese carriers disclosed several large Boeing-related orders and service contracts worth tens of billions of dollars, while Communist Party chief To Lam is in Washington seeking a trade deal with President Donald Trump.

OpenAI is partnering with the Tata Group and Tata Consultancy Services to develop AI technologies in India, including a TCS-built 100 megawatt data center that may be expanded to 1 gigawatt, and to provide AI training and enterprise ChatGPT access to Tata employees and Indian youth.

Lent began Wednesday and Cathedral Guadalupe in downtown Dallas held Ash Wednesday services where worshippers received ashes, marking the start of the Lenten season.

The Diocese of Camden has agreed to pay $180 million to settle clergy sexual abuse claims brought by about 300 survivors; the total includes an earlier 2022 payment and still needs bankruptcy court approval.

Airbnb will pay $750 to new 'entire home' hosts in any of the 16 World Cup host cities who welcome their first guests by July 31, and a Deloitte study commissioned by Airbnb estimates hosts could earn about $3,000 on average during the event.

Sysco is launching a Home Grown by Sysco pilot on Feb. 24 that will identify about 10,000 locally sourced products in three U.S. regions and two Canadian sites, and the company plans to expand the program across the United States within 12 months.

Montreal welcomed 11.8 million visitors in 2025, a 7.3% increase driven by a rise in domestic travel and a 17% increase from Atlantic Canada.

Dexus CEO Ross Du Vernet said city-centre offices may be more resilient than suburban properties to AI-related job cuts, and the company reported A$348.5 million in net profit and plans a buyback of up to 10%.

A major winter storm is producing heavy snowfall across Colorado's high country, and a second, snow‑intense wave is expected Wednesday; impacts are likely to continue through Thursday morning.

Warm, dry and windy weather has fueled multiple wildfires in Oklahoma; officials recommended roughly 4,000 Woodward residents evacuate and a large Beaver County blaze has crossed into Kansas.

LNG exports from Kitimat began in June 2025 and are expected to lift natural-gas royalties to about $1.3 billion in 2026–27, while business groups warned the budget includes higher taxes and a significant projected increase in debt over the three-year plan.

Tiger Woods says he is hitting full shots after an October disc replacement surgery and did not rule out playing the Masters in April; he is now eligible for PGA Tour Champions and is considering possible March starts.

IKEA announced a new store in Fort Collins, Colorado, which is one of 10 new U.S. locations the company announced this year.