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Federal officials announced that a Georgia-based food producer has recalled nearly 14,000 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken after testing indicated a potential contamination with listeria.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Suzanna’s Kitchen, headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, is voluntarily recalling approximately 13,720 pounds of fully cooked grilled chicken breast fillet products. The recall was made public on Jan. 16. FSIS said the issue came to light after a third-party laboratory test returned a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses linked to the recalled products have been confirmed to date.

The affected chicken was produced on Oct. 14, 2025, and distributed to foodservice centers in seven states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Ohio. The products were packaged in 10-pound cases containing two 5-pound bags of grilled chicken breast fillets with rib meat. The recalled items can be identified by the establishment number P-1382 printed inside the USDA inspection mark and the lot code 60104 P1382 287 5 J14, which appears on both the case and individual bags.

Listeria is a bacteria commonly found in soil, water, vegetation and animals and can survive—and even multiply—under refrigerated conditions. Federal health agencies note that contamination can occur at multiple points during food production, processing or storage.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria infections affect roughly 1,600 people in the United States each year and are a leading cause of death among foodborne illnesses. Symptoms can range from mild gastrointestinal issues to severe, invasive illness, particularly among pregnant people, older adults, newborns and those with weakened immune systems.

Consumers or foodservice operators who have the recalled chicken are advised to discard it or return it to the place of purchase. Anyone who believes they may have become ill after consuming the product is encouraged to seek medical advice. Questions about the recall can be directed to Suzanna’s Kitchen customer service or to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854.

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Italian fashion icon Valentino Garavani, whose name became synonymous with timeless glamour and impeccable elegance, has died at the age of 93, according to an announcement from his foundation on Monday. He passed away at his home in Rome, surrounded by loved ones. The cause of death was not immediately known.

The foundation said in a statement shared on Instagram: “Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones,”  later adding that “Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to the late fashion icon on X, calling him an ” undisputed master of style and elegance and eternal symbol of Italian high fashion. Today Italy loses a legend, but his legacy will continue to inspire generations. Thank you for everything.”

Born on May 11, 1932, in the northern Italian town of Voghera, Valentino came from a comfortable family background. He often credited his childhood fascination with cinema for shaping his aesthetic sensibility and setting him on a path toward fashion. After studying fashion in Milan and Paris, Valentino honed his craft in the 1950s under renowned Paris designers Jean Desses and Guy Laroche. In 1959, he returned to Italy and opened his own fashion house on Rome’s Via Condotti, laying the foundation for what would become one of the most influential luxury brands in the world.

Valentino rose to prominence alongside contemporaries like Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld, representing a generation of designers who built their reputations before fashion became dominated by corporate structures and global marketing.  From the outset, Valentino worked closely with his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti, who managed the business side of the label while the designer focused on creativity and cultivating elite clientele. Despite early financial struggles fueled by Valentino’s extravagant tastes, the house soon flourished, attracting prominent admirers such as Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn.

His luxurious eveningwear made him a red-carpet favorite in Hollywood. Among his most memorable moments was Julia Roberts’ appearance in a vintage black-and-white Valentino gown when she won the Academy Award for best actress in 2001, and Cate Blanchett’s butter-yellow, one-shouldered Valentino dress when she claimed her Oscar in 2004. Beyond awards ceremonies, Valentino designed the long-sleeved lace gown Jacqueline Kennedy wore to marry Aristotle Onassis in 1968, a look that helped Valentino become the first Italian designer to open a boutique in New York in 1970. Kennedy remained a close friend for years and frequently wore his designs, as did Diana, Princess of Wales.

Over time, Valentino expanded his brand into ready-to-wear, menswear and accessories, building a global luxury empire. In 1998, Valentino and Giammetti sold the label to an Italian holding company for an estimated $300 million, though Valentino continued designing for another decade. He celebrated his 45th year in fashion in 2007 with a lavish, three-day celebration in Rome, culminating in a grand ball at the Villa Borghese. He retired the following year, with leadership of the house passed through several hands, including Alessandra Facchinetti and later Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. Piccioli departed in 2024 and was succeeded by Alessandro Michele. Today, the brand is majority-owned by Qatar’s Mayhoola, with Kering holding a significant minority stake.

Valentino’s influence has been widely celebrated through major exhibitions, including a retrospective at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and the acclaimed 2008 documentary “Valentino: The Last Emperor.” In 2011, he and Giammetti also launched a “virtual museum,” offering digital access to hundreds of his most iconic designs.

Valentino will lie in state in Rome on Wednesday and Thursday at PM23, a cultural and exhibition space in Rome created by the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti, according to his foundation. Funeral services are scheduled for Friday at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.

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The U.S. military has directed roughly 1,500 active-duty Army personnel to be ready for a potential mission to Minnesota, according to U.S. defense officials, as tensions rise following large demonstrations tied to federal immigration enforcement efforts.  Citing unnamed defense officials, The Washington Post reported that the army placed the units on prepare-to-deploy orders in case violence in the northern state escalates – adding that it is not clear whether any of them ⁠will be sent.

The soldiers are drawn from two infantry battalions within the Army’s 11th Airborne Division stationed in Alaska, with the division known for operating in extreme cold environments. Officials described the move as a contingency measure should conditions in Minnesota deteriorate, emphasizing that no final decision has been made on whether the troops will actually be sent.

Defense officials said the order reflects routine planning rather than an imminent deployment. The White House echoed that position, noting that the Pentagon must remain ready for “any decision the President may or may not make.” A Defense Department spokesperson added that the military stands prepared to carry out lawful directives from the commander in chief. Officials also stressed that the preparation has no connection to recent comments by President Donald Trump regarding Greenland.

The heightened alert follows Trump’s public warnings that he could invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota leaders fail to prevent protesters from interfering with immigration officers. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump wrote: “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT.”  Despite that threat, Trump later appeared to soften his stance, saying there was no need to invoke the law “right now,” while adding, “If I needed it, I’d use it.”

The Insurrection Act, enacted in 1807, allows a president to deploy active-duty troops or take control of a state’s National Guard in response to rebellion or severe civil disorder. Its use is rare and generally viewed as a last resort. The most recent invocation came in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush sent troops to Los Angeles during riots that left dozens dead and caused extensive damage. Even without invoking the statute, presidents can deploy military forces domestically for limited purposes, such as guarding federal property or personnel. Trump relied on that authority when he sent Marines to Los Angeles during earlier protests.

Minnesota has become a focal point of the administration’s immigration agenda since December, when the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Metro Surge.  In response to the unrest in his city, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized the federal response, arguing it was designed to provoke confrontation. Frey said on CNN: “We’re not going to give them an excuse to do the thing that clearly they’re trying to set up to do right now, which is these 1,500 troops. I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government.”

Frey, along with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have urged demonstrators to remain peaceful. Walz has authorized the state’s National Guard to assist local agencies if needed, though the troops have not been deployed. At the same time, the Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether Walz, Frey, and other Democratic officials obstructed immigration enforcement. Both leaders have condemned the probe as politically motivated, with Frey stating that his office had not yet received a subpoena. He called the investigation “deeply concerning,” and added, “This whole investigation would ultimately be the product of one of the most basic, foundational responsibilities that I have as mayor, which is to speak on behalf of my constituents.”

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European leaders have issued a joint statement after President Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on key allies unless they agree to negotiations over U.S. control of Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The diplomatic flare-up erupted after Trump said Saturday that the United States would pursue the purchase of Greenland and penalize countries opposing that goal with trade measures. He later announced plans to impose a 10 percent tariff on imports from eight European countries beginning Feb. 1, with the rate rising to 25 percent on June 1, remaining in effect “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

The tariff threat targets Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. All eight nations issued a rare joint statement condemning the move, warning that the proposed measures “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.” The leaders said they stood in “full solidarity” with Denmark and Greenland and reaffirmed their commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The statement followed the recent deployment of small numbers of European troops to Greenland as part of a Danish-led NATO exercise known as Arctic Endurance. European leaders stressed the operation was defensive and coordinated among allies. “As members of NATO, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest,” the statement said, adding that the exercise “poses no threat to anyone.”

European Council President António Costa said late Sunday that the leaders of the European Union’s 27 member states will convene an extraordinary meeting “in the coming days” to address the escalating dispute. EU officials indicated the in-person summit is expected to take place Thursday, Jan. 22, following emergency consultations among EU ambassadors in Brussels.

The response from European capitals has been unusually blunt. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the use of trade pressure against allies, with his office saying he told Trump directly that “Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is wrong.” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sweden would not be “blackmailed,” while Norway’s leader warned that “threats have no place among allies.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen welcomed the show of unity, saying, “I am pleased with the consistent messages from the rest of the continent: Europe will not be blackmailed.” Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said Copenhagen would continue dialogue with Washington in hopes of persuading Trump to abandon his ambitions regarding Greenland.

France signaled it may consider retaliatory tools if the dispute escalates. A French official close to Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris had activated its diplomatic network “to coordinate a European response to the new, unacceptable tariff threats issued by President Trump,” including discussions about the possible use of the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument. President Emmanuel Macron publicly suggested the mechanism could be an option if negotiations fail.

The issue has also drawn sharp reactions beyond Europe. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that internal divisions would benefit China and Russia, writing that “If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity.”

Even some of Trump’s ideological allies abroad have expressed unease. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the tariff plan “a mistake,” and France’s far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella described the move as “commercial blackmail.” In Britain, criticism of the proposal united parties across the political spectrum, including the right-wing Reform UK.

The response from the European Union came following weeks of increasingly forceful U.S. rhetoric on Greenland, which Trump has repeatedly described as strategically vital due to its location and mineral resources. Danish and Greenlandic officials have consistently rejected the idea that the territory is for sale, a stance reiterated in recent talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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U.S. forces seized a sixth oil tanker tied to Venezuelan oil shipments during a pre-dawn operation Thursday, continuing the Trump administration’s stepped-up enforcement campaign in the Caribbean. The vessel, Motor Tanker Veronica, was taken without incident as part of Operation Southern Spear, according to U.S. Southern Command and the Department of Homeland Security.

Southern Command said Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to intercept the tanker. “Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from [the aircraft carrier] USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident,” the command said in a social media post. It added, “The Veronica is the largest tanker operating in defiance of President [Donald] Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” and emphasized that “The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the operation, saying a Coast Guard tactical team carried out the boarding. “Early this morning, a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn boarding and seizure of Motor Tanker Veronica in the Caribbean,” Noem said, noting the ship had “previously passed through Venezuelan waters” and was operating in violation of U.S. sanctions. Video released by U.S. officials shows helicopters hovering above the vessel as troops fast-roped onto its deck.

The Veronica is the largest tanker seized so far and the latest in a series of interdictions targeting what U.S. officials describe as a “ghost fleet” used to move oil from sanctioned countries. Last week alone, U.S. forces seized three other tankers — the Russian-flagged Marinera in the North Atlantic, along with the Olina and Sophia in the Caribbean.

The seizures come amid broader U.S. efforts to control Venezuela’s oil exports and revenues. Administration officials have said the U.S. is selling the oil cargos taken from the vessels, completing an initial sale worth $500 million and planning additional transactions in the coming weeks. The White House has outlined a strategy to market tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil, with proceeds overseen by the U.S. government.

Officials framed Thursday’s operation as both a legal enforcement action and a warning. Noem said the repeated seizures demonstrate that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice,” while Southern Command described the interdiction as further proof of the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear.

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Federal prosecutors have charged 26 men in a sweeping alleged point-shaving operation that authorities say compromised at least 29 college basketball games and involved players from 17 Division I programs, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Investigators allege more than 39 current and former college players participated in or attempted to influence games during the 2023-24, 2024-25 and current seasons. Schools named include Tulane, Buffalo, DePaul, Eastern Michigan, New Orleans, Kennesaw State, La Salle, Nicholls State, Saint Louis, Southern Miss, Abilene Christian, Alabama State, Coppin State, Fordham, North Carolina A&T, Northwestern State and Robert Morris. Additional programs were identified as being affected, including Butler, Georgetown, Kent State, Ohio and others.

At the center of the case are non-athletes Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, who prosecutors say orchestrated the scheme alongside several co-conspirators. Both men were previously charged in a separate federal gambling case tied to the NBA. The group faces charges including bribery in sporting contests, wire fraud, conspiracy and aiding and abetting.

According to the indictment, the operation began overseas in 2022 by manipulating Chinese Basketball Association games. Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney, then with the Jiangsu Dragons, allegedly accepted bribes to underperform and helped recruit teammates. Prosecutors say the group later expanded the scheme to NCAA games, focusing largely on mid- and low-major programs and targeting first-half or full-game point spreads.

Federal authorities allege players were offered between $10,000 and $30,000 per game, often paid in cash, and that multiple players on the same team were sometimes recruited to ensure bets succeeded. Wagers were placed across numerous sportsbooks to avoid detection, though betting activity totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars on individual games quickly raised red flags.

Four active players are named in the indictment: Kennesaw State’s Simeon Cottle, Eastern Michigan’s Carlos Hart, Delaware State’s Camian Shell and Nicholls State’s Oumar Koureissi. Former New Orleans players Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavion Short, who were previously sanctioned by the NCAA, are also among those charged.

U.S. Attorney David Metcalf described the case as an unprecedented breach of competitive integrity, stating, “This was a massive scheme that enveloped the world of college basketball,” and added that it represented “a significant and rampant corruption of college athletics.”

The NCAA said the allegations largely align with its own findings. President Charlie Baker emphasized the organization’s ongoing efforts, saying, “Protecting competition integrity is of the utmost importance for the NCAA,” and noted that many of the teams and players cited had already been under investigation. Baker said the NCAA has examined approximately 40 student-athletes from 20 schools over the past year, permanently banning 11 players and continuing to cooperate with law enforcement.

Prosecutors allege the defendants deliberately targeted players with limited NIL earning potential and teams more likely to miss betting lines, calling the scheme one of the largest gambling conspiracies ever uncovered in college sports if proven in court.

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