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Wednesday, February 18, 2026

No. 10 Illinois overwhelms USC by 36 points, cruising to its 14th win in 16 games

February 18, 2026
No. 10 Illinois overwhelms USC by 36 points, cruising to its 14th win in 16 games

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic scored 22 points to lead seven players in double figures and No. 10 Illinois routed Southern California 101-65 on Wednesday night for its 14th win in 16 games.

Associated Press Illinois guard Kylan Boswell, right, drives against Southern California guard Alijah Arenas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Illinois guard Keaton Wagler, right, drives against Southern California guard Jordan Marsh during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Southern California forward Ezra Ausar reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Illinois guard Kylan Boswell, center, greets guard Andrej Stojakovic, left, and center Zvonimir Ivisic during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Southern California Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Illinois USC Basketball

Blue and orange-clad fans were out in force for the Fighting Illini's first game against the Trojans in Los Angeles since 1975. The Illini (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) didn't disappoint, leading all the way to maintain a hold on second place in the conference standings behind No. 1 Michigan.

The Illini were up by 22 at halftime, and poured it on to start the second half. They outscored the Trojans 21-10, hitting five 3-pointers and extending the lead to 75-42. Stojakovic capped the spurt with a steal and one-handed slam that drew cheers.

Stojakovic was 6 of 7 from the floor and made all nine of his free throws. David Mirkovic added 14 points. The Illini hit 24 of 26 free throws while sending USC to its biggest loss of the season.

Illinois made 13 3-pointers, and at one point in the second half was shooting equally as well from long range as from the floor overall (46%). Visiting fans took turns shouting "I-L-L" with the other side of the arena responding "I-N-I."

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Ezra Ausar scored 15 points and Jacob Cofie added 14 for USC (18-8, 7-8), which lost its second straight and fell to 0-4 against ranked teams. The Trojans were without second-leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara (18.3 points per game) because of a strained knee. They committed 14 turnovers that led to 22 points for the Illini.

Up next

Illinois visits UCLA on Saturday.

USC remains in the Pacific time zone for its final five Big Ten games, starting Saturday when Oregon visits.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphereandhere(AP News mobile app). AP college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Italy wins the toss and elects to field against West Indies in its last T20 World Cup game

February 18, 2026
Italy wins the toss and elects to field against West Indies in its last T20 World Cup game

KOLKATA, India (AP) —Italywon the toss and elected to field against high-flying West Indies in its lastT20 World Cupgame on Thursday.

Associated Press West Indies' captain Shai Hope right, shake hands with Italy's captain Wayne Madsen before the start of the T20 World Cup cricket match between West Indies and Italy in Kolkata, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) West Indies' captain Shai Hope, left, flips the coin for toss as Italy's captain Wayne Madsen looks on before the start of the T20 World Cup cricket match between West Indies and Italy in Kolkata, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

West Indies Italy T20 WCup Cricket

West Indies has already qualified for theSuper 8swith three consecutive wins in Group C and is in Group 1 with co-host India, Zimbabwe and South Africa. New Zealand, England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are in Group 2 of the second round.

Harry Manenti continues to lead Italy, playing its first-ever major ICC global event, after captain Wayne Madsen wasruled out of the tournamentwhen he dislocated his shoulder at the same venue while fielding in the opening group game against Scotland.

Manenti hoped his bowlers would get some swing in the day game and take some early wickets.

"Hope there's a bit in the wicket," Manenti said at the toss. "We take some confidence from the England game and West Indies is another powerful team."

Italy was beaten by Scotland and England in group games but shocked much-fancied Nepal with a resounding 10-wicket win in Mumbai.

West Indies top-order batters have scored aggressively with captain Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford scoring half centuries across the three group games.

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Hope said he didn't mind losing the toss because "it's not in our hands" as West Indies went with an unchanged squad that beat Nepal by nine wickets in the last game.

Later Thursday

Zimbabwe, whichknocked out Australiafrom the tournament, concludes its group stage with a game against Sri Lanka in Colombo later Thursday.

Afghanistan, which made the semifinals in 2024 and lost a thrillingdouble tiebreakeragainst South Africa this past week, will meet Canada in its last Group D match.

West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (captain), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Matthew Forde, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosain, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.

Italy: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Harry Manenti (captain), J.J. Smuts, Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian-Piero Meade, Crishan Kalugamage, Thomas Draca, Ali Hasan.

AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

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Seven Illini score at least 10 as No. 10 Illinois pummels USC

February 18, 2026
Seven Illini score at least 10 as No. 10 Illinois pummels USC

Andrej Stojakovic's 22 points led seven double-figure point scorers for No. 10 Illinois as the Illini pounded short-handed Southern California 101-65 on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Field Level Media

Doubt loomed over the availability of Stojakovic going into this week's California road trip for Illinois (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten). The wing, who sustained an ankle injury on Feb. 7 against Michigan State, answered all questions with a 6-of-7 shooting performance from the floor coming off the bench on Wednesday, and a perfect 9-of-9 at the free-throw line.

Stojakovic helped fuel an offensive onslaught that began early, with Illinois running out to a 15-3 lead 5:33 into the contest and never looking back.

The Illini shot 32-of-62 from the floor, including 13-of-29 on 3-point attempts, led by Jake Davis' perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Davis scored all 12 of his points from long distance.

Davis also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

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Six different Illinois shooters connected on at least one 3-pointer. Ben Humrichous knocked down 3-of-6 from deep on his way to 11 points off the bench, while David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic each made a pair of triples en route to 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Keaton Wagler added 10 points and Kylan Boswell finished with 12 points, five rebounds and eight assists to round out Illinois' collection of double-figure scorers. The balanced attack powered Illinois to its highest scoring output in Big Ten play this season, and helped the Illini maintain sole possession of second place in a tight conference competition.

USC (18-8, 7-8), meanwhile, found itself in a tough spot before opening tip. Season-long leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara was a late scratch from the lineup, and his backcourt mates -- Alijah Arenas and Kam Woods -- shot a combined 4-of-14 from the floor for eight and four points.

Arenas came into Wednesday's contest with three straight games posting at least 24 points.

Ezra Ausar recorded a double-double for the Trojans with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Jacob Cofie added 14 points, but the two combined for almost as many made field goals (11) as the rest of USC's roster combined (12).

--Field Level Media

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Trump to preside over first meeting of Board of Peace with many Gaza questions unresolved

February 18, 2026
Trump to preside over first meeting of Board of Peace with many Gaza questions unresolved

By Steve Holland, Simon Lewis and Samia Nakhoul

Reuters The U.S. Institute of Peace building prepares to host U.S. President Donald Trump's first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 18, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst The U.S. Institute of Peace building prepares to host U.S. President Donald Trump's first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 18, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst The U.S. Institute of Peace building prepares to host U.S. President Donald Trump's first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 18, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst The U.S. Institute of Peace building prepares to host U.S. President Donald Trump's first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 18, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst The U.S. Institute of Peace building prepares to host U.S. President Donald Trump's first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 18, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The U.S. Institute of Peace building prepares to host Trump's first Board of Peace meeting in Washington

WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will preside over the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday with unresolved questions on the future of Gaza hanging over an event expected ‌to include representatives from more than 45 nations.

The disarmament of Hamas militants, the size of the reconstruction fund and the flow ‌of humanitarian aid to the war-battered populace of Gaza are among the major questions likely to test the effectiveness of the board in the weeks and months ahead.

Trump is to ​address the group at the Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace - a building in Washington the president recently renamed for himself - and announce that participating nations have raised $5 billion for the reconstruction fund.

The money is expected to be a down payment on a fund that will likely need many more billions. Included in the $5 billion is expected to be $1.2 billion each from two of Washington's Gulf Arab allies, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, a U.S. ‌official told Reuters.

Trump's Board of Peace has been controversial. ⁠It includes Israel but not Palestinian representatives and Trump's suggestion that the Board could eventually address challenges beyond Gaza has stirred anxiety that it could undermine the U.N.'s role as the main platform for global diplomacy and conflict ⁠resolution.

Senior U.S. officials said Trump will also announce that several nations are planning to send thousands of troops to participate in an International Stabilization Force that will help keep the peace in Gaza.

Disarming Hamas militants in order for the peacekeepers to begin their mission remains a major sticking point, and the force is ​not ​expected to deploy for weeks or months.

The Palestinian group Hamas, fearful of Israeli reprisals, ​has been reluctant to hand over weaponry as part ‌of Trump's 20-point Gaza plan that brought about a fragile ceasefire last October in the two-year Gaza war.

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"We are under no illusions on the challenges regarding demilitarization, but we have been encouraged by what the mediators have reported back," a senior administration official said.

MOST SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT ATTENDING

Delegations from 47 countries plus the European Union are expected to attend the event, U.S. officials said. The list includes Israel and a wide array of countries from Albania to Vietnam.

It does not, however, include permanent United Nations Security Council members like France, Britain, Russia and China.

Speakers at the event are ‌expected to include Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff ​and Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is expected to have a ​senior role in the board, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. ​Mike Waltz, and High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov, among other attendees.

A member of the peace board, who declined to ‌be named, said the Gaza plan faces formidable obstacles. ​Establishing security in the enclave is a ​precondition for progress in other areas, but the police force is neither ready nor fully trained, said the official.

The official added that a key unresolved question is who would negotiate with Hamas. The peace board's representatives could do so with countries that have influence ​over Hamas - notably Qatar and Turkey - but Israel is ‌deeply skeptical of both.

Another major issue is the flow of aid, which the official described as "disastrous" and in urgent need ​of scaling up. Even if aid surges in, it remains unclear who will distribute it, the official said.

(Reporting By Steve Holland, ​Simon Lewis and Samia Nakhoul; Editing by Don Durfee and Lincoln Feast)

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Governors arrive in Washington eager to push past Trump's partisan grip

February 18, 2026
Governors arrive in Washington eager to push past Trump's partisan grip

WASHINGTON (AP) — In another era, the scene would have been unremarkable. But in PresidentDonald Trump'sWashington, it's become increasingly rare.

Associated Press Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., chair of the National Governors Association (NGA), from left, Economic Club of Washington Chairman David Rubenstein, and Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., vice chair of the NGA participate in a panel discussion during a conference at the Economic Club of Washington Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner) Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) speaks during a conference at the Economic Club of Washington Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Washington.(AP Photo/Tom Brenner) Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., vice chair of the National Governors Association, responds to a question by Economic Club of Washington Chairman David Rubenstein during a conference at the Economic Club of Washington Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Governors Economic Club

Sitting side by side on stage were Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat. They traded jokes and compliments instead of insults and accusations, a brief interlude of cordiality in a cacophony of conflict.

Stitt and Moore are the leaders of the National Governors Association, one of a vanishing few bipartisan institutions left in American politics. But it may be hard for the organization, which is holding its annual conference this week, to maintain its reputation as a refuge from polarization.

Trump has broken with custom by declining to invite all governors to the traditional White House meeting and dinner. He has called Stitt, the NGA's chair, a "RINO," short for Republican in name only, and continued to feud with Moore, the group's vice chair, by blaming him for asewage spillinvolving afederally regulated pipeline.

The break with tradition reflects Trump's broader approach to his second term. He has taken a confrontational stance toward some states, withholding federal funds or deploying troops over the objections of local officials.

With theRepublican-controlled Congressunwilling to limit Trump's ambitions, several governors have increasingly cast themselves as a counterweight to the White House.

"Presidents aren't supposed to do this stuff," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said about the expansion of executive power in recent administrations. "Congress needs to get their act together. And stop performing for TikTok and actually start doing stuff. That's the flaw we're dealing with right now."

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Cox, a Republican, said "it is up to the states to hold the line."

Moore echoed that sentiment inan interview with The Associated Press.

"People are paying attention to how governors are moving, because I think governors have a unique way to move in this moment that other people just don't," he said.

Still, governors struck an optimistic tone in panels and interviews Wednesday. Stitt said the conference is "bigger than one dinner at the White House." Moore predicted "this is going to be a very productive three days for the governors."

"Here's a Republican and Democrat governor from different states that literally agree on probably 80% of the things. And the things we disagree on we can have honest conversations on," Stitt said while sitting beside Moore.

Tensions over the guest list for White House events underscored the uncertainty surrounding the week. During the back-and-forth,Trump feuded with Stittand said Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were not invited because they "are not worthy of being there."

Whether the bipartisan tone struck Wednesday evening can endure through the week — and beyond — remains an open question.

"We can have disagreements. In business, I always want people around me arguing with me and pushing me because that's where the best ideas come from," said Stitt. "We need to all have these exchange of ideas."

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California avalanche was deadliest in US in 45 years

February 18, 2026
California avalanche was deadliest in US in 45 years

Theavalanche that killed at least eight peopleon Feb. 17 in California marked the deadliest natural disaster of its kind in the United States in nearly a half century.

USA TODAY

A group of 15 skiers were caught in the avalanche in the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, northwest of Lake Tahoe. Six members of the group survived and were rescued. One skier was still missing as of Feb. 18 and is presumed dead, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said.

It was the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. in almost 45 years, according to theColorado Avalanche Information Center(CIAC), which tracks avalanches across the nation. Eleven people were killed in an avalanche on June 21, 1981, while attempting to climb Mount Rainier in Washington state.

A rescue team departs to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California's Sierra Nevada mountains, where a group of skiers were stranded, in Nevada County, California, Feb. 17, 2026, in this still image from a video.

More recently,six climbers died in an avalancheon Mount Rainier on May 28, 2014. On April 20, 2013,five snowboarders were killedin an avalanche near Colorado's Loveland Pass.

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In the U.S., avalanches have claimed an average of 27 lives annually over the last 10 years, according to the CAIC.

What was the deadliest avalanche in US history?

The deadliest recorded avalanche in U.S. history occurred March 1, 1910, in Wellington, Washington, when a wall of snow swept two trains into a gorge near Stevens Pass in the Cascade Range, killing 96 people,according to the Seattle Times.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What was the deadliest avalanche in US history?

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Former MMA fighter Tiki Ghosn and Deen the Great get in altercation

February 18, 2026
Former MMA fighter Tiki Ghosn and Deen the Great get in altercation

Retired MMA fighter Tiki Ghosn was seen on video getting into an altercation with Nurideen Shabazz, an influencer-turned-boxer known as Deen the Great. The video has gone viral.

USA TODAY Sports

Ghosn was seen landing a strike to the face of Shabazz, punching him out at a party following a confrontation that appeared to be started by the influencer. Shabazz could be heard questioning why Ghosn would deny knowing who he was.

"You do know who I am," Shabazz was heard saying during the exchange.

"I don't know you," Ghosn told Shabazz. "Nice to meet you, though."

Things would escalate further after Shabazz continued his questioning of Ghosn. The men were quickly separated.

Shabazz was also seen being slapped by powerlifter Larry Wheels in a separate video from earlier in the week. That incident was referenced by Ghosn in the viral video during the exchange with Shabazz.

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Both incidents can be found onShabazz's KICK stream. Former MMA fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was seen in both videos. Ghosn is Jackson's manager.

Former mixed martial artist Tiki Ghosn arrives at the third annual Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards 2010 at the Palms Casino Resort on Dec. 1, 2010 in Las Vegas.

Who is Tiki Ghosn?

Ghosn produced a 10-7-0 record as a fighter, winning his last fight in March 2008 while snapping a streak of five consecutive losses.

The Southern California native was previouslymanaged by current UFC president Dana White. Ghosn has worked as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter and worked with several notable names in the MMA world, including Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock and Michael Bisping.

Who is Deen the Great?

Shabazz won his first seven boxing fights; his second win was the only non-exhibition fight he's competed in.

He suffered his first loss to Amado Vargas in an exhibition fight in December 2025.

Shabszz has also served as a YouTube streamer since 2013 and has more than 528K subscribers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tiki Ghosn, Deen the Great get in altercation in viral video

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