Good Morning! On this day in 1953, 17-year-old Tenley Albright of Boston, who had contracted polio six years earlier, became the first American woman to win the World Figure Skating Championship in Davos, Switzerland. She called it her “best” performance. See her 1953 U.S. Nationals performance here.
Gymnast Mary Lou Retton, who captured the hearts of American viewers at the 1984 Summer Olympics, vaulted to a special status reserved for only a handful of athletic heroes. But more recent years have balanced out her once storybook life, as shown in today’s Whatever Happened To… section.
In Saturday’s edition, we included incorrect information about the history of Valentine’s Day. The feast day was established in A.D. 496 to honor Saint Valentine, a third-century priest who was executed on Feb. 14. We regret the error and apologize. We still enjoy Hallmark, especially the Christmas movies, but we will look elsewhere for our history.
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Rubio Affirms America’s Stance to Allies
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a reassuring message to America’s allies about the administration’s intent to reshape the trans-Atlantic alliance at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
Rubio struck a firm but less aggressive tone after Vice President JD Vance made a harsh critique of European values at the conference last year.
The secretary noted that President Trump “demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends here in Europe,” with “no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the west’s managed decline.”
President Trump and his administration repeatedly have put Europe on notice for devolving into a culture of political correctness, speech policing, and a security system that heavily relies on U.S. funding and military might.
President Trump Will Issue EO if Voter ID Bill Fails
President Trump on Friday indicated he will issue an executive order seeking to require voters to present proof of citizenship if the Senate does not pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which passed in the House last week.
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump wrote, “This is an issue that must be fought, and must be fought, NOW! If we can’t get it through Congress, there are Legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order.”
An earlier version of the bill, called the SAVE Act, also passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate. The SAVE America Act would require photo ID at polling places and mandate that states obtain proof of citizenship before registering a person to vote in a federal election.
In January 2026, the average transaction price for a Porsche was more than $128,000, led by its best-selling model, the Porsche Macan. Land Rover had the second-highest brand cost, with an average January price of more than $101,000. Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW rounded out the top five with averages costs of at least $73,000.
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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:
➤The mystery deepens as the FBI raises its reward in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. (Hear More)
➤Your tax refund just got bigger, and the IRS data proves it. (Listen Now)
➤Forget six figures. These humble majors are winning the employment game.(Podcast Available)
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➤Baylor first baseman Tyce Armstrong made NCAA history on Friday, hitting three grand slams in one game to tie the D1 baseball record in his first game with the team. (Watch Video)
➤The Philadelphia Phillies released star outfielder/designated hitter Nick Castellanos after the team was unable to make a deal to trade him. It was then revealed he had brought beer into the team’s dugout during games last season. Castellanos, who is still owed $20 million by the Phillies, was picked up by the San Diego Padres shortly after his release. (More)
➤The NASCAR season officially starts at 1:30 p.m. today with the legendary Daytona 500 at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway. (More)
➤No. 4 Duke men’s basketball now sits at 23-2 overall after a dominant 67-54 win over No. 20 Clemson, further solidifying the Blue Devils as one of the nation’s top teams. (More)
U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz won his second gold medal at the 2026 Winter Games, setting an Olympic record in the 500-meter race. He’s the first American speedskater since 1980 to win two gold medals at a single Olympics. (Watch)
Six Americans scored in the U.S. men’s hockey team’s 6-3 win over Denmark after rallying from a 2-1 deficit after the first period. Thirteen U.S. players had at least one point, led by forward Jack Eichel, who had a goal and an assist. (More)
Brazilian alpine skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won gold in the men’s giant slalom, becoming the first South American athlete to win a medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. (More)
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GOLD Per Ounce
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$77.85
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OIL West Texas Intermediate Crude
$62.89
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Bitcoin, gold, silver, and oil are traded 24 hours a day.
➤Government inflation data for January suggests the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security beneficiaries may be less than the 2026 increase of 2.8%. (More)
➤Ford CEO Jim Farley spoke to senior Trump administration officials about a potential plan for Chinese automakers to build cars in America by partnering with U.S. car companies. (More)
➤Alaskan Dream Cruises abruptly ceased operations Feb. 4, canceling future sailings and refunding guests as the Alaska Native-owned, Sitka-based cruise line cited a strategic business realignment. (More)
Ladies and gentlemen, here are our most-clicked stories of the week:
➤Japanese volleyball player Yuji Nishida showcased sportsmanship, sliding to the floor in an exaggerated apology after accidentally striking a courtside judge with a ball. (See Apology)
➤The Department of Justice announced the arrest and extradition of Benghazi attack suspect Zubayr al-Bakoush on murder and terrorism-related charges in the 2012 attack that killed four Americans. (More)
➤Nasdaq turned 55 on Wednesday, celebrating the introduction of computers to markets, expanded quote sharing, lower costs, and a more efficient U.S. market. (More)
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➤Two ICE officers have been placed on administrative leave and are under federal investigation for allegedly lying under oath about their testimony in a January Minneapolis shooting of a Venezuelan man. (More)
➤European officials on Saturday claimed that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison after a deliberate poisoning with epibatidine, a toxin found in Ecuadorian dart frogs, disputing Russia’s account of his death. (More)
➤Prediction markets took Valentine’s Day bets on celebrity romances, with users wagering thousands on engagements and marriages involving stars such as Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and Katy Perry. (More)
➤A public budget report, later scrubbed, showed American-born Olympian Eileen Gu received $6.6 million from Beijing’s sports bureau in 2025 to compete for China in the Winter Olympics. She is a two-time gold medalist. (More)
➤Netflix and the BBC are set to air a four-part adaptation of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, reimagining the classic novel as a tense thriller exploring collective human behavior. (See Preview)
➤A GoFundMe for James Van Der Beek’s family surpassed $2.3 million following the actor’s death, with donations including $25,000 from Steven Spielberg. (More)
Mary Lou Retton didn’t just win the Olympics in 1984—she arrived there, all grin and grit, and then stuck the landing straight into American pop culture.
In Los Angeles, she became the first American woman to win the all-around gymnastics gold with an amazing performance, collecting five medals and becoming the first female athlete ever to grace a Wheaties box.
What followed was the full American celebrity package: endorsement deals with everyone from McDonald’s to Vidal Sassoon, a career as a motivational speaker, a seat on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, and even a turn on Dancing with the Stars. She married, had four daughters, and settled into life as a beloved icon.
But the body keeps score. Decades of elite gymnastics, plus a congenital hip condition, meant some 30 surgeries over the years. A 2018 divorce hit her finances hard. Then, in October 2023, a rare and vicious pneumonia landed her in the ICU, where doctors nearly put her on life support.
Without health insurance, her daughters crowdfunded nearly half a million dollars, sparking public goodwill and uncomfortable questions about where the money went. By mid-2024, she was still on supplemental oxygen. In May 2025, a DUI arrest in her hometown added another bruise.
Today, Retton’s life looks quieter: more recovery, more reflection, and the ongoing work of being Mary Lou Retton—an American sports figure still negotiating what it means to live after the perfect 10 moment has passed.
Did you see Mary Lou Retton in the Olympics or one of her other appearances? Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email.
🥌Ever wonder how curling stones are made? It takes rare granite, serious craftsmanship, and a whole lot of precision.
“I just thought that all I needed to do was go out there and trust the process that I’ve always been doing with every competition. But of course, it’s not like any other competitions, it’s the Olympics.”
— Ilia Malinin, the 21-year-old American figure skating star, who fell twice in the men’s free skate and finished eighth.
Today’s Trivia
Which state is home to the highest suspension bridge in North America?
Rubio Affirms America’s Stance to Allies
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Today’s Trivia
