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Bad Bunny talks about his love of family, 'beautiful childhood'

February 08, 2026
Bad Bunny talks about his love of family, 'beautiful childhood'

Singer and rapperBad Bunnymay be gracing the stage as the performer at Sunday'sSuper Bowl LX halftime show, but his beginnings started thousands of miles away in Puerto Rico with his mother, father, and two brothers.

Bad Bunny, born Benito Martínez Ocasio, has shared previously with multiple outlets howgrowing up in his close-knit family outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has shaped his music, including his recent album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," which took home theGrammy Award for Album of the Yearlast weekend.

Before Bad Bunny takes the stage at Super Bowl LX, here's a look at his family and how he's said they have influenced him.

<p style=Bad Bunny accepts the album of the year award for "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny poses with the album of the year, best música urbana album and best global music performance awards during the 68th Grammy Awards.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny performs during his Bad Bunny accepts the Album of the Year award for Bad Bunny performs onstage during the 26th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on Nov. 13, 2025. <p style=Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs onstage during the first show of his 30-date (which ended up being 31 in total) concert residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 11, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny thanked his fans for "letting me sing in my home in front of my friends, my family and my people" on what was the final night of his residency in September 2025. "Thank you for that," he said. "I love you, thank you for being a part of this."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=On top of his Puerto Rico residency, Bad Bunny was also juggling life as a Hollywood actor attending the premiere of "Caught Stealing" on Aug. 26, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny starred alongside Austin Butler in the movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Earlier in summer 2025, Bad Bunny was spotted at Netflix's "Happy Gilmore 2" premiere on July 21, 2025, in New York City, which he starred alongside Adam Sandler.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny at the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025. Bad Bunny gave a playful Puerto Rican twist to the Black dandy theme with a crisp espresso brown suit. He paired the custom-made Prada ensemble with a brimmed hat resembling a pava, a traditional straw hat made from leaves of the Puerto Rican hat palm.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny onstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny onstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny onstage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=In February 2025, Bad Bunny attended "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny performs during his Most Wanted Tour at the Kaseya Center in Miami on May 24, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny attends the Dior Homme Menswear spring/summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 21, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bad Bunny performs at the Crypto.com Arena during his Most Wanted tour in Los Angeles, March 13, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny poses in the press room during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Ovation Hollywood on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Bad Bunny performs the first stop of his Most Wanted Tour in Salt Lake City, Utah, at Delta Center on Feb. 21, 2024. For his first show of the Most Wanted Tour, Bad Bunny didn't hold back on performing all but three songs ( Bad Bunny split the show into three acts, performing first his Bad Bunny rode into the Delta Center venue on a horse on Feb. 21, 2024. Performing a total of 37 songs, not including the orchestra that introduced him at the top of the night before segueing into Bad Bunny arrives for the Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Watsco Center in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 5, 2023. Bad Bunny in his high fashion era, seen at Gucci Ancora during Milan Fashion week on September 22, 2023 in Milan, Italy. Bad Bunny turned heads at the 2023 Met Gala in a white suit and rosette-covered cape by fashion designer Jacquemus. Bad Bunny performs onstage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 21, 2023. Bad Bunny rocks out next to a pair of neon blue bunny ears during Weekend 2 at Coachella 2023. During his Coachella performance on April 14, 2023, Bad Bunny led his fans through a gamut of emotions, dances, ballads about heartbreak and tales of bouncing back from lost love. With set designs, multiple outfits and song choices centered on the streets of Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny's set was an allusion to his journey from an austere Puerto Rican neighborhood to the highest echelons of California celebrity. In March 2023, Bad Bunny, left, was honored with the Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards by Ricky Martin. Bad Bunny put Puerto Rico front and center during his 65th Grammy Awards performance on Feb. 5, 2023. Bad Bunny was also nominated for album of the year at the 2023 Grammys. While Harry Styles took AOTY at the Grammys, Bad Bunny accepted the award for best música urbana album for To commemorate Bad Bunny's end-of-year Spotify Wrapped numbers and 3-peat title of the most streamed artist on the platform, the Puerto Rican superstar was presented with three championship-style rings designed by Jason of Beverly Hills on Dec. 10, 2022 in Mexico City. Bad Bunny concluded the U.S. leg of his  Cardi B, Chencho Corleone, Ivy Queen and reggaeton duo Jowell y Randy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny, left, brought out rapper Cardi B on Oct. 1, where the two performed their hit song For his Sept. 30 show, Bad Bunny invited Li Saumet of Bomba Estéreo to perform Bad Bunny and Dominican American reggaeton star Arcángel hit the stage during his Oct. 1 show. Bad Bunny, left, blessed fans with a surprise performance from Puerto Rican rapper-singer Ivy Queen. She took the stage at both Inglewood shows in September and October 2022. Bad Bunny closed out Los Angeles on a historic note. The City of Los Angeles honored the megastar for his declaring Oct. 1 as the official Bad Bunny Day." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny put on a fiery performance at the Yankee Stadium in New York City during the 2022 MTV VMAs. He also shared a kiss with one of his backup dancers during the August 2022 performance. That night he made history by becoming the first Latin artist to win artist of the year at the 2022  MTV Video Music Awards. Bad Bunny poses for a portrait on August 1, 2022 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Bad Bunny strikes a pose for USA TODAY. Bad Bunny, in his Hollywood era, strikes a pose for USA TODAY. In the action comedy Bad Bunny is the gift that keeps on giving. For three nights, from July 28-30, the Puerto Rican superstar kicked off his 2022 Fans were blessed with Bad Bunny performing the entirety of his new album and also got a chance to see special guests like Rauw Alejandro, Young Miko, RaiNao, Bomba Estéreo, Jhay Cortez, Chencho Corleone and María Zardoya from The Marías. Many of the artists were also featured in his latest album The Puerto Rican superstar revealed <a href=two new wax figures at Orlando and New York's Madame Tussauds on April 19, 2022. The figure at Madame Tussauds New York is wearing the iconic all-silver look from the Grammy-winner's 2020 Super Bowl performance alongside Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and J Balvin, complete with the same silver jacket he wore. The wax figure in Orlando is wearing an outfit originally from his WWE Royal Rumble performance and is featured in his "Booker T" music video. For the figure, Bad Bunny donated his trenchcoat, vest, trousers, and pants." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sony Pictures announced during April 2022's CinemaCon that <a href=Bad Bunny is set to portray the title role in "El Muerto," making history as Marvel's first Latino lead in a live-action film. He calls the film the "perfect role" for him.

Before suiting up as the super-powered wrestler, the Puerto Rican rapper will make his big-screen acting debut in the neon-drenched "Bullet Train" (in theaters July 29), doing battle with Brad Pitt." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> He's got <em>range</em>. Bad Bunny made his debut as a professional wrestler in <a href=April 2021 at WWE's WrestleMania 37. In this photo, taken Jan. 29, 2022, Bad Bunny jumped into the ring again during the Royal Rumble match at The Dome at America's Center." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> After making history with Bad Bunny is no stranger to breaking records. He was also named Spotify's most-streamed artist in the world for two consecutive years. During his During his Days prior, Bad Bunny hit the stage at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 18, 2021, to perform during the <a href=22nd Latin Grammy Awards. That night he took home the award for best rap/hip hop song for "Booker T" and best urban music album for "El Último Tour del Mundo."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bad Bunny attends the American Music Awards on Nov. 21, 2021, rocking a monochromatic look with black and silver shades on the red carpet. Bad Bunny decked out in all leather at the Billboard Music Awards broadcast in May 2021. Bad Bunny made his debut as a professional wrestler in April 2021 at WWE's WrestleMania 37. Pictured here, he and Damian Priest face The Mix and John Morrison during a tag team match. That same night, Bad Bunny takes flight at WrestleMania. Earlier that month, Bad Bunny performed onstage during Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2. Amid the peak of the pandemic in 2020, Bad Bunny gave fans a treat. That September, he performed a concert on a moving flatbed truck in New York, stopping traffic all throughout the city. His one-of-its-kind concert began at Yankee Stadium and made its way to Harlem Hospital where Bad Bunny honored front-line workers. <em>History in the making. </em>In June 2020, Bad Bunny became the first Latin urban musician to pose for the cover of Rolling Stone (his then-girlfriend, Gabriela Berlingeri, became the first Latina to shoot a Rolling Stone cover photo and Latin music editor Suzy Exposito was the first Latina to write a cover story for the magazine). Bad Bunny at the 20th annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas in November 2019. That same night, he accepted the award for best urban album at the Latin Grammys. In July 2019, Bad Bunny participated in a series of demonstrations in Puerto Rican demanding then-Gov. Ricardo Rosello's resignation. Around that time, Bad Bunny also took to social media to voice is concerns and support of the people of his hometown. Wearing a rainbow Louis Vuitton ensemble and visor-like sunglasses, Bad Bunny gave it his all at his first solo Coachella set. That same night, Bad Bunny joined Will Smith and Marc Anthony to perform Pictured here, Bad Bunny rocks his signature third eye at the 2018 American Music Awards. 2018 was a big year for Bad Bunny. The young Puerto Rican star also attended the Latin Grammy Awards that year in November at the MGM Grand Garden Area in Las Vegas. Bad Bunny made his first Coachella appearance in April 2018, when Cardi B brought him out along with J Balvin to perform their single

Bad Bunny makes history at the Grammys. The Puerto Rican star's career in photos.

Bad Bunny accepts the album of the year award for "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles

More news:Why did the NFL pick Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl? Money and ratings.

What to know about Bad Bunny's siblings, parents

Bad Bunny's immediate family consists of his mother, Lysaurie Ocasio, and father, Tito Martínez, and his two brothers, Bernie and Bysael. His mother was an English teacher while his father was a truck driver,People reported.

Bad Bunny is the eldest of the three children. He was born in 1994, while Bernie was born in 1997. Bysael, the youngest, was born in 2002.

Bysael Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny and Bernie Martinez Ocasio, pose backstage for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on May 23, 2021, at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. Bad Bunny won the Top Latin Song Award among other awards.

Bernie has also chosen to pursue a creative career by going into the fashion industry, where he hasbecome a model. Bernie's modeling debut came during New York Fashion Week in 2023.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bernie (@mcbernie)

Bysael, the youngest son and brother of Bad Bunny, has also joined the fashion world andstarted hisown clothing line and brand, BMO.CTI.

Bad Bunny toldApple Music in a January 2025interview that he grew up surrounded by his family, including his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Bad Bunny says he had a 'beautiful' childhood

In the same interview with Apple Music, Bad Bunny shared that he went to public school and his mother often stressed the importance of good grades. He said he remembered a happy, family-oriented childhood filled with laughter.

"If you ask me about my childhood, I remember it as a very beautiful one. I never lacked anything. Obviously, my parents…worked so we had everything we needed and I saw their effort. I saw how they worked so hard to give everything to us, to me and my brothers," Bad Bunny said in the interview.

The artist added in the interview with Apple Music that he gained important life lessons from his parents while growing up.

"I'm sure that I learned a lot of things from my parents: responsibility, punctuality, I learned that from my mom…I remember my dad was always giving and helping like the people from the neighborhood and that part of me, like to give to others, definitely I learned from my dad," he said in the interview.

Bad Bunny's family, his parents especially, are extremely proud of his music career,he told Rolling Stone in January 2025. His mother cried listening to multiple songs on his "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," including the single "PIToRRO DE COCO."

How to watch Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance

Bad Bunny is set to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, Feb. 8, following the completion of the game's second quarter. Viewerscan catch the broadcast nationallyon NBC. There are also multiple streaming services available for the game, includingPeacock, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu with live TV, and others.

Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Get to know Bad Bunny's family before Super Bowl halftime show

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“The Pitt” star admits she'd never seen “Seinfeld” before booking a role on the sitcom: 'I was living under a rock'

February 08, 2026

BeforeKatherine LaNasawas whipping the ER into shape as Nurse Dana onThe Pitt, the actress made a memorable impression onSeinfeldviewers.

Entertainment Weekly Jerry Seinfeld and Katherine LaNasa on 'Seinfeld' NBC

The fan-favorite season 6 episode "The Beard" sees LaNasa play a no-nonsense NYPD sergeant who goes from flirting withJerry Seinfeldto putting him through a lie detector test after he unconvincingly claims he's never seenMelrose Place. Ironically, LaNasa herself wasn't a big TV viewer at the time.

"I had never seenSeinfeld, nor had I seenMelrose Place, which is hilarious," LaNasa admitted in a recentinterview with ETalk. "Yes, I was living under a rock."

LaNasa, who was early in her acting career at the time, explained that she was too busy taking care of her young son to keep up with popular TV shows.

"I was a single mom, my son's dad was an older guy, and we didn't watchMelrose Place," she explained, referencing her marriage to late Hollywood iconDennis Hopper. "I just didn't watch a lot of TV. I know it sounds crazy, I was just starting out in television."

As fate would have it, LaNasa is now married to Grant Show, one of the stars ofMelrose Place. They wed in 2012 and welcomed a daughter two years later.

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Despite going intoSeinfeldblind, LaNasa fit right in on the iconic sitcom. After deciding to put Jerry through the polygraph test, she pushes him into a complete — and hilarious — meltdown. Looking back on it now, thePittactress says she still "remembers how creative they were" while shooting the episode.

"There was a whole scene in that where Jason Alexander is talking with the rest of them about this girl that he's dating and how when she took off her wig or her wig came off and she was bald," LaNasa recalled. "He was like, 'She's bald, treeless!' This and that, and he just kept riffing and it was so funny and so magical just to see them rehearse and ad-lib."

Though she wasn't familiar withSeinfeld, LaNasa said it was immediately clear that the cast was "unbelievably talented." She added, "It was just a big bucket full of talent and I was pinching myself. I couldn't believe I was a part of it or witnessing it."

Katherine LaNasa on 'The Pitt' Warrick Page/MAX

Warrick Page/MAX

Seinfeld, which also starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards, was quite the phenomenon throughout the '90s and ultimately ran for 10 seasons. LaNasa continued to find success on the small screen, appearing on such hit shows as3rd Rock From the Sun,Touched by an Angel,ER, andGrey's Anatomy.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Her role inThe Pitthas marked a high point in her career, with LaNasa taking home an Emmy at last year's ceremony for her work in the show's debut season.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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What to know about Jimmy Lai's Hong Kong journey from media mogul and activist to convict

February 08, 2026
What to know about Jimmy Lai's Hong Kong journey from media mogul and activist to convict

HONG KONG (AP) — To his supporters, former Hong Kong media mogulJimmy Laiis a fighter for democracy. To the government, he is a traitor to his motherland.

The 78-year-old outspoken critic of China's ruling Communist Party awaits sentencing Monday after being convicted in December of conspiring to commit sedition and collude with foreign forces.

Observers say hislandmark trialcame to symbolize a crackdown that began in 2020 on press and other freedoms that has changed Hong Kong, the former British colony that returned to China's control in 1997.

The Hong Kong government insists Lai's case has nothing to do with press freedom, but instead is an example of righteousness upheld by the law.

A migrant from mainland China, he made a fortune in the garment industry in Hong Kong and later founded theApple Daily newspaper, where he wrote articles criticizing the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for limiting freedoms. The publication eventually was shuttered and his words became trial evidence.

Here is what to know about his unusual journey to political activism that has ended, at least for the moment, in prison.

A stowaway founds a clothing giant

Lai was born in 1947 in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, once known as Canton, two years before the communists came to power.

He was just 12 when he stowed away on a fishing boat to Hong Kong, about 135 kilometers (84 miles) from Guangzhou. Like many other Chinese of that era, Lai hoped for a better life in the British colony. Working as a child laborer in a glove factory served as his introduction to the garment industry.

In 1981, he founded Giordano, an affordable casual clothing chain that has grown into an international brand with 1,600 retail outlets in 30 countries, according to its website.

Shift to publishing gives Lai a voice

Lai sold his interest in Giordano in the mid-1990s when the company came under pressure from Beijing. That came after he called hard-line Premier Li Peng "the son of a turtle egg," a slur in Chinese, after the communist leader justified the government's deadly 1989 crackdown on protests in Beijing'sTiananmen Square.

The violent suppression was a pivotal moment for Lai, he later said. Giordano printed T-shirts in support of the pro-democracy protests and he made his first foray into publishing in 1990, founding Next Magazine.

Five years later, he started the Apple Daily, a tabloid-style publication that drew readership with sometimes sensational reports and investigative scoops. The publication openly criticized the government, which some observers now say landed Lai in trouble about 25 years down the road.

Joining activists in Hong Kong's streets

Lai took to the streets in 2014, taking part in the pro-democracy protests known as theUmbrella Movementthat for months filled parts of Hong Kong. Demonstrators used umbrellas to shield themselves from police pepper spray. TheAppleDaily ran articles sympathetic to the movement.

Lai came out again in 2019 for a new wave of protests that shook the government and led to the crackdown on the city's freedoms. He alsourged U.S. Vice President Mike Penceand Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to speak out on Hong Kong's situation in meetings that became an issue during his trial.

The following year, China's central government in Beijing imposed anational security lawon Hong Kong. Lai was arrested more than a month later.

Drawing the crucifixion

Lai has been in custody since December 2020. The food lover who was called "Fatty Lai" by some friends and even a rival newspaper appears to have become thinner behind bars.

A Roman Catholic, Lai made drawings in prison of the crucifixion of Jesus, according to his friend Robert Sirico, a priest who received one of the pictures.

"For truth prevails in God's kingdom, and that's good enough for me," Lai testified in November 2024 during his trial, arguing that his Apple Daily writings were done without hostility or seditious intent.

In July 2020, shortly after the commencement of the national security law under which he was eventually convicted,Lai told The Associated Pressthat "Hong Kong is dead."

"If I have to go to prison, I don't mind. I don't care," he said. "It won't be something I can worry about, I'll just relax and do what I have to do."

Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.

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Takeaways from what the Epstein files show about the FBI investigation of possible sex trafficking

February 08, 2026
Takeaways from what the Epstein files show about the FBI investigation of possible sex trafficking

NEW YORK (AP) — The FBI collected ample proof thatJeffrey Epsteinsexually abused underage girls but found scant evidence the well-connected financier led a sex trafficking ring serving powerful men, an Associated Press review of internal Justice Department records shows.

Associated Press

Videos and photos seized from Epstein's homes in New York, Florida and the Virgin Islands didn't depict victims being abused or implicate anyone else in his crimes, a prosecutor wrote in one 2025 memo.

An examination of Epstein's financial records, including payments he made to entities linked to influential figures in academia, finance and global diplomacy, found no connection to criminal activity, said another internal memo in 2019.

Summarizing the investigation in an email last July, agents said "four or five" Epstein accusers claimed other men or women had sexually abused them. But, the agents said, there "was not enough evidence to federally charge these individuals."

The AP and other media organizations are still reviewingmillions of pages of documents, many of them previously confidential, that the Justice Department released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and it is possible those records contain evidence overlooked by investigators.

Here are takeaways from what the documents show about the FBI investigation and why U.S. authorities ultimately decided to close it without additional charges.

Origins of the investigation

The Epstein investigation began in 2005, when the parents of a 14-year-old girl reported that she had been molested at the millionaire's home in Palm Beach, Florida. Then-Miami U.S. attorney Alexander Acostastruck a dealletting Epstein plead guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. Sentenced to 18 months in jail, Epstein was free by mid-2009.

In 2018, a series of Miami Herald stories about the plea deal prompted federal prosecutors to take a fresh look at the accusations.

Epstein wasarrested in July of 2019. One month later, hekilled himselfin his jail cell.

A year later, prosecutors charged Epstein's longtime confidant,Ghislaine Maxwell, saying she'd recruited several of his victims and sometimes joined the sexual abuse. Convicted in 2021, Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term.

Lack of evidence for coconspirators

Prosecution memos, case summaries and other documents made public in the department's latest release of Epstein-related records show that FBI agents and federal prosecutors diligently pursued potential coconspirators. Even seemingly outlandish and incomprehensible claims, called in to tip lines, were examined.

Some allegations couldn't be verified, investigators wrote.

In 2011 and again in 2019, investigators interviewedVirginia Roberts Giuffre, who in lawsuits and news interviews had accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters with numerous men, including Britain's formerPrince Andrew.

Investigators said they confirmed that Giuffre had been sexually abused by Epstein. But other parts of her story were problematic.

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Giuffre acknowledged writing a partly fictionalized memoir of her time with Epstein containing descriptions of things that didn't take place. She had also offered shifting accounts in interviews with investigators, they wrote.

Two other Epstein victims who Giuffre had claimed were also "lent out" to powerful men told investigators they had no such experience, prosecutors wrote in a 2019 internal memo.

Photos and video don't implicate others

Investigators seized a multitude of videos and photos from Epstein's electronic devices and homes in New York, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They found CDs, hard copy photographs and at least one videotape containing nude images of females.

No videos or photos showed Epstein victims being sexually abused, none showed any males with any of the nude females, and none contained evidence implicating anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell, then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey wrote in an email for FBI officials last year.

Had they existed, the government "would have pursued any leads they generated," Comey wrote. "We did not, however, locate any such videos."

Investigators who scoured Epstein's bank records found payments to more than 25 women who appeared to be models — but no evidence that he was engaged in prostituting women to other men, prosecutors wrote.

Prosecutors weighed the possibility of charging some of Epstein's close associates, including an assistant and business clients, but ultimately decided against it because of lack of evidence.

No client list found

Attorney General Pam Bondi toldFox News in February 2025that Epstein's never-before-seen "client list" was "sitting on my desk right now." But FBI agents wrote superiors saying the client list didn't exist.

On Dec. 30, 2024, about three weeks before President Joe Biden left office, then-FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate reached out through subordinates to ask "whether our investigation to date indicates the 'client list,' often referred to in the media, does or does not exist," according to an email summarizing his query.

A day later, an FBI official replied that the case agent had confirmed no client list existed.

On Feb. 19, 2025, two days before Bondi's Fox News appearance, an FBI supervisory special agent wrote: "While media coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case references a 'client list,' investigators did not locate such a list during the course of the investigation."

Aaron Kessler in Washington contributed to this report.

___ The AP is reviewing the documents released by the Justice Department in collaboration with journalists from CBS, NBC, MS NOW and CNBC. Journalists from each newsroom are working together to examine the files and share information about what is in them. Each outlet is responsible for its own independent news coverage of the documents.

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Venezuela frees several opposition members after lengthy politically motivated detentions

February 08, 2026
Venezuela frees several opposition members after lengthy politically motivated detentions

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's government on Sunday released from prison several prominent opposition members, including one of the closest allies of Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, after lengthy politically motivated detentions.

Their releases come as the government ofacting President Delcy Rodríguezfaces mounting pressure to free hundreds of people whose detentions months or years ago have been linked to their political beliefs. They also follow a visit to Venezuela of representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela's acting president after the Jan. 3 capture in Caracas of then-PresidentNicolás Maduroby the U.S. military. Her government began releasing prisoners days later.

"I am convinced that our country has completely changed," Juan Pablo Guanipa, a Machado ally and former governor, told reporters hours after his release. "I am convinced that it is now up to all of us to focus on building a free and democratic country."

Guanipa, who spent more than eight months in custody, was released from a detention facility in the capital, Caracas. An armored vehicle and officers appeared behind him in the video he released.

Venezuelan-based prisoners' rights group Foro Penal confirmed the release of at least 30 people on Sunday.

In addition to Guanipa, Machado's political organization said several of its members were among the released, including María Oropeza,who livestreamed her arrest by military intelligence officersas they broke into her home with a crowbar. Machado's attorney, Perkins Rocha, was also freed.

"Let's go for the freedom of Venezuela!" Machado posted on X.

Guanipa was detained in late May and accused byInterior Minister Diosdado Cabelloof participating in an alleged "terrorist group" plotting to boycott that month's legislative election. Guanipa's brother Tomás rejected the accusation, and said that the arrest was meant to crack down on dissent.

"Thinking differently cannot be criminalized in Venezuela, and today, Juan Pablo Guanipa is a prisoner of conscience of this regime," Tomás Guanipa said after the arrest. "He has the right to think as he thinks, the right to defend his ideas, and the right to be treated under a constitution that is not being enforced today."

Her government announced on Jan. 8 it would free asignificant number of prisoners— a central demand of the country's opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States — but families and rights watchdogs have criticized authorities for the slow pace of the releases.

The ruling party-controlled National Assembly this week began debating an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners. The opposition and nongovernmental organizations have reacted with cautious optimism as well as with suggestions and demands for more information on the contents of the proposal.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez on Friday posted a video on Instagram showing him outside a detention center in Caracas and saying that "everyone" would be released no later than next week, once the amnesty bill is approved.

Delcy Rodríguez and Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke by phone in late January. His spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, in a statement said he "offered our support to help Venezuela work on a roadmap for dialogue and reconciliation in which human rights should be at the centre" and then "deployed a team" to the South American country.

Machado remains in exile after leaving Venezuela in December. After she was briefly detained in January 2025, she had not been seen in public for 11 months when she appeared in Norway after the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

Guanipa on Sunday said Machado "exercises undeniable leadership" and is needed in Venezuela along with other exiled political leaders to move the country forward.

Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews named Team USA captain for 2026 Olympics

February 08, 2026
Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews named Team USA captain for 2026 Olympics

MILAN — Auston Matthews will wear the 'C' for the U.S. men's hockey team at the2026 Winter Olympics.

Matthews, a captain with theToronto Maple Leafs, captained the USA at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, where the Americans placed second, behind Canada.

It is a safe choice that reflects Matthews' status as the best American player in hockey. But it is also one that will raise questions if the U.S. team -loaded with elite players at every position- comes away from these Winter Games with anything short of gold.

The team plays its first game on Feb. 12 against Latvia, faces Denmark on Feb. 14 and Germany on Feb. 15.

Auston Matthews Team USA skates during the second period against Team Finland in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Centre on Feb. 13, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Team USA defeated Team Finland 6-1. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews celebrates after scoring the go-ahead goal in the third period against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Mar. 29, 2025. Auston Matthews of the United States takes questions during media day ahead of the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Centre on Feb. 11, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) passes the puck defended by Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) during the first period at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Oct. 18, 2025. Auston Matthews of Team USA prepares to play against Team Finland in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at Bell Centre on Feb. 13, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Auston Matthews #34 of Team USA plays against Team Canada during the first period in the 4 Nations Face-Off game at the Bell Centre on Feb. 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) celebrates his 400th career NHL goal on an empty net with left wing Scott Laughton (24) during the third period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on April 15, 2025. Auston Matthews of Team USA takes the faceoff during the third period against Team Canada in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Centre on February 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Team USA defeated Team Canada 3-1. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews skates during the warmup before a game against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Oct 8, 2025. Auston Matthews #34 of Team United States celebrates Jake Sanderson #85 of Team United States goal against Jordan Binnington #50 of Team Canada during the second period in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game at TD Garden on Feb. 20, 2025 in Boston, Mass. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) gets congratulated after scoring against the Colorado Avalanche on an assist by Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) during the second period at Scotiabank Arena on March 19, 2025. Auston Matthews #34 of Team USA is stopped by Jordan Binnington #50 of Team Canada at the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game at TD Garden on Feb. 20, 2025 in Boston, Mass. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews takes a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC on April 13, 2025. Brady Tkachuk and Auston Matthews of Team USA react following a loss to Team Canada in overtime in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game at TD Garden on Feb. 20, 2025 in Boston, Mass. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) walks along the tunnel to access the ice before playing the Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Oct. 14, 2025 Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews goes to shoot the puck against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Oct. 28, 2025. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews reacts after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Nov. 1, 2025. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) in action against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Nov. 1, 2025.

NHL player Auston Matthews heads to the Winter Games looking for gold

Red-eyed, white and blue :Exclusive: US men's hockey GM Bill Guerin talks 2026 Olympics roster

Bill Guerin, the USA men's team general manager, had a number of choices.

There are several players on the roster who serve as captains of their respective NHL clubs, including Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), J.T. Miller (New York Rangers), Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth) and Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings).

There's also Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild), who was captain of his former club, theVancouver Canucks.

Auston Matthews of Team USA takes the faceoff during the third period against Team Canada in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Centre on February 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Team USA defeated Team Canada 3-1.

Matthew Tkachuk does not captain the Florida Panthers, but he had led them to two consecutive Stanley Cup titles.

Matthews, 28, is an enormously skilled player. He twice has reached 60 goals in a season and fell one goal shy of 70 in 2023-24.

What he does not have is a record of leadership in the playoffs when games are on the line. In career Game 7s - and once out of the preliminary group stage, every Olympic game is an elimination game - Matthews has not scored a goal in six showdowns, producing just three assists and a minus-4 rating.

Boston Bruinsdefenseman Charlie McAvoy and Matthew Tkachuk were named alternate captains.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Auston Matthews named Team USA captain for 2026 Olympics

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