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Friday, February 20, 2026

Texas man was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent last year during a stop, new records show

Green Magazine February 20, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly released records show a U.S. citizen was shot and killed in Texas by a federal immigration agent last year during a late-night traffic encounter that was not publicly disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security.

This undated photo provided by Rachel Reyes on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, shows Ruben Ray Martinez, a U.S. citizen who was shot and killed in Texas by a federal immigration agent last year. (Rachel Reyes via AP)

Immigrations Enforcement Texas Fatal Shooting

The death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, would mark the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since the start of anationwide immigration crackdownin President Donald Trump's second term. On Friday, DHS said the shooting on South Padre Island last March occurred after the driver intentionally struck an agent.

The shooting involved a Homeland Security Investigations team that was conducting an immigration enforcement operation in conjunction with local police, according to documents obtained by American Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group based in Washington.

The records are part of a tranche of heavily redacted internal documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that the nonprofit obtained as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

Though Martinez's death on March 15, 2025, was reported by local media outlets at the time, federal and state authorities did not disclose that the shooting involved the team from HSI. In a statement Friday, DHS said the driver who was killed "intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent," resulting in another agent firing "defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public."

The department did not respond to questions about why it had made no media release or other public notification of the officer-involved shooting over the last 11 months.

Martinez's mother, Rachel Reyes, said her son was just days past his 23rd birthday when he and his best friend drove from San Antonio down to the beach for the weekend to celebrate. South Padre Island, located on the Gulf Coast just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, is a renowned spring break destination that attracts tens of thousands of college-aged partiers each March.

Martinez worked at an Amazon warehouse, liked to play video games and hang out with friends. His mother said he had never had any prior run-ins with law enforcement.

"He was a typical young guy," Reyes told The Associated Press. "He never really got a chance to go out and experience things. It was his first time getting to go out of town. He was a nice guy, humble guy. And he wasn't a violent person at all."

Records show federal agents were assisting police

According to an internal two-page ICE incident report included in the newly disclosed documents, shortly after midnight, HSI officers were assisting South Padre Island police by redirecting traffic through a busy intersection after a vehicle accident with several injuries.

A blue, four-door Ford with a driver and passenger approached the officers, who ordered the driver to stop. The report does not say why. Initially, the driver didn't respond to commands but did eventually come to a stop, according to the report.

Agents then surrounded the vehicle, telling those inside to get out, but the driver "accelerated forward" and struck an HSI special agent "who wound up on the hood of the vehicle," the report said. An HSI supervisory special agent standing by the side of the car then fired his weapon multiple times through the open driver's side window, and the vehicle stopped.

Paramedics already on the scene of the accident quickly provided medical aid and the driver was taken by ambulance to a regional hospital in Brownsville, where he was pronounced dead, according to the report. The passenger, also a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody.

The HSI officer who the report says was struck by the vehicle was treated for an unspecified knee injury at a nearby hospital and released.

The names of the two HSI agents involved in the shooting and the names of the two men in the car were all redacted from the ICE report, but Reyes confirmed the dead driver was her son. She said he was shot three times.

State investigation into shooting is still 'active'

The report says the Texas Rangers responded to the shooting scene and took the lead as the primary agency investigating the shooting.

Reyes said she first learned her son had been shot by a federal agent, rather than a local police officer, about a week after he was killed. She was contacted by an investigator from the Rangers who she said told her there were videos of the shooting that contradicted the account provided by federal agents. DHS did not immediately respond to an email Friday about the claim that there is video showing a different account.

She said she was told by the investigator that the state report into the shooting was completed in October and that the case would be presented to a grand jury for potential criminal charges.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, which includes the Rangers, said in a statement Friday that the investigation into the shooting is still "active" and declined to offer more information.

Messages left with the office of Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz, an elected Democrat whose jurisdiction includes South Padre Island, received no response Friday. South Padre Island Police Chief Claudine O'Carroll also did not respond to requests for comment.

Attorneys for the family said Friday they have spent the past year pursuing accountability and transparency.

"It is critical that there is a full and fair investigation into why HSI was present at the scene of a traffic collision and why a federal officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen as he was trying to comply with instructions from the local law enforcement officers directing traffic," attorneys Charles M. Stam and Alex Stamm said in a statement.

Agents involved were part of a border task force

According to the ICE report, the HSI agents involved in the shooting were part of a maritime border enforcement security task force typically focused on combating transnational criminal organizations at seaports. Over the last year, however, officers from across multiple federal agencies have been reassigned to prioritize immigration enforcement.

In January,Renee Good,a 37-year-old mother in Minneapolis, was killed in the driver's seat of her SUV by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. Trump administration officials initially attempted to paint Good as a "domestic terrorist" who tried to ram officers with her vehicle beforemultiple videos emerged of the incidentthat cast doubt on the government's narrative.

As in the Good case, experts in police training and tactics questioned why a federal officer apparentlypositioned himself in front of Martinez's vehicle.

"You don't stand in front of the car, you don't put yourself in harm's way," said Geoffrey Alpert, a police use-of-force expert at the University of South Carolina. He added that there's never a scenario where it's justified, "because you don't know whether this person is going to flee, and if he flees, you could be dead."

Alpert said investigators will likely review any available body camera video or other footage to examine how swiftly Martinez moved the car forward, if he merely took his foot off the break or pressed down hard on the accelerator.

Martinez's mother said she didn't believe he would ever intentionally assault a law enforcement officer.

"They didn't give him a chance," Reyes said. "It's so excessive. They could have done anything else besides that. It's like they shoot first and ask questions later."

Bedayn reported from Denver.

Oregon Officials Declare Measles Outbreak, Say Known Cases Are ‘Just a Fraction of the True Number’ of Those Sickened

Green Magazine February 20, 2026

The state of Oregon has declared an outbreak of measles, as wastewater surveillance confirms the presence of the virus

NEED TO KNOW

There are five confirmed cases, and "these cases likely represent just a fraction of the true number of measles cases," a health official said
The U.S. is seeing an ongoing spike in measles infections

The state of Oregon has declared ameaslesoutbreak, as the five confirmed cases are likely "a fraction" of the overall infections.

"Measles is here in Oregon and spreading in the United States," Howard Chiou, M.D., Ph.D., medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Division, said in aFeb. 19 statement, "and vaccination remains the best way for people to protect themselves. We encourage everyone to talk with a healthcare provider to ensure they and their families are fully protected."

Stock image of the Oregon state sign. Getty

The state has launched awastewater surveillance tool, which, at press time, showed low levels of the virus in some counties. As Chiou said, "It's really important to remember that these cases likely represent just a fraction of the true number of measles cases," perOregonLive.

Four of the five people sickened with measles were unvaccinated, theOHA says, and the vaccination status of the fifth person is unknown.

This is the seventh measles outbreak in 2026, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.As of Feb. 19, there have been 982 confirmed cases of the wildly contagious virus in the U.S. This includes a massive outbreak inSouth Carolina, which largely sickened children and left at least19 hospitalized.

Cases in the U.S. have spiked year over year. Last year, there were 2,281 confirmed cases of measles, with illnesses reported in 45 states. In 2024, there were 285 cases — a third of the cases the U.S. has seen just two months into this year.

Measles is extremely infectious. As Oregon health officials point out, the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours. Nine out of ten people exposed are likely to get sick if they aren't protected from the virus.

TheCDCsays, "Two doses of the MMR vaccine are recommended by doctors as the best way to protect against measles, mumps and rubella."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

It's a two-shot series: The first dose is administered between 12 and 15 months of age and the second shot comes between 4 and 6 years.

Some adults may not remember getting the shots — or if they were born before 1957, traditional guidelines considered them immune. Measles was so widespread before the vaccine's introduction in 1963 that medical professionals assumed most people were exposed to it, resulting in some immunity.

The virus isn't "just a little rash," theCDCsays. Measles can also cause a high fever, cough, pneumonia, swelling of the brain (encephalitis) and death. The agency says one in five people with measles will be hospitalized, and one in 20 children will develop pneumonia, which it says is "the most common cause of death from measles in young children."

Read the original article onPeople

Epstein estate reaches settlement of up to $35 million with survivors

Green Magazine February 20, 2026

The estate ofJeffrey Epsteinagreed on Thursday to pay up to $35 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by survivors of the late convicted sex offender.

Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2004. - Rick Friedman/Corbis/Getty Images

The complaint, which was first filed in 2024, alleges that Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, co-executors of Epstein's estate, "facilitated" Epstein's "sex trafficking and abuse" and "were also integral in allowing Epstein to escape justice for years by concealing his litany of crimes."

Indyke and Kahn denied the allegations in Thursday's filing, adding that they were not involved in "the Epstein sex trafficking venture in any way" and that they do not believe "any Class Member has suffered any harm, injury, or damages as a result of their conduct." The settlement would resolve all claims against the two defendants and the estate. A judge must now sign off on the agreement.

It comes amid the fallout from the Justice Department's release of millions of pages of files related to Epstein in document dumps over the course of the last year. The files include numerousprominent names, and revelations have promptedseveral executives to step down.

The parties agreed on a settlement of up to $35 million, according to a court filing Thursday. The final figure depends on the number of survivors that signed onto the class-action lawsuit, and it could be as low as $25 million if there are less than 40 "Eligible Class Members."

An attorney for Indyke and Kahn stressed that they are not admitting to any wrongdoing by agreeing to the settlement.

"Neither of the co-executors has made any admission or concession of misconduct," lawyer Daniel Weiner said in a statement to CNN. "Because they did nothing wrong, the co-executors were prepared to fight the claims against them through to trial, but agreed to mediate and settle this lawsuit in order to achieve finality as to any potential claims against the Epstein Estate."

CNN has reached out to lawyers representing the survivors.

Several survivors have already received compensation since Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial.

In November 2019, attorneys for Epstein's estate executors filed a request to pursue a survivor compensation fund to avoid litigation and the program started in June 2020. By early 2021,payouts were pausedbecause the estate was low on cash. Before the pause, over 150 claims were filed and the program paid out over $50 million to eligible claimants.

Survivors have also reached settlements with two banks where Epstein was a client:JP Morgan Chase, which agreed to pay $290 million to settle a class-action lawsuit, andDeutsche Bank, which reached a $75 million settlement.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN's Lauren del Valle and Chris Isidore contributed to this report.

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Project Runway Star Tim Gunn Gets Honest About Not Being Asked Back

Green Magazine February 20, 2026

Project Runwayis returning without one beloved mentor. Fashion mavenTim Gunnwill notreturn for Season 22, which is slated to premiere later this year. Instead, Season 4 winnerChristian Sirianowill serve as the mentor for the designers. Tim Gunn recently opened up about his exit from the runway in an episode ofChelsea Handler'spodcast, Dear Chelsea. He revealed he was not asked back for Season 22, calling the news "devastating." Here's what you need to know.

Tim Gunn has "no complaints" despite not returning to Project Runway

Fans were surprised when news brokethat Project Runwaywas returning without Tim. His name and the show have become synonymous, which may explain the uproar from fans after hearing word of his departure. He spoke candidly about the end of his Project Runway career in his conversation with Chelsea.

"I wasn't invited to return to the party," he shared. "My agent called the producers to say, 'We understandHeidi [Klum]signed up. We haven't heard a thing about Tim,' and they said, 'We don't want him.'"

Tim said the news initially devastated him, but he now looks back on the show with gratitude.

"I feel extremely lucky to have had 19 seasons of the show, 16 with Heidi, and I have a beautiful Emmy sitting on my kitchen counter," he said. "Yeah, so no complaints. I feel very, very, very lucky."

Producers offered Tim a cameo on the upcoming season, but he declined.

"What do I do? Wave from a bus? As the designers are going into Mood [Fabrics]? Heidi comes to see me at the retirement home, and we play croquet?" he joked. "No, thank you. And as Heidi would say, you're either in or you're out. And I'm out."

Project Runwayis streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

TELL US – DO YOU WANT TIM BACK ON PROJECT RUNWAY?

The postProject Runway Star Tim Gunn Gets Honest About Not Being Asked Backappeared first onReality Tea.

Can King Charles III pardon his brother Andrew? Why it's unlikely.

Green Magazine February 20, 2026

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 19, his 66th birthday, for suspicion of misconduct in public life. Hours later, he was released from police custody.

The former prince allegedly leaked confidential information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to previousUSA TODAY reporting. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing.

King Charles III is the older brother of Mountbatten-Windsor and in response to the arrest, issued a statement via Buckingham Palace signaling support for a "full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities."

"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," the king added. "As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all."

Still, some might wonder if the king could pardon his brother, former Prince Andrew. The short answer: it's very unlikely. Here's what to know.

Live updates:Former Prince Andrew seen in first photo since release after arrest

Police officers, unmarked vehicles and media were seen at residences linked to disgraced former royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Feb. 19, 2026. Windsor was reportedly arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on the Sandringham estate. In a statement, Thames Valley police said they were also "carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk" as part of the investigation. See the scene outside various residences, beginning here near the entrance to Wood Farm in Sandringham, Norfolk.