Undercover investigation of Meta heads to trial in New Mexico in first stand-alone case by state

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits againstMetais getting underway in New Mexico, with jury selection starting Monday.

Meta New Mexico Lawsuit

New Mexico's case is built on a state undercover investigation using proxy social media accounts and posing as kids to document sexual solicitations and the response from Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It could give states a new legal pathway to go after social media companies overhow their platforms affect children, by using consumer protection and nuisance laws.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed suit in 2023, accusing Meta of creating a marketplace and "breeding ground" for predators who target children for sexual exploitation and failing to disclose what it knew about those harmful effects.

"So many regulators are keyed up looking for any evidence of a legal theory that would punish social media that a victory in that case could have ripple effects throughout the country, and the globe," said Eric Goldman, codirector of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law in California. "Whatever the jury says will be of substantial interest."

The trial, with opening statements scheduled for Feb. 9, could last nearly two months.

Meta denies the civil charges and says prosecutors are taking a "sensationalist" approach. CEOMark Zuckerbergwas dropped as a defendant in the case, but he has been deposed and documents in the case carry his name.

In California, opening arguments are scheduled this week for a personal injury case in Los Angeles County Superior Court that could determine how thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out.

The allegations against Meta in New Mexico

Prosecutors say New Mexico is not seeking to hold Meta accountable for content on its platforms, but rather its role in pushing out that content through complex algorithms that proliferate material that can be addictive and harmful to children.

The approach could sidestep immunity provisions for social media platforms under a First Amendment shield andSection 230, a 30-year-old provision of the U.S. Communications Decency Act that has protected tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms.

An undercover investigation by the state created several decoy accounts for minors 14 and younger, documented the arrival of online sexual solicitations and monitored Meta's responses when the behavior was brought to the company's attention. The state says Meta's responses placed profits ahead of children's safety.

Torrez, a first-term Democrat elected in 2022, has urged Meta to implement more effective age verification and remove bad actors from its platform. He's also seeking changes to algorithms that can serve up harmful material and criticizing end-to-end privacy encryption that can prevent the monitoring of communications with children for safety.

Separately, Torrez brought felony criminal charges of child solicitation by electronic devices against three men in 2024, also using decoy social media accounts to build that case.

How Meta has responded

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Meta denies the civil charges while accusing the attorney general of cherry-picking select documents and making "sensationalist, irrelevant and distracting arguments."

In a statement, Meta said ongoing lawsuits nationwide are attempting to place the blame for teen mental health struggles on social media companies in a way that oversimplifies matters. It points to the steady addition of account settings and tools — including safety features that give teens more information about the person they're chatting with and content restrictions based on PG-13 movie ratings.

Goldman says the company is bringing enormous resources to bear in courtrooms this year, including New Mexico.

"If they lose this," he said, "it becomes another beachhead that might erode their basic business."

Many other lawsuits are underway

More than40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuitsagainst Meta, claiming it is harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms. The majority filed their lawsuits in federal court.

The bellwether trial underway in California against social video companies, including Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube, focuses on a 19-year-old who claims her use of social media from an early age addicted her to technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. settled claims in the case that affects thousands of consolidated plaintiffs.

A federal trial starting in June in Oakland, California, will be the first to represent school districts that have sued social media platforms over harms to children.

In New Mexico, prosecutors also sued Snap Inc. over accusations its platform facilitates child sexual exploitation. Snap says its platform has built-in safety guardrails and "deliberate design choices to make it difficult for strangers to discover minors." A trial date has not been set.

The jury weighs guilt, but a judge has final say on any sanctions

A jury assembled from residents of Santa Fe County, including the politically progressive state capital city, will weigh whether Meta engaged in unfair business practices and to what extent.

But a judge will have final say later on any possible civil penalties and other remedies, and decide the public nuisance charge against Meta.

The state's Unfair Practices Act allows penalties of $5,000 per violation, but it's not yet clear how violations would be tallied.

"The reason the damage potential is so great here is because of how Facebook works," said Mollie McGraw, a Las Cruces-based plaintiff's attorney. "Meta keeps track of everyone who sees a post. … The damages here could be significant."

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January 31, 2026

Undercover investigation of Meta heads to trial in New Mexico in first stand-alone case by state

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits againstMetais getting u...

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Iran says it now considers EU militaries to be terrorist groups

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The speaker of Iran's parliament said Sunday that the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist groups, lashing out after the bloc declaredthe country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard a terror groupover itsbloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

The announcement byMohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Guard commander, of the terror designation will likely be mostly symbolic. Iran has used a 2019 law to reciprocally declare other nations' militaries terror groups following the United States declaring the Guard a terror group that year.

However, it comes as tensions are high in the Mideast asU.S. President Donald Trump weighs a possible military strikeagainst Iran. The Islamic Republic also planned a live fire military drill for Sunday and Monday inthe strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes.

Qalibaf made the announcement as he and others in parliament wore Guard uniforms in support of the force. The Guard, which also controls Iran's ballistic missile arsenal and has vast economic interests in Iran, answers only to Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"By seeking to strike at the (Guard), which itself has been the greatest barrier to the spread of terrorism to Europe, Europeans have in fact shot themselves in the foot and, once again through blind obedience to the Americans, decided against the interests of their own people," Qalibaf said.

Lawmakers at the session later chanted: "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" at the session.

Trump has laid out two red lines for military action: the killing of peaceful protesters or the possible mass execution of those detained in a major crackdown over the demonstrations. He's increasingly begun discussing Iran's nuclear program as well, which the U.S. negotiated over with Tehran in multiple sessions beforeIsrael launched a 12-day war with Iranback in June.

The U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear sitesduring the war. Activity at two of the sites suggestIran may be trying to obscure the view of satellitesas it tries to salvage what remains there.

Trump on Saturday night declined to say whether he'd made a decision on what he wanted to do regarding Iran.

Speaking to reporters as he flew to Florida, Trump sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would be emboldened if the U.S. backed away from launching strikes on Iran, saying, "Some people think that. Some people don't."

Trump said Iran should negotiate a "satisfactory" deal to prevent the Middle Eastern country from getting any nuclear weapons but said, "I don't know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us."

Ali Larijani, a top security official in Iran, wrote on X late Saturday that "structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing." However, there is no public sign of any direct talks with the United States, something Khamenei has repeatedly ruled out.

Associated Press writer Will Weissert aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.

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Iran says it now considers EU militaries to be terrorist groups

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Millions of Delhi residents lost water for days. Some say it’s still toxic

Ravinder Kumar wades through ankle-deep sludge every day to leave his home in Sharma Enclave in northwest Delhi – yet inside the brick tenement, he does not have a drop to drink.

Surrounded by filth, the 55-year-old twists his plastic taps regularly, hoping for relief.

"Water comes once every three days, and even then, you only get clean water for an hour," the father of three told CNN on Monday.

"It's difficult to bathe. The water is black at times. We wash once every four or five days."

Kumar is one of millions of residents in the Indian capital suffering sporadic water shortages due to rising ammonia levels in the Yamuna River that last week forced six of the city's nine major water plants to shut down.

Water from the Yamuna – considered sacred and worshipped by millions – has become so polluted by ammonia from industrial waste that water plants have been unable to treat it.

In this city of 20 million people, the Delhi Water Board said last Thursday that 43 neighborhoods – home to about two million people – had been affected by water shortages.

CNN reached out to resident welfare associations in all 43 neighborhoods on Tuesday, and of those, 10 – representing more than 600,000 people – told CNN they'd received no water for days.

Others said it was turned off for no more than a day, and some said the water was still available but at a reduced level.

The board told CNN supplies were restored two days later – on January 24. However, earlier this week, some residents told CNN they still didn't have a reliable supply.

When CNN visited Sharma Enclave on Friday, some residents were using water they'd stored when taps flowed for a short time on Thursday. The water was yellow and smelled like rotting eggs. They told CNN they didn't expect any new supplies until Sunday as water is brought every three days.

"Everyone's health is deteriorating," said Shashi Bala, who lives in the neighborhood. "Everything is dirty here."

CNN has contacted the Delhi chief minister's office and the Haryana state government for comment regarding the high pollution levels in the Yamuna River and the consequent water shortage, but received no response.

The Yamuna River flows south from a glacier in the Himalayas for 855 miles (1,376 kilometers) through several Indian states.

Delhi was designed around its banks in the 17th century, when the river fed the canals that cooled royal palaces.

Today, the Yamuna serves as the backbone of Delhi's water infrastructure, providing roughly 40% of the capital's supply. But for decades, sections of it have been plagued by the dumping of toxic chemicals and untreated sewage.

Though only 2% of the river's length flows through the capital, Delhi contributes about 76% of its total pollution,according to a government monitoring committee.

Dissolved oxygen levels frequently plummet to zero, transforming the historic waterway into a septic drain that suffocates aquatic life.

The most visible sign of this decay is the toxic white foam that now coats the surface, a thick layer of sewage and industrial waste that has formed over sections of the river.

Activists descended on the riverbanks last Sunday for a clean-up. For hours, they pulled discarded clothes, plastic waste, and submerged religious idols from the river's murky depths.

The pungent fumes from the foam engulfed the air as activists waded through the toxic water. At one point, they attempted to stop an individual from immersing an idol into the banks and polluting it further.

"Delhi became a city because the Yamuna flowed," said one volunteer Pankaj Kumar, no relation to Ravinder Kumar, who said he knows that removing the debris won't rid the river of its worst ailment – industrial toxins.

"We have finished this river," Kumar said.

Delhi's water crisis is compounded by its chaotic growth.

Unplanned urbanization has left millions living in unauthorized colonies off the grid, lacking essential pipelines or drainage, while the absence of sewage management allows waste to seep into the soil, also poisoning the city's groundwater reserves,according toa 2022 study of heavy metal pollution in Delhi's groundwater.

Mismanagement at a construction site near Ravinder Kumar's home, combined with garbage-choked drains, has inundated Sharma Colony, a low-income neighborhood, leaving its narrow alleys flowing with stagnant wastewater.

Bala's home was flooded with dirty water for six months as a result, making her family sick. The 70-year-old grandmother used to wade through the filth to leave her home, but she said she was forced to stop after spraining her ankle on the debris hidden in the muddy water.

"One of my sons is disabled," she said. "His leg doesn't work. We're all just stressed."

To add to her worry, the taps in her small home were dry for three days straight.

When the water returned last Monday, it was dirty, but she said she had no choice but to use it for washing – clothes had been piled up for a week – even though it irritates her skin.

Bala can't go out to buy clean water, because the bottles are too heavy to carry home. Her son can't either due to his disability.

"My neighbors have helped a lot. If it wasn't for them, we would have had no water to drink," she said.

Of the dirty water, the Delhi Water Board told CNN Friday that less than 1% of areas in Delhi reported "temporary water quality issues, mainly due to illegal booster pumps and unauthorized connections that disturb pipeline pressure," and that it was working to restore normal supply in those areas.

Delhi's water supply has long been an issue, and in 1993 the government of the day launched the Yamuna Action Plan, a clean-up strategy intended to overhaul the city's sewage treatment. But millions of rupees and more than three decades later, experts say the river remains a toxic drain.

Battling chronic shortages, the Delhi government said last week that it aims to almost double its sewage treatment capacity to 1,500 million gallons per day and install sewage networks inall of the city's unauthorized coloniesby 2028.

In the West Delhi neighborhood of Raghubir Nagar, resident Raja Kamat said the water was off for five days straight. And when it did arrive last Friday, the water was black and seemed toxic. It's still only available for about 30 minutes each day, she said.

Kamat can barely afford to buy drinking water either. She survives on a monthly government pension of about $13 a month, and with a single 5-liter bottle of water costing 30 cents, she is forced to ration every drop.

Her neighbor, Bhagwanti, said the "system is deteriorating" in front of them.

"There is so much smelly black water coming in," the 70-year-old resident who goes by one name, said, adding she has no choice but to drink it.

"There's no facility for cleaning. There's no facility for water. They don't care if you live or die."

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Ohio State hires Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator Saturday, the second straight year coach Ryan Day has turned to a coordinator with extensive NFL experience.

Smith was the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator the past two seasons after being the Atlanta Falcons head coach from 2021 through '23.

"He will bring immediate value to our program and was exactly what we were looking for as we set out to find our next offensive coordinator," Day said in a statement. "His track record in the NFL, experience as coordinator, player caller and a head coach checked every box during the search. He'll do a great job in helping our players reach their potential on the field while also connecting with them as people."

Smith replaces Brian Hartline, who was hired as South Florida's head coach after eight seasons in Columbus.

The 43-year old Smith has not been on a college staff since he was a defensive intern at Ole Miss in 2010.

Smith also interviewed for the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans head coach openings as well as the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator position. He was on the Titans staff from 2011 through '20. rising from a quality control coach to offensive coordinator his last two years. He began his NFL coaching career as a quality control coach in Washington in 2007.

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He is the only offensive coordinator/head coach in the NFL to have seven different running backs with at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage in that past seven years — Derrick Henry at Tennessee, Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson at Atlanta, and Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell with the Steelers.

Smith has also coached quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill, Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariotta, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers.

Day is hoping Smith's hire goes as well as his selection of Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator last year. The Buckeyes had the nation's top-ranked defense and allowed only 8.2 points per game.

Ohio State was 18th in the nation in scoring offense and 24th in total offense in 2025. Heisman finalist Julian Sayin will be returning at quarterback as as dynamic wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, an AP All-America selection the past two years.

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

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Ohio State hires Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator Saturday, the second straight year coach Ry...

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Seahawks' Klint Kubiak in 2nd round of head coach interviews with Raiders and Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak interviewed Saturday for the Las Vegas Raiders' head coaching job and was also scheduled, according to multiple reports, to meet with Arizona Cardinals officials about their vacancy.

This was the second round of interviews with Kubiak for both teams — the last two NFL clubs still searching for head coaches.

If Kubiak reaches an agreement with either team, no announcement can be made until after theSuper Bowlon Feb. 8 between the Seahawks and New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California.

Kubiak also could decide to stay in Seattle and wait another year rather than take on a challenge of turning around a franchise — either one — that since 2022 represent two of the three worst in terms of losses.

The Raiders haven't won a playoff game since their last Super Bowl appearance in the 2002 season. They have made the postseason just twice since, most recently in the 2021 season. The Raiders went 3-14 this season, resulting in thefiring of Pete Carroll.

Las Vegas has been a revolving door of coaches, and the Raiders will begin next season with a different person in charge for the third year in a row.

But the Raiders also have the top pick in this year's NFL draft and are expected to take quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman Trophy winnerled Indiana to the national championshipand could be the franchise QB the organization has long sought.

Management will have nearly $90 million in salary cap space to surround Mendoza with potential talent, the second-highest amount in the league, according to overthecap.com.

Both teams have taken their time to fill this position, though the Raiders seemed to have focused recently on Kubiak. That became even more clear this week when Denver quarterbacks coach Davis Webb reportedly pulled his name from consideration.

Team minority owner Tom Brady was notably complimentary of the 38-year-old Kubiak while serving as the Fox Sports analyst during theNFC championshipon Sunday between the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams NFC championship. Sam Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-27 victory.

Arizona's stealthy, meandering search is nearing four weeks. Jonathan Gannonwas fired on Jan. 5 after a 15-36 recordover three years, including a 3-14 mark this season.

The Cardinals haven't officially announced any interviews, but have been linked to discussions with several candidates, including Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and former Panthers and Commanders coach Ron Rivera.

Campanile appears to be out of the running after signing a new deal with the Jaguars. Joseph was the Cardinals' defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022.

Arizona hasn't made the playoffs since 2021 and has the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft. The Cardinals' roster could be in a state of flux — particularly at quarterback. Kyler Murray is in the middle of a $230.5 million deal that could keep him in the desert through 2028, but the 28-year-old missed most of last season with a foot injury and it's unclear whether the franchise wants to stick with him after seven seasons.

It was Kubiak's work with Darnold that got the attention of both Southwest-based teams. Darnold, taken third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL draft, had been considered a bust until leading Minnesota to a 14-win season in 2024. But the Vikings moved on from Darnold, and he proved that season was no fluke by winning 14 games in Seattle en routeto leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowlagainst New England.

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Seahawks' Klint Kubiak in 2nd round of head coach interviews with Raiders and Cardinals

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Jordon Hudson Planning ‘Huge Bash’ for Boyfriend Bill Belichick on ‘Same Day' as Football Hall of Fame Ceremony (Exclusive)

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NEED TO KNOW

• Jordon Hudson is planning a "huge bash" for boyfriend Bill Belichick on the same day as the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a source tells PEOPLE exclusively

• The eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach didn't reach the final round of voting to be inducted this year

• Tom Brady, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcels, as well as "many of the outspoken supporters," are invited to the summertime party to celebrate Belichick, according to the insider

Jordon Hudsonis planning a "huge bash" for boyfriendBill Belichick, after the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach was snubbed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As A-listers from all over the sports world — includingTom Brady,LeBron James,Deion SandersandPatrick Mahomes— said they're baffled after Belichick, 73, was not voted as a first ballot Hall-of-Famer, a source tells PEOPLE exclusively that Hudson, 24, is planning to celebrate the former New England Patriots coach with a party on the same day as the HOF ceremony on Aug 8.

"Jordon is planning to throw Bill a huge bash on the same day as the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony," the insider says.

"Tom Brady, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcels and others who were planning on attending Bill's HOF induction ceremony in Canton are invited," the source continues, referring to some big names in the NFL world.

Other invitees, the source adds, include "many of the outspoken supporters from the wake of Belichick's HOF snub."

Jared C. Tilton/Getty

According to the source, the planned party lines up with the HOF ceremony this summer, because those invited "were already planning to travel to support Bill."

"The purpose of the bash is to celebrate alongside all of his people," the insider adds.

This year's official HOF inductees — which may include Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 49ers running back Roger Craig and Bengals quarterback Kenny Anderson — will be revealed next week.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

When Belichick was first announced as a Hall of Fame finalist in December, he set aside his feud with Kraft, 84, who wasdenied nominations for the honor more than a dozen timesafter he was involved in scandals like"Deflategate"andaccused of soliciting sex workersat a spa in Florida. (Those charges were later dropped.)

After it was revealed that Belichick, who has dealt with heavy public interest surrounding his relationship with Hudson, was not voted into the Hall of Fame when first eligible, sports stars from all leagues expressed their confusion.

Belichick's longtime quarterback Brady, 48, said, perESPN, "I don't understand it. I mean, I was with him every day. If he's not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there's really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it."

The retire athlete added, "There's no coach I'd rather play for. If I'm picking one coach to go out there to win a Super Bowl — give me one season — I'm taking Bill Belichick. So that's enough said."

Chiefs quarterback Mahomes, 30, said in a poston X, "Insane… don't even understand how this could be possible," while football coach Sanders, 58, called the snub "straight out IGNORANT," writingon Xthat Belichick is "arguably the BEST NFL COACH TO EVER COACH THE GAME!"

NBA star James, 41,saidin his own social media post, "Man there's no way I read that right! Right? Ain't no WAY Bill Belichick ain't 1st Ballot HOF!! That's IMPOSSIBLE, EGREGIOUS, and quite frankly DISRESPECTFUL!"

J.J. Watt also expressed his shock on X. "I can't be reading this right. This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can't be the actual NFL Hall of Fame, There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer," hewrote.

ESPNandUSA Todayreported earlier this month that Belichick didn't reach the final round of voting, securing only 40 of the 50 votes needed for induction. Inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame (also referred to as the NFL Hall of Fame) are selected by a committee of up to 50 people.

The official list of who did and didn't write Belichick's name down hasn't been released. The official list of 2026 inductees will not be announced until theNFL Honorson Feb. 5.

Belichick will not be able to be reconsidered for the HOF spot until 2027.

Read the original article onPeople

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Jordon Hudson Planning ‘Huge Bash’ for Boyfriend Bill Belichick on ‘Same Day' as Football Hall of Fame Ceremony (Exclusive)

Kevin Mazur/Getty NEED TO KNOW Jordon Hudson is planning a "huge bash" for boyfriend Bill Belichick on the same day as the Pro...

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February 2026 calendar: Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, more

February is only 28 days long, but it's jammed with holidays, events, and more.

From Groundhog Day to Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine's Day to Presidents Day, the shortest month of the year is filled with different holidays and celebrations. February is also Black History Month.

The Winter Olympics are also scheduled to begin in February.

Despite how busy it is, there's only one holiday in the month that actually gives people the day off (unless your boss is really cool or super into groundhogs). Fortunately, Valentine's Day falls on the long weekend, giving lovebirds a chance to recover from their V-Day plans.

Here's what you need to know about the shortest month of the year.

February's federal holidays

There's only one federal holiday in February, according to theOffice of Personnel Management(OPM):

• Presidents Day/ George Washington's Birthday- Monday, Feb. 16.

There won't be another federal holiday until Memorial Day, which falls on Monday, May 25.

More news:Here's why people are celebrating the 'perfect February' calendar

Will banks be closed on Presidents Day?

Presidents Day is a bank holiday, so some organizations will likely be closed.

The United States Postal Service, schools, and most banks, like Wells Fargo, Citibank, Bank of America, Truist, and others, will also be closed on Feb. 16.

Other special dates in February 2026

Unfortunately, the only extra day off in February is Presidents Day, but here are a few more significant dates:

• National Freedom Day- Sunday, Feb. 1

• Imbolc- Sunday, Feb. 1

• Groundhog Day- Monday, Feb. 2

• Super Bowl Sunday- Sunday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m.

• Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)- Tuesday, Feb. 17

• Ash Wednesday- Wednesday, Feb. 18

• Valentine's Day- Saturday, Feb. 14

Celestial events taking place in February 2026

The followingcelestial eventswill take place in February:

• Snow Moon (February's full moon)- Sunday, Feb. 1

• New moon- Tuesday, Feb. 17

• Planetary parade- Saturday, Feb. 28

During the planetary parade at the end of the month, backyard astronomers will be able to see Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter, according toNASA. However, only four of the planets are visible with the naked eye. Those who would like to see Uranus and Neptune will need optical assistance. Mercury can also be hard to spot sometimes.

When is National Freedom Day? When is Black History Month?

National Freedom Daykicks off Black History Month on Sunday, Feb. 1.

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The day commemorates the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln signing the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Feb. 1, 1865, according to theCalifornia African American Museum.

The amendment abolished "slavery across the United States and in every territory under its control, except as a criminal punishment," theRonald Reagan Presidential Library and Museumstated on its website.

Although it isn't a federal holiday, the president of the United States can issue a proclamation each year designating the day as National Freedom Day, according to theUnited States House of Representatives.

Black History Month takes place throughout February. This year marks the 100th year of national commemorations of Black history.

When are the Winter Olympics?

In 2026, the first day of the Winter Olympics will fall on Friday, Feb. 6, the weekend before superbowl. The opening ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Italy is hosting the games in 2026, and it will take place across the northeastern part of the country.

When is Super Bowl Sunday?

The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will face each other during the big game on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET.

When is Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day is on Saturday, February 14.

The best part is that it falls on a Saturday during a long weekend, so make sure to have any dinner reservations, hotel bookings, or flower deliveries squared away before then.

When is Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras season, or Carnival season, kicked off on Jan. 6. Actual Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday", is on Feb. 17 this year.

The day after Mardi Gras, a Christian holiday, is Ash Wednesday, which starts Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and fasting before Easter Sunday.

February 2026 National Days

There are also some notable National Days in February. They include:

• National Tater Tot Day (Feb. 2)

• National Pizza Day (Feb. 9)

• Galentine's Day (Feb. 13)

• Singles Awareness Day (Feb. 15)

• Random Acts of Kindness (Feb. 17)

• National Love Your Pet Day (Feb. 20)

• National Margarita Day (Feb. 22)

Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andTikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:February 2026 calendar includes Groundhog Day, Presidents Day, more

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February 2026 calendar: Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, more

February is only 28 days long, but it's jammed with holidays, events, and more. From Groundhog Day to Sup...

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