Britney Spears sells her music catalog for undisclosed amount

Britney Spearshas sold her music catalog, though the details of the sale are unclear.

USA TODAY has learned that Spears, 44, sold her catalog to music publisherPrimary Wave.

Citing legal documents dated December,TMZwas first to report on Tuesday, Feb. 10, that the pop star sold her ownership stake in her catalog, which includes hits such as "Toxic" and "Baby One More Time."

USA TODAY has reached out to Spears' representatives and Primary Wave for comment.

Spears charmed Jay Leno in 2003 with a look at her new tattoo.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Spears performs during her Onyx Hotel tour in 2004.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Spears married K-Fed in 2004. They attended the premiere of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" together in 2005 when she was pregnant with their first son, Sean.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Spears and Kevin Federline are pictured in 2006 at a Grammys party.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Spears and Sam Asghari who played her love interest in the "Slumber Party" video, announced their engagement on Sept. 12, 2021. The two legally separated in 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> judge's decision on Instagram, writing: "I think I'm gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen." She has since spoken out several times on Instagram about alleged mistreatment she suffered under her conservatorship by her family members." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

From 'Baby One More Time' to the #FreeBritney movement, see Britney Spears' career

Spears charmed Jay Leno in 2003 with a look at her new tattoo.

Primary Wave owns the catalogs of many music legends, includingBob Marley,Stevie Nicks,PrinceandWhitney Houston.

Spears' music discography helped define pop music at the turn of the millennium before she largely retreated from the spotlight after her 2016 album,"Glory."Her career hiatus coincided with the termination of herconservatorship – which lasted nearly 14 years– in November 2021, following a case that brought intense scrutiny to her personal life and troubled past and alsoprompted a movement led by longtime fans.

In 2022, she released the upbeat collaborative track "Hold Me Closer" withElton John, and in 2023, she dropped "Mind Your Business" withBlack Eyed Peasrapper Will.i.am.

Britney Spears says she will never perform in US again

Reports of the catalog sale follow Spears'recent vow about future performances.

"I will never perform in the U.S. again because of extremely sensitive reasons," Spears, who last toured the nation in 2018, wrote in a Jan. 8Instagram post. "But I hope to be sitting on a stool with a red rose in my hair, in a bun, performing with my son ... in the UK and Australia very soon."

Spears shares sons Sean, 20, and Jayden, 19, with ex-husbandKevin Federline. In October, Federline published his memoir titled"You Thought You Knew,"which delved into the former couple's three-year marriage, divorce and custody battle over their children.

Spears has not offered further details on upcoming live performances in either the United Kingdom or Australia, and there are no announcements on herofficial websiteor other social media pages.

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Britney Spears sells song catalog to publisher Primary Wave

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February 10, 2026

Britney Spears sells her music catalog for undisclosed amount

Britney Spearshas sold her music catalog, though the details of the sale are unclear. USA TODAY has learned th...

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Federal probe of 2020 Georgia ballots began with White House referral

The Justice Department's explanation for seeking toraid a major election office in Georgiaand seize ballots tied to the 2020 election was made much clearer Feb. 10, after it was forced to release a document showing the arguments it used to get a search warrant.

The FBI, which is part of the DOJ, seized ballots and other records tied to the 2020 election from a Fulton County election center near Atlanta on Jan. 28. The move marked a major escalation of efforts underPresident Donald Trump's current administration to call into doubt the results of the2020 presidential election, whichTrump lostto then-former Vice PresidentJoe Biden.

The new document is the affidavit signed by FBI Special Agent Hugh Raymond Evans in the government's request for a search warrant.

"Following the November 3, 2020, presidential election, there were many allegations of electoral impropriety relating to the voting process and ballot counting in Fulton County, Georgia," Evanswrote in the affidavit.

"Some of those allegations have been disproven, while some of those allegations have been substantiated, including through admissions by Fulton County," Evans added.

Evans wrote that the FBI investigation was jump-started by a referral from an official in Trump's White House, Kurt Olsen. He was appointed by Trump as "Director of Election Security and Integrity," according to the affidavit.

"This warrant application is part of an FBI criminal investigation into whether any of the improprieties were intentional acts that violated federal criminal laws," Evans wrote.

The Justice Department filed the affidavit to a Georgia federal court for release to the public onthe order of a federal judge, who instructed government lawyers to make redactions to shield the names of non-governmental witnesses. Fulton County officials hadasked the court to release the affidavit to the public.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, defended Georgia's election processes in a statement to USA TODAY.

"As Secretary of State, I've made Georgia the safest and most secure place to vote," Raffensperger said. "Instead of wasting time and tax dollars trying to change the past with baseless and repackaged claims, let's focus our efforts on building a safer, more affordable future for all hardworking Georgians."

What potential crimes is the FBI investigating?

A federal judge in Georgia signedthe search warrant, allowing FBI agents to seize election records as part of an investigation tied to two separate criminal statutes.One of those statutesrequires election officials to keep voter registration records for 22 months after an election.The otherprohibits using threats, coercion or fraud in certain voting processes.

Around 656 boxes of original 2020 election records – as opposed to copies – were seized, according to Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington.

Fulton County has filed a court motionto get the records back.

Evans alleged in his affidavit that there are several "deficiencies or defects" with the November election and vote count that the FBI is looking into in Georgia. Those include missing scanned images of ballots, duplicated ballot scans, inaccurate hand-count tallies of votes and purported absentee ballots that weren't properly creased or folded, he said.

Evans wrote that, if the alleged problems were intentional, then they would be evidence of a crime. By seizing election records, law enforcement would be able to corroborate an analysis suggesting election records were destroyed or that false votes were counted, he said.

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White House official behind investigation helped Trump fight 2020 results

Olsen has a long history of fighting the 2020 election results. He joined the Texas attorney general's attempt to get the Supreme Court to stop four swing states from certifying Biden's 2020 victory over Trump,according to the New York Times.

Olsen was sanctioned by a federal judge in Arizona for acting in bad faith by filing a lawsuit on behalf of Trump ally Kari Lake that made baseless allegations about the reliability of voting machines in that state,according to the California-based Daily Journal.Arizona was one of several swing statesBiden won in 2020.

An appeals court decision upheld those sanctions. Appellate Judge Ronald Gould wrote that the lawsuit "made false, misleading and unsupported factual assertions" and the lawyers behind it didn't conduct a reasonable inquiry before filing it, the Daily Journal reported.

Congressional investigators found that Olsen had multiple phone calls with Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, the day a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to prevent Biden's 2020 election victory from going into effect,Politico reported.

Trump's national intelligence chief was present at raid

Director of National IntelligenceTulsi Gabbardwas near the raid when it happened, andreportedly put Trump on the phonewith some of the FBI agents involved in the raid the next day.

That raised the eyebrows of the top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees, who questioned in aJan. 29 letterwhy someone tasked with overseeing national intelligence would attend a search of an election hub in Georgia.

"The job of the director of national intelligence is to be outward-facing about foreigners, not about Americans," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee,said on CBS News' "Face the Nation." "My fear is now (Trump) sees the political winds turning against him and he's going to try to interfere in the 2026 elections."

Gabbard said in aFeb. 2 letterthat Trump asked her to be present for the raid, and that election security is a national security issue.

Gabbard is investigating the 2020 election results, according to theWall Street Journaland theNew York Times, which each cited anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The two outlets reported that her work on the investigation has helped her be in Trump's good graces.

Speaking on "The Dan Bongino Show" on Feb. 2, Trump alluded to the raid whilesaying he won the 2020 election.

"Now you're going to see something in Georgia where they were able to get, with a court order, the ballots," Trump said. "You're going to see some interesting things come out."

Fulton County, which includes much of Atlanta, is the largest county in Georgia by population. Biden's win in that county in 2020 helped propel his win in Georgia as a whole, which had 16 presidential electoral votes. Biden won the 2020 election with 306 electoral votes, compared toTrump's 232tally.

Before Biden was inaugurated into office in January 2021, Trumptried to reverse his 2020 losses in several states, including Georgia. He and his allies filed more than 60 lawsuits. None was successful in proving there was widespread voter fraud.

In a phone call with Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, Trump said,"I just need 11,780 votes"in Georgia. Raffensperger defended the accuracy of his state's election results.

This story has been updated to add new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:DOJ shares why it raided Georgia election hub and seized 2020 ballots

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Federal probe of 2020 Georgia ballots began with White House referral

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Buddhist monks conclude peace walk in Washington, DC. See photos.

A group ofBuddhist monkswho have been walking across the country for peace since October arrived in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Feb. 10, one of their last stops in a 2,300-mile journey.

The men have traveled across eight U.S. states — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia — to reach the nation's capital.

The trek has been far from easy. In recent weeks, the approximately two dozen traveling Buddhist monks have beenconfronted with brutal freezing temperatures. In November, the monks' security vehicle was involved in a car accident that left one of the monks with injuries so severe that his leg was amputated.

Additionally,Aloka, the group's beloved dog, a former stray adopted from Kolkata, India, underwent surgery for a leg injury. The pup has since rejoined the group.

Buddhist monks continue their March for Peace as they cross Chain Bridge over the Potomac River February 10, 2026 between Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC. Nearly two dozen monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, led by Bhikkhu Pannakara, walked 2,300 miles to promote national healing, unity and compassion. The journey began on Oct. 26 in Texas and is expected to end on Feb. 12.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Buddhist monks continue their 'Walk for Peace' in nation's capital

Buddhist monkscontinue their March for Peace as they cross Chain Bridge over the Potomac River February 10, 2026 between Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC.Nearly two dozen monksfrom the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, led by Bhikkhu Pannakara, walked 2,300 miles to promote national healing, unity and compassion. The journey began on Oct. 26 in Texas and is expected to end on Feb. 12.

Why are the monks walking?

The monks embarked on the journey to remind Americans that peace is not a destination, according to the pilgrimage's announcement.

"As the nation faces challenges of division, mental health crises, and conflict both at home and abroad, this pilgrimage offers a simple yet profound message: Peace begins within the heart of each person and extends outward to families, communities, and the nation as a whole," a "Walk for Peace"news releasestated.

Buddhist monks often undertake long walking pilgrimages that last months. During their walk, the monks observed a strict ascetic code inspired by ancient traditions. Those traditions include eating just one meal per day and sleeping beneath trees, which is considered a practice of humility, endurance and spiritual focus.

The monks announced they had arrived in Washington, DC, around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Upon crossing into the District from Virginia, Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara thanked those who had been following their journey via avideo posted to social media. He encouraged their supporters to continue advocating for peace to "change this world together."

When will the monks go home?

The group is hosting events in the nation's capital across two days. On Wednesday, Feb. 11, they'll walk to the Peace Monument, which stands in front of the U.S. Capitol. In the afternoon, they plan to walk to the Lincoln Memorial, where a concluding ceremony will commemorate the end of their journey.

The group, which is from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, is scheduled to head home on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Watch the monks as they arrive in Washington, DC.

Take a look back at their journey: See photos

Buddhist Monks Walk for Peace across Southeast to Washington, DC

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Buddhist monks finish peace walk in DC. See photos.

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Buddhist monks conclude peace walk in Washington, DC. See photos.

A group ofBuddhist monkswho have been walking across the country for peace since October arrived in Washington, DC on Tu...

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Grieving mother demands answers nearly 2 years after Florida deputy fatally shot airman

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The mother of a U.S. Air Force airman shot and killed by a Florida sheriff's deputy nearly two years ago says she doesn't want people to forget about her son and is still seeking accountability so it doesn't happen to someone else.

Air Force Airman Florida Death

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, wasshot to deathby a deputy responding to a disturbance call at Fortson's apartment in Fort Walton Beach, where he lived while based at nearby Hurlburt Field. The May 2024 encounter wascaptured on body camera video.

At a Tuesday news conference in Florida, prominent civil rights attorneyBen Crump, who is representing Fortson's family in anongoing federal lawsuit, said it was his mother's decision to hold the media briefing.

"She is deeply hurt and concerned that time has allowed her son's name and his life to fade from public consciousness," Crump said.

"We are not here to litigate facts or comment on ongoing legal proceedings," he added. "We are here because silence, delay and distance have a human cost for families who are left to grieve while waiting for answers."

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden fired Deputy Eddie Duran, 38, who fatally shot Fortson after being directed to Fortson's apartment while responding to a domestic violence call. Duran was charged withmanslaughter with a firearm, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. It's ararely seen criminal casefiled against a Florida law officer.

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Two Florida attorneys representing Duran did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Fortson's mother, Chantimekki Fortson, said she still has many unanswered questions about the case.

"I need to know what happened to my baby," she said.

"I have to try to learn how to live life without Roger," she added. "I don't think I'm going to ever learn that."

Crump added that Fortson's mother wants to know: "How could it have been prevented and how can we make sure that it doesn't happen to anyone else's family?" he said.

Fortson's family is from Georgia. Hundreds of Air Force members in dress blues mourned Fortson athis funeral outside Atlanta.

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Grieving mother demands answers nearly 2 years after Florida deputy fatally shot airman

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The mother of a U.S. Air Force airman shot and killed by a Florida sheriff's deputy n...

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Sherri Shepherd 'not ready to throw in the towel' after talk show cancellation

Sherri Shepherdmight be down, but she's not out.

The "30 Rock" staraddressed the cancellation of her talk show "Sherri"in a message on Monday, Feb. 9, telling fans she was ready to discuss it.

"This is a hard morning for all of us here at 'Sherri,' and I know that you have seen the news and I'm ready to address it," Shepherd said. "Our show has not been renewed foranother season."

Production company and distributor Debmar-Mercury confirmed to USA TODAY a week earlier that the nationally syndicated daytime talk show was slated to end after four seasons.

"Sherri" will continue as planned with the series airing its final episodes in the fall, according to Debmar-Mercury.

"And you know this. I've talked about this. It has been my dream to have a talk show. And I'm so grateful I got the chance to do it for four seasons," Shepherd said. "I want to be clear: I'm not ready to throw in the towel on this show just yet. I'm not. I'm not."

Shepherd added that she and her team will continue to fight to keep the show "alive in some way, shape or form."

"Now... If anybody knows me, they know I'm a fighter. I am a fighter," Shepherd said. "Now, I don't know exactly it's going to look like but I promise I will continue to spread joy."

Why was 'Sherri' canceled?

According to Debmar-Mercury, the decision to cancel the show after four seasons was "driven by the evolving daytime television landscape and does not reflect on the strength of the show, its production – which has found strong creative momentum this season – or the incredibly talented Sherri Shepherd."

"We believe in this show and in Sherri and intend to explore alternatives for it on other platforms," Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus added.

"Sherri" debuted in 2022 in thetime slot vacated by "The Wendy Williams Show,"after Shepherd, 58, was a frequent guest host on "Wendy" duringWilliams' medical leave. "Sherri" also won an NAACP Image Award for outstanding talk series in 2023, while Shepherd won for outstanding host in 2025.

Shepherd, intent on creating "joy" with her show, has requested that forthcoming guests keep the antics to a minimum, saying, "Don't come here (to 'Sherri') committing petty crimes."

"But what we will do is.... we will continue to have a good time," Shepherd said. "And I just want to thank you cause my staff and my crew, that is what we're all about, making sure from the moment you walk in and turn me on you are having a good time... because like your favorite Aunty, I am here to make you laugh, get in your business and stay longer than you planned."

The news of the cancellation comes as "The Kelly Clarkson Show" also announced its next steps. Kelly Clarkson's daytime show will end after seven seasons, with NBC announcing it was a "personal decision" by Clarkson to "step away from hosting a talk show after this season."

See Sherri Shepherd's message to fans after show cancellation

Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and KiMi Robinson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sherri Shepherd breaks silence on 'Sherri' talk show cancellation

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February 10, 2026

Sherri Shepherd 'not ready to throw in the towel' after talk show cancellation

Sherri Shepherdmight be down, but she's not out. The "30 Rock" staraddressed the cancellation of...

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