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Temperatures along a 30-mile stretch of the Rio Grande River in the southern tip of Texas saw a heat spike on Feb. 26, turning in the highest temperatures of the year so far nationwide.

In La Puerta, Texas, the high temperature reached a blistering 104 degrees on Feb. 26. That preliminary report, from an unofficial reporting station, popped up on the U.S. daily temperature extremes for Feb. 26, according toa social media postby the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center. (The low was a chilly minus 12 in Clarksburg, Michigan.)

But as preliminary reports continued to roll in from other cooperating stations, at least two other sites also reported reaching triple digits on Feb. 27, said Barry Goldsmith, a weather service meteorologist in the Brownsville office.

A site, at Falcon Lake, reported 104 degrees, said Victor Murphy, a retired weather service meteorologist.

And Goldsmith found a site in Rio Grande City reported reaching 102 degrees and a cooperative site at the Falcon Dam reached 106 degrees.

The temperatures were the first triple-digit readings – 100 degrees or above – reported in the United States in 2026, according to the weather prediction center.

If the preliminary 106 degrees at the Falcon Dam verifies, it could become officially the hottest temperature in recorded history for the nation for the three-month December to February period, Goldsmith said.

However, in the scramble among meteorologists to search weather service climate databases records to track down any earlier winter records of 104 degrees or more in the U.S., one higher temperature emerged from a site that isn't considered part of the official climate reporting network because it doesn't operate under the same specifications. The station in Falcon Lake had an unofficial report of 107 degrees on Feb. 23, 2017.

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Either way, it was a scorcher in southern Texas on Feb. 27, and is likely to enter the history books, one way or another.

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Texas sees a spate of warm records

Warmer-than-normal temperatures areexpected to continue in the Southwest and Southern Plainsfor a couple of days. The weather prediction center has warned numerous high temperature records could fall across the region though Sunday.

"There has been an upper ridge across northwest Mexico, extending into the Southwest and the Rio Grande, helping to keep temperatures above average," said Robert Oravec, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center.

A flurry of nearly a dozen daily warm maximum or warm overnight low temperature records were set or matched in the west on Feb. 26, including the following in Texas:

• 95 degrees in Corpus Christi topped previous daily record high by six degrees, breaking a record of 89 set in 1986.

• 103 degrees in Laredo broke a 98-degree daily record high set in 2024 by five degrees.

• McAllen reached 99 degrees, breaking the previous daily record of 97, set in 1962.

• The 95 degrees in San Antonio broke previous daily high records by 4 degrees. The previous record – 91 – was set in 1917 and 1954.

• The daily record high of 89 degrees was tied in Victoria, Texas.

The warm temperatures also continue a pattern seen in southern Texas and parts of the west in recent weeks.

Oregon, California, Utah and Arizona all had one of their six warmest starts to the year on record, according to the National Center for Environmental Information with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Those states, plus Washington, Nevada and New Mexico, all saw their warmest December-January period on record. It was the second warmest December-January on record in Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming. The records for meteorological winter will be emerging in early March.

Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, weather, the environment and other news. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Texas' triple-digit temperatures in February mark a milestone for US

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court inBelarushas convicted two independent journalists on charges of high treason and handed them long prison sentences, the latest move in thegovernment's crackdownon dissent and free speech, a media rights group said Friday.

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Uladzimir Yanukevich, 65, who founded and edited the Intex-Press and BAR24 media outlets, was given a 14-year sentence, while his 44-year-old colleague Andrei Pakalenka was handed a 12-year sentence, the rights group said. Their media sites were among the most popular in Belarus.

The Regional Court in Brest, a city on the border with Poland, held the proceedings behind closed doors and details of the charges remain unclear. State television carried a report alleging the journalists had links to the German Embassy.

"These horrific sentences show that the authorities have no intention of halting the most sweeping repressions against journalists in Europe, now in its sixth year," Belarusian Association of Journalists head Andrei Bastunets told The Associated Press. "Any dissent is harshly punished by the authorities."

Yanukevich, who has serious health issues, has been denied proper medical assistance while in custody. the association said.

President Alexander Lukashenko hasruled Belarus for over three decades, maintaining his grip on power through a relentless crackdown on dissent. Following a 2020 election that was widely seen as rigged, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in protest, with more than 65,000 people arrested, thousands beaten, and hundreds of independent media outlets and nongovernmental organizations closed and outlawed.

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Currently, 28 independent journalists are imprisoned in Belarus, according to Bastunets' group.

Yanukevich and Pakalenka were among seven Intex-Press journalists arrested in December 2024 after searches of their editorial offices and homes. In August 2025, four of them were convicted of aiding "extremist activities" and sentenced to a kind of work-release program at designated factories.

Accusations of extremism are widely used by the Belarusian authorities to muzzle independent voices.

Also on Friday, the Minsk City Court opened a trial of another independent journalist, Pavel Dabravolski, who also faces charges of high treason. Dabravolski, who has worked for Belarusian and international media outlets, has been in custody since his arrest in January 2025.

"Journalism is not a crime, and the convicted journalists are victims of the authorities who are building a totalitarian state," exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told AP. "Lukashenko's regime fears the truth more than anything."

Belarus has faced years of Western isolation andsanctionsfor its crackdown and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Recently, Lukashenko has sought torepair relations with the West,releasing hundreds of political prisoners.

At the same time, the Belarusian authorities have continued their suppression of dissent. According to the Viasna human rights group, Belarus currently has 1,143 political prisoners.

SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Cadillac is naming its firstFormula 1car in honor of 1978 champion Mario Andretti, who calls it the "ultimate compliment" ahead of the team's inaugural race next week at the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix.

Bahrain F1 Auto Racing

F1's new 11th team announced on Friday its car will be the MAC-26, short for Mario Andretti Cadillac, for the most recent American F1 champion.

"Naming our first chassis MAC-26 reflects the spirit Mario carried into Formula 1 and the belief that an American team belongs on this stage," said Dan Towriss, chief executive of Cadillac Formula 1 Team Holdings.

"His story embodies the American dream and inspires how we approach building this team every day."

Andretti is an ambassador for the General Motors-backed Cadillac team, whose F1 entry originated with a bid fronted by his son Michael under the Andretti Global name.

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The original bid wasrejectedby Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, amid prolonged wrangling. Michael Andrettistepped asideand the entry was restructured withTowriss at the helmand an increased role for GM.

"Racing has been the joy of my life. It is the ultimate compliment that Cadillac Formula 1 Team sees those years as meaningful and worthy of recording with this honor," Mario Andretti said in a statement.

"I cherish the opportunity that it gives me to have a lasting board with F1 and am genuinely appreciative of everyone who continues to acknowledge my part in racing history."

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens on Friday, according to the team's website.The tag, according to Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein, is a non-exclusive designationthat allows Pickens to negotiate a deal with other teams but puts the Cowboys in command of the negotiations considering the price tag required for a prospective team.

If a deal can't be reached by the July 15 deadline with the Cowboys, that locks in Pickens for next season on a one-year contract worth what is projected to be $28 million.

The decision is hardly a surprise, and one the Cowboys reportedly decided on doing earlier this month. Playing alongside All-Pro CeeDee Lamb, Pickens enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025 with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns on 137 targets after being traded to Dallas from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

BothCowboys owner Jerry Jonesand his son,team COO Stephen Jones, have said they want Pickens back long term, with Jerry saying he expects a long-term extension to get done:

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"I'm talking to George all the time by virtue of my excitement for him," Jones said when asked if contract extension talks have begun with Pickens. "He's better than, as far as what he contributed to our team, showing the potential that he could contribute. I'm looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time."

The franchise tag ensures that, however negotiations go, the Cowboys can plan for Pickens to be in the fold for the 2026 season if another team doesn't come with an aggressive offer that would also include draft pick compensation, per the non-exclusive tag rules.

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Hitting Pickens with the tag means the Cowboys could have the NFL's second-most expensive receiver duo next season between him and Lamb, who is currently on a four-year, $136 million deal. Combined with the average annual value of that contract, Dallas will be paying the pair $62 million, behind only the $69 million AAV currently going to the Cincinnati Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Pickens is one of several notable Cowboys hitting free agency this offseason. Starters Jadeveon Clowney and Donovan Wilson are unrestricted free agents, while All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey is a restricted free agent and isseeking the richest kicker deal in NFL history. Running back Javonte Williams, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason,recently signed a three-year, $24 million contractto return to the team through the 2028 season.

Signing Pickens to an extension instead of the tag would have freed up a significant amount of money for this upcoming offseason, in addition to retaining a star at a premium position for years to come. But at least in the short term, the Cowboys will have Pickens for another year.

As the top county law enforcement official for more than a decade, former district attorney Rob Greene regularly prosecuted crimes involving drugs even as he often consumedcannabison the side.

The Army veteran, avid hunter, and father of 3 is one of 440,000 Pennsylvanians with astate-authorizedmedical marijuana card under a program lawmakers enacted in 2016.

Greene, who stepped down as DA earlier this year, says the cannabis he uses "once or twice every week or two" has significantly improved his quality of life but also came with what he calls an unconstitutional trade-off.

"As of right now, I have zero firearms," Greene told ABC News in an interview. "I could serve 10 years in prison for having firearms because I am, according to the feds, an illegal user of marijuana. I mean, it's (expletive)."

For nearly 60 years, the possession of a gun by anyone who unlawfully uses or is addicted to controlled substances – including marijuana – has been banned under federal law, even when they are not intoxicated.

Public health groups call it common sense; the Trump administration calls it acornerstone of public safety. Greene argues it should only apply to people who are in the act of using drugs.

Next week, the Supreme Court will consider whether thegun ban for drug usersis unconstitutionally broad in a high-stakes case at the center of growing debate over whether marijuana deserves a carve-out in the law.

"Are there certain drugs that are so dangerous and addictive that it's not safe for you to have a firearm? Sure," said Greene. "Marijuana is not one of them." AlthoughCongresshas prohibited the Justice Department from cracking down on state medical marijuana programs and President Trump recentlysigned an executive orderloosening restrictions on the drug, cannabis remains prohibited under federal law.

That means6 millionregistered medical marijuana patients across40 statesmust surrender their Second Amendment right to own a gun as long as they are using.

"Even though in the state of Pennsylvania they mademedical marijuana legal, the federal law still mandates that we cannot sell you a firearm," said Tim Parker, owner of Presque Isle Gun Shop in Erie, Penn.

Parker said he frequently turns away customers who attest on a federal gun purchase form that they have used illegal drugs or mention their medical marijuana card when seeking to purchase a weapon.

"We have a sign on the outside of the door - we do not like people that smell like marijuana coming into our shop. We will not sell you anything," he said.

Since 1998, theFBI sayscountless drug users have been turned away by gun dealers because of the federal Firearm Transaction Form 4473. In addition, more than 240,000 potential gun buyers have been flagged for drug-related convictions by the background check system, according to federal data.

"Those are the kind of people that shouldn't be carrying a gun because it's all split second things, and a gun doesn't think for itself. Guns don't kill people. People kill people," said Parker.

State and local law enforcement groups have urged the Supreme Court to uphold the law, warning of the potential dangers of combining drugs and guns.

"We don't want someone who's under the influence of alcohol or methamphetamine or cocaine or marijuana to be handling a firearm. Obviously, there's some safety issues there," said Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah.

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Of the 700 firearms confiscated in crimes in Erie since 2023, Lorah estimated 70% were probably involved in the drug trade.

While Lorah told ABC that he does not consider medical marijuana a top threat and understands the medical benefits of the drug, he says creating an exception for cannabis in the drug ban should be up to federal lawmakers.

"Certainly the Second Amendment brings about a lot of strong emotion," he said. "If we could get the federal government and the states to come to a conclusion on the issue of marijuana and guns that would probably make law enforcement's life much easier."

The Justice Department says it prosecutes roughly 300 federal cases a year in which a violation of the drug user gun ban is a leading charge.

The recent prosecution of Hunter Biden, a self-confessed recovering crack cocaine addict, is considered the most high profile example. Biden was charged with lying on the federal gun transaction form and obtaining a firearm.

So was Ali Hemani of Texas whosecase is now before the Supreme Court. The government says he admitted to using marijuana "every other day" while keeping a Glock 9mm pistol in his home.

A federal court tossed out the indictment of Hemani saying the ban is unconstitutional as applied since he was not intoxicated with a gun.

"The truth is, there has to be a showing of some kind of actual dangerousness," argued attorney Joseph Bondy, chairman of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law (NORML).

"You could, for example, have a prescription to consume Oxycontin or some kind of anti-psychotic medication, right? And you would still be able to possess a firearm whereas a cannabis user could not," he said.

The lower court Hemani decision spawned a rare alliance bringing together the Trump Administration, gun safety advocates, and anti-drug groups who are now appealing to the Supreme Court to hold the line.

The administration argues that a ban on guns for people who use illegal drugs is both constitutional and rooted in the nation's history and tradition.

"Back to the days of the founding, we had laws about intoxication and severe intoxication, even surrounding things like alcohol," said Jordan Davidson, government affairs director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

The group has warned that marijuana use has been linked toperpetratorsof some of the country's deadliest mass shootings.

"It's not to say that everyone who smokes marijuana is going to have cannabis induced psychosis, or even the vast majority," said Davidson, "but we need a bright line rule here to prevent against the worst possible scenarios that could occur."

Greene agrees that certain Americans who use drugs should be disarmed, but says the dangers of marijuana are overblown.

"Cannabis has helped me in a number of ways. I mean, it helps me immensely. It's helped out a lot of other people and it has hurt me in zero ways," he said.

Oral arguments in the case U.S. v Hemani will be heard by the Supreme Court on March 2. A decision on the constitutionality of the gun ban for marijuana users is expected later this spring.