Curling Scandal Rocks Olympic Ice, While Political Tensions and Leadership Disputes Surface
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy (February 16, 2026) – A heated exchange on the ice and political tensions in Europe are making headlines alongside a call for leadership change in Los Angeles. Canadian curler Marc Kennedy was caught on a hot mic cursing at a Swedish opponent during a match at the 2026 Winter Olympics, while U.S. and European leaders met in Munich, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called for the LA28 Olympic organizing committee chairman to step down.
The incident at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on Friday, February 13, 2026, saw Kennedy direct an expletive at Sweden's Oskar Eriksson after the 9th end of the Canada vs. Sweden match, which Canada won 8-6. The moment, streamed live to curling fans, has raised questions about "the spirit of curling" and the future of the sport, according to NPR News.
Meanwhile, in Munich, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a keynote speech at the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2026. The conference concluded with European leaders seeking a future less dependent on the U.S., according to NPR News. This follows a previous lecture on free speech and democracy that reportedly shocked many European leaders.
In other news, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called for Casey Wasserman to step down as chairman of the LA28 Olympic organizing committee. According to Variety, the mayor cited unspecified reasons for her request.
In related news, BAFTA Chair Sara Putt joined the international jury for the FFC Bulgaria €50,000 prize, as announced on Monday at a reception event, in partnership with Variety.
In scientific news, an addendum to a Nature article from November 16, 2000, raised concerns about the western blot bands for total p53 in Fig. 3. The editors alerted readers that the images could not be verified due to the authors no longer having the original data. Readers were advised to interpret these results with caution.
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