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UTICA, NY — Afiery explosion at a churchin upstate New York on Feb. 17 caused "catastrophic" damage and injured five people, including the pastor and firefighters who had responded to reports of a gas odor inside the building, authorities said.

First responders were dispatched to the Abundant Life Church in Boonville, New York, at around 10:23 a.m. ET after receiving reports of a gas odor, according to New York State Police. Multiple fire departments, ambulance services and law enforcement arrived at the church after the initial call.

According to the Oneida County 911 Center, the explosion happened shortly before 11 a.m. Following the incident, state police said four firefighters and the pastor of Abundant Life Church were transported to local hospitals and were listed in critical but stable condition.

A preliminary investigation indicated that four people were in the church's basement when the furnace activated, triggering an explosion. A firefighter on the first floor was attempting to ventilate the building at the time of the explosion and was thrown against a wall, state police said in anews release.

In a statement, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said he was deeply saddened by the explosion at the church and was praying for all those impacted.

"Our thoughts are especially with the Boonville firefighters and church members who were injured," Picente said. "I commend the bravery and professionalism of our first responders who rushed toward danger to protect others. Oneida County is in close communication with local officials and emergency services, and we stand ready to provide any assistance needed as the investigation continues."

Boonville is a town in Oneida County, New York, and is about 70 miles northeast of Syracuse.

New York State Police identify injured firefighters, pastor

State police identified the four firefighters and pastor injured in the incident as:

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• David Pritchard Jr., 60, the fire chief of the Boonville Fire Department

• Brandon Pitts, 43, the pastor of Abundant Life Church

• Allan Austin, 67, a firefighter for the Boonville Fire Department

• Nicholas Amicucci, 43, a firefighter for the Boonville Fire Department

• Richard Czajka, 71, a firefighter for the Boonville Fire Department

Pritchard, Pitts, Amicucci and Czajka were transported to Upstate Hospital in Syracuse, while Austin was transported to Wynn Hospital in Utica.

Pennsylvania nursing home blast:Gas smell reported hours before explosion, report says

Abundant Life Church sustained 'catastrophic' damage

A post on the church's Facebook page stated the pastor and another member of the congregation were inside the church along with first responders when it exploded.

The church, which was heated by propane cylinders, sustained "catastrophic" damage and was "considered destroyed" following the explosion, state police said.

After 1 p.m., firefighting crews were still hosing down what remained of the church as several members of the church watched. With no nearby hydrants, firefighters relied on their tanker trucks for water.

Drivers were advised to avoid the area, and New York State Route 12 southbound at Potato Hill Road and northbound at Kerwin Road in Boonville was closed.

State police noted that there was no indication of criminal activity in the incident and the investigation remains ongoing.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch:Explosion at upstate New York church injures 5, including firefighters

A federal judge in Texas declared a mistrial on Tuesday after a defense lawyer wore a shirt in court with images from the civil rights movement, delayinga closely watchedcase in which the Trump administration is accusing a group of protesters of being terrorists and says they are part of a "North-Texas antifa cell".

US district judge Mark Pittman, an appointee of Donald Trump, declared a mistrial only hours after jury selection began at the federal courthouse in downtown Fort Worth. He abruptly halted the proceedings after MarQuetta Clayton, an attorney for one of the defendants, had been questioning potential jurors for about 20 minutes, taking issue with a shirt she was wearing underneath a black blazer. The shirt contained images of civil rights movement leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr and Shirley Chisholm, as well as images of protests from that time.

Clayton was present in the courtroom all day with her shirt visible to Pittman, but the judge did not stop the proceedings until Clayton began questioning the approximately 75 potential jurors who had assembled.

Pittman claimed the shirt sent a political message that could bias jurors and equate the actions of the defendants in the case with that of the civil rights movement, adding that the decision to wear the shirt may have been intentional. Pittman also argued that the defense lawyers would be outraged if prosecutors were to wear shirts that showed pro-ICE or pro-Trump imagery in front of a jury.

The mistrial means the trial will start over with a completely new panel of potential jurors. The judge announced the trial would restart on Monday at 9am.

"I don't think I have any choice but to declare a mistrial," said Pittman, who also admonished Clayton for showing a poster to potential jurors that had not been submitted to the court ahead of time. "This has to be a first in the history of American jurisprudence, I would think."

Clayton isrunningfor a county judge position in Texas, where early voting started on Tuesday. She declined to comment as she left the courthouse, only saying that she would continue to represent her client in the case.

The nine defendants whose trial began on Tuesdaywere partof a group of protesters who were criminally charged after a demonstration at an ICE detention facility near Fort Worth on 4 July.

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Demonstrators set off fireworks outside in solidarity with people detained inside, and some of the protesters are accused of spraying graffiti on a guard shack and vehicles in the parking lot, slashing the tires on a government vehicle and destroying a security camera. In court papers, prosecutors described the incident as a coordinated attack, saying the protesters dressed in all black to conceal their identities and were armed. They also alleged one protester shot and wounded a police officer on the scene.

The case is the first time the government has filed terrorism charges against antifa, short for anti-fascist, which is not a defined entity but rather an umbrella of left-leaning ideologies. The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on antifa, andexperts believethe case could set a dangerous precedent for prosecutors to bring criminal charges against protesters who demonstrate against ICE.

Lawyers for the nine defendants unanimously agreed they did not think a mistrial was necessary, questioning whether jurors had even seen Clayton's shirt and saying any potential bias could be rooted out during jury selection by questioning the jurors. Shawn Smith, the lead federal prosecutor in the case, did not take a position, simply saying he had not seen a similar situation before.

Harrison Stables, 23, one of the potential jurors who was dismissed after Pittman declared a mistrial, said in an interview he did not see Clayton's shirt, nor did he think it would have influenced his decision-making in the case at all.

Another dismissed juror who declined to give his name said he recognized the imagery on the shirt as saying something about "the fight", but that it would not have biased his assessment of the case.

"I struggle to understand how this could be fair or reasonable in this judicial environment," Lydia Koza, whose wife, Autumn Hill, is one of the defendants, said in an interview across the street from the courthouse where supporters had gathered with signs, coffee and food. A cadre of family members, attorneys, journalists, observers and supporters also crammed into an overflow room in the federal courthouse to watch jury selection through a simulcast on Tuesday.

Before the mistrial, questions to the potential jurors on Tuesday offered a glimpse into themes that are likely to be key to the strategy on both sides in the case. Smith, the prosecutor, asked potential jurors about bias against ICE and Trump, among other issues. Clayton asked jurors about the difference between a riot, a noise demonstration and a protest, and whether it was ever acceptable to bring a gun to a protest.

Pittman's decision on Tuesday came after a series of pretrial rulings penalizing lawyers for the defense. In December, he ordered three defense attorneys toeach pay a $500 finefor filing aggressive motions for discovery. He also nearly blocked George Lobb, an attorney, from representing one of the defendants, saying he had not met the residency requirements to practice in the district. Lobb eventually withdrew from the federal case and Clayton replaced him.

After declaring the mistrial, Pittman gave a short speech decrying partisan division in the country, saying he was "absolutely disgusted" by it and that "we have to find a way to turn down the anger".

The Vatican will not join PresidentDonald Trump's newly formed Board of Peace, its top diplomatic official said Tuesday, signaling reluctance from the Holy See to take part in the post-war initiative.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See "will not participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is evidently not that of other States," the Vatican's official news outlet reported.

The Board of Peace, which was chartered in January and includes nearly 20 countries, is tasked with managing recovery efforts in the Gaza Strip after the Israel-Hamas war.

While responding to questions aboutItaly declining to join the board, Parolin said "there are points that leave us somewhat perplexed," adding that "there are some critical points that would need to find explanations."

Trump Snubs Canada By Withdrawing Country's Invite To Join 'Most Prestigious Board Of Leaders Ever'

"The important thing is that an attempt is being made to provide a response," he said. "However, for us there are certain critical issues that should be resolved."

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Parolin continued, "One concern is that, at theinternational levelit should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted."

Pope Leo, the first U.S. pope, received an invitation to join the peace board in January.

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Trump Envoy Warns Hamas Of 'Serious Consequences' As Admin Launches Phase Two Of Gaza Plan

Leaders from 17 countries participated in the initialcharter signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, in late January, including presidents and other senior government officials from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Central and Southeast Asia.

Israel formally joined the boardlast week ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with Trump at the White House.

Several othercountries were also invitedby the White House, including Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Greece and China.

Trump Meets Netanyahu, Says He Wants Iran Deal But Reminds Tehran Of 'Midnight Hammer' Operation

Poland and Italy on Wednesday said they would not join.

Trump announced Sunday that board members havepledged more than $5 billionin aid for Gaza.

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The president said the funding would be formally pledged during a meeting Wednesday inWashington, D.C.

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Original article source:Vatican declines to join Trump's Gaza 'Board of Peace,' calls for UN leadership

MADRID (AP) — Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni has denied racially insulting Real Madrid forwardVinícius Júnior.

Portugal Champions League Soccer

"I have never been racist with anyone and I regret the threats that I received from Real Madrid players," the 20-year-old Argentina forward said on X.

TheChampions Leagueplayoff game at Benfica's Stadium of Light was halted for nearly 10 minutes on Tuesday after the referee initiated the anti-racism protocol.

Benficashowed supportfor Prestianni on Wednesday, with the Portuguese club claiming that Madrid players who said they heard the insult were too far away.

Benfica fans had reacted angrily to Vinícius celebrating his 50th-minute goal by dancing by the corner flag, throwing bottles and other objects toward the Madrid players. Prestianni then confronted Vinícius and said something while covering his mouth with his jersey.

Vinícius said Prestianni racially insulted him during the game, which Madrid won 1-0. Madrid hosts the second leg on Feb. 25 with the overall winner advancing to the round of 16 in European club soccer's top competition.

After the match, Vinícius posted a photo on Instagram of him celebrating by the Benfica corner flag. He wrote: "Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to cover their mouths with their shirts to show how they are weak. ... Nothing that happened today is new to me in my life and in my family's life. I was shown a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don't know why."

Madrid players said they considered leaving the field but eventually decided to continue playing.

Benfica posted a video on X.

"As the images show, given the distance, the Real Madrid players couldn't have heard what they have been saying that they heard," Benfica said.

The club had already postedPrestianni's statementalong with the words: "Together, by your side."

Prestianni defends himself

Prestianni insisted that Vinícius misunderstood what was said, while Benfica players after the match reportedly said the Argentine provoked the Brazil forward but never racially insulted him.

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"I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at the player Vinícius Júnior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he had heard," Prestianni said.

He did not say why he covered his mouth.

The referee appeared to show that he did not hear anything and gestured that Prestianni had the shirt over his mouth. Vinícius, who is Black and has been repeatedly subjected to racist abuse in Spain, went to the sideline and sat in the dugout while play was stopped.

Prestianni was not shown a yellow card and continued playing. He was substituted in the 81st and was applauded by Benfica fans.

Kylian Mbappé was among the Madrid players who strongly defended Vinícius andposted on X: "Dance, Vini, and please never stop. They will never tell us what we have to do or not."

The France great also said Prestianni should never play in the Champions League again.

UEFA said in a statement that "the official reports from the matches played last night are currently being reviewed."

Mourinho's reaction

Cameras picked up Vinícius telling French referee François Letexier that Prestianni called him a "monkey."

Benfica coach José Mourinho criticized Vinícius for celebrating by the Benfica flag. He spoke with both players and said he did not want to say he believed one over the other.

Mourinho said he told Vinícius that the greatest player in Benfica's history — Eusébio — was also Black, but seemed to question why the Madrid player was so frequently targeted by racist abuse.

Some online videos on Wednesday appeared to show a few Benfica fans doing monkey gestures from the stands.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The broadcast coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics continues on Wednesday, Feb. 18 with NBC airing a number of replays featuring Team USA's athletes and the day's biggest moments. The games are exclusively airing across NBC's suite of networks with many competitions airing live on its streaming service, Peacock, which you cansign up for here.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win, big moment and triumphant finish. Get ourChasing Gold newsletterin your inbox every morning andjoin our WhatsApp channelto get the latest updates right in your texts.

NBC Primetime schedule for Feb. 18

NBC's Primetime coverage kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday night with a recap of multiple sports from earlier in the day. Here's which sports will be featured, according to NBC's latest schedule:

All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at 2:58 p.m.

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• 8:00 PM - PRIMETIME IN MILAN (REPLAY) Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Freestyle Skiing, and more NBC, PEACOCK on NBC, PEACOCK

• 8:00 PM - SHORT TRACK: Men's 500m & Women's Relay Finals (REPLAY) on USA NETWORK

• 9:00 PM - CURLING: Canada vs Italy (REPLAY) Women's Preliminary Round on USA NETWORK

• 11:15 PM - CURLING: USA vs Great Britain (REPLAY) Men's Preliminary Round on USA NETWORK

• 11:35 PM - OLYMPIC LATE NIGHT (REPLAY) Biathlon, Short Track, and more on NBC, PEACOCK

Meet Team USA 2026:Get to know the athletes behind the games

Winter Olympics Results

See the full Milano Cortina Games schedule

See the 2026 Medal Count Here

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Olympics schedule tonight: What's on in primetime in Milan on Feb. 18