GEAR JRNL

Get excited—there's another New York Times game to add to your daily routine! Those of us word game addicts who already playWordle,Connections,Strandsand theMini Crosswordnow haveConnections Sports Editionto add to the mix.So, if you're looking for some hints and answers for today's Connections Sports Edition onSaturday, February 21, 2026, you've come to the right place.

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What Is Connections Sports Edition?

Connections Sports Edition is just like the regular Connections word puzzle, in that it's a game that resets at 12 a.m. EST each day and has 16 different words listed. It's up to you to figure out each group of four words that belong to a certain category, with four categories in total.

This new version is sports-specific, however, as a partnership between The New York Times and The Athletic.

As the NYT site instructs, for Connections Sports Edition, you "group sports terms that share a common thread."

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Related:The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You'll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle

Hints for Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories on February 21, 2026

Here are some hints about the four categories to help you figure out the word groupings.

• Yellow: Old Line State.

• Green: Hoops legend.

• Blue:Robert Redford movie.

• Purple: Vroom-vroom.

Here Are Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories

OK, time for a second hint…we'll give you the actual categories now. Spoilers below!

• Yellow: MARYLAND TEAMS

• Green: SHAQUILLE O'NEAL NICKNAMES

• Blue: ASSOCIATED WITH "THE NATURAL"

• Purple: SPORTS THAT HAVE A DRIVER

If you're looking for the answers, no worries—we've got them below. So, don't scroll any further if you don't want to see the solutions!The answers to today'sConnections Sports Edition #516are coming up next.Related:15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day

What Are the Answers to Connections Sports Edition Today?

• MARYLAND TEAMS: MIDSHIPMEN, ORIOLES, RAVENS, TERRAPINS

• SHAQUILLE O'NEAL NICKNAMES: BIG ARISTOTLE, DIESEL, SHAQ, SUPERMAN

• ASSOCIATED WITH "THE NATURAL": BASEBALL, HOBBS, KNIGHTS, WONDERBOY

• SPORTS THAT HAVE A DRIVER: BOBSLED, F1, GOLF, WATER POLO

Don't worry if you didn't get them this time—we've all been there.

Up next,catch up on the answers to recent Wordle puzzles.

Related: Taco Bell Is Testing 2 Bold New Menu Items

This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 21, 2026, where it first appeared in theLifesection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

Dua Lipakept it simple in her new photos for Bulgari, donning a crisp white shirt held together by a single button. The high jewelry brand announced the pop star as its new global brand ambassador on February 18. In the photoshoot accompanying the announcement, the "Levitating" singer opted for a laid-back style.

Dua Lipa steals the show in crisp white shirt held together by a button in Bulgari photos

Take a look at Dua Lipa looking stunning in a white shirt and jeans for Bulgari:

Lipa wore an oversized white shirt, fastened by a single button at the center, allowing the fabric to drape softly and reveal just a hint of skin. She paired it with classic blue jeans cinched at the waist with the black Déhanche Tetra Belt, available for purchase onFarfetch.

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The photo captured the "No Rules" singer reclining casually on a black glossy leather sofa. She modeled several gold jewelry pieces fromBulgari. Most of these were from the brand's Serpenti Viper and B.Zero1 collection.

Originally reported by Ankita Shaw ontheFashionSpot.

The postDua Lipa's Crisp White Shirt Hangs on by a Button for Bulgariappeared first onReality Tea.

Livvy Dunneshowed off her athletic side as she posed in a bold workout fit in new photos. On February 18, she announced her new partnership withTom Brady'sathleisure brand, Nobull, in a joint Instagram post. She wore an all-black set and added a splash of color with her choice of footwear.

Livvy Dunne announces joining Tom Brady's brand Nobull in bold workout fit

Take a look at Livvy Dunne modeling pieces from Tom Brady's Nobull:

Livvy Dunne channeled her athletic side in a new campaign for Nobull. The photos showed her sporting a fitted sports bra with a clean square neckline and supportive straps that framed her shoulders. The cropped piece left her toned midriff on full display.

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Dunne paired it with high-waisted black leggings that hugged her features. She completed her look with white crew socks andWomen's Allday Knitshoes in classic white punch. The pair is available for purchase on the brand's official site for $150. In addition, her blonde hair was styled in a ponytail with a neat middle part.

Originally reported by Ankita Shaw ontheFashionSpot.

The postLivvy Dunne Joins Tom Brady's Nobull as an Investor in Bold Workout Fitappeared first onReality Tea.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A year after her husband died, a mother of three in Utah self-published a children's book that she said helped her sons cope with the sudden loss.Kouri Richinspromoted her book "Are You With Me?" on a local TV station and drew praise for helping young children process the death of a parent.

Weeks after the book's publication in 2023, she was arrested in her husband's death and charged with murder.

The arrest sent shock waves through her small mountain town just outside Park City, where a 12-person jury is set to decide her fate in amonthlong trialthat starts Monday.

Richins, 35, faces nearly three dozen counts in connection with her husband's death, including aggravated murder, attempted murder, forgery, mortgage fraud and insurance fraud. She has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say she killed her husband, Eric Richins, at their home in March 2022 by slipping fentanyl into a cocktail that he drank. They say she was deep in debt and killed him for financial gain while planning a future with another man she was seeing on the side.

The chilling case of a once-respected local author accused of profiting off her own violent crime has captivated true-crime enthusiasts in the years since her arrest. Once lauded as a touching read, her book has since become a tool for prosecutors in arguing that she carried out a calculated killing.

Her defense attorneys, Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos, said they are confident the jury will rule in Richins' favor after hearing her side of the story.

"Kouri has waited nearly three years for this moment: the opportunity to have the facts of this case heard by a jury, free from the prosecution's narrative that has dominated headlines since her arrest," her legal team said in a statement. "What the public has been told bears little resemblance to the truth."

Documents allege two poisonings

On the night of her husband's death, Richins called 911 to report that she had found him "cold to the touch" at the foot of their bed, according to the police report. He was pronounced dead, and a medical examiner later found five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system.

That wasnot her first attempt on his life, charging documents allege.

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A month earlier, on Valentine's Day, Eric Richins told friends he broke out in hives and blacked out after taking one bite of a sandwich that Richins had left for him. She had bought the sandwich the same week police say she also purchased fentanyl pills from the family's housekeeper. Opioids, including fentanyl, can cause severe allergic reactions.

After injecting himself with his son's EpiPen and chugging the allergy medication Benadryl, Eric Richins woke from a deep sleep and called a friend to say, "I think my wife tried to poison me," the friend said in a written testimony.

A day after Valentine's Day, Kouri Richins texted her alleged lover, "If he could just go away ... life would be so perfect."

Key witnesses

The friend Eric Richins called that night and the housekeeper who claims to have sold his wife the drugs could be key witnesses in the upcoming trial. Others may include family members and the man with whom Kouri Richins was allegedly having an affair.

The prosecution's star witness, housekeeper Carmen Lauber, told police she gave Richins fentanyl pills she bought from a dealer a couple of days before Valentine's Day. Later that month, Richins allegedly told the housekeeper that the pills she provided were not strong enough and asked her to procure stronger fentanyl, according to charging documents.

Defense attorneys are expected to argue that Lauber did not actually give Richins fentanyl and was motivated to lie for legal protection. Lauber is not charged in connection with the case, and detectives said at an earlier hearing that she had been granted immunity.

No fentanyl pills were ever found in Richins' home, and the housekeeper's dealer said he was in jail and detoxing from drug use when he told detectives in 2023 that he had sold Lauber fentanyl. He later said in a sworn affidavit that he only sold her the opioid OxyContin.

Money as motivation

Charging documents indicate Eric Richins met with a divorce attorney and an estate planner in October 2020, a month after he discovered that his wife made some major financial decisions without his knowledge. She had a negative bank account balance, owed lenders more than $1.8 million and was being sued by a creditor, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say Kouri Richins mistakenly believed she would inherit her husband's estate under terms of their prenuptial agreement. She had also opened numerous life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, with benefits totaling nearly $2 million, prosecutors allege.

She is also accused of forging loan applications and fraudulently claiming insurance benefits after her husband's death.

WASHINGTON (AP) — TheSupreme Court on Friday struck downPresident Donald Trump'sbiggest and boldest tariffs. But the justices left a $133 billion question unanswered: What's going to happen to the money the government has already collected in import taxes now declared unlawful?

Trump Tariffs

Companies have beenlining up for refunds. But the way forward could prove chaotic.

When the smoke clears, trade lawyers say, importers are likely to get money back — eventually. "It's going to be a bumpy ride for awhile," said trade lawyer Joyce Adetutu, a partner at the Vinson & Elkins law firm.

The refund process is likely to be hashed out by a mix of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, the specialized Court of International Trade in New York and other lower courts, according to a note to clients by lawyers at the legal firm Clark Hill.

"The amount of money is substantial," Adetutu said. "The courts are going to have a hard time. Importers are going to have a hard time.''

Still, she added, "it's going to be really difficult not to have some sort of refund option'' given how decisively the Supreme Court repudiated Trump's tariffs.

In its 6-3 opinion on Friday, the court ruled Trump's attempt to use an emergency powers law to enact the levies was not valid. Two of the three justices appointed by Trump joined the majority in striking down the first major piece of his second-term agenda to come before them.

At issue are double-digit tariffs Trump imposed on almost every country in the world last year by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The Supreme Court ruled that the law did not give the president authority to tax imports, a power that belongs to Congress.

The U.S. customs agency has already collected$133 billion in IEEPA tariffsas of mid-December. Butconsumers hoping for a refundare unlikely to be compensated for the higher prices they paid when companies passed along the cost of the tariffs; that's more likely to go to the companies themselves.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh dinged his colleagues for dodging the refund issue: "The Court says nothing today about whether, and if so how, the Government should go about returning the billions of dollars that it has collected from importers.''

Borrowing a word that Justice Amy Coney Barrett — who sided with the majority — used during the court's November hearing on the case, Kavanaugh warned that "the refund process is likely to be a 'mess.'"

"I guess it has to get litigated for the next two years," Trump told reporters at a press conference Friday, in which he decried the court's decision and said he was "absolutely ashamed" of some justices who ruled against his tariffs. "We'll end up being in court for the next five years.''

The end of the IEEPA tariffs could help the economy by easing inflationary pressures. The tariff refunds — like other tax refunds — could stimulate spending and growth. But the impacts are likely to be modest.

Most countries still face steep tariffs from the U.S. on specific sectors, and Trump intends to replace the IEEPA leviesusing other options. The refunds that do get issued will take time to roll out — 12 to 18 months, estimates TD Securities.

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The U.S. customs agency does have a process for refunding duties when importers can show there's been some kind of error. The agency might try to build on the existing system to refund Trump's IEEPA tariffs, said trade lawyer Dave Townsend, a partner with the law firm Dorsey & Whitney.

And there has been a precedent for courts making arrangements to give companies their money back in trade cases. In the 1990s, the courts struck down as unconstitutional a harbor maintenance fee on exports and set up a system for exporters to apply for refunds.

But the courts and U.S. customs have never had to deal with anything like this — thousands of importers and tens of billions of dollars at once.

"Just because the process is difficult to administer doesn't mean the government has the right to hold on to fees that were collected unlawfully,″ said trade lawyer Alexis Early, partner at the law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official, said it's hard to know how the government will deal with the massive demand for refunds. It might try to streamline the process, perhaps setting up a special website where importers can claim their refunds.

But Adetutu warns that "the government is well-positioned to make this as difficult as possible for importers. I can see a world where they push as much responsibility as possible onto the importer'' — maybe forcing them to go to court to seek the refunds.

Many companies, including Costco, Revlon and canned seafood and chicken producer Bumble Bee Foods, filed lawsuits claiming refunds even before the Supreme Court ruled, essentially seeking to be at the head of line if the tariffs were struck down.

There are likely to be more legal battles ahead. Manufacturers might, for example, sue for a share of any refunds given to suppliers that jacked up the price of raw materials to cover the tariffs.

"We may see years of ongoing litigation in multiple jurisdictions,'' Early said.

Consumers, though, are unlikely to enjoy a refund windfall. The higher prices they've had to pay would likely be hard to attribute to a specific tariff. Should they pursue refunds anyway? Early wouldn't advise wasting money on legal fees, but said: "In America, we have the ability to file a lawsuit for anything we want.''

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat and Trump antagonist, is demanding a refund on behalf of his state's 5.11 million households. In a letter addressed to Trump and released by Pritzker's gubernatorial campaign, the governor said the tariffs had cost each Illinois household $1,700 — or $8.7 billion. Pritzker said failure to pay will elicit "further action.''

Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine submitted a payment request to the federal government for $2.1 billion to recoup the costs of the tariffs, his office announced Friday.

"As Nevada's chief investment officer, I have a responsibility to try to recoup every single dollar that the Trump Administration takes from Nevada families," Conine said in a statement.

AP Writers Lindsay Whitehurst and Christopher Rugaber in Washington, Jessica Hill in Las Vegas and John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois, contributed to this story.

US intelligence agencies believe that China is developing a new generation of nuclear weapons and has conducted at least one covert explosive test in recent years as part of a broader push to completely transform its nuclear arsenal into the world's most technologically advanced, according to multiple sources familiar with the US intelligence assessments.

The US assessment of China's intention to radically advance its nuclear weapons is fueling debate inside the intelligence community and beyond over whether there has been a shift in Beijing's thinking on nuclear strategy, the sources said. The investment in its nuclear arsenal is pushing China closer to peer status with Russia and the US and could yield technical capabilities neither of the two dominant nuclear powers currently possess.

China secretly conducted an explosive nuclear test in June 2020 at the Lop Nur facility, in the country's northwest – despite a self-imposed moratorium on such activity that has been in place since 1996 – and was planning to do more in the future, according to the sources and recent statements from US officials. While the 2020 test was disclosed publicly by US State Department officials this month, the purpose of the test has not been previously revealed.

Evidence collected as part of a subsequent review of the June 2020 event, has led US officials to conclude the test was motivated by China's pursuit of next-generation nuclear weapons, the sources familiar said. That includes efforts to develop additional weapons systems capable of delivering multiple, miniaturized nuclear warheads from a single missile.

China also appears to be developing low-yield, tactical nuclear weapons – something the country has never previously produced – that could be deployed against targets closer to home, including in scenarios where Beijing responds to a potential US defense of Taiwan, the sources added.

China has been aggressively expanding its nuclear sites, US intelligence officials have previously reported publicly, with analysts suspecting that China might be pursuing new technologies. Now US officials believe there is strong evidence to support that theory – in part – because of what it has learned about the 2020 test.

China has had a nuclear arsenal since 1964. It has produced warheads faster than any country in the world, although the size of its arsenal trails far behind Russia and the US, which continue to own the lion's share of the world's nuclear weapons.

Asked about the US intelligence assessments of its nuclear program, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told CNN that "the United States has distorted and smeared China's nuclear policy."

"This is political manipulation aimed at pursuing nuclear hegemony and evading its own nuclear disarmament responsibilities," Liu Pengyu said. "China firmly opposes such narratives. US allegation about China conducting a nuclear test are entirely unfounded. China opposes any attempt by the United States to fabricate excuses for resuming its own nuclear testing."

A defense official said that the Pentagon "does not comment on intelligence assessments tied to specific alleged nuclear test events."

The Pentagonhas previously suggestedthat China's efforts to expand and improve its nuclear arsenal could "provide [China] with new options before and during a crisis or conflict to leverage nuclear weapons for coercive purposes, including military provocations against US Allies and partners in the region."

A 2024 report from the Defense Intelligence Agency also noted that China is seeking to revamp its nuclear arsenal with the US in mind.

"China is undergoing the most rapid expansion and ambitious modernization of its nuclear forces in history—almost certainly driven by an aim for enduring strategic competition with the U.S. and a goal to actualize intensified strategic concepts that have existed for decades but are now being realized," it states.

Historically, China has viewed its nuclear capabilities as a means of self-defense and deterring other countries from using or threatening to use their own nuclear weapons against it. China has had a no-first-use policy in place for decades, but the country's 2023 proposal on global governance does not reference that commitment which has invited speculation that China's posture could be changing.

And until recently, China's nuclear capability was considered far less advanced than its nuclear rivals. It has conducted far fewer tests from which it could collect data needed to design modernized weapons.

"China's nuclear weaponeers may lack confidence in the limited nuclear weapons data they collected during only 45 tests, most of which were conducted in the atmosphere and poorly instrumented," according to Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

That, US officials believe, is one of the primary reasons why China would resume explosive testing.

"They have a brand new generation of weapons for which they have no database," said one of the sources familiar with the matter.

As part of that modernization push, China has been investing heavily in maneuverability and survivability, multiple sources told CNN, noting Beijing has long feared the US could potentially wipe out its entire force before it can shoot back – or at least inflict enough damage to effectively neuter it.

US officials also believe China has had concerns over the reliability of its own systems, which contributes to the urgency surrounding its modernization efforts and fueled investment in technologies to ensure its nuclear warheads can hit their intended target.

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Two sources noted that China appeared increasingly paranoid about a potential US attack during the same timeframe as that June 2020 nuclear test. In the lead-up to the 2020 US presidential election in November of the same year, Chinese officials even reached out to then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley because they were concerned about an "October surprise," the sources said.

While those tensions ultimately subsided, China has taken steps in the years since to not only update its nuclear forces but also sought to modernize its entire military.

China's nuclear ambitions have reemerged as a topic of intrigue in recent weeks after State Department officials revealed new details about, what they allege, was an explosive test carried out at the Lop Nur facility in June 2020 – disclosing the exact date, location and related seismic data about the event to support their conclusion. The connection to China also using the test to modernize its arsenal became clear in the follow-on study of the test, particularly given the seismic magnitude, a former senior official told CNN.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Yeaw told an event at the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington this week the June 2020 event measured an "explosion" of magnitude 2.75.

"I've looked at additional data since then. There is very little possibility I would say that it is anything but an explosion, a singular explosion," said Yeaw, adding that the data was not consistent with mining blasts.

"It's also entirely not consistent with an earthquake," said Yeaw, a former intelligence analyst and defense official who holds a doctorate in nuclear engineering. "It is … what you would expect with a nuclear explosive test."

Earlier this month, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Thomas DiNanno also publicly accused China of having secretly carried out an explosive nuclear test in 2020 and suggested the US had obtained intelligence indicating Beijing planned to carry out more.

"I can reveal that the U.S. Government is aware that China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons. The PLA (People's Liberation Army) sought to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognized these tests violate test ban commitments,"DiNanno saidduring a February 6 speech.

CNN has since learned that additional intelligence collected by the US after the June 2020 event served as a key piece of the puzzle as experts have argued that the seismic data is not, on it's own, enough to definitively conclude it was a nuclear test or understand why it was carried out.

Whenasked about the allegationof secret nuclear testing earlier this month, Liu, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, said China "follows a policy of 'no first use' of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense, and adheres to its nuclear testing moratorium."

"We stand ready to work with all parties to jointly uphold the authority of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime," he said.

"It's hoped that the US will earnestly abide by its obligations under the Treaty and its commitment to a moratorium on nucleartesting and take concrete actions to uphold the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, as well as global strategic balance and stability," he told CNN.

The timing of the Trump administration's decision to reveal details about an alleged test that took place nearly six years ago is also notable as it comes as the US is insisting China join any new nuclear arms agreement, overtures Chinese leader Xi Jinping has so far resisted, sources said.

Trump has suggested the US could resume explosive testing of its own.

Ultimately, China has more to gain from conducting explosive tests than the US, raising questions about why the State Department took the rare step of disclosing specifics about the event from June 2020 at this point, multiple sources said.

That move suggests the Trump administration is concerned about public diplomacy with Beijing – particularly ahead of the president's upcoming trip to the country in April, one source familiar with discussions between the two countries noted.

But current US officials also noted that the Trump administration is determined to draw China into a nuclear deal, suggesting that the revelation of a slice of what the US knows about their current efforts could pressure them into discussions.

"The old arms control paradigm is collapsing as China races to grow its nuclear arsenal," said Alex Gray, former NSC chief of staff and now senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. "The Administration is grappling with not just Russian strategic weapons but a much more concerning Chinese nuclear expansion. Unless we can negotiate an arms control framework that encompasses Beijing, the US doesn't need to mindlessly adhere to outdated arms control nostrums that don't capture the threats of today and tomorrow."

The rapid growth and modernization of the PLA also serves as a fulfilment of Xi's more than decade-old promise to transform the world's largest armed forces into a world-class military.

"This is a reflection of China's sweeping global ambitions … this is one of the clearest signals of that of almost anything that China is doing," one of the sources added, noting Beijing's actions must inform how the US prepares for future conflicts.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Kim Kardashianhad social media in a frenzy after dropping a bold, sculpted top look for herSKIMScampaign. The model, entrepreneur, and reality star shared the eye-catching fit on Instagram. Fans pulled up in the comments with shout-outs like "queen" and "iconic."

Kim Kardashian stuns in black top

Take a look at Kim Kardashian's recent campaign look on Instagram right here:

Kim Kardashian is wearing a bold all-black look for this No Bull campaign. She has on a sculpted, daring black top with a deep plunging neckline that creates a strong, structured shape.

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The top is paired with fitted black bottoms, giving the outfit a sleek, streamlined feel. Over it, she wears an oversized black jacket that adds volume and contrast to the fitted silhouette underneath.

The 45-year-old completes the look with black thigh-high boots, keeping everything monochrome and sharp. At last, Kim Kardashian completes the look with a sparkling choker necklace that adds a touch of shine.

Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya onMandatory.

The postKim Kardashian Dials Up the Drama in Bold Top Amid SKIMS Campaignappeared first onReality Tea.