By Frank Nunns OConnell, Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN

(CNN) — Gold medal winners are usually the most popular people at the Winter Olympics but Julia Simon, who clinched gold in the women’s biathlon 15km individual race on Wednesday, is currently surrounded by controversy.

It all stems from when the 29-year-old French biathlete was convicted of committing credit card fraud against a national teammate in October and was handed a three-month suspended prison sentence and $17,820 (€15,000) fine, according to the Associated Press.

Simon – who has won 10 world championship golds as well as forming part of France’s gold-winning mixed relay biathlon team in Italy – was found to have used the bank card of France teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet to spend more than $2,380 (€2,000); she was also found guilty of using the team physiotherapist’s card details to make purchases in 2021 and 2022, according to AP.

She denied the crime for three years after it came to light in 2023, claiming she had been the victim of identity theft. But during a hearing in October, according to AP, she admitted her guilt after photos of the credit cards were found on her phone.

“I can’t explain it. I don’t remember doing it. I can’t make sense of it,” she said during the hearing, according to local French newspaper Le Dauphine Libere, per AP.

According to the Guardian, Braisaz-Bouchet said she had been subjected to online abuse after things were revealed, saying, “It has made a lot of people angry. The story came out in 2023, after Julia Simon’s great season, and for many people, I was the troublemaker.”

The French Ski Federation (FFS) imposed a six-month ban based on her actions, five months of which were suspended, allowing her to participate in the Games despite much speculation that she might have been prevented from competing at Milan Cortina. The FFS also fined Simon $35,660 (€30,000) – half of which was suspended.

Making Simon’s gold medal win even more awkward, Braisaz-Bouchet also competed in Wednesday’s race, finishing 80th in the standings.

“It’s a lot of feelings when you are standing on the podium,” Simon said after clinching gold.

“You think about your doubts, your good moments, your bad moments, the people who helped you. I’m really proud of myself today.”

Simon later told Eurosport, “What I would like now, in all honesty, is for you to leave me in peace.

“I would like you to leave me be and to perform. The page has been turned within the team – we have spoken about it.”

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Por Sandee LaMotte

Las muestras de alimentos envasados populares para perros contenían “niveles peligrosos” de metales pesados, contaminantes plásticos y acrilamida, un compuesto que causa cáncer y que se crea cuando los alimentos se someten a altas temperaturas, según una nueva investigación.

“Los niveles de metales pesados ​​y otros contaminantes que encontramos fueron alarmantes”, declaró Molly Hamilton, directora ejecutiva del Proyecto Etiqueta Limpia, que realizó la investigación. Esta organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Colorado analiza la pureza de los productos de consumo y ofrece a los fabricantes una etiqueta certificada si sus productos cumplen con estándares estrictos.

“Los dueños de mascotas cuidan a sus perros tan profundamente como los padres cuidan a sus hijos”, dijo Hamilton. “Deberían poder comprar comida para perros sin preocuparse de que pueda dañar a su mascota”.

“Tampoco se pueden tomar estas cifras al pie de la letra, ya que un perro necesita comer unas 3 tazas de alimento fresco o congelado para obtener las mismas calorías y nutrientes que una taza de alimento seco”, explicó. “Por lo tanto, la exposición del perro a los metales pesados ​​presentes en los alimentos frescos o congelados aumenta porque tiene que comer dos o tres veces más”.

Un estudio de octubre de 2021 también detectó altos niveles de dos metales pesados ​​en alimentos para perros. Casi el 81 % de los alimentos envasados para perros analizados en el estudio excedían el nivel máximo tolerado de mercurio establecido por las agencias reguladoras, mientras que el 100 % de los productos alimenticios para perros excedían el nivel máximo tolerado de plomo.

Según la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos (EPA), no existe un nivel seguro de plomo para los humanos . La EPA no indica niveles para perros.

Los umbrales de seguridad para todos los alimentos para animales son establecidos por la Asociación de Funcionarios Estadounidenses de Control de Alimentos (AAFCO) y el Consejo Nacional de Investigación (NRC). Los niveles máximos de metales pesados ​​se basan en las especies más susceptibles a las toxinas, explicó Wakshlag.

La dificultad de usar las expectativas del NRC o la AAFCO radica en que no cuentan con directrices específicas para perros. Los alimentos para mascotas se clasifican en la misma categoría que los animales de granja, dijo Hamilton. La teoría predominante en la industria es que los perros tienen una mayor tolerancia a los metales pesados ​​que los humanos, aunque el fundamento de esta teoría es objeto de debate.

Eso no se sabe porque hay muy pocos estudios sobre la exposición tóxica en los perros, dijo Wakshlag.

“¿Cómo afectaría a un perro el consumo crónico de estos contaminantes en niveles muy altos? No lo sabemos”, dijo. “Disponemos de muy pocos estudios que hayan seguido a perros durante años con diferentes dietas para encontrar esas respuestas”.

Una solución sería que las compañías de alimentos para mascotas analizaran periódicamente

By Sophie Tanno, Anna Chernova, CNN

(CNN) — Russia has confirmed that it has blocked instant messaging app WhatsApp in the country, instead directing Russian citizens to use its state-backed Max app.

The news comes days after it emerged that Russian authorities were restricting access to Telegram, another instant messaging app that is used by millions of people in Russia, including the military, top-level public officials, state media services and government bodies, such as the Kremlin and Roskomnadzor, the communications regulator.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists Thursday that the decision to block WhatsApp was made due to what he called violations of the law by the app’s parent company, without elaborating.

“Max is an affordable alternative on the market for citizens, a developing national messenger. Regarding the blocking of WhatsApp, our authorities did indeed state that the decision was made and implemented due to the corporation’s unwillingness to comply with the law,” Peskov said.

WhatsApp is owned by Meta (META), which also owns Facebook and Instagram.

Earlier on Thursday, WhatsApp put out a statement saying the Russian government had “attempted to fully block WhatsApp.” WhatsApp described it as an effort to “drive people to a state-owned surveillance app.”

The statement added: “Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia. We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected.”

CNN has contacted Meta to ask whether WhatsApp is now indeed fully blocked in Russia.

Some users in Russia reported Thursday being able to access WhatsApp using a VPN. But the Kremlin has increasingly cracked down on VPNs across the country, including restricting access to 439 VPN services in order to prevent the bypassing of state restrictions. In September, a law came into force banning the advertising of VPNs and other means of bypassing blocks on social media.

This is not the first time Russia has gone after the app. In August 2025, Roskomnadzor – a federal agency responsible for monitoring and controlling the country’s mass media – announced restrictions on video and voice calls via WhatsApp and Telegram “in order to counter criminals.” WhatsApp, in its turn, accused Russia of attempting to block access to the app for its Russian users.

Russia has already banned Facebook, Instagram and X.

Max is a homegrown messenger that Russia is pre-installing on all new devices as part of a broader push to replace foreign platforms.

Similarly to China’s WeChat, it is designed as an all-in-one super-app combining messaging, calls, payments and other services, allowing users to authenticate their identity for government platforms that provide public services. Critics have raised safety and privacy concerns about Max, warning that the app has excessive tracking capabilities and lacks strong encryption.

On Tuesday, the Russian government said it was restricting access to Telegram for the “protection of Russian citizens,” accusing the app of refusing to block content authorities consider “criminal and terrorist.”

The app’s

Por Gonzalo Jiménez, CNN en Español

Tanto el espectáculo de medio tiempo del Super Bowl LX del domingo como el álbum “Debí tirar más fotos” dejaron claro cuáles son las influencias musicales del artista puertorriqueño Bad Bunny.

Es una lista que incluye artistas de distintos géneros musicales, desde pioneros del reggaetón hasta leyendas de la salsa y la balada romántica.

A continuación, las figuras que han servido de referencia para el músico puertorriqueño.

Nacido en Puerto Rico en 1972, Tego Calderón fue mencionado expresamente por Bad Bunny durante su espectáculo de medio tiempo en el Super Bowl LX. Calderón es una de las principales figuras del reggaetón y el hip hop en la isla, con una carrera que comenzó hacia 1996, pero que tuvo su gran éxito en 2003 con el álbum “El Abayarde”. Los temas sociales y políticos son recurrentes en las letras de Calderón, lo que también se aprecia en “Debí tirar más fotos” de Bad Bunny.

Al igual que Tego Calderón, el género del reggaetón y el latin trap proporcionó otros dos artistas que han marcado la carrera de Bad Bunny. Es el caso de Vico C y de Daddy Yankee. A éste último, nacido en Puerto Rico en 1976, se le ha llamado “el rey del reggaetón” debido a la proyección internacional que le dio al género con su canción más conocida, “Gasolina”. Además, Daddy Yankee colaboró con Luis Fonsi en el éxito “Despacito”, en 2017, que se convirtió en la primera canción en español que llegó al puesto #1 de las listas Billboard desde “Macarena” de Los del Río en 1996.

En “Nuevayol”, la primera canción del álbum “Debí tirar más fotos”, Bad Bunny utiliza un “sample” de la canción “Un verano en Nueva York” por Andy Montañez y el Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Fundada en 1962 por Rafael Ithier, fallecido en diciembre de 2025, el Gran Combo es probablemente la agrupación de salsa más influyente de Puerto Rico, al punto que hay quien la llama “la universidad de la salsa” por el gran número de músicos que han pasado por sus filas. Varias generaciones han crecido escuchando su música en la isla.

Héctor Lavoe (1946-1993) es quizás el cantante de salsa puertorriqueño más influyente de la década de 1970, junto con Cheo Feliciano e Ismael Rivera. Tanto en sus álbumes solistas o como artistas invitado en la Fall All Stars, Lavoe grabó temas considerados clásicos en el género, como “El cantante”, “Periódico de ayer”, “Bandolera”, “El malo” y “Canto a Borinquen”, entre otros.

Bad Bunny también ha citado al cantautor mexicano Juan Gabriel (1950-2016), como un músico que siempre se escuchaba en su casa desde niño.

Nacido en la ciudad de Nueva York en 1971, pero criado en Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Elvis Crespo es uno de los intérpretes de merengue de finales de la década de 1990 e inicios de los años 2000. “Suavemente” fue su primer éxito en todo el continente. Ademas de Crespo, Bad Bunny también ha mencionado la influencia de otros artistas del género tropical, como Don Omar y Wisin & Yandel.

Bad Bunny invitó a Lady Gaga a su espectáculo de medio tiempo del Super Bowl LX, pues ha reconocido que es fan de su música y que la usa como referencia a la hora de concebir sus presentaciones en concierto. Además, el músico puertorriqueño ha dicho que también gusta de las música rock y pop, como la de las agrupaciones Blink-182 y Gorillaz.

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By Lex Harvey, Sandi Sidhu, Chris Lau, CNN

(CNN) — The suspect in Canada’s Tumbler Ridge mass shooting posted about guns and hunting on her YouTube channel and appeared to have written about her struggles with mental health online, according to social media posts.

Canadian police named 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar as the shooter who killed her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother before opening fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, killing five students and a teacher and then fatally shooting herself. Police are still investigating and have not determined a motive.

Van Rootselaar, who was transgender, transitioned about six years ago, according to police. She was a resident of the remote town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and had dropped out of school about four years ago.

According to social media posts, verified by CNN, Van Rootselaar had access to guns and was enthusiastic about hunting.

Jennifer Strang, the suspected shooter’s mother, posted a photo to Facebook in 2024 of a cabinet holding what appears to be six hunting rifles, with the caption “Think it’s time to take them out for some target practice.”

Van Rootselaar spoke about hunting and guns on a YouTube channel, according to a 2021 Facebook post by Strang.

Strang posted a link to what she described as Van Rootselaar’s YouTube channel, which contains “posts about hunting, self-reliance, guns and stuff (she) likes to do.” Strang encouraged her friends to check it out and subscribe.

That YouTube channel had been taken down as of Thursday. An archived search showed several videos posted on it with titles related to firearms.

A Reddit user with the same username as the YouTube channel, and whose activity is consistent with the channel and the age of the suspected shooter, posted a video in 2023 of themself using a gun at a firing range.

While Canada has far stricter gun laws than the US, it is legal to own certain types of guns with a valid license. Children between 12 and 17 can use a firearm for an approved purpose such as hunting or target practice with a Minor’s License.

Police recovered two firearms, a long gun and a modified handgun at the scene on Tuesday, though neither was registered to Van Rootselaar, whose license expired in 2024.

Hunting is a common pastime in Tumbler Ridge, Rev. Gerald Krauss of the town’s New Life Assembly Church told CNN.

The small town is best known for its nature and is surrounded by wildlife including deer, moose, elk, wolves, and grizzly and black bears.

The community is no stranger to guns but a fatal shooting was “brand new,” according to Krauss. “Everybody hunts and no one did something stupid,” he said, calling them “very responsible people who live here.”

Police seized firearms from Van Rootselaar’s residence a couple of years ago but later returned them when the owner petitioned for them, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Wednesday. Police did not specify the owner of the firearms.

McDonald said police had also visited Van Rootselaar multiple times in recent