By Jeff Zeleny, Arlette Saenz, CNN

(CNN) — The Republican National Committee voted Friday to hold a midterm political convention, launching an unusual GOP festival that President Donald Trump will headline in hopes of rallying supporters to focus on the critical fall fight for control of Congress.

To fulfill Trump’s wish of staging a political convention later this year, Republican leaders had to change party rules that previously only called for a convention during presidential election years. They did so by unanimously passing a resolution Friday during the party’s winter meeting in Santa Barbara, California, an RNC official said.

A memo obtained by CNN said the rule change allows for the “possibility of an America First midterm convention-style gathering aligned with President Trump’s vision for energizing the party this fall.”

For months, the president has been signaling his interest in holding a 2026 political convention, saying last year the event would “show the great things we have done since the Presidential Election of 2024.”

The new rule requires the convention be called at least 60 days in advance. The White House will determine the date and location in the coming weeks, GOP officials said, with Las Vegas among the cities under serious consideration.

The decision to hold the first GOP political convention during a non-presidential election year underscores the degree to which Republicans are placing Trump at the center of the party’s strategy and attempting to nationalize midterm races.

The stakes are remarkably high for Trump. In his first term, Republicans lost control of the House after the 2018 midterms, allowing the Democratic-run House to open impeachment proceedings the following year and probes of his finances, his businesses and the operations of the White House.

“You gotta win the midterms,” Trump said, speaking at a retreat for Republican lawmakers earlier this month in Washington. “If we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be be – I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me.”

Democrats are counting on Trump to motivate their voters too. They hold a 5-point advantage in the generic congressional ballot, the same edge they had in polling at a similar point in 2018. And Trump has lost significant standing since his second inauguration with independent voters and key voting blocs, with a recent CNN poll finding a majority of Americans consider his first year in office to have been a failure.

Democrats also have floated holding a midterm convention but a final decision has not been made. They last held a midterm convention more than four decades ago.

GOP officials acknowledge the potential risks of putting Trump at the center of their midterm election fight. But they say their best chances in November rely upon Trump motivating his base, particularly those who may not otherwise vote in the 2026 contests.

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, is a leading proponent of that argument.

“Typically in the midterms it’s not about who’s sitting at the White House. You localize the election, and you keep the federal officials out of it,” Wiles said in an interview last year with “The Mom View,” a cons

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - After three seasons as head coach of the UCSB women's volleyball team, Matt Jones has taken an associate head coaching position at USC.

In his first season leading UCSB Jones was the Big West Coach of the Year in 2023, guiding the Gauchos to a league title at 17-1 and an NCAA Tournament berth.

This past season the Gauchos tied for second in the Big West with a 14-4 league mark.

Jones finished with an overall record of 64-30 in his three seasons as head coach of UCSB.

The search for a new Gauchos head coach is underway.

Prior to Jones leaving, the Gauchos did lose standout Eva Travis who transferred to Wisconsin.

The outside hitter was All-Big West Second Team this past season after claiming Big West Freshman of the Year honors in 2024.

The post UCSB Volleyball loses head coach Matt Jones to USC, Travis transfers to Wisconsin appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By CNN Lead Meteorologist Brandon Miller

(CNN) — A major winter storm, one of the most extreme and expansive in years, is starting to develop over the Plains and will impact much of the United States.

Over the next few days, the storm will drop up to a foot of snow and crippling amounts of ice over an area spanning 2,000 miles from Texas to New England.

Here’s a look at what to expect in a few major cities in the path of the storm. All times are in eastern.

Dallas

Dallas will get mostly ice from this storm, though it will experience all types of precipitation over the next 48 hours, including rain, ice and sleet.

Sporadic rain Friday will turn to freezing rain and ice around midnight that will continue off and on until Sunday morning. An inch or two of snow could then fall on top of the ice Sunday morning.

When will precipitation fall?

• Rain: Friday 9 a.m. – Saturday 12 a.m.

• Freezing rain: Saturday 12 a.m. – Sunday 6 a.m.

• Snow: Sunday 6 a.m. – Sunday 12 a.m.

Peak impact timing:

• Freezing rain: Saturday 3 a.m. – Sunday 3 a.m.

• Snow: Sunday 6 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Storm totals:

• Ice: 0.25 – 0.50 inches

• Snow: 1 – 3 inches

Memphis

Cities like Memphis that are between the storm’s expansive footprint of snow and ice will likely switch back and forth between the two as temperatures change both at the ground level and higher up in the atmosphere.

Snow will likely begin early Saturday morning before changing over to sleet and freezing rain on Saturday afternoon. Freezing rain will continue and off until Sunday afternoon before a quick changeover back to snow as the colder air rushes in.

When will precipitation fall?

• Snow: Saturday 4 a.m. – Saturday 2 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.

• Freezing rain: Saturday 4 p.m. – Sunday 12 p.m.

Peak impact timing:

• Freezing rain: Saturday 4 p.m. – Sunday 8 a.m.

• Snow: Saturday 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Storm totals:

• Ice: 0.25 – 0.75 inches

• Snow and sleet: 2 – 4 inches

Atlanta

Atlanta is also on the edge between precipitation types, but between rain and freezing rain instead of ice and snow. Some light rain on Saturday will likely changeover to freezing rain Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Warmer air should change it back into rain on Sunday afternoon before the really cold air moves in Monday morning.

When will precipitation fall?

• Rain: Saturday 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – Sunday 10 p.m.
• Freezing rain: Saturday 10 p.m. – Sunday 10 a.m.

Peak impact timing:

• Freezing rain: Saturday 10 p.m. – Sunday 10 a.m.

Storm totals:

• Ice: 0.1 – 0.3 inches

Louisville

If you like snow, Louisville will be one of the big winners in this storm. The city will be just north of the freezing rain line so it s

Por Pau Mosquera, CNN en Español

La Fiscalía de la Audiencia Nacional de España decidió archivar las diligencias de investigación preprocesales que abrió contra el artista español Julio Iglesias, pocas semanas después de anunciar su apertura, le dijeron a CNN desde el propio Ministerio Público.

La decisión se produce después de que la Fiscalía tomó declaración por vía telemática a las dos denunciantes entre el 21 y el 22 de enero y consideró que no es competente para investigar los delitos por los que fue denunciado dado que no existen vínculos relevantes con España. Entre otros motivos, alega que las víctimas son extranjeras y no residen en este país, que el presunto autor tampoco se encuentra en el país y que los hechos pueden investigarse donde ocurrieron (República Dominicana y Bahamas).

Por tanto, la Fiscalía sugiere que los hechos deben ser perseguidos por los Estados directamente competentes.

Iglesias fue denunciado a inicios de este mes por dos exempleadas suyas que alegan haber sido víctimas de hechos “que podrían constituir un delito de trata de seres humanos con fines de imposición de trabajo forzado y servidumbre”, “delitos contra la libertad y la indemnidad sexuales tales como acoso sexual”, así como un delito de lesiones y delitos contra los derechos de los trabajadores, según informa Women’s Link Worldwide, organización que ejerce la asistencia letrada de las denunciantes.

Las acciones denunciadas se habrían producido entre enero y octubre de 2021 mientras trabajaban en las propiedades de Iglesias en República Dominicana y Bahamas, e incluyen “distintas formas de violencia, sexual, psicológica, física y económica”, señala Women’s Link en un comunicado.

CNN contactó a Women’s Link Worldwide para obtener su reacción al archivo de la denuncia.

Por su parte, Iglesias negó las acusaciones y aseguró que todo se iba a aclarar.

The-CNN-Wire
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The post La Fiscalía española archiva la investigación contra Julio Iglesias por presunta agresión sexual appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Kara Fox, CNN

London (CNN) — A British man pleaded guilty on Friday to drugging and raping his former wife over a 13-year period.

Philip Young admitted 48 of the 56 charges against him, pleading guilty to 14 counts of voyeurism, 11 of rape, and 11 of administering a substance with “intent to stupefy” his then-wife, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

He also admitted to seven counts of assault by penetration, four of sexual assault against his former spouse and one of publishing obscene articles, prosecutors said.

Young has also been charged with voyeurism, possession of indecent images of children and possession of extreme images. He denied three charges of making indecent images of children, pleaded not guilty to possessing a prohibited image of child, and not guilty to four charges of possessing an extreme pornographic images – including one defined as image portraying an act which threatens life.

The alleged offences took place between 2010 and 2023.

The 49-year-old former local elected official from Britain’s Conservative Party entered his pleas in front of his former spouse Joanne Young at Winchester Crown Court, in southern England, on Friday.

Joanne Young, who waived her automatic legal right to anonymity, was supported by her sister and a member of witness support in court.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Geoff Smith lauded Joanne Young’s bravery on Friday, saying: “I want to pay tribute to her for her incredible bravery throughout this process and she continues to be supported by specially trained officers.”

Five other men were also charged with sexual offences against Joanne Young, four of whom appeared in court Friday.

Norman Macksoni, 47, who was charged with one count of rape and possession of extreme images, pleaded not guilty to rape. Conner Sanderson Doyle, 31, who was charged with sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching pleaded not guilty. Richard Wilkins, 61, who faces one count of rape and sexual touching, pleaded not guilty to sexual touching. Mohammed Hassan, 37, who was charged with sexual touching, pleaded not guilty.

Dean Hamilton, also 47, is facing one count of rape and sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual touching. He has not entered a plea.

Cases of marital rape, the use of substances to incapacitate victims and non consensual image sharing of intimate images continue to proliferate across Europe.

Last month, a 61-year-old German man identified as Fernando P., was found guilty of drugging and raping his unconscious wife for years and sharing video of his crimes online.

They draw comparisons to the case of Dominique Pelicot in France – who solicited dozens of strangers from a chatroom for a near 10-year period to rape and abuse his then-wife Gisèle.

In December 2024, he and fourty-nine other men were all found guilty of rape or sexual assault in a case that shocked the world and sparked a cultural reckoning on gender-based violence and misogyny in France.

CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Saskya Vandoorne and Niamh Kenne