Olympic outrage erupts after Team USA skiers’ comments on representing America
American freestyle skiers are facing intense backlash on social media after comments made about representing the United States at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics amid the Trump administration’s recent immigration enforcement operations in the U.S.
Speaking to the media ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony, several members of Team USA’s freestyle ski team spoke out about representing the U.S. as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations continue to be carried out during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Two-time Olympian and Olympic gold medalist Chris Lillis said that while he “would never” want to represent another country in the Games, he’s “heartbroken” over the administration’s actions.
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“I love the USA. I would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics. With that being said, a lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things.
“I feel heartbroken about what’s happening in the United States. I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE and some of the protests and things like that,” he continued. “I think that, as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody, with love and respect. I hope that when people look at athletes compete in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America we’re trying to represent.”
First-time Olympian Hunter Hess echoed that sentiment but took it further, saying he has “mixed emotions” about representing the U.S. in these Games.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.
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“I think, for me, it’s more I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.
“I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here.”
The remarks elicited a strong response from Team USA supporters on social media.
“The anti-ICE, liberal athletes are already insufferable at the Olympics,” one comment said, in part. “If you’re not proud to represent the red, white, & blue, stay home.”
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“Chris Lillis and Hunter Hess should be sent back home immediately,” another user wrote. “They have insulted our entire nation on the world stage and should no longer be allowed to represent us.”
“You shouldn’t be representing the U.S.A. if you hate it here,” another post said. “So tired of this Anti-American rhetoric.”
Hess is competing in the men’s freeski halfpipe, and Lillis is competing in men’s aerials.
Frontman for massive 2000s rock band dead at 47 following cancer battle
Brad Arnold, the lead singer and founding member of the popular rock band 3 Doors Down, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 47.
According to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Arnold “passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in his sleep after his courageous battle with cancer,” on Saturday, Feb. 7.
“As a founding member, vocalist, and original drummer of 3 Doors Down, Brad helped redefine mainstream rock music, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners,” the statement read.
The statement went on to praise Arnold’s songwriting, which “became a cultural touchstone for a generation.”
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The band’s breakout hit, “Kryptonite,” was written by Arnold “in his math class when he was just 15 years old,” the statement said. “His music reverberated far beyond the stage, creating moments of connection, joy, faith, and shared experiences that will live on long after the stages he performed on.”
“Above all, he was a devoted husband to Jennifer, and his kindness, humor, and generosity touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. Those closest to him will remember not only his talent, but his warmth, humility, faith, and deep love for his family and friends.”
The statement concluded by expressing how “deeply grateful” his family is “for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time,” and asked for privacy.
“He will be deeply missed and forever remembered,” the statement ended.
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The band also shared the statement on X, with many fans sharing their heartbreak in the comment sections.
“What a loss but we are very fortunate to have had Brad and y’all’s music grace our lives. Prayers to Brad’s family and the band,” one fan wrote, while another added, “There will never be another soothing voice as his.. 3 Doors Down music is one of the greatest! Prayers for his family at this time.”
Arnold first announced he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in May 2025. He posted a video on Instagram in which he told his fans, “I’ve got some not-so-good news for you today.”
The Mississippi native explained that he got checked out at a hospital after feeling sick a couple of weeks before, which was when doctors diagnosed him with clear cell renal cell carcinoma “that had metastasized into my lung.”
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Later in the video, he assured his fans that he isn’t afraid of the diagnosis, but added that they would have to force them to cancel all upcoming performances for their tour at the time.
“Thank you for all the memories so far. Now, I believe ‘ITS NOT MY TIME’ is really my song,” he wrote in the caption of the video. “This’ll be a battle so we need our prayers warriors! Thank y’all for being the best fans in the world. We love y’all!”
3 Doors Down was founded in 1996 by Arnold and his bandmates Todd Harrell and Matt Roberts while they were still in high school. Their debut album, “The Better Life,” was released in 2000 and was a huge success, and featured many of their hits, including “Kryptonite,” “Loser” and “Be Like That.”
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Washington Post CEO steps down following tense backlash over layoffs
Washington Post CEO and publisher Will Lewis announced he is stepping down amid the mounting backlash he has faced in recent days after the paper announced mass layoffs.
“After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside,” Lewis said in a memo to staff Saturday, shared on X by Washington Post reporter Matt Viser. “I want to thank Jeff Bezos for this support and leadership throughout my tenure as CEO and Publisher. The institution could not have a better owner.”
Lewis continued, “During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day.”
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Jeff D’Onofrio, who joined the paper last June as its Chief Financial Officer, has been tapped as its acting CEO and publisher effective immediately, according to a press release from the Post.
“The Post’s resolute commitment to writing the first rough draft of history anchors and imprints its future,” D’Onofrio said in the press release. “I am honored to become part of charting that future and to take the lead in securing both the legacy and business of this fierce, storied American institution.”
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In a statement, Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos said, “The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity. Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus. Jeff, along with [Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray and opinion editor Adam O’Neal], are positioned to lead The Post into an exciting and thriving next chapter.”
Lewis, as well as Bezos, drew intense backlash for appearing absent as Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray was tasked to announce sweeping layoffs Wednesday that impacted a third of all employees.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Murray defended both Bezos and Lewis.
“The first time I heard the words ‘Save the Post’ used, it was from the mouth of Jeff Bezos,” Murray said, pointing to his exchange with New York Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin in December 2024. “I think people have different definitions of what that means but together, we all share the common desire for a thriving Post that’s growing again, that’s on sounder financial footing and in a good position to become more relevant to people’s lives. And that’s what we’re all trying to get to.”
“Will has been engaged with me very closely on this for a long time,” Murray said of Lewis. “And there were a lot of things that the company did and Will was engaged with all across the company, and I wasn’t. He had a lot of things to tend to today.”
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Lewis’ tenure at the Post got off to a rocky start when he bluntly told staff, “People are not reading your stuff.”
“We are going to turn this thing around, but let’s not sugarcoat it. It needs turning around,” Lewis said during a June 2024 meeting. “We are losing large amounts of money. Your audience has halved in recent years. People are not reading your stuff. Right. I can’t sugarcoat it anymore.”
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Washington Post staffers previously spoke about his lack of presence in the newsroom, particularly after he made those comments.
Lewis further inflamed backlash against him following the layoffs after he was spotted at a pre-Super Bowl event Thursday in San Francisco.
Police sergeant convicted after cooler throw killed suspect fleeing drug bust
A New York City Police Department (NYPD) sergeant who fatally threw a plastic cooler at a scooter-riding suspect fleeing a drug bust was convicted of manslaughter on Friday.
Sgt. Erik Duran, 38, was found guilty of the August 2023 death of Eric Duprey, who was speeding away from undercover police along a sidewalk in the Bronx after allegedly being busted for selling them $20 worth of cocaine, trial testimony revealed, the New York Post reported.
Duran became the first NYPD officer found guilty of a crime for killing someone while on duty in New York City in a decade, the Post reported. He faces up to 15 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19.
The case was decided by a judge rather than a jury after Duran waived his right to a jury trial.
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The case was prosecuted by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office, which has jurisdiction over police-involved deaths under a 2015 state law.
Surveillance video shows Duprey driving on a sidewalk toward a group of people who do not appear to be in uniform.
As he approaches, the video shows Duran picking up a red object — the cooler — and throwing it at the motorcyclist’s head from close range. Duprey then loses control and is thrown toward a tree as the motorcycle veers into the street. The bike then smashes into a metal barricade before coming to rest against a parked car. He was pronounced dead minutes after the crash, police said.
Duprey had fled as plainclothes narcotics unit officers tried to arrest him on suspicion of selling drugs in what’s known as a “buy-and-bust” operation, according to police.
Bronx Supreme Court Judge Guy Mitchell announced the verdict Friday afternoon in a courtroom filled with police officers on one side and Duprey’s relatives, friends and activists on the other, the New York Post reported. Court officers separated the groups.
Duran looked down at the defense table as the verdict was read while Duprey’s mother, Gretchen Soto, and his partner, Pearl Velez — the mother of his two children — cried in the gallery.
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“I never lost faith. I always was, you know…that justice is going to happen,” Velez told reporters afterward.
Following the conviction, Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) President Vincent Vallelong issued a statement calling the verdict a “miscarriage of justice” and stating it sends a “terrible message” to officers who use force in defense.
“We vigorously maintain Sergeant Duran’s innocence,” Vallelong said. “The verdict rendered by Judge Mitchell is clearly against the weight of the credible evidence.”
“Verdicts such as this send a terrible message to hard-working cops: Should you use force to defend yourself, your fellow police officers or the citizens of the city, no matter how justified your actions, you risk criminal charges and conviction,” Vallelong added.
According to the Post, Duran testified in his own defense, claiming he threw the cooler to protect fellow officers.
“I thought he was going to kill my guys,” Duran said during the three-week trial.
Judge Mitchell rejected that argument, ruling Duran was not justified in using deadly force.
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“After consideration of all evidence, the people proved beyond all reasonable doubt that this defendant was not justified,” the judge said.
Duran joined the NYPD in 2010 and has been recognized by the department dozens of times for what it deems excellent and meritorious police service, according to a police personnel database. Duran’s disciplinary record includes a substantiated complaint in 2022 for abusing his authority during a stop, according to the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board.
Bad Bunny walks back language demands after fierce conservative backlash
Bad Bunny is backing down from a comment he made in October, saying that critics of his upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance needed to learn Spanish.
“I’m really excited to be doing the Super Bowl. I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” he said on “Saturday Night Live,” before teasing his critics in Spanish.
“If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
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But this week, during an appearance in San Francisco’s Moscone Center, Bad Bunny said learning Spanish was not necessary.
“I know I told them they had four months to learn Spanish — they don’t even have to learn Spanish. They (can) learn to dance,” Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, said to a jam-packed crowd.
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Bad Bunny, who has been Spotify’s most-streamed artist four times in the last six years, got the nod in September. His 2022 album, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” is the app’s most-streamed album of all time, and he has more than 51 million followers on Instagram.
The artist received both praise and backlash for his “ICE out” comments at the Grammys earlier this week. Bad Bunny said last fall he decided to do his residency show in his native Puerto Rico and didn’t book any U.S. dates on his tour over fears his fans would be detained by ICE agents.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said he will avoid Bad Bunny’s performance in the “Woke Bowl.”
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“And we’ve got Bad Bunny, or Bad Rabbit, at halftime. I’ll be watching the (Turning Point USA) halftime show. It’s just unfortunate we’ve gotten to this point.”
Melissa Joan Hart dropped 20 pounds by cutting two things in her ‘longevity journey’
Cutting two simple things from her diet helped Melissa Joan Hart shed nearly 20 pounds, she revealed in a recent interview.
The actress, best known for her roles in “Clarissa Explains It All” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” lost about 18 pounds after cutting sugar and alcohol as part of what she described as a “longevity journey,” she told People earlier this month.
“I just wanted to feel better. It had nothing to do with losing weight,” Hart, 49, said at Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler’s Grammy viewing party Feb. 1 in Los Angeles.
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“I really didn’t think I could lose weight anymore, being in midlife and perimenopause.”
Weight gain during perimenopause and menopause is common, according to the Mayo Clinic, as hormonal changes, aging and lifestyle factors slow metabolism and shift fat toward the belly. But staying active, maintaining a healthy diet, limiting added sugars and alcohol and prioritizing sleep can help minimize weight gain in midlife, experts say.
Hart said her main focus was on improving how she felt, and it has worked.
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“I actually feel stronger and better than I have in a really long time,” she said.
Hart said it began by working out more intensely and paying closer attention to her lifestyle. In the process, she discovered intermittent fasting and decided to eliminate sugar and alcohol.
She added that giving up alcohol was an easy decision.
“I just don’t even enjoy drinking. So why bother?” Hart said. “So, I cut these things out of my life, and I started to feel better. And in doing that, I lost a lot of weight and kind of feel great.”
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Cutting back on added sugar and alcohol can reduce excess calorie intake and lower the risk of weight gain, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, liver damage and certain cancers, while supporting better overall metabolic health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hart also shared that staying hydrated has been a challenge for her over the years, joking that her husband, musician Mark Wilkerson, notices her dislike for drinking water.
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“My husband says when I drink a glass of water, I make a face like it’s the most disgusting thing on earth,” she said. “I’m sipping on it, like, ‘Eww.'”
Instead, the mom of three said she often reaches for club soda with lime or tea.
“I’ll do hot tea, cold tea, green tea, peppermint tea — any kind of tea,” she said.
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Hart, who turns 50 in April, joins other celebrities who have recently credited cutting alcohol and other lifestyle changes for improved health and weight loss, according to reports.
Last year, Russell Crowe said cutting back on alcohol played a major role in his 57-pound transformation, and “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness has also spoken out about cutting down on booze and focusing on overall health.
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Country singer Jelly Roll has credited long-term wellness and mental health support for his dramatic weight loss, while Matt Damon recently said cutting certain foods, including gluten, helped him slim down for film roles.
Baker Mayfield warns NFL after ‘disappointing’ season, awaits call from Falcons
SAN FRANCISCO – Believe it or not, it was not that long ago that Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, the first and third picks of the 2018 NFL Draft, were teammates competing for a starting job with the Carolina Panthers. Less than four years later, all three parties have found major success.
Mayfield figured himself out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Carolina Panthers made the playoffs with Bryce Young and Darnold will be playing in the Super Bowl Sunday.
In a sit-down interview with Fox News Digital during Super Bowl media week, Mayfield admitted the entire situation was “interesting.” But as someone who has a similar journey to Darnold, he can’t help but root for him.
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“I’m so happy for Sam, having similar stories and journeys, really happy for him. He’s fought through and come out better on the other side. He’s found a home in Seattle. Hopefully, they get it done for his sake,” Mayfield said.
“In Carolina, not every situation is right for it. We were there together, different staff, different GM, all that. Then you hire Dave Canales. I know he’s going to help Bryce Young develop and make him become a better player. When you have belief like that, and it starts to change the culture after it’s been bad for a few years, that’s the confidence that people — you don’t want to underestimate that.”
That’s exactly what happened to Mayfield, who never quite found his footing with the Cleveland Browns, then went to Carolina before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams to back up Matthew Stafford for less than half a season. Then he had big shoes to fill by replacing Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, but it’s all worked out.
“It just takes being in the right fit and understanding as a QB what system you want to be in, and you have to be able to be on the same page with everybody,” Mayfield said. “Through all the ups and downs, don’t lose your self-confidence and understanding that as long as I can learn something from each opportunity, good things will happen.”
Mayfield admittedly is a guy who holds grudges. He had some things to say about former Panthers head coach Steve Wilks earlier in the season, and he took a shot at new Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski, his first NFL coach, last week.
Mayfield took exception to a tweet from an Atlanta-based journalist who wrote about Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland, specifically the number of quarterbacks he had to work with because none seemed to stick. The writer said Mayfield “failed” in Cleveland.
“Failed is quite the reach pal,” Mayfield responded on X, referencing a note from the reporter who said Mayfield and Deshaun Watson, who remains on the Browns’ roster, failed in Cleveland. “Still waiting on a text/call from [Stefanski] after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.”
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“For me, anytime, whether it’s a good relationship or bad relationship, if you’re familiar with the person, you want to win. Because you’re probably gonna run into them later on down the road, and you want to have the last laugh always. As a competitor, you never want to lose, but you definitely never want to lose to somebody that you know really well.”
Mayfield said teammates reached out “pretty quick” after Stefanski signed with the Bucs’ division rival, “but it’s February. We got a long way to go.”
No grudge can ever be held against Mayfield’s childhood favorite, Sonic, however. Mayfield recently partnered with the fast-food brand in what is a full-circle deal.
“Growing up in Texas, Sonic’s been fantastic for me. It’s where we used to hang out when you’re younger. Nothing else to do, go to a side parking lot and just hang out. And playing college football in Oklahoma, and the headquarters are in Oklahoma City. So, it’s one of those things and connections everywhere,” Mayfield said.
“Big burger guy, so the Sonic Smasher, it’s hard to beat, to be honest with you. I don’t really have to sell it. People try it and it speaks for itself.
“I can go back to elementary school, my dad would come in and surprise me, drop off Sonic for lunch. It was the best day in the world. Every kid would look at me pretty jealous.”
This was the first season since before Brady the Bucs missed out on the playoffs. It came down to watching the Falcons and New Orleans Saints to see whether the Bucs or Mayfield’s former Panthers would win the division. When the Panthers won, the season turned “really disappointing.”
“You’re rooting for a team, but you have no control over a game. I cannot do that full-time. It’s hard to do,” he said.
But with a healthy offensive line, another year of Emeka Egbuka and a full season of Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving, Mayfield is putting out a warning.
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“It starts up front. This is not a pity party or an excuse, but we never had our, on paper, our certified O-linemen. They didn’t even take a snap together. So, that’s tough. NFL, it starts and ends with the big guys up front, whether it’s offensive line, defensive line, game’s always won in the trenches.
“Those guys set the tone for the whole game for the team. So, when you don’t have your five studs consistently playing together, those guys get in a groove together, and they can change the course of the season,” Mayfield said.
“Hopefully, having those guys back and being healthy will be a big difference for us. And, for me, just continue to develop our young receivers and get on the same page with whoever we got.”
Liberal senator demands photo ID at events while opposing voter verification
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is asking attendees at a Saturday campaign event to show government-issued photo ID — even while opposing similar standards for voters in federal elections.
Email confirmation information for an Ossoff rally in Atlanta detailed that “a matching government-issued ID will be verified against the RSVP list by name to enter.”
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., who is running against Ossoff for a Senate seat in 2026, blasted what he called a double-standard.
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“Typical Jon Ossoff to say one thing and do another. It’s ridiculous that Jon Ossoff would require a government ID to listen to him speak about why you shouldn’t need a government ID to vote,” Collins said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Ossoff’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
In the wake of election security concerns highlighted by President Donald Trump in previous years, Republicans across Congress have made demands for tighter voter registration standards.
Most recently, lawmakers led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., have called for the passage of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
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In its current form, the SAVE Act would embed proof of citizenship requirements into existing voter-registration pathways and require states to conduct stricter audits of their voter rolls. The bill also defines documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and links it to some form of photo ID.
It is currently illegal for noncitizens to participate in federal elections, although Republicans maintain that the standard is applied inconsistently, leading to easily-exploitable election vulnerabilities.
Democrats like Ossoff have blasted the legislation, arguing that it would only make it harder for people with limited access to photo ID to participate in elections.
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“This is a nakedly partisan, totally unworkable, bad-faith bill cynically intended to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters,” Ossoff said in a statement on the SAVE Act as the bill made its way through the House of Representatives last year.
An earlier version of the SAVE already passed the House in April 2025, attracting bipartisan support in a 216-208 vote. Four Democrats joined Republicans to pass the bill.
Despite Ossoff’s previous opposition to the SAVE Act, his campaign event framed the requirement for photo ID as a security measure.
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“Due to security requirements … be ready to show ID that matches our RSVP list and these arrival instructions (printed or on your phone),” the campaign event’s confirmation email read.
The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation reaches the chamber floor, is expected to consider an updated version of the SAVE Act in the House of Representatives on Monday.
Scientists discover 430,000-year-old wooden artifacts that survived against all odds
Archaeologists uncovered what they believe are the oldest wooden tools ever discovered, dating back hundreds of thousands of years, according to a new study.
The tools were found in Greece’s Megalopolis basin, a low-lying valley in southern Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula.
Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in late January, the study estimates the tools could be around 430,000 years old, though the exact age is unknown.
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The tools “represent the earliest handheld wooden tools and include a new tool type,” according to an abstract of the study obtained by Fox News Digital.
The finds “demonstrate the importance of systematic investigation of early wood remains,” the abstract also says.
The area where the tools were found was covered by wetlands and lakes hundreds of thousands of years ago.
One of them — a stick — measures around 2½ feet long. It was likely used for digging in mud, while the other is a small handheld chunk of wood that may have been used to shape stone tools.
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Because wood rots very quickly, few ancient tools of this type survive.
The recently found tools were covered in sediment and preserved by the surrounding wet environment.
Modern humans didn’t exist back then, leading scientists to believe the tools may have been used by Neanderthals or other early human ancestors.
Annemieke Milks, an archaeologist at the University of Reading and author of the study, said she was “thrilled to be able to touch these objects.”
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Another archaeologist was cautious about the find.
Jarod Hutson of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History told The Associated Press the tools’ purposes remain unclear.
“It’s difficult to get excited about these because they don’t strike you immediately as wooden tools,” cautioned Hutson, who was not involved in the study.
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“We don’t know what they were used for.”
The artifact joins other prehistoric finds that have surprised archaeologists in recent months.
Last month, archaeologists announced the discovery of cave art dating back about 68,000 years in a cave on a tropical island in central Indonesia.
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Researchers also recently identified the oldest-known poisoned arrowheads, estimating that they are roughly 60,000 years old.