Zelenskiy says Ukraine getting ready for new peace talks next week

Jan 31 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine was waiting for more information from the United ​States about further peace talks and expected new meetings ‌to take place next week.

Zelenskiy's statement during his nightly video address appeared to ‌suggest that a meeting scheduled for Sunday in the United Arab Emirates between representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States would not take place. The three sides held a round of talks ⁠a week ago.

"We are ‌in constant communication with the American side and are expecting specific details from them regarding further meetings," ‍Zelenskiy said.

"Ukraine is ready to work in all working formats. It is important that there be results and that the meetings take place. We ​are counting on meetings next week and are preparing for ‌them."

Advertisement

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff led a team of representatives in talks in Florida on Saturday with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev and described the discussions as "productive and constructive."

The U.S. has been spearheading diplomatic efforts to end the war, launched nearly four years ago by ⁠the Kremlin's invasion of its smaller ​neighbour.

Witkoff has singled out the question ​of territory as the key to making progress in the negotiations, with Kyiv rejecting Moscow's demand that it ‍cede all of ⁠the Donbas region, including areas its army has not captured.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said this week that land ⁠was not the sole key issue under discussion but did not identify ‌other unresolved issues.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar; editing ‌by Diane Craft, Rod Nickel)

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

Zelenskiy says Ukraine getting ready for new peace talks next week

Jan 31 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine was waiting for more information from the ...

Read More

From Elon Musk to the former Prince Andrew, a who’s who of powerful men are named in Epstein files

NEW YORK (AP) — From tech titans to Wall Street power brokers and British royalty, a who's who of powerful men make appearances in the hugetrove of documentsreleased Friday by the Justice Department in connection with its investigations ofJeffrey Epstein.

Many have denied having close ties to the late financier, or at least having anything to do with his alleged sexual abuse of girls and young women that led to his arrest on sex trafficking charges.

None have been charged with a crime connected to the investigation. Epsteinkilled himself in a Manhattan jail cellin 2019. Yet some of them maintained friendships with Epstein, or developed them anew, even after he became known as a predator of young girls and registered sex offender.

Here's a primer on some of the notable names in the Epstein files:

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The man formerly known as Britain'sPrince Andrewhas long been dogged by questions about his relationship with Epstein, including allegations from the lateVirginia Roberts Giuffrethat she was trafficked by Epstein and instructed to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17.

The former prince has repeatedly deniedthat it happened, but his brother, King Charles III, stillstripped him of his royal titleslate last year, including the right to be called a prince and the Duke of York.

Mountbatten-Windsor's name appears at least several hundred times in Friday's document release, including in Epstein's private emails.

Among the correspondence is aninvitation for Epsteinto dine at Buckingham Palace, Epstein's offer to introduce Mountbatten-Windsor to a 26-year-old Russian woman, and photos that appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over an unidentified woman lying on the floor.

The billionaireTeslafounder turns up at least a few times in Friday's document release, notably in email exchanges in 2012 and 2013 in which he discussed visiting Epstein's infamous Caribbean island compound.

But it's not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk's companies, Tesla and X, didn't respond to emails seeking comment Friday or Saturday.

Muskhas maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financier's overtures. "Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED," he posted on X in 2025.

Steven Tisch

The New York Giants co-owner is mentioned more than 400 times in the files released Friday. Correspondence between the two shows Epstein offered to connect Tisch to numerous women over the years.

In one 2013 email exchange with the subject line "Ukrainian girl," Epstein encouraged Tisch to contact a particular woman, whose physical beauty he praised in crude terms.

"Pro or civilian?" Tisch asked in reply.

Tisch, a scion of a powerful New York family that founded the Loews Corporation, has acknowledged knowing Epstein butdenied ever goingto his infamous Caribbean island.

"We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments," said Tisch, who also won anAcademy Awardin 1994 for producing "Forrest Gump." "As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with."

Howard Lutnick

President Donald Trump's commerce secretary visited Epstein's private Caribbean island with his family on at least one occasion, records released Friday show.

That appears to contradict prior statements he's made claiming he cut ties with the disgraced financier, who he's called "gross," decades ago.

But emails show Lutnick and his wife accepted an invitation to Little St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands in December 2012 and planned to arrive by yacht with their children.

The former chairman of Newmark, a major commercial real estate firm, also had drinks on another occasion in 2011 with Epstein and corresponded with him about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.

The Commerce Department, in a statement, said Lutnick had "limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing."

Sergey Brin

The billionaire Google co-founder made plans to meet with Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell at his townhouse in New York years before he was publicly accused of sexually abusing underage girls, emails show.

In one exchange in 2003, Maxwell invited him to join her at a screening of the Renee Zellweger film "Down with Love" in New York.

She followed up a few weeks later to invite him to a "happily casual and relaxed" dinner at Epstein's house. Brin offered to bring along Google's then-CEO Eric Schmidt.

Spokespersons for Google didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.

Steve Bannon

The one-time adviser to Trump exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Epstein, some sent months before his 2019 arrest and jailhouse suicide.

The two discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epstein's reputation.

One 2018 exchange, for example, focused on Trump's threats at the time to oust Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. In a 2019 message, Bannon asked Epstein if he could supply his plane to pick him up in Rome.

Bannon hasn't responded to emails seeking comment.

Miroslav Lajcak

A national security adviser to the Slovakian prime minister, Lajcak resigned Saturday after his past communications with Epstein appeared in Friday's document release.

Opposition parties and a nationalist partner in Fico's governing coalition had called for him to step down.

Lajcak, a former Slovak foreign minister and a onetime president of the U.N. General Assembly, has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but was photographed meeting with Epstein in the years between his initial release from jail and his subsequent indictment in 2019 on sex trafficking charges.

He said his correspondence with Epstein were part of his diplomatic duties.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Group Limited, invited Epstein to his private island in 2013, telling him in an email: "Any time you're in the area would love to see you. As long as you bring your harem!"

Besides discussing Epstein visiting Branson's Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands, the two exchanged messages about philanthropy, Epstein's ideas for a "disruptive" financial system and a "social good currency."

In one email, in 2011, Epstein said he offered Branson's staff the use of his helicopter to transport an accident victim in the Virgin Islands.

In a Sept. 11, 2013 correspondence, Branson suggested Epstein could boost his public image if he could get Bill Gates to say "you've been a brilliant adviser to him, that you slipped up many years ago by sleeping with a 17 1/2 year old woman and were punished for it, that you've more than learnt your lesson and have done nothing that's against the law since."

A Branson spokesperson told the British news outlet the Independent that Branson's "harem" comment referred to adult members of Epstein's staff.

Branson later decided to sever ties with Epstein, the spokesperson said, after learning more about the "serious allegations" that had been made against him.

"Had they had the full picture and information, there would have been no contact whatsoever," the spokesperson said.

Associated Press reporters from around the world contributed to this story.

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

From Elon Musk to the former Prince Andrew, a who’s who of powerful men are named in Epstein files

NEW YORK (AP) — From tech titans to Wall Street power brokers and British royalty, a who's who of powerful men make a...

Read More

UK’s Starmer says ex-Prince Andrew should testify before Congress over Epstein ties

By Andrew MacAskill

TOKYO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that the former Prince Andrew should testify before a U.S. congressional committee, following new ​revelations about Andrew's links to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

New files related ‌to Epstein published by the U.S. justice department on Friday included emails that showed King Charles's brother maintaining regular contact ‌with Epstein for more than two years after he was found guilty of child sex crimes.

The files also include pictures appearing to show Andrew crouching over and touching the waist of an unidentified woman lying on the floor. Her face was blacked out in the redacted images.

The king stripped his brother ⁠of his title of prince and ‌evicted him from his mansion in the grounds of Windsor Castle in November, in the wake of previous revelations about his links with Epstein.

ANDREW HAD ‍DENIED MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIP AFTER EPSTEIN'S CONVICTION

The former prince, 65, now uses the family name Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He has denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and had previously denied maintaining ties with the financier after Epstein's 2008 conviction, ​apart from a 2010 visit to New York to end their relationship.

Advertisement

He did not reply ‌to a Reuters request for comment on the latest revelations. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Starmer, speaking to reporters on the plane to Japan after a four-day visit to China, said the former prince should appear before U.S. lawmakers to explain everything he knows about Epstein to help his victims.

"Anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked ⁠to do that," Starmer said. "You can't be victim centred ​if you're not prepared to do that."

In November, members of ​a U.S. congressional committee investigating the Epstein case intensified their calls for Andrew to answer questions.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while ‍awaiting trial on sex trafficking ⁠charges. He was jailed in 2008 for soliciting paid sex from a minor.

The files show Andrew maintained regular contact with Epstein after his conviction, including discussing potential business deals and ⁠social meetings.

In several emails, Epstein and Andrew discuss women that the financier proposes to put in touch with the ‌prince. In one email, Epstein offered to bring three women to Buckingham Palace.

(Reporting by ‌Andrew MacAskillEditing by James Davey and Peter Graff)

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

UK’s Starmer says ex-Prince Andrew should testify before Congress over Epstein ties

By Andrew MacAskill TOKYO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that the fo...

Read More

Russian figure skater Valieva competes 4 years on from doping case during Olympics

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva returned to competition on Saturday following her doping ban, making a statement with a quadruple jump nearly four years after disputes over her positive testovershadowedthe Beijing Olympics.

Russia Valieva Figure Skating

The 19-year-old Valieva was skating in the quarterfinals of the Russian jumping championships in Moscow.

She started with a quadruple toeloop jump to cheers from the crowd and qualified for Sunday's semifinals, as well as placing sixth in a "duets" jump event. The nationally televised event wasn't a typical skating competition, with points only for jumps.

Valieva cannot qualify for the Milan Cortina Olympics, where another Russian skater,Adeliia Petrosian, is a contender for the women's gold medal as an Individual Neutral Athlete.

Then aged 15, Valieva was at the center of a legal battle during the 2022 Beijing Games when a sample she gave two months earlier tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.

Advertisement

The revelation came after Valieva won team gold with other Russian skaters. She was later disqualified from that event, whichupgraded the United States to gold. Valieva was a contender for the women's gold medal but placed fourth and was criticized rink-side by her coach, Eteri Tutberidze.

Valieva eventually served a ban which expired in December, despitelong-running legal effortsto have it overturned, including at the Swiss supreme court last year.

Since the 2022 Olympics, rules have been changed toraise the minimum agefor skaters to 17 in time for the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Also returning to action on Saturday was Alexandra Ignatova, who won the silver medal at the 2022 Olympics under her maiden name of Alexandra Trusova. She was competing for the first time since giving birth last year and didn't reach the semifinals.

AP Winter Olympics athttps://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

Russian figure skater Valieva competes 4 years on from doping case during Olympics

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva returned to competition on Saturday following her doping ban, making a statement wit...

Read More

No. 1 Arizona beats Arizona State for best start in school history

Koa Peat scored 15 of his 21 points after halftime as top-ranked Arizona pulled away in the second half and maintained its perfect start with an 87-74 victory over host Arizona State on Saturday afternoon in Tempe.

Arizona (22-0, 9-0 Big 12) surpassed the 2013-14 team featuring All-American Nick Johnson, Aaron Gordon and T.J. McConnell for the best start in school history. The Wildcats also matched the program record for the longest winning streak, equaling the mark set during the 1914-17 seasons.

Arizona also tied the Big 12 record for the longest winning streak to start a season, equaling Kansas in 1996-97.

Peat shot 9-of-16 and finished with at least 20 for the fourth time this season and second time against Arizona State.

Brayden Burries added 17 and seven rebounds as the Wildcats outscored the Sun Devils (11-11, 2-7) 49-36 after halftime. Motiejus Krivas contributed 11 of his 15 points during the evenly-played first half and Ivan Kharchenkov contributed 12 for Arizona.

Jaden Bradley chipped in 10 and Tobe Awaka pulled down 13 rebounds to help Arizona finish with a 47-32 rebounding edge.

Arizona shot 60% in the final 20 minutes and 50.8% overall. The Wildcats also converted 20 layups and dunks as part of a 50-point showing in the paint.

Advertisement

Reserve Noah Meeusen paced Arizona State with 16 points and leading scorer Maurice Odum was held to 15 on 6-of-16 shooting while getting into foul trouble when Arizona surged ahead.

The Sun Devils shot 41.5% and lost for the fifth time in six games.

Arizona scored eight straight points in a little over two minutes for a 25-18 lead on Peat's dunk with 7:05 left in the first half. The Sun Devils countered by outscoring the Wildcats 20-13 the rest of the half and Meeusen's 3 with two seconds left forged a 38-38 deadlock by halftime.

Arizona scored six straight after halftime for a 44-38 lead on a jumper by Krivas a little over two minutes and a 56-47 edge when Burries connected with Peat for a dunk with 13:10 remaining.

Anthony Johnson hit a corner 3 to get the Sun Devils within 56-53 with 11:41 left but the Wildcats scored the next seven for a 63-53 lead on a sweeping layup by Awaka a little over a minute later.

Arizona finished things off by making five of six shots for a 77-64 lead on a drive by Kharchenkov with 3:26 left.

--Field Level Media

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

No. 1 Arizona beats Arizona State for best start in school history

Koa Peat scored 15 of his 21 points after halftime as top-ranked Arizona pulled away in the second half and maintained...

Read More

Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in WBC, says Dodgers manager Dave Roberts

Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for Japan in March's World Baseball Classic, according to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

However, when speaking to reporters atSaturday's DodgerFestshortly before Roberts, Ohtani didn't rule out the possibility. He said the decision on whether to pitch would depend on "how my body feels." But he intended to be ready to pitch for the Dodgers when the 2026 season begins and said he'd already thrown three or four bullpen sessions during the offseason.

[Get more Dodgers news: Los Angeles team feed]

Roughly an hour later, Roberts announcedOhtani would not pitchin the WBC, saying that it was the two-way star's decision.

"He's not going to pitch in the WBC, but he will be ramping up his arm to get ready for the season," Roberts said,via the California Post's Dylan Hernandez.

Something apparently changed with the message of Ohtani's intentions in the span of an hour. Yet it may have literally been a matter of translation. It was Ohtani's translator, Will Ireton, who conveyed to reporters the superstar wasn't sure about pitching in the WBC, as pointed out bythe California Post's Michael Duarte.

However, Roberts said the Dodgers "absolutely" would have allowed Ohtani to pitch in the WBC.

Advertisement

Ohtani's pitching workload will certainly be a matter of concern for the Dodgers, especially early in the season when starters are building up stamina and stretching out their capacity to throw multiple innings. Several Dodgers starterswill be monitored closelydue to their injury histories and postseason workload.

Due to playing in the everyday lineup as the designated hitter, Ohtani will likely take six to seven days between starts, according to Roberts. Last season, Ohtani wonhis third consecutive MVP award, his second straight in the National League, batting .282/.392/.622 with 55 home runs and 102 RBI.

In 2025, Ohtani didn't make his pitching debut for the Dodgers until June 16. But he was still working his way back to being capable of facing major-league hitters after not pitching during the 2024 MLB season whilerecovering from internal brace surgeryon his right elbow.

Even then, Ohtani threw one inning in each of his first two appearances last season. He slowly increased his workload to two innings, then three and four. Ohtani didn't reach five innings in a start until his 11th start. During the postseason, he made three six-inning starts.

Altogether, Ohtani finished the 2025 campaign with 14 regular-season starts, compiling a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 41 innings. In four postseason appearances, he pitched 20 1/3 innings with 28 strikeouts, allowing 10 runs and 16 hits.

Ohtani not pitching in the WBC has to be considered a disappointment since he provided one of the tournament's most memorable moments in 2023. Facing Team USA's Mike Trout, Ohtani struck out his then-Los Angeles Angels teammate to clinch the championship for Team Japan. Overall, he went 2-0 in three appearances with a 1.86 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.

However, Ohtani's impactful bat will still be a part of Japan's lineup for the WBC. He batted .435/.608/.739 with 4 doubles, 1 home run and 8 RBI in 23 at-bats in 2023.

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in WBC, says Dodgers manager Dave Roberts

Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for Japan in March's World Baseball Classic, according to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Da...

Read More

Immigrant pursued by federal agents before Alex Pretti's killing speaks out

Jose Huerta Chuma is a man in hiding — and he's also a man in distress. He's been replaying the fatal shooting of Minneapolis residentAlex Prettiover and over again in his mind, wondering if he could have done something differently and if there's something that "would have saved that life."

The 41-year-old immigrant from Ecuador, who said he has been in the U.S. for over two decades, described witnessingthe shootingafter hiding inside a local business. The Department of Homeland Security has described Huerta Chuma as a criminal living in the U.S. illegally who was the target of the Border Patrol operation that led to the encounter with Pretti on Saturday, Jan. 24.

"I think, maybe if I hadn't gone to that place, or I don't know, a little later or a little earlier, I mean, that never would have happened," Huerta Chuma told CBS News during a phone interview conducted in Spanish.

Asked if he feels some sense of guilt, he said, while crying, his voice fraught with emotion: "I do feel guilty, I do feel bad. I saw stories about the man and I saw a very good person."

DHS officials havedescribedHuerta Chuma as a "violent criminal illegal alien" on the loose. Documents reviewed by CBS News indicate Huerta Chuma's record includes traffic violations, and that he pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct misdemeanor offense in 2018. The New York Timesreported, citing Minnesota court documents, that the plea was linked to a domestic violence arrest, and that the offense was later expunged.

Huerta Chuma said the domestic violence case stemmed from an argument with his partner at the time. The Minnesota Department of Corrections said ina statementthat Huerta Chuma has never been in the state's prison system and that it did not find felony convictions in his case.

CBS News reached out to representatives for DHS seeking comment about Huerta Chuma's record and whether officials are still pursuing him.

A shooting witnessed from a hiding spot

In his first public comments, Huerta Chuma told CBS News he immigrated from Ecuador in the early 2000s, in his twenties. Before Pretti's shooting upended his life, he was raising his American-born children while working as a rideshare driver.

"I'm not a criminal. I just was working that day," he said. "I was going to pick up the delivery."

Huerta Chuma said he was on his way to pick up a delivery order around 8:18 a.m. on Jan. 24 in south Minneapolis. (He showed CBS News screenshots of the route from that morning indicating he was in the area where the shooting happened.) It was a routine delivery, similar to the almost 20,000 rides he had done over nearly six years.

As he was driving down Nicollet Avenue, Huerta Chuma said he passed a car driving in the opposite direction.

"One agent was staring at me, but I just blinked my eyes and said, 'God, they're immigration,'" Huerta Chuma recalled.

"So, when I looked in the mirror, they turned around immediately."

Huerta Chuma said the agents, who were in a red car without license plates, started to follow him.

"I didn't run or anything, I left very calm," he said. "I saw they were with ICE. I knew in my head they were ICE because they turned around so quickly when they [saw] my face."

Huerta Chuma said he parked his car, got out, and left the vehicle running. He said federal agents started to follow him, and a man at a local business let him inside, locking the door behind him. Huerta Chuma said he hid there for about 4 hours.

Huerta Chuma said he saw Pretti show up and start filming, and he saw a Border Patrol agent push a woman nearby. He said he sawthe agentstackle Pretti to the ground and take his gun.

"It all happened so fast," he said, noting he did not see Pretti trying to hurt the agents or reach for his firearm.

Then he described the rapid-fire shots: "Tac, tac, tac, tac, tac, tac."

Advertisement

Huerta Chuma said he watched the ambulance arrive, but knew it was too late. He said he saw federal agents write down his license plate. Then he left.

"It felt horrible. To be watching and not being able to do anything," Huerta Chuma said. "I don't know how long I will be like this."

Initial public statements at odds with evidence, official report

Immediately after the shooting Huerta Chuma witnessed, DHS officials made sweeping statements about Pretti and his actions, some of which have since beendirectly contradictedby videos, witness accounts and a preliminary government report.

DHS initially said one Border Patrol agent fired "defensive shots" after Pretti "approached" agents with his firearm. The department suggested, without citing concrete evidence, that Pretti intended to "massacre" federal agents.

A report to Congress obtained by CBS News earlier this week found thattwo U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents fired their weaponsduring the Jan. 24 shooting. The report, based on a "preliminary review" by CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility, also did not mention Pretti reaching for his firearm.

Video analyzed by CBS Newsshows an agent had removed the gun from Pretti's waistband one second before another agent fired the first shot.

Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who has sincebeen reassignedfollowing the bipartisan backlash triggered by Pretti's killing, described Huerta Chuma as an "illegal alien" during a press conference hours after the deadly shooting. Pointing to a booking photo, Bovino said Huerta Chuma's record included "domestic assault," "disorderly conduct" and "driving without a license."

In a statement two days later, DHS branded Huerta Chuma a "violent criminal illegal alien" who remained "at large," asking the public to call a government hotline with any tips regarding his whereabouts.

Huerta Chuma said the government was displaying an older picture from after he was arrested in 2018 during an altercation with his wife.

Out of work and on the run

Huerta Chuma did not reveal his whereabouts to CBS News. He said he was worried about his safety, his work and what would happen to his three children born in the U.S. Huerta Chuma said he has two children, ages 11 and 15, who live with him, and another child, a 3-year-old, who lives with the mother. CBS News attempted to reach the children's mother but did not receive a response.

Information accessed through the Justice Department's immigration court system says Huerta Chuma's deportation case was administratively closed in May 2022. The immigration court records do not list a deportation order. Huerta Chuma said he has since applied for a "U visa," designed to protect immigrants who are victims of crimes and who have assisted law enforcement investigations.

It's unclear exactly when and how Huerta Chuma first entered the U.S. Huerta Chuma said he has another child living in Ecuador. Court records indicate that Huerta Chuma does not have a criminal record in his native country.

Huerta Chuma said he started working as a rideshare driver so he could have a flexible schedule and be available for his children. But since the shooting, he said, he hasn't worked, and is rarely eating or sleeping. He said he is continuing to hide.

Though he's scared about getting arrested, Huerta Chuma said the main source of his consternation is Pretti's death.

"I'm very devastated, spiritually. Why did they kill the man? He didn't do anything," he said. "I was there. I was there. I saw everything."

José Diaz contributed to this report.

Don Lemon arrested in Los Angeles, sources say

Trump, Bill Gates and more referenced in more Epstein files released by DOJ

Saturday Sessions: Courtney Marie Andrews performs "Everyone Wants To Feel Like You Do"

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

Immigrant pursued by federal agents before Alex Pretti's killing speaks out

Jose Huerta Chuma is a man in hiding — and he's also a man in distress. He's been replaying the fatal shooting of...

Read More

Judge rejects Minnesota bid to block federal immigration agent surge

A federal judge on Saturday denied Minnesota's emergency request to halt a surge of federal immigration enforcement agents in the Twin Cities region.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez said her ruling does not make a final determination on the state's claim that the federal government has overstepped its authority. She also stressed the decision was not a ruling on the legality of specific actions taken by federal agents.

Menendez wrote that granting the injunction would "harm the federal government's efforts to enforce federal immigration laws."

RELATED STORY |'No way' he ran into a wall: Nurses say ICE story on injuries doesn't add up

"The Court must view plaintiffs' claims through the lens of the specific legal framework they invoke, and, having done so, finds that plaintiffs have not met their burden," she wrote.

The judge noted Minnesota officials did not explain how to draw a clear line between what is constitutionally permissible and what is not.

State officials alleged the Trump administration targeted Minnesota as "political retribution" and gave the state unequal treatment, saying other states with larger undocumented populations could see bigger surges in enforcement activity.

But Menendez ruled the state failed to show how the executive branch's discretionary decisions violate the law.

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

Judge rejects Minnesota bid to block federal immigration agent surge

A federal judge on Saturday denied Minnesota's emergency request to halt a surge of federal immigration enforcement a...

Read More

How a trans woman's removal from a restroom tore the world of competitive pinball apart

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Some of the best women's pinball players in North Carolina had a dilemma: Though it was an honor to be among the 16 invited to compete for the state title in January and a shot at nationals, they wondered whether they should skip the tournament in protest.

Kat Lake considered declining to send a message of support to her fellow trans pinball players amid a painful rift. But Lake, one of the top women in the country, also didn't want to give up on years of hard work climbing the ranks.

She ultimately decided to go, and on an unusually cold and rainy Sunday this month, she drove to the Coastal Hemp Company, a joint hemp shop and arcade. She greeted her competitors with hugs.

"These are the people that got me into pinball, that helped me become who I am, and I don't want to throw any of that away," she said.

Competitive pinball is a surprisingly intense sport with an inclusive culture, a niche pursuit that has long been safe from the spotlight — and from national politics. Then, at a tournament in November, an arcade employee insisted that a transgender competitor couldn't use the women's bathroom. The incident — and how it was handled by the sport's governing body, the International Flipper Pinball Association — tilted a friendly community into turmoil.

The all-male leaders of the IFPA say they received threatening messages. Players accused the organization of not doing enough to back trans competitors. The group's entire Women's Advisory Board resigned. Tournament directors and players across the country have boycotted IFPA events as a show of support for trans players.

The pinball blowup occurred at a moment when trans people face an increasingly hostile environment in the United States, particularly in sports. Twenty-nine states have laws or regulations prohibiting trans student-athletes in K-12 schools or colleges from competing on teams that align with their gender identities. The governing bodies for sports ranging fromswimmingandtrackto pursuits likechessanddartshave banned trans women from women's events.

What makes this dispute unusual is that everyone, including the IFPA, agrees that trans women should be allowed to play. The division is over the aftermath of the bathroom incident and whether the trans people involved received enough support. It highlights the complexities that even the smallest and most inclusive sports organizations are struggling to navigate in a tense political climate.

'Shrinking safe spaces'

The trans woman barred from using the bathroom said pinball had, until that day, been her safe space. B., a computer programmer based in Raleigh, asked to go by an initial because not everyone in her life knows she's transgender, though her pinball community does.

B. said she started playing in a local pinball league just over a year ago, and she has come to love the sport. She likes the flow state she gets into. After she lands shots, she sometimes breaks into a celebratory dance.

She has also found acceptance through the hobby. B. said the first person she came out to in pinball was Joan McCool, 72, who has been playing pinball since 1975 and is affectionately known as "pinball mom." McCool was immediately supportive. B. also learned that there are many trans people competing in the sport.

One of them is Kaylee Campbell. She came out as a trans woman in the fall of 2020 and asked the IFPA to change her name on official records. At that point, the IFPA didn't have a clear policy on trans players, but leaders were welcoming.

"It could sound silly to some people, but before transitioning, I was worried about my family, my job and then pinball — that was the order of fears of things that I may be losing by coming out publicly," Campbell said. "It makes me really proud that I'm putting things out there and being part of something that can be a safe space in a world with seemingly shrinking safe spaces."

After President Donald Trump returned to office last year and signed policies targeting transgender people, theIFPA said in a statementthat its tournaments should be "free from homophobia, transphobia, and all other types of discrimination." By then, it hadadopted a gender inclusion policy.

Finding out that her hobby was so trans-inclusive was "a breath of fresh air," B. said, which is what made the bathroom incident so jarring.

B. traveled to Grandy, a small, conservative coastal town, in early November. She planned to compete in the Outer Banks, or OBX, Fall Flippers Pinball Tournament. The tournament venue, Flippers Convenience & Arcade, boasts the most pinball machines in the state.

On Nov. 7, the first day of the tournament, B. said, she went to the bathroom about 10 minutes before the competition. As she washed her hands, a woman who manages the arcade came in and told her that it was against the law for her to be there and that the men's room was across the hall.

"I was just dumbstruck," B. said.

She left the bathroom and immediately told Samantha Bacon, a co-director of the tournament. Bacon, an aerospace engineer from Wake Forest, is also transgender and one of the top players in the country.

Bacon began to panic. There were a lot of trans and gender-nonconforming queer players at the tournament who would need to use the restrooms, she said.

She confronted Becky Connell, the manager who had spoken to B. Connell, Bacon said, pulled out an iPad and showed her a recent North Carolina bill that she said prohibited trans women from using the women's restroom.

"She puts it in front of my face and says: 'This is the law. If it happens again, I'm calling the cops,'" Bacon said. Bacon looked up the bill and showed Connell that it hadn't been passed into law, but, she said, Connell insisted that she was the manager and that she would have anyone she thought was in the wrong restroom charged with trespassing.

In text messages with NBC News, Connell said she confronted a trans person in the bathroom and "politely told" them that "the men's restroom was next door." (Connell said the person she confronted was a different person, not B.; that player, who is nonbinary, told NBC News that Connell didn't speak to them in the bathroom.) Connell didn't respond to questions about the state bill and said she threatened to call the police only when some of the pinball players started harassing her, which the players denied. She said she later received an anonymous unsettling letter at her home.

The arcade's owner, David Shields, said in a text message that transgender participants have always been allowed to use the women's restroom since the arcade started hosting tournaments in 2012. He defended Connell, calling the November situation regrettable but "not intended to cause harm." The arcade is "committed to fostering a positive and respectful atmosphere for all," he said.

Bacon's next move on the afternoon of Nov. 7 was to message the IFPA's leadership. Josh Sharpe, the organization's president, told her she had the authority to shut the entire tournament down if necessary, because the event was in violation of its inclusion policy.

Bacon consulted Campbell, the tournament co-director, about whether to cancel.

"I was worried that they would just blame the trans people for getting the whole tournament canceled," Campbell said. She searched for an alternative solution.

News of the incident spread quickly, and about a dozen players, many of them trans, gathered outside the arcade, with most saying they didn't feel comfortable going in.

Kevin Stone, the main tournament director, told Campbell and Bacon that he didn't know what to do. Campbell suggested providing three additional hours of qualifying time to players who wanted to wait until Connell left. With that temporary solution, Bacon sent a message to IFPA leadership around 3 p.m. that said, "We got it sorted."

But the issue was far from sorted. Neither those organizing the tournament nor the IFPA initially understood the potential fallout. The fact that no one chose to cancel the tournament was part of what ultimately fractured the pinball community — which Bacon said she carries guilt about even though she feels it wasn't her fault.

Immediately after the bathroom confrontation, a friend guided B. to the arcade's back patio, where, she said, she had a panic attack and then went back to her hotel. She never returned to the arcade.

"Those first few days, it was a lot," B. said. "Being so new to being open about being trans, I think that was probably one of my first five times using a restroom labeled as women's. I've definitely, over the past few months, took a few steps back in how public about being trans I've been."

No one from IFPA leadership has reached out to her, B. said.

A painful divide

Once the IFPA's leaders fully understood what happened at the Outer Banks tournament, they agreed on the key issues: that trans women should feel safe at tournaments, including in women's restrooms, and that the bathroom incident violated the IFPA's inclusion policy, which meant the event should have been de-sanctioned, meaning the points players earned wouldn't count.

But it wasn't. The tournament continued, sanctioned, for the rest of the weekend, and that is where the fracture began. The IFPA's leadership, an all-volunteer group of men mostly responsible for developing algorithms to maintain the world pinball rankings, was suddenly thrust into an emotional debate. Many players, including trans players from North Carolina, expected the leaders to de-sanction the tournament to send a message that what happened wasn't acceptable. Some players took the IFPA's decision to mean that points were more important to leadership than trans players' inclusion and safety.

In the days afterward, Stone, the main tournament director at the event,apologized, saying he should have delayed the tournament until Connell left. He did not respond to requests for comment.

IFPA Director Adam Becker issued statements describingwhat happened as a leadership failure. He said Flippers Convenience & Arcade would be prohibited from hosting IFPA-sanctioned events for at least a year.

However, he said, the IFPAwouldn't de-sanction the eventbecause it didn't want to set a precedent that it could retroactively revoke sanctioning "based on failures of the IFPA organization." The IFPA pointed to Bacon's "We got it sorted" message specifically. Bacon felt the leaders were blaming her, and she resigned from the IFPA's Women's Advisory Board.

"If you're going to throw me under the bus like that, I'm gone," she said.

The IFPA said in a statement that the organization regretted that its handling of the situation contributed to Bacon "feeling blamed or singled out."

Over the next week, the debate over whether the tournament should remain sanctioned went national, with more than1,400 players signing a petitiondemanding that the organization reverse its decision. The four remaining members of the women's board voted to remove sanctioning, but Becker overruled them. As a result, they allresigned Nov. 19.

An online chat for IFPA players became heated, and IFPA leaders said that's when they began to receive alarming messages, with one calling them "transphobic pieces of trash," according to screenshots shared with NBC News.

The incident has especially shaken the women's pinball community, which has grown since the IFPA began recognizing women's tournaments in 2022. Players said the women's-only matchups began in part because arcades and gaming culture can be misogynistic. Men are likelier to hover over players during a game, which can be distracting and intimidating, players said.

As anger at the IFPA grew, players began boycotting events and some tournament organizers began pulling out of the IFPA. One tournament director in Oregon said players there were discussing starting their own competition circuit.

In response to the backlash, the IFPA has rolled out a number of policy and staff changes. It created an email address that players and tournament directors can use to report incidents that threaten player safety. It alerts the entire IFPA leadership team, which the group recently expanded toinclude Campbell and another woman. The IFPA also published a newcode of conductandinclusion policy, which tournament directors have to acknowledge that they have read before they submit new events to the IFPA.

Sharpe, the IFPA's president and one of the top players in the world, said in a phone interview that one of the key lessons the organization learned was that simply having inclusion policies on a website wasn't sufficient.

"We learned that we do have to do more, providing the organizers of these events with clear, enforceable guidance on how they can respond to these situations when they occur," he said.

The IFPA said its failure to contact B. was another communication error.

Going forward, Sharpe said, his biggest message to trans players is that they belong and that they should expect to feel safe and respected at IFPA-sanctioned events.

'I'm still going to be here'

For B., rebuilding trust is a work in progress.

She sees the IFPA's new inclusion policy as a good step but wonders whether it will actually be followed.

"What happened at Flippers was covered by the policy that they had," she said.

A week after the incident in the Outer Banks, B. said, she was shocked to play the best pinball of her life, winning eight matches in a row over two tournaments and qualifying for the North Carolina women's state championship for the first time.

That's how she found herself at the Coastal Hemp Company for the women's state tournament in January, nervously preparing to play against friends and players she looked up to. As the owners fired up a countertop popcorn machine, a disco ball hanging from the ceiling cast hundreds of shimmering reflections across the room.

She didn't reach the final round, where Bacon faced Campbell, her longtime rival, and won, with Lake coming in third. But B. said she was glad she tried. Even though she has complicated feelings about competing, she refuses to stop playing.

"F--- them, I'm still going to be here," she said. "Pinball has been such an escape," she added. "I'm not giving that up."

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

How a trans woman's removal from a restroom tore the world of competitive pinball apart

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Some of the best women's pinball players in North Carolina had a dilemma: Though it was an honor to be among the 16 ...

Read More

Longtime Penguins defenseman Kris Letang out at least a month due to fractured foot

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will miss at least four weeks with a fractured foot.

The club announced the extent of the injury on Saturday before the surging Penguins faced the New York Rangers. Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse said Letang, who is in his 20th season, injured the foot duringa 6-2 victory over Chicagoon Thursday.

Letang's absence comes with the Penguins surging into the Olympic break. Pittsburgh is 6-0-2 in its last eight games to move into second place in the Metropolitan Division.

The 38-year-old Letang has three goals and 22 assists in 50 games this season for the Penguins. He is currently three points shy of 800 for his career.

Letang's injury comes at a potentially fortuitous time for Pittsburgh with the NHL set to take an extended break for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan Cortina, which start next week. The Penguins not participating in the Olympics will be off from Feb. 6 to Feb. 25.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

Longtime Penguins defenseman Kris Letang out at least a month due to fractured foot

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will miss at least four weeks with a fractured foot. ...

Read More

Paul George admits to taking 'improper medication' for mental health issue after NBA suspends him for 25 games

The NBA suspended Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George 25 games without payfor violating the league's anti-drug program. In a statement to ESPN on Saturday,George admitted to taking "improper medication" for a mental health issue.

"Over the past few years, I've discussed the importance of mental health, and in the course of recently seeking treatment for an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking an improper medication," George said in the statement.

"I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates and the Philly fans for my poor decision making during this process."

George added: "I am focused on using this time to make sure that my mind and body are in the best condition to help the team when I return."

George's suspension will begin Saturday night, when the Sixers host the New Orleans Pelicans, the league announced. When he's eligible to return, the Sixers will have a mere 10 games remaining in the regular season, starting with a March 25 home matchup against the Chicago Bulls.

In his 16th NBA season, the 35-year-old George is averaging 16 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on 42.4% shooting for a Philadelphia team that's 26-21 and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

The nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection is in his second season with the Sixers aftersigning a maximum four-year, $212 million contract with the franchise in the summer of 2024.

George's suspension could have an impact on Philadelphia's trade-deadline approach. His 25-game ban will cost him $11,742,294,according to NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan, who reported Saturday that, in turn, the Sixers will receive a luxury tax credit worth half that amount.

As a result, per Gozlan, the Sixers will be only $1.3 million above the luxury tax line. In saving more than $5 million in luxury tax payments, it will be easier for the Sixers to duck out of the tax before the deadline without disrupting a roster that has Philadelphia back in playoff contention, after last season's injury-riddled nosedive saw the team miss the postseason for the first time since 2016-17.

Paul George's 25 game suspension will cost him $11,742,294.The Philadelphia 76ers will receive a luxury tax credit worth half that amount ($5,871,147).This brings the Sixers from $7 million above the luxury tax line to just $1.3 million above it.

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan)January 31, 2026

"Obviously, we've been ducking the tax the last couple of years, so hopefully we keep the same team," Sixers star center Joel Embiid told reporters after a 113-111 win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday,per ESPN. "I love all the guys that are here. I think we got a shot.

"I don't know what they're going to do, but I hope that at least we got a chance to just go out and compete because we got a good group of guys in this locker room, and vibes are great."

While George is the Sixers' third-leading scorer this season, his availability in Philadelphia has been a concern since he arrived. The 6-foot-8 wing played 74 games in 2023-24, his final season with the Los Angeles Clippers, but he hadn't played more than 56 games in any of his prior four seasons.

After joining Embiid and then-reigning NBA Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey to form a "Big 3" in Philly, George appeared in just 41 games for the Sixers last season.

Hemissed the start of the 2024-25 campaign with a bone bruise in his hyperextended left knee. Not long after he returned,he missed more time with a similar injury. Then he missed games with a finger injury in January.

By mid-March,the Sixers shut down Georgedue to both a left adductor muscle injury and a left knee injury. At that point, Embiid was already done for the season, too.

Georgedidn't make his debut this season until Nov. 17after he underwent offseason knee surgery, which sidelined him for the first 12 games.

The Sixers teamed up Embiid and Maxey with George in an attempt to finally get over the Eastern Conference semifinals hump. That trio has shared the court together this season for a total of 365 minutes over 17 games, per ESPN.

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

Paul George admits to taking 'improper medication' for mental health issue after NBA suspends him for 25 games

The NBA suspended Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George 25 games without payfor violating the league's anti-drug pro...

Read More

Puerto Rico considers pulling out of WBC after insurance keeps stars off team

The World Baseball Classic will be without several of its top stars because they have been unable to acquire insurance coverage in case they are injured during the tournament.

No team has been hit harder than Puerto Rico, which couldn't secure insurance coverage for several of its biggest names in Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Jose Berrios and Emilio Pagan.

Puerto Rican officials are so frustrated that they have considered pulling out of the WBC, federation presidentJosé Quiles revealed.

The Major League Baseball Players Association said that Lindor is unable to play in the WBC because of an elbow procedure early in the offseason, although he will be fine to participate in spring training for theNew York Mets.

"Francisco is obviously disappointed that he was be unable to participate," the MLBPA said in a statement. "However, because of WBC insurance constraints, he is ineligible to play in WBC games. He was participate fully in all spring training activities."

Houston Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve was also denied insurance and won't be able to play for Venezuela in the WBC.

"Due to the criteria for WBC insurance coverage, Jose Altuve was looking forward to participating in the WBC and representing Venezuela, but unfortunately is not eligible to do so," the MLBPA said in a statement.

Venezuela will also be without Dodgers World Series hero Miguel Rojas, who announced on his Instagram account that he was also denied insurance.

Advertisement

"Today I am very sad," he wrote in Spanish. "A true shame I can't represent my country and put that flag on my chest."

$765,000,000: Juan Soto, New York Mets (2025-39)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $700,000,000: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-33)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $500,000,000: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Toronto Blue Jays (2026-39)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $426.5 million: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (2019-2030)* includes extension

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $365 million: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers (2020-32)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $360 million: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (2023-2031)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $350 million: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres (2023-33)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $341 million: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets (2022-31)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $340 million: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres (2021-34)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $330,000,000: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies (2019-31)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $325 million: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (2015-2027) – traded to New York Yankees in 2017

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $325 million: Corey Seager, Texas Rangers (2022-31)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $325,000,000: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-35)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $313.5 million: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox (2024-33) - traded to San Francisco Giants in 2025

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $300 million: Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies (2023-33)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $292 million: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (2014-2023)* includes extension

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $288,777,777: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (2024-34)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $280 million: Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres (2023-33)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $275 million: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (2008-2017)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $260 million: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies (2019-26) - traded to St. Louis Cardinals in 2021, traded to Arizona Diamondbacks in 2026

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $252,000,000: Alex Rodriguez, Texas Rangers (2001-10)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $245 million: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals (2020-26)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $245 million: Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Angels (2020-26)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $240,000,000: Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers (2026-29)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $240 million: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels (2012-2021)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $240 million: Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners (2014-2023) – traded to New York Mets in 2019

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $225 million: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds (2012-2021)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $217 million: David Price, Boston Red Sox (2016-2022) – traded to Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $215 million: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-2020)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $215 million: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers (2020-28)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $214 million: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers (2012-2020) – traded to Texas Rangers in 2013

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $212 million: Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves (2023-32)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $210 million: Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks (2025-30)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $210 million: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals (2015-2021)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $209.3 million: Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (2023-34)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $206.5 million: Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks (2016-2021) – traded to Houston Astros in 2019

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> $200 million: Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins (2023-28) - traded to Houston Astros in 2025

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

MLB's $200+ million contracts

$765,000,000: Juan Soto, New York Mets (2025-39)

The inability to secure insurance kept three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw from participating in the WBC in 2023 because of his back issues. Now that he's retired, there's no need for insurance and he'll be on this year's USA team.

MLB requires all players on their 40-man roster to have an insurance policy that protects the team if a player sustains and injury during the WBC that requires them to miss games during the regular season. Most of the insurance issues are over a player's prior injury history.

Players like Edwin Diaz and Altuve who were injured in the 2023 WBC were covered by insurance policies, and were still paid, but not by the team.

Diaz missed the entire 2023 season when he suffered a complete patellar tendon tear in his right knee celebrating Puerto Rico's win over the Dominican Republic. Altuve suffered a broken right thumb when he was hit by a pitch from Team USA pitcher Daniel Bard. He missed the first 43 games of the 2023 season.

There have been no publicly known cases of any player this year who were prevented from joining Team USA because of an inability to acquire insurance.

Yet, perhaps no one in the tournament is taking a bigger financial risk than two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers. He's a free agent after the season and is expected to secure the largest contract by a pitcher in MLB history, perhaps exceeding $400 million.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:World Baseball Classic 2026 insurance won't let Francisco Lindor play

byAdministrator

in

January 31, 2026

Puerto Rico considers pulling out of WBC after insurance keeps stars off team

The World Baseball Classic will be without several of its top stars because they have been unable to acquire insurance co...

Read More