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Super Bowl Football

When Darnold threw four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams in a 21-19 loss in Week 11, Jones had his quarterback's back. The second-team All-Pro linebacker wouldn't allow Darnold to take the blame.

"Sam's been balling," Jones said after that game. "If we want to try and define Sam by this game, man, Sam's had us in every game. So, for him to sit there and say, 'Yo, that's my fault,' no, it's not. There were plays defensively we could have made plays, or opportunities where we could have got stops.

"This is football. He's our quarterback and we've got his back."

Darnold rewarded his teammate's faith. He led the Seahawks back from a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit to an overtime win against Los Angeles in the next meeting and was sensational in Seattle's 31-27 victory over the Rams in the NFC championship game.

"Like I said, doubt Sam if you want to, Sam's gonna show you every time," Jones said afterward. "That's who we know, and that's why I stood on that, and I'll do it all over again."

Darnold has earned plenty of trust in the locker room in his first season in Seattle after a breakout year in Minnesota. Once considered a bust after the Jets drafted him No. 3 overall in 2018, Darnold — on his fifth team in eight seasons — is one victory away from leading Seattle to the franchise's second Lombardi Trophy.

Darnold and the Seahawks face Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday in a rematch from a matchup 11 years ago.

Tom Brady and the Patriots won that one, 28-24, after Russell Wilson's pass from the 1-yard line in the final minute was intercepted by Malcolm Butler.

That gave Brady, coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots the fourth of their sixth Super Bowl rings before the dynasty ended.

First-year Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, a standout linebacker on three of those championship teams, has quickly turned a team that was coming off consecutive 4-13 seasons into a winner.

Maye has been the catalyst for New England's impressive turnaround.

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"From Day 1, I feel like the guys have really taken what Coach Vrabel has wanted to do with us and have just really applied it to their lives in every single way," Maye said.

"Whether it's on the field, off the field, getting treatment, doing little things, making great decisions off the field. I think the biggest thing is just — Coach Vrabel always says he treats us how we treat the team. I think that's how guys have taken this year, and I think it's just rallying together and wanting to play for each other. From there on, we just have had fun doing it every single day since, and it's been a ride. Looking forward to trying to finish it off."

Brady also was a second-year quarterback when he led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title in the 2001 season.

They were double-digit underdogs when they beat the Rams. The Pats were favorites in their next eight Super Bowl appearances until now. New England is a 4 1/2-point underdog this time around.

The 23-year old Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft, will be the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl. Ben Roethlisberger was the youngest to win one when he led Pittsburgh to a victory over Seattle in the 2005 season.

Maye has demonstrated plenty of poise in clutch situations. He changed a play and ran a bootleg to extend the drive on third down late in the AFC championship game against Denver to seal a 10-7 victory in the snow.

"I think just as we've gone through this entire year in this program, and the more that he's been out there and the games have kind of built up on us that, really, we've done a nice job in those situations," Vrabel said of Maye's maturity in big moments. "I think he's improved in them, and he's a big part of why we're here, obviously."

Of course, both teams are far more than just their quarterbacks.

Darnold has All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, running back Kenneth Walker and Seattle's defense is the stingiest in the league. The Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the NFL and have standout players at every level. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Jones and cornerback Devon Witherspoon were second-team All-Pros. Safety Nick Emmanwori had a standout rookie season.

Maye has running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and the defense has been dominant in the playoffs.

Only one team will leave Santa Clara, California, with the Lombardi Trophy.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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Christian McCaffrey is only the second player to be a finalist for three AP NFL awards in the same year. He joins Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford in the running for The Associated Press 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player.

Maye, who will lead the New England Patriots into theSuper Bowlagainst the Seattle Seahawks, and McCaffrey are also finalists for Offensive Player of the Year. McCaffrey and Lawrence are among the finalists for Comeback Player of the Year.

Anationwide panelof 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began. Votes were tabulated by the accounting firm Lutz and Carr.

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Voters selected a top 5 for the eight AP NFL awards. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

The other awards being presented Thursday in San Francisco include Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

McKenna is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct after an altercation in State College, Pennsylvania, according to the criminal complaint filed on the matter.

McKenna, who is from Canada, is aforward on the Penn State men's hockey team, and isranked number one in the NHL's 2026 draft prospects. The NHL draft is set to take place in June, once the current season is over.

The hockey star was arraigned on Wednesday and was released on $20,000 bail,Pennsylvania court documents show.

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According to thecriminal complaint, street cameras captured McKenna punching the victim twice on the right side of his face after "an exchange of words" between the group of people McKenna was with and the victim's group.

The assault took place after McKenna left a nearby bar, the criminal complaint said.

The victim lost a tooth and sustained fractures to both sides of his jaw, the criminal complaint said. The victim underwent surgery to repair his jaw on Monday and now must keep his jaw wired shut for about two weeks.

Penn State said in a statement that it is aware of the charges but did not provide further comment.

It remains unclear what McKenna's fate within the NHL draft will be.

The mission of the United States Coast Guard is to protect, defend, and save. From search and rescue operations to maritime law enforcement, the Coast Guard "protects our seas, and protects us from the sea." In early 2026, one of those missions includes an icebreaker operation in the New York City area.

The frigid weather that began in late January with winter storm Fern stretched into early February, with snow, ice, and freezing temperatures leading to several deaths in New York City. Some areas saw more than a foot of snow, but now it's ice that's causing headaches. Icy conditions in the harbor and the Hudson River escalated fast during that last week of January, with the Coast Guard describing "significant amounts of ice from the harbor to the Hudson Valley." These conditions don't just impact safe navigation for boats, but can also delay deliveries into the city and broader Hudson region and wreak havoc on public transportation. While ports are open, the New York City Ferry Servicesuspendedall routes in late January through early February, citing the safety of "all crew, passengers, and vessels."

Read more:10 Of The Most Advanced Nuclear Submarines In The World

Keeping the ports open

The USCG,which recently closed a deal to expand its fleet of icebreakers, stated that among its top priorities is "facilitating the safe movement of critical commercial traffic that supports the region's economy and daily needs." When ice takes over essential waterways, the delivery of key assets to the region may be delayed, including fuel and heating oil, even as temperatures in the city remain below freezing.

The operation involves two 140-foot Bay-class icebreaking tugs — the CGC (Coast Guard Cutter) Penobscot Bay and the CGC Sturgeon Bay — along with the 65-foot harbor tug CGC Hawser

The icebreakers are part of a larger mission called Operation Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters (OP RENEW), which seeks to support the Northeast region of the United States during winter weather. All three ships are homeported in Bayonne, New Jersey, and are well equipped for icebreaking and search and rescue operations in waterways affected by ice.

At the time of writing, no restrictions are in place for ports within the NYC Coast Guard sector, but the ferry service remains suspended with no timeline for when service may be restored. The independently operated Staten Island Ferry remains open, and the Coast Guard advises anyone on the water to "exercise extreme caution, monitor weather and ice conditions, and report navigational hazards to the Coast Guard."

A critical mission in the Northeast

The icebreaking operation in New York Harbor and the Hudson River isn't the first time these ships have been assigned this type of winter duty — in fact, they're stationed in Bayonne, New Jersey, for just this purpose, and they often complete work up and down the Northeastern seaboard. The Coast Guard partners with both local and state emergency management officials toclear ice-jammed waterwaysto create navigable paths for vital commercial traffic.

In 2018, the CGC Penobscot Bay worked with other Coast Guard ships to clear the ice-jammed Kennebec River in Maine, breaking through ice that was as much as five feet thick in some areas. Sometimes the icebreakers will escort ships until they're clear of dangerous ice — the Penobscot Bay recently escorted a ship carrying more than 10 million barrels of oil out of New Jersey. The Penobscot Bay and similar ships are sometimes crewed by fewer than 20 Coast Guardsmen, who live on the ship if they're working far from their Bayonne base.

The Coast Guard stations its icebreakers along the Northeast to ensure a rapid response when critical waterways are jammed with ice. In addition to Bayonne, icebreakers are also positioned in three areas of Maine, in Rhode Island, and in Connecticut.

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Read theoriginal article on SlashGear.

According to a draft seen by Reuters, the bill would also return assets of ​those detained and cancel Interpol and other international measures previously issued by the government, allowing opposition figures in exile to return home.

The bill passed unanimously ‌in the first of two necessary votes at the National Assembly, which is controlled by the socialist ruling party. The date for a second session to debate the matter has not yet been set.

The ‌amnesty law, announced last week by interim President Rodriguez, would lead to hundreds of people being released if it were to be passed in its current form and would likely please the Trump administration, which has hailed prisoner releases.

Rodriguez's brother Jorge Rodriguez, the head of the assembly, described the law as a difficult but necessary step.

"The path of this law is going to be full of obstacles, full of bitter moments ... we're not only going to have to swallow hard ... but also swallow frogs," he said.

"We ask for ⁠forgiveness and we also have to forgive."

Venezuela's opposition and human ‌rights groups have said for years that the government has used detentions to stamp out dissent by politicians, members of the security services, journalists and activists, charging them arbitrarily with crimes like terrorism and treason. The government has always denied holding political prisoners.

Rodriguez, who took ‍office after the U.S. captured and deposed President Nicolas Maduro last month, has been complying with U.S. demands on oil deals. The government has also been already slowly releasing people classified as political prisoners by human rights groups and the country's opposition.

According to the draft, the amnesty will cover crimes committed between January 1, 1999, and the date that the law comes into ​force, and will be applied immediately to people who acted peacefully or who have health concerns. It would not provide amnesty for those convicted of human rights ‌violations, war crimes, murder, corruption or drug trafficking.

PROTESTS AND DEFAMATION

Other alleged crimes, including instigation of illegal activity, resistance to authorities, property damage, rebellion, treason, and illegal carrying of weapons will all be covered by the amnesty if they were committed in the context of political protests, the draft said, specifying that it would include mass protests that rocked the country and led to deaths in 2007, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2024.

Those latest marches, in 2024, took place after a contested election that Venezuela's opposition and international observers say the opposition roundly won. The government and judicial authorities backed Maduro, swearing him in for a third term.

The bill would also cover those accused of ⁠defamation if the act took place in the context of criticizing authorities.

The law would lift Interpol red notices ​and movement restrictions against people who have committed crimes covered by the amnesty, the draft said, "guaranteeing ​the safe and persecution-free return of Venezuelan citizens who are abroad."

Many members of the opposition and dissident former officials live in other countries to escape arrest warrants they say are politically motivated.

Also revoked by the law would be public office bans for political reasons and ‍sanctions against media outlets.

Rights group Foro Penal says it ⁠has verified that 383 political prisoners have been freed since the government announced a new series of releases on January 8. It says more than 680 remain jailed, an updated count including prisoners whose fearful families had not previously reported their detentions.

The government has always denied holding political prisoners and says those jailed ⁠have committed crimes. Government officials have said the number of releases is nearly 900, but have not been clear about the timeline and appear to be including those freed in previous years.

Among the long-time ‌advocates of releases and amnesty is Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has several close allies imprisoned, including opposition ‌politician Juan Pablo Guanipa and lawyer Perkins Rocha.

(Reporting by Reuters, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

Key Points

• Aroeve air purifiers with model MK04 are being recalled.

• The recall affects units sold online from September 2024 to June 2025 due to fire risks.

• Contact the company for a replacement if your purifier matches the recall.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission just announced a recall on approximately 191,390 air purifiers sold nationwide. This is due to a burn and fire hazard.

The air purifiers recalled are Aroeve air purifiers with model number MK04 printed on the product label. The recalled devices also have a serial number starting with "BN" and a date code prior to July 2025.

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The affected air purifiers were sold online across the U.S. on websites such as Amazon, Shopify, Temu and TikTok from September 2024 through June 2025. While no injuries or property damage has been reported, the company has received 37 complaints of the air purifiers overheating, including one report of fire.

Check your air purification system, and if it matches the recall information, contact Airova for a replacement. You can do this by emailing aroeve-airpure-recall@outlook.com.

Read the original article onEatingWell

Spring (training) is just around the corner for the two-time defending World Series championLos Angeles Dodgersand the 29 other MLB teams looking to knock them off their pedestal in 2026.

In addition to a month's worth of exhibition games in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues, this spring will also include the return of theWorld Baseball Classic, where we last sawShohei Ohtani striking out Mike Troutfor the final out ofJapan's thrilling 3-2 victory over Team USAin the 2023 final.

Exhibition games are set to begin on Friday, Feb. 20.

2026 spring training report dates: Arizona and Florida

First date listed is for pitchers and catchers to report to camp. Second date is for position players.

NOTE:Pitchers/catchers participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic will report to their respective MLB camps no later than Wednesday, Feb. 11. Position players participating in the event will report no later than Thursday, Feb. 12.

American League

• Athletics (AZ): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Baltimore Orioles (FL): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Boston Red Sox (FL): Feb. 10; Feb. 15

• Chicago White Sox (AZ): Feb. 10; Feb. 15

• Cleveland Guardians (AZ): Feb. 12; Feb. 17

• Detroit Tigers (FL): Feb. 11; Feb. 15

• Houston Astros (FL): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Kansas City Royals (AZ): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Los Angeles Angels (AZ): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Minnesota Twins (FL): Feb. 12; Feb. 16

• New York Yankees (FL): Feb. 12; Feb. 16

• Seattle Mariners (AZ): Feb. 12; Feb. 17

• Tampa Bay Rays (FL): Feb. 12; Feb. 17

• Texas Rangers (AZ): Feb. 10; Feb. 15

• Toronto Blue Jays: (FL) Feb. 11; Feb. 16

National League

• Arizona Diamondbacks (AZ): Feb. 10; Feb. 15

• Atlanta Braves (FL): Feb. 10; Feb. 15

• Chicago Cubs (AZ): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Cincinnati Reds (AZ): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Colorado Rockies (AZ): Feb. 12; Feb. 17

• Los Angeles Dodgers (AZ): Feb. 13; Feb. 17

• Miami Marlins (FL): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Milwaukee Brewers (AZ): Feb. 12; Feb. 17

• New York Mets (FL): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Philadelphia Phillies (FL): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• Pittsburgh Pirates (FL): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

• St. Louis Cardinals (FL): Feb. 12; Feb. 16

• San Diego Padres (AZ): Feb. 11; Feb. 15

• San Francisco Giants (AZ): Feb. 10; Feb. 15

• Washington Nationals (FL): Feb. 11; Feb. 16

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:When does MLB spring training start? 2026 dates for Florida, Arizona

Nothing happened Thursday that would suggest the gap is closing.

The U.S. women began their quest for Olympic gold with a dominant 5-1 victory over Czechia in the opening game of group play for both teams at the Milan Cortina Winter Games. Hayley Scamurra scored twice and three other Americans found the back of the net once,delighting Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both of whom were seated a few rows up in the stands across the ice from the U.S. bench.

In theory, Czechia figured to provide the U.S. one of its toughest non-Canada tests at these Olympics. The Czechs have finished no worse than fourth at any of the previous four World Championships and arrived in Milan vowing to "create some chaos," as forward Kristyna Kaltounkova put it on Wednesday.

In reality, Czechia proved to be little more than a speed bump. The U.S. controlled the game from the opening faceoff, outshooting Czechia 42-14 and keeping the puck in the attacking zone for long stretches of each period.

"I think our forecheck is pretty dangerous," U.S. defender Megan Keller said. "We have a fast group. We can hunt, be relentless, turn pucks over. I think that's going to drive a lot of our offense."

The impressive showing added to the momentum the U.S. built coming into these Olympics. The Americans secured the No. 1 spot in the IIHF global rankings by capturing the 2025 women's ice hockey world championship and by following that up by sweeping Canada in the four-game Rivalry Series by a combined score of 24-7.

The U.S. opened the scoring late in the first period on Thursday with some help from Czechia's Dominika Lásková. The physical Czechia defender drew a two-minute penalty for an illegal check to the head of American forward Abbey Murphy.

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Only 30 seconds into the ensuing U.S. power play, Keller and Alex Carpenter took advantage. Carpenter redirected Keller's laser shot through the legs of Czechia goalie Klara Peslarova for the first American goal of these Olympics.

"When you see Megan Keller shoot, you just go to the net and try to do anything you can to either get a stick on it or take the eyes away," Carpenter said. "She's got a rocket from up there."

Early in the second period, the U.S. struck again, this time with two goals within 83 seconds, both assisted by Penn State senior Tessa Janecke. On the first goal, Janecke fought to win a loose puck, skated around the back of the net and found Joy Dunne wide open in the slot. Barely a minute later, Janecke set up Scamurra, whose wrist shot trickled through the legs of Peslarova with the help of a screen to block the goalie's vision.

The U.S. might have secured a shutout were it not for an ill-timed second-period giveaway at the exact moment Czechia's Barbora Jurickova emerged from the penalty box. Jurickova received a pass just outside the attacking zone and beat U.S. goalie Aerin Frankel stickside for a breakaway goal, briefly giving Czechia life.

It didn't last long.

Five-time U.S. Olympian Hilary Knight scored late in the second period to increase the U.S. lead to 4-1. Scamurra struck again early in the third.

By then, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

Vance, Rubio and their security detail exited with more than six minutes left in the third period, no doubt confident the U.S. women were on their way to victory.

TheNCAA denied Chambliss' sixth-year eligibility waiver appealon Wednesday, Feb. 4. The denial upholds theNCAA's initial denial of the eligibility waiverissued on Jan. 9.

Chambliss ― represented by attorneys Tom Mars and William Liston ― will take their lawsuit for the former Division II Ferris State star's eligibility to state court in Mississippi.

REQUIRED READING:College football must avoid NFL and run CFP like billion-dollar business

The Rebels' 2025 starter of multiple games was seeking a medical hardship waiver for his 2022 season, in which he was affected by sickness and respiratory problems, according to theJackson Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network.

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Ole Missresponded to the NCAA Athletics Eligibility subcommittee's decision by calling it "indefensible." The school said it would stand behind Chambliss in his fight for eligibility.

"Trinidad's representatives will continue to pursue all available legal remedies, and we will publicly stand behind Trinidad while holding the NCAA accountable for a decision that fails to align with its own rules, precedent and the documented medical record," the statement said.

According toYahoo's Ross Dellenger, Chambliss has a deal with Ole Miss for the 2026 season worth in excess of $5 million. He stands to make more returning to school than he would as a potential mid-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Ole Miss football is coming off a semifinal appearance in the 2025 College Football Playoff. If Chambliss returns, the Rebels would have strong odds to return to the CFP. If he does not, Ole Miss would have to figure out the quarterback position to get back into such a position.

The Rebels did add a former five-star and Auburn signal-caller Deuce Knight in the portal this offseason.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trinidad Chambliss eligibility appeal denied by the NCAA

• The products were available via prescription and distributed across the U.S.

• Here's a list of impacted medication.

Over 22,000 bottles of cholesterol medication have beenrecalled, according to a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)report. Certain lots of the medication have been deemed "a subpotent drug."

Zydus Pharmaceuticals initiated the voluntary recall at the end of December, warning consumers that 22,896 bottles of Icosapent Ethyl capsules may have leaked and caused oxidation, ultimately decreasing the drug's strength. Additionally, the leakage may cause the capsules to offer "inconsistent therapeutic effects and an increase in potential gastrointestinal side effects in some patients."

Late last month, the FDA classified the recall as aClass II, meaning that it may have temporary or reversible negative health effects. The likelihood of serious health problems caused by the recalled products is "remote." Still, if you believe you have any of the recalled pills, consult your physician before stopping any medication.

Which products are affected?

The specific Icosapent Ethyl capsules that are a part of the recall were manufactured by Softgel Healthcare, issued via prescription only, and were distributed across the U.S. in 120-count bottles.

You can check to see if you have one of the affected products by matching up the following lot numbers and expiration dates:

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Lot number: S2520304

• Expiration date: 2/28/2027

Lot number: S2520333

• Expiration date: 2/28/2027

Lot number: S2540186

• Expiration date: 4/30/2027

This particular recall comes on the heels of anothercholesterol medication, atorvastatin calcium, being pulled from shelves. Over 140,000 bottles of the drug were recalled by Ascend Laboratories back in October for concerns over dissolution problems.

What to do with the recalled product

No specific guidelines for discarding the product were provided by the FDA. However, if you have one of the recalled products, you should consult with a medical professional, as continuing to take the drug could result in inefficient treatment.

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Justice Department Jeffrey Epstein

The millions of documents comprise the most detailed look yet at the inner workings of the multiple investigations into Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell.

Those documents include some of the earliest police reports taken by police in Palm Beach, Florida, as well as recordings of some of Epstein's victims speaking on the phone and to investigators. And it includes internal Justice Department emails from as recently as a few months ago.

Here is a timeline of the Epstein investigations and the efforts to open up the government's files:

The investigation begins

March 2005: Palm Beach police begin investigating Epstein after the family of a 14-year-old girl reports she was molested at his mansion. Multiple underage girls, many of them high school students, would later tell police that Epstein hired them to give sexual massages.

May 2006: Police officials sign paperwork to charge Epstein with multiple counts of unlawful sex with a minor, but the county's top prosecutor, State Attorney Barry Krischer, takes the unusual step of sending the case to a grand jury.

July 2006: Epstein is arrested after a grand jury indicts him on a count of soliciting prostitution. The relatively minor charge upsets Palm Beach police leaders, whopublicly accuse Krischerof giving Epstein special treatment. The FBI begins an investigation.

2007: Federal prosecutors prepare an indictment, but for a year Epstein's lawyers engage in talks withthe U.S. attorney in Miami, Alexander Acosta, about a deal that would avoid federal prosecution. Epstein's lawyers decry his accusers as unreliable.

Secret deal leads to a light jail term

June 2008: Epstein pleads guilty to state charges: one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. He is sentenced to 18 months in jail.Under a secret arrangement, the U.S. attorney's office agrees not to prosecute Epstein for federal crimes. Epstein serves most of his sentence in a work-release program that allows him to leave jail during the day.

May 2009: One of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, files a lawsuit claiming Epstein and Maxwell arranged for her to have sexual encounters with "royalty, politicians, academicians, businessmen" and others. The lawsuit doesn't name the men.

July 2009: Epstein is released from jail. For the next decade, Epstein's accusers wage a legal fight to get his federal non-prosecution agreement voided.

News media and lawsuits keep public interest high

March 2, 2011: The Daily Mail publishes an interview with Giuffre in which she describes traveling with Epstein to London at age 17 and spending a night dancing with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known asPrince Andrew. The story and a photo of the prince with his arm around Giuffre creates a crisis for the royal family. FBI agents subsequently interview Giuffre.

Dec. 30, 2014: Giuffre's lawyers file court papers claiming she had sexual encounters with Mountbatten-Windsor and other men, including "foreign presidents, a well-known Prime Minister, and other world leaders." All those men deny the allegations.

November 2018: The Miami Heraldrevisits the handling of Epstein's casein a series of stories focusing partly on the role of Acosta — who by this point is President Donald Trump's labor secretary. The coverage intensifies public interest in Epstein.

New York prosecutors revive case

Dec. 6, 2018: FBI agents and the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan begin a new investigation into Epstein.

July 6, 2019: Epstein isarrested on new sex trafficking chargesbrought by the prosecutors in New York, who have concluded they aren't bound by the earlier non-prosecution agreement with Epstein in Florida. Days later, Acosta resigns as labor secretary.

Aug. 10, 2019:Epstein kills himself in his jail cellin New York.

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July 2, 2020: Federal prosecutors in New Yorkcharge Maxwell with sex crimes, saying she helped recruit and abuse Epstein's victims.

Dec. 30, 2021: After a monthlong trial,a jury convicts Maxwellof sex trafficking and other crimes.

June 28, 2022: Maxwell is sentenced to 20 years in prison.

January, 2024: Public interest in the Epstein case surges again aftera judge makes more court records publicin a related lawsuit.

A new president and a fresh political crisis

Jan. 20, 2025: Trump, who was friends and neighbors with Epstein for years, becomes president again. During his 2024 campaign, he had suggested that he'd seek to open more government files on Epstein.

February 2025: Attorney General Pam Bondisuggests in a Fox News Channel interviewthat an Epstein "client list" is sitting on her desk. The Justice Department distributes binders marked "declassified" to far-right influencers, but much of the informationhad long been public.

April 25, 2025:Giuffre dies by suicide.

July 7, 2025: The Justice Department says Epsteindidn't maintain a "client list"and it won't make any more files related to his sex trafficking investigation public.

July 15, 2025: Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introducethe Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would force the Justice Department to make its investigative files on Epstein public.

July 17, 2025: The Wall Street Journal describes a sexually suggestive letter that thenewspaper says bore Trump's nameand was included in a 2003 album for Epstein's 50th birthday. Trump denies writing the letter andsues the newspaper.

July 24-25, 2025: In an effort to puta political crisis to rest, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviews Maxwell. She denies wrongdoing and says she never saw Trump involved in any sexually inappropriate activity. Afterward, she ismoved from a low-security prison in Floridato a minimum-security prison camp in Texas.

A prince loses his royal title

Oct. 21, 2025: Giuffre'sposthumous memoir is published. In it, she revisits her claims that Epstein and Maxwell sexually trafficked her to powerful men, including Mountbatten-Windsor.

Oct. 30, 2025:King Charles III strips Mountbatten-Windsorof his remaining titles, meaning he can no longer be referred to as "prince," and evicts him from his royal residence.

Nov. 12, 2025: A House committee releases a trove of email correspondence between Epstein and others, including Mountbatten-Windsor, Trump ally Steve Bannon, ex-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. In one 2019 email to a journalist, Epstein wrote that Trump"knew about the girls"but didn't explain what he meant by that.

Nov. 14, 2025: At Trump's urging, Bondi announces that the U.S. attorney in Manhattan willinvestigate Epstein's tiesto some of the Republican president's political foes, including former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat; Summers; and Hoffman, a prominent Democratic donor. None of those men has been accused of misconduct by Epstein's accusers.

Nov. 18, 2025: Congresspasses the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Trump signs it into law the next day.

Dec. 19, 2025: The Justice Department begins releasing records. The batch includes snapshots that Epstein kept in his home of various famous people he met over the years, including Trump and Clinton. After releasing just a sliver of the available documents, though, the Justice Department halts disclosures, saying it needs more time to review the records.

Jan. 30, 2025.: The Justice Department begins releasing what Blanche says are more than 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The files are posted to the department's website.

Follow the AP's coverage of Jeffrey Epstein athttps://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein.

The United States halted military-to-military communication with Moscow just before Russia invaded Ukraine. The conflict, which began in 2022, is the ⁠deadliest war in Europe ‌since World War Two and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since ‍the depths of the Cold War.

In a statement, the U.S. military said the aim of reestablishing the mechanism was to avoid ​miscalculation and escalation by either side.

"Maintaining dialogue between ‌militaries is an important factor in global stability and peace, which can only be achieved through strength, and provides a means for increased transparency and de-escalation," the statement added.

The reestablishment comes after the commander of U.S. European ⁠Command, General Alexus Grynkewich, held ​talks with senior Russian and Ukrainian ​military officials in Abu Dhabi.

Even after high-level military talks were halted between the United States ‍and Russia, they ⁠maintained an emergency deconfliction line.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have directly spoken with ⁠each other on several occasions.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil ‌Stewart in Washington, Shubham Kalia in BengaluruEditing by ‌Ros Russell and Chizu Nomiyama )

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NEED TO KNOW

• Gavin McKenna has been charged with felony aggravated assault

• The projected No. 1 pick for this year's NHL draft was arraigned on four charges related to an altercation on Jan. 31 with another man

• The incident resulted in the victim, a 21-year-old, to require facial "corrective surgery"

Gavin McKenna has been charged with aggravated assault.

Widely projected to be the first overall pick in the NHL draft this coming June, the 18-year-old Penn State forward was arrested and charged with four total counts, according to a press release from the State College Police Department on Feb. 4.

The charges, which include felony aggravated assault, all relate to an alleged altercation between McKenna and another man on Jan. 31.

The Pennsylvania criminal code defines felony aggravated assault — which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine — as an action that "attempts to cause serious bodily injury" or causes injury with "extreme indifference."

Additionally, the Canadian native has also been charged with misdemeanor simple assault, summary harassment and summary disorderly conduct.

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According to the release, the incident took place in the 100 block of South Pugh Street in State College around 8:45 p.m local time.

"It is alleged that McKenna struck a 21-year-old male in the face during the altercation resulting in facial injuries requiring corrective surgery," police stated of the incident.

The 21-year-old lost a tooth in the altercation and had his jaw wired shut, reported Penn State's student newspaper,The Daily Collegian,which cited the criminal complaint.

McKenna was arraigned on the charges and released on $20,000 bail, according to the statement. He is set to appear in court on Feb. 11 at 8:30 a.m. at the Centre County Courthouse in the neighboring town of Bellefonte.

"We are aware that charges have been filed; however, as this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not have any further comment," a spokesperson for Penn State said, according toESPNandSports Illustrated.

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On the same day as the alleged incident, McKenna joined the Nittany Lions at PSU's Beaver Stadium for a game against Michigan State. The home team last 5-4 to Michigan in overtime, and McKenna had a goal and two assists, ESPN reported.

The outlet reported NHL Central Scouting ranks McKenna as first out of all North American skaters. The NHL is aware of the charges, the organization told ESPN, but declined to comment as McKenna is not affiliated with them.

Read the original article onPeople

Seymour, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame member Richard Seymour, was arrested on Jan. 29 along with three others. He was charged with 11 felony counts of criminal damage to property for alleged incidents that took place on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6 at a UGA residence hall.

Seymour's attorney, Kim Stephens,told the Athens Banner-Heraldthat Seymour was taking part in a "door kick challenge." The viral escapade that is similar to ding dong ditching, but involves kicking a door instead of ringing a doorbell.

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News of Seymour's arrest emerged Wednesday night via multiple outlets reporting an erroneous number of charges despite the Athens-Clarke County jail site listing 11 charges on his booking profile.

Stephens told the paper that University of Georgia police "took 11 warrants in a case that they could have and should have taken a single warrant. … I expect Mr. Seymour's case will likely be dismissed upon completion of a Pretrial Diversion Program that would include paying for any damage to property."

The Georgia athletic department has declined to comment about Seymour's arrest.

The freshman is a walk-on from Suwanee, Georgia. He appeared in one game in 2025 as he played in the team's season-opening win over Marshall.

All it took was onehandshake with Framber Valdezand a short-term commitment to the left-hander to ensure the 2026 Tigers will be significant favorites in theAmerican League Central, where five teams worth a combined $8 billion typically engage in an annual ritual of seeing who can do less.

The Tigers decided to zag: While the modern fan has been conditioned into the loser mindset of "you better trade a guy before you get nothing," Detroit instead took the more appropriate tack of surrounding Tarik Skubal with another elite arm in his almost certainly final year in Motown.

And they even locked up a replacement when he walks. Novel, isn't it?

In signing Valdez to a three-year, $115.5 million contract, the Tigers immediately trot out the AL's most dominant 1-2 punch, a duo perhaps rivaled in Boston or Toronto or Seattle but still can't match the raw dominance of possessing the game's most dominant pitchers and also one of its rocks.

Skubal's greatness is well-documented. Valdez's is a little sneakier, his greatest value coming in the 180 to 200 excellent innings he typically provides every season. Lest we forget, he was the lead blocker in the 2022Astros' push to the World Series title, going 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA, the Astros winning all four of his starts.

Certainly, a late-season kerfuffle involving his catcher might have dampened his value on the market a tad, but that's the Tigers' gain. And besides, his $38.3 million deal is still the largest per annum for a left-handed free agent.

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You'd think stretching for a free agent prize might be out of the Tigers' realm. Then again, memories are short, and baseball's bean counters seem to like it this way.

This is a franchise that once extended future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a $202 million deal and also fellow Cooperstown lock Miguel Cabrera on a $292 million pact. Amid all that, they saw fit to sign free agent pitcher Jordan Zimmermann to a five-year, $110 million deal.

$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)

That came in November 2015. Have baseball's revenues increased since then? (Don't answer that).

That money spends well in the Central, where the biggest-market team (Chicago) has never spent more than $75 million on a free agent, where Cleveland likes to pretend any star unwilling to sign a below-market extension must hit the trading block after three years, where Kansas City will nip around the edges until strong-arming any municipality that will have them into a new ballpark, where Minnesota takes on new investors and rotates family members as "control people" as if it doesn't have the greatest ballpark in the division.

No, opportunity is ripe and as we know, consistent access to the playoffs is the most important piece to winning a World Series. Signing Valdez - who can opt out of his deal after the 2027 season - and pairing him with Skubal almost guarantees the Tigers an October ticket, and a favorable set-up when they get there.

Even if it's just one year, what an opportunity. And the Tigers can always come back and reassemble after Skubal leaves. The door should still be left wide open.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tigers' Framber Valdez-Tarik Skubal duo equals World Series contention