One of two men accused in New York City of fencing luxury goods stolen from homes across the country has been linked to a theft at the residence of a “high-profile athlete in Ohio.” That is according to federal court documents released Tuesday. Federal grand jury indictments accuse Dimitriy Nezhinskiy and Juan Villar of buying stolen watches, jewelry and other expensive items from burglary crews and re-selling them at their Manhattan store. The Dec. 9 burglary at the athlete's house in Ohio was on the same day of a break-in at the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. But authorities have not specifically named Burrow as a victim. Prosecutors say evidence links Nezhinskiy to the December burglary.
Gene “Daddy G” Barge, a well-rounded saxophone player, songwriter and Grammy-winning producer, has died. He was 98. His daughter says Barge died in his sleep in his Chicago home on Sunday. His vast catalog of credits included working on hits by Natalie Cole, producing Muddy Waters, touring with the Rolling Stones and helping to inspire the classic “Quarter to Three." Barge played jazz, rock, blues gospel and even appeared on a Public Enemy album. He was so well known for a time that he was called out by name in two hits of the early ’60s — “Quarter to Three” and “Bristol Stomp,”
A few fans booed the American national anthem before the Toronto Raptors hosted the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, a sign that some Canadians are still upset despite President Donald Trump’s 30-day pause on tariff threats against Mexico and Canada. The boos were neither as loud nor as prolonged as they had been before Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers. However, as they did Sunday, Raptors fans cheered loudly for the singing of “O Canada,” showing special enthusiasm for the line “True North strong and free!”
The Senate is heading towards a confirmation vote for Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general. Her confirmation would put a longtime ally of Donald Trump at the helm of a Justice Department that has already been rattled by the firings of career employees seen as disloyal to the Republican president. Bondi is a former Florida attorney general and corporate lobbyist. She is expected to oversee a radical reshaping of the department that has been the target of Trump’s ire over the criminal cases it brought against him. Bondi has sought to reassure Democrats that politics would play no part in her decision-making, but she has refused to rule out investigations into Trump’s adversaries.
The 34-year-old son of NBA great Michael Jordan was arrested in central Florida on a misdemeanor drug charge after police officers found his car stuck on railroad tracks minutes before a commuter train was scheduled to pass. Marcus Jordan was charged on Tuesday with possession of cocaine, a second-degree misdemeanor, and resisting an officer without violence, also a misdemeanor, according to online court records. Jordan is a former University of Central Florida basketball player. He refused to talk to reporters when he was released Tuesday from the Orange County Jail.
Howie Roseman’s journey to becoming one of the top executives in professional sports began as an unpaid summer intern with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2000. He rose to become the youngest general manager in the NFL at age 34 in 2010, fulfilling a childhood dream that began in elementary school when he would evaluate college players and put together a draft board. There may be no other team executive who has been criticized more severely and loved more passionately than Roseman. Eagles fans once vilified Roseman but now refer to the offseason as “Howie Season” because of his ability to manage the salary cap and add players.
The Oregon Zoo in Portland has welcomed a new baby elephant. Thirty-year-old Asian elephant Rose-Tu gave birth at the zoo last weekend after 20 months of pregnancy. The zoo says the calf appeared to be a 200-pound female. But staff are giving the pair time to bond before conducting a first checkup to confirm its weight and sex. Steve Lefave oversees the zoo's elephant program. He says it might be a while before the baby is ready for visitors. He said the staff wants to make sure the calf continues to do well, and that the mother is calm with people around.
Reigning MVPs Nikola Jokic and Nathan MacKinnon can be seen on television again by a majority of Colorado fans after Altitude Sports ended a long-running dispute with Comcast, the region’s largest cable provider. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the owner of Altitude Sports, and Comcast announced Tuesday that Altitude has returned to Xfinity TV customers. Comcast hasn’t carried Altitude since its previous contract expired in 2019. Comcast stopped carrying Altitude due to a disagreement over fees the cable giant was charging to carry the network. The live game broadcasts start Tuesday night with the Avalanche playing at Vancouver.
Vocal vaccine skeptic and activist lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears on track to become the nation’s health secretary after winning the crucial support of Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a doctor who says Kennedy has assured him he would not topple the nation’s childhood vaccination program. In a starkly partisan vote Tuesday, the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee advanced Kennedy’s nomination 14-13, sending his bid to oversee the U.S. Health and Human Services agency for a full vote on the Senate floor later. With Cassidy’s vote no longer in doubt, Kennedy’s nomination is likely to succeed absent any last-minute vote switches. Cassidy says Kennedy “will be the secretary.” All Democrats on the committee opposed Kennedy.
The New Jersey man charged with severely injuring author Salman Rushdie in a 2022 knife attack is standing trial in New York. Lawyers are starting to pick a jury Tuesday for the trial of Hadi Matar in Chautauqua County Court. Matar is charged with attempted murder and assault in the attack that happened as Rushdie took the stage for a discussion on writer safety. He has pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor says jurors will hear from more than a dozen witnesses and will see video of the attack at the Chautauqua Institution. Matar faces separate federal terrorism-related charges related to the assault.
President Donald Trump will attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday, according to the White House. It will be his first trip as president to the game, as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Trump’s trip was confirmed by a White House official that was not authorized to speak publicly about the president’s plans. Trump is also scheduled to sit for an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier as part of the network’s pre-show programming, which is set to be taped from Florida before the game.
Swedish police say that about 10 people including the gunman were killed during a shooting at an adult education center. But a final death toll and a conclusive number of wounded hadn’t yet been determined. The local head of police said that the damage at the crime scene was so extensive that investigators were unable to be more definitive. The shooting on Tuesday happened on the outskirts of Orebro. The city is located about 200 kilometers or 125 miles west of Stockholm. The school serves students who are over age 20. Primary and upper secondary school courses are offered as well as Swedish classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.
Streamer Kai Cenat, comedian-creator Druski and musical artists Mickey Guyton and Shaboozey have been announced as participants in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, while multi-platinum rapper 2 Chainz was named a coach. The game will be played Feb. 14 at Oakland Arena as part of the NBA’s All-Star weekend. Cenat will be making his second celebrity game appearance, as will actor-singer Dylan Wang and singer-songwriter Walker Hayes. Two-time Atlanta Dream All-Star Allisha Gray, WNBA champion and Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton and former NBA players Matt Barnes and Baron Davis are also listed as players. The rosters were announced Tuesday.
Tiger Woods says his mother, Kultida, has died. Woods did not give details on the Tuesday morning death of his 78-year-old mother. He describes her as a force of nature who was quick with the needle. Kultida Woods was born in Thailand and met Earl Woods when he was stationed there while serving in the Army. She was an often overlooked influence in the development of Woods as one of golf's greatest players. She was last seen at his indoor TGL match last week. Woods wore a red shirt Sunday because his mother told him it was his power color.
Big jumps. Lots of terrain. Steep pitches. The downhill course at the Alpine skiing world championships would have been a challenge for Lindsey Vonn’s aching legs before she retired in 2019. Now that she’s replaced part of her right knee with titanium? No problem. Vonn says after placing 20th in the opening training session that “this is probably the worst hill for someone with bad knees but I felt great.” She adds that “none of the landings hurt at all.” Vonn returned to the skiing circuit in December at the age of 40.
Ratings for the Grammy Awards dipped from last year, despite the nail-biting tension of whether Beyoncé would win album of the year and a surprise appearance by The Weeknd. Sunday night’s broadcast on CBS was seen by 15.4 million viewers according to Nielsen. That represents a decline from 2024, which was seen by 16.9 million, a 34% increase from the year before. The numbers this year only account for viewers on CBS. The show was also available to stream by those who purchased the Paramount+ With Showtime package. The three-hour-plus show — with Trevor Noah once again hosting — took place in a Los Angeles still reeling from wildfires.
New research shows that when an asteroid slammed into the moon billions of years ago, it carved out a pair of grand canyons on the far side. That's good news for NASA, which is looking to land astronauts at the south pole on the near, Earth-facing side later this decade. Because the debris went elsewhere, the moon's south pole contains older rocks that could be collected by moonwalkers. The incoming object created an impact basin and sent streams of rocks hurtling like missiles. Within minutes, two canyons comparable in size to Arizona's Grand Canyon were formed.
Jeff Bezos' rocket company has given NASA a brief taste of the moon's gravity without straying too far from home. Blue Origin launched the lunar technology experiments to the edge of space Tuesday from West Texas. Most of the 29 tests were sponsored by NASA. The space agency says it wants to test equipment on short flights to weed out any problems before sending them to the moon. The experiments included ways to keep lunar dust off future moonwalkers' spacesuits and tools. The gravity of the moon is one-sixth that of Earth.
The Hall of Fame voter who declined to select Ichiro Suzuki remains a mystery. All 321 voters who allowed their ballots to be made public Tuesday by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selected the Japanese star. Suzuki appeared on 393 of 394 ballots when voting was announced on Jan. 21. The Hall’s rules allow each voter the choice whether to make a ballot public. The BBWAA voted 80-19 at its December 2016 meeting to propose making all ballots public, but the Hall of Fame’s board of directors decided to leave the decision up to each voter.
Estee Lauder said it’s expanding its restructuring plan to include job cuts anywhere from 5,800 to 7,000 by fiscal 2026 as the global beauty company tries to boost sales and profits. The announcement on Tuesday comes as the company behind such brands as MAC, La Mer and Aveda, cut its earnings outlook amid subdued consumer sentiment in China and Korea, and global geopolitical uncertainty. Estee Lauder also reported that it swung to a loss in its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31 and had a 6% drop in net sales. As of June 30, 2024, Estee Lauder had roughly 62,000 employees worldwide, according to the company’s latest annual filing.
Umpire Pat Hoberg is the latest professional sports figure caught in a betting scandal. The 38-year-old Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball on Monday for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games and for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation. MLB opened its investigation last February when it was brought to its attention by the sportsbook, and Hoberg did not umpire last season. MLB said the investigation did not uncover evidence Hoberg personally bet on baseball or manipulated games, but Hoberg was fired anyway. It's far from the only betting scandals involving professional sports.
China countered President Donald Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Chinese products with tariffs on select U.S. imports. It will also launch an antitrust investigation into Google and other trade measures. The U.S., Canada and Mexico have all agreed to pause planned tariffs for at least a month as negotiations over border security continue.
Crews are trying to recover the plane’s cockpit and the rest of the remains of the 67 people who died in the midair collision between a passenger jet and Army helicopter near the nation’s capital last week. They say their work on Tuesday might depend upon the wind and tidal conditions in the Potomac River, where the aircraft crashed last Wednesday after colliding as the American Airlines flight was about to land at nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport. As of midmorning, they were working to raise another large piece of the plane. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to give a news update later Tuesday.
The Waffle House restaurant chain is putting a 50 cent per egg surcharge in place temporarily due to the biggest bird flu outbreak in a decade. The restaurant, typically a reliable spot for a cheap breakfast, said that the resulting egg shortage has led to a dramatic increase in its costs. Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. The chain's two-egg breakfast, which comes with toast and a side, was listed at $7.75 on Tuesday.
Red wolves once ranged far and wide across the U.S., helping them earn the nickname “America's wolf.” But there are now thought to be fewer than 20 left in the wild. And in North Carolina, the only place where the animals roam free, motorists are the biggest threat to their survival. For decades, conservationists have pushed for changes to U.S. 64, a busy two-lane highway that runs straight through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. They may finally be getting their wish with federal funding that backs small underpasses to steer wolves and other animals below the highway. Wildlife crossings have surged around the world in the past two decades, but the one in North Carolina is a little different because it seeks to save a critically endangered species.
There’s the initial shock and chaos in a collective disaster like the deadly and destructive California wildfires. Later, for many, there’s the grief and pain of actually losing a home, the countless threads of daily life woven there, the sense of safety it once provided. The stress, uncertainty and financial challenges of piecing a life back together. Along with meeting urgent physical needs in the aftermath of disasters, there are ways to cope with the psychological and mental toll that being impacted by such collective tragedies may take on some and to support loved ones navigating loss and other emotions.
The number of monarch butterflies spending the winter in the western United States dropped dramatically this year even as federal officials move to extend protections for the beloved pollinator. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation surveys overwintering sites along the California coast, northern Baja California and inland sites in California and Arizona. This year the organization counted 9,119 monarchs, the second-lowest total since tracking began in 1997. The organization has recorded more than 200,000 monarchs in each of the last three years. The society says monarchs are suffering from pesticides, habitat loss and climate change across their range. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began the process of listing monarchs as threatened in December.
At least six people were injured in a shooting attack at a checkpoint in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Tuesday morning, according to the Israeli military and area hospitals. The Israeli military said an attacker fired at soldiers at a checkpoint in the village of Tayasir, which is in the northern West Bank. In a tense exchange, soldiers returned fire and the attacker was killed, the military added. Israeli hospitals said they had received a total of six people injured in the shooting attack. Israeli media reported the injured are soldiers and at least two of them were critically injured. Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group praised the attack but neither claimed responsibility for it.
Over 40 Georgians have been jailed on criminal charges stemming from anti-government protests that have roiled the South Caucasus nation for weeks. The ruling Georgian Dream party is cracking down on freedom of assembly and expression after cementing its power in a parliamentary election that the opposition says was rigged by Russia to retain its influence over its neighbor. Many Georgians view the outcome as a blow to the country’s European Union aspirations. Some of those who were detained reported being physically and verbally abused by police and international human rights advocates are sounding the alarm. The country's prime minister defends the actions, arguing his government was fending off an attempt at a revolution.
It's a mix of art gallery, science exhibit and a 21st century funhouse. Paradox Museum Miami is taking guests on a tour through optical illusions and other enigmas geared to the age of Instagram. The 11,000 square-foot museum opened in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood in 2022 and features more than 70 mind-boggling exhibits. The Miami museum is one of more than a dozen locations worldwide and now includes locations in Las Vegas and New Jersey. Many of the exhibits recall old carnival funhouses, like the mirror maze, the spinning tunnel and the upside-down room. But the catch is, visitors are explained the math and science behind each illusion.
Medics attended to a man who collapsed courtside before the San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies game. The two teams were preparing for the opening tip Monday night when everything stopped and attention went to the courtside seats. Medics were working on the man on the floor as both teams were sent back to the locker rooms and the game was delayed. The man was taken out of the arena on a stretcher after about seven minutes. There was no immediate update on his status. The teams were expected to return to the court and go through another warmup period before the game would begin.
A federal court jury has sided with the U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer in an antitrust lawsuit brought against the organizations by a now-defunct league that sued after it did not have its second-tier status renewed. Judge Hector Gonzalez in Brooklyn dismissed the case after the verdict was announced Monday. The lawsuit was brought in 2017 by the North American Soccer League, which disbanded months after the federation’s decision not to renew the status. The league said in the lawsuit the federation and MLS conspired to maintain a monopoly on pro soccer in the U.S. and Canada. MLS said the allegations were meritless.
A former friend who alleges rapper A$AP Rocky fired a gun at him in 2021 testified that no one involved in the incident gave him any indication the firearm might be fake until the day the trial started two weeks ago. The hip-hop star's lawyers contend that the gun he fired on the ex-friend known as A$AP Relli was a starter pistol that only shoots blanks. Relli testified that despite text messages confronting Rocky and others who were there about shots fired at him, no one told him it was just a prop gun. Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Several businesses from day cares to grocery stores and hair salons closed across the United States in a loosely organized day of protest against the President Donald Trump's immigration policies. The “day without immigrants” protest on Monday came on the heels of street protest in California and elsewhere a day earlier. Participation in Monday's “day without immigrants" faced headwinds from employees and business owners who said they can scarcely afford to lose income. They noted that many Latino businesses are already hurting because immigrant communities are living in uncertainty and fear.
A woman from New Zealand says in lawsuits that British author Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her repeatedly when she worked as a babysitter and nanny for him and his wife. Scarlett Pavlovich filed the lawsuits in federal court in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New York. The lawsuits accuse Gaiman’s wife, Amanda Palmer, of introducing Pavlovich to Gaiman as the couple's babysitter in 2022 even though she knew he would sexually assault her. Online court records don't list an attorney for Gaiman but earlier this year he denied ever engaging in non-consensual sex. The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly as Pavlovich has done.
The Senate has confirmed fossil fuel executive Chris Wright to serve as energy secretary, a key post to promote President Donald Trump’s efforts to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He says more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty and has promised to help Trump “unleash energy security and prosperity.” The Senate on Monday approved his nomination, 59-38. Trump has promised to “drill, baby, drill,” boosting production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases.
A violin made by the famed Antonio Stradivari in 1714 has the potential to become the most expensive musical instrument ever sold when it goes up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The auction house is estimating the value of the “Joachim-Ma Stradivarius” at $12 million to $18 million. If it sells Friday at the top end of that range, it could best the $15.9 million paid in 2011 for another Stradivarius, the “Lady Blunt," which Guinness World Records lists as the most expensive instrument ever sold at auction. The Joachim-Ma Stradivarius is named after two of its famed owners, violin virtuosos Joseph Joachim and Si-Hon Ma.
In separate negotiations, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump to pause planned tariffs for at least a month. Trump’s tariffs against China are still slated to go into effect on Tuesday. Staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters after billionaire Elon Musk announced President Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been given broad latitude to investigate the federal government.
President Donald Trump mostly stuck to sports and avoided any talk of tariffs as he celebrated the NHL's defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at the White House. The ceremony was delayed nearly an hour because Trump was talking to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump made repeated references to Panthers owner Vinnie Viola being a friend. Viola was briefly Trump's nominee to be Secretary of the Army during the first administration before withdrawing from consideration. The team had a customized “Trump 45-47” jersey framed for him.
For years the Grammy Awards have been criticized over a lack of diversity. But the Sunday's edition suggests something may have shifted. Already the most awarded and nominated artist in the show’s history, Beyoncé finally won album of the year. Kendrick Lamar took home two of the top four prizes of the night spotlighting hip-hop on a televised program that has historically neglected the genre. Young pop performers were placed in the spotlight at the moment of their ascent. It might be that the Recording Academy’s concerted efforts to diversify are the reason the Grammys seemed to correct course. Or it could've been a great one-off.
There's no better way to spoil a play in the NFL these days than with strong pressure through the middle. More teams put premier rushers inside for a matchup advantage and the most direct path to the passer. The evolution of the running quarterback has also forced defenses to alter rushing strategies and not simply be focused on edge pressure that can be negated with a slide and a scramble. The Super Bowl 59 matchup between Kansas City and Philadelphia will showcase not only some elite interior rushers, but an excellent group of guards and centers on the other side.
Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games and for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation. MLB opened the investigation last February when it was brought to its attention by the sports book, and Hoberg did not umpire last season. While MLB said the investigation did not uncover evidence Hoberg personally bet on baseball or manipulated games, MLB senior vice president of on-field operations Michael Hill recommended on May 24 that Hoberg be fired. Commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday he upheld Hill’s decision. Among the highest-rated umpires at judging the strike zone, Hoberg can apply for reinstatement no earlier than 2026 spring training.
The Super Bowl isn’t just a game on Sunday. It’s a nearly week-long spectacle taking over New Orleans with non-stop entertainment leading up to the big showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. While the Chiefs and Eagles gear up for their championship rematch, the Big Easy will be the epicenter for star-studded concerts, exclusive parties, comedy shows and guest lists filled with A-listers. From Post Malone, Cardi B to Shaquille O’Neal, the city will be buzzing long before Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs attempt a three-peat.
The daughter of an American-Israeli hostage freed from captivity over the weekend, the latest release in the Gaza ceasefire deal, said he spent long periods in isolation and lost a drastic amount of weight. The six-week first phase of the truce calls for the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 prisoners, as well as the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the devastated territory. Israel and Hamas are beginning to negotiate a second phase of the ceasefire, which calls for releasing the remaining hostages and extending the truce indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached.
President Donald Trump's threat of tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China is aimed at stopping the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. Chinese and Mexican officials say the opioid crisis is largely a U.S. problem because that's where the demand is. Ingredients for fentanyl are produced in China and used by pharmaceutical companies to make legal painkillers, but a portion of those chemicals is purchased by the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels in Mexico for the manufacture of illicit drugs. The cartels make fentanyl in labs and then smuggle the drug into the U.S., largely at official land crossings in California and Arizona.
Washington Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris says the team name is not changing. Harris said the name is here to stay after inheriting it when he and his group bought the team from longtime owner Dan Snyder in 2023. Harris said the name has come to mean something and has been embraced by staff and fans. Harris, who grew up as a Washington football fan, had previously said upon taking over that the team would not be going back to its old name that Snyder dropped in 2020.
Hundreds of internal emails show executives of the New Orleans Saints were far more involved than previously known in providing public relations help to Catholic church leaders as they confronted a clergy sex abuse crisis. The emails sharply undercut assurances the Saints provided five years ago when they asserted they had provided only “minimal” assistance to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Survivors of clergy abuse say they’re disgusted by the team’s involvement. The Saints said in a statement Friday that the team does not condone sex abuse while criticizing the media for using leaked emails to misconstrue “a well-intended effort.”
If you’re throwing a watch party for the Super Bowl, you couldn’t ask for a better backdrop and inspiration than host city New Orleans. It's known for enticing food, and one that's fun to make and enjoy is the po'boy sandwich. Experts say that what makes the po'boy different from other sandwiches is the bread. It's got a crisp, thin crust and an airy, malty interior. You use two big pieces of it. If you're not in New Orleans, you might have to use a baguette or Italian loaf instead of the traditional New Orleans French bread. A fully dressed po'boy means shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced pickles and mayonnaise. But any combination is fine. Popular fillings include roast beef, fried oysters and fried shrimp.
Crews are on the scene on the Potomac River to retrieve the submerged wreckage of an airliner and an Army helicopter that collided midair in the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001. Col. Francis B. Pera of the Army Corps of Engineers says portions of the aircraft will be loaded onto flatbed trucks and taken to a hangar for further investigation. Crews are expected to begin the work of lifting the wreckage on Monday and at daybreak they could be seen aboard a vessel with a crane. Authorities say they have recovered the remains of 55 of the 67 people killed in Wednesday's collision.
Hundreds of internal emails show executives of the New Orleans Saints were far more involved than previously known in providing public relations help to Catholic church leaders as they confronted a clergy sex abuse crisis. The emails sharply undercut assurances the Saints provided five years ago when they asserted they had provided only “minimal” assistance to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Survivors of clergy abuse say they're disgusted by the team's involvement. The Saints said in a statement Friday that the team does not condone sex abuse. They also criticized the media for using leaked emails to misconstrue what they called “a well-intended effort.”
New Hampshire authorities say a man riding a ski lift fell about 20 feet to the ground after his chair detached. The state fire marshal's office says the man suffered non-life-threatening injuries Sunday and was taken to a hospital after the fall at the Attitash Mountain Resort in Bartlett. The marshal's office says it appears a mechanical failure caused one of the chairs to dislodge from the cable. No one else was hurt. The Flying Bear lift is closed as the investigation by the marshal’s office and the Passenger Tramway Safety Board continues. A spokesperson for Colorado-based Vail Resorts, which owns Attitash, says the resort does daily lift inspections.
Beyoncé winning the trophy for album of the year was the highlight of the Grammy Awards on Sunday, but there were plenty of other key moments. The Weeknd made a surprise return to the Grammy stage after years of boycotting the telecast and Doechii became only the third woman to win best rap album. Chappell Roan was crowned best new artist and then used her speech to demand change in the music business. And Will Smith, hosting a tribute to the late Quincy Jones, marked his first appearance at a major awards show since he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars.
The U.S. Justice Department has ordered a halt to programs that provide information and guidance to people in immigration proceedings. The providers of those services say the move will deprive people of due process and contribute to already significant immigration court backlogs. An email sent by the Justice Department to nonprofit organizations on Jan. 22 notified them “to stop work immediately” on four federally funded programs to comply with an executive order targeting illegal immigration that was signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. The organizations that provide those services operate inside immigration courts and immigration detention centers.
