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• The Texas native says watching Hughes was her "first Olympic memory."

• Glenn, 26, will compete in the women's singles competition at the Winter Olympics next month

Amber Glennremembers exactly where she was when she first watched her Olympic heroSarah Hughescompete in the2002 Winter Olympics.

The 16-year-old Hughes, now 40, didn't just pull off a major upset at the Salt Lake City Games that year, but she unknowingly inspired Team USA's next shot at gold come February at the2026 Winter Olympics.

"I remember watching Sarah Hughes in the 2002 Olympics quite a few years after it happened on DVD on my little Cinderella TV and just the exhilaration and excitement," Glenn, 26, tells PEOPLE while reflecting on what sparked her Olympic dreams as a child.

A young Glenn would watch the performance again and again: Hughes dazzled on the DVD, nailing a double axel on her first jump before building up to an unprecedented triple toe loop-triple loop and triple salchow-triple loop combination. The iconic performance was enough to outshine Team USA teammatesMichelle KwanandSasha Cohen, and upset Russian skater Irina Slutskaya, the favorite coming into that year's competition.

"That was my first Olympic memory," Glenn smiles now, thinking back to Hughes' gold medal-winning program.

Soon enough, Glenn was on the ice herself dazzling anyone who'd watch. "I wanted to skate as fast as I could," Glenn says, remembering how her mom always made sure she was wearing elbow pads, knee pads and a helmet. "I wanted to try all the hard things that I saw the older girls trying. And I did, hence the helmet."

Glenn reflects: "And I never stopped. I just kept going."

Jamie Squire/Getty

By the time she was 14, the Plano, Texas native was the U.S. junior women's champion. After winning gold, the teenager received an unexpected call from Hughes, who offered her congratulations and support.

"She really inspired me," Glenn says. "[That call] was such a cool meeting-your-heroes moment. And I'm so grateful to her."

In the following years, Glenn took time off to focus on her mental health before she returned to the podium at the 2019 U.S. Classic event after beginning neurotherapy.

"I've always had the physical capabilities, but the mental side has been a struggle for me," Glenn says, adding that coming out as pansexual around that time helped turn her belief into success.

A refreshed Glenn earned podium finishes at the national championships in 2021 and again in 2023, but then hit her stride the next three seasons, becoming the first woman since Kwan to win back-to-back-to-back U.S. Figure Skating championships in 2024, 2025, and earlier this month at the 2026 competition.

"It's been a weight off my shoulders," Glenn says about coming out. "I know regardless of whatever results of whatever I do on the ice, that I'm able to speak about my journey and my process truthfully and inspire others to do the same, and not feel as alone in who they are. And that's one of the things that has kept me in this sport for so many years."

Geoff Robins / AFP via Getty

After many of her victories, Glenn says she still hears from Hughes.

"I'll even get texts of congratulations sometimes and I fangirl a little bit every time," the 5-foot-5 Texan smiles, hoping she'll hear from her childhood hero once more after next month's 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Glenn was named tothe U.S. figure skating squadearlier this month after finishing first once again at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, as many expect her to take a serious run at her first Olympic gold.

Matthew Stockman/Getty

But it hasn't been an easy journey for Glenn, who says instead "it's been a long, very difficult road" to get to the 2026 Winter Olympics. But for the first time in her career, Glenn feels ready for the world stage – a spotlight she's imagined since she was a young child sitting in front of her Cinderella TV watching Hughes pull off the unexpected.

"I'd say this is really the first time that I truly believed that I could make an Olympic team and that I had put in the work that I really deserved it, because I have been putting in the work every single day for the last four years," Glenn says. "And I really, really think that it's something I can do. And I'm allowing myself to have that dream now."

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come topeople.comto check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan-Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.

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The Jets "reached out" to Jon Gruden about potentially joining Glenn's staff for the 2026 NFL season, according toThe Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. However, Gruden "wasn't interested in the job."

It wasn't immediately clear what type of role the Jets had offered Gruden. That said, it's worth noting the team parted ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Jan. 27 after just one season.

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18)makes a catch for a touchdownagainst the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

Gruden hasn't held an NFL coaching job since the 2021 season, when he resigned from his head coaching job with theLas Vegas Raidersafteremails he sent containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarksduring his time at ESPN were leaked to the media.

During the 2023 season, Gruden consulted in an unofficial capacity for theNew Orleans Saints, and has more recently taken on a role producing content for Barstool Sports.

Despite his absence, Gruden's name has been bandied about in the rumor mill over the years. NFL Media's Tom Pelissero mentionedteams had done "extensive homework"on the Super Bowl-winning coach prior to the 2025 NFL coaching cycle.

The Jets' reported curiosity indicates there is still interest in Gruden. But for now, the 62-year-old will remain out of the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Jets will turn their attention to another veteran coach to help organize their offense. New York is expected to hire Frank Reich to take over as the team's primary play-caller, according toSNY's Connor Hughes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Report: Jon Gruden not interested in joining Jets coaching staff

WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Several Democratic-led states are pursuing laws trying to enable people to sue federal agents deployed to their communities for civil rights abuses, a push that has gained steam amid protests over tactics used by ICE during U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and elsewhere.

Illinois last month became the first state to pass such a law. Trump's ​administration swiftly filed a lawsuit seeking to block it, arguing that allowing civil rights lawsuits against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in state courts violates a key provision of the U.S. Constitution.

Democratic-backed legislation ‌that would allow civil rights claims against ICE agents in state courts also is being considered in states including California, New York, Virginia, Maryland and Connecticut. The killings of two people - Renee Good and Alex Pretti - by ICE agents in Minneapolis this month and rough tactics used by ‌the agency during deployments have brought new attention to these efforts, still in the early stages of the legislative process.

'HOLD ICE AGENTS ACCOUNTABLE'

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said during a January 13 speech that she will "move to allow New Yorkers to hold ICE agents accountable in court when they act outside the scope of their duties."

ICE is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or DHS. Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said in a statement to Reuters that Hochul "continues to smear law enforcement who are simply enforcing the rule of law and are putting their lives on the line."

"DHS law enforcement officers follow the law and the U.S. Constitution," McLaughlin added.

The state measures could pave the way for a wave of ⁠lawsuits by U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike seeking monetary damages from individual law ‌enforcement officers accused of violating constitutional rights such as freedom of speech, due process and the prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. The measures are intended to address what their supporters call an accountability gap in the U.S. legal system.

In 1871, the U.S. Congress passed a law that lets people bring civil rights lawsuits in federal courts against state and local ‍government officials including police officers. This law, called Section 1983, has been a tool for addressing misconduct by police officers at the state and local levels.

But Congress has never passed a similar law allowing for such lawsuits in federal courts against individual federal agents, like ICE officers, accused of violating constitutional rights, with Democratic proposals stymied by Republican opposition.

One existing law, called the Federal Tort Claims Act of 1946, allows people to seek compensation from the U.S. government for negligent and wrongful acts by federal employees, though ​it does not allow these employees to be named as individual defendants in lawsuits.

A law firm representing Good's family said it is investigating whether to pursue legal action through the Federal Tort Claims Act but said that ‌statute requires plaintiffs to deal with "byzantine, time-consuming processes."

Anya Bidwell, an Arlington, Virginia-based lawyer who brings civil rights claims on behalf of clients against law enforcement, called the proposed state measures that would allow for suits against federal agents in state courts "a potential sea change" in the American legal system. One of her clients is a California man - a U.S. citizen and Army veteran - who has said he was brutalized by ICE agents during an immigration raid.

'SUPREMACY CLAUSE'

The Illinois law allows civil lawsuits in state courts against federal agents who knowingly violate constitutional rights while enforcing U.S. immigration law. Under that law, plaintiffs who allege they have been unlawfully searched or detained by ICE agents could sue them in state court and seek monetary compensation, including punitive damages.

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Illinois law, and has signaled it would challenge any similar state measure passed this year. It said the Illinois law ⁠violates a constitutional provision called the "Supremacy Clause" that makes federal laws supersede conflicting state laws.

McLaughlin described threats she said have been made ​against DHS personnel, and said that despite these "our law enforcement show incredible restraint and professionalism in exhausting all options before any kind of ​non-lethal force is used."

In a recent essay, two constitutional law scholars called the Illinois law an "innovative" but "imperfect" law. Vikram Amar of the University of California, Davis and Jason Mazzone of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign said some parts of it, such as the provision dealing with punitive damages, are likely unconstitutional on Supremacy Clause and other grounds.

But Amar and Mazzone and some ‍other legal experts support the core premise of the Illinois ⁠law and similar proposals under which states would create civil liability for federal agents who violate the Constitution.

"The Supremacy Clause only prevents states from imposing new legal obligations and restrictions on federal officers," said Lauren Bonds, director of the Redmond, Washington-based National Police Accountability Project advocacy group.

The Trump administration's lawsuit targeting the Illinois law eventually could reach the U.S. Supreme Court, Bidwell said.

The California legislation, called the No Kings Act in ⁠a nod to the anti-Trump protest movement of that name, was approved by a state Senate committee in an 11-2 vote this month. It has not yet been taken up by the full state Senate. It also would need approval by the state Assembly and Democratic ‌Governor Gavin Newsom's signature.

The fact that the California proposal is modeled after Section 1983, a federal law already on the books, makes it more likely to withstand a legal challenge, Bidwell said.

"The courts ‌would not need to reinvent the wheel," Bidwell said.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham and Noeleen Walder)

Gergely Karácsony, who has led Budapest since 2019, had been thesubject of a police investigationfollowing the march on June 28which went aheaddespite a ban imposed by Hungary's right-wing nationalist government.

The event was the largest of its kind in the country's history, with organizers saying some 300,000 people participated.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Budapest Chief Prosecutor's Office said Karácsony had been charged for organizing the unlawful assembly despite a prohibition order. It recommended he should face a fine without a trial.

Prosecutors said Karácsony had defied the police order banning the Pride march and "repeatedly published public calls to participate in the assembly, and then led the assembly."

A defiant Karácsony said in a written statement that he was a "proud defendant."

"It seems that in this country, this is the price you pay if you stand up for your own freedom and the freedom of others," he wrote. "If anyone thinks they can ban me, deter me, or prevent me and my city from doing so, they are gravely mistaken."

Karácsony did not dispute the prosecution's depiction of his role in the march, writing: "That is exactly what happened."

He added: "I will never accept, nor resign myself to, the idea that in my homeland it could be a crime to stand up for freedom. I will never tolerate this, and despite every threat and every punishment, I will fight it, because when people who want to live, to love, to be happy are simply betrayed by their own country, betrayed by their government, resistance is a duty."

Prime MinisterViktor Orbán's ruling partypassed a contentious anti-LGBTQ+ lawin March 2025 which banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition tools to identify those attending the festivities.

The populist leader's government has insisted Pride — which is a celebration of LGBTQ+ visibility and struggle for equal rights — was a violation of children's rights to moral and spiritual development. A constitutional amendment last year declared these rights took precedence over other fundamental protections including the right to peacefully assemble.

Orbán's party has passed other legislation — including a 2021 lawbarring all content depicting homosexualityto minors under 18 — that rights groups and European politicians have decried as repressive against sexual minorities and compared tosimilar restrictionsin Russia.

Cheyenne Hangaman, the boys' mother, said she tried to rescue them by lifting them out of the water and placing them on the ice, but it kept breaking.

"There was three of them and only one of me... that's why I couldn't save them," she told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

She described her sons, aged six, eight and nine, as full of personality and urged families to "make sure that you hold your kids tight, always tell them that you love them".

This story contains graphic content that some readers may find distressing.

Hangaman, a mother of six, first learned of the accident when her daughter ran over to her, shouting that the boys had fallen in.

The children had been out playing near the pond, about 100ft (30m) away from the house where the family had been staying.

The youngest fell through first after trying to "ice skate" on the layer of ice on the water, Hangaman said, adding that the two older boys then jumped in after him.

"When I seen them, they were struggling, and I know their bodies were already in shock," she said. "The water was freezing cold."

While trying to save them, she began to struggle and was rescued by a neighbour.

"I tried to fight for my kids' life, where I had to watch them struggle and drown and I couldn't help them," she said.

The neighbour, a football coach at the school the boys attended, heard her screams and was able to pull her out of the water.

"He said he heard the screaming or the call for help and came running. My friend had a horse rope, and he pulled me out with it," Hangaman said.

In a statement, the local sheriff's office said the two older boys were pulled out of the water first by emergency workers and a neighbour, and taken to a local hospital.

The six-year-old was later recovered after "an extensive search of the pond", the office added.

Authorities did not release the children's names, but family members identified them as Howard Doss, six, Kaleb Doss, eight, and EJ Doss, nine.

Describing her sons, Hangaman said EJ dreamed of becoming a football star, Kaleb loved to dance and sing, and the youngest, Howard, "liked making people laugh".

The boys' school said they were "devastated by this unimaginable loss" in a letter to families seen by CBS News and that counsellors would be available to meet students and staff.

Their deaths come asa deadly winter storm hit a wide swathe of the US, including Texas, over the last week, killing more than 20 people and leaving several thousands without power.

• Deadly US winter storm leaves flights delayed and thousands without power

What's next for theNo. 1 team in the nation, the one that somehow appears even more dominant than its two previous record-setting versions?

TheNittany Lionsand coachCael Sanderson, who are well on their way to their 13th national title in the past 15 years, seem to be only distancing themselves further from the rest of the country, including the preeminentBig Ten.

The Lions are in the midst of an NCAA-record82-match winning streak. They havesix No. 1-ranked wrestlersfor the first time in history. They've stunningly shut out seven opponents this season, another school record.

The top sports dynasty in America? It's to the point where the biggest question is whether top-10 opponents, likeNebraska on Friday night in the Bryce Jordan Center, will simply score.

When asked recently about they're ever-growing dominance, Sanderson talked about culture and their long-standing program process.

"I mean, we have a special thing going here, right? The kids know that. They see that,"he told reporters last weekin State College. "I think I have a pretty good idea of what we're doing and what we're not doing. I think, in this era, the NIL era, and all the different motivations to go to different programs, our kids know that they're coming here because they want to be the best wrestlers they can possibly be.

"I think when we look back, we'll see that this era has been good to us because we do our best to follow the rules. And we're going to get the kids that are coming here for the right reasons. Because the kids know, recruits know, parents know.

"Kids are coming here with very high character, wanting to be the best wrestlers in the world."

How Penn State wrestling dynasty grows even stronger

Their overall dominance of the sport in the past 15 years is one matter. How they continually find new ways to improve upon themselves is quite another.

They certainly own an even deeper roster than the past two teams that broke overall points records at the NCAA Championships. They certainly seem possible of tying or bettering records for most individual finalists (six) and winners (five) at those national championships in Cleveland in late March.

This also would be their first time winning five straight team championships under Sanderson.

Then consider this: Only one of their 10 starters — Levi Haines — is a senior.

"I think the chemistry is really incredible right now in the program," Sanderson said. "Just a lot of good kids that are here for the right reasons, the right kids that could have named their price and gone to other schools are here just because of what the program represents and stands for.

"Those are the kids that are going to care about one another and care about the team. When you do that, you're going to get your best self and your best own individual results, just because that's just how it goes."

Sanderson, through all of their successes, has finally built a lineup without any holes. Even their only two non-top five wrestlers are trending upwards: junior Braeden Davis, a returning All-American, just getting accustomed to his third weight class in three seasons (141 pounds) and redshirt freshman heavyweight Cole Mirasola appear to be improving by the week.

Penn State (11-0) has beaten their opponents by an otherworldly combined score of 480-19. They've won 49 of their 50 individual Big Ten bouts.

This weekend's opponent, Nebraska, boasts eight top-10 wrestlers and will still be a prohibitive underdog. The best measure will come Feb. 13 when No. 2 Ohio State — and its eight top-five wrestlers — come to State College.

Of course, the Lions have been in such positions before and haven't lost a dual meet in six years. They haven't lost at home, incredibly enough, in 11 years.

Their best may be a bespectacled, philosophical junior who's lost just one match in three seasons. Listen to how Mitchell Mesenbrink, an upbeat, unassuming point-scoring machine, puts it:

"I don't think there's any secret sauce,"he told reporterslast week about that team domination. "Just keep doing the same things and focusing on the bigger picture of things in preparing for the next match.

"It's instilling values into your day-to-day that mean something to you and mean something to God and make a difference. Everybody knows them. They're not just some crazy fable or message that you've never heard. What's the quote? 'Extraordinary is just ordinary over and over.'"

Frank Bodani covers Penn State wrestling for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him atfbodani@ydr.comand follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Penn State wrestling, Cael Sanderson more dominant than ever

Pictures circulated on social media on Tuesday showing Kolo Muani, a France international, and Tottenham teammate Wilson Odobert standing next to a black Ferrari that had sustained damage. They had taken part in open training at the club's practise facility earlier in the day.

Odobert reportedly was in his own car but stopped to assist Kolo Muani, and they travelled to Germany together.

Speaking on Tuesday evening at a news conference, Frank said Kolo Muani was "fine."

"It was a tire blowing up," Frank said, "so they are a little bit delayed but they will land later tonight."

Frank said the incident happened when the players were on the way to the airport.

"I fully expect both to be available (against Eintracht)," he said.

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

More than 40 friends and family are traveling to theMilan Cortina Winter Gamesto watch America's most decoratedcross-countryskier chase Olympic glory one last time.

The 34-year-old Minnesota native isretiringat the end of the season, and looking forward to finally getting some rest.

"I'm really excited to have a whole weekend off," Diggins told The Associated Press from the U.S. team's training base in Livigno, Italy.

"I realize that sounds kind of crazy, but ... I haven't had two days in a row that are actually mine in a very long time. So that's going to feel really special."

Before that, she enters her fourth Olympics as the top challenger to the traditionally dominant Nordic skiers. With gold, silver, and bronze medals already to her name, Diggins is a strong favorite to add to her collection in Milan Cortina. Along the World Cup circuit this year, growing clusters ofU.S. teammateshave gathered to cheer her on, a presence that's coincided with her retaining the lead in the overall women's standings.

"It was so cool — just feeling so much love across different sports," Diggins said after winning her third overall Tour de Ski title in northern Italy this month. "It's been really awesome."

She returned to the podium last weekend in Goms, Switzerland, at the final World Cup meet before the Olympics, where she finished second in the 20-kilometer classic, just 0.9 seconds behind Finland's Johanna Matintalo.

Zip lines, swim races, summers in Canada

Growing up in Afton, outside Minneapolis, Diggins tried any sport that could absorb her uncontainable energy: skating, soccer, dance, gymnastics, rock climbing and athletics. Ski racing followed while she was still in elementary school.

Her father, an outdoorsy Canadian, installed a zip line behind their house, and speed quickly became a fascination. That competitive edge sharpened during summers north of the border, racing other kids in swim meets along the shores of Lake Superior.

Ski competitions began at 11 and never stopped. After outperforming the boys, Diggins jumped age categories, surging through her teens from state to national championships and onto an express path to the Olympics.

By 2018, she was at the center of a historic breakthrough, teaming with Kikkan Randall in the sprint to claim the first — and still only — U.S. Olympic gold in cross-country skiing.

After adding silver and bronze in 2022, Diggins will compete at Milan Cortina as part of a powerhouse group of American women that includes Alpine skiiersMikaela Shiffrin,Lindsey Vonnand snowboarderChloe Kim.A dual citizen, Diggins also openly roots for Canada.

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"I absolutely do," she told the AP. "I kind of see it as team North America. And I am really, really proud of my Canadian citizenship. So many of my family lives up there, and both my parents were born there. I feel so proud to have half of my heart there."

Stressed by events in Minneapolis

Her career took off in Europe and eventually led her to settle outside Boston, but Minnesota is never far away. Diggins said it has been stressful to follow the headlines about theimmigration crackdownin Minneapolis where two people were fatally shot by federal immigration agents.

"It's been devastating following the news of what has been happening in Minnesota right now, and it's really hard feeling like I can do nothing about it," she wrote in anonline post.

As her career has flourished, she has also devoted herself to causes that mirror personal struggles — advocating for climate action assnowfall declinesbecause of climate change and pushing for better access to treatment for people with severe eating disorders.

"It makes every race so much more meaningful knowing that I'm trying to advocate for a better future," she said.

After advocacy, it's back to the slopes.

Glitter, gratitude and podium dancing

Fans know Jessie Diggins' winning formula: relentless endurance, downhill aggression and a finishing kick capable of breaking elite rivals.

There's also playfulness. She races with glitter face paint — a ritual now copied by younger American skiers — and after frequent finish-line collapses often celebrates moments later with a half-dance on the podium.

Along the way, Diggins makes a point of publicly thanking those who helped her get there: wax technicians, sports psychologists, teammates and others.

"I have to say a huge thank you to the team. I felt like I had awesome skis that were super competitive every single day," she said after her latest Tour de Ski victory.

"It takes a village, and I'm really proud of my village — really grateful for them. It was so fun to feel good on this last tour. And yeah, it was just really cool."

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

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday another "armada" is floating toward Iran and that he hopes Tehran would make ⁠a deal ‌with Washington.

The U.S. deployed additional military assets in the Gulf following nationwide ‍protests in Iran which led to the country's bloodiest crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

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"There was no ​contact between me and Witkoff in ‌recent days and no request for negotiations was made from us," Araqchi told state media, adding that various intermediaries were "holding consultations" and were in contact with Tehran.

"Our stance is ⁠clear, negotiations don't go along ​with threats and talks ​can only take place when there are no longer menaces and excessive demands."

Iran's ‍President Masoud ⁠Pezeshkian told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday that Tehran ⁠welcomes any process, within the framework of international law, ‌that prevents war.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; ‌Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Tens of ‌thousands of protesters marched through Budapest on June 28 despite a police ban, ⁠turning the ​Pride march ​into a mass anti-government demonstration in ‍one ⁠of the biggest shows of opposition ⁠to nationalist Prime Minister ‌Viktor Orban.

(Reporting by ‌Anita Komuves)

Two nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have signaled they won't allow their airspace to be used for any attack. But America has movedthe USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided missile destroyersinto the region, which can be used to launch attacks from the sea.

It remains unclear what U.S. President Donald Trump willdecide about using force,though he laid down two red lines — the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the possible mass execution of detainees. The protests saw at least 6,221 people killed as Iran launched a bloody crackdown on the demonstrations, with many others feared dead, activists said Wednesday.

Iran's state-run media, which now only refers to protesters as "terrorists," remains the sole source of news for many as Tehran cut off access to the global internet some three weeks ago. But Iranians have become angry and anxious in the weeks since, seeing footage of protesters shot and killed while worrying about what may happen next as the country's economy sinks further.

"I feel that my generation failed to give a better lesson to younger ones," said Mohammad Heidari, a 59-year-old high school teacher in Tehran. "The result of decades of teaching by my colleagues and me led to death of thousands, and maybe more injured and prisoners."

Rapid diplomacy between Iran, Arab nations

Egypt's Foreign Ministry said its top diplomat, Badr Abdelatty, separately spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff to "work toward achieving calm, in order to avoid the region slipping into new cycles of instability."

The statement offered no details, though Iranian state media quoted Araghchi as saying third-party mediators had been in touch. Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and Trump's friend, had earlier negotiated over Iran's nuclear program. There was no immediate acknowledgment from the White House of the call.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, saying the kingdom would "not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin." That follows a similar pledge by the UAE. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE host American air assets and troops.

However, America's biggest base in the region is Qatar's vast Al Udeid Air Base, which serves as the forward operating headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command. Both Araghchi and Ali Larijani, a top Iranian security official, reportedly held calls with Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Qatar acknowledged the Araghchi call, but offered few details on what was discussed.

Iran attacked Al Udeid in June in response to Trump sending American warplanes to bomb Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

"Our position is exactly this: Applying diplomacy through military threats cannot be effective or constructive," Araghchi told journalists Wednesday outside of a Cabinet meeting. "If they want negotiations to take shape, they must abandon threats, excessive demands, and the raising of illogical issues. Negotiations have their own principles: they must be conducted on an equal footing, based on mutual respect, and for mutual benefit."

Activists offer new death toll

While the protests have been halted for weeks after the crackdown, information slowly trickling out of Iran via Starlink satellite dishes is reaching activists, who have been trying to tally the carnage.

On Wednesday, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said at least 6,221 dead it counted included at least 5,858 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 100 children and 49 civilians who weren't demonstrating. More than 42,300 have been arrested, it added.

The group verifies each death and arrest with a network of activists on the ground in Iran. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll given that authorities cut off the internet and disrupted calls into the Islamic Republic.

Iran's governmenthas put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labeled the rest "terrorists." In the past, Iran's theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.

That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The protests began on Dec. 28, sparked by the fall of the Iranian currency, the rial, and quickly spread across the country. They were met by a violent crackdown, the scale of which is only starting to become clear as the country has faced more than two weeks ofinternet blackout— the most comprehensive in its history.

Associated Press writer Fay Abuelgasim in Cairo contributed to this report.

Novak Djokovic won zero sets in the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open. He won zero sets in the quarterfinal of the 2026 Australian Open.

And now he's about to play in his 13th Australian Open semifinal.

The 10-time Australian Open champion survived a two-set deficit in the quarterfinal on Wednesday after opponent Lorenzo Musetti, the tournament's No. 5 seed, was forced to retire with an injury in the third set while up 6-4, 6-3, 1-3.

It was a brutal scene for the 23-year-old Italian, who held a 1-9 record against Djokovic going into the match.

Absolute heartbreak for Lorenzo Musetti 💔The Italian was 2-0 up against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-final before being forced to retire with injury 😰pic.twitter.com/qCtSnDt4Ai

— TNT Sports (@tntsports)January 28, 2026

Djokovic praised Musetti as deserving of the winin his post-match interview:

"I don't know what to say except for I feel sorry for him. He was the far better player, I was on my way home tonight. Don't know what to say, these kind of things happen in sport. It happened to me a few times. You know, being in quarters of a Grand Slam up two sets to love up and being in full control. I mean, so unfortunate. I don't know what else to say. I wish him a speedy recovery and he should've been the winner today no doubt."

Fortune has been kind recently for Djokovic, who advanced past the fourth round in a walkover after No. 16 seed Jakub Menšík pulled out with an abdominal injury. However, he's about to reach the same stage of the tournament where he's bowed out in the past two years, having retired in 2025 while facing Alexander Zverev and losing to Jannik Sinner in 2024.

Barring an upset in another quarterfinal, it will be Sinner again for Djokovic. The two-time reigning Australian Open champion faces No. 8 Ben Shelton later Wednesday.

Djokovic is in search of an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam men's singles title, but the recent reign of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have caused his current drought to extend into a third year. Djokovic hasn't won a Slam since the 2023 US Open and if he doesn't win this tournament, it will officially be the longest he's gone without a title since his first one in 2008.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

The fourth-seeded Serbian was down two sets to none in the quarterfinals on Wednesday in Melbourne when his opponent, fifth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, retired due to an injury.

Musetti was ahead 6-4, 6-3, 1-2 when he got hurt and used a medical timeout to receive treatment on his right thigh. He tried to continue but lost the next game before halting the match.

Djokovic said postmatch, "I don't know what to say except that I feel really sorry for him. He was a far better player, I was on my way home tonight.

"I don't know what to say, these kinds of things happen in sport. It happened to me a few times, but being in the quarters of a Grand Slam, two sets to love up, and being in full control, I mean, so unfortunate. I don't know what else I can say. I wish him a speedy recovery. And he should have been the winner today, there's no doubt."

The result means Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, is through to the semifinals even though he hasn't won a set since the third round. He received a fourth-round walkover when 16th-seeded Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic withdrew due to an abdominal injury.

Djokovic, 38, is now two match victories away from capturing his 25th career Grand Slam title, which would break a tie with Margaret Court for the most in tennis history.

Next up for Djokovic will be the winner of the late Wednesday quarterfinal between two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner of Italy, the second seed, and eighth-seeded Ben Shelton of the United States.

--Field Level Media

It all started with adesigner handbag. Then two, then a luxury necklace, and more.

Now, it's ending in jail time forSouth Korea'sformer first lady.

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of disgraced (and also jailed) former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison on Wednesday for bribery –– in just one of three criminal trials she is facing. Both prosecutors and Kim's team can appeal the ruling.

The court found Kim guilty of accepting bribes from the controversial religious sectUnification Church, including a Chanel bag and a Graff diamond necklace. But it found her not guilty of stock manipulation and conspiring with her husband to receive free public opinion polls, citing lack of sufficient evidence and expired statute of limitations – and also cleared her for receiving a second Chanel bag.

Prosecutors had estimated that the stocks, bribes and polls altogether were worth 1.15 billion Korean won (about $813,000).

Kim "misused her status as a means of pursuing profit … The defendant was unable to refuse the expensive luxury items provided in connection with special favor, and was thirsty to receive and decorate herself with them," said Seoul District Court Judge Woo In-seong in the ruling.

However, Woo added, Kim had not asked for the gifts, did not relay any requests from the church to her husband, and is now "self-reflecting" on her actions.

It's the latest blow to the former first couple, both of whom have repeatedly denied wrongdoing, though Kim has admitted receiving the Chanel bags from the Unification Church.

Yoon is on trial for insurrection over hisbrief declaration of martial lawin 2024, as well as a number of other allegations. But his wife has been embroiled in scandal for far longer –– with the stock manipulation accusations related to a car dealership going back more than a decade.

She wasarrested last Augustby a special counsel, with prosecutorsrequesting 15 yearsin prison for the various crimes the court ruled on Wednesday.

"Kim Keon Hee used her status as president's spouse to easily receive money and expensive goods, and widely intervened in various personnel appointments and nominations," said Min Joong-ki, who led the special counsel team, on December 29 after concluding its 180-day investigation.

The leader of the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, which began in South Korea and has spread worldwide, is also on trial over the bribes.

Long list of scandals

From the start, Kim wasn't your typical first lady.

She had worked in the art industry, having founded her own exhibition agency, when she married Yoon in 2012. At the time, he was still a prosecutor and had yet to enter politics.

Kim maintained a high profile as first lady, often wearing stylish outfits on overseas presidential trips that won her both praise and criticism back home. That set her apart from other South Korean first ladies – who traditionally were viewed as humble, behind-the-scenes figures.

But suspicions about her conduct had mounted even during Yoon's run for office.

In 2021, Kim apologized for inflating her resume, vowing to "remain focused on my role as a wife" if her husband won the following year's election.

She also faced persistent allegations of academic plagiarism, which resulted in Sookmyung Women's Universityrevoking her master's degreelast summer. Kookmin University, where she earned a PhD,revoked her doctoral degreefollowing the Sookmyung decision, despite having cleared her of misconduct during an earlier probe.

For years,allegations have swirledthat Kim manipulated stocks between 2010 and 2012 related to Korean BMW dealership Deutsch Motors, earning unfair profits. It didn't help optics when Yoon, as president, vetoed a bill that pushed for a special investigation into his wife.

But the straw that broke the camel's back was a $2,200 Christian Dior bag (unrelated to the Chanel bags she was sentenced over on Wednesday.)

In late 2023, a left-leaning YouTube channel released a secretly filmed video in which a Korean-American pastor presented Kim with a calfskin handbag as a gift. Their exchange, which took place in 2022 after Yoon's election, was recorded on a covert camera in the pastor's wristwatch.

During the exchange, Kim is heard saying: "Why do you keep bringing these? Please, you don't need to do this." The footage does not show her taking the handbag – but she also does not appear to reject it, and a Dior shopping bag is seen placed on a coffee table as they talk.

South Korea's anti-graft law bans public officials and their spouses from receiving gifts valued at more than $750 in connection with their public duties.

The scandal exploded, with support for Yoon dropping to new lows. Kim all but disappeared from public view, until the president declared martial law late one Tuesday night in December 2023, launching the nation – and the couple – into a far bigger crisis.

Presidential downfall

Legislators swiftlyoverturned the president's martial law decreeafter fighting their way past armed soldiers into parliament.

Yoon wasimpeached and removed from office, and special investigations soon began into him, his wife, and his deputies, including his prime minister, who wassentenced last weekto 23 years in prison.

Earlier this month, Yoon was sentenced to five years for defying attempts to detain him and for denying Cabinet members the chance to debate his martial law decree. More and longer sentences may follow; he still faces eight criminal trials on other charges, including rebellion.

Throughout his appearances in court and trial hearings, Yoon hasrepeatedly resistedinvestigators' attempts to question him about his wife.

A South Korean president ending up in jail is hardly unusual. Yoon himself, as a prosecutor, helped bring down former President Park Geun-hye, who was imprisoned for corruption and abuse of power.

This, however, is the first time a former presidential couple has been jailed at the same time.

CNN's Nectar Gan and Yoonjung Seo contributed reporting.

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The man, identified as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak was arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault, Minneapolis police said.

The department said its officers were at the town hall for the event and observed a man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid on to the congresswoman.

The incident sparked cries of alarm from those in attendance. The congresswoman did not appear to be injured.

"I'm going to finish my remarks. It is important for me to continue," Omar said, using a profanity.

Minneapolis live updates

"We will continue," she said. "These f------ a------- are not going to get away with it!"

Kristi Noem met with Trump amid scrutiny over deadly Minneapolis shooting: Sources

The disturbance comes amid tensions in Minneapolis between local officials and the Trump administration over the immigration crackdown in the city that has seen two U.S. citizens killed in shootings involving federal agents.

Shortly before the man charged the podium, Omar called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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Afterward, she told reporters that she won't be intimidated.

"You know, I've survived more, and I'm definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think that they can throw at me because I'm built that way," she said.

DHS report says 2 agents fired weapons in Alex Pretti shooting

Omar has been the target of attacks from President Donald Trump for years. More recently, his attacks have come alongside escalated rhetoric describing the Somali community in Minnesota, the largest in the nation.

In the past several weeks, Trump has called Omar a "fake sleazebag," and called for her to be thrown out of the U.S.

In a phone interview Tuesday evening with ABC News' Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott, Trump said he hadn't seen video of the incident and without providing evidence accused Omar of staging the attack.

"I don't think about her. I think she's a fraud," Trump said. "She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."

In a post on X regarding Tuesday's incident, Omar said: "I'm ok. I'm a survivor so this small agitator isn't going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don't let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong."

In a statement, U.S. Capitol Police said: "Tonight, a man is in custody after he decided to assault a Member of Congress -- an unacceptable decision that will be met with swift justice." The department said it is "working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society."

Capitol Police said threats against members of Congress increased for the third year in a row. The department said it investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors and communications directed against members of Congress, their families and their staff last year -- compared to 9,474 in 2024.

India's Health Ministry said Tuesday that two Nipah cases had been detected since December and that all identified contacts had been quarantined and tested. The ministry did not release details about the patients but said 196 contacts had been traced and all tested negative.

"The situation is under constant monitoring, and all necessary public health measures are in place," the ministry said.

Nipah, a zoonotic virus first identified during a 1990s outbreak in Malaysia, spreads through fruit bats, pigs and human-to-human contact. There is no vaccine for the virus, which can cause raging fevers, convulsions and vomiting. The only treatment is supportive care to control complications and keep patients comfortable.

The virus has an estimated fatality rate of between 40% and 75%, according to the WHO, making it far more deadly than the coronavirus.

There were no reported cases of the virus outside India, but several Asian countries introduced or reinforced screening measures at airports as a precaution.

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Indonesia and Thailand increased screening at major airports, with health declarations, temperature checks and visual monitoring for arriving passengers. Thailand's Department of Disease Control said thermal scanners had been installed at arrival gates for direct flights from West Bengal at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Myanmar's Health Ministry advised against nonessential travel to West Bengal and urged travelers to seek immediate medical care if symptoms develop within 14 days of travel. It said fever surveillance introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic at airports has been intensified for passengers arriving from India, with laboratory testing capacity and medical supplies readied.

Vietnam's Health Ministry on Tuesday urged strict food safety practices and directed local authorities to increase monitoring at border crossings, health facilities and communities, according to state media.

China said it was strengthening disease prevention measures in border areas. State media reported that health authorities had begun risk assessments and enhanced training for medical staff, while increasing monitoring and testing capabilities.

Earlier Nipah outbreaks were reported in West Bengal in 2001 and 2007, while recent cases have largely been detected in southern Kerala state. A major outbreak in 2018 killed at least 17 people in Kerala.

Associated Press journalists across Asia contributed to this report.

Sharks Canucks Hockey

Adam Gaudette, Tyler Toffoli, Will Smith and John Klingberg also had goals for the Sharks, and Yaroslav Askarov improved to 17-13-1 with 23 saves.

Celebrini now has 78 points in 51 games this season.

Tom Willander scored the game's first goal for Vancouver at 1:15 of the first period, with the teams playing four-on-four. Filip Hronek added his team's first power-play tally in six games in the third.

After the Canucks announced on Tuesday that Thatcher Demko is set to undergo hip surgery and will be out for the rest of the year, Kevin Lankinen was pulled after giving up three goals on six shots over 5:55. Nikita Tolopilo gave up two goals on 27 shots in relief.

The Sharks were 2 for 4 on the power play, with Klingberg's goal coming at five-on-three. The Canucks were 1 for 4.

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In addition to Demko, who has been sidelined since Jan. 10, the Canucks were missing forward Brock Boeser and defenseman Zeev Buium. Both were injured in Vancouver's 3-2 home loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.

After Conor Garland and Dmitry Orlov took roughing minors just 44 seconds into the game, Willander beat Askarov with a long shot from the blue line to open the scoring at 1:15. But the lead was short-lived, as Celebrini logged his 27th of the year just 36 seconds later.

Sharks: At the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in the second game of a five-game trip.

Canucks: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday in the seventh game of an eight-game homestand.

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

The Titans announced the hire of Daboll on Tuesday. The move brings two former New York head coaches together, as Daboll was with the Giants at the same time Saleh was leading the Jets.

Daboll went 20-40-1 with the Giants andwas firedNov. 10, the day after a24-20 lossto the Chicago Bears that dropped their record to 2-8. Daboll led New York to a playoff berth and was the AP NFL's Coach of the Year his debut season in 2022, but the Giants went 11-33 the rest of his tenure.

He had interviewed a second time for theLas Vegas Raiders'head coaching vacancy on Monday.

Daboll, 50, has previously been an offensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Miami Dolphins (2011),Kansas City Chiefs(2012) and Buffalo Bills (2018-21). He also was the University of Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2017.

He was a part of five Super Bowl championships while working on Bill Belichick's New England Patriots staffs from 2000-06 and 2013-16. Daboll also was part of Alabama's 2017 national championship team.

Daboll is the first coach to receive both the AP NFL Coach of the Year Award and the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award. He won the assistant coach award with Buffalo in 2020.

The Titans signedSalehto a five-year contract last week to take over a Titans team that is coming off back-to-back 3-14 seasons. Saleh was San Francisco's defensive coordinator this past season after going 20-36 as the New York Jets' head coach from 2021-24.

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

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley sustained a left calf strain and will be re-evaluated in 1-3 weeks.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes)January 27, 2026

Mobley finished the game with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 35 minutes. It was the Cavs' fourth consecutive victory and their sixth in the last seven games. Now, Cleveland must navigate through a crucial stretch without their young All-Star and reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

On Monday night, along with the team's 28th win of the season, Mobley also entered the Cavs record books. Mobley blocked the 500th shot of his career, becoming only the fifth player in Cavaliers history to reach that milestone. He also became the youngest player to reach that number in franchise history.

Former Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas holds the franchise record with 1,269 blocks during his 12 seasons in Cleveland. Mobley reached 500 in blocks in less than five full NBA seasons. His career average for blocks per game already equals Ilgauskas' at 1.6. Barring multiple lengthy stints on the injured list, that record will likely belong to Mobley should he remain in Cleveland for the majority of his career.

The Cavs are currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, which is much different than the team's experience last season. Last season, the Cavs were near the top of the conference for much of the year, finishing 64-18 and capturing the No. 1 seed in the east. We're just past the halfway point this season (in terms of games played), andCleveland (28-20) already has more losses than all of last year.

So, even a couple of weeks without one of their best players and best defender could prove detrimental to their playoff hopes. In 42 games this season, Mobley is averaging 17.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks per game.