HOT POINT

Drone view of Italy's 'Love Arch'

The natural arch, part of the Sant'Andrea sea stacks near the town of Melendugno in the southern region of Puglia, had long been a popular backdrop for wedding proposals ‌and tourist photos.

"This ⁠is an unwanted Valentine's Day gift," Melendugno Mayor Maurizio Cisternino told the local Corriere Salentino newspaper, ⁠calling the collapse "a very hard blow" for the area's image and for tourism.

Cisternino said days of heavy rain, strong winds and ​rough ​seas had battered the coastline ​and ultimately destroyed the arch. "Nature ‌has taken back what it created," he said.

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Officials have warned that other parts of the rocky coastline could also collapse, with cracks visible along the cliff, underscoring the growing threat of coastal erosion.

Storms and heavy rain in recent days ‌have also eaten away at long ​stretches of coastline on the Ionian ​Sea, from Ugento to ​the beaches of Gallipoli, damaging beach structures, ‌causing small cliff falls and harming ​ports.

Weeks of ​terrible weather this year have also caused damage estimated at well over a billion euros in southern Italy, including ​a landslide that ‌has forced more than 1,500 people to evacuate ​their homes in the Sicilian town of Niscemi.

(Reporting by ​Crispian BalmerEditing by Ros Russell)

In an interview onCBS News' "Face the Nation,"Homan said a limited number of agents would stay in Minnesota to respond if federal personnel find themselves "surrounded by agitators and things get out of control."

He did not say how many agents would comprise the rapid response force but said he's "hoping" they can be removed "fairly quickly."

Homan's comments come days after he announced theend of Operation Metro Surge, the immigration mission in the Midwestern state that drew nationwide and bipartisanbacklash against the Trump administrationafter the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal officers.

Federal agents continue surge of immigration enforcement in Minnesota

In his announcement of the withdrawal, Homan cast the operation as a success, touting the arrests of 4,000 undocumented immigrants, some of whom had been charged with violent offenses. Homan credited the withdrawal to "unprecedented" cooperation between national authorities and Minnesota state and local officials.

"As a result of our efforts here Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals," Homan said at a Feb. 12 news conference.

The move was welcomed by state and local officials in Minnesota, but several disputed Homan's claims and said no deals were struck to broaden cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

"We do not enforce federal immigration law, period. We do not cooperate with (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) or any agency around enforcement of federal immigration law," said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey at a news conference after Homan made his announcement. "The notion there was a deal is false."

In a separate interview withFox News' "Fox and Friends," Homan on Feb. 15 said Minnesota officials "ought to be saying thank you."

Homan was sent to Minnesota in the aftermath of the killings ofAlex Pretti, an ICU nurse, andRenee Nicole Good, a poet and mother of three, which triggered nationwide protests andintense scrutiny on the tactics of agentscarrying out the administration's deportation agenda.

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The outrage led to a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, as Democrats vowed not to support a funding bill for the agency without reforms to immigration enforcement. Republicans described the demands as unrealistic.

Among the major points of contention are themasks worn by federal agents. Democrats are calling for them to be removed while Republicans say they're necessary to protect personnel from being doxxed and otherwise harassed.

Homan told CBS News that he was not part of the ongoing Homeland Security negotiations but said he doesn't "like the masks either." Still, the border czar called the coverings necessary amid an uptick in threats and assaults on immigration agents.

"These men and women have to protect themselves," he said.

Homan has conceded that the operation in Minnesota needed reform. In recent statements, Homan highlighted a series of internal changes he made when he arrived in Minnesota, from refocusing enforcement on undocumented immigrants with criminal histories to dispatching more internal affairs agents "to make sure officers in the field was doing the right thing."

But despite the controversy over the Minnesota operation, Homan has not ruled out future surges.

"I think it depends on the situation," he told CBS News. "I have said from day one that, you know, we need to – we need to flood the zone in sanctuary cities with additional agents. The number of agents depend on the situation on the ground, how many known criminal targets are out there, because we know we have a problem with sanctuary cities, because we know they're releasing public safety threats in the public."

He added: "I'm hoping other sanctuary cities look at what happened in Minnesota and how we got to the place we're at, which I think is a good place."

Christopher Cann is a national breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him via email at ccann@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Security force to remain in Minnesota amid ICE withdrawal, Homan says

One brand of farm-raised Atlantic salmon sold at BJ's Wholesale Club has been recalled due to a potential listeria contamination, according to a release from the Food and Drug Administration.

Wellsley Farms Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon is sold in 2-lb bags at BJ's and is packaged with the Wellsley Farms logo and text that reads "Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon" on the front. Lot 3896 of the product has been recalled by the company, Slade Gorton & Co., the FDA said.

The specific salmon product was sold at BJ's stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, the FDA release said.

According to the FDA, the agency found Listeria monocytogenes in the salmon through a sample the agency randomly collected. The company is investigating how its food was contaminated and is taking steps to prevent it from happening again in the future, the release said.

BJ's is working to notify members who may have purchased the recalled salmon. The UPC code (888670025963) and recalled lot number (3896) are on the back side of the packaging, below the cooking instructions, the FDA release said.

Short-term symptoms of a listeria infection for healthy individuals includes high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the FDA said. It can also cause miscarriage and stillbirth for pregnant women.

If you have symptoms of a listeria infection, the FDA says you should contact a health care provider. No illnesses related to this recall have been reported, according to the release.

If you think you bought the recalled product, call 1-888-628-0730 for instructions on how to obtain a full refund and what to do with the remaining product, according to the release.

There's Amber Glenn, a 26-year-old powerhouse andLGBTQ+ rights activistwhose career took off just when most figure skaters are contemplating retirement. The three-time and reigning U.S. champion's unvarnished opinion on everything from politics to the trading card game "Magic: The Gathering" have made hera polarizing figureat the Milan Cortina Games.

Then there's Alysa Liu, the one-time phenom who retired at 16 onlyto launch a comebackthat resulted in thefirst world title for an Americanwoman in nearly two decades. Liu's blond-and-brunette striped hair, prominent frenulum piercing and nonconformist aura have made the 20-year-old a hero of the alt, punk and emo crowd.

And there's Isabeau Levito, perhaps the closest thingto the innocent imageof teen predecessors like Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes, right up until you get the 18-year-old away from the cameras, and her searing wit and biting sarcasm shine through.

They've dubbed themselves the "Blade Angels," an homage to "Charlie's Angels," after rejecting such suggestions as "Powerpuff Girls" and "Babes of Glory," which they worried might lead to some trademark issues. (As ifthey needed more of thosein Milan.)

They are a new kind of role model for a new generation of American girls.

They also are the last chance to salvagea disappointing Olympicsfor American figure skaters.

"I really like that we're all different," Levito said, "and we all have our own strengths and personalities, and our own ways we want to look and appear. I think it's really great, because while we all have the same passion for the sport, and we have very aligned goals."

'I thought I would be done at 18'

Glenn grew up in Plano, Texas. Her father, Richard, is a police sergeant and her mom, Cathlene, a fitness instructor. She's represented the U.S. internationallyfor nearly 15 years, which happens to be how old Lipinski was when she won Olympic gold.It's hard to get more unabashedly American. Yet some critics nevertheless questioned her allegiances on the eve of the Milan Cortina Games, when Glenn answered a question about the political climate for the LGBTQ+ community under President Donald Trump."I hope I can use my platform and voice throughout these Games to help people stay strong during these hard times," she said. "A lot of people will say, 'You're just an athlete. Stick to your job. Shut up about politics.' But politics affect us all."Glenn probably wouldn't have taken such a bold stance a decade ago, when she nearly quit the sport.But over the course of her career, she'stackled head-on an eating disorder,which is all-too common in the sport. She spent time in a mental health facility to get a handle on her depression. She learned to cope with ADHD. And she came to understand her sexuality; Glenn identifies as pansexual, meaning she is attracted to people regardless of sex or gender."I've been through a lot," Glenn told The Associated Press. "It's taken many, many years to get to this point."Now, she has an Olympic gold medal from her Winter Games debut after helpingthe U.S. defend its titlein the team event."I stepped away from the sport. I've come back. At one point, I hated it. Whenever people would ask me, 'Oh, should my kids get into it?' I would be like, 'No, never,'" Glenn said. "But I've seen the people around me grow, and how the environment of figure skating has changed, and how we're trying to change it. And in doing so, we've created an environment I like to be in every day."'I hated skating when I quit'Liu is the only member of the U.S. women's team with any previous Olympics experience. But much like Glenn, she had come to loathe the sport by the time she finished sixth at the Beijing Games, so much sothat she quit entirely. She was 16 at the time."I really hated skating when I quit. Like, I really didn't like it," Liu told the AP. "I didn't care about competitions. I didn't care about places. I didn't care about skaters. I didn't care about my programs. I just wanted to, like, get away. I want nothing to do with that. I hated fame. I hated social media. I didn't like interviews. Like, I hated all of it."It took walking away for Liu to finally find herself.The same kid who'd get dropped off at the rink by her father in the morning and picked up at night, and who thirsted for friends her age while living and training alone in Colorado, began to explore: Liu climbed to the base camp of Mt. Everest, ticked off items on her ever-growing bucket list, and enrolled at UCLA to study, perhaps fittingly, psychology."I learned so much. Met so many new people," Liu said. "I had to exercise my free will and push myself in different ways."She begancontemplating a comebacktwo years ago, after she went skiing and experienced an adrenaline rush unlike anything she'd felt since hanging up the skates. Liu didn't know where it would lead — certainly not the first world title for an American since Kimmie Meissner in 2006, and definitely not another Winter Games — but she knew that she loved the feeling of skating again.Everything in Liu's life has meaning now, including the striking horizontal stripes in her hair. They're meant to represent the growth rings of a tree. There are three of them at present, and like a tree, Liu plans to add another ring each year."I used to feel like a puppet or a canvas that other people were using," she said. "Now I do things for myself."'They have no idea what you're actually like'Levito has always admired Russian skater Evgenia Medvedeva, perhaps themost dominant women's skaterof the mid-2000s, who was heavily favored to win gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games but wound up with the silver medal instead."She was just so pretty. I just wanted to have that angelic energy that I feel like she has," Levito told the AP. "Amber and Alysa have their distinct style, and she was more like me. My style is, I don't know, put together. I don't know how to word it."The ice princess image," Levito said, after a long pause, "which is silly to say."Mostly because it is just that — an image.Yes, there is a sense of purity surrounding Levito, whose mother, Chiara, immigrated to the U.S. from Milan three decades ago, and whose grandmother still lives inthe host city of the Winter Games. But pull her away from the TV cameras, photographers and the prying eyes of the world, and her sarcastic-bordering-on-vulgar sense of humor bubbles to the surface.At last month's U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Levito was asked her favorite quality in Liu, who was sitting beside her. "I want to say something but I won't," Levito said, before succumbing to a little prodding: "She keeps the hoes on their toes," she said."I think it's so funny," Levito said later, reflecting on that day. "The internet is like, 'Our Isabeau is not a baby anymore,' when they have no idea what you're actually like. I just don't want to say the wrong things in front of the media."So, Levito plays it safe. She wears a sort of mask for the public, projecting the image she thinks people want to see.Much like Glenn and Liu have people who can relate to them, there are a whole lot of people who can relate to that.___AP Winter Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Glenn grew up in Plano, Texas. Her father, Richard, is a police sergeant and her mom, Cathlene, a fitness instructor. She's represented the U.S. internationallyfor nearly 15 years, which happens to be how old Lipinski was when she won Olympic gold.

It's hard to get more unabashedly American. Yet some critics nevertheless questioned her allegiances on the eve of the Milan Cortina Games, when Glenn answered a question about the political climate for the LGBTQ+ community under President Donald Trump.

"I hope I can use my platform and voice throughout these Games to help people stay strong during these hard times," she said. "A lot of people will say, 'You're just an athlete. Stick to your job. Shut up about politics.' But politics affect us all."

Glenn probably wouldn't have taken such a bold stance a decade ago, when she nearly quit the sport.

But over the course of her career, she'stackled head-on an eating disorder,which is all-too common in the sport. She spent time in a mental health facility to get a handle on her depression. She learned to cope with ADHD. And she came to understand her sexuality; Glenn identifies as pansexual, meaning she is attracted to people regardless of sex or gender.

"I've been through a lot," Glenn told The Associated Press. "It's taken many, many years to get to this point."

Now, she has an Olympic gold medal from her Winter Games debut after helpingthe U.S. defend its titlein the team event.

"I stepped away from the sport. I've come back. At one point, I hated it. Whenever people would ask me, 'Oh, should my kids get into it?' I would be like, 'No, never,'" Glenn said. "But I've seen the people around me grow, and how the environment of figure skating has changed, and how we're trying to change it. And in doing so, we've created an environment I like to be in every day."

'I hated skating when I quit'

Liu is the only member of the U.S. women's team with any previous Olympics experience. But much like Glenn, she had come to loathe the sport by the time she finished sixth at the Beijing Games, so much sothat she quit entirely. She was 16 at the time.

"I really hated skating when I quit. Like, I really didn't like it," Liu told the AP. "I didn't care about competitions. I didn't care about places. I didn't care about skaters. I didn't care about my programs. I just wanted to, like, get away. I want nothing to do with that. I hated fame. I hated social media. I didn't like interviews. Like, I hated all of it."

It took walking away for Liu to finally find herself.

The same kid who'd get dropped off at the rink by her father in the morning and picked up at night, and who thirsted for friends her age while living and training alone in Colorado, began to explore: Liu climbed to the base camp of Mt. Everest, ticked off items on her ever-growing bucket list, and enrolled at UCLA to study, perhaps fittingly, psychology.

"I learned so much. Met so many new people," Liu said. "I had to exercise my free will and push myself in different ways."

She begancontemplating a comebacktwo years ago, after she went skiing and experienced an adrenaline rush unlike anything she'd felt since hanging up the skates. Liu didn't know where it would lead — certainly not the first world title for an American since Kimmie Meissner in 2006, and definitely not another Winter Games — but she knew that she loved the feeling of skating again.

Everything in Liu's life has meaning now, including the striking horizontal stripes in her hair. They're meant to represent the growth rings of a tree. There are three of them at present, and like a tree, Liu plans to add another ring each year.

"I used to feel like a puppet or a canvas that other people were using," she said. "Now I do things for myself."

'They have no idea what you're actually like'

Levito has always admired Russian skater Evgenia Medvedeva, perhaps themost dominant women's skaterof the mid-2000s, who was heavily favored to win gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games but wound up with the silver medal instead.

"She was just so pretty. I just wanted to have that angelic energy that I feel like she has," Levito told the AP. "Amber and Alysa have their distinct style, and she was more like me. My style is, I don't know, put together. I don't know how to word it.

"The ice princess image," Levito said, after a long pause, "which is silly to say."

Mostly because it is just that — an image.

Yes, there is a sense of purity surrounding Levito, whose mother, Chiara, immigrated to the U.S. from Milan three decades ago, and whose grandmother still lives inthe host city of the Winter Games. But pull her away from the TV cameras, photographers and the prying eyes of the world, and her sarcastic-bordering-on-vulgar sense of humor bubbles to the surface.

At last month's U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Levito was asked her favorite quality in Liu, who was sitting beside her. "I want to say something but I won't," Levito said, before succumbing to a little prodding: "She keeps the hoes on their toes," she said.

"I think it's so funny," Levito said later, reflecting on that day. "The internet is like, 'Our Isabeau is not a baby anymore,' when they have no idea what you're actually like. I just don't want to say the wrong things in front of the media."

So, Levito plays it safe. She wears a sort of mask for the public, projecting the image she thinks people want to see.

Much like Glenn and Liu have people who can relate to them, there are a whole lot of people who can relate to that.

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

However, a great deal is still likely to happen between now and then – and doubtless will.

Starting Feb. 17, the two-week window for clubs to apply a franchise or transition tag to one of their pending free agents, thus severely restricting that player's ability to leave, opens. Countless others will have their contracts terminated before March 11 as overbudget teams come into compliance with the 2026 salary cap prior to the start of free agency.

Elsewhere,Atlanta FalconsQBKirk Cousins, for example, renegotiated his contract in January, lowering his 2026 base salary to $2.1 million but obtaining a clause that would guarantee his new $67.9 million income in 2027 on March 13 – meaning he'll almost certainly be going free and gauging his value anew, though that wouldn't necessarily preclude a return to Atlanta. Andwhither Tua Tagovailoa? And/orKyler Murray? The quarterback market could be intriguing, if not yet fully informed and certainly unlikely to present a marquee veteran option.

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.

As for unforeseen trades and releases? Recent history tells us those will occur, too, and further shake up the league's landscape.

But, for now, I've compiled a list of the top 26 NFL free agents – one that's bound to change and will be adjusted accordingly as events warrant – heading into the 2026 offseason:

1. WR George Pickens

He's coming off a career year (93 catches for 1,429 yards and 9 TDs, all personal bests) and turns 25 next month − all good reasons for theDallas Cowboystouse the franchise tag on Pickens, whether they plan to keep him (he and CeeDee Lamb would form an awesome but expensive wideout duo) or trade him. A good fit in Dallas last season, Pickens isn't for everyone − and might still have to prove he's a clear-cut No. 1 wideout. But his 2025 effort strongly suggested his production and potential are quickly coming into alignment.

2. DE Trey Hendrickson

After registering 35 sacks between the 2023 and '24 seasons, including a league-leading 17½ in the latter campaign, the 31-year-old was limited to seven games by injuries last year − that in the wake of acontentious offseason with the Cincinnati Bengals. It's worth wondering now if Cincy simply lets Hendrickson walk or tries a tag-and-trade gambit, but a fresh start seems like the best outcome. Regardless, his services should be in high demand.

3. C Tyler Linderbaum

You'd think theBaltimore Ravenswill find a way to retain a 25-year-old three-time Pro Bowler. They may have to address QB Lamar Jackson's contract first − he currently carries a cap charge of $74.5 million in 2026and'27 − which means a franchise tag could be a strong possibility if theRavensare to keep Linderbaum off the market before granting him an extension. But if he goes free, an immediate bidding war will doubtless commence.

4. OLB Jaelan Phillips

It's hard to come by untethered edge defenders theoretically entering their prime. But Phillips, 26, could be one of the belles of the FA ball after being acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles at last year's trade deadline. He finished the season with five sacks and 63 quarterback pressures, per Next Gen Stats. More important, he appeared in 17 regular-season games for the first time since 2022 after injuries ruined his following two seasons. Strong against the pass and run, the 6-5, 266-pounder should find a very robust market ... presuming he gets there.

5. QB Daniel Jones

A torn Achilles last December cut short what had been his best season statistically (238.5 passing yards per game, 100.2 QB rating) to that point. The QB trend du jour that may be forming in the NFL could be finding a reclamation project who won't necessarily eat up a massive chunk of the salary cap − and Jones, 28,can thank Sam DarnoldandBaker Mayfield for their ongoingheroics. Hard to believe theIndianapolis Coltswill allow Jones to gauge his worth with the rest of the league, though ... especially when his previous team, theMinnesota Vikings, could suddenly become very interested in swooping in if he's not secured soon.

NFL power rankings after Super Bowl 60:How far down did Seahawks push Patriots?

6. OLB Odafe Oweh

He has 17½ sacks and 98 pressures as a part-time starter over the past two seasons, which were split between the Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers. Heady numbers for a 27-year-old who should be ready for a bigger role ... and certainly a larger paycheck.

7. QB Malik Willis

He could be this year's version of Justin Fields − a quarterback with intriguing skills but limited experience who can nevertheless capitalize financially given the high demand but low supply at his incomparably critical position. Willis, 26, has far fewer NFL reps than Fields but really impressed while filling in as a spot starter for theGreen Bay Packersthe past two seasons, completing nearly 80% of his passes while throwing six TDs and zero INTs. In addition to a 134.6 passer rating, Willis can also move like a tank. Keep an eye on theMiami Dolphins, who just plucked their new GM (Jon-Eric Sullivan) and coach (Jeff Hafley) from the Pack, as an interested buyer.

8. WR/KR Rashid Shaheed

The big-play ability he flashed for years with the New Orleans Saints translated beautifully − and critically − when the Seattle Seahawks obtained him last November. Shaheed, 27, seemed like the final piece for to the 'Hawks' championship puzzle and delivered huge catches and returns in pivotal games down the stretch and in the postseason. However it should be captivating to see what Shaheed can fetch given he's never been a No. 1 receiver nor has averaged 600 receiving yards during his four-year career. Still, his return ability − at a time when the kickoff is becoming an increasingly important component of the game − could really drive up his price tag.

9. TE Kyle Pitts

The No. 4 overall pick in 2021 − the highest-drafted tight end ever − Pitts, 25, never seemed to fully reach his potential with the Atlanta Falcons, which isn't completely an indictment of him. But he was a second-team All-Pro in 2025 and did just put together his best season since he was a rookie, catching a career-high 88 passes and five TDs. Pitts could really take off in an offense that truly leverages his estimable abilities ... and maybe even has the foresight to feature him in the red zone.

10. RB Breece Hall

Though the New York Jets seemingly purged much of their talent at last year's trade deadline, they hung on to their 24-year-old back. And why not? Hall has averaged 1,260 yards from scrimmage and nearly seven TDs during his four seasons − and for the lowly NYJ. Explosive and an excellent receiver, Hall is the best runner on the market ... if he actually reaches it.

11. WR Alec Pierce

Similar to Shaheed, he could be an elite No. 2 receiver in the right system. Unlike Shaheed, he doesn't bring any special teams value. However Pierce, 25, has led the league in yards per reception each of the past two seasons (21.8 ypc over the duration) and is coming off a breakout year with 47 grabs for 1,003 yards. He should get paid nicely in what's a fairly thin crop of free agents.

12. S Coby Bryant

After struggling as a corner earlier in his Seattle career, he's flourished as a safety the past two seasons − and the 26-year-old should get a nice bump given the league's other teams always look to raid the most recent Super Bowl champions.

13. CB Jaylen Watson

He's big (6-2, 197), young (27), still experienced (29 starts) and playoff tested. Watson is coming off his best season but is probably a luxury for the capped-out Kansas City Chiefs.

14. LB Devin Lloyd

A first-rounder of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022, he blossomed into a Pro Bowler last season as the team blossomed around him. If the Jags don't pony up to keep their 27-year-old defensive quarterback, someone will.

15. S Bryan Cook

He's emerged as a key component of Steve Spagnuolo's K.C. D in recent years. A steady, reliable player, Cook, 26, should be a stabilizing presence if not one who's going to make a ton of splash plays.

16. LT Rasheed Walker

He's been a solid, if unspectacular, starter for the Packers since 2023. But serviceable, 26-year-old left tackles don't grow on trees.

17. RB Kenneth Walker III

The 25-year-old Super Bowl MVP will get a hefty raise in Seattle or elsewhere. But Walker is not the second coming of Saquon Barkley, isn't as good an every-down player as Hall and has spent most of his career in a platoon. The guess here is that Walker won't come close to resetting the compensation scale at a position that generally doesn't command top dollar.

New England Patriots' safety #31 Craig Woodson rushes Seattle Seahawks' running back #09 Kenneth Walker III during Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Feb. 8, 2026.

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Kenneth Walker III and the Seahawks defeat the Patriots in Super Bowl

New England Patriots' safety #31 Craig Woodson rushes Seattle Seahawks' running back #09 Kenneth Walker III duringSuper Bowl LXbetween the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Feb. 8, 2026.

18. WR Jauan Jennings

A 6-3, 212-pounder, the 28-year-old caught 132 balls (15 for TDs) over the past two seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. Jennings' roots as a quarterback also make him quite a threat on trick plays. He's also the proverbial dog that some locker rooms covet ... and others won't.

19. WR Mike Evans

He'll be 33 by Week 1 and is coming off the worst of his 12 NFL seasons. But 6-5 and 231 pounds don't fade like speed does, and a healthy Evans should be a dangerous offensive weapon and top-tier leader again in 2026 − whether it's for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or someone else.

20. OLB Khalil Mack

He'll be 35 by next week and is coming off (perhaps) the worst of his 12 NFL seasons. But 6-3 and 269 pounds worth of power don't fade like an agile pass rusher might, and a healthy Mack should be a dangerous defensive weapon and top-tier leader again in 2026 − whether it's for the Chargers or someone else.

21. CB Nahshon Wright

Though he's already 27, he's hardly a finished product. He's also a 6-4, 199-pound corner who led the NFL with eight takeaways (5 INTs, 3 fumble recoveries) after becoming a surprise starter (and surprise first-time Pro Bowler) for the Chicago Bears. The upside and production spike are going to make Wright rich.

22. WR Romeo Doubs

He's 25 with good size (6-2, 204) and has averaged roughly 50 receptions and 600 yards during four years with the Pack, who have widely dispersed their target share in the post-Davante Adams era. Doubs could be far more impactful as a 1A or second option elsewhere.

23. QB Aaron Rodgers

Last season was his best since 2021, his most recent MVP effort. Hard to imagine the 42-year-old legend playing anywhere besides the Pittsburgh Steelers, who just hired Mike McCarthy, formerly Rodgers' coach in Green Bay. But, again, monitor the Vikings as a possible dark horse.

24. S Kamren Curl

The kind of versatile DB any defense wants, able to play deep, in the box or in the slot. Still only 26, Curl already has 86 NFL starts split between Washington and the Los Angeles Rams.

25. DE Joey Bosa

He will be 31 this season and has a checkered injury history. But Bosa's 2025 campaign with the Buffalo Bills was his best since 2021. He had five sacks and 43 pressures in 15 games and led the league with five forced fumbles. He'd be wise to find a home where his snaps can be maximized but limited.

26. WR Wan'dale Robinson

He may only be 5-8 and 185 pounds, but the 25-year-old was targeted 140 times each of the past two years with the New York Giants − and posted his first 1,000-yard season in 2025. Robinson isn't a No. 1 receiver, either − doesn't mean he won't heavily impact his next offense.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NFL free agency in 2026 highlighted by these 26 players − for now

Kristen Santos-Griswold has spent the last four years training for Monday morning. One of the world's best short-track speed skaters, Santos-Griswold wasleading the 1000m race in Beijing when she was taken out on the final lap. She would go on to finish fourth, the most agonizing of all places in the Olympics.

"The hardest part about this sport," Santos-Griswold said recently, "is that kind of concept of, you can be the best, you can be the fastest, and things just don't work out for you."

She spent months after that 2022 heartbreak trying to figure out whether she wanted to commit another four years to training, knowing every minute of every day that it could all end in the literal blink of an eye.

"I had to really sit there and think, if in four years the same thing happens again, would that be worth it?" she said recently. "Obviously, I'm here. So I did decide that it would be."

Monday morning, Santos-Griswold put that mindset to the test as she stood on the starting line for the 1000m, this time in the quarterfinals. She needed to finish first or second, or notch one of the fastest third-place times in the quarterfinals, to advance to the semis.

The race began cleanly, a sharp contrast fromher four-start 500m race a few days ago. And very quickly, Santos-Griswold climbed into first place … which was exactly where shedidn'twant to be. Within a few laps, her pursuers caught her, and she couldn't make up the ground.

"I just expected it to start a bit faster, and that I was going to sit in second or something," she said a few minutes after the finish. "Then when it didn't, it's like,Alright, I've got to make a move and kind of pick it up a bit."

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She couldn't, finishing in third place by 0.34 seconds. Worse, her time of 1:29.102 wasn't fast enough to qualify her as a third-place finisher. And thus, her hopes for 1000m redemption ended right there in the quarterfinals.

This is the cruelty of short-track speed skating. Other Olympic sports have margins of victory measured in the tenths, hundredths, even thousandths of a second. But none of the athletes in those sports — skiing, biathlon, luge, and so on — have their competition literally entangled with them the way short-track speed skating does.

Sure, there are rules. You can't impede a skater while they're attempting a pass, you can't "brake-check" a fellow skater, you can't throw your blades around. But beyond that, collisions can and do happen. And when you're whipping around a sheet of ice at 30 miles an hour on millimeter-thick blades, well … there's a reason why short tracks have massive pads encircling the rink. It's a safe bet someone's going to fly into them at high speed.

With all that tension and pressure, it's a wonder short-track skaters aren't puddles of anxiety. Even so, Santos-Griswold has been open about her nerves before races, and she spoke of that on Monday following the end of her 1000m event.

"I get very nervous and anxious before races, but I just try to take it one step at a time," she said. "I try to go into it knowing that I'm as prepared as possible, but without the thought of, 'I've sacrificed so much,' and more like, 'I'm here because I want to be here.'"

Santos-Griswold has one individual race, the 1500m, remaining in her Milan Olympics … and, probably, her Olympic career as a whole. One more chance to cap off her comeback with a medal, even if she's already validated it to herself.

"I think I'll have to talk to my coaches and figure out maybe a different plan, and how I'm going to capitalize on the race at the end more," she said. "You can never really predict what anyone's going to do, so it's just what it is."

Maybe she'll be more at ease with the randomness of this sport and the near-misses of her Olympics in the coming days and years. But in the moment, she sure sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

Relatives of the 34 individuals, from 11 families, traveled from Australia to accompany them, said Hakmiyeh Ibrahim, the director of the Roj camp. They will make their way to the Syrian capital, Damascus, and then fly to Australia.

Roj camp houses about 2,200 people from around 50 nationalities, mostly women and children, who have supposed links to the extremist group. Most in the camp are not technically prisoners and have not been accused of a crime, but they have, in effect, been detained in the heavily guarded camp, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The most well-known resident of the Roj camp,Shamima Begum, was 15 when she and two other girls fled from London in 2015 to marry IS fighters in Syria. Begum married a Dutch man fighting for IS and had three children, who all died. She recently lost an appeal against the British government's decision to revoke her U.K. citizenship.

Monday's operation is the first this year. Ibrahim, the camp director, said 16 families were repatriated last year, including German, British and French nationals. In 2022, three Australian families were repatriated.

The fate of the Roj camp and the similar but larger al-Hol camp has been a matter of debate for years. Human rights groups have citedpoor living conditionsandpervasive violencein the camps, but many countries have been reluctant to take back their citizens who are detained there.

Government forces took control of al-Hol camp last month amid fighting with the SDF that led to state forces seizing most of the territory in northeast Syria previously controlled by the Kurdish forces.

The U.N. refugee agency said Sunday that a large number of residents ofal-Hol camphave left and that theSyriangovernment plans to relocate those who remain.

Separately, thousands ofaccused IS militantswho were held in detention centers in northeastern Syria have been transferred to Iraq by the U.S. military to stand trial there.