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(Reporting ‌by Jasper ​Ward in ​Washington)

WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The FBI plans to make it easier for existing employees to become agents, removing two long-standing steps in vetting applicants as the bureau faces a staffing crunch under President Donald Trump's ‌administration, according to two people familiar with the move.

FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to eliminate a requirement that support staff ‌already working in the FBI who apply to become special agents sit for an interview and complete a writing assessment.

Instead, existing employees who pass a written exam through ​an online portal will be able to go directly to the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia for new agent training, according to Jeff Crocker, a retired FBI supervisory special agent and another person briefed on the changes, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Crocker and the other person said the moves would lower the FBI's recruiting standards, given that they will eliminate vetting steps during which applicants are assessed on ‌their life experiences, public speaking abilities and critical ⁠thinking skills. The applicants are questioned by a panel of three agents who undergo training on how to screen candidates, according to Crocker, who vetted special agent applicants during his more than 20-year career in the ⁠FBI.

The previously unreported changes have not yet been announced widely within the FBI, said this person and Crocker.

An FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, did not dispute the process would be changed but denied that the bureau is "lowering standards or removing qualifications in any way." Williamson said existing personnel will still need a recommendation ​from ​an FBI division leader and pass the "rigorous training program at Quantico" to become ​special agents.

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"What we are doing is streamlining the process ‌to remove duplicative, bureaucratic steps to the application system for onboard employees," Williamson said in a statement.

The changes do not apply to all applicants seeking to become special agents, only those who have already been hired for administrative roles within the FBI. Recruiting existing staff is one common way the FBI hires new agents, though the bureau also seeks out U.S. military veterans, state and local law enforcement officers and others from high-pressure fields.

The FBI, considered the most elite law enforcement agency in the U.S., has traditionally set stringent standards for agents who conduct investigations ‌into a wide variety of federal crimes.

Patel has sought to reshape the FBI to ​focus on Trump's agenda, referring to agents as "cops" and placing a greater emphasis on ​countering violent crime and aiding the Trump administration's immigration enforcement ​operations. The comparison has rankled some former FBI officials and agents who view the FBI's traditional investigative focus ‌on national security threats and complex frauds as distinct from ​traditional police work.

Patel has internally set ​a goal of hiring 700 new special agents this year, out of a total agent work force that typically hovers around 10,000. The panel interview often screens out a significant number of applicants, according to one of the sources.

Crocker told Reuters that the new, ​scaled-down process allowing FBI staff to become special ‌agents would not be adequate.

"The consequences of allowing such individuals lacking the impressive and necessary resumes to become FBI agents ​simply by passing a web-based test will be both seismic and generationally harmful to the republic," Crocker said.

(Reporting by ​Jana Winter and Andrew Goudsward. Editing by Craig Timberg and David Gregorio)

TUNIS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - A Tunisian court on Thursday sentenced lawmaker Ahmed Saidani to eight months in ‌prison over social media posts mocking President Kais Saied, ‌a ruling that opponents say signals an intensifying crackdown on critics.

Once a supporter ​of Saied's policies against political opponents, Saidani has become a vocal critic, accusing the president of seeking to monopolise all decision-making while leaving others to bear the blame for problems.

The member of parliament ‌was jailed on charges ⁠of insulting others through communication networks, a judicial official said.

Saidani was arrested this month after he mocked ⁠the president in a Facebook post, describing him as the "supreme commander of sewage and rainwater drainage".

"This is a violation of the law ​and an ​attack on institutions. How can ​parliament hold the executive authority ‌to account if it carries out an unlawful arrest over critical views", Bilel Mechri, a colleague of Saidani, told Reuters.

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Saidani was elected as a lawmaker at the end of 2022 in a parliamentary election with very low voter turnout, following Saied's dissolution of ‌the previous parliament and dismissal of ​the government in 2021.

Saied has since ​ruled by decree, moves ​the opposition has described as a coup.

Most opposition leaders, ‌some journalists and critics of ​Saied have been ​imprisoned since he seized control of most powers.

Human rights groups say Saied has cemented his one‑man rule and turned Tunisia ​into an "open‑air prison" ‌in an effort to suppress his opponents.

Saied says he ​is enforcing the law and seeking to "cleanse" the country.

(Reporting by ​Tarek Amara;Editing by Alison Williams)

There is only one quarterback -- Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner who helped the Hoosiers claim the national title -- worthy of a first-round grade.

But quarterbacks rise as the draft closes in and reality hits the teams without a certifiable QB at the center of their plans.

Which one -- or two? -- could rise in 2026?

Quarterbacks are on the road to the draft with the NFL Scouting Combine next week, arriving in Indianapolis on Wednesday and Thursday for medical evaluations. They'll conduct media sessions on Friday and be on the field Saturday for position drills, agility tests and the 40-yard dash.

Pro days often take precedent at this position. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza plans to hold off on throwing until the on-campus workout and pro day in Bloomington on April 1.

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Tall, well-built pocket passer with quick release and rapid, high-level processing speed. Wins with excellent anticipation, accuracy and ball placement.

2. Ty Simpson, Alabama

Well-rounded with adequate arm strength, accuracy, even as a one-year starter who battled inconsistency and ended the season hurt (ribs).

3. Taylen Green, Arkansas

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If he runs a 4.5 and would consider changing positions, there will be some interest. Green might prefer to utilize his genetic lottery-winning trains -- exceptional size and speed -- to give QB a try. He's the very definition of boom-or-bust.

4-T. Carson Beck, Miami

Wins with accuracy and ball placement and is tough as a blitz-beating pocket passer. Arm strength isn't elite.

4-T. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

NFL bloodlines and ties with current Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier. He's a known commodity to pro teams and two-year starter in the SEC. But injuries led to sloppy mechanics and poor production last season, when he wound up sharing the QB1 role. Earned back some points with a strong Senior Bowl, but the final grade depends almost entirely on which team is doing the math.

5. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

With footwork and athletic tools, Klubnik is a pro system QB candidate because of his accuracy on short and intermediate throws. His height, top-end arm talent and deep ball accuracy limit his ceiling.

--Finding a wildcard at quarterback has forever been a front-office mission in the NFL. This year's mid-round find could come from North Dakota State. Cole Payton, a pocket passer who thrived in the FCS with an attack mentality, can also move if the system calls for mobility or RPO-based action. Trust he will be opening eyes during QB throwing sessions at Lucas Oil Stadium. The southpaw stuck with NDSU despite hearing from Nebraska and other FBS programs late in his senior season and it has begun paying off. He got a lot of attention in Mobile at the Senior Bowl for his timing and arm talent.

--Field Level Media

The NCAA president reiterated his support for a plan to expand the annual basketball tournament in the near future, something he's long been in favor of. What that looks like, or when it happens, remains to be seen.

"We're still talking to the various players in this one," he said on Thursday,via ESPN. "I said all along that I think there are some very good reasons to expand the tournament.

"So, I would like to see it expand."

The NCAA tournament men's field currently sits at 68 teams, with the last expansion coming back in 2011. That brought in the "First Four" round, which cuts the field from 68 to 64 for the first round. The women's NCAA tournament officially expanded to 68 teams in 2021, too. That marked the most notable expansion in the tournament since it doubled in size from 32 in 1985.

But expanding the tournament further is an idea that has been thrown around in recent years. The NCAA basketball selection committeesmet last summer and learned that expansion, if approved, would likely start during the 2026-27 campaign. That would likely expand the field to either 72 or 76 teams. It's unclear if the women's tournament would expand at the same time.

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Baker insisted Thursday that he wasn't worried about how the NCAA would fund the expanded tournament. The biggest challenge has long been simply a logistical one with the basketball calendar. Several major men's conference tournaments run right up to the selection show — the Big Ten championship game ends moments before that show starts and teams are announced — and the NCAA tournament ends the week that the Masters starts. That doesn't leave much time for added games.

There wereseveral notable teams that were just barely left out of the tournament last season, including both Indiana and West Virginia. An expanded field almost certainly would have meant they would have been included.

"From my point of view, the more teams we can get into the tournament and make it work logistically and mathematically, the better," Baker said. "It gives more kids the opportunity to experience that."

But of course, expanding the field wouldn't eliminate the snub conversation. It would just push it back by four, or eight, spots.

Regardless, the NCAA seems set on expanding the tournament in the future. Whether that happens in 2027, or a few years down the road, remains to be seen.

The second-seeded Anisimova will meet the fourth-seeded Pegula, and the third-seeded Gauff will take on No. 7 seed Svitolina on Friday in the WTA 1000 tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

Gauff will be the most rested of the foursome after her 6-0, 6-2 victory against Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in 67 minutes on Thursday. The other three quarterfinal matches all went to three sets.

"Each match, I've gotten better," Gauff said. "I definitely wasn't in good spirits before entering this tournament, but you know, one match can change everything. I honestly didn't think I would be in the semis at the start of this, but I'm happy that I'm here."

Gauff, who overcame eight double faults, won the first 10 games of the match and converted six of nine break points. She finished with 15 winners and 19 unforced errors, compared to eight winners and 33 errors for Eala.

Anisimova survived a two-hour, 38-minute battle with defending champion and No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia, winning 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) to set up her clash with Pegula.

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Andreeva had a 3-1 lead in the final set before Anisimova took the next four games for a 5-3 lead. Not going away, Andreeva survived a match point and won the next three games. Anisimova jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreak and finally prevailed on her fourth match point.

Andreeva, 18, doubled over in tears after her final backhand sailed long.

"It was such a tough battle, and I thought we played incredible tennis," Anisimova said. "Seeing Mirra down like that, it's understandable. We both fought so hard today, and it made me emotional seeing her like that. She was playing so well, she's the defending champion and I feel like we both won on the court today. These type of matches, it's always tough that someone has to lose at the end of the day."

Pegula outlasted 12th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in just under two hours, while Svitolina rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win against Croatia's Antonia Ruzic in just over two hours.

Pegula struck eight aces and saved four of six break points. Svitolina balanced five aces with seven double faults while saving 11 of 14 break points.

This is only the third time three U.S. players reached the final four at a WTA 1000 event since the format's introduction in 2009: Beijing 2025 (Gauff, Pegula, Anisimova) and Toronto 2024 (Emma Navarro, Anisimova and Pegula).

--Field Level Media

"An East Coast storm could develop as soon as Sunday Feb. 22, but the track of this potential nor'easter isn't yet determined, leaving impacts such as snow, rain, wind and coastal flooding uncertain from New England to the mid-Atlantic states," saidWeather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in an online forecast.

Another forecaster, AccuWeather meteorologist Jon Porter, told USA TODAY Feb. 19 that "there's going to be a big storm, but it could be just off the Atlantic coast." He said a slight shift to the west will result in higher snow totals, but a slight shift to the east means lower snow totals.

Uncertainty isn't unusual

Porter said this level of uncertainty just a few days before a storm isn't unusual. "This is a pretty typical snow threat for the eastern U.S."

One reason for the uncertainty, he said, is that part of the energy that will fuel the storm is still off the California coast. He said once that energy comes onshore in the next day or so, it will be better sampled by the National Weather Service's balloon network. This will give better data for the computer weather models to digest.

"Small details will matter in determining the final outcome of the storm," he said.

Jose Castillo of Tarrytown, NY. walks through snow along Route 9 in Tarrytown during the early hours of the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A huge winter storm dumped heavy amounts of snow and ice across wide swaths of the U.S.

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See fun faces of people making the best of winter weather

Jose Castillo of Tarrytown, NY. walks throughsnowalong Route 9 in Tarrytown during the early hours of the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A huge winter storm dumped heavy amounts of snow and ice across wide swaths of the U.S.

Subtle changes in track mean drastic changes to impacts

Theweather service confirmswhat the private forecasters say: "There remains a strong potential for a coastal low by Sunday [Feb. 22] and early Monday [Feb. 23] for the East Coast, but the track of the low remains uncertain. A track closer to the coast would result in heavy coastal rain and inland snow from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, and strong winds near the coast with the potential for coastal flooding."

However, the weather service said a more offshore track would mean less inland precipitation and wind, and the heaviest precipitation near the Delmarva Peninsula and extending to eastern North Carolina.

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"Both scenarios remain equally plausible at this point, but potential remains for some possible impactful snow somewhere near the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. This will continue to be monitored closely as even subtle changes in track could mean more drastic changes to impacts," the weather service said in anonline forecast discussion.

A National Weather Service forecast issued on Feb. 19 for Saturday, Feb. 21, through Sunday, Feb. 22, shows the potential for rain, mixed precipitation or snow from Texas to New England. Meanwhile, forecasts for Monday, Feb. 23, show a chance of snow throughout the Northeast.

Dueling models

Two of the main weather models that forecasters use to predict weather − colloquially known as the American and the European models − can't seem to agree on the forecast. The American "GFS" model still shows a big storm for the big cities of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with 2 to 3 feet or more of snowfall, which is "unbelievable," said Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue in an email to USA TODAY.

However, he said the European (ECMWF) weather model "is still NOT interested in the coastal storm having major impacts to the Mid-Atlantic or the Northeast. We're currently in the 2 inches to 4 inches category as the highest probability outcome," according to the European model, Maue said.

AccuWeather agrees with the Euro model, and as of Feb. 19 is calling for 1-3 inches of snow in Philadelphia and New York City, and 2-4 inches in Boston.

The weather service, pointing out the differences between the models, summed it up this way: "This continues to be a low-confidence forecast at this time as it pertains to extent of wintry weather and coastal winds."

AccuWeather's Porter said "we'll know more in the next 24 hours."

Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Weekend nor'easter, snow storm in forecast, but there's a catch