Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn crashes seconds into race
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The entire sports world continues sending all positive thoughts and prayers toLindsey Vonn following her crashduring the women's downhill at the2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympicson Sunday.
The latest tolift Vonn upis International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry.
"Dear Lindsey, we're all thinking of you. You are an incredible inspiration, and will always be an Olympic champion," Coventry said in a message shared by the IOC Media account on X (formerly Twitter).
REQUIRED READING:Lindsey Vonn crashes hard in Olympic downhill, airlifted off slopes
Coventry was elected in March 2025 to succeed Thomas Bach as the IOC president and is the first woman to serve in the role. The former Auburn swimmer won seven Olympic medals while representing Zimbabwe at five Olympic Games in her career, which includes two gold medals.
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Sunday's crash in the women's downhill medal event is the second in the last few weeksfor the U.S. skier,who is considered one of the great American (and world) skiers of all time. Her first crash came in her final race before the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she sustained a ruptured ACL in her left knee.
Her crash on Sunday was not due to her previous injury, though. It instead came 13 seconds into her downhill after Vonn'sright arm hooked the fourth gate, spun her off balance, and sent her crashing into the snow headfirst.As previously reported by USA TODAY,Vonn remained down in the snow and could be heard wailing in pain following her crash. She'd remain on the course for approximately 13 minutes before being loaded into a helicopter.
TheUS Ski & Snowboard Team issued an update on Vonnat 11:05 a.m. ET on Sunday, saying that the three-time Olympic medalist "sustained an injury" and "is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:IOC president calls Lindsey Vonn 'incredible inspiration' after crash
North Dakota Stateis moving up in thecollege footballworld.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, theBisonhave agreed to a deal to join the Mountain West Conference, in football only, for the 2026 season. The school is expected to pay nearly $12 million to join the league, and will pay the NCAA another $5 million to the NCAA to move from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
REQUIRED READING:College football way-too-early top 25 poll for 2026 season
Thamel reported the deal is expected to be announced on Monday, Feb. 9. With NDSU moving to the MWC in 2026, that'll bring the league's total to 10 teams.
The Bison have won 10 of the last 15 FCS football championships and were the No. 1 seed in the 2025 FCS playoffs before losing to fellow Missouri Valley Football Conference team Illinois State in the first round. The Redbirds advanced all the way to the 2026 FCS Championship game where they fell 35-34 in overtime to Montana State.
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Of note: NCAA bylaws prohibit teams making the jump from FCS to FBS from competing in bowl games or conference championships for two years. That's whyJames Madisonteams that went 8-3 in 2022 and 11-2 in 2023 were ineligible to compete for the Sun Belt Championship or bowl games, as they were in their first two years competing in the FBS.
There are exceptions to the rule: James Madison and another FCS-to-FBS program, Jacksonville State, both became bowl-eligible in 2023 after it was determined there were not enough teams eligible for bowl season that year.
The addition of North Dakota State to the conference aids a league that lost Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State to the Pac-12 in the latest round of NCAA realignment.
Despite the mass departures,Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyomingall opted to stay in the conference.Hawaii is joining the leagueas a full-time member, while UTEP will join as a full member during the summer. Northern Illinois and NDSU joining as football-only members will bring the total to 10 teams.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NDSU to join Mountain West Conference for football only in 2026
JERUSALEM (AP) —Israel's security cabinet on Sunday approved measures that aim to deepen Israeli control over theoccupied West Bankand weaken the already limited powers of thePalestinian Authority.
The office of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a statement announced the decisions that would make it easier forJewish settlersto force Palestinians to give up land, adding that "we will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state."
Yonatan Mizrachi, a researcher with the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now, called the decision "very significant." He said the decision still requires approval by Israel's top commander for the West Bank.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbasin a statement called the decision "dangerous" and an "open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion" and land confiscation. He called for the United States and U.N. Security Council to intervene immediately.
Jordan's foreign ministry condemned the decision, which it said was "aimed at imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty" and entrenching settlements. TheHamasmilitant group called on Palestinians in the West Bank to "intensify the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers."
The decision was announced a few days before Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu is expected to meetwith U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington about Iran and other matters.
The measures announced Sunday include canceling a prohibition on sales of West Bank land to Israeli Jews, declassifying West Bank land registry records to ease land acquisition, transferring construction planning at religious and other sensitive sites in the volatile city of Hebron to Israeli authorities, and allowing Israeli enforcement of environmental and archaeological matters in Palestinian-administered areas.
The measures also would revive a committee that would allow the state of Israel to make "proactive" land purchases in the territory — "a step intended to guarantee land reserves for settlement for generations to come."
Peace Now in an explainer issued late Sunday called the decision aimed at "breaking through every possible barrier on the way to a massive land grab in the West Bank." Notably, it said, Israeli authorities will be able to demolish construction in Palestinian-controlled areas if they deem it harmful to heritage or the environment.
The West Bank is divided between an Israeli-controlled section where settlements are located and sections equaling 40% of the territory where the Palestinian Authority has autonomy.
Palestinians are not permitted to sell land privately to Israelis. Settlers can buy homes on land controlled by Israel's government.
Asked about settlers' claims that the current system is discriminatory against Jews, Peace Now's Mizrachi said the entire system in the West Bank discriminates against Palestinians, who are not allowed to vote in Israeli elections and face Israeli military crackdowns and travel restrictions.
More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 from Jordan and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.
Smotrich, previously a firebrand settler leader and now finance minister, has been grantedcabinet-level authority over settlement policiesand vowed to double the settler population in the West Bank.
Settler group Regavim in a statement praised Sunday's decision, saying it would protect heritage sites in the West Bank and "at long last" make land registry accessible and transparent.
In December, Israel's Cabinetapproved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlementsin the West Bank as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge that further threatens the possibility of a Palestinian state. And Israel has cleared the final hurdle before starting construction on a contentious settlement project near Jerusalem that wouldeffectively cut the West Bank in two, according to a government tender reported in January.
A candlelit memorial honouring the victims of theSwiss bar blaze that killed 41 peoplecaught fire.
Swiss police said they were investigating after the makeshift tribute, set up near the site of the bar tragedy in the ski resort town ofCrans-Montana, went up in flames shortly before 6am on Sunday.
Images show a blackened, scorched tent which had been erected to protect the flowers, stuffed animals and messages placed by mourners sincethe New Year's Eve tragedy.
Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control and no injuries were reported. Police said the fire was probably caused by candles.
"According to initial reports, the fire started near the candles placed on a table in the centre of the memorial," said a police statement.
"At this stage, third-party involvement can be ruled out."
Police say a book of condolences survived the fire.
Forty people, mostly teenagers and young adults, died in the New Year's Eve blaze thatbroke out shortly after midnightat Le Constellation bar. The fire claimed its 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national, who died in a Zurich hospital from his injuries a month later.
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Half of the victims who died in the blaze were under 18, while some were as young as 14. Some 116 people were taken to hospital, many with serious burn injuries.
Crans-Montana, which is 120 miles east of Geneva, is a high-end ski resort town popular with international tourists.
The list of injured includes nationals from Switzerland, France, Italy, Serbia, Poland, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Portugal and the Republic of the Congo.
Jacques and Jessica Moretti, the French owners of the bar, areunder investigation for involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and causing a fire by negligence. They deny wrongdoing.
Credit: Reuters
Investigators will examinethe couple's maintenance of the barand compliance with fire safety standards, including the number of emergency exits, the number of fire extinguishers, and whether or not the ceiling foam conformed with regulations.
The town's head of public safety and former fire safety officer are alsounder criminal investigationafter it emerged that the bar had not undergone mandatory annual fire inspections since 2019. They deny wrongdoing.
Police said reconstruction of the memorial is under way.
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The Dalai Lama said in a statement that he never met or interacted with Jeffrey Epstein, following what he called attempts to connect him to the late sex offender.
"Some recent media reports and social media posts concerning the 'Epstein files' are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein," the Tibetan spiritual leader's office said in a news release. "We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness's behalf."
It was not immediately clear what reports or posts the Dalai Lama, 90, was referencing.
The statement comes after the Trump administration'srecent release of filesfrom government investigations into the disgraced financier. The Dalai Lama's work is referenced in some documents, but he has never been formally accused of wrongdoing in connection with the accused sex trafficker.
Press StatementSome recent media reports and social media posts concerning the "Epstein files" are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein.We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or…pic.twitter.com/QtV6B3Wr0u
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama)February 8, 2026
More:Dalai Lama accepts first Grammy after beating out host Trevor Noah
The Justice Department released3 million pagesofEpstein fileson Jan. 30. Members of Congress will be able to review unredacted versions of the recordsstarting Feb. 9, according to a letter obtained by USA TODAY.
Overall, the released files and emails have tied dozens of high-profile people to Epstein, includingPresident Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Elon Musk, among others. None of individuals had been charged with crimes connected to Epstein.
Many of the relationships were already public information. For example, Trump and Epstein werefriendly several decades agobut had a falling out in the 2000s.
Additionally, therecently released filesalso include a former U.S. senator, a Norwegian princess, a NASCAR driver and several wealthy men who did business with Epstein. None have been charged, and their participation in Epstein's orbit in some cases simply indicates they had social or business connections with him.
USA TODAY's Erin Mansfield, Kathryn Palmer, and Jayme Fraser contributed to this report.
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dalai Lama says he never met, interacted with Jeffrey Epstein
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Drake Maye shared a quick kiss with his wife, Ann Michael Maye, ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8
The Patriots quarterback married his high school sweetheart in June 2025
Drake is making his Super Bowl debut playing against the Seattle Seahawks
Drake Mayehas tons of support on the sidelines for the 2026 Super Bowl!
The New England Patriots quarterback, 23, shared a kiss with his wife, 22-year-oldAnn Michael Maye, on the field at Levi's Stadium, Calif. The Sunday, Feb. 8 game between the Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will mark the NFL star's Super Bowl debut.
In a snap from the sidelines, Drake embraced Ann Michael — clad in a navy, fur-lined jacket bearing the Patriots' logo and polka-dotted pants — across a barrier as the pair shared a kiss. Both appeared giddy for the big game as she sent Drake on his way.
On newsstands now, PEOPLE's latest special edition issue covers his groundbreaking career, from his earliest days toheadlining the Super Bowl LX halftime showandmaking history at the Grammys. The 96-page issue is nowon Amazon. A print edition in Spanish is available exclusivelyhere.
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Drake and Ann Michael, who were high school sweethearts, tied the knot on June 21, 2025 at the Grandfather Golf and Country Club in North Carolina, perThe News & Observer.
The pair attended William A. Hough High School together, before the quarterback transfered to Myers Park High School. They again attended the same institution again for their college years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Drake made his relationship with Ann Michael official in 2020, with awholesome hard-launch poston New Year's Day. "Bringing in '20 with a 10🤤," Drake captioned the post, which featured a smiley snap of the couple.
After his years as a quarterback for the UNC Tar Heels, Maye was selected by thePatriotsin the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
"Drake, words cannot describe how proud I am of you. What an incredible blessing it has been to be by your side through all of this," Ann Michael wrote onInstagramfollowing the 2024 NFL draft. "I love you and can't wait for this next chapter! GO PATS!!"
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Ever since, Ann Michael's support for her partner's career has reached a national audience. Days ahead of the Super Bowl, Ann Michael showed off progress on a needlepoint project that paid homage to the Patriots: a partial design of a Massachusetts license plate that reads "Go Pats." "I foresee this being framed in our house," she added in aTikTok.
See PEOPLE's coverage of the 2026 Super Bowlbetween the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, airing live on NBC on Sun., Feb. 8, from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
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