Early-season showdowns, newcomers to watch and other things we're looking forward to in the fall.

Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll broke the hamate bone in his right hand and will undergo surgery Wednesday, sources told ESPN, leaving him out of the World Baseball Classic and in question for Opening Day

The NBA has suspended Detroit's Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren and Charlotte's Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate for their roles in Monday's brawl.

Thomas Frank took over at Tottenham after they won the Europa League. Here's how it all went wrong.

In pursuit of an interesting life, he came face to face with death.

The maker of ChatGPT hopes to triple its revenue in the coming year because it is planning to spend tens of billions of dollars. The clock is ticking.

With more ICE agents and fewer judges and asylum officers, the balance of the federal immigration apparatus has shifted.

Its so satisfying. READ MORE...

The legal saga over surveillance footage from within an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in suburban Chicago has reached new levels of Kafkaesque absurdity, with the federal government losing three hard drives it was supposed to put footage on, refusing to provide footage from five critical surveillance cameras, and delivering soundless video of a highly contested visit from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.We have repeatedly covered an abuse lawsuit about living conditions within the Broadview detention facility. The federal government has claimed that 10 days of footage from within the facility, taken during a critical and highly contested period, was irretrievably destroyed and could not be produced as part of the lawsuit, which was brought by people being held at Broadview in what were allegedly horrendous conditions. It later said that due to a system crash, the footage was never recorded in the first place. The latest update in this case, however, deals with surveillance camera footage that was recorded and that a judge has ordered the federal government to turn over.For this footage, the federal government first claimed that it could not afford the storage space necessary to take the footage that it did have and produce it for discovery to the plaintiffs lawyers in the case. The plaintiffs lawyers, representing Broadviews detainees, then purchased 78 terabytes of empty hard drives and gave them to the federal government, according to court records. This included three 8-terabyte SSDs and three 18-terabyte hard drives.Court records note that plaintiffs provided defendants with five large hard drives to facilitate Defendants production, yet Defendants inexplicably lost three of them. Emails submitted as evidence suggest that the U.S. government and the plaintiffs attorneys had a call to discuss the lost hard drives.One of the emails sent by plaintiffs attorneys to the Department of Justice in late January notes that the government had been exceedingly slow in producing footage, taking weeks to produce just a small amount of footage.There should be plenty of hard drive space at Broadviews disposal, the email reads. The team there should currently have in its possession 5 hard drives with 72 terabytes of space, provided by plaintiffs counsel at the last 2 site visits. We have received only one hard drive back from Broadview to date. Copying of November/December footage should have taken place over the past week so that it could be delivered to plaintiffs counsel today when they visit Broadview this afternoon. At the very least, that footage should be being copied now.The two sides then arranged a phone call, a summary of which was emailed by plaintiffs attorneys to the Department of Justice:Thanks for the productive call this morning. For the benefit of everyone:We discussed the production of video footage. You relayed that, at present, your agency contact knows where 2 of the 5 hard drives are and that you have relayed that copying of footage from November to present for all 10 feeds and footage from September to November for the 5 additional cameras should be underway. You will investigate further where the remaining hard drives are and will also work on a plan to exchange footage on a more regular basis than plaintiffs' counsel's weekly visits.We discussed providing an accounting of the hard drives to facilitate your conversations with personnel at Broadview: On January 8, plaintiffs' counsel delivered four hard drives to Broadview during an attorney visit. One was a 20 TB hard drive; three were 8 TB SSD drives. On January 16, plaintiffs' counsel received from Broadview one of the 8 TB SSD drives containing 150 GB of footage from 5 cameras for one week in January. Also on January 16, plaintiffs' counsel provided personnel at Broadview (SDDO Taylor, in particular) with two 18 TB hard drives. The sum total of storage capacity Broadview should have is: 5 drives, with a total of 72 TB of space. Using the productions we have received to date, we anticipate that the Government owes us at least 15 TB of footage.Days later, the Department of Justice told the plaintiffs attorneys that they are still searching for those hard drives at Broadview. The plaintiffs attorneys responded: Losing multiple drives provided to facilitate speedy production is not acceptable, and the missing hard drives and lack of production of any footage predating January remains a significant, prejudicial issue.A filing by the plaintiffs with the court highlights some of the ongoing issues they have had with the government complying with court-ordered discovery requirements, which includes the lost hard drives, missing footage, footage from only five of the 10 cameras that were supposed to be delivered. A separate filing notes that footage produced by the government from a high-profile visit by Noem is missing audio despite visible professional microphones and cell phones with audio capabilities in the footage.Plaintiffs have gone above and beyond their obligations under federal law to streamline rolling production of such footage, purchasing expensive hard drives and agreeing to transport and pick up those drives from Broadview during weekly attorney visits. Defendants agreed to this arrangement, they wrote in the filing. Yet, Defendants have fallen unacceptably short of their production obligations. Defendants have provided no footage from five of the ten camera feeds [] Defendants have also failed to provide footage for a near-two-month span for the remaining five camera feeds. Whats more, Defendants have purportedly lost multiple hard drives provided by Plaintiffs counsel [] There is no excuse for Defendants discovery failures.The filing notes that the five missing cameras are specifically from detainee isolation cells, despite those cells being a key part of Plaintiffs complaint. The produced feeds show egregious conditions but were insufficient to provide Plaintiffs the discovery necessary to fully investigate their claims. These cells were designed to hold one person at a time, but were allegedly being used to hold multiple detainees at a time during a critical period that the lawsuit covers; such cells are also where ICE holds detainees with acute medical or mental health conditions, including those who have suffered medical emergencies while in detention, and where it holds detainees who have been subjected to use of force by ICE officers while inside the facility, they add.The filing says that the plaintiffs learned that the government lost the hard drives in late January, when the government claimed that it had returned all of the hard drives to the plaintiffs attorneys, and that it had run out of storage space with which to provide them court-ordered footage.On January 28, Defendants counsel relayed that Broadview personnel had advised that they were out of storage space on drives provided by Plaintiffs, reporting that all hard drives provided by Plaintiffs had been returned to them. This was the first indication that some or all of 70 terabytes worth of hard drives were unaccounted for, they wrote. In the days since, the Government has admitted that it cannot find three of the five hard drives that should be in its possession.Plaintiffs are waiting on months of footage. Every day that passes without this evidence compounds the prejudice to Plaintiffs ability to prepare for the upcoming hearing. Defendants foot dragging and poor organizational practicesand their instinct to rely on Plaintiffs to take the laboring oar for the purchase, delivery, pickup, and return of storage devices to facilitate Defendants discovery obligationscannot be permitted.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00176-wImpaired lymphatic function causes cholesterol to accumulate in tissues, driving swelling known as lymphoedema. Lipid clearance could be an effective therapeutic strategy.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10133-2Optically trapped CaOH molecules in parity-doublet states achieve coherence times exceeding vibrational lifetimes, which are a defining milestone for the use of polyatomic molecules in quantum science.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-10086-yAn outbreak of MPXV in sooty mangabeys in Cte dIvoire was linked to MPXV-infected fire-footed rope squirrels, providing direct evidence of interspecies transmission and indicating risk for zoonotic transmission of MPXV from both hosts.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00382-6Geopolitical trends might be heading in the wrong direction, but economic forces are aligning around a future economy centred on clean electricity.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09941-9Aluminium redox catalysis is achieved with a low-valent aluminium species, carbazolylaluminylene, enabling cyclotrimerization of alkynes and producing diverse benzene derivatives.

Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor has opted to have surgery for a stress reaction in his left hamate bone, manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Sunday will mark the first live performance of John Tesh's song in a sports arena, the NBA said. Ludacris will perform Saturday before the All-Star dunk contest.

All right: We've covered the best deals in PL history, but what makes a bad deal? Whatever the reasons behind them, here are the 50 worst since the league began in 1992.

The authoritarian clerical regime in Tehran came to power in 1979. Today, it presides over a country that is deeply polarized and under threat of an American attack.

The economy added substantially more jobs than expected last month, as more people entered the labor force and wages grew.

The clips from Jeffrey Epsteins home office appear to show him with young women.

Republican leaders have blocked challenges to President Trumps trade war for a year, but dissent in their own ranks will force a vote.

President Trump has reshaped the countrys economic policies, but the outlook for the budget remains dire.

Internal Department of Homeland Security documents revealed that less than 14% of the nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses. What do you think?No terror campaign is perfect.Astrid Kettinger, Cafeteria SupervisorOnly according to information from the radical leftists at the DHS.Tony Baldanzi, Lens PolarizerAny well-trained federal agent would know to plant cocaine on them.Christian Landrum, Gelatin MolderThe post Report: Less Than 14% Of Those Arrested By ICE Had Criminal Record appeared first on The Onion.

This 320-square-foot apartment in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood is filled with the most brilliant organizing and style ideas of all time. READ MORE...

Were officially reaching the dullest, darkest, and coldest part of the winter here in the Northeastern U.S., and I find myself longing for vibrancy. Lucky for me, bright colors and bold patterns are still going strong in the design world for 2026 and thats exactly why this latest buzzy home decor drop first caught my eye.Nigerian-American multidisciplinary artist Temi Coker released his first collection with Walmart late last month, and boy, is bold an understatement!READ MORE...

This undated image made available by the National Human Genome Research Institute shows the output from a DNA sequencer. (NHGRI via AP, File)2026-02-11T18:45:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) Scientists are testing an entirely new way to fight heart disease: a gene-editing treatment that might offer a one-time fix for high cholesterol.Its very early stage research, tried in only a few dozen people so far. But gene-editing approaches being developed by two companies show hints that switching off certain genes could dramatically lower artery-clogging cholesterol, raising hopes of one day being able to prevent heart attacks without having to take pills.People want a fix, not a bandage, said Dr. Luke Laffin, a preventive cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. After co-authoring a promising study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, he said he was flooded with queries about how to participate in the next clinical trial.Everyone needs a certain amount of cholesterol. But too much, especially a bad kind called LDL cholesterol, builds plaque in the artery walls and is a main driver of heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular disease is the nations and worlds leading killer.Millions take cholesterol-lowering medicines such as statins, the cornerstone of treatment. But many still struggle to lower their cholesterol enough, and sticking with the drugs for life is difficult, with some quitting because of side effects. Why genes matter for cholesterolWhile your diet contributes, your liver produces the cholesterol your body needs, according to the American Heart Association, and genes play a role in how its managed. Some people inherit genes that trigger very high cholesterol. Others have cholesterol thats naturally extremely low over their lifetime and seldom develop heart disease. Years ago, Dr. Kiran Musunuru, a cardiologist now at the University of Pennsylvania, reported some of those lucky people harbor a mutation that turns off a gene named ANGPTL3, lowering their levels of both LDL cholesterol and another bad fat, triglycerides. Separately, geneticists at UT Southwestern Medical Center found still other peoples extremely low LDL was due to loss of function of another gene named PCSK9.Its a natural experiment in what would happen if we actually changed the gene, said the Cleveland Clinics Dr. Steven Nissen, who with Laffin oversaw an ANGPTL3 study funded by Swiss-based CRISPR Therapeutics. What early gene-editing studies can and cant showToday there are injected medicines that block proteins produced by the PCSK9 and ANGPTL3 genes in the liver, thus helping the body clear away cholesterol. The new research uses CRISPR, the Nobel Prize-winning gene-editing tool, to try switching off one of those genes in people at high risk from uncontrolled cholesterol.In one study, 15 adults received a single infusion of tiny particles that carried the CRISPR tool to the liver, switching off the ANGPTL3 gene inside that organs cells. Within two weeks, those getting the highest dose saw their LDL and triglyceride levels both drop by half, Laffin and Nissen reported in November. This article is part of APs Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well. Bostons Verve Therapeutics, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, earlier reported that its PCSK9-targeted editing infusion cut LDL cholesterol by a similar amount in a small study. Both companies initial studies were done in Australia, the U.K. and other countries. A Lilly spokesperson said U.S. study sites are opening. Nissen said a next-step study of CRISPR Therapeutics approach should start later this year, with sites yet to be announced. Each company is pursuing several gene targets. While people with naturally nonfunctioning ANGPTL3 or PCSK9 have no apparent bad consequences, longer studies of the gene-editing approach in far more people are needed, said Penns Musunuru, who co-founded Verve. He said some participants in an earlier Verve study have been tracked for two years, their cholesterol still lowered. Gene editing is considered permanent. If edited liver cells reproduce, their progeny contain the altered genes, and Musunuru said the edits have lasted a lifetime in mice.There are major safety questions to be answered, cautioned Dr. Joseph Wu of Stanford University, who wasnt involved in either study. CRISPR-based therapies for any disease havent been used enough to know long-term safety and the particles carrying the gene-editing tool can irritate or inflame the liver, he said. Another unknown is whether gene-editing hits only the intended target.Thats why for now, studies largely target people at very high risk. What to do now for better heart health Whether gene editing eventually pans out, the American Heart Association lists eight key factors for better heart health that everyone should work on now.Some involve lifestyle. Eat a heart-healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats like those found in nuts. Saturated fats can increase cholesterol while healthier diets can lower LDL levels and raise levels of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol.Also, be physically active, as exercise can increase good HDL and help lower triglycerides. Maintain a healthy weight. If you smoke, quit. And get enough sleep.On the medical side, control your blood pressure levels measuring less than 120 over 80 are optimal. Diabetes also harms the heart so control your blood sugar.As for cholesterol, keeping levels of that bad LDL kind at 100 is considered fine for healthy people. But once people develop high cholesterol or heart disease, guidelines recommend lowering it to at least 70, even lower for those at very high risk.When lifestyle changes arent enough, statin pills like Lipitor, Crestor or their cheap generic equivalents block some of the livers production of cholesterol and are highly effective at lowering LDL. There are a few other pill options for people who need additional help or cant take statins, as well as some injected medicines.-The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. LAURAN NEERGAARD Neergaard is an Associated Press medical writer who covers research on brain health, infectious diseases, organ transplantation and more. She is based in Washington, D.C. mailto

People work at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)2026-02-11T17:53:18Z WASHINGTON (AP) A disruption in reimbursements to states for disaster relief costs. Delays in cybersecurity response and training. And missed paychecks for the agents who screen passengers and bags at the nations airports, which could lead to unscheduled absences and longer wait times for travelers. Those were just some of the potential ramifications of a looming funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security, according to officials who testified before a House panel on Wednesday.Congress has approved full-year funding for the vast majority of the federal government, but it only passed a short-term funding patch for the Department of Homeland Security that extends through Friday. In response to the killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis and other incidents, Democrats have insisted that any funding bill for the department come with changes to immigration enforcement operations. Finding agreement on the issue of immigration enforcement will be exceedingly difficult. But even though lawmakers in both parties were skeptical, a White House official said that the administration was having constructive talks with both Republicans and Democrats. The official, granted anonymity to speak about ongoing deliberations, stressed that President Donald Trump wanted the government to remain open and for Homeland Security services to be funded. Meanwhile, Republicans are emphasizing that a Homeland Security shutdown would not curtail the work of the agencies Democrats are most concerned about. Trumps tax and spending cut bill passed last year gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement about $75 billion to expand detention capacity and beef up enforcement operations. Removal operations will continue. Wall construction will continue, said Rep. Mark Amodei, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security. Rather, agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Secret Service, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency would take the biggest hit, he said. Officials from those agencies appeared before the House subcommittee to explain the potential impact of a Homeland Security shutdown.Rep. Henry Cuellar, the ranking Democrat on the panel, said the tragic loss of two American citizens in Minneapolis Renee Good and Alex Pretti should concern every lawmaker. He said that strong borders and a respect for human life are not competing values.When enforcement actions lead to outcomes like that, we have an obligation to ask the hard question and to make sure our laws and policies are working as intended, Cuellar said.He said on Homeland Security funding that we were almost there. We were there, Democrats and Republicans and everybody, but the second shooting brought different dynamics. I think we can get there to address that. Essential work continuesAbout 90% of the departments employees would continue working in a shutdown, but they would do so without pay. Vice Admiral Thomas Allan of the U.S. Coast Guard said law enforcement and emergency response missions continue during a shutdown, but that the possibility of missed paychecks creates significant financial hardships.Shutdowns cripple morale and directly harm our ability to recruit and retain the talented Americans we need to meet growing demands, Allan said.Ha Nguyen McNeill of the Transportation Security Administration shared a similar concern. She estimated about 95% of the agencys 61,000 workers would continue to work, but potentially go without a paycheck depending upon the length of a shutdown. She noted that they just went through a lengthy shutdown last fall. We heard reports of officers sleeping in their cars at airports to save money on gas, selling their blood and plasma and taking on second jobs to make ends meet, she said. ...Some are just recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day shutdown. Many are still reeling from it. We cannot put them through another such experience.Homeland Security also includes the agency charged with working to protect the public and private sector from a broad range of cyber threats. Madhu Gottumukkala, acting director of that agency, said a shutdown would degrade our capacity to provide timely and actionable guidance to help partners defend their networks.I want to be clear, when the government shuts down, cyber threats do not, he said. Long-term impact Gregg Phillips, an associated administrator at FEMA, said its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster. He said that while the agency continues to respond to threats like flooding and winter storms, long-term planning and coordination with state and local partners is irrevocably impacted.For example, he said a lapse would disrupt training for first responders at the National Disaster & Emergency Management University in Maryland. The import of these trainings cannot be measured, Phillips said. And their absence will be felt in our local communities.At the Secret Service, the casual observer will see no difference, said Matthew Quinn, the agencys deputy director. But he said reform efforts taking place at the Secret Service are affected.Delayed contracts, diminished hiring and halted new programs will be the result, Quinn said. SEUNG MIN KIM Kim covers the White House for The Associated Press. She joined the AP in 2022 and is based in Washington. Kim is also a political analyst for CNN. twitter mailto

United States' Lindsey Vonn crashes during an alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2026-02-11T18:09:33Z CORTINA DAMPEZZO, Italy (AP) Lindsey Vonn had a successful third surgery on her broken left leg following her downhill crash at the Olympics, the American skier said WednesdayVonn posted an update on Instagram that included photos of her giving a thumbs up sign in her hospital bed with a metal frame attached to her leg.I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago, Vonn said. Im making progress and while it is slow, I know Ill be ok.The 41-year-old Vonn crashed 13 seconds into her run during Sundays race at the Milan Cortina Games and was airlifted off the course by helicopter. She said late Monday she had suffered a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.Vonns father, Alan Kildow, told The Associated Press on Monday that she is surrounded by family at all times at the hospital in Treviso where she is being treated. Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world, Vonn added. Also, huge congrats to my teammates and all of the Team USA athletes who are out there inspiring me and giving me something to cheer for.___AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics ANDREW DAMPF Dampf has been a Rome-based sports writer at The AP for over 20 years, covering soccer, tennis, Alpine skiing and many other events in Italy and beyond, including five soccer World Cups. The Milan-Cortina Games will mark the 10th Olympics that he has reported from. twitter

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10129-yAn orthosteric CSN inhibitor gains nanomolar potency via a molecular-glue mechanism, stabilizing a CSN5N8inhibitor complex that confers substrate-dependent inhibition despite weak free-enzyme affinity.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00456-5The soft robotic devices could be used to deliver drugs directly to internal tissues.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00413-2Finding suggests that blocking games were played in Europe centuries earlier than realized.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00452-9Macrophage-like cells consume waste lipids made during waking hours plus, an ancient European population that shunned farming.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10134-1A strategy using simple one-step spin-coating to form 3D/2D vertically oriented perovskite heterojunctions is described, allowing the fabrication of perovskite light-emitting diodes with record-high green emission efficiencies of 42.9% (certified 42.3%).

Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack is retiring after 10 years at the school.

Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said Wednesday that he was "obviously disappointed" by the news of edge rusher James Pearce Jr.'s arrest.

Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice to pick up where he left off four years ago as Slovakia pulled off an upset in the first men's hockey game of the Milan Cortina Olympics by beating Finland 4-1.

Lindsey Vonn had a "successful" third surgery on her broken left leg following her downhill crash at the Olympics.

Check out the results of our first fantasy baseball head-to-head points mock draft of 2026, featuring round-by-round picks and a snapshot of the rosters of all 10 teams.

The companys new C.E.O. said he saw opportunities to fix and grow the food giant and cut prices for consumers.

The request, by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, came a day before federal authorities closed the airspace in El Paso because of what they said was a drone threat.

The Trump administration blamed the disruptive halt on a cartel drone incursion, but others have disputed that explanation.

Fringe movements are using games and other online platforms to draw growing numbers of children to their causes, new data and dozens of interviews show.

On the Navesink River, a long and frigid winter has allowed a 135-year-old rivalry to be renewed.

FILE- Voting booths are set up at a polling place in Newtown, Pa, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)2026-02-11T19:45:01Z WASHINGTON (AP) House Republicans are rushing ahead on Wednesday on legislation that would impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements ahead of the midterm elections, a longshot Trump administration priority that faces sharp blowback in the Senate.The bill, called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, would require Americans to prove they are citizens when they register to vote, mostly through a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate. It would also require a valid photo identification before voters can cast ballots, which some states already demand. Republicans said the legislation is needed to prevent voter fraud, but Democrats warn it will disenfranchise millions of Americans by making it harder to vote. Federal law already requires that voters in national elections be U.S. citizens, but theres no requirement to provide documentary proof. Experts said voter fraud is extremely rare, and very few noncitizens ever slip through the cracks. Fewer than one in 10 Americans have valid passports. Some of my colleagues will call this voter suppression or Jim Crow 2.0, said Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., presenting the package at a committee hearing. But he said those allegations are false, and he argued the bill is needed to enforce existing laws, particularly those that bar immigrants who are not citizens from voting. The current law is not strong enough, he said. Election turmoil shadows the vote The GOPs sudden push to change voting rules at the start of the midterm election season is raising red flags, particularly because President Donald Trump has suggested he wants to nationalize U.S. elections, which, under the Constitution, are designed to be run by individual states. The Trump administration recently seized ballots in Georgia from the 2020 election, which the president insists he won despite his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The Department of Justice is demanding voter rolls from states, including Michigan, where a federal judge this week dismissed the departments lawsuit seeking the voter files. Secretaries of state have raised concerns that voters personal data may be shared with Homeland Security to verify citizenship and could result in people being unlawfully purged from the rolls. Let me be clear what this is about: Its about Republicans trying to rig the next election, said Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, during a hearing ahead of the floor vote. Republicans are pushing the Save America Act because they want fewer Americans to vote. Its that simple. The legislation is actually a do-over of a similar bill the House approved last year, which also sought to clamp down on fraudulent voting, particularly among noncitizens. It won the support of four House Democrats, but stalled in the Republican-led Senate.This version toughens some of the requirements further, while creating a process for those whose names may have changed, particularly during marriage, to provide the paperwork necessary and further attest to their identity. It also imposes requirement on states to share their voter information with the Department of Homeland Security, as a way to verify the citizenship of the names on the voter rolls. That has drawn pushback from elections officials as potentially intrusive on peoples privacy. Warnings from state election officialsThe new rules in the bill would take effect immediately, if the bill is passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law.But with primary elections getting underway next month, critics said the sudden shift would be difficult for state election officials to implement and potentially confuse voters.Voting experts have warned that more than 20 million U.S. citizens of voting age do not have proof of their citizenship readily available. Almost half of Americans do not have a U.S. passport.Election Day is fast approaching, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources. The fight ahead in the SenateIn the Senate, where Republicans also have majority control, there does not appear to be enough support to push the bill past the chambers filibuster rules, which largely require 60 votes to advance legislation.That frustration has led some Republicans, led by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, to push for a process that would skip the 60-vote threshold in this case, and allow the bill to be debated through a so-called standing filibuster a process that would open the door to potentially endless debate.Lee made the case to GOP senators at a closed-door lunch this week, and some said afterward they are mulling the concept.I think most peoples minds are open, said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., My minds certainly open. But Murkowski of Alaska said she is flat out against the legislation.Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the times, places, and manner of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska, she said.Karen Brinson Bell of Advance Elections, a nonpartisan consulting firm, said the bill adds numerous requirements for state and local election officials with no additional funding.Election officials have a simple request of Congress that you help share their burdens not add to them, she said.__Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. celebrates with his gold medal on the podium of the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)2026-02-11T14:22:30Z MILAN (AP) Jordan Stolz pictured this moment most of his life, ever since he was 5 years old, learning to skate on a frozen pond in his Wisconsin backyard after falling in love with speedskating during the 2010 Winter Olympics and hoping to one day step atop the podium himself.So what was the little hassle of a 10-or-so-minute wait to make sure this first speedskating gold medal would be his Wednesday?Stolz needed to hold off on celebrating until another competitor got the chance for a re-skate, then soon enough was able to smile while leaning forward to receive his gold for winning the mens 1,000 meters at the Milan Cortina Games in an Olympic-record time.Now Stolz will hope to keep going and add to his collection of trophies as he entered three more events in Milan.Skating in the next-to-last pairing at Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a temporary facility constructed for these Olympics that has been producing fast times so far, Stolz finished in 1 minute, 6.28 seconds. The 21-year-old didnt threaten his world record of 1:05.37 but did better the Olympic standard of 1:07.18 that had stood since 2002 before Stolz was born. All four long track speedskating races in Milan have been won in the fastest times ever turned in at an Olympics. Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands was a half-second slower than Stolz and took the silver medal. No one else came within a full second of Stolzs time. Zhongyan Ning of China got the bronze. Stolzs medal was his first at this level: As a 17-year-old at the 2022 Beijing Games, Stolz came in 14th in the 1,000 and 13th in the 500.It also was the first medal of any sort in the mens 1,000 for the United States since the 2010 Vancouver Games. Thats when Shani Davis a mentor to Stolz won his second consecutive gold in that event, and Chad Hedrick took the bronze. Dutch men had won the 1,000 at each of the past three Winter Games. With Eric Heiden, the only speedskater to win five golds at one Olympics, sitting next to rapper Snoop Dogg in the stands, Stolz pulled ahead of de Boo by the time one full lap was done. Then de Boo moved in front. But Stolz took the lead at the final corner and crossed first with his hands on his knees.He soon was celebrating with an understated pump of his right hand.A full-on victory lap toting an American flag had to be put on hold for a bit, though: First, the days last heat needed to be held. And then there was a 10-minute delay before Joep Wennermars of the Netherlands was given the chance at a re-skate because he had been bumped during his original heat.But Wennermars didnt come close to beating Stolz, who entered the day as a big favorite and came through in the clutch.Stolz not only holds the 1,000 world record he set in January 2024 but is also a two-time world champion at the distance. Plus, he went 5-for-5 on the World Cup circuit this season in the event, confirming his status as the man to beat at the Winter Games.In a surprising scene at the U.S. Olympic trials at Milwaukee in January, Stolz fell to the ice a few strides into the 1,000, then popped back up and ended up with the third-best time. No such issue when it mattered the most Wednesday.This race was Stolzs first of his four scheduled events in Milan and it is not unrealistic to think he could leave Italy with four gold medals, given his track record and dominance of late. After two days off, he also is entered in the 500 meters on Saturday, the 1,500 on Feb. 19, and the mass start on Feb. 21, the final day of speedskating at these Olympics.Stolzs name is often mentioned alongside that of Heiden, the superstar who is the only speedskater to claim five long-track gold medals at a single Winter Games. Heiden won five individual events at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics: the 500, 1,000, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000.Stolz says hes flattered to hear about such comparisons, but also is quick to note that what Heiden accomplished was remarkably different, given his participation at all five of those distances. Stolz might add the longer distances to his repertoire down the road; for now, he is the best there is in the sprints.Dutch men had won the 1,000 at each of the past three Winter Games.___AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics HOWARD FENDRICH Fendrich is an Associated Press national writer based in Washington, D.C. He reports on tennis and other sports. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00332-2Seven charts show the remarkable growth in renewable power and the challenges to ending the fossil-fuel age.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00396-0The study of the gut microbiome of infants in nurseries revealed that peer-to-peer interaction during the first years of life is a prominent route of acquisition of microbial strain diversity. The impact of nursery-acquired microorganisms is comparable to that of microorganisms sourced, starting at birth, from family members.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09927-7A measurement strategy is described that is able to read out the parity of minimal two-site Kitaev chains in real time, by coupling two Majoranas and resolving their quantum capacitance.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10124-3Measurement of the 2S6P transition in cryogenic atomic hydrogen using laser spectroscopy reveals a rp value that is 2.5-fold more precise than previous determinations and in excellent agreement with the muonic value, and tests the Standard Model to 0.7 parts per trillion.

Nature, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00252-1Eileen Faucher found that her curiosity about the drug-development landscape was better suited to advising companies than to working inside them.