Is there a better sensation for a traveller than when a train speeds out of a tunnel? The sudden flood of light, that howling rush of air. Clearly, it’s not just me who thinks trains are the new (old) planes, with 2025 having seen a 7% rise in UK train travel, and more Europeans than ever looking to hit the rails.
It’s late December, and I’m heading out on a slow-train journey across the historic railways of the Swiss Alps and the Italian lakes. It’s a trip of roughly 1,800 miles (2,900km), crossing five countries, almost entirely by scenic daytime trains.
What is clear from the off is how easy, and slightly disorientating, this type of train travel can be: drifting through stations, across platforms and over borders, it’s hard to believe we’ve hit three countries in less than a day – the UK, France and Switzerland – such is the ease of each passport stop. Gone are the sweaty finger scans of airport border control, replaced by the most polite immigration police I’ve ever encountered. “You’ve travelled a lot,” one says, with a wry smile and a German shepherd, to which I reply “legally”, just to cover my back.
Jonnie Bayfield took the spectacular Gotthard route. Photograph: Jakub Korczyk/Alamy
Outside, the French countryside soon blurs into Swiss hills, all behind a thin veil of white, wintry light. The fields, with their clumps of bare trees, seem suspended in mid-freeze, as though bracing for the full blast to come. As we roll into Zurich, we catch our first glimpse of the milky Alpine peaks.
This is the thrill of train trips: the steadily shifting scenes, the rise and fall of the landscape, leavened like fresh bread. Next morning, we’re greeted with crisp blue skies for our mountain ascent via one of Europe’s most historic train routes, the Matterhorn Gotthard railway. The original line opened in 1882 and was the railroad that changed Europe, slicing a path through inhospitable mountains and isolated villages.
We catch one of the historic trains (the IR46) – keen to avoid anything routed through the Gotthard base tunnel, which bypasses the beauty. In summer, a tourist train – with bigger windows and a bigger price tag – takes the exact same route, famously depicted by JMW Turner and described in awed terms by Goethe. “Here,” he wrote, “it is necessary to submit to nature.” Though it’s the cafe car selling Swiss coffee at eye-watering prices that forces me to revise Goethe: here, it is necessary to submit to inflation.
JMW Turner’s painting of the Devil’s Bridge, St Gotthard Pass. Photograph: Alamy
Phones duly on charge (as is slow-train travel etiquette), we sit back and gawp out of the window for three hours, eating Swiss truffles as the tracks snake the mythic Alps via the famous Gotthard “spirals” – corkscrew tracks built inside the mountains for a steady ascent. It’s the stuff of oil paintings all right – vertiginous gorges, frothing rivers and snow-capped peaks.
At Göschenen, we opt for a lunch stop via a short, even steeper rack-and-pinion route high into the former garrison town of Andermatt, now reinvented as a chic ski retreat. Up here, the snow is thick. Between that and the dark Alpine stone, it’s as though we’ve stepped out into a monochrome photograph. A comforting lunch at the excellent Biselli, along with several glasses of Swiss Ticino red (liquid lunch being another perk of slow-train travel) takes the edge off a dense mist that has crept over the rest of the day’s rail route. Thankfully, Italy soon pushes back, with clear skies andterracotta valley towns, and – just like that – another border is crossed, bringing with it a welcome drop in the cost of a cappuccino (from €5 to €2), enjoyed while skimming the edge of the ice-blue Lake Lugano.
By dusk, we’re at Lake Como. Bags dropped, we catch the last of the light with an easy passeggiata (stroll) round the perimeter of the famous lake, mercifully lacking its high-season crowds. Ornate street lamps line the water’s edge like washed-up pearls and, in the distance, the funicular up to the hillside town of Brunate shines with a string of golden lights that dangle down the slope like lost jewellery. It’s hard to imagine Como any other way.
Next morning, having got into the swing of slow-train transience, we pack up in record time and take coffee at the station. For our final stop, we’re heading in the direction of a much-needed metropolis. Ditching Milan – Italy’s least interesting city – we roll into Turin, one of its most underappreciated.
Stepping off the rickety regional train at Torino Porta Susa, what we find is a vibrant, easygoing student city that appears contentedly trapped in some kind of temporal ragu; a place where 1920s art deco neon signs cling to 18th-century baroque buildings that house vintage shops run by students dressed as if they are in the 1990s.
Miraculously, all this gels, and the student cohort rub along just fine with their more conservative elders, united beneath the impressive porticos that run, unbroken, for more than 18km and are lined with boutiques and historic coffee bars. We round out our first night with an aperitivo at the classic art-school haunt Caffè Università, with its frayed edges and charmingly outmoded daily buffet.
Next morning, Turin’s enviable portfolio of museums and galleries beckon, most free to enter with the Torino card. Here, the time-warp vibes continue within the soaring spire of the 19th-century Mole Antonelliana, now housing the superb Museo Nazionale del Cinema – surely, the only neoclassical building that’s home to an xenomorph egg from the film Alien? Likewise, another repurposed building, the Lingotto complex, boasts an even more outlandish upcycle: the famous Fiat test track on its roof has been reimagined as La Pista 500, a panoramic garden walk, where art installations live alongside the historic skidmarks. Proof that Turin is not interested in simply preserving history, but also evolving.
The cupola and spire of the Mole Antonelliana in Turin. Photograph: Steve Tulley/Alamy
With a chill in the air, we duck in for a perfect meal at the unassuming yet excellent Osteria Rabezzana, part of the Mangébin circuit that promotes Piedmontese cuisine. The brasato al barolo (beef braised in barolo wine) and local agnolotti delplin (beef- and cabbage–stuffedpasta) are excellent. This family-run restaurant and winery opened just after the second world war, and judging by the convivial atmosphere – full of local people on office festive outings – it has served the city well ever since.
Next morning, we are up and out to catch the 7.36 TGV all the way back to Paris. Drifting in and out of sleep, we take in a last glimpse of the Italian Alps. By the time we reach our Parisian pit stop, day is folding in on itself, and soon enough, we’re slumped back on the Eurostar, flanked by bags of clinking wine bottles cushioned by crushed panettone. Homebound and heady, we reluctantly plunge back into the black of the Channel tunnel, leaving all that light behind us.
Making his first major post-arrest television interview Monday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Don Lemon detailed the moments surrounding his incarceration and his experience as a journalist becoming the center of a news story.
“There’s a lot that I cannot say,” Lemon told Kimmel. “But what I will say is that I’m not a protester. I went there to be a journalist. I went there to chronicle and document and record what was happening … I do think that there is a difference between a protester and a journalist.”
The appearance arrived less than a week after the former CNN anchor — now an independent journalist who hosts a YouTube show — was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles following his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church earlier this month. Lemon, 59, was released without bond Friday and is expected to plead not guilty, according to his attorneys.
On Monday’s show, Kimmel began the conversation by asking Lemon how he was feeling: “I don’t know — that’s an honest answer,” Lemon said. “I’m OK. I’m not going to let them steal my joy, but this is very serious. These are federal criminal charges.”
Lemon was arrested — along with three others in attendance at the protest — at the direction of Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi, who said on X that it was in connection to what she described as a “coordinated attack” on the church, located in St. Paul. Lemon is charged with conspiracy to deprive the church congregants of their rights and interfering by force with someone’s First Amendment rights. Lemon has denied participating in the protest at the church — assembled to decry that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field officer apparently serves as a pastor there — saying he was present in a journalistic capacity.
Playfully acknowledging that he hasn’t been a favorite of President Trump’s since his time on CNN, Lemon said he hadn’t been concerned about his possible arrest — even with a re-post by Trump calling for it — until it gained steam by members of Trump’s cabinet, including Bondi and Todd Blanche, the U.S. deputy attorney general. Lemon said that after retaining a lawyer and volunteering to turn himself in to handle the matter without fanfare, he “never heard back from them.”
“That is customary in a situation like this, that someone would be allowed to turn themselves in,” Lemon said. “People who are who are accused of much worse things than I am accused of doing, they are allowed the courtesy. I mean, Donald Trump was allowed the courtesy to turn himself in …”
Lemon went on to detail the moments leading up to his arrest Thursday, which came after a night of covering a Grammys event for the Black Music Collective and attending a post-party celebration.
“I got back to the hotel, I walked in with my swag bag from the thing … and I pressed the elevator button and all of a sudden I feel myself being jostled, people trying to grab me and put me in handcuffs,” he recounted. “And I said, ‘What are you doing here?’ And they said, ‘We came to arrest you.’ I said, ‘Who are you?’ Then finally they identified themselves. And I said, ‘If you are who you are, then where’s the warrant?’ And they didn’t have a warrant, so they had to wait for the someone from outside, an FBI guy, to come in to show me a warrant on a cell phone … They took me outside FBI guys were out there. It had to be maybe a dozen people, which is a waste, Jimmy, of resources … They want to embarrass you. They want to intimidate you. They want to instill fear.”
He said he hadn’t realized how much attention his arrest had generated until he saw CNN broadcasting the story on a TV monitor where he was being held.
“I could see ‘Former CNN anchor Don Lemon arrested in Los Angeles,’” he said. “I said to the guy, ‘Is that happening a lot?’ He goes, ‘You’ve been on all morning, yeah. And he says, ‘This is a big deal.’”
During the conversation, Kimmel criticized what he felt was a lack of attention to the recent search by FBI agents of the home of a Washington Post reporter who covers the federal government. Lemon, who parted ways with CNN in 2023, attributed it to a fear among the leaders of corporate press enterprises.
“Corporate media has been neutered right now. They are afraid, and that’s the reason I’m so happy with what I do, because I’m closer to the ground,” he said. “This is not time for folly. It’s not time for false equivalence, and putting people on television and on news programs, giving them a platform, who come on just to lie. …. Some things are objectively bad and I think its important in this time to point that out.”
Lemon hitting the late-night circuit intensifies its spotlight as a free-speech battleground. The Trump era has prompted more pointed and passionate takes from most of the major hosts that, in turn, have captured the attention and ire of the president, who has provoked threats against them and their broadcasters.
Last year, CBS announced it was canceling “The Late Show” after a three-decade run — a decision the company attributed to financial reasons and not, as many have speculated, because of host Stephen Colbert’s criticism of a settlement between the Trump administration and Paramount, the parent company of CBS, over a 2024 “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
More recently, Kimmel faced a brief suspension last fall over comments regarding the killing of right-wing activist and influencer Charlie Kirk (ABC ultimately reinstated Kimmel following public backlash.) In fact, Lemon referenced that situation prior to his arrest, when a judge dismissed prosectors’ initial charging effort: “This is not a victory lap for me because it’s not over. They’re gonna try again,” Lemon told his followers on his YouTube show after the judge’s ruling. “Go ahead, make me into the new Jimmy Kimmel, if you want.”
Last Friday, addressing a crowd outside the courthouse upon his release, Lemon said, “There is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable. I will not stop now, I will not stop ever.”
“He is someone who has a lot of potential and I believe we can help take his game to the next level.”
Now he has taken what should be a step up to the Scottish Premiership, the striker told Rangers’ website: “I plan to make the most of this opportunity.”
Naderi has dual German and Bulgarian citizenship through his father, while he also qualifies for the Czech Republic through his mother.
He started with local club Dynamo Dresden as a youth before joining Monchengladbach’s academy, playing for their second team before his move to Hansa.
Naderi becomes Rangers’ fourth signing of the January transfer window following the arrival of winger Andreas Skov Olsen on loan from Wolfsburg, midfielder Tochi Chukwuani from Sturm Graz and defender Tuur Rommens from Westerlo.
He arrives on a transfer deadline day when midfielder Joe Rothwell joined Sheffield United from Rangers on a permanent deal, while centre-half Clinton Nsiala was sent to Westerlo on a loan with an option to buy.
Feb. 3 (UPI) — U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Monday said she attended an FBI search of election offices in Georgia last week at the request of President Donald Trump, defending her and the Trump administration’s role in the law enforcement action against mounting Democratic criticism.
Gabbard has come under growing scrutiny since photographs surfaced showing her with FBI agents executing a search warrant at the Fulton County elections hub, where authorities seized documents related to the 2020 election.
Democratic concerns about alleged Trump administration efforts to undermine the upcoming midterm elections have been stoked by Gabbard’s unprecedented involvement in the raid at Fulton County, prompting House and Senate Democrats on their respective intelligence committees to demand she explain her role.
In a Monday letter addressed to Rep. James Himes, D-Conn., the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard said she accompanied FBI personnel “for a brief time” while they executed the search warrant.
“My presence was requested by the President and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence, foreign and other malign influence and cybersecurity,” she said.
“ODNI’s Office of General Counsel has found my actions to be consistent and well within my statutory authorities as the Director of National Intelligence.”
In the letter, she told the Democrats that her office “will not irresponsibly share incomplete intelligence assessments,” but she would share them with Congress once they are completed.
Fulton County was the focal point of Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. Trump and 18 others were later charged in Georgia for their alleged efforts to overturn the state’s results, a racketeering case that was dropped late last year following Trump’s return to the White House.
The letter came as The New York Times reported Monday that a day after the Wednesday raid, Gabbard arranged a phone call between the involved FBI agents and Trump.
“Tulsi Gabbard has no legal role in domestic law enforcement, yet 5 days ago she participated in an FBI raid of Fulton County, Georgia’s election office — the center of Trump’s 2020 election conspiracy theories,” Warner said on X on Monday.
“And now we find out that she orchestrated a call between Trump and the FBI agents conducting the raid? Something’s not passing the smell test…”
Gabbard confirmed the call in her letter Monday, stating: “While visiting the FBI File Office in Atlanta, I thanked the FBI agents for their professionalism and great work, and facilitated a brief phone call for the President to thank the agents personally for their work.”
“He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directive,” she added.
JOE Swash and stepson Zach put on a dapper display as they posed for snaps before attending the TV Choice Awards tonight.
Zach, 17 – the eldest child of 44-year-old Joe’s wife Stacey Solomon – scrubbed up in a navy suit, white shirt and striped tie.
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Joe and Zach put on a dapper display as they headed to the TV Choice AwardsCredit: InstagramFans spotted Joe was doing his best to minimise the height differenceCredit: InstagramJoe and Stacey with Zach, Leighton, Rex, Rose and BelleCredit: Unknown
While the former EastEnders star opted for a black suit which he teamed with a low-cut black T-shirt.
He captioned his upload: “Zach & Me off to represent the Solomon Swash’s tonight at the @tvchoicemagazine awards.
“Proud to be your +1 Zachy. Love you boy.”
But eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice Joe was trying his best to minimize the height difference between him and Zach – by standing on his tip toes.
A source revealed: “The bottom line is Stacey is no longer relatable.
“People think she flaunts her wealth and moans all the time – now Stacey’s being advised to rein it in and shut her mouth or risk ruining everything she’s worked so hard for.
“The plan is for Stacey to go back to basics and remember who her audience is. No more bragging about expensive holidays and keeping in mind not everybody is in her position.”
A college football recruiting dead period has begun, which means Servite will be a lot quieter after college recruiters visited during the past two weeks making sure they stop by to evaluate the team’s outstanding starting offensive tackles, Drew Fielder, a junior, and Elisha Mueller, a sophomore.
Let’s just say that Fielder, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound starting left tackle, has “blown up” as a college prospect as coaches recognize his growing size, strength and ability entering his senior year. Mueller, 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, has been attracting big-time interest since his freshman season as a right tackle starter and was a sophomore All-American.
Together, they should form quite a duo in the Trinity League this fall.
“You feel real confident in your ability to win in the trenches,” coach Chris Reinert said.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Moscow ‘strongly condemns’ attack on airport in the capital, Niamey, where 20 rebels were killed, and four soldiers were wounded.
Russian soldiers helped repel an attack claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) armed group on Niger’s main airport in the capital, Niamey, last week, according to Moscow’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The attack was repelled through the joint efforts of the Russian Ministry of Defence’s African Corps and the Nigerien armed forces,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
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Niger’s governing military earlier said that “Russian partners” had helped to fend off the rare assault on the capital, which saw 20 attackers, including a French national, killed and four army soldiers wounded.
At least 11 fighters were also captured, Niger’s state television reported.
“Moscow strongly condemns this latest extremist attack,” the Foreign Ministry added in the statement, according to Russia’s state TASS news agency.
“A similar attack took place in September 2024 on the international airport in the capital of Mali. According to available information, external forces providing instructor and technical support are involved,” the ministry said, according to TASS.
Niger’s military chief, Abdourahamane Tchiani, visited the Russian military base in Niamey to express “personal gratitude for a high-level of professionalism” by Russian forces in defending the airport, the ministry added.
ISIL claimed responsibility for the “surprise and coordinated attack” on the airbase at the Diori Hamani international airport near Niamey on the night of January 28.
A video published online through the ISIL-affiliated media Amaq showed several dozen attackers with assault rifles firing near an aircraft hangar and setting ablaze one plane before leaving on motorbikes.
Ulf Laessing, the head of the Sahel programme at Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation, told The Associated Press news agency that the sophistication and boldness of the attack, including the possible use of drones by the attackers, suggest that the assailants may have had inside help.
Previous successful attacks in the region appear to have increased the group’s confidence, leading them to target more sensitive and strategically important sites, Laessing said.
Niger’s military had initially accused Benin, France and the Ivory Coast of sponsoring the attack on the airport, which also houses a military base. The military, however, did not provide evidence to substantiate its claim.
Ivory Coast’s Foreign Ministry denied the allegation and summoned Niger’s ambassador to relay its protest. Benin also denied the claim, describing it as “not very credible”.
France has yet to comment.
Niger is a former colony of France, which maintained a military presence in the country until 2023.
Russia rarely comments on its military activity in the Sahel region, where Moscow has been increasing its influence in recent years.
Facing isolation since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has tried to build new military and political partnerships across Africa.
Apart from Niger, Russian troops or military instructors have been reported to be deployed in Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and Libya.
Russia’s African Corps has taken over from the Wagner mercenary force across the continent. According to Moscow, the corps helps ” fighting terrorists” and is “strengthening regional stability” in the Sahel.
Niger’s authorities have been fighting the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the ISIL affiliate in the Sahel (EIS) for the past decade.
The island offers warmth and sunshine, cheap drinks and budget flights, making it the perfect February getaway from the UK’s winter chill and unbearable cold snaps.
The island’s beaches boast azure waters and spectacular views(Image: Getty)
As Britain’s temperatures plunge into an icy stranglehold, countless people are seeking warm destinations for a swift escape.
Offering year-round sunshine, pleasant 20C warmth, pints for £1.30 and direct flights starting at just £18, this sun-drenched European island ticks every box – stunning coastlines, mild climate, excellent dining and drinking establishments, and plenty of leisure pursuits.
Being the fourth largest island in Spain’s hugely popular Canary Islands archipelago, Lanzarote is a stunning destination. Featuring volcanic black sand shores in certain areas and dramatic rocky terrain elsewhere, the island’s geography encompasses the Famara mountain chain to the north and Ajaches in the south.
Rich in geological heritage, the striking black sand coastlines of Playa de Janubio and Playa de El Golfo are spectacular, whilst the resort destinations of Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca rank amongst Lanzarote’s finest locations.
Arrecife, Lanzarote’s capital city, represents another major attraction, reports the Express.
With average February temperatures hitting 20C, Lanzarote offers a perfectly temperate retreat, frequently dubbed the ‘Island of Eternal Spring’.
At present, an easyJet service to Lanzarote departing London’s Luton Airport on February 7 costs merely £17.99, covering one small cabin bag.
Journey time is four hours. Air fares aren’t the only bargains to be found in Lanzarote – for a mere £1.30, tourists can savour a pint on this stunning Canary island, according to Introducing Lanzarote.
Lanzarote’s all-inclusive hotels are hugely favoured by cash-conscious travellers, whilst premium choices await those willing to splash out.
A blend of bustling holiday destinations and tranquil countryside settlements forms the island’s social tapestry, guaranteeing something to suit every preference.
The island’s distinctive terrain presents another draw for visitors – featuring peaks, enormous volcanic craters, crimson landscapes, ebony sand shores, sparkling turquoise waters, pristine white coastlines, and the crowning glory – an active volcano named Mount Timanfaya showcasing lava fields formed hundreds of years ago.
For leisure pursuits, this compact island offers plenty of excitement, with pastimes including surfing, underwater exploration, kiteboarding, and windsurfing proving hit attractions amongst visitors.
Numerous child-friendly shores dot Lanzarote, particularly suited to youngsters who remain protected from powerful tides and swells at these locations, plus magnificent natural swimming holes formed from volcanic crater flows and eruptions.
Vibrant harbours and expansive coastal stretches, ideal for those who relish lengthy seaside strolls whilst waves thunder nearby, feature across Lanzarote.
Celebrated for its oceanic cuisine, Lanzarote is renowned for its succulent prawns, squid, octopus, and tuna, plus the Spanish classic dish of paella. Holidaymakers searching for that ideal winter getaway – Lanzarote could well be the destination for you.
Alnwick Garden in Northumberland is a stunning family attraction just 40 minutes from Newcastle with treetop walkways, 100 deadly plants behind locked gates, beautiful cherry blossoms and a miniature castle for kids
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Alnwick Garden’s famous Cherry Orchard blossoms in full bloom(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
During springtime, Alnwick Garden bursts with a canopy of gorgeous cherry blossoms – and children can swing amongst the petals on charming wooden twin-seat swings. The Japanese Cherry Orchard springs to life with all of its magnificent 326 Taihaku cherry trees. Yet the spectacle continues during the chillier months. In October the same trees’ foliage transforms to a stunning rich bronze shade, according to Visit Northumberland.
The garden, brimming with vibrant patches of colour, was conceived through the Duchess of Northumberland’s vision of a breathtaking landscape garden featuring interactive water displays and a genuinely distinctive miniature fortress for youngsters, reports Chronicle Live.
Created by Jacques and Peter Wirtz, the Grand Cascade forms the garden’s centrepiece with water cascading through the multi-level fountains.
Nevertheless, if you wander to the garden’s edges, there’s additional treasure to uncover, including the Rose Garden, the Serpent Garden and the Poisonous Garden.
For those undaunted by altitude – there’s also a 200-metre long, raised timber pathway snaking through a grove of lime trees. Forming part of one of the globe’s largest wooden treehouses, the construction boasts unstable bridges and rope passages.
Beyond secured wrought iron gates sits the garden housing more than 100 hazardous plants including poisonous and narcotic varieties. Access to the garden is restricted to private guided tours only – which inform visitors about the sinister aspects of horticulture.
A brief stroll from the main garden leads to Lilidorei- an enchanting immersive village offering numerous activities for children including Elf story time, according to Lilidorei’s website.
The 26-metre play structure features bridges, ladders, swings and towers plus six different slides – sufficient to entertain youngsters for hours.
Kelly B said on Trip Advisor: ” What made the visit still worth it was Lilidorei (I’ve written a separate review for that) and the Poison Garden.
“The Poison Garden is completely fenced in and you can only go inside during a guided tour (free with garden admission). I timed it just right and was able to join a tour shortly after they started. I’m not sure what her name was, but we had an excellent guide. We got to see the plants and hear about how they were poisonous.
“The guide had pictures to show us of what they look like blooming. A few of the plants were even in cages for safety reasons. We got to hear some stories of murderers who used the poisons to kill their victims, some fairly recently. It was a fascinating tour.”
Northumberland is famed for its rugged coastline, ancient castles and unspoiled natural beauty. Sykes Cottages has a range of places to stay starting from £38 per night
Musk says solar powered and space-based data centres are the only way to meet AI’s burgeoning energy demands.
Published On 3 Feb 20263 Feb 2026
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Elon Musk’s SpaceX has acquired his AI company xAI as part of an ambitious scheme to build space-based data centres to power the future of artificial intelligence.
The billionaire, who is also the CEO of Tesla, announced the merger in a statement on Tuesday on the SpaceX website.
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Musk said the merger will help to address the emerging question of how to meet the power-hungry demands of artificial intelligence.
AI demand will require “immense amounts of power and cooling” that are not sustainable on Earth without “imposing hardship on communities and the environment,” he said.
Space-based data centres that harness the power of the Sun are the only long-term solution, according to Musk.
“In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale. To harness even a millionth of our Sun’s energy would require over a million times more energy than our civilisation currently uses!” he wrote.
“The only logical solution therefore is to transport these resource-intensive efforts to a location with vast power and space,” he continued, predicting that within the next “2 to 3 years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space”.
The merger of SpaceX and xAI will bring several of Musk’s space, artificial intelligence, internet, and social media projects under one roof.
SpaceX operates the Falcon and Starship rocket programmes, while xAI is best known for developing the AI-powered Grok chatbot. Last year, xAI also acquired X, the social media platform known as Twitter, until it was bought by Musk in late 2022.
Both companies have major contracts with US government agencies such as NASA and the Department of Defense .
SpaceX’s Starshield unit specifically collaborates with government entities, including military and intelligence agencies.
Musk is not the only tech CEO looking to space as a solution to AI’s energy quandary.
Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Google’s Project Suncatcher are both working on solar-powered space-based data centres.
“In the history of spaceflight, there has never been a vehicle capable of launching the megatons of mass that space-based data centres or permanent bases on the Moon and cities on Mars require,” Musk wrote.
Musk also said his long-term plan for SpaceX is to launch a million satellites.
To achieve this aim, SpaceX’s Starship rocket programme aims to one day launch one flight per hour with a 200-tonne payload, he said.
Musk said Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX that offers satellite-based internet service, will soon get a major boost with the launch of SpaceX’s next generation of V3 satellites.
They will each add “more than 20 times the capacity to the constellation as the current Falcon launches of the V2 Starlink satellites”, he wrote.
“The Kelly Clarkson Show,” the Daytime Emmy Award-winning series hosted by the Grammy-winning musician, is ending after a seven-season run. Kelly Clarkson announced Monday that she had decided to step away from hosting the daily talk show.
In a statement, Clarkson said she made her decision to prioritize spending time with her children. The former singer had two children, in 2014 and 2016, with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, who died in August at age 48.
“I have been extremely fortunate to work with such an outstanding group of people at ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show,’ both in Los Angeles and New York,” Clarkson said in a statement. “This was not an easy decision, but this season will be my last hosting ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show.’ Stepping away from the daily schedule will allow me to prioritize my kids, which feels necessary and right for this next chapter of our lives.”
The syndicated talk show launched in September 2019 after Clarkson, who won over TV audiences as the first-ever winner of “American Idol,” in 2002, returned to the world of musical reality competitions as a coach on “The Voice” in 2018. “The Kelly Clarkson Show” showcased the “Since U Been Gone” singer’s affable, approachable charm in her sit-down interviews with celebrities and everyday heroes, as well as her talents in popular segments including “Kellyoke,” which saw Clarkson sing covers of other people’s songs.
“I am forever grateful and honored to have worked alongside the greatest band and crew you could hope for, all the talent and inspiring people who have shared their time and lives with us, all the fans who have supported our show and to NBC for always being such a supportive and incredible partner,” Clarkson added in her statement. “This isn’t goodbye. I’ll still be making music, playing shows here and there and you may catch me on ‘The Voice’ from time to time. … You never know where I might show up next. But for now, I want to thank y’all so much for allowing our show to be a part of your lives, and for believing in us and hanging with us for seven incredible years.”
The seventh season of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” kicked off in September and production will continue as planned. Clarkson will continue to host Season 7, with a few yet-to-be-announced guest hosts. The episodes for Season 7 will run through September.
Not the sinister kind, who give away state secrets for money or revenge; Buckley is privy to much lower-level intelligence. But that doesn’t mean it’s not just as valuable to the people involved.
Buckley is the Kings’ goaltender coach and his chief pupil is Darcy Kuemper, who will be playing for Team Canada in the Milan Cortina Olympic hockey tournament. Buckley will be in Milan coaching for Team USA. And if the competition goes to form, Canada and the U.S. will meet in the final.
You can see where this is going.
So would Buckley give up the goods on his NHL goalie if it meant helping his national team win a gold medal?
“I probably have a little bit more insight being with him on a day-to-day basis. But at the end of the day, the players still have to execute,” said Buckley, like Kuemper, a first-time Olympian. “So if I tell someone to shoot somewhere at a certain time or a certain spot, they’re going to have to be able to execute that.”
The answer then is maybe.
Still, that’s a dilemma Buckley will probably never face since Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, who was spectacular in goal in last year’s Four Nations Face-off, will probably start for Canada in Milan. But with the Kings sending four other players (defenseman Drew Doughty, Canada; and forwards Adrian Kempe, Sweden; Kevin Fiala, Switzerland; and Joel Armia, Finland) plus Canadian equipment manager Darren Granger to the Olympics, there’s a good chance guys who have shared a dressing room since September will be competing against one another.
Kings forward Kevin Fiala controls the puck while playing for Team Switzerland at the 2025 world championships.
(Michael Campanella / Getty Images)
The same goes for the Ducks, who are sending four players — goalie Lukas Dostal and defenseman Radko Gudas, Czechia; forward Mikael Granlund, Finland; and defenseman Jackson LaCombe, U.S. — to Milan. Ducks star Leo Carlsson, who was expected to start for Sweden, will miss the Games after undergoing surgery to repair a rare injury in his left thigh last month.
So while the Olympics may bring countries together, it also has the potential to turn teammates against one another — at least temporarily.
In the group stage of the tournament, for example, Armia and Finland will play against Kempe’s Sweden. And Canada, with Kuemper and Doughty, will face Switzerland, which is led by Fiala.
“It’s obviously going to be a little strange,” Gudas said. “It’s only for a few games. For that amount of time, you can put things aside a little bit.”
Those kinds of match-ups were rare in the last two Olympic tournaments since NHL players didn’t take part, sidelined by a dispute over insurance, travel costs and scheduling issues. This year 147 NHL players are on the 12 Olympic rosters, with all 32 NHL clubs represented.
Not all the top NHL players will be in Milan, however. Russia has been banned from the tournament because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, meaning Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, won’t play.
Granlund, who won a bronze medal with Finland in 2014, the last time NHL players participated in the Olympics, is glad to be back.
“It was such a cool experience,” he said. “It’s one of the biggest honors I can have as a hockey player, playing for a country in the Olympics. There’s no player in the NHL who wouldn’t go.”
That’s due in large part to the rush that comes with wearing your country’s colors on your chest.
“It’s tough to explain how much it means,” he said. “You grow up in a country like Finland, watching the national team play. As a kid you’re dreaming to play for that team.
“Every single time you put that jersey on, it’s such a pride you feel.”
Doughty, who already has two gold medals, agreed, saying the only time he sings along with the Canadian anthem is at the Olympics.
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty controls the puck while playing for Canada in the Four Nations Face-Off last year.
(Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
“When we hear it in the NHL, I’m not singing,” he said. “But when you’re wearing a Canadian jersey, that’s one of the biggest moments you can have.”
Not just for the guys on the ice. Granger, the equipment manager, will be making his third trip to the Olympics with Canada. And the journey never gets old.
“It’s not something that you apply for. It’s something that you’re asked to do,” he said. “So I don’t take that lightly. It’s an honor.”
The equipment managers may have the most difficult job in the Olympic hockey tournament since they must prepare and maintain the sticks, skates, gloves and uniforms for 25 players, some of whom they’ve never met. That means checking in with the equipment managers of rival NHL teams to get prepared.
“We have quite a few players that are particular about certain things,” he said. “After a while, you just kind of get used to what those things are. If it’s a player that likes to use three sticks a game, then making sure he has that. If it’s a guy that likes to change gloves every other game, making sure you have enough.”
Yet if Canada wins the tournament, Granger’s reward won’t be a gold medal. Olympic rules say medals only go to the players, leaving the equipment managers, trainers and coaches — even coaches with inside information like Buckley — out in the cold.
“That’s OK,” Buckley said. “I just want the players to get one.”
Cuban diplomat says Havana is ready for dialogue with Washington, but certain things are off the table, including the constitution and its socialist government.
Published On 3 Feb 20263 Feb 2026
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Cuba and the United States are in communication, but the exchanges have not yet evolved into a formal “dialogue”, a Cuban diplomat has said, as US President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on Havana.
Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, told the Reuters news agency on Monday that the US government was aware that Cuba was “ready to have a serious, meaningful and responsible dialogue”.
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De Cossio’s statement represents the first hint from Havana that it is in contact with Washington, even if in a limited fashion, as tensions flared in recent weeks amid Trump’s threats against the Cuban government in the aftermath of the US military’s abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Cuba’s longstanding ally.
“We have had exchange of messages, we have embassies, we have had communications, but we cannot say we have had a table of dialogue,” de Cossio said.
In a separate interview with The Associated Press news agency, De Cossio said, “If we can have a dialogue, maybe that can lead to negotiation.”
The deputy minister also stressed that certain issues are off the table for Cuba, including the country’s constitution, economy, and its socialist system of government.
On Sunday, Trump indicated that the US had begun talks with “the highest people in Cuba”.
“I think we’re going to make a deal with Cuba,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Days earlier, Trump had referred to Cuba in an executive order as “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security, and warned other countries he would impose more tariffs on them if they supplied oil to Cuba.
On Monday, Trump reverted to issuing threats to Havana, announcing at the White House that Mexico “is going to cease” sending oil to Cuba, a move that could starve the country of its energy needs.
Mexico, which has yet to comment on Trump’s latest statement, is the largest supplier of oil to Cuba.
Mexico had repeatedly said that it would not stop shipping oil to Cuba for humanitarian reasons, but also expressed concern that it could face reprisals from Trump over its policy.
In recent weeks, the US has moved to block all oil from reaching Cuba, including from Cuba’s ally Venezuela, pushing up prices for food and transportation and prompting severe fuel shortages and hours of blackouts, even in the capital, Havana.
Responding to Trump’s threat regarding oil supplies, Cuba’s De Cossio said that the move would eventually backfire.
“The US… is attempting to force every country in the world not to provide fuel to Cuba. Can that be sustained in the long run?” de Cossio said to Reuters.
The US has imposed decades of crushing sanctions on Cuba, but a crippling economic crisis on the island and stepped-up pressure from the Trump administration have recently brought the conflict to a head.
The US has moved to block all oil from reaching Cuba, including that from ally Venezuela, pushing up prices for food and transportation and prompting severe fuel shortages and hours of blackouts [Adalberto Roque/AFP]
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says ex-envoy Peter Mandelson should no longer hold a seat in the upper house of parliament.
Published On 3 Feb 20263 Feb 2026
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Police in the United Kingdom have announced they are reviewing allegations of misconduct in public office following revelations that London’s former ambassador to Washington leaked confidential government information to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The announcement by the Metropolitan Police on Monday came after investigative files released by United States authorities revealed that Peter Mandelson shared government plans with Epstein while serving as a UK minister.
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Mandelson, who served as business secretary under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, told Epstein about asset sales and tax changes under consideration by London in 2009, as well as plans for the 500 billion euro ($590bn) bailout of the single currency in 2010, according to emails released by the US Department of Justice on Friday.
“Following this release and subsequent media reporting, the Met has received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in public office. The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation,” Metropolitan Police Commander Ella Marriott said in a statement.
“As with any matter, if new and relevant information is brought to our attention we will assess it, and investigate as appropriate,” Marriott added.
The Metropolitan Police did not name Mandelson, but its statement came after the leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party said he had written to the police commissioner urging him to investigate the former ambassador for alleged misconduct in public office.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced an inquiry into Mandelson’s ties to Epstein.
Starmer, who sacked Mandelson as London’s top diplomat in Washington last year after the emergence of correspondence detailing his ties to Epstein, also said the former minister should lose his lifelong appointment to the UK’s upper house of parliament.
On Sunday, Mandelson resigned from the governing Labour Party, whose return to electoral dominance he helped to engineer in the 1990s, citing his wish to avoid causing further embarrassment to his colleagues.
In further fallout in the UK on Monday, the charity launched by Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, announced that it would close “for the foreseeable future” amid revelations about her friendly relationship with Epstein.
“Our chair Sarah Ferguson and the board of trustees have agreed that with regret the charity will shortly close for the foreseeable future,” a spokesman said in a statement, without elaborating on the reasons for the closure.
Separately on Monday, the US Justice Department said it had removed thousands of Epstein-related files from the internet after lawyers representing some of his alleged victims said their identities had been exposed due to insufficient redactions in the latest release of documents.
Soap spoilers for next week have confirmed death twists, revenge plans and discoveries, as well as a huge return across Emmerdale, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Home and Away
It’s another big week for the soaps, with a huge return, secrets under threat and sinister plans in motion.
On Emmerdale, Aaron Dingle is concerned for Robert Sugden, while a discovery about the latter leaves someone stunned. Soon there’s an ultimatum, while some news about dead villain John Sugden sparks some guilt.
On Coronation Street, Daniel Osbourne makes a chilling discovery, while groomer Megan targets teen Sam Blakeman. David Platt is onto “strange” Jodie’s behaviour too.
As for EastEnders, there’s an epic return for Jake Moon, which could lead to another comeback. There’s concern for one teen, and Ravi Gulati is rocked by a discovery.
Over on Hollyoaks, Mercedes McQueen gets steamy with a newcomer, while Dodger Savage makes an alarming realisation. As for Home and Away, Leah continues to spark concern. Here’s all your new spoilers…
Dylan confesses to April that he was there when Ray was murdered and that Bear is his killer. Paddy is furious, and Bear begins to spiral. As April encourages Bear to open up he breaks down, with Paddy deciding he needs to see a counsellor.
As April, Dylan and Bear struggle to cope, it’s clear the impact of Ray’s actions is hard to overcome. Elsewhere, Victoria is horrified when she realises how far Robert has gone to protect her.
When John’s death is ruled a suicide she continues to feel guilty, and she considers coming clean to Cain about the plan to sell the farm to Joe. With Joe wanting to push the sale forward he threatens Robert, but Victoria overhears and realises Robert planted the evidence that led to Moira’s arrest.
Realising why he did it, she declares she’ll turn herself in to prevent Moira from being wrongfully imprisoned. Joe then threatens to release the video of her killing John unless she signs the contracts.
Soon there’s an ultimatum, and Victoria visits Moira in prison. Also next week, Aaron is concerned for Robert and Cain tries to force Bear to go to the police.
When he turns violent, Dylan steps in. Later, Sarah supports Cain at his appointment at the hospital where the consultant explains the treatment will be a radical prostatectomy.
Finally next week, Robert and Tracy are caught out as they head off with John’s ashes. Tracy prepares to pour John’s ashes down the toilet, convincing a reluctant Robert to let her just as Victoria and Aaron arrive.
Coronation Street
Shona, convinced Jodie is hiding something, follows her to a psychiatric hospital where Jodie tearfully introduces their confused, estranged father. Jodie explains how she was left to care for him after their mother fled.
When an exhausted Shona snaps at Lily, David tells her to take a break. Jodie soon manipulates her into a night out, before plying her sister with alcohol. David confides in Nick that there’s something very strange about Jodie.
Ryan recognises Mal, leading to Bernie begging him not to reveal all about the hotel incident. When Gemma finds out, she urges her mum to tell Dev before someone else does. Mal seems keen to stick around.
Todd panics when he sees some missed calls from Theo. When he joins James for brunch, Theo comments on him wasting money, before confronting him over a takeaway bag he’s found. Things take a turn when Todd collapses.
Debbie’s assigned an inmate to look after her in prison, but she’s not best pleased to discover it’s her former neighbour Lou. Later, Adam tells Carl that he hopes to use Debbie’s TIA to have her sentence reduced.
Sam finds out his essay was missing, and he realises Megan was behind it. Soon, he intently listens as Daniel discusses the misuse of ADHD medication for a study aid. Later in the week, Megan approaches Sam and tells him she’s concerned about his work and offers him extra help.
As for Daniel, he’s shocked when he meets the man, Colin, jailed for his attack only to realise he wasn’t his attacker after all. Ollie asks Lauren on a date, while Carla enlists Betsy’s help and asks her to get Lisa to come to the Chariot Square Hotel as she’s planning to surprise her. Finally, a clash between Ryan and Carl sees Ryan sacking him, and Carl, in a fit of rage, forms a sinister plan to set the hotel on fire.
EastEnders
Ravi meets Jack to give an update on his informant work, only to discover his new contact is Mark. But he’s in turmoil when Nugget suffers a seizure. Nugget is rushed to hospital where tests suggest he’s had an epileptic seizure.
Later, Mark is impressed by Ravi and he soon drops an admission, while there’s news from the hospital and Priya makes a discovery. Zoe comes face-to-face with Jake Moon, who has requested a prison visit. He explains that he and Chrissie have split over her revenge plan and begs for the truth about what happened at Christmas.
Kat encourages Jake to visit Alfie, with him believed dead for so many years. It leads to an emotional reunion. Soon Jake seeks out Phil, and he encourages Jake to lure Chrissie back to Walford. Callum is worried about Phil, while Billy asks Honey to beg for her job back, but Bea insists she should stand firm.
Soon Suki fires them both, while Bea lies to Vinny. Linda is worried that Ollie is being bullied again. Max offers to take Ollie and Annie to help Linda out and soon realises that Louie is the bully targeting Ollie.
As things escalate Max keeps it from Linda, only for the pair to grow closer. Linda moves in for a kiss, but will they reunite?
Hollyoaks
Sensing Rex is struggling with grief, Froggy plans to scatter Grace’s ashes with him. Before they set off, Ste proposes to Rex. Mercedes has chemistry with fellow rehab patient Jake, unaware it’s Jenson.
Meanwhile, Nikki advises Mercedes to work on her relationship with Warren. Prince apologises to John Paul for dragging him into a situation, but soon the pair are left panicking. Diane isn’t happy when Ro tells his family he’s decided he wants to be a mechanic.
Later, Ro arrives at the garage ready to start his new job, but Diane tells Ro that he has to go to university and that’s that. Gemma still has a soft spot for Warren, and Mercedes invites Warren to couples therapy, while she’s soon getting steamy with someone else.
Dodger is alarmed to find out who was behind the armed robbery. Elsewhere, Vicky comes up with an idea to buy the salon. When newcomer Miles finds Vicky and gives her his card, claiming he’s a talent scout, she’s unsure. At the Blakes, a guilty Tinhead has a confession to make to smitten Liberty.
Home and Away
Sonny tries to make sense of Leah’s accusation about Justin, and soon Remi is thrown. He lets Justin know what Leah’s been saying, and it’s clear is relationship with Leah is in real trouble.
Jo awkwardly admits she has plans, before walking off with Eddie, leaving Tane feeling discarded. Cash takes it upon himself to quiz David on Jo and Eddie, before he reveals all to Tane.
Lacey teases her sister Jo after a discovery, but soon she has questions. Soon, Jo debriefs with Lacey about the two men in her life, leading to some words of encouragement from Lacey. It’s Tane who’s left making a decision however. Also next week, Tane’s shocked and angered when he opens a letter from Harper’s solicitor outlining custody arrangements.
Home and Away is available to stream from 6am weekdays, with double bill episodes airing from 6pm on 5Star. Hollyoaks is available to stream on Channel 4’s streaming service now, while it also airs Mondays to Wednesdays on E4 at 7PM.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Coach JJ Redick acknowledged he felt “stressed” knowing about the trade before the Lakers played the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden that night in 2025.
While his stress may have faded, Redick couldn’t have liked what he saw from the Lakers on the same floor one year later.
Despite a strong effort from Doncic, the Lakers struggled with their shooting and lost 112-100 to the Knicks on Sunday night.
Doncic finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Lakers’ 45% shooting from the field and 29% shooting from three-point range.
With the Lakers in sixth place in the uber-competitive Western Conference at 29-19, Doncic was asked where he thought they stood in their pursuit of an NBA championship.
“We’re in a good spot,” Doncic said. “Obviously, got some work to do. But I think today we obviously missed a lot of good looks, but I think we have a great group.”
Leonard, who was left off the Western Conference All-Star reserves announced earlier Sunday, had eight rebounds as well as his 27th consecutive game with 20 or more points. Ivica Zubac had 20 rebounds as the Clippers bounced back from a loss at Denver on Friday and dominated the inside, outrebounding Phoenix 63-35 and outscoring the Suns 64-18 in the paint.
Jordan Miller had 20 points, John Collins scored 16, Zubac had 14 and Kobe Sanders had 12 for the Clippers, who shot 51.8% from the field. Sanders started for Harden, who missed the game for personal reasons.
No. 2 UCLA women have little problem with No. 8 Iowa
From Steve Galluzzo: Angela Dugalic scored 22 points off the bench, Kiki Rice had 17 and Lauren Betts added 16 as the UCLA women’s basketball team recorded its eighth win against a ranked opponent with a dominant 88-65 victory over No. 8 Iowa on Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.
“I’m proud to be part of this team,” Dugalic said. “It’s fun to play with these girls. We’re not taking any team for granted. At the end of the day, if you’re our next opponent, that’s who we’re concentrating on.”
The No. 2 Bruins (21-1 overall, 11-0 Big Ten) won their 15th straight game and improved to 10-0 at home. They lead the conference by one game over No. 9 Michigan, which beat No. 13 Michigan State in overtime Sunday.
Charlisse Leger-Walker finished with 10 points, five assists and five rebounds. Gianna Kneepkens added 10 points, four assists and four rebounds, and Rice dished out seven assists for UCLA, which improved to 3-1 all time against Iowa and 3-0 under coach Cori Close.
The Trojans (13-9, 5-6 Big Ten) got off to a slow start, ending the first quarter trailing by three points. Rutgers (9-13, 1-10) held the lead until the 5:39 mark in the second quarter when Kara Dunn hit a pair of free throws.
USC picked up its defensive pressure in the second quarter, which helped ignite its offense.
From Bill Shaikin: In 1970, two years before he died, Jackie Robinson spoke at his son’s high school graduation.
“In a land where we declare that we have liberty and justice for all,” Robinson said, “it seems that slogan really means liberty and justice for all as long as you do and say what some people want you to do and say.”
Those words ring uncomfortably true today.
Robinson often spoke out on civil rights, challenging both political parties. If you visit the Jackie Robinson Museum, as the Dodgers did when the museum opened in 2022, you see displays on civil rights and economic opportunity and social justice before you get to the baseball showcases.
“Jackie’s passion was civil rights and equality, and more so than baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said then. “It was more of, baseball was just a vehicle for him to use his voice, which is pretty cool to see and actually pretty inspiring.”
In these perilous times, in which “indivisible” has been replaced by “you’re with us, or you’re the enemy within,” Robinson’s team will have the opportunity to celebrate its latest World Series championship at the White House.
From Kevin Baxter: Tai Babilonia’s life changed forever when she was asked to hold a boy’s hand.
At first she resisted.
“I didn’t want to,” she remembered. “He’s a yucky boy.”
But Mabel Fairbanks, Babilonia’s skating coach, wouldn’t take no for an answer, bribing the 8-year-old with stickers and a Barbie doll if she would just reach out and grab the hand of 10-year-old Randy Gardner.
It would be another 40 years before she let go.
By then Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner had become one of the most decorated pairs in U.S. figure skating history, their individual names eventually melding into one.
Sebastian Aho scored early in overtime to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the Kings on Sunday.
Brandon Bussi made 11 saves on just 13 shots by L.A. to continue his dominant rookie season, while Jordan Staal and Alexander Nikishin also scored for the Hurricanes, who have earned at least a point in eight straight games (6-0-2).
Samuel Helenius and Quinton Byfield scored for the Kings and Anton Forsberg made 31 saves. The Kings wrapped up their road trip with a 3-1-1 record with one game (last Monday at Columbus) postponed because of severe winter weather.
Chris Kreider scored two goals, Lukas Dostal made 27 saves and the Ducks swept their three-game season series with the Vegas Golden Knights with a 4-3 victory on Sunday night.
Cutter Gauthier scored and Ryan Poehling added an empty-net goal for the Ducks, who earned their eighth victory in 10 games overall despite nearly blowing an early 3-0 lead during a third period dominated by Vegas.
Ducks right wing Troy Terry returned from an 11-game absence with an upper-body injury, and center Mason McTavish also returned after missing five games.
The Ducks had their eighth consecutive sellout as they returned from a five-game trip to begin a nine-game homestand. Anaheim doesn’t play another road game until March 10.
The Rams have a successful season and other NFL teams raid his coaching staff.
Mike LaFleur, the Rams’ offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, is the latest to parlay his time with McVay into an NFL head coaching opportunity.
Sunday at Santa Clara Seattle vs. New England 3:30 p.m. PT, NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, KLAC AM 570 Halftime show: Bad Bunny National anthem: Charlie Puth Odds: Seahawks favored by 4.5 points Over/Under: 45.5 points
This day in sports history
1876 — The National League forms, consisting of teams in Philadelphia, Hartford, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis and New York.
1936 — Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson are the first members elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1954 — Bevo Francis of Rio Grande College scores 113 points in a 134-91 victory over Hillsdale. Francis, breaking his own record for small colleges (84) set two weeks earlier against Alliance College.
1959 — Vince Lombardi signs a five-year contract to coach NFL’s Green Bay Packers.
1962 — Using a fiberglass pole, John Uelses becomes the first man to vault more than 16 feet, indoors or out. Uelses, a Marine Corps corporal, clears 16¼ during the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York.
1970 — Pete Maravich becomes first to score 3,000 college basketball points.
1977 — Toronto’s Ian Turnbull scores five goals to set an NHL record for defensemen, leading the Maple Leafs past the Detroit Red Wings 9-1.
1991 — New Hampshire’s basketball team ends its 32-game losing streak at home with a 72-56 win over Holy Cross. The NCAA-record streak started on Feb. 9, 1988.
1994 — Lenny Wilkens gets his 900th NBA victory, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic 118-99. Wilkens runs his regular-season mark to 900-760, trailing only Red Auerbach’s 938 in NBA regular-season victories.
1999 — Austria’s Hermann Maier and Norway’s Lasse Kjus ski to an unprecedented tie in the super-G to mark the start of the world championships.
2001 — Stacy Dragila breaks her world indoor pole vault record by a half-inch with a 15-2 1/4 vault at the Millrose Games.
2003 — Atlanta Thrashers star Dany Heatley joins Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux by scoring a record-tying four goals in the NHL All-Star Game. His Eastern Conference team loses the first All-Star shootout 6-5.
2009 — Kobe Bryant breaks the current Madison Square Garden record with 61 points to lead the Lakers to a 126-117 victory over New York. Bryant, who hits all 20 of his free throws, tops the previous visitor record of 55 points held by Michael Jordan and the overall record of 60 by Bernard King.
2012 — Sam Gagner has four goals and four assists in the NHL’s first eight-point game in 23 years, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Chicago Blackhawks 8-4.
2013 — California Institute of Technology’s baseball team ends a 228-game losing streak with a 9-7 victory against Pacifica, the Beavers’ first win in nearly 10 years. Caltech hadn’t won since Feb. 15, 2003, 5-4 against Cal State Monterey Bay.
2014 — The Seattle Seahawks win their first Super Bowl title, crushing the favored Denver Broncos 43-8. The Seahawks led 36-0 before Denver finally scored on the last play of the third quarter.
2017 — Patrick Marleau scores his 500th career goal, Chris Tierney tallies twice and San Jose beat Vancouver 4-1. Marleau becomes the 45th NHL player to reach 500 goals, scoring in the first period on a power play.
2020 — Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs beat San Francisco 49ers, 31-20; MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs, QB; Chiefs’ first Super Bowl victory in 50 years.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
These are the key developments from day 1,440 of Russia’s war on Ukraine
Published On 3 Feb 20263 Feb 2026
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Here is where things stand on Tuesday, February 2:
Fighting
The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, came under attack early on Tuesday morning from Russian missiles, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.
Tkachenko said several apartment buildings and an educational establishment had been damaged. Reuters news agency witnesses reported loud explosions in the city.
A father and a son have been killed, and two children and their mother were wounded after Russia struck an area in the front line of the Donetsk region, according to regional authorities.
A coal mining site in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region was attacked for the second time in 24 hours, according to the private energy producer DTEK. There were no immediate reports on casualties or damage to infrastructure.
Diplomacy and politics
Russia has largely observed a ceasefire on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Monday, as Kyiv prepared for the next round of trilateral talks with the US and Russia, expected to begin on Wednesday.
In a separate post on social media, Zelenskyy added that a recent “de-escalation” with Russia – an apparent reference to a brief ceasefire in attacks on energy facilities – was helping to build trust in the negotiations.
Zelenskyy said in separate remarks that it was realistic to achieve a dignified and lasting peace, in advance of the next round of peace talks with Russian and US officials in the United Arab Emirates. He added that a deal on US security guarantees for Ukraine post-war is now “complete”.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Abu Dhabi for the talks with Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday and Thursday, a White House official said.
Russia would regard the deployment of any foreign military forces or infrastructure in Ukraine as foreign intervention and treat those forces as legitimate targets, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow said, citing Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said that a proposal by European powers to deploy NATO-member troops in Ukraine as part of a proposed security guarantee and peace deal was unacceptable for Russia.
German authorities detained at least five people suspected of operating a network that exported goods to Russian defence companies, contravening EU sanctions imposed after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, federal prosecutors announced.
Sport
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he supports the reinstatement of Russia in the football federation and called for an end to the country’s four-year exclusion from international tournaments, including the World Cup in Qatar and the qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup.
Sport federations that claim sport is separate from politics should not include armed conflicts in that definition, because “war is a crime, not politics”, Ukrainian Minister of Sports Matvii Bidnyi said in an interview with the AFP news agency in advance of the Winter Olympics.
Energy
Indian oil refiners will need a wind-down period to complete Russian oil deals before imports from that country can be halted, Reuters reported after Trump announced a trade agreement with India that included a halt to oil purchases from Russia.
Ukraine’s electricity imports jumped by 40 percent in January 2026 compared with December 2025, hitting a record 894 gigawatt hours amid constant Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy system, which have left millions of people without power and heating, Reuters reported, citing analysts.
The EU’s decision last week to ban Russian gas imports was “100 percent legally sound”, the bloc’s energy commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, told reporters in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, adding it would prevent Russia from weaponising energy amid its war on Ukraine.
The Clintons agree to testify in congressional probe of high-society sex offender Jeffrey Epstein amid contempt threat.
Published On 3 Feb 20263 Feb 2026
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Former United States President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, will testify in a congressional investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesperson for the ex-president said.
The decision by the Clintons announced on Monday could head off a planned vote in the Republican-led House of Representatives to hold the high-profile Democratic Party veterans in contempt for refusing to appear before lawmakers, which could lead to criminal charges.
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“The former President and former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone,” the Clintons’ deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, said in a post on social media.
Urena posted the announcement above a House Oversight Committee statement from earlier on Monday that accused the Clintons of “defying lawful subpoenas” and of “trying to dodge contempt by requesting special treatment”.
“The Clintons are not above the law,” the Oversight Committee said.
Last week, the Oversight Committee recommended the couple be held in contempt for refusing to testify about their relationship with Epstein.
The Clintons had offered to cooperate with the committee’s probe into Epstein, but refused to appear in person, saying the investigation was a partisan exercise aimed at protecting President Donald Trump, who was a longtime friend of Epstein.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed the news from the Clintons, but did not say whether the chamber would drop its planned contempt vote.
“That’s a good development,” he said. “We expect everyone to comply with Congress’s subpoenas.”
Democrats say the House probe is being weaponised to attack political opponents of Trump – who has not been called to testify despite being long associated with Epstein – rather than to conduct legitimate oversight.
Trump spent months trying to block the disclosure of investigative files linked to Epstein, but pressure from his Make America Great Again (MAGA) base and some Republican lawmakers forced the president to order the release of millions of documents in the case.
Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane several times in the early 2000s after leaving office. He has expressed regret about the relationship and said he knew nothing about Epstein’s criminal activity.
Hillary Clinton said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his private island.
The Epstein affair continues to cast a long shadow over US politics, and now, the United Kingdom’s, entangling prominent figures including the disgraced former-prince Andrew and ex-UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson.
UK police said on Monday they are reviewing reports of alleged misconduct involving Mandelson, whose name surfaced more than 5,000 times in the US Justice Department files on Epstein.
The veteran British politician was fired as ambassador to the US last year after emails came to light that showed him calling Epstein “my best pal” and advising him on seeking early release from prison.
Mandelson has apologised to Epstein’s victims and denied wrongdoing.
Finding a new home on the platform, it quickly surged up the charts of most watched titles among UK subscribers. However, it looks like the deal to bring the show over was only good for a year, as it is set to be removed a day before its 12 month anniversary.
The show, based on the much-loved Xbox-exclusive game franchise, follows super soldier Master Chief John-117 and his team of Spartans as they battle against the alien threat known as the Covenant.
Its first season scored a respectable 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second series upped the ante with an impressive 90% rating. Pablo Schreiber, known for roles in Orange is the New Black, Den of Thieves and The Wire, took on the role of Master Chief.
Despite its eventual cancellation by Paramount, many viewers have expressed their admiration for the show. This includes many acknowledging the challenge of successfully adapting such a beloved series.
One fan, sharing their opinion online, posted: “The Halo show on Paramount+ is everything I could have hoped for and more. As a fan of the Halo series, I was thrilled by how they brought the universe to life.
“The visuals are stunning, capturing the gritty yet futuristic essence of the franchise. The action sequences are intense and cinematic, especially the battles with the Covenant, which felt ripped straight out of the games.”
Another added: “Epic! If you want action, violence and non stop battles, this is for you. Amazing cinematography. Brought to screen successfully, I’d say.”
They continued: “Heaps of effort and money went into producing this, obviously. Visually stunning. Whole cast excels in character very convincingly. If you are a Halo fan, this will keep you glued to the screen. Lots of twists and dilemmas to keep it gripping and interesting.”
However, its not just dedicated fans of the game series that have been able to enjoy the show. As one person claimed: “Production quality is outstanding, on par with Star Wars or Star Trek. I found the first season intelligent, enjoyable to watch and honestly, very addictive.”
While someone else suggested: “Pure fun, best sci fi since Expanse and The Mandalorian.” And one person commented: “Excellent! They have filmed and written the storyline perfectly and it has me hooked wanting more. Binge watched whole of season 1 in two days.”
Halo is streaming on Netflix until February 28 and on Paramount Plus.
The reason why stars are investing in the world of food and drink isn’t completely clear, as least from the outside. The restaurant industry is notoriously difficult to make money in, and celebrity-owned restaurants have a chequered history. Planet Hollywood launched in 1991 to great fanfare, thanks to its famous investors, including Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone. However, it filed for bankruptcy just a few years later. It was followed shortly after by Fashion Cafe, an international restaurant chain fronted by Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer.
Gemma Krysko, co-director of Manchester-based PR agency We Are Indigo, argues that celebrities who don’t attach their names or faces to hospitality ventures have the best chance of success. Which might sound counterintuitive, given their personal brands are what they trade off.
“People like the authenticity of a restaurant being owned by a family or an independent, or someone who’s working really hard to do well in life and have some success. Sometimes, when people already have a successful background or are quite well off do something, it might feel like it’s a bit tacky,” she told Vice.
Mikkeller is a bar brand with more than 250 branches across 37 countries, so it’s far from an independent joint. However, two of its London venues are the quiet work of 80s musical icon, Rick Astley. You would be forgiven for not knowing that the ‘Never going to give you up’ hitmaker was involved if you just walked past Mikkeller Bar London in Shoreditch or its sister brewpub in Exmouth Market.
The latter looks right at home on the trendy street, with its striped yellow awning, rust-effect signage and space for beer drinkers to spill out front when the sun is shining. It was not like that when I visited in January, to shelter from the rain and to try out the 40 million record-selling artist’s fare.
The two-floor venue contains a bar and restaurant, as well as a brewery that can produce 7.5 hectoliters of beer at a time. The in-house brewery supplies the bar with completely fresh beer, as well as infusing the space with the comforting aroma of malt and hops. I appreciated dining beneath the large, chrome-brushed beer silos and the slightly dramatic towers of stacked potato sacks, which lent the place a feeling, even if the concept of an exposed, Pompidou Centre-style pub feels a little 2010s at this point.
Sadly, the menu doesn’t include any Astley-based Easter eggs (or at least not any I could find), but it does feature a wide range of delicious beers. A pint of Freshly Squeezed IPA for me, and Lucky Saint on draft for my Dry January friend, knocked us back £14.30 in total. Which is pretty much standard in this part of London.
Those with better knowledge of the Lancashire crooner’s back catalogue may be able to glean some hint of Astley in the current drinks list, which includes: Grand, Market Best, Never Enough, Jerry the Berry, Grandma’s Fridge Cake, DDH PCP, Market Weiss, Wonky Chi, Mic Drop, Common Ground, Black Pearl, Beech Life and The Golden Rule. What was conspicuously absent was the singer’s own brew, ginger-infused lager Astley’s Northern Hop.
There is not a huge amount in Astley’s working life beyond music – which includes providing a voice for The LEGO Batman Movie, as a fundraiser for cancer charity Maggie’s Centers and driving for his dad’s market-gardening business – to suggest he’d gone into the chicken and chips business. Or that he’d do it so well.
But both happen to be true. Mikkeller’s food is delicious and good value.
Three of us ate for £55 and left feeling stuffed and satisfied. This is more than I can say for my trip to James Blunt’s pub early in January, when the eye-watering prices meant I chose my bank balance over satiation. For that price in Astley’s place, we got two portions of crinkle cut fries, crispy plant nuggets, a vegan fried chick’n sandwich, and two meaty chicken sandos.
Both types of sandwich were made on a bed of brioche ‘Texas toast’ and stuffed alongside ‘Comeback Sauce’, pickles and vinegar slaw. Clearly, Mikkeller has embraced the latest advances in fake meat production technology as the chick’n had all the crisp, bounce, and tenderness you can hope for from something that has spent no time in a coop. The chicken version was similarly “excellent”, my companions informed me. Other menu options include chicken parm, Caesar salad, and fried chicken strips.
Mikkeller is unlikely to win any awards for restaurant innovation anytime soon. It’s a place that, stylistically, has more in common with Five Guys and Brew Dog than one of the cosy celebrity-owned pubs mentioned above. But what it is, is a spacious, fairly central London brewpub with a great, reasonably priced menu that’s perfect for a spot of Saturday afternoon indulgence.
Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter. When you read this, I will hopefully be lying on a beach somewhere on Maui. Which means the Times of Troy will be taking a brief break next week. A tanner — read: redder — version of me will be back and recharged the following Monday. With the whole family coming and three kids under three in the mix, though, hopes of reaching peak relaxation may be slim!
But before I’m off, let’s dive a little deeper into the defense that the Trojans’ new defensive coordinator, Gary Patterson, plans to bring with him to USC.
Fight on! Are you a true Trojans fan?
In the 1997 edition of the American Football Coaches Assn.’s annual Summer Manual, Patterson, then just 37 and in his second year as New Mexico’s defensive coordinator, laid out his vision for the scheme that later became his calling card.
The 4-2-5, at that time, was unique in college football. The spread offense was just starting to take root, and Patterson wanted a scheme built to stop it. What he designed, it turns out, would still stand up almost three decades later.
That’s primarily because Patterson’s defense was built specifically to be adaptable, year to year, week to week, even play to play.
“Defenses must have enough flexibility in their scheme to limit offenses in their play selection, but be simple enough to be good at what they do,” Patterson wrote in 1997. “During a game we must look like we do a lot, but only do enough to take away what offenses do best.”
Patterson’s scheme has evolved plenty since then. But the principles remain the same. At its most basic level, the scheme uses four down linemen, two linebackers and a “five-spoke secondary” that utilizes three safeties (strong, weak and free). The safeties, in Patterson’s defense, are the glue that binds the scheme together. At any point, two of the three can walk up — to defend the run, for instance — and the look becomes more of a 4-4 defense. Or one can move up for a 4-3 look. It all depends on the offense’s personnel and tendencies.
“He’s going to scout you until his eyeballs come out,” former Texas coach Tom Herman said back in 2018.
The ability of Patterson’s defense to adapt on the fly to fit the situation makes it difficult to exploit. The idea, as Patterson sees it, is to confuse the offense as much as possible, both at the line of scrimmage and in the defensive backfield.
That’s not a revolutionary concept. What makes his approach especially distinctive is that every play includes two separate calls on defense, one for the front six and another for the secondary. The secondary is actually split into two as well, allowing Patterson to have each side playing different coverages, if he so desired. Meaning on any given play, one cornerback might be in man coverage while the other is in zone.
Sounds complicated, right? Well, that’s the idea.
“At first, I thought, ‘Man, it’s gonna be hard,’” said David Bailiff, who was Patterson’s first defensive coordinator at Texas Christian. “But it’s like algebra. When you get it, it’s a piece of cake. And he’s a great teacher of it, too.”
How his defense might look at USC is still to be determined. As of last week, Patterson was still learning his new players’ names, let alone understanding how to use their skillsets. But he said last week that he expects to “add to what we do” at USC now that he can get bigger, faster and stronger athletes on the field than he had at TCU.
He’d initially conceived of the 4-2-5 to account for a talent disparity at New Mexico and TCU, where Patterson only cracked the top 20 in recruiting class rankings once in two decades as coach. At USC, though, that won’t be a problem. Which begs the question: What might Patterson’s defense look like with a host of four- and five-stars at his disposal?
“The better the athlete we have, the more an offense must contend with our individual ability, plus the multiplicity of the scheme,” Patterson wrote in 1997. “We want offenses to guess what they should spend most of their time working on. Our job is to find out what their answer is.”
Patterson hasn’t led a defense since 2021. But as he sets out to install his scheme in the coming months at USC, the hope is that it’s the answer to what’s been missing through four years of Lincoln Riley.
Way-too-early game-by-game prediction for 2026
The Big Ten rolled out its schedule for 2026, and USC’s slate is just as challenging as we expected. There are way too many questions still to be answered to have any real idea how the season might shake out for the Trojans. But as a thought exercise, why not give it a go, anyway?
Aug. 29 vs. TBD: USC hasn’t finalized who will fit into this slot (more on that below), but whoever it winds up being won’t stand a chance of upending the Trojans in their season opener.
Sept. 5 vs. Fresno State: The Bulldogs were no pushover in Year 1 under Matt Entz, who traded his post as USC’s linebackers coach for Fresno. But USC has too much firepower.
Sept. 12 vs. Louisiana: The Ragin’ Cajuns have one of the best nicknames in college football. And that’s where their advantages over USC stop.
Sept. 19 at Rutgers: Traveling as far east as possible for a Big Ten opener isn’t ideal, and I could see USC opening a bit rusty. The Trojans still roll.
Sept. 26 vs. Oregon: Here’s where things get interesting. It will have been almost a decade since USC last beat the Ducks when they meet this fall in the Trojans’ conference home opener. Dante Moore is back, but I think this game will be more evenly matched in 2026. My instinct says it’s a loss, but I reserve the right to change later.
Oct. 3 vs. Washington: This is a tricky one, especially right after the Oregon matchup. Husky quarterback Demond Williams is the real deal, even if he did try to bail for LSU in the offseason. That shouldn’t be an issue when he hits the field. Especially since the defense backing him up could be among the best in the nation. USC barely escapes with a win in this first simulation.
Oct. 10 at Penn State: Woof. USC travels to State College at the end of a three-game gauntlet that could decide its season. We don’t know much about the Nittany Lions yet, but I believe in Matt Campbell, and playing at Beaver Stadium — and probably in a White Out game — is no joke. Another toss-up, but if USC’s beat-up at all by this point, it could struggle.
Oct. 24 at Wisconsin: Camp Randall is one of college football’s best venues, but the Badgers won’t be able to keep up with USC.
Oct. 31 vs. Ohio State:Halloween at the Coliseum delivers USC’s most frightening matchup of 2026. My guess — and I’m going out on a limb here — the Buckeyes will be dominant again. If USC can score a win here, making the Playoff should be a foregone conclusion.
Nov. 14 at Indiana: The defending champs may look a lot different next season, but I still trust Curt Cignetti to get it done. Especially at home. USC starts 3-4 in the Big Ten.
Nov. 21 vs. Maryland: The loss to Maryland two years ago was one of the worst in my tenure on the USC beat. The Terps are better now, but I don’t see USC slipping up again.
Nov. 28 at UCLA: It’s impossible to say what UCLA will look like in the fall, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Bob Chesney has them competing right away. For now, I’ll stick with USC as my crosstown winner.
Final record: 8-4.
USC will need to reach 10 wins to make the College Football Playoff. But it might be an uphill climb just to reach nine. USC will need to win at least one of its matchups against Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State, then also survive toss-up games against Penn State and Washington.
Zachariah Branch helped USC defeat San Jose State 56-28 in 2023.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
—USC has just 11 games scheduled for 2026. What’s going on with that 12th game? With Notre Dame and USC unable to reach a deal to extend their rivalry, USC still has one slot left to fill in its 2026 non-conference slate. That open game will be played at the Coliseum, during Week Zero on Aug. 29 because by opting to play in Week Zero, USC will get the privilege of a second bye during the season, where other Big Ten schools only have one. The problem is playing that early requires an exemption from the NCAA. So if USC intends to play the game at home, that means its only path to playing in Week Zero is to find a team that’s also playing at Hawaii. Any team playing Hawaii is allowed an exemption to play a 13th game in its season. Very few teams fit that criteria and still have an opening in Week Zero. But one makes the most sense, and it’s an opponent that USC opened the season against not that long ago: San Jose State. Don’t be surprised to see the Spartans come to the Coliseum again for the season opener in August 2026.
—Gary Patterson is bringing at least one defensive assistant of his choice to USC. Paul Gonzales, who spent last season as Baylor’s defensive pass-game coordinator, will be the Trojans’ defensive backs coach, taking the place of Doug Belk. Gonzales worked closely with Patterson from 2013 through his 2021 exit at Texas Christian, where he worked with cornerbacks and safeties. USC already has a cornerbacks coach in Trovon Reed. So we can assume that Gonzales will work with the safeties, which are critical in Patterson’s scheme.
—Defensive line coach Shaun Nua and offensive line coach Zach Hanson are staying put. Both had opportunities to leave USC after the season and ultimately opted to stay. Keeping Hanson is especially significant. The Trojans’ standout offensive line coach was in the mix to become an offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Kansas State, where his close friend, Collin Klein, is now the head coach. Yet Hanson still opted to stay, which I think is telling.
—The USC women’s win over No. 8 Iowa might have saved the season. Hopes of a postseason run were looking a bit bleak for USC before last Thursday night’s impressive home upset of the Hawkeyes. But the Trojans are now up to 20th in the NET rankings, with three Quad 1 wins, while a softer part of the schedule approaches. USC still can’t afford to drop too many of its nine remaining games, but the Iowa win is a sigh of relief on that front.
—New Dedeaux Field is still under construction. And will be when USC’s baseball season opens against Pepperdine on Feb. 13. That shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to playing actual baseball games. But the baseball offices, press box and concession stands aren’t finished yet (though, there will be temporary options). As such, baseball games will be free to fans this season. But USC not being able to deliver on the amenities that were promised by the time the stadium opens is a big miss for a baseball program that deserves more respect and could’ve used a boost in fan support. USC chose to prioritize finishing the football facility. Most schools probably would have done the same. For what it’s worth, Andy Stankiewicz, who just led the Trojans to their first NCAA tournament in a decade, has been very understanding of the whole situation.
Olympic sports spotlight
Freshman Max Exsted has been with USC’s men’s tennis program for just a few weeks, but he’s already made quite an impression. The mid-year addition from Minnesota has already won Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice in the first three weeks of the season.
That’s a great sign for a men’s tennis program that must replace an ITA All-American and All-Big Ten player in Peter Makk. The Trojans are 4-3 to start this season under seventh-year coach Brett Masi, whose contract was extended through 2028 in October as part of USC’s wider efforts to lock up its reliable Olympic sports coaches long term.
USC has made the NCAA tournament in four of six seasons under Masi. The expectation should be that that continues this year.
Times of Troy survey results
We asked,”How do you feel about the Gary Patterson hire?”
The results, after 414 votes
Cautiously optimistic it could work, 69.6% Thrilled! We got a Hall of Famer!, 16.8% Mildly concerned it will fail, 8.9% Convinced this will be a disaster, 4.7%
The mystery thriller genre has really hit a stride recently, with shows like “All Her Fault,” “Beast in Me” and “Task” all getting mentions in this space over the last several months. I don’t think “His & Hers” belongs in that group of standouts, but I’m willing to see it through.
That’s mostly on account of the always-charming Tessa Thompson, who plays a former TV anchor drawn back into an investigation when a murder takes place in her small Georgia hometown. Her estranged husband, played by Jon Bernthal, just happens to be the detective assigned to the case. Both are under serious suspicion right from the jump.
There’s high off-the-rails potential here, as tends to be the case with Netflix thrillers. But it’s also an easy binge, and now that I’ve watched a few episodes, I need to know where this mystery goes.
Until next time …
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
