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MILAN — The women's hockey competition atthe Olympicshas an influence you might not have expected.

Ohio State.

Perhaps you know the Buckeyes best as a football powerhouse. Yet with 12 current or former Buckeyes playing for five different countries at the Milan Cortina Olympics, "it's a women's ice hockey school, for sure," said Joy Dunne, an Ohio State junior who scored for the U.S. on Thursday in its 5-1 win against Czechia.

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Since Nadine Muzerall became the school's coach in 2016, the university has developed from a hockey also-ran into the NCAA champion in both 2022 and 2024. The team also appeared in the 2023 and 2025 title games. This season, it's ranked second nationally.

Five players from this season's team are now foes. Three current Buckeyes play for Sweden alone. Trash talk has been kept to a minimum, said Hilda Svensson, a Swedish forward who has become one of the NCAA's top scorers in her freshman year at Ohio State.

"We have been pretty nice to each other so far," she said, "but I think if we play against them, we're going to be a little bit more mean, maybe. And especially maybe against Joy."

The U.S. and Sweden aren't scheduled to face each other in the preliminary round, meaning any meeting between the squads would come in the knockout round. That possibility was discussed immediately after the tournament's draw was announced, Dunne said.

"Me and the Swedish girls really want to play each other because one's a big chirper and I think it'd be fun," Dunne told NBC News. "We battle a lot in practices, so it would just be nice to actually do it against each other in a game."

Dunne and the U.S. faced off against a current Buckeye teammate Saturday, when the U.S. played its second preliminary game against Finland. Its roster includes Sanni Vanhanen, a freshman forward at Ohio State who was part of Finland's 2022 bronze medal-winning team at the Beijing Olympics.

Muzerall's allegiances might lean toward her native Canada, where she has coached within the national team's developmental system. But holding ties to five teams makes rooting interests more difficult.

"You feel like a parent, an immense amount of pride," Muzeralltold reporters in Ohiothis week. "So, it's going to be tough to choose who I'm cheering for."

Ohio State's outsize presence at these Olympics should be seen as a credit to Muzerall's coaching, Dunne said. But the school is just one example of collegiate hockey's role as a de facto feeder system for national teams. Of the 230 total women's hockey players taking part in these Games, 122 have NCAA experience,according tothe governing body, including 40 active college players.

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, a hockey-only conference that includes Ohio State, has the most representation among conferences, with 54 athletes.

Dunne isn't even the first member of her family to represent both Ohio State and the U.S. Her older sister, Jincy, was part of the U.S. hockey team that won a silver medal at the 2022 Olympics.

This is the first Winter Olympics since the creation of the Professional Women's Hockey League, and with 61 PWHL players heading to Italy to represent their countries, the league opted to take a three-week break from competition.

The NCAA season, however, did not pause.

"A part of me actually wants to fly over there and just go," Muzerall said.

Instead, the Buckeyes will play four games between Thursday's opening of the preliminary round and the Feb. 19 gold-medal game. Svensson said she was watching from afar as the Buckeyes try to compensate for their Olympic-sized roster hole.

"I'm so impressed how they did their last game against Duluth," Svensson said. "I hope they can just keep going and win against Wisconsin this weekend."

Hall of Fame president Jim Portertold the Associated Pressthat the vote will go back to an in-person meeting and discussion among the 50-member committee. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the conversation and voting process was held virtually.

Additionally, the vote will occur closer to the announcement of the inductees at the NFL Honors event, held the Thursday prior to the Super Bowl. That scheduling change, likely for Super Bowl week in the host city, is intended to decrease the possibility of discussion and results leaking to the public, as happened when reports ofBelichick falling short of the 40 votesnecessary for election circulated among media.

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Porter also said the Hall would consider releasing vote totals and individual ballots to the public in future balloting, much like the Baseball Hall of Fame and Baseball Writers Association of America do. However, that won't be done for the 2026 class.

One part of the voting process that will be reviewed is a rule that groups coaches and contributors with older players who have been on the ballot for multiple years. Votersfelt they had to choosebetween longtime candidates who were running out of eligibility, such as running back Roger Craig (who was elected) and quarterback Ken Anderson (who was not), rather than vote for Belichick. That was viewed as a primary reason why the six-time Super Bowl winner was not elected.

Voters who might have violated rules by discussing the voting debate publicly and the process by which candidates were elected or left off the ballot could be replaced on the committee, according to Porter.

"I'm not here to tell them who the most deserving is,"Porter told the AP's Josh Dubow. "If the Hall was to tell who the most deserving is, we wouldn't need them to vote. We understand that. We just want the rules followed."

Five players were electedto the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class, as announced at Thursday's NFL Honors ceremony. Quarterback Drew Brees, receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and Craig will be formally inducted into the Canton, Ohio, institution on Aug. 8.

One missed putt at the end of the day changed those plans.

Matsuyama overtook Hisatsune for the lead after three rounds when Hisatsune bogeyed the last hole Saturday at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.

Hisatsune, 23, led his more-accomplished peer by one stroke through two rounds. Matsuyama's 3-under-par 68 propelled him to a 13-under 200 through three rounds while Hisatsune's late blunder led him to a round of 70.

"Yeah, it was a great day today. Kind of a first today for Japan to have two Japanese pros play in a final group," Matsuyama said through a translator. "I was hoping we could do it tomorrow, but, again, I hope tomorrow just to play well and stay on top."

Hisatsune, meanwhile, dropped into a four-way tie at 12-under with Maverick McNealy (65), Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard (65) and South Korea's Si Woo Kim (66). The final threesome to go off Sunday will be Matsuyama, McNealy and Hojgaard.

Matsuyama and Hisatsune were tied at 13 under after Hisatsune birdied Nos. 10 and 17 to catch up. Matsuyama parred No. 18 and Hisatsune escaped a greenside bunker, leaving himself 5 1/2 feet to save par.

But Hisatsune's putt started left and stayed left, missing the cup altogether for a difficult bogey.

Hisatsune later said it was "special" to play alongside the 33-year-old Matsuyama, who became the first Japanese man to win a major when he captured the 2021 Masters.

"You know, he's like won Masters and then like 11 times PGA winner, so like very different for me," Hisatsune said. "But more chasing Hideki tomorrow, like going to also today as well."

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Two of those PGA Tour wins for Matsuyama were the 2016 and 2017 Phoenix Opens. Matsuyama brushed that off Saturday by saying this is a "brand-new tournament," and he had a funny response to a follow-up about what he likes about TPC Scottsdale.

"I like this course because even if I miss a fairway, I can still find my ball," he said. "Unless it's in the cactuses."

Matsuyama mixed three birdies and two bogeys over his first five holes Saturday. He took over the lead with an 11-foot birdie putt at the par-4 10th, and he added his last birdie at the par-5 13th.

Hojgaard, 24, is a three-time winner in Europe seeking his first PGA Tour victory. His bogey-free round was buoyed by five birdies in the closing six holes.

"It's easy to then go out and hunt the birdies a little bit, but I stayed patient, hitting into the right zones and hit some really, really good shots coming in and capitalized with some birdies, so it was a great way to finish," Hojgaard said.

Then there's McNealy, who at 30 is seeking his second PGA Tour title. He ranks second this week in greens in regulation (44 of 54) and made eight birdies Saturday. A bogey at the par-4 17th kept him from a share of the lead through 54 holes.

"You have to take every hole as it comes," McNealy said about an aggressive approach to Sunday. "If you hit the fairway, you can be aggressive if you have the right number. Miss the fairway, you just can't shoot yourself out of the tournament and make soft bogeys."

England's Matt Fitzpatrick held a share of the lead after consecutive birdies at Nos. 14-15, but he made a mess of the par-3 16th "Stadium Hole" and recorded a double bogey. A birdie-bogey finish left him at 67 for his round and tied at 11 under with Michael Thorbjornsen (65), Jake Knapp (66) and Akshay Bhatia (67).

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler posted a 67 that featured a chip-in birdie from the sand at No. 10. He's five off the pace at 8 under entering Sunday.

--Field Level Media

North Korea

The ruling Workers' Party congress, which Kim previously held in 2016 and 2021, comes after years of accelerated nuclear and missile development and deepening ties with Moscow over the war in Ukraine that have increased his standoffs with the United States and South Korea.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said the party's political bureau met under Kim's supervision and decided the congress would be held in late February. State media did not immediately specify a date or release agenda details.

The congress will likely continue for days as a highly choreographed display of Kim's authoritarian leadership. In recent weeks, Kim hasinspected weapons testsand toured military sites and economic projects as state media highlighted his purported achievements, crediting his "immortal leadership" with strengthening the country's military capabilities and advancing national development.

His recent activities and comments suggest Kim will use the congress to double down on economic development through "self-sustenance" and mass mobilization while announcing plans to further expand the capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, including upgrading conventional weapons systems and integrating them with nuclear forces.

Kim also could highlight his increasingly assertive foreign policy based on closer ties with Moscow and Beijing while hardening anadversarial approach toward rival South Koreaas he continues to embrace the idea of a "new Cold War," experts say.

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Kim's willingness to resume diplomacy with the U.S. is unclear. Relations derailed in 2019 after hissecond summitwith U.S. President Donald Trump due to disagreements over sanctions against his nuclear weapons program.

Kim has rejected Trump's overtures for dialogue since the U.S. president began his second term in January 2025. Kim insists Washingtonabandon demandsfor the North to surrender its nuclear weapons as a precondition for future talks.

Entering his 15th year in rule, Kim finds himself in a stronger position than when he opened the previous congress in 2021 during the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. Navigating what was seen as his toughest stretch in a decade of power, Kim acknowledged his previous economic policies failed and issued a new five-year development plan through 2025.

He called for accelerated development of his nuclear arsenal and issued an extensive wish list of sophisticated assets including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, multi-warhead systems, tactical nuclear weapons, spy satellites andnuclear-powered submarines.

Kim has exploited geopolitical turmoil to his advantage. He used Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a window to accelerate weapons testing and align himself with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, who has accepted thousands of North Korean troops and large quantities of military equipment for the war.

Kim also has pursued closer ties with China, traditionally the North's primary ally and economic lifeline. Hetraveled to Beijing in Septemberfor a World War II event and the first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in six years.

While Kim's strict information blockade prevents precise assessments, South Korean analysts say the North's economy appears to have improved over the past five years, possibly due to a gradual recovery in trade with China and an industrial boost from arms exports to Russia.

A recent recall includes nearly 2,000 products spanning multiple brands, affecting consumers' pantries along with their pets. The recall's scale is due to its origin at a distribution center serving three states.

🐶SIGN UP to get "pawsitivity" delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends🐾🐾

Widespread Recall Effects Dog And Cat Products in Three States

Gold Star Distribution, Inc. issued a recall of all its FDA-regulated products held at its facility, including multiple popular pet food brands such as Meow Mix, Purina Dog and Cat Chow, Tidy Cats Litter, and more. The FDApress releasestates that rodent and avian contamination was discovered in the facility, which ships products to stores in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Indiana.

"The facility was operating under insanitary conditions, including the presence of rodent excreta, rodent urine, andbirddroppings in areas where medical devices, drugs, human food, pet food, and cosmetic products were held," said the FDA. "These conditions create a significant risk that products held at the facility may have been contaminated with filth and harmful microorganisms."

If the products come into contact with droppings or urine, microorganisms can be transmitted to people who pick them up, creating a significant health risk. Consumers may be exposed to bacterial infections, including Salmonella, by simply touching product boxes.

Salmonella is incredibly dangerous, especially to certain population groups like infants, small children, pregnant women, elderly people, and the immunocompromised. For these groups, Salmonella infections can be fatal, whereas healthy people may experience only nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain. While rare, the infection can also lead to severe illnesses like endocarditis, arthritis, and other bloodstream-activated illnesses.

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Related: 7 Signs Your Pup Would Do Anything for You, According to Trainers

Another possible disease contracted from touching or consuming the affected products is leptospirosis, which affects both people and their pets. Dogs and cats who are exposed to Salmonella or leptospirosis should be monitored for lack of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.

Here is the list of the affected pet products and their UPCS:

• 3.15LB 9 LIVES CAT FOOD 'INDOOR COMPLETE' 4CT: 079100505647;0; 0079100523191

• 3.15LB 9 LIVES CAT FOOD 'DAILY ESSENTIALS' 4CT: 079100581221

• 9 LIVES CAN CHICKEN DINNER 5.5oz/24CT #3608: 079100004102

• PURINA DOG CHOW 4.4lb/4CT: 017800410274;0; 17800180283

• Purina Puppy Chow 4.4lb/ 4CT: 017800180269

• Purina Cat Chow Complete Bags 4/3 15LB: 017800179911

• Dog Treat Snack Shack PB Bone 24 CT: 850089007618

• Dog Treat Snack Shack CHZ & Bacon Bone 24 CT: 850089007595

• Fancy Feast Cat Food, Creamy Delight Salmon 3oz/ 24ct: 050000168231

• Fancy Feast Cat Food Medleys Florentine: 050000572813

• Fancy Feast Cat Food Gravy Lovers: 050000580064

• Friskies Shreds With White Fish & Tuna: 050000103690

• Friskies Prime Filet With Beef: 00050000212200

• Friskies Pate Salmon Dinner: 050000423344

• Friskies Pate Poultry: 050000423641

• Friskies Shreds Turkey & Cheese: 050000467723

• Friskies Assorted Cans

• Friskies Seafood Sensations

• Friskies Indoor Delights

• Friskies Surfin' & Turfin'

• Meow Mix Original Bag 18oz/ 6CT: 829274454186

• Meow Mix Original 3.15 Lb/ 4CT: 829274513753

• Meow Mix Beef & Salmon 3Lb/ 4CT: 829274831253

• Meow Mix Chicken & Tuna: 829274512527

• Meow Mix Salmon & Turkey: 829274519137

• Tidy Cat Litter: 070230107107

• Tidy Cat Litter: 070230107602

• Tidt Cat Litter: 070230171108

See the full 44-page list of productshere.A list of stores where the products were sent is included in the FDA'spress release.If your pet products are on the list, Gold Star advises that the products should be immediately destroyed. Refunds will be issued upon request and verification of destruction.

So far, there have not been any illnesses reported to the FDA in conjunction with this recall. But, if you suspect you or your pet has any illness symptoms or contamination-related concerns, contact your doctor and/or your veterinarian immediately.

Any reactions or illnesses can be reported to the FDA via its online reportingform, or you can download theform, mail it to the address listed, or fax it to 1-800-FDA-0178.

Related: Veterinary Study Reveals That 94% of Homemade Dog Food Is Missing Critical Nutrients

This story was originally published byParade Petson Feb 7, 2026, where it first appeared in thePet Newssection. Add Parade Pets as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

A panel of judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday evening that the Department of Homeland Security's decision to deny bond hearings to immigrants arrested across the country is consistent with the constitution and federal immigration law.

Specifically, circuit judge Edith H. Jones wrote in the 2-1 majority opinion that the government correctly interpreted the Immigration and Nationality Act by asserting that "unadmitted aliens apprehended anywhere in the United States are ineligible for release on bond, regardless of how long they have resided inside the United States."

Under past administrations,most noncitizenswith no criminal recordwho were arrested awayfrom the border had an opportunity to request a bond hearing while their cases wound through immigration court. Historically, bond was often granted to those without criminal convictions who were not flight risks, and mandatory detention was limited to recent border crossers.

"That prior Administrations decided to use less than their full enforcement authority under" the law "does not mean they lacked the authority to do more," Jones wrote.

The plaintiffs in the two separate cases filed last year against the Trump administration were both Mexican nationals who had both lived in the United States for over 10 years and weren't flight risks, their attorneys argued. Neither man had a criminal record, and both were jailed for months last year before a lower Texas court granted them bond in October.

The Trump White House reversed that policy in favor of mandatory detention in July, reversing almost 30 years of precedent under both Democrat and Republican administrations.

Friday's ruling also bucksa November district court decision in California, which granted detained immigrants with no criminal history the opportunity to request a bond hearing and had implications for noncitizens held in detention nationwide.

Circuit Judge Dana M. Douglas wrote the lone dissent in Friday's decision.

The elected congress members who passed the Immigration and Nationality Act "would be surprised to learn it had also required the detention without bond of two million people," Douglas wrote, adding that many of the people detained are "the spouses, mothers, fathers, and grandparents of American citizens."

She went on to argue that the federal government was overriding the lawmaking process with DHS' new immigration detention policy that denies detained immigrants bond.

"Because I would reject the government's invitation to rubber stamp its proposed legislation by executive fiat, I dissent," Douglas wrote.

Douglas' opinion echoed widespread tensions between the Trump administration and federal judges around the country,who have increasinglyaccused the administration of flouting court orders.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated the decision as "a significant blow against activist judges who have been undermining our efforts to make America safe again at every turn."

"We will continue vindicating President Trump's law and order agenda in courtrooms across the country," Bondi wrote on the social media platform X.

Martin Chivers, soccer, 1945-2026

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Sports figures we lost in 2026

Gore was 34 and, according to a social media post from his wife Britney, died following complications during a routine surgery. Gore is survived by his wife and three children.

A revered teammate and dynamic personality, Gore's tremendous speed kept him in the major leagues for parts of eight seasons and produced one of the most remarkable feats to which a player could lay claim: He was a 2015 World Series champion with the Royals in his second season in the bigs, but had not yet recorded his first major league hit.

In fact, it wasn't until his fifth major league season – 2018 with theChicago Cubs– that he got his first hit, asingle up the middleoff future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer.

Yet his legs held immense value.

Gore, perhaps generously listed at 5 feet 7 and 160 pounds, was clocked at 4.29 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and the lower-revenue Royals, always seeking an edge, deployed him as a designated runner during their two-year run as American League champions that culminated in their 2015 title.

He was nearly impossible to catch: Gore was 17-for-17 in stolen bases to begin his career (though he was caught once in the postseason), finallygetting nabbedby Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez in 2016.

By then, though, he was a cult hero in Kansas City, on a Royals team that in a powerball era somehow conjured up memories of its 1980s speed and defense dynasty. Led by All-Star Lorenzo Cain and buttressed by Jarrod Dyson and Gore, Kansas City found a way to topple bigger-market clubs and win its first championship in 30 years.

It was Dyson who famously coined the phrase"That's what speed do,"yet even Dyson could not keep up with Gore, who stole a base and scored a walk-off run in his major league debut.

"I wouldn't say I'm cocky," he told theKansas City Starin 2014, "but I know I'm really fast.

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"And it's going to take a perfect throw."

Gore grew into a more fully-formed player in his second tour with the Royals, batting .275 with 14 hits in 58 at-bats in 2019, and swiping 13 bases in 18 attempts.

"Terrance was an unforgettable part of our organization with a unique talent that catapulted him to some of the biggest moments in Royals history," says Royals president of baseball operations JJ Picollo in a statement released by the club. "While his speed and athleticism were what most people immediately noticed, those of us who had the opportunity to know him also remember his energy, his humility, and the impact he made in big moments on the game's biggest stage.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Terrance's wife, Britney, their three children, and all of his family and friends during this difficult time. This is a sad ending to an incredible story."

He'd latch on with the Dodgers, Braves and Mets in subsequent years, and got one more shot at postseason glory, appearing in the 2021 NLDS for Atlanta. Yet he showed how big his heart was once the Braves went on to win that World Series.

As the Braves celebrated closing out the Houston Astros in Game 6 of that Fall Classic, Gore made sure to pull out his phone and shoot a video call to pitcher Charlie Morton, whobroke his right fibulain Game 1 and was home recuperating from surgery.

Simply, he wanted Charlie to be part of the celebration. And somehow, wherever Gore went, a celebration – no matter how unlikely – of some sort was likely to follow.

Gore was born in Macon, Ga. and raised in Gray, a small town to Macon's northeast, before attending Gulf Coast State College in Florida, from which the Royals selected him in the 20th round of the 2011 draft. He settled in Panama City after retirement and worked as a speed and baseball trainer at asports facility there, as hisfamilywith Britney grew to three children.

Gore retired without a major league home run - and just onerun batted in- yet managed to impact the game forever.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Terrance Gore death: Former Royals speedster dies at age 34