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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State star Stephen Curry had a second MRI on his troublesome right knee that revealed no structural damage, although the two-time NBA MVP is expected to miss at least another five games before being re-evaluated.

NBA All-Star Game Basketball

The 37-year-old guard last played Jan. 30. He has been diagnosed with patella-femoral pain syndrome/bone bruising, otherwise referred to as runner's knee.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry will be re-evaluated in 10 days.

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"It's just lingering soreness," Kerr said Thursday before a game against Boston. "We were hoping, obviously, that he'd be ready for tonight after getting the All-Star break but wasn't the case. He just needs more time."

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Alysa Liuwon agold medalin women's individual figure skating on Thursday, making her the first U.S. woman to take the Olympic podium in the event since 2006. Japan's Kaori Sakamoto took silver and Ami Nakai, also of Japan, took the bronze.

The last American woman to earn a medal in individual figure skating was Sasha Cohen, who took home silver in 2006. Sarah Hughes was the last American woman to take home a gold medal, in 2002 — four years before Liu was even born. Michelle Kwan also won a bronze medal at those Olympics. This is Liu's second gold medal.

"I just like, can't process this. There's no way," Liu could be heard telling her coaches as she walked down the hallway after winning.

Liu, 20, started the free skate in third place, behind Japan's Nakai and Sakamoto, following the short program on Tuesday. Isabeau Levito, 18, was in eighth place, while Amber Glenn, 26, was in 13th place after an error in her short program.

Glenn was the first U.S. skater to take the ice for her free skate. Afterfailing to complete a triple loop on Tuesday, her score going into the free skate was 67.39. During Thursday's skate, she nailed a triple axel, though she had to catch herself with her hand after nearly falling during her final loop. She scored 147.52, for a total score of 214.91.

Photos captured Glenn embracing her coach after her skate. Glenn looked visibly thrilled, smiling and jumping for joy. Despite entering the free skate in 13th place, she was at the top of the leaderboard for much of the event, finally being unseated by Japanese skater Mone Chiba. Glenn ended the competition in fifth place, and Chiba took fourth place.

Liu praised Glenn's pop-scored comeback in a brief interview with an NBC Olympics correspondent.

"She did so good. I watched it on the bus on the way here, and aw, she killed it, and I'm really happy for her," Liu said.

Levito was the next American woman to skate. She took the ice with a score of 70.84 from her short program. She fell on the landing of her opening triple flip, losing nine points, but recovered to skate through the rest of her routine.

Levito looked disappointed after leaving the ice, even as Glenn cheered for her. She also appeared emotional as her score of 131.96 was read out. Levito racked up a total score of 202.80 and came in 12th overall.

Liu was the final U.S. competitor and the third-to-last skater to take the ice. She looked at ease during her warmup, waving to spectators as she rehearsed. She entered the rink with a score of 76.59 after her carefree short program. Liu looked casual and energetic during her free skate, sailing through a triple lutz and triple salchow. She had a broad smile on her face throughout the event, and the crowd roared every time she landed a jump.

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Liu looked particularly at ease during her choreographic step sequences, and ended the routine triumphantly as her family rose for a standing ovation.

Liu's score was 150.20, for a total score of 226.79.

"That's what the f*** I'm talking about!" she shouted to the camera after finishing her skate. She bounced off the ice to hug her coaches and could be heard saying, "That was so great!" as they handed her her skate guards. Glenn and Liu were also seen hugging.

"I was so calm when I started," Liu said following the competition. "I have this breathing technique that I use throughout this program, and I was just making sure to lock in on that, be as smooth as I can and look out into the crowd during all my transitions."

"I did that, and I felt everyone's energy. I felt my energy," she said, adding that she felt she "put it all out there."

On whether she is glad to have returned to the sport in 2024, after having retired at 16 following the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, Liu said: "It was just right."

Sakamoto earned silver for her skate to a medley of Edith Piaf songs. She missed a triple jump, but otherwise skated cleanly, and embraced Liu after she came off the ice.

Nakai struggled with some of her jumps, but the high difficulty score of her routine meant she still took home the bronze medal. Liu and Nakai also hugged after Nakai's score was read out.

The United States also took gold in the team skating event earlier in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

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Some NFL milestones are so far out of reach that no amount of talent, coaching, or rule changes can bring them down. These records happened in moments where opportunity, skill, and longevity collided.

Jerry Rice – Career Receiving Yards

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No one has caught more than 22,000 receiving yards except Jerry Rice. His total stands at 22,895, and the gap between him and second place is more than 5,000 yards. Rice stayed consistent for 20 seasons and rarely missed time. Most top receivers today don't last that long, and none have shown the ability to produce at that level across two decades.

Ernie Nevers – Most Points in a Single Game

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In 1929, Ernie Nevers scored 40 points for the Chicago Cardinals in a single game. He rushed for six touchdowns and kicked four extra points himself. That kind of all-purpose scoring isn't possible right now because special teams players and offensive starters have separate roles, so one person can't account for every point.

Paul Krause – Career Interceptions

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The interception record remains in the hands of Paul Krause, who retired with 81 over 16 seasons. Quarterbacks now throw fewer risky passes, and defensive backs rotate more often. Krause had the advantage of an era where the passing game wasn't as controlled. His ability to consistently read plays and capitalize on them separated him, but so did how the game was organized.

LaDainian Tomlinson – Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns

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LaDainian Tomlinson scored 28 rushing touchdowns during the 2006 season. The offense fed him most of the red-zone carries and trusted him to finish drives without rotation. Teams now spread those chances across committees and favor passes near the goal line.

Bruce Smith – Career Sacks

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You can trace the weight of Bruce Smith's record through nearly two decades of steady production. The career total reached 200 sacks, a figure built through persistence. His 13 seasons ended with double-digit sack totals.

Don Shula – Coaching Wins

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Though he retired with 347 coaching victories, Don Shula built that total across more than three decades with only two franchises. His teams reached the postseason 19 times and appeared in six Super Bowls, which required long-term organizational trust.

Brian Mitchell – Career Return Yardage

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Brian Mitchell holds the career return yardage record with 19,013 yards. He played for 14 seasons and returned both kicks and punts for most of that time. Current players rarely specialize in both roles for that long, and rule changes have also cut down return opportunities. With more touchbacks and fair catches, return yardage totals have dropped.

Brett Favre – Consecutive Quarterback Starts

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Players often sit out games due to slight injuries, strategic rest, or medical staff decisions focused on preservation. In contrast, Brett Favre started 297 consecutive games at quarterback without interruption. His streak spanned nearly 20 seasons, through physical hits, changing teams, and evolving offenses.

Emmitt Smith – Career Rushing Yards

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Rushing for 18,355 yards in the span of 15 seasons, Emmitt Smith holds the NFL's all-time mark. He reached that number through years of consistent production, including 11 1,000-yard seasons.

Tom Brady – Career Playoff Wins

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Besides Tom Brady, no quarterback has come close to 35 playoff wins. Most never even play in that many postseason games. Brady's career stretched across 23 seasons, with deep runs becoming the expectation. He started 10 Super Bowls and won seven of them.

By Jana Winter and Andrew Goudsward

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Tarek Amara

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ahead of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Field Level Media draft analysts ranked the top prospects at every position.

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

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

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

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

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

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

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

2. Ty Simpson, Alabama

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

3. Taylen Green, Arkansas

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

4-T. Carson Beck, Miami

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

4-T. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

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

5. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

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

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

--Field Level Media

Charlie Baker is still very much on board with the NCAA tournament expanding in the near future.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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