Today is Thursday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2026. There are 329 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 5, 1994, white separatist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted in Jackson, Mississippi, of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963 and was sentenced to life in prison.

Also on this date:

In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto, an act that severely curtailed Asian immigration and mandated immigrant literacy testing.

In 1918, more than 200 people were killed during World War I when the Cunard liner SS Tuscania, which was transporting over 2,000 American troops to Europe, was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland.

In 1971, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell stepped onto the moon’s surface in the first of two lunar excursions.

In 1973, services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for U.S. Army Col. William B. Nolde, the last official American combat casualty in the Vietnam War before a ceasefire took effect.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act, granting workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family emergencies.

In 2008, an outbreak of 87 tornadoes fired up across nine states, killing 57 people in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama during a span of 12 hours. One Arkansas twister left a 122-mile path of damage along the ground.

In 2017, Tom Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, highlighted by a spectacular Julian Edelman catch that helped lift New England from a 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to the Patriots’ fifth Super Bowl victory, 34-28; it was the first Super Bowl to end in overtime.

In 2020, the Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial. Most senators expressed unease with Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine that prompted the impeachment, but just one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, broke party ranks and voted to convict. In 2021, the Senate acquitted Trump in a second trial for allegedly inciting the violent Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol.

In 2023, Beyoncé won her 32nd Grammy to become the most decorated artist in the history of the award.

Today’s birthdays:

• Tony-winning playwright John Guare is 88.
• Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach is 84.
• Film director Michael Mann is 83.
• Racing Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip is 79.
• Actor Barbara Hershey is 78.
• Actor-comedian Tim Meadows is 65.
• Actor Jennifer Jason Leigh is 64.
• Rock musician Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) is 62.
• Golf Hall of Famer Jose Maria Olazabal is 60.
• Actor-comedian Chris Parnell is 59.
• Actor Michael Sheen is 57.
• Country singer Sara Evans is 55.
• Actor-singer Darren Criss is 39.
• Actor Henry Golding is 39.
• Soccer star Neymar is 34.

In a meeting of this year’s top Lakes Valley Conference girls hoops teams, undefeated South Lyon East won 50-45 at Milford on Tuesday night.

Nyla Lake and Brooke Moyer ended with 17 and 16 points, respectively, as the Cougars improved to 15-0 overall and 8-0 in the league.

Ashlyn Lutz scored a team-high 17 points and Taylor Vogel ended with 11 for the Lady Mavs (11-4, 6-2), who have been the only team other than Plymouth to keep it to within single digits with the Cougars this season. SL East won the first meeting with Milford 52-47 back on Jan. 13.

More girls basketball

PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP 55, BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM 37 >> Addy Kitzman scored 10 points and Erin Sheckell added nine for the Maples (4-8), who fell short on Wednesday to the Irish (10-5), who picked up their third win in a row.

HAZEL PARK 49, EASTPOINTE 27 >> La’Onna Otis-Nunnally finished with 14 points on Wednesday and the Vikings, who started the year 1-6, improved to 3-1 in the MAC Bronze and are currently tied for the league lead with Warren Lincoln.

WEST BLOOMFIELD 62, CLARKSTON 52 >> For West Bloomfield (10-4, 4-2 OAA Red), Sheridan Beal poured in 28 points and Bailey Finnie added 15 at home on Tuesday. Elli Robak had a team-high 19 points, Brooklyn Covert finished with 15 and Bella Flavin contributed 10 for the Wolves (11-5, 4-1).

ROYAL OAK 51, BERKLEY 40 >> Alyssa Rozicki led the way with 13 points, Lydia Dickens scored 10, and Allie Hills and Ainsley Weeks each had nine Tuesday for the Ravens, who improved to 6-7 overall and 2-3 in the OAA White. Blessing Nweke had a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds), Amsatou Diop scored 11 points and freshman Niqco Shoulders had 10 boards with five blocks for the Bears (3-12, 2-3).

ROYAL OAK SHRINE 56, LUTHERAN NORTH 46 >> On the road Tuesday night, Julia Kraemer scored a team-high 13 points, Leah Proctor finished with 11, and the duo of Summer Smith and Nora Tillman each had nine for the Knights (4-10, 2-5 CHSL AA Division).

WIXOM ST. CATHERINE 70, ALLEN PARK CABRINI 57 >> Tuesday night’s road win by the Stars (10-5, 8-1) was their ninth in their last 10 games and also helped them clinch the CHSL AA Division title.

WALLED LAKE NORTHERN 44, LAKELAND 43 >> The Knights (7-9, 4-4 LVC) were able to overcome 17 points by Lakeland’s Aubrin Miller and pull out the win on Tuesday. The Eagles are now 7-7 overall and 3-5 in the league.

TROY 71, FERNDALE 8 >> Maci Zeiter led all scorers with 11 points and Olivia Spangler chipped in nine to help the Colts (10-4, 4-1 OAA Blue) win on the road Tuesday.

DURAND 48, ORTONVILLE BRANDON 43 >> Junior Ella Rizzo went for 29 points and hauled in nine rebounds in a wire-to-wire defeat Wednesday for the Blackhawks (4-1, 3-5 FML Stars). Maddie Heverly and Elin Austin each pulled in six rebounds and combined for seven blocks in the loss.

Boys basketball

WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 51, SOUTH LYON 42 >> Johnathan Matthews scored a dozen points, Anthony Camacho had 11 and Asa Clay came a rebound short of a double-double on Tuesday for the Vikings (10-7, 6-2 LVC).

MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE 69, CLAWSON 35 >> Jack Robinson poured in 22 points with a handful of steals and Gavin Abbott chipped in nine points as the Rams jumped to 14-2 overall and 8-0 in the MAC Bronze with Tuesday’s triumph.

ROCHESTER HILLS LUTHERAN NORTHWEST 49, AUBURN HILLS OAKLAND CHRISTIAN 43 >> Preston Parmentier went off, hitting 3-pointers for 33 points in the Crusaders’ victory on Tuesday. PJ Thiessen finished with 11 rebounds and Mike Griffin Jr. had seven steals as well for Lutheran Northwest, now 8-7 overall.

SOUTH LYON EAST 46, MILFORD 35 >> Milford dropped to 8-9 on the year despite 10 points each out of Caden Johnston-Thompson and Dorian Wright on Tuesday. Mason Crosby had a game-high 12 points for the Cougars (10-6 overall), who stayed tied atop the LVC at 6-2 with the home win.

WATERFORD OUR LADY OF THE LAKES 54, ALLEN PARK CABRINI 52 >> Alex Asai knocked down a pull-up jumper from the elbow to beat the buzzer in Tuesday’s victory that clinched the CHSL Intersectional 2 Division title for the Lakers (12-4, 7-1). Jack Miller scored 13 points, Riley Jones had 12 and Latane Ware also added 10 in the win.

LAKE ORION 59, TROY 52 >> Dragons senior Jackson Shoskey scored 23 points, Max Neering had 16 and Nathan Giacolone contributed nine in Monday’s win. The Dragons also picked up a victory at Walled Lake Western on Tuesday to make it six straight and improve to 11-7.

Hockey

BLOOMFIELD HILLS BROTHER RICE 4, CLARKSTON 3 (OT) >> Drake Spring’s seventh goal of the season was also the game-winner in overtime for the Warriors, who also got goals out of Colin Mott, Winston Wigginton and Landon Zsenyuk. Ryan Wilford notched his eighth goal of the season in the Wolves’ defeat.

FARMINGTON UNITED 7, BISHOP FOLEY UNITED 1 >> The Griffins’ top-three leading scorers (Brady Brink, Owen Sims, Connor Brink) all added to their double-digit tallies on the year in Wednesday’s home victory. Derek Townsend hit the back of the net for the 26th time this winter in the Foley loss.

ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S 9, RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD 1 >> Charlie Roberts netted his 26th and 27th goals of the seasons, Thaddeus Raynish scored twice, and Dominic Pizzo scored and assisted three times as the Eaglets routed the visitors Tuesday night.

NORTHVILLE 3, BLOOMFIELD HILLS CRANBROOK-KINGSWOOD 2 >> Goals from Cam Rocchini and Henry Demuth for the Cranes (13-7) weren’t enough to counter three second-period goals by the Mustangs on Tuesday.

Michigan State added a gem to its class on Wednesday by getting the signature of Detroit Catholic Central speedster Samson Gash.

Gash, who had previously given a verbal to the Spartans last summer, stuck with MSU and new head coach Pat Fitzgerald despite reopening his recruiting process after the firing of Jonathan Smith.

The four-star prospect, a consensus top-50 wide receiver in the Class of 2026, confirmed the news Wednesday that was first reported by Hayes Fawcett of Rivals/on3.

Fitzgerald’s push to secure Gash was anything but a secret in the days leading up. He received a loud ovation from the Spartan faithful at the Breslin Center when Fitzgerald and Gash walked out together at last Friday’s home men’s hoops game against Michigan. Fitzgerald was seen introducing Gash to Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

The six-foot, 185-pounder flashed his track speed all season for the unbeaten D1 state champs. An impact player in all three phases, the Mr. Football candidate concluded his senior season with 1,700 yards and 18 total touchdowns.

Both Georgia and Penn State were among the top programs that offered Gash following Fitzgerald’s hire on Dec. 1, but Gash had indicated after the Shamrocks won the title that he intended to take some time on his decision before ultimate opting to join his older brother Caleb in East Lansing.

Fitzgerald will hope it’s not the last commitment from a Gash to come.

Samson’s younger brother, Gideon, has continued to see his star rise following a strong junior season in which he was a lockdown player in the secondary for Catholic Central, and like his brother, was a danger man in the return game.

Like Samson, Michigan State also initially offered Gideon this past summer, but he’s seen his list of offers increase by double digits since the turn of the calendar. Among the schools that have joined the chase for the three or four-star cornerback are Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Iowa and Alabama.

With Samson added to the group, 247 ranked Michigan State’s 2026 class 50th overall, while On3 had the Spartans at No. 54.

Other Catholic Central senior footballers headed to play at the next level include Benny Eziuka (Virginia Tech), Jack Janda (Iowa), Josha Atiemo (Central Michigan), Brandon Bartolucci (Wayne State), Luca Genrich (Michigan State), Hunter Stokes (North Central College), Michael Dersa (Western Michigan), and Cedric Williams Jr. (Michigan State).

An Eastpointe mother is warning other parents about the hidden dangers of sledding after her 10-year-old daughter suffered severe injuries in an accident at a local park.

Jennifer's daughter Cheyenne was sledding at Spindler Park on a Friday afternoon when what started as a fun winter day quickly turned into a terrifying emergency. The girl went down the back side of the hill, despite warning signs, and crashed into nearby poles.

Watch Carli Petrus' video report below: Eastpointe mother warns of sledding dangers after daughter's severe injuries

"I never would have thought they would have gotten hurt sledding like we go every year, we've always went," Jennifer said.

The accident left Cheyenne with a Stage 3 liver laceration that is almost a Stage 4, along with a severe concussion and possible brain damage due to brain swelling, according to Jennifer.

"I got a call that Cheyenne, you know, she was hurt, she was hurt bad," Jennifer said.

Watch our extended interview with Jennifer below: Extended interview: Mom talks about daughter's severe injuries after sledding accident

Now Jennifer is urging other parents to think twice before letting their children go sledding.

"I have heard of a broken arm over the weekend, and on the other side of the hill as well, someone hit a tree, someone went through the fence it's repetitive injury," Jennifer said.

The city of Eastpointe acknowledged awareness of the sledding activity on the hill. A spokesperson said in a statement: "While signage speaks to the risks of sledding on the hill, the City works to keep the hill as safe as possible, with staff routinely ensuring there are hay bales, fencing, and safety measures in place. We have empathy for the child and family involved, and will work to continue to make our parks and public spaces as safe as possible for all users."

Dr. Aamna Hafeez at Henry Ford Hospital says the best way to stay safe is to know the risks and take precautions.

"Sledding can definitely be a fun activity, but there are risks associated with it and those injuries can range from minor bumps and bruises all the way to severe head trauma," Hafeez said.

The doctor recommends families take safety precautions, with head protection being the most important.

"So, there's absolutely some precautions families can take in terms of safety for their children sledding. The most important being some sort of protection for their heads, so whether that's a helmet or a ski helmet or a biking helmet, either of those options because really what you're trying to do is prevent brain injuries," Hafeez said.

William Hirsch, who was at Spindler Park with his two young daughters, said sledding is an activity they enjoy regularly.

"It's something the kids love to do. It's an activity that gets us outside, gets us outdoors and something to do to have fun," Hirsch said.

He says he makes sure his girls are safe by going down the hill with them, making sure they're not going toward anything harmful.

"Sometimes, you slip and fall down, but you have to get back up, you know. It's a learning lesson," Hirsch said.

For Jennifer, her message is simple: awareness.

"It can happen, like I said, at any hill. Just because it was at this one doesn't mean that it can't happen at the one down the street from your house, right. So, just be aware," Jennifer said. "I just want these kids and people to be safe in general because it's scary."

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had 22 points and seven rebounds to help Minnesota fend off a late surge by 10th-ranked Michigan State and secure a 76-73 upset on Wednesday night.

Cade Tyson scored 17 points and Langston Reynolds added 14 points and eight assists for the Gophers (11-12, 4-8 Big Ten), who broke a seven-game losing streak despite being outscored 22-9 over the final four minutes in a game in which they were 7 1/2 point underdogs according to MGM Sportsbook.

Coen Carr had 10 of his 16 points for the Spartans (19-4, 9-3) in the last three minutes, including a layup with 34 seconds left that cut the lead to 72-68, their closest margin since 7-3.

Trey Fort’s catch-and-shoot corner 3-pointer made it 73-71 with 20 seconds remaining, but Isaac Asuma sank both free throws to steady the Gophers, whose fans stormed the court after the final buzzer.

Spartans point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who totaled 60 points over two games last week, had just 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting with 11 assists.

The Spartans were in a four-way tie for first place five days ago with Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska. All four teams are ranked in the top 10 in The Associated Press poll. After losing to the rival Wolverines on Friday, the Spartans have fallen into fourth.

The Gophers were overdue for a breakthrough, with three losses by three points or less during the skid. They were tied or leading in the final minute of regulation in five of them. Minnesota’s last win over an AP top-10 team was on Jan. 16, 2021, over No. 7 Michigan.

Moved to the bench with Jordan Scott starting for the first time, Spartans shooting guard Divine Ugochukwu hobbled off with an injury in the first half and didn’t return.

Up next

Michigan State: Hosts No. 5 Illinois on Saturday.

Minnesota: Hosts Maryland on Sunday.

— By DAVE CAMPBELL, Associated Press

By Evan Woodbery, Tribune News Service

DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers have pulled off a bold, last-minute addition to their rotation by landing the top pitcher remaining on the market.

The Tigers have agreed to a three-year, $115 million deal with veteran right-hander Framber Valdez, ESPN first reported on Wednesday night.

The deal, which is pending a physical, allows Valdez to opt out of the contract after Year 2 and defers some of his salary.

Valdez, 32, has spent all eight years of his career with the Houston Astros, where he was 81-52 with a 3.36 ERA in 1,080 innings.

Over the last four seasons, he’s been one of baseball’s most reliable workhorse pitchers, averaging more than 30 starts a season.

Valdez joins a rotation with two-time defending Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and Reese Olson. The Tigers also have Drew Anderson, who signed a one-year, $7 million deal earlier this winter and was expected to be in the rotation, and Troy Melton, who was a key arm late last season.

Valdez is a native of the Dominican Republic who signed with the Astros as a teenager in 2015. This will be just the second organization of his career.

After some shaky seasons as a youngster under then-Astros manager A.J. Hinch in 2018 and 2019, he came into his own in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, striking out 76 in 70 innings. He’s been a full-time member of Houston’s rotation ever since, with his only significant injury coming on a fluke play in 2021 when he was struck by a ball on his finger.

Valdez’s durability is one of his strongest selling points. He’s thrown nine career complete games and three shutouts. He’s averaged 6 1/3 innings per start over the last five seasons. He set an MLB record in 2022 with 25 consecutive quality starts.

But Valdez’s free agency aspirations were hurt by his age. At 32, he was hitting the market for the first time a couple of years later than most front-line starters.

While The Athletic projected a seven-year, $196 million deal and the MLB Trade Rumors foresaw a five-year, $150 million contract, Valdez had to opt for a shorter-term arrangement that will probably net him in the neighborhood of $100 million when the deferred money is adjusted to present-day value.

The Tigers’ 40-man roster is full, although they will be able to open a spot by placing Jackson Jobe on the 60-day injured list when spring training opens next week.

This story will be updated.

©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

EAST LANSING (AP) — Oluchi Okananwa scored 23 points, and the No. 22 Maryland women pulled away in the second half for an 86-70 win over No. 12 Michigan State on Wednesday.

Maryland (18-6, 6-6 Big Ten) led 43-33 at halftime and broke the game open in the third quarter.

Okananwa went 8 of 13 from the field and added four rebounds, five assists and a steal as the Terps shot 49% as a team.

Yarden Garzon added 16 points and five assists, Kyndal Walker scored 14, and Saylor Poffenbarger finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Maryland forced 20 turnovers, which led to 23 points, while holding Michigan State to 4 of 15 from 3.

The Terps pushed the margin to 72-55 early in the fourth on Poffenbarger’s 3-pointer. Okananwa scored seven straight points soon after, including a layup and a deep 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 84-68 with under two minutes left. Maryland never allowed the Spartans to get within single digits in the final quarter.

Grace VanSlooten led Michigan State (19-4, 8-4) with 19 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Kennedy Blair had 15 points and seven assists, while Jalyn Brown scored 13.

Up Next

Michigan State: The Spartans play Saturday at Penn State.

Maryland: The Terrapins visit Nebraska on Saturday.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Syla Swords scored 28 points and Olivia Olson had 21 to help No. 8 Michigan pull away and beat Nebraska 88-76 on Wednesday night.

The Wolverines (20-3, 11-1 Big Ten) went on a 15-6 run to take a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter and turned what was a closely contested game into a double-digit victory.

Michigan has won a school-record nine straight Big Ten games.

That streak will be put to a test Sunday at home against UCLA, the second-ranked team in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll.

Michigan has been a top-10 team for a program-record 11 consecutive weeks. The Wolverines have reached the 20-win mark for the 20th time, including 12 seasons with coach Kim Barnes Arico.

The Cornhuskers (16-7, 5-7) fell to 0-6 against AP Top 25 teams this season.

Nebraska’s Britt Prince and Amiah Hargrove scored 16 each and Petra Bozan added 12 points.

The Huskers were competitive for two-plus quarters.

They led 25-24 after an opening quarter with eight lead changes and four ties. The Wolverines turned it over six times in the first quarter and gave it up on the first possession of the second quarter before taking better care of the ball and going on a 7-0 run to take a six-point lead.

Nebraska closed the first half with eight points in 1:01 to take a 44-42 lead and went ahead by six points early in the third quarter.

Michigan surged ahead by making 6 of 8 shots to end the third, taking a 69-64 lead on Swords’ third 3-pointer.

Ashley Sofilkanich finished with nine points and 13 rebounds for the Wolverines.

Up next

Nebraska: Host Maryland on Saturday.

Michigan: Hosts No. 2 UCLA on Sunday.

The Detroit Tigers have made a free agency splash just a week before Spring Training begins, landing left-hander Framber Valdez, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The deal is reportedly for 3 years and $115 million.

BREAKING: Star left-hander Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a three-year, $115 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Valdez, 32, gets the highest AAV ever for a left-handed pitcher as well as the highest for a Latin American pitcher. Huge move for Detroit. Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 5, 2026

Valdez was one of the most sought-after free agents on the market, with both the Pirates and Blue Jays reported as suitors. He's an 8-year veteran with the Houston Astros, where he won a World Series in 2022. He's also a two-time All-Star.

The Tigers are set to begin Spring Training on February 11. One big question still surrounding the team is the arbitration with Tarik Skubal. The hearing was held today, and a decision could come as soon as Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Post sports section died Wednesday. Whether you blame natural causes or more avoidable factors, the loss for the D.C. area is immense.

The ramifications were felt almost immediately. Shortly after the newspaper eliminated its sports section while laying off a third of its staff, the hometown NBA team made a massive trade. The Washington Wizards agreed to acquire star Anthony Davis from Dallas. Over two hours after the news broke, there was still no mention of it on the Post’s online sports site.

Washington struggles for respect as a sports town, at times an afterthought compared to passionate Eastern cities like New York, Philadelphia and Boston. D.C.’s population, so the stereotype goes, is too transient, too consumed with politics to care about the local teams.

For decades, however, the Post treated sports as a vital part of life in the district. Whatever the rest of the country thought about Washington’s teams and fans, there was no better place to read about sports than the nation’s capital.

If you grew up in D.C. as a sports fan in the 1980s, the Post wasn’t necessarily the paper of Woodward and Bernstein. It was the paper of Boswell, Brennan, Feinstein, Wilbon and Kornheiser. More recently, it was the paper of Jenkins, Buckner and Kilgore.

“Growing up reading the Post, I didn’t realize it wasn’t like this in other cities,” ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt said on social media. “I didn’t know how lucky we were to enjoy giants of their craft.”

The Post made Washington sports fans feel like they mattered. If those days are over, they should not be forgotten.

Best of the best

Before they became TV stars on “Pardon The Interruption” at ESPN, Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser were D.C. institutions at the Post. When Joe Gibbs’ 1991 team won its first 11 games on the way to Washington’s third Super Bowl title, Kornheiser’s “Bandwagon” columns — which combined his usual wit and irreverence with a cockiness befitting one of the best seasons in NFL history — became as memorable as the games themselves.

Before her own television career took off, Rachel Nichols chronicled the Capitals’ run to the Stanley Cup Final for the Post in 1998. John Feinstein was a reporter at the paper before and after his book on Bob Knight turned him into a famous author.

Christine Brennan covered football for the Post in the mid-80s. Now with USA Today, Brennan received the Red Smith Award for contributions to sports journalism from the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2020. The following year, Sally Jenkins — who was still at the Post — won it. The Post’s Shirley Povich received that honor back in 1983.

Thomas Boswell, the Post’s go-to columnist for all things baseball, was given the 2025 Career Excellence Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He was honored during Hall of Fame weekend last year.

A new era

The Post would never be confused with a tabloid sports section, but the headlines and layout moved into the 21st Century with panache.

Designer Brianna Schroer said she was part of this week’s cuts. Reporter Scott Allen, whose position was eliminated as well, posted a thread on social media of some of the sports section’s best front pages. They are a timeline of D.C. sports from the past 25 years — which included Major League Baseball’s return to Washington and long-awaited championships by the Capitals, Nationals, Mystics and Spirit.

The Post’s reporting on the organizational culture was part of Dan Snyder’s downfall as owner of the football team he renamed the Commanders. And as recently as last year, Candace Buckner (top sports columnist), Adam Kilgore (national beat writing) and Kent Babb (top long feature) were APSE award winners.

The Post balanced stories of national relevance with coverage of local interest. Andrew Beyer — the man behind the famous Beyer Speed Figures — was the paper’s horse racing columnist for nearly four decades.

If you wanted to read about the World Cup, Steven Goff, one of the country’s top soccer writers, was in the pages of the Post. If you wanted to know who had the best high school volleyball team in the area, the Post ranked them — part of extensive preps coverage that included the paper’s much-anticipated All-Met teams.

The future

Wilbon and Kornheiser did not address the Post’s action on Wednesday’s episode of “PTI,” but for those who recently lost jobs, feelings were understandably raw.

“The community loses. That’s real. The Sports page should be a place for conversation and debate without the vitriol from other areas. In Washington, that’s gone,” said columnist Barry Svrluga, who was laid off Wednesday. “Someone will fill the void. I hope it happens quickly.”

— By NOAH TRISTER, Associated Press

By DAVID KLEPPER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Close the cover on the CIA World Factbook: The spy agency announced Wednesday that after more than 60 years, it is shuttering the popular reference manual.

The announcement posted to the CIA’s website offered no reason for the decision to end the Factbook, but it follows a vow from Director John Ratcliffe to end programs that don’t advance the agency’s core missions.

First launched in 1962 as a printed, classified reference manual for intelligence officers, the Factbook offered a detailed, by-the-numbers picture of foreign nations, their economies, militaries, resources and societies. The Factbook proved so useful that other federal agencies began using it, and within a decade, an unclassified version was released to the public.

After going online in 1997, the Factbook quickly became a popular reference site for journalists, trivia aficionados and the writers of college essays, racking up millions of visits per year.

The White House has moved to cut staffing at the CIA and the National Security Agency early in Trump’s second term, forcing the agency to do more with less.

The CIA did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday about the decision to cease publication of the Factbook.

Royal Oak's switch to ParkMobile at the start of the year is getting positive reviews from residents and business owners who say it's simpler and more user-friendly than the previous system.

"I thought it was really easy. Everything is spelled out for how to do it," Suzanne Abbott of Harrison Township said.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below: Are Royal Oak's parking changes making a difference

Kelly Dobson of Livonia agreed, noting the familiarity of the system.

"They have similar machines in Ann Arbor, which I go to a lot, so it was not that hard to figure it out," Dobson said.

However, some residents acknowledge there's a learning curve for less tech-savvy users.

"You know, I'm pretty tech savvy, but there's people in places right here, they couldn't," Phillip Stephens of Royal Oak said.

The new ParkMobile system eliminated the city's controversial back-in parking spaces and camera technology, providing relief for many businesses, especially those on South Washington Avenue, who felt the old system drove customers away.

"It used to be daily, weekly complaints about not being able to back in, not understanding the system, the app not working, and now it's the exact opposite," said Julia Manzella, who works at Rail & Anchor gift shop.

Manzella has worked at the gift shop for six years and has noticed increased foot traffic since the switch.

"The anxiety is gone about parking here now. It's way more welcoming to come back to the city," Manzella said.

City officials say creating a welcoming environment was exactly their goal.

"The hardest part should be deciding where you want to go for dinner, not how to park," City Commissioner Brandon Kolo said.

Previous report: Royal Oak shares exclusive sneak peek of new downtown parking meters ahead of January 2026 launch Royal Oak shares exclusive sneak peek of new downtown parking meters ahead of January 2026 launch

Kolo and fellow City Commissioner Rebecca Cheezum wanted a parking system already used in other communities. The ParkMobile system is also used in Ferndale and Birmingham.

"So it's really familiar to people and I think people are really enjoying the ease of our on-street parking," Cheezum said.

The new system eliminates back-in parking spaces but still requires payment even when meters are bagged. Users should look for orange signs and kiosks, then follow the listed steps including entering the zone number and license plate number.

Other payment options include downloading the ParkMobile app, paying online or texting "PARK" to 77223.

"Our downtown is really important to us. We want people to come downtown. We want visitors in our community. That's really important to us, to our business owners, to our residents... and so it was really essential that we get it right," Cheezum said.

Previous report: Royal Oak returns to pull-in parking, ending controversial back-in spaces City of Royal Oak begins parking changes

The city has already started removing the old meters, with the process expected to be completed by April.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

By ALEXANDRA OLSON and CLAIRE SAVAGE

NEW YORK (AP) — The federal agency for protecting workers’ civil rights revealed Wednesday that it is investigating sportswear giant Nike for allegedly discriminating against white employees through its diversity policies.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disclosed the investigation in a motion filed in Missouri federal court demanding that Nike fully comply with a subpoena for information.

The EEOC sought the company’s criteria for selecting employees for layoffs, how it tracks and uses worker race and ethnicity data, and information about programs which allegedly provided race-restricted mentoring, leadership, or career development opportunities, according to court documents.

In a statement, Nike said the company has worked to cooperate with the EEOC and the subpoena “feels like a surprising and unusual escalation.”

“We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses to the EEOC’s inquiry and are in the process of providing additional information,” Nike said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.”

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas has moved swiftly to target diversity and inclusion policies that she has long criticized as potentially discriminatory, tightly aligning the agency with one of President Donald Trump’s top priorities.

Nike appears to be the highest profile company the EEOC has targeted with a publicly confirmed, formal anti-DEI investigation. In November, the EEOC issued a similar subpoena against financial services provider Northwestern Mutual.

“When there are compelling indications, including corporate admissions in extensive public materials, that an employer’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-related programs may violate federal prohibitions against race discrimination or other forms of unlawful discrimination, the EEOC will take all necessary steps — including subpoena actions — to ensure the opportunity to fully and comprehensively investigate,” Lucas said in a statement.

The disclosure comes two months after Lucas posted a social media call-out urging white men to come forward if they have experienced race or sex discrimination at work. The post urged eligible workers to reach out to the agency “as soon as possible” and referred users to the agency’s fact sheet on DEI-related discrimination.

The investigation against Nike, however, does not stem from any worker complaint against the company. Rather, Lucas filed her own complaint in May 2024 through a more rarely used tool known as a commissioner’s charge, according to the court documents. Her charge came just months after America First Legal, a conservative legal group founded by top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, sent the EEOC a letter outlining complaints against Nike and urging the agency to file a commissioner’s charge.

America First Legal has flooded the EEOC with similar letters in recent years urging investigations into the DEI practices of major U.S. companies. It is unclear how many other companies the EEOC may be targeting through such commissioner’s charges. The EEOC is prohibited from revealing any charge — by workers or commissioners — unless it results in fines, settlements, legal action or other such public actions.

Lucas’ charge, according to court filings, was based on Nike’s publicly shared information about its commitment to diversity, including statements from executives and proxy statements. The charge, for example, cited Nike’s publicly stated goal in 2021 of achieving 35% representation of racial and ethnic minorities in its corporate workforce by 2025.

Many U.S. companies made similar commitments in the wake of the widespread 2020 racial justice protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man. Companies have said such commitments are not quotas but rather goals they hoped to achieve through methods such as widening recruitment efforts and rooting out any bias during hiring process.

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers are prohibited from using race as a criteria for hiring or other employment decisions. Lucas has long warned that many companies risk crossing that line through DEI efforts that would pressure managers to make race-based decisions.

In its statement, Nike said it follows “all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination. We believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously.”

The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The Department of Justice is now agreeing to correct redaction errors in its latest batch of files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, according to lawyers representing survivors of the convicted sex offender.

One of those lawyers told a judge that after discussions with the DOJ, they "trust that the deficiencies will be corrected expeditiously and in a manner that meaningfully protects victims from further harm."

Lawyers previously said more than 100 women had their names made public after the DOJ released more than 3.5 million pages on Friday. And there have been thousands of instances of survivors' personal information being made public.

"Names, IDs, emails. All sorts of personal information was out there," said survivor Lisa Phillips. "It just doesn't make sense to me. I feel like it's very deliberate."

RELATED NEWS | Judge will hear from Epstein survivors after released documents published their names

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) sits on the House Oversight Committee, which is overseeing the Epstein investigation.

"The fact that that somebody's name was, was put out, in an error or whatever, to me, it's egregious and, and, and that just it can't be," Burchett said.

Attorney General Pam Bondi blamed redaction mistakes on various factors including "technical or human error."

The Justice Department did not respond to a Scripps News inquiry into when redaction mistakes would be fixed.

TRUMP ON EPSTEIN | Trump says US should move on from Epstein files, lashes out at reporter for pressing questions

This comes as President Donald Trump says it's time to move on from focusing on Epstein.

"I think it's really time for the country to get onto something else," the president said on Tuesday.

Democrats immediately fired back.

"You want us just to forget about it and move on? What about the survivors?" asked Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). "It just shows how immature, venal, corrupt the elite in this country are that they're saying 'let's just move on.'"

President Donald Trump is taking steps toward installing near the White House a replica of a statue of famed explorer Christopher Columbus that had been tossed into Baltimore's harbor during his first term amid protests against institutional racism.

John Pica, a Maryland lobbyist and president of the Italian American Organizations United, said his group owns the statue and agreed to loan it to the federal government for placement at or near the White House.

Pica told The Associated Press in an interview that he was contacted about the statue around Columbus Day last year by an intermediary who said the White House was looking for a statue of the explorer. Pica says his organization took a straw vote and unanimously decided to send the statue to the White House. They signed the loan agreement Wednesday.

Asked if he was optimistic the statue would make it to the White House, Pica said, Cautiously optimistic, yes. The exact timing for any planned installation was unclear, he said, though he added, possibly within two weeks.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | The Shift From Columbus Day To Indigenous Peoples Day

Maryland state Del. Nino Mangione, a Republican who has worked with the Italian American group to find the statue a new home after it was pulled from the harbor, also confirmed the plans for the statue, which were first reported earlier Wednesday by The Washington Post.

The White House declined to comment to the AP on plans for the statue but reaffirmed Trumps affinity for Columbus, whose legacy has shifted as historians and educators amplify how white European figures and their descendants treated Native Americans and enslaved Africans to develop the New World.

In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, said Trump spokesman David Ingle. And he will continue to be honored as such by President Trump.

Trump wants to put his own stamp on American history ahead of big anniversary celebration

For Pica and his group, the statue's Washington placement would celebrate a famous Italian who holds iconic status among Italian Americans. For Trump, it would be another move to reshape the telling of U.S. history as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Trump endorses a traditional view of Columbus as leader of the 1492 mission that marked the unofficial beginning of European colonization in the Americas and the development of the modern economic and political order. But in recent years, Columbus also been recognized as a primary example of Western Europes conquest of the New World, its resources and its native people.

The statue now headed to Washington is a replica of one toppled by protesters on July 4, 2020, and thrown into Baltimore's Inner Harbor after anger boiled over following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. It was one of many statues of Columbus that were vandalized around the same time, with protesters saying the Italian explorer was responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Demonstrators Topple Christopher Columbus Statue In Baltimore

I was there when we got it out of the harbor, Mangione said, adding that artist Will Hemsley used parts of the old statue, first unveiled during Ronald Reagans presidency, to build and restore a beautiful, brand new statue.

In recent years, some individuals, institutions and government entities have displaced Columbus Day with recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day. President Joe Biden in 2021 became the first U.S. president to mark Indigenous Peoples Day with a proclamation.

The statue may not be permanent

Pica emphasized that his group is lending the statue and would reclaim it if a future administration wanted it taken down.

Trump dismisses the shift on Columbus as left-wing arsonists bending history and twisting Americans collective memory. Im bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes., he declared last April. Echoing his 2024 campaign rhetoric, he complained that Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much.

Trump issued a Columbus Day proclamation last October and ignored Indigenous Peoples Day. He praised Columbus as the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth.

That tribute reflected Trump's broader take on history. Last spring, he signed an executive order titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, which bemoaned a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nations history in a way that misrepresents the U.S. as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.

Since the order, the administration has demanded a comprehensive review of exhibits across all Smithsonian museums and pushed Executive Branch agencies and state and local entities especially colleges, universities and schools that receive federal funding to roll back their diversity initiatives.

A high school senior from Birmingham is making a significant impact in her community by helping others feel confident through her nonprofit organization.

Watch Demetrios Sanders' video report: Seaholm High School student creates nonprofit to help people in need of clothing

Tessa Shane, a senior at Seaholm High School, founded The Donation Closet after stepping away from sports. Her journey began when she got involved with the New Jersey-based organization Hoodies for the Homeless in 2024.

"I started a Michigan chapter for that, and I was getting a lot of donations coming to my house, so I decided I needed a place to put everything," Shane said.

That place became the basement of her family's home.

"Figured nobody was really using it, and why not take the couch out and all the furniture, and buy some racks, and let's make use of this," said Jennifer Shane, Tessa's mother.

The growth Shane saw with Hoodies for Homeless inspired her to create The Donation Closet in the summer of last year, where she coordinates clothing donation drives for people in need.

"People can drop donations off at my house, or they'll drop it off at my high school," Shane said. "I'll go to my basement, and I'll sort everything, and then I have different racks from like kids, women's, men's, and then like the different sizes."

Since starting her nonprofit, Shane has collected around 10,000 garments, which she delivers to organizations around Metro Detroit for distribution. On Wednesday, she delivered donations to the Michigan Foster Care Closet in Ann Arbor, where children in foster care can shop for free.

"This is a place where they belong, and they come in our doors, and they know that. And they get to choose anything they want, and they don't worry about price, and they get to find their favorite characters," said Lynda Cooney, a board member at Michigan Foster Care Closet.

The organization serves between 120 and 150 youth each month, highlighting the critical need for donations.

"When people like Tessa come in and drop off large donations, it allows us to do what we do," Cooney said.

The Donation Closet has helped around 18 other nonprofits and even families impacted by the LA wildfires. Shane hopes her work encourages others to give back to their communities.

"It fills. me up with happiness that I'm able to help other people," Shane said. "I just think that everyone should do something and help the community."

When she goes off to college, Shane plans to create another chapter of The Donation Closet in that area.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Tensions over immigration enforcement escalated across Southeast Michigan as hundreds of Plymouth-Canton Community Schools students staged a walkout Tuesday afternoon in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, while religious leaders from multiple faiths called for defunding the federal agency.

The student demonstration, captured by aerial footage, represents the latest in a series of protests against ICE agents operating in the region. The walkout coincided with the White House's announcement that it would pull back 700 of the 3,000 immigration enforcement officers deployed in Minnesota.

Watch Randy Wimbley's video report below: Plymouth students protest ICE as religious coalition demands defunding

At St. Paul's Episcopal Church, roughly 60 Episcopalian priests, Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams gathered to condemn what they described as immoral immigration enforcement tactics. The interfaith coalition called on lawmakers to cut funding to ICE, citing concerns over the agency's methods and the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

"This may be beginning with immigrants, but if the administration has its way, it surely won't stop there," Rabbi Nate Degroot, director of the Shalom Center, said.

The religious leaders and Christy McGillivray, executive director of Voters Not Politicians, argued there was no room for compromise on the issue.

"Any deal for reform is delusional. ICE agents have violated nearly 100 court orders from just one single Minneapolis judge in the past few months," McGillivray said.

"To spend our public dollars on the systematic abuse of our communities is morally repugnant," Rev. Jill Zundel, pastor emeritus at Central Methodist Church added.

Web extra: Clergy members in metro Detroit talk about impact of immigration enforcement Web extra: Clergy members in metro Detroit talk about impact of immigration enforcement

The enforcement crackdown has impacted local businesses serving immigrant communities, including Maty's African Cuisine. Owner Amadi Gueye said customer traffic has dropped significantly as fear spreads through the community.

"They don't come here to buy food anymore. Everybody's scared. They stay home," Gueye said.

Gueye said his nephew and brother were detained last week, adding to what he described as widespread arrests in the African community.

"This past three weeks, they've taken over 20 people 20 African people," he said.

While Gueye said he could support ICE funding if agents focused solely on criminals, he believes the current operations are targeting law-abiding residents.

"ICE in the beginning, they say they're looking for criminals, but now they are catching good people," Gueye said.

Sunny Reddy, co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, defended the enforcement actions.

"I strongly support ICE, what they're doing. They're not targeting an individual; they're targeting the people who violated the law," Reddy said.

The Oakland County Republican Party released a statement criticizing the faith leaders' press conference, calling it "another troubling escalation in the radical left's campaign to delegitimize lawful federal immigration enforcement and undermine respect for the rule of law."

The statement compared the movement to "the failed and destructive 'defund the police' movement of 2020, which prioritized slogans over solutions and left communities less safe as a result."

You can read the full statement below:

The increasingly extreme rhetoric coming out of todays so-called ICE Out Interfaith Press Conference marks another troubling escalation in the radical lefts campaign to delegitimize lawful federal immigration enforcement and undermine respect for the rule of law. Recent tragedies involving federal immigration officers are undeniable and deeply serious. As Brian Szmytke, Senior Advisor to the Oakland County Republican Party noted, Any loss of life is tragic, and those incidents deserve to be investigated fully and transparently. But we also have to be honest about what has fueled this moment. These tragedies did not occur in a vacuum. They are the foreseeable result of years of dangerous rhetoric from the far left that portrays law enforcement officers as villains and encourages confrontation instead of compliance. Rather than working to lower tensions, organizers of todays event chose to double down on that rhetoric by branding a federal law-enforcement agency as lawless and out of control. According to Szmytke, That kind of language is reckless. When activists and political leaders tell people that law enforcement itself is illegitimate, they create an environment where resistance is celebrated and violence becomes more likely. Words have consequences. This approach mirrors the failed and destructive defund the police movement of 2020, which prioritized slogans over solutions and left communities less safe as a result. We have already lived through the real-world consequences of demonizing law enforcement, Szmytke added. Now we are watching the same playbook get recycled, this time targeting federal officers who are doing the job Congress assigned them.

"We are not calling for open borders, we are not calling for the end of law we are calling for an end to masked militarized immigration enforcement inside our communities," Rev. Josephy Alsay, dean of St. Pauls Cathedral, said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The Trump Administration is trying to boost U.S. supply chains for critical minerals, materials that make up everything from your cell phone to fighter jets.

A meeting with high level officials including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio went on at the State Department Wednesday, where more than 50 nations are considering a new trade pact that seeks to combat Chinese influence on rare earths and critical minerals.

The deal would cover more than a dozen critical materials, naturally occurring elements and minerals that are used in everything from jet engines to cell phone batteries and AI chips.

China has dominated this market, accounting for about 70% of mineral drilling markets and 90% of refinery markets. It has also frequently dumped cheap product on the global marketplace as a means of trying to push back against any competition.

The new U.S. effort seeks a trade agreement to try to enable countries to purchase minerals among themselves, setting some floor level prices and ensuring that countries participating in the deal will only purchase those minerals from other participants.

RELATED STORY | Trump holds wide-ranging call with Xi, touching on Iran, Taiwan and trade

"This morning, the Trump administration is proposing a concrete mechanism to return the global critical minerals market to a healthier, more competitive state," said Vice President JD Vance. "A preferential trade zone for critical minerals, protected from external disruptions through enforceable price floors. We will establish reference prices for critical minerals each stage of production, pricing that reflects real world fair market value. And from members of the preferential zone, these reference prices will operate as a floor, maintained through adjustable tariffs, to uphold pricing integrity."

It remains to be seen how successful a deal would be, or what penalties or enforcement mechanisms would ensure compliance.

RELATED NEWS | Trump to lower tariffs on imports from India after deal to halt Russian oil

In todays Health Alert, heart disease remains the number one killer of women in the United States, yet many women still dont see it as their biggest health threat. The warning signs can look different than mens, and they can be easy to miss.

Ask Dr. Nandi: What are the heart disease warning signs women should look for?

Heart disease is often thought of as a mans disease. But the reality is, heart disease causes about one in five deaths among women in the U.S., and it affects women of all ages.

Now, one big reason its so dangerous is awareness. The CDC found that only about 56 percent of women realize heart disease is their top health risk. Many women worry about cancer, especially breast cancer, when, statistically, heart disease is far more likely to be deadly.

Another issue is how symptoms show up. For years, womens symptoms were called atypical, but thats misleading. Women are more than half the population, and their symptoms can look different. While men often describe crushing chest pain, women are 30% less likely to report it. Instead, it may feel like chest discomfort or pain in the neck, jaw, upper back, or arms. They may also have nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fatigue that wont go away.

Because of that, women often wait longer to seek help. And even then, unfortunately, its not uncommon to be told their symptoms have nothing to do with their heart.

The American Heart Association has something called Lifes Essential 8, which focuses on protecting heart health. What I like about Lifes Essential 8 is that theyre great for both women and men.

First is eating better. That means focusing on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils.

Second is physical activity. Adults should aim for about two and a half hours of moderate exercise each week, or 75 minutes of more intense activity.

Third is quitting tobacco. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and greatly increases the risk of heart disease.

Next is sleep. Adults need seven to nine hours a night. Poor sleep affects blood pressure, blood sugar, and inflammation - all major heart risks.

Then its about managing weight, controlling cholesterol, and keeping blood sugar and blood pressure in check. High blood pressure is especially dangerous for womens hearts and is often underdiagnosed.

So heres my advice. Women need to be strong advocates for their health. Bring questions to your doctor and discuss symptoms, even if they feel vague. If heart disease is a concern, ask about testing and follow-up.