Women's hockey star Hilary Knight calls men's hockey's viral phone call 'distasteful'

U.S. women's hockey star and Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight is speaking out following President Donald Trump's now-viral phone call to theU.S. men's hockey teamfollowing their gold medal win at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

"I thought the call in itself was distasteful and an awesome learning moment to refocus the narrative and understand our words matter, and how we speak about women matters, and we need to celebrate this team," Knight said on"Good Morning America"Thursday morning.

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In a postgame call with the men's hockey team, Trump invited the team to the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., and said he would "have to" invite the Olympic gold medal-winning women's team as well.

"I must tell you, we're gonna have to bring the women's team. You do know that," Trump said, prompting laughter from the men's team. "I do believe I probably would be impeached."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

byDaniel Coleman

in

February 26, 2026

Women's hockey star Hilary Knight calls men's hockey's viral phone call 'distasteful'

U.S. women's hockey star and Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight is speaking out following President Donald Trump...

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What are the 2026 NFL combine events? Workout schedule, how to watch

The 2026 NFL combine begins this week, wheremore than 300 invited prospectswill have a chance to make an impression upon league coaches, scouts and executives.

After the Senior Bowl, the combine is the next step in the NFL offseason process before the2026 NFL Draft.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has already decided he will not throw at the combine. Instead, theHeisman Trophy winnerandpresumed favorite to be the No. 1 overall pickwill throw during his pro day next month,according to ESPN.

However, there will be plenty of opportunity for others to make a name for themselves during this year's event.

Here's what you need to know about 2026 NFL combine:

2. New York Jets – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Arizona Cardinals – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 4. Tennessee Titans – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Cleveland Browns – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Washington Commanders – David Bailey, DE/OLB, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. New Orleans Saints – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Kansas City Chiefs – Makai Lemon, WR, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Cincinnati Bengals – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 11. Miami Dolphins – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 12. Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 17. Detroit Lions – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 18. Minnesota Vikings – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 19. Carolina Panthers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22. Los Angeles Chargers – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 23. Philadelphia Eagles – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 27. San Francisco 49ers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 29. Los Angeles Rams – Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 30. Denver Broncos – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 31. New England Patriots – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 32. Seattle Seahawks – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl

When and where is the 2026 NFL combine?

The 2026 NFL combine begins Feb. 23 through March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

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How to watch the 2026 NFL combine?

The combine will be broadcast on NFL Network. It can also be streamed on the NFL+ app and NFL.com.

When will coaches, general managers and players speak at the combine?

Some coaches and general managers will speak to the media on Tuesday Feb. 24 and Wednesday, Feb. 25 to share offseason updates.

Here's the media schedule for the players:

• Wednesday, Feb. 25: Defensive Line, Linebackers, Placekickers

• Thursday, Feb. 26: Defensive Backs, Tight Ends

• Friday, Feb. 27: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Running Backs

• Saturday, Feb. 28: Offensive Line

NFL combine workout schedule

On-field workouts will begin Thursday, Feb. 26 through March 1, where prospects conduct several drills: the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle.

Here's when the players will participate:

• Thursday, Feb. 26: Defensive Linemen, Linebackers, Placekickers, 3 p.m. ET

• Friday, Feb. 27: Defensive Backs, Tight Ends, 3 p.m. ET

• Saturday, Feb. 28: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Running Backs, 1 p.m. ET

• Sunday, March 1: Offensive Linemen, 1 p.m. ET

When is the 2026 NFL Draft?

The2026 NFL Draftwill be held from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. TheLas Vegas Raidersown the No. 1 pick.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What are the 2026 NFL combine events? Workout schedule, how to watch

byDaniel Coleman

in

February 26, 2026

What are the 2026 NFL combine events? Workout schedule, how to watch

The 2026 NFL combine begins this week, wheremore than 300 invited prospectswill have a chance to make an impression upon ...

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Golden Knights sit 5 from Olympic gold-medal game in NHL return against Kings

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights were without five players from theOlympic gold medal-gameWednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL's return from a three-week break.

Milan Cortina Olympics Ice Hockey

Having already ruled out center Jack Eichel and defenseman Noah Hanifin from the champion United States, the Golden Knights traveled without Canadian forwards Mark Stone and Mitch Marner and defenseman Shea Theodore.

"Well, it's a challenge to the group, and it's an opportunity for others, so we still got 20 NHL players in our lineup," Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Obviously, less room for error when you're missing some real difference-makers."

The United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in Milan on Sunday. Eichel, Stone and Marner are Vegas' top three point producers, Theodore and Hanifin lead Vegas defensemen in ice time and points.

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Eichel and Hanifin will join up with the Golden Knights in Washington and are expected to play against the Capitals on Friday night. Cassidy expressed optimism Stone, Marner and Theodore will make the trip from Las Vegas to the East Coast and also be available Friday.

Vegas does have reinforcements coming into the lineup with forwards Brandon Saad (undisclosed) and Colton Sissions (upper body) and defenseman Brayden McNabb (upper body) all having been activated off injured reserve Tuesday.

The Golden Knights have a four-point lead over the second-place Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division. Vegas willplay 18 games over the next 35 days.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

byDaniel Coleman

in

February 26, 2026

Golden Knights sit 5 from Olympic gold-medal game in NHL return against Kings

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights were without five players from theOlympic gold medal-gameWednesday night agai...

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Texas grand jury rejects indictments in fatal shooting of US citizen by federal immigration agent

A grand jury on Wednesday rejected indictments over the fatal shooting last yearof a U.S. citizenby a federal immigration agent during a traffic encounter in Texas, prosecutors said.

The shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez on March 15, 2025, by a Homeland Security Investigations agent wasn't publicly disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security until The Associated Press and other media outlets reported it last week. HSI is an investigative unit which falls under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Cameron County District Attorney's Office said in a statement that a grand jury declined to hand up indictments after being presented the case. The office did not provide additional details.

In a previous statement DHS alleged that the 23-year-old "intentionally ran over" an HSI special agent, causing another agent to fire "defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public."

The shooting would mark the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since anationwide immigration crackdownwas launched in President Donald Trump's second term.

Attorneys for Martinez's family, who are skeptical of DHS' account of the shooting, said in a statement Wednesday that because grand jury proceedings are private they don't know what witness statements or video evidence were presented to the jurors.

They are calling on the Texas Department of Public Safety to disclose the findings of its investigation so Martinez's family can "determine for themselves whether ICE's story is accurate and why Ruben was killed that night."

The attorneys cited adraft affidavit from the passenger, Joshua Orta, in the car with Martinez when he was shot. In the draft testimony, Orta reportedly said that Martinez did not hit an officer with his vehicle, that their car was "just crawling" and that a federal agent fired into the driver's side window without "giving any warning, commands, or opportunity to comply."

Orta, a key witness to the encounter, died in a car crash last weekend.

Martinez's family are "proud Americans, strong supporters of law enforcement, and Trump voters. They believe there are honest and decent officers out there," the statement read.

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"They just want to be treated honestly and decently."

Martinez, who lived in San Antonio, Texas, and Orta were on a Spring Break trip to South Padre Island when he was shot. His death was reported by local media outlets at the time, but authorities did not disclose that the shooting involved a team from HSI.

An incident report from ICE described the officers' account of what happened while they were assisting local police redirect traffic around a car accident.

A four-door Ford with a driver and passenger approached officers, who ordered the driver to stop, the report said.

Initially, the driver didn't respond to commands but eventually came to a stop, and agents surrounded the vehicle, telling those inside to get out, according to the report.

The driver then "accelerated forward" and struck an HSI special agent "who wound up on the hood of the vehicle," prompting a HSI supervisory special agent nearby to fire his weapon multiple times through the open driver's side window, the report said.

The draft affidavit disputes those details.

In it, Orta reportedly said that he and Martinez were first approached by a police officer who told them to leave. As they tried turning, another officer approached, slapped the hood and "seemed to be trying to get in front of the car," it added.

Officers surrounded the vehicle yelling at them to stop and drawing their guns, the draft affidavit said, adding that Martinez was "only crawling," and never hit an officer or the gas.

An officer near the driver side window then pulled his weapon and fired without warning, the draft affidavit said, and Orta recounted hearing Martinez say "I'm sorry" as he slumped backward unconscious.

Reyes, Martinez's mother, told AP last week her son was shot three times.

byDaniel Coleman

in

February 26, 2026

Texas grand jury rejects indictments in fatal shooting of US citizen by federal immigration agent

A grand jury on Wednesday rejected indictments over the fatal shooting last yearof a U.S. citizenby a federal immigration...

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As fighting spirals in South Sudan, a humanitarian crisis looms for displaced survivors

AKOBO, South Sudan (AP) — Kool Gatyen Pajock was in a South Sudan hospital while a physiotherapist wrapped bandages around the 18-month-old's legs under the watchful eye of his grandmother, Nyayual Chuol.

APTOPIX South Sudan Conflict

Government forces put a bullet in the baby's leg and killed his parents, according to Chuol, who carried him to the hospital in Akobo, South Sudan's northeastern region near Ethiopia, from their village 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the west.

They were among the 280,000 people who have been displaced in the past two months by a renewedconflictin Jonglei state between the government army, known as the South Sudan People's Defense Forces, and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition.

"I have nothing in my hand now to take care of this baby," Chuol said. "I'm worried about my four children who ran in different directions when the attack took place. I don't know where they are now."

The fighting further threatens a fragile peace reached in 2018 after a five-year civil war.

Opposition leader Riek Machar was named first vice president alongside President Salva Kiir under a 2020 power-sharing agreement. But Kiir placed Machar under house arrest following new outbreaks of violence in March.Machar was chargedin September with treason along with seven opposition members linked to an attack on government forces.

The conflict escalated in December when opposition forces seized government outposts in Jonglei. The government has conducted a counteroffensive since January with aerial bombardments and ground assaults, despite an official commitment to the peace agreement.

In addition to being forced from their homes, civilians have suffered significant casualties.

"People are still fearing that the government army may come and attack here," Chuol said. "This is what is worrying me right now."

Civilians suffer the consequences

Nyankhiay Gatluak Jock, 28, escaped from her village of Walgak after a government attack in early February.

"They bombed us from the gunship helicopter, and after that the soldiers came with their cars and started shooting," said Jock, who was among 42,000 displaced people sheltering in Akobo under the protection of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

"We want to ask the president to tell his army to differentiate between the combatants and the civilians," Jock said while breastfeeding two children in a church alongside other displaced women and youth.

After government forcesbombed a hospitaloperated by humanitarian groupDoctors Without Borderson Feb. 3, Nyaphan Nyang Lual headed for Akobo with her husband, daughter and 1-month-old granddaughter. On the road, her husband was shot and her daughter was abducted by armed youths.

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Lual reached Akobo with her granddaughter, Bhan Tut Mut, but could not find food assistance and worried for the infant who has developed diarrhea.

"We took her to the clinic but there is no medicine there, and I cannot afford to buy from the pharmacy," Lual said.

Fighting disrupts humanitarian services

Humanitarian services have not been spared. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 13 health facilities in Jonglei were "looted or partially destroyed." Reports of widespread sexual violence also have emerged.

Funding cuts andgovernment-imposed restrictionson humanitarian organizations have resulted in a lack of resources and supplies, according to humanitarian workers who said they were frustrated by an inability to offer the necessary level of assistance.

"We have nothing … no feeding, no medication," said Susan Tab, a reproductive health officer in Akobo with Nile Hope, a South Sudanese organization. "The only thing we can provide to help these displaced people is psychosocial support."

U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher visited Akobo on Feb. 21 during a tour of South Sudan's areas impacted by the fighting.

During nearly three years of civil war in Sudan to the north and conflicts in nearby countries in the Horn of Africa, Fletcher said South Sudan has become "one of the most neglected crises in the world right now."

"I want to make this crisis more visible to the public. And I want them to demand change. To demand funding. To demand political engagement to end this war," Fletcher said.

He was greeted in Akobo by thousands of displaced women and children who remained unsure of their safety and future. Some held posters with handwritten messages, including one with the blunt report, "They killed everyone."

"Help is coming," Fletcher told the survivors.

For more on Africa and development:https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

byDaniel Coleman

in

February 26, 2026

As fighting spirals in South Sudan, a humanitarian crisis looms for displaced survivors

AKOBO, South Sudan (AP) — Kool Gatyen Pajock was in a South Sudan hospital while a physiotherapist wrapped bandages aroun...

Read More