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Vance and his family entered during the intermission at the end of the first period, with the U.S. leading 1-0. Paul joined them shortly after. Paul'sfiancee Jutta Leerdam is a speedskaterfor the Netherlands at theMilan Cortina Games.

Vance sat with his youngest child, daughter Mirabel, on his lap. Usha Vance, wearing a sweatshirt with "USA" in big letters, clapped along to Queen's "We Will Rock You," before the second period started.

The vice president and his wife stood and clapped when the U.S. women's team scored a goal. They were back on their feet cheering a few minutes later when the U.S. women scored again.

Among those seated near Vance were 2010 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek and hockey's twin sisters, Hall of Famers Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando. They were members of the U.S. gold medal-winning team at the 2018 Winter Games.

It's the second time that Vance has watched the U.S. women's team at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

He was also at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena on Thursday, when the U.S.beat Czechia 5-1in its opening game of the preliminary round.

U.S. player Taylor Heise said it was "awesome" to hear that Vance and Paul were at the rink, but she wasn't aware during the game.

"I know (teammate) Abbey Murphy wants to meet Jake Paul, so we'd love to set that up," she said.

"None of us knew that they were here, actually," Heise added. "Just happy to be playing, and whoever's there gets to watch the show, because I think we're pretty good."

The U.S. players are especially familiar with Paul through his relationship with Leerdam, who competes in speedskating against U.S. hockey captain Hilary Knight's girlfriend Brittany Bowe.

"I know his fiancee, Jutta, we've watched her work out. She's phenomenal. We're excited to go and watch her and obviously we're cheering on Brit Bowe," Heise said.

Michelle L. Price and John Wawrow contributed to this report.

AP Winter Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Roster building for both franchises used all available team-building options. Free agent signings and trade acquisitions played key roles in their journey to the title game.

But the NFL Draft brought them their stars.

New England's MVP-contending quarterbackDrake Mayewas a first-round pick, as was left tackleWill Campbellin the 2025 NFL Draft. Seattle's stars likeDevon Witherspoon,Byron Murphy II,Grey ZabelandNick Emmanworiwere all early picks in the last three draft classes.

The right draft class can fuel a turnaround and complement free agent signings and turn a franchise into a contender. It all starts in the first round.

Ahead of Super Bowl 60, here's our latest projections for how things will go in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft:

2026 Senior Bowl week: NFL draft prospects in action

2026 NFL mock draft

Order via Tankathon.

1.Las Vegas Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

This is as good a lock as any. Las Vegas looks poised to sign an offensive-minded head coach in Klint Kubiak and getting a new quarterback with this pick is seamless. Mendoza could bring a culture shift to the Raiders.

2.New York Jets: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State

In a perfect world, this would be another quarterback. Instead, New York ends up with the best player - regardless of position - in the class. Reese can do it all as one of the best linebacker prospects in recent memory.

3.Arizona Cardinals: Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)

There are concerns over Bain's arm length but Arizona could use him inside or outside for a defense that has promising talent on the back end. Bain's power could complement Walter Nolen's flashes as a rookie. In a division featuring the 49ers,RamsandSeahawks, more bodies up front on defense can never hurt.

4.Tennessee Titans: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

It's easy to go defense in mock drafts with theTitansconsidering they just brought on Robert Saleh to be the franchise's newest head coach. Instead, we're giving No. 1 pick Cam Ward a top receiving option in Tyson.

5.New York Giants: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

With Tyson off the board, this makes theGiants' pick even easier. Tate's value opposite Malik Nabers should lift the Giants' offense and give Jaxson Dart a contested catch target. Reinforcements in the trenches can come later.

6.Cleveland Browns: OT Spencer Fano, Utah

The top two wide receivers leaving the board means that Cleveland opts for offensive line. Fano spent his recent years in Utah at right tackle but may switch inside due to his leaner frame. Either way, his athleticism, footwork and hand usage make him a day one starter for theBrowns.

7.Washington Commanders: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech

Washington needs to get younger on defense, especially up front. Bailey was the most productive edge rusher in college football in 2025 and would be an immediate starter off the edge. He may have some concerns in run defense but that's well worth the pass rush boost he'll give this unit.

8.New Orleans Saints: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

New Orleans gets the most dynamic offensive weapon in the draft in Love. He can be deployed as a receiver or a runner, making him an ideal modern running back. He'd pair nicely with Devin Neal to create a formidable backfield for the Saints.

9.Kansas City Chiefs: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn

Kansas City rarely picks this high and needs more dynamic playmakers. With the top receivers off the board, they opt for one of the youngest prospects in the class with inside-out versatility on the defensive line. Faulk lacks the numbers of other rushers but could grow into a difference-maker.

10.Cincinnati Bengals: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Downs is at worst the third-best prospect in this class, the best safety prospect since Kyle Hamilton. He's a force multiplier on the back end who can do it all. His versatility and talent should improve the Bengals' defense.

11.Miami Dolphins: CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

Miami's secondary outplayed its talent in 2025 and needs an upgrade in 2026. McCoy's mix of athleticism, ball production and scheme versatility makes him a top cornerback choice in this class. He'd be a welcome upgrade on the back end.

12.Dallas Cowboys: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

With McCoy off the board, Dallas goes for the other top corner in the class. Delane lacks elite athleticism but makes up for it by being one of the top technicians at the position in the class. Quarterbacks just avoided him entirely in college and he'd help what was the worst pass defense in the league last season.

13.Los Angeles Rams(fromAtlanta): WR Makai Lemon, USC

There are many directions the Rams could go with their extra first-round pick. In Lemon, Los Angeles could have a ready-made slot weapon to complement Puka Nacua as Davante Adams ages. Lemon's always earning extra yards and excels at finding weaknesses in zone coverage.

14.Baltimore Ravens: DT Peter Woods, Clemson

Baltimore brought Jesse Minter in to upgrade the defense as he'd done with the Chargers for the last two years. Woods has plenty of talent and was viewed as a top-five prospect entering the 2025 college football season but struggled with consistency. If Minter and his staff can get the most out of him, Baltimore's defense has a building block for the future.

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15.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB CJ Allen, Georgia

All due respect to Lavonte David but he's entering his age-36 season in 2026. Tampa Bay needs a succession plan after investing in the secondary last year. Allen's a sideline-to-sideline linebacker and one of the surest tacklers in the class.

16. New York Jets (fromIndianapolis): WR Denzel Boston, Washington

New York may wait until Day 2 to take a shot at quarterback and instead continue to build up the offense around him. Boston is a big-bodied contested-catch outside receiver with red-zone upside. He's not a vertical threat but would provide immediate value for what was the league's worst passing offense in 2025.

17.Detroit Lions: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)

Detroit has its pick of offensive linemen here with Mauigoa as our prediction. The Miami tackle spent most of his career on the right side but may have a higher ceiling at guard. That'd be fine for the Lions, who could use an upgrade on the interior.

18.Minnesota Vikings: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson

Minnesota retained Brian Flores during this hiring cycle and should reward him with a top investment in the secondary. Terrell is slightly undersized but plays bigger than his frame with a penchant for forcing turnovers either in coverage or run defense (five forced fumbles in 2025).

19.Carolina Panthers: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

Tetairoa McMillan was a hit in Round 1 last year, and this year, Carolina keeps investing in the offense. Sadiq isn't a finished product but is one of the younger prospects in the class and a vertical threat at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds.

20. Los Angeles Rams (from Dallas Cowboys viaGreen Bay): LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Trade details: Los Angeles sends No. 29 and No. 93 overall to Dallas for No. 20.

Dallas has two first-round picks but won't be on the clock again until the middle of the fourth round. This trade helps them pick up some value and the Rams get a premium talent at a position of need.

Styles entered the season as the No. 1 linebacker prospect and only dropped down because of Reese and Allen excelling. He's an elite athlete at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds. The Rams have ignored linebacker for far too long in premium investment.

21.Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina

Pittsburgh brought in former Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for that role on Mike McCarthy's staff. He could mold the elite athlete Cisse into a solid outside cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr. The former Gamecock has the frame and tools to develop with a solid foundation in press coverage.

22.Los Angeles Chargers: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Los Angeles' interior offensive line needs more help than most and it's hard to do better than Ioane. The Penn State product is the top pure-interior offensive line talent in the class with good athleticism and excellent physicality.

23.Philadelphia Eagles: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

Philadelphia could use help on the interior as well. Proctor's an outlier athlete for his size (6-foot-7, 360 pounds), reminiscent of Mekhi Becton who had a standout year as a guard for Philadelphia. Proctor could start there before eventually transitioning to tackle.

24. Cleveland Browns (fromJacksonville): QB Ty Simpson, Alabama

Cleveland has a new coach and offensive play-caller in Todd Monken, with many questions at quarterback. By getting Simpson, the Browns offer another option at the position. Simpson looked like the top quarterback in the country for some of 2025 before Alabama fell off down the stretch. The son of UT-Martin head coach Jason Simpson, he should impress in interviews.

25.Chicago Bears: DT Christen Miller, Georgia

Chicago's secondary stepped up in the playoffs but the unit as a whole can't rely on turnover luck once again in 2026. Miller's anchor and strength as both a run defender and pass rusher at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds stand out in a class full of run-stuffing nosetackles.

26.Buffalo Bills: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Buffalo promoted Joe Brady to head coach to ensure offensive stability. They build on that by getting one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the class in Concepcion. The Aggies wideout is a threat in the open field with immediate value as a returner.

27.San Francisco 49ers: Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson

San Francisco is ecstatic to see Parker fall all the way to their pick at No. 27. He's a physical force off the edge at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds. Like many Clemson defenders, he underperformed in 2025. The 49ers' staff could maximize his potential to reach his high ceiling.

28.Houston Texans: OT Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern

Houston's offensive line improved down the stretch but quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled as the unit continued to be a weak point on the offense. Tiernan's a steady presence in pass protection at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds. He hasn't missed a snap in four years of college action.

29. Dallas Cowboys (from Los Angeles Rams): Edge Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

Dallas moved back with Los Angeles and adds another edge rusher to the rotation. Howell has some run defense concerns at 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds but has the athleticism and bend to have a high floor as a pass rusher. He'd be a solid complement to 2025 second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku.

30.Denver Broncos: Edge LT Overton, Alabama

Denver could lose John Franklin-Myers in free agency and investing on the defensive line could ease that loss. Overton is a tweener at 6-foot-5 and 278 pounds but could find his spot alongside the likes of Zach Allen and Malcolm Roach.

31.New England Patriots: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

Khyiris Tonga will be a free agent this offseason and McDonald could be a solid replacement. The Ohio State product is a powerful presence on the interior thanks to his size (6-foot-3, 330 pounds) and play strength.

32.Seattle Seahawks: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State

This may be a bit of a reach now, but it could change by April. Johnson may be overlooked due to where he played, but he has prototypical size at 6-foot and 195 pounds. He's an NFL-caliber athlete with ball production who could fill holes on the Seahawks' defense with multiple pending free agents.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:2026 NFL mock draft: Rams, Cowboys make trade in pre-Super Bowl mock

Why? Well, the formerBlue Devilspoint guard started a Tar Heels chant during Saturday's pregame show inside Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina ahead of Saturday night's top-15 rankedmen's college basketballmatchup between the Tobacco Road rivals.

"I just want to witness this for one second because I usually never do this," Williams said before starting the chant while next to formerDukecenter Jay Bilas.

Jay Williams does the Tar Heel chant 😭Duke fans turn away.pic.twitter.com/UYcC0m3UQp

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay)February 7, 2026

REQUIRED READING:Duke basketball vs UNC key matchups, predictions and what to watch

Bilas, perhaps speaking on behalf of former Duke players, was rather blunt with his response.

"What a suck up," Bilas said.

The Blue Devils head into Saturday's top-15 matchup looking for their fourth consecutive win over the Tar Heels, after sweeping the regular season series and picking up a win over UNC in the ACC Tournament semifinals last season.

Led by star freshman Cameron Boozer, Duke ranks No. 3 in the NET rankings with a 9-1 Quad 1 record, which is the second most Quad 1 wins — an important statistical used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee — in the country, only behind top-ranked Arizona.

The Tar Heels, led by their star freshman Caleb Wilson, find themselves ranked in the top 30 of the NET Rankings at No. 27. A win for Hubert Davis' squad would be a significant one, as it would give them just their fifth Quad 1 win of the season.

UNC and Duke are slated for a 6:30 p.m. ET tip-off on Saturday in Chapel Hill.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Former Duke guard Jay Williams breaks out Tar Heel chant UNC rivalry game

Stillanother Arctic blast with snow and a deep freezejust arrived, along with another round of quips directed at meteorologists and scientists, challenging them to explain againhow climate change works.

"We all hear it every winter when we get a cold outbreak, or when a snowstorm hits hard," said Brian LaMarre, ameteorologist who founded Inspire Weatherafter retiring from the National Weather Service in 2025.

Winter 2025-2026:Winter in the West has been alarmingly mild. Here's why that's bad.

This winter, these Arctic blasts seem relentless for much of the nation east of the Rockies.A winter storm and blast of polar airbetween Jan. 23 and 26 affected more than 30 states and claimed more than 120 lives. Then in quick succession,a storm dumped a blanket of snow over the Southeastthat lingered for days as temperatures plunged again.

Snow covers the ground in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. These photos captured the winter storm's aftermath from the sky.

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Mesmerizing drone photos taken after winter storm show power of nature

Snow covers the ground in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. These photos captured thewinter storm's aftermathfrom the sky.

The Truth Social account of PresidentDonald Trumpgoaded scientists about the theory he has repeatedly called into question since his second inauguration,asking "whatever happened to global warming."

It's a confounding dilemma for many folks trying to make sense of winter weather in the context of climate change, and for professionals trying to explain how we can still see record cold and snow, even in the face of a steadily warming climate.

The confusion is partly rooted in the science itself. Researchers studying the polar jet stream and the Polar Vortex that lives above it in the stratospheredon't yet fully understand all the complexatmospheric interactions that drive frigid weather outbreaks. And they haven't reached consensus about how warming in the Arctic – happening faster than most of the globe – influences the movement of these and other complex patterns.

So whenparts of Florida see snowtwice within days and Buffalo, New York comes close to breaking its record for days at 20 degrees or below, questions aren't surprising and misunderstandings are common about the differences between daily weather and long-term climate.

How historic have the 2026 winter storms been?

Many daily low temperature records were broken between Jan. 23 and Feb. 2, according to the National Weather Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dozens of monthly records were broken, including 38 low minimums along a swath from Texas to New York, and 45 low maximum temperatures.

Only 15 new all-time record low temperature records were set, for either daily maximums or minimums, according to available preliminary NOAA data. However, the number of consecutive days with freezing temperatures also challenged previous records.

• At Ronald Reagan National Airport in Virginia, nine consecutive days below freezing was the second longest such span on record.

• In Jacksonville, Florida, the record was tied for the most consecutive days – eight – with minimum temperatures at or below 32 degrees.

• The nine days at or below freezing in Central Park was the eighth longest such span on record.

• Lake Erie had more ice coverage at the beginning of February than it has had in 23 years.

Warming climate will change winters

Even though records show our winters are growing warmer on average, cold winter events like the ones that caused the recent mayhem aren't going away anytime soon,an international studythatincluded U.S. scientistsconcluded in 2025.

"It seems really counterintuitive, but there will beplenty of ice, snow, and frigid air in the Arctic winterfor decades to come, and that cold can be displaced southward into heavily populated regions by Arctic heat waves," said Jennifer Francis, a senior research scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center and co-author on that study.

Meanwhile, winter weather impacts could be even more significant as people become accustomed to warmer climates and grow "increasingly less used to" the cold, according to another co-author, Muyin Wang a meteorologist at the University of Washington and NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

A polar blanket

The situation in the Arctic can be thought of like a blanket of low pressure and cold air, said Frederick Bertley, president and CEO of COSI, the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio.

Like an old blanket, it can develop holes from things happening around it and become a leaky barrier that allows low pressure and cold air to escape into the United States.

Scientists are actively researching how weather systems and climate patterns play a role in these freezing outbreaks.

"If you went back 30 years, 100% of scientists would have said climate change is going to lead to milder winters and less snow," said Judah Cohen, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

During a winter weather webinar by the Woodwell Climate Research Center, Cohen said that's an oversimplification of the influence of climate change and other patterns.

The scientists say it's important to understand the meanderings of the polar jet stream and the stretching and speed of the Polar Vortex that lives above the jet. They want to know how the systems interact within the multi-layered atmosphere, hoping to improve winter forecasts for frigid weather outbreaks.

The jet stream, a band of winds that circle the globe, is created by temperature differences between the higher latitudes and the Arctic. Existing in the troposphere some five to nine miles above the Earth, its naturally occurring undulations have always allowed Arctic air to plunge down into the U.S. Since the winter of 2013-2014, the dips of the jet stream over North America have been increasingly commonly referred to as "a polar vortex."

The Stratospheric Polar Vortex, a winter phenomenon, is positioned some 10 to 30 miles above the surface. In addition to its intermittent interactions with the jet stream, the vortex sometimes experiences sudden warming events that weaken or stop its flow and also send outbreaks of Arctic air southward.

Meanwhile, warming oceans not only contribute to moisture that piles on the ice and snow, but may also help drive some of the polar outbreaks, studies suggest. Scientists are working to understand the contributions from the rapidly warming Arctic, warmer oceans and sea ice loss.

Also not yet fully understood are the interactions with naturally occurring planetary waves and atmospheric cycles such as the Arctic Oscillation and the El Niño Southern Oscillation.

"More analysis is needed to understand how these different factors have been working together or against each other," said Laura Ciasto, an atmospheric scientist at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

It's likely most of the cold events this winter have been in response to the tropospheric jet stream, "which sometimes is erroneously referred to as the polar vortex," Ciasto said. "The jet stream has been disrupted a fair bit this winter."

Just how often the stratospheric polar vortex is disrupted and takes on a role in weird weather extremes remains a subject of debate.

Cohen compares the interactions between the Polar Vortex and the jet stream as a dog and its tail, and said he sees more interaction between the two than many meteorologists acknowledge. And those disruptions, he said, favor colder weather.

A 2024 study by a group of scientists from Canada and the United Kingdomfound the frequency or intensity of midlatitude cold extremeshasn't increased, saying both have decreased since 1990 and are consistent with the trend predicted by climate models.

Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, published a recent blog post disputing "claims" he sees about unusually cold events being made worse by human activity, "as a result of increased variability or a disruption of the 'polar vortex' in a fast-warming world."

There is significant debate in the scientific community about whether rapid Arctic warming and sea ice loss could disrupt atmospheric circulation patterns and lead to cold-air outbreaks in the northern hemisphere mid-latitude regions," Hausfather wrote.

Winters still warming

Despite the misery wielded by the recent winter storms, bitter cold storms aren't occurring often enough to outweigh the long-term influence of human-caused global warming on temperatures, according toa January story by Rebecca Lindsey, a project director for Climate.us. The non-profit was created when the Trump administration stopped further publications on its climate.gov website andhalted the Fifth National Climate Assessment in 2025.

Hausfather agreed, saying the bouts of cold air aren't preventing winter from warming overall.

Climate models "overwhelmingly project" that cold extremes will continue to diminish as greenhouse gas concentrations rise, Hausfatherexplained in the Feb. 2 blog post. Even if certain patterns do occasionally transport freezing polar air southward, he said, winters on the whole are likely to be milder than in the past.

Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, wildlife and the environment. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Polar vortex cold highlights climate change questions

The police chief in Santa Clara, where this year's big game will be played, said authorities are prepared to shoot down a drone, if necessary.

Unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, can be easily purchased online and are increasingly popular with hobbyist drone pilots, including sports fans who want to film their favorite events.

But the risks posed by drones are real, whether a hobbyist drone malfunctions and falls into the stands or a bad actor uses a drone to drop something into the stadium.

Retired Army Col. Bill Edwards, who runs counter-drone training at Washington, D.C.-based tech company ENSCO, expects people will try to fly drones at the big game.

"We have to expect it at every major event that's happening in the country," Edwards said in an interview.

To get ahead of the issue, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ban on all drone flights over the Super Bowl, which has been classified by the federal government as a top special event that merits extensive interagency support.

The FAA says it is collaborating with the FBI to detect, track and assess unauthorized drone activity, and drone operators who fly them in restricted airspace without authorization face fines of up to $75,000, confiscation of their drone and federal criminal charges.

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Law enforcement agencies working on Super Bowl security use layers of responses and mitigation efforts for drones.

"Everything from ground intercept teams to contact the pilot on the ground to redirecting it, landing it or even shooting it down depending on the circumstances," Santa Clara Police Chief Cory Morgan said.

Technological advancements to drones made overseas during the Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East pose new challenges to law enforcement.

Edwards, who trains such police departments as the New York Police Department on drone threat mitigation, points to fiber-optic drones that can evade radio frequency detection systems as a particular concern.

"It's promulgating the technology's capability 20 years into the future — now," he said. He also said, "The threat level has increased a hundredfold."

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The disorder resulted in far fewer Palestinians traversing the border between Egypt and Gaza than was expected, nearly two years after Israel seized and shut the crossing.

When the partial reopening was announced last week, an Israeli security official told CNN that 150 Palestinians per day would be allowed to leave Gaza, while only 50 would be permitted to enter. But even that detail was unclear, as Egyptian state media reported that only 50 would be allowed to leave and the same number to enter.

In the end, the number of people who crossed during the first week amounted to only a fraction of those figures. On Monday, when the crossing officially reopened, only 12 Palestinians crossed the Rafah border in each direction. On Tuesday, the highest day for which CNN has obtained numbers, 40 crossed each way.

In those first two days, most of the Palestinians who were medically evacuated to Egypt during the war and were due to return to Gaza were barred from re-entering the territory, despite receiving prior approval from Israeli and Egyptian authorities.

It was not immediately clear why the numbers allowed through the crossing have changed each day.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 20,000 people in Gaza have completed medical referrals and are awaiting permission to travel abroad for treatment. Since the war began, about 1,000 Palestinians have died while waiting to be approved for medical evacuation, according to the ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO).

CNN has reached out to Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) for comment but has yet to receive a response.

The few who did manage to pass through from Egypt described an arduous and exhausting journey.

Harsh journey home

To return to Gaza via the Rafah crossing, Palestinians must undergo three security checks – first with Egyptian forces, then with the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Rafah (EUBAM) alongside Palestinian forces, and finally the Israeli military once inside Gaza.

Those who returned on Monday told CNN they reached the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing at 3 a.m. but did not make it into Gaza until 11:30 p.m. Some described difficulties, mistreatment, and increased scrutiny at both EUBAM and particularly Israeli checkpoints.

Um Omar, frustrated and in tears, said Israeli forces had handcuffed those crossing and questioned them at length.

"The Israelis made everything difficult today. They searched us and they interrogated us about everything – about migration (from Gaza), about Hamas, about the 7th of October, and every topic you can imagine," she said.

The Egyptians treated them well and tended to their needs, she said, while the Israelis prevented them from having anything on them, including food and drink.

"They made us get rid of all our belongings. They only allowed one bag of clothes per person. Even a little girl was not allowed to take her toy with her. They told her the toy is forbidden and took it from her," Um Omar said, shouting angrily.

Lamia Rubia, 27, said all of her belongings were searched, and many items were confiscated.

In a statement, the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) reported similar accounts from Palestinians returning to Gaza, alleging "patterns of ill treatment and coercion."

"After two years of utter devastation, being able to return to their families and what remains of their homes in safety and dignity is the bare minimum," the statement said, quoting the head of OHCHR's Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ajith Sunghay.

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A diplomatic source told CNN that returning Palestinians could bring only one bag of belongings and face limitations on how much cash they can carry. But the exact restrictions are still unclear as different authorities try to streamline a system that has just begun working.

In response to a query from CNN, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied any mistreatment, saying in a statement that "no incidents of inappropriate conduct, mistreatment, apprehensions, or confiscation of property by the Israeli security establishment are known."

"Security authorities at the screening facility conduct a cross-check of the identities of incomers with lists approved by the Ministry of Defense. Additionally, they conduct a thorough screening of luggage, in accordance with the security policy that was coordinated in advance with Egypt and European Union Border Assistance Mission to Rafah (EUBAM), and in accordance with international law," the statement continued.

CNN has reached out to the EUBAM but has yet to receive a response.

A source at the European Union, however, told CNN the policy at the crossing is not decided by the EUBAM, but is rather based on the Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing (APRC) and theAgreement on Movement and Access (AMA) – two documents signed in 2005 by Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The list of authorized items is part of the AMA agreement, and anything not authorized gets confiscated before entering Gaza, the source added.

"The EUBAM is limited to monitoring and supporting Palestinian border officials. We don't know of any problems so far besides some minor logistics," the source said.

Tearful reunions

In southern Gaza, family members waited for hours to welcome the return of their loved ones.

Iman Rashwan, 30, had been waiting since 8 a.m. on Monday for her sister and mother to return from Egypt. They left in March 2025 after her brother was killed.

"He was my mother's only son. She had a heart condition, and her heart became very weak from the grief, so they had to medically evacuate her to Egypt," Rashwan said.

Despite the delay, joy erupted in hugs, smiles, and tears as the UN-marked bus carrying the returnees arrived, reuniting families who had been torn apart by the war.

"Open, open, open!" Rashwan shouted in glee, as she banged on the bus windows.

Her wheelchair-bound mother was the first to appear, and Rashwan immediately collapsed in her arms.

"My longing for Gaza was huge. I love Gaza and I do not want to leave my country… I didn't know I'd be gone for this long," Rashwan's mother said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Today's trip was so difficult. Today was a taste from hell… the Egyptians treated us well, but the journey got difficult when we reached the Israelis," she added.

The hardships awaiting these Palestinians in a devastated homeland may outweigh the trials of their journey. As they arrived, however, they were simply grateful to be back in Gaza, with no wish to relive the journey they had just endured.

"I advise every Palestinian from Gaza not to leave their country and not to even think about leaving," Um Omar said.

As another woman emerged from the bus, she shouted: "Nobody leave Gaza! You are better off staying here and maintaining your dignity."

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APTOPIX Milan Cortina Olympics Alpine Skiing

The Americancrossed in third position, 0.37 seconds behind leader and teammate Breezy Johnson, and pumped her fist after seeing the result.

"All good," Vonn told The Associated Press.

Aksel Lund Svindal, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion from Norway who now coaches Vonn, said she was "very calm" after her run "and didn't talk about the knee at all."

"And then I didn't want to ask, either, because I figured that's a good sign," Svindal said. "When she's calm means that she feels like she has it under control. She knows that she'll have to push harder tomorrow because the rest of the girls will and it's the Olympic downhill — you're not going to get away with a medal there unless you push hard. I think she's ready for that."

Still, Vonn has been favoring her right leg while landing jumps during training, which has put her off balance at times.

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"Try to have less of that tomorrow if we can," Svindal said. "It's the landings that hurt the most."

Vonn is competing with a large brace covering her injured knee. She had a partial titanium replacement inserted in her right knee in 2024 and then returned to ski racing last season after nearly six years of retirement.She crashed during the final World Cup downhill before the Olympics, raising the possibility that she would end not just her season but her career.

Instead, she has been steadfast in saying she would ski at the Olympics if at all possible and, after a training run was canceled Thursday, hit the Olympia delle Tofana downhill course on Friday and Saturday with the other racers.She placed 11th in Thursday's training,though the times mean little since the athletes do not always go their hardest.

Svindal noted that Vonn's brace negatively affects her aerodynamics, but added, "We're not focusing on that because if she starts to ask to take the brace away I think there's a couple of doctors that would have something to say about that. Please don't ask her that question."

Vonn holds the record of 12 World Cup wins in Cortina.

AP Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics