American downhill skier Lindsay Vonn was airlifted from the slopes in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, after a devastating crash just a few seconds into her downhill run on Sunday. Vonn, a three-time Olympic medalist in the sport, had opted to compete despite rupturing her the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee a week prior to the start of the Winter Olympic Games, and had successfully completed a training run on the course one day prior — but just after the start of her race on Sunday, she hooked her right arm into a gate on the course. She attempted to compensate, but catching her arm had thrown off her balance enough that she was unable to recover. She fell first to one side, and then face first into the snow. She could be heard screaming from the course as medics rush to where she lay face down, and she remained on the course with first responders at her side for about 13 minutes until a helicopter arrived to transport her out. A giant screen shows US’ Lindsey Vonn receiving assistance after a crash in the women’s downhill event during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images) “That definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay. And it was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign,” Vonn’s sister Karin Kildow told NBC News just after the crash. “But she really … she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see, but we just really hope she’s okay. She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at.” The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team issued a brief statement via X, saying, “Lindsey Vonn fell in the Olympic downhill and will be evaluated by medical staff.” “We don’t know anything really yet,” Team USA’s Head Speed Coach Paul Kristofic told reporters. “She’s with a medical team in the hospital. She’s getting evaluated right now in Cortina. And then, obviously, depending on the severeness of the injury, they’re going to make decisions where to put her.” Vonn’s teammate Bella Wright commented on the devastating turn of events, saying, “Things just happen so quick in this sport. It looked like Lindsey had incredible speed out of that turn, and she hooked her arm and it’s just over just like that.” Teammate Breezy Johnson ultimately took gold in the downhill event, but her thoughts were with Vonn even as she went to receive her own medal. “I can’t imagine the pain that she’s going through. And it’s not the physical pain. We can deal with physical pain, but the emotional pain is something else. I wish her the best and I hope that this isn’t the end,” Johnson said, likely reflecting on her own experience missing the Beijing Olympics herself after crashing in Cortina, Italy. “I hope for the best for her. My heart aches for her. It’s such a brutal sport sometimes.” During a news conference, Johnson said she’d been told that Vonn was cheering her on even as the helicopter lifted her away.

Several American Olympians have used the press conferences to criticize the state of the United States under President Donald Trump, saying their participation comes with personal moral and political considerations. Freestyle skier Hunter Hess said representing the United States currently “brings up mixed emotions,” explaining that he views national representation selectively. Hess said he considers himself to be representing “friends and family back home” and “the things that I believe are good about the U.S.” “If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it,” Hess said. Trump responded to Hess directly in a Truth Social post on Sunday, saying, “U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Freestyle skier Chris Lillis also acknowledged discomfort with current political conditions, citing immigration enforcement and recent protests as factors shaping his perspective. “A lot of times athletes are hesitant to talk about their political views and how we feel about things,” Lillis said. “I feel heartbroken about what’s happened in the United States,” in reference to ICE and border enforcement efforts. Lillis said he hopes the country can better reflect values he believes should define the United States. “I think as a country we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights, making sure that we’re treating our citizens, as well as anybody, with love and respect,” he said. “That’s the America we’re trying to represent.” The remarks, made by athletes across multiple sports, highlight a broader tension between individual political views and the traditional role of Olympic competitors as representatives of the nation as a whole. Political messaging surrounding the Olympics has also come from figures outside the current U.S. team. Gus Kenworthy, a U.S. and U.K. dual citizen who previously competed for the United States but is representing Great Britain this year, posted a photo on social media showing the phrase “f*** ICE” written in urine in the snow. The caption accompanying the post included a script for Americans to use when calling elected officials, urging them to end funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol. Kenworthy was not disciplined by either the International Olympic Committee or the British Olympic Association. Figure skater Amber Glenn also addressed the issue, framing her Olympic platform as an opportunity to speak out on political and social concerns, particularly those affecting the LGBT community. “It isn’t the first time we’ve had to come together as a community and fight for our human rights,” Glenn said. She added that policies under the Trump administration are “not just affecting the queer community but many other communities,” and said she hopes to use her visibility to encourage others. “I hope I can use my platform to encourage people to stay strong in these hard times,” Glenn said. Glenn also addressed criticism directed at athletes who speak publicly about politics. “A lot of people will say, ‘You’re just an athlete, stick to your job, shut up about politics,’” she said. “But politics affect us all. It is not something I will just be quiet about.” The comments have drawn attention as the Olympic Games have historically emphasized national unity, with athletes competing under their country’s flag rather than as representatives of individual political causes. U.S. Olympians traditionally serve as representatives of the entire nation during international competition, regardless of personal political views — a role that has periodically come into tension during times of domestic political division. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has not commented on the athlete statements.

Last month, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made a seismic announcement: “We’re taking a sledgehammer to the oldest DEI program in the federal government. A program few people outside of Washington have ever heard of. That I haven’t heard of. It’s called the 8(a) program.” We’re confident that Daily Wire readers knew about the program: Our own investigative reporter Luke Rosiak testified to the Senate about the fraud-ridden, multi-billion dollar minority contracting scheme just a month earlier. He’s written about it extensively for years. Under the decades-old 8(a) program, 5% of all federal contracts are “set aside” for minority- and women-owned businesses. That’s right — instead of a competitive process that identifies the best company with the best value, government officials direct contracts to specific companies, with no bidding at all, based on minority status. As Rosiak told the Senate, it opens the door to sordid corruption. When black businessman Walter Barnes got half a billion dollars in USAID contracts by bribing a government procurement official with $1 million, the contracting officer was able to guarantee he could make good on the bribe only because the 8(a) program gave him that discretion. We don’t know if Hegseth was tuned in for Rosiak’s testimony, but Hegseth laid out the issue as clearly as anyone. “In the Pentagon, $100 million sole-source contracts go out the door to these 8(a) firms almost every day,” Hegseth explained, “without any competition or opportunity for anyone else to bid.” Hegseth continued: “In many, many instances, these socially disadvantaged businesses don’t even do work. They take a 10%, 20%, sometimes 50% fee off the top, then pass the contract off to a giant consulting firm, commonly known as Beltway Bandits. For decades, this program, 8(a), has been a breeding ground for fraud.” He’s talking about the Capital Beltway that surrounds Washington, D.C., where the biggest players in the government contracting business have learned to make hay out of 8(a). You see, rather than fighting only for direct contracts, the contractors based in D.C.’s suburbs have learned that they can also seek the business of the minority middlemen. This process is flagrant. In Dulles Airport’s Terminal C, there’s a giant advertisement from an 8(a) firm, seeking companies to “partner” with. What it’s saying is that if a company like Deloitte wants to get a giant contract, it should cut the 8(a) in on the deal. The minority firm will submit a “joint venture” or “mentor-protege” application, letting government officials know with a wink and a nod that it will be Deloitte doing the work. We are taking a sledgehammer to the oldest DEI program in the federal government—the 8(a) program. pic.twitter.com/c9iH8gcqG7 — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) January 16, 2026 It works for everyone but taxpayers. The Beltway Bandit gets the contract without having to beat its rivals on price. A random minority gets a massive payday for brokering it. And the bureaucrats don’t have to go through the hassle of a competitive bidding process — they can just send the money immediately out the door. Perhaps some government employees are overpaid, but contractors are milking the taxpayers for orders of magnitude more. As Rosiak told the Senate, a man named Atul Kathuria bought one of the most expensive homes in the D.C. region after getting $43 million in no-bid contracts because he is… wait for it… a person from the country of India working in IT. He is no “slumdog millionaire” — he went to Georgetown University and worked at massive consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton before shattering the glass ceiling to become the first Indian IT guy. The Small Business Administration is in charge of determining who gets the sought-after “socially disadvantaged” superpowers, and its leader Kelly Loeffler has made serious strides at attacking the fraud. She required 8(a)s to turn over an unprecedented amount of information, down to bank account statements and payroll records. The payroll records alone will be enough to prove that many of these companies are merely shells. READ MORE: Feds Crack Down On Minority Contracting Schemes, D.C.’s Worst-Kept Secret But the Department of War getting in on 8(a) reform is where the real money is. As Hegseth said, the Pentagon gives out 10 times as many 8(a) contracts as the next-largest agency. That’s because the Pentagon can give out up to $100 million contracts without competitive bidding if the business is “disadvantaged,” while at other agencies the limit is $4.5 million or $7 million. A constellation of fly-by-night brokerage firms has sprung up to cash in on this — one or two black men, or even white women, who get contracts and “partner” with other companies to do the work. But the most notorious offenders are so-called “Super 8(a)s,” which can engage in even more seedy business dealings because, in the government’s eye, their owners have been even more oppressed: Those owned by Native American firms or Alaskan native tribes. Here, again, we see how 8(a) is the Swamp that Donald Trump warned about. Alaska’s senators, both Republicans, are secretly lobbying to preserve the DEI program–calling it, perversely, “conservative” and “market-based.” We asked Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan how many people who worked at so-called “Alaskan” companies were actually Alaskan, and they wouldn’t say. These are firms like Bowhead, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate whose leadership is about as indigenous as Elizabeth Warren. “There are skyscrapers down the street in Tysons Corner, defense contractors working on advanced weapons, that don’t have to bid competitively for contracts because we say they’re Alaskan Native Corporations,” Rosiak testified to the Senate. “But every one of us here knows there aren’t native Alaskans in those buildings.” The Alaskan senators gave away the game when they defended the program by praising the “flexibility” the 8(a) program offers. “We consistently hear from top Pentagon officials that the 8(a) Program provides flexibility and timeliness in procuring weapons systems that strengthen our country,” they said. At least they’re being honest. The purpose of 8(a) isn’t to help minorities, it’s to help lazy bureaucrats steer millions to big companies without having to fill out the paperwork. If doing government procurement the right way takes too long, then fix that. But the 8(a) program must be abolished by Congress. Trying to stop the fraud is a fool’s errand; fraudsters will simply find more clever ways to hide the fact that they’re simply subcontracting out most of the work. The courts have recently made clear that automatic racial preferences in contracting are illegal, a development celebrated by conservative lawyers. But if you ask us, it only makes the problem worse: The set-asides for “disadvantaged” companies are still enshrined in law, so now they’re awarded based on an even more vague and arbitrary system. We kid you not, companies can get no-bid contracts if they write an essay describing how they have been victims. It’s time for Congress to scrap the antiquated, failed 8(a) laws. It has gone on for long enough, and thanks to Hegseth and reporters exposing the waste, America is onto the scam.

Before the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots even kick off for Super Bowl LX in San Francisco on Sunday, the game will already be in the record books as the first Super Bowl to feature two teams that missed the playoffs the previous season. The unusual Super Bowl matchup is a fitting ending to a season that saw the downfall of past seasons’ dominant teams and the rise of new talent. At the beginning of the 2025 season, neither the Seahawks nor the Patriots were expected to compete for a Super Bowl. The Seahawks, coming off a 10-7 record in 2024, were overlooked in a stacked NFC West division this year. The Patriots, meanwhile, were believed to be in the middle of a long rebuild with a young quarterback after finishing with just four wins last season. But now, both teams have clawed their way to the biggest game in sports. At first glance, Super Bowl LX seems to lack the intrigue that NFL fans are accustomed to. There’s no dynasty looking to collect more hardware and there’s no superstar quarterback who’s expected to dominate the game. But Super Bowl LX has plenty of storylines to make it a must-watch game. Redemption on Both Sides SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 25: Sam Darnold (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) When Seattle runs out of the tunnel and onto the field at Levi’s Stadium, it will be led by quarterback Sam Darnold, whose NFL career appeared to be reduced to playing full-time backup just two years ago. Darnold was picked No. 3 overall in the 2018 draft by the New York Jets with the hope that he would become the team’s franchise quarterback. The hype around Darnold in New York, however, lasted only three seasons as he went just 13-25 with the Jets before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2021 season. In Carolina, Darnold played well in some games, but dealt with injuries and battled to remain a starter before he was let go and signed by the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. In San Francisco, Darnold backed up young QB Brock Purdy and made his first Super Bowl appearance, but he didn’t contribute much to the Super Bowl run, only appearing in one game all season. In 2024, Darnold got another chance on a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, where he became the starting quarterback and led the team to a surprising 14-3 record and a playoff appearance. Darnold’s solid season with the Vikings wasn’t enough to keep the critics off his back as many analysts and commentators slammed him for choking in big games down the stretch. His impressive record with the Vikings also wasn’t enough to keep him in Minnesota as the team opted to let Darnold go, and he was quickly signed by the Seahawks. Many thought of Darnold as a reliable veteran who could lead a team to some wins while it continued to build up the offensive line and receiving core, but despite leading the league in turnovers this season, Darnold did enough to lead the Seahawks to the best record in the NFC and a dominant playoff run. DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 25: Mike Vrabel (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) There’s a redemption arc on the New England sideline, too, where head coach Mike Vrabel is hoping to win a Super Bowl in his first year with the Patriots after being fired by the Tennessee Titans in 2023. Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker, is also looking to become the first person in NFL history to win Super Bowls as a player and a coach for the same franchise. Vrabel’s journey to the big game was likely not what he envisioned. Just a few years ago, Vrabel appeared destined to be the man to lead the Tennessee Titans into glory. Under Vrabel, the Titans made a remarkable playoff run in 2018, defeating Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots and then beating the AFC’s best team, the Baltimore Ravens, to reach their first AFC championship game since 2002. The Titans would eventually lose to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who went on to win Super Bowl LIV. Vrabel reached the playoffs with the Titans again in 2020 and 2021, attaining the #1 overall seed in the AFC in 2021. The Titans, however, struggled in those playoff appearances, losing in the wild card round to the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 and getting upset by the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round in 2021. In a shocking decision, the Titans fired Vrabel after rough seasons in 2022 and 2023. Vrabel took a break from coaching the following season before he was hired by the Patriots ahead of the 2025 season. In just one season with New England, Vrabel has already proven that he should have never been fired, but a Super Bowl ring would put an exclamation point on his return to the NFL. “From Day 1, he set that standard. That culture,” Patriots linebacker Harold Landry said of Vrabel. “And he brought in guys to kind of help him with that message. [Vrabel] is just at the forefront of it all. Guys have a lot of respect for him because he’s been here and done it as a player.” Rematch of the Unforgettable GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 01: Malcolm Butler #21 of the New England Patriots intercepts the pass at the goal line late in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl XLIX. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) The Seahawks and Patriots last met in the Super Bowl on February 1, 2015, in Glendale, Arizona. It’s a game that won’t be soon forgotten — no matter how hard Seahawks fans try to erase it from their minds. Simply saying the phrase “2nd down from the one-yard-line” or the name “Marshawn Lynch” is all that’s needed to evoke memories of that unforgettable game when Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll inexplicably decided to throw the ball on a game-deciding play from the one-yard line instead of handing it off to one of the league’s most dominant running backs, and Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler jumped the route and intercepted Russell Wilson. Of course, this year, Carrol is not calling plays on the Seattle sideline, and Wilson and Lynch won’t be lining up together. New England’s team is no longer defined by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s dynasty, but the shadow from that 2015 Super Bowl still looms, and if Seattle lines up at the New England one-yard line late in the 4th quarter, there will be no escaping the comparisons to the play call from more than a decade ago. An Opportunity for History DENVER, CO – JANUARY 25: Drake Maye (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) While Sam Darnold goes for redemption, 23-year-old Patriot Drake Maye is seeking to become the youngest starting quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl. If he hoists the Lombardi trophy on Sunday night, Maye — who is 23 years and 162 days old — would surpass Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger, who won his first Super Bowl at 23 years and 340 days old. Maye, who was taken by the Patriots as the third overall draft pick in 2024, became one of the NFL’s most consistent quarterbacks in his second season. Maye ranked fourth this season in total passing yards at 4,394, which was just ahead of Darnold’s 4,048 yards. Maye was also third in the NFL in total touchdown passes with 31. The New England quarterback has a lot to live up to after Brady’s two decades of MVPs and Super Bowl championships for the Patriots. But the young gunslinger Maye is off to an impressive start, and if he gets his Super Bowl ring on Sunday alongside his new head coach, things in New England will look eerily similar to 2002 — only Maye would be one year younger than Brady was when the all-time great won his first Super Bowl.

The CEO of The Washington Post has stepped down days after the media company cut roughly 30% of its staff. The Post announced publisher Will Lewis’ departure on Saturday. Lewis also wrote a short note to staff in which he explained that he was leaving “to ensure” a “sustainable future” for the media outlet. “After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside,” Lewis wrote, according to CNN. “I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his support and leadership throughout my tenure as CEO and Publisher. The institution could not have a better owner.” “During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day,” he concluded. Lewis joined The Washington Post in 2024, brought on board by Bezos to help turn the outlet around after years of shrinking readership and financial losses. Jeff D’Onofrio, the Post’s chief financial officer, will succeed Lewis in the interim. Post owner Jeff Bezos also wrote a note included in the release announcing the change. The Amazon founder said that The Washington Post has “an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity,” according to Business Insider. “Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus,” Bezos said. The Post made major changes this week to reverse its trajectory, cutting roughly 300 jobs as it seeks to strip away parts of the company that it sees as financial liabilities and focus resources on profitable areas. Executives at the company said that the outlet has failed to adapt to a changing media landscape and must make tough decisions to stay relevant and competitive. “If we are to thrive, not just endure, we must reinvent our journalism and our business model with renewed ambition,” executive editor Matt Murray wrote in a note to staff on Wednesday amid the layoffs. The major cuts came to the newsroom’s international reporting and sports department, which no longer exists. Some of the sports writers were folded into the features section of the paper. The paper shrunk its international coverage, but will keep reporters on the ground in about a dozen countries. The Post is also restructuring its metro section and shutting down its Post Reports podcast. The outlet will focus on national news, investigations, and health and wellness. “Today is about positioning ourselves to become more essential to people’s lives in what has become a more crowded, competitive, and complicated media landscape,” Murray said during a call with staff on Wednesday. “For too long, we’ve operated with a structure that’s too rooted in the days when we were a quasi-monopoly local newspaper.”