On Today's Date: America's Record Coldest Temperature

Alaska's interior is well known for brutal cold and 55 years ago today its temperature plunged to America's all-time record low.

The temperature hitminus 80 degreesat Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska, on Jan. 23, 1971, which is located north of Fairbanks. That's more than 50 degrees below theJanuary average low of minus 23 degreesat this location from 1970 to 2016, according to the Western Regional Climate Center.

Alaska's most frigid winter temperatures are typically in valley floors in the state's interior, away from the moderating influence of the Gulf of Alaska. Valleys adjacent to mountain ranges are optimal collection points for dense, cold air drainage.

While the Prospect Creek record is impressive, it's still milder (if you can call it that) than the all-time record lows in the Northern Hemisphere and on Earth, according to theWorld Meteorological Organization.

Klinck, Greenland, holds the Northern Hemisphere record, dropping to minus 93.3 degrees on Dec 22, 1991.

The world record is held by Vostok, Antarctica, which plunged to an incredible minus 128.6 degrees on July 21, 1983.

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him onBluesky,X (formerly Twitter)andFacebook.

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

On Today's Date: America's Record Coldest Temperature

Alaska's interior is well known for brutal cold and 55 years ago today its temperature plunged to America's all-time record low. ...

Read More

What's in a name? Plenty, when that name is 'Trump.'

PresidentDonald Trump's recent joking suggestion that he'dre-rename the Gulf of Mexicoto honor himself highlights a growing trend: The president and his supportersenvision putting his name on everythingfrom phones to performing arts centers, stadiums, airports, roads, whisky glasses and bathrobes.

Societies have always used street and place names to signal values, from thetowns called Hope, to Martin Luther King Jr. and Ronald Reagan boulevards, theRobert F. Kennedy stadiumand even the nation's capital itself: Washington, named in 1791 to honor the nation's then president. The colony of Jamestown honored Britain's King James I, and Louisiana was named after King Louis XIV of France.

But the current president's willingness to push his own personal brand ‒ and thewillingness of others to help himdo it ‒ stands out in modern history, according to people who study naming.

Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted in what they say was a unanimous decision to rename the facility "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

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

John F. Kennedy Memorial Center adds Trump to name. See the change

Workers begin adjusting the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted in what they say was a unanimous decisionto rename the facility "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centerfor the Performing Arts."

"It's usually best practice to wait until somebody dies," said Reuben Rose-Redwood, a geography professor at Canada's University of Victoria and international expert in how place names shape perception. "I've never seen this kind of scale to rename places after a living person in the way we are seeing it over President Trump. The scale of it is unprecedented in modern times."

A businessman's brand: 'Trump'

History is replete with examples of leaders naming communities, streets or buildings in their honor, including Soviet leaders Stalin and Lenin who gave us Stalingrad and Leningrad. Hitler named multiple places in Berlin for himself, although his name was scrubbed from the city at the end of World War II.

"The rise and falls of regimes are often accompanied by name changes," Rose-Redwood said. "What I'm seeing in the United States is this combination of crass commercialization and a cult of personality around an authoritarian leader … who treats the government and its assets as the personal property of the president himself."

Rose-Redwood said there's a phrase for the concept: "toponymic narcissism."

Trump has long used his name as the cornerstone of his real estate empire's branding, giving the world Trump steaks, Trump vodka, Trump University and the Trump Taj Mahal Casino. There's also Trump Mobile phones, the Trump Gold Card for wealthy immigrants, and the cryptocurrency$Trumpcoin.

In his second term, Trump has also added his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and to the United States Institute of Peace.ESPN reported that Trumphas also been pushing the Washington Commanders football team to name their new stadium in his honor.

On Jan. 20, as he marked the end of his first year back in office, Trump said he'd rejected naming the Gulf after himself, but mused aloud about the idea: "The Gulf of Trump, that does have a good ring, though. Maybe we could do that ‒ it's not too late."

Paying tribute to Trump

Many of Trump's supporters have backed efforts to name things after him:

• In Kentucky, state lawmakers are considering a plan to rename 12 miles of Kentucky Route 18 between Florence to Rabbit Hash in Boone in the president's honor.

• In Florida, officials in December renamed a 4-mile stretch of Southern Boulevard near the president's Mar-A-Lago golf club to the "President Donald J. Trump Boulevard."

• In Ohio, Republican lawmakers have proposed naming a 2-mile stretch of Interstate 70 in Columbus as the "President Donald Trump Freedom Highway."

• Republicans in Congress have proposed renaming Washington Dulles International Airport  ‒ which already recognizes one president ‒ as the "Donald J. Trump International Airport." The capital city's other airport is named in honor of both Washington and President Ronald Reagan.

In each of those cases, the sponsors said Trump deserves recognition for his success on behalf of the American people.

"We have entered the golden age of America largely thanks to President Trump's leadership," Rep. Addison McDowell, a North Carolina Republican said in announcing the Dulles renaming plan. "It is only right that the two airports servicing our nation's capital are duly honored and respected by two of the best presidents to have the honor of serving our great nation."

Place-naming expert Derek H. Alderman, a chancellor's professor at the University of Tennessee, said the push to name places for Trump evokes the ancient practice of "paying tribute" in which members of a certain class attempt to ingratiate themselves into a powerful lord's good graces.

"That's absolutely what we're seeing in terms of some of this naming," said Alderman, who served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names during the Biden administration.

Taking back the narrative

Alderman said there's a larger picture, too: The desire by some conservatives to "take back" the process by which places are named or renamed.

For instance, the Biden-era committee on which Alderman served was assembled to help rename geographic features withnames considered offensive by Native Americans, similarly to how Congress in 2020 ordered the renaming of about a dozen Army bases honoring Confederate military leaders.

While the base-renaming process took years, and included thousands of hours of public testimony and community engagement, Trump upon taking office in 2025,ordered them changed back to their originals.

Trump also ordered that Denali, the nation's tallest mountain,be once again referred to as Mt. McKinley. President Obama had changed the name in 2015 following decades of requests from Alaska officials, some of whom objected to Trump changing the name back last year.

Like the "Gulf of America," Trump called for Denali's name to be changed without seeking substantive public input.

Paying tribute, stroking ego and rewriting history

Alderman said MAGA supporters appear to have decided that naming things for Trump is a way to solve two problems at once.

"People know that paying tribute to President Trump is a way of keeping him happy, basically stroking his ego. But we are also in the middle of a political realignment by the right to push back on the movement toward more progressive symbols," Alderman said. "This is their attempt to counter that reform movement."

Added Rose-Redwood: "The irony here is that Trump himself was very much against removing Confederate place names and statues over this idea of erasing history, but at the same time renaming the Gulf of Mexico is somehow not erasing history."

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, has proposed a federal law that would ban naming federal buildings after sitting presidents.

Sanders' proposal, called the "Stop Executive Renaming for Vanity and Ego Act," would retroactively apply to any federal facilities that have already been tagged with Trump's name. Sanders said naming buildings after current leaders evokes authoritarian regimes from history.

"For Trump to put his name on federal buildings is arrogant and it is illegal," Sanders said in a statement. "We must put an end to this narcissism ‒ and that's what this bill does."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Here's why Donald Trump's name seems to be everywhere these days

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

What's in a name? Plenty, when that name is 'Trump.'

PresidentDonald Trump's recent joking suggestion that he'dre-rename the Gulf of Mexicoto honor himself highlights...

Read More

West Bank education centre could close in days due to Israeli seizure threat, says UNRWA

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - A training centre for hundreds of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank could be closed ​within days by Israeli authorities, jeopardising the education of students, the ‌U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said on Friday.

The Kalandia Training Centre, which teaches 350 young male ‌students from across the West Bank skills such as plumbing and vehicle maintenance, could be shut, as the land it sits on is at risk of expropriation by Israeli authorities, UNRWA said.

"If the centre were to be forcibly closed - ⁠and we do fear that ‌this could happen within days - there is no educational alternative for these students. So you're depriving a large cohort of ‍Palestine Refugees of economic opportunities," Jonathan Fowler, UNRWA's spokesperson, told reporters in Geneva speaking via video link from Amman, Jordan.

"The right to education would be under attack there...The international ​community needs to wake up," he added.

Advertisement

The office of Israeli Prime Minister ‌Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

UNRWA has functioned for decades as the main international agency providing for the welfare of millions of Palestinian descendants of those who fled or were driven from homes during the war around Israel's founding.

Israel accuses UNRWA of bias, and ⁠Israel's parliament passed a law in October ​2024 banning the agency from operating in the ​country and prohibiting officials from having contact with it.

Israel demolished structures inside the agency's East Jerusalem compound on Tuesday, a site ‍it seized last ⁠year.

The agency's chief Philippe Lazzarini said the demolition was the latest in a series of Israeli actions against UNRWA, including a raid on a ⁠medical clinic this month and a plan to cut power and water to UNRWA facilities ‌in the coming weeks.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, additional reporting Pesha ‌Magid in JerusalemEditing by Peter Graff)

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

West Bank education centre could close in days due to Israeli seizure threat, says UNRWA

By Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - A training centre for hundreds of Palestinians in the occupie...

Read More

Turkey celebrates as Syrian government makes gains against Kurdish-led force

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey is celebrating the latest developments in Syria, where the new government has effectively defeateda major Kurdish-led forcewith an abrupt offensive.

Ankara has long viewed armed groups led by Kurds — an ethnic minority with large populations in eastern Turkey, Iraq and northern Syria — as a threat as Turkey as fought to quell the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, whose decades‑long insurgency cost tens of thousands of lives.

Coming just a few months after a Kurdish militant group in Turkey agreed to lay down its arms, the collapse of the Kurdish-ledSyrian Democratic Forcesis a major step toward Ankara's regional goals.

Kurdish group was swept aside by new Syrian government

In just two weeks, Syria's Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces — once the United States' main partner against the Islamic State group in Syria — lost most of its territory in northern Syria to an offensive launched by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

The SDF was then forced to accept a deal under which it would dissolve and merge its tens of thousands with Syrian government's military as individuals rather than in a bloc, after the failure of months-long negotiations on the integration of its troops into the new Syrian army.

The SDF was established a decade ago with U.S. support as a coalition of militias to fight IS. Its backbone was made up of a Syrian Kurdish armed group affiliated with the PKK.

Al-Sharaa took power after the ouster of the Assad government in December 2024, and has been consolidating authority while dealing with challenges from the remnants of pro-Assad groups as well as some former opposition groups that want to maintain autonomy from the state. In particular, minority religious and ethnic groups have viewed the Sunni Arab-led government with suspicion. Turkey has been a key backer of al‑Sharaa, providing political and military support to strengthen his government.

Washington declined to intervene on behalf of the Kurdish group, shifting its support to the nascent government and focusing on brokering a ceasefire.

Turkey played behind-the-scenes role in offensive

"The fact that the PKK-linked SDF has essentially lost its influence and territorial hold is certainly a very favorable outcome for Turkey," said Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based EDAM research center. "The extension of the capabilities of the new Syrian government is also another favorable outcome."

Ulgen cautioned, however, that the Syrian government's recent gains could prove temporary if al-Sharaa fails to stabilize the northeast of the country.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended congratulations to the Syrian government in remarks to his ruling party's legislators on Wednesday.

"From the very beginning, Turkey has strongly defended the existence of a single Syrian state," he said. "We have repeatedly declared that we will not consent to any separatist structure along our southern borders that poses a threat to our country's security."

Turkey not only benefited from the developments but played a supportive role, advising the Syrian government during operations that led to the withdrawal of SDF forces from Aleppo, Turkish security officials said.

Turkey's intelligence agency remained in contact with the Syrian administration to prevent harm to civilians and the safe evacuation of SDF members and their families, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Turkey also kept in touch with the United States, the international coalition against the Islamic State group, and other regional countries during the offensive, they said.

Decline of Kurdish group removes of a source of tension between Turkey and US

Also key to the Syrian government's success was the willingness of the U.S. to see a former ally dismantled. Experts say the SDF counted on Washington's support when it rejected an earlier deal proposed by al-Sharaa.

Erdogan's warm personal tieswith U.S. President Donald Trumplikely helped win the U.S. President over, Ulgen said. But he added that the shift in U.S. policy was based on the White House's assessment that its "interlocutor in Syria should be the new government and not a non-state entity."

Israel refrains from intervening

The development also came despite tensions between Turkey and Israel over Syria.

Some SDF representatives openly called for Israeli intervention during the recent clashes, citing Israel's past support for the Druze community during violence in Sweida province in southern Syria, but Israel also chose to stand aside.

Ulgen said a key turning point was a recent meeting between Syrian and Israeli officials in Paris, during which Syria effectively recognized Israel's zone of influence along its southern border.

Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, an expert on Turkey at the German Marshall Fund, also said Syria and Israel reached a "tacit agreement" on the SDF during the meeting in Paris but added that the United States' support to the Syrian government played a key role.

Boost to Turkey's peace effort with the PKK

Turkish officials now hope that the integration of the SDF into Syrian government structures will help advance Ankara'slatest peace initiativeaimed at ending the conflict with the PKK.

In May, the PKK announced that it would disarm and disband as part of reconciliation effort, following a call by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan. The PKK staged a symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq in the summer, and later announced that it was withdrawing its remaining fighters from Turkey to Iraq.

The SDF, however, rejected pressure to follow suit, insisting that Ocalan's call applied only to the PKK.

"Now that handicap has been eliminated" Ulgen said. The analyst however, cautioned that Ankara must still address potential frustrations among its own Kurdish population should tensions arise in Syria.

On Tuesday, Turkey's pro-Kurdish party,warned that any violence against Kurdsin Syria would undermine peace efforts in Turkey.

"At a time when we are talking about internal peace and calm, can there really be peace if Kurds are being massacred in Syria and the feelings of Kurds in Turkey are ignored?" said the party's co-chair, Tulay Hatimogullari.

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Turkey celebrates as Syrian government makes gains against Kurdish-led force

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey is celebrating the latest developments in Syria, where the new government has effectively de...

Read More

2026 James Beard semifinalists announced. Atlanta spots on the list

It's officiallyaward season, and while Hollywood stars are gearing up for the red carpet,restaurantsaround the country are getting ready for theirown celebration.

TheJames Beard Awardshonor the "Dean of American cookery," a chef who hosted one of the first food programs on television in 1946.

Beard went on to establish the James Beard Cooking School, write cookbooks and inspire the next generation of American chefs.

Now, his name is synonymous with culinary excellence.

James Beard Award semifinalists in Atlanta

The semifinalists for the James Beard Awards were announced on Jan. 21, with eight Atlanta chefs and locations earning nominations.

Advertisement

The final nominees will be announced Tuesday, March 31, and the ceremony will be held in June to announce the winners.

Here are the Atlanta semifinalists:

• Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker — Claudia Martinez, Bar ANA

• Outstanding Hospitality — Aria

• Best New Bar — Lucky Star and Madeira Park

• Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service — Taurean Philpott, Avize

• Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service — Miles Macquarrie, Kimball House

• Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV) — J. Trent Harris, Mujō, and Freddy Money, Atlas

"The James Beard Awards presented by Capital One represent the pinnacle of culinary recognition in the U.S. Since their inception in 1990, the Restaurant and Chef Awards have made icons out of the nation's top restaurant and bar professionals," the organization said. "Today, these semifinalists join a constellation of James Beard Award-recognized leaders who collectively embody the breadth of American culinary excellence."

Where are the recognized restaurants?

Each of the semifinalists are from a different restaurant. Here is where you can find them around Atlanta.

• Bar ANA: Virginia-Highland, 939 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta GA 30306

• Aria: Buckhead, 490 East Paces Ferry Road NE, Atlanta GA 30305

• Lucky Star: Midtown, 1055 Howell Ml Rd Suite 110, Atlanta, GA 30318

• Madeira Park: Druid Hills, 640 N Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

• Avize: Midtown, 956 Brady Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

• Kimball House: Decatur, 303 E Howard Ave, Decatur, GA 30030

• Mujō: Midtown, 691 14th St NW c, Atlanta, GA 30318

• Atlas: Buckhead, 88 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today's Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Which Atlanta restaurants were part of the James Beard semifinalists?

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

2026 James Beard semifinalists announced. Atlanta spots on the list

It's officiallyaward season, and while Hollywood stars are gearing up for the red carpet,restaurantsaround the countr...

Read More

Jesse Minter was hired to get the Ravens' Lamar Jackson to a Super Bowl — or transition to life after him

The hard left turn from the John Harbaugh era has turned out to be more of a merge lane for theBaltimore Ravens.

For eight years of his coaching career, Jesse Minter either coached on John Harbaugh's staff as a positional assistant or anchored himself as a defensive coordinator for Harbaugh's brother Jim.Now he becomes the chosen change agent to replace John. Now he returns to work with Eric DeCosta, who made his transition from assistant general manager to the full GM title during Minter's first four years as a Ravens assistant. Now he'll guideLamar Jackson, whose first three years as an NFL player overlapped with Minter's time on Baltimore's staff.

This is what a known commodity looks like. From DeCosta and Jackson to team owner Steve Bisciotti. It's also what a Harbaugh product looks like, which, lends some lingering curiosities to what looks like a hand-in-glove fit.

Those curiosities orbit Jackson and what this hire means for the future of the Ravens and a franchise quarterback who currently has two years left on his contract and 20 questions about how this is all going to culminate in the Super Bowl breakthrough that Baltimore is reaching for.

[Get more Ravens news: Baltimore team feed]

From a baseline football standpoint, there's little question that Minter comes in looking like a very good hire. Not only does he present as a young 42-year-old with potentially decades of NFL coaching ahead of him, but his coaching creativity and intuitive ability to bond with his players has some echoes of former Ravens assistant Mike Macdonald. The same Macdonald who departed the John Harbaugh tree to become a head coaching revelation with theSeattle Seahawksthe last two seasons, culminating with (thus far) an NFC title game appearance Sunday. Like Macdonald before him, Minter seemed destined to get a head coaching shot, and this cycle did not disappoint. He was a finalist for theAtlanta Falconsjob before it went to Kevin Stefanski, and he was slated to have second interviews with theLas Vegas RaidersandCleveland Brownsbefore the Ravens hired him.

All of which gives you different vantages on Minter's hire. He was a high producing defensive coordinator with the Chargers who parlayed it into being an in-demand head coaching candidate. And the hope, clearly, is that he can instantly spin the kind of gold with the Ravens that Macdonald has with the Seahawks. If that comes to fruition — and Minter carves out the kind of head coaching career that either of the Harbaughs have achieved — it means he is as much the future of the Ravens as Jackson. If not more.

And that's where this gets interesting because we are still waiting to see how the coming moves ultimately impact Jackson. Already, the notion that Baltimore would pair its quarterback with an offensive-minded head coach has been flattened. Harbaugh was not that. And now Minter is not that. It's a reality that makes the Ravens' offensive coordinator hire — and Jackson's input into that hire — a paramount decision. As it stood, Bisciotti publicly opened the door to Jackson weighing in on the head coaching hire. To date, we don't know if Jackson took that opportunity.

Now the question arises as to his involvement in filling the next offensive coordinator. Not to mention what Jackson thinks of Minter and the new-but-familiar direction of the franchise. Certainly, Minter will be asked plenty of questions about Jackson at his introductory news conference. What kind of communication did the two have in the process? Is there a preexisting relationship from when Minter was a defensive assistant for the Ravens? And how will this factor into the contract extension that Baltimore wants to work out with Jackson by the start of free agency?

If that sounds like the Minter hire created more questions about Jackson's future than it answered, that's because it likely did. And the answers are going to have to come from the head coach and quarterback, whose relationship will be the defining element answering whether Minter's first two years as Ravens head coach end up being Jackson's last two years as the team's franchise quarterback.

Minter could represent the best case in Baltimore, which would be to inject some new energy into the building and Jackson, then ride that to the Super Bowl that has eluded the Ravens star. But Minter could also be here to transition to life after Jackson, if for some reason there is no extension in the cards and the Ravens have to make a radical change. While it's certainly nothing close to an apples-to-apples talent or performance comparison, it's worth noting that part of Macdonald's success in Seattle has been tied to transitioning fromGeno SmithtoSam Darnold.

That's nothing close to what it would feel like to eventually move away from Jackson, which would be a seismic event in the franchise and city. It's hard to even fathom at this point, with Minter's hire clearly meant to inspire some kind of repairing of the Jackson situation. But even the levels of necessary repair continue to be nebulous at this point, because neither Jackson or the Ravens have publicly aired whatever rift — or stall — made it necessary to move on from John Harbaugh.

Perhaps the closest we've gotten was in Bisciotti's statement about the hire Thursday, when he called Minter "[A] leader who will authentically connect with our players and inspire them to championship levels." The "authentic connection" feels like it's some Jackson subtext, appearing to make the bond between coach and quarterback one of the highest priorities.

For his part, Jackson hasn't said anything yet. Regardless of his words, his willingness to work a contract extension in the next two months will speak volumes. With a gargantuan salary cap number of $74.5 million each of the next two seasons, it's imperative for the Ravens to get an extension done prior to free agency to provide operational cap space and free-agency flexibility. If Jackson won't do that extension, it will likely force Baltimore to restructure his deal and push money into future years — which is taking a problem and pushing it out. That's messy and it would reflect on the relationship between Jackson and ownership in a telling way.

For now, we'll wait to hear what Minter has to say about Jackson and vice versa. There's reason to believe it will be a good partnership. But questions remain, and they begin when Minter steps to the podium as the Ravens' first answer to making the most out of the next phase of Jackson's career.

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Jesse Minter was hired to get the Ravens' Lamar Jackson to a Super Bowl — or transition to life after him

The hard left turn from the John Harbaugh era has turned out to be more of a merge lane for theBaltimore Ravens. ...

Read More

Learner Tien against Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open: It's deja vu in Melbourne

Learner Tien reached the third round of the Australian Open a year ago, beating Daniil Medvedev in a match that lasted five sets and almost five hours.

It's deja vu in Australia.

A year later, the left-handedTien is up against Medvedev againin Melbourne, this time on Sunday in a fourth-round match.

The 20-year-old is aiming for the same result, which would mean a berth in the quarterfinals.

Medvedev dropped the first two sets to beat Fabian Farozsan in five on Friday, the fifth time at a Grand Slam event he has won from 0-2 down.

"I think it's pretty crazy that we end up playing here again a year later," Tien said after beating Nuno Borges to advance in theAustralian Open.

None of this is new for Tien as he again bids for the quarterfinals in Australia.

After beating Medvedev last year, Tien went on to lose in the fourth round against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, denying him a place in the quarters.

The Tien-Medvedev match in Australia a year ago ended about 2:30 a.m. It was so late that Tien arrived at the news conference with a pepperoni pizza for an early morning, pre-dawn snack.

"I remember just being really happy," he said Friday. "My mind was in a million places."

Unbelievably, this will be the fourth time the two have faced each other, and Tien holds a 2-1 edge. They also split in a pair of ATP Tour matches in China in 2025.

"We've played three times. I mean all of them have been wars," Tien said.

Tien described himself as an improved player from a year ago, which is reflected in being seeded No. 25 in the tournament. Medvedev is No. 11 and, with a U.S. Open title in 2021 and runs to the final three times in Australia, has a deeper resume. Although the 29-year-old Russian is only getting back into his groove now afterfirst-round exits at the three other majors last year.

"I think just getting to play more matches at this level has been really big for me," Tien said. "Just getting out there and experiencing these different matchups that I haven't had before, having to work my way through the ups and downs has been huge for me."

Though he might relish a quick match, the up-and-coming Californian said he's not expecting one.

"We both don't give up too many free points," Tien said. "I think naturally that makes the rallies very long, the games very long. We both don't make it easy on our opponents. So, naturally we're not making it easy on each other."

More AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Learner Tien against Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open: It's deja vu in Melbourne

Learner Tien reached the third round of the Australian Open a year ago, beating Daniil Medvedev in a match that lasted fi...

Read More