Anti-ICE protest planned in Los Angeles in solidarity with Minnesota

An anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest in solidarity with Minnesota is planned in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 23, organizers said, the latest demonstration coming to the city amid ongoing tensions between federal immigration agents and communities nationwide.

It comes just days afternationwide walkoutswere planned in protest of the Trump administration, and previous protests earlier January over the fatal shooting ofRenee Nicole Goodby an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.

Hundreds of Minnesota businessesare expected to close on Friday as part of a statewide protest over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement.

The Southern California rally will be held in downtown Los Angeles, complete with a march planned to the Metropolitan Detention Center on Alameda Street.

Thousands rally against ICE on anniversary of Trump's second term

"We are witnessing a dangerous pattern of behavior by ICE agents as they traverse select communities across the United States imposing their version of a warped mandate by the Trump Administration," said Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive director in a statement.

"These are not normal times and all communities who wish to see their neighborhoods freed from these military operations and abusive behavior should express their discontent and join this national day of action to say 'Not In Our Name,' 'Not On Our Watch,'" Salas said.

The L.A. demonstration comes as federal immigration enforcement agents have continued to conduct operations in Southern California. Earlier January there was reported ICE activity in the Fashion District, and on Jan. 21, afederal agent fired shotsin a "targeted operation" in Willowbrook near Compton.

Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her atpbarraza@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Anti-ICE protest in LA planned as Minnesota businesses close Friday

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Anti-ICE protest planned in Los Angeles in solidarity with Minnesota

An anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest in solidarity with Minnesota is planned in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan...

Read More

Judge rules Trump administration must keep funding child care subsidies in 5 states for now

A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump's administration must keep federal funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in five Democratic-controlled states — at least for now.

The ruling Friday from U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick extends by two weeks a temporary one issued earlier this month thatblocked the federal governmentfrom holding back the money from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. That expires Friday.

The judge said he'd decide later whether the money is to remain in place while a challenge to cutting it off works its way through the courts.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said earlier this month that it was pausing the funding because it had "reason to believe" the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally, though it did not provide evidence or explain why it was targeting those states and not others.

The states say the move was instead intended to damage Trump's political adversaries.

Ajudge previously gavethe states a reprieve to the administration's plan to halt funding for the states unless they provide information on the beneficiaries of some programs, including names and Social Security numbers. The temporary restraining order was set to expire Friday.

Around the same time as the actions aimed at the five states, the administration put uphurdles to Minnesotafor even more federal dollars. It also began requesting all states to explain how they're using money in the child care program.

The programs are intended to help low-income families

The programs are the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for 1.3 million children from low-income families nationwide; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant, a smaller fund that provides money for a variety of programs. The states say that they receive a total of more more than $10 billion a year from those programs — and that the programs are essential for low-income and vulnerable families.

TheU.S. Department of Health and Human Servicessent letters to the states on Jan. 5 and 6 telling them they would be placed on "restricted drawdown" of program money until the states provided more information.

For TANF and the Social Service Block Grant, the request required the states to submit the data, including personal information of recipients beginning in 2022, with a deadline of Jan. 20.

States call the action 'unlawful many times over'

In court papers last week, the states say what they describe as a funding freeze does not follow the law.

They say Congress created laws about how the administration can identify noncompliance or fraud by recipients of the money — and that the federal government hasn't used that process.

They also say it's improper to freeze funding broadly because of potential fraud and that producing the data the government called for is an "impossible demand on an impossible timeline."

The administration says it's not a freeze

In a court filing this week, the administration objected to the states describing the action as a "funding freeze," even though the headline on the Department of Health and Human Services announcement was: "HHS Freezes Child Care and Family Assistance Grants in Five States for Fraud Concerns."

Federal government lawyers said the states could get the money going forward if they provide the requested information and the federal government finds them to be in compliance with anti-fraud measures.

The administration also notes that it has continued to provide funding to the states, not pointing out that a court ordered it to do so.

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Judge rules Trump administration must keep funding child care subsidies in 5 states for now

A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump's administration must keep federal funds flowing to child ca...

Read More

Russia, Ukraine and the US are holding peace talks in Abu Dhabi. They're coming at a key moment

Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. envoysmet in the United Arab Emirateson Friday, the first known instance that officials from the Trump administration have sat down with both countries as part of Washington's push for progress to end Moscow's nearly4-year-old invasion.

The talks follow a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days, from Switzerland to the Kremlin, even though serious obstacles remain between both sides.

While UkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy saidin Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday that a potential peace deal was "nearly ready," certain sensitive sticking points — most notably those related to territorial issues — remain unresolved.

Here's what's known and not known about the meeting:

What's different about these talks

They are taking place in the UAE's capital of Abu Dhabi. Representatives from Russia and Ukrainehave already metseveral times on separate occasions, but this is believed to be the first time U.S. envoys will be there too — a significant step in that President Donald Trump has been pressing for a halt to the war.

The talks are an outgrowth of recent diplomatic activity, even though Russia has kept up its attacks on Ukraine and its energy infrastructure, leaving parts of the country without power amid a bitterly cold winter.

Zelenskyy met with Trump on Thursday behind closed doors for about an hour at the World Economic Forum in Davos, describing it as a "productive and meaningful" session. Trump said later that it had gone well and that both Russia and Ukraine were "making concessions" to try to end the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met U.S. envoysSteve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in overnight talks at the Kremlin that lasted nearly four hours.

A spokesman for Zelenskyy said there are "many different formats in these talks — sometimes participants step aside for separate discussions, sometimes everyone meets together, sometimes several groups break off by topic."

Who is participating

The U.S. has confirmed Witkoff and Kushner are attending. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll also is part of the team, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic process. NATO's top general, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich also is attending.

The Ukrainian team includes Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's national security and defense council; Andrii Hnatov, chief of the general staff; andKyrylo Budanov, head of the presidential office.

Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Russia's delegation is led by the chief of military intelligence, Adm. Igor Kostyukov. The Kremlin later said the rest of the delegation are from the Defense Ministry as well, but did not elaborate. Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev also is attending.

The talks are scheduled to conclude Saturday.

Questions of territory and security

Little is known about the specific issues to be discussed. Zelenskyy said the fraught issue of territorial concessions is a likely topic, while the Kremlin offered few details beyond calling the meeting a "working group on security issues." Separate economic discussions will take place between Witkoff and Dmitriev, Kremlin officials said.

The sides have indicated that a possible peace deal hinges on the apparently still unresolved issue of territory. Speaking in a WhatsApp chat with journalists Friday, Zelenskyy described the issue of who would control the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine as "key."

Russia's bigger army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022. But the battlefield gains along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line have been costly for Moscow, and the Russian economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions.

In his briefing on Putin's meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Ushakov stressed that "reaching a long-term settlement can't be expected without solving the territorial issue," a reference to Moscow's demand that Kyiv withdraw its troops from areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed in 2022 but never fully captured.

Peskov also said Friday that Moscow had already made its position clear and that Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the Donbas region.

Ukraine has been pressing for security guarantees from the West to prevent Russia from invading its territory again.

Kamila Hrabchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Russia, Ukraine and the US are holding peace talks in Abu Dhabi. They're coming at a key moment

Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. envoysmet in the United Arab Emirateson Friday, the first known instance that officials from ...

Read More

Reed leads in Dubai and McIlroy needs a big weekend to challenge for the title

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed moved into the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday and has a familiar foe trying to chase him down over the weekend.

Rory McIlroy sounds up for the fight, too.

"I came from 10 behind a couple years ago to win," the No. 2-ranked McIlroy said defiantly. "I think I'm seven back at the minute."

McIlroy sure will need to improve to reel in Reed, the former Masters champion who kept his card clean and shot 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round at Emirates Golf Club.

Reed, a LIV Golf member who plays frequently on the European tour, made four birdies and a 40-footer for eagle at the par-5 13th. The American was on 9-under 135 for the week.

McIlroy birdied the par-5 18th to shoot 69 and repair some of the damage from a 72 in the first round.

Few know the course better than McIlroy, the record four-time champion — including in 2024 when he was11 shots backheading onto the 18th hole on the Friday yet still won, and in 2023 when he outlasted Reed in a memorablefinal-round duel that got personal.

Throw in their loud singles match at theRyder Cup in 2016, won by Reed, and they certainly have some history.

"If I go out there tomorrow, maybe in slightly better conditions in the morning, and post a low one, then I'll be right in the mix come Sunday," said McIlroy, who was tied for 20th.

Reed, who has placed second and 10th in his two other appearances at the Dubai Desert Classic, said he was happy with his game, having started with a round of 69 in much tougher conditions.

"The good thing is today I felt like (I'm) hitting the ball exactly where I need to and I feel like I'm hitting some solid putts," Reed said.

Andy Sullivan finished birdie-eagle to shoot 65 — the lowest round of the day — and was alone in second place, one stroke ahead of Italian pair Andrea Pavan (68) and first-round leader Francesco Molinari (72).

Johnson misses cut

Dustin Johnson, the longtime former No. 1, was the biggest name to miss the cut after a second straight 74.

The American is becoming an afterthought in golf after moving to the breakaway LIV circuit in 2022, the same year as Reed, and has slid to No. 639 in the world ranking.

Fleetwood languishing

No. 3-ranked Tommy Fleetwood is another headliner in Dubai, where he now lives, but only just made the cut after struggling to a 72 to be 10 shots off the lead.

Better placed was Tyrrell Hatton, the defending champion who shot 69 and was in sixth place, four strokes off the lead.

Hatton, another LIV golfer, chipped in for eagle at the short par-4 No. 17 for his highlight of the day.

AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Reed leads in Dubai and McIlroy needs a big weekend to challenge for the title

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed moved into the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday and has a famil...

Read More

Matthew Stafford could punch his ticket to Canton this weekend … couldn’t he?

Four starting quarterbacks remain in this year's NFL playoffs. One has thrown as many regular-season passes as you have over the last two years. One is in the midst of a remarkable career rehabilitation. One is already getting fitted for GOAT status after just two seasons.

And then there's Matthew Stafford. Depending on your perspective, he's either bound straight for Canton or a fortunate stat-padder, no in-between. And what he does this weekend in the NFC championship is going to give one side of those perspectives a whole lot of new ammunition.

Stafford is absolutely a member of the Hall of Very Good, but Hall of Fame? That's where it gets tricky, and the first task when considering Stafford is to consider what exactly your standards are for the Hall of Fame. Should the Hall of Fame select just a tiny handful of players from every generation, or should the Hall expand and contract based on the talent under scrutiny? Should players be compared to their peers, or across all of NFL history?

You can frame the debate on Stafford however you want to achieve your desired outcome — Hall of Famer or close-but-not-quite. Let's dig in on some of the philosophical questions that accompany every Hall of Fame application:

Was he among the best quarterbacks of his generation?

It's Stafford's bad luck to be playing quarterback in the absolute Golden Era for quarterbacking. It's tough to get much notice for your play when you're in the mix with Brady, Manning, Rodgers and Mahomes. Stafford is firmly in the second tier of quarterbacks — Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson — and an unquestioned star, but is that enough to get him to Canton?

Was he among the best quarterbacks of any given season?

This one, we can track. Outside of two seasons (2023 and 2025) Stafford hasn't received any meaningful support from voters assessing his year-to-year credentials. He only has one notable MVP finish (8th in 2023, though he could win this year) and just three Pro Bowl seasons in his 17 years in the league. Again, it's tough when you're fighting for elbow room against at least two of the heads on the Mount Rushmore of QBs, but still … isn't that what a Hall of Famer is supposed to do?

Did he win games?

Here's where we have to start applying some retroactive grace to Stafford's career. He labored in Detroit for 12 long years, a stretch where Detroit only reached the playoffs three times and didn't win a single game. Stafford led the league in game-winning drives in three of these seasons, in part because that was the only way the Lions could win. Once Stafford hit LA, of course, things changed in a hurry to the tune of a Super Bowl victory in his very first season there.

His final tally in Detroit: 74-90-1 (.452)

His running tally in LA: 46-28 (.622)

Did he win big games?

This is why the 2025 season is so important for Stafford's Hall of Fame case. Two Super Bowl wins in five seasons, combined with his massive stats, ought to be more than enough to usher Stafford into the Hall eventually. Stafford doesn't yet have the epic Big Moment that Eli Manning claims, but two rings make a pretty good case all their own.

Did he put up big numbers?

Absolutely. Stafford currently ranks sixth all-time in passing yardage, and he could pass Aaron Rodgers by Halloween if Rodgers retires. Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are likely out of reach, but Brett Favre at No. 4 could be in play with two more decent seasons. Stafford also ranks 7th in career touchdowns — Rivers is two ahead of him — and in the top 10 in passes both attempted and completed. In technical terms: the dude has spent his career slinging it.

The knock on Stafford's numbers, of course, is that so many of them came in the service of futile causes, both in games and seasons already lost. "Stat Padford" is a wicked nickname that nonetheless serves its purpose. If Detroit had been a relevant team in competitive games and seasons, would Stafford's gaudy numbers still look the same?

Once you get past Brady and Manning, Hall of Fame candidacies are basically campaigns, and campaigns are won and lost based on storytelling. Stafford is setting up for a perfect narrative arc here — laboring for a decade-plus on a terrible team, then exploding once he got some talent around him. Going from QB obscurity to a late-career MVP and Super Bowl appearances would be an easy story to tell for a Hall of Fame campaign.

So there you go. Matt Stafford might just have a whole lot more to play for this weekend than just a single season's success. Football immortality might just be on the line.

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Matthew Stafford could punch his ticket to Canton this weekend … couldn’t he?

Four starting quarterbacks remain in this year's NFL playoffs. One has thrown as many regular-season passes as you ha...

Read More

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza declares for 2026 NFL draft. Will he go No. 1?

Fernano Mendozahas officially updated hisLinkedInstatus to "open to work" on Friday, Jan. 23.

TheIndianafootball quarterback announced his intention to enter the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday morningon his Instagram account, but in true Mendoza fashion, he also updated his LinkedIn status to "open to work."

REQUIRED READING:Stop saying if Indiana can do it, anyone can. Because they can't

"Coming toIndianawas a leap of faith, a leap that led me to go 16-0 with my boys and a national championship," Mendoza said. "And has now led me here, the moment where I get to dream bigger. Thank you to my family, the teammates that pushed me, the coaches that took a chance on me, it's only with your support and the glory of God that I'm here today. With trust in my foundation and gratitude for every person that has helped me reach this moment. I'm ready to take the next step."

"My LinkedIn status is now, open to work, and I'm officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft."

In his lone season with Indiana, Mendoza completed 273-of-379 passes (72%) for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions, leading the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 record and the first national championship in program history.

Mendoza won the 2026 Heisman Trophy honors, becoming the first Indiana player to ever do so. He also won the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award and Davey O'Brien Award, while earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year honors.

With his declaration, Mendoza is widely speculated to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders holding the first pick.

Fernando Mendoza stats

Here's a look at Mendoza's stats in his three collegiate seasons:

• 2023 (California): 153-of-243 passing (63%) for 1,708 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions; 49 rushes for 86 yards and two touchdowns

• 2024 (California): 265-of-386 passing (68.7%) for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions; 87 rushes for 105 yards and two touchdowns

• 2025 (Indiana): 273-of-379 passing (72%) for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions; 90 rushes for 276 yards and seven touchdowns

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza declares for 2026 NFL Draft

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza declares for 2026 NFL draft. Will he go No. 1?

Fernano Mendozahas officially updated hisLinkedInstatus to "open to work" on Friday, Jan. 23. TheIndia...

Read More

Ryan Reynolds’ “Manipulative” Email To ‘It Ends With US’ Author Colleen Hoover Leaks

Ryan Reynoldswas ridiculed online for an "egotistical" email he sent toIt Ends With UsauthorColleen Hooveramid his wifeBlake Lively's bitter feud withJustin Baldoni.

As court proceedings take place ahead of theBlake-Justin trialthis year, newly unsealed documents included a "cringe" email Ryan had sent to the author a day after the film's premiere in August 2024.

"He is such a narcissist. He thinks he is wonderful, but he really isn't," one commented on his email.

Ryan Reynoldswas ridiculed online for an "egotistical" email sent toIt Ends With UsauthorColleen Hoover

Image credits:Isaiah Trickey/Getty Images

The movieIt Ends With Us, adapted from the Colleen Hoover novel and directed by Justin Baldoni, has been overshadowed by the messy feud between Justin and leading lady Blake Lively.

The fallout saw Ryan and Blake desperatelysending emails to their big-shot friends, asking for support.

One email sent from Ryan to Colleen saw him congratulating her for the "complete f*****g WIN" of a movie.

Image credits:colleenhoover

"I heard you guys got a tummy bug and you're stuck in NY," hesaid in the emailsent a day after the film's premiere. "I can't think of anything worse. Although it might be your body ridding itself of any residual Baldoni."

"I'd rather be puking in a gulag than hijacking performative feminism while practicing personal growth catchphrases in the mirror," he added.

Ryan said Colleen's "tummy bug" might be her "body ridding itself of any residual Baldoni"

Image credits:vancityreynolds

Calling the author a "creator and apex storyteller," he said: "I can imagine it takes a very resolute mind and heart to process all the strange people with muddled intentions trying to warm their hands on your light."

TheDeadpoolstar then went on to praise Colleen, saying the film "is on fire everywhere."

"Holy f***ity f**. You guys really pulled it off … Audiences have wrapped both arms around the film," he wrote.

TheProposalactor then complimented the author and his wife for not only the output of the film but also for giving "s****y people" a "good old-fashioned, pants-down spanking."

"You and B made something gorgeous out of ingredients you didn't ask for. Which is what makes you both (and this whole post production team) so clutch," he said.

Image credits:vancityreynolds

"I know we all breathe rare air. I realize how lucky we are. But I also know how genuinely GOOD you and B are," he went on to say.

"And seeing good people put s****y people over their knee, for a good old-fashioned, pants-down spanking in the supermarket is a special experience I don't take for granted."

Ryan still had more praises left to give, saying he could "literally write [her] 85 more paragraphs eulogizing" what "this all" means to him.

"This whole team rallied and delivered. Even Sony stepped up in ways I never imagined. But mainly, I'm just incredibly proud and inspired by you and B," he said.

TheDeadpoolstar praised the author and his wife for giving "s****y people" a "good old-fashioned, pants-down spanking"

Image credits:colleenhoover

Not all readers online were happy with Ryan's tone and called him a "total psycho."

Advertisement

"He's creepy," one said, while another quipped, "I just know he's spiraling right now."

"The way they speak is so manipulative," one wrote. "And every single correspondence, they can't stop talking about Justin. They are obsessed."

"Ryan Reynolds is a complete arrogant psychopath the way he's behaved in this entire situation and Colleen Hoover is a moron," another chimed in.

Another wrote, "All of a sudden I appreciate my husband's one word text responses."

Image credits:Reddit

Among several emails and text messages exposed in the newly unsealed exhibits, there was one email where Ryan talked about "protecting" Blake's reputation to agent Warren Zavala.

"Baldoni and these other buckets of dumb-dumb-juice should beacknowledging the speculation and gossipthemselves," he said, referring to the early reports of tension brewing within theIt Ends With Usteam.

"They should be jumping in front of it in the most full-throated, unqualified way. Now," he added.

Ryan said he didn't want the narrative of the "controlling b****" to form around his wife

Image credits:vancityreynolds

Ryan said he didn't want Blake to be "subjected to some eye-roll-y narrative of the 'controlling b****'" and claimed Justin and his team "should be protecting" her.

Accusing Justin and the team of "countless and willfully gross behavior," he said they should "accept the consequences of their actions."

"They made a big f***ing mess. Blake – under NO CIRCUMSTANCES – should be asked to clean up this sloppy, cliched f***storm," he added.

Image credits:itendswithusmovie

The husband and father-of-four said he was "super frustrated" that the drama was unfolding when "Blake should be celebrating."

"'She made this unbelievable win happen," he said. "She made this a win for Sony and by proxy, Wayfarer."

Ryan went on to claim that Blake "refused to give up on the film" and sacrificed "sleep" as well as "countless moments with her kids" to sit in "edit rooms, scrapping and frame f***ing dailies for every square inch of quality."

The actor further claimed thatevery cast memberand "key crew member (including Colleen)" were on Team Blake.

"[They] won't be in the same room as the guy," he added. "All of them have at some point, over the last six months, unfollowed him on social media. Not one person has said Justin's name out loudin any interview at any time."

Ryan claimed every cast member and key crew member was on Team Blake

Image credits:MEGA/Getty Images

Blake, herself, claimed she took on responsibilities in the filmproduction that went beyond herrole as the movie's lead actress.

"I rewrote the entire script. I directed every actor," she claimed in an email sent to Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Damon.

She said she had been sleeping for "about an hour and a half each night" while racing to finish her edited version of the movie for what she described as an internal "bake off."

"They gave me 10 days to scrap together an edit to compete with an edit he's been making since July," she said.

In her email exchanges, Blake also requestedMatt and actor Ben Affleckto watch the film and give her feedback.

"The man is a bag of red flags," one commented after Ryan Reynolds' email came out

byCosmopolite

in

January 23, 2026

Ryan Reynolds’ “Manipulative” Email To ‘It Ends With US’ Author Colleen Hoover Leaks

Ryan Reynoldswas ridiculed online for an "egotistical" email he sent toIt Ends With UsauthorColleen Hooveramid ...

Read More