Twins bring back Taylor Rogers to fortify bullpen with 1-year, $2M contract, finalize Caratini deal

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins signed left-hander Taylor Rogers to a one-year, $2 million contract to bring the veteran reliever back to his original team as part of a bullpen revamp Friday, while also finalizing a two-year, $14 million deal withcatcher Victor Caratini.

Rogers and Caratini were at Target Field for their physical exams to make their signings official, after recently agreeing to terms. Rogers had a 3.15 ERA in 319 appearances over his first six major league seasons with the Twins, accumulating 361 strikeouts in 314 2/3 innings. He became a closer in 2019 and made the All-Star team in 2021.

"The Taylor Rogers we knew in '18 and '19 is going to be different than this guy, but he's still a really good reliever and I think he's going to have a big impact in our bullpen not only pitching-wise but with the ability to lead our group," said new manager Derek Shelton, who was the bench coach for the Twins during part of Rogers' first stint with the club.

Over the last four years, Rogers has pitched for five teams. He was traded to the San Diego Padres right before the 2022 season and then to the Milwaukee Brewers right before the deadline. Rogers signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2023 to join his twin brother, Tyler Rogers, and was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in 2025. The Reds traded him to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline last summer.

The 35-year-old Rogers has a career 3.34 ERA in 566 relief appearances, with 626 strikeouts in 541 1/3 innings and 83 saves. Rogers, who was drafted by the Twins as a starter in the 11th round in 2012 out of Kentucky, was converted to relief just before his major league debut in 2016.

The Twins traded their top five relievers during the week leading up to the deadlinelast season: Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart and Danny Coulombe. Rogers will mix in with bullpen holdovers Cole Sands, Justin Topa and Kody Funderburk.

"It's the most obvious area of need coming into the offseason, something we feel like 'Rog' is a step in that direction, but help in that regard is going to come in all shapes and sizes," general manager Jeremy Zoll said ahead of the team's annual fan festival.

The 32-year-old Caratini, who will also be in the mix at first base and designated hitter while backing up catcher Ryan Jeffers, hit .259 in 2025 in his second season with the Houston Astros and set career bests with 12 homers, 46 RBIs and 386 plate appearances.

The 32-year-old switch-hitter has a .244 batting average over nine major league seasons. The Twins will be his fifth different team. Among active catchers with a minimum of 3,500 innings behind the plate, Caratini's catcher ERA of 3.92 ranks eighth best in baseball.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Caratini and Rogers, the Twins designated right-handed reliever Pierson Ohl and catcher Jhonny Pereda for release or assignment.

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

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January 23, 2026

Twins bring back Taylor Rogers to fortify bullpen with 1-year, $2M contract, finalize Caratini deal

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins signed left-hander Taylor Rogers to a one-year, $2 million contract to bring the v...

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Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — For most of his career, Kurt Busch had a tough-guy persona on and off the racetrack.

But the 47-year-old Busch showed a softer side during his NASCAR Hall of Fame acceptance speech on Friday night as he paused to honor his former Roush Racing teammate Greg Biffle, whodied in a plane crashalong with his wife, two children and three others on Dec. 18.

"I can't put the words together, but you and I were like peanut butter and jelly when we raced Cup together," Busch said, addressing Biffle. "And you were instrumental in helping me win a (Cup) championship.

"You will always be the Biff. Everyone be like Biff."

Busch was inducted along with fellow drivers Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick.

Busch, who won the first Cup Chase in 2004, was selected in his first year of eligibility by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panellast May.

Busch got his start driving dwarf cars in his home state of Nevada and made the fast acceleration to the Cup Series after bypassing what was then known as the Busch Series because of his talent as a driver.

"It's an amazing feeling," Busch said. "It's a journey that this blue-collar kid from (Las) Vegas never expected. All of these trips down memory lane talking with everyone and the different teams I was with, all the great racers that I raced against. It's been an amazing journey."

His younger brother Kyle Busch presented him for the Hall, saying he was immensely proud.

"This award is about resilience and heart and Kurt earned every bit of it," Kyle Busch said.

Nicknamed "The Outlaw," Busch was known for hisfiery temper and often found himself at the center of controversy.

He won his only Cup Series championship at age 26 in his fourth year on the circuit. It was the first championship contested under the 10-race Chase format, and it came in dramatic fashion.

Busch's right front tire broke loose from his No. 97 Roush Racing Ford and rolled to the right of the pit wall as he steered to the left of the barrier. He managed to finish fifth and secured the title.

"There was this weird vibration happening with the right front," Busch said in a video he posted on social media before his induction. "So, I was coming down on the access road, and it's starting to vibrate bad like it's coming apart. Something's going down.

"It broke right there. I know I'm wrecking, and I'm like, 'My day's done.' Something took my left foot off the brake pedal to allow that left front tire just to gain a little bit of turn and to stay away from the barrels and the embarrassment of running into the end of the pit wall."

Busch won 43 races across NASCAR's three national series, including 34 at the Cup level. He won the 2017 Daytona 500 and retired in 2023 after sustaining a concussion following a crash at Pocono.

Gant, 86, known as "The Bandit," joined Busch as a Modern Era selection in his seventh year of eligibility.

"I was hoping to get in here sooner or later," Gant joked.

Gant raced late into his career. The Taylorsville, North Carolina, native, had 18 victories, with five of them — including four straight wins at Darlington, Richmond, Dover and Martinsville — coming after he turned 51.

"I have been able to take a car and make it win," Gant said. "I have had several cars. To make a car that becomes a winner, it's like a person — it becomes your best friend then. Not your wife, but your best friend."

Gant also won 21 races in the O'Reilly Series, captured the IROC Series title in 1985 and finished second to NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip in the inaugural All-Star Race.

Hendrick, known as "Mr. Modified," accumulated more than 700 victories in modified and late model sportsman racing from 1950 through 1988. He was chosen from a group of five Pioneer Ballot nominees.

Although he never won a modified championship, Hendrick finished in the top 10 nine times from 1960-69.

"He was almost unbeatable on short tracks," said Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, who is unrelated to Ray Hendrick but worked on Ray's cars as a teenager.

Hendrick's son Ronnie accepted the award for his father, who died in 1990.

"If my dad was here tonight he would be so honored to be recognized with so many other great drivers," Ronnie Hendrick said.

Track promoter H.A. Wheeler was honored with the Landmark Award for contributions to the sport.

The longtime president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wheeler became know for his over-the-top promotional events, including a staged battle in the infield with giant "Robosaurus" breathing fire and devouring cars during pre-race ceremonies.

Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith called him "the P.T. Barnum of motorsports."

Wheeler died last August at age 86.

Roush honored again

NASCAR presented team owner and motorsports innovator Jack Roush with the Bill France Award of Excellence this week, making him the first two-time winner of what's considered the sport's most prestigious award. He was recognized for his decades-long impact on the sport and his commitment to competition, innovation and leadership.

He also won the award in 2001.

"For decades, Jack Roush has helped move NASCAR forward while staying true to what makes the sport special," NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said. "He has built championship-caliber teams and developed generations of drivers and leaders."

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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January 23, 2026

Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — For most of his career, Kurt Busch had a tough-guy persona on and off the racetrack. But ...

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Drake Maye aims to do what Tom Brady couldn't with the Patriots: win a playoff game in Denver

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye has a chance to accomplish something not even Tom Brady did with the Patriots.

Maye is hoping to beat the Broncos in theAFC championship gamein Denver on Sunday and lead New England to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018. The Patriots have never won a playoff game in Denver — losing all four tries, with Brady going 0-3.

"Just the AFC championship, the chance to go to the Super Bowl. That'd be huge," Maye said. "Another road environment that's had success in the past. … I know it would be a big-time win."

The Patriots advanced to their 14th AFC championship game in the last 25 years on Sunday when theybeat the Houston Texans 28-16in Foxborough.Denver beat Buffalo 33-30to reach the conference title game.

New England and Denver both finished 14-3 in the regular season, but the Broncos won the tiebreaker for home-field advantage because they had a better record against common opponents: Denver beat the Raiders twice this season but thePatriots lost to them.

That loss — to the worst team in the NFL in the first game of the Mike Vrabel era — sent New England into one of the most inhospitable environments in the league. In addition to the high-energy crowd, the Patriots will also have to contend with a low-oxygen environment that they won't have a chance to acclimate to.

"Kind of what we've been doing on the road all season long," said Maye, who has guided the Patriots to an 8-0 road record this season. "They've got a great team, so we're going to have a tough challenge. But I'm looking forward to getting out there. And getting a chance to possibly celebrate on an away field would be pretty special."

The last team to go undefeated on the road with a new head coach was the San Francisco 49ers under George Seifert in 1989; they won the Super Bowl.

"Coach (Vrabel) has always been saying, 'Road warriors,'" Maye said. "So, we're trying to find that one more time and finish out strong what we've done this year."

The Broncosare 18-5 in home playoff games all-time. But they'll will bewithout starting quarterback Bo Nix, whobroke his anklenear the end of the divisional round victory over Buffalo. Instead,the offense will be led by former Patriot Jarrett Stidham, who hasn't thrown a pass since 2023.

That's why New England opened as a 5½-point favorite — the biggest road favorite ever in a conference championship game. The line has since moved to Denver plus-4½.

"We always feel as though no matter what anyone else has to say, we still have something to prove," said cornerback Marcus Jones, who returned an interception for a touchdown against Houston. "We're trying to always prove ourselves right and not trying to prove other people wrong. That's kind of the philosophy we've had for a long time."

Win or lose, the Patriots could have trouble getting back to New England:A major snowstormis expected to dump a foot or more of snow on the area.

Vrabel said the team is prepared if it can't leave Denver on Sunday night.

"We have multiple plans of what could go on based on the weather. (It's) something that they're familiar with here," he said. "I mean, there's things I can control, (but) that I can't control."

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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January 23, 2026

Drake Maye aims to do what Tom Brady couldn't with the Patriots: win a playoff game in Denver

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye has a chance to accomplish something not even Tom Brady did with the Patriots. ...

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Guy Hovis, frequent “Lawrence Welk Show” performer, dies at 84

Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Guy Hovis, who was known for appearances on TV'sThe Lawrence Welk Show, has died, his former wife and musical collaborator, Ralna English, announced Friday on social media. He was 84.

"As it has for me, this will come as a shock to many of you," English wrote onFacebook. "Guy has been in the hospital for several weeks. I spoke briefly with him on Monday and was deeply concerned. He took a turn for the worse and it hurts me to tell you, but he died peacefully last night."

She added, "Needless to say, at this time we are all devastated and simply trying to cope with this tragic news. Thank you for your prayers for Julie and Sis and Guys entire family."

Born in Tupelo, Miss., Hovis first sang in church at 5 before deciding to study accounting at the University of Mississippi, according tohis official bio. He left a job in that field to join the United States Army, where he ended up winning a talent show and taking a six-week tour, during which he fell in love with performing.

Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

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While he briefly considered returning to accounting after two years in the military, he opted to follow a friend's advice that he work as a performer at the Horn nightclub in Santa Monica, Calif. It was there that a producer for TV host Art Linkletter noticed him and put him on.

Hovis also met English, who was already part ofThe Lawrence Welk Show, at the venue and, by 1969, the couple were performing together on the TV staple, which they returned to dozens of times over the following decade. They married that year.

"He got a ton of mail," Hovis said of Welk during a September 2024 withWTVA, a news station based in his hometown. "He'd never had a husband/wife team on his show. So after, he tried to have me back one more time, just to make sure the mail wasn't a fluke. He got the same amount of mail, so he asked me to join the show with [English], sing with her."

Ralna English/Facebook

Hovis and English continued to perform together even after ending their marriage in 1984.

Hovis later returned to Mississippi to work in politics, for his longtime friend Trent Lott, and he performed at the 2005 inauguration of President George W. Bush at the start of his second term in office.

The late musician's family includes Sarah "Sis" Lundy, whom he married in 2002, as well as three children and five grandchildren.

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January 23, 2026

Guy Hovis, frequent “Lawrence Welk Show” performer, dies at 84

Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Guy Hovis, who was known for appearances on TV'sThe Lawrence Welk Show, has died, his f...

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Jameela Says She “Doesn’t Have to Be Friends With Every Single Woman” After Calling Blake a “Villain”

Unsealed court documents in Blake Lively's It Ends With Us lawsuit against Justin Baldoni revealed a private text exchange between Jameela Jamil and Justin's publicist.

• In the texts, Jameela said, "I've never seen such a bizarre villain act before," in reference to Blake.

• Jameela has since broken her silence on the texts, claiming that she isn't a "bad feminist" for "not being friends with every woman."

Yes,Blake Lively's lawsuit againstJustin BaldonioverIt Ends With Usisstillongoing, and more details are dropping by the day. In unsealed court documents obtained byTMZ, a private text exchange betweenJameela Jamiland Justin's publicist, Jennifer Abel, reveals some brutal messages criticizing Blake's behavior throughout the film's promotional cycle in August 2024, whereThe Good Placealum referred to Blake as a "bizarre villain."

After the messages were made public on Thursday, January 22, Jameela (who is also repped by Jennifer) broke her silence on the situation in a series of since-expired Instagram Stories.

"Guys, feminism means fighting for the political, social and economic equity for women," Jameela said in the clip, perThe Hollywood Reporter. "Just gender equity. It does not mean you have to like every single woman. It doesn't mean you have to be friends with every single woman. It means you can actually beef with other women. You can criticize them. You can do whatever you want, as long as you are also fighting for their human right to the same things that men have in this world."

She continued, "That's all feminism is. It's a moral and political stance. It is not a sleepover where we braid each other's pubes, okay? So if you are fighting for women's rights, but you don't get along with every single woman, it doesn't make you a bad feminist."

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Jameela's official response comes after a source close to Blake toldTMZ, "It's disappointing that instead of listening to women when they speak out other women call them names and discredit them in defense of a fake male feminist."

According to the outlet, Jameela and Jennifer's conversation was a reaction to anInstagram Story with domestic violence statisticsthat Blake posted in August 2024 while promotingIt Ends With Us.

"Did you see Blake post that survivors link?; Dead," Jameela wrote, adding, "So cold; Just some stats and a link."

Later in the exchange, Jennifer said of Blake, "I hate her so much," to which Jameela replied, "So much; I've never seen such a bizarre villain act before; She's OVER over."

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January 23, 2026

Jameela Says She “Doesn’t Have to Be Friends With Every Single Woman” After Calling Blake a “Villain”

Unsealed court documents in Blake Lively's It Ends With Us lawsuit against Justin Baldoni revealed a private text exc...

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Joke about He-Man's pronouns in “Masters of the Universe” trailer sparks conservative outrage

Amazon MGM Studios

Key points

• The first trailer for Masters of the Universe features a moment that shows He-Man in the real world with a nameplate that says "He/Him."

• Conservative viewers posted outraged comments about the moment: "Don't think He-Man would care about f---ing pronouns."

• Other viewers saw the nameplate as a joke referencing He-Man's comically masculine name.

Is He-Man afflicted with the woke mind virus?

Conservative audiences watching the newMasters of the Universetrailerseem to think so.

The new look at the fantasy adventure film sees He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine) undercover in the real world, and a brief visual gag shows his nameplate at his desk as he works an office job. The nameplate reads "Adam Glenn," with "He/Him" emboldened underneath the warrior's alias.

While certain viewers saw the "He/Him" moment as a joke — a play on the protagonist's redundantly masculine name, perhaps — others were offended by those five unassuming letters, as they interpreted the pronouns as a political statement.

"Now they're making aMasters of the Universeand giving He-man pronouns," conservative author Jon Del Arrozwroteon X. "These people won't stop until they ruin everything."

Amazon MGM Studios

As other users noted that the nameplate seemed to be a joke, Del Arrozinsistedthat it had political intent. "Their real agenda is to normalize it and make you accept it," he wrote. "So they can't make fun of the pronouns really."

"Don't think He-Man would care about f---ing pronouns," another X userwrote.

"Because we didn't already know that He-Man was a man," an additional commentercomplained. "He has his pronouns in his name placard in his desk. I'll pass on this woke s--- lol."

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"He-Man is not a he/him.....you dumb f---ers," another useropined. "He is a bad ass skeleton fighting son of a bitch that knows he is a man."

"So he's a dumb himbo with pronouns, that needs to be saved up until maybe the last half hour of the film when he actually becomes He-Man," another skeptical viewerwrote.

Other users called out the humor in the nameplate joke. "He-Man. His name is He-Man. They're not giving him pronouns in 2026," a more positive commenterwrote. "He literally is a sword-wielding pronoun. That's the gag here."

"If you're upset by the fleeting shot of Adam having his pronouns on his nameplate, good, I'm glad you're upset, you're a loser," another userweighed in.

Masters of the Universemarks the second live-action directorial effort from filmmaker Travis Knight, who began his career in stop-motion animation with projects likeKubo and the Two Stringsbefore helming theTransformersspinoffBumblebee.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

The film also stars Camila Mendes as Teela, Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, James Purefoy as King Randor, Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena, Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Malcolm/Fisto, Kristen Wiig as the voice of Roboto, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, and Sasheer Zamata as Suzie.

Masters of the Universehits theaters on June 5.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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January 23, 2026

Joke about He-Man's pronouns in “Masters of the Universe” trailer sparks conservative outrage

Amazon MGM Studios Key points The first trailer for Masters of the Universe features a moment that shows He-...

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Massive sewage spill flowing into Potomac River upstream from Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive pipe that moves millions of gallons of sewage has ruptured and sent wastewater flowing into the Potomac River northwest of Washington, D.C., polluting it ahead of amajor winter stormthat has repair crews scrambling.

DC Water, which operates the sewer system, is hooking up pumps to divert sewage around the rupture and allow crews to make repairs. It has cautioned people to stay out of the area and to wash their skin if exposed.

The spill was caused by a 72-inch (183-centimeter) diameter sewer pipe that collapsed late Monday, shooting sewage out of the ground and into the river. DC Water spokesperson John Lisle said the utility estimates the overflow at about 40 million gallons (about 150 million liters) each day — enough to fill about 66 Olympic-size swimming pools — but it's not clear exactly how much has spilled into the river since the overflow began.

Signs warn the public to stay away

"Oh, my god, the smell is horrific," said Dean Naujoks, the Potomac Riverkeeper and part of an environmental nonprofit. "It's such high concentrations of sewage that just grabbing a sample is a public health risk."

Associated Press video from the scene showed signs posted near the river that read "DANGER" and "Raw Sewage" and warned people not to enter the area. Naujoks and another man donned protective gloves to take samples of water from the river to test for E. coli and other bacteria. Small bits of debris could be seen floating in some of the sample bottles.

The spill occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, along Clara Barton Parkway, which hugs the northern edge of the Potomac River near Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park.

Crews are removing lock gates on the C & O Canal and will set up pumps to divert the sewage into the canal, rerouting it away from the river and back into the sewage system downstream. The pumps have enough capacity to capture all of the sewage flow in dry weather, said Lisle, but they could be overwhelmed by a surge in stormwater. Crews will work through the weekend, when a bad winter storms is expected, Lisle said, and they hope to have the bypass set up by Monday.

The spill does not impact drinking water, which is a separate system, DC Water said.

Naujoks said the spill is happening at time when the river is low. He went out to look at it Wednesday and was "kind of stunned."

"Sewage is just bubbling up like a small geyser, maybe 2, 3 feet into the air," he said. "Sewage water is running in every direction."

The District of Columbia Department of the Environment did not immediately respond to a request for comment, including whether it is testing the river's water.

Damaged pipeline is one of several sections identified for repair

DC Water knew the pipeline was deteriorating, and rehabilitation work on a section about a quarter-mile from the break began in September and was recently completed, Lisle said. Repair work on additional "high priority" sections of the pipeline is expected to start later this year, according to the DC Water website.

The pipeline, called the Potomac Interceptor, was first installed in the 1960s.

There's a huge funding gap for water infrastructure in the U.S., said Gary Belan, a senior director with American Rivers, an environmental organization that advocates for clean waterways.

"I know a lot of the wastewater folks are trying to catch up as best they can, but this is something we see and will continue to see, where these pipes fail and these massive sewage dumps occur," Belan said. "This is why we can't defer maintenance of our wastewater infrastructure. Too often, we're dependent on these disasters to prod us forward."

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaking at a press conference declaring a snow emergency for the impending storm, said authorities there were aware of the sewage spill "but I can't give you an intelligent response right now." She said D.C. officials would be more forthcoming as soon as they could.

Kelly Offner, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson for the mid-Atlantic region, said the agency was coordinating with DC Water, the Maryland Department of the Environment and other federal, state and local authorities to assess the impact on the environment from the Potomac Interceptor sanitary sewer overflow. The federal agency oversees DC Water's sewer operations under a 2015 federal consent decree.

"DC Water has provided daily updates since the overflow was discovered on January 19, 2026, and has been coordinating efforts to contain the overflow, monitor environmental impacts, and communicate with the public," Offner said in an emailed response to questions.

An EPA survey of wastewater infrastructure needs from 2022 estimated that the District of Columbia needs roughly $1.33 billion to replace or rehabilitate structurally deteriorating sanitary or combined sewers within the next 20 years.

Nationally, hundreds of billions in infrastructure investment is needed over the next two decades for clean water problems like aging sewer pipes.In other places where sewer breaks are persistent, it can lead to backups into homes and regular flooding.

Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visithttps://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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January 23, 2026

Massive sewage spill flowing into Potomac River upstream from Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive pipe that moves millions of gallons of sewage has ruptured and sent wastewater flowing into t...

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