Podcast pals Keys and Pegula set to play in Australian Open's fourth round

Whatever happens in a fourth-round match between defending championMadison Keysand fellow American Jessica Pegula at the Australian Open, Keys has already nailed the promo for it.

"This is going to be the first match in Grand Slam history between two podcast co-hosts," Keys said Saturday. "It's a very niche headline."

The close friends advanced to the fourth round with wins Saturday. The ninth-seeded Keys beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 in the opening match on Rod Laver Arena, and sixth-seededPeguladefeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-2 at Margaret Court Arena.

In her on-court TV interview, Keys alluded to the podcast that she and Pegula, along with several other WTA players, do. It's called "The Player's Box" and it chronicles everyday life on tour.

"I think we have to do (one) before the match, so we'll see how that goes," Keys said, smiling, already thinking ahead to Monday's match.

She confirmed that later in her news conference.

"We are filming tomorrow (Sunday)," Keys said. "We're both going to try to think of something to kind of commemorate this moment.

"I mean, hopefully we have more times where we meet later in tournaments where we get to play each other. We can see how this one goes and then hopefully be able to capitalize on it and then see how we want to do it in the future, as well."

When asked if there would be any "trash talk" during the filming, Keys said she wasn't sure.

"I don't know if either of us really trash talks very well," Keys said. "I'm sure we're going to, for sure, find some way to at least talk about it and hopefully make it entertaining."

Pegula, who launched the podcast with Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk during last year's U.S. Open, said she noticed the possible head-to-head contest midway through the tournament.

"I honestly didn't really realize it until last round that if we both win, we would play each other," Pegula said. "I mean, we're so used to it. Like, it doesn't really change that much. But maybe it will help the numbers on the pod."

So no trash talk?

"Maybe that's what we should do," Pegula said. "We'll see what kind of segments we can come up (with). It could be like a trash talk segment before we play."

Keys leads Pegula 2-1 in their career head-to-head meetings, including a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win in the final of the Adelaide International in Australia last year.

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

byCosmopolite

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January 23, 2026

Podcast pals Keys and Pegula set to play in Australian Open's fourth round

Whatever happens in a fourth-round match between defending championMadison Keysand fellow American Jessica Pegula at the ...

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“RuPaul's Drag Race” Contestant Faints on the Runway Moments After Tough Law Roach Critique: 'Was I Too Harsh?'

NEED TO KNOW

• RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Briar Blush fainted on stage after receiving harsh criticism from judge Law Roach during the runway segment

• Fellow contestants debated whether the collapse was genuine, with some attributing it to stress from a difficult week

• Briar returned to the stage after the medical emergency

This article contains spoilers

A queen went down onRuPaul's Drag Racethis week — literally.

During the runway judging portion of season 18's fourth episode, which aired Friday, Jan. 23 on MTV, Briar Blush collapsed, fainting into the arms of fellow contestant Juicy Love Dion.

The 24-year-old's fall happened moments after judge Law Roach gave her a scathing critique.

"You look like a WWE wrestler," the famed celebrity stylist said of her outfit, which Briar was challenged to make from scratch. "I just wanted you to jump off the ropes and just do a drop-kick on somebody."

Roach, 47, wasn't far off. Inspired by Lil Nas X's pink cowboy Atelier Versace suit from the 2020 Grammys and Rihanna's yellow Guo Pei dress at the 2015 Met Gala, Briar's ensemble featured a yellow spandex bodysuit with a pink cape.

"I don't really give a f--- how well she sewed it, it was ugly!" Roach later said. "It was tacky, the color was off. I hated it."

But Roach's feedback wasn't all bad. He made sure to give the Boston-based entertainer a major compliment. "Let me tell you what I did love. That face, daughter? The beat is divine," Roach said. "The outfit is... not so much."

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Still, the negative comments appeared to make an impact on Briar, who was stone-faced. Before RuPaul could name the winner of the red carpet mashup challenge that pitted Briar against her "bestie" Juicy, Briar leaned over and fell to the floor.

Juicy immediately jumped to comfort Briar, as RuPaul and fellow judge Michelle Visage called for a medic on set.

"I'm trying to rub her chest to wake her up," Juicy explained in a confessional. "I don't know what happened. I don't know what's going on, but I'm scared."

Briar soon came to. "Did I fall?" she asked, as Juicy encouraged her to breathe. "Oh my God! Whoa, I didn't even know I fell!"

"I'm so confused," she explained later, onUntucked. "I remember looking at Law, and then the next thing I knew was Juicy above me telling me to breathe. I don't know what happened, and honestly, it's kind of embarrassing. It's so frightening that something like this could happen to you at the biggest opportunity of your life."

A medic quickly came to Briar's aid, checking her pulse and giving her a quick evaluation before taking her to the medical tent to check her vitals and have her consult with a doctor.

"Sorry," Briar said as she stepped off stage.

Viewers online noted how scary the incident looked, though not all of Briar's fellow contestants were convinced it was real.

"It's a show. It's a show," Vita VonTesse Starr, 37, calling Briar's collapse "convenient timing" in a confessional. "As soon as Law Roach says something about her looking like a WWE wrestler, [she faints]."

Rival Athena Dion also had questions. "It's intense up there. You're stressing out, you're about to be judged by all of the judges? Every ingredient for the perfect recipe for a collapse, 100%," Dion, 37, said. "But... who knows what the truth is?"

Myki Meeks was on Briar's side. "There is no way she pretended to faint," Meeks, 29, said. "That is not like her and she would not, she would not do that."

Backstage, they all agreed the incident likely happened because of the stress Briar was under after a particularly difficult week that began with an intense argument that involved Dion and Mia Starr.

"I do have a sense of empathy for Briar," Dion said. "I do believe that she was humbled severely — all day, all week, she had a lot of life lessons that were learned. Possibly, that all came to a head that moment, and she just toppled over. Some girls think that it was planned, but it was quite a jarring moment for everybody on the stage."

Ultimately, the show went on once RuPaul got word that Briar was "feeling better." Juicy was deemed the winner of their fashion face-off, and Briar returned to the stage after being given a clean bill of health — only to wind up in the bottom two.

"Coming back from a fainting, I knew that it was a possibility that this would happen," she said before the lip sync. "But I'm gonna fight. I want to stay. So I'm going to give it all I have left."

Sadly, all she had wasn't enough to best Kenya Pleaser, and Briar was asked to "sashay away."

"Some very gorgeous outfits were missed. Ru." Briar said after returning to the runway to pack her things. "All I want to say is, huge mistake."

"I thought overall my outfit was pretty cute, but this week for me was pretty stressful. There were lots of moments of self-doubt, so it wasn't my proudest moment going out," Briar said. "But I will pick myself back up. And if you're rooting for me, I'm positive you will get more."

RuPaul's Drag RaceandUntuckedairs Friday (beginning at 8 p.m. ET) on MTV.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

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January 23, 2026

“RuPaul's Drag Race” Contestant Faints on the Runway Moments After Tough Law Roach Critique: 'Was I Too Harsh?'

NEED TO KNOW RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Briar Blush fainted on stage after receiving harsh criticism from judge Law Roach during th...

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Debbie Gibson Honors Late Mother with Emotional Tribute: 'A Celebration of Love'

Debbie Gibsonshared a personal tribute honoring her mom,Diane Gibson. The video shows the singer smiling gently asmusicplays in the background, surrounded by framed gold and platinum records from her career, a visual reminder of thelifeand work her mother helped support.

Referencing the song playing in the video, Gibson wrote, "I Never Knew Love Like This Before," before adding, "'cuz there is no love like a mother's love." She described the post as "a celebration of love and music in honour of my Mom," before raising a toast to Diane and writing, "if you only knew. And you will… soon."

The song playing in the video, "I Never Knew Love Like This Before" byStephanie Mills, clearly informs the moment. Released in 1980, the track's lyrics mirror the sentiment Gibson expressed in her caption, reinforcing the post's quiet emotional weight without spelling everything out.

Related:'80s Funk Legend Hit the Charts With Best-Selling Album 51 Years Ago Today

Gibson also included a small but telling personal detail, noting that her mom "loved her 'grand dogs.'" She ended the caption by explaining that she would share something followers could comment on later, but for now simply wanted to "share some joy in her honor."

View this post on Instagram

Remembering Diane Gibson

Diane Gibson died onJanuary23, 2022. Over the years, Debbie Gibson has spoken openly about how central her mother was to her life and career, particularly during her rise to fame in the late1980s.

Diane was widely known as a steady and protective presence during her daughter's earlysuccess, helping guide her through the pressures of the music industry at a young age. For fans who followed Gibson's career from the beginning, her mother's influence has long been understood as both personal and professional.

That history gives added meaning to the restraint of this post. Rather than a longstatementor detailed reflection, Gibson chose a few carefully selected lines, a familiar song, and a single phrase, "if you only knew," that suggests depth without explanation.

As she wrote in the caption, the video was simply meant to celebrate love, music, and a mother who remains present in memory. Sometimes, the most powerful tributes are the ones that leave space for what can't be fully said.

Next:'80s Pop Icon Hit the Charts With Timeless Classic Song 37 Years Ago Today

This story was originally published byParadeon Jan 24, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byCosmopolite

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January 23, 2026

Debbie Gibson Honors Late Mother with Emotional Tribute: 'A Celebration of Love'

Debbie Gibsonshared a personal tribute honoring her mom,Diane Gibson. The video shows the singer smiling gently asmusicpl...

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Minnesota activist releases video of arrest after manipulated White House version

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota activist who was charged for her role in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a church released her own video of her arrest Friday after the White House posted a manipulated image online.

The White House on Thursday posted apictureon its X page of civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong crying with her hands behind her back as she was escorted by a blurred person wearing a badge. The photo was captioned in all caps: "Arrested far-left agitator Nekima Levy Armstrong for orchestrating church riots in Minnesota."

A photo posted by Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem's account showed the same image with Levy Armstrong wearing a neutral expression.

Levy Armstrong, whowas arrestedwith at least two others Thursday for an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a church where an ICE official also serves as a pastor, released her own video. Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Allen, a St. Paul school board member who was also arrested in connection to the protest, were both released Friday, according to a post by Levy Armstrong's organization, the Racial Justice Network. Their attorneys declined to comment.

The video shot by Levy Armstrong's husband, Marques Armstrong, shows several federal agents approaching to arrest her.

"I'm asking you to please treat me with dignity and respect," she said to the agents.

"We have to put you in handcuffs," one agent said, while another held up a phone and appeared to record a video.

"Why are you recording?" Levy Armstrong asked. "I would ask that you not record."

"It's not going to be on Twitter," the agent filming said. "It's not going to be on anything like that."

"We don't want to create a false narrative," the agent said.

At no point in the more than seven-minute video -- which shows Levy Armstrong being handcuffed and led into a government vehicle -- did Levy Armstrong appear to cry. Instead, she talked with agents about her arrest.

"You know that this is a significant abuse of power," she said. "Because I refuse to be silent in the face of brutality from ICE."

"I'm not in here to get in a political debate," the agent filming said.

In an audio message that Levy Armstrong's spokesperson shared with The Associated Press, Levy Armstrong said the video of her arrest exposes that the Trump administration had used AI to manipulate images of her arrest.

"We are being politically persecuted for speaking out against authoritarianism, fascism and the tyranny of the Trump administration," said Levy Armstrong, who recorded the message Friday morning during a call with her husband from jail.

The Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Associated Press reporters Giovanna Dell'Orto in Minneapolis and Tiffany Stanley in Washington, D.C., contributed.

byCosmopolite

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January 23, 2026

Minnesota activist releases video of arrest after manipulated White House version

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota activist who was charged for her role in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a chur...

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Iran will treat any attack as 'all-out war against us,' says senior Iran official

By Michelle Nichols

Aftermath of nationwide protests in Iran

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Iran will treat any attack "as an all-out war against us," a senior Iranian official said ​on Friday, ahead of the arrival of a U.S. military ‌aircraft carrier strike group and other assets in the Middle East in the coming days.

"This ‌military buildup - we hope it is not intended for real confrontation - but our military is ready for the worst-case scenario. This is why everything is on high alert in Iran," said the senior Iranian official, speaking ⁠on condition of anonymity.

"This ‌time we will treat any attack - limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it - as an all-out war ‍against us, and we will respond in the hardest way possible to settle this," the official said.

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United ​States had an "armada" heading toward Iran but hoped he would not ‌have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear program.

"If the Americans violate Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond," said the Iranian official. He declined to specify what an Iranian response might look like.

"A country under constant ⁠military threat from the United States has ​no option but to ensure that ​everything at its disposal can be used to push back and, if possible, restore balance against anyone who dares to ‍attack Iran," the ⁠official said.

The U.S. military has in the past periodically sent increased forces to the Middle East at times of heightened tensions, ⁠moves that were often defensive. However, the U.S. military staged a major buildup last year ‌ahead of its June strikes against Iran's nuclear program.

(Reporting by ‌Michelle Nichols, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

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January 23, 2026

Iran will treat any attack as 'all-out war against us,' says senior Iran official

By Michelle Nichols Aftermath of nationwide protests in Iran Jan 23 (Reuters) - Iran will treat any attack ...

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Thousands brave bitter cold to demand ICE leave Minneapolis

By Tim Evans and Daniel Trotta

People protest U.S. President Donald Trump's deployment of thousands of immigration enforcement officers on the streets of Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Thousands of demonstrators braved bitter cold to march through the streets of Minneapolis on Friday and demand an end to President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in their city, part of a wider "ICE OUT!" show of defiance that organizers billed as a general strike.

On a day that started with temperatures ​as low as minus 20 Fahrenheit (minus 29 Celsius), organizers said as many as 50,000 people took to the streets, a figure that Reuters could not verify, as Minneapolis police did not ‌respond to a request for a crowd estimate. Many demonstrators later gathered indoors at the Target Center, a sports arena with a capacity of 20,000 that was more than half full.

Organizers and participants said scores of businesses across Minnesota closed for the day ‌and workers headed to street protests and marches, which followed weeks of sometimes violent confrontations between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and protesters opposed to Trump's surge.

Just a day earlier, Vice President JD Vance visited Minneapolis in a demonstration of support for ICE officers and to ask local leaders and activists to reduce tensions, saying ICE was carrying out an important mission to detain immigration violators.

In one of the more dramatic protests, local police arrested dozens of clergy members who sang hymns and prayed as they knelt on a road at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in calling for Trump to withdraw the 3,000 federal law enforcement officers sent to the area.

Organizers ⁠said their demands included legal accountability for the ICE agent who shot ‌dead Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, in her car this month as she monitored ICE activities.

They ignored commands to clear the road by officers from local police departments, who arrested and zip-tied dozens of the protesters, who did not resist, before putting them onto buses. Reuters observed dozens of arrests, and organizers said about ‍100 clergy members were arrested.

Faith in Minnesota, a nonprofit advocacy group that helped organize the protest, said the clergy were also calling attention to airport and airline workers who they said had been detained by ICE at work. The group asked that airline companies "stand with Minnesotans in calling for ICE to immediately end its surge in the state."

Across the state, bars, restaurants and shops were closing for the day, organizers said, in what was intended to be the largest ​display yet of opposition to the federal government's surge.

"Make no mistake, we are facing a full federal occupation by the United States government through the arm of ICE on unceded Dakota land," Rachel Dionne-Thunder, ‌vice president of the Indigenous Protector Movement, told the arena crowd.

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She was one of a series of indigenous, religious, labor and community leaders to speak, calling on ICE to withdraw and for a thorough investigation into Good's shooting.

"We've seen an agency that seems to have no guardrails, as they have caused this pain and suffering all across Minnesota," said Lizz Winstead, a comedian and abortion rights advocate who served as host.

TRUMP ELECTED TO CRACK DOWN

Trump, a Republican, was elected in 2024 largely on his platform of enforcing immigration laws with a promise to crack down on violent criminals, saying Democratic President Joe Biden was too lax in border security.

But Trump's aggressive deployment of federal law enforcement into Democratic-led cities and states has further fueled America's political polarization, especially since the shooting of Good, the detention of a U.S. citizen who was taken ⁠from his home in his underwear, and the detention of school children including a 5-year-old boy.

Miguel Hernandez, a community ​organizer who closed his business Lito's Bakery for the day, put on four layers, wool socks and a parka before heading ​out to protest.

"If this were any other time, no one would've gone out," he said, bracing for the weather. "For us, it's a message of solidarity with our community, that we see the pain and misery that's going on in the streets, and it's a message to our politicians that they have to do more than grandstand ‍on the news."

The numerous Fortune 500 companies that call Minnesota ⁠home have refrained from public statements about the immigration raids. Minneapolis-based Target, which has come under fire in the last year for retreating from its public commitment to diversity policies, has faced more criticism for not speaking out about activity at its stores. State lawmakers have pressed the company for details of its guidance to employees if and when ICE officers show up ⁠at stores.

The company declined a request for comment. Reuters also contacted Minnesota-based UnitedHealth, Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories, Best Buy, Hormel, General Mills, 3M and Fastenal. None immediately responded to requests for comment.

"The silence from the corporations in the state is deafening," Winstead told ‌the arena crowd.

(Reporting by Tim Evans and Heather Schlitz in Minneapolis; Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta, Jonathan Allen, Andrew Hay, Anshuman Tripathy, Marian E Sunny, Angela M Christy and ‌Sanskriti Shekhar; Writing by Jonathan Allen and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Donna Bryson, Rod Nickel and Kate Mayberry)

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January 23, 2026

Thousands brave bitter cold to demand ICE leave Minneapolis

By Tim Evans and Daniel Trotta People protest U.S. President Donald Trump's deployment of thousands o...

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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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