Beltrán will have Mets cap on Hall of Fame plaque, Jones gets Braves and Kent has Giants

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Carlos Beltrán will have a New York Mets cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, Andruw Jones will have an Atlanta Braves hat and Jeff Kent will have a San Francisco Giants logo.

Associated Press FILE - New York Mets' Carlos Beltran hits s three-run home run off Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Adam Eaton durinf the fifth inning of a baseball game at Shea Stadium in New York, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File) FILE - Atlanta Braves' Andruw Jones watches his home run in front of New York Yankees' catcher Jim Leyritz in the second inning of the World Series on Oct. 20, 1996, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) FILE - San Francisco Giants' Jeff Kent watches his two run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Mike Hampton during the third inning of a baseball game at Coors Field in Denver, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2002. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)

Hall of Fame Caps Baseball

The hall announced its decisions Tuesday, two weeks after Beltrán and Jones wereelected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Kent wasvoted to the hall in December by the contemporary era committee.

Inductions will take place on July 26.

A nine-time All-Star center fielder, the switch-hitting Beltrán batted .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 20 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, '17), the Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016). He earned five All-Star selections and three Gold Gloves with the Mets.

"With the Mets, I experienced my greatest individual growth and success," Beltrán said in a statement released by the hall. "I'm honored that my Hall of Fame plaque will feature the Mets logo."

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Jones batted .254 with 434 homers, 1,289 RBIs and 152 stolen bases in 17 seasons with Atlanta (1996-2007), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2008), Texas (2009), the Chicago White Sox (2010) and the Yankees (2011-12). The center fielder finished his career with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Pacific League from 2013-14. He earned all five of his All-Star selections and all 10 of his Gold Gloves with the Braves.

"The Braves were the team that gave me my first opportunity to chase the dream I wanted since I was a little kid," Jones said in a statement. "I am proud to wear the 'A' on my plaque."

A five-time All-Star second baseman, Kent hit .290 with 377 homers and 1,518 RBIs over 17 seasons with Toronto (1992), the New York Mets (1992-96), Cleveland (1996), San Francisco (1997-2002), Houston (2003-04) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2005-08). His six seasons with the Giants were his most with a big league team.

"Each of the stops along my career path was important to me, but it was with the Giants where I had the most success and spent the most time during my career," Kent said.

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

Beltrán will have Mets cap on Hall of Fame plaque, Jones gets Braves and Kent has Giants

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Carlos Beltrán will have a New York Mets cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, Andruw Jones will have ...
College Football Playoff semifinals to take place 2 weeks after quarterfinals in January 2027

The College Football Playoff semifinals will take place two weeks after the quarterfinals next January.

Yahoo Sports

The CFP announced the dates of the semifinals for each of the next two seasons on Tuesday after college football's leaderscould not come to an agreementto expand the playoff beyond 12 teams nearly two weeks ago.

The playoff will stay at 12 teams for a third season in 2026 and could expand for the 2027 season … if there's consensus on how that expansion should take place.

Next season's national title game in Las Vegas has long been set for Jan. 25, over three weeks after the quarterfinals on New Year's Day. Because of that gap, the semifinals will take place Jan. 14-15 at the end of the 2026 season.

The schedule is even more strung out than it was at the end of the 2025 season because of when New Year's Day falls and college football's insistence on having the title game on a Monday night. New Year's Day is on a Friday in 2027 and on a Saturday in 2028.

With the semifinals now taking place on a Thursday night and a Friday night, a team that played on New Year's Day would have less than a week to prepare for a semifinal game on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2027. And holding the semifinals the week after New Year's would create a break of over two weeks before the national title game.

In 2028, the semifinals will be Jan. 13-14 ahead of the national championship game on Jan. 24 in New Orleans.

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Here's how the schedule will unfold over the next two seasons. It's important to note that there will not be a quarterfinal game on New Year's Eve in 2026, as the first quarterfinal will be Dec. 30 before three games on Jan. 1. With Super Bowl LXI scheduled for Feb. 14, the upcoming New Year's Eve is set to be ahead of Week 17 of the 2026 NFL season. It's probable that the NFL will have a Thursday night game scheduled for New Year's Eve.

2027 CFP games

Quarterfinals

  • Dec. 30: Fiesta Bowl

  • Jan. 1: Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl

  • Jan. 14: Orange Bowl

  • Jan. 15: Sugar Bowl

National championship game

  • Jan. 25: Las Vegas

2028 CFP games

Quarterfinals

  • Dec. 31: Sugar Bowl

  • Jan. 1: Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl

  • Jan. 13: Orange Bowl

  • Jan. 14: Cotton Bowl

National championship game

  • Jan. 24: New Orleans

College Football Playoff semifinals to take place 2 weeks after quarterfinals in January 2027

The College Football Playoff semifinals will take place two weeks after the quarterfinals next January. The CF...
Giants hire Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator

TheNew York Giantshave secured their offensive coordinator under John Harbaugh, and Matt Nagy has found his play-calling opportunity.

TheGiantsare hiring Nagy, who had been the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator, for the same position, ESPN reported Tuesday.

New York had been in search of someone to orchestrate the offense after Todd Monken, who held the same title under Harbaugh for the last three years with theBaltimore Ravens,landed the Cleveland Browns' head-coaching position.

Nagy, 47, had been the Chiefs' offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. His contract expired in January, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he and Nagy came to an understanding that the formerChicago Bearscoach would pursue opportunities elsewhere, either as a head coach or a play-caller.

Kansas Cityhired Eric Bieniemy, the team's offensive coordinator from 2018-22, as Nagy's replacement.

"Matt and I have a great relationship," Reid said of Nagy. "Before the season even started here, I knew that he wanted an opportunity to have his own show. ... All the things I've said about him I still feel about him.

"He deserves to have a head-coaching job. If not, it gives him an opportunity to go out and do his thing. I mean, somebody is missing a gem here. That's how I feel. I would love to see him get picked up and going."

Nagy interviewed with theArizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans for their head-coaching vacancies but didn't land any of the top jobs. He also spoke with thePhiladelphia Eaglesabout their offensive coordinator opening, but the teamhired Sean Mannion for the position.

In New York, Nagy will take over an offense seeking a breakthrough in quarterback Jaxson Dart's second season. The Giants ranked 13th in total offense last year and 17th in scoring despite wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo coming back from season-ending injuries.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:New York Giants hire Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator

Giants hire Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator

TheNew York Giantshave secured their offensive coordinator under John Harbaugh, and Matt Nagy has found his play-calli...
2024 mtv video music awards arrivals
  • Taylor Swift was spotted hanging out at Jack Antonoff's Grammys after party!

  • The singer wasn't in attendance at the 2026 Grammy Awards themselves.

  • FYI, Taylor's hit album, The Life of a Showgirl, will be eligible for 2027's award show.

Taylor Swift skipped the 2026 Grammy Awards, but looks like she was in the mood to celebrate because she was spotted chilling at an afterparty! The singer kept things low key in a long-sleeved black top, stacked necklaces, and her signature red lip, and was seen chatting to a group of friends.

🎥 | Taylor Swift spotted at a Grammys after party 🎉pic.twitter.com/6Epf4NOtx9

— Taylor Swift Updates ❤️🔥 (@swifferupdates)February 2, 2026

Sooooo, whose event was she at? According toDeuxMoi, the afterparty was hosted by Jack Antonoff.

If you're wondering why Taylor wasn't nominated for Grammys this year, that'd be because her hit album, The Life of a Showgirl, will be nominated next year. Basically, the Recording Academy's eligibility period was between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025, andThe Life of a Showgirldropped October 3. Meaning, the 2027 Grammy Awards will likely have Taylor's name alllll over them.

While we're here, reminder that Taylor's been nominated for 58 Grammys and has won 14—including Album of the Year four times forFearless,1989,folklore, andMidnights(which is a record, by the way!).

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Brooke Nevils' book examines consent vs. agreement – 'There was only pleasing Matt Lauer'

This story contains graphic details that some readers might find disturbing.

USA TODAY

More than eight years afterMatt Lauerwas fired from NBC's "Today" Show, one accuser is telling her side of the story.

In"Unspeakable Things"(out now from Viking), former NBC talent assistant Brooke Nevils starts from the first incident of alleged assault in 2014 when NBC was covering the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. She also writes about the shame that kept her from disclosing the several instances of assault to her friends and colleagues, and the backlash that ensued after she did.

But "Unspeakable Things" is more than a personal retelling. The book employs Nevils' journalistic background to take a scalpel to toxic newsroom dynamics and who they protect. Nevils consults psychiatrists and experts in victim and offender behavior, alcohol, traumatic memory and sexual violence.

"Unspeakable Things" by Brooke Nevils is out now.

NBC fired Lauer in 2017, facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment and assault. Lauer has maintained that the sexual encounter with Nevils was consensual and denied wrongdoing. He has not faced any criminal charges.

Brooke Nevils interrogates 'superstar harasser' culture at NBC

From the author's note, Nevils makes it clear her book is not here to crack open new allegations "beyond those I reported in detail to NBC in November 2017" and what has been uncovered by investigative reports. Instead, Nevils looks at NBC's workplace culture through the lens of the "superstar" harasser, a term the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission used more than a year before the #MeToo Movement went viral in 2017.

"Superstars are privileged with higher income, better accommodations, and different expectations. That privilege can lead to a self-view that they are above the rules, which can foster mistreatment," the EEOC writesin its report. "In short, superstar status can be a breeding ground for harassment."

Nevils also points to other newscaster "superstars" fired due to sexual misconduct and harassment accusations, like Bill O'Reilly and Roger Ailes at Fox News and Charlie Rose at CBS.

Then-unreported allegations against Lauergo back to 1996, NBC found in its internal investigation. USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Lauer and NBC for comment.

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Matt Lauer attends the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 12th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street on Oct. 15, 2013, in New York City.

"In all those years, why had no one complained? I think the answer is circular: Matt's behavior was clearly a problem, but it could never beseenas problematic because it was Matt's behavior. It was okay because he did it, so he apparently kept doing it because it was okay. We were all watching but still didn't see."

Nevils writes that after thanking Lauer for buying drinks for her and her boss, he invited her to continue hanging out in her hotel room. She didn't feel that she could say no. When she got to his hotel room, he pressured her to have anal sex. The next morning, she woke up in pain and with blood on her underwear and sheets, she writes.

"But there was no laughing off Matt Lauer, and there was certainly no rejecting Matt Lauer in his underwear. There was only pleasing Matt Lauer. To do anything else would have been to become a problem, and Matt's problems at NBC tended to disappear," Nevils writes.

She also writes that she had the realization that "if anyone else had done this to me, I would have gone to the police."

Who is the 'perfect victim'?

Brooke Nevils is the author of "Unspeakable Things."

Lauer's advances continued after that, Nevils writes, pressuring her again to have anal sex and perform sexual acts in his office. Her shame was overwhelming, she writes. Friends and family noticed something was going on with her: "Every bad decision became a way of proving to myself that what happened in Sochi had not been an aberration, but my choice and something I deserved," Nevils writes.

Here, Nevils scrutinizes the "perfect victim" and how the media – including her own past work – shifts the blame to what the victim could have done differently. Narrow legal definitions of consent and sexual violence, fear of the criminal justice system, blame and disbelief often causedelayed disclosureof sexual violence, according to RAINN.

In "Unspeakable Things," Nevils interviews Joyce Short, founder of the nonprofit Consent Awareness Network, about the difference between consent and agreement.

"If somebody is beating you over the head with a two-by-four and demanding sex and you ultimately say, 'Yes, get it over with, just stop beating me,' if a court does not have a definition of consent that allows the jury to distinguish between different kinds of agreement, then you have legally consented to sex," Short says.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) andHotline.RAINN.organd en EspañolRAINN.org/es.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Matt Lauer accuser Brooke Nevils details toxic NBC culture in book

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Hear Justin Baldoni React to Blake Lively's

Baldoni praised Lively's It Ends With Us costume fitting photos in an unsealed voice note, calling her "beautiful" and saying he "legit got the chills"

People

NEED TO KNOW

  • In the message, recorded before filming began, the director and actor also asked for Lively's input on a key casting decision after reviewing about 2,600 auditions

  • Baldoni and Lively have been locked in a bitter legal battle, which is set to head to trial in May

Justin BaldonipraisedBlake Lively'scostume fitting photos and asked for her creative input in a voice note sent just weeks before production began onIt Ends With Us, according to newly unsealed court exhibits related to their ongoing legal battle.

In the audio message, dated April 3, 2023, Baldoni, who directed and costarred in the film, thanked theGossip Girlalum, 38, for sharing photos from her fitting, telling her he "legit got the chills" when they appeared on his phone during a department head meeting.

"You look beautiful," he said. "It's going to work so well."

Baldoni, 42, then asked for Lively's input on a key casting decision, calling on her "genius marketing brain" and "EP brain."

He said the production reviewed roughly 2,600 auditions for the role of the young Lily Bloom, weighing the marketing appeal of fan-favorite Abigail Cohen against newcomerIsabella Ferrera, whom he says more closely resembles Lively.

Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively, Isabela Ferrer Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty; Lia Toby/Getty, Taylor Hill/WireImage 

Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty; Lia Toby/Getty, Taylor Hill/WireImage

"I would love your brilliant mind and love to hear your thoughts," Baldoni told her, adding that he planned to pray and meditate on the decision before discussing it with Sony.

Last week, unsealed filingsrevealed a Feb. 8, 2023, voice note in which Livelyspoke candidly about feeling overwhelmed as she prepared to return to work while juggling multiple projects, a newborn, and family responsibilities.

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"I'm talking to you as a friend at this point more than anything," Lively said in that message.

During production, Baldoni also left Lively a separate voice note apologizingafter the two discussed changes she made to a scene, according to a message that later leaked in January 2025. PEOPLE was unable to verify when that recording was made.

Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds attend premiere of

Taylor Hill/WireImage; John Nacion/Variety via Getty

The April 3 voice note was sent several weeks before an April 25, 2023, meeting at Lively's home, during which Lively claimsRyan Reynolds, 49,confronted Baldoni over concerns Lively raised about alleged fat-shaming comments, per her amended complaint.

At a recent court hearing, the judge heard oral arguments centeredon Baldoni's motion for summary judgment, which seeks to dismiss the case before it reaches a jury.

Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation — claims he denies — and isseeking more than $160 million in damages. Baldoni later filed a separate $400 million countersuit accusing Lively of extortion and defamation, which has since been dismissed by a judge.

The trial is currentlyscheduled to begin May 18, 2026.

Read the original article onPeople

Hear Justin Baldoni React to Blake Lively's “It Ends With Us” Costume Fitting Photos in Unsealed Voice Memo: 'Got the Chills'

Baldoni praised Lively's It Ends With Us costume fitting photos in an unsealed voice note, calling her "beautif...
NATO scrambles fighters as Russia launches major strike on Ukrainian energy targets

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged "maximum pressure" on Russia from the international community after Moscow fired hundreds of drones and missiles into Ukraine overnight into Tuesday morning, in a major attack that Zelenskyy said focused on the country'scritical energy infrastructure.

Good Morning America

Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 71 missiles and 450 drones into the country overnight, of which 38 missiles and 412 drones were shot down or suppressed. Twenty-seven missiles and 31 drones impacted across 27 locations, the air force said.

The strike was the largest reported by the Ukrainian air force of the year so far, and the largest overall number of munitions launched in a single night since the night of Dec. 27.

The number of missiles fired on Monday night was also unusually high, and the largest total for a single night since April 24, according to air force data analyzed by ABC News.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a post to Telegram that its forces "carried out a massive strike" on "Ukraine's military-industrial complex and energy facilities used in their interests, as well as places of storage and assembly of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles."

AP - PHOTO: In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire at a multi-storey apartment building following a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 3, 2026.

'Normal life has disappeared': Russia's energy offensive plunges Ukraine into dark and bitter cold

Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram that the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa and Vinnytsia were attacked, with energy infrastructure and residential buildings among those hit. At least nine people have so far been confirmed injured, the president said.

"Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than resorting to diplomacy," Zelenskyy said. "This clearly demonstrates what is needed from partners and what can help. Timely delivery of missiles for air defense systems and protection of normal life is our priority. Without pressure on Russia, there will be no end to this war."

"Right now, Moscow is choosing terror and escalation, and that is why maximum pressure is needed," Zelenskyy added.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said that thermal power plants powering parts of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro were among the targets of the strike. "The targets were not military. They were exclusively civilian," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy firm, said Russian strikes inflicted "significant" damage on its power plants, in what it said was "the ninth massive attack on the company's thermal power stations since October 2025."

Alex Babenko/AP - PHOTO: People take shelter in a metro station during a Russian attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 3, 2026.

Next round of US-Russia-Ukraine talks to begin Feb. 4, Zelenskyy says

Emergency power outages were implemented in Kyiv's Dnieper and Darnytsia districts, DTEK said. Energy infrastructure was also damaged in Odesa, DTEK added.

Ukraine's state energy company Ukrenergo reported "a significant number of power outages in Kyiv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia and Odesa regions," which it attributed to the "massive" overnight attack. "There are also damaged energy facilities in several regions," Ukrenergo wrote on Telegram.

Moscow's latest strikes came after the expiry of a brief pause in attacks on energy infrastructure agreed to by both Moscow and Kyiv following a request from U.S. President Donald Trump. Russia said that the pause expired on Sunday.

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This winter -- the fourth of Russia's full-scale invasion -- has seen Moscow intensively target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, wreaking havoc on the national grid and precipitating rolling and extended blackouts for millions of Ukrainians.

Monday night saw temperatures drop as low as -14 F in some parts of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha suggested on X that Russian President Vladimir Putin "waited for the temperatures to drop and stockpiled drones and missiles to continue his genocidal attacks against the Ukrainian people."

Gleb Garanich/Reuters - PHOTO: Ukrainian servicemen hit a Russian missile during a Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 3, 2026.

Russia, Ukraine and US hold 1st trilateral talks since start of war

Zelenskyy later made the same allegation in a post to Telegram. "The Russian army took advantage of the American proposal to pause the strikes for a short period, not to support diplomacy, but simply to stockpile missiles and wait for the coldest days of the year," he said.

Russia launched its latest major strike despite an upcoming round oftrilateral peace talkswith U.S. and Ukrainian representatives in the United Arab Emirates, which are due to resume on Wednesday and continue into Thursday.

"Every such strike by Russia confirms that the attitude in Moscow has not changed: they are still counting on war and the destruction of Ukraine, and they do not take diplomacy seriously," Zelenskyy said. "The work of our negotiating team will be adjusted accordingly."

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited Kyiv on Tuesday to meet with Zelenskyy and address the Ukrainian parliament. Rutte told Ukrainian representatives that "important progress has been made" in trilateral U.S.-Ukraine-Russia talks.

"But Russia continues to attack, as it did last night," Rutte added. "This demonstrates their lack of seriousness about peace."

Monday night's attack prompted the scrambling of NATO fighter jets in Poland, which borders Ukraine to the country's west. Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command Operational Command said that no violation of the nation's airspace was recorded.

Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters - PHOTO: A police officer carries a part of a Russian drone that was found at the site of an apartment building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 3, 2026.

Russia downs 4,300 Ukrainian drones in December, setting new record, Moscow claims

German fighter jets and Dutch anti-air defense systems were among the assets put on alert, the command said.

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces downed at least 10 Ukrainian drones overnight.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed in a post to Telegram that it struck several targets on Russian-held territory overnight into Tuesday.

Ukraine's targets included a drone training and production site in occupied Zaporizhzhia, a concentration of Russian forces in the western Russian border region of Belgorod and an electronic warfare site in occupied Donetsk, the General Staff said.

ABC News' Nataliia Popova,Oleksiy Pshemyskyi, Patrick Reevelland Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.

NATO scrambles fighters as Russia launches major strike on Ukrainian energy targets

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged "maximum pressure" on Russia from the international community ...

 

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