ARIES (March 21-April 19). There’s a problem to toy with — not a problem that’s urgent and needs solving, but one you can figure out in joy and playfulness. A relaxed state will do much of the work for you. So many solutions will come to you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You don’t romanticize less-than-ideal circumstances, nor do you let them define you. These conditions add dimension to your work, your purpose and your life. You’ll use all that happens like the artist you are.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It’s a day to revisit the rituals that connect you to your values and remind you of who you are and where you come from. That might sound serious and effort-intensive, but it plays out simply: “I do this because it feels good, familiar or fun to me, and here’s why …”
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You recognize quality quickly. You can point to the best things — the meat of an idea, the cute part of a story, the best characteristics of a person. Today, your instinct to find the best part saves time and elevates outcomes.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your confidence isn’t about what you have. It’s about knowing you can make something of whatever comes. You trust in your powers of adaptation, which seem to braid together your creativity, resilience and emotional intelligence to orient you toward possibility.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The sky is only blue a fraction of the time. Many carrots are not orange. Many radishes are not red. Not all blue whales are blue. Life comes to you vividly today because you have the open mind to see beyond color and into the possibility.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re learning for the joy of it. The fact you stumble upon today becomes a bridge to something larger. Curiosity compounds. It’s all casual today, but just wait and see how quickly it grows into an immersive interest.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You embody a cheerful cleverness, like you just cracked a code, and you’ll apply some of this to your relationship with money. Today, you’re centered on value rather than price. Spending becomes intentional. What you choose supports your priorities.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re in the mood to zoom out and ask a bigger and brighter question. Possibility feels generous today, not abstract. An invitation, an idea or a change of scenery remind you how many choices you really have, and that freedom fuels your optimism.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Steady effort pays off in a satisfying way. You see how far you’ve come because something that once felt heavy now feels manageable. Your competence makes everything easier, and that ease frees you to think creatively about what comes next.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You notice where you don’t quite fit, and instead of adjusting yourself, you adjust the situation. Innovation can happen through small tweaks and original angles — you prove that today. What seems unconventional at first proves effective and very much your style.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). A pause will be necessary to get perspective. If it feels luxurious, let it be. If it’s merely practical, that’s good, too. Just don’t let it feel indulgent because this is necessary. Moments of stillness sharpen judgment and soften interactions. You return refreshed and clear.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 19). This is your Year of Strategic Magic. You’ll wield charm. Your charisma will get you into rooms where decisions are made and you’ll be an important part of the verdict. Confidence radiates from the calm way you take on challenges. More highlights: Relationships deepen. Your political and emotional savvy grows. You’ll achieve academic or financial success. Pisces and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 14, 30, 1 and 37.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Reinvention is available, and you’re willing to let go of the familiar. Even though certain beliefs about who you are feel safe — because they’re known — you’re brave enough to take a risk and let them go. You’re more than your role — more than your story.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your efforts to listen better give you a competitive edge. Most people don’t value the skill enough to be excellent at it. It takes a calm and open mind to settle into what’s being expressed. People notice and respect your talent.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Finishing what you start is a declaration of your strength. Every completed project, big or small, builds momentum. Your credibility is increasing, and so is your confidence as you honor the commitments that honor you.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). If you don’t know quite what you want, at least you know what you don’t want, which is the best place to start. All that you don’t want is negative space, and you’re the sculptor freeing the figure from everything that is not the figure.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). What appears to be an ordinary encounter has more levels. Others are unstressed because they are naive to the stakes. You’re well aware. Because of your sensitivity, interactions require more of you, but they give you more, too.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You will live as the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche did, by the concept of amor fati, “a love of one’s fate.” Whatever destiny hands over, you’ll polish it until it gleams. You’ll be trusted with treasures of finance and heart.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Any clothing can be attractive on a confident person. However, it’s difficult to feel confident if you don’t like what you’re wearing. Address issues of style. It’s a power move.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You see your loved ones clearly, including their flaws and past mistakes, and you stay loyal. Loyalty shows up as discretion (not broadcasting their failures) and as a conscious choice to emphasize their strengths when you stand by them.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). No one knows what they are doing today. It’s unclear where we’re headed. There’s a general sense of being uninformed; it’s the same for everyone. Dive in and do what you can with what you know, and you’ll soon know more.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s easy to want something just because everyone seems to. But those wants, even when fulfilled, are somehow unfulfilling. That’s why you seek deeper knowledge. Ask your true wants to speak a little louder to you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). A good lawyer does not present all the information he has about his client during the opening statement. And nor do you need to tell your whole story immediately. You already have the attention, so you can be deliberate with your pacing.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). A lot of simple improvements don’t happen because no one thinks to make them happen. But you’re always looking around for opportunities to help. You’ll see what needs fixing and move things in a better, brighter direction.
TODAY’SBIRTHDAY (Jan. 26). Welcome to your Year of the Bold Declaration in which you simply say how it’s going to be and watch the world move to make it so. You’ve put the work in, been generous, taken the time to learn excellence, and now you ask the world to do its part. More highlights: exciting sites, tickets and venues, holding hands in solidarity and romance, and physical feats of health and vitality. Sagittarius and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 19, 29, 42, 6 and 4.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro questioned whether he was being unfairly scrutinized asthe only Jewish person being considered as a finalistto be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate — and briefly entertained his own run for the presidency — according to a copy of his upcoming book obtained by The Inquirer.
Shapiro, a popular Democratic governor long rumored to have future presidential ambitions, even briefly entertained a run shortly after then-President Joe Biden unexpectedly dropped out of the race in July 2024, according to his book. The Abington Township resident is now seen as a top contender for the 2028 Democratic nomination as he seeks reelection in Pennsylvania this year.
But before Shapiro ended up in the veepstakes for Harris’ running mate, he wrote in his book that there was a moment right after Biden dropped out of the race where he considered whether he should run for president.
“Well, now what?” Shapiro wrote. “Maybe there would be a process the party would engage in to replace him? Did I want to be part of that?”
He called his wife, Lori, who at the time was out of the country with their two younger kids. “I don’t think we are ready to do this,” Shapiro recalled his wife saying from a Walmart in Vancouver. “It’s not the right time for our family. And it’s not on our terms.”
After that call, Shapiro wrote that he quickly decided he didn’t want to run and would back Harris, as Biden also endorsed her for the top of the ticket.
Once the field cleared for Harris, Shapiro recalled seeing his face on TV as her potential running mate, before he was asked by her campaign manager to be formally vetted.
In the days that followed,Shapiro contended with increasing national scrutiny as he emerged as a front-runner. Some pro-Palestinian protesters began calling Shapiro “Genocide Josh” online, he wrote. And top Democrats questioned whether a Jewish running mate would deter voters from supporting Harris, as Shapiro had been outspoken against some pro-Palestinian campus protests that year.
What was unknown: Whether those same questions — and some even more extreme — were circulating within Harris’ camp, Shapiro wrote in his most detailed retelling of his experience vying for the vice presidency to date.
Gov. Josh Shapiro at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris at Wissahickon High School in Ambler on July 29, 2024.
Just before he went to meet with Harris at the vice president’s residence in the summer of 2024, Shapiro received a call from Dana Remus, former White House counsel for Biden who was coleading the vetting process for Harris.
“Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?” Remus asked, according to Shapiro’s memoir.
“Had I been a double agent for Israel? Was she kidding?” Shapiro wrote in his 257-page book. “I told her how offensive the question was.”
According to the memoir, Remus then asked if Shapiro had ever communicated with an undercover Israeli agent, which he shot back: “If they were undercover… how the hell would I know?”
“Remus was just doing her job. I get it. But the fact that she asked, or was told to ask that question by someone else, said a lot about some of the people around the VP,” Shapiro wrote.
In high school, Shapiro completed a program in Israel that included service projects on a farm, and at a fishery in a kibbutz, as well as at an Israeli army base, which he once described in his college student newspaper as “a past volunteer in the Israeli army.”
Harris’ office could not be reached for comment Sunday evening. Remus also could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday.
Shapiro, more broadly, recalled getting the feeling from Harris’ vetting team that she should pick Shapiro — a popular Democratic governor in a critical swing state — but that they had reservations about whether Shapiro’s views would mesh with Harris’.
In one vetting session with U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D., Nev.), former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, former associate Attorney General Tony West, and former senior Biden adviser Cedric Richmond, Shapiro wrote that he had been questioned “a lot” about Israel, including why he had been outspoken against the protests at Penn.
“I wondered whether these questions were being posed to just me — the only Jewish guy in the running — or if everyone who had not held a federal office was being grilled about Israel in the same way,” he wrote. (Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who is Jewish, was also vetted to be Harris’ running mate. Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is also Jewish.)
In his book, Shapiro recalled the whirlwind two weeks as an awe-inspiring window into an opportunity — but ultimately it was one he knew he didn’t want.
When Shapiro finally sat down with Harris in the dining room at the Naval Observatory, he said it became clear that she had a different vision for the vice presidency than what he wanted. He would work primarily with her staff and couldn’t say whether he would have access to her. In her own experience as vice president, she saw the job as mostly to make sure that you aren’t making any problems for the president, he wrote.
Shapiro noted his own relationship with his No. 2, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. The role in itself has few powers, but Shapiro views Davis as a governing partner and is one of few people who can walk into his office unannounced at any time, he wrote. He wanted the same relationship with Harris, he said, noting that he knew he would not be the decision-maker.
“If we had door A and door B as options, and she was for door A and I was for door B, I just wanted to makes sure that I could make the case for door B,” Shapiro wrote.
But Harris was “crystal clear” that that wasn’t the kind of president-vice president dynamic she envisioned, he said.
In her own book released last year, 107 Days, Harris recalled the meeting differently. There, she wrote that Shapiro had “peppered” her with questions and “mused that he would want to be in the room for every decision.”His ambitions, she said, didn’t align with her view that a vice president should be a No. 2 and not a “copresident.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with Dawn Staley (left), while promoting her new book “107 Days,” at the Met on Sept. 25 in Philadelphia. The event was held in partnership with Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books.
As Shapiro tells it, the friction with Harris’ team didn’t stop there.
Shortly after meeting with Harris, Shapiro in his book recalled another unpleasant conversation with Remus, in which he wrote that she said she “could sense that I didn’t want to do this.”
According to the book, Remus said it would be hard for Shapiro to move to Washington, it would be a strain financially for his family who “didn’t have a lot of money” by D.C. standards, and that Lori would need to get a whole new wardrobe and pay people to do her hair and makeup.
It was then that he decided to leave the apartment where he had been asked to wait until Harris could come and talk to him again, he recalled.
“These comments were unkind to me. They were nasty to Lori,” Shapiro wrote. “I hold no grudge against Remus, who I know was doing the job she had to do, but I needed to leave.”
Shapiro went home, he said, and went over the day’s events with Lori at the edge of their bed.
“On one hand, I was still tugged by the prestige of it all. It’s an honor. It’s a big title. But that’s never been enough for me,” he wrote. Still, he struggled with what it would mean to withdraw, concerned about not playing his part in a high-stakes election and letting his supporters down. Ultimately, he decided that it was not his race to win or lose, he wrote.
“People were going to cast their votes for her, or they weren’t,” he added.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic nominee for president, and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, address a rally to kick off their campaign at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.
He decided that day he did not want the job, and toyed with the idea about publicly releasing a statement withdrawing himself from the running. He said he also tried to tell Harris he did not think it would be a good fit, but wasn’t able to reach her.
“I was wrung out. I just wanted to be home with my family, to take a walk with Lori, and just be,” he wrote.
Gov. Josh Shapiro takes the stage ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz at a rally in Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center on August 6, 2024.
But when it was time for him to take the stage ahead of Walz and Harris, he was long-applauded by his home city and gave a speech “from my heart” about how he took pride in his faith and his support for Walz and Harris.
Shapiro’s memoir will be released Jan. 27 and is a reflection on his decades as an elected official, including as Pennsylvania attorney general, as well as the firebombing of his home last year. He will tout the book in Philadelphia on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Parkway Central Library. He will also discuss the book at upcoming book tour stops in New York and Washington.
CHICAGO — Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams survived an incredible throw by Caleb Williams that forced overtime, beating the Chicago Bears 20-17 on Sunday night to advance to the NFC championship game.
Harrison Mevis kicked a 42-yard field goal in OT after Kam Curl intercepted a deep pass by Williams on the Bears’ first possession of the extra period. Stafford completed a 16-yard pass to Puka Nacua to get the Rams into field-goal range and set up Mevis, known as the “Thiccer Kicker,” for the game-ending kick. He was mobbed by teammates while a crowd that was rocking earlier watched in near silence.
The Rams (14-5) will visit NFC West rival Seattle next Sunday in their first trip to the conference championship game since the 2021 team won the Super Bowl. The Seahawks beat San Francisco 41-6 on Saturday.
“It was crazy,” Stafford said. “It was back and forth. We didn’t play our best on offense. Our defense dominated the game. It was unbelievable to watch. Hell of a play on fourth down by Caleb to get his team to overtime. And just glad we got the ball back.”
Los Angeles led 17-10 in the final minute and the Bears faced fourth-and-4 from the 14-yard line when Williams backpedaled to avoid the pass rush and heaved the ball to Cole Kmet for the tying touchdown with 18 seconds left. Although officially a 14-yard pass, the ball traveled 51.2 yards in the air, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
Williams threw for two touchdowns but was intercepted three times as the Bears (12-7) — who pulled off seven fourth-quarter comeback wins under first-year coach Ben Johnson — came up short this time. They won the NFC North after finishing last in the division a year ago.
Stafford led a 91-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, with Kyren Williams scoring from the 5 to give the Rams a 17-10 lead with 8:50 remaining. Nacua kept the possession going on the previous play with a 2-yard run on fourth-and-5.
The Bears then drove to the 2, but Omar Speights broke up Williams’ fourth-down pass to Luther Burden just inside the goal line.
Chicago got the ball back at midfield with just under two minutes remaining after Ethan Evans shanked a 33-yard punt, setting up Williams’ heroics.
In overtime, the Bears won the toss and deferred. They quickly got the ball back when the Rams went three-and-out, forced to punt after Blake Corum was stopped for a 1-yard loss on third-and-1 at the 36.
Chicago took over at the 16. Williams kept the drive going with a 3-yard keeper on fourth-and-1 near midfield. But Curl picked off Williams’ pass intended for DJ Moore two plays later.
Stafford was 20 of 42 for 258 yards and took four sacks. Nacua had 56 yards receiving after going for 111 in a wild-card win over Carolina, and Kyren Williams ran for 87 yards and two scores.
Caleb Williams completed 23 of 42 passes for 257 yards. Moore had a touchdown catch, and D’Andre Swift ran for 76 yards.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mike Vrabel returned to New England on a mission to have the franchise playing again in meaningful games in January — as he did so often as a player.
In his first year as the head coach, he wanted to do it by building a culture of players that wanted to perform for each another. Their most complete team effort of the season has the Patriots one win from a trip to the Super Bowl.
Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes in the snow and rain, Marcus Jones returned one of C.J. Stroud’s four interceptions for a score and the Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 on Sunday to advance to the AFC championship game for the first time in seven years.
The Patriots (16-3) will take on the Broncos (15-3) in Denver next Sunday, with the winner advancing to the NFL’s title game in three weeks.
“Everybody’s stepping up. We’re using everybody. Everybody’s making plays. Everybody’s helping us win,” said Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots. “I’m excited for these guys, but also, they’re not satisfied, and I can tell that.”
The Patriots — winners of 15 of their last 16 games — will make their 16th conference championship game appearance and first since their run to their sixth Super Bowl title under Bill Belichick in the 2018 season. New England has won its last nine divisional round games.
Maye finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards, but had an interception and fumbled four times, losing two in cold conditions in which snow and rain fell throughout. One of Maye’s fumbles set up Houston’s first touchdown.
“Just proud of the guys,” Maye said. “Battled the elements. This is New England. This is what we’re trying to embrace and we want to embrace all season long. Props to our defense, played a hell of a game. We’ve got to protect the football better, but we made enough plays to win it.”
Carlton Davis III had two interceptions for New England. Craig Woodson added an interception and fumble recovery.
New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) returns an interception for a touchdown against Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson (19) during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
“They bring it every week,” Maye said of his defense. “It’s fun to watch. And we could help them out some more, but just proud of the guys. Enjoy this one, and we’re back on the road.”
The eight combined turnovers — Woody Marks also lost a fumble for Houston — were the most in a playoff game since 2015 when the Cardinals and Panthers combined for eight in the NFC championship game.
The Texans (13-6) have lost in the divisional round in three straight seasons under coach DeMeco Ryans. The franchise fell to 0-7 in this round.
“It’s tough to win a game when you turn the ball over five times,” Ryans said.
Stroud finished 20 of 47 with a TD pass. All of his interceptions came in the first half as he became the first player with five or more INTs and five or more fumbles in a single postseason. Will Anderson forced two fumbles for the Texans.
New England Patriots linebacker K’lavon Chaisson, right, hits Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
“I feel like I let people down,” Stroud said. “I’m not happy with that. It hurts. I’m not used to it.”
Leading 21-16 in the fourth quarter, the Patriots stretched their lead to 27-16 when Kayshon Boutte got behind Derek Stingley Jr. and pulled in a diving, one-hand catch in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown.
The Texans had the ball with 5:48 to play, but punted on fourth-and-18 at their own 21 with 4:18 remaining.
New England’s next drive took the clock under two minutes. But the Texans turned it over on downs when Stroud’s fourth-down pass to Xavier Hutchinson was batted down by Robert Spillane.
The Patriots now go back on the road, where they are 8-0 this season.
“We feel like we deserve to be here,” Maye said. “I like our chances with those guys in the locker room.”
Early action
With the Patriots leading 7-3 early, a series of miscues produced the next two scores.
Maye was strip-sacked by Danielle Hunter deep in Patriots territory, but left tackle Will Campbell fell on the ball and the Patriots punted.
The Texans gave it right back when Stroud’s deep pass along the sideline was intercepted by Davis III.
Maye fumbled again when he attempted to run on a busted play and had the ball stripped by Tommy Togiai and recovered by Azeez Al-Shaair. Six plays later, Stroud linked up with Christian Kirk on a 10-yard touchdown pass.
But on Houston’s next drive, Stroud was rushed up the middle by K’Lavon Chaisson and he lofted a pass that was intercepted by Jones and returned for the score to put New England back in front.
Later in the quarter, the Patriots’ lead increased to 21-10 when they capped a five-play, 56-yard drive with a 7-yard TD pass from Maye to Stefon Diggs.
Mr. Pick-6
Jones scored on an interception return for the second time this season. It was the first of his career in the playoffs and first for New England in the postseason since Asante Samuel had one vs. Indianapolis on Jan. 21, 2007, in the AFC championship game.
Injuries
Texans: TE Dalton Schultz (calf) left in the first quarter and didn’t return. … LG Tytus Howard limped off in the second quarter. … TE Cade Stover left in the fourth with a knee injury and didn’t return.
Patriots: LB Robert Spillane left in the first quarter with a thumb injury, but returned. … RB TreVeyon Henderson was shaken up after a second quarter run before jogging off. … S Craig Woodson exited after his INT with a head injury, but returned. … RB Rhamondre Stevenson left in the second quarter with an eye issue. … Davis injured his head in the fourth quarter.
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday will end with the coldest temperatures of the season so far, the National Weather Service has forecast, after a snowy weekend.
The day was to start with overnight lows in the high teens and a wind chill that would feel like the low teens, said Paul Fitzsimmons, lead meteorologist with the weather service.
“The roads could still be icy in spots and any slush is going to … freeze,” he said.
Monday’s highs are forecast to stay in the low to mid-30s.
“With wind, it’s going to feel more like the 20s, even at the warmest part of the day,” Fitzsimmons said.
Temperatures are expected to dip into the mid-teens Monday night, which along with a breeze will feel like the mid- to high single digits, he said. In a word: bitter.
Recent weather patterns have kept things cold.
“Basically, we just have a pattern where there’s a persistent upper-level trough over the eastern part of North America, and that’s just a favorable pattern to get reoccurring incursions of this Arctic air,” Fitzsimmons said.
Lou Kratz and his daughter Jules, 10, walk along Umoja Park in Swarthmore on Sunday, after the second snowfall of the weekend. Cleveland, their half sheepdog, half mutt rescue from Texas, is a “Christmas dog,” Jules said.
Philadelphia saw less than an inch through Sunday afternoon but was forecast to finish the day with around 2 inches, according to the weather service. Some suburbs saw higher snowfall, with much of Bucks County seeing the highest totals, above 2 inches.
Things won’t be getting better on Tuesday.
In fact, the weather service forecast a Tuesday night low of 9 degrees. The good news: “There won’t be as much wind,” Fitzsimmons said. “So in terms of the actual real feel, it may not be quite as bad Wednesday morning.”
In the immediate aftermath of the death of Renée Good in Minneapolis, FBI agents launched a civil rights investigation into the actions of the immigration officer who shot her, according to three people familiar with the investigation.
An agent in Minnesota conducted an initial review of the shooting and determined that sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights probe into the actions of Jonathan Ross, the officer who shot Good, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The existence of the civil rights investigation stands in sharp contrast to public statements made by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said on Fox News Sunday that the shooting of Good does not warrant a federal investigation.
“There are over 1,000 shootings every year where law enforcement are put in danger by individuals, and they have to protect themselves, and they have a lawful right to do so,” Blanche said. “The Department of Justice doesn’t just stand up and investigate because some congressmen thinks we should, because some governor thinks that we should.”
“We investigate when it’s appropriate to investigate,” Blanche added. “And that is not the case here. It was not the case when it happened and is not the case today.” Instead of a civil rights investigation, Justice Department leaders have tried to pursue a probe against Good’s partner, multiple people familiar with the probe said.
Legal experts said that there is a low threshold for the FBI to open a civil rights investigation, and prosecutors and FBI agents occasionally disagree about when criminal investigations should be pursued.
The FBI declined to comment about the decisions regarding the investigation.
Any federal use-of-force investigation into an officer’s conduct is considered a civil rights investigation because the provision under which officers can be charged is a civil rights statute that covers deprivation of a person’s rights “under color of law.”
On Jan. 7, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis shot three times into the car of Good, a 37-year-old American citizen. Good’s partner was protesting ICE officers nearby in the moments before the shooting.
About a dozen senior prosecutors in Washington and Minnesota have said they would be leaving their jobs amid turmoil over the Trump administration’s handling of the shooting death of Good.
At least five prosecutors in Minnesota — including the office’s second-in-command — were furious that Justice Department leaders demanded that they investigate Good’s partner, prompting them to resign, according to people familiar with their decision, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
In Washington, multiple senior prosecutors in the criminal section of the Civil Rights Division left, in part, because they were excluded from the Good investigation. People familiar with their departures said that, before the shooting, many of them had already planned to take early retirement because they believed that Justice Department leaders were undermining their work. The handling of the Minneapolis shooting, the people said, hastened their departure dates.
“No responsible prosecutor should determine what an outcome should be in such a case until a such an investigation is completed,” said W. Anders Folk, who served as acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota during the Biden administration. “I am concerned that without a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation, the public’s confidence in law enforcement, prosecutors, and public safety professionals will suffer.”
A robust federal investigation could determine that the officer was justified in shooting Good, legal experts noted. Law enforcement officers are rarely charged for using lethal force, in part because the law provides significant leeway for officers to decide when use of force is needed.
An accurate conclusion can only be reached, however, if law enforcement officials examine all relevant state and federal laws, and their application to the facts in the case, the legal experts said. A thorough investigation, for example, might conclude that the officer’s first shot at Good was justified, but that the next two were not.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, have said that state officials have been blocked from conducting an investigation into the shooting, with the FBI taking over the probe and denying state agencies access to evidence. Justice Department and FBI leaders have not publicly explained what their probe entails, only saying that a civil rights investigation is not warranted.
The Justice Department has since launched a federal investigation into Walz and Frey, examining whether the two Democratic leaders are impeding federal law enforcement officers’ abilities to do their jobs in the state, the Washington Post reported Friday. Federal prosecutors are expected to serve the two leaders with subpoenas in the coming days.
Walz and Frey have denied any wrongdoing and have accused the Trump administration of weaponizing law enforcement for political purposes.
For sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova is “right where we want to be” after a 73-65 victory over Butler on Sunday at the Finneran Pavilion.
Bascoe led the way with 22 points and added two rebounds and six assists as Villanova (15-4, 8-2 Big East) maintained its hold on second place in the conference.
The Wildcats trailed by 33-31 at the half but used a productive third quarter to seal another Big East win. In their last outing, they were thumped, 99-50, at No. 1 UConn on Thursday.
“We want to be trailing UConn in the Big East,” Bascoe said. “That’s a great spot for us going into the second half of the league [schedule], and then hopefully the Big East Tournament. … So it’s just continuing to push through.”
Turning it around
Heading into the game, Villanova coach Denise Dillon urged the team to come out stronger after halftime.
Butler (8-11, 2-7) went on a 7-0 run in the final 1 minute, 13 seconds of the second quarter. The Bulldogs kept the game close in the first half with efficient shooting, going 60.9% from the field. Meanwhile, Villanova shot just 34.4% from the field and 16.7% from the three-point range in the half.
Villanova’s Denae Carter in action against Xavier on Jan. 8.
“[At halftime,] we just acknowledged that we weren’t playing like ourselves in the first half,” Bascoe said. “And to finish off the game right, we had to come out hard in the third quarter. So, you know, we drew up some plays, we intensified our defense, and then it kind of slowed down from there and we didn’t have to force any shots.”
Carter has her moment
Villanova opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run of its own. Bascoe sank a three-pointer and layup off a Butler turnover. Then, sophomore forward Dani Ceseretti assisted on a layup by junior forward Brynn McCurry.
The Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs, 24-15, in the third quarter and led for the rest of the game.
Graduate forward Denae Carter accounted for 11 of those points, shooting 5-for-7 from the field. She added six points in a scoring burst within the last 1:31 of the quarter.
“This is [Carter’s] final run, and when she realizes it, it just fuels her,” Dillon said. “There’s nothing better for this group. You can even see it in the huddle, when all of a sudden she’s like, ‘I’m ready to go.’ … Denae is one of our top defenders, and when she’s disruptive, good things happen for us.”
With less than four minutes left to play, Carter had to leave the court after she was struck in the face and Butler was charged with a flagrant foul. She finished the game with 15 points and four rebounds.
Next up
Villanova visits St. John’s (15-5, 5-4) on Saturday (2 p.m., FS1).
BARCELONA — A high-speed train derailed, jumped onto the track in the opposite direction and slammed into an oncoming train Sunday in southern Spain, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens more, the country’s transport minister said.
The tail end of an evening train between Malaga and Madrid with some 300 passengers went off the rails near Córdoba at 7:45 p.m. local time and slammed into a train with some 200 passengers coming from Madrid to Huelva, another southern Spanish city, according to rail operator Adif.
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente updated the death toll to 21 confirmed victims after midnight when he said that rescues had removed all the survivors. But Puente said there could be more victims still to be confirmed. Emergency services in Andalucia, the province where the accident happened, said it had recorded 25 people with severe injuries.
The regional Civil Protection chief, María Belén Moya Rojas, told Canal Sur that the accident happened in an area that is hard to reach.
Local people were taking blankets and water to the scene to help the victims, she said.
Salvador Jiménez, a journalist for Spanish broadcaster RTVE, was on board one of the derailed trains and told the network by phone that “there was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed.”
He said passengers used emergency hammers to break the windows, and that some had walked away without serious injuries. Videos from people on site show some people crawling out of windows at some points to escape the wreckage with carriages leaning at an angle.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X that she was following “the terrible news” from Cordoba.
“Tonight you are in my thoughts,” she wrote in Spanish.
ADIF said train services between Madrid and cities in Andalucia would not run Monday.
Officials say a medical emergency or an issue with the gas pedal may have led the driver of an SUV to accelerate into a neighbor’s yard and crash into a house in Mullica Hill, N.J., on Saturday, killing the husband and wife in the vehicle and causing a house fire.
Thomas Hengel, 72, and his wife, Lisa Hengel, 61, both died after their vehicle became trapped in the neighbor’s house on Banff Drive, according to Harrison Township Police Chief Ronald Cundey.
“The family in the house, by the grace of God, were in the kitchen, and they weren’t injured,” Cundey said. The home is uninhabitable as a result of the fire, and the family has been temporarily relocated, he said.
Officials are working to determine whether the driver suffered a “medical event” or if the gas pedal “got stuck,” Cundey added.
Harrison Township Mayor Adam Wingate and the police chief both applauded the quick response from the Harrison Township Fire District and other first responder agencies throughout the county.
“It’s a real shock, and it’s sad,” Cundey said. “I’m sure lots of people will have thoughts and prayers for both families.”
Thomas Hengel was a retired teacher from Clearview Regional High School, Cundey noted. He was also a longtime track coach, according to NJ.com.
“It’s just a tragedy,” said Wingate. He described the township, in Gloucester County,about a half hour outside Philadelphia, as a tight-knit community of about 14,000 people, where everyone knows everyone.
Wingate said at the high school,Hengel had a “Mr. Feeny way about him.” He compared him to the Boy Meets World character, played by actor William Daniels, because of Hengel’s passion for students’ success outside the sport.
“At the time, you might not have realized the lesson he was teaching, but even in gym class or as athletes on his teams, he pushed students to be the best version of themselves,” Wingate said. “Preparing them for success far beyond the classroom or track.”
Former student Kevin Walsh said Hengel was an “old-school coach,” who motivated and supported his student athletes even beyond their playing days. “He was almost like a second father figure to a lot of us,” Walsh said. “He really helped mold us during those impressionable years.”
Walsh recalled a time when Hengel showed up to his community college track meet on one of his days off from work. He remembers hearing Hengel’s motivational words from the crowd, pushing him past his physical limits — a moment and lesson he’s carried with him into adulthood.
Walsh said he and Hengel’s other students were “completely devastated” by his loss.
“It was just horrific, the nature of the accident. You just feel for him, his wife, and his family,” he said.
In a written tribute to the Hengel family on Facebook, Clearview graduate Andrea Eppehimer said, “Rest easy, Coach. You’ve earned it. And tell Lisa we’re grateful she was by your side every mile. We love you. We miss you. And we’ll keep running for you.”
Gus Ostrum, president of the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame, where Hengel was voted into back in 2018, also expressed his condolences.
”We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Coach Tom Hengel and his wife Lisa on January 18,“ Ostrum wrote in a statement. ”Mr. Hengel was a highly respected coach within the South Jersey cross country and track communities who was elected to the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. He and his wife will be missed greatly not only among their Clearview Regional High School colleagues but all around South Jersey for their wonderful commitment to our local students, athletes and their families.“
Staff photographer Elizabeth Robertson also contributed to this article.
