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On the Thursday, February 5, 2026, episode of The Excerpt podcast:One day out from Milano Cortina 2026, USA TODAY National Sports Columnist Christine Brennan and Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano, hosts of USA TODAY's Milan Magic Olympics podcast, join The Excerpt for a look at Team USA and the Olympic stories to watch out for.

Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it.This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

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Dana Taylor:

We are now just one day away from the roar of the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan in Cortina, Italy. Team USA is on the hunt for gold as figure skater Ilia Malinin, who some have dubbed the quad god, pushes the sport of ice skating to dizzying heights.

Hello and welcome to USA TODAY's The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is Thursday, February 5th, 2026. Joining me now to discuss one of America's favorite events, ice skating, and what else to watch out for at Milan Cortina 2026 is USA TODAY National Sports Columnist Christine Brennan and Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano, the host of USA TODAY's Milan Magic Olympics podcast. Christine and Brian, it is so wonderful to have you here on The Excerpt. Thanks for joining me.

Brian Boitano:

Thank you so much for having us.

Christine Brennan:

Thanks. Yeah, you know what? We're getting a little sick of each other, just the two of us, so it's good to have you join.

Dana Taylor:

Christine, of course, anything can happen at the Olympics, but Team USA is stacked. Who are the mega stars we'll be watching?

Christine Brennan:

You certainly mentioned one right off the bat. Ilia Malinin who is the quad god, as you said, he is two-time world champ, four-time US national champ. He is the prohibitive favorite to win the men's gold medal early in the Olympics, the first week. So in fact, the team competition is beginning on the same day as the opening ceremony. So you'll see Ilia probably quite early in the Olympics. But as Brian knows well, the winter sports by design are ice and snow. And that means that they can be very slippery. It's not like someone swimming in a pool. And yes, something can go wrong for Katie Ledecki, but the odds are it's not going to be the elements. And yet with ice, with snow, that skating is a slippery sport. Ilia Malinin, we're going to be keeping an eye on Amber Glenn, the three-time US Women's Champ, and also Alyssa Liu, the defending world champion on the women's side.

And then of course, there are the other sports, including skiing, two huge names, Michaela Schiffrin and Lindsay Vonn. So this is a stacked, power packed US Olympic team.

Dana Taylor:

Brian, let's go in depth on the US skaters. Who are the favorites?

Brian Boitano:

Where do I start? Well, Ilia Malinin, this guy has set the technical bar so high, higher than ever in the history of our sport. He is just phenomenal. But taking that into effect, nothing is for sure. He has some contenders that if he doesn't have a great night, that they'll be able to come in and steal his thunder, but nobody's expecting that. But just having that amount of pressure, imagine going in and wanting to win a gold medal, but at the same time having expectation from everyone that it's a shoe-in. That's a hard, hard amount of pressure to skate under. So he has his country, he has the quad god title. He's set the bar higher than ever. He's literally probably the most favorite for an Olympic gold medal that we've ever had. And that's a lot of pressure. So I like to give him a chance to take a little bit of the pressure off.

So nothing's a given for sure, but he is certainly the most dominant. And then the women, we have three really strong women, Alyssa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito. We could really have a sweep of the podium. I don't think it is the most likely chance, but that's how talented our women's team is, is that if there are mistakes by some of the Japanese team and other people who are competitive with them, we could have a sweep of the podium.

Christine Brennan:

Brian, I agree with you on that. And women skating, obviously men's skating is a very big deal, especially in 1988 when a certain guy won the Olympic gold medal in the Battle of the Brian's. And that was my first Olympics, winner Olympics I covered. And men's skating, certainly. I mean, with Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, and there have been others most recently, Nathan Chen winning the gold four years ago, and then will Ilia be the one this time? But the women, that's right, that's Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill. And so many of those great names that are iconic cultural names in our country and in the world, not just sports superstars. And the question is, to Brian's point, will there be an American woman who will rise up, or two, or three because it has been 20 years since a US woman has won an Olympic medal.

Sasha Cohen, silver medal, 2006 in Torino, just a few hundred miles from where the Milan Olympics will be. That's a long drought for a country that has just produced gold medalists, silver medalists, Michelle Quon, Tara Lapinski, you name it. And that's the real question and they know it. Amber Glenn told us right away, she said, "We understand there's this drought and we are going to end the drought." One of those three American women, maybe two, maybe three, they're the ones that can do it.

Dana Taylor:

And of course, the games showcase athletic excellence from across the globe. Brian, who are a few of the international Olympians to watch out for?

Brian Boitano:

For the first time in years, we have two of the... They're not Russians. They're representing a neutral country in the men's event and the women's event. And they are touted to give a challenge to our American skaters, not so much Ilia, but in the women's event, Patrushian is touted to give our women a run for their money. There is a talented cast of skaters. For Ilia Malinin, we have Yuma Kagayama from Japan, who is just an incredible... He's probably the generation after Ilia. And we have our American guys that are doing so well. Andrew Torgeshev and Max Namoff, of course, who is well known for a tragic reason because his parents were on flight 5342 in Washington, that tragedy. But the phoenix rising from the ashes is Max being able to make the Olympic team, which was a little bit of a surprise, but he's always had the talent, but he really put it all together to make the Olympic team. And everybody's hearts are going to be with Max as soon as he steps on the ice.

Christine Brennan:

And I'll mention also ice dance because we'd love to talk about bears, but the US pairs last won an Olympic medal in 1988 when Brian won his gold medal. That was the bronze medal. And it's nothing against the pears. They're trying hard, but the US has just not been able to really put together a strong pair team for a long, long time to be on the Olympic stage. A couple world medals and certainly national champs. But ice dance is another story entirely. As Brian knows well, there are five now, last five Olympics there have been medals won by the Americans in ice dance, in part because of the scoring system change. It has made ice dance in particular fairer, and none of the nonsense, or at least less of the nonsense of the judges cheating. And so that has opened up the opportunities for Americans.

And as of course, Brian knows well, Madison Chalk, Evan Bates, seven time national champions are going to try to finally win their first individual in the sense of ice dance medal. They are the gold medalists in the team competition. They finally got that medal two and a half years after the last Olympics in Beijing. So they are gold medalists, but in the team, they would love to win the gold obviously in the individual ice dance, but there's some tough teams, a French team. The Canadians are good. We'll see how it all plays out, but watch ice dance as well, especially wonderful, great leaders and just terrific veteran skaters, Madison Chalk and Evan Bates.

Dana Taylor:

Christine, we all love a Cinderella story. Which Olympians on the US roster do you think could surprise the world?

Christine Brennan:

Wow. Well, I'll tell you, in figure skating, since we're talking a lot of skating, and why not? Because it is so popular and Americans love it. Brian mentioned her, Isabeau Levito. She is only 18, so she's the youngest of the three. Amber Glenn's 26 and Alyssa Lu's 20. So Isabeau Levita, one-time national champ. So she's been there. She's been at the top. But to me, she looks like she's the ballerina and the jewelry box. It's Audrey Hepburn out there. Just that classic, beautiful look. Could she slide in the way Sarah Hughes did back in 2002 in Salt Lake City where the other skaters, the top ranked ones didn't do as well, made some mistakes, and all of a sudden Sarah Hughes won the Olympic gold medal, deservedly so.

Isabeau Levito, could she have that couple days of competition? I think that's certainly worth watching. And then these Japanese women skaters that Brian referred to, they're good. They're really, really good. And Japan, Russia, and South Korea have dominated the metal podium in women's skating since, again, since the days of Syracuse, Michelle Quon, Tara Lapinski, Sasha Cohen.

Brian Boitano:

And that's what makes it so... Figure skating is so dramatic. You never know. I mean, Christine knows when you go into the building that night, sometimes the energy is there and it's so different. Sometimes it's often you're like, the energy's off in this building. Then how the entire night unfolds, sometimes it's one surprise after another. Sometimes it's not great skating. Sometimes it's fantastic skating. You never know what to expect when you go in the building. And so that's why when we say someone can slip in there, it can be someone that you never even counted on coming in, having a fantastic night and placing right up there on the podium. So that's what's so exciting.

Dana Taylor:

So Brian, if you were to highlight just one, is there an athlete story this year that's compelling to you, perhaps something that goes beyond meddling?

Brian Boitano:

Yeah. I have to say, and I'm directly related to it. So Alyssa Liu, who is world champion from last year, US champion from last year as well, she is the youngest ever to be national champion in our country. And then she retired and came back to skating in full force, and won the world title out of the blue last year, a total surprise to everyone. But she's come with a renewed passion. She decided she wanted to come back with this joie de vivre. She's not going to feel pressure. She's going to have fun. She's going to be a great teammate, and inspire and encourage her other teammates. And she just has this lightheartedness. When you watch her, you smile. She doesn't care about medals. She doesn't care about placement. She cares about that she loves the sport again, and she's doing really well because of it.

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And because she doesn't feel this pressure and because she doesn't care so much, she has so much less pressure on herself, because most of the people in the events are like, "I really want to get a medal and I'm nervous." And she's like, "I'm just going to go out there and have fun." So she has all this energy and she has all this love. And when she skates so well, the audience gets totally behind her. She is the energy of the future. And she is starting this sisterhood with the other two teammates that is literally capturing the nation by storm. And we're going to see a lot more of that when we watch the Olympics.

Christine Brennan:

And Dana, Brian has a bird's eye view, as he said, because he's skating with her a couple of times a week. So Brian Boitano is literally on the ice with Alyssa Liu. And Brian, you mentioned something that I actually captured because I was sitting in press row at the nationals a few weeks ago, the US Championships in St. Louis. So this is remarkable. Our country right now, we got people at each other's throats. We've got a lot of controversy out there. We're talking sports here, obviously, right now. And you just refer to it. The cultural significance of Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, and Alyssa Liu, the three of them, and they finished each other's sentences. They laugh at each other's jokes. They're just great pals. They're always hugging each other. You don't see that all the time at all. In any sport, a competitive sport, which of course skating is, and what I witnessed was amazing.

So Alyssa Liu is the second to last skater in the long program, the final night of competition for the women a few weeks ago, the US Nationals. She's in first place. There's one skater left. That's the only skater who can beat her. It's Amber Glenn. Now, a lot of times skaters will leave the ice, go back behind the curtains, not want to watch. It makes sense. You're sweating, you're huffing and puffing and you just want to get away from it. You're not going to watch the last person. No. Alyssa Liu just literally crouches down right in front of us on the press row, right at the ice. And she's there cheering for Amber Glenn, the woman who can beat her. And sure enough, Amber Glenn did beat Alyssa Liu. I've covered sports a long time, lots of sports, football, golf, you name it. That's one of those stories you go, "Wow, I cannot believe I'm just watching this."

And that's Brian, the woman that you know so well.

Brian Boitano:

Dana Taylor:

Brian, you uniquely understand the immense pressure athletes from around the globe are feeling right at this moment. What does the mental preparation look like and feel like for the athletes we'll be watching?

Brian Boitano:

Well, I've explained it to Christine before that it's like the layers of an onion. We, from childhood, getting used to different layers of pressure, and expectation, and all these layers of onion keep building on top of you, on top of you, on top of you. And you know what the pressure's going to be like. You know what it's like to defend a national title, which is one level of pressure. You know what it's like to defend a world title, which is another level of pressure. Well, the level of pressure when you get into an Olympics and there's a possibility that you can win a gold medal is times seven. So all these athletes have prepared for this. They have done their mental exercises. They have done as much mental training as they have done triple lutz's. And that's the most important part, is having that at your availability whenever you need it.

It's your toolbox of things that you will use right when the competition starts. Because when things go down on the ice during competition, it unravels really quickly. And it can unravel in a good way and it can unravel in a bad way. So the tools that you have in your toolbox that you deal with pressure are literally 97% of your work, and the 97% of the most important things that you can have going into the Olympics when there's that pressure involved.

Dana Taylor:

I'll never look at an onion the same way again. Christine, can you share with us something about the backdrop, the venues, the Italian winter scape that I'll be watching on my screen and the two of you will be experiencing on the ground?

Christine Brennan:

This is a unique setup. For the first time ever, you have at least first time... Well, I think it is the first time ever. I've covered every Olympics, as I said, since Calgary in 1988, where I met Brian Boitano, who then of course won the incredible gold medal. But in general, Calgary, the skiing, which I covered some of that, was a half hour drive and you'd go in back and forth, maybe 45 minutes if you were in traffic. Vancouver, 2010, hour and a half on the media shuttle to Whistler, and then you come back and you're back in time for dinner. Well, this is different. This is six, seven, eight hour drive away. So Cortina is absolutely gorgeous. This is going to look terrific on your TV set. It's going to look terrific as you look at the incredible photos being shot by USA TODAY photographers and all of the things that will be part of our stories.

But Brian and I are going to be in Milan and among many of the other journalists, and we're not going to be able to just, oh, wander over and watch Lindsey Vonn. No, no. And that's different. I actually love it because there's three or four smaller towns, including Cortina, but that they are going to have a big role to play because they're hosting some of the events. But hockey, men's and women's hockey, and let's not forget the US Canada, women's hockey, guaranteed they're going to be playing for the gold medal and that's all they... Either Canada or the US has won all of them. But hockey will be in Milan. The speed skating, Jordan Stolls from Milwaukee, great speed skater, among others, that will also be in Milan. And then of course, figure skating. So that's where the big base of support will be and we're going to be based.

Although again, there'll be a lot of different venues with a lot of really cool things going on.

Dana Taylor:

I do want to talk about the podcast, because we have been following your coverage leading up to the games. It's USA TODAY's Milan Magic podcast. What do you have in store for us now that competition is underway?

Brian Boitano:

We're going to talk about everything. We're talking to legends. We're talking to current skaters. We're going to talk judging system, costumes, and that's just the figure skating part. We're going to get into other events as well. I know Lindsay Vaughn will be a big topic and Michaela Shiffrin for us. Jordan Sultz, like you said, in speed skating. Yeah, we're going to be talking about pretty much everything, but we want to surprise you a little bit. We don't want to tell you everything that we have up our sleeves, so keep listening.

Christine Brennan:

Yeah. And what's fun for me is, so I'm the journalist and Brian's the skater, and we do. We've known each other since '88. So just great friendship and respect. But I think, and I've heard this from people already, we're very honored that people listen and watch, and we already had several, obviously, episodes that we're very proud of. A great team, as you do, Dana at USA TODAY, getting this out to everyone. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts, of course, and on the YouTube channels. But the idea being that we come at things from a different point of view. And if there's news to break, I'm going to be breaking it. And Brian will probably in many cases then comment on that. And his view commenting, Brian, as you are as an athlete, obviously as a personality, as an icon in the sport, I don't think anyone else is giving all of the fans, the thousands, millions of fans that are going to be watching these Olympics that care about it, maybe don't care right now.

And here's the opening ceremony. Now you're going to now, oh wow, it's happening the next three or four weeks. Come to us, because I think we figured this out, your first Olympics was 1984, Brian, mine was 1984. Mine was summer, yours winter. So if we just do quick math here, that's 42 years of Olympics for me and 42 years of Olympics for Brian, which if we get a calculator out, we can say that that is 84 years of Olympics

Brian Boitano:

Christine Brennan:

Almost. Well, a couple more and then we'll add it up. But we're having a ball. We love to have smiles on our faces and tell really positive, happy stories. And if there's stuff that we have to get into that's a little negative, absolutely we will. We will tell you the truth. You're going to get stories here and information that you're not going to get anywhere else, with 84 years, my gosh, of experience on this exact topic over the next three weeks.

Brian Boitano:

Christine and I really dive into it, and we talk about what's important, and we answer people's questions like what are they thinking? So it's really fun and satisfying for us to even be able to talk at depth about everything.

Dana Taylor:

And Christine, I hear that USA TODAY has a new book out called Chasing Gold. What can you tell me about that?

Christine Brennan:

Yeah, it's a unique thing, a book, USA TODAY with a children's book for these Olympics, Chasing Gold. A kid's guide to the 2026 Winner Olympics, a complete breakdown of winter Olympians and Paralympians for kids and adults of all ages to enjoy, while they learn about the stars heading to Milan and Cortina. It's a hardcover book, includes 40 full color pages with photos of the biggest athletes preparing to compete. There are fun facts, but there's also crafts to create your own Olympic medals and torch, and even a bingo game for when you're watching the games as a family. So with so much to look forward to with the 2026 Winter Olympics, Chasing Gold, that's the name of it. Chasing Gold is the perfect asset to get the family together for the biggest sports event in the world. Head to usatoday.com to place an order as the 2026 Winter Olympics take off.

Dana Taylor:

And you can join Christine and Brian in Milan on their series, Milan Magic airing in the Sport Seriously podcast feed. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch their show on USA TODAY's Sport Seriously YouTube channel. Christine Brennan is a national sports columnist for USA TODAY, and Brian Boitano is a US Olympic gold medalist. Thank you both so much for taking the time and being on the excerpt.

Brian Boitano:

Thank you. Thank you so much. Cheers.

Dana Taylor:

Thanks to our senior producer, Kayely Monahan, for her production assistance. Our executive producer is Laura Beatty. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note to podcasts at usatoday.com. Thanks for listening. I'm Dana Taylor. I'll be back Monday morning with another episode of USA TODAY's The Excerpt.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:The Olympics are here! Which athletes will USA TODAY be watching? | The Excerpt

By Amina Niasse

NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Online telehealth company Hims and Hers Health will begin offering compounded copies of Novo Nordisk's new Wegovy pill at an introductory price of $49 per month, ​the company said Thursday, about $100 less than the brand name.

Shares of Novo extended losses in early morning ‌trading, and were off 6% after the news.

Hims' compounded version of the treatment is made from the same active ingredient, semaglutide, as the one ‌from Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk. Following the lower one-time payment, patients at Hims with a five-month subscription will pay $99 per month thereafter versus the $199 Novo will charge.

Patients with shorter subscription durations will pay more per month, but less over the course of their treatment plan, with a three-month subscription totalling $277. All treatments are paid for upfront in full.

Hims said the ⁠treatment can be tailored for patients aiming ‌to ward off side effects or who prefer the pill over the injectable option.

"We're excited to find ways to continue bringing branded treatments to the platform across specialties. More choice ‍on the platform is the best thing for customers everywhere," said Hims CEO Andrew Dudum in a statement.

Novo launched the drug in the beginning of January and has seen strong demand in the U.S., where it is available on its cash-pay direct-to-consumer website.

A ​spokesperson for Novo Nordisk was not immediately available for comment.

NOVO WARNED ON PRICE PRESSURE

On Wednesday, Novo said that pricing ‌pressure was unprecedented as customers shifted to the cash-pay market and insurers demanded deep discounts after it agreed to lower prices at the request of the Trump Administration, forcing its shares to plummet. It is also facing competition from Eli Lilly, which hopes to launch its own pill in a few months.

Novo and Hims had a partnership in 2025 allowing Hims to sell injectable Wegovy, but the two companies walked away with Novo saying Hims had wrongfully ⁠marketed copycats of Wegovy. Hims' Dudum accused Novo of attempting to ​control how clinicians at Hims make decisions.

Compounding, in which pharmacies mix ​ingredients to copy a drug but at different dosages, is allowed in the U.S., flourishing even as copies of the branded version are readily available. Hims currently sells compounded versions of injectable ‍Wegovy.

The Food and Drug Administration ⁠in September issued a warning to Hims regarding its marketing of compounded semaglutide, stating claims like "same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy" are misleading, as compounded drugs are not FDA-approved.

In 2025, Hims doubled the size ⁠of its facility in New Albany, Ohio. The company said on Thursday the expansion allows Hims to provide treatments at a lower price.

Novo ‌Nordisk has said states should limit mass manufacturing of weight-loss drug copies to protect patient safety.

(Reporting ‌by Amina Niasse; Editing by Caroline Humer and Stephen Coates)

Allrecipes / Chips Ahoy

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) hasannouncedan expansion of a 2025 recall on Chips Ahoy cookies due to a possible choking hazard. Mondelēz Global LLC initially initiated a recall for its Chips Ahoy Baked Bites Brookies on Dec. 24, 2025, for a potential hazard due to a mixing process error that may have left clumps of corn starch in the cookies. As of Feb. 4, 2026, Mondelēz Global LLC has expanded the recall to include one additional code date and two more universal product codes (UPCs) for the cookies.

How To Identify the Recalled Chips Ahoy Cookies

The recalled Chips Ahoy Baked Bites Brookies were sold in four packaging sizes and can be identified by the following information:

• 22.4-ounce Chips Ahoy Baked Bites Brookie eight-count Caddie with UPC 44000086688, Case GTN 10044000086678, and best-by dates of May 9, 10, 11, and 12 of 2026.

• 2.8-ounce Chips Ahoy Baked Bites Brookie Pouch with UPC 4400008667 and best-by dates of May 9, 10, 110, and 12 of 2026.

• 7.0-ounce Chips Ahoy! Baked Bites Brookie five-count with UPC 44000085650, Case GTN 10044000085657, and best-by dates of May 10, 12, and 18 of 2026.

• 1.4-ounce Chips Ahoy Baked Bites Brookie Pouch with UPC 4400008566 and best-by dates of May 10, 12, and 18 of 2026.

The recalled Chips Ahoy products were sold at retailers nationwide. No other Chips Ahoy or Mondelēz Global LLC products, other than those with best-by dates listed above, are impacted by this recall.

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What To Do if You Have the Recalled Chips Ahoy Cookies

Mondelēz Global LLC recalled the Chips Ahoy cookies because of a mixing process error that "resulted in the formation of small corn starch clumps in the product." The company is concerned that the starch clumps may present a choking hazard, especially for children or the elderly.

While no illnesses or injuries have been reported at this time, it is still not safe to consume the product. If you have the recalled Chips Ahoy Baked Bites Brookies, you should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For questions regarding this recall, you can call Mondelēz Global LLC at 1-855-535-5948.

Read the original article onAllrecipes

Are you a football fan who has no idea who Bad Bunny is? Or are you a pop culture enthusiast who's excited about the concert on Sunday but not sure what else the fuss is about? We get it. How can one person contain such multitudes?

Super Bowl 60 is Sunday, and no matter what your interests are (besides our great national unifiers of pizza and buffalo wings), you won't want to miss out on the chit-chat come Monday morning.

The big game has, in years past, yielded countless big moments —pulse-pounding last-minute victories, lexicon-shapingviral commercialsandunforgettable halftime shows. If this is the first sporting event you've tuned into all year or your first time ever seeing what Charlie Puth's face looks like, we'll help you excel at small talk at your Super Bowl party and at the office on Monday.

Let's start with the basics: In between extremely expensive commercials, the New England Patriots are up against the Seattle Seahawks. They're playing at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., where, coincidentally, there was alow-key earthquakeearlier this week. Halfway through the game, Bad Bunny, fresh off ahuge night at the Grammys, will take the stage.

Now, let's talk about the actual sports.

Conversation starter: Who are you rooting for and why?

Technically, this Super Bowl is a rematch between the two teams that played in 2015 — seriously,more2010s nostalgia.Back in the day, the Seahawks were poised to win, when quarterback Russell Wilson threw a heartbreakinginterception at the 1-yard line— that means the Patriots caught the ball and won!! I personally consider this game to be Starbucks vs. Dunkin'. We'll make the case for both teams.

The Seahawks

If you're looking for a good story, you should be rooting for the blue and green. As my colleague, Seahawks superfan Taryn Ryder, explains to me, quarterback Sam Darnold waswritten off for yearsand mocked by the media for months (OK, maybe he did deserve it for that one time he said he was"seeing ghosts" on a bad night), only to end up at the big game. Fans have been waiting a decade to get back to the Super Bowl for a shot at redemption after Wilson's last-second flop all those years ago.

If your goal is to cheer for the team that will actually win — and sometimes in this cruel world, that really is the vibe — you'll want tobet on the Seahawks. They've got the edge in every category: defense, scoring, coaching and so on. Honestly, this could be boring.

The Patriots

They might technically be the underdogs in this particular game, but I know I'm not the only person who thinks that the Patriots have a sinister aura in general that demands to be toppled, like Goliath in the Bible or Bruno Mars at the Grammys. This Super Bowl is their shot at a record-breaking seventh win — greedy, much? — and they've had anextremely easy pathto the big game, with a schedule packed with minimally impressive wins.

On the other hand, their baby-faced quarterback Drake Maye is a compelling character — the 23-year-old sweetie pie has a much softer reputation than Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, the QB-coach combo that ruled over the much-maligned Patriots dynasty before it all fell apart in 2020. (As a side note, I will confess that I am taken by the lovelorn thirst postingboth men have beendoing on Instagramlately). The Patriots could redeem themselves with this new lineup, but that uncanny continued success could also cement their villain status forever.

Wait, who are these people?

• Drake Maye: The Patriots quarterback could become the youngest starter to win a Super Bowl. Pair his harmless demeanor with the fact he's really good at his job, and you've got a compelling character.

• Sam Darnold: He's been the quarterback for at least five different teams, bouncing around until he landed with the Seahawks last year, after being dumped by the Minnesota Vikings for someone younger — go figure! He's only 28 but has the vibe of a weathered old sea captain to me.

• Stefon Diggs: The Patriots' wide receiver is not as good as he once was, but he's still really good, and that's reason enough to keep an eye on him.

• Cooper Kupp: The MVP of the 2022 Super Bowl is back for more on a new team. Dropped by the Rams last year, the Seahawks' superstar wide receiver has a lot to prove. Unfortunately, he looks a lot like Jake Paul.

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba: The Seahawks have a lot of talented offensive players, but he's the best. This has absolutely no bearing on anything, but his birthday is Valentine's Day, and I think that's sweet.

• Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel: If I'm being honest, both Mikes look very similar to me. Macdonald is interesting because he's pretty new to this whole NFL coaching thing and really good at defensive play calling. Vrabel is a former NFL player who likes pushing people's buttons and unexpectedly led the Patriots back on the path to greatness.

• Will Campbell and Morgan Moses: The oldest and youngest players on the Patriots have a surprisingly sweet friendship. Watch for their chemistry on the offensive line.

Hold your own: Expect backlash to Bad Bunny's halftime show

As the most-streamed artist in the world and the recent winner of the music industry's biggest honor, Bad Bunny is still a controversial choice to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.

The stage has become abattleground for the culture warslately, with naysayers — includingpoliticiansandmembers of the Trump administration— saying Bad Bunny's music isn't American. Which is weird, because the 31-year-old reggaeton artist is an American citizen from the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny does sing predominantly in Spanish, which is also spoken byan estimated 41 millionpeople in the U.S.

Ananonymous survey of 58 NFL players conducted by the Athleticfound that more than 40% of them didn't like the choice of Bad Bunny as a halftime show performer. One respondent said they'd prefer "anyone who's synonymous with football and football culture." Bad Bunny never brought his DEBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour to the continental U.S., saying he was concerned thatImmigration and Customs Enforcement would target his concerts. At the Grammys on Feb. 1, he used his acceptance speech to speak out against ICE, adding, "We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens. … We are humans, and we are Americans."

Days later, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodellstood by him, saying that Bad Bunny had been chosen to perform because he's "one of the great artists in the world" and because his "platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together."

It's hard to imagine anything making bigger headlines than Bad Bunny and how people respond to him, but he isn't the only performer of the night. Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile and Coco Jones will perform the various standard patriotic anthems before the game begins. Just before that,Green Day will performat an opening ceremony honoring 60 years of Super Bowl history. Given their political outspokenness, they were a controversial pick as well —President Trump isn't a fan— but their audience before the game will be much smaller.

Deep cut: Who's going to be spotted in the stands

Celebrity fans

The turnout of famous people at this Super Bowl probably won't be as substantial as it was last year —Taylor Swift and her squadhave the year off — but we're predicting a few celebrity sightings. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Evans, John Krasinski, Jon Bon Jovi and Mark Wahlberg are all Patriots fans, and Seahawks enthusiasts include Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Then there's of course Cardi B, who is dating the Patriots superstar Stefon Diggs. She just performed onSaturday Night Liveand kicks off her Little Miss Drama Tour a few days after the game, so she's having a bit of a moment, whether or not her boyfriend's team plays well.

The WAGs

The wives and girlfriends of players are showmen in their own right, and none of them are having as big of a breakout year as Ann Michael Maye, Drake Maye's wife. The couple has been together since middle school, and she's beenblowing up on TikTokwith her aggressively normal baking and lifestyle content.

Sam Darnold's fiancée, Katie Hoofnagle, isn't such an enthusiastic social media poster — "I'm here so I won't get fined," her Instagram bio states, invoking an iconic 2015 line from Marshawn Lynch, the former Seahawks player (andBottomsstar).

Other notable names includeTori Gibson(married to Patriots running back Antonio Gibson),Riley Whayland(who's dating Patriots tight end CJ Dippre),Ahna Jaims Kreitinger(engaged to Seahawks safety Ty Okada) andHailey Louise Williams(married to Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams). I'm addicted to watching them log the subtle chicness of the mundane parts of their lives on TikTok. Making smoothies is so much cooler when you're doing it before a big game.

Hot take: The commercials are becoming a bit predictable

The most expensive day in TV advertising is often a showcase for tearjerking, thought-provoking or otherwise entertaining commercials, but lately, they'vebecome a bit predictable.How many times can we pretend to be surprised by a celebrity spokesperson doing a bit about the one thing they're known for, like Ben Affleck for loving Dunkin' or Sabrina Carpenter for having boy problems?

I, for one, think we deserve more than the same-old tear-inducing beer ad or headline-grabbing stunt from a famous person. Stop forcingnostalgic mainstays to parade around in old costumesand make me feel something, or else I'll be forced to take my bathroom breaks during the commercials like this is just some regular day on TV.

Barbara Corcoran/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Barbara Corcoran revealed the surprising marriage secret that she says made her love her husband, Bill Higgins, "twice as much" in a new interview with The Wall Street Journal

• The Shark Tank star and Higgins have been married since 1988 and share two children

• Corcoran also shared some real-estate-minded relationship advice for other couples

Barbara Corcoransays the secret to her nearly 40-year marriage with husbandBill Higginscomes down to square footage.

In a new interview withThe Wall Street Journal, published on Feb. 2, theShark Tankstar, 76, addressed her preference that she and Higgins keep separate bedrooms in their home.

"When I got my second bedroom, I immediately loved my husband twice as much," she said, sharing her advice for New York City couples who don't have space to spare.

"Well, they could get separate beds. They could put a wall up. They could sleep on the convertible couch," she suggested. "I don't really have a solution, but there's a lot of New Yorkers who have two bedrooms and one set up as a den or TV room. I think that's a misuse."

Barbara Corcoran Instagram

Corcoran previously revealed another perk of keeping separate bedrooms in her marriage. During an appearance onThe Jamie Kern Lima Showin December 2024, the real estate mogul and investor joked that it makes sex a "short thing."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Elaborating on her need for space and alone time, Corcoran told hostJamie Kern Lima, "I think there's something to be said about your own private space. I lead a very busy life. I have a huge family that I'm always entertaining. I have very sincere, active friends, and so what I need more than anything else is a respite, and my husband is not relaxing."

She went on to explain that while Higgins talks and has "ideas" that run through his head, it is sometimes difficult for her to "come up with the energy at the end of the day to listen to him and to nod and to contribute to the conversation."

Michael Loccisano/Getty

"I run a little short," she said. "Better I go to my room, and I have an hour to myself."

Corcoran and Higgins, a former Navy captain and FBI agent who later shifted to a career in real estate, first met at a conference in 1981. The TV personality shared in a 2023Instagram postthat Higgins initially "played hard to get," but she "won him over in 6 months."

The pair married on Valentine's Day in 1988 and went on to welcome two children together, son Tom and daughter Kate.

In a Thanksgiving DayInstagram postin 2020, Corcoran shared a sweet tribute to Higgins, expressing how grateful she feels to have him by her side.

"My husband Bill! What I thought I wanted when I married Bill 35 years ago was an exciting, sexy guy to travel the world with! Now long into our marriage, I realize I've got the important stuff. A rock solid guy, a close friend, and a great father to our children," the Corcoran Group founder wrote, adding the hashtag, "#FocusOnTheGoodShit."

Read the original article onPeople

"Don't you sweat it, baby," it's coming.

At long last,Taylor Swiftis about to drop a secondmusicvideo to accompany her latest album,The Life of a Showgirl. And you can probably guess which song the video is for...

"Opalite" the visual will drop onFriday, Feb. 8, the billionaire pop star, 36, just revealed onher website— and fans couldn't be more thrilled. On that day, the music video will be available on Spotify and Apple Music only. As is typical for the Grammy winner's highly anticipated releases, there is currently a "countdown" on her site forSwiftiesto join in on the fun.

Two days later, onSuper Bowl Sunday, the video will be available to the masses on YouTube. Any takers on how quickly the upload will take to reach 1 million views?

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In the meantime, Apple Music also promoted the upcoming releasevia Instagram, with fans flooding the comments section to express their utmost excitement. "OMG SUDDENLY I THINK I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THIS WEEK," wrote one user, while another person simply commented, "LOCKED IN."

"Opalite" marks the second music video off Swift'sThe Life of a Showgirl, the album having been released to the world four months ago. Its lead single, "The Fate of Ophelia," provided the first video that arrived as part ofTaylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirlin movie theaters before hitting YouTube two days later,Billboardreports.

On that note, the magazine also noted recently that music fans werelooking at the lyrics of "The Fate of Ophelia" the most in 2025. Many fans look closely at her lyrics to find references to her current relationship withTravis Kelce. They got engaged and announced it in August 2025. "The Fate of Ophelia" spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on theHot 100 chart.

This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 5, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

By Ahmed Kingimi and Hamza Ibrahim

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Feb 5 (Reuters) - All 166 worshippers kidnapped during attacks on ​two churches in Kurmin Wali in northern Nigeria's ‌Kaduna state last month have been released, the Christian Association of Nigeria ‌said on Thursday.

Reverend John Hayab, chairman of the northern chapter of CAN, said every abducted worshipper had now returned, without giving details on whether a ransom was paid or ⁠how the release ‌was secured.

CAN leader in Kaduna, Reverend Caleb Ma'aji, also confirmed the release, saying he just ‍returned from the government house in Kaduna where the governor is set to receive the worshippers.

"The stage is set for them to ​be brought... His Excellency will meet with them. This ‌is a result of the prayers we have offered," he said.

Nigerian government officials have yet to comment publicly on the release.

The assault on the Kaduna churches was among the latest in a string of mass abductions that ⁠has intensified pressure on the Nigerian ​government. Nigeria has also faced scrutiny ​from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused the country of failing to stop the persecution ‍of Christians. ⁠U.S. forces struck what they described as terrorist targets on December 25.

Abuja says it is working with Washington ⁠to improve security and denies any systematic persecution of Christians.

(Additional reporting ‌by Hamza Ibrahim in Kano, Writing by Elisha ‌Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Alex Richardson)