A woman has died in a rare suspected mountain lion attack in Colorado on Thursday, officials said.
Hikers told authorities they saw a mountain lion near a person who was lying on the ground 100 yards away around 12:15 p.m., on the Crosier Mountain trail in unincorporated Larimer County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release.
The hikers scared the lion away by throwing rocks and then attended to the adult woman, the release said. One of the witnesses was a physician and "did not find a pulse," said Kara Van Hoose, spokesperson with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The victim's identity and cause of death will be released by the Larimer County Coroner.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating the death as a suspected mountain lion attack.
"There were signs that this was consistent with a mountain lion attack but we can't say for sure," Van Hoose told reporters Thursday. She said it's believed the woman was hiking alone.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, along with Larimer County Sheriff deputies, Estes Park police and Glen Haven Area Volunteer firefighters responded and launched an extensive search for mountain lions. They were aided by a Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist who was conducting aerial deer surveys in the county and houndsmen with dogs to track the scent of mountain lions.
One mountain lion was located at the scene but it ran away when officers shot it. It was tracked by the officers and euthanized, the release said.
A second mountain lion was found nearby shortly after and also euthanized, the release said. Colorado Parks and Wildlife policy mandates that wildlife involved in attacks on humans must be euthanized for public safety.
"It is unknown if one or multiple animals were involved in the suspected attack," the Colorado Parks and Wildlife release said.
Pathologists will perform a necropsy on the mountain lions to check for abnormalities and neurological diseases like rabies and avian influenza.
They will also be tested for human DNA, Van Hoose said. If the lions don't prove to have evidence of human DNA, a search will continue.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said mountain lion attacks on humans in Colorado are considered rare, with 28 previous attacks reported to the agency since 1990. The last fatal attack was 27 years ago, in 1999.
Van Hoose described the area as remote and heavily wooded, with some secluded trails.
"This is an area where mountain lions are really common, along with a lot of other wildlife like bears and moose," she said. "Because mountain lion are really common in this area, we do expect to have conflicts with regular things like sightings or encounters with dogs."
The agency noted that hikers should expect to encounter wildlife along the Front Range and Larimer County, and mountain lions are more visible in the winter as they follow deer and elk to lower elevations.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife advised anyone who may encounter a mountain lion to make noise and scare them, hold objects overhead to appear bigger and back away from the animal.
Behind the nondescript grey buildings that line the streets of Hsinchu lies one of the most important pieces of technology in the world.
Whirring away inside are rows of white machines that are so advanced – and so secretive – that a select few are allowed inside.
This is Taiwan's "Silicon Valley" and these facilitiesproduce the majority of the world's semiconductors– small chips that power virtually every electronic device in use today, from coffee machines to fighter jets.
Every country in the world relies on these chips, including China, which despite threatening to "reunify" Taiwan by force, imports nearly half of the island's semiconductors.
Economists warn that an invasion of Taiwan would cost the world's economy £7.5tn – far more than the cost of theRussian invasion of Ukraineor the Covid-19 pandemic.
Analysts argue that this very fact would act as a key deterrence against Beijing following through on its threats, as China knows if it does invade, its economy would take a direct hit from the fallout.
Known as the "silicon shield", the theory argues that Taiwan's semiconductor industry offers it a de facto security blanket, which would stop China from invading – both because of its own dependency on the chips and the US's, which could come to Taiwan's defence.
Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's former president, popularised the theory in 2021 when she wrote that the silicon shield "allows Taiwan to protect itself and others from aggressive attempts by authoritarian regimes to disrupt global supply chains".
However, leading Taiwan companies within the semiconductor industry have been moving production sites abroad to countries such as Chinaand the US.
Experts have warned that this is effectively disintegrating Taipei's valuable economic deterrence, making it more likely that Beijing would attack Taiwan.
Taiwan produces approximately 60 to 70 per cent of all the world's semiconductors and more than 95 per cent of the advanced chips.
While thousands of companies are involved in semiconductor production, in Taiwan the industry is synonymous with one name –Taiwan's Semiconductor Manufacturing Company(TSMC).
Founded in 1987, the company has grown over the years to make up more than 60 per cent of the global market share and 9 per cent of Taiwan's GDP. It is the most important company to the country's economy and, in many ways, its national security.
It is one of more than 400 companies based in the Hsinchu Science Park, a concentrated industrial zone in central Taiwan often compared to Silicon Valley in the US.
The park's unique "ecosystem" is one of many reasons that Taiwan has become a global leader in the semiconductor industry, according to Alisa Huang, who has spent over 25 years working as a senior manager at TSMC.
Ms Huang, who now works as an independent consultant, told The Telegraph: "We call it a cluster effect because we have spare parts, equipment, material, design, software, [integrated circuit] manufacturing and assembly tests all in one place. We have a complete supply chain, a complete ecosystem."
TSMC's monopoly over the industry in Taiwan and around the world is often connected to its unprecedented structure as a foundry model. This means it manufactures chips for other companies but is not responsible for the designs. Instead, companies like Apple and Nvidia come to TSMC with orders for products they want to build.
"By choosing not to design, manufacture or market any semiconductor products under its own name, the company ensures that it never competes with its customers," TSMC claims on its website.
While most of TSMC's production is based in Taiwan, the company has gradually been opening fabrication plants, factories where semiconductor chips are made, in China, the US and Japan.
There is one under construction in Germany, which is set to begin operations by the end of 2027. TSMC announced in March that it plans to invest an additional $100bn (£75bn) to grow its US manufacturing operations.
Some experts believe that TSMC and other companies involved in the supply chain are moving production out of Taiwan in response to thegrowing threat from China.
Beijing's increasingly hostile rhetoric towards Taiwanand its routine show of force towards the island has spooked foreign governments and semiconductor customers.
Kharis Templeman, a research fellow on Taiwan at the US-based Hoover Institution, explained that the Covid-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for many companies who were reliant on chips from Taiwan and had to scramble overnight when their supply was interrupted.
It offered an insight into what could happen if China launched an attack against Taiwan, which could result in the supply of chips being permanently cut off.
Mr Templeman said: "Generally the idea of having over-concentration from one supplier located in one location is a big problem for your business model in this new world.
"They want at least some supply or some production that's closer to the ultimate customers."
Pressure from the US government and the Trump administration specifically has also been a factor in moving production out of Taiwan.
Shih-Chang Hung, a professor of technology at Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University, said: "Trump's Maga – 'Make America Great Again' – they want to bring manufacturing back to the United States. That's the primary reason for why they want to build their own manufacturing infrastructure in the US."
But this means that Taiwan could lose an element of its deterrence. If the US is making its own semiconductor chips, rather than relying on Taipei's, it may be less likely to come to Taiwan's defence in a war.
TheUS is Taiwan's main defence supplier, responsible for equipping the island with virtually all of its military technology. The country also holds a trump card over Taiwan in its ability to make or break a future conflict with China.
War game simulations have shown that the US' decision to come to Taiwan's defence could be the difference between the country remaining autonomous and it falling under Chinese control.
However, TSMC has kept an insurance policy.
The company has made sure that only its mature chips will be manufactured overseas. The production of advanced chips will remain in Taiwan.
In fact, in October, Taiwanese officials criticised a proposal by Howard Lutnick, the US commerce secretary, who said that Washington was talking to Taipei about a "50-50" split in semiconductor manufacturing.
In response, Eric Chu, the then-chairman of Taiwan's opposition party, said: "No one can sell out Taiwan or TSMC, and no one can undermine Taiwan's silicon shield".
While the diversification of TSMC's production and the semiconductor industry more generally offers a safety net for other countries, experts are torn on how this affects Taiwan.
Some, such as Ms Huang, believe that increasing the number of TSMC fabrication plants around the world strengthens Taiwan's ties with other nations.
"When we invest outside Taiwan, either in Europe, in America or in Japan, all these countries become bonded with TSMC," she explained.
Mr Templeman noted that by opening fabrication plants in other countries it "gives them a stronger incentive to care about what's happening in the Taiwan industries and the security threats potentially to this Taiwan company than what previously existed."
In theory, this could support the second branch of the silicon shield argument, which stipulates that the US and allies are more likely to come to Taiwan's defence in the event of a conflict, thereby deterring China.
However, other experts are concerned that if reliance on Taiwan's chip production decreases, and China is able to source its semiconductors outside the country, there will be less standing in Beijing's way.
Earlier this month, Mr Trump gave Nvidia permission to sell its second-most-powerful chip to China, which could signal a drop in Beijing's dependency on Taiwan.
A Taiwanese semiconductor engineer, who spoke to The Telegraph on the condition of anonymity, said: "If they have no need for Taiwan, there will be less reluctance to invade Taiwan because they won't hit their major league economy so their costs will be reduced."
Experts and those within the industry are also worried about Beijing's habit of stealing innovations from other countries.
"First, they welcome your business. Second, they look at your technology. Third, they build a competitor that can beat you. Then, fourth, they kick you out of the country," said the engineer.
This article is the second of four pieces that The Telegraph is publishing on Taiwan's plans to repel a Chinese invasion and Beijing's efforts to undermine the island's defences. The first story in the series can be readhere.
Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The first place in the world to legalize voluntary euthanasia 31 years ago could this year become the last part of Australia to secure the same legal reform as the Northern Territory government on Friday announced plans to legislate for doctor-assisted dying for a second time.
The Northern Territory's world-first laws passed in 1995 wereoverturned by the Australian Parliamenttwo years later and after four terminally ill patients were legally helped to die.
Since then, all six Australian states havepassed assisted dying lawsand the Australian Parliament has lifted the ban on the two territories, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory, passing such laws of their own.
The Australian Capital Territory passed its voluntary euthanasia laws in 2024 and Northern Territory Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said Friday that lawmakers in her jurisdiction would consider a bill by mid 2026.
Lawmakers would be allowed to vote on it according to their own consciences rather than being expected to follow a party line.
"Legislating for the rights of the terminally ill is one of the most sensitive and complex reforms any government can undertake," Boothby said in a statement. "We're taking the time to get this right. We're working carefully and consultatively — not rushing it — and we are committed to getting the balance right."
A parliamentary committee recommended in September 2025 that a doctor-assisted suicide law be adopted by the Northern Territory, as well as recommending a public education campaign be launched to raise awareness and counter misinformation particularly in remote and Indigenous communities.
Drafting of the bill was underway, Boothby said.
"We won't shy away from difficult issues and we are committed to progressing these reforms carefully, thoughtfully and responsibly," Boothby said.
The Northern Territory has several unique characteristics and challenges among Australian states and territories.
The territory has by far the smallest population of the eight Australian jurisdictions: 260,000 people scattered across an area almost the size of France. Australia's population currently is 28 million.
While Indigenous people accounted for 3.8% of the Australian population of 25 million at the last census in 2021, they account for more than a quarter of the Northern Territory population.
Indigenous views vary on voluntary euthanasia. Some Indigenous people are suspicious of the medical system and fear they could be killed against their wishes. Others advocate for equitable access to assisted dying with strong cultural safeguards. There also are conflicting cultural beliefs surrounding death.
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Speaker Robyn Lambley said establishing adequate education about the assisted dying law for Indigenous people, many of whom don't speak English as a first language, was "probably unrealistic."
"I don't think we're ready," Lambley said in an online post. "Maybe we'll never be ready in the Territory. Aboriginal people have reluctance around accessing health services for anything, even having babies."
"It will be a disaster. I don't think it will work. We just need to take it at our own pace," she added.
SEATTLE (AP) — Matty Beniers scored twice during the Seattle Kraken's three-goal first period and Philipp Grubauer stopped 24 shots in a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.
The win gave the Kraken five victories in their past six games, coming on the heels of a stretch where they lost 10 of 11.
The Kraken took the lead when Beniers scored his first at the 3:48 mark of the first on a shot from near the blue line.
Jamie Oleksiak made it a two-goal game at 10:41, and Beniers added his second goal just 10 seconds later to make it 3-0.
Oleksiak left the game briefly in the third period after taking a puck off the back of his knee, but returned to the ice later.
Roman Josi scored Nashville's goal on a power-play late in the second period, with assists from Luke Evangelista and Ryan O'Reilly.
But Jared McCann scored on a long distance empty-netter with 2:13 left in the game for the final score.
Juuse Saros had 19 saves for the Predators.
Jordan Eberle, Ryan Winterton, Ryker Evans, Jacob Melanson, Kaapo Kakko, and Ryan Lindgren each had an assist for the Kraken.
Nashville: Play at Calgary on Saturday.
Kraken: Play at Vancouver Friday night.
AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics pulled away down the stretch to beat the Sacramento Kings 120-106 on Thursday night.
Brown shot 11 of 25, including 1 for 9 from 3-point distance, but made six free throws and added four assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
The four-time All-Star has been on a scoring tear lately, pouring in 20 or more points in 12 of his last 15 games.
Payton Pritchard had 16 points and six assists as Boston improved to 3-1 on its five-game trip. Sam Hauser hit five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points. Anfernee Simons also scored 15.
DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento with 25 points. Dennis Schroder scored 18 and Keon Ellis added 16. The Kings (8-26) have lost four of five and nine of 11.
AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA
PASADENA, Calif. — Finally, the team that was supposed to win did.
No. 1 Indiana shut down No. 9 Alabama and picked up a convincing 38-3 winat the Rose Bowl on Thursday afternoon. The Hoosiers, who are now a perfect 14-0 this season, will advance to the Peach Bowl next week to take on No. 5 Oregon in theCollege Football Playoffsemifinals.
Indiana is now the first team in the expanded playoff's history to win a postseason game after receiving a first-round bye. Entering Thursday's contest in Southern California, teams who had received a bye were a combined 0-6.
After a bit of a slow start — this was the first Rose Bowl in 26 years to have a scoreless opening quarter — things quickly spiraled out of control for the Crimson Tide. Kalen DeBoer and Alabama, after a bit of failed trickery, opted to go for it on a short fourth down deep in their own territory early in the second quarter. It backfired completely. They tried a short pass to convert the fourth down, which set up Indiana with incredible field position after it didn't work.
Just four plays later, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza found an open Charlie Becker in the back of the end zone for the touchdown. That put the Hoosiers up 10-0 at the time.
FERNANDO MENDOZA AND INDIANA FIND THE END ZONE FIRST 🎯(via@espn)pic.twitter.com/3CX3T4WUOQ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)January 1, 2026
Indiana's defense forced another turnover just before halftime, too, after Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson tried to scramble for a first down. He was hit hard by D'Angelo Ponds and lost the ball, which led to a 1-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. right before the break.
[Get more Hoosiers football news: Indiana team feed]
Indiana entered the locker room up by 17 points. Alabama, which trailed Oklahoma at halftime in the first round of the playoff, managed just 30 rushing yards and five first downs while averaging less than four yards per play in the opening 30 minutes of the game.
Whatever DeBoer said at halftime didn't work. Alabama came back and had to punt the ball away about 90 seconds into the third quarter. Mendoza then quickly led Indiana down the field and hit Elijah Sarratt for a 24-yard touchdown. That put the game out of reach not even halfway through the third period.
A DART FROM MENDOZA FOR THE TD 🔥pic.twitter.com/ivhddNF2OQ
— ESPN (@espn)January 1, 2026
DeBoer even tried to switch quarterbacks after that, but it didn't matter.Austin Mack came in to replace Simpson, who briefly went into the injury tent, and actually led Alabama on its first scoring drive of the game. He got them into scoring position on a few deep passes, and set up an easy field goal to avoid the shutout.
But Indiana, of course, kept piling on. Kaelon Black capped a six-play drive with a 25-yard touchdown run right away, and then Mendoza got them back into scoring position on their next drive to set up an 18-yard touchdown run from Roman Hemby.
ROMAN HEMBY TDpic.twitter.com/PuGyQ2fO71
— NFL Paint (@NFLPaint)January 1, 2026
From there, the Hoosiers were on cruise control for the rest of the game.
The playoff win was the first in Indiana school history. The Hoosiers also made the playoff last season in Curt Cignetti's first year with the team, but fell to Notre Dame in the opening round. Indiana is now an incredible 24-2 under Cignetti's reign. The Hoosiers' 14 wins this season marks a school record, which was set last year, and this is now the first time in program history that they've had back-to-back seasons with double digit wins.
Indiana will now take on Oregon next week in Georgia. TheDucks rolled past Texas Tech 23-0 in their quarterfinals matchup at the Orange Bowlearlier on Thursday. The winner of that contest will advance to the national championship game, a place Oregon hasn't been to in over a decade. Indiana hasn't even come close.
But now, with a playoff win finally under their belts, the Hoosiers have more than proven themselves as a real threat to win it all in just a few weeks.
The Hoosiers complete the 38-3 blowout of Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Next up for Indiana: No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 with a spot in the championship game on the line.
INDIANA DOMINATES ALABAMA 38-3 TO WIN THE ROSE BOWL 🌹
The Hoosiers hand the Crimson Tide its worse playoff loss in program history 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mCbyXuIdbr— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 2, 2026
2026 will bring severallunar eventsthat backyard astronomers will want to stay awake for.
The first full moon of the year will take place on Saturday, Jan. 3, and is known as the Wolf Moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
The moon will also be a super moon, which will look around 30% brighter and up to 14% larger. It will be the last super moon until November 2026.
But January's full moon isn't the only lunar event to look forward to in 2026. From an eclipse and a blue moon to super moons, these are the events you should mark your calendar for.
The first full moon will take place on Saturday, Jan. 3, and it will also be a super moon.
A blue moon is set to occur on May 31, and will peak at 4:45 a.m. ET. And no, the moon won't actually look like the color blue.
A blue moon is not a common occurrence, hence the expression "once in a blue moon," and only occurs every 2.5 years, according toNASA.
The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, when the moon was asuper blue moon, meaning it was the closest it had been to Earth that month and appeared brighter and larger.
There will be two lunar eclipses in 2026, according toNASA. Both will be visible in the Americas.
The lunar eclipses will take place on the following dates:
Total lunar eclipse/blood moon- Tuesday, March 3
Partial lunar eclipse- Friday, Aug. 28
2026 will have three super moons, including the one in January.
The super moon will take place on the following dates, according to theDetroit Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network:
Saturday, Jan. 3
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Wednesday, Dec. 23
The moon will be full on the following dates, according to theFarmer's Almanac:
Wolf Moon- Peaks Jan. 3, at 5:03 a.m. ET
Snow Moon- Peaks Feb. 1, at 5:09 p.m. ET
Worm Moon (total lunar eclipse)- Peaks March 3, at 6:38 a.m. ET
Pink Moon- Peaks April 1, at 10:12 p.m. ET
Flower Moon- Peaks May 1, at 1:23 p.m. ET
Blue Moon- Peaks May 31, at 4:45 a.m. ET. The blue moon occurs when two full moons occur in the same month. The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, according to Space.com.
Strawberry Moon- Peaks June 29, at 7:57 p.m. ET
Buck Moon- Peaks July 29, at 10:36 a.m. ET
Sturgeon Moon (partial lunar eclipse)- Peaks Aug. 28, at 12:18 a.m. ET
Harvest Moon- Peaks Sept. 26, at 12:49 p.m. ET
Hunter's Moon- Peaks Oct. 26, at 12:12 a.m. ET
Beaver Moon (super moon)- Peaks Nov. 24, at 9:53 a.m. ET
Cold Moon (super moon)- Peaks Dec. 23, at 8:28 p.m.
Contributing: Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press
Julia is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers scientific studies and trending news. Connect with her onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andTikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:See list of 2026 lunar events. A blue moon, eclipses and more
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The teenagedaughterof North Korean leaderKim Jong Unmade her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts say bolstered her status as her father's potential heir.
The visit, which occurred on New Year's Day on Thursday, even sparked speculation thatthe girl,reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, could be named a high-level official at the upcoming rulingWorkers' Party congress.
Images carried by North Korea's state media on Friday showed Kim Ju Ae standing in the front row with her parents and deeply bowing at Pyongyang's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather are on display.
The palace is "a place that symbolizes legitimacy of the North Korean regime" and her visit there ahead of the Workers' Party congress is a politically orchestrated move, said Cheong Seong-Chang, deputy head of the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.
Kim Jong Un, 41, is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea since the country's foundation in 1948. He often marks key state anniversaries by visiting the Kumsusan palace and paying respect to his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung.
Cheong predicted that Kim Jong Un could give his daughter the first secretary post at the Workers' Party, the party's No. 2 job, at the congress. Other experts say she is too young to accept such a high-profile post and might be provided with lower-level jobs.
The congress, the first of its kind in five years, is meant to establish new priorities in state policies and reshuffle officials. North Korea hasn't said when it will hold it, but South Korea's spy agency said it will likely be held either in January or February.
Sincefirst appearing in state mediain November 2022, Kim Ju Ae hasaccompanied her fatherat a slew of events including military parades and missile launches. In September, Kim Ju Ae took her on hisvisit to Beijing.During New Years' Day celebrations this week, she kissed her father on the cheek, showing their closeness.
In January 2024,South Korea's spy agencysaid it viewed Kim Ju Ae as her father's likely heir. Some outside experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong Un's relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea's power hierarchy.
It may now be the most famous – or infamous – sign in the country. Posted above a door on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, the Quality Learning Center was missing an "n."
For aconservative content creatorattempting to call out fraud – and the supporters who made his video on day care centers in Minneapolis' Somali community viral – it seemed too absurd not to mention.
"This is Quality 'Learing' Center," Nick Shirley said, pointing to the sign. "They spelled 'learning' wrong."
Shirley's 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, promptingstepped up immigration enforcement,frozen federal fundsand morebiting rhetoricagainst the Somali community from President Donald Trump.
Although Shirley's encounters with other businesses were often more dramatic, the misspelled sign and its locked door made Quality Learning Center a focus of criticism aimed at the state government and Gov. Tim Walz for a system opponents say has allowed fraud to run rampant in Minnesota.
"These are not real businesses," Shirleytold CNN's Whitney Wildthis week, pointing to the Quality Learning Center. A man identifying himself as a manager for the centertold a local TV stationthere was "no fraud going on whatsoever."
CNN is looking into Shirley's claims that this and other Minneapolis-area day care centers are committing fraud.
Federal law enforcement has beeninvestigating fraudin Minnesota forseveral years, and "98 individuals have been charged in our ongoing fraud against the government cases," Assistant US Attorney Melinda Williams told CNN Tuesday. No fraud charges have been filed against Quality Learning Center.
Records show the business has faced repeated questions of whether the service it is providing is meeting state standards, but none of the violations suggested fraud.
Here's what we know about the Quality Learning Center.
According to figures provided to CNN by the state House Republican Caucus, Quality Learning Center was set to receive $1.9 million from theChild Care Assistance Program– known as CCAP – for 2025. It has received nearly $10 million from CCAP since 2019, the document shows.
The caucus told CNN the funding figures were obtained from the state Department of Human Services, which did not respond to CNN's request for confirmation Wednesday.
State GOP leadership said they raised concerns about day care centers, including Quality Learning Center, months ago.
"The (House)fraud committee… featured a number of these apparently vacant sites in a hearing that took place all the way back in February, which also included the infamous Quality Learning Center featured in the viral video," state House Speaker Lisa DemuthsaidMonday.
CCAP does not take applications directly from day care centers. Instead, qualified working parents and other eligible caregivers who make less than the program's income limitapplydirectly to the state for assistance, which is paid to the day care center.
A budgetforecastproduced in November by the agency that runs CCAP says it's projected to cost the state $56 million in the 2025 fiscal year. Another $101 million in funding for the program was expected to come from the federal government.
Quality Learning Center's most recent inspection – which state officials say are done unannounced – was on June 23, the facility'slicensing recordshows.
"There have been ongoing investigations involving several of those centers. None of those investigations uncovered findings of fraud," state Department of Children, Youth, and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said Monday of centers covered in Shirley's video, adding that new site visits would be conducted this week. The department did not respond to multiple requests from CNN for whether those additional visits have been completed and what the results were.
"There's no fraud going on whatsoever," said Ibrahim Ali, who identified himself as a manager and son of the owners of Quality Learning Center, toCNN affiliate KAREon Monday. He said Shirley's video was taken before the business had opened for the day.
"If you look around, there's cars now because our employees are here, our children are here," he said on Monday.
Shirley's video came 11 months after a similar visit to Quality Learning Center from a reporter forlocal TV station KSTP, who also was told by a worker that the building was not yet open because it provides after-school care, with posted operating hours of 2 to 10 p.m.
State DHSrecordsshow Quality Learning Center was cited for 121 violations from May 2022 to June 2025, including 10 in the most recent inspection, listed as a licensing review. Citations included having an unqualified substitute and failing to have proper documentation for children's medicine. None of the violations suggest that the building was empty.
The state records also show correction documents were submitted and approved in response to the violations.
But even without allegations of fraud, Quality Learning Center's license has previously been in jeopardy.
In May 2022, site inspectors found 27 violations, 10 of them repeats of previous violations.
"Due to the serious and chronic nature of these violations, and the conditions in the program, which impact the health and safety of children in your care, your license to provide childcare services is placed on a conditional status for two years," said a publicly filednoticein June 2022.
Although Shirley's video implied the day care was empty, several of the violations noted in that report involved overcrowding, with too many children in some rooms and too few adults supervising them.
Staff lacked training, the 2022 notice said, and one person misidentified themselves to investigators.
The citation focused on a lack of documentation for many children. "There were several children present who did not have files," the letter says, adding that "staff were unable to provide the first and last names for most of the children present."
Although it remained on conditional status for two years, Quality Learning Center was never suspended, according to state records. It has twice been fined $200 for allowing the background check on an employee to expire.
On Tuesday afternoon, the sidewalk in front of the facility had become a hive of activity – including the return of Nick Shirley – as media and Shirley supporters watched adults escorting children in and out. A CNN crew was kept back from the property, told by an unidentified person that being in the parking lot would be considered trespassing.
Determining exactly how many children are served by Quality Learning Center – now, or in the past – is difficult from state records. The facility is licensed to provide care for a maximum of 99 children, but Ali, the center's manager, told KARE it serves anywhere from 50 to 80 children on an average day.
The state Department of Human Services has not responded to CNN's requests for details about enrollment figures.
CNN has been unable to reach the business or its registered owner, Siman Aden, using listed phone numbers, and it is not clear if they have an attorney.
Questions about the current status of the business were complicated by conflicting statements on Monday.
"Quality Learning Center closed just over a week ago," Brown said in anews conference, an assertion repeated in a statement to CNN from Walz's office.
But observers found kids arriving at Quality Learning Center that same afternoon, resulting in a raft of onlineconspiracytheories.Quality Learning Center "decided to remain open," a department spokesperson told theMinnesota Star Tribune.
Speaking to CNN outside the building Tuesday, Nick Shirley dismissed the idea that seeing children entering the building disproved his video.
"They're showing face right now," hesaid.
CNN reached out to Brown's agency for more information about why it initially thought the center had closed. The state licensing database shows Quality Learning Center's license was renewed through the end of 2026.
And as for that missing letter "n"? Ali told KARE it was a mistake by the graphic designer. By Tuesday, work on a fix was underway.
CNN's Whitney Wild and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
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Guard Tonie Morgan hit the winning 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining to lift the No. 12-ranked Kentucky women's basketball team over No. 5 LSU, 80-78, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rogue, Louisiana, on Thursday.
It was the first loss for the Tigers (14-1, 0-1 SEC), who set an NCAA record earlier this season by scoring 100-plus points in eight consecutive games.
Morgan led the Wildcats (14-1, 1-0 SEC) with 24 points, including three 3-pointers. She added 12 assists for her third double-double of the season. Teonni Key added 17 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double of her own. Clara Strack had 15 points and nine rebounds.
FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😼| 80-78 |🐅📺https://t.co/xvzCxDPL5x📊https://t.co/VNmgfDxiNv📻https://t.co/gXjkVj9NCo@SECx#KentuckyWBBpic.twitter.com/89wJ03ydhJ
— Kentucky Women's Basketball (@KentuckyWBB)January 2, 2026
Kentucky had 17 offensive rebounds and 18 second-chance points, compared to four for LSU.
The Tigers led 75-69 with 5:03 to go in the game. They failed to score a field goal the rest of the way. Mikaylah Williams scored 26 points to lead four players in double figures for LSU.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kentucky women's basketball upsets LSU on last second 3-pointer
NEW YORK (AP) — Dylan Guenther had his first career hat trick and added an assist and the Utah Mammoth topped the New York Islanders 7-2 on Thursday.
Nick Schmaltz scored twice and added an assist, Clayton Keller and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and two assists, while Lawson Crouse and Barrett Hayton each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka returned from a two-game absence and finished with 20 saves as the Mammoth snapped a two-game skid.
Cal Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York, and Max Shabanov had two assists. David Rittich made nine saves on 14 shots, but was replaced by Marcus Hogberg 5:41 into the third period.
Guenther scored his second goal of the game when he buried a backhand feed from Crouse to give Utah a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. He also opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the middle period.
The Islanders briefly tied it 1-1 early in the second period when Ritchie fired a wrist shot over the glove of Vejmelka.
Schmaltz beat Rittich with less than four minutes remaining in the second period to extend Utah's lead to two goals.
Mammoth forward Alex Kerfoot took a four-minute high-sticking penalty late in the second, but the Islanders didn't capitalize on the ensuing power play.
Sergachev and Keller scored in the first six minutes of the third period to stretch Utah's lead to 5-1 and prompt the Islanders to change goaltenders.
Guenther completed the hat trick and scored his 20th goal of the season by sliding the puck between the legs of Hogberg with less than seven minutes remaining.
Schaefer scored a power-play goal midway through the third period for his 10th of the season.
Mammoth: visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
Islanders: host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Will Lamar Jackson play on Sunday vs. thePittsburgh Steelers? According to Lamar Jackson, yes.
TheBaltimore Ravenspasser was injured inWeek 16, suffering a back contusion that sidelined him for Baltimore'sWeek 17matchup vs. the theGreen Bay Packers. Luckily, the Ravens downed Green Bay to keep their playoff hopes intact.
While there was some question surrounding Jackson's availability for the winner-take-allWeek 18matchup vs. the Steelers, the passer said on New Year's Day that he will definitely suit up.
"100%, I'm gonna be out there,"Jackson saidwhen asked if he's playing vs. their AFC North rivals on Sunday. ... "Looking forward to playing Sunday. And not just me, I feel like all of us, all phases."
Jackson was kneed in the back by a New England Patriots defender in Week 16, forcing him out for half of the matchup and the subsequent week vs. Green Bay. After practicing earlier in the week, Jackson said he will start on Sunday.
That's good news for the Ravens, who must win to get their ticket punched to the NFL playoffs. Should the Ravens win, they'll take the division and eliminate the Steelers in the process.
Here's the latest on Jackson and his injury:
Week 5: Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel makes a catch against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. The Bills wore their new "Rivalries" uniform for the "Sunday Night Football" game, which the Patriots won, 23-20." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield awaits the snap against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Both teams wore throwback uniforms in the Buccaneers' 38-35 win. The Buccaneers and Seahawks entered the NFL together as expansion teams in 1976." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Week 4: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) hands the ball off to running back J.K. Dobbins during the "Monday Night Football" game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos wore their "Midnight Navy" uniforms for the 28-3 win." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Week 4: Miami Dolphins running back De'von Achane rushes the ball against the New York Jets during a 27-21 win on "Monday Night Football" at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins wore their new their Nike "Rivalries" uniforms – the team version dubbed "Dark Waters."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Week 4: The Arizona Cardinals defense tackles Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) during the first quarter of a "Thursday Night Football" game at State Farm Stadium. The Cardinals became the first NFL team to wear the new Nike "Rivalries" uniform in a game. The Seahawks won the game, 23-20." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Week 3: New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (5) stiff arms Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. The Saints wore their all-white uniform and helmet combo for the first time in the 44-13 loss." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Week 3: San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey carries the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers wore throwback jerseys - an homage to the team's 1950s look, as well as its 1994 Super Bowl-winning season - in the 16-15 win against the Cardinals." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Week 2: Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Sporting "The Vikings Classic" throwback uniform inspired by the team's look during the 1960s and '70s, Minnesota was defeated, 22-6." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
The Ravens passer says he is "100%" starting in a do-or-die Week 18 matchup vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jackson told reporters on New Year's Day that he will also wear some protective padding around the injury to further protect himself from injury as he recovers.
Jackson was injured inWeek 16 vs. the New England Patriots, taking a hit to his lower back to put him out the rest of the matchup.
Here's how the QB room stacks up with Jackson's return this week:
Lamar Jackson
Tyler Huntley
Cooper Rush
In Jackson's absence, Huntley started and helpeddown the Packers in Week 17to keep their playoff hopes alive. Jackson is set to start once again in Week 18.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Lamar Jackson injury update: Is Ravens QB playing in Week 18?
