NEO NEWS

In an NCAA affidavit filed on Thursday, Feb. 5 in Tuscaloosa County (Alabama) Circuit Court, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey asked the court to side with the NCAA's eligibility rules and rule against Bediako.

"I respectfully ask the Court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are essential to the integrity of college sports, to the educational mission they serve, and to the opportunities they provide for current and future student-athletes," Sankey wrote in the affidavit.

REQUIRED READING:As Alabama loses with Charles Bediako, it reeks of desperation

After playing 82 games across three seasons in the G League, Bediako, who played for Alabama from 2021-23, wasgranted a temporary restraining orderagainst the NCAA on Jan. 21 by Judge James Roberts Jr. that made him immediately eligible.

Since his legal victory, Bediako has played in four games for theCrimson Tide, averaging 9.5 points, five rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Alabama has gone 2-2 in those games, dropping them from the top 25 of theUSA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Roberts, an Alabama donor, has since recused himself from Bediako's eligibility case. Bediako's next hearing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6, one day before the Crimson Tide play on the road against archrival Auburn. The hearing will be heard by Judge Daniel Pruet.

The NCAA is arguing that Bediako's multiple professional contracts he signed since leaving Alabama after the 2022-23 season make him ineligible to return to the sport, according to the organization's longstanding eligibility rules.

REQUIRED READING:March Madness bracketology: Houston, Florida rise in NCAA tournament

Sankey agrees with the NCAA's stance, writing in the affidavit that the rules are "grounded in the principle that college athletics are reserved for current college athletes who are actively pursuing a degree while also participating in college sports and for future college athletes who seek to benefit from the unique educational, athletic, and leadership opportunities provided through college sports."

Sankey added that granting Bediako eligibility could "open the door to undermining fundamental principles."

Bediako's return to college basketball comes during a period of substantial and rapid change in the sport. The 7-footer is one of several former G League players who have been added to a college roster for this season, though Bediako's the only one who previously played on a Division I team. Former European professional players have joined teams across the country, as well.

In a message posted on social media, Darren Heitner, one of Bediako's representatives, said the NCAA has contradicted its own rules by granting eligibility to players like Santa Clara's Thierry Darlan and BYU's Abdullah Ahmed, both of whom played in the G League, and Baylor's James Nnaji, who played professionally in Europe and was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft.

"These waivers demonstrate selective enforcement, undermining Sankey's assertion that inconsistent application fuels disruption," Heitner wrote. "Courts in similar cases have highlighted such inconsistencies as evidence of arbitrary decision-making. Also, Sankey's reliance on outdated principles of amateurism and academic integration is not aligned with the current realities of college athletes and the proliferation of NIL deals."

Heitner added that the affidavit is "littered with conclusory statements that are not tied to specific facts or data."

Greg Sankey's emphasis on the need for consistent application of eligibility rules to avoid disruption in college sports is contradicted by the NCAA's own recent practices.As evidenced by multiple eligibility grants, the NCAA has waived similar rules for former professional…https://t.co/J9heRpP8JN

— Darren Heitner (@heitner)February 5, 2026

Bediako has become a source of perpetual controversy since his first game back. Several high-profile coaches have blasted the development, includingMichigan State's Tom Izzo, who described it as "utterly ridiculous." During a 100-77 loss at reigning national champion Florida, Gators fans chanted"G League dropout"at him throughout the game.

Sankey's input to the Bediako case comes as several of his conference's schools are engaged in high-profile eligibility battles, including Mississippi (with quarterbackTrinidad Chambliss) and Tennessee (with quarterbackJoey Aguilar).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:SEC commissioner Greg Sankey sides with NCAA in Charles Bediako eligibility case

Here are the top stories of the day:

U.S. women's ice hockey dominates Czechia in opener

Hailey Scamurra scored twice while three of her teammates also added goals inTeam USA's 5-1 victoryover Czechia. Both teams opened group play with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubioin attendanceat Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.

TWO GOALS IN 83 SECONDS. The USA makes it 3-0 thanks to Joy Dunne and Hayley Scamurra!📺 USA & Peacockpic.twitter.com/pZjgx3PGAu

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics)February 5, 2026

The game was essentially put out of reach early in the second period. Already holding a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal in the first period from Alex Carpenter, Joy Dunne and Scamurra each scored goals within 83 seconds. Tessa Janecke earned the assists on both scores. Hilary Knight added another goal late in the period to give the U.S. a 4-1 lead.

Czechia scored its lone goal when Barbora Jurickova left the penalty box and received a pass for a breakaway to cut the deficit to 3-1. But Knight answered shortly thereafter.

The U.S. will next face Finland on Saturday in Group A play with face-off scheduled for 10:40 a.m. ET. That is, if Finland ishealthy enough to compete. (See below.)

U.S. defeats Norway and Switzerland in mixed doubles curling

Team USA took the ice in mixed doubles curling on Thursday, one day after eight other countries made their debut.

Facing defending silver medalist Norway, Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin took an early 1-0 lead before the Norwegians rallied with three points in the second end of the match. The two teams then battled back and forth, with the U.S. tying the score during the third end before Norway took a two-point lead after the fourth.

Norway held a 6-4 lead going into the seventh end before Team USA tied the score at 6. In the final end, the U.S. took a two-point lead and Norway's final shot fell short, giving Thiesse and Dropkin the 8-6 victory.

Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin pick up the FIRST WIN for Team USA in mixed doubles curling at the#WinterOlympics! 🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/LQe0OZNe0T

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics)February 5, 2026

The U.S. later faced Switzerland in a match that carried far less drama. The Swiss did take a 2-1 lead in the second end, but Team USA rallied to gain two points in the third end when Thiesse knocked away Switzerland's stone. The U.S. increased its lead to 5-2 after the fourth end and employed a defensive strategy through the rest of the match, knocking Switzerland's stones out of the way and creating pressure to make perfect shots. Ultimately, the Swiss couldn't hit the mark and Team USA won 7-4.

Up next for Thiesse and Dropkin is Canada and the Czech Republic on Friday.

Lindsey Vonn 'not giving up' Alpine downhill, despite torn ACL

Any doubts that Lindsey Vonn would attack the opportunity to medal in the women's downhill despitesuffering a torn ACL in her left kneeduring a training run were likely silencedby a video posted by the three-time Olympic medalist to social mediaon Thursday.

Vonn showed footage of her doing barbell squats, agility drills, side lunges and box jumps while wearing a brace on her injured left knee. If she can handle that work, she can seemingly handle the rigors of the Alpine downhill skiing course, something thatdoctors have stated is very possible.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by L I N D S E Y • V O N N (@lindseyvonn)

"I'm not giving up, working as hard as I can to make it happen!" Vonn wrote in a caption with the video. "Thank you to my team and everyone for your incredible support. Keep believing."

Vonn still has to complete a training run to qualify for the starting field in Sunday's downhill event. Weather has created an obstacle with heavy snow canceling Thursday's exercise. But opportunities could still be available Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.

Finland women's ice hockey postpones opener due to norovirus outbreak

Elsewhere in women's ice hockey group play, Finland and Canada had their opening match postponeddue to a norovirus outbreakamong the Finnish team. After four sick players forced the team to cancel its Wednesday training session, 14 members of the team were ill on Thursday. Possible exposure to the virus warranted several playersbeing placed into quarantine.

Finland Head Coach Tero Lehtera says his players aren't healthy enough to play."There's a chance that if they would play then it would influence Team Canada and their health as well. I couldn't risk my players."@CBCOlympics#Olympicspic.twitter.com/oODteEpUit

— Claire Hanna (@clahanna)February 5, 2026

With only 10 available players for Finland and a risk of passing the virus to Canada's team, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee decided to postpone the game with Canada until Feb. 12.

As mentioned above, Finland is scheduled to play the U.S. on Saturday, but it's not yet known whether enough Finnish players will be out of quarantine for the team to play.

Team USA medals

Highlight of the day

U.S. snowboarders Red Gerard and Jake Canter looked ready to compete for medals in the Big Air event, each landing backside 1800 jumps during qualifying rounds on Thursday. A backside 1800 involves five full 360-degree horizontal rotations, spinning in a backside direction.

Red Gerard lands a backside 1800 to move up the leaderboard at Big Air qualification. 👏pic.twitter.com/deUhercHG7

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics)February 5, 2026

One more thing

Leading up to Friday's Opening Ceremony, the Olympic torch is making its way through Milan. Three-time snowboarding gold medalist Shaun White was among the athletes to carry the torch on Thursday.

The legend@shaunwhiteis back for the Olympic Torch Relay in Milan…and then off to Livigno!❄️🏂🔥#MilanoCortina2026#TorchRelay2026#Olympics#Olimpiadi#ShaunWhitepic.twitter.com/PGoSV70BjP

— Milano Cortina 2026 (@milanocortina26)February 5, 2026

White will next travel to Livigno to watch the snowboarding competition, which begins Saturday with the men's Big Air final.

Scott Taetsch/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Jaxson Hayes will not play when the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 5

• The league suspended the backup center for one game after he was seen shoving the Washington Wizards mascot

• In video from the incident, G-Wiz collided with a Wizards dancer after being pushed

The Los Angeles Lakers will be withoutJaxson Hayeson Thursday, Feb. 5, after the backup center was suspended without pay for one game for pushing another team's mascot.

The incident occurred before the Lakers-Washington Wizards matchup on Friday, Jan. 30, at Capital One Arena when Hayes, 25, was seen pushing the Wizards mascot during pregame introductions,according to the league.

In a video from the interaction, G-Wiz was seen running with a massive Wizards flag near the baseline when Hayes shoved him.

The mascot then collided with a Wizards dancer who was running onto the floor.

Hayes will miss the Lakers game on Thursday when they return to Crypto.com Arena following the team's annual extended Grammys trip.

Currently in the sixth spot in the Western Conference with a 30-19 record,Luka,LeBron& Co. will likely have their hands full when a resurgent Joel Embiid, first-time All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers come to town.

Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty

On Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder experienced a similar — but more extreme — feeling of being shorthanded when10 of their players sat out due to injuries.

As the Thunder took on the San Antonio Spurs, only eight of OKC's players dressed,leaving their bench looking depletedwhen the players took the court.

Among the injured Thunder players were All-StarShai Gilgeous Alexander,Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein,Chet Holmgrenand Alex Caruso.

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.

Yet the Thunder still made a game of it, eventually losing 116-106.

"Obviously great effort by everybody, we tried to gut that one out, had some guys play some high minutes outside of the first quarter," Thunder coach Mark Daigneaultsaid after the game. "After the first quarter, it was really pretty competitive on our part."

Read the original article onPeople

United States District Judge Paul Engelmayer also instructed DOJ to address whether "all such materials" have since been blacked out in the 3.5 million Epstein-related emails, photos, videos and other data from its investigative files that it made public Jan. 30.

Engelmayer's Feb. 3 order came in response to a legal filing by two lawyers representing Epstein survivors "regarding an unfolding emergency that requires immediate judicial intervention" – including an immediate takedown of the Justice Department website hosting the Epstein files until they can be purged of everything identifying his accusers.

What appears to be outdoor furniture is seen in a photo released by US Department of Justice from one of Jeffrey Epstein's properties.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Inside Epstein homes: See odd items that raise more questions than answers

Lawyers Bradley Edwards and Brittany Henderson, who said they represent dozens of Epstein accusers, also asked the court to appoint an independent special master to oversee redaction and republication of the DOJ files, and to keep open the chance for judicial sanctions, "including contempt and monetary relief."

"For the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, every hour matters. The harm is ongoing and irreversible," the lawyers wrote in a detail-filled seven page filing. "This Court is the last line of defense for victims who were promised protection and instead were exposed. Judicial intervention is not merely appropriate – it is essential."

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in announcing the new release Jan. 30 that images of all women in the files – with the exception of convicted Epstein associateGhislaine Maxwell– would be redacted in an effort to ensure that no personal details would be made public.

But in the first 48 hours since the files' Jan. 30 release, Edwards and Henderson said they reported to DOJ "thousands of redaction failures on behalf of nearly 100 individual survivors whose lives have been turned upside down by DOJ's latest release."

Besides receiving death threats, some Epstein accusers overseas who had wanted to remain anonymous have had to contend with media reports publishing their identities and photos, the lawyers said.

Other victims have also gone public with similar accusations about how DOJ made their identities public after promising not to, while keeping secret the identities of potential Epstein accomplices.

"There is no conceivable degree of institutional incompetence sufficient to explain the scale, consistency, and persistence of the failures that occurred," Edwards and Henderson wrote, "particularly where the sole task ordered by the Court and repeatedly emphasized by DOJ was simple: redact known victim names before publication."

All the Justice Department needed to do, they told Engelmayer, was to type each victim's name into its own search function and then redact it before making the files public in itsonline "Epstein Library"database.

"Had DOJ done that," they said, "the harm would have been avoided."

Instead, the DOJ on Jan. 30 "committed what may be the single most egregious violation of victim privacy in one day in United States history," Edwards and Henderson wrote.

DOJ acknowledges failures. Survivors say that's not enough.

A department spokesman did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment Feb. 5 on whether DOJ would meet the judge's deadline.

In a statement to USA TODAY, the Justice Department said it "takes victim protection very seriously and has redacted thousands of victim names in the millions of published pages to protect the innocent."

"When a victim's name is alleged to be unredacted," DOJ said, "our team is working around the clock to fix the issue and republish appropriately redacted pages as soon as possible."

'Immediate judicial intervention' needed to protect accusers

The seven-page filing by Edwards and Henderson is full of examples of what they say are DOJ's failure to redact information pertaining to women dating to back to an earlier release of files released Dec. 19, 2025, as required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act that went into effect a month earlier.

The next day, Dec. 20, they said, they immediately notified DOJ of "hundreds of redaction failures" that required urgent attention, including unredacted names and dates of birth.

One document alone identified more than 30 victims according to their motion for "immediate judicial intervention."

That failure, the lawyers said, forced the Epstein survivors to stay up "all night using DOJ's search bar to identify and read every single document that was posted publicly identifying them despite being promised by your office that this would never happen."

In all, Epstein is believed to have victimized girls and young women over potentially several decades, forcing them into sex acts at his estates in New York, Florida, New Mexico and on his private Caribbean island.

Many of Epstein's estimated 1,000 to 1,200 victims cooperated with FBI agents and federal prosecutors over the years, and have insisted that their identities − and their involvement in investigations − remain anonymous. Some of the Epstein survivors were minors at the time of the alleged abuse.

Advertisement

But when some Epstein survivors or their lawyers contacted DOJ to request redactions, DOJ often blacked out some identifying information while leaving other data in the files, the lawyers said.

Many victims' concerns were compounded dramatically by the Jan. 30 release of exponentially more DOJ files – and more sensitive information about them and the nature of their allegations. Democratic lawmakers and other critics have called on the Justice Department to act immediately to protect them from further harm.

Maxwell was convicted of related crimes and sentenced to 20 years in prison that she is currently serving. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 after his arrest on similar charges while in a New York jail awaiting prosecution.

One DOJ document listing the names of 32 minor child victims

In their legal filing, the lawyers ticked off a litany of alleged DOJ failures, including one minor victim who had her name revealed 20 times in a single document.

"After reporting the violation," the lawyers said, "DOJ redacted her name three additional times—leaving 17 instances still unredacted as of this filing."

Another email listed 32 minor child victims, with only one name redacted and 31 left visible—despite DOJ's possession of those names, the lawyers said.

Their demand for immediate injunctive relief also contends that:

• FBI victim statements known as "302 reports" contained the full and unredacted first and last names of minor victims.

• Handwritten FBI interview notes included minor victims' full names unredacted at the top and throughout.

• Documents containing victims' names alongside dates of birth, bank information, driver's license numbers, email addresses or home addresses.

• Documents where victims' names are redacted in some places but not others within the same document.

• Documents where redactions are "pencil-thin," revealing the complete name and email address beneath.

• Documents where photographs are properly redacted in one instance and appear fully unredacted nearby.

• Hundreds of documents exposing the names of four women who have been in "near-constant communication with DOJ since December requesting protection."

As a result of those redaction failures, 20 clients who say they are Epstein survivors agreed to issue statements as part of the emergency appeal to the judge, the lawyers said.

'My life is in imminent danger,' one survivor tells DOJ

"It is so wrong on so many levels," said one, identified as Jane Doe 3. "Not only it (sic) exposes victims to potential abuse or blackmail, but it can ruin families or damage our careers. I am horrified."

Some said they are overseas, where newspapers and websites are publishing all of the details that were not supposed to be linked to them, including photos.

"How is this possible?" asked Jane Doe 4. "In [my home country], as in the entire EU, there is a strict privacy law. I'm shocked, I didn't expect such violation of our privacy."

Some noted that while dozens of Epstein accusers went public with their allegations, they had insisted on anonymity to protect their privacy – and said that has now been shattered and placed them and their families at risk.

"Please, I'm begging you to delete my name!!!" said Jane Doe 5. "I can only imagine the devastation your errors are causing to so many other victims of Jeffrey Epstein."

Jane Doe 7 said the release of her name and photo have resulted in unwanted publicity and threats in her home country where she currently lives.

"The press makes up crazy stories and shows me as a legitimate target for others to attack me physically and in the press," Jane Doe 7 said. "My life is in imminent danger as long as you keep on releasing more files and info about me and not remove and redact the ones already released."

She added: "This is a life-threatening situation for me. Please take my plea seriously."

Jane Doe 8 said she also received death threats in the 24 hours following the Jan. 30 DOJ release, which she said included 51 entries mentioning her.

"You even had the audacity to release my private banking info and [I] am now trying to shut down cards and accounts," Jane Doe 8 said. "This kind of vicious attack on a victim at the hands of the 'Department of Justice' is an abomination."

In their filing, the lawyers said the Justice Department needs to do more to ensure that all names and identifying information are redacted immediately to prevent further harm.

Besides an immediate takedown of the files, they asked the court to appoint an independent special master to oversee redaction and republication, and to keep open the chance for judicial sanctions, "including contempt and monetary relief."

"For the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, every hour matters. The harm is ongoing and irreversible," the lawyers said. "This Court is the last line of defense for victims who were promised protection and instead were exposed. Judicial intervention is not merely appropriate – it is essential."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Every hour matters.' Judge orders DOJ to protect Epstein survivor IDs

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the crash at 12:11 p.m. at Rochester Avenue and Westwood Boulevard, located by a 99 Ranch Market.

LAFD reported that a bicyclist and other people were possibly struck before the structure collision. Officials did not immediately identify any of the victims.

In a later update just before 2 p.m., LAFD said two patients were in serious condition, two had minor injuries and another two signed out against medical advice at the scene.

"The driver of the silver sedan has preliminarily been identified as an elderly female," stated the LAFD update. "A bicyclist was confirmed struck approximately one block away from the incident address before the vehicle collided with the structure; upon fire department arrival, the vehicle was moved to access multiple patients who were trapped."

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

A massive fire and law enforcement response were seen in the area when Sky5 arrived overhead, and an investigation is underway.

LAFD spokesperson Lindsey Lantz joined KTLA live on air after 1:35 p.m Thursday and said early reports suggest the crash was not intentional.

Advertisement

"We're still working on the cause," said Lantz. "We do not have confirmation yet if this was a mechanical issue, a medical issue, but LAPD is telling us they don't suspect any terrorist intent."

Lantz said the bicyclist who was struck survived and decided not to go to the hospital via ambulance. She also said road closures can be expected for hours.

In addition, Lantz said she could not yet confirm whether the victims were inside or outside the store at the time of the crash.

Councilwoman Yaroslavsky, who represents the Westwood neighborhood, issued the following statement after the deadly crash: "I spoke with LAFD Chief Moore earlier regarding the incident at the 99 Ranch Market in Westwood this afternoon, and my team is closely monitoring the situation. My heart is with those injured and with the families of those who lost their lives. Thank you to the first responders on scene for their swift action."

This is a developing story; check back and refresh this page for updates.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.

Flight 2259 to Quito "returned to MIA and was met by law enforcement upon arrival due to a disruptive customer," on Jan. 31, the airline told USA TODAY.

"We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance in managing a difficult situation," the emailed statement continued. The 8:12 p.m. flight turned around as it was passing over Cuba, according toflight-tracking site FlightAware, landing back in Miami shortly before 10 p.m.

American did not share specifics about the passenger's behavior. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office "responded to reports of a passenger in mental crisis," police said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY.

Advertisement

"Upon arrival, the aircraft was safely deplaned and the individual, an adult male, was taken into custody," the statement said. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the flyer to a local hospital where he was detained for mental health evaluation.

The Federal Aviation Administration has received 126 unruly passenger reports so far this year, according toits website. The agency received 1,621 in 2025, and 2,096 the year before.

"The rate of unruly passenger incidents steadily dropped by over 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but recent increases show there remains more work to do," the FAA said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:American flight turns around after takeoff due to unruly passenger

Subscribe to the College Football Enquirer

Apple Podcasts|Spotify|YouTube

Then, the guys get into some more College Football Playoff conversation. The CFP released the 2026 & 2027 schedule for the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game. In 2026, the playoff spans over 39 days. Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss the ludicrous schedule. They also talk about a potential savior being the NFL. With the NFL now owning a stake in ESPN, will they help out college football's scheduling to make it a better product?

Later, Andy shares the results of his homework assignment. Last episode, the guys discussed how weak Week 1 is to start the 2026 season. Andy shares his plan of how to move Oklahoma and Michigan to Week 1 to inject some energy into the opening weekend slate of games. The guys also close the show by discussing the Washington Post shutting down their sports division.

All of this and more on College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - SEC QB's suing for eligibility

6:18 - Trinidad Chambliss' case update

8:32 - Joey Aguilar case update

16:08 - What does the future of 5-star QB's in college look like?

28:24 - CFP releases 2026 schedule

40:22 - Andy tries to improve Week 1's schedule

51:55 - Reflecting on The Washington Post news

🖥️Watchthis full episode on YouTube

Check out all the episodes of theCollege Football Enquirerand the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family athttps://apple.co/3zEuTQjoratyahoosports.tv