USA Olympics Legend Airlifted From Course After Crash in Last Race Before 2026 Games – The Daily Beast

Jeffrey Epstein never stood trial for the heinous crimes he was accused of, but there was one place where he did suffer consequences for his actions: Xbox Live. One of the approximately 3 million pages released in the latest dump of files related to Epstein and his crimes is a 2013 email from Microsoft, informing him that his Xbox Live account had been “permanently suspended.” The notice, dated Dec. 19, 2013, and sent to Epstein’s personal email account, informed the convicted sex offender that he had been banned from the online video game platform for “harassment, threats, and/or abuse of other players.” According to the email, Epstein had a history of “severe, repeated, and/or excessive” abuse of other players. This may have included threats of death, harm, profanity, verbal abuse, and more, directed at other players while participating in online games such as Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto. Epstein, who was 60 years old at the time of the incident, died in his jail cell in 2019 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. One of his known associates, many of whom have been featured in the ongoing release of criminal documents about the financier, was Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn, 41, offered a reassuring update after an unfortunate crash during a during her final World Cup race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday. Vonn went down hard, sliding into safety nets and clutching her left knee before being airlifted off the course. Despite the dramatic incident, Vonn quickly tried to calm concerns, posting that her “Olympic dream is not over,” hours after the crash. Her head coach, Chris Knight, echoed that optimism, telling the Associated Press on Saturday that while Vonn would not race this weekend, she remains focused on preparing for the next Olympic Games scheduled to begin on Feb. 6. Vonn later reinforced that message with a reply on X, writing, “Physics had the final say? No, I have the final say,” signaling her determination to continue. The veteran skier has been staging a comeback after a six-year hiatus and has said the next Olympics are expected to be her final Games, capping an Olympic career that began more than two decades ago.

Learning a new language can feel like a huge commitment. If you’ve ever thought, “I just don’t have the time,” Babbel makes it doable. In as little as ten minutes a day, you can start speaking a new language in about three weeks.

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Competitive bodybuilder Jason Lowe has died at 38, according to a tribute posted by his wife, Ashley Lowe, on Instagram Thursday. Ashley shared a heartfelt message on what would have been Jason’s 39th birthday, addressed directly to her husband. “I could have spent every minute of every day with you, and it still would have never been enough,” she wrote, adding, “Saying that I’m devastated doesn’t even begin to touch the depth of this loss.” The post came days after a GoFundMe was launched on behalf of the family, describing Lowe’s death as an “unexpected tragedy.” The fundraiser has raised more than $28,000 toward its $40,000 goal. Photographer Dustin Raymond penned a loving comment on the post, calling Jason one of his favorite people to work with, and describing him as “always humble” and a “true athlete.” Lowe had built a devoted following through his competitive bodybuilding career, regularly competing from 2015 to 2025 and amassing more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. Lowe’s cause of death has not been reported. Fans and fellow athletes quickly flooded his social media with tributes and memories of the athlete following the news.

Several of the women who defined the original Real Housewives of New York City are preparing to return to reality TV—just not on Bravo. According to Page Six, several original cast members, including Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, and Ramona Singer, have reached an agreement with E! for a new unscripted series expected to premiere later this year. The move follows a stalled effort to revive the group under a proposed “Legacy” format at Bravo, which never came together. Instead, Bravo opted to overhaul the franchise in 2022 with an entirely new cast—an experiment that has struggled to regain the show’s former momentum. For the first time since its debut, RHONY is currently absent from Bravo’s programming lineup as producers reassess the brand’s future. Meanwhile, the original stars are forging ahead elsewhere, marking a rare moment of direct competition between Bravo and E!, which recently split into separate corporate entities. Bethenny Frankel and Alex McCord seem to be sitting this one out.

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As utility-inspired style continues to influence modern wardrobes, Skechers and John Deere, two brands built on performance and dependability, have teamed up on a footwear collaboration designed to work hard and transition effortlessly into everyday life. This collection blends heritage-driven style with modern comfort, delivering utility-forward footwear for adults and kids. With classic lace-up silhouettes and a clean aesthetic, these boots are a natural fit for job sites, city streets, and weekend adventures.

The adult sizes come in Slip-ins, waterproof, slip-resistant, and Goodyear Rubber Outsole styles. Built for long hours and active lifestyles, the lineup fuses John Deere’s workwear DNA with Skechers’ signature comfort technologies.

The kids’ lineup includes playful styles inspired by the iconic John Deere tractor. Designed for outdoor play, school days, and backyard adventures, these durable shoes let kids “work” alongside the grown-ups in style.

Check out Skechers’ utility-inspired fashion to upgrade any workday or excursion.

A Philippine Airlines flight attendant was stuck with a truly vile task mid-flight after a lavatory malfunction left human waste overflowing during a flight to Manila. A YouTube video shows a male crew member using a drink carton to scoop waste from the toilet before dumping the contents into the sink. The Boeing 777 was traveling from California to Manila when the issue occurred. According to the New York Post, airline representatives said that after a “technical and operational assessment,” diverting the flight to Guam—roughly six hours away—was deemed a worse option than manually clearing the waste so the plane could continue to its destination. The unpleasant intervention worked. Airline officials later said the final flight report showed “normal lavatory function,” allowing the aircraft to land in Manila without further incident. While passengers may have been relieved to avoid a diversion—or a full cabin overflow—the situation sparked outrage among crew members. One Mile at a Time reported that flight attendants filed an incident report with their union, accusing Philippine Airlines of prioritizing punctuality and profits over employee safety and dignity.

Scientists have discovered a large sulfur-bearing organic molecule in space, fueling hope that the building blocks of life may be present beyond the stars. Sulfur, the 10th most abundant element in the universe, is a key ingredient for life and is vital in forming proteins, amino acids, and enzymes on Earth. The discovery of the molecule, called 2,5-cyclohexadiene-1-thione, was reported in a study published in Nature Astronomy on Jan. 23. “Sulfur came to Earth from space long, long ago,” lead author of the study, Mitsunori Araki, told CNN. “However, we have only found a very limited amount of sulfur-bearing molecules in space, which is strange. It should exist in huge amounts, but it’s very difficult to find.” Though the discovery of molecules containing sulfur in space is nothing new, the detection of a large organic compound such as this one hints that many more, possibly larger, sulfur-bearing molecules can be found in the future. “This is the largest sulfur-bearing molecule ever found in space, at 13 atoms,” Araki said. “Before this one, the largest only had nine atoms, but it was already a rare case, because most detected sulfur-bearing molecules only had three, four or five atoms.”

The Australian Open final is shaping up to be a grueling showdown, with top seed Carlos Alcaraz, 22, set to face rival Novak Djokovic, 38, after both won punishing five-set semifinals on Friday in Melbourne. Alcaraz advanced after outlasting Alexander Zverev in a marathon five-hour, 27-minute match in blistering heat—the longest men’s semifinal in Melbourne Park history. The Spaniard battled through apparent thigh cramps that required a medical timeout and later admitted in a on-court interview that the match was one of the most physically demanding of his career. No. 4 seed Djokovic booked his spot by defeating reigning champion Jannik Sinner in another five-set thriller, making him the oldest man in the Open era to reach the Australian Open final. Speaking on-court afterward, Djokovic said he knew beating Sinner would be “very difficult—but not impossible.” Alcaraz and Djokovic have faced off several times, most recently at the 2025 U.S. Open, where Alcaraz stunned Djokovic for the title.

Wall Street investors have seen the value of their holdings in stocks of private prison operators plummet as President Donald Trump’s mass deportation push fails to hit hoped-for highs, according to Bloomberg. Shares of the two largest private prison operators in the country, Geo Group Inc. and CoreCivic Inc., have crashed a year after skyrocketing in anticipation of Trump’s huge deportation drive. Twelve months on, his border czar Tom Homan—parachuted in after Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino became a liability—said operations in Minnesota would be scaled back. So far in January, two U.S. citizens have been shot dead by ICE agents, while the newly launched Operation Catch of the Day, in Maine, was cut short. Bloomberg reports that the Department of Homeland Security has “fallen short of its goals when it comes to detaining immigrants despite high-profile enforcement actions.” It noted that while there were 40,000 people in ICE detention at the start of Trump’s presidency, that number has only risen to 73,000. Joe Gomes, an analyst at Noble Capital Markets, told the outlet, “Despite record funding that came through the One Big Beautiful Bill last year, the increase in detainees has risen slower than a lot of people had originally anticipated.”

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After finding your dream mattress, you may be tempted to settle for a basic bed frame. However, the right bed frame does more than just support your mattress—it elevates comfort and style and may even extend its lifespan. Cozey, a leading name in the North American furniture industry, has just released its new bedroom collection, headlined by the Ara Bed System.

It’s a fully upholstered, modular bed designed to adapt to your space and style. It features a smart clip-on assembly supported by a universal frame, foldable panels, and a foldable headboard, making setup surprisingly simple. But what really sets Ara apart is the sheer customizability.

From the headboard and frame to the color, material, and finish, the bed frame can be tailored to your tastes and needs. The result is a bed that truly feels made for you—perfectly suited to your style, comfort, and, most importantly, your space.

Launching alongside the Ara Bed System are Cozey’s duvet and sheet sets. The former includes a duvet cover and two pillow shams, while the latter includes a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two pillowcases. Available in soft-washed cotton, luxe sateen, and cool bamboo, these bedding essentials are designed to complement the Ara with the same focus on comfort and versatility. If you’re going to invest in a quality mattress, it’s well worth it to opt for a premium bed frame as well, and the Ara Bed System is second to none.

Cannibalistic jellyfish have flooded the waters of a major tourist destination, multiplying rapidly and destroying fishermen’s livelihoods. The creature is the warty comb jelly, also known as the sea walnut, which has spread throughout Venice’s lagoon system after arriving from the western Atlantic, likely via ships’ ballast water. Researchers say the species’ sudden dominance reflects environmental shifts that have made once-hostile waters newly welcoming. Rising water temperatures and favorable salinity linked to “ongoing climate change” are thought to have helped the species proliferate. The animal is best known for its ability to eat its own offspring and for possessing a transient anus that appears only during defecation. Researchers from the University of Padua and the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics say jellyfish numbers have exploded, creating acute problems for local fishermen. The jellies clog nets and devour fish eggs, larvae, and plankton—key building blocks of the lagoon’s ecosystem. Known formally as Mnemiopsis leidyi, the species is listed among the world’s 100 most harmful invasive organisms. Findings from the two-year study documenting the jelly’s spread were published in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

Team USA star skier Lindsey Vonn had to be airlifted from a mountain following a crash in a World Cup race, just one week before the Winter Olympics begin in Italy. The Milan Cortina Games commence on Feb. 6, but now question marks hang over the U.S.’s top prospect. Vonn crashed in her final downhill, and she was left limping after losing control on a jump during the race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The 41-year-old got tangled in nets after the crash in the course’s early stages. She was seen keeping her weight off her knee afterwards on a chaotic day that ultimately saw the race canceled after three of the first six competitors crashed. Other competitors complained that visibility was poor and the surface was bumpy. After making it to the finish line, Vonn was spotted moving gingerly before being picked up by a helicopter and suspended beneath it on the end of a rope. Her first race of the Olympics at Cortina d’Ampezzo is due to be the women’s downhill on Feb. 8.