News

By CLAUDIA LAUER

Data collected from 35 American cities showed a 21% decrease in the homicide rate from 2024 to 2025, translating to about 922 fewer homicides last year, according to a new report from the independent Council on Criminal Justice.

The report, released on Thursday, tracked 13 crimes and recorded drops last year in 11 of those categories including carjackings, shoplifting, aggravated assaults and others. Drug crimes saw a small increase over last year and sexual assaults stayed even between 2024 and 2025, the study found.

Experts said cities and states beyond those surveyed showed similar declines in homicides and other crimes. But they said it’s too early to tell what is prompting the change even as elected officials at all levels — both Democrats and Republicans — have been claiming credit.

Adam Gelb, president and CEO of the council — a nonpartisan think tank for criminal justice policy and research — said that after historic increases in violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year brought historic decreases. The study found some cities recorded decades-low numbers, with the overall homicide rate dropping to its lowest in decades

“It’s a dramatic drop to an absolutely astonishing level. As we celebrate it we also need to unpack and try to understand it,” Gelb said. “There’s never one reason crime goes up or down.”

The council collects data from police departments and other law enforcement sources. Some of the report categories included data from as many as 35 cities, while others because of differences in definitions for specific crimes or tracking gaps, include fewer cities in their totals. Many of the property crimes in the report also declined, including a 27% drop in vehicle thefts and 10% drop in shoplifting among the reporting cities.

The council’s report showed a decrease in the homicide rate in 31 of 35 cities including a 40% decrease or more in Denver, Omaha, Nebraska, and Washington. The only city included that reported a double-digit increase was Little Rock, Arkansas, where the rate increased by 16% from 2024.

Gelb said the broad crime rate decreases have made some criminologists question historic understandings of what drives trends in violent crime and how to battle it.

“We want to believe that local factors really matter for crime numbers, that it is fundamentally a neighborhood problem with neighborhood level solutions,” he said. “We’re now seeing that broad, very broad social, cultural and economic forces at the national level can assert huge influence on what happens at the local level.”

Republicans, many of whom called the decrease in violent crime in many cities in 2024 unreliable, have rushed to say that tough-on-crime stances like deploying the National Guard to cities like New Orleans and the nation’s capital, coupled with immigration operation surges, have all played a roll in this year’s drops.

However, cities that saw no surges of either troops or federal agents saw similar historic drops in violent and other crimes, according to the Council’s annual report.

Democratic mayors are also touting their policies as playing roles in the 2025 decreases.

Jens Ludwig, a public policy professor and the Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, stressed that many factors can contribute to a reduction in crime, whether that’s increased spending on law enforcement or increased spending on education to improve graduation rates.

“The fact that in any individual city, we are seeing crime drop across so many neighborhoods and in so many categories, means it can’t be any particular pet project in a neighborhood enacted by a mayor,” Ludwig said. And because the decrease is happening in multiple cities, “it’s not like any individual mayor is a genius in figuring this out.”

He said while often nobody knows what drives big swings in crime numbers, the decrease could be in part due to the continued normalization after big spikes in crime for several years during the pandemic. A hypothesis that stresses the declines might not last.

“If you look at violent crime rates in the U.S., it is much more volatile year to year than the poverty rate, or the unemployment rate; It is one of those big social indicators that just swings around a lot year to year,” Ludwig said. “Regardless of credit for these declines, I think it’s too soon for anybody on either side of this to declare mission accomplished.”

Q: I purchased a house with my girlfriend, but because she had better credit, we put it in just her name. Besides splitting the down payment, I’ve been helping pay all the bills, including the mortgage, and I even paid to have the roof repaired. Now, she’s saying it’s her house, and I have no say in it. Is there anything I can do? — Michael

A: Buying a house together can be an exciting milestone, but when the legal ownership is in one person’s name, the situation can become complicated if the relationship takes a turn.

Although you’ve contributed to the mortgage, bills, and repairs, the law prioritizes whose name is on the deed when determining ownership. Still, you do have rights in this situation.

The first step is to gather all your documentation. Make a record of every payment you made, especially those for the mortgage, utilities, and repairs. Receipts, bank statements, and any written agreements and communications, such as texts and emails, that show the expectation that the home was for both of you are very helpful.

Of course, you should speak with your girlfriend and try to work something out. If you and your girlfriend are open to discussing the matter but are having difficulty working through it, consider mediation. A neutral third party can help you both reach an agreement without a lengthy court battle.

However, if she’s unwilling to negotiate, legal action may be your only option.

Courts may recognize your financial contributions under the legal concepts of “constructive trust” or “equitable interest.” This means that even if your name is not on the deed, you may be able to claim a share of the property based on your significant financial contributions.

Even if the court doesn’t award you a share of the property, it might order her to reimburse you for those contributions.

Finally, moving forward, it is important to protect yourself in similar situations. If you find yourself contributing to a property again, make sure your name is on the deed or that you have a written agreement outlining your rights.

While it’s easy to assume that love and trust will carry the day, having legal protections in place can save you a lot of heartache down the road. There’s no reason loving, caring partners cannot have written agreements to help avoid misunderstandings.

Board-certified real estate lawyer Gary Singer writes about industry legal matters and the housing market. To ask him a question, email him at gary@garysingerlaw.com, or go to SunSentinel.com/askpro. 

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Once a month, my grandmother hosts a group of friends at her house for a chat and an afternoon tea.

She loves the company and the catch-up, as they are all older and can’t get out much, especially since COVID.

I noticed one guest is very snippety and degrading to the rest of the group, but my grandmother says it isn’t her place to say anything.

I noticed the group declining in numbers and coming up with reasons not to come. My grandmother is angry at her friends for not coming over. I gently hint that if someone is being rude, and the hostess does not ask them to be more mindful, then yes, people will stop coming.

However, she tells me I am wrong and that a hostess doesn’t tell anyone to, in my generation’s words, “stay in their lane.”

How can I get my grandmother to understand this before she loses the friends altogether?

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GENTLE READER: Forgive this grandmother for not understanding what you are asking yours to do.

Miss Manners hopes it is not to commit the unpardonable rudeness of calling out a guest’s rudeness to her face. (The guest’s face, that is. Once the guest is gone, you are free to try to convince your grandmother that this guest is scaring away her other friends.)

You might be more successful if you say that that person is not to everyone’s taste, and perhaps Grandmama can socialize with her one-on-one and convene a more like-minded group for afternoon teas.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Elevators have been in existence, I believe, for more than 150 years, but there does not seem to be a system of accepted manners related to them.

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It is true that we no longer dance around in the elevator so as to allow all the women to get out before the men. There is, however, pandemonium on first floors, when people wishing to board will not wait for occupants to get off. The expressions on their faces indicate they are astonished to find that the machine contains passengers!

I am going to give you my solution and petition you for approval of my actions, which I believe will correct the problem over time.

I am a 6-foot man, and when I stick out my elbows, I pretty much fill the space between the doors. When the doors open, if I note any inclination for those outside to crowd in, I spread my arms and say in a loud voice, “It is not polite to crowd in when people are coming out.”

Do I have your approval for this behavior, and do you think it will prove to be effective?

GENTLE READER: You do not — firstly, because you are going to elbow some unsuspecting person in the face, and secondly, because it is rude to correct another’s manners.

Both problems can be avoided if you instead say, “Excuse us, people coming out, please.” If the announcement is made in a booming voice, it will be surprising enough to render the physical barrier of sticking out your arms unnecessary.

Even so, Miss Manners does not see this solving the problem everywhere and for all time, unless you plan to spend an awful lot of time in elevators.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

According to the Jan. 18 letter to the editor from Mark Goldstein, Renee Good was not a victim, she was a rioter.

The 37-year-old mother, despite being polite to ICE agents, was shot at least three times — once at close range to her head.

Mr. Goldstein blames “the mainstream media” for portraying Good as the victim. Maybe he should watch news stations that state facts — or just maybe, watch the video with his own eyes.

I don’t need any news outlet — real or fake — to tell me what happened. I saw it.

MAGAs will make up all sorts of stories to fit whatever narrative they want to believe — and what they want others to believe.

Between President Trump’s declining mental faculties and physical ailments, his inept Cabinet is putting every citizen in harm’s way. ICE agents under the cosplaying Kristi Noem didn’t need to terrorize the people of Minnesota, and Good did not use her car as a weapon.

So write to the White House and tell them to start working for the American people, rather than writing letters to the newspaper labeling a deceased innocent woman a rioter.

She was an everywoman, driving home to her family.

Ellen Brown-Menges, Port St. Lucie

A protester is detained by federal agents near the scene where Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray) ICE was the perpetrator

Letter writer Mark Goldstein of Boca Raton wrote about the “rioters” facing ICE in Minnesota.

But the only violence that was perpetrated on that day was by ICE.

Anyone who saw the videos knows that Renee Good at no time threatened an agent.

Moreover, she told her assailant “I don’t hate you” before he shot and killed her.

I wonder if Goldstein felt the same way about the “peaceful protesters” involved in the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, who assaulted police officers?

Bob Chaban, Boynton Beach

‘The real bad guys’ in Minnesota

Have you watched the video of what the “peaceful” protesters were doing to ICE agents in Minnesota? If you call that peaceful, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.

Instead of working with ICE to rid their state of criminals and illegals, the mayor, governor and state attorney general ratcheted up so-called peaceful protests to espouse violence against federal law enforcement.

Who are the real bad guys? The Minnesota politicians resurrecting the George Floyd debacle. Why can’t the Sun Sentinel and Minnesota leaders join hands with law enforcement to bring justice and sanity back to their city and state?

I guess as long as President Trump is in office, the liberal left and Sun Sentinel will be against everything the Trump administration says or does.

Chuck Lehmann, Delray Beach

Don’t shoot at a moving vehicle

As a Vietnam vet and later as an officer with NYPD, I would never fire on a vehicle unless I was being fired upon.

There seemed ample room and time (for the agent) to move away. To Renee Good, I ask: Why drive away? There were important issues to consider (such as the future of her three children).

Consider, too, the behavior of the driver’s spouse, who loudly told Ms. Good, “Drive, baby. drive!” I believe that this prompted her to move forward with her SUV, causing Good’s death.

It’s shameful that an innocent person lost her life due to the behavior of two people who did not make reasonable or correct decisions. This is my belief, and I am saddened.

Louis Cohen, Tamarac

The answer is “nej”

How do you say “NO” in Danish?

Scot McCluskey, Davie

Please submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or fill out the online form below. Letters may be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters will be edited for clarity and length. 

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Here are the top stories for Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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Miss Manners: I want to shut down rude whispers about my husband’s criminal past

Today is Thursday, Jan. 22, the 22nd day of 2026. There are 343 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 22,1998, Theodore Kaczynski pleaded guilty in Sacramento, California, to being the “Unabomber” responsible for three deaths and 23 injuries in a mail-bombing campaign. In return for the pleas in federal court, he received a sentence of life in prison without parole.

Also on this date:

In 1901, Britain’s Queen Victoria died at age 81 after a reign of more than 63 years; she was succeeded by her eldest son, Edward VII.

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In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces began landing at Anzio, Italy.

In 1947, America’s first commercially licensed television station west of the Mississippi, KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, made its official debut.

In 1953, the Arthur Miller drama “The Crucible” opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York.

In 1973, former President Lyndon B. Johnson died at his Texas ranch at the age of 64.

Also in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Roe v. Wade decision, declared a nationwide constitutional right to abortion. (The court would overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, in the decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.)

In 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, the second-highest single-game point total in NBA history, in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors. (Wilt Chamberlain set the record with 100 points in 1962 for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 win against the New York Knicks.

In 2017, an outbreak of tornadoes in the U.S. Southeast killed at least 16 people in Georgia after claiming four lives in Mississippi.

Today’s birthdays:

• Celebrity chef Graham Kerr (TV: “The Galloping Gourmet”) is 92.
• Singer Steve Perry is 77.
• Film director Jim Jarmusch is 73.
• Actor Linda Blair is 67.
• Actor Diane Lane is 61.
• DJ Jazzy Jeff is 61.
• Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is 58.
• Actor Olivia d’Abo is 57.
• Actor Gabriel Macht is 54.
• Actor Balthazar Getty is 51.
• Rapper Logic is 36.
• Actor Daryl McCormack is 33.
• Actor Sami Gayle is 30.
• R&B singer Ravyn Lenae Washington is 27.
• WNBA point guard Caitlin Clark is 24.

By JUAN A. LOZANO and PATRICK WHITTLE

HOUSTON (AP) — Winter weather brings various hazards that people have to contend with to keep warm and safe.

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These dangers can include carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia and frozen pipes that can burst and make homes unlivable.

Public safety officials and experts say there are multiple ways people can prepare themselves to avoid these winter weather hazards and keep themselves safe.

The hazards are on the radar this week because millions of people in the United States are set to be hit with heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from a “significant winter storm” this weekend that will impact the Midwest, the East Coast as well as much of the southern U.S., including Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service.

Staying safe inside your home Multiple vehicles slid off the road in whiteout conditions along Lake Michigan Drive during a winter storm warning in Ottawa County, Mich. on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (Joel Bissell/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Officials say that during a winter storm, people should stay indoors. But home heating systems running for hours can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning as the deadly fumes can be produced by furnaces, stoves and heaters, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Carbon monoxide can also be created when people use portable generators or run cars in their garages to stay warm or charge their phones.

Dr. Alex Harding, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said that because carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, people won’t necessarily be aware of it.

“The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be really insidious. They can sneak up on patients and can range from just developing a headache or maybe a little bit of nausea to all the way to losing consciousness and seizures,” he said.

Dealing with hypothermia Traffic passes piled-up snow in Lowville, N.Y., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

The cold weather hitting the U.S. this weekend has the ability to be dangerous or deadly because of unsafe exposure to elements.

The cold temperatures could sneak up on people in parts of the country, including Texas, that have largely experienced a mild winter so far.

“Really cold temperatures and winds can make temperatures feel a lot colder, and the result of that could be cold air that could eventually lead to frostbite at a much faster rate or hypothermia at a much faster rate than normal,” said Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.

Prolonged exposure to frigid temperatures can put people at risk to hypothermia, a condition that happens when one’s body loses heat faster than it can produce it.

“Hypothermia is definitely one of the bigger concerns, especially if we do have any kind of certainty in like power grids or electricity failing,” Harding said.

The danger of hypothermia is greater for someone who is outside, exposed to wind gusts and isn’t wearing appropriate clothing or has clothing that gets wet.

“If they have a safe place that’s warm, where they can hunker down, where they have water and food and all those kind of necessities … then that’s going to limit their exposure to those risks,” Harding said.

But vulnerable populations like people with disabilities or homeless individuals can have problems finding a warm and safe place to stay.

Protecting your home’s pipes People walk their dogs on an ice covered beach at the Lake Michigan shore, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Frozen pipes in a home during severe winter weather is a particular problem in parts of the South because such equipment is often located outside structures. But other parts of the country also have to deal with this problem.

Jose Parra, a master plumber with Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical in Houston, advises people to insulate any pipes that are exposed to the outside, turn off and drain sprinkler systems and let faucets inside a home drip during freezing temperatures so water can run through the pipes and protect them.

“A lot of what we’re fixing, I would say 80% to 90%, could have been prevented with just a little bit of work ahead of time,” Parra said.

Electric vehicle troubles A Tesla Cyber truck is driven along North Scenic Drive through Muskegon State Park during a winter storm warning in Muskegon County, Mich. on Saturday, January 17, 2026. (Joel Bissell/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Experts acknowledge that cold weather can be hard for electric vehicles. But they say with some planning and a little adjustment, owners should be able to travel pretty much as normal.

Inside EV batteries, lithium ions flow through a liquid electrolyte, producing electricity. But they travel more slowly through the electrolyte when it gets cold and don’t release as much energy. That cuts into the range and can deplete a battery faster.

In the short run, automakers are likely to come up with better ways to protect battery life and warm them for charging, Neil Dasgupta, associate professor of mechanical and materials science engineering at the University of Michigan, told The Associated Press. And there are new battery chemistries in development that are more resilient in cold weather.

Associated Press writer Tom Krisher contributed to this report.

By JAIMIE DING

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A conservative group filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Los Angeles schools policy meant to address the harms of segregation, alleging that it discriminates against white students.

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The 1776 Project Foundation, created by the 1776 Project PAC, targeted in its lawsuit a Los Angeles Unified School District policy that provides smaller class sizes and other benefits to schools with predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-white students. It dates back to 1970 and 1976 court orders that required the district to desegregate its schools.

The group said the policy amounts to racial discrimination and violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

The lawsuit calls for a permanent injunction to prevent the school district from using race preferences in “operating, funding, advertising, or admitting students into school programs.”

A district spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the specifics of pending litigation.

“Los Angeles Unified remains firmly committed to ensuring all students have meaningful access to services and enriching educational opportunities,” the district said in a statement.

More than 600 schools in the district are classified as predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-white, while less than 100 are not, the lawsuit said.

Students that attend a school under this designation receive extra points when applying to magnet schools, and they are required to have at least two parent-teacher conferences per year, according to the district’s Student Integration Services website. These schools are also required to have student-teacher ratios of 25 to 1 or less, compared to other schools that are allowed to have classroom ratios of as high as 34 to 1, according to the lawsuit.

The 1776 Project Foundation’s mission is to “create and disseminate policies that will promote academic achievement and revitalize our educational system for families and students across the nation,” according to its website. It does so primarily by supporting local school board candidates, pushing back against “progressive pedagogy” and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, its website said. The related 1776 Project PAC has financially backed those candidates.

The group’s members include a parent whose children are enrolled in a Los Angeles school that is not classified as predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-white, according to the lawsuit. Because of the district’s policy, those children were denied certain benefits such as admission to a magnet program, the lawsuit alleges.

The filing comes as Trump administration officials have pushed for the lifting of Civil Rights Movement-era school desegregation court orders, calling them obsolete and unnecessary.

Civil rights groups say the orders are important to keep as tools to address the legacy of forced segregation — including disparities in student discipline, academic programs and teacher hiring — as well as segregation that is still actively happening.

By MICHAEL BIESECKER and RYAN J. FOLEY

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Cuban migrant held in solitary confinement at an immigration detention facility in Texas died after guards held him down and he stopped breathing, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday that ruled the death a homicide.

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Geraldo Lunas Campos died Jan. 3 following an altercation with guards. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the 55-year-old father of four was attempting suicide and the staff at Camp East Montana tried to save him.

But a witness told The Associated Press last week that Lunas Campos was handcuffed as at least five guards held him down and one put an arm around his neck and squeezed until he was unconscious.

The autopsy report by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office found Lunas Campos’ body showed signs of a struggle, including abrasions on his chest and knees. He also had hemorrhages on his neck. The deputy medical examiner, Dr. Adam Gonzalez. determined the cause of death was asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.

The report said witnesses saw Lunas Campos “become unresponsive while being physically restrained by law enforcement.” It did not elaborate on what happened during the struggle but cited evidence of injuries to his neck, head and torso associated with physical restraint. The report also noted the presence of petechial hemorrhages — tiny blood spots from burst capillaries that can be associated with intense strain or injury — in the eyelids and skin of the neck.

Dr. Victor Weedn, a forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy report for AP, said the presence of petechiae in the eyes “tend to support” the conclusion that asphyxia caused the death. Those injuries suggest pressure on the body and are often associated with such deaths, he said.

He said the contusions on Lunas Campos’ body may reflect physical restraint and the neck injuries were consistent with a hand or knee on the neck.

The autopsy also found the presence of prescription antidepressant and antihistamine medications, adding that Lunas Campos had a history of bipolar disorder and anxiety. It made no mention of him attempting suicide.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the autopsy report.

ICE’s initial account of the death, which included no mention of an altercation with guards, said Lunas Campos had become disruptive and staff moved him to a segregated area.

“While in segregation, staff observed him in distress and contacted on-site medical personnel for assistance,” the agency said in its Jan. 9 statement. “Medical staff responded, initiated lifesaving measures, and requested emergency medical services.”

Lunas Campos was pronounced dead after paramedics arrived.

Last Thursday, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Lunas Campos had attempted suicide and guards tried to help him.

“Campos violently resisted the security staff and continued to attempt to take his life,” she said. “During the ensuing struggle, Campos stopped breathing and lost consciousness.”

Camp Montana East is a sprawling tent facility in the desert on the grounds of Fort Bliss, an Army base. The AP reported in August that the $1.2 billion facility, expected to become the largest detention facility in the U.S., was being built and operated by a private contractor headquartered in a single-family home in Richmond, Virginia. The company, Acquisition Logistics LLC, had no prior experience running a corrections facility.

It was not immediately clear whether the guards present when Lunas Campos died were government employees or those of the private contractor.

Lunas Campos was among the first detainees sent to Camp Montana East, arriving in September after ICE arrested him in Rochester, New York, where he lived for more than two decades. He was legally admitted to the U.S. in 1996, part of a wave of Cuban immigrants seeking to reach Florida by boat.

ICE said he was picked up in July as part of a planned immigration enforcement operation due to criminal convictions that made him eligible for removal.

New York court records show Lunas Campos was convicted in 2003 of sexual contact with a person under 11, a felony for which he was sentenced to one year in jail and placed on the state’s sex offender registry.

Foley reported from Iowa City.

By ISABEL DEBRE and VICTOR CAIVANO

ZÁRATE, Argentina (AP) — The vast field of over 5,800 electric and hybrid vehicles gleamed on the cargo deck of the BYD Changzhou, an Chinese container vessel unloading Wednesday at a river port in eastern Argentina.

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In other places, such a scene would not be noteworthy. Chinese automaker BYD has sped up its exports and undercut rivals the world over, alarming Washington, upsetting Western and Japanese auto giants, and unnerving local industries across Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

But the sight of so many new Chinese EVs gliding onto a muddy river bank in Buenos Aires province was unprecedented for Argentina.

“This milestone reflects a long-term vision in Argentina — to invest, to steadily expand our dealer network across the entire national territory,” said Stephen Deng, the country manager for BYD in Argentina.

The giant BYD logo gracing the ship’s hull and each car window sent shockwaves through this crisis-stricken economy run for decades by the left-wing populist movement of Peronism that protected local industry with stiff tariffs and import restrictions.

“For decades people in Argentina had this vision that everything here must be manufactured here,” said Claudio Damiano, a professor in the Institute of Transportation at Argentina’s National University of San Martin. “The boat has a symbolic value as the first step for BYD. Everyone’s wondering how far it will go.”

The image of duty-free Chinese cars discharging in Argentina also sent a message to Brussels, where on Wednesday European Union lawmakers voted to delay ratification of a landmark free trade deal with the Mercosur group of South American countries, including Argentina, which promises to tear down trade barriers for European EV imports.

“The Europeans, there’s just no possibility of competing with the Chinese,” Damiano said.

Chinese cars show Argentina’s open economy

Under Peronists who disdained global trade as a destructive force, Argentina became one of the region’s most closed economies.

Sky-high taxes on imports and a chronically depreciating currency long constrained consumer choice, compelling well-heeled Argentines to smuggle iPhones and Zara hauls into the country when returning from vacations abroad.

For the last two years, radical libertarian President Javier Milei has done the exact opposite of his closest ally, U.S. President Donald Trump.

He has flung open Argentina’s doors to imports, slashed trade barriers, unwound customs red tape and shored up the local currency to make foreign goods more affordable.

Last year Argentina logged a record 30% increase in imports compared to the year before — much of it in the form of $3 milk frothers and $10 dresses piling up on Argentines’ doorsteps from Asian online retailers such as Temu and Shein.

Now Chinese automakers — once choked by 35% levies on imports — are seizing on a new measure to allow 50,000 electric and hybrid cars into the country this year tariff-free. The first shipment arrived Monday at Zárate Port after a 23-day voyage from Singapore.

• Pablo Naya, the owner of Sero Electric, poses next to one of the company’s electric microcars at its factory in Castelar, Argentina, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
• BYD hybrid and electric vehicles shipped from China are parked at Terminal Zarate in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
• Hybrid and electric vehicles shipped from China are unloaded from the BYD Changzhou car carrier docked at Terminal Zarate, in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
• Ignacio Palacios works on a Sero Electric microcar at its factory in Castelar, Argentina, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Show Caption1 of 4Pablo Naya, the owner of Sero Electric, poses next to one of the company’s electric microcars at its factory in Castelar, Argentina, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) Expand

Telling business and political leaders Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos that that his drastic deregulation measures “allow us to have a more dynamically efficient economy,” Milei declared: “This is MAGA, ‘Make Argentina Great Again.

Trump and Milei: friends despite differences

Milei and Trump share a contempt for perceived “wokeness,” an impatience with multilateral institutions like the United Nations, a denial of climate change, a passion for supporting Israel and a zeal for dismantling the administrative state.

The ideological bond has paid dividends for Milei: Argentina is a rare place in the region where Trump has wielded the might of the U.S. to help an ally rather than coerce with military threats, as he has in Colombia and Mexico. Last year he offered Milei a $20 billion credit swap last year to boost his chances in a crucial midterm election.

Yet at Davos the leaders’ stark differences were on stark display. Milei delivered his anti-interventionist, libertarian definition of MAGA right after Trump laid out his vision for making America great: demanding control of Greenland and threatening allies with tariffs and other consequences if they don’t fall in line.

China has perhaps benefited most from Milei’s free-market drive. Chinese imports to Argentina surged over 57% last year compared to the year before — compared to a 9.6% spike in shipments from the U.S. Chinese investment has poured into Argentina’s energy and mining sectors.

China ‘has won the race’ in Argentina

BYD and similar Chinese brands have taken the streets of Latin America by storm, from Mexico City to Rio de Janeiro — inviting controversy and backlash.

Now they’re best positioned to reap the rewards of Milei’s zero-tariff quota for EVs, which applies only to cars under $16,000.

“Chinese manufacturers have the technology and the ability to meet the price limits set by the government,” said Andrés Civetta, an economist specializing in the auto sector at the Argentine consulting firm Abeceb. “China has won the race.”

Some major Western car manufacturers in Argentina have raised concerns. Opposition lawmakers warn of unfair competition.

But Argentina is still far behind its neighbors in developing its EV industry, said Pablo Naya, the creator of Sero Electric, Argentina’s only domestic electric car manufacturer.

The country’s aging power grid is nowhere near ready for a wave of electric cars to strain it en masse, he said. And if something goes wrong with a Chinese EV on the road, there are currently no dealers’ service centers able to undertake internal repairs.

“Honestly, we’re not worried,” he said.

But if or when Argentine infrastructure and consumer aspirations eventually catch up to China, it will be a different story.

“Then that would get complicated for us,” he said from the Sero Electric factory in the Buenos Aires suburb of Castelar. “We’d have a problem.”

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Today is Tuesday, Jan. 20, the 20th day of 2026. There are 345 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 20, 2011, authorities orchestrated one of the biggest Mafia takedowns in FBI history, charging 127 suspected mobsters and associates in the Northeast with murders, extortion and other crimes spanning decades.

Also on this date:

In 1841, the island of Hong Kong was ceded by China to Great Britain. It returned to Chinese control in July 1997.

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In 1936, Britain’s King George V died after his physician injected the mortally ill monarch with morphine and cocaine to hasten his death. The king was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne 11 months later to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for his second of four terms as president, becoming the first chief executive to be inaugurated on Jan. 20; prior to the adoption of the 20th Amendment in 1933, presidential terms began on March 4.

In 1961, in his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy urged Americans, “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

In 1986, the United States observed the first federal holiday in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1981, Iran released 52 Americans it had held hostage for 444 days, minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president of the United States, succeeding Jimmy Carter.

In 2009, Democrat Barack Obama was sworn in as the first Black president of the United States.

In 2017, Republican Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States as protesters clashed with police blocks from the inaugural parade.

Today’s birthdays:

• Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin is 96.
• Olympic figure skating gold medalist Carol Heiss Jenkins is 86.
• Rock musician Paul Stanley (KISS) is 74.
• Comedian Bill Maher is 70.
• Olympic swimming gold medalist John Naber is 70.
• Country singer John Michael Montgomery is 61.
• Actor Rainn Wilson is 60. Actor Skeet Ulrich is 56.
• Musician Questlove (The Roots) is 55.
• Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and ex-governor of South Carolina, is 54.
• Country singer Brantley Gilbert is 41.
• Actor and singer Joshua Colley is 24.
• Singer-songwriter Glaive is 21.

MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Hurricanes nearly came back from three separate 10-point deficits in the College Football Playoff title game Monday, but their hopes of completing the comeback fell short when quarterback Carson Beck’s downfield pass was intercepted by Indiana cornerback Jamari Sharpe.

Sharpe blanketed Miami wide receiver Keelan Marion, Beck underthrew it, Marion never turned around and Sharpe came down with the interception to seal the 27-21 win for the Hoosiers over UM Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium.

“The guy made a really good play. They were in Cover 2, and he sunk with no flat threat and made a really good play on the ball,” Beck said. “You can sit back and think of every if, and, or but situation after, but that’s what happened. And it sucks, but it’s going to sting for a while.”

Marion took ownership on his end.

“It probably was just a miscommunication. I didn’t even know he threw the ball,” said Marion, with tears in his eyes. “I got to look for the ball and make that play for him. It was all on me.”

Hurricanes coaches felt Beck made a fine decision on the first-and-10 pass from the Indiana 41-yard line with under a minute to play, but the execution on the throw was lacking.

“It’s the right place to go with the ball,” Cristobal said. “Just got to be a little bit further and a little bit farther outside. We didn’t connect on it, and turnover.”

“I really don’t mind where the ball went, really. I mean, probably needs to be out there a little more,” UM offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “Keelan needs to look for the ball, and it was a little bit underthrown. It was just one of those deals.”

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The interception was Beck’s lone costly mistake. He finished 19 of 32 for 232 yards and an earlier touchdown pass, which went to wide receiver Malachi Toney coming around to him in the backfield on a jet sweep.

Marion finished with one catch for 6 yards, while he was targeted six times. Toney led Miami with 10 receptions for 122 yards and the touchdown, while fellow UM wideout CJ Daniels made four catches for 62 yards.

The Hurricanes took over with 1:42 remaining from their own 25-yard line, trailing by 6 points, to start the final drive.

“We were confident that we were going to go down and score a touchdown like how we did against Ole Miss the game before,” Miami center James Brockermeyer said, “but obviously didn’t go our way this time. But we fought our tails off the entire game, and our guys never folded, never quit. So I’m just. I’m really proud of everyone, how we fought and how we competed, and I just love my guys out there.”

Beck had his clutch moments during Miami’s magical run to the national championship, like his scramble to the end zone in the semifinal against Mississippi, but in UM’s two previous losses — against Louisville and SMU — he had a combined six interceptions, including costly ones late in each defeat. He threw four interceptions against Louisville.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was not the only one making big plays for the opponent back in his hometown Monday night, as Sharpe hails from Miami Northwestern High. Sharpe, incidentally, is the nephew of Glenn Sharpe, the former Miami cornerback was flagged for the controversial pass interference penalty the previous the Hurricanes were in a championship game, against Ohio State after the 2002 season.

Fellow Hoosiers cornerback D’Angelo Ponds is also a Miami native and played high school football at Chaminade-Madonna. He had five tackles and three pass breakups Monday night.

Aside from the game-sealing interception, the key miscues that will stick in the craw of the Hurricanes came on special teams.

UM punter Dylan Joyce had a punt blocked in the third quarter where tight end Alex Bauman missed a block, and it was recovered in the end zone by the Hoosiers’ Isaiah Jones.

Miami kicker Carter Davis had a 50-yard field goal attempt miss off the upright late in the first half. UM’s second-half touchdowns all would’ve tied the game instead of getting the team within 3 each time, and the Hurricanes could’ve played for a tying field goal on the final drive had they had those points.

Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 135-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors:

– No matter where you stand on Jimmy Butler, no one wants to see that, the former Heat forward being helped off the court midway through the third quarter.

– After having several statement moments early against his former team.

– With Bam Adebayo getting the initial defensive assignment.

– But such also is the risk with older players.

– No, not random injuries such as Butler’s in this one, but rather the potential recovery time.

– Which does make it different from the rib issue the Heat are dealing with at the moment with Tyler Herro.

– No sooner was Butler dealt from the Heat last February than he signed a two-year, $111 million extension with the Warriors.

– As in $54 million this season and $56.9 million next season.

– With the Heat, by contrast, holding off with Herro, as he deals with his own injury issues.

– Availability as ability still matters.

– As the Heat continue to learn with Herro.

– As the Warriors likely are about to learn with Butler.

– Which is why you have to spend wisely.

– With Davion Mitchell and Jaime Jaime Jr. back but Herro out, Erik Spoelstra opened with a lineup of Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, Norman Powell and Mitchell.

– That lineup entered 2-1.

– The Warriors, in the void of Draymond Green, who was out with an ankle issue, opened with a lineup of Butler, Will Richard, Quintin Post, Moses Moody and Stephen Curry.

– It was the first time those five Warriors played together.

– Unlike the Heat, the Warriors had moved to a degree of stability with their starting lineup, opening with the same five now in 12 of their previous (Curry, Moody, Post, Green and Butler).

– Jaquez was back to being first off the Heat bench.

– Simone Fontecchio followed, with continued faith from Spoelstra.

– Solid in this one with his rebounding.

– Kasparas Jakucionis and Ware then entered together.

– Dru Smith made it 10 deep when he entered early in the second period.

– Leaving Nikola Jovic on the outside of the rotation.

– Mitchell and Jaquez were back for the Heat after missing the end of the just-concluded homestand.

– Said Jaquez of his road back from his knee sprain, “A lot of rehab, work in the pool, just everything I can to make sure my legs are strong.”

–  Said Mitchell of his path back from his shoulder contusion, “It’s a lot of work in the weight room trying to get that range of motion back. Plus, the first couple of days, I couldn’t really raise my arm. So I always had to get that strengthening back and that feeling back. But I feel a lot better.”

– For the Heat, this is a particularly challenging trip, opening with a back-to-back set (with a Tuesday night game against the Sacramento Kings) and then concluding with another back-to-back set (Saturday at the Utah Jazz, Sunday at the Phoenix Suns).

– “We’ve proven we can beat anybody. We can win anywhere,” Spoelstra said. “We have to be more consistent to our identity, but that’s everything. Ultimately, it gets a little bit gnarly on the road, and we just have to collectively figure it out and do enough things consistently to give ourselves a chance to win the game.”

– Of the trip, Adebayo said, “We understand it’s going to be a little hectic. But road trips are like this. And when the team really bonds together, really gels together, we start seeing what we can become.”

– Still, the change of time zones matters.

– “It’s kind of crazy because I woke up at like four in the morning,” Mitchell said, “because I’m thinking it’s supposed to be seven in Miami.”

– Of Adebayo on Monday being named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Spoelstra said pregame, “He was a force of will, a force of nature. And as our captain, we turn to him when we have these kind of moments where we feel like we have to do whatever’s necessary to try to do things.”

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– For Wiggins, it meant his first game back at Chase Center since being dealt last season from the Warriors in the Butler trade.

– “It’s really great to see him have that smile on his face,” Spoelstra said at the morning shootaround. “He feels very comfortable. A lot of, I’m sure, a ton of cool memories here.”

– Spoelstra also said of Wiggins, “He’s doing so much for us. It’s probably a similar role that he had during that playoff run, when they won the championship — guard all the best wings and scorers in the league.”

– It was, to say the least, a warm embrace, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr saying pregame,  “He’s just a really good player. He was a good player before we got him and obviously helped us win a championship in ‘22. He’s a guy who is not afraid of the moment and he will rise up and shoot it anytime.”

– Of dealing Wiggins 11 months ago, Kerr said pregame, “He was just a joy to coach every single day. When you get a guy like that on your team and you go through a lot together, both on and off the court, then you make a trade, it’s just like that. It’s just crazy, this league, how this business operates. You have to just deal with it but it is sad when your relationships like that are all of a sudden . . . I mean you still have a relationship but you don’t see each other. So we’ll say hi out there, it’s different.”

The runway was there for the Miami Heat to take flight in the first game of their five-game western swing, with Draymond Green out, Jimmy Butler injured and Stephen Curry in foul trouble for the Golden State Warriors.

But on a night Bam Adebayo could not regain his newfound offensive confidence, there wasn’t enough for Erik Spoelstra’s team, with the Heat falling 135-112 Monday night at Chase Center.

“Our decision-making was not great tonight, and they made us pay for that,” Spoelstra said.

Even with Green sitting out with an ankle injury, Butler lost early in the third quarter with a knee injury and Curry forced to the bench early in the fourth with his fifth foul, the Warriors thrived with what they have done during their best of times — death by 3-pointers, closing 24 of 51 from beyond the arc.

It was Golden State’s fourth consecutive game with at least 20 3-pointers, tying the NBA record set by the Boston Celtics in 2023-24 and tied by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.

“It was one of our poor defensive games in a long time,” Spoelstra said.

Curry closed with 19 points, comfortably sitting after that fifth foul, with Golden State’s greatest concern being Butler’s right knee.

The Heat got 21 points from Norman Powell and 18 from Andrew Wiggins, but only four from Adebayo, who closed 1 of 13 from the field.

“They had more energy than us,” Wiggins said. “We can be better, for sure.”

Both teams were shorthanded, with Tyler Herro remaining behind in Miami due to a rib injury.

The game opened a five-game western swing for the Heat that continues Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings, before the Heat move on for games at the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns.

“This is a disappointing loss. That’s what it is,” Spoelstra said. “But we don’t have time to dwell on it as much as we would like to go over all the different things that we could have done better.  We’ve got to get on the Sac and get ready for a battle.”

And, so, onward.

“It’ll be a quick turnaround,”: forward Simone Fontecchio said, “but we’re going to be ready.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Warriors led 36-34 at the end of the opening period, 70-66 at halftime and 104-93 going into the fourth, after earlier pushing to a 15-point lead in the third period.

With Green sidelined and Butler out, the game then took a turn when Curry was forced to the Warriors’ bench with his fifth foul with 9:04 to play and Golden State up 112-102.

With Curry out, the Warriors extended their lead to 119-113, forcing a Heat timeout, with Golden State after moving to a 127-103 lead, forcing another Heat timeout.

Shortly thereafter, Spoelstra pulled his starters.

“You’re playing with fire if you let the team see the ball going with ease,” Spoelstra said.

2. Two back: The Heat had Davion Mitchell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. back, after Mitchell missed two games with a shoulder contusion and Jaquez two with a knee sprain.

“These guys are tough guys that love to be out on the floor,” Spoelstra said. “But they just had to have that time to get their bodies right. And they put in all the work. They passed all the protocols.”

Mitchell was back in the starting lineup and Jaquez back to playing as sixth man.

What didn’t change was Pelle Larsson getting the starting call over Kel’el Ware.

It was Larsson’s 22nd start and Ware’s sixth consecutive game off the bench.

The opening lineup beyond Mitchell and Larsson was rounded out with Wiggins, Powell and Adebayo.

Mitchell closed 1 of 7 from the field for seven points. Jaquez had 10 points and nine rebounds.

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3. Return engagement: The game was the first back at Chase Center for Wiggins since being dealt last February in the trade that sent Butler to the Warriors.

The Warriors played an extended pregame video tribute for Wiggins, which was followed by a standing ovation.

Wiggins then went out and scored 18 points in the first half.

Of the return, Wiggins said, “Just excitement. It’s fun to be back.”

He closed 6 of 14 from the field.

4. The other side: And then there was Butler, who wound up with an abbreviated night after injuring his right knee while attempting to catch a pass with 7:41 left in the third period and Golden State up two.

Butler immediately was helped off the court by teammates, heading to the locker room.

After scoring 15 in the first half, Butler wound up limited to 21 minutes, closing with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, three rebounds and three assists.

““We’re all concerned, but until the MRI, obviously, we don’t, don’t know anything,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

It was Butler’s second appearance against the Heat since last season’s trade. He sat out the Heat’s Nov. 18 victory over the Warriors at Kaseya Center for rest.

His previous appearance against the Heat after the trade came last March in a 112-86 loss at Kaseya Center, when he closed 5 of 12 from the field for 12 points.

“Usually expect him to get up,” Curry said of the Butler scene. “He was still cracking jokes over there while he was on the ground, true Jimmy fashion.”

5. Bam bust: After three breakout scoring performances, with 29, 22 and 30 points in his previous three games, Adebayo this time was 0 for 8 from the field in a two-point first half.

He later fell to 0 for 11 before converting his first basket on a follow-up attempt 61 seconds into the third period.

Adebayo stood 1 of 13 through three quarters, with Ware picking up some of the slack with a 7-of-8 start from the field, including five dunks. He finished 7 of 10 for 15 points, with four rebounds.

The struggles came hours after Adebayo earlier in the day was named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

Of being named Player of the Week, Adebayo said, “I don’t get it without my teammates. Obviously, they give a lot of life into me when I’m down.”

MIAMI GARDENS — By the time Fernando Mendoza ran across the line on fourth down, then bulled over a couple of Hurricanes defenders and stretched the ball over the goal line, the national championship game had more than its defining play.

Indiana had the crystallized moment to say it rightfully earned the national title, just as it kept doing all the way to the interception of Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the final minute to seal its 27-21 win in the College Football Playoff title game.

For once, you see, the magic was on the other side. That’s what happened to Miami. All this past month of college playoffs, Miami had been the team intercepting a pass in the end zone at the end to beat Texas A&M or the one where Beck ran into the end zone to beat Mississippi.

Now, it was Indiana having the moment to hang a national title on. Mendoza stood in the confetti-covered field afterward and looked at his bruised right forearm, the one that cracked against Miami defenders en route to that touchdown that proved the winning points.

“It’s worth the bruises,’’ he said.

That bruising started, as everything at Indiana did, with coach Curt Cignetti making the kind of situational decision many coaches wouldn’t. Here was the situation: fourth-and-4 at Miami’s 12-yard line. Indiana led, 17-14, in the fourth quarter.

“We ran on the field-goal team, and that didn’t feel right so we took a timeout,’’ Cignetti said.

After a slow start Miami’s offense was beginning to have its way with Indiana’s defense. Cignetti didn’t trust his lead. He already had gone for it on fourth down on this drive with Mendoza showing his Heisman Trophy form with a 17-yard completion for that first down.

Now, he made a second call befitting a national champion. He went for this fourth-and-4, and Mendoza showed his talent another way.

“You put the ball in your best player’s hands,’’ Cignetti said.

Mendoza took the shotgun snap and ran up the middle, the Miami kid making his biggest moment back home against the team that twice didn’t want him. That’s not to question Miami. No major team wanted Mendoza out of high school until Cal-Berkley lost a quarterback and signed him.

“The best thing that could’ve happened,’’ he said.

When you win the Heisman, when you’re the upcoming No. 1 pick in the NFL draft and when you help turn a classic loser into a national champion, everything worked out just fine. His parents, celebrating after his TD run, was sports at their best.

“Just a quarterback draw,’’ Cignetti said of that play. “He ran a linebacker over. He wasn’t going to be denied.”

Miami didn’t play the perfect game it needed to win. Indiana, in fact, dominated the first half by any number you pulled: 169 total yards to Miami’s 69; 11 first downs to Miami’s three; 4-for-7 in converting third downs to Miami’s 0-for-4.

Indiana looked physical, disciplined, tight-knit but Midwestern-ly modest enough in managing to control the pride of the Hurricanes — their offensive line. Miami had 12 rushes for just 20 yards in the first half. As if that weren’t enough, Miami’s sole scoring chance, a 50-yard field-goal attempt, went wide just before halftime.

It felt close to being over then. But the score said it couldn’t possibly be over. Indiana only led 10-0.

“We knew we just had to come out and play our game,’’ Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.

But could it find that game? The answer came in the opening minutes of the second half. Miami’s Rueben Bain sacked Mendoza to force an Indiana punt. Then, on Miami’s second play, running back Mark Fletcher Jr. sprinted around right end and kept going for a 57-yard touchdown.

Suddenly, Miami was Miami again. Suddenly, the national championship was up for grabs. Indiana struck back, blocking a punt and falling on it in the end zone for a touchdown late in the third quarter to go back up, 17-7.

Give Miami credit. It kept coming. Its 81-yard drive cut it to 17-14. All told, Miami had three separete 10-point deficits this game and responded by cutting each to three points. The final one was after Mendoza’s touchdown when its eight-play, 91-yard drive made it 24-21.

Those two drives — the 81-yarder and 91-yarder — explain why Cignetti kept going for it on fourth down. They also explain why when Indiana only got a field goal to go up six points with a couple of minutes left, Miami had its chance.

That chance ended with Beck throwing the interception and Indiana throwing a party at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami walked off with the kind of season to be proud of. They just didn’t get the title. Sometimes, in sports, the magic is on the other side.

MIAMI GARDENS — The Hurricanes came close to summitting the college football mountain for the first time since the 2001 season. But ultimately, Miami did not have enough.

Indiana, the top seed in the College Football Playoff, kept Miami at arm’s length for long enough and held onto a 27-21 victory in the national title game at Hard Rock Stadium. It is the Hoosiers’ first-ever national title.

Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, scored a 12-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-4 that put the Hoosiers ahead by 10 points in the fourth quarter. It was too much for Miami to overcome, even with a fourth-quarter touchdown catch by star freshman Malachi Toney that cut the deficit to three points. Indiana was able to run down the clock and kick a field goal to make it a six-point game,

Miami was moving the ball on a potential game-winning drive, but quarterback Carson Beck threw a game-ending interception that was picked off by Jamari Sharpe.

“To even have that opportunity to have a chance to win the game at the end says a lot about this team and about us,” Beck said. “Just super proud of these guys and super thankful for them. And it really hurts and it’s hard, the way that it ended.”

Indiana took a first-quarter lead and never trailed, but after falling behind 10-0, the Hurricanes battled to stay in the game.

Miami and Indiana traded punts on the first drive, but Indiana struck first on its second drive of the game. The Hoosiers went 55 yards, and cornerback OJ Frederique Jr. broke up a pass in the end zone to force Indiana to kick a 34-yard field goal.

The Hoosiers shut down the Hurricanes’ offense throughout the first half. Indiana took a 10-0 lead midway on a 14-play, 85-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard run by tight end Riley Nowakowski.

Miami’s best drive of the first half came in the waning moments before halftime, but the Hurricanes opted to try for a 50-yard field goal, which Davis missed.

The Hurricanes needed a stop on Indiana’s second-half opening drive, and appeared poised to get it. Miami pushed IU back to third-and-17 after Akheem Mesdor sacked Fernando Mendoza, but an Armondo Blount facemask penalty on a third-down run continued the drive. The penalty did not come back to bite the Hurricanes, as Rueben Bain got a third-down sack on the next set of downs to force a punt.

Miami finally got on the board on its first drive when running back Mark Fletcher Jr. took an outside run 57 yards to the end zone, cutting Indiana’s lead to 10-7.

Indiana defensive lineman Mikail Kamara put Indiana back ahead by 10, blocking a Dylan Joyce punt inside the UM 10-yard line. Isaiah Jones recovered the loose ball in the end zone for the score.

Miami fought its way back into the game, going 81 yards on 10 plays and ending the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Fletcher.

UM forced IU into a fourth-and-5 on the Hurricanes’ 37-yard line, and Mendoza connected with Charlie Becker for a crucial first down. Mendoza completed the drive with his touchdown run.

“They did exactly what we expected and we talked about,” defensive end Akheem Mesidor said. “It was just miscommunication.”

The Hurricanes were not done yet. Toney scored on a 22-yard pop pass to get Miami back within three points and kept its hopes alive. But the Hoosiers picked up key first downs to keep the clock moving and limit the Hurricanes’ time for a game-winning drive. When Miami got the ball back, it had to push the ball down field quickly, setting up the game-ending interception.

Five takeaways 1. Hoosiers out-Miami Miami

Miami made its living during the playoffs by dominating other teams on the line of scrimmage. Indiana did that to UM on Monday.

The Hoosiers’ first two scoring drives were 12 and 14 plays long, which is precisely what the Hurricanes try to do to opposing teams.

Indiana had more time of possession and picked up crucial third downs like Miami had throughout the postseason.

“Good players, good scheme,” Cristobal said. “They’re mature, they’re older. They understand how to leverage the ball, communicate really well. They certainly had a really good first half against us. A lot of credit to them.”

2. UM defensive line gets after Mendoza

The Hurricanes’ pass rush has come up big throughout the season, and it put the Heisman winner under pressure throughout the game.

However, UM did not have a sack in the first half.

The Hurricanes came out firing in the second half, getting two sacks on Indiana’s first drive of the second half and a third on the subsequent drive.  Mesidor had two sacks, and Bain had one.

But Mendoza got the last laugh, scoring the game-winning touchdown by running through UM’s defense.

3. Special team woes

The Hoosiers had a 10-point swing thanks to poor special-teams play from the Hurricanes. Miami missed a field goal to end the first half, and then Indiana blocked a UM punt and scored on the play.

The blocked punt for a touchdown proved to be a decisive play.

4. Fletcher caps stellar playoffs

The playoffs were where Fletcher became a star.

Fletcher notched 112 yards and a pair of scores, becoming the first running back to rush for more than 100 yards against the Hoosiers this season.

5. A season to remember

Although the Hurricanes’ season ended in disappointment, it was still the best UM season in more than two decades. With playoff victories over Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss, Miami showed that it is relevant on the national stage again.

The Hurricanes will have plenty to pitch new players (both in the high school ranks and in the portal), as UM has now shown it is competitive. It will also show that it can develop players, with two or three players likely to go in the first round of April’s NFL draft.

Miami fans surely hoped they would spend the week celebrating. But the Hurricanes are once again a team people around the nation must take seriously.

“It’s not the result we wanted,” Cristobal said. “Credit to Indiana; they’re a great football team. But to these guys right here, I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with them. I love them. They’re absolutely incredible human beings, competitors, resilient, and I want to thank them and the rest of their teammates. It’s a tough one. Tough one to have to eat, but we will. That’s it.”

MIAMI GARDENS — Halftime of the College Football Playoff national title game involved a coach interview atypical of what’s usually heard going into the locker room for intermission.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti used his air time with ESPN’s Holly Rowe to rip the officials for the hits the Miami Hurricanes defense was getting on Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

“There’s three personal fouls on the quarterback on one drive that were not called. They need to be called because they’re obvious personal fouls,” an impassioned Cignetti said.

“I’m all for letting them play, but when you cross the line, you got to call it. They were black-and-white calls.”

One noticeable big hit on Mendoza in the first half came when Hurricanes safety Jakobe Thomas drilled him after he handed the ball off and faked like he was running with the ball. There was contact from Thomas’ helmet to Mendoza’s chin under his facemask and Mendoza’s lip was bloodied.

Aside from that, there were multiple instances where Mendoza was hit as he threw or just after releasing the football. Officially, Miami was been credited with three quarterback hurries in the first half — one each by defensive ends Akheem Mesidor and Marquise Lightfoot and another from linebacker Mohamed Toure.

Cignetti was irate over the officiating despite Indiana leading, 10-0, at intermission.

SUNRISE — Will Smith scored in his second consecutive game after missing a month because of injury, and the San Jose Sharks spoiled Matthew Tkachuk’s season debut by beating the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers 4-1 on Monday night in a game highlighted by a rare goalie fight.

Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky beelined out of his crease and all the way down the ice to take on San Jose’s Alex Nedeljkovic, who had inserted himself into a scrum in the corner with 14 minutes left. Fans chanted, “Bobby! Bobby!” and cheered the netminder nicknamed “Bob” who has backstopped the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

The second meeting between the teams this season, and first since Nov. 8, got increasingly chippy with pushing and shoving after whistles and more than a few punches thrown.

Between the whistles, the Sharks also got goals from defensemen Vincent Desharnais and Mario Ferraro and 36 saves from Nedeljkovic. Barclay Goodrow sealed it with an empty-netter, and San Jose won hours after general manager Mike Grier signaled his team is going for it this season following a lengthy rebuild by acquiring winger Kiefer Sherwood in a trade with Vancouver.

Tkachuk skated just under 21 minutes and had three shots on goal in his first game since helping Florida repeat and hoisting the Cup in June. The 28-year-old winger, who was picked to play for the U.S. at the Olympics next month in Milan, underwent surgery last summer to deal with a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.

Eetu Luostarinen scored the Panthers’ goal. Bobrovsky allowed three on 27 shots, giving up several juicy rebounds that San Jose capitalized on.

Puck drop was moved up an hour to a 6 p.m. EST start after the Miami Hurricanes made the college football national title game, which was being played in their nearby home stadium.

Up next

Panthers: Open a three-game trip Thursday night at Winnipeg.

By JON GAMBRELL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Hackers disrupted Iranian state television satellite transmissions to air footage supporting the country’s exiled crown prince and calling on security forces to not “point your weapons at the people,” online video showed early Monday, the latest disruption to follow nationwide protests in the country.

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The hacking comes as the death toll in a crackdown by authorities that smothered the demonstrations reached at least 4,029 people, activists said. They fear the number will grow far higher as information leaks out of a country still gripped by the government’s decision to shut down the internet. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had his invitation to speak at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, withdrawn over the killings.

Meanwhile, tensions remain high between the United States and Iran over the crackdown after President Donald Trump drew two red lines for the Islamic Republic — the killing of peaceful protesters and Tehran conducting mass executions in the wake of the demonstrations. A U.S. aircraft carrier, which days earlier had been in the South China Sea, passed Singapore overnight to enter the Strait of Malacca — putting it on a route that could bring it to the Middle East.

State TV disrupted

The footage aired Sunday night across multiple channels broadcast by satellite from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the country’s state broadcaster. The video aired two clips of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, then included footage of security forces and others in what appeared to be Iranian police uniforms. It claimed without offering evidence others had “laid down their weapons and swore an oath of allegiance to the people.”

“This is a message to the army and security forces,” one graphic read. “Don’t point your weapons at the people. Join the nation for the freedom of Iran.”

The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, quoted a statement from the state broadcaster acknowledging that the signal in “some areas of the country was momentarily disrupted by an unknown source.” It did not discuss what had been aired.

A statement from Pahlavi’s office acknowledged the disruption that showed the crown prince. It did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about the hack. How much support Pahlavi has inside of Iran remains an open question, though there have been pro-shah cries at the demonstrations and at night since the crackdown.

Sunday’s hack isn’t the first to see Iranian airwaves disrupted. In 1986, The Washington Post reported that the CIA supplied the prince’s allies “a miniaturized television transmitter for an 11-minute clandestine broadcast” to Iran by Pahlavi that pirated the signal of two stations in the Islamic Republic.

In 2022, multiple channels aired footage showing leaders from the exiled opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and a graphic calling for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

US aircraft carrier possibly on path to Mideast

As tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington, ship-tracking data analyzed by the AP on Monday showed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, as well as other American military vessels, in the Strait of Malacca after passing Singapore on a route that could take them to the Middle East.

The Lincoln had been in the South China Sea with its strike group as a deterrent to China over tensions with Taiwan. Tracking data showed that the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., the USS Michael Murphy and the USS Spruance, all Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, were traveling with the Lincoln through the strait.

Multiple U.S. media reports quoting anonymous officials have said the Lincoln, which has its homeport in San Diego, was on its way to the Mideast. It likely would still need several days of travel before its aircraft would be in range of the region. The Mideast has been without an aircraft carrier group or an amphibious ready group, likely complicating any discussion of a military operation targeting Iran given Gulf Arab states’ broad opposition to such an attack.

Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum withdrew its invitation for Araghchi to speak at Davos.

“Although he was invited last fall, the tragic loss of lives of civilians in Iran over the past few weeks means that it is not right for the Iranian government to be represented at Davos this year,” the forum said.

Iran’s ambassador to Switzerland, Mahmoud Barimani, called the decision an “unreasonable act which was no doubt under the pressure and influence of anti-Iranian currents and radical American-Zionists.”

The Munich Security Conference separately withdrew invitation for Iranian government officials over the crackdown.

Death toll from crackdown rises

The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency put the death toll Tuesday to at least 4,029, warning it likely would go higher.

It said of the dead, 3,786 were demonstrators, 180 were security forces, 28 were children and 35 were people not demonstrating.

The agency has been accurate throughout the years of demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The AP has been unable to independently confirm the toll.

Iranian officials have not given a clear death toll, although on Saturday, Khamenei said the protests had left “several thousand” people dead and blamed the United States for the deaths. It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties from the wave of protests that began Dec. 28 over Iran’s ailing economy.

The agency also reported over 26,000 people had been arrested. Comments from officials have led to fears of some of those detained being put to death in Iran, one of the world’s top executioners.

“While the killers and seditious terrorists will be punished, Islamic mercy and leniency will be applied to those who were deceived and did not have (effective) roles in the terrorist event,” a statement Monday from Iran’s president, its judiciary chief and parliament speaker said.

Associated Press writer Elena Becatoros contributed to this report.