VOUX MAG

The new figures include a former U.S. senator, a Norwegian princess, a NASCAR driver and several wealthy men who did business with Epstein. None have been charged with crimes, and their participation in Epstein's orbit in some cases simply indicates they had social or business connections with him.

While Epstein was known as a money manager, various batches of emails show he cultivated relationships with powerful people, including presidents, prime ministers, wealthy investors and celebrities.

Epstein abuse survivor Danielle Bensky holds up a photo of her younger self during a news conference with lawmakers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House is expected to vote today on the legislation, which instructs the U.S. Department of Justice to release all files related to the late accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

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

Alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein rally at Capitol Hill to demand release of files

Epstein abuse survivor Danielle Bensky holds up a photo of her younger self during a news conference with lawmakers onthe Epstein Files Transparency Actoutside the U.S. Capitol on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.The House is expected to vote today on the legislation, which instructs the U.S. Department of Justice to release all files related to the late accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to one count of procuring a child for prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution, charges that required him to register as a sex offender. Many of his contacts maintained relationships for years after his guilty plea.Epstein was arrested in New York on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019, but died by suicide while awaiting trial.

Here are some names that emerged in this document release, and additional information about some of Epstein's previously known contacts.

Elon Musk

The billionaire tech entrepreneur and former Department of Government Efficiency head had multiple conversations with Epstein about visiting Little St. James, the private island where Epstein has been accused of trafficking and assaulting women, but Musk has denied making the trip.

In 2013, the two men exchanged emails about Musk visiting Epstein's island over the holidays while Musk would be nearby in the Caribbean. The twobounced around dates in the conversation, and it is unclear whether Musk made the trips. Epstein's schedule for Dec. 6, 2014, says: "Reminder:Elon Muskto island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)"

Musk has denied ever visiting Epstein's island andtold Vanity Fair in 2019he rejected Epstein's attempts to invite him to the island. A representative of Musk did not respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY upon the latest document release.

Princess Mette-Marit

Epstein had dozens of email exchanges with Mette-Marit, the Crown Princess of Norway,as recently as 2014. The emails contradict a 2019 comment from the Royal Palace that she broke off contact with Epstein in 2011, according to theNorwegian tabloid VG.

"I must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein's background more thoroughly, and for not realising sooner what kind of person he was," Mette-Marti said in a statement Jan. 31. "I deeply regret this, and it is a responsibility I must bear. I showed poor judgement and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing."

In a 2013 email, an assistant to Epstein, whose name is redacted in the files, asks Princess Mette if she can meet with Epstein at 9 E. 71st St. Years later, in 2019, federal prosecutors citedthis addressas a location where Epstein hosted guests and abused minor girls.

"Thx. I will try," Mette-Marit responded. "I'm emailing directly with Jeffrey."

Sen. George Mitchell

Former Sen. George Mitchell, a Democrat who represented Maine in the 1980s and 1990s and went on to become a U.S. ambassador, is mentioned dozens of times in emails between 2010 and 2015, often arranging meetings or passing on his contact information.

In 2011, Epstein wrote to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, a Dubai business associate of Epstein's, "George Mitchell is my very close friend and chairman of piper," a reference to a law firm. In 2015, an unnamed assistant to Epsteinemailed Mitchellto invite him to a meeting with Epstein, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and a Norwegian diplomat.

Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre said in a 2016 deposition released in 2019 that she was forced to have sex with Mitchell, butMitchell denied the allegation. Mitchell, now 92, has not been charged with any crimes related to Epstein, and his representativestold the BBCthis week that he'd never met, spoken to or had any contact with the late Roberts Giuffre or any underage girls.

Queen's University Belfast, where Mitchell served as chancellor from 1999 to 2009, announced on Feb. 3 that it would remove Mitchell's name from its Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice and remove a bust of him. A U.S.-Irish nonprofit announced Feb. 2 it would remove his name from a scholarship program.

"While no findings of wrongdoing by Senator Mitchell have been made, the University has concluded that, in light of this material, and mindful of the experiences of victims and survivors, it is no longer appropriate for its institutional spaces and entities to continue to bear his name," the university said.

USA TODAY reached out to Mitchell's eponymous nonprofit for comment.

Andrew Farkas

The real estate mogul Andrew Farkas, whommediareportsshow co-owned a Marina with Epstein in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, corresponded with Epstein for at least a decade.

Between 2009 and 2019, well after Epstein's 2008 conviction that made him a mandated he register for life as a sex offender, the two exchanged book recommendations, coordinated visits and phone calls, shared brief updates about their schedules and spoke about life and business dealings.

Advertisement

On Dec. 30, 2010, Farkas wrote to Epstein to tell him: "You are one of the blessings in my life and I cherish our friendship." In a May 2011 exchange, Farkas thanked Epstein for helping "Jonathan," the name of his son, who appeared in other Epstein file releases, and Farkas signed the message, "Xoxo."

In another message from June 2010, Farkas complained about the lack of "parties with hot women" at the Montreal Grand Prix, prompting Epstein to respond using derogatory language about women and say that the "whining of women and engines" is what "makes it ok for ten minutes."

Farkas and his company did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment.

Peter Attia

Peter Attia, an author and anti-aging influencer recentlyhired as a CBS News contributor, was mentioned more than 1,700 times in the new release of files. In emails from 2015 through 2018, Attia and Epstein often exchanged crude jokes and sometimes discussed health issues.

Attia told Epstein that performing oral sex on women was "low carb." And in emails with the subject line "Got a fresh shipment," Attia told Epstein: "You [know] the biggest problem with becoming friends with you? The life you lead is so outrageous, and yet I can't tell a soul…"

Ina social media post on Xon Feb. 2, Attia described that exchange as starting when he shared a photo of a prescription medication he had picked up from the pharmacy, and Epstein replied with a "photograph of an adult woman." Neither image is included in the files released by federal officials.

"Reading that exchange now is very embarrassing, and I will not defend it," Attia wrote. "I'm ashamed of myself for everything about this." He added that he did not participate in any criminal activity and that he was "never on his plane, never on his island, and never present at any sex parties."

In the wake of the emails being released, Attia stepped down from his role as chief science officer at David Protein, a snack bar company.

USA TODAY reached out to Attia for comment.

Brian Vickers

Theformer NASCAR driverBrian Vickers emailed Epstein in March 2012 with a message that begins like a children's fairy tale. But when a princess rejects a prince's proposal, the story pivots to sexually explicit material.

A 2013 email exchange suggests Epstein was trying to help Vickers retain his sponsors. In a 2019 email, Vickers shared a video with Epstein over email. The subject line said, "Thought you would like this," and the message said, "Happy Valentine's Buddy." Epstein was charged with sex trafficking months later, in July 2019.

Vickers was married to Sarah Kellen until 2025.Authorities accused Kellenof scheduling Epstein's interactionswith young girls under the guise of massage appointments in the mid-2000s. But she has since called herselfa victim. Many other Epstein survivors have said he asked them to recruit others for so-called massages.

USA TODAY reached out to Vickers' representatives for comment.

Leon Black

The documents provide more context on the relationship between Epstein and billionaire Leon Black, who has said in the past that he had a strictly professional relationship with the sex offender. Black's lawyer is vehemently denying wrongdoing on his behalf.

Emails show Epstein's associates arranging meetings between the two from 2010 to 2017. The person sending the email is often redacted, but in some cases, the name Lesley Groff is unredacted. Groff was one of Epstein's associates. Black himself is not copied on the emails reviewed by USA TODAY.

Black is also mentioned in an email thread between FBI employees with the subject line "RE: Epstein – Cellmate Interview." The email says someone "stated Epstein told her to give Black a massage while Black was naked and that someone stated another female gave Black a massage and he made her perform oral sex." The names of the accuser or accusers are redacted.

According to Reuters, Black hasfaced multiple lawsuitsalleging he raped women and girls, including anautistic teenwho said he attacked her during a massage at Epstein's Manhattan home. That case remains ongoing. Two other suits have been withdrawn or dismissed with prejudice.

Susan Estrich, Black's lawyer, toldThe Guardian: "Mr. Black asked for an independent investigation of his relationship with Epstein. The Dechert law firm investigated and reviewed more than 60,000 documents, interviewed more than 20 people and concluded that Mr. Black paid Epstein for estate planning and tax advice and that he had no awareness of Epstein's criminal activities."

Contributors: Scooby Axson of USA TODAY; Reuters.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who is in the Epstein files? Latest DOJ documents reveal new names

Both are signs that tension remains in the Minneapolis area after the departure ofhigh-profile commanderGreg Bovino of U.S. Border Patrol and the arrival of Trump administration border czar Tom Homan, which followed thefatal shootingof protester Alex Pretti.

"There's less smoke on the ground," Gov. Tim Walz said, referring to tear gas and other irritants used by officers against protesters, "but I think it's more chilling than it was last week because of the shift to the schools, the shift to the children."

At least one person who had an anti-ICE message on clothing was handcuffed while face-down on the ground. An Associated Press photographer witnessed the arrests.

ICE agents are changing their tactics

Federal agents in the Twin Cities lately have been conducting more targeted immigration arrests at homes and neighborhoods, rather than staging in parking lots. The convoys have been harder to find and less aggressive. Alerts in activist group chats have been more about sightings than immigration-related detainments.

Several cars followed officers through south Minneapolis after there were reports of them knocking at homes. Officers stopped their vehicles and ordered activists to come out of a car at gunpoint. Agents told reporters at the scene to stay back and threatened to use pepper spray.

A federal judge last month putlimits on how officerstreat motorists who are following them but not obstructing their operations. Safely following agents "at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop," the judge said. An appeals court, however, set the order aside.

Bovino, who was leading immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and other big U.S. cities, left town last week, shortly after Pretti's death became thesecond local killingof a U.S. citizen in January.

Homan, who was dispatched to Minnesota to succeed Bovino, haswarned that protesterscould face consequences if they interfere with officers.

Operation Metro Surge affecting schools

Walz and education leaders held a news conference to say the presence of immigration officers is frightening some school communities. Brenda Lewis, superintendent of Fridley Public Schools in suburban Minneapolis, said she's been followed twice by ICE agents since speaking publicly and that school board members have had ICE vehicles outside their homes for hours.

"Students are afraid to come to school, parents are afraid to drop them off," Lewis, a U.S. citizen, said. "Staff are coming to work wondering if today will be the day something happens in one of our buildings."

She said Fridley, which has Somali and Ecuadorian families, has added security and trained observers, adjusted drop-off procedures and increased mental health support. Tracy Xiong, a social worker in the Columbia Heights district, said she's been coordinating grocery deliveries to school families and finding volunteers to drive children.

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the arrests in south Minneapolis and the concerns of educators.

Grand jury seeks communications, records

Meanwhile, Tuesday was the deadline for Minneapolis to produce information for a federal grand jury. It's part of a U.S. Justice Department request for records of any effort to stifle the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Officials have denounced it as a bullying tactic.

"We have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, but when the federal government weaponizes the criminal justice system against political opponents, it's important to stand up and fight back," said Ally Peters, spokesperson for Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat.

She said the city was complying, but she didn't elaborate. Other state and local offices run by Democrats were given subpoenas, though it's not known whether they had the same deadline. People familiar with the matter have told the AP that the subpoenas arerelated to an investigationinto whether Minnesota officials obstructed enforcement through public statements.

No release for man in Omar incident

Elsewhere, a man charged with squirting apple cider vinegar on Democratic U.S. Rep.Ilhan Omarwill remain in jail. U.S. Magistrate Judge David Schultz granted a federal prosecutor's request to keep Anthony Kazmierczak in custody.

"We simply cannot have protesters and people — whatever side of the aisle they're on — running up to representatives who are conducting official business, and holding town halls, and assaulting them," Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar said Tuesday.

Defense attorney John Fossum said the vinegar posed a low risk to Omar. He said Kazmierczak's health problems weren't being properly addressed in jail and that his release would be appropriate.

Raza reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. AP reporters Ed White in Detroit and Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs' top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler accepted gifts from late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and advised him on how to address press inquiries regarding his crimes, according to ​a Reuters review of emails among millions of documents the U.S. Department of Justice released last week.

Ruemmler, who was ‌also White House counsel during the Obama administration, referred to Epstein in emails as "Uncle Jeffrey" and received gifts from him including wine and a handbag, the documents ‌show.

Ruemmler had a large number of communications with Epstein from 2014 to 2019, even after the disgraced financier's 2008 guilty plea for procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution, the documents showed.

These communications included advising Epstein on how to respond to a media query in 2019 concerning the alleged special legal treatment he received because of his connections, the emails show.

"I was a defense attorney when I ⁠dealt with Jeffrey Epstein," Ruemmler said in ‌a statement on Tuesday. "I got to know him as a lawyer and that was the foundation of my relationship with him.

"I had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal conduct on his part, and I did ‍not know him as the monster he has been revealed to be," she continued. "These decade-old private emails you are selectively referencing and pruriently reporting on have nothing to do with my work at Goldman Sachs."

Goldman spokesperson Tony Fratto said in an email that Epstein often offered unsolicited favors and ​gifts to many business contacts.

Goldman has backed Ruemmler in the past, with CEO David Solomon calling her "an excellent general counsel."

Fratto has ‌said Goldman understood the nature of Ruemmler's prior job as a white-collar defense lawyer, and was satisfied after conducting its own diligence.

Advertisement

RUEMMLER RECEIVED GIFTS FROM EPSTEIN, DOCUMENTS SHOW

The newly released documents provided more details about Epstein's ties to prominent people in politics, finance and academia, both before and after his 2008 guilty plea.

Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges in July 2019. He died in his Manhattan jail cell the following month, in what New York City's chief medical examiner called a suicide.

In 2018, a third party, whose name the ⁠government redacted, emailed Ruemmler to say that Epstein wanted to buy a ​band for her Apple Watch.

"I love the Hermes one!" she responded. "If truly okay ​with him to do the Hermes, I would love the 40 mm, stainless Hermes with bleu indigo swift leather double tour."

In 2019, she thanked Epstein for more gifts.

"Am totally tricked out by Uncle Jeffrey today! Jeffrey ‍boots, handbag, and watch!" Ruemmler wrote.

Bloomberg and ⁠the Financial Times earlier reported on the email exchanges.

In another set of emails from 2016, Epstein asked Ruemmler what Donald Trump, who later became U.S. president, should say when asked questions about him.

Ruemmler responded that Trump should say: "I knew Epstein ⁠professionally and always had positive dealings with him. I don't know anything about his personal legal issues other than what I have read in public reports, ‌and therefore don't have any comment."

(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru and Saeed Azhar in New York; Additional ‌reporting by Jonathan Stempel, Editing by Lananh Nguyen and Lisa Shumaker)

Yahoo Sports first reported on the move in New York at the fall owners meetings. Here's a guide to what you need to know about the game.

When and where is the Pro Bowl?

8 p.m. ET Tuesday, at Moscone Center in San Francisco

How can I watch the Pro Bowl?

It will be televised on ESPN.

What is the Pro Bowl format?

Flag football, 50-yard playing field, two 10-yard end zones, touchdowns worth 6 points, with teams allowed to try for 1 point after from the 5-yard line or 2 points after from the 10

Who is playing in the Pro Bowl, and why are some stars skipping it?

Shedeur Sanders,Joe Burrowand other big names. Fans voted on the initial rosters, but for various reasons several high-profile replacements have been selected.

Sanders was selected as a replacement for Drake Maye, who will lead the Patriots in Sunday's Super Bowl against the Seahawks. Burrow is replacing injured Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Joe Flacco, the AFC's third QB, is alsoreplacing an injured Justin Herbert of the Chargers.

The NFC quarterbacks include Detroit's Jared Goff, Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts and Dallas' Dak Prescott. Here are the full Pro Bowl rosters for theNFCandAFC.

The coaches are two 49ers legends, with Steve Young coaching the AFC and Jerry Rice leading the NFC.

Why are they playing the Pro Bowl on a Tuesday, and why is the format flag football?

The answers to these questions are intertwined, so we'll lump them together. Theformat of the Pro Bowl shifted to include flag footballand skills competitions starting with the 2023 event, in response to feedback from coaches, players and others involved. This was in part to minimize the risk of injury and to refresh an event that had become stagnant overall.

The focus has now moved toward the flag football element with the Olympics in mind. Asreported by Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein this past fallat the annual league meetings in New York, the NFL is committed to spotlighting flag football on a global stage ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, when the sport will be introduced into competition for the first time andNFL players will have opportunities to participate.

"We're committed to this flag football format," NFL executive vice president Peter O'Reilly said in the fall. "This is clearly rooted in our commitment to flag and making sure we're honoring players in the right way. There's a broader strategic play here, and that's one of the main reasons we brought it into Super Bowl week."

Why are they playing the Pro Bowl in a convention center?

NFL executive vice president Peter O'Reilly addressed this tooin the fall. He acknowledged the Moscone Center's capacity will be smaller than recent Pro Bowl venues, but the game will nonetheless be ticketed. It's a necessary evil, if you will, of the Pro Bowl being spotlighted during Super Week.

What is the future of the Pro Bowl?

Per Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein,expect this flag football-in-the-Super-Bowl-host-city format to continue to the Super Bowl's 2027 stage in Los Angeles, which will also host the Olympics in 2028.

There could be, however, a growing issue with player participation.New York Jets QB Justin Fields reportedly declinedto participate this year to focus on his offseason training, and that might become a more common thing as there isn't a ton of upside to taking part.

Players on the winning team willreportedly get $96,000 each,while players on the losing team will reportedly receive $48,000 each. That's a great chunk of change to you and me and a lot of NFL players who line the middle and back ends of rosters — but not to the stars people will pay and watch to see.

Still, there figures to be enough participation from players and backing from the NFL to continue through the target year of the 2028 Olympics. After that, who knows.

Bracketologysprouted from our collective thirst to know what teams must do to hear their name on Selection Sunday, and where those teams might be ranked. So too dida collection of rankingsbased on computer models and formulas and, like last year, seven of those metrics will be listed on the team sheets used by the selection committee as it meets heading into Selection Sunday to determine the field for the 2026 NCAA tournament.

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

Dust up:Tom Izzo, Dusty May complain about dirty play in Michigan win vs. MSU

Each ranking or rating is separated into two distinct categories — predictive metrics and results-based metrics. TheNCAA Evaluation Tool (NET),KenPom,ESPN's BPIandthe Torvik rankingsare considered predictive rankings that measure how good a team is based on its offensive and defensive efficiency, adjusted for opponent strength and location. TheKPI,ESPN's Strength of Record (SOR)andWins Above Bubble (WAB)are results-based rankings that judge how hard it was for a team to attain its résumé.

For many teams, the two types of ratings largely converge by the end of the season. For others, however, there can be a wide swath of outcomes based on how a game was played and whether it was won or lost. These are the schools from major andmid-major conferencesthat could inspire the most robust conversation and debate among committee members, either over their selection into the 2026 NCAA tournament as an at-large and/or their potential seeding in the field, due to the differences between their ranking in predictive metrics and results-based metrics.

Here's an early look at 10 teams with polarizing profiles ahead of Selection Sunday based on the metrics used for the men's NCAA tournament:

MARCH MADNESS BRACKETOLOGY:Houston, Florida rise in NCAA tournament seeding

March Madness 2026: NCAA tournament metrics' most polarizing teams

All records and rankings through games played on Feb.2

Florida(16-6)

• NET: 12

• KenPom: 7

• BPI: 7

• Torvik: 6

• KPI: 20

• SOR: 18

• WAB: 18

How the NCAA tournament selection committee seeds the defending national champions is developing into a fascinating subplot for Selection Sunday afterFloridadidn't get wins in high-profile nonconference games against Arizona, Duke and UConn. But the Gators remain in the SEC driver's seat with a huge matchup against Texas A&M looming on Feb. 7. Predictive rankings have them already in contention for a top-two seed, but results-based metrics have Florida hovering just inside the top-20. Will committee members give the Gators the benefit of the doubt over teams with fewer losses?

Advertisement

Louisville(15-6)

• NET: 17

• KenPom: 16

• BPI: 11

• Torvik: 16

• KPI: 28

• SOR: 32

• WAB: 26

The Cardinals are 11-2 when freshman Mikel Brown is in the lineup, with losses to only Duke and Arkansas, and look poised to return to the NCAA tournament in coach Pat Kelsey's second season. But Louisville is 4-4 without Brown, including three losses in four games last month as ACC play got underway. So the Cardinals are positioned as high as No. 11 in predictive metrics as a result of their ceiling with Brown, but their results-based rankings are as low as No. 32. If those dynamics remain the same over the next month, there will be lingering questions about how Louisville will be seeded by the selection committee.

Indiana(15-7)

• NET: 30

• KenPom: 33

• BPI: 25

• Torvik: 23

• KPI: 49

• SOR: 37

• WAB: 39

The Hoosiers are as high as No. 23 and as low as No. 49 among the seven metrics used by the NCAA tournament selection committee, with a weak schedule and lack of significant wins until recent triumphs over Purdue and UCLA leaving them in an interesting spot to start February. Indiana hasn't slipped up against inferior competition and had several metric-boosting blowouts to help juice its predictive metrics. The Hoosiers would likely make the NCAA tournament field as an at-large team if Selection Sunday were this week, but they're only a loss or two away from being on the wrong side of the bubble again.

UCF(17-4)

• NET: 37

• KenPom: 45

• BPI: 51

• Torvik: 46

• KPI: 15

• SOR: 21

• WAB: 19

The Knights' résumé won't be straightforward for selection committee members if UCF continues on its current trajectory, with the predictive metrics of a bubble team and results more in line with a top-six seed. The Knights didn't test themselves much in the nonconference schedule, but got a key road win over Texas A&M, already beat Kansas and Texas Tech in Big 12 play and have no bad losses. Coach Johnny Dawkins is having his best season since he last made the NCAA tournament in 2019.

Texas(13-9)

• NET: 39

• KenPom: 34

• BPI: 35

• Torvik: 38

• KPI: 63

• SOR: 54

• WAB: 52

The Longhorns could present challenges for the committee if they linger along the NCAA tournament bubble around Selection Sunday. Their predictive metrics rank among the top-40 after some impressive SEC wins over Vanderbilt and Alabama last month, but they've also got a Quad 3 loss at home to Mississippi State and only one nonconference win of note on their résumé. Texas still has chances to boost its profile with games looming against Florida, Texas A&M and Arkansas at the end of SEC play, but its profile can't withstand too many more setbacks.

Washington(12-10)

• NET: 47

• KenPom: 46

• BPI: 44

• Torvik: 44

• KPI: 64

• SOR: 60

• WAB: 60

The Huskies would be a fascinating test case if Selection Sunday were this week instead of next month as no Big Ten team has a wider gap between its metrics. The predictive rankings are all mostly the same, ranging from No. 43-47, and put Washington on the bubble. The results-based rankings are similar as well, only those range from No. 60-64 because of the team's 10 losses. That would put the Huskies in danger of missing the NCAA tournament. None of those defeats, however, are outside of the first two quadrants.

California(16-6)

• NET: 51

• KenPom: 54

• BPI: 69

• Torvik: 56

• KPI: 40

• SOR: 48

• WAB: 41

The predictive metrics haven't caught up to the results-based metrics after Cal knocked off UNC, Stanford and Miami to emerge from a three-game losing skid. TheGolden Bearshave played their way onto the NCAA tournament bubble and have no bad losses on their ledger. A few closer-than-expected results facing a weak nonconference schedule leaves them limited margin for error the next month.

Oklahoma State(15-6)

• NET: 68

• KenPom: 57

• BPI: 71

• Torvik: 70

• KPI: 46

• SOR: 44

• WAB: 46

The Cowboys look like they could provide a window into how the NCAA tournament selection committee judges a team that does well in nonconference play only to then stumble in conference action. Oklahoma State is considered the 12th-best team in the Big 12 by predictive metrics after it started league play with five losses in eight games. But it's nearly 22 spots higher nationally, on average, in results-based metrics thanks to early wins over Texas A&M, USF, Northwestern and Grand Canyon that have aged better than expected. The Cowboys still have a shot based on the strength of the Big 12.

George Mason(20-2)

• NET: 65

• KenPom: 76

• BPI: 68

• Torvik: 108

• KPI: 35

• SOR: 40

• WAB: 43

This one-time Final Four phenomenon could be poised for another mid-major NCAA tournament run involving a borderline Selection Sunday résumé. The Patriots have won 20 of their first 22 games, but both losses came in rare Quad 1 or 2 opportunities. Their predictive metrics continue to lag significantly when compared to their results-based rankings. It doesn't help thatGeorge Masonwon't face Atlantic-10 Conference favorite Saint Louis until its regular-season finale. The Patriots need more quality win opportunities.

Miami (Ohio)(22-0)

• NET: 53

• KenPom: 90

• BPI: 91

• Torvik: 80

• KPI: 54

• SOR: 24

• WAB: 33

The undefeated darlings of the MACcould present the NCAA tournament selection committee with a real issue to sort through if they were to get upset before claiming the league's automatic berth into March Madness. KenPom and ESPN's BPI have Miami rated outside the top 75 with no Quad 1 wins, but the RedHawks rank among the top 35 in ESPN's strength of record and the NCAA's wins above bubble metrics thanks to their unblemished record. Would Miami with one or two losses merit an at-large berth on Selection Sunday?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NCAA bracketology 2026: March Madness metrics unsure of these 10 teams

LeBron James and his son Bronny, in Cavs uniforms, capping off a historic farewell tour with another championship in Cleveland. As they tackle each other in euphoria, James Harden peers over at Giannis Antetokounmpo, both also wearing wine-and-gold, and laughs maniacally at the craziness of it all. Harden finally earns his championship — and ruins the chances of his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, at a three-peat in the process. (Yes, I'm projecting the Thunder win it all this year.)

That's the storybook ending for LeBron's 24-year career. Walking off as a champion — something Michael Jordan once had, but gave it up with a last-ditch run with the Washington Wizards.

And believe it or not, it can be done. Especially since the Eastern Conference is wide open.

The trade rumor mill is kicking into high gear ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. And it's possible Harden and Antetokounmpo (and, in time, LeBron and Bronny, too) will be packing their bags for Ohio soon.

Here's how it all would go down.

Trade 1: James Harden for Darius Garland

On Monday night, kicking off trade deadline week, Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko broke the news that the LA Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers wereengaged in James Harden trade talks. According to Iko, the Cavs were leading the chase for Harden's services at the deadline.

The Harden news may have blindsided some considering the Clippers have pulled off one of the greatest in-season turnarounds in NBA history, going 16-3 at one point after starting the season 6-21. But for anyone who has been paying attention to Harden's career-long pattern of asking out, it was only a matter of time before Harden and the Clippers headed for a divorce.

When Harden arrived in ClipperLand in 2023, my first reaction was:Great, so where's he going next?Sure enough, less than three years later, amid a team resurgence for the ages, the NBA's most mercurial star was suddenly sitting out games for "personal reasons" and, voila, trade talks emerged.

[Subscribe to Yahoo Sports NBA on YouTube]

There has been no formal trade request, but we can read the tea leaves here. Harden is eligible for a contract extension and hasn't gotten one. His co-star, Kawhi Leonard, is at the heart of an NBA investigation into Steve Ballmer and the Clippers front office for cap circumvention allegations regarding an apparent no-show contract for Leonard. Recently, Leonard and Harden were noticeably left off the All-Star team despite more-than-worthy campaigns and the Clippers hosting the All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome. That's a lot of bad vibes.

The Cavs reportedly hold interest because of Darius Garland's injury woes and the need to keep Donovan Mitchell happy amid a pressure-packed, underwhelming season. Harden has been playing brilliantly this season and, perhaps more importantly, his contract is almost perfectly aligned with Garland's salary of $39 million this season, making a one-for-one swap possible under the CBA rules. Key to all of this is the Cavs are a second-apron team and therefore cannot aggregate contracts to make a deal work.

So that's the first deal: Harden for Garland straight up. I wouldn't be surprised if the Clippers ask for Cleveland's 2026 second-round pick for taking on another year of Garland's contract, even if he is just 26 years old. The Clippers get a much younger two-time All-Star guard who is entering his prime, but they've notably kept their 2027-28 books completely clean for a potential massive free agency pursuit. Acquiring Garland would be a minor departure from that strategy.

Trade 2: Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo for Evan Mobley and picks

I mentioned earlier the Cavs are operating as a second-apron team, which complicates any Giannis trade talks for Cleveland. They can't aggregate salaries unless they dump about $14 million worth of salary to a third party. Enter the Brooklyn Nets who, according to Spotrac salary data, havejuuuuuustenough space to grease the wheels for Milwaukee and Cleveland to consummate a deal. Assist point to my pal Kevin Pelton, who proposed the general framework.

So the trade: Cleveland receives Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo; Milwaukee nets Evan Mobley, Lonzo Ball and a 2031 first-round pick from Cleveland, and Tyrese Martin from Brooklyn; Brooklyn absorbs Max Strus' contract and earns the right to swap first-round picks with Cleveland in 2028, 2030 and 2032.

The Cavs need Harden to make Giannis feel comfortable that they're championship-ready enough for him to commit to a long-term extension when he's eligible for a four-year, $275 million pact this upcoming October. With Garland sidelined, I'm not sure the Cavs, as is, have enough to get that critical sign-off from Antetokounmpo. Last thing the Cavs want is to give up Mobley only for Antetokounmpo to walk in the summer of 2027.

Would a starting five of Harden, Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Antetokounmpo and Jarrett Allen win a title? Maybe. But they could use a star small forward to complete the set.

What's that? Is that The King's music!?

Move 3: LeBron James signs in free agency with Cavs

LeBron James is a $52.6 million expiring contract this season and has veto power on any trade. It's possible he engineers a deal (again, he has to sign off on a trade for it to go through) to Cleveland to set up hislast hurrah next season back home, but doing so would probably gut the Cavs' depth ahead of a championship pursuit.

Instead, James could slow his roll and wait until this summer to head back to Cleveland when he could sign a Dirk-esque contract with the Cavs. Why would he take a discount if he's still playing at an All-Star level? It would serve as something of a compromise so the Cavs would trade for son Bronny, who is due a guaranteed $2.3 million next season.

The Cavs could head into next season with a starting lineup of Mitchell, Harden, James, Antetokounmpo and Allen with Tyson, Dennis Schröder, Keon Ellis (eligible for extension), Bronny James and Sam Merrill anchoring the second unit. Maybe bring back Kevin Love for the double farewell tour? Can we get J.R. Smith off the golf course and in Cleveland again?

The backdrop of all of these Cavs blockbuster deals is fortifying a long-term commitment from Mitchell, who can walk as a free agent in the summer of 2027. He holds a player option for $53.8 million during a summer in which the Knicks, Lakers and Clippers could carve out the requisite cap space to hit the Donovan dance floor.

Moving past the current star-studded core that has underwhelmed in the playoffs would certainly be a risk, but bringing three former MVPs into the fold would represent the kind of massive swing that might inspire Mitchell's confidence that Cleveland is his home. Sure, the Cavs would be banking on three players on the wrong side of 30 (and the wrong side of 40 in LeBron's case), but it's not like the youthful core in Cleveland has been cutting it in the playoffs.

If the Harden-Giannis-LeBron Plan is truly the goal, it would make a lot of sense why Klutch Sports has been attempting to represent Giannis,according to TrueHoop's Henry Abbottlast week. Having Giannis as a client wouldn't just be a boon for Rich Paul when Antetokounmpo comes up for a massive extension, but it would also serve as an information pipeline to assure everyone is on the same page in Cleveland.

Would the blockbuster deals be enough to win James a fifth championship and ride into the sunset as a champion? Perhaps. If you thought the 2016 championship in Cleveland couldn't be topped, I present to you the James retirement plan with Harden finally earning his ring and Giannis winning his second.

During her more than 40-year run on the ABC soap opera"All My Children,"Lucci's character Erica Kane married 11 times. But off-screen, Lucci had a once-in-a-lifetime love. She married Austrian chef and producer Helmut Huber in 1969 when she was 22 years old. They had two children together, Liza and Andreas, who they raised in Garden City, New York.

When Huber died in 2022, Lucci says she couldn't listen to songs with lyrics. She felt "like half a person." But at some point, she started seeing signs.

First, it was the dimes. Suddenly, Lucci found them everywhere – two of them paired together on a bench, entire bags of them on her bedside table. Huber's birthday was Oct. 10 and he loved the double 10s in his birthdate, Lucci says. Then feathers started showing up in places where there were no birds or, at an outdoor dinner, landing on her place setting and no one else's. It was a "tickle" from the man with a great sense of humor, she believes.

Lucci never planned to tell anyone about the signs, let alone write about them. But she felt compelled to put pen to paper. And more than just writing down memories of Huber, she realized she had lessons from her grief journey to share. In"La Lucci,"out now from Blackstone Publishing, Lucci holds her heaviest moments in one hand and joy in the other.

Susan Lucci remembers losing 'larger than life' husband in new memoir

There's a line that stuck with me even after I read Lucci's memoir. Six weeks after Huber died, a friend of his came up to Lucci at a gathering and said, "There must be a crack in the universe with Helmut gone."

He was like that, she says: charismatic enough to rip a hole open in the sky.

"It was wonderful to hear such beautiful words said about the love of my life," Lucci says. "He was larger than life, one of one and very authentic, very comfortable in his own skin. And as our daughter-in-law in Europe said, 'You just always felt safe with Helmut.' You always felt like he knew what to do and he would do it and you'd have a great time in his company. You'd be laughing the whole time too."

It's evident in one humorous anecdote from before Lucci won herDaytime Emmyafter 18 unsuccessful nominations in 1999. The couple got a new dog, and Lucci joked she should name him Emmy so she'd at least have one.

"Forget Emmy. Let's go to Oscar," Huber told her, Lucci says. "Let's just go right to the top. We'll name him Oscar."

When he died, she had a difficult time accepting that he was gone.

"I'm not somebody who takes no for an answer very easily. I will try to find around the fence, under the fence, through the fence, over the fence, and that of course was something that I couldn't do anything about – losing my husband," Lucci says.

Prayer helped, as did her longtime friendships. At some point, a friend told her that she had a choice in how she grieved. She was allowed to keep living her life. She was allowed to feel joy again, and she would.

"You don't know where you're going to learn your lessons, you don't know what things are going to be said to you to help you through," Lucci says. "My husband's friends stayed with me, my friends, our friends, and I feel so incredibly grateful for them. We have a lot of laughs. We do things together and I'm just so happy to be in their company. They helped me stand up when I didn't think I could."

Advertisement

Susan Lucci gives health update:Her role as a heart health ambassador

Looking back on 'All My Children,' nearly 60 years after its debut

There's another kind of grief that Lucci writes about in "La Lucci" – mourning the end of "All My Children," her home for over four decades.

Lucci was cast as Erica Kane after graduating college. Signing a three-year contract felt daunting at that age. She remembers the early days vividly. They all knew "rather quickly" that the show was a hit, especially when press and speaking requests started flooding in.

The final days come back to her with as much clarity. In April 2011, she got a call at 4:30 a.m. from the show creator Agnes Nixon. Nixon didn't want Lucci to be blindsided. Lucci says she felt "terrible" showing up to work the next day and knowing what her castmates did not. She had just returned from her book tour for her first memoir and spent the time assuring fans that the show was still "in such good shape."

She pressed Brian Frons, former ABC Daytime president, about the decision.

"He said, without batting an eyelash, because it was 40% less to produce a food show. And he looked very proud of himself," Lucci says. "Agnes had told me that the fans had actually crashed the whole system at ABC. There was a number you could call, so I did call it … 'To register you're upset at "All My Children" being canceled, press one. For all other ABC business, press two.' The fans were indeed there for us, but the choice of the network was to cancel."

Lucci was unsure if she'd ever be cast again. She had just moved cross-country to Los Angeles because it was more cost-efficient to shoot "All My Children" there.

"I had been playing Erica my whole adult life and I didn't know – how will it be to walk around now? I'm not Erica anymore and don't play Erica anymore. Will I ever work again?" Lucci says.

In the end, it was the fans who helped a new dream come to life for Lucci. They'd been campaigning online to get her on "Desperate Housewives." By the time she met with creator Mark Cherry, the show had already wrapped, but he cast her on "Devious Maids." La Lucci was back on TV dramas.

Where do soap operas belong today?

Flip the channel during working hours and you'll still find"Days of Our Lives"and"General Hospital"punching out new storylines. But since Lucci left "All My Children," our television appetites have largely changed. Streaming rules, limited series are all the rage and long wait times (we're looking at you,"Stranger Things") are common.

As daytime's most famous face, I had to ask Lucci – do soap operas have a place in today's digital streaming age?

Lucci offers a resounding "yes." Her favorite these days is"Beyond the Gates,"a new CBS show that follows multiple generations of affluent Black families in the Maryland suburbs.

"I think there is a place for it. I think people like to see other people's relationships and how they navigate themselves through (life)," Lucci says. "The connection from storytelling is as old as time and as relevant as it ever was. And maybe now, because of these difficult times and these different times and these technology times, to have stories told with human relationships at the core – I think human beings will always want to see that."

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find heron Instagram, subscribe to our weeklyBooks newsletteror tell her what you're reading atcmulroy@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Susan Lucci mourns husband and 'All My Children' in new memoir