Entertainment
Lindsey Vonn crashes in final downhill before Winter Olympics
Crans-Montana, Switzerland — Lindsey Vonn crashed in her final downhill before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday and was left limping and keeping weight off her left knee.
Vonn lost control when landing a jump in a World Cup race and ended up tangled in the safety nets on the upper portion of the course.
She eventually got up after receiving medical attention and walked away gingerly, taking weight off her left knee and using her poles to steady herself. She then clicked her skis back on but stopped to check her left knee.
Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images
Last month, Vonn raced to a stunningly fast win in a World Cup downhill at St. Moritz to earn her first victory in nearly eight years — and the first in her comeback with titanium implants in her right knee after a five-year retirement.
Vonn eventually made it to the finish area Friday and limped into a tent for medical attention. The race was later canceled after three of the first six racers crashed.
Before she entered the tent, Vonn had an anxious expression on her face and her eyes were closed during a long embrace with teammate Jacquelin Wiles, who was leading the race when it was canceled.
The 41-year-old Vonn has been the circuit’s leading downhiller this season with two victories and three other podium finishes, having returned last season after a partial right knee titanium replacement.
The crash occurred exactly a week before the Milan Cortina opening ceremony.
Vonn’s first Olympic race is the women’s downhill on Feb. 8. She was also planning on competing in the super-G and the new team combined event at the Games.
Women’s skiing at the Olympics will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where Vonn holds the record of 12 World Cup wins.
Vonn was also planning on racing a super-G in Crans-Montana on Saturday in what would have been her final race before the Games.
Vonn had registered the fastest time at the first checkpoint and then landed a jump off balance, lifted her left arm and pole high into the air in an attempt to regain her balance. Then as she tried to brake, Vonn got spun around and ended up in the nets.
Vonn was the sixth racer to start and two other skiers had also crashed before her: Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway.
Ortlieb crashed on top in the same area as Vonn and Monsen hit the nets just before the finish area and had to be taken away in a sled. The race was delayed after both of those crashes. But then two racers – Wiles and Corrine Suter, the Olympic champion, completed their runs.
Romane Miradoli of France, who did complete her run, said visibility was an issue, with snow falling.
“You can’t see,” Miradoli said, “and it’s bumpy everywhere.”
Asked if it was dangerous, Miradoli added, “We just couldn’t see well.”
Vonn has had numerous crashes in her career. One of her worst was at the 2013 world championships in Schladming, Austria, during a super-G that was also held in difficult conditions. Vonn then had to be airlifted off the course and tore apart her right knee. She returned the following season, got hurt again and missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Entertainment
February’s full ‘snow Moon’ peaks Sunday night
February’s full moon, also known as the “Snow Moon”, is glowing up in the evening sky.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reports that the moon will be in its full illumination on Sunday, February 1, at 5:09 p.m.
It will appear fullest while low on the eastern horizon near sunset, creating a striking, bright orange spectacle.
The Moon will still appear nearly full on Saturday, January 31, 2026 and Monday, February 2 evenings.
The origin of the name “Snow Moon” comes from the heavy snowfall that was traditionally prevalent in North America during the month of February, a tradition recorded by the Farmers’ Almanack.
In some tribes, it is also called the Sleet Moon, Wind Moon, and Crow Moon.
The Moon will be visible with the naked eye. However, you can use a telescope or binoculars to get a clearer view.
NASA’s chief of Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Laboratory stated, “Go out and look at it when it’s full, when it’s partially full, and learn its geography.”
The Snow Moon unlocks the full roster of full moons of 2026 with slightly bigger supermoons at the end of the year (November and December).
Beyond the full Moon, astronomers expect a complete lunar eclipse in the U.S. on March 3. The lunar eclipse is referred to as a “blood moon.”
Entertainment
NASA’s perseverance rover completed first-ever AI-planned drive on Mars
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s perseverance rover has successfully completed its first artificial intelligence (AI) driven drive on another planet.
The perseverance used an AI model, Claude, developed by Anthropic, to design a 400-meter safe route across the rocky terrain of Jezero Carter. The plan was executed on December 8 and 10, 2025.
Previously, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) performed this manually.
As Mars is, on average, 140 million miles away from Earth, it creates a communication delay of about 20 minutes, which makes it unable to drive rovers in real-time.
Instead of it, operators meticulously plan a series of way points also known as “breadcrumb trail” with the help of orbital images and rover data, which the rover then follows autonomously between points.
For this test, engineers gave Claude years of mission data in context.
The AI system analysed high-resolution orbital imagery, detected dangers such as boulder fields and sand ripples, and produced a continuous path.
It even produced the commands in the rover’s specialised programming language.
Before application, JPL engineers verified it via standard verification simulation, checking over 500,000 variables.
One minor adjustment was needed after tests. Resultantly, perseverance drove 689 ft and then 807 ft on the two sols (Marian days), completing the AI-planned route without issue.
Entertainment
Meghan Markle sweetens Valentine’s day after last year’s big sell out
Just in time for love filled February moments, Meghan Markle has unveiled a special limited edition chocolate collection through her lifestyle brand As Ever on Saturday.
The new As Ever x Compartés Valentine’s Day box brings together gourmet flavours and beautifully designed packaging.
“Our Valentine’s Day As ever x @compartes collection is here!” she wrote.
Created in collaboration with Los Angeles luxury chocolatier Compartés, the collection features four handcrafted bars.
Think rich Strawberry Spread Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Spread Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate with Flower Sprinkles and Milk Chocolate with Shortbread Cookies and Bee Pollen, all wrapped in cheerful floral-inspired boxes.
The duo’s holiday chocolate trio in 2025 flew off shelves in record time, selling out in under an hour and fans are already anticipating another quick disappearance this season too, especially with Valentine’s Day just around the corner.
It first started with small-batch spreads, teas, baking mixes and sweet treats, and has expanded into wines, candles and now premium chocolates.
In fact, the brand’s name, As Ever, represents her desire to build something timeless and warm that feels like home.
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