With the year’s first games out of the way, open questions remain for Emma Hayes’ side in each position

The first international window of 2026 has come and gone for the US women’s national team – though you’d be forgiven if it felt like a continuation of a familiar, looping theme.

Once again, Emma Hayes used the window to examine fresh faces among her incredibly deep player pool. Even considering the constant shuffling under Hayes after the 2024 Olympics, this was an especially experimental squad. Per the federation, the lineup for Saturday’s 6-0 thrashing of Paraguay featured the fewest average caps for a starting 11 (9.6) in a quarter of a century. On Tuesday, that record was broken again: a 5.2 cap average across the lineup.

As senators refuse to fund Trump’s immigration crackdown, a partial shutdown is likely. For Democrats, it’s the right move

Shut it down!

It took not one but two killings of unarmed white American citizens by immigration enforcement agents for the Democrats to commit to withholding funds from the Department of Homeland Security, the agency of which Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the border patrol – the killers – are part.

The departure of Greg Bovino has not quelled ICE’s raids – and hope that tensions are easing feels distant

In the days after the killing of 37‑year‑old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, signs emerged that the Trump administration understood how quickly anger at federal immigration agents could ignite across Minnesota and the nation.

Early in the week, the president touted “very good” phone calls with Minnesota governor Tim Walz – whom Trump routinely disparages – and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey.

On Wednesday The News Movement published a video from 13 January where officers appeared to grab Pretti

Videos emerged on Wednesday of a previous confrontation between Alex Pretti and federal agents, 11 days before the ICU nurse was fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis. About two minutes of video, published on Wednesday by The News Movement, a digital news outlet, shows an incident on 13 January in Minneapolis in which officers appeared to grab Pretti and bring him to the ground during intense community protests against the federal crackdown in the city.

Sahan Journal, a nonprofit news site that reports on immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota, reported that day that dozens of residents had showed up to protest and observe a federal immigration sweep in the area. On the same morning, just two blocks away, a young woman named Aliya Rahman was violently pulled from her car while trying to drive past federal immigration agents and roughly treated in an image that prompted widespread outrage.

Steve Schleicher, an attorney representing Pretti’s family, said in a statement, “A week before Alex was gunned down in the street – despite posing no threat to anyone – he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents. Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing.”

White House Border tsar Tom Homan is expected to address the press in Minneapolis after being sent to take the reins on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. ICE officers in the state were directed to avoid engaging with “agitators,” and only target “aliens with a criminal history,” according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.

Senate Democrats have threatened to block legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies, potentially bringing the government a step closer to a partial shutdown if Republicans and the White House do not agree to new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Democrats won’t provide needed votes until US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “reined in and overhauled.” In posts on X, Schumer also ramped up the pressure for DHS secretary Kristi Noem and top Trump aide Stephen Miller to go, and repeated calls for the president to pull ICE agents out of Minnesota.

A federal judge in Minnesota blocked the Trump administration from arresting and detaining the 5,600 refugees living in the state. In a ruling issued on Wednesday, US district judge John R Tunheim granted the Advocates for Human Rights, which represents midwesterners seeking asylum, a temporary restraining order blocking Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening (“Operation Parris”). He also ordered the Department of Homeland Security to release and return to Minnesota anyone already detained by the administration under the operation.

The parents of Alexi Pretti retained a former federal prosecutor who helped Minnesota’s attorney general convict police officer Derek Chauvin of the murder of George Floyd. Pretti’s family has retained Steve Schleicher, a partner at the Minneapolis firm Maslon, who served as a special prosecutor in the 2021 trial over Floyd’s murder. Schleicher has taken on the case pro bono, PBS News reports. Earlier this month, the family of Renee Good, who was also killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, retained another lawyer involved in the George Floyd case – the Chicago-based firm Romanucci & Blandin, which represented Floyd’s family.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that the two officers involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday have been placed on administrative leave as “is the standard protocol”. But it’s currently unclear exactly when they were placed on leave. Federal law enforcement officers who have been involved in a shooting are typically placed on administrative leave for the course of the investigation.

The confirmation is also in direct contradiction to what border patrol commander Greg Bovino said in the aftermath of the shooting. On Sunday, he told a press conference that “all agents that were involved in that scene are working, not in Minneapolis, but in other locations, that’s for their safety.”

Aryna Sabalenka (1) beats Elina Svitolina (12) 6-2, 6-3
Swiatek backs Gauff over privacy concerns | Mail Daniel

Sabalenka to serve, ready … play.

You can’t argue with Svitolina’s run to the last four. She’s beaten Shnaider, Andreeva and Gauff – who, admittedly, had her absolute worst day – without losing a set, won in Auckland before that, and won’t ever have felt better about her game. I’m excited to see what her plan is, because we can be sure she’ll have one.

A video filmed by a bystander shows a confrontation between Alex Pretti and federal agents on 13 January, 11 days before the ICU nurse was fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis.

Officers appeared to grab Pretti and bring him to the ground during intense community protests against the federal crackdown in Minneapolis. The video shows Pretti yelling at agents in an unmarked vehicle and kicking the tail light of the car as they move away. Soon after, a heavily armed agent in tactical gear is seen exiting the car. It is unclear what preceded the events caught on camera.

A family representative confirmed to the Guardian that it was Pretti in the footage published on Wednesday. A representative also said they were aware of the incident and that Pretti sustained injuries but did not get medical care.

Steve Schleicher, an attorney representing Pretti’s family, said in a statement: 'A week before Alex was gunned down in the street – despite posing no threat to anyone – he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents. Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing.'

While the desperation to keep Trinity Rodman is understandable, tweaking the salary cap could be a big mistake

Perhaps it was all worth it in the end. As a tearful Trinity Rodman signs the most lucrative contract in the history of women’s football – flanked by the Washington Spirit owner, Michele Kang, and a young fan called Emma in pink braids – the internet is already burning white hot. The podcasters will feast for days. After months of bungling US soccer finally has its money shot, and in more ways than one the numbers are going to be stratospheric.

But then Rodman has always been an effortless creator of content: a true footballer for the TikTok generation. From the spectacular strikes to the famous Trin Spin, from the vivid streaks in her hair to the viral goal celebrations, Rodman’s ability to convey the joy of the game in snackable morsels is the root of her appeal. Aged 23 she already has an Olympic gold medal and 49 international caps, to which she can now add a £1.5m-a-year deal and her very own rule.

While the desperation to keep Trinity Rodman is understandable, tweaking the salary cap could be a big mistake

Perhaps it was all worth it in the end. As a tearful Trinity Rodman signs the most lucrative contract in the history of women’s football – flanked by the Washington Spirit owner, Michele Kang, and a young fan called Emma in pink braids – the internet is already burning white hot. The podcasters will feast for days. After months of bungling US soccer finally has its money shot, and in more ways than one the numbers are going to be stratospheric.

But then Rodman has always been an effortless creator of content: a true footballer for the TikTok generation. From the spectacular strikes to the famous Trin Spin, from the vivid streaks in her hair to the viral goal celebrations, Rodman’s ability to convey the joy of the game in snackable morsels is the root of her appeal. Aged 23 she already has an Olympic gold medal and 49 international caps, to which she can now add a £1.5m-a-year deal and her very own rule.

Women’s singles semis, from 8.30am GMT in Melbourne
Swiatek backs Gauff over privacy concerns | Mail Daniel

Sabalenka to serve, ready … play.

You can’t argue with Svitolina’s run to the last four. She’s beaten Shnaider, Andreeva and Gauff – who, admittedly, had her absolute worst day – without losing a set, won in Auckland before that, and won’t ever have felt better about her game. I’m excited to see what her plan is, because we can be sure she’ll have one.