There was no telling what would await *** rainy start in Milan for us. To *** smooth and fast train ride to Verona, less than 2 hours. Once there, the meeting place that will serve as northern Italy’s final bow to the Olympics, Arena di Verona, more than 2000 years old, where gladiators once fought to the finish, Olympians will now bid farewell. Centuries of history stretching skyward, sort of like us. We’ve seen Verona from the ground. Now we’re going to go upward. Hit it. Rain dots the windows of *** tram that would eventually put the city and its grand views at our feet. Not even clouds could cast *** shadow on this city. This makes it all worth it. Back at ground level, you get to understand that Verona is quite the intersection of the ages. Verona is really *** good mix of the old and new. This is Tower Lamberte, built way back in the 1100s at some time, but not too far away, steps away on the. *** Nike store on the left, Juliet’s house, yeah, that Juliet. The rain playing *** supporting role to all those searching for one of the stars of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the 13th century home said to be that of the Capulet family. Meanwhile, for every street showing off beautiful Roman architecture, there are also streets paved and Prada. Luxury shopping has *** home here. But it’s the views, the age-old glamour that locals know will be inviting. This is beautiful for Verona because Verona is one city, beautiful.
Milan Cortina Olympics to close at Verona Arena as Olympic flag passes to France
The Milan Cortina Olympics end Sunday with a closing ceremony inside the ancient Verona Arena, roughly mid-distance between the far-flung mountain, valley and city venues that made these the most spread-out Winter Games in Olympic history.The 2½-hour ceremony will celebrate Italian music and dance, both classic and contemporary, headlining internationally acclaimed ballet dancer Roberto Bolle along with popular Italian singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte.Check back for live updates beginning at 2:30 p.m. ETOrganizers are expecting some 1,500 Olympians, a bit over half those who competed in the Games, to parade into the monument built in the first century for gladiator fights and exotic animal hunts.They will enter en masse behind a pair of flag bearers from each of the 92 participating nations, including biathlete Lisa Vittozzi and speedskater Davide Ghiotto for host Italy, and hockey player Hilary Knight and ice dancer Evan Bates for the United States – all gold medal winners.Some 12,000 spectators will join the athletes and officials for the closing ceremony. It will be much more intimate than the opening ceremony, which starred Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli inside Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium, attended by more than 60,000 people.The ceremony will celebrate Italian lyric opera, which has been recognized by the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO as a global treasure, but also pay tribute to contemporary Italian classics. Both opera and dance are at home in the stone amphitheater, which each summer hosts a popular opera festival with lavish productions and the gala dance performance titled Roberto Bolle and Friends.This is the first Games for the International Olympic Committee president, Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion in swimming, who will oversee the ceremony alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.One of the key moments of the ceremony is when the Olympic flag is handed over to the next Winter Games host nation, France, and its flag is raised next to Italy’s and Greece’s.The Milan Cortina Games spanned an area of 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 square miles), from ice sports in Milan to biathlon in Anterselva on the Austrian border, snowboarding and men’s downhill in Valtellina on the Swiss border, cross-country skiing in the Val di Fiemme north of Verona and women’s downhill, curling and sliding sports in co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo.It’s a model that will remain for future Games, to avoid the expense of building new facilities. The 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps will stage events in the Alps and Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, while speedskating will be held abroad in a venue to be decided.The closing ceremony will conclude with the Olympic flames being extinguished at the unprecedented two cauldrons in Milan and Cortina, to be viewed via video link. A light show will substitute fireworks, which are not allowed in Verona, to protect animals from being disturbed.A total of 116 medal events have been held in eight Olympic sports across 16 disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering this year, over the course of 17 days of competition.The Milan Cortina Paralympics’ opening ceremony will also take place in the Verona Arena, on March 6, and the Games will run until March 15.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
VERONA, Italy —
The Milan Cortina Olympics end Sunday with a closing ceremony inside the ancient Verona Arena, roughly mid-distance between the far-flung mountain, valley and city venues that made these the most spread-out Winter Games in Olympic history.
The 2½-hour ceremony will celebrate Italian music and dance, both classic and contemporary, headlining internationally acclaimed ballet dancer Roberto Bolle along with popular Italian singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte.
Check back for live updates beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET
Organizers are expecting some 1,500 Olympians, a bit over half those who competed in the Games, to parade into the monument built in the first century for gladiator fights and exotic animal hunts.
They will enter en masse behind a pair of flag bearers from each of the 92 participating nations, including biathlete Lisa Vittozzi and speedskater Davide Ghiotto for host Italy, and hockey player Hilary Knight and ice dancer Evan Bates for the United States – all gold medal winners.
Some 12,000 spectators will join the athletes and officials for the closing ceremony. It will be much more intimate than the opening ceremony, which starred Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli inside Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium, attended by more than 60,000 people.
The ceremony will celebrate Italian lyric opera, which has been recognized by the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO as a global treasure, but also pay tribute to contemporary Italian classics. Both opera and dance are at home in the stone amphitheater, which each summer hosts a popular opera festival with lavish productions and the gala dance performance titled Roberto Bolle and Friends.
This is the first Games for the International Olympic Committee president, Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion in swimming, who will oversee the ceremony alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
One of the key moments of the ceremony is when the Olympic flag is handed over to the next Winter Games host nation, France, and its flag is raised next to Italy’s and Greece’s.
The Milan Cortina Games spanned an area of 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 square miles), from ice sports in Milan to biathlon in Anterselva on the Austrian border, snowboarding and men’s downhill in Valtellina on the Swiss border, cross-country skiing in the Val di Fiemme north of Verona and women’s downhill, curling and sliding sports in co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo.
It’s a model that will remain for future Games, to avoid the expense of building new facilities. The 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps will stage events in the Alps and Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, while speedskating will be held abroad in a venue to be decided.
The closing ceremony will conclude with the Olympic flames being extinguished at the unprecedented two cauldrons in Milan and Cortina, to be viewed via video link. A light show will substitute fireworks, which are not allowed in Verona, to protect animals from being disturbed.
A total of 116 medal events have been held in eight Olympic sports across 16 disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering this year, over the course of 17 days of competition.
The Milan Cortina Paralympics’ opening ceremony will also take place in the Verona Arena, on March 6, and the Games will run until March 15.
Following next month’s Beasts Of The East Tour, Filth will embark on a 10th anniversary headlining tour. The trek will feature full-time support from Resistor and Inferious, with Two-Piece & The Gang and Monochromatic Black appearing on select dates.
The tour kicks off on April 10 at Sky Grog Lounge in Asheville, NC and wraps up on May 3 at Amityville Music Hall in Amityville, NY. Get your tickets here.
w/ Two-Piece & The Gang
4/10 Asheville, NC Sky Grog Lounge 4/11 Chattanooga, TN JJ’s Bohemia 4/12 Murfreesboro, TN Hop Springs 4/14 Mobile, AL Alabama Music Box 4/15 New Orleans, LA Holy Diver 4/16 Shreveport, LA Straight Jackets 4/17 Houston, TX Pub 529 4/18 Corpus Christi, TX House Of Rock 4/20 Austin, TX Come And Take It Live 4/21 Haltom City, TX Haltom Theater 4/22 Amarillo, TX The Atomic Yellow 4/23 Oklahoma City, OK 89th Street
w/ Monochromatic Black
4/24 Kansas City, MO Westport Bowery 4/25 Chicago, IL WC Social Club 4/26 Indianapolis, IN Black Circle 4/28 Lansing, MI Macs 4/29 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop 4/30 New Kensington, PA Preserving Underground 5/1 Millersville, PA Phantom Power 5/2 Old Town, ME The Old Town Theatre 5/3 Amityville, NY Amityville Music Hall
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Team USA needed someone to make a play if it was going to beat Canada in overtime of the gold medal game. Jack Hughes delivered for his team and his country, taking his place in American hockey history forever.
Hughes played an exceptional tournament from start to finish, so it was on natural that he made the game-winning play, which actually started in the defensive zone. Connor McDavid, the last person the Americans wanted to see zipping toward their net with the puck, looked determined to end the game.
On an island with McDavid, Hughes bumped McDavid and got just enough of the Canadian star to prevent him from turning the corner and getting to the front of the net. The Americans scooped up the loose puck and got started toward the Canadian end.
Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin did good work to make sure they entered the offensive zone with numbers, and after winning an open-ice puck battle with Nathan MacKinnon, Werenski passed to Hughes cruising into the slot. Hughes wound up a wrist shot and let fly past Jordan Binnington’s glove to win the game.
That goal was Hughes’ fourth goal and seventh goal of the tournament, and he got there after losing a couple teeth one period earlier. Hughes took a high stick from Canadian forward that knocked out his two front teeth, but as is usually the case in hockey, Hughes didn’t miss a shift.
Hughes will be short a couple teeth in photos with his gold medal teammates, but I doubt he minds. Pictures of his toothless smile after scoring the game-winning goal will hang in homes throughout the United States for a very long time.
The following is the full transcript of the interview with Govs. Laura Kelly of Kansas, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Mike Braun of Indiana and Mike DeWine of Ohio that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 22, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Every year, America’s governors gather here in Washington, and we’re joined now by Kansas Democrat Laura Kelly, Kentucky Democrat Andy Beshear, Ohio Republican Mike DeWine and Indiana Republican Mike Braun. Thank you all for being here and having a bipartisan conversation, they are rare these days, and we enjoy them. I- There’s so much to talk about, but I need to start on this big decision from the Supreme Court, because it has a huge impact on the economy, including in many of your states. It was a 6-3 ruling from the court that President Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs on certain items by using this 1977 law. A dozen states and a handful of small businesses had sued over these tariffs, which is how it ended up in the courts in the first place. So let me start with you, Governor Kelly, what impact will this have on your state? Do you know yet?
GOVERNOR LAURA KELLY: I don’t know the specifics, but I’m hopeful, optimistic, that it will settle some of the issues that we have, particularly in our agricultural industry. You know, they’ve been hit very, very hard by these tariffs, and I’m hoping that this court decision will reverse some of those and allow them to get back to business again.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Beshear, Kentucky bourbon, had been hit hard by those retaliatory tariffs. Does this ruling do much for that industry, or, more broadly, for your state?
GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: I hope so. Tariffs are a tax on the American people. We’ve seen studies that show that 90% of these tariffs are being borne by American business. Those are all in our states, as well as our people. We’ve seen parts of the economy slow down because of it. It can add 30% more cost to a major new construction project, which could slow down new jobs coming to our communities. Bourbon has been hit hard, and now this is the second straight time, and this is from a state where both of our U.S. senators and this governor, despite being in different parties, are all against tariffs.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Braun, for you, what are you seeing out in Indiana? Because we checked the stats and it looked like your auto and machinery manufacturing have lagged a bit. The Indiana business review says your farmers were hit hard by retaliatory tariffs. Is this going to bring relief?
GOVERNOR MIKE BRAUN: So Indiana’s along with Wisconsin, the two biggest states per capita manufacturing, so tariffs would have been a plus due to the industries that have been kind of hollowed out. You look at Gary, Indiana, that was the largest, second largest city in Indiana. Steel goes overseas. I think the key is-is trade has to be fair and free, and from the Marshall Plan through rebuilding the global economy, we did some things that got that out of balance. I mean, we were in a trillion dollar, give or take, annual deficit in trade, $2 trillion on our fiscal account. That turns you into a debtor nation. So ideally, through reciprocity, you get things down and even free and fair and get back on an even playing field over those 40-50, years, it got imbalanced, and I think that’s where Trump was coming from.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But the court said he over, over reached–
[CROSS TALK]
GOV. BRAUN: Well, that’s that’s a constitutional issue, and–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
GOV. BRAUN: And you’re going to have to deal with it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: In your state, though you said you believed this theory, that it might actually help bring back some of those manufacturing jobs. Did you see that it did any of that?
GOV. BRAUN: Yes, it was starting, I mean, the amount of investment that’s coming back to this country that whooshed out of it, that created chronic trade deficits, that needs to be rectified. And you can do that through tariffs. You can do it through trade negotiations, and we were going the wrong way for a long time.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you think this is a negative?
GOV. BRAUN: I think the other ways to continue what’s already occurred, it’ll be interesting with the countries they’ve already done deals with, whether they’ll try to renege. I got a feeling a lot of them will stay put with the trade deals they put in place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor DeWine for you in Ohio, the Cleveland Fed said the tariffs drove price increases across multiple sectors in your state, including in manufacturing and including in retail. Do you believe their analysis, or do you believe the President’s analysis?
GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE: First of all, Margaret, I don’t think we know what’s going to happen–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Now after this ruling?
GOV. DEWINE: You know, look, the President, I’m sure, is going to look for any way he can to basically go back and do-do this-
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: He pretty much said that, right, at 10% global tariffs.
GOV. DEWINE: One of the dissents certainly said he had the authority to do it. We’ll have to see. So I don’t think anybody knows. It’s been mixed for us. I think you know, for agriculture, particularly soybeans, for example, it was not, it was not helpful. But we are, we are a manufacturing state. And I think one of the things that we learned all of us who were governors at the time during Covid Is that the supply chains, we got to make more- We’re not- we’re broken. We have to make more things back here in the United States, but I think that’s a general feeling of the, of the public. So I think as- as a manufacturing state, you know, we’re seeing some new investment coming in. It’s hard to tell sometimes. Do you attribute it to the fact that they now have to be investing more and don’t want to have the tariffs or not? But my feeling is that we’re getting a lot that’s coming in because frankly, because of those tariffs.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But the administration also says, though, that those manufacturing jobs are going to be replaced by robots, right? That we’re going through a huge technological shift, that we’re moving forward towards non human manufacturing.
GOV. DEWINE: We’ve been doing that, We’ve been doing that for decades–
MARGARET BRENNAN: So how do you explain that to your state when you go home?
GOV. DEWINE: And for companies, for companies to be efficient, they have to do that. But that doesn’t mean they’re not employing people. That doesn’t mean they’re not selling so, you know, we want our businesses to survive, and they will use the tech, the new technology that’s not new, that’s been going on for a long time.
GOV. BRAUN: And Margaret, real quickly. I ran a business for 37 years before I got into the Senate, and technology is something we’ve woven into our own business, distribution, logistics. It creates jobs in many ways. What AI is going to do, where you take a lot of the mundane things that just take a lot of time, it’s hard to tell where it goes, but if it increases productivity, it’s going to be a blessing. And that’s really how you bring prices down in the long run.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me quickly ask you both, since you were in the room at the White House when the President was passed this note that the Supreme Court had just ruled, did he give you any sense of what he’s going to do next? Was it exactly what he said from the White House podium, or was it different?
GOV. DEWINE: It was very quick, frankly, you know, he expressed his displeasure. He read it first to everyone to express some displeasure–
GOV. BRAUN: Took questions, and left.
GOV. DEWINE: Yeah, and said, basically, I have to go out and get ready to give a speech. And that’s, then he left.
GOV. BESHEAR: Margaret, my hope is that this decision stops the chaos in how these tariffs are being implemented. Because business needs stability. Trade needs stability. And if a president can wield this authority that he was trying to, then you see the chaos we’ve seen, where we had, first across the board, then reciprocal tariffs, then industry specific tariffs, then we had tariffs on a- on a country for non economic reasons. What this should say is the President has to go to Congress. We have former members of Congress here and actually work it through in a thoughtful way.
GOV. KELLY: And what I’d like to see is I do think there are ways that the President can work around this and get where he wants to go on tariffs. I’m hoping, though, that the approach will be, what about his tariff policy before worked, you know, in the manufacturing arena, for instance, but where did it not work? And be very careful when you’re looking at what impact it has on small businesses and agriculture. So I hope whatever comes next is more thoughtful.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well and- and they’re not going away, right? The President did announce at the White House podium a 10% global tariff above the normal tariffs, and he’s talking about these temporary authorities. So the story is still developing at this point, no doubt. But is–
GOV. BESHEAR: Is this a story of him potentially defying his own Supreme Court?
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is a great question that I would love to put to that to the President and perhaps some members of his administration. But on this, broadly speaking, I don’t hear one clear view from you that you would ask the president to hold off. It sounds like, in some ways, you governor, thought maybe the tariffs are working in certain sectors.
GOV. KELLY: I wasn’t- I wasn’t trying to come across this as a-as a proponent of the tariffs at all. No, I, you know, I was probably the only Democratic governor who actually signed on to the USMCA, the trade agreement between Canada and Mexico and the United States. Those are our two biggest trading partners. That was working really well for us.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That was in the first Trump administration.
GOV. KELLY: Exactly. And so, you know, I’d like to get back to doing business that way. But if you know, just given the reality of who’s President right now and what likely to come, if we can’t go back to that exactly, then you know, then what I said before about let’s if there were any good things that came out of the approach he took to tariffs, let’s focus on that, but let’s not reinsert all of the things that were really horrible.
GOV. DEWINE: Margaret, I think you’re going to see the President remain a tough negotiator. He’ll figure out a way to do that. You know, we all believe in free trade, but I think that we have not let countries run over us, to some extent in the past, and I think the President was correct in that regard. Did it all work out? No. Some of them did. Maybe some of them did not. But I think that being tough a negotiator. I think the vast majority of the American people want to see a tough negotiator.
GOV. BESHEAR: But my concern is that these other countries aren’t paying the tariffs. We are. 90% percent of all the costs borne by American families and American businesses, at a time when people struggle just to get by to pay the bills at the end of the month, this is adding $1,000 plus in costs.
GOV. BRAUN: And on the other hand, in the big picture, you cannot become a debtor nation because you’re nursing a chronic trade deficit and fiscal deficit.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Isn’t that your old job, though, over in Congress?
GOV. BRAUN: But try getting 60 senators to agree to anything, and we had to do all that through reconciliation. But the- where we’re headed as a country, and that is my background, finance, macro economics, we’re on a bad business plan because we’re turning into a debtor nation in our trading account and in our fiscal account, and that wouldn’t sell well in Kentucky or Indiana.
GOV. BESHEAR: But if we allow a president to do this, he can tax the American people on his own, without Congress.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re going to talk about this as the story develops, but I want to ask you about another big issue many of you are facing, and that is how to deal with immigration and immigration policy as it affects your states. Governor Kelly, you’re a Democrat, but you did sign a bill to get state law enforcement to work with federal authorities when it comes to immigration enforcement. That’s unusual, as many Democrats or cities and states have what the president refers to as sanctuary city policies, or policies of not necessarily being aligned in enforcement on detentions. And one of the complaints is often that having local authorities involved is a drain on their resources, or it’s a distraction for them. Why isn’t that the case in your state?
GOV. KELLY: I didn’t say it wasn’t. We haven’t–
MARGARET BRENNAN: You think that cooperation is a drain on locals?
GOV. KELLY: I think when ICE comes into your state, that it creates some problems and creates some problems for your local law enforcement, because it’s sort of a who’s on first. Who’s in charge here? And I think that that’s been a problem. My approach has always been, you know, when we work with the federal government on anything, whether it’s disaster relief or with our National Guard, you know, we-we look for ways to to cooperate and partner. That’s what we want to see. You know if they’re going to come in and try to do enforcement- immigration enforcement in our state.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Have you had that communication from federal authorities about–?
GOV. KELLY: No, no, we- no, I mean, and we have had, they’ve started now- we’ve seen some ICE in some of our communities, and we are, you know, I mean, the whole idea of, you know, picking up criminals who are illegal, here illegally is nothing new, that- that happens on an everyday basis and has for years. So we don’t have any problem with that. What we would like is for ICE to then work with our local law enforcement, so that, if they want to come into Kansas communities, work with us, so that we can go after the- those targeted folks, not sort of what we saw in Minnesota, where it’s just a free for all.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Beshear, in your state, the Republican legislators want to pass a bill to force the state to work with ICE as I understand it. You’re not a fan of this idea. Why?
GOV. BESHEAR: We’ll see what happens in my state legislature, because at the end of I think last week, two of our Republican senators got up on the senate floor and talked about how they thought this immigration enforcement had gone too far. For me, I believe that border security is national security, and we need it to tighten our borders. We also have to enforce our laws as a nation, but how we do it shows our humanity or our lack thereof. Shackling people’s legs, putting them in cages that we would not put animals in is wrong.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Where have you seen that?
GOV. BESHEAR: Well, you see it in the pictures coming out of the Alligator Alcatraz or other facilities. We read about kids getting sick and not getting the health care they need in the Texas facility. But the tactics of ice show that there is a significant training problem, far too aggressive, and there is now an American body count. They believe they can go into an American citizen’s home with just an administrative warrant, they cannot. So I’ve called for the retraining of all ICE agents, and in the meantime, if they think there’s a violent criminal in Kentucky illegally, send us his or her name. We’ll go get him.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking there about administrative versus judicial warrants and the ability to enter. Do you then appreciate what’s happening here in Washington with Democrats cutting off some of that short term funding for Homeland Security on that issue, along with others?
GOV. BESHEAR: I do, and I wish we didn’t have to be at this point. But we have an American body count. We have at least two ICE agents that are being investigated for perjury. We have others- Americans that have been injured or hurt that shouldn’t have been. I was the top law enforcement official in Kentucky. I’ve never seen a law enforcement agency, state, local or federal act with the same tactics that ICE does. And these are on our streets. These are in our cities.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They would argue that the amount of immigration was at such unprecedented levels that new operational things had to be adapted. That’s what the administration argues right? That they have to do the tough business now. You’re not buying
GOV. BESHEAR: Watch the videos. This is not how law enforcement acts. This is not respecting our rights as Americans. It’s wrong.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor DeWine in Ohio, your state has been the focus of the Trump Vance campaign during 2024 and of their administration now, particularly the Haitians that you have, tens of thousands in the state of Ohio. You said this week, ICE has not been clear on when they’re going to surge to your state. Did you bring that up when you were at the White House?
GOV. DEWINE: I did not. I really didn’t have that- have the opportunity to do that. Look, Margaret, my position has been very clear in regard to TPS for Haitians, I think–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Temporary Protected Status.
GOV. DEWINE: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Which the President is trying to revoke right now.
GOV. DEWINE: I think the policy to revoke that is wrong. I think there’s a consensus in this country. As we all have said, let’s get rid of the violent offenders. Get them out of here. I think there’s a consensus behind the need to do a good job on the border, and I think the president gets high marks for doing that on the- on the border. But once you get beyond that, I don’t think there’s a consensus for taking people who are working, who are supporting their family, and we’ve kind of seen it, almost in a micro way, with the Haitian community that’s come into Springfield. Springfield is an industrial city, manufacturing city that was down. It has been coming back. And frankly, one of the reasons it’s coming back is because of the Haitians who are working there. These are people who, if you talk to the employers, they were filling jobs that were not being able to be filled in any other way. So it’s been a big boost to the economy. So if one day they know that TPS is taken away, no- no employer can hire them anymore. And so you gotta have all these people who are unemployed. So I think the policy there is-is wrong. If I could just say this, I think that this is a real opportunity for the president in regard to immigration, probably after the election- after the election, because nothing’s going to get done before
MARGARET BRENNAN: Before the midterms of 2026
GOV. DEWINE: That’s right, but I think there’s an opportunity here. He sealed the border. You know, I was in Congress in the 80s when the Mazzoli bill, Simpson bill was passed- excuse me. I’ve been through all the arguments. I think there’s an opportunity here to get reform in legal immigration and make a decision who we really want to come in. I’ll give you- if I could just one example. We have our last count, 22,000 foreign students in the state of Ohio. We educate them, and then guess what happens? They go back home, or they go someplace else. We’ve already educated them. They would be a great asset to the state of Ohio. That’s the type of reform–
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking about comprehensive immigration reform and legal pathways.
GOV. DEWINE: I think the president has a chance to do something that no president has done for four decades. If you- if you would take that opportunity, and I think after the election, he’ll have a chance.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Because you think there’s going to be a switch in the political hold of one of the chambers of congress? .
GOV. DEWINE: No, no, no- either- no, no, either- however the election comes out, I just think the time is now right, because we’ve always said, we can’t do legal immigration because the illegal is such a mess and the border such a mess, and the president, frankly, has fixed the border. So I think it’s an opportunity for all of us to go forward. I think it’s an opportunity for the president to do as sort of a Richard Nixon going to China.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I hear you on that, and we’d all love to talk about policy–
GOV. DEWINE: But we’ll see. We’ll see.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But respectfully, the president’s not talking about any of what you just laid out, particularly when he’s talking about Haitians in Ohio–
GOV. DEWINE: Well I’m an optimist you know.
MARGARET BRENNAN: – everyone remembers that campaign with the claim they’re eating cats and dogs. You’re talking about hard working people who are legally here and continuing to work.
GOV. DEWINE: And my position has been very clear. I’m against them losing–
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are clear. But are you making that clear to the president’s immigration team? Are you coordinating or anything? Because we hear the complaints that Democrats and Republicans are not coordinating.
GOV. DEWINE: Margaret, I don’t- I don’t discuss my contacts with the president or what I tell the president, but I think it’s- the administration knows my position on this. And I think you know, if they were there, they would see that this has been good for our economy. It’s been good for our community. We have people who are fixing up houses, opening up restaurants, spending money and filling jobs that couldn’t be filled before. They’re doing- we need them in Ohio. We’re a state that- that as far as our influx of people coming into the state last year, 70% of those individuals were foreign born. They’re giving us vibrancy and helping us and the fact that they’re working creates other jobs frankly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Braun, Indiana also had exceptionally high levels of immigration in recent years when we checked the data, according to the census bureau, nearly 10% of your lab- labor force are immigrants. What are the president’s policies doing? Are you having a similar experience to, to Governor DeWine?
GOV. BRAUN: So Indiana, among the pair states, has the lowest unemployment rate, and we’ve got the highest economic growth rate too. That’s due to certain policies. But let’s get back to the border, it was the same legislative template under the prior administration that encouraged tens of millions to come into the country. So just like when we were talking about the trade issues, go back to the source of why it occurred. Here, it was bad policy calculated, I think, in a very political way, to maybe think it’s going to benefit you down the road electorally. Put that aside, it’s a whole other issue, I think–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sorry just to be clear here, you’re not talking about illegal people who cannot vote.
GOV. BRAUN: No, I’m talking about how the census is determined, who- who- how your congressional districts are put together. All I can tell you, it was a mess in those four years, and the same legislative template was in place during the Biden administration that the Trump administration has used. I think everybody agrees that we’ve got to have border security. And what we’re hearing here is that immigration is definitely important, legal immigration and the country was built upon immigrants. And when you’re in a state like ours, where you’re constantly looking for workforce, need to do it. There was even a conversation in an executive session at the NGA about governors getting more involved in work permits and bringing people in coordinated, you know that- I think that’s a good idea.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Wait how would that work? What do you mean?
GOV. BRAUN: Well, that would mean that governors would have some say so like the dairy industry in our own state, many other industries need certain workforce that generally is coming legally across the border, and many now illegal that are not documented. So there’s a lot to get fixed, but we got to look at why the problem we’re dealing with now, you know, occurred in the first place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But just to put a button on it, because I don’t want us to speak past each other, what Governor DeWine was talking about was legal immigration, and people with legal status, Temporary Protected Status, not people who were–
GOV. BRAUN: No I know that–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –crossing illegally–
GOV. BRAUN: –And I think we all agree on legal immigration, all I’m saying–
MARGARET BRENNAN: but you would like to keep that temporary protected status?
GOV. BRAUN: If that was something that was aimed at a particular workforce need, yes, it occurred, so I think you have to respect it. But I think it was all part of a really kind of chaotic approach that allowed a lot of illegal immigration to come across. That’s what we’re dealing now with ICE enforcement. And I’ll agree too, that’s got to be done in a way that has humanity to it. I think the reason Tom Homan went up to Minnesota is maybe that was for that reason. But again–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –to bring humanity?
GOV. BRAUN: To do something other than what we were seeing, to try to put some- something together that was going to be different from what was occurring there. But again, I think you got to respect why did it happen? And this was due to bad policies in the prior administration. That’s why we’re dealing with all this.
GOV. KELLY: If I could just jump in here. You know, I’ve been governor now for seven years. I was a state senator for 14 years. So we’re looking over 20 years. Immigration, legal immigration and workforce have been issues forever. These are decades old. This didn’t start in the Biden administration. And you know, not only the Trump administration, and this is just and- and I’m I hope you’re right, Governor DeWine, that when this election is over, that we can sit down and have that really important conversation and get something done so that we do have a common sense responsible immigration policy that meets the needs of our businesses and our communities.
GOV. BESHEAR: There’s bipartisan agreement on that one.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That cooler heads prevail and policy making actually happens?
[CROSS TALK]
GOV. BESHEAR: Yes, and we actually do the math and get the law right.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. Just want to move us along here, because you touched something that I want to bring to the table as well, which is just the environment we are in and how difficult it is to get things done. Governor Braun, there were at least 12 state senators in Indiana targeted with swatting or bomb threats this fall, and that happened after the president faulted you as well by name in a social media post for not–
GOV. BRAUN:– And I was one of those targets as well.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You were, and that’s why I want to bring it up to you. You were being faulted by him for not getting the votes to redistrict your state and carve out a more favorable voting map for Republicans.
GOV. BRAUN: That’s because he didn’t understand all I could do is call a special session. Okay, so be clear on that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That the president didn’t understand Indiana law?
GOV. BRAUN: Well, I- the only thing I as governor could do that was the call, which I did.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, I’m not faulting you, sir. But the elected officials, though, who don’t deliver the President what he wants, at risk. I mean, that is difficult for you. You’re having to explain that–
GOV. BRAUN: I think there’s a political consequence to anything that you do. And in this case, —
MARGARET BRENNAN: — and you bucked the president–
GOV. BRAUN:– Well, in this case, every other state that was requested to do it, did it. That doesn’t mean that the next state has to. But let’s look again. I always like to look at the root of the issue. The root of the issue is that Massachusetts, which is a same size state, we are for 20 years, 60-40 blue, red. We’re 60-40 the other way, has gerrymandered to where there isn’t a seat. In New England, the place where there are a lot more electoral votes than the four or five western states that hardly have any congressional districts. They’ve done it. I think what he was looking for is an even playing field, and now it’s kind of back and forth. I don’t know what we’re going to end up with.
MARGARET BRENNAN: He was looking for a Republican majority.
GOV. BESHEAR: He said it out loud.
GOV. BRAUN: Because I think if you look at it, the other side is gerrymandered more effectively over the years, and that’s what he was after–
MARGARET BRENNAN: And Democrats, no doubt, are gerrymandering as well.
GOV. BESHEAR: I want to give Donald Trump credit. He owns his policies, and he just said out loud, I want more Republican seats.
GOV. BRAUN: And that’s because of this- best example cited. New England. been gerrymandered for years. They’ve been faster footed than we’ve been on that issue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And California as well jumping in on that. But Governor DeWine, we’re talking about the environment we’re in right now. And when I brought up the Haitians in your state, I mean, you have also brought national- that has brought national attention to Ohio. The President’s messaging around this. You’ve had bomb threats you’ve talked about recently. How do you deal with that, with this level of rhetoric and managing that?
GOV. DEWINE: Well, when that came up a year ago–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — But it’s continued.
GOV. DEWINE: I understand. I mean, you ask, how we deal with it. We deal with it. The schools– the Superintendent wanted to close the schools. Felt he needed the school- close the schools. They were getting bomb threats every day, and so I called him up. I said, what do you need? And we put in the highway patrol in the schools, and we kept them in for three weeks. Look, you do what you have to do. That’s what all governors do. You do what you have to do. We want those kids in school, and that’s- that’s what we did. I mean, the bigger question is, how do we tamp down the rhetoric from both sides, and how do we, you know, get things done. And I think one of the things coming out of the last three days at the National Governor Association, whenever we get together, it’s pretty clear we’re all problem solvers. We deal with problems every day. We solve problems or we try to solve problems every single day. And I think, you know, to me, that’s where our focus needs to be. But solve the different problems that we have.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, and that’s what’s interesting in the dynamics both of you have in your states as Democrats, but with states that voted overwhelmingly for Trump and states where you’re dealing across the aisle with Republican controlled legislatures. How do you govern as a Democrat in this environment? And are there lessons? I mean- is that too simplistic to say that there are lessons on the state level you can bring to the national level?
GOV. KELLY: Well, my approach has always been to go across the aisle, form relationships and get things done. I started- the day I walked into the state Senate in 2005, I was one of eight Democrats and 32 Republicans. It was very clear to me, if I didn’t make some friends across the aisle, that I was never going to get anything done. And just like Governor DeWine said, we’re problem solvers. We get into these jobs because we want to do something. And so that was the approach I took then. I think that’s- that’s carried over into my time as governor. The relationships that I formed in the legislature has boded well for my time as governor. I’ve been able to continue those relationships. And clearly, we don’t agree on a lot of things, but I think we have enough respect for one another to sit down and to listen and to not always, but at times, come to some consensus on legislation. You know, at the times we don’t, I work with the super majority, you know, and they can easily override my vetoes.
GOV. BESHEAR: (unintelligible)
GOV. KELLY: But even even there, you know, because of the relationships I have, we’ve been able to, if it comes to that, you know, been able to go down and work with some of the Republicans to get them to perhaps sustain the vetoes, because it’s in the best interest. And think most legislators, regardless of party, really are interested in doing good things.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Can you bring this to the national stage? This idea?
GOV. BESHEAR: I think governors can. I mean, my approach is to spend 80% of my time on things that matter to 100% of the people of Kentucky or the American people. Those are things like your job and whether you make enough to support your family, your next doctor’s appointment for yourself, your parents or your kids, the roads and bridges you drive, the school you drop your kids off at, or whether you feel safe in your community. Those aren’t bipartisan issues. They’re non-partisan issues. I’m working with both of these governors on building bridges, actual bridges between our states. You know, infrastructure, something that’s good for everyone, that everyone benefits from, and maybe if we all spend 80% of our time on things that matter to 100% of the American people. We get a lot more done.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor, thank you for having this conversation today. It’s good to have you all here at the same table. We’ll be right back.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The Department of Transportation hosted multiple teams and students from NMSU for a live demonstration of their innovative bridge inspection technology. Crews had the opportunity to deploy their Hydra platform trucks, showing how they perform inspections and make improvements for maintenance. Teaching opportunities like this allow the department to evaluate new tech, […]
Before Tim McGraw became one of country’s most bankable hitmakers, he was locked in a fight with his own label over a song they were convinced would be a disaster.
On a recent episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, McGraw looked back at “Indian Outlaw,” the track he once had to fight to record — even after executives warned him it was “too controversial” and “not country.”
The Song Nobody Wanted
McGraw said he originally tried to include “Indian Outlaw” on his 1993 self-titled debut album, but couldn’t get it past the gatekeepers.
“The label didn’t like it,” he recalled. Only producer Byron Gallimore was in his corner.
He was told the song wouldn’t get radio play and could damage his credibility. But McGraw had already seen something his label hadn’t.
After hearing songwriters Tommy Barnes and Max D. Barnes perform it live in Nashville, he began playing it in honky-tonks and clubs across the country. Crowds loved it — sometimes so much that he had to play it multiple times a night.
Still, he didn’t have enough leverage to override the decision on his first record, and the song was left off.
A Career Gamble
When it came time to record his second album, Not a Moment Too Soon, McGraw made sure things were different.
“I felt like this is either going to work in a huge way, or it’s going to ruin my career forever,” he said. The risk paid off. “Indian Outlaw” became his first Top 10 hit and eventually went platinum.
McGraw believes releasing it — and then following it with “Don’t Take the Girl” — created the momentum that truly launched his career.
“I’ll forever believe that the combination of those two songs is what set my career in motion,” he said.
The Controversy That Followed
McGraw has also acknowledged why the song stirred backlash. “Indian Outlaw” drew criticism for leaning into Native American stereotypes — something he says he understood.
Over the years, he has met with Native American leaders to discuss those concerns. Some embraced the song; others did not.
When he performs at Native American-owned casinos, he even offers to leave it out of the set. Most of the time, he says, they tell him that’s exactly the song they hired him to sing.
Whether it’s party music or songs that stop you in your tracks, Tim McGraw’s catalog has songs for every mood and emotion. Though the Louisiana native launched in 1990 with his self-titled debut record, it wasn’t until the release of his sophomore project four years later that McGraw got the adoration of both country professionals and fans alike. These are the 50 best Tim McGraw songs, ranked.
Jeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida native who joined ESPN in 2014 after covering college football for CBSSports.com.
Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.
Katherine Terrell came back to ESPN to cover the New Orleans Saints in the summer of 2022. She left the company in 2019 after joining in 2016 to cover the Cincinnati Bengals. Katherine is a graduate of LSU and a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, and she has covered the NFL since 2013.
Multiple Authors
Feb 22, 2026, 06:00 AM ET
When the NFL combine begins in Indianapolis this week, it will be the next step in the evaluation process ahead of the 2026 NFL draft (April 23-25, ESPN and ABC).
Each spring presents prime opportunities for NFL teams to scout prospects: the all-star games (Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and the East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, among the more notable), the combine and individual pro days leading up to this year’s draft in Pittsburgh. Teams also have the opportunity to bring in as many as 30 players to their facility during the spring. While each team scouts events differently, there are major things they’re looking for at each stop.
“The football aspect, that’s what resonates right now. We’re trying to confirm the things we see and then obviously you find out who the guys are that love this game and are doing all the little things to help their career along and help the organization achieve their goals,” said New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas, who coached the American team during the Senior Bowl, in January.
Teams at the combine will interview players, run them through workouts and share medical information. Pro days and top-30 visits allow teams to interact with players who chose to skip the combine or who were not invited to the event.
One NFC executive told ESPN that evaluating players’ draft stocks after their seasons can still be difficult to measure. “Most of the work that gets done after the season is usually an affirmation or confirmation of what you believe already,” he said.
Where do things stand right now? ESPN’s Jeff Legwold, Jeremy Fowler and Roman Modrowski used the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl and Super Bowl as opportunities to poll executives, coaches and players on three big questions about the class. Will the Las Vegas Raiders keep the No. 1 pick and draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza? Who is the best prospect in this class, regardless of position? And which prospects will be most exciting to watch on Sundays this fall? (Each reporter asked a question, and the number of responses differs from question to question.)
Will the Raiders keep the No. 1 pick and select Fernando Mendoza?
Keep the pick: Eight votes Trade the pick: Zero votes
The Raiders are smart to remain noncommittal in the public eye, but people around the league see through that. To executives and scouts, the answer to this question is clear-cut: There’s zero chance the Raiders move out of the top spot and pass on drafting the QB out of Indiana.
“Never say never, but never,” said an AFC exec about the Raiders moving from the top pick while evoking a line made famous by former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
Getting a capable starting quarterback on a rookie contract is the envy of most front offices. The Raiders have that chance — perhaps the only chance in a draft with one slam-dunk passer at the top. That’s Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who showed out in his final collegiate season. It was a performance of the ages, similar to star turns by Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) and Jayden Daniels (Washington) during their final seasons at LSU.
“The Raiders’ roster is bad, but Mendoza is the best passer in the draft and it’s not close,” an NFC executive said. “You can’t pass that up. He’s accurate to all levels of the field with a good arm, plus-size and good character.”
Those same evaluators believe Mendoza could be a good fit for a Raiders team that needs a dose of his enthusiasm.
“That can be his superpower,” a separate NFC executive said about the QB’s demeanor. “… He’s really that focused, and I think guys will gravitate toward that.”
A few voters weighed the alternative, if trading the first pick could land a big fish such as Burrow or Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. But such deals are considered unlikely at best.
The Raiders ranked last in the NFL in total offense last season (245.3 yards per game). Mendoza won’t have much talent around him in Vegas in Year 1, but it wouldn’t surprise if the Raiders spend aggressively along the offensive line and skill positions in free agency. Vegas’ near-$88 million in salary cap space ranks second behind the Tennessee Titans. — Fowler
Who is the best prospect in the class, regardless of position?
Since roughly the time Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was selected with the No. 1 pick of the 1998 NFL draft, there seem to be two draft boards that teams have each year: the quarterback board and everybody else. Twenty-one quarterbacks have been selected No. 1 in the past 28 drafts, including seven of the past eight years.
So, when asked about the best prospect in this year’s draft, every scout or personnel executive that was polled was quick to say they believe Mendoza will be the No. 1 pick. And they said that Mendoza was easily the best quarterback on the board and is certainly one of the best players in the draft.
play
0:39
Why Fernando Mendoza is Field Yates’ top prospect in the 2026 draft
Field Yates and Ben Solak discuss what makes Fernando Mendoza the top overall player in the 2026 NFL draft.
“But it won’t be a Mario Williams-type year,” an NFC general manager said. “I don’t see many, if any, scenarios where [Mendoza] doesn’t go No. 1, no matter where everybody is graded. There will be some grades a bit higher.”
Williams was one of the seven nonquarterback No. 1 picks over those past 28 drafts when the Houston Texans selected him No. 1 in 2006. He was eventually named to four Pro Bowls to go with one first-team All Pro selection in his 11-year career, but Vince Young (No. 3), Matt Leinart (No. 10) and Jay Cutler (No. 11) were the first-round quarterbacks that year.
When it comes to who the best prospect is in the 2026 class regardless of position, that honor based on our polling goes to Reese. The Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher was a multitask player in the Buckeyes’ defense, boasting athleticism, physicality and walk-in starter ability as a three-down player. He has enormous potential as an edge rusher to go with his vast array of off-ball abilities.
Love, who had 35 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons combined, received the most votes after Reese. For a league in search of explosive plays, the Notre Dame running back is a player who could emerge in a big way, and the fact he isn’t considered a scheme-dependent back will make his list of NFL suitors longer. — Legwold
Which draft prospects are current NFL players most excited to watch on Sundays?
Two weeks before he helped the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX, first-team All-Pro defensive end Leonard Williams watched Mendoza lead Indiana to the national championship. Mendoza’s iconic scramble-and-stretch over the goal line was one of the most memorable in championship game history, but there was something else that stuck with Williams.
“He just looks like a great, humble kid,” Williams said during Super Bowl week. “He just looks like he’s happy to be there, wherever he’s at. I think that type of attitude, combined with his athleticism and playmaking ability, he’s going to change a locker room wherever he goes.”
Mendoza’s 27 red zone touchdowns (without an interception) were the most in the FBS, and his 79.2% adjusted completion percentage ranked second in the country. But Mendoza also made an impact when the ball wasn’t in play.
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1:50
Who will the Jets draft at No. 2?
Field Yates and Mina Kimes speculate on what the Jets could do with the No. 2 pick in this year’s NFL draft.
“Being in the league for [11 years], it’s not always about your ability to play, it’s about your ability — especially at quarterback — to influence a team. His demeanor and his nature, the way he is to the core, you can see it,” Williams said.
Patriots guard Mike Onwenu said he’s excited to see what Mendoza can do in the NFL, too.
“Based on the year he had, and seeing him as a leader, seeing him address the team and seeing him address the media, he went from moment to moment,” Onwenu said.
Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez said he’s most looking forward to welcoming Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson to the NFL, though. Tyson has battled injuries the past two seasons, but ESPN’s Field Yates has him going No. 8 to the Saints in his most recent mock draft.
Gonzalez’s interest in the 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver extends beyond the stats.
“He’s from the same area as me, near Dallas,” Gonzalez said. “And we have the same agent. So I got to know him a little bit. Great guy, great athlete. Excited to see him in this league, and he’s going to be a great player.”
Patriots special-teamer Alex Austin also chose Tyson after watching some of his highlights on YouTube.
“He’s real athletic,” Austin said. “I’m excited to see what he does. I think he can be a great weapon. He’s legitimate.”
Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori had a standout season after being named a first-team All-American at South Carolina. It was no surprise that some of the prospects Emmanwori has his eye on have S.C. ties.
“I like [South Carolina CB] Brandon Cisse,” Emmanwori said, “and [Clemson WR] Antonio Williams. … I played [Williams] in high school, played him in college, he’s from Irmo, South Carolina, which is where I’m from. Hometown rival. Great college career. Those are the dudes I’ve been keeping up with coming out of college.”
Emmanwori also mentioned Ohio State’s Reese and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane among the prospects he is most excited to watch.
Mendoza wasn’t the only player who had a strong championship game. Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. had a sack and 2.5 tackles for a loss. “He’s an exciting player,” Patriots linebacker Jack Gibbens said of him. “I watched him in a couple of the playoff games and he seems like he’s definitely someone to watch.”
And finally, Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed chose Alabama receiver Germie Bernard as the prospect he’s most excited to watch.
“Why? Cause I went to Alabama,” Reed said. — Modrowski
ESPN Saints reporter Katherine Terrell contributed to this story.
ASSISI, Italy — The bones of St. Francis of Assisi went on public display for the first time Sunday, capping an 800-year saga over his bodily remains and confirming the enduring appeal to Christians of venerating a saint’s relics.
Nearly 400,000 people registered in advance to see the bone fragments, which are contained in a slim, bulletproof Plexiglas case in the lower Basilica of St. Francis in the hilltop Umbrian town the medieval friar made famous.
The Franciscans decided to exhibit the bones for one month, through March 22, to honor the 800th anniversary of St. Francis ’ death in 1226. The aim is to revive his message of peace and fraternity that made him one of the most beloved Christian saints and inspired Pope Francis to take his name, the first pope to do so.
The exposition of his bodily remains is particularly remarkable given the somewhat tortured history of the body of St. Francis, a wealthy merchant’s son born in 1182 who gave up all his possessions to live as a mendicant friar.
At the end of his life, St. Francis’ body was said to have acquired the stigmata, the first documented case of a saint acquiring the marks of Christ on the cross.
In death, his body was lost for hundreds of years, after it was secretly buried by one of his followers who feared it would be stolen during the fight over relics that was common in Christianity in the Middle Ages.
That history is recounted in an exhibition mounted in the Franciscan convent, adjacent to the basilica, which pilgrims can visit as part of their appointment to pass by the bones.
Brother Giulio Cesareo, spokesman for the Franciscans in Assisi, said the exposition wasn’t a macabre celebration of the dead. Rather, he said, it was part of the long tradition of Christians venerating the physical remains of saints to experience the spirit that lived in them.
“It is not so much about venerating Francis, but rather encountering Francis by venerating the Holy Spirit who filled that humanity and made it capable of giving itself,” he said. “And it is, at least for a believer, a way to renew oneself in this one life.”
Over centuries, the fascination with relics has of course led to abuses, with thefts, forgeries and now online sales all part of their history. But that doesn’t diminish their hold on the faithful, said Sean Pilcher, who runs Sacra: Relics of the Saints, which provides consulting and authentication services to the Catholic Church.
If the saints are our brothers and sisters in heaven, “then it makes sense that we’re going to have things that we hold on to,” he said. “And what the church does is just take this natural desire that we all have for connection and belonging and direct it in a way that leads us toward Christ.”
For Fiorella Farina, a resident of northern Reggio Emilia who is so devoted to St. Francis that she bought a country house in Assisi and named her children Francesco and Francesca, the exposition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Just talking about it gives me goosebumps,” she said outside the basilica. “It’s an event I couldn’t miss.”
St. Francis, she said, went against all societal norms to live out the Gospel message of peace, care for the poor and the environment.
“In this historic moment, we need him,” she said.
Security was tight but discreet on Sunday morning as the first pilgrims passed through metal detectors before filing into the basilica. Police declined to provide details, but said extra officers, sniffer dogs, plain-clothed police, television cameras and other measures were being used to protect the relics.
Given the history of St. Francis’ body, such measures seem only appropriate.
Even before he died, St. Francis had gained such a reputation for sanctity that he traveled with an armed escort when he made his final return to Assisi, said Brother William Short, professor of Christian spirituality at the Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego.
There are also references in contemporary accounts of people reaching up to try to grab parts of his tunic as he went by on horseback, believing that his relics could help heal the sick or prevent calamity, Short said in an interview at the Franciscan residence in Rome, where he directs an international Franciscan study center.
When St. Francis died Oct. 3, 1226, he was initially buried in a small Assisi church, San Giorgio. Within two years, Pope Gregory IX had canonized him and laid the cornerstone for a basilica to house his tomb.
But on the eve of the transfer, St. Francis’ trusted aide, Brother Elias, took the body and secretly buried it in the basilica, fearing it could be stolen, said Short. The body remained there, hidden in a column but unmarked, until 1818. That’s when excavations discovered the remains and Pope Pius VII confirmed the bones belonged to St. Francis.
“It was a matter of safety and economics,” Short explained. “If you have a big saint, a new saint — and this guy had the potential to be a really big saint — whoever gets the body gets the pilgrims.”
And Assisi now has them, in spades.
Some people signed up to visit the relics when the exposition was first announced in October, and they were slotted into 10-minute increments starting Sunday morning.
Silvanella Tamos traveled to Assisi from Pordenone, north of Venice, with a group of 54 people from her diocese. They had had one of the earliest slots Sunday, at 9:30 a.m.
“It’s a body that’s alive,” she said. “It’s not a dead body. He still has a lot to tell us today,” she said.
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Winfield reported from Rome.
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Armed man shot, killed after entering Mar-a-Lago secure perimeter, Secret Service says
I’M CALEB CALIFANO, COMING ON AIR WITH BREAKING NEWS. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS GIVING AN UPDATE ON AN OVERNIGHT INCIDENT AT MAR-A-LAGO. LET’S LISTEN IN. ASK FOR A COUPLE QUESTIONS. WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE A LOT, BUT I WANT TO WARN YOU RIGHT NOW, MAKE THEM RELEVANT TO EXACTLY WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. RIGHT? NO. WHAT IFS. WHAT ABOUT THIS? DON’T GET OFF BASE, BECAUSE WE’RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER THAT. WE’RE GOING TO GIVE YOU WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE CAN. ALRIGHT, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. SO YOU’RE GOOD TO GO. ALRIGHT. MY NAME IS RIC BRADSHAW. I’M THE SHERIFF OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. I HAVE WITH ME FROM THE FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, BRETT SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE RAFAEL BERRIOS FROM THE SECRET SERVICE. ALSO, I HAVE RESIDENT AGENT IN CHARGE DAVID CLANCY. AT 130 THIS MORNING, THE SECURITY DETAIL DETECTED THAT A INDIVIDUAL HAD MADE HIS WAY INTO THE INNER PERIMETER OF MAR-A-LAGO. A DEPUTY AND TWO SECRET SERVICE AGENTS ON THE DETAIL WENT TO THAT AREA TO INVESTIGATE. THAT WAS CARRYING A GAS CAN AND A SHOTGUN. HE WAS ORDERED TO DROP THOSE TWO PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT HE HAD WITH HIM, AT WHICH TIME HE PUT DOWN THE GAS CAN, RAISED THE SHOTGUN TO A SHOOTING POSITION. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE DEPUTY AND THE TWO SECRET SERVICE AGENTS FIRED THEIR WEAPONS AND NEUTRALIZED THE THREAT. HE IS DECEASED AT THE SCENE. I’LL GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF THE SHOTGUN AND THE GAS CAN TO HAVE WITH YOU. SO THAT’S WHAT WE KNOW NOW. INVESTIGATION CONTINUES. THE FBI IS THE LEAD INVESTIGATION AGENCY ON THIS CASE, AND WE WILL BE ASSISTING THEM IN WHATEVER MANNER THEY WOULD LIKE. AND THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN APPROPRIATE TIME. THANK YOU. SHERIFF. GOOD MORNING AGAIN. MY NAME IS BRETT SKILES. I’M THE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE FOR THE FBI’S MIAMI FIELD OFFICE. FIRST OF ALL, I’D LIKE TO THANK THE SECRET SERVICE AND PALM BEACH SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR THEIR QUICK RESPONSE IN THIS MATTER AND CLOSE COLLABORATION. SINCE THIS AREA OF THE SHOOTING WAS UNDER SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION AT THE TIME, THE FBI IS ASSISTING THE INVESTIGATION. CURRENTLY, OUR EVIDENCE RESPONSE TEAM IS PROCESSING THE SCENE, COLLECTING EVIDENCE, AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO WORK THE SCENE FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES. ONE THING I WOULD ASK THE PUBLIC IS IF YOU LIVE IN THE AREA OF THE SHOOTING, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EXTERIOR CAMERAS FOR LAST NIGHT EARLY THIS MORNING. IF YOU SEE ANYTHING THAT LOOKS SUSPICIOUS OR OUT OF PLACE, PLEASE CONTACT US AT ONE 800, CALL FBI OR CONTACT THE WEST PALM BEACH SHERIFF’S OFFICE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS RAFAEL BARROS. I’M THE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF SECRET SERVICE MIAMI FIELD OFFICE. EARLIER TODAY, TWO SPECIAL AGENTS FROM THE SECRET SERVICE AND A DEPUTY FROM THE PALM BEACH SHERIFF’S OFFICE WERE INVOLVED IN AN OFFICER SHOOTING WHILE RESPONDING TO AN ARMED INDIVIDUAL AT ONE OF THE GATES AT MAR-A-LAGO. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WAS ARMED WITH A SHOTGUN IN A AND A POSSESSION OF A GASOLINE CANISTER. AGENTS AND THE DEPUTY DISCHARGED FIREARMS TO STOP THE THREAT. AT THIS TIME, NO LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL WERE INJURED DURING THE INCIDENT. WE WANT TO BE CLEAR. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WAS NOT IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AND THIS REMAINS AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION BY THE FBI. THANK YOU. OKAY, THIS IS THE PICTURE THAT I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU OF THE SHOTGUN AND THE GAS CAN. SO YOU GOT IT WITH US. ALL RIGHT. SO YOU’LL HAVE THAT. LIKE I SAID, THERE’S A LOT MORE INVESTIGATION TO BE DONE. FBI IS THE LEAD AGENCY WILL BE ASSISTING THEM. AND FORTUNATELY, NOBODY WAS IN JEOPARDY INSIDE BECAUSE OF THE QUICK ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN BY THE DEPUTIES AND THE SECRET SERVICE. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY RELATIVE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THAT PHOTO AGAIN. YEAH. WE’RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU. ALL RIGHT OKAY. THAT’S IT FOR TODAY. THAT SHOT AND KILLED THE SUSPECT AGENCY. ARE THEY FROM. SAY THAT AGAIN, MA’AM. THERE’S THERE’S TWO AGENCIES INVOLVED. SHERIFF’S OFFICE, SECRET SERVICE OFFICER. THE AGENCY. WELL, THAT’S UNDER INVESTIGATION RIGHT NOW. OKAY. WAS THIS PERSON KNOWN TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT? NOT RIGHT NOW. CAN YOU CLARIFY WHERE ON THE PERIMETER IT HAPPENED? YOU MENTIONED THE GATE. YEAH, AT THE FRONT GATE OVER THERE? YEP. THERE, THERE. THE NORTH SIDE. NORTH SIDE. RIGHT INSIDE OF THE GATE. HE WAS JUST INSIDE THE INNER PERIMETER. YES. ALL RIGHT. WAS ANYONE INVOLVED WEARING BODY CAMERAS? PARDON ME. WAS ANYONE WEARING BODY CAMERAS? YES, WE ALWAYS DO. OKAY. WERE ANY WORDS EXCHANGED BETWEEN THE OFFICERS AND THE SUSPECT? ONLY WE. WORDS THAT WE SAID TO HIM WAS DROP THE ITEMS. WHICH MEANS THE GAS CAN AND THE SHOTGUN. THE SUSPECT NEVER SPOKE. HE PUT THE GAS. OKAY. YOU WERE JUST LISTENING IN TO A BREAKING NEWS PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE OF MAR-A-LAGO. I WANT TO RECAP WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE TELLING US AROUND 130 THIS MORNING, A MAN MADE HIS WAY INTO THE INNER PERIMETER OF MAR-A-LAGO, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PALM BEACH HOME. THEY’RE TELLING US THE SUSPECT WAS A WHITE MAN CARRYING A GAS CAN AND A SHOTGUN. HE WAS ORDERED TO DROP BOTH OF THEM. ACCORDING TO THE SHERIFF OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. HE DROPPED THE GAS CANISTER, HOWEVER, POINTED THE SHOTGUN AT TWO SECRET SERVICE AGENTS AND ONE DEPUTY WHO SHOT AND KILLED HIM. THEY ARE TELLING US THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS NOT INJURED DURING THIS SHOOTING. THEY ALSO TELL US THAT THE FBI IS THE LEAD AGENCY, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THIS. THEY ARE ASKING NEARBY HOMEOWNERS TO CHECK THEIR CAMERAS FOR ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY. AND OF COURSE, THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT HOME AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING. OF COURSE, WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED WITH THIS. THERE’S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS, BUT STAY WITH WPBF 25 NEWS FOR ANY BREAKING NEWS UPDATES ON THIS STORY ALL DAY LONG. YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND THE LATEST ON WPBF.COM AND
The U.S. Secret Service announced Sunday that an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House during the shooting. First Lady Melania Trump was also with the president.The name of the person who was shot has not been released. According to the Secret Service, he was “observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.” The incident took place at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, speaking at a brief press conference, said the man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy.“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said. The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”The FBI asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators.The suspect, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, was reported missing a few days ago by his family. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, who added that the box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle.Guglielmi said that the man drove through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting.Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile and a motive is still under investigation. Asked whether the individual was known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said “not right now.”In July 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In September 2024, a man with a rifle who was waiting near Trump’s golf course in Florida was taken into custody. He was sentenced to life in prison.
WASHINGTON —
The U.S. Secret Service announced Sunday that an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House during the shooting. First Lady Melania Trump was also with the president.
The name of the person who was shot has not been released. According to the Secret Service, he was “observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.” The incident took place at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, speaking at a brief press conference, said the man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy.
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said. The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”
The FBI asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators.
The suspect, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, was reported missing a few days ago by his family. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, who added that the box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle.
Guglielmi said that the man drove through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting.
Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile and a motive is still under investigation. Asked whether the individual was known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said “not right now.”
In July 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In September 2024, a man with a rifle who was waiting near Trump’s golf course in Florida was taken into custody. He was sentenced to life in prison.
