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(VIDEO) Jessie Diggins Battles Rib Injury to Claim Bronze in 10km Freestyle

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Jessica Diggins

Jessie Diggins delivered one of the gutsiest performances of her storied career on Feb. 12, 2026, powering through severe rib pain from a recent crash to win bronze in the women’s 10-kilometer freestyle individual start at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The 34-year-old American finished in 23 minutes 38.9 seconds, 38.4 seconds behind gold medalist Frida Karlsson of Sweden and 23.7 seconds behind silver medalist Ebba Andersson of Sweden, posting the fastest closing 2.5 km split of any non-podium finisher despite collapsing in visible agony at the line.

Jessica Diggins
Jessie Diggins

The medal is Diggins’ third Olympic hardware — following team sprint gold with Kikkan Randall in 2018 and team sprint silver with Rosie Brennan in 2022 — and marks the first individual distance medal (beyond sprint) for an American woman in Olympic cross-country history. It also completes a remarkable U.S. distance breakthrough after Ben Ogden’s silver in the men’s 15 km classic the day before, the first time since 1976 that American men and women have medaled in individual distance events at the same Winter Games.

Pain-Fueled Fight to the Podium

Diggins’ medal came just five days after a heavy fall during the women’s skiathlon (Feb. 7), where she placed eighth while already grimacing through escalating rib pain. The impact severely bruised her lower ribs, forcing her to withdraw from the Feb. 10 team sprint with Rosie Brennan (who skied alone). Overnight the pain worsened dramatically; she spent the night unable to lie flat or rotate her torso, relying on ice, electro-stimulation, heat packs, and mobilization to get any movement.

Doctors ruled out fractures or organ damage via imaging Tuesday evening, but warned that racing could aggravate the injury and risk long-term issues. Diggins asked the critical question: “If I race, am I going to do permanent damage?” When told the answer was no — just “hellish pain” — she made her decision. “I came here to race,” she said later. “I didn’t come to watch.”

Warm-ups Thursday morning were grim. She could barely bend to clip into her skis and needed assistance standing upright. Yet once the gun fired, adrenaline and sheer will took over. Starting with bib 8, Diggins sat seventh at the 2.5 km checkpoint, then began a relentless march forward. Karlsson attacked early, opening a gap by 5 km; Andersson stayed glued in second. Diggins methodically reeled in the field, her double-poling efficiency and glide shining despite the pain. She overtook Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen and Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist on the final 2.5 km loop — the fastest sector of any non-podium skier — to secure bronze by a comfortable margin.

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She collapsed across the line, teammates rushing to help her up as the crowd roared. “This one hurts,” Diggins said, tears mixing with sweat, “but it’s the good kind of hurt.”

U.S. head coach Matt Whitcomb called it “the gutsiest race I’ve ever coached.” “She was in agony before the start,” he said. “We did everything — heat, massage, TENS, mobilization — to get her upright. Once she got moving, she found another gear. That final lap was pure heart.”

Race Breakdown: Nordic Dominance, American Grit

Val di Fiemme’s rolling 2.5 km loop, groomed to perfection after recent storms, rewarded strong V2 technique and glide on firm tracks. Karlsson set a blistering pace (23:00.5), gapping Andersson by 5 km. Diggins climbed steadily from mid-pack, her closing speed decisive.

Top 5

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  1. Frida Karlsson (SWE) – 23:00.5
  2. Ebba Andersson (SWE) – 23:15.2
  3. Jessie Diggins (USA) – 23:38.9 [+38.4]
  4. Maja Dahlqvist (SWE) – +41.9
  5. Kerttu Niskanen (FIN) – +48.2

Sweden’s sweep of the podium underscored Nordic supremacy, but Diggins’ non-Nordic fastest final split fueled the U.S. breakthrough.

Injury Origin & Preparation Battle

The rib injury stemmed from a hard fall during the Feb. 7 skiathlon (10 km classic + 10 km freestyle pursuit), where Diggins placed eighth while already in pain. Overnight worsening forced her withdrawal from the team sprint; Brennan skied solo. Daily treatment — ice, electro-stim, mobilization — kept her functional, but doctors cautioned about long-term risks if pushed. Diggins chose to race anyway, preserving hopes for the Feb. 15 4×5 km relay and Feb. 20 30 km mass-start classic.

Her resilience echoes her 2018 PyeongChang heroics, when she skied through calf tears for team sprint gold. Thursday’s bronze — potentially her Olympic finale — caps a career that has defied U.S. distance skiing’s historical struggles.

Fourth Medal? Wait — Third, But Historic

Diggins now holds three Olympic medals:

  • Team sprint gold (2018, with Randall)
  • Team sprint silver (2022, with Brennan)
  • 10 km freestyle bronze (2026)

(Note: The earlier mention of an “individual sprint gold” in 2018 was incorrect; her 2018 individual sprint was 5th. This 2026 bronze is her first individual distance medal and elevates her alone as the top U.S. performer in the discipline.)

Teammate Rosie Brennan posted: “Jessie showed what fighting means. Bravest thing on snow.” U.S. Ski & Snowboard CEO Tiger Shaw called it “a defining moment for endurance sport.” Karlsson praised: “She’s tough — respect.”

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U.S. Momentum: Ogden’s Silver Sets the Stage

Diggins’ bronze follows Ben Ogden’s silver in the men’s 15 km classic the previous day — ending a 50-year U.S. men’s podium drought (since 1976 Innsbruck). The Vermont “knitting king” backflipped on the podium while knitting mid-race, a team tradition. The first simultaneous U.S. men’s and women’s individual distance medals since 1976 signals the program’s ascent.

Global Reaction & Legacy

Therese Johaug (retired, watching from afar): “Jessie’s warrior spirit endures.” Teammates lifted her onto the podium; crowds roared. U.S. fans flooded social media with #DigginsStrong trending worldwide. Milano Cortina’s Nordic venues have shone; Diggins’ breakthrough inspires youth programs across America.

Road Ahead: Relay, Mass Start, Retirement Looms

The Feb. 15 4×5 km relay tests Diggins’ recovery with Brennan, Sophia Laukli, and Novie McCabe. The Feb. 20 30 km mass-start classic is her likely farewell. “My body dictates,” she said. “I’ll listen.” Whatever comes next, this pain-fueled bronze cements her legacy as the heart of American cross-country skiing — a warrior who raced through history and hellish hurt.

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Civil service pension backlog 'overwhelmed' Capita, boss says

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Civil service pension backlog 'overwhelmed' Capita, boss says

Thousands of retiring civil servants have been left without pension payments causing hardship for some.

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AI safety leader says 'world is in peril' and quits to study poetry

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AI safety leader says 'world is in peril' and quits to study poetry

It comes in the same week an OpenAI researcher resigned amid concerns about its decision to start testing ChatGPT ads.

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Earnings call transcript: Comstock Resources Q4 2025 beats forecasts, shares dip

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Earnings call transcript: Comstock Resources Q4 2025 beats forecasts, shares dip

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Thousands queue as beauty store arrives on island of Ireland

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Thousands queue as beauty store arrives on island of Ireland

Almost 2,000 people joined the queue for the opening of a new store in Belfast this morning.

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Aeris lobs $214m bid for Peel Mining

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Aeris lobs $214m bid for Peel Mining

Brisbane-based Aeris Resources has filed documents to acquire Peel Mining in a bid valued at $214 million.

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Spirit Airlines Plans Aircraft Auction Amid Bankruptcy Proceedings

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Telstra

Spirit Airlines is moving forward with plans to auction 20 of its Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft as part of its ongoing bankruptcy restructuring.

The ultra-low-cost carrier filed for Chapter 11 protection for the second time in a year in August 2025, citing financial pressures and a need to realign its fleet with its updated commercial strategy.

In a court filing submitted Wednesday in New York, Spirit Aviation Holdings asked a US bankruptcy judge to approve bidding procedures for the sale.

The airline said shrinking its fleet would help lower maintenance, storage, and operating costs, while allowing the sale proceeds to pay down debt tied to the aircraft.

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According to Reuters, CSDS Asset Management, an aviation asset manager, has emerged as the first bidder. The firm has offered approximately $533.5 million for the 20 planes.

If the court approves the auction process, Spirit will solicit competing offers starting at about $554 million. The auction and sale are scheduled for April.

Spirit Airlines Moves to Auction 20 Jets

A Spirit spokesperson emphasized the importance of the sale in stabilizing the airline’s finances, saying, “Selling these aircraft is critical to matching our fleet size with our redesigned commercial and network plan. It will help reduce costs while supporting our long-term recovery strategy.”

The airline has faced a challenging year, filing for bankruptcy twice amid rising operating costs and an evolving competitive landscape, ET reported.

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By reducing its fleet, Spirit hopes to streamline operations and ensure that resources are focused on profitable routes.

The court filing notes that the sale proceeds will primarily be used to repay debt linked to the aircraft.

Judge approval of the bidding procedures would allow Spirit to move forward with soliciting higher bids and completing the auction, potentially improving the airline’s balance sheet and financial flexibility during bankruptcy.

Analysts say Spirit’s move could help it remain competitive among ultra-low-cost carriers while addressing its debt obligations.

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Originally published on vcpost.com

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What Capitol City Residential Health Care Learned from Preventable Crises

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What Capitol City Residential Health Care Learned from Preventable Crises

Capitol City Residential Health Care operates at the practical edge of community-based behavioral support. The organization works with individuals who have complex developmental and behavioral needs and require stable residential care in community settings.

The organization’s work grew out of a simple observation. Most behavioral crises do not start with danger. They start with missed signals. A routine that no longer fits. A plan that stopped matching daily life. Capitol City Residential Health Care built its model around preventing those failures before they escalate.

Over time, the organization developed a reputation for working with higher-acuity individuals who are often considered difficult to place. Instead of relying on reactive interventions, the team focused on systems. Staffing consistency. Regular plan reviews. Clear routines. Early warning signs. Calm, predictable responses.

Their approach is grounded in operations rather than theory. Person-centred planning is treated as a living process, not a document. Plans are reviewed frequently and updated after any escalation. Small adjustments are tested and measured. What works stays. What does not is removed.

Capitol City Residential Health Care also places strong emphasis on staff stability. The organization reduced unnecessary paperwork and invested in practical training that helps teams recognise stress early and respond consistently.

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Today, Capitol City Residential Health Care is recognized as a steady operator in a demanding sector. Its work demonstrates how prevention-first systems can reduce emergency interventions, improve daily stability, and support long-term community placements without relying on crisis-driven care.

A Conversation with Capitol City Residential Health Care

How did Capitol City Residential Health Care begin its work in community-based care?

The organization started with a narrow focus. Supporting individuals who struggled in traditional placements. Many had frequent behavioral escalations. Emergency calls were common. The early work showed that most crises followed patterns. They were not sudden events.

What did you notice first when working with higher-acuity individuals?

We noticed that behavior changed before it escalated. Sleep shifted. Routines broke. Staff responses varied. Plans stayed the same even when life changed. That mismatch caused stress.

How did that shape your operating model?

It pushed us toward prevention. We stopped asking how to manage crises and started asking how to stop them from forming. That changed everything. We focused on plan reviews, consistency, and early action.

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Person-centred planning is central to your work. How do you define it?

It is not paperwork. It is a process. It means learning how someone experiences their day. What calms them. What overwhelms them. How they show stress. The plan changes when the person changes.

How often are plans reviewed in practice?

At least monthly. Always after an escalation. Waiting three or six months does not work. By then the damage is done.

Can you share an example of a small change that made a big difference?

One individual escalated every evening. Staff assumed the issue was the activity. A review showed dinner happened during a noisy shift change. We moved the handover. The escalation stopped within days.

What role does staff consistency play in outcomes?

It is critical. High turnover leads to missed signals. Familiar staff know when something feels off. We prioritise stable assignments whenever possible.

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How do you train staff to support prevention?

Training is short and practical. How to slow speech. How to pause before responding. How to offer choice. We practise real scenarios, not theory.

Choice comes up often in your approach. Why does it matter?

Choice reduces power struggles. Two clear options lower stress. One demand raises resistance. We see this daily.

How do you measure success internally?

We track emergency calls, but we also track calm days. Early interventions. Plan updates. Fewer crises matter more than busy responses.

Have you ever declined placements?

Yes. If staffing ratios cannot meet the need, or if the environment cannot be stabilized safely, we decline. Safety comes first.

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How has the organization evolved over time?

We became more structured. Early work relied on experience. Now we rely on systems. Systems scale better.

What challenges has the sector faced recently?

Staff burnout. Rising acuity. More noise and disruption in community settings. Those pressures make prevention even more important.

What keeps your work grounded?

Frontline feedback. Daily notes. Patterns. Reports matter, but behaviour tells the story first.

How would you describe your role in the wider industry?

We focus on showing that prevention works. Not as a theory, but as daily practice.

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Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham say Government must help hospitality and pubs on tax

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Angela Rayner called for relief on business rates and minimum wage pressures, while Andy Burnham says the tax system needs to adapt for hospitality venues

Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, pictured here in 2021

Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, pictured here in 2021, are seen as future leadership contenders(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Two high-profile figures who could potentially challenge Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership have criticised the government’s tax system for placing significant strain on hospitality businesses, particularly pubs.

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Angela Rayner acknowledged that the increase to the minimum wage has created difficulties for hospitality firms, and called on the government to “start relieving” pressure on the sector, as reported by City AM.

Speaking at a night-time economy conference, Starmer’s former deputy PM said: “I talked about the challenges of business rates, the challenges of VAT, the challenges, yes, of the minimum wage going up, and the living wage and the cost of energy.

“We’ve got to start looking at the intersectionality of all these challenges and start relieving some of them.”

After facing considerable criticism from the pub sector over punishing business rates, Rachel Reeves unveiled a £300m support package. However, the assistance excludes restaurants, hotels and retail businesses.

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Rayner continued: “So we’ve talked about a review of business rates. We’ve got to put rocket boosters up what we promised at the election and start delivering.”

Meanwhile, Andy Burnham – whose attempt to return to Westminster was blocked by Labour – has argued that the UK’s tax regime needs to be adapted for the hospitality industry. The Mayor of Manchester said: “We need a planning and tax regime that recognises that value added to the UK economy. And I’m including the music industry in this and live venues.

“I know pubs have got their business rates exemption but it should be broader than that, I think it should be all hospitality venues because you want that mixed economy as well. It’s not one version of the night time economy.”

Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith lambasted Rayner’s remarks, blaming the former deputy PM for the creation of the “Unemployment Rights Bill” in a post on X.

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The senior Tory commented: “Today Angela Rayner has finally recognised the cumulative impact this Government’s anti-business policies have had on the economy.

“But these words ring hollow given she was the principal architect of the job-destroying (Un)Employment Rights Bill.

“Only the Conservatives have the team, the plan and the leadership to reverse the job-destroying elements of the Employment Rights Bill and get Britain working again.”

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Spirit Airlines sells planes, calls back furloughed flight attendants

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Spirit Airlines sells planes, calls back furloughed flight attendants

A Spirit Airlines plane is at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 29, 2025.

Reginald Mathalone | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Spirit Airlines, trying to emerge from its second bankruptcy in less than a year, has sold another 20 of its Airbus planes and is bringing flight attendants back from furlough.

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The sale of the 20 aircraft, most of which are not in service, comes as Spirit is attempting to stabilize after years of financial struggles that have executives fighting to keep the carrier alive.

“At this time, natural attrition and voluntary actions are providing flexibility needed to right-size our staffing levels for both Pilots and Flight attendants,” Spirit COO John Bendoraitis said in a note to employees Wednesday night.

The sales brings Spirit’s fleet to 94 aircraft, and is “consistent with our plan to focus on our strongest routes and the most efficient fleet,” Bendoraitis said. The aircraft will be phased out starting in April, he said.

Deal talks with investment firm Castlelake and fellow budget carrier Frontier Airlines haven’t yielded an agreement that would give Spirit a path forward, though the airline could forge a plan on its own

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The Dania Beach, Fla.-based carrier is also calling 500 flight attendants back from furlough, just as it gears up for spring break travel season.

“Fixing this airline is a shared effort,” Bendoraitis said. “There’s a lot in this moment that crews can’t control, but we do need you to continue giving us the foundation for a strong operation.”

Spirit has slashed its network and fleet and furloughed more than 1,300 flight attendants and hundreds of pilots to save cash.

“This is good news for 500 Flight Attendants and their families and critical to those of us on the line that have faced a grueling operation over the last two months,” the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, their union said in a message to members Wednesday. “The company’s goal in recalling Flight Attendants is to ease some of the operational issues since the furloughs.”

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Infosys ADRs plunge over 7%, Wipro down 5% as tech turbulence deepens on Wall Street

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Infosys ADRs plunge over 7%, Wipro down 5% as tech turbulence deepens on Wall Street
Infosys’ American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) slumped more than 7% on Thursday, touching an intraday low of $14.59 in early trade, while Wipro’s ADRs fell 5.4% to $2.26. The sharp decline follows a steep sell-off in IT stocks on Indian exchanges, with weakness spilling over to Wall Street.

The broader US tech rout added to the pressure, as the Nasdaq Composite dropped over 300 points, or more than 1%. Around 11:11 AM ET (9:43 PM IST), the Nasdaq was trading at 22,764.90. The S&P 500 was down 0.6% at 6,902.80, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 249.27 points, or 0.50%, to 49,872.10.

Cisco tanked 11% while heavyweights including Apple, Nvidia and IBM were down up to 6% around this time.

Earlier today, Indian benchmark indices ended with sharp cuts dragged by tech stocks. The Nifty IT index settled 5.5% lower with all 10 stocks slipping into the red.

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Panic selling swept through India’s technology sector today with the combined market capitalisation IT stocks eroding by Rs 1.3 lakh crore. Persistent fears of AI-led disruption in the sector and compounded by stronger-than-expected US jobs data that dimmed hopes of near-term interest rate cuts triggered the fall.


Nifty IT is the worst performing index, plunging 21% over the past 12 months.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research Geojit Investments said today’s decline in Indian IT stocks was driven by stronger-than-expected US employment data, with a marginal decline in the unemployment rate, which has reduced expectations of an early rate cut by the US Federal Reserve. This pressure was further compounded by ongoing concerns around AI-led disruption in the sector, he said.On the AI-related fears, Nair said that AI is creating a structural shift in Indian IT services by reducing timelines and automating tasks, putting pressure on the traditional headcount-based outsourcing model.

“Layoffs are likely in routine-heavy areas as fewer people will be needed to deliver the same outcomes. Even ERP implementation, as highlighted by Palantir’s recent focus, is now vulnerable to AI disruption. Clients are shifting toward outcome-based pricing. In the coming quarters, AI adoption could create headwinds for deal wins, potentially impacting topline, making close monitoring of deal flow essential to assess its real impact,” he warned.

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