Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic comeback ended in heartbreak as she was airlifted to hospital after crashing in the early stages of her women’s downhill run

Lindsey Vonn is ‘stable’ in hospital after enduring a horror crash on her Olympic return in the women’s downhill. Vonn was airlifted to hospital after crashing in the early stages of her women’s downhill run in Cortina.

The American damaged her ACL when falling in a World Cup contest at Crans-Montana just over a week ago. However, she was determined to compete in Sunday’s event at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre.

Starting as the 13th skier, Vonn clipped a gate and somersaulted off the course just seconds into her run, silencing the Cortina crowd. Vonn was on the ground for around 15 minutes before being airlifted off the course, with spectators cheering her as the helicopter flew over.

And in an update released on Sunday evening, Team U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team confirmed: “Lindsey Vonn sustained an injury, but is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians.”

In a separate update, Vonn’s sister, Karin Kildow, told USA Today: “I mean, that definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay.

“And it was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign. But she really … she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see but we just really hope she’s okay.

“She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at.”

After a lengthy delay while the course remained closed, Vonn’s fellow American Breezy Johnson secured Team USA’s first medal of the Winter Olympics, finishing in 1:36:10 to take gold – the first American to do so since Vonn herself.

And speaking afterwards, Johnson said: “My heart goes out to her (Vonn). I hope it’s not as bad as it looked.

“I know how difficult it is to ski this course and how sometimes, because you love this course so much, when you crash on it and hurts you like that, it hurts that much worse. My heart just goes out to her.”

Another team-mate, fourth-placed Jacqueline Wiles, said: “I’m still processing a lot, after what happened with Lindsey. She looks hurt quite a bit. So I’m really happy, proud of Breezy and my heart hurts for Lindsey.

“It sucks for her. We’re such a tight group. Lindsey has really been a huge mentor for all of us and seeing her go down like that, it really sucks.

“It doesn’t change anything about her legacy. She’s a fighter and that’s the way that she’s going to go out and ski every time.”

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In moments of creeping authoritarianism, culture sometimes reacts faster than institutions. Bruce Springsteen’s rush-released song in the wake of killings of two Minneapolis residents by agents of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not just an act of commentary, but a deliberate intervention in public discourse.

Streets of Minneapolis operates as an alarm signal, its directness placing it in the public square, where naming and narration carry political weight. What also distinguishes Streets of Minneapolis is not just its fidelity to the tradition of the protest song, but its mode of circulation as a rapid response in the digital age.

This is Springsteen at his most declarative, operating not in the interior emotional space of the confessional singer-songwriter but in the outward-facing register of public address. His specificity – naming people, streets, organisations and the “winter of ’26” – marks the song as political communication rather than personal reflection.

His framing of the killings involves a shift from individual tragedies towards a shared civic injury. The repeated invocation of “our Minneapolis” performs rhetorical work, translating private loss into a shared collective experience and situating it as a wider public concern that extends beyond the city itself.

That movement from the individual to the collective places Streets of Minneapolis within a wider lineage of protest song, creating narratives out of real events so they can be remembered and acted upon. In this sense, the song does not simply respond to politics, but actively participates in political thought and action. “We’ll take a stand” is not a metaphorical flourish but a direct appeal.

Springsteen makes this lineage explicit through the early acoustic section, replete with insistent harmonica, and a vocal delivery and intonation that consciously signal Bob Dylan’s early protest music. Structurally, too, Springsteen’s call to action echoes Dylan works like The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll – moral force emerging through the accumulation of detail and reportage.

While Dylan’s later career moved away from direct protest toward the personal and allegorical, Springsteen here leans into that more direct mode of storytelling. It follows the protest song logic whereby narration becomes an engine of persuasion, reshaping contemporary events into historical record.

The reference carries added resonance given Dylan’s Minnesota roots, serving as a reminder that place, memory and music have long been intertwined in American protest culture.

Springsteen quotes himself, too, both musically and thematically, with a clear nod in the title to Streets of Philadelphia and a closing musical call-back to Born in the USA, its own tub-thumping aesthetic belying the portrait of a disillusioned Vietnam veteran in the lyrics.

These are not just nostalgic gestures but also markers of continuity. By folding earlier works into this new song, he situates the current moment within a longer trajectory of American struggle, via musical linkages between himself and Dylan – and Woody Guthrie before that.

Digital circulation and rapid response

Where protest songs once depended on live performance, radio play and physical distribution, they now travel through platforms. Within hours of release, Streets of Minneapolis was embedded in news coverage, shared across social media and dissected in comment threads and reaction videos.

Listeners encounter it not only as a song but as a reference point to be reposted, quoted, argued or aligned with. In that process, its energy comes less from a single, fixed message than from how it is used, repeated and spread through ongoing conversations.

This dynamic places protest music alongside other contemporary forms of political communication, particularly those shaped by meme culture and the logic of the online platforms through which much creative work is experienced. Short excerpts, lyrical fragments and recognisable musical cues circulate easily across feeds, videos and posts, where they are paired with captions, visuals and commentary.

In recent election cycles, for instance, music has functioned less as a background soundtrack or simple celebrity endorsement than as material that can be repurposed – looped in clips, used ironically, set against images, or mobilised to signal approval or dissent. In this environment, music functions as a part of the communicative infrastructure, enabling participation as much as persuasion.

This also comes amid growing political conflict around culture itself. While there is a longer history of public disputes between the Trump administrations and the artistic community, these tensions have recently escalated into direct interventions, including the cancellation of shows and the temporary closure of the Kennedy Center, pointing to an environment in which music and performance are increasingly politicised and directly entangled with power.

Seen in this context, Streets of Minneapolis is both traditional and distinctly contemporary. It draws on the narrative starkness and moral framing of folk protest, but gains traction through digital circulation. The killings in Minneapolis of Renée Good and Alex Pretti were the immediate catalyst, but the song’s significance lies in how it carries that moment forward.

As authoritarian power shifts gear, from creeping practice to open and violent assertion, the protest song adjusts its form and reach. Streets of Minneapolis reflects that transition, drawing on Springsteen’s longstanding role as a public narrator of American life. It can’t halt state action, but it can help to prevent it from going unnoticed and unrecorded.

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The Manchester Evening News looks back on cases before our region this week

An asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a woman is amongst those who have been jailed this week in Greater Manchester.

Tadi Alemeyeha grabbed the woman and tried to kiss her before making a ‘cut-throat’ gesture to stop her from reporting him.

Also locked up this week was a sneaky accountant who stole £130k from her company in the form of unauthorised overtime, unauthorised credit card use and petty cash.

And a cocky thug who got a dressing down from a judge after laughing his way through his sentencing hearing.

Prison terms are handed out to the worst offenders each week. And Manchester Evening News reporters are on hand to cover the most serious cases.

Here is a roundup of the cases heard before our courts this week:

Nicola Clarke

A head accountant for a top firm has been jailed after defrauding the company out of nearly £130,000. Nicola Clarke, 56, had been working for Business Computer Projects Ltd since 1987 and went on to be promoted to the head of accounts.

She held sole responsibility for all the financial aspects of the company, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. However, from 2008, she abused her to position to steal from them in three ‘discreet’ ways; by claiming unauthorised overtime payments, stealing petty cash and unauthorised use of the company’s credit card.

The total loss to the company was £128,352. Clarke, of Elm Tree Road, Bredbury, was jailed for 21 months.

Read the full story here: Sneaky bigwig accountant for top firm exposed as fraudster after stealing £130k

Tadi Alemeyeha

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A man living in a hotel housing asylum seekers sexually assaulted a woman before threatening her and ordering her to stay silent. Tadi Alemeyeha, 23, was living at the Britannia Country House Hotel in Didsbury at the time.

He arrived in the UK a few weeks earlier, a court heard. He initially denied the attack in August, but changed his plea to guilty as he was due to face trial at Minshull Street Crown Court.

He followed the woman before grabbing her as she tried to move away, it was said. Alemeyeha tried to kiss her. When the woman ran off, he put his finger to his lips before making a cut-throat gesture.

Alemeyeha – listed in court documents as living at the Britannia Country House Hotel, Palatine Road – pleaded guilty to sexually assault and was jailed for 18 months. He was ordered to sign the sex offender register for 10 years and slapped with a restraining order.

Read the full story here: Man living in hotel housing asylum seekers sexually assaulted woman before making ‘cut-throat’ gesture

Kai Pritchard

A smirking thug who terrorised his ex-girlfriend was slammed by a judge over his antics in court before he was jailed.

Kai Pritchard, 26, smirked and shook his head as details of the shocking abuse he committed against his former partner was detailed. “I don’t know why you are smiling while in the dock,” Judge Suzanne Goddard KC told Pritchard.

“There’s always two sides to every story though, isn’t there?,” Pritchard replied during an outburst. “Your attitude in court was not impressive,” Judge Goddard told Pritchard, before jailing him for four years and ten months.

Read the full story here: ‘I don’t know why you’re smiling’: Smirking thug’s pathetic courtroom antics

Graham Tardif

A judge blasted a paedophile who continuously shook his head as she jailed him for historic sex offences. Graham Tardif, 78, had been convicted after trial of rape of a girl under 16; three offences of indecent assault of a girl under 14; indecent assault of a girl under 16, sexual assault of a girl by touching and four offences of sexual assault of a girl under 13 by penetration.

Manchester Crown Court that Tardif, of Oldham, had abused the three girls over a 20 year period dating back to the late 1990s. The victims cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Tardif, of Stephenson Street, Failsworth, was jailed for 14 years.

Read the full story here: Judge’s eight word blast as monster who abused three schoolgirls pleads: ‘It’s not right’

Alan Fawcett

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A greedy loan shark who ran an illegal ‘payday loan scheme’ targeted vulnerable people and left them ‘living in fear’ when they were unable to pay back the high-interest funds.

Alan Fawcett claimed he ran a business on an online marketplace, buying and selling games consoles and TVs. He was actually handing out around £100,000 in loans to people in Greater Manchester, receiving an estimated £130,000 back in repayments over a two-year period.

When borrowers struggled to repay what they had borrowed – often charged with at least 50 per cent interest – the crook went on to threaten them, leaving some ‘living in fear’ for themselves and their families, Bolton Crown Court heard on Wednesday (February 4). One of the borrowers said they isolated themselves, ‘still close the blinds and don’t leave the house’.

Fawcett, 54 of Warrington Road, Ince, Wigan, was sentenced to four years in jail for money laundering and 18 months for illegal money lending.

Read the full story here: He said he ran an online business selling TVs, Xboxes and PlayStations – he left people ‘frightened for their children’s safety’

Jason Cunliffe

A serial robber lay in wait before pouncing on vulnerable women across Manchester. Ten separate incidents were recorded between August 17 and September 3 last year in Salford, Manchester and Bury.

It was reported to offers that a man had approached lone women in public spaces before forcibly stealing their handbags and belongings. He would often drag the victims to the ground and wrestle them during the robberies before fleeing on foot.

A search of a suspect’s home later revealed the man behind the crimes was Jason Cunliffe.

Cunliffe, of Wilton Road in Crumpsall, was jailed for 14 years.

Read the full story here: He preyed on women and pounced time and again

Adam Wood

A drug addict robbed a vulnerable disabled man and stole hundreds of pounds from him after exploiting his kindness.

Adam Wood, 35, ordered his victim to transfer £1,400 after turning up at his home in Eccles, Salford. Even after the man had allowed Wood to stay at his flat, Wood became physically aggressive and attacked him with the crutch he uses to get around.

At one point Wood picked up a knife and threatened to ‘slice him up’, Manchester Crown Court heard. Wood was sentenced to five years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to robbery; threatening a person with a bladed article; and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Read the full story here: ‘If I have to come back, I’ll kill you’: Drug addicted thug’s chilling words to disabled man as he threatened to slit his throat

Michael Harvey

A detective used police systems to track a woman he met in ASDA and convince her to go on a date with him before he began manipulating and controlling her, a court has heard.

Michael Harvey met the victim by chance at the supermarket in Rawtenstall back in 2012 before going on to use the police computer systems illegitimately, inputting her car registration plate to find out personal details about her, including her landline number.

The victim reported the offences to the police in July 2022 and the 64-year-old was arrested at his home in Eskdale, Skelmersdale, on October 9, 2023. He later pleaded guilty to engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour between December 2015 and July 2016. He also previously pleaded guilty to unauthorised access to computer material. He was cleared of three counts of rape after a separate trial in 2025.

The former officer worked as a detective in Lancashire Police’s Sexual Offenders Management Unit at the time of the offending before retiring from the Force in 2018. Appearing at Preston Session’s House on Thursday (February 5), he was jailed for 30 months and given a ten-year restraining order.

Read the full story here: Downfall of vile detective after meeting woman at ASDA

City have won only one of their last six Premier League games and the pressure is on them to keep pace with Arsenal. Liverpool have also struggled recently but come into the game on a high after they ended a five-game winless run in the Premier League by thrashing Newcastle last weekend. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, including expert insight.

I would really recommend it if you have thick frizzy hair like I do!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the hype around the Dyson Airwrap. Promising to shape, dry and curl your hair without tangles or frizz, it’s always seemed like the dream hair tool.

But with a hefty £400 price tag, I’ve never bought one, as it seemed like way too much money for what is essentially a glorified hairdryer. On a recent trip to Costco in Thurrock, I found that they were selling the Airwrap for about £280 with tax – a fraction of what it costs from the actual Dyson website.

So I decided to treat myself and see if it was really worth the hype! Full disclaimer, I have thick, pretty wavy hair that gets really frizzy if I let it air-dry on its own.

I also have a significant amount of damage from when 20-year-old me decided to dye her whole head blonde with a box dye from Superdrug. So I had pretty low hopes that the Dyson would actually do my hair how I want it to, despite the big price tag.

The Airwrap I bought came with the fast dryer attachment, a loop brush and a 40mm barrel to curl my hair. You can buy newer models with more attachments, but these are obviously more expensive.

I did some research on how to use the Airwrap most effectively after I made my purchase, and people on social media said to blow-dry your hair to about 80% dry after washing before going in with the curling barrel.

I also used the Beauty Works Dream Shine Leave In Blow Dry Formula spray after drying my hair a bit, to see if it would help hold the curls there for longer. My first impression was that the dryer is pretty strong!

I have a fair amount of hair, and my old Babyliss dryer would take about 15 minutes to dry it all. The Dyson got it to 80% dry in maybe 10, which I was very impressed with, considering how small the airflow hole is!

Then it was time to curl. The model of Dyson I bought has a little toggle on the top, so you can change the airflow direction to make the curls go the way you want them to.

I took small sections of hair, held them flat against the barrel until they caught on, and boom – the machine did the rest of the work for me! I really enjoyed not being burned by a curling iron, and I found the curling process much less sore on my arms than if I were to do it manually with a normal tool.

It was also significantly quicker. I got a full blow-out look in about 15 minutes – when I used to attempt it with a round brush and a dryer, it would take more like 45 minutes and two achy arms.

These curls held for a few hours – but I have a bad habit of touching my hair all the time, which probably made it last for a shorter period. It also definitely takes getting used to, and I’m considering buying a mouse to make the style last all day!

There are also other options if you’re looking to splurge on a fun hair-drying tool. The Shark Flex Style is a significantly cheaper option, clocking in at about £210, and the £220 Beauty Works AERIS Multi-Styler has some rave reviews too.

I do have a couple of issues with the Dyson, though. Firstly, you do need to buy products to put on your hair to make the curls hold if you have flat, frizzy hair like I do, which obviously makes the experience even more expensive. Secondly, the model I bought didn’t come with a bag to put it and all the attachments in, so I had to purchase a separate storage bag!

In summary, if you’re looking to treat yourself and want a hair tool that won’t damage your hair as much as a traditional curling iron, I would really recommend the Dyson Airwrap. I would definitely look at some reviews on TikTok or Instagram, in addition to some tutorials, to make sure you really get the most bang for your buck – but if you have a girlfriend who’s been yearning for one of these for ages, they make for a perfect Valentine’s Day gift!

The Team USA athlete was taking part in her first Olympics in eight years just days after she completely ruptured her ACL in her knee

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Karin Kildow, the sister of Olympic star Lindsey Vonn, has shared an update after the devastating accident at the Winter Olympics today (Sunday, February 8).

The 41 year old Team USA athlete was taking part in her first Olympics in eight years, just days after she completely ruptured her ACL in her knee. The Olympics are being held at Milan Cortina and Vonn was on the downhill Alpine when the accident happened, reported the Express.

Viewers were left watching in horror as Vonn appeared to lose her footing after she struck a gate with her right arm. This caused her to veer to the right while she was still airbourne and despite attempts to regain control, she hit the snow at an incredible speed.

The arena went quiet as Vonn’s cries could be heard amid the silence. Organisers switched on music to cover the silence from the stunned and worried spectators.

Vonn was placed in a medical bag then airlifted to hospital in a yellow helicopter that carried her above the snow covered mountains.

Speaking to USA Today, Vonn’s sister Karin Kildow said Vonn was conscious of all the dangers and was merely testing her limits. She reassured supporters that Vonn was receiving care from the finest medical professionals available.

“I mean that definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay,” she said.

“But she really … she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see, but we just really hope she’s okay.

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“She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at.”

Following a considerable delay whilst the course remained suspended, Vonn’s compatriot Breezy Johnson claimed Team USA’s opening medal of the Winter Olympics, clocking 1:36:10 to capture gold becoming the first American to achieve this since Vonn herself.

The closure is for emergency repairs following flooding from heavy rain which has been an issue since Friday, February 6.

The M62 Eastbound will close completely between Junction 11, Birchwood, and Junction 12, Eccles, on Sunday, February 8.

A National Highways spokesperson said this is in addition to a single-lane closure on the opposite, westbound carriageway.

Lanes 1 and 2 (of 4) remain closed on the #M62 eastbound between J11 (#Birchwood) and J12 (#M60) due to a drainage issue.

There will be a full closure this evening on the eastbound and a lane 4 closure on the westbound for emergency repairs. pic.twitter.com/5PKAS1SK17

— National Highways: North-West (@HighwaysNWEST) February 8, 2026

They said: “Lanes one and two (of four) are closed on the M62 Eastbound between J11 and J12 due to a drainage issue.

“There will be a full closure this evening on the eastbound and a lane four closure on the westbound for emergency repairs.”

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion.

After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

Will Drake Maye and the Patriots (17-3) capture their seventh Lombardi Trophy? Or will Sam Darnold and the Seahawks (16-3) earn their second?

The matchup features two stingy defenses, two balanced offenses and two quarterbacks who’ve taken vastly different routes to get here.

Led by defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones, cornerback Devon Witherspoon and rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, the Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the NFL and have standout players at every level.

The Patriots advanced to a record 12th Super Bowl because their defense has been dominant in the playoffs, allowing only 8.7 points per game.

Darnold has All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, veteran wideout Cooper Kupp and running back Kenneth Walker around him.

Running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Stefon Diggs give Maye plenty of support on New England’s offense.

The 23-year old Maye will be the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl. He’s aiming to become the youngest to win it.

The Patriots won six rings with coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. AP NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel, who was a linebacker on three of those teams, is seeking his first as a head coach.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is only in his second season and first with Darnold, who’s on his fifth team in eight years in the NFL. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick has finally found a home after bouncing around the league.

This is a rematch of the Super Bowl 11 years ago. Brady and the Patriots won that one, 28-24, after Russell Wilson’s pass from the 1-yard line in the final minute was intercepted by Malcolm Butler.

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Patriots are 4 1/2-point underdogs against Seattle.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

That’s what a mother and daughter team of traders who’ve been coming to York for 15 years had to say about The Big York Flea, an indoor market taking place today (February 8) in Railway Institute in Queen Street.

Around 1,500 visitors are expected to browse, peruse or purchase today.

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Organiser Judy Berger said she’s been bringing a mix of fashion-led traders to the city with a strong selection of vintage clothing and jewellery stalls, alongside carefully chosen crafts, retro homewares and handmade fashion.

Mother and daughter Margarita and Sarah Gamble were on site with their stall named Adorned and said they love bringing it to York.

They said they have their own website and a couple of other online shops but really appreciated the location and the space in the city centre.

Margarita, 59, said: “The locals have great taste in retro clothes and we just love the vibe, it’s one of our favourite places.

Sarah, 32, who went to university in York and graduated 12 years ago, appreciated the setting in the Railway Institute, likening it to the set of a Wes Anderson movie.

They both paid tribute to the organisation behind the scenes.

Organiser Judy Berger said York continues to be one of the most successful and supported locations (Image: Kevin Glenton)

More than 60 individual traders take part in The Big York Flea (Image: Kevin Glenton)

‘The York audience is wonderfully varied’

Margarita said: “We love Judy’s events, we’ve been doing them for 14 or 15 years.

“The organisation, communication and the range of traders she attracts makes all the difference to us.

“Every single time we trade at one of these events we always have a good time.

“A lot of our customers come out to see us too.”

Organisers said the sold-out event brings more than 60 traders to Railway Institute (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Judy Berger said: “The York audience is wonderfully varied — we see everyone from day trippers and tourists, to local families, students and long-standing regulars.

“There’s a real appetite for vintage here, and the mix of fashion, jewellery, homewares and creative stalls makes the event feel lively and accessible to a wide range of shoppers.

“The Big York Flea has been a part of the city’s retro fashion and handmade scene for 15 years and York continues to be one of our most successful and well-supported locations.

“A few years ago we moved the event to the Railway Institute, after realising what a brilliant space it is — not only because of its size, but also its prime position right next to the train station, which makes it incredibly easy for people to visit.

“Today’s event is completely sold out, with around 60 individual traders taking part.

“The mix is very fashion-led, with a strong selection of vintage clothing and jewellery stalls, alongside carefully chosen crafts, retro homewares and handmade fashion.”