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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alberto Castañeda Mondragón's memory was jumbled after he says he was badly beaten last month while being taken into custody byimmigration officers. He did not remember much of his past, but the violence of the Jan. 8 arrest in Minnesota was seared into his battered brain.

The Mexican immigrant told The Associated Press this week that he remembers Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulling him from a friend's car outside aSt. Paulshopping center and throwing him to the ground, handcuffing him, and then punching him and striking his head with a steel baton.

He remembers being taken to a detention facility, where he said he was beaten again. Then came the emergency room and the intense pain from eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages.

Castañeda Mondragón, 31, is one of an unknown number of immigration detainees who, despite avoiding deportation, have been left with lasting injuries following violent encounters with ICE. While the Trump administration insists ICE limits its enforcement operations to immigrants with violent rap sheets, he has no criminal record.

Here's what to know about the case, one of the excessive-force claims the federal government has thus far declined to investigate.

Immigrant says attack was unprovoked

ICE officers who arrested Castañeda Mondragón on Jan. 8 told nurses the man "purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall," an account Hennepin County Medical Center staffimmediately doubted. A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull — injuries a doctor told AP were inconsistent with a fall.

ICE's account evolved as Castañeda Mondragón lay stricken in the hospital. At least one officer told staff the man "got his (expletive) rocked," according to court documents filed by a lawyer seeking his release and nurses who treated him.

"There was never a wall," Castañeda Mondragón told AP, recalling ICE officers striking him with the same metal rod used to break the windows of the vehicle he was in. He later identified it as atelescoping batonroutinely carried by law enforcement.

Training materials and police use-of-force policies across the U.S. say such a baton can be used to hit the arms, legs and body. But striking the head, neck or spine is considered potentially deadly force.

Once he was taken to an ICE holding facility in suburban Minneapolis, Castañeda Mondragón said, officers resumed beating him. He said he pleaded with them to get a doctor, but they just "laughed at me and hit me again."

DHS will not discuss the case

The Trump administration this week announced abroad rolloutof body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis even as the government draws down ICE's presence there. But it's not clear whether Castañeda Mondragón's arrest was captured on body-camera footage or if there might be additional recordings from security cameras at the detention center.

TheDepartment of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the case.

The government's only acknowledgment of the injuries came in a Jan. 20 court filing that said it was learned during his arrest that "had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment."

The same filing said Castañeda Mondragón entered the U.S. legally in March 2022 and that the agency determined only after his arrest that he had overstayed his visa. A federal judge ruled his arrest had been unlawful and ordered him released from ICE custody.

Elected officials call for accountability

The case has drawn the attention of several officeholders in Minnesota, including Gov. Tim Walz, who this week posted an AP story about the case on X. But it's not clear whether any state authorities are investigating how Castañeda Mondragón was injured.

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office, which oversees St. Paul, urged Castañeda Mondragón to file a police report to prompt an investigation. He said he plans to file a complaint. A St. Paul police spokesperson said the department would investigate "all alleged crimes that are reported to us."

"We are seeing a repeated pattern of Trump Administration officials attempting to lie and gaslight the American people when it comes to the cruelty of this ICE operation in Minnesota," Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said in a statement.

Rep. Kelly Morrison, another Democrat and a doctor, recently toured the Whipple Building, the ICE facility at Ft. Snelling. She said she saw severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and an almost complete lack of medical care. She and other Minnesota Democrats say injuries that occur in ICE custody should be investigated.

"If any one of our police officers did this, you know what just happened in Minnesota with George Floyd, we hold them accountable," said Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum, whose district includes St. Paul. "There's no reason why federal agents should not be held to the same high standard."

Biesecker reported from Washington. Mustian reported from New York, and Attanasio reported from Seattle.

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for Americais a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

A suicide bomber kills at least 31 in Islamabad mosque attack.

A suicide bomber killed dozens of people and injured more than 160 during Friday prayers at a Shiite Muslim mosque in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, authorities said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via two posts on its Telegram channel, and included the name and picture of the alleged bomber. CNN was unable to immediately verify the image.

The death toll stood at 32 as of Saturday afternoon, according to police in Islamabad.

IS said the attacker shot guards who tried to stop him before detonating his explosive vest. In its statement the group warned that "there is still more to come."

This was the deadliest attack in the country since January 2023, when a blast at a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed more than 100 people.

"We had just begun the prayer when we heard the sound of gunfire, followed by a powerful explosion," a worshipper at the mosque, Syed Ameer Hussain Shah, 47, told CNN.

"I got injured as well. At that time, the mosque hall was full, with more than 400 worshippers inside."

Pakistan has witnessed a rising wave of militancy in recent years, but attacks have been less frequent in the heavily guarded capital. A bombing in Islamabad in November, which killed 12, was the deadliest suicide attack to rock the city in nearly two decades.

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Images in the aftermath of the attack showed bodies covered in blood lying on the floor of the mosque surrounded by shards of glass and debris.

"It was a horrible scene of my life which I could never have imagined," 24-year-old Shoaib told CNN from PIMS Hospital Islamabad, where he was visiting his wounded cousin.

"I heard the sound of single fire when we were in the middle of Friday prayers and, after a few seconds, a huge deafening sound of the explosion," he said. "Everyone was running outside while some worshipers began to shift the wounded to hospital. My young cousin sustained a wound in the right leg."

The US embassy in Islamabad condemned the attack. "Acts of terror and violence against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable," it said on X. "The people of Pakistan deserve safety, dignity, and the ability to practice their faith without fear."

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said the targeting of innocent civilians was "a crime against humanity," and the entire nation stood "shoulder to shoulder with the families affected," the Associated Press reported.

Neighboring Afghanistan's ministry of foreign affairs also condemned the attack. "The Islamic Emirate considers attacks that violate the sanctity of mosques and sacred religious rites and target worshippers and civilians to be in contradiction to Islamic and humanitarian values," it said.

CNN's Sophie Tanno contributed reporting. This story has been updated with Islamic State claiming responsibility and new death toll.

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The day after 84-year-old Nancy Guthriewas takenfrom her Tucson, Arizona, home under the cover of night, her daughter, Savannah, made a heartbreaking appeal to pray for her mother.

"Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment," she wrote in herfirst poston social media after her mother's abduction became public.

Two days later, in aheartbreaking videoGuthrie, host of NBC's flagship morning program "Today," sat sandwiched betweenher older sister and brother.

Speaking through tears, Guthrie described her mother as a strong, faithful woman and "God's precious daughter."

Guthrie's faith – and insistence on the power of prayer – has been central throughout the almost weeklong saga of her mother's disappearance.

In her 2024 bestseller "Mostly What God Does," Guthrie credits her parents for her religious upbringing and describes how her faith has helped her navigate some of the most difficult times in her life.

And, she says she's come to believe "the pains of this world are not (God's) original plan and will not be how the story ends."

"This," she writes, "is faith."

'The greatest gift my mother gave me'

One of Savannah Guthrie's earliest memories is of her mother, father and brother being baptized in their church.

"There were five of us Guthries," she writes, "But my sister used to say that God was the sixth member of our family."

Guthrie's father died when she was in high school and she recalls how her mom held the family together.

"My mom was so strong and set aside her own grief in many ways, just to be there and make sure that we could all move forward together," Guthrie recalled during a 2023Mother's Day segmenton "Today."

"The greatest gift my mother gave me was faith and belief in God. It changed my whole life."

But Guthrie admits throughout her book that she has at times struggled with her faith. And in those moments, Guthrie said her mother would often help her find her way back.

She recalls how her mom gave her the same Christmas gift for nearly a decade: a plastic-wrapped devotional journal.

"This was our tradition, our special thing, our bond," she writes. "It was how she encouraged/reminded/prodded me to walk with God as I walked into adulthood."

After college, Guthrie's mom helped her move from Arizona to Butte, Montana, for her first job in news. The two-day road trip would also mark Guthrie's first time moving away from home.

But 10 days after the she started, the news station closed. Guthrie explains experiences like this taught her faith is forged, not in moments of ease or happiness, but in the lowest points of adversity.

"I learned to trust God not because the terrible thing never happened, but because it did," she writes. "We often turn to prayer in desperation, when … our hearts and souls (are) plagued by the struggle."

"It's at these times we need prayer the most. And often when we find it hardest to do."

Keeping faith in the darkest valley

It's been nearly a week since Nancy Guthrie vanished from her home, and besides ransom notes sent to media outlets across the country earlier this week, investigators said the family has yet to be contacted by her alleged captor.

Guthrie's son, Camron,posted another pleaThursday afternoon for his mother's abductor to contact the family.

"Whoever is out there holding our mother. We want to hear from you. We haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward," he said.

The video coincided with a deadline the Federal Bureau of Investigation said was set in a ransom note sent to the media.

Local law enforcement and the FBI are now offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie's safe return. Officials said they have not yet identified a suspect in the case.

In a poignant chapter of her book, Savannah Guthrie explains how a family tradition helped her grow closer to God.

During the summers, Guthrie said her cousin Teri would stage a mock "kidnapping" – piling Savannah and her sister, Annie, into a station wagon with their cousins before embarking on a road trip from Tucson to Phoenix.

During the trip the Guthrie girls would find a payphone and call home to their mother who, she writes, "would feign shock … then assure us she'd drive up to retrieve us in a few days."

It was during one of these visits that Guthrie said her cousin introduced her to a scripture that would underpin her faith for the rest of her life: Psalm 23.

"Psalm 23 is our secret code, God and me," she writes of the prominent scripture. "Sometimes in moments of need, it appears out of nowhere."

Guthrie said she's learned to find hope and comfort in the scripture, which proclaims "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you (God) are with me."

"Wide awake and beset by anxiety, I turn to (Psalm 23) for meditation, a way to train my focus on something other than my worries and fears."

Decades later, in a cruel twist of fate, the Guthrie family is no longer pantomiming a kidnapping. As Guthrie's children desperately wait for the phone to ring, Savannah alluded to Psalm 23 in a video message to her mother.

"Mommy … we believe and know that even in this valley, He (God) is with you," Guthrie said.

"We pray without ceasing and we rejoice in advance for the day that we hold you in our arms again."

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had seven assists to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 114-111 victory over Sacramento on Friday night, sending the Kings to their 11th straight loss.

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John Collins added 22 points and Brook Lopez and Kris Dunn each had 15 for the Clippers, who ended a two-game skid.

Darius Garland, acquired from Cleveland earlier in the week, remained out. He hasn't played since Jan. 14 because of a sprained big toe on his right foot.

Malik Monk had 18 points to lead Sacramento, which hasn't won since beating Washington at home on Jan. 16. Nique Clifford had 16 points and Dylan Cardwell and Devin Carter each had 14 for the Kings. De'Andre Hunter, also acquired from the Cavaliers this week, had six points in his second game for Sacramento.

The Clippers went into halftime trailing 49-48, but took the lead for good with 9:50 left in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer from Lopez to make it 86-84.

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Clippers: At Minnesota on Sunday.

Kings: Host Cleveland on Saturday night.

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

NEW YORK (AP) — With an impressive performance at a pulsating Madison Square Garden, No. 22 St. John's showed everyone that third-ranked UConn has a legitimate challenger in the Big East this season.

Zuby Ejiofor had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Red Stormpowered past the Huskies 81-72 on Friday night,snapping their 18-game winning streak.

"We made a lot of big plays tonight, a lot of big plays, and I'm proud of our guys for just not panicking one bit at any point in the game," Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino said.

In the first showdown of the year between the Big East's top two teams, Dillon Mitchell added 15 points and Bryce Hopkins scored 14 for the Red Storm (18-5, 11-1), who have won nine straight and 14 of 16. They moved within a half-game of the first-place Huskies (22-2, 12-1) in the conference standings.

The victory also tied Pitino with Roy Williams for third place in Division I history with 903career wins on the court.

When it was over, a pumped-up Ejiofor went over to the St. John's student section to celebrate. The senior forward, the Big East preseason player of the year, also provided three blocks and two steals in a virtuoso performance.

"Just an all-around great atmosphere to play basketball. Friday night, MSG, great opponent, and, like Coach said, we had more of a home crowd than we thought, and the student crowd was engaged," Ejiofor said. "All the emotions really just flew out."

Silas Demary Jr. had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists for UConn, but the junior point guard committed nine of his team's 15 turnovers in a matchup between the past two Big East champions.

"It was Great Adventure. It was a roller-coaster ride. I mean, it really was. He had some incredible plays," Huskies coach Dan Hurley said. "We were too loose with the ball."

Alex Karaban scored 17 for Connecticut before a sold-out crowd of 19,812 filled with roaring fans of both teams — but decidedly in favor of the Johnnies.

"I thought The Garden was as good as I've seen it," Pitino said. "I thought it was unbelievable how good The Garden was. ... Tremendous crowd."

Said Hurley: "I saw a lot of red. That felt like a real road game."

St. John's went 22 for 31 at the free-throw line, while the Huskies were 5 of 12.

"They're grown men," Hurley said about the St. John's frontcourt, using a profanity for emphasis. "They're built for Big East games."

UConn's only other defeat this season came on Nov. 19 at home, 71-67 to undefeated Arizona, now the top-ranked team in the country.

The winning streak was the third-longest in school history.

"We've had an unbelievable run," Hurley said. "We haven't lost in months."

UConn shot 55% from the field, including 9 for 19 (47%) on 3-pointers, and held the Johnnies to 5 of 19 (26%) from beyond the arc. Hurley, however, said his team collapsed on defense in the second half and he thought his bench "was skittish a little bit."

St. John's reeled off a 10-0 spurt, capped by a 3 from Hopkins, to open a 55-45 lead with 13 minutes remaining. After trailing by 11, the Huskies responded quickly and cut it to 64-63 on a 3-pointer by Demary with 5:35 left.

But the Johnnies maintained their slim lead until a step-back 3 by Dylan Darling and a basket inside from Ejiofor made it 74-67 with 2:25 to play. UConn never got closer than four the rest of the way, and Mitchell's acrobatic tip-in helped the Red Storm hang on.

Pitino said he emphasized to his players over and over again to have no fear of failure.

"It was a really passionate game. It was a meaningful game. We knew exactly what we're playing for," Ejiofor said. "Our preparation leading up to this game was as great as it's been. ... We were able to lock in for a full 40 minutes and grind it out, do whatever it takes to win each and every possession."

It was the first time the schools squared off at The Garden with both ranked in the AP Top 25 since St. John's won the 2000 Big East Tournament championship game.

They meet again Feb. 25 in Hartford, Connecticut.

"I'm certainly going to celebrate tonight," Pitino said. "We've just got to keep it going and try and get better. ... What Bryce, Dillon and Zuby are doing in the frontcourt, it's pretty special."

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphereandhere(AP News mobile app). AP college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball