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9.2.26

As Cadillac races to first F1 season, insiders advise patience for U.S. fans

4:22:00 AM
As Cadillac races to first F1 season, insiders advise patience for U.S. fans

Cadillac has become the first American auto giant to step into the fiercely competitive world of Formula One with a dedicated team. The storied U.S. brand unveiled the official team livery for its inaugural 2026 season during theSuper BowlSunday night.

The Super Bowl ad, which aired during the fourth quarter, shows the black and white livery. It features part of President John F. Kennedy's 1962 speech in which he said, "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

"That challenge is one that we are willing to accept ... and one which we intend to win," the edited speech said in the ad. The short feature closed out with the phrase: "THE MISSION BEGINS."

Progress under pressure. The first Cadillac Formula 1® Team livery is here.pic.twitter.com/u2LVwQkFL5

— Cadillac Formula 1 Team (@Cadillac_F1)February 9, 2026

Leading Cadillac's effort is team principal Graeme Lowdon, who's built the team from the ground up, including new facilities in Indiana, the home of Indycar; North Carolina, the home of NASCAR; and Silverstone, England, the home of F1.

Speaking with CBS before the livery reveal, Lowdon called the road to get Cadillac into the F1 game "lengthy, with lots of twists and turns."

He recently shared that Cadillac had hired more than 500 people to join the new team, from a pool of some 143,000 applicants.

"There's a lot of expectation, and quite rightly so," Lowdon told CBS News. "General Motors is a hugely respected and impressive entity ... so there is that pressure, but that's what Formula One's about."

On the track, the American brand will be represented by former Mercedes team driver Valtteri Bottas, originally from Finland, and Mexican former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez. Widely considered to be veterans in the sport, they have a total of 16 Grand Prix victories and more than 500 race starts between them.

Cadillac's Formula One team principal Graeme Lowdon, left, with driver Valtteri Bottas. / Credit: Cadillac Formula 1 Team

Having that level of experience behind the wheel, for an otherwise new team, was the chief motivator behind signing those two drivers, according to Lowdon.

"These guys know how to win," he said. "But above all else, they have an ability to gel a team together, so they're the focal point for the engineering activities, the garage activities, everything to do with operating a team at the highest level."

A slow start in a fast sport?

Experts say American fans hoping Cadillac will deliver a blockbuster first season as it steps into the ring against longtime heavyweights such as Ferrari and Mercedes may be disappointed.

The odds of Cadillac winning an F1 race, or even finishing on the podium this season, aren't generally considered very strong.

A winning Formula One car, and a winning team behind it, can take at least several seasons to develop, and require consistent investment.

Ross Brawn, the man widely credited as the architect behind German F1 sensationMichael Schumacher's success, told CBS News at the 2026 Autosport Awards in London that American fans may need some patience.

Formula One former team principle, longtime technical director and analyst Ross Brawn speaks with CBS News at the 2026 Autosport Awards in London, Jan. 21, 2026. / Credit: CBS News

"It's very tough," Brawn said about the expectations for the Cadillac team this season. "They've got some very good people there. They have been sensible in choosing a lot of experienced people, but it's going to be very tough, so give them a bit of time."

David Croft, a prominent Formula One commentator for Britain's Sky Sports network, urged fans this year to look for development, not podium placement.

"Wherever they start the hope for me is that that's not where they'll finish," he told CBS News at the 2026 Autosport Awards. "They've got the drive and the determination, and they've got the right people in place to be a success eventually in Formula One, but it's going to take a bit of time."

Formula One's growing popularity in the U.S.

According to ESPN, which has long held Formula One broadcasting rights in the U.S., 2025 was the biggest season to date for average viewership for the sport, with 16 of the 24 races setting viewership records. The broadcaster has said that over the past eight years, average viewership per Grand Prix more than doubled, from 554,000 to 1.3 million in the U.S.

Formula One is still dwarfed in the U.S. as a racing spectator sport, with overall viewership for the Nascar Cup Series, for instance, averaging 3.2 million in 2025.

But insiders say the trajectory is undeniable, and encouraging.

"There was a time we'd go to Austin, the U.S. Grand Prix, and nobody would know what Formula One is when we got to passport control, let alone who we were," Croft told CBS. "Now people know who we are and what Formula One is, what it stands for."

Many pundits see the success of Netflix's "Drive to Survive" series behind F1's rising popularity in the U.S.

Croft also credited the addition of two more races in the United States, in Miami and Las Vegas. Alongside races in Texas, Mexico, Canada and Brazil, a total of six F1 races now take place within American time zones, making it easier for fans to tune into the action live, he noted.

Lowdon hopes Cadillac can ride the wave of popularity, and that fans will enjoy following the new team's journey - even if it means settling for relatively small "wins" at first.

"It's really so difficult to achieve success that, if you come along and join the journey ... then [fans] can enjoy, if you like, the minor victories along the way," he said. "Even just producing a car as complex as this is a minor victory in itself."

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High school classmates Mike Macdonald, Maria Taylor share Lombardi moment

4:22:00 AM
High school classmates Mike Macdonald, Maria Taylor share Lombardi moment

The Wikipedia page for Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia features 11 names in its "Notable Alumni" section. A pair of them shared the stage at the Lombardi Trophy presentation afterSuper Bowl 60.

USA TODAY Sports

NBC Sports host Maria Taylorpresented the NFL's championship trophy to former classmate Mike Macdonald, the head coach of theSeattle Seahawks, on Feb. 8. Macdonald led Seattle to aSuper Bowl win– the franchise's second ever – in his second season as head coach. Taylor was fresh off of her first time as the lead host of a Super Bowl pregame show and also taking on trophy presentation duties for the first time.

While the two Centennial High School alums were on stage, they shared a moment together that Taylor later posted to social media.

"Just two kids from Centennial High School that made it to the Super Bowl! 🏆," Taylor wrote on social media platform X.

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Macdonald and Taylor also both attended the University of Georgia after they graduated from Centennial High School, paving different yet parallel roads to get to where they were for Super Bowl 60.

The Fulton County, Georgia high school still has a chance to send a third alum to the Lombardi Trophy stage in future years as well.Minnesota Vikingsrookie quarterbackMax Brosmeralso attended Centennial High School before heading to New Hampshire for college prior to his transfer to Minnesota.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) makes a catch against New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) runs against New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) makes a catch against New England Patriots safety Craig Woodson (31) and cornerback Marcus Jones (25) during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers (5) celebrates with fullback Brady Russell (38) after kicking a field goal against the New England Patriots during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) celebrates against the New England Patriots in the first half in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) and Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) celebrate a stop against the New England Patriots in the first half in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. New England Patriots safety Craig Woodson (31) reacts after a play against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) breaks up a pass intended for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) in the first half in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) react after a play during the first quarter against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs against New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) during the second quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Jason Myers #5 of the Seattle Seahawks kicks a field goal against the New England Patriots during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the second quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98) reacts after sacking New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the second quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks calls out orders from the line of scrimmage during the first quarter of Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.

Super Bowl 60: Check out best photos from Seahawks vs Patriots

NBC Sports doesn't own the broadcast right for the Super Bowl again until 2030. These two Centennial High School classmates – and the rest of the school's alumni – will have to wait until then to see if they share the Lombardi Trophy presentation stage again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Classmates Mike Macdonald, Maria Taylor have Super Bowl moment

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Super Bowl 2026: 5 plays that defined Seahawks' dominant win over Patriots

4:22:00 AM
Super Bowl 2026: 5 plays that defined Seahawks' dominant win over Patriots

The Seattle Seahawks entered Sunday's Super Bowl one dominant performance away from establishing their defense as one of the greatest of all time.

Mission accomplished.

Anchored by a dominant defensive effort,the Seahawks rolled to a 29-13 win over the New England Patriotsfor the franchise's second Super Bowl championship. While Kenneth Walker III and Sam Darnold did what was needed on offense, Seattle's defense dominated the game and the highlight reel.

Here are the five plays that defined Seattle's Super Bowl victory:

Derick Hall's second sack leads to turnover

While Seattle had thoroughly dominated the game through three quarters, the outcome wasn't settled. Thanks to failing to score a touchdown, Seattle's lead was limited to two possessions at 12-0 as the third quarter wound down.

Derick Hall helped ensure that Seattle's defensive efforts wouldn't go to waste. With the Patriots facing third-and-5 near midfield in the final seconds of the quarter, Hall beat right tackle Morgan Moses and tracked down quarterback Drake Maye in a collapsing pocket.

He poked the ball loose for a fumble that defensive tackle Byron Murphy II recovered.

HUGE STOP. HUGE TURNOVER.📺:@SNFonNBCpic.twitter.com/b9RLRWXMfm

— xz* - Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks)February 9, 2026

The sack was the second of the game for Hall, who set the tone in the first quarter with a sack of Maye on New England's first possession that ultimately forced a punt. Now he'd forced the first turnover of the game at a critical juncture in the second half.

Seahawks capitalize with Sam Darnold's only TD

Seattle hadn't done much with the ball up to that point while tallying four field goals through three quarters. But Sam Darnold and Co. capitalized on Hall's strip sack.

Five plays after the turnover, Darnold found tight end AJ Barner for a 16-yard touchdown pass to extend Seattle's lead to 19-0.

In the end, it was Seattle's only offensive touchdown of the game. It was enough to secure the win as a late New England scoring surge fell short.

Darnold didn't have his best game while completing 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards with 1 touchdown. But he didn't collapse or even make a notable mistake, which was all the Seahawks needed from him Sunday night.

Drake Maye's bad interception

The Patriots responded to Darnold's touchdown pass with their first score of the day on a quick-strike touchdown drive that covered 65 yards on three plays, keeping pressure on the Seahawks.

But on New England's next possession, Seattle took the ball right back. With a chance to cut their deficit to one possession, the Patriots drove near midfield with momentum on their side. But Maye offered an underthrown ball into traffic that safety Julian Love intercepted and returned 35 yards.

35-YARD INTERCEPTION RETURN 🚨@_jlove20📺: SNFonNBCpic.twitter.com/xhikG5b7bZ

— xz* - Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks)February 9, 2026

Before the pick, that was New England's best chance to make it a game.

Seahawks score on defense

If Maye's first interception didn't ice the game, his second did. With Seattle holding a 22-7 lead late in the fourth quarter, Maye wound up for what was intended to be a deep pass. It barely moved forward. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon hit him as he released the ball.

Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu snagged it and took it 45 yards for what initially looked like a fumble return for a touchdown.

Scorers ruled the play an interception instead of a fumble and recovery.

No matter. The result of the play was the same: a Seattle touchdown and a 29-7 lead.

Kenneth Walker's big runs keep Seattle moving early

We're cheating here a bit. This is two plays.

But Kenneth Walker III's back-to-back big runs early in the game kept an otherwise stagnant Seattle offense moving.

With Seattle holding a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter, Walker broke containment around the left edge and ran 30 yards down the sideline to get into New England territory.

Kenneth Walker finds space for 30 yards!Super Bowl LX on NBCStream on@NFLPlus+ Peacockpic.twitter.com/IsQkiEskFp

— NFL (@NFL)February 9, 2026

After a Darnold incompletion on the ensuing first down, the Seahawks went back to Walker. He delivered again, this time with a 29-yard run up the middle and toward the right sideline to the New England 17.

Back-to-back big runs from Kenneth Walker 🔥Super Bowl LX on NBCStream on@NFLPlus+ Peacockpic.twitter.com/BKFWW8PAkP

— NFL (@NFL)February 9, 2026

Walker's two runs accounted for more than the 55 yards Seattle gained on the drive and set up Jason Myers for a 39-yard field goal and a 6-0 Seattle lead.

In the end, Walker's efforts added up to 135 yards on 27 carries (5 yards per carry). And his two big first half runs were a big reasonhe won Super Bowl MVP.

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Migrants languish in US detention centers amid dire conditions and prolonged waits

3:42:00 AM
Migrants languish in US detention centers amid dire conditions and prolonged waits

MIAMI (AP) — Felipe Hernandez Espinosa spent 45 days at "Alligator Alcatraz," an immigration holding center in Florida where detainees have reportedworms in their food,toilets that don't flush and overflowing sewage. Mosquitoes and other insects are everywhere.

For the past five months, the 34-year-old asylum-seeker has been at an immigration detention camp at the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso, Texas, wheretwo migrants died in Januaryand which has many of the same conditions, according to human rights groups. Hernandez said he asked to be returned to Nicaragua but was told he has to see a judge. After nearly seven months in detention, his hearing was scheduled for Feb. 26.

Prolonged detention has become more common in President Donald Trump's second term, at least partly because a new policy generally prohibitsimmigration judgesfrom releasing detainees while their deportation cases wind through backlogged courts. Many, like Hernandez, are prepared to give up any efforts to stay in the United States.

"I came to this country thinking they would help me, and I've been detained for six months without having committed a crime," he said in a phone interview from Fort Bliss. "It is been too long. I am desperate."

The Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot hold immigrants indefinitely, finding that six months was a reasonable cap.

With the number of people in ICE detention topping 70,000 for the first time, 7,252 people had been in custody at least six months in mid-January, including 79 held for more than two years, according to agency data. That's more than double the 2,849 who were in ICE custody at least six months in December 2024, the last full month of Joe Biden's presidency.

TheTrump administration is offering plane fareand $2,600 for people who leave the country voluntarily. Yet Hernandez and others are told they can't leave detention until seeing a judge.

Legal advisers warn that these are not isolated cases

The first three detainees that attorney Ana Alicia Huerta met on her monthly trip to an ICE detention center in McFarland, California, to offer free legal advice in January said they signed a form agreeing to leave the United States but were still waiting.

"All are telling me: 'I don't understand why I'm here. I'm ready to be deported,'" said Huerta, a senior attorney at the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice. "That's an experience that I've never had before."

A Chinese man has been held for more than a year without seeing an immigration judge, even though he told authorities he was ready to be deported. In the past, Huerta said, she encountered cases like this once every three or four months.

TheDepartment of Homeland Securitydid not address questions from The Associated Press about why more people are being held longer than six months.

"The conditions are so poor and so bad that people say, 'I'm going to give up'," said Sui Cheng, executive director at Americans for Immigrant Justice.

The waiting time may depend on the country. Deportations to Mexico are routine but countries including Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia and Venezuela have at times resisted accepting deportees.

Among those detained for months are people who have won protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, who cannot be deported to their home country but may be sent elsewhere.

In the past, those migrants were released and could get a work permit. Not anymore, said Sarah Houston, managing attorney at Immigrant Defenders Law Center, who has at least three clients with protection under the U.N. torture convention who have been in custody for more than six months. One is from El Salvador, detained for three years. He won his case in October 2025 but is still in custody in California.

"They're just holding these people indefinitely," said Houston, noting that every 90 days, attorneys request the release of these migrants and ICE denies those requests. "We're seeing people who actually win their immigration cases just languishing in jail."

The Nicaraguan who wants to be deported

Hernandez, who doesn't have a lawyer, said he signed documents requesting to be returned to his country or Mexico at least five times. An Oct. 9 hearing was abruptly canceled without explanation. He waited months with no news, until early February, when he learned his new hearing date.

Hernandez, who has allergies and needs a gluten-free diet that he says he hasn't been getting since November, was arrested in July on a lunch break from his job installing power generators in South Florida. His wife was detained with him but a judge allowed her to return to Nicaragua without a formal deportation order on Aug. 28.

Both crossed the Mexican border in 2022 andrequested asylum. He said he received death threats after participating in marches against co-presidents and spousesDaniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

If he returns, they plan to go to Panama or Spain because they fear for their lives in Nicaragua, he said. His files say only that his case is pending.

The Dominican who became a father while in detention

Yashael Almonte Mejia has been detained eight months since the government sought dismissal of his asylum case in May 2025, said his aunt, Judith Mejia Lanfranco.

Since then, he has been transferred from a detention center in Florida to Texas to New Mexico.

In November, Almonte married his pregnant American girlfriend via a video call and became the father of a daughter he hasn't seen in person. He was unable to attend the funeral of his sister who died in November.

"He has gone through depression. He has been very bad," his aunt said. "He is desperate and he doesn't even know what's going to happen."

Almonte, 29, came to the U.S. in 2024 and told authorities he cannot return to the Dominican Republic because he fears for his life. In January, he passed his initial asylum screening interview.

A Mexican man detained for a year

Some detainees are finding relief in federal court.

A Mexican man detained in October 2024 in Florida was held for a year even though he won a protection under the U.N. torture convention in March 2025.

"Time was passing and I was desperate, afraid that they would send me to another country," said the 38-year-old, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being detained again.

"I didn't know what was going to happen to me," he said, noting that immigration officials weren't giving him any answers.

The man said he had lived illegally in the United States from age 10 until he was deported. In Mexico, he ran his own business, but in 2023 decided to return and illegally crossed the border into the United States. He said he was looking for safety after being threatened by drug cartels who demanded monthly payments.

He was taking antidepressants when he found an attorney who filed a petition in federal court alleging he was being held illegally. He was freed in October 2025, seven months after a judge ordered his release.

But for Hernandez, the Nicaraguan asylum-seeker, desperation led him to request to be returned to the country he had fled.

"I've experienced a lot of trauma. It's very difficult," Hernandez said from Fort Bliss. "I'm always thinking about when I'm going to get out."

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Sentence for Hong Kong's ex-publisher Jimmy Lai raises concerns as China defends it

3:42:00 AM
Sentence for Hong Kong's ex-publisher Jimmy Lai raises concerns as China defends it

HONG KONG (AP) — The sentencing of Hong Kong's onetime media magnateJimmy Laion Monday raised concerns from foreign governments and rights groups, but Chinese and Hong Kong authorities defended it, saying it reflected the spirit of the rule of law.

Associated Press FILE- Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai is escorted by Correctional Services officers to get on a prison van before appearing in a court in Hong Kong, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) FILE - Jimmy Lai walks through Stanley prison in Hong Kong, July 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File) Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, center, who founded local newspaper Apple Daily, is arrested by police officers at his home in Hong Kong, April 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

Hong Kong Jimmy Lai

Lai, a 78-year-old prominent democracy advocate, wassentencedto 20 years in prison after beingfound guiltyin December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiring with others to publish seditious articles. His co-defendants, who entered guilty pleas to the collusion-related charge, received prison terms ranging between six years and three months, and 10 years.

Some foreign governments and rights groups called for the release of the British citizen. But China's Foreign Ministry said Lai is a Chinese citizen, and urged other countries to respect its sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

Here's what they said:

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her country's government is gravely concerned by the sentences handed down to Lai and his co-defendants, saying its thoughts are with their family members and supporters at this difficult time.

Wong said the prosecutions have had a chilling effect on free speech in Hong Kong. She called on China to stop suppression on freedom of expression, media and civil society, as well as repealing the security law, under which Lai was convicted.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Lai was sentenced for exercising his right to freedom of expression after a "politically motivated prosecution." She was concerned for Lai's health and called on the Hong Kong authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds so that he may be reunited with his family.

"For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence," she said, adding that her government will "rapidly engage further" on the case.

In Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters at a daily briefing that Lai is a Chinese citizen, calling him a major planner and participant in a series of anti-China destabilizing activities in Hong Kong.

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Lin said the judicial cases are purely Hong Kong's internal affairs, urging "relevant countries" to avoid interfering in Hong Kong's judicial affairs or China's internal affairs.

Beijing's office in Hong Kong affairs said Lai's sentence reflected Hong Kong's determination in safeguarding national security and demonstrated the spirit of the rule of law.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said Lai's crimes are heinous and that he had used Apple Daily to "poison" residents and incite hatred. He said Lai deserved the sentence because he openly asked for foreign sanctions against China as well as Hong Kong and harmed their interests.

"His heavy sentence of 20 years in prison demonstrated the rule of law, upheld justice, and brought great satisfaction to the people," he said in a statement.

Taiwan's mainland affairs council condemned the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for suppressing human rights in the name of national security, urging for Lai's release. It reminded Taiwanese people to take Hong Kong's painful experience as a warning to safeguard its hard-won free way of life.

Rights groups

Amnesty International said the sentence marked "another grim milestone" for Hong Kong.

"Imprisoning a 78-year-old man for doing nothing more than exercising his rights shows a complete disregard for human dignity," Sarah Brooks, Amnesty's deputy regional director, said.

Reporters Without Borders' Director General Thibaut Bruttin said the court decision underscores the complete collapse of press freedom in Hong Kong and the authorities' contempt for independent journalism.

"We have already witnessed press freedom defender Liu Xiaobo die in prison due to insufficient international pressure. We cannot allow Jimmy Lai to suffer a similar fate," he said.

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