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North Carolina runner Molly Born won the USA Track & Field (USATF)women's half marathon championshipby a slim margin of just over four seconds on Sunday in Atlanta – but the result is only half the story.

To say Born's win was mired in controversy would be an understatement. That's because the four runners that were outpacing the rest of the pack were led off the course by the guide vehicle with just over a mile remaining in the 13.1-mile race.

The quartet ran about 1 kilometer (roughly 0.62 miles) extra,according to one of the runners. By the time the mistake was realized and the wayward runners were led back onto the race course, they had been overtaken by rest of the field. The trio that was set to make the podium ended up finishing in ninth, 12th and 13th place.

The affected runners filed a protest of the results and were denied. They then appealed that decision to USATF.

In a statement, the national track and field governing body determined that the course violated USATF rules and was not adequately marked, which contributed to the misdirection. However, USATF said there is no recourse in the rule book to alter the finishing order of the race.

The protested results would stand, to the satisfaction of seemingly no one, not even the race winner. Born said in aninterviewafter the race, "I don't really feel like the US champion."

Jess McClain, who was in the lead before taking the wrong turn, said onInstagram, "I'm going try my hardest to walk away from this weekend remembering the joy I felt in those moments where I thought I was on my way to becoming a National Champion & finally make Team USA outright."

Astatementreleased by the Atlanta Track Club on Tuesday shed some light on the bizarre chain of events that led to the contentious finish.

What exactly went wrong?

The race began to go off the rails when the frontrunners were still about 13 unlucky minutes away from the fateful intersection.

Police officers who were working to direct traffic for the race received a call of an officer down about a block off the race course roughly 300 feet from the location of the misdirection. Race organizers say that a motorcycle officer working the race was struck by a vehicle around 8:05 a.m. ET. The officer was treated at a local hospital and released later that day.

Two minutes later, nearby officers working the race responded to the call of an officer down, leaving "a number of key race intersections, including the one where the wrong turn occurred, unattended," according to Atlanta Track Club.

The officer who left the affected intersection had not yet placed the traffic cones to block the intersection and mark the race course.

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At 8:10 a.m., the lead male athletes of the race "successfully navigate" the intersection in question with a race-assigned escort.

Another police officer – who was not assigned to work the race and wasn't equipped to prevent the wrong turn, according to race organizers – arrived five minutes later at 8:15 a.m. to facilitate the flow of first responder vehicles through the intersection to reach the officer down.

Atlanta Track Club says the driver of the lead vehicle knew the planned route, but upon arrival at the intersection at 8:20 a.m. ET, the traffic cones had not been set to mark the race course, so they followed a police motorcycle off course, believing that the race had been rerouted.

Twenty five seconds after the four runners had made the wrong turn, the original officer assigned to work the intersection returned. Motorcycle police eventually caught up to the misdirected athletes and turned them around.

Meanwhile, additional race-assigned police officers arrived at the intersection at 8:22 a.m. and directed all subsequent runners along the correct route.

"We regret that Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat were impacted by this incident and were unable to be recognized as the top three finishers reflective of their performance on the course," Atlanta Track Club said in its Tuesday statement.

"Atlanta Track Club has offered to match the prize money as follows: McClain to receive the equivalent of first-place prize money. Hurley and Kurgat will split the combined total of second- and- third-place prize money because they were shoulder-to-shoulder when they left the race course."

But there was more than just prize money at stake on Sunday.

The race was a qualification event for the world championships later this year, with the top three finishers slated to represent the US in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September.

USATF says it will review the situation further before selecting the runners who will compete in Denmark.

"That team is not officially selected until May," the governing body said.

"USATF will review the events from Atlanta carefully. While we understand athletes are eager to resolve this issue expeditiously, our process will ensure an ultimate decision is in the best interest of all the athletes involved."

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It's put up or shut up time for teams on thebubble of the NCAA Tournament, as the final week of themen's college basketballregular season arrives.

Those still uncertain of reachingMarch Madnessare feeling the magnitude of the moment, as every result is heightened ahead ofSelection Sunday. Most have just a few games left beforeconference tournamentsbegin, and one team is already in do-or-die mode.

Title contenders:Why these 11 teams could dominate March Madness

RedHawks' curious case:Why Miami Ohio should — and shouldn't — be in f it loses MAC

Here are the teams on the bubble in the latestUSA TODAY Sports Bracketology, and what's ahead of them as they try to secure a spot in the bracket.

Texas A&M

• Record: 20-10 (10-7)

• NET Ranking: 43

• Quad 1 record: 5-6

• Projected seed: No. 11

• Quality wins: at Texas, at Georgia, vs. Kentucky

• Bad losses: at Oklahoma State

A team that started SEC play 7-1 is in trouble with a 3-6 record in its past nine games, although it did just beat Kentucky. What's really hurt Texas A&M is it doesn't have a major win as no victory came against a ranked foe. The Aggies don't have to feel entirely scared of their outlook, but it needs to beat LSU (March 7) and win one SEC tournament game to feel comfortable.

Auburn

• Record: 16-14 (7-10)

• NET Ranking: 38

• Quad 1 record: 5-11

• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)

• Quality wins: vs. St John's (neutral), vs. Arkansas, at Florida

• Bad losses: vs. Mississippi, at Mississippi State

The most polarizing team in the tournament conversation, Auburn is in the field thanks to a strong NET ranking and some major victories, even though it doesn't have a record of a March Madness contender. Projected to make the field, the Tigers can't afford more losses to squeak into the bracket. Regardless of what happens, they will be a major talking point.

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Santa Clara

• Record: 24-7 (15-3)

• NET Ranking: 41

• Quad 1 record: 1-5

• Projected seed: No. 11 (First Four)

• Quality wins: vs. Saint Mary's

• Bad losses: vs. Loyola Chicago (neutral), vs. Arizona State (neutral)

The Broncos finished the regular season in third place of the West Coast Conference. Even though it has the dreaded Quad 4 loss, Santa Clara was able to get a win against co-conference champion Saint Mary's. It doesn't play until the WCC quarterfinals March 8, and it must win that game to feel confident. If it's able to beat the Gaels to advance to the title game, that could lock up a spot.

UCLA

• Record: 20-10 (12-7)

• NET Ranking: 39

• Quad 1 record: 4-8

• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)

• Quality wins: vs. Purdue, vs. Illinois, vs. Nebraska

• Bad losses: vs. California (neutral), vs. Indiana, at Minnesota

Just when UCLA was getting off of the bubble thanks to a big win against Illinois, the Bruins rejoined the group with a road loss at Minnesota. Luckily, they returned home for a major beatdown of Nebraska to push them back in comfortable territory. Now beat crosstown rival Southern California on March 7 to boost the Quad 1 record and UCLA is feeling good going into the Big Ten tournament.

New Mexico

• Record: 22-7 (13-5)

• NET Ranking: 42

• Quad 1 record: 2-5

• Projected seed: No. 11 (first four)

• Quality wins: at Virginia Commonwealth, vs. San Diego State

• Bad losses: at New Mexico State, vs. Boise State

The Lobos could really have used a win at Nevada to boost the Quad 1 record, but they responded emphatically to beat San Diego State at home in what was a major bubble battle, a key reason New Mexico is in the projected field. Now Eric Olen's team has to beat Colorado State (March 4), and a major test awaits in a trip to Utah State (March 7), where it can clinch a share of the regular season title.

Indiana

• Record: 17-12 (8-10)

• NET Ranking: 40

• Quad 1 record: 2-11

• Projected seed: First four out

• Quality wins: vs. Purdue, at UCLA

• Bad losses: at Minnesota, vs. Northwestern

After riding high to start February, the Hoosiers came crashing down with four straight losses. Yes, three of them came against top-15 teams, but the home defeat to Northwestern was inexcusable and really set them back. Now Indiana has to win its last two, which won't be easy; playing a sneaky Minnesota team (March 4) and then at Ohio State (March 7) in a massive bubble game.

San Diego State

• Record: 19-10 (13-6)

• NET Ranking: 44

• Quad 1 record: 2-6

• Projected seed: First four out

• Quality wins: vs. Utah State

• Bad losses: vs. Troy, vs. Grand Canyon (twice), at Colorado State

You can look at San Diego State's recent results with glass half full or glass half empty. Positive is it beat Mountain West leader Utah State and Boise State for two Quad 1 wins. The negative is it's the Aztecs' only wins in the past five games, with a really bad performance in the rematch with Boise State. SDSU remains in limbo, and it needs at least two more wins to creep back in the bracket projection.

Virginia Commonwealth

• Record: 23-7 (14-3)

• NET Ranking: 47

• Quad 1 record: 1-5

• Projected seed: First four out

• Quality wins: vs. South Florida (neutral)

• Bad losses: at George Mason

Getting a win over Saint Louis would've been a major boost for the Rams, but they were unable to cash-in on their second opportunity. After avenging a loss to George Mason, VCU gets an excellent chance to add a Quad 1 win in the regular season finale at Dayton (March 6), though it's far from done since it will have to put up a solid showing in the Atlantic 10 tournament.

California

• Record: 20-9 (8-8)

• NET Ranking: 63

• Quad 1 record: 4-4

• Projected seed: First four out

• Quality wins: vs. UCLA (neutral), vs. North Carolina, at Miami

• Bad losses: vs. Pittsburgh, at Kansas State, at Florida State, at Syracuse

All of the momentum Cal built was immediately eviscerated with a horrible double-digit Quad 3 home loss to Pittsburgh. The Golden Bears couldn't afford it as their NET ranking is already extremely high, and it now must win its last two games at Georgia Tech (March 4) and Wake Forest (March 7) before making considerable noise in the ACC tournament to move up the bubble.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:March Madness bubble watch for final week of regular season

Emotional tributes began to pour in after the identification of four US service members killed in adeadly Iranian drone strikein Kuwait, the first American deaths in the war with Iran.

While they all served as soldiers under the US Army Reserve, they played many roles, including a "heroic son" and a mother of two who was days away from returning home.

The Pentagon identified four of the six US service members killed Sunday during an attack on a makeshift operations center in Shuaiba port as Capt. Cody Khork, 35; Sgt. Declan Coady, 20; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42. Two other soldiers who were killed in the strike have not been publicly identified.

All four were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve sustainment unit out of Iowa, and were serving at what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as a "tactical operation center that was fortified," when a projectile made it through air defenses in an attack that came quickly and without warning.

The attack happened on just the second day of US and Israeli military operations against Iran. For some of the soldiers' families, the loss is accompanied by shock, because they didn't initially consider their loved one's assignment to be especially dangerous.

"You don't go to Kuwait thinking something's going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts," Amor's husband Joey toldthe Associated Press.

President Donald Trump has warned there will likely be more service members killed, as the "big wave" of attacks against Iran isyet to come.

"They're great people," Trump said about the six killedin a phone interview with the Daily Mail. "And, you know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous — it could happen again."

The soldiers were honored as "relentlessly, consistently, and fearlessly" serving the country, and making "the ultimate sacrifice," said Brig. Gen. Clint A. Barnes, deputy commanding general of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, a group based out of Fort Knox, Kentucky, composed of troops from units nationwide assigned to rotational support roles overseas.

The four service members varied in careers, but all dedicated themselves to public service, thousands of miles away from their families despite the unmistakable risks.

Here is what we know about the US service members.

Capt. Cody Khork

Khork, who was from Lakeland, Florida, enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 as a multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist. He commissioned as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014, and deployed to Saudi Arabia; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Poland.

Behind his sense of duty was "a man whose life was defined by devotion, character, and service," his parents and stepmother said in a statement Tuesday.

"Cody was truly the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him," the statement said.

Khork loved history and had a degree in political science, which showed "his sharp mind and his sincere appreciation for the principles and sacrifices that have shaped our nation," his family said.

His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Joint Service Achievement Medal.

Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor

Amor, from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, enlisted as an automated logistics specialist in the National Guard in 2005. She transferred to the Army Reserve a year later and deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.

Amor, who was a mother to a high school senior and a fourth-grader, was just days away from returning home to her family, her husband, Joey Amor, told the AP.

"She was almost home," Joey Amor told the AP, and said he had spoken to her two hours before she died, but, "She just never responded in the morning."

A week before the attack, she had been moved off base to a shipping container-style building, her husband told AP.

"They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separate places," he said.

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Amor's decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the state was mourning the loss of Amor.

"She answered the call to serve and gave her life in service to our state and nation," Walz wroteon X. "Minnesotans are wrapping our arms around her loved ones."

Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens

Tietjens was from Bellevue, Nebraska, and enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. He had deployed to Kuwait twice before, in 2009 and 2019. His awards and decorations also include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal.

"Sgt. Tietjens was the kind of guy that was always around to help you. No matter what you needed … he made you feel important. And that's hard to find sometimes in the military," Army Staff Sgt. Jonn Coleman, a fellow Nebraska soldier, toldCNN affiliate KETV.

Coleman credits Tietjens' mentorship as the reason he was able to advance his military career: "He took me under his wing and got me to where I needed to be."

In Bellevue, Tietjens and his wife and son were prominent members of a martial arts studio, where he earned a black belt in Taekwondo and was an instructor, according toa tributethe studio posted on social media about him.

"He did not simply wear a Black Belt, he lived it," Martial Arts International said in the post, praising Tietjens as "a devoted husband and father." The studio said a college fund has been established for Tietjens' son.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen called for prayers for Tietjens' family and praised the fallen soldier's service to the country.

"Noah stepped up to serve and defend the American people from foreign enemies around the world — a sacrifice we must never forget," the governorwrote on X.

Nebraska US Sen. Pete Rickettssaid in a statementhis "heart and prayers are with the Tietjens family as they mourn the loss of their heroic son."

Sgt. Declan Coady

Coady, from Des Moines, Iowa, was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant. He told his father just last week he'd been recommended for the promotion, the AP reported.

Coady enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an Army information technology specialist. Among the youngest in his class, Coady stood out to his instructors, his father, Andrew Coady, told the AP.

"He was very good at what he did," he said.

While deployed in Kuwait, Coady was continuing his coursework online and had set his sights on becoming a commissioned officer, according to the AP. He was studying information systems, cybersecurity and computer science at Drake University, school officials told CNN, describing him as "well-loved and highly dedicated."

For his sister, Keira Coady, the loss is hard to accept. "I still don't fully think it's real," she told AP. "I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back."

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds honored Coady for his service, saying in a statement he "heroically answered his nation's call to duty and gave the ultimate sacrifice."

Coady's military awards include the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN's Taylor Galgano and Martin Goillandeau contributed to this report.

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The latest Middle East conflict continues spiraling days after Israel and the US launched their jointoperation on Iran, killingmore than 1,000 people, triggering retaliatory strikes on Israel and neighboring Gulf states and plunging the region into fear and uncertainty.

Here's what to know on day five.

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What are the main headlines?

• US sinks Iranian ship: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters, off the coast of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's navy said it has recovered "several bodies" but the toll is not yet clear.

• Turkish interception: NATO air defense systems shot down an Iranian missile that was traveling towards Turkey's airspace, the Turkish presidency said. This is believed to be the first time NATO forces have intercepted an Iranian missile traveling towards a member country's airspace since the conflict in the Middle East broke out over the weekend.

• Fresh strikes: The Israeli military said it again attacked Tehran, the tenth wave of strikes since the conflict began. US President Donald Trump has praised the joint operation, claiming Iran's military installations had been essentially "knocked out," from its navy to its air force and more. So far, more than 1,700 targets have been struck in the joint operation, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

• Markets roiled: Asian stocks fell sharply Wednesday, with a record selloff in Seoul, as investors fretted about rising oil prices in a region heavily dependent on imports from the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point, is effectively shut off. But some European markets and US futures moved into positive territory.

• In the US: The Senate is set to vote today on whether to consider a resolution that would limit President Donald Trump's ability to continue military action in Iran without congressional approval amid the rapidly escalating conflict. The White House has given contradictory accounts on why the US attacked Iran. A Democrat senator emerging from a briefing said he had "no idea" what the US objective was.

What's happening in Iran?

• Fresh Israeli strikes: Tehran residents again woke up to the aftermath of Israeli strikes. "They hit quite hard last night, it was a bad night," a resident said. The Israeli military said one of its jets shot down an Iranian jet, in what it described as the first air-to-air combat kill of a piloted aircraft.

• Next supreme leader: Senior Iranian officials have been meeting virtually to select a new supreme leader after the initial US-Israel strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – and his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is among a small handful of clerics tipped as likely successors. But timings are unclear. Israel warned that any new leader would be "an unequivocal target for elimination."

• Funeral cancelled: The mourning ceremony for Khamenei, set to begin Wednesday evening, has been postponed, state media reported. Three days of mourning had previously been announced and the cancellation is a blow for a regime trying to project an image of stability and continuity.

• Kurds: The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN. Iranian Kurdish armed groups have thousands of forces operating along the Iraq-Iran border and some have hinted at imminent action.

• Death toll climbs: More than 1,000 people, including children, have been killed in Iran since Saturday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The group said its report is preliminary, and the number could rise.

What's happening around the region and beyond?

• Attacks on Lebanon: Israel is also striking Lebanon, targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and issuing evacuation orders for dozens of villages. Lebanese state media said at least five people in a strike on a four-story residential building in the Lebanese city of Baalbek while smoke has been seen rising over Beirut airport.

• Iran strikes back: Arab states in the Persian Gulf are bearing the brunt of Tehran's ferocious retaliation. Countries such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones in recent days – raising questions about how long their air defenses can keep up, and how many more weapons remain in Iran's depleted arsenal. The volume of Iran's missile launches and drone strikes has dropped by 86% and 73% respectively since the first day of the war, top US general Dan Caine said Wednesday.

• US facilities targeted: The US has closed embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon, after several were hit with Iranian strikes. A CIA station in Saudi Arabia, and a US military base in Qatar – the largest in the Middle East – were also hit. Non-emergency US government personnel in several Middle Eastern countries have been ordered to leave.

• Foreign powers: China's foreign minister called for an "immediate cessation" of the US and Israeli action in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart, the ministry said. The country has lost two international allies this year through US action. France meanwhile has deployed Rafale fighter jets over the skies of the United Arab Emirates to protect its military bases there.

• Senate vote: The Senate will vote as soon as Wednesday on a resolution requiring Trump get congressional approval to continue the military campaign; the House will vote on a similar measure on Thursday. Six American service members have been killed by Iranian strikes since Saturday, a number Trump already warned is likely to increase.

• Oil trade rocked: Oil and natural gas prices are jumping while stock markets are tumbling. The Middle East is a major producer of both oil and natural gas, but its energy exports have now been largely cut off from the rest of the world by an effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Why did the US and Israel attack Iran?

• US and Israel's claims: Officials from both countries have put out different statements in recent days over why they launched their attack – including the need to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and the claim they were responding to potential preemptive attacks by Iran.

• Fact check: The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has countered these claims – telling CNN that Iran was not days or weeks away from having atomic weapons. Trump himself has repeatedly said that Tehran's nuclear program was "obliterated" by US strikes on Iran last summer. And US intelligence suggests Iran would need until 2035 to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, if it chose to pursue one.

This story has been updated.

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When Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur took the podium at the NFL scouting combine, he revealed publicly a sentiment that coaches and executives have shared across hallways and closed-door meetings in recent weeks.

"He was always a problem," LaFleur said last week of quarterback Kyler Murray. "The defensive coordinators I worked with, it wasn't a fun week for them [facing him.]"

LaFleur was commenting on a quarterback still on his roster, and yet, the writing was on the wall. The Cardinals had already effectively benched Murray during the 2025 season to avoid triggering injury guarantees. LaFleur had not shifted course to endorse him upon arriving as a first-year head coach in February. And now, Murray's $19.5 million guaranteed salary in 2027 threatened to trigger in mid-March if the Cardinals did not release him sooner — on top of the $36.8 million in guarantees for the 2026 season due Murray either way.

So on Tuesday, Murray confirmed what had long been suspected: His time playing for the Cardinals is over.

"To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you," Murray said in a post on X. "I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77 year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best."

The Cardinals are expected to release Murray next Wednesday, when the league year turns over, barring a surprise trade that Murray's contract makes unlikely.

That Murray will be not only available, but available in 2026 for the veteran minimum salary as the Cardinals pay him the rest of the $36.8 million he's due, impacts the quarterback market significantly.

Teams with sticky cap situations or limited draft capital are on track to no longer need to worry about Murray's 2026 salary ($1.3 million) nor the assets he'll cost. Murray, with money in his pocket from Arizona, no longer needs to factor in which team will pay him the most in 2026.

So expect Murray to eye teams that will position him well to succeed, both because of their surrounding talent and because of the path to their starting quarterback role. The Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons have caught the attention of league sources, with the Indianapolis Colts proving another dark-horse contender.

The Vikings have 2024 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy in house, but injuries and inconsistent play leave league sources expecting the club to bring in competition.

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The Falcons have 2024 eighth overall pick Michael Penix Jr. in house, but Penix tore his ACL in late November which could call into question his readiness to perform and feel fully comfortable in Week 1. NFL brass often consider the first year back from an ACL tear to require a degree of re-acclimation before a player's body appears to fully adapt to its new normal. Penix has suffered five season-ending injuries across college and the NFL, including three torn ACLs, so his durability is also reasonable to question.

Indianapolis, meanwhile,placed a transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, but could have reason to question his Week 1 availability after Jones tore his Achilles on Dec. 7.

While league sources are split on how many more strong years Murray has in the NFL, they overwhelmingly believe his health and motivation will position him well for 2026. And his résumé is deeper than that of previously top available free agent Malik Willis.

Since the Cardinals took Murray first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray has completed 67.1% of pass attempts for 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions. He's rushed for another 3,1983 yards and 32 touchdowns, losing 13 fumbles.

Murray's 92.2 passer rating ranks 24th across quarterbacks active during his seven seasons, while his 32 rushing touchdowns rank third, behind the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and the Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts.

Murray has declined some physically in recent years, talent evaluators say, but he is still considered a dual-threat quarterback who will frustrate defensive coordinators in game-planning and live action alike.

In his Tuesday statement, Murray made clear how he feels about his next chapter.

"I am no stranger to adversity," he said. "I am prepared for whatever's next. I trust in God and my work ethic.

"I truly believe my best ball is in front of me and I look forward to proving it."

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tage Thompson scored after being honored for helping theU.S. win an Olympic gold medal in hockey, and the Buffalo Sabres won their fourth straight game by beating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Golden Knights Sabres Hockey

Owen Power and Jason Zucker also scored for the surging Sabres. Buffalo improved to 25-5-2 in its past 32, and its 35 wins through 61 games are the team's most since having 41 over the same span in 2006-07.

Alex Lyon made 29 saves to improve to 13-2 in his past 15 starts.

Pavel Dorofeyev, with his team-leading 29th goal, and Ivan Barbashev scored and Vegas matched a season-low by losing three straight in regulation. The slumping Golden Knights also dropped to 4-8-2 in their past 14.

Akira Schmid stopped 25 shots.

The Sabres appeared in control by opening a 3-0 lead on Thompson's goal 5:44 into the second period. Thompson scored his team-leading 33rd goal by accepting Alex Tuch's no-look pass and beating Schmid high on the far side with a shot from the right circle.

The Golden Knights, however, responded with Barbashev and Dorofeyev scoring 1:37 apart to cut the lead to 3-2 by the 8:27 mark of the period.

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Thompson was honored during a pre-game ceremony in Buffalo's first home game since returning from theOlympicbreak last week.

Thompson drew loud cheers in taking a ceremonial opening faceoff with fellow Olympian and Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, who even attracted applause in facing his former team.

The Golden Knights played without captain Mark Stone, who sustained an undisclosed injury in a 5-0 loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Coach Bruce Cassidy said Stone is with the team getting treatment and listed him as day to day.

Up next

Golden Knights: Close five-game trip at Detroit on Wednesday.

Sabres: At Pittsburgh on Thursday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

MEXICO CITY — Lois Muñoz, originally from Brooklyn, New York, has been living in her husband Alfredo's family compound in Puebla, Mexico, for the past three months. Because she has no car and speaks very little Spanish, her world has shrunk dramatically from the busy life she led as a waitress at a diner in Middletown, New York.

Muñoz is one of a growing number of Americans who've made the move south, choosing to accompany their undocumented spouses who are voluntarily leaving in light of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.

A report released in December by American Families United, a nonprofit organization advocating for U.S. citizens and their immigrant spouses, estimated that 1.5 million U.S. citizens are separated or live in fear of separation from the person or country they love because they are in relationships with mixed immigration statuses. The report details the impact for children born of mixed-status marriages, who remain in limbo because of their parents' immigration statuses.

NBC News spoke with three families facing wrenching choices: stay in the U.S. and risk a loved one's ending up in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention, restart their lives together in Mexico or decide to live apart.

For Muñoz, making the move to Mexico was an easier legal path than risking her husband being detained. Americans married to or in common-law relationships with Mexican nationals can apply fortemporary, then permanent, Mexican residency under "Family Unit" rulesand then obtain work permits. However, the move came with significant sacrifices, as well as a language barrier.

"I lost everything; everything's gone. All my Christmas stuff gone that I saved for years, all my Halloween decorations," Muñoz said in a video call. "But it's OK. My husband's going to be safe."

She admitted that it has been lonely. "Your husband's there, but it's not like you've got a friend. I thank God I have my two cats, because they are company," she said.

The couple got together almost 18 years ago when Alfredo asked Lois to dance at a bar.

As their relationship progressed, he told her that he had originally gone to the U.S. illegally to earn money to help his ailing parents, she said. Alfredo said he walked across the border illegally in 2003, was able to fly home and back, and then last entered in September 2010. Because Alfredo had more than one illegal entry, he was permanently barred from legal pathways to stay.

"After we got married, we inquired with a couple of lawyers and never got anywhere. And, you know, we were OK," she said.

The couple plowed themselves into work and weren't fearful — until Trump took office.

"I worried about him every time he left the house. He worked all over the New York area and New Jersey and Pennsylvania," Muñoz said about his construction work. "We were always hearing stories about 'Oh, they took so and so, they took so and so.' I was always worried, worried, worried."

It's a stark change for Muñoz, who is in her 50s and a mother of four adult children still in the U.S.

"I was around people constantly. I had regular clientele where I worked. So I was always socializing. On my days off, I was constantly going," she said. "Now I feel like I have no sense of purpose."

Alfredo is hopeful about their new life in Mexico. "It was like a month that I felt a little strange, a little different," he said in Spanish. "But now, it seems that we're both going to fit in here."

The Muñozes aren't alone in their move.

North of Puebla, in Mexico City, Haley Pulver, 34, is navigating a similar journey.

She moved here from Connecticut in August with her partner of three years, Oscar Enríquez.

The pair met on the dating app Tinder and started out as friends. Enríquez said he remembers being lonely, with no friends outside of his welding work, and how he felt he could be fully himself when he was with her.

It was a while before she knew he was living in the U.S. undocumented. He told her that he had unknowingly overstayed a visa in 2019, she said. Then, two months later, he was detained for about a week before he was released. He had never been in jail before, "so it was shocking," he said of being taken away in chains.

Pulver said a judge issued an order for his removal last year.

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"I don't remember the specific conversation that we had, but he brought it up. And then, of course, I had to get the info. So I asked 500 questions," she said.

Pulver, like many of the loved ones of undocumented migrants, was using apps and Facebook to track the whereabouts of federal agents.

"It got to the point where the ICE situation just seemed so out of control. We had plans in case he got pulled over. It got to a point where it was very stressful," she said.

That stress, in addition to the order for his removal, led Pulver to sell her car and furniture, quit her job as a rights and clearances coordinator for ITV America, pack her entire life into a "giant" box and two suitcases and move to Mexico.

"It was very difficult at first, because I had never left the United States. I'd never even left the East Coast," she said. They moved into a home in the capital that Enríquez had purchased using money he'd saved from work in the U.S.

"My Spanish was very limited, and his parents don't really speak English. I've slowly been getting out of the house by myself," she said.

Meanwhile, Enríquez said, they are getting used to their new life. "I'm rediscovering Mexico City, because it was a long time ago I left," he said. "So I'm trying to rediscover everything with her."

For now, Melissa Byrd is living apart from her partner of almost two decades, Jesus Jimenez Meza. She is in South Carolina, and he is in Veracruz.

Byrd and Jimenez got together in the unlikeliest of circumstances — she was grieving her husband, who died in 2007 after having been unwell for many years, when her 9-year-old son set her up with his friends' uncle.

"My daughter was actually dating one of his nephews at the time," Byrd, who has worked for a school district in various capacities for decades, said. "He basically took my son under his wing and was kind of like a father figure to him. And even to this day, they're just like this. They're so close."

Jimenez, who had overstayed after he entered the U.S. on a work visa in the late 1990s, was helping raise both of Byrd's grandchildren. Then, in February 2025, he was sued for breach of contract by a construction client, Byrd said. Though a judge threw the case out, ICE agents arrived the next day, and he was taken to a detention center in Georgia before he was sent to Mexico on a government-chartered flight, she said.

The pair reunited in Veracruz and spent a few days on a beach to decompress.

In the year since Jimenez returned to Mexico, Byrd has visited him four times. She hopes to move there in a year when her granddaughter is a little older and has adjusted to going to day care.

"Everybody relied on Jesus. He was the backbone of our family, and that's not here anymore," she said.

The Department of Homeland Security said 2.2 million people who were in the country illegally have self-deported since January 2025. "With over 700,000 deportations during President Trump's first year in office, those still in this country illegally should realize that this administration will enforce the laws of this nation," a spokesperson said in a statement.

The realities for couples like Byrd and Jimenez are both challenging and complex. Long-standing immigration law bars people who have overstayed their visas by more than a year from returning to the U.S. for a decade, even if they're married to American citizens.

It's something the proposed American Families United Act, a bipartisan bill introduced last March, is looking to challenge.

Under the act, immigration judges and officials would be able to weigh the impact of family separation and grant families relief case by case.

While the bill seems currently stalled, if it passed, it would make a huge difference to Lois Muñoz, who, despite having been married to Alfredo since 2016, has no way of fast-tracking his return to the U.S.

In the meantime, her life in Puebla has narrowed to taking the bus into town for pedicures and her extended family's daily 2 p.m. lunch together. That has brought along a new challenge: On Fridays, it's her turn to prepare lunch, she said.

"Do you know how intimidating it is cooking Mexican meals for a Mexican family in the middle of Mexico?"