Fernando Mendoza threw three touchdown passes, Indiana’s defense thoroughly throttled Alabama, and the top-seeded Hoosiers roared into the College Football Playoff semifinals with a 38-3 victory in the 112th Rose Bowl. Mendoza passed for 192 yards in his first game since winning his school’s first Heisman Trophy, but the hard-nosed Hoosiers won the Rose Bowl for the first time in school history by dominating the Crimson Tide at the line of scrimmage. Indiana scored the game’s first 24 points before pouring it on with fourth-quarter rushing TDs from Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby, wrapping up a jubilant win in the 112th edition of the Granddaddy of Them All.

Venezuela is open to reaching an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking, according to President Nicolás Maduro. In a pretaped interview aired Thursday, Maduro expressed readiness to discuss serious agreements with the U.S. He also mentioned that Venezuela is open to U.S. investment in its oil industry. The interview was recorded on New Year’s Eve, the same day the U.S. military announced strikes against several alleged drug-smuggling boats. The CIA was reportedly behind a recent drone strike at a Venezuelan docking area. Maduro declined to comment on that operation, stating he could discuss it later.

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier will have surgery on both ankles and is expected to be sidelined four to six months, including the upcoming Unrivaled season. The 3-on-3 women’s basketball league made the announcement Thursday. Collier had been rehabbing ankle injuries suffered during the WNBA season. She said last month she was working back to full strength so she could be available for Unrivaled’s second season, which begins Monday. She suffered a sprained right ankle during an August game and missed several weeks. She then hurt her left ankle in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals.

The NHL is hosting its first outdoor game in Florida on Friday. The Florida Panthers will face the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. The retractable roof will be opened just before the game. This marks a significant event for the Sunshine State, which has seen its teams reach the Stanley Cup Final multiple times in recent years. The NHL has worked hard to create suitable ice conditions, using custom refrigeration units and a thicker ice sheet. Panthers players and fans are excited for this unique experience, highlighting hockey's growth in Florida.

The Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny has redefined what it means to be a global giant. And he may once again make history at the 2026 Grammy Awards. The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio is up for six awards. He is also the first Spanish-language artist to be nominated for album, song and record of the year simultaneously. Win or lose, experts say Bad Bunny’s Grammy nominations mark a symbolic moment for Latinos. That is because his critically acclaimed 2025 album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” took local, traditional Puerto Rican sounds and made them global smash hits. It's also because his success arrives in a particularly tense political moment.

Zohran Mamdani is the new mayor of New York City. He was sworn in around midnight Thursday. He is the city’s first Muslim mayor, its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor since the late 19th century. The private swearing in at a decommissioned subway station was followed by a public inaugural ceremony at City Hall that began around 1 p.m. The democratic socialist takes office after an historic campaign made “affordability” a national buzzword across the political spectrum.

President Donald Trump defended his energy and health in an interview with The Wall Street Journal and disclosed that he had a CT scan, not an MRI scan, during an October examination about which he and the White House delayed offering details. Trump, in the interview, said he regretted undergoing the advanced imaging on his heart and abdomen during an October visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center because it raised public questions about his health. His physician said in a memo the White House released in December that he had “advanced imaging” as a preventative screening for men his age.

President Donald Trump signed a New Year’s Eve proclamation delaying increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year, citing ongoing trade talks. Trump’s order signed Wednesday keeps in place a 25% tariff he imposed in September on those goods, but delays for another year a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture and 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and vanities. The increases, which were set to take effect Jan. 1,  come as the Republican president instituted a broad swath of taxes on imported goods to address trade imbalances and other issues.

Russian officials say that a Ukrainian attack killed 24 people in a Russian-occupied village in Ukraine’s Kherson region, as tensions between the two nations continue to spike despite diplomats hailing productive peace talks. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the strike, which could not be independently verified by The Associated Press. The statement follows claims from Moscow that Ukraine launched a long-range drone attack against one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residences in northwestern Russia on Tuesday. Kyiv has denounced the claims as a “lie.”

Authorities in Iran say a volunteer member of the Revolutionary Guard has been killed during protests over the country's struggling economy. The death marks the first fatality among security forces. Demonstrations have slowed in Tehran but spread to other provinces. Authorities say the Guard member was killed Wednesday night by protesters in Kuhdasht, southwest of Tehran. They say 13 other Basij members and police officers were injured. The protests are driven by economic pressures, inflation and currency fluctuations. Iran's government has expressed a willingness to negotiate but economic challenges persist. The protests are the largest since 2022 when Mahsa Amini's death sparked nationwide unrest.

Keionte Scott returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown and No. 10 Miami shocked defending champion Ohio State 24-14 in the first College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl. The 12-2 Hurricanes never trailed after going into Wednesday night as 9 1/2-point underdogs. They have won two playoff games to get into football’s final four after needing an at-large berth to make the 12-team field. One more win and they will get to play for a national championship in their home stadium. Next up is a CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8. Third-ranked Ohio State finished 12-2, with losses in the Big Ten title game and the Cotton Bowl after an undefeated regular season.

Enhanced tax credits that have helped Americans offset the cost of Affordable Care Act health insurance for the last four years expired overnight. The arrival of the New Year's Day deadline with no fix from Congress cemented higher health costs for millions of Americans, including many self-employed workers, small business owners, farmers and ranchers. The change represents a failure by lawmakers to address an affordability issue that many Americans have raised as a top concern ahead of the 2026 midterms. On average, the more than 20 million subsidized enrollees in the Affordable Care Act program are seeing their premium costs rise by 114% in 2026, according to an analysis by the health care research nonprofit KFF.

Lucas Pettersson and Eddie Genborg each scored twice and Sweden beat the United States 6-3 on Wednesday night in the world junior hockey championship to complete group play unbeaten. Casper Juustovaara opened the scoring in the first period on a deflection, and the Swedes led 5-1 in the second period in the Group A finale. Ivar Stenberg scored in the third, and Love Harenstam made 28 saves.  In the quarterfinals Friday, Sweden will face Latvia, and the second-place Americans will play Finland, a 7-4 loser to Canada later Wednesday night in the Group B finale in Minneapolis. Canada will play Slovakia, and Czechia will meet Switzerland. Chase Reid, Will Zellers and Teddy Stiga scored for the United States.