Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories

WASHINGTON (AP) — It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so much in common but make such different choices.

Associated Press This photo combo shows, from left, Gold medalist Alysa Liu of the United States in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 and Gold medalist China's Eileen Gu in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/File) Gold medalist China's Eileen Gu celebrates winning the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Gold medalist Alysa Liu of the United States displays her medal after competing in the women's free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Olympic gold medalist and Grand Marhsal Eileen Gu smiles during the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Alysa Liu of the United States, center, reacts with other athletes after performing in the figure skating exhibition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

United States China Two Different Olympians

Eileen Gu, a 22-year-old freestyle skier, andAlysa Liu, a 20-year—old figure skater, were both born to Chinese immigrants in California, and both were brought up in single-parent households. Both are elite athletes who turned in gold-medal performances atthe 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympicslast month.

But public opinion diverges over their choices about the countries for which they compete.

Gu chooses to represent China, while Liu waves the U.S. flag. Those decisions are generating heated debates over loyalty — an issue interwoven with money, values and politics on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

In China, many laud Gu for identifying herself as Chinese and competing for the honor of the motherland. But plenty praise Liu, too, for her free spirit and genuineness — sometimes with a subtle nod to her father's role inthe 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy proteststhat landed him in the United States.

In the U.S., Gu's choice has raised eyebrows among politicians, including Vice President JD Vance, and even prompted a congressional proposal threatening to tax 100% on athletes such as Gu who compete for countries like China and Russia in the Olympics.

"Any American who works with a foreign adversary has not only betrayed our country but must be stripped of all benefits from doing so," said Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee.

For Gu, it's a Chinese dream come true

To a large extent, Gu's is a story of China's economic success, when its spectacular growth has made it alluring for those with Chinese roots to return for greater financial gains.

Gu was born in San Francisco to a Chinese mother working in finance. No information about her father is available. Gu competed for China in the Winter Games in both 2022 and 2026, and she has landed endorsements worth millions of dollars from major Chinese brands as well as multinationals eyeing the Chinese market.

In 2022, when she won two golds and one silver in Beijing, Gu was a national idol and fondly known by her Chinese nickname, Frog Princess. Video clips of her eating Chinese snacks went viral on social media. Her performances in Italy were closely followed and celebrated in China.

She has long said her decision to compete for China has more to do with getting girls involved in her sport — with a greater opportunity for growth there than in the United States — than about pure dollars and cents.

But controversy over Gu's citizenship has cast a shadow over her popularity, with members of the public questioning her loyalty, wondering aloud if she has given up her U.S. passport to comply with the Chinese law against dual citizenship. Gu has dodged the question, making it anyone's guess.

Hu Xijin, a former party newspaper editor in China, argued that what's important for China is attracting talents like Gu and chalking it up as a win over the United States.

"Today's China is stronger, and it can provide Gu with interests that cannot be realized if she represented Team U.S.A.," Hu wrote in a social media post. "She has the sharp judgment to pick Team China, and this is the magnetic effect resulted from China's growth."

Liu has chosen differently

For Liu, skating for China is out of the question.

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Liu was born to Arthur Liu through surrogacy. Unlike Gu's mother, Liu's father fled China when he was wanted by the authorities for his involvement in the 1989 student movement that ended with a bloody crackdown in the heart of Beijing and forced many student activists into exile. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed when the military quelled the protests on June 3-4, 1989.

"Chinese people still have no freedom of speech, no freedom of religion, and there are still political prisoners in China," Arthur Liu recently told Nikkei Asia. "Clearly, I wouldn't allow my daughter to compete for such a government."

While the Chinese government embraced Gu with flattering publicity and millions in state funding for her training, Liu said he only let his daughter compete in Beijing in 2022 with assurances from the State Department and the U.S. Olympic Committee about her safety. The FBI hadwarned himthat he and his daughter were targeted in a Chinese government spying operation. That year, Alysa Liu placed sixth in women's single skating.

This time, she became the first American woman to win Olympic figure skating gold in 24 years. Her story spread wildly in China's social media, garnering praises such as "free spirit" and "more genuine." Some, however, pledged loyalty to Gu and suggested that Liu's success was nothing for the Chinese people to get excited about.

With Liu's rise, her father's story bubbled up in China's social media, though any mention was usually brief and cryptic because the 1989 Tiananmen Movement — generally known as 6-4 forthe date of the military crackdown, remains a deeply sensitive political taboo in China 37 years later. While some called the elder Liu a freedom fighter, others denounced him.

The comparison between his daughter and Gu was so prevalent that Arthur Liu was asked about it.

"Everyone is entitled to her own ambition," the father said in a YouTube chat with Zhang Boli, another former student activist. "The two have chosen different paths, and people immediately see the contrast. The contrast is so sharp that people cannot help but comment."

Asked about the comparison recently, Alysa Liu told Newsweek: "Oh, my God, I think this discourse is really silly because we're both half Chinese."

Backlash in the US

The backlash against Gu in the United States this time appeared to start with Vance, who told Fox News during the Games that "I certainly think that somebody who grew up in the United States of America, who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they want to compete with the United States of America."

In response, Gu said, "I'm flattered. Thanks, JD! That's sweet," USA Today reported.

Ogles' bill aside, Rep. Lisa McClain, a Michigan Republican, slammed Gu for not even having "the respect for the country which has given them so much to represent that country."

Citizenship change is nothing new in competitive sports, and other Chinese Americans or Chinese Canadians have played for Team China. But they have not riled up public opinion as Gu has, noted Susan Brownell, a professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who studies Chinese sports and the Olympic Games. "It does really appear," she said, "that part of the issue here is if you're good enough to beat the U.S."

Badiucao, a Chinese-Australian artist, illustrated the comparison in two drawings: one of Alysa Liu skating triumphantly along with the Statue of Liberty, the other of Gu draped in an oversized, blood-dripping piece of Chinese currency, its image of Mao Zedong looking over her shoulder.

"In a world of Eileen Gu," the artist wrote, "be Alysa Liu."

AP sports writer Stephen Wade in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Olympians Liu and Gu travel very different paths, and China-US relations hang over their stories

WASHINGTON (AP) — It is as captivating as it is divisive: the tale of two Chinese American athletic geniuses who have so ...
NFL free agency grades 2026: Breaking down biggest deals, trades

NFL free agencydoesn't have the overall shock value it once did.

USA TODAY Sports

With fewer and fewer top players reaching the open market thanks to extensions and franchise tags, all-out spending sprees by teams are increasingly rare. Whenagreements began materializing Monday, March 9, as the league's negotiating window opened, only a handful of pacts entailed truly surprising sums.

But the stakes are still high in March, and several teams took bold action to reshape their fortune for the coming season – and not always for the better.

USA TODAY Sports will be grading all of the biggest deals and trades, so check back often for all the latest:

<p style=OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

OT Tytus Howard:Traded to Cleveland Browns(previous team: Houston Texans)

Falcons add QB Tua Tagovailoa on one-year, $1.215 million deal

  • Grade: B+

It sure would be nice for Kevin Stefanski if he could fuse the best qualities of each of his quarterbacks – Tagovailoa's accuracy and Michael Penix Jr.'s ability to drive the ball into tight windows – into one passer. Instead, he's stuck with two players who each amount to a half-measure behind center. While it's fair to question whether Tagovailoa is a sustainable solution for the franchise, the Falcons weren't going to find meaningful competition for Penix elsewhere at this price point.Atlanta now has insurancein case the third-year signal-caller's return from a torn ACL has any hiccups, or if Stefanski merely wants a different look than a player who doesn't appear to be much of a fit in the coach's system due to his preference to work from the shotgun and his reluctance to operate over the middle.

Commanders add DE/OLB Odafe Oweh on four-year, $100 million deal

  • Grade: C+

Ahead of free agency, I wrote inmy latest mock draftthat the Commanders might be priced out of landing a big-name veteran pass rusher. Whoops. Washington instead doled out one of the morestunning sums to land Oweh, who came on strong late with all 7 ½ of his sacks after being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers last season. In terms of pure disruptiveness, there's plenty to like about the five-year veteran. But he's never played the role of lead option and true catalyst for a pass rush before, and Washington is betting $68 million guaranteed that he can make the leap. Maybe it was a nearly necessary one given how badly the team has whiffed on cobbling together an edge rush, but it's an inherently risky gamble.

Titans add WR Wan'Dale Robinson on four-year, $78 million deal

  • Grade: C

Tennessee wasn't trigger-shy at the outset of free agency, pulling in three players on deals of $60 million or more. The richest agreement came in thedeal for Robinson. It's difficult to square what he can offer an offense as a run-after-catch threat with this kind of payout. There's something to be said for providing Cam Ward with an option who will encourage more checkdowns and fewer heroic efforts in and out of the pocket. But it feels as though the Titans overbid for another piece new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll knows and is comfortable with.

49ers add WR Mike Evans on three-year, $42.4 million deal

  • Grade: A

This is probably the rare case when you can believe an agent when he says a decision wasn't driven by money.Evans' dealwas first reported as a $60.3 million pact, but that's actually the maximum value with incentives rather than the base. And with only $16.3 million guaranteed, this partnership is pure upside for San Francisco. Evns sizes up as the kind of well-built X receiver to whom Kyle Shanahan used to love funneling targets. He doesn't need to be anything beyond what he is at this stage in his career to make a massive difference for the 49ers offense. San Francisco just needs to settle the Trent Williams saga to make sure the offense is in top form for a title push.

Saints add RB Travis Etienne Jr. on four-year, $52 million deal

  • Grade: C-

Similar to the Chiefs, the Saints seemed desperate to invigorate a lackluster ground game, which ranked 31st in yards per carry. But what's the rush? New Orleans isn't anywhere close to Kansas City in establishing contending credentials, and the famously atypical spender doesn't need to get bogged down in paying top dollar for running backs – especially one who is an effective but not transcendent talent. Having Tyler Shough on a rookie contract confers some advantages and flexibility. Still, the more reasonable route might have been to look to the middle rounds of the draft for a ball carrier. New Orleans has more work to do up front to get its rushing attack right, though linking up with offensive guard David Edwards was a nice start to that effort.

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Raiders add C Tyler Linderbaum on three-year, $81 million deal

  • Grade: B-

Few numbers from Monday were as jarring asLinderbaum's $27 million per yearaverage annual value, which represented a 50% increase over Creed Humphrey's previous market-setting rate at center. For a Raiders team flush with cap space, however, paying a premium for protection doesn't seem so outlandish. Linderbaum will fit in perfectly with new coach Klint Kubiak's zone runs, and reliability at the pivot could pay off in a big way for expected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza's development. The Raiders' free agency strategy at times resembled mashing all the buttons on a controller at once, but this addition could help establish the foundation needed for the Silver and Black to get off the ground floor for once.

Colts trade WR Michael Pittman Jr. for late-round pick swap

  • Steelers grade: C+

  • Colts grade: B-

For some teams, free agency can be a mechanism by which teams change their identities. For the Steelers, however, it seems to be a way in which the team can lean into its long-running vision for itself. Pittman, who averaged a meager 9.9 yards per catch last season and posted the fewest receiving yards since his rookie year, can still feast on in-breaking routes as a short-to-intermediate threat. But don't expect him to revolutionize the outlook for a receiving corps that still might be a little stale even after his addition. This will be easier to stomach if the Steelers keep at that mission, but it still feels a bit risky to hand the 28-year-old a three-year, $59 million extension. The Colts' salary dump might not move the needle much, but Indianapolis managed to navigate keeping Pittman in he fold until it had worked out the extension with Pierce.

Dolphins add QB Malik Willis on three-year, $67.5 million deal

  • Grade: A-

Ahead of this week, there was plenty of handwringing about the kind of offer that Willis might field after starting just three games in the last two years as Jordan Love's backup on the Green Bay Packers. The actual bottom line, however, is entirely reasonable for the Dolphins.Miami gets to pivot from the Tua Tagovailoa erainto an outlook with a decidedly higher upside, as Willis and De'Von Achane might be one of the NFL's most explosive backfield tandems. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley know Willis' capabilities thanks to their shared time in Green Bay. And with the alternative being forging ahead with Quinn Ewers, the Dolphins at least went with the more promising choice among unproven passers. The financial commitment isn't daunting, either, as the cap space allotted to Willis might simply have gone to waste elsewhere as part of a significant rebuild.

Panthers add DE/OLB Jaelan Phillips on four-year, $120 million deal

  • Grade: B

Whether it's via the draft or the open market, upgrading a pass rush will come with a hefty price tag. Carolina tried to take the former route last year with Day 2 picks Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, but that just led the team to a point of impatience. Enter Phillips, who isn't in the league's first tier of edge threats but already can be a fearsome presence. Now, for the first time since the Panthers traded Brian Burns to the New York Giants, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has a legitimate force off the edge capable of creating havoc.

Chiefs add RB Kenneth Walker III on three-year, $43.05 million deal

  • Grade: B-

Seems only natural that Kansas City would try to solve its explosiveness problem in the ground game by securing a running back who had more than three times as many 20-plus yard runs (10) as the team's entire offense engineered last season (3). With Eric Bieniemy back as offensive coordinator andWalker stepping in, it seems like a good bet that the Chiefs make a large leap with their rushing attack. But the cost here was fairly exorbitant for a team that was saddled with cap problems and now might need to get creative to find solutions for a tattered secondary. Kansas City's insistence on rediscovering its big-play roots feels a bit misplaced amid wider roster problems, but at least there's reason to believe Walker's arrivalcould expedite an overall offensive resurgence, even if the resource allocation is questionable at best.

Colts re-sign WR Alec Pierce to four-year, $116 million deal

  • Colts grade: B-

Is it an overpay? Almost certainly. It's difficult to look at a$29 million average annual value– not to mention the $84 million guaranteed – and conclude otherwise for a player who still relies so heavily on his wins in the vertical game to sustain himself. But general manager Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen are entering a make-or-break campaign, and they couldn't afford to flinch as they try to reassemble the pieces that made them successful in the first half of last season. Indianapolis might not have managed this in an ideal fashion, but at least the team avoided the very real threat of losing Pierce in a booming receiver market.

Packers trade DE Rashan Gary to Cowboys

  • Cowboys grade: C

  • Packers grade: A

So much for Jerry Jones' rumination that the Cowboys could be uncharacteristically aggressive in free agency this year. This feels less like a splash and more like a belly flop for Dallas' defense. Gary's 7 ½ sacks last season belie his limited effectiveness as a pass rusher, with a pressure rate that has continued to plunge yearly before falling to 12.1% last year. He neither properly capitalized on Micah Parsons' arrival nor stepped up when the All-Pro edge rusher was lost for the season to a torn ACL. Gary can stop the run and register some clean-up sacks, but that hardly feels like an efficient use of a $19.5 million cap hit. Meanwhile, Green Bay somehow extracts a fourth-round pick – albeit in 2027 – for a player who otherwise might have just been cut loose.

Dolphins trade S Minkah Fitzpatrick to Jets

  • Jets grade: B

  • Dolphins grade: Incomplete

Despite entering Monday with a good deal of spending space, Gang Green mostly scrounged through the bargain bin in the early stages of free agency. Their one splurge might have come in the form ofacquiring Fitzpatrick, whom they signed to a three-year, $40 million extension– essentially the going rate for a nice-but-not-elite safety. The five-time Pro Bowler is hardly at his playmaking peak anymore, but he's a respected leader who can get the back end of the Jets' defense in order. That's nothing to sneeze at for Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey, who don't have much to count on beyond their floor-raising pick-ups in free agency. New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, meanwhile, gets a reprieve for cleaning up the missteps of his predecessor.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NFL free agency grades 2026: Best and worst contracts, trades

NFL free agency grades 2026: Breaking down biggest deals, trades

NFL free agencydoesn't have the overall shock value it once did. With fewer and fewer top players reaching ...
Ye to play show at SoFi stadium months after apology for antisemitism

Kanye Westis ramping up his comeback.

USA TODAY

Months after the controversialrapper, now known as Ye,took out afull-page ad in the Wall Street Journalto apologize for previous hateful remarks, he's announcing a live performance in Los Angeles.Ye willplay SoFi Stadium in the Southern California city on April 3, according tothe venue's website.

The show, billed "Ye Live in Los Angeles," is described as the only performance in the city in a promo image for the event. A website associated with the concert offers little more information except a directive to pre-save "Bully," the name of his upcoming album.

Previously released preview EPs under the same name were dropped bythe rapperin June 2025. A video posted tothe artist's Instagram storiesalsotakes you to a pagewith the album's title. The album is set for release in late March.

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<p style=Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house, cut ties with the star after he made antisemitic remarks.

Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye hit the 2025 Grammys red carpet donning a black shirt and pants, sunglasses and a chain. Meanwhile, wife Bianca Censori wore a black fur coat that she removed to pose in a nearly nude, see-through dress as photographers captured the couple's appearance.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye and Bianca Censori attend the Marni fall/winter 2024 fashion show on Feb. 23, 2024, in Milan, Italy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye and Bianca Censori are seen in the stands during the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg football match Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Feb. 20, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Charlie Wilson, left, and Ye attend Wilson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on Jan. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ye attended the premiere for "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM," a documentary by conservative political commentator Candace Owens, on Oct. 12, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Owens posed together at the premiere screening for Owens' documentary, which reexamines the the 2020 death of George Floyd. Ye's reflection on the documentary <a href=during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast a few days after the event found the rapper making controversial statements on the manner of Floyd's death." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ray J and Kid Rock also posed with Ye for a group photo at the premiere screening for "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold." <p style=Ye and his children Saint West, Chicago West and Psalm West, who he shares with ex Kim Kardashian, attended the Balenciaga womenswear spring/summer 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 2, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye performed during Playboi Carti's set during 2022 Rolling Loud New York at Citi Field on Sept. 23, 2022. Jared Leto, left, and Ye attended Vogue World: New York on Sept. 12, 2022, in New York City.  Ye hugged Sean "Diddy" Combs onstage during the 2022 BET Awards on June 26, 2022, after presenting him with the ceremony's Lifetime Achievement Award. Rocking a mask covering his entire face, Ye <a href=gave an impassioned speech about Diddy, who he called his "brother."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye, right, and Chaney Jones attended an NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves at FTX Arena in Miami on March 12, 2022. Ye and Jones <a href=were rumored to be romantically linked at the time." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye, left, and fellow rapper Future sat courtside during the first half of an NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 12, 2022. Ye attended an NBA game between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 11, 2022. Ye attended the Super Bowl LVI match between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Feb 13, 2022. Ye, right, and <a href=then-girlfriend Julia Fox, an actress and model, attended the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show during Paris Fashion Week on Jan. 23, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye was seen at the "Donda by Kanye West" listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021, in Atlanta. He<a href= temporarily moved into the venue following the event while he finished work on his 10th studio album "Donda," named after his late mother Donda West." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Kim Kardashian married in 2014 and Kardashian filed for divorce in 2021. They share four children. Here, they attended the NBA All-Star Game at United Center in Chicago on Feb. 16, 2020. Ye and Kim Kardashian shared a smooch at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Ye has released 11 studio albums with one album, "Jesus Is King," having a Christain theme. In 2019, he produced the album "Jesus Is King" featuring his Sunday Service gospel choir. Here, the choir performed along with his pastor, Adam Tyson, at the annual Strength to Stand Youth Conference at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on Jan. 19, 2020. Ye presented his "Jesus Is King" album and film experience at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on Oct. 23, 2019. The album, which saw the rapper take on a rap-gospel sound, <a href=peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye, front, performed an<a href= Easter Sunday service during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye caused political uproar in 2018 when he met with then-President Donald Trump during a visit to the Oval Office on Oct. 11, 2018. During their conversation, Ye delivered a long soliloquy on "male energy," North Korea and his "Make America Great Again" cap, which he said made him <a href="feel like Superman." Trump called him "a smart cookie."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye's son Saint threw out ceremonial first pitches at the Cubs versus White Sox game on Sept. 23, 2018. A week later, Kanye opened the new season of "Saturday Night Live," performing dressed as a bottle of Perrier and delivering a scathing post-show rant that included a MAGA hat and a call to repeal the 13th Amendment. West also caused controversy in May 2018 when in an interview with TMZ, the rapper said slavery was "a choice." In June 2018, he released his eighth studio album, "Ye." In January 2018, Ye's family expanded with the arrival of Chicago West, born by surrogate.  In November 2016, Ye abruptly canceled the remainder of his concert tour and reportedly sought treatment for exhaustion at UCLA Medical Center. Ye embarked on an eye-popping concert tour in 2016 featuring a groundbreaking floating stage. Ye and Kim Kardashian haven't shielded their kids from the spotlight. Daughter North has been a frequent fixture with her parents at fashion shows. Son Saint was born in December 2015. Ye earned a new nickname with the release of his sixth album, "Yeezus," in 2013. Even though record sales weren't high at first, it marked Kanye's seventh platinum record. When did the Kim and Ye romance begin? Kanye rapped, “I fell in love with Kim" on "Cruel Summer," a 2012 compilation album. This time marked the beginning of his much-talked-about romance with the most famous Kardashian. Ye showed off more than his vocal chords in 2011, when he debuted his dw line at Paris Fashion Week. Some of Ye's earliest songs highlighted his melodic rap style. With Auto-Tuned rhymes, he bared his soul in chart-topping 2008 songs like "Heartless" and "Love Lockdown." His 2007 hit "Stronger" was born from Kanye's collaboration with Daft Punk during a time when he experimented with electronic beats, not to mention those iconic shutter shades.

See Kanye West, Ye, the polarizing rapper, fashion mogul

Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house,cut ties with the starafter he made antisemitic remarks.Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

Ye going to trial in $1MMalibu mansion case: What to know

News of the concert comes on the heels of a tumultuousfew years for Ye, once a titan of the genre, who has since become better known for public outbursts on social media deriding both Jewish and Black people. He has lauded Adolf Hitler with the release of a song titled "Heil Hitler," sold clothing emblazoned with the swastika symbol through his clothing company Yeezy and used pro-Nazi language in his social media posts and tirades.

The rapper is also facingallegations of sexual misconductandharassment. He has denied wrongdoing.

In an apology letter featured in a Wall Street Journal advertisement in January, Ye said his mental health history – including a diagnosis ofbipolar disorderand a four-month manic episode that took place in the first half of 2025 – was what allegedly fueled his "reckless" behavior.

"When you're manic, you really don't think that you're sick," he told Vanity Fair in an interview at the time. "You think that everyone else is deeply overreacting. You feel like you're seeing the world so much more clearly on things, when in reality you're losing your grip entirely."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ye to play show at Los Angeles stadium after apology for antisemitism

Ye to play show at SoFi stadium months after apology for antisemitism

Kanye Westis ramping up his comeback. Months after the controversialrapper, now known as Ye,took out afull-pag...
Oysters and clams in 9 states could be contaminated with norovirus, FDA warns

The FDA on Monday warned consumers aboutoysters and clamswhich could be contaminated with norovirus and were sent to nine states, including California, Florida and New York.

NBC Universal Close-up of oysters in plate on table. (TK / 500px via Getty Images)

The shellfish caution covers "certain raw oysters" harvested by Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and Manila clams harvested by Lummi Indian Business Council between Feb. 13 through March 3,according to an FDA statement.

Thesepotentially bad oysters and clamswere sent to food retailers and restaurants in nine states — Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Washington, the FDA said.

The agency urged restaurants and retailers "not serve or sell the potentially contaminated oysters or Manila clams," but instead "dispose of any products by throwing them in the garbage or contacting their distributor to arrange for destruction."

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There's also a threat of cross-contamination from those tainted products touching processing equipment that contacts other food in the kitchen, the agency said.

Representatives for Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and the Lummi Indian Business Council could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.

The tribe, however, issued a statement on Friday warning of possible norovirus associated with shellfish coming out ofDrayton Harbor. The warning stopped short of a recall and urged consumers not to eat the shellfish raw.

Consuming tainted shellfish could lead to symptoms in 13 to 48 hours before getting better in another 24 to 72 hours, the FDA said.

Norovuris symptoms include dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, stomach pain, fever, headache and body aches.

Oysters and clams in 9 states could be contaminated with norovirus, FDA warns

The FDA on Monday warned consumers aboutoysters and clamswhich could be contaminated with norovirus and were sent to nine...

 

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