Washington
Dolphins—Commanders Halftime Observation
ALAIN POUPART
Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast.
Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated).
In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine.
During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as “Still Perfect,” an inside look at the Miami Dolphins’ 1972 perfect season.
A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.
Washington
Unemployment claims in Washington declined last week
Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Washington dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday, Jan. 22.
New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 5,890 in the week ending Jan. 17, down from 6,810 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 200,000 last week, up 1,000 claims from 199,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Virgin Islands saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 136.4%. Georgia, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.4%.
USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.
Washington
Photos of the annual March for Life in Washington
WASHINGTON (AP) — The annual March for Life demonstration was held in Washington, where Vice President JD Vance touted the Trump administration’s record against abortion.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Copyright 2026 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Washington
Washington plays Charlotte on 5-game road skid
Washington Wizards (10-33, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (17-28, 12th in the Eastern Conference)
Charlotte, North Carolina; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Washington travels to Charlotte looking to stop its five-game road losing streak.
The Hornets are 5-4 against Southeast Division teams. Charlotte averages 14.6 turnovers per game and is 6-8 when it wins the turnover battle.
The Wizards are 2-4 in division matchups. Washington ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference with 11.6 offensive rebounds per game led by Marvin Bagley III averaging 2.6.
The Hornets are shooting 46.0% from the field this season, 1.5 percentage points lower than the 47.5% the Wizards allow to opponents. The Wizards are shooting 45.9% from the field, 1.8% lower than the 47.7% the Hornets’ opponents have shot this season.
The teams play for the third time this season. The Hornets won the last meeting 126-109 on Dec. 24, with LaMelo Ball scoring 23 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kon Knueppel is shooting 48.2% and averaging 19.0 points for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 18.6 points over the last 10 games.
Alex Sarr is scoring 17.2 points per game and averaging 7.4 rebounds for the Wizards. Bub Carrington is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 5-5, averaging 116.3 points, 49.1 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 5.9 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.1 points per game.
Wizards: 1-9, averaging 108.3 points, 42.1 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 8.6 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.9 points.
INJURIES: Hornets: Mason Plumlee: out (groin), Tre Mann: out (illness), Grant Williams: out (knee), KJ Simpson: out (hip).
Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic: out (knee), Bilal Coulibaly: out (back), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Trae Young: out (quad), Marvin Bagley III: out (illness).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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