The improved battery-powered Starlink Mini is here

By

-

March 21, 2026

My Starlink Mini has radically changed the way I live. It’s the biggest reason I can work remotely from my converted van, providing fast and reliable internet in places that traditional 4G and 5G data signals don’t reach. Peakdo’s latest LinkPower battery makes the smallest Starlink terminal even better by setting it free from power cables for hours at a time.

While that might not sound like a big deal, I can assure you it is. For example, I can park in the shade and place the Mini far away to avoid trees and other obstructions, just so long as I’m within reach of its Wi-Fi signal. It even works on my dashboard without any long cables to snag, providing reliable data for navigating down remote mountain passes while my wife works from the passenger seat.

I’ve been testing PeakDo’s second generation LinkPower 2 battery for the last few weeks as I travel around the Pyrenees mountain range that borders France and Spain. The $219 price — up from $119 for last year’s model — is annoying, but I can also see many Starlink Mini owners paying that premium.

$219

The Good

Delivers over 5 hours of untethered Starlink Mini Internet
Powers Starlink while simultaneously recharging for indefinite use
New magnetic breakaway charging dongle
Makes Starlink placement easier without long cables to snag

The Bad

Expensive for a 99Wh power bank
Janky web app

Like its predecessor, the LinkPower 2 battery slots right into the back of the Starlink Mini like a standard SpaceX mount. The connection is firm, but I wouldn’t trust it without a cage if you’re planning to use it on the roof of your moving vehicle. PeakDo offers a compatible suction mount if that’s your thing.

With the LinkPower 2 battery attached, I can put the Starlink Mini over 50 meters away when I’m parked in the shade.

A short DC-to-DC barrel cable connects the 99Wh battery to the Starlink Mini for truly wireless internet connectivity. The unit is the same size as the original and can still be controlled remotely over Bluetooth with a web app (iPhone users need to download a special app).

In addition to USB-C, the LinkPower 2 adds a native DC barrel input that matches the Starlink Mini’s power port. This allows you to charge the battery using the power cable that ships with the Starlink dish. It can also be charged with a new breakaway magnetic dongle, included in the box, that could save your Starlink Mini from a devastating fall if the charging cable is accidentally snagged.

A new battery bypass mode allows you to power the Starlink Mini directly when the LinkPower 2 is plugged into a power source. This reduces wear on the battery and helps keep temperatures down, without requiring you to detach the battery every time.

During my testing I consistently got about 5 hours and 30 minutes of runtime off a fully charged LinkPower 2. That’s an hour longer than the original LinkPower I tested last year. And leaving the LinkPower battery – either the first or second gen – attached to the Starlink Mini provides far more options to keep the dish powered indefinitely, including from USB jacks installed in your vehicle, an old power bank, or even a solar panel.

For example, on a sunny day I was able to extend the StarLink Mini’s runtime to over seven hours by attaching a small folding solar panel that produced a steady 7.3W to the LinkPower 2’s USB-C input. My Starlink Mini pulls an average of about 18W in rural locations, and the USB-C jacks installed in my van produce a steady 28W to easily offset that when placed on my dashboard.

Without the LinkPower battery attached, the Starlink Mini has to be plugged into an AC jack or a beefy power bank capable of 100W (20V/5A) because “Starlink Mini will not work with USB PD ratings of 65W or lower.”

I screwed a strong magnet into the tripod mount on the back of the LinkPower 2 for easy placement on my van.

Keeping the LinkPower 2 charged from my vehicle’s factory USB-C jacks while the Starlink Mini is in use.

Ready to trickle charge off a small solar panel for extended use.

The app is a bit janky but it’s better than climbing on the roof to find out how much battery power is left.

By default, charging the LinkPower 2 battery over USB-C tops out at 65W, needing about one hour and forty minutes to fully recharge. You can also set the max charge rate to 100W in expert mode if you want to speed up charging while potentially degrading the battery’s lifespan. USB-C charging is the fastest, followed by a 57W charge I saw over the DC barrel jack, and 55W charge over the magnetic dongle. In a pinch, that bidirectional USB-C jack also lets the LinkPower 2 act as a traditional power bank to charge your phone or laptop at up to 65W.

PeakDo claims to have an IP65 rating against dust and water ingress. That means it should hold up to a rain shower when stationary, but not when mounted to the roof of a moving car. The rating also doesn’t apply when charging cables expose the unit’s ports.

1/12

The new breakaway magnetic dongle lets you charge the battery without risk of someone tripping over the cable and sending the Mini crashing to the ground.

I like this battery so much that I’ve just left the LinkPower 2 attached to my Starlink Mini over the last few weeks, even when I’m bypassing it with external power. The power bank adds an additional 667g (1.47lb) to the 1.1kg (2.43lb) Starlink Mini, making it feel solid, but not too heavy to handle with one hand. I also screwed in a magnet I purchased off Amazon into the battery’s tripod mount to ensure it doesn’t blow off my roof — it probably won’t, but if it did I’d be in a world of hurt without my Starlink connection.

When I reviewed the original LinkPower last summer, it cost $119, so the jump to $219 for the LinkPower 2 is certainly alarming, especially when reputable 99Wh power banks with 100W USB-C PD outputs cost less than half that. The original LinkPower 1 is still available, only now it costs $159. I recommend buying the cheaper version unless you really need that extra hour of battery life, the breakaway charging dongle, or the battery bypass feature available on the LinkPower 2.

Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

Thomas Ricker

Nicholas Brendon Dead: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Stars React

By

avrotusa

-

March 21, 2026

0

The residents of Sunnydale are coming together in mourning.

The cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer spoke out following the tragic death of Nicholas Brendon at age 54, mourning the actor who played Xander Harris on the show from 1997 to 2003.

“My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers,” Alyson Hannigan wrote on Instagram March 20. “I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP.”

Meanwhile, Emma Caulfield—who portrayed Xander’s on-and-off love interest Anya Jenkins—wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post, “Rest Nicky. Rest. I love you.”

“My heart is heavy,” she added on Instagram Stories, per a screenshot published by Deadline. “I can’t put into words just how this has hit me.”

In addition to Alyson and Emma, Brendon starred in the series alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anthony Head, James Marsters and the late Michelle Trachtenberg, who died in February 2025 due to complications from diabetes.

HEALTH DIRECT AminoSculpt Sugar-Free Collagen Supplement – High Potency Medical-Grade Protein for Hair, Skin, Nails & Joints, Grass-Fed, Non-GMO, Liquid Collagen – Tart Cherry – 30 Fl Oz

By

avrotusa

-

March 21, 2026

0

Price: $62.99
(as of Mar 21, 2026 05:08:34 UTC – Details)

Product description

1 28 Types of Collagen

2 Body Mass Support

3 Joint Health*

Recommended Products

Add to Cart

Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars 1,299

3.6 out of 5 stars 14

4.1 out of 5 stars 721

4.0 out of 5 stars 68

4.3 out of 5 stars 1,299

4.0 out of 5 stars 176

Price

$41.99$41.99

—

$63.99$63.99

—

$41.99$41.99

—

Premium Ingredients

✔

Soy-Free

✔

Gluten-Free

✔

Dairy-Free

✔

Nut-Free

✔

Sugar-Free

✔

✘

✔

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 3.54 x 3.54 x 9.5 inches; 2.1 Pounds
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 1001-30oz-CHRY
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ May 4, 2015
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Health Direct
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00X3LLANO
Best Sellers Rank: #17,194 in Health & Household (See Top 100 in Health & Household) #173 in Collagen Supplements
Customer Reviews: 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (744) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Medical-Grade Collagen: With 40 years of clinical research and use, AminoSculpt Sugar-Free 18 Gram offers the only Type 1 Collagen trusted by over 4,700 health professionals, including surgeons, doctors, and nutritionists. It supports lean muscle, healthy joints, cartilage, hair, skin, and nails, and more.*
Highly Concentrated & Easily Absorbed: Our liquid collagen protein offers 18,000 mg of collagen peptides per serving, which is more than most other collagen supplements. The dipeptides and tripeptides have low molecular weights for rapid and complete absorption. This makes them better absorbed than powder collagen, so you need less.*
Whole Body Health, Multi-Collagen Benefits: Our liquid collagen peptides build all 28 types of collagen in your body and are not just for your hair, skin, and nails. They support building and repairing muscle, promote better sleep, enhance recovery, and help by aiding satiety.*
Convenient, Ready to Use, Just 1 Oz Needed: No more mixing collagen powder supplements or swallowing a ton of pills. Our collagen protein, available in a generous 30oz bottle, is ready to drink. An easier choice compared to collagen powders for women that require mixing, additional ingredients, and cleanup.*
Manufactured in the USA: Formulated and manufactured under GMPs outlined by the US FDA, AminoSculpt is made with pasture-raised, grass-fed bovine ensuring a high-quality, non-GMO collagen supplement. It’s also Kosher certified. Free of sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, and artificial additives, making it suitable for those with dietary restrictions.*

Cori Close hails Lauren Betts’ ‘courageous vulnerability’ on mental health

By

avrotusa

-

March 21, 2026

0

Sarah BarshopMar 20, 2026, 05:13 PM ET
Close

Multiple Authors

LOS ANGELES — A day after UCLA center Lauren Betts opened up about her struggle with depression in a story for the Players’ Tribune, head coach Cori Close said she couldn’t be “more impressed and inspired” by Betts’ “courageous vulnerability.”

In the story published on Thursday, Betts wrote about challenges she has had with her mental health, including the games she missed during her sophomore season in January 2024. During that time, she said she checked herself into the UCLA hospital to get help.

In a news conference on Friday, Betts said she wanted to write the story because “it was a good opportunity for me to show the growth that I’ve had in the past few years.”

When asked about her reaction to seeing Betts’ story, Close said, “I cannot imagine, when I was that age, having that kind of courage.”

“And having experienced some of those things alongside her and with her, to see even just being over there and watching her answer the question about why she did that, I think spoke to her growth,” Close said. “… It’s incredible to watch how she’s grown and healed in miraculous ways. And I couldn’t be any prouder.”

In the story, Betts said when she returned to her team in 2024, she addressed her teammates to let them know why she missed that time.

“My mom and Cori encouraged me to address what happened and just speak from the heart,” Betts said in the story. “So in the film room, before practice started, I spoke to everyone. I said, ‘I just want you all to know…. I’ve been dealing with depression. This is what’s been going on in my head. And yeah… I love you guys so much. And I’m sorry that I had to leave.’ Then I braced myself for their reactions.

“And of course, there was never anything to worry about. They were all like, ‘We’re so happy that you took care of yourself. You’re coming back even better. We love you.'”

On Friday, Betts said she has “healed so much” since her sophomore year.

“And I think to write it from my perspective was really special for me,” Betts said. “… I think that it was just an amazing opportunity for me to continue to speak on what I stand for and why I play basketball and why … I think for me, this is so much bigger than myself. So I think the people that I’ve been able to impact really means a lot to me and that’s why I wanted to do it.”

Earlier in the week, Betts was named First Team All-American. She was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year this season.

Betts and 1-seed UCLA open the NCAA tournament at home against No. 16 seed California Baptist on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

LaLiga Confidential: Spain’s soccer stars take ESPN’s player survey

By

avrotusa

-

March 20, 2026

0

Mar 20, 2026, 07:00 AM ET

What do LaLiga players really think about their fellow professionals? Which player would they sign for their team if they could pick anyone in the world? Which stadiums do they relish visiting? And which coaches wind them up on the sidelines?

ESPN spoke to 30 players in Spain’s top flight to find out the answers to these and other questions for the second edition of LaLiga Confidential, four years after the first. All players offered their responses on the condition of anonymity, and their replies are fascinating, offering an insight not only into who they rate as the best players in the league — Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé, perhaps, or maybe Barcelona‘s Pedri or Lamine Yamal? — but also revealing those they believe slip under the radar or are most likely to get red carded.

– Stream every LaLiga match LIVE all season long on ESPN+ (U.S.)

PLAYERS AND COACHES: LaLiga players on their contemporaries

The first question provides the most expected answers, although the split between Pedri and Yamal reveals how highly the Barça midfielder is regarded by his fellow professionals. The ensuing questions highlight some of the most underrated players in LaLiga, those perceived to be the least disciplined — look away now, Getafe — and the coach who is the biggest windup merchant during matches.

1. If you ran a team, who would be your first signing?

What they said:

— “Mbappé wins games on his own.”

— “Haaland is a guy who guarantees goals.”

2. Who’s the most underrated player in LaLiga right now?

What they said:

— “Raphinha should have won the Ballon d’Or.”

3. Which player in LaLiga is most likely to get red carded?

What they said:

— “Anyone who plays against Madrid or Barcelona.”

4. Which coach is most annoying on the sidelines?

What they said:

— “Simeone really likes to provoke the opposition.”

— “Bordalás protests everything.”

AWAY DAYS: The best places to play in Spain

Trips to Barcelona and Real Madrid stand out, but even beyond the Clásico rivals, LaLiga is packed with some of the best away trips in European football. However, best doesn’t always mean easy, with teams such as Athletic Club in Bilbao, Real Betis in Seville and Rayo Vallecano in Madrid regularly making it difficult for visiting sides.

5. What’s the toughest away game in terms of atmosphere and fans?

6. When you get the schedule, which city are you most looking forward to visiting?

GOALS AND GAMES: Celebrations, watching football and EA FC

Finally, LaLiga stars were polled on several other issues, including their thoughts on scoring against a former team, watching football, burnout and those all-important EA FC player ratings.

7. Would you celebrate against your former team?

What they said:

— “No, I never score goals, so it would be bad luck if my only goal of the season was against a former team.”

— “Not really, you always have to have the utmost respect for the team that allowed you to be where you are.”

— “I hope to always be on the same team.”

8. Beyond your own team, how many football matches do you watch a week?

What they said:

— “I don’t watch much football. I prefer watching NFL or NBA.”

— “I watch two or three, but mainly Premier League games.”

— “I don’t watch football. I prefer to use my free time to spend time with my family or to disconnect.”

9. Has there been a point in your career when you have felt burnout from playing too much?

What they said:

— “When you are involved in several competitions, you end up exhausted.”

— “No, but I will say that when Christmas comes around, you miss your family and that can be exhausting.”

10. If you play EA FC, do you think the player ratings are accurate?

What they said:

— “I think they are good for the more famous players, but they underestimate the lesser-known ones.”

— “Some are too high [laughing].”

— “They never give us goalkeepers what we think we deserve.”

— “They give us defenders a lower average than we deserve [laughs].”

ESPN’s Eduardo Fernández-Abascal, Sam Marsden, Tony Mabert and Connor O’Halloran contributed to this report

Valve’s huge SteamOS 3.8 update adds long-awaited features — and supports Steam Machine

By

avrotusa

-

March 20, 2026

0

Not only is it the first release to support the upcoming Steam Machine living room gaming PC, it comes with long-awaited features for Valve’s handhelds and more support for other companies’ handhelds than we’ve seen to date — including Microsoft and Asus’ Xbox Ally series, the Lenovo Legion Go 2, the OneXPlayer X1, and additional support for MSI, GPD, Anbernic, OrangePi, and Zotac.

The one that excites me most: Valve is adding genuine hibernation and “memory power down” modes to the Steam Deck — though just the LCD model to start — which should help extend battery life when you hit the power button or leave them idle. Some Windows machines currently last longer than the Steam Deck when asleep, because they self-hibernate to save power, while the Steam Deck has an instant-on sleep mode.

Plus, Valve has finally added a setting in its gaming mode to let you use your Bluetooth headset microphones — something I’ve been asking for since the beginning. (Valve did add it to the Linux desktop mode last year.) And the Steam Deck LCD is finally getting Bluetooth Wake re-enabled, so you can turn on your TV-connected Deck with a wireless controller from your couch.

The update comes with all sorts of improvements for the Linux desktop modes that sound like they’ll come in handy on a Steam Machine plugged into a TV or monitor, too, including desktop HDR, VRR display support, per-display scaling, “improved windowing behavior for games running in Proton,” and an upgrade to KDE Plasma 6.4.3 among other things.

And for a Steam Machine or Steam handheld plugged into a home entertainment system, they can now detect how many audio channels you have over HDMI to enable surround sound. (I believe surround sound was already a thing, so perhaps this is just a different and better automatic implementation.)

There’s also a new Arch system base and an updated graphics driver.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the “Non-Deck” section of the changelog is huge. Valve says long-pressing your power button should work “across a wide variety of devices” to power off, restart, or switch to the desktop mode. You should be able to change your processor’s power modes on the Xbox Ally now, and night mode and screen color settings should work on AMD Z2 Extreme handhelds in general.

There’s also “Greatly improved video memory management with discrete GPU platforms,” you can limit how far the battery charges in any of the Lenovo Legion Go handhelds (in desktop mode), and it should fix “washed out colors for Zotac and OneXPlayer handhelds with OLED.”

There’s a lot in this update, and it’s possible I missed a feature you care about, so check out the whole changelog here and below.

John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Love Story: Fact vs. Fiction

By

avrotusa

-

March 20, 2026

0

John Checks Into a Hotel After a Devastating Fight With Carolyn

Carolyn is clearing the table after a dinner party—planned by John for “her friends,” a characterization she objects to, insisting they’re “our friends”—and the couple get into a huge fight.

Barbs include John saying it’s lucky he never introduced Carolyn to his mother, as “she would have never encouraged this,” and Carolyn saying he only talks to her enough to “keep the peace.” Because, she added, “I imagine it’s tough seeing how unhappy you make me.”

It’s an all-around devastating exchange—she also accuses him of not making any space for her, while he charges her with having “no identity outside of your own victimhood”—and it ends with John saying he’s going to check into the Stanhope Hotel because he’s tired of seeing in her eyes how he’s “failing at this marriage.”

She begs him not to leave, and he promises he’ll be back.

If this is, in fact, the notorious check-in to the Stanhope two days before their plane crashed on the night of July 16, 1999, then Love Story leaped almost two years into the future. While their final weeks were fraught, they also traveled, went to parties and experienced at least some happiness as a couple during their nearly three years of marriage.

But, as Beller wrote, stories about them being on the rocks or otherwise unhappy sold more papers, as did photos of Carolyn looking upset, and that cycle continued for the rest of their lives.

ASPEN NATURALS Grass fed Bovine Collagen Peptides Powder 3lb – Collagen for Women, USA Sourced from USDA Inspected Cattle, Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly, Water Soluble, Flavorless, Easily Mixes

By

avrotusa

-

March 20, 2026

0

Price: $54.49
(as of Mar 20, 2026 06:07:38 UTC – Details)

Product description

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in our body, responsible for keeping our hair, skin, bones, and joints looking and feeling healthy.

Collagen comes from the hide and bones of animals or the skin, bones, and scales of fish. Aspen Naturals Bovine Collagen Hydrolysate is solely derived from non GMO, pasture-raised, grass fed and finished cattle. We use top quality cattle with no growth hormones or antibiotics, to insure you only put the best supplement into your body.

All in One Health & Beauty Powder

As we get older, our collagen levels decline, leading to aches and pains, brittle hair, and unwanted facial lines. Supplementing your body with collagen can make your body feel healthy and young again.

Easy to Use

Aspen Naturals collagen is flavorless and odorless, making it easy to add to your morning coffee, tea, and smoothies.

Sprinkle collagen while cooking and baking to give recipes a boost of protein and amino acids. It’s safe for the whole family!

Recommended use: 2 tablespoons, twice a day

Premium Standards

Our collagen has only one ingredient: hydrolzyed collagen. We make sure you receive the best quality available.

– Cetified Paleo

– Gluten free

– BSE and SRM free

– Preservitive free

– Dairy free

*Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

Add to Cart

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars 2,168

4.2 out of 5 stars 1,150

4.2 out of 5 stars 390

Price

$38.99$38.99 $31.99$31.99
— no data

Non GMO

✓

Gluten Free

✓

Wild Caught

✓

Nothing Artificial

✓

Third Party Tested

✓

Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.5 x 2 x 12 inches; 3 Pounds
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ January 8, 2021
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ ASPEN NATURALS
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08SHRHTT6
Best Sellers Rank: #85,518 in Health & Household (See Top 100 in Health & Household) #737 in Collagen Supplements
Customer Reviews: 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (1,150) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
USDA Inspected. 3rd Party Tested: At Aspen Naturals, we tested dozens of samples from various suppliers around the USA, and based our choice on supplier reputation and 3rd party test results. We DO NOT source our ingredients from China.
Pasture Raised Cattle: Our hydrolyzed collagen peptides powder comes from free range, grass-fed and finished cattle.
Health Benefit: This bovine collagen hydrolysate contains Amino Acid which is essential to your health. Collagen provides important nutrients to rejuvenate your body.
Easy To Use: Aspen Naturals Collagen Powder for Women (and Men) is soluble in water and can easily mixes into any liquid.
Unflavored Dietary Supplement: Easily mix our collagen peptides protein powder into coffee, tea, smoothies, and shakes or sprinkle on your favorite foods and enjoy without changing the flavor. Perfect for a keto or paleo lifestyle.

Pistons star Cade Cunningham sidelined with collapsed lung

By

avrotusa

-

March 19, 2026

0

Mar 19, 2026, 09:30 AM ET

Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung and is expected to miss an extended period of time.

The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons announced Thursday that Cunningham has a left lung pneumothorax and will be reevaluated in two weeks, meaning he will miss at least eight games.

Sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that the collapse of Cunningham’s lung is considered mild.

There is some optimism that Cunningham will be back in time for the start of the playoffs, which begin on April 18, sources told Charania.

Cunningham, who is among the leaders in the NBA MVP race, left Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards with what the Pistons initially described as back spasms.

The two-time All-Star guard appeared to suffer the injury when he dove for a loose ball and collided into Wizards guard Tre Johnson with 7:44 left in the first quarter. Cunningham appeared to be laboring until he checked out 1:04 later.

The Pistons (49-19), who play at Washington again Thursday, are 3½ games ahead of the surging Boston Celtics (46-23) atop the East standings.

Detroit entered Thursday 5-2 in games without Cunningham this season.

Cunningham, 24, is averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists — the second most in the NBA — in 61 games this season for the Pistons, stellar numbers for a club that is on pace for its best season in nearly two decades.

Only eight players in NBA history have finished a season averaging that many points and assists, and Cunningham would be the first to do so in a Detroit uniform.

Because he lasted just five minutes in Tuesday’s contest, Cunningham needs to play in at least five more games to reach the 65-game threshold required to be eligible for the league’s regular-season awards such as MVP, All-NBA teams and Defensive Player of the Year.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump is threatening international students, and a new bill could help stop him

By

avrotusa

-

March 19, 2026

0

A bipartisan duo is pushing back on President Donald Trump’s attempts to end a program that lets hundreds of thousands of foreign students work in the US for a year after graduation. Reps. Sam Liccardo (D-CA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) introduced a bill that would codify Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows international students to work in their field of study for 12 months, with extensions of up to 24 months for STEM students.

OPT was introduced in 1992 and functions as a sort of bridge between student visas, or F-1s, and H-1Bs, the visa category issued to foreign nationals who work for US companies. But OPT is now under threat from the Trump administration, which has floated the possibility of doing away with it altogether as part of its broader crackdown on legal immigration. Liccardo and Obernolte are hoping to shore up bipartisan support for the program, which until recently went under the radar and faced little opposition from either party.

Between 2006 and 2022, 56 percent of the international students who entered the country on F-1 visas enrolled in OPT, according to data from the Institute for Progress. Students with postgraduate degrees are more likely to enroll in OPT than those with bachelor’s degrees, and those in STEM fields are more likely to use the program to find work in the US than those in other fields. The Department of Homeland Security’s statistics show that 165,524 foreign students participated in STEM OPT in 2024 alone. STEM PhDs have the highest rate of participation in OPT, with 76 percent of graduates enrolling in the program.

“The OPT program enables hundreds of thousands of the best and the brightest from around the world to be educated in the United States, and to have a pathway to contribute to our economy,” Liccardo, the bill’s cosponsor, told The Verge. “The alternative to OPT is to educate these brilliant people and to then send them back to their countries of origin, where they’ll start companies to compete against us.”

Congress hasn’t passed any meaningful immigration reform in decades, and OPT wasn’t created by legislation at all. President George H.W. Bush established the program in 1992 under the authority of the Department of Justice, which oversaw the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the precursor to ICE, until DHS began operations in 2003. The OPT program is now administered by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency within DHS that deals with legal immigration.

When new regulations have been issued regarding OPT, they’ve always expanded the program rather than reduced its scope: Both George W. Bush and Barack Obama increased the OPT period for students with STEM degrees, who can now work in the US for up to 36 months.

“It’s never had a life in statute,” Liccardo said, “which is precisely why in this environment, in which every two hours there’s a new idea about how this administration can cut the United States off from the world — whether that’s choking off talent, or exports, or relationships with our allies — we want to codify it to make sure that this valuable program continues to help us drive the American economy.”

Though OPT has broad bipartisan support, the program has faced legal challenges for over a decade. The Washington Alliance of Technology Workers sued DHS in 2014 after the Obama administration extended STEM OPT to 17 months, arguing the change hurt American workers. The suit also claimed that DHS exceeded its regulatory authority when creating OPT. In an amicus brief filed in 2019, more than 100 colleges said that ending OPT would make it harder for them to “compete for international students, particularly at a time when global competition is fierce and international students are already questioning whether they are welcome in the United States in light of recent changes in immigration policy and enforcement.”

During his May 2025 nomination hearing, Joseph B. Edlow, Trump’s pick for the head of USCIS, promised to end OPT. Edlow, who was confirmed by the Senate, said OPT has been “mishandled,” adding that he favored a “regulatory and sub-regulatory program that would allow us to remove” employment authorizations for international students after they leave school. Several groups that favor immigration restriction, including the right-wing Center for Immigration Studies, have long sought an end to OPT, which they say brings down wages for American workers.

There were some reports last fall that the Trump administration could issue a rule to that effect early in 2026, but no changes have been made to OPT yet. Still, in addition to conducting large-scale ICE raids across the country, the Trump administration is pushing to restrict many forms of legal migration. It raised the fee for H-1B visas to $100,000 and imposed full or partial travel bans on nationals of 20 countries. Though Trump has previously said that he would like to give green cards to every single international student who graduates from a US university, it’s far more likely that his administration will move to limit OPT or get rid of it altogether.

Liccardo, who cosponsored the bill that would codify OPT, said eliminating the program will have downstream effects that hurt all Americans. “At a moment when China in particular is outcompeting the United States across many technologies and industries ranging from solar and energy storage to, increasingly now, biotech,” he said, “we cannot afford to lose American-trained, American-educated engineers, scientists, and innovators to fuel our competitors’ economies.”

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

Gaby Del Valle

Todays News PortalTodays News Portal

Todays News PortalTodays News Portal

Todays News PortalTodays News Portal

The improved battery-powered Starlink Mini is here

The Good

The Bad

Nicholas Brendon Dead: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Stars React

HEALTH DIRECT AminoSculpt Sugar-Free Collagen Supplement – High Potency Medical-Grade Protein for Hair, Skin, Nails & Joints, Grass-Fed, Non-GMO, Liquid Collagen – Tart Cherry – 30 Fl Oz

Recommended Products

Cori Close hails Lauren Betts’ ‘courageous vulnerability’ on mental health

LaLiga Confidential: Spain’s soccer stars take ESPN’s player survey

PLAYERS AND COACHES: LaLiga players on their contemporaries

1. If you ran a team, who would be your first signing?

2. Who’s the most underrated player in LaLiga right now?

3. Which player in LaLiga is most likely to get red carded?

4. Which coach is most annoying on the sidelines?

AWAY DAYS: The best places to play in Spain

5. What’s the toughest away game in terms of atmosphere and fans?

6. When you get the schedule, which city are you most looking forward to visiting?

GOALS AND GAMES: Celebrations, watching football and EA FC

7. Would you celebrate against your former team?

8. Beyond your own team, how many football matches do you watch a week?

9. Has there been a point in your career when you have felt burnout from playing too much?

10. If you play EA FC, do you think the player ratings are accurate?

Valve’s huge SteamOS 3.8 update adds long-awaited features — and supports Steam Machine

John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Love Story: Fact vs. Fiction

John Checks Into a Hotel After a Devastating Fight With Carolyn

ASPEN NATURALS Grass fed Bovine Collagen Peptides Powder 3lb – Collagen for Women, USA Sourced from USDA Inspected Cattle, Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly, Water Soluble, Flavorless, Easily Mixes

What is Collagen?

All in One Health & Beauty Powder

Easy to Use

Premium Standards

Pistons star Cade Cunningham sidelined with collapsed lung

Trump is threatening international students, and a new bill could help stop him