The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, featuring performances from Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, and more, is set to begin today at 2 p.m. ET (learn how to tune in here). We're sure there'll be no shortage of "nice" content coming out of the Olympics and the ensuing Paralympics, so you'll notice that our usual Photo of the Day section has been temporarily transformed into "Eyes on Milano Cortina" to keep you up to date on all the athletic goings-on. Let the Games begin!
100 Years of Winter Olympics Fashion: Look Back on Styles Worn by the World's Top Athletes
David Madison/Getty Images
In December, we went back in time to learn how skiwear has evolved over the years — and when it comes to the history of Winter Olympics fashion, you may notice some common threads. Athletes today tend to don designer 'fits, with the 2026 Team USA crop sporting opening and closing ceremony uniforms from Ralph Lauren. But much like with general skiwear in decades prior, Olympic styles of choice were far more muted and less practical for advanced maneuvers. In fact, many of them were remarkably similar to everyday clothes. The first Winter Games, held in 1924, saw British curlers wearing sweaters and jackets with ties and caps; bobsledders in wool cable-knit sweaters; and the first ski jumper to win a gold medal decked in loose trousers tucked into socks. While some pieces displayed an athlete's country or colors, few uniforms offered obvious markers of nationality — many simply showed their representation through badges. Fast forward to the '40s and '50s, and outfits became a whole lot more stylish. Designers eventually began to pounce on the opportunity to spotlight and license their brands, showcasing brighter colors, more fitted apparel, and more practical materials. Travel through decades of Winter Olympics fashion — and get the deets on the 1980s Western getups you see in the pic above.
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Guinea Worm Disease Nears Global Eradication, With Just 10 Cases Last Year
The Carter Center
In the mid-1980s, there were millions of annual Guinea worm disease cases — last year, there were just 10, The Carter Center recently announced. This stat marks a historic low for the notoriously painful parasitic disease, which typically spreads through contaminated drinking water. The steep decline is the result of decades-long efforts led by former President Jimmy Carter and his nonprofit to educate the public, distribute water filters, and train community volunteers. Despite the progress, 10 cases is still 10 too many to Adam Weiss, director of the center's Guinea worm eradication program. He told the Associated Press: "These might not be seen as the No. 1 problems in the world, but they are the No. 1 problems for people that suffer from these diseases. So we continue to charge ourselves with his mission of alleviating as much pain and suffering as we can." Though Carter, who died at age 100 in 2024, did not quite reach his goal of outliving Guinea worm, his legacy continues on. The nonprofit is investing in innovative solutions, like a diagnostic test that could detect the illness in animals before it has the chance to spread. If eradication is achieved, Guinea worm disease would become the second human disease eliminated worldwide, after smallpox.
Culture
The 2026 Close-up Photographer of the Year Contest Zooms In on Nature's Wonder
Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon's image of the inside of a cauliflower soft coral is now a two-time photography contest champion. Not only did "Fractal Forest" claim the top spot in the 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition, but it also just won the seventh annual Close-up Photographer of the Year contest. The latter shines a spotlight on nature via macro, micro, and close-up imagery across 11 categories. It was launched in 2018 by Tracy and Dan Calder, a married couple who work in the photo magazine industry and live in the U.K. After receiving over 12,000 submissions from 63 countries, this year's 22 judges spent more than 20 hours on Zoom calls to choose the victors in what Tracy called "the toughest competition yet," per a press release. Check out the rest of the winning images.
Global Good
🇰🇪 Kenya is rolling out tax breaks for EV parts and charging stations to drive a shift toward clean energy (read more)
🇪🇸 Social media will be banned for anyone under age 16 in Spain, starting next week (read more)
🇯🇵 Women made up half of Japan's Samurai — see how the British Museum is shining a light on this little-told story (read more)
🇨🇱 A seed bank in Chile freezes native species to keep biodiversity alive in the world's driest desert (read more)
🇮🇹 In Italy, innovative tactics are making art more accessible to blind and visually impaired people (read more)
Inspiring Story
A Super Bowl first
On Sunday, Bad Bunny will take the stage for his highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance — and Celimar Rivera Cosme will be nearby making history. Rivera Cosme will sign the halftime show in LSPR, or Puerto Rican Sign Language, marking the first multilingual signing program at a Super Bowl.
Eyes on Milano Cortina
Kevin Voigt/GettyImages
The Olympic Village is officially buzzing — or rather, the villages are, as Milano Cortina has set up six different outposts across northern Italy. Nearly 3,000 athletes are expected to compete in the Winter Games over the next few weeks, 235 of whom are representing Team USA. Read one reporter's experience at the Milan village this week (including the deets on what's on offer at the dining hall) and check out an interactive Olympics schedule so you don't miss your favorite event.
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Up This Weekend
Super Bowl LX: The Seahawks and Patriots face off at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, but don't miss Puppy Bowl XXII earlier in the day (2 p.m.)
Sapporo Snow Festival: Check out some of the stunning sculptures on display at Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, taking place through Wednesday
Chicago Auto Show: The largest and longest-running auto show in North America takes place not in the Motor City, but just a bit further west in Chicago — here's a guide to the event, which draws around 200,000 visitors
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