The Department of Homeland Security’s watchdog office has launched an audit of the agency’s privacy practices amid allegations that DHS and its components have used facial recognition tools and other technologies to collect data broadly and violate civil liberties.
The audit, according to a Feb. 5 letter from DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari and published by Virginia Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, started the previous day, and is titled “DHS’ Security of Biometric Data and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).”
“The objective of the audit is to determine how DHS and its components collect or obtain PII and biometric data related to immigration enforcement efforts and the extent to which that data is managed, shared, and secured in accordance with law, regulation, and Departmental policy,” Cuffari wrote.
Cuffari’s letter does not specify the audit’s scope or which agencies, technologies, programs or policies would be scrutinized.
In response to questions from CyberScoop, the DHS IG office indicated that the probe will initially focus on the activities of two department sub-components: Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Office of Biometric Identity Management.
“We will begin with OBIM, ICE and could include other components of the Department,” a spokesperson for DHS IG said in an email in response to questions about the audit’s scope.
ICE has become the most visible part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to expand data collection on Americans. The agency – along with Customs and Border Protection officers, who are sometimes mistaken for ICE agents – has played a leading role, helping build a large facial recognition database that DHS can use to identify not only people targeted in immigration raids, but also protestors and legal observers.
The Office of Biometric Identity Management is responsible for overseeing these biometric databases—managing, storing, and analyzing information on Americans such as photos, fingerprints, iris scans, license plate numbers and other identifying data.
Cuffari told the senators that the probe “will address a number of the questions you provided” in their own Jan. 29 letter urging the IG office to investigate “immigration procurement activities” at the department for constitutional and privacy law violations against Americans.
In that letter, Kaine and Warner highlight several concerns across multiple component agencies, including the mass collection and storage of facial recognition and license plate data, expanding the types and amount of biometric data that can be collected by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the hiring of 30 “social media surveillance contractors” to build profiles of individuals for immigration enforcement.
DHS’ “proven ambivalence toward observing and upholding constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms of Americans and noncitizens, including freedom of speech and equal protection under the law, leaves us with little confidence that these new and powerful tools are being used responsibly,” the senators wrote.
The Senators urged the Inspector General’s office to brief them with a detailed accounting of how the Trump administration has altered DHS data privacy practices and “the manner and methods by which DHS stores and uses data that contains personally identifying information.”
They also asked investigators to examine how DHS and ICE ensure their actions comply with the Constitution; how biometric and other personal data is used to detain people; whether the agencies have information-sharing agreements with social media companies; and what data they obtain from third-party data brokers.
Dhaka, Bangladesh – Ziaul Haque Tanin had planned his February around the T20 World Cup.
The former first-class cricketer turned sports-goods entrepreneur from Thakurgaon, in northwestern Bangladesh, had lined up a trip combining business, family visits and cricket fandom.
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Tanin had secured a premium hospitality ticket at the famed Eden Gardens cricket stadium in Kolkata, where Bangladesh would take on Italy on February 9.
Those plans were scrapped after Bangladesh said it would not send its men’s team to India for the tournament, citing security concerns.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka, a request the governing body rejected. Bangladesh stood firm in their stance, resulting in their ouster from the tournament and Scotland’s inclusion at their expense.
The decision has drawn Bangladesh’s most popular sport into a wider political dispute, dividing opinion between supporters of the government’s stance and those fearing long-term ramifications on the game.
How cricket became a casualty of politics
Tensions sharpened after January 3, when Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League, a move that Bangladeshi officials said highlighted the impact of extremist pressure on Indian cricket authorities.
In Dhaka, the episode amplified wider resentment towards India, rooted in trade disputes and anger over New Delhi hosting fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since her ousting in August 2024.
In that charged atmosphere, cricket – Bangladesh’s most emotional public arena – became a proxy for questions of security and national dignity, with debate dominating social media, television talk shows and conversations in Mirpur, the heart of the country’s cricket culture.
About a year and a half after Bangladesh’s July 2024 mass uprising, signs of a thaw appeared in relations with India.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Dhaka for the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a conciliatory letter to Tarique Rahman, Khaleda’s son, followed by a brief meeting between Jaishankar and Rahman.
Indian High Commission contacts with Jamaat-e-Islami further fuelled speculation that New Delhi was recalibrating its Bangladesh policy ahead of elections.
That cautious optimism, however, was abruptly undercut by actions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), pulling cricket into the centre of a renewed political standoff.
Mustafizur Rahman, left, playing for Delhi Capitals in the 2025 IPL [File: Abhijit Addya/Reuters]
Security first, cricket second
Many supporters say the government had little room to manoeuvre.
Shamim Chowdhury, head of research at Dhaka-based sports channel T Sports, said the issue had hurt Bangladesh’s sentiments and questioned the role of the ICC. “The ICC’s double standards have been exposed,” he told Al Jazeera.
Abu Zarr Ansar Ahmed, a sports journalist in Dhaka, said the security concern goes beyond players and includes staff, journalists and supporters. With national elections approaching, he warned that even a single incident involving Bangladeshi nationals in India could trigger widespread anger at home. “From that perspective, Bangladesh made the right decision,” he said.
Others accept the security logic but are concerned about the long-term cost to cricket. Khairul Islam, a Dhaka-based university lecturer, said the threat level should have been assessed more carefully and suggested a third-country venue as an alternative.
On the streets, support appears strong. At a tea stall in Dhaka’s Tejgaon area, vendor Billal Hossain backed the boycott, citing violence against Muslims in India and border tensions. “If something happened to our players, it would be disastrous,” he said.
Of 14 people interviewed by Al Jazeera across Dhaka, seven supported the government’s decision, three opposed it – all identifying as supporters of Hasina’s party, the Awami League – while four declined to state party affiliations but still backed the boycott. Overall, support outweighs opposition, with dissent largely driven by concerns over cricketing consequences rather than security.
Players regret missed opportunity
The protagonist of the story, Bangladesh’s cricket team, have stayed largely silent, wary of being drawn into a diplomatic dispute, though privately many are anxious.
Two national team players, speaking to Al Jazeera on the condition of anonymity, said the squad had prepared intensively and felt confident after a strong run in T20 cricket. In 2025, Bangladesh won 15 of 30 matches – their best calendar-year record in the shortest format of the game.
“We felt ready,” one player said.
Both relayed the team’s eagerness to play in the T20 World Cup – in India or elsewhere – and had hoped for a compromise on venue. Missing the tournament, they said, means more than the loss of lost match fees – it limits their exposure to quality opposition, franchise opportunities and career growth.
“It’s not just money,” one player said. “It’s the chance to grow.”
Neither player criticised the government or the board publicly, saying that with India central to the dispute, speaking out felt risky.
However, Bangladesh’s absence from the T20 World Cup has left national cricketers facing an unexpected break. To make use of this vacant period, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has offered them a swiftly-organised local T20 tournament.
The three-team event, titled “Odommo Bangladesh T20 Cup”, will offer 25 million taka ($200,000) in total tournament prize money and player fees.
Bangladesh last played India at the 2025 Asia Cup in a match staged in Dubai [Satish Kumar/Reuters]
‘The sadness of not playing is bigger’
Not all cricket figures back the hardline stance.
Former Bangladesh batter Anamul Haque Bijoy urged keeping sport above politics, saying that a World Cup is the pinnacle of a cricketer’s career and a dream not many can realise.
“Sports should be above everything,” he said.
Others challenged the critics directly.
Behind the scenes, criticism has been sharper. Former BCB director Ahmed Sajjadul Alam said the decision reflected government interference, warning of financial losses and damage to Bangladesh’s standing within the ICC.
Another former director, Syed Ashraful Haque, who helped secure Bangladesh’s Test status, said the country’s influence in world cricket had weakened and argued the issue could have been resolved through dialogue.
Former captain Mohammad Ashraful took a pragmatic view, noting that government approval is mandatory for tours. While acknowledging the disappointment – especially for younger players – he said financial losses could be managed, but “the sadness of not playing is bigger”.
Pakistan’s backing and what comes next
The dispute has taken on a regional dimension after the Pakistan Cricket Board backed Bangladesh and urged the ICC to reconsider venue arrangements. While some in Dhaka see this as a challenge to India’s dominance, officials reject the idea of a new alliance.
Former BCB director Alam dismissed talk of a Bangladesh-Pakistan axis, calling Pakistan a longstanding cricketing friend. BCB officials also avoided any suggestion of formal alignment.
The BCB says the matter is closed and it will not pursue arbitration. “We have accepted the ICC’s decision,” said Amjad Hossain, a BCB director.
Attention has now shifted to managing the fallout. Suggestions of extra tournaments to offset player losses remain unconfirmed, with the board saying benefits are being handled internally.
The government’s youth and sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, said the decision not to travel was taken at cabinet level after the ICC refused to revise the schedule.
For fans like Tanin, the cost is personal – cancelled plans, unused visas and an idle World Cup ticket – reflecting a wider national sense of loss as cricket once again collides with politics.
Pakistan’s decision not to take part in its match against India at the T20 World Cup has sent shockwaves through world cricket, with its impact also being felt in Bangladesh.
Multiple senior sources at the BCB said the move could reduce the board’s potential earnings from the ICC. However, a top BCB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was little the board could do at this stage. He added that the crisis could still be resolved through dialogue at any time.
Referring to Pakistan’s boycott, he said Pakistan has always been a good friend of Bangladesh in cricket and has maintained a consistently friendly relationship.
Diplomacy in the dark
Questions have emerged over how diplomatic communication was handled. An official at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government was not formally engaged in the process, as the BCB communicated directly with the ICC.
Neither the BCB nor the Ministry of Youth and Sports issued any directive to involve the Foreign Ministry, leaving officials largely reliant on media reports.
Political and diplomatic analyst and former Bangladeshi ambassador Humayun Kabir said the situation has grown more opaque due to recklessness on both sides. He argued that groups in both Bangladesh and India actively work to derail normalisation efforts, using multiple flashpoints – with cricket now possibly added to that list.
Once a unifying force, cricket in Bangladesh is now caught in politics. Supporters see sovereignty, critics see a setback for a promising generation, and players see a lost stage.
Whether this strengthens Bangladesh’s position or weakens its standing in world cricket remains unclear – but the cost is already being felt far beyond the boundary rope.
A Nigerian court has reportedly ordered the UK to pay £420m to the families of 21 striking miners killed by security forces during British colonial rule.
The judge, Justice Anthony Onovo of the Enugu High Court, found the former colonial administration liable over the 1949 incident and said Britain should formally apologise.
The UK was not represented in court, according to local reports, and the government has declined to comment.
The miners, who were protesting over harsh working conditions and had occupied the facility, were shot by colonial police at the Iva Valley Coal Mine in southeastern Enugu state.
Fifty-one others were seriously injured in the shooting, News Agency of Nigeria reported.
“These defenceless coal miners were asking for improved work conditions, they were not embarking on any violent action against the authorities, but yet were shot and killed,” the judge said.
Campaigners have been pursuing damages for decades and Mr Onovo said a £20m payment to each family would be “effective remedy and compensation for the violations of the right to life”.
He also ruled that the Nigerian government had failed in its duty to seek redress for the victims.
The incident is widely seen in Nigeria as one of the events that led to agitations for independence in Africa’s most populous nation. The country broke free from Britain 11 years later in 1960.
A lawyer on the case, Yemi Akinseye-George, said Thursday’s ruling gave “historical accountability and justice for colonial-era violations, affirming that the right to life transcends time, borders, and changes in sovereignty”.
A man being held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer has been charged with three counts of statutory rape in North Carolina, according to court documents.
Juan Ramon Juarez-Talamantes, 29, was charged with two counts of statutory rape in November with a child between 13 and 15 years old and a third count last month, according to a release from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.
His arrest came after two reports of child sexual assault in July 2024 to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and in September 2025 to the Asheville Police Department.
Juan Ramon Juarez-Talamantes has been charged with three counts of statutory rape. (Google Maps; Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office)
“We are very thankful for the partnership with the Asheville Police Department during this case and the tedious work and collaboration of the investigators to reach this result,” Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office District 2 Captain Chris Stockton said in a statement.
He added, “These cases demonstrate the power community partnerships play in resolving problems for citizens of Buncombe County. Our hearts go out to those whose lives have been forever changed by these events and hope that the effort of these passionate investigators opens a door to healing.”
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. (Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office)
Juarez-Talamantes communicated with his alleged victims through Snapchat, according to the Asheville Citizen Times, prompting the sheriff’s department to issue a search warrant for his Snapchat handle, his address and his DNA.
One of the alleged victims told police that after meeting with Juarez-Talamantes in his car, they went back to his house where he kissed the child and attempted to “take it further,” according to the Citizen Times.
Juan Ramon Juarez-Talamantes was held on an ICE detainer following his arrest
India and the US on Friday released the outline of an interim trade agreement. According to Reuters report, both the countries said that this confirms their commitment to negotiations towards a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement.
A joint statement issued by both the countries said, ‘The US and India will immediately implement this framework and work towards finalizing the interim agreement. So that a mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement can be completed in accordance with the roadmap agreed in the terms of reference.
Trump had announced to reduce tariffs on India
This interim trade agreement comes after US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with India on Monday. Under this, in exchange for India stopping the purchase of Russian oil and reducing trade barriers, the US tariff on Indian goods will be reduced from 50 percent to 18 percent.
First phase of trade agreement almost ready
Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that a formal trade deal is expected to be signed between Washington and New Delhi in March, after which India will reduce tariffs on US goods. He had told that the first phase of India-US trade agreement is almost ready. He also said that this agreement will be formalized after the joint statement and the formal agreement is expected to be signed by mid-March.
Legal draft of bilateral trade agreement may come in March
The minister had also made it clear that after the release of the joint statement, the Trump government will issue an executive order to reduce the US tariff by 18 percent. At the same time, after the release of the outline of the interim trade agreement between the two countries, the possibility of this matter gaining momentum has increased. It can be said that the legal draft of the bilateral trade agreement between India and America will come out in the month of March.
The veteran Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward has said he is “crushed” by the mass layoffs of hundreds of colleagues at the paper and said the impact would be felt by readers – noting both “deserve more”.
“I am crushed that so many of my beloved colleagues have lost their jobs and our readers have been given less news and sound analysis,” Woodward said in his first public remarks on the cuts, which were shared on X. “They deserve more.”
Woodward said the Post had produced “many superb and excellent groundbreaking stories” under executive editor Matt Murray. “There will be more,” Woodward said. “I will do everything in my power to help make sure the Washington Post thrives and survives.”
Woodward exposed the Watergate scandal with fellow reporter Carl Bernstein, ending Richard Nixon’s presidency in 1974 and winning the Post the Pulitzer prize. Their book about the scandal, All the President’s Men, became a bestseller and was later turned into an Oscar-winning film of the same name starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
Woodward worked for the Post for decades, reporting on every presidency since. He now holds an honorific associate editor title.
His statement comes after the storied newspaper laid off about a third of its staff on Wednesday, or more than 300 journalists. The move has resulted in the shuttering of the paper’s sports department and the shredding of teams covering local news, style and the world – not to mention its audio and video departments, which had already been battered by previous cuts. Commercial teams were also cut.
“The aspirations of this news organization are diminished,” former editor Marty Baron told the Guardian. “I think that’ll translate into fewer subscribers. And I hope it’s not a death spiral, but I worry that it might be.”
At the time, Woodward and Bernstein decried Bezos’s decision to spike the planned Harris endorsement and end the paper’s history of endorsing presidential candidates as “surprising and disappointing, especially this late in the electoral process”. They said in a joint statement that the move “ignores the Washington Post’s own overwhelming reportorial evidence on the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy”.
The Post, Woodward told the New Yorker on Wednesday, “lives and is doing an extraordinary reporting job on the political crisis that is Donald Trump”.
Upon Bezos’s 2013 acquisition of the paper, Woodward asked him why he had bought the Post. “I finally concluded that I could provide runway – financial runway – because I don’t think you can keep shrinking the business,” Bezos said, according to the New Yorker. “You can be profitable and shrinking. And that’s a survival strategy, but it ultimately leads to irrelevance, at best. And, at worst, it leads to extinction.”
A day after announcing the decimation of the Washington Post, Amazon announced plans to spend $200bn on artificial intelligence and robotics in the coming year.
San Francisco schools will close next week if a teachers’ strike occurs in the next few days, the district announced on Friday.
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Superintendent Maria Su announced that if teachers go on strike, which would be the first in nearly 50 years, schools will close.
The San Francisco skyline is visible on April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Educators are expected to strike on Monday unless they reach a deal. The San Francisco Chronicle obtained emails showing that although negotiations between the United Educators of San Francisco and the district were expected to occur on Friday evening, union officials were not pleased, saying, “given the proposal we received last night it was clear the district needed more time to prepare a serious offer.”
The district said that SFUSD and United Educators of San Francisco had been negotiating an agreement since March 2025. SFUSD is “grappling with a dire fiscal reality,” the district said.
San Francisco schools may have to shut down if a teachers’ strike occurs in the next few days, the district announced on Friday.(Flight Risk for Fox News Digital)
“We do not want a strike,” Su said. “Our goal continues to be to keep our children in classrooms. I remain hopeful that our labor partners will return to the bargaining table so that we can review this report and avoid any disruption to student learning.”
The district’s panel recommended a 3% wage increase effective July 1, 2025, followed by an additional 3% increase on July 1, 2026.
Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, in a statement late Thursday said that members were disappointed in the district.
Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, in a statement late Thursday said that members were disappointed by the district.(istock)
“We are incredibly disappointed in the district’s continued lack of urgency here,” Curiel said. “All week, we have been bombarded with the message that the district was prepared to come to the table and give us a serious proposal.”
If a strike does occur, Mayor Daniel Lurie said, the city’s departments will offer free meals and some extended child care services, according to KQED.
Joshua Q. Nelson is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
Joshua focuses on politics, education policy ranging from the local to the federal level, and the parental uprising in education.
Joining Fox News Digital in 2019, he previously graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Political Science and is an alum of the National Journalism Center and the Heritage Foundation’s Young Leaders Program.
Story tips can be sent to joshua.nelson@fox.com and Joshua can be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Iran’s foreign minister said indirect talks with the US—conducted with Omani mediation—were a “good start” despite the massive mistrust between the two sides.
Labour MPs are urging Sir Keir Starmer to reveal whether he saw a report by an influential party peer that warned of Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Labour grandee Lord Glassman told Sky News last September that he had flagged to Number 10 about the pair’s relationship but was met with a “discreet suggestion to basically shut up”.
In an interview with Sky News’ Sophy Ridge, Lord Glasman suggested he was asked to report to Number 10 about the pair’s relationship and he did – but suggested no action was taken.
“They asked me to send a report and I sent a report,” he said.
“I did say when I got back, I would think again about this publicly.
“Then I did get a discreet suggestion to basically shut up about that, and I did.”
Sky News has approached Downing Street for comment on whether the report was passed to the prime minister but has not received a response.
‘Starmer must reveal if he saw Glasman’s report’
Clive Lewis, the Labour MP for Norwich South, told Sky News that the report “must be released”.
“Either Maurice [Lord Glassman] needs to show the email trail and the document that he passed on to Number 10. And Number 10 needs to show what they knew.
“The longer this takes to draw out, the more damage to the Labour Party – this needs a clean, all cards on the table approach.
“They can’t have it dragged out kicking and screaming – this will destroy us. We need full disclosure.
“Keir Starmer must reveal if he saw Glasman’s report or if it was kept from him.”
A minister added: “We need to know if the PM saw it or if it was deliberately withheld from him.
“The report should be definitely be released. It just highlights how badly Keir was failed by those closest to him.”
It comes as the prime minister continues to face intense pressure over his decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador despite admitting that the official security vetting he received mentioned his ongoing relationship with Epstein even following his conviction for soliciting a minor in 2008.
On Thursday, Sir Keir attempted to save his premiership by offering an apology to Epstein’s victims for believing what he called “Mandelson’s lies”.
Moment PM says sorry over Mandelson scandal
Addressing Epstein’s victims from an event in Hastings, the prime minister said: “I want to say this: I am sorry.
“Sorry for what was done to you. Sorry that so many people with power failed you.
“Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him, and sorry that even now you’re forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.”
Lord Mandelson, a senior adviser to Sir Tony Blair and a cabinet minister during the New Labour years, was sacked in September after he featured in a number of Epstein-related files and photos released by a US Congressional committee.
He then resigned from the Labour party and the House of Lords after further damaging revelations were uncovered among a tranche of three million documents released by the US Department of Justice last week.
Emails showed that Lord Mandelson had a close business relationship with Epstein as well as personal one. Among the most damaging accusations are that he forwarded market-sensitive information to Epstein – including an alleged forewarning about a €500bn EU bank bailout in 2010.
Image:Peter Mandelson quit the House of Lords earlier this week.
Lord Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. He has said he regrets maintaining a relationship with him and apologised to the financier’s victims.
During a dramatic day in the Commons on Wednesday, the government agreed to publish documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment after the Conservatives tabled a humble address to force their disclosure.
Initially the government wanted to release the documents on the condition they did not compromise national security or international relations – but that stance was later watered down following interventions from Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, who demanded that the files deemed to be a risk first be reviewed by parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee.
It means that instead of the cabinet secretary deciding what does or does not compromise national security or international relations, that power will lie with the MPs on the committee.
The publication of documents may be further delayed by a criminal investigation into Lord Mandelson, whose two properties in Wilshire and Camden were searched on Friday afternoon.
Despite the prime minister’s public apology to Epstein’s victims, Labour MPs were still calling on Mr McSweeney to go.
“Universally we can see PM is a good man and I genuinely believe he means his apology,” said one minister.
“The problem we have is the people around him – he is clearly reliant on people who give him bad advice. It is a universal feeling in the majority of the PLP [parliamentary Labour Party] that Morgan needs to go.”
Another Labour MP added: “Keir needs to get rid of Morgan – and he could actually have an OK relationship with the PLP if he did.”
Some reserved their anger for the prime minister, with one backbencher telling Sky News: “100% Keir needs to go. He wants to hang on to May so he can say things haven’t worked out. He wants to blame the local elections. Frankly his name is dirt here.”
Wednesday night during Super Bowl week marked a show of local talent.
The Toyota Glow-Up Classic, a glow-in-the-dark flag football game featuring Bay Area high school girls, took place on the same field where the Pro Bowl was played inside San Francisco’s Moscone Center.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is obviously a fan favorite, and he got to be even more so by serving as a coach for the game.
Toyota Glow-Up Classic, a glow-in-the-dark flag football exhibition at the Super Bowl Experience on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in San Francisco. Toyota is providing each participating youth player a grant that can be used for their flag football future.(Jeff Lewis/AP Content Services for Toyota Motor North America)
“It was awesome to have the ability to coach up some high school girls and watch them compete, and for Toyota to put on such a cool event, I thought it was just an amazing thing,” Purdy told Fox News Digital after the game. “That’s where the Pro Bowl was played. So for us to be able to go out there and those girls have fun, score touchdowns, jump in like a Tundra. It was a fun night”
Eli Manning, along with Kylie Kelce, served as an official, and despite his best efforts, he was not perfect, according to Purdy.
Toyota Glow-Up Classic, a glow-in-the-dark flag football exhibition at the Super Bowl Experience on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in San Francisco. Toyota is providing each participating youth player a grant that can be used for their flag football future. (Jeff Lewis/AP Content Services for Toyota Motor North America)
“They did a great job. I mean, Eli threw a couple flags where I was like, ‘Dude, come on.’ Like we had a big play. Eli threw a flag, called it back. So I wish I had a challenge flag to be able to throw out there, but he did a good job,” Purdy joked.
Division rival Puka Nacua was also a coach, but Purdy said the two were able to put aside their differences for at least a couple of hours.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy coaches female Bay Area youth flag football players during the Toyota Glow-Up Classic, a glow-in-the-dark flag football exhibition at the Super Bowl Experience on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in San Francisco. (Jeff Lewis/AP Content Services for Toyota Motor North America)
“We were chilling. I mean, we both had a good time,” Purdy said. “Puka is a competitor. Love his game and everything, but to be able to go out there and coach up some girls and have fun with it. It was pretty sweet.”
