By GRAHAM DUNBAR, Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — The IOC set a target Wednesday of early 2026 to detail a new policy on eligibility in female sports that could see transgender athletes excluded from the Olympic Games.

International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry also stressed the Olympic body’s statutory belief in access to sport being a human right for all people at grassroots and recreational level.

The two-time Olympic champion swimmer created a working group after taking office in June to review “protecting the female category.”

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Coventry won an IOC presidential election where most of the seven candidates promised a stronger policy on gender eligibility. Previously, the IOC only offered guidance to the individual sports’ governing bodies, who were left to decide on their on rules.

“I am really hopeful that in the next couple of months, and definitely within the first quarter of next year, that we will have a very clear decision and way forward,” Coventry said at a news conference after a meeting of the executive board she chairs.

That timetable could see an IOC policy — likely on transgender athletes and athletes with differences on sexual development (DSD) — confirmed at its meeting on the eve of the Milan Cortina Winter Games that open Feb. 6.

The 2028 Summer Games follows in Los Angeles, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” that could stop funding for organizations which let transgender athletes compete in women’s and girl’s sports.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in July effectively barred transgender women from competitions, telling its national federations in Olympic sports they had an “obligation to comply” with the government order.

World governing bodies in top-tier Olympic sports track and field and swimming had already banned athletes who went through male puberty from their women’s events ahead of the Paris Olympics.

In Paris 16 months ago, a furor was created around women’s boxing and the eligibility of two gold medalists, Imane Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan.

World Boxing, the new body overseeing Olympic tournaments, has introduced the SRY gene test, which identifies the Y chromosome found in males. World Athletics and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation also have introduced the tests.

Coventry said Wednesday trying to find a consensus is “maybe not going to be the easiest thing to do.”

“But we are going to try our best to ensure that when we are talking about the female category, we are protecting the female category and we are doing that in the most fair way,” she said.

It is unclear how many, if any, transgender athletes are competing at an Olympic level of competition.

However, the Olympic Charter which codifies rules for the IOC and Olympic Games states: “The practice of sport is a human right … without discrimination of any kind in respect of internationally recognized human rights.”

“That stance is never going to change,” Coventry said Wednesday. “Sport is, at grassroot levels and in any form of recreation, for everybody and you should have access for everybody to partake.”

AP National Writer Eddie Pells in Denver contributed to this report

Holiday travelers will see a more modern look with brighter lighting at Terminal 1 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The largest interior renovation of the terminal has been completed, according to the Metropolitan Airports Commission and Delta Air Lines. The two worked together on a $242 million project managed by Delta to create a “unified and modern design” for six of the airport’s seven concourses and 75 Delta gate hold rooms. Renovations began in the fall of 2023.

The airline has its second largest hub at MSP with a 70% passenger market share at the airport.

“In a matter of two years, we have witnessed a major transformation of the post-security areas of Terminal 1 that elevates the passenger experience — from the checkpoints to the gate areas,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of the MAC, which owns and operates MSP Airport, in a statement. “Delta has been a tremendous partner helping to deliver more modern spaces that enhance MSP’s award-winning customer service.”

Among the improvements — a new terrazzo or carpet flooring, wall finishes, LED lighting fixtures and other changes.

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Delta’s gate areas underwent “a full refresh, including new seating, carpeting, counters and signage,” according to MAC officials. The addition of “dynamic gate signs” will allow travelers to see flight and destination information quickly and from farther down the concourse.

The renovations began while the final phases of another, 10-year effort were underway to expand and modernize all the pre-security areas, according to MAC officials, including the makeover of checkpoints, ticketing and baggage claim. These improvements — known as the Airport Modernization Program — were finished this fall. The MAC invested $182.5 million in the Airport Modernization Program, and Delta contributed $60 million.

Minnesota United has made its first move of the offseason.

The Loons have traded with New York Red Bulls for midfielder Peter Stroud, the Athletic reported Wednesday. MNUFC will give Red Bulls $475,000 in General Allocation Money, Tom Bogert reported.

Stroud, 23, played 1,720 MLS minutes last year, contributing three assists. He played 844 minutes in 2023 and 1,020 in 2023. Stroud is a homegrown player from Red Bulls and also played two years within London club West Ham’s youth system at the Under-18 and U23 levels.

The New Jersey native has also played fo U.S. youth national teams.

At 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds, Stroud will be an option to play as a central or defensive midfielder for the Loons, helping fill roles after the exit of Hassani Dotson to free agency after the 2025 season.

Stroud’s contract with Red Bulls had club options for 2026 and 2027 and he earned $145,003 in guaranteed compensation during the 2025 season, per the MLS Players Association. Dotson was at $625,800 a year ago.

Stroud played three seasons at Duke, where he was the first player to win two ACC Midfielder of the Year awards and was the 2022 runner-up for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is given to the best college soccer’s player in the country.

Stroud’s older brother Jared Stroud plays midfield for D.C. United; the 29-year-old has previously been with St. Louis, Austin and Red Bulls.

By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreigners who are allowed to come to the United States without a visa could soon be required to submit information about their social media, email accounts and extensive family history to the Department of Homeland Security before being approved for travel.

The notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register said Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years worth of social media information from travelers from select countries who do not have to get visas to come to the U.S. The Trump administration has been stepping up monitoring of international travelers and immigrants.

The announcement refers to travelers from more than three dozen countries who take part in the Visa Waiver Program and submit their information to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which automatically screens them and then approves them for travel to the U.S. Unlike visa applicants, they generally do not have to go into an embassy or consulate for an interview.

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DHS administers the program, which currently allows citizens of roughly 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for three months without visas.

The announcement also said that CBP would start requesting a list of other information, including telephone numbers the person has used over the past five years or email addresses used over the past decade. Also sought would be metadata from electronically submitted photos, as well as extensive information from the applicant’s family members, including their places of birth and their telephone numbers.

The application that people are now required to fill out to take part in ESTA asks for a more limited set of questions such as parents’ names and current email address.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed changes before they go into effect, the notice said.

CBP officials did not immediately respond to questions about the new rules.

The announcement did not say what the administration was looking for in the social media accounts or why it was asking for more information.

But the agency said it was complying with an executive order that Republican President Donald Trump signed in January that called for more screening of people coming to the U.S. to prevent the entry of possible national security threats.

Travelers from countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program system are already required to submit their social media information, a policy that dates back to the first Trump administration. The policy remained during Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration.

But citizens from visa waiver countries were not obligated to do so.

Since January, the Trump administration has stepped up checks of immigrants and travelers, both those trying to enter the U.S. as well as those already in the country. Officials have tightened visa rules by requiring that applicants set all of their social media accounts to public so that they can be more easily scrutinized and checked for what authorities view as potential derogatory information. Refusing to set an account to public can be considered grounds for visa denial, according to guidelines provided by the State Department.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services now considers whether an applicant for benefits, such as a green card, “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused” anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views.

The heightened interest in social media screening has drawn concern from immigration and free speech advocates about what the Trump administration is looking for and whether the measures target people critical of the administration in an infringement of free speech rights.