No matter where she's called home, the Final Four coach's story is held close by those who watched her rise.

Dwight Howard, an eight-time NBA All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, sources told ESPN.

The SEC Player of the Year is chasing history -- for himself and Auburn -- as the Tigers head into Final Four.

South Carolina and UConn advanced to Sunday's NCAA title game. We tracked all the action live from Tampa.

Prisoners look out from their cell as the Costa Rica Justice and Peace minister tours the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)2025-04-04T19:48:33Z TECOLUCA, El Salvador (AP) Costa Ricas security minister toured El Salvadors maximum-security gang prison on Friday as part of his review of the measures that El Salvador has taken to reduce violence caused by powerful street gangs during a now three-year offensive under a state of emergency.Costa Rica Justice and Peace Minister Gerald Campos Valverde said he was visiting on orders of President Rodrigo Chaves to see the good practices of the Salvadoran people with the goal of combating crime and to returning rights to all citizens.In November, Costa Rica bestowed its highest diplomatic honor on El Salvador President Nayib Bukele for his success in lowering levels of violence during his three-year campaign against powerful street gangs.El Salvador has lived under a state of emergency that suspends fundamental rights like access to a lawyer. Some 84,000 people have been arrested, accused of gang ties. Homicides have plummeted in El Salvador and the improved security has fueled Bukeles popularity.El Salvadors rescue from those nefarious claws is also helping the peace in our region, Chaves said when he presented Bukele with the recognition last year. The fight against organized crime in any part of Central America is welcome. The reach and influence and bad example of the gangs must be reduced. Campos came away impressed by the gang prison Bukele built at the start of the state of emergency where Campos said he saw fundamental rights being respected. The prisons director Belarmino Garca showed Campos one of the cells holding about 70 inmates. The prison director instructed the inmates to remove their shirts to show their tattooed torsos and asked some to identify their gang affiliation to show that members of rival gangs were sharing the same cell.After his tour, Campos said that Costa Rica would not continue allowing criminals to be arrest by police only to see them quickly freed by the judicial system. We are going to take all of the good practices back to Costa Rica to give Costa Ricans a place of peace and tranquility, he said.El Salvador Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro said earlier Friday that El Salvador was pleased to share its experience with Costa Rica, a country that until recently had been a reference for peace, but now struggles with bloodshed like El Salvador once had.This is not a question of copy and paste, but rather of learning what we have done and implementing in each country what precisely can be done to rescue thousands of Costa Ricans, thousands of Salvadorans and imprisoning hundreds, Villatoro said.El Salvadors new gang prison, where inmates are held in large cells and never allowed outside, has gained more attention in recent weeks after the U.S. government sent nearly 300 migrants, including more than 200 Venezuelans, it accused of having gang ties to be held there.Costa Rica continues to struggle with historically high homicide numbers.In 2023, Costa Rica set a homicide record with 907, down somewhat in 2024 to 880. So far this year, the country is on nearly the same homicide pace as last year, according to government data. Unlike Bukele, Chaves does not hold a majority in Congress and has not remade Costa Ricas courts to remove opposition.Costa Rica long applauded for a robust ecotourism industry, environmental conservation and relative peace has been wracked by violence in recent years, largely attributed to drug trafficking. Costa Rica has become a key way station for cocaine exports to Europe and the United States.___Associated Press writer Javier Cordoba in San Jose, Costa Rica contributed to this report.

Protesters carry signs and chant slogans in protest to the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk across from the Federal Building in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)2025-04-05T04:14:33Z WASHINGTON (AP) Opponents of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk plan to rally across the U.S. on Saturday to protest the administrations actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues.More than 1,200 Hands Off! demonstrations have been planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and fair-elections activists. The protests are planned for the National Mall in Washington, D.C., state capitols and other locations in all 50 states.The White House did not return an email message seeking comment about the protests. Trump has promoted his policies as being in the best interest of the U.S.Protesters are assailing the Trump administrations moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut federal funding for health programs. Musk, a Trump adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations against Trump or Musk multiple times since the new administration took power. But the opposition movement has yet to produce a mass mobilization like the Womens March in 2017, which brought thousands of women to Washington, D.C., after Trumps first inauguration, or the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted in multiple cities after George Floyds killing in 2020.Organizers say they hope Saturdays demonstrations will be the largest since Trump returned to office in January. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in the second half, including a penalty, to guide Al-Nassr to a 3-1 win over Al-Hilal in the race for the Saudi Pro League title on Friday.

U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson said the federation would strongly support expansion of the Women's World Cup to 48 teams in 2031.

Floodwaters cover Kentucky Route 39 in Lincoln County, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP)2025-04-05T04:52:45Z HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (AP) Another round of torrential rain and flash flooding was expected to hit Saturday in parts of the South and Midwest already heavily waterlogged by days of severe storms that in some cases spawned deadly tornadoes. Floodwaters cover the entryway to the Weather Stone subdivision off Russellville Road in Bowling Green, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Grace McDowell/Daily News via AP) Floodwaters cover the entryway to the Weather Stone subdivision off Russellville Road in Bowling Green, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Grace McDowell/Daily News via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Round after round of heavy rains have pounded the central U.S., leading to rapidly rising waterways and prompting a series of flash flood emergencies Friday night in Missouri, Texas and Arkansas. Meanwhile, many communities were still reeling from tornadoes that destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed at least seven people earlier this week. In Frankfort, Kentucky, floodwaters swept a 9-year-old boy away while he was walking to a school bus stop Friday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear said on social media. Officials said Gabriel Andrews body was found about a half-mile from where he went missing.The downtown area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky a city of 31,000 residents 72 miles (116 kilometers) northwest of Nashville was submerged Friday. A dozen people were rescued from homes, and dozens of pets were moved away from rising water, a fire official said.Tony Kirves and some friends used sandbags and a vacuum to try to hold back rising waters that covered the basement and seeped into the ground floor of his photography business in Hopkinsville. Downtown was like a lake, he said. Were holding ground, he said. Were trying to maintain and keep it out the best we can. Marquetta Wheeler, right, with Samaria Williams and Jemaria Shaw walk through flood waters as they leave their home on Marietta Drive in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Marquetta Wheeler, right, with Samaria Williams and Jemaria Shaw walk through flood waters as they leave their home on Marietta Drive in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Drew's on the River Sports Bar and Grill manager, Carrie Haines, right, Frank left, and Steve Schmidt son of owner Ron Schmidt, center load furnature on to trailer in the rain as the Ohio River rises, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Drew's on the River Sports Bar and Grill manager, Carrie Haines, right, Frank left, and Steve Schmidt son of owner Ron Schmidt, center load furnature on to trailer in the rain as the Ohio River rises, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The Green River floods in Casey County, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP) The Green River floods in Casey County, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Flood waters rise around homes on Bell Street in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Flood waters rise around homes on Bell Street in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Flash flood threat looms over many states Flash flood emergencies were issued Friday night in at least seven cities in Missouri, Texas and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service. One was in Van Buren, Missouri, where there were at least 15 water rescues amid heavy rainfall and a rapidly rising Current River, said Justin Gibbs, weather service meteorologist. Another was in Texarkana, Texas, where the flooded streets resulted in several people having to be rescued from their vehicles, according to the citys police department. If you dont have darn good reason for being out (like one that involves a visit to the emergency room), please stay home and off the roads!! the police department said on social media.Heavy rains were expected to continue in parts of Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky and elsewhere Saturday and could produce dangerous flash floods. The weather service said 45 river locations in multiple states were expected to reach major flood stage, with extensive flooding of structures, roads and other critical infrastructure possible. City of Owensboro workers put sandbags to protect the fountains in preparation for flooding of the Ohio River in Smothers Park in Owensboro, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Alan Warren/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP) City of Owensboro workers put sandbags to protect the fountains in preparation for flooding of the Ohio River in Smothers Park in Owensboro, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Alan Warren/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Floodwaters cover Kentucky Route 39 in Lincoln County, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP) Floodwaters cover Kentucky Route 39 in Lincoln County, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Floodwaters cover Kentucky Route 39 in Lincoln County, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP) Floodwaters cover Kentucky Route 39 in Lincoln County, Ky., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Cars sit in a flooded street in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Cars sit in a flooded street in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Brandon Sanderson, left, Josh Brashears set up sandbags after flooding in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Brandon Sanderson, left, Josh Brashears set up sandbags after flooding in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Signs at Basil Griffin Park in Bowling Green, Ky., stand in flooded waters on Friday, April 4, 2025, after excessive rainfall Thursday into Friday drenched southcentral Kentucky with more than four and a half inches of rain. (Grace McDowell /Daily News via AP) Signs at Basil Griffin Park in Bowling Green, Ky., stand in flooded waters on Friday, April 4, 2025, after excessive rainfall Thursday into Friday drenched southcentral Kentucky with more than four and a half inches of rain. (Grace McDowell /Daily News via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In Christian County, Kentucky, which includes Hopkinsville, 6 to 10 inches (15.2 to 25.4 centimeters) fell since Wednesday evening, the NWS said Friday afternoon. The rain caused the Little River to surge over its banks, and 4 to 8 inches (10.2 to 20.3 centimeters) more could fall by Sunday, it said. Hundreds of Kentucky roads were impassable Friday because of floodwaters, downed trees or mud and rock slides, and the number of closures were likely to increase with more rain Saturday, Beshear said. Flash flooding is particularly worrisome in rural Kentucky where water can rush off the mountains into the hollows. Less than four years ago, dozens died in flooding in the eastern part of the state.Extreme flooding across a corridor that includes Louisville, Kentucky and Memphis which have major cargo hubs could also lead to shipping and supply chain delays, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather.Swollen rivers and tributaries also swamped some parts in Ohio on Friday, and Gov. Mike DeWine said about 70 roads were closed. The southern half of the state was expected to see moderate flooding, which has not happened in four years, he added.Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf. At least 318 tornado warnings have been issued by the NWS since this weeks outbreak began Wednesday.The outburst comes at a time when nearly half of NWS forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates after Trump administration job cuts twice that of just a decade ago. Tornadoes leave a path of damage, and more could be comingAt least two reports of observed tornadoes were noted Friday evening in Missouri and Arkansas, according to the NWS.TAKE COVER NOW! the weather service said on X in response to the one on the ground around the small Missouri town of Advance.Earlier in the week, seven people were killed in the initial wave of storms that spawned powerful tornadoes on Wednesday and early Thursday in Tennessee, Missouri and Indiana. Workers clear landslide debris, caused by heavy rains overnight, from Mary Ingles Highway, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Newport, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Workers clear landslide debris, caused by heavy rains overnight, from Mary Ingles Highway, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Newport, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A person rides a bike in a flooded street in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) A person rides a bike in a flooded street in Hopkinsville, Ky., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said entire neighborhoods in the hard-hit town of Selmer were completely wiped out, after it was hit by a tornado with winds estimated by the NWS of up to 160 mph (257 kph). Advance warning of storms likely saved lives as hundreds of people sheltered at a courthouse, the governor said.In neighboring Arkansas, a tornado near Blytheville lofted debris at least 25,000 feet (7.6 kilometers) high, according to weather service meteorologist Chelly Amin. The states emergency management office reported damage in 22 counties from tornadoes, wind, hail and flash flooding.Mississippis governor said at least 60 homes were damaged. And in far western Kentucky, four people were injured while taking shelter in a vehicle under a church carport, according to the emergency management office in Ballard County.___Schreiner reported from Shelbyville, Kentucky. Associated Press writers Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Jeff Martin in Marietta, Georgia; Obed Lamy in Hopkinsville; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A man looks at the heart relic of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, at the San Rufino Cathedral in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2025-04-05T05:04:14Z ASSISI, Italy (AP) With the upcoming canonization of its first millennial saint, the Catholic Church has turned to police in Italy to investigate the online sale of some purported relics of Carlo Acutis, who already has been drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to his shrine. Rev. Cristopher Pujol prays at the heart relic of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, at the San Rufino Cathedral in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Rev. Cristopher Pujol prays at the heart relic of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, at the San Rufino Cathedral in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Since the early days of the faith, many Catholics have prayed for intercession to saints relics usually small parts of their body or clothing that are authenticated by ecclesiastical authorities and preserved in churches. But their sale is strictly forbidden.Its not just despicable, but its also a sin, said the Rev. Enzo Fortunato, who leads the Vaticans World Childrens Day committee and has a tiny fragment of Acutis hair in a chapel by his office for veneration by visiting youth. Every kind of commerce over faith is a sin.An anonymous seller had put up for online auction some supposedly authenticated locks of Acutis hair that were fetching upward of 2,000 euros ($2,200 US), according to the Diocese of Assisi, before being taken down. Last month, Bishop Domenico Sorrentino asked authorities to confiscate the items and added that if fraudulent, the sale would constitute a great offense to religious belief. Young boys pray in front of the heart relic of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, in the San Rufino Cathedral in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Young boys pray in front of the heart relic of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, in the San Rufino Cathedral in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Photos of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed at the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Photos of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed at the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Acutis was precocious in developing and sharing his faithAcutis died of leukemia in 2006, when he was only 15 but had already developed a precocious faith life centered on devotion to the Eucharist which for Catholics holds the real presence of Christ. Savvy with technology, he had created an online exhibit about eucharistic miracles through the centuries.He will formally be declared a saint at a Mass in front of the Vaticans St. Peters Basilica on April 27. Over the past year, about 1 million pilgrims have flocked to the central Italian town of Assisi, where his body wearing sneakers, jeans, and a sweatshirt lies in a shrine in a church dedicated to a key moment in the life of medieval hometown saint, St. Francis. Souvenirs of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed in a shop in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Souvenirs of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed in a shop in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A hair relic of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020 is shown to the Associated Press during an interview in Rome, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A hair relic of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020 is shown to the Associated Press during an interview in Rome, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Acutis body was exhumed during the more-than-decade-long canonization process and treated so it could be preserved for public showing, including by removing certain organs. His face, which looks as if he were asleep, was reconstructed with a silicone mask, Sorrentino said. Acutis heart has been preserved at a dedicated altar in another Assisi church; it will be taken to Rome for the canonization Mass.The relics are little, little fragments of the body, to say that that body is blessed, and it explains to us the closeness of God, Sorrentino said.Handling of relics is a painstaking task for the churchThere are different classes of relics the most important are major body parts, such as the heart. Sorrentino gave Acutis pericardium the membrane enclosing the heart to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022 for the duration of its multi-year Eucharistic Revival.The bishop in charge of the saints body works with requests from other bishops around the world to give or lend relics always for free to be exhibited for veneration at parishes and other churches. People pray in front of the body of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, in the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) People pray in front of the body of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, in the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More We give this to communities, to parishes, to priests using the relics for the cult in their parish, Sorrentino said. Its not something magic. Its not something that works automatically, it works through faith.The practice of gathering relics dates to the earliest days of the church, when many faithful Christians died as martyrs in religious persecutions. Witnesses to the killings would collect blood or fragments of clothing to memorialize their sacrifice and to pray for the saints intercession, Fortunato said.In Acutis case, the first miracle in his canonization process was the healing of a boy in Brazil after a prayer service invoking his intercession with the presence of a relic, he added.For clergy and pilgrims who have been visiting Acutis shrine in Assisi this week, the relics take second place to the example of faith and the power of assisting with prayer that saints provide.I would never buy one, said Amelia Simone, an 18-year-old from Chicago who has been studying in Rome and credits Acutis for help smoothing out tricky visa paperwork. I think the intercession aspect is very cool, but I dont think Id ever want to own a first-class relic. It just would feel a bit weird to me. Two clergy leading a Holy Year pilgrimage to Italy from the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, said it was a great tragedy that online relic sales were happening. The heart relic of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020 is shown at the San Rufino Cathedral in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) The heart relic of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020 is shown at the San Rufino Cathedral in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Souvenirs of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed in a shop in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Souvenirs of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia and beatified in 2020, are displayed in a shop in Assisi, Italy, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More We continue to pray for peoples conversion, said the Rev. Christopher Pujol.Bishop Larry Kulick added that relics are very reverent and very solemn for us as Catholics. And they are not only inspirational for us, but they are really ... opportunities to help us to pray.And so its unfortunate that such a thing would happen, because thats really a misuse of the relics and actually a disrespect to him and to his memory, he added. Some mixed views on this sainthood processAlready, the uncommon devotion and attention that Acutis canonization process has generated has been met with some skepticism. In hundreds of social media comments to a recent Associated Press article about the phenomenon, some called his sainthood a marketing ploy by the church to lure more young people back into the pews. Many others and those making pilgrimage to Assisi praised Acutis for his devotion and were glad hes become a role model for members of his generation.Its a joy for me to have encountered Carlo Acutis body, and especially to ask for his intercession for the transformation and the conversion of many youth, said Juana de Dios Euceda, a missionary nun from Honduras.___DellOrto reported from Miami.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

National Women's Soccer League commissioner Jessica Berman said Friday that she thinks the league could grow to be the size of the NFL, which has 32 teams.

Jamal Musiala is set to miss the first leg of Bayern Munich's Champions League quarterfinal against Inter Milan on Tuesday, adding to the Bundesliga side's injury woes at a crucial stage of the season.

UConn center Jana El Alfy (8) and UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) react during the first half of a national semifinal Final Four game against UCLA during the women's NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)2025-04-05T03:38:18Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness. Get the AP Top 25 womens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd didnt even need much help from superstar Paige Bueckers to propel UConn into the national title game, leading the Huskies to a remarkably easy 85-51 victory over UCLA on Friday night in the Final Four of the womens NCAA Tournament.Strong finished with 22 points and Fudd scored all of her 19 points in the first half for the second-seeded Huskies, who are one win away from their 12th national championship and first since the team won four straight from 2013-16, led by Breanna Stewart. The eight-year title drought is the longest for the Huskies since they won their first in 1995.We arent worried about the past. Every single day you walk into the gym and live up to the standard of playing UConn basketball, Bueckers said. Not comparing yourself to other teams and players before. We want to fill their shoes and make them proud. Wear the jersey with pride. UConn will face defending champion South Carolina on Sunday for the title after the Gamecocks beat Texas 74-57 earlier Friday night. Its a rematch of the 2022 championship game, which the Gamecocks won 64-49. The teams met in February and UConn shocked South Carolina with a 29-point road victory. Theyve played basketball at an exceptionally high level when you think about the Final Fours theyve been too and the consistency in their program, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. The ability to win national championships multiple times and (they) are in a position to win back-to-back ones. Bueckers, the likely top pick in the WNBA draft on April 14, finished with 16 points after topping 30 in each of the previous three games for the Huskies (36-3).If Paige had 16 last year, we wouldnt have made it to the Final Four, Auriemma said. If she had the game she had today the previous year, it would be almost impossible for us to win. All-America center Lauren Betts scored 26 points for top overall seed UCLA (34-3).UConn got off to a hot start with Strong and Fudd leading the way. Even when shots looked off, they found their way in. Fudd, one of the best shooters in the country whose career at UConn has been interrupted by multiple injuries, banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key, prompting Auriemma to throw his arms in the air and smile.Its just so much fun to watch her play with joy and be at this stage, Bueckers said of Fudd. You see all the ups and downs, the bad days, the good days and to be at this spot where its the light at the end of the tunnel and for her to perform and be at this stage, it means everything to us.The Huskies led 23-13 at the end of the first quarter. They continued the onslaught behind Fudd to open a 42-22 advantage at the break. Bueckers had the play of the half with a touch pass in the air to Kaitlyn Chen for a layup late in the second quarter.UCLA never threated in the second half as the 6-foot-7 Betts had little help. UConn ended up breaking its own record for margin of victory in the Final Four or national title game the Huskies won the 2013 championship by 33 points over Louisville. UCLAs run endsThe Bruins fell short in their first appearance in the NCAA Final Four. UCLA won a national title in 1978 in the pre-NCAA era of womens basketball. The Bruins were looking to become the first team from the Big Ten, a conference they joined this season, to win a championship since Purdue did it in 1999.UCLA cruised through its best regular season, earning the No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 for the first time and holding the spot for 14 weeks.The Bruins only lost twice this year before Friday, both to JuJu Watkins and USC. UCLA got a measure of revenge by beating USC to win the Big Ten Tournament in its first year in the league after the dismantling of the Pac-12. The Bruins set a program record for wins in a season and won 23 consecutive games, including 22 in a row by double digits. Weve obviously gone to new heights this year, but we got to let the pain of this hopefully teach us to go to new heights next year, UCLA coach Cori Close said. Learn from this and be better the next time. (Its) really unusual to be in this position at the Final Four and have zero seniors in your locker room and have an opportunity to come back stronger, more connected, learning from this experience and be better the next time.___AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Rob Blackwell stands next to an EV he started leasing right before U.S. President Donald Trump announced expansive new import tariffs, in Richmond, Va., on April 3, 2025. (Maia Curtis via AP)2025-04-05T04:10:39Z John Gutierrez had been thinking about buying a new laptop for the past year. The Austin, Texas, resident needed a computer with faster processing and increased storage for his photography work and had his sights set on a product from a Taiwanese brand.Then President Donald Trump announced expansive new import tariffs Wednesday, including a 32% tax on imports from Taiwan. That same day, Gutierrez ordered the laptop, with a base price of $2,400, from a retailer in New York specializing in photo and video gear.I thought Id bite the bullet, buy it now, and then that way Ill have the latest technology on my laptop and dont have to worry about the tariffs, he said.Gutierrez was among the U.S. consumers rushing to buy big-ticket items before the tariffs take effect. Economists say the tariffs are expected to increase prices for everyday items, warning of potentially weakened U.S. economic growth. The White House hopes the tariffs prod countries to open their economies to more American exports, leading to negotiations that could reduce tariffs, or that companies increase their production in the U.S. to avoid higher import taxes. Rob Blackwell and his wife needed a new car that could handle long drives from Arlington, Virginia, to their sons college. Their current electric vehicle is older with a limited range, and it will soon be used by his daughter, who is on the verge of getting her drivers license. I have been telling my wife that for some time we were going to need to do it, he said, and I was watching to see what the president did with tariffs.Blackwell wanted another EV, but said leasing made more economic sense because the technology is ever-changing. He had his eye on the new General Motors Optiq; its an American car but made in Mexico, which could be subject to tariffs on supply chains that might increase the cost. After hearing that tariffs would be announced, they made plans the weekend before to lease the car. He said the dealership honored the agreement they worked out before the tariffs were finalized. And although he said the salespeople were a pleasure to deal with, Blackwell sensed a shift in their stance.They know what we know, which is suddenly it flips from a buyers market to a sellers market very quickly, Blackwell said, adding that he is happy with his choice. It was just a simple rational decision, he said. If this is what the governments going to do, I need to get my act together.Lee Wochner, CEO of the Burbank, California-based Counterintuity marketing and strategy firm, also needed a new vehicle. He wanted a more presentable car for business meetings, but kept putting it off because of his busy work schedule.On March 27, a Thursday, he told his firms car broker: Ed, I need a car pronto and its got to happen by Sunday.The broker gave him some car and pricing options and he leased an Audi Q3, which was delivered Sunday to his house by a nearby dealership.A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation showed how much he saved by leasing before the tariffs were implemented. If he had waited, Wochner said, it would have cost about another $4,300. One of the things my car broker said was that deals that were already written, some of the dealerships were ripping them up already and renegotiating them because they were afraid that they werent going to be able to get enough new inventory at a price anybody would buy, he said.He believes prices will continue to increase because the U.S. has lost the trust of the international trade market.If you need a new car, if you can get that pre-tariff deal still, you should go get it, he said, because who knows what next Wednesday might be like. CLAIRE RUSH Rush is an Associated Press reporter covering Oregon state government and general news in the Pacific Northwest more broadly. twitter mailto MARK THIESSEN Thiessen is an Associated Press all-formats reporter based in Anchorage, Alaska. He covers Alaska Native issues and other general assignments. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Warriors won their fifth straight game with Friday's 118-104 victory over the Nuggets, and Stephen Curry said the team is playing with a "sense of urgency down the stretch."

The Celtics broke the NBA record for 3-pointers in a season Friday night against the Suns, connecting on their 1,364th to pass the Warriors' mark set in 2022-23.

Retired coal miner Stanley "Goose" Stewart holds a helmet he wore inside the Upper Big Branch mine when it blew up on April 5, 2010, killing 29 men, as he stands for a portrait at his home in Orgas, W.Va., on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raby)2025-04-05T04:07:04Z CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Retired coal miner Stanley Goose Stewart questions whether its safe for anyone to work in the industry right now.The Department of Government Efficiency, created by President Donald Trump and run by Elon Musk, has been targeting federal agencies for spending cuts. That includes terminating leases for three dozen offices in the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the agency responsible for enforcing mine safety laws. The proposals for MSHA are idiotic, Stewart said, and would give coal companies the green light to do as they please.Safety laws and their enforcement played a significant role before and after the Upper Big Branch mine in southern West Virginia blew up 15 years ago Saturday, killing 29 of Stewarts co-workers.Stewart was there that day but soon stepped away for good, focusing on his love for hunting, fishing and tending to his chickens and his garden when the weather warms. Coal mining in West Virginia, meanwhile, spent the ensuing years in a political fight that Republicans largely won. As a 2016 presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton was slammed for saying that her plans to shift away from carbon-based fuels like coal would put miners out of business. Trump vowed to save the industry, and while mining jobs have not made a comeback, coal states like West Virginia have become reliable Republican strongholds. Advocates for the mining industry argue that state government is up to the task of keeping mines safe, although some lawmakers in West Virginias Republican majority have used the existence of federal inspectors as justification for curtailing the state inspectors enforcement power. They also point to the dwindling number of mining fatalities and mines in general. Republican Tom Clark, a West Virginia state lawmaker and a former MSHA inspector and supervisor who worked in one West Virginia office slated for closure, said he expected it to shutter years ago. Eight MSHA employees currently work in the Summersville office, Clark said, less than a third of the workforce that existed there about 10 years ago. Clark said he doesnt have any concerns for miners, as long as those inspectors are transferred to other coalfield-based offices. Clark, who worked on MSHAs Upper Big Branch investigation, said he supports the Trump administrations efforts to streamline government and stimulate the economy. Its going to take time and theres going to be some pain for all the American people, I think, he said. But if we can hang in there and battle through, we all may be better off. I hope so.Clark said the federal government should not cut down on inspectors and said black lung benefits need to be funded. He said the government should use money theyre saving to make sure those programs have what they need. Funding shouldnt be a consideration for keeping people healthy, he said. It really shouldnt. But Stewart, the former miner, said the MSHA office closures will impact safety.I wouldnt recommend anybody get in the mining industry right now because of whats going on with Trump and Musk, he said. Stewart said hes never supported Trump and never would, but he struggles to explain the loyalty of many West Virginians, including coal miners, to the president. He said Trump had never done anything to help them.I cant wrap my brain around why they cant see what a con man he is. I just hope someday theyll wake up. It may already be too late.What does MSHA do?Congress created MSHA within the Department of Labor in 1978, in part because state inspectors were seen as too close to the industry to force coal companies to take the sometimes costly steps necessary to protect miners. MSHA is required to inspect each underground mine quarterly and each surface mine twice a year. MSHA inspectors are supposed to check every working section of a mine. They examine electrical and ventilation systems that protect miners from deadly black lung disease, inspect impoundment dams and new roof bolts, and make sure mining equipment is safe, said Jack Spadaro, a longtime mine safety investigator and environmental specialist who worked for MSHA. Mining fatalities over the past four decades have dropped significantly, in large part because of the dramatic decline in coal production. But the proposed DOGE cuts would require MSHA inspectors to travel farther to get to a mine, and Spadaro said that could lead to less thorough inspections. Its a stupid proposal made by stupid people who obviously have no concept or no knowledge about mine safety, Spadaro said. Robert Cash, a 55-year-old mine roof bolt operator from Foster, West Virginia, said miners feel in the dark about how closing offices will impact safety. Its just a big scare around here, he said. If we have a disaster and they closed down an MSHA office close to us, now whats the response time to get someone out there to start the investigation? Hurricane forceStewart was inside Upper Big Branch when it exploded on April 5, 2010, with a blast he described as hurricane force winds. Before reaching the surface, he tried to revive some of his fallen co-workers, then covered their bodies with blankets.Investigations determined that worn and broken cutting equipment created a spark that ignited coal dust and methane gas. After the disaster, MSHA sent inspection teams to conduct impact inspections at mines with a history of repeated problems, many of them underground operations in West Virginia and Kentucky, which have nearly half of the nations coal mines. Under the second Trump administration, the impact inspections have stopped. Joe Main, MSHAs chief during the Obama administration, said on Musks social media site X that weakened MSHA enforcement staffing contributed to the Upper Big Branch disaster and that the proposed DOGE cuts can risk miners lives in an agency already short staffed. Some 34 MSHA offices in 19 states have been targeted for closure. Hundreds of federal occupational health employees doing mining-related work and research were laid off this past week as part of cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If you take away all those protections, youre kind of making the workers disposable, said Dr. Carl Werntz, a West Virginia physician who conducts black lung examinations. Thats terribly concerning.Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said no federal agency has reached out to confirm that seven MSHA offices are closing there. My concern is that what Elon Musk is trying to do is break government, not fix it, Beshear said.Recipe for disasterConflicts within the coal industry go back over a century. The West Virginia Mine Wars involved a long-running dispute between coal companies and miners fed up with deadly work and poor wages and living conditions. When union organizers showed up, the companies retaliated. Membership in the United Mine Workers union peaked in 1946, then plummeted as government support waned and the industry waged an all-out war on union mines. Today, a majority of U.S. coal mines are nonunion and the UMW is a shell of the powerful safety advocate it once was.UMW President Cecil Roberts said workers safety will be left solely in the hands of employers in the absence of protections from the union and the federal government.History has shown us time and time again that doing so is a recipe for disaster, especially in the mining industry, he said. ___Associated Press writer Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky, contributed to this report.

A Bhutan medical volunteer attends to a patient at their make-shift tent after last week's earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-04-05T04:05:32Z WASHINGTON (AP) Day after day, Chinese rescue teams haul children and elderly people from collapsed buildings as cameras beam the thanks of grateful survivors around the world. Russian medical teams show off field hospitals erected in a flash to tend the wounded.Notably absent from the aftermath of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the poor Southeast Asian nation Myanmar: the uniquely skilled, well-equipped and swift search-and-rescue teams and disaster-response crews from the United States.At least 15 Asian and Western government rescue teams have landed crews reaching hundreds of workers in size, alongside initial pledges of financial aid reaching tens of millions of dollars, as the death toll of the March 28 quake tops 3,000, Myanmars government says. Cameras showed Vietnams team on arrival, marching square-shouldered to the rescue behind their countrys flag. While Myanmars military junta and civil war have posed challenges, the U.S. government has worked with local partners there previously to successfully provide aid for decades, including after deadly storms in 2008 and 2023, aid officials say. The American government dwarfs other nations rescue capacity in experience, capacity and heavy machinery able to pull people alive from rubble. But in Myanmar after the most recent quake, the U.S. has distinguished itself for having no known presence on the ground beyond a three-member assessment team sent days after the quake. We all worried what would be the human impact of President Donald Trumps dismantling of the six-decade-old U.S. Agency for International Development, said Lia Lindsey, a senior humanitarian policy adviser for Oxfam, which scrambled to provide tents, blankets and other aid to quake survivors.Now, Lindsey said, were seeing it in real time. Were seeing it in increased suffering and increased death. A retreat from decades of American policy may be fueling the absenceThe United States, the worlds largest economy, long saw its strategic interests and alliances served by its standing as the worlds top humanitarian donor. Myanmars quake is as close to a no-show as the nation has had in recent memory at a major, accessible natural disaster. Current and former senior private and government officials say the Myanmar disaster points to some of the results for people in need on the ground, and for U.S. standing in the world of the Trump administrations retreat from decades of U.S. policy. That approach held that Washington needs both the hard power of a strong military and the soft power of a robust aid and development program to deter enemies, win and keep friends and steer events.Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Europe for a NATO gathering, rejected a suggestion that the administration was ceding influence abroad by canceling thousands of its aid and development contracts, including for disasters. He told reporters that those complaining were the aid groups, which he accused of profiting off past U.S. aid.We will do the best we can, Rubio said Friday. But we also have other needs we have to balance that against. Were not walking away. He pointed to a lot of other rich countries in the world. They should all be pitching in and do their part.Leading Senate Democrats wrote Rubio this week, urging him to scale up U.S. disaster aid to Myanmar and fast. Separately, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke of watching a news broadcast of the disaster showing Chinese government teams at work. It hurt my heart to see where, instead of a USAID ... team leading the response, there was a team from the PRC that was being celebrated for having saved some people in the rubble, Coons said.The 2 1/2-month-old Trump administration, through Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency teams, has frozen USAID funding, terminated thousands of contracts and is firing all but a handful of its staff globally. It accuses the agency of waste and of advancing liberal causes. The Myanmar quake is the first major natural disaster since that work started.The Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers say they will reassemble a reduced slate of aid and development programs under the State Department, fitting their narrower interpretation of work that serves U.S. strategic and economic interests. The first announcement of help came days laterDays after the Myanmar quake, the U.S. made its first announcement of help: It was sending a three-member assessment team of non-specialist advisers from a regional USAID office in Bangkok, Thailand. Coincidentally, like hundreds of other USAID staffers around the world, the three had received layoff notices from the Trump administration on March 28 within hours of the quake, current and former USAID officials confirmed.The administration also promised $2 million in aid, and announced another $7 million Friday. But theres a much larger number at play. That $9 million total is dwarfed by the roughly $2 billion in payments for previously rendered services and goods that the Trump administration has owed nonprofit humanitarian groups and other contractors and government and nongovernment foreign partners, aid officials say. The Trump administration abruptly shut down USAID and State foreign assistance payments including for work already done on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.Combined with abruptly terminated aid contracts and the freeze on the USAID and State aid and development payments, the U.S. back debt is forcing larger aid operations and businesses to scale back their services to people in need and to slash staff. Some smaller organizations were driven out of business. That was even before the Myanmar quake.Under court order, the administration is slowly making good on those back payments.In the meantime, nonprofit groups are having to draw on reserve funds they would normally use for sudden unplanned disasters like the Myanmar quake to pay the bills that the U.S. should have paid, said Lindsey, the Oxfam official.Asked about the burden that the non-government organizations another name for aid groups say USAIDs unpaid back bills are placing on their work, the State Department said in an email, The U.S. government cannot comment on how NGOs manage their financing.Typically, the United States itself would have provided $10 million to $20 million in the initial phase of response to a disaster like the Myanmar quake, with more later for long-term aid and rebuilding, said Sarah Charles, who ran disaster response and overall humanitarian affairs at USAID in the Biden administration. We have a long history in Burma, Charles said, adding, Its an environment that the U.S. government has been operating in over the last many decades.Normally, the United States also would have had 20 to 25 specialized disaster workers on the ground in as few as 24 hours, Charles said. That number would have jumped to 200 or more if USAID had flown in urban rescue teams from California and Virginia. They deploy as self-contained units, with dog handlers and the capacity to feed and provide clean water to the teams, Charles said.The Trump administration preserved contracts for the California and Virginia rescue teams under pressure from lawmakers. But the contracts for their transport are believed among the thousands of USAID contracts that the administration canceled. That left the U.S. no quick way to move search-and-rescue crews when disaster struck, Charles said.Britain has pledged $13 million in aid and said it will match up to $5 million in private donations, and China and others have promised financial aid. At least 15 countries sent in dozens or hundreds of rescuers or aid workers, including Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, according to Myanmar officials.China shares a border and close ties with Myanmar. Chinese rescuers had their first success Sunday, fewer than 48 hours after the quake, when they joined hands with local people to pull an elderly man from a badly damaged hospital in the capital city of Naypyitaw. By Wednesday, Chinese rescuers had pulled out nine survivors, including a pregnant woman and a child. In Mandalay, Chinese rescuers saved a 52-year-old man who trapped for nearly 125 hours.-Rising reported from Bangkok. Matthew Lee and Didi Tang contributed from Washington and Jill Lawless from London.- ELLEN KNICKMEYER Knickmeyer covers foreign policy and national security for The Associated Press. She is based in Washington, D.C. twitter DAVID RISING Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok. twitter mailto

After overwhelming Texas 74-57 on Friday in the Final Four of the women's NCAA tournament, South Carolina is just a win away from repeating as national champions for the first time in school history.

One year after finishing with the worst record in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19 in a historic turnaround.

UConn rolled into the national title game with an 85-51 rout of No. 1 overall seed UCLA, recording the largest margin of victory in women's Final Four history.

UFL QB Luis Perez has chronicled his unique journey in a book as he pushes for a final chapter in the NFL.

Rescue workers work on a site after Russian rocket strike on residential neighbourhood killing civilians including children, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, April 4, 2025. (Na Chasi media via AP)2025-04-05T09:20:48Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The death toll from a Russian missile strike in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 18, including nine children, regional governor Serhii Lysak said Saturday.A further 61 people were injured in Fridays attack, ranging from a 3-month-old baby to elderly residents. Forty remain hospitalized, including two children in critical condition and 17 in serious condition.There can never be forgiveness for this, said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the citys defense council. Eternal memory to the victims.Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The missile struck an area right next to residential buildings hitting a playground and ordinary streets, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.Local authorities said the strike damaged about 20 apartment buildings, more than 30 vehicles, an educational building and a restaurant. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that it had carried out a high-precision missile strike with a high explosive warhead on a restaurant where a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place. Russian military claimed that the strike killed 85 military personnel and foreign officers and destroyed 20 vehicles. The militarys claims could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian General Staff rejected the claims.A later drone strike on Kryvyi Rih killed one woman and wounded seven other people. Zelenskyy blamed the daily strikes on Russias unwillingness to end the war: Every missile, every drone strike proves Russia wants only war, he said, urging Ukraines allies to increase pressure on Moscow and bolster Ukraines air defenses.The United States, Europe, and the rest of the world have enough power to make Russia abandon terror and war, he said. Russian forces launched 92 drones into Ukraine overnight, with 51 shot down by air defenses, the Ukrainian air force wrote on social media Saturday. A further 31 decoy drones also failed to reach their targets, it said. Elsewhere, one person died Saturday in the Russian-occupied town of Horlivka in Ukraines Donetsk region due to shelling, Moscow-installed Gov. Denis Pushilin said. Security officials told Russian state news channels that they had destroyed 28 Ukrainian drones over the Donetsk region overnight, marking the first time that the occupied territory had been targeted by such long-range strikes.

FILE -A street money exchanger poses for a photo without showing his face as he counts Iranian banknotes at a commercial district in downtown Tehran, Iran, Dec. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)2025-04-05T10:14:14Z TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Irans rial currency traded Saturday at a record low against the U.S. dollar as the country returned to work after a long holiday. The rial had plunged to over 1 million rials during the Persian New Year, Nowruz, as currency shops closed and only informal trading took place on the streets, creating additional pressure on the market. But as traders resumed work Saturday, the rate fell even further to 1,043,000 to the dollar, signaling the new low appeared here to stay. On Ferdowsi Street in Irans capital, Tehran, the heart of the countrys money exchanges, some traders even switched off their electronic signs showing the going rate as uncertainty loomed over how much further the rial could drop.

From a comment on a Yankees broadcast to a rush of new bat orders, here's how MLB's hottest trend took off.

The Capitals' run at No. 1 is over, with big shifts elsewhere in the top 10.

President Donald Trump departs after signing an executive order at an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-04-05T11:58:02Z WASHINGTON (AP) Not even 24 hours after his party lost a key Wisconsin race and underperformed in Florida, President Donald Trump followed the playbook that has defined his political career: He doubled down.Trumps move on Wednesday to place stiff new tariffs on imports from nearly all U.S. trading partners marks an all-in bet by the Republican that his once-fringe economic vision will pay off for Americans. It was the realization of his four decades of advocacy for a protectionist foreign policy and the belief that free trade was forcing the United States into decline as its economy shifted from manufacturing to services.The tariff announcement was the latest and perhaps boldest manifestation of Trumps second-term freedom to lead with his instincts after feeling his first turn in the Oval Office was restrained by aides who did not share his worldview. How it shakes out will be a defining judgment on his presidency. The early reviews have been worrisome. Financial markets had their worst week since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign trade partners retaliated and economists warned that the import taxes may boost inflation and potentially send the U.S. into a recession. Its now Republican lawmakers who are fretting about their partys future while Democrats feel newly buoyant over what they see as Trumps overreach. Democratic activists planned to participate in rallies across the country Saturday in what was shaping up as the largest demonstrations since Trump returned to office in January. The winds are changing, said Rahna Epting, who leads MoveOn, one of many organizing groups. Trump is unbowed. He has promised that the taxes on imports will bring about a domestic manufacturing renaissance and help fund an extension of his 2017 tax cuts. He insisted on Thursday as the Dow Jones fell by 1,600 points that things were going very well and the economy would boom, then spent Friday at the golf course as the index plunged 2,200 more points. In his first term, Trumps tariff threats brought world leaders to his door to cut deals. This time, his actions so far have led to steep retaliation from China and promises from European allies to push back.Even some Trump supporters are having their doubts. Frank Amoroso, a 78-year-old resident of Dewitt, Michigan, said he is concerned about short-term rising interest rates and inflation, although he believes the tariffs will be good for the country in the long run.Amoroso, a retired automotive engineer who voted for Trump, said he would give the presidents second-term performance a C-plus or B-minus. I think hes doing things too fast, he said. But hopefully things will get done in a prudent way, and the economy will survive a little downfall.Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., in a telephone town hall with constituents on Thursday night, expressed reservations about the broad nature of the tariffs.Hill, who represents a district that includes Little Rock, said he does not back tariffs on Canada and Mexico. He said the administration should instead focus on renegotiating a U.S. trade agreement with its two neighbors. I dont support across-the-board tariffs as a general matter, and so I dont support those, and I will be urging changes there because I dont think they will end up raising a bunch of revenue thats been asserted, Hill said. I wish I thought they did, but personally I dont think they will. But I do support trade diplomacy.Still, much of Trumps Make America Great Again coalition remains publicly supportive.Doug Deason, a prominent Texas-based Republican donor, said he loves the presidents tariff plan, even if it causes some economic disruption. He told us during the election there would be pain for every American to get this ship turned around, Deason said. It is hard to watch our portfolios deteriorate so much, but we get it. We hope he holds course.As Trump struggles with the economy, Democrats are beginning to emerge from the cloud of doom that has consumed their party ever since their election drubbing in November. They scored a decisive victory in Wisconsins high-profile state Supreme Court election on Tuesday, even after Elon Musk and his affiliated groups poured more than $20 million into the contest. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker then breathed new life into the Democratic resistance by delivering a record 25-hour-long speech on the Senate floor that centered on a call for his party to find its resolve.Booker told The Associated Press afterward that a significant political shift has begun even as his party tries to learn from its mistakes in the 2024 presidential election.I think youre seeing a lot more energy, a lot more determination, a lot more feeling like weve got to fight, Booker said. You cant sit back any more. You cant sit on the sidelines. Theres a larger, growing movement. Booker, a 2020 presidential candidate, acknowledged he is not ruling out a 2028 run, although he said he is focused on his 2026 Senate reelection for now.There is broad agreement among Democrats and even some Republicans, privately at least that what Trump has unleashed on the global economy could help accelerate the Democratic comeback.Ezra Levin, co-founder of the progressive resistance group known as Indivisible, has been critical of Democratic officials response in recent weeks to Trumps leadership. But on Friday, he was somewhat giddy about the political consequences for Trumps GOP after the tariffs announcement.Raising prices across the board for your constituents is not popular, Levin said. Its the kind of thing that can lead to a 1932-style total generational wipe out of a party.___Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Isabella Volmert in Dewitt, Michigan, contributed to this report. ZEKE MILLER Miller leads coverage of the president and the presidency for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this Sept. 11, 2001 photo, firefighters work beneath destroyed mullions, the vertical struts which once faced the outer walls of the World Trade Center towers, after a terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)2025-04-05T12:00:06Z NEW YORK (AP) Government staffing cuts have gutted a small U.S. health agency that aims to protect workers drawing rebukes from firefighters, coal miners, medical equipment manufacturers and a range of others.The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a Cincinnati-based agency that is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is losing about 850 of its approximately 1,000 employees, according to estimates from a union and affected employees. Among those ousted were its director, Dr. John Howard, who had been in the job through three previous presidential administrations.The layoffs are stalling and perhaps ending many programs, including a firefighter cancer registry and a lab that is key to certifying respirators for many industries. The cuts are a very pointed attack on workers in this country, said Micah Niemeier-Walsh, vice president of the union local representing NIOSH employees in Cincinnati. Unions that represent miners, nurses, flight attendants and other professions have criticized the cuts, saying it will slow the identification and prevention of workplace dangers. Rallies in Cincinnati and other cities drew not only fired CDC employees but also members of unions representing teachers, postal workers and bricklayers, Niemeier-Walsh said. NIOSH doctors review and certify that 9/11 first responders who developed chronic illnesses could qualify for care under the federal governments World Trade Center Health Program, noted Andrew Ansbro, president of a union that represents New York City firefighters.Dismantling NIOSH dishonors the memory of our fallen brothers and sisters and abandons those still battling 9/11-related illnesses, Ansbro said in a statement. Agency investigates workplace hazardsNIOSH was created under a 1970 law signed by President Richard Nixon. It started operations the following year and grew to have offices and labs in eight cities, including Cincinnati; Pittsburgh; Spokane, Washington; and Morgantown, West Virginia.In the more than 50 years since, it has done pioneering research on indoor air quality in office buildings, workplace violence and occupational exposures to bloodborne infections. NIOSH investigators identified a new lung disease in workers at factories that made microwave popcorn, and helped assess what went wrong during the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster. It was recently involved in the CDCs response to measles, advising on measures to stop spread within hospitals. Some of its best-known work is related to mining. It trains and certifies doctors in how to test for black lung disease, and the agency conducts its own mobile screenings of miners. For years, NIOSH owned an experimental mine in Pennsylvania and two years ago announced it was developing a replacement research facility near Mace, West Virginia, that would feature tunnels and other mine structures.Its research and recommendations have served as the foundation for Department of Labor rules for worker protection, including one issued last year for coal miners that cuts by half the permissible exposures to poisonous silica dust. Studies have concluded NIOSH research helps the nation save millions of dollars each year in avoided workers compensation and other costs.Any stoppage to this type of research and recommendations can impact all segments of the workforce, said Tessa Bonney, who teaches about occupational health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.Impact of deep staff cuts are unclear NIOSH was swept up in the massive upheaval at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that includes about 10,000 layoffs, an anticipated reorganization and proposed budget cuts.Nonunionized NIOSH workers mainly supervisors were told to clean out their desks immediately. Bargaining unit employees got layoff notices, and were told their terminations would happen later this year.Right now we are trying to figure out chain of command, Niemeier-Walsh said.An HHS spokesman, Andrew Nixon, said whats left of NIOSH will be moved into a newly created agency to be called the Administration for a Healthy America. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said that 20% of the people laid off from federal health agencies might be reinstated as the agency tries to correct mistakes, but the department has not detailed which parts of NIOSH were reduced or eliminated, and which will remain open.Whats known about the cuts made so far was pieced together by employees affected by the layoffs and the union that represents them. They say almost every NIOSH program faced steep cuts or outright elimination. A firefighter cancer registry website went down Tuesday because there were no IT people left to staff the system, Niemeier-Walsh said. And at least some of the hundreds of mice and rats at a NIOSH lab in Morgantown likely will have to be destroyed because the layoffs put an abrupt, mid-experiment end to inhalation research there, said Cathy Tinney-Zara, a public health analyst who is president of the union local representing employees there.Million of dollars of research, decades of research, is going down the drain, Tinney-Zara said. Industry concerned about certification labSome of the outcry from unions and industry has centered on the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, a NIOSH office that tests and certifies fitted masks that protect workers from inhaling airborne dangers. (The N95 masks that became popular during the COVID-19 outbreak are named for a NIOSH standard.)Closing the lab gives a competitive advantage to companies in China and other countries that send products to the U.S. without meeting the stringent quality standards that come with certification, said Eric Axel, executive director of the American Medical Manufacturers Association.This decision effectively rewards foreign manufacturers who have not made the same investments in quality and safety while punishing American companies that have built their reputations on producing reliable, high-quality protective equipment, Axel said in a statement.The cuts are really devastating, said Rebecca Shelton, director of policy for the Appalachian Citizens Law Center, a Kentucky-based organization that provides legal help to ill coal miners.Here in central Appalachia, everybody knows somebody with black lung disease, she said.It appears NIOSH programs for coal miners are being eliminated, raising questions about who will monitor for new cases and spot trends, Shelton said.NIOSH staff routinely visited mines and rural communities to offer free screenings and speak at public meetings about black lung disease and other workplace health issues.These are not out-of-touch federal workers. They are very well connected with their communities, she said.Many NIOSH workers come from families that have worked in occupational health for generations. Niemeier-Walshs grandfather was an agency toxicologist for 30 years.It was normal dinnertime conversation in our family to talk about how you can use the power of science to protect workers, she said.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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2025-04-05T13:05:59Z BANGKOK (AP) The death toll from last weeks massive earthquake in Myanmar has risen to 3,354, state media said on Saturday, as U.N. agencies and foreign aid donors continued to ramp up their emergency relief efforts.The 7.7 magnitude quake hit a wide swath of the country, causing significant damage to six regions and states including the capital Naypyitaw. The earthquake left many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaged roads and bridges, making the full extent of the devastation hard to assess.It also worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis triggered by the countrys civil war that has internally displaced more than 3 million people and left nearly 20 million in need, according to the United Nations.Myanmars second most powerful quake in historyThe military governments leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, has said the earthquake was the second most powerful in the countrys recorded history after a magnitude 8 quake east of Mandalay in May 1912.A report in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Saturday said that the death toll from the March 28 disaster has reached 3,354, with 4,850 injured and 220 missing. It also said rescuers had saved 653 survivors trapped under the debris. A country torn by warMyanmars military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking armed resistance that is now believed by analysts to control more territory than the army.Members of the U.N. Security Council recognized the need to strengthen rescue, relief and recovery efforts and to scale up immediate and rapid humanitarian assistance in response to the requests to help the people of Myanmar, supported by the international community, its president, Jrme Bonnafont of France, said in a press statement on Friday.In an apparent reference to the fighting in Myanmar and concerns its military government would block or delay aid to areas under the control of resistance forces, the statement said the councils members affirmed the importance of a safe and conducive environment to ensure the timely and effective delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to all those in need, without disruption or discrimination. Aid sparks an unusual diplomatic flurryMaj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the military government, told media on Saturday, as he arrived back from a regional summit held in Bangkok, that prime ministers and officials from attending countries, including India and Thailand, pledged to provide necessary assistance for relief efforts and rehabilitation in quake-hit areas.Everyone helped Myanmar that suffered from the earthquake. Everyone sympathized. Everyone understood. Everyone was willing to help. It can be seen everyone working together practically, Zaw Min Tun said.He said that 18 countries were providing assistance to affected areas, and more than 60 aircraft had flown in to transport rescuers and relief supplies.The U.K. allocated a further 10 million (about $12.8 million) to the ongoing humanitarian response, its embassy in Yangon said in a statement Saturday, bringing its total to up to 25 million (about $32 million) in aid. There has been an unusual flurry of diplomatic activity in the past few days around Myanmar, usually reluctant to engage with much of the world community.Min Aung Hlaing and senior members of his government are shunned and sanctioned by many Western countries for their 2021 takeover and human rights abuses. His visit to the meeting in the Thai capital Bangkok was his first to a country other than his governments main backers China, Russia and Russian ally Belarus since he attended another regional meeting in Indonesia in 2021. Back in Myanmar on Saturday, Min Aung Hlaing received Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa for discussions about relief assistance from fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and cooperation in health care in quake-affected areas.Although reports of diplomatic activity focus on earthquake relief, there is awareness that the crisis in Myanmar cannot end until the war there stops, and the countrys neighbors have been leading efforts to find a path for peace, even though neither the military nor its foes have shown any serious effort to negotiate. A fragile temporary ceasefire However, the military and several key armed resistance groups have all declared temporary ceasefires on Wednesday in the wake of the earthquake to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid.The U.N.s Human Rights Office on Friday accused the military of continuing attacks, claiming there were more than 60 attacks after the earthquake, including 16 since the ceasefire. The oppositions shadow National Unity Government, which leads resistance to army rule, accused Saturday the military of carrying out 63 airstrikes and artillery attacks since the earthquake, resulting in the deaths of 68 civilians, including one child and 15 women. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump walks to board Marine One after speaking with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, April 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-04-05T12:47:30Z WASHINGTON (AP) The political battle lines are drawn for a debate in Washington and beyond over a Republican budget plan thats a cornerstone of President Donald Trumps domestic agenda.With the plans approval by the GOP-controlled Senate in a vote that ended early Saturday, Republicans hope to leverage their position of power in Washington to enact as much as $7 trillion in tax breaks, boost border security for mass deportations and cut government funding and do so without one single Democratic vote, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the Senate Budget Committee chairman.Democrats, as the minority party, were unable to halt the budget plan. But during the late-night session, they offered a preview of the political attacks likely coming not just during the lead-up to the final vote this summer, but through the 2026 campaign. We may not have the votes to stop them all by ourselves, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told The Associated Press, but we can use what the Republicans are trying to do with this tax bill to ignite a fire all across this country.Heres a look at what happened and what comes next: Tariffs shadow the debateTrumps tariffs hung over the budget debate, interjecting economic uncertainty in ways unimaginable just days before senators prepared to vote.Seizing on the moment, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York put forward an amendment to showcase that unease: He called for an end to those recently announced import taxes, which could result in higher prices for household goods, while keeping tariffs on China, Russia, Iran and other U.S. adversaries. President Trumps tariff tax is one of the dumbest things hes ever done as president, and thats saying something, Schumer said.He repeatedly pointed out that remote islands, including one inhabited by penguins, were hit with tariffs, but not President Vladimir Putins Russia. Penguins not Putin, Schumer said.The amendment failed. The slogan lives on.Votes to preserve Medicaid, Social Security draw some Republican supportDemocrats say Republicans pose grave threats to the nations safety net programs as they hunt for cost-savings to help offset the lost revenues from the tax breaks, and as Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency slashes through the federal government.Among the more than two dozen amendments offered during the debate were several to protect Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, Head Start child care, Meals on Wheels for older adults, and others. Several Republicans joined Democrats in voting to preserve those programs, including Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, opposed the entire package in a warning against steep Medicaid cuts. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who offered an amendment to save Social Securitys phone service, said Musk and DOGE are revving up their chainsaw to come after it.They say, Get online, Grandma, Markey said, scoffing at the notion of older people not being able to pick up the telephone. Democrats assail tax cuts as helping the wealthyCentral to the Republican budget and Trumps domestic policy agenda is the effort to preserve the tax breaks approved in 2017 during his first term.While many of the income tax breaks are popular, including the child tax credit or bolstered standard deduction, Democrats argue that much of the benefit flows to the well-off.Democrats piled on a series of amendments trying to prohibit tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, only to be denied by Republicans.Its a standoff thats expected to carry on through the debate, and the campaign season ahead.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-La., shifted the conversation to what Republicans see for them as a more politically favorable direction, focused on federal spending.Weve heard a lot about, you know, massive tax cuts for billionaires, he said as the evening dragged on. But the one thing you dont hear a lot about is the run up in federal spending. Debt worries linger and pose challenges for GOP leadersThe nations debt load, now $36 trillion, continues to climb.At least one Republican deficit hawk, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, said no more. What is it: Are we cutting spending or are we adding to the debt? Paul said during debate, before ultimately voting against the bill.He argued the budget plan would add $5 trillion to the debt over 10 years, echoing an assessment from the bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. You scratch your head and say, whats up here?But for Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., the impact of the tariffs was a factor in his decision to vote for the budget resolution, despite his concerns that the tax breaks would add to the federal deficit.Cassidy said he did not want to cast a vote that could increase uncertainty in the economy.This vote isnt taking place in a vacuum, he said. LEAH ASKARINAM Askarinam covers U.S. elections for The Associated Press, working alongside the Decision Desk and explanatory team. mailto

Welcome back to the Abstract!This week has been a lot. This year has been a lot. THIS MILLENIUM HAS BEEN A LOT. Thats why theres only good news in the column this week. We deserve it.Normally, Im not a big fan of putting artificial stuff in our brains (see: plastic spoons). But Ill make an exception for a new neural implant that has allowed a woman to regain the ability to speak nearly 20 years after suffering a debilitating stroke. Its an encouraging story about the profound human triumphs that scientists can deliver, assuming you dont fire them all for no discernible reason.Then, bats! Were back on the bat beat, baby. Its not my fault, they just keep doing interesting things. Then, these sunflowers dont need sperm to reproduce. Will this create a male sunflower loneliness epidemic? Last, time to retire to the fjords. See you there.After 18 Years of Silence, a Woman SpeaksLittlejohn, Kaylo and Cho, Cheol Jun et al. A streaming brain-to-voice neuroprosthesis to restore naturalistic communication. Nature Neuroscience.In 2005, a 30-year-old woman who was otherwise in good health suddenly reeled from dizziness and found herself unable to speak. She had suffered a pontine stroke, which obstructs blood flow to the pons region of the brainstem, leaving her unable to verbally communicate beyond a few sounds.But over the past several years, this woman, now in her late 40s, has been able to speak again with the help of a neuroprosthesis device that can translate thoughts into speech in real time, similar to transcription software.An implant in the womans brain records neural activity and streams it into a synthesized audio unit that is based on a recording of her voice before her stroke. This brain-computer interface is an improvement over past iterations because there is no appreciable delay between thoughts and speech for the woman, who is identified by her first name Ann.Natural spoken communication happens instantaneously, said researchers led by Kaylo Littlejohn and Cheol Jun Cho of the University of California, Berkeley. Speech delays longer than a few seconds can disrupt the natural flow of conversation. This makes it difficult for individuals with paralysis to participate in meaningful dialogue, potentially leading to feelings of isolation and frustration.We developed a streaming speech neuroprosthesis that seamlessly converts short windows of neural activity to audible sound without waiting for an entire sentence to be attempted, the team continued. Speaking seamlessly with real-time, low-latency communication at will is integral to our sense of identity and belonging, which is severely decreased in individuals with anarthria.The study includes a few videos of Ann reading sentences on a screen, which are then converted into speech through the neuroprosthesis. The speech is still slow and halting, and the authors outline future improvements in the study, but the device is nonetheless a major step toward technologies that can restore speech.In addition to the ingenious work from the team, Ann deserves mad props for devoting so much of her time and mental energy to refining the device.Welcome to the Cocktail Party NightmareGoldshtein, Aya and Mazar, Omer et al. Onboard recordings reveal how bats maneuver under severe acoustic interference. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Speaking of speech, time to check in with the ultimate chatterers: Bats. This week, were all invited to the Cocktail Party Nightmare, which is the actual term for the tremendous nightly challenge bats face as they careen from their cave roosts while maneuvering under severe acoustic interference and trying to avoid collisions, according to a new study.Basically, as thousands of bats fly together into the night, they produce a cacophony of echolocating chatter that should, in theory, overload their sensory acoustic band. Yet bats seem to be able to seamlessly navigate through this acoustic maelstrom with very few collisions. How to solve this riddle? Mic the bats, of course!Wefitted some of the bats with onboard microphones, enabling us to record the auditory scene from the individual bats point of view, said scientists co-led by Aya Goldshtein of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and Omer Mazar of Tel Aviv University. These unique dataenabled us to examine how bats move collectively at such high densities while relying on echolocation.The experiment, which was conducted on greater mouse-tailed bats in Israels Hula Valley, revealed that bats adjust their echolocation frequencies as they leave the cave, when they are most closely clustered, so that they can focus on avoiding crashes with their near-neighbors. Once they are out in the open, they quickly disperse to more peaceful sonic environments.We found that the bats gradually increased their spread as they flew farther from their cave while still maintaining a group structure over several kilometers, the team said. This movement strategy allowed the bats to rapidly reduce group density and, consequently, to decrease conspecific sensory masking and almost nullify collision risk.In other words, the next time youre at a Cocktail Party Nightmare, mind your echo etiquette.Sisters are Doing it for Themselves (Sunflower Edition)Lv, Jian and Liang, Dawei et al. Haploid facultative parthenogenesis in sunflower sexual reproduction. Nature.Step aside, Jesus Christ: Theres a new virgin birth in town. Scientists this week reported the surprise discovery that sunflower seeds can be developed without fertilization, a process known as parthenogenesis.Many animals and plantsand perhaps, Mothers of Godreproduce through this ladies-only form of reproduction, in which females asexually produce viable embryos from only their eggs.But scientists who were tinkering with emasculated sunflowerswhich is, yes, a great band name, but also a common form of pollination controlhave now reported that they just kind of accidentally did an immaculate conception.We serendipitously discovered that emasculated sunflowers spontaneously form parthenogenic haploid seed, said researchers co-led by Jian Lv and Dawei Liang of the State Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding in China. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a crop species exhibiting facultative parthenogenesis as a rare and likely unselected back-up pathway to failed fertilization.The discovery could have big implications for this important crop. Sexual reproduction is pretty time intensive (relatable!) so the unexpected discovery that sunflowers can pop out seeds without pollination could optimize the growing multi-billion dollar industry for sunflowers.You Can Afjord to Miss ThisGehman, Alyssa-Lois Madden et al. Fjord oceanographic dynamics provide refuge for critically endangered Pycnopodia helianthoides. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.Time to end on a moment of zen. And what better place to find serenity than the fjords of coastal British Columbia?You dont have to take my word for it; just ask the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), a species that has been so stressed in recent years that it has literally been tearing itself to pieces. This grotesque affliction, known as sea star wasting disease, has devastated many sea star populations around the world, but P. helianthoides is among the hardest hit, losing more than 90 percent of its Pacific Coast population.I know, I know, I promised some zen! There may be some light at the end of the tunnel for this species, as scientists have observed populations recovering in fjord refuges along the BC coast. Sea stars in these havens are not necessarily less exposed to the disease, but the conditions in fjords, which are regularly fed with freshwater flows, may give the animals a better chance to recover from infection.P. helianthoides in fjord habitats appear to be responding differently to SSWD than those in other habitats and regions, said researchers led by Alyssa-Lois Madden Gehman of the Hakai Institute. The contrast between the interaction between salinity and temperature on biomass density within the fjords and outer islands suggests that these habitats could be a refuge from disease.We suggest that the unique oceanographic conditions within the fjords, specifically through the increase in freshwater input during snowmelt, known as the freshet, could be keeping P. helianthoides in conditions that optimize host health and/or limit disease progression and transmission, the team said.Honestly, the compulsion to tear ones own body limb-from-limb due to environmental stress seems dangerously relatable. But if sea stars can find some sanctuary from their hellish plight, maybe theres hope for the rest of us.Thanks for reading! See you next week.

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Prisoners look out of their cell as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tours the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2025-04-05T11:13:58Z It was just a few sentences in a meandering, hourlong presidential speech on a Friday afternoon.Along with talk about falling egg prices and a vow to expel corrupt forces from the U.S. government, President Donald Trump noted that hundreds of members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had been arrested.Youll be reading a lot of stories tomorrow about what weve done with them, he said at the Justice Department on March 14. These are tough people and bad people and were getting them out of our country.Youll be very impressed, he added.Trump was previewing drama to come that would involve clandestine flights to another continent, a notorious prison, innocents among criminals and a dramatic confrontation between his assertions of presidential power and a federal judge who Trump said had overreached.The presidents invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify deporting more than 130 Venezuelan men, some of them gang members and others who claim to have been in the United States legally and were seemingly expelled because of their ordinary tattoos, played out over a frenetic 24 hours. By the time Trump had spoken, hundreds of detained immigrants had been quietly shuttled from across the U.S. to South Texas. Planes had been chartered to take them to their ultimate destination, El Salvador, under a deal with President Nayib Bukele, who proudly calls himself worlds coolest dictator. The men were herded into a maximum security mega prison in El Salvador, where officials quickly made a show of the new inmates having their heads shaved, then standing shoulder to shoulder in cells so crowded that some prisoners do not have beds. But soon, stories began to surface that the scene was not quite as it appeared. Some of them men had long insisted they had no gang ties, and their families had produced documents showing they had no criminal records. Ive been doing this for a long time, and Ive seen some pretty weird stuff, said Texas attorney John Dutton, who represented a man who disappeared into the Salvadoran prison. But to do this in the middle of the night, to send people to another country, and straight to a prison when they havent been convicted of a crime?It makes no sense.Trump fulfilled a long-standing pledge on migrantsIt made sense in the White House.Trump has been promising for years that he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act to combat illegal immigration. He repeatedly insisted, falsely, that the U.S. was facing an invasion of criminal immigrants.Tren de Aragua became the face of that threat, and the first target of that law in decades.Crafted during the presidency of John Adams, the law gives the president broad powers to imprison and deport noncitizens in times of war. It has been used just three times: during the War of 1812 and the two world wars.The Trump administration had begun edging closer to calling the criminal migrant issue a war, most notably by designating eight Latin American criminal groups, including Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations.The administration was telegraphing its logical next move. Immigration lawyers prepared to fight back. Government flights signal deportations to El SalvadorThe flights began arriving in the small South Texas city on March 12. Using jets chartered by a branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the ICE Air flights landed in Harlingen from Dallas, Phoenix, El Paso, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee. At least three came from Alexandria, Louisiana, a hub for that states network of immigration detention centers.But it wasnt until Saturday, March 15, that it became clear to a retired financial executive in Ohio that something unusual was happening. Two flights, Tom Cartwright noticed, were scheduled from Harlingen to El Salvador.Deportations are fairly rare on Saturdays, as are deportation flights from Harlingen to El Salvador, said Cartwright, a flight data analyst for the advocacy group Witness at the Border, whose social media feeds are closely watched in immigration circles.All that came together and said to me: Theres something weird here.Court documents later showed that for at least the previous week, Venezuelan men in immigration detention centers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and elsewhere were being moved by bus and plane toward ICEs El Valle Detention Facility, a 40-minute drive from the Harlingen airport. A makeup artist is caught up in the mass deportationsOne of those men was a makeup artist who said he fled Venezuela last summer after his boss at a state-run news channel publicly slapped him.In a country where political repression and open homophobia are both part of life, its hard to be a gay man who does not support President Nicols Maduro. Walking and traveling by bus and taxi through Central America and Mexico, Andry Jos Hernndez Romero hoped to find a new life in the U.S. He used a U.S. Customs and Border Protection phone app to arrange an appointment at a U.S. border crossing in San Diego. Thats where he was asked about his tattoos, and where his trouble started. U.S. immigration authorities use a series of gang identifiers to help them spot members of Tren de Aragua. Some are obvious, such as trafficking drugs with known Tren members.Some identifiers are more surprising: Chicago Bulls jerseys, high-end urban street wear, and tattoos of clocks, stars or crowns, according to government instructional material filed in court by the American Civil Liberties Union.Tattoos were key to marking many deported men as Tren members, according to documents and lawyers.Romero, who is in his early 20s, has a crown tattooed on each wrist. One is next to the word Mom. The other next to Dad. The crowns, according to his lawyer, also pay homage to his hometowns Christmastime Three Kings festival, and to his work in beauty pageants, where crowns are common.Romero, who insists he has no ties to Tren, was taken into ICE custody and transferred to a California detention center.And then, around March 7, he was suddenly moved to a facility in Laredo, Texas, a three-hour bus ride from the Harlingen airport.The order from the president is to deport them allFriday, March 14, was supposed to be quiet for Javier Maldonado.I had come in to work late, like 10 in the morning, said Maldonado, a Texas immigration lawyer based in San Antonio. I was having my coffee, and thought I was going to do admin work and catch up on emails and phone calls.He was wrong.The Alien Enemies Act was hours away from being invoked, and more than a day from being announced, but word was starting to filter out from a group of Venezuelan men held at El Valle Detention Center, near Harlingen. Around 3 a.m., roughly 100 had been roused from sleep by guards and told they were being deported. Some were told they would be flown to Mexico, some to Venezuela. Many were told nothing.Ten hours later, the men were back in their bunks. The flight had been canceled, they were told, and they would leave soon.But a few men contacted relatives or lawyers.Within hours, an informal legal network was frantically at work, from a lawyer in Brooklyn to a law school professor in Los Angeles to a University of Florida law student interning with an El Paso immigrant advocacy firm. All were working with Texas lawyers like Maldonado who would file petitions in federal court.Its a small circle, relatively, of lawyers that do this sort of work, he said.Even people who cross illegally into the U.S. have rights. Some of the men the lawyers were defending have Temporary Protected Status, a legal classification that shields roughly 350,000 Venezuelans from deportation. Communication between lawyers and detainees was often chaotic. Messages sometimes were relayed through relatives in Venezuela.But guards, said one man, had made something clear.The order from the president is to deport them all.Trump invokes the Alien Enemies ActTrump was aboard Air Force One that Friday when he invoked the Alien Enemies Act en route to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Tren de Aragua, his proclamation said, was attempting an invasion or predatory incursion of the United States.Publicly, though, the administration said nothing.Still, word was spreading about the planned flights to El Salvador. A Texas lawyer had filmed a bus leaving the El Valle facility under police escort, apparently heading to the airport.While Trumps use of the law had not yet been announced, two legal advocacy groups, the ACLU and Democracy Forward, felt they had to file preemptively.We couldnt take a chance that nothing was going to happen, said Lee Gelernt of the ACLU, the lead attorney.They spent hours drafting a petition on behalf of five detained Venezuelans who feared being falsely labeled members of Tren and deported. They crafted legal arguments until they felt time was running out.Finally, they filed the petition with the U.S. District Court in Washington, seeking to halt all deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.It was 2:16 a.m. Saturday.Prisoners moved to airport as judge issues temporary restraining order? Later that day, after Judge James E. Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order in response to the ACLU lawsuit and scheduled a 5 p.m. hearing, things in Texas began to move faster.Guards gathered prisoners at the El Valle detention center, ordering them onto buses for the airport at about 3:30 p.m.The flights carried a total of 261 deportees, the White House later said, including 137 Venezuelans deported under the Alien Enemies Act, 101 under other immigration regulations, and 23 El Salvadoran members of the gang MS-13.About 4 p.m. the White House posted Trumps proclamation.Trump administration ignores judges order to turn planes backRoughly an hour later Boasberg opened his hearing over Zoom.First, apologies for my attire, he began, dressed in a blue sweater. I went away for the weekend and brought with me neither a robe nor tie nor appropriate shirt.Things quickly grew more serious. Boasberg asked whether the government planned to deport anyone under the new proclamation in the next 24 or 48 hours. The ACLU warned that deportation planes were about to take off. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign said he was unsure of the flight details.Boasberg called a recess so Ensign could get more information. When Ensign came back empty-handed, the judge issued a new order to stop the deportations being carried out under the centuries-old law.He noted specifically that any planes in the air needed to come back.This is something that you need to make sure is complied with immediately, he told Ensign.It was about 6:45 p.m.By then, two ICE Air planes were heading across the Gulf of Mexico and toward Central America. Neither turned around.The airliners stopped in Honduras before making the short final flight to El Salvador.Fear swept the plane when the doors opened and the prisoners realized where they were. Many knew the reputation of El Salvadors prisons.Everyone was scared, a Nicaraguan woman accidently put on a flight said in a legal declaration after returning to the U.S. Some people had to forcibly be removed from the plane.What followed was soon set to music by the El Salvadoran government, which released videos of shackled men struggling to walk as officers forced down their heads and marched them to the immense Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT prison. The next morning, Bukele, El Salvadors president, tweeted a New York Post headline saying Boasberg had ordered the planes turned around.Oopsie Too late, Bukele wrote, adding a laughing/crying emoji.The Trump administration is now urging the Supreme Court for permission to resume deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg soon could rule on whether there are grounds to find anyone in contempt of court for defying his court order.As for Romero, the makeup artist, hes somewhere in CECOT.

A woman checks social media on her phone in Barcelona Spain on March 25, 2025. (Albert Stumm via AP)2025-04-05T04:03:37Z Liking a co-workers photo on social media. Sending them direct messages. Checking in on Slack more often than before.Progressively interacting in this way with someone outside your relationship may be no big deal to you. To your significant other, however, it may be microcheating, which some people consider a form of infidelity because it can involve building a bond one heart emoji at a time.Although pushing the boundaries of whats allowed in a relationship is not a new concept, the issue has become even more common with the rise of remote work, said William Schroeder, a therapist and owner of Just Mind Counseling centers in Austin, Texas.People are having more digital relationships so it kind of creates more space for that, Schroeder said. In this work-from-home environment, it can happen even easier because its real low risk. What is microcheating?Microcheating, a term popularized by Australian psychologist Melanie Schilling, could be anything short of a physical or emotional relationship if it involves a behavior you cant talk about openly with a partner.Besides furtive social media chatting, it also could mean lingering too long at the water cooler to talk to a co-worker, sharing personal details of your own relationship, or dressing up if you know youll see someone.Weve just put a newer label on it, said Abby Medcalf, a psychologist in Berkeley, California, and host of the Relationships Made Easy podcast.But Medcalf noted that with most of her patients in recent years, microcheating involves texting or messages on social media. And it can be a slippery slope. Whats the big deal? As relationship norms evolve and terms like polyamory come out of the shadows, liking or commenting on a photo may seem fairly innocuous. Many couples dont care, Medcalf said, but people who do shouldnt feel bad for it.There isnt a right and wrong in relationships, she said. It comes down to preferences.Even if a specific action has not been discussed and forbidden, trouble arises when it takes away energy from your primary relationship, she said.Its cheating if your partner doesnt like it, or doesnt know about it, or wouldnt like it if they knew about it, she said.She advised resisting the urge to snoop, which is a sign there is a lack of trust in the relationship. All you want to know is, how is your partner treating you? she said. Do you feel No. 1?How should couples handle it?Schroeder said every relationship has boundaries, some of which may have been discussed and others that are implied. These days, the gray area is bigger than ever.Particularly if a couple met on a dating app, its important to discuss whether to disable it and be exclusive, he said. Then define what exclusive means, such as not dating other people, continuing conversations through an app or pursuing others on social media.The best time to bring it up is long before a problem arises, even if its difficult to know when or how, he said. He equated having this talk with driving.If you think that you have a full tank of gas, youre not going to start thinking, When should we stop to get gas? he said. A change in behavior if your significant other seems to be more secretive with their phone, for instance, or checks social media more often could a sign of an issue, he said. But try not to be accusatory. Rather, mention you have noticed they are more engaged with their phone and that it worries you because youre not sure what it means.Having that kind of curiosity is a much better place to have a conversation, Schroeder said.He said microcheating happens for many reasons, but often its because people are simply looking for that spark they feel from a new relationship. Some patients who engage in secretive behavior never cross further lines, but Schroeder said noticing if you yourself are doing it can be instructive.Also, it doesnt necessarily mean the end of a relationship. It can be this crisis to rebuild, he said. Sometimes when these little microcheating examples come up, it can be really helpful to understand, Alright, why is this coming up for me?EDITORS NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Dodgers ran themselves out of a shot at keeping their undefeated season alive in a 3-2 loss to the Phillies that stuck them at 8-1 on the season.

Witness Ovi's evolution from rock star rookie to "young gun" to Cup winner to chasing Gretzky (and much more).

Former NHL player Wayne Gretzky, left, shaking hands with Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin, right, during a press conference after an NHL hockey game in which Ovechkin tied Gretzky's NHL career goals record of 894th goals, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-04-05T10:00:08Z WASHINGTON (AP) Alex Ovechkin cracked a Bud Light and casually took a sip as nearby fans chanted, Ovi! Ovi! He was soon joined by Wayne Gretzky to put the two greatest goal-scorers in NHL history side by side.At this moment, they are tied at 894 goals apiece after Ovechkin scored twice Friday night to match Gretzkys total that many thought no one would ever approach. When Ovechkin was asked his feeling about breaking the record, the Great One had a great retort.Well hold on a second he hasnt done it yet, Gretzky said. Can you give me 24 more hours?Gretzky gets at least that. Ovechkins next chance to pass Gretzky comes Sunday in a matinee at the New York Islanders. All eyes will be on the 39-year-old Russian superstar, who soaked in the moment of celebrating No. 894 in front of Washington Capitals fans who have cheered him on for his two decades in the league and with Gretzky, his mother, wife and children in attendance. As reflective as Ovechkin was about getting there, he instantly went back to his standard answer when asked about when he might break the record. Its game by game; its shift by shift, Ovechkin said. You never know whats gonna happen. We just gonna to continue to enjoy it and continue to do our best because we still have six games left before playoffs and our mind right now is get ready for the playoffs and play the right way in the playoffs. The playoffs are six games away, but the Capitals first want to make sure Ovechkin gets the record all to himself. Theres a reason we try to get it to him: The guys got 41 goals, said center Dylan Strome, who set up Ovechkins 893rd goal four minutes into the game against Chicago. Its incredible.If Ovechkin is unable to score Sunday at the Islanders, the Capitals next play back at home Thursday night against division-rival Carolina. But everyone around the team would like to get this over with as soon as possible, something Gretzky knows from his own pursuit of Gordie Howes then-record of 801 in the spring of 1994. People dont realize this because I went through what Alex is going through its hard on your teammates, too, Gretzky said. Its joyful and its exciting, but they feel the pressure and the stress and they have to answer all the questions, also.After Ovechkin tied Gretzky, they were more than happy to answer the questions. They could feel the anticipation building toward Ovechkin the 2018 playoff MVP in leading the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship doing something else special.I think the last few games you could sense it a little bit, but obviously on home ice within something extremely doable for the guy, it felt different the whole night, said longtime teammate John Carlson, who passed the puck to Ovechkin for No. 894. From warmups, from the drop of the puck, some guys are larger than life in that regard and it just seems like only a few people are capable of it. It seemed inevitable.Inevitable until he breaks it, as well. As Gretzky got up to leave the postgame festivities, he hugged Ovechkin and waved and said, See you guys on Sunday.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl STEPHEN WHYNO Whyno has covered the NHL, Washington Capitals, the NFLs Washington Commanders and horse racing for The Associated Press since 2016. twitter facebook

If the title battle has been a one-horse race for some time, this was the day Arsenal surrendered any hope of pipping Liverpool at the finishing post.

From viral moments to game winners, here's a look at who has defined the men's and women's tournaments.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks after he took over the certificate of Honorary Citizen of the University (Civis Universitatis Honoris Causa) from Rector of the Ludovika University of Public Service at the university in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, April 4, 2025. (Tibor Illyes/MTI via AP)2025-04-05T16:12:04Z JERUSALEM (AP) Israel says troops have deployed to a newly established security corridor across southern Gaza.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced the new Morag Corridor to pressure the Hamas militant group and suggested it would cut off the southern city of Rafah, which Israel has ordered evacuated, from the rest of Gaza.A military statement Saturday said troops with the 36th Division had been deployed in the corridor. It was not immediately clear how many had deployed or where exactly the corridor was located. Morag is the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, and Netanyahu suggested it would run between the cities.Maps published by Israeli media showed the new corridor running the width of the narrow coastal strip from east to west.Netanyahu said it would be a second Philadelphi corridor, referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt further south, which has been under Israeli control since last May. Israel has also reasserted control over the Netzarim corridor that cuts off the northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, from the rest of the strip. The Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors run from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea.We are cutting up the strip, and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages, Netanyahu said Wednesday.

President Donald Trump meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)2025-04-05T15:57:44Z PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in what would be their second White House sit-down since Trumps return to office.The visit, confirmed by a White House official Saturday, comes as Israel is setting up a new security corridor across Gaza to pressure Hamas and Netanyahus defense minister has said Israel would seize large areas of the territory and add them to its so-called security zones. Israeli strikes killed more than a dozen people in Gaza on Friday, a day after attacks killed at least 100 Palestinians. Hundreds more have died in the past two weeks as Israel has stepped up operations intended to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages it took during its attack on Israel in October 2023. Israel has pledged to escalate the war with Hamas until the militant group returns the hostages, disarms and leaves the territory. Israel ended a ceasefire in March and has imposed a halt on all imports of food, fuel and humanitarian aid. The leaders are expected to focus on the latest Israeli bombardment of Gaza and new U.S. tariffs announced by Trump against Israel and other countries. Trumps first invitation of his second term to a foreign leader went to Netanyahu, and their Feb. 4 meeting was meant to focus on Israels war with Hamas and the next steps as a ceasefire deal took hold. At a joint news conference, Trump made the surprise proposal that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the territory and he suggested that the United States take ownership in redeveloping the area into the Riviera of the Middle East. Palestinians objected to leaving their homeland, and Arab nations and rights groups sharply criticized the idea.Last month, Israel shattered the ceasefire with a surprise bombardment in Gaza after trying to pressure Hamas to accept proposed new terms for the ceasefire. The White House supported the move. Israel also again cut off all supplies to the territory. That February meeting gave Netanyahu a chance to remind the world of the Trump administrations support for Israel, defend the conduct of the war and distract from political pressures back home.Those pressures have only grown as Israelis protest both the lack of a deal to bring remaining hostages home from Gaza and Netanyahus moves to fire the head of the countrys domestic security agency and its attorney general. He also faces calls to accept responsibility for his role in failing to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that sparked the war.In a statement, relatives of hostages held in Gaza pleaded with Trump to please use all your power to pressure Netanyahu to end this war and bring our hostages back now.Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza. The U.S. is not a member of the court.Trump, meanwhile, says the first foreign trip of his second administration will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and possibly the United Arab Emirates and other places. The trip could come as soon as May. Trump has said he wants to reward Saudi Arabia for its investment in the U.S. and that all three Gulf countries would be making commitments to creating jobs in the U.S. during his trip. ___Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem and Cara Anna contributed to this report. FATIMA HUSSEIN Hussein reports on the U.S. Treasury Department for The Associated Press. She covers tax policy, sanctions and any issue that relates to money. twitter mailto

Pitt guard Jaland Lowe, who entered the transfer portal after averaging over 16 points and five assists per game this season for the Panthers, has committed to Kentucky, sources told ESPN.

Professional basketball stars Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard are among those selected for enshrinement into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the first half of the NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016 in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)2025-04-05T16:19:54Z Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard are going into the Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, not once but twice. And LeBron James and Chris Paul are part of the group thats headed to the Hall as well, even before their playing careers end.Anthony and Howard were announced Saturday as members of the Class of 2025, as was the 2008 U.S. Olympic mens basketball team that they played on dubbed the Redeem Team, the one that captured gold at the Beijing Games and started a still-going run of five consecutive Olympic titles and counting for USA Basketballs mens program.Also selected for enshrinement: WNBA greats Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Bulls coach and two-time NCAA champion Billy Donovan, Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and longtime NBA referee Danny Crawford.___AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports TIM REYNOLDS Reynolds is an Associated Press sports writer, based in South Florida. twitter mailto

Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore were first-ballot selections who make up an unprecedented Hall of Fame class.

This year marks just the second time since the dawn of men's NCAA tournament seeding that all Final Four teams will be top seeds.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley questioned the narrative that has surrounded UConn guard Paige Bueckers and her quest to win a national championship, saying it has overshadowed any discussion about what her players have done.