After Los Angeles coach JJ Redick challenged his stars in a Saturday meeting to use more creativity on the floor, LeBron James and the Lakers later responded with a 134-127 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, an effort in which the club shot 50.6% overall.

The Yankees slugged nine home runs against the Brewers, four of them coming off Nestor Cortes in the first inning of Saturday's 20-9 romp of the Brewers.

A Palestinian girl struggles as she and others try to get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-30T05:01:59Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Gazas bakeries will run out of flour for bread within a week, the U.N. says. Agencies have cut food distributions to families in half. Markets are empty of most vegetables. Many aid workers cannot move around because of Israeli bombardment.For four weeks, Israel has shut off all sources of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies for the Gaza Strips population of more than 2 million Palestinians. Its the longest blockade yet of Israels 17-month-old campaign against Hamas, with no sign of it ending.Aid workers are stretching out the supplies they have but warn of a catastrophic surge in severe hunger and malnutrition. Eventually, food will run out completely if the flow of aid is not restored, because the war has destroyed almost all local food production in Gaza.We depend entirely on this aid box, said Shorouq Shamlakh, a mother of three collecting her familys monthly box of food from a U.N. distribution center in Jabaliya in northern Gaza. She and her children reduce their meals to make it last a month, she said. If this closes, who else will provide us with food? The World Food Program said Thursday that its flour for bakeries is only enough to keep producing bread for 800,000 people a day until Tuesday and that its overall food supplies will last a maximum of two weeks. As a last resort once all other food is exhausted, it has emergency stocks of fortified nutritional biscuits for 415,000 people. Fuel and medicine will last weeks longer before hitting zero. Hospitals are rationing antibiotics and painkillers. Aid groups are shifting limited fuel supplies between multiple needs, all indispensable trucks to move aid, bakeries to make bread, wells and desalination plants to produce water, hospitals to keep machines running. We have to make impossible choices. Everything is needed, said Clmence Lagouardat, the Gaza response leader for Oxfam International, speaking from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza at a briefing Wednesday. Its extremely hard to prioritize. Compounding the problems, Israel resumed its military campaign on March 18 with bombardment that has killed hundreds of Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to health officials. It has hit humanitarian facilities, the U.N. says. New evacuation orders have forced more than 140,000 Palestinians to move yet again. But Israel has not resumed the system for aid groups to notify the military of their movements to ensure they were not hit by bombardment, multiple aid workers said. As a result, various groups have stopped water deliveries, nutrition for malnourished children and other programs because its not safe for teams to move. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid, said the system was halted during the ceasefire. Now it is implemented in some areas in accordance with policy and operational assessments ... based on the situation on the ground, COGAT said, without elaborating. Rising prices leave food unaffordableDuring the 42 days of ceasefire that began in mid-January, aid groups rushed in significant amounts of aid. Food also streamed into commercial markets.But nothing has entered Gaza since Israel cut off that flow on March 2. Israel says the siege and renewed military campaign aim to force Hamas to accept changes in their agreed-on ceasefire deal and release more hostages.Fresh produce is now rare in Gazas markets. Meat, chicken, potatoes, yogurt, eggs and fruits are completely gone, Palestinians say.Prices for everything else have skyrocketed out of reach for many Palestinians. A kilo (2 pounds) of onions can cost the equivalent of $14, a kilo of tomatoes goes for $6, if they can be found. Cooking gas prices have spiraled as much as 30-fold, so families are back to scrounging for wood to make fires.Its totally insane, said Abeer al-Aker, a teacher and mother of three in Gaza City. No food, no services. I believe that the famine has started again. Families depend even more on aidAt the distribution center in Jabaliya, Rema Megat sorted through the food ration box for her family of 10: rice, lentils, a few cans of sardines, a half kilo of sugar, two packets of powdered milk.Its not enough to last a month, she said. This kilo of rice will be used up in one go. The U.N. has cut its distribution of food rations in half to redirect more supplies to bakeries and free kitchens producing prepared meals, said Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian agency, known as OCHA.The number of prepared meals has grown 25% to 940,000 meals a day, she said, and bakeries are churning out more bread. But that burns through supplies faster.Once flour runs out soon, there will be no bread production happening in a large part of Gaza, said Gavin Kelleher, with the Norwegian Refugee Council. UNRWA, the main U.N. agency for Palestinians, only has a few thousand food parcels left and enough flour for a few days, said Sam Rose, the agencys acting director in Gaza. Gaza Soup Kitchen, one of the main public kitchens, cant get any meat or much produce, so they serve rice with canned vegetables, co-founder Hani Almadhoun said.There are a lot more people showing up, and theyre more desperate. So people are fighting for food, he said.Israel shows no sign of lifting the siegeThe United States pressured Israel to let aid into Gaza at the beginning of the war in October 2023, after Israel imposed a blockade of about two weeks. This time, it has supported Israels policy. Rights groups have called it a starvation policy that could be a war crime.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told a news conference Monday that Israel is acting in accordance with international law.He accused Hamas of stealing aid and said Israel is not required to let in supplies if it will be diverted to combatants. He gave no indication of whether the siege could be lifted but said Gaza had enough supplies, pointing to the aid that flowed in during the ceasefire.Hunger and hopelessness are growingBecause its teams cant coordinate movements with the military, Save the Children suspended programs providing nutrition to malnourished children, said Rachael Cummings, the groups humanitarian response leader in Gaza.We are expecting an increase in the rate of malnutrition, she said. Not only children adolescent girls, pregnant women.During the ceasefire, Save the Children was able to bring some 4,000 malnourished infants and children back to normal weight, said Alexandra Saif, the groups head of humanitarian policy. About 300 malnourished patients a day were coming into its clinic in Deir al-Balah, she said. The numbers have plunged to zero on some days because patients are too afraid of bombardment, she said. The multiple crises are intertwined. Malnutrition leaves kids vulnerable to pneumonia, diarrhea and other diseases. Lack of clean water and crowded conditions only spread more illnesses. Hospitals overwhelmed with the wounded cant use their limited supplies on other patients.Aid workers say not only Palestinians, but their own staff have begun to fall into despair.The world has lost its compass, UNRWAs Rose said. Theres just a feeling here that anything could happen, and it still wouldnt be enough for the world to say, this is enough.___Magdy and Keath reported from Cairo, El Deeb from Beirut. AP correspondents Fatma Khaled in Cairo and Julia Frankel and Sam Mednick in Jerusalem contributed. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto SARAH EL DEEB El Deeb is part of the APs Global Investigative team. She is based in the Middle East, a region she covered for two decades twitter mailto LEE KEATH Keath is the chief editor for feature stories in the Middle East for The Associated Press. He has reported from Cairo since 2005. twitter mailto

Kevin Willard, who led Maryland to the Sweet 16 of this season's NCAA tournament, has accepted Villanova's offer to become the program's head basketball coach, sources told ESPN.

Playing for the first time since learning JuJu Watkins will miss the rest of the NCAA tournament with an ACL tear, the USC Trojans used key contributions from their freshman class to defeat the Kansas State Wildcats 67-61 and advance to the Elite Eight.

The top-seeded Duke Blue Devils took the next step in their seasonlong quest Saturday night, defeating the East's No. 2 seed, the Alabama Crimson Tide, 85-65, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., to advance to next week's national semifinal in Texas.

Edmonton superstar forward Leon Draisaitl became the first player in the NHL this season to reach 50 goals, then he added his 51st later Saturday night in dramatic fashion, as the Oilers defeated the rival Calgary Flames 3-2 in overtime at Rogers Place.

A woman reacts after being informed that her husband had died at the site of a collapsed under construction high-rise building in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)2025-03-30T06:43:00Z BANGKOK (AP) Emergency rescue teams on Sunday began trickling into the area of Myanmar hardest hit by a massive earthquake that killed more than 1,600 people, their efforts hindered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country in the midst of a civil war.The 7.7 magnitude quake hit midday Friday with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, bringing down scores of buildings and damaging other infrastructure like the citys airport. Many of Mandalays 1.5 million people spent the night sleeping on the streets, either left homeless by the quake, which also shook neighboring Thailand and killed at least 17 people there, or worried that the continuing aftershocks might cause structures left unstable to collapse. Many areas still have not been reachedSo far 1,644 people have been reported killed in Myanmar and 3,408 missing, but many areas have not yet been reached, and many rescue efforts so far have been undertaken by people working by hand to try and clear rubble, said Cara Bragg, the Yangon-based manager of Catholic Relief Services in Myanmar.Its mainly been local volunteers, local people who are just trying to find their loved ones, Bragg said after bring briefed by her colleague in Mandalay. Ive also seen reports that now some countries are sending search and rescue teams up to Mandalay to support the efforts, but hospitals are really struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, theres a shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water, Bragg added. The organization was sending a team by road on Sunday to assess peoples most pressing needs so that it could target its own response.With the Mandalay airport damaged and the control tower toppled in the capital Naypitaws airport, all commercial flights into the cities have been shut down. Foreign aid starts to arrive in MyanmarStill, two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft were able to land late Saturday at Naypitaw with a field hospital unit and some 120 personnel who were then to travel north to Mandalay to establish a 60-bed emergency treatment center, according to the countrys Foreign Ministry. Other Indian supplies were flown into Yangon, Myanmars biggest city, which has been the hub of other foreign relief efforts. On Sunday, a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies was expected to reach Mandalay, after making the arduous journey by road from Yangon. The 650-kilometer (400-mile) journey has been taking 14 hours or longer, with clogged roads and traffic diverted from the main highway to skirt damage from the earthquake. At the same time, the window of opportunity to find anyone alive is rapidly closing. Most rescues occur within the first 24 hours after a disaster, and then survival chances drop as each day passes.An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned that a severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers. China said it has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits and generators, and pledged around $13.8 million in emergency aid. Russias Emergencies Ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies to Yangon, and the countrys Health Ministry said Moscow had sent a medical team to Myanmar. 17 people reported dead in ThailandIn neighboring Thailand, the quake rocked much of the county, bringing down a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok, some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) away from the epicenter.So far, 10 people have been found dead at the construction site near the popular Chatuchak market, where 83 people are unaccounted for and the latest body was recovered from the rubble early Sunday morning. A total of 17 people have been reported killed by the quake in Thailand so far. In Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, rescue efforts so far are focused on Mandalay and Naypyitaw, which are thought to have been the hardest hit, but many other areas were also impacted and little is known so far about the damage there. Were hearing reports of hundreds of people trapped in different areas, said Bragg. Right now were at 1,600 (known fatalities) and we dont have a lot of data coming out but youve got to assume it will be increasing in the thousands based on what the impacts are. This is just anecdotal information at this point. Rescue efforts in Myanmar complicated by civil warBeyond the earthquake damage, rescue efforts are complicated by the bloody civil war roiling much of the country, including in quake-affected areas. In 2001, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has since turned into significant armed resistance.Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places are dangerous or impossible for aid groups to reach. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations.The government military has been fighting long-established militias and newly formed pro-democracy Peoples Defense Forces, and has heavily restricted much-needed aid efforts to the large population already displaced by war even before the earthquake.On Saturday, Myanmars opposition shadow National Unity Government, to which the PDF militias are loyal, announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts. The military did not immediately comment on the announcement and it continued airstrikes even after the earthquake. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, a group of three of Myanmars most powerful and well-armed militias that launched a combined offensive in October 2023 that broke a strategic stalemate with the military regime, didnt mention a ceasefire in a statement Saturday, but said it was ready to help.We will promptly provide assistance to those affected by the earthquake to the best of our ability, with a spirit of humanity, unit and brotherhood, the group said._____Jintamas Saksornchai contributed to this story. 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

Pope Francis appears at a window of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, March 23, 2025, where he has been treated for bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia since Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)2025-03-30T05:01:09Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis frailty was on full view as he left Romes Gemelli hospital last Sunday after five weeks battling pneumonia that nearly killed him. He could barely lift his arms to bless the crowd. His eyes were sunken, face bloated. And he visibly gasped for breath as he was wheeled back inside from the balcony.Throughout history, the powerful have concealed their weaknesses. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, the most photographed figure of his era, took pains to hide his lame arm. Franklin Delano Roosevelt concealed the use of a wheelchair. More recently, former President Biden shook off concerns about his cognitive abilities.By contrast, Francis, a spiritual and not political leader, has never been shy about showing his weakness. For many, his willingness to be seen in all his infirmity serves as an example to young and old alike that fragility is part of the human condition and should be embraced. Who cares if he had sunken eyes, who cares if he looks bloated. It is part of his life story. He knows it is going to end. I saw him as living his life. He wants to keep doing what he does best, said S. Jay Olshansky, a gerontologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Francis frailty is integral to his ministry of inclusion, which preaches against treating people on the margins as disposable, said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for Life. Fragility for us believers is not to be avoided or excluded. On the contrary it is a great teaching, Paglia said in an interview. It is in sharp contrast with an efficiency-oriented culture, with a performance culture.'This is not a state, or a company, it is a community of the faithful, a family. And in a family it is possible to give an authoratative leadership, also if not up to full physical strength,' Paglia said. He added that it was an important lesson also for young people who should understand that they too are fragile, otherwise they close themselves off. Paglia this week opened a longevity summit at the Vatican, during which he underlined that as the population of elderly grows, there must be an attitude shift so that the longer life span is to be lived to its fullest.We need to rethink the idea of retirement. These 20, 30 years more must have also a cultural, human and spiritual weight for all the other ages. They are not disposable, he said.Dr. Francesco Vaia, an advocate of rights for the disabled, also said the popes message is especially crucial in an aging world.The theme is not only to get older, but to be active, that is to give more quality to our longer lives, he said. We are moving towards an inclusive society, which is in contrast with a throw-away world in which the weak, the disabled, the elderly are pushed aside.'Lets overcome the superman and superwoman theory. We are men and women with our fragility, and disabilities, Vaia said. This pope can continue being pope. Even the fact of seeing Francis with the nasal breathing tubes as he was driven to the Vatican normalizes a fact of life for many elderly who live with oxygen tanks. We should not be ashamed of this, Vaia said. Pope John Paul II, too, was often praised for showing his suffering during his long bout with Parkinsons disease. But the Vatican also went to great lengths to conceal his frailty. He was never seen in a wheelchair, for example, instead he was pushed on a rolling wooden chair or upon a moving platform.Francis by contrast arrives at events in wheelchairs, and is seen lifted into a more formal seat for Masses or to address the faithful.He did not shy away from showing his weakened state from the hospital. An audio recording of his barely audible, labored voice was played in St. Peters Square three weeks into his hospitalization as a first sign of life. It was followed by a photograph of him co-celebrating Mass, taken from behind in his personal hospital chapel.While Francis appearance on the hospital balcony did not necessarily project vitality, the doctor who coordinated his hospital treatment saw it as a sign of his strength. You saw when he looked out, he is fragile. But his strength is that he could give, even with some difficulty, the blessing, Dr. Sergio Alfieri said. He looked at the square, and he welcomed the lady with the yellow flowers, as if to say, I am maintaining a good mood. He is strong in this sense, a strong spirit. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

New Juventus coach Igor Tudor had a direct role in the Bianconeri's first goal since he replaced the fired Thiago Motta.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said his own efforts this season have been "really poor" as his side struggle to recapture their title-winning form.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese rescuers arrive at the Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar on Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Haymhan Aung/Xinhua via AP)2025-03-30T08:26:32Z BANGKOK (AP) Emergency aid has streamed into Southeast Asia in the two days since a massive earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand. Relief efforts are focused on Myanmar, where the estimated death toll rose to 1,644 by Sunday afternoon.The number of dead from Fridays 7.7 magnitude quake is expected to increase, while the number of injured was at 3,408 and the missing figure rose was 139 on Sunday. The earthquakes epicenter was near Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city with 1.5 million people. In neighboring Thailand, the death toll rose to 17.While food, medicine and other vital supplies have reached Myanmar, a report issued Saturday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said rescue efforts have been hampered by a severe shortage of medical supplies including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicine and tents to house health workers. We fear it may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake, said Mohammed Riyas, the IRCs Myanmar director.Here is a look at some of the contributions in supplies, personnel and monetary support and the nations and groups providing assistance: Direct assistance by nationsOn Sunday, a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies was expected to reach Mandalay. China said it has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits, generators, earthquake detectors and drones while pledging around $13.8 million in emergency aid. Hong Kong on Saturday dispatched 51 search-and-rescue personnel including firefighters and ambulance personnel as well as two search-and-rescue dogs. The group brought 9 tons (18,000 pounds) of equipment including life detectors and an automatic satellite tracking antenna system, according to a statement on the Hong Kong governments website. The Hong Kong government also will set aside HK$30 million ($3.9 million) from its Disaster Relief Fund to help Myanmar victims. Russias Emergencies Ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies to Yangon, Myanmars second-largest city, and Russias Health Ministry said Moscow had sent a medical team that includes specialists in infectious diseases, resuscitation, traumatology and psychology, as well as search and rescue teams with canine units and devices that can search in rubble with depths as much as 4.5 meters (14.7 feet).Two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft on Saturday brought in a field hospital unit and some 120 personnel who traveled north to Mandalay to establish a 60-bed emergency treatment center, the countrys Foreign Ministry said. India previously said it planned to send five aircrafts and four ships with relief supplies including rescue team and medical teams.Malaysias foreign ministry said the country would send 50 personnel to help identify and provide aid to the worst-hit areas.South Korea said it will provide $2 million in humanitarian aid through international organizations. New Zealands Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a post on X that his government would support relief efforts via the International Red Cross Movement.The European Commission said Friday it would release 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) in initial emergency assistance to assist with earthquake relief, bringing the European Unions total humanitarian aid for Myanmar to more than 35 million ($37.8 million) this year.Ireland announced Saturday the government would provide an aid package of 6 million ($6.49 million) with 3 million ($3.2 million) to support the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Myanmar Red Cross Society, 1.5 million ($1.6 million) each to the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund and U.N. Refugee Agency Joint Response Plan.President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. would help with the response, but some experts were concerned about the promised effort given his administrations deep cuts in foreign assistance. Aid agencies contributingThe U.N. humanitarian affairs office said it has mobilized with other groups and $5 million has been allocated from a Central Emergency Response Fund for life-saving assistance.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released 2 million Swiss francs ($2.2 million) in emergency funds to support the organizations work in Myanmar, Jagan Chapagain, the organizations secretary general and CEO, said in a social media post Sunday.Cara Bragg, the Yangon-based manager of Catholic Relief Services in Myanmar, said relief efforts have largely consisted of local volunteers trying to find loved ones.Despite the influx of countries sending search and rescue teams, hospitals are really struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, theres a shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water, Bragg said.

Palestinians attend Eid al-Fitr prayer in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip , Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-30T07:40:27Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had little to celebrate on Sunday as they began marking a normally festive Muslim holiday with rapidly dwindling food supplies and no end in sight to the Israel-Hamas war.Many held prayers outside demolished mosques on the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Its supposed to be a joyous occasion, when families gather for feasts and purchase new clothes for children but most of Gazas 2 million Palestinians are just trying to survive.Its the Eid of Sadness, Adel al-Shaer said after attending outdoor prayers in the central town of Deir al-Balah. We lost our loved ones, our children, our lives, and our futures. We lost our students, our schools, and our institutions. We lost everything.Twenty members of his extended family have been killed in Israeli strikes, including four young nephews just a few days ago, he said as he broke into tears. Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and resumed the war earlier this month when the militant group refused to accept changes to the agreement reached in January. Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians, and Israel has allowed no food, fuel or humanitarian aid to enter for four weeks. Arab mediators are trying to get the truce back on track, and Hamas said Saturday that it had accepted a new proposal from Egypt and Qatar, the exact details of which were not immediately known. Israel said it had advanced its own proposal in coordination with the United States, which has also been mediating. There is killing, displacement, hunger, and a siege, said Saed al-Kourd, another worshipper. We go out to perform Gods rituals in order to make the children happy, but as for the joy of Eid? There is no Eid.The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Hamas is still holding 59 captives 24 of whom are believed to be alive after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other agreements. Israels offensive has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.Israels bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of Gaza and at their height displaced around 90% of the population.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Kylian Mbapp said matching Cristiano Ronaldo's goal tally in his debut Real Madrid season is "very special" after scoring twice in a 3-2 comeback win over Legans on Saturday.

The Canadian soccer federation defended its handling of star player Alphonso Davies after Bayern Munich threatened to take legal action in the aftermath of his serious injury suffered during the Concacaf Nations League finals.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen answers to the media during a gathering in support of detained Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, in Paris, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)2025-03-30T04:07:01Z PARIS (AP) Her political death. Thats how French far-right leader Marine Le Pen described whats at stake in a verdict expected Monday that could derail her plans to run in the next presidential election scheduled for 2027.A judge is set to rule on whether Le Pen and her National Rally party embezzled European Parliament funds. She and 24 other party officials are accused of having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides to instead pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, violating the 27-nation blocs regulations.Le Pen, 56, and other co-defendants denied wrongdoing during the nine-week trial that took place in late 2024.Le Pens greatest concern is that she could be declared ineligible to seek public office, if found guilty. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen reacts at the National Assembly before French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou delivers his general policy speech meant to outline his top priorities, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) French far-right leader Marine Le Pen reacts at the National Assembly before French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou delivers his general policy speech meant to outline his top priorities, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More How could the verdict affect Le Pens political career? In case of conviction, the court could impose a period where she is ineligible to run for office with immediate effect even if she files an appeal.The court would also decide whether to give Le Pen a prison sentence which would be suspended during any appeal.That could prompt another possible headache for the far-right leader. If she appeals, she will automatically be granted a new trial, but it will likely take place in 2026, just months before the presidential election. Le Pen appears to be anticipating a guilty verdict, telling the panel of three judges: I feel we didnt succeed in convincing you. During the trial, prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence for Le Pen and a five-year period of ineligibility. They want my political death, Le Pen then said. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives at the courtroom for the trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File) French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives at the courtroom for the trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More What does the Constitutional Council say?In a key decision on Friday, the Constitutional Council ruled that a period of ineligibility with immediate effect is in line with the French Constitution.But it also stressed that its up to the judges to assess the consequences of imposing such a ban right away and make sure the ruling is proportionate and takes into consideration the preservation of voters freedom.The Constitutional Council rendered its ruling in a separate case that has no direct link with Le Pens.Yet its conclusions have been scrutinized as they provide legal guidance that judges are likely to take into consideration.The Constitutional Council also underlined that the court can decide to not impose any period of ineligibility immediately. In that case, the ban would be suspended pending appeal.What makes Le Pen a key presidential contender? French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives with her legal team at the court house in Paris, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) French far-right leader Marine Le Pen arrives with her legal team at the court house in Paris, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More For over a decade, Le Pen has worked at making her party more mainstream, dulling its extremist edge to broaden its appeal to voters. She led the National Rally from 2011 to 2021. She changed its name from the National Front, as part of her efforts to distance it from the period when her father ran it and it carried a heavy stigma of racism and antisemitism.Now a lawmaker in the National Assembly, the French parliaments powerful lower house, she has already positioned herself as a candidate to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, having twice finished runner-up to him. In 2022, Macron won with 58.5% of the vote to Le Pens 41.5% significantly closer than when they first faced off in 2017 and the best score ever of the French far right in a presidential bid.Ineligibility would have the effect of depriving me of being a presidential candidate, she pleaded during the trial. Behind that, there are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent. So tomorrow, potentially, millions and millions of French people would see themselves deprived of their candidate in the election.Who could replace her? Jordan Bardella, member of the European Parliament for the French Rassemblement National, attends a debate about Ukraine in the European parliament in Strasbourg, France, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File) Jordan Bardella, member of the European Parliament for the French Rassemblement National, attends a debate about Ukraine in the European parliament in Strasbourg, France, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Jordan Bardella, 29, succeeded Le Pen in 2021 at the helm of the party. He would likely be her prime minister if she were to become president.That makes him widely perceived as her natural successor if she were barred from running.Yet observers say theres no guarantee he would be able to convince as many voters as she does. In recent months, some inside the party have criticized his management as too focused on his personal career.Since joining the party at age 17, Bardella has risen quickly through the ranks, serving as spokesperson and president of its youth wing, before being appointed vice president and becoming the second-youngest member of the European Parliament in history, in 2019. SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter

Rescue workers collect the body parts of a person killed in a Russian strike on a residential neighborhood of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)2025-03-30T08:02:36Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian drones hit a military hospital, shopping center, apartment blocks and other buildings in Kharkiv late Saturday, killing two people and wounding 30 others, Ukrainian officials said.Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said that a 67-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman were killed in the attack on Ukraines second-largest city.Ukraines General Staff denounced the deliberate, targeted shelling of the military hospital. Among the casualties were servicemen who were undergoing treatment, it said. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 111 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Sunday. It said 65 of them were intercepted and another 35 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Russias Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, said its air defense systems shot down six Ukrainian drones. According to Ukrainian government and military analysts, Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlins negotiating position in ceasefire talks.

Nottingham Forest secured a place in the FA Cup semi-finals by beating Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 in a penalty shootout when Ryan Yates smashed home the winner after the game finished goalless following extra time.

Billionaire businessman David Blitzer is in advanced talks to sell a large stake in both Real Salt Lake of MLS and the Utah Royals of NWSL after owning both franchises since 2022, according to multiple reports.

Roki Sasaki's Dodger Stadium debut ended in the second inning Saturday night after the touted right-hander again struggled with his control.

Judge's three homer game helped New York make long ball history and reminded us just how good the slugger is.

A local man drives a motorbike past damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)2025-03-30T11:26:14Z BANGKOK (AP) Fridays deadly earthquake rattled most of Myanmar and Thailand but certain areas sustained the heaviest damage, including flattened buildings and many lost lives.The death toll of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday rose quickly in Myanmar and was at 1,644 victims by Sunday. There were a further 3,408 people injured and 139 missing. In the greater Bangkok area, which took the brunt of the quake in Thailand, officials said Sunday the count was 18 dead, 33 injured and 78 people missing.Officials were still assessing the damage and any overall estimate remains incomplete. But two days later a clearer picture has emerged about the extent of the destruction.Myanmar sits on the major north-south Sagaing Fault, which separates the India and Sunda plates, and the widespread damage runs down a wide swath of the middle of the country. The area includes Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city with 1.5 million people that is located near the earthquakes epicenter. Critical infrastructure has been destroyed including the historic Ava Bridge connecting Sagaing and Mandalay, Mandalay University and various heritage sites, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement Sunday. Little information has come out so far from areas other than the main urban areas of Mandalay city and Naypitaw and the Red Cross said the airports remain closed in both areas. Significant damage also has been reported in the Sagaing, Naypyidaw, Magway, Bago and Shan State regions, while telecommunications outages continued to hamper emergency coordination in several regions, the Red Cross said. The Red Cross said it has launched an emergency appeal for 100 million Swiss francs ($113.3 million) to assist 100,000 people in 20,000 households over the next 24 months. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a rally commemorating anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the late pro-U.S. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Islamic clerics to power, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP, file)2025-03-30T10:57:15Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Irans president said Sunday that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, offering Tehrans first response to a letter President Donald Trump sent to the countrys supreme leader. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Irans response, delivered via the sultanate of Oman, left open the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington. However, such talks have made no progress since Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew America from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. In the years since, regional tensions have boiled over into attacks at sea and on land. Then came the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, which saw Israel target militant group leaders across Irans self-described Axis of Resistance. Now, as the U.S. conducts intense airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen, the risk of military action targeting Irans nuclear program remains on the table. We dont avoid talks; its the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far, Pezeshkian said in televised remarks. They must prove that they can build trust. The White House offered no immediate reaction to the announcement. Trumps letter came as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels something only done by atomic-armed nations. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb.Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has consistently said that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. A report in February, however, by the U.N.s nuclear watchdog said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium.Trump also ordered the attack that killed Irans top general in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

As the playoff field solidifies, here's how our panel voted, along with each team's slate through April 17.

The Yankees' spring training facility became the Rays' Opening Day ballpark in just four days. Here's how.

President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing in ceremony for Alina Habba as interim US Attorney General for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-03-30T11:47:50Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump says Wednesday will be Liberation Day a moment when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods.The details of Trumps next round of import taxes are still sketchy. Most economic analyses say average U.S. families would have to absorb the cost of his tariffs in the form of higher prices and lower incomes. But an undeterred Trump is inviting CEOs to the White House to say they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects to avoid the import taxes.It is also possible that the tariffs are short-lived if Trump feels he can cut a deal after imposing them.Im certainly open to it, if we can do something, Trump told reporters. Well get something for it.At stake are family budgets, Americas prominence as the worlds leading financial power and the structure of the global economy.Heres what you should know about the impending trade penalties: What exactly does Trump plan to do?He wants to announce import taxes, including reciprocal tariffs that would match the rates charged by other countries and account for other subsidies. Trump has talked about taxing the European Union, South Korea, Brazil and India, among other countries.As he announced 25% auto tariffs last week, he alleged that America has been ripped off because it imports more goods than it exports.This is the beginning of Liberation Day in America, Trump said. Were going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that theyve been taking over the years. Theyve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe. In an interview Saturday with NBC News, Trump said it did not bother him if tariffs caused vehicle prices to rise because autos with more U.S. content could possibly be more competitively priced. I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars, Trump said. I couldnt care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, theyre going to buy American cars.Trump has also suggested that he will be flexible with his tariffs, saying he will treat other nations better than they treated the United States. But he still has plenty of other taxes coming on imports. The Republican president plans to tax imported pharmaceutical drugs, copper and lumber. He has put forth a 25% tariff on any country that imports oil from Venezuela, even though the United States also does so. Imports from China are being charged an additional 20% tax because of its role in fentanyl production. Trump has imposed separate tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico for the stated reason of stopping drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Trump also expanded his 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs to 25% on all imports.Some aides suggest the tariffs are tools for negotiation on trade and border security; others say the revenues will help reduce the federal budget deficit. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says they will force other nations to show Trump respect. What could tariffs do to the US economy?Nothing good, according to most economists. They say the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for autos, groceries, housing and other goods. Corporate profits could be lower and growth more sluggish. Trump maintains that more companies would open factories to avoid the taxes, though that process could take three years or more.Economist Art Laffer estimates the tariffs on autos, if fully implemented, could increase per vehicle costs by $4,711, though he said he views Trump as a smart and savvy negotiator. The investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates the economy will grow this quarter at an annual rate of just 0.6%, down from a rate of 2.4% at the end of last year.Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, said on Friday that tariffs could increase the median cost of a home by $21,000, making affordability more of an obstacle because building materials would cost more. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that tariffs would be a one-time price adjustment, rather than the start of an inflationary spiral. But Bessents conclusion rests on tariffs being brief or contained, rather than leading other countries to retaliate with their own tariffs or seeping into other sectors of the economy.There is a chance tariffs on goods begin to filter through to the pricing of services, said Samuel Rines, a strategist at WisdomTree. Auto parts get move expensive, then auto repair gets more expensive, then auto insurance feels the pressure. While goods are the focus, tariffs could have a longer-term effect on inflation.How are other nations thinking about the new tariffs? Most foreign leaders see the tariffs as destructive for the global economy, even if they are prepared to impose their own countermeasures.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trumps tariff threats had ended the partnership between his country and the United States, even as the president on Friday talked about his phone call with Carney in relatively positive terms. Canada already has announced retaliatory tariffs.French President Emmanuel Macron said the tariffs were not coherent and would mean breaking value chains, creating inflation in the short term and destroying jobs. Its not good for the American economy, nor for the European, Canadian or Mexican economies. Yet Macron said his nation would defend itself with the goal of dismantling the tariffs.Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided the tit-for-tat responses on tariffs, but she sees it as critical to defend jobs in her country.The Chinese government said Trumps tariffs would harm the global trading system and would not fix the economic challenges identified by Trump.There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and no countrys development and prosperity are achieved through imposing tariffs, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.How did Trump land on it being called Liberation Day?Based off Trumps public statements, April 2 is at least the third liberation day that he has identified.At a rally last year in Nevada, he said the day of the presidential election, Nov. 5, would be Liberation Day in America. He later gave his inauguration the same label, declaring in his address: For American citizens, Jan. 20, 2025, is Liberation Day.His repeated designation of the term is a sign of just how much importance Trump places on tariffs, an obsession of his since the 1980s. Dozens of other countries recognize their own form of liberation days to recognize events such as overcoming Nazi Germany or the end of a previous political regime deemed oppressive.Trump sees his tariffs as providing national redemption, but the slumping consumer confidence and stock market indicate that much of the public believes the U.S. economy will pay the price for his ambitions.I dont see anything positive about Liberation Day, said Phillip Braun, a finance professor at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management. Its going to hurt the U.S. economy. Other countries are going to retaliate. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-03-30T12:04:02Z WASHINGTON (AP) The executive order directed at one of the countrys most prestigious law firms followed a well-worn playbook as President Donald Trump roared down the road to retribution.Reaching beyond government, Trump has set out to impose his will across a broad swath of American life, from individuals who have drawn his ire to institutions known for their own flexes of power and intimidation.Which is how the Paul Weiss, a storied New York law firm that since its 1875 birth has advanced the cause of civil rights, shepherded the legal affairs of corporate power brokers and grown into a multi-billion-dollar multinational enterprise, came to learn it was in trouble. The reason: One of its former attorneys had investigated Trump as a Manhattan prosecutor.Trump ordered that federal security clearances of the firms attorneys be reviewed for suspension, federal contracts terminated and employee access to federal buildings restricted. Yet the decree was soon averted in the most Trumpian of ways: with a deal. After a White House meeting with the firms chairman yielded a series of commitments, including $40 million worth of legal work to support administration causes, the executive order was rescinded, but not without a backlash from a legal community that saw the resolution as a capitulation. The episode showed not only Trumps use of the power of the presidency to police dissent and punish adversaries but also his success in extracting concessions from law firms, academia, Silicon Valley and corporate boardrooms. These targets were suddenly made to fear for their futures in the face of a retribution campaign that has been a defining feature of his first two months in office. Just one day after Paul Weiss deal, Columbia University disclosed policy changes under the threat of losing billions of dollars in federal money. A week later, the venerable law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom cut a deal of its own before it could be hit by an executive order. Before that, ABC News and Meta reached multi-million-dollar settlements to resolve lawsuits from Trump. The more of them that cave, the more extortion that that invites, said Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer in Trumps first term who has since become a sharp critic. Youll see other universities and other law firms and other enemies of Trump assaulted and attacked into submission because of that.Some within the conservative legal community, by contrast, say the Republican president is acting within his right. Its the presidents prerogative to instruct the executive branch to do business with companies, law firms or contractors that he deems trustworthy and the converse is true too, said Jay Town, a U.S. attorney from Alabama during Trumps first term. The president, as the commander in chief, can determine who gets a clearance and who doesnt. Its as simple as that.Some targets have not given in, with two law firms since the Paul Weiss deal suing to block executive orders. Yet no matter their response, the sanctioned firms have generally run afoul of the White House by virtue of association with prosecutors who previously investigated Trump. If the negotiations have been surprising, consider that Trump telegraphed his approach during the campaign. For those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution, he told supporters in March 2023. Less clear was: Retribution for what exactly? Against whom? By what means?The answers would come soon enough.One firm called Trump threat an existential crisisFresh off surviving four federal and state indictments that threatened to sink his political career, and investigations that shadowed his first term in office, Trump came straight for the prosecutors who investigated him and the elite firms he saw as sheltering them.His Justice Department moved almost immediately to fire the members of special counsel Jack Smiths team and some prosecutors who handled cases arising from the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.The White House followed up with an executive order that stripped security clearances from the lawyers at the law firm of Covington & Burling who have provided legal representation for Smith amid the threat of government investigations. Covington has said it looks forward to defending Mr. Smiths interests. A subsequent order punished Perkins Coie for its representation of then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign and its part in funding opposition research on Trump that took the form of a dossier containing unsubstantiated allegations about Trumps ties to Russia. Its business hanging in the balance, Perkins Coie hired Williams & Connolly, a Washington firm with an aggressive litigation style, to challenge the order. A federal judge said the administrations action sent chills down my spine and blocked portions of it from taking effect. That decision could have been a meaningful precedent for other beleaguered firms. Except thats not what happened next.The chairman of Paul Weiss said it, too, was initially prepared to sue over a March 14 order that targeted the firm in part because a former partner, Mark Pomerantz, had several years earlier overseen an investigation into Trumps finances on behalf of the Manhattan district attorneys office. But the firm also came to believe that even a courtroom victory would not erase the perception among clients that it was persona non grata with the administration, its chairman, Brad Karp, later told colleagues in an email obtained by The Associated Press.The order, Karp said, presented an existential crisis for a firm that has counted among its powerhouse representations the NFL and ExxonMobil. Some of its clients signaled they might abandon ship. The hoped-for support from fellow firms never materialized and some even sought to exploit Paul Weiss woes, Karp said.It was very likely that our firm would not be able to survive a protracted dispute with the Administration, he wrote.When the opportunity came for a White House meeting and the chance to cut a deal, he took it, pledging pro bono legal services for causes such as the fight against antisemitism as well as representation without regard to clients political affiliation. In so doing, he wrote, we have quickly solved a seemingly intractable problem and removed a cloud of uncertainty that was hanging over our law firm.The outcry was swift. Lawyers outside the firm ridiculed it. More than 140 Paul Weiss alumni signed a letter assailing the capitulation.Instead of a ringing defense of the values of democracy, we witnessed a craven surrender to, and thus complicity in, what is perhaps the gravest threat to the independence of the legal profession since at least the days of Senator Joseph McCarthy, the letter said.Within days, two other firms, Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, were confronted with executive orders over their affiliation with prosecutors on Robert Muellers special counsel team that investigated Trump during his first term. Both sued Friday. WilmerHale, where Mueller is a retired partner, said the order was an unprecedented assault on the legal system. After hearing arguments, judges blocked enforcement of key portions of both orders.Yet that very day, the White House trumpeted a fresh deal with Skadden Arps in which the firm agreed to provide $100 million of pro bono legal services and to disavow the use of diversity, employment and inclusion considerations in its hiring practices.Trump has expressed satisfaction with his pressure campaign, issuing a directive to sanction lawyers who are seen as bringing frivolous litigation against the government. Universities, he marveled, are bending and saying Sir, thank you very much, we appreciate it. As for law firms, he said, Theyre just saying, Where do I sign? Nobody can believe it.One Ivy League university also acceded to Trumps demandsUptown from Paul Weisss Midtown Manhattan home base, another elite New York institution was facing its own crucible.Trump had taken office against the backdrop of disruptive protests at Columbia University tied to Israels war with Hamas. The turmoil prompted the resignation of its president and made the Ivy League school a target of critics who said an overly permissive campus environment had let antisemitic rhetoric flourish.The Trump administration this month arrested a prominent Palestinian activist and legal permanent resident in his university-owned apartment building and opened an investigation into whether Columbia hid students sought by the U.S. over their involvement in the demonstrations.In a separate action, the administration pulled $400 million from Columbia, canceling grants and contracts because of what the government said was the schools failure to stamp out antisemitism and demanding a series of changes as a condition for restoring the money or for even considering doing so.Two weeks later, the then-interim university president, Katrina Armstrong, announced that she would implement nearly all of the changes sought by the White House. Columbia would bar students from protesting in academic buildings, she said, adopt a new definition of antisemitism and put its Middle East studies department under new supervision.The universitys March 21 rollout of reforms did not challenge the Trump administrations coercive tactics, but nodded to what it said were legitimate concerns raised about antisemitism. The White House has yet to say if it will restore the money. The Columbia resolution was condemned by some faculty members and free speech advocates.Columbias capitulation endangers academic freedom and campus expression nationwide, Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement at the time.Armstrong on Friday night announced her exit from the position and her return to her post atop the schools medical center.Columbia is not Trumps sole target in academia. Also this month, the administration suspended about $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over a transgender swimmer who last competed for the school in 2022.Media companies have also been a targetTrump had not even taken office on Jan. 20 when one legal fight that could have followed him into office abruptly faded.In December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million toward Trumps presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over anchor George Stephanopoulos inaccurate on-air assertion that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll.The following month, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump against the company after it suspended his accounts following the Jan. 6 riot.The agreement followed a visit by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Trumps private Florida club to try to mend fences. Such a trip may have seemed unlikely in Trumps first term, or after the Capitol siege made him, briefly, a pariah within his own party. But its something other technology, business and government officials have done.The administration, meanwhile, has taken action against news organizations whose coverage it disagrees with. The White House last month removed Associated Press reporters and photographers from the small group of journalists who follow the president in the pool and other events after the news agency declined to follow Trumps executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico; a suit by the AP is pending.And the administration has sought to dismantle Voice of America, a U.S. government-funded international news service. On Friday, a federal judge halted plans to fire more than 1,200 journalists, engineers and other staff who were sidelined after Trump ordered a funding cut. ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department. twitter mailto

After anther victory, the only thing between Mikaela Mayer and the undisputed championship is Lauren Price.

The Panthers, Leafs and Lightning are locked in a battle. Plus, updated projections for the playoff bracket.

2025-03-30T12:52:41Z TOKYO (AP) A strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga, prompting an initial tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Pacific island country. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued an alert saying hazardous waves could be possible but later said there was no longer a tsunami threat.Tsunami sirens could be heard after the 1:18 a.m. quake urging residents to move inland, according to the Talanoa o Tonga news site. There were no initial reports of damage. Residents in the Haapai island group had calmly moved to higher ground, the report said. Tonga is a country in Polynesia made up of 171 islands with a population of a little more than 100,000 people, most of whom live on the main island of Tongatapu.It is more than 3,500 kilometers (2,000 miles) off Australias east coast. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Elon Musk attends the finals for the NCAA wrestling championship, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)2025-03-30T12:47:12Z MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsins attorney general on Sunday asked the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court to stop billionaire Elon Musk from handing over $1 million checks to two voters, an appeal that came hours before President Donald Trumps ally planned the giveaway at an evening rally.An appeals court on Saturday rejected the legal challenge by Democrat Josh Kaul, who argues that Musks offer violates a state law prohibiting giving anything of value in exchange for a vote.Wisconsins tightly contested Supreme Court election, where ideological control of the court is at stake, is on Tuesday. Liberals currently hold a 4-3 majority.At Musks rally scheduled in Green Bay at 7:30 p.m. EST, he promised to hand over a pair of $1 million checks to voters who signed an online petition against activist judges. Trump and Musk are backing Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel in the Supreme Court race, while Democrats are behind Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. Trump and groups he supports have spent more than $20 million to help Schimel get elected. Crawfords campaign declined to comment Sunday on the appeal. The justices who are being asked to decide the matter include the liberal incumbent whose retirement this year set up the race for an open seat and control of the court. The contest has shattered national spending records for a judicial election, with more than $81 million in spending. Musks political action committee used a nearly identical tactic before the presidential election last year, offering to pay $1 million a day to voters in Wisconsin and six other battleground states who signed a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments. A judge in Pennsylvania said prosecutors failed to show the effort was an illegal lottery and allowed it to continue through Election Day.The appeals court said Saturday that the attorney general, in a minimally developed legal argument, failed to show that he was entitled to an order blocking Musk. The court also noted that Kaul alleged that the Columbia County Circuit Court had refused to hear his lawsuit, but he provided no details about the courts action. There is no entry for the county courts decision in the states online court database and neither Kauls office nor the state court office has provided any documentation to The Associated Press of the courts actions which came after business hours on Friday night.We are not permitted to be the first court to decide whether the respondents are engaged in the conduct that is alleged, or to decide the legal status of that conduct, the appeals court said.Musk on Friday initially said in a post on his social media platform, X, that he planned to personally hand over $2 million to a pair of voters who have already cast their ballots in the race.Musk later posted a clarification, saying the money would go to people who will be spokesmen for an online petition against activist judges. After first saying the event would only be open to people who had voted in the Supreme Court race, he said attendance would be limited to those who have signed the petition. Also on Friday, Musks political action committee identified the recipient of its first $1 million giveaway a Green Bay man who had donated to the Wisconsin GOP and the conservative candidate in the court race, and who has a history of posting support for Trump and his agenda.The judicial election comes as Wisconsins highest court is expected to rule on abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union power and voting rules that could affect the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election in the state. SCOTT BAUER Bauer is the APs Statehouse reporter covering politics and state government in Madison, Wisconsin. He also writes music reviews. twitter mailto

Venezuelan migrant Yender Romero shows the U.S. Customs and Border Protection One app on his cell phone, at a migrant tent camp in Mexico City, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)2025-03-30T10:00:08Z SAN FRANCISCO (AP) U.S. immigration officials are asking the public and federal agencies to comment on a proposal to collect social media handles from people applying for benefits such as green cards or citizenship, to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump. The March 5 notice raised alarms from immigration and free speech advocates because it appears to expand the governments reach in social media surveillance to people already vetted and in the U.S. legally, such as asylum seekers, green card and citizenship applicants -- and not just those applying to enter the country. That said, social media monitoring by immigration officials has been a practice for over a decade, since at least the second Obama administration and ramping up under Trumps first term. Below are some questions and answers on what the new proposal means and how it might expand social media surveillance. What is the proposal? The Department of Homeland Security issued a 60-day notice asking for public commentary on its plan to comply with Trumps executive order titled Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats. The plan calls for uniform vetting standards and screening people for grounds of inadmissibility to the U.S., as well as identify verification and national security screening. It seeks to collect social media handles and the names of platforms, although not passwords.The policy seeks to require people to share their social media handles when applying for U.S. citizenship, green card, asylum and other immigration benefits. The proposal is open to feedback from the public until May 5. What is changing? The basic requirements that are in place right now is that people who are applying for immigrant and non-immigrant visas have to provide their social media handles, said Rachel Levinson-Waldman, managing director of the Brennan Centers Liberty and National Security Program at New York University. Where I could see this impacting is someone who came into the country before visa-related social media handle collection started, so they wouldnt have provided it before and now theyre being required to. Or maybe they did before, but their social media use has changed. This fairly widely expanded policy to collect them for everyone applying for any kind of immigration benefit, including people who have already been vetted quite extensively, she added. What this points to along with other signals the administration is sending such as detaining people and revoking student visas for participating in campus protests that the government deems antisemitic and sympathetic to the militant Palestinian group Hamas Levinson-Waldman added, is the increased use of social media to make these very high-stakes determinations about people. In a statement, a spokesperson for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service said the agency seeks to strengthen fraud detection, prevent identity theft, and support the enforcement of rigorous screening and vetting measures to the fullest extent possible. These efforts ensure that those seeking immigration benefits to live and work in the United States do not threaten public safety, undermine national security, or promote harmful anti-American ideologies, the statement continued. USCIS estimates that the proposed policy change will affect about 3.6 million people. How are social media accounts used now? The U.S. government began ramping up the use of social media for immigration vetting in 2014 under then-President Barack Obama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. In late 2015, the Department of Homeland Security began both manual and automatic screening of the social media accounts of a limited number of individuals applying to travel to the United States, through various non-public pilot programs, the nonpartisan law and policy institute explains on its website. In May 2017, the U.S. Department of State issued an emergency notice to increase the screening of visa applicants. Brennan, along with other civil and human rights groups, opposed the move, arguing that it is excessively burdensome and vague, is apt to chill speech, is discriminatory against Muslims, and has no security benefit. Two years later, the State Department began collecting social media handles from nearly all foreigners applying for visas to travel to the U.S. about 15 million people a year. How is AI used? Artificial intelligence tools used to comb through potentially millions of social media accounts have evolved over the past decade, although experts caution that such tools have limits and can make mistakes. Leon Rodriguez, who served as the director of USCIS from 2014 to 2017 and now practices as an immigration attorney, said while AI could be used as a first screening tool, he doesnt think were anywhere close to where AI will be able to exercise the judgment of a trained fraud detection and national security officer or that of someone in an intelligence agency.Its also possible that I will miss stuff, he added. Because AI is still very much driven by specific search criteria and its possible that the search criteria wont hit actionable content. What are the concerns? Social media is just a stew, so much different information some of it is reliable, some of it isnt. Some of it can be clearly attributed to somebody, some of it cant. And it can be very hard to interpret, Levinson-Waldman said. So I think as a baseline matter, just using social media to make high-stakes decisions is quite concerning.Then theres the First Amendment.Its by and large established that people in the U.S. have First Amendment rights, she said. This includes people who are not citizens. And obviously, there are complicated ways that that plays out. There is also fairly broad authority for the government to do something like revoking somebodys visa, if youre not a citizen, then theres steps that the government can take but by and large, with very narrow exceptions, that cannot be on the grounds of speech that would be protected (by the First Amendment). BARBARA ORTUTAY Ortutay writes about social media and the internet for The Associated Press. mailto

This June 27, 2012, photo shows actor Richard Chamberlain in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, file)2025-03-30T13:54:17Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series Dr. Kildare who found a second career as an award-winning king of the miniseries, has died. He was 90.Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us, Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, said in a statement. How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul. Love never dies. And our love is under his wings lifting him to his next great adventure.Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966. Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65. Not until 2003 did he acknowledge publicly what Hollywood insiders had long known, that he was gay. He made the revelation in his autobiography, Shattered Love.The actor became known as king of the TV miniseries in 1978 when he landed the starring role in Centennial, an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Micheners sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with Shogun, another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavells period piece about an American visitor to Japan. He scored his greatest miniseries success in 1983 with another long-form drama, The Thorn Birds, based on Colleen McCulloughs best-seller. He played Father Ralph de Bricassart, a Roman Catholic priest in Australia who falls in love with beautiful Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward). The ABC production, which also starred Barbara Stanwyck, reportedly attracted 100 million viewers. Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work in Shogun and The Thorn Birds. Years earlier, he received one for Dr. Kildare. When the public began to lose interest in miniseries, Chamberlain turned to the theater, where he displayed a fine singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady and as Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of The Sound of Music.He reprised his role of de Bricassart in the 1996 TV movie The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years.He also appeared in numerous films, including The Music Lovers (as Tchaikovsky), The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Towering Inferno and The Three Musketeers and its sequels.The Kildare series was based on a string of successful 1930s and 40s films that had starred Lew Ayres in the title role.Chamberlains hunky, All-American appearance made him an overnight star. Another medical show that debuted the same season, Ben Casey, also was a smash and made its leading man, the darkly handsome Vince Edwards, a star, too.The Ben Casey shirt became a fashion item, both shows theme songs made the pop Top 40 (the Kildare song performed by Chamberlain himself) and there was even a pop song called Dr. Kildare! Dr. Casey! You Are Wanted for Consultation. But in his book, Chamberlain recounted how he was forced to hide his sexuality. He would escort glamorous actresses to movie premieres and other public events at the request of studio executives and dodge reporters questions about why he had never married with a stock reply: Getting married would be great, but Im awfully busy now.When I grew up, being gay, being a sissy or anything like that was verboten, he said in an NBC interview. I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely and had to hide it.The book also described a troubled childhood and an alcoholic father, and Chamberlain said that writing it finally lifted a heavy emotional burden. He also expressed relief that he was no longer hiding his sexuality.I played a cat-and-mouse game with the press. Game over, said Chamberlain, who for years was involved with fellow actor Martin Rabbett.Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on March 31, 1934, the actor originally studied at Pomona College to be a painter. But after returning from the Army, where he had served as an infantry clerk in the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to try acting. He studied voice and drama, and after appearing in guest roles in a handful of TV shows and in the 1960 film The Secret of the Purple Reef, he won the Dr. Kildare role.When Dr. Kildare was canceled he initially found it difficult to shake the image of the handsome young physician.He moved to England for a time to find work and hone his acting skills. While there, he appeared in three of director Richard Lesters films, Petulia (1968), The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974). He reunited with Lester in 1989 for The Return of the Musketeers, once more playing Aramis. In 1969, Chamberlain played the title role in Hamlet at Englands Birmingham Repertory Company and repeated it in a TV adaptation that appeared on NBC in the United States. He also appeared as Octavius in a film version of Julius Caesar, which co-starred Charlton Heston and Jason Robards.He continued to act well into the 21st century, appearing on such television shows as Will & Grace, The Drew Carey Show and Touched by an Angel.___Bob Thomas, a longtime Associated Press journalist who died in 2014, was the principal writer of this obituary.

The 49ers are not expected to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk by Tuesday, when he is due a $22.85 million bonus, barring a late deal materializing, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

An autographed Shohei Ohtani card that includes the MLB logo from the pants he wore to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases last season became the first of the Dodgers star to sell for more than $1 million at auction.

Gold medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates, of the United States, pose for a photos during a medal ceremony for ice dancing at the figure skating world championships, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)2025-03-30T13:40:11Z BOSTON (AP) Its hard to imagine a better world championships for the American figure skating team, which captured gold in three of the four disciplines over the weekend for the first time in its history, and will take all of that momentum into an Olympic year.But there is an old rival potentially returning to the mix that wasnt at worlds: the Russians.The country that has dominated Olympic figure skating over the past three-plus decades has been banned from competing in any international events since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Its best skaters have been forced to defect to other countries or, for those unwilling to do so, compete in a series of domestic events far outside of the global spotlight.But late last year, the International Skating Union announced that it had developed a strict procedure whereby a small number of Russian athletes could qualify for the Milano-Cortina Games in February. The plan created at the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee involves Russia nominating a single athlete or pair in each of the disciplines to compete in a qualifying event in Beijing later this year, provided they go through a rigorous background check. The athletes would compete as neutral athletes, much like a small number did at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and only if they have no ties to the Russian or Belarusian military and have not publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine. The ISU has maintained its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine, the organization said in a statement. The plan was greeted by athletes at the world championships this week with a mixture of confusion and disappointment, support and rejection. But most athletes that discussed the situation with The Associated Press said they simply didnt care.They have competed against Russians in every other Olympics. They would be fine with doing it again. Its something weve grown accustomed to being in my four Olympics, and hopefully heading to a fifth, said Evan Bates, who along with his partner, Madison Chock, won their third consecutive ice dance championship on Saturday night.The last couple to accomplish that feat? Russians Oksana Grischuk and Evgeni Platov, who won four in a row from 1994-97.Its something completely out of our control. We can never control who is going to be let in, and what the political ramifications are, Bates continued. Its outside our control, and the more we focus on it, it distracts from where our focus needs to be.This isnt the first time that Chock and Bates have been through some uncertainty when it comes to the Russian team.They were part of the American squad that initially earned a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Games. But when Russian star Kamila Valieva was disqualified for a doping violation after a protracted investigation, the U.S. was elevated to gold, and Chock and Bates finally received their medals alongside their teammates at the Paris Games last summer.Along with its gold medal Saturday night, the U.S. also stood atop the worlds podium with Alysa Liu, who broke a nearly two-decade drought for American women, and in the mens competition with Ilia Malinin, who won a second straight title by more than 30 points to stamp himself as the overwhelming favorite for the Winter Games. Asked whether she thought the Russians should be at worlds, Liu replied simply: I dont know. Do you?Its difficult to predict which Russians will attempt to qualify for Milano-Cortina the ISU received a list of candidates to vet by its Feb. 28 deadline but whoever clears the threshold likely will contend in two events in particular: women and pairs.Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova gave Russia gold and silver for the second consecutive Winter Games in Beijing, and a Russian has stood atop the podium in the womens event for the past three Olympics. And in pairs, Russians have taken gold in five of the past eight Olympics, and its skaters took silver and bronze at the Beijing Games.The U.S. has not had a womens Olympic champion since Sarah Hughes in 2002. It has never won in pairs. Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia would try to ensure the participation of its athletes at the Winter Games, according to Russian news agency Tass. The statement came before the election of Kirsty Coventry as the new IOC president, and with her arrival came new hope for Russia that it could be allowed back into the Olympics.Already, it appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to make inroads, offering the former swimmer his sincere congratulations on her win. Putin said in a statement issued by the Kremlin, The results of the vote convincingly attest to your high authority in the sporting world and the recognition of your outstanding personal achievements.We will defend the interests of our athletes and our Olympic team, said Peskov, when asked recently about Russias potential involvement in the Milano-Cortina Games. Settling this issue will require additional time and effort. That time and effort is for others to expend, though. For skaters, the focus is on preparing themselves for an Olympic year.Our Olympic experiences, theres been Russians at every Olympics so far, and looking to the next, should they be there, that will make the Olympic Games feel like theres no caveat, Bates said. And if we can execute our plan and fulfill the goals we set for ourselves and stand atop the podium, we wont worry about the rest of the field. Well just focus on the skating and the training and the preparation and enjoying what could be our last Olympic experience.___AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports DAVE SKRETTA Skretta is a Kansas City-based sports writer for The Associated Press. He covers the Royals, the Chiefs and college sports along with auto racing, the Olympics and other sports.

Gene Sorensen holds up a transgender flag in front of the Nebraska state Capitol during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally, March 31, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Larry Robinson/Lincoln Journal Star via AP, file)2025-03-30T04:34:36Z On the campaign trail, Donald Trump used contentiousness around transgender peoples access to sports and bathrooms to fire up conservative voters and sway undecideds. And in his first months back in office, Trump has pushed the issue further, erasing mention of transgender people on government websites and passports and trying to remove them from the military.Its a contradiction of numbers that reveals a deep cultural divide: Transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they have become a major piece on the political chess board particularly Trumps.For transgender people and their allies along with several judges who have ruled against Trump in response to legal challenges its a matter of civil rights for a small group. But many Americans believe those rights had grown too expansive.The presidents spotlight is giving Mondays Transgender Day of Visibility a different tenor this year. What he wants is to scare us into being invisible again, said Rachel Crandall Crocker, the executive director of Transgender Michigan who organized the first Day of Visibility 16 years ago. We have to show him we wont go back.So why has this small population found itself with such an outsized role in American politics? The focus on transgender people is part of a long-running campaignTrumps actions reflect a constellation of beliefs that transgender people are dangerous, are men trying to get access to womens spaces or are pushed into gender changes that they will later regret.The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and other major medical groups have said that gender-affirming treatments can be medically necessary and are supported by evidence. Zein Murib, an associate professor of political science and womens, gender and sexuality studies at Fordham University, said there has been a decades-old effort to reinstate Christian nationalist principles as the law of the land that increased its focus on transgender people after a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling recognizing same-sex marriage nationwide. It took a few years, but some of the positions gained traction. One factor: Proponents of the restrictions lean into broader questions of fairness and safety, which draw more public attention.Sports bans and bathroom laws are linked to protecting spaces for women and girls, even as studies have found transgender women are far more likely to be victims of violence. Efforts to bar schools from encouraging gender transition are connected to protecting parental rights. And bans on gender-affirming care rely partly on the idea that people might later regret it, though studies have found that to be rare.Since 2020, about half the states passed laws barring transgender people from sports competitions aligning with their gender and have banned or restricted gender-affirming medical care for minors. At least 14 have adopted laws restricting which bathrooms transgender people can use in certain buildings.In February, Iowa became the first state to remove protections for transgender people from civil rights law.Its not just political gamesmanship. I think that whether or not thats a politically viable strategy is second to the immediate impact that that is going to have on trans people, Fordhams Murib said. Many voters think transgender rights have gone too farMore than half of voters in the 2024 election 55% said support for transgender rights in the United States has gone too far, according to AP VoteCast. About 2 in 10 said the level of support has been about right, and a similar share said support hasnt gone far enough.Nevertheless, AP VoteCast also found voters were split on laws banning gender-affirming medical treatment, such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy, for minors. Just over half were opposed to these laws, while just under half were in favor.Trump voters were overwhelmingly likely to say support for transgender rights has gone too far, while Kamala Harris voters were more divided. About 4 in 10 Harris voters said support for transgender rights has not gone far enough, while 36% said its been about right and about one-quarter said its gone too far. A survey this year from the Pew Research Center found Americans, including Democrats, have become more slightly more supportive of requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams that match their sex at birth and more supportive on bans on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors since 2022. Most Democrats still oppose those kinds of measures, though.Leor Sapir, a fellow at Manhattan Institute, a right-leaning think tank, says Trumps and Republicans positions have given them a political edge. They are putting their opponents, their Democratic opponents, in a very unfavorable position by having to decide between catering to their progressive, activist base or their median voter, he said.Not everyone agrees.People across the political spectrum agree that in fact, the major crises and major problems facing the United States right now is not the existence and civic participation of trans people, said Olivia Hunt, director of federal policy for Advocates for Trans Equality.And in the same election that saw Trump return to the presidency, Delaware voters elected Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress. The full political fallout remains to be seenPaisley Currah, a political science professor at the City University of New York, said conservatives go after transgender people in part because they make up such a small portion of the population.Because its so small, its relatively unknown, said Currah, who is transgender. And then Trump has kind of used trans to signify whats wrong with the left. You know: Its just too crazy. Its too woke.But Democratic politicians also know the population is relatively small, said Seth Masket, director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, who is writing a book about the GOP.A lot of Democrats are not particularly fired up to defend this group, Masket said, citing polling.For Republicans, the overall support of transgender rights is evidence they are out of step with the times. The Democrat Party continues to find themselves on the wrong side of overwhelmingly popular issues, and it proves just how out of touch they are with Americans, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella said.Some of that message may be getting through. In early March, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, launched his new podcast by speaking out against allowing transgender women and girls competing in womens and girls sports.And several other Democratic officials have said the party spends too much effort supporting transgender rights. Others, including U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, have said they oppose transgender athletes in girls and womens sports.Jay Jones, the student government president at Howard University and a transgender woman, said her peers are largely accepting of transgender people.The Trump administration is trying to weaponize people of the trans experience to help give an archenemy or a scapegoat, she said. But I dont think that is going to be as successful as the strategy as he thinks that it will be.___Associated Press polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this article. Jesse Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. GEOFF MULVIHILL Mulvihill covers topics on the agendas of state governments across the country. He has focused on abortion, gender issues and opioid litigation. twitter mailto JESSE BEDAYN Bedayn is a statehouse reporter for The Associated Press based in Denver. He is a Report for America corps member. mailto

The Blue Jays have put Max Scherzer on the 15-day injured list because of inflammation in his right thumb. The move comes one day after he left his debut start with Toronto after three innings because of right lat soreness.

Alex Ovechkin is one of the hottest NHL bets, here are the special markets bettors can bet on as he closes in on the goals scored record.

Erling Haaland was substituted with a left ankle injury in the 60th minute of Manchester City's FA Cup quarterfinal match against Bournemouth on Sunday.

New Mexico has agreed to a five-year deal to make UC San Diego's Eric Olen the school's next head coach, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

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The new torpedo bats drew attention when the Yankees hit a team-record nine homers, with manager Aaron Boone saying their usage is for "just trying to be the best we can be."

Barcelona continue to cruise under manager Hansi Flick and towards the LaLiga title. That and more from around the continent in ESPN's Weekend Review.

Ravens president Sashi Brown said Sunday that the team won't make a determination on kicker Justin Tucker's future with the franchise until the NFL has finished its investigation.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones feels "good" about the direction of talks between the team and All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons.

South Carolina, which trailed by six points in the third quarter, needed yet another comeback to keep its hopes of a repeat alive, rallying in the fourth quarter and holding on to defeat Duke 54-50 on Sunday and advance to its fifth straight Final Four.

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson holds the Midwest Region championship trophy after defeating Tennessee in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)2025-03-30T20:39:03Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness.Get the AP Top 25 mens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Houstons relentless defense confused and harassed Tennessee and carried the Cougars into their seventh Final Four and first since 2021, with L.J. Cryer scoring 17 points in a 69-50 victory on Sunday.Emanuel Sharp scored 14 of his 16 points after halftime for top-seeded Houston (34-4) and was named the regions Most Outstanding Player.Houston extended the nations longest active winning streak to 17 games. The Cougars had been eliminated as a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16 in each of the past two years, but this time coach Kelvin Sampsons team has a shot at the programs first national title.The Cougars will face Cooper Flagg and five-time national champ Duke on Saturday in San Antonio just a 3 1/2-hour drive from campus.The Cougars have reached the national title game twice, losing in 1983 to North Carolina State and in 1984 to Georgetown in the Phi Slama Jama era. Sharp made four 3-pointers and Joseph Tugler, who made the assist on Fridays decisive basket against Purdue, had nine rebounds.Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey scored 17 points apiece for the second-seeded Volunteers (30-8), who again fell short of the programs first Final Four appearance. Coach Rick Barnes team was also eliminated in a regional final last year. Houston won this one with a familiar formula.The nations stingiest defense held the Vols to 15 first-half points, the fewest in an Elite Eight game since 1979. It also was the lowest first-half scoring total by any No. 1 or No. 2 seed in a March Madness game since seeding began in 1979. When the Vols had a chance to cut the deficit to single digits in the second half, the nations top 3-point shooting team made three straight from beyond the arc to extend the margin to 17.How bad was it for the Vols?They made only 6 of 28 shots in the first 20 minutes and missed their first 14 3s before Zakai Ziegler finally ended the drought with 38 seconds left, cutting the deficit to 34-15 far too big a deficit to come back from. Tourney teams that trailed by 19 or more points at halftime are now 0-244 all-time. Even in the second half, Tennessee struggled. The defense that outplayed Kentucky so thoroughly in the previous round couldnt get enough stops and while the offense improved, it wasnt good enough.Tennessees top scorers, Chaz Lanier and Zeigler, were a combined 5 of 27 from the field. Zeigler had five points and five assists.Points at a premiumGeorgetown had the previous lowest-scoring first half in March Madness with 16 points in a second-round victory over SMU in 1984. That Hoyas team went on to win the national title. The paltry first-half total was matched by Miami in a 2013 Sweet 16 loss to Marquette and by Michigan in a 2019 Sweet 16 loss to Texas Tech.___AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-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.

UCLA caught fire from beyond the arc to hold off LSU and advance to the program's first NCAA Final Four.