New York Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo has issued a public apology following controversial statements he made on a podcast, where he dismissed chronic traumatic encephalopathy and asthma as illegitimate medical conditions.
The 24-year-old player took to social media Saturday to address the backlash from his appearance on the “Bring the Juice” podcast.
“I recently did an interview and had a lapse in judgment, which resulted in me making a tasteless joke about CTE and asthma. It was never my intention to downplay the seriousness of head injuries or asthma,” Skattebo posted on X. “I sincerely apologize to anyone that was offended by my remarks, and I assure you that I’ll be more mindful and respectful going forward. Much love !!!”
During the podcast interview, when asked whether he believed CTE was legitimate, Skattebo responded dismissively.
“No, it’s an excuse,” Skattebo said, shaking his head.
The host then questioned whether asthma should also be considered an “excuse.”
“No, that’s a good take,” he said. “Yes, asthma’s fake too.”
Research from Boston University’s CTE Center reveals the severity of the brain condition Skattebo dismissed. In early 2023, the center reported examining brain tissue from 376 former NFL players and finding CTE in 345 cases. The degenerative brain condition results from repeated head trauma and can only be confirmed after death. Notable former players diagnosed with CTE include Pro Football Hall of Famer Junior Seau and ex-New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.
Regarding asthma, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that over 28 million Americans – approximately one in twelve people – live with the respiratory condition.
Skattebo’s mother came to her son’s defense, suggesting his remarks were meant as sarcasm rather than serious commentary.
“If only people knew how many times cam had to ‘run and get mom’s inhaler’ they’d realize the sarcasm…you’ll never make everyone happy and you’ll never say all the right things and people are bound to spin something sooner or later in a direction it was never intended to go,” Becky Skattebo wrote on social media.
The controversy prompted a response from Garrett Webster, who identified himself as the son of legendary Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, offering guidance to the young player.
“Mr Skattebo, my father was Mike Webster, you might not know him but he suffered from CTE,” Webster posted. “I’m glad that you recognize your words were unacceptable. Please understand CTE has destroyed the lives of many former players and their families. Be better in the future. Rooting 4 u”
Mike Webster anchored the center position for four Super Bowl championship Steelers teams and earned Hall of Fame induction in 1997. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 50.
The Giants selected Skattebo in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. During his rookie season, he appeared in eight games with five starts, accumulating 410 rushing yards and five touchdowns, plus 207 receiving yards and two touchdown catches before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.
WASHINGTON — Immigration officers are being deployed to airports across the country under orders from President Donald Trump to address massive security line delays caused by a government funding standoff that has left airport screeners working without paychecks and passengers facing extensive wait times.
The president confirmed Sunday that he was moving forward with his plan to send ICE agents to assist the Transportation Security Administration starting Monday, following through on his weekend ultimatum to Democrats regarding Department of Homeland Security funding.
The partial government shutdown has left hundreds of thousands of DHS employees — including TSA agents, Secret Service personnel, and Coast Guard members — working without compensation after Congress failed to approve agency funding last month. Democratic lawmakers continue to demand significant reforms to federal immigration enforcement practices and show no indication of compromising.
Tom Homan, Trump’s White House border czar overseeing the airport initiative, has been conducting meetings with senators from both parties regarding the shutdown. While describing these discussions as “good conversations,” he acknowledged they were “not at a point yet where we’re in total agreement.”
The Senate held a rare weekend session and was expected to move forward with the confirmation of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as Trump’s next homeland security secretary. Mullin’s confirmation vote could occur as early as Monday evening, as he positions himself as a stabilizing force following the controversial tenure of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
During Sunday television interviews, Homan explained that the specific responsibilities and deployment numbers for Customs and Immigration Enforcement officers at airports would be determined through coordination with TSA and ICE leadership “to find out where we can fit in.”
“A plan by the end of today, where we’re sending — what airports we’re starting with and where we’re sending them. … So it’s a work in progress,” Homan stated. He emphasized that the focus would be “the large airports where there’s a long wait, like three hours.”
One possibility involves having immigration officers take over exit monitoring duties currently handled by TSA personnel, allowing those agents to return to screening operations.
“ICE agents are assigned at many airports across the country already. They do a lot of investigation, criminal investigation on smuggling at airports,” Homan explained, adding that “certainly, a highly trained ICE law enforcement officer can cover an exit and makes sure people don’t go through those exits, entering the airport through the exits. And stuff like that relieves that TSA officer to go to screening and to reduce those lines.”
Homan also suggested ICE agents could handle identification verification before passengers enter screening areas.
“We’re going to be a force multiplier,” he said.
However, Homan acknowledged limitations to the assistance immigration officers could provide. “I don’t see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine, because we’re not trained in that,” he noted.
Trump posted on social media Monday that “ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job” despite the government shutdown, while continuing his criticism of Democratic opposition.
Airport travelers experienced significant delays Sunday as the crisis continued.
At Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, security lines stretched across the entire terminal.
“Everyone just seems to be accepting it for what it is,” said 43-year-old Blake Wilbanks, who arrived 2½ hours before his Salt Lake City departure after learning about the shutdown impacts.
“Hopeful I’m gonna make it,” he commented while standing in the lengthy security queue.
Conditions appeared even more problematic at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, where large crowds of stressed travelers crowded toward security checkpoints while TSA staff used megaphones to prevent pushing among passengers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the unpredictability passengers now face regarding airport wait times.
“Do I have to come an hour and a half early? Do I have to come four hours early? They don’t know until the day of or the afternoon of their flight,” Duffy explained. “So if we can alleviate that, again, the president wants to take away that leverage point for Democrats and make travel easier for the American people.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York criticized the plan, stating “the last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country” following concerns about immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota and other locations.
Homan appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday,” while Duffy was interviewed on ABC’s “This Week” and Jeffries spoke on CNN.
Thousands of Orthodox believers filled the streets of Tbilisi on Sunday, coming together to honor Patriarch Ilia II, the revered religious leader who guided Georgia’s church for nearly five decades through some of the nation’s most challenging periods.
The 93-year-old patriarch, whose birth name was Irakli Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili, passed away Tuesday at a local hospital after serving as the country’s spiritual head for 49 years in the predominantly Orthodox Christian nation.
“He was a friend, he was a father, he was a leader,” mourner Nino Kajaia told reporters. “This is the end of an era.”
People of every generation lined the riverbank in Georgia’s capital, many carrying flowers and lit candles, as they watched the funeral procession travel toward Sioni Cathedral for the patriarch’s final burial. Emotional crowds could be heard crying and applauding as the vehicle carrying his casket passed, with many calling out “I love you, patriarch!”
The country embraced Christianity as its official faith in the fourth century’s early years and maintains strong religious traditions today.
Taking on the role of patriarch in 1977, Ilia II shepherded his flock through the challenges of Soviet control and the violent conflicts that marked the 1990s.
“We lost a man who, over the course of 49 years, managed to unite the nation,” physician Giga Tutberidze reflected.
WASHINGTON, March 22 – America possesses adequate financial resources to support its military operations against Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared Sunday, while confirming the administration’s pursuit of additional congressional funding to maintain future military preparedness.
During an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Bessent also dismissed any possibility of implementing tax increases to finance the military conflict.
The military’s appeal for $200 billion in extra funding for Iranian operations encounters significant congressional resistance, with both Democratic lawmakers and some Republican members challenging the necessity following substantial defense allocations approved last year.
Bessent supported the funding appeal while declining to verify the specific dollar amount.
President Donald Trump has yet to formally submit the request to both chambers of Congress, and his administration has indicated the figure remains subject to modification.
“We have plenty of money to fund this war,” Bessent stated. “This is supplemental. President Trump has built up the military, as he did in his first term, as he is now doing in his second term, and he wants to make sure that the military is well supplied going forward.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated last week that additional funding was necessary “to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future.”
Bessent characterized inquiries about potential tax hikes as “ridiculous” and confirmed such measures were “not at all” being considered.
Initial assessments indicate this conflict may become America’s costliest military engagement since the extended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Administration representatives informed legislators that the initial six days of Iranian operations exceeded $11 billion in expenses.
The Republican-controlled Congress has already authorized unprecedented military funding since Trump’s second term commenced in January 2025. Last month, he enacted the Fiscal 2026 Defense Appropriations Act, providing approximately $840 billion in military funding.
Additionally, last summer, despite Democratic opposition, the Republican-led Congress enacted comprehensive tax reduction and spending legislation that allocated $156 billion for defense purposes.
Bessent also justified the Trump administration’s recent decision to remove sanctions on Iranian and Russian petroleum. This approach, he contended, would enable nations beyond China — including Japan and South Korea — to acquire the oil, while preventing petroleum prices from reaching $150 per barrel and diminishing overall revenues for Iran and Russia.
According to his statement, Treasury analysis indicated that Russia’s maximum additional oil revenue would reach $2 billion.
DAMASCUS, Syria — Hundreds of Syrian citizens gathered in Damascus on Sunday to oppose new government regulations restricting alcohol sales throughout the capital, highlighting growing concerns that the nation’s Islamist leadership may curtail traditional secular liberties.
Demonstrators from various religious backgrounds assembled in a park within Bab Touma, a predominantly Christian district of Damascus, shouting “Syrians are united!” while displaying banners calling on officials to protect individual rights and religious minority communities.
“This is not about whether we want to drink alcohol, this is about personal freedom,” said Isa Qazah, a 45-year-old sculptor from the area who joined the protest along the medieval stone lanes near Damascus’ Old City. “We have come here to defend an idea.”
Armed security personnel encircled the demonstrators, though the gathering concluded peacefully without any confrontations.
The dispute began when Damascus’s governor announced new rules last week prohibiting “the provision of alcoholic beverages of all kinds in restaurants and nightclubs” throughout the city. The order gives establishments three months to eliminate their alcohol offerings, requiring bars and clubs to convert their licenses to cafe permits instead.
Officials claimed the policy was implemented “at the request of the local community,” as interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government faces mounting pressure from conservative factions to enforce stricter religious standards. Al-Sharaa has remained silent on the alcohol controversy.
More than a year has passed since al-Sharaa’s movement removed former President Bashar Assad from power, yet Syria continues recovering from 14 years of civil conflict and five decades of authoritarian rule while working to establish its new direction.
Assad, who belonged to the Alawite religious minority, promoted secular policies to maintain support from other minority groups within the Sunni-majority country. While his family’s regime severely limited civic and political rights, citizens could consume alcohol, visit nightclubs, and choose their clothing freely.
Following his appointment as interim president, al-Sharaa promised to bring the nation together and honor diversity. He has generally avoided implementing social restrictions, though Syria’s numerous religious and ethnic communities remain anxious.
Violence by pro-government Sunni militants has resulted in hundreds of deaths among Alawites and Druze citizens during the past year.
Sunday’s protesters expressed worry that the new alcohol policies could intensify these divisions, particularly since the regulations permit alcohol sales exclusively in three mainly Christian areas.
However, businesses in Bab Touma, al-Qassaa, and Bab Sharqi cannot serve alcohol for on-site consumption, and stores in these districts may only sell sealed bottles for takeaway. Retailers must also maintain distances of at least 75 meters from mosques and schools, and 20 meters from police stations and government buildings.
Some residents argued that targeting Christian neighborhoods unfairly portrays them as responsible for what the decree calls “violations of public morals.” While Islamic law forbids alcohol consumption, Damascus includes many secular Muslims.
“How our are neighborhoods are violating public etiquette? The division this creates is unfair and irresponsible,” said Fawaz Bahauddin Khawja, a Christian lawyer at the rally. “This is the real face of Damascus. The only flag we raise is the Syrian flag.”
Following mounting criticism before the demonstration, Damascus officials released a statement Saturday evening expressing regret to the city’s Christian residents “for any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the decision.” The statement also specified that hotels would be exempt from the alcohol restrictions.
“This decision does not interfere with citizens’ personal freedoms,” the statement read. “The regulation of alcohol sales exists in all countries, with differences in how it’s applied and enforced.”
ISTANBUL — Two structures crumbled to the ground Sunday following a natural gas blast in Istanbul’s Fatih district, prompting an urgent rescue mission.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene after the midday explosion and confirmed that nine individuals were trapped beneath the debris from the collapsed structures.
According to Istanbul Governor Davut Gul, rescue teams have successfully pulled seven people from the wreckage, all of whom have been transported to area medical facilities for treatment. Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT confirmed that an eighth victim has also been extracted and hospitalized. Emergency crews continue their efforts to locate the remaining trapped individual.
TRT’s reporting indicates that all rescued survivors are in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries.
The explosion brought down one two-story structure and another single-story building.
Cuban officials began efforts to restore electricity across the island Sunday following a complete power grid failure that plunged millions into darkness for the third occurrence this March.
By Sunday morning, approximately 72,000 customers in Havana had their power restored, including five medical facilities, according to reports from the state Electric Union and Ministry of Energy and Mines. However, this represents only a small portion of the capital city’s roughly 2 million residents.
Emergency power microsystems were established in Havana and other provinces including western Matanzas and eastern Holguin to supply critical facilities. Some residents in parts of the capital reported to The Associated Press that their electricity returned in the early morning hours.
The Caribbean nation is experiencing an unparalleled energy emergency. While its deteriorating electrical infrastructure has declined significantly in recent years, government officials have also attributed the outages to a U.S. energy embargo. President Donald Trump warned in January about imposing tariffs on nations that sell or supply oil to Cuba. His administration is demanding Cuba free political prisoners and pursue political and economic reforms in exchange for lifting sanctions. Trump has also mentioned the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba.”
Cuba’s oil shortage has been worsened by the U.S. removal of Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro, which stopped crucial petroleum deliveries from the nation that had been a loyal ally to Havana.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel has stated the island has not received oil from international suppliers for three months. Cuba generates only about 40% of the fuel required to operate its economy.
Frequent power outages severely affect residents, whose daily lives are disrupted by shortened work schedules, inability to cook with electricity, and damage to home appliances, along with numerous other problems.
“With the blackout and low voltage, my refrigerator broke — that was today. The day before yesterday, the voltage also dropped around 10 at night,” Suleydi Crespo, a 33-year-old woman with two small children, told AP on Saturday. “If there’s no electricity tomorrow, we won’t be able to get water.”
Citizens also voiced fatigue from the continuous outages, whether complete or partial.
The Cuban Electric Union, which operates under the Ministry of Energy and Mines, stated that the complete disconnection of the national power system resulted from an unexpected shutdown of a generation unit at the Nuevitas thermoelectric facility in Camaguey province, though they did not provide specifics about what caused the malfunction.
The previous nationwide power failure happened on Monday and required several days to fully restore service.
Saturday’s blackout marked the second occurrence in the past week and the third in March.
“We have to get used to continuing our usual routine. What else can we do? We have to try to survive. Get used to events, with or without electricity,” said Dagnay Alarcón, a 35-year-old vendor.
Government officials and Díaz-Canel have recognized the severity of the current energy crisis. Vice Minister of Energy and Mines Argelio Abad Vigo explained this week that the country has gone three months without receiving shipments of diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, aviation fuel or liquefied petroleum gas — all essential for the economy and electricity production.
Vehicle fuel sales are limited, airlines have canceled flights or reduced service, and many businesses have shortened operating hours.
Trump has repeatedly suggested for months that Cuba’s government is close to collapse. Following a previous electrical grid failure, Trump told reporters he believed he would soon have “the honor of taking Cuba.”
Sexual misconduct allegations against the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor remain under active investigation, according to an internal staff memo released Sunday, contradicting weekend media reports suggesting the official had been exonerated.
Karim Khan, the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor responsible for investigating war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity worldwide, has temporarily removed himself from his duties while the court examines accusations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female attorney in his department. Khan maintains his innocence regarding all allegations.
Following a comprehensive year-long inquiry, the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services delivered its confidential findings report last December to the ICC’s governing body, called the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties.
The Middle East Eye published a story Saturday claiming Khan had been vindicated of all charges.
However, Assembly President Paivi Kaukoranta directly contradicted those reports in her staff communication, which Reuters obtained. “The disciplinary process before the Bureau is ongoing and remains confidential. No decisions have been taken, and no weight should be given to recent media speculation,” Kaukoranta stated.
Multiple requests for comment sent Sunday to the court, prosecutor’s office, Assembly leadership, and Khan’s legal representatives went unanswered, likely due to the weekend timing.
The misconduct probe has unfolded alongside unprecedented U.S. sanctions targeting Khan and fellow ICC officials over their investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza, which resulted in arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As the global tribunal of final appeal for international crimes, the ICC represents 125 member nations and faces what many consider an existential challenge due to the sanctions and the absence of its highest-profile leader.
Notable non-members include China, Russia, and the United States, all of which have criticized Khan’s decision to issue arrest warrants for current world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling on international allies to maintain strong economic sanctions against Russia as peace negotiations between Ukrainian and American officials entered their second day on Sunday.
The discussions are taking place in Florida, with the U.S. delegation headed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Russian officials are not participating in these latest negotiations, which were initially planned for Abu Dhabi and were expected to include Russian representatives.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has now stretched into its fourth year since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.
On Sunday, Zelensky emphasized the need for continued international pressure, particularly targeting Russia’s oil revenue streams and what’s known as its “shadow fleet” of vessels used to circumvent Western sanctions.
“Revenues give Russia a sense of impunity and the ability to continue the war. That is why pressure must continue and sanctions must work,” Zelensky posted on X.
He further stated: “Russia’s shadow fleet must not feel safe in European waters or anywhere else. Tankers that serve the war budget can and must be stopped and blocked, not just let go.”
Zelensky’s comments came after France’s Navy intercepted an oil tanker in the Western Mediterranean last week. French President Emmanuel Macron identified the vessel as part of Russia’s shadow fleet, a network of ships Moscow uses to export oil despite international sanctions. This shadow fleet has expanded significantly following Western sanctions designed to limit Russia’s oil revenues, helping Moscow maintain its export operations.
The peace proposal being discussed by U.S. officials reportedly includes provisions for a presidential election in Ukraine along with potential territorial concessions. Zelensky, whose presidential term has already ended, faces increasing pressure from Trump’s administration to conduct elections as Washington works to broker a peace agreement.
While Ukrainian law prohibits elections during wartime, Zelensky has indicated Ukraine would be prepared to hold democratic elections if the United States could guarantee a two-month ceasefire. This would provide time to prepare election infrastructure and establish security measures.
However, Ukraine’s former top military commander, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, who now serves as ambassador to Britain and is viewed as a possible presidential contender, disagrees with the focus on elections.
“What Ukraine needs is not time to prepare for and hold elections, but a peace won through war, which will secure a future for our children,” Zaluzhnyi wrote in an article published Sunday by Ukrainian news outlet NV.
On Saturday, Zelensky had expressed willingness to continue negotiations if they could lead to a meaningful agreement to end the ongoing conflict.
Energy markets are preparing for another volatile week as crude oil costs appear headed for additional increases Monday, according to industry experts speaking Sunday. Petroleum futures had already climbed to nearly four-year peaks by Friday’s market close following escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over critical energy infrastructure.
President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum Saturday, warning he would “obliterate” Iranian power facilities unless Tehran completely reopened the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane within two days. The aggressive stance marked a dramatic shift just one day after Trump discussed “winding down” the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its fourth week.
Iranian officials responded Sunday with their own warnings, threatening to strike American-connected infrastructure throughout the Gulf region, specifically targeting energy production and water desalination plants if Trump follows through on his ultimatum.
Friday’s trading session saw Brent crude futures for May delivery jump 3.26% to close at $112.19 per barrel, marking the highest level reached since July 2022.
Market analyst Tony Sycamore from IG warned that “President Trump’s threat has now placed a 48-hour ticking time bomb of elevated uncertainty over markets.” He predicted oil prices would surge Monday unless the administration reverses course on the ultimatum.
Energy Aspects founder Amrita Sen emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating “It clearly means more escalation which means higher oil prices. Some are incorrectly thinking, however, that Iran may cave.” She added that “Trump is trying to show he can out-escalate and that way ends in scorched earth for Gulf infrastructure.”
The ongoing conflict has already severely disrupted regional energy operations, with Iranian forces targeting petroleum facilities across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in response to attacks on their own infrastructure. The Hormuz closure has eliminated four complete days of worldwide oil supply, representing approximately 440 million barrels lost during the 22-day conflict period.
While Tehran has struck numerous facilities, officials have avoided targeting major desalination operations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE that provide drinking water for millions of residents. According to Atlantic Council analysis, significant damage to these water treatment facilities could render Gulf cities unlivable within weeks, potentially forcing mass population relocations and widespread electrical grid failures.
Last week’s trading showed Brent crude gaining roughly 8.8%, while West Texas Intermediate front-month contracts dropped about 0.4% compared to the previous Friday’s close. The price gap between WTI and Brent reached its widest margin in eleven years during Wednesday’s session.
International Energy Agency director Fatih Birol told the Financial Times Friday that restoring Middle Eastern Gulf supply chains could require up to six months once hostilities cease.
Reports from Axios Friday indicated the Trump administration is exploring options to either occupy or establish a naval blockade around Iran’s Kharg Island facility as leverage to force reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Philadelphia Phillies have locked up their star southpaw pitcher Cristopher Sanchez with a lucrative six-year contract extension, the organization revealed on Sunday.
While the Phillies did not reveal monetary details, The Athletic reported that Sanchez will receive $107 million guaranteed through 2032, with an additional $3.5 million coming in 2026. The contract is structured to begin in 2027 and extends through 2032, with Philadelphia holding an option for the 2033 season.
The 29-year-old hurler is set to take the mound as Philadelphia’s Opening Day starter when they host the Texas Rangers on March 26 to begin the new season.
Sanchez enjoyed a career-best campaign last year, compiling a 13-5 win-loss record alongside a stellar 2.50 earned run average across 32 starts. His outstanding performance earned him runner-up honors in National League Cy Young Award balloting, finishing behind Pittsburgh Pirates sensation Paul Skenes.
The veteran left-hander earned All-Star recognition in 2024 and brings impressive career numbers to his extended tenure with Philadelphia. Over 104 total appearances with the Phillies, including 85 as a starter, Sanchez has compiled a 30-21 record with a 3.24 ERA. His resume also includes three complete games and one shutout performance.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a stark warning Sunday, declaring they will fully block the Strait of Hormuz if President Trump carries out his threats against Iranian energy infrastructure.
The threat comes one day after Trump warned he would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants unless Tehran completely reopens the strategic waterway within 48 hours. This represents a dramatic escalation in tensions, occurring just days after the president spoke about “winding down” the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its fourth week.
In their Sunday declaration, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards went further, stating that any companies with U.S. ownership will be “completely destroyed” should Washington attack Iranian energy sites. The Guards also warned that energy infrastructure in nations hosting American military bases would become “lawful” targets for retaliation.
The Strait of Hormuz serves as a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, making any closure a significant threat to international energy markets.
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies management has secured a major piece of their championship puzzle by finalizing a six-year contract extension with ace pitcher Cristopher Sánchez, the team’s opening day starter.
Sunday’s announcement revealed the new agreement will begin in 2027 and extend through the 2032 season, with an additional club option available for 2033. Financial details of the contract have not been disclosed.
The extension replaces Sánchez’s current four-year, $22.5 million deal that was set to expire in 2028.
Last season proved to be a breakout year for Sánchez, who posted an impressive 13-5 record with a 2.50 earned run average across 32 starts. The left-hander also achieved a personal milestone by recording 212 strikeouts, the highest total of his career. Over his four complete major league seasons, Sánchez holds a 30-21 overall record.
Sánchez’s journey to Philadelphia began when Tampa Bay originally signed him as an amateur free agent in 2013. The Phillies acquired the promising pitcher on November 20, 2019, sending infielder Curtis Mead to the Rays in exchange.
That trade has proven highly beneficial for Philadelphia, as Mead appeared in only 41 games with Chicago last season while Sánchez has developed into one of baseball’s elite pitchers. His contributions were instrumental in helping the Phillies capture back-to-back NL East division championships in 2024 and 2025.
Philadelphia’s front office is committed to extending their playoff success, having reached the postseason in four consecutive years heading into 2026. The organization has invested heavily in securing their veteran pitching staff with long-term commitments.
Earlier this month, the team completed a five-year, $135 million contract with Jesús Luzardo that also begins in 2027. The rotation is further anchored by Zack Wheeler’s $126 million agreement running through 2027 and Aaron Nola’s seven-year, $172 million contract extending through 2030. Young prospect Andrew Painter, who earned the fifth rotation spot, remains under team control through 2031.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – American golfer Bryson DeChambeau secured his second straight LIV Golf championship Sunday, defeating Jon Rahm in a playoff to win the first-ever LIV Golf tournament held in South Africa at Steyn City in Johannesburg.
DeChambeau and Rahm were tied at 26-under-par after four rounds of regulation play. The American clinched his fifth LIV Golf championship by sinking a birdie on the first playoff hole.
Following his victory, DeChambeau became visibly emotional and disclosed he had been dealing with personal difficulties during the tournament week, though he did not provide specific details.
“A lot had happened in my life in the last week, I am so grateful for my team and everybody supporting me,” he said.
“Golf is a fickle game, you work so hard at it your whole life and then you realise golf is just golf,” DeChambeau added.
The team competition was also won by DeChambeau’s group, the Crushers, which features Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri. They edged South Africa’s Southern Guards by one stroke with a total of 76-under-par.
Tournament organizers announced Sunday that the South African event will return in 2027, scheduled for April 22-25.
“South Africa was unbelievable, it has to be the best LIV Golf event we have ever had,” DeChambeau commented.
The four-day tournament in Johannesburg drew an expected crowd of more than 100,000 spectators.
Multiple media sources reported Sunday that Providence University plans to bring in Bryan Hodgson from South Florida to lead their men’s basketball program.
According to reports, the 38-year-old coach will ink a five-year contract with the Friars. Hodgson departs South Florida after completing just one campaign with an impressive 25-9 overall record.
Hodgson steps in to fill the vacancy left by Kim English, who was dismissed on March 13 following three years at the helm of Providence basketball.
The Friars struggled this past season, ending with a disappointing 15-18 overall mark and going 7-13 in Big East Conference play. English’s tenure showed mixed results, with the team posting a 21-14 record in his debut season before dropping to 12-20 in year two.
During his single season with South Florida, Hodgson guided the Bulls to the American Conference championship and their first March Madness berth in over a decade. The Bulls earned an 11th seed in the East Region but fell to sixth-seeded Louisville in Thursday’s opening round.
Before arriving at South Florida, Hodgson spent two years leading Arkansas State, where he compiled a 45-28 overall record. In his final campaign with the Red Wolves, the team went 25-11 and captured the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title before being eliminated by North Texas in the second round of the NIT.
Delaware Department of Transportation crews are currently performing rolling maintenance operations along the right shoulder of northbound Interstate 95 near Exit Ramp 4A.
The shoulder work began earlier today and is expected to wrap up by 1:00 PM this afternoon, according to DelDOT traffic reports.
Motorists traveling north on I-95 in the area should exercise caution and expect potential delays as crews complete their operations. Drivers are advised to move to the left lane when possible to provide a safe work zone for maintenance personnel.
Visual documentation from the Middle East continues to emerge as the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel moves into its fourth week of active hostilities.
The Associated Press photography team has assembled a collection of images capturing current conditions in the region during this ongoing period of military action.
The photo compilation was selected and organized by Associated Press editorial staff to document the situation as it unfolds.
While President Donald Trump remains the primary target for Democrats, several prominent party leaders are shifting their attention toward Vice President JD Vance as they prepare for the 2028 presidential race.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear made this strategy clear during a weekend visit to Butler County, Ohio — Vance’s birthplace — where he delivered sharp criticism of the vice president at a Democratic fundraising event Saturday evening.
Beshear attacked Vance’s well-known autobiography about his difficult childhood, claiming the vice president had turned his back on the very communities he once chronicled.
“His book ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ was really hillbilly hate,” Beshear told the fundraiser audience. “It is poverty tourism, because he ain’t from Appalachia.” The governor also described the memoir as having “trafficked in tired stereotypes.”
Beshear’s pointed remarks signal both his own potential White House ambitions and recognition of Vance’s position as Trump’s likely successor within the Republican movement.
Democratic strategist Lis Smith emphasized the importance of early opposition research against the 41-year-old vice president. “With every day that passes, we get closer to a day when Donald Trump is no longer president. And we need to prepare for that day,” Smith explained. “Right now, JD Vance is a clear front-runner for the 2028 nomination. And so we should begin defining him — not in 2027, not in 2028 — but today.”
Vance’s team dismissed Beshear’s comments through spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk, who responded: “Every time Andy Beshear attacks the vice president to try to get himself publicity, he ends up humiliating himself in the process, but maybe that’s something he’s into?”
California Representative Ro Khanna was among the earliest Democrats to concentrate on Vance, delivering speeches at the City Club of Cleveland and Yale University — where both he and Vance attended law school — that portrayed the vice president as more radical than Trump.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, considered another possible 2028 Democratic candidate, criticized Vance in November while arguing the current administration doesn’t support working Americans. “At least with Donald Trump, he’s transparent about that,” Shapiro stated. “JD Vance is a total phony.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has adopted an especially aggressive approach, creating the social media nickname “JD ‘Just Dance’ Vance” and mocking his physical appearance by saying Vance “grew a beard and lost his spine.”
Smith, who managed Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign and continues working with the former Transportation Secretary, views these attacks as rehearsals for future campaigns. “There’s definitely value in taking on Vance to show Democrats, hey, this could be me on the debate stage against him,” she noted.
Vance grew up in Middletown, located in Butler County, and gained national recognition when “Hillbilly Elegy” was published in 2016. The book established his reputation as someone who could interpret Trump’s appeal among middle America, particularly working-class, rural white voters who helped secure Trump’s initial victory.
This background helped Vance win his 2022 Senate race and eventually the vice presidency. The same narrative will likely form the foundation of any future presidential campaign — making it a prime target for Democratic opposition.
Saturday’s fundraiser audience clearly responded negatively when Vance’s name was mentioned, erupting in boos.
“I don’t think he’s got the magic that everybody looks at with Trump,” said Theresa Vacheresse, a retired physician and business owner who attended the event. “I think when Trump is gone, the Democrats might have a chance. My god, I hope so.”
This early focus on a sitting vice president follows typical political patterns, especially for someone as young as Vance who’s viewed as a future nominee. Republicans similarly targeted Kamala Harris during her time under President Joe Biden to damage her political prospects.
Jamal Simmons, who served as Harris’ communications director in 2022 and 2023, explained the vulnerability of the vice presidential position. “The party is built to defend the president more than it is the vice president,” he observed. “The vice president’s kind of out there on their own, to defend themself, and find friends where they can.”
Republicans, including Vance, regularly connected Harris to challenging Democratic policies like immigration and border security during her tenure.
David Axelrod, former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, described the vice presidency’s challenges: “Being vice president is a very mixed blessing. You often don’t have the assets of the president, but you inherit all of the president’s record. The good, the bad, and the ugly.”
Beshear represents an unusual case as a Democratic governor leading a heavily Republican state, positioning himself as someone capable of reaching voters who have rejected his party.
He argued Democrats can “actually go and win back those voters that JD Vance is so condescending to” by concentrating on fundamental American concerns like affordable healthcare and public safety.
“We’ve gotta start talking to people and not at them,” Beshear said. “That’s how I won counties in eastern Kentucky that normally vote for Republicans by large margins — including Breathitt County. That’s the county JD Vance pretends to be from. Donald Trump won it by 59 points. I won it by 22 points the year earlier.”
The fundraiser attendees responded enthusiastically to Beshear’s presentation.
“I think he’s first-rate,” said Mark Kaplan, a Butler County resident. “What he’s got is compassion, empathy, charisma and intellect, but he’s also down-to-earth.”
Cuban officials launched restoration efforts Sunday morning following the nation’s second complete electrical grid failure within a seven-day period, as ongoing U.S. oil restrictions continue to strain the island’s struggling power infrastructure.
The nationwide blackout began Saturday at 6:32 p.m. local time when a critical power facility in Nuevitas, located in Camaguey province in eastern Cuba, experienced failure and shut down, according to grid operator UNE. This malfunction triggered a domino effect that left approximately 10 million Cuban citizens without electricity.
By early Sunday, Cuba’s energy and mines ministry reported establishing emergency microsystems – compact, isolated electrical circuits – across all provinces to provide power to critical facilities including medical centers, water treatment plants and food distribution networks.
Ministry officials confirmed via social media that two natural gas facilities operated by Energas were operational in Varadero and Boca de Jaruco, while the Santa Cruz oil-burning plant had successfully received electrical service.
As dawn broke Sunday in Havana, residents filled the streets and gathered on stoops, discussing their predicament with neighbors while dealing with insects in the mild morning air beneath clear skies.
“Life doesn’t change. We’re stuck in the same rut,” Havana resident Leoni Alberto stated, explaining he must resort to wood-burning stoves at least twice weekly due to frequent power failures. “It’s absolute madness. There’s no other way around it.”
Mobile phone networks and internet connectivity remained largely unavailable throughout most regions, cutting off communication channels for countless residents.
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero described the restoration process as occurring under “very complex circumstances.”
Cuba’s electrical infrastructure has remained unstable and on the verge of total failure for months, regularly leaving citizens in darkness for multiple hours daily, and sometimes extended periods, even during relatively stable times.
Saturday’s power failure represents the third significant outage this month, following a March 4 incident when a primary thermoelectric generation facility failed, affecting most of the system. The grid also experienced a complete shutdown Monday for undisclosed reasons.
While Cuba has endured multiple total blackouts in recent years, experiencing two complete nationwide outages within one week represents an unusual occurrence.
Following Washington’s January 3 removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented measures blocking oil shipments to the Caribbean nation. Venezuela had previously supplied petroleum to its close partner under advantageous agreements.
Trump has since halted Venezuelan oil exports to Cuba and warned other nations of potential punitive trade measures if they provide petroleum to the island.
Cuban leadership has consistently blamed the U.S. trade embargo for economic problems including its outdated electrical system, while Washington points to Cuba’s Soviet-era centralized economy as the source of these deficiencies.
Russian space officials achieved a significant milestone Sunday when they successfully launched a spacecraft from their newly repaired Baikonur facility in Kazakhstan, marking the first time since last year that the country could access the International Space Station from this critical launch site.
The Soyuz-2.1a rocket, carrying the Progress MS-33 cargo vessel, took flight at 1200 GMT and successfully reached orbit, according to Russia’s space agency. Officials expect the cargo spacecraft to arrive at the International Space Station on March 24.
The Baikonur launch facility had remained unusable since sustaining significant damage in November during the departure of Soyuz MS-28, which carried two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut. Although the crew members reached the space station without injury, the launch caused extensive damage that left Russia unable to transport personnel or supplies to the ISS for several months.
Despite Russia operating additional space facilities within its borders and Baikonur housing multiple launch sites, this particular damaged platform served as the exclusive launch point for Soyuz rockets that transport both crew capsules and Progress supply vehicles to the space station.
VATICAN CITY – During his Sunday address, Pope Leo delivered harsh criticism of the ongoing Middle East conflict, describing the casualties and devastation as shameful to all of humanity while issuing a fresh appeal for immediate peace.
With the U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran now in its fourth week, the pontiff – who holds the distinction of being America’s first pope – expressed that he remains deeply troubled by developments in the Middle East and other conflict zones worldwide.
Speaking to gathered faithful during his traditional weekly Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square, Leo declared: “We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, the defenceless victims of these conflicts. What hurts them hurts the whole of humanity.”
The pope concluded his remarks with an urgent call for continued prayer, stating: “I strongly renew my appeal for us to persevere in prayer, so that hostilities may cease and the way may finally be paved for peace.”
Residents of southern Israeli communities surveyed extensive destruction Sunday morning following an overnight Iranian missile barrage that wounded dozens of people in what officials described as one of the most devastating attacks on Israeli territory since the conflict began.
Dawn revealed the full extent of damage in the desert community of Arad, where one missile struck a residential apartment complex, completely destroying multiple floors and leaving gaping holes in the structure.
According to Uri Shacham, who leads Israel’s emergency medical services, the missile damaged no fewer than eight buildings and created a large crater near the apartment complexes.
Video footage confirmed by Reuters captured flames consuming the upper level of an apartment building immediately following the impact. Emergency crews conducted systematic searches through each floor of the damaged structures.
Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani confirmed that Iran launched both attacks using standard ballistic missiles. When questioned about preliminary results from a military review of the interception failures, he refused to provide details.
NETANYAHU CALLS LACK OF FATALITIES MIRACULOUS
Israeli citizens typically receive mobile phone warnings when Iranian launches are detected. Air raid alerts follow, giving residents several minutes to reach designated safe areas or community shelters.
“It is a miracle that no-one was killed,” Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, standing in the crater at the impact site in Arad.
While gesturing toward the destroyed apartment walls and then pointing to an intact reinforced wall leading to an underground shelter, Netanyahu cautioned Israelis against becoming overconfident. He emphasized that injuries could have been prevented if everyone had reached safety promptly.
Medical facilities in Arad treated 31 individuals, including 18 minors, with at least 9 patients in critical condition. Additional dozens sustained minor injuries.
Israeli officials accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilian areas. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed their strikes focused on military and security installations as payback for Israeli attacks on Iranian facilities.
Both Arad and Dimona, the second targeted city, sit near Israel’s classified nuclear facility and multiple military installations, including the major Nevatim Air Base.
Hospital officials in Dimona reported treating 5 patients, including a 12-year-old boy in critical condition.
Following joint American-Israeli operations against Iran on February 28, Israel has faced continuous missile attacks from Iranian forces. The ongoing violence has claimed at least 20 civilian lives across Israel and Palestinian areas, including one Israeli fatality from a Sunday attack by Iran-supported Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
Emergency responders hospitalized at least 15 additional people Sunday during renewed Iranian strikes, including casualties from cluster munitions that hit Tel Aviv.
Iranian government sources report that Israeli and American military actions have resulted in at least 1,300 Iranian deaths. HRANA, an American human rights monitoring organization, has documented 3,320 fatalities, including 1,406 civilians and 1,167 military personnel, with remaining cases still under review. Reuters was unable to independently confirm these casualty figures.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will be deployed to airports nationwide beginning Monday to support Transportation Security Administration workers.
In a Truth Social message posted Sunday, Trump stated: “On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job.”
The announcement comes after Trump issued an ultimatum to congressional Democrats on Saturday, warning he would send ICE personnel to airports on Monday unless lawmakers immediately approved funding for airport security measures.
Motorists traveling on northbound Interstate 95 should expect potential delays near Exit 4A as Delaware Department of Transportation crews perform rolling operations along the right shoulder.
The highway maintenance work began earlier today and is expected to wrap up by 1:00 PM this afternoon, according to DelDOT’s traffic incident reporting system.
Drivers are advised to use caution when approaching the work zone and consider alternate routes if possible to avoid potential slowdowns in the area.
Nearly twenty years have passed since labor rights pioneer Dolores Huerta stood alongside Mónica Ramírez at a Chicago gathering to support the Bandana Project, Ramírez’s initiative designed to spotlight sexual violence targeting female agricultural workers.
During that event, Huerta emphasized the importance of teaching women farmworkers about their legal protections and encouraging them to report sexual exploitation – a problem that remains both rampant and underreported in agricultural communities. Attendees had no idea that Huerta herself had experienced sexual abuse from César Chavez, the legendary figure who established what is now called the United Farm Workers alongside Huerta in 1962.
The accusations against Chavez from Huerta and additional women and girls demonstrate that the atmosphere of fear and control that allows sexual abuse to flourish in farm fields had also permeated the highest levels of the male-dominated labor organization that championed farmworker protections.
However, advocates such as Ramírez believe that Huerta’s decision to come forward – along with other women who first shared their stories with the New York Times – demonstrates significant progress since Chavez’s era. During the thirty years following Chavez’s death in 1993, grassroots organizations headed by female farmworkers have expanded, demanding federal and state probes into agricultural sexual abuse and legislation requiring sexual harassment education, while also securing promises from growers and food purchasers to implement women-focused policies.
For Ramírez, the alleged abuse by Chavez represents a betrayal since she and fellow advocates respected him and viewed him as the inspiration behind the movement that energized their own advocacy work. However, his damaged reputation cannot diminish the progress that women farmworkers and their supporters have achieved independently.
“It feels a little bit bewildering because so many of us have grown up looking up to César Chavez,” said Ramírez, founder and president of the advocacy group Justice for Migrant Women whose own parents were migrant farmworkers in Ohio. “But we have to remind each other that this is a long-standing movement that is made of many, many people, including women leaders.”
Approximately 25% of the nation’s more than one million hired agricultural workers are women, based on government data, though population estimates for farm workers differ. Determining the extent of sexual harassment and abuse proves challenging since incidents frequently go unreported, but field research by Human Rights Watch, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the University of California-Santa Cruz found that roughly 80% or more of female crop workers experienced some type of sexual harassment.
A turning point in raising awareness occurred in 1999 when the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal body responsible for enforcing workplace anti-discrimination laws, secured a $1.85 million settlement against a major U.S. lettuce producer on behalf of a California worker who faced sexual advances from supervisors and termination after filing complaints.
This case resulted from years of outreach by EEOC investigator Bill Tamayo to farmworker labor organizations, including Líderes Campesinas, a women-directed group that had been organizing for years. Women described sexual abuse so common that they frequently referenced “fields of panties” due to what they endured to obtain and maintain employment.
Tamayo, who shared his experiences in the 2013 PBS documentary “Rape in the Fields” that helped spotlight the problem, explained that Líderes Campesinas and other community groups became the EEOC’s “eyes and ears” in efforts to inform workers about their rights and submit complaints. Subsequently, the EEOC has obtained millions more in compensation for farmworkers who reported sexual harassment or abuse.
Líderes Campesinas, which emerged from a Coachella Valley organization that previously advocated for naming a local elementary school after Chavez, stated its members are “heartbroken” for abuse survivors but emphasized that “the pursuit of social justice never was, nor ever will be attributed to one individual.”
Determining how much sexual violence against female farmworkers has decreased due to government enforcement and expanding outreach and educational initiatives remains difficult. Fear, field isolation, language obstacles, and immigration status continue making farmworkers especially susceptible to exploitation. More than 40% of agricultural workers lacked work authorization between 2020 and 2022, according to government estimates, and many hold H2-A visas connected to their jobs, heightening their fear of dismissal and deportation if they speak up.
Darlene Tenes, executive director of Farmworker Caravan, a California advocacy organization, reported that during meetings, most women still describe being sexual abuse victims, and that the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement forced them to cancel education conferences and attempt direct community visits to quietly provide resources.
Nevertheless, in areas where the strongest legal protections and support programs exist, female farmworkers report improvements have begun.
Nelly Rodriguez described sexual abuse as “bread and butter” during her field work decades ago, but she didn’t fully comprehend her rights until joining the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which operates the Fair Food Program, a partnership with major produce purchasers including Walmart and McDonald’s that commit to sourcing food from growers who enter legally binding agreements to follow a conduct code.
This conduct code includes sexual harassment training and systems for investigating complaints and holding perpetrators responsible. It also mandates installing portable restrooms near fields – a significant change for women who were often forced to accept rides from managers to distant bathrooms and assaulted during transit, Rodriguez explained.
For many female advocates, the most significant change has been breaking the silence in farmworker communities about discussing sexual abuse.
Maria Ines Catalan, who worked packing broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce in Monterey, California from 1988 to 1994, described it as a period of substantial improvements for farmworkers who gained regulatory guarantees including water and bathroom breaks. However, nothing addressed the sexual abuse Catalan said was routine and that she personally experienced, recalling how foremen in packing facilities would pass by women in confined spaces, touch them and claim it was accidental.
“You had to stay quiet,” she said.
That has changed.
“That is precisely what nonprofit organizations are currently doing: providing information, making farmworkers aware of their rights, and offering referrals — letting them know that they can now speak out,” Catalan said.
In her statement revealing that Chavez raped her in the 1960s, Huerta, now 96 years old, explained she maintained her secret for so long because she feared that “exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement” but today, she recognizes that she is a “survivor — of violence, of sexual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.”
Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University, said the accusations against Chavez remind us that the labor movement “is not immune” to power abuses and for her, it was particularly painful that Huerta “had to keep that secret for that long so that she could keep her respectability within the movement.”
“You cannot expect the victim to be the one that holds the person accountable, because it takes a lot of personal courage,” Campos-Medina said. “I can imagine when she was trying to co-create this union with him, how much it would have cost her to speak up.”
When Ramírez began her legal advocacy work in Florida in 2003, she said both men and women in the movement dismissed sexual abuse allegations as “gossip” or argued that with limited resources, they needed to focus on larger issues affecting most workers.
However, by the time the #MeToo movement emerged globally in 2017, farmworker women had been speaking out for years, though with much less attention. Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, a national organization that Ramírez co-led then, wrote an open solidarity letter with Hollywood women that became viral and further brought farmworker women’s struggles into national focus.
The “Dear Sisters” letter, as it’s called, and the ongoing efforts by women-led farmworker groups, were key factors behind the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, which provides legal assistance to low-income women who are sexual harassment and abuse victims, said Jennifer Mondino, the fund’s director, operated by the National Women’s Law Center.
Mily Treviño-Sauceda, a former farmworker and executive director of the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, expressed anger upon hearing the allegations against Chavez. It reminded her of her own sexual harassment experiences and the numerous stories she’s heard from other women during three decades working on this issue and the backlash she and other advocates have faced.
“We’ve been accused of so many different things and that has not stopped us,” she said.
Ramírez believes the #MeToo movement helped provide victims, including Huerta, with the vocabulary to discuss abuse.
“Do I think it’s still a widespread problem? Yes. Do I think that there are many survivors who do not feel like they can come forward? Yes,” she said. “But farmworker women have exerted their power and shown their leadership on this issue, and I don’t want that to get lost.”
Nearly twenty years have passed since renowned labor advocate Dolores Huerta appeared alongside Mónica Ramírez at a Chicago gathering to support the Bandana Project, Ramírez’s initiative designed to spotlight sexual violence targeting female agricultural workers.
During that event, Huerta discussed the importance of teaching women farmworkers about their legal protections and encouraging them to report sexual misconduct that remains both common and underreported in agricultural settings. At that time, no one realized that Huerta herself had experienced sexual abuse from César Chávez, the legendary figure who established what became the United Farm Workers alongside Huerta in 1962.
The accusations against Chávez from Huerta and additional women and girls reveal that the atmosphere of fear and control that allows sexual misconduct to flourish in farm fields had also existed for years within the highest levels of the male-controlled labor movement dedicated to farmworker advocacy.
However, activists such as Ramírez believe that the choice by Huerta and others to come forward publicly — initially sharing their stories with the New York Times — demonstrates significant progress since Chávez’s era. During the thirty years following Chávez’s death in 1993, the network of community-based organizations headed by female farmworkers has expanded, demanding federal and state probes into agricultural sexual abuse and legislation requiring harassment prevention training, while also obtaining promises from growers and food purchasers to implement women-focused policies and other improvements.
For Ramírez, Chávez’s alleged misconduct represents a betrayal since she and fellow advocates respected him and viewed him as the inspiration behind the movement that sparked their own activism. However, his damaged reputation cannot diminish the progress that women farmworkers and advocates have achieved independently.
“It feels a little bit bewildering because so many of us have grown up looking up to César Chavez,” said Ramírez, founder and president of the advocacy group Justice for Migrant Women whose own parents were migrant farmworkers in Ohio. “But we have to remind each other that this is a long-standing movement that is made of many, many people, including women leaders.”
Women represent approximately 25% of the nation’s more than one million hired agricultural workers, based on federal data, though estimates regarding the farm labor population differ. The extent of sexual harassment and abuse remains difficult to measure since incidents frequently go unreported, but field research conducted by organizations including Human Rights Watch, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the University of California-Santa Cruz found that roughly 80% or more of female crop workers experienced some type of sexual harassment.
A pivotal moment in raising awareness occurred in 1999 when the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal body responsible for enforcing workplace anti-discrimination laws, obtained a $1.85 million settlement from a major American lettuce producer on behalf of a California employee who faced sexual advances from supervisors and termination after filing complaints.
Following that case, the EEOC has obtained additional millions in compensation for farmworkers reporting sexual harassment or abuse.
Determining whether sexual violence against female farmworkers has decreased due to government enforcement and expanding outreach and education programs remains challenging. Fear, field isolation, language obstacles, and immigration circumstances continue making farmworkers especially susceptible to exploitation. Over 40% of agricultural employees lacked work authorization from 2020 to 2022, according to federal estimates, and many hold H2-A visas connected to their jobs, heightening their concerns about job loss and deportation if they report abuse.
Darlene Tenes, executive director of Farmworker Caravan, a California advocacy organization, reported that during gatherings, most women continue reporting sexual abuse victimization, and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement forced them to cancel education conferences and attempt direct community visits to quietly distribute resources.
Nevertheless, in areas with the strongest legal safeguards and protection programs, female farmworkers report gradual improvements.
Nelly Rodriguez described sexual abuse as “bread and butter” during her field work decades earlier, but she didn’t completely comprehend her rights until joining the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which operates the Fair Food Program, a collaboration with major food purchasers including Walmart and McDonald’s that commit to sourcing from growers who sign legally binding agreements to follow conduct standards. These include sexual harassment training and complaint investigation systems with perpetrator accountability measures.
For numerous female advocates, the most significant change has been eliminating the stigma within farmworker communities surrounding discussions of sexual abuse.
In her statement revealing that Chávez assaulted her during the 1960s, Huerta, now 96, explained she maintained her silence for decades because she worried that “exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement” but now recognizes herself as a “survivor — of violence, of sexual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.”
Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University, noted the Chávez allegations remind us that the labor movement “is not immune” to power abuse, and found it particularly troubling that Huerta “had to keep that secret for that long so that she could keep her respectability within the movement.”
“You cannot expect the victim to be the one that holds the person accountable, because it takes a lot of personal courage,” Campos-Medina said. “I can imagine when she was trying to co-create this union with him, how much it would have cost her to speak up.”
When Ramírez began her legal advocacy career in Florida during 2003, she reported that both male and female movement participants dismissed sexual abuse claims as “gossip” or argued that limited resources required focusing on larger issues affecting most workers.
By the time the #MeToo movement emerged worldwide in 2017, farmworker women had been speaking publicly for years, though with significantly less attention. Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, a national organization Ramírez co-directed then, published an open solidarity letter to Hollywood women that became viral and further highlighted farmworker women’s struggles nationally.
The “Dear Sisters” letter, combined with ongoing efforts by women-led farmworker organizations, significantly influenced the creation of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, which offers legal assistance to low-income women experiencing sexual harassment and abuse, according to Jennifer Mondino, the fund’s director at the National Women’s Law Center.
Ramírez believes the #MeToo movement provided victims, including Huerta, with vocabulary to discuss abuse experiences.
“Do I think it’s still a widespread problem? Yes. Do I think that there are many survivors who do not feel like they can come forward? Yes,” she said. “But farmworker women have exerted their power and shown their leadership on this issue, and I don’t want that to get lost.”
JUNEAU, Alaska — In the remote Alaska Native community of Beaver, approximately 50 residents depend on aircraft to deliver everything from groceries to mail, with flights operating only on weekdays to connect them to the nearest city 40 minutes away.
Aviation serves as a lifeline throughout America’s largest state, where most settlements depend on air transportation for year-round connectivity. Aircraft also serve an essential function during elections, transporting voting materials and completed ballots to and from isolated polling locations like Beaver, while delivering mail-in ballots for thousands of Alaskans—including those in areas where polling places don’t exist.
The enormous distances and remote nature of numerous Alaskan communities create unique circumstances, which is why residents are closely watching Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court arguments with considerable concern.
Local officials fear that a Mississippi lawsuit questioning whether ballots arriving after Election Day should count in federal races might eliminate Alaska’s current policy of accepting delayed ballots. The state currently tallies ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive within 10 days, extending to 15 days for overseas military voters during general elections.
“These processes have been in place for a long time just to ensure that our ballots are counted,” said Rhonda Pitka, a poll worker and first chief in Beaver, which sits along the Yukon River 110 miles (177 kilometers) north of Fairbanks.
Should the court mandate that all states receive ballots by Election Day, she explained, “They’ll be disenfranchising thousands of people — thousands of people in these rural communities. It’s just basically saying that their votes don’t count, and that’s a real shame.”
According to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Voting Rights Lab, Alaska joins 13 other states in permitting all mailed ballots with Election Day postmarks to be counted when they arrive days or weeks afterward. Another 15 states offer similar extensions exclusively for military and overseas ballots.
However, Alaska’s terrain, climate conditions, and vast spaces between settlements—the state covers more than double the area of Texas, the country’s second-largest state—create higher stakes for voters. The state’s distinctive vote-counting method also makes the grace period crucial, according to advocates.
Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system for general elections requires workers in remote rural precincts to phone in voters’ initial preferences to regional election headquarters. Nevertheless, all physical ballots must eventually be transported by air to the state Division of Elections in Juneau, the capital, where races without clear winners undergo final tabulation.
Despite Alaska’s existing 10-day extension, some village ballots in 2022 went uncounted due to postal delays. These ballots reached Juneau too late for tabulation, arriving 15 days post-Election Day.
Should the Supreme Court determine that ballots arriving at election offices after Election Day cannot be counted, numerous Alaska voters could lose their voice. Approximately 50,000 Alaskans cast mail-in ballots during the 2024 presidential race.
“I think there’s probably no other state where this ruling could have a more detrimental impact than ours,” Alaska’s senior U.S. senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski said in an interview.
Murkowski interprets the case—a Republican National Committee challenge to Mississippi’s late-ballot acceptance policy—as an attempt to eliminate mail-in voting across the nation.
The RNC contends that such extensions illegally prolong federal elections, while Mississippi counters that no voting happens after Election Day—only the transport and counting of ballots already completed.
The Supreme Court hearing coincides with Senate debate over President Donald Trump-backed legislation requiring citizenship proof for voter registration and photo identification for ballot casting.
Combined, Murkowski believes these initiatives could discourage voter participation.
“I think we’re seeing a level of voter intimidation, I’ll just say it,” she said. “I feel very, very strongly that the effort that we should be making at the federal level is to do all that we can to make our elections accessible, fair and transparent for every lawful voter out there.”
Alaska’s remaining congressional representatives, Rep. Nick Begich and Sen. Dan Sullivan, both Trump-supporting Republicans seeking reelection, back the SAVE America Act currently before the Senate. However, they also emphasized ensuring that ballots properly submitted on or before Election Day receive counting.
“We’ll see what the courts choose to do on that issue, but I do think that we need to allow for time for ballots to come in from the rural parts of our state,” Begich said during a recent visit to Juneau.
A court document filed in the Mississippi case by Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox and Solicitor General Jenna Lorence remained neutral but detailed geographic and logistical obstacles to conducting Alaska elections.
In Atqasuk, located on Alaska’s North Slope, poll workers tallied votes on election night in 2024, results they typically would report by telephone to election division officials. However, the filing noted they couldn’t establish contact and “chose what they saw as the next best solution — they placed the ballots and tally sheets into a secure package and mailed them to the Division, who did not receive them until nine days later.”
The document requests Supreme Court clarification, especially regarding the definition of ballots being received by Election Day.
While ballot casting timing is clear, “when certain ballots are actually ‘received’ is open to different interpretations, especially given the connectivity challenges for Alaska’s far-flung boroughs,” Cox and Lorence wrote.
Attorneys from the Native American Rights Fund and Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center argued in court filings that restricted postal service in rural regions means some ballots might not receive postmarks until reaching Anchorage or Juneau, a process requiring several days.
During the 2022 general election, between 55% and 78% of absentee ballots from state House districts stretching from the Aleutian Islands along the western coast to the expansive North Slope reached election offices after Election Day, they documented. Across the entire state, roughly 20% of all absentee ballots in that election arrived post-Election Day.
Mandating Election Day ballot receipt, they cautioned, would “disproportionately disenfranchise” Alaska Native voters. The attorneys represent the National Congress of American Indians, Native Vote Washington and the Alaska Federation of Natives.
Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out the Native Vote, a nonpartisan voting rights advocacy organization affiliated with the Alaska Federation of Natives, expresses concern about generating voter confusion and anxiety.
She views the Supreme Court case and the Republican SAVE Act as “a multipronged attempt to take control or wrest control of elections away from states.” Alaska, she noted, already presents sufficient natural obstacles for many voters.
“There is a minute record of election fraud — not at the rate that requires this heavy-handed response through the legislature and the Supreme Court,” she said.
ATLANTA – Victoria Novinskiy from the University of Delaware’s women’s swimming and diving team concluded an exceptional season by earning a spot at the 2026 NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
The Blue Hens athlete’s qualification for the national championship meet represents the culmination of what has been described as a remarkable season for Novinskiy and the Delaware swimming program.
Motorists will need to find alternate routes as a major portion of Allendale Road has been completely closed to traffic due to ongoing construction activities.
The Delaware Department of Transportation has shut down both directions of Allendale Road between Alders Drive and Parkside Drive. The extensive closure is expected to remain in place until March 26, 2026.
Drivers who regularly use this route should plan for significant delays and seek alternative paths for their daily commutes. The two-year timeline suggests major infrastructure improvements are planned for this section of roadway.
DelDOT has not yet released specific details about the nature of the construction project or recommended detour routes for affected travelers.
BEIJING, March 22 – China’s top leadership announced Sunday it will work to create more equitable international trade relationships and welcome greater foreign business participation following a year of escalating trade disputes with the United States and European Union.
Speaking at the China Development Forum in Beijing, Premier Li Qiang committed to increasing purchases of quality international products while collaborating with worldwide partners to enhance balanced trade growth and expand global commerce opportunities, state media reported.
The two-day conference, wrapping up Monday, serves as Beijing’s platform to present economic strategies and investment prospects to international business executives, government officials, economists and scholars.
Li’s remarks follow China’s announcement of an unprecedented $1.2 trillion trade surplus for 2025, marking the world’s second-largest economy’s record performance.
Beijing faces mounting pressure to address growing international concerns about Chinese trade policies and industrial overcapacity, along with global dependencies on critical Chinese exports.
Though Li avoided directly addressing the massive surplus in his remarks, his commitments suggest recognition that the trade imbalance could strain diplomatic relationships during China’s current trade ceasefire with America.
President Donald Trump recently delayed his planned Beijing visit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping due to the Iran conflict, postponing efforts to reduce tensions between the world’s largest economies.
Central bank chief Pan Gongsheng also addressed trade surplus concerns during a separate forum presentation.
“Analysing global economic imbalances requires looking not only at trade in goods but also services, and not only at the current account but also the financial account,” Pan stated in remarks published by the People’s Bank of China, noting China maintains the world’s biggest goods surplus alongside its largest services deficit.
Pan emphasized that China has no plans or desire to achieve trade advantages through currency devaluation.
The nation is attempting to reverse declining foreign investment, which dropped 5.7% annually to approximately 92 billion yuan ($13.36 billion) in January, following 2025’s 9.5% yearly decrease.
Last December, China expanded foreign investment incentives to 200 additional sectors, offering tax reductions and favorable land agreements focused on cutting-edge manufacturing, contemporary services, and environmental technology industries.
Li promised equal treatment for international and domestic companies, enabling businesses from all nations to operate confidently and achieve their objectives in China.
Commerce Minister Wang Wentao separately assured U.S. pharmaceutical industry representatives and executives from five major international drug manufacturers that China would enhance intellectual property safeguards and increase policy clarity.
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered a keynote address stating the company would maintain partnerships with Chinese suppliers to advance industry development, according to state media coverage.
High-ranking officials from Samsung Electronics, Volkswagen, Broadcom Inc, Siemens, BASF and Novartis participated in the forum.
Major financial institutions including HSBC Holdings, UBS Group and Standard Chartered also sent delegation members.
Delaware Department of Transportation officials have temporarily shut down a section of Airport Road due to standing water that has made the route impassable for vehicles.
The closure affects the stretch of roadway between Exit 5A and Meadow Road, with floodwaters blocking traffic flow in both directions. Motorists are being advised to seek alternate routes while crews assess the situation.
DelDOT has not yet provided an estimated timeline for when the roadway might reopen to traffic. Drivers should expect delays and plan accordingly when traveling in the area.
Seasonal allergies bring misery to millions of Americans each year as pollen from trees, grasses and weeds triggers uncomfortable symptoms including runny noses, watery eyes, persistent coughing and frequent sneezing.
The severity of allergic reactions depends on several factors including geographic location, specific allergens that affect you, and daily habits. Medical professionals note that climate change has extended allergy seasons and increased their intensity, though they also emphasize that treatment options have improved significantly in recent years.
Medical experts offer practical advice for managing allergy symptoms that may even allow sufferers to spend time outdoors comfortably.
Each year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America creates a list ranking the most difficult cities for allergy sufferers. Their assessment considers over-the-counter medication usage, pollen levels, and availability of allergy specialists.
The 2024 rankings place these five cities at the top: Boise, Idaho; San Diego; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Provo, Utah; and Rochester, New York.
Pollen consists of fine particles released by plants and trees during reproduction. Tree pollen dominates early spring, followed by grass pollination, then weed pollen in late summer and early autumn.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, problematic tree pollens include birch, cedar, cottonwood, maple, elm, oak and walnut varieties. Troublesome grasses encompass Bermuda, Johnson, rye and Kentucky bluegrass.
Monitoring pollen levels helps determine optimal times for outdoor activities. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology maintains tracking through counting stations nationwide, with data accessible on their website and through email alerts.
Prevention through reduced exposure remains the primary defense against allergies. Keep vehicle and home windows sealed, even during pleasant weather.
Dr. James Baker, a University of Michigan allergist, recommends wearing long sleeves outdoors to prevent pollen contact with skin and reduce allergic responses. “It also provides some sun protection,” he added.
Upon returning indoors, change clothing immediately and shower daily to eliminate all pollen, including from hair. For those unable to wash hair daily, covering it with hats or scarves when outside helps. Avoid bringing outdoor clothing into bed, as pollen will transfer.
Medical experts suggest rinsing eyes and nasal passages with saline solution to remove pollen particles. Face masks used during the pandemic can also provide allergy protection, though they won’t address eye-related symptoms.
Nasal sprays available without prescription rank among the most effective seasonal allergy treatments, according to specialists.
However, improper usage often causes nasal irritation, explains Dr. Kathleen May, an allergist at Augusta University in Georgia. She recommends directing the spray nozzle toward your ear rather than straight up the nostril.
Oral antihistamines including Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec provide benefits but may work more slowly since they’re ingested rather than applied directly, experts note.
When allergy symptoms significantly impact daily life by disrupting sleep or affecting work or school performance, consulting an allergist becomes advisable. Specialized medications can retrain the immune system to reduce overreactions to allergens.
Certain allergy remedies promoted on social media or by celebrities, such as consuming local honey to build pollen tolerance, lack scientific support.
Dr. Shyam Joshi from Oregon Health and Science University explains this occurs “because the flowers that bees pollinate typically don’t contain the airborne pollen that causes allergy symptoms.”
Climate change contributes to milder winters and extended growing periods, creating more opportunities for airborne pollen and resulting in prolonged, more severe allergy seasons.
The previous year marked one of the most intense allergy seasons recorded, especially throughout the southeastern United States.
WASHINGTON — What was anticipated to be a strong economic start to the year, boosted by significantly increased tax refunds from former President Donald Trump’s tax reform measures, is now being undermined by rising fuel costs that threaten to consume those additional dollars.
During a December evening address aimed at calming voter anxiety over economic conditions and persistent high costs, Trump declared, “Next spring is projected to be the largest tax refund season of all time.”
However, this prediction came before the Iran conflict erupted on February 28. Since then, petroleum and gasoline costs have skyrocketed, with Sunday’s national gas price average hitting $3.94 — more than a dollar higher than just four weeks prior.
Fuel prices are expected to stay high even after any conflict resolution, as supply chains and production facilities require time to restore normal operations. Economic forecasters now anticipate reduced growth this spring and throughout the year, since money allocated for gasoline won’t be available for dining, clothing purchases, or recreational activities.
Families with lower and moderate incomes face the greatest burden, receiving smaller refunds while dedicating larger portions of their income to fuel expenses.
Alex Jacquez, policy chief at the progressive Groundwork Collaborative and former Biden administration economist, explained, “The energy shock is to going to hit those who have the least cushion. And it doesn’t look like those tax refunds are going to be here to save them.”
Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research director Neale Mahoney projects gas prices could reach $4.36 per gallon in May, based on Goldman Sachs oil forecasts, then gradually decrease through year’s end. This pattern of rapid increases followed by slow declines is known among economists as the “rocket and feathers” phenomenon.
Under this projection, typical households would spend an additional $740 on gasoline annually, nearly matching the $748 refund increase the Tax Foundation estimates average households will receive.
Current IRS data through March 6 shows more modest refund growth: averaging $3,676, representing a $352 increase from the previous year’s $3,324. However, refund amounts may grow as more complicated tax returns are processed.
Similar projections come from other sources. Oxford Economics consultants estimate that $3.70 average annual gas prices would cost consumers approximately $70 billion — exceeding the $60 billion in additional tax refunds.
This fuel price surge affects consumers already facing financial strain, unlike 2022 when gas prices also spiked due to Russia’s Ukraine invasion. During that period, many families maintained healthy savings from pandemic relief programs while companies actively recruited workers with substantial pay increases.
Currently, job growth has nearly stopped and Americans’ savings rates have consistently declined as households increasingly rely on borrowing to maintain spending levels.
Julie Margetta Morgan, president of The Century Foundation think tank, observed, “When you start looking across the perspective from a consumer side, you’re seeing people who have maxed out their credit cards, are using ‘buy now, pay later’ to purchase their groceries. They’re making it work for now, but that can fall apart quite quickly.”
Analysts suggest this situation will intensify the “K-shaped” economic pattern, where wealthy households outperform lower-income families. Pantheon Macroeconomics data shows the lowest 10% of earners spend nearly 4% of income on gasoline, while the highest 10% spend only 1.5%.
Most analysts still predict U.S. economic expansion this year, albeit at slower rates due to gas price impacts. While higher fuel costs will temporarily increase inflation, reduced consumer spending will eventually slow overall growth.
American consumers and businesses have consistently weathered various challenges since the pandemic — including high inflation, increased interest rates, and tariffs — while maintaining spending patterns that prevented recession. Many economists note that Americans now spend a smaller percentage of income on energy compared to ten years ago.
Bank of America Institute data released Friday revealed gas spending on the bank’s cards jumped 14.4% in the March 14 week compared to the previous year. Before the conflict, such spending was running 5% below year-earlier levels, benefiting consumers.
Discretionary purchases — including restaurant visits, electronics, and travel — continue growing, the institute reported, demonstrating consumer strength. However, there’s no indication of the acceleration many economists had anticipated.
Institute senior economist David Tinsley warned, “The longer these gasoline prices persist, the more that will gradually sap consumer discretionary spending.”
Other analysts expect war-related growth slowdowns. Oxford Economics economists Bernard Yaros and Michael Pearce now forecast 1.9% U.S. economic growth this year, down from their earlier 2.5% projection.
“We had anticipated a lift in spending from a bumper tax refund season,” they noted, “but the rise in gasoline prices, if sustained, would more than offset that boost.”
President Donald Trump has delivered a stark 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, threatening to destroy the nation’s power facilities unless Tehran completely reopens the Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor.
The escalating confrontation comes as air raid warnings echoed throughout Israel early Sunday, alerting residents to incoming Iranian missiles following overnight attacks that injured dozens in the southern Israeli communities of Arad and Dimona.
Israeli forces announced Sunday they were launching strikes against Tehran in response to Iran’s assault on southern Israel.
Trump’s Saturday ultimatum represents a dramatic shift from his recent comments about “winding down” the month-long conflict. “If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” the president wrote on social media Saturday evening.
Iran’s military leadership fired back Sunday, warning they would target American infrastructure throughout the Gulf region, including energy installations, if Trump executes his threat. This comes as U.S. Marines and heavy naval equipment continue deploying to the area.
The ongoing war, which began February 28, has claimed over 2,000 lives and created chaos in global markets while driving up fuel prices and sparking inflation concerns worldwide.
Market analyst Tony Sycamore from IG warned that Trump’s deadline has created a “48-hour ticking time bomb of elevated uncertainty over markets.” He predicted potential attacks on energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar could “deepen and prolong the pain of higher energy prices.”
Oil prices soared Friday to nearly four-year highs after Iraq suspended operations at foreign-developed oil fields, Israel struck an Iranian gas facility, and Tehran retaliated with attacks on Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
Iranian actions have effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway handling approximately 20% of global oil and natural gas shipments, creating the worst energy crisis since the 1970s. European gas prices jumped 35% last week as the strait’s near-closure disrupted supplies.
According to Iranian media reports, Tehran’s representative to the International Maritime Organisation stated the strait remains accessible to all vessels except those connected to “Iran’s enemies.” Ali Mousavi indicated ships could navigate the waterway by coordinating safety protocols with Iranian authorities.
Tracking data shows some vessels, including Indian-flagged ships and a Pakistani tanker, have successfully negotiated passage through the strait. Pakistan maintains diplomatic ties with both Iran and the United States.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command declared Sunday that any American assault on Iranian energy infrastructure would trigger retaliatory strikes against all U.S. energy, technology and water desalination facilities in the region.
Attacking Iran’s major power plants could cause widespread blackouts, disabling everything from oil pumps and refineries to export terminals and military command centers, given the interconnected nature of the country’s electrical grid and energy sector.
Tehran expanded the conflict’s scope Saturday by launching long-range missiles for the first time, with one Iranian strike landing dangerously close to Israel’s classified nuclear facility approximately 8 miles southeast of Dimona.
Israeli military commander Eyal Zamir reported that Iran fired two ballistic missiles with 2,500-mile range capabilities at the joint U.S.-British military installation at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces conducted raids against Hezbollah positions Sunday, killing 10 militants according to Israeli reports. Hezbollah responded with attacks on northern Israeli border communities, resulting in one fatality at an Israeli kibbutz – the first Israeli death from Lebanese fire since March 2, when Hezbollah joined the conflict following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Israeli leadership announced plans to accelerate the destruction of Lebanese homes in “frontline villages” and immediately demolish all bridges crossing Lebanon’s Litani river, which they claim facilitate “terrorist activity.”
The Trump administration has delivered conflicting messages regarding American objectives in the conflict, leaving international partners uncertain how to respond. Trump has criticized NATO allies as cowardly for their hesitation to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while most allies express reluctance to join a war initiated without their consultation.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi indicated Sunday that Japan might consider deploying military assets for mine-clearing operations in the Strait if a ceasefire is achieved.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos survey revealed 59% of Americans oppose military action against Iran, with only 37% supporting such measures. The conflict has become a significant political challenge for Trump as November’s congressional elections approach.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Violence erupted across the occupied West Bank over the weekend as Israeli settlers conducted destructive raids through Palestinian communities, damaging vehicles, igniting fires, and injuring multiple residents during attacks that stretched from Saturday evening through Sunday.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the violent incidents occurred in no fewer than six different communities on Sunday. Medical officials from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that three Palestinians from the village of Jalud required hospital treatment for head injuries sustained during confrontations with the settlers, who also reportedly sustained injuries during the clashes.
These incidents unfolded as Israel’s administration continues expanding settlement construction throughout the occupied West Bank territory. Such settler violence has escalated significantly amid the broader regional conflict that began with the Iran war.
Military officials from Israel acknowledged responding to reports of Israeli civilians conducting “arson against structures and property, as well as engaging in disturbances in the area,” though no arrests were announced and officials did not specify whether formal investigations had been launched.
WAFA documented violent incidents across several locations, including Silat al Dahr and Fandaqumiya near Jenin, Jalud and Salfit south of Nablus, plus the farming areas of Masafer Yatta and the Jordan Valley. The overnight violence included burning residences and vehicles, pepper spray attacks against Palestinians, and injuries to at least five individuals during what should have been the peaceful Eid al-Fitr celebration concluding Ramadan.
Statistics from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs show that 25 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli settlers and military forces as of March 15 this year. Palestinian Authority records also document numerous arson incidents targeting religious sites including mosques throughout the region.
A ship traveling in waters near the United Arab Emirates was struck by an unidentified projectile early Sunday morning, according to maritime authorities.
The incident occurred approximately 15 nautical miles north of Sharjah, as reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Officials confirmed that all crew members aboard the vessel remained safe following the strike.
In a follow-up statement, the UKMTO indicated that investigators have been unable to definitively determine what the intended target was during the incident. Authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the event.
LONDON, March 22 – A top British official dismissed suggestions Sunday that Iran possesses either the ability or plans to launch ballistic missile strikes against European targets.
The statement from British Housing Secretary Steve Reed came one day after Israel’s military forces claimed on social media that Iran maintains missiles “that can reach London, Paris or Berlin.”
“There is no assessment to substantiate what’s being said,” Reed stated during a BBC interview.
“I’m not aware of any assessment at all that they are even trying to target Europe, let alone that they could if they tried,” he added.
During a separate Sky News appearance, Reed addressed President Trump’s recent ultimatum threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s power facilities unless Tehran completely reopens the Strait of Hormuz within two days.
When pressed about Britain’s stance on Trump’s 48-hour deadline, Reed responded: “The U.S. president is perfectly capable of speaking for himself and defending what it is that he’s saying.”
“We’re not going to be dragged into the war, but we will protect our own interests in the region. We will work with our allies to de-escalate the situation,” Reed concluded.
Good morning, Delmarva! We’re starting this Sunday with some patchy fog across the peninsula, but don’t let that keep you indoors. The fog will lift by 10am, giving way to mostly sunny skies and a pleasant high of 75 degrees. With light south winds at 5 to 10 mph, it’s shaping up to be a beautiful day for any outdoor activities you have planned.
However, changes are coming tonight. We’ll see a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms moving in, with temperatures dropping to a cool 51 degrees. Monday brings a significant shift as rain becomes likely throughout the day, keeping us cooler with highs only reaching 54 degrees.
The good news? Monday night clears out nicely under mostly clear skies, though it’ll be quite chilly with lows dipping to 33 degrees – so you might want to bring in any sensitive plants or outdoor decorations.
Enjoy today’s sunshine while we have it, and keep that umbrella handy for tomorrow! Stay safe and have a wonderful Sunday, Delmarva!
MOSCOW, March 22 – Russian defense systems successfully intercepted Ukrainian drones attempting to strike the city of Ufa in the Bashkortostan region, according to regional governor Radiy Khabirov.
The intercepted drones were brought down in the vicinity of oil refining facilities in the city, though Khabirov did not specify which particular installations were targeted.
Falling wreckage from the destroyed drones sparked a short-lived blaze at a construction site in one of Ufa’s neighborhoods.
The Bashkortostan region, situated in the Ural Mountains, has faced multiple Ukrainian attacks in recent months. Ufa, the region’s capital city, sits approximately 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) away from the Russian-Ukrainian frontier.
BEIJING – Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao conducted high-level discussions Sunday with pharmaceutical industry leaders as part of the country’s effort to attract more foreign business investment.
The minister sat down with Stephen Ubl, who leads the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America trade association, alongside top executives from five global drug manufacturers: Novartis, AstraZeneca, Roche Group, Boehringer Ingelberg, and Organon, the commerce ministry announced.
The meetings come as China works to turn around declining foreign investment levels. In December, officials broadened the range of business sectors that can receive government incentives including reduced taxes and favorable land agreements.
During the discussions, Wang highlighted how international pharmaceutical corporations have made China a key location for research and development operations globally. He pointed to China’s latest five-year economic blueprint, which identifies biotechnology and pharmaceuticals as a growing cornerstone industry.
The commerce minister promised that China would enhance protections for intellectual property rights and make government policies more transparent, creating fresh possibilities for global pharmaceutical firms to grow their Chinese operations.
Both sides discussed the current state of foreign pharmaceutical business development in China and addressed specific concerns raised by the companies, according to the ministry’s statement.
A fatal helicopter accident in Qatar’s territorial waters has claimed six lives, with search efforts ongoing for one remaining missing individual, according to officials from the country’s interior ministry on Sunday.
Qatar’s defense ministry had previously confirmed that the aircraft went down following mechanical problems while conducting what they described as “routine duty.”
Authorities have not yet released additional details about the identities of those involved or the specific nature of the technical issues that led to the crash.
BEIJING, March 22 – Chinese technology giant Tencent unveiled a new feature Sunday that connects its massively popular WeChat messaging service to an artificial intelligence assistant, escalating competition in China’s rapidly evolving AI marketplace.
The new tool, dubbed ClawBot, appears as a regular contact within WeChat and enables the app’s more than one billion monthly users to communicate directly with the OpenClaw AI system. Through WeChat’s familiar messaging format, users can send instructions and receive responses from the artificial intelligence assistant.
This development arrives as OpenClaw, a publicly available AI system capable of handling tasks like file transfers and email management for users, has experienced growing popularity in recent weeks.
Chinese consumers have eagerly adopted and tested various AI assistant products, spurring technology companies to seek new revenue opportunities despite government warnings about potential security concerns.
Tencent’s WeChat partnership builds upon the company’s earlier March introduction of its comprehensive AI assistant collection, which includes QClaw for personal use, Lighthouse targeting software developers, and WorkBuddy designed for business customers.
Just last week, rival company Alibaba introduced Wukong, a business-focused artificial intelligence system that manages multiple AI assistants to tackle complicated workplace functions such as document creation and meeting transcription through one unified platform.
Competitor Baidu responded rapidly by releasing its own collection of OpenClaw-powered AI assistants across various platforms, including computer software, online services, mobile applications, and connected home devices.
An elementary school in St. Paul, Minnesota is working to rebuild a sense of security among its students following recent immigration enforcement operations that have affected the local community.
NPR reporters visited the school to observe how educators, families, and children are navigating the aftermath of increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the area. The news organization documented the school’s approach to helping young students feel protected and supported during this difficult time.
The school’s efforts come as students returned to in-person classes in March after spending nearly two months learning remotely. For many children, the week of March 18 marked their first time back in the physical classroom since the online learning period began.
School officials and staff members are implementing various strategies to address the concerns and fears that students may be experiencing as a result of the immigration enforcement surge in their neighborhood.
The situation highlights the broader impact that federal immigration operations can have on educational communities, particularly in areas with significant immigrant populations where students and families may feel vulnerable or uncertain about their safety.
Minnesota’s Vladimir Tarasenko delivered the decisive blow 3:06 into the extra period, securing a 2-1 overtime victory for the Wild against Dallas on Saturday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Bobby Brink found the back of the net for Minnesota and contributed an assist on Tarasenko’s game-winning strike. The Wild have now claimed victory in overtime twice during their last three contests. Quinn Hughes recorded assists on both Minnesota goals, bringing his season total to 62 and maintaining his position as the NHL’s top-scoring defenseman.
Dallas received their only scoring from Jason Robertson, with Miro Heiskanen and Matt Duchene providing the setup. Despite the loss, the Stars maintain a five-point advantage over Minnesota in the battle for second place in the Central Division standings.
Between the pipes, Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson turned away 28 of 29 shots to earn the win, distributing his saves evenly throughout the game with nine stops in each of the first two periods and 10 in the final frame. Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger faced 28 shots and allowed two goals.
Lightning 5, Oilers 2
Nikita Kucherov found the net twice and recorded four points total, propelling him to the top of the NHL scoring leaders with 118 points as Tampa Bay defeated Edmonton on the road.
Anthony Cirelli also scored a pair of goals, while Jake Guentzel added one tally and Brandon Hagel contributed two assists for Tampa Bay. The Lightning have captured three consecutive victories to solidify their hold on the Atlantic Division’s second position. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves for the win.
Edmonton’s offense came from Connor McDavid and Josh Samanski. Goalie Connor Ingram recorded 22 saves for the Oilers, who took the early lead but were overwhelmed by three Tampa Bay goals in the middle period.
Bruins 4, Red Wings 2
Boston rallied from a one-goal deficit by scoring twice within 3:20 during the third period, defeating Detroit in a key Atlantic Division matchup on the road.
Nikita Zadorov netted what proved to be the game-winning goal with 10:18 left on the clock, lifting Boston to victory. The Bruins have gone 3-0-2 over their past five outings. David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm each contributed one goal and one assist, Marat Khusnutdinov also scored, Morgan Geekie recorded three assists, and Charlie McAvoy added two helpers. Jeremy Swayman backstopped the win with 41 saves.
Detroit received goals from Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, with John Gibson making 23 saves. The Red Wings had been riding a 2-0-1 streak but now occupy the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card position, trailing Boston by two points.
Penguins 5, Jets 4 (SO)
Rickard Rakell, who had already scored during regulation play, delivered the decisive shootout goal as Pittsburgh defeated Winnipeg at home.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson tallied twice for the second consecutive game, while Egor Chinakhov scored and added an assist for Pittsburgh. Parker Wotherspoon and Bryan Rust each recorded two assists, and goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 21 shots.
Winnipeg’s Brad Lambert registered one goal and one assist, with Morgan Barron, Cole Koepke, and Neal Pionk also finding the scoresheet. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves in the losing effort.
Predators 4, Golden Knights 1
Steven Stamkos recorded two goals and an assist as Nashville defeated Vegas at home.
Ryan O’Reilly contributed one goal and one assist, and Tyson Jost also scored for Nashville, which has won three straight games. Justus Annunen was outstanding in goal with 39 saves, including 20 in the opening period. The Predators have moved past Los Angeles into the Western Conference’s final wild-card position.
Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore provided the Golden Knights’ lone goal. The team has dropped three consecutive games and managed just Theodore’s single goal across those contests. Akira Schmid stopped 16 shots. The struggling Golden Knights currently hold the Pacific Division’s final playoff spot.
Sabres 4, Kings 1
Zach Benson tallied one goal and one assist for Buffalo, which allowed its first goal in three games during a road victory over Los Angeles.
Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin scored 59 seconds apart in the third period’s middle portion, Josh Norris recorded two assists, Tage Thompson added a goal, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves for Buffalo. The Sabres have won four consecutive games, seven straight on the road, and 12 of 13 since the Olympic break.
Artemi Panarin scored for Los Angeles, and Anton Forsberg made 30 saves. The Kings had earned points in five of their previous six contests (3-1-2).
Blue Jackets 5, Kraken 2
Cole Sillinger recorded one goal and two assists, while Zach Werenski contributed three helpers as Columbus defeated visiting Seattle.
Mathieu Olivier added one goal and one assist, with Danton Heinen, Damon Severson, and Kent Johnson also scoring for Columbus. The Blue Jackets have won four straight and extended their point streak to 12 games (8-0-4). Elvis Merzlikins made 15 saves.
Seattle received a goal and assist from Kaapo Kakko, with Vince Dunn also scoring. The Kraken have lost three consecutive games. Joey Daccord stopped 23 of 27 shots.
Senators 5, Maple Leafs 2
Ottawa significantly boosted its playoff chances by withstanding a late Toronto rally to defeat the visiting Maple Leafs.
Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Warren Foegele, Michael Amadio, and Ridley Greig each found the net, while defensemen Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence recorded two assists apiece for Ottawa (36-24-9, 81 points). Linus Ullmark turned away 12 of 14 shots for the Senators, who have won four of their last five games.
Rookie Easton Cowan recorded one goal and one assist, and John Tavares scored for the struggling Leafs. Joseph Woll finished with 38 saves after Anthony Stolarz was struck in the throat by a puck during warmups. The team announced that Stolarz was hospitalized for precautionary imaging. Toronto coach Craig Berube said following the game that Stolarz had been released from the hospital and would travel with the team back to Toronto.
Flyers 4, Sharks 1
Christian Dvorak scored on the power play early in the third period, helping Philadelphia extend its season-best road winning streak to seven games with a victory over San Jose.
Owen Tippett scored in the second period, while defenseman Travis Sanheim and Noah Cates each found the empty net 36 seconds apart in the third. Dan Vladar made 24 saves for Philadelphia, which completed a perfect sweep of their three-game California road trip and improved to 5-0-1 in their last six games overall.
San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini recorded an assist on defenseman Dmitry Orlov’s power-play goal, bringing his career point total to 99. At 19 years and 281 days old, Celebrini needs just one more assist to become the second-youngest player in NHL history to reach 100 points, trailing only Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (19 years, 134 days on Dec. 19, 2006). Alex Nedeljkovic made 24 saves for the Sharks, who have lost four straight and seven of their last nine games (2-5-2).
Canadiens 7, Islanders 3
Cole Caufield completed a hat trick and achieved a career-high five points to lead Montreal’s third-period explosion past visiting New York.
Juraj Slafkovsky recorded two goals and two assists for his first career four-point performance, and Kaiden Guhle added one goal and two assists for Montreal. The Canadiens outscored the Islanders 4-1 in the final period. Nick Suzuki contributed four assists, and Jacob Fowler made 19 saves.
New York received goals from Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom, and Matthew Schaefer. Ilya Sorokin allowed six goals on 32 shots before being pulled in the third period.
Blues 3, Canucks 1
Pavel Buchnevich recorded one goal and one assist for St. Louis in a victory over host Vancouver.
Pius Suter and Jordan Kyrou also scored for the Blues, who ended a two-game losing streak and moved within six points of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. Jordan Binnington made 14 saves.
Vancouver’s Filip Hronek scored, and Kevin Lankinen made 18 saves for the Canucks, who trail the rest of the league by 13 points.
Iranian officials declared Sunday that the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz will continue allowing passage for most maritime vessels, with the exception of ships connected to countries Tehran considers hostile nations, following President Donald Trump’s ultimatum demanding complete access to the waterway within two days.
The ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has created significant risks for commercial shipping, causing most vessels to avoid the critical passageway that handles approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transportation, raising concerns about potential global energy supply disruptions.
Iranian U.N. maritime representative Ali Mousavi announced Tehran’s willingness to work alongside the International Maritime Organisation to enhance maritime security and safeguard sailors operating in the Gulf region. He explained that vessels not associated with hostile nations could navigate the strait by establishing proper security and safety protocols with Iranian authorities.
“Diplomacy remains Iran’s priority. However, a complete cessation of aggression as well as mutual trust and confidence are more important,” Mousavi stated, attributing the current Strait of Hormuz crisis to ongoing military actions by Israeli and American forces against Iran.
Saturday night in Oklahoma City delivered March Madness at its finest as fourth-seeded Nebraska claimed a historic 74-72 victory over fifth-seeded Vanderbilt, punching their ticket to the program’s inaugural Sweet 16 appearance.
The dramatic finish came when Braden Frager connected on a crucial layup with only 2.2 seconds showing on the clock. Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner, who led all scorers with 27 points, launched a desperate three-point attempt from beyond midcourt as the final buzzer sounded, but the shot struck both rims before bouncing away, sending the Nebraska-heavy crowd at Paycom Center into celebration.
Frager and teammate Pryce Sandfort each contributed 15 points for the Cornhuskers (28-6), who now await either top-seeded Florida or ninth-seeded Iowa in Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup in Houston. Those two teams will square off Sunday evening in Tampa to determine Nebraska’s opponent.
The Commodores received additional scoring from Tyler Nickel, who finished with 16 points. Vanderbilt (27-9) mounted a second-half comeback by converting 10 of their 22 three-point attempts. Tanner’s basket in the paint gave the Commodores a 72-70 advantage with 58 seconds left, but Mast evened the score at 37 seconds when he converted Sam Hoiberg’s missed layup attempt.
No. 2 Houston 88, No. 10 Texas A&M 57
Emanuel Sharp poured in 18 points as the Cougars used a devastating 18-0 first-half run to overwhelm the Aggies in Oklahoma City, securing their spot in the Sweet 16.
Chris Cenac Jr. contributed 17 points and nine rebounds while Milos Uzan chipped in 15 points for Houston (30-6), which will meet third-seeded Illinois in next week’s Sweet 16 round in Houston. Mercy Miller added 12 points as the Cougars achieved their fifth straight 30-victory season and extended their Sweet 16 streak to seven consecutive years.
Josh Holloway provided the lone double-digit scoring effort for Texas A&M (22-12) with 12 points coming off the bench. Star player Rashaun Agee managed just seven points in the defeat. Houston shot 44.1% from the field and dominated the boards 46-29, including 19 offensive rebounds.
No. 3 Illinois 76, No. 11 VCU 55
Andrej Stojakovic erupted for 16 first-half points en route to a 21-point performance, leading the Fighting Illini to a comfortable victory over the Rams in Greenville, South Carolina.
Tomislav Ivisic recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds for Illinois (26-8), which advanced to just its second Sweet 16 in the past 21 seasons. The Fighting Illini will face second-seeded Houston on Thursday in Houston. Keaton Wagler contributed 14 points and Kylan Boswell added 12 as Illinois won its opening two tournament games by a combined margin of 56 points.
Terrence Hill Jr. paced VCU (28-8) with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Barry Evans and Tyrell Ward each scored 11 points. The Rams struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 7 of 32 three-point attempts (21.9%) in the decisive loss.
WEST REGION
No. 11 Texas 74, No. 3 Gonzaga 68
Matas Vokietaitis and Jordan Pope each tallied 17 points, while Camden Heide delivered a clutch three-pointer with 14.7 seconds remaining to propel the Longhorns past the Bulldogs in Portland, Oregon.
Following a Gonzaga dunk by Graham Ike that cut the deficit to one point, Texas called timeout with 32 seconds left and inserted Heide, whose corner three-pointer extended the lead to 72-68. Mario Saint-Supery’s last-ditch three-point attempt for Gonzaga (31-4) missed the mark, and Vokietaitis sealed the victory with a layup for Texas (21-14), making them the first First Four participant to win three tournament games since UCLA’s 2021 Final Four run.
West Coast Conference Player of the Year Ike finished with 25 points, and Jalen Warley recorded 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists for the Bulldogs.
No. 4 Arkansas 94, No. 12 High Point 88
Darius Acuff Jr. exploded for 36 points and Meleek Thomas added 19 as the Razorbacks ended the Panthers’ tournament run with a late surge in Portland, Oregon.
Acuff scored nine of Arkansas’s final 11 points as they broke away from an 83-83 deadlock in the closing three minutes, overcoming a 30-point effort from High Point’s Rob Martin. Billy Richmond III posted 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Malique Ewin recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Razorbacks (28-8), winners of seven straight and nine of their last 10. Ewin’s free throws with 44.4 seconds left made it 92-85.
Cam’Ron Fletcher scored 25 points and narrowly missed his third consecutive double-double by two rebounds, while Terry Anderson contributed 15 points for High Point (31-5), whose 15-game winning streak ended after capturing the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory on Thursday.
EAST REGION
No. 1 Duke 81, No. 9 TCU 58
Cameron Boozer scored 17 of his team-leading 19 points after halftime to guide the Blue Devils past the Horned Frogs in Greenville, South Carolina.
Isaiah Evans contributed 17 points and Dame Sarr scored 14 for Duke (34-2), which earned a Sweet 16 meeting with the winner between fourth-seeded Kansas and fifth-seeded St. John’s. Boozer also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds while Maliq Brown finished with 12 points and nine boards for the Blue Devils, who outscored TCU by 19 points in the second half.
Micah Robinson topped TCU (23-12) with 18 points, followed by Xavier Edmonds with 12. The Horned Frogs were outrebounded 42-25 overall, including a 24-14 disadvantage in the second half.
No. 3 Michigan State 77, No. 6 Louisville 69
Coen Carr recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds, Jeremy Fears Jr. tallied 12 points with 16 assists, and the Spartans stifled the Cardinals to reach the Sweet 16 for the 17th time under coach Tom Izzo.
Fears established a new Michigan State NCAA Tournament record for assists while Carr nearly matched his career scoring high for the Spartans (27-7). Michigan State advances to the East Region semifinal in Washington, D.C., where they’ll face the winner of seventh-seeded UCLA versus second-seeded UConn.
Louisville’s leading scorer Ryan Conwell battled through a left foot injury in the second half and appeared to lack his usual mobility. Conwell managed 21 points and connected on 5 of 11 three-point attempts for the Cardinals (24-11).
MIDWEST
No. 1 Michigan 95, Saint Louis 72
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 25 points on efficient 9-of-13 shooting as the Wolverines pulled away from the Billikens in Buffalo, New York.
Morez Johnson Jr. added 15 points and eight rebounds for Michigan (33-3), which secured a Sweet 16 date with either Texas Tech or Alabama. Aday Mara contributed 16 points, and Elliot Cadeau scored 12 points while dishing out a team-best eight assists.
Amari McCottry led Saint Louis (29-6) with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Dion Brown finished with 13 points, and Robbie Avila added nine points in the loss.
The Philadelphia Flyers continued their impressive away performance Saturday night, defeating the San Jose Sharks 4-1 to push their road winning streak to seven consecutive games. Christian Dvorak netted the decisive power-play goal early in the final period to help secure the victory.
This remarkable road success ties Philadelphia for the second-best away winning streak in team history, matching achievements from the 1985-86 and 2017-18 seasons. The franchise record of eight consecutive road victories was set during the 1982-83 campaign.
Owen Tippett provided the initial scoring in the second period, while defenseman Travis Sanheim and Noah Cates both capitalized on an empty net opportunity, scoring just 36 seconds apart during the third period.
Goaltender Dan Vladar stopped 24 shots for Philadelphia (34-23-12, 80 points), as the team completed a perfect sweep of their three-game West Coast road trip. The Flyers have now posted a 5-0-1 record over their past six contests and completed a season series sweep against San Jose following their 4-1 home victory on December 9.
San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini recorded an assist on defenseman Dmitry Orlov’s power-play goal, bringing his career point total to 99. At 19 years and 281 days old, Celebrini needs just one more assist to become the second-youngest player in NHL history to reach 100 career points, trailing only Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, who achieved the milestone at 19 years and 134 days on December 19, 2006.
Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 24 saves for San Jose (32-30-6, 70 points), but the team extended their losing streak to four games and dropped seven of their last nine contests (2-5-2).
The game’s turning point came when Philadelphia’s Garnet Hathaway delivered a heavy hit on Celebrini, causing San Jose’s Mario Ferraro to retaliate and receive a roughing penalty. Philadelphia capitalized immediately, as Dvorak converted Travis Konecny’s cross-ice pass for a 2-1 advantage just 1:47 into the third period.
Tippett opened the scoring 2:26 into the second period, collecting a diagonal pass from Trevor Zegras before skating around San Jose defenseman Nick Leddy and beating Nedeljkovic. The goal marked Tippett’s 24th of the season and his fifth in eight games.
San Jose equalized when Celebrini worked the puck along the boards to William Eklund, who entered from the left circle and found an open Orlov in the slot. Orlov converted the opportunity with 6:48 remaining in the second period to create a 1-1 deadlock.
A last-second tip-in by Amen Thompson off a Kevin Durant miss gave the Houston Rockets a thrilling 123-122 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
Durant made NBA history during the game, moving past Michael Jordan’s career total of 32,292 points to claim fifth place on the league’s all-time scoring list. The historic moment came with 3:35 remaining in the final quarter when Durant connected on a three-pointer from the corner. Miami managed to take the lead late after a goaltending violation was called on Jabari Smith Jr., who tried to block Simone Fontecchio’s layup following a Houston turnover on an inbound play by Tari Eason.
Thompson recorded 24 points and set a personal best with 18 rebounds. He joined Reed Sheppard (23 points, 14 assists) and Alperen Sengun (19 points, 12 rebounds) as Rockets players achieving double-doubles. Durant led Houston’s scoring with 27 points, bringing his career total to 32,294.
For Miami, Bam Adebayo dominated with 32 points and matched his career high with 21 rebounds. Tyler Herro contributed 25 points but struggled in the fourth quarter, missing all five attempts. Fontecchio added 21 points with five three-pointers made.
Lakers 105, Magic 104
Luke Kennard connected on a clutch three-pointer with just 0.6 seconds left to give Los Angeles a victory over Orlando at home.
Down by two with 2.6 seconds remaining, Marcus Smart found Kennard open for the game-winner, securing the team’s ninth consecutive victory. Luka Doncic paced Los Angeles with 33 points and eight assists, while Austin Reaves added 26 points. LeBron James contributed 12 points and made history by surpassing Robert Parish for most regular-season appearances in NBA history with 1,612 games.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 16 points, and Jalen Suggs scored 14. Wendell Carter Jr. and Jevon Carter each contributed 13 points for the Magic, who suffered their fourth straight defeat.
Clippers 138, Mavericks 131 (OT)
Darius Garland exploded for 41 points and 11 assists while Kawhi Leonard added 34 points as Los Angeles ended a four-game slide with an overtime win in Dallas.
Derrick Jones Jr. contributed 15 points, including two crucial three-pointers in the extra period, as the Clippers shot 56.7% overall and made 21 of 42 attempts from beyond the arc to salvage their three-game road swing.
Naji Marshall scored 28 points and Cooper Flagg recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks for Dallas, which extended its home losing streak to 11 games.
Hornets 124, Grizzlies 101
LaMelo Ball’s 29 points powered Charlotte to another high-scoring performance in a victory over Memphis at home.
Brandon Miller contributed 22 points for the Hornets, who have won five of their past six contests. Charlotte also got solid production from Miles Bridges with 13 points and Coby White, who recorded 12 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in 19 minutes as a reserve.
GG Jackson paced Memphis with 19 points, while Javon Small provided 17 points and a team-leading seven rebounds. Taylor Hendricks scored 14 points and Walter Clayton Jr. added 11 for the Grizzlies, who have dropped 10 of their last 11 games.
Thunder 132, Wizards 111
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40 points led Oklahoma City past Washington, extending the Thunder’s winning streak to 11 while the Wizards’ losing streak reached 15.
Chet Holmgren contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds while Jared McCain scored 18 off the bench for Oklahoma City. Isaiah Hartenstein nearly achieved his second career triple-double with nine points, a career-high-tying 20 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Bilal Coulibaly topped six Washington players in double figures with 21 points, and Bub Carrington added 19.
Cavaliers 111, Pelicans 106
Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points and James Harden recorded 20 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds as Cleveland rallied in the fourth quarter to end New Orleans’ seven-game home winning streak.
The Cavaliers overcame a 15-point deficit with runs of 16-2 and 10-0 in the final period. Sam Merrill scored 15 points and Evan Mobley finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Zion Williamson shot 10-of-14 from the field for a team-high 25 points for New Orleans. Saddiq Bey made 4-of-8 three-pointers en route to 19 points, and Murray recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.
Hawks 126, Warriors 110
Dyson Daniels tied his career high with 28 points to help Atlanta defeat Golden State and extend its home winning streak to 10 games.
Daniels shot 12-for-17 from the field with seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals as the Hawks rebounded from having their 11-game winning streak ended Friday against Houston. CJ McCollum added 23 points, while Zaccharie Risacher and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each scored 17. Mouhamed Gueye, starting for injured leading scorer Jalen Johnson (left shoulder inflammation), recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.
De’Anthony Melton led Golden State with 20 points, Nate Williams scored 19, and Pat Spencer added 18. The Warriors are 1-4 on their six-game road trip, which concludes Monday in Dallas.
Spurs 134, Pacers 119
Rookie Dylan Harper tied his career high with 24 points in his first career start, and Keldon Johnson also scored 24 as San Antonio cruised past struggling Indiana at home.
The Spurs continued their hot streak, winning their fifth straight and 21st in their last 23 games. Victor Wembanyama finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five blocks in just 26 minutes.
Indiana extended its losing streak to 16 games. Andrew Nembhard led all scorers with 25 points while Jarace Walker added 21. Pascal Siakam scored 14 in his return after missing six games with a sprained right knee.
76ers 126, Jazz 116
Quentin Grimes scored 25 points and VJ Edgecombe added 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead Philadelphia past Utah in Salt Lake City.
Trendon Watford contributed 20 points off the bench for the 76ers, who won their fourth game in five tries. Cameron Payne added 16 points and seven assists as a reserve, and Adem Bona also scored 16 for Philadelphia, which played without star Joel Embiid (oblique) for the 12th consecutive game.
Ace Bailey recorded 25 points and seven rebounds, and Kennedy Chandler scored a career-high 19 points off the bench for Utah, which clinched its third straight 50-loss season. Cody Williams and Elijah Harkless each scored 15 points, and Bez Mbeng had a career-best 13 for the Jazz, who have lost five of six.
Bucks 108, Suns 105
Ryan Rollins recorded 26 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists as Milwaukee handed Phoenix its fifth consecutive loss on the road.
Kyle Kuzma scored 20 points before leaving in the third quarter with right Achilles tightness for the Bucks. Gary Trent Jr. and Ousmane Dieng each scored 11 points for Milwaukee, which snapped a two-game losing streak.
Jalen Green led Phoenix with 24 points, Collin Gillespie added 18, and Devin Booker managed 14 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
Italian citizens started casting their ballots Sunday in a critical referendum that will determine the fate of controversial court system reforms championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, marking a significant political test for her conservative government with national elections approaching next year.
The referendum asks citizens to approve constitutional modifications that would create separate career tracks for judges and public prosecutors — a divisive topic that has dominated Italian political discourse — while also dividing the nation’s judicial oversight body into two distinct organizations.
Sunday’s voting marks the culmination of an intense campaign that saw Meloni’s ‘yes’ supporters square off against center-left parties advocating for ‘no’ votes. Polling stations will remain open until 3 p.m. Monday (1400 GMT).
Opposition leaders from the Democratic Party and 5-Star Movement have cautioned that these reforms could weaken the independence of Italy’s courts and create opportunities for political meddling, claiming such changes would enable Meloni to consolidate her authority.
Meloni’s administration has pushed back against these accusations, contending that reforms are essential to address the politicized selection process within the self-governing High Council of the Judiciary (CSM), particularly following corruption scandals that revealed behind-the-scenes negotiations over top prosecutor positions.
Political observers suggest a ‘yes’ victory would provide significant momentum for Meloni as she navigates challenges from ongoing conflicts involving Iran and Italy’s sluggish economic growth during the final phase of her term.
Should the center-left opposition prevail — despite currently polling behind Meloni’s coalition — it would bolster their efforts to forge a unified front capable of mounting a serious challenge to the prime minister.
Surveys conducted before the mandatory two-week polling blackout indicated an extremely tight race, with analysts noting that Meloni’s base appeared somewhat disengaged due to the technical complexity of the judicial issues at stake.
The World Health Organization announced Saturday that a devastating attack on a medical facility in Sudan’s western Darfur region resulted in the deaths of at least 64 individuals, with 13 of the victims being children.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus reported on X that Friday’s assault on Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur also left at least 89 people wounded and completely destroyed the hospital’s ability to operate.
Sudan descended into widespread conflict in April 2023 after tensions between the nation’s military forces and the competing paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces escalated into full-scale warfare across the country.
The Rapid Support Forces have accused the military of carrying out the hospital attack.
Military leadership has rejected responsibility for the assault, though two army officials, speaking anonymously because they lacked authorization to comment publicly, indicated the strike was aimed at a police station located near the hospital.
The brutal conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives based on United Nations data, though humanitarian organizations believe this figure significantly underestimates the actual death toll, which could be substantially higher.
According to WHO statistics, attacks on healthcare facilities have resulted in more than 2,000 deaths since the war began.
“Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan,” said Ghebreyesus.
ROME (AP) — A weekend referendum on judicial reforms has become a defining political moment for Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with the two-day vote beginning Sunday serving as a broader evaluation of her leadership both within Italy and on the international stage.
What was initially framed as a technical adjustment to the country’s justice system has deepened political rifts and brought together center-left opposition parties, creating a symbolic battle over Meloni’s political power just one year before national elections are scheduled.
Current polling data indicates an extremely tight contest, with opponents of the reform building momentum in recent weeks amid a deeply divided political atmosphere where voter participation could determine the outcome.
Political analyst and polling specialist Lorenzo Pregliasco from YouTrend explained that defeating the reform would have major political consequences.
“A possible ‘No’ victory would send a political signal, weakening Meloni’s aura of invincibility, while pushing the center-left opposition to say that there is already an alternative in the country,” he told The Associated Press.
Initially, Meloni was cautious about connecting her political reputation too closely with the referendum outcome, recognizing that a loss could damage her position both at home and internationally.
She leads what has been Italy’s most stable administration in recent years, having earned respect among European partners as an effective leader. A successful referendum would bolster her domestic position while enhancing her global influence.
However, as voting approached and surveys showed a narrowing gap, the Italian leader changed course and threw her full support behind the “Yes” campaign.
Meloni has intensified her messaging, claiming that certain judicial elements are obstructing government efforts on immigration and public safety, and cautioning that rejecting the reform would empower unaccountable judicial “factions” while compromising public security.
“If the reform doesn’t pass this time, we will probably not have another chance,” she said at a campaign event last week. “We will find ourselves with even more powerful factions, even more negligent judges, even more surreal sentences, immigrants, rapists, pedophiles, drug dealers being freed and putting your security at risk.”
These forceful statements have prompted sharp backlash from judicial officials and center-left politicians, who contend that the proposed changes would compromise judicial independence and weaken constitutional protections.
Political observers note the referendum also carries consequences beyond Italy’s borders.
Meloni’s historical alliance with U.S. President Donald Trump, previously seen as politically beneficial, has become increasingly challenging as his foreign policy approach — especially regarding the U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran — faces mounting criticism among Italian citizens.
“Meloni is facing what I would call the ‘Trump risk’ — which is appearing too subservient to the U.S. president, who is an extremely unpopular political leader in Italy and the rest of Europe and generates a lot of distrust, even among center-right voters,” Pregliasco said.
While a referendum defeat would not require Meloni to step down — her term extends through 2027 and she has consistently promised to serve it fully — it could weaken her influence within the European Union, where she is regarded as a stabilizing presence in a frequently unstable political landscape.
The referendum focuses on extensively discussed reforms designed to restructure Italy’s judicial framework.
One significant provision would create separate career tracks for judges and prosecutors, prohibiting them from changing positions — a practice currently permitted but seldom used.
Another substantial modification involves the High Judicial Council, the body responsible for magistrate appointments and disciplinary actions. The reform would divide it into three distinct chambers and modify the member selection process, replacing internal voting with random selection from qualified judges and prosecutors.
Tensions between Italy’s conservative leadership and the judiciary have been a recurring theme in Italian politics, reaching peak intensity during the administrations of the late conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi, who was among the strongest advocates for judicial reform.
Reform advocates maintain the changes will modernize a notoriously sluggish court system and improve oversight. However, opponents, including respected magistrates, argue the reform ignores genuine priorities while jeopardizing judicial independence.
Nicola Gratteri, Naples’ chief prosecutor and veteran anti-Mafia magistrate, delivered one of the sharpest criticisms.
“I don’t think this government has implemented the reforms needed to make trials work more effectively,” he told the AP. “Instead, it has made it virtually impossible to combat crimes against the public administration and to tackle white-collar abuse and corruption.”
As Italian citizens prepare to cast their ballots, this referendum represents a pivotal moment in Meloni’s leadership — a decision that could transform not only the justice system but also her government’s future direction, whatever the result may be.
KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — Under a star-filled sky in eastern Ukraine, soldiers from the 127th Brigade maintain their vigilant watch for incoming Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russian forces deploy in coordinated attacks.
These surveillance teams operate throughout Ukraine as part of an ever-changing strategy to combat the inexpensive loitering weapons that have emerged as lethal tools in contemporary conflicts spanning from Ukraine to Middle Eastern battlefields.
During quiet moments, the brigade members test and adjust their homemade interceptor aircraft, identifying potential problems that might compromise effectiveness when the distinctive buzzing of enemy drones fills the air. When Shahed drones initially emerged in fall 2022, Ukrainian forces possessed limited means to neutralize them. Now, specialized drone units successfully engage these threats mid-flight using constantly improving technology.
Ukraine’s homegrown drone defense industry has flourished in recent years, creating notable companies that showcase their innovations at global defense exhibitions. However, the true laboratories of rapid military advancement exist on the battlefield itself — where small units develop grassroots solutions driven by combat requirements that now attract worldwide attention.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reports that Middle Eastern U.S. partners have contacted Ukraine seeking assistance in protecting against Iranian drones, identical models that Russia has launched by the tens of thousands during the four-year conflict.
Iran has deployed these same aircraft in response to combined U.S.-Israeli operations, sometimes overpowering much more advanced Western air defense systems and demonstrating the necessity for more affordable and adaptable countermeasures.
“It’s not like we sat down one day and decided to fight with drones,” said a pilot with Ukraine’s 127th Brigade, sitting at his monitor after completing a preflight check. “We did it because we had nothing else.”
Minutes before, the aviator had cautiously brought his interceptor aircraft down to prevent damage. He requested anonymity since military regulations prohibited him from being identified publicly.
Despite being manufactured as expendable equipment, scarce resources force Ukrainian teams to salvage every available asset, frequently redeploying even single-mission drones to analyze their limitations and enhance performance.
“Just imagine — a Patriot missile costs about $2 million, and here you have a small aircraft worth about $2,200,” the pilot said. “And if it doesn’t hit the target, I can land it, fix it a bit and send it back into the air. The difference is huge. And the effect? Not any worse.”
Ukraine’s 127th Brigade is constructing an air defense division focused around interceptor drone teams — an approach increasingly embraced throughout the armed forces.
Directing the brigade’s initiative is a 27-year-old captain who previously worked in another unit where he had already assisted in establishing a comparable program. He also requested anonymity due to military protocols preventing public identification.
He vividly recalls the pivotal moment approximately two years ago when circumstances shifted dramatically. He explained being tasked with commanding a team of soldiers instructed to stop Russian surveillance drones using portable anti-aircraft missiles.
This strategy quickly demonstrated its limitations. Maneuverable drones equipped with cameras could effortlessly evade the slower, less-adaptable weapons, he explained.
Committed to discovering an improved approach, the young commander began exploring alternatives, consulting fellow service members and civilian supporters assisting the front lines.
The solution proved surprisingly straightforward: deploying another drone.
The captain continues to recall the day a Russian Orlan surveillance drone hovered over a Ukrainian position, relaying coordinates to direct Russian artillery fire. A pilot from his unit eliminated it using another drone, he noted.
“That’s when I realized — this is a drone war. It had begun,” he said. “We had been moving toward it for some time, but that was the moment I saw it with my own eyes.”
They never located the Orlan wreckage, which ignited as it crashed to earth.
A new obstacle quickly surfaced: intercepting hundreds of swift, resilient Shahed drones operating far behind front-line positions.
The young captain’s quest for answers brought him to the 127th Brigade in Kharkiv and partnership with a regional defense contractor. Their collaborative work produced airplane-style interceptor drones capable of matching Shahed velocities.
Kharkiv serves not only as their workplace but as home to their families, a city frequently targeted by Shahed strikes.
Collaborating with the company enables soldiers to evaluate interceptor drones under actual combat conditions and rapidly improve the technology through immediate feedback.
The firm’s Skystriker drone distinguishes itself from more familiar interceptor platforms like Sting or P1-Sun, which utilize modified first-person view, or FPV, drone technology. Rather, it resembles a miniature airplane with wings, enabling extended flight duration.
“Yes, this is a joint effort,” said the director of the company, who spoke on condition he not disclose the name of the firm or his own identity for security reasons.
“It’s not enough just to build it. It has to work — and work properly — and perform real combat tasks,” he said. “That’s why communication with the military is so important. They give us feedback and help us improve it every time.”
Throughout Ukraine, collaboration frequently extends beyond military units and manufacturers. Volunteers regularly serve as intermediaries between the groups, sometimes even facilitating initial connections.
The Come Back Alive Foundation, a nonprofit research organization and charity that fundraises to supply Ukraine’s military, initiated a program called “Dronopad,” roughly meaning “Dronefall,” during summer 2024.
The concept emerged from battlefield accounts that FPV drone operators occasionally succeeded in tracking and eliminating aerial threats — preliminary instances that influenced strategies to counter the Shaheds.
“At that moment it wasn’t clear whether this was even a scalable solution or just isolated incidents,” said Taras Tymochko, who leads the project. “Our goal was to turn it into a system — to help units that already had their first successful cases build the capability and scale what they had achieved.”
The foundation partnered with drone producers to better comprehend what equipment soldiers required. As the program advanced, interceptor drone capabilities improved.
“At some point they were able to reach speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), which made it possible to intercept targets like Shaheds in the air,” Tymochko said.
The team carefully tracked the rapidly expanding drone marketplace. A crucial element, he explained, was maintaining close collaboration between manufacturers and military personnel so engineers could obtain feedback promptly from combat testing.
“It’s always action and counteraction,” Tymochko said, noting both sides develop ways to counter enemy drones and improve their technology to neutralize each other’s responses. “That cycle is what drives the evolution of drone warfare.”
The technology itself, he noted, presents no particular difficulty to replicate. The genuine value exists in its application — and in the expertise of operators who have mastered effective use.
“People were very skeptical about the technology,” Tymochko said of the early days of interceptor drones. “Some thought it wouldn’t work, that within a month the Russians would come up with countermeasures and the drones would become useless.”
Almost two years afterward, the outcomes indicate otherwise.
“Many people called it air defense for the poor,” he said. “But it turns out that air defense for the poor can sometimes be more effective than air defense for the rich.”
LONDON — Long before social media transformed how we think about fame, the enigmatic street artist Banksy understood that true influence came not from celebrity status, but from remaining completely unknown.
For decades, the secrecy surrounding his true identity has been integral to his artwork’s appeal — pieces that have challenged authority on public walls worldwide and even famously self-destructed during auction sales. Now, after Reuters news agency reportedly revealed his identity, discussions are swirling about whether his creations will maintain their cultural significance and market worth.
The revelation has also sparked debate: Why destroy the enchantment of his mystique? Numerous Banksy admirers have expressed grief over losing the mystery and have criticized the news organization. One compared it to being abruptly informed that Santa Claus isn’t real.
“I feel like they are telling me how a magic trick is done,” said Thomas Evans, a Denver-based artist on Instagram. “Sometimes I just want to enjoy the magic trick.”
However, several art professionals believe his street murals and powerful messages will endure beyond any identity disclosure, since his popularity wasn’t built entirely on secrecy. His creations — both playful and somber — serve as testimony to injustice, oppression and social inequality across the globe, from his home country of England to the barriers of Bethlehem and battle-torn Ukraine. Remove the anonymity factor, experts argue, and his work continues to provoke thought and conversation.
“People buy his works because they absolutely love it,” said Acoris Andipa, director of the Andipa gallery in London. “The main feedback that I get is that they really, frankly, don’t care if they know who he is.”
The artist, widely believed to be Robin Gunningham born around 1972, emerged from a community of street artists who considered the covert placement of public art a rebellious form of creative expression. Bristol’s post-industrial environment served as his initial canvas and exhibition space. Urban walls in London, New York and other cities provided him with an international platform just as social media began emerging.
Among fellow artists who protect his secret, Banksy’s real identity has been common knowledge, and those seeking answers could easily find information online. In 2008, The Daily Mail published “compelling evidence suggesting” Gunningham was the artist’s birth name. Multiple news organizations, including The Associated Press in 2016, have reported this information while covering investigative efforts.
According to Reuters’ recent report, following The Daily Mail’s exposé, Banksy legally changed his name to David Jones — Britain’s second most common name. Coincidentally, this was also the real name of the late rock icon David Bowie, whose Ziggy Stardust persona influenced a 2012 Banksy artwork featuring Queen Elizabeth II.
Banksy’s legal representative did not respond to requests for comment, and the artist’s spokesperson declined participation in this coverage.
Reuters connected the dots showing that a David Jones traveled to Ukraine with a known Banksy associate in late 2022 — shortly before the artist’s work began appearing on Russian-bombed structures. Banksy subsequently acknowledged creating seven murals in the conflict zone, including one showing a child toppling an adult wearing a black belt. Russian President Vladimir Putin is known for practicing judo.
Evidence suggests even the establishment he protests has embraced Banksy. Authorities didn’t arrest him when the Royal Courts of Justice removed a Banksy stencil showing a traditionally-dressed judge striking an unarmed protester with a gavel. Some street artists have complained they might face arrest for similar graffiti — but when Banksy creates it, it’s considered art.
Court records reveal that on September 17, 2000, Robin Gunningham was arrested for vandalizing a Marc Jacobs billboard on a Hudson Street building in New York.
In his handwritten signed confession, he detailed that night’s activities: “I had been out drinking at a nightclub with friends when I decided to make a humorous adjustment to a billboard on top of the property,” according to court documents uncovered by Reuters and verified by the AP. “I painted eyeshadow a new mouth and a speach(sic) bubble” on a male model’s photograph. He faced misdemeanor charges.
The artist continues making headlines without needing identity revelations. He produced several pieces in London during 2025 and gained attention elsewhere when his artwork sold or was auctioned for millions. Banksy has cultivated a public persona focused on morality, justice and guerrilla methods — often compared to Robin Hood or Batman.
“Banksy woz ere,” he inscribed alongside his animal murals at London Zoo, which were removed in 2024.
Beyond disappointment, considerable speculation exists in art circles and social media that the artist himself orchestrated this latest naming. He hasn’t disputed the Reuters article.
This “would be very much in line with his practice of stunts and satire,” observed Madeleine White, senior sales and acquisitions consultant at London’s Hang-Up Gallery. “As they say, ‘all publicity is good publicity.’”
She pointed out that criticism targets the media — not the artist or his work’s impact. Reuters states it chose to publish some, but not all, information its reporters discovered about Banksy’s identity, citing his status as a public figure regardless of his name — and his substantial influence on public events and discourse. Additionally, much of his work appears on others’ property.
Whether identified or not, Banksy’s celebrity status persists, according to art experts.
His fame continues through the amazement at his ability to install new artwork right under authorities’ watch, even in our era of surveillance cameras and social media. His appeal stems from spectacle and cleverness that draws audiences in, while locations — such as bombed building remains or Israel’s massive wall along the West Bank border — encourage reflection. Supporters now watch for how and whether he’ll respond to news about Robin Gunningham and David Jones.
Joe Syer, a Banksy specialist and MyArtBroker founder, noted the artist has consistently reacted to global events. “And that’s where the real relevance, and value, sits.”
“If anything, Banksy’s anonymity has functioned less as a celebrity device and more as a way to keep the work universally accessible, detached from personality, ego, or biography,” he explained in an email. “It allows the work to sit in public space, politically and culturally, without being anchored to an individual in the way the mainstream press often frames it.”
Christopher Banks, founder of New York-based Objects of Affection Collection, interprets Banksy’s identification “not as a biographical event, but as a structural stress test” of how the artist manages his absence.
“Banksy’s best works carry their meaning without the author. He was there,” Banks wrote, referencing the artist’s Ukrainian murals and solidarity with war victims.
“The name matters less than the presence. The presence was always what the work was about.”
A joyous wedding celebration turned into a terrifying scene Saturday afternoon when the floor gave way at a New Hampshire reception venue, sending approximately 70 guests plummeting into the basement below.
Emergency responders transported six individuals to local hospitals following the incident at The Preserve at Chocorua in Tamworth, New Hampshire, which occurred around 4:30 p.m. Officials from the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office confirmed that all injuries were non-life-threatening, and four patients had been discharged from the hospital by Saturday evening.
The wedding celebration was taking place in a structure known as the Sap House when disaster struck. With more than 100 guests gathered inside for the festivities, the flooring suddenly buckled and created a massive 20-foot by 20-foot hole, according to a joint statement from Tamworth Fire/Rescue Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The situation became more complicated as fallen support beams and farm equipment stored in the basement trapped several victims. However, quick-thinking wedding guests and venue staff immediately sprang into action, using ladders to help those who had fallen climb back to safety and providing basic medical care to the injured before professional help arrived.
Images released by the Fire Marshal’s Office revealed the devastating scene – elegant white decorations and a chandelier still hanging above the destroyed floorboards, with wedding seating scattered around the gaping hole where guests had been celebrating moments before.
Emergency scanner communications captured the urgency of the response, with first responders describing approximately half the building’s floor as having collapsed into the basement. The responder noted that about 145 people were present at the event and requested additional personnel to interview witnesses while carefully extracting victims from the basement area.
Investigators are now examining the cause of the structural failure, with preliminary findings suggesting the building may have exceeded its safe capacity when the floor collapsed. The Fire Marshal’s Office continues to work with local fire officials to determine the full scope of the incident.
Tamworth, home to roughly 2,800 residents, sits about 115 miles north of New Hampshire’s capital city of Concord, close to the Maine state line. Attempts to reach The Preserve at Chocorua and the treating hospital for comment were unsuccessful Saturday evening.
Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party has claimed an overwhelming victory in parliamentary elections, capturing 482 of the 500 available seats in the National Assembly, according to official results announced March 22nd.
The decisive win represents nearly 97% of all legislative positions and mirrors the party’s previous dominance in the outgoing parliament.
Election officials reported that voter participation in the quinquennial elections for both national parliament members and local council representatives surpassed 99%, consistent with historical turnout figures.
While the single-chamber legislature holds limited authority to oppose major party decisions, particularly regarding leadership appointments, it has occasionally modified draft legislation.
The newly elected National Assembly will convene for its inaugural extended session beginning April 6th. During this gathering, representatives are expected to approve fresh state leadership appointments designated by the party, including positions for prime minister and president.
Political observers anticipate that To Lam, who received confirmation as general secretary during the party’s January congress, will likely assume the presidency simultaneously.
Should Lam receive both positions, Vietnam’s governmental framework would more closely mirror that of neighboring China, where Xi Jinping holds dual roles as Chinese Communist Party general secretary and national president.
Both Vietnam and China rank among the world’s remaining communist-governed nations. Despite historical tensions and ongoing territorial disagreements, particularly concerning South China Sea islands and maritime boundaries, the two countries’ Communist parties maintain official cooperation.
These election results emerge as Vietnam confronts economic challenges stemming from escalating Middle East conflicts that continue affecting international commerce, energy sectors, and regional security.
BUCHAREST, Romania — More than 200 cats from around the world gathered Saturday in Romania’s capital for an international feline beauty contest known as the ‘Feline Oscars.’
The competition took place in Bucharest and featured cats competing for top honors in what organizers called a prestigious international event.
Images from the event captured the various breeds and contestants as they vied for recognition in the beauty competition.
President Donald Trump has issued Iran a 48-hour deadline to completely reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to destroy the country’s electrical infrastructure if Tehran fails to comply with his demands.
The ultimatum comes as Iranian missile attacks successfully penetrated Israeli air defenses late Saturday, striking the southern cities of Dimona and Arad near Israel’s primary nuclear research facility, marking a significant escalation in the month-long conflict.
From his Florida residence over the weekend, Trump delivered his warning through social media, declaring the United States would target Iran’s electrical grid starting with the largest facilities first. He stated America would “obliterate” power plants if Iran doesn’t fully open the crucial waterway within his specified timeframe.
Iranian officials responded swiftly on Sunday, with military representatives warning through state media that any assault on the nation’s energy infrastructure would trigger retaliatory strikes against American and Israeli energy facilities throughout the region.
The Strait of Hormuz serves as a vital corridor linking the Persian Gulf to international waters and represents a crucial route for global oil transportation. Commercial shipping has virtually ceased through the passage due to ongoing attacks and continued threats, forcing major oil-producing nations to reduce output as their petroleum products cannot reach markets.
Israeli defense forces acknowledged their inability to stop the missiles that impacted Dimona and Arad, both located in the sparsely inhabited Negev desert region. This represents the first successful Iranian missile penetration of Israel’s air defense network in the vicinity of the nuclear installation.
“If the Israeli regime is unable to intercept missiles in the heavily protected Dimona area, it is, operationally, a sign of entering a new phase of the battle,” Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X before word of the Arad strike spread.
Emergency responders reported extensive destruction in Arad, where a direct missile impact damaged at least ten residential buildings, with three structures severely compromised and at risk of collapse. Medical facilities treated 64 individuals injured in the attacks.
Dimona sits approximately 20 kilometers west of the nuclear research facility, while Arad is located roughly 35 kilometers to the north of the installation.
While Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons as the sole Middle Eastern nation with such capabilities, Israeli leadership maintains its policy of neither confirming nor denying their nuclear arsenal. The United Nations nuclear monitoring agency confirmed via social media that no damage reports or abnormal radiation readings had been received from the Israeli facility.
The Iranian missile strikes followed an earlier attack on Tehran’s primary uranium enrichment complex at Natanz, located approximately 220 kilometers southeast of Iran’s capital.
Israeli officials denied involvement in the Natanz strike earlier Saturday. Iran’s judicial news service, Mizan, reported no radiation leakage occurred at the facility.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has indicated that most of Iran’s estimated 440 kilograms of enriched uranium is stored at its Isfahan facility, buried beneath debris. The agency announced through social media it was investigating the Natanz incident.
Pentagon officials refused to provide comments regarding the Natanz attack, which has been targeted during the conflict’s opening week and in a previous 12-day war last June. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova characterized such strikes as creating “real risk of catastrophic disaster throughout the Middle East.”
American and Israeli officials have presented varying justifications for the ongoing conflict, ranging from encouraging domestic Iranian revolt against current leadership to dismantling the country’s nuclear and missile capabilities and ending support for regional militant groups. No evidence of internal uprising has emerged, while internet restrictions limit information flow from Iran.
The conflict’s impact extends well beyond Middle Eastern borders, driving up global food and energy costs.
Former President Donald Trump has delivered a stark ultimatum to Iran, threatening to destroy the country’s electrical infrastructure unless Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz completely within the next two days. Iranian officials quickly responded by vowing retaliatory strikes against American and Israeli energy facilities and critical infrastructure.
During the same timeframe, Iranian rocket attacks targeted two towns in southern Israel late Saturday evening, damaging buildings and wounding dozens of people. The strikes occurred near Israel’s primary nuclear research facility.
These escalating events indicate the conflict is entering a more perilous phase as it begins its fourth week of fighting.
Trump delivered his warning through social media while at his residence in Florida, as domestic pressure mounts for him to address the strait’s closure amid skyrocketing fuel costs.
Casualties from the ongoing conflict have now exceeded 1,500 fatalities in Iran, surpassed 1,000 deaths in Lebanon, claimed 15 Israeli lives and resulted in 13 American service member deaths, along with numerous civilian casualties throughout the Gulf area. Displacement has affected millions across Lebanon and Iran.
Recent developments include:
Saudi Arabia’s defense systems detected three incoming ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh early Sunday morning, successfully intercepting one projectile while the remaining two landed in unpopulated territory, defense officials reported.
Military forces also destroyed six unmanned aircraft approaching the kingdom’s eastern provinces, a sparsely populated region bordering Iran that houses significant petroleum facilities.
Authorities reported no immediate injuries or property damage from these incidents.
A commercial vessel experienced an explosion after being struck by a projectile approximately 15 nautical miles north of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center early Sunday.
Officials confirmed the ship’s crew remained unharmed following the attack.
WASHINGTON (TV Delmarva) — America’s designated national mammal is being honored with a special tribute as the country prepares to mark its 250th anniversary.
A trio of bronze bison sculptures has been permanently installed outside Washington’s Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The oversized statues, which exceed the dimensions of actual bison, were unveiled to the public on Friday in the nation’s capital.
The bison received its designation as America’s official mammal through legislation signed into law by former President Obama in 2016. These massive creatures once numbered in the millions across the Great Plains before hunting nearly wiped them out during the 19th century.
“It’s a wonderful story of conservation working, it’s a story of people seeing a need and getting behind that to conserve an animal that is specific to North America,” said Gary Staab, a paleoartist who made the statues.
Working from his studio in Kearney, Missouri, Staab creates animal sculptures and historical replicas for museums worldwide. For this project, he crafted the life-sized figures using foam and clay before sending them to a Colorado foundry where they were cast in bronze and put together. The installation features three figures representing a bull, cow, and calf.
According to Staab, the entire project took approximately four months from start to finish — a timeline he described as “lighting fast” considering the massive scale of the work.
“They really represent a really unbelievably beautiful and unique thing about North America,” Staab said.
HOUSTON – Basketball legend Kevin Durant reached another career milestone Saturday evening, climbing past Michael Jordan into fifth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring rankings during Houston’s narrow 123-122 victory over the Miami Heat.
The 37-year-old superstar needed 27 points to surpass Jordan’s career total, accomplishing the feat with a three-pointer from the right corner in the fourth quarter that brought his career point total to 32,294 – two points beyond Jordan’s mark.
After sinking the historic shot, Durant momentarily raised his arms in celebration as the Houston crowd erupted in appreciation of witnessing basketball history.
When asked about his achievement, Durant remained focused on future goals. “Four more to go,” he said with a smile.
The milestone shot came with under five minutes remaining in the game, after Durant had already netted 21 points through three quarters. His previous three-pointer from nearly the identical court position had brought him within striking distance of Jordan’s record.
Durant reflected on Jordan’s impact when questioned about his favorite memories of the basketball icon. “No. That’s like asking me do I got a favorite Drake song,” he said. “No, they’re just all great. MJ has so many great moments. He just personifies iconic god level – just everything that I believe in, he personifies.”
The game’s conclusion proved dramatic, as Durant’s potential game-winning attempt missed its mark in the final seconds. However, teammate Amen Thompson secured the victory by tipping in the rebound for the deciding points.
Thompson, who was only four years old when Durant entered the league as the second overall draft pick in 2007, expressed admiration for his veteran teammate’s achievement. “That’s legendary,” he said. “Just being on a team with greatness like that, it’s inspiring, for sure. And witnessing him break these records, it’s been cool to watch.”
Houston honored Durant’s accomplishment with a tribute video just before the game’s final play, showcasing highlights from both Durant’s and Jordan’s careers as fans stood to acknowledge the historic moment.
This season has seen Durant climb past multiple NBA legends, having already surpassed Wilt Chamberlain (31,419 points) and Dirk Nowitzki (31,560 points) earlier in the campaign. His next target is Kobe Bryant, who holds fourth place with 33,643 career points.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka praised the significance of the moment. “It’s an honor for everybody to be a part of that,” coach Ime Udoka said. “And as KD has said in the past, I don’t think he cares much about it in the moment. He’s really focused on the season and what we’re trying to accomplish, but I don’t want to just make it an afterthought. Passing Michael Jordan is obviously a huge accomplishment and we celebrated that with him.”
Durant is currently in his 19th NBA season, though he missed the entire 2019-20 campaign due to injury. This marks his first year with Houston following a major trade from Phoenix during the previous summer.
The accomplished veteran brings an impressive resume to his pursuit of scoring records, including 16 All-Star selections, four Olympic gold medals, four scoring titles, and two NBA Finals MVP awards. He captured two NBA championships, earned league MVP honors in 2013-14, and has been selected to 11 All-NBA teams.
While Durant acknowledged drawing inspiration from the scoring leaders ahead of him and hopes to motivate future players, he emphasized the difficulty of fully appreciating such milestones while still actively competing.
“It’s cool, but it’s hard to take in when you’re still on the journey, when you just care about getting better,” he said. “I don’t ever want to downplay stuff like that, but I’ve got to get up and come to work tomorrow.”
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — African nations may face higher costs for solar energy projects after China announced plans to eliminate tax rebates on solar panel exports and reduce incentives for battery storage manufacturing.
Starting April 1 for solar panels and next year for batteries, China will end value-added tax rebates that have helped keep equipment costs lower for international buyers. The policy shift could create challenges for Africa’s renewable energy expansion, as the continent depends largely on Chinese-made solar technology.
Energy analyst Wangari Muchiri, who specializes in Africa’s clean energy market, explained the potential impact. “We are likely to see solar panel prices increase in Africa because most of the inputs come from China,” Muchiri said. “Removing the rebate will add to existing costs, especially when you consider shipping, logistics, and other import fees.”
African countries already face steeper prices for solar equipment compared to other regions due to transportation expenses, smaller order quantities, and import duties.
The policy adjustment comes after intense competition among Chinese manufacturers drove solar panel prices down dramatically, from $0.25 per watt in 2022 to as low as $0.07 per watt in 2025. While this pricing helped accelerate worldwide solar adoption, it also resulted in substantial financial losses for many companies.
Many Chinese manufacturers had incorporated the VAT rebates into their export pricing strategies, essentially passing government subsidies along to international customers. Beijing is now reducing these payments as part of efforts to control overproduction and focus on more sophisticated technologies.
Industry experts anticipate gradual price adjustments rather than sudden cost increases, which should establish more stable global pricing.
John van Zuylen, CEO of the Africa Solar Industry Association, offered perspective on the changes. “The changes are significant, but not catastrophic,” van Zuylen said.
“The entire recent solar boom was built on artificially cheap Chinese pricing,” van Zuylen explained. “That era is now ending.”
Van Zuylen noted that companies typically respond to such policy changes in predictable ways. “When a structural rebate is removed, exporters typically either absorb the cost, raise prices, or reduce discounting,” he said. “African countries will likely feel this as a gradual upward shift in pricing rather than a single dramatic spike.”
Despite anticipated price increases, solar power is expected to maintain its competitive advantage across much of Africa, since it represents the most affordable energy source on the continent, according to Muchiri.
“Even with higher panel prices, it will still be significantly cheaper than alternatives like diesel,” she noted.
Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council industry group, warned of potential supply chain disruptions. “It will increase project costs slightly and might delay the project construction pipeline due to supply chain shortages and contractual changes, stockpiling rush, congestion in shipment for the countries heavily reliant on Chinese imports,” Dunlop said.
Battery storage technology, essential for providing power during nighttime hours, may encounter greater obstacles as incentives are eliminated through 2027. Van Zuylen suggested that smaller-scale users could face the most significant impact from higher costs.
“Batteries matter more than panels for Africa because storage is what makes solar reliable for off-grid and backup users,” he explained.
Basil Abia, co-founder of Nigerian energy research company Truva Intelligence, provided historical context for battery usage in African solar projects. “Batteries have historically been expensive, and many solar installations in Africa were built without them,” Abia said.
“Only recently have we started seeing more systems combining solar with battery storage,” Abia added.
Abia emphasized that solar panels remain reasonably priced even without government rebates. Throughout 2024 and early 2025, panel costs dropped significantly from approximately $0.25 per watt in earlier years to as low as $0.07 per watt.
Solar energy currently accounts for 3% of Africa’s power generation, with demand expected to continue expanding as storage technology enhances system reliability. The continent’s heavy reliance on Chinese equipment has highlighted the limited local manufacturing capabilities.
“The VAT removal will slow, but not reverse Africa’s clean energy transition,” Abia concluded. “Countries that use this moment to accelerate local manufacturing will emerge stronger. Those that do not will remain exposed to Beijing’s next industrial policy adjustment.”
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Citizens of Slovenia cast their ballots Sunday in a closely watched parliamentary election between the country’s liberal government and right-wing opposition forces, with the outcome determining whether this small European Union member continues its current liberal direction or shifts toward populist policies.
The election is anticipated to produce narrow margins following a campaign season disrupted by claims of outside interference that shocked this typically centrist EU nation.
The contest centers on two primary contenders: current Prime Minister Robert Golob’s Freedom Movement and the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), headed by former three-term leader Janez Jansa, a populist figure who has expressed admiration for U.S. President Donald Trump.
The results will have implications beyond Slovenia’s borders within the 27-nation EU.
Golob’s administration has championed liberal positions within the European bloc, while a Jansa victory — given his close ties to Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orbán — would bolster Europe’s growing populist movements.
“Although Slovenia is a small Balkan country, the elections taking place there could be seen as another sign of the rise of illiberal tendencies in Europe,” Helen Levy, a researcher at the Robert Schuman Foundation, wrote in an analysis last month.
Slovenian sociologist Samo Uhan told The Associated Press that “the biggest differences between the government and the opposition are reflected in their understanding of global developments.”
Recent polling shows Slovenia’s leading parties in a virtual tie, with experts predicting neither will secure an outright majority in the 90-seat parliament, potentially giving smaller parties decisive influence in forming a government.
The result “is completely uncertain, which is nothing unusual for Slovenia as the electorate has always been polarized,” Uhan said.
Adding to the political tensions are accusations, initially raised by activist and journalist groups, that a series of covert video recordings depicting alleged government corruption were designed to influence voter behavior.
The claims further suggest connections between Jansa’s party and an international private intelligence firm behind the recordings, according to gathered evidence. While Jansa has confirmed contact with a Black Cube consultant, he has rejected allegations of election manipulation.
Official investigations have revealed that representatives from the private Black Cube intelligence company made four visits to Slovenia in recent months, including to a street in Ljubljana where Jansa’s party maintains its headquarters.
At an EU summit in Brussels Thursday, Golob called for European-level investigation into the matter.
“It is so important not to act now on behalf of Slovenia, but to act now to protect every other state that will come into election process in the next months,” Golob said. “I am absolutely confident that Slovenian voters will be able to recognize that foreign interference is something that shall never be allowed.”
Black Cube has not responded to requests for comment.
The firm, operated by two former Israeli intelligence officers, has been connected to several scandals in recent years, including covert work for film producer Harvey Weinstein aimed at undermining his accusers. The company maintains that its operations are conducted legally and ethically.
During his most recent tenure from 2020-22, Jansa faced criticism for restricting press freedoms and weakening democratic institutions in Slovenia. He has attacked Golob’s administration as a “crime syndicate” and vowed to “take back” what he calls a compromised state.
The 59-year-old Golob, a former energy sector executive, and his party emerged in 2022 as fresh alternatives for frustrated voters. However, his government has subsequently struggled with multiple cabinet changes, healthcare reform challenges, and frequent tax policy adjustments that have created an impression of instability.
On foreign policy, Golob’s government has adopted a strongly pro-Palestinian position, officially recognizing Palestinian statehood in 2024 and prohibiting senior Israeli officials from entering the country. Conversely, Jansa supports Israel and has sharply opposed Palestinian recognition.
Since gaining independence from Communist Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia has regularly alternated between these two political camps. This Alpine nation of 2 million joined both NATO and the EU in 2004.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Environmental advocates are raising concerns that the Trump administration is dismantling air quality protections that have dramatically improved visibility at national parks and wilderness areas across the country.
The controversy centers around a dramatic policy shift involving West Virginia’s pollution control strategy. Twelve months ago, federal environmental officials rejected the state’s proposal to reduce sulfur emissions and smog over protected wilderness areas, citing inadequate analysis by a dozen coal-fired facilities regarding upgraded pollution controls.
However, six months after President Trump’s administration took control of the Environmental Protection Agency, those same officials approved the identical proposal. The agency now says technology assessments aren’t required if visibility improvements meet projected targets.
Environmental groups point to this reversal as evidence of a broader effort by the Trump EPA to weaken pollution restrictions that have successfully cleaned the air above treasured national parks and wilderness areas for more than two decades.
The federal regional haze regulation mandates that states develop comprehensive plans every decade to reduce emissions and track air pollution across more than 150 protected areas, including national parks, wilderness zones, wildlife refuges and tribal lands spanning 36 states.
Since implementation began in 1999, over 90% of protected parks and wilderness areas have experienced significant reductions in sulfur and smog emissions, with decreases totaling hundreds of thousands of tons each year. Visual range improvements have been substantial, with some Western parks seeing average visibility increase from 90 miles to 120 miles, according to Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program.
However, energy industry representatives contend these regulations have accomplished their intended purpose and now impose excessive financial burdens. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in March 2025 the agency’s intention to review and potentially eliminate 31 major environmental regulations, including the regional haze rule, to reduce regulatory constraints on fossil fuel companies.
While the EPA continues collecting public input on modifying the federal regulation, conservation groups argue the agency has already undermined standards by rejecting state proposals deemed too restrictive on polluters while approving weaker plans previously rejected under the Biden administration.
“They’re blessing states that haven’t done a good enough job and they’re dramatically changing course on states like West Virginia, like California, like Hawaii, like Colorado,” said Ulla Reeves, director of the National Parks Conservation Association’s clean air program. “They’re using these reversals and those changes to achieve their agenda of letting polluting facilities stay online.”
EPA spokesperson Brigit Hirsch responded in a statement that the agency remains committed to legal compliance and cannot approve state proposals that violate federal law.
The day following Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, the EPA indicated it would reject West Virginia’s submission. Agency officials noted that state authorities chose not to require eight coal-burning facilities to evaluate whether additional pollution-reduction technology was necessary to maintain progress toward natural visibility standards at multiple East Coast national parks and wilderness areas.
While the state requested evaluations from five facilities, only one complied. One plant cited existing federal emission restrictions, while others claimed they were already meeting visibility standards.
Six months later, the EPA reversed its position and approved the plan, implementing a new policy stating that state proposals are acceptable if visibility improvements surpass projections at affected national parks and wilderness areas. West Virginia had demonstrated such improvements.
The National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, and environmental law firm Earthjustice have filed a lawsuit against the EPA, claiming the new policy enabled West Virginia to avoid implementing pollution reductions and threatens air quality at national parks including Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains, and Mammoth Cave, already among the nation’s haziest parks.
Environmental advocates warn the new policy creates broad implications. While visibility levels might achieve benchmarks due to plant closures or fuel switching, relying exclusively on those measurements allows still-polluting facilities to avoid taking action, explained Joshua Smith, a Sierra Club attorney.
The Biden-era EPA had planned to reject California’s proposal as early as 2024 because state officials failed to consider pollutants beyond smog and didn’t justify their decision not to evaluate pollution levels at numerous refineries and airports. The Trump EPA approved the plan last summer partly because visibility was meeting benchmarks.
“We view this (new policy) as a backdoor way to kick the can down the road,” Smith said.
Both the EPA and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection declined to comment on pending litigation.
This January, Trump’s EPA rejected Colorado’s plan primarily because it would have forced closure of a coal-burning facility near Pueblo without Colorado Springs Utilities’ consent, according to EPA documents. The agency highlighted the utility’s concerns about closure impacts on state electricity supply and potential legal issues with forced closure. Colorado has challenged the rejection in federal court in Denver.
“EPA’s action is not based on a failure to meet regional haze requirements or visibility protections, which Colorado continues to meet,” Michael Ogletree, senior director of state air quality programs, told The Associated Press.
Hawaii’s proposal includes closing six boilers at two power facilities on Hawaii and Maui islands, plus potentially shutting down several diesel generators on Maui. While the EPA hasn’t reached a final decision, it signaled in February its intention to reject those closures, citing similar concerns to Colorado about demonstrating legal authority for shutdowns.
The EPA has also cautioned that the Trump administration won’t support states pursuing plant closures to meet regional haze requirements and that states must consider how plant closure or pollution reduction technology affects electrical grid reliability.
“Coal-fired power plants are essential sources of baseload power necessary for addressing surging energy demand, increases in American manufacturing, national security interests, and turning the United States into the Artificial Intelligence capital of the world,” the agency stated in rejecting Colorado’s plan. “Ensuring affordable and reliable energy supplies is a top priority of the Trump administration.”
Neither the U.S. Energy Association, a consortium of utilities, engineers and government agencies promoting domestic energy access, nor the American Coal Council, which supports the coal industry, responded to requests for comment.
Jim Schaberl, former air and water quality manager at Shenandoah National Park in northern Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, located less than 100 miles from West Virginia, witnessed firsthand the transformation in air quality.
When he began working at the park in 2008, a sooty, yellowish-brown haze from West Virginia coal facilities frequently blanketed the park. Today, he noted, visibility has improved so dramatically that hikers can distinguish the Washington Monument 75 miles eastward. Trump’s policies threaten to reverse all those gains, he warned.
“To try to resurrect coal is like digging up a grave, and this administration wants to dig up that grave,” Schaberl said. “It’s nonsensical and, I think, lawless.”
Organizations nationwide are mobilizing to assist Transportation Security Administration workers who have gone without complete paychecks for over a month during the ongoing partial government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security.
World Central Kitchen, an organization typically known for providing meals in conflict zones and disaster-stricken areas, began delivering food to airports in the Washington, D.C. region when many TSA workers missed their initial complete paycheck. This Thursday, Feeding San Diego started handing out 400 food packages containing pasta, beans, peanut butter, and fresh items like strawberries and potatoes to affected workers near the airport following a request from TSA and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.
Charitable organizations are intervening to provide assistance while coordinating closely with airports and local TSA facilities, as federal ethics regulations regarding gifts to government employees create challenges for shutdown-affected workers seeking direct aid.
Carissa Casares from Feeding San Diego explained that working with airport officials allows them to better customize their resources and response to meet TSA employees’ specific needs.
“We need to work directly with the people who have direct access to these employees and get this food to them at a time and location that is most convenient to them,” Casares said.
This Saturday will mark the 36th day that the Department of Homeland Security has remained closed after Democrats refused to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs Border Protection without operational changes following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Over 120,000 DHS workers are continuing their duties without compensation, including approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers, as discussions between legislators and the White House regarding immigration enforcement limitations continue.
This funding gap occurs just months following a 43-day government closure, the nation’s longest on record, which created extensive lines at food distribution centers nationwide as more than 700,000 federal employees worked without wages.
For individuals wanting to provide assistance, simply approaching airports to give cash or gift cards directly to TSA officers isn’t possible, as they cannot accept gifts at screening areas, according to a DHS representative.
However, Aaron Barker, president of AFGE Local 554 in Georgia, explained that TSA officer unions operate under different restrictions and can receive donations for distribution to their members. Barker suggests donors locate their local union district through the AFGE website or contribute through their area labor council.
“For some people it can be life or death,” said Barker. “It’s just sad and terrible that this is happening.”
Union members have informed Barker they cannot afford utility payments or their children’s medical treatments. Some have received eviction warnings or experienced vehicle repossessions. They’re also struggling to purchase everyday necessities.
“People don’t think about the things they just naturally have in their home, like toothpaste, bathroom tissue, milk, detergent, dish liquid,” he said. “I’m sure those things are a necessity for every TSA officer.”
Still, no donation can match the effectiveness of ending the shutdown. “The first thing they want is their paycheck,” said Barker. “The money is the most immediate need.”
Operation Food Search is collaborating closely with TSA to safely provide food and establish a temporary pantry at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
The Missouri hunger relief organization’s CEO noted this marks their first time distributing directly to TSA employees at their workplace.
“It removes their need to make an extra trip and drive here,” Kristen Wild said. “So we’re really excited that the airport allowed us to directly serve right there.”
They distributed slightly more than half of their 400 prepared food packages during a 2-hour window earlier this week, Wild reported. Each package held just under $20 worth of shelf-stable items including apple sauce, pasta, rice and beans. Regulations prevent federal employees from requesting or accepting gifts or monetary items exceeding $20 if connected to their government role.
Wild mentioned she believed the $20 restriction might be suspended since they were providing food through airport-approved methods.
“We didn’t know for sure,” Wild said. “But to play it safe we just kept it right under the $20 per bag amount so there would be no challenge to it.”
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport officials managed PETA donations and local food bank deliveries Friday afternoon while stocking their private pantry for off-duty TSA personnel.
They’ve also witnessed restaurant vendors, typically focused on serving travelers, stepping forward. Airport businesses have provided discounts and contributed through TSA to pay for complete shifts’ meals, according to airport spokesperson Perry Cooper.
“You know a lot of these people,” Cooper said. “You see faces and that throughout the day as you’re wandering through. And then to realize that some of these folks are here and they’re not getting paid, you know, really tugs at your heart to think what’s a way that we can help.”
The airport community’s assistance supplements approximately $6,000 they’ve collected in cash and gift cards plus an additional $10,000 in food and household items, Cooper reported. This includes contributions from the air traffic controllers’ labor union, whose positions remain unaffected by this partial shutdown but who recognize the stress of working without compensation from complete government closures.
More than 460 individuals collected fresh produce when local organization Food Lifeline delivered a truck load last Friday, Cooper stated. Most participants were TSA employees, Cooper noted, though some attendees might have been homeless individuals. Containers filled with pineapples and broccoli covered folding tables along the airport’s primary roadway.
Frequent flyers like Musie Hidad said he considers the TSA agents working without payment each time he passes through security.
“The work they are doing is serious and they aren’t getting paid for it,” said Hidad, an Amarillo, Texas, resident, who was traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for work. “My heart goes out to them.”
French citizens went to the polls Sunday to choose mayors in runoff elections spanning Paris, Marseille, and more than 1,500 additional municipalities across the nation. These contests will measure the political power of far-right movements and traditional parties before the 2027 presidential campaign begins.
Municipal leaders oversee nearly 35,000 communities throughout France, ranging from major metropolitan areas to small villages with just dozens of inhabitants, and rank as the country’s most trusted public officials.
While numerous candidates secured victories during last Sunday’s initial voting round, competitive contests in France’s largest urban centers advanced to these decisive runoff elections.
A critical battle is unfolding in Marseille, France’s second-largest city, where the far-right National Rally (RN) faces off against the current Socialist mayor. An RN triumph there would represent a significant breakthrough for the party.
Polling data from Paris indicates the race between conservative and left-wing candidates remains too close to call, with results falling within statistical margins of error.
Ballot casting began at 8 a.m. local time and concluded between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., with election outcomes expected throughout the evening hours.
The anti-immigration, European Union-skeptical RN has historically found limited success in municipal campaigns.
Initial round results delivered mixed outcomes for the organization, which secured reelection in multiple cities but failed to achieve substantial victories outside its established strongholds in southern and northern regions.
“It’s true that these 2026 municipal elections do not mark a landslide for the National Rally – far from that. But … it stands to confirm its territorial integration in France,” said Anne Muxel, a political science research director at Sciences Po university.
The RN’s prospects for capturing Marseille suffered when hard-left candidate Sebastien Delogu of France Unbowed (LFI) exited the second round, citing concerns that a divided left-wing vote might benefit the RN.
Meanwhile, in the French Riviera destination of Nice, Eric Ciotti, a renegade conservative allied with Le Pen’s movement, appears positioned to defeat a centrist-backed opponent.
Paris has remained under left-wing leadership since 2001, with the Socialist candidate leading after the first round. However, a far-right contender withdrew from the runoff to support Rachida Dati, a conservative former interior minister, creating an extremely tight competition for control of the capital.
These thousands of individual municipal elections typically center on hyperlocal concerns and don’t predict the April 2027 presidential winner.
Yet they reveal important trends regarding popularity levels and potential coalition arrangements within France’s increasingly divided political environment, along with voter responses to these developments.
A significant factor involves the impact of inter-round alliance formations or their absence.
Negotiations among local party organizations since Sunday’s first round have exposed fractures within the left, as Socialists formed partnerships with their hard-left rivals from LFI in certain cities like Lyon and Toulouse, while avoiding such agreements in places including Marseille and Lille.
Although LFI traditionally performs weakly in local contests, the party emphasized these elections more heavily this cycle, and its influential role in determining winners demonstrates its expanding political influence.
“We can clearly see that, because of the relatively good performance of France Unbowed in the municipal elections, this party and (leader) Jean-Luc Melenchon once again gain a position of power in what the balance of power in the left could constitute,” Sciences Po’s Muxel said.
TOKYO, March 22 – Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi indicated Sunday that his country might deploy military personnel to remove naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz following any potential ceasefire in the current U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Speaking on a Fuji TV program, Motegi outlined the possibility while emphasizing its conditional nature. “If there were to be a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like minesweeping could come up,” he stated. “This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider.”
While Japan’s post-World War II pacifist constitution restricts military operations, security laws passed in 2015 permit the Self-Defense Forces to operate internationally when attacks on Japan or close allies pose existential threats and alternative solutions are unavailable.
The Foreign Minister noted that Tokyo currently has no immediate intentions to arrange safe passage for Japanese ships stuck in the strait. However, he emphasized the critical importance of ensuring all vessels can safely traverse the narrow passage, which handles one-fifth of global oil transportation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi discussed with his Japanese counterpart on Friday the possibility of allowing Japanese-affiliated ships to pass through the waterway, according to Japan’s Kyodo news agency.
The strait serves as the route for approximately 90% of Japan’s oil deliveries. Tehran has mostly blocked the passage during the ongoing conflict, which has entered its fourth week. Rising global oil costs have forced Japan and other nations to tap into their strategic petroleum reserves.
During a Washington meeting Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to increase involvement, as he continues unsuccessfully urging allies to deploy naval vessels to reopen the waterway.
Following their summit, Takaichi informed reporters that she had explained to Trump the extent of assistance Japan could legally provide in the strait under current legislation.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Basketball history was made Saturday night as LeBron James established a new NBA milestone by appearing in his 1,612th regular season contest, while Luke Kennard delivered a clutch three-pointer with just 0.6 seconds remaining to give the Los Angeles Lakers a dramatic 105-104 comeback victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Lakers extended their winning streak to nine games, with significant contributions coming from multiple players. However, the team may face a setback as a player received his 16th technical foul of the season, which triggers an automatic one-game suspension unless the league reverses the decision.
On his historic evening, James contributed 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals while surpassing the record previously held by Robert Parish for nearly three decades.
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero topped the Magic’s balanced scoring attack with 16 points, leading seven teammates who reached double figures. In the game’s crucial final moments, Banchero blocked a James shot attempt that appeared to go out of bounds with 4.7 seconds left on the clock. Following an official replay review, referees determined the ball had not touched James’ foot before crossing the boundary, allowing Los Angeles to retain possession. This pivotal ruling enabled Marcus Smart to find Kennard for the game-winning basket.
Austin Reaves provided offensive firepower for the Lakers with 26 points in the victory.
The contest featured multiple momentum shifts, with James scoring six consecutive points during the third quarter to help Los Angeles build an eight-point advantage. However, Orlando managed to take a five-point lead entering the final minute of play. The defeat marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Magic.
Looking ahead, the Lakers will travel to Detroit for their next contest on Monday, while the Magic return home to face Indiana on the same evening.
Four years have passed since a catastrophic China Eastern Airlines crash claimed 132 lives, yet Chinese aviation authorities continue to withhold critical details about their investigation into the nation’s worst air disaster in three decades.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft mysteriously dove into a mountainous area of Guangxi province on March 21, 2022, approximately one hour into its journey from Kunming to Guangzhou. All passengers and crew members perished in the devastating crash.
China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) has now missed releasing mandatory annual investigation updates for two straight years, leaving grieving families without closure or explanations for the tragedy.
International aviation standards require investigators to publish preliminary findings within 30 days of an accident, followed by a comprehensive final report within one year. When these deadlines cannot be met, annual progress statements are expected to keep the public informed.
The last official communication from CAAC came in March 2024, consisting of only brief paragraphs that revealed minimal information. According to those limited updates, no mechanical problems were discovered with the aircraft or its engines prior to departure, and weather conditions posed no threat.
Chinese authorities confirmed that the flight crew possessed current certifications, had received proper rest, and cleared medical examinations before the fatal flight. No hazardous materials or dangerous weather were factors in the incident.
After ruling out equipment malfunctions, investigators turned their attention to examining the crew’s behavior during the flight, according to sources familiar with the probe. Air traffic controllers and nearby aircraft made multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact the pilots as the plane rapidly descended.
In May 2022, the Wall Street Journal cited U.S. officials in reporting that flight recorder data suggested the aircraft was deliberately crashed, though this remains unconfirmed.
CAAC dismissed such reports as speculation that “gravely misled the public” and hindered their investigation efforts. The agency promised to share information as their probe progressed but has remained silent since.
Both CAAC and China Eastern Airlines declined to provide comments when contacted recently.
The International Air Transport Association highlighted the importance of timely accident reporting in their 2025 safety analysis, emphasizing how delayed or incomplete investigations compromise aviation safety improvements worldwide.
“Accident investigation helps us improve safety, but many reports are not published in a timely, complete, or accessible way. Some are not made public while others lack clear recommendations,” stated IATA Director General Willie Walsh. “While compliance with this obligation is improving, anything less than 100% shortchanges everyone on opportunities to improve.”
Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced Sunday that one of two Japanese citizens being held in Iran has been freed and will return home.
During an appearance on a Fuji Television program, Motegi revealed that the individual had been held in Iranian custody since the previous year before being released this past Wednesday.
A second Japanese citizen who was taken into custody earlier in 2023 remains detained in Iran, according to Motegi.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has identified the person still being held as a reporter working for NHK, Japan’s national public broadcasting network.
LOS ANGELES, March 21 – America’s national flag football squad demonstrated that success on the gridiron doesn’t automatically translate to flag football excellence, overwhelming two rosters packed with professional NFL talent to capture the inaugural Flag Football Classic championship Saturday in Los Angeles.
The competition, initially planned for Riyadh before being relocated due to the Iran conflict, aimed to showcase flag football ahead of its Olympic premiere in Los Angeles during 2028.
Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, who stepped away from the NFL three years ago, led the Founders FFC squad and drew cheers from spectators when he connected with former teammate Rob Gronkowski on a successful two-point conversion during the opening contest.
However, Brady’s roster, which featured Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller Jalen Hurts and Gronkowski, who exited early with a hamstring problem, couldn’t match the determination of Team USA and their quarterback Darrell Doucette.
The national squad utilized their exceptional quickness to dominate offensively, sailing through their pair of round-robin matches in the three-team competition before defeating Joe Burrow’s Wildcats FCC squad 24-14 in a more challenging championship game.
The competition functioned as a trial run for the upcoming LA Olympics, where flag football will debut at BMO Stadium in the city’s Exposition Park area in slightly more than two years.
Using a more compact playing surface compared to standard NFL fields, event planners converted significant portions of the venue into premium VIP sections, giving the competition an exhibition atmosphere that included YouTuber-turned-WWE performer Logan Paul competing for the Wildcats.
Despite the excitement, attendance fell short of capacity, possibly due to the venue change on short notice and an ongoing heat wave affecting the Los Angeles area.
Taiwan’s defense ministry announced that long-awaited F-16V fighter aircraft from the United States will finally begin arriving this year, with manufacturing now operating at maximum capacity following a high-level visit to the production facility.
The island nation, which confronts growing military pressure from China, has expressed frustration over recurring postponements of weapons deliveries from the U.S., its most crucial international ally and primary arms provider. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory.
In 2019, Washington authorized an $8 billion agreement for Lockheed Martin to sell F-16 fighter aircraft to Taiwan, a contract designed to expand the island’s F-16 fleet beyond 200 aircraft. However, the initiative has encountered various challenges, including technical software complications.
Deputy Minister Hsu Szu-chien and Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff Tien Chung-yi traveled to Lockheed Martin’s F-16V manufacturing facility in South Carolina this past Monday to inspect the initial aircraft, according to a defense ministry announcement released Saturday evening.
The ministry confirmed that aircraft deliveries would commence within the year but provided no additional timeline details.
Lockheed Martin has deployed several hundred workers to complete assembly of the remaining aircraft, and the ministry stated that “there are no bottlenecks in either parts supply or manpower; production is proceeding at full capacity on a two-shift schedule.”
In its own statement, Lockheed Martin expressed commitment to “delivering advanced deterrence capabilities to support Taiwan’s security goals.”
“We continue to work closely with the U.S. government to accelerate delivery where possible,” the company added.
The defense ministry noted that since the F-16V represents a new variant specifically engineered for Taiwan, additional test flights remain necessary to optimize its systems, requiring careful implementation of testing procedures.
Taiwan has already upgraded 141 older F-16A/B aircraft to the F-16V configuration and has purchased 66 additional new F-16Vs, which feature enhanced electronics, weaponry and radar capabilities designed to counter the Chinese air force, including its advanced J-20 stealth fighters.
A swimmer from Salisbury University has made history for her program by claiming second place at the national level in one of swimming’s most demanding events.
Addi Wood, competing for the 20th-ranked Salisbury University women’s swimming program, secured the runner-up position in the 1,650-yard freestyle during Saturday’s competition at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships in Indianapolis.
The event took place on the concluding day of the four-day championship meet at the IU Natatorium, where Wood’s performance marked the most significant achievement ever recorded by the Salisbury swimming program.
Wood’s second-place finish in the grueling distance event represents a breakthrough moment for Salisbury University’s aquatic athletics, elevating the program’s national profile through her exceptional performance in the championship pool.
INDIANAPOLIS – Salisbury University’s nationally-ranked men’s swimming program wrapped up what coaches are calling their most successful campaign in school history, securing a 26th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships.
The Sea Gulls, who entered the competition ranked 18th in the nation, concluded their championship run Saturday evening at Indianapolis’ IU Natatorium following four days of intense competition.
The strong showing at nationals caps off a breakthrough year for the Salisbury swimming program, marking their highest achievement at the Division III level.
Iran carried out the executions of three young demonstrators in the early morning hours Thursday, timing the hangings just one day before the country’s New Year celebrations in what human rights advocates are calling an act of “state terror.”
The three men – Saleh Mohammadi, 19, Saeed Davoudi, 22, and Mehdi Ghasemi, believed to be in his early twenties – were put to death on accusations of “participation in the murder” of law enforcement officers in Qom during violent confrontations that occurred January 8-9.
According to human rights organizations, the trio was detained after authorities violently suppressed the January demonstrations and were compelled through torture to admit guilt to offenses they did not carry out.
The executions took place at dawn in Qom, adding to growing concerns about the fate of hundreds of other detained protesters who may face similar retribution from the regime.
Rights activists maintain that the young men had retracted their coerced confessions when they appeared in court, but were still sentenced to death despite the torture allegations.
HAVANA (AP) — The island nation of Cuba plunged into complete darkness Saturday when its electrical system failed entirely, marking the third total power loss the country has experienced this March while officials grapple with crumbling infrastructure and energy sanctions from the United States.
Cuba’s government-operated Electric Union confirmed the complete loss of electrical service throughout the nation but did not specify what triggered the system-wide failure.
Officials stated they were actively working to bring electricity back online.
Both island-wide and regional electrical failures have grown increasingly frequent over the past two years as the nation’s outdated power infrastructure continues to deteriorate. These system failures are made worse by daily power cuts lasting up to 12 hours due to insufficient fuel supplies, which further destabilize the electrical network.
The most recent complete power loss happened just Monday. Saturday’s blackout marked the second occurrence this week and the third time in March that the entire grid has failed.
These widespread power failures severely affect Cuban citizens, disrupting work schedules, preventing cooking with electric appliances, and causing food to spoil when refrigeration stops functioning, creating numerous hardships in daily life.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has stated that the nation has gone three months without receiving oil shipments from international suppliers. The country can only produce about 40% of the fuel required to operate its economy.
Cuba’s deteriorating electrical infrastructure has significantly worsened in recent years. However, government officials have also attributed the outages to energy restrictions imposed by the United States, particularly after former President Donald Trump warned in January about imposing tariffs on nations that sell or supply oil to Cuba. The Trump administration has demanded that Cuba free political prisoners and pursue political and economic reforms before sanctions would be lifted. Trump has also suggested the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday designed to preserve the Army-Navy football game’s standalone television broadcast slot each December.
The historic military academy rivalry has been held during the second December weekend since 2009, traditionally standing alone on the college football calendar before the evening Heisman Trophy presentation. But potential College Football Playoff expansion could introduce additional playoff rounds scheduled for that same weekend.
The current 12-team playoff format starts its first round the following weekend, as it has for two seasons. Any future expansion to 24 teams would necessitate at least one more round of games.
The situation becomes more complex because the second December weekend marks the final Saturday when the NFL cannot schedule games under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
“Such scheduling conflicts weaken the national focus on our Military Service Academies and detract from a morale-building event of vital interest to the Department of War,” Friday’s executive order stated. “Accordingly, it is the policy of the United States that no college football game, specifically college football’s CFP or other postseason games, be broadcast in a manner that directly conflicts with the Army-Navy Game.”
Prior to 2009, the Army-Navy matchup traditionally occurred during late November or early December’s first weekend. Officials relocated it to the second December weekend to prevent conflicts with conference championship games and boost television viewership.
The enforceability of Friday’s directive remains uncertain. Executive orders only provide guidance to federal agencies and executive branch departments, with this particular order instructing the FCC chairperson to collaborate with the CFP committee, NCAA and media partners to safeguard the Army-Navy exclusive window.
This year’s Army-Navy game will take place December 12 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The CFP first round is set for December 18-19.
The Army-Navy rivalry has occurred annually since 1930 and has been played 126 times in total.
President Donald Trump issued a stark 48-hour ultimatum to Iran on Saturday, warning of devastating attacks on the nation’s electrical infrastructure if Tehran fails to completely reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Trump declared on social media.
The ultimatum represents a sharp reversal from Trump’s previous statements about scaling back military operations, coming as Iranian threats have effectively blocked most shipping through the vital waterway that carries approximately 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies.
The shipping disruption has already caused European gas prices to spike by as much as 35% in recent days, raising concerns about a global energy crisis that could impact American consumers ahead of November’s congressional elections.
The escalating tensions coincided with Iran’s deployment of long-range missiles for the first time in the conflict, according to Israeli military officials. Iran fired two ballistic missiles with a 2,500-mile range at the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, marking a significant expansion of the conflict’s geographic scope.
Israeli military commander Eyal Zamir warned that these weapons pose a direct threat far beyond the Middle East region. “These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals – Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” Zamir stated.
The conflict took a dangerous turn Saturday evening when Iranian missiles struck the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, wounding dozens of civilians including children. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they targeted military facilities and security installations in southern Israel.
Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin acknowledged on social media that the country’s defense systems failed to intercept the incoming strikes. “We will investigate the incident and learn from it,” he said.
The attacks occurred dangerously close to Israel’s classified nuclear facility, located just eight miles southeast of Dimona, and near major military installations including Nevatim Air Base.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with determination following the Arad strike. “This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future,” Netanyahu said in an official statement. “We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts.”
The Trump administration’s messaging has been inconsistent throughout the four-week conflict, creating confusion among international allies about American objectives. Saturday’s aggressive deadline marked the most dramatic policy shift yet, moving from discussions of military reduction to explicit threats against Iranian infrastructure.
Rising energy costs are contributing to inflation concerns that could become a significant political challenge for Trump as he seeks to maintain public support for the military action with congressional elections approaching.
Trump has also criticized NATO partners for what he called reluctance to assist in reopening the shipping route. While some allies have indicated they might consider involvement, most remain hesitant to join a conflict they say began without proper consultation.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that American and Israeli forces targeted the Shahid Ahmadi-Roshan Natanz nuclear enrichment facility Saturday morning. Technical assessments found no radioactive contamination, and local populations faced no immediate danger. Israeli officials denied knowledge of such an operation, while the International Atomic Energy Agency announced it was investigating the incident.
Additional strikes were reported at a passenger terminal in the southern Iranian port of Bushehr and an unoccupied passenger vessel near Kharg Island, where Iran processes nearly all of its oil exports.
Iran retaliated by launching drone attacks against American military bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait that have been used to stage operations against Iranian positions in the Persian Gulf. In response to the escalating situation, Saudi Arabia expelled Iran’s military attaché and four other Iranian diplomatic personnel.
The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, where Israeli forces attacked Beirut targets associated with the Iran-supported Hezbollah organization. Hezbollah began supporting Tehran militarily on March 2, representing the most serious regional expansion of the conflict.
Israeli aircraft also conducted strikes on ballistic missile manufacturing facilities around Tehran, while Iranian media reported that three family members died when a residential building was hit in the city of Ramsar.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in more than 2,000 total casualties, with 15 deaths reported in Israel from Iranian attacks.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced Saturday that star outfielder Seiya Suzuki will be unavailable when the team opens its season Thursday against Washington at Wrigley Field due to a knee injury.
Speaking to reporters before Saturday’s spring training matchup against Seattle in Peoria, Arizona, Counsell confirmed that while Suzuki won’t be ready for the season opener, the team hasn’t decided whether to place him on the injured list.
“Look, we’ve had good days ever since he’s been back to camp,” Counsell said. “Opening Day, it’s not going to happen. (He’s) not going to be ready to play on Opening Day. Once you get past Opening Day, we’ve got to make a decision, does it just make sense to give him some time? We’ve got time to make that decision.”
The 31-year-old slugger injured his right posterior cruciate ligament with a minor sprain while trying to steal second base during Japan’s World Baseball Classic quarterfinal defeat to Venezuela on March 14. Venezuela went on to win the tournament.
Now in his fifth season with Chicago, Suzuki has participated in throwing and batting practice but hasn’t begun running exercises yet.
Last season marked a career year for Suzuki, who launched 32 home runs and knocked in 103 RBIs across 151 games. Throughout his four-year Cubs tenure, he’s maintained a .269 batting average while hitting 87 homers and driving in 296 runs.
The outfielder is playing out the final season of his five-year, $85 million deal with Chicago.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that non-roster player Michael Conforto has been notified he’ll join the 40-man roster and start the season with the Cubs. The veteran outfielder brings 10 years of major league experience from stints with the New York Mets (2015-21), San Francisco Giants (2023-24), and Los Angeles Dodgers (2025). His career totals include 179 home runs and 556 RBIs, with his best season coming in 2019 when he hit 33 homers and drove in 92 runs.
The Goldey-Beacom Lightning softball squad made an impressive statement to begin their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference season, claiming victories in both contests of a doubleheader against Dominican (NY) at Jackson Athletic Complex in Wilmington.
The Lightning dominated the opening game with a 3-0 triumph before delivering an even more commanding performance in the nightcap, shutting out their opponents 8-0 in a contest that concluded after just five innings due to the mercy rule.
The doubleheader sweep marks a strong beginning to conference competition for Goldey-Beacom as they look to establish themselves as contenders in CACC play this season.
Goldey-Beacom College’s track and field athletes delivered solid performances at the Purple And Gold Invitational held in West Chester, Pennsylvania this past weekend.
The Lightning women’s squad earned a third-place team finish at the competitive meet, while the men’s team secured fifth place overall. Both teams represented the college well at the invitational event.
The strong team showings demonstrate the continued development of Goldey-Beacom’s track and field programs as they compete against regional competition.
President Donald Trump delivered a stark ultimatum to Iran on Saturday, warning the United States will destroy Iranian power facilities if Tehran fails to completely reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
The president issued the warning through a social media post while spending his weekend at his Florida residence.
Trump stated he is providing Iran with exactly 48 hours to reopen the critical shipping lane or encounter a fresh series of strikes. He warned the U.S. would target “various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”
The president is under mounting pressure to secure the waterway as petroleum costs continue climbing.
Meanwhile, Iran launched attacks on two towns near Israel’s primary nuclear research facility late Saturday, damaging structures and seriously wounding at least seven individuals. This occurred hours after Tehran’s principal nuclear enrichment location was struck, escalating the conflict into dangerous new territory as it enters its fourth week.
This marked the first instance Israel’s nuclear research facility has been targeted during the hostilities. Israeli forces reported they could not stop missiles that struck the southern communities of Dimona and Arad, the largest settlement near the facility in Israel’s thinly populated Negev desert.
“This is a very difficult evening,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, noting that additional emergency resources were being dispatched to the area.
“The war is not close to ending,” Israel’s army chief, Gen. Eyal Zamir, remarked earlier Saturday.
Iran additionally struck the joint British-American Diego Garcia military installation in the Indian Ocean approximately 2,500 miles distant, indicating Tehran possesses missiles with greater range than previously recognized — or utilized its space program for an improvised launch.
The conflict’s impact extends well beyond the Middle East, driving up food and energy costs globally.
The extent of damage Iran has experienced from U.S. and Israeli strikes beginning February 28 remains unclear — as does who is actually leading the country. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly since assuming the position.
Video from Israel’s emergency services revealed a large crater beside what looked like residential buildings with exterior walls torn away. The missile seemed to have hit an open space.
Emergency responders reported the direct strike in Arad caused extensive damage to at least 10 apartment complexes, with three severely damaged and at risk of collapse. A minimum of 64 people were transported to medical facilities.
Dimona sits approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the nuclear research center while Arad is roughly 35 kilometers (21 miles) north.
Israel is thought to be the sole Middle Eastern nation possessing nuclear weapons, though its officials refuse to acknowledge or deny their existence. The UN nuclear monitoring agency reported on social media it had not received information about damage to the Israeli facility or unusual radiation readings.
Israel denied involvement in Saturday’s strike on the Natanz nuclear facility, located nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran. The Iranian judiciary’s official news service, Mizan, reported no contamination occurred.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has indicated most of Iran’s estimated 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium is located elsewhere, buried beneath debris at its Isfahan facility. The agency stated on social media it was investigating the attack.
The Pentagon refused to comment on the Natanz strike, which was also hit during the war’s first week and in last June’s 12-day conflict. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned such strikes created a “real risk of catastrophic disaster throughout the Middle East.”
Iran responded with retaliatory strikes hours later.
British officials provided no specifics about Friday’s unsuccessful strike targeting the Diego Garcia base. Britain’s Ministry of Defense characterized Iran as “lashing out across the region.”
The proximity of the missiles to the island remains unknown. Iran has previously claimed it limits its missile range to under 2,000 kilometers (over 1,200 miles).
Military analysts suggested Iran may have employed its space launch vehicle for an improvised attack. “If you’ve got a space program, you’ve got a ballistic missile program,” explained Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore.
Israel’s army chief, however, claimed Iran had launched “a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile.” Iran issued no official statement.
Britain has not joined U.S.-Israeli attacks but has permitted American bombers to operate from its bases for strikes on Iran’s missile installations. Friday, the U.K. government announced bombers could utilize Diego Garcia for attacks on sites used to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
With Iran threatening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates joined 21 other nations including Britain, Germany, France and Japan in declaring “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage.”
The Trump administration announced temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded onto ships as of Friday, though this does not boost oil production, a key factor in rising prices. Iran’s oil ministry, which has circumvented sanctions for years, responded that it “essentially has no crude oil left in floating storage.”
U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper claimed Iran’s capacity to attack strait vessels had been “degraded.” He reported 5,000-pound (2,270-kilogram) bombs were dropped earlier this week on an underground coastal facility Iran used to store anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile launchers.
The U.S. is sending three additional amphibious assault vessels and approximately 2,500 more Marines to the Middle East, an official informed The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed ship deployments without specifying destinations. All three requested anonymity to discuss the operations.
Gulf nations reported additional attacks. A missile warning sounded Saturday evening in Dubai. Saudi Arabia announced it intercepted 20 drones in its eastern region, home to major petroleum facilities.
Iran’s war casualties have exceeded 1,500, state television reported, citing the health ministry. In Israel, 15 people have died from Iranian missiles and four others have perished in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. military personnel have been killed, along with over a dozen civilians in Gulf states.
As military tensions escalate between the United States, Israel, and Iran, certain Evangelical pastors across America are interpreting these developments through the lens of biblical prophecy, connecting current Middle Eastern events to end-times scripture. Pastor John Hagee, who established Christians United for Israel, recently told his congregation during worship services that the ongoing conflict represents part of God’s plan, stating “Prophetically, we’re right on cue.” Many Christian communities are expressing hope that new Iranian leadership might emerge with more peaceful intentions and greater tolerance toward Christian minorities. Currently, Iran ranks among the world’s most dangerous countries for Christians to practice their faith.
In Texas, Muslim families and Islamic educational institutions have filed lawsuits against state officials regarding a private school voucher initiative they claim discriminates based on religious affiliation. State authorities have excluded schools connected to Cognia, an accreditation organization, because these institutions held events coordinated by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Texas recently classified CAIR as a terrorist organization, making any associated groups ineligible for voucher funding, though the federal State Department has not applied this designation to CAIR. This voucher system was established through legislation signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in 2025.
Advocates for religious liberty are raising concerns that European hate crime legislation is creating new barriers for faith communities. International Christian Concern reports that Europe’s Digital Services Act impacts online expression even within American borders because “it incentivizes companies to comply with its requirements and revise their worldwide content moderation policies. From politics to religion, online content is being classified as hate speech.” Finland’s legal system is currently prosecuting a former parliamentary member simply for citing passages from Paul’s Romans letter that condemn homosexual behavior. The Finnish Supreme Court is now reviewing her case.
Six years following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, clearer trends in American abortion practices are becoming apparent. National Right to Life’s latest annual analysis shows that approximately two-thirds of all abortion procedures now involve pharmaceutical methods, with these medications being deliverable to virtually any location nationwide. The research also indicates that twenty-five states have taken steps to protect abortion access through legislation or constitutional amendments, while the remaining twenty-five states have implemented significant procedural limitations, with some states effectively prohibiting the practice entirely.
President Trump has issued a warning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers could be sent to handle security duties at airports nationwide if congressional Democrats refuse to approve funding legislation.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated: “If the Democrats do not allow for Just and Proper Security at our Airports, and elsewhere throughout our Country, ICE will do the job far better than ever done before!” He continued in the same message: “I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’ NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!”
The president’s social media warning came just hours after tech billionaire Elon Musk announced he would pay the wages of airport security workers who have been operating without compensation since mid-February.
The Department of Homeland Security has remained shuttered for more than 30 days now. Democratic lawmakers refuse to authorize funding for the agency unless Republican colleagues abandon the administration’s widely-supported mass deportation initiatives.
LJUBLJANA – Citizens of Slovenia cast ballots Sunday in a closely contested parliamentary election pitting current liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob against conservative challenger Janez Jansa, with political observers predicting neither candidate will secure enough seats to govern without coalition partners.
Recent polling data shows Jansa’s Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) running neck-and-neck with Golob’s Freedom Movement (GS) following a contentious campaign marked by accusations of international interference and corruption scandals.
Political experts note that Jansa, who supports Donald Trump and is pursuing his fourth term leading the EU and NATO nation of 2 million residents, maintains a loyal voter base that could benefit from lower voter participation rates.
The election outcome will determine Slovenia’s domestic priorities and international relationships, as the current administration focused on healthcare and social policy reforms but saw declining approval ratings due to mixed achievements.
Jansa has pledged to implement corporate tax reductions while decreasing government support for nonprofit organizations, social programs and news media.
The Alpine nation, which has a strong industrial economy, weathered the breakup of Yugoslavia better than neighboring countries like Serbia and Bosnia, which faced prolonged conflicts, economic penalties and political turmoil.
Jansa, who supports Israel and maintains close ties with Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, would likely reverse Golob’s international policies that led Slovenia to recognize Palestinian independence and implement weapons restrictions against Israel last year.
The campaign season, which political watchers characterized as nasty from the beginning with incidents including dead animals being displayed on GS campaign materials, intensified recently when secret recordings appeared on an unnamed website allegedly showing government misconduct.
Golob has rejected all accusations of improper conduct.
This week, reports emerged claiming Jansa had meetings with representatives from Black Cube, an Israeli private intelligence company that LinkedIn accused in 2023 of conducting undercover surveillance operations targeting journalists and activists before Hungary’s 2022 elections.
While Jansa acknowledged meeting with a Black Cube consultant, he has denied any improper behavior. Black Cube has not responded to media inquiries for comment.
Golob has informed European Commission leadership about concerns regarding Slovenia’s democratic processes and has asked for an investigation into allegations of outside interference in the voting.
A Royal Navy nuclear submarine carrying cruise missiles has been deployed to the Arabian Sea, positioning the United Kingdom for potential long-range military operations as tensions continue to rise in the region, according to a Saturday report from the Daily Mail.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm the deployment. The British Ministry of Defence has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the report.
According to the Daily Mail, HMS Anson departed from Perth earlier this month and traveled approximately 5,500 miles to reach its current position. The vessel carries Tomahawk Block IV missiles along with Spearfish torpedoes.
The submarine reportedly surfaces at regular intervals to maintain communication with the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters located in Northwood. Any authorization to launch missiles would require approval from the prime minister and would be transmitted through the chief of joint operations, the report stated.
This military positioning follows a recent decision by Downing Street to allow the United States to utilize British military installations for potential strikes against Iranian facilities that pose threats to the Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor.
Cuba experienced a complete electrical system failure on Saturday, plunging the entire island nation into darkness and affecting roughly 10 million residents, according to the country’s power grid management company.
The widespread blackout represents the second total power system collapse this week, following a similar incident that occurred on Monday. The national utility company UNE confirmed the outage through its social media channels and promised to provide ongoing updates about restoration efforts.
The power crisis comes as Cuba struggles with an aging electrical infrastructure that has been severely impacted by ongoing U.S. economic sanctions targeting oil imports to the Caribbean nation.
Italian tennis sensation Jannik Sinner delivered an impressive performance in his Miami Open debut Saturday, defeating Damir Dzumhur in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. The victory moves Sinner closer to achieving the prestigious ‘Sunshine Double’ following his recent championship at Indian Wells.
The second-seeded player was absent from both tournaments last year due to a three-month suspension stemming from a doping violation settlement.
Should Sinner claim victory in South Florida next weekend, he would make history as the first male player since Roger Federer in 2017 to capture both major U.S. hard court titles in a single season.
The world’s second-ranked player overwhelmed the 76th-ranked Dzumhur with precise serving and powerful baseline shots, capturing 14 out of 17 points during net approaches.
‘First matches are never easy,’ the Italian commented after advancing directly to the second round with a bye.
‘I’m happy with today’s performance, now let’s see what’s coming.’
The defending 2024 Miami champion expressed satisfaction with the tournament’s playing conditions, noting how they complement his style.
‘The ball is not bouncing as much, which is something that I really like.’
Saturday’s triumph marked Sinner’s 12th consecutive victory at Masters 1000 events, a streak extending back to his Paris Masters championship last year.
At 24 years old, Sinner has now captured 24 straight sets at the Masters 1000 level, matching a benchmark previously set by Novak Djokovic.
The Italian will have an opportunity to surpass that milestone when he faces France’s Corentin Moutet on Monday.
Saturday’s UFC London event featured an explosive lightweight showdown between Mason Jones and the previously unbeaten Axel Sola that left both competitors battered and bloodied.
Jones secured a unanimous decision victory with scorecards reading 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28, pushing his professional record to 18-2. The intense battle resulted in both athletes exiting the cage covered in blood from numerous cuts sustained throughout the contest.
The opening round saw Jones hit the canvas after absorbing a spinning elbow strike, followed by several more significant strikes. While Jones suffered facial lacerations above his right eye and beneath his nose, Sola (11-1-1) endured the worse damage with at least three cuts leaving him drenched in blood by the fight’s conclusion.
“I just like fighting people. Axel wanted to fight. I took it to him,” Jones stated after his victory. “I opened him up. There was fear in his eyes at the end of the first round. There was fear in his eyes in the end.”
In another notable bout, featherweight Nathaniel Wood (11-3) extended his winning streak to four fights by handing Losene Keita his first professional defeat via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28). Keita had maintained a perfect 5-0 record over the previous three years and now holds an overall mixed martial arts record of 16-2.
Welterweight competitor Michael Page (25-3) expressed frustration about his card placement and relatively unknown opponent before defeating Sam Patterson (14-3-1) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). The fighter known as “MVP” faced criticism on social media for what many considered a lackluster performance.
“It’s getting more and more difficult when nobody really wants to engage. Everyone’s on the back foot,” Page explained. “He knew how to frustrate me by not wanting to engage. It’s more difficult to fight somebody that doesn’t want to fight than fight someone difficult that wants to fight.”
Light heavyweight prospect Iwo Baraniewski (8-0) delivered a spectacular knockout victory over former NFL defensive lineman Austen Lane, connecting with a swift left hook followed by a barrage of right hands to end the fight in just 28 seconds. Lane (13-8) appeared stunned and was forced backward without throwing a single strike before the referee intervened with Lane on his back seeking cover.
Baraniewski, who earned his UFC contract through the Contender Series, may be positioned for a higher-profile opponent in his next appearance following his impressive showing and his memorable December battle with Ibo Aslan at UFC 323.
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (16-4) captured his inaugural UFC victory with a 30-27 unanimous decision triumph over Shem Rock (12-3-1). Al-Selwady dropped Rock with a powerful overhand right in the opening round, though Rock quickly recovered and attempted to grapple. Rock continued pressing forward and made contact after the round ended, barely avoiding a retaliatory strike before being escorted to his corner.
The Goldey-Beacom College baseball team pulled off an impressive doubleheader sweep against Felician University on Saturday in Hockessin, with junior outfielder Trey Mason from Germantown, Maryland delivering a highlight-reel defensive play that helped spark the victories.
In the opening contest, Mason delivered a spectacular home run-robbing catch that energized his teammates as the Lightning claimed a 9-5 victory over the Golden Falcons. The defensive gem proved to be a momentum-shifting moment in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup.
The nightcap proved even more dramatic, as Goldey-Beacom rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning, plating three crucial runs to edge Felician 5-4 and complete the sweep. The walk-off victory capped off a successful day for the Lightning on their home field.
Both games showcased the competitive nature of CACC baseball, with the home team finding different ways to secure victories against their conference rivals.
The Goldey-Beacom Lightning women’s tennis team came up just short during their road trip to Pennsylvania, falling 4-3 to Millersville University.
The Lightning traveled north for the match but were unable to secure a victory despite the close final score. The narrow margin of defeat highlights the competitive nature of the contest between the two teams.
The loss occurred on Millersville’s home courts in Pennsylvania, where the Lightning were seeking a road victory.
Jordan’s efforts to stay out of regional warfare collapsed Friday morning when missile fragments crashed into central Amman while King Abdullah attended Eid prayers in Aqaba. Emergency crews rushed to secure the debris site in the Wadi Saqra neighborhood, warning residents to avoid handling suspicious objects from what officials believe was Iranian missile interception remnants.
The kingdom that desperately wanted to avoid becoming a battleground now finds itself directly in the crosshairs. As Iran launched fresh ballistic missile strikes toward central Israel and Jerusalem on Eid morning, Jordan discovered that the difference between being targeted and caught in crossfire has essentially vanished.
Jordanian military officials revealed Saturday that Iran has launched 240 missiles and drones at Jordan during three weeks of warfare. The Royal Jordanian Air Force successfully intercepted 222 of these projectiles, but 18 managed to penetrate their defenses.
Ground crews have documented 414 separate debris incidents throughout the country, according to the Public Security Directorate. Missile pieces struck streets in Irbid, home to 800,000 residents in northern Jordan. Air defense systems engaged threats above Aqaba, the nation’s sole port city facing the Israeli resort of Eilat. Twenty-four individuals sustained injuries during these incidents, though all have since made full recoveries.
The conflict’s impact on Jordan has moved beyond theoretical concerns to tangible threats hitting urban areas, challenging the kingdom’s defensive capabilities and highlighting the impossibility of remaining uninvolved while public opinion remains focused on Gaza.
A child suffered wounds Monday when rocket debris hit his family’s residence in Beit Ras, located west of Irbid. Earlier, on March 3, air defense systems neutralized nine separate incoming threats in a single day, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.
Perhaps the most significant damage occurred at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, where Iranian strikes destroyed a U.S. radar installation. The Raytheon-manufactured system, valued at nearly half a billion dollars, detects incoming ballistic missiles and directs interceptor weapons toward them. A U.S. official confirmed the loss to Bloomberg, while CNN satellite imagery revealed two impact craters near the location, with all five trailer components destroyed or severely damaged around March 1 or 2.
More than 50 fighter aircraft had been stationed at that base since mid-February. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Kyiv deployed drone specialists and equipment to help protect American installations in Jordan. U.S. officials report efforts are underway to replace the damaged radar equipment.
Jordanian analyst Bassam Badareen emphasized that Amman maintains it remains outside the conflict. “Jordan refuses to be a battlefield or a corridor for conflicts,” he stated. However, security analyst Amer Sabaileh argues the military statistics underestimate Jordan’s actual vulnerability, with current missile counts representing a floor rather than a ceiling.
“There are several risks Jordan could face, beyond direct or indirect targeting by missiles or drones if Iran decides to expand the level of chaos in the region,” Sabaileh explained to The Media Line. “Some of these missiles could have consequences that cannot be fully controlled, and they could strike sensitive areas inside Jordan.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi denounced the attacks on the conflict’s opening night, stating Iran had struck Jordan without justification despite the kingdom’s efforts to shield Iran by refusing to allow Jordanian territory or airspace for attacks against Iran while advocating for peaceful solutions. He also condemned concurrent Iranian strikes against the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait. Jordan joined a collective statement with the United States and Gulf nations condemning Iran’s attacks as territorial sovereignty violations endangering civilian populations.
Brig. Gen. Mustafa al-Hayyari, spokesman for Jordan’s armed forces, dismissed claims that Iranian projectiles were simply passing through Jordanian airspace en route to Israel. The missiles and drones specifically targeted Jordanian locations, he stated, including “vital installations inside Jordanian territory.”
Amman had informed all parties before hostilities began that it would not serve as a conflict zone. The strikes occurred regardless. Jordan has since activated defense cooperation agreements with partner nations for additional air protection, al-Hayyari announced during a joint press briefing in Amman, though he declined to identify specific partners. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer later confirmed UK aircraft based in Cyprus had been deployed to help defend Jordanian airspace.
On March 19, the United States approved a $70.5 million support package to maintain Jordan’s existing fleet of F-16 and F-5 fighter jets plus C-130 transport aircraft. The package provides spare parts, maintenance, logistics, and munitions support designed to keep the Jordanian air force operational under current circumstances.
However, the official government position faces domestic pressure. Pro-government newspapers, including Al-Rai and Addustour, have not simply defended Amman’s stance but have criticized both Israel and Iran, characterizing each as promoting extreme religious agendas threatening regional stability.
Jordan shares borders with Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia while maintaining close security relationships with the United States and a peace agreement with Israel. The kingdom has historically attempted to balance these relationships while insisting its territory would not become a battlefield. This time, that diplomatic balancing act failed to prevent warfare from reaching Jordanian soil, with Iran directly striking Jordanian territory with 240 projectiles during the conflict’s first three weeks.
Even before the initial missile crossed Jordan’s border, domestic political opinion was already strained. On February 20, eight days before warfare erupted, Washington’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, told Tucker Carlson it would be “fine” if Israel seized territory between the Nile and Euphrates rivers—land encompassing Jordan. President Donald Trump’s administration claimed the remarks were taken out of context, but Jordan’s parliament rejected that explanation.
Parliament Speaker Mazen Al-Qadi characterized the statements as “a blatant provocation and a serious breach of state sovereignty” violating international law and the UN Charter. Lawmakers urged the government to summon the U.S. ambassador in Amman for clarification. One legislator called for permanently removing the term “Israel” from official Jordanian discourse, replacing it with “the usurping entity.” The chamber voted unanimously to strike the word from that session’s official minutes.
One week later, Iran destroyed the American radar installation Jordan’s government was hosting on its territory. This contrast—parliamentary rhetoric on one side, strategic dependence on the other—has not escaped Jordanian attention.
As the war enters its fourth week, pressure on Jordan extends beyond military concerns. Israel launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on March 17. The Strait of Hormuz has effectively closed to commercial shipping. Oil prices have risen more than 40% since warfare began, particularly impacting Jordan, which imports nearly all its energy needs.
The fighting with Iran has not displaced Gaza in Jordanian public consciousness. Gaza’s ceasefire continues unraveling as Israel has closed all border crossings and blocked humanitarian aid, with negotiations on the next phase suspended. For many Jordanians, the new conflict has not replaced Palestinian concerns but has been layered on top of them.
This distinction carries significance. Jordanian public opinion is neither the unified position official statements suggest nor the passive civilian endurance often portrayed in outside reporting.
Political scientist Hassan Barari explained the pressures are reshaping public sentiment in ways the government cannot fully manage. “The escalation between Israel and Iran could affect public sentiment in Jordan in several ways,” he told The Media Line. “It may increase public tension and anxiety because of fears that the war could expand across the region and bring serious security and economic consequences.”
Still, Barari distinguishes between anxiety and alignment. “The escalation could strengthen public mobilization and expressions of solidarity against what many see as aggression toward Iran, especially as the war in Gaza continues,” he said. “Jordan finds itself in a sensitive position between its regional and international commitments and a public mood that strongly sympathizes with the Palestinian cause.”
That sentiment is not uniformly pro-Iran but rather anti-war, hostile to Israel’s military campaign, and deeply suspicious of being drafted into someone else’s conflict.
“Many Jordanians believe the war between Israel and Iran is part of a broader geopolitical struggle involving the United States and other powers,” Mohammed Abu Sharife, a writer and political researcher specializing in Israeli affairs, told The Media Line. “But they insist Jordan should not become a battlefield for those rivalries.”
Abu Sharife noted public perceptions remain influenced by Gaza rather than sympathy for Iran’s government. “For many people here, Iran is not seen as the main threat. The conflict with Israel and what is happening in Gaza remains the issue that shapes how people see the region.”
Meanwhile, these tensions are manifesting online. Former Jordanian Information Minister Samih Al-Maaytah called for legal action against individuals publicly celebrating Iranian missile attacks, warning that praising projectiles passing through Jordanian airspace toward Israel crosses legal boundaries. Jordan’s Cybercrime Unit reported detecting social media accounts spreading rumors, questioning state positions, or posting content that could inflame tensions. The unit warned it is monitoring online platforms and could pursue legal measures against anyone publishing material threatening national security or inciting unrest. The crackdown itself indicates government awareness that the official narrative is not resonating at the popular level.
On the street, calculations are more immediate. “We live in the middle of this region,” said Mohammad Al-Hussein, a 30-year-old day laborer from Mafraq. “When missiles start flying between Israel and Iran, people here feel that Jordan could become the next place affected. I don’t follow politics closely, but I know one thing: If this war expands, families like mine will pay the price first.”
The warfare erupted on Ramadan’s 10th day. Eid al-Fitr began Friday, March 20. Jordanians who expected to spend the holy month’s final nights at iftar tables with family, in Amman’s illuminated downtown markets, or traveling to visit relatives across the country are instead calculating whether air raid sirens will sound before or after children go to sleep.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan announced the Eid holiday would run from March 20 to March 23. The Amman Chamber of Commerce reported clothing and shoe prices remained stable. The government is attempting to project normalcy into a holiday that does not feel normal. Eid began with the established pattern already in place—missiles at night, interceptions overhead, debris in the morning. What comes next remains uncertain in Amman.
The government briefly closed the country’s airspace when fighting started, then reopened it following a security review. Schools remained open, though the Cabinet considered shifting to remote learning based on security conditions.
Another area drawing attention is Central Badia on civil defense debris maps. The sparsely populated desert territory along the Iraqi border is widely viewed as a vulnerable corridor into Jordan. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have threatened to expand attacks to regional countries hosting U.S. troops, specifically naming Jordan.
“This could move to other levels, not just chaos caused by military strikes, but also through the activation of sleeper cells operating inside the country,” Sabaileh warned. “There is also the possibility of militias being pushed toward Jordan’s borders or attempts to target vital areas inside the country. All of these scenarios are now possible.”
King Abdullah has incorporated these same pressures into his diplomacy. In conversations with regional leaders, he emphasized the need to protect worshippers’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, connecting the war, Gaza, and the holy month in a unified message directed at the Arab and Islamic world. Border crossings between Jordan and Israel have remained operational since warfare began, indicating Amman has not used the conflict as justification to suspend infrastructure supporting its peace treaty.
“Jordan does not want any of this,” Sabaileh concluded. “But the country has little choice but to strengthen its ability to intercept missiles and Iranian drones, maintain a high level of readiness along its borders, and increase internal awareness among citizens. What they must do now is take all necessary defensive measures and be prepared to respond if attacks occur.”
Emergency responders declared a mass casualty incident in the southern Israeli city of Arad on Saturday after a missile launched from Iran wounded more than 88 people, according to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s emergency medical service.
The attack occurred during what officials described as the ninth wave of Iranian missile strikes targeting southern Israel in a 24-hour span. Channel 13 news reported “early indications of multiple fatalities,” though authorities have not yet officially confirmed any deaths.
Among the wounded, ten people suffered serious injuries, including a young girl aged 5. Another 19 victims sustained moderate injuries, while the remainder had minor wounds. Emergency teams deployed helicopters and numerous ambulances to respond to the crisis as rescue efforts remained ongoing.
“Four seriously wounded in two destruction sites, there are people trapped. We requested assistance from the Home Front Command,” MDA Director-General Eli Bin explained to N12 news. The missile impact devastated nine buildings, with some structures completely destroyed and others collapsing from the blast.
The assault on Arad happened two hours following another direct missile hit in the nearby city of Dimona. Israeli Defense Forces officials are examining why their defense systems failed to stop the missiles that reached Arad. Military analysts believe the projectiles contained conventional explosives weighing hundreds of kilograms.
Medical teams evacuated 37 wounded individuals from the blast zone, including four with critical injuries and 12 with moderate wounds. The emergency declaration triggered the deployment of additional resources, with Soroka Medical Center placed on high alert to treat incoming patients. Rescue helicopters landed at the Arad airstrip to help with patient transport.
Emergency medic Yakir Talker described the devastating scene to Channel 12: “This is a very difficult scene. We arrived with large forces of ambulances, intensive care units, and MDA motorcycles, and saw many injured with varying degrees of injuries as a result of a missile strike.”
Talker continued: “We immediately began setting up a casualty concentration point, triaged the injured according to severity, and provided life-saving medical treatment. There is extensive destruction and chaos at the scene. Teams are conducting thorough searches at this time and will continue to operate here as required.”
While rescue operations continued in Arad, Iran fired additional missiles toward northern Israel. Warning sirens activated twice throughout the region, stretching from the Golan Heights to Haifa. Israeli defense systems successfully intercepted all incoming missiles or they fell harmlessly in unpopulated areas.
Earlier Saturday evening, another Iranian missile barrage targeted Dimona and nearby communities, wounding 31 people across 12 impact locations. One building collapsed in that attack, with casualties including a 10-year-old boy and a 40-year-old woman who suffered moderate shrapnel injuries, while other victims sustained minor wounds.
SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury University’s softball squad completed a successful doubleheader Saturday at Margie Knight Sea Gull Softball Stadium, defeating Manhattanville University in both contests.
The milestone day saw head coach Lacey Lord reach her 200th career victory at SU following the opening game. Lord now holds a 201-68 record during her tenure leading the Sea Gulls program, which includes five NCAA tournament berths and a pair of College World Series appearances.
The Sea Gulls, now 10-8 on the season, captured the opening contest in dramatic walk-off style by a score of 8-7. They followed up with a commanding 9-4 victory over the Valiants (6-6) in the second game to complete the sweep.
The doubleheader marked Youth Day at the stadium, adding to the celebratory atmosphere as Lord reached the significant coaching milestone.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks softball team suffered a sweep in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action, losing both ends of a doubleheader to Norfolk State University.
Despite the disappointing results on the scoreboard, the Hawks displayed offensive firepower during the twin bill. UMES player Gunther delivered an exceptional performance at the plate, collecting four hits across the two-game series against the Spartans.
The doubleheader marked another chapter in MEAC conference play for both teams, with Norfolk State earning the victories in what proved to be a competitive day of softball action.
The Hawks will look to bounce back from the losses as they continue their conference schedule, hoping to build on the positive offensive showing demonstrated during the series.
BOGOTA, Colombia — During a weekend summit in Colombia, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva denounced what he characterized as a revival of colonial-style interference in developing nations, specifically referencing the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and ongoing restrictions against Cuba.
Speaking at a high-level gathering that included African delegates and members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Lula appeared to target U.S. regional policies without directly mentioning the country. “It’s not possible for someone to think that they own other countries,” Lula declared. “What are they doing with Cuba now? What did they do with Venezuela? Is that democratic?”
The leftist leader also condemned military action by the U.S. and Israel against Iran that began February 28, drawing comparisons to the Iraq conflict. “Iran has been invaded under the pretext that Iran was building a nuclear bomb. Where are Saddam Hussein’s chemical weapons? Where are they? Who found them?” he questioned.
Addressing the assembled nations, Lula noted that all present countries had previously suffered exploitation of their natural resources including gold, silver, diamonds and other minerals. He warned that unnamed powers now seek control over critical minerals and rare earth elements. “After taking everything we had, now they want to own the critical minerals and rare earths that we have,” Lula stated. “They want to colonize us again.”
The United States has a lengthy record of regional intervention dating to President James Monroe’s declaration over two centuries ago claiming the hemisphere as America’s sphere of influence. Though major overt U.S. involvement decreased following the Cold War, recent Trump administration actions have revived these concerns.
Since taking office last year, Trump has authorized maritime operations against suspected Caribbean drug traffickers, implemented a naval embargo on Venezuelan oil shipments, and intervened in electoral processes in Honduras and Argentina.
Regarding Brazil specifically, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian products last year, citing what he called a ‘witch hunt’ prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The U.S. has also expressed significant interest in Brazil’s rare earth mineral reserves.
Most recently, on January 3, U.S. forces apprehended Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, transporting him to America to face drug trafficking and weapons charges.
While these measures have pleased right-wing leaders throughout the region, they have sparked alarm among leftist politicians who view them as American intimidation tactics.
“We cannot allow anyone to interfere and violate the territorial integrity of each country,” Lula emphasized Saturday.
The Brazilian president, who has announced plans to seek a fourth non-consecutive term in October’s elections, also criticized the United Nations for its inability to resolve ongoing global conflicts.
“What we are witnessing is the total and absolute failure of the United Nations,” Lula said, citing situations in Gaza, Ukraine and Iran while renewing calls for Security Council reforms.
The Security Council holds responsibility under the U.N. Charter for maintaining international peace and security, yet has proven ineffective in major conflicts due to veto authority held by five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.
Reform efforts spanning decades have attempted to update the Security Council to reflect current geopolitical realities rather than the post-World War II landscape from 80 years ago when the United Nations formed. All such attempts have failed.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has labeled a “priority target,” supported Lula’s criticism of the United Nations.
The organization “is acting in impotence, and that is not what it was created for. It was created after World War II precisely to prevent wars. And yet, what we have today is war,” Petro observed.
However, Petro emphasized the world’s need for U.N. leadership on climate initiatives and global warming prevention. “The more serious humanity’s problems become, the fewer tools we have for collective action. And that path leads only to barbarism.”
Petro criticized U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for promoting Western civilization and called for diplomatic dialogue instead.
The Colombian summit saw limited attendance from Latin American and Caribbean leaders, reflecting the region’s significant political divisions.
Attendees included presidents from Brazil, Uruguay, Burundi and Colombia, along with prime ministers from Guyana and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, plus various deputy ministers, foreign ministers, and ambassadors.
The University of Delaware women’s tennis squad made program history Saturday afternoon, defeating Middle Tennessee 5-2 in Miami, Florida, to claim their first-ever Conference USA victory.
The triumph extends the Blue Hens’ impressive winning streak to nine consecutive matches, showcasing the team’s strong performance throughout the season.
Saturday’s match took place in Miami as part of the team’s competition schedule, where Delaware demonstrated their competitive strength against the Middle Tennessee squad.
This historic CUSA victory represents a significant milestone for the Delaware women’s tennis program as they continue to build momentum in conference play.
The Los Angeles Angels made roster moves on Saturday by cutting ties with two veteran players – utility man Chris Taylor and pitcher Hunter Strickland.
Each player had been brought into the organization on minor league deals.
The 35-year-old Taylor struggled at the plate during the previous season, appearing in games for both Los Angeles clubs. He played 28 contests with the Dodgers and 30 with the Angels, managing only a .186 batting average across 58 total games. His performance included two home runs and 12 RBIs, with his Angels stint producing a .179 average.
Throughout his dozen seasons in Major League Baseball, Taylor has maintained a .248 career batting mark while collecting 110 home runs and 443 RBIs across 1,123 games. His professional journey has taken him through Seattle (2014-16), the Dodgers (2016-25), and the Angels. Taylor earned National League All-Star recognition in 2021.
The 37-year-old Strickland posted a 1-2 record with one save opportunity converted and a 3.27 earned run average during 19 relief outings for the Angels in the previous campaign.
Across his 11-year professional career, Strickland has compiled a 26-25 record with 30 saves and a 3.39 ERA through 499 relief appearances spanning eight different organizations. His most extended tenure came with San Francisco, where he spent four and a half seasons from 2014-18 at the beginning of his career. The Angels employed his services twice, in 2021 and again from 2024-25.
The head of Volkswagen believes German automotive manufacturers should study China’s methodical approach to industrial strategy, according to remarks published Sunday in a German newspaper.
Oliver Blume, Volkswagen’s chief executive, praised China’s systematic methodology during an interview with Bild am Sonntag, noting how the country operates with clear objectives and optimal organization.
“The Chinese proceed in a very planned way … and have clear priorities – it is structured in an optimal way,” Blume stated in the published interview.
The CEO emphasized China’s commitment to following through on plans, saying “What we experience very positively in China is a high level of discipline and willingness to execute.” He added that German companies should broaden their perspective, noting “It is worth looking beyond our own backyard … we can learn a great deal from how the country has developed.”
Blume also acknowledged the intense competitive landscape Volkswagen faces in China’s automotive market, describing an environment with “over 150 competitors and strong innovation dynamics.”
The executive confirmed the automaker’s previously announced workforce reduction plans, restating that Volkswagen intends to eliminate 50,000 positions in Germany by 2030 as part of its comprehensive restructuring initiative.
Atlanta’s Chris Sale dominated his matchup against Boston’s Garrett Crochet as the Braves cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Red Sox during Saturday’s spring training action in Fort Myers, Florida.
The left-handed Sale delivered an impressive performance, surrendering only one run on two hits across six innings of work. He recorded four strikeouts and issued one walk while throwing 86 pitches, bringing his spring training ERA down to 2.75. Austin Riley powered the Atlanta offense with a stellar 3-for-4 showing that included a home run, two doubles, and four RBIs. Matt Olson also contributed significantly, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Crochet struggled for Boston, seeing his spring ERA jump to 7.36 after giving up six earned runs on six hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander threw 89 pitches and managed three strikeouts in the losing effort. The Red Sox offense managed just four singles, with their only run coming in the second inning on an RBI groundout by Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
In other spring training action, Tampa Bay rallied past Minnesota 3-2 when Chandler Simpson connected on a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning at Port Charlotte, Florida. All scoring in the game came via home runs, with Jonathan Aranda hitting a solo shot for the Rays in the third before Minnesota’s Matt Wallner and Ryan Jeffers answered with solo blasts in the fourth and sixth innings respectively.
Washington walked off against a New York Mets split squad 3-1 in Palm Beach, Florida, thanks to Joey Wiemer’s two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning. The game remained scoreless through seven innings before Mark Vientos put the Mets ahead with an eighth-inning homer, only to see Kervin Pichardo tie it with an RBI double in the bottom half.
St. Louis jumped on Miami early with a four-run first inning en route to a 7-4 victory in Jupiter, Florida. Alec Burleson drove in the first two runs with a double and finished 2-for-4, while Thomas Saggese homered in the sixth to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 6-4.
Detroit’s new acquisition Framber Valdez continued his strong spring, allowing one run while scattering seven hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings as the Tigers defeated the Yankees 3-1 in Lakeland, Florida. Valdez lowered his spring ERA to 0.98 across 18 1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes outdueled Toronto’s Kevin Gausman in an 8-3 Pirates victory in Bradenton, Florida. Oneill Cruz homered and went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs, and his fifth stolen base of the spring, pushing his batting average to .417.
Houston rallied with four runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Mets’ other split squad 7-5 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Christian Walker delivered the decisive blow with a three-run homer after the first two Astros reached base in the frame.
Baltimore concluded its Florida spring training with a 10-8 victory over Philadelphia in Sarasota, with Jhonkensy Noel breaking a 4-4 tie by hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Salisbury University’s women’s golf squad delivered a strong performance during their season opener this spring, currently holding third place after the initial round of the Premier Collegiate Tournaments Ruckus held Saturday at Williamsburg National Golf Club.
The Sea Gulls demonstrated solid play in their opening competitive round of the spring season, marking a positive start to their campaign at the Virginia venue.
