California’s top legal official has launched a federal court challenge against the U.S. Department of Energy over the controversial reactivation of an offshore oil pipeline network.
Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday that his office filed suit to block federal authorities from using emergency Cold War legislation to bypass state regulations and restart the Santa Ynez offshore pipeline system, which connects ocean drilling platforms to mainland California refineries.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright activated the pipeline network earlier this month through presidential authority granted by Donald Trump’s executive order, which utilized the Defense Production Act to override state-level restrictions.
“We won’t let this outrageous federal overreach go without a fight,” Bonta declared during Monday’s news conference. The Attorney General contends that Wright’s activation order conflicts with state regulations, existing court rulings, and a federally-approved legal settlement.
Neither the Department of Energy nor Sable Offshore provided immediate responses to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit, which was submitted to San Francisco’s federal courthouse.
The state is requesting judicial determination that Wright’s pipeline activation breached federal statutes and constitutional provisions, while seeking an injunction preventing the Energy Department from operating the Santa Ynez platform and its associated pipeline infrastructure.
Operations at the Santa Ynez facility ceased following a catastrophic 2015 incident that released over 100,000 gallons of crude oil into Pacific waters and contaminated Santa Barbara area coastlines.
This legal battle represents another chapter in ongoing tensions between Trump’s push for expanded domestic energy production and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s progressive environmental policies.
Wright’s directive coincided with global fuel price increases linked to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Sable announced it resumed hydrocarbon transportation from Las Flores Canyon to Pentland Station on March 14, projecting daily sales of 50,000 barrels by April 1.
California previously challenged the Trump administration’s January decision to redesignate the Sable pipeline network as “interstate” infrastructure despite operating entirely within California county boundaries.
That earlier legal challenge remains under review by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Security officials reported early Tuesday that aerial bombardments struck facilities operated by Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation forces in Anbar province’s western region, resulting in the deaths of two militants and injuries to five additional personnel.
The Popular Mobilisation forces represent a coalition composed largely of Shi’ite militia organizations that receive support from Iran, according to security sources who provided details about the attack.
Canadian tennis sensation Victoria Mboko continues her impressive climb up the professional ranks, with former U.S. Open winner Andy Roddick now predicting major championship success for the rising star after her latest victory at the Miami Open.
The teenage player secured her spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals Monday following a hard-fought 7-6(4) 4-6 6-0 victory over fellow young competitor Mirra Andreeva on the Miami hard courts.
Roddick expressed strong confidence in Mboko’s championship potential during his podcast appearance, declaring: “Mboko is going to win a slam in the next two years.”
The former champion highlighted her remarkable consistency, noting: “She’s making the quarters or better in every single event. She gets through tough three-set matches all the time.”
Mboko’s 2026 season has featured several impressive tournament performances, including reaching the fourth round at January’s Australian Open. Her breakthrough came at last year’s Miami tournament, where she claimed her inaugural WTA Tour victory.
Despite recent losses to world number one Aryna Sabalenka at both the Australian Open and Indian Wells quarterfinals, Roddick remains convinced of her championship caliber.
“She plays well every single week. Losing to Sabalenka, that doesn’t bother me at all. She’s physically strong and can withstand the stress test of big tennis,” Roddick explained, adding: “I’m just more and more impressed with her.”
In Monday’s match, the 10th-seeded Mboko demonstrated her resilience against Andreeva, who also serves as her doubles partner. After dropping the second set, Mboko dominated the final frame, breaking her Russian opponent’s serve three times while Andreeva required medical attention for a back issue.
The Canadian Open titleholder clinched the victory with a powerful inside-out forehand winner, marking her fifth top-10 triumph this season.
Mboko’s semifinal berth will depend on her upcoming match against Karolina Muchova, who advanced earlier Monday with a commanding 6-0 6-2 victory over Alexandra Eala.
Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences announced Monday its intention to acquire Ouro Medicines, a privately-owned biotechnology company, in a transaction that could reach $2.18 billion in total value.
The acquisition represents a major investment by Gilead in expanding its biotechnology portfolio through the purchase of the private firm.
Construction crews are causing traffic delays on Shingle Point Road today, with the northbound lane blocked between Webb Road (Route 248A) and Ols Silo Lane.
The Delaware Department of Transportation reports the lane restriction will remain in effect until 5 PM this evening.
Drivers traveling through the area should plan for potential delays and consider alternate routes if possible during the construction period.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been transferred out of intensive care following his hospitalization for bronchopneumonia, according to a Monday report from Brazilian news outlet G1.
The former president had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Brasilia since March 13, where he was being monitored for the lung infection.
G1 reported the development based on information provided by Bolsonaro’s physician.
WASHINGTON – Defense Department officials announced Monday they have updated their media access procedures following a federal court ruling issued last Friday, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
“The Department always complies with court orders but disagrees with the decision and is pursuing an appeal,” Parnell stated on social media platform X, noting the policy changes would take effect right away.
Under the new guidelines, Parnell explained that reporters visiting the Pentagon must be accompanied by official Defense Department staff members at all times.
The Pentagon’s “Correspondents’ Corridor” will shut down effective immediately, Parnell announced. He added that officials plan to create a new media work area outside the main Pentagon building but still within the facility’s grounds, which will become available once construction is complete.
Last Friday’s federal court decision struck down media access restrictions implemented by the Trump administration. The blocked policy would have allowed the Pentagon to label journalists as potential security threats if they requested information not cleared for public distribution.
A traffic accident has resulted in the closure of the right lane on Interstate 95 at the Delaware Avenue overpass, according to Delaware Department of Transportation officials.
The crash is causing delays for commuters traveling through the area. Drivers are advised to use caution when approaching the scene and allow extra time for their commute.
Transportation officials have not yet provided information about when the lane will reopen or the extent of any injuries from the collision.
Motorists are encouraged to seek alternative routes if possible while emergency crews and transportation workers address the situation.
The streaming platform Netflix is making its debut in Major League Baseball broadcasting, launching Wednesday evening with the season-opening matchup featuring the New York Yankees against the San Francisco Giants.
This inaugural broadcast marks the beginning of a three-game package that Netflix has acquired, which will also feature the Home Run Derby and the special Field of Dreams contest between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies scheduled for August 13.
The streaming service’s entry into baseball follows a familiar pattern established with the NFL, where successful documentary programming demonstrated viewer appetite for the sport before moving into live game coverage.
Major League Baseball found itself with available broadcast inventory after ESPN decided to exit its rights agreement in February of last year.
While Netflix secured these three premium events, NBC and Peacock have taken over broadcasting duties for “Sunday Night Baseball” and the Wild Card Series.
Brandon Riegg, who serves as Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports, acknowledged that while many expected the platform to broadcast the Home Run Derby, a single event wouldn’t have made business sense.
“This is in with our event strategy. On opening night, there’s only one game, and it’s on Netflix. And then doing the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams, we can capitalize on the renewed fandom and energy around baseball,” he said.
The streaming company is investing approximately $50 million annually over three years and has obtained global broadcasting rights for these MLB events, similar to its NFL arrangement.
Netflix previously demonstrated its baseball broadcasting capabilities by streaming all 47 World Baseball Classic games live and on-demand in Japan. The platform also holds U.S. broadcasting rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031.
Historically, MLB featured a single opening-night game on Sunday when seasons traditionally began on Monday, but recent years have seen the season start on Thursday instead.
“All of the events feel unique, and it’s our job to elevate those elements to make them even brighter. I think when you do that event approach, our experience at least has been you’re pulling in all the existing fans, but really you end up recruiting a lot of people that wouldn’t normally or wouldn’t have otherwise engaged or watched it,” Riegg said. “I think that’s always a big win for the league, and it’s certainly a big win for us.”
MLB Network will handle production responsibilities, with Matt Vasgersian calling play-by-play, former players CC Sabathia and Hunter Pence providing analysis, and Lauren Shehadi serving as field reporter.
Elle Duncan, who transitioned to Netflix from ESPN in December, will anchor pre-game and post-game programming. Her broadcast team includes Giants legend and seven-time National League MVP Barry Bonds, three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols, and Anthony Rizzo.
These same broadcasting teams are anticipated to cover the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams game as well.
“I think what folks have seen us accomplish on the platform, and also knowing we’re only doing a couple of things over the year. I think it allows greater flexibility for some of the talent we’re approaching, so they don’t have to lock themselves into a really long schedule or a high volume of commitment. I do think we’ve been able to have conversations with some talent that otherwise wouldn’t either be interested or available to do it,” Riegg said.
The contest will showcase Yankees power hitter Aaron Judge, a Northern California native who was courted by the Giants during 2022 free agency before ultimately signing a nine-year, $360 million deal to remain in New York.
The game will also mark the major league managerial debut of Tony Vitello for San Francisco, who moves up from the University of Tennessee where he guided the Volunteers to a College World Series championship in 2024.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Florida circuit court judge has dismissed criminal charges against three additional police officers connected to the fatal shooting of a UPS driver during a 2019 hostage situation.
Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra determined Monday that Miami-Dade officers Richard Santiesteban, Leslie Lee and Rodolfo Mirabal cannot face prosecution for manslaughter in Frank Ordonez’s death due to Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ statute. This follows the judge’s September decision to clear officer Jose Mateo using identical legal reasoning.
The Broward State Attorney’s Office announced plans to challenge all four dismissals on appeal.
“Immunity from prosecution is not the same as a defense presented to a jury from this community,” prosecutors stated. “It is our belief that Stand Your Ground immunity does not apply in matters involving innocent bystanders, like Frank Ordonez and Richard Cutshaw, who presented no danger to officers. In this incident, two innocent men were killed, and the lives of numerous other innocent bystanders were endangered.”
The deadly incident unfolded on December 5, 2019, when Ordonez, age 27, was making deliveries in Miami-Dade County. According to police, two suspects attempting to rob a jewelry store kidnapped the driver and commandeered his delivery truck to flee the scene. The pursuit continued through rush-hour traffic before ending at a crowded intersection in Broward County.
Authorities determined that Mateo fired the fatal shots that killed Ordonez. The confrontation also claimed the lives of both robbery suspects and bystander Richard Cutshaw in the exchange of gunfire at the Miramar intersection.
Court proceedings included body camera footage showing Mateo’s pursuit of the delivery truck. The video captured his partner holding a rifle in the passenger seat and showed Mateo approaching the vehicle, firing all rounds from his weapon, reloading, and then removing Ordonez from the truck.
Judge Kollra determined the officers reasonably believed lethal force was required to resolve the dangerous situation.
All four officers remain on suspension from their positions with the department.
CONCORD, N.H. — The reasons behind air travel stress have multiplied dramatically, extending far beyond traditional flight anxieties to include extensive security checkpoint waits at airports across the nation.
Recent months have brought a cascade of travel disruptions: consecutive winter weather systems, international conflicts involving Iran, federal government shutdowns, and a deadly collision between an aircraft and emergency vehicle on a runway. These incidents, combined with standard travel frustrations such as baggage charges, seat assignment fees, overbooked aircraft, and departure postponements, are causing even experienced travelers to reconsider air travel plans.
Extended security checkpoint delays resulting from Congressional budget disputes, along with President Donald Trump’s authorization for Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel to assist with airport screening operations, dominated passenger concerns this Monday.
At Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, John Hoffman returned for a second consecutive day after missing his Spokane, Washington flight due to four-hour security wait times. Though federal immigration officers helped reduce Tuesday’s delays by supporting Transportation Security Administration workers, Hoffman questioned the cost-effectiveness of the solution.
“The lines are shorter today,” Hoffman said. “But in my mind, we can fund TSA a lot less expensive than we can send ICE here, put them up in hotels and all the things that go along with that.”
At Reagan Washington National Airport, college student JD Foster experienced only a 10-minute security wait Monday morning but still missed a crucial appointment and forfeited a $500 deposit when his Boston flight faced repeated postponements.
“They just kept saying ‘it’ll be a little bit longer’ every 15 minutes until they admitted it was a part malfunctioning and they switched planes,” Foster said in an email. “I would have had enough time to get an earlier flight if they would have been honest about the delay.”
Despite ongoing challenges, the airline industry’s trade association leader encourages travelers to anticipate summer vacation planning with optimism.
“The issues we’re dealing with today are truly temporary,” Chris Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire and president and CEO of Airlines for America, said in a phone interview. “People should know that solutions are being presented, and I think we think there are some solid long-term fixes and even some short-term fixes here, so people should feel confident buying in.”
Air travel naturally triggers anxiety for numerous individuals, and current stressors compound these feelings, according to Dr. Michael Ziffra, a psychiatrist and associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. While complete elimination of travel anxiety may be impossible, he suggests multiple strategies for reducing its impact.
Approaching travel with an adventurous mindset, or at minimum acceptance of potential issues, represents his primary recommendation.
“You’re gonna get delays, you’re gonna get complications, you might get long lines,” he said. “So just try to somehow be at peace with the fact that air travel can be inherently unpredictable.”
Advance preparation through flight status verification and wait time monitoring proves helpful, though attempting to plan for every conceivable situation becomes counterproductive, he noted. Instead, passengers should pack entertaining snacks, movies and music while steering clear of alcohol, medications or online complaints that might worsen their emotional state.
“The best thing people can do is really avoid anything that might be exacerbating the negative feelings,” he said. “People should take care of themselves and do their best to enjoy whatever travel they’re doing.”
Dr. Zaid Fadul, a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon and physician, emphasizes maintaining mental stability before physical departure.
“I always tell people, all’s fair in love and travel. Delays are normal, it’s a part of life, and you have to find ways to really reground yourself,” said Fadul, CEO of Bespoke Concierge MD.
This approach involves concentrating on controllable elements, particularly breathing patterns, he explained. His recommendations include deep breathing routines or simple techniques like focusing attention on foot-to-floor contact sensations. During a recent airport visit with his son, he demonstrated another preferred method by managing line frustration through expressing appreciation to a TSA worker.
“She lit up,” he said. “Just seeing her response made me feel a little better, and it made it less about me.”
Fadul encourages others to explore ways of making travel experiences “a little less annoying.”
“Those little acts of kindness can really land,” he said.
HONOLULU — Hawaii is grappling with catastrophic flooding that has caused the most severe water damage the state has experienced in twenty years, with torrential waters demolishing homes from their foundations, carrying vehicles away from properties, and coating surfaces with dense, rust-colored volcanic sediment.
Assessment teams worked through Monday to evaluate the devastation, with officials confirming that hundreds of residences have sustained damage, alongside educational facilities and medical centers.
While no fatalities have been confirmed, rescue operations saved more than 230 individuals from the dangerous conditions.
Governor Josh Green estimated storm-related expenses could exceed $1 billion, encompassing destruction to aviation facilities, educational institutions, transportation infrastructure, residential properties, and a medical facility in Kula, Maui. Green characterized it as Hawaii’s most devastating flood event since 2004, when Manoa experienced severe inundation affecting residences and a University of Hawaii library.
On Oahu’s North Shore, renowned for its massive surfing waves, water levels surged rapidly after Friday midnight as intense precipitation fell on ground already waterlogged from storm activity one week prior. Violent currents displaced buildings and vehicles. Emergency officials issued evacuation directives for 5,500 residents north of Honolulu, though these orders were subsequently rescinded, while rescue teams saved more than 230 people from rising floodwaters.
Several residents escaped on surfboards as water levels reached waist or chest depth.
Authorities attributed much of the destruction to the enormous volume of precipitation that occurred within a compressed timeframe.
According to the National Weather Service, sections of Oahu experienced 8 to 12 inches of rainfall, adding to substantial amounts from a previous storm days earlier. Kaala, the island’s tallest mountain, received almost 16 inches during the latter part of last week, in addition to 26.6 inches between March 10 and 16.
Weather patterns called “Kona lows,” characterized by southern or southwestern winds carrying moisture-heavy air masses, have generated the recent flooding events. Climate scientists indicate that heavy rainfall intensity and frequency in Hawaii have grown due to human-induced climate change.
The most severe weather conditions appeared to conclude by Sunday afternoon.
Damage evaluation continues, but Oahu’s Department of Emergency Management had documented over 400 reports of damaged or destroyed residences by Monday, according to spokesperson Molly Pierce.
In certain areas, residents must navigate through sediment reaching knee-depth or higher to access their properties, Pierce explained.
The mud’s texture and distinctive reddish color, resulting from iron oxidation in volcanic earth, creates exceptional cleanup challenges.
“When it’s dry, the dust stains, and when it’s wet, the mud clings,” Pierce stated Monday. She likened it to dense, saturated snow.
Volunteer groups have arrived from throughout Oahu and neighboring islands to assist with debris and sediment removal, Pierce noted.
During Friday’s flooding, authorities cautioned that the 120-year-old Wahiawa dam, located north of Honolulu, faced “imminent failure risk.” While the dam has maintained long-standing vulnerabilities, concerns diminished as water levels dropped.
The earthen facility was constructed in 1906 to enhance sugar cultivation for Waialua Agricultural Co., which later became part of Dole Food Co. Reconstruction occurred following a 1921 collapse.
State officials have classified Wahiawa dam as having “high hazard potential,” stating that failure “will result in probable loss of human life.”
Since 2009, the state has issued four deficiency notices to Dole regarding the dam, and imposed a $20,000 penalty five years ago for delayed safety improvements, according to official records.
Subsequently, Dole offered to transfer the dam, reservoir, and irrigation system to state ownership in return for an agreement to repair the spillway to meet safety requirements.
“The dam continues to operate as designed with no indications of damage,” Dole stated.
Green recommended Sunday that those seeking to assist affected families contribute to the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has activated its Stronger Hawaii Fund to distribute resources across impacted islands.
The Hawaiian Council nonprofit organization also established the Kako’o Oahu initiative to provide housing and financial aid along with additional support for individuals and families. The council provided matching funds for the initial $100,000 in contributions and continues fundraising efforts.
“So many families have been displaced, homes have been damaged, and communities are facing immediate needs,” stated Hawaiian Council CEO Kuhio Lewis. “The path to recovery begins now — it cannot wait.”
Disturbing video showing federal agents detaining a distressed woman at San Francisco International Airport has sparked fierce criticism from California Democratic officials on Monday, though the incident was not connected to President Donald Trump’s recent decision to send immigration personnel to understaffed airports amid the partial government shutdown.
Social media footage captured a woman weeping and screaming as officers restrained her and worked to place handcuffs on her while her child witnessed the scene. According to the Department of Homeland Security, authorities apprehended Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Jimenez at the airport on Sunday due to an unresolved final deportation order to Guatemala dating back to 2019.
San Francisco Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener, who is running for Congress, organized a press conference Monday outside the airport to criticize the federal authorities’ actions. Multiple Democratic candidates seeking the California governor’s office also issued sharp rebukes of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the video’s circulation.
“We don’t want ICE here and when ICE descends on our communities, it only creates fear,” Wiener said.
The video sparked widespread concern on social media platforms regarding Trump’s decision to station ICE personnel at airports as numerous Transportation Security Administration workers have resigned or called in sick after working weeks without compensation. ICE agents were observed at multiple airports Monday following Trump’s announcement that he would deploy them unless Democrats approve funding legislation for the Department of Homeland Security. Democratic lawmakers say they’re refusing to compromise until the administration implements changes following a Minnesota enforcement operation that resulted in two protesters being fatally shot.
Airport officials confirmed that San Francisco International Airport is not among the facilities where ICE officers are anticipated to be stationed. This is because the airport employs private security contractors for passenger screening, making it unaffected by the ongoing congressional standoff.
“We believe this is an isolated incident and have no reason to suspect broader enforcement action at SFO,” airport spokesman Doug Yakel said in a statement.
During transport to the international terminal for processing, Lopez-Jimenez tried to escape and fought against law enforcement personnel, according to an unnamed DHS representative in an email statement. DHS regularly maintains offices or processing centers at international airport terminals. ICE intends to deport the family to Guatemala, the statement indicated.
“This arrest occurred BEFORE ICE officers were even deployed to bolster TSA efforts to help American travelers who are facing hours long lines across the country,” the statement said.
In the detention footage, the officers disregarded multiple demands from witnesses to display their identification credentials. The agents wore civilian clothing, and at one moment an officer instructed the gathering to move back. Additional videos reveal a substantial crowd of observers, many recording the incident. One clip appears to show the woman ultimately being wheeled away in a wheelchair with the child following behind.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and an airport representative stated they view this as an isolated occurrence rather than evidence of a wider immigration enforcement campaign. Lurie, a Democrat, described the incident as “upsetting.”
Jurors deliberating a groundbreaking social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles informed the presiding judge Monday that they are struggling to reach a unanimous decision regarding one of the defendants in the case.
The lawsuit targets tech giants Google and Meta, though the jury did not indicate which company is the subject of their disagreement.
Presiding Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl instructed jurors to continue working toward a verdict if possible, warning that failure to reach consensus would result in a mistrial requiring the case to start over with a completely new jury panel.
Deliberations have stretched beyond one week in this closely-watched trial featuring a young woman who alleges she developed an addiction to Google’s YouTube platform and Meta’s Instagram during her childhood years. The verdict in this case has the potential to shape the outcome of thousands of additional lawsuits filed against these technology companies by parents, state attorneys general, and school systems across the nation.
Virginia Commonwealth University announced Monday it has granted head basketball coach Phil Martelli Jr. a two-year contract extension, securing his position through the 2031-32 season following an impressive inaugural campaign.
The contract extension follows Martelli’s outstanding first year leading the Rams, which concluded with a 28-8 record and the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory in ten years – an 82-78 overtime triumph against North Carolina on Thursday. The team’s remarkable run included 17 wins in their final 18 contests before falling 76-55 to Illinois on Saturday, ending their tournament journey.
Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin praised the coach’s performance in a statement, saying Martelli “showed all season that he embodies the leadership qualities we want in our head men’s basketball coach.” McLaughlin added that the coach “made history in his first season by winning the Atlantic 10 Championship and an NCAA Tournament game and continued the standard of excellence that we have created and come to expect.”
McLaughlin emphasized the university’s commitment to maintaining their basketball program’s success, noting their desire to “keep Coach Martelli and give him the opportunity to build on the amazing foundation we have solidified at VCU with three A-10 Championships in the last four years and appearances in 12 of the past 15 NCAA Tournaments.”
The 28 wins achieved this season matched the second-highest total in university history, falling just one victory short of the record established during the 2011-12 campaign under former coach Shaka Smart.
Expressing his appreciation, Martelli stated: “I am grateful to the players and the staff who believed in the vision and worked tirelessly to ensure its continued success. We are very fortunate to be at such a storied program and look forward to continuing our short- and long-term pursuit of adding to its rich legacy. Go Rams!”
The 44-year-old coach arrived at VCU after spending two seasons at Bryant University, where he compiled a 43-25 record and led the Bulldogs to the 2025 NCAA Tournament before losing to Michigan State in the opening round.
Martelli Jr. follows in the footsteps of his father, Phil Martelli, who achieved significant success during his 24-year tenure at St. Joseph’s University. The elder Martelli finished with a 444-328 record and guided the Hawks to the Elite Eight in 2004 as a top seed.
The Trump administration is discreetly considering Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as a possible diplomatic partner and even potential future leader, according to a Monday report from Politico that cited two administration officials.
According to the report, some White House officials view Ghalibaf as someone they could effectively work with to lead Iran and engage in negotiations with the Trump administration during the next phase of ongoing tensions.
In a stunning NCAA Tournament upset Monday night, Virginia’s women’s basketball team defeated heavily-favored Iowa 83-75 in double overtime, marking the tournament’s most shocking result so far this year in Iowa City.
Kymora Johnson led the charge for the 10th-seeded Cavaliers with 28 points while also pushing the game into both overtime periods. Her performance helped Virginia (22-11) make history as the first women’s squad to reach the Sweet 16 after starting in the First Four.
Paris Clark contributed significantly with 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists for the Cavaliers. The second-round Regional 4 matchup saw dramatic momentum swings, with Virginia holding a seven-point advantage before Iowa surged in the third quarter to build a nine-point lead.
Clark responded with a crucial individual 8-0 scoring streak featuring two three-pointers to cut into the deficit. Johnson then delivered the game-tying three-pointer with 2:11 remaining in regulation, which became the final score of the fourth quarter as Iowa missed their last five shot attempts.
The first overtime period featured lead changes for both teams, but the Hawkeyes managed a two-point edge in the closing moments before Johnson’s paint jumper knotted the score at 65-65 with 13 seconds left. Virginia dominated the second extra period, outscoring Iowa 11-2 early and securing the victory from the free-throw line.
Additional scoring for Virginia came from Romi Levy with 13 points and Caitlin Weimar with 12. The Cavaliers excelled at the charity stripe, converting 18 of 23 free throws compared to Iowa’s struggling 8-for-16 performance. For Iowa (27-7), Ava Heiden poured in 26 points, Chazadi Wright added 21, and Hannah Stuelke recorded 15 points, 19 rebounds, and six assists. The Hawkeyes had previously survived a close call against 15th-seeded FDU in the opening round, winning 58-48.
In other tournament action, third-seeded Louisville edged sixth-seeded Alabama 69-68 to advance to the Sweet 16 from Regional 3. Elif Istanbulluoglu and Tajianna Roberts each scored 18 points for the host Cardinals.
Alabama’s Karly Weathers scored with 9.4 seconds remaining to cut Louisville’s lead to four points. After Imari Berry made two free throws for Louisville, Weathers connected on another three-pointer with four seconds left to make it 69-68. However, after Reyna Scott missed two foul shots, Alabama couldn’t advance the ball in time for a potential game-winning attempt.
Istanbulluoglu also grabbed 11 rebounds for Louisville, which overcame poor three-point shooting at 7-of-26 by collecting 14 offensive rebounds and scoring 24 points in the paint. The Cardinals outrebounded Alabama 41-24.
Ace Austin paced Alabama with 17 points, including a fifth three-pointer that kept the Crimson Tide within striking distance at 52-49 with 1:22 left in the third quarter. Weathers scored 11 of her 13 points in the final quarter, while Diana Collins contributed 14 points and made 4 of 5 three-point attempts. Alabama shot an impressive 46.2% from beyond the arc (12 of 26) but managed only 45.6% overall (26 of 57).
Apollo Global’s investment arm announced Monday it will restrict how much money investors can withdraw from one of its major funds after facing an unprecedented wave of exit requests.
The company’s Apollo Debt Solutions fund received redemption requests totaling roughly 11.2% of all outstanding shares, prompting managers to implement withdrawal limits. This type of restriction has become increasingly common among non-traded business development companies that typically allow quarterly redemptions.
According to regulatory documents, Apollo will process withdrawal requests worth only 5% of outstanding shares – approximately $730 million in outflows. The firm, which oversees more than $930 billion in assets, stated this limit aligns with maintaining proper liquidity without harming asset values. Each investor requesting withdrawals will receive about 45% of their requested funds back.
The company noted that incoming and outgoing investments would roughly balance during the first quarter. Business development companies like Apollo Debt Solutions commonly offer to repurchase 5% of fund shares each quarter as standard practice.
This development reflects broader challenges facing the private credit industry, where major players including KKR and Blue Owl have watched their share values decline in recent weeks. Investor worries about loan quality and lending practices have intensified scrutiny of these investment vehicles.
Nearly all of the 20 largest business development companies in the United States now trade below their asset values, with most experiencing stock price drops over the past year. Growing skepticism surrounds private credit – the practice of lending directly to companies outside traditional banking channels – as investors raise concerns about limited oversight and relaxed lending standards.
Listen to the Evening Delmarva Farm Report Update — March 23, 2026
DELMARVA — Planting preparation is advancing across the peninsula as temperatures warm this week, with most growers wrapping up equipment maintenance and finalizing seed orders for corn and soybeans.
Fields are drying out well after last week’s rain, and soil temperatures are climbing into the mid 40s in southern Delaware. Extension agents report the region is tracking about a week ahead of normal for spring fieldwork.
Markets
Corn futures closed at $4.18 per bushel, down 3 cents on the day. Soybeans finished at $11.42, up 5 cents. Wheat came in at $5.61, down 2 cents.
Local cash corn on Delmarva is running $3.90 to $4.00. Soybeans are bringing in $11.10 to $11.25.
Forecast
Partly sunny skies are expected through this evening with temperatures holding near 53 degrees and northwest winds at 10 mph. Tonight will drop to 31 under mostly clear skies.
Tuesday brings full sunshine with a high of 49 and light northwest winds around 5 mph. Good conditions are expected for any remaining field prep work.
Warmer air returns midweek with highs climbing back into the mid 50s Wednesday and mid 60s by Thursday before the next chance of rain moves in late week.
This article is based on the Delmarva Farm Report Update Evening Edition, March 23, 2026. Hosted by Tom Bradley.
A traffic accident has resulted in the closure of the right turn lane at the intersection of Faulkland Road and South DuPont Road, according to Delaware Department of Transportation officials.
The lane closure is causing traffic delays in the area as authorities work to clear the crash scene. Drivers are advised to use caution when traveling through the intersection and consider alternate routes if possible.
DelDOT has not provided an estimated time for when the lane will reopen to traffic. Updates on the situation are being monitored through the department’s traffic incident reporting system.
A Christopher Columbus monument has been installed on the grounds of the White House by the Trump administration, generating controversy among critics.
The placement of the statue has sparked opposition from various groups who object to the decision to honor the historical figure on the presidential property.
NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s two largest prediction market platforms implemented new trading restrictions Monday following proposed congressional legislation that could dramatically limit their operations.
Kalshi announced it will prohibit political candidates from placing bets on their own campaigns and will prevent college and professional athletes from trading contracts related to sports in which they participate or work.
Polymarket established more comprehensive restrictions, clearly stating that users cannot trade on contracts where they might have inside information or could influence an event’s outcome. These rules would apply to athletes, corporate executives, government officials, and anyone with enough influence to affect results or advance knowledge of outcomes.
Polymarket has faced significant scrutiny after users placed large bets before military actions in Iran and Venezuela earlier this year. These traders appeared to profit significantly from advance knowledge of President Donald Trump’s planned military operations in those areas.
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California and Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah introduced comprehensive legislation Monday that would prohibit prediction markets from offering sports-related contracts. The proposed ban would eliminate a major portion of Kalshi’s revenue model and significantly affect Polymarket’s operations. Although these platforms allow wagering on various topics from weather patterns to political outcomes, sports betting has driven much of their recent expansion.
Stock prices for FanDuel and DraftKings’ parent companies jumped significantly Monday following the senators’ announcement.
While Senators Schiff and Curtis aren’t the first lawmakers to propose extensive restrictions on prediction markets, bipartisan skepticism signals growing concern for the industry. Multiple states have already prohibited Kalshi and Polymarket operations, arguing these platforms are essentially sports betting services with technological enhancements. Kalshi’s legal challenges to enter markets like Nevada and Utah have largely failed.
Both platforms have received support from the Trump administration’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates derivatives and prediction market activities. CFTC Chairman Michael Selig has indicated he would support Kalshi in state-level legal disputes, maintaining that federal regulations supersede state laws on these matters.
A seasoned federal prosecutor was named Monday to lead New Jersey’s U.S. attorney’s office, bringing closure to a contentious legal battle between federal courts and the Trump administration over who controls the position.
U.S. District Court Judge issued a brief order designating Robert Frazer as the state’s chief federal prosecutor through an arrangement worked out between federal judges and the Department of Justice.
“The Department of Justice thanks the district court for working with the Department to appoint Robert Frazer to serve as US Attorney so that once again criminal prosecutions can resume without needless challenge or delay on behalf of the people of New Jersey,” the department said in a statement.
The appointment follows U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann’s decision earlier this month to remove three Justice Department officials who had been sharing oversight of the office. Brann determined their appointments represented an unlawful seizure of power by the Trump administration. These officials had replaced Trump’s original nominee for U.S. attorney, his former personal lawyer Alina Habba, whom Brann had previously blocked from taking the role because she served beyond the legal timeframe without Senate approval.
The three removed officials — Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio — had been installed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to take over from Habba on an open-ended basis, an uncommon arrangement.
During a court session last week, another New Jersey federal judge required the three officials to testify under oath and dismissed a government representative from the proceedings due to frustration over the Justice Department’s disorganized management of federal prosecutions in the state.
Habba, who currently serves as a senior adviser at the Justice Department, praised Frazer’s appointment on social media Monday, stating “New Jersey deserves a great chief federal law enforcement official who is in line with President Trump’s agenda of making this country safe and NJ great!”
Frazer, who previously worked as senior trial counsel within the New Jersey U.S. attorney’s office, did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
The court system and Trump’s administration have clashed over procedures for choosing U.S. attorneys, who typically must receive Senate confirmation to remain in their roles permanently.
Federal judges have determined in additional cases that individuals installed as chief federal prosecutors in Nevada, Los Angeles and northern New York were all serving without proper legal authority.
Lindsey Halligan, who had pursued charges against two Trump opponents, stepped down from her role as acting U.S. attorney in Virginia following a judge’s November ruling that her appointment lacked legal basis. The same judge also determined that criminal charges she filed against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey should be thrown out.
In certain situations, judges have used their legal authority to name U.S. attorneys to manage prosecutor offices while waiting for presidential nominees to receive Senate approval. The Justice Department has responded by immediately dismissing these court-appointed officials.
WASHINGTON — Federal immigration agents have been positioned at airports nationwide in an effort to address extensive security line delays resulting from staffing challenges during the partial government shutdown.
However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel lack specialized aviation security training, and their prominent involvement in President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration policies has sparked debate about their effectiveness in reducing passenger wait times and potential impact on traveler relations.
Officials have provided limited information about the specific duties these immigration agents will perform. Trump has characterized airports as “fertile territory” for immigration operations, though he emphasized that ICE’s primary purpose there is to provide assistance.
On Monday, ICE personnel were observed positioned near security checkpoints and passenger lines, but they were not conducting passenger screenings. Extended wait times persisted at several airports.
Industry experts indicate there are significant limitations to ICE’s potential contributions.
Using ICE agents as replacements for Transportation Security Administration personnel represents a flawed approach to an increasingly critical travel crisis, according to Keith Jeffries, former TSA security chief at Los Angeles International Airport.
“Can they do some of the duties? Perhaps,” stated Jeffries, currently serving as vice president at K2 Security Screening, a company that provides airport equipment installation.
“There is just zero chance for them to be operating X-rays, conducting bag checks and pat-downs,” Jeffries explained, noting that TSA personnel undergo extensive classroom instruction in security protocols, followed by “weeks or months” of hands-on training.
Tom Homan, Trump’s border enforcement leader, indicated Sunday that immigration officers might manage exit lanes, which could allow some TSA staff to focus on security operations.
Travel industry blogger Zach Griff, who writes “From the Tray Table,” expressed cautious optimism about utilizing ICE personnel to support TSA operations while emphasizing that their deployment doesn’t represent a comprehensive solution to airport challenges.
Similar to Jeffries’ assessment, Griff highlighted the complexity of incorporating ICE agents or other personnel into baggage screening operations, which constitute TSA agents’ primary responsibility.
“That is a specialized training process that the TSA goes through with all of its agents. That’s not something that they can just kind of spin up,” Griff explained.
ICE personnel undergo their own specialized preparation that bears little resemblance to airport security procedures.
The agency encompasses Homeland Security Investigations agents and deportation officers within Enforcement and Removal Operations. Both groups receive fundamental instruction in firearms and vehicle operation, but deportation officers concentrate on immigration regulations, while HSI agents undergo extended training for complex criminal investigations, with some operating in airport environments.
ICE agents and their methods, including intensive arrest operations and expanded detention authority, have faced intense criticism since the Trump administration initiated immigration enforcement campaigns across multiple cities last year.
Immigration officers could assist with managing crowds in the massive security lines that have recently extended throughout airport terminals and beyond building entrances, Jeffries suggested.
However, ICE’s deployment could attract demonstrators who have previously disrupted their enforcement activities, potentially diverting additional airport security resources from passenger processing, Jeffries observed. Notably, Lauren Bis from the Department of Homeland Security declined Sunday to identify which airports would receive ICE officers, citing security considerations.
Introducing armed ICE agents into airports during a period of heightened immigration enforcement tensions may create discomfort among many travelers, Griff noted.
“There are going to be people who are going to be uncomfortable seeing ICE agents at the airport,” Griff stated.
Trump suggested Monday that immigration arrests might occur at airports, describing them as “fertile territory” for ICE operations. However, he added, “that’s not why they’re there, they’re really there to help.”
Trump also addressed a key issue in the congressional funding dispute — protective face coverings worn by ICE officers. In a Monday social media message, Trump expressed support for officers wearing masks when apprehending “hardened criminals,” but requested “NO MASKS” when assisting with airport operations.
Face coverings used by ICE officers have become a contentious point in immigration discussions. Opponents argue that masks enable ICE agents to avoid responsibility for potential rights violations. ICE leadership maintains they’re essential for protecting officers from personal information exposure.
Democrats have demanded that ICE officers be prohibited from wearing masks as a condition for agreeing to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which would restore TSA worker compensation.
Democratic leaders have expressed concerns about deploying ICE to airports.
“Everywhere ICE goes, trouble follows,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “We’ve seen that, and it is highly likely the airports will be no exception. No one trusts that ICE is going to make things better.”
Jeffries, the former Los Angeles Airport TSA security director, emphasized that resolving the congressional deadlock and fully funding DHS represents the only viable long-term solution.
“There is no substitute — and I don’t even think ICE would disagree with that,” he concluded.
American agricultural producers are confronting a significant challenge as fertilizer costs surge by 25 percent during the critical spring planting period, driven by supply disruptions from the Middle East conflict involving Iran.
The Persian Gulf region serves as a key source of fertilizer production globally, and the ongoing warfare has severely impacted export capabilities from these nations. This timing creates particular hardship for U.S. corn growers who are already facing economic pressures and must secure fertilizer supplies during their peak planting window.
Travelers at LaGuardia Airport in New York City are voicing their displeasure as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers begin working alongside TSA personnel for security screening duties.
The deployment follows President Trump’s announcement that ICE agents would be dispatched to airports across the United States to provide additional support for Transportation Security Administration screening operations.
Passengers at the busy New York airport have expressed frustration with the new security arrangements, though specific details about their concerns were not immediately available.
South Korean officials ordered the recall of 58,000 Hyundai Palisade hybrid SUVs on Tuesday after safety issues with automatic seats led to a tragic death in the United States this month.
The recall follows Hyundai’s decision to halt sales of premium Palisade models and recall 68,500 vehicles across the U.S. and Canada after a toddler in Ohio was killed on March 7. According to media accounts, the 2-year-old girl was fatally injured when an automatic seat in the third row suddenly collapsed. Hyundai officials say they are still examining the circumstances of the incident.
The automaker disclosed Monday that two South Korean passengers suffered injuries in October and December of last year, potentially caused by malfunctioning automatic seats. This revelation came after Hyundai informed U.S. safety officials last week about four additional injuries in America connected to the power seat malfunction.
Transportation officials in South Korea determined that the Palisade’s second and third-row seats cannot properly sense contact with people or objects because of flawed software programming in the seat control systems, creating dangerous conditions for passengers.
Beginning Friday, Hyundai began distributing software fixes as a temporary solution to address the safety issues, according to the transport ministry, which noted the company is exploring further safety improvements.
The Palisade ranked as Hyundai’s best-selling SUV model in South Korea during the previous year. Financial analysts at Meritz Securities estimated that if the recall requires replacing physical components, Hyundai could face costs reaching 100 billion won (approximately $66.08 million), while also confronting possible group lawsuits and penalty payments.
The software modification will simplify the process for drivers to disable the automatic-folding seat feature using just one switch. The previous system required drivers to shut off the vehicle and restart it before they could turn off the power seat function.
The updated software will also limit when the power seat system can operate, restricting its use to times when the rear tailgate is opened.
Carolina Hurricanes star Sebastian Aho couldn’t contain his excitement Monday after discovering his team will take on the Seattle Kraken in a pair of matchups in his native Finland during the upcoming season.
The two games are scheduled for November 12th and 14th as part of the 2026 Global Series, with both contests taking place in Helsinki, Finland’s capital city.
“Very excited. Happy,” Aho shared with the media. “I’ve been dreaming about it for 10 years. When they announce the teams (for the Global games), you usually don’t see Carolina there, and you’re always like, ‘Bummer.’ But (this is) worth the wait.”
This marks Carolina’s first European games since facing Minnesota in Helsinki back in 2010. At that time, a young 13-year-old Aho was in the stands watching as a spectator.
The now 28-year-old forward has consistently scored more than 20 goals throughout each of his 10 NHL campaigns and currently has 25 goals and 72 total points this season.
“Hockey is such a big part of Finnish culture, and people definitely enjoy watching it and cheering on Finns,” Aho explained. “It’s such a big part of the whole country, and I know it’s going to be a good atmosphere at the games.”
Aho won’t be the lone Finnish representative on Carolina’s roster, as teammate Jesperi Kotkaniemi also hails from the Nordic nation.
Meanwhile, Seattle brings three Finnish players to the matchup: forwards Kaapo Kakko, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jani Nyman.
“I was always thinking that it would be fun to play there in Finland in front of all of my family and friends,” Kakko commented. “Now, I’ll get to do that, so I’m real excited about it.”
These Global Series games will mark a franchise first for Seattle, which is currently in its fifth year of operation.
Finland recently captured the bronze medal at the latest Winter Olympics held in Italy.
A Houston-based energy equipment company announced Monday its intention to go public, with plans to raise as much as $231.4 million through its initial stock market debut.
HMH Holding revealed it plans to offer 10.5 million shares to investors, with each share priced between $19 and $22.
The Texas-based firm specializes in providing drilling equipment, services and systems for both offshore and land-based oil and gas drilling operations.
Three major investment banks – J.P. Morgan, Piper Sandler and Evercore ISI – will serve as the primary underwriters managing the stock offering.
Motorists traveling on Polly Drummond Hill Road should expect delays today as construction crews have shut down the right lane in the northbound direction.
The lane closure affects the stretch of roadway between White Clay Creek State Park and Old Coach Road, according to DelDOT officials.
The construction work and associated lane restrictions are scheduled to remain in place until 5 PM today. Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and use caution when passing through the work zone.
Motorists in the Newark area should expect delays on Old Coach Road today as construction crews have closed the right lane of westbound traffic.
The lane restriction affects the stretch of Old Coach Road running between DeWalt Road and Polly Drummond Hill Road, according to DelDOT traffic officials.
The construction-related closure began earlier today and is expected to remain in place until 5 PM this evening.
Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and use caution when navigating through the work zone area.
Cleanup crews are currently working along southbound Interstate 95 this afternoon, focusing on litter removal between Delaware’s Welcome Center and the Maryland border.
The Delaware Department of Transportation reports that work crews are operating on the right shoulder of the highway and are expected to wrap up their activities by 4:30 PM today.
Motorists traveling south on I-95 in that area should exercise caution and be aware of the ongoing maintenance work along the roadside.
Motorists traveling on South DuPont Highway should expect delays this afternoon as construction work forces the closure of the right shoulder near South State Street.
The Delaware Department of Transportation reports that the right shoulder of Route 13 at South State Street will remain blocked due to ongoing construction activities until 2:30 PM today.
Drivers are advised to use caution when traveling through the work zone and allow extra time for their commute. Traffic may be slower than usual as vehicles merge away from the construction area.
SALISBURY, Md. – A duo of Salisbury University athletes captured Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week recognition for their outstanding performances during March 16-22, 2026.
Audrey Harrington from the women’s lacrosse team claimed the conference’s offensive player of the week distinction, while women’s tennis competitor Gibelle Beaujon secured her second C2C weekly honor of the current season.
Both athletes received Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above Player of the Week awards for their exceptional contributions to their respective sports programs at the university.
Major League Baseball will debut computer-assisted umpiring technology this season, marking a significant shift in how ball and strike calls are made.
The league’s Automated Ball/Strike System operates as a challenge-based format where traditional umpires continue making initial calls, but teams can appeal decisions to computer verification. This technology has undergone extensive evaluation in minor league play beginning in 2019, with comprehensive testing at Triple-A level starting in 2022, during MLB spring training last season, and at the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta.
The system relies on strategically positioned cameras throughout ballparks that monitor every pitch and determine whether it passes through the strike zone over home plate. During initial trials, umpires received audio feedback through earpieces announcing “ball” or “strike,” then communicated these decisions using standard gestures.
Under the challenge format, human officials make all initial pitch calls, but each team receives two opportunities per game to contest decisions. Teams losing their challenges earn one additional appeal during each extra inning. Successful challenges allow teams to keep their remaining appeals, mirroring current video review procedures that began with home run calls in August 2008 and expanded significantly for the 2014 season.
Challenge requests can only come from batters, pitchers, or catchers, who signal by tapping their helmet or cap, with dugout assistance prohibited. Appeals must occur within 2 seconds, after which the pitch trajectory and strike zone graphic appears on scoreboards and television broadcasts. Umpires then announce any count changes.
Last year’s spring training challenges required an average of 13.8 seconds to resolve.
The Hawk-Eye pose-tracking camera system monitors pitches and compares them against individualized strike zones based on each batter’s height, measured without footwear. Players undergo strike zone measurements between 10 a.m. and noon on a rotating schedule during spring training, with this specific timeframe chosen for consistency since height decreases throughout the day. The Southwest Research Institute validates all measurements, with MLB estimating under one minute per player for the calibration process.
While traditional umpire strike zones tend to form oval shapes, the ABS creates rectangular zones matching official rulebook specifications.
Establishing the computer strike zone parameters required extensive deliberation.
MLB has modified the ABS strike zone dimensions multiple times.
The system began with 19-inch width in 2022, then reduced to 17 inches to match home plate dimensions. This narrower zone increased walk rates while producing minimal strikeout changes.
The upper strike zone boundary was set at 51% of batter height in 2022 and 2023, then increased to 53.5% in 2024 following pitcher complaints. The lower boundary has remained at 27% since 2022, down from an initial 28%. Batter positioning doesn’t influence these calculations.
ABS evaluates pitches at the plate’s center point, 8.5 inches from both front and back edges. This differs from the rulebook zone used by umpires, which defines the zone as three-dimensional with strikes occurring when any portion crosses through. Current big league umpires achieve approximately 94% accuracy on pitch calls, according to UmpScorecards data.
The Hawk-Eye camera-based ABS has undergone minor league testing since 2019. The independent Atlantic League first trialed the technology during its 2019 All-Star Game, followed by MLB installation for that year’s Arizona Fall League featuring top prospects. Eight of nine Low-A Southeast League ballparks used ABS in 2021, before advancing to Triple-A in 2022.
Triple-A began the 2023 season with half their games using automated ball/strike calls and half employing human umpires subject to team appeals.
MLB converted all Triple-A games to the challenge system on June 26, 2024, then implemented it across 13 spring training facilities hosting 19 teams for 288 exhibition games last year. Teams successfully overturned 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges (617 of 1,182 attempts).
During last year’s MLB All-Star Game, four of five challenges against plate umpire Dan Iassogna’s calls succeeded.
Minor league success rates have consistently hovered near 50%. Triple-A’s success rate decreased to 49.5% from 50.6% last season. Defensive players, primarily catchers, achieved better results with 53.7% successful challenges compared to 45% for batters. Challenge frequency increased from 3.9 to 4.2 per game.
In 2024 Triple-A play, only 1.6% of first pitches faced challenges, but rates climbed to 3.9% on two-strike counts, 5.2% on three-ball counts, and 8.2% during full counts.
Challenge rates increased as games progressed. The first three innings saw 1.9% of pitches challenged, rising to 2.5% from the fourth through sixth innings, 2.8% in the seventh and eighth, and 3.6% in the ninth inning.
Delaware Department of Transportation crews are conducting construction work that has forced the closure of the southbound lane on Irons Lane at Colony Drive.
The lane restriction began earlier today and is expected to continue until 5 PM this evening, according to DelDOT traffic alerts.
Drivers traveling through the area should anticipate possible delays and consider alternate routes if necessary. The northbound lane remains open to traffic during the construction period.
The Trump administration has struck a billion-dollar agreement with French energy corporation TotalEnergies to abandon its offshore wind farm development rights, the Department of Interior revealed.
Under the deal, TotalEnergies will receive what amounts to a full reimbursement for wind energy leases it held for projects planned off the coastlines of North Carolina and New York.
The French energy giant has indicated it will redirect the $1 billion payment toward fossil fuel development ventures rather than continuing with renewable energy initiatives.
The arrangement represents a significant shift away from offshore wind development in favor of traditional energy sources, marking a departure from previous renewable energy policies.
DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman received favorable strike calls from human umpires on 709 pitches that were actually outside the strike zone during the last ten years, ranking him third among all major league players.
“I would have thought maybe I was top 20 maybe but top five is kind of kind of crazy,” the right-handed pitcher commented. “I guess the book is kind of still out. We’ll see what happens and how we have to adjust.”
Major League Baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike System launches Wednesday evening when the New York Yankees face the San Francisco Giants, bringing both advantages and disadvantages for different players. The system employs Hawk-Eye technology with 12 cameras to determine if pitches pass through the strike zone, achieving precision within roughly one-sixth of an inch.
According to MLB Statcast data from the previous decade, Kyle Hendricks topped all pitchers with 777 favorable strike calls on pitches outside the zone. Aaron Nola came second with 747, followed by Gausman and Zach Davies at 709 each, then Kyle Gibson with 697, Patrick Corbin at 694, Marcus Stroman with 671, Zack Greinke at 667, Martín Pérez with 647, and Kyle Freeland at 631.
“I guess that’s a good thing because you make balls look like strikes,” Nola observed. “There’s going to be some maybe good and bad to it, but I think the good parts and the big situations and big games, I that’s going to help out a lot. We’ve seen over the years our side lose games on a bad call.”
On the flip side, Corbin led all pitchers in strikes that should have been called but weren’t, with 470 such instances. Chris Sale followed at 461, Nola at 460, Carlos Rodón with 450, Yu Darvish at 442, Sonny Gray with 439, José Berríos at 438, Steven Matz with 436, and Jon Gray and Justin Verlander tied at 435.
“All umpires always had like — they give a little bit here, they’re a little tight there. You know this as a hitter and a pitcher,” explained Verlander, the three-time Cy Young Award winner returning to Detroit for his 21st major league campaign. “But it’s all because of the way they set up and they see certain areas better than others. And now I think they’re put in a situation where they have to call this like theoretical zone, instead of creating their own strike zone that they’re probably much more consistent at.”
Among hitters, Mookie Betts experienced the most unfavorable strike calls on pitches outside the zone, with 714 instances.
“He knows the strike zone as well as anyone and it does seem that he gets the short end of a lot of calls,” noted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He’s a guy I certainly would trust to challenge a call.”
Following Betts were Eugenio Suárez with 684, José Ramírez at 657, Paul Goldschmidt with 656, Aaron Judge at 653, Marcus Semien with 631, Xander Bogaerts at 625, Alex Bregman with 603, and Christian Yelich at 594.
“When we didn’t have a challenge system, you just try to do the best you could and understand that there’s stuff that’s out of your control,” Goldschmidt reflected. “Definitely the guys that are a little bit more patient are always going to have that. We just understand that’s kind of the nature of it.”
Giancarlo Stanton experienced 440 incorrect strike calls on pitches outside the zone and 351 ball calls on pitches that should have been strikes.
“The challenge, you could change the whole game right there,” the Yankees designated hitter stated. “If you overturn one call, it could grow 15, 20 more pitches on a pitcher.”
Carlos Santana had the most strikes incorrectly called as balls, totaling 636. Mike Trout ranked second with 612, followed by Suárez at 558, Ramírez with 554, George Springer at 539, Andrew McCutchen with 513, Cody Bellinger at 487, Freddie Freeman with 471, and Ryan McMahon at 466.
Previously, Statcast calculations used the rulebook strike zone at home plate’s front edge based on each batter’s stance. This season, the system will calculate using the ABS strike zone measured at the plate’s center and determined by batter height.
Teams attempted to prepare players through ABS-assisted batting practice and scoreboard displays showing ball-strike decisions.
Count situations like 1-1 frequently determine at-bat outcomes. Nola experienced ABS during three rehabilitation appearances at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last August.
“We’re just going to have to see what the umpires do,” he said, “if they’re really going to be that tight as they were down there.”
Statcast data revealed that 1.6% of out-of-zone pitches received strike calls last season, declining from 2.1% in 2024 and representing the highest accuracy since tracking began in 2008 at 4.2%.
Meanwhile, 2.1% of in-zone pitches were incorrectly ruled balls, slightly increasing from 1.7% in 2024 but significantly better than 2008’s 4.3%.
Pitchers who succeeded by getting borderline calls may lose those advantages, while controversial missed calls could be overturned — such as Mark Langston’s 2-2 fastball to Tino Martinez during the 1998 World Series opener that crossed the plate above the knees but was called a ball by retired umpire Richie Garcia. Martinez hit a game-changing grand slam on the following pitch, propelling the Yankees to a 9-6 victory and eventual four-game championship sweep.
Garcia doesn’t wish ABS had existed during his career.
A massive heat dome that destroyed March temperature records across 14 states and nationwide is now shifting eastward, potentially creating one of the most widespread heat waves in U.S. history, according to meteorologists and weather historians.
The extreme temperatures aren’t expected to subside anytime soon, possibly lasting until the middle of next week as April begins, according to meteorologist Gregg Gallina from the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.
“Basically the entire U.S. is going to be hot,” Gallina stated Monday. “The area of record temperatures is extremely large. That’s the thing that’s really bizarre.”
This weather phenomenon — where high atmospheric pressure acts like a lid, trapping scorching air over vast regions — will result in Flagstaff, Arizona experiencing 11 or 12 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding the city’s previous March records, according to meteorologist Jeff Masters from Yale Climate Connections.
As the dome moves eastward, Gallina predicts temperatures will reach the 90s Fahrenheit by Wednesday across southern and central plains states. Between one-quarter and one-third of the lower 48 states will be challenging March temperature records, Gallina explained.
The geographic scope of this heat event likely surpasses two other significant heat waves — the 2012 event in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, and the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave — according to weather historian Chris Burt, who authored “Extreme Weather.” While it may not match the size of the 1936 Dust Bowl heat waves, Burt noted that event consisted of multiple heat waves over two summer months, unlike the current single massive occurrence.
However, both the Dust Bowl and 2021 events produced more dangerous conditions with higher temperatures that caused greater harm because they occurred during June and July, Gallina noted.
One positive aspect of the current heat wave is the lower humidity levels compared to what would occur if these temperatures hit during summer months, Gallina added.
Last Friday, four locations in Arizona and California recorded 112 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Weather Service. This temperature not only broke the previous continental U.S. March record by 4 degrees, but came within just 1 degree of the hottest April temperature ever recorded in the lower 48 states.
Weather historian and climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, who monitors global temperature records, documented 14 states that have set new March temperature records since this heat dome began: California, Arizona, Nevada, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Utah, South Dakota, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota and Idaho.
“In Mexico, even May records were trashed with March records broken by as much as 14 (degrees Fahrenheit), far more than July 1936, March 1907 or June 2021,” Herrera wrote in an email.
The National Center for Environmental Information recorded at least 479 weather stations setting new March records between Wednesday and Saturday within its monitoring network. Herrera, analyzing broader data sets, believes the actual number is significantly higher. Additionally, 1,472 daily temperature records were broken during the same period, the center reported.
The cause involves the jet stream — which typically moves weather systems from west to east — becoming stuck as far west as the storms currently flooding Hawaii with torrential rains, Masters and Gallina explained.
Last Friday, international climate scientists from World Weather Attribution concluded that such record heat was “virtually impossible” without climate change caused by burning fossil fuels, making it 800 times more probable. These human activities contributed at least 4.7 degrees to the extreme temperatures, according to report co-author Clair Barnes, a scientist at Imperial College of London.
The heat dome should finally move on by late next week, Masters predicted: “We just have to give it time.”
JOHANNESBURG — In a solemn ceremony on Monday, South Africa laid to rest the remains of dozens of indigenous Africans whose bodies had been excavated and transported to European institutions for scientific study more than a century ago.
At least 63 individuals from the Khoi and San peoples were finally given proper burials after their remains were returned from European museums. This repatriation represents part of a broader continental effort to reclaim human remains and cultural artifacts that were taken from Africa.
The Khoi and San peoples are recognized as southern Africa’s original inhabitants, who fought against colonial forces before many were killed by European colonizers.
These particular remains had been excavated between 1868 and 1924, then given to The Hunterian Museum at Scotland’s University of Glasgow. Additional remains had been stored at South Africa’s Iziko Museums since the 1920s.
President Cyril Ramaphosa participated in the reburial ceremony alongside museum officials and traditional community leaders. He explained that the return of these remains resulted from discussions between the Scottish university and South African officials that began in 2022.
The president described the ceremony as an effort to restore human dignity to these individuals.
“The sale of human remains of Indigenous peoples for study in Europe was rooted in racism and used to advance theories of European racial superiority,” Ramaphosa stated. “They were dug up and turned into commodities and specimens, displayed under the cold gaze of pseudoscience.”
Ramaphosa also emphasized that most European nations should take greater steps to recognize the harm inflicted on Africans during the colonial era and should explore providing reparations to their former colonies.
A cabin crew member who was ejected from an Air Canada aircraft during a deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport in New York has miraculously survived the crash, according to her family.
Sarah Lepine described her mother Solange Tremblay’s survival as a “total miracle” when speaking to Canadian television station TVA Nouvelles on Monday.
Lepine reported that Tremblay sustained several fractures in one leg requiring surgical treatment, but is otherwise in stable condition. The flight attendant remained secured in her seat during the ejection from the aircraft.
“I’m still trying to understand how all this happened,” Lepine explained, “but she definitely has a guardian angel watching over her.”
The aircraft was attempting to land Sunday evening with more than 70 passengers aboard when it struck a fire truck that was responding to an emergency involving a different aircraft. The collision completely destroyed the front section of the plane and resulted in the deaths of both the captain and first officer.
Former federal crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti also described Tremblay’s survival as miraculous given the extensive damage to the aircraft’s nose section.
Guzzetti explained that flight attendants use specialized jump seats that fold against the cockpit wall and are secured with four-point harnesses. “It’s a very robust seat,” Guzzetti noted. “It’s designed to withstand probably more crash loads than passenger seats because you need the flight attendant to help passengers get out of an airplane after a crash.”
A similar incident occurred in 2013 when multiple flight attendants were ejected from an Asiana Airlines aircraft that crashed into a barrier wall during landing at San Francisco International Airport. That accident involved 291 people and resulted in three fatalities.
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump enters the fourth week of military action against Iran, he delivered cautiously optimistic news Monday about potential diplomatic progress, sparking market rallies while Iranian leadership strongly disputed his assertions.
Trump announced via social media before markets opened that he would postpone his weekend threat to strike Iran’s electrical infrastructure for five days, pushing back his Monday evening deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The crucial shipping lane handles roughly 20% of global oil transport and has remained closed throughout the conflict, driving fuel costs higher worldwide.
The president explained his decision to delay attacks on Iran’s essential infrastructure stemmed from what he described as productive weekend discussions between his representatives — son-in-law Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff — and unidentified Iranian officials he called “respected.”
Trump’s statement ignored Iran’s warning that critical Gulf region infrastructure, including energy production and water desalination plants necessary for drinking water supplies, would face “irreversible destruction” if he followed through on his bombing threats. These escalating threats had triggered significant sell-offs in Asian financial markets as Trump’s deadline approached.
“All I’m saying is we are in the throes of a real possibility of making a deal,” Trump told reporters Monday morning before departing Florida for Memphis, Tennessee aboard Air Force One. “And I think, if I were a betting man I’d bet for it. But again, I’m not guaranteeing anything.”
Within two hours of Trump’s comments, before his aircraft reached Tennessee, Iranian officials flatly rejected claims of any diplomatic contact with Washington and characterized Trump’s remarks as market manipulation tactics.
“No negotiations have been held with the US,” Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, wrote on X. “And fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry echoed similar sentiments, describing Trump’s announcement as merely an attempt “to reduce energy prices and to buy time for implementing his military plans.”
Regional experts note that ending the conflict now would mean Trump abandoning military action without fully accomplishing his declared mission objectives.
Throughout recent weeks, Trump has provided varying justifications for initiating the conflict while facing Democratic criticism for destabilizing the global economy, and polling data shows Americans remain split along partisan lines regarding the military engagement.
The president has established specific goals requiring achievement: weakening Iran’s missile capabilities, dismantling its defense manufacturing infrastructure, eliminating Iranian naval forces, preventing nuclear weapons development, and securing Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes.
Combined U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have advanced some objectives, though analysts question Trump’s ability to credibly claim complete success — especially regarding permanently eliminating Iran’s nuclear weapons potential.
Intelligence agencies and nuclear monitoring organizations estimate approximately 970 pounds of weapons-grade uranium remains buried under debris at three Iranian nuclear facilities severely damaged during June’s limited U.S. military operation in the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict.
Trump indicated Monday that retrieving Iran’s enriched uranium would be part of any potential agreement with the Islamic Republic, though he provided no implementation details beyond stating the U.S. military would “take it ourselves.”
“Trump’s war choice has not accomplished his military goals,” Aaron David Miller, former State Department Middle East negotiator and current Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow, posted on X. Miller observed that Iran retains the ability to attack regional allies and maintain Strait of Hormuz control. “No nukes; no enrichment, good luck with that. A singularly incompetent use of America’s power.”
Trump carefully avoided firm commitments Monday while highlighting positive energy market responses to his morning social media announcement about ongoing diplomatic discussions.
“The price of oil will drop like a rock, as soon as a deal is done. I guess it already is today,” Trump stated. “Now we have a very serious chance of making a deal. That doesn’t guarantee anything. I’m not guaranteeing anything. I’m not going to come out here in a week or two weeks, and have you all say, ‘Oh, you said…’ — I didn’t say anything.”
Last week, Trump authorized additional U.S. military deployments to the region as his administration considers options for securing Strait of Hormuz control to ensure safe oil tanker passage from Gulf nations to Asian markets.
The military moved three additional amphibious assault vessels and approximately 2,500 Marines to the Middle East last week, according to Associated Press and other news organizations. This deployment followed redirecting another amphibious group carrying 2,500 Marines from Pacific operations to Middle East assignments. These forces will supplement over 50,000 U.S. troops already stationed regionally.
While Trump has ruled out ground invasion plans for Iran, he maintains that all military options remain available. The incoming Marine reinforcements are expected to require several weeks to reach Middle East positions.
“We are witnessing how a conflict that began over politics and security is moving to be defined by energy and economics,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based policy organization. “It’s hard to ignore the logic inherent in the president’s own commentary, which both calms markets but also buys time for Marines to arrive.”
The nation’s highest court examined legal arguments today in a significant voting rights case that questions whether states have the authority to accept mailed ballots that were postmarked by Election Day but delivered afterward.
The legal challenge carries significant potential consequences for voting procedures across the country, as justices weigh the balance between state election authority and federal oversight of ballot counting timelines.
The United States Mint has authorized the creation of a 24-karat gold coin that will bear the image of President Trump, marking what experts describe as an unprecedented break from longstanding traditions.
Caroline Turco, who serves as a curator at the Money Museum, characterizes this decision as a dramatic departure from established customs that carries significant symbolic weight.
The approval represents a notable shift in how the U.S. Mint approaches commemorative currency featuring political figures, according to numismatic experts.
A game-worn jersey from Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s 2026 World Baseball Classic performance fetched more than $1.5 million during Sunday evening’s MLB Auctions sale, demolishing previous records for Ohtani memorabilia.
The unsigned uniform crushed the earlier high-water mark for an Ohtani jersey – an autographed piece inscribed with “24 NL MVP” that brought $249,999 through Fanatics in 2025.
Though Sunday’s record-breaking sale falls short of baseball’s most expensive jersey transactions – including Babe Ruth’s legendary “called shot” uniform from the 1932 World Series that commanded $24.12 million in 2024, and jerseys from Jackie Robinson and Mickey Mantle that each exceeded $4 million – it establishes a new benchmark for Ohtani game-worn items from premier MLB competitions.
The jersey sale comes just days after another Ohtani collectible made headlines. Last Thursday, a unique 2025 Topps MVP gold Logoman patch card featuring autographs from both Ohtani and New York Yankees star Aaron Judge brought $2.16 million at a Fanatics Premier auction. The special card showcased gold-enhanced MLB logo patches from jerseys worn by both MVP winners.
Judge has now had two trading cards sell for seven figures, while a standalone 2025 Topps Chrome gold Logoman patch card featuring only Ohtani’s signature reached an even higher $3 million through Fanatic Premier.
Including the latest jersey auction, the Dodgers phenomenon now has four collectible items that have crossed the million-dollar threshold at public sales.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will sit down with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra Tuesday as both nations work to finalize a free trade agreement that has been under discussion since 2018.
The renewed effort to complete this deal occurs during ongoing Middle East conflicts and rising global trade tensions, as the European Union seeks to strengthen its economic position relative to the United States and China, building on a recent agreement reached with India in January.
Negotiations broke down in 2023 primarily due to disputes over European Union import quotas for meat products and agricultural sector protections. However, recent indications point to fresh progress, creating optimism that an agreement might be completed during this diplomatic visit.
“We look forward to welcoming President von der Leyen tomorrow,” Albanese stated in parliament Monday, noting that a free trade agreement with the EU would help strengthen Australia’s economy and create employment opportunities.
“I’m sure it will be a great success.”
Von der Leyen is scheduled to deliver remarks to parliament Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Trade Minister Don Farrell expressed confidence that negotiators could reach an agreement serving the national interest, while EU trade leader Maros Sefcovic indicated discussions were progressing positively.
Australia seeks expanded quotas for meat exports to European markets, while the EU wants reduced tariffs on manufactured products, especially automobiles, and improved access to Australia’s critical mineral resources to decrease reliance on China.
Australian news outlets report the agreement would eliminate the existing 5% import duty on European vehicles, which could reduce prices for BMW and Mercedes models sold in Australia.
Commercial exchange between the regions is significant, with total goods trade reaching 47.2 billion euros ($54.5 billion) in 2025, creating a 26.5 billion euro surplus for the EU.
Services trade totaled 38.1 billion euros in 2023, generating a 17.9 billion euro surplus also favoring the European bloc.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Monday that her administration is working to bring back international investigators to resume their work on the decade-old case involving 43 missing students from Guerrero state.
The five-member independent investigation team, called the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), was originally formed in 2014 through a partnership between Mexico’s government and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to examine the students’ disappearance.
For over eight years, the GIEI uncovered significant flaws in the investigation process, leading to the freedom of multiple former suspects. However, when their agreements ended in 2023, the experts chose not to renew their involvement, claiming the government was obstructing their investigation efforts.
According to Angela Buitrago, one of the investigators who spoke with Reuters, discussions are underway to determine what conditions would need to be met for the GIEI team to rejoin the investigation. She indicated the experts have expressed willingness to return while they wait for specific terms to be established.
During her regular morning briefing, Sheinbaum revealed that her government has requested United Nations assistance in creating a new investigative structure.
The renewed investigation would feature more comprehensive examination of cellular phone data from September 26, 2014 – the night the students vanished – along with expanded search operations in new locations, according to the president.
The case involving students from Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College continues to stand as one of Mexico’s most infamous human rights violations.
The independent experts’ early findings suggested coordination between law enforcement officers, military personnel, and criminal organizations.
However, after numerous detentions and official commitments over the years, no individual has received a conviction for any crimes connected to this case.
This month, a Tamaulipas state judge commanded military forces to provide case-related documents. The GIEI had consistently sought access to these materials throughout their involvement, with limited success.
Sheinbaum criticized this judicial ruling on Monday, describing it as “highly questionable.” She pointed out that the matter is currently under Supreme Court review and maintained that the defense ministry has already provided all necessary documentation.
Northampton County, Virginia’s Parks and Recreation Department is reaching out to residents for their input on future recreational opportunities in the area.
The department has launched a 2026 survey designed to gather community feedback and opinions from local residents. Officials are encouraging everyone to participate in the brief questionnaire to help guide future planning decisions.
The survey represents an effort by county officials to ensure that parks and recreation services align with what residents actually want and need in their community. Public input will help shape programming and facility development over the coming years.
Residents interested in participating can access the survey through the county’s official website. The Parks and Recreation Department emphasizes that all community members are welcome to share their thoughts and suggestions.
A tragic accident at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday evening claimed the lives of two pilots and left numerous passengers hospitalized after an Air Canada Express aircraft crashed into an emergency fire truck.
The deadly incident occurred at 11:47 p.m. when Air Canada Express Flight 8646, arriving from Montreal and operated by Jazz Aviation, struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle during what should have been a routine landing.
Investigation sources confirmed that both the pilot and co-pilot perished in the crash, with the New York City medical examiner taking charge of the case, NBC News reported.
More than a dozen passengers suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious, according to a senior official briefed on the investigation. Medical teams transported several of the wounded to Elmhurst and Queens Presbyterian hospitals for treatment.
Two other individuals were also reported hurt in the collision, though authorities have not disclosed details about their injuries or conditions.
Conflicting passenger counts emerged from different sources. Airport officials reported 76 passengers and four crew members aboard the CRJ-900 aircraft, while Jazz Aviation’s preliminary manifest showed 72 passengers and four crew members, noting these numbers await final verification.
The emergency vehicle that was struck had been responding to a separate incident elsewhere at the airport when the collision occurred, a Port Authority spokesperson revealed, though no additional information about that original call was provided.
“Emergency response protocols were immediately activated,” the spokesperson stated. “The Port Authority Police Department is on scene along with the agency’s chairman and executive director.”
LaGuardia Airport operations ceased around midnight to accommodate emergency responders and investigation teams. Officials anticipate reopening the facility sometime Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it will send a specialized investigation team to examine the crash, with federal investigators scheduled to arrive Monday. Port Authority Police indicated they will provide additional information as their investigation develops.
BOGOTA, Colombia — A Colombian Air Force transport aircraft carrying 125 military personnel went down Monday shortly after departure from a remote airfield in the country’s Amazon region, with rescue teams successfully extracting at least 48 survivors from the wreckage.
The incident occurred in Puerto Leguizamo, an isolated town in Putumayo province near the borders with Peru and Ecuador, according to Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, who described the event as a “tragic accident” involving troops aboard the aircraft.
Video footage circulated by Colombian news organizations captured thick black smoke billowing from the crash site in an open field, with military vehicles racing toward the scene to assist in rescue operations.
Air Force Commander Carlos Fernando Silva provided details in a recorded statement, confirming the Hercules C-130 was transporting 114 passengers along with 11 crew members when it went down. Silva reported that rescue operations were ongoing as teams worked to extract additional survivors from the wreckage.
Local residents assisted in the emergency response, with footage showing injured soldiers being transported from the crash location on motorcycles operated by community members.
“At this moment we do not know details” of the crash Silva said. “Except that the plane had a problem and went down about two kilometers from the airport.” The military official added that two aircraft equipped with 74 medical beds had been dispatched to transport injured personnel to medical facilities in Bogota and other cities.
President Gustavo Petro expressed hopes on social media that there would be “no deadly casualties in this accident that should have not occurred.”
The president used the incident to highlight his ongoing efforts to upgrade military equipment, claiming these modernization initiatives have faced “bureaucratic difficulties” and suggesting accountability measures may be necessary. “If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they must be removed,” Petro stated.
Minister Sánchez characterized the crash as “profoundly painful for the country,” writing that: “We hope that our prayers can help to relieve some of the pain.”
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — During a Memphis Safe Task Force meeting on Monday, President Donald Trump announced his intention to visit Graceland, the legendary home of Elvis Presley, while conducting official business in the Tennessee city.
“I’m going to see Graceland after this, I think. Is that right?” Trump mentioned during the meeting. “I love Elvis.”
The planned visit to one of America’s most popular tourist destinations presents a notable contrast to the serious domestic and international challenges Trump addressed at the start of his Memphis remarks.
Across the nation, travelers are experiencing extensive delays at airport security lines, prompting Trump to deploy federal immigration agents to support the Transportation Security Administration amid an ongoing Homeland Security shutdown. Meanwhile, despite Trump’s announcement in Tennessee that he had ordered a “temporary” suspension of planned strikes against Iranian power facilities, U.S. military personnel remain engaged in the broader regional conflict that has claimed the lives of at least 13 American service members.
The legendary performer’s mansion, featuring its distinctive stone exterior and white-columned entryway, sits just miles away from the roundtable discussion venue. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi also participated in the meeting. The estate began welcoming visitors as a museum in 1982, honoring Presley, the entertainer who passed away in August 1977 at 42 years old. The attraction now welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests annually.
Guests can explore various areas of the residence, including the kitchen and famous Jungle Room, all preserved as they appeared when Elvis lived there. Across from the main museum stands a comprehensive Presley-themed entertainment facility operated by Elvis Presley Enterprises, showcasing the star’s collection of vehicles and aircraft.
Trump acknowledged that while he’s sometimes tempted to “tell a little fib” and claim he had personally known the music legend, he expected his Graceland experience to be brief, saying “not going to be a very long stay, but I want to see that.”
The president’s campaign events frequently feature Presley’s hits during pre-rally entertainment, including “Suspicious Minds,” “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,” and a combination of “Dixie” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Large digital displays at his political gatherings sometimes showcase footage from Presley’s performances.
Over the years, Trump has repeatedly drawn parallels between himself and Elvis. In early 2024, he shared a split-image photograph on social media combining half of Presley’s face with his own.
“For so many years people have been saying that Elvis and I look alike. Now this pic has been going all over the place,” Trump posted. “What do you think?”
Months later, he distributed a black-and-white image showing Trump positioned next to the singer as he held a guitar.
Trump has also referenced the deceased musician during public appearances, including a 2018 rally in Tupelo, Mississippi — where Presley was born — joking about their supposed resemblance.
“We love Elvis. I shouldn’t say this, you’ll say I’m very conceited because I’m not, but other than the blonde hair when I was growing up they said I looked like Elvis, do you see that, can you believe it?”
Delaware State Police are searching for two suspects following an assault and robbery that took place Saturday afternoon at a New Castle area motel.
Authorities responded to the Superlodge on West Avenue at 1213 around 1:00 p.m. on March 21, 2026, after receiving reports of the incident. According to investigators, two unidentified male suspects confronted a 23-year-old New Castle resident while he was standing in the motel’s parking lot. The men physically attacked the victim and stole personal items from his pockets before running away from the location. Emergency responders transported the injured man to a nearby hospital where he was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Police describe both suspects as young males, possibly teenagers or in their early twenties, who were dressed in dark clothing at the time of the attack.
Investigators from the Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit are actively working the case. Detective D. Armstrong is asking community members who may have witnessed the incident or have relevant information to call (302) 365-8440. Tips can also be submitted through private messages to the Delaware State Police Facebook page or by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
Crime victims and witnesses can access support services through the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and Delaware Victim Center, which provides assistance around the clock via their hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). Support can also be requested by emailing [email protected].
Despite facing skepticism about its practicality, the U.S. Census Bureau will move forward with an experimental program this spring that tests whether mail carriers can effectively collect census information in two southern communities as part of preparations for the 2030 population count.
Beginning in June, several dozen postal workers in Spartanburg, South Carolina and Huntsville, Alabama will conduct door-to-door visits to gather demographic information including race, ethnicity and household composition from residents who haven’t completed the test questionnaire online. The Census Bureau announced Monday that invitations for the online portion will be distributed to 154,600 residents in both locations starting May 1.
This experimental approach serves as a trial run for potential new strategies for the constitutionally mandated population count that occurs every ten years, which plays a crucial role in determining congressional representation and allocating federal funding.
“They typically think that it’s kind of a cool thing that they’re a little bit of a guinea pig,” said Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.
The two cities will implement different versions of the program. In Spartanburg, 25 postal employees will incorporate census questions into their regular delivery routes, identifying themselves as postal workers while earning their standard pay of $28.79 per hour, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2024. Traditional census workers in that location receive $17.75 hourly.
Huntsville will take a different approach, recruiting 25 postal worker volunteers to conduct census interviews during off-duty hours on evenings and weekends. These workers will present themselves as Census Bureau staff and receive the same $19.75 hourly compensation as other census employees.
According to Renfroe, incorporating census duties into their daily responsibilities will simply become another factor that postal carriers consider alongside weather conditions, traffic patterns and mail volume when planning their workday.
“Letter carriers, they know their people,” he said. “You’ve got kind of some trust already built in there.”
The concept of utilizing postal workers for in-person census collection has circulated for many years among advocates who argue it would make use of an established workforce while capitalizing on mail carriers’ familiarity with neighborhood residents.
However, a 2011 Government Accountability Office analysis concluded that employing mail carriers for census work would not prove financially beneficial due to their substantially higher wages compared to temporary census staff.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose department supervises the Census Bureau, believes using postal workers could reduce costs since they already visit homes daily, according to Postmaster General David Steiner in an Associated Press interview.
Steiner recalled Lutnick explaining that traditional census workers “are going back three and four times and five and six times to the same house until they can find someone there.” Lutnick questioned, “Who would they rather speak to? Someone that just shows up at their door or their mail carrier who they see every day, they probably trust very much, they probably know.”
However, 21 Democratic state attorneys general challenged the proposal earlier this month in correspondence to the Commerce Department, arguing that the Census Bureau hasn’t demonstrated how postal worker involvement would reduce expenses or improve operational efficiency.
A similar postal worker pilot program was originally scheduled for a 2018 census test in Rhode Island prior to the 2020 count, but officials cancelled it due to conflicting privacy policies between the Census Bureau and Postal Service. While Census Bureau regulations classify household addresses and vacancy status as confidential, postal service guidelines permit sharing such information with law enforcement and other agencies.
The Census Bureau stated Monday that postal workers participating in the 2026 test will comply with all bureau confidentiality standards. They will complete identical training to regular census workers and take a lifetime oath to safeguard respondent privacy, officials said.
The Trump administration implemented several eleventh-hour modifications to the 2026 census test that advocacy groups fear could signal problems for the 2030 count. Changes include eliminating four additional test sites, restricting online responses to English only rather than English, Spanish and Chinese, and substituting questions from the American Community Survey, which includes citizenship inquiries, instead of the traditional shorter census form.
Rev. Edward Joseph Flanagan, the celebrated founder of Boys Town who dedicated his life to helping troubled youth, has advanced one step closer to potential sainthood after Pope Leo XIV declared him “venerable” on Monday.
The Vatican’s recognition of Flanagan’s “heroic virtues” marks a significant milestone in the Catholic Church’s formal process toward canonization. The Irish-born priest, who established the renowned Nebraska facility for at-risk children, must still undergo beatification before ultimately achieving sainthood.
Omaha Archbishop Michael McGovern expressed his excitement about the development, stating he is “overjoyed” with the announcement.
“We continue to pray that he will one day be beatified and ultimately declared a saint,” McGovern said in his official statement. “In the meantime, may we work to affirm the dignity of every person created in God’s image by serving the poor, the abandoned and the vulnerable, especially at-risk youth.”
Born in Ballymoe, Ireland, in 1886, Flanagan came to America in 1904 and received his ordination in 1912. He started his ministry in the Omaha Diocese the following year, initially providing assistance to homeless men.
Through his work with these men, Flanagan discovered that many adult problems stemmed from childhood experiences of broken families and neglectful parenting, according to information from the Father Flanagan League, an organization promoting his sainthood candidacy.
This revelation led Flanagan to focus on young people within the juvenile justice system. He opened his initial boys’ home in downtown Omaha in 1917, then purchased farmland west of the city in 1921 to create what would become the famous Boys Town campus.
The facility grew dramatically through the 1930s, housing hundreds of boys in a unique community complete with educational facilities and dormitories. The residents operated their own democratic government, choosing their mayor, council members, and commissioners.
Flanagan’s influence extended internationally when he traveled to Japan following World War II to assist in developing child welfare programs. During a 1946 visit to Ireland, he publicly condemned his homeland’s practice of placing children in industrial schools and reformatories, calling these institutions exploitative.
The priest’s life ended suddenly in 1948 when he suffered a heart attack at age 61 while visiting Germany. His final resting place at Dowd Memorial Chapel in Boys Town features one of his most remembered statements: “There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad example, bad thinking.”
Hollywood immortalized Flanagan’s story in the 1938 film “Boys Town,” featuring Spencer Tracy in the title role alongside Mickey Rooney as one of the boys under his care. The movie earned Academy Awards for Tracy as Best Actor and for Best Original Story.
The Boys Town organization has expanded nationwide since Flanagan’s death and began accepting girls into its residential programs in 1979.
In a Monday Facebook post, the organization praised the Vatican’s decision, noting that Flanagan “believed that children had the right to be valued, to have the basic necessities of life and to be protected.” The post added that “His lifesaving work continues across the country today.”
Flanagan becomes the second American cleric with Midwest ties to advance in the sainthood process this year under Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican approved beatification ceremonies for Archbishop Fulton Sheen in Illinois this past February after extended delays.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints conducted an extensive examination of Flanagan’s life, writings, and charitable works before Pope Leo signed Monday’s decree. The declaration confirms that Flanagan demonstrated heroic virtue throughout his life, though it doesn’t suggest he was without human flaws or errors.
The path to beatification requires documented evidence of a miraculous healing attributed to prayers requesting Flanagan’s intercession. This process involves rigorous examination by both theological scholars and medical professionals. If approved, the case would return to the pope for a beatification decree.
Full sainthood requires verification of a second miracle. However, martyrs who died for their faith can achieve beatification without a miracle, though they still need one confirmed miracle for canonization.
Popes retain the authority to waive miracle requirements for canonization, as demonstrated by Pope Francis during his 12-year tenure. Francis canonized St. Junipero Serra during a 2015 Washington, D.C., ceremony despite the absence of a confirmed second miracle.
A group of Voice of America reporters filed a federal lawsuit Monday claiming the Trump administration has transformed the international broadcasting service into a vehicle for government propaganda rather than independent journalism.
The legal challenge contends that VOA programming directed toward audiences in Iran, China, North Korea and Kurdish regions fails to meet legal requirements for unbiased reporting. According to the court filing submitted to the U.S. District Court in Washington, these broadcasts now echo administration messaging while burying unfavorable news stories.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media, VOA’s parent organization, defended its approach by stating that American taxpayer funds should support programming that advances U.S. policy objectives and serves national interests.
This legal battle highlights ongoing tensions between media professionals and the Trump administration, which has consistently favored news organizations that provide supportive coverage with minimal critical examination, particularly evident in Pentagon briefings.
Last week, a federal judge mandated that hundreds of VOA staff members who had been on paid administrative leave for twelve months return to their positions, ruling that Trump appointee Kari Lake overstepped her authority as USAGM leader. The administration plans to challenge this decision.
Since World War II, Voice of America has transmitted programming worldwide with the mission of demonstrating press freedom to nations lacking such traditions. However, journalists Barry Newhouse, Ayesha Tanzeem, Dong Hyuk Lee and Ksenia Turkova claim Trump administration loyalists now control editorial decisions for the limited VOA programming still operating.
The lawsuit cites Iran war coverage as an example, noting that broadcasts into Iran omitted casualty figures from American airstrikes and excluded viewpoints from international leaders outside the administration, while giving minimal attention to an elementary school bombing. Additionally, the Lake-appointed supervisor of Persian, Kurdish and Afghan programming requires personal approval for all guest appearances, according to the filing.
“Through VOA’s journalism, those living in authoritarian societies get a taste of democracy,” the plaintiffs said in a statement. “Without editorial integrity, VOA will be no different than government mouthpieces our audiences already hear in their own country.”
The administration has questioned whether taxpayers should fund content that contradicts American interests. During congressional testimony last year, Lake advocated for removing the traditional separation between government officials and journalists at agencies including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “We should be able to have control over what kind of content goes out,” she stated. “It should be in alignment with our foreign policy.”
The Agency for Global Media responded Monday that it “is responsible for oversight of its networks, including Voice of America, and for ensuring compliance with the VOA charter, which requires authoritative, accurate journalism that is reflective of and clearly presents U.S. policies.”
Press freedom organizations PEN America and Reporters Without Borders backed the VOA journalists in their legal action Monday.
Birthday celebrations at the shore. Family weekend outings. A relaxing evening beverage.
With gasoline costs staying elevated worldwide, families are tightening their budgets and sacrificing minor luxuries as daily expenses balloon while they struggle to cover essential bills.
“Right now, we’re managing to survive,” explained Luis Catalano, a cab driver filling up his tank at a Buenos Aires gas station in Argentina. “However, I’m uncertain how much longer we can continue.”
Despite some promising signs regarding potential diplomatic progress in the Iranian conflict, the war continued into its 24th day Monday, keeping the crucial oil shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz essentially blocked.
Around the world, families felt the financial impact.
“You cannot stretch your income through the entire month,” explained German Toledo, a 38-year-old traffic safety employee refueling at the same YPF station where Catalano waited. Toledo noted that climbing fuel costs have compounded other increasing expenses while wages remain flat, intensifying financial hardship. His paycheck has remained unchanged for five years.
According to Toledo, a single income no longer covers basic living expenses.
President Donald Trump offered some hope Monday that gas station relief could be coming, announcing ongoing discussions with Iranian officials who appeared interested in negotiating an end to the conflict. These statements caused global oil markets to drop, with Brent crude prices declining 9.7% to $101.26 per barrel, down from nearly $120 the previous week.
Iranian officials disputed any negotiations had occurred, with their parliament leader dismissing Trump’s statements as market manipulation tactics. Regardless, consumer fuel prices remained unchanged immediately.
Petroleum travels complex routes requiring weeks to move from extraction sites to retail pumps. The crude must be processed at refineries into usable fuel, then transported through pipelines and shipping vessels to distribution centers before reaching gas stations. Consumer prices similarly trail global market changes, often requiring weeks to reflect new rates.
Therefore, drivers continue facing high costs.
“I’m struggling to make it,” Catalano stated.
Like most economic disruptions, those with limited resources suffer most severely, forcing them to examine already tight budgets for additional savings.
Kevin Plucken, a 35-year-old custodian from Cologne, Germany, can only purchase 20 euros worth of gasoline per visit. Seeking to reduce his “overwhelming” expenses, he has modified his weekend plans. Rather than driving his two children to distant activities, he searches for nearby entertainment options.
“The costs are simply too high,” he stated.
At locations worldwide, many agreed that rising gas prices represented another financial burden for ordinary people already dealing with persistent inflation.
“All prices are increasing,” noted Felicia Iwasa from Lagos, Nigeria. “Our economic situation is challenging.”
In Manila, Philippines, operators of the brightly decorated public transportation vehicles called “jeepneys” face similar difficulties, with diesel fuel costs rising even more dramatically than gasoline prices. These vehicles evolved from military jeeps abandoned by U.S. forces after World War II, later customized and decorated to become essential transportation for Filipino workers.
Johnny Pagnado, a 55-year-old operator, reported eliminating every possible expense, including his evening beer ritual. However, he fears long-term consequences, particularly funding college education for his four children.
Fellow driver Sandy Roño, age 34, expects to cancel his upcoming birthday beach celebration. He could not afford last month’s rent or his jeepney payment.
Should fuel prices remain elevated, Roño indicated he would seek different employment.
“I will quit driving and search for alternative work,” he explained.
The University of Delaware Blue Hens baseball squad is preparing for a midweek road trip to face off against Rutgers University.
The upcoming game will take the Delaware team to New Jersey as they look to build momentum during their spring campaign. This non-conference matchup provides an opportunity for the Blue Hens to test themselves against out-of-state competition.
The contest is part of the team’s regular season schedule as they work toward their conference goals. Midweek games often serve as valuable preparation for weekend series and allow coaches to evaluate different lineup combinations and give playing time to various roster members.
The nonprofit organization behind Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has secured a court victory allowing it to participate in a legal dispute with its parent company over independence and financial support.
On Monday, the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation announced it received judicial approval to enter an existing lawsuit against The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which became the ice cream maker’s ultimate owner following a corporate restructuring in December. Unilever maintains a minority ownership of 19.9% in Magnum after spinning off its frozen dessert division.
The legal battle centers on disagreements between Ben & Jerry’s independent board members and Magnum’s leadership regarding new director appointments and what the board considers excessive corporate control.
The dispute has been ongoing since 2024, with Vermont-headquartered Ben & Jerry’s and its autonomous board taking legal action in New York’s U.S. District Court. They allege that both Unilever and subsequently Magnum have attempted to weaken the brand’s commitment to social causes and reduce the board’s decision-making authority.
The foundation decided to enter the litigation after Magnum ceased providing financial support. Foundation officials described the court’s decision as a crucial victory for protecting their organizational independence.
“This is about more than a contract, it’s about whether a corporation can weaponise a governance structure and withhold funding when prior commitments and values become inconvenient,” stated Liz Bankowski, President of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation Board of Trustees.
Magnum responded by reaffirming its dedication to the Ben & Jerry’s brand and pledged continued financial support for the foundation’s operations.
“The recent steps to update Ben & Jerry’s corporate governance are wholly aligned with the merger agreement and standard corporate governance across the organisation; nothing more than that,” Magnum declared. “Suggesting our actions are anything more is just not true; they are not and never have been.”
Established in 1985, the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation receives financial contributions from the ice cream company to support various charitable organizations working on causes including racial justice and environmental conservation.
BRUSSELS, March 23 – Railway operations came to a complete halt in Belgium’s capital Monday evening after authorities discovered suspicious packages at Brussels Midi station, prompting an immediate evacuation of the transportation hub.
Law enforcement officials found two concerning items – one inside a train car and another located on a station platform, according to a police spokesperson who spoke with reporters.
Bomb disposal experts from the military joined police investigators in examining the packages, though officials declined to provide additional details about the ongoing operation.
The closure brought rail service to a standstill across Brussels, with no trains entering or departing the facility since approximately 5:30 p.m. local time, confirmed Vincent Bayer, a spokesperson for Belgium’s national railway company SNCB.
Brussels Midi serves as the primary transportation center connecting the Belgian capital to major European cities including Paris, London, Amsterdam and destinations throughout Germany. The adjacent metro station was also shuttered during the security response.
Railway officials acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding service restoration, stating on their website: “The duration of the disruption is still undetermined. We are waiting for additional information from the police forces.”
The security incident came just 24 hours after Belgium observed the tenth anniversary of coordinated bombings that claimed dozens of lives at Brussels Airport and the Maalbeek metro station. Islamic State operatives carried out those attacks on March 22, 2016, and King Philippe joined other senior officials Sunday in honoring the victims during memorial ceremonies at both locations.
Peru’s President Jose Maria Balcazar named Waldir Ayasta to head the nation’s energy and mining ministry on Monday, filling a vacancy left after the previous minister’s resignation amid sexual assault allegations.
The appointment follows Sunday’s departure of Angelo Alfaro, who stepped down after facing accusations of raping a minor in 2000. Ayasta received his oath of office from the president during a ceremony at Lima’s Government Palace.
The new minister now oversees Peru’s most vital economic department, as mining operations generate roughly 60% of the nation’s export revenue. Peru ranks as the globe’s third-largest copper producer.
Alfaro, age 72, has rejected the allegations but acknowledged the accuser was 16 years old when the alleged assault occurred.
The former minister had only recently joined the administration on February 24, shortly after Balcazar assumed the presidency as Peru’s eighth leader in eight years. This pattern reflects the ongoing instability within the South American nation’s widely unpopular political establishment.
Criminal investigations have touched more than half of Peru’s legislative members.
Balcazar, 83, has also drawn criticism for his past statements supporting child marriage, positions he maintains. During a 2023 legislative vote to prohibit marriage involving underage girls, he was among three lawmakers who chose not to participate.
Prime Minister Denisse Miralles submitted her resignation on March 17, prompting a cabinet reorganization just one month into Balcazar’s term and weeks before the April 12 general election.
The upcoming presidential contest remains highly divided, with many voters yet to choose their preferred candidate. Balcazar plans to transfer presidential authority to his successor on July 28.
Delaware’s poultry industry saw contrasting trends in February, according to newly released agricultural statistics that highlight the fluctuating nature of egg and chicken production.
Monthly egg production increased by 5 percent compared to the previous period, providing positive news for producers in the First State’s significant agricultural sector. However, the hatching of egg-type chicks declined by 5 percent during the same timeframe.
In contrast to the decrease in egg-laying bird production, broiler-type chick hatching showed growth, rising by 2 percent in February. This mixed performance reflects the complex dynamics affecting Delaware’s poultry operations.
The data comes from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which tracks production trends across various farming sectors. These monthly reports help industry professionals and policymakers understand shifts in agricultural output.
Delaware’s poultry industry remains a cornerstone of the state’s economy, with chicken production particularly significant to local farmers and processing facilities throughout the region.
Motorists traveling on Robinsonville Road should expect delays due to ongoing construction work that has shut down the right lane of southbound traffic.
The lane closure affects the stretch of roadway between Harts Road and Conleys Chapel Road, according to DelDOT officials.
Transportation authorities indicate the construction activity will continue through 6 PM today, after which normal traffic patterns are expected to resume.
Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and exercise caution when passing through the work zone area.
Delaware Department of Transportation crews are conducting construction work that has forced the closure of one southbound lane on Robinsonville Road.
The right lane heading south is blocked off between Harts Road and Conleys Chapel Road as work continues throughout the day.
DelDOT officials say the lane restriction will remain in place until 6 PM today. Motorists should expect delays and consider alternate routes if traveling through the area.
Law enforcement officials have taken a Delmar police officer into custody following a criminal investigation that resulted in multiple serious charges.
Darrell T. Powell was taken into custody on March 18, 2026, facing two counts of Official Misconduct along with single charges of Unlawful Sexual Contact, Stalking, and Offensive Touching. The Seaford Police Department conducted the investigation that led to these charges.
The Delaware Department of Justice announced the arrest, emphasizing that law enforcement officers are not exempt from criminal prosecution when they violate the law.
Leo Radvinsky, the 43-year-old billionaire behind the adult content subscription service OnlyFans, has passed away following an extended fight with cancer, the company announced.
The entrepreneur revolutionized the adult entertainment business through OnlyFans’ direct-pay subscription model after he purchased Fenix International Limited, the parent company of the platform, in 2018.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer,” a company spokesperson said in a statement on Monday, emphasizing that Radvinsky’s family has requested privacy. Radvinsky maintained a very private lifestyle and rarely made public appearances or statements.
The platform enables content creators to directly monetize their material through subscriber fees. Though some celebrities, athletes and public personalities use OnlyFans to connect with fans and generate income, the service is primarily recognized for adult entertainment content.
OnlyFans experienced explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as many adult performers turned to the platform when traditional venues and face-to-face work became unavailable. The service has generated substantial wealth for many users, with some earning thousands monthly. The company reports billions in annual gross revenue and maintains hundreds of millions of active users.
Before OnlyFans, Radvinsky developed MyFreeCams, a groundbreaking website that pioneered online payments for adult content, according to Reuters.
A native of Ukraine who was raised in Chicago, Radvinsky earned his economics degree from Northwestern University, where he graduated as valedictorian of his class.
Beyond his role as OnlyFans director and majority owner, Radvinsky invested in numerous startups and contributed to charitable causes worldwide. His personal website listed donations to organizations including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The West Suburban Humane Society, and The University of Chicago Medicine.
The federal government will provide $1 billion to French energy giant TotalEnergies to abandon two offshore wind development sites as part of the current administration’s broader push against renewable energy projects.
Department of Interior officials announced Monday that TotalEnergies has accepted what amounts to a full reimbursement for wind energy leases located off North Carolina and New York’s coastlines. The company plans to redirect these funds toward fossil fuel development projects.
While the Trump administration previously attempted to stop offshore wind construction through direct orders, federal courts struck down those efforts. Environmental advocates are calling the TotalEnergies agreement an alternative strategy to prevent wind energy development. President Trump has prioritized fossil fuel expansion, arguing it will reduce energy costs, improve grid reliability, and support America’s competitive position in artificial intelligence technology.
Following Trump’s election victory, TotalEnergies had already suspended work on both wind projects.
As part of the deal, TotalEnergies has committed to avoiding any future offshore wind development within U.S. waters. Company CEO Patrick Pouyanné explained in a public statement that the firm is abandoning American offshore wind development in return for lease fee reimbursement, “considering that the development of offshore wind projects is not in the country’s interest.”
Pouyanné indicated the returned lease payments will fund construction of a Texas liquefied natural gas facility and expand oil and gas operations, describing this as “more efficient use of capital” for U.S. activities.
Following these investments, TotalEnergies will receive reimbursement up to the original lease purchase amounts, according to DOI officials.
“We welcome TotalEnergies’ commitment to developing projects that produce dependable, affordable power to lower Americans’ monthly bills while providing secure U.S. baseload power today — and in the future,” stated Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The previous Biden administration had promoted offshore wind as a key climate solution. Trump reversed these energy policies immediately upon taking office through executive actions favoring oil, gas, and coal development. Internationally, offshore wind markets continue expanding, with China dominating new installations worldwide.
Shortly before Christmas, the Trump administration stopped construction at five major Atlantic Coast wind projects, citing national security issues. Project developers and affected states filed lawsuits, and federal judges permitted all five projects to restart construction, essentially finding the government failed to demonstrate immediate risks requiring construction halts.
Coincidentally on Monday, one wind farm previously targeted by the administration, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, began supplying electricity to Virginia’s power grid. Developer Dominion Energy announced this operational milestone.
Environmental organizations have condemned the TotalEnergies agreement. The Natural Resources Defense Council characterized it as reckless to stop projects intended to reduce energy expenses.
Ted Kelly, clean energy director at the Environmental Defense Fund, criticized the proposed arrangements as “an outrageous misuse of taxpayer dollars to prevent Americans from having clean, affordable power exactly when they need it most.”
TotalEnergies acquired its Carolina Long Bay project lease in 2022 for approximately $133,000. The development was designed to produce over 1 gigawatt of electricity, sufficient for roughly 300,000 households. The company also purchased the New York and New Jersey lease in 2022 for $795,000. This larger project had potential to generate 3 gigawatts of clean electricity, enough to supply nearly one million homes.
Traffic delays are affecting southbound Interstate 95 near the Delaware-Maryland border after a vehicle caught fire earlier today.
Delaware Department of Transportation officials report that the right lanes of I-95 southbound have been shut down just before Exit 1 due to the vehicle fire incident.
Drivers traveling through the area should anticipate slower traffic conditions and consider alternate routes if possible. The closure is expected to remain in place until emergency crews can clear the scene and ensure the roadway is safe for normal traffic flow.
Motorists are advised to exercise caution when passing through the area and to allow extra travel time for their commute.
Duke basketball guard Caleb Foster is pushing for a potential comeback as the top-seeded Blue Devils prepare to face fifth-seeded St. John’s in Friday’s Sweet 16 clash in Washington, D.C., nearly three weeks after suffering a foot fracture.
The injury occurred during Duke’s final regular season matchup against North Carolina at home, forcing Foster to sit out both the ACC tournament and the Blue Devils’ opening two NCAA Tournament victories. Duke enters the East Region semifinal with an impressive 34-2 record.
Coach Jon Scheyer hasn’t completely dismissed the possibility of Foster suiting up for Friday’s game or potentially Sunday’s Elite Eight contest should Duke advance to face either second-seeded UConn or third-seeded Michigan State.
“When he first got hurt, I felt there was more like one in a million. … Since that, since he got hurt, the way he’s worked, the chances have continued to increase. I even think there’s an outside chance maybe for this Friday,” Scheyer explained to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. “He’s trying to do the impossible here. I think this weekend, I don’t think I can rule it out because of who he is and how he’s been working.”
This season, Foster has been a reliable contributor for the Blue Devils, connecting on 40.2% of his three-point attempts while contributing 8.5 points, 2.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per contest.
European Union officials confronted Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress on Monday about enhanced safety measures, as the platform faces mounting pressure over hazardous and counterfeit merchandise reaching European consumers.
European authorities have intensified oversight of rapidly expanding Chinese retail platforms including AliExpress, Temu, and Shein, which deliver inexpensive goods from China to Europe without customs duties through a low-value shipping exemption. The EU launched a formal probe into Shein last month under its comprehensive Digital Services Act governing major online platforms.
The Alibaba-owned marketplace, which operates across more than 200 nations, has faced European Commission scrutiny since March 2024 and pledged in June to implement legally enforceable improvements to its oversight systems.
However, a Reuters investigation in November discovered inappropriate childlike products being sold on the platform, prompting AliExpress to remove the Chinese vendor responsible for those listings.
The company has promised to automatically restrict visibility of adult-oriented merchandise, according to Eric Pelletier, Alibaba’s international government affairs director, who addressed European legislators.
“At the same time we recognise we have much more work to do,” Pelletier said. “We are actively engaging with the Commission to address the outstanding issues, including preventing the reappearance of illegal listings, strengthening penalties and accelerating the closure of noncompliant sellers.”
EU legislator Christel Schaldemose, who leads parliamentary work on the Digital Services Act, expressed skepticism about the company’s promises.
“I will not be happy and I don’t believe in your systems until the day I see it has an impact,” Schaldemose said.
“My main concern is of course safety, but I also think that it is an unfair competition towards the companies who are complying with the rules we have in EU,” said Schaldemose.
Low-value online shipments entering Europe surged 26% in the past year to 5.8 billion packages. European officials plan to impose charges on these deliveries to create more balanced competition with European retailers.
Tech giant Apple announced Monday it will conduct its yearly Worldwide Developers Conference virtually from June 8 through 12, featuring platform updates that include artificial intelligence improvements and fresh software development tools.
The company stated that developers and students will receive invitations to attend the opening day festivities in person at Apple Park headquarters.
Last year’s developer conference emphasized gradual improvements rather than revolutionary changes, highlighting features like real-time phone call translations that enhance daily user experiences instead of the bold AI promises competitors have been promoting.
In related news, Bloomberg reported Monday that Apple is getting ready to launch advertising within its Maps application as part of an expanded effort to increase services income.
According to Bloomberg’s sources familiar with the plans, the announcement could arrive as soon as this month. The advertising model would allow retailers and brands to compete for ad placement based on search terms, functioning similarly to Google Maps’ current advertising system.
The report indicates Apple plans to roll out Maps advertising as early as this summer across iPhone devices, additional Apple products, and web-based platforms.
Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the advertising plans.
The company’s services division, encompassing Apple Music, iCloud storage, and other software offerings, generated a record $30.01 billion in revenue during the first quarter, meeting analyst projections.
A teenage professional boxer remains hospitalized in a medically induced coma following a devastating knockout during a Saturday night fight in San Bernardino, California, according to ProBoxTV, which aired the bout.
Isis Sio, 19, suffered the knockout defeat against opponent Jocelyn Camarillo after absorbing multiple punches just one minute and 18 seconds into what was scheduled as the evening’s opening match. The young fighter, who held a 1-2 professional record going into the bout, began convulsing in the ring immediately after the knockout and was rushed to Loma Linda University Health for emergency treatment.
ProBoxTV released an official statement expressing concern for the injured boxer’s condition. “On behalf of CEO Garry Jonas and the entire ProBox family, we are praying for a speedy recovery for Isis Sio,” the statement read. “Ms. Sio is currently in a medically induced coma. Our thoughts are with her and her family at this very difficult time. Please join us in wishing for a full recovery.”
The fight took place in the junior flyweight division, with Sio competing at 107.5 pounds – a significant drop from her previous professional fights where she weighed in at 114 and 118 pounds respectively.
Her opponent, Camarillo, brought an undefeated 5-0 professional record into the ring, though all of her previous victories had come by way of judges’ decisions rather than knockout. The fighter also holds the distinction of being a three-time national amateur champion.
Delaware State Police have taken into custody two Hartly residents facing multiple felony charges after allegedly breaking into farm buildings in Harrington on two separate occasions.
Authorities arrested **Ronald Keiser**, 41, and **Heather Crane**, 42, following an investigation into burglaries that resulted in significant property damage and theft at a Woodyard Road farm.
The first incident occurred on November 17, 2025, when officers were called to the 3000 block of Woodyard Road after a break-in was reported. According to investigators, intruders had broken into farm buildings including a barn and chicken coop, where they removed copper wiring and took other equipment. The damage totaled roughly $80,000 before the thieves escaped.
Four months later, on March 14, 2026, law enforcement returned to the same farm for another burglary report. This time, investigators found that thieves had again targeted a barn, making off with various property including an all-terrain vehicle. The case took a turn when the farm owner spotted their missing ATV advertised for sale on a social media platform just days after the theft.
The Delaware State Police Troop 3 Criminal Investigations Unit assumed control of the investigation. Detectives’ work led them to identify Keiser and Crane as the individuals attempting to sell the stolen ATV, prompting them to secure a search warrant for the pair’s Hartly home.
Law enforcement executed the warrant on March 20, 2026, apprehending both suspects without resistance. The search yielded multiple items that belonged to the farm owner. Additional investigation work connected Crane to the November break-in as well.
Following her arrest, Crane was processed at Troop 3 and hit with several charges before appearing before Justice of the Peace Court 2. She was released on her own recognizance after being charged with:
Burglary Third Degree (Felony) – 2 counts
Theft $1500 or Greater (Felony)
Theft Under $1500 Where a Victim is 62 Years of Age or Older (Felony)
Criminal Mischief $5,000 or more (Felony)
Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony)
Keiser was also processed at Troop 3 and appeared before Justice of the Peace Court 2 before being released on his own recognizance. His charges include:
LONDON – British officials called in Iran’s ambassador to the United Kingdom on Monday following the filing of espionage charges against two individuals suspected of working with Iranian intelligence operations.
The charges were brought against an Iranian citizen and a person holding both British and Iranian citizenship, who prosecutors say conducted surveillance activities on Jewish locations throughout Britain last week in a London courtroom.
According to court documents, the defendants spent five weeks during the summer months collecting intelligence and performing reconnaissance work on Jewish community sites at the direction of Iran’s spy network.
Britain’s foreign ministry released a statement emphasizing their stance on the matter: “National security remains our top priority, and we take threats posed by Iran and those who do its bidding extremely seriously.”
The statement continued: “This government will take all measures necessary to protect the British people, including exposing Iran’s reckless and destabilising actions at home and abroad.”
Court officials identified the defendants as Nematollah Shahsavani, a 40-year-old holding dual citizenship, and 22-year-old Iranian citizen Alireza Farasati. Prosecutors allege the pair conducted hostile reconnaissance operations targeting the Israeli Embassy, Britain’s most historic synagogue, and additional Jewish community locations.
Both defendants declined to enter pleas during their court appearance and remain in jail custody pending their scheduled hearing at London’s Old Bailey Court on April 17.
For years, British intelligence officials and parliamentary members have raised concerns about Iranian-backed threats, claiming Tehran has orchestrated more than 20 suspected kidnapping and murder schemes targeting individuals in the UK.
The New England Patriots are preparing to cut quarterback Josh Dobbs following unsuccessful attempts to trade him, according to a Monday report from NFL Network.
Dobbs still has one year remaining on his two-year, $8 million contract that he inked in March of last year to serve as Drake Maye’s backup quarterback.
This month, New England brought back quarterback Tommy DeVito on a new two-year, $4.4 million deal. DeVito had joined the Patriots last offseason and worked as the team’s third-string emergency quarterback.
By cutting Dobbs, the Patriots will free up $3.7 million in salary cap room while absorbing $1.05 million in dead money charges.
The 31-year-old Dobbs saw action in four contests for New England during the previous season, connecting on 7 of 10 passing attempts for 65 yards. Selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, he has played in 27 games across six seasons with six different franchises, starting 15 times with a 3-12 record. His career statistics include a 62.8% completion rate for 3,346 passing yards, 17 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions, plus 515 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
DeVito, age 27, did not play in any games for New England last season but had previously started eight of 12 games for the New York Giants between 2023-24. During that span, he accumulated 1,358 passing yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, while also rushing for 227 yards and one score.
The European Central Bank’s top economist delivered an optimistic forecast Monday about artificial intelligence’s potential to transform the eurozone economy, predicting productivity could surge by more than 4 percentage points during the coming decade.
Philip Lane, the ECB’s chief economist, addressed these long-term economic prospects during a bank conference in Frankfurt on Monday, even as the institution remains focused on immediate concerns about Middle Eastern conflicts and their impact on inflation rates.
Lane explained that the economic benefits from artificial intelligence will depend heavily on how quickly businesses and industries embrace the new technology across the region.
If AI adoption follows patterns similar to previous technological breakthroughs like the internet, Lane projected at least 1.5 percentage points of additional productivity growth within a decade. However, if current adoption trends accelerate and reach half of the economy, benefits could surpass 4 percentage points.
“The greatest impact will be achieved if AI materially boosts the pace of innovation, as rather than just boosting the level of productivity, this could increase the long-run potential growth rate,” Lane stated during his presentation.
The economist cautioned that sustained high energy prices pose a significant threat to this progress, noting that AI technology requires substantial power consumption, which could limit both development of new AI systems and their widespread implementation.
Lane acknowledged that Europe faces a considerable disadvantage in the global AI race, with only approximately 3% of patents filed in the eurozone relating to artificial intelligence technology, while the United States accounts for 9% of such patents.
The economic gap extends beyond patents, as eurozone countries currently pay nearly 250 billion euros annually (equivalent to $290 billion) in royalties to foreign patent holders, predominantly American companies, highlighting the region’s heavy reliance on imported technological innovations.
Lane attributed part of Europe’s technological lag to less developed capital markets, which he said limits the investment capital necessary for scaling innovative technologies.
“Ensuring broad access to finance, supporting diffusion among smaller firms and investing in skills and complementary intangible assets will be central to realising AI’s potential while limiting adjustment costs,” he concluded.
SEATTLE — Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seattle Seahawks have reached agreement on a massive four-year contract extension valued at $168.8 million, with $120 million in guaranteed money, according to a source familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday.
The source requested anonymity since the contract, which would establish Smith-Njigba as the NFL’s top-paid wide receiver, has not yet been officially completed.
The 24-year-old receiver broke franchise records last season with 1,793 receiving yards and 119 catches, earning him the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year honor.
Smith-Njigba will remain with Seattle through the 2031 campaign. The team had already picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal last week.
The massive contract tops the previous record held by Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, who inked a $161 million extension with $112 million guaranteed last March.
During the regular season, Smith-Njigba recorded nine games with over 100 receiving yards and played a crucial role in Seattle capturing its second Super Bowl title in team history. His performance in the NFC championship victory over Los Angeles was particularly impressive, hauling in 10 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown in the 31-27 triumph.
Throughout his professional career, Smith-Njigba has accumulated 282 catches for 3,551 yards and 20 touchdowns.
A Goldey-Beacom College basketball standout has earned recognition from one of college basketball’s most prestigious coaching organizations.
Sophomore guard Tre Powell, who hails from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-East Region second team. The honor represents another achievement in what has been an impressive season for the Lightning player.
The NABC All-Region teams recognize the top college basketball performers across different geographical areas of the country. Powell’s selection highlights his strong play throughout the season for Goldey-Beacom’s men’s basketball program.
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider will open the season on the injured list after suffering an oblique strain, team officials confirmed Monday.
The right-handed pitcher was originally slated to take the mound in Monday’s final spring training game against Pittsburgh but was pulled from the lineup. Braves manager Walt Weiss expressed optimism to media members that Strider would only be sidelined for a few weeks.
The 27-year-old hurler is working to continue his recovery path following right elbow surgery two years ago. After missing the majority of the 2024 season, Strider made his return to the big leagues last year, posting a 7-14 record with a 4.45 ERA across 23 appearances.
During this spring’s training camp, he compiled a 2-0 record with a 3.24 ERA over 8 1/3 innings as he attempts to recapture his 2023 All-Star performance, when he topped the major leagues with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts.
This injury adds to Atlanta’s mounting rotation concerns, as starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep have already been placed on the 60-day injured list after undergoing elbow procedures.
JOHANNESBURG — A former South African police commander with one of the most chilling nicknames from the apartheid era appeared Monday before an investigation examining the brutal 1985 murders of four activists, as the nation continues examining unpunished crimes from its segregated past.
Eugene de Kock, known as “Prime Evil” for his deadly campaign against apartheid opponents, claimed he wasn’t directly involved in the high-profile murders of the Cradock Four. However, he revealed that security forces maintained photographs of approximately 6,000 anti-apartheid supporters labeled as “known terrorists” who were targeted for surveillance and execution when arrests weren’t feasible.
According to de Kock’s testimony, the four victims weren’t on these lists. The murdered men — Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sicelo Mhlauli and Sparrow Mkonto, three working as educators — were seized by officers during a traffic stop and subsequently killed. Authorities discovered their charred remains in what became one of apartheid’s most disturbing incidents.
During his appearance, de Kock revealed that an officer connected to the murders approached him seeking assistance with a cover-up operation.
“He wanted to know if I could get another firearm,” de Kock stated, explaining he was also asked “if we could interfere with the ballistics.”
The 77-year-old former head of an elite anti-insurgency police division received two life sentences plus 212 years behind bars in 1996 following convictions for murder, abduction and additional charges related to capturing, torturing and executing activists. Authorities granted him parole in 2015.
Security officers escorted de Kock to the courthouse in Gqeberha, the southern city where the four men died. Court officials obscured his appearance in the official video feed after the judge determined he shouldn’t be visible, according to the Foundation for Human Rights representing victims’ relatives.
Previous investigations during apartheid were broadly viewed as deliberate cover-ups. A 1987 probe concluded unknown individuals committed the murders. Another investigation launched in 1993 determined unnamed police personnel were responsible.
This current examination began last year following persistent demands from the families. Six former officers linked to the killings escaped prosecution despite being named and rejected for amnesty during South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation proceedings in the late 1990s. All six have since passed away.
South African officials have renewed investigations into additional apartheid-era atrocities recently, including Nobel Peace Prize recipient Albert Luthuli’s 1967 death, attorney Griffiths Mxenge’s 1981 murder, and the 1977 custody death of legendary anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko.
President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a separate investigation last year to determine whether post-apartheid administrations under his political party deliberately obstructed inquiries and prosecutions of crimes from the segregation period.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — More than a dozen leaders from European far-right political parties converged on Hungary’s capital Monday to demonstrate solidarity with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose upcoming April election could determine the future direction of the nationalist movement across Europe and the United States.
Since regaining control of Hungary in 2010, Orbán has established himself as a central figure in the international far-right movement, even before former U.S. President Donald Trump launched his 2016 campaign.
The Hungarian prime minister’s political achievements — including four consecutive electoral wins, comprehensive control over government institutions, media outlets and universities, plus his focus on traditional family principles — have made him a model for conservative success in both America and Europe.
However, with just three weeks remaining before Hungarian voters head to the ballot box, polling data indicates Orbán trails a center-right opponent — suggesting his decade-and-a-half in power and his influence within conservative circles may be ending.
Princeton University professor Kim Lane Scheppele, who specializes in sociology and international affairs, noted that despite Orbán’s significant European influence and popularity among Trump’s MAGA supporters, the upcoming vote carries enormous consequences.
“Hungary is this kind of proof of concept that the MAGA kind of politics can work,” Scheppele said. “If Orbán loses, then it loses some of that luster.”
Monday’s Budapest meeting brought together the Patriots for Europe organization, established in 2024 by Orbán and his nationalist allies.
This coalition represents the European Parliament’s third-largest faction, with member parties from 13 EU nations united by their opposition to immigration, preference for national control over European unity, and commitment to traditional social principles.
The gathering featured prominent figures including France’s Marine Le Pen, Italy’s Matteo Salvini, and the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders. Each of the 13 speakers addressed the audience, praising Orbán and encouraging Hungarian voters to support him and his Fidesz party in the April 12 contest.
Le Pen, currently appealing a March 2025 conviction for misappropriating European Parliament resources, commended Orbán’s stance on “immigration, identity and sovereignty.” She described Hungary as “an emblem of the resistance of a proud and sovereign people to oppression.”
“On April 12, you will send a new message of strength and determination to tired old technocrats in Brussels,” she told the crowd.
The Patriots organization has cultivated relationships with Trump and his MAGA supporters, adopting the motto “Make Europe Great Again.” Orbán has consistently predicted a nationalist takeover across Europe, positioning the Patriots as the mechanism to accomplish this goal.
During the Budapest assembly, Orbán declared the Patriots “are talking openly about wanting to take control of the European Union. We want to occupy and transform the center of Brussels.”
Professor Scheppele explained that Orbán’s importance to European far-right success stems from his ability to leverage Hungarian state power and financial resources to advance their objectives.
“Hungary has been really important because it’s been governed for 16 years by somebody trying to build this movement, and that means that it’s kind of a safe haven,” she said.
Orbán’s reach extends well beyond European boundaries. He and Trump maintain a mutual admiration, regularly exchanging public praise and campaign support.
Demonstrating Orbán’s ongoing appeal among American conservatives, Budapest hosted the fifth Hungarian Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday. There, Orbán proclaimed the West was experiencing “the greatest political realignment of the past hundred years.”
“The epicenter of this realignment, its center of power, is the United States, and its forward base in Europe is Hungary,” he said.
Trump sent a video message to CPAC endorsing Orbán’s reelection bid and applauding his protection of “your borders, your culture, your heritage, your sovereignty, and your values.”
Scheppele observed remarkable similarities between Orbán’s Hungarian accomplishments and what Trump supporters envisioned for a second presidential term in America.
“A lot of the inspiration for the way that MAGA launched itself and developed a kind of political program to consolidate power very quickly was modeled on Orbán,” she said. “These are really interlocking networks and I think that the (Hungarian) election therefore looms very large in the MAGA political imagination.”
Orbán’s current political difficulties — driven by persistent economic stagnation, deteriorating public services, and mounting corruption accusations — mirror challenges facing Trump’s movement.
As Hungary’s election nears and Trump potentially faces losing one of his most vocal international supporters, the former president confronts declining approval ratings due to the Iran conflict and an immigration enforcement campaign whose public support has declined sharply.
Trump’s Republican Party anticipates substantial defeats in November’s midterm elections.
BATH, Maine — More than 600 workers at a major U.S. Navy shipbuilding facility in Maine launched a strike Monday following failed contract negotiations over compensation and benefits.
Members of the Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association walked off the job at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works after voting down the company’s latest wage proposal during weekend deliberations. The union represents 627 employees at the century-old shipyard that has manufactured naval vessels in Bath for over 100 years.
The labor action comes just weeks following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to the facility, where he emphasized the importance of expanding defense manufacturing capabilities. The strike also coincides with escalating U.S. military operations involving Iran.
According to union officials, the shipyard’s proposal fails to adequately address worker concerns regarding pay scales, health insurance benefits, and pension security.
“We had hoped the company took to heart the statements made by Secretary Hegseth here at GD BIW on February 9th because, our membership certainly did,” stated union President Trent Vellella in an email, adding that General Dynamics “continues to make record profits off our labor.”
Bath Iron Works spokesperson David Hench said the company engaged in three weeks of negotiations but could not reach agreement on a new labor contract. Hench described the company’s offer as including “historic annual wage increases” of 10.1% in year one, followed by 4% raises in each subsequent year through the four-year deal.
The shipyard announced plans to maintain operations during the strike using management staff, contractors, and other workers who choose to report for duty. Hench noted the facility employs approximately 6,800 people total.
“The company is continuing to negotiate in good faith with the BMDA to explore opportunities to better align company and union objectives,” Hench said in his statement.
The striking union is part of the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, commonly called the UAW, which ranks among the nation’s largest labor organizations. BMDA members work in roles including design, nondestructive testing, technical administration, laboratory work, and associate engineering positions.
Workers established picket lines outside the shipyard Monday despite cold, wet weather conditions. Union members indicated they plan continuous picketing operations until a new contract is approved.
Bath Iron Works serves as a primary Navy shipbuilder and received a multi-year agreement in 2023 to construct multiple Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Navy leadership has characterized the Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer as the “backbone of the Navy’s surface fleet.” The service added another destroyer to the contract through an option exercised last year.
Company representatives have not yet addressed whether the strike will impact production schedules.
NEW YORK — Two pilots lost their lives when their passenger jet struck a fire truck during landing at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday evening, marking a tragic accident that has shut down one of the nation’s busiest airports.
The fatal incident happened at approximately 11:45 p.m. Sunday as the Air Canada regional aircraft was completing its arrival from Montreal. The emergency vehicle was crossing the runway to assist with an unrelated situation involving another aircraft that had reported strange odors.
Tower communications reveal that air traffic control had originally given permission for the fire truck to cross the runway, but then frantically attempted to halt the vehicle when they realized a collision was imminent. Controllers can be heard repeatedly ordering the truck to stop while simultaneously redirecting other incoming flights away from the runway.
Dramatic images captured after the crash show the aircraft’s front section completely destroyed and angled skyward, with wreckage scattered around the severely damaged cockpit area. Emergency evacuation slides were deployed at the plane’s exits, while the overturned fire truck could be seen lying on its side close to the wreckage.
Both the pilot and copilot died in the collision, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages LaGuardia. Officials have not yet identified the crew members, though both were Canadian-based aviators.
Approximately 40 passengers and crew members were transported to local medical facilities, with some sustaining significant injuries, the Port Authority reported. The majority of those hospitalized had been discharged by Monday morning.
The two Port Authority workers who were aboard the fire truck also sustained injuries, though officials say their conditions are not considered life-threatening.
The Jazz Aviation aircraft, flying under the Air Canada banner, was carrying roughly 70 passengers along with four crew members when it departed from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Airport operations ceased completely following Sunday’s accident, with all air traffic rerouted to other facilities. LaGuardia is expected to stay shuttered until at least 2 p.m. Monday while National Transportation Safety Board officials conduct their investigation.
The closure compounds existing travel difficulties as U.S. airports face disruptions from an ongoing government funding standoff during the peak spring break travel period.
LaGuardia ranks as the nation’s 19th most active airport among more than 500 facilities nationwide, based on 2024 Federal Aviation Administration data.
The facility began serving commercial flights in 1939 and sits in Queens, roughly 9 miles from Manhattan.
While it’s premature to determine what led to this fatal accident, the incident highlights ongoing pressures facing air traffic control personnel in recent years.
Though air traffic controllers aren’t directly impacted by the current government shutdown, they’re classified as essential personnel and have previously been required to perform their high-stress duties without compensation during similar funding lapses.
The current partial shutdown has stretched beyond a month, creating lengthy delays and passenger frustration at airports nationwide.
Numerous Transportation Security Administration workers have either called out sick or resigned rather than continue working without pay.
In response, President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of immigration enforcement personnel to assist TSA operations on Monday.
Congressional leaders remain at an impasse over funding approval for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA operations.
Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences is close to finalizing the purchase of biotech firm Ouro Medicines in a transaction valued at as much as $2 billion, according to a Financial Times report published Monday.
The acquisition agreement would involve Gilead providing approximately $1.5 billion in immediate cash payments to Ouro’s private investors, with an additional $500 million or more contingent upon achieving specific clinical trial objectives, according to sources familiar with the negotiations cited in the report.
Ouro Medicines specializes in developing treatments for immune system disorders. The company announcement could come within days, though the Financial Times noted that both the timeline and financial terms remain subject to potential changes.
Neither Gilead Sciences nor the California-headquartered Ouro Medicines provided immediate responses when contacted by Reuters for comment on the reported acquisition.
A military transport aircraft carrying 110 soldiers crashed Monday during takeoff in Colombia’s remote Amazon region, according to officials and local media reports.
The Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules went down near Puerto Leguizamo, a town in southern Colombia close to the Peruvian border, while transporting military personnel, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed.
“The exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined,” Sanchez stated.
Local news outlet BluRadio reported that authorities confirmed 110 soldiers were traveling on the aircraft when it crashed approximately two miles from a populated area.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed his concerns about the incident on social media, using the crash to highlight his frustrations with military modernization delays.
“I hope there are no fatalities in this horrific accident that should never have happened,” Petro wrote. “I will grant no further delays; it is the lives of our young people that are at stake. If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed.”
The C-130 Hercules aircraft series dates back to the 1950s, with Colombia first acquiring these planes in the late 1960s. The country has recently updated some of its aging fleet with newer versions provided by the United States through a program that transfers surplus military equipment.
Officials have not yet released specific information about the aircraft involved in Monday’s crash.
This incident follows another C-130 crash in late February when a Bolivian Air Force plane went down in El Alto, narrowly avoiding residential areas. That accident resulted in more than 20 deaths and 30 injuries, with scattered banknotes from the aircraft’s cargo leading to confrontations between local residents and security personnel.
Lockheed Martin has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the Colombian incident.
WNBA players have taken a major step toward ending their contract standoff by overwhelmingly approving a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement with league management.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” Monday, Women’s National Basketball Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike revealed that players supported the deal by a nearly unanimous margin, with 90% of the membership participating in the ratification process.
The contract now awaits final approval from league officials.
League management and the players’ union jointly announced Friday that they had reached terms on the seven-year deal, which will remain in effect through the 2032 season.
Under the revenue-sharing arrangement, player salaries will see dramatic increases, with average pay rising to $583,000 for the current season and top earners making up to $1.4 million. The total compensation package will provide more than $1 billion in wages and benefits throughout the contract period.
“This Collective Bargaining Agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA’s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated Friday in an official announcement. “Since its inception, the WNBA has been shaped by extraordinary athletes who believed in the league’s future. The agreement is a testament to that belief and to the tremendous progress we have achieved together.”
The compensation improvements mark a dramatic advancement for professional women’s basketball players. Team spending limits will reach $7 million this season — a massive increase from the previous $1.5 million cap in 2025 — with future adjustments tied to team and league revenue performance.
Projections show maximum player earnings could reach $2.4 million by 2032, while average salaries are expected to exceed $1 million by the contract’s end.
Base salaries for the current season will range between $270,000 and $300,000, determined by years of experience. The top draft selection in 2026 will earn roughly $500,000.
“We’ve always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we’re proud to see that belief shared,” said Ogwumike, who won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2016. “We love this game enough to push for what it can become, not just for ourselves, but for those who built this league and those who will carry it forward.
“This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it.”
Players have operated without a contract since choosing to terminate their previous agreement in October 2024, one year ahead of its scheduled October 31, 2025 conclusion.
Championship bonuses will also see substantial increases, with title-winning team members receiving $60,000 each — up from $22,908 in 2025 — while runners-up will earn $20,000 (previously $8,521). The Finals MVP bonus jumps to $30,000 from $5,000.
Individual award bonuses include $60,000 for the season MVP, $30,000 for Defensive Player of the Year, and $15,000 for Rookie of the Year.
All-Star Game MVP recipients will earn $20,000.
The regular season schedule will expand to 50 games during 2027 and 2028, then increase to 52 games from 2029 through 2032.
The WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 13, with training camps beginning six days afterward.
DOVER — Lieutenant Governor Kyle Evans Gay completed a series of meetings with almost 100 small business owners from New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties during a one-week period, focusing on discovering fresh opportunities for businesses from different sectors to work together in strengthening Delaware’s economic landscape and local communities.
The lieutenant governor’s office announced the completion of these statewide business discussions, which aimed at fostering collaboration between various industries to benefit both Delaware’s overall economy and individual communities throughout the First State.
During these conversations with business leaders from all corners of Delaware, Gay explored ways to encourage partnerships across different business sectors that could lead to stronger economic growth and enhanced community development initiatives.
Worcester County officials are calling on local residents to examine and provide input on their newly released draft comprehensive plan for 2026.
The planning document, now available for public review, will serve as a roadmap for future development, land use, and growth management decisions throughout the Maryland county.
Community members are encouraged to study the draft proposal and share their thoughts and recommendations with county planners before the plan moves forward in the approval process.
The comprehensive plan represents a critical planning tool that will influence how the county develops over the coming years, addressing topics such as housing, transportation, economic development, and environmental protection.
Details about how residents can access the draft document and submit their feedback have been made available through the county’s official channels.
Salisbury, Maryland officials have scheduled a dynamic musical performance that will put audience members in control of the evening’s playlist on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
The interactive piano performance will take place at the Pohanka Riverwalk Amphitheater from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., featuring nationally recognized duo The Flying Ivories in a request-driven rock and roll show.
Concert-goers will have the opportunity to select songs ranging from timeless classics to contemporary hits, creating a personalized musical journey where audience participation through singing, dancing, and laughter becomes part of the show itself.
Local food vendors Grateful Grub and Whites and Associates will provide dining and refreshment options throughout the evening.
The casual outdoor event encourages visitors to bring personal seating such as chairs or blankets to enjoy the performance on the amphitheater’s grassy area overlooking Salisbury’s waterfront.
For those seeking an enhanced experience, organizers are offering a special High Note package with only 60 spots available. This premium option provides front-row table seating for groups of six, along with priority privileges for both song requests and bar service.
Admission pricing is set at $25 for standard entry and $40 for the High Note Experience package.
City officials anticipate strong ticket demand and recommend early purchase.
Tickets can be secured through the event website at https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/DuelingPianosSBY.
A franchisee operating Taco Bell and Dunkin’ restaurants in New York City has reached a settlement exceeding $1.5 million to resolve allegations of breaking local worker scheduling regulations, according to an announcement Monday from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration.
The new mayor, who began his term in January, made enhanced enforcement of worker protection regulations a cornerstone of his campaign platform.
City officials from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection accused Salz Management LLC of consistently breaking multiple workplace rules. The violations included failing to provide adequate advance scheduling notice to employees, not compensating workers for demanding “clopening” shifts where staff must close one evening and return to open the following morning, and neglecting to offer available hours to current employees before bringing on new hires.
City officials simultaneously announced legal action against QSR Management LLC and its corporate managing officer Ronny Nader, another Dunkin’ operator. The lawsuit alleges this franchisee broke New York City’s scheduling regulations affecting approximately 1,000 employees across 21 Staten Island Dunkin’ locations. This same operator previously faced city action in 2022, resulting in required compensation for over 100 workers.
Both franchisee companies did not provide responses to requests for comment before publication.
Last December, New York City secured a $38.9 million settlement from Starbucks over similar scheduling law violations. Officials under then-mayor Eric Adams called it the city’s largest worker protection settlement on record.
When the Starbucks agreement was revealed, Mamdani endorsed the settlement during a news conference held with Senator Bernie Sanders at a striking Starbucks workers’ demonstration.
Yum Brands and Inspire Brands, the corporate parents of Taco Bell and Dunkin’ respectively, also failed to respond to comment requests.
New York City pioneered restrictions on “on-call scheduling” practices in the United States, where retail, fast food, and service industry employers would summon workers or cancel their shifts without adequate warning. Oregon implemented comparable legislation, as did Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and multiple other American cities.
According to publicly available data, the city launched 57 investigations into potential scheduling law violations by fast food employers during 2025.
Industry associations have opposed these regulations, arguing they create operational difficulties and may force businesses to eliminate positions.
A pivotal witness in Prince Harry’s privacy case against a British tabloid shocked London’s High Court Monday by claiming his crucial testimony was fabricated and his signature was forged.
Private investigator Gavin Burrows, whose evidence could determine the lawsuit’s outcome, testified that the legal action “was based on a pack of lies.”
Prince Harry, King Charles’ younger son, along with six other prominent individuals including musician Elton John, filed suit against Associated Newspapers’ publications. They allege the company engaged in extensive illegal information collection, including phone hacking activities spanning three decades.
The publisher, which operates the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, has rejected all allegations of misconduct.
According to the plaintiffs’ legal team, Burrows provided a witness statement in August 2021 claiming he had “targeted hundreds, possibly thousands of people” on behalf of Associated through various illegal methods, from wiretapping phone lines to stealing voicemail messages and obtaining data through fraudulent means.
These accusations form a major portion of the plaintiffs’ legal argument.
However, Burrows later contacted Associated’s attorneys claiming he never provided such testimony and that someone had falsified his signature. He told the court he first learned about the allegations supposedly made by him through newspaper coverage.
“This statement has nothing to do with me,” Burrows declared during his video testimony from an undisclosed international location, citing safety concerns for himself and his family due to threats received.
During heated questioning with plaintiffs’ attorney David Sherborne, who received court approval to treat Burrows as a “hostile” witness, Burrows stated: “You have got to explain to your claimants how you have been conned. This thing is based on a pack of lies.”
Associated’s defense team has characterized the entire case as artificially constructed and financially backed by media opponents, including deceased Formula One executive and privacy advocate Max Mosley. They claim a “research team” supporting the plaintiffs’ lawyers compensated witnesses for their testimony.
Sherborne challenged Burrows’ credibility, suggesting he changed his story only after a dispute with Graham Johnson, a member of the research team. Johnson, a former journalist with a phone-hacking conviction who now documents tabloid misconduct, previously testified that Burrows had agreed to participate in book and documentary projects for which he received 75,000 pounds ($100,747.50), with their partnership dissolving in early 2022.
Burrows claimed ignorance about his involvement in the Associated case until January 2023, when he became “absolutely furious” upon learning his name was connected to it. He said he contacted the publisher because he believed plaintiff Doreen Lawrence, an anti-racism activist, was being deceived.
“The whole thing is a thing of fiction,” he testified, denying any employment or payment relationship with Associated.
Burrows represents the final witness in the trial that commenced in January, with closing arguments scheduled for later this month.
A teenager from Wilmington is facing serious weapons and narcotics charges after Dover police say he ran from officers and discarded a gun and drugs during a chase Friday afternoon.
Ahmeer Ledbetter, 19, was taken into custody around 4:33 p.m. on March 20th, 2026, in the 100 block of South New Street in Dover. According to the Dover Police Department, patrol officers had responded to reports of someone carrying a firearm in the area.
When police tried to make contact with Ledbetter, he took off running on foot, authorities said. Officers quickly caught up with him during the pursuit.
During the chase, police say Ledbetter threw away evidence that officers later recovered – a loaded .40 caliber handgun and 7.17 grams of heroin.
Ledbetter is now being held at Sussex Correctional Institution on $183,000 cash bail. He’s facing multiple charges including possession of a deadly weapon during commission of a felony, possession with intent to deliver heroin, two counts of possession of firearm/ammunition by a person prohibited, possession of firearm by person prohibited (drugs), resisting arrest, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and tampering with physical evidence.
The case is being handled by Dover Police Department’s Patrol Division. Lieutenant Mark Hoffman serves as the department’s public information officer for this incident.
Conservative Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suffered a major political blow after citizens overwhelmingly voted against her administration’s proposed judicial system overhaul in a referendum that concluded Sunday.
Opposition forces claiming “No” captured approximately 54% of votes, while Meloni’s “Yes” supporters managed only about 46%, based on nearly complete data from Italy’s Interior Ministry.
The two-day voting period drew unexpectedly high participation at nearly 59%, following an intensely divisive campaign. The outcome energized center-left opposition parties while revealing cracks in the right-wing alliance backing Meloni.
This referendum loss threatens to undermine Meloni’s authority domestically and internationally. The setback could also hinder her ability to justify her controversial partnership with U.S. President Donald Trump and his increasingly criticized military actions against Iran.
The proposed changes targeted Italy’s long-disputed judicial framework. One central element would have permanently divided the professional tracks of judges and prosecutors, eliminating their ability to transfer between positions.
The plan also sought to restructure the High Judicial Council, the body responsible for magistrate appointments and disciplinary actions. Under the failed proposal, this council would have been divided into three distinct chambers, with member selection switching from internal voting to random selection from qualified judicial personnel.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have been dispatched to airports throughout the nation to support Transportation Security Administration operations during the ongoing partial government shutdown. The deployment delivers on President Donald Trump’s commitment to provide additional resources as security checkpoint delays mount nationwide.
The government shutdown has resulted in extended waiting periods at airport security screening areas across the United States, prompting the decision to bring in federal immigration agents as backup support.
The Associated Press has compiled a collection of photographs documenting the presence of ICE agents at various airport locations.
WASHINGTON — Cultural organizations and historic preservation advocates have filed legal action to prevent major structural modifications at the Kennedy Center before a planned two-year shutdown that President Donald Trump says is needed for renovations at the iconic performing arts facility.
The legal challenge targeting Trump, the Kennedy Center, and other administration officials doesn’t question the necessity of standard maintenance and repairs. However, it contends that the more extensive modifications Trump has alluded to should undergo the standard review procedures that apply to significant projects throughout Washington, D.C.
Trump has indicated that modifications at the Kennedy Center might be so extensive that the building’s steel framework could be “fully exposed.”
“Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy historic fabric, degrade the monumental core’s vistas and public grounds, and compromise the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent, irreversible harm that no subsequent remedy can fully undo,” the suit argues.
Officials from the White House and Kennedy Center did not immediately provide responses to requests for comment.
Several attorneys participating in Monday’s legal filing have previously pursued other court cases challenging Trump’s efforts to modify Washington’s historic district, including his unexpected demolition of the White House East Wing last year to create space for a ballroom. In the Kennedy Center case, the attorneys referenced a “broader pattern of unauthorized damage to historic buildings in the capital district.”
A federal judge dismissed the ballroom lawsuit last month, determining it was unlikely to prevail on its legal arguments.
Following years of minimal attention to the Kennedy Center during his initial presidency, Trump has exercised significant control over the facility since returning to office. Within just one month of his second term, he removed the center’s existing leadership and installed a personally selected board of trustees that appointed him as chairman. He brought in Richard Grenell as president, a role he maintained until Matt Floca took over the position last week.
The venue’s programming has shifted to include more Trump-aligned events, hosting occasions like the debut screening of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”
The board has also declared the facility renamed as the Trump Kennedy Center, a modification that experts and legislators say requires congressional approval, and physically installed the president’s name on the building’s exterior.
The arts community’s reaction was immediate and severe. Performers including actor Issa Rae, musician Bela Fleck and author Louise Penny were among many artists who canceled scheduled appearances, while advisors such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming stepped down from their positions. This month, National Symphony Orchestra executive director Jean Davidson departed to lead the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
A Norwegian technology company with backing from Microsoft has secured $40 million in investment funding to advance revolutionary semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the firm announced Monday.
Lace, based in Bergen, Norway, is developing cutting-edge technology that could transform how computer chips are made and designed. The startup’s innovation centers on a new method for creating the intricate circuits that power today’s most advanced artificial intelligence processors.
Traditional semiconductor production relies on lithography processes that utilize light beams to etch complex circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. Major chip manufacturers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and Intel depend on specialized lithography equipment from Netherlands-based ASML, which currently dominates this critical market segment.
However, Lace has pioneered a different methodology entirely. The company’s engineers have created a lithography system that employs helium atom beams rather than light-based technology. This breakthrough approach enables the creation of chip components that are ten times smaller than what existing methods can achieve, according to CEO Bodil Holst.
“Our technology is a way that can potentially expand the roadmap and be an enabler for doing things that would not have been possible otherwise,” Holst explained during a recent interview.
The helium atom beam technology offers remarkable precision advantages. John Petersen, Scientific Director of Lithography at industry research hub Imec, describes the potential for creating transistors and other chip elements at an “almost unimaginable” scale reduction.
The technical specifications highlight this dramatic difference in precision. Lace’s helium beam measures approximately 0.1 nanometers wide – roughly equivalent to a single hydrogen atom. By comparison, ASML’s current light-based systems operate with beams measuring 13.5 nanometers, while a human hair spans about 100,000 nanometers in width.
This enhanced miniaturization capability would allow semiconductor manufacturers to dramatically boost the performance of AI processors beyond current limitations. Holst noted that their technology could enable chip production at “ultimately atomic resolution.”
The Series A funding round received leadership from Atomico, with additional capital provided by Microsoft’s investment division M12, along with Linse Capital, Spain’s Society for Technological Transformation, and Nysnø. The company chose not to disclose its current valuation.
Lace has already developed prototype systems and projects having a testing system operational in a pilot semiconductor fabrication facility by approximately 2029. The company shared its research findings through an invited paper presentation at a scientific lithography conference in February.
This funding comes as investors and government entities show renewed interest in semiconductor manufacturing technology, particularly as new startups emerge seeking to challenge established industry leaders like ASML.
Eight historic preservation and architectural organizations filed a federal lawsuit Monday targeting President Donald Trump and Kennedy Center leadership over plans to extensively renovate the Washington D.C. performing arts venue.
The coalition, led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States and the American Institute of Architects, claims in their Washington federal court filing that the administration moved forward with the reconstruction without securing necessary congressional authorization and skipping required federal oversight processes.
According to the legal challenge, the proposed renovation exceeds the scope allowed under the Kennedy Center’s founding legislation, which restricts the board’s powers to essential repairs and upgrades needed for basic building operations. The extensive project would force a two-year closure of the facility.
“The Kennedy Center is not a personal project of any president,” Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, said in a statement. “It is a national cultural monument built to honor John F. Kennedy and to serve the American people.”
Neither the White House nor Kennedy Center representatives provided immediate responses to requests for comment.
This Kennedy Center renovation represents one element of Trump’s broader Washington transformation initiative, which includes constructing a 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the demolished White House East Wing previously stood.
A separate National Trust lawsuit challenging the ballroom construction awaits a federal judge’s decision this month on whether to halt that project.
The Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971 as a living tribute to the assassinated President John F. Kennedy, has already sustained unauthorized alterations according to Monday’s lawsuit. The filing alleges the administration improperly repainted the building’s 200 gold columns white and installed new exterior signage that positions Trump’s name above Kennedy’s.
Additional renovation work is scheduled to commence following the July 4th Independence Day holiday.
Trump has justified his decision to shutter the Kennedy Center for the two-year renovation period, arguing the timeline allows for efficient completion of the extensive work.
“When you do marbles, you can’t have people walking over the marble every night, as it’s drying and setting, and going to a play,” he said.
The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that right-handed pitcher Spencer Strider will miss the beginning of the season after suffering an oblique strain.
The 27-year-old hurler was pulled from his planned spring training outing Monday against Pittsburgh in Bradenton, Florida. During spring training, the former All-Star posted a 2-0 record with a 3.24 ERA across three appearances, including two starts, recording 11 strikeouts and issuing two walks over 8 1/3 innings.
This setback comes as Strider works to bounce back from an inconsistent 2025 campaign following his recovery from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for most of 2024. Last season, he compiled a 7-14 record with a 4.45 ERA across 23 starts.
The right-hander’s best season came in 2023 when he earned National League All-Star honors and placed fourth in Cy Young Award balloting. That year, he topped the majors with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts while posting a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts.
Since his MLB debut in 2021, Strider has accumulated a 39-24 record with a 3.74 ERA over 90 career appearances, including 77 starts. Atlanta selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 draft from Clemson University.
Atlanta kicks off the new season Friday when they host the Kansas City Royals. Nine-time All-Star left-hander Chris Sale will take the mound as the team’s Opening Day starter.
The injury adds to mounting concerns for Atlanta’s pitching rotation. Left-hander Joey Wentz will miss the entire season after tearing his right ACL, while right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are both on the 60-day injured list with elbow problems.
A major French energy company has struck a deal with the United States to abandon offshore wind development and pour nearly $1 billion into oil and natural gas projects instead.
TotalEnergies announced Monday it will walk away from offshore wind leases and commit those funds to fossil fuel production, marking another setback for America’s struggling offshore wind sector under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Trump administration, which has criticized wind turbines as unsightly, expensive and ineffective, continues pushing policies that favor increased domestic fossil fuel extraction.
Under the agreement, the U.S. Department of the Interior will refund approximately $1 billion that TotalEnergies previously spent on offshore wind lease purchases, according to a federal statement. In exchange, the French company has committed to avoiding any future offshore wind development projects in American waters.
TotalEnergies plans to put $928 million toward expanding the Rio Grande LNG facility in Texas in 2026, while also funding conventional oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and shale gas extraction operations, the Interior Department announced.
Once these fossil fuel investments are completed, federal officials will cancel TotalEnergies’ wind leases in the Carolina Long Bay region and New York Bight area, both of which were secured in 2022, and provide the promised reimbursement.
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne stated that offshore wind development does not represent the most cost-effective method for generating electricity in the United States.
The announcement came during the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, where Pouyanne joined U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to reveal the arrangement.
