NEW YORK — Donovan Clingan scored 19 points and Cam Spencer added 15 as top-seeded UConn began defense of its national championship by overpowering 16th-seeded Stetson 91-52 Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
What You Need To Know
Stetson falls to No. 1-seeded UConn 91-52
The Hatters, the Atlantic Sun champions, were making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament
Donovan Clingan scored 19 points to lead the Huskies
Senior guard Stephan Swenson led Stetson in scoring with 20 points
The top-ranked Huskies (32-3) will face ninth-seeded Northwestern on Sunday in the second round of the East Region at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Stephan Swenson scored 20 points for the Hatters (22-13), the Atlantic Sun champions who were making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
They never had a chance against UConn, which scored the first eight points and went on to its most lopsided NCAA victory since beating Chattanooga by 56 in the first round of the 2009 tournament.
Less than a week after the Huskies won the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, they were back in New York City, a few subway stops south in Brooklyn.
Clingan slammed home an alley-oop from Tristen Newton to make it 8-0 with 17 minutes, 16 seconds left in the first half.
Stetson got its first points with 15:33 to play in the first half when Treyton Thompson took a pass from Jalen Blackmon and dunked it.
Stephon Castle made a 3 to push the lead to 20 with 9:06 left, and it was up to 31 when the 7-foot-2 Clingan got free underneath for another easy layup with 5:00 left.
Newton’s straight-on 3 gave UConn 50 points with a little under two minutes left in the half.
Newton, a first-team All-American, finished with 13 points and eight assists.
At the half, UConn led 52-19. The Huskies had shot 68.8%, committed only three turnovers and outrebounded the Hatters 18-11 for good measure.
Less than 20 seconds into the second half, Castle scored on a baseline drive and was fouled. He converted the three-point play to make it 55-19.
The Hatters picked it up the rest of the second half and the Huskies cooled off, but still UConn — the most efficient offensive team in the country — reached 90 points for the ninth time this season.
The Huskies have won seven consecutive NCAA Tournament games by double-digits after their dominant run to a title last year as a No. 4-seeded team.
Milestones
Stetson junior Jalen Blackmon, who scored 42 in the ASun title game against Austin Peay, became the program’s career leader with 744 points. He scored 14 against UConn. … The Huskies’ 32 victories are the second-most in program history behind the 2013-14 national championship team (33) and the most under sixth-year coach Dan Hurley.
Up next
UConn: The Huskies have never played Northwestern and last played a Big Ten team in the NCAA Tournament in 2021, losing to Maryland in the first round.
Stetson: The loss ends the season for the Hatters.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s highest court declined on Friday to revive a challenge to the decision by Asheville city leaders to remove in 2021 a downtown monument honoring a Civil War-era governor.
What You Need To Know
The N.C. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the removal of a Civil War-era monument in Asheville
A lower court already ruled to dismiss a challenge to the removal by a historic preservation group
The monument honoring a Civil War-era governor in downtown Asheville was removed in 2021
Earlier this week, a Court of Appeals panel ruled that Alamance County can keep up a Confederate monument outside its historic courthouse
The state Supreme Court agreed unanimously that it was appropriate to dismiss legal claims filed by a historic preservation group that had helped raise money to restore the 75-foot Zebulon Vance obelisk in the 2010s.
In the months after the start of 2020 demonstrations over racial justice and the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, the Asheville City Council voted to dismantle the downtown monument out of public safety concerns.
The monument, initially dedicated in 1897, had been vandalized, and the city had received threats that people would topple it, according to the opinion.
The Society for the Historical Preservation of the 26th North Carolina Troops opposed the removal and sued, but a trial judge dismissed the lawsuit. The obelisk was dismantled before the Court of Appeals told the city and Buncombe County to stop the demolition while appeals were heard, but the monument base has stayed in place. Friday’s decision is likely to allow the base to be removed.
In 2022, the intermediate-level Court of Appeals upheld Superior Court Judge Alan Thornburg’s dismissal. The three-judge panel agreed unanimously that while the society had entered an agreement with the city for the restoration project and had raised over $138,000, the contract didn’t require the city to maintain the obelisk in perpetuity.
Associate Justice Phil Berger Jr., writing Friday’s opinion, did take issue with the Court of Appeals ruling that the society’s breach of contract claim should be dismissed because the group lacked legal standing to initiate it. But because the society failed to argue the merits of its contract claim to the justices, the issue was considered abandoned, Berger added.
“Therefore, plaintiff has failed to assert any ground for which it has standing to contest removal of the monument,” Berger wrote while affirming Thornburg’s dismissal of the society’s remaining claims.
Vance, who was born in Buncombe County, served as governor from 1862 to 1865 and 1877 to 1879. He was also a Confederate military officer and U.S. senator. The city has said the monument was on a site where enslaved people are believed to have been sold.
The monument was one of many Confederate statues and memorials removed across the South in recent years, including one in Winston-Salem. Litigation over that monument’s removal by a Civil War-history group also reached the state Supreme Court and was featured in legal briefs in the Asheville case.
Separately, a Court of Appeals panel this week affirmed the decision by Alamance County commissioners not to take down a Confederate monument outside the historic local courthouse.
Champions of organic farming have long portrayed it as friendlier to humans and the earth. But a new study in a California county found a surprising effect as their acreage grew: Nearby conventional farms applied more pesticides, likely to stay on top of an increased insect threat to their crops, the researchers said.
What You Need To Know
Champions of organic farming have long portrayed it as friendlier to humans and the earth. But a new study in a California county found a surprising effect as their acreage grew — their conventional neighbors were using more pesticides than before
The researchers, whose work appears in this week’s journal Science, say the conventional farmers were likely trying to stay on top of an increased insect threat to their crops. That may be due to spillover of both beneficial insects and pests from organic fields, which sometimes rely on good bugs to eat the bad ones
The researchers suggest that clustering organic farms together, rather than scattering them amid conventional fields, could improve this phenomenon
Ashley Larsen, lead author of the study in this week’s journal Science, said understanding what’s happening could be important to keeping organic and conventional farmers from hurting each other’s operations.
“We expect an increase in organic in the future. How do we make sure this is not causing unintended harm?” asked Larsen, an associate professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
By contrast, the researchers found that when organic farms were surrounded by other organic fields, their pesticide use dropped, which the team thinks may be due to their shared reliance on bugs that are natural enemies of agricultural pests. Organic farms are allowed to use certain approved pesticides, but often turn first to “good bugs” that prey on the pests. “It seems that spatially clustering or concentrating organic fields could provide that benefit or that solution,” Larsen said.
The researchers analyzed 14,000 fields in California’s Kern County over a seven-year period.
Organic farm acreage has been trending upward since 2000, though it still accounts for less than 1% of all farmland, according to the USDA. As that change occurs, Larsen and her team say keeping organic and conventional farms sufficiently separate could benefit both.
But many farmers, both conventional and organic, balk at the idea of policies that might restrict where different methods can be used. And some outside researchers said more study was needed before contemplating policy recommendations. They noted that the study didn’t measure the kind or number of insects on the different farms, meaning the increased pesticide use may have been just a precaution.
Still, the “impressive data set” makes the study useful in generating worthwhile questions about farming practices and pesticides, said Christian Krupke, who studies insects as a professor of entomology at Purdue University and was not involved in the study. The overall number of insects is going down, a phenomenon some scientists have called the “insect apocalypse,” but pesticide use is not decreasing, he said.
Krupke said the research shows how conventional farmers treat nearby organic operations “as this focal point of potential outbreaks.”
David Haviland, an entomologist with the University of California also not involved with the study, agreed. He described the fight in Kern County to control the glassy-winged sharpshooter, which infests citrus orchards and can introduce devastating plant diseases into grapes, almonds and some other crops. Haviland said that regional maps clearly showcase organic farms as “these big, incredible hot spots where there’s massive numbers of this pest.” Conventional growers next door have to increase their pesticide use as a result, he said.
Yichao Rui, an agroecologist at Purdue, said that kind of response by farmers isn’t always due to an actual increase in pests; sometimes, it’s just for “peace of mind.” And Katy Rogers, who manages an organic farm outside Indianapolis, said that in many cases it’s a misconception that organic farmers are harboring massive pest infestations.
“We’re not fostering populations of detrimental insects on most organic farms, on a well-managed farm,” she said. “We are simply battling them with other tools first. Because the bad bugs would still destroy my crop.”
Rui said investigating the environmental consequences of organic farming is a worthy goal, and both organic and conventional farms have room for improvement. But he thinks looking only at pesticide use doesn’t account for factors like human health, air and water quality and ecosystem diversity that can be affected by different farming methods.
“We need to have a holistic … assessment of the benefits and tradeoffs of all of these agricultural practices,” he said.
Brad Wetli, an Indiana farmer who farms grain conventionally, said that he hasn’t noticed any changes in his pest control situation since his neighbor switched to organic four years ago. He thinks that farmers may be quicker to apply more pesticides to high-value crops like the fruits, vegetables and nuts in California, whereas the row crops he grows like corn and beans aren’t worth as much per acre, so it would take a bigger change in the number of insects he saw on his farm before reaching for more spray.
Wetli was more concerned with soil management. He’s careful to plant cover crops and has worked to reduce tilling, which can cause soil erosion and contaminate waterways, and said organic farming sometimes still involves tilling.
Meanwhile, organic farmers expressed concern that the study addresses the effects of organic farms on conventional ones but not the other way around. For example, they can lose their certification for up to three years if a prohibited material is applied on their fields, even if by accident, according to the USDA.
Walter Goldstein, a corn breeder in Wisconsin who produces both organic and non-organic seed, grew up working on an organic farm amid conventional ones and still remembers pesticide drift.
“There’s just these really weird smells,” he said. “Chemical smells. They smell like factory stuff.”
Jay Shipman, who owns an organic farm in Kern County near another large organic farm, said that he likes farming next to someone with similar practices “not just because it’s economics,” he said, but because “this is how I eat. This is how I want my family eating.” He added, however, that he grew up in conventional agriculture and understands that trying to convince farmers they should do something differently can be “tough to change, tough to swallow.”
Rogers, the Indianapolis organic farm manager, spent much of her life in conventional agriculture and says she was taught that organic farmers were “enemies.” She’s now deeply committed to a small church-run organic and regenerative farm with vegetables, beehives and hay.
Rogers said she can see benefits from clustering organic farms together, but thinks dividing organic and conventional farmers as the researchers suggested could be “even more polarizing.”
“At the deepest level, we’re all stewarding land and we all actually want to contribute,” she said.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorneys for the Walt Disney World governing district taken over last year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ allies don’t want the governor’s appointees answering questions under oath as part of its state lawsuit against Disney.
What You Need To Know
CFTOD attorneys seek to block depositions by DeSantis appointees as part of its state lawsuit against Disney
Disney and the DeSantis appointees are fighting in state court over who controls the district
District attorneys cite the “apex doctrine,” used in a handful of states, including Florida
That generally provides that high-level government officers shouldn’t be subject to depositions unless opposing parties have exhausted all other means of obtaining information
District attorneys on Monday filed a motion for a protective order that would stop the DeSantis-appointed board members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District from having to give videotaped depositions to Disney attorneys.
Disney and the DeSantis appointees are fighting in state court over who controls the governing district for Disney World. The district had been controlled by Disney supporters before last year’s takeover — which was sparked by the company’s opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education, or so-called “Don’t Say Gay,” law. It provides municipal services such as firefighting, planning and mosquito control, among other things, and was controlled by Disney supporters for most of its five decades.
District attorneys cite the “apex doctrine,” which generally provides that high-level government officers shouldn’t be subject to depositions unless opposing parties have exhausted all other means of obtaining information. The doctrine is used in just a handful of U.S. states, including Florida.
“Disney cannot demonstrate that the individual board members have unique, personal knowledge that would be relevant to any of the claims, counterclaims or defenses in this action to overcome the apex doctrine,” district attorneys said in their motion. “Disney’s assault-style effort to depose all the board members is simply an improper form of harassment of these high-level government officials.”
The motion includes statements from the board members who claim that being forced to give depositions would “impede” their ability to fulfill their duties and divert resources and attention away from overseeing the district.
Earlier this month, Disney gave notice of its intention to question under oath six current and past DeSantis-appointed board members for the purpose of “discovery,” or the process of gathering information for the case. The entertainment giant has said previously that the new district oversight board has stymied its efforts to get documents and other information, and Disney filed a public records lawsuit against the district earlier this year, claiming the district’s response to its requests were “unreasonably delayed” and “woefully inadequate.”
Since the takeover last year, the district has faced an exodus of experienced staffers, with many in exit surveys complaining that the governing body has been politicized since the changeover. Just this month, the district’s administrator left and was appointed to become Orange County’s elections supervisor at half the $400,000 salary he was earning at the district, and the district’s DeSantis-appointed board chairman, Martin Garcia, departed the following week.
A fight between DeSantis and Disney began in 2022 after the company, facing significant internal and external pressure, publicly opposed a state law that critics have called “Don’t Say Gay.” The 2022 law bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and was championed by DeSantis, who derided Disney in speeches until he suspended his presidential campaign this year.
As punishment, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors.
Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the company’s free speech rights were violated for speaking out against the legislation. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in January, and Disney has appealed.
Before control of the district changed hands from Disney allies to DeSantis appointees early last year, the Disney supporters on its board signed agreements with Disney shifting control over design and construction at Disney World to the company. The new DeSantis appointees claimed the “eleventh-hour deals” neutered their powers, and the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to have the contracts voided.
Disney has filed counterclaims that include asking the state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida A&M University is moving on from basketball coach Robert McCullum after seven seasons.
Florida’s only public historically Black university announced Wednesday that it will not renew McCullum’s contract, which expires at the end of June.
McCullum went 67-133 during his tenure with the Rattlers, including a 53-61 mark in conference play. The team finished 6-23 this past season. McCullum was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2021.
“I want to thank Coach McCullum for his dedication to FAMU and our basketball student-athletes,” Athletic Director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes said in a statement. “He has led this program with integrity and has positively influenced countless young men, both players and coaches. We wish Coach McCullum and his family the very best in the future.”
The school will form a committee to conduct a national search for FAMU’s next head coach.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The latest victory in the War on I-4 went to USF on Tuesday night.
Selton Miguel scored 19 points off the bench to help the Bulls defeat the UCF Knights 83-77 in the first round of the NIT.
What You Need To Know
USF hit a record 13 3-pointers to defeat UCF 83-77 in the first round of the NIT
The Bulls will face the winner of Villanova and VCU in the second round
The victory set a USF season record for wins with 25
Selton Miguel led the Bulls with 19 points, and Jaylin Sellers scored 24 for the Knights
USF advanced to the second round and will next face the winner of Wednesday night’s Villanova vs. VCU matchup. The time, date and location of the next game will be announced after that game. The loss ended UCF’s season.
“Really cool game to see two teams that compete at a high level with two passionate fan bases behind them,” USF coach Amir Abdur-Rahim said. “I’m just thankful that we came out victorious. Really proud of our group because coming on the road in a Big 12 environment and getting a win like this just continues to establish the things we want to do and who we want to be as a program.”
The victory marked USF’s first in the NIT since a 75-59 victory against Coppin State in 1995 and its fifth all-time in the event. It also set a team record for wins in a season with 25.
The Bulls unleashed a barrage of 3-pointers early and took a 49-35 lead heading into halftime. They finished with a program-record 13 3-pointers.
“Seeing a team make nine 3s in the first half, they did a good job of moving the ball and sharing it, and playing off each other,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “They made us pay when they got their looks.”
The game got chippy in the second half, and the Knights fought back to close the Bulls’ lead to 57-55 with 12 minutes, 45 seconds remaining. But USF answered every UCF run. The Knights saw Ibrahima Diallo and guard Darius Johnson pick up their fourth fouls, and they could not get any closer.
Miguel shot 5 of 11 from the field, including 4 for 8 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 6 from the line for the Bulls (25-7).
Kasean Pryor scored 17 points while going 5 of 12 from the floor, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range, and 4 for 4 from the line and added eight rebounds. Jose Placer shot 5 for 6, including 3 for 4 from beyond the arc to finish with 14 points.
Jaylin Sellers finished with 24 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Knights (17-16). Marchelus Avery added 19 points, nine rebounds and four steals for UCF. Johnson finished the game with 14 points and four assists after sitting out a chunk of the second half with the four fouls.
Placer scored 12 points in the first half for USF, who led 49-35 at the break. Pryor led Bulls with 10 points in the second half.
Abdur-Rahim said after the game that he thought it would be good for both teams and basketball in the state of Florida if the teams could continue to play and keep the in-state rivalry alive. But for now, he said he was happy for the team and its fans that the Bulls have bragging rights until they meet again.
He added that the Bulls need to put their excitement over winning Tuesday night’s game behind them, however, and to refocus on preparation for their next NIT game.
Tracking the changes upending college sports can be as frenetic as flipping between all the games going down over the first week of March Madness. Ultimately, those changes could affect what America’s favorite basketball tournament looks like in the future — or whether it exists at all.
What You Need To Know
Name, image and likeness, transfer portals and court rulings have upended college sports
Changes in the future could result in NCAA Tournament players receiving a share of the revenue
If that doesn’t happen, NCAA Tournament organizers could be challenged in court, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas says
Court rulings on NIL and the transfer portal have made college athletes virtually unrestricted free agents
That is because groups that oppose restrictions get challenged in court and lose
News about “pay for play” in college sports gushes from a veritable firehose these days. Whether it’s the Dartmouth basketball team looking to unionize, a judge undercutting the NCAA’s ability to regulate payments to athletes or yet another bout of conference realignment, the stakes are clear: Everything in college sports is open for discussion, interpretation and adjustment.
That includes the industry’s most hallowed tradition, the NCAA basketball tournaments, which begin this week and will stretch from coast to coast. The bottom line behind it all is money.
“There’s no pretense anymore,” said Rick Pitino, the St. John’s coach who recently made news by proposing a salary cap and a two-year contract for players who negotiate name, image and likeness sponsorships. “Now we’re dealing with professional athletes in the guise of NIL. I’ve tried to think of solutions and ways around it. But any solutions, the courts will just obliterate it.”
Pitino sees the courts reshaping and redefining college sports in much more aggressive fashion than what he describes as a largely hapless NCAA, an organization he has tangled with repeatedly over the years.
The coach also recognizes the irony of basketball being inextricably linked to the future of football, where revenue from media, ticket sales and other areas dwarf those in basketball, even with its March Madness TV deal worth around $900 million a year. Virtually all the biggest decisions in college sports stem from the biggest conferences in football trying to squeeze more money out of TV rights, whether through an expanded playoff or realignment or maybe even an expanded basketball tournament.
The four remaining mega-conferences — the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern — have even floated the idea of breaking the football operation off from the NCAA in a move that some sports executives believe could ultimately dictate the future of March Madness.
Future of March Madness
Jay Bilas, the former Duke player who works for ESPN and has long criticized the NCAA for exploiting athletes, said today’s trends — more money and players grabbing a larger slice of it — could suggest a future in which players partake in revenue-sharing arrangements from the actual events in which they star.
“That would, I think, make it a necessity that the NCAA do the same thing” with March Madness, Bilas said. “And with the NCAA Tournament now, if they choose not to do that and it continues to be as it is, maybe it could get challenged.”
The most likely short-term shift appears to be expanding the tournament from its current 68 teams to somewhere between 76 and 80 — a concept that can only gain steam after an unpredictable set of conference tournament results dramatically shrunk the bubble and left a number of power-conference teams out of the draw.
The goal would be to appease the larger conferences that want more spots for their teams, which could presumably mean more revenue for them. Uncertain is whether that would significantly grow the TV contract. Mixed up somewhere in that calculation is the reality that the tournament wouldn’t be what it is without the likes of George Mason, Saint Peter’s and FAU — underdog programs from conferences that don’t have much heft in the overall decision-making process.
“What makes March Madness is that Cinderella can come to the ball,” Pitino said. “I don’t think they should ever be excluded from that.”
Pitino sounds confident that the NCAA knows enough not to mess up that part of the equation.
Far different landscape for college athletics
The changes might be best portrayed on a casual stroll through any Division I athletic facility’s parking lot. Not even a decade ago, the sight of a big-name athlete rolling through campus with a fancy car would send a jolt that reverberated for miles — from the school’s athletic department to the phones of the local beat reporters, all the way to the NCAA compliance office.
These days, nobody thinks twice about that. Everyone from Rickea Jackson (Tennessee) to Nijel Pack (Miami) to the entire Utah basketball and gymnastics teams has well-publicized endorsement deals with car companies.
The cars, the jewelry and even the deal signed with a memorabilia company by Iowa star Caitlin Clark — reportedly worth more than $1 million in the first year — all started to become possible in 2021. State laws allowing sponsorships for college athletes forced the NCAA to drop the ban on such things; athletes were buoyed by a separate Supreme Court ruling that made clear that any attempt by the NCAA to stop them would likely fail.
“I don’t really spend any time trying to imagine” what might happen next, North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said. “I never thought in the three years that I was head coach that it would be the birth of NIL, the transfer portal, the extra COVID year, the involvement of agents more than parents on the backside of the (COVID-19) pandemic.”
Also factoring into the equation is last month’s ruling by a regional office of the National Labor Relations Board that allowed the Dartmouth men’s basketball team to unionize and seek payment from the school the way any other employee would.
That sort of ruling only applies to private schools, which are a distinct minority in major college sports. Still, Southern California’s football and basketball players are pursuing a similar path, and there’s a sense more will follow. Sensing the inevitable shift, NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a letter to schools in December proposing a new tier of Division I sports in which schools would be required to offer at least half their athletes a payment of at least $30,000 a year through a trust fund.
“That’s just violating federal antitrust laws a little less than you did before,” Bilas said. “It’s still a unilaterally imposed cap.”
In case after case, judges are ruling against those sort of restrictions.
The Dartmouth ruling came shortly after a judge in Tennessee ruled the NCAA could not forbid schools from using NIL offers as recruiting inducements. Late last year, a judge in West Virginia put a stop to an NCAA proposal to restrict transfers, meaning players remain free to move between schools, often in pursuit of more playing time and better NIL deals.
Free agency is not just for the pros
Add it all up, and there are few constraints to this opening burst of college free agency — a system unevenly regulated by a patchwork of state laws, with the NCAA all but standing to the side watching a new era develop, or envelop, the business it is tasked with overseeing.
“I’ve been saying we’ve been living in the dog days of college sports because we’re seeing seven years’ worth of changes in one year,” said Amy Perko, who chairs the Knight Commission, a college sports advocacy group that seeks reforms based on academic and Title IX compliance.
Most coaches, at least in public, agree players are long overdue to receive some sort of payday as the main cogs in what has become a multibillion-dollar entertainment industry.
Pitino is in that camp. When he made news last month by calling this the most difficult year of his coaching career, most interpreted it as a shot across the bow at his team, which was underachieving at the time and fell short of reaching the NCAA Tournament. Pitino responded by saying his team wasn’t interested in the NIT and was moving on to next season.
He said his real frustration lies elsewhere.
“The most disturbing thing to me is, every single meeting we’re having right now is, ‘This player’s leaving, I hear this player’s leaving’,” Pitino said. “It’s an awful feeling that the goal of developing players is gone. For me, it’s been the most disappointing year — not what’s taken place on the court, but what’s taken place outside the court.”
He is giving voice to the reality that, even though the fight songs and school colors might not change, college sports can’t even pretend to be amateur sports anymore. Time will tell if that bodes well or ill for the future of March Madness.
“The flashing red light is, what is college sports eventually going to become?” said Martin Edel, an attorney who teaches sports law at Columbia Law School.
SOUTH CAROLINA — Clemson sued the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in a South Carolina court on Tuesday, joining Florida State in challenging the league’s right to charge schools hundreds of millions of dollars to leave.
What You Need To Know
Clemson sues the ACC challenging a school’s right to leave the conference
The lawsuit says the ACC’s $140 million exit penalty should e struck down
Florida State sued the ACC in Dec. 2023 making similar claims
The complaint filed in Pickens County says the ACC’s “exorbitant $140 million” exit penalty and the grant of rights used to bind schools to a conference through their media rights should be struck down by the court.
“Each of these erroneous assertions separately hinders Clemson’s ability to meaningfully explore its options regarding conference membership, to negotiate alternative revenue-sharing proposals among ACC members and to obtain full value for its future media rights,” the school said.
In December, Florida State’s board of trustees sued the ACC in Florida, making similar claims. The ACC pre-emptively filed a lawsuit against Florida State in North Carolina, where the conference offices are located, saying the school’s actions were a breach of contract.
For the second straight year, Purdue’s Zach Edey is the unanimous headliner for The Associated Press men’s college basketball All-America team.
What You Need To Know
Purdue big man Zach Edey is an unanimous first-team All-American for The Associated Press for the second straight season. The 7-foot-4 senior topped all 62 ballots from AP Top 25 poll voters in results released Tuesday
Edey was joined on the first team by Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, North Carolina’s RJ Davis, Houston’s Jamal Shead and Connecticut’s Tristen Newton
Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II, Alabama’s Mark Sears, Duke’s Kyle Filipowski and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson were second-team picks
San Diego State’s Jaedon LeDee, Auburn’s Johni Broome, Arizona’s Caleb Love, Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman and Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. were third-team picks
The 7-foot-4, 300-pound senior topped all 62 ballots from AP Top 25 poll voters in results released Tuesday. The reigning AP national player of the year claimed all 58 votes last year.
Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and North Carolina’s RJ Davis joined Edey (310 points) in a clear top trio. Knecht (298) was a first-team pick on 56 ballots, Davis (296) on 55 and both appeared among the top 10 players on every ballot.
Houston’s Jamal Shead and Tristen Newton of reigning NCAA champion Connecticut rounded out the first team.
Edey leads the country in scoring at 24.4 points and ranks third in rebounding (11.7). Named the AP’s Big Ten player of the year for a second straight time, Edey has the chance to be the first player to repeat as AP national player of the year since another 7-4 star: Virginia’s Ralph Sampson in 1981, 1982 and 1983.
“The thing here is, at the end of the day, he won’t take credit for himself,” teammate Braden Smith said. “He’ll always point to us and say he got here because of us and we were helping him. Awesome accomplishment for him.”
“His journey is one that you kind of read about, like fairy-tale type deals,” Vols associate head coach Justin Gainey said. “Just to see him get to this point and achieve what he’s achieved, it’s amazing. But it goes to his hard work, his work ethic, his mindset, his confidence and belief in himself.”
“RJ has been our closer, and in (close games) it’s a huge luxury to know you can put the ball in our guard’s hands and he’ll either make the right shot or make the right play,” big man Armando Bacot said of Davis during the ACC Tournament.
Newton, a 6-5 graduate, has elevated his game to give UConn the look of a team that could become college basketball’s first repeat champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007. With the departures of Final Four most outstanding player Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins, Newton increased his scoring from 10.1 points last year to 15.2 points on the way to becoming the AP’s player of the year in the Big East for the league champion.
Newton is UConn’s first first-team AP All-American since Shabazz Napier in 2014.
Second team
Marquette’s Tyler Kolek headlined the second team and was the only other player to earn at least 10 first-team votes. The guard was an AP third-team All-American last season.
Alabama’s Mark Sears joined Kolek in the backcourt of that second quintet, which boasts an imposing front line with Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II (6-10), Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (7-0) and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson (7-2) — a second-team selection in 2021 when he was at Michigan.
The final spot went to Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. (54 points), the nation’s No. 3 scorer at 23 points per game.
Honorable mention
Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves and Kansas’ Kevin McCullar Jr. finished right behind Shannon to stand as the leading vote-getters among players who didn’t make the All-America teams.
Players earned honorable-mention status if they appeared on multiple voters’ ballots. While 21 players qualified, Reeves (52), McCullar (52) and Providence’s Devin Carter (36) were the only players to get more than 15 points in voting from that group.
The honorable-mention list also included Bacot, a preseason All-American pick who was a third-team All-American last year.
For the second straight year, Purdue’s Zach Edey is the unanimous headliner for The Associated Press men’s college basketball All-America team.
What You Need To Know
Purdue big man Zach Edey is an unanimous first-team All-American for The Associated Press for the second straight season. The 7-foot-4 senior topped all 62 ballots from AP Top 25 poll voters in results released Tuesday
Edey was joined on the first team by Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, North Carolina’s RJ Davis, Houston’s Jamal Shead and Connecticut’s Tristen Newton
Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II, Alabama’s Mark Sears, Duke’s Kyle Filipowski and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson were second-team picks
San Diego State’s Jaedon LeDee, Auburn’s Johni Broome, Arizona’s Caleb Love, Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman and Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. were third-team picks
The 7-foot-4, 300-pound senior topped all 62 ballots from AP Top 25 poll voters in results released Tuesday. The reigning AP national player of the year claimed all 58 votes last year.
Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and North Carolina’s RJ Davis joined Edey (310 points) in a clear top trio. Knecht (298) was a first-team pick on 56 ballots, Davis (296) on 55 and both appeared among the top 10 players on every ballot.
Houston’s Jamal Shead and Tristen Newton of reigning NCAA champion Connecticut rounded out the first team.
Edey leads the country in scoring at 24.4 points and ranks third in rebounding (11.7). Named the AP’s Big Ten player of the year for a second straight time, Edey has the chance to be the first player to repeat as AP national player of the year since another 7-4 star: Virginia’s Ralph Sampson in 1981, 1982 and 1983.
“The thing here is, at the end of the day, he won’t take credit for himself,” teammate Braden Smith said. “He’ll always point to us and say he got here because of us and we were helping him. Awesome accomplishment for him.”
“His journey is one that you kind of read about, like fairy-tale type deals,” Vols associate head coach Justin Gainey said. “Just to see him get to this point and achieve what he’s achieved, it’s amazing. But it goes to his hard work, his work ethic, his mindset, his confidence and belief in himself.”
“RJ has been our closer, and in (close games) it’s a huge luxury to know you can put the ball in our guard’s hands and he’ll either make the right shot or make the right play,” big man Armando Bacot said of Davis during the ACC Tournament.
Newton, a 6-5 graduate, has elevated his game to give UConn the look of a team that could become college basketball’s first repeat champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007. With the departures of Final Four most outstanding player Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins, Newton increased his scoring from 10.1 points last year to 15.2 points on the way to becoming the AP’s player of the year in the Big East for the league champion.
Newton is UConn’s first first-team AP All-American since Shabazz Napier in 2014.
Second team
Marquette’s Tyler Kolek headlined the second team and was the only other player to earn at least 10 first-team votes. The guard was an AP third-team All-American last season.
Alabama’s Mark Sears joined Kolek in the backcourt of that second quintet, which boasts an imposing front line with Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II (6-10), Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (7-0) and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson (7-2) — a second-team selection in 2021 when he was at Michigan.
The final spot went to Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. (54 points), the nation’s No. 3 scorer at 23 points per game.
Honorable mention
Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves and Kansas’ Kevin McCullar Jr. finished right behind Shannon to stand as the leading vote-getters among players who didn’t make the All-America teams.
Players earned honorable-mention status if they appeared on multiple voters’ ballots. While 21 players qualified, Reeves (52), McCullar (52) and Providence’s Devin Carter (36) were the only players to get more than 15 points in voting from that group.
The honorable-mention list also included Bacot, a preseason All-American pick who was a third-team All-American last year.
The vernal equinox arrives on Tuesday, marking the start of the spring season for the Northern Hemisphere.
What You Need To Know
The spring equinox is at 11:06 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19
Earth’s axis lines up with the sun so both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight
Astronomical seasons differ from meteorological seasons
But what does that actually mean? Here’s what to know about how we split up the year using the Earth’s orbit.
What is the equinox?
As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle.
For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun. That means the sun’s warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet.
During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.
The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night. That’s because on the equinox, day and night last almost the same amount of time — though one may get a few extra minutes, depending on where you are on the planet.
The Northern Hemisphere’s spring — or vernal — equinox can land between March 19 and 21, depending on the year. Its fall – or autumnal — equinox can land between Sept. 21 and 24.
What is the solstice?
The solstices mark the times during the year when the Earth is at its most extreme tilt toward or away from the sun. This means the hemispheres are getting very different amounts of sunlight — and days and nights are at their most unequal.
During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice, the upper half of the earth is tilted in toward the sun, creating the longest day and shortest night of the year. This solstice falls between June 20 and 22.
Meanwhile, at the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning away from the sun — leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice falls between December 20 and 23.
What’s the difference between meteorological and astronomical seasons?
These are just two different ways to carve up the year.
Meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. They break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles. By that calendar, spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on Sept. 1 and winter on Dec. 1.
Astronomical seasons depend on how the Earth moves around the sun.
Equinoxes mark the start of spring and autumn. Solstices kick off summer and winter.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
LAKEVIEW, Ohio (AP) — The three people killed when several tornados roared through Ohio last week all died from storm-related injuries, authorities announced Monday.
Darla Williams, 70, and Marilyn Snapp, 81, both lived in the Geiger Mobile Home Park in Lakeview, while Neal Longfellow, 69, lived in nearby Orchard Island. The two communities were among the hardest hit by severe weather that spread destruction across parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas and injured dozens Thursday night.
At least nine tornadoes and numerous severe thunderstorms struck central Ohio. The most devastating tornado was an EF-3 that began in southern Auglaize County near Fryburg and continued through the Lakeview area in northern Logan County, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Columbus. Forecasters say EF-3 tornados can pack winds between 136 and 165 mph (219-266 kph).
EF-2 tornados, which forecasters say can have winds up to 111 to 135 mph (179- 218 kph), were confirmed in central Union County and in Darke and Miami counties along with Crawford/Richland counties.
Crews were still working Monday to clear away downed trees and other debris, including materials from damaged or destroyed homes. Some areas were still without electrical service, though many customers have been restored.
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday, their first interaction in more than a month, as the divide has grown between allies over food crisis in Gaza, conduct of war, according to the White House.
What You Need To Know
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken in their first interaction in more than a month
The Monday call comes after Republicans in Washington and Israeli officials were quick to express outrage after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza and called for Israel to hold new elections
They accused the Democratic leader of breaking the unwritten rule against interfering in a close ally’s electoral politics
Biden hasn’t endorsed Schumer’s call for election but said he thought he gave a “good speech” that reflected the concerns of many Americans
The call comes after Republicans in Washington and Israeli officials were quick to express outrage after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticizedNetanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza and called for Israel to hold new elections. They accused the Democratic leader of breaking the unwritten rule against interfering in a close ally’s electoral politics.
Biden hasn’t endorsed Schumer’s call for election but said he thought he gave a “good speech” that reflected the concerns of many Americans.
The White House has been skeptical of Netanyahu’s plan of carrying out an operation in the southern city of Rafah, to which more than a 1 million displaced Palestinians have fled, as Israel looks to eliminate Hamas following Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack. Biden administration officials have warned that they would not support such an operation without the Israelis presenting a credible plan to ensure the safety of innocent Palestinian civilians.
Israel has yet to present such a plan, according to White House officials.
The Biden-Netanyahu call also comes as the United Nations food agency on Monday issued more dire warnings about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
The World Food Program warned that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70% of the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger, and that a further escalation of the war could push around half of Gaza’s population to the brink of starvation.
Netanyahu told Fox News Channel that Israel never would have called for a new U.S. election after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and he denounced Schumer’s comments as inappropriate.
“We’re not a banana republic,” he said. “The people of Israel will choose when they will have elections, and who they’ll elect, and it’s not something that will be foisted on us.”
The field is set for the men’s NCAA basketball tournament, which gets underway Tuesday.
It begins with a play-in game Tuesday night between Wagner and Howard up until the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz., on April 8.
The state of Florida will be well-represented.
What You Need To Know
Two teams will represent Florida college basketball at the NCAA Tournament starting this week
Seventh-seeded Florida will play Friday against the winner of the Boise State-Colorado play-in game
The Gators will have to play without center Micah Handlogten, who broke his left leg in the SEC championship game
Stetson, which advanced to its first NCAA Tournament, will take on No. 1 overall-seeded UConn Friday
The seventh-seeded Florida Gators will open NCAA Tournament play at about 4:30 p.m. Friday in the first round of the South Regional in Indianapolis against the winner of the play-in game between Boise State and Colorado.
The Gators made a run all the way to the Southeastern Conference championship game before falling to Auburn 86-67 on Sunday.
Florida will have to move forward without starting center Micah Handlogten, who went down early in the first half with what later was described by Florida officials as a left leg injury. He was trying to come down with a third rebound when he landed awkwardly on his left foot. He immediately went down in pain and rolled onto his side, putting his hands to his face. The sound of bone apparently breaking could be heard on TV, with blood immediately visible on the back of his calf.
Play was stopped for several minutes before Handlogten was lifted onto a stretcher after medical staff stabilized his lower leg, and he was carried off the court. He then was transported to the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville for further evaluation and treatment.
Danielle and Benjamin Handlogten look on as medical personnel tend to their son, Florida center Micah Handlogten, after he broke his left leg during the Southeastern Conference championship game Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Handlogten was taken off the court on a stretcher. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Gators coach Todd Golden later confirmed that Handlogten broke his lower left leg.
“You just hate to see it for him because he does everything the right way and works hard,” said Golden as he fought to control his emotions postgame. “That’s a super fluky injury, you know, that you don’t see very often in this game. Playing a big-time game like this, to go out that way, I just feel for him.”
Handlogten came into this game ranked fourth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. Forward Tyrese Samuel said Handlogten is so valuable to the Gators, and they tried to focus with a SEC title on the line.
“Losing him really kind of affected us,” Samuel said. ”We’re going to go out there next week and keep on playing for him.”
Walter Clayton Jr., out of Lake Wales and Bartow high schools, led the Gators with 23 points, Zyon Pullen added 15 points and Samuel had 12.
Meanwhile, the 16th-seeded Stetson Hatters, who qualified for their first berth in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament, are headed to Brooklyn at 2:45 p.m. Friday, when they will play defending champion and top overall seed UConn in the first round of the East Region.
What a scene it was in DeLand on Sunday as cheerleaders, school officials, fans, the players and the coaching staff celebrated together at a watch party when the Hatters found out that they were playing Connecticut.
“The excitement is incredible,” Stetson coach Donnie Jones said. “They said it couldn’t happen in DeLand. Why not Stetson?” Jones told the crowd who gathered Sunday to learn who the Hatters would face in the first round.
While Muslim students remain a rarity in many U.S. school districts, they are a major presence in some communities, prompting public schools to be more attentive to their needs during the holy month of Ramadan when dawn-to-sundown fasting is a duty of Islam.
What You Need To Know
While Muslim students remain a rarity in many U.S. school districts, they are a major presence in some communities
That’s prompted some public schools to be more attentive to their needs during the holy month of Ramadan when dawn-to-sundown fasting is a duty of Islam
For example, there’s a magnet school in St. Paul, Minnesota, serving many Muslim students from Somalia. There’s an area in the library set aside for those who are fasting so they don’t need to be in the cafeteria
There’s also increased awareness that Ramadan means early rising and late bedtimes for many families
For example, in Dearborn, Michigan — where nearly half the 110,000 residents are of Arab descent — public school teachers and staff strive to make things easier for students observing Ramadan.
“We allow students on their own to practice their faith as long as it’s not a disruption to the school day,” said Dearborn Schools spokesperson David Mustonen. “We also try to find other spaces or activities in the school during lunch for those students who may be fasting.”
But he stressed that these students are still required to complete all assignments.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, East African Elementary Magnet School has set aside space in the library where students who are fasting and don’t want to be in the cafeteria can spend the break doing other supervised activities like reading, said principal Abdisalam Adam.
The 220-student school opened last fall as part of St. Paul’s public schools system, and shares that curriculum, but it also aims to reinforce cultural and linguistic connections with Somalia and other East African countries. Adam said about 90% of the students are Somali Muslims.
Adam, who has worked with the district for nearly 30 years, said he tells his staff that accommodating observance of Ramadan fits in with an overall goal of caring for students.
“All needs are connected,” he said.
For school districts less familiar with Muslim traditions, resources are available. For example, Islamic Networks Group, a California-based nonprofit, provides, among other things, online information for educators about Ramadan and its significance to Muslims.
Many districts “don’t know very much about Islam or any of our holidays,” said Maha Elgenaidi, the group’s executive director. “If they don’t know very much about it, there’s not much they can provide to students in terms of accommodation” until they learn more and the parents are actively involved in asking for accommodations.
She says fasting students may need to be excused from strenuous activities in gym class, and should be allowed to make up for tests missed due to absence to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday that follows Ramadan.
“If they’re not accommodated at school or the school doesn’t know anything about this, they’re kind of living dual lives there.”
Fasting is not required of young children, but many Muslim children like to fast to share in the month’s rituals and emulate parents and older siblings, according to ING. Educators also need to know of the typical changes to Muslim families’ routines during Ramadan, such as waking up for the pre-dawn “suhoor” meal and staying up late to possibly attend prayers in the mosque, Elgenaidi said.
When Dr. Aifra Ahmed’s children were younger, the Pakistani American physician and her husband would share insight about Ramadan with their classmates, reading to them a Ramadan story and distributing goodie bags with such things as dates.
“I realized that the Muslim families in school have to do a lot of education,” said Ahmed, who lives in Los Altos, California.
Ahmed’s husband, Moazzam Chaudry, said goodwill gestures, such as when educators offer a Ramadan greeting, send a message of inclusivity.
For immigrant families, “that’s the first thing that … naturally comes to your mind, ‘Are we integrated into this society? Does this society even accept us?’” he said. “These little, little things make such a huge impact.”
Punhal, the couple’s daughter who attends a charter middle school, said she takes part in physical education during Ramadan but skips running when fasting because she would need water afterward.
She said a few non-Muslim friends told her they would like to fast with her in companionship.
Naiel, her brother who’s in a public high school, said he was pleased when a teacher talked to the class about Ramadan and told him that, if he needed, he could take a nap.
He wants others to better understand why he fasts.
“A lot of kids and teachers think … I’m torturing myself or like it’s a diet,” he said. “When I’m fasting, I just feel a lot more gratitude towards everyone around me and towards people who don’t have as much.”
In Dearborn, 14-year-old Adam Alcodray praised the faculty at Dearborn High for their understanding during Ramadan.
“A lot of the teachers are just like more lenient, allowing us to do less,” said Alcodray, a 9th grader. “They don’t get mad because they realize we are hungry.”
Alcodray says he fasts from 6:20 a.m. until around 8 p.m.
“It’s not that bad to be honest,” he said. “When you know you can’t eat, something in your brain clicks.”
Hussein Mortada, a 17-year-old senior at Dearborn High, said family solidarity is invaluable during Ramadan.
“In my family, everybody’s fasting,” Mortada said. “Everybody’s going through the same thing. The whole month is meant for you to get closer to God and make your religion stronger.”
This year, Ramadan carries extra significance due to the hardships being suffered by people in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war, Mortada said.
“I feel helpless just sitting here on my phone, looking at everything that’s happening,” he said. “All you can do is feel for them and pray for them.”
Alcodray shared similar sentiments.
“When you look at what the children are eating in Gaza, you appreciate what your mom makes,” he said. “When you’re having a bad day, realize what they are going through.”
At the East African magnet school in St. Paul, Marian Aden — who trains other teachers there — makes it a priority to encourage Ramadan-related accommodations for fasting students.
Aden said her youngest daughter, 4-year-old Nora, woke up excited about Ramadan’s start on March 11 — but her teachers in the suburb where they live weren’t familiar with the occasion. Aden said she’ll be relieved when Nora starts attending the magnet school next year.
“She’ll be celebrated for who she is,” Aden said.
Minnesota has been home to growing numbers of refugees from war-torn Somalia since the late 1990s. Several school districts have recently made Eid a holiday.
In Washington, D.C., Abdul Fouzi has two daughters, ages 8 and 12, who have gradually learned the meaning and rituals of Ramadan.
Growing up in Sierra Leone in the 1980s, Fouzi said he was fasting for a full day as early as age 11. But he has not pushed his elder daughter to do likewise.
“They’re still pretty young so they’re not ready to go the whole day without food or water,” he said. “They’re not built like that.”
Still, he wants them to get used to the idea; this year he’d like them to experiment with fasting for a half day.
To Fouzi, more important than strict adherence to the rules at their age is their understanding of Ramadan’s meaning and the importance of praying for peace.
“They make up their own little rules and find loopholes figuring out how they want to participate in and practice Ramadan in different ways, and I’m okay with that,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu railed Sunday against growing criticism from top ally the United States against his leadership amid the devastating war with Hamas, describing calls for a new election as “wholly inappropriate.”
In recent days, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the country and a strong Israel supporter, called on Israel to hold a new election, saying Netanyahu had “lost his way.” President Joe Biden expressed support for Schumer’s “good speech,” and earlier accused Netanyahu of hurting Israel because of the huge civilian death toll in Gaza.
What You Need To Know
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is railing against international criticism of his government amid the devasting war with Hamas
Netanyahu spoke days after U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Israel to hold new a election and said Netanyahu had “lost his way”
Netanyahu said Sunday that an election would force Israel to stop fighting and would paralyze the country for months
He said that no amount of international pressure would stop Israel from eliminating Hamas and freeing those held hostage in Gaza
The Gaza Health Ministry says the war has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians. The fighting began when Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostage
Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel never would have called for a new U.S. election after the Sept. 11 attacks, and denounced Schumer’s comments as inappropriate.
“We’re not a banana republic,” he said. “The people of Israel will choose when they will have elections, and who they’ll elect, and it’s not something that will be foisted on us.”
When asked by CNN whether he would commit to a new election after the war ends, Netanyahu said that “I think that’s something for the Israeli public to decide.”
The U.S., which has provided key military and diplomatic support to Israel, also has expressed concerns about a planned Israeli assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. The spokesman for the National Security Council, John Kirby, told Fox the U.S. still hasn’t seen an Israeli plan for Rafah.
The U.S. supports a new round of talks aimed at securing a cease-fire in exchange for the return of Israeli hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
The Israeli delegation to those talks wasn’t expected to leave for Qatar until after Sunday evening meetings of the Security Cabinet and War Cabinet, which will give directions for the negotiations.
Despite the talks, Netanyahu made it clear he had no plan to back down from the fighting that has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. More than five months have passed since Hamas’ attack on southern Israel killed 1,200 people and left another 250 hostage in Gaza.
Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu said that calls for an election now — which polls show he would lose badly — would force Israel to stop fighting and would paralyze the country for six months.
Netanyahu also reiterated his determination to attack Hamas in Rafah and said that his government approved military plans for such an operation.
“We will operate in Rafah. This will take several weeks, and it will happen,” he said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi reiterated his warning that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would have “grave repercussions on the whole region.” Egypt also says pushing Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula would jeopardize its peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of regional stability for nearly a half-century.
And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after meeting with Netanyahu on Sunday, warned that “the more desperate the situation of people in Gaza becomes, the more this begs the question: No matter how important the goal, can it justify such terribly high costs, or are there other ways to achieve your goal?”
Germany is one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe and, given memories of the Holocaust, often treads carefully when criticizing Israel.
Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul-general in New York and an outspoken critic of Netanyahu, said that the prime minister’s comments fit with his efforts to find someone else to blame should Israel not achieve its goal of destroying Hamas.
“He’s looking on purpose for a conflict with the U.S. so that he can blame Biden,” Pinkas said.
Both sides have something to gain politically from the dispute. The Biden administration is under increasing pressure from progressive Democrats and some Arab-American supporters to restrain Israel’s war against Hamas. Netanyahu, meanwhile, wants to show his nationalist base that he can withstand global pressure, even from Israel’s closest ally.
But pressure also comes from home, with thousands protesting again in Tel Aviv on Saturday night against Netanyahu’s government and calling for a new election and a deal to free remaining hostages.
Airdrops by the U.S. and other nations continue, while deliveries on a new sea route have begun, but aid groups say more ground routes and fewer Israeli restrictions on them are needed to meet humanitarian needs in any significant way.
“Of course we should be bringing humanitarian aid by road. Of course by now we should be having at least two, three other entry points into Gaza,” chef José Andrés with World Central Kitchen, which organized the tons of food delivered by sea, told NBC.
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 31,645 Palestinians have been killed in the war. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.
The Health Ministry on Sunday said that the bodies of 92 people killed in Israel’s bombardment had been brought to hospitals in Gaza in the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 130 wounded, it said.
At least 11 people from the Thabet family, including five children and one woman, were killed in an airstrike in Deir al-Balah city in central Gaza, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and an Associated Press journalist. The body of an infant lay among the dead.
People in North Carolina may have a little more riding on this year’s NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, as they will be able to legally bet on the games through their smartphone apps and computers for the first time.
What You Need To Know
North Carolina last week became the latest state allowing online sports betting
A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow some form of sports betting
Before a 2018 Supreme Court decision, people could legally wager on games only in Nevada
$2.7 billion will be bet on the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments through legal sports betting operators, according to the American Gaming Association
For the sixth straight year, the number of states allowing legal sports betting has expanded since the last rendition of March Madness. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow some form sports betting, including 30 states and the nation’s capital that allow online wagering.
That’s up from one state, Nevada, where people could legally wager on games during the 2018 college basketball tournaments, before the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for expansion.
The rules for sports betting vary by state. Some states prohibit bets on home-state college teams or the performance of specific players. Others allow bets not only on the outcome of any college games but also on a variety of other things, such as the number of points, rebounds and assists that a particular player will tally.
Here are some things to know about sports betting as the tourneys open, with the men’s games starting Tuesday and the women’s competition beginning Wednesday.
Big money
Fans have long filled out NCAA tournament brackets while wagering in office pools or against friends and family. But those casual bets have increasingly been supplemented with more formal gambling.
The total amount bet on all sports through legal wagering sites exceeded $121 billion in 2023, up 30% from the previous year, according to the American Gaming Association. After paying out winnings, sports betting operators reaped $11 billion in revenue, up from about $7.5 billion the previous year.
The association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments through legal sports books.
“March Madness is the biggest kind of individual event of the year for sports betting,” said David Forman, the association’s vice president of research.
The Super Bowl also draws big bets, but it’s only one game between two NFL teams. The NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments feature a total of 136 teams playing 134 games over three weeks.
Can you bet on your team?
Despite living where sports betting is legal, some fans still could be blocked from betting on their favorite teams and players.
Roughly a dozen states bar bets on college games involving home-state teams. Four additional states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont — generally prohibit bets involving their own college teams but make exceptions for tournaments.
Some states only allow bets on the outcome of college games, not how particular players will perform. Maryland and Ohio banned so-called proposition bets on college players, effective this month.
The NCAA has raised concerns that player-specific bets can lead to problems, including the harassment of college athletes and strain on their mental health. The organization also says such bets could entice players to wager on themselves or alter their play to affect stats-based bets.
New betting states
Since the University of Connecticut won the men’s tournament last year, half a dozen states have launched or expanded sports betting.
Nebraska began taking sports bets at casinos in June, though it doesn’t allow mobile wagers. Kentucky launched sports betting in September to coincide with the start of the NFL season, and Maine began doing so in November.
After a court victory, the Seminole Tribe of Florida in December began taking online sports bets in addition to wagers at its casinos. Wagering has continued while a challenge is pending before the Florida Supreme Court. Opponents also have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.
North Carolina, which previously allowed sports betting only at three tribal casinos, began permitting online sports wagering statewide on March 11, a day before the start of the popular ACC men’s basketball tournament but a day after the women’s tournament ended.
Odds for other states
Several states have a chance to join the sports betting trend.
In Missouri, where legislative attempts have repeatedly failed, the St. Louis Cardinals are leading a coalition of professional sports teams supporting an initiative petition that could place sports betting on the November ballot. Sports betting operators DraftKings and FanDuel have contributed a combined $3 million to the effort. Supporters say they are on track to exceed the required signatures by a May 5 deadline.
Lawmakers in Alabama and Georgia also are considering constitutional amendments authorizing sports betting. Georgia senators passed a measure last month, but it still needs a two-thirds vote from the House to appear on this year’s ballot.
Alabama’s House included sports betting in a wide-ranging gambling measure, but the state Senate stripped it out earlier this month. The House now must decide whether to accept that change or negotiate a final version to go to voters.
Legislation to legalize sports betting also is pending in Oklahoma and Minnesota. A Minnesota state Senate committee endorsed a revised version Thursday that would raise the proposed tax rate.
Mississippi, which legalized casino sports betting in 2018, is considering an expansion to online betting. A bill passed the House last month and is now in the state Senate.
Crossing state lines
Although sports betting remains illegal in a dozen states, some residents place bets by crossing state lines. In Missouri’s two largest cities, St. Louis and Kansas City, some people drive to the nearest commuter lots or highway exit ramps just across the border in Illinois or Kansas, respectively, to place legal bets through mobile apps.
Many other would-be bettors get thwarted by technology.
During the weekend of the Super Bowl, where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers, technology company GeoComply Solutions said it processed more than 431,000 location checks from about 40,500 mobile devices in Missouri that attempted to access other states’ legal sports betting sites. The location checks allowed those bets to be blocked.
During that weekend, GeoComply said it processed an additional 256,000 location checks for sports betting sites coming from 30,000 devices in Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota and Mississippi.
When President Biden flies into Nevada on Monday and to Arizona the following day, he’s likely to compliment the West’s natural beauty, pay homage to the unmatched political power of the Culinary Workers Union and nod to local Democratic elected officials.
Another truth about his visit to the two Southwestern states may remain unspoken: Though together they are home to only about 3% of the U.S. population, Arizona and Nevada are expected to have an outsize influence on the outcome of the 2024 presidential race.
With Arizona’s 11 electoral votes and Nevada’s six, the states collectively hold more voting power than Georgia, another closely contested state that both Democrats and Republicans believe they can win — as Biden and former President Trump engage in the first rematch of presidential contenders in nearly 70 years.
Having secured enough delegates last week to become their parties’ presumptive nominees, the two oldest major-party candidates in American history are facing off in a presidential rematch that most people saw coming and many hoped to avoid.
The race pits a president languishing in the polls against a challenger facing multiple criminal indictments. It gives citizens asking for change a chance to vote for more of the same, unless they opt for a long-shot third-party candidate.
Many Americans have said they don’t like it. They wish the stress of a country that feels perpetually at odds would just stop.
“Everything is kind of haywire and crazy,” Trevean Rhodes, a security guard at a Las Vegas supermarket, said last week. “Normalcy is a thing of the past.”
Nevada has gone to the Democrats in four straight presidential elections, but by thin margins. Biden won Arizona in 2020, though Republicans prevailed in all but two of the last 12 presidential cycles there.
Recent public polling in both battleground states shows Biden trailing Trump, but both sides have said they expect close contests. And both states have already received substantial attention, especially from the Democrats.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited Phoenix recently to talk about abortion, and in late January stopped in Las Vegas, where she called Trump a threat to democracy. Biden’s trip this week will take him to Reno, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
His events in Arizona are expected to focus on Latino voter engagement, sources familiar with his travel told The Times. The trip comes amid a $30-million advertising barrage from Biden’s campaign across all of the battleground states. (Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia are the others.)
Former President Trump, in Las Vegas for the Nevada GOP’s caucuses last month, blasted his rival’s handling of migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Trump, stopping in Las Vegas before Nevada’s GOP caucuses in early February, slammed Biden’s handling of the mounting number of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and called human trafficking of migrants “a weapon of mass destruction” against the U.S.
Even as the candidates gear up for their marathon to election day with more than seven months to go, interviews with more than two dozen voters, elected officials and political consultants in Arizona and Nevada revealed a collective ennui about Biden vs. Trump 2.0.
“There’s a voter fatigue, I think,” said Arizona House Minority Whip Nancy Gutierrez, a Democrat. “People are just sick of being bombarded, with no bipartisanship and no working together on many of the same issues.”
Democrats say Biden must do more to highlight what they claim as his accomplishments, including job creation tied in part to an infrastructure law that brought public works to Nevada and Arizona, and passage of a bipartisan gun control measure that increases background checks for younger firearm buyers.
They also cite the president’s efforts to protect access to abortion and contraception via executive orders after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe vs. Wade, and his support for a robust U.S. presence internationally, including through aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Republicans plan to rely on what they contend was America’s stronger standing during Trump’s four-year tenure in Washington, citing high levels of employment and lower inflation as hallmarks of his administration.
Trump, working to stay connected to his base in Arizona after his failed efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat, appears at a right-wing gathering in Phoenix in 2021.
(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
Trump also claims credit for building up the wall dividing the U.S. and Mexico to reduce illegal crossings, as well as for pushing through $3.2 trillion in tax cuts, appointing Supreme Court justices who rejected the nationwide right to abortion, pulling the U.S. out of trade agreements he said hurt American workers, and clearing the way for the U.S. to become the world’s top producer of oil and natural gas.
The state of the economy, a perennial centerpiece of presidential electioneering, is cited more than any other issue as the top concern in Nevada, which saw its unemployment rate spike to more than 30% during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unemployment in the state is just over 5% now, still the highest in the country. But even some with jobs express concern that high inflation has made it harder for them to pay their bills.
At a supermarket on the east side of Las Vegas last week, two men demonstrated the breadth of the disagreement about how the economy is doing.
Alberto Cardona said he didn’t care about all of the economists saying inflation had tapered off.
The electrician said they were “lying,” and he saw proof, literally, in the pudding. He said he paid 99 cents for a carton of pudding at the supermarket when Trump was president. Now it costs $1.47. He blamed Biden and other Democrats for the upswing, saying they supercharged inflation by overspending “and printing money that they don’t have.”
“Everything’s terrible right now. I’m living paycheck to paycheck, trying to support my family,” said Cardona, 50. He said he would vote for Trump.
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A few minutes later, Fernando Alcazar pronounced himself ready to vote for Biden.
“Look at what he’s done and where the country is headed,” said the 52-year-old gambling industry consultant. “The economy is good, and we’re going in the right direction.”
Though inflation has climbed much higher in earlier eras, the low inflation of the last two decades or so has made the recent upswing feel disabling, especially to younger people, said Stephen Miller, research director at the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
But he said people’s views of the economy could be reshaped in the coming months.
“Between now and early fall, if grocery prices come down and gasoline prices come down, the mood will change,” Miller said. “We’ll see.”
Rep. Steven Horsford, a Democrat who represents Clark County in the U.S. House and chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said that’s why it’s key for Biden to remain on point.
“You can’t only focus on the accomplishments, of which there are many,” Horsford said. “You’ve also got to talk about what you plan to do going forward.”
Biden smiles for supporters’ selfies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, last week after speaking on improving healthcare and lowering prescription drug prices.
(John Locher / Associated Press)
In both Nevada and Arizona, Democrats say access to abortion should be a winning issue for Biden. They described a wave of anger among their voters that followed the reversal of Roe.
Organizers hope to put measures supporting abortion access on the ballot in both states. Though a Nevada law protects access to abortion there, a political action committee is gathering signatures to qualify a measure that would enshrine abortion access into the state Constitution. The measure would apply for pregnancies of up to 24 weeks. Activists in Arizona are charting a similar course.
Republicans have a ballot measure of their own in Nevada: one that would require voters to present identification when they go to the polls.
The proposal responds to belief among conservatives that elections have seen widespread tainting by ineligible voters casting ballots. Though claims of such voter fraud have seldom been substantiated, they are accepted as a matter of faith, and are therefore highly motivating, to many in the GOP.
Immigration is a major campaign issue again. Here, migrants from Colombia wait at the southern border for U.S. officials to transport them to apply for asylum.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
With migrant crossings from Mexico to the U.S. hitting a high in recent months, even Democrats in cities well north of the border have expressed concern about the burden newcomers put on infrastructure and public services.
Republicans plan to focus intensely on the issue.
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who is running for U.S. Senate in Arizona’s Republican primary this summer, said Biden’s policies supporting migrants underscore an inherent unfairness in the minds of voters he’s met. Along with the economy, Lamb said, nothing angers his constituents more than the sense of disorder at ports of entry and in communities where migrants enter the country.
“They’re very angry with the misappropriation of tax funds used to put these people up in hotel rooms, to give them transportation on airplanes and to give them, in some cases, gift cards, while we have American veterans and we have Americans who are homeless and are struggling,” Lamb said.
Democrats like Alcazar, the gambling industry consultant in Vegas, said it’s unfair and inaccurate to blame Biden for the surge of migrants. He noted that the White House had hammered out an immigration overhaul deal with congressional Republicans that included increased border security, only to have the GOP back away when Trump signaled his opposition.
“It was their chance to step up and do something about the issue,” Alcazar said. “But they didn’t follow through. Instead, they wanted Trump politics.”
In a nod to Arizona’s many Republican voters, Biden honored the late Sen. John McCain last fall in remarks on democracy in Tempe, Ariz. The two served across the Senate aisle from each other for over two decades.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
As the oldest president at 81, Biden has faced repeated questions about his mental acuity and fitness to serve.
Robert Bailey, a political independent, said he has voted for candidates of both parties in the past, but wouldn’t consider Biden this time.
“He can’t remember things he needs to remember,” said Bailey, 57, a street performer in Las Vegas. “People just help him stay in office and get his job done.”
Some say Trump, 77, also shows signs of aging.
But more challenging critiques grow out of the dozens of criminal charges he faces — on allegations of illegality related to his attempts to reverse his 2020 election loss in Georgia and his stashing of classified government documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort and of obstruction of justice; of having a role in the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent Congress’ certification of Biden’s victory; and of falsifying records related to hush money allegedly paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.
“We understand that Trump wants to take us backwards,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, a Democrat. “You have Donald Trump running a campaign of creating doomsday scenarios and seeking retribution against his political opponents.”
Romero said Biden has a list of accomplishments that her constituents will feel the benefits of for decades. She cited the nearly $100 million that’s flowed to her city from the infrastructure and inflation-reduction measures he’s championed.
In Nevada, meanwhile, the Biden campaign will remind 12,000 residents about the student loan relief they got from the administration, and tell 22,000 seniors not to forget how Democrats capped the price of their insulin prescriptions.
Diane Farajian, 65, said that Trump was slow to respond to the coronavirus surge, and that he makes her uneasy. The retired Las Vegas blackjack dealer plans to vote for Biden, though she said she usually supports Republicans for the White House.
“We need good people in there,” Farajian said. “There was just so much trouble when Trump was in office.”
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Efrem Johnson had 21 points as fourth-seeded UAB knocked off top-seeded South Florida 93-83 in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference tournament Saturday.
The Blazers advance to the conference title game Sunday
Johnson shot 5 of 10 from the field, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 9 from the line for the Blazers (22-11). Eric Gaines scored 20 points and added five assists. Alejandro shot 7 of 13 from the field, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 1 for 4 from the line to finish with 16 points.
Selton Miguel led the way for the Bulls (24-7) with 19 points. South Florida also got 18 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals from Kasean Pryor. Chris Youngblood also had 13 points. The loss broke the Bulls’ 15-game winning streak.
UAB entered halftime up 38-30. Gaines paced the team in scoring in the first half with 10 points. Yaxel Lendeborg’s jump shot with 8:44 remaining in the second half gave UAB the lead for good at 61-59.
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
DETROIT (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a fatal crash in San Antonio, Texas, involving a Ford electric vehicle that may have been using a partially automated driving system.
What You Need To Know
The agency said in a statement Friday that a team of investigators from its Office of Highway Safety will travel to Texas and work with police on the Feb. 24 crash on Interstate 10
The NTSB said that preliminary information shows a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV equipped with the company’s partially automated driving system collided with the rear of a Honda CR-V that was stopped in one of the highway lanes
Television station KSAT reported that the Mach-E driver told police the Honda was stopped in the middle lane with no lights on before the crash around 9:50 p.m. The 56-year-old driver of the CR-V was killed
Ford’s Blue Cruise system allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel while it handles steering, braking and acceleration on highways. The company says the system isn’t fully autonomous, and it monitors drivers to make sure they pay attention to the road
The agency said in a statement Friday that a team of investigators from its Office of Highway Safety will travel to Texas and work with police on the Feb. 24 crash on Interstate 10.
The NTSB said that preliminary information shows a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV equipped with the company’s partially automated driving system collided with the rear of a Honda CR-V that was stopped in one of the highway lanes.
Television station KSAT reported that the Mach-E driver told police the Honda was stopped in the middle lane with no lights on before the crash around 9:50 p.m. The 56-year-old driver of the CR-V was killed.
“NTSB is investigating this fatal crash due to its continued interest in advanced driver assistance systems and how vehicle operators interact with these technologies,” the agency statement said.
Ford’s Blue Cruise system allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel while it handles steering, braking and acceleration on highways. The company says the system isn’t fully autonomous, and it monitors drivers to make sure they pay attention to the road. It operates on 97% of controlled access highways in the U.S. and Canada, Ford says.
There are no fully autonomous vehicles for sale to the public in the U.S.
The NTSB said investigators will travel to San Antonio to examine wreckage, collect information about the crash scene and investigate the events leading up to the collision. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
In a statement, Ford said it is researching the crash and the facts are not yet clear. The company expressed sympathy to those involved and said it reported the crash to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Both NHTSA and the NTSB have investigated multiple previous crashes involving partially automated driving systems, most involving Tesla’s Autopilot. In past investigations, the NTSB has examined how the partially automated system functioned.
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