No. 13 seed Furman hands UVA its latest early March exit
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — JP Pegues made a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds remaining, and No. 13 seed Furman completed a rally from a 12-point second-half deficit to hand fourth-seeded Virginia another first-round NCAA Tournament loss, 68-67. Making their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 43 years, the Paladins advanced to the second round in the South Region, where they will play either San Diego State or Charleston on Saturday. Kihei Clark threw a bad pass that Garrett Hien intercepted at midcourt with 7 seconds to go, setting up Pegues’ go-ahead basket. Virginia was eliminated in the first round as the higher-seeded team for the third time in its past four NCAA tournaments.
Hong Kong’s Mirror launches English song, revives Cantopop
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s most popular boy band Mirror, a major driving force behind the revival of the local pop music scene, has launched its first English song, hoping to bring the city’s tunes to music lovers globally. The 12-member group is part of a new wave of local singers being embraced by Hong Kongers at a time when the city has been beset by the COVID-19 pandemic and political challenges over the past three years. Its members told The Associated Press in an interview that its new single “Rumours” is somewhat “sexy” and “sensual” and accompanied by wavy dance moves, a stark contrast to its previous powerful dance songs and funky music. Member Ian Chan says they hope to bring Cantopop, sung in Cantonese, to more places.
El Salvador’s congress extends anti-gang crackdown
El Salvador’s congress has voted to approve yet another extension of state-of-emergency allowing police to round up suspected members of street gangs. The vote late Wednesday was widely expected, and marks the 12th such one-month extension granted to President Nayib Bukele. The crackdown has resulted in over 65,000 arrests and thousands of rights abuses, but remains popular in a country where gangs once demanded protection payments with impunity. The extension came the same day that El Salvador’s government sent 2,000 more suspects to a huge new prison built especially for gang members Wednesday, and the the justice minister vowed that “they will never return” to the streets.
Big banks create $30B rescue package for First Republic
NEW YORK (AP) — Eleven of the biggest banks in the country have announced a $30 billion rescue package for First Republic Bank. It’s an effort to stop the California-based bank from becoming the third to fail in less than a week. Shares of First Republic had fallen sharply this week, dropping 60% on Monday alone. For the package, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo would each put $5 billion in uninsured deposits into First Republic. Meanwhile Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs would deposit $2.5 billion each. The remaining $5 billion would come from five other banks.
FBI: Newspaper editor interfered with police at Capitol riot
A former top editor of an Orthodox Jewish newspaper in New York City has been arrested on charges that he interfered with police officers who were trying to protect the U.S. Capitol from a mob of Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6. The FBI says 39-year-old Elliot Resnick was chief editor of The Jewish Press when he joined the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Resnick was arrested Thursday on charges including assault of or interference with law enforcement. The FBI says Resnick grabbed and held the arm of a Capitol police sergeant who was spraying a chemical irritant to prevent rioters from entering the building.
Drought over? Spring outlook finds relief — and flood risk
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Record snowfall and rain have helped to loosen drought’s grip on parts of the western U.S., even pushing it out altogether in California after consecutive dry years. National forecasters and climate experts detailed their spring outlook Thursday, warning that some areas should expect more flooding as the snow begins to melt. Flooding already has inundated parts of California, Nevada and now Arizona. In the upper Midwest, above average snowpack has forecasters warning of elevated flood risks along the Mississippi River from Minnesota south to Missouri. Still, for a West that has struggled with long-term drought, forecasters say all the moisture isn’t enough to make a noticeable dent in the nation’s largest reservoirs on the Colorado River.
Dozens of workers reject union at big Nissan Tennessee plant
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Several dozen workers among thousands at a Nissan factory in Tennessee have voted not to form a union. The outcome at Nissan’s Smyrna facility is another organized labor loss in tough territory at a foreign-owned auto assembly plant in the traditionally anti-union South. The vote followed two years of legal wrangling that spanned two presidential administrations. Nissan had argued the smaller group of workers should not be eligible for their own union. A federal labor official agreed in a June 2021 ruling. After Democrats took control, the National Labor Relations Board overturned the ruling last month to allow the vote. The company then argued the workplace would be better without the union, but said it’s up to the workers to decide.
Adam Brody talks ‘Shazam,’ playing Leighton Meester’s enemy
LONDON (AP) — For Adam Brody, donning the padded superhero suit in “Shazam!” and its sequel is a dream come true. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, he said he “always wanted to play a superhero.” He described “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” out Friday, as “just a real full-scale Cecil B. DeMille-sized movie.” He also talked about acting with his wife, Leighton Meester, with whom he shares two kids. The pair play enemies in the upcoming reimagination of “The River Wild.” He said the concept of playing her antagonist gave him pause, but ultimately filming was an adventure for their whole family.
Stolen helicopter crashes at Sacramento Executive Airport
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say the attempted theft of a helicopter has ended in wreckage when it crashed at Sacramento Executive Airport. Sacramento police say someone went to the airport before dawn Wednesday and tried to start four helicopters that were sitting on the tarmac. Authorities say the thief managed to operate one but the chopper wound up crashing. The Bell 429 helicopter ended up laying on its side with its rotors sheared off and its tail boom cracked. No injuries were reported. Authorities say the thief took off and no arrests have been made, but the FBI has joined in the investigation.
U.S. Army parachute team member dies in training accident
HOMESTEAD, Florida (AP) — A member of the United States Army Parachute Team has died after sustaining injuries during a training jump at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Homestead, Florida. The Army says Sgt. 1st Class Michael Ty Kettenhofen died Monday. He joined the Golden Knights parachute team in 2020, and had over 1,000 jumps with the Army. The Golden Knights commander Lt. Col. Andy Moffitt says they are deeply saddened by the loss. The accident remains under investigation and the Army said no additional details are available. The Golden Knights are made up of several expert teams, including parachute teams and aircraft pilots.
Source: kulr8.com
