the container ship Dali experienced a blackout during maintenance when a crew member accidentally closed an inline engine exhaust damper. This “The Dali crew was able to restore electrical power to the vessel, but, when the ship was 0.2 miles from the bridge, a second electrical blackout occurred.” NTSB report blocked the engine’s exhaust from exiting the vessel and stalled the engine, the NTSB report states. Crew members restored power by manually closing two breakers, but then a second blackout occurred due to insufficient fuel pressure in one of the ship's generators. The crew successfully restarted that generator by reopening its exhaust damper. “While recovering from this second blackout,” the report notes, the crew switched the ship’s electrical configuration to use a different set of breakers than what it had been using for the past several months. It was these new breakers that were in use when the ship The massive container ship that toppled the Francis Scott Key Bridge had lost power twice in the hours before it left the Port of Baltimore, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB has been investigating the collision, which killed six people and destroyed critical infrastructure, since it occurred in the early morning hours of March 26. Its report offers the first official accounting of the events leading up to the disaster, as well as its immediate aftermath. About 10 hours before leaving port, The Key Bridge Response Unified Command uses small explosives to remove steel girders of the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage resting on the deck of the Dali container ship on Monday. JASPER COLT/USA TODAY See NTSB REPORT, Page 6A Dali lost power twice before bridge collapse NTSB report fills in details of what happened in Baltimore Emily Le Coz USA TODAY Boeing has violated a 2021 agreement that shielded it from criminal prosecution after two 737 Max disasters killed 346 people overseas, the Justice Department has told a federal judge in a court filing. According to the Justice Department’s filing Tuesday, Boeing failed to “design, implement, and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of the U.S. fraud laws throughout its operations.” The government has not yet decided whether it will pursue prosecution of Boeing, but lawyers representing families of crash victims said they hope to see further action. “This is a positive first step, and for the families, a long time coming. But we need to see further action from DOJ to hold Boeing accountable, and plan to use our meeting on May 31 to explain in more detail what we believe would be a satisfactory remedy to Boeing’s ongoing criminal conduct,” Paul Cassell, attorney for the families and a professor of law at the University of Utah College of Law, said in a statement. Boeing acknowledged receiving notice of the decision and said it planned to respond. “We can confirm that we received a communication today from the Justice Department, stating that the Department has made a determination that we have not met our obligations under our 2021 deferred prosecution agreement, and requesting the company’s response,” Boeing told USA TODAY in a statement. “We believe that we have honored the terms of that agreement and look forward to the opportunity to respond to the Department on this issue. As we do so, we will engage with the DepartUS warns Boeing could be charged Justice Department says prosecution on the table Zach Wichter and Bart Jansen USA TODAY See BOEING, Page 2A Boeing failed to “design, implement, and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of the U.S. fraud laws.” Justice Department filing USA TODAY THE NATION'S NEWS | $3 | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 QIJFAF-04005w(c)a ©COPYRIGHT 2024 USA TODAY, A division of Gannett Co., Inc. HOME DELIVERY 1-800-872-0001, USATODAYSERVICE.COM High interest rates, costs delay construction work Scrapped or paused projects across US include apartments and shopping centers. In Money 2024 PGA Championship is homecoming for Ky. golfer Back in Louisville, Justin Thomas chases third major in his hometown. In Sports New biopic brings singer Winehouse back to life In “Back to Black,” Marisa Abela transforms into ill-fated performer, including taking on uncanny vocal resemblance. In Life PROVIDED BY FOCUS FEATURES CHICAGO – The crowd control tactics of the Chicago Police Department – notorious for their botched response to protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 – are under scrutiny after accusations of excessive force used against student protesters and a recently unveiled mass arrest policy. Three excessive force complaints were recently filed against at least five officers over the removal of activists protesting outside the Art Institute of Chicago, according to Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) records obtained via open records request. “I was very concerned that CPD’s well-documented historical animus toward protesters was on full display,” said Sheila Bedi, a professor at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, of the tussle between cops and students protesting the IsraelGaza war in downtown Chicago. “CPD Mass arrests put Chicago police tactics under scrutiny Michael Loria USA TODAY Police prepare to break up an encampment on the campus of the Art Institute of Chicago after students established a protest encampment on the grounds on May 4 in Chicago. SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES See MASS ARRESTS, Page 6A WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden and Donald Trump agreed Wednesday to debate each other twice, first in June and again in September, after a rapid back-and-forth between their campaigns and a flurry of taunts and insults from the candidates. CNN announced it will host a debate in Atlanta on June 27, and ABC announced a second one on Sept. 10 after Biden began the day challenging Trump to two debates under his terms − bucking the format of the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, the traditional host of the televised events. Trump, the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, agreed to both debates in social media posts. His campaign called for additional debates in July and August. The agreement sets the stage for the earliest televised general election debate since the tradition started in 1960 while also removing any debates during the homestretch of the campaign in October, when people in many states are already voting. “Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years,” Biden said in a post on X. Trump labeled Biden “the WORST PRESIDENT in the History of the United States” as he accepted. “Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced - He can’t put two sentences ELECTION 2024 Trump Biden Francesca Chambers, Joey Garrison and David Jackson USA TODAY See DEBATES, Page 2A Biden and Trump agree to two debates
2A ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS Volume 42, No. 172 Customer service To view important information related to your subscription, visit aboutyoursubscription.usatoday.com. You can also manage your subscription at account.usatoday.com. Contact USA TODAY for questions or to report issues call 1-800-872-0001. Operating hours are: Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST Available subscriptions Subscribe and save today by visiting subscribe. usatoday.com. 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Postal information USA TODAY, ISSN 0734-7456, is published daily except for Saturday, Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving (Observed), Christmas (Observed) and New Years Day (Observed), by Gannett Media Corp, 1575 Eye Street, NW, Suite 350, Washington, DC, 20005. Periodicals Postage at Washington, DC and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL ONE AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Please send address corrections to USA Today, Customer Service, PO Box 1387, Fort Smith, AR 72902. Democrat Angela Alsobrooks took one step toward history Tuesday night. After trailing for months in the polls, Prince George’s County Executive Alsobrooks defeated U.S. Rep. David Trone, D-Md., in Maryland’s Democratic Senate primary. If she is elected in November, Alsobrooks would be the first Black woman to represent Maryland in the Senate and the third Black woman ever elected to the chamber. A slate of primaries in Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska on Tuesday set the stage for competitive November general election battles that could determine the balance of power in Congress next year. The West Virginia Republican primary for a U.S. House race featured a resounding defeat for a convicted participant of the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. In Nebraska, a Republican congressman turned back a primary challenger backed by the House Freedom Caucus. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, both the presumptive nominees for their parties, won the presidential primaries in all three states. In the Maryland Democratic Senate primary, Trone, co-founder of Total Wine & More, poured more than $54 million of his personal wealth into his campaign, while Alsobrooks had the backing of leading Democrats in the state including Gov. Wes Moore; Sen. Chris Van Hollen, and Reps. Steny Hoyer and Jamie Raskin. Alsobrooks will face off against popular former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in a November general election that could help determine the balance of the Senate next year. The Senate seat is being vacated by Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is retiring. Hogan, still a popular figure in Maryland politics, is expected to be a formidable opponent for Democrats in November. He already has raised more than $3 million in the race. Capitol rioter defeated Incumbent U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, RW.Va., trounced challenger Derrick Evans in the Republican primary for the state’s 1st Congressional District seat. Evans served three months in prison after joining pro-Trump protesters who invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and threatened to prevent the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 race for the White House. Miller, a third-term congresswoman, was among the lawmakers who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice beat Rep. Alex Mooney by double digits in the Republican primary for a West Virginia Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Joe Machin. Justice is favored to win the November general election in the increasingly conservative state. In Nebraska, longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon prevailed in a tough primary challenge from hardright candidate and Omaha businessman Dan Frei for the state’s 2nd Congressional District. While Bacon had support from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Frei was backed by by the state party and U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., the chair of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus. Bacon will face off against Democrat Tony Vargas, a member of the state Legislature, in a closely watched race that could be pivotal in the House in November. ELECTION 2024 Alsobrooks wins pivotal Democratic primary in Maryland Capitol rioter soundly defeated in W.Va. Marina Pitofsky, Karissa Waddick and Maya Marchel Hoff USA TODAY Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks speaks at Bowie State University in Bowie, Md., in 2022. She defeated Rep. David Trone, D-Md., in the Democratic Senate primary. DWIGHT A. WEINGARTEN/USA TODAY NETWORK Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., prevailed in a primary challenge from Omaha businessman Dan Frei in Nebraska. PROVIDED BY EVELYN HOCKSTEIN together!” Trump later said on his social media site, Truth Social, that he agreed to an invitation by Fox News for a third debate on Oct. 2 − outside the parameters put forward by Biden. The Biden campaign rejected the proposal. “President Biden made his terms clear for two one-on-one debates, and Donald Trump accepted those terms,” said Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Biden campaign. “No more games. No more chaos.” For months, it had been unclear whether Biden and Trump would even square off in a debate before the November election. But after having not committed, Biden said last month that he would be willing to debate Trump. In a video posted online Wednesday, Biden said he was willing to debate Trump twice before the general election − and proposed the first face-off take place in June. Biden’s campaign informed the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has hosted the matches since 1988, that it would not be participating in its series of three debates scheduled for the fall. In a statement, the Biden campaign said it wants the first to debate to take place in June, when Trump’s hush money trial in New York is “likely to be over” and after Biden returns from the Group of Seven Summit in mid-June before Republicans officially award their nomination. The campaign proposed a second debate in September “prior to the beginning of early voting,” echoing a Trump campaign demand. The Biden campaign proposed the debates be hosted by television networks that previously hosted a Republican primary debate in 2016 and a Democratic primary debate in 2020 “so neither campaign can assert that the sponsoring organization is obviously unacceptable.” Biden’s team also suggested a vice presidential debate take place in late July. The general election involved three presidential debates and a vice presidential debate for nearly two decades, until one was abruptly called off in 2020 when Trump rejected the commission’s plan to make it virtual after his COVID-19 diagnosis. Before then, the last time the debate schedule was limited to two face-offs was in 1996. One thing campaigns agree on Debates organized by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates − the corporation that has traditionally picked the times, locations and moderators of sparring matches − had been set to begin Sept. 16 and continue into October. “The American public deserves substantive debates from the leading candidates for president and vice president,” the Commission on Presidential Debates said in a statement Wednesday, adding that it will “continue to be ready to execute” its original series of debates before the election. Both campaigns have been frustration with the debate commission. The Biden team has long complained that the commission failed to enforce its own rules in 2020, when Trump constantly interrupted Biden. Trump complained about commission bias against him. The Republican National Committee in 2022 passed a resolution saying it would not allow its nominee to participate in a debate sponsored by the commission, although Trump said earlier this year that he would be willing to forgo that resolution if he could secure a match-up with Biden. Before Biden’s challenge, Trump’s team had called for earlier debates to accommodate early voting. And the GOP candidate accepted Biden’s proposed time frame for the debates in a social media post almost immediately. The debate over the debates Trump said he was “Ready and Willing to Debate” him “at the two proposed times in June and September.” “I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds,” Trump wrote. “That’s only because he doesn’t get them. Just tell me when, I’ll be there. ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!’” Trump and Biden had been sparring over the timing of the debates for weeks, and the back-and-forth heated up Wednesday. In a video posted to social media Wednesday morning, Biden took a jab at Trump for refusing to participate in a single Republican primary debate this cycle. He said he’d make good on a promise to debate Trump, telling him, “Make my day pal, I’ll even do it twice.” “Let’s pick the dates Donald, I hear you’re free on Wednesdays,” Biden said, making a veiled reference to Trump’s criminal trial in New York. Robert F. Kennedy, an independent candidate running a distant third for president, will not be joining Biden and Trump on the debate stage. Among its criteria, the Biden campaign said the debate should also be “one-on-one,” allowing voters to compare the only two candidates with any statistical chance of prevailing in the Electoral College.” The latter stipulation was intended to ensure that third-party candidates such as Kennedy are not allowed on stage. Prior debates have had a 15% debate threshold. Kennedy had 8% support in the latest USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll. Kennedy accused Trump and Biden of trying to avoid a robust discussion about their time in office. “They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win. Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy,” he said in a post on X. Contributing: Rachel Barber Debates Continued from Page 1A ment with the utmost transparency, as we have throughout the entire term of the agreement, including in response to their questions following the Alaska Airlines 1282 accident.” Government officials plan to meet May 31 with victims of the crash and directed Boeing to reply to the filing by June 13. The department will inform the court by July 7 how it plans to proceed, which could lead to criminal charges against the company. The jetliner manufacturer has been under increased scrutiny by regulators and lawmakers this year after the latest grounding of its 737 Max jets. In January, an Alaska Airlines 737 Max lost a door plug during a flight. Though the incident caused no serious injuries or deaths, the Federal Aviation Administration quickly grounded the fleet of 737 Max jets that had the same kind of door plug, and federal regulators began new inquiries into Boeing’s production practices. Passengers on the Alaska Airlines flight later received letters from the FBI informing them they may be victims of a crime. Boeing Continued from Page 1A Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy postponed a series of international engagements over the coming days as Russia’s military launched what appeared to be increasingly successful attacks close to Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. Zelenskyy’s cancellation of all foreign trips, announced by his office on Wednesday, may indicate Ukraine is struggling to contain Russia’s latest military offensive, which has intensified in recent days. The decision comes days after Ukraine’s top military general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, warned fighting had “significantly worsened” in Kharkiv and as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the country. Blinken traveled to Ukraine for the first time since U.S. lawmakers approved a new aid package for Ukraine worth nearly $61 billion. In a news conference alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, Blinken announced that the U.S. would provide an additional $2 billion in military aid for Ukraine to help it invest in its industrial base. “We’re rushing ammunition, armored vehicles, missiles, air defenses to get them to the front lines,” Blinken said. “For anyone who is tempted to bet against Ukraine − don’t. It will be a big mistake.” Ukraine’s state emergency services said more than 7,500 people have been evacuated from the Kharkiv region as Russia pushes into the area as part of a renewed cross-border offensive. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy cancels all foreign trips as attacks by Russia make gains Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY Zelenskyy
NEWS USA TODAY ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ 3A an occupation. He has also balked at proposals for the internationally backed Palestinian Authority to move back into a postwar Gaza, accusing the group of being hostile to Israel. Netanyahu’s governing coalition relies on ultra-nationalist partners that want the Palestinian Authority dismantled and for Jewish settlements to be expanded to Gaza. But the prime minister was publicly challenged Wednesday by his own defense chief. In a televised news conference, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed to oppose any long-term military rule by Israel over the ravaged Palestinian enclave, instead calling for an alternative Gaza administration made up of Palestinians. “I call on the prime minister to announce that Israel will not rule over Gaza militarily,” Gallant said. “Indecision will erode the military gains (of the war).” Drone video shows Hamas militants at UN building The Israeli military on Wednesday released drone video appearing to show Hamas militants at a Rafah-area compound of the U.N. Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, drawing an accusation that the U.N. is itself a “terrorist entity.” “Terrorists were identified in the central logistics complex of the UNRA agency next to U.N. vehicles,” the Israeli military said in a statement. The building also had a large “U.N.” sign on its roof. UNRWA, which said it was examining the footage, has repeatedly denied claims it cooperates with Hamas. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the men were there to protect aid distribution. “The U.N. not only collaborates with terrorists, but its facilities in Gaza are terror compounds!” Gilan Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., wrote on social media. “Will Antonio Guterres, who is always so quick to condemn Israel, finally call out the organization he leads? The UN has become a weapon in the hands of terrorists!” UNWA was set up to help Palestinian refugees displaced during the war that broke out around the time of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The agency has about 13,000 staffers in Gaza, the overwhelming majority of them Palestinian. The Israelis claim that hundreds of them function as “military operatives” for Hamas. Abu Zuhri described the militants at the UNRWA building as a “police force tasked with securing aid centers against acts of theft and looting.” But Erdan, speaking on Army Radio, said that “the U.N. has in part become a terrorist entity in itself because it cooperates with Hamas and covers for it.” US to send another $1 billion in weapons to Israel The Biden administration has informed Congress it intends to transfer more than $1 billion in weapons to Israel, a week after President Joe Biden said he was pausing the shipment of some heavy bombs to the country, a lawmaker familiar with the matter confirmed to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity. The Biden administration paused the shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel over concerns they could be used in a major military operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million refugees have been sheltering. The latest weapons package includes the potential transfer of $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the development. The transfer will undergo congressional review before it’s approved. Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY; Reuters There is no humanitarian crisis in Rafah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday – although nearly 500,000 people have fled the southern Gaza city in recent days as Isael’s military gains traction there. The Biden administration and much of the world has repeatedly urged Israel to abandon plans for a major invasion of the city, fearing a worsening of the humanitarian crisis that has swept across Gaza since the war began. “The civilian population is being evacuated and (we are) fulfilling our obligation to its humanitarian needs,” Netanyahu said. “The humanitarian catastrophe that has been spoken of has not been realized, nor will it.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking Wednesday from Ukraine, said Israel’s self-proclaimed “limited operation” in Rafah has had a “negative impact.” Israeli government spokesman David Mence said in a statement that Israel will eliminate the four Hamas brigades in Rafah but not necessarily all Hamas militants in the city. This week, Blinken said Israel has not shown the U.S. its postwar plans for the battered enclave of more than 2 million people. He warned that without a clear plan for the future, Gaza faces chaos. The U.S. has pushed for a government led by a revamped version of the Palestinian Authority that now governs the West Bank. But Netanyahu said Wednesday that until Hamas is driven from military control of Gaza, no one will take on the task of civil management of Gaza out of fear for their lives. “Therefore, all the talk about ‘the day after,’ while Hamas remains intact, will remain mere words devoid of content,” Netanyahu said. “There is one alternative to victory – defeat. Military, diplomatic and national defeat. My government will not agree to this.” Netanyahu is challenged on postwar plan Netanyahu has said Israel, if it achieves its war goal of dismantling Hamas’ government and military apparatus in Gaza, would retain overall security control over the territory. He has stopped short of describing the plan as Israel: ‘No humanitarian catastrophe’ Netanyahu says obligations being fulfilled John Bacon USA TODAY A funeral procession includes the coffin of James Kirby into St. Mary Redcliffe Church, on Wednesday in Bristol, England. Kirby was one of seven World Central Kitchen workers killed when their marked vehicles were targeted by Israeli military strikes. FINNBARR WEBSTER/GETTY IMAGES It can kill on the spot or years after prolonged exposure. When methylene chloride’s fumes build up, the chemical switches off the brain’s respiratory center, asphyxiating its victims if it doesn’t trigger a heart attack first. At lower levels, the federal government says, it increases the risk of multiple types of cancer. And despite a 2019 ban keeping it out of consumer paint-stripping products, the chemical still is widely available in other items – from aerosol degreasers to sealants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced April 30 that it is banning methylene chloride in all consumer uses and most workplace settings. The move is the most sweeping since a 2015 Center for Public Integrity investigation connected dozens of deaths to the chemical and showed that experts had warned of its dangers for decades. At the time, paint strippers with methylene chloride could be bought at home improvement stores nationwide. An initial EPA proposal to ban such uses was shelved by the Trump administration despite more deaths. It took a sustained campaign by families of recent victims and chemical safety groups to turn the tide. “I feel like we moved an ocean, I really do,” said Lauren Atkins, whose 31-yearold son, Joshua, died in 2018 while refinishing his bike with paint stripper. “It’s a good rule. I think it could be better, I think it could have gone farther, but it’s a whole lot better than what we had.” She and Brian Wynne, whose brother Drew died in 2017 while refinishing the floor of his business’ walk-in refrigerator, wish the government had acted more quickly. Methylene chloride deaths were recorded at least as far back as the 1940s. A 1976 medical journal piece detailed the chemical’s dangers and criticized the EPA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission for not acting. In 2016, the EPA put methylene chloride on a list of 10 chemicals it intended to evaluate because of their known risks. “Let’s look at the toxic 10 and start whittling down all of them,” Wynne said. “I think we can all agree that anything labeled as part of the toxic 10 shouldn’t be part of our daily lives.” The EPA cited at least 85 deaths and long-term health dangers when it concluded that methylene chloride posed “unreasonable risks.” But the new restrictions are not immediate. The agency is giving businesses time to phase out certain uses and phase in protections for people who will continue to work with the chemical. Consumer sales will be fully banned in a year under the new rule. Most commercial and industrial uses will have to stop in two years. Exceptions include a 10-year extension for certain emergency uses by NASA. Atkins, the Wynne family and Wendy Hartley, whose 21-year-old son, Kevin, died refinishing a bathtub with a methylene chloride product in 2017, worked together for years to make that happen. They had to counter EPA resistance – top officials under the Trump administration were intent on rolling back protections, not adding more – and overcome sustained lobbying by manufacturers. Atkins called it “the longest, hardest, probably most important fight of my life.” She hopes other people will take up the torch for safety in a world awash with harmful chemicals. “Persistence is key,” Wynne said. “The takeaway should be: If something’s not right, don’t be afraid to raise your voice.” Jamie Smith Hopkins is a reporter for the Center for Public Integrity , a nonprofit newsroom that investigates inequality. After dozens of deaths, EPA broadens ban on chemical Jamie Smith Hopkins Center for Public Integrity Drew Wynne, right, and his mother Cindy, with brothers, Brian and Clayton Wynne at their home in South Carolina in 2017. Drew died that year from exposure to a paint remover. PROVIDED BY CINDY WYNNE VIA CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY Lauren Atkins and her son, Joshua, play at a park in Louisville, Ky., in 2011. Joshua died at 31 in 2018 while refinishing his bike with paint stripper. PROVIDED BY LAUREN ATKINS VIA CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY “I feel like we moved an ocean, I really do. It’s a good rule. I think it could be better, I think it could have gone farther, but it’s a whole lot better than what we had.” Lauren Atkins Whose 31-year-old son, Joshua, died in 2018
4A ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and wounded in an apparent assassination attempt Wednesday as he made an appearance outside a community center, local media reported. Fico was airlifted to a nearby hospital. His official Facebook page said he was “shot multiple times and is currently in a life-threatening condition.” Slovak broadcaster TA3 said Fico, 59, was shot in the abdomen after a meeting in the town of Handlova, about 100 miles northeast of the capital Bratislava, in central Slovakia. The alleged assailant, who has not been identified, was detained by police. Video published on social media, which USA TODAY has not verified, appeared to show several men rushing to detain the suspect. In a post on X, Slovakai’s President Zuzana Caputova said she was “utterly shocked by today’s brutal attack on #Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, which I condemn in strongest possible terms. I wish him lot of strength in this critical moment and early recovery. My thoughts are also with his family and close ones.” There also was strong condemnation from international leaders. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the incident was a “vile attack” on Fico. There was no immediate reaction from the White House. Fico has been prime minister since 2023, a role he previously held. The European Policy Center think tank describes him as a “pro-Russian populist” who blends “social populism, nationalism and anti-liberalism.” He resigned as prime minister in 2018 in the wake of an investigation into the murder of Jan Kuciak, a journalist who was probing the alleged activity of the Italian mafia in Slovakia. Fico offered to step down to respect calls for political change following large street protests over Kuciak’s murder. He returned to power last year in a coalition government, at the helm of a populist left-wing party named SmerSSD. One of Fico’s campaign pledges was to halt all military aid to Ukraine. He has repeatedly denied being proRussian. The last assassination of a major political figure was in 2022, when Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former prime minister, was shot and killed by a lone gunman while campaigning for his ruling party. Serving Haitian President Jovenel Moı̈se was shot dead in 2021 in his private residence in Port-au-Prince by a band of 28 armed men. A bevy of former President Donald Trump’s high-profile allies have flocked to the Manhattan courthouse where he is on trial on accusations of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The Republican heavyweights, including several possible running mates for the presumptive presidential nominee, have vocally defended Trump outside the courtroom − including by saying things he himself is barred from saying by a gag order. Last week, after explosive testimony from Daniels on her alleged sexual encounter with Trump, Sen. Rick Scott, RFla., told reporters outside the courthouse that what the former president is going through is “despicable.” “It’s a crime in this country to use the court system to go after your political opponents,” Scott said. “What is happening in this courtroom is clearly criminal.” This week, as former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen took the stand to describe how Trump allegedly authorized the hush money , Sen. J.D. Vance, ROhio, called the trial a “threat to American democracy.” “I just want to live in a reasonable country where we try to persuade voters in our politics. We don’t try to throw our political opponents in jail. This is a disgrace and I wanted to show some support for my friend,” he said. But with Trump facing a gag order to prevent possible intimidation of witnesses and jurors, his Republican allies have also gone after key witnesses and the judge’s relatives on Trump’s behalf. What is the gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan? Judge Juan Merchan imposed a gag order against Trump in March, prohibiting him from publicly commenting on the participation of potential witnesses or jurors in the trial. The order also barred Trump from publicly commenting on court staff and prosecution lawyers − other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg − if the comments are meant to significantly interfere with their work in the case. Merchan extended that protection to the family members of staff and lawyers as well, and he blocked Trump from making any public comments about prospective and actual jurors after Trump attacked Merchan’s daughter for consulting for Democratic campaigns. This month, Merchan ruled Trump violated the gag order 10 times with comments on witnesses such as calling Cohen and Daniels “sleazebags” and fined him $10,000 – and threatened him with jail for future violations. Trump’s allies attack witnesses, judge’s daughter at courthouse With the gag order in place, Trump’s allies have attacked key witnesses. “Does any reasonable, sensible person believe anything that Michael Cohen says?” Vance asked reporters outside the courtroom Monday. “I don’t think that they should. I actually think his testimony is going to hurt with any reasonable juror, and hopefully we have a few of those.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., questioned Cohen’s credibility after attending the trial Tuesday. “This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth,” Johnson said. “He has a history of perjury and is well known for it. “No one should believe a word he says today.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala, who attended the trial with Vance, said Cohen is “giving an acting scene” in the courtroom. “How can you be convinced by somebody that is a serial liar? There should be no reason anybody should listen to this guy,” he said. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., also criticized Cohen as a convicted liar on Tuesday. Cohen has been convicted of several felonies, including lying to Congress in an effort to protect Trump. “Michael Cohen has no credibility, no integrity,” Mills said outside the courthouse. “This is weaponization against our president.” Republicans also attacked the judge’s daughter, who is the head of a digital marketing agency that works with Democratic candidates and nonprofits. The New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics cleared Merchan to preside over the trial. “The judge inside, his daughter is making millions of dollars running against Donald Trump, raising money for Donald Trump’s political opponents,” Vance said Monday. “It’s so corrupt and everyone knows it,” Johnson said Tuesday, referring to the judge’s daughter working for Democrats. Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman who ran against Trump in the Republican presidential primary and now supports him, said Tuesday: “This is some third-rate banana republic.” Contributing: David Jackson, Kinsey Crowley Scott, Vance and other Republicans attack Cohen and judge in Trump’s trial Sudiksha Kochi, Bart Jansen and Aysha Bagchi USA TODAY CANTON, Ohio – The national NAACP has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the death of Ohio resident Frank E. Tyson. The 53-year-old Black man died April 18 in the custody of Canton police. His death captured national attention, sparking protests in the city and drawing comparisons to the death of George Floyd. Tyson was placed face-down on the floor with his arms handcuffed behind his back for several minutes before the arresting officers noticed he wasn’t breathing. He also had cried out multiple times that he couldn’t breathe. “The NAACP is deeply troubled by this horrific tragedy,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson wrote in a letter to Kristen Clark, assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights. “Despite Mr. Tyson repeatedly yelling that he could not breathe, the officer kept his knee on Mr. Tyson’s back. The other officers held him down as well. Similar to the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd, the police ignored Mr. Tyson’s pleas. Moreover, Mr. Tyson was unconscious for several minutes before the police finally checked his pulse and administered CPR. The callous disregard to Mr. Tyson’s pleas underscores the need for an urgent investigation. At the beginning of the interaction, Mr. Tyson said that the police were going to kill him. Indeed, Mr. Tyson’s statement came to fruition a short time later. “The NAACP respectfully requests that the Department of Justice conduct a thorough investigation immediately. Without federal intervention, the police officers may not be held accountable for their actions. We seek justice and accountability.” Canton and Stark County authorities have not yet announced a cause of death for Tyson. The two officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigates. A spokeswoman for the department confirmed the receipt of the letter, but declined further comment. In making the decision whether to open an investigation, the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department asks: h Would the allegations, if proven, establish a violation of the Constitution or federal laws? h Would the allegations, if proven, constitute a pattern or practice, as opposed to sporadic or isolated violations of the Constitution or federal laws? If the department decides to investigate, attorneys would gather evidence to determine whether officers have engaged in a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct and whether an agency has unlawful policies, inadequate training, or other deficiencies which contributed to the practice or pattern of systemic violations. A 2014 report of the department’s investigation into the Cleveland Police Department’s use of force said the inquiry included interviews of witnesses, police, members of religious communities, other community leaders and members of the Civilian Police Review Board. When it investigates law enforcement agencies, the DOJ has several options. In previous cases, the agency has filed civil lawsuits asking judges to require agencies to change policies, procedures, training or other deficiencies to ensure protection of constitutional rights. NAACP asks DOJ for probe into death of Ohio man Nancy Molnar Canton Repository USA TODAY NETWORK “Without federal intervention, the police officers may not be held accountable for their actions. We seek justice and accountability.” Derrick Johnson NAACP president and CEO, in a letter Bryan Maclean Howard was ordered held without bail Wednesday morning, one day after he was arrested and charged with eight counts of DUI-manslaughter in connection to a fatal bus crash. Officials say Howard’s 2001 Ford Ranger pickup sideswiped a bus full of farmworkers, which then overturned, killing eight, critically injuring eight others and leaving dozens more hurt. Howard, 41, of Dunnellon, Florida, was in the Marion County Jail’s courtroom and appeared via Zoom in front of County Judge LeAnn Mackey-Barnes, who was at the Marion County Judicial Center. Howard told the judge he has no dependents and has been self-employed doing drywall work and painting the past seven or eight months. Howard told the judge he has no assets and $700 in the bank. Assistant State Attorney Lillian Rozsa asked the court to withhold bail for Howard due to his criminal history, the number of deaths and injuries in the case, and the potential for more criminal charges. As the Ocala Star-Banner, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported on Tuesday, records on file with the Marion County court clerk show that between 2004 and 2019 Howard was cited for numerous traffic-related offenses, including failure to wear seat belt, driving on a suspended or expired driver’s license, failure to stop at a red light, careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. Howard has been convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia and grand theft. The prosecutor further said that three days before this crash, Howard was involved in another incident and left that scene. She did not immediately provide additional details. Assistant public defender Tracya N. Smith said there was no indication her client would fail to appear for future court appearances if granted bail. She also said he would abide by any of the court’s rules. Mackey-Barnes, citing the nature of the charges, Howard’s prior history and the crash that the prosecutor mentioned, decided to hold Howard without bail. His next court date, an arraignment, will be June 18. County Judge LeAnn Mackey-Barnes presides over Bryan Maclean Howard’s first hearing on Wednesday. She was at the Marion County Judicial Center and he remained at the Marion County Jail. The hearing was held via video. ALAN YOUNGBLOOD/USA TODAY NETWORK Austin L. Miller and Jim Ross Ocala Star-Banner USA TODAY NETWORK No bail for man charged in farmworker bus crash He is shot in apparent assassination attempt Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY Fico Slovakia’s prime minister wounded
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean of public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the worst effects of the pandemic appear to be over. “There was a big increase during the pandemic, because people were scared and traumatized and out of work,” Sharfstein said. “That is resolving, so that that is helping overdoses go down.” Sharfstein also credited public health interventions such as distributing the overdose reversal drug naloxone and increasing access to the opioid substitute medication buprenorphine. Naloxone, also sold as a nasal spray under the “We have to look out for what’s next, because we tackle fentanyl, and then xylazine comes. ... we have to stay ahead and stay vigilant.” Dr. Mandy Cohen CDC director Fewer Americans died of drug overdoses nationwide last year, marking the first annual drop since 2018, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates released Wednesday. The CDC estimated 107,543 U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2023, a 3% decline from the 111,029 deaths in 2022. CDC National Center for Health Statistics officials said the estimates are based on provisional data and are not comparable to finalized 2023 figures, which will be released this year or early next year. The estimates hint at good news after a worrisome surge of fatal overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the number of deaths remains “catastrophically high,” said Kevin Roy, chief public policy officer at Shatterproof, a nonprofit that addresses addiction treatment. Despite the nationwide drop in overdose deaths, states including Alaska, Washington and Oregon had doubledigit increases in fatal overdoses. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are a factor in 2 in 3 overdose deaths. These deaths have accelerated in recent years with the widespread availability of cheap, illicit fentanyl, which is often manufactured overseas and smuggled into the U.S. A National Institutes of Health study this week said law enforcement seized more than 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl in 2023, a dramatic increase since 2017, when fewer than 50,000 pills were confiscated. Cocaine and methamphetamine overdoses rise Fentanyl often is combined with other street drugs, and people who overdose might have multiple drugs in their system. The CDC estimated more than 36,000 overdose deaths last year involved psychostimulants such as methamphetamine. Nearly 30,000 overdose victims had cocaine in their system, the estimates said. CDC Director Mandy Cohen said the preliminary figures show there are “far too many” overdose deaths, a trend that reflects the “potency of what’s in our communities.” “We’re working hard, so I’m glad to see it’s a small reduction,” Cohen told USA TODAY this week during a tour of the Fountain House, a mental health nonprofit in New York City. “It’s a start, but we have more work to do there and I want to see that continue.” Overdoses spike in Oregon, Washington and Alaska The NIH study showed law enforcement increasingly detected and seized illicit fentanyl shipments in the Western U.S. Most seized shipments involved illicit fentanyl pills, but powder methamphetamine was found at an increasing rate, the study said. The CDC estimates said overdose deaths generally increased at a faster rate last year in Western states. Alaska, Washington, and Oregon had increases of 27% or more from the year before. Overdose rates in the Midwest and most Northeastern states decreased last year. Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana and Maine had the largest decreases of 15% or more. brand name Narcan, is distributed by harm reduction groups, community health departments, schools and police and fire departments. He said the higher overdose rates in the Pacific Northwest are likely a reflection of the dangerously potent and plentiful supply of drugs circulating in those communities. “As fentanyl sweeps into states like what has been happening on the West Coast recently, you see this enormous surge in death,” Sharfstein said. CDC director urges public to ‘stay vigilant’ Among new approaches to prevention, Cohen cited federal initiatives to lower the risk of overdose deaths, including expanded use of fentanyl test strips. With fentanyl increasingly surfacing in the nation’s drug supply, drug users can use these inexpensive test strips to check whether a substance contains fentanyl. Studies have shown drug users who use fentanyl test strips might discard drugs, take lower doses or take a “tester” shot, all of which can help reduce overdoses from mistakenly taking a drug that contains fentanyl. In 2021, the CDC and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced federal money could be used to purchase test strips as part of overdose response programs. More than half of states have changed laws to allow the use of fentanyl test strips. Still, Cohen said, it’s important for federal, state and local public health departments to monitor drug use and overdose trends. She cited the animal tranquilizer xylazine, which is sometimes mixed with illicit fentanyl. This combination, used in the street drug “tranq” or “zombie heroin,” is dangerous because it depresses breathing, lengthens overdoses and causes skin ulcers and sores that last for months. “We have to look out for what’s next over the horizon, because we tackle fentanyl, and then xylazine comes,” Cohen said. “So it’s always (what’s) next, and we have to stay ahead and stay vigilant.” Contributed: Eduardo Cuevas Fatal drug overdoses mostly on decline But Washington, Oregon, Alaska show increases Ken Alltucker USA TODAY “I’m glad to see it’s a small reduction,” says CDC Director Mandy Cohen. “But we have more work to do there.” JACK GRUBER/USA TODAY NEWS USA TODAY ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ 5A An Air Force Base instructor-pilot died in Texas on Tuesday morning, just a day after the ejection seat was activated during ground operations, according to base officials. The pilot at the Sheppard Air Force Base was injured when the ejection seat of the trainer aircraft, the T-6A Texan II, was activated at about 2 p.m. on Monday, public affairs officials said. The aircrew member was transported to the United Regional Health Care System in Wichita Falls for treatment after the incident. Per Air Force policy, the base is withholding the name of the pilot until 24 hours after the notification of next of kin. Investigation into cause is underway An investigation into the cause of the ejection is underway, 82nd Training Wing public affairs officials said. The pilot was part of the 80th Training Flying Wing, which conducts the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program at the Sheppard base, according to the its website. Combat pilots for NATO are trained in the multinational program, the only such program in the world. The T-6A Texan II primarily is used for entry-level training, and is equipped for a crew of two, a student-pilot and an instructor-pilot seated one in front of the other, the base website says. Their positions are interchangeable. But an air crewmember can also pilot the plane alone from the front seat. The single-engine aircraft was designed to train students in basic flying skills for Air Force and Navy pilots. Ejection seats intended to save lives Ejection seats are a safety mechanism for pilots who need to exit the plane in immediate danger. Over 8,000 pilot lives have been rescued with the use of their ejection seats, according to aircrew training group AMST Group. However, ejection seats have previously failed. Officials identified the failure of one as a partial cause for the death of Lt. David Schmitz, a 32-yearold pilot who was killed in an F-16 crash at South Carolina’s Shaw Air Force Base in June 2020. Trish Choate reports for the Times Record News and Anthony Robledo reports for USA TODAY. A T-6A Texan II waits for another T-6A to pass before taxiing onto the runway Nov. 1, 2017, at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. An instructor pilot died after the ejection seat of his T-6A Texan II, was activated at about 2 p.m. on Monday. PROVIDED BY CHRISTOPHER CARRANZA/U.S. AIR FORCE Air Force pilot dies after ejection seat activates Trish Choate and Anthony Robledo USA TODAY NETWORK ffl("&)#'(%!'+( $''(&+)* ! fl ffffi flfl ff flffi , flfi ! , fflfffflfl , ,1-,+*1/0 #-.#/#+0#"fi00'*#,$-1.!&fi/#!fi++,0 #!,* '+#"3'0&fi+5,0&#.,$$#.fi4'*1*"'/!,1+0 & ffififi!" fiffi$#fiff"fi! %!&& ffififi! fiff!# fi#fffiffl ff& ff fiff "#ff ffi& flffiffi ffff" ffl# #ffl !!ff#& #.2'!#.#fi/ .'6,+fi)fi fi*fi ,),.fi", ,++#!0'!10),.'"fi#,.%'fi))'+,'/+"'fi+fi,3fi#+01!(5 ,1'/'fi+fifi//fi!&1/#00/'//'//'--'#3fi*-/&'.##3ff,.(#++/5)2fi+'fi&,"#/)fi+"ffl'/!,+/'+ ffi-0,
6A ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS departed hours later. The Dali left port at 12:36 a.m., assisted by two tug boats and a pair of pilots from the Association of Maryland Pilots. Nine minutes later, the senior pilot ordered the tugboats to be let go, and the Dali was navigating the channel under its own power, the report shows. Less than an hour later, at 1:25 a.m. the two electrical breakers that supplied most of the ship’s power tripped, causing the first blackout offshore and resulting in the shutdown of the main engine and steering mechanism. At that moment, the Dali was 0.6 miles away – or three ship lengths – from the bridge, the report notes. The voyage data recorder was also affected by the blackout and stopped recording the ship’s system data for about one minute, although it had continued to record audio. “The Dali crew was able to restore electrical power to the vessel, but, when the ship was 0.2 miles from the bridge, a second electrical blackout occurred,” the report said, noting that the breakers that connected to two of the ship’s generators had tripped, “causing a total loss of vessel electrical power.” By that time, one of the pilots on board had already alerted a dispatcher on shore, and the dispatcher was able to notify the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, which closed the bridge to traffic. But seven road maintenance workers and one inspector were still on the bridge when the ship struck. The inspector was able to run to the nearest surviving span before the bridge collapsed and survived. Thirty-one seconds later, the crew manually closed the breakers and restored electrical power but was unable to regain propulsion. Less than one minute afterward, the Dali struck the bridge. All the maintenance workers, who were in their vehicles at the time, fell into the Patapsco River along with the bridge. One of the workers was able to free himself from his truck and survived with injuries. The rest died. A crew member on the Dali also sustained minor injuries fleeing debris when part of the span fell on top of the ship, the report said. Could tugboats have saved the Dali and the Key Bridge? Absent from the report is any comment about whether the first set of power outages, or the crew’s efforts to fix them, were related to the second set of power outages once the ship was sailing. “We have to wait for a more detailed inquiry to see if it was related at all to it,” said Ashok Pandey, a master mariner and associate professor of maritime business at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, who reviewed the NTSB report at the request of USA TODAY. Pandey said it’s standard operating procedure to perform a thorough test of the ship’s controls and its main engine shortly before departure. Though the test isn't mentioned in the NTSB report, Pandey said the test’s findings would have been logged and any major problems communicated to both the ship’s owner and management company. The ship’s top commanders probably “didn’t feel there was anything that would prevent the ship from sailing,” Pandey said. “So I’m not reading too much into it, unless an inquiry finds there was something amiss that was missed by all that could have contributed to the engine blackout.” Regardless of what caused the blackout, Pandey said, he believes the disaster could have been averted, or at least minimized, had the Dali used tug escorts all the way through the channel and out to sea. “That’s the glaring human error here,” he said, referring to the lack of mandatory tug escorts. “It’s a larger problem that the industry has to deal with here.” Ship's owners, Baltimore officials are in court over responsibility The NTSB account confirms what The Associated Press had reported in April – that the Dali had suffered apparent electrical issues before it left port, which was based on information from an anonymous source. The city of Baltimore repeated that information in a lawsuit it filed last month against the ship’s owner and manager for damages related to the incident. The city also argued that neither the ship’s owner, Grace Ocean Private Ltd., nor its manager, Synergy Marine Private Ltd., should be allowed to limit their liability in the case, claiming both had failed to properly train and supervise the crew, failed to follow safe work and operational procedures, and failed to properly maintain, equip and inspect the vessel. The filings were submitted in response to a petition by the Dali’s owner and its management company seeking to limit their financial liability for the collision; they claimed they were not at fault. Grace Ocean and Synergy have been participating in the investigation, along with other agencies, associations and companies. The FBI separately has been investigating the incident, the agency confirmed last month. What did the NTSB find in drug and fuel tests? A spokesman for Synergy Marine, Darrell Wilson, confirmed the company’s involvement in the investigation but declined further comment “out of respect for the investigations and any future legal proceedings.” “We again extend our deepest sympathy to all of those impacted by this incident,” Wilson said in an email to USA TODAY. In addition to detailing the power outages leading up to the bridge collision, the NTSB report ruled out two other potential factors in the disaster – substance use and fuel problems. The ship’s entire crew underwent drug and alcohol testing less than an hour after the crash and again a few hours later, per U.S. Coast Guard regulations. All tested negative. Both pilots also were administered drug and alcohol tests once they got back ashore. Those, too, were negative, the report said. At the time of the incident, the Dali was burning low-sulfur marine gas oil procured from Newark, New Jersey. Testing of that fuel determined that it complied with international standards and regulations and raised no concerns about its quality. Several marine experts had speculated that dirty fuel – a common problem in commercial vessels and one that can gum up an engine – could have played a role in the ship's power outage. The report's findings say otherwise. What's next in the NTSB’s Key Bridge investigation? The NTSB said that its work continues. For example, the report noted, its investigators are still examining the Dali’s propulsion and electrical system, analyzing and validating its voyage data recorder and have planned interviews with numerous stakeholders. The agency also is assessing other bridges to see if they need improved pier protection. It specifically named the Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge – also called the Bay Bridge – near Annapolis, Maryland, as one such bridge. “Planned areas of investigation,” the report said, “include oceangoing vessels’ propulsion and electrical systems; the frequency and causes of vessel contacts with bridges over navigable waters; and bridge-strike mitigation measures such as a combination of vesselsize restrictions, vessel-assist tugs, and bridge-pier protection.” NTSB report Continued from Page 1A The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in the early morning hours of March 26 killed six people and destroyed critical infrastructure. PROVIDED BY HARFORD COUNTY, MD., FIRE & EMS, VIA REUTERS officers appeared to be escalatory, they appeared to be using force that was unnecessary and only heightened the risk for both protesters and police alike.” The criticisms of the department’s tactics come as tensions build over the Democratic National Convention in August, where protesters fear they won’t get a chance to be heard by President Joe Biden and other party leaders. Democrats also fear a potential repeat of 1968 where raucous clashes between police and protesters diverted eyes away from the convention and onto TV screens, leaving a blight on Chicago’s reputation for holding political conventions. The complaints came during a crackdown on students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago calling for the institution to divest from Israel outside of its namesake art museum on Michigan Avenue on May 4. Police arrested 68 protesters, a department spokesperson said. The arrests come amid a fight over a new Chicago police mass arrest policy revealed in February that critics say would allow for stronger crackdowns on protesters. Bedi, the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and others filed a motion in federal court in April alleging it “eviscerates protections required by the First Amendment” and asking a judge to scrap it before the DNC. The proposed policy allows police responding to “crowds, protests and civil disturbances” to make mass arrests, according to the draft directives. Critics say a vague definition of civil disturbances will allow cops to squash protests. They also say the mass arrest procedure loosens requirements for documenting uses of force against a member of the public and will allow police to get away with harming protesters. In court filings, the city has denied allegations the mass arrest policy violates the First Amendment and argued it is in keeping with reform efforts. A police department spokesperson said it will cooperate with the investigation into the excessive use of force complaints. What has been alleged in the excessive force complaints? In one complaint to the accountability office, a woman who was arrested alleges an officer hit her and she was taken to a hospital for her injuries. It’s unclear if she was hospitalized as a result of allegedly being hit. In another complaint, police allegedly “violently” trapped protesters with metal barriers, causing them “to struggle to breathe & remain standing.” “Several times officers reached over & around the baracade, shoving & elbowing the crowd directly. One officer pushed against me directly with his head in between my breasts,” it reads. The showdown can be seen in a video recorded by a Chicago Sun-Times reporter, including one officer pushing two protesters in the head with his open hand. The People’s Art Institute called the police treatment of protesters “brutal” in a statement, alleging students were “slammed onto the ground, hit, kneeled and stepped on, dragged, aggressively grabbed and elbowed.” “This direct police violence bloodied two people so seriously that they were taken to the emergency room, and many more were held in jail for hours without access to food, water, or phone calls,” school faculty wrote in a letter to administrators. The police department said it does not comment on open COPA investigations. Everyone ‘should be learning a lot from the 2020 response’ The crackdown reminded Bedi of police misconduct cases she is still litigating from 2020. The clinical professor of law told USA TODAY she was concerned about what the police response to thousands of protesters showing up for the DNC would be given the response to a relatively small number of students. “Police officers who show up to a protest have to be trained to deal with people saying things they might not like,” she said. “The whole point of a protest is to give a voice to potentially unpopular opinions.” The response showed little has changed for the department despite the bombshell findings of the local inspector general’s investigation into the police response in 2020, she said. The extensive, scathing report by the Chicago Office of the Inspector General covered failures to report and document uses of force, including “baton strikes and manual strikes;” failures to use body cameras; and officers covering badge numbers and nameplates. The report covered from May 29 to June 7, 2020, when police made 1,500 arrests. Deborah Witzburg, the city’s inspector general, declined to comment on the student protests, the mass arrest policy, or the city’s DNC preparations, but noted “we at the city and everybody else should be learning a lot from the 2020 response when we think about the DNC planning and preparedness for the DNC.” “The DNC is a very, very different enterprise,” she caveated, comparing the months of planning involved to the spontaneous protests in 2020. But, “we would be very, very foolish to not apply lessons from the 2020 response to this situation.” The inspector general’s report led to the police enacting a new First Amendment policy, according to Bedi’s motion, that was “crafted to prevent another 2020” botched law enforcement response. Proposed policy could increase potential for more mass arrests Alexandra Block, director of criminal legal systems and policing at the ACLU of Illinois, is the lead attorney in the motion to scrap the police department’s proposed mass arrest policy. The recent complaints against officers should be “taken seriously and investigated promptly,” Block said so that any lessons can be applied in time for the DNC. “If COPA has corrective feedback for officers, they should know quickly what they need to do and change quickly to correct their actions,” she said, noting the department should share information on how it intends to handle DNC protests. “The training to respond to protests, that’s something that should be made public, which officers have been trained, how have they been trained,” she said. The department’s proposed mass arrest policy would make crackdowns on protests even more likely by suspending regular use of force reporting, according to the motion, violating the free speech policy enacted as a result of 2020. The DNC “is precisely the sort of event this First Amendment policy was designed for,” according to the filing. “Yet, in preparation for the DNC, CPD recently proposed a new policy that contradicts” it and encourages mass arrests of protesters while allowing officers to get away with excessive force violations. “The mass arrest policy risks rampant violations of First Amendment rights during the DNC,” the filing says. In its response to the motion, the city has said the mass arrest policy does not violate its First Amendment policy, noting it mandates officers not “use force to punish, retaliate against, deter, or respond to the lawful expression of First Amendment rights” and comply with the free speech protection policy in several instances. COPA issued a response to the policy at the end of February that generally supported it with several key reservations, including clearer orders on when officers should turn on body cameras, when batons can be used and ensuring officers report misconduct. A decision in the filing isn’t expected for at least a few weeks, Block said. Mass arrests Continued from Page 1A
NEWS USA TODAY ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ 7A OPINION WANT TO COMMENT? We’re on Facebook (USA TODAY Opinion) and Instagram and X, formerly Twitter (@usatodayopinion). You can also comment directly on columns. Editor in Chief, USA TODAY Terence Samuel Vice President/Group Editor, Gannett Opinion Michael McCarter Vice President/Executive Editor, Sports Roxanna Scott Chairman and CEO Gannett Co. Michael Reed Chief Financial Officer: Doug Horne Chief Content Officer: Kristin Roberts “USA TODAY hopes to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation.” – Allen H. Neuharth, Founder, Sept. 15, 1982 This is a year of celebration. Seventy years ago this May the Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation in the public schools. The court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education made it illegal for states and school districts to turn African American children away from a public school because of their race, ending a shameful era of American history and reimagining our social contract. But this is also a year of reckoning. Seven decades after Brown, low-income children – many of them children of color – are still systematically excluded from the very best public schools. The brutal truth is this: In 2024, although Linda Brown wouldn’t be turned away from a coveted public school because of her race, it’s likely she would still be turned away. And it’s all perfectly legal. How can a public school deny enrollment to a little girl in 2024? Usually because of her address. The vast majority of public schools still use exclusionary maps to determine who is or isn’t eligible to enroll. These maps are reminiscent of the redlining era in the decades prior to Brown, when the federal government drew maps that determined who was or wasn’t eligible for housing assistance. Certain neighborhoods were labeled “hazardous” because they had high concentrations of minorities or immigrants. Shading these areas red, the government marked those families as ineligible for valuable government services. My own research has shown that, even today, the attendance zones of many coveted public schools mirror the patterns of those redlining maps and keep middle-income and low-income families boxed out of the best public schools. 'Educational redlining' is an American failure It is “educational redlining” that explains how neighboring schools like Lincoln Elementary and Manierre Elementary – two campuses serving Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood – can end up so starkly different. At Manierre, where 99.5% of students are Black or Latino, only 4.3% of students could read at grade level in 2023. Just a mile away at Lincoln, where the school is majority white, more than 74% of students can read proficiently. The two populations are kept completely separated by an attendance zone line, drawn down the middle of North Avenue by the school district. Layered on top of this geographybased exclusion are other types of discrimination, such as those based on income. Believe it or not, many coveted magnet schools give enrollment preferences to wealthy families, trying to lure them away from their high-quality zoned schools. Linda Brown, in other words, might be legally turned away from a public school in 2024 because her family doesn’t make enough money. Or she might be turned away if she has a disability. In several states, it’s perfectly legal for a school to deny a child an “open enrollment” seat, simply because the child has a minor disability. The school just reports that its special education program is “full,” and there’s no process for verifying the claim. This is a failure of the law. In the years after Brown, the courts got tangled up in the very real and urgent problem of eradicating explicit racial segregation, especially in the Southern states. But they never came back around to provide substantive and procedural protections that would have fulfilled the original promise of the ruling. Chief Justice Earl Warren, writing for a unanimous Supreme Court, had promised that henceforth the public schools would be “available to all on equal terms.” We can fix education law across the country In the last 70 years, the courts have largely deferred to school district bureaucrats, giving them tremendous discretion over enrollment policies, no matter how many kids are turned away. Likewise, our legislators have not passed the types of laws that would protect American families and ensure that all children have equal access to the public schools. My organization, Available to All, is a nonpartisan watchdog that defends equal access to public schools. This month, we released a 50-state report that surveys the laws governing public school admissions in all 50 states. Where they exist at all, these laws are weak and inconsistent. It is an area of the law that is crying out for reform and oversight, at both the state and federal levels. Fulfilling the promise of Brown requires three fixes to education law: First, we must guarantee every American child the right to seek admission at any public school. This simple procedural protection wouldn’t solve the problem of unequal access, but would increase transparency. If a school denies a child enrollment, it should provide a formal explanation and submit its reasoning and all data to the state department of education. Families should have the right to appeal an enrollment denial to a neutral third party, as they already do in states like California and Arkansas. Second, we need to hold all public schools to the same high standard of openness, eliminating the egregious inconsistencies in this area of the law. Some public schools are forbidden – and others required – to use discriminatory maps. Some schools must use lotteries, while other schools are allowed to pick and choose students off their waitlists. Finally, we must reduce the importance of exclusionary maps, so that the neediest students are no longer boxed out. All public schools should be required to reserve at least 15% of their seats for children who live outside the zone or district. That would be a small, but important, step toward undoing the harmful effects of educational redlining. It’s a national tragedy that we left undone the primary work of the civil rights movement as it relates to public education. Congress, our state legislatures, and our courts – each has a crucial role to play in fixing this broken system and finally fulfilling the promise that Brown made. Tim DeRoche is the founder of Available To All, a nonpartisan watchdog defending equal access to public schools. He is the author of three books, including A Fine Line: How Most American Kids Are Kept Out of the Best Public Schools. The broken promise of Brown case 70 years later From left, Harry Briggs Jr., Linda Brown Smith, Spottswood Bolling, and Ethel Louise Belton Brown at a news conference at the Americana Hotel. Mr. Briggs’ parents were the impetus to the Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit (1952) in filing Briggs v. Elliott (1951). JERRY ENGEL/THE NEW YORK POST VIA GETTY IMAGES Tim DeRoche Opinion contributor After the two impeachments of former President Donald Trump, Congress seems to be on a hair-trigger for anything that can be plausibly, or even implausibly, defined as a high crime and misdemeanor. The latest example is the impeachment resolution introduced against President Joe Biden over his decision to withhold arms from Israel in an attempt to prevent an operation in Rafah to destroy Hamas’ remaining military units. While there is much to question about Biden’s motivations and his means to pressure Israel, it is not an impeachable offense. The sponsor of the impeachment resolution, Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills, maintains that “President Biden abused the powers of his office by soliciting a ‘quid pro quo’ with Israel while leveraging vital military aid for policy changes. This egregious action not only compromised the credibility of the United States but also undermined the interests of our longstanding ally.” On the surface, there is an obvious appeal for Republicans to use these grounds to impeach Biden. After all, in 2019, Democrats impeached Trump on the basis of a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which the president threatened to withhold military aid to that country. Democrats insisted that Trump used the threat to deny aid as a way to encourage Zelenskyy to investigate Biden for corruption in Ukraine. Political analysts on the left and the right have acknowledged that Biden’s hardened stance toward Israel is due to his faltering poll numbers and the threat that he could lose Michigan and Minnesota in the upcoming election. A loss in Michigan, where the state’s large Muslim population has rejected Biden’s past support for Israel, would likely doom his chances for reelection. Presidents often make decisions based on politics Even assuming that Biden’s recent changes were motivated by politics in Michigan (which I believe is a fair assessment), it would not be a high crime and misdemeanor. Presidents routinely act out of political interests. Indeed, a democracy involves using one’s voting power to influence politicians like Biden to change policy. The more than 100,000 “uncommitted” votes in Michigan’s Democratic primary clearly spooked the Biden White House. To impeach presidents for such discretionary conduct would make impeachment a type of “vote of no confidence” device used in countries like the United Kingdom. That is not the purpose of impeachment, which was meant to be a rarely-used measure to address the most egregious forms of presidential misconduct. The recent resolution falls into a type of “just desserts” rationale for impeachment. I testified in the first Trump impeachment and opposed it on constitutional grounds. I warned Democrats that they would rue the day that they lowered the standard and short-circuited the process for impeachment. At the time, I told the House Judiciary Committee: “President Trump will not be our last president and what we leave in the wake of this scandal will shape our democracy for generations to come. I am concerned about lowering impeachment standards to fit a paucity of evidence and an abundance of anger. If the House proceeds solely on the Ukrainian allegations, this impeachment would stand out among modern impeachments as the shortest proceeding, with the thinnest evidentiary record, and the narrowest grounds ever used to impeach a president. That does not bode well for future presidents who are working in a country often sharply and, at times, bitterly divided.” Democrats were wrong then; Republicans are wrong now After ignoring that warning, Democrats went a step further in the second impeachment in 2021 and used what I called a “snap impeachment” in an attempt to punish Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. It would be an easy thing to say “well, turnabout is fair play, so a pox upon their house.” The problem is that this is the people’s house and we all are harmed by the destruction of the impeachment process. Democrats were wrong in 2019 and 2021 to impeach Trump, but yielding to the same political motives now is no virtue. Ironically, the new impeachment resolution does precisely what Biden is accused of doing: using constitutionally bestowed powers for raw political purposes. The White House has insisted that this latest effort is “ridiculous.” Except that isn’t ridiculous given Democrats’ past actions. But it is equally wrong. In 2023, I testified in the Biden impeachment hearing and said that I believed that there was sufficient basis − and potential impeachable conduct − to justify an inquiry into the Biden corruption scandal. Without prejudging the outcome of that investigation, it was clear that, if proven, some of the allegations would meet the demanding standard under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution. The new allegations would not. Even if Biden were shown to be hampering Israel’s war to help him win Michigan, it would not be sufficient. The line between politics and policy has always been imprecise, if not imperceptible. All presidents are first and foremost political creatures. They often use the most noble sentiments to hide the most base interests. There is a place to render a verdict on such cynical calculations, but it is not on the floor of the House. It is rather in thousands of polling places on Nov. 5. Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @JonathanTurley Jonathan Turley Opinion contributor Biden Latest GOP ploy to impeach Biden badly misses the mark
8A ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS READY, SET, RETIRE! ÔáòåáóõëñîğêÝêßåÝèìèÝêêëóðë äáèìéÝçáïñîáõëñĊîáëêðîÝßçâëî ÝßëéâëîðÝÞèáîáðåîáéáêð Ãßßáïïðäáïááôßèñïåòáîáðåîáéáêð åêïåãäðïêëó Get three of Fisher Investments’ popular retirement guides collected in the Ready, Set, Retire Kit—at no cost! Investors with $500,000+, call 888-842-1153 or visit FisherRetirePlan.com/Now to request your kit today. The guides in the Ready, Set, Retire Kit can help you make the most of your retirement. • Get ready to create or review your retirement plan with The 15-Minute Retirement Plan. • Set up income streams from your portfolio using 7KH'H˩QLWLYH*XLGHWR5HWLUHPHQW,QFRPH. • Retire comfortably with great ideas from our most successful clients in 99 Retirement Tips. No cost and no obligation beyond completing a short request form and brief survey. Investing in securities involves the risk of loss. ©2024 Fisher Investments. 6500 International Pkwy., Ste. 2050, Plano, Texas 75093. SCAN HERE To Get Your Guides ÖëîáíñáïðõëñîïðëàÝõßÝèè 888-842-1153 òåïåðÈåïäáîÔáðåîáÒèÝêßëéÐëó ëîïßÝêðäáÓÔßëàáÞáèëó
We survey and compile the top news stories from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. Page 4B You can check the headlines from your home state or city USA TODAY | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | SECTION B Adam Selipsky became CEO of the Amazon subsidiary in 2021. Page 3B Amazon Web Services CEO MONEY to leave role after three years ETIHAD AIRWAYS OFFERING STOPOVER PROGRAM Travelers connecting through Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airways now have the option of extending their layover and exploring the Persian Gulf city. Etihad is introducing a stopover program that lets passengers spend up to two free nights at a hotel in the capital of the United Arab Emirates as part of their itinerary. According to Etihad, the stopover promotion is available only to passengers who book directly through the airline’s website. Passengers can choose from a range of premier hotels for their complimentary stopover nights. Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves had told USA TODAY in an interview in April that Abu Dhabi is investing heavily in tourism. RED STATES SUE TO BLOCK TRANSGENDER PROTECTIONS Red states are seeking to block a federal agency from expanding legal protections for transgender workers. Eighteen states filed a lawsuit late Monday against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in federal court in Knoxville, Tennessee, arguing the agency overstepped when it issued legal guidance that employers must accommodate transgender workers. Under the new guidance, employers who call workers by the wrong pronouns or name or who deny an employee access to a bathroom could face claims of workplace harassment under federal anti-discrimination law. Last month the EEOC updated its legal guidance on workplace harassment with a new position on transgender discrimination, based on the 2020 Supreme Court ruling that discriminating against gay and transgender workers is a form of unlawful sex bias. In their lawsuit, the states argue that federal law protects workers from being fired because they are transgender but does not require employers to accommodate them. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio were among the states that joined the lawsuit. COMCAST TO UNVEIL NEW STREAMING BUNDLE Comcast CEO Brian Roberts unveiled plans Tuesday for StreamSaver, a bundle that will combine Netflix, Peacock and Apple TV+ into a three-way bundle at a discount, according to reports. StreamSaver will be available to all Comcast broadband, TV and mobile customers, Variety reported, although Roberts did not give any pricing details. It is the latest streaming bundle to hit the market as streaming options and prices have risen. Roberts said the bundle will be introduced this month. PROVIDED BY ETIHAD AIRWAYS PROVIDED BY COMCAST MEG POTTER/USA TODAY NETWORK MONEYLINE Inflation eased in April as declines in grocery and used car prices offset another rise in rent and gasoline. After inflation picked up notably early this year, the report revealed more progress in the battle to tame prices, with an underlying inflation measure reaching a three-year low. Still, it may not be enough to convince the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in the next couple of months. “Today’s numbers brought welcome signs of cooling price pressures,” Kayla Bruun, senior economist of research firm Morning Consult wrote in a note to clients. She added, though, that that monthly inflation is still “not low enough.” Overall prices increased 3.4% from a year earlier, down from 3.5% in March, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index, a gauge of goods and services costs throughout the economy. On a monthly basis, costs rose 0.3%, below the 0.4% rise the previous month but above the 0.1% to 0.2% readings that prevailed last fall. What is core inflation in the USA right now? Core prices, which strip out volatile food and energy items and are watched Inflation slowed in April, report says Underlying measure reaches 3-year low Paul Davidson USA TODAY Overall prices increased 3.4% from a year earlier, down from 3.5% in March, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index, a gauge of goods and services costs throughout the economy. LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS See INFLATION, Page 2B Three years ago, when a local developer hatched plans for a 352-unit apartment building in West Philadelphia, the project was a no-brainer. h The city needed tens of thousands of affordable and reasonably priced housing units. Construction costs were a relative bargain since the structure would be built in pieces at a factory and assembled on-site. And interest rates were at historic lows. Since then, Philadelphia’s housing crisis has grown more dire. But after pandemic-related material and labor shortages raised construction costs and the Federal Reserve’s flurry of interest rate hikes in 2022 and 2023 pushed borrowing costs to 23-year highs, the developer of the West Philly building scrapped the project. Total costs had ballooned from $103 million to $131 million, according to Leo Addimando, managing partner of the developer, Alterra Properties, which announced last August that it was canceling the six-story apartment project. “The final blow was definitely the spike in interest rates,” Addimando says. “Even if you gave me the property for free, we still couldn’t make the math work.” High interest rates are compounding the effects of spiraling construction costs and forcing developers to scrap, significantly delay or shelve a growing share of projects across the U.S. Among those affected are apartment buildings, renewable energy projects, shopping centers, mixed-use developments and office complexes. The trend is making it more challenging for the nation to address a severe shortage of affordable housing, meet renewable energy goals and revitalize downtowns hobbled by the pandemic with new shops and restaurants, critics and some economists say. What percentage of construction projects are late? In December, nearly 30% of private and public construction projects had been significantly delayed, indefinitely stalled or scuttled over the previous six months, according to an American Institute of Architects’ member survey. Planned apartments, construction on hold High interest rates are compounding the effects of spiraling construction costs and forcing developers to scrap, significantly delay or shelve a growing share of projects across the U.S. GETTY IMAGES High interest rates, rising costs torpedo numerous projects “The final blow was definitely the spike in interest rates. Even if you gave me the property for free, we still couldn’t make the math work.” Leo Addimando managing partner of Alterra Properties Paul Davidson USA TODAY See CONSTRUCTION, Page 2B
2B ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY MONEY That’s up from 22% in December 2022 and 15% in September 2019, before the pandemic upended the economy, AIA says. Those percentages are based on the projects’ dollar value. A relatively modest 4% of projects were outright ditched over those six months, the AIA survey said. But cancellations accelerated in the first quarter of 2024, according to ConstructConnect, a research firm. Such abandonments were up 70% for private projects compared with the same period in 2021 and 50% for public projects, the firm’s data shows. And some delayed projects likely will be dropped eventually, says Anirban Basu, chief economist of Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group. Is the US economy strong right now? Although the rash of developments axed or shelved doesn’t come close to levels reached during the Great Recession and real estate crisis of 2007-09, it’s unusual because the economy remains vibrant, Basu says. The U.S., for example, needs 4.3 million new apartments by 2035, but multifamily construction fell 14% in 2023 and is projected to decline another 20% this year, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council and the National Association of Home Builders. And though the office vacancy rate hovers at an elevated 22% as more Americans work from home, demand is healthy for retail space, with a vacancy rate of just 4.1% in the first quarter, according to research firm JLL. What is the renewable energy goal for the US? Some Democratic lawmakers are especially concerned about the threat that high rates pose to multibillion-dollar green energy projects designed to mitigate the effects of climate change. “Your decision to rapidly raise interest rates beginning in 2022, and the potential that they may remain too high for too long, has halted advances in deploying renewable energy technologies and delayed significant climate and economic benefits,” Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island wrote in a March 19 letter to Fed Chair Jerome Powell in March. Asked about the letter the next day, at a news conference after a Fed meeting, Powell said, “Our mandate is for maximum employment and price stability and the other things that we do, and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish. “That’s how we can best serve the public and leave the other issues, which in many cases are incredibly important, such as those you mentioned, leave those to the people who have responsibility for those.” What will using higher interest rates do? By rapidly hiking rates, Powell and other Fed officials have been credited with helping lower inflation from a 40- year high of 9.1% in mid-2022 to 3.5% in March 2024, based on the consumer price index (CPI). But there’s a delicate push-and-pull to its strategy, which aims to cool the economy and inflation by curtailing consumer and business demand. Yet higher borrowing costs also crimp the private sector’s ability to build housing and add other new products to the market. And that supply crunch can juice inflation. When developers cancel planned apartments, for example, landlords feel less pressure to keep rents stable so they don’t lose tenants to the new units. Rent has been the biggest inflation driver, contributing more than 30% to the COVID-induced run-up in prices, according to the CPI. Interest rates aren’t the whole story. How much have construction costs increased? Hefty construction price tags pose an even bigger burden. But after climbing about 37% from 2021 to early 2023, those costs largely have stabilized and then dipped, notes Michael Guckes, senior economist of ConstructConnect. Meanwhile, though, the Fed sharply raised its key interest rate from near zero to about 5.3% through last July, where it has held. From 2021 to early 2023, commercial construction financing costs more than doubled and have been volatile over the past year, ConstructConnect figures show. “That scared the hell out of the market,” says Brett McMahon, CEO of Miller & Long, a construction company based in Bethesda, Maryland. “The uncertainty is just causing everybody to pause.” He estimates that about one-third of the projects his firm is bidding on have been delayed as developers try to reduce costs or scale back blueprints. When can we expect the Fed to lower interest rates? As recently as March, the Fed tentatively planned to trim its key interest rate three times this year as inflation slowed. But in recent weeks, with progress on inflation stalling, Powell and other Fed officials have said rates are likely to stay higher for longer. Developers are taking the shifting signals to heart. The Fed’s recent statements about the dimming prospects for rate cuts likely have led some companies to withdraw their proposals, Guckes says. “I am concerned that potential owners and developers are becoming more pessimistic ... especially with the chances of 2024 interest rate cuts seemingly slipping away,” Guckes says. As its costs spiraled higher in 2022 and 2023, Alterra, the developer of the Philadelphia apartment building, asked the current owner of the property to delay the land sale in the hope that rates would fall and to lower the purchase price. “Ultimately, we could not come to any sort of agreement,” Addimando says. The interest rate that Alterra would have paid for a construction loan soared to nearly 10% from 5% in 2021, he adds. Alterra, in turn, hiked its proposed rent 9.4%, from $3.50 a square foot to $3.83, putting a one-bedroom apartment at about $2,000 a month, Addimando says. But that wasn’t enough to offset the higher costs. And boosting rent a total of 15% to cover the increased expenses would have made the units pricier than rival apartment buildings a couple of blocks away that are in more residential neighborhoods and closer to area universities, he says. By ditching the project, the company lost $2 million in preconstruction costs, Addimando says. Not going to work out In San Antonio, Texas, VIA Metropolitan Transit, the local transit authority, and DreamOn, a developer, scrapped plans to convert an old industrial building into about 110 apartments, including about half for lower-income residents, as well as shops, offices and self-storage space. The $66.5 million development would have revitalized a distressed area between downtown and the West Side, DreamOn President Julissa Carielo said in a statement to the San Antonio Express-News. With the rise in construction costs and interest rates, “It didn’t seem to (work) out anymore,” VIA CEO Jeff Arndt said in an interview with USA TODAY. Why are offshore wind projects struggling? Escalating costs also have doomed several renewable energy projects designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions. In the past year or so, developers have backed out of three planned offshore wind farms in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and two in New Jersey. The two, multibillion-dollar, New Jersey projects would have powered more than 1 million homes, according to its Danish developer, Orsted. “The significant adverse developments from supply chain challenges, leading to delays in the project schedule, and rising interest rates have led us to this decision,” Orsted CEO Mads Nipper said in a statement. Total construction and financing costs shot up 30% to 50%. Also, the vessel that Orsted contracted to build the wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean was significantly delayed, as were certain turbine parts. Orsted had little choice but to drop the project, which would not have yielded a profit for the company, says Maddy Urbish, head of Orsted’s U.S. public relations. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the decision “outrageous” and said it “calls into question the company’s credibility and competence.” Yet Orsted isn’t alone. Avangrid, a Spanish energy company, ditched the offshore wind projects in Massachusetts and Connecticut for similar reasons. The scrapped plans are jeopardizing various state goals requiring that 40% to 70% of electricity come from renewable energy by 2030 as well as President Biden’s target of deploying 30 megawatts of offshore wind capacity nationally in a similar timeframe. “It’s a tremendous challenge,” Dan Dolan, president of the New England Power Generators Association, says of the cancellations. Developers recently submitted new bids for the New England wind farms but it’s not clear if they’ll face similar obstacles, he says. Orsted, meanwhile, is still moving forward with offshore wind farms near Rhode Island and Long Island, New York. The New York project was also saddled with high construction and borrowing costs. But Orsted won the contract after the state allowed developers to submit new bids so they could receive a higher price for power from ratepayers to offset the costs, Urbish says. Some builders are putting off projects and hoping interest rates will soon fall. ‘Dramatically more expensive’ to get construction loan In Boston, Hudson Group recently was granted another year by the local zoning board to start building a 22-story, 115-unit apartment building near South Station. By then, the company hopes borrowing costs will have declined somewhat, says Noam Ron, a partner in the company. “Interest rates are at the point where these projects aren’t sustainable,” Ron says. Instead of earning at least a 6% to 7% return on the development, the project could yield 5% or less, undermining its financial viability, Ron says. As a result, virtually no lenders are financing large residential buildings in Boston, he says. “I think it’s going to take time for rates to come down but we hope they do,” Ron says. Meanwhile, he says, Boston grapples with a severe housing shortage. For residents, “It means rent is really expensive.” Other developers are seeking variances from local officials to cope with higher costs. In Concord, New Hampshire, Mark Ciborowski wants to covert a former CVS pharmacy downtown into a sevenstory complex of apartments, shops and a rooftop restaurant, according to the New Hampshire Union-Leader. But the local zoning board denied his request to build the structure 88 feet high so he could include four floors of apartments to make the project financially viable. That exceeded the city’s 80-foot limit and violated a rule by partially blocking views of the State House from a nearby highway. Ciborowski recently asked the City Council to ease its height limit. Construction Continued from Page 1B Hefty construction price tags pose an even bigger burden than high interest rates. GETTY IMAGES more closely by the Fed, increased 0.3% after three straight 0.4% bumps. That pushed down annual inflation from 3.8% to 3.6%, the lowest since April 2021. Is inflation expected to go down? After easing rapidly last year, inflation unexpectedly accelerated in the first quarter but is still down substantially from a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022. As pandemic-related supply chain troubles have resolved, goods such as used cars, furniture and appliances - whose prices soared during the health crisis - have gotten less expensive. But the cost of services such as rent, car insurance and repairs, and recreation have steadily drifted higher. That’s partly because wage growth is slowing just gradually following pandemic-induced labor shortages. By December, Barclays expects yearly inflation to slow to 3.1% and the core index measure to fall to 3.3% – still well above the Fed’s 2% goal. Are interest rates expected to drop? Wednesday’s report “keeps alive the prospect of the Fed starting to cut rates in September,” Nationwide Chief Economist Kathy Bostjancic wrote in a note to clients. As recently as late March, the Fed was forecasting three rate cuts this year after price increases had slowed dramatically in 2023. From March 2022 to July 2023, the Fed raised its benchmark short-term rate from near zero to a 23- year high of 5% to 5.25% to subdue inflation. But a third straight month of hot inflation in March 2024 led Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other central bank officials to proclaim that rates will likely stay higher for longer as they await a more sustainable move to the Fed’s 2% target. Powell repeated that message at a conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday, saying, “We’ll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work.” The futures market now foresees the Fed’s first rate cut in September and another in December. Before the inflation flare-up, it was betting on an initial cut in June and a total of three decreases in 2024. What is the stock market doing today? Investors welcomed the modest inflation slowdown that maintained hopes for at least some rate cuts. In midmorning trading Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 147 points to 39,705 while the S&P 500 index was up 0.55% at 5,275. Why are US gas prices rising again? Gasoline prices rose 2.8% in April, the third straight increase after four straight monthly declines. Demand is picking up as the spring driving season gears up and refiners switch to more expensive summer blends. Will rent go down in 2024 in the USA? Together, the cost of housing and gas accounted for more than 70% of the monthly increase in overall prices Rent increased 0.4% in March, the latest in a long string of hikes. That nudged down the annual rise to a still elevated 5.4% from 5.7%. Economists expect rent increases to moderate, based on new leases, but that has rippled just gradually to existing leases. The cost of some other services also kept moving higher. Auto insurance leaped 1.8% and is up 22.6% in the past year. Medical care increased 0.4%. and personal care services, such as haircuts and laundry jumped 1.1%. But as the summer travel season draws near, airfares fell 0.8% and hotel rates edged down 0.2%. Car repair costs were flat but still up 7.6% from a year earlier. Are food prices increasing or decreasing? Grocery prices dropped 0.2% after flatlining the previous two months, nudging down the annual increase to just 1.1% and giving consumers continued relief from the pandemic’s supply chain snarls and food price run-ups. The prices farmers received for items such as vegetables, dairy and poultry softened in March, leading to drops in retail prices last month, according to Barclays and the Agriculture Department Egg prices tumbled 7.3%; bacon fell 0.7%; chicken dropped 0.8; and bread dipped 0.2%. Other items got a bit more expensive. Breakfast cereal prices rose 3.1%; rice, 0.4%; and uncooked ground beef, 0.3%. Inflation Continued from Page 1B
MONEY USA TODAY ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ 3B Amazon Web Services CEO announced he’s stepping down after leaving the e-commerce company’s cloud computing business he spent 15 years working for in a “strong position.” Adam Selipsky, who became CEO of the Amazon subsidiary in 2021, will leave the business to “spend more time with family for a while, recharge a bit, and create some mental free space to reflect and consider the possibilities,” the former executive said in an Amazon news release. “We were fortunate that Adam agreed to step in and lead AWS, and has deftly led the business, while also developing his leadership team,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in the release. “Adam is now going to move on to his next challenge.” Selipsky said he’s “grateful” for what he’s “learned about technology, leadership, organization and culture at Amazon,” according to the release. “Helping all of our customers and partners to build has been an amazing experience,” Selipsky said. “Above all, I am grateful for my many friendships here, and for such talented colleagues who have taught me so much, while providing such good cheer.” Who will replace Adam Selipsky as Amazon AWS’s CEO? Selipsky will officially be replaced on June 3 by Matt Garman, who began with Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a summer intern in 2005. “Matt has an unusually strong set of skills and experiences for his new role,” Jassy said in the announcement. “He’s very customer-focused, a terrific product leader, inventive, a clever problemsolver, right a lot, has high standards and meaningful bias for action, and in the 18 years he’s been in AWS, he’s been one of the better learners I’ve encountered.” Selipsky said Garman and AWS’s leadership “are ready for this next big opportunity,” according to the release. “I’m excited to see what they and you do next because I know it will be impressive,” Selipsky said. “The future is bright for AWS (and for Amazon). I wish you all the very best of luck on this adventure.” ‘AWS is much more than just a business’ For Garman, “AWS is much more than just a business,” the new CEO said in the release. “We are a team of missionaries working passionately to help make our customers’ lives and businesses better every day,” Garman said. “It has been a privilege to work alongside all of you for the past 18 years, and I am humbled for the opportunity to continue to do so in this new broader role. I’m excited to get started!” What does AWS do? AWS is a cloud provider, meaning it allows people and organizations to securely store data backups, emails, virtual desktops, software development and testing files, big data analytics and customer-facing web applications, according to the Amazon subsidiary’s website. The benefits of cloud computing include improved agility thus allowing easy access to a broad range of technologies, the elasticity of resources, savings on costs since data centers and physical servers won’t be needed and it gives applications a quicker global reach, AWS said. AWS underwent two rounds of layoffs in April AWS announced more layoffs in April after previously announcing the job cuts that were expected to affect 9,000 employees, CNBC reported. More than 18,000 employees were laid off from the company in January, mostly in its human resources and stores divisions, CNBC reported. Amazon Web Services CEO to leave role Jonathan Limehouse USA TODAY Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky delivers a keynote address in Las Vegas on Nov. 28, 2023. He has announced he is leaving the business. NOAH BERGER/GETTY IMAGES General Motors’ self-driving car subsidiary Cruise is inching closer to restarting its driverless robo taxi business after halting all services and recalling its vehicles late last year. The company said Monday it will begin supervised autonomous driving in Phoenix on Tuesday. The news comes after Cruise announced in April that it would reintroduce a small fleet of human-driven vehicles starting in Phoenix. Cruise had stopped operations about six months ago after an incident in October in San Francisco where the company is headquartered. A vehicle hit a pedestrian, pushing her into an oncoming Cruise self-driving car, which then dragged her several feet, leaving the woman critically injured. GM says it has made improvements GM spokesman Pat Morrissey said the automaker believes Cruise is ready to relaunch because Cruise has been constantly updating its performance, using real road data and simulated scenarios. The company has made ongoing improvements in how the cars maneuver around pedestrians, emergency vehicles and construction areas, he said. “Safety is the defining principle for everything we do and continues to guide our progress toward resuming driverless operations,” Morrissey said. “From comprehensive vehicle management before our AVs depart the garage to continuous driver monitoring and roadworthiness of the vehicle, we deploy rigorous safety procedures, protocols and performance requirements to ensure supervised autonomous operations are safe for operation on public roads.” Morrissey also said having a new chief safety officer is an important step, a role filled by Steve Kenner, who has updated safety procedures, protocols and community relationships. Cruise is following recommendations from thirdparty experts and building a close partnership with the communities in which it plans to operate. The company said Monday in a blog post that for the past several weeks Cruise has been mapping and collecting road information in Phoenix with human drivers at the wheel. The next step is to validate the autonomous vehicles’ safety and performance. During this phase, the vehicles will drive autonomously with a human safety driver present to take control if needed. Cruise uses modified Chevrolet Bolt electric cars that have steering wheels and brakes. “Supervised autonomous driving is a critical validation phase prior to driverless deployment and builds on our extensive work in simulation, closedcourse driving and more than 5 million driverless miles previously driven by our fleet to ensure safe performance on real-world roads and driving scenarios,” Morrissey said in an emailed statement. “We’ll begin in a limited area of Phoenix and will gradually expand to Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler measured against predetermined safety benchmarks.” Waymo is giving Cruise competition A Cruise competitor, Waymo, which is Alphabet’s self-driving startup, has been operating and expanding services in Phoenix for several years. It recently began offering driverless rides on freeways in that city. As the Detroit Free Press has reported, GM has invested about $8 billion in Cruise since 2016. Cruise leaders had at one point promised to deliver $1 billion in annual revenue by 2025, but the subsidiary has not made any money yet. Last month, GM CEO Mary Barra reiterated to Wall Street that the relaunch of Cruise safely, “while delivering strong margins and cash flows,” is a top priority for GM this year. GM CFO Paul Jacobson has said the company expects to spend $1.7 billion on Cruise operations this year, down slightly from GM’s spend on Cruise in previous years of around $2 billion. The fallout from that Oct. 2 accident has resulted in regulators suspending Cruise from further operations in San Francisco. That was followed by Cruise opting to suspend its operations. A Cruise Automation self-driving test vehicle navigates the streets of San Francisco. PROVIDED BY KARL NIELSEN FOR CRUISE AUTOMATION GM’s Cruise set to relaunch its self-driving cars with supervision Jamie L. LaReau Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK Walmart is cutting hundreds of corporate jobs and asking its remote workers to return to offices. Changes in “some parts of our business … will result in a reduction of several hundred campus roles,” the company’s chief people officer Donna Morris said Tuesday in a memo to employees shared with USA TODAY. Also, employees who work in Walmart’s smaller offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Toronto are being asked to relocate to the company’s bigger hubs, she said. “Most relocations will be to our Home Office in Bentonville, but some will be to our offices in the San Francisco Bay Area or Hoboken/New York,” Morris said in the memo. Walmart will still allow staff to work remotely part time but will be expected to be in offices the majority of the time, according to The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported, which first reported the moves late Monday. “We believe that being together, in person, makes us better and helps us to collaborate, innovate and move even faster,” Morris said. “We also believe it helps strengthen our culture as well as grow and develop our associates.” Walmart laying off ‘several hundred’ corporate workers While the number of jobs cut “are small in percentage, we are focused on supporting each of our associates affected by these changes,” Morris said in the memo. “We have had discussions with associates who were directly impacted by these decisions. We will work closely with them in the coming days and months to navigate the best path forward.” Walmart has about 1.6 million U.S. employees and, like many other companies, has been pushing employees to return to the office, Business Insider reported. These actions come just days after Walmart, which entered the primary care business in 2019, said it planned to shut down its virtual health care service and close all 51 of its Walmart Health centers because it was “not a sustainable business model.” The timing of the corporate layoffs after the announced closing of health clinics suggest they may be “part of a restructuring that would allow Walmart to allocate additional resources to more profitable revenue streams, like advertising and fulfillment,” Blake Droesch, senior analyst covering retail and ecommerce at research firm eMarketer, told USA TODAY. Walmart closing underperforming stores as part of strategy The largest U.S. employer has made other moves to prioritize its corporate strategy including the closure of several underperforming stores, while opening new ones and remodeling some. Walmart acquired Vizio in February and cited the smart TV maker’s advertisingsupported streaming video business as a potential profit-making fit with its Walmart Connect advertising platform. “Walmart has also been laser-focused on creating alternative revenue streams that go beyond its retail business,” Droesch said. “By reducing their corporate headcount, the retailer could allocate more resources to its store and warehouse staff,” he said. “These jobs are the true lifeblood of the retail business and Walmart has prioritized workforce retention in what has become an increasingly competitive labor market.” Three months ago, Walmart said it would be remodeling hundreds of existing stores and opening more than 100 new stores over the next five years. Contributing: Emily DeLetter, Ahjané Forbes, Julia Gomez, Eric Lagatta and Medora Lee, USA TODAY. Walmart layoffs hit ‘several hundred’ corporate workers Mike Snider USA TODAY Shares of GameStop and AMC jumped nearly 40% each in premarket trading on Tuesday, and are on track to extend gains from a day earlier when a series of posts from “Roaring Kitty” rekindled a rally reminiscent of the meme stocks trading frenzy. Both GameStop and AMC were the most traded stocks by retail investors on Monday, according to data from J.P.Morgan. “Roaring Kitty,” the social media persona of Keith Gill, credited with setting off the so-called Reddit rally in January 2021 with his bullish calls on GameStop, posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, after nearly three years. Since Sunday, Gill has shared a meme and more than 10 clips from movies including “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” “The Avengers” and the 1993 Western “Tombstone.” The series of cryptic posts did not mention any company names but sparked speculation in the retail trading community that he might get back in action. GameStop surged as much as 118% on Monday and closed at a two-year high, with its market cap surging nearly $4 billion to $9.32 billion. AMC also surged 78% to $5.19. The world’s largest theater chain more than doubled from a record low it hit in mid-April. The euphoria also spread to microcap firms popular among short sellers, traders who hope to make money by betting on a stock’s fall. On Tuesday, U.S.-listed shares of BlackBerry and iconic food storage container company Tupperware rose 27% and 3.8%, respectively. The two companies have about 8.4% and 23.5%, respectively, of their free float in short position, according to Ortex data. AMC and GameStop surge as meme stock craze returns Medha Singh Reuters
4B ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY MONEY News from across the USA ALABAMA Montgomery: Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the “Working for Alabama” legislative package that aims to address the state’s low workforce participation rate. ALASKA Anchorage: A man was fatally shot by police after he raised a gun at officers, Alaska Public Media reported. ARIZONA Phoenix: Arizona State University’s charter school network is working to expand its footprint and help launch microschools across the country. It started to do so this past school year with a fellowship program for microschool founders, funded with a grant from the Stand Together Trust, part of a philanthropic network founded by billionaire Charles Koch. ARKANSAS Little Rock: The Arkansas General Assembly failed to pass an appropriations bill for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission on Thursday, the last day of the fiscal session, leaving the agency’s funding up in the air. This means that at the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, the Game and Fish Commission will have no spending power and will not be able to pay its employees’ salaries unless the governor and the General Assembly take action before then. CALIFORNIA Mountain View: Two former California high school students were awarded $1 million and tuition reimbursement after they said they were forced to withdraw from the school in 2020 for wearing acne masks, which were interpreted by officials and community members as “blackface.” COLORADO Fort Collins: A Colorado girl has tragically died from injuries she sustained after being strangled by a swing set in her backyard last week, authorities say. CONNECTICUT Plainfield: Two Plainfield residents were arrested on a number of charges, including operating a drug factory. DELAWARE Dover: Delaware health care providers have reached a compromise with state lawmakers on a proposed bill that would create a hospital cost review board. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: Eight families who lost their dogs in a flooding at District Dogs have filed a lawsuit against the day care facility and its founder, WUSA reported. GEORGIA Athens: Georgia and Athens authorities announced that they made an arrest in a two-decades-old cold case involving the death of a University of Georgia law student. HAWAII Honolulu: A judge has denied a request to halt the removal of the Haiku Stairs, Hawaii News Now reported. IDAHO Caldwell: A 21-year-old who escaped in February from a youth correctional facility in Oregon is being held at the Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center in Caldwell. ILLINOIS Springfield: Less than two weeks until its scheduled adjournment, state lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker appear to be at-odds in budget negotiations. The Democratic governor is requesting legislative approval of a $52.7 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, accompanied with approximately $800 million in tax increases. INDIANA South Bend: The South Bend Police Department revealed its new policing tool – e-bikes – just in time for Michiana Bike to Work week, hoping to build relationships in the community while continuing an efficient patrol throughout the city. IOWA Des Moines: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is launching a new task force that will work to raise awareness of antisemitism and help law enforcement and schools stamp it out. Bird, a Republican, said the 13-member volunteer task force would provide training to law enforcement and prosecutors on how to prosecute hate crimes, with a focus on antisemitism. KANSAS Topeka: With a goal of decreasing drug deaths, lawmakers have granted immunity to people who seek medical help for people who are overdosing. KENTUCKY Louisville: Louisville Metro Police Department has released the names of the three officers involved in the fatal shooting of a man they say charged at them with a knife Friday night. LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: Louisiana’s top gambling regulator Ronnie Johns, who ushered in the state’s largest gaming expansion in three decades, is resigning next month to spend more time with his family. MAINE York: A settlement was finalized in court in which the York School Department agreed to give $237,500 to a former teacher who sued over discrimination. MARYLAND Rockville: Around $220,000 was stolen from a volunteer fire department in a cyberattack last month, according to a report by the Rockville station. The money was being held for the purchase of two new ambulances the department needs, the release states. It was taken by criminals impersonating a vendor working with the station to secure the new vehicles. A bad actor intercepted the wire transfer email thread to slightly change the bank routing number to send the transfer to London. MASSACHUSETTS Hyannis: Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative, a Marion nonprofit that promotes sustainable development of renewable energy in New England ocean waters, has secured an 8-year pilot license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to test prototypes of turbines that harness tides to create energy. The testing will be done in the Cape Cod Canal, at the Bourne Tidal Test Site. MICHIGAN Howell: A pharmaceutical executive who was charged in 2018 with 11 counts of second-degree murder following a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak has been sentenced to prison again. MINNESOTA St. Paul: A former employee at a Minnesota university is accused of embezzling over $400,000 from the school with a contractor she was romantically involved with. MISSISSIPPI Jackson: Of the 14 local projects in an appropriations bill meant to improve areas of the city of Jackson and Hinds County, all were signed into law by Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. This is vastly different than last year’s legislative session, where Reeves vetoed more than $18 million for projects in Jackson. MISSOURI St. Louis: Since March 2023, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been trying to obtain information on medical and billing practices related to transgender care for minors from clinics around the state, including Planned Parenthood of St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri. Despite a St. Louis judge allowing part of that information to be obtained, both the attorney general and the Planned Parenthood organization are trying to change that. A jury trial is scheduled for Aug. 26 in St. Louis. MONTANA Great Falls: For the past four years, the Great Falls Public Schools District has been the beneficiary of substantial federal subsidies, monies that were allocated by Congress to help schools across the country address the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those federal subsidies are at an end. NEBRASKA Lincoln: Along with the Cornhusker State’s unique electoral split vote system and its unicameral legislature, another purely Nebraska gem is its “poll worker draft,” where counties can call on random citizens to work at polling locations on election days. Nebraska is the only state in the country to draft poll workers, according to the National Council on State Legislatures, but it is primarily used by Douglas County, which encompasses part of Omaha, the state’s largest city. NEVADA Reno: The Nevada Museum of Art says it has no plans to tear down or move the historic Levy Mansion. The Nevada Museum of Art confirmed that the Levy Mansion, home of Sundance Books and Music for the last 13 years, is considered a protected architectural landmark in Reno. NEW HAMPSHIRE Portsmouth: Of the 25 high school teams who spent three days competing in the University of Southern Maine Model United Nations competition, Portsmouth High School took home six awards and was the only New Hampshire competing school. NEW JERSEY Trenton: The New Jersey Legislature gutted the Open Public Records Act, rolling back decades of progress in providing access to records on the local, county and state levels, even as members of the public and the press raised objections and warned of government overreach. NEW MEXICO Carlsbad: A fungal disease threatening the survival of bats throughout the U.S. was found in a southeast New Mexico cave for the first time in the region, and officials are stepping up efforts to prevent its further spread. White nose syndrome led to the deaths of millions of bats throughout the U.S. NEW YORK Albany: The botched cannabis industry rollout in New York has now spurred Gov. Kathy Hochul to overhaul the poorly run state agency that stifled marijuana business growth and fueled an explosion of illicit cannabis shops, state records show. NORTH CAROLINA Asheville: After their history-making 2020 unionization, nurses are now engaged in key negotiations for a second contract with Mission Health, calling for more staffing, more focus on patient care and higher pay. NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: Gov. Doug Burgum announced that the state’s chief information officer is stepping down at the end of the month due to family matters, Bismarck Tribune reported. OHIO Columbus: Injection wells owned by Ohio Sen. Brian Chavez leached brine, an often toxic liquid byproduct of fracking, underground in Noble County miles past where it was permitted to for years, according to state records. On five occasions since 2010, that liquid burst to the surface through other companies’ dormant oil and gas wells – in one instance contaminating a stream, killing wildlife and requiring a $1.3 million state cleanup effort – according to records from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. OKLAHOMA Edmond: An Olympicquality makeover at Pelican Bay is being considered as the city and its operator prepare for its upcoming swim season. Members of Edmond’s City Council were told by architects they could sink concerns about ongoing water loss issues with the popular attraction by covering its existing shell with one manufactured by a company that routinely builds pools for Olympic events. OREGON Grand Ronde: The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde will open a new public health building in Grand Ronde to provide medical and dental care, vaccinations, health education and cultural services to members of the community. PENNSYLVANIA Stroudsburg: A Pennsylvania school administrator died after being struck by a tractor trailer, and now the community is maneuvering through the loss. RHODE ISLAND East Providence: Gov. Dan McKee has quietly asked lawmakers to approve a tax reliefand-spending package for Citizens Bank that includes the proposed state purchase of a Citizens-owned building on Tripps Lane in East Providence for more than twice its current $16.9 million assessed value. SOUTH CAROLINA Aiken: The remains of a South Carolina mother missing since early December have been found and police have announced a new arrest in the case. SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: Sioux Falls will host the 2025 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for men’s and women’s curling, as well as the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials for Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling, officials announced. TENNESSEE Hartsville: Twenty-six men graduated from a nine-month addiction program in Tennessee’s largest prison. It was the first program of its kind in Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville. TEXAS Austin: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he will appear on the Texas ballot after submitting 245,572 signatures to the Texas Secretary of State office. That more than doubles the requirement for access to the Lone Star State presidential ballot, according to his campaign. The Texas Secretary of State’s Office confirmed it received the petition but could not confirm the number of listed signatures. UTAH Ogden: A man has pleaded guilty to stabbing a man 17 times, KSL reported. VERMONT Montpelier: Gov. Phil Scott announced he will seek a fifth term, laying to rest questions about his immediate political plans. VIRGINIA Chesterfield: Workers extending Nash Road in the county’s court house area have unearthed what appears to be a potential centuries-old burial ground, officials said. At least one gravesite has been confirmed, and the county said the spot where it was found has been cordoned off to allow for further exploration. Experts used ground-penetrating radar to scan the area, “and have found underground anomalies that could be additional gravesites,” according to a county statement. WASHINGTON Seattle: A beloved Washington state chef was fatally stabbed at a train station over the weekend, according to reports. Seattle police said the 37-year-old victim was attacked at the Capitol Hill light rail station on Saturday. When officers got to the scene, they discovered a man in critical condition “suffering from multiple stab wounds.” WEST VIRGINIA Martinsburg: A man who was living in the U.S. illegally has been served an arrest warrant for murder in the case of a body found after a fire was extinguished in a field outside Martinsburg, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. WISCONSIN Green Bay: The city of Green Bay would create four new voting wards and redraw the boundaries on two existing wards under a proposed map making its way to the Green Bay City Council. WYOMING Laramie: The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees voted unanimously last week to eliminate the school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion department and move its staff and some of its programming to other departments on campus. From USA TODAY Network and wire reports HIGHLIGHT: FLORIDA Last August, Hurricane Idalia’s Category 4 winds picked up hundreds of flamingos then dropped them in new places. ANDREW WEST/USA TODAY NETWORK Fort Myers: A recent survey of wild Florida flamingos drew cheers, sparking cautious hope that some of the 101 birds counted might one day breed here. Their presence also bolsters the idea that environmental restoration is working: If the ecsosystem couldn’t support them, they wouldn’t stay, the reasoning goes. In February, Audubon Florida organized a weeklong census coordinated with the Florida Flamingo Working Group as part of a larger effort by the Caribbean Flamingo Conservation Group. The birds are storm refugees who decided to stick around.
Sage the Miniature Poodle wins Best in Show at 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 8C Jeff Zillgitt and Dan Wolken write on Knicks, Nuggets, 3C Check out on which dates and which teams your favorite NFL team will be playing in 2024 Latest news, results, opinions 24/7 at sports.usatoday.com E2 SPORTS USA TODAY | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | SECTION C Bob Baffert trainee Muth, who was slated to be the favorite in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, has been scratched from the race after spiking a fever. “We are sick about this,” Baffert told reporters Wednesday. “The horse had been doing really well. But we have to do what’s right by the horse.” Muth’s defection means Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will likely go off as the favorite in a field of eight as he looks to keep his Triple Crown bid alive. Muth, who won the Arkansas Derby (and beat Mystik Dan) impressively on March 30, was not allowed to run in the Kentucky Derby due to Baffert’s suspension from Churchill Downs. Mystik Dan won the Derby as a 16-1 long shot, scraping the rail on the far turn under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. to take the lead and then holding off Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a thrilling photo finish. Mystik Dan now will headline a field that includes just two other Derby starters in fourth-place Catching Freedom and 17th-place Just Steel. Baffert, who has won the Preakness eight times, still has one other entry in Santa Anita Derby runner-up Imagination. Preakness favorite Muth scratched Dan Wolken USA TODAY Trainer Bob Baffert said Muth had to be scratched from the Preakness Stakes due to a fever. PAT MCDONOGH/USA TODAY NETWORK Caitlin Clark, the Iowa phenom who went No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA draft last month, opened her professional basketball career Tuesday night when the Indiana Fever visited the Connecticut Sun. It didn’t exactly go as planned. The all-time leading scorer in college basketball, Clark finished with 20 points in her WNBA debut but shot just 5 of 15 from the field, was marred by foul trouble in the first quarter and turned the ball over a whopping 10 times. Worse, her team lost 92-71. “There’s a lot to learn from,” Clark said afterward. “We play on Thursday, you gotta learn from it and move on and be ready to go. Things are gonna come fast, this season is going to go fast.” Clark mentioned some uncharacteristic moments – she picked the ball up and traveled, dribbled off her foot, etc. – that played a part in all of her turnovers, and praised Connecticut’s ball screen traps and hedges. She also said the Fever didn’t always do a good job giving the dribbler better passing angles, something echoed by Indiana coach Christie Sides. “We’ve gotta help her out, we’ve gotta do a better job coming back to the ball,” Sides said. The Fever and Clark open play at home on Thursday (7 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime and WNBA League Pass) against the New York Liberty. Clark is looking forward to it: “The more games I play, the more comfortable I’m going to get.” Caitlin Clark: ‘A lot to learn from’ after opener Lindsay Schnell USA TODAY Clark LOUISVILLE, Ky. – World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler doesn’t seem much for trash-talking. But then again, he’s never been an Olympian before. “It’d be a nice little thing to be able to trash talk my buddies about when they say golfers aren’t athletes, and I can claim I’m an Olympian,” Scheffler said with a smile. Scheffler, at Valhalla for this week’s PGA Championship a little more than a week after the birth of his son, confirmed Tuesday that he “definitely” wants to be part of Team USA at this summer’s Paris Olympics. That’s welcome news for Team USA. Not so much, though, for the rest of the world’s golfers headed to Paris in search of a gold medal the first week in August. Scheffler is far and away the world’s top-ranked men’s golfer after wins in four of his last five starts, a dominant run that included victories at The Players Championship and the Masters. As a result, Scheffler’s spot at Le Golf National is all but a certainty with a little more than a month until the field of men’s Olympic qualifiers is finalized on June 17, the day after the U.S. Open. There might be some drama until then for other Americans, though. Since Olympic golf fields are limited to 60 for the men’s and women’s fourround tournaments, each country is only allowed a maximum of four golfers in each event. And that makes things highly competitive for the United States, which has six of the top 10 men’s players in this week’s latest Olympic Golf Rankings. Scottie Scheffler appears to be a lock to play for Team USA at this summer’s Paris Olympics. AARON DOSTER/USA TODAY SPORTS Gentry Estes The Tennessean USA TODAY NETWORK Scheffler wants to wear USA in Paris See ESTES, Page 2C LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The emotional roller coaster that comes with competing in a major golf tournament in your hometown did not begin this week for Justin Thomas. That started a week ago when Thomas returned to Louisville and found it overly emotional when he was honored as a “Hometown Hero,” which came with a 60-foot banner being unfurled from a building he would pass on his way to Saint Xavier High School. “The things I’ve felt today, I’ve never felt in any golf tournament I’ve won,” Thomas, who lives in Tequesta, Florida, said on that day. Justin Thomas may live in northern Palm Beach County among the greatest collection of golf royalty. He may have recently upgraded to a $13.5 million mansion on the Loxahatchee River. And he may have recently dipped into the golf design business in the area, working with Jack Nicklaus on the recently opened Panther National in Palm Beach Gardens. But he grew up on Kentucky bluegrass. And at PGA Tour events he is introduced as being from “Louisville, Kentucky.” “It’s very special,” Thomas said about returning home for the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course. “I would say this tournament at this golf course is a lot of reason for my love for professional golf and wanting to win majors and golf tournaments … And watching Tiger here in 2000 in person. “So I’m happy it’s here.” Thomas is used to playing golf in Louisville, but mostly at Harmony Landing Country Club, about four minutes from his home and 18 miles from Valhalla. As for this course, which is hosting its fourth PGA Championship, first since 2014, he’s played it “10-15” times, the last, before a couple of practice rounds last week, being about a decade ago. Thomas’ dad and coach, Mike, and mom, Jani, call this a full-circle moment for their 31-year-old son. Justin recalls being on the other side of the ropes as a 7-year-old in 2000 to watch Tiger Woods’ victory over Bob May in a threehole playoff on this course. “I remember just being probably … inspired, being very in awe,” Thomas said. “I just hadn’t been to anything that big. I mean, the energy that week was crazy.” He said at that moment he had a “pretty good idea” he wanted to play golf. “I’m very happy to be the one that’s on this side of the ropes or taking part in the championship versus the one that’s watching from the other side of the ropes,” he said. Thomas is chasing his third major, both coming in a PGA Championship, in 2017 at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in 2022 at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But nothing would compare to holding this Wanamaker Trophy as the hometown hero. But that would mean coming while working his way out of a difficult stretch that has seen the Official World Golf Ranking for this former No. 1 in the world drop to No. 31, his lowest in more than seven years. Thomas, though, believes he’s playJustin Thomas pitches onto the green of the 12th hole during practice Wednesday for the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. CLARE GRANT/THE LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT Justin Thomas seeks third PGA Championship in his hometown Tom D’Angelo The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post USA TODAY NETWORK See THOMAS, Page 2C
2C ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY E2 SPORTS PGA Championship Course: Valhalla Golf Club (Par 71, 7,609 yards), Louisville, Kentucky TV/streaming (EDT): Thursday: 7 a.m.-noon (ESPN+), noon-8 p.m. (ESPN); Friday: 7 a.m.-noon (ESPN+), noon-7 p.m. (ESPN); Saturday-Sunday: 8-10 a.m. (ESPN+), 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN), 1-7 p.m. (CBS). Stat 34That’s how many members of this year’s field of 156 at the 106th PGA Championship competed here at Valhalla Golf Club in 2014, the last time the major was held in the Bluegrass State. Eight of those competitors finished inside the top 25, led by Rory McIlroy, the champion a decade ago. Keep an eye on … h Scottie Scheffler. The reigning Masters champion has won in four of his last five starts and has staked his claim to being a dominant world No. 1. But he’s taken three weeks off for the birth of son, Bennett, who arrived last week. Will his game show any rust from the layoff? h Brooks Koepka. The PGA’s defending champion won in his last start at LIV Golf’s Singapore event. He is a three-time winner of the PGA Championship and seeking his sixth major title, which would tie him with among others Phil Mickelson and Lee Trevino. h Rory McIlroy. He’s won his last two starts just as he had heading into the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, which happens to be the last time he won a major. In recent weeks, McIlroy has been embroiled in PGA Tour politics and filed for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll, of seven years. But it hasn’t seemed to bother his game. Between the ropes, he has swagger back. Can McIlroy end his major-less drought nearly 10 years later? h Jordan Spieth. He’s flying under the radar after missing the cut in four of his last five starts at events with a 36-hole cut. But if he can win this week, he’d become just the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam. This is Spieth’s eighth attempt to join this illustrious group. FedExCup standings Rory McIlroy made a double bogey at the last hole Sunday and still shot 65 to win by five at the Wells Fargo Championship. He improved to fourth in the season-long standings. The FedExCup consists of 38 events – 35 in the regular season and three in the FedExCup playoffs, which culminate Aug. 29- Sept. 1 at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Viktor Hovland is the defending champion. 1. Scottie Scheffler ................... 3,915 2. Xander Schauffele ............... 1,939 3. Wyndham Clark .................... 1,906 4. Rory McIlroy .......................... 1,675 5. Sahith Theegala ................... 1,529 6. Byeong Hun An ..................... 1,525 7. Ludvig Aberg ......................... 1,510 8. Hideki Matsuyama ............... 1,325 9. Chris Kirk ................................ 1,215 10. Matthieu Pavon ................... 1,145 ing well enough to win. The frustrating part is he hasn’t, although he has three top-10s. His last win was that 2022 PGA Championship. “I just have to kind of keep trusting what I’m doing and understand I’m working on all the right things and know that it will happen,” he said. “I just can’t force the issue or press because that usually doesn’t end well.” That could be difficult in a pressurepacked week with distractions, added attention and a spotlight even brighter than the one that typically shines on the elite in this game. “I have a pretty easy time putting a lot of pressure on myself already, so that shouldn’t be too much of an adjustment,” Thomas said. “What I told everybody is I’m not really sure exactly how I’m going to feel. Like I’ve never experienced it. “I’ve never played a professional tournament, let alone a PGA, in my hometown, so I’m sure it will be some new feelings, some good feelings.” Max Homa can help with that. Homa, the ninth-ranked golfer in the world who is seeking his first major, played that role a year ago at the U.S. Open, which was held at Los Angeles Country Club, about 20 miles from where he grew up in Burbank. And that didn’t go so well as Homa missed the cut. “It’s tricky,” Homa said. “I think though if you lean into the support you’re getting, it helps a lot. It’s easy to make it nerve-wracking. I’m sure he really, really, really wants to win this event more than another major. However, he’s going to have tons of support, as he should. I think that’s the part if you use that to your advantage that’s where you get kind of … we don’t typically get a home-court advantage in golf, but I think that’s where you can kind of find it a little bit.” Thomas’ two major titles being PGA Championships seem fitting. Few on tour have a history with the PGA than Justin, part of a family of three generations of PGA members. Mike is a PGA tour professional at Harmony Landing and a former member of the PGA’s board of directors. Mike’s father, Paul Thomas, was a 60- year member of the PGA of America. “I’ve been very, very fortunate to have some great experiences at PGA Championships,” Justin said. “I just remember in 2017 being on that 18th green and holding the trophy and shaking so many of the directors’ hands. … I mean, I have known them for so long, it was really cool for me.” But not as cool, he said, as seeing his dad beaming with pride. “A full-circle moment,” Justin said. Be prepared, the circle now has come around once again. And if the result this weekend is the same as 2017 and 2022, that greenside celebration will include a lot more than his dad and mom. Thomas Continued from Page 1C Rickie Fowler, left, and Justin Thomas, a two-time PGA Championship winner, chat on the practice green Wednesday. SAM UPSHAW JR./THE LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL Scheffler (No. 1), Xander Schauffele (No. 3), Wyndham Clark (No. 4) and Patrick Cantlay (No. 8) would qualify as of this week, but Max Homa (No. 9), Brian Harman (No. 10), Sahith Theegala (No. 12) and Collin Morikawa (No. 13) are within reach. The order of alternates might matter, too, as there’s no guarantee all four U.S. qualifiers would choose to play. Schauffele, who won gold at the most recent Summer Games in Tokyo 2021, indicated recently to Golf Monthly that he wants to play in another Olympics should he qualify for Paris. Homa has been eyeing the standings, too. He said Tuesday that it is “on the tip of my mind” to play well enough in the coming weeks to make the U.S. Olympic team. “As a golfer, I don’t think the Olympics ever feels like a real thing we’re going to do,” Homa said, “and then you get a chance, and now I would really like to be a part of that.” In the women’s rankings, Tokyo gold medalist Nelly Korda (No. 1), Lilia Vu (No. 2), Rose Zhang (No. 6) and Megan Khang (No. 15) are on pace to represent the United States. Golf wasn’t part of the Olympics for more than a century before returning at the Rio Games in 2016. That year, Matt Kuchar (bronze medalist), Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Patrick Reed represented the United States. In Tokyo, Schauffele was joined by Morikawa (who lost a playoff for the bronze medal), Justin Thomas and Reed. Olympic qualification is based on world golf rankings, which makes it difficult for golfers on the LIV tour to earn the points. A few exceptions are in position to qualify, like Jon Rahm of Spain and Joaquin Niemann of Chile, but Golf Magazine reported earlier this year that LIV player Brooks Koepka had withdrawn from consideration for the Olympic team. It’s doubtful that Koepka would have qualified for Team USA, anyway. While it’ll be a small field in France, it should still be a star-studded one. Rory McIlroy (Ireland), Ludvig Aberg (Sweden), Viktor Hovland (Norway), Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick (Great Britain), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Jason Day (Australia) are each among the top projected players. “It would be an amazing experience,” Homa said, “and something I’m very, very much gunning for over the next few golf tournaments.” Estes Continued from Page 1C No.1-ranked Scottie Scheffler chips out of a sand trap near the 11th green during practice Wednesday at Valhalla Golf Course. MATT STONE/THE COURIER-JOURNAL LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Just two days after picking up his 26th career PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship, Rory McIlroy made headlines on Tuesday for the wrong reason – filing for divorce from his wife of seven years citing the marriage as “irretrievably broken,” requesting “shared parental responsibility” of their daughter, Poppy, and “establishing a parental plan, including a timesharing schedule.” McIlroy released a statement through his manager saying he would not be making any comments about his private life, and the closest he came to answering a question on the subject during his pre-tournament news conference on Wednesday ahead of the 106th PGA Championship was when he was asked about his energy levels and, on a personal level, how he was doing. “I’m ready to play this week,” he said before moving on. McIlroy, who turned 35 last week, has made plenty of headlines between being embroiled in PGA Tour policy board politics and serving as a de facto spokesman for the PGA Tour in its fight with LIV Golf, but the one headline he hasn’t made for a nearly a decade is major champion. It was at the 2014 PGA Championship here at Valhalla Golf Club in August that McIlroy captured his second Wanamaker Trophy and fourth major title. He was 25, the No. 1 player in the world, and his future seemed boundless. “I thought at that point in time that we might see Rory win 10 major championships. He had limitless ability, unbelievable length, could do everything, and was making it look really easy,” said ESPN’s Andy North. “Life changes. You get married. You have kids. You have other business obligations. Your focus becomes not as singular on golf as it should be, and every single good player has gone through that. Rory has had an amazing career. I personally thought that he might win more than he has, which that’s scary because he’s won plenty.” During the 35 major starts since his last win, McIlroy has recorded 20 top-10 finishes including 10 top-fives, the most of any player in the last decade. “To not at the very least fall into one is unfathomable,” said CBS Sports lead analyst Trevor Immelman. When McIlroy left the PGA Championship a year ago after finishing seventh, his confidence was shot. The cameras for the Netflix documentary “Full Swing” captured McIlroy in an uncharacteristic fit of rage in the locker room. One year later, McIlroy’s game is in a much better place. He was a non-factor in his latest quest to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April but enters the PGA having teamed with Shane Lowry to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and winning last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a closing 65 to blow past 54-hole leader Zander Schauffele. The last time McIlroy played here he was oozing confidence, having won his two previous starts heading into the PGA, and that symmetry hasn’t gone unnoticed. McIlroy, for one, downplayed the significance of his success 10 years ago and what it could mean for his bid to win a fifth major title. “It’s hard to rekindle those feelings and those memories. I can vaguely remember, you know, coming here off the back of winning the (British) Open and the old WGC at Akron,” he said. “But you know, I think it’s all about confidence and momentum, and I have a lot of confidence and quite a bit of momentum coming into this week.” McIlroy said that he’s found a driver he loves and his tee game has been as good as ever. That should come in handy at a big, brawny course softened by recent rainstorms like Valhalla. “I think this is a golf course that allows you to play with freedom because it’s a big golf course. The corridors are wide, not too dissimilar to last week at Quail Hollow, so you can open your shoulders up off the tee and try to take your chances from there,” he said. McIlroy looks to make major headlines Adam Schupak Golfweek | USA TODAY NETWORK Rory McIlroy works on the driving range during a practice round Tuesday. AARON DOSTER/USA TODAY SPORTS
SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ 3C They were down 0-2, now they’re leading. They were on the brink, now they’re thriving. A week ago, the Denver Nuggets seemed ready to abandon their quest for a second straight NBA championship, now they’re inevitable again. Anything can still happen in this intense, tightly contested, emotional powder keg of a Western Conference semifinal series. But after a 112-97 Denver victory in Game 5 – perhaps the most important of the entire NBA season so far – the theme of this series is starting to come into focus. Nice try, Minnesota. Once the team that held all the cards in this series after winning the first two games in Denver, the Timberwolves are now just one loss in Game 6 on Thursday (8:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN) away from that idea becoming their scarlet letter: The very moment they had the Nuggets pinned on the mat, Minnesota got exposed. The Timberwolves, it turned out, just weren’t ready for an NBA revolution. Instead, the contour of this postseason is now very clear. Denver is the favorite to go back-to-back. With threetime MVP Nikola Jokic as aggressive and unstoppable as ever, this series seems over. These playoffs seem over. Who else is going to mount the kind of challenge Minnesota did? Who else will be able to bother Jokic and disrupt Denver’s offense the way the Timberwolves did for the first two games, only to see the Nuggets enter a different realm of intensity and execution once they really had to find it? Minnesota was worthy of all the praise it got for bringing a 2-0 series lead back home. It doesn’t deserve some of the arrows that will be slung its way for blowing said lead or the inevitable nitpicking of their personnel. Yes, the Timberwolves’ best performance of the series – a 106-80 blowout win in Game 2 – came when center Rudy Gobert sat out due to the birth of his child. Yes, they deflated emotionally in Game 3 when they could have landed the knockout blow at home. And yes, things got clunky in Game 4 with Gobert mostly in the way offensively and KarlAnthony Towns unable to make a jump shot, leaving Anthony Edwards with too much to do. But the turn in this series hasn’t really been about Minnesota much at all. In the end, the Nuggets kinda just decided to be good again. Though Denver was one of the best teams in the NBA all season, it wasn’t all the way locked in. The Nuggets messed around a little bit and got the No. 2 seed in the West instead of the home-court advantage throughout. They messed around in the first round and needed five games to take care of the Lakers instead of last year’s sweep. And when the Timberwolves hit them with remarkable energy and defensive dynamism to open this series, the Nuggets looked staggered. Instead, it only woke them up. The Timberwolves are good enough to still turn this series one more time. They can win Game 6 at home, get this thing back to Denver for a Game 7 and hope that something – an injury, shooting luck, whatever – goes in their favor. It wouldn’t be a huge shock. But as this series has unfolded, it starts to look like a story as old as the NBA itself: A young team with a new superstar that gets a taste of what it takes to win a championship but ultimately comes up short in its first real try. Denver was that team a few years ago. Maybe the Timberwolves and Edwards are next in line. But right now, this is Denver’s league and Jokic’s sport. As many great playoff performances as he’s had, Game 5 looked different for Jokic. It seemed personal. It was undeniably ruthless: 40 points, 15 of 22 field goals, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Minnesota is a great defensive team that almost seems cooked up in a lab to match up against Denver’s personnel and specifically Jokic. At the business end of this series, though, he’s completely unbothered. When we look back on it, it will be remembered as the series Minnesota lost after being up 2-0 but it also should be remembered as one in which there wasn’t a whole lot more they could do. Not against that guy. Not against that team once guard Jamal Murray started to get healthy from a calf injury, and the confidence got going and the shots started to fall. Now with Minnesota nearly out of the way, who’s left to stop them? Compared to this series, Dallas-Oklahoma City has looked like the junior varsity. The Knicks roster is down to the barest of bare bones and might make the Eastern Conference finals anyway. The Celtics, who are headed for a victory over the Cavaliers, are still too flaky in fourth quarters to be trusted. It’s hyperbole to call this the de facto NBA Finals, but it wouldn’t be surprising if we look back in a month and remember the Timberwolves series as Denver’s most challenging. Minnesota was that much of a test, and the Nuggets nearly failed it. But now the NBA postseason doesn’t seem as mysterious or wide open as it did just a handful of days ago. There’s only one team to beat. The Nuggets are simply the best. Harsh truth: Nuggets, Jokic are inevitable Nikola Jokic reacts during the Nuggets’ win Tuesday. ISAIAH J. DOWNING/USA TODAY Dan Wolken Columnist USA TODAY No Julius Randle. No OG Anunoby. No Bojan Bogdanovic. No Mitchell Robinson. The New York Knicks are down four rotational players – two starters (one an All-Star and the other an All-Defensive selection) and two key reserves. And the Knicks, sutured together by heart, determination and a heavy dose of Jalen Brunson, are up 3-2 against the Indiana Pacers after taking Game 5 121-91 on Tuesday in another spirited night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks crushed the Pacers, putting up 69 points and shooting 54.7% in the first half and holding the Indiana’s high-powered offense to 43 points in the second and third quarters. Brunson scored a game-high 44 points. Yes, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is playing his starters big minutes, and if you want to get stuck in a rabbit hole, google “Tom Thibodeau starters minutes.” But to his defense, he has four key players missing right now, and he doesn’t have much choice if he wants to win this series and get the Knicks to the conference finals for the first time since 2000. As is, he uses a seven-man rotation, using Precious Achiuwa and Alec Burks off the bench. Achiuwa played in just two games in the first round against Philadelphia, and Burks didn’t play at all against the 76ers. Still, the Knicks are getting it done in Thibodeau fashion. Whoever is on the court, plays hard. You can say lots of things about Thibodeau, and people have. The Athletic conducted an anonymous player survey asking, “Which current coach, aside from your own, would you least want to play for?” Thibodeau was the, ahh, winner. But he’s a strong tactician and motivator with a strong coaching staff, and the players who believe in him, really believe in him and play the way he wants to get those minutes. The contributions came in different ways Tuesday. The Knicks outworked the Pacers, scoring 26 second-chance points on 20 offensive rebounds. Isaiah Hartenstein had seven points, 17 rebounds – 12 offensive rebounds – and five assists, Josh Hart had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Miles McBride scored 17 points. Donte DiVincenzo missed all six of his 3-point attempts and had just eight points but contributed with seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. Burks was not part of the rotation when the playoffs began. But circumstances dictated he get minutes. He had 20 points in New York’s Game 4 loss but added a necessary 18 points (5-for-8 on 3-pointers) in Game 5. The Knicks had two key stretches that defined the game. A 17-5 Knicks run after the Pacers built a 20-14 lead put New York ahead 31-25 and the Knicks just opened it up from there. In the third quarter, Indiana cut the Knicks’ lead to 70-63, and New York scored 19 of the game’s next 20 points for an 89-64 advantage. The Pacers went 7 minutes and 2 seconds without a made field goal. It helps to have Brunson, who is one of the star’s in the 2024 NBA playoffs. An All-Star for the first time this season and a lock to make his first All-NBA team this season, Brunson has scored at least 30 points in six playoff games, including 40-plus five times. He had a playoff-career high 47 against Philadelphia in the first round. Brunson is difficult to defend – no matter the size, physicality and doubleteams the Pacers send his way. And he’s such a clever drawer of fouls, it has the NBA’s attention. That wasn’t an issue in Game 5. He went to the line just seven times. He made 18 of 33 shots – 7 of 9 in the second quarter when he had 18 points as the Knicks built a 15-point halftime lead. He had a personal 7-0 run, pushing New York’s lead to 106-86 after the Pacers had cut the lead to 12. Knicks fans chanted “MVP, MVP” when he scored his 40th, 41st and 42nd points on an and-one three-point play. How long can the Knicks keep it going? For Game 6 Friday (ESPN), they go to Indianapolis, where the Pacers won Game 3 and Game 4, and a Game 7 Sunday at Madison Square Garden is a possibility. The Knicks will play a game anywhere. Rucker Park. The Cage downtown among the hipsters and hot dining spots. Hinkle Fieldhouse or Madison Square Garden. And the Pacers can’t play like they did Tuesday to have a chance. Not against the strong-minded Knicks. Heart and determination powering Knicks in series Jalen Brunson scored 44 points in the Knicks’ Game 5 win over the Pacers. VINCENT CARCHIETTA/USA TODAY SPORTS Jeff Zillgitt Columnist USA TODAY It may be LeBron James’ dream to play alongside his son Bronny in the NBA, but a father-son pairing isn’t the utmost goal for the 19-year-old Southern Cal Trojans guard. Instead, Bronny James just wants to be an NBA player, no matter whether it’s with the Los Angeles Lakers or any other team. “My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself and get to the NBA,” Bronny James told reporters Tuesday night at the NBA draft combine. “Everything that follows my dad, people just try to link me with that and all the greatness that he’s achieved. I haven’t done anything yet, so I feel like there needs to be that divide between Bronny and LeBron.” Instead of comparing himself to his father, the younger James said he believes his game is more like that of Boston’s Jrue Holiday or Derrick White, or Sacramento’s Davion Mitchell. James, a 6-foot-4 guard, has declared for the NBA draft but has until May 29 to decide whether he wants to stay in the draft or return to college basketball for his sophomore season. He has already said he will enter the transfer portal after one year at USC, where he averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds over 25 games. LeBron James has said on several occasions that, after a 21-year NBA career that has included four league MVP awards, four NBA titles and 20 All-Star appearances, one of his remaining goals is to play on the same team as his son in the NBA. Bronny, however, has more immediate goals after recently being medically cleared to participate in the combine following a cardiac arrest last July and a procedure to repair a congenital heart defect. “I’m just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me from there,” he said. Bronny James’ goal: ‘Get to the NBA,’ not play with dad LeBron Steve Gardner USA TODAY Bronny James
4C ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Say what you want about Kirk Cousins and his big contract, or the Achilles tendon in rehab, or the sudden threat looming with the presence of a hotshot first-round rookie. Just don’t say the new Atlanta Falcons quarterback isn’t bold to the bone. Or quite the risk-taker. Last week, Cousins led a small group of teammates for a day trip to Tampa, Florida, to see Coach Chucky. Yeah, that guy. Jon Gruden, who has largely been an NFL outcast since he was forced to abruptly resign as Las Vegas Raiders coach in 2021 amid a storm of scandal. Gruden was exposed when a series of racist, misogynistic and homophobic emails from his “Monday Night Football” days were leaked – including some vulgarity directed at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell – and the whole mess is still unresolved as the former coach pursues a lawsuit against the league and Goodell. Yet Cousins, the subject of an unresolved NFL investigation alleging violations of the league’s anti-tampering policy before his massive, four-year, $180 million free agent contract became official in March, thought it was a good idea to break down some film for a few hours with Gruden. Now that took some guts. And not only because the accompanying teammates – tight end Kyle Pitts, receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney – are all African American. Cousins apparently had no concern about the optics or the politics. The mission was about football and bonding. And according to some of the participants, it was a blast. “It was eye-opening,” London told reporters following an OTA practice on Tuesday. “I think it broke down a barrier with all of us that was needed.” Added Mooney, “I think the trip was a nice breaking (of) the ice. We talked about some things that you normally never talk about.” The revelation about the day trip, which Cousins began organizing last month as the team began offseason training, was undoubtedly the most striking detail to surface as the team held its first media session of the offseason with veterans – and the first occasion for the 36-year-old quarterback to address the press since the Falcons stunned the NFL universe by drafting his projected successor, Michael Penix Jr., with the eighth pick overall. It also spoke volumes about the leadership style – and potential impact – Cousins carries as he transitions to the new environment of a franchise rolling with a six-year drought since it last earned a playoff berth. Cousins, preparing for his 13th NFL season, said he is heeding the advice offered by a couple of retired NFL quarterbacks who changed teams later in their careers. “One of the things they said is that you’ve got to find that balance between leading and also understanding that you haven’t been here,” Cousins said. “Keep your mouth shut and observe. And learn how things work. So, there’s a balance, right? I’m going to step in and assert myself, but I’m also going to ask questions and keep my mouth shut at times, too.” The leadership trait is being put to a test in a hurry as Cousins tries to get quickly settled and intrigue seemingly lurks around every corner for a man who embodies one of the NFL’s juiciest storylines for the coming season. Leadership position or not, he didn’t learn of the plan to draft Penix with a first-round pick until the Falcons were on the clock on draft night. When someone asked whether Cousins, who spent the previous six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, would have still signed with Atlanta if he knew the team would take a quarterback in the first round, he responded, “I don’t really deal in hypotheticals. We could go down that path for a long time in a lot of ways. It just doesn’t do us any good.” Good answer. Cousins also squashed any hint of a suggestion that he won’t embrace the presence of Penix, who led the nation in passing last season while guiding Washington to the national championship game. “The quarterback room is a working force,” Cousins said. “That’s never not been the case. So, we’re all in there, a working force together, trying to help each other.” He knows. Football can be a fickle business, swinging on many factors, including injuries, merit and economics. Even with $100 million of his contract guaranteed, and even with new Falcons coach Raheem Morris shouting from the rooftop that there is no controversy because Cousins is the starter who won’t need to look over his shoulder, stuff happens. Eventually. When Cousins broke into the NFL from Michigan State, he was Washington’s fourth-round pick – in the same class that the team chose Robert Griffin III with the second pick overall. RG3 had four injury-plagued seasons in Washington, while Cousins steadily rose. “Competition is always a part of how this league works,” Cousins said. “How football works.” The phone call that came as the Falcons prepared to turn in the card for Penix reminded Cousins of a call he got from former Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio in 2007. Two weeks after Cousins signed to become a Spartan, Dantonio informed him that the school was signing another highly recruited quarterback: Nick Foles. “We were in the same class,” Cousins said. “Nick Foles became a Super Bowl MVP. We looked at each other like, ‘Hey, one guy’s probably going to play here and one guy isn’t. It doesn’t mean we’re not both great quarterbacks.’ ” Foles transferred to Arizona. Cousins added a lesson. “You learn pretty quickly as a freshman in college, you’ve got to compete,” Cousins said. “That’s the way it’s always been. So, this is consistent with my football journey as opposed to an exception.” Bottom line, Cousins stressed, is that it must be earned. That goes for the job and the acceptance by teammates as the leader. “I’m going to control what I can control,” he said. “You also understand there’s a lot you don’t control. I learned a long time ago, you’ve got to focus on what you can control.” Of course, nothing bolsters leadership like performance. For that, much hinges on Cousins’ ability to rebound from his Achilles injury. Morris insists, and Cousins concurs, that the rehab remains on track, 6 1 ⁄2 months since surgery. It was encouraging that Cousins was a full practice participant in the non-contact drills on Tuesday, even with the Falcons preventing him from stressing his foot on plays involving much movement. He acknowledges there will be mental hurdles to clear in the coming weeks yet maintains he’s progressed to the point where the dropbacks seem close to normal. With zip and accuracy demonstrated on his throws, Cousins insists he could play a game today. “I’m pleased, but there is more to go get,” he said. After surgery, doctors told him to expect a nine-month rehab. “As a competitor, they told me nine,” he said. From that timeline, he told himself, “So, OK, seven.” A former teammate whom he rehabbed with in the early stages, former Vikings running back Cam Akers, was declared fully recovered after five months. “He kind of set a bar,” Cousins said of Akers. “So, somewhere between five and nine (months) is kind of my goal.” Cousins sounds like a man in a rush in more ways than one. One of the missions as he absorbs a new offense installed by coordinator Zac Robinson is to try to “build a history quickly” with his supporting cast, Cousins said. He envisions developing a chemistry that will resemble playing together for five years when the real games start in September. An unrealistic expectation? Perhaps. But he’s surely thinking bold and aggressive. Maybe that’s why he arranged the study session with Gruden, once considered one of the league’s most creative offensive minds. It has all made quite the early impression on his teammates. London raved about his professionalism. Pitts has sensed how intentional he is with details. Mooney alluded to bonding that was ignited during the trip to Tampa, when they shared pet peeves. “One of my things is that I hate checkdowns in 7-on-7 (drills),” Mooney said. “So, Kirk knows.” What’s tough for Cousins to stomach? “Kirk hates guys celebrating when they catch the ball,” Mooney said. We’ll see how this plays out over time. “If it’s a crazy play,” Mooney said, “we’re going to have to celebrate.” Especially if the Falcons are following their new leader to a new level of NFL prominence. Cousins-led trip says plenty about QB Quarterback Kirk Cousins looks on during one of the OTA offseason workouts held by the Falcons on Tuesday. KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES Jarrett Bell Columnist USA TODAY A question: Are the Kansas City Chiefs OK with one of their players, kicker Harrison Butker, saying women belong as homemakers? The team has several female executive vice presidents who have careers outside of the kitchen. What do they think of this? The team has celebrated Women’s History Month, not Woman You Better Get My Dinner on the Table Month. “I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you,” Butker said at a recent college commencement. “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. “I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and a mother,” Butker added. “I’m on this stage, and able to be the man I am, because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.” Her vocation? Really? Did I slip and fall into a time machine and travel back to the 1950s? “I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me,” he said, “but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.” The team thus far has been silent about Butker’s comments, which don’t stop with his antiquated views of a woman’s role in society. He also went on an anti-LGBTQ rant. Speaking of Pride month, Butker said: “Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the holy ghost to glorify him.” The organization did not respond to an email request for comment. But former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn did respond to Butker. He wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “Harrison Butker doesn’t represent Kansas City nor has he ever. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms, and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members.” Before all of you constitutional scholars chime in from your grammy’s basement, I’m aware Butker can say whatever he wants, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us should stay silent. On social media, one of the prevailing sentiments was that Butker was just an idiot kicker and didn’t matter. That’s false. Not the part about him being an idiot. That’s true. The part about him not mattering. He’s a key part of a Super Bowl champion team. He plays in the most popular sport in the country. His words will carry, and while they have the waft of Archie Bunker’s couch, they shouldn’t be ignored. We should take every opportunity to push back against this type of extremist, Neanderthalic view of the world. (It’s also interesting to see right-wing and white nationalist platforms that usually tell athletes of color to shut up and dribble championing Butker’s remarks. Maybe interesting isn’t the word for it.) Butker represents a segment of the population that wants to go backward, particularly with women’s rights. These people are getting bolder and more hateful. The goal is to wrench power from a society that has become more pluralistic and diverse, and put it back into the hands of a small group of men. And I can tell you, in their universe, they aren’t talking about men of color having all this power. Butker gives the entire game away with this part of his speech. “To the gentlemen here today, part of what plagues society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities,” Butker said. “As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation. “Be unapologetic in your masculinity. Fight against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy.” There is no emasculation of men. It’s not happening. It has never happened. It’s a totally fabricated thing. Again, none of this has to do with the loss of rights. No one is being emasculated. Men aren’t losing power. Women don’t need to stay in the kitchen. Unless they want to. There are people like Butker who want to take America back in time. Not the majority. But enough. And that’s scary. Kicker wants to take the country backward Harrison Butker says, “I’m on this stage, and able to be the man I am, because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.” LUCAS PELTIER/USA TODAY SPORTS Mike Freeman Columnist USA TODAY
SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ 5C To advertise in USA TODAY, call: 1-800-397-0070 To view more Classified listings, visit: classifieds.usatoday.com NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES GET NOTICED! Advertise in USA TODAY MARKETPLACE. To Advertise, Call: (800) 397-0070 Request for Proposals (RFP) RFP# 2025-0904: AIDS CADAP The Department of Public Health (DPH) Infectious Disease Section is requesting proposals for the Connecticut AIDS Drug Assistance Program (CADAP). A qualified Pharmacy Benefits Manager or other organization is needed to provide enrollment, pharmacy benefits, insurance premium payments, and rebate management for CADAP. The Request for Proposal is available in electronic format on the State Contracting Portal at https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/ CTSource/BidBoard, on the Department’s website at https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Request-For-Proposals/Requestfor-Proposals, or from the Department’s Official Contact: Mitchell Namias, 860-509-7718, Mitchell.namias@ct.gov. 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E-mail: elinahc@beautiful smilesdentistry.com UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Mohegan Sun Arena, radiating more energy than a coronal mass ejection, desperately hoped a performance of Caitlin Clark 3-pointers would dazzle like the Northern Lights that appeared in this area over the weekend. But for large stretches of Tuesday’s game, Clark, a perennial record-breaker in college, struggled off the launch pad during an up-and-down WNBA debut that saw the Indiana Fever fall 92-71 to the Connecticut Sun. Despite finishing tied with Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner for a game-high 20 points, Clark (5-for-15 shooting) missed her first four shots and was forced to the bench midway through the first quarter due to foul trouble. She got her first bucket in the second quarter and didn’t catch fire until the fourth, when she drained two consecutive 3- pointers and got to the line for two free throws on the following possession. Despite the shaky performance that saw her break another record – Clark set an all-time high for turnovers in a WNBA debut with 10 – the 22-year-old sensation was more focused on the bigger picture when she spoke to reporters more than an hour after Indiana’s loss. “Obviously, I’m disappointed and nobody likes to lose, but that’s how it is,” Clark said. “I don’t think you can beat yourself up too much about one game. We have to learn from it and move on.” All eyes were on Clark in Connecticut for one of the most anticipated professional debuts by an athlete in recent memory. ESPN was broadcasting in prime time. Media accommodations were at capacity. And you saw a Caitlin Clark jersey – be it of the Indiana or Iowa variety – almost anywhere you looked inside Mohegan Sun Arena, packed with its first sellout crowd (8,910 announced) since 2003. “I thought it took me a while to settle into the game,” said Clark, who also had three assists. “I thought the second half was a lot better and it’s just getting more comfortable, which will come with experience and getting to play with these girls.” Clark insisted she wasn’t nervous before the game. But she was excited and, above all, thankful for what Tuesday’s game represented. How many people could be tuning in to their first WNBA game and fall in love with the game? “The parity in women’s basketball is what’s making more people want to come and watch it,” Clark said. “The more we can spread the love and show all the talent, we can keep elevating it. I’ve had a lot of fun being in the spotlight and helping to grow this game.” Clark, the No. 1 overall pick, holder of countless records at the college level and the catalyst for an explosion of interest surrounding women’s basketball, spoke at length about gratitude before and after Tuesday’s loss. Even going back to Indiana with a defeat in tow, Clark said she feels lucky. “With women’s basketball across the board being at an all-time high,” Clark said pregame, “how lucky are we that we get to come into this moment with everybody else? You can’t really script it any better. I just feel very fortunate. “The more we can share the love, the better this league is going to be.” Debut lacked luster but Clark has right attitude Richard Morin USA TODAY Fever guard Caitlin Clark scores her first regularseason basket against the Sun in the second quarter Tuesday at Mohegan Sun Arena. DAVID BUTLER II/USA TODAY SPORTS Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist to help the Boston Bruins stave off elimination with a 2-1 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of an NHL Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers still lead the best-ofseven series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Friday in Boston. Morgan Geekie also scored and Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves for the Bruins, who have never overturned a 3-1 series deficit in 25 previous attempts. “We made really good decisions with the puck tonight in the first period, which led to quality scoring chances,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. “Tonight was our best game of the series.” Sam Reinhart scored and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Panthers, who had won three in a row to take command of the series. Geekie gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 4:49 of the first period with his fourth goal of the playoffs. Jake DeBrusk retrieved the puck behind the Florida net and passed it to Geekie driving toward the crease. Bobrovsky came off the goal line to attempt a save, but Geekie pulled the puck to his backhand and slid it into the net. “They started well,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said of the Bruins. “They came out of the gate really hard and got going right away. … We still had a lot of time to play better.” The Panthers were getting outshot 17-8 when Florida coach Paul Maurice gave his team a spirited pep talk during a timeout early in the second period. “I thought they needed some profanity in their life, and I brought some,” Maurice said of his comments during the timeout. Barkov won the ensuing faceoff, and the Panthers kept the puck in the Boston zone before Aaron Ekblad took a shot from the right point that hit Reinhart in the slot. Swayman tried to poke the puck through the middle, but it went back to Reinhart, who banked his shot off the post and into the net to tie it 1-1 at 6:23. McAvoy moved Boston back ahead 2-1 at 10:25 of the second. Boston played its second straight game without team captain Brad Marchand, who was injured late in Game 3 on a hit to the head by the Panthers’ Sam Bennett. Marchand (three goals, seven assists) is tied with DeBrusk (five goals, five assists) for the Bruins’ lead in points during the postseason. Montgomery said postgame that Marchand is day-to-day. Maurice added, “There will be 60 cameras at morning skate to see if Brad Marchand takes a sip of water.” Bruins edge Panthers, head home for Game 6 Field Level Media Goaltender Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark celebrate the Bruins’ win. SAM NAVARRO/USA TODAY SPORTS Calvin Pickard recorded the win in his first NHL playoff start and Evan Bouchard scored the tiebreaking goal with 38.1 seconds remaining in regulation as the host Edmonton Oilers registered a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday to even their Western Conference semifinal series at two victories apiece. Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who recovered after their two-goal edge disappeared in the third period. Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored. Pickard, whose previous playoff time was mop-up duty in Game 3 of this series in place of No. 1 netminder Stuart Skinner, made 19 saves. Only 62 seconds after the Canucks pulled even and appeared to set up overtime, Bouchard fired a long point shot that made it through the crush of players and into the net for his fourth goal of the postseason. Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua scored for the Canucks, who saw their road winning streak snapped at four games. Goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 27 shots. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will be Thursday (10 p.m. EDT, TNT) in Vancouver. That contest will follow a game that was an emotional roller coaster. Draisaitl’s eighth goal of the playoffs, and sixth on the power play, opened the scoring 11:10 into the clash. Draisaitl unloaded a rocket of a onetimer from the bottom of the right circle that Silovs got a piece of but not enough. Draisaitl is the first Oilers player to begin a playoffs on a nine-game point streak since Mark Messier in 1988. The Oilers have scored on the power play in all nine of their playoff games. Nugent-Hopkins doubled the lead with 40 seconds remaining in the second period. Sprung on a two-on-one rush by Mattias Ekholm, Nugent-Hopkins elected to shoot and buried his attempt inside the far post for his second goal of the playoffs. Garland gave the Canucks a muchneeded boost at 6:54 of the third period. Nikita Zadorov’s point shot was blocked, but Garland gained the puck and from the slot found the mark thanks to a slick ricochet off the leg of Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. The Canucks have been a successful comeback squad on a few occasions, and they continued that theme when Brock Boeser fired a shot from the left circle that banked into the net off Joshua. The tally was Joshua’s fourth of the playoffs. Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy served a one-game suspension for cross-checking Edmonton star Connor McDavid at the end of Game 3. Noah Juulson took his place in the lineup. Oilers pull even with Canucks after wild finish to Game 4 Field Level Media The Oilers’ Evan Bouchard celebrates after scoring a goal against the Canucks in Game 4 on Wednesday. PERRY NELSON/USA TODAY SPORTS
6C ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY E2 SPORTS WEATHER ONLINE WEATHER USATODAY.COM TODAY’S FORECAST PRECIPITATION FORECAST TODAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURES U.S. CITIES TOP TRAVEL CITIES WORLD CITIES ATLANTA CHARLOTTE DENVER HOUSTON MIAMI NEW YORK PHOENIX SAN FRANCISCO BALTIMORE CHICAGO DETROIT LAS VEGAS MPLS-ST. PAUL ORLANDO SALT LAKE CITY SEATTLE BOSTON DALLAS/FT. WORTH HONOLULU LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS PHILADELPHIA SAN DIEGO WASHINGTON AQI AQI AQI AQI AQI AQI AQI AQI AQI AQI AQI AQI Air quality index (AQI) c Cloudy f Fog i Ice r Rain sf Snowflurries sn Snow w Windy dr Drizzle h Haze pc Partly cloudy s Sunny sh Showers t Thunderstorms Below 10 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110+ 10s T-storms Rain Snow Ice/mix Thunderstorms capable of producing hail and damaging winds will stretch from southeastern Indiana to Texas today. In central Texas, an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. In addition to the potential for hail and damaging wind gusts, there will be a risk of significant flash flooding in southeastern Texas where heavy rain has fallen recently and more is expected. A couple of thundershowers will move through central New Mexico. Rain will primarily fall during the morning hours from coastal Virginia to Connecticut, but it may linger for much of the day in eastern Massachusetts. An afternoon shower cannot be ruled out in eastern Michigan and northern Ohio, but most of those areas will remain dry. Recordchallenging heat will bake South Florida. Most of the West Coast will be dry. Washington 79 Cheyenne 72 Casper 75 Jackson Hole 68 Milwaukee 70 Madison 72 Charleston 75 Seattle 63 Olympia 63 Spokane 77 Richmond 79 Burlington 74 Montpelier 72 Salt Lake City 80 St. George 91 Dallas/Ft. Worth 74 Brownsville 95 Lubbock 72 MidlandOdessa 78 El Paso 85 Austin 81 San Antonio 82 Houston 81 Nashville 83 Memphis 86 Knoxville 79 Rapid City 78 Pierre 77 Sioux Falls 77 Charleston 86 Columbia 84 Harrisburg 79 Philadelphia 68 Pittsburgh 76 Burns 83 Bend 79 Portland Salem 70 71 Oklahoma City 74 Tulsa 78 Cincinnati 76 Cleveland 68 Columbus 76 Fargo 75 Bismarck 79 Raleigh Charlotte 81 81 Buffalo 72 Albany 71 New York 66 Albuquerque 66 Santa Fe 61 Reno 88 Elko 80 Carson City 85 Las Vegas 97 Omaha 79 North Platte 79 Billings 79 Miles City 77 Helena 79 Kansas City 74 Jefferson City 75 St. Louis 72 Jackson 87 Mpls-St. Paul 73 Duluth 55 Detroit 75 Marquette 54 Lansing 76 Grand Rapids 74 Boston 59 Annapolis 75 Bangor 75 Augusta 74 Baton Rouge 89 Shreveport 87 New Orleans 85 Louisville 79 Topeka 77Wichita 75 Dodge City 78 Des Moines 78 Indianapolis 76 Chicago 74 Springfield 75 Boise 86 Idaho Falls 79 Atlanta 86 Savannah 89 Tallahassee 92 Jacksonville 93 Tampa 90 Miami 96 Hartford 66 Denver 75 Aspen 65 San Francisco 66 Palm Springs 101 Los Angeles 72 Sacramento 83 Fresno 93 Eureka 56 San Diego 67 Little Rock 88 Phoenix 95 Flagstaff 68 Birmingham 87 Montgomery 88 Mobile 89 Honolulu 82 San Juan 92 Anchorage 50 Juneau 58 Fairbanks 62 Puerto Rico Hawaii Alaska Akron, Ohio 74/58c 72/61t Albany, N.Y. 71/55pc 80/55c Albuquerque 66/50t 84/57s Allentown, Pa. 69/56c 73/55c Amarillo, Texas 67/53t 82/56s Anaheim, Calif. 70/59pc 73/56s Anchorage, Alaska 50/40c 50/39c Aspen, Colo. 65/38pc 68/41s Atlantic City, N.J. 63/57r 63/53w Augusta, Ga. 87/60pc 78/65t Austin, Texas 81/66t 86/62c Bakersfield, Calif. 94/64s 91/60s Baton Rouge, La. 89/72t 89/69t Billings, Mont. 79/50pc 65/42t Birmingham, Ala. 87/68s 77/64t Bismarck, N.D. 79/50pc 82/52sh Boise, Idaho 86/52s 69/42s Buffalo, N.Y. 72/58pc 75/60t Burlington, Vt. 74/56pc 77/59c Cedar Rapids, Iowa 75/54t 78/58pc Charleston, S.C. 86/66pc 85/71t Charleston, W.Va. 75/57sh 79/61t Cheyenne, Wyo. 72/48pc 78/44s Beijing 88/58c 94/64s Buenos Aires 61/47pc 59/47s Cancun, Mexico 92/80pc 92/80pc Dubai, UAE 104/86h 104/85h Frankfurt 68/54r 60/53r Hong Kong 85/74s 81/73pc Istanbul 67/55c 71/56pc Jerusalem 77/56s 84/63s Johannesburg 76/53s 77/53s London 66/52sh 70/52pc Mexico City 87/60c 90/60s Montreal 72/56c 73/59t Moscow 66/54c 65/45pc Mumbai, India 97/84t 94/85t Paris 67/50pc 68/52pc Rio de Janeiro 82/73pc 87/76s Rome 77/56s 75/54s Seoul 69/48s 75/53s Singapore 87/80t 90/80t Sydney 69/57c 72/56pc Toronto 69/55pc 70/58pc Tokyo 74/61w 76/64c Cincinnati 76/63pc 71/60t Cleveland 68/58pc 73/62t Colorado Springs 68/44pc 79/51s Columbia, S.C. 84/63pc 82/68t Columbus, Ohio 76/60sh 72/62t Corpus Christi, Texas 90/79t 90/75t Dayton, Ohio 77/62pc 71/60t Daytona Beach, Fla. 92/69s 90/74pc Des Moines, Iowa 78/56t 82/61pc Duluth, Minn. 55/45pc 67/50c Durham, N.C. 80/61pc 81/63t El Paso, Texas 85/63h 91/67pc Fairbanks, Alaska 62/40c 65/39pc Flagstaff, Ariz. 68/40sh 75/43pc Fargo, N.D. 75/56pc 87/58pc Fort Myers, Fla. 92/76t 94/78pc Fort Smith, Ark. 83/63t 78/62t Fort Wayne, Ind. 76/60pc 72/57t Fresno, Calif. 93/61s 92/62s Grand Rapids, Mich. 74/57pc 74/55sh Green Bay, Wis. 68/51c 77/54pc Greensboro, N.C. 79/59c 78/62t Greenville, S.C. 84/60pc 78/63t Harrisburg, Pa. 79/59pc 73/59c Hartford, Conn. 66/54r 79/51c Indianapolis 76/62pc 69/60t Islip, N.Y. 62/55r 72/50c Jackson, Miss. 87/63h 84/64t Jacksonville, Fla. 93/65s 90/71c Jefferson City, Mo. 75/62t 74/59sh Kansas City 74/59t 76/60s Key West, Fla. 90/82s 91/84s Knoxville, Tenn. 79/59pc 73/62t Laredo, Texas 103/77pc 98/77c Lexington, Ky. 77/63sh 76/63t Lincoln, Neb. 79/56c 84/64s Little Rock, Ark. 88/67c 80/64t Long Beach, Calif. 69/61pc 68/57pc Louisville, Ky. 79/66s 74/63t Lubbock, Texas 72/55t 81/59pc Madison, Wis. 72/53c 79/55pc Manchester, N.H. 64/54c 73/51c Memphis, Tenn. 86/67c 77/66t Milwaukee 70/57pc 72/55c Mobile, Ala. 89/71pc 84/72t Modesto, Calif. 90/55s 87/57s Montgomery, Ala. 88/67s 82/69t Myrtle Beach, S.C. 78/67pc 81/71t Nags Head, N.C. 72/60c 67/56c Nashville, Tenn. 83/66pc 72/63t Newark, N.J. 66/60r 72/57c New Haven, Conn. 64/58r 74/53c Norfolk, Va. 75/62r 70/60pc Oakland, Calif. 68/54pc 68/53pc Oklahoma City 74/61t 76/59pc Omaha, Neb. 79/56c 83/63s Palm Springs, Calif. 101/69s 103/68s Pensacola, Fla. 83/74s 81/75t Pierre, S.D. 77/51pc 89/51s Pittsburgh 76/58pc 74/60t Portland, Maine 64/50c 63/48c Portland, Ore. 70/50pc 68/47pc Providence, R.I. 61/52r 72/49c Raleigh, N.C. 81/62c 83/66t Rapid City, S.D. 78/49pc 89/45s Reno, Nev. 88/54s 86/54s Richmond, Va. 79/56pc 76/59pc Rochester, N.Y. 70/55pc 76/58t Sacramento, Calif. 83/52s 86/55s San Antonio 82/66t 91/68c San Jose, Calif. 80/53pc 78/53pc Santa Fe, N.M. 61/43t 80/48s Sarasota, Fla. 87/74t 90/78pc Savannah, Ga. 89/67s 83/72c Scottsdale, Ariz. 92/70s 99/73s Shreveport, La. 87/67t 84/64t Sioux Falls, S.D. 77/57pc 85/61pc South Bend, Ind. 77/59sh 74/58sh Spokane, Wash. 77/45w 64/42w Springfield, Mo. 74/60t 72/59t Springfield, Ill. 75/59t 74/59sh St. Louis 72/64t 73/63t St. Petersburg, Fla. 88/69t 91/76pc Syracuse, N.Y. 76/54pc 79/59c Tallahassee, Fla. 92/67s 87/75t Tampa, Fla. 90/73t 93/79c Toledo, Ohio 76/60pc 76/60t Topeka, Kan. 77/57t 78/60s Tucson, Ariz. 88/62s 97/65s Tupelo, Miss. 87/69pc 79/63t Tulsa, Okla. 78/62t 77/61pc Virginia Beach, Va. 74/60r 66/59pc Wichita, Kan. 75/57t 78/60s Wilmington, Del. 70/60c 70/58c Winston-Salem, N.C. 79/60pc 79/63t Worcester, Mass. 61/52c 72/48c TODAY FRI TODAY FRI TODAY FRI TODAY FRI TODAY FRI AQI THU Partly sunny 86/67 FRI T-storms 76/67 SAT T-storms 81/65 Moderate AQI THU Showers around 81/62 FRI T-storms 79/65 SAT T-storms 76/63 Good AQI THU Warmer 75/52 FRI Sunny, warm 81/53 SAT Breezy 77/55 Moderate AQI THU Rain 81/70 FRI Heavy t-storms 86/68 SAT Very warm 92/70 Moderate THU Stray t-storm 96/77 FRI Hot 96/81 SAT Very hot 97/81 Good THU A little rain 66/57 FRI Warmer 73/56 SAT Showers around 65/54 Moderate THU Mostly sunny 95/73 FRI Sunny, hot 100/75 SAT Sunny, hot 103/74 Moderate THU Clearing 66/54 FRI Turning sunny 68/55 SAT Breezy 66/54 Good AQI THU Warmer 78/57 FRI Mostly cloudy 73/59 SAT T-storms 63/55 Good AQI THU T-showers 74/58 FRI Showers around 75/58 SAT Some sun 77/62 Good AQI THU Partly sunny 75/58 FRI T-storms 74/60 SAT A few showers 77/60 Moderate AQI THU Sunny, hot 97/75 FRI Very hot 99/74 SAT Hot 96/73 Moderate THU An A.M. shower 73/56 FRI Partly sunny 84/62 SAT An A.M. shower 77/55 Moderate THU Partly sunny 93/68 FRI Hot 97/75 SAT A P.M. t-storm 94/73 Moderate THU Sunny 80/62 FRI Mostly sunny 83/51 SAT Partly sunny 81/61 Moderate THU Breezy, cooler 63/46 FRI Partly sunny 64/48 SAT Showers around 57/44 Good AQI THU A little rain 59/53 FRI Mostly cloudy 62/49 SAT Low clouds 58/50 Good AQI THU Rain 74/66 FRI T-shower 80/66 SAT Warmer 92/71 Moderate AQI THU Rain 82/72 FRI Rain, humid 85/74 SAT Humid, showers 83/73 Good AQI THU Clouds to sun 72/57 FRI Turning sunny 70/56 SAT Mostly cloudy 70/56 Moderate THU T-storms 85/75 FRI Heavy t-storms 86/73 SAT T-storms 86/74 Moderate THU Shower 68/57 FRI Mostly cloudy 72/56 SAT Showers around 66/54 Good THU Mostly cloudy 67/61 FRI Clouds to sun 66/60 SAT Mostly cloudy 66/59 Moderate THU Warmer 79/58 FRI Incr. clouds 73/59 SAT T-storms 66/57 Good TODAY FRI TODAY FRIDAY EXTREMES Note: For contiguous 48 states through 3 p.m. ET yesterday HOTTEST: 97° Hollywood, Fla. 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All times ET SOCCER English Premier League GP W D L GF GA Pts Manchester City 37 27 7 3 93 33 88 Arsenal 37 27 5 5 89 28 86 Liverpool 37 23 10 4 84 41 79 Aston Villa 37 20 8 9 76 56 68 Tottenham 37 19 6 12 71 61 63 Chelsea 37 17 9 11 75 62 60 Newcastle 37 17 6 14 81 60 57 Man United 37 17 6 14 55 58 57 West Ham 37 14 10 13 59 71 52 Brighton 37 12 12 13 55 60 48 Bournemouth 37 13 9 15 53 65 48 Crystal Palace 37 12 10 15 52 58 46 Wolverhampton 37 13 7 17 50 63 46 Fulham 37 12 8 17 51 59 44 Everton 37 13 9 15 39 49 40 Brentford 37 10 9 18 54 61 39 Nottingham For. 37 8 9 20 47 66 29 Luton Town 37 6 8 23 50 81 26 Burnley 37 5 9 23 40 76 24 Sheffield United 37 3 7 27 35 101 16 Note: Three points for win, one point for tie. Tuesday’s Game Manchester City 2, Tottenham 0 Wednesday’s Games Brighton 1, Chelsea 2 Manchester United 3, Newcastle 2 Sunday’s Games Arsenal vs. Everton, 11 a.m. Brentford vs. Newcastle, 11 a.m. Brighton vs. Manchester United, 11 a.m. Burnley vs. Nottingham Forest, 11 a.m. Chelsea vs. AFC Bournemouth, 11 a.m. Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa, 11 a.m. Liverpool vs. Wolverhampton, 11 a.m. Luton Town vs. Fulham, 11 a.m. Manchester City vs. West Ham, 11 a.m. Sheffield United vs. Tottenham, 11 a.m. MLS EASTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Inter Miami CF 8 2 3 27 35 20 Cincinnati 7 2 3 24 15 10 NY Red Bulls 5 2 5 20 20 18 Toronto FC 6 5 1 19 16 17 NY City FC 5 5 2 17 14 14 Charlotte FC 5 5 2 17 13 13 D.C. United 4 3 5 17 19 19 Columbus 3 2 6 15 13 11 Philadelphia 3 3 5 14 21 19 Atlanta 3 5 3 12 16 14 Orlando City 3 5 3 12 14 20 CF Montreal 3 5 3 12 15 23 Nashville 2 4 5 11 14 19 Chicago 2 6 4 10 12 22 New England 2 8 1 7 9 22 WESTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Real Salt Lake 6 2 4 22 20 11 Minnesota 6 2 2 20 17 11 LA Galaxy 5 2 5 20 23 19 Vancouver 5 3 3 18 18 13 Los Angeles FC 5 4 3 18 22 19 Colorado 5 4 3 18 20 18 Houston 5 4 2 17 11 11 Austin FC 4 4 4 16 15 15 Saint Louis 3 1 7 16 18 15 Seattle 3 5 4 13 15 14 FC Dallas 3 6 2 11 12 16 Sporting KC 2 5 5 11 19 21 San Jose 3 8 1 10 20 28 Portland 2 6 4 10 21 25 Note: Three points for win, one point for tie. Wednesday’s Games CF Montreal vs. Columbus DC United vs. NY Red Bulls FC Cincinnati vs. Atlanta Orlando vs. Inter Miami Philadelphia vs. New York City FC Austin vs. Houston Chicago vs. Charlotte Minnesota vs. LA Galaxy Nashville vs. Toronto St. Louis vs. LAFC Colorado vs. Vancouver Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Portland vs. San Jose Saturday’s Games Nashville vs. Atlanta, 1:45 p.m. Charlotte vs. LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. FC Cincinnati vs. St. Louis, 7:30 p.m. Inter Miami vs. DC United, 7:30 p.m. New England vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. New York City FC vs. NY Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. Toronto FC vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Austin FC vs. Sporting KC, 8:30 p.m. Chicago vs. Columbus, 8:30 p.m. Houston vs. FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Minnesota vs Portland, 8:30 p.m. Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado, 9:30 p.m. San Jose vs. Orlando, 10:30 p.m. Seattle vs. Vancouver, 10:30 p.m. Champions League FINAL Saturday, June 1 Wembley Stadium, London Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid, 3 p.m. Europa League FINAL Aviva Stadium, Dublin Wednesday, May 22 Atalanta vs. Leverkusen, 3 p.m. NWSL Friday’s Games Houston vs. Portland, 8 p.m. North Carolina vs. Utah, 8 p.m. Bay FC vs. San Diego, 10:30 p.m. Saturday’s Games Washington vs. Angel City FC, 7:30 p.m. Kansas City vs. Racing Louisville, 9:30 p.m. Sunday’s Games NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Chicago, 5 p.m. Seattle vs. Orlando, 6 p.m. WNBA EASTERN CONFERENCE W L Pct GB N.Y. Liberty 1 0 1.000 — Connecticut 1 0 1.000 — Chicago 0 0 — 1 ⁄2 Atlanta 0 0 — 1 ⁄2 Washington 0 1 .000 1 Indiana 0 1 .000 1 WESTERN CONFERENCE W L Pct GB Las Vegas 1 0 1.000 — Minnesota 1 0 1.000 — L.A. Sparks 0 0 — 1 ⁄2 Dallas 0 0 — 1 ⁄2 Seattle 0 1 .000 1 Phoenix 0 1 .000 1 Tuesday’s Games N.Y. Liberty 85, Washington 80 Connecticut 92, Indiana 71 Las Vegas 89, Phoenix 80 Minnesota 83, Seattle 70 Wednesday’s Games Chicago at Dallas Atlanta vs L.A. Sparks Thursday’s Game N.Y. Liberty at Indiana, 7 p.m. Friday’s Games Washington at Connecticut, 7:30 p.m. Seattle at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. Saturday’s Games Indiana at N.Y. Liberty, 1 p.m. L.A. Sparks at Las Vegas, 3 p.m. Chicago at Dallas, 8 p.m. Atlanta at Phoenix, 10 p.m. Sunday’s Game Seattle at Washington, 3 p.m. NBA Playoffs SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x- if necessary) EASTERN CONFERENCE New York Knicks 3, Indiana Pacers 2 Game 1: Knicks 121, Pacers 117 Game 2: Knicks 130, Pacers 121 Game 3: Pacers 111, Knicks 106 Game 4: Pacers 121, Knicks 89 Game 5: Knicks 121, Pacers 91 Friday: Knicks vs. Pacers, TBD, ESPN x-Sunday, May 19: Pacers vs. Knicks, 3:30, ABC Boston Celtics 3, Cleveland Cavaliers 1 Game 1: Celtics 120, Cavaliers 95 Game 2: Cavaliers 118, Celtics 94 Game 3: Celtics 106, Cavaliers 93 Game 4: Celtics 109, Cavaliers 102 Wednesday: Cavaliers vs. Celtics x-Friday: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, 8:30, ESPN x-Sunday, May 19: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, TBD WESTERN CONFERENCE Denver Nuggets 3, Minnesota Timberwolves 2 Game 1: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 99 Game 2: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 80 Game 3: Nuggets 117, Timberwolves 90 Game 4: Nuggets 115, Timberwolves 107 Game 5: Nuggets 112, Timberwolves 97 Thursday: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m., ESPN x-Sun, May 19: Thunder vs. Nuggets, TBD, TNT Dallas Mavericks 2, Oklahoma City Thunder 2 Game 1: Thunder 117, Mavericks 95 Game 2: Mavericks 119, Thunder 110 Game 3: Mavericks 105, Thunder 101 Game 4: Thunder 100, Mavericks 96 Wednesday: Mavericks vs. Thunder Sat: Thunder vs. Mavericks, 8:30, ESPN x-Monday, May 20: Mavericks vs. Thunder, 8:30, TNT NHL Playoffs SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x- if necessary) EASTERN CONFERENCE New York Rangers 3, Carolina Hurricanes 2 Game 1: Rangers 4, Hurricanes 3 Game 2: Rangers 4, Hurricanes 3 (2OT) Game 3: Rangers 3, Hurricanes 2 (OT) Game 4: Hurricanes 4, Rangers 3 Game 5: Hurricanes 4, Rangers 1 Thurs: Rangers vs. Hurricanes, 7 p.m., TNT x-Saturday: Hurricanes vs. Rangers, TBD Florida Panthers 3, Boston Bruins 2 Game 1: Bruins 5, Panthers 1 Game 2: Panthers 6, Bruins 1 Game 3: Panthers 6, Bruins 2 Game 4: Panthers 3, Bruins 2 Game 5: Bruins 2, Panthers 1 Friday: Panthers vs. Bruins, TBD x-Sunday: Bruins vs. Panthers, TBD WESTERN CONFERENCE Dallas Stars 3, Colorado Avalanche 1 Game 1: Avalanche 4, Stars 3 (OT) Game 2: Stars 5, Avalanche 3 Game 3: Stars 4, Avalanche 1 Game 4: Stars 5, Avalanche 1 Wednesday: Avalanche vs. Stars x-Friday: Stars vs. Avalanche, TBD x-Sunday: Avalanche vs. Stars, TBD Vancouver Canucks 2, Edmonton Oilers 2 Game 1: Canucks 5, Oilers 4 Game 2: Oilers 4, Canucks 3 (OT) Game 3: Canucks 4, Oilers 3 Game 4: Oilers 3, Canucks 2 Thursday: Oilers vs. Canucks, 10 p.m., TNT Saturday: Canucks vs. Oilers, TBD x-Monday, May 20: Oilers vs. Canucks, TBD MLB AMERICAN LEAGUE East Division W L Pct GB Baltimore 27 14 .659 — N.Y. Yankees 28 15 .651 — Boston 22 20 .524 5½ Tampa Bay 21 22 .488 7 Toronto 19 23 .452 8½ Central DivisionW L Pct GB Cleveland 27 16 .628 — Kansas City 26 18 .591 1½ Minnesota 24 17 .585 2 Detroit 21 22 .488 6 Chicago 14 30 .318 13½ West Division W L Pct GB Seattle 23 20 .535 — Texas 22 22 .500 1½ Oakland 19 25 .432 4½ Houston 17 25 .405 5½ L.A. Angels 15 28 .349 8 NATIONAL LEAGUE East Division W L Pct GB Philadelphia 30 13 .698 — Atlanta 26 13 .667 2 Washington 20 22 .476 9½ N.Y. Mets 19 22 .463 10 Miami 13 32 .289 18 Central DivisionW L Pct GB Milwaukee 26 17 .605 — Chicago 24 19 .558 2 Pittsburgh 19 25 .432 7½ Cincinnati 18 24 .429 7½ St. Louis 18 24 .429 7½ West Division W L Pct GB L.A. Dodgers 29 15 .659 — San Diego 22 23 .489 7½ Arizona 20 23 .465 8½ San Francisco 19 25 .432 10 Colorado 14 28 .333 14 Tuesday’s Games Philadelphia 4, N.Y. Mets 0 Washington 6, Chicago 3 Toronto at Baltimore, ppd. Miami 1, Detroit 0 Boston 5, Tampa Bay 4 Atlanta 7, Chicago 0 Milwaukee 4, Pittsburgh 3 N.Y. Yankees 5, Minnesota 1 Cleveland 7, Texas 4 Houston 2, Oakland 1 Chicago 4, Washington 0 St. Louis 7, L.A. Angels 6 Cincinnati 6, Arizona 2 Kansas City 4, Seattle 2 Colorado 6, San Diego 3 L.A. Dodgers 10, San Francisco 2 Wednesday’s Games Baltimore 3, Toronto 2 Miami 2, Detroit 0 Milwaukee 10, Pittsburgh 2 Chicago White Sox 2, Washington 0 Cincinnati at Arizona Kansas City at Seattle Colorado at San Diego N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia Tampa Bay at Boston Chicago Cubs at Atlanta N.Y. Yankees at Minnesota Cleveland at Texas Oakland at Houston St. Louis at L.A. Angels L.A. Dodgers at San Francisco Thursday’s Games N.Y. Yankees at Minnesota, 1:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia, 6:40 p.m. Tampa Bay at Boston, 7:10 p.m. Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs, 7:40 p.m. Oakland at Houston, 8:10 p.m. Cincinnati at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. Friday’s Games Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m. Washington at Philadelphia, 6:40 p.m. Seattle at Baltimore, 7:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox at N.Y. Yankees, 7:05 p.m. Tampa Bay at Toronto, 7:07 p.m. Minnesota at Cleveland, 7:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets at Miami, 7:10 p.m. San Diego at Atlanta, 7:20 p.m. Oakland at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m. L.A. Angels at Texas, 8:05 p.m. Milwaukee at Houston, 8:10 p.m. Boston at St. Louis, 8:15 p.m. Detroit at Arizona, 9:40 p.m. Cincinnati at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. Colorado at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m. DEALS BASEBALL Major League Baseball CHICAGO WHITE SOX — CF Dominic Fletcher called up from minors. CF Rafael Ortega designated for assignment. LF Corey Julks sent to minors. LF Corey Julks traded for RHP Luis Rodriguez. CINCINNATI REDS — P Nick Lodolo placed on 15-Day IL-Left groin strain. P Sam Moll called up from minors. HOUSTON ASTROS — LF Corey Julks traded to Chicago White Sox for RHP Luis Rodriguez. MILWAUKEE BREWERS — 3B Oliver Dunn sent to minors. Chris Roller called up from minors. NEW YORK METS — 3B Mark Vientos called up from minors. P Grant Hartwig called up from minors. Joey Lucchesi called up from minors. 2B Joey Wendle designated for assignment. P Yohan Ramirez designated for assignment. P Jose Butto sent to minors. PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Carmen Mlodzinski called up from minors. P Quinn Priester sent to minors. FOOTBALL National Football League SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — G Jarrett Kingston signed/draft choice-Four-year contract (through 2027). HOCKEY National Hockey League MINNESOTA WILD — LW Vladislav Firstov released. VANCOUVER CANUCKS — D Carson Soucy suspension over. AUTO RACING NASCAR Cup Series Schedule and Winners Feb. 19 — Daytona 500 (William Byron) Feb. 25 — Ambetter Health 400 (Daniel Suárez) March 3 — Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube (Kyle Larson) March 10 — Shriners Children’s 500 (Christopher Bell) March 17 — Food City 500 (Denny Hamlin) March 24 — EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (William Byron) March 31 — Toyota Owners 400 (Denny Hamlin) April 7 — Cook Out 400 (William Byron) April 14 — Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Chase Elliott) April 21 — GEICO 500 (Tyler Reddick) April 28 — Würth 400 (Denny Hamlin) May 5 — AdventHealth 400 (Kyle Larson) May 12 — Goodyear 400 (Brad Keselowski) May 26 — Coca-Cola 600, Concord, NC June 2 — Enjoy Illinois 300, Madison June 9 — Toyota Save Mart 350, Sonoma, Calif. June 16 — Iowa Corn 350, Powered by Ethanol, Newton June 23 — Race at New Hampshire, New Hampshire June 30 — Ally 400, Nashville July 7 — Grant Park 165, Chicago July 14 — NASCAR Cup Series Race at Pocono, Pocono July 21 — Brickyard 400, Speedway, Ind. Aug. 11 — Cook Out 400, Richmond, Va. Aug. 18 — FireKeepers Casino 400, Brooklyn Aug. 24 — Coke Zero Sugar 400, Daytona Beach, Fla. Sept. 1 — Cook Out Southern 500, Darlington, SC Sept. 8 — Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart, Hampton, Ga. Sept. 15 — Go Bowling at The Glen, Watkins Glen International, NY Sept. 21 — Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Bristol, Tenn. Sept. 29 — Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas City, Kan. Oct. 6 — YellaWood 500, Talladega, Ala. Oct. 13 — Bank of America ROVAL 400, Concord, NC Oct. 20 — South Point 400, Las Vegas, Nev. Oct. 27 — Race at Homestead-Miami, Homestead, Fla. Nov. 3 — XFINITY 500, Martinsville, Va. Nov. 10 — NASCAR Cup Series Championship, Avondale, Ariz. NASCAR Cup Series Winning Leaders Denny Hamlin, 3, 447. William Byron, 3, 400. Kyle Larson, 2, 486. Chase Elliott, 1, 437. Tyler Reddick, 1, 396. Brad Keselowski, 1, 344. Christopher Bell, 1, 320. FOR THE RECORD MIZUHO AMERICAS OPEN Course: Liberty National Golf Club (Par 72, 6,675 yards) in Jersey City, New Jersey Purse: $3 million. Winner: $450,000. Defending champion: Zhang (pro); Yana Wilson (AJGA) Race to the CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda TV/Streaming: Thursday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT (Golf Channel, Peacock) The 144-player field includes 120 professionals competing in a stroke-play event along with 24 AJGA players competing in a Modified Stableford format. The top 50 professionals after 36 holes will make the cut along with all 24 juniors. The professionals and juniors will be paired separately for the first two rounds, with two professionals paired with one junior based upon score for the final round. … Rose Zhang earned her first professional victory in a playoff over Jennifer Kupcho last year. … Lydia Ko needs one victory to qualify for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. – Field Level Media WEEKEND LPGA The weather changes. Stay up-to-date, 24/7. Download our free app
SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ 7C The NFL’s 2024 schedule was finally released in its totality Wednesday night. It’s an amazingly and intricately designed compromise, one that literally requires multiple millions of hours of super-computing (and some human) input, aimed at satisfying as many parties with disparate priorities as possible – owners, networks, fans, et al. – despite the fact that every team’s 2024 opponents were locked in at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season. And the variables for an ever-evolving process only continue to increase – from an expanding list of broadcast partners to more international obligations, to added emphasis on holiday windows like Christmas (even mid-week, like this year) and Black Friday … and, in all likelihood, the eventual addition of an 18th regular-season game. There’s little question the schedule will continue to transform as a league that was once essentially contained to four months of relevance at the start of the Super Bowl era in 1966 continues to creep toward something closer to yearlong prominence given the ever-growing spotlight on the annual scouting combine, free agency, draft – even the reveal of the schedule itself – continues to brighten while keeping interest in the NFL dialed high even when the actual games are months away. But it’s those games that remain the league’s most precious inventory, their relative scarcity and ability to impact a given club’s fortunes making them far more valuable than those in sports that can have nearly 100 contests or more per team, including playoffs that typically aren’t of the one-and-done variety. Including postseason, the 2023 NFL schedule had 285 games total – roughly the same amount played over a threeweek stretch for Major League Baseball or six weeks in the NBA or NHL. The question for the NFL moving forward will be finding ways to maximize that commodity without compromising its most valuable asset – the players, whose health and financial interests will need to be served and carefully considered given their bodies can only handle so much extra load. So here’s a pitch for a reimagined NFL season, one that adds more stakes, more equally distributed game commitments, yet also more rest while lengthening the season’s calendar by only a week – that objective one the NFL has in its crosshairs anyway. My seven-step plan: 1. Shorten preseason Let’s start this alternate framework by – gasp – giving time and additional rest back to players. Extraneous as the Hall of Fame Game, which kicks off the preseason, has become – let’s cancel it and keep Canton’s focus on the HOF inductees and off a venue that’s struggled (weather, field conditions) to even support a largely ceremonial contest in recent years. Let’s also cut each team’s preseason schedule from three games to two – one home, one away – an outcome even league Commissioner Roger Goodell advocates for given the generally substandard quality of exhibition football. Let’s also mandate that August is when players report to training camp (instead of July), essentially giving them two weeks to prepare for the first preseason game – plenty sufficient given the way most train year-round, and with a proof of concept already provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2. Add an in-season ‘NFL Cup’ Is it kinda cheesy and maybe a touch too soccer-y? Yeah, probably. But it also seems to be where things are headed – see: professional basketball and even NASCAR – so let’s do it better. (And one note here: In this model, the regular season will remain at 17 games per team, not the 18 Goodell suggested might make sense during an NFL draft interview on “The Pat McAfee Show.”) While an “NFL Cup” scheduling mechanism could start in Week 1, let’s push it to Week 2 and allow openers the flexibility of a strong Thursday night matchup for the defending champions as well as the wherewithal to stage unique contests like this year’s Friday meeting between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers … in Brazil. But from Weeks 2 through 8, teams will enter into a round robin that includes one game against each of their divisional foes and all four against their scheduled intraconference division. (To illustrate the example here, let’s follow the Eagles, who would play a round of NFC East games and all four of their NFC South dates.) Entering Week 9, the flexible scheduling architecture the league increasingly uses would be implemented. Let’s say Philadelphia wins its pod (the best record through eight weeks among NFC East and South teams with standard tiebreakers applied as needed), then the Eagles would take on the winner of the NFC North/West pod with a corresponding matchup occurring in the AFC. Though it could be scheduled around from the beginning, if Philadelphia had to face Green Bay again in Week 9, then those teams’ other one-off intraconference matchups of the season – the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, respectively – would play each other in Week 9 instead. If the Eagles faced any NFC team but Green Bay, then the Rams would face either that club’s corresponding one-off NFC East or South opponent. (Elsewhere in the league, teams would be playing one of their slotted intraconference one-off games, e.g. the Kansas City Chiefs would face either the Houston Texans or Buffalo Bills as part of their first-place schedule.) Finally in Week 10, and let’s say the Eagles prevail again, they’d face the AFC winner – how about the New York Jets? – for the NFL Cup. The game could be hyped as much or as little as the league fancies – play it in London, put the other 30 teams on bye, some combination thereof, or just make it the Week 10 Sunday night matchup while the other teams all play their interconference oneoffs (the Eagles’ and Jets’ originally scheduled opponents, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings, respectively, would be reassigned to each other, for example). As for the winner of the first-half tourney? Make it worthwhile for the NFL Cup “champion,” which would essentially be the top club at the season’s midpoint. Guarantee a playoff spot no matter how the rest of the squad’s campaign unfolds. Heck, guarantee at least a No. 4 seed – meaning a home postseason game – even if that means the weakest division champion winds up as the fifth-seeded opponent and has to travel. 3. Add a second bye week for every team If you’re going to ultimately ask more of players, then take care of them. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow recently said, “two byes are pretty critical” given Goodell’s latest signal to an 18-game regular season. Burrow even suggested something akin to an NBA All-Star break for the entire league in addition to the normally distributed byes. In this arrangement, we’d recommend a lightly scheduled Week 10 amid the NFL Cup final – maybe keep the prime-time windows – as the way to go while assuring every team gets a bye in Week 10 or 11, which would also provide the league flexibility to make schedule adjustments necessitated by the NFL Cup. 4. Stage NFL games to broader audiences I’d emphasize the NFL Cup as the priority at the expense of other considerations – especially if it’s viable to play such a, ahem, marquee event in a venue like Wembley Stadium, which probably won’t ever host a Super Bowl, at least not in the near term ... while recognizing that creates an issue for teams making an unscheduled trans-Atlantic trip. (But what place better than Great Britain to fete an in-season trophy that conveys something less than the primary championship?) But a 17-game regular season does offer an opportunity to have every team play at a neutral site, whether it’s in Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America … or even St. Louis, San Antonio, Portland or other underserved American markets. To the extent it can be executed, that would also mean an equitable eight home and away games for every team at a time when most are getting one more or fewer home game amid the present setup. This also seems to – largely – align with another of the NFL’s long-term objectives. “I see us playing at least sixteen games in the international market, but that might be 10 years out,” Goodell told McAfee. “I think maybe a franchise at some point, but that’s beyond 10 years.” 5. Expand the playoffs Following the NFL Cup, the regular season would continue for nine more weeks – each team getting its second bye over that stretch, which would include the customary build toward postseason qualification and slotting. However, the field would expand from its current 14 teams to 16, eight division winners and eight wild cards – which would eliminate first-round byes. Still, each team would have had two idle weeks over the final two months, while those that manage to lock up No. 1 seeds – or berths generally – would have the option to rest key players in Week 19, now the regular-season finale. 6. Institute a ‘Draft Bowl’ Here’s where the league, which lacks an interesting dynamic like European soccer’s relegation model, can add game inventory with a twist … even if it disrupts precious competitive balance to some degree. While the standard postseason is seeded, the 16 non-playoff qualifiers would continue playing for draft position in a concurrent “Draft Bowl” tournament. No more getting rewarded with the No. 1 pick for being a terrible squad with your odds further bolstered in the tiebreaker department if you faced worse teams in, for example, a 3-14 campaign than another 3-14 squad. Yet let’s continue to eschew a lottery system as a means to discourage tanking – not that losing on purpose really helps you in the NFL anyway. Still, we will provide assists to the league’s dregs. The Draft Bowl, which would ignore conference affiliations – and it could be largely slotted in January’s relatively less valuable early Saturday and Sunday broadcast slots – would be seeded in reverse, the worst team getting homefield advantage in its bid to secure the No. 1 pick yet forced to face the best (No. 16 seed) of the non-postseason clubs in the first round of what would be a pure bracket. The teams losing their Draft Bowl openers would then select in the ninth through 16th spots of Round 1, the team with the worst record at No. 9 and so forth. The eight teams that win in Week 20 assure themselves a top-eight pick as the Draft Bowl progresses with winners continuing to advance closer to the top spot. (One note: Applying the results only to the first round of the draft was a consideration, but then teams that had already traded their upcoming Round 1 pick would have zero incentive to win.) The Draft Bowl itself, with the No. 1 pick at stake, could be played in the city set to host the upcoming draft – Green Bay next year – and that might invite the pros and cons of adverse weather. It would be played on the Sunday between the conference championship games and Super Bowl, effectively replacing … whatever the Pro Bowl has devolved into. This approach not only adds games to the schedule, it incentivizes nonpostseason teams and players to remain engaged while also giving their fans a different sense of anticipation and hope even while knowing the Lombardi Trophy is out of reach. 7. Hold Super Bowl on Presidents’ Day weekend Goodell acknowledged his desire to eventually park the NFL’s showcase event on February’s holiday weekend – officially giving football fans what they want (and often take on the company dime) anyway, 24 hours to recover from Super Sunday. The combine and/or free agency could all be delayed by one week without impacting the draft’s traditional home on April’s final weekend. Takeaways To summarize the benefits here: h Fewer preseason games, a win for players. h An in-season tournament that’s actually consequential and merely requires a bit more of the flexible scheduling that’s been steadily creeping into the calendar anyway as the league seeks ways to add exclusive broadcast windows – thus maximizing a limited amount of games, a win for the NFL and fans. h A regular season lengthened from 18 weeks to 19 without adding games, a win for players. h A postseason window that presently provides 13 games expanding to 30 while ensuring all 32 teams have something at stake entering Week 20. That’s a 6% increase of meaningful games that fairly distributes the load to the entire league, a win for everyone ... the worst teams notwithstanding. h A holistic football package that begins after Labor Day and ends on Presidents’ Day – win, win, win. At a time when the popularity of the NFL only continues growing, seems like a fairly proportionate path to optimize a given season while simultaneously maintaining focus on player safety, revenue growth and fan engagement. REIMAGINED NFL SCHEDULE 7 ways league could optimize lineup of games Nate Davis USA TODAY Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson is tackled by Eagles cornerback James Bradberry on Oct. 15 at MetLife Stadium. VINCENT CARCHIETTA/USA TODAY SPORTS
8C ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS There’s a new top dog in New York. “Sage,” the Miniature Poodle, won the Best in Show honor at the 148th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday, beating over 2,500 dogs of more than 200 breeds for the ultimate prize. Sage, a 3-year-old from Houston, was handled by Kaz Hosaka in the last show of his career. Sage is the first poodle to win Best in Show since 2020. The winner was selected by Best in Show judge Rosalind Kramer of High Point, North Carolina. “Mercedes,” the German Shepherd, a 4-year-old from Bethesda, Maryland, was named the Reserve Best in Show, the runner up to the greatest dog in America. Terrier Group “The terrier group is like the Kansas City Chiefs,” a Fox Sports broadcaster said, likening the group of dogs to the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Why? Because the Terrier group has produced 47 Best in Show winners, the most out of the seven groups. “Frankie,” the Colored Bull Terrier, was named the best in the terrier group Tuesday night. A terrier last won the top honor in 2019 with a Wire Fox Terrier. Working Group “Monty,” the Giant Schnauzer, is back on top of the Working Group. For the second year in a row, Monty was named the best in his group Tuesday night. But a Giant Schnauzer has never won Best in Show. The Working Group has won Best In Show 15 times before, most recently in 2004 with a Newfoundland. Sporting Group “Micah,” the Black Cocker Spaniel, was named the winner of the Sporting Group on Tuesday night. Autumn “Sonnet” the German Shorthaired Pinter finished in second place, followed by “Accelerate” the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and “Cutter” the Labrador retriever. A Black Cocker Spaniel has won Best in Show two times in Westminster history when “My Own Brucie” won the honor back-to-back in 1940 and 1941. Toy Group A 3 1 ⁄2-year-old male Shih Tzu from Monclova, Ohio, named “Comet” topped the 24 other dogs entered in the Toy Group on Monday night. Shih Tzus were first recognized in 1969 and were bred in China, crossing ancient Chinese and Tibetan breeds. Shih Tzus in the show ring are known for having long, flowing coats, and Comet was no exception with his gold, white and silver coat. Hound Group A 6-year-old Afghan Hound named “Louis,” hailing from Roseville, California, won the Hound Group on Monday night, topping 34 other dogs in the process. One of the oldest dog breeds on record, going back to about 4,000 B.C., Afghan Hounds were first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1926. Afghan Hounds are known for their long, flowing coat, but they served as hunting dogs in harsh, mountainous climates. Louis wowed judges and fans with a silky, black coat, with a white tuft on his chest. Herding Group Continuing a recent run of success for German Shepherds in Westminster – with wins in the Herding Group in 2016, 2017, 2022 and now 2024 – “Mercedes” advanced Monday night. A 4-year-old female from Bethesda, Maryland, Mercedes beat out 32 other breeds in the group. German Shepherds are one of the most popular dogs in the U.S., ranking fourth in popularity in 2023, according to the American Kennel Club, which first recognized the breed in 1908. They were originally bred as sheep herding dogs in Germany. Mercedes is the cousin of “Rumor,” the German Shepherd that won Best in Show in 2017, also handled by Kent Boyle. Non-Sporting Group “Sage,” a 3-year-old miniature poodle from Houston, prevailed over the 20 other dogs in the Non-Sporting Group on Monday night. Another well-known breed, ranking seventh in popularity according to the American Kennel Club, the miniature poodle was first recognized by the AKC in 1887. Sage is all black and sported a coiffed haircut complete with sculpted bracelets on her wrists. Poodles come in three sizes (standard, miniature or toy) and are the national dog of France. Westminster Dog Show agility If there was ever a name that fit a dog, it was “Nimble.” The all-American dog became the first mixed-breed dog to win the agility championship the Annual Masters Agility Championship in Westminster. Nimble completed the obstacle course in 28.76 seconds, which was the third-fastest time in the 11-year history of the event and only the fifth time that a dog has completed the course in fewer than 30 seconds. The obstacle course includes various ramps, agility poles and jumps that each contestant must work through, with the fastest time winning. Cynthia Hornor of Ellicott City, Maryland, is the owner of Nimble. And while it was Nimble’s first agility championship, this marked the second consecutive agility title for Hornor, whose border collie Truant won in 2023 with a time of 28.68 seconds. WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW Sage the Miniature Poodle wins Best in Show Cydney Henderson and Lorenzo Reyes USA TODAY Sage, a Miniature Poodle from Houston, wins the Best in Show honor during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. LUCAS BOLAND/USA TODAY SPORTS The point is not saying everything, but everything that matters.
K1K1 In USA TODAY’s The Essentials, the Giffords describe the importance of family. Page 2D Kathie Lee, daughter Cassidy are mad for Mother’s Day We track the growing and going pains as the CBS sitcom comes to an end. Page 4D Things get emotional behind the scenes at ‘Young Sheldon’ USA TODAY | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | SECTION D LIFE LIFELINE HOROSCOPE | SANCTUARY More: www.sanctuaryworld.co Aries (March 21-April 19). Unsure of how to proceed? Impulsive decisions risk derailing a solid plan. Taurus (April 20-May 20). To reveal your feelings or keep them hidden? Self-expression is a challenge. Gemini (May 21-June 21). Using your energy unwisely? You’re torn between leading the charge and staying in bed. Cancer (June 22-July 22). Misreading the room? The moon’s clash with Mars stirs up trouble on the job. Avoid unfair accusations. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22). What are you really mad about? Your anger is directed at the wrong target. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Wrestling with impatience? As the moon and Mars clash, keeping your cool is a struggle. Libra (Sept.23-Oct. 23). To address or avoid the problem? Resolving a relationship dispute requires consistency. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Flying solo or with the team? You want the perks of both, without the drawbacks! Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You wear your heart on your sleeve as the moon and Mars clash. That could be bad for business. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Steamrolling another’s feelings? As the moon and Mars clash, you’re quick with insults and lousy with apologies. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Picking fights? Insecurities provoke verbal mud-slinging. Don’t drag someone’s good name! Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20). Making a selfish decision? As the moon and Mars clash, achieving personal desires trumps the incentive to compromise. Smell the flowers, drink the lemonade and break out the empire waistlines because Netflix’s “Bridgerton” is finally back. It has been two long years since we last visited Regency Britain with its tales of love, gossip and the “marriage mart” (fans got a spinoff, “Queen Charlotte,” last year to tide them over). Season 3 follows the slightly star-crossed love affair between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). And just like the other “Bridgerton” seasons and love stories, all the star-crossed parts come from idiocy, self-inflicted and otherwise. Was it worth the wait for the romance to return? Probably, if you’re more than a casual fan. But three seasons in, it’s clear that “Bridgerton” will never recreate the magic of its first, which had all the right amounts of love, sex, intrigue, duels, honor and shirtless men to create a phenomenon when it premiered in December 2020. Season 2 was fine, and Season 3 (now streaming, eeeE) is better. It’s funnier, the sex is more frequent (if not hotter), and it makes Coughlan a bona fide star. The new episodes (four now streaming, four more due June 13) are beautiful, smart and charming. If the series is not transcendent, that’s OK. “Bridgerton” suffers by comparison to itself, but it’s not the end of the world. Or of the “season,” as Lady Whistledown would say. Our third bout with the “ton,” as the aristocracy calls itself, sees a new couple taking the spotlight. Technically it’s Colin Bridgerton’s year since he is the member of the titular family falling in love. But the season belongs to Coughlan’s Penelope, the youngest and most overlooked Featherington sister. Penelope has used her wallflower status at every ball and promenade to create a business writing a successful gossip rag under the pseudonym Lady Whistledown (narrated by Julie Andrews), passing judgment on her subjects and angering and intriguing the Queen (Golda Rosheuvel). But it’s getting harder to stay anonymous; Penelope’s best friend Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) ended their friendship in Season 2 when she found out about Penelope’s side hustle. In Season 3, Penelope turns her attention to her own marriage prospects for the first time, giving up the longstanding crush she’s had on Colin and trying desperately to get out of her mother’s house. But it turns out Penelope wasn’t just overlooked because of the garish dresses her mother made her wear. She’s also awkward and nervous at parties, prone to turn off potential suitors rather than entice them. It’s here Colin swoops in to save the day, offering her “Pygmalion”-style lessons in a charm offensive. He does so because he’s desperate to maintain their friendship after he once turned her off by insulting her. But will he discover he wants to be more than friends? And what will he do if he finds out she’s Whistledown? STREAMING PREVIEW Penelope makes the most of ‘Bridgerton’ Kelly Lawler Columnist USA TODAY Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope is the center of “Bridgerton” Season 3. PROVIDED BY LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX See BRIDGERTON, Page 2D Filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson was eager to cast British actress Marisa Abela as ill-fated singer Amy Winehouse in her biopic “Back to Black” (in theaters Friday). Then she got some shocking news. h Abela didn’t sing. h “She said to me, ‘By the way, how much singing is there in this movie?’ ” Taylor-Johnson recalls with a laugh. “I said, ‘Well, quite a lot.’ ” But the director (“Nowhere Boy”) figured if Abela, 27, could “focus on embodying Amy on a soul level,” then lip-syncing to Winehouse’s famously unique voice would take care of the rest. In the end, that wasn’t necessary. Thanks to incessant work with a vocal coach, Abela wound up mimicking Winehouse so well that even diehard fans will be hard-pressed to tell the two apart. “I had no sense of my own voice, so I could become a chameleon,” says Abela. “Amy had one of the most distinctive voices ever, so I had to listen hard to her influences and patterns in order to get close.” Abela did the work. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art graduate − who played Yasmin in HBO’s “Industry” and Teen Talk Barbie in “Barbie” − listened to Winehouse’s hits as a preteen, but dove in when she landed this role, moving to Camden, Winehouse’s home turf, and frequenting her old nightlife haunts. She even lost weight, carefully, to play drug-addled Amy. “I was a big Amy fan, but I was young,” she says. “ ‘Valerie’ was my song in childhood. But as an adult woman, I can truly understand what is behind songs like ‘Wake Up Alone.’ MOVIES Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Back to Black.” Abela didn't consider herself a singer before tackling the role of the music icon. PROVIDED BY FOCUS FEATURES Winehouse roars back to life in ‘Back to Black’ biopic Marco della Cava USA TODAY Marisa Abela plays Winehouse in the biopic that explores the singer's meteoric rise and untimely death at 27. Some of her original band members also were cast in the film. PROVIDED BY OLLI UPTON/FOCUS FEATURES See BACK TO BLACK, Page 2D The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is plotting a comeback. The retailer announced Wednesday its annual fashion show, which hasn’t been held since 2018, will officially return later this fall. A Victoria’s Secret spokesperson said the 2024 event “will deliver precisely what our customers have been asking for – the glamour, runway, fashion, fun, wings, entertainment – all through a powerful, modern lens reflecting who we are today.” DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES MAKING WAVES VICTORIA’S SECRET SHOW Danny Trejo is 80. Pierce Brosnan is 71. Megan Fox is 38. IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY WHO’S CELEBRATING TODAY
2D ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY LIFE Tips for priceless Mother’s Day gifts “I feel like it would depend on who’s giving (the gift),” Cassidy says when asked about a best gift. “Because if it’s your husband, I feel like I would be like, ‘Just let momma sleep in.’ Bring her some coffee.” While Cassidy’s latest acting gig is viewable via Amazon, an app doesn’t come to mind when she thinks of ideal Mother’s Day gifts. “I don’t think (the best gift is) anything material,” she says. The app Kathie Lee is thankful for As Cassidy thinks back to past Mother’s Days, she realizes that her mother has never been one for literal gifts. Kathie Lee agrees and notes that what she looks forward to is time. “I love the fact that there’s FaceTiming now,” Gifford says. “That makes my day, every day because that didn’t exist when I was growing up. So the minute I see that Cassie or Cody or Erika is FaceTiming me I’m like, ‘Oh, what a gift.’ ” Cassidy and her husband live near Gifford in Nashville, Tennessee. Cody and his family live in Connecticut. Kathie Lee keeps her hope through faith, family Gifford talks about “time” with reverence. “It’s the most precious thing we have because you never know when you’re going to run out of it,” she continues, before recalling when her husband Frank died in 2015. In a new series, USA TODAY’s The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives. h There were a few new faces at Kathie Lee Gifford’s Mother’s Day party. h The Emmy-winning TV host, 70, said hello to two more grandchildren this year. Her son Cody and his wife Erika welcomed their second child, son Ford, last November. They also have a son, Frank, born in 2022. h And Gifford’s daughter Cassidy, 30, welcomed her first child, Finn, with husband Ben Wierda last June. Cassidy celebrated her first Mother’s Day as a mom on Sunday. h The mother-daughter duo also marked a professional milestone: Cassidy is in the cast of Amazon Prime Video’s faith-based series “The Baxters,” on which her mother guest stars (all three seasons streaming now). h While returning to New York to promote the series, the Giffords talked about what would make their Mother’s Day special. “Frank was up and getting ready for church the morning that he passed away,” she says. “And I went upstairs to get ready, too, and came back down and he was gone. And Cody was helping me with him and he said, ‘Mom, look, he’s smiling. And I said, ‘He saw Jesus and Jesus took his breath away.’ “When you have faith in something as strong as we do, and we’re grateful for it, you have hope. There is always hope.” THE ESSENTIALS Kathie Lee and Cassidy share Mother’s Day moments Cassidy, left, and Kathie Lee Gifford attend a screening of Prime Video’s “The Baxters” in March in Franklin, Tenn. Cassidy co-stars and Kathie Lee is a guest star in the faith-based series. DANIELLE DEL VALLE/GETTY IMAGES FOR PRIME VIDEO Ralphie Aversa USA TODAY “Bridgerton” is based on a series of romance novels by Julia Quinn, so it’s not hard to figure out what will happen to Penelope and Colin. But the skill in this genre is titillating and intriguing the audience on the way to happily ever after. The burden of that task falls squarely on Coughlan, and she carries the season in her delicately gloved hands, even getting her own “She’s All That”-style stairway entrance after a makeover (take that, Freddie Prinze Jr.). She succeeds, unfortunately, without much help from the wooden Newton. Coughlan is immensely talented – that has been obvious since her turn in Netflix’s aggressively delightful Northern Ireland series “Derry Girls” – but the poor woman shouldn’t have to be working this hard. Newton may have a good smoldering look, but in most scenes, he gives her absolutely nothing. Less than nothing. Coughlan may as well be putting on a one-woman show. If Season 2 was a bit of a wet blanket (or wet frilly men’s shirt) for fans of the steamier scenes, Season 3 immediately tries to course-correct by loading up the sex and nudity. But new executive producer Jess Brownell and the writers seem to come from the “Game of Thrones” school of “any sex makes a scene better,” without thinking too hard about what makes sex compelling in a drama. There are too many halfnaked prostitutes and not enough romantic tensionbuilding. By Episode 4, though, the lust and love all start to coalesce into something with sparks. It’s enough to forgive more than one brothel threesome scene. Almost. Some secondary plots in the season are less compelling. Sixth Bridgerton sibling Francesca (Hannah Dodd) makes her debut on the social scene, although she’d rather play piano than attend a ball. Boxer Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) and his wife Alice (Emma Naomi) get a surprising ticket into high society and a crash course on manners. And Bridgerton matriarch Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell) may get her own second chance at love. As sweet as Francesca’s story ends, it has so many echoes of Daphne’s (Phoebe Dynevor) from Season 1 that it feels like a rehash. Perhaps that’s why the producers decided to slot the story in this year rather than giving Francesca her own future season. In early episodes, the Mondriches are the most interesting side characters, but they are not fully explored. Violet, too, could use more depth and screen time. But it all inevitably comes back to Penelope and Colin. Colin has been rather bland in the first two seasons, and regretfully Newton’s performance hasn’t done much to give him life. But through sheer will and a lot of meaningful glances, Coughlan makes Penelope and Colin worth your emotional investment. After all, Lady Whistledown should have her own romance worth gossiping about. Bridgerton Continued from Page 1D My respect for her now, as an artist and songwriter, is immense.” Her uncanny vocal resemblance makes “Back to Black” – also the title of Winehouse’s iconic album – a compelling two hours. But at its core, the movie aims to serve less as a greatest hit vehicle and more as a means to understand Winehouse’s tragic life. The child of divorce, Winehouse poured her conflicted emotions into songwriting. A popular singer at London neighborhood pubs, Winehouse had by age 19 already been signed to Simon Fuller’s 19 Management, the same outfit that shot the Spice Girls to fame. A year later, in 2003, she released her debut album, “Frank.” Seven years later, the six-time Grammy winner would be dead from alcohol poisoning. What happened in those intervening years is what “Back to Black” explores with unflinching candor. Mostly, it is the star-crossed lovers story of Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell), whom she married in 2007. Their relationship was passionate, volatile and inextricably linked to the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Nevertheless, Winehouse’s commitment never flagged. Eventually, his did. After a stint in rehab during a jail sentence, FielderCivil broke off with Winehouse and had a baby with another woman, just as his ex was also finally sober and now world-famous thanks to “Rehab,” the ironic global hit off “Back to Black.” Emotionally undone by his new life, Winehouse spiraled again. Eventually, her body gave out. While plenty of media accounts and a thorough Winehouse documentary (2015’s “Amy”) paint Fielder-Civil and Amy’s cab-driving father Mitch (Eddie Marsan) as toxic forces, Taylor-Johnson decided to view both differently. “It was clear to me that I had to look at Blake and her father with love because I needed the audience to see what Amy saw in them,” she says. Taylor-Johnson met with Winehouse’s parents while preparing for the film, although she did not need their approval to make it. During one meeting, she asked Amy’s mother, Janis Winehouse-Collins (Juliet Cowan), if she liked her former son-in-law. “She answered, ‘No, but I didn’t not like him, either.’ ... He showed (Amy) love, and that was important to Janis,” she says. As for Mitch Winehouse, there is a scene in the movie where, after taking over Amy’s career, he is implored by family members to get his daughter into rehab. He rebuffs the request. “I wanted people to think more broadly about what it really might be like to parent a child with addiction,” says Taylor-Johnson. “Do you turn a blind eye, hoping that by performing, Amy rediscovers her love of life? Or do you intervene? It is complicated. It’s easy to just say, ‘Who’s to blame?’ ” Taylor-Johnson says that while Winehouse’s parents haven’t told her what they think of her film, they have requested numerous screenings for family and friends. “I think they’ve warmed to it,” she says. Abela also met with the Winehouse family. “My impression was that they were still deeply grieving Amy’s loss,” she says. Still, the family eagerly provided the actress with insights into Winehouse’s influences, which included jazz greats such as Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. Abela started her vocal training trying to sing like those legends “so that I could then see how Amy would add her own flavor to their work,” she says. “She switches her vocal registers so much, really using her voice like a jazz instrument − she’d go from something nasal and clipped to super chesty and big.” Abela also got the full Winehouse treatment physically, wrapping her hair in a huge ’60s beehive and getting temporary versions of Winehouse’s innumerable tattoos, which included a pin-up girl, horseshoe and feather. “With all those tattoos, I felt like a different person, honestly,” says Abela. “It felt cool, but more than that, you understood how little fear Amy had. She would feel things and then just get that put on her body in that moment, big and in color.” Transforming into Winehouse turned Abela into a superfan who can reel off the star’s catalog in a flash. Her favorite Winehouse tune? “That would be ‘Love Is a Losing Game,’ ” she says. “It’s a song where the music and lyrics speak to a time when she was the most vulnerable and honest.” Just don’t ask her to sing it. She doesn’t do the human jukebox thing, thank you very much. “My goal in playing her was about getting at who she was and how hard she loved,” says Abela. “So to sing a few bars of ‘Rehab’ without the whole context behind it wouldn’t make any sense to me. And trust me, it’d likely be terrible.” A valid point. But we’re not buying it. Back to Black Continued from Page 1D Marisa Abela plays Amy Winehouse and Jack O’Connell is her star-crossed lover Blake Fielder-Civil in “Back to Black,” a biopic that focuses on the intensely destructive relationship that led Winehouse to her death at 27. PROVIDED BY DEAN ROGERS/FOCUS FEATURES
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Each row and column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 though 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2. The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3. Freebies: fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION Numbers KUBOK 16 5/16/24 Kubok 16 By Davide Coppo 6ROXWLRQWR:HGQHVGD\·VSX]]OH ©2024 Kubok. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved. Difficulty: MEDIUM Enter the missing numbers from 1 to 16 without UHSHWLWLRQVVR that the sum of the four numbers in each row and column is the same as the FRUUHVSRQGLQJ circled number. TXTPERT Across 1. 2775283 5. 8432837 6. 68742 8. 7469 9. 33288 Down 1. 228 2. 77377 3. 278 4. 34732867 6. 6663 7. 2278 5/16 Today’s theme Performing arts Use the phone keypad to decode the clues. For example: 2 could be A, B or C ... and 5678 could be LOST 5/15 © USA TODAY and Rich Coulter Yesterday’s solution 1 234 5 6 7 8 9 D 1 U L 2 C I 3 ME R4 U I N E O 5 VERTURE D E D C 6 R 7 U N8 L R 9 V O E A A 10 L TO F 11 UGA L E TXTPERT More puzzles: puzzles.usatoday.com Want solutions? answers.usatoday.com Feedback: feedback@usatoday.com USA TODAY CROSSWORD SUDOKU )GeVZ ĕĤ ŘĤ ŒĤ ÎĤ ÊĤ ŇĤ ŅĤ S;w GB;,B Se||;ZĤeZ`GwĤ GA eS GqB qGVZ ŷ Ű㪠;Ĥ )ċŷō Ăª VśĽĽµóó ;Ĥ )ċŷō ĕĤ $ċċÑóµijĽ ċĶãÑãĂó ÈśĂōãċĂ ŘĤ SċĽĽµ¨ еĶÞĞĽ ŒĤ G۵Ķóŷ Ľċãó еĶĽċĂ ÎĤ ĶµōśĶµĽ¨ ċóóµōã۵óŷ ÊĤ `Þµ ÞµĶµÈōµĶ ŇĤ #ċóóċű ŅĤ SĽō óċĽãĂÑ ōãýµ 󜵼§ qµªĂµĽªŷijĽ ĂĽűµĶ Vw , #,Z),B$ ;,B eS BGV`) GeB`Vw , #,Z),B$ ;,B eS BGV`) GeB`Vw VGZ ,B`VB` ÊʼnĕŇ © ĂªĶµűĽ AAµµó Te, 9 VGZZ ŷ 7ċÞĂqãóýµĽ ţţţţ Vċýµċ Ġ#ãµóª ţţţţ ĬġĞċĽō AñµĽ ýãĽōñµĽ SĶċªśō ĞĶµŰãµű $ċō ċóªµĶ `ĶªãōãċĂó ōóµĽ ţţţţâōċâōóµ ,Ă ªªãōãċĂ qµªĂµĽªŷijĽ ĂĽűµĶ ÊʼnĕÊ e` ` GZ) BV VBG Te, 9 VGZZ GB wGeV S)GB ĞśŽŽóµĽĤśĽōċªŷĤċý © ĂªĶµűĽ AAµµó ÊʼnĕŇ Words BONUS CROSSWORD T 7 p ST ; ` | e S , )GeB w B ` B S Z ; |qG 7 9 | ` p , , S 9T V Z ` e VB ` ; )BB e ` $ AA G G v ) V ; , BVB;G ` | 9 G ` ` q ) qGV VGeBeS ŷ Ű㪠;Ĥ )ċŷō Ăª 7µÈÈ 9ĂśĶµñ qµªĂµĽªŷijĽ ĂĽűµĶ§ VZZV ` ; ),V Z9 ZG# ʼn V`V B,vGB $VB` #GV ʼn )ASZ),V Av, G wGV9 ʼn AV eVw BS`eB ʼn GV #ãĂª Ăª ãĶóµ§ #ãĶĽō ĽãŶ $Ķµµñ óµōōµĶĽ `ÞĶµµ ĽãŶâóµōōµĶ ċśĂōĶŷ ĞãōóĽ `ÞĶµµ Èã۵âóµōōµĶ ōŷеĽ ċÈ ªċÑĽ `űċ ÑĽ ÑãĂōĽ Zµóµō © ĂªĶµűĽ AAµµó ÊʼnĕŇ © WIGGLES 3D GAMES DON’T QUOTE ME ® News anchor Walter Rearrange the words to complete the quote. Cronkite talks about knowledge. COMPARED COST IGNORANT LIBRARIES PRICE WHATEVER ______________ THE ________ OF OUR ______________, THE ___________ IS CHEAP ______________ TO THAT OF AN ______________ NATION. 5/16 Wednesday’s Answer: “A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.” - Samuel Johnson “ ” - (Answers tomorrow) Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon. THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek Unscramble these Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved. Get the free JUST JUMBLE app • Follow us on Twitter @PlayJumble LYISK MOCAM SAFNET RAWTDO USHER DINKY UPROOT TONGUE <HVWHUGD\·V Jumbles: Answer: ,QWKHLUDWWHPSWWRPDNHPRUHHIÀFLHQWVRODU cells, they tried everything — UNDER THE SUN WORD ROUNDUP QUICKCROSS UP & DOWN WORDS LIFE ■ ■ USA TODAY CROSSWORD TXTPERT A R G EjN T I MIAN T ’ I I DO N T G FT □□□□□ □□□ □□□□□ □□□□□ □□□ □□□□□ 2F ON YOUR PHONE Across 1.2775283 5.8432837 6.68742 8.7469 9.33288 •ll 2 3 QOJabc,Ldtf *4] 5 6 ghi,J« ,mnoi 7 POTS 8 tuv 9 Numbers SUDOKU SF ON YOUR PHONE KENKEN 3- 18X 7+ 2t 3- 2 1— 692024 KenKen Puzzle, LLC www.kenken.com YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 3 1 2 4 7T~ 4 2 2 1 3 2 10+ 4 3 1 1 1 3 2rr 4 2 KUBOK 16 21) (41 ; (41) (33 12 4 16 8 1 9 13 14 16 4 7 5 8 6 1115 10 2 14 12 1 9 3 13 Words WORD ROUNDUP QUICKCROSS I 1 1 * 1 i : 1 1 H 1 " 1 1 H ON YOUR PHONE UP & DOWN WORDS V*" V V“ éé 7 Little W©rds Find the 7 words to match the 7 clues. The numbers in parentheses ]! roprescrt the numter oi tetters m each solution. Each letter | combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations “ wii bo iXKJoacary to corrvploto tfto puzzlo. CLUES SOLUTIONS f 1 moving in an eddy (8) 2 wronged (10) 3 more attractive (8) 4 tiresome (6) 5 filled with Insider lingo (7) __________________ 6 channel for seawater (7) 7 they form a belt beyond Mars (9)_____________ ERO SWI NG GO TTI BOR Tl PRE AST MIS WAY TRE NY RLI JAR ATED IDS ING ER DE Wednasday’s Answers: 1. FAILURE 2 PRETREAT 3. BLBBLY 4 MONTREAL 5 ALICIA 6 JOYFULLY 7. MINDFUL i mm pood ULXXXJ BONUS CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Reddish-brown 5 Of a wing 9 “Back to the Future” antagonist 13 French airport city 14 Investigate 15 Cleveland’s waters 16 Kanten 17 Inert gas 18 in 60 Seconds” 19 Food and drink 21 Summarized 23 — bene 25 M- Wolf 26 Instrument played with a plectrum 28 With Wolves” 32 French denial 33 Circle the globe 36 Wild 37 Freshly 39 Mine’s yield 40 Rant and — 41 Place in SE Asia 43 Familiar show on TV 46 Actor — Beatty 47 Of the stars 49 Orates 51 Made haste 53 Black 54 Miscellaneous 58 Put on the payroll 62 Burn 63 Glittering headband 65 Time of quiet 66 Farm birds 67 Brilliance 68 Notable times 69 Brink 70 Walter — Army Institute 71 — Judi Dench DOWN 1 Bellow 2 Compulsion 3 Hit with open hand 4 Cruel ruler 5 Abbr. in timetables 6 Corporate design 7 Circa 8 Let 9 Newcomer 10 Metallic element 11 Penalty 12 Nosebag filler 14 Sound of rainfall 20 London district 22 Frond 24 Vine-covered shelter PREVIOUS PUZZLE SOLVED B C A M P A R ■ ■ O T A C L U L 1 A R s $ M M O s H U N A D M 1 T 1 A R A B H 0 M 1 L Y P 0 S T U R E C A S E 1 C U T A P h O U S E c A R E S S O R A s 1 T A R B E L O w P 0 R T T 0 R U S D E L 1 A S K E D P E R 1 L M A N Z E A L 0 T D A M A G 1 N G L O A L U K E A s P 1 R 1 N L E N T 1 L s H 1 N L O R N A 1 O T A s 0 N G Ş T 0 U T A N 0 N T E r ■ A N N E L E N D 5*16-24 © 2024 UFS. Dist. by Andrews McMeel for UFS 26 Regions 27 Like a bungler 29 Turning lever 30 Roof edge 31 Vehicle on runners 32 Grandma 34 Wrath 35 Not wordy 38 Knight’s mount 42 Den 44 Optimistic 45 Sign gas 48 Epistle 50 Fished with hook and line 52 Make frost-free 54 Yearn 55 Molt 56 Belted out a tune 57 Valley 59 Unseen emanation 60 70s rock variety 61 Otherwise 64 Trig function 1 2 3 4 13 16 19 6 8 I 10 11 12 I
4D ❚ THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY LIFE USA TODAY BEST-SELLING BOOKS BOOKLIST.USATODAY.COM n Rank this week n Rank last week TITLE/AUTHOR PUBLISHER GENRE C TITLE/AUTHOR PUBLISHER GENRE C WHAT AMERICA’S READING® The book list appears every Thursday. You also can find it at booklist.usatoday.com. Each week, USA TODAY collects sales data from booksellers representing a variety of outlets: bookstore chains, independent bookstores, mass merchandisers and online retailers. Using that data, we determine the 150 top-selling titles of the week. 1 5 The Women/Hannah, Kristin St. Martin’s Press Women F 2 2 Funny Story/Henry, Emily Berkley Books Women F 3 3 The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War/Larson, Erik Crown Publishing Group (NY) United States - 19th Century NF 4 n/a Chainsaw Man, Vol. 15/Fujimoto, Tatsuki Viz Media Manga NF 5 4 Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder: A Graphic Novel (Dog Man #12): From the Creator of Captain Underpants/ Pilkey, Dav Graphix Humorous Stories F 6 n/a No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong With Politics and How We Move America Forward/Noem, Kristi Center Street Commentary & Opinion NF 7 n/a This Summer Will Be Different/Fortune, Carley Berkley Books Women F 8 9 A Court of Thorns and Roses/Maas, Sarah J. Bloomsbury Publishing Fantasy - Epic F 9 n/a Five Broken Blades (Deluxe Limited Edition)/ Corland, Mai Entangled: Red Tower Books Fantasy - Epic F 10 n/a You Never Know: A Memoir/Selleck, Tom Dey Street Books Entertainment & Performing Arts NF 11 11 Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide/Holmes, Rupert Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster Action & Adventure F 12 n/a Long Island/Toibin, Colm Scribner Book Company Literary F 13 48 The 24th Hour: Is This the End?/Patterson, James Little Brown and Company Thrillers - Suspense F 14 n/a Discovering Daniel: Finding Our Hope in God’s Prophetic Plan Amid Global Chaos/Tsarfati, Amir Harvest Prophecy Biblical Studies - General NF 15 15 Murdle: Volume 1: 100 Elementary to Impossible Mysteries to Solve Using Logic, Skill, and the Power of Deduction/Karber, G. T. St. Martin’s Griffin Logic & Brain Teasers NF 16 7 Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends/Blanco, Benny Dey Street Books HarperCollins Entertaining - General NF 17 n/a The End of Everything: How Wars Descend Into Annihilation/Hanson, Victor Davis Basic Books Civilization NF 18 n/a The 6% Club: Unlock the Secret to Achieving Any Goal and Thriving in Business and Life/Rozen, Michelle Wiley Personal Success NF 19 1 King of Sloth/Huang, Ana Bloom Books Romance - Contemporary F 20 n/a Go to Hell OLE Miss/Barry, Jeff Greenleaf Book Group Press Literary F 21 n/a Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America/Miranda, Luis A. Hachette Books Cultural, Ethnic & Regional NF 22 n/a The Deer and the Dragon/CJ, Piper Bloom Books Fantasy - Romantic F 23 n/a The Ministry of Time/Bradley, Kaliane Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster Literary F 24 n/a The Transformational Leader: How the World’s Best Leaders Build Teams, Inspire Action, and Achieve Lasting Success/Mayberry, Matt Wiley Personal Success NF 25 141 Meet Bluey’s Friends: A Tabbed Board Book/ Rusu, Meredith Penguin Young Readers Licenses Social Themes - Friendship F 26 22 Just for the Summer/Jimenez, Abby Forever Humorous - General F 27 25 A Court of Mist and Fury/Maas, Sarah J. Bloomsbury Publishing Fantasy - Epic F 28 n/a Summers at the Saint/Andrews, Mary Kay St. Martin’s Press Women F 29 20 Happy Place/Henry, Emily Berkley Books Women F 30 13 Table for Two: Fictions/Towles, Amor Viking Literary F 31 23 Fourth Wing/Yarros, Rebecca Entangled: Red Tower Books Fantasy - Epic F 32 n/a The One and Only Family/Applegate, Katherine HarperCollins Social Themes - New Experience F 33 n/a When the Moon Hatched/Parker, Sarah A. Avon Books Fantasy - Romantic F 34 51 If Only I Had Told Her/Nowlin, Laura Sourcebooks Fire Social Themes - Dating & Sex F 35 35 Within Arm’s Reach/Napolitano, Ann Dial Press Literary F 36 18 A Calamity of Souls/Baldacci, David Grand Central Publishing Thrillers - Suspense F 37 24 If He Had Been With Me/Nowlin, Laura Sourcebooks Fire Social Themes - Dating & Sex F 38 36 Powerless/Roberts, Lauren Simon & Schuster Social Themes - Class Differences F 39 33 The Housemaid/McFadden, Freida Grand Central Publishing Psychological F 40 n/a Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea/Thorne, Rebecca Bramble Fantasy - Romantic F 41 37 Butcher & Blackbird: The Ruinous Love Trilogy/ Weaver, Brynne Zando Romance - Romantic Comedy F 42 29 Twisted Love/Huang, Ana Bloom Books Romance - New Adult F 43 n/a Fire in the Hole!: The Untold Story of My Traumatic Life and Explosive Success/Parsons, Bob Forefront Books Personal Success NF 44 28 Iron Flame/Yarros, Rebecca Entangled: Red Tower Books Fantasy - Epic F 45 n/a Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World/Psaki, Jen Scribner Book Company Personal Memoirs NF 46 53 The Paris Novel/Reichl, Ruth Random House Literary F 47 129 The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017/Khalidi, Rashid Picador USA Colonialism & Post-Colonialism NF 48 8 World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the Twenty-First Century/Graff, Garrett M. PublicAffairs Security (National & International) NF 49 39 Icebreaker/Grace, Hannah Atria Books Romance - Contemporary F 50 42 Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Read With Jenna Pick/Van Pelt, Shelby Ecco Press Humorous - General F BURBANK, Calif. – Sitting on a paintchipped porch chair overlooking the backyard of his fake childhood home, “Young Sheldon” star Iain Armitage takes a moment to savor the green grass. Actually, there are more sizable pockets of dirt than grass outside the Cooper family’s humble East Texas abode, created on a Warner Brothers soundstage. Still, it’s a home for Armitage, 15, who was just 8 in 2017, when he started playing the pint-sized version of Jim Parsons’ adult genius Sheldon Cooper in the prequel spinoff of CBS hit “The Big Bang Theory.” “I used to fit in those swings,” says Armitage, eyeing the faded metal backyard swing set. “Now I’m too large. I tried it again two hours ago. I didn’t tip it over, so I’m counting that as a victory. But I rocked the swing set, so it’s a little unsafe for me now.” But childhood – and TV shows – inevitably come to an end. Armitage soaks it all in while taking a break from shooting some of the final scenes for the May 16 hourlong series finale (8 EDT/PDT). Just as the adult Sheldon reminisced on “Big Bang Theory,” the 14-year-old Sheldon finally will leave East Texas for the California Institute of Technology. Both franchise lore and Armitage’s age provided a cap for the prequel series and the reason to end it after seven seasons, says “Sheldon” co-creator and executive producer Chuck Lorre. “In the ‘Big Bang’ universe, Sheldon goes to Caltech at 14. Even if we ignored that, the show is called ‘Young Sheldon,’ and that’s not true anymore,” says Lorre. “We got to watch this guy grow up, and it was wonderful. It’s heartbreaking to end, even though it was the right story decision. It just felt like the right time. But it didn’t make it any less emotional.” Armitage, a trouper ever since CBS announced the end was nigh last November, is not prone to tears, even on the second-to-last day of shooting. “I feel weirdly calm,” he says. “I’m definitely going to miss being here. But I feel so lucky and grateful at the same time. So it all swirls together in my mind and they cancel each other out. I’m definitely sad. But I think it’s hit a lot of other people harder than it’s hit me.” That’s for sure. During one break, Annie Potts, who plays Sheldon’s Meemaw, wanders through the ranch-style Cooper house with Raegan Revord, who plays Missy Cooper, admiring family wall photos as if for the last time. Holly Revord, Raegan’s mother, doesn’t hide her tears or the balled-up Kleenex in her hand, watching the monitor as her daughter shoots scenes in Sheldon’s packed-up bedroom. Matt Hobby, who finished shooting his final scenes as Pastor Jeff earlier in the week, has solemnly returned to show his support for the cast. In the writers’ room, executive producers Steven Molaro and Steve Holland, both veterans of “Big Bang Theory,” which ended its 12-season run in 2019, have a tissue box nearby. “We’ve both been through this on ‘Big Bang’ as well. So many ‘lasts,’ the last day for this character and so on. Each day I think, maybe I’ll get less emotional. Then I get emotional all over again,” says Molaro. “All the writers were crying in the writers’ room coming to the end.” “It’s been a ride,” says Holland. “It’s been really exciting to see these scenes play out. There have been some emotionally difficult scenes. These last couple of episodes the tissue box came in handy.” Notably difficult was the May 9 episode, which featured the death of George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber). The flawed but lovable father’s offscreen heart attack death was preordained, a pivotal event older Sheldon discussed in “Big Bang Theory.” Obviously, Sheldon and his family were stunned by the news as the episode ended. What will happen in the finale? The series finale starts with the Cooper family’s shock and grief over the loss and then strives for the pitch-perfect upbeat series ending that takes place 27 days after George’s funeral. Jim Parsons, who narrates “Young Sheldon,” reprises his character for the finale, along with Mayim Bialik, now Sheldon’s wife and mother of t1heir two children. After the funeral, Molaro says, “we go to a more uplifting area and give the characters a chance to move on. We still have the ultimate moment where Sheldon goes to Caltech and starts his new life. So there was a way for us to pull out of the nosedive of George’s death and leave on a brighter note.” Many scenes Armitage shoots on this April day involve meticulously boxing up his prized train collection for college, a callback to the “Young Sheldon” pilot. “The first scenes of our show ever were of Sheldon’s trains. We opened the series on my toy – sorry, my historical facsimile trains – going around the track,” says Armitage. “And now, seven seasons later, I’m packing my trains. It’s a great symbol.” The “Big Bang” franchise continues this fall with another prequel spinoff following older brother Georgie (Montana Jordan) and his wife (Emily Osment) in “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.” But it’s the end of the line for “Young Sheldon.” While sticking the series landing is tough, the team is cautiously confident they have done right by everyone with the finale. “We’ve thought for a long time about how to end the show. There’s a lot of pressure there,” says Molaro. “We care about these characters as if they’re real people. And we wanted it to feel satisfying and do right by them as best we could.” Tears and tissues as Sheldon leaves home Bryan Alexander USA TODAY Sheldon (Iain Armitage) attends his father’s funeral in the first episode of the two-part “Young Sheldon” finale. PROVIDED BY SONJA FLEMMING/CBS Jim Parsons returns as Sheldon Cooper for the first time since “Big Bang Theory” ended in 2019. PROVIDED BY BILL INOSHITA /WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | 1NN SUBSCRIBER-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL EDITION INSIDE Biden administration, Texas duel over migrant barrier. 5NN BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is no longer in a life-threatening condition after he was shot in an assassination attempt when leaving a government meeting on Wednesday, a minister said. The gunman shot Fico, 59, five times, initially leaving the prime minister in critical condition and undergoing surgery hours later on Wednesday evening. “I was very shocked … fortunately as far as I know the operation went well – and I guess in the end he will survive … he’s not in a life-threatening situation at this moment,” Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba told the BBC’s Newshour. Taraba said one bullet went through Fico’s stomach and a second hit a joint. News outlet Aktuality.sk cited an unnamed source saying Fico was out of surgery and in stable condition. Defense Minister Robert Kalinak told a news briefing hours earlier that Fico had suffered “serious polytrauma” after several shot wounds. TOP: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks during a news conference before Wednesday’s shooting in Handlova, Slovakia. RADOVAN STOKLASA/REUTERS Slovak PM no longer in battle for life Security personnel apprehend a suspected gunman after Slovakia’s prime minister was shot on Wednesday. RTVS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Assassination attempt seen as ‘politically motivated’ Radovan Stoklasa and Boldizsar Gyori REUTERS See SLOVAKIA, Page 7NN WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court restored a Louisiana electoral map that has two of the state’s six congressional districts with Black-majority populations for use in the Nov. 5 election – a ruling on Wednesday with potential implications for which party will control the U.S. House. The justices granted a request by state officials and a group of Black voters to temporarily halt a federal threejudge panel’s decision throwing out Louisiana’s newly redrawn map that includes two Black-majority U.S. House districts, rather than the one present in a previous version. Black voters tend to support Democratic candidates. The judicial panel on April 30 had ruled 2-1 that the map was chiefly influenced by race in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection, and ordered that a new map be drawn. The panel’s decision was the latest development in a long-running legal fight over the boundaries of Louisiana’s U.S. House districts. Republicans hold a 217-213 margin in the House. Ongoing legal battles over redistricting in several states could be enough to determine whether Republicans retain control or Democrats regain a majority. The Republican-controlled Louisiana legislature approved the new map in January adding a second Black-majority district after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick in 2022 found that the previous Republican-drawn map illegally harmed Black voters. Dick concluded that the previous map devised by the state legislature likely violated the Voting Rights Act, a landmark 1965 U.S. law that bars racial discrimination in voting. The Supreme Court in 2023 left Dick’s ruling in place. Under the map rejected by Dick, Black voters had constituted a majority in only one of the state’s six districts, despite comprising nearly a third of Louisiana’s population. In January, a group of Louisiana voters identifying as “non-African American” challenged the redrawn map. The challengers argued that it was an unconstitutional “racial gerrymander” that violated the 14th Amendment equal protection guarantee, which prohibits states from using race as the predominant factor in drawing electoral districts. The amendment, ratified in 1868 in the aftermath of the American Civil War, addressed issues relating to the rights of formerly enslaved Black people. Ruling in favor of the challengers, the judicial panel ordered Louisiana’s legislature to produce a new map by June 3. Failing that, the panel could have imposed its own map, one which High court preserves Louisiana voting map Two Black-majority districts left in place John Kruzel REUTERS See LOUISIANA, Page 5NN Pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a building at the University of California, Irvine, on Wednesday, leading university officials to call in multiple police agencies, cancel classes and advise people on campus to shelter in place, a university spokesperson said. No arrests or injuries were reported as several law-enforcement agencies from Orange County including Irvine police responded to a university request for assistance, a spokesperson for Irvine police said. The demonstration at Irvine, about 40 miles south of Los Angeles, is the latest in a series of campus protests across the United States over the war in Gaza in which activists have called for a ceasefire and the protection of civilian lives while demanding universities divest from Israeli interests. About 200 to 300 protesters surrounded a UC Irvine lecture hall at a time when no classes were in session, university spokesperson Tom Vasich said. Campus police responded and called for help from nearby agencies, with Irvine police and Orange County sheriff’s deputies among those arriving on campus, Vasich said. Police in riot gear formed a barricade, and an officer on a loudspeaker warned the crowd that they had formed an unlawful assembly and risked arrest if they remained on site, the Orange County Register reported. Four adjacent research buildings WAR IN MIDDLE EAST Protesters occupy building at UC Irvine Demonstrators gather as law enforcement officers deployed to UC Irvine take positions Wednesday. See BUILDING, Page 8NN MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS Police called in at California campus; no arrests reported Daniel Trotta REUTERS
2NN | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK Honolulu 82/72 Hilo 86/71 Anchorage 49/39 Fairbanks 63/40 Juneau 58/41 Monterrey 105/75 Chihuahua 89/55 Los Angeles 71/57 Washington 80/59 New York 66/58 Miami 96/78 Atlanta 87/67 Detroit 74/58 Houston 78/72 Kansas City 75/58 Chicago 74/60 Minneapolis 72/56 El Paso 85/62 Denver 75/52 Billings 79/50 San Francisco 68/54 Seattle 63/47 Toronto 69/55 Montreal 73/57 Winnipeg 68/50 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation for Thursday. Temperature bands are highs for the day. In the digital e-edition, you can click anywhere on the US map to get up-to-date forecasts, radar, MinuteCast® and more. Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. High/low/W High/low/W High/low/W High/low/W High/low/W High/low/W High/low/W High/low/W Cold front Warm front Stationary front TODAY IN HISTORY WEATHER TRIVIA™ INTERNATIONAL CITIES NATIONAL CITIES -10s -0s 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s Showers T-storms Rain Flurries Snow Ice NATIONAL (for the 48 contiguous states) INTERNATIONAL (excludes Antarctica) NATIONAL SUMMARY High/low/W Air Quality High/low/W Air Quality High/low/W Air Quality High/low/W Air Quality O Denotes possible travel delays O Denotes possible travel delays Thursday Air Quality Index: 0-50, Good; 51-100, Moderate; 101-150, Unhealthy for sensitive groups; 151-200, Unhealthy; 201-300, Very unhealthy; 301-500, Hazardous Thunderstorms capable of producing hail and damaging winds will stretch from southwestern Indiana to Texas today. In central Texas, an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. The risk of flash flooding will be significant in southeastern Texas, where heavy rain has fallen recently. Most of the West Coast will remain dry. Residents around Stamford, Conn., rejoiced on May 16, 1678, when much-needed rain broke the grip of a terrible drought. In 1996, Dodge City, Kan., a May record high was set at 105 degrees. Thursday Friday Thursday Friday Thursday Friday Thursday Friday ©2024; forecasts and graphics provided by High: 100 at Carrizo Springs, TX Low: 27 at Stanley, ID Precip: 3.33” at Shelbyville, IN High: 116 at Jacobabad, Pakistan Low: -3 at Clyde, Canada Precip: 4.96” at Novara, Italy WEDNESDAY EXTREMES Q: What is the average length of a tornado path? 6 miles A: Acapulco 90/75/s 90/75/s Addis Ababa 77/57/c 76/56/sh Algiers 77/53/s 79/56/s Amman 80/58/s 88/65/s Amsterdam 65/54/r 66/54/c Ankara 71/46/s 75/49/pc Asuncion 72/59/c 63/53/c Athens 73/60/pc 74/60/pc Auckland 65/54/sh 64/48/c Baghdad 97/74/pc 94/68/pc Bangkok 95/80/t 93/82/t Beijing 88/57/c 93/61/s Beirut 75/65/s 78/67/s O Belgrade 71/56/c 74/55/sh O Berlin 79/59/pc 76/56/c Bogota 68/50/sh 70/51/sh Brussels 62/52/r 66/52/r Bucharest 69/50/pc 66/48/c Budapest 71/54/c 65/51/sh Buenos Aires 62/47/pc 59/46/s O Cairo 90/71/s 95/73/s Cape Town 70/57/pc 71/53/pc Caracas 92/77/sh 92/77/t Casablanca 72/55/pc 74/60/pc Colombo 86/81/t 89/81/t O Copenhagen 68/54/s 69/52/s Damascus 86/55/s 91/61/s Dublin 64/53/pc 64/50/s O Geneva 61/46/sh 67/48/sh O Guatemala City 85/66/t 82/66/t Hanoi 88/75/t 87/77/c Harare 77/48/s 78/48/s Havana 95/77/s 94/78/pc Helsinki 62/52/s 63/49/s Hong Kong 86/74/s 85/74/pc O Jakarta 94/77/pc 94/78/sh Jerusalem 77/55/s 84/65/s Johannesburg 76/53/s 77/53/s Kabul 80/54/t 80/56/c Khartoum 102/79/pc 105/81/s Kyiv 64/46/pc 69/50/s Kingston 91/81/s 91/81/s La Paz 58/37/sh 57/36/sh O Lagos 90/78/t 89/78/r Lima 70/63/pc 70/63/pc Lisbon 67/55/c 68/54/pc London 66/51/sh 70/52/pc Madrid 67/50/c 70/48/pc Manila 95/81/t 95/80/t Mexico City 88/60/c 91/59/s O Milan 67/53/sh 73/54/sh Mombasa 89/75/c 89/76/s Montevideo 61/44/c 57/46/s Montreal 73/57/c 75/59/t Moscow 67/53/c 67/45/pc Nairobi 78/60/t 78/61/t New Delhi 111/85/pc 112/86/pc Panama City 89/76/r 90/76/t Paris 66/50/pc 69/52/pc O Port-au-Prince 97/75/s 99/75/t Rio de Janeiro 82/74/pc 88/76/s Riyadh 110/77/s 101/75/s Rome 76/55/s 75/54/s San Jose 82/69/r 84/70/t San Salvador 88/72/t 85/71/t Santiago 58/35/s 57/33/s Sao Paulo 84/67/c 87/65/s Sarajevo 76/56/pc 77/50/sh Shanghai 84/57/s 89/64/s Singapore 87/80/t 90/80/t Stockholm 73/44/s 71/46/s Sydney 70/57/c 72/56/pc Taipei 81/68/pc 86/71/c O Tegucigalpa 91/72/t 88/70/t Tehran 83/65/s 78/60/t O Tokyo 76/61/pc 76/63/c Toronto 69/55/pc 68/58/pc Tunis 81/62/c 82/68/s O Vancouver 64/47/sh 61/48/s O Vienna 67/54/sh 63/49/r Warsaw 70/50/pc 73/52/pc O Yerevan 63/42/t 63/39/s O Zagreb 66/55/sh 74/49/s O Zurich 66/51/sh 64/46/sh Aberdeen, SD 78/54/pc 37 O Abilene, TX 72/61/t 44 O Accomac, VA 73/56/pc 30 Adrian, MI 76/58/pc 51 Akron, OH 75/59/c 40 Alamogordo, NM 76/52/t 62 Alexandria, VA 80/56/pc 50 Alliance, OH 75/60/pc 40 O Amarillo, TX 67/51/t 63 Ames, IA 78/52/sh 45 Anderson, SC 84/62/pc 46 O Appleton, WI 67/53/c 27 Asheville, NC 79/54/pc 45 Ashland, OH 75/60/pc 42 Athens, GA 88/61/s 51 Augusta, GA 86/60/pc 50 O Austin, TX 82/68/t 58 O Bartlesville, OK 75/59/t 40 Battle Creek, MI 75/59/pc 45 O Bedford, IN 74/61/pc 43 Binghamton, NY 72/52/pc 38 Bluffton, SC 87/71/s 53 O Bremerton, WA 64/40/c 19 Brockton, MA 60/50/r 30 O Brownwood, TX 72/63/t 55 O Burlington, IA 75/57/t 43 Burlington, NC 79/57/sh 44 Burlington, VT 75/55/pc 30 Cambridge, OH 76/59/pc 42 O Camdenton, MO 74/58/t 34 Canandaigua, NY 72/54/pc 33 O Canton, OH 76/60/c 40 Carlsbad, NM 76/58/t 88 Chambersburg, PA 79/55/pc 40 Cherry Hill, NJ 69/59/r 41 Cincinnati, OH 76/62/pc 58 Clarksville, TN 83/65/pc 43 Coldwater, MI 74/58/pc 49 Columbus, OH 78/61/sh 43 Corning, NY 75/51/pc 39 Corpus Christi, TX 90/78/t 73 Daytona Beach, FL 92/69/s 54 Deming, NM 80/55/pc 65 O DeRidder, LA 83/67/r 75 Des Moines, IA 78/56/t 49 Detroit, MI 74/58/pc 54 O Devils Lake, ND 71/53/pc 25 Dover, NH 61/50/c 34 El Paso, TX 85/62/pc 70 Elmira, NY 76/51/pc 38 Erie, PA 69/58/pc 42 Eugene, OR 74/47/pc 26 O Evansville, IN 78/63/pc 44 Fall River, MA 60/51/r 27 Farmington, NM 78/46/pc 65 Fayetteville, NC 80/59/pc 47 Fond du Lac, WI 71/54/c 30 Fort Myers, FL 91/76/t 47 O Fort Smith, AR 82/63/t 55 Framingham, MA 61/50/r 27 Freeport, IL 72/55/t 38 Fremont, OH 72/61/pc 55 Fort Collins, CO 76/46/pc 65 Gadsden, AL 85/62/pc 53 Gainesville, FL 91/64/s 56 O Galesburg, IL 74/56/t 46 Gastonia, NC 81/59/sh 47 O Glen Rose, TX 73/65/r 67 Gonzales, LA 88/74/t 91 O Great Falls, MT 77/48/c 39 Green Bay, WI 68/53/c 26 Greenville, SC 83/59/pc 44 Hackensack, NJ 67/57/r 51 Hagerstown, MD 79/57/pc 38 Hattiesburg, MS 89/67/pc 75 O Henderson, KY 78/63/pc 46 Hendersonville, NC 80/53/pc 45 Herkimer, NY 76/52/pc 34 Hillsdale, MI 74/58/pc 50 Holland, MI 67/58/pc 37 Hornell, NY 73/54/pc 31 O Houma, LA 86/75/t 83 Howell, MI 76/57/pc 53 Hutchinson, KS 78/53/t 48 Hyannis, MA 59/52/r 21 Indianapolis, IN 78/62/pc 54 O Iowa City, IA 78/54/t 44 Ithaca, NY 74/52/pc 36 Jackson, MS 87/65/pc 79 Jackson, TN 86/66/pc 52 Jacksonville, FL 94/65/s 58 Jacksonville, NC 78/59/c 48 O Kent, OH 75/59/c 38 O Kewanee, IL 73/56/t 45 Keyser, WV 79/58/r 46 Kinston, NC 80/59/c 41 Knoxville, TN 79/59/pc 53 Lafayette, IN 75/61/pc 55 O Lafayette, LA 85/73/t 90 Lakeland, FL 92/68/t 60 Lansing, MI 77/58/pc 39 Las Cruces, NM 80/57/pc 62 Lebanon, PA 78/55/pc 39 Leesburg, FL 91/68/s 55 O Levittown, PA 68/59/r 41 O Lincoln, IL 74/60/t 47 Louisville, KY 81/64/s 60 O Lubbock, TX 69/56/t 54 Manitowoc, WI 58/50/c 29 Mansfield, OH 75/60/pc 40 Marshall, NC 76/52/sh 50 O Marshfield, WI 68/47/c 35 O Massillon, OH 77/59/pc 45 McLean, VA 79/56/pc 41 Melbourne, FL 90/71/t 49 Memphis, TN 86/67/c 62 Middletown, NY 65/56/c 26 Milford, MA 60/49/r 25 O Milwaukee, WI 69/56/pc 36 Monroe, MI 68/58/pc 58 O Monroe, LA 88/66/c 83 Montgomery, AL 89/67/s 58 Muncie, IN 77/62/pc 49 Murfreesboro, TN 82/63/pc 50 Naples, FL 90/77/t 43 Nashville, TN 84/66/pc 47 Neptune, NJ 63/57/r 37 New Bedford, MA 60/52/r 26 New Bern, NC 80/60/pc 41 O New Philadelphia, OH 77/58/pc 41 Newark, OH 77/58/pc 51 O Newton, NJ 67/58/c 33 New York, NY 66/58/r 54 Norwich, CT 61/51/r 23 Ocala, FL 90/64/s 59 O Oklahoma City, OK 74/59/t 63 O Opelousas, LA 84/70/t 83 Oshkosh, WI 71/54/c 28 Palm Beach, FL 92/78/t 47 Palm Springs, CA 104/69/s 67 Panama City, FL 86/71/s 65 O Pekin, IL 76/60/t 49 Pensacola, FL 85/73/s 76 O Peoria, IL 75/60/t 51 Petersburg, VA 79/56/pc 37 Phoenix, AZ 96/73/s 65 Port Huron, MI 73/53/pc 45 Portsmouth, NH 61/52/c 40 Poughkeepsie, NY 66/55/c 20 Providence, RI 60/50/r 25 Pueblo, CO 70/45/pc 62 Quincy, MA 59/51/r 31 Redding, CA 92/64/s 52 Reno, NV 88/54/s 72 Ravenna, OH 75/59/sh 38 Richmond, IN 77/62/pc 57 Rochester, NY 71/54/pc 33 O Rockford, IL 72/54/t 40 O Ruidoso, NM 63/41/t 60 Salem, OR 72/46/pc 28 Salina, KS 79/53/c 48 Salinas, CA 65/55/pc 44 O Salisbury, MD 73/57/c 32 O San Angelo, TX 82/60/t 44 Sarasota, FL 86/74/t 76 Savannah, GA 89/66/s 56 O Sheboygan, WI 59/50/c 29 Shelby, NC 81/57/pc 45 O Sherman, TX 76/62/r 62 O Shreveport, LA 86/67/t 82 Silver City, NM 75/52/pc 60 Sioux Falls, SD 76/56/pc 59 Somerset, PA 73/54/sh 44 O Somerville, NJ 68/59/r 38 South Bend, IN 75/59/sh 45 Spartanburg, SC 82/59/pc 43 O Springfield, IL 75/59/t 51 O Springfield, MO 75/61/t 46 St. Augustine, FL 90/69/s 51 St. Cloud, MN 70/52/pc 39 St. George, UT 93/62/s 65 Staunton, VA 76/54/pc 44 O Stevens Point, WI 69/48/c 32 Stockton, CA 91/53/s 61 O Stroudsburg, PA 70/56/c 45 Stuart, FL 90/71/t 51 Sturgis, MI 74/58/pc 49 Tallahassee, FL 91/66/s 63 O Thibodaux, LA 86/74/t 86 O Topeka, KS 78/57/t 28 Tuscaloosa, AL 89/67/pc 56 Utica, NY 76/52/pc 35 O Ventura, CA 62/56/pc 42 O Victorville, CA 92/56/s 71 O Vineland, NJ 70/58/r 32 Visalia, CA 93/58/s 77 Washington, DC 80/59/pc 40 Watertown, SD 72/55/pc 41 O Wausau, WI 67/49/c 29 Waynesboro, PA 79/57/pc 37 White Plains, NY 64/56/r 22 O Wichita Falls, TX 71/62/r 54 O Wilmington, DE 73/60/c 33 Wilmington, NC 81/62/sh 59 O Wisconsin Rapids, WI 69/48/c 33 Wooster, OH 77/58/pc 39 Worcester, MA 58/50/r 26 York, PA 78/54/pc 39 THURSDAY
NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | 3NN SYDNEY/PARIS – France declared a state of emergency on the Pacific island of New Caledonia on Wednesday after three young Indigenous Kanak and a police official were killed in riots over electoral reform. The state of emergency, which entered into force at 5 a.m. local time, gives authorities additional powers to ban gatherings and forbid people from moving around the French-ruled island. Police reinforcements, adding 500 officers to the 1,800 usually present on the island, have been sent after rioters torched vehicles and businesses and looted stores. Schools have been shut and there is already a curfew in the capital. Rioting broke out over a new bill, adopted by lawmakers in Paris on Tuesday, that will let French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years vote in provincial elections – a move some local leaders fear will dilute the Kanak vote. “No violence will be tolerated,” said Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, adding that the state of emergency “will allow us to roll out massive means to restore order.” He later signed a decree declaring a state of emergency that will last for 12 days and announced that French soldiers would be used to secure New Caledonia’s main port and airport. Authorities also decided to ban video app TikTok, which the government during a bout of riots on France’s mainland last summer said helped rioters organize and amplified the chaos, attracting troublemakers to the streets. TikTok could not immediately be reached for comment. Earlier in the day, a spokesperson for New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou said three young Indigenous Kanak had died in the riots. The French government later said a 24-year-old police official had died from a gunshot wound. “He took off his helmet (to speak to residents) and he was shot right in the head,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. Noumea resident Yoan Fleurot told Reuters in a Zoom interview that he was staying at home out of respect for the nightly curfew and was very scared for his family. “I don’t see how my country can recover after this”, Fleurot said, adding he carries a gun during the day when he goes out to film the rioters he called “terrorists.” Police were outnumbered by protesters, locals told Reuters. Electoral reform is the latest flashpoint in a decadeslong tussle over France’s role in the mineral-rich island, which lies in the southwest Pacific, some 930 miles east of Australia. France annexed the island in 1853 and gave the colony the status of overseas territory in 1946. It has long been rocked by pro-independence movements. New Caledonia is the world’s No. 3 nickel miner and residents have been hit by a crisis in the sector, with 1 in 5 living under the poverty threshold. “Politicians have a huge share of responsibility,” said 30-year-old Henri, who works in a hotel in Noumea. “Loyalist politicians, who are descendants of colonialists, say colonization is over, but Kanak politicians don’t agree. There are huge economic disparities,” he said. Henri, who declined to give his full name, said there was significant looting, with the situation most dangerous at night. The French government has said the change in voting rules was needed so elections would be democratic. But it said it would not rush calling a special congress of the two houses of parliament to rubber-stamp the bill and has invited pro- and anti-independence camps for talks in Paris on the future of the island. The major pro-independence political group, Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste, which condemned the violence, said it would accept the offer of dialogue and was willing to work toward an agreement “that would allow New Caledonia to follow its path toward emancipation.” Four dead in New Caledonia riots France declares state of emergency Kirsty Needham, Juliette Jabkhiro and Augustin Turpin REUTERS Masked residents watch an activist in Noumea in the overseas French territory of New Caledonia on Wednesday. PHOTOS BY DELPHINE MAYEUR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Noumea, New Caledonia, is seen on Wednesday amid protests over electoral reform in the French territory. A Kazakh court sentenced a former economy minister to 24 years in prison this week for murdering his wife, in a case that rocked the Central Asian nation over the issues of domestic violence and the impunity of high-ranking officials, Reuters reported. Kuandyk Bishimbayev, 44, was found guilty of the torture and murder of his wife, 31-year-old Saltanat Nukenova, last year. Security camera footage showed that Bishimbayev severely beat his wife in a family restaurant in the capital last year. The former official admitted to the beating, but denied torturing or planning to kill her. The court also sentenced his cousin, Bakhytzhan Bayzhanov, to four years in prison for helping Bishimbayev cover up the murder, according to the Voice of America. The televised trial captivated Kazakhs, sparking outrage and prompting calls for stronger laws against domestic violence in the patriarchal nation. Government data showed that the country records around 300 domestic violence complaints daily and more than 80 women die from domestic abuse every year. Last month, parliament passed a new bill on domestic violence that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev quickly signed into law. The new rules offer better protections to victims of domestic violence, such as tasking police to register and investigate such cases, even when not reported by the victim but by the media or social media. Tokayev, who replaced his longtime predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019, has vowed to create a fairer society, including better rights for women. Observers said the trial also helped authorities send a message to highranking officials and the elite that they were no longer above the law. DAILY CHATTER FOLLOW THE QR CODE TO SUBSCRIBE TO NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD DAILY CHATTER’S EMAIL NEWSLETTER KAZAKHSTAN Not above the law CATALONIA/SPAIN Singing a new song Spain’s Socialist Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez won the most votes in Sunday’s regional elections in Catalonia, a victory that dealt a blow to the separatist and pro-independence parties that previously dominated the territory, the BBC reported. Results showed that the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) won 42 out of 135 seats in the legislature, while the separatist Together for Catalonia (JxCat) party of former regional President Carles Puigdemont came in second with 35 seats. The outcome showed that other pro-independence parties lost ground in Sunday’s vote, including the 68-seat majority they would collectively need in the regional parliament, according to the Associated Press. The vote came after the minority government of the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) called for an early poll after failing to gain support to pass the region’s annual budget. Observers said that the issue of Catalonia’s relationship with the rest of Spain was overshadowed by other challenges facing the region, including a drought and a housing crisis. They added that a victory for the PSC underscores a loss of support for the independence movement in Catalonia: The regional government’s statistics showed public support has dropped seven points to 42% over the past seven years. It also highlights the success of Sánchez’s policies in the region, including a contentious amnesty law that would benefit nationalists who face legal action for separatist activity. Among them is Puigdemont, who has been living in exile following a failed breakaway bid in 2017. PSC leader Salvador Illa hailed the party’s victory as “a new era for Catalonia,” but observers noted that it will not be easy for the winner to form a government. The PSC will need the support of the ERC and a far-left party, even though Puigdemont called on the ERC not to form a coalition with Illa. Meanwhile, it’s unclear when coalition talks will conclude because of the fragmented nature of the legislature. DISCOVERIES Celebrating disputes In many countries, conflict resolution usually involves sitting in an office and talking. In the Bolivian town of San Pedro de Macha, however, it means dancing and fisticuffs. Here, the Indigenous Quechua take to the streets annually for a ritual dance and hand-to-hand combat known as “Tinku,” Reuters reported. The event – which translates to “encounter” in Quechua, or “physical attack” in the local Aymara dialect – is celebrated in a number of towns in May. Locals say the purpose of the festival is to resolve disputes rather than letting them fester. The festival ranges from joyful dances and music to combat between two opponents. The fighting includes colorful traditional clothing and leather “montera” helmets with vibrant feathers that resemble those of the Spanish conquistadors. The skirmishes are intended to demonstrate people’s dedication to Mother Earth, occasionally culminating in the presentation of a blood offering from the combat. “This custom is very old. It was passed down to my father and my father left it to me,” said Jose Luis Paco Cruz, a Tinku “dancer” who traveled hundreds of miles to the town with his two sons. Sometimes the fights can get quite violent and the police have to act as referees of a sort and stop them. Tinku onlookers and participants also help fighters who are bleeding or injured. Fatalities are not uncommon but the presence of authorities helps ensure that the fighting isn’t fatal. “Due to bad luck, sometimes one or two people fall to the ground and, with worse luck, they even die,” said Esteban Paco Taquichiri, Jose Luis’ grandfather. “But all this is part of our custom.” The outcome showed that other pro-independence parties lost ground in Sunday’s vote.
4NN | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK WASHINGTON – U.S. consumer prices increased less than expected in April, suggesting that inflation resumed its downward trend at the start of the second quarter in a boost to financial market expectations for a September interest rate cut. Hopes of the Federal Reserve starting its easing cycle this year were further bolstered by other data on Wednesday showing retail sales were unexpectedly flat last month. The reports suggested that domestic demand was cooling, which will be welcomed by officials at the U.S. central bank as they try to engineer a “soft-landing” for the economy. “The economic data are picture perfect in favor of interest rate cuts,” said Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS. “The country is not out of the woods from the threat of inflation, but we can start to see the end of the forest.” The consumer price index rose 0.3% last month after advancing 0.4% in March and February, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said. The higher cost of living has detracted from the economy’s resilience, and is a campaign theme for the Nov. 5 presidential election. President Joe Biden said prices were still too high but argued that his agenda, which includes building 2 million homes and taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug prices “will give families breathing room.” Donald Trump’s campaign blamed inflation on the Biden administration’s policies and touted the former president’s America First agenda of low taxes, lower prices and higher wages. The cost of shelter, which includes rents, increased 0.4% for the third straight month. Gasoline prices shot up 2.8%. These two categories contributed over 70% of the increase in the CPI. Food prices were unchanged. Prices at the supermarket fell 0.2%, with eggs dropping 7.3%. Meat, fish, fruits and vegetables as well as nonalcoholic beverages were also cheaper. But cereals and bakery products cost more, while prices for dairy products rose marginally. In the 12 months through April, the CPI increased 3.4% after climbing 3.5% in March. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the CPI gaining 0.4% on the month and 3.4% year-on-year. The annual increase in consumer prices has slowed from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022. Inflation accelerated in the first quarter amid strong domestic demand after moderating for much of last year. Last month’s slowdown was a relief after data on Tuesday showed a jump in producer prices in April. Inflation is being driven by providers of services like motor vehicle insurance, housing and health care catching up to higher costs. Economists expect price pressures to ebb this quarter, and inflation to gradually move toward the Fed’s 2% target as the labor market is cooling. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday “I expect that inflation will move back down … on a monthly basis to levels that were more like the lower readings that we were having last year.” Financial markets saw a roughly 73% probably of a rate cut in September, up from 69% before the data. A few economists anticipate the Fed will start lowering borrowing costs in July. The central bank early this month left its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the current 5.25%- 5.50% range, where it has been since July. The Fed has raised its policy rate by 525 basis points since March 2022. Rents sticky Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the CPI rose 0.3% in April after advancing 0.4% for three straight months. That lowered the three-month annualized increase in the so-called core CPI to a 4.1% rate from a 4.5% rate. Rents increased 0.4%. Owners’ equivalent rent, a measure of the amount homeowners would pay to rent or would earn from renting their property, also gained 0.4% after a similar rise in March and February. Market rents have been trending lower and that is expected to show in the CPI data this year. Motor vehicle insurance increased 1.8% after surging 2.6% in March. There were also increases in the prices of personal care, recreation and education. The cost of health care rose 0.4%, reflecting an increase in hospital services. Airline fares cost less. Overall, services gained 0.4% after advancing 0.5% in March. Excluding rents, they climbed 0.2% after surging 0.8% in March. “Consumers’ decision to purchase more used cars, and continuing to drive old cars following the pandemic, is resulting in more repairs, which is pushing up premiums, rather than strong demand today for more immediate consumption,” said Richard de Chazal, macro analyst at William Blair. Used cars and trucks prices dropped for a second consecutive month. New motor vehicle prices notched their third straight monthly decline. Prices for household furnishings and operations also fell. Core goods deflation continued, though the pace slowed. In the 12 months through April, the core CPI increased 3.6%. That was the smallest year-on-year gain since April 2021 and followed a 3.8% increase in March. Based on the CPI and PPI data, economists estimated that the core personal consumption expenditures price index rose 0.2% in April after gaining 0.3% in March. That would lower the annual increase in core inflation to 2.7% from 2.8% in March. A separate report from the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau showed retail sales unchanged in April after increasing 0.6% in March. Economists had forecast retail sales, which are mostly goods and are not adjusted for inflation, gaining 0.4%. Sales rose 3.0% year-on-year in April. While demand slows, April’s flat reading was partly payback after Amazon’s spring promotion boosted sales in March. Sales at online retailers dropped 1.2% after surging 2.5% in March. Sales at food services and drinking places, the only services component in the report, gained 0.2%. Economists view dining out as a key indicator of household finances. Retail sales excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services fell 0.3% last month after a downwardly revised 1% increase in March. These so-called retail sales were previously reported to have advanced 1.1% in March. March’s core retail sales set a higher growth base for secondquarter consumer spending, despite the softness in April. “We see this as the potential start of a softer consumer spending environment rather than the beginning of a sharp retrenchment,” said Oren Klachkin, an economist at Nationwide. Domestic demand looks to be cooling Lucia Mutikani REUTERS Prices at the supermarket fell 0.2%, with eggs dropping 7.3%. Meat, fish, fruits and vegetables as well as nonalcoholic beverages were also cheaper. JASON REDMOND/REUTERS FILE US consumer inflation resumes downward trend Economists expect price pressures to ebb this quarter, and inflation to gradually move toward the Fed’s 2% target as the labor market is cooling. Wall Street’s three major indexes notched record closes on Wednesday with the benchmark S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both advancing more than 1%, after a smaller-than-expected rise in consumer inflation bolstered investors’ hopes for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. All three indexes hit intraday record highs with technology stocks leading the charge. The blue-chip Dow drew closer to the 40,000 milestone. Tepid U.S. Consumer Price Index data for April fueled optimism that inflation was easing after three months of higher-than-expected numbers. This led traders to raise bets that the Fed will cut its policy rate in September and December. “It’s a relief we didn’t have a fourth hot CPI report,” said Carol Schleif, chief investment officer at the BMO family office in Minneapolis. “Clearly markets liked that the inflation numbers looked softer. Retail sales came in softer. It’s pretty clear evidence that the economy came off the boil and is operating at a more sustainable pace.” Other data released on Wednesday showed U.S. retail sales were unexpectedly flat in April as higher gasoline prices pulled expenditure away from other goods, indicating that consumer spending was losing momentum. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 349.89 points, or 0.88%, to 39,908.00 while the S&P 500 gained 61.47 points, or 1.17%, at 5,308.15. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 231.21 points, or 1.40%, to 16,742.39, its second record close in as many days. The S&P 500 and the Dow last registered record closing prices on March 28. Among the S&P 500’s 11 major industry sector indexes, most gained ground with rate-sensitive technology stocks and real estate outpaced the rest with respective gains of 2.3% and 1.7%. Consumer discretionary was the biggest laggard, ending the day virtually unchanged from Tuesday. Equities had built on Tuesday’s gains, when Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s assessment of U.S. growth, inflation and the interest rate outlook reassured investors after producer prices were hotter than expected for April. Among megacap stocks, Nvidia was the S&P 500’s biggest index point contributor, rising 3.6%. Microsoft , the benchmark’s next biggest boost, added 1.7% and Apple advanced 1.2%. Leading S&P 500 percentage gains was a 15.8% advance in Super Micro Computer Inc, which like Nvidia is seen as a good way to bet on the take-off in demand for artificial intelligence technology. In earnings, investors waited for Walmart to provide more color on consumer spending in its quarterly report due out early on Thursday. The retail giant’s shares ended down 0.05%, marking its third straight day of declines. Retail investor darling GameStop ended down 18.9%, snapping this week’s sharp rally driven by “Roaring Kitty” Keith Gill, a central figure behind the 2021 meme stock frenzy, who posted bullish comments on social media platform X. Other meme stocks followed suit with AMC Entertainment dropping 20% and Koss Corp ending down 19.2%. Trading volume was brisk with 14.78 billion shares changing hands on U.S. exchanges, according to the latest tally, compared with the 11.11 billion average for the last 20 sessions. FINANCIAL MARKETS Wall Street boasts record closes SinÉad Carew and Bansari Mayur Kamdar REUTERS Retail investor darling GameStop ended down 18.9%. NEW YORK – Hudson Bay Capital Management, Geode Capital Management and Morgan Stanley were among the large institutional investors that took positions in Donald Trump’s Trump Media & Technology Group in the first quarter, securities filings showed on Wednesday. The former president, who is running as the Republican candidate in the Nov. 5 presidential election, holds a majority stake in the company. It owns social media site Truth Social, where Trump has 7 million followers and is a prolific poster. Hudson Bay Capital bought 150,000 shares in the quarter, initiating a position worth nearly $10 million at the end of March and now worth about $7.8 million. Geode Capital Management, a spinoff of mutual fund giant Fidelity, bought 102,923 shares during the quarter, while Morgan Stanley bought 44,346 shares. Shares of Trump Media have been volatile, surging as much as 59% when they began trading on the Nasdaq on March 26. The rally attracted short-sellers, who posted mark-to-market profits of $91.1 million in April as shares tanked, according to S3 Partners. The stock has jumped 5% in May. Trump Media notified the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday of a delay in its quarterly filing because it recently replaced an auditor that the regulator charged with fraud. Shares fell nearly 1.7%. The company reported an operating loss of $10.6 million for the first nine months of 2023 on revenue of $3.4 million, and currently has a market value of approximately $7 billion. Firms including Shaolin Capital Management, Simplex Trading, Picton Mahoney Asset Management and Radcliffe Capital Management bought put options on the shares, which are typically bearish bets that pay off if a share price goes down, according to securities filings. It wasn’t clear, however, if these were part of a broader trading strategy. Quarterly disclosures of hedge fund and other institutional investors’ stock holdings in 13F filings with the SEC are one of the few public ways of tracking what hedge fund managers are selling and buying. The disclosures are made 45 days after the end of a quarter and may not reflect current positions. Large investors took positions in Trump social media firm David Randall REUTERS A post by former President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform is displayed on a giant screen during a campaign rally in Wildwood, N.J., on May 11. JIM WATSON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | 5NN would not necessarily have included a second majority-Black district, according to legal experts. Two judges appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump were in the majority in the panel’s ruling, with a judge appointed by Democratic former President Bill Clinton dissenting. That ruling prompted state officials, as well as Black Louisiana voters backed by civil rights groups, to ask the Supreme Court to temporarily halt the decision while they pursue a formal appeal. Louisiana’s Republican Secretary of State Nancy Landry in court filings said that in order to “accurately administer the congressional election” she needed a map in place by Wednesday. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. Its three liberal justices dissented from Wednesday’s decision. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that the Supreme Court’s intervention – under a precedent aimed at preventing voter confusion caused by judicial decisions that change rules near an election – was not necessary this far ahead of Nov. 5. “There is little risk of voter confusion from a new map being imposed this far out from the November election,” Jackson wrote. “In fact, we have often denied stays of redistricting orders issued as close or closer to an election.” People line up to cast their ballots in New Orleans in 2020. The Louisiana legislature approved the new map in January. KATHLEEN FLYNN/REUTERS FILE Louisiana Continued from Page 1NN The Biden administration on Wednesday urged a U.S. appeals court to rule that Texas cannot keep a 1,000- foot-long floating barrier in the Rio Grande, one in a series of measures taken by the Republican-led state to deter illegal border crossings. The full New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments for about an hour in an appeal by Texas of a judge’s ruling that said the state needed the federal government’s permission before installing the buoys last July. The case is part of a larger battle between the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and Republican officials in Texas and other states who say the federal government has failed to address a recent increase in illegal border crossings from Mexico. Wednesday’s arguments focused not on immigration policy but on whether the area of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas, where the barrier was placed is under state or federal control. Under a U.S. environmental law called the Rivers and Harbors Act, the federal government would have the authority if the area were navigable for commercial purposes. Lanora Pettit, a lawyer for Texas, told the 5th Circuit that the river, which forms the U.S. border with Mexico, is as little as 18 inches deep in that area and there is no history of commercial use of the waterway. “The Rio Grande is little more than a creek with an excellent publicist,” Pettit said. Michael Gray of the U.S. Department of Justice countered that small Border Patrol boats, kayaks and ferries all operate in the area, showing its potential for other commercial uses. It was not clear how the court was leaning, though a few of the judges seemed skeptical of Gray’s arguments. Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, said that other courts have treated waterways as navigable only when they can be “used as a highway” by boats moving up or down the waterway. Ferries, by contrast, cross rivers, he said. Gray responded that ferry traffic “establishes a highway for commerce” and that because the Rio Grande forms an international border, its use necessarily affects foreign commerce. Another Trump appointee, Circuit Judge Don Willett, said it could not be the case that the federal government controls every waterway along the border. “I could imagine a lot of border streams and creeks where you could have friends ferrying Girl Scout cookies in a small rowboat,” he said. The full court agreed to hear the case after a divided three-judge panel sided with the Biden administration in December. Twelve of the court’s 17 active judges are appointees of Republican presidents, but two of the three judges on that panel were appointed by Democrats. Migrants wade past a string of buoys constructed to deter crossings through the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas, last year. ADREES LATIF/REUTERS FILE Biden administration, Texas duel in court Battle over floating barrier in Rio Grande Daniel Wiessner REUTERS WASHINGTON – An increasing number of foreign actors, including nonstate actors, are seeking to influence U.S. elections, and Russia, China and Iran, while the most significant, are far from alone, U.S. officials told a Senate committee on Wednesday. “Specifically, Russia remains the most active foreign threat to our elections,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said. “The Russian government’s goals in such influence operations tend to include eroding trust in U.S. democratic institutions, exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the United States, and degrading Western support to Ukraine.” Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s chairman, said declassified intelligence assessments identified not just Russia, China and Iran, but also Cuba, Venezuela, Islamic militants “and a range of foreign hacktivists and profit-motivated cybercriminals” as seeking to influence U.S. politics. “The barriers to entry for foreign malign influence – including election influence – have become almost vanishingly small,” Warner said. The senator listed foreign efforts to influence elections and public opinion, including harassment operations against candidates and impersonations of U.S. organizations, such as Russian imposter social media accounts purporting to represent the Tennessee Republican Party and the Black Lives Matter movement. “We’ve witnessed increasingly large numbers of Americans – of all political stripes – who simply do not trust U.S. institutions, from federal agencies and local law enforcement to mainstream media institutions, coupled with an increased reliance on easily manipulated internet media platforms,” Warner said. Congressional committees began looking into reported foreign – particularly Russian – efforts to influence American public opinion after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that entities backed by the Kremlin had sought to boost Republican Donald Trump’s chances of winning the White House in 2016. Moscow has denied involvement. Trump is running for reelection this year against Democratic President Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in 2020. As the election approaches, officials also are increasingly worried about the risks that artificial intelligence poses to elections, including by the use of convincing “deepfakes” that trick voters. Separately, a bipartisan group of senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, called on Congress on Wednesday to approve $32 billion in funding for AI research to keep the U.S. ahead of China in the powerful technology. Wednesday’s hearing was the intelligence panel’s first open hearing on the subject during the 2024 U.S. election cycle, with more scheduled, including a session with unspecified technology companies. Officials: Foreign attempts to sway US elections rising Patricia Zengerle REUTERS Democratic Sen. Mark Warner said declassified intelligence assessments identified not just Russia, China and Iran, but also Cuba, Venezuela and Islamic militants among those seeking to influence U.S. politics. JULIA NIKHINSON/REUTERS FILE
6NN | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK KYIV – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday announced a $2 billion fund to help Ukraine build up its defense industrial base, as he concluded a two-day visit aimed at reassuring the country reeling after Russia opened up a new front in its war last week. Blinken said the United States was working to quickly get more ammunition and weapons to the front lines to help Ukrainian forces fight a new Russian ground incursion into the northeastern Kharkiv region, which provided a gloomy backdrop to his fourth visit to Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 fullscale invasion. Blinken said the new funding, in the form of a “first-of-its-kind defense enterprise fund,” was coming at a “crucial time” and would help Kyiv get weapons it needs now. It would also “strengthen even more (Ukraine’s) capacity to produce what it needs for itself,” he said. Kyiv can also use the funding to buy arms from other countries, he added. The $2 billion in foreign military financing draws mainly from $61 billion appropriated for Ukraine last month, a U.S. official said. It includes $400 million of FMF that had not yet been allocated to a specific country and will now be going to Ukraine, the official said. The move follows a U.S.-Ukrainian agreement signed in December to speed weapons co-production and data sharing to help Ukraine’s defense industry. “We will continue to back Ukraine with the equipment that it needs to succeed, that it needs to win,” Blinken said in a news conference on Wednesday before departing Kyiv by train. Blinken earlier visited Brave1, part of a Ukrainian government initiative to promote collaboration in the defense sector. In one facility that makes singleuse drones capable of surveillance and carrying small payloads of explosives, a briefer explained to Blinken the constant need for advances to keep ahead of Russian efforts to down or sabotage the drones. The U.S. top diplomat was given a brief lesson in flying a drone, and said the United States was learning about the fast-evolving technology from Ukrainians who are “testing this in ways no one else is.” He also visited a company that makes high-tech prosthetics for amputees. At a grain transhipment facility, he praised Ukraine’s success pushing back the Russian Black Sea fleet that has helped to restore grain exports hit by Russian attacks on infrastructure and shipping. ‘Rushing military aid’ Kyiv has been on the back foot on the battlefield for months as Russian troops have slowly advanced, taking advantage of Ukraine’s shortages of troop manpower and artillery shells. Blinken said during his visit that Ukraine’s move to mobilize more of its population for the war was “a difficult decision but a necessary one.” Military aid from Washington, Kyiv’s main backer, was held up for months, blocked by Republicans in the U.S. Congress until they finally allowed a vote last month, when it passed with support from both parties. “We’re rushing ammunition, armored vehicles, missiles, air defenses – rushing them to get to the front lines to protect soldiers, to protect civilians,” Blinken said. Washington was “intensely focused” on making sure Ukraine gets Patriots and other air defense systems that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told him are urgently needed to protect people in Kharkiv, Blinken added. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmitro Kuleba told Blinken his visit “sends a message of encouragement not only to the people of Ukraine but most importantly to the troops, to our soldiers, who are heroically defending Ukraine” including in Kharkiv. Blinken stayed overnight in the Ukrainian capital that faces frequent air raids and power shortages as Russia targets energy infrastructure. The first senior U.S. official to visit since the new military aid was approved, Blinken sought to focus on Ukraine’s future, which he contrasted to Russia’s “strategic defeat” – the costs of the war to Moscow in terms of casualties, military hardware and international isolation. In a speech to university students, Blinken pledged enduring U.S. support not only for Ukraine’s defense, but for it’s efforts to become “a free, prosperous, secure democracy – fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community – and fully in control of its own destiny.” Zelenskyy postponed foreign trips Wednesday as Ukraine’s battlefield situation continued to deteriorate. Kyiv said fighting raged in the pivotal northeastern border town of Vovchansk. Blinken offers new US aid to Ukraine Kyiv reels from renewed attacks Simon Lewis REUTERS Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visit the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine outside the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv on Wednesday. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Ukrainian servicemen of the 92nd Assault Brigade use a rocket launcher to fire on Russian positions in the Kharkiv region on Wednesday. ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on Thursday for talks with Xi Jinping that the Kremlin hopes will deepen a strategic partnership between the two most powerful geopolitical rivals of the United States. China and Russia declared a “no limits” partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War II. By picking China for his first foreign trip since being sworn in for a six-year term that will keep him in power until at least 2030, Putin is sending a message to the world about his priorities and the depth of his personal relationship with Xi. In an interview with China’s Xinhua news agency, Putin praised Xi for helping to build a “strategic partnership” with Russia based on national interests and deep mutual trust. “It was the unprecedentedly high level of the strategic partnership between our countries that determined my choice of China as the first state that I would visit after officially taking office as president of the Russian Federation,” Putin said. “We will try to establish closer cooperation in the field of industry and high technology, space and peaceful nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, renewable energy sources and other innovative sectors,” Putin said. Putin, 71, and Xi, 70, will take part in a gala evening celebrating 75 years since the Soviet Union recognized the People’s Republic of China, which was declared by Mao Zedong in 1949. Reuters reported exclusively in March that Putin would travel to China in May. The United States casts China as its biggest competitor and Russia as its biggest nation-state threat while U.S. President Joe Biden argues that this century will be defined by an existential contest between democracies and autocracies. Putin and Xi share a broad worldview, which sees the West as decadent and in decline just as China challenges U.S. supremacy in everything from quantum computing and synthetic biology to espionage and hard military power. Putin will also visit Harbin in northeastern China, a city with strong ties to Russia. It was not immediately clear whether or not Putin would drop in on any other capitals in Asia after Beijing. China has strengthened its trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the United States and its allies imposed sanctions against both countries, particularly against Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine. The West says China has played a crucial role in helping Russia withstand the sanctions and has supplied key technology which Russia has used on the battlefield in Ukraine. But China, once the junior partner of Moscow in the global Communist hierarchy, remains by far the most powerful of Russia’s friends in the world – and its top supplier of crude oil. Putin’s arrival follows a mission to Beijing late last month by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in part to warn China’s top diplomat Wang Yi against deepening military support for Russia. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said that the two leaders would hold informal talks on Thursday evening over tea and that they would touch on Ukraine, Asia, energy and trade. Putin to visit Xi to deepen strategic partnership Russian leader sending message about priorities Guy Faulconbridge REUTERS In an interview with China’s Xinhua news agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for helping to build a “strategic partnership” with Russia based on national interests and deep mutual trust. SPUTNIK/SERGEI GUNEEV/POOL VIA REUTERS FILE The Russian embassy in Beijing is seen Wednesday. Putin and Jinping share a broad worldview, which sees the West as decadent and in decline just as China has begun to challenge U.S. supremacy across the board. HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | 7NN Lawmakers seek $32B to keep American AI ahead of China A bipartisan group of senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, on Wednesday called on Congress to approve $32 billion in funding for artificial intelligence research to keep the U.S. ahead of China in the powerful technology. The senators, including Republicans Mike Rounds and Todd Young and Democrat Martin Heinrich, announced the goal as part of a legislative roadmap to address the promises and perils of AI. If China is “going to invest $50 billion, and we’re going to invest in nothing, they’ll inevitably get ahead of us. So that’s why even these investments are so important,” Schumer said Wednesday. The roadmap could help the U.S. address mounting worries about China’s advances in AI. Washington fears Beijing could use it to meddle in other countries’ elections, create bioweapons or launch muscular cyberattacks. U.S. officials flagged concerns over China’s “misuse” of artificial intelligence in their first formal bilateral talks on the issue this week. Reuters reported this month that President Joe Biden’s administration is poised to open a new front in its effort to safeguard U.S. AI from China and Russia. FDA approves expanded use of Bristol Myers’ cancer cell therapy U.S. health regulators on Wednesday approved the expanded use of Bristol Myers Squibb’s cancer cell therapy Breyanzi for the treatment of adults with a type of blood cancer called follicular lymphoma that has returned or has not responded to prior treatments. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision marks the fourth approval for Breyanzi, which can now be used to treat patients who have received two or more prior lines of therapy. The approval provides an option with potential for lasting remission in a one-time infusion and a safety profile that allows for administration and monitoring in an increasing number of certified treatment centers in the U.S., Bryan Campbell, Bristol Myers’ head of commercial cell therapy, said in a statement. Breyanzi was first approved in the United States in 2021 as a second-line treatment for a type of blood cancer known as large B-cell lymphoma. The therapy belongs to a class of drugs known as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies that work by modifying white blood cells known as T-cells to attack cancer. Follicular lymphoma is a common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma where malignant cancer cells form in the lymph system. Most patients with follicular lymphoma are aged 50 years and older when they are diagnosed. Menendez’s motives, knowledge in dispute as criminal trial starts A federal prosecutor portrayed Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez at the start of his corruption trial as a greedy politician willing to help foreign governments and disrupt local criminal probes in exchange for bribes, including gold bars. The prosecutor, Lara Pomerantz, told jurors on Wednesday that New Jersey’s senior senator used his wife as a go-between, trying to help Egypt secure billions of dollars of U.S. military assistance, and aid the business and legal interests of two businessmen from his state linked to local criminal cases. “For years, Robert Menendez betrayed the people he was supposed to serve by taking bribes,” Pomerantz said in her opening statement in Manhattan federal court. “This case is about a public official who put greed first, who put his own interests about the duty to the people, who put his power up for sale,” Pomerantz added. Menendez’s lawyer Avi Weitzman disputed those claims in his opening statement. He called the three-term senator a “lifelong public servant” betrayed by his wife, Nadine Menendez, who “kept him in the dark” about her financial dealings, including with the businessmen. The senator has pleaded not guilty to 16 criminal charges including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent and obstruction. The trial could last until early July. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein seated 12 jurors and six alternates including a doctor, an investment banker, a commercial litigator, a retired economist and multiple therapists from a pool of 150 prospective jurors. Reuters IN BRIEF WASHINGTON – China has not responded to U.S. nuclear weapons riskreduction proposals and Washington has questions about Beijing’s call for no-first-use talks while China continues to build up its arsenal, the top U.S. arms control official said on Wednesday. Under Secretary of State Bonnie Jenkins told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the U.S. estimates China currently has 500 operational nuclear warheads and will probably have more than 1,000 by 2030. She said U.S. officials met with Chinese counterparts last November to discuss arms control and proliferation, their first such talks in nearly five years. “The meeting enabled a preliminary discussion on potential measures for managing and reducing risks,” she said. “Unfortunately … the PRC has declined a follow-on meeting and has not provided (a) substantive response to riskreduction suggestions we put forward,” she said, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China. Referring also to Russia, Jenkins said China’s nuclear buildup “raises the specter that United States may soon face two expansionary and significantly nuclear-armed peers.” “Beijing’s development of a larger, more diverse nuclear arsenal is deeply concerning, and raises questions about the trajectory of the PRC nuclear weapons program,” she said. Jenkins was asked about China’s call in February for states with the largest nuclear arsenals to negotiate a treaty on no-first-use of nuclear weapons against each other or to make a political statement in this regard. She said it was the first time the U.S. had heard such a proposal from China, underscoring the need for nuclear talks. “The proposal is one that we hadn’t had a conversation with them about, we didn’t know about and so we just have questions,” she said. “Our questions are, quite frankly, how does an idea for no-first-use really fit within their ongoing process of building up nuclear weapons? And how sincere are they … ?” Jenkins said Washington does not currently have a no-first-use policy, but did have one of not using weapons first on countries that abide by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Asked if the U.S. had not ruled out the idea of discussing a mutual no-firstuse policy with China as part of an overall negotiation on nuclear weapons, Jenkins said: “What I’m saying is that we had not heard anything about this, so we would have to take it back, think about it within the interagency, but we are not at this point entertaining the idea and we are not changing our policy right now.” US questions China’s no-first-use nuclear call David Brunnstrom REUTERS Under Secretary of State Bonnie Jenkins told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the U.S. estimates China currently has 500 operational nuclear warheads and will probably have more than 1,000 by 2030. DENIS BALIBOUSE/REUTERS FILE Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok had said earlier that Fico was in a lifethreatening condition while he remained in the operating room. “This assassination (attempt) was politically motivated and the perpetrator’s decision was born closely after the presidential election,” Sutaj Estok said, referring to an April election won by a Fico ally, Peter Pellegrini. The shooting in the central Slovak town of Handlova, which Slovak media said was carried out by a 71-year-old man, stunned the small central European nation and drew international condemnation. Slovakia, a member of NATO and the European Union, has little history of political violence. Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden joined Slovakia’s EU partners in expressing shock and condemnation of the shooting. The country of 5.4 million has seen polarized political debate in recent years, including the hard-fought presidential election last month that helped tighten Fico’s grip on power. Since returning as prime minister last October, Fico has shifted policy quickly. Opposition critics call it a power grab. His government has scaled back support for Ukraine while opening dialogue with Russia, sought to weaken punishments for corruption and dismantled a special prosecutor’s office, and is revamping the RTVS public broadcaster despite calls to protect media freedom. Fico has long been critical of Slovakia’s mainstream media, refusing to speak to some outlets. Members of his party blasted media and opposition actions in recent months. “I ask all to stop piling attacks, expressions of hate, on social networks, in the media, which are aimed at that or another political camp, regardless if it concerns the (government) coalition or the opposition,” said Sutaj Estok. After the attack, Fico was rushed to hospital in Handlova where he had been chairing a government meeting. He was then transported by helicopter to regional capital Banska Bystrica for urgent treatment. A Reuters witness heard shots as Fico exited a building to shake hands with a crowd of people who had been waiting to greet him. Police then wrestled a man to the ground. Slovak news media reported the shooter was a former security guard at a shopping mall, an author of three collections of poetry and a member of the Slovak Society of Writers. News outlet Aktuality.sk cited his son as saying his father was the legal holder of a gun license. “I have absolutely no idea what my father intended, what he planned, what happened,” it quoted the son as saying. Broadcaster TA3 reported the leftist prime minister had been hit in the abdomen in the attack. “I don’t think I will wake up from this,” 66-year-old Lubica Valkova told reporters on the scene. “This kind of thing just can’t happen in Slovakia.” Veteran leader Fico, a dominant force in Slovakia for two decades, has drawn criticism for taking a more pro-Russian stance in the Ukraine war. Describing the shooting as a “monstrous” crime, Putin said in a telegram sent to Slovakia’s President Zuzana Caputova: “I know Robert Fico as a courageous and strong-minded man. I very much hope that these qualities will help him to survive this difficult situation.” Biden offered U.S. help to Slovakia, saying in a statement: “We condemn this horrific act of violence.” Slovakia’s biggest opposition party Progressive Slovakia called off a planned protest and called for restraint to avoid escalating tensions. Parliament suspended debate indefinitely after the attack. In his career, Fico has moved between the pro-European mainstream and nationalistic positions opposed to EU and U.S. policies. He has also shown a willingness to change course depending on public opinion or changed political realities. An admirer of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Fico has grown increasingly critical of Western support for Ukraine in its war with invading Russian forces. Fico was forced to resign as premier amid mass protests in 2018 triggered by the contract killing of Jan Kuciak, a journalist who had been investigating high-level corruption. Those protests exacerbated divisions in Slovak society that still linger. Members of the Slovak prime minister’s security team detain a man after the shooting in Handlova, Slovakia, Wednesday. RTV PRIEVIDZA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is transferred to the F.D. Roosevelt University Hospital after he was wounded in Handlova, Slovakia, Wednesday. REUTERS Slovakia Continued from Page 1NN
8NN | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK with potentially hundreds of people inside were locked down and the people inside were instructed to shelter in place, Vasich said. Classes were canceled for the rest of the day, he said. The lecture hall was near the site of a student encampment similar to those at other universities that have led to mass arrests and clashes with police elsewhere in the country. Fighting in Gaza intensifies Israeli troops battled militants across Gaza on Wednesday, including in the southern city of Rafah that had been a refuge for civilians, in an upsurge of the war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Antagonism between Israel and the United Nations worsened as the Israeli army sought an explanation for footage showing armed men next to U.N. Palestinian relief agency vehicles. Separately, India was working to bring home the body of a U.N. staffer killed in Rafah by what the global body said was tank fire. Israeli forces have in recent days pressed into the east of Rafah in pursuit of what they say are four Hamas battalions despite warnings by Israel’s main ally, the United States, to hold off to avoid mass civilian casualties. The U.S. also wants Israel to produce a clear plan for Gaza’s future, a position that Secretary of State Antony Blinken underlined by saying neither Israeli occupation nor Hamas governance were acceptable. “We also can’t have anarchy and a vacuum that’s likely to be filled by chaos,” Blinken said during a visit to Ukraine. The remarks drew an apparent Israeli riposte, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying postwar planning was impossible without first completing the demolition of Hamas. Netanyahu was later publicly challenged over postwar plans for Gaza by his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who said he had tried to promote a blueprint for an alternative Gaza administration made up of Palestinians, but “got no response” from various decision-making cabinet forums under Netanyahu. “I call on the prime minister to announce that Israel will not rule over Gaza militarily,” Gallant said. “An alternative to Hamas governance should be established.” In an apparent response, Netanyahu said any move to establish an alternative to Hamas as the government of Gaza required that the Palestinian Islamist group first be eliminated, and demanded this goal be pursued “without excuses.” With fighting picking up across Gaza, residents said Israeli tanks had destroyed clusters of homes in the northern Jabalia district but faced heavy resistance from Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad said it had killed some foot soldiers in Jabalia. Israel’s military said it had eliminated many gunmen in the area, where it declared major operations over months ago. Investigation into UN fatality Israel said its troops had identified fighters in the central logistics compound of the U.N. Palestinian relief agency UNRWA east of Rafah, demanding an explanation. Reuters verified the location of video released by the Israeli army but could not verify when it was filmed or the identity of the men. “The U.N. has in part become a terrorist entity in itself because it cooperates with Hamas and covers for it,” Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan told Army Radio. UNRWA has denied cooperating with Hamas. A UNRWA spokesperson said the agency could not verify the authenticity or content of the video or the exact timing or location, but it was likely that the video showed a UNRWA warehouse in Rafah that staff left in the week of May 6. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the men were there to protect aid distribution. “These are false allegations and lies. This is a police force tasked with securing aid centers against acts of theft and looting,” Abu Zuhri told Reuters. US military pier starts moving The U.S. military has started moving a pier toward the Gaza coast, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, one of the last steps before the launch of a maritime port promised by President Joe Biden to speed the flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The U.S. military opted to pre-assemble the maritime pier at Israeli port of Ashdod earlier this month due to weather conditions at the Gaza site where it will now be installed. Officials hope aid can start flowing in the coming days. A British shipment of nearly 100 tons of aid has left Cyprus bound for a new temporary pier in Gaza, the British Foreign Office said on Wednesday. South Africa seeks halt to attack South Africa will ask the top U.N. court on Thursday to order a halt to the Rafah offensive as part of its case in The Hague accusing Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip. The hearings at the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, come after South Africa last week asked for additional emergency measures to protect Rafah. It also asked the court to order Israel to allow unimpeded access to Gaza for U.N. officials, organizations providing humanitarian aid, and journalists and investigators. Israel will respond on Friday. Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, James Mackenzie, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Stephanie van den Berg A devastated school building in the al-Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City in the northern part of the Palestinian territory is seen on Wednesday. AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Building Continued from Page 1NN U.S. Navy personnel construct a temporary pier which will provide a ship-to-shore distribution system to help deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza. U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS//FILE CAIRO – Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh blamed Israel on Wednesday for a deadlock in Gaza cease-fire negotiations and reiterated key demands including that any agreement provide a framework for a permanent end to Israel’s offensive in the enclave. Earlier this month, the Palestinian group said it agreed to a truce proposal from Qatari and Egyptian mediators that Israel previously accepted. Israel disputed this, saying the three-phase proposal approved by Hamas was unacceptable because terms had been watered down. Cease-fire talks in Cairo broke up this month with no agreement. “They also introduced amendments to the proposal that put the negotiation into a deadlock,” said Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, in a televised speech. Haniyeh said his group was determined to pursue all available ways to end the war in Gaza, leaving the door open to more mediation efforts, but he held to the group’s key demands. “Any efforts or agreement must secure a permanent cease-fire, a comprehensive pullout from all of the Gaza Strip, a real prisoner swap deal, the return of the displaced, reconstruction, and lifting the blockade,” said Haniyeh. Israel says it wants to reach a prisoners-for-hostages deal but has so far refused any commitment to end the military offensive in Gaza, which it said seeks to annihilate Hamas. Haniyeh, whose group has been running Gaza since 2007, rejected any postwar settlement in Gaza that excludes the group. “Hamas existed to stay,” he said. Israel says Hamas can’t have any role in ruling Gaza after the war is over. Its ally, the United States, says it wants to see Gaza and the West Bank reunited under Hamas’ rival, the Palestinian Authority, which currently has limited selfrule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Hamas: Israeli changes caused deadlock Nidal al-Mughrabi REUTERS Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said his group was determined to pursue all available ways to end the war in Gaza. AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES with anything else,” she said. Israeli troops battled militants across Gaza on Wednesday, including in Rafah, which had been a refuge for civilians, in an upsurge of the more than 7-monthold war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Gaza’s health care system has essentially collapsed since Israel began its military offensive there after the Oct. 7 cross-border attacks by Palestinian Hamas militants. Humanitarian workers sounded the alarm last week that the closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings into Gaza could force aid operations to grind to a halt. The Israeli assault on Gaza has destroyed hospitals across Gaza, including Al Shifa Hospital, the Gaza Strip’s largest before the war, and killed and injured health workers. The Biden administration is working to get a group of U.S. doctors out of Gaza after Israel closed the Rafah border crossing, the White House said on Wednesday. The State Department said earlier this week that the government was aware that American doctors were unable to leave Gaza, after the Intercept reported that upwards of 20 American doctors and medical workers were trapped in Gaza. The Palestinian American Medical Association, a U.S.-based nonprofit, said on Monday that its team of 19 health care professionals, including 10 Americans, had been denied exit from Gaza after a two-week mission providing medical services at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, a city near Rafah in southern Gaza. Israel seized and closed the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on May 7, disrupting a vital route for people and aid into and out of the devastated enclave. “We’re tracking this matter closely and working to get the impacted American citizens out of Gaza,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday. Jean-Pierre said the United States was engaging directly with Israel on the matter. The Biden administration has been warning Israel against a major military ground operation in Rafah, but JeanPierre said efforts to get the doctors out are continuing regardless of what happens there. “We need to get them out. We want to get them out and it has nothing to do US working to transfer trapped doctors out of Gaza Nandita Bose REUTERS White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday that efforts to get the doctors out are continuing regardless of what happens in Rafah. ELIZABETH FRANTZ/REUTERS
SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | 1NS SPORTSEXTRA SUBSCRIBER-EXCLUSIVE SECTION h The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight year by dispatching the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday night. h Luka Doncic delivered his second consecutive triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks moved one victory from the Western Conference finals with a 104-92 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. COVERAGE, 8NS NBA PLAYOFFS Celtics center Al Horford reacts after his 3-point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter during Game 5 of a second-round NBA playoff series on Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston. DAVID BUTLER II/USA TODAY SPORTS CELTICS CLIP CAVS; MAVS MOVE CLOSER Christmas Day for NFL marketing and ticket sales departments finally arrived Wednesday with the release of the 2024 season schedule. With subplots and peripheral angles multiplying before our eyes – hello, Netflix, welcome to NFL holiday football broadcasts - Field Level Media’s football-minded contributors assembled the top 25 games of 2024. 24. Cardinals at Jets, TBD: We’re grabbing our popcorn for one matchup, and one matchup alone: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. Top five draft picks likely to be near the top of the pecking order at their position for a decade. 23. Colts at Patriots, TBD: Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, meet Anthony Richardson, drafted fourth overall in 2023. Indianapolis appeared to have a hit on its hands before Richardson was shut down to undergo shoulder surgery. If he can stay healthy and Maye isn’t relegated to clipboard duty behind former Colts starter Jacoby Brissett, we’re eager to make early evaluations of purported franchise QBs. 22. Jaguars at Eagles, TBD: Young QBs and strong pass rush are common bonds, sure, but the plotline we’re looking at is the reception for Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson. He played for the Eagles (1999) but was essentially a coach-in-training for Donovan McNabb, then served as an assistant for Andy Reid and came back from a stint in KC for a five-year run that included a Super Bowl. 21. Bears at Texans, TBD: The Bears also get a meeting with the Carolina Panthers for the second consecutive season. With all due respect to Panthers 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, the top rookie quarterback last season was Houston’s C.J. Stroud. His numbers would have been the best ever single-season passing total for a Bears QB (4,108 to Erik Kramer’s team record of 3,803). Stroud had 26 TD passes including the playoffs despite missing time with a concussion). The Bears hitched their wagon to No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with the rookie carrying massive talent – and expectations - in Year 1. 20. Vikings at Giants, TBD: All of the QB uncertainty one can handle on the undercard, LSU products Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Malik Nabers NFL Top 25 games on league’s ’24 schedule FIELD LEVEL MEDIA See NFL, Page 2NS Defenseman Cale Makar scored two goals on Wednesday, helping the visiting Colorado Avalanche stave off elimination with a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series. The Stars hold a 3-2 lead in the bestof-seven series heading into Game 6 on Friday in Denver. Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon each collected a goal and an assist and Casey Mittelstadt also tallied. Alexandar Georgiev made 23 saves to help the Avalanche snap a three-game skid. “It’s still 3-2 them (in the series),” MacKinnon said. “They’re still in the driver’s seat and we’re still desperate. It’s do-or-die again on home ice. We’ve been good there all year, the last two weren’t great, but hopefully we can fix that.” Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen added, per Altitude TV, “Good team effort, gutsy road win. Now we have to reset STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS AVALANCHE 5, STARS 3 See AVALANCHE, Page 3NS Makar, Avs down Stars, extend series FIELD LEVEL MEDIA The Avalanche’s Artturi Lehkonen (62) and Cale Makar celebrate a goal by Makar against the Stars on Wednesday in Dallas. JEROME MIRON/USA TODAY SPORTS Inside h After taking a 3-0 series lead, the Rangers twice have allowed the Hurricanes to stave off elimination, and concern is creeping in heading into Thursday’s Game 6. 3NS h Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet threw down the gauntlet after a disappointing performance from a chunk of his squad during a Game 4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. 3NS
2NS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK NFL (Giants) in the main event. 19. 49ers at Seahawks, TBD: Maybe you overlooked it. There’s not a chance Brock Purdy did. He knows new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s defense – that of the Ravens - had him seeing ghosts in a five-interception laugher on Christmas Night last season. Macdonald’s new club has a bunch of crosstraining chess pieces determined to unseat the 49ers from the NFC West perch. 18. Jets at 49ers, Sept. 9: Week 1 on “Monday Night Football” is a familiar refrain for the Jets, who are hoping Aaron Rodgers has some magic left following a season-ending injury four snaps into his first start with the team in 2023. Rodgers is local – Chico, Calif., Butte JC and Cal - and went 6-3 against the 49ers with the Packers. Now 40 years old, he’ll try to tip the scales toward the Jets, who are 3-11 all-time in the series with San Francisco. Jets head coach Robert Saleh has known 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan since breaking into the NFL as a lowlevel assistant with the Texans 15 years ago and was defensive coordinator on his staff before taking over with the Jets. 17. Cowboys at Commanders, TBD: Dan Quinn gets his second chance as a head coach in Washington and to be the champ in the NFC East, he’ll have to take down his previous employer, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy. Given the amount of time Quinn spent with McCarthy and Dak Prescott, don’t discount the level of concern the Cowboys have entering two games vs. Washington. 16. Eagles vs. Packers (Brazil), Sept. 6: The youngest roster in the NFL last season belonged to the Packers, and nobody can fault what Green Bay did in the offseason. Head coach Matt LaFleur debuts his offense with Josh Jacobs at running back and a new-look defense. It’ll also be a big reveal game for the Eagles, unleashing their own big-ticket offseason item, Saquon Barkley, and a number of new faces on defense. 15. Falcons at Vikings, TBD: Welcome back, Kirk Cousins, congratulations on finding a team that didn’t want to invest in a young quarterback to insure its $100M guarantee to a 35-yearold starter coming off an Achilles injury. Oops. Cousins could be hailed or hated for bailing on the Vikings in free agency following 50 regular-season wins in six seasons of Skol-ing. 14. Ravens at Chargers, TBD: Los Angeles and new hire Jim Harbaugh welcome John Harbaugh and the Ravens with entertainment expected to be rich before, during and after a matchup of AFC heavyweights. John Harbaugh won the last meeting and survived a brief power outage at the Super Bowl in New Orleans to take home the Lombardi and deal Jim’s 49ers a painful defeat. 13. Steelers at Broncos, Week 2: Revenge games bring out the spirit and emotion you might not otherwise find in games that don’t include Mike Tomlin. Pittsburgh picked up Russell Wilson after he was scrapped at a cost north of $80 million to Denver by second-year head coach Sean Payton. Payton, of course, is still in town and brought in a rookie, Oregon’s Bo Nix, to train in the system that helped make Drew Brees a legend. Don’t look now, but Pittsburgh had a sneaky excellent offseason while the Broncos shed leaders and linchpins on both sides of the ball (Wilson, Justin Simmons, Jerry Jeudy). If reunions are your thing, Payton also heads back to New Orleans this season. 12. Jets at Bills, Week 17: We know they’ll get an earlier go at each other on “Monday Night Football” In October, but let’s give the season time to breath and Aaron Rodgers time to round back into form. He’ll be recently removed from his 41st birthday but should know the names of all of his wide receivers, a task Josh Allen might need more time to complete. 11. Ravens at Cowboys, TBD: Dak Prescott was great at home last season and Dallas fortified the offensive line through the draft. Whether new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has an answer for mobile quarterbacks – namely Lamar Jackson - might be the hot-button issue for the Cowboys. Baltimore’s No. 1-ranked defense in 2023 also traveled well last season, battering Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert and limiting those three teams to a combined 36 points in Ravens’ road wins. 10. 49ers at Packers, Nov. 24: Week 12 and the start of a pivotal, NFC-dominated, primetime featured stretch for Green Bay with nighttime marquee matchups at Detroit (Week 14) and Seattle (Week 15) ahead. Jordan Love’s two interceptions stopped the Packers short of an upset at San Francisco in the divisional playoffs in January. 9. Texans at Cowboys, TBD: C.J. Stroud appears to be special and the Texans made sure his supporting cast wouldn’t be a reason for a sophomore slump. But one warning: only the Bills and Patriots have a more difficult schedule based on 2023 results and offseason moves. Among the appealing underlying matchups: Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs vs. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs. 8. Bears at Packers, Jan. 5: The Week 18 finale was meaningful for Green Bay last season, and Jordan Love guided the Packers into the postseason to sweep the Bears and continue the trend Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers started. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams makes his first foray into the likely frozen tundra. Will the Bears be playing for more than a spoiler token? 7. Dolphins at 49ers, TBD: It was Dec. 4, 2022, and far more meaningful than we knew at the time when a seventh-round rookie – 49ers QB Brock Purdy - made his first career start with two TD passes in a 33-17 home win over the Miami Dolphins. Back to the scene come the Dolphins with former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel a solid bet to share some unknown intel about old boss Kyle Shanahan in the game week buildup. 6. Ravens at Chiefs, Sept. 5: Had this one been bumped back a couple months to multiply the meaningfulness in the standings and AFC playoff picture, it had an angle on a top three game of the 2024 regular season. Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes remains must-see for all the right reasons. 5. 49ers at Bills, Dec. 4: The weekafter-Thanksgiving primetime game on Sunday of Week 13 should be meaningful for teams with Super Bowl aspirations. 4. Rams at Lions, TBD: Two franchises on schedule to combine for more than $350 million in deposits into Jared Goff’s bank account are back at it with Detroit out to duplicate their playoff win in January over one-time Lions QB Matthew Stafford. 3. Ravens at Eagles, TBD: Star power on display? Check-check. Potential Super Bowl preview? Sure thing. Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Derrick Henry (Ravens) add firepower to a pair of offenses with explosive potential. 2. Lions at 49ers, TBD: Other than tackle eligible, think of another phrase that could spike Dan Campbell’s temperature more than “at San Francisco.” Didn’t think so. The Lions were halfway to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl leading the 49ers handily in the NFC Championship but coughed up a 17-point lead and bowed out of the playoffs in a 34-31 defeat instead. If Campbell circled this game on the schedule in ink, we’re guessing you can’t read it. 1. (tie) Chiefs at 49ers, TBD: Familiar enough to be rivals, the Chiefs left with the jewels in recent games that really mattered between teams with a combined 50-18 record the past two regular seasons. San Francisco took a lashing from the Chiefs, 44-23, at home in Oct. 23 before the dawning of the Brock Purdy era. 1. (tie) Bengals at Chiefs, TBD: Don’t forget Joe Burrow, he’s more than the highest-paid player in 2024. The Bengals quarterback is 3-1 against the Chiefs but was sidelined with a broken wrist when the teams played in 2023. Don’t look for a warm reception in Kansas City, where fans aren’t soon to forget Burrow’s boys calling the Chiefs’ stadium “Burrow-head” based on his success at the home of Patrick Mahomes. NFL Continued from Page 1 Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58. MARK J. REBILAS/USA TODAY SPORTS Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is 3-1 against the Kansas City Chiefs but missed the teams’ 2023 matchup. SAM GREENE/THE ENQUIRER - USA TODAY NETWORK The New York Giants will make their “Hard Knocks” debut this year on the long-running HBO docuseries, the network announced Wednesday. “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” will premiere on July 2. The Giants are preparing for their 100th season. The franchise opting to take part in this series is a headline unto itself. After all, co-owner John Mara made his stance crystal clear to the New York Daily News back in 2010. “That announcement will come,” Mara said at the time, “when I’m next to my father in the Gates of Heaven cemetery.” Well, Mara is still alive and “Hard Knocks” is calling as the Giants prepare for their centennial season. This five-part series marks the first time “Hard Knocks” has chronicled a team throughout the offseason, including free agency and the draft. “We are beyond thrilled that the New York Giants have opened their doors to the Hard Knocks cameras for the first time ever,” HBO executives Nancy Abraham, Bentley Weiner and Lisa Heller said in a statement. “The NFL offseason is a fascinating period that we’ve always wanted to explore and we can’t wait to show football fans everywhere what NFL Films has been capturing behind the scenes at the team’s headquarters.” Netflix to broadcast NFL’s Christmas Day games As the streaming service pointed out with Wednesday’s announcement, you can’t spell Netflix without NFL. Netflix has landed a three-year deal to serve as the exclusive host for two Dec. 25 games in 2024 and at least one game on the holiday in both 2025 and 2026. “There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts,” Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said. “We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix.” The 2024 Christmas Day lineup feature two games that could be key in the AFC playoff picture: the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. Jaguars play 2, No. 1 pick in London Sao Paolo to London to Munich, the NFL International Series dots the world map with games in three countries featuring two appearances by the Jacksonville Jaguars and an England visit for No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets play the Minnesota Vikings in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Oct. 6, a Week 5 matchup that marks Rodgers’ second career NFL game overseas. One week later, the Jaguars and Bears are at the same location in Jacksonville’s 12th international game. The Bears chose Williams at the top of the 2024 draft to pilot the rebuilt offense with weapons aplenty, including new additions Keenan Allen (via trade from the Los Angeles Chargers) and No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze at wide receiver. Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in 2021, is 3-1 in international games. He’ll be packing for two weeks because the team extends its England visit through Week 6 to play the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 20. Germany is host to the final international series game of the season on Nov. 10 pitting the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants. A Friday night Week 1 affair in South America was confirmed by the league weeks earlier with the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles meeting in Corinthians Arena in Brazil on Sept. 6. Amid turmoil, Fisher to lead Arena Football League Former NFL coach Jeff Fisher has been named interim commissioner of the Arena Football League. Fisher is taking the place of Lee Hutton, who didn’t have the support of team owners as the league attempted to reboot after four dormant seasons. He exited the job on Tuesday. The AFL began the season on April 27 with 16 teams. Since then, four franchises have either folded or pulled out of the league for the rest of the season. Two more have been moved to inactive status. NOTEBOOK Giants to make their ‘Hard Knocks’ debut Rookie Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Week 6 matchup in London. DAVID BANKS/USA TODAY SPORTS FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | 3NS STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS right away so we can ride this wave.” Joe Pavelski recorded a goal and an assist and Miro Heiskanen and Logan Stankoven also scored for the Stars. Jason Robertson notched two assists and Jake Oettinger turned aside 22 shots for Dallas, which played without threetime 30-goal scorer Roope Hintz (upper body). “This is a hard league to beat any team four times in a row, never mind the Colorado Avalanche when you’re in the conference semifinals and you’re down to eight teams in the league,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “You have to give them credit. They played a real good road game. Now we have to go down there and respond.” Stationed below the goal line, Mittelstadt banked the puck off Oettinger and into the net at 1:12 of the third period to give Colorado a 3-2 edge, the Avalanche’s first lead of the night. It was Mittelstadt’s third goal of the postseason and second in as many games. Makar, who scored a power-play goal late in the second period, doubled the lead at 4:28 of the third after his shot from the right circle handcuffed Oettinger. Stankoven halved the deficit by deflecting defenseman Esa Lindell’s point shot past Georgiev at 5:44 of the third period, his third of the playoffs. MacKinnon restored the two-goal edge at 16:50, wiring a shot past Oettinger for his fourth of the postseason. Pavelski said, “We need to bounce back as a group. Forwards, we can do a little better job. (Defense), up and down the lineup. There’s more out there for us.” In the first period, Robertson’s aggressive forecheck forced a turnover and sent the puck to Matt Duchene, whose one-touch pass found Pavelski on the doorstep for an easy conversion to open the scoring at 9:03. It was Pavelski’s first in the playoffs. Lehkonen forged a 1-1 tie with 0.6 seconds remaining in the first period after converting a power-play one-timer from MacKinnon for his sixth goal of the postseason. Heiskanen converted a goalmouth feed from Robertson off a two-on-none advantage to give Dallas a 2-1 lead at 11:39 of the second period. The goal was Heiskanen’s fifth of these playoffs and 15th career of his postseason career to tie Hall of Famer Sergei Zubov and Craig Hartsburg for most by a defenseman in franchise history. Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev and defenseman Devon Toews (7) celebrate defeating the Stars on Wednesday in Dallas. JEROME MIRON/USA TODAY Avalanche Continued from Page 1 The New York Rangers began the Stanley Cup playoffs with seven straight victories, but concern is creeping in heading into Game 6 of their Eastern Conference second-round game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C. The Rangers have twice allowed the Hurricanes to stave off elimination, losing 4-3 in Game 4 on Saturday in Raleigh and 4-1 in Game 5 on Monday in New York, leaving the Presidents’ Trophy winners clinging to a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. “Desperation is a funny thing. You can’t give it to somebody. You actually have to feel it, and you have to be in it,” New York coach Peter Laviolette said on Tuesday. “As we move into the next game, and you realize now that the window’s a little smaller, that desperation level rises.” Another loss and New York would be on the verge of becoming the fifth team in NHL history to lose a series after leading 3-0. Carolina feels like it might have found the combination and momentum to make that happen. “You had to have done something right to get there, so you’ve got to rely on that,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. Evgeny Kuznetsov has responded for the Hurricanes after being a healthy scratch in Game 2, scoring much-needed goals in each of the past two games. The veteran center, who was traded from the Washington Capitals on March 8 for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft, scored 1:51 into Game 4 to give Carolina a quick lead and a boost of confidence, then broke a 1-1 tie in the third period of Game 5. “He’s got that ability, right?” Brind’Amour said of Kuznetsov. “Just silky smooth and has a great offensive feel, there’s no doubt about it.” The Rangers are hoping for bounceback games from a few of their stars. Artemi Panarin, who led New York in goals (49) and assists (71) during the regular season, has gone scoreless the past two games while combining for just two shots on goal. Adam Fox, second on the team in assists during the regular season (56) and fourth in points (73), has gone three straight games without a point after contributing four assists in the previous four playoff games. “There’s a lot of things that happen that aren’t always reflected on the scoresheet, and I do think that he’s contributed in a lot of different ways,” Laviolette said of Fox, a former Norris Trophy winner. “Everybody can be a little better coming off the performance (Monday) night. Not talking about Adam, but just in general.” New York was hoping forward Filip Chytil could return after missing the past two games because of illness. He skated with the team on Tuesday but was not assigned a line during practice on Wednesday. Chytil was a 22-goal scorer in the 2022-23 campaign. Injuries limited him to 10 games during this regular season. Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce practiced on Wednesday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury on April 22, but he’s unlikely to play in Game 6. Regardless of who’s on the ice, Kuznetsov said he expects Game 6 to be a battle. “It’s two beautiful teams that (are) competing against each other,” he said. “It’s a dogfight now.” RANGERS VS. HURRICANES NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 3-2 After trailing 3-0, Canes trying to force a Game 7 Hurricanes center Evgeny Kuznetsov (92) scores a goal against Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin on Monday in New York. BRAD PENNER/USA TODAY SPORTS FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet threw down the gauntlet after a disappointing performance from a chunk of his squad during a Game 4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. How the Canucks react when they play host to the Oilers when the Western Conference semifinal series resumes on Thursday will be a fascinating study. After his team’s 3-2 loss that has the best-of-seven series tied 2-2, Tocchet said around a half-dozen of his players have not been up to par, to the point he’s questioning whether they even know what is at stake. Among those under the microscope are Elias Pettersson, who has only two even-strength points during the playoffs and has managed only one goal and three assists in 10 postseason games. “All fairness to him, I’m not sure he’s getting, sometimes, all the help he needs,” Tocchet said of Pettersson. “But in saying that, I think he can drive the play a little bit better. He can, when the puck comes to him, move his feet and be more dynamic. He’s got the skill set.” Pettersson said “good question” when asked if he knew why he was struggling and responded with “maybe” when it came to whether he is receiving enough on-ice support from his linemates, but he is well aware the time to make a positive difference is now. “I want to be better,” Pettersson said. “I want to be the difference maker. It hasn’t gone the way I want, but at the end of the day, we can’t dwell on it. We’ve got a game (Thursday) and I want to be at my best.” While the Canucks are searching for a rebound, the Oilers hit the road feeling back on track. Not only did Edmonton display the necessary fortitude it needed to with Evan Bouchard’s final-minute, gamewinning goal right after Vancouver erased a 2-0 deficit, but it also played solid defense all game. Edmonton is known for its offensive attack – case in point, the Oilers have scored at least one power-play goal in every game during their playoff run – but its defensive ability played a huge part in drawing even in the series. “I don’t think we gave up very many chances,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. Edmonton’s ability to limit Vancouver’s opportunities in Game 4 helped veteran goaltender Calvin Pickard earn a victory in his first NHL playoff start. “It’s a big win for us,” said Pickard, 32, who needed 19 saves for the victory. “It’s been a long time since making my debut and I haven’t gotten much playoff action at either level (the AHL or NHL), but it’s an exciting opportunity for me. The guys played great in front of me and now it’s the best-of-three.” And the Oilers, who hope their goaltending has been solidified after a few poor performances from No. 1 netminder Stuart Skinner led to the switch, believe they have found a formula to build on when the puck drops in Vancouver on Thursday. “When our backs are up against the wall, that’s when we show what we’re capable of,” said Bouchard, who has scored both of his team’s game-winning goals this series. “The experience we’ve had the past couple of years helps in this situation, but we know what we have. … We know it’s a special group, and we can’t let this slip.” OILERS VS. CANUCKS SERIES TIED 2-2 Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) battle for a loose puck on Sunday in Edmonton. PERRY NELSON/USA TODAY SPORTS Canucks aim to get back on track for Game 5 FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Colorado 5, Dallas 3 Colorado 1 1 3 — 5 Dallas 1 1 1 — 3 First Period—1, Dallas, Pavelski 1 (Duchene, Robertson), 9:03. 1, Colorado, Lehkonen 6 (MacKinnon), 19:59. Penalties—Drouin, COL (Tripping), 13:34. Suter, DAL (Stick Holding), 18:32. Second Period—1, Dallas, Heiskanen 5 (Robertson, Pavelski), 11:39. 1, Colorado, Makar 4 (Drouin, Rantanen), 17:24. Penalties—Toews, COL (Delay of Game), 11:20. Tanev, DAL (High-sticking), 16:16. Third Period—1, Colorado, Mittelstadt 3 (Parise, Girard), 1:12. 2, Colorado, Makar 5, 4:28. 1, Dallas, Stankoven 3 (Lindell), 5:44. 1, Colorado, MacKinnon 4 (Lehkonen, Manson), 16:50. Penalties—Lehkonen, COL (Cross-checking), 6:59. Rantanen, COL (Tripping), 16:59. Dallas bench, served by Marchment (Too many men), 18:49. Shots on Goal—Colorado 9-10-8—27. Dallas 8-8-11—27. Power-play opportunities—Colorado 2 of 3; Dallas 1 of 4. Goalies—Colorado, Georgiev 6-4-0 (27 shots-24 saves). Dallas, Oettinger 7-5-0 (27-22). A—18,532 (18,532).
4NS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK MLB William Contreras sparked a power surge with a three-run homer in the third inning as the host Milwaukee Brewers pummeled the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-2 on Wednesday afternoon. After Connor Joe put Pittsburgh up 1-0 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third, Milwaukee wasted little time crafting a response. Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick opened the home half of the frame with singles. Contreras then cleared the right field wall for his sixth home run of the season. Joey Ortiz proceeded to draw a oneout walk ahead of a two-run shot from Gary Sanchez that made it 5-1. Frelick added a solo shot in the fourth and Ortiz had one of his own in the fifth as the Brewers’ lead grew to 7-1, and Milwaukee cruised from there to take the rubber match of the three-game series. Rockies 8, Padres 0 Jordan Beck hit his first major league homer and drove in a career-best five runs and Austin Gomber delivered a strong start as visiting Colorado beat San Diego for its seventh straight win. Colorado has swept back-to-back series for the first time since taking four from Arizona and three from Toronto May 27-June 2, 2019, at Coors Field and swept a series in San Diego for the first time since 2013. The Rockies, who posted their first shutout of the season, have nearly doubled their win total for this season from eight to 15 games while holding the longest active winning streak in the majors. Donovan Solano had two hits for the Padres, who have lost three in a row. Colorado got to San Diego starter Michael King in the second. Brenton Doyle homered on the second pitch of the inning, Jake Cave followed with the first of his two singles, Elehuris Montero walked with one out and Beck followed with a two-run double to left to put the Rockies ahead 3-0. Yankees 4, Twins 0 Aaron Judge went 4-for-4 with three doubles and a home run, and New York pulled away for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis. Anthony Volpe and Giancarlo Stanton also drove in one run apiece for New York, which beat the Twins for the second game in a row. The Yankees will go for a series sweep on Thursday afternoon. Edouard Julien hit a double for Minnesota’s only extra-base hit. The Twins managed four hits on the night and were shut out for the second time this season. New York’s Marcus Stroman (3-2) limited Twins hitters to two hits in six shutout innings. He walked three and struck out two. Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez (4-3) gave up three runs on 10 hits in 61 ⁄3 innings. He walked none and struck out three. Orioles 3, Blue Jays 2 Adley Rutschman hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Baltimore a victory against visiting Toronto. Bo Bichette smacked a two-run double in the third inning for the Blue Jays and it looked like those would be enough as Baltimore’s offense stalled. After Monday’s 10-inning triumph to open the series and Tuesday’s rainout, the Blue Jays were trying to be the first American League East team to win a series against the Orioles in the last 17 matchups. Instead, it was a split. Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi allowed one run on six hits and one walk and struck out nine in 41 ⁄3 innings. Four relievers shut down the Orioles on three hits through the eighth. In the ninth, Jordan Westburg led off with an infield single against Jordan Romano (1-1) and Rutschman drilled his ninth homer of the season and third of the series. Marlins 2, Tigers 0 Trevor Rogers recorded his first win of the season and a quartet of relievers completed the Marlins’ second straight shutout of Detroit as Miami collected a road victory. Rogers (1-6) lasted the minimum five innings, giving up three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Rogers had given up 12 earned runs in 52⁄3 innings in his previous two starts. Declan Cronin, Andrew Nardi, Calvin Faucher and Tanner Scott finished off the shutout, with Scott notching his fifth save. Bryan De La Cruz delivered the big blow in the first inning with his ninth homer of the season. Carson Kelly led the Tigers’ offense with three hits and a walk. Detroit has been blanked five times. White Sox 2, Nationals 0 Korey Lee was 3-for-3 with an RBI and four Chicago pitchers combined on a shutout as the White Sox beat visiting Washington in the rubber game of a three-game series. The White Sox have won eight of their past 12 games and their second straight series. After Monday’s series opener was postponed by rain, the Nationals and White Sox split a doubleheader Tuesday. The punchless Nationals have lost six of their last 10 games, and were shut out for the second straight game. Washington lost its second straight series. Tommy Pham put the White Sox up 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning when he hooked a double into the leftfield corner, driving home Braden Shewmake. The ball took a sharply angled bounce off the bottom of the wall in the corner and Nationals left fielder Ildemaro Vargas struggled to corral it, allowing Shewmake to score from first base, which he had reached on a fielder’s choice. Diamondbacks 2, Reds 1 Brandon Pfaadt pitched seven quality innings and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to help Arizona to a win over visiting Cincinnati. In a pitchers’ duel, Pfaadt threw seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits while striking out nine and walking just two as Arizona took the rubber game of the three-game series. Andrew Abbott also pitched seven strong innings, allowing just four hits and one run, striking out four and walking a pair for the Reds, who have lost 12 of their last 14 games. In the second, Christian Walker launched his eighth home run of the season, giving Arizona - which has won 7 of its last 10 games – a 1-0 lead. Pfaadt retired the first eight Cincinnati hitters before walking Jacob Hurtubise in the third. However, Pfaadt fanned Will Benson for his sixth strikeout in the first three innings. Pfaadt got Jake Fraley to fly out and Mike Ford to ground out to first before striking out Spencer Steer to put a stamp on four hitless innings. Mariners 4, Royals 2 Bryan Woo allowed one run in 51 ⁄3 innings for his first victory of the season as Seattle defeated visiting Kansas City. Ty France homered for the American League West-leading Mariners, who took two of three games in the series. Woo (1-0), a right-hander making just his second start after opening the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation, gave up three hits, walked one and struck out five. Seattle’s Andres Munoz recorded the final five outs for his seventh save of the season. Munoz entered with runners at second and third and one out in the eighth with the Mariners leading 3-1. Phillies 10, Mets 5 Bryce Harper homered, doubled, singled and drove in three runs to lift host Philadelphia past New York. Kyle Schwarber added two hits and Cristian Pache knocked in two runs for the Phillies, who beat the Mets for the third day in a row. The prior two contests were in New York. Philadelphia won for the 12th time in 14 games. Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (8-0) tossed five innings and gave up four hits and two runs, both unearned, to go along with three strikeouts and two walks. J.D. Martinez had two hits, including a solo home run, and Mark Vientos and Tomas Nido each added two hits and an RBI for the struggling Mets, who fell for the fifth time in six games. Jeff McNeil contributed an RBI double. Mets starter Joey Lucchesi (0-1) lasted 41 ⁄3 innings and allowed five hits and five runs with two strikeouts and four walks. Rays 4, Red Sox 3 Yandy Diaz’s two-run single in the sixth inning was the difference as Tampa Bay edged past host Boston. The Diaz hit highlighted a three-run frame, and the relief trio of Shawn Armstrong, Pete Fairbanks and Kevin Kelly combined to throw three scoreless innings to finish the game. Kelly recorded his first save of the season for Taj Bradley (1-1), who struck out six while allowing just two runs on four hits over the first five innings. Jose Siri went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Tampa Bay, which has won two of the first three games in the four-game series. Jarren Duran went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored while Wilyer Abreu and Rafael Devers homered for the Red Sox. Cubs 7, Braves 1 Javier Assad threw six scoreless innings and visiting Chicago salvaged a game in its three-game series by beating Atlanta. Assad (4-0) allowed four hits and one walk and struck out seven. It was his 14th straight outing in which he has allowed two runs or fewer, a streak that dates back to Sept. 19, 2023. After being shut out in back-to-back games, the Cubs scored three times in the first inning, breaking Atlanta’s streak of 30 scoreless innings at home. Chicago finished with 13 hits. Mike Tauchman hit the first pitch of the game over the left field wall for his fourth homer of the year. The Cubs scored another run on Christopher Morel’s fielder’s-choice grounder, then went up 3-0 when Pete Crow-Armstrong was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Atlanta starter Charlie Morton (3-1) worked only three innings, the first time this season he failed to carry a game into the sixth. Morton allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits to go along with three walks and four strikeouts. Astros 3, Athletics 0 Framber Valdez logged seven shutout innings and Houston claimed a fourgame series against visiting Oakland with a victory. With the Astros in desperate need of length from their starter, Valdez (3-1) delivered. Houston burned through its bullpen while winning the opening two games of the series with four different relievers – Tayler Scott, Rafael Montero, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly – working both games. The left-handed Valdez met the challenge by facing the minimum through three innings and working around a two-out single by Oakland first baseman J.D. Davis in the fourth by retiring the next nine batters. Valdez ran into a spot of two-out trouble in the seventh. Shea Langeliers reached on a bad-hop single that handcuffed second baseman Jose Altuve before Zack Gelof worked a walk. Valdez responded by inducing his 11th and final groundball out, retiring Tyler Nevin to end the threat. Valdez allowed two hits and two walks while posting eight strikeouts. He threw 97 pitches, 59 for strikes. He also set the table for Houston to use only one reliever, right-hander Seth Martinez, who covered the final two frames by inducing a pair of inning-ending double plays for his first save. Rangers 4, Guardians 0 Jon Gray scattered four singles over 61 ⁄3 innings and Adolis Garcia homered and had two hits and two RBIs as Texas snapped a season-high five-game losing streak with a victory over Cleveland in Arlington, Texas. Marcus Semien also homered and Leody Taveras tripled and scored a run for Texas, which evened its home record for the season at 11-11. Gray (2-1) picked up the win, walking two and striking out three. Kirby Yates struck out the side after giving up a bloop single to Will Brennan to start the ninth and Jose Leclerc and David Robertson combined to allow just one hit over 12⁄3 innings of relief for the Rangers, who remained 11 ⁄2 games behind the firstplace Seattle Mariners in the American League West. Andres Gimenez had two hits for Cleveland, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Carlos Carrasco (2-4) took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out three. Angels 7, Cardinals 2 Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Taylor Ward hit solo home runs as Los Angeles defeated St. Louis in Anaheim, Calif. Willie Calhoun went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI for the Angels, who snapped a three-game losing streak by salvaging the finale of a threegame series. Los Angeles starting pitcher Griffin Canning (2-4) allowed one run on five hits and three walks in six innings. He struck out five. Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Cardinals, whose three-game winning ended. St. Louis starter Lance Lynn (1-2) gave up four runs on eight hits in five innings. He fanned five and walked two. Giants 4, Dodgers 1 Logan Webb snapped a personal three-game losing streak, Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-run home run and San Francisco salvaged a win in its threegame series against visiting Los Angeles. Heliot Ramos and Luis Matos also drove in runs for the Giants, who successfully rebounded from a 10-2 shellacking 24 hours earlier. One loss away from equaling a career-worst losing streak, Webb (4-4) blanked the Dodgers on three hits for six innings. He walked three and struck out five. It was the third time this season that the defending National League Cy Young Award runner-up pitched shutout ball for six or more innings. WEDNESDAY’S ROUNDUP Brewers crush 5 HRs in rout of the Pirates FIELD LEVEL MEDIA The Brewers’ William Contreras celebrates after hitting a three-run home run vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday in Milwaukee. BENNY SIEU/USA TODAY SPORTS
SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | 5NS MLB Baltimore 3, Toronto 2 TOR..............002 000 000 — 2 5 0 BAL.............100 000 002 — 3 11 0 Toronto AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Springer rf 4 1 1 0 1 0 .201 Varsho lf 4 0 0 0 1 1 .208 Guerrero Jr. 1b 4 1 1 0 0 2 .275 Bichette ss 3 0 2 2 1 0 .227 Jansen c 3 0 0 0 1 0 .298 Schneider 2b 2 0 0 0 2 0 .258 Kiner-Falefa 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .267 Vogelbach dh 2 0 0 0 0 1 .111 a-Turner ph-dh 2 0 0 0 0 0 .246 Clement 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .256 Kiermaier cf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .225 Totals 32 2 5 2 6 6 Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Westburg 3b-2b 5 2 2 1 0 3 .301 Rutschman dh 4 1 2 2 1 1 .314 Mountcastle 1b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .272 Henderson ss 3 0 0 0 1 0 .259 Santander rf 4 0 2 0 0 1 .220 O’Hearn rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .290 Mateo 2b-cf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .243 Cowser lf-cf-lf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .252 McCann c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .215 Mullins cf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .183 d-Hays ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .130 c-Stowers pr-lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 ... b-Urias ph-3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .179 Totals 34 3 11 3 3 12 a-popped out for Vogelbach in 6th. b-struck out for Stowers in 8th. c-ran for Hays in 7th. d-doubled for Mullins in 7th. 2B: Springer (5), Bichette (6), Kiermaier (3), Santander (11), Mateo (7), Hays (1). HR: Westburg (7), Rutschman (9). RBI: Bichette 2 (15), Westburg (28), Rutschman 2 (27). SB: Springer (7), Varsho (5). S: Mateo. Runners left in scoring position: Toronto 7 (Varsho, Bichette, Jansen, Schneider 2, Clement, Kiermaier), Baltimore 6 (Henderson 2, Mullins 3, Urias). RISP: Toronto 2 for 13. Toronto IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Kikuchi 4.1 6 1 1 1 9 88 2.60 Pop 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 13 2.57 Cabrera H, 3 0.1 2 0 0 0 0 11 5.52 Garcia H, 6 1.2 1 0 0 2 1 17 0.53 Mayza H, 7 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 3 6.75 Romano L, 1-1 BS, 1 0.0 2 2 2 0 0 8 5.06 Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Bradish 4.0 4 2 2 2 3 85 2.63 Webb 1.0 0 0 0 3 1 32 1.40 Perez 1.1 0 0 0 1 1 16 7.11 Baumann 1.2 0 0 0 0 1 21 3.63 Coulombe W, 1-0 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 15 2.16 Cabrera pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. Inherited runners: Pop 1-1, Garcia 2-2, Mayza 2-2, Baumann 1-1. IBB: Garcia 2 (3). Umpires: HP-Fairchild, 1B-Miller, 2B-O’Nora, 3B-Conroy. T: 3:05. A: 29,578 (45,971). Miami 2, Detroit 0 MIA..............200 000 000 — 2 4 0 DET............. 000 000 000 — 0 7 0 Miami AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Chisholm Jr. cf 3 1 1 0 1 1 .252 De La Cruz rf 4 1 1 2 0 1 .256 Bell 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .212 Rivera 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .203 Sanchez dh 3 0 0 0 1 1 .231 Burger 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .176 a-Gray pr-3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Gordon lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .224 e-Myers ph-lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .273 Lopez 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .282 Brujan ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Fortes c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .127 Totals 31 2 4 2 2 8 Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Vierling lf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .266 c-Greene ph-lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .239 Ibanez 2b-3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .304 Perez cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .289 Canha dh 3 0 1 0 1 2 .241 Urshela 3b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .270 d-Keith ph-2b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .171 Carpenter rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .271 b-Rogers ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Torkelson 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .220 Baez ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .167 Kelly c 3 0 3 0 1 0 .215 f-McKinstry pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .213 Totals 34 0 7 0 2 8 a-ran for Burger in 9th. b-grounded out for Carpenter in 9th. c-fouled out for Vierling in 7th. d-flied out for Urshela in 6th. e-flied out for Gordon in 7th. f-ran for Kelly in 9th. HR: De La Cruz (9). RBI: De La Cruz 2 (24). Runners left in scoring position: Miami 1 (Myers), Detroit 3 (Greene, Urshela 2). Miami IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Rogers W, 1-6 5.0 3 0 0 2 6 83 5.79 Cronin H, 1 1.2 1 0 0 0 1 22 1.33 Nardi H, 5 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 3 6.23 Faucher H, 3 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 20 2.30 Scott S, 5 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 20 2.00 Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Mize L, 1-2 6.0 2 2 2 1 6 90 3.50 Holton 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 8 3.43 Vest 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 17 4.00 Brieske 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 23 0.00 Inherited runners: Nardi 1-1. HBP: Ibanez. Umpires: HP-Bucknor, 1B-Beck, 2B-Iassogna, 3B-May. T: 2:25. A: 19,806 (41,083). Milwaukee 10, Pittsburgh 2 PIT ................001 000 100 — 2 8 0 MIL ............ 005 113 00x — 10 13 1 Pittsburgh AB R H BI BB SO Avg. McCutchen dh 4 2 3 1 0 0 .211 Reynolds lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Suwinski lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .172 Joe 1b 3 0 0 1 0 0 .286 Cruz ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .266 Williams ss 1 0 0 0 0 1 .240 Olivares rf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .225 Gonzales 2b-3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .222 Triolo 3b-2b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .193 Bart c 4 0 2 0 0 1 .229 Taylor cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .219 a-Tellez ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .176 Totals 34 2 8 2 1 7 Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Contreras dh 5 1 3 4 0 0 .359 Adames ss 4 0 0 0 1 1 .250 Ortiz 2b 2 2 2 1 2 0 .277 Sanchez c 5 1 2 2 0 1 .243 Perkins cf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .213 b-Roller ph-cf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Monasterio 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .063 Miller 1b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .125 Chourio lf 4 2 2 2 0 1 .219 Frelick rf 4 3 3 1 0 1 .257 Totals 36 10 13 10 3 10 a-flied out for Taylor in 9th. b-struck out for Perkins in 6th. E: Gasser. 2B: Frelick (6). 3B: Contreras (1). HR: McCutchen (5), Contreras (6), Ortiz (4), Sanchez (6), Chourio (5), Frelick (2). RBI:McCutchen (10), Joe (22), Contreras 4 (34), Ortiz (12), Sanchez 2 (13), Chourio 2 (15), Frelick (10). SF: Joe. Runners left in scoring position: Pittsburgh 3 (McCutchen, Cruz, Taylor), Milwaukee 2 (Monasterio 2). RISP: Milwaukee 2 for 5. GIDP: Joe, Perkins. DP: Pittsburgh 1, Milwaukee 1. Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Perez L, 1-3 5.0 11 9 9 1 4 86 4.86 Ortiz 2.0 2 1 1 2 5 48 3.04 Ryan 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 10 2.77 Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gasser W, 2-0 5.0 6 1 1 1 2 82 0.82 Payamps 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 14 5.14 Koenig 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 14 3.31 White 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 25 9.00 Perez pitched to 2 batters in the 6th. HBP: Ortiz. Umpires: HP-Whitson, 1B-Miller, 2B-Moore, 3B-Eddings. T: 2:22. A: 32,848 (41,700). Chicago 2, Washington 0 WAS.............000 000 000 — 0 3 1 CHW ..............001 001 00x — 2 9 1 Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Young cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .262 Senzel 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .205 a-Rosario ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .176 Vargas lf-3b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .313 Meneses 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .226 Ruiz dh 4 0 0 0 0 3 .141 Adams c 2 0 1 0 1 0 .231 d-Winker ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .228 Lipscomb 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .252 c-Garcia Jr. ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .283 Robles rf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .125 Nunez ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000 b-Abrams ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .261 Totals 31 0 3 0 5 10 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Pham cf-rf 4 0 2 1 0 0 .319 Vaughn 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .205 Jimenez dh 3 0 0 0 1 1 .216 DeJong ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .248 Benintendi lf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .200 Lee c 3 0 3 1 0 0 .309 Sheets rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .230 Fletcher cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .203 Remillard 2b 2 0 1 0 1 0 .357 Shewmake 3b 3 1 0 0 0 0 .125 Totals 30 2 9 2 2 1 a-grounded out for Senzel in 8th. b-flied out for Nunez in 9th. c-struck out for Lipscomb in 9th. d-walked for Adams in 9th. E: DeJong. 2B: Adams (5), Pham (4), Benintendi (4). RBI: Pham (10), Lee (10). SB: Young (14), Vargas (3), Meneses (2), Jimenez (2), Lee (2). Runners left in scoring position: Washington 7 (Meneses, Ruiz 2, Lipscomb, Robles, Nunez, Abrams), Chicago 4 (DeJong 2, Sheets, Remillard). RISP: Chicago 1 for 6. GIDP: Remillard. DP: Washington 3. Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Corbin L, 1-4 5.2 6 2 2 2 0 82 5.59 Law 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 4 3.08 Floro 1.2 2 0 0 0 1 20 0.41 Garcia 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5.68 Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Crochet W, 4-4 5.0 3 0 0 3 6 89 4.18 Shuster H, 2 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 24 2.25 Leasure H, 7 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 9 1.96 Kopech S, 5 1.0 0 0 0 2 2 33 3.32 Inherited runners: Law 1-0, Garcia 1-1. WP: Crochet. Umpires: HP-Gonzalez, 1B-Tichenor, 2B-Ceja, 3B-Blaser. T: 2:16. A: 11,008 (40,615). Arizona 2, Cincinnati 1 CIN .............. 000 010 000 — 1 3 0 ARI................010 000 01x — 2 6 0 Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Benson cf 4 0 1 0 0 3 .194 Fraley rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .300 Ford 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .179 Steer 2b-lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .242 Candelario 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .230 Capel dh 3 0 0 0 0 0 .167 Espinal ss-2b 3 1 1 1 0 1 .200 Maile c 1 0 0 0 1 1 .145 a-De La Cruz ph-ss 1 0 0 0 0 0 .258 Hurtubise lf 2 0 0 0 1 1 .000 Stephenson c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .245 Totals 30 1 3 1 2 10 Arizona AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Marte 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .289 Grichuk rf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .274 c-Smith ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .258 b-Carroll pr-cf 0 1 0 0 0 0 .193 Gurriel Jr. lf 3 0 1 1 1 1 .231 Walker 1b 4 1 2 1 0 1 .264 Suarez 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .220 Moreno c 2 0 0 0 1 0 .243 Alexander dh 3 0 0 0 0 1 .253 McCarthy cf-rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .281 Newman ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .262 Totals 29 2 6 2 2 6 a-grounded out for Maile in 8th. b-ran for Smith in 8th. c-doubled for Grichuk in 8th. 2B: Candelario (10), Smith (3), Gurriel Jr. (9). HR: Espinal (2), Walker (8). RBI: Espinal (14), Gurriel Jr. (25), Walker (28). Runners left in scoring position: Cincinnati 1 (Espinal), Arizona 2 (Walker, Moreno). RISP: Arizona 1 for 4. GIDP: Grichuk. DP: Cincinnati 1. Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Abbott 7.0 4 1 1 2 4 95 3.06 Cruz L, 1-4 1.0 2 1 1 0 2 22 4.50 Arizona IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Pfaadt 7.0 2 1 1 2 9 93 4.17 Thompson W, 1-1 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 11 1.00 Sewald S, 2 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 8 2.25 Umpires: HP-Baker, 1B-Merzel, 2B-Carlson, 3B-Scheurwater. T: 1:59. A: 16,826 (48,405). Colorado 8, San Diego 0 COL............. 032 002 010 — 8 12 0 SD ............... 000 000 000 —040 Colorado AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Blackmon dh 5 0 1 0 0 0 .237 Tovar ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .275 McMahon 3b 5 1 1 0 0 2 .304 Trejo 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .080 Rodgers 2b 5 0 0 0 0 2 .257 Doyle cf 4 2 1 1 1 2 .281 Cave rf 4 2 2 0 0 0 .245 Stallings c 4 1 2 2 0 1 .320 Montero 1b 3 1 1 0 1 1 .227 Beck lf 4 1 3 5 0 0 .235 Totals 38 8 12 8 2 9 San Diego AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Profar lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .322 Tatis Jr. rf 1 0 0 0 2 1 .256 a-Merrill ph-cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .288 Cronenworth 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .265 Machado dh 4 0 0 0 0 3 .222 Bogaerts 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .213 Solano 3b 3 0 2 0 1 0 .462 Campusano c 4 0 0 0 0 2 .267 Kim ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .204 Wade ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Azocar cf-rf 2 0 0 0 1 1 .286 Totals 30 0 4 0 4 9 a-flied out for Tatis Jr. in 8th. 2B: Montero (5), Beck (2). HR: Doyle (5), Beck (1). RBI: Doyle (13), Stallings 2 (11), Beck 5 (6). SB: Profar (3). S: Tovar. Runners left in scoring position: Colorado 4 (Tovar, Rodgers, Beck 2), San Diego 3 (Machado, Campusano, Kim). RISP: Colorado 3 for 11. DP: Colorado 1. Colorado IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gomber W, 1-2 6.0 2 0 0 2 5 92 3.02 Lawrence 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 20 4.41 Mears 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 19 4.58 Lambert 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 16 7.30 San Diego IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA King L, 3-4 5.1 8 6 6 2 7 89 4.31 Estrada 1.2 1 1 1 0 1 19 0.93 Brito 2.0 3 1 1 0 1 31 4.43 Inherited runners: Estrada 1-0. Umpires: HP-Ripperger, 1B-Ortiz, 2B-Marquez, 3B-Barrett. T: 2:26. A: 33,951 (40,019). Seattle 4, Kansas City 2 KC................. 000 001 010 — 2 6 1 SEA.................010 100 11x — 4 9 1 Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Frazier 3b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .193 Witt Jr. ss 3 0 0 2 0 2 .293 Pasquantino 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .236 Perez dh 4 0 1 0 0 2 .323 Massey 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .235 Renfroe rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .154 a-Blanco pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293 Melendez lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .177 Fermin c 4 2 2 0 0 1 .258 Isbel cf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .212 Totals 33 2 6 2 1 9 Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Rojas 2b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .330 Rodriguez cf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .266 Haniger dh 3 0 1 0 1 1 .216 b-Rivas pr-dh 0 1 0 0 0 0 .333 Raleigh c 4 1 1 0 0 1 .218 Raley rf 4 0 2 1 0 1 .276 France 1b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .243 Canzone lf 3 1 1 0 0 1 .229 Moore ss 2 0 0 0 1 1 .210 Urias 3b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .154 Totals 31 4 9 3 2 8 a-ran for Renfroe in 9th. b-ran for Haniger in 8th. E: Frazier, Urias. 2B: Frazier (3), Perez (10), Canzone (2). HR: France (4). RBI: Witt Jr. 2 (23), Rojas (9), Raley (11), France (14). CS: Rodriguez (4). SB: Raley (3). SF: Witt Jr.. Runners left in scoring position: Kansas City 3 (Pasquantino, Perez, Fermin), Seattle 2 (Rojas 2). RISP: Kansas City 1 for 9, Seattle 3 for 9. DP: Kansas City 1. Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Marsh L, 3-1 5.0 5 2 1 1 7102 2.43 Smith 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 17 7.24 Duffey 0.2 1 1 1 0 1 12 4.32 Zerpa 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 7 1.56 Anderson 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 12 4.70 Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Woo W, 1-0 5.1 3 1 1 1 5 79 0.93 Speier H, 5 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 9 3.38 Stanek H, 7 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 8 4.40 Voth H, 1 0.1 2 1 1 0 0 9 3.12 Munoz S, 7 1.2 1 0 0 0 3 33 1.47 Inherited runners: Zerpa 1-0, Speier 2-2, Munoz 2-1. Umpires: HP-Wolf, 1B-Blakney, 2B-Barber, 3B-Jimenez. T: 2:57. A: 22,233 (47,480). Philadelphia 10, N.Y. Mets 5 NYM ............. 101 000 030 — 5 9 2 PHI ........... 100 042 30x — 10 10 2 N.Y. Mets AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Nimmo lf 4 0 0 0 1 0 .215 Alonso 1b 5 1 1 0 0 1 .225 Lindor ss 3 1 0 0 1 0 .200 Martinez dh 5 1 2 1 0 0 .295 Vientos 3b 4 1 2 1 0 1 .455 Marte rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .255 Bader cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .265 McNeil 2b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .236 Nido c 4 0 2 1 0 1 .229 Totals 36 5 9 4 3 3 Philadelphia AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Schwarber dh 4 1 2 1 1 1 .225 Realmuto c 4 0 1 1 0 1 .273 Stubbs c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .114 Harper 1b 5 2 3 3 0 0 .271 Bohm 3b 4 1 1 0 1 0 .331 Castellanos rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .206 Stott 2b 2 2 0 0 1 0 .276 Sosa ss 3 2 1 1 1 0 .313 Pache lf 2 1 0 2 1 1 .219 Rojas cf 3 1 1 1 0 0 .233 Totals 32 10 10 9 5 3 E: Lindor, McNeil, Pache, Rojas. 2B: Alonso (9), Vientos (1), McNeil (8), Harper (7). HR: Martinez (2), Harper (10). RBI: Martinez (6), Vientos (3), McNeil (8), Nido (3), Schwarber (26), Realmuto (16), Harper 3 (32), Sosa (8), Pache 2 (5), Rojas (14). SB: Lindor 2 (6). SF: Pache. S: Rojas. Runners left in scoring position:N.Y. Mets 4 (Lindor, Marte 2, Bader), Philadelphia 2 (Schwarber, Castellanos). RISP: N.Y. Mets 2 for 9, Philadelphia 4 for 11. GIDP: Alonso. DP: Philadelphia 1. N.Y. Mets IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Lucchesi L, 0-1 4.1 5 5 5 4 2 68 10.38 Hartwig 1.2 2 2 1 0 0 21 5.79 Houser 2.0 3 3 1 1 1 41 7.44 Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Suarez W, 8-0 5.0 4 2 0 2 3 83 1.37 Turnbull H, 1 3.0 5 3 3 1 0 54 2.11 Dominguez 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 4 6.60 Inherited runners: Hartwig 1-1. HBP: Lindor, Stott. WP: Suarez. Umpires: HP-Knight, 1B-Guccione, 2B-Morales, 3B-Additon. T: 2:43. A: 37,219 (42,792). Tampa Bay 4, Boston 3 TB ................ 000 103 000 —470 BOS............... 100 101 000 —382 Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Diaz 1b 4 0 1 2 1 1 .253 Lowe dh 5 0 1 0 0 1 .300 Arozarena lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .156 Aranda 2b 3 1 0 0 1 1 .000 DeLuca rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281 Paredes 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .302 Palacios rf-2b 3 1 1 0 0 0 .269 Caballero ss 4 1 1 0 0 3 .252 Rortvedt c 3 0 0 0 1 1 .300 Siri cf 4 1 2 1 0 1 .176 Totals 34 4 7 3 3 12 Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Duran cf 3 1 2 0 0 0 .263 Abreu rf 4 1 1 1 0 2 .283 Wong c 3 0 1 1 0 0 .340 Devers 3b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .281 O’Neill lf 4 0 0 0 0 4 .256 Smith dh 4 0 1 0 0 2 .167 Cooper 1b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .194 Hamilton 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .204 Rafaela ss 3 0 0 0 1 0 .207 Totals 33 3 8 3 1 12 E: Cooper, Devers. 2B: Duran 2 (11). HR: Abreu (4), Devers (5). RBI: Diaz 2 (21), Siri (13), Abreu (15), Wong (15), Devers (15). CS: Caballero (7). SF: Wong. Runners left in scoring position: Tampa Bay 4 (Lowe, Aranda, Rortvedt 2), Boston 4 (Abreu 2, Wong, Hamilton). RISP: Tampa Bay 2 for 10. GIDP: Diaz, Devers. DP: Tampa Bay 1, Boston 1. Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Bradley W, 1-1 5.0 4 2 2 1 6 83 2.45 Maton H, 9 1.0 3 1 1 0 1 14 5.40 Armstrong H, 3 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 12 4.22 Fairbanks H, 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 7 6.30 Kelly S, 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 15 3.06 Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Houck L, 3-5 5.2 5 3 1 3 7 112 2.17 Weissert BS, 2 0.1 2 1 0 0 1 9 1.53 Booser 2.0 0 0 0 0 4 27 2.63 Anderson 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 9 4.12 Inherited runners: Weissert 2-0. HBP: Palacios, Duran. Umpires: HP-Cuzzi, 1B-Tosi, 2B-Randazzo, 3B-Hanahan. T: 2:29. A: 30,016 (37,755). Chicago 7, Atlanta 1 CHC .............301 010 020 — 7 13 0 ATL ...............000 000 100 —181 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Tauchman lf 5 1 2 1 0 2 .266 Suzuki rf 5 2 2 1 0 0 .280 Bellinger dh 4 0 2 0 1 0 .263 Morel 3b 5 0 0 1 0 0 .212 Busch 1b 4 2 1 0 1 1 .252 Mastrobuoni ss 3 1 1 0 2 0 .154 Madrigal 2b 4 0 3 0 0 0 .234 Crow-Armstrong cf 4 1 2 2 0 2 .255 Gomes c 4 0 0 1 0 3 .188 Totals 38 7 13 6 4 8 Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Harris II cf 5 0 1 0 0 1 .258 Bregman (19), Dubon (16). SF: Bregman, Dubon. Runners left in scoring position: Oakland 2 (Langeliers, Nevin), Houston 1 (Altuve). GIDP: Langeliers, Harris, Brown, Diaz. DP: Oakland 1, Houston 3. Oakland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Brooks L, 0-1 7.0 7 3 3 1 5 84 3.86 McFarland 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 9 4.58 Ferguson 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.00 Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Valdez W, 3-1 7.0 2 0 0 2 8 97 2.95 Martinez S, 1 2.0 0 0 0 2 1 30 2.63 Inherited runners: Ferguson 1-1. Balk: Valdez (1). Umpires: HP-Bacchus, 1B-Gibson, 2B-Diaz, 3B-Estabrook. T: 2:04. A: 28,124 (41,168). N.Y. Yankees 4, Minnesota 0 NYY ..............111 000 100 — 4 13 1 MIN ............ 000 000 000 —040 N.Y. Yankees AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Volpe ss 4 0 1 1 0 1 .269 Soto rf 5 1 1 0 0 2 .310 Judge cf 4 2 4 2 1 0 .255 Verdugo lf 5 0 2 0 0 0 .248 Stanton dh 4 0 2 1 0 0 .243 Rizzo 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .256 Torres 2b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .216 Trevino c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .291 Cabrera 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .262 Totals 37 4 13 4 2 4 Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Julien 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .229 Larnach dh 3 0 0 0 1 2 .313 Jeffers c 3 0 0 0 1 0 .283 Kepler rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .318 Correa ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .273 Castro cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .266 Santana 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .207 Kirilloff lf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .207 a-Margot ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .175 Miranda 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .270 Totals 31 0 4 0 4 6 a-grounded out for Kirilloff in 9th. E: Volpe. 2B: Soto (8), Judge 3 (13), Verdugo (8), Julien (6). HR: Judge (11). RBI: Volpe (22), Judge 2 (29), Stanton (22). SB: Torres (4). SF: Volpe. Runners left in scoring position: N.Y. Yankees 6 (Soto, Stanton 2, Rizzo, Torres, Cabrera), Minnesota 4 (Kepler, Correa, Miranda 2). RISP: N.Y. Yankees 5 for 15. GIDP: Soto, Rizzo, Correa. DP: N.Y. Yankees 1, Minnesota 2. N.Y. Yankees IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Stroman W, 3-2 6.0 2 0 0 3 2 91 3.33 Weaver 2.0 2 0 0 1 3 31 2.25 Ferguson 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 13 6.00 Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Lopez L, 4-3 6.1 10 3 3 0 3 96 3.93 Funderburk 1.2 2 1 1 1 1 29 4.58 Staumont 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 17 0.00 Umpires: HP-Visconti, 1B-Clemons, 2B-Fletcher, 3B-Muchlinski. T: 2:38. A: 22,235 (38,544). Texas 4, Cleveland 0 CLE ..............000 000 000 —061 TEX.............. 000 022 00x — 4 7 0 Cleveland AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Freeman cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .195 Gimenez 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .261 Ramirez 3b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .249 Naylor 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .261 Brennan rf 3 0 1 0 1 0 .238 Manzardo dh 4 0 1 0 0 2 .148 Arias ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .224 Florial lf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .189 Hedges c 2 0 0 0 0 1 .139 a-Naylor ph-c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .176 Totals 32 0 6 0 2 9 Texas AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Semien 2b 4 1 1 2 0 0 .276 Seager ss 3 0 1 0 1 1 .238 Lowe 1b 3 1 0 0 1 3 .299 Garcia rf 4 1 2 2 0 0 .259 Smith 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .271 Heim c 2 0 0 0 2 0 .277 Jankowski dh 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Duran lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .288 Taveras cf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .254 Totals 31 4 7 4 4 4 a-popped out for Hedges in 7th. E: Naylor. 3B: Taveras (2). HR: Semien (8), Garcia (10). RBI: Semien 2 (31), Garcia 2 (34). Runners left in scoring position: Cleveland 2 (Naylor, Naylor), Texas 6 (Semien 2, Heim 2, Taveras 2). RISP: Texas 2 for 8. GIDP: Naylor, Heim. DP: Cleveland 1, Texas 1. Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Carrasco L, 2-4 5.0 5 2 2 1 3 75 5.16 Sandlin 0.1 1 2 2 1 0 11 2.57 Strzelecki 1.2 1 0 0 1 1 31 0.00 Avila 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 17 3.86 Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gray W, 2-1 6.1 4 0 0 2 3 94 2.08 Leclerc 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 9 6.62 Robertson 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 16 2.49 Yates 1.0 1 0 0 0 3 16 1.04 Inherited runners: Leclerc 1-1. HBP: Florial, Duran. WP: Leclerc. Umpires: HP-Rehak, 1B-Vondrak, 2B-Wegner, 3B-Dreckman. T: 2:26. A: 29,276 (40,518). L.A. Angels 7, St. Louis 2 STL ............... 000 001 010 —291 LAA ............ 400 001 20x — 7 14 0 St. Louis AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Carpenter dh 4 0 0 0 1 2 .259 Nootbaar rf 4 0 2 0 1 0 .206 Goldschmidt 1b 4 1 1 1 1 2 .206 Arenado 3b 5 0 0 0 0 2 .258 Burleson lf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .280 Herrera c 3 0 1 0 1 1 .276 Donovan 2b 4 0 2 1 0 1 .227 Winn ss 3 0 1 0 1 1 .281 Siani cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .232 Totals 34 2 9 2 5 10 L.A. Angels AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Schanuel 1b 4 1 2 1 1 0 .244 Guillorme 3b 3 1 2 0 2 1 .333 Ward lf 5 1 2 1 0 2 .269 Calhoun dh 5 2 3 1 0 1 .319 Pillar rf 3 1 2 1 0 1 .328 O’Hoppe c 4 0 0 0 0 3 .260 Moniak cf 4 0 1 1 0 1 .186 Neto ss 4 1 2 1 0 0 .250 Paris 2b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .125 Totals 35 7 14 6 4 10 E: Winn. 2B: Nootbaar (7), Burleson (6), Calhoun 2 (8). HR: Goldschmidt (4), Schanuel (4), Ward (8), Neto (4). RBI: Goldschmidt (15), Donovan (20), Schanuel (15), Ward (26), Calhoun (4), Pillar (18), Moniak (8), Neto (14). CS: Neto (5). SB: Pillar (4). S: Siani. Runners left in scoring position: St. Louis 6 (Nootbaar, Goldschmidt, Arenado 2, Donovan, Siani), L.A. Angels 4 (Calhoun, O’Hoppe, Moniak 2). RISP: St. Louis 1 for 10, L.A. Angels 3 for 12. DP: St. Louis 1. St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Lynn L, 1-2 5.0 8 4 4 2 5106 4.17 Robertson 1.2 6 3 3 0 3 39 3.86 Roycroft 1.1 0 0 0 2 2 33 1.80 L.A. Angels IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Canning W, 2-4 6.0 5 1 1 3 5 99 5.21 Moore 1.0 0 0 0 2 2 34 6.19 Garcia 1.0 3 1 1 0 2 24 5.19 Estevez 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 16 5.68 Inherited runners: Roycroft 1-1. HBP: Pillar. WP: Lynn. Umpires: HP-Vanover, 1B-Rackley, 2B-Tomlinson, 3B-Segal. T: 2:57. A: 21,961 (45,517). San Francisco 4, L.A. Dodgers 1 LAD .............. 000 000 010 —171 SF ................. 002 001 01x — 4 7 0 L.A. Dodgers AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Betts ss 4 0 2 0 1 0 .348 Ohtani dh 4 0 2 0 1 2 .364 Freeman 1b 4 1 2 0 1 1 .297 Smith c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .315 Muncy 3b 3 0 0 1 0 2 .223 Hernandez lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .243 Lux 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .194 Pages rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .260 Outman cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .151 Totals 33 1 7 1 4 10 San Francisco AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Yastrzemski rf 4 1 2 2 0 0 .223 Estrada 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .239 Chapman 3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .206 Wade Jr. 1b 3 1 0 0 1 1 .314 Ramos lf 4 0 1 1 0 2 .310 Matos cf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .250 Sabol dh 4 0 1 0 0 2 .357 Schmitt ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .136 Casali c 2 1 1 0 1 0 .500 Totals 31 4 7 4 3 6 E: Betts. 2B: Ramos (2). HR: Yastrzemski (4). RBI: Muncy (28), Yastrzemski 2 (14), Ramos (5), Matos (6). SF: Muncy. Runners left in scoring position: L.A. Dodgers 4 (Freeman, Smith, Hernandez 2), San Francisco 2 (Estrada, Matos). RISP: San Francisco 1 for 4. GIDP: Schmitt. DP: L.A. Dodgers 1. L.A. Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Hernandez L, 0-1 6.0 4 3 3 1 3 91 4.50 Salazar 2.0 3 1 0 2 3 45 0.00 San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Webb W, 4-4 6.0 3 0 0 3 5103 3.03 Hjelle H, 2 0.2 1 0 0 0 1 8 3.21 Miller H, 6 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 4 4.79 Rogers H, 7 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 20 2.75 Doval S, 7 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 24 3.18 Inherited runners: Miller 1-1. HBP: Smith. Umpires: HP-Wendelstedt, 1B-Tumpane, 2B-Hudson, 3B-Mahrley. T: 2:23. A: 36,027 (41,331). Albies 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .280 Ozuna dh 4 0 1 0 0 2 .327 Olson 1b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .219 d’Arnaud c 3 0 1 0 1 1 .260 Duvall rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .210 Arcia ss 3 1 1 0 0 0 .250 a-Williams ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Kelenic lf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .261 Short 3b 4 0 2 1 0 1 .263 Totals 34 1 8 1 2 11 a-was hit by a pitch for Arcia in 9th. E: Morton. 2B: Suzuki (5), Bellinger (4), d’Arnaud (10), Arcia (12), Short (2). 3B: Crow-Armstrong (1). HR: Tauchman (4), Suzuki (4). RBI: Tauchman (13), Suzuki (15), Morel (28), Crow-Armstrong 2 (9), Gomes (5), Short (2). SB: Crow-Armstrong (4). SF: Gomes. Runners left in scoring position: Chicago 7 (Morel, Gomes 6), Atlanta 3 (Harris II 2, Arcia). RISP: Chicago 3 for 11, Atlanta 1 for 8. GIDP: Ozuna. DP: Chicago 1. Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Assad W, 4-0 6.0 4 0 0 1 7 86 1.49 Brown 2.0 4 1 1 0 3 28 3.78 Little 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 14 6.30 Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Morton L, 3-1 3.0 5 4 3 3 4 76 3.52 Kerr 3.0 5 1 1 0 2 39 1.50 Chavez 2.0 2 2 2 0 1 23 2.20 Stephens 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 17 2.70 HBP: Madrigal, Crow-Armstrong, Williams. Umpires: HP-De Jesus, 1B-Johnson, 2B-Wolcott, 3B-Valentine. T: 2:30. A: 36,623 (41,184). Houston 3, Oakland 0 OAK .............000 000 000 — 0 2 1 HOU..............200 100 00x —381 Oakland AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Toro dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 .287 Rooker lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .288 Davis 1b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .207 b-Soderstrom ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .316 Langeliers c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .218 Gelof 2b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .184 Nevin rf-3b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .235 Schuemann ss 2 0 0 0 1 1 .224 Harris 3b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .139 a-Bleday ph-cf 0 0 0 0 1 0 .248 Ruiz cf 2 0 0 0 0 2 .216 c-Brown ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .179 Totals 27 0 2 0 4 9 Houston AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Altuve 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .312 Tucker rf 3 1 1 0 1 0 .279 Alvarez dh 4 0 1 0 0 0 .257 Bregman 3b 3 0 0 1 0 1 .221 Pena ss 4 1 2 0 0 1 .333 Diaz c 3 0 1 0 0 1 .271 Loperfido cf 3 0 1 0 0 2 .323 Dubon 1b 2 0 0 1 0 0 .287 Cabbage lf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .231 Totals 29 3 8 2 1 5 a-walked for Harris in 8th. b-walked for Davis in 9th. c-grounded into a double play for Ruiz in 8th. E: Gelof, Bregman. 2B: Tucker (10). RBI: WEDNESDAY’S BOX SCORES Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Austin Gomber throws a pitch against the Padres during the first inning of Wednesday’s game at Petco Park in San Diego. ORLANDO RAMIREZ/USA TODAY SPORTS The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge warms up during Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis. MATT BLEWETT/USA TODAY SPORTS
6NS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK NGI ends on amazing final putt It had been a long day in the desert, and Jinger Heath probably had more golf to play. Heath was hitting a few putts, in case a playoff was on the horizon for the individual trophy at the National Golf Invitational. Her Jacksonville State teammates suggested she have a seat in the shade instead. Heath, the freshman from Hartselle, Alabama, who is famous for needing little (if any) time to warm up, suggested they worry about head coach Robbie Fields instead. Normally Heath only hits a few drives on the range before going to the first tee, but, “at this one I didn’t want Robbie to freak out on me,” Heath joked. “So I made sure to get an hour in of warming up.” Heath posted rounds of 70-72-71 at the National Golf Invitational at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona, to reach 3 under. When she came off the golf course Sunday afternoon, Victoria Levy from North Carolina-Wilmington and Kelsey Kim from Santa Clara still had two or three holes to left, and both were hovering around 3 under, too. Levy, a UNCW who transferred from Central Florida, had been even par through 13 holes before making three birdies and a bogey in her closing hole. Her final-round of 70 left her tied with Heath. “After the round, Robbie was like, ‘OK, Jinger, if you’re going into a playoff, you need to be prepared,’” Heath said. “I’m like, I am prepared. What have I been doing all semester? He said you need to stay loose. I said I’ve hit 71 shots today, I think I’m loose enough.” Coach and player strode to the No. 18 together, the first playoff hole, where Heath drew honors off the tee. Heath aimed for a particular bunker in the background, just like she had all week, and hit the fairway. Her second shot landed a couple feet off the green and she lined up the birdie putt at the left edge. “Every putt I get over, I tell myself to make it,” she said. “So I was like, make it.” Remarkably, it hung on the edge before taking “one tumble” into the hole and giving Heath a postseason individual title in her first year of college golf. And in her mind, there’s no better way to win a tournament than with a playoff birdie. — Julie Williams COLLEGE Powered by GOLFTHISWEEK Valhalla hosts second major of year The second men’s major championship of the year has arrived as the game’s best players have made their way to Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. Ten years ago, Rory McIlroy claimed the Wanamaker Trophy at this historic golf course for his fourth major title. The Northern Irishman is entering this week in good form, winner of his last two starts (Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Wells Fargo Championship). Who to watch Rory McIlroy: After winning the Wells Fargo Championship, McIlroy mentioned the stars might be aligning. In 2014, McIlroy entered the PGA Championship at Valhalla with back-to-back wins. In 2024, McIlroy enters the PGA Championship at Valhalla with back-to-back wins. Does that really mean anything? No, probably not. But what it does show is McIlroy is getting his game back. Since the Players, he’s 25th in SG: Putting. He was third in SG: Approach at the Valero Texas Open and fourth at the Wells Fargo. And, of course, the driver is clicking (he gained over six shots on the field at Quail Hollow off the tee). Brooks Koepka: It’s Brooks Koepka, it’s the PGA Championship, do I have to say anything else? He’s coming off a win at LIV Golf Jeddah and sounds pretty darn motivated after putting up a stinker at the Masters last month. Don’t overthink this one. Max Homa: If we’re going off Data Golf’s course comparison, it’s tough not to like Homa’s chances. He’s won at Quail Hollow (2019) and is coming off a solid week where he tied for eighth in Charlotte. At the Masters earlier this year, Homa finally had his breakthrough performance in a major, eventually tying for third. It’s time for Max to win a big one. Cam Smith: The Aussie is quietly having a great year on the golf course. Since withdrawing from LIV Golf Miami with an illness, Smith has finished T-6 at the Masters, T-14 at LIV Golf Adelaide and T-2 at LIV Golf Singapore. Patrick Reed: Did this name surprise you? Yeah, it probably should have, but let’s take a look at what Reed has done recently. He tied for 12th at the Masters in April. He’s finished T-18, T-34 and T-17 at his last three PGA Championships. — Riley Hamel PGA TOUR Wie West announces pregnancy Jimmy Fallon asked for a drum roll shortly after Michelle Wie West joined him on the set Monday night. Wie West, tournament host of this week’s Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National, was there to promote her new documentary, “Dream Big: The Michelle Wie Story,” but she also had some exciting personal news. Wie West, 34, and husband Jonnie West will welcome a baby boy later this year. Daughter Makenna, turns 4 years old next month. “My daughter is so excited, she’s telling everyone, like way before we told anyone else,” Wie West told Fallon. “Her teacher called us over, and said, ‘Can I talk to you for a second? She was like, are you?’ We did IVF this time and (Makenna) kept saying, ‘Oh, my parents are going to L.A. to get the baby.’ “ Wie West retired from professional golf last summer after teeing it up in her final U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. She won five times on the LPGA, including the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Her new documentary airs on Saturday, May 18, on NBC. Wilson considering pro move Rose Zhang won’t be the only defending champion on hand at this week’s Mizuho Americas Open. Yana Wilson, winner of the inaugural junior edition of the Mizuho Americas Open, run by the AJGA, returns to Liberty National looking for her own repeat. One of the most unique aspects of the Mizuho, hosted by Michelle Wie West, is the interaction junior players enjoy with LPGA pros. They share the same dining room, locker room, range and tee times as the junior event runs concurrently. Pros and juniors even exchange phone numbers as part of a big sister program. Wilson, 17, of Henderson, Nevada, has taken the opportunity to ask a number of players about their decisions to play college golf or skip that step and go straight to the pros. In the end, Wilson finds herself leaning toward what she’s long thought. “It’ll be very last minute if I do go to college,” said Wilson, who is committed to Oregon, “but my mind is pretty much set on turning pro straight out of high school, and it’s always been like that. College is kind of plan B for me, and I told my coach that when I first committed to college.” — Beth Ann Nichols LPGA TOUR With storylines ranging from Scottie Scheffler’s return to the course to Rory McIlroy’s quest to end his major drought to Tiger Woods’ latest attempt to recapture the magic, golf’s greatest questions and most compelling figures have converged at the PGA Championship. Usually considered the sport’s least popular major, the PGA Championship has plenty going for it this week when it gets underway Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. Scheffler is the prohibitive favorite to win even as he comes back from a multi-week break to attend the birth of his first child, a son named Bennett. When the golfing world last saw Scheffler, he was winning everything in sight, including the Masters and the RBC Heritage (a signature event) in back-to-back weeks. Scheffler has obtained two green jackets but has yet to win any other major. If he prevails this week at Valhalla, the calendar Grand Slam wouldn’t be pie in the sky. “I may win a lot of major championships. I may be stuck at two the rest of my career. It doesn’t really concern me in the moment,” Scheffler said. On the opposite end of the spectrum is McIlroy, the Northern Irishman who is filing for divorce and hasn’t won a major in 10 years. He’s arrived at the site of his last major triumph, the 2014 PGA, riding the wave of the consecutive wins at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans (a team event won with Shane Lowry) and last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, where he led the field in driving and ranked top-10 in every relevant stat. If Scheffler and McIlroy are the dueling favorites, Brooks Koepka should be right on their tails. Not only is Koepka the defending champion after a victory at Oak Hill last May, he has won three of the past six editions of the event. “I’m just looking forward to a major championship,” the member of LIV Golf said. “That’s kind of my – (it) gets my excitement going. Something I look forward to all year. So yeah, look, I always enjoy competing against these guys, and anytime you get the best, it’s always good, and you just want them to play their best, too. You want to go out and win it.” Something Scheffler, McIlroy and Koepka have in common this week besides major pedigree is the ability to drive the golf ball better than the rest. Valhalla, a par-71 course, will measure 7,609 yards this week, and players will need to be both long and straight to contend. “I think this is a golf course that allows you to play with freedom because it’s a big golf course,” McIlroy said. “The corridors are wide, not too dissimilar to last week at Quail Hollow, so you can open your shoulders up off the tee and try to take your chances from there.” McIlroy isn’t the only star who’s proved himself at Valhalla. Woods won the 2000 PGA Championship here, the third leg of his 2000-01 “Tiger Slam,” by beating Bob May in a three-hole playoff. Woods, 48, is sure to attract his own crowds this week as he plays the PGA for the second time since 2020 after a made cut at the Masters. He withdrew after making the cut at the 2022 PGA and did not play in 2023 as he needed post-Masters ankle surgery. PGA CHAMPIONSHIP No shortage of intrigue, storylines at Valhalla Rory McIlroy reacts to his shot off the 13th tee box during practice for the PGA Championship on Wednesday. CLARE GRANT/COURIER JOURNAL REUTERS No. 29 seed Alejandro Tabilo isn’t ready to end his surprising run in Rome, taking down China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday to move on to the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Chilean will face third-seeded German Alexander Zverev, who turned back No. 11 seed Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3. Tabilo, who knocked out the world’s No 1 player, Novak Djokovic, in the third round, claimed the only service break in each of the two sets and completed the victory in one hour, 27 minutes. “I can’t believe it right now,” he said. “I’m still trying to just soak this in. I’m just so happy. “I felt pretty good on court, pretty solid. I was just trying to do my job and play my best tennis.” The left-hander was impressive on his first serves, winning 33 of 40 points, and sealed the victory with his seventh ace of the match. “It’s definitely the best tennis of my life right now,” Tabilo said, “but I was trying to keep a poker face there, because inside I was so nervous. … “So I was just trying to be loose, trying to smile out there at the end, and thank god I served so well at the end.” Zverev avoided drama, too, outside of a tumble in the third game of the match. After appearing concerned with his hand or wrist, however, he resumed his high level of play and went on to a straight-sets triumph over Fritz. “Taylor has been one of the best players on clay this year. To have a win like that is great for me, especially after the fall,” Zverev said. “I still have a little bit of pain, so once the adrenaline settles I’m going to check out tomorrow what it is. But definitely happy with the win.” Zverev was particularly strong with his forehand. Thursday brings the other pair of quarterfinal matches as 14th-seeded Tommy Paul faces No. 7 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, and Greek No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on No. 21 Nicolas Jarry of Chile. Sabalenka, Collins to square off in Rome semifinals Any worries about Aryna Sabalenka’s ailing lower back were put to rest when the World No. 2 defeated Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4 in an efficient 72 minutes to move into the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. “I was testing my body on the warmup and I felt, ‘OK, I’m probably going to go on the court and play,’” she told reporters of the injury she suffered in her most recent match against Elina Svitolina. “And I’m super happy I was able to play without pain today. Hopefully, with every day I will feel better and better.” In the semifinals, Sabalenka will face No. 13 seed Danielle Collins, who defeated No. 24 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday. Sabalenka beat Collins in three sets in the fourth round at the Mutua Madrid Open on April 29. The other semifinal will pit top seed Iga Swiatek of Poland against thirdseeded Coco Gauff on Thursday. Collins and Gauff will be the first two American women to compete in the semifinal round in Rome since 2016, when Serena Williams and Madison Keys accomplished the feat. TENNIS ROUNDUP Tabilo, Zverev reach semis after straight-set victories FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Chile's Alejandro Tabilo celebrates winning his quarterfinal match against China's Zhang Zhizhen on Wednesday. CLAUDIA GRECO/REUTERS
SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | 7NS SOCCER Elias Manoel scored on a stunning, 35-yard rainbow half-volley just before halftime, Lewis Morgan added his team-leading ninth goal of the season and the visiting New York Red Bulls defeated D.C. United 4-1 on Wednesday night. Manoel also had an assist on Cameron Harper’s goal for New York, which has now won three in a row in the alltime series between the teams. Cory Burke added an insurance tally in second-half stoppage time for the Red Bulls (6-2-5, 23 points), who won consecutive matches for the second time this season. Goalkeeper Carlos Coronel made four stops in the victory. His best came in the 82nd minute to deny Christian Benteke a 12th goal that would have given him sole possession of the MLS scoring lead. Lucas Bartlett scored off a secondhalf corner to cut D.C.’s deficit to two. But the Black and Red got no closer on a night they conceded three or more goals at home for the third time this season. Portland 4, San Jose 2 Felipe Mora scored the tiebreaking goal on a 90th-minute penalty kick as the host Timbers rallied from a late twogoal deficit to defeat the 10-man Earthquakes and snap a nine-match MLS winless streak (0-6-3). Evander scored on a penalty kick in the 74th minute and assisted on Jonathan Rodriguez’s goal in the 80th for the Timbers (3-6-4, 13 points), who won for the first time since March 9. Rodriguez added an insurance goal in the final minute of second-half stoppage time. Amahl Pellegrino and Hernan Lopez scored three minutes apart in the first half for San Jose (3-9-1, 10 points), which had a three-match unbeaten streak (2-0-1) come to an end. It was quite a show for two teams that entered the match tied for last place in the Western Conference. With the Earthquakes up 2-0, the complexion of the match changed in the 72nd minute. Columbus 3, Montreal 1 Diego Rossi scored the go-ahead goal and Steven Moreira had two assists as Columbus Crew earned their first win in two months, defeating host CF Montreal. Rossi scored in the 59th minute to make it 2-1, and Marino Hinestroza extended the lead to 3-1 in the 89th, five minutes after entering the match. The Crew (4-2-6, 18 points) ended a seven-match winless streak (two losses, five draws) since defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-0 on March 16. Montreal (3-6-3, 12 points) has lost three straight and is winless in five matches, including a 0-0 tie at Columbus on April 27. Max Arfsten put Columbus ahead in the 19th minute before Mathieu Choiniere’s penalty kick in the second minute of first-half stoppage time leveled the score 1-1. NYC FC 2, Philadelphia 1 Alonso Martinez and Hannes Wolf had a goal each in the first half as New York City FC dealt the Union another loss at home. NYCFC (6-5-2, 20 points), who won just once in its first seven matches, is 5- 1-2 over their past eight matches. The Union (3-4-5, 14 points) have now dropped four in a row at Subaru Park, their longest home losing streak in club history. Julian Carranza scored Philadelphia’s goal. Martinez staked New York City to an early lead, as he stuck a Santiago Rodriguez cross past Oliver Semmle for a 1-0 lead in the second minute. Philadelphia controlled much of the play for the remainder of the half, but NYCFC doubled its lead in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. A free kick from Hannes Wolf to the right of the Union box sailed into the far upper left corner to make it 2-0 just minutes before halftime. LAFC 2, St. Louis 0 Denis Bouanga scored twice to lift Los Angeles FC to their first road win. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made seven saves for Los Angeles (6-4-3, 21 points) to earn his first MLS shutout. St. Louis (3-2-7, 16 points) lost at home for the first time this season (3- 1-3). Lloris was tested in the 16th minute and came up big to deny St. Louis on a penalty kick. Omar Campos was called for a handball after video review, bringing Joao Klauss to the spot. A diving Lloris stretched out his right hand to keep the ball out and then stayed tight to the left post to get his leg on Anthony Markanich’s attempt on the rebound. St. Louis also had an opportunity in the 21st minute when Rasmus Alm tried to feed Klauss on the left side, but Los Angeles defender Jesus Murillo got his leg on it to direct it away. Nashville 2, Toronto 0 Substitute Shaq Moore scored in the 81st minute and Teal Bunbury added an insurance goal 10 minutes later as Nashville SC ended their lengthy winless rut against visiting, short-handed Toronto FC. Moore, who came on at the beginning of the second half, was the recipient of teammate Walker Zimmerman’s header from the near side of the box. Amid goalmouth traffic, Moore managed to be in the right spot to pounce on the ball and bundle it across the goal line. Fellow sub Bunbury sealed the match when he put home a perfect cross from Tyler Boyd in the first minute of stoppage time to give Nashville (3-4-5, 14 points) its second victory in three matches. The result ended Nashville’s 0-2-3 rut against the Toronto FC (6-6-1, 19 points), which has dropped two straight after winning three in a row. Toronto was without goalkeeper Sean Johnson and defender Richie Laryea, plus coach John Herdman, who were all suspended Wednesday as result of the post-match brawl with members of New York City FC from Saturday. TFC were also minus key offensive contributor Federico Bernardeschi after he picked up a red card against NYCFC, but were stout defensively for most of a match where each club posted seven overall shots. Nashville showed signs early of being aggressive against undermanned Toronto, and the hosts dominated possession in the opening half. However, Nashville managed just one overall shot and none on target as TFC tightened their spacing and prevented any hint of transition. Real Salt Lake 2, Seattle 0 Diego Luna had a goal and an assist in Real Salt Lake’s win over the visiting Sounders. Red-hot Salt Lake is 6-0-3 in its last nine regular-season matches, giving RSL (7-2-4, 25 points) a four-point cushion for the Western Conference lead. The Sounders (3-6-4, 13 points) were shut out for the sixth time this season, ending the club’s own three-match (2- 0-1) unbeaten run in MLS matches. Andres Gomez put RSL ahead in the 27th minute, and Luna’s 58th-minute strike sealed an impressive all-around performance from the home squad. Real Salt Lake held 59.2 percent of the possession and outshot Seattle by a 21-9 margin (9-2 shots on target). Cincinnati 1, Atlanta 0 Kevin Kelsy’s seventh-minute goal held up for FC Cincinnati, who collected a win over visiting Atlanta United. FC Cincinnati (8-2-3, 27 points) are on a five-match winning streak and are a point behind Inter Miami for the overall league lead. Atlanta United (3-6-3, 12 points) are mired within a seven-match (0-4-3) winless drought and were shut out for the fourth time this season. Cincinnati set the pace early with multiple scoring chances in the first 25 minutes, highlighted by Kelsy’s goal. Luciano Acosta crossed into the box to find an open Kelsy, and the striker buried the header for his second goal in as many matches. Wednesday marked Kelsy’s third match and first start in MLS. Cincinnati acquired the 19-year-old forward on a loan from Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk at the end of April. Austin 1, Houston 0 Sebastian Driussi scored with his right foot from close range in the 87th minute and Austin FC pulled off more late-game heroics to earn a victory over the visiting Dynamo. It was shades of April 20 when an 86th-minute goal from Emiliano Rigoni gave Austin FC a similar 1-0 victory over the Dynamo. Austin’s Gyasi Zardes played a major role in the game-winning goal. His centering ball from along the left wing earned Austin FC the late corner kick that led to the goal. Rigoni sent the ball in from the corner to the front of the Houston goal and Zardes knocked it down with his head before Driussi cleaned up the loose ball for his team-leading fourth goal of the season. Charlotte 1, Chicago 0 Ashley Westwood scored in the 60th minute and Charlotte FC earned their first road win of the year with a blanking of the struggling Fire. Westwood got a free kick after Patrick Agyemang drew a foul at the top of the box from Carlos Teran, a decision that upset Chicago fans. They weren’t feeling any better after Westwood clinically curled his right-footed kick around the Fire wall and into the upper right corner of the net for his second goal of the season. The Fire almost equalized the match twice in the last two minutes of secondhalf stoppage time, but Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina denied them twice. First, he cradled a header from point-blank range by Hugo Cuypers. Kahlina then came up with an even better save just before the match hit full time, punching away Teran’s right-footed shot that appeared ticketed for the upper left corner of the net. That allowed Charlotte FC to up their record to 6-5-2, good for 20 points. Colorado 1, Vancouver 0 Rafael Navarro scored from the penalty spot just before halftime as the Rapids defeated the 10-man Whitecaps in Commerce City, Colo. Zack Steffen made two saves to keep his third clean sheet for Colorado (6- 4-3, 21 points) and a first at home. The win was soured when Colorado team assist leader Djordje Mihailovic departed midway through the second half with an apparent foot injury. Vancouver’s Bjorn Inge Utvik was sent off on the play that led to Navarro’s goal, a handball offense that denied Mihailovic’s goal-bound shot. Utvik’s exit doomed the Whitecaps to a third consecutive scoreless performance. Minnesota 2, LA Galaxy 2 Second-half substitutes Dejan Joveljic and Diego Fagundez scored seven minutes apart for the LA Galaxy, but Minnesota United responded with a late goal for a draw in Saint Paul, Minn. Kervin Arriaga scored on a header in the 80th minute for his second goal of the season for Minnesota. He has now scored in back-to-back matches. Arriaga’s goal on Wednesday came off Joseph Rosales’ corner kick. Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored in the first half for Minnesota United (6-2-3, 21 points). Goalkeeper John McCarthy made five saves for the Galaxy (5-2-6, 21 points). Minnesota counterpart Dayne St. Clair stopped three shots. Miam 0, Orlando 0 Drake Callender made three saves and Inter Miami managed a draw with host Orlando City despite not having Lionel Messi available. Messi did not make the trip as he nurses a leg injury suffered Saturday in the team’s win at CF Montreal. Miami (8-2-4, 28 points) had a fivematch winning streak come to an end but extended its unbeaten run in MLS play to eight in a row (5-0-3). It marked just the second time this regular season that the Herons were held scoreless. Pedro Gallese saved three shots for Orlando City (3-5-4, 13 points). Despite Miami controlling nearly 59 percent of the possession, Orlando had a 14-6 advantage in shot attempts and an 8-4 edge in corner kicks – but could not come through with a goal. MLS ROUNDUP Red Bulls pounce on D.C. United for big win New York Red Bulls forward Elias Manoel, front, celebrates scoring a goal during Wednesday’s game vs. D.C. United in Washington. GEOFF BURKE/USA TODAY SPORTS Columbus Crew forward Diego Rossi, center, passes against CF Montreal midfielder Samuel Piette, left, on Wednesday in Montreal. ERIC BOLTE/USA TODAY FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
8NS | THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 | SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK NBA PLAYOFFS The Boston Celtics are in a familiar place. The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight year – and the sixth time in the past eight seasons – by dispatching the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday night. Top-seeded Boston won the best-ofseven series 4-1 and will face either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks for the Eastern Conference title. Second-seeded New York leads sixthseeded Indiana 3-2 in a series that will continue with Game 6 on Friday night in Indianapolis. “It’s a blessing, honestly, to be a part of winning,” Boston’s Jaylen Brown said. “It’s been a great journey so far, but we’re not done yet. We just have to keep going.” Al Horford had 22 points and 15 rebounds during the Wednesday victory. “(Horford) made shots, and he’s a winner,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I can’t say enough about the way he played tonight. Just watching him chase down loose balls and make extra-effort plays. He understood the moment and has the ability on both ends of the floor to impact winning at a high level with little things – knowing who he is. Understanding his role.” Jayson Tatum added 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Boston. The Celtics led by three points early in the fourth quarter but extended the gap to 101-87 on a Tatum 3-pointer with 6:45 to play. The Cavaliers didn’t threaten after that. The Celtics have a 7-0 record in the playoffs this season when their opponent fails to score 100 points. “I thought tonight the Cavs brought the best out of us, especially in the second half,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We showed what we can be when we really put our minds to it and when we play at a different level. “I thought Al was inspirational. And I thought they tested our trust. They tested our trust in each other, they tested our physicality, they tested our toughness and I thought the guys responded.” It was a skeleton crew that took the court for Cleveland, which played without guard Donovan Mitchell (calf strain), center Jarrett Allen (bruised rib) and guard Caris LeVert (knee bone bruise). The calf injury also caused Mitchell to miss Cleveland’s 109-102 loss in Game 4 on Monday night. Allen didn’t play in the series. CELTICS 113, CAVALIERS 98 BOSTON WINS SERIES 4-1 Celtics puts Cavs to bed, advance to Eastern finals Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives against Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley on Wednesday in Boston. DAVID BUTLER II/USA TODAY SPORTS FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Luka Doncic finished with 31 points and delivered his second consecutive triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks moved one victory from their second Western Conference finals appearance in three seasons with a 104-92 victory over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The Mavericks hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven, second-round series as they head home for Game 6 on Saturday. Doncic, who has been playing with multiple injuries through the course of the playoffs, also had 10 rebounds and 11 assists. “I think you saw his intent,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “He was aggressive, he was making shots, taking shots, the deep 3, being able to get to the basket, playmaking for his bigs and also the wings. And also the trust factor. I thought he did a great job of taking care of the ball, but his intent was to get to the basket and score, and he did that at a high level.” Derrick Jones Jr. scored 19 points for the Mavericks, and P.J. Washington had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Dereck Lively II added 11 points and 10 rebounds off the Dallas bench, while Kyrie Irving added 12 points. Dallas finished off Oklahoma City on Wednesday after taking a 100-96 defeat in Game 4 on Monday when the Mavericks blew a 14-point, third-quarter lead and an eight-point lead with less than eight minutes to go. The Mavericks are now 4-0 after a loss this postseason. “It’s just our mentality,” Doncic said. “We know in the last game we played them at home, we let it go. It was our mistakes and they hit shots.” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and Chet Holmgren added 13 for the top-seeded Thunder, who are now forced to win consecutive games in order to advance. Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort each scored 12 points for Oklahoma City, which never led after the first quarter. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said, “The thing I was encouraged by offensively is that I thought we looked like ourselves stylistically. … There were times in Games 2, 3, 4 that I just felt we were in a headlock offensively and jammed up against their defense. “I thought we were there tonight but maybe missed a couple of plays, missed a couple of shots. I was actually encouraged by the process tonight of improving during the series.” MAVERICKS 104, THUNDER 92 DALLAS LEADS SERIES 3-2 Doncic, Mavericks now 1 win from taking series Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots over Thunder guard Luguentz Dort on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. ALONZO ADAMS/USA TODAY SPORTS FIELD LEVEL MEDIA The Denver Nuggets look to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves when the teams meet in Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Thursday night. Denver, which lost the first two games of the series, has responded with three wins in a row to seize a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series. The Nuggets are coming off a 112-97 win in Game 5 on Tuesday night to push the Timberwolves into an elimination game. Nikola Jokic has led the resurgence for the defending champion Nuggets. Jokic scored 40 points on 15-for-22 shooting from the field in Game 5 and has 99 points in his past three games. How is Minnesota feeling after Jokic’s latest superstar performance? “I just laugh, man,” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “That’s all I can do. I can’t be mad. “Because he’s good, man. … He’s the MVP, best player in the NBA. He showed it the last three games. He was special (in Game 5). I’ve got to give him his flowers. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do. He was that guy (on Tuesday).” The Timberwolves will have to find a way to slow Jokic and force a winnertake-all Game 7, which would be Sunday in Denver. Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves’ starting center and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, said he and his teammates needed to stay positive. He said the team’s mental game plan would be just as important as anything the coaches drew up on a white board. “We’ve got to keep our head,” Gobert said. “I think that’s the story for us. We know he’s a one-of-a-kind player. We know he’s going to make some incredible plays. But we’ve got to keep at it. … “The second half (on Tuesday), we got a little too demoralized. We can’t have that.” Denver could have felt demoralized after falling behind 0-2 in the series, including a 26-point shellacking in Game 2. But coach Michael Malone challenged his group and showed them comments from national prognosticators who declared the series all but over after two games. The Nuggets responded by outscoring Minnesota by an average of 16.7 points per game since then. “It took a lot of effort to get back into this series, but it was an effort that our guys were committed to,” Malone said. “I think that effort was a big part of why we won (Tuesday). We had 30 assists, so that says a lot about how well we moved the basketball. We got in transition and got easy buckets. “We are obviously not satisfied. Now we have to go up to Minnesota and try to close it out.” A key factor could be the health of Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, who did not play on Tuesday because of soreness in his right Achilles tendon. Conley’s status is uncertain for Game 6. Jokic leads the Nuggets with 28.8 points per game in the playoffs this season. NUGGETS VS. TIMBERWOLVES DENVER LEADS SERIES 3-2 T-wolves looking to corral Nuggets’ Jokic, force Game 7 Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is fouled as he drives against Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) on Tuesday. ISAIAH J. DOWNING/USA TODAY SPORTS FIELD LEVEL MEDIA The Los Angeles Lakers, continuing their methodical search for the franchise’s next coach, have gained permission to speak with a group of assistants, according to ESPN. The network reported Wednesday that the list includes New Orleans’ James Borrego, Denver’s David Adelman, Boston’s Sam Cassell, Minnesota’s Micah Nori and Chris Quinn of the Miami Heat. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has reportedly also expressed interest in current ESPN analyst JJ Redick. The Lakers parted ways with Darvin Ham following their first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets. Stephen Curry wins 2023-24 Magic Johnson Award Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is the winner of the 2023-24 Magic Johnson Award, the Professional Basketball Writers Association announced Wednesday. The award is voted on by more than 200 writers and editors who belong to the PBWA and honors the NBA player who excels both on the court and in displaying “cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans,” according to the organization. It’s the second Johnson award for Curry, who also won in 2016. Damian Lillard (2017, 2020) and Shane Battier (2007, 2013) are the other two-time winners. There were five finalists for the award: Curry, Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls), Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers). Curry, 36, has won about every award in his 15 seasons since the Warriors selected him No. 7 overall in the 2009 NBA draft. Among the honors, he’s a two-time league MVP, four-time NBA champion, 10-time All-Star, fourtime All-NBA first-team selection and a member of the league’s 75th Anniversary Team. For the 2022-23 season, Curry won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and was named the Social Justice Champion, winning the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy. Nets retiring Carter’s No. 15 Vince Carter spent a lot of time soaring above the court when he starred for the New Jersey Nets. His No. 15 jersey will now hang there permanently, the Brooklyn Nets announced on Wednesday. The high-flying guard, a member of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024, averaged 23.6 points in four-plus seasons with the Nets from 2004-09. He is the seventh Nets player to have his number retired, joining Julius Erving, Jason Kidd, Buck Williams, Drazen Petrovic, John Williamson and Bill Melchionni. Carter, now 47, still holds the franchise’s NBA-era single-season scoring record with 2,070 points in 2006-07. NOTEBOOK Report: Lakers permitted to speak to candidates The New Orleans Pelicans’ James Borrego reportedly is on the Los Angeles Lakers’ list of head-coach candidates. STEPHEN LEW/USA TODAY FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Boston 113, Cleveland 98 CLEVELAND (98) Okoro 2-4 0-0 5, Wade 1-3 0-0 3, Mobley 15-24 3-5 33, Garland 4-17 3-3 11, Strus 3-10 3-3 12, Morris Sr. 10-13 0-1 25, Merrill 3-5 0-0 9, Niang 0-3 0-0 0, Thompson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 38-79 9-12 98. BOSTON (113) Brown 4-9 2-4 11, Tatum 9-16 4-4 25, Horford 8-15 0-0 22, Holiday 5-9 2-2 13, White 7-17 0-0 18, Pritchard 4-7 0-0 11, Kornet 3-3 2-2 8, Hauser 2-4 0-0 5. Totals 42-80 10-12 113. CLE 28 24 26 20 — 98 BOS 28 30 27 28 — 113 3-Point Goals: Cleveland 13-31 (Morris Sr. 5-6, Merrill 3-5, Strus 3-7, Okoro 1-1, Wade 1-2, Niang 0-3, Mobley 0-3, Garland 0-4), Boston 19-43 (Horford 6-13, White 4-9, Pritchard 3-4, Tatum 3-7, Brown 1-3, Hauser 1-3, Holiday 1-4). Fouled Out: None. Rebounds: Cleveland 28 (Mobley, Strus 7), Boston 43 (Horford 15). Assists: Cleveland 25 (Garland, Strus 9), Boston 32 (Tatum 9). Total Fouls: Cleveland 16, Boston 15. A: 19,156 (18,624) Dallas 104, Oklahoma City 92 DALLAS (104) Gafford 4-4 1-2 9, Lively II 3-4 5-6 11, Green 2-6 0-0 5, Hardy 1-5 0-0 2, Hardaway Jr. 2-6 0-0 5, Exum 0-0 0-0 0, Powell 0-0 0-0 0, Lawson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 40-76 10-13 104. OKLAHOMA CITY (92) Holmgren 5-11 2-2 13, Wallace 1-7 0-0 3, Giddey 5-8 0-0 11, Wiggins 1-2 0-0 2, Williams 1-3 0-0 3, Dieng 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 37-87 8-10 92. DAL 24 30 25 25 — 104 OKC 22 22 23 25 — 92 3-Point Goals: Dallas 14-35 (Doncic 5-11, Jones Jr. 3-5, Irving 2-2, Washington 2-7, Hardaway Jr. 1-3, Green 1-5, Hardy 0-2), Oklahoma City 10-40 (Gilgeous-Alexander 2-4, Dort 2-8, Joe 2-8, Giddey 1-3, Williams 1-3, Wallace 1-5, Holmgren 1-5, Dieng 0-1, Williams 0-3). Fouled Out: None. Rebounds: Dallas 46 (Doncic, Lively II, Washington 10), Oklahoma City 33 (Dort, Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams 6). Assists: Dallas 27 (Doncic 11), Oklahoma City 20 (Gilgeous-Alexander 8). Total Fouls: Dallas 17, Oklahoma City 15. A: 0 (18,203)
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Yankees 29 15 .659 — Baltimore 27 14 .659 ½ Boston 22 21 .512 6½ Tampa Bay 22 22 .500 7 Toronto 19 23 .452 9 Central Division W L Pct GB Cleveland 27 17 .614 — Kansas City 26 19 .578 1½ Minnesota 24 18 .571 2 Detroit 21 22 .488 5½ Chicago 14 30 .318 13 West Division W L Pct GB Seattle 24 20 .545 — Texas 23 22 .511 1½ Oakland 19 26 .422 5½ Houston 18 25 .419 5½ L.A. Angels 16 28 .364 8 National League East Division W L Pct GB Philadelphia 31 13 .705 — Atlanta 26 14 .650 3 Washington 20 22 .476 10 N.Y. Mets 19 23 .452 11 Miami 13 32 .289 18½ Central Division W L Pct GB Milwaukee 26 17 .605 — Chicago 25 19 .568 1½ Pittsburgh 19 25 .432 7½ Cincinnati 18 25 .419 8 St. Louis 18 25 .419 8 West Division W L Pct GB L.A. Dodgers 29 16 .644 — San Diego 22 24 .478 7½ Arizona 21 23 .477 7½ San Francisco 20 25 .444 9 Colorado 15 28 .349 13 Tuesday’s Scores Philadelphia 4, N.Y. Mets 0 Washington 6, Chicago 3 Toronto at Baltimore, PPD Rain Miami 1, Detroit 0 Boston 5, Tampa Bay 4 Atlanta 7, Chicago 0 Milwaukee 4, Pittsburgh 3 N.Y. Yankees 5, Minnesota 1 Cleveland 7, Texas 4 Houston 2, Oakland 1 Chicago 4, Washington 0 St. Louis 7, L.A. Angels 6 Cincinnati 6, Arizona 2 Kansas City 4, Seattle 2 Colorado 6, San Diego 3 L.A. Dodgers 10, San Francisco 2 Wednesday’s Scores Baltimore 3, Toronto 2 Miami 2, Detroit 0 Milwaukee 10, Pittsburgh 2 Chicago 2, Washington 0 Arizona 2, Cincinnati 1 Seattle 4, Kansas City 2 Colorado 8, San Diego 0 Philadelphia 10, N.Y. Mets 5 Tampa Bay 4, Boston 3 Chicago 7, Atlanta 1 N.Y. Yankees 4, Minnesota 0 Texas 4, Cleveland 0 Houston 3, Oakland 0 L.A. Angels 7, St. Louis 2 San Francisco 4, L.A. Dodgers 1 Thursday’s Games N.Y. Yankees (Schmidt 4-1) at Minnesota (Ryan 2-2), 1:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Scott 0-0) at Philadelphia (Walker 2-0), 6:40 p.m. Tampa Bay (Littell 1-2) at Boston (Criswell 2-1), 7:10 p.m. Pittsburgh (Skenes) at Chicago (Steele 0-0), 7:40 p.m. Oakland (TBD) at Houston (Javier 2-0), 8:10 p.m. Cincinnati (Lodolo 3-1) at L.A. Dodgers (Paxton 4-0), 10:10 p.m. Friday’s Games Pittsburgh (Skenes 0-0) at Chicago (Hendricks 0-3), 2:20 p.m. Washington (Irvin 2-3) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 4-3), 6:40 p.m. Seattle (Miller 3-2) at Baltimore (Irvin 4-1), 7:05 p.m. Chicago (Clevinger 0-1) at N.Y. Yankees (Cortes 1-4), 7:05 p.m. Tampa Bay (TBD) at Toronto (Kikuchi 2-3), 7:07 p.m. Minnesota (Woods Richardson 1-0) at Cleveland (McKenzie 2-3), 7:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Scott 0-1) at Miami (Luzardo 0-3), 7:10 p.m. San Diego (Waldron 1-5) at Atlanta (Fried 3-1), 7:20 p.m. Oakland (Wood 1-2) at Kansas City (Ragans 2-3), 7:40 p.m. L.A. Angels (Anderson 3-4) at Texas (Heaney 0-4), 8:05 p.m. Milwaukee (Peralta 3-1) at Houston (Verlander 2-1), 8:10 p.m. Boston (Bello 4-1) at St. Louis (Gibson 2-2), 8:15 p.m. Detroit (Skubal 5-0) at Arizona (Nelson 2-2), 9:40 p.m. Cincinnati (Montas 2-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Paxton 5-0), 10:10 p.m. Colorado (Feltner 1-3) at San Francisco (TBD), 10:15 p.m. Saturday’s Games Chicago (Keller 0-1) at N.Y. Yankees (Gil 4-1), 1:05 p.m. Pittsburgh (Falter 2-2) at Chicago (Imanaga 5-0), 2:20 p.m. Tampa Bay (Eflin 3-4) at Toronto (Gausman 2-3), 3:07 p.m. Seattle (Castillo 3-5) at Baltimore (Means 1-0), 4:05 p.m. Colorado (TBD) at San Francisco (Harrison 3-1), 4:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Severino 2-2) at Miami (Garrett 0-0), 4:10 p.m. Washington (Gore 2-3) at Philadelphia (Sanchez 2-3), 6:05 p.m. Minnesota (Ober 4-1) at Cleveland (Allen 4-2), 6:10 p.m. Milwaukee (Wilson 2-1) at Houston (Brown 0-4), 7:10 p.m. Oakland (Stripling 1-6) at Kansas City (Lugo 6-1), 7:10 p.m. San Diego (Darvish 3-1) at Atlanta (Elder 1-1), 7:15 p.m. L.A. Angels (Sandoval 2-6) at Texas (Urena 1-3), 7:15 p.m. Boston (Crawford 2-2) at St. Louis (Mikolas 3-5), 7:15 p.m. Detroit (Flaherty 0-3) at Arizona (Gallen 4-2), 8:10 p.m. Cincinnati (Ashcraft 3-2) at L.A. Dodgers (Buehler 0-1), 9:10 p.m. NBA Playoffs CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS (Best-of-7; x- if necessary) EASTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Boston Celtics 4, No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers 1 May 7: Celtics 120, Cavaliers 95 May 9: Cavaliers 118, Celtics 94 May 11: Celtics 106, Cavaliers 93 May 13: Celtics 109, Cavaliers 102 May 15: Celtics 113, Cavaliers 98 No. 2 New York Knicks 3, No. 6 Indiana Pacers 2 May 6: Knicks 121, Pacers 117 May 8: Knicks 130, Pacers 121 May 10: Pacers 111, Knicks 106 May 12: Pacers 121, Knicks 89 May 14: Knicks 121, Pacers 91 May 17: Knicks at Pacers, 8:30 p.m. x-May 19: Pacers at Knicks, TBD WESTERN CONFERENCE No. 5 Dallas Mavericks 3, No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder 2 May 7: Thunder 117, Mavericks 95 May 9: Mavericks 119, Thunder 110 May 11: Mavericks 105, Thunder 101 May 13: Thunder 100, Mavericks 96 May 15: Mavericks 104, Thunder 92 May 18: Thunder at Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. x-May 20: Mavericks at Thunder, 8:30 p.m. No. 2 Denver Nuggets 3, No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves 2 May 4: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 99 May 6: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 80 May 10: Nuggets 117, Timberwolves 90 May 12: Nuggets 115, Timberwolves 107 May 14: Nuggets 112, Timberwolves 97 May 16: Nuggets at Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m. x-May 19: Timberwolves at Nuggets, TBD NHL CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS EASTERN CONFERENCE Florida Panthers 3, Boston Bruins 2 May 6: Bruins 5, Panthers 1 May 8: Panthers 6, Bruins 1 May 10: Panthers 6, Bruins 2 May 12: Panthers 3, Bruins 2 May 14: Bruins 2, Panthers 1 May 17: Panthers at Bruins, 7 p.m. x-May 19: Bruins at Panthers, TBD New York Rangers 3, Carolina Hurricanes 2 May 5: Rangers 4, Hurricanes 3 May 7: Rangers 4, Hurricanes 3 (2OT) May 9: Rangers 3, Hurricanes 2 (OT) May11: Hurricanes 4, Rangers 3 May 13: Hurricanes 4, Rangers 1 May 16: Rangers at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. x-May 18: Hurricanes at Rangers, TBD WESTERN CONFERENCE Dallas Stars 3, Colorado Avalanche 2 May 7: Avalanche 4, Stars 3 (OT) May 9: Stars 5, Avalanche 3 May 11: Stars 4, Avalanche 1 May 13: Stars 5, Avalanche 1 May 15: Avalanche 5, Stars 3 May 17: Stars at Avalanche, TBD x-May 19: Avalanche at Stars, TBD Vancouver Canucks 2, Edmonton Oilers 2 May 8: Canucks 5, Oilers 4 May 10: Oilers 4, Canucks 3 (OT) May 12: Canucks 4, Oilers 3 May 14: Oilers 3, Canucks 2 May 16: Oilers at Canucks, 10 p.m. May 18: Canucks at Oilers, TBD x-May 20: Oilers at Canucks, TBD MLS Eastern Conference W L T Pts GF GA Inter Miami CF 8 2 4 28 35 20 Cincinnati 8 2 3 27 16 10 NY Red Bulls 6 2 5 23 24 19 NY City FC 6 5 2 20 16 15 Charlotte FC 6 5 2 20 14 13 Toronto FC 6 6 1 19 16 19 Columbus 4 2 6 18 16 12 D.C. United 4 4 5 17 20 23 Philadelphia 3 4 5 14 22 21 Nashville 3 4 5 14 16 19 Orlando City 3 5 4 13 14 20 Atlanta 3 6 3 12 16 15 CF Montreal 3 6 3 12 16 26 Chicago 2 7 4 10 12 23 New England 2 8 1 7 9 22 Western Conference W L T Pts GF GA Real Salt Lake 7 2 4 25 22 11 Minnesota 6 2 3 21 19 13 Los Angeles FC 6 4 3 21 24 19 Colorado 6 4 3 21 21 18 LA Galaxy 5 2 6 21 25 21 Austin FC 5 4 4 19 16 15 Vancouver 5 4 3 18 18 14 Houston 5 5 2 17 11 12 Saint Louis 3 2 7 16 18 17 Seattle 3 6 4 13 15 16 Portland 3 6 4 13 25 27 FC Dallas 3 6 2 11 12 16 Sporting KC 2 5 5 11 19 21 San Jose 3 9 1 10 22 32 Wednesday, May 15 D.C. United 1, NY Red Bulls 4 CF Montreal 1, Columbus 3 Orlando City 0, Inter Miami CF 0 Cincinnati 1, Atlanta 0 Philadelphia 1, NY City FC 2 Minnesota 2, LA Galaxy 2 Austin FC 1, Houston 0 Nashville 2, Toronto FC 0 Chicago 0, Charlotte FC 1 Saint Louis 0, Los Angeles FC 2 Colorado 1, Vancouver 0 Real Salt Lake 2, Seattle 0 Portland 4, San Jose 2 Saturday, May 18 Atlanta at Nashville, 1:45 p.m. D.C. United at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m. Saint Louis at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. LA Galaxy at Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m. NY Red Bulls vs NY City FC at Flushing, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at New England, 7:30 p.m. CF Montreal at Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. FC Dallas at Houston, 8:30 p.m. Portland at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m. Sporting KC at Austin FC, 8:30 p.m. Columbus at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Colorado at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. Orlando City at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Vancouver at Seattle, 10:30 p.m. WNBA Eastern Conference W L Pct GB Connecticut 1 0 1.000 — Atlanta 1 0 1.000 — N.Y. Liberty 1 0 1.000 — Washington 0 1 .000 1 Chicago 0 1 .000 1 Indiana 0 1 .000 1 Western Conference W L Pct GB Minnesota 1 0 1.000 — Las Vegas 1 0 1.000 — Dallas 1 0 1.000 — Phoenix 0 1 .000 1 L.A. Sparks 0 1 .000 1 Seattle 0 1 .000 1 Tuesday, May 14 N.Y. Liberty 85, Washington 80 Connecticut 92, Indiana 71 Las Vegas 89, Phoenix 80 Minnesota 83, Seattle 70 Wednesday, May 15 Dallas 87, Chicago 79 Atlanta 92, L.A. Sparks 81 Thursday, May 16 N.Y. Liberty at Indiana, 7 p.m. Friday, May 17 Washington at Connecticut, 7:30 p.m. Seattle at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18 Indiana at N.Y. Liberty, 1 p.m. L.A. Sparks at Las Vegas, 3 p.m. Chicago at Dallas, 8 p.m. Atlanta at Phoenix, 10 p.m. Sunday, May 19 Seattle at Washington, 3 p.m. Monday, May 20 Connecticut at Indiana, 7 p.m. Seattle at N.Y. Liberty, 7 p.m. GOLF PGA Tour Statistics Through May 14 Season Points 1, Scottie Scheffler, 3,915. 2, Xander Schauffele, 1,939. 3, Wyndham Clark, 1,906. 4, Rory McIlroy, 1,675. 5, Sahith Theegala, 1,529. 6, Byeong Hun An, 1,525. 7, Ludvig Aberg, 1,510. 8, Hideki Matsuyama, 1,325. 9, Chris Kirk, 1,215. 10, Matthieu Pavon, 1,145. Scoring Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 68.74. 2, Xander Schauffele, 69.72. 3, Alex Noren, 69.98. 4, Billy Horschel, 70.12. 5, Rory McIlroy, 70.23. 6, Ludvig Aberg, 70.25. 7, Keith Mitchell, 70.33. 8, Si Woo Kim, 70.37. 9, Davis Thompson, 70.37. 10, Akshay Bhatia, 70.41. Driving Distance 1, Cameron Champ, 317.20. 2, Rory McIlroy, 316.80. 3, Wyndham Clark, 313.80. 4, Byeong Hun An, 313.50. 5, Kevin Dougherty, 313.40. 6, Chris Gotterup, 312.60. 7, Alejandro Tosti, 311.90. 8, Min Woo Lee, 311.30. 9, Taylor Pendrith, 311.10. 10, Stephan Jaeger, 310.20. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Shane Lowry, 79.34%. 2, Collin Morikawa, 78.77%. 3, Sepp Straka, 77.98%. 4, Tommy Fleetwood, 77.80%. 5, Si Woo Kim, 76.91%. 6, Lucas Glover, 76.01%. 7, Scottie Scheffler, 74.42%. 8, Russell Henley, 73.95%. 9, J.T. Poston, 73.37%. 10, Aaron Rai, 71.65%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, Scottie Scheffler, 74.76%. 2, Victor Perez, 72.06%. 3, Kevin Yu, 71.89%. 4, Corey Conners, 71.75%. 5, Daniel Berger, 71.43%. 6 (tie), Alex Noren and Patton Kizzire, 71.37%. 8, Aaron Rai, 71.35%. 9, Keith Mitchell, 71.23%. 10, Lanto Griffin, 70.66%. Total Driving 1, Rory McIlroy, 41. 2, Ryan Palmer, 60. 3, Carl Yuan, 64. 4, Rafael Campos, 69. 5 (tie), Patton Kizzire and , 71. 6, Austin Eckroat, 67. 7, Hayden Springer, 72. 8, Taiga Semikawa, 82. 9, Harrison Endycott, 83. Total Putts Per Round 1, Denny McCarthy, 27.31%. 2, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 27.46%. 3, Aaron Baddeley, 27.47%. 4, Raul Pereda, 27.55%. 5, Taylor Montgomery, 27.58%. 6, S.H Kim, 27.65%. 7, Mackenzie Hughes, 27.73%. 8, Jason Day, 27.82%. 9, Maverick McNealy, 27.85%. 10, Brendon Todd, 27.86%. Birdie Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 5.38. 2, Byeong Hun An, 4.81. 3, Chris Kirk, 4.66. 4, Sam Burns, 4.59. 5 (tie), Thomas Detry and Wyndham Clark, 4.56. 7 (tie), Jordan Spieth and J.T. Poston, 4.53. 9, Tom Hoge, 4.49. 10, Michael Kim, 4.48. Sand Save Percentage 1, Henrik Norlander, 77.78%. 2, Russell Henley, 73.85%. 3, Raul Pereda, 70.27%. 4, Carl Yuan, 68.52%. 5, Aaron Baddeley, 68.06%. 6, Martin Laird, 67.44%. 7, Denny McCarthy, 66.18%. 8, Ryan Palmer, 65.79%. 9, Wyndham Clark, 65.52%. 10, Matt Wallace, 65.22%. All-Around Ranking 1, Wyndham Clark, 185. 2, Xander Schauffele, 213. 3, Byeong Hun An, 246. 4, Ludvig Aberg, 250. 5, Scottie Scheffler, 286. 6, Rory McIlroy, 291. 7, Sam Burns, 300. 8, Davis Thompson, 380. 9, Si Woo Kim, 399. 10, Cameron Young, 407. PGA Tour Schedule May 16-19 — PGA Championship, Louisville, Ky. May 23-26 — Charles Schwab Challenge, Fort Worth, Texas May 30-June 2 — RBC Canadian Open, Hamilton, Canada June 6-9 — The Memorial Tournament, Dublin, Ohio June 13-16 — U.S. Open, Pinehurst, NC June 20-23 — Travelers Championship, Cromwell, Conn. June 27-30 — Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit July 4-7 — John Deere Classic, Silvis, Ill. July 11-14 — Genesis Scottish Open, North Berwick, Scotland July 11-14 — Kentucky Championship, Nicholasville, Ky. July 18-21 — Barracuda Championship, Truckee, Calif. July 18-21 — The Open Championship, Troon, Scotland July 25-28 — 3M Open, Blaine, Minn. Aug. 8-11 — Wyndham Championship, Greensboro, NC Aug. 15-18 — FedEx St. Jude Championship, Memphis, Tenn. Aug. 22-25 — BMW Championship, Castle Rock, Colo. Aug. 28-Sept. 1 — TOUR Championship, Atlanta Sept. 26-29 — The Presidents Cup, Montreal, Canada AUTO RACING NASCAR Cup Series Schedule May 26 — Coca-Cola 600, Concord, NC June 2 — Enjoy Illinois 300, Madison June 9 — Toyota Save Mart 350, Sonoma, Calif. June 16 — Iowa Corn 350, Powered by Ethanol, Newton June 23 — Race at New Hampshire, New Hampshire June 30 — Ally 400, Nashville July 7 — Grant Park 165, Chicago July 14 — NASCAR Cup Series Race at Pocono, Pocono July 21 — Brickyard 400, Speedway, Ind. Aug. 11 — Cook Out 400, Richmond, Va. Aug. 18 — FireKeepers Casino 400, Brooklyn Aug. 24 — Coke Zero Sugar 400, Daytona Beach, Fla. Sept. 1 — Cook Out Southern 500, Darlington, SC Sept. 8 — Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart, Hampton, Ga. Sept. 15 — Go Bowling at The Glen, Watkins Glen International, NY Sept. 21 — Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Bristol, Tenn. Sept. 29 — Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas City, Kan. Oct. 6 — YellaWood 500, Talladega, Ala. Oct. 13 — Bank of America ROVAL 400, Concord, NC Oct. 20 — South Point 400, Las Vegas, Nev. Oct. 27 — Race at Homestead-Miami, Homestead, Fla. Nov. 3 — XFINITY 500, Martinsville, Va. Nov. 10 — NASCAR Cup Series Championship, Avondale, Ariz. NASCAR Cup Series Point Leaders 1. Kyle Larson, 486. 2. Martin Truex Jr., 456. 3. Denny Hamlin, 447. 4. Chase Elliott, 437. 5. William Byron, 400. 6. Tyler Reddick, 396. 7. Ty Gibbs, 390. 8. Ryan Blaney, 371. 9. Alex Bowman, 365. 10. Ross Chastain, 358. 11. Brad Keselowski, 344. 12. Chris Buescher, 331. 13. Kyle Busch, 324. 14. Chase Briscoe, 322. 15. Christopher Bell, 320. IndyCar Series Schedule May 26 — The Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis June 1 — Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Streets of Detroit June 9 — XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, Plymouth June 22 — Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, Laguna Seca July 6 — Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, Mid-Ohio SCC July 12 — Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend Race 1, Iowa Speedway July 13 — Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend Race 2, Iowa Speedway July 20 — Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, Streets of Toronto, Canada Aug. 16 — Bommarito Automotive Group 500, Madison, Ill. Aug. 24 — Grand Prix of Portland, Portland Aug. 30 — Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 - Race 1, Milwaukee Mile Aug. 31 — Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 - Race 2, Milwaukee Mile Sept. 14 — Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, Lebanon TRANSACTIONS Wednesday’s Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball BOSTON RED SOX — P Garrett Whitlock Sent to Minors for Rehabilitation. CHICAGO CUBS — P Keegan Thompson Placed on 15-Day IL Viral illness. P Luke Little Called Up from Minors. CHICAGO WHITE SOX — CF Dominic Fletcher Called Up from Minors. CF Rafael Ortega Designated for Assignment. LF Corey Julks Sent to Minors. LF Corey Julks Traded for RHP Luis Rodriguez. CINCINNATI REDS — P Nick Lodolo Placed on 15-Day IL Left groin strain. P Sam Moll Called Up from Minors. HOUSTON ASTROS — LF Corey Julks Traded to Chicago White Sox for RHP Luis Rodriguez. P Ronel Blanco Starting to Serve Suspension. P Ronel Blanco Suspension Announced By League ten games. LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Elieser Hernandez Purchased From Minors. Eduardo Salazar Called Up from Minors. P Nabil Crismatt Designated for Assignment. P Gus Varland Sent to Minors. MILWAUKEE BREWERS — 3B Oliver Dunn Sent to Minors. Chris Roller Called Up from Minors. NEW YORK METS — 3B Mark Vientos Called Up from Minors. P Grant Hartwig Called Up from Minors. Joey Lucchesi Called Up from Minors. 2B Joey Wendle Designated for Assignment. P Yohan Ramirez Designated for Assignment. P Jose Butto Sent to Minors. OAKLAND ATHLETICS — SS Darell Hernaiz Transferred to 60-Day IL Left ankle injury. P Alex Wood Placed on 15-Day IL Left rotator cuff tendinitis. Brady Basso Sent to Minors. P Hogan Harris Called Up from Minors. Aaron Brooks Purchased From Minors. PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Carmen Mlodzinski Called Up from Minors. P Quinn Priester Sent to Minors. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — C Tom Murphy Transferred to 60-Day IL Sprained left knee. C Jakson Reetz Sent to Minors. Curt Casali Signed as Free Agent one-year contract. SEATTLE MARINERS — LF Dominic Canzone Removed From 10-Day IL Left AC joint sprain. LF Dominic Canzone Recalled From Minors Rehab. LF Sam Haggerty Sent to Minors. TEXAS RANGERS — Max Scherzer Transferred to 60-Day IL Recovery from lower back surgery. Shaun Anderson Purchased From Minors. P Jack Leiter Sent to Minors. FOOTBALL National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS — CB Elijah Jones signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). CAROLINA PANTHERS — RB Spencer Brown cut. RB Spencer Brown Taken off IR undisclosed. CHICAGO BEARS — P Trenton Gill signed to Denver Broncos. DENVER BRONCOS — S Cam Allen cut. P Trenton Gill signed. GREEN BAY PACKERS — CB Anthony Johnson signed to Atlanta Falcons. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — WR Wayne Ruby cut. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — TE Jared Wiley signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). C Hunter Nourzad signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). S Jaden Hicks signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). G C.J. Hanson signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). CB Kamal Hadden signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). NEW YORK GIANTS — LB Darius Muasau signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — C Dylan McMahon signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — G Jarrett Kingston signed/draft choice Four-year contract (through 2027). HOCKEY National Hockey League MINNESOTA WILD — LW Vladislav Firstov Released. VANCOUVER CANUCKS — D Carson Soucy Suspension Over. SCOREBOARD ODDS SPONSORED BY BETMGM.COM Rhyne Howard’s game-high 25 points paced four Atlanta scorers in double figures, Tina Charles recorded a double-double in her return to the WNBA after missing the 2023 season, and the visiting Dream surged past the Los Angeles Sparks 92-81 in Wednesday’s season opener for both teams in Long Beach, Calif. Atlanta (1-0) broke a stalemate that lasted most of the first three quarters, going on an 11-0 run to open the final period. Howard and Crystal Dangerfield combined for nine points in the pivotal stretch, with Dangerfield notching four of her six total for the contest in that run. Los Angeles (0-1) ended its drought to open the fourth quarter on a Kia Nurse 3-pointer with six minutes to play – part of her team-high 23 points – but the damage was done. The Sparks could not cut the deficit to any fewer than six points the rest of the way. In her return to the court after sitting out last season, Charles – the 2012 WNBA MVP – scored 21 points on 9- of-14 shooting from the floor and snared a game-high-tying 14 rebounds. Haley Jones and Allisha Gray joined her in double-figure scoring with 14 and 12, respectively. With Charles leading the way, Atlanta posted an overwhelming 50-30 advantage for points in the paint. Los Angeles countered from deep, hitting 12 of 31 from beyond the arc to Atlanta’s 8 of 17. Nurse went 5 of 11 from long range and Dearica Hamby, who finished with 20 points for Los Angeles, shot 2 of 4 from outside. No. 2 overall draft pick Cameron Brink hit two of her three 3-point attempts en route to 11 points. Brink spent much of the night in foul trouble, however, racking up two quick fouls and having to go to the bench midway through the third quarter for a long stretch after picking up her fourth personal. She logged 19:46 in total. Wings 87, Sky 79 Arike Ogunbowale scored a gamehigh 25 points and Teaira McCowan and Natasha Howard both notched doubledoubles to lift the host Dallas Wings past the Chicago Sky 87-79 on Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas, in the WNBA season opener for both teams. Marina Mabrey scored 19 points to lead five Sky players in double figures. Dallas grabbed a five-point lead – then its largest of the night - when Maddie Siegrist drilled a trey with 1:56 to go. Chicago went ahead 75-73 on a pair of Mabrey free throws with 3:16 remaining but managed only two field goals the rest of the way. The Wings scored 14 straight points down the stretch to pull away, capping the run with a long Ogunbuwale trey with 31.2 seconds left. Dallas outscored Chicago 60-42 in the paint while winning the rebounding battle 42-36. McCowan (18 points) and Howard (15) both snagged 13 boards. Siegrist had 13 points and Ogunbowale added seven assists. Diamond DeShields scored 14 points for Chicago. Angel Reese and Elizabeth Williams had 12 each and Dana Evans added 10. Reese, the No. 7 overall draft pick, missed each of her three attempts from the field in the first half before an 11- point effort after the break. Chicago led 43-40 at the break, rolling behind a balanced attack led by Mabrey (13 points), DeShields (10), and Evans (eight). The Sky led by as many as 10 points in the first half, but a plus-14 edge in points in the paint allowed Dallas to rally back. Both teams were missing post presences. Wings forward Satou Sabally is out with a shoulder injury the team expects will keep her sidelined until the Olympic break. Sky forward Kamilla Cardoso, drafted third overall last month, suffered a shoulder injury in preseason and is out for 4-to-6 weeks. WNBA ROUNDUP Charles leads Dream past Sparks in return FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) dribbles as Chicago Sky guard Marina Mabrey on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. KEVIN JAIRAJ/USA TODAY SPORTS