US Today & W ashington Post - 06 May 2024

USA TODAY THE NATION'S NEWS | $3 | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 QIJFAF-01005z(L)o ©COPYRIGHT 2024 USA TODAY, A division of Gannett Co., Inc. HOME DELIVERY 1-800-872-0001, USATODAYSERVICE.COM What do you think an hour of your time is worth? Americans put a monetary value on it in new survey, and amount depends on age. In Money Billy Crystal looks back at career, life’s curveballs Comedian reflects on “Soap” history, “Monster” role and Joe DiMaggio interaction. In Life Preakness decision up in the air for Mystik Dan Trainer Kenny McPeek says he will keep an eye on Derby winner (left, with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.) before making call. In Sports MICHAEL CLEVENGER AND CHRISTOPHER GRANGER/ USA TODAY NETWORK It couldn’t be closer. Six months before Election Day, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are tied 37%-37% in an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll as millions of Americans’ votes remain up for grabs. While the nation’s fierce polarization has set many political preferences in stone, 1 in 4 registered voters (24%) say they might change their minds ahead of November’s election, and 12% haven’t made a choice yet. The new survey provides a road map of the persuadables most open to appeals in a campaign being shaped by sharp divides on abortion and immigration as well as an unprecedented criminal trial of a former president, now underway in New York. What’s more, 8% are now supporting independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and an additional 5% backing other third-party contenders. Most of their supporters acknowledge they might switch their allegiances before they cast a ballot. Tiffany Batton, 43, an independent from Chicago who was among those surveyed, plans to vote for Biden. “He inherited a lot of problems from the last administration,” the social worker said in a follow-up phone interview. “I feel like, if given a chance, he could fulfill some of those campaign promises if he had another four years.” But she might change her mind, depending on what happens in the Mideast and elsewhere. “The war in Israel has been weighing really heavy on me,” she said. Brett Watchom, 36, a shipping clerk from Denver who is also an independent, backs Kennedy, attracted by his position on housing and because he is “the only one not part of the horrible uni-party machine.” He allowed that he might switch his support “if the Libertarian candidate turns out to be better.” The poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken by landline and cellphone Tuesday through Friday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The candidates have limited time ahead to make their case. “When we think about the race tied with just 26 weeks to go, we have to consider that people tune out politics and the party conventions in July and August,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. “That leaves just 17 weeks for candidates to actively Biden and Trump tied at 6 months till election One-fourth say that they could change their vote Susan Page, Sudiksha Kochi and Rachel Barber USA TODAY See POLL, Page 4A USA TODAY/SUFFOLK POLL “We’re basically at the doorstep of the election, and the outcome is a coin flip.” David Paleologos Suffolk University Political Research Center Instead of attending college this fall, a Massachusetts teen plans to join the Marines. A first-generation student from Illinois hopes her restaurant job will cover college costs. A Floridian in her 30s says she might go back to exotic dancing to afford tuition. May 1 has long been the deadline for many students to decide where to attend college. But for applicants across the country, 2024 has been the year the systems in place for decades fell apart. While picking a college is anxiety-inducing in a normal year, the government’s botched handling of financial aid upended that decision-making process, disrupting the lives of a broad swath of American students. The stress stems from a form called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which opens the door to government help with tuition and, many say, to a How FAFSA ‘fixes’ have created chaos Twins Derick and Ashly Callejas have identical financial information, but they had very different experiences getting their FAFSA forms submitted. Derick encountered problems at almost every step. PHOTOS BY ANNE-MARIE CARUSO/USA TODAY NETWORK Delays in college aid process reached crisis this year Alia Wong and Zachary Schermele USA TODAY Ashly, helped here by Halima Moore, director of counseling at the high school campus of College Achieve Central Charter School in North Plainfield, N.J., had very few FAFSA difficulties. “No matter how many times we got through, I just never felt like any of our voices were being heard. I just wanted to bang my head on the computer.” See FAFSA, Page 3A Angel Ulloa, New Jersey student still awaiting financial aid information It took Fred Kurz five decades before he could talk about his experiences during the Holocaust. He didn’t think his story was important, he said, and it was painful to relive it. He couldn’t even talk with his sister, Doriane, who died in 2005, about what they had both endured, other than give a knowing glance or nod when something reminded them of their lives during World War II – and they were so close, “we were one person.” “It was too hard,” he said. “It was terrible to think about it. We tried to put it out of our heads.” But in 1993, his Southern New Jersey synagogue planned a Holocaust remembrance event, and a rabbi asked Kurz to share his story, one the rabbi hadn’t even really heard himself. He asked Kurz to tell it, just to him, so Kurz did. After Kurz finished, the astonished This Holocaust Remembrance Day, survivors battle to preserve the truth Stories shared to fight denialism, hate speech Phaedra Trethan USA TODAY Fred Kurz holds up a mock identification card of his sister, Doriane, from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. JASPER COLT/USA TODAY See HOLOCAUST, Page 4A

2A ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS Volume 42, No. 164 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. Arab media giant Al Jazeera said Sunday it would “pursue every legal step” to continue operations in Israel, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet voted to shut down the Qatari-based global outlet’s offices in Israel until the war in Gaza ends. Netanyahu, who has long accused Al Jazeera of bias toward Hamas, said Cabinet members determined the outlet was a threat to national security. “Al Jazeera correspondents have harmed the security of Israel and incited against (Israeli) soldiers,” Netanyahu said. “The time has come to eject Hamas’s mouthpiece from our country.” Al Jazeera rejected those claims as a “dangerous and ridiculous lie” that puts its journalists at risk. The network is funded by the Qatari government, which has been a key mediator in ceasefire talks. Like many media outlets around the world, however, Al Jazeera has been critical of Israel’s military operation in Gaza. “The Israeli PM and his military ... wanted everything to happen and be concealed without anybody reporting or talking about it,” said Al Jazeera reporter Hani Mahmoud. Hamas called Israel’s decision on Al Jazeera a “blatant violation of freedom of the press, and a repressive and retaliatory measure against Al Jazeera’s professional role in exposing the crimes of the occupation.” The U.N. Human Rights Office also criticized the closure. “We regret cabinet decision to close Al Jazeera in Israel,” it said on X. “A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza. Freedom of expression is a key human right. We urge govt to overturn ban.” Israel’s parliament last month ratified a law allowing the temporary closure in Israel of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to national security. The law allows Netanyahu and his security Cabinet to shut the network’s offices in Israel for 45 days, a period that can be renewed, so the shutdown could stay enforced until the end of July or until the end of major military operations in Gaza. Netanyahu: Deal to end war now would keep Hamas in power Netanyahu warned that Israel will make no deal that would free hostages in exchange for ending the war, saying that would keep Hamas in power and pose a threat to Israel. He said Israel is willing to pause fighting in Gaza in order to secure release of the approximately 130 hostages still being held by Hamasled militants. “But while Israel has shown willingness, Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, first among them the demand to remove all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war, and leave Hamas in power,” Netanyahu said. “Israel cannot accept that.” Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh said the militants remain committed to a “comprehensive” cease-fire that guarantees Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. He blamed Netanyahu for “the continuation of the aggression and the expansion of the circle of conflict, and sabotaging the efforts made through the mediators and various parties.” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said it appears that Hamas won’t accept the latest hostage deal and that the military will launch its offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah in “the near future,” the Times of Israel reported. The U.S. is among scores of nations urging Israel not to invade the city, packed with more than 1 million Palestinians who have fled the fighting elsewhere in Gaza. Gaza health ministry: Palestinian death toll passes 34,600 The war began after Hamas stunned Israel with a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies. More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 77,000 have been wounded in Israel’s assault, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The bombardment has devastated much of the coastal enclave and caused a humanitarian crisis. Israel shut down humanitarian aid shipments through the Karem Abu Salem border crossing after a nearby rocket attack injured several people, Israeli officials said Sunday. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Shortly after the Hamas attack, an Israeli airstrike hit a house in Rafah killing three people and wounding several, Palestinian medics said. The Israeli military confirmed the counterstrike, saying it struck the launcher from which the Hamas projectiles were fired, as well as a nearby “military structure.” Contributing: Reuters Israel votes to kick out Al Jazeera Palestinian Orthodox Christian women share the light of candles during the Easter mass at the church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City on Sunday. AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Netanyahu says outlet is biased toward Hamas John Bacon USA TODAY University of Southern California officials closed their main campus and brought in Los Angeles police to tear down an encampment Sunday as proPalestinian protests continued to sweep across the nation’s universities − and law enforcement is increasingly called in to disband the demonstrations. The encampment on the school’s University Park Campus was cleared early Sunday after scores of protesters pitched tents and erected banners at Alumni Park. An hour before police arrived, a warning was issued to protesters. “UPC has been closed as a result of significant activity at the center of campus,” the school said on social media. “If you are in the center of campus, please leave. People who don’t leave will be arrested. We will issue another alert when it is clear to return.” USC’s senior vice president of communications, Joel Curran, issued a statement saying the police action was peaceful and that arrests were immediately reported. It was the second police crackdown on campus in less than two weeks. On April 24, police cleared an encampment and arrested 93 people on suspicion of trespassing. Elsewhere, police in Charlottesville took apart an encampment at the University of Virginia, making about two dozen arrests. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested outside the Art Institute of Chicago on Saturday after they “barricaded and locked the gates to fortify their position,” Chicago police said. The protests target Israel’s offensive in Gaza, launched after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israeli border communities that killed almost 1,200 people and included more than 200 people taken hostage. More than 34,600 Palestinians have died in the Israeli assault, authorities in Gaza say. Jordan’s queen supports US student protesters Jordan’s Queen Rania, in an interview for CBS’ “Face the Nation,” expressed support for U.S. students protesting the Israel-Hamas war. She acknowledged that “emotions are running high” at some campus protests but said many people are losing sight of what prompted the protests. “Gaza in the last seven months has become unrecognizable,” she said. “Cities have turned into a wasteland.” Rania, who is of Palestinian descent, said Hamas “absolutely” does not represent the majority of Palestinians. She acknowledged the rise in antisemitism and said it was wrong for any student to feel unsafe on their campus. But for protesters, the issue is social justice, she said. “They are standing up for human rights, for international law, for the principles that underpin international law,” she said. “They’re standing up for the future that they’re going to inherit.” What do protesters seek to gain from their demonstrations? The student protesters opposed to Israel’s military attacks in Gaza say they want their schools to stop funneling endowment money to Israeli companies and other businesses, like weapons manufacturers, that profit from the war. Protesters also are calling for a ceasefire, and student governments at some colleges have also passed resolutions in recent weeks calling for an end to academic partnerships with Israel. The protesters also want the U.S. to stop supplying funding and weapons to the war effort. More recently, amnesty for students and professors involved in the protests has become an issue. Protesters want protections amid threats of disciplinary action and termination for those participating in demonstrations that violate campus policy or local laws. Contributing: Claire Thornton, USA TODAY; Reuters USC closes campus, encampment torn down Los Angeles Police Department officers dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment on Alumni Park at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, on Sunday. JASON GOODE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES School: Police action ‘peaceful,’ arrests made John Bacon USA TODAY

NEWS USA TODAY ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ 3A better quality of life. This year, glitches and holdups with the form kept many vulnerable people from getting across the finish line. Historically, the application required students and their families to answer dozens of complicated questions using decades-old technology. Facing a mandate from Congress, Biden administration officials set out to fix it. But the new FAFSA was beset with issues and corrupted data, delaying aid offers for months and jeopardizing the prospects for some of the students the updates were supposed to help. Even employees in the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office, which was charged with streamlining the form, expressed frustration with their bosses’ handling of the rollout, two agency officials not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY. Then, last week, seemingly capping off the fiasco, the top Biden administration official overseeing the revised process resigned from his post. “FAFSA is the stepping stone to everything,” said Galawe Alcenet, a senior in Minnesota who lost her chance at getting several private scholarships because of the processing delays. “The biggest challenge has been the waiting.” Applicants’ experiences were also complicated by colleges’ evolving stances on standardized entrance exams, last year’s Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action, feelings about the Israel-Hamas conflict and the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which threw their middle and high school years into disarray. The FAFSA fiasco hit low-income students the hardest. The vast majority of America’s college students – 85% as of the 2019-20 school year – rely on aid. But by late March, 40% fewer high schoolers had completed their FAFSA compared with the same period last year, according to federal data. “We were out of runway,” said Alyssa Dobson, the financial aid director at Slippery Rock University, a public school in western Pennsylvania. By the time the Education Department announced in late March that it had flubbed key details on the already-tardy FAFSA information, Dobson said she had no more time to waste. “The entire operation is a house of cards,” said Melissa, a student in Florida who kept getting error messages when she tried to submit her application – and still hasn’t gotten a clear answer on how much aid she’ll get. “I feel like if I make one wrong move it’s just going to collapse on itself.” Melissa is among several students who asked USA TODAY to withhold her last name to protect her prospects. She is in her early 30s and pursuing college for the second time after earning her associate’s degree in her 20s. She had worked as an exotic dancer to cover her bills and said she will probably return to that gig given her precarious financial aid circumstances. “The whole ‘we’re making FAFSA easier’ thing? Not true,” she said. “It is an overhaul – it’s not just a new website,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said at a Senate hearing Tuesday on his department’s budget. But, he said, “there’s no excuse. Our students deserve better.” In interviews over the past month, students, parents and financial aid professionals told USA TODAY many of them have struggled to cope with the bungled process. Military or college? FAFSA changed his mind Growing up, Sam envisioned he’d be on the front lines after high school, protecting his community as a police officer or in the military. He brushed aside the idea of college. It wasn’t for him, he decided. He wanted to avoid student loans at all costs. He had been raised by a single mom in Milford, Massachusetts, and there was no way he could afford tuition. Things changed his junior year when he learned of a national program at his school called OneGoal that works to transform postsecondary advising. The teacher who led the OneGoal class didn’t dismiss Sam’s blue-collar dreams but encouraged him to at least consider college. That teacher made Sam realize getting generous financial aid for college was possible for a student like him who didn’t get perfect grades. Then he visited a campus, and the dream seemed within reach. Sam had pictured college as “a bunch of people just running around and partying, like in the movies,” he said. “I just can’t justify that money – that’s just stupid. I can party for free otherwise.” During the visit, Sam realized “people were actually taking this seriously.” He applied to some nearby state schools – and was accepted. Then came the financial aid part. “Man, the FAFSA killed me,” he said. The form kept telling him there was an error with his mother’s information. None of his attempts at troubleshooting resolved it – not filling the form out backward, not using all caps or no caps. Like many students who spoke with USA TODAY, he tried to access a helpline. “It was rough. I was getting so mad.” Sam never managed to submit his form. He has given up on going to college this fall. The endless dead ends were so frustrating he took them as a sign: He should just enlist in the Marines. The FAFSA frustrations, he said, were “what really, really made me not want to go to school and just go straight to the military.” Students in mixed-status families waiting on answers In mid-April, Janet Leon, 18, still hadn’t sent in her FAFSA. Like so many others, it wasn’t for lack of trying. By the time Cardona, the education secretary, designated a “FAFSA Action Week” urging seniors to submit the form as quickly as possible, the senior had tried just about everything. But the FAFSA continued to boot out her parents, who are Mexican immigrants, every time they checked the box saying they didn’t have Social Security numbers. Her father is a chef at a senior home, and her mother spends most of her time running around after her younger siblings. Getting the pair of them to sit down simultaneously and work through the form with her was a challenge. She’s busy, too: She has worked a restaurant job all through high school, pays her phone bill and is trying to piece together a college fund. “It’s just so hard to get everyone in one place,” said Leon, who hopes to attend Iowa State University, several hours from her home in the Chicago suburbs. She would be the first person in her family to go to college – if word comes through that she can afford it. Challenges have been widespread for students from mixed-status families, which is often when at least one parent is a non-U.S. citizen who doesn’t have a Social Security number. Reports suggest many applicants, like Leon, continued to run into trouble long after the Education Department announced it would fix the problem in February. It took until Tuesday, April 30 – one day before the traditional college decision deadline – for the agency to allow people without Social Security numbers to submit the form. The department called it a temporary fix and said students who didn’t have one would have to verify their statuses with schools before they receive federal aid. The news came too late for people like Angel Ulloa, a student in New Jersey who is still awaiting crucial financial aid information. When the 18-year-old was rejected from Princeton after being waitlisted, he felt disappointed on multiple fronts. Princeton covers tuition for families like his that fall under a certain income threshold. But that was no longer an option. Ulloa faced FAFSA problems from the get-go: He couldn’t discern which information needed to go where or why error messages kept popping up. His mother was anxious about being on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars and tried calling customer service dozens of times. She made four calls every morning and often several more at night over a month. “No matter how many times we got through, I just never felt like any of our voices were being heard,” Ulloa said. “I just wanted to bang my head on the computer.” Eventually, Ulloa printed the form, filled out the information on paper and mailed it in. In late February, he got an update that his FAFSA had finally gone through. But after two months – and weeks later than students who graduated last year – he was still waiting to hear how much aid schools would offer him. Some transfer students remain in limbo Ximena Penuelas Quinonez wasn’t always an expert on how people pay for college. After graduating from a public high school in Phoenix a few years ago, she didn’t apply to too many places. Like lots of students from low-income backgrounds, she didn’t want to give her parents something else to worry about. “I can’t afford college on my own,” she used to tell herself. “And I can’t ask my parents, because they’re already struggling as it is.” So she applied to community college and continued living at home to save money and spend time with her siblings. She got a job in the financial aid office at Phoenix College, where she witnessed this year’s FAFSA disaster close up. She’s on track to finish her associate’s degree and is heading to Arizona State University in the fall. ASU, like many four-year schools, funnels nearby community college grads onto campus as transfers, hoping they’ll turn their associate’s into bachelor’s degrees. Penuelas Quinonez was admitted to ASU in March. By mid-April, she had determined which classes she’d be taking there. What she didn’t know was how much she’d be paying. She struggled through the spring to submit her FAFSA, tripped up because her parents don’t have Social Security numbers. Without an idea of next year’s sticker price, she worried she’d have to keep living at home, even though the ASU campus is a longer drive. She finally got her aid offer in late April, though it still didn’t show how much tuition she’ll have to pay. She’s now looking for an on-campus job and planning to take out loans so she can get an apartment and avoid commuting about two hours, there and back, every day. Tale of two FAFSAs: Corrections create a waiting game Ashly and Derick Callejas are twins, two of four children raised by workingclass immigrants in Plainfield, New Jersey. The teens’ financial information is identical. Yet when it came to filling out the FAFSA this year, they had very different experiences. Ashly submitted her form with very few hitches. Derick, meanwhile, encountered problems at almost every step. In their case, it appeared successfully submitting the FAFSA came down to luck. Perhaps because he pressed a button too many times or triggered some other glitch, Derick was informed he needed to correct his form once it was processed and couldn’t see his estimated aid until he fixed the problems. Making the necessary corrections promptly would be impossible. He’d have to wait weeks. He learned this not from the Education Department but from TikTok videos of students who had experienced similar problems. The administration indicated the revised forms would accept corrections in March. Then officials extended the timeline, anticipating corrections could be submitted in mid-April. Most of these changes were simple (like adding a missing signature) and would take only a few minutes, Education Department officials and observers said. Derick recently learned, again through TikTok, that he could finally correct his form. But after he submitted the revision, he realized he needed to make another correction. The processing delays prevented him from knowing how much aid he’ll get for the University of Pennsylvania, where he was accepted earlier this year. Penn is one of several hundred institutions that uses the CSS profile, an online application that lets students apply for nonfederal financial aid. Derick is optimistic he’ll get most of his tuition covered, but he has refrained from committing to Penn until he knows more. Neither he nor Ashly wants to leave their parents with bills they can’t afford – sending one kid to college is expensive enough. And because of other changes to this year’s FAFSA, parents no longer get the same automatic discount for having two kids in college at once. A smooth FAFSA experience and an alternative: Success stories Henry Wolfe will probably remember April’s total solar eclipse for the rest of his life – but not because of the rare astrological event. Between his weekend track meets, he and his mother squeezed in a visit to Wake Forest University. While everyone else was busy staring at the sky outside, they were more concerned with the stuff on the ground: The band playing on the quad, the school’s mascot (the Demon Deacon), and the Department of Health and Exercise Science, where Wolfe hopes to study. On the car ride back home to Columbia, Missouri, Wolfe seemed to make up his mind. “This visit moved the needle,” his mom said from behind the wheel. While Wake Forest apparently still hadn’t received Wolfe’s FAFSA weeks later, the private North Carolina college uses the CSS Profile and estimated his aid that way. Wolfe got an offer in March that shaved tens of thousands of dollars off tuition, making it more affordable than the University of Pittsburgh, which he then eliminated from his shortlist. “Demon Deacons it is!” his mom wrote in a text to USA TODAY. On the other side of the country in Stockton, California, 18-year-old Diorue Hodges has decided she’s attending North Carolina A&T, a top HBCU known for educating the most Black engineers in the country. The aspiring mechanical engineer said her relatively painless FAFSA experience allowed her to focus on other matters this semester – studying for finals, connecting with fellow students at her future school and spending quality time with her California classmates. Hodges didn’t even know what the FAFSA was until her junior year. But her school hosted a week dedicated to teaching students and their families about the ins and outs of the process. Counselors also consistently reassured Hodges and her peers when there were delays and changes from the Education Department. “The form was just really easy,” she said. There weren’t any in-depth, confusing queries. “A lot of it was just, like, ‘Click this if it applies to you.’ ” Even for the luckiest students this year, some questions remain. Because of processing delays, Hodges is still awaiting a finalized aid package. Colleges may struggle to solve enrollment problems For years, the government wanted to put more money in the hands of more low-income college students. And over time, that will surely happen. The new FAFSA allows hundreds of thousands more students to qualify annually for federal aid. Yet the success stories have been subsumed by an overwhelming frustration over how officials in Washington went about trying to make things better. The resentment that built up devolved into a broader erosion of public trust in the federal financial aid system. Paul Dieken, financial aid director at Pomona College in California, said the Education Department hasn’t done a good job of rebuilding that trust. When the agency suggested that colleges could use corrupted data to get aid offers out the door as quickly as possible, Dieken was flabbergasted. The government has a lot of work to do to regain credibility, experts told Congress a few weeks ago. In the meantime, all the students caught up in this year’s mess will have to live with choices they were forced to make more quickly than many felt was reasonable. As of mid-April, the FAFSA completion rate at public high schools with the most minority students was down by more than a third. Dieken worries about the long-term repercussions of the messiness that has defined this admissions cycle. If the number of students of color at Pomona were to decline, it would be all but impossible for the college to figure out why it had happened. “We don’t know if that’s because of the FAFSA problem or the Supreme Court decision problem or even the campus protest issue,” he said. “It’s really going to be hard for us to figure out what’s causing changes in our class. ... If we don’t know what the problem is, how do we course-correct?” Angel Ulloa had many difficulties with FAFSA. After two months, he was still waiting to hear what aid schools would offer him. ANNE-MARIE CARUSO/USA TODAY NETWORK FAFSA Continued from Page 1A

4A ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS campaign, and it’s actually 13 or 14 weeks when you consider states where early voting starts weeks before Election Day. “We’re basically at the doorstep of the election, and the outcome is a coin flip.” Biden gains among Black voters; Trump loses among young voters The new poll shows Biden’s standing against Trump improving inch-by-inch, albeit within the survey’s margin of error. In the USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll taken in January, Biden trailed Trump by 3 points − 34%-37% − and in March he trailed by 2, at 38%-40%. Now they’re even. Since the beginning of the year, Biden has gained ground among some key voters while Trump has lost it. h Among voters under 35 years old, Biden has gained 1 percentage point and Trump has lost 12 since the survey in January. Biden now holds a lead, 34%- 25%, although not the overwhelming one he scored in the 2020 election. h Among Hispanic voters, Biden’s support has stayed the same, but Trump has lost 11 points. Biden now leads 34%- 28%, still short of the 2-1 edge he had in 2020. h Among independents, Biden has gained 5 points, and Trump has lost 4. Now the two are essentially tied, with Trump at 27% and Biden at 26%. Nearly as many, 22%, are undecided, and 23% are supporting third-party candidates. h Among Black voters, Biden has gained 7 points since January while Trump’s standing hasn’t changed. They now support Biden by 64%-12% − better than before, though still far short of the 87% who voted for him in 2020. The White House has recently announced policy decisions and aired political ads that have particular appeal to some younger swing voters, including moving to ease federal regulation of marijuana and relieve some college student debt. This month, Biden is slated to deliver the commencement address at Morehouse College, an historically Black school. Who’s in play? Young voters, Hispanic voters, independents and RFK backers The strength of the third-party candidates may be built on sand. Eight in 10 of those supporting Kennedy say they might change their minds before they vote. So do 88% of those supporting independent Cornel West, 65% of those who plan to support the Libertarian nominee, and 58% backing Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Typically the support for third-party candidates declines as Election Day nears, although in close elections the impact of drawing only thousands of voters in swing states can tip the election outcome. In 2016, the Green Party candidate took votes from Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, crucial states she ended up losing. In 2020, the Libertarian candidate drew voters from Trump in Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia, critical states he lost. “I’m leaning towards Joe Biden, and I’ll tell you why: I look at his record on the economy,” said Al Wilson, 56, an independent from Shelby, Michigan, who works as the production manager for an auto manufacturer. He credits the president with restoring the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. He also cites Biden’s presidential “deportment,” implicitly contrasting it with Trump. “We need leadership that is not (in) the news cycle all the time,” he said. “I get sick of that. I don’t want to hear that. I don’t want to hear controversy. I don’t want you involved in controversy all the time.” Other swing voters also say they might change their minds before November, including 43% of independents. Nearly half of independent women, 47%, are open to persuasion, one reason the Biden campaign has focused so intently on abortion access as an issue. Some groups that Democrats rely on in national elections say their minds aren’t firmly made up. That includes 37% of Hispanic voters, 27% of Black voters and 44% of voters under 35. More than two-thirds of those surveyed (69%) say the country is “on the wrong track;” fewer than 1 in 4 (23%) say it is “headed in the right direction.” That’s a tick less positive than the nation’s mood in the March survey. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” said Emily Weller, 39, a Republican from Indianapolis. “I would not vote for former President Trump; I don’t think that I would vote for President Biden,” the stay-at-home mom said. “My vote matters to me and I want to vote, but it’s not cut-and-dried.” ‘Everything was better under Trump’ Then there are those voters definitely not in play. Those now supporting Biden say by 84%-14% that their minds are firmly made up. Trump supporters are set by a similarly wide 83%-16%. “Everything was better under Trump,” declared Mike McCombs, 67, a Republican and an independent insurance agent from Lincolnton, Georgia. “The economy was better. Fuel prices were better. Biden has choked the middle class to death.” A conviction of Trump in his current trial, on charges relating to paying hush money to a porn star, wouldn’t change his view. “It would probably make me support him more because this is a rigged trial anyway,” he said. Both major-party candidates have solidified their standing among their partisans. Now 87% of Democrats back Biden, up 7 points since January; 84% of Republicans back Trump, up 5 points. A negligible 2% of Democrats and 1% of Republicans are crossing the aisle to support the other major party’s presumptive nominee. “I liked the way he ran the country when he was president the first time,” said Stephen Harrison, 52, a small-business owner and Trump supporter from Manhattan, Montana. “The economy is No. 1. He did a good job of keeping things running and open best he could during the pandemic. “The only thing that would change my mind is if he isn’t on the ballot,” he said. Francis Spitale, 60, a Democrat from Charleston, South Carolina, who cares for newborns, says her support for Biden is unshakable. “Are all the policies perfect?” she asked. “No. But I respect him as a good, decent human being who has been able to accomplish more in two or three years than a lot of other presidents have been able to.” She dismissed those who say Biden, at 81, is too old to serve another term. “No one’s saying the (Rolling) Stones are too old to have a concert; Bruce Springsteen is out there at 73,” she said. “If you are a productive person, you don’t have to be skateboarding and skiing down the slopes to be effective.” Poll Continued from Page 1A rabbi told him, “You have a story that really needs telling,” and so, “with great trepidation,” Kurz began speaking about his past: to synagogues, schools, churches and other organizations. He’s been doing it ever since. Kurz is one of several Holocaust survivors now telling their stories in short videos as part of an international effort to tackle Holocaust denialism and hate speech. The effort coincides with Yom Hashoah, on Sunday and Monday, the Holocaust observance that lines up with the Hebrew calendar. Amid concerns over rising antisemitism in the U.S. and tensions over the Israel-Hamas war, Kurz says the message couldn’t be more timely: “As long as I am able to speak, I want the world to understand how close we are getting to the same conditions, the prejudices, and how to avoid that.” ‘The world should never forget’ “My story specifically isn’t important,” the now-87-year-old told USA TODAY. “What is important is to know what the conditions were, that the world should never forget how it happened. ... Those conditions, what happened to my family, should never happen again.” But Kurz’s story is compelling, one of a successful extended family with a thriving business, a resourceful and selfless mother and two resilient children who were just 9 and 10 when the war ended: The family lived in Holland while his father was working for his family’s multinational optical company. His father was arrested on the street, then sent by the Nazis to a succession of camps before he was killed in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. His mother tried to protect Fred and Doriane, entrusting their safety to the Dutch Underground, which hid the children when she was arrested. The siblings were briefly reunited with their mother − but all three ended up at Bergen-Belsen, another notorious camp, where they endured horrifying conditions. Even their liberation was bittersweet, Kurz said, because they had no food or water for two weeks and their mother was ill with typhus. Soon, they lost her, too. Kurz and his sister were eventually brought to live with an aunt, uncle and two young cousins in Brooklyn. He attended Columbia University − now the site of clashes between police and proPalestinian protesters − and became an engineer, working for RCA and General Electric, raising his three daughters with his wife, Rachel, in their Cherry Hill, New Jersey, home. When the Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, a New York-based nonprofit that advocates for Holocaust survivors all over the world, asked him to be part of its #CancelHate campaign to coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Day, Kurz said he immediately agreed. “Hate speech is a primary cause of increasing antisemitism, which has recently found its way back into our American society,” Kurz says in his video. He recalls how Hitler used Jews as scapegoats, and how Jews were rounded up, brutalized and systematically murdered. “My concern that I am addressing today is a similarity of unchecked hate speech against many minorities in our society, but particularly Jews, which could lead to tragic events as it did in Nazi Germany. Everyone who understands the dangers that hate speech is doing to our great country needs to speak up, to be the voice of reason, so that history will not repeat itself as it did decades ago. “Your words matter.” ‘A tsunami of antisemitism’ makes campaign ‘more timely’ #CancelHate gives Holocaust survivors an opportunity to confront those who deny, distort or try to minimize their experiences, said Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference. In the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and the ensuing war in Gaza, there has been “a tsunami of antisemitism, Jew hate and Holocaust denial,” said Schneider, making the campaign, planned before the events of Oct. 7, “more urgent, more timely and more needed than ever.” “There are people out there calling these survivors liars,” he said. It’s “like their loved ones are being murdered a second time. It’s not easy for them to go through this, but we’ve asked them to because it’s one of our last opportunities. It’s important for us to record their voices while we still have them.” A 2020 Claims Conference survey found “a worrying lack of basic Holocaust knowledge” among millennials and Generation Z, something the nonprofit called “a growing problem as fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors – eyewitnesses to a state-sponsored genocide – are alive to share the lessons of the Holocaust.” About 1 in 10 (11%) of that generational cohort thought Jews caused the Holocaust, the survey found, and nearly half (49%) reported they had seen Holocaust denials or distortions on social media. “We ask survivors to do this, but we know it’s painful and triggering, and it brings up the most painful memories of their lives,” Schneider said. “Yet everyone we asked said yes. They feel it is their responsibility to their families who were murdered and for their children and grandchildren, and all of our children and grandchildren.” Social media, where so much of the antisemitism and hate proliferates, “is a tool that can be used for good or bad,” Schneider said. But it can also amplify fringe voices, drive outrage and anger, and turn into an echo chamber of harmful, hateful ideas, he said. “We have to break that cycle.” ‘The obligation to bear witness’ Abe Foxman is known as an activist, lawyer and longtime national director of the Anti-Defamation League. But his story began in hiding: The only child of Polish Jews who fled to Lithuania, he was given to his nanny, a Catholic, as an infant to protect him as the Nazis took over and his parents were forced into the Vilna ghetto. His nanny had him baptized and began raising him, keeping him from other children lest his true identity be revealed. Foxman, who is among the survivors participating in the #CancelHate campaign, was reunited with his parents, who had miraculously survived, four years later. But he lost his grandparents and 13 aunts and uncles in the Holocaust, and though he remembers his nanny as his protector and savior, his parents had to engage in a custody battle to get him back. Survivors were initially reluctant to tell their stories, he said. Not just because it was painful for them, but because many didn’t want their children to know their parents’ suffering. But as they aged, they began to realize how important it was to speak up, to preserve their stories and to ensure that horrible chapter in history was never repeated. The conversation around the Holocaust has changed, and Foxman believes the emphasis is now where it belongs: “It used to be about the perpetrators. Now it’s much more about those who perished: how they lived, the art they created, who they were. Before, we were too preoccupied with those who destroyed our culture.” Denialism “is very personal, like an assault on who you are,” said the 84- year-old, who didn’t know the extent of his own story until he was in college and did a report on the ghetto where his parents were confined. “Words matter, and if we can cancel this hate by bearing witness to it, we will do it.” Jewish tradition reveres the power of words, he said. “Words have the power of life and death,” and words were so precious to Jews during the Holocaust that some even bartered what little food they had for paper on which to keep diaries “because they feared no one would know that they’d lived or how they died.” A frequent refrain from survivors, especially in the #CancelHate campaign, is how insidiously hatred creeps into a society. “It didn’t happen in one fell swoop,” said Kurz, but in increments, in escalating acts of degradation and violence, in words said and not said. “The mobs were motivated by lies, and all of this began with words.” Holocaust Continued from Page 1A Holocaust survivor Fred Kurz holds up photos of himself and his sister, Doriane, from when they first arrived in the United States, during an interview at the Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, N.J. PHOTOS BY JASPER COLT/USA TODAY One of Fred Kurz’s photos shows him, his mother and sister before WWII. His mother died shortly after their concentration camp was liberated.

NEWS USA TODAY ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ 5A Just Curious You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers. Learn more Scan the QR code to find more Just Curious content. In the early 2000s, Gloria Mark noticed she was having trouble paying attention to any single screen. Anecdotally, she knew others were feeling the same way. As a psychologist and scientist, she decided to test it: Are computers having an impact our attention spans? Over two decades of research, the answer has been an overwhelming “yes.” The digital age is affecting our ability to stay focused. Mark, a chancellor’s professor emerita at the University of California, Irvine and the author of “Attention Span,” first began studying attention spans in 2003. She found that people spent an average of two and a half minutes on any computer screen before switching. In 2012, she repeated the study and saw that number shrink to 75 seconds. When she studied it between 2016 and 2020, the average attention span was 47 seconds. Why attention spans are so short While the public narrative is that algorithms are to blame, Mark says it’s a bit more complicated. She identified several factors that influence attention spans. Designed to distract With hyperlinks, tagged photos and pop-up ads, the internet is designed as a rabbit hole to keep us online. This creates a “roller coaster” of reward-seeking, says Marcy Caldwell, a licensed clinical psychologist and the owner and director of the Center for ADHD. “We hit a peak at the highest level when we actually make that switch over to the new (tab) and then the levels decrease again, so then we get hungry for more.” Algorithms Social media algorithms are designed to keep users on the platform. TikTok keeps tabs on likes, comments and how long you view videos to feed you content that keeps you scrolling. Facebook can take in more than 10,000 signals to predict a user’s likelihood of engaging with a post, the Washington Post found. These algorithms make it “very hard to turn away from tech,” Mark says. Person-to-person differences “Some people are born with good self-regulation skills. ... They’re born with low impulsivity and high conscientiousness that they’re much better able to control their attention,” Mark says. “But a lot of people aren’t.” Folks with ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, may also have a harder time regulating. There are differences in the reward center of the brain for those with the neurological disorder, says Caldwell. “This cue and draw for attention can create that anticipation of reward, and (when) we have a brain that has a hungry reward system, then it’s going to be extra compelling,” she says. Social reward seeking A “like” or interaction with a follower taps into the social rewards humans so desperately seek, Mark says. The internet has increasingly become a place where users can find friends and even stardom. It keeps you coming back. How to increase attention spans There are two types of attention – rote and active. Active attention is an engaging and challenging state of focus, Mark says, like when reading a difficult book or writing a paper. When you’re engaged but not challenged, like watching a video or playing Candy Crush, you’re using rote attention. In her research, Mark found that people are happiest when using rote attention but experience a deeper fulfillment when they use active attention. Use these five tips to balance the two. 1. Prioritize breaks Don’t expect to always be focused and productive, Mark says. When we’re fatigued, our executive functioning skills deplete and we can’t perform as well or filter out distractions. The best type of break is away from electronic devices and outside, which research shows can reduce stress. But if you can’t get outside, it’s OK to play a game on your phone or give your mind a moment to rest and wander. 2. Avoid distraction Here are a few ways you can set up blockers to avoid distraction: h Use noise-canceling headphones. h Play focus music. h Face your desk toward a wall. h Try “body doubling,” or working alongside an accountability partner. h Turn off social media and text notifications. 3. Practice meta-awareness Instead of clicking unconsciously, practice being aware of what you’re doing as you’re doing it, Mark says. This skill will help you become more intentional when you’re online. Next time you have the urge to open an app, ask yourself “Do I really need to go on social media right now?” 4. Don’t try to multitask Forget multitasking – it doesn’t exist unless one of those tasks is automatic, such as driving a car down a straight road and talking to a passenger. In other scenarios, you’re shifting attention rapidly between two tasks, which leads to errors and increases stress. 5. Prioritize overall health A good night of sleep is important to start your capacity on the right foot. A balanced, nutritious diet can fuel energy and concentration. Attention spans decrea ... Squirrel! Increased computer use has cut our attention spans, research says. GETTY IMAGES Research: 47 seconds is average, but it can grow Clare Mulroy USA TODAY Thousands of Americans are rediscovering normal freedom of movement thanks to a “miracle oil” capsule that’s outperforming hemp in promoting joint comfort. According to the official figures from the CDC, more than 58 million Americans are living with joint discomfort. This epidemic has led to a search for alternative approaches – as many sufferers seek relief without the harmful side effects of conventional “solutions.” Anti-aging specialist Dr. Al Sears is leading the way with a new formula he calls “the most significant breakthrough I’ve ever found for easing joint discomfort.” The capsule is based on a “miracle oil” historically treasured for its joint health-supporting properties. Marco Polo prized it as he blazed the Silk Road. And to this day, Ayurvedic practitioners rely on it to promote optimal joint health. Now, with a modern twist backed by science, Dr. Sears is making this natural solution for joint health available to the public. Your Body’s Hidden “Soothing System” Joint health research changed forever with the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in 1992. Up until that point, research on cannabinoids focused on psychoactive effects. Now, scientists were looking at a new way to fight occasional aches and pains. Your ECS serves as a central “signaling system” that tells your body how to react to things you do every day. It controls several critical bodily functions such as learning and memory, sleep, healthy immune responses – and your response to discomfort. A recent study revealed a direct link between the ECS and creaky, sore joints. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied the aging of mice with endocannabinoid deficiencies versus “normal” mice. As they aged, the deficient mice had a whopping 60% more joint degeneration than the mice with a healthy ECS. As the name suggests, the ECS responds to cannabis. At the time it was discovered, scientists assumed that was the best way to support it. But thanks to Dr. Sears’ all-natural solution, you can power up your ECS without marijuana. “Calling it the ‘endocannabinoid system’ was a misnomer from the very beginning,” Dr. Sears explained. “Modern research reveals that you don’t need cannabis to activate this incredible system. You don’t need to ‘get high’ to get joint relief.” A scholarly review found that plants and herbs that don’t produce mindaltering effects can support the ECS and help it maintain its healthy functions. This includes common foodstuffs, such as kava, chocolate, black pepper, and most significantly – the star ingredient to Dr. Sears’ own Mobilify formula - frankincense. Modern scientists say this natural ingredient meets “cannabinoid tetrad” – the signs used to determine if something supports the ECS. While it doesn’t produce a “high” like cannabis does, it binds to the same receptors to support a healthy response to discomfort. "MMUIF#FOFmUTPG$#%o 8JUIPVU$BOOBCJT Indian frankincense, the chief ingredient in Mobilify, has been shown to provide all the benefits of cannabis without any feelings of sluggishness or sleepiness. And studies show that users don’t have to wait long for the comfort they’re looking for. In a study published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences, 60 patients with stiff knees took 100 mg of Indian frankincense or a placebo daily for 30 days. Remarkably, Indian frankincense “significantly” supported healthy joint function and relieved discomfort in as little as five days. Additional research linked regular use to lasting comfort. In another study, 48 participants were given an extract made from frankincense for 120-days. When the results came in, researchers determined the extract strongly supported joint comfort – especially in the knees. These results were all achieved without marijuana. Research continues to back up the idea that you can support smooth, strong, and healthy joints naturally – without tiredness or sluggishness. (FU.PWJOH"HBJOXJUI.PCJMJGZ Mobilify has already helped thousands of Americans stay on their feet and breeze through their daily activities with ease. One user even reported getting results the same day it was used. “Mobilify really helps with soreness, stiffness, and mild temporary discomfort,” Joni D. said. Larry M, another user, compared taking Mobilify to living a completely new life. “After a week and a half of taking Mobilify, the discomfort, stiffness, and minor aches went away…it’s almost like being reborn,” he said. Dennis H. said it helped him get back to his favorite hobby. “I can attest to Mobilify easing discomfort to enable me to pursue my golfing days. Definitely one pill that works for me out of the many I have tried,” he said. )PXUP(FU.PCJMJGZ Right now, the only way to get this powerful, unique Mobilify formula that clobbers creaking joints without clobbering you is directly from Dr. Sears. It is not available in stores. To secure your bottle of this breakthrough natural joint discomfort reliever, buyers should call with Sears Health Hotline at 1-800-304-9908. “The Hotline allows us to ship the product directly to customers.” Dr. Sears believes in this product so much, he offers a 100% money-back guarantee on every order. “Just send me back the bottle and any unused product within 90 days, and I’ll send you your money back,” said Dr. Sears. The Hotline will be taking orders for the next 48 hours. After that, the phone number may be shut down to allow them to restock. Call 1-800-304-9908 to secure your limited supply of Mobilify. If you are not able to get through due to extremely high call volume, please try again! Call NOW to qualify for a significant discount on this limited time offer. To take advantage of this exclusive offer use Promo Code: MBUSAT43 when you call. PAID ADVERTISEMENT New Joint-Supporting “Miracle Oil” Capsule Delivers Hip, Knee, and Shoulder Comfort in Just Days THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON. NO INDIVIDUAL RESULT SHOULD BE SEEN AS TYPICAL. 8 The active ingredient in Mobilify soothes aching joints in as little as 5 days

6A ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS The number of women who died during childbirth or within weeks of giving birth dropped sharply in 2022 after staggering increases during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, new data shows. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday estimated 817 women died of maternal causes in the United States in 2022, marking a drop from 1,205 deaths in 2021 and 861 in 2020. In 2022, the U.S. maternal death rate decreased to 22.3 per 100,000 births, compared with 32.9 deaths per 100,000 births in 2021. Provisional data suggest the death rate dropped again in 2023 to 19 deaths per 100,000 births, however, those figures must be confirmed with death certificates and other data, said Donna Hoyert, who tracks maternal mortality for the CDC’s Division of Vital Statistics. Black mothers nearly three times as likely to die during, after births One thing has remained constant: Black women are far more likely to die during or shortly after childbirth than white women. The report highlights persistent disparities in maternal deaths, a concerning trend for public health experts that prompted former Surgeon General Jerome Adams in 2020 to declare a call to action to improve maternal health. Maternal deaths among Black women decreased in 2022, but the number of people who died remained significantly higher than non-Black mothers, the CDC report shows. For Black mothers, the maternal mortality rate was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 births compared with 19 deaths per 100,000 for white women, 16.9 for Hispanic women and 13.2 for Asian women. “The tragedy is that most pregnancyrelated deaths are preventable,” said Teresa Janevic, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s School of Public Health. “And that means that this disparity is preventable, too.” The World Health Organization defines maternal mortality as the death of a woman while she is pregnant or within 42 days of giving birth or terminating a pregnancy. The cause must be pregnancy-related, such as severe bleeding, infections, blood clots or mental health. The CDC’s Hoyert said deaths directly related to COVID-19 dropped considerably. In 2021, COVID-19 infections were listed as the cause or a contributing factor in 429 deaths − in other words, more than 1 in 3 maternal deaths were COVID-related. In 2022, COVID-19 infections were linked to 88 maternal deaths, Hoyert said. Beyond those direct deaths, the pandemic’s harm surfaced in many other ways. Mothers lost jobs, health insurance and access to routine care. Pregnancy-related complications such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia − persistent high blood pressure during pregnancy or after giving birth − became more common during the pandemic, said Linda Goler Blount, president of the nonprofit Black Women’s Health Imperative. “Black women, low-income women, don’t receive the standard of care even under the best of circumstances,” Blount said. “So you had this very unfortunate conflation of social, medical and health care delivery events that increased maternal mortality for all women and particularly for Black women and low-income women.” Serena Williams’ pregnancy complications reveal risk Some factors can be attributed to social and economic inequalities. About 1 in 2 pregnancies nationwide are covered by Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income and disabled people. And in 10 mostly Southern states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, maternal deaths are worse, Blount said. High-profile cases of Black women who have experienced pregnancy complications or death show that disparities afflict not just the poor and disenfranchised, Blount said. In a first-person essay in the magazine Elle in 2022, tennis legend Serena Williams described her life-threatening experience after giving birth to her daughter Olympia in 2017. She needed a cesarean section and multiple surgeries with complications that put her perilously close to death. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Los Angeles hospital where Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé and other A-listers gave birth to their babies, is under federal civil rights investigation for how the hospital cares for Black maternal patients, the Los Angeles Times reported. The probe followed the 2016 death of a mother, Kira Dixon Johnson, at the facility from complications of a scheduled C-section after she delivered her son. Her husband, Charles Johnson IV, testified before Congress about the pain of losing his wife hours after she gave birth to their son. “These high-profile figures have brought the issue into stark focus, and it’s getting the attention that it has always deserved,” Blount said. Beyond racial disparities, age also is a risk factor. Women younger than 25 had the lowest rate of fatalities in 2022, with 14.4 deaths per 100,000 births. Women 40 and over had the highest maternal mortality rate at 87.1 deaths per 100,000 births. Maternal deaths are on the decline Health experts agree that maternal health in rural communities must be addressed to ensure safer deliveries for all mothers-to-be. ARTMARIE/GETTY IMAGES But racial, economic disparities persist Ken Alltucker USA TODAY “Black women, low-income women, don’t receive the standard of care even under the best of circumstances.” Linda Goler Blount President, nonprofit Black Women’s Health Imperative Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Thursday signed into law a repeal of the state’s 160-year-old abortion ban, rescinding one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws after weeks of hard-fought political negotiation at the state Capitol. “Today we are doing what 23 governors and 55 legislatures refused to do, and I am so proud to be the ones that got this job done,” Hobbs said. About 30 Democratic lawmakers and abortion rights advocates from Planned Parenthood and other groups stood beside the governor as she signed the bill at her ofice at the Capitol complex. But neither the governor’s signature, nor the Arizona Legislature’s momentous decision Wednesday to repeal the ban, will bring stability right away. The Arizona Supreme Court renewed the abortion uncertainty with its high-profile decision in April upholding the Civil War-era abortion policy. The governor’s signature also does not mean the ban goes away immediately. That could be months away, but once it is oficially repealed, a 2022 law that prohibits most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy will become effective. That law does allow abortions after 15 weeks if the pregnancy creates lifethreatening conditions or “serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function,” but does not include exceptions for rape or incest. Planned Parenthood asks for delay Following the successful state Senate vote repealing the 1864 law, Planned Parenthood Arizona filed a motion with the state Supreme Court asking it to delay issuing its mandate until after the repeal takes effect. Without more action, the group claims, “abortion care could stop for several months, and Arizonans will live under a draconian total abortion ban despite efforts to stop its enforcement.” But if the court grants the motion, it could mean the ban is never enforced. If the court agrees with Planned Parenthood, its final mandate wouldn’t come until 90 days after the date when the Legislature ends its session for the year. Add in a 45-day delay of enforcement that was agreed to in a separate case, and the enforcement date moves past the November election, when voters will likely get to decide on a ballot measure writing abortion rights into the state constitution. In theory, the 1864 law wouldn’t go into effect before voters get that chance to pass a new, permissive abortion law that would supplant the law the Legislature voted this week to repeal, as well as the 2022 law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. AG Mayes still seeking a delay Attorney General Kris Mayes has tried several efforts aiming to delay enforcement when the court’s April 9 decision becomes final. A motion to reconsider the ruling was rejected, which Mayes’ ofice said extended the time clock the ban could be enforced to late June. That’s because of the order in a separate case that said enforcement would not occur until at least 45 days after the court’s ruling becomes final. But on Tuesday, Mayes asked the justices to again delay their final mandate for 90 days so she can consider taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. She said the court relied on a state law that had been found to be unconstitutionally vague in a separate federal case, a rift that could give her a path to the nation’s top court. The federal case deals with an Arizona law that gave fetuses human rights, a law that is currently barred by court order from being enforced. “My ofice needs time to thoroughly evaluate these issues before deciding whether or not to ask the United States Supreme Court to review our state court’s decision,” Mayes said in a statement. On Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court set a time frame for both Mayes’ and Planned Parenthood’s requests to be heard. It directed groups that defended the ban to respond by May 7. Effective dates of legislation Laws passed by the state Legislature and signed by the governor typically take effect 90 days after the end of the year’s legislative session, also known as sine die. It’s not yet known when sine die will be this year. The Legislature normally ends its work in May or June by enacting a state budget with the governor. It’s possible Hobbs and legislators will finish before the deadline for the budget, June 30. It’s also possible lawmakers could finish the state budget before June 30 and not declare sine die until later. Last year, sine die was on July 31, making the effective date of bills Oct. 30. If the Legislature wraps up its work for the year by the end of May, as Hobbs projected, the abortion ban repeal would take place in late August. Enforcement before repeal? If efforts to delay enforcement of the ban fail, Mayes said the 1864 law would be the law of the land from June 27 until the repeal goes into effect. Hobbs issued an executive order last year giving power for all abortion prosecutions to Mayes, who has vowed never to prosecute someone over an abortion. County attorneys have criticized the order but haven’t yet challenged it legally. Even without indictments, abortion providers suggest they could pause services temporarily if the ban is in effect. Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative legal group defending the 1864 law, would like to see clinics close during the potential enforcement period. Ariz. abortion ban repeal made official Gray area left for period before repeal is effective Stacey Barchenger and Ray Stern Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs holds the bill she signed, repealing the state’s near total abortion ban, on Thursday. ROB SCHUMACHER/USA TODAY NETWORK “Today we are doing what 23 governors and 55 legislatures refused to do, and I am so proud to be the ones that got this job done.” Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs

NEWS USA TODAY ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 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 to show I was neither resisting nor armed. In response, I was handled brutally by police alongside other students being shoved down concrete steps saying with shameless condescension, “Watch your step.” We were arrested, bound and shuttled down to 1 Police Plaza, where the NYPD had a pizza party prepared for the arresting officers. They threw us in cells like animals – cells where the only toilets women could use lacked any privacy and where our naked bodies were in plain sight to throngs of male officers. During news conference hours later, New York Mayor Eric Adams said there were no incidents of violence. This is an abhorrent lie. Later on Wednesday, in an email sent to the entire university community, Columbia President Minouche Shafik thanked the NYPD for their “professionalism.” This supposed professionalism is also a lie. What is nonviolent and professional about seizing a compliant 120-pound student with her hands up and slamming her to the concrete ground? What is nonviolent and professional about treating students so brutally? What is professional about removing a woman’s hijab during police bookings and refusing to return it – yet offering me, a non-Muslim, my vest because the jail cell was cold? What is professional about forcing women to expose their genitalia to male officers in order to use the toilet because we “trespassed” on our own university? We sang “Like a tree planted by the waters, we shall not be moved” as our bodies were seized – but we would not be moved. Our hearts are with Gaza, our resolve is stronger than ever, and we hope the world sees the brutality of the police against peaceful protesters, at the behest of our own university president. But make no mistake, we are not the heroes of this story – that honor belongs to those in Gaza; those whose families have been starved, whose cities have been bombed, whose children have been slaughtered; and those who did not have the privilege of choosing arrest or offering their bodies up as a public relations sacrifice. Nor are we villains – those are the perpetrators of slaughter, such as Minouche Shafik and the Board of Trustees who would rather beat and arrest students than divest from a foreign government committing genocide. On Saturday, I hosted a Passover Seder at my cramped Manhattan apartment for many of my closest friends. Representing many faiths and none, we broke bread together and celebrated the Jewish liberation from slavery and a broken, unjust system of oppression. On Tuesday I was shackled and arrested as part of the campus movement that many in the news media are calling “antisemitic.” It isn’t. Protesters aren’t antisemitic. Our hearts are with innocent Gazans. Critically, our fellow Jewish students are not the villains in this story. They are our friends, our family, our blood, our fellow foot soldiers. Like us, they bleed, they crack, they bruise, they feel. At no point have the student organizers called for or promoted violence against our Jewish brothers and sisters. We are calling to end the violence and genocide against our Palestinian brothers and sisters. I chose to risk arrest because – unlike many of my classmates and friends – I’m privileged enough not to face deportation; because my potential suspension – and any other consequences that may befall me – does not even register on the scale of suffering experienced by those for whom we sing, whose lives have been taken, whose children have been slaughtered, whose families are being starved and tortured – those whom Columbia University is complicit in killing. We are not the heroes, nor are we the villains – the latter category belongs to Columbia and the broken system it refuses to heal. Allie Wong is a Ph.D. student at Columbia University. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, an M.A. in International Affairs from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and a bachelor’s degree in Human Rights, Peace and Nonviolent Activism from New York University. My Columbia arrest was a nightmare Two people embrace across the street from Columbia University as hundreds of police officers gathered on Tuesday night. SETH HARRISON/THE JOURNAL NEWS VIA USA TODAY NETWORK Allie Wong Opinion contributor Last Tuesday night, two dozen Columbia University students linked arms in front of the student-occupied Hamilton Hall at dusk. I was one of them. We sang with broken yet mighty voices, “Your people are my people, your people are mine; your people are my people, our struggles align.” We were a group of activists of differing faiths and none, friends and strangers united, linking arms with one another and, in spirit, with the generations of courageous students who came before us. Electricity crackled through the air from the growing protests echoing just beyond the university gates – gates I had just moments ago slipped through and sprinted from like a bat out of hell. We knew we were likely to be arrested for being on campus despite the university-mandated shelter-in-place order, but we chose to run into the fire anyway. As a human chain, draped in keffiyehs and shaking like leaves in the autumn wind, we sang with hushed tones and breathed deeply as hundreds of officers from the New York Police Department armed with flash grenades and pepper spray marched toward us like a military parade. As they approached from multiple directions, we sang with frail and cracking voices, “This love that I have, the world didn’t give it to me; the world didn’t give it, the world can't take it away," as officers threatened student journalists with arrest, presumably to ensure minimal coverage of the aggression they were about to exert. Our arrests were violent and not professional Columbia students in dorms craned their necks and shakily stretched their iPhones out windows to observe the impending attack. We clung tighter to one another as they approached us, and seized us like rag dolls and slammed us into the hallowed ground of brick and concrete. But unlike rag dolls, we bleed, we crack, we bruise, we feel. Once dispersed, I held my hands up We are not the heroes, nor are we the villains – the latter category belongs to Columbia and the broken system it refuses to heal. Sake, the last town before Goma. Internally displaced people are living in makeshift camps with little food, fuel, clean water or shelter, and more are arriving in Goma every day. Funding and coordination of humanitarian aid are nowhere near enough. The rate of gender-based violence is skyrocketing. The escalating conflict, the rapid displacement of Congolese, and the inadequate humanitarian assistance have, altogether, proved dangerous for women and girls. Between 2021 and 2022, reports of sexual violence in North Kivu province surged by 91%, and the number of cases continues to rise. Survivors reported 10,400 such cases this past January alone. This prevalence of gender-based violence requires a robust international response. Yet in recent years, the world’s attention has been diverted – as Russia invaded Ukraine, Sudan collapsed into civil war and Israel commenced a massive military operation in Gaza. These crises and others have pushed Congo from most global watchlists and from the public’s awareness. Limited global attention means limited humanitarian response News coverage of the conflict – and world attention – has been sparse. Limited global attention on Congo means limited funding to support the humanitarian response. Last year, foreign governments donated only about 40% (two-thirds of this from Washington) of what the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says was required to provide essential aid to internally displaced people in eastern Congo. This year, donors have covered just 16% of the U.N. request. Of this, humanitarian responders spend only 0.4% of the total, specifically on protecting women and girls from sexual violence. Food is in short supply. The World Food Program says it needs at least $425 million in additional funds for the next six months. A recent visit to these camps by Refugees International found women whom men had brutally attacked throughout North Kivu province, especially near Virunga National Park. Because aid to these camps is meager and unreliable, many women and girls walk out into the woods for as many as five or six hours to collect firewood, which they sell to buy food and other essentials. It is on these treks that so many of them are sexually assaulted, especially by armed M23 soldiers. Even traveling in groups isn’t safe, because their armed assailants are also in groups. ‘I have been raped twice in just the last year’ A young mother of three children told Refugees International, “I travel alone, I am attacked. I travel with other women, I am attacked. It doesn’t seem to matter to men with the guns. I have been raped twice in just the last year.” If she is to have a real shot at a better future, several things need to happen: h The public needs to wake up and pay attention to the intensifying conflict in Congo, especially the exceptional levels and brutality of sexual violence. h Humanitarian organizations need to prioritize providing food and fuel to displaced women and girls so they do not have to leave the camps. h Perhaps most important, M23 (and the Rwandan government that supports the militia) and the Congolese government must agree to take their disagreements to the negotiating table. Grievances and control over resources in eastern Congo cannot be resolved by violence. It has never worked before and it will not work now. Without a path toward peace, this familiar story about rape in Congo will remain unchanged or get worse. Devon Cone is the senior advocate for women and girls at Refugees International nonprofit organization. Amid fighting, rape epidemic hits Congo Devon Cone Opinion contributor An epidemic of rape and genderbased violence has overwhelmed the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the world isn’t paying attention. Conflict in the eastern part of the African nation has escalated dramatically in the past two years. A history of regional and ethnic tensions, along with a weak central government and disputes over ownership of land and resources, has led to a proliferation of rebel groups – approximately 120 armed groups now – that have fought government forces for more than a decade. The violence has been especially intense since the end of 2021, and attacks against women and girls have risen exponentially. At least 7 million people have fled their homes in Congo, rivaling Sudan as the largest displacement crisis in the world. In the past few months, the main rebel group, M23, has launched several major offensives toward Goma, the capital of the east and the region’s humanitarian hub. M23 soldiers now surround the city of more than 2 million people, cutting them off from critical roads and food. Peace has been elusive. Just last month, according to the BBC, a missile killed three Tanzanian troops assisting government forces in Displaced Congolese who have fled armed rebels shelter in Kishinji, Democratic Republic of Congo. HUGH KINSELLA CUNNINGHAM/GETTY IMAGES

8A ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS The face of a 75,000-yearold Neanderthal woman has been re-created by a team of archeologists from the University of Cambridge after they excavated her body in 2018. The rare discovery of the Neanderthal skull came from an Iraqi cave where the species was known to lay their dead to rest. The site could indicate how Neanderthals may have been more caring and emotionally intelligent than previously thought. The team found the Neanderthal named Shanidar Z inside a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is a mountainous region in northern Iraq. The Neanderthal species repeatedly returned to Iraqi Kurdistan to bury their dead, according to Cambridge University’s findings. The cave became famous because of several Neanderthals being unearthed there in the late 1950s after their bodies appeared to have been buried in succession, the school in Cambridge, England, said. Neanderthals are believed to have died out more than 40,000 years ago, making discoveries of new remains “few and far between,” according to Cambridge. Shanidar Z’s skull indicates possible interbreeding Emma Pomeroy, a palaeoanthropologist from Cambridge’s Department of Archaeology, says “The skulls of Neanderthals and humans look very different.” “Neanderthal skulls have huge brow ridges and lack chins, with a projecting midface that results in more prominent noses,” Pomeroy said in the release. “But the re-created face suggests those differences were not so stark in life.” Neanderthal skulls differing from humans could indicate that interbreeding occurred between our species thousands of years ago, Pomeroy said. If true, then “almost everyone alive today still has Neanderthal DNA.” Shanidar Z was a 5-foot woman in her mid-40s Analysis of Shanidar’s remains suggests she was a 5- foot woman who was possibly in her mid-40s, Cambridge said. The team determined her sex and age by observing her tooth enamel and physique, the school added. “Some front teeth worn down to the root,” according to Cambridge’s findings. How did the archeologists excavate Shanidar Z? The Cambridge team that found Shanidar Z’s remains only found the top half of her body, and they believe the lower half was excavated in 1960. Rockfall possibly crushed Shanidar Z’s head relatively soon after her death, researchers surmise. The head was “then compacted further by tens of thousands of years of sediment,” the school added. “When archaeologists found it, the skull was flattened to around two centimeters thick,” the Cambridge release said. The team removed Shanidar Z in “dozens of small foilwrapped blocks from under seven and a half meters of soil and rock within the heart of the cave,” according to Cambridge. How was Shanidar Z’s face recreated? In Cambridge’s lab, researchers “took micro-CT scans of each block before gradually diluting the glue and using the scans to guide extraction of bone fragments,” the school said. Over 200 bits of Shanidar Z’s skull were pieced together by lead conservator Lucía LópezPolín to restore it to its original shape according to Cambridge. “Each skull fragment is gently cleaned while glue and consolidant are re-added to stabilize the bone, which can be very soft, similar in consistency to a biscuit dunked in tea,” Pomeroy said. “It’s like a high stakes 3D jigsaw puzzle. A single block can take over a fortnight to process.” Once rebuilt, the Shanidar’s skull was surface scanned and 3D printed, which formed “the basis of a reconstructed head” created by paleoartists Adrie and Alfons Kennis, Cambridge said. The identical twins built up layers of fabricated muscle and skin to reveal a face, according to the school. ‘Neanderthals have had a bad press’ While inside the cave where Shanidar was excavated, the team noticed a “huge vertical rock” that they believe served as a landmark for Neanderthals to identify a certain site for repeated burials, the school said. Graeme Barker, a Cambridge professor who led to the cave excavation, said “Neanderthals have had a bad press ever since the first ones were found over 150 years ago.” The way the remains in the cave “show signs of an empathetic species” as Shanidar Z was leaned against her side, with her left hand curled under her head and a rock behind the head acting as a small cushion, the school said. The archeologists believe the rock may been placed there. “Our discoveries show that the Shanidar Neanderthals may have been thinking about death and its aftermath in ways not so very different from their closest evolutionary cousins – ourselves,” Barker said. Team re-creates Neanderthal woman’s face Cambridge University’s Associate Professor in the Evolution of Health, Diet and Disease, Emma Pomeroy, with the rebuilt skull and physical reconstruction of the face and head of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman named Shanidar Z on April 25. PHOTOS BY JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Remains are 75,000 years old Pictured is the rebuilt skull of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman named Shanidar Z. Jonathan Limehouse USA TODAY LANDING TIME. LAUNCH TIME. YOU TIME. LOBSTER TIME. VISITSTMAARTEN.COM DIRECT DAILY FLIGHTS FROM ATLANTA, BOSTON, CHARLOTTE, CHICAGO, FORT LAUDERDALE, MIAMI, NEW YORK AND NEWARK. St. Maarten SUMMER TIME, WINTER TIME. 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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 | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | SECTION B Many of the best rates come from banks that do not have a branch at the local strip mall. Page 3B Online banks offer best MONEY high-yield savings rates Time is precious, and Americans know it. h To gauge how precious, financial planning firm Empower asked 2,204 adults between March 11 and 14 how much money they thought an hour of their time was worth. h On average, Americans valued their time at $240 an hour. h And based on a standard 40-hour week, that puts their perceived value at $499,200 a year, or nearly eight times higher than the average U.S. salary of $59,384. Because people value their time so highly, many are willing to spend money to get a little more or achieve a happier life, the survey showed. “It's a race to find happiness, whether that’s a better work-life balance or a $7 daily cup of coffee,” Empower said. What age group values their time the most? How much value you put on time depends on your age, the data showed. h Millennials (born from 1981 to 1996) place the highest value on their time, saying an hour was worth $328.84, with a quarter of them pegging that at more than $500 – the highest percentage of any generation. Only 6% of Boomers priced an hour at $500 or more. h Gen Z (born from 1997 to 2012) said an hour of their time would cost $266.92. h Gen X (born from 1965 to 1980) said their time was worth $215.90 an hour. h Boomers (from 1946 to 1964) said an hour of their time is worth $137.19. Millennials value their time more because of their sense of lost time, like the 2008 financial crisis when many entered the workforce, or the volatility later caused by the pandemic. Record high levels of student debt and some of the highest inflation and mortgage rates in decades, which millennials say have kept them from buying homes, have also rattled them, Empower said. How much would you give up to get back an hour of your time? Time is so precious that 26% of Americans said they’d take a 15% pay cut for more free time. Millennials (41%) were the most willing to do so, Empower said. GETTY IMAGES Time is precious Americans put a monetary value on it in a new survey Medora Lee USA TODAY Almost 40% of Americans say saving time is more important than saving money, and that figure rises to 52% for millennials, the survey showed. See TIME, Page 2B John Schrier was traveling home to New York from Taipei, Taiwan, last month and said the flight was interminably boring. “As we boarded, you could see that about half of the screens had a black screen,” he told me. “Half of us were not able to watch an entertainment system.” Schrier said he reached out to the Taiwanese airline EVA Air on multiple platforms, including on social media during the flight, but initially had no luck hearing back or getting reimbursed for the inconvenience of a transpacific flight with no inflight entertainment. Unfortunately for Schrier, it’s unlikely any compensation will be coming. Airlines have conditions attached to every ticket, known as contracts of carriage, that outline their minimum obligations to passengers. Contracts of carriage, coupled with rules from regulators like the Department of Transportation, give passengers their basic rights when flying – but seatback screens are not usually considered mandatory equipment, even if they’re advertised as an available amenity. Nevertheless, the Transportation Department recently announced new rules that give consumers increased protections when other kinds of things go wrong, so here’s what you need to know about what is and isn’t a reimbursable offense by an airline these days. What is an airline contract of carriage? Airline contracts of carriage are the terms and conditions that passengers agree to when they fly. Travelers automatically sign on when they purchase their tickets, even if they don’t have to formally sign a document. The contracts typically outline an airline’s commitments for transportation, as well as what happens if your flight is delayed or canceled and other fine print related to your itinerary. “Some airlines have a customer bill of rights to basically simplify the airline contract of carriage, but essentially it’s what’s allowed, what’s not allowed, but everybody has a little bit different verbiage,” Loulu Lima, founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here, told me. CRUISING ALTITUDE Broken amenities just part of flying Getting refunds not part of the carriage contract Zach Wichter USA TODAY See CRUISING, Page 2B Two years ago, a “Saturday Night Live” skit sang the praises of shorter movies. “Gimme that short-ass movie, a 90-minute movie,” Pete Davidson rapped in the taped video with musical guest Gunna, actor Simon Rex and fellow cast member Chris Redd. Netflix was only too happy to oblige. The next morning it rolled out a new category of bite-sized entertainment such as “Happy Gilmore,” “Sixteen Candles” and “Jurassic Park III.” “Short-Ass Movies” was an instant hit with subscribers frustrated by marathon running times. “Yea Baby!!!!” one commented on social media. Netflix creates tens of thousands of catchy categories like “Short-Ass Movies” to help subscribers find their groove on the streaming platform. In fact, curating categories is one of Netflix’s superpowers. Netflix says categories slice through thousands of titles to recommend TV shows and movies that match the tastes and viewing habits of its nearly 270 million subscribers. The categories range from the mundane – “Action TV” or “TV comedies” – to the intriguing – “Heartfelt Underdog Movies” or “Drug Lords and Mob Bosses.” Then there are the oddly obscure themes. “When I started getting really niche category recs on Netflix, like ‘Critically Acclaimed Canadian Satires with Strong Female Leads,’ I was like, finally, someone gets me,” one Netflix subscriber wrote on social media, “and unfortunately it’s this algorithm.” How Netflix categories shape what we watch Categorizing content is a prime directive for Netflix. The more Netflix shows it gets you, the likelier you are to stick around. It also has another subtle yet significant effect: Taking cues from Netflix on what to watch shapes and influences us in ways we might not always realize. While 50 years ago we discovered new music through friends or flipping through bins of vinyl at the record store, today we are more likely to be guided by Spotify’s unseen algorithms. “The positives are obvious – personalized recommendations from Netflix and Spotify help us find exactly what we like in an incomprehensible number of options,” David Beer, a professor of Can’t decide what to watch next? Netflix says it can help. Curating categories is streamer’s superpower Jessica Guynn USA TODAY Pop Culture Now is one of many categories on Netflix. PROVIDED BY NETFLIX See NETFLIX, Page 2B

2B ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY MONEY Americans also would pay someone to do things for them to regain time. h Thirty-six percent said they’d rather pay more to get an item delivered instead of driving 10 minutes to get it, the survey said. h More than 2 out of 5 Americans said outsourcing household chores improves work-life balance. One-third of Gen Z would pay up to $5,000 a year to save time by forgoing tasks like cleaning and yard work, and 36% of millennials would shell out as much as $10,000 for someone to take on inhouse chores and cook meals. h Americans don’t like managing their money. More than one-third of Americans procrastinate when it comes to money tasks like paying their bills, and 26% said they’d spend $5,000 annually to have someone else manage their long-term financials, investments, and savings. What makes people feel wealthy? Wealth isn’t just about your bank account for most Americans. Sixty-three percent said they “feel wealthy” if they have enough time to spend with family and friends, the survey said. Nearly one-third feel comfortable taking on debt if it buys more free time or a memorable experience. Almost 40% of Americans say saving time is more important than saving money, and that figure rises to 52% for millennials, the survey showed. What about retirement savings? Almost half of Americans feel they’re running out of time to save for retirement, even though 44% say they started putting money away early enough, the survey said. Forty-three percent said they wish they could go back in time to start saving sooner, but nearly half said they’d rather have a longer retirement with less money than retire later in life with more, the survey showed. Generally, Americans remain “optimistic,” though, and “people may be further along than they think,” the survey said. The average 401(k) balance is $291,810, and for people in their 50s approaching retirement age, it jumps to $580,259, according to Empower Personal Dashboard data. Time Continued from Page 1B If you want to comb through the fine print, airlines make their contracts of carriage available on their websites. EVA’s contract, which covered Schrier’s trip, includes terms and conditions on how tickets can be used and (not) transferred, how stopovers work, what kinds of delays or cancellations make a passenger eligible for a refund and other assorted policies. “It’s going to depend on the airline. An American airline is going to have a different set of rules than an Asian one,” Lima said. “The rules are really written based on the country of the corporate office." Can passengers get a refund for broken inflight entertainment? Usually not. “If you have status, you might get some loyalty points out of it, but other than maybe going on social media and making a big stink about it you’re probably not going to get anything,” Lima said. Some airlines are also more accommodating than others and may voluntarily give passengers credits when something like that goes wrong. A few years ago, I was flying on Delta, and my seatback screen was broken, and I was given about 2,500 SkyMiles as a goodwill gesture. Schrier said EVA eventually offered him about $100 in compensation. New DOT rule increases traveler protections Though inflight entertainment isn’t typically considered crucial equipment by an airline, which means it’s safe to travel even if those seatback screens aren’t working, the Transportation Department recently announced new rules that help guarantee protections and refunds for other kinds of problems in the air. Part of the change means: h Airlines will have to automatically issue refunds within 20 days if a passenger’s flight is canceled or significantly delayed (over three hours) and they choose not to travel on alternative flights offered. h If a traveler pays a checked bag fee and their bag is significantly delayed, they’ll be entitled to a refund of the fee. h If a traveler pays in advance for an ancillary service like an extra legroom seat or Wi-Fi and then does not have access to that amenity on the flight, they will have to receive a refund for those charges. The refund policies also were coupled with another new rule that requires more upfront, clear-cut disclosure of airline fees. “A lot of what we hear from passengers involves refunds – or the lack thereof – for passengers who experience cancellations and disruptions.” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement announcing the new rules. “Infrequent fliers are especially vulnerable, since they may not know that we are here for them, and are often not told about their right to a refund, and too often instead offered compensation in form of a voucher or miles whose value amounts to pennies on the dollar of what they are actually owed. Or they enter the vortex of call centers and chatbots, sometimes giving up before they get their money back.” Schrier, for example, said he had a lot of trouble getting through to EVA to file his complaint. It’s definitely frustrating for travelers who are on a long flight without functioning entertainment. I’m usually totally dependent on the seatback screen for my distractions while flying. But if the alternative is for a flight to get significantly delayed or canceled while technicians fix the operating system, I think I’d rather just get going. Cruising Continued from Page 1B sociology at the University of York in the U.K., wrote in a piece for The Conversation. Should we passively accept the recommendations of black-box algorithms and filter bubbles that hew to our tastes and biases? Bespoke categories can become limiting, even harmful, by insulating us from new voices and different perspectives, Beer says. “The question is: Who decides what the labels are, what gets put into these boxes and, therefore, what do we end up watching, listening to and reading?” Meet Netflix’s team of tastemakers At Netflix, a 20-person team led by Mansi Patel is responsible for adding categories that show up in neat rows on the home screen, navigation menus and search. “It’s the cornerstone of how we organize and bring all of our titles together,” said Patel, a director of product management at Netflix. She says Netflix began creating categories back in its DVD days. “Categories on Netflix are crucial to helping members find the right series and films for them,” she said. On average, members watch movies and shows from six different genres every month. With the help of algorithms that analyze viewing habits and underlying data that tags movies with snappy descriptions, Netflix categories can make highly customized recommendations, Patel says. Its “Pop Culture Now” category features rows based on trending pop culture topics. A recent addition is “u herd of baby reindeer? ok more like it” referring to the Netflix limited series “Baby Reindeer,” based on creator Richard Gadd’s reallife experience being stalked. Patel’s team created a “because you watched” row using the tone of stalker Martha as an Easter egg to recommend similar films and series. Popular appeal is not a prerequisite. What’s relevant to one person won’t be relevant to another. Some categories have big followings, others not so much. The goal, Patel says, is to create genres that reflect Netflix’s broad cross-section of viewers, from Afrofuturism to Out, Proud & Authentic. “We want to be constantly thinking about our different members in terms of who they are and making sure our categories reflect that,” Patel said. In weekly meetings over Google Hangouts to brainstorm new categories, her team obsesses over the latest in pop culture and mines internet search queries, trending topics and buzzy hashtags. They also draw on their own experiences logging into Netflix in search of that next great series or film. That’s how “Watch in One Night” (for people who want to stay in and binge) was born. Other brainstorms include: “Swipe Right,” (romance in the digital age); Need for Speed (adrenalin-pumping adventure); Love in Any Language (romance from around the world); Truth is Stranger than Fiction (real-life events so bizarre they could only be true). Some ideas don’t pan out right away. “Choose Your Superpower” took a while to create, Patel says. “Some of these categories, we will have the idea and we need to work toward it as new films and series are launched,” she said. How Netflix curates categories One of Patel’s favorite categories is “Badass Moms.” “Someone came into the room and pitched the idea of thinking about moms as superheroes in their everyday duties,” she said. “I’m a mom and the idea of having a category based on how badass we all are, that was a really fun one.” Each row of themed suggestions is calibrated to an individual’s taste. So, too, is what shows up at the top of a category. For example, Patel watches a lot of Hindi content so “Masaba Masaba” – a scripted series starring fashion designer Masaba Gupta and her mother Neena Gupta – is a No. 1 recommendation for her in “Badass Moms.” Some other titles included in the category are what you’d expect, from “Workin’ Moms” to “Good Girls.” But Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill”? “‘Kill Bill’ was an interesting choice,” Patel conceded. Netflix categories get mostly good reviews That kind of zing has turned Netflix categories into a pop culture phenomenon of its own. The New Yorker magazine had some Netflix-inspired tongue-in-cheek suggestions: “Nature Documentaries That Will Make You Want to Save the Planet Until You Really Need That Thing from Amazon” and “Independent ArtHouse Movies That Will Make You Call an Ex and Give Yourself Bangs.” Some poke fun, but Netflix categories get mostly good reviews on social media. “I watch so many horror movies that Netflix recommends them in several different categories. My favorite is this one, ‘High Brow Horror.’ ” “Netflix does categories right. They have VERY specific stuff. “Buddy cop road trip movies with friends on the rocks” or “soft sci fi with fantasy elements for kids.” “Netflix categories make you laugh nearly as much as the comedy,” commented one person above a screenshot of “Politically Incorrect Stand-up Comedy” featuring Richard Pryor and Louis C.K. In fact, sometimes the categories are so insightful, they unnerve Netflix subscribers. “Nothing makes you take a pause like Netflix suggesting the category of Gory Movies Featuring a Strong Female Lead,” one subscriber said, adding: “Please note that I don’t hate the suggestions.” Netflix Continued from Page 1B Richard Gadd as Donny and Jessica Gunning as Martha in “Baby Reindeer.” PROVIDED BY ED MILLER/NETFLIX Cartier jewelry can typically cost thousands of dollars, but a 27-year-old man spent less than $14 on luxury earrings from the French brand after discovering a price error. Rogelio Villarreal, a citizen of Mexico, posted April 20 via X that he was using the bathroom and going down a rabbit hole on Instagram on Dec. 12, 2023, when he noticed the 18-carat rose-gold Clash de Cartier earrings on the jeweler’s website. Rather than their actual retail price of $11,600, the earrings were priced at 237 Mexican pesos, which converts to $13.91, according to Villarreal. “I was amazed to see how much the necklaces cost and so on, and I said ‘someday’ − until I saw the earrings,” Villarreal wrote on social media. “I swear I broke out in a cold sweat.” USA TODAY contacted Cartier but did not receive a response. Villarreal bought two sets of the earrings, but he later noticed the price was adjusted on Cartier’s website to 237,000 Mexican pesos, which converts to $13,890.93, according to another X post. A week after Villarreal bought the earrings, Cartier tried to cancel his order and say the items were no longer available, he wrote on X. When Villarreal decided not to cancel the order, the jeweler’s representatives began calling him, the X post said. Villarreal said the Cartier reps told him the earrings he ordered “were not at the correct price” so they “wanted to cancel the purchase.” To remedy the “inconvenience,” Cartier said they would give Villarreal a gift, which turned out to be a complimentary bottle of Cartier Cuvée champagne and a leather Cartier item, according to an email Villarreal received and posted on X. Villarreal rejected Cartier’s gifts and used a contact form on the company’s website to cite a federal consumer protection law in Mexico that says a goods supplier can be taken to court “by not respecting the terms and conditions” under which a product or service is bought. The terms and conditions for sales on Cartier’s website in Mexico say disputes can be brought to the Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer for “conciliation,” which Villarreal said he noticed. He then filed a complaint with the Matamoros branch of the federal consumer protection agency. Villarreal said the consumer protection agency summoned Cartier for arbitration and tried to mediate an agreement. If the agency found Cartier or any other company at fault, it could impose fines or penalties, Jorge López Zozaya, a corporate lawyer in Mexico City, told The New York Times. The agency cannot make businesses abide by a listed price, Zozaya added. Even if a listed price was an obvious error, Mexican law does not extend protections to consumers under those circumstances, according to Zozaya. “If this case had gone to a court of law, it probably would have resolved favorably for Cartier,” the lawyer told The Times. Villarreal and Cartier did not have to go to court or get lawyers involved because the jeweler sent the Tamaulipas, Mexico, native the two sets of earrings for which he paid about $28. “War is over,” Villarreal said April 22 in an X post. “Cartier is delivering.” The earrings arrived April 26, according to Villarreal, who shared a post on X the same day saying, “Once upon a December.” Cartier sends man $14k earrings for $14 after price error Jonathan Limehouse USA TODAY

MONEY USA TODAY ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ 3B Looking for a high-yield savings account? According to Motley Fool’s The Ascent, your best option right now might be SoFi, an online bank founded by Stanford business students. In The Ascent’s May report on high-yield savings, SoFi offers annual interest rates up to 4.6%. WalletHub’s top pick is My Banking Direct, an online subsidiary of the recently embattled New York Community Bancorp. The personal finance site says My Banking Direct offers 5.55% interest. In an era of historically high interest on savings accounts, many of the best rates come from banks that do not have a branch at the local strip mall. Interest rates of 4% to 5% have become the norm on “high-yield” savings accounts in the past two years in response to the Fed’s dramatic campaign of interest rate hikes to curb inflation. Those lofty rates should persist for the foreseeable future after the central bank left its key rate unchanged at a 23-year high on Wednesday. That said, not all savings accounts pay such high interest. As of April, the average national yield on such accounts was 0.57%, according to an institutional survey by Bankrate. To cash in on those historically high rates, a consumer has to do some hunting. Many of best high-yield savings rates come from online banks Many of the best rates are from online banks, institutions that operate online, with few or no brick-and-mortar branches. My Banking Direct, a New York Community Bancorp subsidiary, offered the highest rate on Bankrate’s table of highyield savings accounts last week, according to Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at the personal finance site. “Is that an online bank or a brickand-mortar bank? It’s kind of both,” he said, “but it has a much bigger reach online.” The second-highest interest rate on the Bankrate list, 5.35%, came from BrioDirect. “That’s actually the online version of Webster Bank,” a brick-and-mortar bank in Connecticut, Rossman said. Online banks can offer some of the highest interest rates in the industry because they have lower overhead costs than big brick-and-mortar banks, industry experts say. Banks with lobbies and tellers cost money to operate. Online banks have lower overhead costs Many online banks can afford to pay high interest to depositors because they are collecting even higher rates from borrowers. “Online banks generally specialize in higher-yielding loan products,” said Matt Frankel, a certified financial planner with The Motley Fool. Ally Bank, an online bank with competitive rates on savings accounts, is largely an auto lender, Frankel said, with loans that fetch double-digit interest. “If they’re paying 5% on deposits,” he said, “that’s still a really big margin.” Some of the nation’s largest brickand-mortar banks offer competitive rates on savings accounts. CapitalOne, for example, offers high-yield savings at 4.25% interest. But many other big banks do not. “They just don’t feel the need to be competitive, is the simple answer,” said Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of WalletHub. Big banks enjoy one big advantage over their smaller online rivals: They already have your business. People bank where their parents banked Many consumers stay with the same large bank for decades. They often bank where their parents banked. Changing banks is tricky: Direct deposit, online bill-pay and other routines go out the window when you switch banks. And customers count on those bank branches, even if they don’t visit them often. “Consumers often will just stay with the bank they’ve been at their whole life and not shop around,” said Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert at NerdWallet, the personal finance site. Consumers might think their money is inherently safer in a big bank if it’s FDIC-insured, “which is not true,” Papadimitriou said. “Your money is not any more secure there than it is at any other bank that is FDIC-insured in the United States, period.” Two-thirds of Americans with savings accounts earn less than 4% interest, Bankrate found in a survey in February, which suggests many people either don’t know higher rates exist or don’t want the hassle of changing banks. Even so, many big banks are seeing deposits decline, which could signal that customers are moving their money to banks with better rates, Frankel said. Wherever they bank, consumers are doing more banking online. More than 2,500 bank branches closed in 2023, according to Bankrate. OK, we’ve talked about the upsides to high-yield savings at online banks. Now, the downsides. Those high interest rates aren’t fixed Whatever gaudy interest rate a highyield savings account might offer right now, there’s no guarantee it will stay that high forever. Savings rates “are liquid,” Rossman said, “so they can change at any time,” although forecasters don’t expect big changes anytime soon. Banking experts predict savings account yields will eventually go down, especially after the Federal Reserve begins to lower its benchmark interest rate. But when will that be? It’s hard to say after Wednesday’s Fed announcement, which offered no hint of when cuts would come. “These rates are here to stay, but I cannot predict whether they’re going to stay for a year or two,” Papadimitriou said. Even if the high yields aren’t fixed, experts say, the banks that offer them have an incentive to remain competitive. “Banks are competing for your money, and they want to make it appealing,” NerdWallet’s Palmer said. Do I really need one more bank? There’s no question: Opening a savings account at a bank where you don’t have a checking account is not ideal, if only for the sheer convenience of banking in one place. Big banks are “banking on convenience,” Frankel said. They can offer the consumer a full plate of banking services on one platform, within easy reach of a neighborhood branch. On the other hand, a consumer who opens a “sidecar” savings account at an online bank can link it to a checking account at another bank with minimal effort. Once the accounts are linked, “if you need to move money back and forth, it takes a day or two,” Rossman said. And perhaps that is a good thing. Personal finance experts say it is wise to keep a savings account partitioned off from your other accounts that you cannot easily tap. “I actually think that can be useful,” Rossman said. Don’t count on high-yield customer service Big banks compete on customer service. At online banks, experts say, your results may vary. An online bank may not offer the same level of telephone support as the national brands. ATM locations may be scarce. And one cannot simply walk into a local branch. Frankel, from Motley Fool, nearly lost a house when his online bank struggled to wire the money to close the purchase. Online banks offer best high-yield savings To find the best rates, some hunting is required Daniel de Visé USA TODAY Ally Bank, an online bank with competitive rates on savings accounts, is largely an auto lender, with loans that fetch double-digit interest. PROVIDED BY JAMES WILLAMOR U.S. payroll growth slowed substantially in April as employers added 175,000 jobs amid high interest rates and stubborn inflation, while average pay increases fell to a three-year low. The unemployment rate rose from 3.8% to 3.9%, the Labor Department said Friday. Economists had estimated that 250,000 jobs were added last month, according to a Bloomberg survey. Employment gains for February and March were revised down by a total 22,000. And while job creation in April was still solid by historical standards, the report portrays a broadly cooling labor market that should be welcomed by a Federal Reserve seeking to curtail high inflation. The economy added a monthly average of 269,000 jobs the previous three months and 251,000 in 2023. Despite the pullback in April, "overall, the numbers are strong," Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su said in an interview. She added that many economists expected a sharper slowdown in job growth because of high inflation and interest rates. "Everybody bet against this kind of outcome," she said, adding the solid showing indicates that President Biden's policies aimed at aiding middleclass Americans are working. Is wage growth cooling? Average hourly pay rose 7 cents to $34.75, pushing down the yearly increase from 4.1% to 3.9%, the lowest since June 2021. Wage growth has slowed as pandemic-related labor shortages have eased, but it’s still above the 3.5% pace Federal Reserve officials say would align with their 2% inflation goal. Many Americans, meanwhile, are benefiting because typical pay increases have topped inflation the past year, giving them more purchasing power. Is the Fed going to cut interest rates in 2024? Fed Chair Jerome Powell said this week that it’s “likely to take longer” for the central bank to gain confidence that inflation is sustainably approaching the Fed’s 2% goal, delaying interest rate cuts. Friday’s weaker job numbers “across the board” suggest the central bank still could lower rates this year, economist Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics wrote in a note to clients. Since March 2022, the Fed has raised its key short-term interest rate from near zero to a 23 year-high of 5.25% to 5.5%, but it has held it steady since last July as inflation has eased. Officials had forecast three rate cuts this year, goosing the stock market, but futures markets are now predicting just one decrease later in 2024. The Fed’s preferred inflation measure remained stuck at 2.8% in March, still well above its 2% goal. Though Powell said officials will reduce rates when yearly inflation moves closer to 2%, he also said they could act if the labor market weakens unexpectedly. "This report is nothing like bad enough to trigger a wholesale rethink at the Fed, but things will be different if the July numbers are weaker still, as we expect," says Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Which industry has the most new jobs? Last month, health care and social assistance again led the job gains with 87,000. Transportation and warehousing added 22,000 jobs; retail, 22,000; and construction, 9,000. The public sector, which accounted for much of the payroll increases in recent months, added just 8,000 positions in April. Employment was flat for local governments, which had been driving the public hiring. Leisure and hospitality, another sector that has been powering job growth, mostly in restaurants and bars, added just 7,000 jobs. The paltry employment gains in that industry and in construction appear to support the view that unseasonably warm weather pulled forward hiring to early this year, Ashworth says. That could dampen job gains for those sectors in the spring. What is the participation rate for prime-age women? The share of women in their prime working years − ages 25 to 54 − who are working or looking for jobs jumped from 77.7% to 78%, the highest ever, Secretary Su noted. Economists have said women are being drawn into a favorable labor market at the same time child care options are becoming more plentiful. Stay-at-home mothers have been able to work remotely since the pandemic. A growing share of companies offer paid family and medical leave programs. And day care is becoming more widely available. Day care services shed about 300,000 workers early in the pandemic, but employment in the industry reached a new alltime high last month. How is the US job market now? Robust job growth has continued to stun economists. Employers have added well over 200,000 jobs a month this year as they’ve shrugged off persistent inflation and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes intended to tame the price increases. A big reason is a flood of immigrants who are juicing household purchases and providing the labor supply needed to meet the increased demand. Immigration swelled the labor supply by about 80,000 a month last year and should provide a boost of about 50,000 a month in 2024, Goldman Sachs wrote in a research note. Immigrants are helping fill an ample inventory of job openings, Goldman says, especially in industries like construction, restaurants and hotels. Job vacancies have steadily fallen from a record 12 million in mid-2022 to 8.5 million in March, Labor said this week. That’s the lowest since February 2021 but still well above the pre-pandemic level. Other forecasters figured employment gains softened notably in April and will pull back further in the months ahead. Are layoffs increasing? Behind the glitzy job numbers, the labor market is downshifting. Hires, and the number of people quitting jobs (most of them to take new positions), fell further in March, and both are below pre-pandemic levels. That underscores that net job growth continues to be bolstered by historically low layoffs rather than the need for new staffers. Companies have been reluctant to let employees go after COVID-19-induced labor shortages. Yet while that propped up payrolls at the start of the year, when businesses normally cut holiday workers, a scarcity of layoffs is likely becoming a less prominent factor, Goldman says. Small business hiring intentions have fallen to the lowest mark since the depths of the health crisis in May 2020, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. By the second half of the year, some top economists expect average monthly job growth to dip below 100,000. Economy added 175,000 jobs in April amid high inflation Unemployment rate rose from 3.8% to 3.9% Paul Davidson USA TODAY

4B ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY MONEY News from across the USA ALABAMA Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama officials say the new Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership will provide a unique educational experience for students interested in public policy. ALASKA Juneau: Glaciers are a major draw for many Alaska cruise passengers. But on the chance you don’t see one as advertised during your voyage, Holland America Line will give you money back. The cruise line is adding a Glacier Guarantee for its cruises and cruise tours around the Last Frontier through September 2025. If Holland America doesn’t visit one it planned to, passengers will get a future cruise credit worth 15% of their fare. ARIZONA Marana: Tucson, Marana and the Metropolitan Domestic Water Improvement District will build new treatment plants to remove hazardous PFAS chemicals from the drinking water supply with the help of federal and state funding. ARKANSAS Little Rock: A coalition of 21 conservative states led by Arkansas filed a lawsuit challenging a new federal rule regulating licenses for gun dealers. CALIFORNIA Redding: Trinity Lake was 85% full last week. Last year at this time, Trinity Lake was less than 40% full, and getting down to the water for boating or fishing meant walking or driving a half a mile in some places to get to the water, a Trinity Center resident said. CONNECTICUT Enfield: Authorities said an investigation is underway after a church sign was stolen, WFSB reported. DELAWARE Dover: The Delaware Senate will likely vote this month, if not sooner, on a bill first introduced over a year ago that would reform the state’s parole and probation. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars,” visited the White House on Friday and came away with a pair of President Joe Biden’s signature aviator sunglasses. FLORIDA Port Canaveral: In the coming decades, the Space Coast’s booming commercial space economy may prompt a $2.1 billion northward expansion near Port Canaveral, creating a new large-scale wharf stretching parallel with the Banana River shoreline along Cape Canaveral Space Force Station property. GEORGIA Savannah: Nearly half of commercial container and bulk vessels operating off the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas are exceeding seasonal speed limits created to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, according to the findings of the non-profit Whale Safe and other organizations that analyzed boat-traffic data in zones established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency Fisheries division. HAWAII Honolulu: Hawaii is set to join a growing number of states in recognizing the dedication of its inperson state employees during the COVID-19 crisis by offering hazard pay, nearly a year after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared that the virus was no longer a pandemic-level threat. IDAHO Boise: Boise State University celebrated its 114th commencement, which was also the university’s largest one in history, KTVB reported. ILLINOIS Springfield: The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum introduced a new item dating back to the Civil War. Through a purchase by Gov. JB Pritzker and first lady MK Pritzker, the document titled the “Order to Affix Seal of the United States to a Proclamation of a Blockade,” will now be visible to the public. INDIANA Indianapolis: As pro-Palestinian protests against the IsraelHamas war in Gaza continue to pulse across the country, Indiana’s state treasurer has added to the state’s investment in the Israeli bond market. The $5 million purchase of Israeli bonds brings Indiana’s total investment in Israel bonds to $110 million, which is less than 1% of the state’s overall investment portfolio. IOWA Des Moines: Twenty-five former University of Iowa and Iowa State University athletes and a former community college player sued state law enforcement leaders, accusing investigators of illegally inspecting their cellphone use in a highprofile sports betting probe. KANSAS Topeka: The state of Kansas is taking steps toward potentially buying the former Topeka home of Charles Curtis, a Native American who became the nation’s first vice president of color. KENTUCKY Louisville: After more than 80 fires were started in abandoned buildings in the Portland neighborhood from 2022 to 2023, the city of Louisville is now testing out a new boarding-up strategy to crack down on squatting. LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: A federal court panel’s divided decision to throw out Louisiana’s congressional boundaries has left the state without a map to hold the Nov. 5 election and less than two weeks to produce one before the state’s chief elections officer’s deadline to conduct a fall ballot. MAINE Naples: State officials said the opening of the Songo Lock Draw Bridge has been delayed to May 11, News Center Maine reported. MARYLAND Annapolis: Maryland legislators passed the Whole Watershed Act to establish pilot programs to implement watershed conservation measures across the state, especially on the Eastern Shore. MASSACHUSETTS Boston: Lawmakers proposing to address the issue of missing Black women and girls through the institution of an Ebony Alert system are hopeful that it will send the message: In Massachusetts, their lives matter. The proposal stems from the idea that collective action and preventive measures are needed to protect Black women and girls in Massachusetts from gender- and racialrelated violence. MICHIGAN Whitefish Point: The Adella Shores – a wooden steamship loaded down with salt that vanished in 1909 as it rounded Whitefish Point during a fierce Lake Superior gale – has been located, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society said, as part of its efforts to find thousands of missing vessels. MINNESOTA St. Cloud: Child care facilities across central Minnesota are experiencing struggles, and Sen. Aric Putnam has been exploring ways to address it. Putnam introduced two bills looking to provide relief. One bill would provide business management solutions to child care business owners while the other bill looks to create an online early childhood development professional educator program. MISSISSIPPI Hattiesburg: Longtime dreams to renovate Reed Green Coliseum are turning into a reality. The University of Southern Mississippi athletics unveiled renderings and project plans to renovate the 59-year-old home to men’s and women’s basketball. It’s expected to cost $35 million and be completed in 2027. MISSOURI Columbia: Columbia Public Schools could lose up to $13.3 million if just one charter school opens in Boone County based on financial analysis, said district spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark. MONTANA Wolf Creek: A man searching for antlers on private land northwest of Wolf Creek shot and killed a grizzly bear after the bear charged him coming within 10 feet. NEBRASKA Omaha: A longtime Berkshire Hathaway director said Greg Abel, who is expected to succeed Warren Buffett as chief executive, may not get the same leeway from the conglomerate’s board of directors to make acquisitions. NEVADA Carson City: Nevada’s senators joined federal lawmakers from six other western states to demand additional funding to address the region’s long-term drought, worsened by climate change, Nevada Current reported. NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: By the end of 2027, New Hampshire’s iconic 603 area code may reach its limit. NEW JERSEY Trenton: During remarks at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice’s 25th anniversary gala last week, Gov. Phil Murphy offered his support of legislation that would let formerly incarcerated individuals serve on juries. NEW MEXICO Estancia: Motorists traveling through Torrance County in central New Mexico are at a greater risk of injury or death by traffic accident, according to an analysis of fatal crash data. With a population of 15,000 people, Torrance County had 39 fatal crashes from 2017 until 2021, according to the analysis – a rate of 25.7 fatal crashes per 10,000 licensed drivers. NEW YORK Albany: New York hospitals received mixed safety grades as the state’s health care system ranking nationally rose slightly amid improvements in patient experiences and infection prevention, a consumer watchdog group reported. Still, only 17 hospitals across New York, or about 12%, received the highest A safety grade from Leapfrog, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, while 26 hospitals received the second-lowest D grade. Three hospitals received an F. NORTH CAROLINA Wilmington: Since 1968, North Carolina has backed only two Democrats for president: Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008. President Joe Biden visited the Southeastern state on Thursday for the third time this year, betting he can do it again for Democrats in the 2024 election. But opinion polls suggest Biden will have a tough time flipping North Carolina in this year’s rematch against Republican Donald Trump. NORTH DAKOTA Carrington: Cattle producers will have an opportunity to see how Angus-sired cattle from their operation perform in a feedlot during the North Dakota Angus University calf feed-out program this summer and fall. OHIO Columbus: Republicans hoping to unseat Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall have zeroed in on a new wedge issue: Campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war. The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm dropped a new ad highlighting Brown’s support of student loan forgiveness as demonstrations rock universities nationwide. OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: Oklahoma City officials are rolling out the budget process for the 2025 fiscal year, and nearly every city department is facing cuts. OREGON Salem: Work has begun on removing the third of four dams that nearly destroyed salmon populations on the Klamath River in Oregon and California and caused some of the nation’s largest-ever fish kills. PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg: This month, police departments across Pennsylvania are partnering with PennDOT to emphasize pedestrian safety as part of a pedestrian safety enforcement wave. The enforcement wave is taking place through May 12 and seeks to combine education, community engagement, and enforcement activities to help reduce pedestrian-involved crashes as warmer weather approaches. RHODE ISLAND Newport: Well over half of Newporters agree that the city should change its zoning laws to allow for more housing and many agree rents are too high, according to a recent survey published by the Department of Planning and Economic Development. SOUTH CAROLINA Greenville: In the midst of nationwide efforts to reduce people’s exposure to “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, some Upstate water systems could be forced to shift how they treat their drinking water. The price tag could be hefty, including for Upstate residents. SOUTH DAKOTA Pierre: Abysmal. Discouraging. Embarrassing. Terrible. Those are some of the words Mayor Paul TenHaken has used in recent weeks to describe the 7.7% voter turnout the city of Sioux Falls saw in its April 9 municipal election. And that number is enough for TenHaken to say that there should be serious thought put into moving the city’s elections to coincide with the state’s June primary elections. TENNESSEE Nashville: For the eighth straight year, Rutherford County has topped the list of the state’s fastestgrowing counties, according to a study from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. TEXAS Austin: In a lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Justice says that a former employee at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was asked to “choose her religion or her job” after she was not allowed to wear a religious headscarf at work. UTAH Saratoga Springs: A 21-yearold Utah woman is accused of shooting her best friend to death as a part of an alleged “suicide pact,” according to multiple reports. VERMONT Montpelier: The new poet laureate of Vermont is following in the footsteps left by her grandmother less than 20 years earlier. Gov. Phil Scott signed a proclamation naming Bianca Stone as the state’s poet laureate for the next four years. Stone’s grandmother, Ruth Stone, was named the state’s poet laureate in 2007. VIRGINIA Petersburg: The cost of child care has skyrocketed in the past few years. For families in Petersburg and surrounding areas, child care can often be more than $1,000 per child per month. Local non-profit United Way created the WomenRise program to help mitigate some of this growing financial burden for single moms in the Petersburg and Richmond area. WASHINGTON North Bend: The remaining zebra that was on the run after escaping a trailer in Washington state has been captured WEST VIRGINIA Hamlin: State Department of Transportation officials said a project to replace the Parker Hollow Bridge is underway, WSAZ reported. WISCONSIN Madison: In Wisconsin, public and private schools are required to run at least one annual drill for responding to a “school violence event,” such as an intruder or bomb threat. One popular model is “ALICE” Training, which stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate. It’s a training that was used by the Slinger School District before staff had to put it to use in 2022 for what turned out to be a false alarm: a 13- year-old yelled that he had a gun. WYOMING Sheridan: State officials are seeking information after three elk were illegally shot, The Sheridan Press reported. From USA TODAY Network and wire reports HIGHLIGHT: COLORADO A Ryan BQM-34F Firebee target drone is one of the restoration projects at the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum. ZACHARY ALLEN/USA TODAY NETWORK Pueblo: A newly refurbished Ryan BQM-34F Firebee drone now hangs from the ceiling of a hangar at the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, marking the latest addition to an impressive collection of historic military and aviation artifacts. Firebee drones, which primarily serve as jet-powered gunnery targets for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, entered service in 1951 and still function as one of the most widely used target drones ever built. The Firebee that was hung at the Weisbrod has been in the museum’s possession for almost a year. It’s finally getting its day in the sun after an extensive restoration, according to a volunteer.

A Canadian team is assured of being one conference finalist as NHL second round begins, 5C J.J. Watt hints he may come out of retirement. Page, 3C See who won first-round series Game 7s in the NBA and NHL playoffs, plus PGA Tour action Latest news, results, opinions 24/7 at sports.usatoday.com SPORTS USA TODAY | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | SECTION C LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kenny McPeek got the phone call at 7:40 a.m. Sunday, the traditional invite from Preakness Stakes officials wanting the Kentucky Derby winner to compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Seconds later, McPeek was explaining to reporters at Churchill Downs why a trip to Baltimore might not be on the agenda. “We’re not committed to the Preakness. No, not yet,” McPeek said the morning after his Mystik Dan won the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby by a nose over Sierra Leone. “We’ll just watch him over the next week. It will be one of those where we’ll probably take up to the last minute. … We’ll let him tell us. If he’s not in the feed tub, he won’t run.” A sleep-deprived McPeek spent Sunday morning soaking in the significance of Saturday’s accomplishment – his first Kentucky Derby victory in 40 years as a trainer. He had won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday with Thorpedo Anna and became the first trainer since Ben Jones in 1952 to get an Oaks-Derby sweep. McPeek’s children and grandchildren made congratulatory signs and placed them in the front yard of his home. Mystik Dan got extra peppermints from co-owner Sharilyn Gasaway. “We got in late, but worthwhile,” McPeek said of the Saturday night celebration. “Kinda sinking in a little bit.” But as McPeek pointed out, “there’s more work to do,” and the attention now turns toward the possible Triple Crown pursuit. The $2 million Preakness is set for May 18 at Pimlico, and Mystik Dan’s presence – or lack thereof – will have a big impact on the race’s significance. McPeek said Mystik Dan likely will rest Monday and Tuesday before returning to the track Wednesday. One crucial sign of Mystik Dan’s condition will be his food intake, which was not off to a good start after Saturday Mystik Dan ‘not yet’ committed to Preakness Jason Frakes The Louisville Courier-Journal USA TODAY NETWORK See MYSTIK DAN, Page 4C Mystik Dan won the 150th Running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. CLARE GRANT/THE COURIER-JOURNAL Ken Griffey Jr. saw the news, winced, and those excruciating memories immediately came rushing back. The injuries. The surgeries. The lost seasons. The criticism; the blame. Three-time MVP Mike Trout is sidelined again, this time after surgery Friday on a torn meniscus in his left knee. He likely will be out at least until early August, maybe longer, and for the fourth consecutive season will miss more games than he plays for the Los Angeles Angels. He has missed 249 games the past three seasons and could miss at least 100 this season. If there’s anyone who knows the pain Trout is going through, derailing his path to immortality, it’s Griffey. “I’ve been there, believe me,” Griffey tells USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a terrible feeling. You dream of being a Major League Baseball player, not spending your days going through rehab.” Trout one day will join Griffey in Cooperstown, but these injuries will keep him off the Mount Rushmore of baseball legends. There was a time he was compared to Mickey Mantle but now that magnificent combination of power, speed and athleticism may never return. “I absolutely hate comparisons,” Griffey says. “I was being compared to Willie Mays when I was 21 years old. I hated that. Mike was being compared to Mantle and other greats. Being compared is a burden. ... Let people play, have their careers, and then let them compare. But to do it at such a young age is so unfair.” The fact that Trout is injury-prone with diminishing skills after turning 30 should hardly be a surprise. He’s a center fielder. You’re constantly in motion. You’re covering more ground than any other player. It’s the most athletic position on the field. Father Time isn’t going to permit your legs to stay 21 years old while the rest of your body ages. Mike Trout has three AL MVP awards. GARY A. VASQUEZ/USA TODAY SPORTS NIGHTENGALE’S NOTEBOOK Griffey can relate to Trout’s injuries Bob Nightengale USA TODAY See TROUT, Page 4C If the Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t have your attention after a 56-26 season and if Anthony Edwards didn’t have your attention as he emerged as one of the NBA’s next superstars during the regular season and first round of the playoffs, they have your attention now. The Timberwolves took a 1-0 lead against the defending champion Denver Nuggets in a Western Conference semifinals series. Edwards, the NBA’s emerging 22- year-old superstar, scored 25 of his game-high 43 points in the first half as the Timberwolves defeated Denver 106- 99 Saturday. It was Edwards’ second 40- point performance in the playoffs. He joined Kobe Bryant as the only players 22 or younger to score at least 40 points in consecutive playoff games, and Edwards – who shot 17-for-29 from the field – became the 10th player to score 35 or more points in three consecutive road games in one postseason. Game 2 is Monday in Denver (10 p.m. EDT, TNT). The game had its oddities. Denver’s Jamal Murray didn’t score in the first half for the first time in his 59-game playoff career. Three of Minnesota starters – Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert – combined for two firsthalf points, and Timberwolves Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid didn’t score in the first half. And Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch had a seat behind the bench after having surgery Wednesday to repair a ruptured patellar tendon suffered in a sideline collision with Conley in the closeout victory against Phoenix in the first round. Assistant coach Micah Nori roamed the sideline yelling instructions, but from his sideline bench seat Finch was in constant communication with Nori and the coaching staff. But Conley found scoring in the second half, finishing with 14 points and 10 assists, Karl-Anthony Towns added 20 points, and though his scoring wasn’t a factor, Gobert had 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks, and Reid had 16 points in the second half, including 10 consecutive Timberwolves points in one stretch. This series is more like a one seed vs. a one seed considering both had a chance at the top seed heading into the final day of the regular season. This was a great sign for the Timberwolves, taking Game 1 on the road and offsetting two-time MVP Nikola Jokic’s 32 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals. Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points, six rebounds and three steals for Denver. No team in the NBA understands playoff basketball and what is required to succeed at this time of the season better than the Nuggets. That doesn’t mean the Nuggets win every playoff game, and it doesn’t mean they will repeat as NBA champions. It means they are the most difficult team to beat and another team will need to outmatch Denver’s execution to win a series. Every teams knows that. The Timberwolves know that from last season’s playoff loss to the Nuggets. In the series-opening win Saturday, the Timberwolves kept Denver from overtaking them down the stretch and built a 102-91 lead with 1:36 remaining on Edwards’ 14-foot fadeaway. Minnesota shot 71% in the second half and outscored the Nuggets 22-15 in the final six minutes. The Timberwolves outexecuted the Nuggets Now, they just have to do it three more times. Anthony Edwards scored 43 points to help the Timberwolves to a Game 1 win over the NBA defending champion Nuggets in Denver. RON CHENOY/USA TODAY SPORTS No ignoring them now Timberwolves make series opening statement vs. Nuggets Jeff Zillgitt Columnist USA TODAY

2C ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY E2 SPORTS CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers are shipping up to Boston. The Cavs completed a wild comeback and beat the Orlando Magic 106-94 in Game 7 of their NBA Eastern Conference opening-round series Sunday afternoon at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavs at one point in the first half trailed by 18 points but pulled off a furious comeback to oust the Magic in the best-of-seven series. It was the first playoff series win for the Cavaliers since 2018 and the first without LeBron James on the roster in three decades. The Cavaliers advance to play the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the second round. Game 1 is set for Tuesday (7 p.m. EDT, TNT) in Boston. The Celtics took down the No. 8 Miami Heat in five games in their opening series. The Cavaliers had trouble with third quarters all series but turned that around in a big way Sunday in what was the key stretch with their playoff lives on the line. After a brutal offensive first half in which Cleveland scored only 43 points and couldn’t buy a shot from 3-point range, Donovan Mitchell led the charge out of halftime as the Cavaliers overpowered the Magic in the third quarter, outscoring Orlando 33-15 and sending Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse into a frenzy. Mitchell scored 17 points in the third quarter as the Cavs chipped away at the Magic’s lead. Mitchell was aided by Max Strus, who went scoreless in the first half but poured in 11 points in the third quarter, including back-to-back 3s as the Cavs not only erased their doubledigit deficit but blew past the Magic to take an eight-point lead heading into the final 12 minutes. Darius Garland had a quiet first half, committing more fouls (three) than points scored (two). He was 1 of 9 shooting from the floor, but he also hit perhaps the shot that was the beginning of the end for the Magic. With just under half a quarter remaining, Garland missed a corner 3, but Isaac Okoro grabbed the offensive rebound and passed to Mitchell, who found Garland in the same spot, and this time he drilled it to put the Cavs up 88-77. Later, Garland came away with a steal, hit a jumper and grabbed a defensive rebound within a few seconds of each other, a stretch that gave the Cavs a 96-85 lead with 2 1 ⁄2 minutes remaining. Mitchell finished with a game-high 39 points one game after dropping 50 in Game 6. Evan Mobley, who started at center with Jarrett Allen again out with bruised ribs, had 11 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots. As the clock wound down, Cavs fans began a “We want Boston!” chant. Cavaliers rally past Magic to reach East semifinals vs. Celtics Ryan Lewis Akron Beacon Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell runs up court after a collision against the Magic during the first half. Mitchell scored a game-high 39 points Sunday. KEN BLAZE/USA TODAY SPORTS The Los Angeles Lakers, again, need a new head coach. The Lakers on Friday dismissed Darvin Ham after just two seasons, both of which ended with losses to the Denver Nuggets – in the Western Conference finals in 2023 and in the first round of the playoffs this season. The next hire will be the Lakers’ fourth head coach in seven seasons. They didn’t bring back Luke Walton after his third season, they canned Frank Vogel after three seasons that included the 2020 championship and now Ham is gone. Who do the Lakers turn to next? They’ve had former players (Walton and Ham) and first-time head coaches (Walton and Ham) and went with an experienced coach (Vogel). With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, there remains potential for the Lakers to compete for a title. Who are the potential candidates for the Lakers’ head coaching job? Terry Stotts Terry Stotts has been a head coach for three teams: Atlanta, Milwaukee and Portland. His longest tenure was nine seasons with the Trail Blazers. He was 402-318 with Portland, helping the Blazers reach the playoffs eight consecutive times. They reached the conference finals once (2019) and conference semifinals two other times, and the Blazers won 50-plus games three times under Stotts. Stotts, who played college basketball and professionally in the CBA and overseas, is a strong offensive coach and is very good in calling plays late in the fourth quarter of close games and adopted quickly to the NBA’s pace and space style. Stotts didn’t return to the Blazers after the 2020-21 season and accepted a job on Adrian Griffin’s Bucks staff last season. But after the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard, who Stotts coached in Portland, Stotts resigned as an assistant. Stotts interviewed for the Lakers job in 2022, the offseason in which the franchise decided on Ham. Ty Lue Ty Lue is the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Clippers have picked up the 2024-25 team option on his contract and an extension with the Clippers is possible. Wherever Lue coaches next season, a team will need to pay up as Lue is expected to be in the $10 million a season range. Lue coached James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the title in 2016 and back to the Finals in 2017 and 2018. A strong X’s and O’s guy with a specialty in after-timeout plays, Lue is a former player and spent his first three NBA seasons with the Lakers. He has the respect of today’s players – and knows how to manage a variety of stars from James to Kyrie Irving to Kevin Love to Kawhi Leonard to Paul George to James Harden. Mike Budenholzer Mike Budenholzer is a championship coach, leading the Bucks to the 2021 title. Plus, he was an assistant on four San Antonio Spurs championship teams. A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Budenholzer owns a 484-317 regular-season record and 56-48 playoff record in 10 seasons – five with Atlanta and five with Milwaukee. Whether coaching the Hawks or Bucks, Budenholzer has assembled teams that produce offensively and defensively. After the Bucks parted ways with Budenholzer after last season’s first-round exit, Budenholzer took the 2023-24 season off and recently had some interest in the Brooklyn Nets opening that went to Jordi Fernandez. Budenholzer is a great coach for a short stint, and the Bucks thought a new voice was necessary. But for a team trying to capitalize on success in a short window, Budenholzer fits the template. Kenny Atkinson Kenny Atkinson, a Golden State Warriors assistant, coached the Brooklyn Nets, and while his record in four seasons was 118-190, his teams showed improvement. He’s been a finalist for other jobs, and he grew as a coach working with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, his staff and the players. Phil Handy Phil Handy has long been recognized as a strong player development coach and has spent considerable time as an assistant on James’ teams in Cleveland and Los Angeles. He worked for the Lakers from 2011 to 2013, and in addition to his time with the Cavaliers and Lakers, he worked for Toronto as an assistant coach. He played college basketball at Hawaii and professionally in the CBA and overseas. He has been a part of three championship teams as an assistant coach but has no high-level head coaching experience. Mark Jackson Mark Jackson, the former Warriors coach and NBA analyst for ESPN/ABC, interviewed for the Lakers job in 2022, too. However, he coached the Warriors for just three seasons and hasn’t coached since 2013-14. He has interviewed for other coaching jobs and had no interest in others. JJ Redick JJ Redick We know JJ Redick knows X’s and O’s. We see and hear that on the “Mind the Game” podcast with James. It’s fascinating and detailed, and it’s clear Redick can be a coach. Question is, can he be the head coach for this Lakers team? Would it risk the good thing he has going on the pod with James (though we all have a price, right)? Is this the right job for a first-time NBA head coach with no assistant coaching experience? It didn’t work out for Steve Nash with Brooklyn. Many options as Lakers open coach search Clippers coach Ty Lue coached LeBron James when both were with the Cavaliers. KELVIN KUO/USA TODAY SPORTS Jeff Zillgitt USA TODAY Information maintained by the consumer credit reporting companies (Equifax Information Services LLC, Experian Information Solutions, Inc., Innovis Data Solutions, Inc., and TransUnion LLC) helps connect consumers with their buying power. This information is provided to companies that send consumers pre-approved offers of credit and insurance. Many people take advantage of these opportunities, yet some consumers prefer not to receive such offerings. Before you choose, look at the competitive offers you are receiving. For those who no longer wish to receive such offers, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act provides for the opportunity to opt out. Opting-out will remove you from lists provided by each of the consumer credit reporting companies; but it does not guarantee that you won’t receive direct mail from other sources. If you wish to be excluded from the lists provided to companies that make these pre-approved offers, you may go to www.optoutprescreen.com Or call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (888-567-8688) Or you may write to any one of the following consumer credit reporting companies, and they will share your request with the others. Include your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth in your request. Notice to Consumers TransUnion Opt-Out Request P.O. Box 505 Woodlyn, PA 19094-0505 Equifax Information Services, LLC P.O. Box 740123 Atlanta, GA 30374-0123 Experian Opt-Out P.O. Box 919 Allen, TX 75013 Innovis Consumer Opt-Out P.O. Box 530088 Atlanta, GA 30353-0088

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There would have been a fleeting moment nearly three decades ago, participating in his first Kentucky Derby, when Kenny McPeek thought he might just win it. He was just 32 years old back then, barely starting to crack the top echelon of the sport, and a horse named Tejano Run – the first big horse he had in his barn – was flying through the stretch. Ultimately, Tejano Run came up just short to Thunder Gulch. McPeek, a young and confident trainer, figured it was just the beginning. “If I thought it would take me this long to knock it down …” he said, his voice trailing off Saturday night. “I thought I’d do it before today.” But in the 29 years since, McPeek has won a ton of races and learned a lot of lessons. One of them, of course, is that winning the Derby is really, really hard: None of his next eight Derby runners even hit the board. He learned another lesson, too: It doesn’t take a superstar jockey to give a horse a great ride. And on Saturday, in the 150th Kentucky Derby, 38-year-old journeyman Brian Hernandez delivered one of the great human performances in the history of the race. And the horse he rode wasn’t too bad, either. With a rail-skimming ride that was practically perfect in its boldness and timing, Hernandez got 18-1 shot Mystik Dan home by a whisker over the surging Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a three-horse photo finish that left the Churchill Downs crowd of 156,710 initially wondering who had won America’s most famous horse race. “(Hernandez) was the difference in winning and losing today, for sure,” McPeek said. Although McPeek’s career has progressed from his first Derby in 1995 to the point where he was operating one of the top 20 stables in the country on a regular basis – including a Preakness and Belmont victory – he’s never had a weekend like this one. On Friday, he and Hernandez dominated the Kentucky Oaks with frontrunning Thorpedo Anna. A mere 24 hours later, they pulled a Derby shocker with a humbly bred colt who shot to the lead coming off the final turn and needed every inch of ground Hernandez was able to save to get his nose on the wire first. “Three jumps before the wire I didn’t see (the other horses) at all,” Hernandez said. “And right at the wire they surged late and I was like, ‘Did we win the Kentucky Derby?’ That was the longest two minutes waiting. From the fastest two minutes to the longest.” The end result is that Hernandez is the first jockey to win the Oaks-Derby double since Calvin Borel in 2009, and McPeek is the first trainer to do it since 1952, making him a cinch to one day enter the horse racing Hall of Fame. “For three weeks I felt like we were going to win both races,” McPeek said. “I can’t tell you why. Both horses have been so easy to deal with; the team has done such a great job every day. I believe in mojo and positive energy, and we had a lot of that.” Though Hernandez has spent a couple of decades riding the Kentucky circuit, Mystik Dan was just his fifth mount in the Derby – a number that suggests he’s never been considered among the top tier of riders. But about seven or eight years ago, he started riding a lot of horses for McPeek, who appreciated his professionalism and the solid work he would put in day after day. He didn’t have to beg Hernandez or his agent to get on his horses, scheduling conflicts were resolved easily and he rarely found himself secondguessing a ride. “It’s business, business, business with no drama,” McPeek said. “I like no drama, especially the older I get. But more than anything, I put Brian on horses on a daily basis – good horses and average horses – and he does a good job on every one of them. Then I’ll get outside the box and go to Saratoga and ride some other riders and go, ‘Boy, I miss Brian because he doesn’t make many mistakes.’ “I don’t want anybody to know how good Brian is, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag.” In February, Mystik Dan stamped himself as a possible Derby horse with an 8-length victory in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, the home track of Arkansas-based owners Lance and Sherilyn Gasaway. But after a bit of a disappointing third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, Mystik Dan was slightly forgotten in the Derby lead-up while most of the attention went to horses like Fierceness and Sierra Leone. When Mystik Dan drew the No. 3 post position, assuring a rail trip would be his likely way through the field, Hernandez went to the film room to watch Calvin Borel, a fellow south Louisiana native he got to know when he first arrived in Kentucky with big hopes and dreams. Borel – nicknamed Bo-rail due to his affinity for hugging the inside lane – won the Derby three times with Street Sense (2007), Mine That Bird (2009) and Super Saver (2010). All three times, he came through on the rail with a burst of speed that proved decisive in victory. “I was like, ‘I’m going to roll the dice,’ ” Hernandez said. “Kenny trusts me to do things like that. We thought we had the right kind of horse to give him that kind of trip.” As the race unfolded, Hernandez was able to establish position just behind the leaders – including 3-1 favorite Fierceness – who were setting a pretty fast pace with a 46.63-second half-mile. As the field approached the quarterpole, Hernandez guided Mystik Dan right on the heels of long-shot Track Phantom, waiting for an opening to develop. Then, as the horses came off the turn, Track Phantom drifted out and Hernandez immediately signaled to Mystik Dan that it was time to go. In the blink of an eye, he cut the corner and opened up a couple-length lead on the field as Track Phantom, Fierceness and the rest of that leading pack began to tire. “We might have took out a little of the inside fence, but that’s OK,” Hernandez said. “I was just smiling the whole time. It’s an amazing feeling when you are on the horse under you and you know they’re going to go forward.” Meanwhile, another battle was happening behind Mystik Dan. Sierra Leone and the Japanese entrant, Forever Young, began to move in tandem. Through the stretch, they appeared to make contact several times – though it wasn’t entirely clear which horse was at fault – but were still gaining on Mystik Dan with every stride. In retrospect, that probably made the difference given the razor-thin margin. “I had a hard time keeping him straight,” said Sierra Leone’s jockey, Tyler Gaffalione. “That definitely cost us.” Meanwhile, the crowd gasped as the horses hit the wire, unsure who had actually won the race. Chad Brown, the trainer of Sierra Leone, thought it might have been a dead-heat. McPeek felt like he had won the race in real time and was even more confident when he saw a slow-motion replay on a monitor in his box. After the trophy ceremony, he finally had a chance to watch the whole race, having finally captured the Derby he had been chasing since 1995. The analysis was shockingly simple. “Great ride,” he said. “Great ride.” Great ride made difference at Derby Jockey Brian Hernandez celebrates aboard Mystik Dan on Saturday after winning the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. MATT STONE/USA TODAY SPORTS Kentucky Derby official results 1. Mystik Dan 2. Sierra Leone 3. Forever Young 4. Catching Freedom 5. T O Password 6. Resilience 7. Stronghold 8. Honor Marie 9. Endlessly 10. Dornach 11. Track Phantom 12. West Saratoga 13. Domestic Product 14. Epic Ride 15. Fierceness 16. Society Man 17. Just Steel 18. Grand Mo The First 19. Catalytic 20. Just A Touch Winning payouts A breakdown of the winning payouts and what the top five horses took home for their owners in Saturday’s 150th Kentucky Derby: (Winnings based on a $2 bet unless otherwise noted) Mystik Dan payout Odds: 18-1 h Win: $39.22 h Place: $16.32 h Show: $10 Sierra Leone payout Odds: 9-2 h Place: $6.54 h Show: $4.64 Forever Young payout Odds: 7-1 h Show: $5.58 Payouts on finishing combos h Exacta ($2 bet): (Runners: 3-2) $258.56 h Trifecta ($1 bet): (3-2-11) $1,113.84 h Superfecta ($1 bet): (3-2-11-4) $8,254 Payouts by wager type h $0.50 Trifecta (3-2-11) $556.92 h $1.00 Super High Five (3-2-11-4-10) $316,920.10 h $1.00 Double (5-3) $139.27 h $0.50 Pick 3 (10-5-3) $319.06 h $0.50 Pick 4 (2-10-5-3) $18,299.93 h $0.50 Pick 5 (5-2-10-5-3) $188,957.75 h $0.20 Pick 6 (3-5-2-10-5-3) $345,073.62 Derby earnings for Top 5 h First: Mystik Dan, $3.1 million h Second: Sierra Leone, $1 million h Third: Forever Young, $500,000 h Fourth: Catching Freedom, $250,000 h Fifth: T O Password $150,000 Contributing: The Louisville Courier-Journal/ USA TODAY NETWORK Dan Wolken Columnist SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ 3C In just one season as head coach, DeMeco Ryans turned the Houston Texans from a team that went 3-13-1 in 2022 to a 10-7 division champion. No wonder the excitement level is so high in Houston. (And the team’s bold new uniforms don’t hurt, either.) Even former Texans star J.J. Watt is thinking this year’s team could be something special. Special enough, perhaps, to want to be a part of it. At his charity softball game on Saturday, Watt hinted he’d be willing to come out of retirement if he could help push the team over the top. “I’ve had 12 great years in this league and I’m very thankful to have walked away healthy and playing great,” Watt said. “I told DeMeco last year, I said, ‘Don’t call unless you absolutely need it, but if you ever do call, I’ll be there.’ ” Watt, 35, played 10 seasons in Houston from 2011 to 2020, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors three times during that span. He also played two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before announcing his retirement. However, he said he’s still in good enough shape physically if Ryans does want to make the call. “This is the last year I’ll tell him that, because I’m not going to keep training the way I’ve been training, but he knows that if he ever truly does need it, I’ll be there for him,” Watt said, before adding, “I don’t anticipate that happening – they’ve got a very good group.” During Watt’s 10 seasons in Houston, the Texans won six AFC South Division titles but they never advanced past the divisional round in the postseason. Last season under Ryans, the Texans won the AFC South title and defeated the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round but lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional playoffs. J.J. Watt hints he might come out of retirement Steve Gardner USA TODAY J.J. Watt was inducted into the Houston Texans Ring of Honor on Oct. 1, 2023, after a stellar 10-season run with team from 2011 to 2020. TROY TAORMINA/USA TODAY SPORTS

4C ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS A pair of Aussies made a late charge but it wasn’t enough to catch Brooks Koepka. Last week the five-time major champion was downplaying his chances to defend at the upcoming PGA Championship and just a few days later he was raising his fourth LIV Golf trophy after he won LIV Golf Singapore tournament at Sentosa Golf Club on Sunday. Koepka shot a 3-under-par 68 in the final round to finish at 15 under, two shots clear of Ripper GC teammates Cameron Smith (64) and Marc Leishman (66), who tied for second at 13 under. Defending champion Talor Gooch (67) finished fourth at 12 under, with Tyrrell Hatton (66) and Thomas Pieters (69) T-5 at 11 under. Koepka previously won LIV Golf Jeddah (2022, 2023) and LIV Golf Orlando (2023). Thanks to their captain Smith and his first mate Leishman, the Ripper GC took the team title at 32 under, three shots clear of runner-up Fireballs GC and Cleeks GC at 29 under. It’s the second consecutive win for the all-Australian squad after they won their home event last week in Adelaide. Koepka will head into the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club beginning May 16 with confidence as he attempts to capture his sixth major. He won the PGA last year at Oak Hill Country Club – his third win at that event. “Yeah, it’s all starting to come around,” Koepka said. “I’ve put in a lot of work. I feel like on the golf course, off the golf course, it’s been a good two weeks, to say the least. Take a week off and then grinding pretty hard with Claude (Harmon III, his coach) over the last few days, I thought that was very important. Kind of started to see it turn maybe Wednesday, Thursday of Adelaide, so to see it pay off here is huge.” Smith and Leishman powered their Ripper GC to the team title. Ripper GC finished three strokes better than Cleeks GC and Fireball GC. “I kind of knew all year that we were going to get the ball rolling at some point,” said Smith, whose team finished at 32 under. “I think internally that we’re the best team out here, and we’re going to be tough to beat when we all have our best stuff.” Speaking of bests, Koepka appeared to be having the best time of his life as he celebrated Sunday’s victory with his wife and 9-month-old son, Crew. “Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s such a cool feeling. It’s great to have them here. I finished better than 40th or 45th, like the last few times he’s been there. At least (Crew) got to see me do something a little better than that.” Koepka, who turned 34 on Friday, recorded four birdies against one bogey on Sunday to keep Smith and Leishman at bay. Smith collected eight birdies against one bogey, while Leishman had six and one, respectively. Tyrrell Hatton (66) of England and Thomas Pieters (69) of Belgium finished in a tie for fifth place at 11-under. LIV Golf now will take a break for a month until LIV Golf Houston makes its debut June 7-9 at Golf Club of Houston. Brooks Koepka captures 4th LIV title Adam Woodard Golfweek | USA TODAY NETWORK and Field Level Media Brooks Koepka celebrates with son Crew after winning the LIV Golf Singapore tournament at Sentosa Golf Club. EDGAR SU/REUTERS VIA USA TODAY SPORTS “Just look at some of greatest center fielders who played this game,” Griffey says. “They have only a 12- or 13-year shelf life. It’s just such a demanding position.” In Trout’s first nine years through the age of 27, he won three MVP awards, finished runner-up four times, and had had nine top-5 finishes. His stats were eerily similar to Mantle’s from the age of 19 to 27: h Mantle, from 1951 to 1959, hit .311 with a .994 OPS, hitting 280 homers with 841 RBI. h Trout, from 2011 to 2019, hit .305 with a 1.000 OPS, hitting 285 homers and 752 RBI. The comparisons have stopped. In Trout’s last four seasons, he’s hitting .276 with a .951 OPS, hitting 76 homers with 156 RBI. Mantle, too, was never the same after the age of 30, hitting .277 and averaging 23 homers and 64 RBI a season. Center fielder Andruw Jones was being compared to Willie Mays when he won 10 Gold Gloves his first 11 full seasons as Atlanta’s center fielder, averaging 33 homers and 100 RBI a season. Yet once he turned 31, he was never the same, hitting .210 and averaging 13 homers and 34 RBI in his last five years while his defense eroded. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen was one of the premier players in the game when he broke onto the scene in 2009 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the 2013 MVP Award and finishing in the top five of the MVP race four consecutive years. He hit .291 and averaged 23 homers, 81 RBI and 19 stolen bases his first nine seasons. But since turning 31 after the 2018 season, McCutchen is hitting .239 with a .753 OPS, averaging 13 homers and five stolen bases a year, playing just 18 games in center field. “Your body just takes a beating playing center field,” Griffey says. “Everything hit to us is fair. There’s no foul territory. You’re constantly on the move, running, backing up plays. That’s why you can’t compare center fielders to any other position, or even outfield positions. It’s not like second base where you take two steps and dive or third base where you take one step and dive. Nothing against those guys, but it’s just different being in center field. “It’s one thing to start in center field for two weeks, and it’s another for 10 years. It’s a very, very special position, and I took a lot of pride in it.” It’s unknown how much longer Trout, 32, will continue playing center field. He is owed $248.15 million through 2030 but has played in just 266 games since 2021. He has not played in 120 games since 2019. “It’s tough,” Trout emotionally told reporters last week. “It’s just frustrating, going through it. I play the game hard, and (stuff) happens.” No one feels worse about the rash of injuries than Trout, who could go down as perhaps the greatest player of the modern era never to play on a team that won a postseason game. He trains hard and spends two hours before each game getting exercise and treatment for his lower back, but when you play full throttle in center field, injuries happen. “It’s not like he’s trying to get hurt,” Griffey says. “It just happens. People get upset because they’re not seeing one of their favorite guys play. But there’s no reason to get angry about it. “You think he wants to go through rehab again? Rehab is tougher than playing. It’s a nightmare. You show up at 8 in the morning, do rehab until your teammates show up. The game starts, and while they’re on the field, you’re doing rehab all over again. And this is every single day. “Believe me, I know how hard it is. I never had Tommy John surgery, but I had everything else. I know what it’s like rehabbing your wrist, your arm, your shoulder, your legs. You’re not sitting out because you have a contusion. You’re sitting out because you had surgery. It’s miserable.” Griffey reached the big leagues when he was 19 and hit 40 or more homers in seven seasons, including from 1996 to 2000. He averaged 44 homers a year from 1994 to 2000 despite two strikeshortened seasons. Griffey, a 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner who had five top-five MVP finishes, was on pace to become baseball’s all-time home run king with 438 homers after the 2000 season. But then, he turned 31. He never hit 40 homers again, just twice playing more than 128 games in a season, with knee, ankle, hamstring and shoulder injuries. He wound up with 630 home runs, which now ranks seventh all time. “When you’re playing center field, you’re sacrificing your body every game,” says Griffey, who had 12 stints on the injured list. “I remember once the training staff asked me to start taking it easy. ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that.’ “I said, ‘Hey, that’s not me. This is the way I’ve played my whole life. I don’t play the game half-assed.’ “It’s no different than with Mike. He gets hurt because he plays the game hard, he plays the game right.” So, don’t get Griffey started, remembering the days he was criticized for injuries and the ridiculous notion that he didn’t train hard enough to avoid them. It was ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith who launched into a tirade on Trout this past week, incredulous that Trout was injured again. “How the hell is he always hurt?” Smith said. “I don’t understand this. It drives me nuts when I see baseball players get hurt. What is it that you’re doing with yourself physically that you can’t stay healthy playing baseball? … I’ve grown disgusted with his lack of availability. It makes me question – I know he looks the part – what the hell are you doing to take care of yourself? Always injured. I mean, damn, it’s baseball. “I mean, what we talking about here? It’s not football. It’s not boxing. It’s not the UFC. You’re not running up and down the court 94 feet, basketball, for 82 nights a year. It’s baseball. Half the time, y’all are standing out in the outfield, chewing on pumpkin seeds or something, and waiting for a fly ball to come your way.” Trout ignores the criticism. It’s no different than what he hears for being loyal to the Angels. There are folks incensed that he has never asked for a trade, never demanding that the Angels build a contender around him. Trout signed his extension in 2019, complete with a no-trade clause, because he loves the organization. Sure, he wishes they won more games. He’d love to play in a World Series. Shoot, he’d love just to be on a contender again. But to demand a trade simply because the Angels have failed to make the playoffs since 2014, and aren’t a contender this year, either? “People have this perception without even knowing the guy, and it’s wrong,” says Griffey, who became friends with Trout through their Nike representation, doing a three-hour commercial shoot together this spring. “Everybody wants to talk and have their opinion about somebody else’s career. Let him do his own talking. “You know what, I’m proud of what he’s done. He’s a good ballplayer. A good friend. Just a really good person. Injuries don’t change who he is.” Ken Griffey Jr. talks to Mike Trout during the World Baseball Classic in 2023. JOE RONDONE/THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC Trout Continued from Page 1C night. “He left three quarts feed,” McPeek said. “We couldn’t hardly get everybody out of the barn until midnight, so he really didn’t get a great night’s rest.” McPeek said Mystik Dan likely will ship to Saratoga this week. With Belmont Park being renovated, Saratoga will host the Belmont Stakes – the final leg of the Triple Crown – on June 8. McPeek said Mystik Dan could skip the Preakness and return to action in the Belmont Stakes. “No. 1, if we go into the (Preakness) we want to win,” co-owner Lance Gasaway said. “I’m pretty sure (Bob Baffert) is going to have (Arkansas Derby winner) Muth in there. You take those horses in there at full speed that have been off a month or a month and a half, and we’re coming in there in two weeks. That’s a big ask of this horse.” McPeek noted Mystik Dan raced twice in a 13-day span as a 2-year-old, breaking his maiden Nov. 12 at Churchill Downs and then finishing fifth in an optional claimer on Nov. 25. “It completely backfired on me,” he said of the decision to race back so quickly. A son of Goldencents, Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby at 18-1 odds behind a rail-skimming ride from jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. Mystik Dan pulled away down the stretch before Sierra Leone and thirdplace Forever Young made a late charge. Gasaway said he got about five hours of sleep after the race but was losing his voice. “Has it sunk in yet? No,” Gasaway said Sunday morning. “This is the pinnacle of the sport. Unbelievable.” Mystik Dan trainer Kenny McPeek celebrates in the winner’s circle. SAM UPSHAW JR./THE COURIER-JOURNAL Mystik Dan Continued from Page 1C

SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ 5C To view more Classified listings, visit: classifieds.usatoday.com TRAVEL CAMPGROUNDS “The Happiest Place in Montana” Boulder Creek Lodge The Premier Family Vacation Destination “The Happiest Place in Montana” - Boulder Creek Lodge in Hall, Montana is the premier family destination vacation location in Southwest Montana. The resort is located between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Highlights within an hour of Boulder Creek Lodge include a glimpse into the Wild West by visiting the amazing Garnet Ghost Town where you can walk around a town frozen in time since 1900. Plan on spending the day visiting the western legends of outlaw at the Territorial Prison with a stop at the Antique Car Museum down the road from the Grant-Kohrs Ranch, a historical farming legend of the West in Deer Lodge, Montana. In nearby Phillipsburg, Montana, you can pan for gems and sapphires like those in the Wild West did 150 years ago at Montana gems located on Main Street. Be sure to visit the Sweet Palace, an incredible candy store featuring salt water taffy made on site, sure to be a family favorite. Boulder Creek Lodge Montana Call 406-859-3190 www.bouldercreeklodgemontana.com 4 Boulder Creek Road, Hall, Montana MODERN FAMILY DENTAL OFFICE with an amazing team is seeking a full-time general dentist. Our well-established practice is located on the southern Outer Banks of North Carolina in the highly sought-after Crystal Coast area. Email CV and references to Kirsten@crystalcoastdentistry. com. NC state license is required. FULL-TIME GENERAL DENTIST Opportunity in Bellingham, WA. $10,000 signing bonus. Our Mt Vernon office is seeking a full time General Dentist to support this growing community. Located just over an hour away from Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC, this is a great location that is close to major metro areas while still having a community feel. At Gentle Dental, we value our teammate’s smile as much as our patient’s smile. Come join our team and make a difference in the lives of the people in your community! Email: [email protected] EMPLOYMENT BEAUTIFUL SMILES BY DESIGN is in Dalton and Calhoun GA. We are looking for a General and/or pediatric Dentist at our Dalton location to lead our Practice growth. Our Practices are ultra-high tech, designed to provide premium dentistry to all our patients. We offer excellent compensation and benefits package. Mentorship for implants, Orthodontics, Molar Root canals available. Beautiful Smiles by Design. Tel: (919) 423 6386. E-mail: [email protected] ADVERTISE IN USA TODAY MARKETPLACE. To Advertise, Call: (800) 397-0070 EMPLOYMENT SMILE STARTERS DENTAL is hiring for Associate Dentists. Well established practice in seeking full time Associates in multiple NC locations. We are a general practice providing comprehensive care to children and young adults through age 20 in a modern, newly updated facility. www.smile startersdental.com. Please contact HR at tmalmut@smilestarters dental.com. STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY in San Francisco CA is seeking a PT Associate Dentist to start out 1 day per week. Pay rate between $655.00 - $1,500.00 per day. Ideal candidate will possess 3+ yrs working dental experience. Associate must be able to provide all aspects of General Dentistry and be a licensed DDS or DMD in CA. Email resume to [email protected]. CAREERS PETS When veterinary care is unavailable or unaffordable, ask for Happy Jack® Animal healthcare for cats, dogs, & horses. At Tractor Supply® www.happyjackinc.com MARKETPLACE The second round of the NHL playoffs started Sunday with two of the top teams in the league facing off. Either the No. 3 overall Carolina Hurricanes or the No. 1 overall New York Rangers won’t make it to the conference finals, but a Canadian team will because the Vancouver Canucks are facing the Edmonton Oilers. The Boston Bruins and Panthers will play in a rematch of last year’s playoff upset by Florida, while the Colorado Avalanche will face the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Dallas Stars and defending champion Vegas Golden Knights USA TODAY Sports’ Mike Brehm and Jace Evans make predictions for the series that have been determined: New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Brehm: Hurricanes in 6. I picked the Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup and I believe they make it through this round, but it will be tough. The teams are very evenly matched, but the Hurricanes brought in playoff performers Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov at the deadline to help a team that rolls four lines effectively. They could be the difference-makers in this series. Evans: Hurricanes in 6. The Rangers overwhelmed the Capitals in the first round with their special teams, scoring six power-play goals and tacking on two more short-handed tallies. But they held just a moderate edge in evenstrength goals at 7-5. The Hurricanes had a better power play and penalty kill than the Rangers this season – one of the only teams that can say that – and were also the league’s top puck-possession unit. Maybe the Rangers’ high-end talent can help even the playing field, but the bet is the Hurricanes’ depth wins out. Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins Brehm: Panthers in 6. The Bruins didn’t play well in the first period of Games 5 and 6 when the Maple Leafs played with desperation. The Panthers play that style all the time. Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman should be able to steal a couple of games, but the Panthers’ superior talent will win out in the end. Evans: Panthers in 5.I don’t see the Bruins getting revenge this year. The Panthers are better and the Bruins are worse. Florida looked like a team about to make a deep run while running past the rival Lightning. Boston is lucky it survived the Leafs after lackluster play late in the series. Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers Brehm: Oilers in 5. The Oilers dominated the Los Angeles Kings on special teams in the first round. The productive power play was expected. But they went 12-for-12 on the penalty kill. The Canucks, whose power play was just average in the first round, will have their hands full. Evans: Oilers in 5. Third-string goalie Arturs Silovs stepping in and leading the Canucks into the second round is an awesome story. Facing Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the Oilers with your thirdstring goalie, though, is not ideal. NHL PLAYOFFS Canada assured of one league finalist Mike Brehm and Jace Evans USA TODAY The Bruins’ David Pastrnak (88) and the Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk will go against each other in the second round. BOB DECHIARA/USA TODAY SPORTS Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said after the Game 6 loss that he needed more out of star David Pastrnak. He got it. Pastrnak scored at 1:54 of overtime on Saturday night and Jeremy Swayman was spectacular in net as the Bruins rallied to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in Game 7 and avoided an unprecedented second consecutive NHL playoff collapse. Now they’ll get a chance to try to redeem themselves in the second round against the Florida Panthers, who stunned the Bruins last season. Had it lost, Boston would have been the first team in the NHL, NBA or MLB to blow a 3-1 playoff series lead in backto-back seasons. The Panthers overcame a 3-1 series deficit last season to stun the Bruins in the first round. Toronto has lost six consecutive Game 7s, including four against the Bruins. The Maple Leafs had major lineup changes in Game 7. NHL leading goal scorer Auston Matthews (injury/illness) returned for the first time since Game 4. He assisted on William Nylander’s opening goal. Goalie Ilya Samsonov was pressed into action for the first time since Game 4 when Joseph Woll (who won Games 5 and 6) was unable to dress. The Leafs said Woll suffered an injury in Game 6. But Samsonov was solid, making 29 saves in a goalie battle with Swayman (30 saves). Samsonov had 11 saves in the first period as Boston started strongly after combining for three shots in the first periods of Games 5 and 6. Hampus Lindholm tied the score in the third period 81 seconds after Nylander had given the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead. David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with his Bruins teammates after scoring in overtime Saturday against the Maple Leafs in Game 7. MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES Pastrnak scores OT goal after being challenged by coach Mike Brehm USA TODAY deficit, scoring a goal from Messi’s first assist to tie the match at 1. Then, Rojas instigated a turnover which found Suarez, who found Messi for his only goal of the match. Messi then rattled off five more asLionel Messi proved once again why he’s one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Messi made MLS history, becoming the first player to record five assists in a league game, and record six goal contributions in a match, during Inter Miami’s 6-2 blowout win over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night. It was easily Messi’s best game since he won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar in 2022. Messi helped Inter Miami score six unanswered goals in a matter of 36 minutes in the second half. Messi scored in the 50th minute, Inter Miami’s latest addition Matias Rojas had a brace with goals scored in the 48th and 62nd minutes, and Luis Suárez finished with a hat trick scoring in the 68th, 75th and 81st minutes in the victory. “Well, I always say the same thing, it is redundant to talk about him because he always seems to do something new. And well, if something was missing, it was this,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino, who coached Messi with Barcelona and Argentina, said of Messi’s performance. “To have an impact on the six goals a team scores, this is going to be difficult to see again.” Rojas was the catalyst to help Messi and Inter Miami erase their 1-0 first-half sists to give Inter Miami six unanswered goals in a matter of 36 minutes in the second half to cruise to victory. Messi leads MLS with 10 goals and 12 assists in just eight regular-season games he’s played in 2024. The eighttime Ballon d’Or winner nearly scored another goal in extra time. Messi also became the third player in MLS history to have multiple goal contributions in his first eight games of a season. Cobi Jones (first nine games in 1998) and Clint Dempsey (first eight games in 2015) are the others. Dante Vanzeir scored in the 30th minute to help the New York Red Bulls take a 1-0 lead, and Emil Forsberg scored a penalty in the 97th minute before the final whistle. “All of them had a phenomenal impact in the match. But well, Leo has probably done something historic, which is five assists, one goal in the league. I can’t forget Luis’ three goals, Matías’ two goals. The first one by Matias was good, both were great,” Martino said when asked about his favorite score from the match. “For the technical gesture and Leo’s pass, I’ll take Luis’ scissors kick (in the 68th minute). That’s the one for me.” Messi makes MLS history with five assists, plus scores a goal Safid Deen USA TODAY Inter Miami defender Jean Mota celebrates with captain Lionel Messi after scoring in the second half against the Red Bulls. NATHAN RAY SEEBECK/USA TODAY SPORTS

6C ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 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 Severe thunderstorms will develop from South Dakota to northern Texas today during the afternoon and overnight hours, bringing the threat of damaging winds, tornadoes and hail. There is a significant risk of widespread damaging wind gusts, tornadoes and large hail from south-central Nebraska to north-central Oklahoma. Elsewhere, a spotty shower or two can occur in the Northeast, while showers and thunderstorms will spread across much of the Southeast. Strong winds will begin from Montana to New Mexico, as well as across the High Plains. Gusty winds in Arizona, southern Colorado and western Texas will lead to an elevated threat of wildfires. In the West, rain and high-elevation snow will fall across the northern Rockies as well as the Northwest. Washington 79 Cheyenne 49 Casper 51 Jackson Hole 39 Milwaukee 65 Madison 74 Charleston 79 Seattle 53 Olympia 54 Spokane 56 Richmond 80 Burlington 74 Montpelier 71 Salt Lake City 55 St. George 72 Dallas/Ft. Worth 83 Brownsville 91 Lubbock 90 MidlandOdessa 91 El Paso 86 Austin 89 San Antonio 87 Houston 86 Nashville 83 Memphis 84 Knoxville 79 Rapid City 64 Pierre 64 Sioux Falls 71 Charleston 85 Columbia 80 Harrisburg 77 Philadelphia 77 Pittsburgh 75 Burns 49 Bend 53 Portland Salem 57 56 Oklahoma City 78 Tulsa 81 Cincinnati 73 Cleveland 64 Columbus 72 Fargo 71 Bismarck 64 Raleigh Charlotte 82 80 Buffalo 68 Albany 73 New York 73 Albuquerque 72 Santa Fe 65 Reno 64 Elko 56 Carson City 62 Las Vegas 79 Omaha 76 North Platte 69 Billings 55 Miles City 56 Helena 56 Kansas City 77 Jefferson City 78 St. Louis 78 Jackson 87 Mpls-St. Paul 73 Duluth 64 Detroit 68 Marquette 63 Lansing 71 Grand Rapids 72 Boston 70 Annapolis 75 Bangor 65 Augusta 70 Baton Rouge 87 Shreveport 83 New Orleans 87 Louisville 74 Topeka 79Wichita 75 Dodge City 83 Des Moines 77 Indianapolis 70 Chicago 71 Springfield 73 Boise 57 Idaho Falls 54 Atlanta 80 Savannah 85 Tallahassee 89 Jacksonville 88 Tampa 88 Miami 86 Hartford 77 Denver 59 Aspen 39 San Francisco 64 Palm Springs 88 Los Angeles 74 Sacramento 70 Fresno 72 Eureka 56 San Diego 69 Little Rock 85 Phoenix 86 Flagstaff 62 Birmingham 86 Montgomery 89 Mobile 88 Honolulu 84 San Juan 86 Anchorage 49 Juneau 52 Fairbanks 48 Puerto Rico Hawaii Alaska Akron, Ohio 70/53c 77/62t Albany, N.Y. 73/49pc 77/56s Albuquerque 72/45s 80/49s Allentown, Pa. 76/55pc 78/62pc Amarillo, Texas 83/49w 87/47s Anaheim, Calif. 75/53s 74/54s Anchorage, Alaska 49/37c 50/38pc Aspen, Colo. 39/26sn 40/16sf Atlantic City, N.J. 65/58f 65/57c Augusta, Ga. 81/61t 88/65pc Austin, Texas 89/73t 92/71t Bakersfield, Calif. 72/48s 75/55pc Baton Rouge, La. 87/73t 89/73pc Billings, Mont. 55/41r 53/41w Birmingham, Ala. 86/69t 88/70t Bismarck, N.D. 64/49r 60/42r Boise, Idaho 57/38sh 54/36sh Buffalo, N.Y. 68/47s 73/55c Burlington, Vt. 74/51sh 72/50s Cedar Rapids, Iowa 75/59c 74/51t Charleston, S.C. 85/70t 87/69t Charleston, W.Va. 79/61t 79/62t Cheyenne, Wyo. 49/33r 52/30w Beijing 79/54c 83/55c Buenos Aires 69/63sh 68/61r Cancun, Mexico 91/78pc 91/78pc Dubai, UAE 96/81s 98/84s Frankfurt 62/49sh 64/51r Hong Kong 88/78pc 87/76t Istanbul 65/51s 69/57s Jerusalem 64/52sh 71/47s Johannesburg 78/54s 78/56s London 62/49t 68/48t Mexico City 90/60c 91/62c Montreal 72/49pc 70/47pc Moscow 51/34pc 42/31c Mumbai, India 92/82h 93/81s Paris 63/47r 67/49pc Rio de Janeiro 84/74s 86/73s Rome 71/55pc 70/54pc Seoul 61/55r 59/49c Singapore 89/79t 88/79t Sydney 68/60r 68/60pc Toronto 68/45s 67/50c Tokyo 75/67w 72/64w Cincinnati 73/62sh 80/61t Cleveland 64/52c 75/60t Colorado Springs 60/39w 66/35w Columbia, S.C. 80/66t 86/69pc Columbus, Ohio 72/62sh 79/61t Corpus Christi, Texas 90/78c 90/76pc Dayton, Ohio 71/62sh 80/60t Daytona Beach, Fla. 85/68t 87/69pc Des Moines, Iowa 77/56c 75/55pc Duluth, Minn. 64/47s 50/45r Durham, N.C. 81/64t 83/66t El Paso, Texas 86/60w 89/66w Fairbanks, Alaska 48/34r 56/38pc Flagstaff, Ariz. 62/29s 65/31w Fargo, N.D. 71/56w 64/46pc Fort Myers, Fla. 90/71s 90/73s Fort Smith, Ark. 83/71t 86/69t Fort Wayne, Ind. 69/54c 73/56t Fresno, Calif. 72/51s 74/52s Grand Rapids, Mich. 72/49s 67/53t Green Bay, Wis. 71/50s 63/47r Greensboro, N.C. 79/63t 82/67t Greenville, S.C. 78/63t 84/66t Harrisburg, Pa. 77/63t 79/66pc Hartford, Conn. 77/54c 83/56s Indianapolis 70/63sh 76/59t Islip, N.Y. 66/54f 72/56pc Jackson, Miss. 87/70t 87/70t Jacksonville, Fla. 88/66t 92/67pc Jefferson City, Mo. 78/64t 86/56t Kansas City 77/57c 78/55pc Key West, Fla. 86/77s 85/77s Knoxville, Tenn. 79/63t 82/65t Laredo, Texas 99/76pc 102/78pc Lexington, Ky. 75/64t 81/64t Lincoln, Neb. 75/46t 76/50pc Little Rock, Ark. 85/71t 85/71t Long Beach, Calif. 73/56s 71/57s Louisville, Ky. 74/66t 85/65t Lubbock, Texas 90/50s 89/60s Madison, Wis. 74/56s 73/53t Manchester, N.H. 77/53c 77/50s Memphis, Tenn. 84/71t 84/71t Milwaukee 65/52s 70/52t Mobile, Ala. 88/72sh 87/74sh Modesto, Calif. 70/48s 73/51s Montgomery, Ala. 89/68t 91/71pc Myrtle Beach, S.C. 79/71t 81/71t Nags Head, N.C. 74/66t 76/65t Nashville, Tenn. 83/67t 84/69t Newark, N.J. 75/60c 79/61pc New Haven, Conn. 71/55c 75/55pc Norfolk, Va. 79/69t 80/66t Oakland, Calif. 63/49s 68/48s Oklahoma City 78/58t 82/64s Omaha, Neb. 76/50t 78/54pc Palm Springs, Calif. 88/61s 92/65s Pensacola, Fla. 84/73pc 83/73sh Pierre, S.D. 64/47r 63/45c Pittsburgh 75/56c 79/63t Portland, Maine 64/46c 69/48pc Portland, Ore. 57/45r 59/45sh Providence, R.I. 70/54c 75/51s Raleigh, N.C. 82/66t 85/69t Rapid City, S.D. 64/41r 59/39c Reno, Nev. 64/41s 63/38s Richmond, Va. 80/64c 81/65t Rochester, N.Y. 69/44s 71/52c Sacramento, Calif. 70/45s 74/51s San Antonio 87/72t 92/72pc San Jose, Calif. 68/49s 71/48s Santa Fe, N.M. 65/36w 74/39w Sarasota, Fla. 86/70s 87/72s Savannah, Ga. 85/67t 89/68pc Scottsdale, Ariz. 84/60s 88/62s Shreveport, La. 83/75t 90/74t Sioux Falls, S.D. 71/51t 71/46pc South Bend, Ind. 75/55pc 75/52t Spokane, Wash. 56/37w 57/39c Springfield, Mo. 79/62t 81/61t Springfield, Ill. 73/64pc 82/57t St. Louis 78/65t 84/63t St. Petersburg, Fla. 88/71s 87/72s Syracuse, N.Y. 69/46pc 75/53s Tallahassee, Fla. 89/67pc 89/70pc Tampa, Fla. 88/74s 89/74s Toledo, Ohio 67/51c 72/59t Topeka, Kan. 79/53t 81/53pc Tucson, Ariz. 82/54s 90/57s Tupelo, Miss. 85/69t 84/71t Tulsa, Okla. 81/60t 84/70s Virginia Beach, Va. 76/68t 77/66t Wichita, Kan. 75/49t 80/52s Wilmington, Del. 75/62t 75/63c Winston-Salem, N.C. 79/64t 83/67t Worcester, Mass. 72/56c 75/55s TODAY TUE TODAY TUE TODAY TUE TODAY TUE TODAY TUE AQI MON T-storms 80/66 TUE Humid 85/69 WED T-storm 87/69 Good AQI MON T-storms 80/65 TUE Stray t-storm 84/68 WED Partly sunny 86/70 Good AQI MON Very windy 59/40 TUE Windy 60/35 WED Partly sunny 58/36 Good AQI MON Warmer 86/74 TUE Humid 89/74 WED Breezy, humid 92/75 Good MON Breezy 86/74 TUE Partly sunny 87/75 WED Sunny, nice 88/75 Good MON Warmer 73/61 TUE Partly sunny 76/60 WED Stray t-storm 81/59 Moderate MON Plenty of sun 86/63 TUE Sunny 90/66 WED Sunny 92/64 Moderate MON Mostly sunny 64/51 TUE Mostly sunny 66/52 WED Sunny, nice 74/58 Good AQI MON Stray t-storm 78/65 TUE Showers 77/63 WED Stray t-storm 86/66 Good AQI MON Partly sunny 71/60 TUE T-storms 76/56 WED Showers around 73/52 Good AQI MON Partly sunny 68/49 TUE T-storms 69/58 WED Partly sunny 80/58 Moderate AQI MON Warmer 79/59 TUE Sunny 85/57 WED Not as warm 77/57 Moderate MON Breezy 73/57 TUE Rain 70/52 WED Rain 72/50 Good MON Mostly sunny 90/68 TUE Stray t-storm 91/70 WED Mostly sunny 93/73 Good MON Rain, drizzle 55/43 TUE A little rain 48/38 WED Mostly cloudy 52/40 Good MON A little rain 53/43 TUE Shower 58/44 WED Partly sunny 60/45 Good AQI MON Warmer 70/55 TUE Mostly sunny 69/53 WED Rain 64/47 Good AQI MON Stray t-storm 83/71 TUE T-storm 90/72 WED Heavy t-storm 90/67 Good AQI MON Showers around 84/72 TUE A few showers 84/73 WED A few showers 83/73 Good AQI MON Sunny, nice 74/54 TUE Partly sunny 72/56 WED Sunny, nice 74/57 Moderate MON Breezy 87/75 TUE Breezy, humid 88/75 WED Windy, humid 89/77 Good MON Stray t-storm 77/62 TUE A P.M. shower 77/62 WED Stray t-storm 84/63 Moderate MON Mostly sunny 69/55 TUE Mostly sunny 69/59 WED Mostly sunny 67/57 Moderate MON Stray t-storm 79/65 TUE Showers 77/66 WED Stray t-storm 85/67 Moderate TODAY TUE TODAY TUESDAY EXTREMES Note: For contiguous 48 states through 3 p.m. ET yesterday HOTTEST: 90° Plant City, Fla. COLDEST: 16° Bridgeport, Calif. Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather Inc. ©2024 New BetMGM customers can sign up today and get a First Bet Offer up to $1,500 using bonus code USAT. Just download the BetMGM app, deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game. If your first bet loses, you will receive bonus bets in the amount of your bet (up to $1,500). Just make sure you use bonus code USAT when you sign up. Bet now! ODDS SPONSORED BY BETMGM.COM Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY. Call 877-8- HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA). 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1- 800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270- 7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800- 981-0023 (PR). In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Nevada, New York or Ontario. All times ET SOCCER English Premier League GP W D L GF GA Pts Arsenal 36 26 5 5 88 28 83 Man. City 35 25 7 3 87 33 82 Liverpool 36 23 9 4 81 38 78 Aston Villa 36 20 7 9 73 53 67 Tottenham 35 18 6 11 69 58 60 Newcastle 35 17 5 13 78 56 56 Man. United 34 16 6 12 52 51 54 Chelsea 35 15 9 11 70 59 54 West Ham 36 13 10 13 56 70 49 Bournemouth 36 13 9 14 52 63 48 Brighton 35 12 11 12 53 57 47 Wolverhampton 36 13 7 16 49 60 46 Fulham 36 12 8 16 51 55 44 Crystal Palace 35 10 10 15 45 57 40 Everton 36 12 9 15 38 49 37 Brentford 36 9 9 18 52 60 36 Nottingham For. 36 8 9 19 45 63 29 Luton Town 36 6 8 22 49 78 26 Burnley 36 5 9 22 39 74 24 Sheffield United 36 3 7 26 35 100 16 Note: Three points for win, one point for tie. Thursday’s Game Chelsea 2, Tottenham Hotspur 0 Friday’s Game Luton Town 1, Everton 1 Saturday’s Games Arsenal 3, AFC Bournemouth 0 Sheffield United 1, Nottingham Forest 3 Brentford 0, Fulham 0 Burnley 1, Newcastle United 4 Manchester City 5, Wolverhampton 1 Sunday’s Games Aston Villa 0, Brighton 1 West Ham United 0, Chelsea 5 Tottenham Hotspur 2, Liverpool 4 Monday’s Game Manchester United at Crystal Palace, 3 p.m. MLS EASTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Inter Miami CF 7 2 3 24 32 18 Cincinnati 6 2 3 21 13 9 Toronto FC 6 4 1 19 14 14 NY Red Bulls 4 2 5 17 16 16 Columbus 3 1 6 15 12 9 NY City FC 4 4 2 14 11 10 Charlotte FC 4 5 2 14 12 13 Philadelphia 3 2 5 14 19 16 D.C. United 3 3 5 14 16 17 Atlanta 3 4 3 12 14 11 CF Montreal 3 4 3 12 14 20 Nashville 2 3 5 11 14 19 Chicago 2 4 4 10 11 18 Orlando City 2 5 3 9 11 18 New England 1 7 1 4 6 18 WESTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA D.C. United 6 2 2 20 17 11 Real Salt Lake 5 2 3 18 17 9 LA Galaxy 5 2 3 18 21 17 Vancouver 5 2 2 17 18 10 Colorado 4 3 3 15 16 15 Austin FC 4 3 3 15 14 13 Los Angeles FC 4 4 3 15 19 19 Houston 4 4 2 14 9 10 Saint Louis 2 1 7 13 15 14 Sporting KC 2 3 5 11 18 18 Portland 2 5 4 10 20 23 Seattle 2 5 3 9 13 13 FC Dallas 2 6 2 8 10 15 San Jose 2 8 1 7 17 26 Note: Three points for win, one point for tie. Saturday’s Games D.C. United 2, Philadelphia 2 Inter Miami CF 6, NY Red Bulls 2 Orlando City 0, Cincinnati 1 Charlotte FC 2, Portland 0 Toronto FC 3, FC Dallas 1 Atlanta 1, D.C. United 2 San Jose 3, Los Angeles FC 1 Houston 0, Saint Louis 0 Nashville 4, CF Montreal 1 Sunday’s Games Colorado vs NY City FC LA Galaxy at Seattle Champions League SEMIFINALS First Leg Tuesday, April 30 Bayern Munich 2, Real Madrid 2 Wednesday, May 1 Borussia Dortmund 1, PSG 0 Second Leg Tuesday’s Game PSG vs. Borussia Dortmund, 3 p.m. Wednesday’s Game Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. Europa League SEMIFINALS First Leg Thursday, May 2 AS Roma 0, Bayer Leverkusen 2 Marseille 1, Atalanta 1 Thursday’s Games Bayer Leverkusen vs. AS Roma, 3 p.m. Atalanta vs. Marseille, 3 p.m. NWSL Friday’s Games Utah 1, Angel City 2 Seattle 2, San Diego 1 Saturday’s Games Gotham FC 1, North Carolina 0 Portland 2, Washington 1 Sunday’s Games Houston vs. KC Current Orlando vs. Racing Louisville Bay FC vs. Chicago Wednesday’s Games Houston vs. Gotham FC, 8 p.m. Seattle Reign vs. KC Current, 10 p.m. San Diego vs. Utah, 10 p.m. MLB AMERICAN LEAGUE East Division W L Pct GB Baltimore 22 11 .667 — N.Y. Yankees 22 13 .629 1 Boston 18 16 .529 4½ Toronto 16 18 .471 6½ Tampa Bay 16 18 .471 6½ Central Division W L Pct GB Cleveland 22 12 .647 — Minnesota 19 13 .594 2 Kansas City 20 14 .588 2 Detroit 18 15 .545 3½ Chicago 8 26 .235 14 West Division W L Pct GB Seattle 18 15 .545 — Texas 18 16 .529 ½ Oakland 17 17 .500 1½ Houston 12 21 .364 6 L.A. Angels 12 22 .353 6½ NATIONAL LEAGUE East Division W L Pct GB Philadelphia 23 11 .676 — Atlanta 20 11 .645 1½ Washington 16 17 .485 6½ N.Y. Mets 16 17 .485 6½ Miami 9 26 .257 14½ Central Division W L Pct GB Milwaukee 20 13 .606 — Chicago 21 14 .600 — Cincinnati 16 17 .485 4 Pittsburgh 16 19 .457 5 St. Louis 15 19 .441 5½ West Division W L Pct GB L.A. Dodgers 22 13 .629 — San Diego 18 18 .500 4½ San Francisco 15 19 .441 6½ Arizona 14 20 .412 7½ Colorado 8 26 .235 13½ Saturday’s Games N.Y. Yankees 5, Detroit 3 Minnesota 3, Boston 1 Chicago 6, St. Louis 5 Chicago 6, Milwaukee 5 Toronto 6, Washington 3 Pittsburgh 1, Colorado 0 Oakland 20, Miami 4 Philadelphia 14, San Francisco 3 Cleveland 7, L.A. Angels 1 Baltimore 2, Cincinnati 1 Texas 15, Kansas City 4 Seattle 5, Houston 0 Tampa Bay 3, N.Y. Mets 1 San Diego 13, Arizona 1 L.A. Dodgers 11, Atlanta 2 Sunday’s Games Toronto at Washington Detroit at N.Y. Yankees Pittsburgh 5, Colorado 3 Cleveland 4, L.A. Angels 1 N.Y. Mets at Tampa Bay Seattle at Houston Texas at Kansas City Boston at Minnesota Chicago 5, St. Louis 1 Chicago 5, Milwaukee 0 Miami at Oakland Baltimore at Cincinnati San Diego at Arizona Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers San Francisco at Philadelphia Monday’s Games San Francisco at Philadelphia, 4:05 p.m. Detroit at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m. L.A. Angels at Pittsburgh, 6:40 p.m. Chicago at Tampa Bay, 6:50 p.m. San Diego at Chicago, 7:40 p.m. Milwaukee at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m. Seattle at Minnesota, 7:40 p.m. N.Y. Mets at St. Louis, 7:45 p.m. Texas at Oakland, 9:40 p.m. Miami at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. Tuesday’s Games Texas at Oakland, 3:37 p.m. Detroit at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m. Arizona at Cincinnati, 6:40 p.m. L.A. Angels at Pittsburgh, 6:40 p.m. Toronto at Philadelphia, 6:40 p.m. Baltimore at Washington, 6:45 p.m. Chicago at Tampa Bay, 6:50 p.m. Houston at N.Y. Yankees, 7:05 p.m. Boston at Atlanta, 7:20 p.m. San Diego at Chicago, 7:40 p.m. Milwaukee at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m. Seattle at Minnesota, 7:40 p.m. N.Y. Mets at St. Louis, 7:45 p.m. San Francisco at Colorado, 8:40 p.m. Miami at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. NHL Playoffs FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7; x- if necessary) EASTERN CONFERENCE Florida Panthers 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 1 Game 1: Panthers 3, Lightning 2 Game 2: Panthers 3, Lightning 2 (OT) Game 3: Panthers 5, Lightning 3 Game 4: Lightning 6, Panthers 3 Game 5: Panthers 6, Lightning 1 Boston Bruins 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 Game 1: Bruins 5, Maple Leafs 1 Game 2: Maple Leafs 3, Bruins 2 Game 3: Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 2 Game 4: Bruins 3, Maple Leafs 1 Game 5: Maple Leafs 2, Bruins 1 (OT) Game 6: Maple Leafs 2, Bruins 1 Game 7: Bruins 2, Maple Leafs 1 (OT) New York Rangers 4, Washington Capitals 0 Game 1: Rangers 4, Capitals 1 Game 2: Rangers 4, Capitals 3 Game 3: Rangers 3, Capitals 1 Game 4: Rangers 4, Capitals 2 Carolina Hurricanes 4, New York Islanders 1 Game 1: Hurricanes 3, Islanders 1 Game 2: Hurricanes 5, Islanders 3 Game 3: Hurricanes 3, Islanders 2 Game 4: Islanders 3, Hurricanes 2 (2OT) Game 5: Hurricanes 6, Islanders 3 WESTERN CONFERENCE Vegas Golden Knights 3, Dallas Stars 3 Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Stars 3 Game 2: Golden Knights 3, Stars 1 Game 3: Stars 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT) Game 4: Stars 4, Golden Knights 2 Game 5: Stars 3, Golden Knights 2 Game 6: Golden Knights 2, Stars 0 Sunday: Golden Knights at Stars Colorado Avalanche 4, Winnipeg Jets 1 Game 1: Jets 7, Avalanche 6 Game 2: Avalanche 5, Jets 2 Game 3: Avalanche 6, Jets 2 Game 4: Avalanche 5, Jets 1 Game 5: Avalanche 6, Jets 3 Vancouver Canucks 4, Nashville Predators 2 Game 1: Canucks 4, Predators 2 Game 2: Predators 4, Canucks 1 Game 3: Canucks 2, Predators 1 Game 4: Canucks 4, Predators 3, (OT) Game 5: Predators 2, Canucks 1 Game 6: Canucks 1, Predators 0 Edmonton Oilers 4, Los Angeles Kings 1 Game 1: Oilers 7, Kings 4 Game 2: Kings 5, Oilers 4 (OT) Game 3: Oilers 6, Kings 1 Game 4: Oilers 1, Kings 0 Game 5: Oilers 4, Kings 3 NBA Playoffs FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7) EASTERN CONFERENCE Boston Celtics 4, Miami Heat 1 Game 1: Celtics 114, Heat 94 Game 2: Heat 111, Celtics 101 Game 3: Celtics 104, Heat 84 Game 4: Celtics 102, Heat 88 Game 5: Celtics 118, Heat 84 New York Knicks 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2 Game 1: Knicks 111, 76ers 104 Game 2: Knicks 104, 76ers 101 Game 3: 76ers 125, Knicks 114 Game 4: Knicks 97, 76ers 92 Game 5: 76ers 112, Knicks 106 (OT) Game 6: Knicks 118, 76ers 115 Indian Pacers 4, Milwaukee Bucks 2 Game 1: Bucks 109, Pacers 94 Game 2: Pacers 125, Bucks 108 Game 3: Pacers 121, Bucks 118 Game 4: Pacers 126, Bucks 113 Game 5: Bucks 115, Pacers 92 Game 6: Pacers 120, Bucks 98 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Orlando Magic 3 Game 1: Cavaliers 97, Magic 83 Game 2: Cavaliers 96, Magic 86 Game 3: Magic 121, Cavaliers 83 Game 4: Magic 112, Cavaliers 89 Game 5: Cavaliers 104, Magic 103 Game 6: Magic 103, Cavaliers 96 Game 7 : Cavaliers 106, Magic 94 WESTERN CONFERENCE Oklahoma City Thunder 4, New Orleans Pelicans 0 Game 1: Thunder 94, Pelicans 92 Game 2: Thunder 124, Pelicans 92 Game 3: Thunder 106, Pelicans 85 Game 4: Thunder 97, Pelicans 89 Denver Nuggets 4, Los Angeles Lakers 1 Game 1: Nuggets 114, Lakers 103 Game 2: Nuggets 101, Lakers 99 Game 3: Nuggets 112, Lakers 105 Game 4: Lakers 119, Nuggets 108 Game 5: Nuggets 108, Lakers 106 Minnesota Timberwolves 4, Phoenix Suns 0 Game 1: Timberwolves 120, Suns 95 Game 2: Timberwolves 105, Suns 93 Game 3: Timberwolves 126, Suns 109 Game 4: Timberwolves 122, Suns 116 Dallas Mavericks 4, Los Angeles Clippers 2 Game 1: Clippers 109, Mavericks 97 Game 2: Mavericks 96, Clippers 93 Game 3: Mavericks 101, Clippers 90 Game 4: Clippers 116, Mavericks 111 Game 5: Mavericks 123, Clippers 93 Game 6: Mavericks 114, Clippers 101 SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x- if necessary) EASTERN CONFERENCE Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Monday: Pacers vs. Knicks, 7:30, TNT Wednesday: Pacers vs. Knicks, 8, TNT Friday: Knicks vs. Pacers, 7, ESPN Sunday, May 12: Knicks vs. Pacers, 3:30, ABC x-Tuesday, May 14: Pacers vs. Knicks, TBD, TNT x-Friday, May 17: Knicks vs. Pacers, TBD, ESPN Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Tuesday: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, 7, TNT Thursday: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, 7, ESPN Saturday: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, 8:30, ABC Monday, May 13: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, 7, TNT x-Wed, May 15: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, TBD, TNT x-Friday, May 17: Celtics vs. TBD, TBD, ESPN WESTERN CONFERENCE Minnesota Timberwolves 1, Denver Nuggets 0 Game 1: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 99 Monday: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, 10, TNT Friday: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 9:30, ESPN Sunday, May 12: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 8, TNT x-Tuesday, May 14: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, TBD, TNT x-Thursday, May 16: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 5:30, ESPN Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday: Mavericks vs. Thunder, 9:30, TNT Thursday: Mavericks vs. Thunder, 9:30, ESPN Saturday: Thunder vs. Mavericks, 3:30, ABC Monday, May 13: Thunder vs. Mavericks, 9:30, TNT x-Wed., May 15: Mavericks vs. Thunder, TBD, TNT x-Saturday, May 18: Thunder vs. Mavericks, 5:30, ESPN DEALS BASEBALL Major League Baseball KANSAS CITY ROYALS — P Colin Selby sent to minors. Daniel Lynch IV called up from minors. NEW YORK YANKEES — P Nick Burdi sent to minors for rehabilitation. SAN DIEGO PADRES — Donovan Solano purchased from minors. 3B Eguy Rosario sent to minors. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Dylan Carlson removed from 10-Day IL (sprained AC joint, left shoulder). Dylan Carlson (recalled from minors-rehab). C Pedro Pages sent to minors. TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Alek Manoah removed from 15-Day IL (right shoulder inflammation). Alek Manoah recalled from minors (rehab). P Brendon Little sent to minors. FOOTBALL National Football League KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — G Nick Torres signed. RB Carson Steele signed. CB Christian RolandWallace signed. P Ryan Rehkow signed. CB D.J. Miller Jr. signed. G McKade Mettauer signed. T Griffin McDowell signed. DT Fabien Lovett Sr. signed. LB Curtis Jacobs signed. T Ethan Driskell signed. TE Baylor Cupp signed. WR Reggie Brown signed. WR Phillip Brooks signed. LB Swayze Bozeman signed. CB Miles Battle signed. RB Emani Bailey signed. LB Luquay Washington signed. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS — LB Bo Bauer signed. FOR THE RECORD Canelo Alvarez defeated Jaime Munguia by unanimous decision Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In front of a spirited crowd on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Canelo handed Munguia his first loss in the all-Mexican showdown and defended his unified super middleweight title. Canelo scored the only knockdown in the 12-round fight, dropping Munguia in the fourth round. “He’s strong, but he’s a little slow. I can see every punch,” Alvarez said. The judges scored it 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. Alvarez elicited one last eruption during the in-ring interview after the fight that featured a boxer from Tijuana (Munguia) and a boxer from Guadalajara (Alvarez). “(Everyone) is watching us, the Mexicans,’’ he said, as the crowd roared. “And I feel proud about representing Mexico.’’ Canelo landed 234 punches to 170 for Munguia, according to punch stats provided on the broadcast. Munguia came on strong in the first three rounds, but Alvarez indicated that was not a concern. “I take my time,’’ Alvarez said. “That’s why I have a lot of experience.” “I came out well,’’ Munguia said. “I think at the beginning I was winning some of those rounds. It was going well. I let my hands go. But he’s a fighter with a lot of experience, obviously. Unfortunately, he beat me.’’ Canelo, 33, improved to 61-2-2 and Munguia, 27, dropped to 43-1. Canelo Álvarez defeats Jaime Munguía Josh Peter USA TODAY The weather changes. Stay up-to-date, 24/7. Download our free app

SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ 7C PHOENIX – San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt, after watching All-Star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. duck out of the way of an errant pitch toward his head in their 7-1 victory Friday over the Arizona Diamondbacks, vows he will no longer stand for it. “We’re seeing way too many pitches up and in on Tati,” Shildt said. “It’s enough. It really is enough. If you want to throw in, that’s fine. But I don’t know what people are trying to accomplish by throwing up and in. All you’re doing is pissing the guy off, and it’s uncalled for. ... “It’s happening way too frequently, and it’s not something that we’re going to tolerate much longer.” Tatis and the Padres bench was furious when Tatis, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, was sent scrambling to the dirt by D-backs reliever Scott McGough’s first pitch in the ninth inning. Tatis dusted himself off, glared at McGough, but then struck out. “They throw at my head every single day,” Tatis said. “I’m trying to stay in the game, but I feel like there’s been so many of those.” Tatis doesn’t believe pitchers are trying to retaliate or send any message over his 2022 performance-enhancing drug suspension. He thinks pitchers believe pitching inside can exploit a weakness of his. He has no problem with the strategybut gets angry when pitches are thrown toward his head. “Pitchers feel like that’s the only way to get me out,” Tatis said, “but at the same time, you’re throwing at my head. So, if you can’t go inside, just figure it out, and clean it up.” Tatis, who had three hits Friday, was batting .245 with seven homers and a .775 OPS going into Sunday. He also has been hit by two pitches, just one fewer than all last season. “Throwing inside is part of the game,” Shildt said. “We know this for 100-plus years. It’s part of it. And the inner half can be a battle between the pitcher and the hitter. We do it. We expect people to do it. It’s part of it. But I’ve seen way too many pitchers up and in on Tati. … “I mean, listen, if you want to throw up and in on the guy, fine. But get away from the top of his body, and definitely stay away from his head. That’s just not appropriate. And no hitter, no pitcher, nobody could defend it. “I don’t get it. It’s not necessary. It’s not the way it needs to be played.” Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. dodges a pitch during the ninth inning Friday against the Diamondbacks. JOE CAMPOREALE/USA TODAY SPORTS Padres are sick of up and in pitches to Tatis Bob Nightengale USA TODAY After a spring-long controversy, Major League Baseball announced uniform changes for the 2025 season that seek to address many of the complaints from players and fans alike. According to MLB, the Nike-designed uniforms for 2025 will include larger lettering on the back and pants customization available to players, two of the biggest concerns from a saga that began early in spring training and drew responses from all the brands involved and the Major League Baseball Players Association. “Player and club feedback is extremely important to us,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Friday. “Together with Nike, we listened to our players and as a result, we are addressing their concerns.” The new uniforms for this season were criticized for looking cheap, the nameplate and numbers for being too small and for pants that could be somewhat translucent. Fanatics produced the uniforms for Nike, and fans were quick to point the finger at the sports merchandise behemoth. Fanatics founder Michael Rubin thought his company was being unfairly blamed. “Nike designs everything. Hands us a spec and says, ‘Make this,’ ” Rubin said. “We have made everything exactly to the spec. And Nike and baseball would say, ‘Yes, you’ve done everything we’ve asked you do to.’ ” Nike has had the MLB uniform contract since 2020. “We will continue to work with Nike to make adjustments with the goal of delivering a uniform that looks good and helps MLB players perform at their best,” said Manfred. The details of a Chicago White Sox jersey as displayed during spring training media day. JOE CAMPOREALE/USA TODAY SPORTS MLB announces changes to jerseys for 2025 after controversy this spring Jesse Yomtov USA TODAY PHOENIX – Get the sculptor on the telephone. Tell the San Diego city planners to prepare for October. Locate that Padres record book and start rewriting it. Luis Arraez has arrived, and if he performs anything like he did in his debut Saturday with the Padres, they may be throwing him a parade in downtown San Diego, building a statue of him outside Petco Park, and writing his name alongside Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman and all of the other Padres greats. Come on, what Arraez did Saturday evening was bonkers. He gets the news Friday night before the Miami Marlins game against the Oakland Athletics that he is being traded to the Padres. He packs his bags, goes back to the Marlins hotel in downtown San Francisco, gets on a plane Saturday, arrives at Chase Field at 3:45 p.m. PT, introduces himself to his new teammates, with starting pitcher Michael King walking over to show him a video on his phone. It was Arraez hitting a two-run homer off King on Aug. 12, 2023, while King was pitching for the New York Yankees. “I tried to get him pumped up before the game,” King said, “by showing him that highlight.” Arraez steps into the batter’s box against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt at 5:10. And leads off the game with a double into the right field corner. And then hits a single to left field in the third inning. And hits a single to left field in the fourth inning. And hits a single to center field in the seventh inning. When the night was over, the Padres were 13-1 winners, and Arraez – who went 4-for-6 – had made the greatest first impression since fish tacos were introduced in San Diego. “It was a sight to behold,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “What a talent. … It’s hard to have a comp to Tony Gwynn, but if there is one in our modern game, now we have him on our team. “And that just feels right.” Arraez became the first player to produce four hits in his Padre debut, bringing back memories of Gwynn, Mr. Padre himself, the eight-time batting champion. It’s crazy to think that through 570 career games, Gwynn’s and Arraez’s numbers are nearly identical: h Gwynn: .326/.378/.427/25 homers. h Arraez: .324/.377/.423/24 homers. “Amazing,” Arraez says. A two-time batting champion, Arraez is now attempting to go where no player has gone before: winning three consecutive batting titles with three different teams. “That would be nice,” Arraez said. “Let’s see what happens. I just want to stay healthy. If I stay healthy, I can do a lot of good things.” Well, after watching his debut Saturday, he has an entire clubhouse dreaming of playing in October. The Padres have won four consecutive games, pummeling the opposition 32-8. “He inspired me,” said San Diego left fielder Jurickson Profar, who went 3- for-4 with a two-run homer. “He inspired us all.” The craziest part of it all? Arraez, a .324 career hitter, was the lowest-paid player on the field. The Padres somehow got the Marlins to agree to pay all but $592,000 of the remainder of Arraez’s $8.4 million salary, while also dumping minor league reliever Woo-Suk Go’s $4.5 million contract. So, the Padres get a two-time batting champion, saved $4 million, traded away three prospects (none among the top 100), and now potentially have one of the most lethal offenses in the game. The Marlins, who started their fire sale, paid $7.9 million for Arraez to go away. They’re praying that at least one of the prospects makes an impact. Take a bow, A.J. Preller. The Padres general manager actually was trying to acquire Arraez and starter Jesus Luzardo at the end of spring training. He couldn’t swing a deal, grabbed Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease instead, and then telephoned Marlins GM Peter Bendix two weeks ago to tell him he still wanted Arraez. “You want to be able to put pressure on the other team,” Preller said. “You have one of the most accomplished hitters in the game over the last four or five years. We were able to add somebody that’s an elite talent, and do it where we weren’t adding to our payroll, and still gives us some dollar flexibility throughout the year. … “We’ve always tried to be a team that looks ahead. And I think even with this move, it gives us the ability to do that if you need to go out and add another piece or two, at least it’s an option.” The Padres (18-18 going into Sunday) may have slashed $80 million from their payroll from their star-studded team of a year ago, but suddenly they look like a bona fide contender with a lineup that could be lethal. “Obviously, we were given a real good opportunity and we didn’t do much with it,” Padres co-ace Joe Musgrove said, “so I can understand them not wanting to continue to dump money into it. At the same time, with A.J., and the things he can pull off, he can put a competitive product on the field. He’s going to find a way to put the best possible team out there with the money in the budget he’s been given.” When you have a chance to get a twotime batting champion, paying him less than the minimum salary this season, you can still work magic with your budget. “Clearly guys are excited,” Shildt said. “We got the best hitter in the league. He’s a big piece to our club. There’s a lot of excitement in our clubhouse.” You realize you’ve got something special when guys already are making plans two years down the line when Arraez is eligible for free agency. “When I’m a free agent,” King said, “I’m going to sign wherever he does just so I don’t have to face him anymore.” What a night. What a first impression. “I’m living my dream right now,” Arraez says. Arraez living a dream after huge debut Luis Arraez went 4-for-6 in his San Diego Padres debut on Saturday. JOE CAMPOREALE/USA TODAY SPORTS Bob Nightengale Columnist USA TODAY

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K1K1 “Auschwitz” miniseries on Peacock tells a love story amid Holocaust horrors. Page 2D True story behind ‘Tattooist’ shaded with joy, heartbreak The network’s fall schedule also features sitcom “Poppa’s House” and a new “Matlock.” Page 4D CBS unveils ‘NCIS’ prequel and ‘Young Sheldon’ spinoff USA TODAY | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | SECTION D LIFE LIFELINE HOROSCOPE | SANCTUARY More: www.sanctuaryworld.co Aries (March 21-April 19). Mercury’s alignment with wound-healing Chiron forecasts cringy conversations followed by important revelations. Taurus (April 20-May 20). Doubting your intuition? Mercury’s alignment with wound-healing asteroid Chiron causes you to question your powers of perception. Gemini (May 21-June 21). Offering a suggestion to the group? Don’t let fears of rejection keep you silent as Mercury and Chiron align. Cancer (June 22-July 22). Voicing your opinion? Mercury’s alignment with Chiron triggers stage fright, but applause is on the other side of this trial! Leo (July 23-Aug. 22). Caught in a lie about your knowledge and experience? Mercury’s alignment with Chiron triggers major embarrassment. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Trusting your instincts? It may be more difficult than you thought, as Mercury and Chiron align. Libra (Sept.23-Oct. 23). Hesitant to confront a partner? As Mercury and Chiron align, you worry that your opinions will upset them. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). In need of solid health advice? Don’t put it off. Consult a professional as Mercury and Chiron align. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Mercury’s alignment with Chiron delivers good medicine for overcoming a creative dry spell. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Find someone to process with as Mercury and Chiron align. You need solid talk therapy. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Having the talk you’ve tried to avoid? Mercury’s alignment with wound-healing Chiron calls you to task. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20). Mercury’s alignment with Chiron asks whether you’ve done your homework. We bet you’re OVERprepared. Billy Crystal’s Wikipedia page reads like an entry for four awardwinning performers: Stand-up comedian. Movie and TV actor. Author. Nine-time Oscars host. h So when asked to pick which means the most to him, Crystal, 76, answers easily: None of them. h “You mention the Oscars, the movies, all these other things, and they’re great and I’m so fortunate,” he says. “But being the leadoff man for the New York Yankees was something where I said, ‘Whoa, that is ... it.’ ” More on that Yankee experience later, including a rare sour memory of a jarring encounter with an idol, the Yankee Clipper himself, Joe DiMaggio. In fact, despite nursing a pulled back, Crystal is full of stories in a wide-ranging chat with USA TODAY about his entertainment journey, occasioned by the return of “Monsters at Work,” Pixar’s “Monsters Inc.” TV spinoff, which premiered Sunday on Disney Channel (all episode now streaming on Disney+). One could argue it all started for Crystal on “Soap,” the groundbreaking 1977-81 ABC sitcom in which he played Jodie Dallas, the son of Mary Campbell (Cathryn Damon) and one of the first regular gay characters on prime-time TV. “At first the character was a little stereotypical, but I could see where we could go with him. I was proud of it and still am,” says Crystal, chuckling. “Someone said recently, when we started ‘Soap,’ the cast of ‘Will & Grace’ was in middle school.” “Soap” led Crystal to a memorable mid-’80s stint on “Saturday Night Live” (his Ricardo Montalban catchphrase “You look mah-velous” zipped into the zeitgeist) and a small but indelible role as a mime in Rob Reiner’s “This Is Spinal Tap” rock mockumentary (“Mime is money,” Crystal deadpanned). All that goofing had its roots in Crystal’s third grade epiphany. “I was in the school cafeteria,” recalls Crystal, who was raised on Long Island, N.Y., “and my tray of food fell and everybody laughed. But I didn’t feel bad. I liked it. So the next STREAMING Billy Crystal is back as green goofball Mike Wazowski in the second season of “Monsters at Work,” streaming May 5 on Disney+. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY “MONSTERS AT WORK” Crystal reflects on a ‘Monster’ résumé Marco della Cava USA TODAY Green one-eyed mirth-maker Mike Wazowski (Crystal) corrals the gang in “Monsters at Work,” the TV spinoff of the popular Pixar movie, “Monsters Inc.” Crystal puts Mike among his favorite characters. The streaming series’ second season premiered on Disney+ on May 5. See CRYSTAL, Page 4D Anne Hathaway is in the midst of a cathartic moment. The actress, at a new peak in her bustling career dubbed the “Hathaissance,” is feeling “grateful” as she reclaims the romantic comedy in a way that’s refreshing and resonating. In “The Idea of You” (streaming on Prime Video), based on Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, 40-yearold single mom Solène Marchand (Hathaway) meets and falls for 24- year-old boy-band member Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine) while taking her teenage daughter to a festival where his group August Moon is performing. What follows is a jet-setting summer that propels the divorced gallery owner into a whirlwind romance with the mega-famous singer 16 years her junior on the European leg of his tour. “It probably would be advantageous if I was a little bit more strategic about my career,” Hathaway says of the romcom, which “just released something inside of me when I read the script.” “But truly, I’m led by passion and instinct.” Solène – emotionally complex, earnestly hopeful, embracing the risk of love – is striking a chord. The film’s warm reception at South By Southwest and record-breaking trailer sparks gratitude in Hathaway. Her first starring role came in 2001’s “The Princess Diaries,” and “I remember the premiere of that film so well. I didn’t have the life experience to totally understand what was happening. I appreciated it, but I also didn’t know how rare it was,” she says. “To be embraced by a (SXSW) audience in a way that felt awfully familiar – to have the success of the trailer – I’ve had enough experiences that have not gone so astonishingly well, so I’m just letting myself enjoy this one.” Hathaway, 41, is energized to “see women so lit up” because “they’ve just seen something that speaks to them.” “I’m not much of a cook, but I imagine it’s how you feel after you make a really, really delicious, satisfying meal for someone,” Hathaway says. Chemistry and Coachella combine in ‘The Idea of You’ Solène, mom to Izzy (Ella Rubin), is “quite serious, but also really funny at the same time,” Hathaway says. “Characters are (usually) parsed into one of two camps.” Hayes is “persistent and he’s charming and flirtatious” – tracking Solène down after their first chance encounter – while being “someone who is extremely worldly” and “really wants to be taken seriously,” says Galitzine (“Mary & George,” “Red, White & Royal Blue”). The British actor, 29, who has “never seen a boy band in concert” but “grew up listening to the Backstreet Boys,” sings in the film and finds a comfortable charisma with his fictional bandmates. The movie’s nuanced portrayal of their age gap, the outside pressures of the celebrity-civilian dynamic and the misogyny Soléne faces at the hands of tabloids and her daughter’s MOVIES Hathaway, Galitzine connect in new ‘Idea’ Anika Reed USA TODAY Anne Hathway and Nicholas Galitzine find unexpected love in “The Idea of You.” PROVIDED BY PRIME VIDEO See IDEA OF YOU, Page 4D “I didn’t give you nothing: I gave you the greatest meme of all time.” – First-time “Saturday Night Live” host Dua Lipa during her monologue, joking about her viral “Go girl, give us nothing” moment. The meme originated when a fan mocked her for a low-energy performance at the 2018 BRIT Awards. ROSALIND O’CONNOR/NBC VIA GETTY IMAGES THEY SAID WHAT? THE STARS’ BEST QUOTES Sadie Sandler is 18. Meek Mill is 37. George Clooney is 63. IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY WHO’S CELEBRATING TODAY

2D ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY LIFE Spoiler alert! The following story contains major plot details about the Peacock miniseries “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” (now streaming). In 1942, a young Slovakian Jewish man named Lali Sokolov was deported to Auschwitz concentration camp, where he was assigned a job inking numbers on prisoners’ arms. One day, he struck up a conversation with a woman he was tattooing named Gita Furman. It was the beginning of a 60-year romance marked by unspeakable horrors and pain but rooted in deep love and resilience. Their story eventually was told in Heather Morris’ 2018 book “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” which has now been adapted into a gutwrenching TV series on Peacock. “It felt so unique and surprising and implausible. It’s not a story we’re used to hearing,” says Jonah Hauer-King (“The Little Mermaid”), who plays Lali in the six-episode drama. “Allowing yourself to open your heart and love someone in a place like that felt very brave, almost like an act of resistance.” ‘The definition of soulmates’ The show recounts their clandestine courtship while imprisoned at Auschwitz, where an estimated 1.1 million people were killed. Lali, who was granted special privileges as a tattooist, would smuggle letters and extra rations to Gita (Anna Próchniak). On Sundays, when neither was forced to work, they met secretly in Lali’s private sleeping quarters. “The intimate scenes were hard for people to believe, like, ‘Really? They made love in Auschwitz?’ ” director Tali Shalom Ezer says. “That’s something people thought we dramatized for this, but from our research and from Heather, it really happened.” Morris was introduced through mutual friends to Sokolov, who emigrated to Australia after World War II. She spent three years listening and speaking to him. Although the book became a bestseller, “Tattooist” drew criticism from some historians over inaccuracies. “We’re very clearly telling a story from one person’s point of view,” clarifies executive producer Claire Mundell, noting that Sokolov recalled his memories of Auschwitz to Morris more than six decades after the fact. Still, the “Tattooist” team worked with consultants to ensure their depiction was as factual as possible. For instance, while the book suggests Lali was the lone tattooist at Auschwitz, the series makes clear that he was one of several at the camp. When Gita contracts typhoid fever, Lali helps find medicine that was available (not the penicillin in the book, which wasn’t widely available until after the war). Perhaps more than anything, Ezer hopes viewers recognize the couple’s courage and compassion, as well as the unique ways they supported each other: Lali, who was sensitive yet resourceful; and Gita, a headstrong force of nature. “They’re the definition of soulmates,” Ezer says. “When Lali was losing hope, Gita gave him hope. When she was very near to giving up, he was holding the strength to keep going. There is something about the match that is magical.” ‘How could we possibly know how we would act?’ “Tattooist” toggles between the 1940s and early 2000s, as an older Lali (Harvey Keitel) shares his story with Heather (Melanie Lynskey). The series presents a nuanced look at the survivor’s guilt Lali felt: While at Auschwitz, he was ostracized by some of his fellow prisoners, who considered his forced labor as working for the Nazis. But for Lali, his elevated status allowed him to sneak other inmates food and water. “There’s a tension in it,” Hauer-King says. “On some level, he’s benefiting from that role: He’s given more rations and has his own place to sleep. But when it comes to profound evil, the temptation sometimes is to see heroes and villains.” Instead, he says, we should recognize that Lali and “other victims of this horror were put in these impossible positions. How could we possibly know how we would act? Ultimately, Lali was anchored by this belief that while he was alive, he could help others.” Sokolov regularly met with Morris until his death in 2006 at age 90. “My impression is that the time they spent together was incredibly difficult and challenging, but it was also very cathartic,” Hauer-King says. “So many survivors are unwilling or unable to talk about their experiences because it’s too painful, so I would really like to think in sharing his story he found some peace.” ‘They celebrated life’ In 1945, as the Germans were losing the war, the lovers were separated when Gita was sent on a death march. Lali was transferred to the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria but eventually escaped. He made his way to Slovakia and waited two weeks at a train station for returning survivors, hoping he would one day spot Gita there. They reunited and married later that year. “It’s unimaginable,” Ezer says. “It’s just incredible that’s how it happened.” After relocating to Melbourne in 1948, the couple developed a successful textile business and had one son, Gary. They enjoyed a long and happy marriage until Gita’s death in 2003. “They celebrated life,” Mundell says. “They had others they spoke with who had experienced the same trauma, but one of the many things that’s so inspiring about them is that they got on with life. When you see photographs of them after the war, or in the later years of their marriage, they’re just so together. “Lali had an expression Heather told us about, which was, ‘If you wake up in the morning, it’s a good day.’ He carried that with him for the rest of his life.” STREAMING True heartbreak, joy etched in ‘Tattooist’ Patrick Ryan USA TODAY An undated photo of Lali, left, Gary and Gita Sokolov. PROVIDED BY SKY Lali (Jonah Hauer-King, left) meets Gita (Anna Próchniak) while inking her identification number in the first episode. PROVIDED BY MARTIN MLAKA/SKY UK 2019: Zendaya gives magical take on Met Gala camp theme For 2019’s theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” Zendaya paid tribute to her Disney kid beginnings, wearing a Cinderella-inspired ball gown with Roach serving as her fairy godmother − wand, cape and all. Zendaya and Roach, who have collaborated for more than a decade, took the Met for a dramatic ride, with a custom light-up Tommy Hilfiger gown, a pumpkin carriage purse and smoke billowing out from Roach’s wand. The spectacle nailed the camp theme and is one of the Met’s iconic looks. 2018: She goes saintly for Catholic-themed Met Gala Zendaya gave a historic take on 2018’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” theme, showing out as the Roman Catholic saint Joan of Arc, in a silver Versace gown that could pass as real armor, paired with a copper bob and blunt-cut bangs. The “Dune” actress has shared that the shimmering number is one of her “all-time favorite Met looks,” telling Vogue’s Life in Looks that the dress was “so heavy” because of the gown’s intricate beading. The discomfort seemed to be worth it, as Roach’s close attention to theme has made this one of her most memorable looks, period. 2017: She is a work of art in Dolce & Gabanna 2017 may have been the same year as Zendaya’s breakout role in “The Greatest Showman,” but she already was turning heads with her fashion and style. The “Euphoria” actress was a breath of fresh air in her Met Gala look for the theme “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between,” highlighting the Japanese fashion designer known for her avant-garde clothing. The lengthy Dolce & Gabbana gown featured a toucan and floral print, a complementary peach lip and a blowout. 2016: She brings back the mushroom bob Zendaya went full ’70s for 2016’s “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” theme, wearing a gold, form-fitting Michael Kors gown paired with a short mushroom bob and smokey eye makeup. Kors himself joined the actress on the red carpet in a classic, low-key tuxedo, allowing Zendaya all the spotlight for this foxy moment. 2015: She nails ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’ theme As a budding 18-year-old starlet, Zendaya made her Met Gala red carpet debut in a fun and flirty Fausto Puglisi dress. The “K.C. Undercover” actress channeled a sun princess for the “China: Through the Looking Glass” theme with solar accessories, long, lightly curled hair and black pumps. The Met Gala is getting back one of its biggest showstoppers in Zendaya, who has been absent from the glamorous annual fundraiser since 2019. h As one of this year’s co-chairs alongside Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth and Bad Bunny, the “Challengers” star is sure to impress, and the fashion world is giddy to see what the actress and famed celebrity “Image Architect” Law Roach cook up. And with Zendaya already turning heads at the premieres of her new film with Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, her Met comeback is all the more anticipated. h “Hopefully with the Met, since I’ve been away for so many years, maybe this time around I won’t be so stressed,” Zendaya tells USA TODAY ahead of Monday’s festivities. h From Cinderellacore to patron saint chic, here’s how Zendaya’s Met Gala looks made her a fashion darling, starting with her 2019 camp look. Going on to impress on numerous carpets, Zendaya’s 2015 Met Gala gave a preview of the high fashion she was set to give us for years to come. What will she wear this year? Will Zendaya give us more Disney princess vibes? Will Law Roach give us a literal take on the sleeping beauties theme or something more up to interpretation? Both have been mum, so we’ll have to wait and see. Onlookers are expecting a grand slam from Zendaya as co-chair, but coming off her “Challengers” press tour, she is looking to enjoy the moment. “I’m trying to figure out ways to enjoy all of this,” she says. “I get very anxious and nervous. I’ve never opened a movie in this way before, so I’m just trying to enjoy the ride.” Co-stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist may join her, but don’t think they’ll show up in just anything. Zendaya says the men “have their own wonderful styles, so we’ll see what they give.” Contributing: Patrick Ryan Fans await return of ‘It’ girl Zendaya Taijuan Moorman USA TODAY Zendaya and Law Roach turn her into Cinderella at the 2019 Met Gala “Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion.” PROVIDED BY DIA DIPASUPIL/FILMMAGIC Zendaya wore Dolce & Gabanna in 2017. DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES FASHION THE MET GALA

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ĂªĶµűĽ AAµµó ÊʼnŇ © WIGGLES 3D GAMES DON’T QUOTE ME ® Novelist Anne Lamott Rearrange the words to complete the quote. talks about parenthood. BABY GETTING HAVING LIKE ROOMMATE WORST ___________ A ________ IS ________ SUDDENLY ___________ THE WORLD’S ___________ ______________. 5/6 Friday’s Answer: “Comedy is an escape, not from truth but from despair; a narrow escape into faith.” - Christopher Fry FRIDAY’S SOLUTION Jumbles: GIZMO MAMBO LOTION USEFUL Answer: Addition was invented — “SUM” TIME AGO FRIDAY’S QUICKCROSS WORD ROUNDUP UP & DOWN WORDS LIFE ■ ■ USA TODAY CROSSWORD TXTPERT 58 63 67 69 Across 1.73624268 3.3696 4.473 5.3863 7.963 8.2464 9.32437 E3CHE □□□□□□□ □□□ ebb nnannan mna □□□□ □ □□□□□□□□□ □ □□□□□□ □□□□□□□□□ □ □□DUO □ □□□□□□□□□ □ R O .... N ÜT H A p imv s T T A j_ S K RillA F S S □□□ □□□□□□ □□□□ □□□ □□□□□□ □□□□ ON YOUR PHONE 2 3 ooj abc.Ldef^ 4 I 5 6 9hiJ ,kl ,mno. 7 I 8 9 pqrs tuv «x»2 Numbers SUDOKU @ ON YOUR PHONE KENKEN 1 2t 6X 7+ 1- 1 3- 2t 7+ 692024 KenKen Puzzle, LLC www.kenken.com FRIDAY’S SOLUTION 3+ 12X 1 2 4 3 2-Î- 4 2- 2 4 3 1 9X 1- 2-r 4 3 1 2 3 1 2 4 Paal». LLC «n KUBOK 16 Solution to Friday’s puzzle 7 1 13 4 10 14 8 11 12 2 15 16 9 3 6 5 20) 31 (38) (47 5 7 4 11 Words WORD ROUNDUP QUICKCROSS I « « i 1" H 1 1 l « 1 < 1" i N 1 © ON YOUR PHONE UP & DOWN WORDS V I / / éé ft 7 Little W©rds Find the 7 words to match the 7 clues. The numbers in parentheses \ represert tho oumter ol tetters in each solution. Each letter ? combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations * wli be necessary to complete the puzzle. CLUES 1 having the highest cost (8) 2 driving over the limit (8) 3 distinct periods (6) 4 mention over and over (6) 5 vast African savanna (9) 6 Nike competitor (6) 7 superficial (8) SOLUTIONS Cl PRI SP PHA Dl EE SES AD AS SER ME COS EST REP ENG TIC ETI ID EAT NG FraJaysAnswers i VOICES 2 MADAM 3. INTERN i. TRAPDOOR 5. ENACTING 6. TRJMAM 7 TORN f \ ■■ K / ■> ' V N f \ \ y ■ ' ^ y f \ K • ' / ■> (Û ^ sue was bwmstso after SO MW SC6AZ CCOt'Î$ HO WASKgiPrFOR — '■ ■■■ \ k. J^ y •s— FRIDAY’S jumbles: GIZMO MAMBO LOTION USEFUL Answer: Addition was invented — "SUM" TIME AGO BONUS CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Airliner wing part 5 Goes yachting 10 Partly 14 Actress — Kudrow 15 Excessive 16 Composer — Stravinsky 17 Not know from — 18 Brother’s daughter 19 Philosopher — Descartes 20 Outdid 22 Cooked slowly 24 Goofs 26 Ownership document 27 Skillful 29 Stiletto 33 Move to and — 34 Closes 37 ER worker 38 Telescope part 40 Throw carelessly 42 Have a — for news 43 Grandson of Adam 45 Inventor — Howe 47 Blue 48 Actor — Beatty 50 Falling asleep 52 War god 54 Actress — Thompson 55 Impresario 59 More strange 63 Branch 64 Instruct 66 “Need I say -?" 67 Fall birthstone 68 Oust 69 Mattress size 70 Existed 71 Removes 72 Cards held DOWN 1 Level 2 Beach resort 3 “Right away!” 4 Coddle 5 Miscellaneous things 6 Black bird 7 — of March 8 Clear 9 Appeared to be 10 Triggerman (2 wds.) 11 Golden------ 12 Sole 13 — Flintstone 21 Love personified 23 Intend 25 Hackneyed 27 Madison Square Garden FRIDAY S SOLUTION C L A P B E D 1 M s L 1 P R 1 G A 0 R O N o C O R E A V E R 0 N S E T 1 1 C O N B E N D E R E R 1 K s O N S T 0 P T 0 N S N 1 C H E N O o D L E C P L I C O A L G I T R 1 A D H o A R T R 1 A L s O M E A p 1 A N U p O K E R 1 ' A N T E R M E D T E T 0 N >> E A T L E s T c A R M E D H E A L E R S L 0 G A N 0 S E T 1 R E T 1 L E G 0 0 S E A c R E S P E D E R R E D S E A L 5-6-24 © 2024 UFS. Oist. by Andrews McMeel for UFS 28 Giver 30 Dozen dozen 31 Composition 32 Marsh plant 33 Went fast 35 — Abner of comics 36 Catty 39 Mix up 41 Things to wear 44 Big sandwich 46 Came Running” 49 Earned as profit 51 Affection 53 Put the ball in play 55 Farm machine 56 Mellow 57 Actor — Sharif 58 Track 60 Hawkeye State 61 go bragh!” 62 Tear 65 Winter road hazard I 10 11 12 13 j 19 55 56 57 63 67 70 60 61 62 66 69

4D ❚ MONDAY MAY 6, 2024 ❚ USA TODAY LIFE LOS ANGELES − Drew Barrymore will star in the center square of the new, reimagined “Hollywood Squares” on CBS Wednesdays in January, the network announced Thursday as it revealed its 2024-25 lineup. “She’s adorable, she’s engaging, she’s going to bring her friends,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, at a news briefing at Paramount’s Los Angeles headquarters with George Cheeks, CBS president and CEO. (Barrymore already hosts a syndicated daytime talk show distributed by CBS. The classic game show last aired on local stations in 2004, with Tom Bergeron as host.) CBS’ fall schedule includes new series “NCIS: Origins” on Monday nights at 10 EDT/PDT. “NCIS: Origins” is a prequel to “NCIS” featuring a younger version of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Austin Stowell plays the Mark Harmon role as he begins his career as a special agent in 1991. Harmon will narrate the series, just as Jim Parsons did for CBS prequel comedy “Young Sheldon.” The network announced the title for the “Sheldon” spinoff following Georgie (Montana Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) as they raise their young family in Texas − “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.” The sequel to “Sheldon,” from executive producer Chuck Lorre, has a slightly cynical title: “They have already established in the mythology that there will be other marriages,” Reisenbach said. The spinoff will air Thursday nights at 8 EDT/PDT, the time slot now filled by “Sheldon,” and is followed by the returning hit “Ghosts,” Oscar winner Kathy Bates as a private detective in a “Matlock” revival, and the return of midseason drama “Elsbeth.” Other highlights from the fall schedule include another sitcom, “Poppa’s House” − starring Damon Wayans as divorced “Poppa” who finds himself still parenting his adult son, played by his real-life son, Damon Wayans Jr. The comedy will follow “The Neighborhood” to lead off on Monday nights. And a new reality series, “The Summit,” hosted by New Zealand actor Manu Bennett, features 16 ordinary Americans seeking to scale a New Zealand mountain and vying for a $1 million prize. The reality adventure show will air on Wednesday nights following “Survivor,” while “The Amazing Race” is benched until next spring. Justin Hartley’s freshman adventure drama “Tracker” will move an hour earlier, moving into the coveted Sunday night slot following “60 Minutes.” “‘Tracker’ has been a huge hit right out of the box for us,” Reisenbach said. The Sunday night lineup will include “The Equalizer” and, in midseason, medical drama “Watson,” starring Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ colleague. Shemar Moore’s “S.W.A.T.”, which CBS canceled then dramatically brought back for Season 8, will return on Friday nights before “Fire Country.” Tom Selleck’s “Blue Bloods” drama will end this fall with eight final episodes on Friday nights. “It’s important to us to give this show the send-off it deserves,” Reisenbach said. After the conclusion of “Blue Bloods,” “NCIS: Sydney” will take over the 8 p.m. Friday time slot. Besides “Sheldon,” other exiting series include Lorre’s “Bob Hearts Abishola,” “NCIS: Hawai’i,” “So Help Me Todd” and “CSI: Vegas.” TELEVISION CBS UNVEILS FALL SEASON ‘NCIS’ explores ‘Origins’; ‘Squares’ returns Bryan Alexander USA TODAY Damon Wayans stars as Poppa and Damon Wayans Jr. as Junior in “Poppa’s House,” which will air on CBS on Monday nights. PROVIDED BY SONJA FLEMMING/CBS The CBS fall TV schedule (all times EDT/PDT; new shows in bold; new time slots in italics) Monday: 8,”The Neighborhood”; 8:30, “Poppa’s House”; 9, “NCIS”; 10, “NCIS: Origins” Tuesday: 8, “FBI”; 9, FBI: International”; 10, “FBI: Most Wanted” Wednesday: 8, “Survivor”; 9:30, “The Summit” Thursday: 8, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage”; 8:30, “Ghosts”; 9, “Matlock”; 10, “Elsbeth” Friday:, 8, “S.W.A.T.”; 9, “Fire Country”; 10, “Blue Bloods” Saturday: 10, “48 Hours” Sunday: 7, “60 Minutes”; 8, “Tracker”; 9, “ The Equalizer,” 10, repeats (in midseason: “Watson”). time I came in, I threw my tray down. I’m 76 now and I’m still dropping trays. And it’s wonderful.” When Billy met Mike (Wazowski): ‘Wow, it’s the walking CBS eye!’ If Crystal has a secret, it is his wideeyed likability. Whether appearing with his pals Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams to raise money for the homeless (Comic Relief), starring in rom-coms (“When Harry Met Sally”) or fish-out-of-water flicks (“City Slickers”) or waxing nostalgic in a 2013 autobiography (“Still Foolin’ Em”), there’s a funny-neighbor-whodid-really-well quality to him. Think good-hearted mensch. The guy who (of course) is still married to his high school sweetheart, Janice, and whose two daughters have made them doting grandparents. Crystal brought his sunny, hardworking personality to Mike Wazowski, the one-eyed green sidekick to Yeti-like creature Sulley (John Goodman) in 2001’s animated film “Monsters Inc.” “When John (Lasseter, directorturned-Pixar boss) showed me Mike, I said, ‘Wow, John, it’s a walking CBS eye!’ ” he says, joking about the network’s logo. “But I came to love him. He’s feisty, he’s the runt of the monsters group, but he’s a dreamer. I love that he thinks he’s funny when he’s really not.” The new season of the TV spinoff features guests including Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Bowen Yang and Aubrey Plaza. “Mike is honestly up there with my favorite characters,” Crystal says. The comedian’s nice-guy nature perhaps explains why he hosted the Academy Awards telecast so many times, a job that rewards those with the rare ability to skewer without offending. Does he miss the gig? Crystal laughs. “I’m glad I’m in sweats eating Chinese food and not in a tuxedo,” he cracks, before praising his pal Jimmy Kimmel. “He does a terrific job. But sure, you can’t help but watch and see your mind jump to, ‘Oh, say this!’ It’s like you’re on stage again.” For Crystal, life highlights and lowlights revolve around sports Speaking of big stages, a few moments crystallize. One was in 1979, when Crystal was asked to celebrate the retiring boxing legend Muhammad Ali with a bit called “15 Rounds,” in which Crystal played both Ali and ABC announcer Howard Cosell. “There’s 20,000 people at the L.A. Forum, and Ali is 20 feet from me,” he says, reeling in the years. “I do my thing, playing Ali as he’s aging, and then it’s over and I’m backstage. (Comedian) Richard (Pryor) is back there, and he says to me, “You’re a bad mother******!” Suddenly, the sea of people parts. It’s Ali, thundering toward Crystal. “He lifts Richard up and moves him, then grabs me in and says ‘Little brother, you made my life better than it was.’ It was unbelievable. And our relationship just grew from there.” Crystal later eulogized Ali at his funeral. That tender rapport isn’t quite the relationship Crystal, a lifelong baseball fan who attended Marshall University in West Virginia on an athletic scholarship, forged with DiMaggio. In fact, when asked about the incident that took place shortly after Mickey Mantle’s death in 1995, Crystal winces. “It was after Mickey had passed, and the family asked me to come to the stadium and speak as a representative of his fans,” he says softly, unspooling the story of how, after his speech and a video highlights reel, he was asked to introduce DiMaggio, who was in the Yankees dugout with other players. “So I said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome Number 5, Joe DiMaggio,” Crystal says. “He walks over, looking upset. He says, ‘I don’t want to talk; what should I do?’ I said, ‘Just wave.’ ” The ceremony ends. Crystal is hobnobbing with other Yankees when Joltin’ Joe strides over, clearly upset. DiMaggio jabs Crystal hard in the stomach and gets in his face. “(DiMaggio) just said, ‘Greatest living player, you’re supposed to say, greatest living player.’ And he stormed off,” he says. “How was I supposed to know that’s how he actually insisted on being addressed?” A beat, then that famous Crystal grin. “Besides, I thought Willie Mays was the greatest living player.” Apple TV+ series. possible Broadway show are up next That brings us back to Crystal’s alltime greatest life moment. Here’s a guy who, far from retired, says he is thinking of doing another one-man Broadway show (after his success with “700 Sundays”), and is excited about a forthcoming dramatic turn in the Apple TV+ psychological thriller “Before.” And yet all of his hits past, present and future can take a back seat to a sunny Florida day in 2008. “When I was about to turn 60, the Yankees gave me the greatest present ever. I was allowed to lead off (hit) for them during a spring training game,” he recalls. “I trained hard for it. And I took a swing at a 90-mile-an-hour cutter and fouled it off.” Crystal sounds as if he just told you about a grand slam. So it’s no surprise when you ask if there’s anything else in life he’d still like to try. “I’d like another at-bat.” Crystal Continued from Page 1D classmates are “part of a cultural conversation about the way we feel entitled to criticize women, and the way we feel entitled to think about women rather than experience them as themselves,” Hathaway says on a video call from Atlanta, where she’s shooting “Flowervale Street.” The characters’ 16-year age difference has prompted the internet to draw parallels between former One Direction member Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde’s romance (though the film’s source material was published years before). Galitzine hopes “the movie will go a way to normalize this depiction on screen.” “These are two people who are just connecting in an extremely deep way,” says Galitzine. “The age becomes almost insignificant in a way because they have such a chemistry and they have such an understanding of each other, and Hayes has such an emotional maturity. And so, really, the thing to overcome is the fame of it all, and that almost becomes the main antagonist.” Hathaway loves that the film’s central relationship provides “hope and this exploration that your life is yours and it’s to be enjoyed by you, and only you know how it’s going. Perhaps one of the signs of maturity is being able to define your life for yourself.” Alongside the perhaps surprising level of emotional depth, the film uses all the fodder that puts the “rom” in rom-com: Soléne and Hayes dodging paparazzi in LA, a New York hotel romp, kisses on European beaches. It was a journey for Hathaway as both actress and executive producer. “When you’re a producer, you’re just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, my name is on this thing.’ It has to just function in terms of how it’s designed on a practical level,” Hathaway says about filming out of sequence. “So that meant (filming) in the morning, I could be like freshly in love. And then just after lunch, I had to be emotionally devastated. And then by the time like dinner rolled around, I had to find a shred of hope.” Galitzine had Hathaway “on my bucket list of actors that I really hoped to work with in my career.” The onscreen chemistry between the two is palpable; his audition left no question of who was right for the part, Hathaway says. “He walked in, I go, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s Hayes Campbell,’ ” Hathaway says. “And then we did a scene together and I’m like, ‘This is definitely Hayes Campbell.’ Then he sang, and I’m like, ‘We should be so lucky that he should be Hayes Campbell.’ And then he played the guitar, and I’m like, ‘What?’ Then we did a dance improv and he and I just had so much fun dancing together. And I just thought, ‘Oh, my God, who is Nick Galitzine that can do all of these things?’ ” The two texted before filming, quizzing each other on what the other’s last meal would be and their desert island playlist. Without any true sex scenes, the movie relies on the couple’s steamy romantic connection. “We actually thought it’d be sexier if we could make people feel things without visually stimulating them,” Hathaway says. Though Coachella serves as the backdrop for the couple’s meet-cute, Galitzine has never been to the music festival. Hathaway, on the other hand, has “very fond memories of Coachella.” “I got to see Paul McCartney live” in 2009, Hathaway says. “There’s this song and I was really hoping he was going to play it. There must have been 70,000 people there, and he played the first chord and then stopped because there was something wrong with the guitar, but 70,000 people knew exactly what was about to happen and we all had the same idea at the same moment. And as great as he was, that part of the concert, to just like feel all of our hearts lift at the same exact time, was so beautiful.” The age gap between Soléne (Anne Hathaway) and Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine) “becomes almost insignificant because they have such a chemistry and they have such an understanding of each other,” Galitzine says. PROVIDED BY PRIME VIDEO Idea of You Continued from Page 1D

NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | 1NN SUBSCRIBER-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL EDITION NEW YORK – A top U.N. official on Sunday accused Israel of continuing to deny the United Nations humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip, where the U.N. food chief warned a “full-blown famine” has taken hold in the north of the enclave of 2.3 million people. h While not a formal famine declaration, World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain said – in an NBC News interview broadcast on Sunday – that based on the “horror” on the ground: “There is famine, full-blown famine, in the north, and it’s moving its way south.” Residents in Gaza rush to pick up packages of aid dropped from the air April 30. ABOOD ABUSALAMA/MIDDLE EAST IMAGES/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES UN: ISRAEL IS DENYING AID ACCESS See FAMINE, Page 6NN More than 75% of Gaza’s population has been displaced as famine takes hold Michelle Nichols REUTERS “There is famine, full-blown famine, in the north, and it’s moving its way south,” said World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain. REMO CASILLI/REUTERS The WHO said an estimated 9,000 critical patients need to be evacuated from Gaza. WASHINGTON – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accused Democratic rival President Joe Biden of running a “Gestapo administration” in a private address to donors in which he also attacked prosecutors involved in his criminal indictments, according to a recording heard by U.S. media outlets. Trump, whose own rhetoric has drawn accusations of fascist tendencies from civil rights groups and other critics, made the comparison with the Nazi police in Germany’s World War II regime at a donor retreat Saturday night at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. The comments came after Trump reprised his complaint that the multiple indictments against him were politically motivated. He had just concluded 11 days of a New York hush money trial in which he is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment made to a porn star. “These people are running a Gestapo administration,” Trump said, according to an audio recording heard by the New York Times and the Washington Post. “And it’s the only thing they have. And it’s the only way they’re going to win, in their opinion, and it’s actually killing them. But it doesn’t bother me.” The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the reported remarks. In a statement, White House spokesman Andrew Bates sought to contrast Biden’s conduct in office with Trump’s latest remark, accusing the former president of echoing fascist rhetoric, “lunching with neo-Nazis and fanning debunked conspiracy theDonald Trump, whose own rhetoric has drawn accusations of fascist tendencies, made the comparison at a donor retreat Saturday night. BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS See TRUMP, Page 8NN Accuses Democratic opponent of running ‘Gestapo administration’ Doina Chiacu REUTERS Trump likens his rival to Nazis KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine – Ukrainians in the embattled east flocked to church on Sunday to mark their third wartime Easter as Russian troops inched closer to threatening some of the region’s key cities. Fighting on the eastern front has worsened in recent weeks, particularly around the town of Chasiv Yar, while Kyiv’s troops await crucial U.S. military aid to beat back Moscow’s advance. Residents in Kostiantynivka, 10 miles southwest, said they remained determined to celebrate the holiday despite the worsening security situation from Russia’s 26-month-old invasion. “We came in 2022 and in 2023, and we’ll come again,” said Natalia Hryhorieva, 58, outside an Orthodox church as she waited for a priest to bless her Easter basket with holy water. Cannon fire bellowed in the background during the early-morning mass, in which the priest decried the “godless” enemy and led a prayer for Ukraine’s In recent weeks, fighting on front has worsened Dan Peleschuk REUTERS See EASTER, Page 4NN Ukrainians in east mark another Easter under fire Olha Danyliuk lights candles during Easter service at the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Kryvorivnia, Ukraine, Sunday. PAULA BRONSTEIN/GETTY IMAGES INSIDE Mexican authorities confirm missing U.S., Australian tourists died. 7NN

2NN | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK Honolulu 83/72 Hilo 78/68 Anchorage 47/36 Fairbanks 45/34 Juneau 52/42 Monterrey 98/72 Chihuahua 95/62 Los Angeles 73/53 Washington 78/65 New York 71/60 Miami 86/75 Atlanta 84/67 Detroit 69/46 Houston 87/74 Kansas City 78/55 Chicago 70/59 Minneapolis 74/56 El Paso 86/60 Denver 58/39 Billings 54/42 San Francisco 64/50 Seattle 53/42 Toronto 68/45 Montreal 72/48 Winnipeg 71/53 | Go to AccuWeather.com Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation for Monday. 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 Monday 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 Spotty showers can develop across the Northeast today, while showers and thunderstorms will spread across the Southeast. Severe thunderstorms are likely from South Dakota to northern Texas, while strong winds will begin in the Plains and the Rockies. Rain and mountain snow will fall in the Northwest and the northern Rockies. On May 6, 1975, near Omaha, Neb., a massive tornado killed three people and injured 133, while causing $150 million in damage. The tornado struck during the late afternoon and moved through areas in west-central Omaha. Monday Tuesday Monday Tuesday Monday Tuesday Monday Tuesday ©2024; forecasts and graphics provided by High: 95 at Zapata, TX Low: 13 at Lucerne, WY Precip: 3.11” at Columbia, SC High: 118 at Matam, Senegal Low: -12 at Bely Island, Russia Precip: 3.82” at Minamitorishima, Japan SUNDAY EXTREMES Q: What is the record high temperature for the United States in May? 124(F) at Salton, Calif., on May 27, 1896 A: Acapulco 87/72/c 86/70/s Addis Ababa 71/57/sh 72/57/sh Algiers 78/59/c 74/54/s Amman 67/53/sh 72/50/s Amsterdam 66/51/c 63/50/pc Ankara 67/36/s 70/44/s Asuncion 93/75/s 94/77/c Athens 74/56/s 77/59/pc Auckland 64/48/sh 62/42/s Baghdad 85/61/t 85/64/pc Bangkok 102/86/t 97/82/r Beijing 80/55/c 83/53/c Beirut 70/62/sh 74/61/s Belgrade 79/58/c 77/56/pc Berlin 66/46/pc 61/47/c Bogota 69/50/sh 71/51/r Brussels 61/50/r 63/47/pc Bucharest 80/51/s 82/57/pc Budapest 77/60/c 74/55/sh Buenos Aires 70/62/sh 68/60/r Cairo 81/61/s 82/64/s Cape Town 70/58/pc 64/50/sh Caracas 90/77/sh 91/77/sh O Casablanca 76/57/pc 79/57/pc Colombo 93/82/t 91/81/t Copenhagen 59/45/r 56/41/s Damascus 71/48/pc 76/46/s Dublin 61/43/c 62/46/pc Geneva 59/49/r 55/49/sh Guatemala City 86/64/t 88/65/pc Hanoi 83/76/t 86/76/t Harare 84/54/s 85/52/s Havana 90/72/sh 91/71/sh Helsinki 44/35/pc 46/33/c Hong Kong 86/76/pc 85/76/t Jakarta 92/77/sh 93/77/sh Jerusalem 64/54/sh 70/48/s Johannesburg 78/53/s 78/56/s Kabul 66/46/s 69/50/pc Khartoum 109/83/pc 107/79/pc Kyiv 78/57/pc 66/43/sh Kingston 89/80/pc 89/80/t La Paz 63/37/pc 63/33/pc Lagos 90/79/t 91/80/t Lima 73/65/s 72/64/pc Lisbon 69/51/s 79/57/pc O London 60/50/t 68/48/t Madrid 72/45/s 75/46/s Manila 97/82/pc 98/82/s Mexico City 89/60/c 91/62/c Milan 67/56/c 63/53/r Mombasa 83/74/t 86/75/r Montevideo 71/63/c 73/63/t Montreal 72/48/pc 70/47/pc Moscow 52/35/pc 41/32/c O Nairobi 75/62/t 75/62/t New Delhi 106/82/s 107/82/s Panama City 93/76/pc 90/76/t Paris 64/48/r 67/48/pc Port-au-Prince 92/74/t 92/73/sh Rio de Janeiro 84/73/s 86/74/s Riyadh 101/74/pc 102/73/pc Rome 70/54/pc 70/53/pc San Jose 89/70/pc 89/69/t San Salvador 89/72/pc 88/72/pc Santiago 62/42/s 53/32/r Sao Paulo 88/67/s 89/68/s Sarajevo 75/46/pc 73/48/c Shanghai 83/62/pc 81/56/c O Singapore 89/79/t 88/79/t Stockholm 53/29/pc 53/34/s O Sydney 69/60/r 69/59/pc Taipei 89/72/t 85/71/t O Tegucigalpa 93/70/pc 92/69/t O Tehran 72/61/sh 77/60/t O Tokyo 73/68/c 71/67/c Toronto 68/45/s 67/50/c Tunis 88/63/pc 79/61/sh Vancouver 57/44/sh 58/42/s O Vienna 76/55/pc 67/51/r Warsaw 70/49/c 61/40/c O Yerevan 62/44/c 59/45/t Zagreb 76/53/c 68/53/sh O Zurich 59/48/r 56/46/sh O Aberdeen, SD 69/49/r 28 O Abilene, TX 90/58/t 53 O Accomac, VA 74/64/t 36 Adrian, MI 67/47/pc 39 Akron, OH 71/55/c 47 O Alamogordo, NM 83/49/s 68 O Alexandria, VA 78/65/t 52 Alliance, OH 71/55/c 41 O Amarillo, TX 82/48/s 52 O Ames, IA 74/56/c 45 O Anderson, SC 80/62/t 43 Appleton, WI 70/50/s 47 O Asheville, NC 73/56/c 35 Ashland, OH 68/54/c 45 O Athens, GA 82/63/t 51 Augusta, GA 81/61/t 49 Austin, TX 88/72/t 34 O Bartlesville, OK 81/53/t 33 Battle Creek, MI 71/51/pc 47 Bedford, IN 70/62/t 56 Binghamton, NY 68/46/pc 30 Bluffton, SC 82/71/t 36 Bremerton, WA 55/37/r 31 Brockton, MA 74/55/c 39 Brownwood, TX 86/69/t 56 Burlington, IA 74/61/c 53 O Burlington, NC 79/63/t 35 Burlington, VT 75/50/sh 35 Cambridge, OH 74/63/sh 42 Camdenton, MO 80/62/t 40 Canandaigua, NY 69/44/s 30 Canton, OH 72/57/c 47 O Carlsbad, NM 89/54/s 78 O Chambersburg, PA 77/62/t 46 O Cherry Hill, NJ 77/62/t 51 O Cincinnati, OH 70/61/sh 64 Clarksville, TN 79/67/t 45 Coldwater, MI 68/50/c 48 O Columbus, OH 72/62/sh 54 Corning, NY 73/46/pc 29 Corpus Christi, TX 88/78/c 45 Daytona Beach, FL 84/68/t 34 O Deming, NM 82/46/s 56 DeRidder, LA 83/74/t 22 O Des Moines, IA 77/56/c 44 Detroit, MI 69/46/pc 37 O Devils Lake, ND 64/52/r 29 Dover, NH 72/47/c 39 O El Paso, TX 86/60/s 62 Elmira, NY 73/45/pc 27 Erie, PA 63/50/pc 40 Eugene, OR 56/40/r 27 Evansville, IN 76/66/t 55 Fall River, MA 70/56/c 37 Farmington, NM 63/35/s 47 O Fayetteville, NC 84/67/t 36 Fond du Lac, WI 71/51/s 47 Fort Myers, FL 90/71/s 35 Fort Smith, AR 81/68/t 38 Framingham, MA 75/54/c 45 Freeport, IL 74/59/pc 55 Fremont, OH 63/53/pc 43 Fort Collins, CO 56/39/c 52 O Gadsden, AL 86/65/t 50 O Gainesville, FL 88/65/t 39 Galesburg, IL 75/61/c 54 O Gastonia, NC 76/62/t 33 Glen Rose, TX 86/70/t 63 Gonzales, LA 88/74/t 31 O Great Falls, MT 55/34/r 34 Green Bay, WI 71/49/s 45 O Greenville, SC 77/62/t 42 Hackensack, NJ 73/58/c 53 Hagerstown, MD 77/62/t 39 Hattiesburg, MS 89/70/t 36 Henderson, KY 75/65/t 48 O Hendersonville, NC 73/58/c 35 Herkimer, NY 71/44/pc 32 Hillsdale, MI 66/49/c 44 Holland, MI 65/51/s 43 Hornell, NY 71/46/pc 29 Houma, LA 87/75/c 34 Howell, MI 68/44/pc 36 O Hutchinson, KS 77/44/t 20 Hyannis, MA 63/53/c 26 Indianapolis, IN 69/61/sh 64 Iowa City, IA 75/61/c 55 Ithaca, NY 68/44/pc 28 Jackson, MS 87/71/t 32 Jackson, TN 82/69/t 37 Jacksonville, FL 87/66/t 38 Jacksonville, NC 80/68/t 28 Kent, OH 71/53/c 43 Kewanee, IL 76/62/c 55 Keyser, WV 77/60/t 40 O Kinston, NC 83/68/t 29 O Knoxville, TN 78/63/t 46 Lafayette, IN 70/61/c 52 Lafayette, LA 85/75/c 24 Lakeland, FL 92/70/s 37 Lansing, MI 69/46/s 44 O Las Cruces, NM 83/53/s 53 O Lebanon, PA 74/60/t 51 Leesburg, FL 89/70/s 37 O Levittown, PA 76/61/t 51 Lincoln, IL 75/63/c 60 Louisville, KY 74/66/t 72 Lubbock, TX 89/51/s 60 Manitowoc, WI 60/46/s 35 Mansfield, OH 68/54/c 48 O Marshall, NC 73/57/t 37 Marshfield, WI 71/51/s 47 Massillon, OH 72/57/c 47 O McLean, VA 77/64/t 50 Melbourne, FL 84/70/pc 35 Memphis, TN 83/72/t 37 O Middletown, NY 70/52/pc 49 Milford, MA 74/54/c 46 Milwaukee, WI 65/51/s 41 Monroe, MI 64/48/pc 38 Monroe, LA 84/73/t 34 Montgomery, AL 89/70/t 51 O Muncie, IN 69/62/sh 63 Murfreesboro, TN 77/65/t 43 Naples, FL 88/72/sh 34 Nashville, TN 78/66/t 41 O Neptune, NJ 66/59/t 48 New Bedford, MA 68/54/c 30 O New Bern, NC 82/69/t 27 New Philadelphia, OH 72/58/c 46 O Newark, OH 73/61/c 46 O Newton, NJ 73/53/pc 45 New York, NY 71/60/c 54 Norwich, CT 71/55/c 37 Ocala, FL 89/68/s 37 O Oklahoma City, OK 80/54/t 56 Opelousas, LA 84/73/t 24 Oshkosh, WI 71/51/s 45 Palm Beach, FL 85/76/s 31 Palm Springs, CA 89/61/s 73 Panama City, FL 84/71/s 38 Pekin, IL 78/64/c 57 Pensacola, FL 84/74/pc 40 Peoria, IL 77/64/c 62 O Petersburg, VA 79/65/t 34 Phoenix, AZ 86/63/s 66 Port Huron, MI 62/36/s 34 Portsmouth, NH 70/49/c 32 O Poughkeepsie, NY 72/54/c 37 Providence, RI 71/58/c 32 O Pueblo, CO 67/40/s 55 Quincy, MA 73/55/c 50 Redding, CA 70/48/pc 37 Reno, NV 65/41/s 63 Ravenna, OH 72/53/c 41 Richmond, IN 68/62/sh 64 Rochester, NY 69/44/s 33 Rockford, IL 75/58/pc 54 Ruidoso, NM 68/45/s 64 O Salem, OR 55/42/r 27 O Salina, KS 74/45/t 24 Salinas, CA 66/51/s 50 O Salisbury, MD 78/64/t 35 San Angelo, TX 92/61/t 49 Sarasota, FL 84/70/s 41 O Savannah, GA 85/68/t 34 Sheboygan, WI 59/47/s 36 O Shelby, NC 76/61/c 34 O Sherman, TX 81/71/t 56 Shreveport, LA 81/74/t 35 O Silver City, NM 75/42/s 51 O Sioux Falls, SD 72/50/t 26 O Somerset, PA 72/57/c 47 O Somerville, NJ 75/59/t 50 South Bend, IN 72/55/pc 47 O Spartanburg, SC 76/62/t 45 Springfield, IL 75/63/pc 61 O Springfield, MO 79/63/t 28 St. Augustine, FL 82/70/t 36 O St. Cloud, MN 71/55/s 43 St. George, UT 72/49/s 61 O Staunton, VA 79/58/t 33 Stevens Point, WI 72/51/s 48 Stockton, CA 71/48/s 45 O Stroudsburg, PA 73/53/c 43 Stuart, FL 85/70/s 33 Sturgis, MI 68/51/c 48 Tallahassee, FL 89/67/pc 40 Thibodaux, LA 87/74/pc 32 O Topeka, KS 78/52/t 38 Tuscaloosa, AL 87/69/t 42 Utica, NY 69/41/s 30 Ventura, CA 64/50/s 50 Victorville, CA 77/47/s 96 O Vineland, NJ 77/61/t 41 Visalia, CA 73/47/s 39 O Washington, DC 78/65/t 51 O Watertown, SD 69/49/r 26 Wausau, WI 71/50/s 41 Waynesboro, PA 77/63/t 42 White Plains, NY 69/57/c 41 O Wichita Falls, TX 87/55/t 43 O Wilmington, DE 74/62/t 50 Wilmington, NC 82/71/t 33 Wisconsin Rapids, WI 73/52/s 48 Wooster, OH 70/54/c 47 Worcester, MA 72/57/c 42 O York, PA 76/62/t 48 MONDAY

NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | 3NN Investor sentiment in Asia is set to open the week on a positive note on Monday, buoyed by last week’s upward momentum in global stocks, calmer currency markets, and a general easing of financial conditions. The main regional calendar events include services PMI figures from China and first-quarter GDP data from Indonesia, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Paris for talks with President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Investors will be hoping the rise in risk appetite following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s relatively dovish steer on the U.S. interest rate outlook on Wednesday continues into this week. Wall Street and the MSCI World index hit three-week highs on Friday – S&P 500 had its best day since Feb. 22 – while the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index climbed to its highest since February last year. Asian stocks’ trough-to-peak rise in the last two weeks has been an eyecatching 8%. U.S. earnings have, on the whole, been strong and company guidance generally bullish, the Fed appears reluctant to raise rates again and signs of softer economic data are keeping hopes of rate cuts this year alive. Global and emerging market financial conditions eased significantly last week, and are now the loosest since March 22, Goldman Sachs’s financial conditions indicators show. Liquidity will be lighter than usual on Monday as London markets are closed for a holiday. Could the Bank of Japan take advantage and show its hand in the FX market? The dollar plunged almost 5% against the yen last week on the back of two suspected bouts of intervention from Japan, one on Monday and one on Wednesday. U.S. futures market data show hedge funds cut back their historically high short yen positions in the week through last Tuesday. That was probably accelerated by the yen’s surge, and it is not unreasonable to think that some froth from the wider bearish Asia/bullish dollar trade has come off too. Indonesia’s GDP figures on Monday are expected to show the economy grew at an annual rate of 5% in the first quarter, a Reuters poll showed, slightly lower than Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati’s forecast of 5.17%. But seasonal factors are expected to mean GDP shrank 0.89% from the previous three months. Indonesia’s central bank last month delivered a surprise rate hike in a bid to support the rupiah, which had fallen to a four-year low. Bank Indonesia’s 7-day reverse repurchase rate is now 6.25%, the highest since it became the main policy rate in 2016. On the political and diplomatic front, China’s Xi Jinping is in Europe – his first visit to the continent in five years – and trade is high on the agenda, with France’s Macron set to urge Xi to reduce trade imbalances. Week looks set to open on positive note Global stock momentum boosts investor outlook Jamie McGeever REUTERS Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, are greeted by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal after arriving in Paris for a two-day state visit Sunday. MICHEL EULER/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES A man walks in front of an electronic board displaying the exchange rate for the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar Thursday in Tokyo. KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES ASIAN MARKETS OMAHA, Neb. – The new chief executive of Brooks Running said the running shoe maker owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway views China and Europe as growth areas for a business that generates most revenue in the U.S. Dan Sheridan, who became chief executive April 26, said in an interview at Berkshire’s annual shareholder weekend that Brooks plans to open its first store in China this fall in Shanghai, with possibly more later. “China is a top-10 market for running participation,” he said on Friday. “This is a 30- to 50-year strategy for Brooks. We’re in this for the long haul.” European markets are starting to revive after the Russia-Ukraine war and rising energy costs caused consumers to pull back, while retailers struggled with excess inventory and falling margins. Sheridan, 51, said the number of runners globally could double by 2031. He believes 110-year-old Brooks is well-positioned to capture sales with 300 million people running or walking as their main fitness activity. “When you look at the opportunities for this brand, and trends that underpin those opportunities, it’s easy to be excited in our growth and our future,” he said. Sheridan succeeded Jim Weber, who led Brooks for 23 years and took the brand from near bankruptcy to $1.2 billion in revenue. Weber, 64, stepped back primarily for health reasons. The new CEO joined Brooks in 1998 and has spent his entire career there, becoming chief operating officer in 2019 and president in 2022. The Seattle-based company commands an industry-leading 21% U.S. market share in adult performance running shoes, according to Circana/Retail Tracking Service, with its Ghost and Adrenaline GTS the top sellers. Brooks, which derives 85% of revenue from the U.S., focuses on the top of the market. “The right way for us to win the runner is through a science-based approach matched with great design,” Sheridan said. Pandemic-fueled growth in running has helped support pricing, he said. The average retail price for performance running shoes rose 11% in a little over a year, to an average $87 in the U.S. Inflation pressures and supply chain problems are moderating as well, he said. Most Brooks’ shoes are made in Vietnam, with a small percentage coming from Indonesia. Those supply chain snags disrupted the company’s annual and semi-annual product launch cycles. “That took almost $150 million out of our revenue annually. We’re back to a full assortment of product and a full playbook,” he said. The latest innovation is nitrogen-infused cushioning in the $160 Glycerin 21, which Sheridan says dampens impact but returns energy to the runner. Dan Sheridan said in an interview at Berkshire’s annual shareholder weekend that Brooks plans to open its first Chinese store this fall in Shanghai, with possibly more later. SCOTT MORGAN/ REUTERS FILE Brooks CEO sees China, Europe as growth areas Jonathan Stempel REUTERS Australian airline Qantas Airways said on Monday it had agreed to pay a penalty of $100 million Australian ($66 million) to settle a lawsuit that accused it of illegally selling thousands of tickets for flights that had already been canceled. The penalty is subject to the approval of the Federal Court of Australia, it said in a statement. As part of the settlement with Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Qantas will start an additional A$20 million remediation program for passengers affected by the cancellations, with each impacted customer receiving payments of between A$225 and A$450, the airline said. “We are pleased to have secured these admissions by Qantas that it misled its customers, and its agreement that a very significant penalty is required as a result of this conduct,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement. “The size of this proposed penalty is an important milestone in enforcing the Australian Consumer Law.” Qantas was sued last August by the ACCC, which had alleged that in some cases, the airline’s flights were on sale for several weeks after cancellation. “When flying resumed after the COVID shutdown, we recognize Qantas let down customers and fell short of our own standards,’ Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said. “We know many of our customers were affected by our failure to provide cancellation notifications in a timely manner and we are sincerely sorry.” Hudson said the airline had upgraded processes and was investing in new technology to avoid a repeat of the situation. Qantas said the financial impact of the remediation program and penalty would be included as an expense in the group’s full-year results for the financial year ending June 30 as an item outside the airline’s key profit measure, underlying profit before tax. The actual cash outflow is expected to occur in the following financial year, the airline added. Qantas was sued last August by the ACCC, which had alleged that in some cases, the airline’s flights were on sale for several weeks after cancellation. DAVID GRAY/REUTERS Australia’s Qantas airline agrees to $66M penalty Carrier accused of selling tickets for canceled flights Poonam Behura REUTERS

4NN | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK KHARKIV, Ukraine – Russian attacks on Orthodox Easter Sunday killed a woman buried under rubble and injured 24 in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv and the surrounding region, regional officials said. Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said six people were injured in an overnight drone attack on the Osnovyanskyi district of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Prosecutors in Kharkiv region said 15 more were hurt in an attack later in the day by aerial bombs on the city center “The next time it could hit my house. Why did it hit here? Just who is here? And on such a holy day. How? I cannot grasp it at all…” Natalia Avilova-Patrikeyeva said outside an apartment building with shattered balconies and windows blown out. “I thought that at least on this day it would remain calm. At four in the morning there also was a strike. I don’t sleep, I don’t sleep at all.” After midnight, public broadcaster Suspilne reported power cuts in parts of Kharkiv region. It also said there had been power cuts in adjacent Sumy region after reports of drone attacks and explosions. Kharkiv withstood a weekslong Russian onslaught in the early days of the February 2022 Russian invasion and has been a frequent target of attacks in recent weeks. Russia says it does not target civilian sites, but attacks have hit apartment blocks, schools and medical institutions. Stunned residents milled about the courtyard outside a block of flats or surveyed debris in apartments or in stairwells. Forensic experts combed the ground for pieces of shrapnel. “The explosion wave kicked out the door and I hid under the table. When I realized what was happening, there was smoke everywhere,” said resident Roza Kuzmenko. “One woman from our block was wounded, the ambulance took her. Thank God, I only have a scratch (on my arm).” Syniehubov also reported the death of an 88-year-old woman in the shelling of the village of Monachynivka, east of Kharkiv. Her body was recovered from the rubble of a house. Prosecutors said three people were injured. Vadim Filashkin, head of the military administration in Donetsk region, focal point of Russia’s slow advance through eastern Ukraine, said two people were killed by shelling in the town of Pokrovsk. Two were injured in Chasiv Yar, west of the Russian-held town of Bakhmut and cited by Ukraine as Moscow’s next target in its campaign. Vitalii Hnidyi Russia blames Baltic countries for the severing of most ties The “hostile line” of the Baltic countries has led to the severance of most of their ties with Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said in remarks published on Sunday. It warned also that Moscow will respond with asymmetric measures. “Because of the openly hostile line of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, all interstate, interdepartmental, regional and sectoral ties with Russia have been severed,” Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, told the RIA state news agency, referring to the capital cities of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. She added that Moscow will continue to use diplomatic measures of influence on the Baltic countries. Estonia last week accused Russia of violating international airspace regulations by interfering with GPS signals and the Baltic countries are among those that are “deeply concerned” about activities they called Russian espionage, NATO said last week. Zakharova, without specifying what steps taken by the Baltic countries she was referring to, told RIA that Moscow will respond to the hostile actions by Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, with asymmetric measures. “We will also respond to the hostile actions of the Baltic states with asymmetrical measures, primarily in the economic and transit spheres,” she said. Russian police in February put Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Lithuania’s culture minister and members of the previous Latvian parliament on a wanted list for destroying Soviet-era monuments. Lidia Kelly Official: Russian attacks on energy system caused $1B in damage KYIV – Recent Russian massive drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian energy system have caused more than $1 billion worth of damage to the sector, Ukraine’s energy minister German Galushchenko said on Sunday. Since March 22, the Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian thermal and hydropower stations as well as main networks on an almost daily basis, leading to blackouts in many regions. “Today, we are talking about the amounts of losses for more than a billion dollars. But the attacks continue, and it is obvious that the losses will grow,” Galushchenko said in a statement. Galushchenko said the main damage was to thermal and hydro generation facilities, as well as power transmission systems. “The system is stable for today, but the situation is quite complicated,” he said, adding that thanks to favorable weather conditions, the energy system is currently being supported by wind and solar power generation. Pavel Polityuk Russia says Ocheretyne village in the east has been seized MOSCOW – Russian forces have taken control of the village of Ocheretyne, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. The village, which lies northwest of the onetime Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka which Russia captured in February, had a prewar population of around 3,000. There was no comment from Ukrainian officials and no mention of Ocheretnye in the evening report of the Armed Forces General Staff. Unofficial Ukrainian war bloggers, including the popular Deep State Map site, indicated that Russia was in control of the village. Russia has made slow but steady advances since taking Avdiivka, with a string of villages in the area falling to Moscow’s forces. Felix Light RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR Holiday attack on Kharkiv kills 1 Power cuts reported in some parts of the region REUTERS Local residents walk near an apartment building damaged Sunday by a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine. SOFIIA GATILOVA/REUTERS “One woman from our block was wounded, the ambulance took her. Thank God, I only have a scratch.” Roza Kuzmenko Kharkiv resident Kyiv faces a better-equipped enemy and struggles to overhaul its mobilization program. Troops enjoyed traditional Easter pastries provided by acquaintances and volunteers. Many said they wished they could celebrate with their families back home. victory. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an Easter message from Kyiv, called on Ukrainians to unite in prayer for each other and soldiers on the front line, saying God has a “Ukrainian flag on his shoulder.” Kostiantynivka is one of several key Ukrainian-held cities in the industrialized Donetsk region that could become Moscow’s next major target if Chasiv Yar falls, analysts have said. Russian forces are also advancing from the south, having captured the village of Ocheretyne, Russia’s defense ministry said on Sunday. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the claim. At least two people were killed over the past 24 hours after settlements across the region were shelled 19 times, governor Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram. “We want this to end quickly, so our kids can feel calm,” said Nina Shyshymarieva, 31, standing with her young daughter. “So they can have a childhood.” Soldiers seek blessing Elsewhere behind the front line, Ukrainian troops also sought an Easter respite from the fighting. Reuters accompanied a chaplain of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade as he toured temporary bases, whose locations could not be disclosed, to hold mass and bless the visibly tired soldiers. Ukrainian forces have found themselves outgunned and stretched thin as The chaplain, Yevhen Savchenko, said services like his can “inspire” people amid the worsening circumstances. “When things are difficult, people indeed turn to God and genuine prayer. (They) pay more attention to the spiritual element,” he said. “We see that.” Graves are visited during Easter in the township of Pustomyty, Ukraine, Sunday. GLEB GARANICHREUTERS Easter Continued from Page 1NN “We want this to end quickly, so our kids can ... have a childhood.” Ukrainian Nina Shyshymarieva

NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | 5NN Los Angeles police cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California without making arrests on Sunday following turmoil at universities across the United States over the Israel-Hamas war. The intervention at USC followed a raucous day on Saturday when dozens of people were arrested at a number of U.S. campuses. Various U.S. universities with graduation ceremonies being held on Sunday braced for potential protests. Police officers entered the USC encampment at about 5 a.m. local time and worked with the university’s Department of Public Safety to remove tents as dozens of student demonstrators peacefully left the area, police said. USC President Carol Folt said in a statement “the occupation was spiraling in a dangerous direction over the last several days,” leading her to request police intervention. She said the camp was cleared peacefully, without arrests, in 64 minutes. In an intervention at USC last month, police arrested 93 people when demonstrators surrendered without resistance. The relative calm at USC stood in contrast to confrontations at dozens of campuses across the country where police have arrested more than 2,000 people. The demonstrations have emerged as a political flashpoint during a contentious U.S. election year as Democratic President Joe Biden seeks a second term in office. At UCLA, where pro-Israeli demonstrators clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters last week and where police arrested more than 200 people in clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment on Thursday, Chancellor Gene Block on Sunday announced the creation of a new Office of Campus Safety and appointed a leader, former Sacramento police chief Rick Braziel, who will report directly to Block. “Our campus has been shaken by events that have disturbed this sense of safety and strained trust within our community,” Block said in a statement announcing the appointment. The unrest led Democratic U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders to compare campus protests to those against the Vietnam War that contributed to Democratic President Lyndon Johnson’s decision not to seek re-election in 1968. “This may be Biden’s Vietnam,” Sanders said. Mitch Landrieu, the national co-chair for Biden’s reelection campaign, on Sunday pushed back against that comparison, calling it “an over-exaggeration.” “However, that is not to say that this is not a very serious matter,” Landrieu said on CNN. One heated exchange between protesters and counterprotesters at the University of Mississippi on Thursday drew widespread condemnation after a viral video showed a group of mostly white students taunting a Black female protester. One student who made apparent monkey noises and gestures at the Black woman has been expelled from his fraternity. “The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta,” the fraternity’s Ohio-based general headquarters said in a statement on Sunday. The university had already opened a student conduct investigation related to the incident, Chancellor Glenn Boyce said on Friday. At the University of Texas in Austin on Sunday, drones deployed by police circled overhead as about 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied, with about 50 onlookers, local media reported. The speakers advised fellow demonstrators to remain peaceful and not engage the police. Students and other protesters have called upon universities to divest any financial investments tied to Israel and push for a cease-fire in Gaza. Los Angeles Police Department officers dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment on Alumni Park on the University of Southern California campus on Sunday. JASON GOODE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES LA police clear USC encampment Intervention made without arrests Rich McKay and Daniel Trotta REUTERS University of Texas anthropology professor Craig Campbell leads chants with other faculty members in Austin on Sunday. NURI VALLBONA/REUTERS Police take demonstrators into custody on the campus of the Art Institute of Chicago after students established a protest encampment on the grounds Saturday. SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES

6NN | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK Israel has continued to enhance its efforts to boost aid to Gaza, said COGAT, an Israeli Defense Ministry agency tasked with coordinating aid deliveries into Palestinian territories. “In talks between Israeli and UN representatives, including @WFP, none of the entities indicated a risk of famine in northern Gaza,” COGAT said in a post on X. “Noting the improved situation, int’l orgs stated last week that the volume of goods transported to northern Gaza must be reduced since the quantities are too high in relation to the population.” The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, Philippe Lazzarini, on Sunday accused Israel of continuing to deny the U.N. aid access in Gaza as it tries to avert famine. “Only in the past 2 weeks, we have recorded 10 incidents involving shooting at convoys, arrests of UN staff including bullying, stripping them naked, threats with arms & long delays at checkpoints forcing convoys to move during the dark or abort,” Lazzarini posted on X. Lazzarini also called on “Hamas and other armed groups to stop any attacks on humanitarian crossings, refrain from aid diversion and make sure assistance reaches all those in need.” The militants claimed responsibility on Sunday for an attack that shut down the main humanitarian aid crossing into Gaza. Here are some details of the humanitarian situation: Displacement, shelter An estimated 1.7 million people, more than 75% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced, many of them forced to move repeatedly, according to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency. Many have sought shelter in Rafah at the Egyptian border where the threat of an Israeli assault has loomed large for months, stoking concerns of an even bigger humanitarian crisis. The displaced have crammed into overcrowded shelters in or near UNRWA facilities such as schools, makeshift tents, and homes that have not been flattened. The conflict has damaged or destroyed roughly 62% of all homes in Gaza, or 290,820 housing units, according to a World Bank interim damage assessment published in March. It could take some 14 years to remove the vast amount of rubble including unexploded ordnance, according to a senior officer at the U.N. Mine Action Service. Looming famine The World Food Program says that 1.1 million people in Gaza are suffering catastrophic levels of hunger. The situation is particularly dire in the north. There has not been a formal declaration of famine in Gaza by U.N. agencies: such a declaration hinges on a set of criteria measuring the extent of hunger suffered by a population and is assessed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, an initiative of more than a dozen U.N. agencies, regional bodies and aid groups. In excerpts of an interview to be aired on May 5 on “Meet the Press,” McCain told NBC that she hoped for a cease-fire accord so that more aid could be delivered faster. Her remarks followed comments by deputy WFP head Carl Skau on April 25 that more aid must be delivered to avert famine in northern Gaza, despite what he described as an uptick in deliveries and some progress in accessing that part of Gaza. The Gaza health ministry reported on April 25 that at least 28 children, most of them no older than 12 months, had died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration since February. The World Health Organization, in a report covering the period up to April 20, said 16-25% of children aged from 6- 59 months have acute malnutrition in northern Gaza, while 2-4% of them had severe acute malnutrition. In southern Gaza, 3-7% of children have acute malnutrition, it said. Toward the end of April, four bakeries had reopened in northern Gaza with WFP support. UNRWA has called it a drop in the ocean. The senior U.N. humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag said on April 24 the scarcity of food and other essential goods had led to a breakdown in civil order, and there was no effective law enforcement. Pressure on Israel for more aid Israel, which imposed a complete siege on Gaza in the early days of the war, has faced growing international pressure including from its ally the United States to let in more aid. U.S. pressure on Israel mounted further after an Israeli attack killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers on April 1. Israel checks all aid shipments before they enter Gaza. In early April, Israel pledged to improve aid access, particularly to northern Gaza, including reopening the Erez crossing and allowing the use of Ashdod port. The Israeli army said on April 28 the amount of aid going into Gaza would be ramped up in the coming days. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on April 29 there had been “measurable progress” in the humanitarian situation. But he said it still wasn’t sufficient and said he would press Israeli officials to do more. In March, the EU foreign policy chief said Israel was provoking famine in Gaza and using starvation as a weapon of war. Israel’s foreign minister rejected the accusation, saying it had let in “extensive humanitarian aid.” Israel has also accused Hamas of stealing aid – which Hamas strongly denies – and placed blame on U.N. agencies, calling them inefficient. The United States is building a pier off Gaza to deliver aid, though U.N. officials have said this is no substitute for land routes from Israel into Gaza. The United States and some of its allies have also airdropped aid to Gaza. A number of Palestinians have drowned or been killed by airdropped aid. Disease spreads amid decimated health system Health infrastructure in Gaza has been decimated, U.N. humanitarian official Kaag said on April 24. The few hospitals still standing struggle to operate due to severe shortages of supplies and frequent power outages. “As summer draws near and temperatures rise, communicable diseases threaten to sweep through Gaza,” she said. The WHO says only 11 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are even partially functioning – five in the north and six in the south. Donors have set up six field hospitals in southern Gaza. UNRWA says that as of April 18, eight of the 24 health centers it operates in the Gaza Strip were operational. In a snapshot of the dire situation, the WHO reported that two medical points near the largest site for displaced people in east Khan Younis were inundated with daily cases of hepatitis, skin diseases, and diarrhea, and critically low on medical supplies when U.N. officials visited on April 9. The WHO said an estimated 9,000 critical patients need to be evacuated from Gaza. Gaza had suffered a water crisis for years before the latest conflict. It has worsened markedly since the war began. Aid agencies warned in February that the majority of people had no access to clean drinking water and that sanitation services were wholly ineffective, with none of Gaza’s wastewater treatment systems working. Outbreaks of diarrheal diseases and hepatitis A were among the indicators of dire water supplies and sanitation. They urged sufficient fuel for the operation of critical water and sanitation plants. An Israeli soldier stands guard as a truck carrying humanitarian aid makes its way to the Gaza Strip at the Erez Crossing in southern Israel Sunday. AMIR COHEN/REUTERS Humanitarian aid is dropped Sunday. AMIR COHEN/REUTERS Israel has continued to enhance its efforts to boost aid to Gaza, said COGAT, an Israeli Defense Ministry agency. AMIR LEVY/GETTY IMAGES Famine Continued from Page 1NN

NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | 7NN PANAMA CITY – Panama’s electoral authority declared on Sunday Jose Raul Mulino the winner of the presidential election based on preliminary results. Mulino, Panama’s former security minister, had built a commanding lead with more than two-thirds of the votes counted, preliminary data showed. With more than 66% of the ballots tabulated, Mulino was pulling ahead with 34% of the tallied votes, with second placed Ricardo Lombana on 25%. Mulino supporters had already begun to gather in downtown Panama City in expectation of a victory announcement, with some dancing and cheering. Mulino was one of the favorites for the presidency after he replaced popular ex-President Ricardo Martinelli on the ballot when Martinelli was barred from running due to a money laundering conviction. Martinelli played a key role in the election despite being holed up in Nicaragua’s embassy in Panama’s capital, where he sought asylum. Many voters saw Mulino as a proxy for Martinelli, though opponents called him a puppet of the former president. Nicaragua granted Martinelli asylum but Panamanian authorities have blocked him from leaving the country. Mulino visited Martinelli at the embassy after casting his vote on Sunday. “We know that now as president he can fix the country,” said Hayde Gonzalez, 46, a medic who danced with her daughters in the center of the capital upon hearing Mulino was pulling ahead. “There will be more security and the economy will recover,” she added. Mulino will face a daunting task of mending social divisions and regaining the faith of an electorate fed up with political graft. The new president will need to fix Panama’s pressing economic problems, tackle corruption, and restore the country’s reputation as an investment haven. Mulino has promised to usher in prosperity through ambitious infrastructure investment and a higher minimum wage, while suggesting he would keep Martinelli out of jail. Lombana, who also ran in the previous election, has portrayed himself as an anti-corruption crusader who promised cuts to government spending. Magali Rosa, 60, a retiree, said she voted for Mulino because she felt he could bring more jobs and improve security, and that during the presidency of his backer, Martinelli, there was “a lot of money” for everyone. The vote count was fast. Mulino takes office on July 1 for a five-year term. No single party is forecast to win control of the legislature, where 885 seats are up for grabs. Panama’s Mulino captures presidency General election focused on economy, corruption Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno REUTERS A supporter of presidential candidate Jose Raul Mulino holds a mask depicting the face of ex-President Ricardo Martinelli at the party’s headquarters in Panama City on Sunday. DANIEL BECERRIL/REUTERS Mulino, left, visits with Martinelli in Panama City. PRESS OFFICE OF JOSE RAUL MULINO/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS The death toll from heavy rains that have caused flooding in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 78, local authorities said on Sunday, with more than 115,000 people displaced. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday morning with most members of his Cabinet to discuss rescue and reconstruction efforts with local authorities. “Bureaucracy will not stand in our way, stopping us from recovering the state’s greatness,” Lula said at a press conference. “It is a war scenario, and will need postwar measures,” state governor Eduardo Leite added. Volunteers using boats, jet skis – and even swimming – have assisted in ongoing rescue efforts. In the state capital Porto Alegre, Fabiano Saldanha said he and three friends have used jet skis to save about 50 people from floodwaters since Friday in islands that are part of the city. “The only thing we hear when we enter a street is ‘help,’ ‘help,’ ” Saldanha said. The death toll could still substantially increase as 105 people were reported missing on Sunday, up from about 70 the prior day, according to the state civil defense authority. It also said it was investigating whether four other deaths were related to the storms. Flooding from storms in the past few days has affected more than two-thirds of the nearly 500 cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina, leaving more than 115,000 people displaced, according to authorities. Floods have destroyed roads and bridges in several cities. The rains also triggered landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant. More than 400,000 people were without power on Sunday evening, while nearly a third of the state’s population was without water, authorities said. In Porto Alegre, the Guaiba lake breached its banks, hitting the highest water level on record, according to the national geological service. Porto Alegre’s international airport has suspended all flights since Friday. At a makeshift rescue center in Porto Alegre, Kaeli Moraes described being rescued along with her husband and their three children when the water had nearly reached the second floor of their house. “There was flooding in September, then in November, and now this one. It is only getting worse,” Moraes said. In the city of Canoas, near Porto Alegre, Julio Manichesque, 76, was rescued by volunteers after he had stayed since Friday on the roof of the house where he has lived for 52 years. “I have never seen that much water,” Manichesque said. During his weekly address to crowds in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Pope Francis said Sunday he was praying for the people of Rio Grande do Sul. A drone view shows a flooded city center on Sunday after people were evacuated in Porto Alegre, Brazil. RENAN MATTOS/REUTERS Death toll from Brazil rainfall rises to 78 Lula discusses rescue, reconstruction efforts Debora Ely, Renan Mattos, Amanda Perobelli, Diego Vara, Andre Romani and Eduardo Simoes REUTERS MEXICO CITY – Family members of three tourists who went missing in northern Mexico last month have identified their bodies, the state prosecutor’s office in Baja California said in a statement on Sunday. The remains of Australian brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and American Carter Rhoad, 30, were found in a well earlier this week in what authorities are treating as a murder investigation. Authorities in the Baja California state had been conducting forensic tests on three corpses they found in a well last week and which they believed to be the three men. But those tests had taken some time and Baja California’s state Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade said the parents had traveled to Mexico to see if the bodies could be “physically identified, that is to say, in plain sight.” The identification of the bodies voids the need for DNA tests, Andrade said at a press conference. The three foreigners went missing while on a vacation surfing near the popular tourist town of Ensenada, about 90 minutes south of the U.S.- Mexico border on the Pacific coast. On Saturday, Andrade had said there was a “high grade of probability” that the three bodies found earlier in the week belonged to the surfers. Andrade said that while the bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition at the bottom of a well more than 50 feet deep, “some physical descriptions give us that high probability.” A source from the attorney general’s office told Reuters that all three bodies had a shot in the head. The three surfers were last seen on April 27 and reported missing a couple of days later, when authorities launched a multiday search with the help from the FBI. Baja California is one of Mexico’s most violent states. Parents have ID’d bodies of slain tourists in Mexico Raul Cortes and Lizbeth Diaz REUTERS

8NN | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK K1 Brazil’s ex-President Jair Bolsonaro hospitalized again with skin infection SAO PAULO – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Sunday he had to be hospitalized again in the northern city of Manaus due to a skin infection caused by a bacteria, adding there is no forecast for when he could be discharged. Bolsonaro said on social media he was hospitalized again with erysipelas, a skin disease which he had in 2022 and again on Saturday, when he was also briefly hospitalized, according to a spokesperson. Bolsonaro is ineligible for political office until 2030 for spreading electoral misinformation during the 2022 election, when he lost a bid for reelection to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He also has been formally accused by police of fraud related to his COVID-19 vaccination records. IMF says its mission will visit Pakistan to discuss new loan KARACHI – An International Monetary Fund mission is expected to visit Pakistan this month to discuss a new program, the lender said on Sunday ahead of Islamabad beginning its annual budget-making process for the next financial year. Pakistan last month completed a short-term $3 billion program, which helped stave off sovereign default, but the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need for a fresh, longer-term program. “A mission is expected to visit Pakistan in May to discuss the FY25 budget, policies, and reforms under a potential new program for the welfare of all Pakistanis,” the IMF said in an emailed response to Reuters. Pakistan’s financial year runs from July to June and its budget for fiscal year 2025, the first by Sharif’s new government, has to be presented before June 30. The IMF did not specify the dates of the visit, nor the size or duration of the program. “Accelerating reforms now is more important than the size of the program, which will be guided by the package of reform and balance of payments needs,” the IMF statement said. Pakistan narrowly averted default last summer, and its $350 billion economy has stabilized after the completion of the last IMF program, with inflation coming down to around 17% in April from a record high 38% last May. Chad votes in first Sahel presidential poll since coups N’DJAMENA – Chadians go to the polls on Monday three years after their military leader seized power, in the first presidential election in Africa’s Sahel region since a wave of coups. Analysts say Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power the day rebels killed his long-ruling father Idriss Deby in April 2021, is most likely to win, although his chief opponent, Prime Minister Succes Masra, has been drawing larger-than-expected crowds on the campaign trail. Deby has promised to bolster security, strengthen the rule of law and increase electricity production. The vote coincides with a temporary withdrawal of U.S. troops from Chad, an important Western ally in a region of West and Central Africa courted by Russia and wracked by jihadism. Soldiers began early voting on Sunday. Provisional results are expected by May 21 and final results by June 5. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, a run-off will be held on June 22. Since replacing his father at the helm of the oil-producing Central African country, Deby has remained close with former colonial power and ally France. While other junta-ruled Sahel countries including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have told Paris and other Western powers to withdraw and turned to Moscow for support, Chad remains the last Sahel state with a substantial French military presence. The U.S., however, announced a temporary withdrawal of at least some troops last month, saying it would continue with a review of security operations after the election. Reuters IN BRIEF The government of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, left, has stressed the need for a fresh, longer-term loan program. PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER OFFICE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES WASHINGTON – The advent of agriculture roughly 11,500 years ago in the Middle East was a milestone for humankind – a revolution in diet and lifestyle that moved beyond the way hunter-gatherers had existed since Homo sapiens arose more than 300,000 years ago in Africa. While the scarcity of well-preserved human remains from the period preceding this turning point has made the diet of pre-agricultural people a bit of a mystery, new research is now providing insight into this question. Scientists reconstructed the dietary practices of one such culture from North Africa, surprisingly documenting a heavily plant-based diet. The researchers examined chemical signatures in bones and teeth from the remains of seven people, as well as various isolated teeth, from about 15,000 years ago found in a cave outside the village of Taforalt in northeastern Morocco. The people were part of what is called the Iberomaurusian culture. Analysis of forms – or isotopes – of elements including carbon, nitrogen, zinc, sulfur and strontium in these remains indicated the type and amount of plants and meat they ate. Found at the site were remains from different edible wild plants including sweet acorns, pine nuts, pistachio, oats and legumes called pulses. The main prey, based on bones discovered at the cave, was a species called Barbary sheep. “The prevailing notion has been that hunter-gatherers’ diets were primarily composed of animal proteins. However, the evidence from Taforalt demonstrates that plants constituted a big part of the hunter-gatherers’ menu,” said Zineb Moubtahij, a doctoral student in archaeology at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany and lead author of the study published on Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. “It is important as it suggests that possibly several populations in the world already started to include substantial amount of plants in their diet” in the period before agriculture was developed, added archeogeochemist and study co-author Klervia Jaouen of the French research agency CNRS. The Iberomaurusians were hunter-gatherers who inhabited parts of Morocco and Libya from around 25,000 to 11,000 years ago. Evidence indicates the cave served as a living space and burial site. These people used the cave for significant portions of each year, suggesting a lifestyle more sedentary than simply roaming the landscape searching for resources, the researchers said. They exploited wild plants that ripened at different seasons of the year, while their dental cavities illustrated a reliance on starchy botanical species. Edible plants may have been stored by the huntergatherers year-round to guard against seasonal shortages of prey and ensure a regular food supply, the researchers said. These people ate only wild plants, the researchers found. The Iberomaurusians never developed agriculture, which came relatively late to North Africa. “Interestingly, our findings showed minimal evidence of seafood or freshwater food consumption among these ancient groups. Additionally, it seems that these humans may have introduced wild plants into the diets of their infants at an earlier stage than previously believed,” Moubtahij said. “Specifically, we focused on the transition from breastfeeding to solid foods in infants. Breast milk has a unique isotopic signature, distinct from the isotopic composition of solid foods typically consumed by adults.” Two infants were among the seven people whose remains were studied. By comparing the chemical composition of an infant’s tooth, formed during the breastfeeding period, with the composition of bone tissue, which reflects the diet shortly before death, the researchers discerned changes in the baby’s diet over time. The evidence indicated the introduction of solid foods at around the age of 12 months, with babies weaned earlier than expected for a pre-agricultural society. North Africa is a key region for studying Homo sapiens evolution and dispersal out of Africa. “Understanding why some hunter-gatherer groups transitioned to agriculture while others did not can provide valuable insights into the drivers of agricultural innovation and the factors that influenced human societies’ decisions to adopt new subsistence strategies,” Moubtahij said. Research provides clues to human diet pre-agriculture Various isolated teeth from about 15,000 years ago were found in a cave outside the village of Taforalt, Morocco. HEIKO TEMMING/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS Will Dunham REUTERS ories that have cost brave police officers their lives.” “President Biden is bringing the American people together around our shared democratic values and the rule of law - an approach that has delivered the biggest violent crime reduction in 50 years,” said Bates. Trump, who held office from 2017 to 2021, faces an array of legal troubles in criminal and civil cases while he seeks to regain the presidency in the Nov. 5 election. He denies wrongdoing in all the cases. Trump has made a series of inflammatory and racist statements on the campaign trail, using violent imagery to lambaste immigrants and opponents. He has warned of possible violence if he doesn’t win the 2024 election and has compared immigrants to animals. In November, Biden attacked Trump for using the word “vermin” to refer to his political enemies, saying it echoed the language of Nazi Germany. Also last year, Trump said immigrants who entered the country illegally were “poisoning the blood of our country.” Some historians say such comments mirror that of autocrats who have sought to dehumanize their foes. The Trump campaign has previously rejected comparisons to Nazis, Adolf Hitler and Italy’s Benito Mussolini. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs denounced the Nazi comparison on Sunday. “It’s always wrong, offensive, and despicable to make comparisons like this – even more so when taken alongside the former president’s long history of normalizing antisemitism,” said Amy Spitalnick, chief executive of the public policy group. It was “especially heinous to use Nazi comparisons in the service of a bigoted, authoritarian agenda,” she said. On Saturday night, Trump again took swipes at the federal and Georgia prosecutors working on cases against him, according to the media reports. Trump, a former New York businessman and reality television host, described Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug smugglers as he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 election. He drew widespread criticism after a violent 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, for equating white supremacists with counter-protesters and saying “both sides” were to blame. Biden has said the events in Charlottesville, where one woman was killed, motivated him to run for president against Trump in 2020. Trump Continued from Page 1NN DEBRECEN, Hungary – Thousands of Hungarians protested against nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a rally on Sunday weeks ahead of European Parliament and local elections due in early June. Peter Magyar, a former government insider seen by some observers as the first serious threat in years to Orban, staged the rally attended by around 10,000 people in the eastern town of Debrecen, a stronghold of the ruling Fidesz party. Fidesz candidates have carried the town since the late 1990s with the ruling party winning about 60% of the vote at the last election compared with around a third for opposition parties. Addressing flag-waving supporters, Magyar took aim at one of Orban’s core policies, criticizing what he called the extremely low level of child support allowances in Hungary. “If you tell this story anywhere in Europe, no one is going to believe you,” Magyar said. Orban says that among EU countries Hungary is spending the largest share of its economy on supporting families. “We need an entirely new system where social support is indeed targeted based on social needs,” Magyar said. He said Hungary was ruled by what he called a well-connected elite, which he would seek to end if elected. International watchdogs say Orban has channeled European Union funds to businessmen close to Fidesz to entrench himself in power. Orban says Hungary is no more corrupt than other countries. The watchdog tasked with overseeing EU funds says it lacks the proper authority to expose possible wrongdoing and has called for additional powers. Thousands of Hungarians join protest against Orban Boldizsar Gyori REUTERS Peter Magyar, leader of the Respect and Freedom Party, poses with his supporters Sunday during an anti-government protest in Debrecen, Hungary. BERNADETT SZABO/REUTERS Peter Magyar, a former government insider seen by some observers as the first serious threat in years to Orban, staged the rally attended by around 10,000 people in the eastern town of Debrecen.

SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | 1NS SPORTSEXTRA SUBSCRIBER-EXCLUSIVE SECTION Radek Faksa scored the game-winner early in the third period as the host Dallas Stars eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday night. STORY, PAGE 3NS NHL PLAYOFFS Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger celebrates after Dallas defeated the Golden Knights in Game 7 of their first-round series at American Airlines Center. JEROME MIRON/USA TODAY SPORTS STARS DETHRONE KNIGHTS IN GAME 7 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Lando Norris hoisted – even tossed and caught – his first-ever Formula One race winner’s trophy high atop the podium Sunday at the Miami International Autodrome. The 24-year-old British driver claimed the win in the Miami Grand Prix, easily outpacing the most dominant driver of the last three seasons, Max Verstappen. Norris was understandably emotional as he drove to the checkered flag at the 3.363-mile course outside Hard Rock Stadium, screaming in excitement and ultimately thanking his McLaren Racing team and his parents before dedicating the victory to his grandmother. “It’s about time, huh,” Norris said with a smile. “What a race. It’s been a long time coming but finally I was able to manage to do it and I’m so happy for my whole team. Long day, tough race but I’m finally on top, so I’m over the moon.” After taking the lead from Verstappen on a series of pit stops during a mid-race full course caution period, Norris easily pulled away from the two-time defending race winner – ultimately extending his advantage to a 7.612-second victory. Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished third – his second podium in the three Miami races. FORMULA ONE Norris outduels Verstappen at Miami Grand Prix Holly Cain Field Level Media Lando Norris celebrates winning the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS See MIAMI, Page 6NS Kyle Larson made history on Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Larson made the decisive move off Turn 4 and nipped Chris Buescher at the finish line, earning the checkers in a historic photo-finish NASCAR overtime to win the AdventHealth 400 in Kansas City, Kan. Larson beat Buescher by 0.001 seconds – officially the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history. Denny Hamlin led with seven laps to go when Kyle Busch, running in fifth place, spun for the race’s seventh caution, five of them coming for incidents in Stage 3. After the top eight cars took two tires in the pits, Larson passed Hamlin in the two-lap shootout, went high on Buescher’s No. 17 and edged Buescher for his second win this season and 25th of his career. “That race, from start to finish, was amazing,” said Larson of his second Kansas win. “That first stage was incredible. The second stage at the end was fun. The last stage with wrecks, cautions, fuel strategy and tires running long was wild. “You guys got your money’s worth today.” The two drivers banged off each other to checkers in the thrilling finish. NASCAR’s timing originally scored Buescher as the victor, but a quick review showed Larson was first to the line. The Prosper, Texas, native was not convinced of his runner-up showing after squeezing Larson in Turn 4. “I sure can’t tell in that picture,” NASCAR Kyle Larson (5) takes the checkered flag over Chris Buescher (17) to win the See NASCAR, Page 6NS NASCAR AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. LOGAN RIELY/GETTY IMAGES Larson beats Buescher to line by 0.001 seconds FIELD LEVEL MEDIA

2NS | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK NBA PLAYOFFS The Denver Nuggets blew through the playoffs last year, never trailing in a series and dropping only four games on their way to the title. Things are different this season, as the Minnesota Timberwolves showed in winning Game 1 in Denver on Saturday night. Minnesota’s 106-99 victory gives it homecourt advantage in the Western Conference semifinals with a chance to go up 2-0 Monday night in Game 2. The Timberwolves have started this postseason with five straight wins – all of them convincing wins. Minnesota was the team executing down the stretch Saturday night, harassing the Nuggets into mistakes they usually inflict on opponents. But Denver isn’t panicking heading into what could be considered a mustwin at home on Monday night. “Sweeping the playoffs probably wouldn’t be as fun when we look back on the memories,” Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson said. While the Timberwolves have coasted through the postseason the Nuggets had to grind out wins in the first round. On Saturday, they ran into a familiar opponent, one that bothered Nikola Jokic into an 11-for-25 shooting night and held most of the Denver lineup in check. Now the onus is on the Nuggets to make the adjustments and monitor Jamal Murray’s injured calf. Murray has not shot the ball well in six playoff games, but he isn’t using it as an excuse. “Everybody’s got leg injuries. Everybody’s playing through something at this point in the season,” said Murray, who had 17 points in Game 1. “My calf is no different than anybody else on the team.” One player who isn’t struggling is Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards, who has become dominant in the postseason. He had 25 of the Timberwolves’ 40 points in the first half of Game 1, finished with 43 points, and has scored 119 in the last three playoff games. He also has gained a fan: Jokic. “To be honest, he’s a special player. I have huge respect for him. he can do everything on the floor,” Jokic said of Edwards. “You need to give him respect, how good and how talented he is.” When Denver doubled Edwards, he was able to find open teammates who knocked down shots. Naz Reid scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, including two big 3-pointers. “The whole team, we trust each other,” Edwards said. “It doesn’t matter down the stretch who takes the shot.” Minnesota proved fearless at the start and finish of Game 1. The Timberwolves raced out to an 18-4 lead in the first six minutes and used an 8-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull away. The Timberwolves respect Jokic’s talent, too, and it was apparent in how much defensive attention they paid to the two-time MVP. The Timberwolves rotated big men Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Reid on Jokic and sent double teams at him when he was in the paint. Timberwolves eye 2-0 lead against Nuggets FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson (7) celebrates his 3-point basket in the second quarter against the Timberwolves during Game 1. RON CHENOY/USA TODAY SPORTS Jalen Brunson leads all the NBA players in scoring during the postseason, and he may still harbor a grudge against Indiana coach Rick Carlisle, stemming from their time together with the Dallas Mavericks. Hard to imagine Brunson needs any extra motivation as he leads the New York Knicks into the opening game of the Eastern Conference second-round series against the visiting Pacers on Monday night. Sixth-seeded Indiana eliminated the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, while the second-seeded Knicks ousted the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in their opening series. Both series ended in six games. Brunson led the way for the Knicks with a 35.5 ppg scoring average and scored 39, 47, 40 and 41 over the final four games of the series. Brunson is a bona fide star in his second season in New York but that wasn’t the case when he was a member of the Mavericks, who faced the Los Angeles Clippers during the first round of the 2021 playoffs. Dallas let a 3-2 series lead get away and as things disintegrated in Game 7, Brunson watched from the bench. The highly competitive guard played just 10 minutes, scoring two points in a 126-111 defeat. “In all honesty, I said this last time, you’re in the playoffs now, there is no extra motivation,” Brunson told reporters when asked about his unhappiness at the time. “It is what it is. The past is the past. Rick welcomed me into the league and helped me become the player (I am today) and helped me grow from Day 1.” That Game 7 loss was Carlisle’s final game in Dallas. Now in his third season with the Pacers, he fears Brunson but doesn’t think a coaching decision made three seasons ago has any bearing on the current series. “Jalen Brunson is a guy you would never bet against,” Carlisle told reporters. “You just don’t bet against that guy. I don’t know if anybody saw this coming, what he’s achieved for two years now, but if you know him and you know his character, you’re not surprised. You’re not shocked.” The Pacers went 2-1 against New York in the regular season but Brunson made an impact by averaging 35.7 points. “The last two times we played him he had 40 in one game and 39 in the other,” Carlisle said. “He’s leading the playoffs in scoring average. It’s pretty obvious that he established a very high level during the season, and he’s maintained and/or exceeded it in the postseason, and that’s hard to do.” Brunson departed Dallas after the following season as a free agent en route to becoming a star with the Knicks. Knicks’ Brunson, Pacers’ Carlisle have history as series begins FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after his 3-pointer against the 76ers during the second half of Game 6. BILL STREICHER/USA TODAY SPORTS CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers are shipping up to Boston. The Cavs completed a wild comeback and beat the Orlando Magic 106-94 in Game 7 of their opening-round series Sunday afternoon at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavs at one point in the first half trailed by 18 points but pulled off a furious comeback to oust the Magic from the playoffs. It was the first playoff series win for the Cavaliers since 2018, and the first without LeBron James on the roster in three decades. The Cavaliers advance to play the No. 1-seeded Boston Celtics in the second round. Game 1 is set for Tuesday night in Boston. The Celtics took down the No. 8 Miami Heat in five games in their opening series. The Cavaliers had trouble with third quarters all series, but turned that around in a big way Sunday in what was the key stretch with their playoff lives on the line. After a brutal offensive first half in which the Cavs scored only 43 points and couldn’t buy a shot from 3-point range, Donovan Mitchell led the charge out of halftime as the Cavaliers overpowered the Magic in the third quarter, out-scoring Orlando 33-15 and sending Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse into a frenzy. Mitchell scored 17 points in the third quarter alone as the Cavs chipped away at the Magic’s lead. Mitchell was aided by Max Strus, who went scoreless in the first half but then poured in 11 points in the third quarter, including back-toback 3s as the Cavs not only erased their double-digit deficit but blew past the Magic to take an eight-point lead heading into the final 12 minutes. Darius Garland had a quiet first half, committing more fouls (three) than points scored (two). He was just 1-of-9 shooting from the floor, but he also hit perhaps the shot that was the beginning of the end for the Magic. With just under half a quarter remaining, Garland missed a corner 3, but Isaac Okoro grabbed the offensive rebound and passed to Mitchell, who found Garland in the same spot, and this time he drilled it to put the Cavs up 88-77. Later, Garland came away with a steal, hit a jumper and grabbed a defensive rebound within a few seconds of each other, a stretch that gave the Cavs a 96-85 lead with two and a half minutes remaining. Mitchell finished with a game-high 39 points one game after dropping 50 in Game 6. Evan Mobley, who started at center with Jarrett Allen again out with bruised ribs, had 11 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots. As the clock wound down, Cavs fans began a “We want Boston!” chant. The Cavs will get the Celtics Tuesday night. Ryan Lewis can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis. CAVALIERS 106, MAGIC 94 Cavaliers come back to win Game 7 Ryan Lewis Akron Beacon Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro defends against Magic forward Paolo Banchero during the first quarter of Game 7 of a first-round playoff series. KEN BLAZE/USA TODAY SPORTS Cleveland 106, Orlando 94 ORLANDO (94) Banchero 10-28 15-18 38, Wagner 1-15 4-4 6, Carter Jr. 5-10 1-1 13, Harris 2-4 0-0 6, Suggs 2-13 4-5 10, Isaac 1-2 0-0 2, Fultz 4-6 0-0 8, Anthony 3-5 2-2 8, Wagner 1-2 0-0 3, Ingles 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-86 26-30 94. CLEVELAND (106) Okoro 3-6 2-2 8, Strus 5-9 0-0 13, Mobley 5-8 1-2 11, Garland 3-13 5-6 12, Mitchell 11-27 15-17 39, LeVert 5-9 5-7 15, Merrill 2-2 2-2 8, Morris Sr. 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Niang 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 34-77 30-36 106. ORL 24 29 15 26 — 94 CLE 18 25 33 30 — 106 3-Point Goals: Orlando 10-31 (Banchero 3-6, Harris 2-3, Carter Jr. 2-4, Suggs 2-10, Wagner 1-1, Ingles 0-1, Isaac 0-1, Wagner 0-5), Cleveland 8-24 (Strus 3-6, Merrill 2-2, Mitchell 2-8, Garland 1-4, LeVert 0-2, Okoro 0-2). Fouled Out: Orlando (Harris). Rebounds: Orlando 49 (Banchero 16), Cleveland 48 (Mobley 16). Assists: Orlando 17 (Wagner 6), Cleveland 19 (Mitchell 5). Total Fouls: Orlando 32, Cleveland 23. A: 19,432 (20,562)

SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | 3NS NHL PLAYOFFS The Boston Bruins escaped blowing a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 2-1 overtime victory in Game 7. Now, the Bruins can exact revenge against the squad which completed a playoff series comeback against them last season when they begin the Eastern Conference second-round series against the Florida Panthers on Monday in Sunrise, Fla. The Bruins swept the four-game regular season series against the Panthers, but that does not erase the sting of last year when Boston staked a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven affair only to watch it disappear with three consecutive losses, including a Game 7 overtime defeat. Winning a Game 7 to eliminate the Maple Leafs provides a much-needed confidence boost. “You could feel there was a big difference in our group all night long,” coach Jim Montgomery said of his squad while talking about his team’s past and present performances in elimination games. “They grew. You saw right from the beginning of the game, we were a different team.” The Bruins, who finished one point back of the Panthers in the Atlantic Division, were poised to make quick work of Toronto but needed two players to step up for them to finally seal the deal. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman sparkled while posting a 1.49 goals-against average and .950 save percentage through six games. David Pastrnak, a 110-point player in the regular season, was called out by Montgomery to elevate his play amidst a middling series and delivered the overtime-winning goal. “He said the stuff he did after Game 6 and I told him, ‘If I’m the coach and you were me, I would say the same thing,’ “ Pastrnak said. “I had no problem with him saying that. He’s trying to bring the best out of every single player.” Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and left wing Pat Maroon (61) celebrate after defeating the Maple Leafs in Game 7. BOB DECHIARA/USA TODAY SPORTS Bruins get another shot at Panthers FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Mika Zibanejad scored twice in the opening 10:05 of the first period and the host New York Rangers hung on for a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Rangers never trailed and won their fifth straight playoff game. They can take a 2-0 series lead when they host Game 2 on Tuesday. Zibanejad notched his second career multi-goal postseason game and also added an assist for his fourth career three-point playoff game. Former Hurricane Vincent Trocheck scored for the fourth straight game after getting three goals in New York’s four-game sweep of the Washington Capitals in the first round. Artemi Panarin tallied what wound up being the game-winning goal in the third period and Chris Kreider contributed two assists for the Rangers, who netted four goals for the fourth time this postseason. Jaccob Slavin and Martin Necas scored for the Hurricanes, who are 0-4 all-time in the playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Seth Jarvis scored with an extra attacker with 1:45 left. New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves and preserved the onegoal lead with a sprawling stop against Andrei Svechnikov with one minute left in the game. Carolina nearly had a golden chance to tie things up, getting a power play with 41 seconds left when Trocheck was called for delay of game, but a few seconds later, Svechnikov took a tripping penalty. Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 19 shots after an injury kept him from these teams’ second-round series in 2022. The Rangers went ahead 2:46 into the game when Zibanejad parked himself in the slot and awaited a pass. Jack Roslovic circled the net untouched and found an open Zibanejad, who ripped a shot over Andersen. Carolina tied it 62 seconds later on a fluky bounce. Sebastian Aho kept the puck alive deep in the offensive zone, and Slavin’s shot from the right point sailed through traffic and deflected off New York winger Alexis Lafreniere’s stick. Zibanejad scored his second goal nine seconds after Carolina’s Tony DeAngelo was called for a roughing penalty. RANGERS 4, HURRICANES 3 Zibanejad, Rangers hold off Hurricanes in Game 1 FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Mika Zibanejad of the Rangers celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Hurricanes during the first period in Game 1. BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES Dallas 2, Vegas 1 Vegas 0 1 0 — 1 Dallas 1 0 1 — 2 First Period—1, Dallas, Johnston 4, 14:34. Penalties—Kolesar, VGK (Holding), 4:22. Second Period—1, Vegas, Howden 1 (Amadio, Karlsson), 15:25. Penalties—None. Third Period—1, Dallas, Faksa 1 (Smith, Harley), 0:44. Penalties—Oettinger, DAL (Tripping), 8:16. Shots on Goal—Vegas 7-8-8—23. Dallas 6-8-10—24. Power-play opportunities—Vegas 0 of 1; Dallas 0 of 1. Goalies—Vegas, Hill 1-2-0 (24 shots-22 saves). Dallas, Oettinger 4-3-0 (23-22). A—19,046 (18,532). N.Y. Rangers 4, Carolina 3 Carolina 1 0 2 — 3 N.Y. Rangers 3 0 1 — 4 First Period—1, N.Y. Rangers, Zibanejad 2 (Roslovic, Fox), 2:46. 1, Carolina, Slavin 1 (Aho, Guentzel), 3:48. 2, N.Y. Rangers, Zibanejad 3 (Kreider, Trocheck), 10:05. 1, N.Y. Rangers, Trocheck 4 (Zibanejad, Kreider), 16:28. Penalties—Kreider, NYR (Boarding), 6:14. DeAngelo, CAR (Roughing), 9:56. Rempe, NYR (Goaltender Interference), 10:58. Svechnikov, CAR (Roughing), 11:13. Trouba, NYR (Roughing), 11:13. Kuznetsov, CAR (Cross-checking), 16:14. Second Period—None. Penalties—Trouba, NYR (Cross-checking), 2:37. Fox, NYR (Slashing), 15:14. Third Period—1, Carolina, Necas 2 (Martinook, Orlov), 2:48. 1, N.Y. Rangers, Panarin 3 (Lafreniere), 8:21. 1, Carolina, Jarvis 4 (Aho, Burns), 18:15. Penalties—Trocheck, NYR (Delay of Game), 19:19. Svechnikov, CAR (Tripping), 19:25. Shots on Goal—Carolina 6-6-13—25. N.Y. Rangers 7-10-6—23. Power-play opportunities—Carolina 0 of 5; N.Y. Rangers 2 of 2. Goalies—Carolina, Andersen 4-2-0 (23 shots-19 saves). N.Y. Rangers, Shesterkin 5-0-0 (25-22). A—18,006 (18,200). Radek Faksa scored the game-winner early in the third period as the host Dallas Stars eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday night. Jake Oettinger made 22 saves and Wyatt Johnston also scored for Dallas, the top seed in the West after finishing with 113 regular-season points. The Stars move on to play the Colorado Avalanche in the second round. Brett Howden scored, and Adin Hill made 22 saves for the Golden Knights. The game was tied 1-1 entering the third, and Faksa scored just 44 seconds into the period. He sent a hard backhand shot from the right faceoff dot past a Sam Steel screen and into the far top corner of the net. It was the first goal of the playoffs for Faksa, who had been sidelined since Game 2 due to an undisclosed injury. Dallas took a 1-0 lead at the 14:34 mark of the first period on Johnston’s fourth goal of the postseason. Johnston intercepted Shea Theodore’s clearing pass by the left boards, then cut into the high slot, where he fired a wrist shot past Hill’s glove side. Johnston’s score came shortly after Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault, alone by the left side of the goal, hit the post while shooting at a wide-open net following a rebound. “It was so much fun. It’s what we all grow up dreaming of as hockey players, you want to play in the Game 7’s,” Johnston said after the game. “So much energy in the building. The fans were awesome. To be able to come out on top in a Game 7 is pretty special.” Vegas tied things at 1-1 at 15:25 of the second period when Howden tipped in Michael Amadio’s crossing pass for his first goal of the 2024 playoffs and the sixth of his postseason career. Faksa then put Dallas in front for good. Vegas pulled Hill for an extra attacker with 1:50 to go but couldn’t manage a shot on goal until 32 seconds remained, when Chandler Stephenson one-timed an attempt from the right point that Oettinger gloved. Jack Eichel had another one-timer from the left circle with six seconds to go that Oettinger deflected with his glove. “It’s disappointing. That’s the only way to say it. It’s disappointing,” Vegas captain Mark Stone said. “It was a tight series. I think we could have won all seven of those games and I think we could have lost all seven of those games. It’s just the way the series was. … Disappointed though. It’s one of those teams that you felt you could go on a pretty long run with,” Stone said. STARS 2, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1 Stars top Vegas to win Game 7 FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Stars center Sam Steel (18) and Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson (20) battle for control of the puck during the first period in Game 7. JEROME MIRON/USA TODAY SPORTS

4NS | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK MLB Ceddanne Rafaela and Rafael Devers each hit two-run home runs, and the Boston Red Sox pulled away for a 9-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. Vaughn Grissom and Dominic Smith added two-run doubles for Boston, which avoided a three-game sweep in the series finale. Rob Refsnyder added an RBI double. Ryan Jeffers hit a solo home run for Minnesota, whose 12-game winning streak ended. Trevor Larnach went 2- for-4 with an RBI. Dodgers 5, Braves 1 Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, Teoscar Hernandez also went deep and left-hander James Paxton pitched into the seventh inning as the host Los Angeles Dodgers finished off a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves. Ohtani’s initial two-run blast came two Dodgers hitters into the game and gave him home runs in back-to-back games for the third time this season. He finished off his first multi-homer game in a Los Angeles uniform in the eighth inning with a 464-foot rocket to center. Marcell Ozuna hit a home run and Max Fried gave up four runs on four hits over seven innings after he delivered a complete-game shutout and six no-hit innings in his previous two starts. He had three walks and seven strikeouts Sunday. Marlins 12, A’s 3 Nick Gordon collected two singles, a double and a home run, drove in three runs and scored twice as part of Miami’s highest-scoring game of the season as the Marlins avoided an interleague series sweep at the hands of the host Oakland Athletics. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryan De La Cruz, Jesus Sanchez and Christian Bethancourt all scored a pair of runs for the Marlins, who rebounded from a 20-4 shellacking dealt them by the streaking A’s one day earlier. Brent Rooker singled, doubled and scored twice for the A’s, who saw a season-best six-game winning streak come to an end. Diamondbacks 11, Padres 4 Jake McCarthy was 3-for-4 with three runs and was one of five Diamondbacks to drive in two runs as Arizona beat the visiting San Diego Padres in Phoenix to avoid being swept in this three-game series. Every player in both starting lineups had at least one hit except Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez (0-for-4). The two teams had combined for 14 runs and 17 hits before the fourth inning was even over. Right-hander Matt Waldron (1-4), the Padres’ starter, lasted just three-plus innings, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits. He walked three and fanned two. Luis Arraez went 1- for-5 in his second game with the Padres. Yankees 5, Tigers 2, 8 innings Juan Soto hit a go-ahead, three-run double in the seventh and the host New York Yankees completed a three-game series sweep by defeating the Detroit Tigers in a rain-shortened game. The game was called after 71 ⁄2 innings. Aaron Judge homered one day after his first career ejection. Oswaldo Cabrera added two hits and an RBI. Detroit starter Tarik Skubal struck out a career-high 12 in six innings while allowing two runs and six hits. Spencer Torkelson had two doubles and an RBI to lead the Tigers’ offense. Orioles 11, Reds 1 Dean Kremer allowed just one hit over six scoreless innings as the visiting Baltimore Orioles completed a threegame sweep with an win over the punchless Cincinnati Reds. Kremer (3-2) was the latest Orioles pitcher to blank an anemic Cincinnati offense, allowing only a sharp single in the fifth, followed by a walk, to win his third straight start. For the second straight game, Cincinnati avoided a shutout in the ninth and has scored a total of just eight runs in losing five straight games. Nationals 11, Blue Jays 8 Eddie Rosario’s two-run seventh-inning homer broke a tie and the Washington Nationals went on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays. Luis Garcia, Jr. had four hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs, and Jesse Winker had a three-run homer and a double for Washington, which took two of three. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a grand slam for the Blue Jays, who have lost four of five. Genesis Cabrera (1-1) took the loss. Rangers 3, Royals 2, 10 innings Nathaniel Lowe delivered a 10th-inning RBI single, lifting the visiting Texas Rangers to a victory over the Kansas City Royals to win the three-game series. The Rangers rallied with single tallies in the eighth and ninth to tie the game 2-2. With one out in the top of the 10th, Lowe lined a 1-2 pitch into center field to score Leody Taveras with the go-ahead run, completing the come-from-behind win. Bobby Witt Jr. tripled and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly in the first to open the scoring. Rays 7, Mets 6, 10 innings Jonny DeLuca’s walk-off, two-run triple in extra innings propelled the Tampa Bay Rays to a win and a series sweep against the visiting New York Mets. With Jose Caballero and Ben Rortvedt on first and third, DeLuca hit a line drive to left field to win it in the 10th inning as the Rays finished off the threegame series in style. The Mets went ahead 6-5 when Harrison Bader scored on a Brandon Nimmo single that was overturned after initially being called an out. Mariners 5, Astros 4 Cal Raleigh slugged a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning as the Seattle Mariners rallied for a victory over the host Houston Astros in the rubber match of a three-game series to claim their sixth consecutive series win. Raleigh homered for the second time in as many games, drilling an 0-2 sinker from Astros closer Josh Hader (1-3) for his eighth home run, a 394-foot blast to left field. It marked the second consecutive inning that Seattle scored off the Houston bullpen, as the Mariners rallied from a 4-3 deficit after coughing up a three-run lead. Mariners starter Bryce Miller dominated the Astros through five innings, facing just two batters over the minimum while carrying 56 pitches on his ledger into the bottom of the sixth. Cubs 5, Brewers 0 Chicago’s Nico Hoerner sparked a three-run frame in the fifth inning to break a scoreless stalemate, while Javier Assad pitched six shutout innings in the Cubs’ victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Dansby Swanson added his third home run of the season as Chicago took the three-game series, 2-1. The Brewers, who had scored all eight of their runs of the series in the seventh inning or later, were unable to generate any threatening rallies in Sunday’s series finale. White Sox 5, Cardinals 1 Paul DeJong had two doubles, two runs and an RBI as the visiting Chicago White Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals. Eloy Jimenez hit a solo homer and Bryan Ramos got his first career RBI for the White Sox, who won two of three games from the Cardinals to earn their second series victory of the season. Willson Contreras hit a solo homer for the Cardinals, who mustered just four hits while losing for the fourth time in five games. Guardians 4, Angels 1 Jose Ramirez hit a slump-busting, go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth, then scored two innings later on Josh Naylor’s home run as the Cleveland Guardians beat the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Mired in an 0-for-19 drought, Ramirez crushed the 10th pitch of his at-bat against Los Angeles starter Griffin Canning (1-4) well over the right-center field wall with a runner on first to put Cleveland ahead 2-1. It was the sixth homer of the season for Ramirez, who walked in the eighth, stole second and went to third on a wild throw from catcher Matt Thaiss before coming home when Naylor went deep to nearly the same spot. Cole Tucker had a pair of hits for Los Angeles, which has dropped 13 of 16 and fell to 3-25 at Cleveland since the start of the 2015 season. Pirates 5, Rockies 3 Oneil Cruz doubled and hit a two-run homer as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied from an early deficit to beat the visiting Colorado Rockies in the rubber match of a three-game series. Rowdy Tellez, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jack Suwinski each drove in a run for Pittsburgh, which trailed 3-0 after two innings. The Pirates have won two straight following a five-game losing streak. Jacob Stallings and Sean Bouchard hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning for Colorado, which dropped to a National League-worst 8-26. Phillies 5, Giants 4 Bryce Harper hit a three-run home run and J.T. Realmuto had three hits to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a victory over the visiting San Francisco Giants. Alec Bohm doubled in the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to 18 games for the Phillies, who won their fifth straight game and ninth in the past 10. Philadelphia has won the first three contests of the four-game series and owns the best record in baseball at 24-11. Thairo Estrada smacked a two-run homer for the Giants, who have lost five of their past six games. Michael Conforto doubled and tripled in four at-bats. SUNDAY’S ROUNDUP Red Sox snap Twins’ 12-game streak FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Boston’s Rafael Devers (11) celebrates his two-run home run against the Twins during the eighth inning at Target Field. MATT KROHN/USA TODAY SPORTS Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper hits a three-run home run against the Giants in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. KYLE ROSS/USA TODAY SPORTS

SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | 5NS MLB Philadelphia 5, San Francisco 4 San Fran....... 100 000 201 —472 Phila. ........... 014 000 00x —590 San Francisco AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Lee cf 5 0 1 0 0 0 .244 Wade Jr. 1b 3 1 1 0 1 1 .333 Flores dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .222 Conforto lf 4 0 2 1 0 0 .258 Chapman 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .215 Yastrzemski rf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .229 Estrada 2b 3 1 1 2 0 0 .256 Sabol c 2 0 0 0 0 2 .400 a-Slater ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .121 Reetz c 1 1 1 1 0 0 1.000 Ahmed ss 3 0 0 0 1 2 .235 Totals 33 4 7 4 2 11 Philadelphia AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Schwarber dh 4 1 0 0 1 3 .206 Realmuto c 4 1 3 0 0 0 .259 Harper 1b 4 1 1 3 0 1 .234 Bohm 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .360 Marsh lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .264 Castellanos rf 4 1 1 0 0 3 .185 Stott 2b 3 0 1 1 1 2 .242 Sosa ss 4 0 1 1 0 3 .276 Rojas cf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .219 Totals 35 5 9 5 2 17 a-was announced for Sabol in 7th. E: Conforto, Ahmed. 2B: Conforto (7), Bohm (13), Stott (3). 3B: Conforto (1). HR: Estrada (5), Harper (7), Reetz (1). RBI: Conforto (17), Estrada 2 (19), Harper 3 (21), Stott (17), Sosa (4), Reetz (1). SB: Marsh (5), Castellanos (1), Stott (7), Sosa (1). Runners left in scoring position: San Francisco 3 (Wade Jr., Chapman, Yastrzemski), Philadelphia 6 (Bohm, Stott, Sosa 2, Rojas 2). RISP: Philadelphia 3 for 12. GIDP: Conforto. DP: Philadelphia 1. San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Webb 4.0 6 5 4 2 6 98 3.50 Hjelle 2.0 2 0 0 0 6 30 2.70 Rogers 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 19 3.65 Walker 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 12 2.50 Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Walker 6.1 5 3 3 1 7 90 6.39 Soto H, 4 0.2 0 0 0 1 0 16 6.10 Hoffman H, 5 1.0 1 0 0 0 3 19 1.13 Alvarado 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 17 4.30 HBP: Estrada, Slater. Umpires: HP-Moscoso, 1B-Reyburn, 2B-Walsh, 3B-Hamari. T: 2:45. A: 41,058 (42,792).Miami 12, Oakland 3 Miami....... 410 003 004 — 12 14 2 Oakland....... 000 200 010 —350 Miami AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Chisholm Jr. cf 4 2 2 1 1 1 .234 De La Cruz dh 3 2 1 0 2 2 .264 Bell 1b 3 0 2 2 1 1 .197 b-Rivera pr-3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .205 Sanchez rf 5 2 0 1 0 2 .218 Anderson ss 5 1 1 1 0 1 .218 Gordon lf 4 2 4 3 1 0 .207 Brujan 2b 5 0 1 1 0 1 .286 Bride 3b-1b 5 1 1 2 0 0 .167 Bethancourt c 5 2 2 1 0 0 .070 Totals 39 12 14 12 5 8 Oakland AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Toro 2b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .267 Nevin 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .289 Bleday cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .246 Rooker dh 3 2 2 0 1 1 .256 Brown lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .176 a-Schuemann ph-lf 2 0 1 1 0 1 .172 Butler rf 3 1 0 0 1 1 .186 Hernaiz ss 4 0 1 1 0 1 .194 McCann c 3 0 1 1 1 0 .375 Harris 3b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .182 Totals 32 3 5 3 5 7 a-struck out for Brown in 6th. b-ran for Bell in 9th. E: Bell, Gordon. 2B: Gordon (3), Bride (1), Bethancourt (1), Rooker (4). HR: Gordon (4). RBI: Chisholm Jr. (19), Bell 2 (13), Sanchez (14), Anderson (6), Gordon 3 (15), Brujan (5), Bride 2 (2), Bethancourt (3), Schuemann (3), Hernaiz (4), McCann (7). CS: Gordon (1). SB: Chisholm Jr. 2 (7), Sanchez (5). Runners left in scoring position: Miami 4 (De La Cruz, Sanchez, Bethancourt 2), Oakland 3 (Toro 2, Brown). RISP: Miami 9 for 18, Oakland 2 for 6. GIDP: Anderson, Harris. DP: Miami 1, Oakland 1. Miami IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Sanchez 4.0 3 2 2 3 2 65 7.50 Smith W, 2-0 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 9 3.12 Nardi 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 22 7.07 Bender 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 16 7.07 Faucher 1.0 2 1 1 0 2 21 2.31 Villalobos 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 20 0.00 Oakland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Boyle L, 2-5 1.0 1 4 4 3 1 35 7.16 Spence 4.2 6 4 4 1 5 72 3.80 Kelly 2.1 1 0 0 1 2 36 2.61 McFarland 1.0 6 4 4 0 0 33 6.23 Inherited runners: Kelly 1-0. HBP: Bell. Umpires: HP-Guccione, 1B-Morales, 2B-Knight, 3B-Additon. T: 2:52. A: 12,212 (46,847). Arizona 11, San Diego 4 San Diego .. 031 000 000 — 4 12 1 Arizona......420 410 00x — 11 13 0 San Diego AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Arraez 2b 5 0 1 0 0 0 .311 Tatis Jr. rf 5 1 2 0 0 1 .250 Cronenworth 1b 5 0 1 0 0 2 .278 Machado 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .258 Profar lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .344 Bogaerts dh 4 1 1 0 0 1 .217 Merrill cf 4 1 2 2 0 1 .284 Kim ss 3 1 1 0 1 0 .214 Higashioka c 4 0 2 1 0 1 .207 Totals 38 4 12 3 1 6 Arizona AB R H BI BB SO Avg. McCarthy lf 4 3 3 2 0 0 .311 a-Grichuk ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .261 Marte 2b 4 1 1 2 1 0 .307 Alexander 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286 Smith rf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .200 Walker 1b 3 2 2 2 1 0 .280 Pederson dh 4 1 1 2 0 1 .297 Suarez 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .222 Carroll cf 4 1 2 2 0 0 .203 Newman ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .179 Barnhart c 3 2 2 1 1 0 .219 Totals 35 11 13 11 3 4 a-struck out for McCarthy in 8th. E: Merrill. 2B: Tatis Jr. (6), Higashioka (2), McCarthy (4), Walker (4), Barnhart (2). HR: Merrill (2), Marte (6), Pederson (3). RBI: Merrill 2 (16), Higashioka (2), McCarthy 2 (9), Marte 2 (17), Walker 2 (24), Pederson 2 (7), Carroll 2 (7), Barnhart (1). Runners left in scoring position: San Diego 2 (Arraez, Machado), Arizona 3 (Marte, Pederson, Newman). RISP: San Diego 1 for 5, Arizona 6 for 15. GIDP: Machado, Marte, Smith. DP: San Diego 2, Arizona 1. San Diego IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Waldron L, 1-4 3.0 8 8 7 3 2 65 5.82 Brito 3.0 5 3 3 0 0 42 4.91 Kolek 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 8 3.57 Peralta 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 9 4.11 Arizona IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Nelson W, 2-2 5.0 8 4 4 1 3 99 5.23 Martinez 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 18 1.00 Mantiply 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 10 3.95 Thompson 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 17 1.32 Ginkel 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 17 2.57 Waldron pitched to 2 batters in the 4th. Inherited runners: Brito 1-0. WP: Waldron. Umpires: HP-Cuzzi, 1B-Randazzo, 2B-Tosi, 3B-Bellino. T: 2:39. A: 30,968 (48,405). Baltimore 11, Cincinnati 1 Baltimore.. 300 010 205 — 11 11 0 Cincinnati ... 000 000 001 —130 Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Henderson dh 3 1 0 0 2 2 .274 Rutschman c 5 0 2 2 0 2 .324 Mountcastle 1b 5 1 1 0 0 2 .289 Santander rf 4 2 3 5 1 1 .218 Westburg 2b 5 1 1 2 0 0 .286 Mateo ss 4 0 0 0 0 3 .245 McKenna cf 3 2 1 1 1 0 .375 Cowser lf 3 1 1 1 1 0 .276 Urias 3b 3 3 2 0 0 0 .196 Totals 35 11 11 11 5 10 Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Benson cf 3 1 0 0 1 2 .195 De La Cruz ss 3 0 0 0 1 2 .271 Steer lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .246 Fraley rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .292 Encarnacion-Strand 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .195 India 2b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .219 Martini dh 3 0 0 0 0 1 .177 Espinal 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .169 Maile c 3 0 0 0 0 2 .146 Totals 30 1 3 1 3 8 2B: Rutschman (6), Mountcastle (9), Cowser (8), Urias (2). HR: Santander (5), Westburg (6), McKenna (2). RBI: Rutschman 2 (22), Santander 5 (23), Westburg 2 (23), McKenna (2), Cowser (19), Fraley (5). CS: Westburg (2), Cowser (1). Runners left in scoring position: Baltimore 2 (Mountcastle 2), Cincinnati 4 (India 2, Espinal 2). RISP: Baltimore 5 for 9, Cincinnati 2 for 6. Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Kremer W, 3-2 6.0 1 0 0 1 6 93 3.57 Suarez 2.1 0 0 0 0 1 24 2.04 Baumann 0.2 2 1 1 2 1 20 4.73 Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Lodolo L, 3-1 5.0 4 4 4 2 6 85 2.79 Suter 2.0 3 2 2 1 2 38 4.15 Moll 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 11 0.00 Diaz 0.1 2 4 4 2 1 21 6.57 Pagan 0.2 1 1 1 0 1 11 5.93 Inherited runners: Pagan 3-0. HBP: Urias. Umpires: HP-Clemons, 1B-Fletcher, 2B-Muchlinski, 3B-Visconti. T: 2:37. A: 31,514. Washington 11, Toronto 8 Toronto ......051 020 000 — 8 10 2 Washington 101 501 21x — 11 11 3 Toronto AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Springer rf 5 0 1 0 0 3 .205 Guerrero Jr. 1b 4 1 2 4 1 1 .239 Turner dh 4 0 0 0 1 1 .283 Bichette ss 4 0 0 0 1 0 .195 Schneider lf 3 2 2 0 2 0 .270 Varsho cf 5 2 1 0 0 0 .236 Kirk c 3 1 1 0 1 0 .200 b-Jansen pr-c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .297 Kiner-Falefa 2b 4 1 2 3 0 0 .258 Clement 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .271 Totals 37 8 10 7 6 6 Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Young cf 4 3 1 0 1 1 .308 Abrams ss 5 1 1 0 0 2 .283 Garcia Jr. 2b 4 2 4 4 0 0 .337 a-Vargas ph-2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .310 Senzel dh 5 1 1 0 0 2 .242 Winker lf 2 2 2 3 2 0 .254 Meneses 1b 2 0 0 2 2 0 .217 Ruiz c 5 0 0 0 0 2 .134 Rosario rf 4 2 2 2 0 0 .117 Lipscomb 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .241 Totals 35 11 11 11 5 8 a-reached on a failed fielder’s choice for Garcia Jr. in 8th. b-ran for Kirk in 7th. E: Swanson, Bichette, Ruiz, Gore, Abrams. 2B: Schneider (6), Kirk (2), Young (6), Abrams (7), Winker (7). HR: Guerrero Jr. (4), Garcia Jr. (3), Winker (4), Rosario (2). RBI: Guerrero Jr. 4 (15), Kiner-Falefa 3 (9), Garcia Jr. 4 (19), Winker 3 (18), Meneses 2 (16), Rosario 2 (5). SB: Springer (5), Schneider (1), Varsho (4), Garcia Jr. (6). SF: Kiner-Falefa, Meneses. S: Vargas. Runners left in scoring position: Toronto 3 (Springer, Bichette, Kiner-Falefa), Washington 5 (Ruiz 5). RISP: Toronto 4 for 15, Washington 4 for 13. GIDP: Bichette. DP: Washington 1. Toronto IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Manoah 4.0 6 7 6 4 6 92 13.50 Pearson 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 14 5.11 Cabrera L, 1-1 BS, 1 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 7 6.23 Swanson 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 15 16.50 Pop 1.0 1 1 1 1 1 11 3.38 Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gore 3.0 6 6 2 2 4 76 3.44 Barnes 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 11 1.29 Weems 0.1 1 2 1 1 0 13 4.85 Law 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 11 3.32 Floro 1.2 2 0 0 1 0 34 0.52 Harvey W, 2-1 1.1 0 0 0 1 0 15 2.45 Finnegan S, 11 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 19 1.88 Pearson pitched to 1 batter in the 6th. Cabrera pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. Inherited runners: Cabrera 1-0, Swanson 1-0, Law 2-0, Harvey 2-2. HBP: Winker. IBB: Pop (1). Umpires: HP-Libka, 1B-Hoye, 2B-Drake, 3B-Parra. T: 3:01. A: 18,363 (41,380). Texas 3, Kansas City 2 (10) Texas ......000 000 011 1 —380 KC.......... 101 000 000 0 —270 Texas AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Semien 2b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .257 Seager dh 4 0 1 1 0 3 .228 Lowe 1b 4 0 1 1 1 1 .327 Garcia rf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .286 Heim c 3 1 1 1 1 0 .276 Smith ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .293 Duran 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .235 c-Jankowski ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .267 Wendzel 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .118 Carter lf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .227 Taveras cf 4 2 1 0 0 1 .234 Totals 36 3 8 3 2 12 Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Garcia 3b 5 0 0 0 0 3 .232 Witt Jr. ss 4 2 2 0 1 0 .319 Pasquantino 1b 2 0 1 2 1 0 .230 a-Blanco pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .208 b-Velazquez ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .215 Perez dh-1b 4 0 0 0 0 3 .328 Massey 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .292 Melendez lf 4 0 2 0 0 2 .186 Fermin c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .218 Frazier rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .169 Renfroe rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .157 Isbel cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .214 Totals 36 2 7 2 2 10 a-ran for Pasquantino in 8th. b-lined out for McArthur in 10th. c-singled for Duran in 9th. 2B: Taveras (7), Witt Jr. (10), Pasquantino (8), Melendez (6). 3B: Witt Jr. (5). HR: Heim (4). RBI: Seager (10), Lowe (5), Heim (20), Pasquantino 2 (18). SB: Blanco 2 (8), Melendez (2). SF: Seager, Pasquantino. Runners left in scoring position: Texas 4 (Garcia, Smith 2, Taveras), Kansas City 5 (Velazquez, Perez, Massey, Frazier 2). RISP: Texas 2 for 9, Kansas City 1 for 10. GIDP: Garcia. DP: Kansas City 1. Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gray 7.0 7 2 2 0 7 99 2.50 Yates W, 3-0 2.0 0 0 0 1 2 27 0.00 Robertson S, 1 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 9 1.02 Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Lynch IV 5.0 2 0 0 2 6 74 0.00 Zerpa H, 4 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 22 1.76 Schreiber H, 9 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 10 1.10 McArthur L, 1-1 BS, 2 2.0 4 2 1 0 3 30 2.87 HBP: Smith. IBB: Robertson (2). Umpires: HP-Bacon, 1B-Whitson, 2B-Miller, 3B-Moore. T: 2:32. A: 20,613 (37,903). L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 1 Atlanta.........000 000 100 —151 LAD ..............200 002 01x —550 Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Acuna Jr. rf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .268 Albies 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .297 Riley 3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .237 Olson 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .197 Ozuna dh 4 1 2 1 0 1 .306 Arcia ss 3 0 1 0 0 0 .271 Harris II cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .271 Duvall lf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .220 Tromp c 2 0 0 0 0 0 .219 a-Kelenic ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .274 d’Arnaud c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .269 Totals 30 1 5 1 2 7 L.A. Dodgers AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Betts ss 3 1 0 0 1 0 .352 Ohtani dh 4 2 4 3 0 0 .364 Freeman 1b 3 1 0 0 0 0 .293 Hernandez rf 4 1 1 2 0 1 .252 Hernandez 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .216 Pages cf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .319 Rojas 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .259 Taylor lf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .074 Barnes c 1 0 0 0 2 0 .231 Totals 29 5 5 5 3 8 a-struck out for Tromp in 8th. E: Olson. HR: Ozuna (10), Ohtani 2 (10), Hernandez (8). RBI: Ozuna (33), Ohtani 3 (25), Hernandez 2 (25). Runners left in scoring position: L.A. Dodgers 1 (Pages). GIDP: Tromp, Hernandez. DP: Atlanta 1, L.A. Dodgers 1. Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Fried L, 2-1 7.0 4 4 4 3 7108 4.23 Minter 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 8 2.93 Chavez 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 8 1.46 L.A. Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Paxton W, 4-0 6.2 5 1 1 2 3 84 3.06 Kelly H, 9 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 6 4.73 Treinen H, 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 11 0.00 Grove 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 11 5.85 Inherited runners: Chavez 1-1, Kelly 1-1. HBP: Freeman. Umpires: HP-Blaser, 1B-Gonzalez, 2B-Ceja, 3B-Tichenor. T: 2:07. A: 52,733 (56,000). Cleveland 4, L.A. Angels 1 LAA .............. 010 000 000 —161 Cleveland .... 000 002 02x — 4 5 0 L.A. Angels AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Schanuel 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .232 Moniak cf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .167 a-Pillar ph-cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .161 Ward lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .279 Calhoun dh 4 1 1 0 0 0 .417 Drury 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .161 Thaiss c 3 0 0 0 1 1 .222 Adell rf 1 0 0 1 1 0 .261 Tucker 3b 3 0 2 0 0 1 .417 Neto ss 2 0 1 0 1 1 .237 Totals 29 1 6 1 3 7 Cleveland AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Florial dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .200 Gimenez 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .270 Ramirez 3b 3 2 1 2 1 1 .230 Naylor 1b 4 1 2 2 0 0 .271 Brennan lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .242 Laureano rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .153 Naylor c 2 0 0 0 1 1 .179 Freeman cf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .189 Arias ss 3 0 0 0 0 3 .239 Totals 29 4 5 4 2 8 a-grounded out for Moniak in 8th. E: Thaiss. 2B: Ward (7), Calhoun (3), Tucker (2). HR: Ramirez (6), Naylor (8). RBI: Adell (12), Ramirez 2 (27), Naylor 2 (26). CS: Neto (3). SB: Adell (7), Tucker (3), Florial (2), Ramirez (5). SF: Adell. Runners left in scoring position: L.A. Angels 3 (Schanuel, Drury, Neto), Cleveland 2 (Naylor, Arias). RISP: Cleveland 1 for 4. GIDP: Schanuel. DP: Cleveland 1. L.A. Angels IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Canning L, 1-4 6.0 4 2 2 1 5 87 6.69 Cimber 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 14 2.93 Moore 1.0 1 2 2 1 1 20 5.11 Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Carrasco W, 2-2 6.0 6 1 1 2 3 71 5.67 Barlow H, 8 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 16 2.60 Herrin H, 4 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.59 Clase S, 10 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 10 0.52 HBP: Freeman. WP: Carrasco. Umpires: HP-Ramos, 1B-Rehak, 2B-Wills, 3B-Torres. T: 2:15. A: 19,579 (34,830). Pittsburgh 5, Colorado 3 Colorado .....030 000 000 —370 Pittsburgh .. 000 104 00x —590 Colorado AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Doyle cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .279 McMahon 3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .304 Diaz dh 4 0 2 0 0 2 .308 Montero 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .200 Rodgers 2b 3 1 2 0 1 0 .243 Stallings c 4 1 1 2 0 0 .351 Bouchard rf 3 1 2 1 1 0 .258 Beck lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .143 a-Cave ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .206 Trejo ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .080 Totals 32 3 7 3 3 6 Pittsburgh AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Joe rf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .290 Taylor cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .238 Reynolds lf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .243 Hayes 3b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .254 Cruz ss 4 1 2 2 0 1 .242 Tellez 1b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .211 Olivares dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .203 Suwinski cf-rf 3 0 1 1 0 1 .176 Grandal c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .143 Williams 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .275 Totals 33 5 9 5 0 6 a-struck out for Beck in 9th. 2B: Rodgers (6), Bouchard (3), Reynolds (7), Cruz (4), Tellez (3). 3B: Reynolds (1). HR: Stallings (2), Bouchard (1), Cruz (5). RBI: Stallings 2 (7), Bouchard (2), Hayes (11), Cruz 2 (12), Tellez (8), Suwinski (10). CS: McMahon (4). Runners left in scoring position: Colorado 3 (Bouchard 2, Cave), Pittsburgh 3 (Hayes, Olivares, Grandal). RISP: Colorado 1 for 4, Pittsburgh 2 for 8. GIDP: Stallings. DP: Pittsburgh 1. Colorado IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Feltner L, 1-3 5.2 8 5 5 0 3 85 5.54 Kinley 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 22 11.57 Molina 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 11 9.00 Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Falter 5.1 6 3 3 2 3 80 4.34 Ortiz W, 2-1 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 16 2.89 Chapman H, 7 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 21 4.91 Bednar S, 6 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 13 9.69 Inherited runners: Kinley 1-1, Ortiz 2-2. Umpires: HP-Eddings, 1B-Carlson, 2B-Merzel, 3B-Scheurwater. T: 2:18. A: 12,912 (38,747). Chicago Cubs 5, Milwaukee 0 Milwaukee . 000 000 000 —050 CHC .............. 000 031 10x —570 Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Frelick rf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .252 Contreras c 3 0 1 0 1 0 .336 Black 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .211 Adames ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 .258 Turang 2b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .299 Hoskins dh 3 0 0 0 1 0 .225 Dunn 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .233 Perkins cf 4 0 1 0 0 3 .266 Chourio lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .219 a-Bauers ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .194 Totals 32 0 5 0 3 9 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Hoerner 2b 5 1 1 2 0 0 .282 Tauchman rf 3 1 1 0 1 0 .269 Happ lf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .235 Morel 3b 1 0 1 1 3 0 .220 Madrigal 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .195 Busch 1b 4 0 0 0 0 4 .261 Swanson ss 4 1 1 1 0 0 .220 Wisdom dh 3 0 1 0 1 1 .261 Crow-Armstrong cf 2 1 1 0 1 0 .242 Amaya c 3 1 0 0 0 1 .188 Totals 28 5 7 4 7 7 a-struck out for Chourio in 7th. 2B: Frelick (5), Contreras (9), Hoerner (10). HR: Swanson (4). RBI: Hoerner 2 (10), Morel (21), Swanson (12). CS: Happ (1). SB: Crow-Armstrong (2). S: Crow-Armstrong. Runners left in scoring position: Milwaukee 6 (Contreras, Black, Adames, Dunn 2, Perkins), Chicago 4 (Hoerner, Busch 2, Amaya). RISP: Chicago 2 for 8. DP: Milwaukee 1. Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Peralta L, 3-1 5.0 3 3 3 6 5 97 3.49 Vieira 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 16 5.40 Junk 2.0 3 1 1 1 2 38 9.00 Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Assad W, 3-0 6.0 4 0 0 3 4 94 1.66 Almonte 2.0 0 0 0 0 3 19 3.68 Palencia 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 12 4.50 HBP: Amaya. WP: Peralta. Umpires: HP-Tumpane, 1B-Hudson, 2B-Mahrley, 3B-Wendelstedt. T: 2:23. A: 39,299 (41,649). Chicago White Sox 5, St. Louis 1 CWS............. 010 000 400 —590 St. Louis...... 000 100 000 —140 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Grossman lf 3 0 2 1 0 0 .221 Pham cf-rf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .286 Vaughn 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .186 Jimenez dh 4 1 1 1 0 1 .231 Sheets rf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .270 a-Ortega pr-cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 DeJong ss 4 2 2 1 0 1 .224 Ramos 3b 3 1 1 1 0 1 .333 Maldonado c 4 0 0 0 0 4 .105 Shewmake 2b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .148 Totals 34 5 9 5 0 12 St. Louis AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Donovan lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .215 Contreras dh 4 1 1 1 0 3 .275 Goldschmidt 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .208 Arenado 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .287 Carlson cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Herrera c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .210 Winn ss 3 0 1 0 0 0 .266 Fermin 2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .167 Nootbaar rf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .169 Totals 31 1 4 1 0 11 a-ran for Sheets in 8th. 2B: Grossman (4), Sheets 2 (10), DeJong 2 (7). HR: Jimenez (4), Contreras (6). RBI: Grossman (4), Jimenez (11), DeJong (7), Ramos (1), Shewmake (3), Contreras (11). SB: Grossman (2), Shewmake (5). SF: Grossman, Ramos. Runners left in scoring position: Chicago 4 (Pham, Vaughn, Jimenez, DeJong), St. Louis 1 (Goldschmidt). RISP: Chicago 3 for 11. Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Crochet W, 2-4 6.0 3 1 1 0 6 88 5.31 Wilson 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 15 3.00 Leasure 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 22 2.57 Brebbia 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 16 4.00 St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Liberatore 3.2 3 1 1 0 5 50 2.70 Leahy 2.1 0 0 0 0 2 29 4.91 Gallegos L, 2-1 0.0 3 3 3 0 0 10 12.00 King 1.2 3 1 1 0 3 35 4.50 Robertson 1.1 0 0 0 0 2 12 0.00 Gallegos pitched to 3 batters in the 7th. Inherited runners: King 1-0, Robertson 1-1. WP: Crochet, Liberatore. Umpires: HP-MacKay, 1B-Iassogna, 2B-May, Baty 3b 4 1 1 0 1 2 .269 Narvaez c 2 1 2 1 0 0 .186 d-Nido ph-c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .179 Totals 39 6 8 5 7 9 Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Diaz 1b 4 0 2 2 1 1 .235 Palacios 2b 4 0 0 0 1 4 .295 Paredes 3b 3 0 1 0 2 0 .294 Arozarena lf 5 1 1 1 0 3 .143 Rosario dh 5 0 2 0 0 2 .313 Caballero ss 2 3 0 0 3 1 .264 Jackson c 3 1 1 1 0 0 .143 c-Shenton ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .167 Rortvedt c 0 1 0 0 1 0 .351 DeLuca rf-cf 4 1 2 3 1 0 .273 Siri cf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .176 a-Ramirez ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .261 Totals 34 7 9 7 9 11 a-flied into a double play for Siri in 8th. b-walked for Stewart in 9th. c-lined out for Jackson in 7th. d-struck out for Narvaez in 6th. e-ran for Martinez in 9th. E: Siri, Diaz. 2B: Diaz (6), Paredes (4), Jackson (1). 3B: DeLuca (1). HR: Lindor (6), Arozarena (5). RBI: Nimmo (21), Lindor 2 (19), Stewart (15), Narvaez (4), Diaz 2 (15), Arozarena (11), Jackson (2), DeLuca 3 (6). CS: Rosario (2). SB: Palacios (5), Arozarena (5), Rosario (5), Caballero 4 (13). S: Siri. Runners left in scoring position: N.Y. Mets 8 (Marte 2, Lindor, Alonso 2, McNeil 2, Bader), Tampa Bay 8 (Paredes, Arozarena, Rosario 4, Caballero, Shenton). RISP: N.Y. Mets 4 for 16, Tampa Bay 3 for 13. GIDP: Alonso. DP: N.Y. Mets 1, Tampa Bay 1. N.Y. Mets IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Severino 5.0 4 4 4 6 6 98 2.93 Lopez H, 4 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 15 2.12 Garrett H, 2 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 21 0.50 Reid-Foley H, 1 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 12 0.00 Diaz BS, 1 1.0 2 1 1 0 2 19 2.63 Diekman L, 1-1 BS, 1 0.0 1 2 1 1 0 11 4.22 Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Pepiot 2.0 3 3 3 1 3 44 3.68 Rodriguez 1.0 2 2 1 1 1 31 8.10 Kelly 2.0 2 0 0 0 2 29 2.84 Cleavinger 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 15 2.03 Armstrong 2.0 1 0 0 2 1 35 3.06 Lopez 1.1 0 1 0 2 1 27 8.44 Ramirez W, 1-0 0.2 0 0 0 1 0 12 6.48 Pepiot pitched to 3 batters in the 3rd. Rodriguez pitched to 3 batters in the 4th. Inherited runners: Rodriguez 3-2, Kelly 2-1, Ramirez 1-0. HBP: Nimmo 2. Umpires: HP-Vondrak, 1B-Wegner, 2B-Dreckman, 3B-Hanahan. T: 3:28. A: 19,310 (25,025). Boston 9, Minnesota 2 Boston.........000 120 042 — 9 11 1 Minnesota.... 001 000 010 —291 Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Duran cf-lf-cf 5 2 2 0 0 0 .262 Devers dh 5 2 2 2 0 2 .292 Refsnyder lf 2 0 1 1 0 0 .351 Hamilton ss 0 0 0 0 1 0 .214 c-O’Neill ph-lf 2 1 1 0 0 0 .297 Abreu rf 3 1 0 0 2 1 .297 Grissom 2b 5 1 1 2 0 0 .125 Smith 1b 4 0 1 2 0 1 .250 McGuire c 4 1 2 0 0 1 .267 Rafaela ss-cf-ss 3 1 1 2 0 1 .202 Short 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Totals 37 9 11 9 3 8 Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Kirilloff lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .239 b-Margot ph-lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .172 Julien 2b 3 0 0 0 0 3 .212 a-Farmer ph-2b 2 0 1 0 0 0 .148 Jeffers c 5 1 1 1 0 0 .291 Kepler rf 3 1 2 0 1 0 .293 Correa ss 2 0 1 0 2 0 .263 Larnach dh 4 0 2 1 0 1 .381 Castro cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .277 Santana 1b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .189 Miranda 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .281 Totals 36 2 9 2 3 8 a-grounded into a fielder’s choice for Julien in 7th. b-popped out for Kirilloff in 5th. c-doubled for Hamilton in 8th. E: Rafaela, Santana. 2B: Duran (7), Refsnyder (5), O’Neill (4), Grissom (1), Smith (1), Kepler (3), Santana (4). 3B: Duran (5). HR: Devers (4), Rafaela (3), Jeffers (6). RBI: Devers 2 (12), Refsnyder (8), Grissom 2 (2), Smith 2 (3), Rafaela 2 (19), Jeffers (22), Larnach (9). SB: McGuire (3). S: Rafaela. Runners left in scoring position: Boston 3 (Grissom, Rafaela, Short), Minnesota 6 (Julien, Jeffers 2, Castro, Miranda 2). RISP: Boston 5 for 11, Minnesota 3 for 13. GIDP: Larnach. DP: Boston 1. Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Criswell 4.1 5 1 1 1 5 80 1.74 Bernardino W, 1-1 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.64 Kelly H, 1 1.2 1 0 0 2 2 34 2.45 Booser H, 1 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 5 3.72 Winckowski 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 12 3.47 Jansen 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 15 1.69 Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Ryan L, 1-2 6.0 4 3 3 1 5 95 3.54 Funderburk 1.1 5 4 4 1 2 42 5.52 Jackson 1.2 2 2 2 1 1 35 4.58 Inherited runners: Bernardino 1-1, Booser 1-1, Jackson 1-1. Umpires: HP-Hernandez, 1B-Lentz, 2B-Jimenez, 3B-Barksdale. T: 2:50. A: 29,638 (38,544). 3B-Bucknor. T: 2:28. A: 43,046 (44,383). N.Y. Yankees 5, Detroit 2 (8) Detroit..........000 000 20 —250 NYY ................110 000 30 —590 Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Ibanez 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .296 a-McKinstry ph-3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .212 Vierling rf-cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .287 Canha dh 4 1 1 0 0 1 .254 Greene lf 3 0 0 0 1 3 .269 Rogers c 3 1 1 0 0 1 .179 Torkelson 1b 3 0 2 1 0 1 .216 Keith 2b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .152 Baez ss 3 0 0 1 0 0 .177 Meadows cf 2 0 0 0 0 2 .097 b-Carpenter ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .258 Totals 29 2 5 2 2 11 N.Y. Yankees AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Volpe ss 3 1 0 0 1 1 .252 Soto rf 4 0 1 3 0 2 .316 Judge cf 3 1 2 1 1 1 .220 Stanton dh 4 0 1 0 0 3 .226 Verdugo lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .261 Torres 2b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .222 Berti 3b 2 1 1 0 1 1 .238 Trevino c 3 1 1 0 0 1 .283 Cabrera 1b 3 0 2 1 0 1 .250 Totals 30 5 9 5 3 13 a-struck out for Ibanez in 8th. b-grounded into a fielder’s choice for Meadows in 7th. 2B: Torkelson 2 (11), Soto (7), Judge (8), Cabrera (5). HR: Judge (7). RBI: Torkelson (12), Baez (10), Soto 3 (28), Judge (20), Cabrera (19). Runners left in scoring position: Detroit 2 (Keith, Carpenter), N.Y. Yankees 5 (Volpe 2, Torres 3). RISP: Detroit 1 for 4, N.Y. Yankees 3 for 11. Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Skubal 6.0 6 2 2 0 12 96 1.90 Miller L, 3-4 0.1 1 3 3 2 1 18 4.60 Chafin 0.1 2 0 0 1 0 23 1.46 Lange 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.73 N.Y. Yankees IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Cortes 6.1 3 2 2 1 9 97 3.72 Hamilton BS, 1 0.1 1 0 0 1 0 14 2.60 Gonzalez W, 2-1 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 4 2.25 Santana S, 2 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 17 3.45 Inherited runners: Chafin 3-0, Lange 3-3, Hamilton 2-0, Gonzalez 2-2. Umpires: HP-Jimenez, 1B-Wolf, 2B-Porter, 3B-Blakney. T: 2:40. A: 35,119 (46,537). Seattle 5, Houston 4 Seattle ........020 001 011 — 5 10 0 Houston ......000 002 200 —480 Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Rojas lf-3b 4 0 3 1 1 0 .360 Rodriguez cf 4 0 0 0 1 1 .261 Polanco 2b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .193 Raleigh c 5 1 1 1 0 2 .210 France 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .255 Garver dh 4 1 1 0 0 2 .156 Raley rf 3 2 1 1 1 1 .230 Moore ss 3 1 1 0 0 0 .200 Urias 3b 3 0 1 2 1 0 .167 b-Haggerty pr-lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 35 5 10 5 4 8 Houston AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Altuve 2b 4 1 2 0 1 0 .343 Tucker rf 3 1 1 2 1 0 .276 Alvarez dh 3 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Bregman 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .202 Pena ss 4 1 1 0 0 1 .323 Singleton 1b 4 1 2 2 0 0 .258 Diaz c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .274 Loperfido cf 2 0 0 0 0 2 .267 a-Dubon ph-lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .274 Cabbage lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .250 c-Meyers ph-cf 2 0 1 0 0 1 .232 Totals 34 4 8 4 2 5 a-flied out for Loperfido in 7th. b-ran for Urias in 8th. c-singled for Cabbage in 7th. 2B: Rojas (4), France (5). 3B: Rojas (2). HR: Raleigh (8), Raley (1), Tucker (9), Singleton (3). RBI: Rojas (7), Raleigh (16), Raley (4), Urias 2 (10), Tucker 2 (23), Singleton 2 (8). SB: Rojas (3), Meyers (1). Runners left in scoring position: Seattle 8 (Rodriguez 3, Polanco 2, France, Garver 2), Houston 3 (Tucker, Bregman, Diaz). RISP: Seattle 3 for 14. GIDP: Polanco, Garver, Bregman. DP: Seattle 1, Houston 2. Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Miller 6.0 6 4 4 1 3 82 2.61 Saucedo 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 15 2.08 Stanek 0.2 1 0 0 0 1 16 4.09 Munoz W, 2-2 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 11 2.03 Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Brown 4.1 5 2 2 4 5 91 8.89 Martinez 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 11 1.89 Montero 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 12 3.78 Dubin 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 16 6.23 Abreu BS, 2 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 21 4.32 Hader L, 1-3 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 15 6.14 Miller pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. Inherited runners: Munoz 2-2, Martinez 1-1. HBP: France, Garver, Moore, Alvarez. IBB: Saucedo (2). WP: Brown. Balk: Abreu (1). Umpires: HP-Valentine, 1B-De Jesus, 2B-Johnson, 3B-Wolcott. T: 2:55. A: 36,280 (41,168). Tampa Bay 7, N.Y. Mets 6 (10) NYM ...... 201 200 000 1 —680 TB ........... 031 000 001 2 —792 N.Y. Mets AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Nimmo lf 3 0 1 1 1 0 .221 Marte rf 4 1 1 0 2 0 .274 Lindor ss 6 1 2 2 0 0 .207 Alonso 1b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .206 Stewart dh 3 0 0 1 1 0 .186 b-Martinez ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .267 e-Taylor pr-dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 .288 McNeil 2b 4 0 0 0 1 3 .231 Bader cf 5 2 1 0 0 2 .278 SUNDAY’S BOX SCORES Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a home run during the first inning against the Braves at Dodger Stadium. KIYOSHI MIO/USA TODAY SPORTS

6NS | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK AUTO RACING Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez rounded out the top five. Verstappen won four of the previous five races this season, having to retire early with mechanical issues in Australia. But Sunday, Norris just outpaced the reigning three-time series champion, who at one point radioed to his Oracle Red Bull team, “I can’t get the car to turn, it’s a disaster.” Norris’ win broke Verstappen’s sixrace winning streak in the U.S. Verstappen failed to win in the Miami Grand Prix for the first time in its three races. Post-race, Verstappen – who started from pole position and won the Miami Sprint Race on Saturday – was full of perspective and the first to congratulate Norris after climbing out of his car. “Once we switched up to the hard tire, they just had more pace, especially Lando, he was just flying,” Verstappen said. “… If a bad day is P2, I’ll take it, right? I’m very happy for Lando, it’s been a long time coming.” Norris’ previous 15 career podium finishes without a win were the most in the series. He’d competed in 109 previous F1 races without a win, and this was only the second win for McLaren in the last decade – all of these factors only contributing to Norris’ elation. “What a drive,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said, still smiling. “Gotta thank everyone back at McLaren and here, all the hard work paid off.” Max Verstappen (1) leads the field during the Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. JOHN DAVID MERCER/USA TODAY SPORTS Miami Continued from Page 1NS Buescher said after watching a replay. “We needed that, but we needed a win more. I thought I might have had that one. … I gave him half a lane too much.” It was Chevrolet’s seventh win and kept Ford winless in 2024. Finishing the top five were Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Hamlin. After a three-hour rain delay, Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota led a front row with Ross Chastain, whose No. 1 Chevrolet took the lead early from the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. Hamlin, last week’s winner, asserted himself with about 15 laps to go, swiped the lead from Larson and took the point. It was his 16th consecutive race leading at least one lap. The JGR driver went on to beat Chastain and Larson to score Stage 1’s full bonus points on Lap 80, his third segment win of 2024. In nearly full sunshine and on a warmer track after the earlier rain, Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports car came alive and pulled away from the field in the second stage before green-flag pit stops began on Lap 118. Despite a slow pit stop with a problem on the left front tire change, Larson rebounded to chase down Buescher in the closing laps, but the No. 17 RFK Racing driver held on for his first stage win while Larson’s No. 5 and Hamlin’s No. 11 followed. However, Buescher had two problems on his pit stop – two of his crew members were over the wall too soon, and his tear-off stuck on his Ford’s roof – sending him to the back of the field. The race’s first accident occurred in Turn 1 when Jimmie Johnson, Corey LaJoie and Austin Hill tangled on Lap 176. The fourth caution flew shortly after the next restart when Austin Cindric, Bubba Wallace and Michael McDowell wrecked on the backstretch. Harrison Burton and Joey Logano were involved in single-car incidents for the next two yellows. NASCAR Continued from Page 1NS Kyle Larson celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. SEAN GARDNER/GETTY IMAGES

SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | 7NS GOLF Brooks Koepka became the first golfer to record four victories on the LIV circuit after posting a two-stroke win on Sunday at LIV Golf Singapore. Koepka carded a 3-under-par 68 to cap his three-day tournament total of 15-under 198, which was two shots better than Australians Cameron Smith (64) and Marc Leishman (66) at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course in Singapore. Defending champion Talor Gooch (67) finished three strokes back of Koepka, who will head into the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club beginning May 16 with confidence as he attempts to capture his sixth major. He won the PGA last year at Oak Hill Country Club – his third win at that event. “Yeah, it’s all starting to come around,” Koepka said. “I’ve put in a lot of work. I feel like on the golf course, off the golf course, it’s been a good two weeks, to say the least. Take a week off and then grinding pretty hard with Claude (Harmon III, his coach) over the last few days, I thought that was very important. Kind of started to see it turn maybe Wednesday, Thursday of Adelaide, so to see it pay off here is huge.” Smith and Leishman powered their Ripper GC to the team title. Ripper GC finished three strokes better than Cleeks GC and Fireball GC. “I kind of knew all year that we were going to get the ball rolling at some point,” said Smith, whose team finished at 32 under. “I think internally that we’re the best team out here, and we’re going to be tough to beat when we all have our best stuff.” Speaking of bests, Koepka appeared to be having the best time of his life as he celebrated Sunday’s victory with his wife and 9-month-old son, Crew. “Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s such a cool feeling. It’s great to have them here. I finished better than 40th or 45th, like the last few times he’s been there. At least (Crew) got to see me do something a little better than that.” Koepka, who turned 34 on Friday, recorded four birdies against one bogey on Sunday to keep Smith and Leishman at bay. LIV GOLF Brooks Koepka during the third round of LIV Golf Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club. EDGAR SU/REUTERS VIA USA TODAY SPORTS Koepka captures fourth title with win in Singapore FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Scott Dunlap recorded his second career PGA Tour Champions victory after weather affecting the greater Houston area both overnight and Sunday morning forced the cancellation of the third round at the Insperity Invitational. In accordance with the tour’s regulations, the results of the first 36 holes would stand as final. The field was forced to play those 36 holes on Saturday after Friday’s action was postponed due to rain accumulation at The Woodlands Country Club. Dunlap’s victory was his first on the PGA Tour Champions since the 2014 Boeing Classic. He carded a 7-under-par 65 through his first 18 holes before polishing off his Saturday with a 2-under showing. His 9-under 135 was one stroke better than the total of both Joe Durant and Australian Stuart Appleby. Dunlap didn’t card a bogey until his 33rd hole of the day – the par-5 sixth. He also had one at the par-4 ninth to close his second round. Defending champion Steven Alker of Australia and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand finished in a tie for fourth at 7-under, one stroke side ahead of Canadian Mike Weir. Champions legend Bernhard Langer, in his first start since tearing his Achilles on Feb. 1, finished in a tie for 31st at 1-under 143 after shooting rounds of 69 and 74. He has won the Insperity Invitational four times. Durant said after play Saturday that he was glad to get the two rounds in, but he foreshadowed that there might not be a third one. “Just a long day,” Durant told the Houston Chronicle after two rounds of 4-under 68s. “I’m just amazed we were able to play quite honestly with the amount of rain we’ve had. Hope we get to play one more round, but we’ll see. Mother Nature wins every time.” PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS Scott Dunlap poses with the trophy after winning the Insperity Invitational after the final round was canceled due to weather. AARON M. SPRECHER/GETTY IMAGES Dunlap wins Insperity Invitational as weather cancels final round FIELD LEVEL MEDIA McKINNEY, Texas — Taylor Pendrith stepped on the 18th green trailing by a shot. He walked off of it a winner of his first PGA Tour event. Pendrith, the 32-year-old Canadian, captured the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson title on Sunday at TPC Craig Ranch thanks to a 4-under 67 effort, but also in part due to a major mistake by one of his playing partners, Ben Kohles. Kohles carded consecutive birdies on Nos. 16-17 to take a one-shot lead into the 72nd hole, but a duffed chip and missed par putt from 5 feet, 6 inches resulted in the lone bogey of the day on the par-5 18th and gave Pendrith a chance to win it outright, which he converted. “It was wild,” Pendrith said. “I hit a really nice shot in there 35 feet probably for eagle and Ben was in a little bit of a tricky spot. He’d been playing so good all day. I expected him to have a putt at birdie, so I was fully prepared to try and make that putt. I didn’t hit the best putt. I was a little disappointed that I left it short, but then when he missed his par putt and I realized I had a putt for the win, it was all a blur really. “I’ve never had a putt to win a PGA Tour event, so my caddie said this is the straightest putt we’ve had all year and just knock it in. It managed to slip in the left. I’m pretty happy.” Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes celebrated greenside with Pendrith, along with wife Meg and son Hayes. Pendrith said he was at Hughes’ first win at the RSM Classic in 2016, so for Hughes, also a former teammate at Kent State, to be the first player to congratulate him was special. The win is pivotal for many reasons. One, it gets Pendrith into next week’s Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. It also gets him one step closer to representing Canada in this year’s Presidents Cup, to be held at Royal Montreal. However, as much as Pendrith drilled the 3 footer for his first Tour victory, Ben Kohles painfully gave him an avenue for an outright win. Kohles, a 34-year-old who was also in the final pairing earlier this year at the Puerto Rico Open, stuffed his approach shot to 2 feet, 4 inches on the par-4 16th, then he drained a 20 footer for birdie on the par-3 17th hole, giving him a oneshot lead walking to the 18th. His tee shot drifted left into the rough, but his second ended up in a patch of rough in front of the 18th green. He had 51 feet to the hole for his third shot, which seems like a routine greenside pitch. It went 23 feet and ended up in a worse lie. “It was sitting up a little bit, but honestly hadn’t seen any rough like that all week,” Kohles said. “Just didn’t hit a great shot. Just needed a little bit more umph on it. I maybe deceled a little bit, but you live and you learn.” His fourth shot landed and kicked hard left off the slope, leaving him a 5 footer for par. He missed it, opening the door for Pendrith to pounce. And he did. Pendrith said he thought an eagle was needed just to get into a playoff on the final hole, and he pounded what he called his best drive of the week on the closing hole. Then his approach found the back of the green, and he lagged his eagle attempt to 3 feet. Kohles, who earned the best finish of his Tour career with a solo second, then missed his par putt, one he said was a good putt, just the wrong line. Pendrith then stepped up, knocked in the winning birdie to finish at 23 under, the same winning score as Jason Day last year, and the celebration was on. Pendrith is the fifth first-time Tour winner this season, the first since Stephan Jaeger at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, and it came in his 74th career start. “Byron Nelson is a special name, and for my name to be on that trophy is super special,” Pendrith said. “You know, it feels unbelievable, and to see some of those names on this trophy, it’s crazy. I still can’t believe that I’m a winner of this tournament. But I’m sure it’ll kick in soon. Yeah, feels great.” Jake Knapp, the 36-hole leader and winner of the Mexico Open earlier this year, was stuck in neutral most of the day after starting Sunday a stroke off the lead. He finished solo eighth. Alex Noren signed for a 65 and a solo third finish at 21 under. Kris Kim, the 16-year-old amateur from England who became the fifthyoungest player to make a cut in a PGA Tour event, shot 2 over in the final round to finish at 6 under for the week. “I think just playing in front of the fans this week,” said Kim on what he’ll remember most. “It’s been quite a bit of adrenaline and everything. It’s been really good. Just makes me want to come back even more.” PGA TOUR Pendrith wins Byron Nelson after wild finish Cameron Jourdan Golfweek | USA TODAY NETWORK Taylor Pendrith plays during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament. ANDREW DIEB/USA TODAY SPORTS

8NS | MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 | SPORTS EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK SOCCER LIVERPOOL, England – Liverpool finally found some form in a 4-2 Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in much-loved manager Juergen Klopp’s penultimate game at Anfield. Strikes from Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott secured a much needed victory for Klopp’s men, who had won one of their previous five league games and seen their title challenge crumble. While still mathematically in with a chance finishing top of the pile, they are five points off leaders Arsenal in the table with two games remaining and four points behind holders Manchester City, who have a game in hand over both. “It was a disappointing few weeks where the results were not what we wanted,” Gakpo told Sky Sports. “Everyone wanted to do their best in the last few weeks but it didn’t work. We wanted to enjoy it (Sunday), play for goals, defend together and it was a good result.” Liverpool talisman Salah, who had a touchline row with Klopp in last week’s 2-2 draw with West Ham United, headed home his 18th league goal of the season when he sprinted onto Gakpo’s diagonal cross to the far post in the 16th minute. Robertson doubled their lead with a tap-in just before halftime after keeper Guglielmo Vicario saved an initial shot from Salah. Gakpo headed in Elliott’s cross in the 50th, then the midfielder bagged his own with a rocket from 20 yards out that curled into the top corner. Richarlison and Son Heung-min pulled two back to make for a lively ending, but a comeback was not on the cards for Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs who are fifth in the table. Chelsea 5, West Ham United 0 LONDON – Chelsea’s first back-toback Premier League wins in four months suggest Mauricio Pochettino’s young side are finally finding their feet as they chase what until recently had looked like an unlikely target of European competition next season. Sunday’s hammering of West Ham United – with Nicolas Jackson scoring twice - represented the second London derby victory in four days for the highspending but inconsistent Blues, after a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. It was the first time that Chelsea won two league games in a row since a run of three wins spanning December and January, and it was the first time all season that they kept two consecutive clean sheets. Brighton 1, Aston Villa 0 BRIGHTON – Brighton & Hove Albion snapped a six-match winless run in the Premier League when they beat Aston Villa at home after Joao Pedro scored an 87th-minute winner in a scrappy affair. With time running out, Brighton’s Simon Adingra won the decisive penalty that allowed Joao Pedro to score his 20th goal of the season in all competitions and give the home side a muchneeded boost amid a drastic downturn in domestic form. The result moved Brighton up to 11th place with 47 points while Villa are fourth with 67 points as they continue to wait to seal a spot in next season’s Champions League with fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur still in the hunt. “I’ve missed this feeling, it’s been a long time. We’ve not been good enough but it’s nice to get back to winning ways,” Brighton captain Lewis Dunk told Sky Sports. “We’ve have a different week this week, away from the training ground and doing a lot of team building. And we’ve got the three points thankfully.” ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Liverpool get back on track, beat Spurs REUTERS Liverpool's Cody Gakpo scores their third goal past Tottenham Hotspur's Guglielmo Vicario. CARL RECINE/REUTERS Rafael Navarro scored in the 16th minute Sunday and the visiting Colorado Rapids never trailed en route to a 2-0 win over New York City FC. Colorado improved to 5-3-3, good for 18 points, despite enduring its usual problems maintaining possession. NYCFC boasted a possession rate of 63.3 percent, outshot the Rapids 15-11 and generated more corners (4-3). But it fell to 4-5-2, staying at 14 points. Colorado established a clear territorial advantage in the first 20 minutes, an edge that paid off via a pretty offensive sequence. Cole Bassett crossed from right to left and found Navarro. He settled the ball and curled an authoritative right-footed shot to the left corner, past the dive of goalie Matt Freese. NYCFC mostly controlled the ball thereafter but couldn’t manage the clinical finish required to equalize. It had a good chance right before halftime, but Kevin O’Toole’s header nestled into the chest of goalie Zack Steffen. Colorado appeared to grab a 2-0 advantage in the 26th minute, but Kevin Cabral erased the marker by going offside. NYCFC made five substitutions in the second half, hoping to inject life into its attack. But its corner kick in the 76th minute failed to produce results as Malachi Jones couldn’t get his header on frame. Bassett sealed the outcome in the 86th minute as he took service from Calvin Harris and made no mistake. It was Bassett’s fourth goal of the year. and his third in five games. Steffen finished with three saves in the clean sheet. Galaxy 0 ,Sounders 0 John McCarthy made five saves as the Los Angeles Galaxy, without two of their top players, earned a road point with a 0-0 draw Sunday afternoon at Seattle. Stefan Frei made three saves for Sounders (2-5-4, 10 points). The Galaxy (5-2-4, 19 points) played without leading scorer Dejan Joveljic (hip injury) and playmaking midfielder Riqui Puig (suspended for yellow-card accumulation), while the Sounders were without right back Alex Roldan (suspension). Los Angeles remained winless at Lumen Field since 2016 (0-5-3). Seattle outshot the Galaxy 19-12. Both teams had quality scoring opportunities in the final half-hour. McCarthy’s poor pass in the 62nd minute was intercepted by Seattle’s Raul Ruidiaz just outside the 18-yard box, but McCarthy made a diving save to his right on the ensuing shot. MLS ROUNDUP Rapids get quick lead, shut out NYCFC FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Colorado Rapids forward Rafael Navarro (9) goes up for a header during the first half against New York City FC defender Birk Risa (5). BRAD PENNER/USA TODAY SPORTS Amanda West scored in the 71st minute to allow the host Houston Dash to come away with a 1-1 draw against the Kansas City Current on Sunday. West found the back of the net after Houston (1-3-3, six points) had plenty of time to mull over a 1-0 deficit, as the match was suspended for four hours due to inclement weather. Temwa Chawinga put Kansas City (5-0-2, 17 points) in front with a goal in the 24th minute, but the Current struggled to get past Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell for the remainder of the match. Campbell finished with 12 saves, matching a NWSL regular-season, single-match record, according to OptaJack. Campbell was especially strong in the match’s waning moments, turning away Claire Hutton in the second minute of second-half stoppage time before preventing Michelle Cooper from scoring four minutes later. Pride 1, Racing Louisville 0 Orlando got a goal from Barbra Banda early in the first half and never looked back to blank visiting Louisville. Banda scored in the 17th minute as the Pride (5-0-3, 18 points) jumped to the top of the standings thanks to their fifth straight win. After Banda put a shot past her, Racing Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund buckled down, keeping the visitors close by stopping another Banda attempt in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. Red Stars 2, Bay FC 1 Chicago overcame an early conceded goal to score twice and take a onegoal victory over its San Franciscobased counterpart. Penelope Hocking tied the score for the Red Stars in the 30th minute, taking an assist from Sam Staab and scoring right up the middle. Teammate Ally Schlegel gave Chicago (4-3-1, 13 points) the lead in the 63rd minute, scoring from outside the box and finding the bottom left corner of the goal. In the eighth minute, Tess Boade gave Bay FC (2-6-0, 6 points) a quick 1-0 lead, putting the ball into the net in the bottom right corner. But with a chance to equalize, Deyna Castellanos missed to the right from the center of the box in the 90th minute. NWSL ROUNDUP Dash come away with draw against Current FIELD LEVEL MEDIA Houston Dash forward Amanda West (16) celebrates after scoring a goal during the second half against the Kansas City Current at Shell Energy Stadium. TROY TAORMINA/USA TODAY SPORTS

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All times Eastern MLB American League East Division W L Pct GB Baltimore 23 11 .676 — N.Y. Yankees 23 13 .639 1 Boston 19 16 .543 4½ Tampa Bay 17 18 .486 6½ Toronto 16 19 .457 7½ Central Division W L Pct GB Cleveland 22 12 .647 — Minnesota 19 14 .576 2½ Kansas City 20 15 .571 2½ Detroit 18 16 .529 4 Chicago 8 26 .235 14 West Division W L Pct GB Seattle 19 15 .559 — Texas 19 16 .543 ½ Oakland 17 18 .486 2½ Houston 12 22 .353 7 L.A. Angels 12 22 .353 7 National League East Division W L Pct GB Philadelphia 24 11 .686 — Atlanta 20 12 .625 2½ Washington 17 17 .500 6½ N.Y. Mets 16 18 .471 7½ Miami 10 26 .278 14½ Central Division W L Pct GB Milwaukee 20 13 .606 — Chicago 21 14 .600 — Cincinnati 16 18 .471 4½ Pittsburgh 16 19 .457 5 St. Louis 15 19 .441 5½ West Division W L Pct GB L.A. Dodgers 23 13 .639 — San Diego 18 19 .486 5½ Arizona 15 20 .429 7½ San Francisco 15 20 .429 7½ Colorado 8 26 .235 14 Saturday’s Scores N.Y. Yankees 5, Detroit 3 Minnesota 3, Boston 1 Chicago 6, St. Louis 5 Chicago 6, Milwaukee 5 Toronto 6, Washington 3 Pittsburgh 1, Colorado 0 Oakland 20, Miami 4 Philadelphia 14, San Francisco 3 Cleveland 7, L.A. Angels 1 Baltimore 2, Cincinnati 1 Texas 15, Kansas City 4 Seattle 5, Houston 0 Tampa Bay 3, N.Y. Mets 1 San Diego 13, Arizona 1 L.A. Dodgers 11, Atlanta 2 Sunday’s Scores Washington 11, Toronto 8 N.Y. Yankees 5, Detroit 2 Pittsburgh 5, Colorado 3 Cleveland 4, L.A. Angels 1 Tampa Bay 7, N.Y. Mets 6 Seattle 5, Houston 4 Texas 3, Kansas City 2 Boston 9, Minnesota 2 Chicago 5, St. Louis 1 Chicago 5, Milwaukee 0 Miami 12, Oakland 3 Baltimore 11, Cincinnati 1 Arizona 11, San Diego 4 L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 1 Philadelphia 5, San Francisco 4 Monday’s Games San Francisco (TBD) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 3-3), 4:05 p.m. Detroit (Maeda 0-1) at Cleveland (McKenzie 2-2), 6:10 p.m. L.A. Angels (Anderson 2-3) at Pittsburgh (Keller 2-3), 6:40 p.m. Chicago (Clevinger) at Tampa Bay (TBD), 6:50 p.m. San Diego (Darvish 1-1) at Chicago (Steele 0-0), 7:40 p.m. Milwaukee (Wilson 2-1) at Kansas City (Ragans 2-2), 7:40 p.m. Seattle (Castillo 3-4) at Minnesota (Woods Richardson 1-0), 7:40 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Manaea 1-1) at St. Louis (Gibson 2-2), 7:45 p.m. Texas (Heaney 0-4) at Oakland (Wood 1-2), 9:40 p.m. Miami (Munoz 1-0) at L.A. Dodgers (Buehler), 10:10 p.m. Tuesday’s Games Texas (TBD) at Oakland (Stripling 1-5), 3:37 p.m. Detroit (Flaherty 0-1) at Cleveland (Allen 3-2), 6:10 p.m. Arizona (Gallen 3-2) at Cincinnati (Ashcraft 3-1), 6:40 p.m. L.A. Angels (Sandoval 1-5) at Pittsburgh (Priester 0-2), 6:40 p.m. Toronto (Berrios 4-2) at Philadelphia (Sanchez 1-3), 6:40 p.m. Baltimore (Burnes 3-1) at Washington (Williams 3-0), 6:45 p.m. Chicago (Soroka 0-3) at Tampa Bay (Eflin 1-4), 6:50 p.m. Houston (Verlander 1-0) at N.Y. Yankees (Gil 2-1), 7:05 p.m. Boston (Crawford 2-1) at Atlanta (Lopez 2-1), 7:20 p.m. San Diego (Vasquez 0-1) at Chicago (Imanaga 5-0), 7:40 p.m. Milwaukee (Rea 3-0) at Kansas City (Lugo 5-1), 7:40 p.m. Seattle (Hancock 3-3) at Minnesota (Ober 3-1), 7:40 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Butto 0-2) at St. Louis (Mikolas 2-4), 7:45 p.m. San Francisco (Harrison 2-1) at Colorado (Hudson 0-5), 8:40 p.m. Miami (Cabrera 1-1) at L.A. Dodgers (Yamamoto 3-1), 10:10 p.m. Wednesday’s Games L.A. Angels (Soriano 1-4) at Pittsburgh (Perez 1-2), 12:35 p.m. Toronto (Bassitt 2-5) at Philadelphia (Nola 4-1), 1:05 p.m. Detroit (Olson 0-4) at Cleveland (Bibee 2-1), 1:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Houser 0-3) at St. Louis (Gray 3-1), 1:15 p.m. Milwaukee (Ross 1-3) at Kansas City (Singer 2-1), 2:10 p.m. San Diego (Cease 4-2) at Chicago (Wesneski 2-0), 2:20 p.m. Miami (Weathers 2-3) at L.A. Dodgers (Stone 2-1), 3:10 p.m. Texas (Lorenzen 2-1) at Oakland (Sears 2-2), 3:37 p.m. Arizona (Montgomery 1-2) at Cincinnati (Greene 1-2), 6:40 p.m. Baltimore (Bradish 0-0) at Washington (Parker 2-1), 6:45 p.m. Chicago (Flexen 1-3) at Tampa Bay (Civale 2-2), 6:50 p.m. Houston (Arrighetti 0-3) at N.Y. Yankees (Rodon 2-2), 7:05 p.m. Texas (TBD) at Oakland (TBD), 7:07 p.m. Boston (Winckowski 1-1) at Atlanta (Sale 4-1), 7:20 p.m. Seattle (Kirby 3-2) at Minnesota (Paddack 2-1), 7:40 p.m. San Francisco (Hicks 2-1) at Colorado (Lambert 2-1), 8:40 p.m. Thursday’s Games Arizona (Cecconi 1-2) at Cincinnati (Abbott 1-3), 1:10 p.m. Seattle (Gilbert 3-0) at Minnesota (Lopez 2-2), 1:10 p.m. San Francisco (Winn 3-4) at Colorado (Quantrill 1-3), 3:10 p.m. Houston (Blanco 3-0) at N.Y. Yankees (Stroman 2-1), 5:05 p.m. Cleveland (Lively 1-1) at Chicago (Fedde 2-0), 7:40 p.m. St. Louis (Lynn 1-0) at Milwaukee (Myers 0-2), 7:40 p.m. Kansas City (Wacha 1-4) at L.A. Angels (Detmers 3-2), 9:38 p.m. Friday’s Games Houston (Valdez 1-1) at Detroit (Mize 1-0), 6:40 p.m. Chicago (Taillon 2-0) at Pittsburgh (Jones 2-3), 6:40 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Schmidt 3-1) at Tampa Bay (Littell 1-2), 6:50 p.m. Arizona (Pfaadt 1-1) at Baltimore (Irvin 3-1), 7:05 p.m. Minnesota (Ryan 1-1) at Toronto (Kikuchi 2-2), 7:07 p.m. Washington (Corbin 0-3) at Boston (Houck 3-2), 7:10 p.m. Philadelphia (Suarez 5-0) at Miami (Rogers 0-5), 7:10 p.m. Atlanta (Morton 2-0) at N.Y. Mets (Quintana 1-3), 7:10 p.m. Cleveland (Carrasco 1-2) at Chicago (Crochet 1-4), 7:40 p.m. St. Louis (TBD) at Milwaukee (Peralta 3-0), 8:10 p.m. Texas (Dunning 3-2) at Colorado (Gomber 0-2), 8:40 p.m. Kansas City (Lynch IV) at L.A. Angels (Canning 1-3), 9:38 p.m. Oakland (Blackburn 3-1) at Seattle (Miller 3-2), 9:40 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Glasnow 5-1) at San Diego (King 2-3), 9:40 p.m. Cincinnati (Lodolo 3-0) at San Francisco (Webb 3-2), 10:15 p.m. NBA Playoffs FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7; x- if necessary) EASTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Boston Celtics 4, No. 8 Miami Heat 1 No. 2 New York Knicks 4, No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers 2 No. 6 Indiana Pacers 4, No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks 2 No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, No. 5 Orlando Magic 3 April 20: Cavaliers 97, Magic 83 April 22: Cavaliers 96, Magic 86 April 24: Magic 121, Cavaliers 83 April 27: Magic 112, Cavaliers 89 April 30: Cavaliers 104, Magic 103 May 3: Magic 103, Cavaliers 96 May 5: Cavaliers 106, Magic 94 WESTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder 4, No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans 0 No. 2 Denver Nuggets 4, No. 7 LA Lakers 1 No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves 4, No. 6 Phoenix Suns 0 No. 5 Dallas Mavericks 4, No. 4 LA Clippers 2 CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS (Best-of-7; x- if necessary) EASTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers May 7: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, 7 p.m. May 9: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, 7 p.m. May 11: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, 8:30 p.m. May 13: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, 7 p.m. x-May 15: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, TBD x-May 17: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, TBD x-May 19: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, TBD No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers May 6: Pacers vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m. May 8: Pacers vs. Knicks, 8 p.m. May 10: Knicks vs. Pacers, 7 p.m. May 12: Knicks vs. Pacers, 3:30 p.m. x-May 14: Pacers vs. Knicks, TBD x-May 17: Knicks vs. Pacers, TBD x-May 19: Pacers vs. Knicks, TBD WESTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks May 7: Mavericks vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m. May 9: Mavericks vs. Thunder, TBD May 11: Thunder vs. Mavericks, 3:30 p.m. May 13: Thunder vs. Mavericks, TBD x-May 15: Mavericks vs. Thunder, TBD x-May 18: Thunder vs. Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. x-May 20: Mavericks vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m. No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves 1, No. 2 Denver Nuggets 0 May 4: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 99 May 6: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m. May 10: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. May 12: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 8 p.m. x-May 14: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, TBD x-May 16: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m. x-May 19: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, TBD NHL Playoffs FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7; x- if necessary) EASTERN CONFERENCE Florida Panthers 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 1 Boston Bruins 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 April 20: Bruins 5, Maple Leafs 1 April 22: Maple Leafs 3, Bruins 2 April 24: Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 2 April 27: Bruins 3, Maple Leafs 1 April 30: Maple Leafs 2, Bruins 1, OT May 2: Maple Leafs 2, Bruins 1 May 4: Bruins 2, Maple Leafs 1, OT New York Rangers 4, Washington Capitals 0 Carolina Hurricanes 4, New York Islanders 1 WESTERN CONFERENCE Dallas Stars 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3 April 22: Golden Knights 4, Stars 3 April 24: Golden Knights 3, Stars 1 April 27: Stars 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT) April 29: Stars 4, Golden Knights 2 May 1: Stars 3, Golden Knights 2 May 3: Golden Knights 2, Stars 0 May 5: Stars 2, Golden Knights 1 Colorado Avalanche 4, Winnipeg Jets 1 Vancouver Canucks 4, Nashville Predators 2 Edmonton Oilers 4, Los Angeles Kings 1 CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS EASTERN CONFERENCE Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins May 6: Bruins at Panthers, 8 p.m. May 8: Bruins at Panthers, 7:30 p.m. May 10: Panthers at Bruins, 7 p.m. TBD: Panthers at Bruins, TBD x-TBD: Bruins at Panthers, TBD x-TBD: Panthers at Bruins, TBD x-TBD: Bruins at Panthers, TBD New York Rangers 1, Carolina Hurricanes 0 May 5: Rangers 4, Hurricanes 3 May 7: Hurricanes at Rangers, 7 p.m. May 9: Rangers at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. TBD: Rangers at Hurricanes, TBD x-TBD: Hurricanes at Rangers, TBD x-TBD: Rangers at Hurricanes, TBD x-TBD: Hurricanes at Rangers, TBD WESTERN CONFERENCE Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche May 7: Avalanche at Stars, 9:30 p.m. May 9: Avalanche at Stars, 9:30 p.m. May 11: Stars at Avalanche, TBD May 13: Stars at Avalanche, TBD x-May 15: Avalanche at Stars, TBD x-May 17: Stars at Avalanche, TBD x-May 19: Avalanche at Stars, TBD Edmonton Oilers vs. Vancouver Canucks May 8: Oilers at Canucks, 10 p.m. May 10: Oilers at Canucks, 10 p.m. May 12: Canucks at Oilers, TBD May 14: Canucks at Oilers, TBD x-May 16: Oilers at Canucks, TBD x-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 7 2 3 24 32 18 Cincinnati 6 2 3 21 13 9 Toronto FC 6 4 1 19 14 14 NY Red Bulls 4 2 5 17 16 16 Columbus 3 1 6 15 12 9 Charlotte FC 4 5 2 14 12 13 NY City FC 4 5 2 14 11 12 Philadelphia 3 2 5 14 19 16 D.C. United 3 3 5 14 16 17 Atlanta 3 4 3 12 14 11 CF Montreal 3 4 3 12 14 20 Nashville 2 3 5 11 14 19 Chicago 2 5 4 10 11 19 Orlando City 2 5 3 9 11 18 New England 2 7 1 7 7 18 Western Conference W L T Pts GF GA Real Salt Lake 6 2 3 21 18 9 D.C. United 6 2 2 20 17 11 LA Galaxy 5 2 4 19 21 17 Vancouver 5 2 3 18 18 10 Colorado 5 3 3 18 18 15 Austin FC 4 3 4 16 14 13 Los Angeles FC 4 4 3 15 19 19 Houston 4 4 2 14 9 10 Saint Louis 2 1 7 13 15 14 Sporting KC 2 4 5 11 18 19 Seattle 2 5 4 10 13 13 Portland 2 5 4 10 20 23 FC Dallas 2 6 2 8 10 15 San Jose 2 8 1 7 17 26 Saturday, May 4 D.C. United 2, Philadelphia 2 Inter Miami CF 6, NY Red Bulls 2 Orlando City 0, Cincinnati 1 Charlotte FC 2, Portland 0 Toronto FC 3, FC Dallas 1 Atlanta 1, D.C. United 2 San Jose 3, Los Angeles FC 1 Houston 0, Saint Louis 0 Nashville 4, CF Montreal 1 Chicago 0, New England 1 Real Salt Lake 1, Sporting KC 0 Vancouver 0, Austin FC 0 Sunday, May 5 NY City FC 0, Colorado 2 Seattle 0, LA Galaxy 0 GOLF The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Sunday McKinney, Texas TPC Craig Ranch Purse: $9.5 million Yardage: 7,414; Par: 71 Final Round Taylor Pendrith .....64-67-63-67—261 (-23) Ben Kohles ..........65-66-65-66—262 (-22) Alex Noren...........64-68-66-65—263 (-21) Byeong Hun An...66-67-66-65—264 (-20) S.H Kim ...............68-64-68-64—264 (-20) Aaron Rai.............67-65-68-64—264 (-20) Matt Wallace .......63-66-67-68—264 (-20) Jake Knapp ..........64-64-67-70—265 (-19) Rafael Campos .....67-67-69-63—266 (-18) Troy Merritt ..........67-62-70-67—266 (-18) Taiga Semikawa...64-68-70-64—266 (-18) Kevin Tway ..........69-66-64-67—266 (-18) Daniel Berger........67-67-67-66—267 (-17) Ben Griffin ............69-64-67-67—267 (-17) Ryo Hisatsune......70-65-68-64—267 (-17) Si Woo Kim ...........68-65-67-67—267 (-17) Kelly Kraft............64-66-68-69—267 (-17) Adam Schenk .......66-67-68-66—267 (-17) Alex Smalley.........65-69-67-66—267 (-17) Austin Cook ..........67-67-70-64—268 (-16) Stephan Jaeger ..66-68-66-68—268 (-16) Zach Harris Johnson 66-67-67-68—268 (-16) Keith Mitchell......66-65-69-68—268 (-16) Jorge Campillo ....68-65-69-67—269 (-15) Nico Echavarria.....67-68-67-67—269 (-15) Chris Gotterup .....67-69-65-68—269 (-15) Patton Kizzire......69-66-66-68—269 (-15) Min Woo Lee.......66-68-66-69—269 (-15) Justin Lower .......66-69-66-68—269 (-15) Kevin Chappell......68-67-72-63—270 (-14) Kevin Dougherty .66-68-69-67—270 (-14) Adrien Dumont De Chassart ...............................67-67-69-67—270 (-14) Nick Dunlap ..........66-67-67-70—270 (-14) Luke List...............67-69-66-68—270 (-14) Max McGreevy......67-66-71-66—270 (-14) Andrew Novak .....68-67-66-69—270 (-14) Davis Riley.............64-67-72-67—270 (-14) Adam Scott..........69-65-68-68—270 (-14) Dylan Wu...............67-69-67-67—270 (-14) Carson Young.......67-69-68-66—270 (-14) Aaron Baddeley ....68-67-67-69—271 (-13) Tom Hoge..............68-67-69-67—271 (-13) Mackenzie Hughes 71-64-72-64—271 (-13) Sung Kang .............68-68-64-71—271 (-13) Ryan McCormick ...67-69-68-67—271 (-13) Maverick McNealy 67-67-68-69—271 (-13) Vince Whaley ........70-63-66-72—271 (-13) Martin Laird...........67-66-72-67—272 (-12) Ben Martin.............67-69-71-65—272 (-12) David Skinns.........65-69-70-68—272 (-12) Brandt Snedeker ..69-66-73-64—272 (-12) Tyson Alexander ..68-67-70-69—274 (-10) Hayden Buckley....65-70-72-67—274 (-10) Harrison Endycott .67-66-71-70—274 (-10) Beau Hossler ........67-68-73-66—274 (-10) Mark Hubbard........71-65-67-71—274 (-10) Tom Kim ...............69-67-69-69—274 (-10) Scott Piercy...........68-67-71-68—274 (-10) Jason Day...............66-70-71-68—275 (-9) Kyoung-Hoon Lee ...66-67-71-71—275 (-9) S.Y. Noh...................69-66-73-67—275 (-9) Joel Dahmen..........67-69-70-70—276 (-8) Sam Stevens ..........70-66-70-70—276 (-8) Henrik Norlander ...68-68-68-73—277 (-7) Kris Kim ..................68-67-70-73—278 (-6) Tom Whitney...........65-70-75-73—283 (-1) TRANSACTIONS Sunday’s Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — P Ryne Nelson Removed From 15-Day IL Right elbow contusion. P Brandon Hughes Sent to Minors. KANSAS CITY ROYALS — P Colin Selby Sent to Minors. Daniel Lynch IV Called Up from Minors. LOS ANGELES DODGERS — P Evan Phillips Placed on 15-Day IL Strained right hamstring. Blake Treinen Removed From 15-Day IL Bruised lung. Blake Treinen Recalled From Minors Rehab. MIAMI MARLINS — P Jesus Luzardo Sent to Minors for Rehabilitation. P Darren McCaughan Designated for Assignment. Eli Villalobos Purchased From Minors. NEW YORK YANKEES — P Nick Burdi Sent to Minors for Rehabilitation. SAN DIEGO PADRES — P Joe Musgrove Placed on 15-Day IL Right triceps tendinitis. P Randy Vasquez Called Up from Minors. Donovan Solano Purchased From Minors. 3B Eguy Rosario Sent to Minors. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — C Tom Murphy Placed on 10-Day IL Sprained left knee. Jakson Reetz Purchased From Minors. P Mitch White Designated for Assignment. P Daulton Jefferies Called Up from Minors. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Dylan Carlson Removed From 10-Day IL Sprained AC joint, left shoulder. Dylan Carlson Recalled From Minors Rehab. C Pedro Pages Sent to Minors. TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Alek Manoah Removed From 15-Day IL Right shoulder inflammation. Alek Manoah Recalled From Minors Rehab. P Brendon Little Sent to Minors. FOOTBALL National Football League KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — G Nick Torres signed. RB Carson Steele signed. CB Christian Roland-Wallace signed. P Ryan Rehkow signed. CB D.J. Miller Jr. signed. G McKade Mettauer signed. T Griffin McDowell signed. DT Fabien Lovett Sr. signed. LB Curtis Jacobs signed. T Ethan Driskell signed. TE Baylor Cupp signed. WR Reggie Brown signed. WR Phillip Brooks signed. LB Swayze Bozeman signed. CB Miles Battle signed. RB Emani Bailey signed. LB Luquay Washington signed. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS — LB Bo Bauer signed. SCOREBOARD New BetMGM customers can sign up today and get a First Bet Offer up to $1,500 using bonus code USATSPORTS. Just download the BetMGM app, deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game. If your first bet loses, you will receive bonus bets in the amount of your bet (up to $1,500). Just make sure you use bonus code USATSPORTS when you sign up. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA). 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). First Bet Offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. See BetMGM.com for Terms. US promotional offers not available in North Carolina, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. ODDS SPONSORED BY BETMGM.COM Andrey Rublev overcame an opening set wobble to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6 7-5 7-5 in the final of the Madrid Open on Sunday to win his second Masters 1000 title. Auger-Aliassime was chasing his first ever Masters title and looked well set for victory before a resurgent Rublev, who had been struggling with a fever during the tournament, recovered to prevail in a little under three hours. The 26-year-old Russian had come into the tournament in Madrid in poor form having lost his previous four matches on the tour but dropped only two sets en route to the title. “No words, if you knew what I’ve been through in the last nine days, you wouldn’t imagine that I would be able to win a title… Last six weeks I was losing in the first rounds,” Rublev said. “I was (close to pulling out) because there were few issues I couldn’t fix, but I have to give full credit to the doctors. They were magical and did some tricky things… Somehow I was able to play. I’ve never seen this in my life. “I would say this is the most proud title of my career. I didn’t sleep well the last three-four days.” Auger-Aliassime had moved into the final when three of his five opponents in Madrid gave him walkovers – including top seed Jannik Sinner who pulled out with an injury before their quarter-final clash. Questions about whether the unseeded Canadian deserved to be in the final were put to rest in the opening set when he clinically dismantled Rublev’s serve. Rublev had the worst possible start when he was broken to love in the first game of the match with two double faults and the Russian quickly found himself 4-1 down as Auger-Aliassime fired several winners. The seventh seed fought back and managed to break Auger-Aliassime but the Canadian was well in control by then, serving well to make optimal use of his strong forehand before sealing the opening set on serve with a resounding winner at the net. But Rublev, who had eliminated second seed and home favourite Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, was far more aggressive with his shot-making in the second set which went with serve. The Russian also found his range on his first serve and constantly put AugerAliassime on the backfoot before clinching the decisive break when he was up 6-5 to force a decider. It was a case of deja vu in the final set too which went with serve until Rublev broke again at 6-5. Auger-Aliassime was under pressure as he served to stay in the contest but he made two double faults, the second handing the title to Rublev in an anticlimactic end to the final. “Congrats to Andrey, very deserving winner. Congrats to you and your team. I tried till the end,” Auger-Aliassime said. TENNIS Rublev downs Auger-Aliassime to win Madrid Open REUTERS Russia’s Andrey Rublev celebrates winning the Madrid Open final against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime. VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA/REUTERS

sTylE tiktok’s sponsorship of the Met Gala is indicative of the app’s increasing influence in the world of high fashion. C1 spoRTs sierra leone’s close loss at the Kentucky Derby wasn’t the first heartbreak for veteran trainer Chad Brown. D1 luncheon rant Former president Donald Trump lashed out at prosecutors and the Biden administration during a private event at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. a4 shear will At the “Sheep to Shawl” contest at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival, contestants race to make sartorial art. B1 in the news ThE EConomy as passwords become passé, Microsoft is letting customers log into accounts with “passkeys” that use biometric authentication. A13 the etiquette of AI political campaigning is still being hashed out, but there are still some dos and don’ts to it. A13 ThE REgion d.C. leaders are endorsing an effort to raise the six-year college completion rate among the city’s students to 80 percent by 2050. B1 an activist for animal rights sued the University of Wisconsin and NIH for blocking her online comments. B1 ThE nATion a study said increased school segregation in recent years has been driven by policy choices. A3 a rift with Trump led the RNC’s top lawyer to resign, people close to the matter say. A4 ThE woRld In Burkina Faso, a dance troupe threatened by Islamist violence performed at a nationwide competition. A8 Israel moved to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in the country. A12 CONTENT © 2024 The Washington Post Year 147, No. 53843 BusinEss nEws.........................A13 ComiCs.........................................C6 oBiTuARiEs..................................B4 opinion pAgEs..........................A14 TElEvision...................................C4 woRld nEws...............................A8 BY REIS THEBAULT AND HANNAH NATANSON T his has been a superlative spring, in the worst ways. The largest campus protest movement of the 21st century. The first criminal trial of a former U.s. president. some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation. And, on top of it all, two world-rattling wars whose horrific daily death tolls are so often overshadowed by domestic crises. From coast to coast, Americans have been thrust under a cloud of chaos that seems to thicken with every breakingnews alert. And in an already contentious and consequential election year, there is seemingly no relief ahead. “everything is on fire,” said Preeti Kulkarni, a freshman at George Washington University, whose campus in the nation’s capital has been riven by clashes over israel’s war in Gaza. For those who lived through the anti-apartheid protests in the 1980s, or the Vietnam War demonstrations of the ’60s and ’70s, the current tumult — and the way it has collided with broader social and political upheaval — echoes some especially tense times in the country’s history. But if the present moment has been one of discontent, it has also been one of dissonance. Polling shows that nearly 80 percent of Americans are generally satisfied with their personal lives. Yet roughly the same share is dissatisfied with the direction the country is headed. Unemployment is at its lowest level in decades, yet voters continue to register their displeasure with President Biden’s handling of the economy. And despite wall-to-wall coverage of campus protests, in one national survey of young people — conducted before the latest round of uprisings — the israelGaza war rated near the bottom of issues that respondents said were most important to them overall. in that same poll, just 17 percent of college students said they had attended a political rally or demonstration. still, historians confirm that this is a troubled and exceptional era, in which deep divisions have infected nearly every inch of public life, from politics to pop culture. “There has been an erosion of democratic values and a rising political tribalism that i think is extremely see CHaos oN a6 In a troubled era, a cloud of chaos Amid college protests, wars overseas and Trump’s trial, is everything ‘on fire’? sPEncER PlATT/gETTy imAgEs BY ANTHONY FAIOLA AND STEFANO PITRELLI iN VATiCAN CiTY S ea gulls soared over st. Peter’s square as Laura esquivel, clad in tight leather pants, aimed herself toward the high walls of the Holy see. “it’s not too much? My makeup?” she asked, self-consciously touching a rouged cheek. “i don’t care what people think. But this is the pope.” she hurried into the Vatican’s cavernous Paul Vi Audience Hall and was ushered to the front row. Before her, a 23-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Jesus gazed down. Behind her, the faithful flashed curious looks. it was the third papal meeting for Laura, 57, a saucy Paraguayan sex worker who, in her realest moments, described herself as “una travesti,” outdated spanish slang for “a transgender woman.” she lived by a code: Tough girls don’t cry. But the first time Pope Francis had blessed her, she couldn’t suppress her tears. see PoPE oN a10 At Vatican, transgender sex workers find acceptance The pope’s outreach has prompted backlash while also altering the lives of those he met AlEssAndRo PEnso foR ThE WAshingTon PosT laura Esquivel prays inside the Church of the Immaculate Blessed Virgin in torvaianica, Italy. she had lost her faith before her meetings with Pope Francis at the Vatican. BY KAREEM FAHIM AND SUFIAN TAHA nUR sHaMs, West Bank — When israeli soldiers arrived at Mohamad Abu sweilem’s door and summoned his son during a raid on this Palestinian refugee camp, he pleaded with the soldiers to take him instead. He could not fathom why the israelis wanted Rajai, a 39-yearold father of four who worked at the family hardware store and was not a militant, he said. The soldiers, who had been in the camp for days, did not seem to know who his son was, or care much: They never asked for identification, his family said. still, they led him away. Less than a minute later, Mohamad heard gunshots, and his son’s voice crying out in pain, he said. The family found Rajai’s body hours later, after the soldiers had withdrawn. They suspect soldiers used him as a human shield to confront militants in a downstairs apartment and then shot him, a claim the israeli military denies. Residents across Nur shams accused the israeli army of using brutal tactics during its raid on militants last month. For more than 50 hours, starting April 18, people were trapped in their homes as electricity, water and internet to the area were cut off. When they emerged, they found roads torn up, houses wrecked and bodies in alleyways. The incursion was the latest in a series of israeli raids in West Bank cities that have made the past few years the deadliest in decades for Palestinians in the israeli-occupied territory, with 2024 on pace to be even more see WEst BaNk oN a9 Residents accuse Israelis of West Bank executions Military denies claims of using human shields in raid against militants BY IAN DUNCAN Carl Hunter was driving his Tesla Model s home on a highway northeast of seattle last month. The Autopilot system was turned on and he was looking at his phone, Hunter later told police. He heard a bang as the vehicle lurched forward, ramming into a motorbike. “i’m not sure how it happened,” Hunter said as he called 911 from the scene. “But i am freaking out.” Jeffrey Nissen, the bike’s 28- year-old rider, was trapped under the Tesla, according to police. He died at the scene. The crash happened four months after scrutiny by federal regulators led Tesla to recall more than 2 million cars to fix safety risks in the Autopilot system. The death added to the toll of at least 20 Tesla crashes under review since the recall, raising concerns not just about the effectiveness of Tesla’s fix, but also the adequacy of oversight by the nation’s auto safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic safety Administration (NHTsA). Critics say incidents like Nissen’s death show in stark terms how the agency is struggling to keep pace with risks introduced on American highways by Tesla’s driver-assistance system, as well as similar technology being advertised to consumers by other car manufacturers, from Ford to Mercedes. some say NHTsA has taken an overly deferential approach to industry in an era of profound automotive innovation, one that promises to make driving easier but creates new risks on the road. Nearly a decade since Tesla first rolled out Autopilot, the agency has yet to set basic standards for self-driving technology. “Their risk-averse approach to regulation puts drivers at greater see rEGUlators oN a7 Car tech outruns federal oversight risks, deaths with self-driven autos Critics say NHTSA is reactive, not proactive Prices may vary in areas outside metABCDE ropolitan Washington. RE V1 V2 V3 V4 Democracy Dies in Darkness monday, may 6, 2024 . A p.m. storm 78/65 • Tomorrow: A brief shower 77/66 B6 $3 BY ERIN COX, LATESHIA BEACHUM AND JOE HEIM Voters on the bus chartered by Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) rolled deep into his opponent’s home turf Friday in Bowie, past a cardboard cutout of Prince George’s County executive Angela D. Alsobrooks’s profile towering over a sea of campaign signs. “Thank you, ma’am. Thank you for coming out,” Trone said, welcoming the senior citizens arriving at an early voting site in the city’s gymnasium. A campaign staffer retrieved a woman’s collapsed walker and opened it, setting it on the sidewalk so that she could get to the polls. A day before, Alsobrooks (D) had line danced with supporters outside the same gym, noting the historic potential of her candidacy as early voting began in the most expensive political race in state history. The onceoverlooked U.s. senate contest catapulted to national prominence with the surprise entrance of a formidable Republican opponent, the popular former governor Larry Hogan. Whoever emerges victorious from the increasingly contentious primary battle May 14 will carry the weight of protecting Maryland’s reliably Democratic seat against an onslaught of spending from Republicans who recruited Hogan into what’s now among a handful of races that could tip the balance of power in the senate. With days remaining to sway voters, the race is increasingly barbed. Attack ads have started to proliferate. Trone has already poured more than $54 million of his personal fortune into the race, outspending Alsobrooks 10 to 1 and saturating airwaves across the state for months. A political action committee see marYlaNd oN a5 Tensions on rise in Maryland primary Democratic hopefuls ramp up rhetoric in race for key U.S. Senate seat Pro-Palestinian protesters last week at City College of New York as police there and across the United states crack down on demonstrations. In a tumultuous time, there seems to be no relief in sight from crises both at home and abroad. Columbia protests: student radio station reports on occupation rivet listeners. A3 Cease-fire talks: A breakthrough in negotiations is still elusive. A12

a2 eZ re the washington post . monday, may 6, 2024 cLaRIfIcaTION l A May 2 Style article about Laura Loomer said that Justin Caporale, Donald Trump’s deputy campaign manager for operations, declined via text message to speak with a reporter about the far-right activist. After the article was published, the Trump campaign clarified that Caporale was declining to speak to The Post in general, not specifically about Loomer. 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Periodicals postage paid in Washington, D.c., and additional mailing office. the Washington Post is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can: email: [email protected]. call: 202-334-6000, and ask to be connected to the desk involved — national, Foreign, Metro, style, sports, Business or any of the weekly sections. comments can be directed to the Post’s reader advocate, who can be reached at 202-334-7582 or [email protected]. BY SARAH ELLISON On Friday morning, Donald Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan revisited a moment from the 2016 campaign when a Washington Post article felt as if it might end Trump’s presidential ambitions. The bombshell scoop from reporter David A. Fahrenthold revealed the existence of the nowinfamous “Access Hollywood” video in which Trump bragged about grabbing women’s genitals. “When you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump told a giggling Billy Bush, who at the time of the 2005 recording was a host on the “Access Hollywood” show. The syndicated show, owned by NBCUniversal, had located the Trump recording in its archives and was preparing its own story. Tipped off by “Access Hollywood,” NBC News was also aware of the tape and was preparing a story, which it planned to run after the entertainment show aired the recording, The Post has previously reported. The Post article, which published on a Friday afternoon in October, drew more than 100,000 readers simultaneously at one point — then the most for any article in the website’s history — and briefly crashed the servers of the newspaper’s internal tracking system. Fahrenthold wrote about the process of breaking the story and described the email he sent that day to Hope Hicks, who was then Trump’s spokeswoman. “1.)Does Mr. Trump have any reason to believe that it is not authentic, and that he did not say these things? 2.)Does Mr. Trump recall that conversation? If so, does he believe there is anything that was *not* captured in this transcript that would make him look better? 3.)Does Mr. Trump have any regrets about this conversation?” In court Friday, testifying for the prosecution, Hicks described how she had forwarded the email to other campaign leaders. Prosecutors then showed an email from Hicks in which she wrote to several senior members of the campaign: “Need to hear the tape to be sure” and “Deny, deny, deny.” Asked about those comments, she chuckled and said that the latter strategy — denial — would become “more difficult” after realizing that the email from Fahrenthold included a transcript of the recording. Prosecutors focused on the video’s release to argue that in the wake of that scandal, Trump and his campaign were highly motivated to prevent further damaging stories about him and women — the sorts of stories that were part of the “catch and kill” scheme at the heart of the trial. The publication of the video cost Bush his new job on NBC’s “Today” show and, as now-former aide Hicks testified Friday, threw the Trump campaign into panic as Republicans roundly condemned Trump’s comments and distanced themselves from his campaign. But the video’s reception in Republican circles set up a powerful dynamic that helped establish Trump’s stranglehold over the party. At first, his closest allies, including his own running mate, Mike Pence, and the head of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, both disavowed Trump’s comments, as did scores of politicians across the spectrum. Paul D. Ryan, then the Republican speaker of the House, declared himself “sickened” by Trump’s words. Ryan canceled a joint campaign appearance with Trump that had been scheduled for the following day. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush called the comments “reprehensible.” Sen. Marco Rubio (RFla.) said they were “egregious.” Ben Carson declared them “unacceptable.” Bush, Rubio and Carson had battled Trump for the Republican nomination. As Trump’s inner circle gathered to plot his next move, Priebus told him he had a choice: to lose in a landslide or step aside in favor of another Republican candidate with a chance to win. But Trump didn’t step aside, and after issuing a weak apology, he emerged from Trump Tower the following day to greet his cheering supporters. “It was the most high-profile time we had seen something bad happen with Trump, and Republicans weigh whether they should distance themselves from him,” said Tim Miller, who was then serving as Jeb Bush’s communications director and has since become a Trump critic. “A few days later, they all got back in line.” The dynamic showed how “pliable” the Republican political establishment would be to Trump, Miller said. But it also established a myth about Trump’s unshakable support, a storyline that media coverage of Trump seemed to bolster, Miller added. Years later, a similar dynamic played out after a much larger event: the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Immediately after, Republican politicians condemned Trump’s role in the insurrection. But as time passed those objections fell away, and early this year, polling showed that more than 7 in 10 Republicans said that too much has been made of the attack and that it is “time to move on.” After ‘Access Hollywood,’ a stranglehold on GOP BY PERRY STEIN AND DEVLIN BARRETT Welcome back to The Trump Trials newsletter, where we are still waiting on key rulings that will determine when and if three of Donald Trump’s criminal cases will go to trial. In the meantime, we’re busy in Manhattan, where the trial of Trump’s fourth criminal case is ongoing — and in the midst of some pretty gripping testimony. Have questions on the trials? Email us at [email protected] and [email protected] and check for answers in future newsletters. Okay, let’s get started. What’s ahead The state of New York’s criminal case against Trump continues today — the 12th day of trial. Prosecutors are not revealing who they will call next to the stand, and so far the witnesses have alternated between obscure figures — like the young paralegal whose job at the Manhattan district attorney’s office includes cataloguing Trump’s social media posts — and high-profile players talking about their conversations with Trump in the White House. The remaining expected witnesses include Stormy Daniels, the adult-film actress who was paid to keep quiet about an alleged tryst with Trump; and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, who says he coordinated the payment to Daniels and whose reimbursement is at the center of the criminal charges. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the Manhattan trial, could rule any day now on whether Trump has continued to violate his court-imposed gag order. Merchan held a hearing Thursday on four recent alleged breaches. (More on that below.) A thousand miles away in South Florida, we’re keeping an eye on the docket of Trump’s classified documents case. Both sides have until Thursday to submit key filings — a deadline that Trump’s lawyers said will be hard for them to meet while they are busy with the New York trial. U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon has not yet said whether she will push it back or keep it as is. Now, a recap of last week’s action. 1. New York: State hush money case The details: 34 charges connected to a 2016 hush money payment. Trial date: Week 4 of the trial starts Monday. Last week: Testimony ranged from the shady world of tabloid gossip to the inner workings of the White House. Daniels’s lawyer, Keith Davidson, took the stand and explained how the National Enquirer outbid ABC for the rights to her story of a claimed affair with Trump. A key moment for prosecutors came when Davidson said he realized that Daniels’s story was most valuable after Trump’s lewd “Access Hollywood” tape became public in October 2016, weeks before the presidential election. That’s key because prosecutors want to show Trump falsified his records when categorizing the reimbursement of the hush money payment to Daniels in an attempt to conceal electionrelated crimes. This testimony helps establish a motive, highlighting that those involved reportedly knew Trump thought any reports about the alleged tryst could hurt him with female voters. And the need for it to stay out of public view became more dire after the “Access Hollywood” video came out. Defense attorneys emphasized Daniels was paid by Trump’s then-attorney, Cohen — a figure no one seems to like. When the defense questioned Davidson, they attempted to portray Trump as a victim of a shakedown, targeted because he was a rich celebrity who could be blackmailed. The week ended with testimony from Hope Hicks, a former top Trump aide who handled the campaign’s response to the “Access Hollywood” tape and alleged affairs. Hicks seemed torn about providing testimony against her former boss and broke down briefly on the witness stand. Her account highlighted to the jury just how worried the 2016 Trump campaign was about negative stories about him and women, and how those issues dogged Trump even after he entered the Oval Office. Nerd word of the week Stipulation: An agreement made at trial between opposing sides, often about a basic fact such as the address of a business. Stipulations are a standard part of the court process, to save the time and hassle of calling witnesses to testify about incontrovertible facts. In the first weeks of the New York trial, however, Trump’s lawyers took a no-holds barred approach and refused to agree to any stipulations. But on Friday they relented and stipulated that an October 2016 Washington Post story revealed the existence of an “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump made offensive remarks about grabbing women’s genitalia. Gag-tracker Merchan ruled Tuesday that Trump violated the gag order nine times around the first week of trial. The order bars him from commenting on witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, or family members of the judge or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The judge found that instances of Trump reposting someone else’s social media statements count as violations of his order — though he noted this is a largely untested area of law. Merchan held another hearing Thursday on four more alleged gag violations. One of Trump’s attorneys later asked if simply posting a link to an article could violate the order. “I think the best advice to give your client is when in doubt, steer clear,” Merchan replied. The judge also emphasized to Trump that nothing about the gag order prevented him from testifying in his defense, should he choose to do so. 2. D.C.: Federal case on 2020 election The details: Four counts related to conspiring to obstruct the 2020 election results. Planned trial date: Unclear Last week: We’re waiting on the Supreme Court to rule on Trump’s claim that presidential immunity from criminal prosecutions extends to his alleged actions around Jan. 6, 2021. The case is frozen until that decision is delivered — which is expected by the end of the court term, late June or early July. 3. Florida: Federal classified documents case The details: Trump faces 40 federal charges over accusations that he kept top-secret government documents at Mar-a-Lago — his home and private club — and thwarted government demands to return them. Planned trial date: Undecided Last week: Prosecutors and defense attorneys met a May 2 deadline for filing motions and exhibits of evidence that may be relevant for trial. Much of this was under seal — meaning the public gets notice they were filed but doesn’t yet know the contents — so we didn’t learn a whole lot of new information. An unsealed version of Trump’s motion to dismiss the case claiming vindictive or selective prosecution by prosecutors is now available on the court docket. The 178-page filing says Trump is being treated differently than other politicians like President Biden and former vice president Mike Pence, who were not prosecuted after classified documents were found in their homes. Trump filed this motion in February, but it was just made public Friday. Cannon has not yet ruled on the request. 4. Georgia: State case on 2020 election The details: Trump faces 10 state charges for allegedly trying to undo the election results in that state. Four of his 18 co-defendants have pleaded guilty. Planned trial date: None yet Last week: Another quiet week in the Peach State. Question Time Q. Why is Judge Merchan, who is presiding over the New York trial, referred to as a Supreme Court justice? Isn’t this just a regular trial? A. You may notice that whenever we first mention Merchan in an article we refer to him as “New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan.” That may seem a bit strange, since we typically think of Supreme Court justices as sitting in either the nation’s highest court or states’ highest courts. But in New York, the State Supreme Court is actually the trial court. That’s the court with the biggest jurisdiction in criminal and civil matters that hears most major cases. If a New York Supreme Court decision is appealed, the appeal goes to one of the state’s four appellate divisions. And the highest court in the state — the court of last resort — is known simply as the Court of Appeals. Confusing, we know. thanks for catching up with us. Want this weekly roundup delivered to your email inbox? sign up at www.washingtonpost.com/ newsletters/the-trump-trials/. The TRump TRIaLs In New York last week: More testimony, tears and an old tape Victor J. Blue For the Washington Post Former president Donald Trump at Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday during the third week of his trial for allegedly falsifying documents related to hush money payments. ATTENTION DEATH NOTICES CLIENTS: Death Notice placements on Sundays and federal holidays to be self-service only Starting May 1, 2024, The Washington Post Paid Death Notices Department will utilize a self-service only system on Sundays and federal holidays. There will not be any team members available to speak with on these days. As always, team members will be available during regular, non-holiday business hours Monday-Saturday. The deadline to place a death notice will remain 4pm on Sunday for a Monday insertion. 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monday, may 6, 2024 . the washington post eZ Re A3 Politics & the Nation BY LAURA MECKLER It’s well documented that after falling for years, school segregation has risen again in the United States. But why? New research by academics at the University of Southern California and Stanford University concludes that some popular theories are not to blame. Ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, a study being released Monday shows a pronounced increase in school segregation since 1988, particularly in large school districts with significant numbers of Black students. Overall, school segregation between Black and White students has increased by 25 percent since 1991 in the 533 large districts serving at least 2,500 Black students — a significant increase but nowhere near the decline that occurred in the aftermath of Brown, according to the study. (Of note: The paper makes clear that most of the school segregation in the United States is driven by demographic differences between districts, not within them.) A school district that was entirely segregated would score 1.0 on the researchers’ segregation scale, whereas a perfectly integrated district, where every school perfectly matched the overall district’s demographics, would score 0.0. Looking at the nation’s 100 largest districts, segregation was 0.45 in 1968. That fell to 0.17 by 1986 and then rose to 0.28 by 2019, researchers found. So while schools are nowhere near as segregated as they were before courts began enforcing the Brown decision, segregation has risen in recent decades. Researchers offered the example of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools system in North Carolina, where segregation was absolute — a score of 1.0 — in 1950, before Brown. By 1968, it remained a still-high 0.66 — at that time, the average White student’s school was 10 percent Black, while the average Black student’s school was 76 percent Black (the difference between 10 and 76 produces the score of 0.66). Then, in 1971, after the courts ordered a desegregation plan in another landmark court case, this one involving the CharlotteMecklenburg district, the segregation score there shrank to just 0.03. (The average White student’s school was 31 percent Black; the average Black student’s school was 34 percent Black.) By 1991, it was still low at 0.10 before rising again. In 2022, segregation had reached 0.44. The study finds that the rise nationally was not driven by increasing housing segregation. Housing segregation certainly helps explain school segregation. But since 1991, housing has become less segregated. The study also finds that rising school segregation is not driven by racial economic inequality because racial economic inequality also declined over this period. Both of these trends “would have led to lower school segregation, had nothing else changed,” said the paper by Ann E. Owens, a sociologist at USC, and Sean F. Reardon, a professor of poverty and inequality in education at Stanford. So what does explain the rise? Rather than systemic forces that are difficult to change, these trends are driven by policy choices, they conclude. The researchers point to two specific policies: federal courts releasing school districts, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg, from obligations to desegregate schools beginning in significant numbers in the late 1990s; and school-choice policies that let parents pick what school their children attend. “It’s not these big structural factors that are outside the school districts’ control that are driving this,” Reardon said in an interview. “It’s things that are under the control of the educational system.” Court-ordered desegregation plans implemented based on the Brown decision had reduced segregation. But then judges began lifting those orders. “If you switch from an active desegregation effort and go back to neighborhood schools, school segregation is going to go up a lot,” Reardon said. Had those court orders not been lifted, the study estimates that school segregation would have grown 20 percent less than it did. At the same time, choice systems such as the introduction of charter schools allowed parents more control — and many used that to choose schools with students like their own. The new study specifically looked at the growth of charter schools and found that if charter schools had not expanded, school segregation would have grown 14 percent less. These two factors account for all of the rise in school segregation from 2000 to 2019, the paper found. The rising segregation “appear to be the direct result of educational policy and legal decisions,” the paper concludes. “They are not the inevitable result of demographic changes — and can be changed by alternative policy choices.” An unexpected explanation for spike in school segregation: Policy choices eveRt nelsOn/aP A Brown v. Board of Education mural at Kansas’s Capitol. A study coming out Monday shows a rise in school segregation since 1988. BY JUSTINE MCDANIEL AND DANIEL WU As New York City police assembled around Columbia University on Tuesday evening, student journalist Tanvi Krishnamurthy typed out an all-caps tweet from the college radio station’s account: “PLEASE TUNE IN NOW.” Police were in riot gear. Demonstrators were chanting outside. Pro-Palestinian protesters had barricaded themselves in a university building. With the country wondering what would happen inside Columbia’s gates — and onlookers and other reporters blocked from the campus — WKCR’s student journalists began delivering a live picture of the tumult that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Despite heavy police presence, university orders to go inside and a lack of sleep and supplies, the team of 18 undergraduates broadcast the news to the nation as an extraordinary series of events unfolded on Columbia’s campus. More than 21,000 people streamed the broadcast online and countless others listened via FM radio, as social media users spread the students’ reporting. “Everyone understood that what was possibly going to happen was going to be big,” Georgia Dillane, a Barnard College junior and the station’s program director, told The Washington Post. But the student journalists had no idea how big — or how strongly people would react. “You are keeping democracy alive,” one person wrote on the station’s final Instagram post of the night. “The world appreciates your brave and professional service,” another said. “Gives me hope for journalism,” commented a third. It even drew the attention of the Pulitzer Prize Board, which commended Columbia students — who also included the Columbia Daily Spectator reporters and journalism graduate students — saying they “worked to document a major national news event under difficult and dangerous circumstances and at risk of arrest.” (The Pulitzer Prizes are housed at Columbia.) Relying on the immediacy and intimacy of radio, the students’ on-the-ground reporting in multiple places allowed them to keep eyes on the fast-moving action. The coverage was “not just about what the politics are of bringing NYPD onto campus,” Dillane said, “it’s about what it feels like to be a student witnessing that at a place where you go to class.” By the time the world began tuning in between 8 and 9 p.m. Tuesday, some of the WKCR students had been up for nearly 36 hours, covering the protesters’ occupation of Hamilton Hall the prior night. With entry to campus barred, the 10 reporters there had to stay if they wanted to have anyone to cover the story. Their colleagues had been running food and battery packs to the gates all day, passing the supplies through the bars. They were also risking discipline for ignoring a university order to shelter in place. Later, some would be blocked by police from entering the station studio. Others would be kept inside the journalism school under threat of arrest. Meanwhile, the news would unfold. All that time, WKCR 89.9 would stay on the air. ‘Things are heating up’ The WKCR reporters were assembled Tuesday evening, sleepdeprived but ready, as dusk fell and a feeling of tension mounted. They had been reporting on the story since the early hours of April 17, when the first protest encampment went up. That encampment had sparked the wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at colleges across the country. In the following weeks, as more than 2,000 people have been arrested, according to a Post count, student journalists have doggedly covered the scenes on their campuses, in many cases watching police come onto campus or arrest their peers. WKCR station manager Ted Schmiedeler, a sophomore, along with colleagues Ian Pumphrey and Macy Hanzlik-Barend, was among the first reporters on the scene April 17 — “before there was national media attention, before people on campus even knew what was going to happen.” Now, he and nine other reporters were stationed around Hamilton Hall, waiting for something to happen. They listened to their colleagues off-campus report that NYPD was shutting down streets and putting up barricades as tensions rose outside the campus gates. Inside, there was an eerie anticipation. One earbud in and battery packs plugged into phones, the WKCR students passed the report back and forth, giving protest and police updates. As they had done on other days, students in the field stayed on a Zoom call with those in the studio, who broadcast it live, recounted Dillane, 21, and Schmiedeler, 20, who together spoke to The Post last week on behalf of WKCR. Listeners became familiar with the reporters’ first names and where they were stationed as the students spoke. “It really seems like things are heating up here,” Schmiedeler said on air sometime after 8 p.m. Then a university alert announced a shelter-in-place — anyone who stayed outside could face discipline. Schmiedeler didn’t move from his spot outside the hall. He looked around at the other student journalists. Nobody was going inside. Schmiedeler gave Dillane a big hug, then walked over to senior David Gonzalez and sophomore Ella Presiado, the two other reporters outside Hamilton. They embraced, then waited. “Everyone recognized what could happen would be possibly dangerous,” Dillane said, “but we wanted to prioritize our coverage.” Soon, reporters on the street saw NYPD officers cross through the campus gate. Those at Hamilton Hall prepared. The journalists’ many vantage points in and around campus were paying off. The tone of the broadcast became more urgent as students interrupted one another with updates. “Things very quickly escalated. If people were listening, you could hear the jumping back and forth between people’s perspectives,” Dillane told The Post. “ … It was very important to convey to listeners that these things were happening all at the same time.” Dillane and Gonzalez were paired up outside Hamilton Hall. Their broadcast riveted listeners as police pushed spectators and press away from the area. “We are now being escorted off the premises, both press, spectators, anyone else. Frankly no one here is left to document whatever might go down at Hamilton Hall as we are now being told to leave the premises,” Gonzalez said. “We are now being escorted off the premises by NYPD.” They didn’t want to leave: Who would remain to document whatever was about to happen? “If ourselves and every other student press weren’t going to be able to be on campus to bear witness to this, we weren’t sure who was,” Dillane later recalled. Also outside, Schmiedeler and Presiado documented the commotion as NYPD told students to go inside, but campus public safety officers refused to let anyone but residents into the dorms. In the studio, the team had begun realizing that a lot of people were listening to WKCR. They started adjusting the audio quality to accommodate more listeners, thanking people for tuning in. “We have a wildly unprecedented number of streamers right now,” Hanzlik-Barend had said around 8:40 p.m., about 20 minutes before the police approached Hamilton. Now, sheltering in the basement stairwell of a dorm, Schmiedeler got an automated text alert: The station’s live stream had crashed. He’d seen that alert before because of technical issues. Never had he imagined it would happen because too many people were tuning in. More than 13,000 people were trying to access the website. “It was a real emotional moment,” he said. “To see that not only members of our community, not only members of the New York City community, but people all across the world … were relying on our coverage was a surreal moment for me.” Most of the reporters in the field found out the stream was crashing from their own broadcast — and didn’t have much time to dwell on it. “I had no idea because I was so focused on what was happening,” Dillane said. “Then we were hearing over Zoom … to everyone, all the listeners, ‘Our stream is down right now, please if you can move to FM.’” ‘It became emotional’ After NYPD removed onlookers from the scene, the radio station lost its direct view of Hamilton Hall. On a student’s Instagram live stream, they saw police entering the hall through a window. But two reporters still had a vantage point: Senior Sarah Barlyn and sophomore Sawyer Huckabee, stationed on a ramp near the side of the building, soon saw the police bringing occupiers out of the buildings. Meanwhile, some of the station’s other field reporters had taken refuge in Pulitzer Hall, which houses the journalism graduate school. The NYPD would later enter the building and warn that anyone exiting would be arrested, preventing WKCR and graduate students from leaving to report. NYPD officers eventually arrested 109 people. Outside, from 114th Street, reporters Ben Erdmann and Natalie Najar, both juniors, saw corrections buses arrive at the campus, get loaded with detained occupiers and pull away. The night seemed to be ending. Dillane and Gonzalez persuaded NYPD officers to let them walk back to the radio station, while senior Maria Shaughnessy negotiated with campus officers for Presiado and Schmiedeler’s exit from a dorm. That trio made it onto Amsterdam Avenue, where they met six colleagues who had been stuck in Pulitzer Hall. One of them, Casey Lamb, had turned 20 in the building when the clock had passed midnight. The group embraced in the middle of the street. Schmiedeler began crying when he saw his friend Pumphrey; they’d begun this coverage together so many days earlier. When the students got to the station, it was the first time the radio’s staff had been in the same room since their protest coverage had begun. “I think we all hugged the tightest we had in the two weeks,” Schmiedeler said. “It became emotional to look at everyone in the same space and recognize we had just all done that and been a part of that.” The students said Thursday they were gratified by the public’s response to their work and grateful that people had recognized both the value of radio and of student journalism. They didn’t want attention, Dillane said — they just wanted to get the news out. The students are planning for the coverage to continue for as long as the story lasts. They’re also processing what they experienced. “It’s probably something,” said Dillane, “that’s going to be on our minds for a very long time.” They tried to get some rest on Wednesday, programming the station to play its usual jazz music. Still, that morning, WKCR was alerted to another protest forming. The reporters didn’t need to have much discussion. They went outside and began to cover it. At Columbia, student radio station just kept broadcasting 20,000 streamed the reporting from campus during hall’s occupation Caitlin OChs/ReuteRs Columbia University students who broadcast on WKCR work outside Hamilton Hall after protesters barricaded themselves inside. By mid-evening Tuesday, some of the student journalists had been up for nearly 36 hours, covering the protesters’ occupation. “Things very quickly escalated. If people were listening, you could hear the jumping back and forth between people’s perspectives. … It was very important to convey to listeners that these things were happening all at the same time.” Georgia Dillane, a Barnard College junior and WKCR’s program director

A4 eZ Re the washington post . monday, may 6, 2024 BY JOSH DAWSEY AND MICHAEL SCHERER The top lawyer at the Republican Party is resigning after he cited conflicts with his other work obligations and after Donald Trump grew angry about his criticism of the former president’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, people familiar with the situation said Saturday night. The lawyer, Charlie Spies, is a long-respected GOP election operative who was hired by Trump’s top lieutenants in March after the former president engineered a takeover of the Republican National Committee, which in recent years has been the party’s main operation in both fundraising and field operations. Trump had approved of the hiring but later learned about additional comments the lawyer had made. Spies in the past had worked for, either directly or indirectly, former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). He was liked by Trump’s top advisers, who orchestrated his hiring even though they knew he was skeptical of Trump’s false claims of a stolen election. “Charlie approached RNC chief of staff Chris LaCivita about potential time commitment conflicts, and it was agreed that while we appreciate and value Charlie’s expertise and professionalism he could not do this role full time and still maintain the obligations to his law firm practice that he has spent years successfully building,” campaign spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez said in a statement late Saturday. Spies had been tasked with leading the party’s vast legal spending and election integrity program, and his hire was viewed as a sign Trump’s RNC could attract significant party talent. Trump aides had worked to save Spies from being ousted after learning Trump was angry about his previous comments. They’re trying to convince Trump that Spies wasastronger election lawyer than others and to forgive the comments, said people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. He was viewed as close with LaCivita and Susie Wiles, Trump’s two top aides. Trump advisers have sought to remake the GOP in recent months, removing dozens of the organization’s employees and quizzing applicants on whether they thought the 2020 election was stolen as part of interviews to stay in jobs. But Trump’s current team hired Spies, which was puzzling to some Trump allies and friends, who questioned his loyalty to the former president. In recent weeks, Spies had become increasingly involved in the organization. Spies has been flabbergasted by the drama privately, a person close to him said, believing he had the universal support of Trump’s orbit when taking the job. Trump has grown angry in the past with other Republican Party attorneys. In 2020, he grew apoplectic when he was told that the party’s then-chief counsel mocked some of the electionfraud claims in emails with other Trump lawyers and disputed that the election was stolen. Spies is a widely praised Republican election attorney, having pioneered the use of unregulated money from wealthy donors to fund presidential campaign efforts for super PACs. He has represented conservative influencers in litigation against Twitter for alleged discrimination against conservative voices on the platform, and he defended the right of politicians, including Trump, to stand for reelection despite the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. He was fiercely critical of Democratic efforts to change voting rules in advance of the 2020 election. He has also sued in attempts to force the trimming of voter rolls, and in 2022 he won a court ruling that invalidated the Michigan secretary of state’s instructions to poll watchers. Spies has also repeatedly defended the presidential election system as being nearly impossible to rig, citing the broad distribution of authority in managing elections. During a 2021 appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, he said correctly that allegations of widespread voting machine error in Michigan were false and that repeated recounts in Georgia had failed to show any voter fraud in the 2020 race there. “Let’s win the elections, and not get worried about things that aren’t true,” he said at that event. Rift with Trump over election claims leads to top RNC lawyer’s resignation BY MARIANNE LEVINE, JOSH DAWSEY AND MAEGAN VAZQUEZ PalM BEaCH, Fla. — Former president Donald Trump escalated his attacks on prosecutors at a private luncheon here Saturday, referring to special counsel Jack Smith with an expletive and accusing Democrats of “running a Gestapo administration,” according to audio provided by a Republican donor. He called Smith—who is prosecuting federal cases involving Trump’s handling of classified documents and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol — a “f---ing a--hole.” He continued to mock another prosecutor, District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) of Georgia’s Fulton County, for her past relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade, calling her “Mrs. Wade” and “a real beauty.” The former president also told the crowd at his Mar-a-Lago Club that he was surprised when he got indicted. “Once I got indicted, I said holy s---, I just got indicted. Me, I got indicted. In fact, Lara, if she knewIgot indicted, she probably wouldn’t have joined the family,” he said, referring to the wife of his son Eric. “I got indicted like Alphonse and like all these people,”areference to the gangster Al Capone. Trump complained about former attorney general William P. Barr for not backing him on false claims of election fraud, saying he now needs a top prosecutor with “courage” if he is elected again. Trump—who faces 88 criminal charges in four separate state and federal cases — has made attacks on prosecutors a central part of his bid for a return to the White House and has repeatedly claimed without evidence that he is the victim of a weaponized legal system. Saturday’s remarks illustrated the central role his legal cases are playing in his bid to return to the White House for a second term, even in a private setting. Trump was indicted last year in the four cases: New York charges of falsifying records to allegedly cover up a hush money payment to an adult-film actress during the 2016 presidential campaign; federal charges of mishandling classified documents and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them; and federal and Georgia state charges of interfering with the 2020 election results. He is currently standing trial in the hush money case. The remarks were part of a wide-ranging talk Trump gave to donors and lawmakers at his Florida estate. About 400 people who gave at least $40,000 each attended, according to people familiar with the planning who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private event. He spoke for about 90 minutes, and the remarks veered widely. He spent time musing about who would be his vice president, with a number of the potential contenders in the room. And he offered unequivocal praise for the embattled House speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), who was in the crowd, telling him that “you’re doingavery good job.” He added that other Republicans should “leave him alone,” even as one of Trump’s allies, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), is preparing a seemingly doomed effort to oust Johnson from his job this week. The event, according to the audio and attendees, was quintessential Trump. At one point, as if he were at an auction, he told the crowd: “Anyone who makes a $1 million donation right now to the Republican Party…I will let you come up and speak.” Two donors then came to the stage, and one told the crowd, “Donald J. Trump is the person that God has chosen.” At another point, Trump complained about having to take so many pictures with donors and told people in the crowd that if they didn’t get a picture, it was because they didn’t give enough money. He also claimed that a wedding at the property got preference over the donors because the wedding was paying more per person to be there. Trump spent many minutes making false claims about the 2020 election, claiming Democrats “rigged and stole that election, and we’re not going to let that happen again.” He bragged about his golf game extensively, citing tournaments at his own clubs that he ostensibly won. He touted the value of Mar-a-Lago and said its ballroom had raised more money for charities than other properties, calling it the “center of the universe.” “When you are Democrat, you start off essentially at 40 percent because you have civil service, you have the unions and you have welfare,” Trump said. “They get welfare to vote and then they cheat on top of that. They cheat.” He recounted his 2016 victory over former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and claimed he receivedabetter deal than her on the venues chosen for their respective election night parties. The Biden campaign slammed Trump’s remarks, dismissing his criticisms of Democrats. “What Donald Trump dismisses as ‘welfare’ to his billionaire donors are benefits that Americans have earned,” like Social Security and Medicare, a statement, posted on X on Sunday, read. The campaign also attacked his allusion to Nazi Germany in his comments about the Gestapo tactics. “Trump is once again making despicable and insulting comments about the Holocaust, while in the same breath attacking law enforcement, celebrating political violence, and threatening our democracy,” the statement continued. Trump delved into several other topics as well. He lamented the bribery charges lodged against Rep. Henry Cuellar (DTex.), suggesting that he “got indicted for political reasons, because he was tough on the border.” According to a federal indictment unsealed Friday, Cuellar and his wife accepted $600,000 in bribes from an oil company controlled by the Azerbaijan government andabank headquartered in Mexico. During the luncheon, Trump invited numerous lawmakers to the stage and offered stories about each one. He also openly discussed potential vice-presidential candidates, comparing them in the style of his former reality show, “The Apprentice.” “It’s funny when I listen to the fake news, they all say, ‘Well, you know, he’s going to have a hard time getting people in his administration because he’s very tough and I’m not sure he can get anybody to be vice president of the United States,’” Trump said. “I’ve got 50 people calling me, begging me…‘I’ll cut off my right arm, sir. Please, I want to be the vice president.’ These are ambitious politicians.” Among those widely mentioned as vice-presidential hopefuls, he praised Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for her questioning of the president of Harvard University during a hearing on antisemitism on campus, saying “everybody said she’s going to be the vice-presidential candidate.” He called Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) “one of the greatest surrogates.” He said Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) “turned out to be incredible.” He praised Sen. Marco Rubio (RFla.) as “a talented guy,” adding, “Every time they say, ‘Is he being considered?’ and I say, ‘Absolutely.’” He called North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum “really impressive” and observed he wasn’t “getting any airtime” during the GOP primary, when Burgum made a short-lived White House run. At one point in his remarks, Trump — who has struggled with how to address his own handling of the pandemic — asked: “What does covid mean?” “I call it, affectionately, the China virus,” he said, a reference to the outbreak’s initial appearance in Wuhan, China. He then said that if he is reelected and China makes a good deal with him, he will stop using the term. Dawsey reported from savannah, ga., and Vasquez reported from Washington. Trump blasts prosecutors, Democratic administration at Florida luncheon saRa sTaThas FoR The WashingTon PosT Former president Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Waukesha, Wis., on Wednesday. Donors, lawmakers and running-mate contenders flock to Palm Beach Everything seems to be celebrated with a day or a week or a month, often for pecuniary purposes. There’s National Yo-Yo Day, Handwashing Awareness Week, and National Picnic Month. That conglomeration of commemorations, however, should not dilute the importance of the time devoted to honor workers who serve all of us, all the time. May 5-11 is Public Service Recognition Week,aperiod when public employees at all governmental levels — federal, state, county, local and tribal — are acknowledged for their work. But they also face challenges, including threats of undue political interference against the fundamental concept of a nonpartisan civil service. At the local level, those threats have targeted election workers, public health officials, teachers and librarians. A select group of federal workers exemplify the government’s indispensable work. They are finalists for the annual Service to America Medals, a.k.a. Sammies, awarded by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. This year there are 25 finalists, some recognized as individuals and some in teams, with a total of 43 individuals out of more than 2 million federal employees. All are eligible for selection as Federal Employee of the Year. The winners will be feted in September at the Kennedy Center. “These public servants are the best our nation has to offer, and their accomplishments show just how important an expert career federal workforce is to all of us,” said Partnership President and CEO Max Stier. “Federal employees like these are the heart of an effective government.” Yet, at the same time, “this is probably the most toxic atmosphere for the federal workforce I’ve experienced in my entire life,” said Doreen P. Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and a Sammies judge. She spent 35 years with the Internal Revenue Service, often a target of criticism. She did not nameaparty or a politician but her reference to Republicans — and likely to GOP nominee Donald Trump’s plans to gut the federal workforce — was clear. “Not only do we have campaign promises from politicians to fire as many federal employees as possible,” she added, “we have officeholders and candidates who deploy rhetoric like ‘deep state’ and ‘woke bureaucrats’ in order to stoke mistrust of the very people who do nothing but serve the public good.” The finalists list is too long for this space to name everyone honored. Butasurvey of some of the types of achievements highlighted in each of the awards’ five categories shows the federal workforce’s beneficial impact on taxpayers. The quoted descriptions were provided by the Partnership. l One of the Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement nominees “advocated for and implemented a federal program to promote historically Black colleges and universities as innovation hubs that bridge the digital divide for underserved communities.” l An Emerging Leaders nominee led Medicare and Medicaid teams that created “online services that help patients dispute unexpected medical bills and hospitals make their prices transparent to the public.” l Among the Management Excellence nominees is one recognized for organizing “critical research projects that exposed gaps in vehicle safety features, and uncovered shortcomings in the reliability of the U.S. rail and highway systems.” l A Safety, Security and International Affairs nominee provided services “leading to the reopening of a major interstate highway in Philadelphia less than two weeks after a fiery gasoline tanker crash destroyed a bridge over an exit ramp.” l One Science, Environment and Technology nominee “created the world’s first tornado-resistant building codes … that will save lives and protect critical facilities like schools, hospitals and emergency centers from extensive property damage.” While doing these and many more good works, feds also confront proposals and actions that NTEU, which represents workers across the government, opposes because, a union statement says, “of the threat they pose to federal employees.” That includes Trump’s 2020 executive order imposing a federal employment category, called Schedule F, that would make it easier to fire feds faster for partisan reasons. President Biden quickly ended that when he took office. But if Trump is reelected this year, he promised to reissue the directive and “wield that power very aggressively.” Republican legislation would make Schedule F law. Republican lawmakers have introduced several other bills in recent months that would also target the federal workforce. These bills would: lMake all executive branch workers at-will employees, meaning they could be fired without the due process protections used to prevent a workforce politicized by partisans. The bill would abolish the Merit Systems Protection Board, which protects against prohibited personnel practices in the federal government. lMove federal offices out of the Washington area, disrupting operations and the lives of thousands of employees and their families. The name of this bill, the Drain the Swamp Act, is taken directly from Trump’s rhetoric, which offended feds by essentially labeling them swamp dwellers. It should be noted that only about 15 percent of federal employees live in broadly defined metropolitan Washington, which extends to West Virginia, indicating the vast majority of federal operations already are outside the region. l Prohibit most executive branch employees from serving more than 12 years. Uniformed and civilian Defense Department employees, and federal law enforcement officers would be exempt. Curiously, this legislation would not apply to presidential appointees, who generally are political party loyalists. Meanwhile, members of Congress would continue to have no term limits. None of these bills have gained traction in the closely divided House and would probably face defeat in the Democratic Senate. The toxic atmosphere Greenwald cited is fed by bills like these that rest on negative assumptions about the federal workforce and by proposals like those of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, long an incubator and supporter of GOP policies. Its 2023 “Mandate for Leadership” disparages federal employees, saying they “are often ideologically aligned — not with the majority of the American people — but with one another, posing a profound problem for republican government, a government ‘of, by, and for’ the people.” Sammies’ finalists present a different, a more accurate view of the federal workforce. “Federal employees are working on our behalf every day, often in ways we don’t see or realize,” Stier said. “The Sammies bring their remarkable stories to light and open our eyes to the incredible impact of public servants.” Sammie awards honor feds’ good works as they face ‘the most toxic atmosphere’ Federal Insider Joe davidson MoRiah RaTneR FoR The WashingTon PosT Public employees will be recognized during Public Service Recognition Week, which started Sunday, but workers face an increasingly toxic political atmosphere, a public employee union official said.

monday, may 6, 2024 . the washington post eZ re A5 called Women Vote put nearly $1.5 million starting Saturday behind an ad airing in Baltimore that criticizes Trone’s business giving political contributions to republicans who oppose abortion — a criticism Alsobrooks frequently leveled in forums. (Trone rebuts it with his high rating from Planned Parenthood and financial support of a Western maryland abortion clinic.) He was the first to go negative, airing ads last weekend with leaders from Prince George’s who sided with him — and later editing it to remove a surrogate’s comment that suggested Alsobrooks needed “training wheels.” The pair top a crowded field and have few policy disagreements, offering Democratic voters a choice largely between identity and style — and the likelihood of beating republicans in November. “They both have great records, and they’re both great people,” voter Terry Dorsey, 67, of Nottingham, said outside a Baltimore County early voting center last week. But she “wants to make sure the Democrats can maintain the majority” and decided to cast a ballot for Trone because she thought “he can beat Hogan.” Diane Beal-Tydings, also 67, said outside a Prince George’s voting location that having a Black woman in the Senate was critical and cast a vote for Alsobrooks, who is Black. “only we know what we go through,” Beal-Tydings said. “She’s a role model for those young kids coming up because they can see: If she can do it, I can do it, too.” Alsobrooks, who could be the first Black person that racially diverse maryland sends to the Senate and the only woman in the congressional delegation, built an enviable battalion of the state’s top Democrats. Trone, the multimillionaire owner of Total Wine & more who has shunned corporate donors and funded his own campaign, secured the backing of influential labor unions and many congressional colleagues, state leaders and Prince George’s County officials. He built an early lead in polls before she went up on TV in earnest. In recent days, Trone faced backlash for minimizing her supporters in an NBC 4 interview after characterizing Prince George’s officials who endorsed Alsobrooks as “low level.” “By calling a majority of the County Council, seven of our eight State Senators, our State MARyLAnD from A1 Treasurer, and a sitting member of the U.S. Congress ‘low level people,’ David Trone has insulted every man, woman, and child that calls Prince George’s County home,” six council members said in a statement Saturday morning. “We may not be a billionaire liquor store owner like you, but you’re going to find out that the nearly 1 million residents that call Prince George’s County home will play a decisive role in electing our next U.S. Senator.” Standing in the bed of a pickup truck Thursday outside the City of Bowie Gymnasium, Alsobrooks laid out the stakes of the race — a martin Luther King Jr. mural to her left as supporters cheered and let out hurrays. “We do know that the majority in the Senate of the United States, keeping that in Democratic hands, could not be any more important than it is at this moment,” she said, adding that the future of abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights and democracy are on the line. So is representation, she noted. “Half of the people who are here this evening don’t have a voice in our delegation,” she said. “We have 10 people in our delegation who are extremely talented, and all 10 are men. We do not have a single woman. … Every single one of us here ought to be able to see ourselves in the Senate.” michaela Graham, a 23-yearold second-grade teacher from Bowie, cast a vote for Alsobrooks and said an endorsement from veteran rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-md.) assured her that the county executive was a solid choice. A scholarship program Hoyer championed has helped Graham reduce her student loans, she said. The next day, Trone was a little farther north, outside the Beltsville Senior Activity Center in Laurel, md., giving interviews and talking about how Hogan is “the elephant in the room.” “Voters want to hear about message: What do you stand for? That’s what we’ve been trying to talk about,” he said, rattling off education, addiction and mental health among his top issues. “We cannot let maryland be the reason we lose the United States Senate.” Gabriel Njinimbot, a Democrat originally from Cameroon challenging incumbent rep. Glenn Ivey (D), who endorsed Alsobrooks, parked his campaign truck and walked over to Trone. “I think you got this,” he said. Trone launched into an explanation of how much outreach his team had done into the African diaspora community and other often-overlooked constituencies, then spotted cars pulling in the far entrance and called out to a volunteer. “Is someone over there grabbing them coming in that way?” he asked. “We’ve got to make sure we got every line of fire covered.” meanwhile, the Democrats’ presumed republican opponent, Hogan, hosted hundreds at a fundraiser and rally at a Davidsonville, md., farm Saturday afternoon. His campaign bus with the slogan “Send a message to Washington!” was parked beside a barn as a live band and open bar greeted supporters. Hogan took the stage, bopping his microphone in time with the lyrics to “Stuck in the middle with You” before launching into a stump speech about how his wife, Yumi, told him he’d regret not stepping up when he thinks he could make a difference — and that he’s so fed up with politics that he’s yelling at the TV at home. “I’m walking around the crowd, and some of you are saying, ‘Wow, I had no idea you were running for United States Senate,’” he said to laughs, then deadpanned: “I had no idea either.” In an interview afterward, Hogan declined to say who he’d rather face in November. “Look, I’m not running against either of those two potential candidates,” Hogan said. “I’m running against the broken politics and the system in Washington. I’m not running for one party or against one party. It doesn’t matter to me who the candidate is — we’re going to make the case and go out and talk about the issues.” Early voters Judy Taylor and her husband, David, both 74, said their biggest concern this cycle is ensuring democracy survives. “We need politicians who obey the rules of the laws of the country,” David Taylor said Thursday outside the randallstown Community Center in Baltimore County. His wife agreed, particularly in the presidential contest. “I think our democracy is at risk, and I want some who will abide by the Constitution,” she said. The couple, both registered Democrats, said they would vote for Trone in the primary because they like his voting record in Congress and said his views are in line with theirs. But both said they might vote for Hogan in November. “I would vote for him because of his record in the state,” David Taylor said. “He was a really good governor.” Judy Taylor said she likes Hogan and would also “probably” vote for him but is hesitant. She said she doesn’t want republicans to gain control of the Senate. Combative final days in Democratic Senate primary in Md. Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) greets campaign volunteers in Laurel on Friday. Trone has already poured more than $54 million of his personal fortune into the race, outspending Alsobrooks 10 to 1. PHoTos by Craig Hudson for THe WasHingTon PosT Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in Randallstown on Friday. Alsobrooks is aiming to be Maryland’s first Black U.S. senator and would be the only woman in its congressional delegation. Something better out there? Only one way to fi nd out. WashingtonPostJobs.com Have you looked today? J0711 3x9 SCHEDULE TODAY! ScheduleFRED.com A DIVISION OF VA #2701039723 | MD MHIC #1176 | DC #2242 VA 703.691.5500 MD 301.388.5959 DC 202.770.3131 Your Bathroom, just the way you like it. Free advice. A detailed scope of work with a fixed price. Passionate and background checked team members. 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A6 eZ re the washington post . monday, may 6, 2024 At Indiana University, the specter of bloodshed loomed, literally, overhead last week, when state police snipers were spotted on the roofs of campus buildings, including at the memorial Union, a favorite student hangout. for Kate Hutner, a 20-year-old sophomore double-majoring in journalism and fashion design, this was the final proof: “Yeah,” she said, “America is on fire.” That police posture was a response to a pro-Palestinian encampment set up in the grass in front of the union, and it made viscerally personal the sense of unease Hutner had been feeling for years. This foreboding came up frequently in conversations with friends: how they don’t want to have children and bring them into a world imperiled by climate change and conflict, one where Hutner and her cohort have already lived through a seemingly endless string of mass shootings, protests and culture wars. And now, chaos was on campus. “I’m getting so stressed,” Hutner texted a friend, noting that her professor had been arrested on campus, “now 3 of my finals are canceled like I’m anxious.” There are only two times Hutner feels a sense of calm — when fantasizing about her summer internship in milan, or in bed, grateful she made it to the end of another day. “It’s like, ‘Thank goodness I can go to bed and sleep,’” she said. “Because when I’m sleeping, I’m not thinking. When I’m sleeping, I don’t have to think about any of this.” At Emory University in Atlanta, philosophy department chair Noëlle mcAfee did not intend to go viral when she wandered outside her office to check on the student protesters. But what she saw shocked her: Police had swarmed the encampment and one was beating a student, who was on the ground with her hands over her head, mcAfee said. She approached the officer and yelled at him to stop. moments later, the professor was under arrest, and footage of police leading her away quickly circulated online. While those on social media quickly characterized her as an avatar for either Palestinian solidarity or anti-Israel sentiment, she has tried to avoid taking sides. Instead, mcAfee has tried to be an advocate for academic freedom, public discussion and the right to protest — values she said school administrations subvert when they call in police to shut down demonstrations. rather than escalate the situation, she said, school leaders should engage with protesters and attempt to work through the polarization, as seen at Brown and Northwestern universities. “Instead of bringing in police and tearing down encampments, why don’t you go to rEI and get a tent and sit down and talk with the students?” mcAfee said. “What are you afraid of?” ‘Unprecedented times and uncharted territory’ Near the southern tip of manhattan, more than 120 blocks from Columbia, where student protesters sparked this latest wave of demonstrations, former president Donald Trump has been staging his own kind of seething sit-in, behind the closed doors of a drab art deco courthouse. Trump, of course, is not on trial by choice — indeed, his legal team sought to delay the court date for as long as possible. But since the proceeding began in mid-April — the first involving a former president — Trump has been exercising his right to dissent, even if it means violating a gag order. In recent days, he has returned to a frequent fixation: crowd size. more specifically, Trump has complained that courthouse security has prevented “thousands of mAGA supporters to be present.” “If they did the same thing at Columbia, and other locations, there would be no problem with the protesters!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. While the college demonstrations have occasionally eclipsed Trump’s hush money trial, the proceeding is historic. It is the first of four criminal cases against the 45th president to go to trial, and last month it intersected with a U.S. Supreme Court hearing on the separate legal question of whether Trump can claim immunity to avoid prosecution. Even by the former president’s standards, it has been a whirlwind. “It is overwhelming,” said meena Bose, the executive dean of Hofstra University’s Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs. The news cycle, she said, “has reached the point where I can’t quite keep up with it.” Bose, a presidential historian, has been trying to finish an update to an American government textbook — a tall task when new history continues to be made at warp speed. “It’s impossible to write a paragraph,” Bose said, without seeing some new development out of New York or Georgia or the Supreme Court. There are, she said, only so many ways to say that this has never happened before. “We really are in unprecedented times and uncharted territory,” Bose said. But it is difficult to pinpoint when exactly these “unprecedented times” began, Bose said, and one could argue they date to Trump’s election in 2016, the coronavirus pandemic or the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. “I think we are in a unique point in American history, and it’s difficult to say how we’ll look back at this,” Bose said. “But without a doubt, American politics has become even more tumultuous in the last year than it has been for the last decade.” A number of domestic and international issues have the potential to roil the country further in months to come. on Wednesday, a near-total ban on abortion took effect in florida, the nation’s third-most populous state, in what amounted to an overnight transformation of one of the South’s few remaining refuges for people seeking the procedure. for someone in the state’s southern tip, the closest abortion clinic is a 14-hour drive away. The new restrictions come months before voters will consider a November ballot referendum that would enshrine the right to abortion in florida’s constitution, a fight expected to be costly and hard fought. Also on Wednesday, the Arizona House, after weeks of handwringing, voted to repeal a Civil War-era ban on nearly all abortions, which was set to go back into effect next month. Like florida, the state may also consider in November a constitutional amendment to protect abortion. The political pandemonium has effectively obscured what is usually a reliable headline grabber — war, with bloody conflicts continuing to rage in Ukraine and Gaza. Casualty estimates for russia’s invasion, which began more than two years ago, are notoriously difficult to pin down, but at least tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers have been killed. Estimates of the russian death toll range from 50,000 to more than 180,000. In Gaza, the Health ministry says more than 34,000 people have been killed since the war began, while Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed during Hamas’s oct. 7 attack that sparked its sweeping military response. Another 263 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the launch of the Israeli operation in Gaza. Still, elected officials and the public remain divided over the role the U.S. government should play in both wars, yet another reminder of the many American rifts. one more possible measure of our disunion: for two weeks in April, a dystopian film about a bloody alternative reality where America is at war with itself topped box office charts, grossing more than $50 million. “Civil War” is a work of speculative fiction, but some viewers emerged from theaters feeling like it captured the essence of caustic political debate in the country. After a screening at the Alamo Drafthouse in downtown Los Angeles, Adrian Stucker and Justin Bondy considered possible real-world parallels in the movie, which sought to avoid explicit discussion of partisan politics. In the film’s authoritarian president, the two friends saw Trump, and in the vision of an unraveled America and disintegrated democracy, they saw a conceivable future. “It’s a scary, plausible situation,” Stucker said. “I hope it’s not the case,” Bondy said. “But I’m afraid for this election.” As it has so often in recent days, discord hung in the air outside the theater, too. The night before, a group of counterprotesters stormed the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California at Los Angeles, launching fireworks and hurling wooden beams at student protesters. That same day, Trump, between appearances at his criminal trial, called for colleges to come down even harder on the demonstrators. Stucker and Bondy have both tried to unplug from the news — for months, Bondy blocked out all sources but the NfL Network, an increasingly popular coping mechanism — but lately they have felt themselves tuning in more often, and becoming more anxious. one reliable source of comfort, they say, comes from the knowledge that so many previous generations also thought the sky to be falling, only to keep on living. When Bondy’s grandmother, in her 90s, declares things worse than ever, his mother chimes in with: The 1960s would like a word. “I don’t think it’s the end of the world,” Stucker said. But, like many Americans, they’re bracing for whatever is ahead. “I guess,” he added, “it’s a good time to go to a bar.” dangerous,” said robert Cohen, a history professor at New York University who has spent decades studying student activism. “The way politics is functioning now is so unhealthy that almost anything can happen. Even the Taylor Swift romance gets spun as some conspiracy — and that’s a really bad place.” ‘I’m getting so stressed’ The turmoil on college campuses is playing out both publicly — in encampments set up on quads and in occupied buildings — and privately, over text and in direct messages. for Kulkarni, this new tension reached a personal peak a few weeks ago, when she got a blistering message from a pro-Palestinian friend. She was incensed that Kulkarni had just posted an Instagram photo posing with another friend who supports Zionism. “You lack humanity,” the friend wrote. “I’m done with your friendship. … I hope that in the future you educate yourself on the ongoing situation in Palestine.” The message stunned the 18- year-old, who was sitting in a study room, scrambling to finish an essay on Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex.” “That was so jarring, because people have different beliefs all the time,” Kulkarni said in a later interview. “We live in a society, we have to interact with people who may not agree with us.” Then she wondered: Do we live in a society anymore? Her former friend’s outrage seemed somehow inevitable, a microcosm of the national discourse. Kulkarni sent a long response, which read in part: “I believe issues are a lot more complex than you think they are, and compromise can best be achieved through open discourse and collaboration.” This person, she thought, did not seem willing to have a nuanced dialogue. So Kulkarni blocked the number. A tendency to demonize those one disagrees with is one of the more frightening features of this moment, Cohen said. He had enjoyed more than 30 years in his mostly quiet corner of research — radical student politics — until a couple of weeks ago, when a deluge of media requests began flooding his inbox from around the world, as reporters asked him to compare current campus protests with those past. While the demonstrations — which call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and university divestment from companies said to be profiting off the war — have spread quickly and the police crackdown has been severe, they are still much smaller than those that unfolded around Vietnam, Cohen said. The scope of the demonstrations and the demands of the students, he said, more closely resemble the fight against South African apartheid in the 1980s, when organizers likewise called for university divestment. But at that time, Cohen added, there were no visible campus forces defending the apartheid regime. Today, pro-Palestinian groups, counterprotesters and police have converged at the encampments, with sometimes violent results. one undeniable similarity, Cohen said, is the way elected officials, especially far-right republicans, have sought to politicize the demonstrations, accusing liberal university leaders of allowing far-left students to run amok, as House Speaker mike Johnson (r-La.) said at Columbia University last month. for Cohen, Johnson’s performance paralleled the 1966 California governor’s race, in which then-candidate ronald reagan prevailed by promising to “clean up the mess at Berkeley” following the university’s antiwar protests. “They always want to conflate the liberal university’s leadership with the radicals who are disobeying university leadership,” Cohen said. “This is an old playbook.” As rhetoric on the right becomes harsher, the potential for further violence will increase, Cohen said. CHAOS from A1 ‘Unique point’ in history for U.S. elIJAh nouvelAGe/AfP/GeTTy ImAGeS dAvId SWAnSon/reuTerS ABOVE: A flower arrangement reads “Free Palestine” at a proGaza protest at the University of Southern California on April 27. LEFT: Students watch as Israel supporters demonstrate and student protesters occupy Columbia University’s encampment in support of Gaza on April 25. BOTTOM LEFT: A protester is put into a police van at Atlanta’s Emory University on April 25. JABIn BoTSford/The WAShInGTon PoST

monday, may 6, 2024 . the washington post eZ re A7 risk on the road,” Sen. richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who has long called for more safeguards for driver-assistance systems, said in an interview. “They live in fear of potential criticism or opposition, and that’s just no way for a regulator to view the world. The Elon musks of the world are not going to just sit still.” NHTSA has not made full use of its powers to protect the public, nor come to Congress asking for new powers to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology, he said. The agency’s slow pace is compounded by its inability, under federal law, to act as a gatekeeper to protect U.S. motorists before new features with safety implications are sold in cars. Instead, it scrutinizes technology once safety hazards become apparent through crashes and deaths. Unlike countries in Europe, meanwhile, the United States permits manufacturers to “selfcertify” they are in compliance with basic safety standards. The agency said in a statement that it was overseeing the new technology with the full range of its authority, including writing regulations, conducting research and taking enforcement action. “NHTSA is committed to protecting the public using all the authorities at its disposal,” the agency said. Three days after Nissen’s April 19 death, an investigator from NHTSA asked the Washington State Patrol to let her see the vehicle, according to a state patrol investigative log released under a records request. By the end of the week, the agency disclosed it was opening a new investigation into Autopilot to review whether the changes made as part of the recall were sufficient. The new investigation could empower NHTSA to impose fines and ultimately order Tesla to take specific actions to improve the safety of Autopilot. The company did not respond to questions about its interactions with regulators or the new investigation. Tesla has said the system improves safety by helping drivers avoid accidents. The hazards of Tesla’s Autopilot have been known for years. The NHTSA investigation that prompted the recall in December involved a review of 467 crashes dating to early 2018, involving 14 deaths and dozens of injuries, according to a summary of the probe released recently. In more than 200 cases, the front of Tesla vehicles on Autopilot hit objects that in many instances investigators said an alert driver could have avoided. NHTSA concluded that the system was not doing enough to keep drivers engaged and that the system suffered from a “critical safety gap.” But it took the agency two years to reach that conclusion, even as the crashes continued. At the end last year, NHTSA presented its findings to Tesla. The automaker disputed some of them but agreed to the recall. In mid-December, the company announced that an update to the system, uploaded wirelessly into all 2 million cars, would provide drivers with additional alerts if their car detected that their attention was wandering. Within days of the firmware update, a Tesla using Autopilot crashed in Pennsylvania. The sequence of events highlights how Congress has limited NHTSA’s authority to review new features on cars before they are deployed. Instead, it relies on investigative powers once problems arise. It sets minimum safety standards for vehicles, but such rulemaking takes years. And under the law, automakers certify their own compliance with the rules, rather than submitting new vehicle designs for review by regulators before they go on sale. regulators and the industry say self-certification encourages innovation, but as a result, automakers are mostly free to deploy self-driving systems without the okay from the federal government. rob Heilman, a former NHTSA and Transportation Department technology researcher, said that senior officials lack familiarity with automated systems and that the country was lacking federal leadership. “Now you have technologies that are going out on the road and you are asking the public to take part in testing without their consent,” Heilman said. What’s needed, experts say, is a more proactive approach that can set the ground rules for new technologies and head off problems in advance. The Autopilot updates in the Tesla recall were not adequate, said Phil Koopman, a professor at Carnegie mellon University who REGULATORS FrOm A1 studies vehicle technology. He said the agency should be clear with automakers about what it views as unacceptable risks in their designs. “Tesla basically thumbed their nose at them,” Koopman said. “The question is how often do they have to go back and forth. NHTSA issues a recall, and the remedy is just a little hand wave. This could go on forever.” In Europe, car designs are certified by authorities who review vehicles and technologies before they are sold. That has given regulators more power to control the deployment of driver-assistance systems. In response to questions about how it is ensuring the safety of the new technologies, NHTSA pointed to several steps it has taken in recent years, including the Autopilot recall and a 2021 order that requires manufacturers to disclose details about crashes involving automation systems. Congress this year approved funding for a new office at the agency with a staff of 10 who would consider rules to ensure safety, and NHTSA said a director of the office will start work monday. Officials are also expected to soon release a proposal that could give them more oversight of fully automated vehicles. Officials last week issued a new standard for automated emergency brakes, a significant step toward harnessing new technology to improve safety, but the mandate won’t come into force until 2029. Ann Carlson, who led NHTSA at the time of the Tesla recall, said the step was a major achievement for the agency. “Sometimes NHTSA gets accused of not having the technological sophistication to deal with automated technology,” said Carlson, a UCLA law professor who ran the agency last year but whose nomination was withdrawn after opposition from Senate republicans. “I think Tesla proves the opposite.” NHTSA said last week that it was opening an investigation into Ford’s BlueCruise system after it was linked to two fatal crashes involving mach-E electric vehicles in February and march. The National Transportation Safety Board — an independent investigative agency — is also investigating the crashes. Amy mast, a spokeswoman for Ford, said the company was supporting NHTSA’s investigation. Established by Congress in 1970, NHTSA is relatively small, employing a staff of about 750 with responsibilities for fuel economy standards and driver safety awareness campaigns, in addition to vehicle safety. The agency has been beset by leadership turnover, having had a Senate-confirmed leader for just three months since 2017. It is being led temporarily by Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman, with no new nominee for the top job in the pipeline. NHTSA declined to make Shulman available for an interview. In the Trump era, agency leadership took a hands-off approach to self-driving technology. James Owens, who led NHTSA between 2019 and 2020, defended the agency’s cautious approach to regulating in a 2020 speech to a U.N. body that oversees vehicle safety. “Every decision must be made based on sound science, data and transparency,” he said. “It is not our practice to issue a new regulation simply because it is believed it might have a safety benefit or because it might be expedient.” Under Owens’s leadership NHTSA issued the first waiver for an autonomous delivery robot that did not comply with safety standards written with human drivers in mind. Owens, who is now the chief legal officer at the company Nuro, declined a request for comment. In the Biden administration, officials have outlined an approach that would involve the manufacturers of autonomous vehicles sharing more data with the government — a step that could make it easier for government engineers to identify safety risks. It has yet to formally propose the rules, however, after announcing the plan last summer. And even when it does pursue new rules, NHTSA requires seven to 10 years to finalize the standards, according to the Government Accountability Office in a report this year. In some cases, the calls for stronger oversight go back years. On a Saturday afternoon in may 2016, a Tesla using Autopilot crashed into a the trailer of a semi-truck in Williston, Fla. — shearing the roof off the car and killing the driver. The NTSB launched an investigation and recommended the following year that NHTSA work toward verifying that driver-assistance systems could only be activated in conditions they were designed for. But NHTSA said setting such a requirement is out of reach, telling the safety board in 2020 that it “found this goal to be complex, resource-intensive, potentially impractical, and unlikely to result in changes in available technologies.” A year later, the NTSB stamped the response as “unacceptable.” Eight years after that Florida crash, self-driving options continue to outpace government rules. NHTSA advises drivers that “every vehicle currently for sale in the United States requires the full attention of the driver at all times for safe operation.” In their TV commercials, automakers emphasize how driver assistance can alleviate the stress and boredom of being behind the wheel. A recent ad for Ford’s system shows a mom taking her hands off the steering wheel of a mach-E to talk to her son in sign language. A mercedes commercial shows a man taking his eyes off the road to watch televised golf, using a higher-level system available on a limited number of roads in California and Nevada. Chevrolet touts the benefits of handsfree towing, pulling ATVs for a day in the mountains: “It’ll help you get to the adventure energized, and it will help drive you home.” mercedes said its system was approved by officials in California and Nevada, and relies on multiple sensors and redundant systems for safety. Aimee ridella, a Gm spokeswoman, said its Super Cruise system is marketed as offering convenience. Drivers are monitored by camera to ensure they are paying attention, and the vehicles will eventually stop if the driver is not engaged. In march, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group, graded 14 systems offered by nine automakers, including Tesla. It ranked 11 of the systems as performing poorly on tests designed to measure how well they monitor whether drivers remain engaged. missy Cummings, a professor at George mason University who served as an adviser to NHTSA’s leaders, said the findings add to evidence that it’s time for the government to regulate driver-assistance systems, curbing their use to predetermined situations, such as limited-access freeways. “It’s very clear how to do it,” Cummings said. “The companies know how to do it. The technology exists. There’s no magic here.” The question, Cummings said, is “how much does a regulatory agency have to regulate, as opposed to how much influence do companies have to make regulatory agencies do what they want them to do?” It now largely falls to state and local authorities to deal with the consequences of crashes involving drive-assistance technology. In Washington, state troopers responded to the scene of Nissen’s death. In the aftermath of the crash, his damaged bike lay on the road beside the Tesla as police worked to divert traffic. A trooper described in his report how he retrieved a yellow blanket to cover the body. Police took Hunter, the Tesla driver into custody, jailing him on a vehicular homicide charge under existing distracted driving laws. Hunter did not respond to a request for comment. Chris Loftis, a state patrol spokesman, said in an email that no matter what features a vehicle is equipped with, “the driver is ALWAYS responsible to operate the vehicle in a safe and legal manner.” Critics: NHTSA struggles to keep up with self-driving tech WaShington PoSt illuStration; ShutterStock In December, scrutiny led Tesla to recall more than 2 million cars to fix safety risks in the Autopilot system. At least 20 Tesla crashes are under review since the recall. WE BRING THE SHOWROOM TO YOU! State Contractor and Home Improvement Licenses: Arizona 321056. California 1005986. 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