What Citi’s abortion policy Twins lead defending

means for companies national champ Stanford

Other employers likely to face similar benefits Guards Lexie and Lacie Hull are known for
decision as states impose restrictions. In Money their all-out style of play. In Sports

USA TODAY
THE NATION'S NEWS | $2 | WEEKEND | MARCH 25-27, 2022
Triple the fun for Oscars
Hosts Amy Schumer, left, Regina Hall and Wanda
Sykes dish on celebrity roasting, on-air drinking.
In Life

K1

Path WAR IN UKRAINE

looks
clear for
Jackson
Even critics expect
her to be confirmed
to Supreme Court
Courtney Subramanian
and John Fritze USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – After four days of

Senate hearings to consider Judge
Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination
to the Supreme Court, even some of
her Republican critics acknowledged
that she’s cruising to confirmation as
the first Black woman to sit on the high
court in the nation’s history.

Ukrainian refugee Alena Mustiats, left, her daughter Sonya, 5, and Sonya's grandmother Tatiana fled from Odesa
to Chisinau, in neighboring Moldova, after Russian attacks. TREVOR HUGHES/USA TODAY

In Odesa, daily life is tethered

“We are independent as judges in
our responsibilities,” Ketanji Brown
Jackson says. JASPER COLT/USA TODAY
to sirens warning of air raids
As she peppered Jackson with
From safety of neighbor nation, women
questions on abortion, Sen. Marsha
Blackburn, R-Tenn., noted the judge
monitor what’s happening back home
might not have an impact on the issue
– not because she wouldn’t get the job
but because the court is set to weigh in
before Jackson would be seated.
“That is an issue that will be decid-
ed before you go to the court,” Black-
burn said.
Jackson, who serves on the U.S.
See JACKSON, Page 6A
IN SPORTS
Jackson, Jackie Robinson
act alike in face of racism
Columnist: Robinson,
who became the first
Black star in Major
League Baseball in
1947, and Jackson both
knew to remain calm
and controlled. 1C
Trevor Hughes
USA TODAY
This story was produced in part-
nership with the Pulitzer Center.
CHISINAU, Moldova – Whenever
Alena Mustiats’ 5-year-old daughter
hears sirens, the little girl comes run-
ning, backpack in hand.
“Sirena, sirena, sirena!” she yells to
her mother, regardless of whether
Mustiats, 40, is sleeping or shower-
ing. “Adventure, adventure.”
The girl doesn’t understand that
Russians have invaded her country.
She doesn’t understand that missiles
or artillery shells threaten to rain
down on Odesa, the strategic port city
along Ukraine’s Black Sea coast. She
doesn’t understand the mines the Uk-
rainian military laid along the beach-
es where she used to play.
Biden backs booting
Russia from world
economic body
She thinks the sirens are part of a
game – unaware it’s a deadly serious Maureen Groppe and Michael Collins
ruse her mother created to help her USA TODAY
know when to grab her backpack and
hurry to a bomb shelter. One month after the
They practiced their “game” several war began in Ukraine,
times in Odesa before they fled to safe- President Joe Biden hit
ty in Chisinau, the capital of neighbor- Russia with more
ing Moldova. “I tell her that maybe economic sanctions
today we will hear fireworks, and we Thursday and backed
should listen carefully,” Mustiats said Biden its expulsion from the
of the times they hid in the shelter. “I Group of 20 world lead-
tell her that we won’t be able to see the ers, a move that would further isolate
fireworks in the sky, but we will always the Kremlin and restrict its role in the
have to listen.” global economy.
Although Odesa has been largely Biden said at a news conference in
spared the devastation seen farther Brussels that he supports calls to boot
east, residents look out each day to a Russia from the G-20, which is made
flotilla of Russian warships menacing up of leaders from the world’s major
the coast. economies. He noted the decision
See ODESA, Page 3A See BIDEN, Page 3A

QIJFAF-05005v(b)c
HOME DELIVERY
©COPYRIGHT 2022
USA TODAY,
A division of
Gannett Co., Inc.
Inspiration through the lens of fashion
NINA GARCIA

1-800-872-0001, USATODAYSERVICE.COM
Elle’s editor-in-chief finds platform to uplift women
ion. In an industry some may find frivo-
Room to learn lous, Garcia and her staff committed to
on student aid Suzette Hackney storytelling that reflected the concerns
Among college-bound families, National columnist of women, mothers and working profes-
most say they’ve heard of the Free USA TODAY sionals during the pandemic.
Application for Federal Student Aid,
“It is incredibly important now more
but understanding is more limited.
than ever to give women a platform, to
Somewhat Very The fashion industry has weath- have inspiration, to talk about conver-
familiar: familiar:
28% 16% ered many body blows over the years – sations that are very important, starting
the HIV/AIDS crisis, the terror attacks with some that might not be so comfort-
of Sept. 11, wavering economic trends, able to have,” Garcia said. “But I think
demands to create a more inclusive there is a real responsibility to use our
culture and increased online shop- platforms for the better of our world,
Don’t
know: ping. and especially of women’s lives, and
5% And then the COVID-19 pandemic talk about issues that might not be com-
Heard hit, piling on nearly two years of dis- fortable like domestic abuse, Black
of it but ruption to the global fashion industry. Lives Matter, abortion. This is what I
know Haven’t
almost heard Nina Garcia, Elle magazine’s editor- feel most passionate about using the
nothing: of it:
in-chief and a judge on TV’s popular platform that we have at Elle to uncover
30% 21%
reality series Project Runway, saw an these conversations. And at the same
SOURCE Sallie Mae/Ipsos survey opportunity to share stories of resil- Nina Garcia is a judge on “Project
AMY BARNETTE, BILL CAMPLING/USA TODAY ient women through the lens of fash- See GARCIA, Page 5A Runway.” CELESTE SLOMAN FOR USA TODAY
2A ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY
THE BACKSTORY
A USA TODAY investigation revealed then-Fresno State President Joseph Castro mishandled
years of harassment complaints against then-Vice President of Student Affairs Frank Lamas.
ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREA BRUNTY/USA TODAY NETWORK, AND GETTY IMAGES
Free press praised after
USA TODAY investigations
Journalism shines in reports of harassment, nursing homes
Nicole Carroll
Editor-in-chief
USA TODAY
When we talk about the goal
of investigative journalism, we
talk about holding the powerful
accountable and being watch-
dogs for the vulnerable.
Two stories in the past two
weeks did exactly that.
Tuesday, the California
State University’s Board of
Trustees voted unanimously to
adopt a series of reforms in re-
sponse to our reporting that re-
vealed its chancellor mishan-
dled six years of sexual harass-
ment, bullying and retaliation
complaints against then-Fres-
no State Vice President of Stu-
dent Affairs Frank Lamas.
Joseph Castro resigned as
CSU chancellor on Feb. 17, two
weeks after reporter Kenny
Jacoby’s investigation into his
time as president of Fresno
State sparked outrage and
pressure from lawmakers, stu-
dents, faculty and the public.
Jacoby reported that “Castro
repeatedly declined to disci-
pline Lamas, even after an out-
side investigator found Lamas
responsible in 2020 for sexual-
ly harassing an subordinate
and engaging in ‘abusive work-
place conduct.’ Instead, Castro
authorized a settlement with
Lamas that gave him $260,000
and a clean record in exchange
for his retirement. Although the
agreement banned Lamas from
working at CSU again, it prom-
ised him a letter of recommen-
dation from Castro to help him
find work elsewhere.”
Trustee Douglas Faigin
thanks USA TODAY
Faigin started by saying, “I
also want to maybe make a
statement that’s not going to be
somewhat popular with some
people in the system.”
Then he said it anyway. It’s
extraordinary:
“We are here today, going
through this catharsis and
great change for the better be-
cause of a free press in America
and specifically USA TODAY
and Kenny Jacoby. Now, a lot of
people have been offended that
– I’ve been told that they don’t
like the idea that this guy is
writing stories, exposing
things and showing that there
are negative things about the
CSU. We would not have known
about any of this stuff because
... all these facts were withheld
from us. And obviously, we
would have done something
about it if we’d known. But we
didn’t.
“But here comes USA TODAY,
Kenny Jacoby, and six months
of hard work, effort that’s not
easy. Believe me, investigative
reporting is not easy. And he
was able to develop that story.
And look at all the changes that
have occurred because of that.
Of course, the LA Times, the
Fresno Bee, and numerous oth-
ers have taken it from there,
and building on those known
facts. But thank you, USA TO-
DAY, for doing such a great job
and showing us the way for-
ward.
“What I also think is so im-
portant out of this is the idea of
what kind of danger America
faces as media faces strong
winds economically and insti-
tutionally against it. And how
many papers and investigative
reporting are going downhill
because it’s an expensive, diffi-
cult proposition. This alone is a
great example of why we need a
free press in America. I would
hope that his stories and inves-
tigative reporting is up for jour-
nalism awards. And in a lot of
journalism awards, it’s not just
how good the story is, how the
exposé is there. But it is also a
measure of what change the
story brought about. And from
this meeting today, I hope peo-
ple realize we’re changing. We
recognize the problem. We’re
taking action. We’re not going
to put up with it until we find
solutions all because of Kenny
Jacoby and USA TODAY.”
I asked Jacoby what he
thought when he heard the re-
marks.
“It was a heartwarming mo-
ment for me,” he said. “He cer-
tainly didn’t need to say those
things – it’s clear not everyone
at the CSU appreciated USA
TODAY bringing these issues to
light, and he even said he
thought his statement would
be unpopular with some.
“I felt honored that he not
only credited us for our report-
ing but used his platform to rec-
ognize the value of investiga-
tive journalism.”
140,000 people died in
nursing homes from COVID
In a separate investigation,
USA TODAY compiled data
filed by more than 15,000
homes and, for the first time,
published a report card on how
each fared during a five-month
surge of COVID-19 infections
and deaths that started in Oc-
tober 2020.
Reporters Letitia Stein,
Jayme Fraser and Nick Pen-
zenstadler and reporting part-
ner Jeff Kelly Lowenstein ana-
lyzed the data and interviewed
industry experts, government
overseers, nursing home work-
ers and families of the dead
for the series.
“We had all the ingredients
for strong investigative re-
porting,” Stein said. “Robust
data, public documents such
as health inspection reports
to reveal errors that facilities
may not otherwise disclose,
and people who had suffered
from corporate and regulatory
failures. Reporters from
across the USA TODAY Net-
work helped us to collect their
stories.”
The team scored the per-
formance of every nursing
home in America and created
a searchable database that
published March 10.
The next day, the White
House contacted us.
“Health policy advisers to
President Joe Biden cited a
USA TODAY investigation
into nursing home care during
the pandemic as evidence of a
troubled industry urgently in
need of reform to crack down
on poor performers and profi-
teering,” Penzenstadler re-
ported.
The topic was personal for
Stein. Early in the pandemic,
her 84-year-old father went
from living independently at
home to being bed bound in
the span of a few weeks.
“My family at the time
didn’t have a high-quality
nursing home option,” she
said. “Paramedics brought
him home from the hospital in
a stretcher, depositing him on
a bed newly installed in the
living room. A feeding tube
was still in its box. It fell to me
to coordinate for him at home
the level of care that typically
would be provided at a nurs-
ing home. I came to appreci-
ate how nursing homes are
essential infrastructure in a
rapidly aging nation.
“We need these institu-
tions to work.”
Holding the powerful ac-
countable. Looking out for the
vulnerable. That’s the power
of investigative reporting.
“There is so much anger di-
rected at journalists right
now, most of it manufactured
and unfair. But these report-
ers are still out there trying to
uncover wrongs and trying to
change people’s lives for the
better,” said Chris Davis, ex-
ecutive editor for investiga-
tions. “At this moment, as
much as at any other in our
history, we need these inves-
tigative reporters.
“We need them to be fear-
less and interminable and to
speak truth to power.”
Thank you for supporting
our investigative reporting.
You can sign up at
subscribe.usatoday.com.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Moderna: Lower dose
works in kids under 6
Company to seek
FDA authorization
for COVID vaccine
Adrianna Rodriguez
USA TODAY
A COVID-19 vaccine for ba-
bies and young children may
finally be around the corner
after Moderna released data
Wednesday showing its vac-
cine is safe and effective in
kids ages 6 months to 6 years.
Moderna said it plans to re-
quest emergency use authori-
zation from the Food and Drug
Administration in the coming
weeks and has already sub-
mitted an EUA for its vaccine
in children 6 to 11 years, ac-
cording to a news release.
“We believe these latest re-
sults ... are good news for par-
ents of children under 6 years
of age,” said Stéphane Bancel,
the company’s chief medical
officer. “We remain commit-
ted to helping to end the CO-
VID-19 pandemic with a vac-
cine for children of all ages.”
Parents of small children
have been awaiting an an-
nouncement like this for
months after multiple set-
backs and confusion over
which shots might work and
when.
The nation’s 18 million chil-
dren under 5 are the only age
group not yet eligible for vac-
cination. Over 400 kids under
5 have died of COVID-19 dur-
ing the pandemic, according
to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, many
during the past few months.
“We saw the devastating
impact omicron had on chil-
dren under 5 who are still vul-
nerable without any access to
vaccines,” said Dr. Katherine
Matthias, pediatrician and
co-founder of Protect Their
Future, a grassroots group ad-
vocating for child COVID-19
vaccines. “A significant por-
tion of pediatric deaths oc-
curred during that surge, and
we cannot permit any more of
these preventable losses. No
more parents should have to
bury their children, especially
when there is a safe and effec-
tive vaccine available.”
Competitor Pfizer offers
kid-size doses for school-age
children and full-strength
shots for those 12 and older.
The company is testing even
smaller doses for children un-
der 5, but had to add a third
shot to its study when two in-
jections didn’t prove strong
enough. Those results are ex-
pected by early April.
Vaccinating the youngest
“has been somewhat of a
moving target over the last
couple of months,” said Dr.
Bill Muller of Northwestern
University, an investigator in
Moderna’s pediatric studies,
BAX55BC
BONUS CODE
1) Register and enter codes at: www.diningdealsusa.com
2) Enter today’s code before Sunday, March 27 at
11:59 p.m.
3) Redeem today’s bonus code for coupon redemptions
that interest you. Coupons cover restaurants, travel,
family fun, automotive, shopping and more!
* Discounts vary by merchant, location and offer; subject to availability. Offers may
change without notice. Total savings vary based on the number of discounts
and coupons redeemed and value of offers.
NEWS
in an interview before the com-
pany released its findings.
“There’s still, I think, a linger-
ing urgency to try to get that
done as soon as possible.”
In Moderna’s study of 6,700
kids ages 6 months to 6 years,
researchers found the young
participants developed levels
of virus-fighting antibodies af-
ter receiving two doses of the
25 micrograms vaccine that
were comparable to adults 18 to
25 who received two doses of
the full-strength 100 micro-
grams.
In the Phase 3 study that
took place during the omicron
wave, researchers found the
vaccine was 43.7% effective in
children 6 months to 2 years,
and 37.5% in kids 2 to 6 years.
Cases of COVID-19 in the vacci-
nated group were mild and no
severe disease, hospitalization
or death were reported.
The younger tots experi-
enced many of the same mild to
moderate side effects seen in
adults, with 17% of kids 6
months to 2 years and 14.6% of
kids 2 to 6 years reporting a fe-
ver of 100.4 degrees or higher.
No deaths, myocarditis or
pericarditis, and multisystem
inflammatory syndrome in
children were reported.
If regulators like what they
see in Moderna’s data, parents
may start vaccinating their
youngest children by the sum-
mer, said Peter Pitts, a former
FDA associate commissioner.
“Vaccinations for young
children will play an important
role in speeding COVID-19’s
path from pandemic to endem-
ic,” he said.
While other countries al-
ready have allowed Moderna’s
shots to be used in children as
young as 6, the U.S. has limited
its vaccine to adults.
A Moderna request to ex-
pand its shots to 12- to 17-year-
olds has been stalled since
June. Moderna says its original
adult dose is safe and effective
for this age group.
For elementary-age kids, it’s
using 50 micrograms – half the
adult dose.
The FDA never ruled on Mo-
derna’s application for teen
shots because of concern about
a rare side effect. Heart inflam-
mation sometimes occurs in
teens and young adults, mostly
males, after receiving either
the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
Moderna is getting extra scruti-
ny because its shots are a far
higher dose than Pfizer’s.
Contributing: Associated
Press
Health and patient safety
coverage at USA TODAY is
made possible in part by a
grant from the Masimo Foun-
dation for Ethics, Innovation
and Competition in Health-
care. The Masimo Foundation
does not provide editorial in-
put.
TODAY’S BONUS CODE
NEWS
WAR IN UKRAINE
Biden
Continued from Page 1A
rests with the group’s members.
“The single most important thing is
for us to stay unified,” Biden said after a
trio of summits in which European allies
asserted they would help Ukraine and
punish Russia for as long as it takes.
In addition to new sanctions, the
United States and its allies announced
more humanitarian assistance for
Ukrainians and discussed beefing up
forces in Eastern Europe in the near and
longer term.
Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Biden said, can take anything thrown at
him for another month, so the alliance
must not crack. Biden said that’s why he
asked for an emergency meeting of
NATO Thursday, which was followed by
a meeting with the leaders of the other
Group of Seven countries and another
with all 27 leaders of European Union
countries.
Trans-Atlantic “solidarity remains
vital,” NATO Secretary General Jens
Stoltenberg tweeted.
Biden and U.S. allies slapped Russia
with more sanctions, even as Putin’s
economy is shrinking to half the size it
was before the invasion.
Leaders of the Group of Seven, or G-7,
which is made up of the world’s leading
economies, said they would restrict the
Russian Central Bank’s use of gold in
transactions. Western leaders kicked
Russia out of the group in 2014 after its
annexation of Crimea.
The United States announced a new
round of sanctions targeting defense
companies, the head of Russia’s largest
bank and more than 300 members of
the Russian State Duma.
If the G-20 lets Russia stay in the
group, Ukraine should be allowed to
attend its meetings, Biden said.
More humanitarian assistance
The United States will accept
100,000 Ukrainian refugees and others
fleeing Russia’s invasion and provide
more than $1 billion in humanitarian
assistance. The funding will pay for
food, shelter, clean water, medical sup-
plies and other forms of assistance.
Although many Ukrainian refugees
prefer to remain in Europe where they
will be closer to family and their homes,
the Biden administration is working to
expand and develop programs with a
focus on welcoming Ukrainians who
have family members in the USA.
Food shortages worldwide have been
a major concern as Russia and Ukraine
are top producers of wheat.
“It’s going to be real,” Biden said of
food disruptions.
Canada and the United States – also
Odesa
Continued from Page 1A
For Odesa’s residents and refugees,
daily life is tethered to those air raid
sirens: After Russian troops devastated
Mariupol and attacked next-door Myko-
laiv, this Black Sea city has become a
safe haven for some, even amid the
anguish and foreboding the sirens
bring.
“It’s like a cold jump inside your heart
every time they go off,” Mustiats said.
“You go crazy listening to them,” said
Veronika Shyryaeva, another mother
from Odesa, who fled to safety with two
children.
Although the sirens are infuriating
and frightening, many Ukrainians who
fled to Moldova can’t quit them, listen-
ing via an app that alerts them anytime
authorities trigger a hometown alarm.
Mustiats and Shyryaeva reluctantly
got out of Odesa, leaving the beaches
and cafes and familiar faces for the safe-
ty of Moldova. Russia’s invasion forced
them – along with more than 3 million
other Ukrainians – to flee to safety, leav-
ing their husbands, brothers and sons of
fighting age.
Shyryaeva, 46, is the fourth genera-
tion of her family to call Odesa home,
and she mourns the loss of the life she
knew. She brought two of her children to
Moldova, but her eldest daughter insist-
ed on remaining.
“It used to be easier there because
until last weekend, Odesa had not been
touched,” she said. Monday, Russian
airstrikes or artillery fire hit apartment
blocks on the city’s outskirts, causing a
fire but no casualties. That attack
startled many holdout residents into
leaving.
Safely at a shelter in Chisinau, oper-
ated with the help of Catholic Relief
President Joe Biden meets with European Council President Charles Michel
at a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday. EVAN VUCCI/AP
top producers of the crop – discussed
how production could be increased.
Zelenskyy seeks 1% solution
Addressing leaders by video, Ukrai-
nian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
urged NATO to provide Ukraine with “1%
of all your planes, 1% of all your tanks.”
“When we will have all this, it will
give us, just like you, 100% security,” he
said.
He did not repeat his request for a
“no-fly” zone. U.S. and NATO officials
have dismissed Zelenskyy’s frequent
no-fly requests over concerns that
defending Ukrainian skies would risk
an escalation of the war.
“We have a responsibility to prevent
this conflict from becoming a full-
fledged war in Europe,” Stoltenberg
said.
Zelenskyy did not ask for Ukraine to
become a member of the alliance.
Russia is opposed to Ukraine joining
NATO, one of the conditions Moscow
set in the failed negotiations before
troops invaded Ukraine.
Chemical weapons
Biden said the United States and
NATO allies would “respond” if Russia
used chemical weapons.
“The nature of the responses depend
on the nature of the use,” he said.
Biden would not expand on whether
the United States has gathered specific
intelligence that Putin is using chemical
weapons.
Calling out China
NATO leaders called on China and
other countries “to abstain from sup-
porting Russia’s war effort in any way
Veronika Shyryaeva and her son, Kirill,
took shelter in Moldova’s capital,
Chisinau, after Russian troops shelled
Odesa, Ukraine. TREVOR HUGHES/USA TODAY
Services and the Catholic Church-spon-
sored aid group Caritas Moldova, Musti-
ats and Shyryaeva are making new
friends among their fellow refugees,
including Olga Zadvornaya and her two
daughters, who share a room with
Shyryaeva and her kids.
Shyryaeva said her faith in God and
her fellow Ukrainians sustains her, and
she’s eager to return as soon as she can:
“I tell this to everybody: I want to go
home. We want to build our future in our
country. I am waiting every day for the
phone call to come back home.”
That call may not come anytime
soon. Ukrainians in Odesa said the city
is eerily quiet now that at least half the
residents are gone. Women and children
are allowed to leave Ukraine, but fight-
ing-age men must stay to help defend
the country.
Construction worker Victor Roma-
nenko said anti-aircraft weapons fired
by Ukrainian forces sounded like fire-
works Tuesday morning, and public
USA TODAY ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ 3A
and to refrain from any action that
helps Russia circumvent sanctions.”
Biden said he is “hopeful” that
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not
assist Russia in its war against
Ukraine but declined to say whether
he’s seen any indications that China
will intervene.
“China understands that its
economic future is much more closely
tied to the West than it is to Russia,”
Biden said.
Biden said he “made no threats” to
Xi last week when the presidents held
a virtual meeting but pointed out the
number of American companies that
have pulled out of Russia as a result of
Putin’s “barbaric behavior.”
What’s next?
Biden heads to Warsaw, Poland, on
Friday for a meeting with President
Andrzej Duda and a possible meeting
with Ukrainian refugees. The two
leaders are likely to discuss how allies
are responding to the humanitarian
crisis sparked by the war.
The White House did not respond to
questions about whether Biden would
interact with refugees in Europe.
Biden hinted at his news conference
Thursday that such a meeting would
take place.
“I plan on attempting to see those
folks as well as, I hope, I’m going to be
able to see – guess I’m not supposed to
say where I’m going, am I?” Biden said.
“But anyway, I hope I get to see a lot of
people.”
Saturday, Biden will deliver
remarks on the efforts to hold Russia
accountable for the war before return-
ing to Washington.
Contributing: Joey Garrison and
Rebecca Morin
transit has been curtailed. The once-
popular beaches have been strewn
with mines to deter or slow any Rus-
sian amphibious assault, and people
do their best to help the needy or vul-
nerable who have not left.
The U.S.-based aid group Team
Humanity helped evacuate more than
2,000 people from Odesa and nearby
Mykolaiv, cramming refugees on bus-
es each night after delivering hot
meals to the cities’ defenders.
Romanenko said he is staying, de-
spite the danger.
“My life is no more expensive than
the life of young soldiers,” he said via
text. “If you are a woman, stay where
you are now. If you are a man, come to
Odesa to protect the city.”
Kristina Logvinova risked a day-
time visit Tuesday to Odesa from
Chisinau to collect clothing and musi-
cal instruments her family abandoned
during their hasty evacuation a few
weeks ago.
Driving through the city, she said
the air raid sirens set her nerves on
edge, especially after the peace of
Moldova.
“I’m safe but not emotionally feel-
ing very good,” she texted. “It’s hard to
see what Russia is doing to my country
and people.”
Shyryaeva said Russian warships
seemed to move close to shore, then
back off with no pattern, creating even
more uncertainty. In Moldova, she’s
free to focus on keeping her kids safe
and helping others. She said that
although the noise of anti-aircraft
weapons firing near her house startled
her at first, she welcomes the memory
of that sound – because it was an audi-
ble signal that Odesa remained free.
“Mr. Putin wanted to split Ukrai-
nians,” she said. “But we are more unit-
ed now.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
NEWS BRIEFING
State Dept.:
Russians
not targeting
convoys so far
Weapons convoys arriving in Uk-
raine almost every day thus far have
not been targeted by Russia’s military,
State Department spokesman John
Kirby said Thursday. Kirby, speaking
on Fox News, did not directly respond
to a question about how the U.S. and
NATO would respond if Russia struck a
convoy – accidentally or on purpose –
in Poland. Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Sergei Ryabkov has warned
that convoys “pumping Ukraine with
weapons” will be considered legiti-
mate targets.
“We have not seen the Russians at-
tempt to strike any of these convoys,”
Kirby said. “We’re watching this very,
very carefully, as you might expect.
But so far, we have not seen any at-
tempt by the Russians to stall or to
slow these convoys.”
Dissident Russian journalist
killed in Kyiv bombardment
Dissident Russian journalist Oksa-
na Baulina was killed while filming in
Kyiv, making her at least the fourth
journalist to die in the country during
the war. Baulina was working as a cor-
respondent for The Insider when Rus-
sian troops shelled a shopping center
in the Podil district, a historic neigh-
borhood in Kyiv, the site said in a state-
ment. Another civilian was killed and
two more people were wounded and
hospitalized.
Baulina had fled Russia but had
continued to report on corruption in-
side the Russian government.
State Department: Russia to
expel more American diplomats
Russia has begun the process to ex-
pel several American diplomats from
the U.S. embassy in Moscow, the State
Department said Wednesday.
The department said it received a
list of diplomats on who have been de-
clared “persona non grata” by the Rus-
sian foreign ministry. It didn’t say how
many diplomats were affected by the
order, which generally results in the
expulsion of those targeted within 72
hours.
The State Department called
Wednesday’s move “Russia’s latest
unhelpful and unproductive step” in
relations between the countries. It
urged Russia “to end its unjustified ex-
pulsions of U.S. diplomats and staff.”
Contributing: John Bacon, Maureen
Groppe, Rebecca Morin, Christal
Hayes, Michael Collins, Celina Tebor,
Bart Jansen, Asha C. Gilbert and
Charles Ventura, USA TODAY; The
Associated Press
Customer service
To view important information online 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 via email at feedback@usatoday.com or by
phone at 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
usatoday.com/subscribe. The subscription below
is billed monthly and includes 24/7 access to
usatoday.com, breaking news on our tablet and
smartphone apps, subscriber benefits at
usatoday.com/memberguide and the eNew-
spaper, a digital replica of the print edition.
❚ Delivery of the Monday through Friday print
editions: $29.00
*Plus applicable taxes
Contact us
Customer Service ........................... 1-800-872-0001
Newsroom ...................703-854-3400, ext. 5, ext. 5
Classified advertising ................... 1-800-397-0070
National, regional advertising ....... 703-854-3400
Corrections and clarifications
Our goal is to promptly correct errors. Email us at
accuracy@usatoday.com to report a mistake.
Describe the error, where you saw it, the date,
page number, or the URL.
Postal information
Volume 40, No. 135
USA TODAY, USPS #684090, ISSN #0734-7456, is
published Monday through Friday at 7950 Jones
Branch Dr. McLean, VA 22108. Periodicals post-
age paid at McLean, VA 22108. Postmaster: Send
address changes to Customer Service, PO Box
5830, Augusta, GA 30916
4A ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY
A Miami Beach Police vehicle cuts through crowds near Ocean Drive Saturday. DANIEL A. VARELA/MIAMI HERALD VIA AP
Frustrated Miami Beach sets
a curfew during spring break
Official calls city ‘island
with limited capacity’
N’dea Yancey-Bragg
USA TODAY
The city of Miami Beach is pushing
back against the annual influx of spring
break tourists, this time with a midnight
curfew and a state of emergency.
But some residents of the famed
South Florida party destination are
wondering if such action is necessary –
even after a pair of shootings left five
people injured in two days last week. Or
if it will make a difference.
Mayor Dan Gelber isn’t one of those
people. A Miami Beach native, Gelber
told USA TODAY that the mix of large
crowds, the presence of guns and a per-
ception that “anything goes” has made
spring break increasingly dangerous
over the years.
“I’ve said very publicly and repeated-
ly that we don’t want spring break,” Gel-
ber said. “It’s quite perilous.”
Spring break annually draws thou-
sands of college students and tourists to
Miami Beach, a community of nearly
90,000. Several city commissioners ac-
knowledged business owners who typi-
cally see high profits in March may sue
the city over the curfew , but agreed that
public safety was the top priority.
The curfew is from midnight to 6
a.m., starting Thursday and lasting
through Monday. Police will start send-
ing people home at midnight and mak-
ing sure businesses are closed, Gelber
said. Officers may also set up check-
points, he said, and Gelber is consider-
ing shutting down the causeway into
the island if necessary.
It’s the latest effort by city officials to
control spring break crowds after a
crackdown in 2021 led to a curfew and
more than 1,000 arrests.,
Pierre Rutledge, chair of the Miami-
Dade County Black Affairs Advisory
Board, said while any violent incidents
or arrests are an issue, the city should
have been better prepared for the influx
of people and potential for crime.
He called the curfew and state of
emergency declaration “reactive” and
said it could make the situation worse.
“The optics in terms of the national
stage really looks bad,” Rutledge said.
“Perception often becomes reality.”
Hotels in Miami Beach were at nearly
87% occupancy last week, a slight in-
crease from this time last year and simi-
lar to levels seen before the COVID-19
pandemic, according to data provided
by the Greater Miami Convention and
Visitors Bureau.
City Manager Alina Hudak described
the South Florida city during a news
conference Monday as an “island with
limited capacity” unable to accommo-
date the large crowds that flocked to the
public park and streets over the week-
end.
Miami Beachreminded visitors to en-
joy the city safely in its marketing cam-
paign this year, Matt Kenny, the city’s
assistant director of marketing and
communications told the Miami Herald.
Officials also sponsored a concert and
event series featuring artists including
Alanis Morissette and Juanes.
“We have a lot of different initiatives
happening to try to at least maintain
some level of order,” Gelber said, noting
the city has hired dozens of “goodwill
ambassadors” to engage with the com-
munity.
The city also deployed more than 370
officers over the weekend.
The curfew comes after three people
were wounded early Sunday on a street
crowded with spring breakers in the
city’s South Beach neighborhood, police
said.
Longtime resident Mitch Novick was
walking by Lummus Park along Ocean
Drive after finishing dinner late Satur-
day when gunshots rang out. While re-
cording on his cellphone, he ducked be-
hind a vehicle and watched as police of-
ficers ran toward the sound of the gun-
fire.
“It’s very dangerous,” Novick said.
“That’s what it’s like on Miami Beach
streets, especially during the month of
March.”
The next day, officers patrolling
about a block from the site of the over-
night shooting heard gunshots and
found two women had been shot.
Novick, owner of the Sherbrooke Ho-
tel, said the violence has gotten “consid-
erably worse” in the past decade and lo-
cal leaders have failed to address it, cit-
ing the recently failed attempt to ban al-
cohol sales after 2 a.m. in South Beach.
In addition to the curfew, Miami Beach
city commissioners voted Tuesday to
give the city manager the power to stop
liquor stores and other retailers from
selling alcohol in the area.
The state of emergency declaration
claimed that unruly crowds have taken
over the city’s streets and refused to
obey orders from law enforcement. Po-
lice made more than 600 arrests be-
tween Feb. 18 and March 20 in the area
where the curfew will be implemented,
according to the declaration, but it is
unclear if the arrests were connected to
spring break tourism.
“Officers are EXHAUSTED. The party
needs to end,” the city’s Fraternal Order
of Police said on Twitter. “City officials
must take immediate and firm action to
ensure the safety of officers and resi-
dents.”
Miami Beach Police and the Fraternal
Order of Police did not respond to a re-
quest for comment from USA TODAY.
While Gelber acknowledged busi-
ness owners may be upset about lost
revenue, he said public safety would
take priority. The Miami Beach Cham-
ber of Commerce declined to comment
on the potential impact of the curfew on
local businesses.
“I’m not gonna engage in analysis
and say ‘we were afraid to lose revenue,
so we’re going to suffer the disorder,’” he
said.
Matthew Gultanoff, 36, who has lived
in the area for 10 years, called the curfew
“heavy-handed” – especially since he
feels the area is less crowded than last
year.
“Just a few hours after the first shoot-
ing incident over the weekend, my wife
and kids and I, we rode our bikes along
Ocean Drive to go have breakfast some-
where in South Beach,” he said. “The
broken glass bottles and everything is
clean, you would have no idea.”
Miami Beach officials announced a
curfew last year in an effort to curb ex-
cessive drinking and violence, but a
curfew-defying crowd remained on
Ocean Drive the weekend it was en-
acted.
More than 1,000 people were arrest-
ed for public consumption of alcohol,
drugs, obstruction and resisting arrest
and other misdemeanors over the
course of six weeks starting Feb. 3.
Slightly more than half of those arrest-
ed lived outside of Florida, according
to city data.
In June, the Miami Beach City Com-
mission passed a law that allowed offi-
cers to arrest people who “interrupt” or
get too close to them while they are
working, the Herald reported. Over the
course of one weekend the following
month, Miami Beach police arrested
more than a dozen people, almost all of
whom were Black and recording police
officers, sparking a number of legal
challenges, according to the Herald.
Local leadersand activists, includ-
ing members of the city’s Black Affairs
Committee,criticized law enforcement
for using rubber bullets and military-
style vehicles to disperse predomi-
nantly Black crowds.
Contributing: The Associated Press
On Medicare?
One short phone call
could improve your care and savings.
Find benefits that offer
subsidies like:
• $2,500 Dental
• $2,500 Hearing
• $500 Vision
• $850 Pharmacy
AND
• Up to $170 back to your
social security check every
month!
Call GoHealth at
800-731-4031 (TTY 711)
(7am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat-Sun CST)
Amount is based on qualification in Medicare savings programs or Medicare
Extra help. GoHealth helps Medicare beneficiaries enroll in Medicare
Advantage plans. Benefit amounts based on median Medicare Advantage benefit
amount for dental, vision, hearing, and OTC across multiple plans and metro
areas. Not all benefits are available in specific plans or regions. Not endorsed or
sponsored by any government entity. This is a paid advertisement for insurance.
MULTIPLAN_GOHEALTHMC1048_M
NEWS
Report: Driver
in Nev. crash
had cocaine,
PCP in system
Ken Ritter
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS – A 59-year-old motorist
had cocaine and PCP in his system when
his car accelerated into a busy cross-
roads in North Las Vegas in January,
causing a multi-vehicle wreck that
killed him, his passenger and seven
members of a family in a minivan, ac-
cording to autopsy reports made public
Monday.
Gary Dean Robinson died of multi-
ple injuries in the Jan. 29 crash, ac-
cording to two Clark County coroner’s
autopsies that concluded his death
was an accident.
Police said this month that speed-
ing was a factor in the midafternoon
crash and that a vehicle computer
showed Robinson’s maroon Dodge
Challenger sped up from 90 mph to 103
mph five seconds before entering the
intersection against a red traffic signal.
Killed in a Toyota Sienna were the
driver, Jose Zacarias-Caldera, 35; and
passengers David Mejia-Barrera, 25;
Gabriel Mejia-Barrera, 23; Bryan Axel
Zacarias, 15; Lluvia Daylenn Zacarias,
13; Adrian Zacarias, 10; and Fernando
Yeshua Mejia, 5; all of North Las Vegas.
Robinson and the passenger who
died in his car, Tanaga Ravel Miller, 46,
also lived in North Las Vegas.
Chain-reaction crashes also involved
a Ford Fusion in which police said a 31-
year-old woman was critically injured.
The wreck also is being investigated
by the National Transportation Safety
Board, which has been looking at speed-
limiting technology in vehicles includ-
ing high-performance sports cars, a
board member said after the crash.
The NTSB last week released a pre-
liminary report with some facts gath-
ered in its probe. Board spokesman Er-
ic Weiss said Monday that no conclu-
sions have been made.
In two tests, levels of cocaine and
PCP, in Robinson’s system were above
the levels at which state law says a
driver is presumed to be intoxicated.
NEWS
Garcia
Continued from Page 1A
time, be of service to women that love
fashion.”
But when it came time to share her
story, a deeply personal health chal-
lenge, Garcia wanted to espouse priva-
cy. She was concerned about appearing
weak, particularly working in a compet-
itive industry, one where she had al-
ready shattered ceilings: When Garcia,
56, entered the fashion world, she was
surrounded by mostly white and British
editors. She was named editor-in-chief
of Elle in 2017, she became the first Lat-
ina to lead a major magazine.
Garcia underwent a preventive dou-
ble mastectomy in 2019. Because of a
family history, Garcia decided to get ge-
netic testing to check for mutations to
the BRCA genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2),
which increase the risk of breast and
ovarian cancer. She wasn’t going to tell
her employees or readers, but she did,
and now describes it as one of the most
important decisions she’s ever made.
“I thought that by sharing that story, I
would seem like a weaker leader, but
something moved me to think, no, I can-
not keep this for myself,” Garcia said.
“And I decided to share that story, and to
be honest with you, that has been one of
the most important decisions of my life.
Because if I helped at least one woman
to have the BRCA test and take control of
her health and be aware of how impor-
tant it is to know about breast cancer
and be vigilant about what is your own
health, then that’s enough.”
This conversation has been edited for
length and clarity.
Who do you look up to?
The person that has been the biggest
source of inspiration, and I don’t want to
sound cliché, but it really has been my
mother. She had a very hard life, but
taught me a lot about confidence,
taught me a lot about being true to your
roots, and a lot about taking opportuni-
ties when you have them presented to
you. And I think that she made enor-
mous sacrifices letting us go and come
to this country to get a better education.
Now that I’m a mother, I can only
imagine the difficulty. Her youngest
daughter – let go to study in the United
States. That was a very selfless thing to
do. She didn’t keep me there selfishly
because she wanted to hold onto me,
but she let me go to have a better life,
and I did.
How do you pave the way
for folks who are coming
up in the industry?
Oh, this is something that I am so
passionate about, and I think that’s why
I have stayed in this industry for so long.
This is part of what I love to do in my job.
I love to find the designers, the young
editors, the photographers, the talent
that is hungry for the experience, that is
hungry to find what their next step is or
how to improve. Nothing fills me more
with pride that when I see an editor that
has worked with me, become an editor
in chief, or get an incredible job, and
there’s many that have including one
that is Latina, actually.
It’s just part of what I love about the
industry, and it’s also one of the reasons
that I still love so much to be part of Pro-
ject Runway, because I know that it’s an
incredible privilege and satisfaction to
find that new designer, to help them, to
mentor them, to help them achieve their
dreams, to be candid with the advice to
how to navigate the industry.
How do you define courage?
I think that we have seen courage, es-
pecially in this last year. All the mothers
that have to take care of their families, to
have that job in the middle of the pan-
demic. Courage is when I see all the im-
migrant Latinos in this country that
have to work for very little pay. Courage
is what we’re seeing happening in Uk-
raine today. That is courage. So many
stories that we have heard from immi-
grants, from all the Black people in this
country that have been oppressed for so
long, that takes courage. To share the
stories takes courage.
How do you overcome adversity?
My family is a great source of sup-
port. I’m very grateful that I have a nice
support system in terms of my family
and my friends. It is what is my
strength. It’s my yin. It’s my yang. My
kids, my husband, my close family.
Family is very important for me. It’s part
of my heritage, right? That’s what gives
me my north star. That’s what keeps me
USA TODAY ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ 5A
“ I think there is a real
responsibility to use
our platforms for the
better of our world,
and especially of
women’s lives, and
talk about issues
that might not
be comfortable
like domestic abuse,
Black Lives Matter,
abortion. This is what
I feel most passionate
about using the
platform that we have
at Elle to uncover
these conversations.
And at the same
time, be of service
to women that
love fashion.”
Nina Garcia
CELESTE SLOMAN FOR USA TODAY
grounded and that is what helps me. About this project
How can fashion help people This is the 10th of 11 profiles honoring USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, trailblazers
tell a more complete story across the country who have made a significant impact. The annual program
about themselves? is a continuation of Women of the Century, a 2020 project commemorating the
100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this year’s honorees
Fashion can be used as a language. at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com.
It’s something that you can use, if you
want it, to help you tell the story about
yourself. Because before you even
speak, when someone sees you, you can
use fashion as a tool to tell that story.
But it depends what you want to say.
I think the most important thing
about fashion is you have to feel com-
fortable with what you are wearing in
order to feel confident, and it can help
you feel confident. If you feel that you’re
comfortable in your skin, if you feel that
Make an elegant
you understand how you want to por-
tray yourself, it’s going to help you feel
more comfortable.
statement
What advice would you give your A GLAMOROUS NECKLACE
younger self?
AT AN INCREDIBLE PRICE
I think that the biggest advice that I
always give my editors or young women
that ask me is to say yes to the opportu-
nities that come your way. I think some-
times we are so scared to take a chance
on something that makes us feel ner-
vous or uncomfortable because we don’t
$
149
Compare at $225
know how to do it, right? An opportuni-
ty might come back and you’re like, no, I
don’t know how to do that. I’m going to
say, no.
I think say yes because those are the
opportunities that really make you
grow. Those are the opportunities that
are worth examining. Those that make
your stomach have butterflies and then
make you nervous and doubt yourself.
Say yes, say yes. That’s an opportunity Add some luxury to your life without paying a fortune!
to learn.
Our eye-catching necklace boasts a pretty mix of
Is there a guiding principle or 30.00 ct. t.w. teardrop faceted emerald beads and
mantra you tell yourself?
4-5mm cultured freshwater oval pearls on a
I think the biggest lesson that I have
found is to really be yourself and not try
polished sterling silver rolo chain. A timeless look
to be anything else. Whether it’s at guaranteed to impress!
work, your personal life, to really be
comfortable with who you are and your Available in 18" $149 and 20" $159
roots and your background, even if you Also in Ruby, Item #689736 and Sapphire, Item #958941
are different. In that difference lies your
power and lies what makes you special
and to be really proud of that.
My dream is that all of the Latinos in
this country feel that pride in their heri-
tage. For me, that was really the guiding
light as I was coming up in the business
and that was my source of strength.
That’s what made me feel that I had
something unique to offer, because ORDER TODAY!
there were so many talented editors, but To receive this special price and free shipping use offer code:
I was coming from a different perspec-
tive and I was seeing fashion with a little ADORN2
bit of a different perspective. And it was 1.800.556.7376 or visit ross-simons.com/adorn
because I was really leaning into my
background. Item #958940
6A ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY
Oz, Walker asked to resign from presidential panel
Rick Rouan
USA TODAY
President Joe Biden asked a pair of
high-profile Republican Senate candi-
dates to resign from a committee they
were appointed to by President Donald
Trump.
The White House sent letters to Meh-
met Oz and Herschel Walker, telling
them they would be fired if they did not
resign from the President’s Council on
Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Oz, a car-
Jackson
Continued from Page 1A
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit,
cast herself as an independent jurist
who remains committed to the constitu-
tional “constraints” on her authority
and who would work to restore public
trust in the high court.
“One of the reasons why having a di-
verse judicial branch is important is be-
cause it lends and bolsters public confi-
dence in our system,” she told the Sen-
ate Judiciary Committee. “We have a di-
verse society in the United States. There
are people from all over who come to
this great nation and make their lives.”
Democrats, who narrowly control the
Senate, are likely to back Jackson, and
they could rely on Vice President Kama-
la Harris to cast a tiebreaking vote on
her historic nomination if she received
no GOP support.
Jackson would be the sixth woman
seated on the nation’s highest court.
She would join Associate Justices Sonia
Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy
Coney Barrett – marking the first time
four women served together on the
nine-member court.
Recusal in Harvard case
Jackson said she would recuse her-
self in a case before the court about the
use of race in admissions at Harvard
University.
Jackson, who earned her under-
graduate and law degrees from Harvard
and sits on the university’s board of
overseers, faced GOP calls for recusal
before her hearings began. Though the
board is not directly involved with
admissions, it’s not clear whether it has
a hand in the policy at issue in the
Supreme Court case.
Justices typically recuse themselves
because of previous work on cases,
familial ties or stock ownership, though
they rarely explain their reason for not
participating.
Asked by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, if
she would recuse herself, Jackson said,
“That is my plan, senator.”
The court’s sitting justices agreed in
January to hear cases about whether
the use of race in the admissions proc-
esses at Harvard and the University of
North Carolina violated civil rights laws
and the Constitution, setting up argu-
ments for this fall.
Judicial philosophy?
Jackson hinted several times
throughout the hearings at her view on
originalism, the idea that the Constitu-
tion should be interpreted based on the
meaning of the founding document’s
words at the time they were written and
ratified.
The judge said the Supreme Court
has “made clear that when you’re inter-
preting the Constitution, you’re looking
at the text at the time of the founding
and what the meaning was then as a
constraint on my own authority.”
That gave conservatives, who are
more likely to embrace originalism, rea-
son to cheer. But Jackson offered con-
text when she was asked a question on
how federal courts view the First
Amendment since technology has
changed the way most Americans con-
sume news: She said she felt it is impor-
tant to consider the original meaning
and to “analogize” to the present day.
Jackson sought to highlight her
record as an independent jurist, point-
ing out decisions in which she agreed
with the Trump administration and
conservatives.
“My approach all the way through is
one that I believe is required by my
duties, by my oath, as a judge,” Jackson
said of her decision-making process.
“We rule without fear or favor. We are
independent as judges in our responsi-
bilities.”
Defending public defenders
Republicans tried to brand Jackson
as an “activist” judge who is soft on
crime in part because of her time as a
diothoracic surgeon, is
running for Senate in
Pennsylvania. Walker, a
former star running back
in the NFL, is a candidate
for Senate in Georgia.
Both are competing in Oz
Republican primary elec-
tions in May. Oz and Walker received
their appointments to the committee,
alongside famed sports figures such as
New England Patriots coach Bill Belich-
ick and ex-New York Yankees pitcher
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson faced Republican skeptics on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but her
confirmation hearings were less contentious than sessions for some previous nominees. JASPER COLT/USA TODAY
federal public defender. If confirmed,
Jackson would be the first Supreme
Court justice whose résumé includes
time as a public defender.
Jackson pushed back by noting she
was representing clients, not espousing
her own views in court filings. She
called attention to her brother and two
uncles, who served as police officers,
saying her family ties to law enforce-
ment informed how she viewed the
effects of crime on a community and the
need for police. They “are not abstract
concepts or political slogans to me,” she
said.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a potential
2024 presidential contender, asked
Jackson a series of questions about
whether she thought too many violent
criminals were captured or if the USA
needs more or fewer police.
Jackson said those were “policy
questions” for Congress and not appro-
priate for a judge. “It’s not that they’re
difficult questions,” she said. “It’s that
they’re not questions for me.”
Child pornography sentences
Republicans highlighted sentences
Jackson handed down in child pornog-
raphy cases while she was on the U.S.
District Court in Washington. Sens.
Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ted Cruz,
R-Texas, noted her sentences were
lighter than federal guidelines and
requests from prosecutors in about a
half-dozen cases.
Jackson dismissed the criticism,
declaring that “as a mother, cases
involving sex crimes against children
are harrowing.”
She said judges consider many
factors beyond sentencing guidelines
when imposing punishment, including
prosecution and defense recommenda-
tions, information about the defendants
and U.S. Probation Office recommenda-
tions.
During a sharp exchange with Sen.
Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Jackson de-
fended her handling of child porn cases
and reiterated that Congress often sets
sentencing ranges for federal crimes
and the U.S. Sentencing Commission
comes up with nonmandatory guide-
lines within those ranges.
“Every person in all of these charts
and documents I sent to jail, because I
know how serious this crime is,” Jack-
son said. “And on the other side of their
terms of imprisonment, I ensured that
they were facing lengthy periods of
supervision and restrictions on their
computer use, so they could not do this
sort of thing again.”
Defense of detainees
Jackson defended her representation
of Guantanamo Bay detainees after the
Mariano Rivera, in De-
cember 2020 as Trump
was finishing the final
days of his term.
In a video posted to his
Twitter account Wednes-
Walker day evening, Oz said Bi-
den would have to fire
him rather than expect his resignation,
accusing the president of politicizing
“such an important issue like health.”
Walker’s campaign did not immedi-
ately respond to a request for comment.
Sept. 11 attacks.
She argued that as a federal public
defender, she didn’t pick her clients but
was committed to “standing up for the
constitutional value of representation.”
She continued to advocate for one
detainee as a private attorney when she
filed friend-of-the-court briefs on
behalf of outside organizations.
“We couldn’t let the terrorists win by
changing who we were fundamentally,
and what that meant was that the
people who were accused by our gov-
ernment of having engaged in actions
related to this, under our constitutional
scheme, were entitled to representation
– are entitled to be treated fairly,” she
said. “That’s what makes our system the
best in the world.”
Court packing
Jackson declined to get into a debate
over expanding the number of justices
on the nine-member Supreme Court, an
idea raised by liberal Democrats seeking
to alter the high court’s conservative 6-3
majority.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sought
to pin down her view by pointing out
that Associate Justices Stephen Breyer
and Ruth Bader Ginsburg publicly
opposed the idea. Jackson noted Breyer
and Ginsburg had already been con-
firmed when they made those com-
ments.
“Other nominees to the Supreme
Court have responded as I will,” Jackson
said, “which is that it is a policy ques-
tion for Congress.”
Tearful moments
Jackson made it through two days of
questioning with matter-of-fact, tech-
nical responses to hundreds of ques-
tions from nearly two dozen senators. It
wasn’t until the final moments of the
session Wednesday when the compli-
cated legal questions gave way to
emotion.
Jackson recalled how she felt when
she first arrived on campus at Harvard –
a Miami native who may have doubted
herself, may have questioned whether
she could cut it at the Ivy League school.
“And a Black woman I did not know
was passing me on the sidewalk,” Jack-
son said, choking back tears.
“She looked at me, and I guess she
knew how I was feeling,” Jackson said.
“And she leaned over as we crossed and
said, ‘Persevere.’ ”
What would Jackson tell young
people watching the first Black woman
nominated to the Supreme Court, Sen.
Alex Padilla, D-Calif., asked.
“I would tell them to persevere,” Jack-
son said.
Her husband, Patrick, tearfully
wiped his eyes as the judge spoke of his
NEWS
The council advises the White House on
how to increase sports participation
among youth and how to promote
healthy and active lifestyles. On
Wednesday, the White House an-
nounced Biden’s own appointments to
the council. WNBA star Elena Delle
Donne will serve as co-chair of the
council alongside chef and restaurateur
José Andrés. In September, the Biden
administration acted to remove Trump
appointees from the boards of U.S. mil-
itary academies.
support during her professional jour-
ney. He drew attention for sporting
colorful socks with the faces of former
presidents and Founding Fathers.
She highlighted the challenges of
being a working mother of daughters
Talia and Leila, failing to always get “the
balance right” in her career and parent-
hood.
During the hearing, on Leila’s seat
was a yellow piece of paper adorned
with hand-drawn balloons that read,
“You got this!”
2024 Republicans
Among Republican senators, poten-
tial 2024 presidential candidates deliv-
ered some of the most aggressive lines
of questioning and previewed GOP mid-
term messaging by highlighting issues
including critical race theory, education
policy, abortion and transgender rights.
Some focused more on previous
Supreme Court battles than on Jackson.
Several Republicans groused about the
treatment of Amy Coney Barrett and
Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald
Trump’s picks to become associate
justices. Kavanaugh’s hearings in 2018
became a national spectacle over
decades-old allegations of sexual mis-
conduct, which he denied.
Jackson tried to avoid answering
how she would rule on thorny cultural
issues – some of which may end up
before the high court – raised by Repub-
licans on the campaign trail in their bid
to win control of Congress in November.
Cruz asked her about critical race
theory, an academic critique that racism
systematically permeates various insti-
tutions. Jackson responded that she’s
never studied the issue, which doesn’t
come up in her work as a judge, and “it
wouldn’t be something I would rely on if
I was on the Supreme Court.”
She avoided other legal controversies
such as abortion and LGBTQ rights.
“Can you provide a definition for the
word ‘woman’?” Blackburn asked, an
apparent reference to legal questions
about transgender rights.
“I can’t. Not in this context,” Jackson
responded. “I’m not a biologist.”
“The meaning of the word ‘woman’ is
so unclear and controversial that you
can’t give me a definition?” Blackburn
continued.
Pressed on her views about abortion,
Jackson said the landmark Roe v. Wade
decision in 1973 that established a
constitutional right to the procedure
remained “settled as precedent.” She
didn’t discuss the fact that the high
court is considering a case that could
unsettle it, potentially upending the
reproductive rights framework that’s
been in place for decades.
Contributing: Kevin McCoy, Ella Lee,
David Jackson and Rick Rouan
NEWS
OPINION
Jackson embodies
Black female grit
She puts struggle in a
larger, American context
Eileen Rivers
Opinion projects editor
USA TODAY
The most moving moment during the
hearing for Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Su-
preme Court nomination came Wednes-
day, when Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.,
spoke of the historical significance of
the judge’s ascent. And Jackson, in re-
sponse, had no words. Instead, she
wiped away the tears streaming down
her cheeks.
“You got here how every Black wom-
an in America who’s gotten anywhere
has done (it),” Booker said to the first
Black woman nominated for the na-
tion’s highest court. By working harder
and being stronger.
That was rivaled by another
Day Three moment that had me, and
likely many other Black women, in
tears. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., spoke
of a visit with students and asked Jack-
son how she inspires and stays inspired.
A young Ketanji persevered
In response, Jackson talked about
the isolation she felt during her first se-
mester on Harvard’s campus. She was a
Black student from a public school sys-
tem who, among the overwhelming
number of prep-school kids on the
mostly white campus, felt like a fish out
of water. She doubted herself. She won-
dered if she would make it. One day, an
anonymous Black woman saw the
struggle on Jackson’s face, she recalled
as she choked back tears. In passing, the
woman said one word: Persevere.
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown
Jackson is sworn in during her Senate
hearing Monday. JACK GRUBER/USA TODAY
Black women have faced systemic
discrimination that no one else has
since the nation’s founding – the double
prejudice of race and gender. And we’ve
pushed through obstacles with a
strength that, before this hearing, has
rarely been praised.
Instead, innocent actions and efforts
to rise are often categorized as “angry.”
And our efforts to cope and remain
strong take detrimental tolls.
Because of Jackson’s success, Black
female strength (carried by generations
of women) is finally being touted as a
unifier, an all-American story of inspira-
tion and progress.
And so is Jackson’s family history – a
lineage that exemplifies Black American
hardship. Jackson spoke about her par-
ents attending segregated schools. They
escaped the oppressive discrimination
of the deep South, moving from Florida
to Washington, D.C., as so many Black
families did during the Great Migration.
The nation’s sins of segregation and
brutality are frequently brushed aside
as too difficult to dwell on or are relegat-
ed to a few pages of high school text-
books.
But this week, they were laid out be-
fore the nation in pointed technicolor.
Booker said Jackson’s trajectory re-
minded him of his mother. Her family’s
accomplishments, he explained, were
important not just for African Ameri-
cans but also for Chinese Americans
“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
Chairman and CEO USA TODAY Publisher
Gannett Co. President of News
MICHAEL MARIBEL
REED PEREZ WADSWORTH
WANT TO COMMENT? Have Your Say at letters@usatoday.com, @usatodayopinion on Twitter and facebook.com/usatodayopinion.
Comments are edited for length and clarity. Content submitted to USA TODAY may appear in print, digital or other forms. For letters,
include name, address and phone number.
who were exploited to build railroads
and Irish Americans who faced dis-
crimination.
Speaking the truth of Black struggle
and triumph loudly and frequently is
how we build change.
Putting the Black American struggle
in context of the larger American expe-
rience is how we normalize and pro-
mote Black strength and success.
Even Jackson’s hairstyle has in-
spired me, a Black woman with dread-
locks who was once told that I should
cut them. Women with such natural
hairstyles, I was told by a former boss,
don’t hold positions of power.
Now, a Black woman with a natural
hairstyle has been nominated to be
one of the most powerful people in the
free world.
‘You already are a hero.’
Jackson’s legal and judicial back-
ground is that of a political unifier,
something she emphasized when
speaking about her work on the Sen-
tencing Commission.
While there, she worked with peo-
ple across the political spectrum to
recommend reductions for crack co-
caine sentencing disparities.
Her ability to unite was most evi-
dent during the Senate confirmation
hearing itself this week.
But viewers, sadly, had to squint
really hard – looking past senators’ re-
petitive questions about sentencing,
intentional obfuscation over what
constitutes a war crime, and partisan
posturing over critical race theory and
probation reports – to see it.
In fact, her stellar qualifications and
uplifting positivity were the only
things members of both parties could
agree on.
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., stated, dur-
ing the second day of questioning:
“You’re gonna be a hero. You already
are a hero.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.,
complimented Jackson’s drive and
intelligence.
Historically, the brilliance of wom-
en like Jackson have been simulta-
neously used and ignored. The leader-
ship of Black women during the civil
rights movement took a back seat to
the equally exemplary work of the late
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and other
male leaders.
In the same way Black men became
the primary face of the civil rights
movement in America, white women
were the face of the feminist move-
ment, often to the exclusion of their
Black counterparts.
But, we persevered.
And so did Jackson during two days
of questioning that, at times, got
downright obnoxious. She was blamed
for everything from recidivism rates
(which have much more to do with re-
hab and reentry services than a judge’s
ruling) to CRT potentially being taught
in a private school.
But since Day One of the hearing,
she has been praised for her grace un-
der fire, her patience and her poise.
‘Not ... easy to be the first’
“It is not necessarily easy to be the
first,” Jackson said on Day Three of the
hearing. “But it is an opportunity to
show other people what is possible.”
On Thursday, aspects of that unity
were again on display when a long-
time law enforcement officer (who had
the backing of the nation’s largest po-
lice union) endorsed Jackson’s
nomination.
All that’s left is what seems like a
mere formality – casting votes.
Hopefully, members of the Senate
will follow her example of grace, of
reaching across the aisle and of drop-
ping partisanship.
If members of the Senate do the
right thing, Jackson will once again
show the power of Black female perse-
verance to the world.
Eileen Rivers is the projects editor
for USA TODAY’s Opinion section.
USA TODAY Chief Revenue Officer,
Editor in Chief sales and service: Kevin Gentzel
NICOLE Vice President/Local News and
CARROLL Audience Development: Amalie Nash
USA TODAY ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ 7A
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright reads in 1997. EILEEN BLASS/USA TODAY
Trailblazer Albright was a
friend all women needed
Diplomat knew when to
interrupt, how to listen
Connie Schultz
Columnist
USA TODAY
At some point in her long and pow-
erful career, Madeleine Albright decid-
ed she needed no invitation to speak
her mind, no matter how many men in
the room.
“I think this has happened to every
single woman,’ she told USA TODAY
Editor-in-Chief Nicole Carroll in 2020.
“If you’re the only woman in the room
and there is a discussion going on, you
think to yourself, ‘I’ll say something.’
“Then you think, ‘No, I won’t say it
because it will sound stupid.’ Then
some man says it and everybody
thinks it’s brilliant and you’re really
mad at yourself for not having said
something.”
She put up with that for too many
years, she said, but teaching at
Georgetown University helped her re-
frame the problem. Her motto for her
students: “You have to interrupt.”
No raising hands. No hoping some-
one will see you and think you have
something to say. “I now interrupt a
lot,” she told Carroll. There’s not a
woman reading this who doesn’t un-
derstand the power of her resolve. Too
many of us envy it, still.
Albright spurred brighter futures
Albright died Wednesday, at age 84.
Obituaries note that, after represent-
ing our country at the United Nations,
she became the first woman to serve as
U.S. secretary of State, from 1997 to
2001. To many, this feels like ancient
history, when 168 women serve in
Congress – 144 in the House, 24 in the
Senate – and Kamala Harris is vice
president. It’s not enough, but there’s
no denying the progress.
For many of us, though, Secretary
Albright was the surest sign of our own
brighter futures. After a unanimous
Senate confirmation, she was the
highest-ranking woman in the history
of our government.
She was a child of Czech refugees
who fled the Nazis and raised her to be
Catholic. Only after she became secre-
tary of state did she find out, through
Washington Post reporting, that she
was Jewish and that 26 family mem-
bers were killed in the Holocaust, in-
cluding three of her grandparents.
She responded to this discovery
with the love of a loyal daughter:
“My parents were fabulous people
who did everything they could for their
children and brought us to this amaz-
ing country and were protective, over-
ly so in terms of worrying about us and
all kinds of things. I can’t question
their motivation.”
Albright believed that a woman
who climbs must reach behind her.
She lifted other women, always, and
expected nothing less from the rest of
Vice President & Executive
Editor/Investigations: Chris Davis
Executive Editor/Audience: Patty Michalski
Opinion Editor: Kristen DelGuzzi
us. In February 2016, at a campaign
event for her longtime friend Hillary
Clinton, Albright repeated a line she had
used “a thousand times before”: “There
is a special place in hell for women who
don’t help other women.”
Many of us who are veterans of the
women’s movement knew what she
meant – how could we not? – but her
timing was off. The admonishment
landed badly with some young women,
particularly those supporting Clinton’s
primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders.
She apologized.
“One might assume I know better
than to tell a large number of women to
go to hell,” she wrote in a subsequent
piece for The New York Times under the
headline, “My Undiplomatic Moment.”
“I absolutely believe what I said, that
women should help one another, but
this was the wrong context and the
wrong time to use that line. I did not
mean to argue that women should sup-
port a particular candidate based solely
on gender. But I understand that I came
across as condemning those who dis-
agree with my political preferences. If
heaven were open only to those who
agreed on politics, I imagine it would be
largely unoccupied.”
She could not resist the “however,”
and it was a necessary one:
“In a society where women often feel
pressured to tear one another down, our
saving grace lies in our willingness to lift
one another up. And while young wom-
en may not want to hear anything more
from this aging feminist, I feel it is im-
portant to speak to women coming of
age at a time when a viable female presi-
dential candidate, once inconceivable,
is a reality.”
My memorable Madeleine moment
A few times over the years, I had the
chance to talk to Albright. Mostly we
discussed whatever was happening in
the world, as I was always eager to pick
her brain and she was ever patient with
the endeavor. Our most memorable con-
versation, though, was a personal one
over dinner, with my husband. This was
in the fall of 2012, just weeks before
President Barack Obama’s reelection.
After the new year, Hillary Clinton
was expected to resign as secretary of
state. At that dinner, I asked Madeleine
if she knew whether Hillary had decided
to run again for president. She an-
swered as a concerned friend, and one
who knew the toll of the job.
“I’ve been telling her to take some
time off for herself,” she said. “Long
walks, lots of rest, and plenty of laugh-
ter with old friends. Only then should
she decide whether she’s ready for an-
other presidential race.”
I have no idea whether Hillary took
her advice, or even how strenuously
Madeleine was insisting. What I do
know is that, in that moment, I came to
see how every woman needs a friend
like Madeleine Albright.
Columnist Connie Schultz is a Pulit-
zer Prize winner whose novel, “The
Daughters of Erietown,” is a New York
Times bestseller. Reach her at
CSchultz@usatoday.com or on Twitter:
@ConnieSchultz
Executive Editor/News and
Network Enterprise: Jeff Taylor
Executive Editor/News
and Initiatives: Kristen Go
8A ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS

Study: Hurricanes are fewer but stronger

La Niña brings quiet but
damage rises with people
Doyle Rice
USA TODAY
Hurricanes – and the storms like
them around the planet – have been de-
creasing worldwide over the past 30
years or so, according to a study pub-
lished this week.
But at the same time, the damage
they cause has been increasing.
Why have hurricanes been decreas-
ing? Give thanks to La Niña.
“We attribute this decreasing global
trend to the shift toward a more La Ni-
ña-like basic state in the overall tropical
climate,” study lead author Phil Klotz-
bach of Colorado State University told
USA TODAY.
“While La Niña increases Atlantic
hurricane activity, it tends to decrease
Pacific activity,” he said.
“Since the Pacific generates much
more activity than the Atlantic climato-
logically, La Niña tends to reduce global
storm activity.”
The La Niña climate pattern is a natu-
ral cycle marked by cooler-than-average
ocean water in the central Pacific
Ocean.
The pattern is one of the main drivers
of weather in the United States and
around the world, especially during the
late fall, winter and early spring.
During a La Niña, the Atlantic hurri-
cane season tends to be more active,
and the Pacific season is usually much
quieter.
Although there may be fewer tropical
cyclones (the umbrella term for hurri-
canes, typhoons and cyclones), the
damage they cause is increasing, basi-
cally because we have more valuable
things in the way.
“We find a significant increase in
global damage caused by tropical cy-
clones, primarily due to growth in pop-
ulation and wealth along the coastline,”
Klotzbach said.
“The largest increase in global dam-
age was in the Atlantic,” he said.
“That is somewhat to be expected
given that the Atlantic has the largest fi-
nancial exposure to hurricanes.”
This would include coastal areas of
the United States.
“For example, while the Atlantic only
had 11% of the global total of Category
4-5 hurricanes during our study period
(1990-2021), 62% of global damage from
tropical cyclones occurred in the Atlan-
tic,” he said.
Other findings from the study includ-
ed that rapidly intensifying storms ap-
pear to be on the increase.
Researchers found an increase in
storms that intensified by 60 mph or
more in 24 hours, likely because of
warmer sea-surface temperatures.
Some of this increase in intensity is
tied to climate change-related warming,
Klotzbach said.
The number of strong hurricanes also
is increasing, according to the study.
“While the trend is not statistically
significant, we find an increasing trend
in the percentage of hurricanes reach-
ing Category 4-5 intensity,” Klotzbach
said.
These are the most intense storms,
with wind speeds of at least 130 mph,
which can produce “catastrophic” dam-
age, according to the National Hurri-
cane Center.
“This change toward potentially few-
er storms but more strong storms is in
line with what climate models project
with continued climate change,” Klotz-
bach said.
The study was published Monday in
Geophysical Research Letters, a publi-
cation of the American Geophysical
Union.

Study says great white sharks are social animals

They sometimes work
together to catch prey
Jordan Mendoza
USA TODAY
Great white sharks have been por-
trayed as the most ferocious, dangerous
creature in the ocean ever since the re-
lease of “Jaws” in 1975. But what if in-
stead of one shark haunting the waters,
two were working together?
Scientists say research off Mexico’s
Guadalupe Island in the Pacific Ocean
shows great white sharks are sociable
and will sometimes work together to in-
crease their chances of catching prey.
Their findings were published Wednes-
day in the journal Biology Letters.
About 160 miles west of Baja Califor-
nia, Guadalupe Island is home to a small
group of scientists and a popular tourist
destination for spotting great white
sharks because of the abundance of
seals. Nautilus Dive Adventures, which
offers tours of the island, says more than
1,000 sharks will be around the island
from June to January.
But what makes this location unique
is the waters off the island are very clear,
and though that would make it easier for
a white shark to spot prey, prey can also
easily see a predator.
To see how these conditions affected
the way the sharks hunt, a team of sci-
entists from Florida International Uni-
versity created a “super social tag”
tracking device to put on the great white
sharks.
With a video camera and sensors de-
tecting a shark’s acceleration, depth
and direction, the device also has re-
ceivers to detect when other sharks are
near them. The team then put the de-
vices on three male and three female
white sharks over a four-year period.
The data showed sharks preferred to
be in groups of the same sex, but their
ways of hunting were unique. One shark
had the tag on for only 30 hours, but in
that time frame, it associated with 12
other sharks. Another that had the tag
on for five days was only with two other
A large Great white shark cruises
by at Guadalupe Island off the coast
of Mexico. PROVIDED BY ANDREW BRANDY
CASAGRANDE/DISCOVERY CHANNEL
sharks. Some of these associations last-
ed more than an hour, with pairs taking
turns patrolling seal colonies.
“Most associations were short, but
there were sharks where we found con-
siderably longer associations, much
more likely to be social associations,”
Yannis Papastamatiou, marine scientist
at FIU and lead author of the study,said
in a statement. “Seventy minutes is a
long time to be swimming around with
another white shark.”
Footage also showed the sharks had
different hunting tactics, such as lurk-
ing in shallow or deeper waters, as well
as actively patrolling by day or night.
Papastamatiou said there is no defin-
itive answer to why white sharks are be-
ing social, but it’s probably because if
one shark is successful in finding large
prey, another will want to know how to
have the same success.
“We propose that white sharks asso-
ciate with other individuals so they can
inadvertently share information on the
location or remains of large prey. How-
ever, there may be a wide range of indi-
vidual variability in both behavior and
sociality,” the study says.
The sample size is small, but Papas-
tamatiou said the findings give scien-
tists a window into the relationship be-
tween sharks. He hopes to develop
tracking systems that can be used for
weeks, possibly years, to see the devel-
opment of relationships between
sharks.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Fish Oil Fad Finished–What’s Next?

Palm Beach anti-aging doctor reveals the awful truth about the number one nutritional deficiency in the U.S., and why fish oil can’t fix it.

Americans left disappointed
after flocking to fish oil supple-
ments may finally have the real
solution they’ve been looking for.
Wellness brands have aggres-
sively pushed fish oil as a key
health supplement in recent
years, with proponents lauding
its ability to support strong joints,
brain function, and heart health.
However, the supplement has also
been at the center of contentious
debate.
A study published by the Amer-
ican Heart Association examining
the effects of fish oil medication
on more than 13,000 people with
heart complications found the
supplement did not improve car-
diovascular health for those at
risk.
Dr. Al Sears, a Florida-based
anti-aging specialist, says the pop-
ular wellness product is grossly
deficient in the compound needed
to provide measurable results.
“I wouldn’t feed fish oil to my
dog,” he says. “It doesn’t do what
people think it does, and there is
a much more effective and natural
alternative.”
According to Dr. Sears, there is
indeed a wellness miracle found
in the ocean – but it’s not fish oil.
Fish Oil’s Big Bluff
Fish oil is marketed to the
public as a potent source of ome-
ga-3s – chemical compounds that
support a variety of wellness re-
sponses. These claims range from
optimal cognitive function, heart
health maintenance, and even
male fertility support.
Omega-3s come in two main
forms – namely eicosapentaeno-
ic acid (EPA) and docosahexae-
noic acid (DHA). Scientists and
medical professionals have long
endorsed both as positive supple-
ments for human health.
But while fish oil does indeed
contain these compounds, studies
have shown that it isn’t the best
way to deliver them. Some re-
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.
search even suggests that taking
fish oil could be a net negative.
An international team of re-
searchers examined the long-term
impact of fish oil consumption in
a study published in The Journal
of Nutritional Biochemistry, and
the results were chilling.
Using an animal model, the re-
searchers linked the regular con-
sumption of these dietary fats to
liver damage. Study authors say
the fish oils gave rise to a slew of
alterations in the organ, eventual-
ly resulting in non-alcoholic ste-
atohepatitis – or NASH.
Fish oil’s reputation took an-
other hit when British researchers
tested another one of the supple-
ment’s popular selling points – its
promise to reduce anxiety and de-
pression.
Scientists from the University of
East Anglia in the United Kingdom
looked at 31 trials of adults with
and without depression and anxi-
ety. More than 40,000 participants
were tasked with either consum-
ing more long-chain omega-3 fats
from fish oils or maintain their
usual intake.
The authors noted the doses
had little to no effect in preventing
depression or anxiety symptoms.
Results were published in the Brit-
ish Journal of Psychiatry.
Solving the Problem
with Omega-3s
With the fish oil façade begin-
ning to whither, some may as-
sume the problem is with ome-
ga-3s themselves. Dr. Sears warns
this isn’t the case.
“There are a lot of good reasons
to take omega-3s,” he said. “The
problem is that fish oil isn’t the
best delivery system. That’s why
I’ve developed a new approach.”
Most omega-3 supplements
sold in stores today are made
using long-chain fats taken from
anchovies or other fish farmed in
mass quantities.
Instead of fish oil, Dr. Sears’
Omega Rejuvenol formula is made
from DHA-rich oils taken from
squid and krill. Unlike commer-
cial fish oil, the omega-3 fats in
squid and krill are stored as highly
absorbable phospholipids – rather
than the ethyl esters in fish.
Typical fish oil supplements
contain around 180 mg of EPA
and 120 mg of DHA. Omega Re-
juvenol provides over 500 mg of
DHA from squid oil alone.
DHA is the Real Savior
You’re Looking For
DHA has been shown to pro-
vide outstanding benefits when
administered properly. Studies
have also revealed that it func-
tions differently than EPA, it’s
omega-3 counterpart.
Of course, fish oil and krill oil
both contain DHA. However, both
supplements are more EPA than
DHA. On the other hand, squid oil
– the primary ingredient in Omega
Rejuvenol – contains more DHA
than EPA.
“DHA is the real star here, so I
wanted to give people something
that recognizes that,” Dr. Sears
said.
In a 34-week trial, scientists
linked DHA to lower levels of ge-
netic expression in four types of
pro-inflammatory proteins, while
EPA was linked to only one. DHA
consumption was also correlated
with lower white blood cell secre-
tion in three types of pro-inflam-
matory proteins, while EPA again
lowered just one type.
Researchers concluded that
DHA was the more powerful of
the omega-3 fatty acids.
A study published in Mayo
Clinic Proceedings reviewed 40
clinical trials on DHA and EPA
consumption. The authors con-
cluded that more impressive heart
health maintenance came from
higher doses.
DHA has also shown promise as
a powerful brain protector.
Researchers were floored when
Fish oil has been a hugely popular health supplement for
decades – and it’s about to be replaced
they saw the results of a random-
ized, double-blind, placebo-con-
trolled study examining the effects
of DHA on older adults with mild
age-related cognitive decline. The
research underscores the wellness
potential DHA provides in higher
doses.
In this study, participants took
DHA supplements for six months
before demonstrating improved
memory and learning capabilities.
The results were published in Alz-
heimer’s & Dementia: The Journal
of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Despite DHA’s clear benefits,
the compound is woefully lacking
in the typical American diet. Re-
cent research revealed over 68%
of adults and 95% of children in
the United States do not consume
the recommended levels of ome-
ga-3s, particularly DHA.
And while some say the answer
to this would be to simply add fish
to every meal, the high mercury
content in these foods make this a
risky option. And as research has
shown, we can’t rely on fish for a
meaningful DHA boost.
Fortunately, there’s an easier
and much more effective option.
How to Get Omega Rejuvenol
Omega Rejuvenol isn’t available
in stores, but those interested in
unlocking the true power of DHA
supplementation don’t have to
wait for that to happen.
Instead, you can simply pur-
chase Omega Rejuvenol directly
from Dr. Sears.
“I didn’t want to wait for Big
Pharma to get with the program,
so you shouldn’t have to either,”
he said.
Dr. Sears adds that anyone who
isn’t completely satisfied with
Omega Rejuvenol will be able en-
titled to a full refund.
“Just send me back the bottle
and any unused product within
90 days of the purchase date, and
I’ll send you your money back,”
he said.
Everyone interested in Omega
Rejuvenol should call within the
next 48 hours to ensure they can
receive as much product as they
need. Many of the ingredients
used in the formula are hard to
acquire, so restocking can take
some time.
Call 1-800-969-9772, and use
promo code OMGUSAT32 to se-
cure your limited supply of Ome-
ga Rejuvenol. If the lines are busy,
stay on the call – all will be an-
swered.
8
MONEY
Not all destinations require
US tourists to carry passports
We break down some popular tourist locations
USA TODAY | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | SECTION B you can visit without the document. Page 3B
You can check the headlines
from your home state or city
We survey and compile the top news stories
from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. Page 4B

MONEYLINE

COSTA CRUISES OFFERS TO

HOUSE UKRAINIAN REFUGEES
Costa Cruises, the Italian subsidiary of
cruise giant Carnival Corp., will offer
housing to Ukrainian refugees on its
Costa Magica ship. “We have offered
one of our ships to the Italian Govern-
ment to be integrated into the Nation-
al Civil Protection’s plans as a poten-
tial temporary hub for Ukrainian refu-
gees,” Costa said in a statement. The
cruise line noted that it has been fol-
lowing the events in Ukraine with con-
cern. Costa noted it has donated and
sent medical supplies to Ukraine.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

CANCELS ESCAPE SAILING
Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled
another sailing on its Norwegian Es-
cape ship after the vessel ran aground
in the Dominican Republic last week.
“Repairs to Norwegian Escape will take
longer than anticipated,” Christine Da
Silva, senior vice president of brand-
ing and communication for Norwe-
gian, told USA TODAY on Wednesday.
The ship’s March 26 sailing has been Last year Texas enacted a law that bans people from getting an abortion after six weeks into a pregnancy. More states
canceled. “We’re optimistic the issue could follow suit pending a key Supreme Court decision on abortions. DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES
will be resolved shortly, and we will

Citi abortion stand has

resume normal operations on April 2,
2022,” Da Silva said. The cruise line
was not able to offer any more in-
formation on the damage to the ship.
The canceled voyage is the latest in a

companies in spotlight
string of events that began after the
ship struck the channel bed in Puerto
Plata in the Dominican Republic on
March 14.

Justices consider policy change.

tighter restrictions
Elisabeth Buchwald
USA TODAY
Citigroup quietly expanded em-
ployees’ health coverage in January to
include paying for travel to obtain an
abortion, a decision other large em-
ployers are likely to face as states im-
BUSINESS WIRE VIA AP pose new restrictions.
Illustrating the sensitivity of the is-
STEPHEN WILHITE, INVENTOR sue, Citi did not proactively tell work-
OF THE GIF, HAS DIED AT 74 ers of the benefit change. Instead, the
bank disclosed it on Page 20 of a 152-
Stephen Wilhite, inventor of the short- page investor proxy filing with the U.S.
video format GIF, has died at 74. His Securities and Exchange Commission.
wife, Kathaleen, said Thursday that he The filing said, “in response to changes
died of COVID-19 on March 14. Wilhite in reproductive healthcare laws in cer-
won a Webby lifetime achievement tain states in the U.S., beginning in
award in 2013 for the GIF, which now is 2022 we provide travel benefits to fa-
omnipresent on social media. He said cilitate access to adequate resources.”
the dancing baby GIF is a favorite. Citi is the first major bank and one
of a handful of corporations known to
cover the expenses associated with
getting an abortion since Texas insti-
Dow Jones Industrial Avg. tuted one of the nation’s most restric-
tive abortion limitations last year.
38,000 The law makes it illegal for Texans
34,707 to have an abortion after a fetal heart-
36,000
beat is detected, usually around six
34,000
Citi is the first major bank to cover pay
for travel expenses employees
encounter to get a safe abortion
outside of states like Texas.
YMGERMAN/ISTOCK EDITORIAL VIA GETTY IMAGES
weeks of pregnancy.
Citi’s policy change covers all U.S.
employees under the company insur-
ance plan, from executives to bank tell-
ers, including more than 10,000 workers
based in Texas.
Citi’s health insurance plans already
covered abortion procedures and travel
required for other medical procedures,
such as organ transplants. The expan-
sion of that policy to cover abortion-re-
lated travel wasn’t included in a
pamphlet outlining changes for the
2022 health insurance elections.
The single sentence in the March 15
SEC filing is the only public record of the
That’s likely not an accident, abor-
tion policy experts told USA TODAY.
Citi’s approach “is a reflection of the
challenges employers are going to have
across the country if one by one states
are banning abortions,” said Leila Abol-
fazli, director of reproductive rights at
the National Women’s Law Center, re-
ferring to a pending Supreme Court
decision that could uproot abortion ac-
cess.
Underscoring that, Citi faced prompt
blowback from Texas politicians once it
made the SEC disclosure.
Citi takes a stance on abortions
But it’s not the company’s responsi-
bility to tell workers if abortion-related
costs are covered by their health insur-
ance, though that is the case with every
other area Citi’s health insurance cov-
ers, said a source familiar with the situ-
ation, who insisted on anonymity be-
cause she was not allowed to use her
own name in describing the policy.
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to
think would you maybe ask or question
‘Oh, could this also be covered as a ben-
efit?’” the person added, referring to
See CITI, Page 2B

32,000

It will cost you, but Southwest

349.44
30,000
SEPT. MARCH
AP

THURSDAY’S MARKETS
INDEX CLOSE CHG
will soon let you transfer credit
Dow Jones Industrial Avg. 34,707.94 x 349.44 Dawn Gilbertson
S&P 500 4,520.16 x 63.92
Nasdaq composite 14,191.84 x 269.23 USA TODAY
T-note, 10-year yield 2.375 x 0.079
SOURCES USA TODAY RESEARCH, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Southwest Airlines passengers sit-
ting on travel credits from a canceled
trip frequently ask the airline if they
can apply them to someone else’s
USA TODAY SNAPSHOTS © ticket for someone else.
The airline’s answer is always the
same: a resounding no, as is the case at
Gas Prices most airlines.
“Seems like the money I already
Per gallon of regular unleaded. paid should be usable however I
please,” one traveler hoping to transfer
Yesterday Avg. ........................ $4.236 credits to his son said in a tweet to the
Wednesday Avg. .................... $4.237 airline in early March. “Hoping you can
Week Ago Avg. ....................... $4.289 fix this strange policy.”
Month Ago Avg. ..................... $3.543 Southwest is about to change the
Year Ago Avg. ......................... $2.874 policy – for a price.
The airline unveiled details of its Southwest Airlines unveiled details of its long-awaited new fare category on
long-awaited new fare category on Thursday. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP
Thursday, its first since 2007, and a
key perk is the ability to transfer flight
credits, which Southwest calls travel elers who buy the new ticket type, to be “That is a pain point that a lot of our
funds. called Wanna Get Away Plus, which will customers relay, particularly on leisure
be pricier than its current cheapest travel,” said Jonathan Clarkson, South-
Southwest Wanna Get Away Plus ticket, called Wanna Get Away. The air- west’s vice president of marketing, loy-
tickets vs. Wanna Get Away line is offering it and other perks in a bid alty and products. “They have these
to get travelers to pay more for their
AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION The option will be included for trav- ticket. See TRANSFER, Page 2B
2B ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY
Citi
Continued from Page 1B
health insurance coverage for abor-
tions.
But even asking an insurer, which
must comply with confidentiality
laws, might feel “personally risky” in a
state with a law like Texas,’ which re-
wards private citizens for reporting
someone who does anything to help a
person get an abortion, said Jen Stark,
an executive at the Tara Health Foun-
dation, a philanthropic organization
aimed at improving health outcomes
for women.
If companies with a presence in
states that restrict abortion access
don’t offer financial assistance to
workers seeking one, they’ll likely have
a hard time attracting and retaining
women, she said. At the same time,
“the ire of lawmakers is something
that companies need to mind.”
“The ‘travel benefits’ offered by Ci-
tigroup is nothing more than a PR
stunt by a ‘woke’ company to support a
culture of death,” George P. Bush, the
Texas land commissioner running for
the Republican nomination for attor-
ney general, told Bloomberg. “Texas is
a pro-life state, and if elected attorney
general, I will hold actors who attempt
to find loopholes in our laws account-
able.”
And Republican state Rep. Briscoe
Cain said he would introduce a bill to
ban local governments from doing
business with any company paying for
abortion or related expenses as part of
their coverage, the New York Times
reported.
That is among the reasons Citi may
have chosen to make its policy
changes discretely.
Nevertheless, including it in the
SEC filing was significant because it
means Citi is acknowledging abortion
access is a workforce issue, Stark said.
“Not shining a spotlight on the change
is fairly standard for a lot of large com-
panies.”
Shelley Alpern, director at Rhia
Ventures, a private equity firm that fo-
cuses on reproductive health, ap-
plauded Citi for including the change
in its proxy statement. (Rhia Ventures
receives funding from Tara Health.)
“We’ll be asking companies in the
future to do the same thing,” Alpern
said, because it targets a key invest-
ment community. “But companies
can’t do that alone because it’s not
where the average employee goes to
look. If there are any policy changes it
should be communicated before the
annual enrollment period.”
Supreme Court is set to rule on
Mississippi abortion case
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently
reviewing the constitutionality of Mis-
sissippi’s ban on abortions past 15
weeks. If the court greenlights the ban
or overturns Roe v. Wade, more than
half of the U.S. states are planning to
ban abortion in some form, according
to the Guttmacher Institute, a repro-
ductive rights research and policy or-
ganization.
If that happens, employers “can’t
hide around it because it’s going to af-
fect so much of their workforce,” Abol-
fazli of the National Women’s Law
Center said.
But “most of the companies we
talked to say we’ll deal with that if and
when it happens,” Alpern told USA TO-
DAY.
After Texas’ ban took effect, some
companies whose headquarters are in
the state or have a large part of their
workforce based there took an initial
stance.
For instance, Apple instituted a pol-
icy similar to Citi’s, and Salesforce of-
fered to help employees move out of
Texas. Match Group’s CEO Shar Dubey
started a fund administered by
Planned Parenthood Los Angeles to
cover all Texas-based employee ex-
penses associated with traveling to LA
to get an abortion.
Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd
announced in September that the
company created a relief fund to sup-
port Texas-based organizations that
facilitate abortions. Bumble told USA
TODAY it also directly covers the costs
of getting an abortion outside of Texas
for employees.
Charles Schwab and Oracle, which
relocated their headquarters from
California to Texas last year, have re-
mained silent on the issue. It’s unclear
if they provide any financial assis-
tance to employees seeking an abor-
tion. Neither company responded to
USA TODAY’s request for comment.
Citi’s actions “could really herald a
sea change,” said Alpern. “I certainly
expect that their top competitors and
industry peers will try to match that
policy.”
Prepare for a cyberattack
and launch a backup plan
Tech Talk
Kim Komando
In the very first days that the Rus-
sia-Ukraine war started, I warned you
about 10 Russia-Ukraine cons to
expect. We’re already seeing evidence
of those scams in action. Be sure
you’re keeping your digital guard up.
Smishing – the insider term for
scam texts – is a popular route. Most
people are less guarded scanning texts
than emails. Misinformation and mis-
leading posts are slamming social
media, too. As sanctions increase and
Russia’s tactics intensify, it’s easy to
think that you will not be affected
aside from high gas prices. This idea is
exactly what will get you into trouble
–— time to wake up.
Cyberattacks: What
you need to know
In 2020, Russian hackers invaded
several federal government agencies,
including the nuclear weapons agency.
That’s small potatoes of what could
come. A Russian attack on our fiber
optic cables or satellites would take
down a ton of critical sectors, like in-
ternet traffic, banking, GPS, water
treatment facilities, power plants, and
the power grid.
Many cybersecurity experts predict
large-scale Denial of Service attacks.
This attack swamps a website with
trillions of pings. The website is so
busy answering each ping that it can’t
respond to anything else. If this hap-
pens, government and private indus-
try could take days or even months to
sort out. Wait, there’s more. Russia
could launch phishing and other at-
tacks to plant dangerous malware and
ransomware on business and individ-
ual computers and networks.
What if the internet
goes down? Have a plan
Our minds jump to the worst-case
scenario in times of distress. Say your
internet goes out. Before blaming a
large-scale attack, make sure the
problem isn’t closer to home. You can
check outage monitoring site Down
Detector if only specific sites aren’t
loading. If your internet is out and you
have cell service, you can use your
phone as a hotspot.
Transfer
Continued from Page 1B
funds that they are either running out
of time to use or don’t have the ability
to use or would prefer to have some-
body else close to them use them but
there’s not an easy way to transfer.”
Southwest did not disclose how
much more travelers will generally pay
for a Wanna Get Away Plus ticket than
a Wanna Get Away ticket except to call
the increase “modest.” The price of the
upsell won’t be known until the airline
rolls out the new fare lineup, which is
expected by the end of June.
“I think we will see a meaningful
percentage of our customers buying
up to Wanna Get Away Plus,” Clarkson
said.
The transfer option is also being
added to the airline’s priciest tickets,
called Anytime and Business Select,
but those tickets are already refund-
able so the benefit isn’t as critical.
Can you switch to an earlier
flight on Southwest?
The new Wanna Get Away Plus
tickets will include another key perk
that the airline says will entice travel-
ers to buy up: the ability to switch to a
different flight on the day of travel at
no cost if seats are available (con-
firmed or standby. )
The airline’s Wanna Get Away
tickets offer same-day changes when
available but passengers must pay any
fare difference, which can be signifi-
cant at the last minute.
“If there’s one thing we’ve all
learned during the pandemic, it’s that
plans change,” Clarkson said, “and
both of these elements give customers
the opportunity to adapt to that.”
Much of today’s malware is sneaky
enough to hide on your system
without leaving many clues.
GETTY IMAGES
What if there’s no wireless
service? Have a plan for that too
When Michael Jackson died 13 years
ago, so many people were calling one
another the nation’s mobile phone sys-
tem became overwhelmed and unus-
able. Hurricane Sandy flooded lower
New York City in 2012. Again, mobile
phones were the first service to go.
If America is hit with cyberattacks,
expect to lose reliable service. Now is
the time to work on your personal plan
of what you and your family will do
without working smartphones. Nomi-
nate one person in your family (maybe
that person is you) to check in regularly.
Maybe it’s once a day; perhaps it’s once
a week.
If there’s no cell connection, but your
internet is working, use your texting
app, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp,
or another messaging option to keep in
touch. Work out with your family and
friends on the chosen platform ahead of
time.
Find alternative charging methods
Full disclosure: I have a backup gen-
erator at my home. At first, I thought it
was a complete waste of money. Now
that the generator has automatically
kicked in a few times when the power
goes out, I am happy that I made the in-
vestment.
Generators aren’t the only way to go.
We recently reviewed a solar option at
Komando.com that can power up to 85%
of appliances. It’s expensive but power-
ful for longer-term needs. Alternatively,
power banks are an affordable way to
recharge your devices. Most power
banks will hold a charge for a few
months. A power bank from Anker has
enough juice to charge two phones, and
it’s around $20.
Solar-powered chargers work in a
Watterson called the same-day
change option a “substantial benefit” for
travelers, especially business travelers.
“You show up at 5 and you want to go
on an earlier flight. You can do a change
if a seat’s available,” he said.
What is Early Bird
Check-In for Southwest?
The coming ticket changes an-
nounced Thursday weren’t limited to
the unveiling of Wanna Get Away Plus, a
name Southwest included in customer
surveys when it was researching new
fare categories a few years ago.
The airline’s Anytime tickets have
new features, most notably the addition
of Southwest’s EarlyBird Check-In.
EarlyBird Check-In, which gives travel-
ers a better boarding position in South-
west’s unique open seating system, is
currently only sold separately. The air-
line charges $15 to $25 per person per
flight.
The EarlyBird option, which auto-
matically assigns passenger boarding
positions 12 hours before Southwest’s
standard online check-in begins, will
still be available for purchase with Wan-
na Get Away or Wanna Get Away tickets,
the airline’s executives said. (Business
Select tickets already include the air-
line’s most coveted boarding positions.)
The product is a big money maker for
Southwest, bringing in more than $400
million a year before the pandemic.
With Anytime ticket buyers automat-
ically added to the EarlyBird pool, and
checked in ahead of those who purchase
EarlyBird, won’t Southwest passengers
who pay for the product lose ground in
their quest for the best possible seat?
Clarkson and Watterson insist any
change will be slight.
“It probably only adds a couple (of)
boarding positions to the average
boarding position that somebody’s go-
MONEY
pinch. For about $50, one from BLAVOR
takes around 13 hours to recharge, then
can power up an iPhone up to 4.5 times.
A ransomware attack could compro-
mise medication supplies. Email your
doctor and ask for a 90-day prescription
to be filled. Have them email it to you to
print it out and take a hard copy to the
pharmacy.
Better yet, create an online account
with your pharmacy. This way, you can
monitor any activity and make special
requests. Getting 90-day prescriptions
will not only keep you covered in case of
supply issues, but you might also be
able to save some money too.
Security: Lock down
your home network
Adjusting router settings can feel in-
timidating if you’ve never done it be-
fore. Start by logging into your router’s
administration console. Every router
has a different way of doing this; check
your manual for specific instructions.
Don’t have a manual? Check the
manufacturer’s site. You want to look at
the Dynamic Host Configuration Proto-
col Client List or Attached Devices sec-
tion. This shows what gadgets are con-
nected to your router, typically listed by
IP address, MAC address and/or name.
Figure out which ones belong to you.
You should recognize your main com-
puter’s name, and your tablet or smart-
phone should have the name of the
manufacturer or model. If you can’t
make sense of the list or identify certain
devices, turn off each gadget one by one.
Enable antivirus program
if you’re not using it already
Much of today’s malware is sneaky
enough to hide on your system without
leaving many clues. There are signs of
infection. Is your computer or phone us-
ing more data than usual? Are your de-
vices getting hot to the touch for no rea-
son? A solid antivirus program can spot
the signs that you can’t. I advise regular-
ly scanning your system for malware,
spyware, and other threats. My pick is
TotalAV.
Learn about all the latest technology
on the Kim Komando Show, the nation’s
largest weekend radio talk show. Kim
takes calls and dispenses advice on to-
day’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones
and tablets to online privacy and data
hacks. For her daily tips, free newslet-
ters and more, visit her website at
Komando.com.
The views and opinions expressed in
this column are the author’s and do not
necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
ing to get already,” Clarkson said.
Watterson said some Anytime ticket
buyers already pay for EarlyBird.
“You could easily see a case where it
does not change that number very much
because now they get it for free,” he said,
adding that Southwest will continue to
manage the number of EarlyBird slots
sold.
Are Southwest flights refundable?
Despite the flexibility with the new
Wanna Get Away Plus tickets, those
tickets and Wanna Get Away tickets will
not be refundable. Travelers will receive
a credit that can be used within 12
months of the ticket purchase date.
The only Southwest fares that will be
refundable, meaning travelers can get
their money back, remain the pricier
Business Select and Anytime fares.
Does Southwest
have basic economy?
Watterson has said for months that
the shake-up of Southwest’s fare struc-
ture would not take anything away from
travelers, i.e., by making Wanna Get
Away tickets more like basic economy
tickets or budget airlines’ no-frills
tickets.
The airline kept that promise on
Thursday, with no changes to its most
popular ticket.
Travelers will still receive frequent
flyer miles, two free bags and have no
ticket change fees, among other current
features.
“Nothing is being taken away from
Wanna Get Away. It is still the same
product that customers have come to
know and love,” Clarkson said. “It’s
counter to non-customer-centric indus-
try trends of removing benefits ... and
forcing customers to buy up to a less pu-
nitive product.”
MONEY
TRAVEL
Where can you go without passport?
Check out 6 destinations
US tourists can visit
Bailey Schulz
USA TODAY
With travel restrictions easing in
many countries and COVID-19 case
counts down in the United States, inter-
national travel is expected to pick up
this summer.
But for those who don’t have a pass-
port yet, don’t expect to fly off to Rome
or Paris anytime soon.
Routine wait times for a passport are
eight to 11 weeks, and that doesn’t in-
clude mailing times, according to the
State Department. Paying a $60 fee can
expedite the process, but travelers will
still need to wait five to seven weeks for
processing.
Luckily, not all destinations require
U.S. tourists to carry a passport. Here
are some popular destinations you can
visit without the document.
Puerto Rico passport
requirements
Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory and pop-
ular Caribbean destination, is about as
easy to fly to as any state if you have a
state-issued ID.
The island does not require a pass-
port among U.S. citizens, and as of
March 10, domestic travelers do not
need to show proof of vaccination or a
negative coronavirus test to enter.
US Virgin Islands
passport requirements
The U.S. Virgin Islands, another Car-
ibbean destination, allows domestic
travelers to enter without a passport.
“If you are a U.S. citizen a passport is
not required, but it still serves as the
best identification when traveling,” the
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tour-
ism’s website says. “Otherwise, you
must be prepared to show evidence of
citizenship when departing the islands,
such as a raised-seal birth certificate
and government-issued photo ID.”
Domestic travelers 5 and older must
submit a negative coronavirus test or
proof of full vaccination status and use
the USVI Travel Screening Portal to en-
ter.
Northern Mariana Islands
passport requirements
Passports are not required to visit the
Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. com-
monwealth made up of 14 islands, in-
cluding Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
As of Feb. 8, all travelers must com-
Better turn in passport application ASAP
State Department says
wait is about 8-11 weeks
Bailey Schulz
USA TODAY
The summer travel season is right
around the corner, which means travel-
ers itching to see the world should get a
move on making sure they have an up-
to-date passport in hand.
The State Department says routine
passport processing times are estimat-
ed to be eight to 11 weeks – still above the
pre-pandemic average of six to eight
weeks but much better than the 18-week
wait travelers faced last summer.
The State Department encourages
U.S. citizens to apply for a passport
“well in advance” of any expected travel
and suggests applying for or renewing a
passport at least six months ahead of
planned travel to avoid any problems.
Here’s what else travelers should
know about passport applications be-
fore their trip.
How long is the wait
time for passports?
Passport processing times have been
at eight to 11 weeks since fall.
It’s important to remember that the
State Department no longer includes
mailing times in its estimate, so the total
wait time could stretch longer than 11
weeks. It may take up to two weeks from
the application date until the applica-
tion is considered “in process.”
In this May 15, 2017, photo, tourists walk through a shopping district in Tamuning, Guam. HAVEN DALEY/AP
San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico.
ROMAIN BLANQUART/USA TODAY NETWORK FILE
plete a mandatory health declaration
form and upload their vaccination cards
before entry.
Unvaccinated travelers should quar-
antine at least five days and must get
tested five days after arrival at a com-
munity-based testing site. If the test is
positive, they must quarantine another
five days.
Guam passport requirements
The Guam Visitors Bureau says U.S.
citizens are required to show a U.S.
Passport processing is taking as long as 11 weeks. GETTY IMAGES
How can I rush my
passport application?
Need a faster turnaround? Expedited
processing can drops the processing
wait time to five to seven weeks, but
travelers will need to pay an extra $60.
I need my passport soon.
How can I schedule a passport
appointment near me?
Passport agencies offer two types of
appointments: Life or death emergency
services and urgent travel services.
h Life-or-death emergency service is
available for people who have an imme-
diate family member outside the U.S.
who has died, is dying or has a life-
USA TODAY ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ 3B
passport, but photo ID and proof of citi-
zenship may be accepted “on a case-by-
case basis.”
Travelers who are fully vaccinated
against COVID-19 or can show proof of a
negative coronavirus test before depar-
ture are exempt from a 10-day quaran-
tine.
Visitors also need to fill out the Guam
Electronic Declaration Form within 72
hours before arrival.
Canada passport requirements
Citizens who are members of the
NEXUS program, which expedites entry
for pre-screened travelers, can present
their membership as proof of identifica-
tion when traveling, according to the
Canadian government’s website.
Travelers who do not have a passport
can apply for a NEXUS card but will be
able to use it at land or marine crossings
only, not airports.
A NEXUS application processing fee
costs $50 for a five-year membership,
and children under 18 can apply with no
fee. The average application process
takes six months, according to U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection.
Additionally, the State Department
says travelers under 16 do not need a
passport to enter Canada; they need
only proof of U.S. citizenship.
Only U.S. travelers who are fully vac-
threatening injury or illness that re-
quires travel to a foreign country within
three business days. All passport agen-
cies offer limited appointments for this
service, and travelers must provide
proof of the emergency.
h Urgent travel service is available for
non-emergency international travel
within five business days. Limited ap-
pointments are offered at select pass-
port agencies.
Travelers must call the State Depart-
ment to make an appointment.
How much does a passport cost?
Passport fees vary by age and include
an application fee and, in some circum-
stances, an execution fee.
cinated can enter Canada for tourism
purposes.
Closed-loop cruise
passport requirements
Travelers on closed-loop cruises –
sailings that depart and end at the same
U.S. port and travel within the Western
Hemisphere – do not need a passport,
according to Customs and Border Pro-
tection.
U.S. citizens can enter or depart the
country with proof of citizenship (such
as a passport, Enhanced Driver’s Li-
cense or government-issued birth cer-
tificate). If under 16, a U.S. citizen can
present their birth certificate, certificate
of naturalization or consular report of
birth abroad.
Customs and Border Protection says
U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises can
enter or depart a county on the cruise
with proof of citizenship, but some des-
tination countries “may require” a pass-
port.
“In those instances, the cruise lines
would require passengers to have a valid
passport to board even if it is not a U.S.
requirement,” the agency’s website
reads. “You should check with your
cruise ship, travel agent, and destina-
tion country to confirm the require-
ments to enter the foreign countries you
will visit.”
h Travelers 16 and older who are ap-
plying for the first time must pay $165 in
fees.
h Travelers 16 and older who are re-
newing their passport book must pay
$130 in fees.
h Travelers under 16 applying for a
passport book must pay $135 in fees.
How can I check my passport
application status?
Travelers can check the status of
their passport application at
travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/
passports/need-passport/status.html.
h “Not available” means the applica-
tion is still in transit to the State Depart-
ment.
h “In process” means the application
is being reviewed.
h “Approved” means the State De-
partment has finished reviewing the ap-
plication.
h “Mailed” means the State Depart-
ment is sending the passport in the
mail.
A tracking number can be found on-
line at passportstatus.state.gov.
How often do I need
to renew my passport?
Passports issued to travelers 16 and
older are valid for 10 years. Passports is-
sued to people under 16 are valid for five
years. A passport does not have to ex-
pire before the owner can renew it. The
State Department encourages travelers
whose passports are set to expire within
one year to apply for a new passport.
4B ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY MONEY

AMERICA’S MARKETS ALL THE MARKET ACTION IN REAL TIME

MARKETS.USATODAY.COM

DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE
+349.44
S&P 500 • STANDARD & POOR’S NASDAQ COMPOSITE RUSSELL 2000
Closing: 34,707.94 Closing: 4,520.16 Closing: 14,191.84 Closing: 2,075.44
Change: +1.0%
YTD % Chg: -4.5% +63.92 Change: +1.4%
YTD % Chg: -5.2% +269.23 Change: +1.9%
YTD % Chg: -9.3% +23.24 Change: +1.1%
YTD % Chg: -7.6%

MARKET PERFORMANCE BY SECTOR MARKET NOTEBOOK TOP 10 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS COMMODITIES
Sector Close Chg. 4wk 1 YTD 1 Issues NYSE NASDAQ ETF, ranked by volume Ticker Close Chg. % Chg %YTD Commodities Close Prev. Chg. % Chg. % YTD
Energy 77.06 +0.19 +14.8% +38.8% Advancing 1,662 2,404 ProShs UltraPro QQQ TQQQ 57.02 +3.47 +6.5% -31.4% Cattle (lb.) 1.40 1.39 +0.01 +0.2% +0.6%
Declining 798 1,091 ProShs UltPro ShtQQQ SQQQ 34.59 -2.44 -6.6% +16.5% Corn (bushel) 7.48 7.58 -0.10 -1.3% +26.1%
Utilities 71.74 +0.73 +9.4% +0.2%
Unchanged 61 283 SPDR S&P500 ETF Tr SPY 450.49 +6.69 +1.5% -5.2% Gold (troy oz.) 1,961.60 1,936.60 +25.00 +1.3% +7.3%
Financials 39.02 +0.31 +3.0% -0.1%
Total 2,521 3,778 Invesco QQQ Trust QQQ 359.65 +7.82 +2.2% -9.6% Hogs, lean (lb.) 1.03 1.03 unch. +0.2% +26.1%
Materials 88.30 +1.74 +8.5% -2.5% Natural Gas (Btu.) 5.40 5.23 +0.17 +3.2% +44.8%
Issues at iShs China Large Cap FXI 32.61 -0.36 -1.1% -10.9%
Industrials 103.08 +0.78 +6.5% -2.6% iShs Emerg Mkts EEM 45.41 +0.24 +0.5% -7.0% Oil, heating (gal.) 4.15 4.11 +0.04 +0.9% +78.4%
New 52 Week High 86 66
Consumer staples 74.42 +0.52 +1.2% -3.5% Direx SOX Bull 3X SOXL 42.09 +5.40 +14.7% -38.1% Oil, lt. swt. crude (bar.) 112.34 114.93 -2.59 -2.3% +49.4%
New 52 Week Low 75 66
Health care 135.64 +1.60 +6.8% -3.7% iShares Silver Trust SLV 23.61 +0.37 +1.6% +9.8% Silver (troy oz.) 25.90 25.17 +0.73 +2.9% +11.0%
Share Volume
Technology 158.31 +4.01 +4.0% -8.9% Total 3,704,776,780 4,557,427,662 SPDR Financial XLF 39.02 +0.31 +0.8% -0.1% Soybeans (bushel) 17.01 17.19 -0.18 -1.1% +28.0%
3,442,912,011 KraneShs China Intnt KWEB 30.44 -0.86 -2.7% -16.6% Wheat (bushel) 10.86 11.06 -0.20 -1.8% +40.9%
Telecom 74.16 +0.70 +1.4% -9.8% Advancing 2,678,162,130
Declining 941,327,916 1,033,577,541
Consumer discret. 183.68 +1.42 +6.3% -10.2%
Unchanged 85,286,734 80,938,110
FOREIGN CURRENCIES FOREIGN MARKETS
S&P 500’S BIGGEST GAINERS S&P 500’S BIGGEST LOSERS Currency per dollar
British pound
Close
.7586
Prev.
.7573
6 mo. ago
.7321
Yr. ago
.7304
Country Close Prev. Change %Chg. %YTD
Frankfurt 14,273.79 14,283.65 -9.86 -0.1% -10.1%
Company (ticker) Price $ Chg . % Chg. YTD Company (ticker) Price $ Chg . % Chg. YTD Canadian dollar 1.2547 1.2564 1.2662 1.2566 Hong Kong 21,945.95 22,154.08 -208.13 -0.9% -6.2%
Nvidia Corporation (NVDA) 281.50 +25.16 +9.8 -4.3 EPAM Systems (EPAM) 288.05 -18.60 -6.1 -56.9 Japan (Nikkei) 28,110.39 28,040.16 +70.23 +0.3% -2.4%
Chinese yuan 6.3678 6.3724 6.4667 6.5246
Intel Corp (INTC) 51.62 +3.35 +6.9 +.2 Nielsen Hldgs plc (NLSN) 22.35 -.88 -3.8 +9.0 London 7,467.38 7,460.63 +6.75 +0.1% +1.1%
Occid Petl (OXY) 57.75 -2.09 -3.5 +99.2 Euro .9093 .9084 .8535 .8460
Monolithic Pwr Sys (MPWR) 494.62 +30.90 +6.7 +.3 Mexico City 55,829.87 55,154.68 +675.18 +1.2% +4.8%
Adv Micro Dev (AMD) 120.53 +6.61 +5.8 -16.2 Fortune Brds Hm&Sec (FBHS) 77.57 -1.97 -2.5 -27.4 Japanese yen 122.26 121.13 110.79 108.71
Applied Matls (AMAT) 138.59 +7.17 +5.5 -11.9 Pool Corp (POOL) 450.52 -9.61 -2.1 -20.4 Mexican peso 20.1250 20.1784 20.0711 20.8923 SOURCE Morningstar, Dow Jones Indexes, The Associated Press

News from across the USA

ALABAMA Decatur: The Morgan HIGHLIGHT: ILLINOIS OHIO Columbus: The state Supreme
County sheriff ’s office says a deputy Court will hear arguments in May on
is out of a job and another has been whether Gov. Mike DeWine had the
disciplined for refusing to wear face legal ability to end the state’s partici-
masks on an airplane. pation in a federal pandemic un-
employment aid program last year
ALASKA Juneau: State election offi-
ahead of a government deadline.
cials on Tuesday announced plans for
a June 11 special primary and Aug. 16 OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: The
special election to fill the U.S. House state House passed a bill Wednesday
seat left vacant by the death of Rep. to ban transgender girls from playing
Don Young. The winner would finish on female sports teams in schools.
a term that ends in January.
OREGON Salem: A coalition of busi-
ARIZONA Phoenix: A report that was nesses wants a court to block the
among final items on the state Sen- state’s plan to significantly reduce
ate’s partisan 2020 election review greenhouse gas emissions.
has found no evidence ballot tabula-
PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg: The
tion equipment used by Maricopa
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
County was linked to the internet. Businessman and former Chicago mayoral candidate Willie Wilson pumps gas
on Wednesday reversed decisions
for a driver at a BP station Thursday in Cicero, Ill. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES VIA AP
ARKANSAS Dumas: Authorities on from last year and said it will not
Wednesday arrested a 22-year-old allow beer and wine licensees to sell
man in a shooting at a car show that edible products containing CBD.
Chicago: Long lines of cars stretched for blocks near Chicago-area gas stations
killed one person and left 26 wound-
Thursday, signaling that a businessman who has made repeated runs for local RHODE ISLAND Providence: The
ed Saturday night.
and national office was footing the bill for motorists to top off their tanks for a state Department of Environmental
CALIFORNIA Sacramento: Califor- second time. Willie Wilson was giving gas away to drivers who showed up at four Management is scheduled to conduct
nians shouldering the nation’s high- dozen stations. Some drivers waited more more than an hour to collect their $50 a one-day controlled burn on Dutch
est gas prices could soon get a tax worth of gasoline. Motorists could keep filling up for free until Wilson’s tab Island within the next six weeks.
break, free rides on public transit and reached $1 million. Chicago police said that the giveaway slowed traffic Thursday
SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: Law-
up to $800 on debit cards to help pay morning but that the department had not received any reports of fights, automo-
yers for two men on death row have
for fuel under a proposal revealed bile collisions or other major problems related to the giveaway.
asked the state’s Supreme Court to
Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
hold off on setting execution dates
COLORADO Denver: The Democrat- while they challenge a new law allow-
led Legislature on Wednesday sent ing executions by firing squad.
the governor a bill to codify the right
KANSAS Topeka: A legislator has MONTANA Helena: The GOP-led SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: Gov.
to abortion in state law.
apologized after asking a Native Legislature’s proposal to change the Kristi Noem on Wednesday signed a
CONNECTICUT Newtown: Infowars American colleague if she used a way state Supreme Court justices bill that would make it even harder
host Alex Jones on Thursday defied a tomahawk rather than a gavel while are elected is unconstitutional and for patients to get abortion pills.
judge’s order to show up for a deposi- presiding over the state House. cannot appear on the November
TENNESSEE Memphis: Singers Mavis
tion in a case brought by relatives of 2022 ballot, a judge has ruled.
KENTUCKY Frankfort: Gov. Andy Staples and Ronnie Milsap and key-
victims of the Sandy Hook Elemen-
Beshear joined other officials NEBRASKA Lincoln: A plan to boardist Booker T. Jones lead a versa-
tary School shooting who sued Jones
Wednesday to announce $5.3 mil- spend roughly $1 billion in federal tile group of musicians named to this
for calling the massacre a hoax, ac-
lion in funding for 103 tourism or- pandemic aid won initial approval year’s Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
cording to the families’ lawyer.
ganizations to help them recover in from lawmakers Wednesday. It
TEXAS Austin: Willie Nelson and
DELAWARE Wilmington: In court the post-pandemic economy. would pour millions into job train-
wife Annie D’Angelo-Nelson were
documents, an attorney for embattled ing, housing grants, food pantries,
LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: Asking among the thousands of Texans who
state Auditor Kathy McGuiness meat processors, a new law enforce-
someone about their shot status struggled to navigate the state’s new
claims nepotism, the likes of which is ment training center and dozens of
could become a crime in the state elections law in the March primary,
an aspect of charges against her, is other projects throughout the state.
under a proposed bill targeting according to D’Angelo-Nelson, who
“common” in state government.
“vaccine discrimination.” NEVADA Reno: The Washoe County said they both had to submit applica-
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washing- Commission voted 4-1 Tuesday to tions for absentee ballots twice.
MAINE Portland: The U.S. govern-
ton: D.C. Council members have pro- defeat a resolution that would have
ment has approved $1.7 million to UTAH Moab: Arches National Park is
posed legislation that attempts to posted sheriff ’s deputies at all poll-
restore the Abyssinian Meeting holding a Service Saturday event this
curb the unnecessary deaths of hun- ing places and required most ballots
House, one of the nation’s oldest weekend to pick up litter.
dreds of birds in collisions with glass cast on paper and counted by hand.
Black churches and a sanctuary for
buildings, WUSA-TV reports. VERMONT Montpelier: The state
the Underground Railroad. NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: The
overpaid 17 health care providers by
FLORIDA St. Petersburg: Manatees state Senate on Thursday approved
MARYLAND Annapolis: A trial over $7 million in federal COVID-19 relief
have eaten virtually all of the esti- new district boundaries for the Ex-
a new legislative map began Wed- through a grant program, according
mated 160,000 pounds of lettuce ecutive Council, the obscure but
nesday, with Republicans contend- to a report from the state auditor.
provided at a warm-water power powerful five-member body that
ing it violates the state constitution.
plant site where they congregate in OKs nominations and contracts. VIRGINIA Richmond: A federal judge
winter, officials said Wednesday. MASSACHUSETTS Boston: Eviction has ruled that an executive order and
NEW JERSEY Atlantic City: Law-
rates in the state were about twice state law allowing parents to opt kids
GEORGIA Atlanta: A group of voters makers are considering a measure
as high in communities of color out of mask mandates cannot stop 12
is challenging U.S. Rep. Marjorie Tay- to cut the city in on taxes being
compared to predominantly white vulnerable students from seeking a
lor Greene’s eligibility to run for re- generated from the state’s thriving
neighborhoods during the first two “reasonable modification” that could
election, saying she helped facilitate sports betting market.
years of the coronavirus pandemic, include masks for their classmates.
the riot that disrupted Congress from
a report by a housing group found. NEW MEXICO Santa Fe: A pollution
certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. WASHINGTON Olympia: Gov. Jay
survey using sensors on small air-
MICHIGAN Lansing: Lawmakers on Inslee signed a package of bills
HAWAII Honolulu: Schools in the planes to detect methane emissions
Thursday approved $4.8 billion in Wednesday tightening the state’s gun
University of Hawaii system are sus- across the Permian Basin points to
spending, mostly for infrastructure laws, including a measure that bans
pending requirements that students greater releases of the potent cli-
upgrades, with an influx of federal the manufacture, distribution and
and staff be vaccinated against CO- mate-warming gas than estimated
funds to go toward water systems, sale of firearm magazines that hold
VID-19, The Maui News reports. by other methods, according to
roads, parks and affordable housing. more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
results published Wednesday.
IDAHO Boise: With Gov. Brad Little’s
MINNESOTA Byron: A high school WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: The
signature, the state on Wednesday NEW YORK New York: Uber, hit by
teacher has been asked by l admin- Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
became the first to enact a law mod- driver shortages and a surge in food
istrators to remove a Ukrainian flag violated federal labor law before it
eled after a Texas statute banning delivery amid the pandemic, will list
from her classroom – one students dissolved amid tensions with union-
abortions about six weeks into preg- taxicabs on its app in the city.
asked her to display as a show of ized workers, a judge has ruled.
nancy and enforced through lawsuits.
solidarity for the war-torn country. NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: Lt. Gov.
WISCONSIN Madison: An attorney
INDIANA Fort Wayne: A man who Mark Robinson, a vocal abortion
MISSISSIPPI Jackson: Gov. Tate for the lead investigator hired by
says he lost an eye after being struck opponent, confirmed Thursday that
Reeves insisted Thursday that legis- Republicans to look into the 2020
by a tear gas canister police fired he and his future wife decided to get
lators pass a bill to phase out the election told legislators Thursday that
during 2020 protests over the killing an abortion more than 30 years ago.
state income tax, but other GOP attempting to decertify President Joe
of George Floyd has reached a settle-
leaders are far apart on the issue. NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: Animal Biden’s win is “pointless.”
ment with the city.
health officials have canceled all
MISSOURI Kansas City: Meta, par- WYOMING Cheyenne: In-person
IOWA Des Moines: Unemployment shows, public sales, swaps and
ent company of Facebook, plans to visitation has returned to state pris-
recipients would lose benefits 10 exhibitions of poultry and other
build an $800 million data center in ons, the Casper Star-Tribune reports.
weeks sooner under similar proposals birds in the state because of con-
northern Kansas City, company and From USA TODAY Network and
the state House and Senate passed cerns about potential exposure to
state officials announced Thursday. wire reports
Wednesday after hours of debate. avian influenza.
SPORTS
USA TODAY | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | SECTION C
Stanford guards Lexie Hull (12) and Lacie Hull (24) battle Washington center Darcy Rees for a rebound during a game in
February. In their Cardinal career, they also have grabbed a combined 355 steals. D. ROSS CAMERON/USA TODAY SPORTS
‘DO THE DIRTY WORK’
Hull twins spark defending NCAA champ Stanford
Lindsay Schnell
USA TODAY
SPOKANE, Wash. – In the interest of
her team’s health, Tara VanDerveer
years ago made a rule just minutes into
the careers of twin sisters Lexie and
Lacie Hull, guards on the Stanford wom-
en’s basketball team: Lexie and Lacie
were not allowed to guard each other.
Like, ever.
Lacie understands why.
“There are literally no boundaries,”
she said, adding that there have been a
few bloody noses over the years. “Every-
one on our team is really competitive,
but especially when it’s Lexie and I
against each other, we throw each other
to the ground.”
Admitted Lexie: “We’re not scared to
shove each other, hit each other on the
arm. I think our coach’s attitude is usu-
ally, ‘I’d rather not deal with this today.’ ”
“They play so hard, all the time, they
used to spend a ton of time on the floor.
They were constantly taking them-
selves out of the play,” VanDerveer told
USA TODAY Sports. “So I told them, ‘If
you’re on the floor, I’m gonna take you
out.’ To them, being on the bench is the
worst punishment. So they fixed that.”
The Hull sisters, separated by
20 minutes and one hair color, are
known for their all-out style of play.
They aren’t reckless so much as relent-
less, and if floor burns and loose balls
saved were a stat, they’d surely lead the
nation. VanDerveer said they “do the
dirty work,” while forward Cameron
Brink, between sniffles and declara-
tions of love for the twins, called them
“the glue of our team.” Brink and point-
Calm facing racism ties Judge Jackson, Jackie Robinson
Mike Freeman
Columnist
USA TODAY
When watching Supreme Court
nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
endure racial insult after insult during
her confirmation hearings over the past
few days, with some of that racism com-
ing even before the process began, one
person kept coming to mind: Jackie
Robinson.
The reason goes beyond the obvious
one. Robinson broke the color barrier in
Inside look at compelling
three-man race for NBA MVP
Jeff Zillgitt breaks down case for Joel Embiid,
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic. Page 2C
The Hull twins, Lacie and Lexie, were
born 20 minutes apart.
HULL FAMILY
forward Haley Jones get most the acco-
lades but it’s Lexie (blonde, older) and
Lacie (brunette, younger) who are the
heart of the defending champ Cardinal.
And this weekend, they get to play in
their hometown for a shot at their sec-
ond consecutive Final Four. In true twin
fashion, they both described the oppor-
tunity as “incredible.”
They got here, in part, because of a
record performance in the second round
from Lexie, who scored a career-high
36 points and grabbed six steals in Stan-
ford’s 91-65 win over Kansas.
The Hull twins, and their parents
Jaime and Jason, attribute their girls’
dogged, fierce style of play to numerous
hours of driveway one-on-one, which
usually ended “with one of them crying
in the grass,” Jaime recalled.
Said Jason, an All-American forward
at Division III Whitworth from 1990 to
1994: “They hate losing. But they hate
losing to each other more.”
Usually, one twin would come inside
Major League Baseball in 1947 and he re-
mains one of the most pivotal Ameri-
cans in the modern history of the coun-
try. Jackson will likely become the first
Black woman on the Supreme Court and
create her own form of immortality.
Jackson is like Robinson in another
way, and that’s temperament. Her even,
calm demeanor, in addition to her may-
be unparalleled qualifications, is one of
her strongest assets. In this way, both
Jackson and Robinson are linked be-
yond their status as firsts.
One common misconception people
unfamiliar with Robinson’s story have is
that he was picked by the Brooklyn
Dodgers because he was the most tal-
Latest news, results, opinion
24/7 at sports.usatoday.com
See who won and who lost in the men’s and wom-
en’s NCAA basketball tournaments all weekend
and state, in dramatic fashion, that
she wasn’t going to play against her
sister anymore. That never lasted long
though, and being left behind wasn’t
an option. When one sister wanted to
go work on her game, the other soon
followed, even if she did so grudgingly.
“Playing against each other so
much, that’s what drove them,” said
Jason, himself a twin.
Digging in on defense
From the jump, they established
themselves as defensive standouts. In
their first official basketball league, at
just 6 years old, players wore different
colored wristbands that matched
someone on the other team – that’s
how they knew who to guard. But Lex-
ie and Lacie, already versed in the con-
cept of help defense, got a scolding
from referees when they didn’t stay
glued to their player.
Cognizant of raising siblings who
would likely always be compared to
each other, Jaime and Jason Hull
worked to instill empathy in their girls.
In the fourth grade, when Lacie was
crowned free throw champion of
Washington state, Lexie came home
from school, folded her tall frame into
her mother’s lap, and sobbed.
“I know it’s really hard, but you
need to remember how this feels,”
Jaime said as she rocked Lexie.
“ ’Cause some day, the tables might be
turned.”
That has sometimes been the case
at Stanford, where Lexie has won more
See STANFORD, Page 4C
Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji
Brown Jackson’s even, calm demeanor,
in addition to her maybe unparalleled
qualifications, is one of her strongest
assets. In this way, both Jackson and
Jackie Robinson are linked beyond
their status as firsts.
ented Negro League player. There were
actually others who had more ability.
Robinson was selected by Dodgers
executive Branch Rickey because he had
the needed hyper-calmness to face the
extreme racial ugliness to come. The
conversation between the two went
Peacocks
bring
swagger,
toughness
Stephen Edelson
NorthJersey.com | USA TODAY Network
PHILADELPHIA – The sound of
basketballs impacting hardwood re-
verberated through an empty Wells
Fargo Center a few minutes before
9 a.m. Thursday, as the Saint Peter’s
men’s team took the court for practice.
It was the calm before the storm,
with a packed house expected to be
squarely behind the underdog Pea-
cocks in Friday’s NCAA Tournament
Sweet 16 showdown with Purdue, as
the March Madness Cinderella looks to
forestall the clock striking midnight
again.
It’s the swagger the Peacocks (21-11)
have displayed that’s caught the na-
tion’s attention, with that attitude
combining with some unexpectedly
strong play to create a compelling
combination.
“Just being on this coast, being in
New York and New Jersey, you have a
different type of toughness, a different
type of swagger that you play the game
of basketball with,” junior guard Daryl
Banks said. “As far as a chip on your
shoulder, it’s just a different breed of
basketball and that is what all of us are
embracing.”
“The chip on our shoulder is just
getting bigger and bigger. We’re still
trying to prove ourselves. We’re not
satisfied with anything right now,” ju-
nior guard Doug Edert said.
The pride of Jersey City is taking the
City of Brotherly Love by storm, fresh
off wins over blue blood Kentucky and
red hot Murray State. Now the Pea-
cocks look to become the first 15th seed
or higher to advance to the Elite Eight.
“Doing what we’re doing right now
is going to go down in history. All the
hard work we put in is paying off –
we’re not done yet,” Banks said.
“This is who we are and just being
able on the big stage, and finally show
that this is what we do, and this tough-
ness and chip on our shoulder is what
we bring to the table,” senior forward
KC Ndefo said.
The ultimate underdogs
The Peacocks are the ultimate un-
derdogs. Beyond their seed, their ros-
ter is comprised of a collection of un-
derrecruited, overlooked players who
have come together under coach Sha-
heen Holloway to shock the sports
world.
See PEACOCKS, Page 4C
Saint Peter’s junior guard Matthew
Lee, right, averages seven points and
three rebounds. MATT ROURKE/AP
something like this:
“I know you’re a good ballplayer,”
Rickey said. “What I don’t know is
whether you have the guts.”
“Mr. Rickey, are you looking for a Ne-
gro who is afraid to fight back?” Robin-
son asked.
“I’m looking for a ballplayer with guts
enough not to fight back,” Rickey said.
“Mr. Rickey, if you want to take this
gamble, I will promise you there will be
no incident,” Robinson said.
Jackson knows, the way Robinson
did, the way many Black people do, that
she must always remain controlled be-
See FREEMAN, Page 4C
2C ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY
NBA MVP RACE
Three-man battle for award at finish line
Jeff Zillgitt
USA TODAY
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid seeks his
first NBA MVP award.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounm-
po could win his third MVP award in
four seasons.
And Denver’s Nikola Jokic has had
the kind of season that could make him
the 12th player to win consecutive
MVPs.
While those three stars are the favor-
ites, the 2021-22 season has provided a
deep and compelling MVP race that also
includes Memphis’ Ja Morant, Chi-
cago’s DeMar DeRozan, Dallas’ Luke
Doncic, Golden State’s Steph Curry,
Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Phoenix’s De-
vin Booker and Brooklyn’s Kevin Du-
rant.
When the voting is completed – vot-
ers rank their top five in order – a few
more players may end up with votes.
But with less than three weeks left in
the regular season, it’s a three-man race
between Antetokounmpo, Embiid and
Jokic. All three make great cases, and
despite what the NBA illuminati on
Twitter may demand, there is not a
wrong choice or incorrect order. If a vot-
er has watched a full season of basket-
ball and determined that Player A de-
serves the MVP over Player B and C, so
be it. You’re not going to get 100 people
to agree unanimously often.
All three have posted meaningful
regular and advanced statistics and
have been asked to carry more responsi-
bility with key players not available.
. eraging 11.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1
Let’s take a closer look at the MVP
race:
The Big 3
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
Antetokounmpo averages a career-
high 29.8 points and is involved in a
down-to-the-wire clash with Embiid
and James for the scoring title, which
Antetokounmpo has never won. He also
averages 11.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4
blocks and 1.1 steals and shoots 54.7%
from the field. In addition, he has ca-
reer-highs in free throws made (8.3) and
attempted (11.6).
The Bucks should finish in the top
four in the Eastern Conference with a
chance at the first or second seed, and
they played without Brook Lopez for
most of the season. Antetokounmpo
was asked to cover more of the paint
with Lopez out. His impact is felt in on-
off court stats, too. With Antetokounm-
po in the game, the Bucks score 115.7
points and allow 107.7 points per 100
possessions. When Antetokounmpo is
on the bench, those stats suffer at 107.4
and 110.
Antetokounmpo also has a player ef-
Billy Horschel motors along at Dell Match Play
Steve DiMeglio
Golfweek | USA TODAY Network
Billy Horschel is more than halfway
to catching Tiger Woods.
With a 3-and-2 victory over Tom
Hoge on Thursday at windy Austin
Country Club in Texas in the second
round of pool play in the World Golf
Championships-Dell Technologies
Match Play, Horschel has won seven
consecutive matches in the event.
The defending champion last lost
4 and 2 to J.T. Poston in last year’s sec-
ond round of pool play. He won his last
five matches last year to win the title
and the first two this year. That leaves
him six short of matching Woods, who
holds the record with 13 consecutive
BUSINESS BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITES
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITES BIGMONEYCLOSERS.COM®
Tired of Dead End
Be Your Opportunities?
Own Boss!! Our 20 Min. Cash Flow Info
College Student Call Is Generating $1,500 to
Realistically
y Earns $9,500 pot’l In Cash and
$1,500
, to $2000 ppot’l Cashiers Checks. Listen to our
Weekly with Software 20 Min. 24/7 Info Line Now!
and Website. Affiliate Call 1-800-215-8376
Call Bry: Opp.
Mention ID#1001
253-886-8798 Affiliate Opp
ADVERTISE USA TODAY Marketplace
HERE Call Us! 800-397-0070
Leading MVP candidates Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
USA TODAY SPORTS
ficiency rating – a measurement of a
player’s positive and negative contribu-
tions – of 32.29, which is a career-high
and the second-best PER in NBA histo-
ry, according to basketball-refer-
ence.com.
Antetokounmpo won the award in
2019 and 2020, and while voter fatigue
has been cited as a reason why a player
doesn’t win two or three consecutive
awards, if Antetokounmpo doesn’t win
his third in four seasons, it won’t be vot-
er fatigue in this case.
Joel Embiid, Sixers
Embiid is having a career year, start-
ing with career highs in points (29.8)
and assists (4.3) per game while also av-
steals and shooting 48.7 from the field
and a respectable 35.9% on 3-pointers.
He is the reason why the Sixers will
get a top-four seed in the East. Also, Em-
biid and the Sixers endured through the
Ben Simmons situation, winning games
with the three-time All-Star unavail-
able.
Just like the Bucks with Anteto-
kounmpo, the Sixers flourish with Em-
biid on the court, scoring 114.2 points
and allowing 107.1 points per 100 posses-
sions. When Embiid is not in the game,
the Sixers score 106.6 points and allow
110 points per 100 possessions.
Embiid’s PER is third this season, be-
hind Antetokounmpo and Jokic, at 31.37.
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
When the season started, I said Jokic
was competing against himself for the
award and would need a better season
than last to repeat. Guess what? It can
be argued he has had a better season,
lifting the Nuggets to a possible top six
seed without Jamal Murray and Michael
Porter Jr.
Jokic is near a triple-double at 26.2
points, 13.6 rebounds and eight assists
per game while averaging 1.4 steals and
shooting 57% from the field, including
wins in the Match Play from 2003 to
2005. Woods also is the only player to
win back-to-back Match Play titles.
“There are stats that Tiger has ac-
complished and that he has that are just
mind blowing. Things that you just can’t
imagine and when you think about 13
straight matches won, you don’t think
that’s a big deal, but when you realize it,
it’s two years of match play and not los-
ing almost,” Horschel said. “There’s
nothing I can say that someone hasn’t
already said about him, so if somehow I
was able to continue on a great streak
and win the next five matches and then
come back and win one match next year,
it would be really cool to have my name
next to him.”
Horschel will play Thomas Pieters in
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITES
DENTURE LAB
OWNER / TECHNICIAN
RELOCATE your skills.
Thriving N.E. Pennsylvania Lab looking
for Denture Technician(s) with quality
workmanship looking to be the Boss!
20 years of continuous growth,
looking to retire. Great potential for
continued growth. Gross Sales $250K.
Loyal customers. Location close
to I81, I80 and Pa. turnpike.
Area Amenities: Skiing, Hunting,
Fishing, Gyms, Theater, Sports Arena
with Hockey and Entertainment,
Great Restaurants, etc!
CONTACT ME AT:
Prosthetics2021@gmail.com
34.6% on 3s, and he’s shooting six per-
centage points better from the foul line
this season compared to 2020-21 and is
less than a percentage point from a ca-
reer-high in field goal percentage.
He also leads the league in double-
doubles (58) and triple-doubles (18).
Jokic has improved his MVP case as
the season progressed, posting two
games with at least 45 points, 10 re-
bounds and 10 assists, joining just six
other players in NBA history to post that
stat line.
Now, about PER. The stat created by
former ESPNer and Memphis Grizzlies
front-office executive John Hollinger is
not an end all, be all measurement. It is a
tool to help determine who is highly pro-
ductive on the court, and Jokic is post-
ing the best PER ever in season at 32.46
since applying the formula starting with
the 2002-03 season.
Next up
DeMar DeRozan, Bulls: DeRozan is
delivering, a reminder of just how good
he is, especially on a talented team. He
averages 27.6 points, a career-high after
posting 27.3 per game in 2016-17. Despite
limited 3-point attempts (not even two
per game), DeRozan is an efficient scor-
er at 50% from the field and 87% from
the free-throw line. It’s even more im-
pressive to see DeRozan do this in his
13th season at 32.
Ja Morant, Grizzlies: Morant is just
22 years old, and if he continues to play
like he has this season, he will be part of
this conversation for the next several
seasons. Morant averages 27.6 points,
6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals and
shoots 49.3% from the field, 34% on 3s
and 76.2% from the line. He should be-
come a better long-range and free throw
shooter, making him an even better
scorer. Morant has led the Grizzlies to
the second-best record in the league.
the final round of pool
play; Pieters moved to
1-1-0 with a 1-up win over
Min Woo Lee. Horschel
made a 50-footer for
birdie on the first hole to
Horschel grab a lead he never relin-
quished.
“I think I don’t toot my own horn. I’m
not one of those guys to tell you how
great I am at what I do,” said Horschel,
the 2014 FedExCup champion. “I’m a
grinder. Yes, I can make it look pretty
sometimes but I’m OK playing in the
mud and grinding it out and I’m a really
good putter inside 10 feet, which is cru-
cial in match play. I love the format and
right now obviously I’m having a lot of
success.
BUSINESS INVESTMENTS
OPPORTUNITES
INVEST $50K IN MEDIA
GET BACK $1 MILLION +COMM
LADIES! LADIES! LADIES!
Potential to Make Big Money!
Pot’l : Invest $50K, get back
$7K weekly for 156 weeks =
THROW AWAY YOUR MAKEUP
AND OTHER COSMETICS!
$1.1Million + Commission.
Also, you can invest $5K as well
We Have an ALL-IN-ONE
SOLUTION to Help Your Visit: http://www.toptcash.com
SKIN GLOW! 212-260-5650
Call Now 800-253-3091
Affiliate Opp.
BUSINESS FOR SALE
WORK FROM HOME Niche 35 Year Old
Manufacturing Co.
$500 to $1,000 Incl. 60 Trademarks
A Day From Home & Patent Products
Pot’l
Not MLM, No Selling, No Explaining
Used on Disney World
& Euro Disney
213-462-1777
Affiliate Opp
Call or text for details
954-654-9125
SPORTS
Luka Doncic, Mavericks: Doncic’s
MVP candidacy has been a slow build
with the Mavs star increasing his level
of play the past two months, averaging
31.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.4 assists
and shooting 47.4% from the field and
40% on 3s.
The others
LeBron James, Lakers: James is not
going to win based on the Los Angeles
Lakers’ record. But he’s still having a
fantastic season (30 points, 8.2 re-
bounds, 6.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1
blocks and 52.3% from the field) and
could become the oldest player at 37
years old to win the scoring title. And it
would be close. Michael Jordan is the
oldest, having done it at 30 years old.
He’s a fraction of a point ahead of Ante-
tokounmpo and Embiid.
Jayson Tatum, Celtics: Former
Washington Wizards coach Scott
Brooks once said Tatum will win the
MVP someday. It won’t be this season,
but like Morant, Tatum will be in the dis-
cussion for the next five-plus seasons.
Tatum’s play has elevated the Celtics
into a position where they can finish
with a top-four seed in the East – a sce-
nario that seemed implausible when
they were 18-21 in early January. Tatum
averages 27 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.3
assists and is one of four players to have
two 50-point games this season.
Devin Booker, Suns: Devin Booker
made sure the Suns didn’t falter in the
standings when Chris Paul was side-
lined with an injury and he was out-
standing before Paul’s injury. Booker av-
erages 26 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.9 as-
sists, 1.2 steals and shoots 45.9% from
the field (37.5% on 3s) for the best team
in the league. The Suns are an offensive
machine with Booker on the court, scor-
ing 117.1 points per 100 possessions.
Steph Curry, Warriors: Curry start-
ed hot, ran into a slump and then started
to pick it up again right before his injury
that has him sidelined. Curry averages
25.5 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 re-
bounds and shoots 43.7% from the field
and 38% on 4.5 made 3s per game.
Karl Anthony-Towns, Timber-
wolves: In case you’ve missed out on
watching Karl-Anthony Towns this sea-
son, he’s put together a fabulous sea-
son, close to the coveted 50-40-90 line:
52.7% from the field, 40.7% on 3s and
82.8% from the foul line. Towns, who is
dominating since the All-Star break, av-
erages 24.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 as-
sists, 1.2 blocks and one steal.
Donovan Mitchell, Jazz: The Jazz
are in fourth place, trying to hold off Dal-
las and trying to catch Golden State.
Mitchell’s play can help the Jazz do the
latter. He averages 26.2 points, 5.4 as-
sists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals and
shoots 45.3% from the field, 36% on 3.
“I’ve been lucky that the two guys I’ve
played have made some mistakes. So
it’s allowed me not to have to really do
anything special.”
Among others to move to 2-0-0 were
world No. 1 Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka
and Dustin Johnson. Rahm defeated
Cameron Young 5 and 4; Koepka top-
pled Harold Varner III 2 and 1; and John-
son beat Matthew Wolff 4 and 2.
Also getting to 2-0-0 was Alex Noren,
who won when Paul Casey conceded
due to back spasms for the second day
in a row. Noren will face Corey Connors,
who beat Louis Oosthuizen 2 and 1, to
move to 2-0-0, in the final round of pool
play. Also improving to 2-0-0 was Lucas
Herbert, who beat Xander Schauffele
1 up.
To view more Classified listings,
visit: classifieds.usatoday.com
CAPITAL WANTED REAL ESTATE
MARKETPLACE
WORLD CLASS
EQUITY JOINT TURN $2500
INTO $25K
VENTURE IN 90-DAYS
AVAILABLE
Established World Class Gold Mining Company
seeks $5.5m - $35m+ USD Investment Capital.
World Class Rich Gold Mines, 5 ounce Gold
Nuggets, 2 ounces per ton Gold+. Inferred
Gold Reserves of $1B USD+. Building 250 t.p.d.
Milling Facility. Immediate Gold Production.
5-10X Return, 3-7 years. Secured.
goldstarltd.net
Scan QR Code to Book
Mr. Howell (480) 604-7913
a FREE Consultation
Help Unlock Homeowner’s Equity
Visit us online at:
usatoday.com Advertise Today! (800) 397-0070
SPORTS
Purdue will rely on a deep playbook
Mike Carmin
Lafayette (Ind.) Journal & Courier
USA TODAY Network
PHILADELPHIA – Terry Johnson is
constantly writing on his mini-grease
board. Numbers. Letters. Write one
combination and wipe it clean. And do it
all over again seconds later.
The first-year Purdue men’s basket-
ball assistant coach is Matt Painter’s of-
fensive coordinator, the man in charge
of bringing one of the nation’s top units
to life. However, Johnson didn’t write –
Jaden Ivey killer crossover from the
edge of the March Madness logo – near
the end of the second-round victory
over Texas that gave the Boilermakers
enough separation to keep playing in
the men’s NCAA Tournament.
“We never put that one on there,”
Johnson said, laughing. “We say this is
what we would like for you to do but he
has other ideas when he gets out there.
Hey, we’re going to take it.”
Ivey has earned that right. The future
NBA lottery pick can create on his own
and knows what’s needed and when.
And third-seeded Purdue needed a dag-
ger, and Ivey helped push his team into
Friday’s East Region semifinal matchup
against No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s at Wells
Fargo Arena.
Painter’s offensive playbook is exten-
sive. Johnson has a bevy of plays to run
for Ivey, big men Zach Edey and Trevion
Williams, sharpshooter Sasha Stefa-
novic and steady point guard Eric Hunt-
er Jr. That’s just the start.
About midway through the Big Ten
season, Johnson became comfortable
using all those options at his disposal.
The conference teams know Purdue’s
personnel so well that it’s difficult to
gain traction the deeper the season
goes.
That’s why facing Yale and Texas was
a bit invigorating.
“It also depends on how the defense
is going to guard our guys,” said John-
NC’s Davis delivers
crunchtime points
Adam Smith
Burlington (N.C.) Times-News
USA TODAY Network
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The hero’s wel-
come home to which North Carolina’s
basketball team arrived after the whirl-
wind events of its opening weekend in
the men’s NCAA Tournament made a
lasting impression on RJ Davis.
Supporters gathered outside Smith
Center, waiting to greet the Tar Heels
and celebrate the hard-earned spot in
the Sweet 16 they had secured by way of
their turbulent overtime victory against
Baylor, the East Regional’s top seed.
It felt like a triumph to the sophomore
guard, one of the architects who made
such a scene possible.
“I soaked it all in,” Davis said Tues-
day. “It was something that I’ll cherish
for the rest of my life, just to see how
much fans care for this place. It was
amazing, just walking through the
crowd, giving them high-fives and hav-
ing smiles on your face, that’s some-
thing I’ll cherish forever.”
More meaningful memories could be
out there to collect as 8-seed North
Carolina (26-9) meets 4-seed UCLA
(27-7) in a Sweet 16 matchup of presti-
gious college basketball name brands
on Friday in Philadelphia.
Davis is coming off back-to-back
games in the tournament that under-
lined his value, dishing out a career-
best 12 assists during the Tar Heels’
mauling of Marquette and then pouring
in a career-high 30 points across the
rocky course of the epic escape of Bay-
lor, the reigning national champion.
“I just think RJ is playing at an ex-
tremely high level right now,” coach Hu-
bert Davis said Tuesday. “His ability to
get us into our offense, understand
when to shoot, when to pass, to take
care of the basketball, has been at a real-
ly high level the whole season, but spe-
cifically the last two or three weeks.”
The UCLA team that North Carolina
will face is no stranger to advancing
through the NCAA Tournament, having
reached the Final Four behind Johnny
Juzang, Jamie Jaquez Jr. and Co. last
season.
Meanwhile, RJ Davis has displayed
the knack for showing up in pivotal mo-
ments, whether supplying 21 points on a
range of twisting drives as North Caroli-
na crashed the party on Duke coach
Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell home game
this month in Durham, or coming up
Purdue guard Jaden Ivey drives to the basket against Texas in the second round
of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. BENNY SIEU/USA TODAY SPORTS
son, who joined Painter’s staff after a
stint at Ohio State. “It’s been pretty fun
and refreshing to go against somebody
that’s not as familiar with you. You have
the whole playbook open up and you’re
just trying to attack in how they defend.”
Purdue will likely need most of its
playbook against the Peacocks, who are
regarded as one of the top defensive
teams in the nation. It’s not just what’s
happened in the NCAA Tournament but
over the last nine games where they’ve
held eight opponents to fewer than 70
points.
And 70 points is a magic number for
the Boilermakers, who are 26-0 when
reaching that mark. Saint Peter’s will
lean on a smaller lineup, which isn’t a
surprise to Purdue since it’s hard for
nearly every team in the country to
match the size of Edey and Williams.
“They play really tough,” Edey said.
“They swarm the basketball on defense
and make it tough to get good looks even
North Carolina’s RJ Davis scores over
Baylor’s Kendall Brown in overtime.
CHRIS JONES/USA TODAY SPORTS
clutch as the Tar Heels were coming
apart at the seams and squandering
their 25-point lead against Baylor.
“It was kind of like we were a sink-
ing ship trying to stay afloat as long
as possible until we got to shore,”
North Carolina power forward Arman-
do Bacot said Tuesday.
Davis became the hand at the wheel
in the backcourt when guard Caleb
Love fouled out with 6:15 remaining in
regulation, and Baylor pressing and
hounding and seizing the momentum
to wipe out the Tar Heels’ commanding
lead.
Davis added six assists and five re-
bounds to his career-high scoring out-
put against Baylor, fueled by five 3-
pointers and 9-for-10 shooting on free
throws. He played all 45 minutes of the
game without catching a breather.
“He’s been great,” Bacot said, prais-
ing Davis. “It’s not easy going out there
and having a good game versus those
Baylor guards. Y’all saw how they were
pressing, and all year defense has been
their kind of thing.
“Just for him to go out there and be
able to score at a high rate like that
against a team that defends so well, it
was huge for us. We needed every
point we could get.”
“That’s something I’ve been doing
my whole life,” Davis said. “I find ways
to score the basketball at a very high
level. That’s something I’ve been doing
since high school. I’ve always called
myself a ‘certified bucket getter,’ so I
live by that. And it’s just something
I’ve always practiced, too, from sum-
mer workouts to leading up to the sea-
son, just perfecting my craft.”
USA TODAY ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ 3C
though they may not have the talent lev-
el that other teams do.”
Edey’s experience this season and
during the summer at the Under-19
World Cup in Latvia where he faced
smaller personnel in nearly every game
prepares the native of Toronto for
what’s coming.
“I learned most of it over in Latvia,”
Edey said. “Most teams over there didn’t
have a big guy. They didn’t have a 7-foot-
er and I had to learn how to play physical
without fouling and things like that. I
played through a lot of contact and
dominated the offensive glass because
they can’t box me out.”
The Peacocks – who defeated Ken-
tucky and Murray State to reach the
Sweet 16 – are aggressive in their ap-
proach and feature interchangeable
parts throughout their lineup.
“They have a lot of hybrid forwards
that can play the (small forward) and
the (power forward) that are long and
‘Old’ Friars making
a case for experience
Jerry Boggs
The Providence Journal | USA TODAY Network
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Kansas men’s
basketball coach Bill Self didn’t even
wait for the question to be complete
before jumping on it.
“Coach,” a reporter started during a
press conference this week, “Provi-
dence, an older team, a big team ...”
And on cue, Self jumped in. “Really
old team,” he stressed with a smile on
his face.
In the same press conference, Jay-
hawks forward Jalen Wilson is at the
microphone.
“Hey Jalen,” a reporter begins, “how
much have you seen on Providence so
far?”
The 21-year-old redshirt sophomore
explains that he’s seen a lot of the Fri-
ars, watching their games in the NCAA
Tournament.
“I see they can shoot the ball really
well,” he said. “Got an older team, so
we’re going to have to really respect
this team.”
USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan
Wolken profiles 10th seed Miami and
how the Hurricanes have made a Cin-
derella run in this year’s NCAA Tour-
nament. He turns to the NBA where
the Oklahoma City Thunder took on
the Orlando Magic on the same night
the tourney’s first-round games were
wrapping up.
“The average age of the Thunder’s
starting lineup was 21.8 years old,
while the Magic’s was slightly younger
at 21.4,” he wrote. “And they were both
younger than the lineup Miami put on
the floor Sunday night – not the Miami
Heat, but the Miami Hurricanes in the
NCAA Tournament.”
The thing is, with 21-year old Isaiah
Wong starting for Miami, the Hurri-
canes are quite a bit younger than the
Providence Friars starters AND the
first three players off the bench.
You get the point.
Providence College’s storybook
season has been fueled by the play of
an old team. As Self said, a really old
team.
So how old are the Friar’s core play-
ers? Well, the average age of the eight
players who logged at least 15 minutes
of action in last weekend’s win over
Richmond is just over 23 years old.
The baby of the group is senior Ed
Croswell at 22 years, 6 months old.
The old head of the team is Noah
that will block your shot, that will con-
test high and they’re just all over the
place,” Painter said. “Coach (Gene) Kea-
dy always said good players can be in
two places at one time.
“They have a lot of guys that can be in
two places at one time. They can be ac-
tive on the ball, bounce off, get back to
their man, and just make things really
difficult.”
Plus, they’re not leery of facing Edey,
who is 7-foot-4, or Ivey.
“Like I said in the press conference
last week, everybody was saying how
are you guys going to compete with cer-
tain guys’ physicality, and I believe it,”
Saint Peter’s coach Shaheen Holloway
said during a press conference this
week. “When you have kids from New
York, New Jersey, Connecticut, the tri-
state area, this is what these kids are
built for. I’m built for this. I coach that
way. We’re not going to be intimidated
by anybody.”
Purdue isn’t looking to intimidate the
Peacocks, just run its offense at an effi-
cient level and be at the top of its game.
The goal for Saint Peter’s is to make the
Boilermakers as uncomfortable as pos-
sible, which could lead to turnovers or
quick shots, a proven recipe for disaster.
Johnson won’t stray away from what
has worked for this offense most of the
year, and it starts inside with Edey and
Williams. And when the ball makes its
way back to Ivey, he’ll do what he’s done
all season.
“He’s done a better job late in the year
of reading the defense and making the
simple play,” Johnson said. “It’s going to
come back to him later and he starts cut-
ting and it happened in the Texas game.
He cut and Mason (Gillis) found him,
and he was able to get to the rim.
“It’s a lot easier for him instead of all
eyes on him out front dribbling the bas-
ketball. It only happens if he takes what
the defense gives him early. If they col-
lapse, he’s going to pass it to his open
teammate.”
A.J. Reeves slaps hands with fans lined
up as the team heads to the bus for
their trip to Chicago and the Sweet 16.
KRIS CRAIG/THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL
Horchler, who celebrated his birthday
on the first day of the year.
Here is the breakdown of Provi-
dence’s ... let’s say experienced ... team:
Noah Horchler, graduate student,
24 years 2 months: He started his play-
ing career at North Florida, playing two
years with the Ospreys. He sat out 2019-
20 as a transfer before becoming a start-
er for the Friars. He’s averaging 9.9
points and 8.5 rebounds.
Al Durham, graduate student,
23 years 5 months: Durham is taking
advantage of a fifth year of eligibility as
a graduate transfer. He started his ca-
reer at Indiana. He’s averaged 13.3
points and 3.4 rebounds this season.
Nate Watson, graduate student,
23 years 5 months: Watson took advan-
tage of a COVID-19-era blanket NCAA
waiver. He has been a fixture for the Fri-
ars since the 2017-18 season; he’s aver-
aged 13.5 points and 5.3 rebounds this
season.
Justin Minaya, graduate student,
23 years 0 months: Minaya started his
career at South Carolina, then trans-
ferred last year. He has averaged 6.5
points and 5.5 rebounds.
Jared Bynum, redshirt junior,
23 years 0 months: Transferred from
Saint Joseph’s after his freshman year.
He’s averaging over 12.5 points per
game.
A.J. Reeves, senior, 22 years
9 months: He has started 87 games in
his career with the Friars, averaging
over nine points per game.
Ed Croswell, senior, 22 years
6 months: Transferred from LaSalle af-
ter the 2019-20 season. He has averaged
5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds this season.
4C ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS

Freeman 1 Gonzaga ynlloŽ›Ž˜Ž”“t

’Š“˜‡†˜Š™‡†‘‘
Arizona 1

Continued from Page 1C

San Francisco ™”š—“†’Š“™ San Antonio
Thursday, Thursday, 9:59
7:09 p.m., CBS p.m., TBS
All times Eastern
fore, during and after this process. Even
when bigots like Tucker Carlson pull a
jurist stop-and-frisk by demanding her 4 Arkansas Houston 5
LSAT scores. She doesn’t have the luxu- West South
San Francisco San Antonio
ry of shouting “I liked beer!” She must Saturday Saturday
always be calm or she’ll be portrayed as
The Angry Black Woman.
3 Texas Tech
n†’•Ž”“˜Ž• Michigan 11
Even when those questioning her, or New Orleans
San Francisco April 4 San Antonio
attacking her, don’t have a fraction of Thursday, Thursday, 7:29
her skills or intellect. The same way Supreme Court Associate Justice 9:39 p.m., CBS p.m., TBS
people screaming racial slurs at Robin- nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson
son didn’t have a tenth of the character appears before the Senate Judiciary
or talent he did. Committee. JASPER COLT/USA TODAY 2 Duke Villanova 2
Robinson kept his composure even qŽ“†‘q”š— qŽ“†‘q”š—
when opposing players purposefully New Orleans, April 2 New Orleans, April 2
spiked him in the leg or when he got rac- GOP’s official Twitter account com-
8 N. Carolina Kansas 1
ist hate mail, or numerous death posed a GIF with Jackson’s face next to
threats. the letters CRT (critical race theory),
Philadelphia Chicago
What made Robinson’s restraint which were then scratched out and re- Friday, 9:39 Friday, 7:29
even more remarkable was he was a placed by her initials KBJ. The racism p.m., CBS p.m., TBS
natural fighter. He fought racism with wasn’t even subtle.
words and fists from the time he was a Neither was what extremist right
child, and would be a fighter again sev- wing activist and radio host Charlie 4 UCLA Providence 4
eral years after that conversation with Kirk said. “Well, KBJ – Ketanji Brown East Midwest
Philadelphia Chicago
Rickey, when Rickey told Robinson he Jackson – is what your country looks Sunday Sunday
no longer needed to hold back. like on critical race theory,” he said.
But between those moments Robin- “KBJ is your country on CRT. KBJ – Ke- 3 Purdue Iowa St. 11
son faced extreme hate with calm. One tanji Brown Jackson – is an embodi-
Philadelphia Chicago
week after his debut the Philadelphia ment of the tyranny that we currently Friday, 7:09 Friday, 9:59
Phillies attacked him with vile racial live under. She’s an ideological, unin- p.m., CBS p.m., TBS
taunts. He didn’t strike back even telligent, yet confident fanatic who is
though he wanted to. In his autobiogra- so dismissive that you might even ask
phy “Never Had It Made” he wrote of “a the question of what a woman is.” 15 St. Peter's Miami-Florida 10
glorious, cleansing thing it would be to Kirk, who has 1.7 million Twitter fol- ~”š—ˆŠ€~lzol„~•”—™˜
let go. To hell with the image of the pa- lowers, added: “Your children and your
tient black freak I was supposed to cre-
ate. I could throw down my bat, stride
grandchildren are going to have to take
orders from people like her.” Peacocks ing is beginning to sink in from coast to
coast.
over to the Phillies dugout, grab one of Many Black people, particularly The last time a team from the New
those white sons of bitches and smash Black women, see what is happening Continued from Page 1C York metropolitan area played in the
his teeth in with my despised black fist.” to Jackson and feel it deeply because Sweet 16 was the 2000 Seton Hall team
He wanted to do it, he had every right we’ve experienced it. “Typically, those are the type of that Holloway led as a senior point
to, but he didn’t. But through it all, like Robinson, she kids I like to recruit, guys who are guard.
Jackson has faced the 21st-century stayed calm. Even once taking a deep under-recruited, have a chip on their “It means everything,” Holloway
version of what Robinson did. No, some breath before answering a particularly shoulder with something to prove. said. “It’s funny, everybody keeps talk-
of those questioners aren’t calling her absurd, racist question. Tough, hard-nosed kids, tough-mind- ing about my team that played 22 years
the N-word, but they are hurling racist There was one moment when ed,” Holloway said. ago – it’s great, you try not to think
tropes nonetheless. She was asked Brown got emotional and it happened That mentality will be put to the test about that, I try not to put that kind of
about critical race theory and the 1619 after some powerful words from Sen. against a Purdue (29-7) team that lost pressure on the team. I just try to take it
Project, neither of which has anything Cory Booker. Then again, anyone who to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament one game at a time.
to do with Jackson. The idea is to brand is human and watched that would championship game and was ranked “But if that could happen it would be
her as some sort of Black radical, which have gotten emotional. No. 1 earlier this season. tremendous, unbelievable, not just for
is the opposite of what her record Overall, no one was going to rattle While the one-game-at-a-time New Jersey but just for the tri-state area
shows. her. It’s something I’d like to think mantra remains intact within the pro- to have a team representing it in the
On the second day of the hearings the would make Robinson proud. gram, the enormity of what’s happen- Elite Eight.”

1 S. Carolina ynlloŽ›Ž˜Ž”“t Stanford 1

œ”’Š“˜‡†˜Š™‡†‘‘
Greensboro, ™”š—“†’Š“™ Spokane,
N.C. Wash.
Friday, 7 p.m., Friday, 9:30
ESPN All times Eastern p.m., ESPN

5 North Carolina Maryland 4

Greensboro, N.C. Spokane, Wash.
Greensboro, N.C. Spokane, Wash.
Sunday Sunday

3 Iowa St.
n†’•Ž”“˜Ž• Ohio St. 6
Minneapolis, Minn.
Greensboro, April 3 Spokane,
N.C. Wash.
Friday, 9:30 Friday, 7 p.m.,
p.m., ESPN2 ESPN2

10 Creighton Texas 2
qŽ“†‘q”š— qŽ“†‘q”š—
Minneapolis, Minn., April 1 Minneapolis, Minn., April 1

1 Louisville N.C. State 1

Wichita, Kan. Bridgeport,

Saturday, 4 Conn.
p.m., ESPN2 Saturday,
11:30 a.m.,
ESPN

4 Tennessee Notre Dame 5

Lexie Hull, No. 10, and Lacie Hull, No. 24, have always been known for their Wichita, Kan. Bridgeport, Con
Wichita, Kan. Bridgeport, Conn.
relentless style of play. HULL FAMILY Monday Monday

3 Michigan Indiana 3

Stanford their sister’s success even more.

Continued from Page 1C
accolades and more often shows up in
the stat sheet. But true Stanford follow-
ers understand the value of Lacie.
The Cardinal returned almost their
entire roster from last year’s title run ex-
cept for one glaring omission: point
guard Kiana Williams, who graduated.
Early on, the lack of a go-to ball handler
proved to be problematic, as Stanford
couldn’t stop turning over the ball. Then
Lacie, who hadn’t played point guard
since eighth grade, volunteered for a po-
sition switch.
Initially skeptical, VanDerveer has
become so enamored with Lacie’s abil-
ity to direct the offense and take care of
the ball that she’s started planting seeds
about Lacie possibly coming back for a
fifth year. “Ever think about getting your
Ph.D?” she’ll ask. (The twins are both
set to graduate with their undergradu-
ate degrees and masters this spring.)
It’s helpful, Lacie said, for everyone
to understand of her and her sister,
“we’re different people who play differ-
ent games.” Sure, they like winning indi-
vidual honors. But they like celebrating
As much as they might seem at-
tached at the hip, Lexie and Lacie swear
they aren’t totally identical – though
they have had fun switching jerseys at
practice and trying to pull a fast one on
VanDerveer, who took awhile to catch
on. They joined different sororities at
Stanford (Lacie is a Kappa Alpha Theta,
Lexie a Pi Beta Phi) and have different
hobbies. Lacie enjoys crafting and vol-
unteers at a local animal shelter, while
Lexie, who Lacie says is the more fash-
ionable twin, prefers online shopping
and outdoor activities like paddle-
boarding. They lived apart their fresh-
man and sophomore years, and made
different groups of friends.
But because they tend to like the
same things and the same people, those
friend groups merged, and where one
Hull sister goes, the other inevitably fol-
lows. This is true on the court, too. Lexie
and Lacie are some of the best defend-
ers in the country, using their long,
6-foot-1 frames to disrupt passing lanes
and deflect balls. Together, over the
course of their careers they’ve totaled
355 steals and four all-defensive confer-
ence honors for the Cardinal.
They like working together offensive-
ly, too. According to Her Hoop Stats, an
Wichita, Kan.
Saturday, 6:30
p.m., ESPN2
10 South Dakota
~”š—ˆŠ€~lzol„~•”—™˜
advanced analytics site dedicated to
women’s basketball, the Hull-to-Hull
connection has resulted in a Stanford
score 49 times.
“You’re going to have chemistry with
anybody you play with for 15 years,” Lac-
ie said. “It’s sort of like an expectation: If
I cut here, she’s going to cut there – and
not just offensively, but defensively, too.
If I get extended right here, I know she’s
got my back on the help side there.”
When COVID-19 hit and the 2020
NCAA Tournament was canceled, Lexie
and Lacie headed home to Spokane for
six months. They revived their one-on-
one rivalry at that time, sneaking into
gyms and playing at public parks.
(“Wind can really impact a good shot at-
tempt, it turns out,” Lacie mused.)
But they haven’t been in Spokane
Arena since high school, when they
played four years of “The Stinky Sneak-
er” rivalry.
That changes Friday when they tip
Bridgeport,
Conn.
Saturday, 2
p.m., ESPN
Connecticut 2
off against fourth-seeded Maryland.
It’s fitting, they said, that their ca-
reers have come full circle. They’ll get to
hang with their parents and their dogs
this weekend, just like old times. (Mag-
gie, their Beagle, and Lily, their Dachs-
hund, actually traveled with the Stan-
ford team all of last year – as cardboard
cutouts that got propped up in the
stands when COVID-19 protocols kept
spectators out of gyms.)
They know a new chapter awaits, and
they’re not sure how they feel about it.
At the end of the season, Lexie plans to
declare for the WNBA draft while Lacie
enters the workforce.
“We’ve never been apart for longer
than a week,” Lexie said. “It’s definitely
going to be a transition and it’s some-
thing I don’t think either of us are look-
ing forward to.”
One thing they agree could help ease
the transition: another national cham-
pionship.
SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ 5C

FOR THE RECORD

All times ET COLLEGE BASKETBALL Seattle
Houston
1
1
3
4
.250
.200
Chicago Cubs 5, Oakland 4
L.A. Dodgers 6, Cleveland 2
Washington vs. St. Louis at Sarasota, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Baltimore vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay 0 5 .000 Arizona 5, San Francisco 3 Detroit vs. Toronto at Dunedin, Fla., 1:07 p.m.
NBA NATIONAL LEAGUE Texas 14, Chicago White Sox 5 Colorado vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.
Men’s National Invitational San Diego 3, L.A. Angels 0 Milwaukee vs. Oakland at Mesa, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.
W L Pct.
Tournament Miami 4 1 .800 Kansas City 8, Colorado 4 Cleveland vs. San Francisco at Scottsdale, 4:05 p.m.
EASTERN CONFERENCE Wednesday, March 23 St. Louis 4 1 .800 N.Y. Yankees 7, Baltimore 1 Texas vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.
Atlantic Division Reed Arena, College Station, Texas Atlanta 3 1 .750 Cincinnati 12, Milwaukee 8 L.A. Angels vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.
W L Pct GB Texas A&M 67, Wake Forest 52 Chicago 4 2 .667 Thursday’s Games N.Y. Mets vs. Houston at Palm Beach, Fla., 6:05 p.m.
Philadelphia 45 27 .625 — Cincinnati 4 2 .667 San Diego vs. L.A. Dodgers at Phoenix, 9:05 p.m.
Boston 46 28 .622 — At Marriott Center, Provo, Utah Detroit 5, N.Y. Yankees 3
Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle at Peoria, Ariz., 9:40 p.m.
Washington St. 77, BYU 58 Milwaukee 3 2 .600 Minnesota 7, Tampa Bay 1
Toronto 40 32 .556 5 Philadelphia 3 2 .600 Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 3 Saturday’s Games
Brooklyn 38 35 .521 7½ Semifinals Pittsburgh 3 2 .600 San Francisco vs. Chicago White Sox Minnesota vs. Atlanta at North Port, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
New York 31 42 .425 14½ Tuesday, March 29 New York 2 2 .500 Seattle vs. Cleveland Tampa Bay vs. Boston at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Southeast Division Madison Square Garden, New York Colorado 3 4 .429 Cincinnati vs. Kansas City Philadelphia vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
W L Pct GB Xavier vs. St. Bonaventure, 7 p.m. San Diego 2 4 .333 Texas vs. Oakland Toronto vs. N.Y. Yankees at Tampa. Fla., 1:05 p.m.
y-Miami 47 26 .644 — Texas A&M vs. Washington St., 9:30 p.m. Arizona 2 5 .286 L.A. Dodgers vs. Colorado Miami vs. St. Louis at Sarasota, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Charlotte 37 36 .507 10 Los Angeles 1 3 .250 Chicago Cubs vs. L.A. Angels Washington vs. N.Y. Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla., 1:10 p.m.
Atlanta 36 37 .493 11 Men’s College Basketball Invitational San Francisco 1 4 .200 Arizona vs. Milwaukee L.A. Angels vs. Chicago White Sox at Phoenix, 4:05 p.m.
Washington 30 41 .423 16 Championship Washington 1 4 .200 Boston vs. Baltimore Oakland vs. Cleveland at Goodyear, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.
Orlando 20 54 .270 27½ Wednesday’s Games
Wednesday, March 23 Houston vs. Washington Cincinnati vs. San Francisco at Scottsdale, 4:05 p.m.
Central Division UNC-Wilmington 96, Middle Tennessee 90, 2OT Tampa Bay 7, Atlanta 7 Miami vs. N.Y. Mets Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego at Peoria, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.
W L Pct GB Minnesota 10, Boston 4 Atlanta at Toronto, ppd. Texas vs. Colorado at Scottsdale, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.
Milwaukee 45 27 .625 — Women’s National Invitation Pittsburgh 6, Detroit 6 Friday’s Games Seattle vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix, 4:10 p.m.
Chicago 42 30 .583 3 Tournament Houston 10, St. Louis 3 Boston vs. Atlanta at North Port, Fla., 1:05 p.m. Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore at Sarasota, Fla., 6:05 p.m.
Cleveland 41 31 .569 4 Miami 3, Washington 2 L.A. Dodgers vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., 11:05 p.m.
Indiana 25 48 .342 20½ Third Round N.Y. Yankees vs. Philadelphia at Clearwater, Fla., 1:05
Philadelphia 8, Toronto 7 Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Detroit 20 53 .274 25½ Thursday, March 24
WESTERN CONFERENCE At Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.
Oregon St. vs. New Mexico
Southwest Division
W L Pct GB At Arena-Auditorium, Laramie, Wyo.
Memphis 50 23 .685 — Wyoming vs. UCLA
Dallas 45 28 .616 5 At Francis S. Levien Gymnasium, N.Y.
New Orleans 30 42 .417 19½ Columbia vs. Boston College
San Antonio 29 44 .397 21 Walsh Gymnasium,
Houston 18 55 .247 32
South Orange, N.J.
Northwest Division Seton Hall vs. Drexel
W L Pct GB
Utah 45 28 .616 — At Al McGuire Center, Milwaukee
Denver 43 30 .589 2 Marquette vs. Toledo
Minnesota 42 32 .568 3½ At Murphy Athletic Center,
Portland 27 45 .375 17½ Murfreesboro, Tenn. NOTICES
Oklahoma City 21 52 .288 24 Middle Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt
Pacific Division
W L Pct GB
At Frost Arena, Brookings, S.D. LEGAL NOTICE
S. Dakota St. vs. Drake
x-Phoenix 59 14 .808 —
Golden State 48 25 .658 11 Foster Auditorium, Tuscaloosa, Ala. UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOUND BY ANY COURT OR TRIBUNAL BY A FINAL, NON-APPEALABLE ORDER
L.A. Clippers 36 38 .486 23½ Alabama vs. Houston SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK TO CONSTITUTE GROSS NEGLIGENCE, FRAUD, OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, (II)
L.A. Lakers 31 42 .425 28 Quarterfinals In re ) Chapter 11 THE FOREGOING RELEASE SHALL NOT APPLY TO OR RELEASE ANY EXPRESS
STONEWAY CAPITAL LTD., et al.1 ) Case No. 21-10646 (JLG) CONTRACTUAL OR FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS OR ANY RIGHT OR OBLIGATION
Sacramento 26 48 .351 33½ Saturday, March 26 ARISING UNDER OR THAT IS PART OF THE PLAN, A PLAN DOCUMENT, OR ANY
x-clinched playoff spot Oregon St.-New Mexico winner vs. Wyoming-UCLA win- Debtors. ) (Jointly Administered)
ner, TBA OTHER AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO OR IN CONNECTION WITH,
y-clinched division NOTICE OF HEARING TO CONSIDER CONFIRMATION OF
OR CONTEMPLATED BY, THE PLAN, AND (III) NO MEMBER OF THE NORES
Wednesday’s Games Columbia-Boston College winner vs. Seton Hall-Drexel THE DEBTORS’ SECOND AMENDED JOINT PLAN UNDER
winner, TBA CHAPTER 11 OF THE BANKRUPTCY CODE AND RELATED GROUP SHALL BE RELEASED FROM ANY RELEASING PARTY RELEASED CLAIM,
Detroit 122, Atlanta 101 WHETHER IN LAW OR IN EQUITY, ARISING IN RELATION TO AMOUNTS (AND
New York 121, Charlotte 106 Marquette-Toledo winner vs. Middle Tennessee-Van- VOTING AND OBJECTION DEADLINES
derbilt winner, TBA PAYMENTS THEREOF) THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO OR FOR THE BENEFIT
Sacramento 110, Indiana 109 PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT,on March 21,2022,the United States Bankruptcy OF ANY MEMBER OF THE NORES GROUP IN EXCESS OF $13.755 MILLION IN THE
Boston 125, Utah 97 S. Dakota St.-Drake winner vs. Alabama-Houston win- Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Bankruptcy Court”) entered an
ner, TBA AGGREGATE.
Memphis 132, Brooklyn 120 order (the “Disclosure Statement Order”): (a) authorizing the above-captioned (c) ENTRY OF THE CONFIRMATION ORDER SHALL CONSTITUTE THE
Golden State 118, Miami 104 debtors and debtors in possession (collectively, the “Debtors”), to solicit BANKRUPTCY COURT’S APPROVAL, PURSUANT TO BANKRUPTCY RULE 9019,
Oklahoma City 118, Orlando 102 acceptances for their joint plan of reorganization, Debtors’ Second Amended OF THE RELEASES DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION 9.3, WHICH INCLUDES BY
Phoenix 125, Minnesota 116 MLS Joint Plan Under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code [ECF No. 491] (as modified, REFERENCE EACH OF THE RELATED PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS CONTAINED
Dallas 110, Houston 91 amended, or supplemented from time to time, the “Plan”)2; (b) approving the IN THIS PLAN, AND FURTHER, SHALL CONSTITUTE THE BANKRUPTCY COURT’S
San Antonio 133, Portland 96 Disclosure Statement for Debtors’ Second Amended Joint Plan Under Chapter 11 of FINDING THAT EACH RELEASE DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION 9.3 IS: (I) IN
Philadelphia 126, L.A. Lakers 121 EASTERN CONFERENCE the Bankruptcy Code [ECF No. 492] (as modified, amended, or supplemented from EXCHANGE FOR THE GOOD AND VALUABLE CONSIDERATION PROVIDED BY THE
W L T Pts GF GA time to time, the “Disclosure Statement”) as containing “adequate information”
Thursday’s Games Philadelphia 3 0 1 10 7 2 RELEASED PARTIES; (II) A GOOD-FAITH SETTLEMENT AND COMPROMISE OF
Cleveland at Toronto pursuant to section 1125 of the Bankruptcy Code; (c) approving the solicitation SUCH CAUSES OF ACTION; (III) INTHE BEST INTERESTS OFTHE DEBTORS AND ALL
Columbus 2 0 2 8 10 5 materials and documents to be included in the solicitation packages;(d) approving
Chicago at New Orleans Chicago 2 0 2 8 5 1 HOLDERS OF CLAIMS AND INTERESTS; (IV) FAIR, EQUITABLE, AND REASONABLE;
Indiana at Memphis procedures for soliciting, receiving, and tabulating votes on the Plan and for filing (V) GIVENANDMADE AFTER DUENOTICEANDOPPORTUNITYFOR HEARING;(VI)
New York 2 1 1 7 8 4 objectionstothePlan;and(e)grantingrelatedrelief.
Washington at Milwaukee Orlando City 2 1 1 7 4 2 A SOUND EXERCISE OF THE DEBTORS’BUSINESS JUDGMENT; AND (VII) A BAR TO
Phoenix at Denver PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE THAT a hearing to consider confirmation of ANY OF THE RELEASING PARTIES OR THE DEBTORS, THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE
Atlanta 2 1 1 7 8 8 the Plan (the“Confirmation Hearing”) will be held before the Honorable James L.
Friday’s Games D.C. United 2 2 0 6 5 4 DEBTORS, OR THEIR RESPECTIVE ESTATES, ASSERTING ANY CAUSE OF ACTION
Garrity, Jr., United States Bankruptcy Judge, telephonically, via CourtSolutions RELATED THERETO, OF ANY KIND, AGAINST ANY OF THE RELEASED PARTIES OR
Utah at Charlotte, 7 p.m. Cincinnati 2 2 0 6 5 8
LLC (www.courtsolutions.com), on May 5, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. (prevailing
Washington at Detroit, 7 p.m. New York City FC 1 2 1 4 4 4 THEIRPROPERTY.
Golden State at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. New England 1 2 1 4 6 8 Eastern Time), or as soon thereafter as counsel may be heard. Any objections to (d) NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING HEREIN TO THE CONTRARY, NOTHING
Dallas at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Toronto FC 1 2 1 4 5 8 confirmation of the Plan must be served and filed on or before April 25, 2022, IN THIS PLAN OR IN THE CONFIRMATION ORDER SHALL ALTER, AMEND OR
New York at Miami, 8 p.m. Charlotte FC 1 3 0 3 4 7 at 4:00 p.m. (prevailing Eastern Time). The Confirmation Hearing may be MODIFYTHETERMS OF ANY INDEMNIFICATION PROVIDEDTO AN“INDEMNIFIED
Houston at Portland, 10 p.m. CF Montréal 0 3 1 1 5 11 adjourned by the Debtors from time to time without further notice to PERSON” (AS DEFINED IN THE ENFORCEMENT ACTION REQUESTS) UNDER
Philadelphia at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m. Inter Miami CF 0 3 1 1 2 10 creditors or other parties in interest other than by announcement of ANY EXISTING OR FUTURE ENFORCEMENT ACTION REQUEST ENTERED INTO
the adjournment in open court or by filing a hearing agenda or notice on AMONG UMB BANK, N.A., IN ITS CAPACITIES AS THE SENIOR NOTES INDENTURE
Saturday’s Games WESTERN CONFERENCE the docket of the Debtors’chapter 11 cases. Any party wishing to appear
San Antonio at New Orleans, 5 p.m. W L T Pts GF GA TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR U.S. COLLATERAL AGENT, SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY BANK,
at the hearing must make arrangements with Court Solutions LLC, SUCCESSOR REGISTRAR, SUCCESSOR NOTE CUSTODIAN, SUCCESSOR TRANSFER
Sacramento at Orlando, 7 p.m. Los Angeles FC 3 0 1 10 9 2 www.court-solutions.com to sign up for an account and to register for a
Indiana at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Real Salt Lake 3 0 1 10 6 3 AGENT AND/OR SUCCESSOR PAYING AGENT UNDER THE SENIOR NOTES
live line.Registration for a hearing must occur no later than 12:00 p.m.on INDENTURE OR UNDER ANY OTHER “FINANCING DOCUMENTS” (AS DEFINED
Brooklyn at Miami, 8 p.m. Minnesota United 2 0 2 8 4 2
Austin FC 2 1 1 7 11 3
thebusinessdaypriortothehearingdate.3 IN THE SENIOR NOTES INDENTURE), AND THE “INSTRUCTING HOLDERS” (AS
Chicago at Cleveland, 8 p.m. CRITICALINFORMATIONREGARDINGVOTINGONTHEPLAN
Milwaukee at Memphis, 8 p.m. FC Dallas 2 1 1 7 7 3 DEFINED IN THE ENFORCEMENT ACTION REQUESTS) OR RELEASE ANY CLAIM
Colorado 2 1 1 7 6 4 Voting Record Date.The voting record date is March 24, 2022 (the“Voting HELD BY AN INDEMNIFIED PERSON AGAINST THE INSTRUCTING HOLDERS
Oklahoma City at Denver, 9 p.m. Record Date”), which is the date for determining which Holders of Claims in Class
Houston at Portland, 10 p.m. LA Galaxy 2 2 0 6 4 4 ARISINGFROMORRELATEDTOSUCHENFORCEMENTACTIONREQUEST.
Houston 1 1 2 5 3 3 4 (Senior Notes Claims),Class 5 (Term Loan Facility Claims) and Class 8 (Promissory (e) EACH PERSON PROVIDING RELEASES UNDER THE PLAN, INCLUDING THE
Sunday’s Games Portland 1 1 2 5 5 7 Note Claims) are entitled to vote on the Plan and which Holders of Claims in Class 4 DEBTORS, THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, AND THE RELEASING PARTIES,
New York at Detroit, 3:30 p.m. (Senior Notes Claims) and Class 5 (Term Loan Facility Claims) are entitled to vote on
Golden State at Washington, 6 p.m.
Seattle 1 2 1 4 4 5 SHALL HAVE GRANTED THE RELEASES SET FORTH HEREIN, NOTWITHSTANDING
Nashville 1 2 1 4 3 5 theArrangementResolutioninrespectoftheCBCAPlanofArrangement. THAT SUCH PERSON MAY HEREAFTER DISCOVER FACTS IN ADDITION TO, OR
Minnesota at Boston, 6 p.m. Voting Deadline.The deadline for voting on the Plan and the Arrangement
Philadelphia at Phoenix, 6 p.m.
Sporting Kansas City 1 3 0 3 3 8 DIFFERENT FROM,THOSEWHICH IT NOW KNOWS OR BELIEVESTO BETRUE, AND
San Jose 0 3 1 1 4 9 Resolution in respect of the CBCA Plan of Arrangement is on April 25, 2022, at WITHOUT REGARD TO THE SUBSEQUENT DISCOVERY OR EXISTENCE OF SUCH
L.A. Lakers at New Orleans, 7 p.m. 4:00 p.m.(prevailing Eastern Time) (the“Voting Deadline”). If you are eligible
Charlotte at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver 0 3 1 1 2 9 DIFFERENT OR ADDITIONAL FACTS, AND SUCH PERSON EXPRESSLY WAIVES
NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. and intend to vote on the Plan and the Arrangement Resolution in respect of the ANY AND ALL RIGHTS THAT IT MAY HAVE UNDER ANY STATUTE OR COMMON
Utah at Dallas, 7:30 p.m. CBCA Plan of Arrangement you must: (a) follow the instructions contained in
Saturday’s Games LAW PRINCIPLEWHICH WOULD LIMITTHE EFFECT OF SUCH RELEASESTO THOSE
your Solicitation Package and on your Ballot(s) carefully; (b) complete all of the CLAIMS OR CAUSES OF ACTION ACTUALLY KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TO EXIST AT
Cincinnati at Charlotte FC, 5 p.m. required information on the Ballot; and (c) execute and return your completed
NHL Real Salt Lake at Sporting Kansas City, 7 p.m. THETIMEOFEXECUTIONOFSUCHRELEASE.
Ballot according to and as set forth in detail in the voting instructions so that it is
Sunday’s Games actually received by the Debtors’ notice and claims agent, Prime Clerk LLC (the EXCULPATIONANDLIMITATIONOFLIABILITY.
Orlando City at Portland, 4 p.m. “Notice and Claims Agent”) on or before the Voting Deadline. A failure to follow TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AND WITHOUT
EASTERN CONFERENCE suchinstructionsmaydisqualifyyourvote. AFFECTING OR LIMITING EITHER THE DEBTOR RELEASE OR THE THIRD-PARTY
RELEASE, EXCEPT WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTS OR OMISSIONS EXPRESSLY
Atlantic Division CRITICALINFORMATIONREGARDINGOBJECTINGTOTHEPLAN
SET FORTH IN AND PRESERVED BY THE PLAN, THE PLAN SUPPLEMENT, OR
GP W L OT Pts GF GA MLB Release, Injunction, and Related Provisions Contained in the Plan.
ANY PLAN DOCUMENTS, UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE, NO EXCULPATED PARTY
Florida 62 42 14 6 90 254 180 Please be advised that Article IX of the Plan contains the following release,
Toronto 63 40 18 5 85 232 191 injunction,andrelatedprovisions: SHALL HAVE OR INCUR, AND EACH EXCULPATED PARTY SHALL BE RELEASED
Tampa Bay 62 39 17 6 84 207 177 Spring Training RELEASES AND EXCULPATED FROM, ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION, LOSS, REMEDY,
Boston 63 39 19 5 83 191 169 (a) RELEASES BY THE DEBTORS. UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE, EXCEPT OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ACT OR OMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING
AMERICAN LEAGUE OUT OF (A) THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHAPTER 11 CASES OR THE CBCA
Detroit 63 26 30 7 59 184 235 W L Pct. FOR THE RIGHTS THAT REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE
Buffalo 64 23 33 8 54 171 223 Kansas City 4 0 1.000 DATE TO ENFORCE THIS PLAN AND THE PLAN DOCUMENTS, THE DEBTORS, PROCEEDINGS; (B) THE FORMULATION, NEGOTIATION, PREPARATION,
Ottawa 63 22 36 5 49 162 207 Boston 6 1 .857 THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, AND THE ESTATES, IN EACH CASE ON DISSEMINATION, OR TERMINATION OF THE DIP FACILITY, THE CBCA PLAN OF
Montreal 63 17 36 10 44 160 238 Texas 3 1 .750 BEHALF OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE SUCCESSORS, ASSIGNS, AND ARRANGEMENT, THE NEW SECURED NOTES INDENTURE, THE DISCLOSURE
Chicago 5 2 .714 REPRESENTATIVES, AND ANY AND ALL OTHER ENTITIES WHO MAY PURPORT TO STATEMENT, THE PLAN SUPPLEMENT, AND THIS PLAN (INCLUDING THE PLAN
Metropolitan Division DOCUMENTS), ORTHE SOLICITATION OFVOTES FOR, OR CONFIRMATION OF,THIS
GP W L OT Pts GF GA Toronto 4 2 .667 ASSERT ANY CAUSE OF ACTION DERIVATIVELY, BY ORTHROUGHTHE FOREGOING
Carolina 63 42 15 6 90 206 150 Cleveland 3 2 .600 ENTITIES, FOR GOOD AND VALUABLE CONSIDERATION, THE ADEQUACY OF PLAN, OR THE SOLICITATION OF VOTES FOR THE CBCA PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT;
Pittsburgh 65 39 16 10 88 213 172 Los Angeles 3 3 .500 WHICH IS HEREBY CONFIRMED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE (C) ANY CONTRACT, INSTRUMENT, RELEASE, OR OTHER AGREEMENT OR
N.Y. Rangers 64 40 19 5 85 193 167 Baltimore 2 3 .400 EFFORTS OF EACH RELEASED PARTY TO FACILITATE THE REORGANIZATION OF DOCUMENTS (INCLUDING PROVIDING ANY LEGAL OPINION REQUESTED BY ANY
Washington 65 35 20 10 80 216 185 Detroit 2 3 .400 THE DEBTORS, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN, AND THE TRANSACTIONS ENTITY REGARDING ANY TRANSACTION, CONTRACT, INSTRUMENT, DOCUMENT,
Columbus 64 32 29 3 67 211 239 Minnesota 3 5 .375 CONTEMPLATED HEREIN AND HEREBY, SHALL FOREVER RELEASE, WAIVE, AND OR OTHER AGREEMENT CONTEMPLATED BY THE PLAN, OR THE RELIANCE BY
N.Y. Islanders 61 27 25 9 63 165 166 New York 2 4 .333 DISCHARGE, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ALL ACTIONS, ANY EXCULPATED PARTY ON THE PLAN OR THE CONFIRMATION ORDER IN LIEU
Philadelphia 63 20 32 11 51 159 220 Oakland 1 3 .250 CAUSES OF ACTION, SUITS, COVENANTS, CONTRACTS, CONTROVERSIES, OF SUCH LEGAL OPINION) CREATED OR ENTERED INTO IN CONNECTION WITH
New Jersey 64 23 36 5 51 197 233 AGREEMENTS, PROMISES, SUMS OF MONEY, ACCOUNTS, BILLS, RECKONINGS, THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT OR THE PLAN; (D) THE FILING OF THE CHAPTER
DAMAGES, AND ANY AND ALL OTHER CLAIMS, COUNTERCLAIMS, DEFENSES, 11 CASES OR THE CBCA PROCEEDINGS; (E) THE FUNDING OF THIS PLAN; (F)
WESTERN CONFERENCE THE OCCURRENCE OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE; (G) THE ADMINISTRATION OF
Central Division RIGHTS OF SET-OFF, DEMANDS, AND LIABILITIES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING
ANY DERIVATIVE CLAIMS, ASSERTED OR ASSERTABLE ON BEHALF OF THE THIS PLAN OR THE PROPERTY TO BE DISTRIBUTED UNDER THIS PLAN; (H) THE
GP W L OT Pts GF GA DISTRIBUTION OR ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH
DEBTORS, THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, OR THE ESTATES, WHETHER
Colorado
St. Louis
64
62
45
35
14
18
5
9
95
79
245
222
178
175 ODDS PROVIDED BY LIQUIDATED OR UNLIQUIDATED, FIXED OR CONTINGENT, MATURED OR THIS PLAN; OR (I) THE SALE TRANSACTIONS OR OTHER TRANSACTIONS IN
FURTHERANCE OF ANY OFTHE FOREGOING (THE FOREGOING,THE“EXCULPATED
Minnesota 61 37 20 4 78 228 196 UNMATURED, OF EVERY NAME AND NATURE, KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, FORESEEN
OR UNFORESEEN, THEN EXISTING OR THEREAFTER ARISING, IN LAW, EQUITY, CLAIMS”); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT NO EXCULPATED PARTY SHALL BE
Nashville 64 37 23 4 78 211 184 RELEASED HEREUNDER FROM ANY EXCULPATED CLAIM, EITHER IN LAW OR
Dallas 62 35 24 3 73 184 185 OR OTHERWISE, AGAINST THE RELEASED PARTIES FOR, UPON, OR BY REASON
OF ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, ACTION, CAUSE, OR THING WHATSOEVER, ARISING AT IN EQUITY, THAT AROSE AS A RESULT OF ANY ACT, OMISSION, TRANSACTION,
Winnipeg 64 30 24 10 70 201 198 EVENT, OR OTHER OCCURRENCE BY AN EXCULPATED PARTY, WHICH HAS BEEN
Chicago 64 23 32 9 55 171 221 ANY TIME ON OR PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE, FOR OR ON ACCOUNT OF, OR
Arizona 63 20 39 4 44 164 228 IN RELATION TO, OR IN ANY WAY IN CONNECTION WITH OR THAT OTHERWISE FOUND BY ANY COURT OR TRIBUNAL BY A FINAL, NON-APPEALABLE ORDER TO
ARE BASED IN WHOLE OR IN PART ON ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, ACTION, ACT, CONSTITUTEGROSSNEGLIGENCE,FRAUD,ORWILLFULMISCONDUCT.
Pacific Division OMISSION, TRANSACTION, CAUSE, EVENT, OR THING WHATSOEVER TAKING INJUNCTION.
GP W L OT Pts GF GA (a) GENERAL. ALL ENTITIES WHO HAVE HELD, HOLD, OR MAY HOLD CLAIMS
Calgary 63 38 17 8 84 218 153 PLACE ON OR BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE, AND IN ANY WAY RELATING TO OR
Los Angeles 65 35 22 8 78 188 182 Odds available as of print deadline ARISING FROM, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, (A) THE DEBTORS AND ANY AFFILIATES OR INTERESTS (OTHER THAN THE CLAIMS REINSTATED UNDER THIS PLAN)
Edmonton 64 35 24 5 75 217 204 OR SUBSIDIARIES OF THE DEBTORS, (B) THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, AND ALL OTHER PARTIES IN INTEREST IN THE CHAPTER 11 CASES, ALONG
Vegas 66 34 28 4 72 205 201 NCAAB (C) THE ESTATES, (D) MSU, THE BUYER AND THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CURRENT AND FORMER EMPLOYEES, AGENTS,
Vancouver 65 31 26 8 70 186 187 PROVIDER AND ANY AFFILIATES OR SUBSIDIARIES OF MSU, THE BUYER, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, PRINCIPALS, AND AFFILIATES, PERMANENTLY ARE
Friday ENJOINED, FROM AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE, FROM (I) COMMENCING
Anaheim 66 27 28 11 65 188 214 Favorite Spread O/U ML Underdog AND THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES PROVIDER, (E) THE PURCHASE, SALE, OR
San Jose 63 28 27 8 64 167 198 RESCISSION OF THE PURCHASE OR SALE OF ANY SECURITY OF THE DEBTORS, OR CONTINUING IN ANY MANNER ANY ACTION OR OTHER PROCEEDING OF
PURDUE 12.5 134.5 -1000 Saint Peter's THE NEW SECURED NOTES OR THE NEW PREFERRED STOCK, (F) THE SUBJECT ANY KIND AGAINST THE DEBTORS OR THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, (II)
Seattle 64 20 38 6 46 168 228
KANSAS 6.5 141.5 -320 Providence MATTER OF, OR THE TRANSACTIONS OR EVENTS GIVING RISE TO, ANY CLAIM ENFORCING, ATTACHING, COLLECTING, OR RECOVERING BY ANY MANNER OR
Wednesday’s Games UCLA 2.5 141.5 -140 North Carolina OR INTEREST THAT IS TREATED IN THE PLAN, (G) THE CHAPTER 11 CASES, (H) MEANS OF ANY JUDGMENT, AWARD, DECREE, OR ORDER AGAINST THE DEBTORS
Toronto 3, New Jersey 2 MIAMI (FL) 2.5 133.5 -145 Iowa State OR THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, (III) CREATING, PERFECTING, OR
Buffalo 4, Pittsburgh 3, SO THE SALE TRANSACTIONS, (I) THE PLAN, INCLUDING THE SOLICITATION OF
VOTES ON THE PLAN, (J) THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT, (K) THE NEW SECURED ENFORCING ANY ENCUMBRANCE OF ANY KIND AGAINST THE DEBTORS OR THE
Vancouver 3, Colorado 1 POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, OR (IV) ASSERTING ANY RIGHT OF SETOFF,
Chicago 4, Anaheim 2 Odds are subject to change. Tipico NOTES INDENTURE, (L) THE TERM LOAN CREDIT AGREEMENT, (M) THE SENIOR
NOTES INDENTURE, (N) THE CBCA PROCEEDINGS, (O) THE CBCA PLAN OF SUBROGATION, OR RECOUPMENT OF ANY KIND AGAINST ANY OBLIGATION
Thursday’s Games Sportsbook does not offer lines for New ARRANGEMENT, INCLUDING THE SOLICITATION OF VOTES ON THE CBCA DUE TO THE DEBTORS OR THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, OR AGAINST
Dallas at Carolina Jersey-based college sports teams. PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT, (P) THE CCAA APPLICATION; (Q) THE 2020 CBCA THE PROPERTY OR INTERESTS IN PROPERTY OF THE DEBTORS, THE POST-
Florida at Montreal PROCEEDINGS, (R) THE PROMISSORY NOTES, (S) THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, OR THE BUYER, ON ACCOUNT OF SUCH CLAIMS OR
Tampa Bay at Boston Gannett may earn revenue from audience AGREEMENT, AND (T) THE NEGOTIATION, FORMULATION OR PREPARATION INTERESTS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL
Detroit at N.Y. Islanders referrals to betting services. Newsrooms OF THE FOREGOING AGREEMENTS AND TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED IN THIS PRECLUDE SUCH ENTITIES FROM EXERCISING THEIR RIGHTS PURSUANT TO AND
Ottawa at Winnipeg are independent of any such PARAGRAPH (THE FOREGOING, THE “DEBTOR RELEASED CLAIMS”); PROVIDED, CONSISTENT WITH THE TERMS HEREOF AND THE CONTRACTS, INSTRUMENTS,
Philadelphia at St. Louis HOWEVER, THAT (I) NO RELEASED PARTY SHALL BE RELEASED HEREUNDER RELEASES, INDENTURES, AND OTHER AGREEMENTS AND DOCUMENTS
Vancouver at Minnesota relationships and there is no influence on FROM ANY DEBTOR RELEASED CLAIM, EITHER IN LAW OR IN EQUITY, THAT DELIVERED OR ASSUMED UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLAN THAT
San Jose at Edmonton news coverage. Terms and conditions AROSE AS A RESULT OF ANY ACT, OMISSION, TRANSACTION, EVENT, OR OTHER SURVIVETHEOCCURRENCEOFTHEEFFECTIVEDATE.
Chicago at Los Angeles apply, see site for details. 21+ only. OCCURRENCE BY A RELEASED PARTY, WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND BY ANY COURT (b) INJUNCTION AGAINST INTERFERENCE WITH PLAN. UPON ENTRY OF
Nashville at Vegas OR TRIBUNAL BY A FINAL, NON-APPEALABLE ORDER TO CONSTITUTE GROSS THE CONFIRMATION ORDER, ALL HOLDERS OF CLAIMS AND INTERESTS AND
Friday’s Games Gambling Problem? Call: 1-800-GAMBLER THEIR RESPECTIVE CURRENT AND FORMER EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS,
NEGLIGENCE, FRAUD, OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, (II) THE FOREGOING RELEASE
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. (NJ, PA, IL, VA), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, NV, SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY EXPRESS CONTRACTUAL OR FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS DIRECTORS, PRINCIPALS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL BE ENJOINED FROM TAKING
Washington at Buffalo, 7 p.m. KS), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), OWED TO THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS OR THE BUYER, OR ANY RIGHT ANY ACTIONS TO INTERFERE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OR CONSUMMATION
Columbus at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. OR OBLIGATION ARISING UNDER OR THAT IS PART OF THE PLAN, A PLAN OFTHEPLANANDTHESALETRANSACTIONS.
Arizona at Calgary, 9 p.m. 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-589-9966 Plan Objection Deadline. The deadline for filing objections to the Plan (a
DOCUMENT, OR ANY OTHER AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO OR IN
Philadelphia at Colorado, 9 p.m. (OH), 1-877-770-7867 (LA), CONNECTIONWITH, OR CONTEMPLATED BY,THE PLAN, AND (III) NO MEMBER OF “Plan Objection”) is April 25, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. (prevailing Eastern Time)
Saturday’s Games 1-888-238-7633 (MO), 1-888-777-9696 THE NORES GROUP SHALL BE RELEASED FROM ANY DEBTOR RELEASED CLAIM, (the“Plan Objection Deadline”). Any objection to the Plan must: (a) be in writing;
N.Y. Islanders at Boston, 12:30 p.m. WHETHER IN LAW OR IN EQUITY, ARISING IN RELATION TO AMOUNTS (AND (b) conform to the Bankruptcy Rules, the Local Rules for the Bankruptcy Court,
(MS). Call or text: 1-800-889-9789 (TN). and any orders of the Bankruptcy Court; (c) state with particularity the basis and
Tampa Bay at Detroit, 12:30 p.m. PAYMENTS THEREOF) THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO OR FOR THE BENEFIT
Chicago at Vegas, 3 p.m. OF ANY MEMBER OF THE NORES GROUP IN EXCESS OF $13.755 MILLION IN THE nature of any objection to the Plan and, if practicable, a proposed modification to
Florida at Ottawa, 7 p.m. For the latest picks and expert analysis, AGGREGATE. the Plan that would resolve such objection; and (d) be filed with the Bankruptcy
New Jersey at Washington, 7 p.m. go to sportsbookwire.com (b) RELEASESBY HOLDERSOF CLAIMS.TOTHE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED Court (contemporaneously with a proof of service) and served upon the following
Toronto at Montreal, 7 p.m. BY APPLICABLE LAW, UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE, FOR GOOD AND VALUABLE notice parties so as to be actually received on or before April 25, 2022, at 4:00
Vancouver at Dallas, 7 p.m. CONSIDERATION, THE ADEQUACY OF WHICH IS HEREBY CONFIRMED, p.m.(prevailing EasternTime): (i) counsel for the Debtors,Shearman & Sterling
Carolina at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Columbus at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Scan for latest odds INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE EFFORTS OF THE RELEASED PARTIES
TO FACILITATE THE EXPEDITIOUS REORGANIZATION OF THE DEBTORS AND
LLP,599 Lexington Ave.,NewYork,NewYork,10022,Attn:Fredric Sosnick and Jordan
A.Wishnew; (ii) counsel to the Debtors’prepetition term lenders and postpetition
Edmonton at Calgary, 10 p.m. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN AND THE TRANSACTIONS, CONTRACTS, lenders,Dechert LLP,1095 Sixth Avenue,NewYork,NewYork,10036,Attn:Solomon
Anaheim at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. AND INSTRUMENTS CONTEMPLATED HEREIN AND HEREBY, EACH OF THE Noh and Stephen M.Wolpert;(iii) counsel to the Ad Hoc Steering Committee,Cleary
Seattle at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.
See up-to-the- RELEASING PARTIES AGREES TO THE RELEASE PROVISIONS IN THIS PLAN AND Gottlieb Steen Hamilton LLP, One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006, Attn:
Sunday’s Games SHALL FOREVER RELEASE, WAIVE, AND DISCHARGE, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT Richard J. Cooper, Luke A. Barefoot, and Kristin Corbett; and (iv) the Office of the
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 2 p.m. minute lines and PERMITTED BY LAW, ALL ACTIONS, CAUSES OF ACTION, SUITS, COVENANTS, United StatesTrustee for Region 2,201Varick Street,Suite 1006,NewYork,NewYork
Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 5 p.m. CONTRACTS, CONTROVERSIES, AGREEMENTS, PROMISES, SUMS OF MONEY, 10014,Attn:BrianS.Masumoto,Esq.andSharaCornell,Esq.
Detroit at Pittsburgh, 5 p.m. compete in Daily ACCOUNTS, BILLS, RECKONINGS, DAMAGES, AND ANY AND ALL OTHER ADDITIONALINFORMATION
Obtaining Solicitation Materials.The materials in the Solicitation Package
Colorado at Minnesota, 6 p.m. CLAIMS, COUNTERCLAIMS, DEFENSES, RIGHTS OF SET-OFF, DEMANDS, AND
LIABILITIES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING ANY DERIVATIVE CLAIMS, ASSERTED OR are intended to be self-explanatory. If you should have any questions, however,
Philadelphia at Nashville, 6 p.m. Ticket free-to- ASSERTABLEONBEHALFOFTHEDEBTORS,THEPOST-EFFECTIVEDATEDEBTORS, please feel free to Prime Clerk LLC, the Notice and Claims Agent retained in these
Arizona at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
Florida at Toronto, 7 p.m. THE ESTATES, OR THE BUYER, WHETHER LIQUIDATED OR UNLIQUIDATED, chapter 11 cases,by: (a) callingthe Notice andClaimsAgent at (877)720-6615(U.S.
Montreal at New Jersey, 7 p.m. play games FIXED OR CONTINGENT, MATURED OR UNMATURED, OF EVERY NAME AND toll-free) or (646) 979-4415 (international toll/local);(b) writing to stonewayinfo@
NATURE, KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, FORESEEN OR UNFORESEEN, THEN EXISTING primeclerk.com; or (c) writing to Stoneway Ballot Processing Center, c/o Prime
OR THEREAFTER ARISING, IN LAW, EQUITY, OR OTHERWISE, AGAINST THE Clerk LLC, 850 Third Avenue, Suite 412, Brooklyn, NY 11232. You may also obtain
RELEASEDPARTIESFOR,UPON,ORBYREASONOFANYCIRCUMSTANCE,ACTION, copies of any pleadings filed with the Bankruptcy Court for free by visiting the
CAUSE, OR THING WHATSOEVER, ARISING AT ANY TIME ON OR PRIOR TO THE Debtors’ restructuring website, https://cases.primeclerk.com/StonewayCapital/
EFFECTIVE DATE, FOR OR ON ACCOUNT OF, OR IN RELATION TO, OR IN ANY WAY Home-Index,orforafeeviaPACERathttps://www.pacer.gov/.
IN CONNECTION WITH OR THAT OTHERWISE ARE BASED IN WHOLE OR IN PART Filing the Plan Supplement. The Debtors will file the Plan Supplement on
ON ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, ACTION, ACT, OMISSION, TRANSACTION, CAUSE, or before April 18, 2022 and will serve notice on all Holders of Claims entitled
EVENT, OR THING WHATSOEVER TAKING PLACE ON OR BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE to vote on the Plan, which will: (a) inform parties that the Debtors filed the Plan
DATE AND IN ANY WAY RELATING TO OR ARISING FROM, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, Supplement; (b) list the information contained in the Plan Supplement; and (c)
(A) THE DEBTORS AND ANY AFFILIATES OR SUBSIDIARIES OF THE DEBTORS, (B) explainhowpartiesmayobtaincopiesofthePlanSupplement.
THE POST-EFFECTIVE DATE DEBTORS, (C)THE ESTATES, (D) MSU,THE BUYER AND BINDINGNATUREOFTHEPLAN: IFCONFIRMED,THEPLANSHALLBINDALL
THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES PROVIDER AND ANY AFFILIATES OR SUBSIDIARIES HOLDERSOFCLAIMSANDINTERESTSTOTHEMAXIMUMEXTENTPERMITTED
BYAPPLICABLELAW,WHETHERORNOTSUCHHOLDERWILLRECEIVEOR
Foreclosure Auction: MAKE SURE OF THE BUYER, MSU, AND THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES PROVIDER, (E) THE
PURCHASE, SALE, OR RESCISSION OF THE PURCHASE OR SALE OF ANY SECURITY RETAINANYPROPERTYORINTERESTINPROPERTYUNDERTHEPLAN,HAS
OF THE DEBTORS, THE NEW SECURED NOTES, OR THE NEW PREFERRED STOCK, FILEDAPROOFOFCLAIMINTHECHAPTER11CASE,ORFAILEDTOVOTETO
(2) Commercial Condos YOUR AUCTION (F) THE SUBJECT MATTER OF, OR THE TRANSACTIONS OR EVENTS GIVING RISE ACCEPTORREJECTTHEPLANORVOTEDTOREJECTTHEPLAN.
TO, ANY CLAIM OR INTEREST THAT IS TREATED IN THE PLAN, (G) THE CHAPTER Dated: March 22, 2022, New York, New York, SHEARMAN & STERLING LLP,
Tues., April 26 @ 11AM PROFESSIONAL 11 CASES, (H) THE SALE TRANSACTIONS, (I) THE PLAN, INCLUDING THE
SOLICITATION OF VOTES ON THE PLAN, (J) THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT, (K) THE
/s/ Fredric Sosnick ,Fredric Sosnick,Jordan A.Wishnew,599 Lexington Avenue,New
York, NY 10022, Phone: (212) 848-4000, Email: fsosnick@shearman.com, jordan.

Woodstock, Vermont IS A MEMBER NEW SECURED NOTES INDENTURE, (L) THE TERM LOAN CREDIT AGREEMENT,
(M) THE SENIOR NOTES INDENTURE, (N) THE CBCA PROCEEDINGS, (O) THE CBCA
PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT, INCLUDING THE SOLICITATION OF VOTES ON THE
CBCA PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT, (P) THE CCAA APPLICATION, (Q) THE 2020 CBCA
PROCEEDINGS, (R) THE PROMISSORY NOTES, (S) THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES
AGREEMENT, AND (T) THE NEGOTIATION, FORMULATION, OR PREPARATION
OF THE FOREGOING AGREEMENTS AND TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED IN THIS
PARAGRAPH (THE FOREGOING, THE “RELEASING PARTY RELEASED CLAIMS”);
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT (I) NO RELEASED PARTY SHALL BE RELEASED
HEREUNDER FROM ANY RELEASING PARTY RELEASED CLAIM, EITHER IN LAW
OR IN EQUITY, THAT AROSE AS A RESULT OF ANY ACT, OMISSION, TRANSACTION,
EVENT, OR OTHER OCCURRENCE BY A RELEASED PARTY, WHICH HAS BEEN
wishnew@shearman.com, CounseltotheDebtorsandDebtorsinPossession
1
The Debtors in these Chapter 11 Cases and the last four digits of their
registration numbers in the jurisdiction where they operate are: Stoneway Capital
Ltd.(4518) (BVI),Stoneway Capital Corporation (1512) (Canada),Stoneway Energy
International LP (1029) (Canada),Stoneway Energy LP (1028) (Canada),Stoneway
Group LP (0837) (Canada), Stoneway Power Generation Inc. (1748) (Canada), and
GRMEnergyInvestmentLimited(6730)(BVI).
2
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings
ascribedtotheminthePlan.
3
Instructions to register for CourtSolutions LLC are attached to General Order
M-543(whichcanbefoundathttp://www.nysb.uscourts.gov).

THOMAS HIRCHAK CO. PLACE YOUR AD in USA TODAY Marketplace!

THCAuction.com • 1-800-634-SOLD Find An Auctioneer at Auctioneers.org (800) 397-0070 • sales@russelljohns.com
6C ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS

WEEKEND AUTO RACING

NASCAR Cup Series
Texas guard known for scrappy play
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix
TV: 3:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, Fox
helped by Q-collar medical device
Track: Circuit of the Americas in Aus-
Lindsay Schnell
tin, Texas.
USA TODAY
Race distance: 68 laps, 231.88 miles.
When her daughter Audrey Warren
Fast fact: William Byron was among a
slides in front of a charging offensive
race-record 20 race leaders last Sun-
player and goes flying to the ground,
day at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He
when Audrey’s neck snaps back and
gave Hendrick Motorsports three
smacks against the floor, that’s when
different winners through five races.
Stacy Warren holds her breath.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Parents everywhere will under-
stand Stacy’s reaction: her stomach
Pit Boss 250
drops, her hands get clammy, her
TV: 4:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, FS1 mouth goes dry. For a few agonizing
minutes, it feels as if her heart is out-
Track: Circuit of the Americas.
side her body. For Audrey, a senior
Race distance: 48 laps, 156.86 miles. guard on the second-seeded Texas
women’s basketball team, which plays
Fast fact: Ty Gibbs led just the final lap
Friday against sixth-seeded Ohio
last Saturday at Atlanta and earned his
State, a concussion blackout typically
second victory in five starts this sea-
lasts three seconds. But for her mom,
son and his sixth in 23 starts.
it’s “the longest five to 10 minutes,
NASCAR Camping World waiting to see if she’s OK.”
Truck Series In four years at Texas, Audrey has
become known for her all-out play. She
XPEL 225
takes pride in sacrificing her body for
TV: 1 p.m. EDT Saturday, FS1 her team, and thinks nothing of step-
ping in front of someone barreling to-
Track: Circuit of the Americas.
ward the basket. But it has come at sig-
Race distance: 42 laps, 143.22 miles. nificant cost: over the course of her ca- Audrey Warren, known for her scrappy style, has been helped by the Q-collar, a
reer, she’s sustained six concussions. device that helps prevent severe head injuries. ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES
Fast facts: Ben Rhodes rallied to finish
Last season, the Warren family –
second behind Corey Heim, followed
dad Cliff Warren, mom Stacy, daughter
by Ty Majeski and Chandler Smith at
Audrey and her five siblings – along boards off the bench for Texas. “It’s A late bloomer offensively, Audrey
Atlanta. … Smith is the points leader
with a team of doctors in Texas athlet- been a game changer.” quickly realized that even if she couldn’t
by 13 over Tanner Gray.
ics’ sports medicine office, had serious Still, the risk is hard on a mother who score at will, stopping someone else
Formula 1 conversations about if Audrey needed has watched her daughter take too from scoring was a valuable skill, too.
to give up the sport. many hard hits. And boy, could she rebound.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Rather than walk away, Audrey, like “Sometimes I see comments online Cliff, who coached and trained Au-
TV: 1 p.m. EDT Sunday, ESPN many elite athletes, learned to make where people are saying, ‘How can her drey growing up, encouraged her to play
in-game adjustments. Changing her mom let her play, doesn’t she care about with boys, and match their physicality.
Track: Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
style of play wasn’t an option, but her daughter?’ Those comments, they She couldn’t get enough. “She just plays
Race distance: 50 laps, 191.662 miles. learning how to fall correctly was. For eat me up, they make me cry,” Stacy so hard,” Cliff said. “She puts herself in
months, she agreed to not take charges said, her voice catching. “Of course I situations that a lot of girls don’t. She
Fast facts: Charles Leclerc’s victory
in practice. And this season, she’s love my daughter. We’ve had every scan has no regard for her body or how she
Sunday in the season opener in Bah-
been aided by the Q-Collar, a medical and test done to make sure she’s not do- could hurt herself – she is just there to
rain was his first since he won back-
device worn by a handful of profes- ing any permanent damage. People get the job done, and win.”
to-back events in the 2019 season. …
sional athletes designed to help reduce don’t get it. It would destroy her if she At Texas, Audrey again found her
Defending series champion Max Ver-
severe head injuries. couldn’t play basketball.” way onto the floor by playing defense. In
stappen and Red Bull teammate Ser-
The collar, which resembles a thick a freshman class stacked with All-
gio Perez both retired before the race
concluded, allowing seven-time series
black choker necklace, always sparks ‘My family hates that I take Americans, Audrey played more min-
champion Lewis Hamilton to rally for a
questions from interested fans. charges’ utes than any other rookie, eager to cor-
“I love to tell people about what it ral rebounds and scrap for loose balls.
third-place finish.
does and how it’s helped me,” said Au- Audrey Warren learned to love de-
– The Associated Press
drey, who averages 8.3 points and 4.3 fense at an early age. Continued on next page

WEATHER
WEEKEND FORECAST FRIDAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURES
WEATHER ONLINE
USATODAY.COM
The weather changes.
Stay up-to-date, 24/7.
U.S. CITIES
Download
our free app

FRI SAT
Albany, N.Y. 55/37c 48/33sh
Arctic air is forecast to Albuquerque 71/45s 75/47s
sweep across the Midwest Seattle
Amarillo, Texas
Anchorage, Alaska
74/40s
43/34sn
78/44c
43/29pc
Olympia
and into the Northeast today 57 Bangor Atlantic City, N.J. 59/47pc 52/40w
59 Spokane
45 Augusta, Ga. 69/43pc 66/37s
and then persist through the Portland 57 Helena Miles City
Bismarck Duluth Marquette
Salem 61 50 47 35 40 Austin, Texas 82/47s 87/50s
weekend. This pattern will fa- 61 60 Burlington Augusta Baton Rouge, La. 73/45s 77/47s
Boise Fargo Mpls-St. Paul 52 49 Billings, Mont. 53/36pc 63/42c
vor rain showers initially, then Bend
74 Billings 40 40
Montpelier
Boston Birmingham, Ala. 63/44pc 63/38s
68 53
Rapid City Grand Buffalo 51 58 Bismarck, N.D. 47/19w 39/19c
showers of wet snow and rain Burns
52 Milwaukee Rapids 44 Albany
Boise, Idaho 74/46s 75/50pc
73 Pierre Sioux Falls
46 44 49
Detroit
55
Hartford
as the cold air strengthens. Eureka Idaho Falls Jackson
55 51 Cleveland 60 Buffalo, N.Y. 44/36c 44/29sn
58 65 Hole Casper Madison
45 Burlington, Vt. 52/38r 48/35c
The cold air and bouts of Reno 55 56 North Platte
Des Moines
43
Lansing Pittsburgh New York
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 46/21c 40/19s
Sacramento
79
Elko 51 46 46 63
gusty winds will make it feel 78 77 Salt Lake City 58 Chicago
Harrisburg Philadelphia
Charleston, S.C. 72/48pc 69/41s
Carson City 77
Cheyenne Omaha
48 Columbus
58 62
Charleston, W.Va. 51/36c 45/31sh
more like early February rather 57 56 47 Cheyenne, Wyo. 57/40pc 67/44pc
San Francisco 75
Kansas City Washington Annapolis
than late March. Much of the 57 54 Indianapolis Cincinnati
62 59
Cincinnati 49/34c 41/30w
64 St. George Aspen
Denver
Topeka 48 49 Cleveland 45/35sh 41/26sn
balance of the nation will be Las Vegas
85 55 64 Charleston Richmond Columbia, S.C. 69/44pc 64/37s
Fresno
90 59 Jefferson City St. Louis Louisville 51 64
dry as warmth lingers in the 87 Wichita 59 60 54
Knoxville Columbus, Ohio 47/34c 41/26sn
Dodge City
63 55 Raleigh Corpus Christi, Texas 88/55s 87/57s
Southwest and builds far- Los Angeles Santa Fe 61 Memphis
Charlotte 67 Daytona Beach, Fla. 75/52pc 77/51s

85
Palm Springs Flagstaff
67 Oklahoma 64 Nashville
66 Columbia
Des Moines, Iowa 51/25w 47/25s
ther to the east in the West. 97 69 City
Tulsa
57 69
Duluth, Minn. 35/15sn 26/7pc
Albuquerque
72 68 Durham, N.C. 63/44pc 55/34c
There are hopes for a San Diego
Phoenix 71 Little Rock Birmingham Atlanta Charleston El Paso, Texas 79/48s 85/52s
72 Lubbock Dallas/Ft. Worth 69 63 61 72
storm to bring drenching rain Alaska 93 81 79 Montgomery EXTREMES
Fairbanks, Alaska 42/10pc 33/11pc
Savannah Flagstaff, Ariz. 69/33s 69/35pc
to much of California from El Paso Midland- Shreveport Jackson 68 71 Note: For contiguous Fargo, N.D. 40/14w 33/10pc

late Sunday or Sunday night to 79 Odessa Austin

73 67 Jacksonville 48 states through Fort Myers, Fla. 80/58pc 79/58s
Fairbanks Hawaii 82 82 Mobile
Tallahassee
73 3 p.m. Thursday Fort Wayne, Ind. 45/30c 37/26w
Tuesday. 42 Juneau
Honolulu San Antonio
Baton Rouge 72 72 HOTTEST:
Fresno, Calif. 87/60pc 86/58pc

Snow will generally be lim-

Anchorage 42 82 86 Houston 73 New
88°
Green Bay, Wis. 43/26pc 36/17sn
43 81
Orleans Harrisburg, Pa. 58/43c 53/37sh
ited to the high country of the 73 Tampa Sebring, Fla. Hartford, Conn. 60/40pc 55/35sh
Puerto Rico
76 Indianapolis 48/31c 39/26w
Sierra Nevada, but can dip San Juan
Miami COLDEST: 2° Jackson, Miss. 67/45s 68/42s

to around the level of Donner Brownsville 83 76 Williams Fork Jacksonville, Fla. 73/47pc 73/44s
Dam, Colo. Jefferson City, Mo. 59/34s 56/30s
Pass, along Interstate 80. 88 Kansas City 57/33s 55/31s
Key West, Fla. 75/67pc 76/68s
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather Inc. ©2022
Knoxville, Tenn. 55/40c 55/32w
Lincoln, Neb. 58/28w 53/27s
Little Rock, Ark. 69/44s 66/42s
Below 10 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110+ Louisville, Ky. 54/38c 50/33w
Manchester, N.H. 57/40c 53/37c
Memphis, Tenn. 64/43s 63/40s
PRECIPITATION FORECAST SATURDAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURES Milwaukee 46/28sh 37/21pc
Mobile, Ala. 72/45s 74/45s
T-storms Rain Snow Ice/mix Montgomery, Ala. 68/45pc 70/41s
Myrtle Beach, S.C. 68/48s 64/40s
Seattle Nags Head, N.C. 62/52pc 57/44s
Olympia Nashville, Tenn. 57/41c 58/33pc
56 Bangor
57 Spokane
48
Newark, N.J. 62/45pc 56/37c
Portland 60 Helena Miles City
Bismarck Duluth Marquette Norfolk, Va. 64/48pc 60/39pc
Salem 61 55 39 26 24 Oakland, Calif. 65/49pc 67/50pc
64 65 Burlington Augusta
Oklahoma City 72/42s 72/45s
Boise Fargo Mpls-St. Paul 48 Montpelier
50 Omaha, Neb. 56/28w 50/31s
Bend
75 Billings 33 35 Boston
68 63
Rapid City Grand Buffalo 47 52
Palm Springs, Calif. 97/69pc 98/67pc
Burns
56 Milwaukee Rapids 44 Albany Pittsburgh 46/34c 42/27sn
72 Pierre Sioux Falls
37 36 43
Detroit
48
Hartford Portland, Maine 51/37c 50/33c
FRIDAY
Eureka Idaho Falls Jackson
48 43 Cleveland 55 Portland, Ore. 61/47pc 61/50c
56 70 Hole Casper
Des Moines Madison
Lansing 41 Pittsburgh New York Providence, R.I. 60/42pc 55/38pc
Sacramento
Reno
Elko 57 69 North Platte
47 36 39 42 55 Raleigh, N.C. 67/43pc 62/35c
80 76 76 Salt Lake City 61 Chicago
Harrisburg Philadelphia Rapid City, S.D. 52/25s 56/27pc
Carson City 80
Cheyenne Omaha
38 Columbus
53 55 Reno, Nev. 79/45s 76/48pc
73 67 50 Kansas City 41 Washington Annapolis
Richmond, Va. 64/45pc 57/35pc
San Francisco
55 44 Indianapolis Cincinnati
56 56 Rochester, N.Y. 45/36c 47/27sn
66 St. George Aspen
Denver
Topeka 39 41 Sacramento, Calif. 78/48s 80/50pc
Las Vegas
85 61 76 Charleston Richmond
Fresno
90 59 Jefferson City St. Louis Louisville 45 57
San Antonio 86/52s 88/52s
86 Wichita 56 54 50
Knoxville San Jose, Calif. 74/50pc 73/51pc
Dodge City
63 55 Raleigh Savannah, Ga. 71/47s 72/43s
Los Angeles Santa Fe 66 Memphis
Charlotte 62 Shreveport, La. 73/46s 77/50s
82
Palm Springs Flagstaff
72 Oklahoma 63 Nashville
60 Columbia Sioux Falls, S.D. 51/21w 43/20pc
SATURDAY 98 69 City
Tulsa
58
Albuquerque 66 64 South Bend, Ind. 46/30c 36/24w
San Diego
Phoenix 75 72 Little Rock Birmingham Atlanta Charleston
Spokane, Wash. 57/41pc 60/43c
71 Lubbock Dallas/Ft. Worth 66 63 62 69
57/33pc 58/35s
Alaska 95 84 83 Montgomery
54/30pc 44/25s
Savannah St. Louis 60/37pc 54/31s
El Paso Midland- Shreveport Jackson 70 72 Syracuse, N.Y. 51/35sh 47/30c
85 Odessa Austin
77 68 Jacksonville Tallahassee, Fla. 72/45s 73/45s
Fairbanks Hawaii 87 87 Mobile
Tallahassee
73 Tampa, Fla. 76/59pc 75/59s
33 Juneau
Honolulu San Antonio
Baton Rouge 74 73 Topeka, Kan. 59/30s 59/33s
Anchorage 40 81 88 Houston 77 New
Tucson, Ariz. 91/58s 93/58pc
43 83
Orleans
Tulsa, Okla. 68/39s 66/41pc
77 Tampa
Wichita, Kan. 63/36pc 63/38pc
Puerto Rico
75 Wilmington, Del. 62/44pc 55/35w
SUNDAY San Juan
Miami Winston-Salem, N.C. 63/43pc 59/35pc
Brownsville 85 79 pc Partly cloudy s Sunny sh Showers c Cloudy

86 t Thunderstorms w Windy dr Drizzle h Haze

f Fog i Ice r Rain sf Snowflurries sn Snow
SPORTS
Continued from previous page
She recalled her first concussion hap-
pening in practice, when her temple
made contact with an errant elbow. She
had a headache and sensitivity to light.
She returned within days.
Later that season, on Feb. 9, 2020, a
charge at Texas Tech terrified her par-
ents.
Cliff remembers it vividly: A Texas
Tech player flashed to the high post,
then barreled toward the block. Audrey,
in a help defense position, slid over, try-
ing to catch the offensive player un-
aware. They crashed into each other in
spectacular fashion.
“Audrey’s feet were off the ground,
and she was parallel to the floor,” Cliff
said. “This was not the type of play that
happens in a contact sport – this was a
collision. This is the type of hit you
would expect in football.”
The worst part? Both Stacy and Cliff
were watching from home, and when
the feed blacked out for 10 minutes, nei-
ther of them knew if Audrey was OK.
Fortunately, Stacy’s parents were in
Lubbock and able to travel with Audrey
to the hospital. The collision broke Au-
drey’s nose and gave her a nasty black
eye. It also sidelined her for three weeks.
“My family hates that I take charges,”
Audrey said. “My uncle made a sign that
says ‘There’s your one charge!’ that he’ll
hold up during games. My mom tells me
she has gray hair from it. My dad knows
I’m not going to change the way I play,
but all my family, they cringe when they
know I’m about to take a hit.”
Audrey came back that season –
wearing a mask to protect her fractured
nose – but then missed the first 11 games
of her sophomore year because of more
concussion issues. Last year, after tak-
ing another hard hit that sidelined her
again, coach Vic Schaefer told Audrey
they should talk about if basketball was
worth it.
Educated about concussions
Cliff tries to compartmentalize how
he thinks of Audrey, saying he treats her
like any other athlete he trains. He has
to take his emotions out of the equation
he said, “because if I’m Dad, then the
first charge she took, I’d have taken her
out and wouldn’t let her go back.”
But he understands well the risk of
head trauma. Cliff ’s brother Steve War-
ren played three years in the NFL, where
discussions about traumatic brain inju-
ries increase in volume every year. As
UT doctors started discussions about
Audrey’s future, Cliff used it as a teach-
ing moment.
“That was a turning point for us, as a
family, to become so educated about
concussions,” Cliff said. “We talked a lot
about, you don’t want to be 30 years old
and have something be a problem be-
cause of when you were playing.”
For her part, Audrey made a list of
questions to ask doctors.
Hurricanes’ veteran players fuel surprising march
Dan Wolken
USA TODAY
On Sunday night, the Oklahoma City
Thunder played the Orlando Magic in a
game where the oldest starter on either
team was Isaiah Roby, who turned 24
last month. The average age of the
Thunder’s starting lineup was 21.8 years
old, while the Magic’s was slightly
younger at 21.4.
And they were both younger than the
lineup Miami put on the floor Sunday
night – not the Heat, but the Hurricanes
in the men’s NCAA Tournament.
With a starting five whose youngest
member is 21-year-old Isaiah Wong, it
perhaps shouldn’t be so surprising that
the Hurricanes have made it to the
Sweet 16 despite being an overlooked
No. 10 seed entering the tournament.
In an era of college basketball tilting
toward experience and physicality over
the short-term brilliance of one-and-
done freshmen, Miami is old enough to
be a G-League team – and it’s a formula
that paid off Sunday in a stunningly im-
pressive 79-61 win over 2 seed Auburn.
“We played very fundamental,” coach
Jim Larrañaga said Monday on The Joe
Rose Show on 560 WQAM in Miami.
“We didn’t try to hit home runs. We tried
to make a lot of singles and share it and
give everybody a chance.”
The Hurricanes may not have been a
popular pick to advance very far in this
tournament after finishing fourth in the
Atlantic Coast Conference, a league that
did not impress either pundits or com-
puters in the regular season. Miami also
struggled to start the year, losing non-
conference games to UCF, Dayton and
Alabama in a 32-point blowout.
But now, with the Hurricanes ad-
vancing in the Midwest Regional to face
“My biggest thing was always mem-
ory,” she said. “Personally, I feel like my
short-term memory has gotten worse
from the first time I hit my head – but I
also don’t know if it’s actually from hit-
ting my head or not. Could this get
worse? Am I going to lose my memory?
Am I not going to be able to function?
“Every time I wake up from my
three-second blackout I think, wow,
what if that blackout was longer?
What would that do to me?”
Initially, Audrey was advised to “not
get in the fray when there’s a bunch of
people around the ball, maybe pick
and choose my spots a little more.” She
didn’t care for that advice.
Instead, after doctors (she also saw
a specialist outside the UT program)
assured her that she had “a very low
chance of doing long-term damage,”
Audrey learned how to take charges in
a safer, more controlled manner.
Trainers and coaches taught her how
to tuck her chin during contact to avoid
“being so out of control when I fall,”
she said. While there are no guaran-
tees regarding an athlete’s future
health after experiencing head trauma
– neuropathology experts continue to
study the effects concussions have on
CTE – she and her family have educat-
ed themselves about the risks.
At the start of this season, the train-
ing staff introduced the Q-Collar.
Developed in 2012, the Q-collar ap-
plies subtle pressure to the jugular
vein, helping increase blood volume in
the head, which reduces brain move-
ment. This helps guard against what
UT sports medicine director Allen Har-
din called “the sloshing effect,” when
someone hits their head and the brain,
sloshing around, ricochets against the
skull, causing injury. With the Q-Collar
helping blood flow, the brain has more
of a protective cushion in the event of
impact.
Approved by the FDA in February,
the Q-Collar is sold over-the-counter
and has been seen on professional ath-
letes including Meghan Klingenberg of
the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and for-
mer Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis.
So far this season, Audrey has had
no diagnosed concussions (the UT
training staff is quick to point out that
an athlete going through concussion
protocol does not mean they actually
have a concussion). It’s impossible to
know, Hardin said, how much of Au-
drey’s health this season is directly re-
lated to the Q-Collar versus her
tweaked style of play and, potentially,
sheer good luck. But the device has
given Audrey peace of mind.
“This is something that gives me
more confidence to play the game I
love the way I like to play it. Every ath-
lete makes sacrifices. Every time I take
a charge, I do ask myself if it’s worth it.
But I just love this game so much, and I
love what it’s done for me.
“I didn’t want to let that part of me
go yet.”
From left, Isaiah Wong, Charlie Moore
and Kameron McGusty celebrate the
Hurricanes’ second-round NCAA
Tournament victory over Auburn on
Sunday. BOB DONNAN/USA TODAY SPORTS
No. 11 seed Iowa State, they’re not just a
great story. Because of how this Miami
team is built, it suddenly looks like a le-
gitimate threat to make the Final Four.
In modern college basketball, the no-
tion of reloading every year with five-
star prospects like John Calipari and
Mike Krzyzewski did for much of the
2010s isn’t going to cut it as a blueprint
to advance deep in the tournament.
Though roster building in college
basketball is far more art than science,
particularly now with players having a
free one-time transfer in their pocket,
experience is the sport’s most valuable
currency. And Miami has more of it than
anyone left in the Sweet 16.
The Hurricanes are good, obviously.
But more than that, they’re adults in ev-
ery sense of the word. Kameron McGus-
ty and Charlie Moore, Miami’s starting
backcourt, are 24-year-olds who have
been in college for six years thanks to
USA TODAY ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ 7C
National experts like
Iowa State coach
Otzelberger’s method
Randy Peterson
The Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network
Gary Thompson paused after I
asked the Roland Rocket’s input on
something pertaining to this surpris-
ing Iowa State men’s basketball team
that’s about to play in the Sweet 16.
Where would you figure T.J. Otzel-
berger ranks among coaches who have
had similar Iowa State men’s basket-
ball seasons of greatness?
The Cyclones’ legendary All-Amer-
ican collected his thoughts: “Best de-
fensive team since back in the Tim
Floyd and Larry Eustachy days. Very
tough. Very strong. Help-side defense
is tremendous. Physical. All that plays
right into T.J.’s hand.”
He paused again.
“If most Iowa State fans were real-
istic, they probably figured this team
would win eight or nine games, maybe
a couple more, behind going 2-22,”
Thompson said.
“And replacing all the players that
had to be replaced? I don’t know if any-
body’s done a better job in identifying
players, giving them an opportunity to
play at Iowa State, and then putting
them in a position to win games.”
That’s good enough for me. If
Thompson says the job Otzelberger
has done this season ranks right up
there with the top coaches of Iowa
State’s past, that’s gold.
When former coaches outside the
Cyclones’ family also speak highly
about the mastermind of the biggest
one-season turnaround in college bas-
ketball – that’s as solid as you can get.
“Fantastic, simply fantastic,” said
former Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger,
who led Florida and Oklahoma to Final
Fours during what certainly will be a
Hall of Fame coaching career. “T.J.’s
done a remarkable job meshing to-
gether what essentially was a new
team. That’s very difficult to do. Credit
goes to T.J. and his staff and players to
have made that work.”
Kruger, Rick Pitino and Tubby
Smith are the only coaches to have led
five schools to NCAA Tournaments.
Now retired, his TV-watching routine
includes Iowa State games.
“I can’t imagine anyone doing better
in the first season,” said Kruger, whose
son, Kevin Kruger, replaced Otzelberg-
er as the head coach at UNLV. “Sweet
transfers and the extra season of eligi-
bility granted by the NCAA due to
COVID-19. Stretch forward Sam Waar-
denburg is 23 and also a sixth-year sen-
ior. Jordan Miller, a 6-foot-7 wing, has
had a more conventional career but
transferred to Miami this season after
starting for three years at George Ma-
son. Wong is the young one of the group,
playing in his third college season.
Miami does not have great size, often
playing five-out on offense, and has not
used its bench much at all in the first
two tournament games. But if you’re
trying to build an unlikely team to make
a deep run in March, this is largely what
it would look like: older guards who at-
tack the paint, defensively interchange-
able wings and enough balance on of-
fense that makes it difficult to build a
blueprint to stop them.
Though Wong and McGusty tend to
do most of the scoring (they have scored
20 or more points a combined 23 times
this season), Miller has two 25-point
games, you can count on Moore for 12 to
15 points and even Waardenburg has
scored 15 or more on five occasions.
“All five starters are capable of having
big 20-point games or more,” Larrañaga
said on WQAM. “When you have that
kind of balance in your offense where so
many guys can contribute, it makes it
difficult on your opponent.”
For good measure, Miami has been
the best team in the tournament at tak-
ing care of the ball. The Hurricanes
turned it over just three times against
Southern Cal and four against Auburn, a
sharp contrast with a frenzied, disorga-
nized Tigers team that got baited into
quick, low-quality shots (5-for-26 from
three) and 13 turnovers.
For a team that finished 10-17 last
season and hadn’t been in the NCAA
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger
shouts instructions to his team in
practice. JAMIE SABAU/USA TODAY SPORTS
16s are hard to come by, and to do it with
almost a completely new roster – again,
it’s remarkable.”
Steve Prohm, Otzelberger’s prede-
cessor, inherited a star-aligned roster
when replacing Fred Hoiberg before the
2015-16 season. He coached them to a
Sweet 16 that season with guys like
Georges Niang, Monte Morris, Abdel
Nader and Jameel McKay.
Hoiberg’s Cyclones reached the
NCAA’s Sweet 16 in 2014, his fourth sea-
son. Most of the foundation for that
team was set through his recruiting.
Larry Eustachy had an Elite 8 outfit in
2000, a veteran team that lost to Michi-
gan State, one win shy of the Final Four.
There’s no Iowa State comparison to
the roster makeover Otzelberger orches-
trated. Six new players, including fresh-
man Tyrese Hunter running the point,
in the nation’s best conference. That’s
off-the-charts stuff.
“It’s just remarkable what he’s been
able to do,” said Seth Greenberg, former
Virginia Tech head coach and now a
popular ESPN studio analyst. “I don’t
care where guys are rated – their players
are plenty good. He’s got them to trust
each other by buying into the process
and trusting the present. You can see
that those guys love playing for him.”
Everyone you talk to always brings up
Otzelberger’s transfer portal prowess.
“He went into the portal with a pur-
pose – to the guys that had his identity,”
Greenberg said. “Too many times,
coaches go into the portal exclusively
for talent, and sometimes they’re not
recruiting winning players. There’s a
distinct difference.
“Winning players buy into a vision.
Winning players compete hard, with no
ego and they play with a purpose. Win-
ning players want to be told solutions.
That’s something T.J. does a great job
of.”
Tournament since 2018, it would be
hard to deny the impact of the transfer
portal on Miami’s turnaround. Miller
was a third-team All-Atlantic 10 player
last season averaging 15.8 points per
game, while Moore has been college
basketball’s quintessential nomad.
After originally committing to Josh
Pastner at Memphis in the fall of 2015,
Moore ended up going to Cal to play for
Cuonzo Martin when Pastner left for
Georgia Tech. After one season there, he
went to Kansas where he had to sit out
for a year then came off the bench for the
Jayhawks in 2018-19. Moore played the
next two seasons at DePaul, to be closer
to his ailing father in his hometown of
Chicago, but hit the portal again after
coach Dave Leitao was fired.
Though not all of those experiences
have been good ones, it would be hard to
find a college basketball player who has
seen as many things as Moore playing in
the Pac-12, Big 12, Big East and ACC.
“Is there anybody else in college bas-
ketball history that has been on that
kind of journey?” Larrañaga said after
the Auburn game.
Last week, McGusty compared
Moore’s impact to Chris Paul at Wake
Forest in 2004 and 2005. “He’s our
quarterback,” McGusty said. “He gets us
in the right sets. He’s the one who we
trust with the ball making decisions.
Plays hard defense. He picks up the op-
posing team’s point guard 94 feet.”
The Hurricanes were a 10 seed for a
reason, and most people wouldn’t have
picked them to make their first Elite
Eight in school history. But once t the
games come down to matchups, adjust-
ments and which team can keep its cool
under pressure, having such mature
players is the X-factor that could carry
the ’Canes to places they’ve never been.
8C ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY
NFL INSIDER NOTEBOOK
No takers yet for Jimmy G. or Baker
Quarterback outlook
in draft could be
starting to take shape
Mike Jones
USA TODAY
This NFL offseason has featured one
of the most active and fascinating quar-
terback carousels in league history, with
five passers traded to new teams, two
more signing deals to potentially start
for new teams and three more inking
massive deals to remain with their cur-
rent squads.
The Seattle Seahawks sent Russell
Wilson to the Denver Broncos, who
shipped Drew Lock back as part of a
huge haul. The Indianapolis Colts trad-
ed Carson Wentz to the Washington
Commanders and two weeks later ac-
quired Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Fal-
cons. And the Cleveland Browns forked
over a load of picks and broke the bank
to secure Deshaun Watson from the
Houston Texans.
Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew
Stafford and Kirk Cousins re-upped
with the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles
Rams and Minnesota Vikings, respec-
tively. And Mitch Trubisky (Pittsburgh
Steelers) and Marcus Mariota (Atlanta)
positioned themselves for starting roles
in 2022.
One quarterback absent from the ac-
tion, however, is the San Francisco
49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo, whom many
around the league expected to be traded
a year after the 49ers moved up in the
draft to take Trey Lance third overall.
However, through the first two weeks
of the league year, things have remained
quiet on the Jimmy G. front. The ninth-
year veteran has generated very little in-
terest on the trade market, a person
with knowledge of the situation told
USA TODAY Sports. The individual
spoke on condition of anonymity be-
cause they were not authorized to speak
publicly on the matter. As trade partner
options evaporate, it’s possible that Ga-
roppolo could wind up remaining in San
Francisco for the final year of his con-
tract. That would then leave coach Kyle
Classic or modern,
but always iconic.
Find your favorite products from our collection and never go out of style.
Shop at shop.usatoday.com
Jimmy Garoppolo celebrates after the
49ers’ NFC divisional playoff victory in
January against the Packers.
MATT LUDTKE/AP
Shanahan and his assistants to pick be-
tween Garoppolo or Lance for their
starter for the 2022 season.
There are a number of factors con-
tributing to the lack of activity for Ga-
roppolo. The fact that Garoppolo is com-
ing off surgery on his throwing shoulder
and likely will miss the bulk of the off-
season program has raised concern for
potential trade partners.
But even without the surgery, per-
ceptions of Garoppolo are less than
glowing.
Entering free agency, multiple NFL
talent evaluators and coaches gave
lukewarm assessments of Garoppolo
despite his 33-14 regular-season record
as a starter and 5-2 mark in the postsea-
son, which includes helping San Fran-
cisco reach a Super Bowl and the NFC
championship game twice since 2019.
Garoppolo’s inconsistencies, both in
durability (just once has he played a full
season) and production, made him less
than desirable in the eyes of some quar-
terback-needy teams, even those such
as Washington (which opted for another
inconsistent option in Wentz), New Or-
leans (which this week re-signed inter-
ception-prone Jameis Winston), Pitts-
burgh (which went with Trubisky, who
was deemed a bust with the Chicago
Bears) and Indianapolis (which opted
for aging Ryan).
Multiple people within the league,
speaking to USA TODAY Sports on con-
dition of anonymity for competitive rea-
sons, believe that Garoppolo is best
suited as a quality backup called on to
start in case of an injured starter or as a
bridge for a young prospect.
The bridge role is what the 49ers had
in mind when they retained Garoppolo
last season, and the 30-year-old played
well enough to help San Francisco reach
the conference championship game.
However, the 49ers’ offense put up
somewhat pedestrian numbers in
points (ranking 13th with 25.1 per game)
and third downs (14th with a 40.2% suc-
cess rate).
Garoppolo sounded resigned to his
time in San Francisco ending following
the playoff loss to the eventual Super
Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
But 49ers brass has played close to
the vest whenever asked about him. Ga-
roppolo does have supporters within the
locker room and the organization, how-
ever.
Sizing up a veteran roster, and taking
into account the fact that Lance (who
posted a 1-1 record, 57.7% completion
rate, five touchdowns and two intercep-
tions as a rookie) looks like a player still
in need of significant development,
there are those who would prefer the
49ers hang onto Garoppolo one more
year because he does give them a
chance to win. (Garoppolo has one sea-
son and approximately $25 million in
base salary remaining on the five-year,
$137 million contract that he signed in
2018, which at the time made him one of
the highest-paid quarterbacks in the
league.)
Some rival executives believe that
the 49ers could wind up hanging onto
Garoppolo if they don’t receive what
they deem to be fair compensation.
Mayfield wait continues
Baker Mayfield is another quarter-
back playing the waiting game.
Three days after the Browns officially
announced the Watson trade, and near-
ly a week after Mayfield requested a
trade, the 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick
has yet to garner serious interest from
teams.
The Seahawks have inquired on the
fifth-year pro, a person familiar with the
SPORTS
situation told USA TODAY Sports on the
condition of anonymity for competitive
reasons, but talks stalled after Cleve-
land named its asking price. Seattle re-
mains the most logical destination for
Mayfield, several people within the
league maintain.
At this point, following the flurry of
trades and signings of the last two
weeks, the number of teams in need of
starting quarterbacks has dwindled sig-
nificantly. New Orleans, Carolina and
Atlanta all missed out on Watson, but
the Saints in turn re-signed Winston,
Atlanta signed Mariota, and many
around the league believe the Panthers
will now use the sixth overall pick on a
rookie quarterback.
Draft-day trades coming?
This year’s draft class isn’t viewed as
particularly strong at quarterback, but a
handful of teams still have long-term
needs for a signal-caller. The limited
supply of passers deemed worthy of a
first-round pick could prompt trade ac-
tivity either on draft day or leading up to
that date.
Liberty’s Malik Willis, Pittsburgh’s
Kenny Pickett and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral
are regarded as the top quarterbacks in
this year’s draft. But some NFL talent
evaluators question whether any are
worthy of a top 10 pick.
The Panthers could be the first team
to pull the trigger at No. 6, and multiple
people within the league believe Willis
could be their man. The intrigue will un-
fold after that.
Atlanta, which now needs a quarter-
back after trading Ryan, picks eighth,
Washington holds the 11th choice, the
Saints pick 18th and Pittsburgh stands
at No. 20. All have secured short-term
answers at quarterback but still are be-
lieved to have interest in drafting a
passer as well.
The limited options could prompt
multiple teams to try to move ahead of
Atlanta at No. 8 to ensure they get the
top remaining quarterback, even if that
means reaching, multiple NFL talent
evaluators predict. If unsuccessful in
overtaking the Falcons, efforts then
could shift to move into the top 10.
LIFE
USA TODAY | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | SECTION D
LIFELINE
RICARDO MAKYN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
THEY SAID WHAT?
THE STARS’ BEST QUOTES
I want to express my profound
sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent,
and it should never have happened.’’
- Prince William, speaking at a dinner
in Kingston, Jamaica, during his and
Duchess Kate’s royal tour of the Car-
ibbean. William, second in line to the
British throne, echoed the words of
his father, Prince Charles, who de-
scribed the slave trade as an “appall-
ing atrocity” on a visit to Barbados
last year, when that Caribbean nation
severed its ties to the British crown
and became a republic. Prince William
stopped short of offering the apology
demanded by Jamaican protesters,
who also are seeking reparations for
Britain’s role in the slave trade.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
MAKING WAVES
MEGHAN ADDS PODCAST
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is
adding podcast host to her resume.
Meghan and Prince Harry on Thurs-
day announced the release this sum-
mer of “Archetypes,” their first pod-
cast as part of their company Arche-
well Audio’s partnership with Spotify.
Meghan will interview historians and
other experts about the origins of
stereotypes that affect women. “This
is how we talk about women: the
words that raise our girls, and how
the media reflects women back to
us,” Meghan says in a clip. “But where
do these stereotypes come from?
And how do they keep showing up
and defining our lives?”
IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY
WHO’S CELEBRATING TODAY
Chris Redd is 37. Sarah Jessica Park-
er is 57. Elton John is 75.
USA TODAY SNAPSHOTS ©
TV social ratings
Social Content Ratings: March
14-20. Original social media posts
and engagement related to series
and specials. Social data from
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
YouTube.
Show Interactions (000)
WWE Monday Night RAW.........2,957
Young Rock...................................1,895
WWE Fri. Night SmackDown ....1,020
American Idol..................................985
All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite ......971
TALKWALKER SOCIAL CONTENT RATINGS
The Oscars broadcast: Is it Michael Buble is back
relevant and worth the time? on a joyful, ‘Higher’ plane
We stage a debate between Life staffers on the The singer takes inspiration for new album from
eve of the movie industry’s big night. Page 2D his son Noah and a certain Sir Paul. Page 3D
K1
K1
94TH ACADEMY AWARDS STREAMING PREVIEW
‘Bridgerton’
still burns
brightly in
Season 2
Kelly Lawler
Columnist
USA TODAY
“Bridgerton” is back, and the drea-
my duke is nowhere to be found. But
the romance goes on, I can assure you.
Netflix’s addictive Regency roman-
tic drama, produced by Shonda
Rhimes, lit the streaming service on
fire when it premiered on Christmas in
2020, becoming at the time, Netflix’s
most popular series (it’s since been
unseated by “Squid Game”). The soapy
costume drama show’s return is hotly
anticipated, but “Bridgerton” is likely
to be a little less hot without its break-
out star, Regé-Jean Page, who left the
show after his story was (mostly) com-
pleted in Season 1.
Season 2 (streaming Friday,
eeeE) always was going to be differ-
ent because it’s based on the second
book in author Julia Quinn’s series,
“The Viscount Who Loved Me.” While
Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) took center
stage the first time around, it’s her
brother Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jona-
than Bailey) turn to find true love.
And thanks to his electric love inter-
Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall are the 2022 Oscars hosts. est, Lady Whistledown, drama and the
PROVIDED BY THE ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES continued excellence of the cast,
“Bridgerton” has a strong sophomore
season that should keep its fans hap-
This trio of
py, even if they might wonder where all
the sex scenes went.
hosts keeps
fun in mind
Bryan Alexander USA TODAY Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan
Bailey) romances the Sharma sisters
The Academy Awards are compensating for three years of hostless including Kate (Simone Ashley).
PROVIDED BY LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
Oscars by tripling up. h Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina
Hall are joining forces as the first Oscar hosts since Jimmy Kimmel
The new episodes open with the
handled the duties solo in 2018. h Schumer already is happily pro- new social season in early 1800s Lon-
claiming success even before she joins her comedic cohorts on don, and Anthony, who became the
Viscount Bridgerton after his father
Hollywood’s biggest night (ABC, Sunday, 8 EDT/5 PDT). h “I don’t died when Anthony was 19, is ready to
see how we can lose, honestly,” says Schumer, who hosted a rau- tie the knot. He’s been in charge of the
family for 10 years, focusing with great
cous 2015 MTV Movie Awards. “We’ll know we left it all out on the intensity on his duty, and he sees mar-
Oscar stage and that we did it. We’re going to show what three riage as just one more box to check off,
such as balancing finances or hiring
women, and two women of color, can do.” h So what’s the path to staff.
success? USA TODAY spoke to the three hosts between final re- Anthony is determined to find the
perfect bride, and Edwina Sharma
hearsals: (Charithra Chandran), a picture of a
debutante new to London society,
So how’s it going to “It was just instant chemistry, we catches his eye. Her elder sister Kate
work with three hosts? all fit well together,” says Sykes, who (Simone Ashley), who’s 26 and already
says that all three will be onstage to an old maid by 19th-century stan-
There is host familiarity between kick off the show. dards, is keeping a watchful eye on her
all three. Notably, Schumer, 40, and The rest of the night will see host sister as she tries out suitors, deter-
Sykes, 58, co-starred in the 2017 groupings. “There will be different mined to get her the best match pos-
comedy “Snatched,” while Hall, 51, variations,” says Sykes. “Two of us or sible. Kate and Anthony initially clash,
and Sykes starred in 2021’s “Breaking just one, even three. We’re going to of course, but is there some desire be-
News in Yuba County.” Sykes says the switch it up.” hind all that hate? Well, you know how
team felt comic lightning at their first this sort of thing goes.
meeting last month. See OSCAR HOSTS, Page 4D Elsewhere in the Bridgerton brood,
bookish rebel Eloise (Claudia Jessie) is
forced to come out into society but
avoids balls and other soirees to attend
political rallies and befriends a witty
printer. Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosh-
euvel) once again is determined to find
out who Lady Whistledown is, though
we now know she’s perennial wall-
flower Penelope Featherington (Nicola
Coughlan), wielding her quill as the
only weapon she has in a world where
she’s overlooked.
Perhaps the biggest weakness is
that, as the central character, Anthony
is a bore. As he steps from supporting
to leading man, there are some grow-
ing pains for actor and character. By
the end of the new season, Anthony is,
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s potential virtual Oscars
appearance remains a question mark. UKRAINE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE VIA AP See BRIDGERTON, Page 4D
2D ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY LIFE

94TH ACADEMY AWARDS NEWS & VIEWS

We debate whether the show is worth it

Barbara VanDenburgh and Rasha Ali actress in an upset over Glenn Close. Or
USA TODAY Spike Lee finally winning a best adapted
screenplay Oscar for “BlacKkKlans-
The Oscars are at a crisis point. man.” He’s so excited, he jumps into
The opulent awards ceremony, now Samuel L. Jackson’s arms, and it’s elec-
in its 94th year, is flailing. This year, the tric! You know Spike Lee knows the Os-
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and cars are BS. You know he knows he
Sciences announced it was eliminating should have won decades ago. And he
eight categories from the live telecast, still turned into a child when he won,
including film editing, makeup and hair- he’s so excited.
styling, while adding an Oscars Fan Fa- Rasha: I wish there were more relat-
vorite category voted via Twitter in able moments like that. There’s a whole
what reads as a desperate bid to get pandemic, a World War III pending. And
more popular films such as “Spider- then you see these people looking so
Man: No Way Home” into the mix. poised and it’s just so much perfection.
The show has experimented with dif- If it was more relaxed and celebrities
ferent formats to try to halt a decline in were able to say what they wanted to
viewership. Spike Lee celebrates with Samuel L. Jackson as Lee accepts the Oscar for and just acted like real people, I feel like
Yet the show keeps bleeding viewers. adapted screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman” in 2019. ROBERT DEUTSCH/USA TODAY it would be more entertaining.
Last year, when “Nomadland” took best Barbara: Yes, seeing a bunch of rich
picture, only 10.4 million people people pat themselves on the back three
watched, while 2014’s show with “12 with other pop-culture junkies to talk Barbara: Again, you’re right. And it years into a pandemic while the world is
Years a Slave” drew a record 43.7 mil- about the art of cinema. Even when the sucks. But the Oscars still has the power falling apart is wearying when I’m sit-
lion. Oscars are bad – when the host doesn’t to move the needle in positive ways. ting in the corner of my tiny rented
Did the pandemic plunge viewership work, when the wrong movies win and Take Regina King, for example. She put house with my laptop propped on a
to a record low? Were the wrong movies glass ceilings remain – I still get my pop- in decades of hard, underappreciated plastic TV tray. But the world has always
nominated? Have streaming services culture fix. Even complaining about the work and finally got her flowers for “If been a trash fire of inequality, which is
changed viewing habits so much that Oscars is its own form of entertainment. Beale Street Could Talk.” Since then, she why I need the escapist glamor of pretty
must-see TV events are no longer so Rasha: I’m watching it from a Black has won an Emmy for HBO’s “Watch- people in sparkly dresses. By all means,
must-see? woman’s perspective, so for me, it’s not men,” directed her first feature, “One let’s eat the rich. But after they’ve given
Or is it that after 94 years, the Oscars our pop culture. We barely get recogni- Night in Miami ...” , and she’s producing. their acceptance speeches. What would
are just ... done? tion from the Oscars, and when we do It’s the result of her hard work and tal- need to win this year for the Oscars to
That question prompted fierce de- it’s crumbs. ent, but I have to think her Oscar win got win you over?
bate among the USA TODAY Life and Barbara: I can’t argue that. As a her some green lights. Rasha: “King Richard.” And Will
Entertainment staff, particularly be- white person, I see myself represented Rasha: I LOVE REGINA KING! But it Smith. OK, so this is a secret between
tween Rasha Ali and Barbara VanDen- at the Oscars a lot more than you you do. took her working so hard to finally be you and me (and everyone else reading
burgh. Rasha thinks the Oscars are out As a woman, I can relate to the crumbs. recognized, and even that doesn’t hap- this), but I haven’t seen the movie yet.
of touch and painstakingly boring, The category I’m most excited about pen for most actors of color. For the most But like Issa Rae, I, too, am rooting for
while Barbara thinks the ceremony, this year is cinematography. Ari Wegner, part, once Black actors win an Oscar, everybody Black.
while flawed, often is an entertaining who shot “The Power of the Dog,” is only they’re not everywhere. A career bump
and sometimes life-affirming escape. the second woman in the history of the doesn’t happen for most of them. So I Final verdict
Rasha’s opening argument: I used Oscars to be nominated for cinematog- think, why should we be making such a
to love the Oscars. I loved watching ce- raphy, and no woman has won. That’s big deal about the Oscars? There’s the Barbara and Rasha have found com-
lebs get glammed up and seeing Brad indefensible. But I can’t pretend I won’t Critics Choice Awards, and then Screen monalities in their love and hatred of the
Pitt on the carpet and being like, “Hi, can be over-the-moon excited if Wegner Actors Guild Awards and Golden Globes Oscars. While Barbara understands
you marry me?” It felt so fantastical, so wins. and the Emmys and it’s just a lot. Are she’s enjoying the Academy Awards
surreal. As I got older, especially within Rasha: OK, true, but isn’t that sad? these not all the same people voting for from a privileged position, she believes
the last few years, you just realize it’s all It’s been like a million years since the the same things? the Oscars still has the power to spark
BS. I would rather catch it on Twitter the Oscars started, and we’re still crowning Barbara: Awards season is definitely joy and change lives when it gets things
next day, because watching a three- to firsts. It does feel good to see those wins too long, but the Oscars is still king. It right. And that makes it worth fighting
five-hour show is legit like sitting – when Daniel Kaluuya won, I was so brings together the biggest personal- for. Rasha will never forgive the Oscars
through someone’s graduation … and proud. But then it kind of still makes me ities to experience the biggest emotions for making “Gone With the Wind’s” Hat-
everybody hates graduations. mad. Why am I so excited over a Black on the biggest stage, and that can make tie McDaniel sit at a table away from her
Barbara’s opening argument: The man winning? Not that I shouldn’t be for really good television. Sometimes co-stars but can be won over by receiv-
Oscars is the Super Bowl of pop culture. excited for him, but a Black man win- when I’m sad I’ll cue up Olivia Colman’s ing tickets to next year’s show … just to
For just this one night, I get to convene ning an Oscar should be normal by now. acceptance speech when she won best see if Barbara’s points check out.

PUZZLES
To report problems, email feedback@usatoday.com.
For more puzzles, get the USA TODAY Crossword app.
CROSSWORD WORD ROUNDUP F I R O N M B Q R N E Z
EDITED Erik Agard By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek 3/25 D A C G T C T E O G E B
BY Hoang-Kim Vu & Find and Circle: L C I N P R T L A D B R
Angela Pai Book ____ ☑☐☐☐☐ O E I R A I L R A U E T
Four units of volume ☐☐☐☐
AT THE PRESENT
© Andrews McMeel

Three four-letter metals ☐☐☐ G O A U L A E R L V N I

MOMENT GPA: ____ ____ ____ ☐☐☐
Neighbor to Chile ☐ P X Q D G V G C O I Q T
ACROSS Thursday’s answer: CORNEA RETINA PUPIL LENS IRIS / ACRYLIC ABYSS D E A L A Z P C P R B L
1 Capital of Peru BUYER / COYOTE COUGAR CAMEL / OCEAN CANOE / GERMANY
5 Long-running POLAND B N A R G E N T I N A E
percussive theater
show QUICKCROSS UP & DOWN WORDS
10 AAA service By John Wilmes 3/25 By David L. Hoyt and Russell L. Hoyt 3/25
13 Build up
15 Word before “bear” 1. NOT
“Coral” or “barrier” ending
or “ice cap”
16 You might have an 2.
inflated one Eurasian mountain range
3.
17 Ask for an
Father 4.
extension, for
example “Phone” or “marketer”
5.
19 MacGuffin in an start 6.
Indiana Jones title
© Andrews McMeel

20 Hesitated Oxidation 7. BE
21 Leaves an area
Clues: Thursday’s Answer
23 “The Warm Heart of Pennsylvania city
1. Inactive FULL COUNT
Africa” 2. Billy Ray Cyrus song COUNT ON
Thursday’s Answer
25 Unit of corn Tiger’s father 3. Basement, perhaps ON FIRE
26 “Living a Feminist S H U T 4. Type of underwater FIRE SAFETY
Life” writer Sara Abscond exploration
C A S E SAFETY FIRST
29 Garment that © Andrews McMeel 3/25 5. Descending
6. “Let’s get ____ ____ business” FIRST TAKE
became a feminist 61 Be on the same 14 “What a shame” 46 Animal skins O P E N 7. Start of a soliloquy TAKE BACK
symbol page 18 Name of two Spice 49 French word before QUICKCROSS
33 Boun That Luang’s 62 Video game Girls a maiden name T E D S ON YOUR PHONE PLAY ONLINE
3/24 puzzles.usatoday.com PUZZLES.USATODAY.COM © Andrews McMeel
country platform developed 22 Fifty-and-up org. 50 Tightly stretched
34 Old-timey “no” by Valve 24 Like many stand-up 51 “That’s distressing!”
35 Removal of a law 63 Whole lot comics SUDOKU
52 Org. for Mariah
36 Taking testosterone, 64 Observes Ramadan 26 ___ for the ride Stackhouse and
for short 65 ___ and evens 27 Capital where bun Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x2
Danielle Kang box contains the numbers 1 through 9 (no repeats). box contains the numbers 1 through 6 (no repeats).
37 International cha originated 54 Require
Workers’ Day DOWN 28 Something a good
month 1 Place for science personal trainer can
55 Alum 3 4 7 6 5 4 6
58 ___ worth
38 Smidge experiments provide
39 Back to square ___ 2 Phrase said groggily 30 Perform salah
59 Text message type 8 1
40 “Beats me” 3 Angelou on 31 ___ Domingo, Thursday’s Answer
42 “my bad” quarters DR 5 6 2 7 2 6
43 Communion, for 4 Takes as a given 32 Icy precipitation 6 1
example 5 Rushed off 34 Bread from a 7 4 2
44 Quick one-two play 6 Tater ___ tandoor 5
in sports 7 Cruise line for 37 Entree made in 9 2 5
46 Starter in a gas lesbians and a bread pan 6 4 2
range LGBTQ+ women 38 Woes 7 6 3
47 Key pressed with 8 Common first word 41 ___ Soul (rap DIFFICULTY RATING ✮✮✮✮✮
Ctrl and Del for babies trio) 3 1 5 8 Thursday’s Answers
48 Predecessor of 9 Came before 42 Rank above 2 1 3 8 7 5 9 6 4 5 2 1 3 6 4
Apple Music 10 Herbal ingredient in Cpl. 7 8 9 7 6 3 4 2 1 5 6 3 4 5 2 1
50 Completely acne treatments 43 Italian rice dish 6 5 4 1 9 2 7 8 3
53 Fit in 11 Oni-like monster 45 People who 5 8 1 4 1 3 2 4 6 9 8 5 7 1 6 2 4 5 3
9 8 6 7 5 1 4 3 2
56 Tuna type 12 The ___ of Life might watch a 3/24 3/25 DIFFICULTY RATING ✮✮✮✮✮ 7 4 5 2 8 3 6 9 1
3 4 5 6 1 2
57 Writings of protest (Chinese cooking lot of YouTube CROSSWORDS SUDOKU FUSION 2 5 3 1 4 6
5 2 8 3 4 6 1 7 9
60 Diez menos nueve blog) tutorials ON YOUR PHONE ON YOUR PHONE 4 7 9 5 1 8 3 2 6 4 1 6 2 3 5
Answers: Call 1-900-988-8300, 99 cents a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-320-4280. get our crossword app puzzles.usatoday.com © Andrews McMeel 3 6 1 9 2 7 5 4 8 3/24

1 2 3 4 © WIGGLES 3D GAMES
TXTPERT Today’s theme
1 2 3 4 DON’T QUOTE ME®
5 Capital cities O R I G I N A L
Across Down Media mogul Merv Rearrange the words to complete the quote.
R I U I
1. 52285 2. 237546 Use the Griffin makes this HE HOST IF LISTENING NEXT SITTING THINKING
5. 6756 3. 5663 phone N L D K
6 7 keypad to 5 6 7
observation.
6. 82553882 4. 2662579 A E S T H E T E
8. 6885 6. 82389 decode the ________ THE ________ IS ___________ THERE ______________
clues. M H U N
9. 52467 7. 86596
8
For example: 8
E N A M E L E
ABOUT HIS ________ JOKE, ________ ISN’T ______________.
2 could be A,
3/25
B or C ... and
N D S
5678 could
3/24

9
9 be LOST T H E O R Y S
3/25

Thursday’s Answer: “The amount of respect you have for others is in direct
© USA TODAY and Rich Coulter Yesterday’s solution proportion to how much respect you have for yourself.” - RuPaul Charles
LIFE USA TODAY ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ 3D

MUSIC

Buble joins forces with ‘masterful’ McCartney on new album

Melissa Ruggieri
USA TODAY
Michael Buble oozes cheerfulness.
He is readying the Friday release of
his ninth studio album, “Higher,”
sketching a brief Las Vegas residency at
Resorts World for late April
and experiencing both un-
fettered elation and relief in
his personal life.
Buble, 46, and his wife of
more than a decade, Luisa-
na, co-star in his video for
the happily galloping “I’ll
Never Not Love You,” with
Luisana revealing a baby
bump at the end. It will be
the fourth child for the couple, who en-
dured the frightening liver cancer diag-
nosis of 8-year-old son Noah in 2016.
Noah recently was deemed cancer-
free, and Buble excitedly scrolls through
his phone to show a video of his young
prodigy unleashing his piano skills on a
rendition of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.”
A trio of original songs on “Higher”
include the title track, which features a
chorus conjured by Noah during bath
time (“How cool is that?” Buble says
with a proud smile).
Yet the majority of “Higher” spot-
lights the expected Buble
feast of song interpreta-
tions – notably an uptempo,
soul-inspired take on Bob
Dylan’s “Make You Feel My
Love” and a string-en-
hanced read of Paul
McCartney’s 2012 ballad
“My Valentine.”
USA TODAY chats with
Buble:
Q: Working with Paul McCartney
on your version of his song “My Valen-
tine” had to be a career highlight.
Michael Buble: He is the most fam-
ous, maybe the greatest – truly – musi-
cian on the planet. When we talk about
equals, is it Mozart? Beethoven? And so
normal. So kind and humble and easy-
going. I made sure to convey to Paul that
I didn’t want Paul to work on the song
with me for what he’s done. I wanted to
work with Sir Paul McCartney for all the
things he can do. He is a masterful mu-
sician who has the ability – not only mu-
sically – to lift people up.
Q: What does the album title of
“Higher” mean to you?
Buble: The first working title of the
record was “Smile,” but I kept thinking,
what does that really tell people? I love
the word, but I didn’t feel there was a lot
of gravitas, and everything I was trying
to do in my life was trying to work on a
higher plane. This family has been
through a ton and I’m so grateful and so
happy to have a healthy family. I’m alive.
I’m healing ... I don’t think the last rec-
ord (2018’s “Love”) I could say that. The
last record I was limping back into the
world. I was struggling mightily with my
mental health and the fear of (health)
scans (for my son). I’m starting to live
again and breathe again, except this
time I’m coming back to life with per-
spective and realizing how lucky I am
and how good life is.
Q: Your version of the classic
“Smile” is certainly grandiose. That
song is often handled in a more pen-
sive way, but you inject it with cine-
matic flourish and happiness.
Buble: This whole record began with
this song. There was an incredible hu-
man being named Capt. Tom Moore, a
99-year-old (British Army) veteran who
raised 32 million pounds (about $42
million) for people during COVID-19 (by
walking in his garden). I was so moved
by his story that I recorded a song dur-
ing the pandemic just for him – Vera
Lynn’s “We’ll Meet Again” – and I sent it
to him. Months later he passed and his
daughter called and asked if we could
have a song for his funeral and they
liked “Smile.” So for Capt. Tom, I put
down a thing of me at the piano (doing)
“Smile” and it gave birth to this idea.

TONIGHT ON TV
8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30
NETWORK
ABC Shark Tank A hair care line is featured; a woman 20/20 A Texas veterinarian stands accused of murdering her military hero husband. (N) Local Programs Jimmy Kimmel Live
showcases her healthy snack. (N)
CBS 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament Regional Semifinal Saint Peter’s Peacocks 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament Regional Semifinal North Carolina Tar Heels vs. UCLA Bruins from Wells Fargo Center in
vs. Purdue Boilermakers from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia (Live) Philadelphia (Live)
Fox WWE Friday Night SmackDown (Live) Local Programs

NBC The Blacklist Unusual suspect when numerous Dateline NBC (N) Local Programs The Tonight Show
wealthy clients of an escort service are killed. (N) Starring Jimmy Fallon (N)
PBS Washington Week (N) Firing Line (N) Great Performances First major female music director. (N) Antiques Recut Amanpour and Company (N)
CW Charmed Mel is haunted by breakup memories. (N) Dynasty Business disagreement; happy wife. (N) Local Programs
ION Hawaii Five-0 Con artist murdered on the job. Hawaii Five-0 Danny goes undercover at a university. Hawaii Five-0 A boxer’s brother is murdered. Hawaii Five-0 McGarrett and Danny attend a retreat.
Telemundo Exatlón Estados Unidos (N) Hercai, Amor y venganza (N) Pasión de Gavilanes (N) Noticias Telemundo Noticias Telemundo (N)
Univision Soltero con hijas Mi fortuna es amarte Madre (N) Noticiero Univisión (N) Noti. Univi. Ed. noc. (N)
CABLE
A&E The First 48 An unsolved case is brought to life. Cold Case Files House fire. (N) American Justice Football player. (N) The First 48 Father’s death may be gang related.
AMC The Fugitive A successful Chicago doctor wrongfully accused of murdering his wife evades a relentless U.S. marshal while he looks for the real murderer. (1993) The A-Team Soldiers are wrongly accused of a crime.
Animal Planet Treehouse Masters: Branched Out (N) Treehouse Masters Rustic treehouse. Treehouse Masters Japanese teahouse.
BBC America The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Hobbits and allies fight for the future of Middle Earth. Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen (2014) (9:15)
BET White Chicks Shawn Wayans (2004) (6:00) New York Undercover Torres’ dilemma. New York Undercover Cult killing. Tyler Perry’s The Oval
Bravo A League of Their Own During World War II, women form an all-female baseball league. Tom Hanks, Geena Davis (1992) (7:30) A League of Their Own WWII-era women become baseball players. (1992) (10:35)
Cartoon King of the Hill King of the Hill Futurama Tentacle love. Futurama Military action. American Dad! American Dad! American Dad! Therapist. Rick and Morty
CMT The Karate Kid A teenager in a new town is bullied until an old man teaches him karate. Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita (1984) The Karate Kid, Part II Pair face feud and foes. (1986)
CNBC Undercover Boss Customer service skills put to test. Undercover Boss Municipal employee. Undercover Boss Chain of Tex-Mex restaurants. Undercover Boss Froyo CEO visits a farm.
CNN Anderson Cooper 360° (N) Anderson Cooper 360° (N) Don Lemon Tonight (N) Don Lemon Tonight (N)
Comedy South Park South Park South Park South Park South Park South Park South Park South Park
Discovery Gold Rush Rick hits paydirt in a sea of Rally Valley overburden. (N) Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge’s Mine Rescue
Disney Raven’s Home (N) Life is Shorts (N) Jessie Jessie dirt. Jessie Wedding plans. Jessie Raven’s Home Raven’s Home Raven’s Home
DisXD The Ghost The Ghost Life is Shorts (N) The Owl House The Owl House Amphibia Amphibia Amphibia Scare dare.
E! The Wedding Planner Wedding planner falls in love. Wedding Crashers Two friends sneak into weddings to prey on romantically inspired women. Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn (2005) Hitch Will Smith (2005)
Food Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners & Dives (N) Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight (N) Hannity (N) The Ingraham Angle (N) Gutfeld! (N)
Freeform Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Cookie store. Family Guy The 700 Club
FX Little Women A writer reflects on her life while telling the story of her four sisters. Saoirse Ronan (2019) (7:00) Jojo Rabbit A lonely German boy’s view of the world gets turned upside. Roman Griffin Davis (2019)
FXX Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Post office. Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers
GSN America Says America Says America Says Family Feud Family Feud Family Feud Family Feud Family Feud
Hallmark A Kiss Before Christmas James Denton, Teri Hatcher (2021) The Golden Girls The Golden Girls The Golden Girls The Golden Girls
HGTV My Lottery Home (N) My Lottery Dream Home Selling the Big Easy (N) Selling the Big Easy My Lottery Dream Home My Lottery Dream Home My Lottery Dream Home My Lottery Dream Home
History Ancient Aliens: Declassified (N)
HLN Forensic Files Forensic Files Forensic Files Arson? Forensic Files Forensic Files Forensic Files House fire. Forensic Files Forensic Files
ID Signs of a Psychopath A missing woman. Signs of a Psychopath Woman is found dead. Signs of a Psychopath Student disappears. I (Almost) Got Away with It: Confessions (N)
IFC American Sniper Deadliest sniper questions every kill shot as targets are men, women & children. Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller (2015) Fury Soldiers risk lives in enemy territory. (2014)
Lifetime Castle Search for the serial killer 3XK. Castle Murder around the theft of a sculpture. Castle Ghost hunter is mysteriously murdered. Castle Castle and Martha are taken hostage.
Magnolia First Time Fixer (N) First Time Fixer Beachfront Bargain Hunt: Renovation Live and work. Beachfront Bargain Hunt: Renovation Beachfront Bargain Hunt: Renovation
MotorTrend Roadkill Garage Roadkill Garage Roadkill Garage (N) Roadkill Garage Hot Rod Garage Hot Rod Garage Hot Rod Garage Hot Rod Garage
MSNBC All in with Chris Hayes (N) The Rachel Maddow Show (N) The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (N) The 11th Hour (N)
MTV Ridiculousness (N) Ridiculousness (N) Ridiculousness (N) Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness
NatGeo Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted Lone Star State. Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted Bountiful America. Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted Upper Peninsula. Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back
NatGeo Wild Critter Fixers: Country Vets: Extra Critters (N) Critter Fixers: Country Vets: Extra Critters (N) Wizard of Paws Wizard of Paws
NewsNation Dan Abrams Live NewsNation Prime w/Marni Hughes Banfield NewsNation Prime: Special Report
Nick The Loud House (N) Alvin Chipmunks (N) SpongeBob Friends Friends Friends Friends Ross meets Paul. Friends
NickJr Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Peppa Pig Special visit. Peppa Pig Raffle. Peppa Pig Camper van. PAW Patrol PAW Patrol
OWN Ready to Love Tory seeks answers from Ace. (N) Put A Ring On It Experiment dating other people. (N) Marry Me Now Moving in proposal. Ready to Love Tory seeks answers from Ace.
Oxygen An Unexpected Killer (N) An Unexpected Killer A jewelry collection is stolen. Snapped Police uncover hidden message and clue. Snapped Death of war hero investigated.
Paramount Point Break An FBI agent infiltrates a gang of adrenaline-junkie surfers who rob banks. Patrick Swayze (1991) Zero Dark Thirty Chronicle of the covert operation to take down al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. (2013)
Pop Men in Black Two top secret agents commit themselves to monitoring aliens on Earth. Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones (1997) Men in Black II Kay and Jay foil devious alien plot. Tommy Lee Jones (2002)
Science How It’s Made Cars, motorcycles and airplanes. (N) How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made
Sundance Law & Order Exploding building kills girl. Law & Order Middle Eastern man killed on camera. Law & Order Suspected pedophile murdered. Law & Order CEO murdered over soldier’s death.
Syfy 2012 When a reporter learns of a discovery involving the demise of Earth, he tries to rescue his family from catastrophic, natural disasters around the world. (2009) Astrid & Lilly Save the World Beast & school play.
TBS 2022 NCAA Tournament Providence Friars vs. Kansas Jayhawks (Live) 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament Regional Semifinal Iowa State Cyclones vs. Miami Hurricanes from United Center in Chicago (Live)
TCM Fiddler on the Roof Proud dairyman tries to preserve his family’s Jewish heritage in Czarist Russia. Topol, Norma Crane (1971) All That Jazz A gifted director demands perfection.
TLC 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days Usman takes things into his own hands. (N) 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days Memphis and Hamza prepare for wedding. (N) 90 Day Fiancé: Before
TNT Star Wars: Empire of Dreams A retrospective look at how Star Wars changed the face of movie-making. All Elite Wrestling: Rampage Nacho Libre A monastery cook becomes a luchador.
Travel The Ghost Town Terror Haunted ranch. The Ghost Town Terror Violent history. The Ghost Town Terror Tim learns about a brothel. (N) Most Terrifying Places in America Vermont bridge.
TruTV Impractical: Inside Jokes Impractical: Inside Jokes Impractical: Inside Jokes Impractical: Inside Jokes Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers
TV Land Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Loves Raymond The King of Queens The King of Queens
USA Chicago Fire Casey and Severide collide. Chicago Fire Katie receives some shocking news. Chicago Fire Molly’s North prepares to open. Chicago Fire Dawson must make a difficult decision.
VH1 RuPaul’s Drag Race (N) Mean Girls A high-school girl makes a hit with the A-list girl clique, The Plastics. Lindsay Lohan (2004)
Viceland Storage Wars: Miami Storage Wars: Miami Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas
WE Love After Lockup Love After Lockup (N) Love After Lockup
Weather Deadline to Disaster Tornado rips through Illinois. Deadline to Disaster Two tornadoes. Deadline to Disaster Six tornadoes. Top Ten Unlucky Locations Repeat weather.
MOVIE NETWORKS
Cinemax Taken 2 A retired CIA operative and his wife are targets of revenge in Istanbul. Dragon Blade The Protection Squad of the Western Regions must join forces with the Roman general Lucius Disturbia Teenager suspects
Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace (2012) in order to protect China’s sovereignty from Emperor Tiberius. Jackie Chan, John Cusack (2015) (9:40) neighbor of murder.
Encore 28 Days Drunken antics get a columnist 28 days in rehab, Hope Floats A former prom queen returns to her hometown to search for true love after her husband You, Me and Dupree Newlyweds cope with a rude and
forcing her to face reality. Sandra Bullock (2000) admits his love for another woman on national TV. Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr. (1998) crude houseguest after he loses his job. (2006)
FXM Get Out As the weekend passes, a man discovers that the truth concerning his girlfriend’s parents’ Get Out As the weekend passes, a man discovers that the truth concerning his girlfriend’s parents’
accommodations is worse than he ever imagined. Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams (2017) (8:10) accommodations is worse than he ever imagined. Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams (2017) (10:20)
Hallmark Movies The Presence of Love A professor travels to England to Love at the Shore A young widow struggles with her feelings when a visit to her parents’ home leads to a Murder, She Wrote A friend’s husband dies while
visit the farm where her late mother grew up. (2022) meeting with a carefree surfer who bonds with her children. Amanda Righetti, Peter Porte (2017) Jessica is reuniting with a former roommate.
HBO The King’s Man A man is in a race against time to prevent history’s worst criminal masterminds and tyrants Real Time with Bill Maher (N) Painting with John 1962 Real Time with Bill Maher
from joining together to cause a war that could destroy humanity. Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton (2021) (7:45) World Series. (N)
Lifetime Movie Janet Jackson Janet begins to work on the family Janet Jackson (N) Janet Jackson Janet’s life falls apart when she is Janet Jackson
show at the age of seven. (N) bombarded with accusations about Michael. (N)
Showtime Old Henry A widowed farmer and his son take in a Deadlock Anti-government mercenaries take an energy plant and everyone Pulp Fiction In Los Angeles, two eccentric hit men interact with diverse
wounded stranger. Tim Blake Nelson (2021) (7:20) inside hostage. Patrick Muldoon, Bruce Willis (2021) characters. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson (1994) (10:35)
Starz Shining Vale Muse Don’t Breathe 2 After a group of thugs decides to break into a blind veteran’s home, the owner realizes he must Naked Singularity A public defender gets roped into multi-million-dollar drug
identity. use his military training to save an orphan from getting hurt. Stephen Lang, Brendan Sexton III (2021) (8:39) heist by old client. John Boyega, Olivia Cooke (2021) (10:21)
TMC Philadelphia An ambitious lawyer’s private battle with AIDS becomes public when he files suit against his The Manchurian Candidate The ambush of a group of Gulf War soldiers may have been part of an elaborate
law firm for unjustly terminating him because of incompetence. Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington (1993) political brainwashing scheme to eventually seize the White House. Denzel Washington (2004) (10:05)
SPORTS NETWORKS
ESPN 2022 NCAA Women’s Sweet 16 (Live) NCAA Women’s (Live) 2022 NCAA Women’s Maryland Terrapins vs. Stanford Cardinal from Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash. (Live) SportsCenter
ESPN2 2022 NCAA Women’s Ohio State vs. Texas (Live) NCAA Women’s (Live) 2022 NCAA Women’s Sweet 16 Creighton Bluejays vs. Iowa State Cyclones (Live) NFL Live
FS1 College Softball (Live) Camping World Truck COTA from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying COTA TMZ Sports
Golf Golf Central (Live) LPGA Tour Golf 2022 JTBC Classic - Round 2 from Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Calif. PGA Tour Golf
MLB MLB Now’s Top 10 Right Now (N) MLB Spring Training San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers from Camelback Ranch (Live)
NBA NBA Basketball Golden State Warriors at Atlanta Hawks from State Farm Arena (Live) NBA GameTime NBA Basketball Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Clippers (Live)
NFLN NFL Football Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals from Paul Brown Stadium NFL Total Access An inside look at all 32 teams.

MOVIES Eastern Time may vary in some cities

(N) New episode.
4D ❚ FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2022 ❚ USA TODAY LIFE

Some years the stars are roasted at the Oscars. Other years, they get pizza.
Brad Pitt chows down in 2014 as Angelina Jolie watches at the Dolby Theatre in
Los Angeles. JOHN SHEARER/INVISION/AP

Oscar hosts about it.”

Continued from Page 1D
Who has given the best advice?
All three know Chris Rock (host for
the 2005 and 2016 Oscars), who passed
on his insights. Sykes spoke to Jimmy
Kimmel (2017 and 2018) on the come-
dian’s show. But the real tips came when
the cameras were off, she says. What did
he impart? “You have to be the Oscar
host to get those tips,” she says.
Four-time host Whoopi Goldberg, for
whom Sykes wrote Oscar jokes, has
weighed in. “Whoopi said just to have
fun because if you’re having fun, then
the audience is having fun,” Hall says.
Will the A-listers be roasted?
There will be jokes made involving
the stars seated inside the Dolby Thea-
tre. But don’t expect the sometimes-
awkward zingers of shows past.
“I am leading with love,” says Sykes.
“I know these people, They showered,
they got dressed up. They worked hard
making these films. I’m not ruining any-
body’s night.”
“Roast is too harsh, but we will have
fun,” says Hall, who adds that bringing
the assembled A-listers into the Oscars
is part of the fun for the TV audience
and the stars themselves.
“They will be part of the joke, they are
not the joke,” says Hall. “You want the
joke to be something that their best
friend would say, but they can still laugh
Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell, left), Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Queen
Will Zelenskyy beam in? Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) in “Bridgerton.” PHOTOS BY LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
Schumer has made headlines with
her hope to have Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy beam in via sat- Bridgerton
ellite during the Oscars to highlight the
Russian invasion of Ukraine. It’s un- Continued from Page 1D
clear whether the show’s producers
have agreed or if a linkup is possible. at last, a romantic hero with some heat
“I haven’t given up hope, but I think behind him and a love worth rooting
it would be a good move,” says Schum- for, but it takes too long to get there,
er. “I want to go to sleep that night and Bailey lacks the inherent magne-
knowing that I did my part in raising tism of a swoon-worthy hero; he’s no
awareness to some of the horrible Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.
things going on, including (what’s However, he is helped immensely Penelope (Nicola Coughlan, left) Eloise
happening) in Florida and Texas. The by Ashley, the season’s clear standout. (Claudia Jessie) become better friends
whole world is on fire.” The plot machinations that keep the in “Bridgerton.”
Says Sykes: “He’s pretty busy, I lovers apart mostly are self-inflicted,
don’t know if he has time for our little but Ashley makes Kate sympathetic
movie show.” and magnetic even as her actions are Coughlan does great work, balancing
frustrating and her manner willfully Penelope’s outward character and the
Will it get boozy? obtuse. more cunning Whistledown within her.
Yet the best part of Season 2 is Every conversation Penelope has con-
Schumer says she’s not planning to when the writers spend time on a dif- tains hidden depths, and Coughlan eas-
imbibe during the show. “But I’m ferent kind of love story: the friendship ily walks an unforgiving tightrope.
known to start celebrating too early.” between Penelope and Eloise. Their What made “Bridgerton” such an al-
She says the hosts are planning an af- scenes are heavy with history, light- luring hit was the glitz and glamour of
ter-show toast. ning-fast dialogue and many yellow its era, the palpable romance and sexu-
“Just the three hosts and a fancy and orange gowns. Their friendship is ality of the characters and, yes, a certain
bottle, even Opus One ... if someone complicated by the fact that Penelope handsome duke. But Season 2 proves
else is paying,” says Schumer. “If is Whistledown, which changes our that there’s more than one Bridgerton
someone wants to sponsor us, we’re perspective on the redhead even as worth rooting for, and considering fu-
up for that.” Eloise remains blissfully ignorant. ture seasons will follow the romantic es-
Hall won’t say what the post-show As both girls grow into women, they capades of other siblings (artsy Bene-
toast will be. “That will depend on are forced to make decisions about dict is up next), these new episodes
what happens on the show,” she says. what they really care about, which pass an important test. “Bridgerton”
“There’s a fine line between a toast and provide some of the more grounded, if wasn’t just a one-hit wonder.
just saying, ‘That was awful, I’m get- sadder moments in the “Bridgerton” It’s got enough love to go around for
ting drunk.’ “ fantasy world. years.

USA TODAY AIRPLAY CHARTS COMPILED BY MEDIABASE Increase in Spins Debut T This week L Last week

TOP 40 COUNTRY
T L ARTIST SONG SPINS T L ARTIST SONG POINTS
1 2 LIL NAS X Thats What I Want 17,211 1 2 CODY JOHNSON Til You Can’t 29,428
2 3 GLASS ANIMALS Heat Waves 15,581 2 3 SAM HUNT 23 26,738
3 1 GAYLE abcdefu 15,567 3 4 ELLEKING&MIRANDALAMBERT Drunk(AndIDon’tWannaGoHome) 24,960
4 5 DOJA CAT Woman 15,157 4 5 DIERKSBENTLEY,BRELAND,HARDY Beers On Me 24,469
5 4 JUSTIN BIEBER Ghost 13,061 5 7 ERIC CHURCH Heart On Fire 20,551
6 8 LATTO Big Energy 12,402 6 1 PARKER MCCOLLUM To Be Loved By You 19,997
7 6 DOJA CAT Need To Know 12,309 7 10 COLESWINDELL&LAINEYWILSON Never Say Never 18,923
8 7 THEKIDLAROI&JUSTINBIEBER Stay 12,123 8 9 CARLYPEARCE&ASHLEYMCBRYDE Never Wanted To Be That Girl 18,504
9 9 POSTMALONE&THEWEEKND One Right Now 11,554 9 12 LUKE COMBS Doin’ This 18,036
10 11 IMAGINE DRAGONS Enemy From League Of Legends 10,729 10 6 KELSEABALLERINI f/KENNYCHESNEY Half Of My Hometown 17,726
11 12 CHARLIE PUTH Light Switch 8,210 11 13 BLAKE SHELTON Come Back As A Country Boy 15,604
12 14 LAUREN SPENCER-SMITH Fingers Crossed 8,006 12 11 RUSSELL DICKERSON Home Sweet 14,877
13 15 THE CHAINSMOKERS High 6,802 13 15 KEITH URBAN Wild Hearts 14,727
14 --- SAWEETIE f/H.E.R. Closer 6,411 14 --- THOMAS RHETT Slow Down Summer 14,583
15 --- TATE MCRAE she’s all i wanna be 5,993 15 14 HARDY Give Heaven Some Hell 14,355

URBAN RHYTHMIC
T L ARTIST SONG SPINS T L ARTIST SONG SPINS
1 2 SZA I Hate U 6,617 1 2 DOJA CAT Woman 5,753
2 1 KODAKBLACK f/SYKOBOB Super Gremlin 6,462 2 1 SZA I Hate U 5,603
3 3 MUNI LONG Hrs And Hrs 5,491 3 4 CHRIS BROWN Iffy 4,781
4 6 GUNNA f/FUTURE/YOUNGTHUG Pushin P 4,740 4 3 LATTO Big Energy 4,632
5 4 YUNG BLEU f/KEHLANI Beautiful Lies 4,491 5 5 KODAKBLACK f/SYKOBOB Super Gremlin 4,229
6 5 NORMANI f/CARDI B Wild Side 4,185 6 7 GUNNA f/FUTURE/YOUNGTHUG Pushin P 4,013
7 8 WIZKID f/TEMS Essence 3,542 7 9 FIREBOYDMLXEDSHEERAN Peru 3,559
8 9 CHRIS BROWN Iffy 3,503 8 6 YUNG BLEU f/KEHLANI Beautiful Lies 3,400
9 10 2 CHAINZ Pop Music 3,357 9 11 MUNI LONG Hrs And Hrs 3,241
10 7 ARI LENNOX Pressure 3,341 10 8 DOJA CAT Need To Know 2,928
11 11 FIREBOYDMLXEDSHEERAN Peru 3,205 11 12 SAWEETIE f/H.E.R. Closer 2,810
12 12 ROD WAVE By Your Side 3,068 12 13 YG Scared Money 2,710
13 13 MEGAN THEE STALLION Megan’s Piano 2,770 13 10 POSTMALONE&THEWEEKND One Right Now 2,709
14 --- FUTURE Worst Day 2,553 14 --- NICKI MINAJ f/LIL BABY Do We Have A Problem? 2,534
15 14 CKAY Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah) 2,333 15 --- JNR CHOI To The Moon 2,054

HOT ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT CONTEMPORARY

T L ARTIST SONG SPINS T L ARTIST SONG SPINS
1 3 GAYLE abcdefu 6,199 1 1 ADELE Easy On Me 2,706
2 1 JUSTIN BIEBER Ghost 6,059 2 2 ED SHEERAN Bad Habits 2,272
3 2 GLASS ANIMALS Heat Waves 5,719 3 3 ELTON JOHN & DUA LIPA Cold Heart 2,225
4 4 THEKIDLAROI&JUSTINBIEBER Stay 5,520 4 4 THE WEEKND Save Your Tears 2,020
5 5 ELTON JOHN & DUA LIPA Cold Heart 4,786 5 5 DUA LIPA Levitating 1,987
6 6 ED SHEERAN Shivers 4,490 6 6 ED SHEERAN Shivers 1,487
7 8 LIL NAS X Thats What I Want 4,424 7 7 THEKIDLAROI&JUSTINBIEBER Stay 1,360
8 9 ED SHEERAN Bad Habits 4,188 8 8 JUSTIN BIEBER Ghost 1,057
9 10 IMAGINE DRAGONS Enemy From League Of Legends 3,855 9 9 MARSHMELLO f/JONASBROTHERS Leave Before You Love Me 870
10 7 ADELE Easy On Me 3,842 10 --- GLASS ANIMALS Heat Waves 552

R&B CHRISTIAN
T L ARTIST SONG SPINS T L ARTIST SONG SPINS
1 2 MARY J. BLIGE Good Morning Gorgeous 2,314 1 2 JORDAN ST. CYR Weary Traveler 2,276
2 1 TANK I Deserve 2,197 2 1 CROWDER In The House 2,260
3 3 ARI LENNOX Pressure 1,899 3 3 TOBYMAC Promised Land 2,011
4 5 MAXWELL Off 1,836 4 4 SANCTUS REAL My God Is Still The Same 1,991
5 4 WIZKID f/TEMS Essence 1,638 5 6 RYAN ELLIS Heart Of The Father 1,960
6 7 KEM Stuck On You 1,562 6 9 JORDAN FELIZ Jesus Is Coming Back 1,836
7 6 JAZMINE SULLIVAN Pick Up Your Feelings 1,474 7 8 MICAH TYLER Walking Free 1,787
8 8 KEITHSWEAT f/RAHEEMDEVAUGHN Can’t Nobody 1,436 8 5 WE ARE MESSENGERS Come What May 1,611
9 9 AIYANA-LEE Gangster Of Love 1,421 9 7 DANNY GOKEY Stand In Faith 1,581
10 --- STOKLEY Woman 1,210 10 --- KATY NICHOLE In Jesus Name (God Of Possible) 1,425

AD 2 ALTERNATIVE
T L ARTIST SONG SPINS
ACTIVE ROCK
T L ARTIST SONG SPINS
1 1 IMAGINE DRAGONS Enemy From League Of Legends 2,992 1 1 SHINEDOWN Planet Zero 2,079
4.5” x 4” 2
3
2
3
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
MUSE
Black Summer
Won’t Stand Down
2,917
2,175
2
3
2
3
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
FOO FIGHTERS
Black Summer
Love Dies Young
1,886
1,596
4 4 CANNONS Bad Dream 1,948 4 5 MUSE Won’t Stand Down 1,526
5 5 PORTUGAL. THE MAN What, Me Worry? 1,875 5 6 FALLING IN REVERSE Zombified 1,490
6 6 FOO FIGHTERS Love Dies Young 1,569 6 4 THREE DAYS GRACE So Called Life 1,470
7 10 BOB MOSES Love Brand New 1,511 7 7 JELLY ROLL Dead Man Walking 1,458
8 8 MANESKIN Beggin 1,473 8 8 ASKING ALEXANDRIA Never Gonna Learn 1,240
9 --- BOYWITHUKE Toxic 1,336 9 9 MAMMOTH WVH Epiphany 1,196
10 --- BLACK KEYS Wild Child 1,205 10 10 GHOST Call Me Little Sunshine 1,160

ADULT ROCK LATIN

T L ARTIST SONG SPINS T L ARTIST SONG SPINS
1 2 PORTUGAL. THE MAN What, Me Worry? 638 1 1 BANDAMS/BANDASINALOENSEMS f/CARINLEON
Ojos Cerrados 1,944
2 1 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Black Summer 613 2 5 LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE En Donde Estabas 1,741
3 6 HEAD AND THE HEART Virginia (Wind In The Night) 583 3 2 SEBASTIAN YATRA Tacones Rojos 1,699
4 7 EDDIE VEDDER Brother The Cloud 553 4 3 ROMEO SANTOS Sus Huellas 1,685
5 4 MITSKI The Only Heartbreaker 532 5 --- BECKY G & KAROL G MAMIII 1,675
6 3 COIN Chapstick 514 6 4 GRUPO FIRME f/MALUMA Cada Quien 1,515
7 10 LUMINEERS Where We Are 500 7 --- NICKY JAM Ojos Rojos 1,438
8 --- INHALER Cheer Up Baby 429 8 7 DONOMAR f/NIOGARCIA Se Menea 1,408
9 5 ALT-J U&ME 415 9 --- ALFREDO OLIVAS No 1,378
10 --- SPOON Wild 411 10 9 FARRUKO/VICTORCARDENAS/DJADONIS El Incomprendido 1,376
 NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | 1NN

Inside: Officials say

Tuesday tornado
was the second
strongest on record
for New Orleans
area. 3NN

INVASION IN UKRAINE

Heavy fighting goes on,

one month into conflict

A man walks on debris from a burning house, destroyed after a Russian attack, on Thursday in Kharkiv. Ukrainian defenders have fought Moscow’s ground
troops to a near stalemate, raising fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin will resort to chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. FELIPE DANA/AP

Biden pledges aid, Officials in Kyiv allege

will welcome 100,000 Moscow forcibly taking
Ukraine refugees to US civilians into Russia
Chris Megerian, Lorne Cook and Aamer Madhani Nebi Qena and Cara Anna
ASSOCIATED PRESS ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRUSSELS – President Joe Biden and Western
allies pledged new sanctions and humanitarian
aid on Thursday in response to Vladimir Putin’s as-
sault on Ukraine, but their offers fell short of the
more robust military assistance that President Vo-
lodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for in a pair of live-
video appearances.
Biden also announced the
U.S. would welcome up to
“The single most 100,000 Ukrainian refugees –
important thing though he said many proba-
is for us to stay bly prefer to stay closer to
unified.” home – and provide an addi-
President tional $1 billion in food, medi-
Joe Biden cine, water and other sup-
plies.
The Western leaders spent Thursday crafting
next steps to counter Russia’s month-old invasion
– and huddling over how they might respond
should Putin deploy chemical, biological or even a
nuclear weapon. They met in a trio of emergency
summits that had them shuttling across Brussels
for back-to-back-to-back meetings of NATO, the
Group of Seven industrialized nations and the 27-
member European Council.
Biden, in an early evening news conference af-
ter the meetings, warned that a chemical attack by
See BIDEN, Page 7NN
President Joe Biden said his top priority
Thursday in Brussels was to make certain that
the West stayed on the same page in its
response to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
EVAN VUCCI/AP
More coverage
h U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly
approves resolution blaming Russia for
humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. 6NN
h EU has preserved a sense of rarely seen
unity through four rounds of sanctions
against Russia. 6NN
h Putin’s threat to have “unfriendly” countries
pay for Russian natural gas exports only in
rubles gets not-so-friendly treatment from
EU nations. 6NN
h What does U.S. expansion of efforts to help
Ukrainian refugees include? 7NN
KYIV, Ukraine – Ukraine accused Moscow on
Thursday of forcibly taking hundreds of thousands
of civilians from shattered Ukrainian cities to Rus-
sia, where some may be used as “hostages” to pres-
sure Kyiv to give up.
Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukraine’s ombudsperson,
said 402,000 people, includ-
ing 84,000 children, have
been taken against their will.
“Russian lies may The Kremlin gave nearly
influence those identical numbers for those
who have been who have been relocated, but
under the siege.” said they wanted to go to Rus-
Pavlo Kyrylenko sia. Ukraine’s rebel-con-
Governor of trolled eastern regions are
Donetsk Region
predominantly Russian-
speaking, and many people
there have supported close ties to Moscow.
A month into the invasion, meanwhile, the two
sides traded heavy blows in what has become a
devastating war of attrition. Ukraine’s navy said it
sank a large Russian landing ship near the port city
of Berdyansk that had been used to bring in ar-
mored vehicles. Russia claimed to have taken the
eastern town of Izyum after fierce fighting.
Around the capital, Kyiv, and other areas, Ukrai-
nian defenders have fought Moscow’s ground
See UKRAINE, Page 5NN

Path to court looks clear for Jackson

“We are independent as judges in our
responsibilities,” Ketanji Brown
Jackson said. JASPER COLT/USA TODAY
Even critics expect her to
be confirmed as justice
Courtney Subramanian
and John Fritze
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – After four days of
Senate hearings to consider Judge Ke-
tanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the
Supreme Court, even some of her Re-
publican critics acknowledged that
she’s cruising to confirmation as the
first Black woman to sit on the high
court in the nation’s history.
As she peppered Jackson with ques-
tions on abortion, Sen. Marsha Black-
burn, R-Tennessee, noted the judge
might not have an impact on the issue –
not because she wouldn’t get the job but
because the court is set to weigh in be-
fore Jackson would be seated.
“That is an issue that will be decided
before you go to the court,” Blackburn
said.
Jackson, who serves on the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit,
cast herself as an independent jurist
who remains committed to the constitu-
tional “constraints” on her authority
and who would work to restore public
trust in the high court.
“One of the reasons why having a di-
verse judicial branch is important is be-
cause it lends and bolsters public confi-
dence in our system,” she told the Sen-
ate Judiciary Committee. “We have a di-
verse society in the United States. There
are people from all over who come to
this great nation and make their lives.”
Democrats, who narrowly control the
Senate, are likely to back Jackson, and
they could rely on Vice President Kama-
la Harris to cast a tiebreaking vote on
her historic nomination if she received
See JACKSON, Page 2NN

SUBSCRIBER-EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL EDITION

2NN | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK
Court: States must allow prayer, touch in deaths
Justices rule in favor of
Texas death row inmate
Jessica Gresko
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court
said Thursday that states must accom-
modate the wishes of death row in-
mates who want to have their pastors
pray aloud and even touch them during
their executions.
The court ruled in the case of a Texas
inmate, John Henry Ramirez, who chal-
lenged state rules that would have
forced his pastor to remain silent and
apart from him as he is put to death.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in
an 8-1 opinion joined by conservative
and liberal justices that “it is possible to
accommodate Ramirez’s sincere reli-
gious beliefs without delaying or imped-
ing his execution.” Some other states
and the federal government have re-
cently carried out executions where au-
dible prayer and some physical contact
were permitted in the execution cham-
ber.
Only Justice Clarence Thomas dis-
sented. Thomas said Ramirez has re-
peatedly attempted to delay his execu-
tion and his current lawsuit “is but the
Jackson
Continued from Page 1NN
no GOP support.
Jackson would be the sixth woman
seated on the nation’s highest court.
She would join Associate Justices Sonia
Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy
Coney Barrett – marking the first time
four women served together on the
nine-member court.
Recusal in Harvard case
Jackson said she would recuse her-
self in a case before the court about the
use of race in admissions at Harvard
University.
Jackson, who earned her undergrad-
uate and law degrees from Harvard and
sits on the university’s board of over-
seers, faced GOP calls for recusal before
her hearings began. Though the board is
not directly involved with admissions,
it’s not clear whether it has a hand in the
policy at issue in the Supreme Court
case.
Justices typically recuse themselves
because of previous work on cases, fa-
milial ties or stock ownership, though
they rarely explain their reason for not
participating.
Asked by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, if
she would recuse herself, Jackson said,
“That is my plan, senator.”
The court’s sitting justices agreed in
January to hear cases about whether
the use of race in the admissions proc-
esses at Harvard and the University of
North Carolina violated civil rights laws
and the Constitution, setting up argu-
ments for this fall.
Judicial philosophy?
Jackson hinted several times
throughout the hearings at her view on
originalism, the idea that the Constitu-
tion should be interpreted based on the
meaning of the founding document’s
words at the time they were written and
ratified.
The judge said the Supreme Court
has “made clear that when you’re inter-
preting the Constitution, you’re looking
at the text at the time of the founding
and what the meaning was then as a
constraint on my own authority.”
That gave conservatives, who are
more likely to embrace originalism, rea-
son to cheer. But Jackson offered con-
text when she was asked a question on
how federal courts view the First
Amendment since technology has
changed the way most Americans con-
sume news: She said she felt it is impor-
tant to consider the original meaning
and to “analogize” to the present day.
Jackson sought to highlight her rec-
ord as an independent jurist, pointing
out decisions in which she agreed with
the Trump administration and conser-
vatives.
“My approach all the way through is
one that I believe is required by my du-
ties, by my oath, as a judge,” Jackson
said of her decision-making process.
“We rule without fear or favor. We are in-
dependent as judges in our responsibil-
ities.”
Defending public defenders
Republicans tried to brand Jackson
as an “activist” judge who is soft on
crime in part because of her time as a
federal public defender. If confirmed,
latest iteration in an 18-year pattern of
evasion.”
Roberts noted that Texas “appears to
have long allowed prison chaplains to
pray with inmates in the execution
chamber, deciding to prohibit such
prayer only in the last several years.” He
also rejected concerns that allowing a
pastor to touch an inmate could inter-
fere with the intravenous lines that car-
ry the drugs used to carry out the execu-
tion. An inmate could be touched “on a
part of the body away from IV lines,
such as a prisoner’s lower leg,” he wrote,
noting Ramirez’s lawyer had said it
would be sufficient if his pastor could
touch his foot.
Under a federal law that protects the
religious rights of prisoners, Texas
needed to show both a compelling need
for its policy and show that its restric-
tions were the least necessary to ac-
complish officials’ security and other
goals. The justices said Texas had not
done so.
Roberts’ opinion also urged states to
think about the religious needs of in-
mates in the context of executions and
proactively adopt policies. “If States
adopt clear rules in advance, it should
be the rare case that requires last-min-
ute resort to the federal courts,” he
wrote. Five states and the federal gov-
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson faced Republican skeptics on the
Senate Judiciary Committee, but her confirmation hearings were less
contentious than sessions for some previous nominees. JASPER COLT/USA TODAY
Jackson would be the first Supreme
Court justice whose résumé includes
time as a public defender.
Jackson pushed back by noting she
was representing clients, not espousing
her own views in court filings. She
called attention to her brother and two
uncles, who served as police officers,
saying her family ties to law enforce-
ment informed how she viewed the ef-
fects of crime on a community and the
need for police. They “are not abstract
concepts or political slogans to me,” she
said.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, a po-
tential 2024 presidential contender,
asked Jackson a series of questions
about whether she thought too many vi-
olent criminals were captured or if the
USA needs more or fewer police.
Jackson said those were “policy
questions” for Congress and not appro-
priate for a judge. “It’s not that they’re
difficult questions,” she said. “It’s that
they’re not questions for me.”
Child pornography sentences
Republicans highlighted sentences
Jackson handed down in child pornog-
raphy cases while she was on the U.S.
District Court in Washington. Sens.
Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, and Ted Cruz,
R-Texas, noted her sentences were
lighter than federal guidelines and re-
quests from prosecutors in about a half-
dozen cases.
Jackson dismissed the criticism, de-
claring that “as a mother, cases involv-
ing sex crimes against children are har-
rowing.”
She said judges consider many fac-
tors beyond sentencing guidelines
when imposing punishment, including
prosecution and defense recommenda-
tions, information about the defendants
and U.S. Probation Office recommenda-
tions.
During a sharp exchange with Sen.
Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina,
Jackson defended her handling of child
porn cases and reiterated that Congress
often sets sentencing ranges for federal
crimes and the U.S. Sentencing Com-
mission comes up with nonmandatory
guidelines within those ranges.
“Every person in all of these charts
and documents I sent to jail, because I
know how serious this crime is,” Jack-
son said. “And on the other side of their
terms of imprisonment, I ensured that
they were facing lengthy periods of su-
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in an
8-1 opinion joined by conservative and
liberal justices that it is possible to
accommodate a death row inmate’s
“sincere religious beliefs without
delaying or impeding his execution.”
PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP FILE
ernment carried out a total of 11 execu-
tions last year.
Ramirez is on death row for killing a
Corpus Christi convenience store work-
er during a 2004 robbery.
Ramirez’s attorney Seth Kretzer said
in a telephone interview that he was
“ecstatic” about the ruling. He said he
expects Texas to rewrite its policy as a
result of the decision, but he said it was
unclear how long that might take or
what restrictions the state might still
pervision and restrictions on their com-
puter use, so they could not do this sort
of thing again.”
Defense of detainees
Jackson defended her representation
of Guantanamo Bay detainees after the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
She argued that as a federal public
defender, she didn’t pick her clients but
was committed to “standing up for the
constitutional value of representation.”
She continued to advocate for one de-
tainee as a private attorney when she
filed friend-of-the-court briefs on be-
half of outside organizations.
“We couldn’t let the terrorists win by
changing who we were fundamentally,
and what that meant was that the peo-
ple who were accused by our govern-
ment of having engaged in actions relat-
ed to this, under our constitutional
scheme, were entitled to representation
– are entitled to be treated fairly,” she
said. “That’s what makes our system the
best in the world.”
Court packing
Jackson declined to get into a debate
over expanding the number of justices
on the nine-member Supreme Court, an
idea raised by liberal Democrats seeking
to alter the high court’s conservative 6-3
majority.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sought
to pin down her view by pointing out
that Associate Justices Stephen Breyer
and Ruth Bader Ginsburg publicly op-
posed the idea. Jackson noted Breyer
and Ginsburg had already been con-
firmed when they made those com-
ments.
“Other nominees to the Supreme
Court have responded as I will,” Jackson
said, “which is that it is a policy ques-
tion for Congress.”
Tearful moments
Jackson made it through two days of
questioning with matter-of-fact, tech-
nical responses to hundreds of ques-
tions from nearly two dozen senators. It
wasn’t until the final moments of the
session Wednesday when the compli-
cated legal questions gave way to emo-
tion.
Jackson recalled how she felt when
she first arrived on campus at Harvard –
a Miami native who may have doubted
seek to impose.
In his opinion, Roberts suggested a
less restrictive policy could have re-
quired “silence during critical points in
the execution process” or limited “the
volume of any prayer.” Similarly, the
state might have restricted “the time pe-
riod during which touching is permit-
ted” or required the pastor to undergo
training.
Texas officials did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
Lower courts had sided with Texas in
allowing its policy, but the Supreme
Court halted Ramirez’s scheduled
Sept. 8 execution in order to consider
his case.The Biden administration had
weighed in on Ramirez’s case, arguing
that Texas’ policy was overly restrictive.
During the previous administration of
former President Donald Trump, the
federal government had resumed exe-
cutions for the first time in 17 years, car-
rying out 13 of them at the federal execu-
tion chamber in Terre Haute, Indiana. In
at least six of those executions, religious
advisers spoke aloud in the execution
chamber and in at least one case there
was brief physical contact.
The Biden administration has halted
federal executions while the Justice De-
partment conducts a review of its pol-
icies and procedures.
herself, may have questioned whether
she could cut it at the Ivy League school.
“And a Black woman I did not know
was passing me on the sidewalk,” Jack-
son said, choking back tears.
“She looked at me, and I guess she
knew how I was feeling,” Jackson said.
“And she leaned over as we crossed and
said, ‘Persevere.’ ”
What would Jackson tell young peo-
ple watching the first Black woman
nominated to the Supreme Court, asked
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California.
“I would tell them to persevere,” Jack-
son said.
Her husband, Patrick, tearfully
wiped his eyes as the judge spoke of his
support during her professional jour-
ney. He drew attention for sporting col-
orful socks with the faces of former
presidents and Founding Fathers.
She highlighted the challenges of be-
ing a working mother of daughters Talia
and Leila, failing to always get “the bal-
ance right” in her career and parent-
hood.
During the hearing, on Leila’s seat
was a yellow piece of paper adorned
with hand-drawn balloons that read,
“You got this!”
2024 Republicans
Among Republican senators, poten-
tial 2024 presidential candidates deliv-
ered some of the most aggressive lines
of questioning and previewed GOP mid-
term messaging by highlighting issues
including critical race theory, education
policy, abortion and transgender rights.
Some focused more on previous Su-
preme Court battles than on Jackson.
Several Republicans groused about the
treatment of Amy Coney Barrett and
Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald
Trump’s picks to become associate jus-
tices. Kavanaugh’s hearings in 2018 be-
came a national spectacle over decades-
old allegations of sexual misconduct,
which he denied.
Jackson tried to avoid answering
how she would rule on thorny cultural
issues – some of which may end up
before the high court – raised by
Republicans on the campaign trail in
their bid to win control of Congress in
November.
Cruz asked her about critical race
theory, an academic critique that racism
systematically permeates various insti-
tutions. Jackson responded that she’s
never studied the issue, which doesn’t
come up in her work as a judge, and “it
wouldn’t be something I would rely on if
I was on the Supreme Court.”
She avoided other legal controversies
such as abortion and LGBTQ rights.
“Can you provide a definition for the
word ‘woman’?” Blackburn asked, an
apparent reference to legal questions
about transgender rights.
“I can’t. Not in this context,” Jackson
responded. “I’m not a biologist.”
“The meaning of the word ‘woman’ is
so unclear and controversial that you
can’t give me a definition?” Blackburn
continued.
Pressed on her views about abortion,
Jackson said the landmark Roe v. Wade
decision in 1973 that established a con-
stitutional right to the procedure re-
mained “settled as precedent.” She
didn’t discuss the fact that the high
court is considering a case that could
unsettle it, potentially upending the re-
productive rights framework that’s
been in place for decades.
Contributing: Kevin McCoy, Ella Lee,
David Jackson and Rick Rouan

NWS: Tornado 2nd strongest in New Orleans area
EF-3 twister that struck
Arabi had 160 mph winds
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS – A tornado that
killed a man near New Orleans this
week was the metro area’s second
strongest on record and left an 11.5-mile
track northeast through three parishes,
the National Weather Service said
Thursday.
Its winds hit 160 mph Tuesday night
in the suburban St. Bernard Parish com-
munity of Arabi, making it an EF-3 tor-
nado, according to a preliminary report
released Thursday.
That put it behind only an F-4 that
struck Laplace in 1983, meteorologist
Christopher Bannan said. Eastern New
Orleans was hit by an EF-3 tornado in
2017, but its peak winds were estimated
at 150 mph, he noted.
Tuesday’s twister damaged nearly
300 buildings in St. Bernard Parish,
demolishing 41 of them and doing major
damage to another 92, State Fire
Campaigns weigh options
if Ohio primary is delayed
Appeals court will hear
arguments on Friday
Julie Carr Smyth and Jill Colvin
ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After months of
buildup, Ohio’s primary in May was
supposed to usher in a busier phase of
the political season, when voters would
begin lining up behind party winners in
fall races for control of Congress, gover-
nor’s seats and key elections offices
across the United States.
Instead, the campaign season in Ohio
has drifted into something close to a
state of suspended animation.
A series of court rulings invalidating
Republican-drawn redistricting maps is
threatening to delay the May 3 primary
by a month or more. There’s even a
chance the election could be split onto
two dates, with one focusing on state-
wide races and the other on the State-
house and congressional contests tied
up in the mapmaking fight.
A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals will convene
Friday to hear arguments on whether to
move forward with the primary. If the
primary does end up delayed, candi-
dates competing for governor, U.S. Sen-
ate and other statewide offices may
have to shift their strategies for fund-
raising, advertising and voter outreach
just as they thought they were nearing
the end of the primary campaign.
“Running a campaign is like running
a marathon,” said Ohio Republican con-
sultant Ryan Stubenrauch. “They
thought the finish line was May 3. It’s
like halfway through they say, ‘We’re not
going to run 26 miles. We’re going to run
50 miles instead.’ It’s a pretty big adjust-
ment.”
The political and legal squabbling is a
result of the once-per-decade redis-
tricting process that all states must un-
dertake to reflect population changes
recorded in the census. Most states
have finalized their political maps, and
Ohio’s redistricting process was intend-
ed to be completed last fall. But in ruling
after ruling, the Ohio Supreme Court
has found that maps by the GOP-dom-
inated Ohio Redistricting Commission
were unconstitutionally drawn to undu-
ly favor Republicans.
Ohio’s primary date gave the state
one of the earliest voting contests in this
year’s midterm elections. A change
would let other states, including Penn-
sylvania and Georgia, take the lead in
showing the types of candidates voters
Report: Justice Thomas’ wife urged overturning 2020 election
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON – Virginia Thomas,
wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas, sent weeks of text messages
imploring White House Chief of Staff
Mark Meadows to act to overturn the
2020 presidential election – furthering
then-President Donald Trump’s lies
that the free and fair vote was marred by
nonexistent fraud, according to copies
of the messages obtained by The Wash-
ington Post and CBS News.
NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | 3NN
A tornado that struck Arabi, La., on Tuesday night had winds of 160 mph, making
it an EF-3 tornado, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the
National Weather Service. SCOTT CLAUSE/THE DAILY ADVERTISER VIA AP
Marshal Butch Browning said Thursday.
His office said Orleans and Jefferson
parish officials didn’t ask for damage as-
sessments.
A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will convene Friday
to hear arguments on whether to move forward with Ohio’s May 3 primary. If
the primary does end up delayed, candidates competing for governor, U.S.
Senate and other statewide offices may have to shift their strategies for
fundraising, advertising and voter outreach just as they thought they were
nearing the end of the primary campaign. JULIE CARR SMYTH/AP FILE
in both parties choose to advance to the
general election in November.
The commission has enlisted two
new unanimously chosen mapmakers
to help break the logjam as it faces a
Monday deadline to fix the legislative
maps. The state awaits another high
court ruling on the fate of its congres-
sional districts after the commission’s
second attempt at a constitutional map
was again challenged as partisan.
A delay isn’t inevitable. On Thursday,
the Ohio Supreme Court denied a re-
quest from state Democrats to delay the
primary to June 28.
Other people, including at least one
Republican candidate, have suggested
pushing the date as far out as August.
Behind the scenes, campaigns and
party leaders are juggling the some-
times-competing interests of the candi-
dates. Front-runners generally want the
primary to happen while they’re in the
lead; underdogs tend to want more time
to make their case to voters.
That push-pull may have played a
role in the Legislature’s defiant refusal
to move the primary date, as only it – or
a court – can do, leaving the state elec-
tions chief to order continual adjust-
ments to primary preparations required
under the law.
State and federal campaign finance
laws limit the amount an individual do-
nor can contribute during each election
The 29 messages the pair exchanged
came in the weeks after the vote in No-
vember 2020, when Trump and his top
allies were still saying they planned to
go to the Supreme Court to have its re-
sults voided.
The Post reported that on Nov. 10,
three days after the election and after
The Associated Press and other news
outlets declared Democrat Joe Biden
the winner, Virginia Thomas, a conser-
vative activist, texted to Meadows:
“Help This Great President stand firm,
The weather service said the tornado
started on the Mississippi River’s
west bank and moved through neigh-
borhoods in Jefferson and Orleans
“Running a campaign is like
running a marathon. They
thought the finish line was
May 3. It’s like halfway
through they say, ‘We’re
not going to run 26 miles.
We’re going to run 50 miles
instead.’ It’s a pretty big
adjustment.”
Ryan Stubenrauch
Ohio Republican consultant
cycle. The primary is one such cycle,
the general election another. So finan-
cially well-off donors often have given
the maximum allowable contribution
to their favored candidate by this point
in the primary cycle, Stubenrauch
said, with the idea of giving again on
May 4.
For now, several aides said the
campaigns are operating as though the
primary will be held on May 3 – with
those trailing hoping they have enough
time to catch up to the front-runners
whether the race happens in six
weeks or five months or six months
from now.
Mark!!! … You are the
leader, with him, who is
standing for America’s
constitutional govern-
ance at the precipice. The
majority knows Biden
Thomas and the Left is attempt-
ing the greatest Heist of
our History.”
Copies of the texts – 21 sent by her,
eight sent in reply by Meadows – were
provided to the House select committee
investigating the deadly insurrection
parishes. It then crossed the river into
Arabi, where weather service teams
found two areas of EF-3 activity. From
there it continued northeast into east-
ern New Orleans.
In Arabi, it picked up a house and
moved it into the street, trapping a girl
who was on a breathing machine. Fire-
fighters rescued her.
That house had been built within the
past six months, according to the report.
It was raised on cinder blocks, but every
tower of blocks was strapped both to the
house and to the foundation, with addi-
tional strapping from the house directly
to the foundation.
“The house itself held together but
was shifted about 50 yards to the north
and rotated about 90 degrees,” the re-
port said.
“The house next door was also
swept off the foundation, moved and
mostly destroyed. This also had some
evidence of strapping to the slab foun-
dation.”
That location was where winds were
estimated at 160 mph, according to the
report.
Ariz. votes
to restrict
transgender
youths
Governor has not said
whether he’ll sign bill
Jonathan J. Cooper
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX – The Arizona Legisla-
ture passed bills Thursday to prohibit
gender reassignment surgery for mi-
nors and ban transgender athletes
from playing on girls sports teams,
joining a growing list of Republican-
controlled states attempting to restrict
transgender rights as they gain more
visibility in culture and society.
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has
not said whether he will sign either
bill. Two GOP governors this week
bucked conservatives in their party
and vetoed bills in Indiana and Utah
requiring trans girls to play on boys
sports teams.
Republicans have said blocking
transgender athletes from girls sports
teams would protect the integrity of
women’s sports, claiming that trans
athletes would have an advantage.
Many point to the transgender col-
legiate swimmer Lia Thomas, who
won an individual title at the NCAA
Women’s Division I Swimming and
Diving Championship last week.
But there are few trans athletes in
Arizona schools. Since 2017, about 16
trans athletes have received waivers to
play on teams that align with their
gender identities out of about 170,000
high school athletes in the state, ac-
cording to the Arizona Interscholastic
Association.
“This bill is creating a pointless and
harmful solution to a nonexistent is-
sue,” Skyler Morrison, a 13-year-old
transgender girl, told lawmakers dur-
ing a committee hearing earlier this
month. “It’s obvious this bill is just an
excuse to discriminate against trans-
gender girls.”
Arizona is one of 20 states that have
considered legislation to restrict gen-
der-affirming health care. The bill orig-
inally would have banned all such care
for minors but was scaled back to re-
strict only irreversible procedures,
such as surgeries related to gender re-
assignment.
Similar legislation passed the Idaho
House earlier this month but it died in
the Senate amid concerns from some
Republicans about restricting parental
rights.
that saw a mob of mostly Trump sup-
porters overrun the U.S. Capitol on Jan.
6, 2021. The AP attempted to get the
same information from the committee,
but it declined to comment.
The texts do not directly reference
Thomas or the Supreme Court. But she
has previously admitted to attending
the Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally that
preceded the Capitol riot. She also has
previously denied conflicts of interest
between her activism and her hus-
band’s place on the court.
4NN | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK
NKorea confirms test of biggest ICBM
Analysts say US within
striking range of missiles
Kim Tong-Hyung
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea
says it test-fired its biggest-yet inter-
continental range ballistic missile un-
der the orders of authoritarian leader
Kim Jong Un, who vowed to expand the
North’s “nuclear war deterrent” while
preparing for a “long-standing confron-
tation” with the United States.
The report by North Korean state
media on Friday came a day after the
militaries of South Korea and Japan said
they detected the North launching an
ICBM from an airport near capital
Pyongyang in its first long-range test
since 2017.
The launch extended a barrage of
weapons demonstrations this year that
analysts say are aimed at forcing the
United States to accept the idea of North
Korea as a nuclear power and remove
crippling sanctions against its broken
economy that has been further dam-
aged by pandemic-related difficulties.
The Hwasong-17 ICBM, which was
fired on a high trajectory to avoid the
territorial waters of neighbors, reached
Suspect in TOURING THE COMMONWEALTH
Haiti head’s
death to be
sent to US
More than 40 arrested
in connection to Moise’s
2021 assassination
Dánica Coto
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A former
Haitian senator who is one of the main
suspects in the slaying of former Presi-
dent Jovenel Moïse agreed Thursday
to be extradited to the U.S. to face
charges, his attorney told The Associ-
ated Press.
It wasn’t immediately clear when
John Joël Joseph, who was arrested in
Jamaica in January, would be extradit-
ed from the Caribbean island, defense
attorney Donahue Martin said. He
added that Joseph’s wife and two sons
have requested asylum in Jamaica and
are still awaiting a re-
sponse.
Martin declined to
comment on the extra-
dition agreement, and
no further details were
immediately available.
Moise Haitian government of-
ficials did not respond
to requests for comment.
Two other suspects in the case –
Haitian-Chilean businessman Ro-
dolphe Jaar and Colombian soldier
Mario Antonio Palacios – were recent-
ly extradited to the U.S. to face
charges. Jaar was arrested in the Do-
minican Republic in January and Pala-
cios was arrested in Jamaica in Octo-
ber.
Both are charged with conspiring to
commit murder or kidnapping outside
the United States and providing ma-
terial support resulting in death,
knowing or intending that such ma-
terial support would be used to pre-
pare for or carry out the conspiracy to
kill or kidnap.
More than 40 suspects have been
arrested in the presidential slaying, in-
cluding 18 former Colombian soldiers.
Colombian government officials have
said the majority of the ex-soldiers
were duped and did not know about
the real mission.
It wasn’t immediately clear what
charges Joseph might face. He is a Hai-
tian politician and opponent of the Tet
Kale party that Moïse belonged to.
A report from Haiti’s National Po-
lice that hasn’t been made public but
was obtained by the AP quoted several
sources saying Joseph had several
links to the July 7, 2021, attack, with at
least one person identifying him as
one of the leaders.
Jails and prisons in Haiti hold more
than three times their capacity, with
the United Nations releasing a report
last year noting that the condition of
detention observed by officials repre-
sented a “situation of torture or cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment.” It
also noted food and water were scarce.
a maximum altitude of 3,880 miles and
traveled 680 miles during a 67-minute
flight before landing in waters between
North Korea and Japan, Pyongyang’s of-
ficial Korean Central News Agency said.
The agency claimed the test met de-
sired technical objectives and proved
that the ICBM system would be prompt-
ly operated during wartime conditions.
The South Korean and Japanese mili-
taries had announced similar flight de-
tails, which analysts say suggested that
the missile could reach targets
9,320 miles away when fired on normal
trajectory with a warhead weighing less
than a ton. That would place the entire
U.S. mainland within striking distance.
Believed to be about 82 feet long, the
Hwasong-17 is the North’s longest-
range weapon and, by some estimates,
the world’s biggest road mobile ballistic
missile system.
The KCNA published photos of the
missile leaving a trail of orange flames
as it soared from a launcher truck on the
airport’s runway and Kim smiling and
clapping as he celebrated with military
officials from an observation deck.
The agency paraphrased Kim as say-
ing that his new weapon would make
the “whole world clearly aware” of the
North’s bolstering nuclear forces. He
vowed his military to acquire “formida-
Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, attend the inaugural commissioning parade for
the Caribbean Military Academy in Kingston, Jamaica. William, second in line to the throne, and his wife are
on a weeklong trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas designed to strengthen Britain’s ties with
Commonwealth nations as Queen Elizabeth II marks 70 years on the throne. RICARDO MAKYN /AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
UK officers reassigned after strip-search case
Sylvia Hui
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON – London’s Metropolitan
Police said Thursday that two officers
who strip-searched a Black teenage
girl at her school have been moved
from front-line duties after a public
outcry over the case.
A child safeguarding report con-
ducted by local authorities found that
the 15-year-old, who is only identified
as “Child Q,” was strip-searched by
female police officers at her school in
2020 without another adult present
and with the knowledge that she was
menstruating.
The teenager’s teachers had called
Judge: Ex-leader can’t leave Peru after release
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LIMA, Peru – A Peruvian judge on
Thursday banned former President Al-
berto Fujimori from leaving the coun-
try for 18 months as soon as he leaves a
prison where he has been serving a 25-
year sentence for murder.
Fujimori is expected to be released
soon under a Constitutional Court
order that last week revived a humani-
tarian pardon granted in 2017 by then-
North Korea has fired possibly its
biggest intercontinental ballistic
missile, raising the ante in a campaign
aimed at forcing the U.S. and other
rivals to accept it as a nuclear power
and remove crippling sanctions.
EUGENE HOSHIKO/AP
ble military and technical capabilities
unperturbed by any military threat and
blackmail and keep themselves fully
ready for long-standing confrontation
with the U.S. imperialists.”
South Korea’s military responded to
Thursday’s launch with live-fire drills of
its own missiles launched from land, a
fighter jet and a ship, underscoring a re-
vival of tensions as nuclear negotiations
remain frozen.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations, told
police after reporting that she smelled
“strongly of cannabis.” The girl was
searched in the school’s medical room,
and her mother was not contacted in ad-
vance. No drugs were found.
The report said the search was unjus-
tified and that “racism (whether delib-
erate or not) was likely to have been an
influencing factor in the decision to un-
dertake a strip search.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has
described reports of the incident as
“deeply distressing and deeply concern-
ing.” Hundreds have gathered in London
for anti-racism protests in solidarity
with the girl and her family over the
weekend.
The Metropolitan Police has apolo-
President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.
Judge Miluska Cano of the Fourth
Criminal Chamber ordered that Fujimo-
ri may not leave Peru “for 18 months.”
Once released, the former president
must face a new trial on charges of being
the intellectual author of the murder of
six peasants during his administration.
Fujimori had been serving a 25-year
prison sentence since 2007 for the mur-
der of 25 Peruvians executed during his
government by a clandestine military
reporters the United States requested
an open Security Council meeting on
the launch and looks forward to having
it on Friday.
The United States also imposed fresh
sanctions against five entities and indi-
viduals located in Russia and North Ko-
rea over transferring sensitive items to
the North’s missile program, State De-
partment spokesperson Ned Price said.
Thursday’s test was North Korea’s
12th round of weapons launches this
year and represented the most provoca-
tive test since U.S. President Joe Biden
took office.
The U.S. and South Korean militaries
had assessed that the North was pre-
paring a full-range test of the Hwa-
song-17 following their analysis of two
North Korean midrange launches in re-
cent weeks, which they said included
components of the new ICBM.
Following a highly provocative streak
in nuclear explosive and ICBM tests in
2017, Kim suspended such testing in
2018 ahead of his first meeting with
then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Some experts say the North may re-
sume nuclear testing in coming months
to claim it acquired an ability to build
nuclear warheads small enough to fit on
some of its new delivery systems, in-
cluding the hypersonic missile.
gized and said the incident “should nev-
er have happened.”
The teenager is taking legal action
against the police force, with the hope of
securing commitments that such inci-
dents never take place again.
The Independent Office for Police
Conduct launched its investigation fol-
lowing a complaint in 2021 and is final-
izing its report.
A spokesman from the Metropolitan
Police confirmed that two officers were
moved to desk duties last week after the
reports surfaced.
The police force has come under in-
creasing scrutiny in recent months after
a string of controversies over alleged
misogyny and racism among officers.
squad that killed while
fighting the Shining Path
terrorist group.
Last week, the Consti-
tutional Court ordered
Fujimori released after a
Fujimori controversial decision
whose arguments have
not yet been published. The release
shortens the sentence of Fujimori by a
decade, since he was to be released from
prison in February 2032.

INVASION IN UKRAINE
Russian officials charged in energy sector hacks
FBI raised new alarms
of vulnerabilities of US
firms because of war
Eric Tucker
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON – Four Russian offi-
cials, including hackers with a govern-
ment intelligence agency, have been
charged in malicious intrusions that
targeted the energy industry and thou-
sands of computers in the United States
and around the world between 2012 and
2018, the Justice Department said
Thursday in unsealing a pair of indict-
ments.
The hacks targeted companies and
organizations in about 135 countries.
Among the victims was the owner of a
Kansas nuclear power plant whose
business network was compromised by
the hackers, officials said.
Though the intrusions date back
years, the indictments were unsealed as
the FBI has raised fresh alarms about
efforts by Russian hackers to scan the
networks of U.S. energy firms for
vulnerabilities that could be exploited
during Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Multiple federal agencies on Thursday
published a joint advisory on the
hacking campaign, alerting energy
Ukraine
Continued from Page 1NN
troops to a near-stalemate, raising
fears that a frustrated Russian Presi-
dent Vladimir Putin will resort to
chemical, biological or nuclear weap-
ons.
Kyiv and Moscow gave conflicting
accounts, meanwhile, about the people
being relocated to Russia and whether
they were going willingly – as Russia
claimed – or were being coerced or lied
to.
Russian Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev
said the roughly 400,000 people evacu-
ated to Russia since the start of the mil-
itary action were from the Donetsk and
Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine,
where pro-Moscow separatists have
been fighting for control for nearly eight
years.
Russian authorities said they are pro-
viding accommodations and dispensing
payments to the evacuees.
But Donetsk Region Gov. Pavlo Kyry-
lenko said that “people are being forc-
ibly moved into the territory of the ag-
gressor state.” Denisova said those re-
moved by Russian troops included a 92-
year-old woman in Mariupol who was
forced to go to Taganrog in southern
Russia.
Ukrainian officials said that the Rus-
sians are taking people’s passports and
moving them to “filtration camps” in
Ukraine’s separatist-controlled east be-
fore sending them to various distant,
economically depressed areas in Rus-
sia.
Among those taken, Ukraine’s For-
eign Ministry charged, were 6,000 resi-
dents of Mariupol, the devastated port
city in the country’s east.
Moscow’s troops are confiscating
identity documents from an additional
15,000 people in a section of Mariupol
under Russian control, the ministry
said.
Some could be sent as far as the Pa-
cific island of Sakhalin, Ukrainian in-
telligence said, and are being offered
jobs on condition they don’t leave for
two years. The ministry said the Rus-
sians intend to “use them as hostages
and put more political pressure on Uk-
raine.”
Kyrylenko said that Mariupol’s resi-
dents have been long deprived of infor-
mation and that the Russians feed them
false claims about Ukraine’s defeats to
persuade them to move to Russia.
“Russian lies may influence those
who have been under the siege,” he said.
As for the naval attack in Berdyansk,
Ukraine claimed two more ships were
damaged and a 3,000-ton fuel tank was
destroyed when the Russian ship Orsk
was sunk, causing a fire that spread to
ammunition supplies.
Sending a signal that Western sanc-
tions have not brought it to its knees,
Russia reopened its stock market but al-
lowed only limited trading to prevent
mass sell-offs.
Foreigners were barred from selling,
and traders were prohibited from
short selling, or betting prices would
fall.
NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | 5NN
executives to take steps to protect
their systems from Russian operatives.
“Russian state-sponsored hackers
pose a serious and persistent threat to
critical infrastructure both in the United
States and around the world,” Deputy
Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a
statement. “Although the criminal
charges unsealed today reflect past ac-
tivity, they make crystal clear the urgent
ongoing need for American businesses
to harden their defenses and remain
vigilant.”
None of the four defendants is in
custody, though a Justice Department
official who briefed reporters on the
cases said the department determined
that it was better to make the investiga-
tion public rather than wait for the
“distant possibility” of arrests. The
State Department on Thursday an-
nounced rewards of up to $10 million for
information leading to the “identifica-
tion or location” of any of the four defen-
dants.
The indicted Russians include an
employee at a Russian military research
institute accused of working with
co-conspirators in 2017 to hack the
systems of a foreign refinery and to in-
stall malicious software, twice resulting
in emergency shutdowns of operations.
The malware was designed with a goal
of inflicting physical damage by
Anti-tank barricades are placed on a street in Odessa in preparation for a possible Russian offensive. PETROS GIANNAKOURIS/AP
domestic intelligence and counterintel-
ligence – and members of a hacking unit
known to cybersecurity researchers as
Dragonfly.
The hackers are accused of installing
malware into legitimate software up-
dates on more than 17,000 devices in the
U.S. and other countries. Their supply
chain attacks between 2012 and 2014
targeted oil and gas firms, nuclear pow-
er plants and utility and power trans-
“Russian state-sponsored hackers mission companies, prosecutors said.
pose a serious and persistent threat The goal, according to the indict-
to critical infrastructure both in the ment, was to “establish and maintain
United States and around the world,” surreptitious unauthorized access to
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco networks, computers, and devices of
said in a statement. companies and other entities in the en-
MANUEL BALCE CENETA/AP FILE ergy sector.” That access would enable
the Russian government to alter and
damage systems if it wanted to, the in-
disabling a safety shutdown function dictment said.
that would normally stop a refinery A second phase of the attack, officials
from “catastrophic failure,” a Justice said, involved spear-phishing attacks
Department official said. targeting more than 500 U.S. and inter-
The employee, Evgeny Viktorovich national companies, as well as U.S. gov-
Gladkikh, also tried to break into the ernment agencies including the Nuclear
computers of an unidentified U.S. com- Regulatory Commission.
pany that operates multiple oil refiner- The hackers also successfully
ies, according to an indictment that was compromised the business network –
filed in June 2021 and was unsealed though not the control systems network
Thursday. – of the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating
The three other defendants are al- Corporation in Burlington, Kansas,
leged hackers with Russia’s Federal Se- which operates a nuclear power
curity Service, or FSB – which conducts plant.
In other developments:
h Ukraine and Russia exchanged a total
of 50 military and civilian prisoners, the
largest swap reported yet, Ukrainian
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk
said.
h The pro-Moscow leader of Belarus,
Alexander Lukashenko, warned that
Poland’s proposal to deploy a Western
peacekeeping force in Ukraine “will
mean World War III.”
h In Chernihiv, where an airstrike this
week destroyed a crucial bridge, a city
official, Olexander Lomako, said a
“humanitarian catastrophe” is unfolding
as Russian forces target food storage
places. He said about 130,000 people
are left in the besieged city, about half
its prewar population.
h Russia said it will offer safe passage
starting Friday to 67 ships from 15
foreign countries that are stranded in
Ukrainian ports because of the danger
ABOVE: People of shelling and mines.
hide in a city
subway in
Kharkiv, which for
the past month
that has used as a
makeshift bomb
shelter.
EFREM LUKATSKY/AP
LEFT: The
regional
administration
building in
Kharkiv, heavily
damaged after a
Russian attack, is A man and his child wait to get a food
still covered in and drinking water at a supermarket
debris Thursday. on the outskirts of Mariupol.
FELIPE DANA/AP ALEXEI ALEXANDROV/AP
6NN | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK
INVASION IN UKRAINE
UN blames Moscow in humanitarian crisis
Urges aid, immediate
cease-fire in Ukraine
Edith M. Lederer
ASSOCIATED PRESS
UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Gener-
al Assembly overwhelmingly approved
a resolution Thursday blaming Russia
for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine
and urging an immediate cease-fire and
protection for millions of civilians and
the homes, schools and hospitals criti-
cal to their survival.
There was loud applause in the as-
sembly chamber as the result of the vote
was announced: 140-5 with only Bela-
rus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea join-
ing Russia in opposing the measure.
There were 38 abstentions, including
Russian ally China, India, South Africa,
Iran and Cuba.
The resolution, introduced by Uk-
raine, deplores the “dire humanitarian
consequences” of Russia’s aggression
which it says is “on a scale that the inter-
national community has not seen in
Europe in decades.” It deplores Russia’s
shelling, airstrikes and “besiegement”
of densely populated cities, including
the southern city of Mariupol, and de-
mands unhindered access for humani-
tarian aid.
The vote was almost exactly the
same as for the March 2 resolution the
assembly adopted demanding an im-
mediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal
of all its forces and protection for all ci-
Putin’s ask
for ruble
payments?
No way! say
EU nations
Raf Casert and Samuel Petrequin
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRUSSELS – President Vladimir
Putin’s threat to have “unfriendly”
countries pay for Russian natural gas
exports only in rubles from now on got
the not-so-friendly treatment from
European Union nations Thursday.
“I don’t think anybody in Europe
really know how rubles look like,” said
Slovene Prime Minister Janez Jansa.
“Nobody will pay in rubles.”
If others put it less bluntly, it came
down to the same – from German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Italian Prime
Minister Mario Draghi, who as former
chief of the European Central Bank,
knows something about currencies.
Early this week, Putin launched the
idea that because of Western sanc-
tions targeting the Kremlin and freez-
ing Russian assets, they were “effec-
tively drawing a line over reliability of
their currencies, undermining the
trust for those currencies.”
So instead of euros and dollars, Pu-
tin wants Russian rubles for Russian
gas.
Economists said the move ap-
peared designed to try to support the
ruble, which has collapsed against
other currencies since Russia invaded
Ukraine on Feb. 24 and Western coun-
tries responded with far-reaching
sanctions against Moscow.
Making such demands though,
would fundamentally change con-
tracts and render them null and void,
several European leaders said during
the first day of their EU summit.
“What we have learned so far boils
down to the fact that there are fixed
contracts everywhere, where the cur-
rency in which payment is made is also
part of the contract,” said Scholz.
“Those are the starting points that we
have to work from.”
Draghi simply said that if Putin
pushed through the plan, “we consider
it a violation of existing contracts.”
The Russian threat is potent since
the EU imports 90% of the natural gas
used to generate electricity, heat
homes and supply industry, with Rus-
sia supplying almost 40% of the bloc’s
gas.
With the ruble in trouble because of
the stringent economic sanctions, Pu-
tin would use any financial lift he can
find.
vilians and infrastructure indispens-
able to their survival. That vote was
141-5 with 35 abstentions.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-
Greenfield called Thursday’s vote “an
astounding success” and said “once
again the world stood united” in the face
of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
“unjustified and unprovoked invasion of
Ukraine.”
“Together, a strong majority of U.N.
member states made clear that Russia –
Russia – bears sole responsibility for the
grave humanitarian crisis and violence
in Ukraine,” she said. “Together, we
called for the protection of all civilians
fleeing the conflict and for steps to miti-
gate the increase in food insecurity
caused by this senseless war.”
France’s U.N. Ambassador Nicolas
De Riviere, speaking on behalf of the 27-
member European Union, said its adop-
tion by an overwhelming majority “is a
very strong signal that this General As-
sembly sends the peoples of the world
and the people of Ukraine that need it.”
The General Assembly’s action fol-
lowed the Security Council’s over-
whelming defeat on Wednesday of a
Russian resolution that would have ac-
knowledged Ukraine’s growing hu-
manitarian needs – but without men-
tioning Russia’s invasion that has left
millions of Ukrainians in desperate
need of food, water and shelter.
To be adopted, Russia needed a mini-
mum of nine “yes” votes in the 15-mem-
ber Security Council and no veto by one
of the four other permanent members –
EU agrees on Russia sanctions
so far, but energy divides it
Belgian PM: ‘We are not
at war with ourselves’
Raf Casert and Samuel Petrequin
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRUSSELS – The European Union
preserved a sense of rarely seen unity
through four rounds of unprecedented
sanctions against Russia over its inva-
sion of Ukraine. But at a summit
Thursday, the 27 leaders faced division
on the biggest issue of all: energy.
During the first month of war, EU
nations imposed tough measures tar-
geting Russia’s economy and financial
system as well as President Vladimir
Putin and Russian oligarchs.
Unlike the U.S., they have so far
spared Russian fossil fuels, highlight-
ing the EU’s reliance on the country’s
oil, natural gas and coal to keep homes
warm and the wheels of industry turn-
ing.
“We are not at war with ourselves,”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De
Croo said at the summit in Brussels,
where sanctions and energy were key
topics. “Sanctions must always have a
much bigger impact on the Russian
side than on ours.”
He reflected the position of EU na-
tions like Germany, Austria and the
Netherlands. They are running up
against other member states situated
closer to Russia that want tougher ac-
tion now.
“As long as we are purchasing ener-
gy from Russia, we are financing the
war, and this is the big problem that we
have,” Finland Prime Minister Sanna
Marin said.
She was joined by Baltic leaders in
demanding swift action.
“We have to continue to isolate Pu-
tin’s economy – Russia’s economy – to
stop the money flowing into the war
machine,” Latvian Prime Minister
Krisjanis Karins told reporters. “The
most logical place to move forward is
in oil and coal.”
The EU imports 90% of the natural
gas used to generate electricity, heat
homes and supply industry, with Rus-
sia supplying almost 40% of EU gas
and a quarter of its oil.
Instead of an embargo, the Euro-
pean Commission, the EU’s executive
arm, has proposed slashing the bloc’s
dependency on Russian gas by two-
thirds this year. The EU is in talks with
the U.S. to ensure extra deliveries of
liquefied natural gas and have also
started discussions with other suppli-
ers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Ze-
lenskyy thanked EU leaders for their
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia
blamed Western pressure for the
failure to hold a vote on the South
African resolution and strongly
criticized what he called the
“pseudo-humanitarian resolution
presented by the Western allies in
Ukraine because it was put forward
exclusively to once again condemn
Russia.” SETH WENIG/AP
the U.S., Britain, France and China. But
Russia got support only from China,
with the 13 other council members ab-
staining.
The votes in the General Assembly
and Security Council reflect Moscow’s
failure to get widespread backing for its
military offensive in Ukraine, which
marked its one-month anniversary
Thursday.
Britain’s U.N. ambassador, Barbara
Woodward told reporters Wednesday
that “Russia has consistently misplayed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked EU leaders for their support
via video but also asked them to ramp up their efforts, according to a bloc
official with direct knowledge of discussions. Raising the issue of possible new
measures against the Kremlin, Zelenskyy specifically referred to the energy
sector, the official said. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE VIA AP
support via video but also asked them
to ramp up their efforts, according to a
bloc official with direct knowledge of
discussions. The person was not autho-
rized to speak publicly because of the
sensitivity of the debate, which took
place without phones allowed in the
room.
Raising the issue of possible new
measures against the Kremlin, Zelen-
skyy specifically referred to the energy
sector, the official said.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for
the Russian Foreign Ministry, said
Thursday that European nations that
don’t want to work with Russia on ener-
gy should “just tell their citizens who is
destroying their prosperity and how. We
will cooperate with those who are inter-
ested in ensuring their own energy se-
curity.”
High energy prices triggered by a
supply crunch in Europe have for
months triggered rising energy bills and
prices at the pump, worsening as the
war has jolted energy markets.
Last year, the EU’s imports of Rus-
sian goods were worth 158.5 billion eu-
ros, with mineral fuels accounting for
62%, or 98.9 billion euros, according to
the European Commission.
Karins said the Ukraine war was a
prime example where morals should
trump money. Despite Latvia’s “high de-
its hand here, and seriously underesti-
mated the consequences of what it’s
done and the international perception
of what it’s done.”
Russia introduced its resolution
March 15. A day earlier, France and Mex-
ico decided to move their proposed hu-
manitarian resolution blaming the Rus-
sian invasion for the humanitarian cri-
sis out of the Security Council to the 193-
member General Assembly where there
are no vetoes.
Unlike Security Council resolutions,
General Assembly resolutions are not
legally binding, but they do have clout in
reflecting international opinion.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Neben-
zia blamed Western pressure for the
failure to hold a vote on the South Afri-
can resolution and strongly criticized
what he called the “pseudo-humanitar-
ian resolution presented by the Western
allies in Ukraine because it was put for-
ward exclusively to once again con-
demn Russia.” He also criticized the
West’s failure to support “Russia’s truly
humanitarian draft resolution” in the
Security Council.
Russian authorities maintain they
did not start the war and have repeated-
ly and falsely decried reports of Russian
military setbacks or civilian deaths in
Ukraine as fake news. State media out-
lets and government officials insist Rus-
sian troops target only military facili-
ties.
China abstained on the Ukraine-
backed resolution Thursday, as it did on
the March 2 resolution.
pendency on Russian oil and gas,” busi-
nesses support a halt to trade in these
goods, he said.
“They’re telling to me sanctions are a
necessity because we have to stop Pu-
tin’s regime,” he said. “It’s just money. If
you’re alive, if your infrastructure is
fine, you can re-earn the money.”
Greenpeace has accused the Euro-
pean Union of bankrolling Russia’s war
by continuing to purchase its energy
supplies.
“Fossil fuels have a history of being
connected with conflict and war – wher-
ever they come from, governments
must phase them out as quickly as
possible, not look for new suppliers,”
Greenpeace EU director Jorgo Riss
said.
But Dutch Premier Mark Rutte sig-
naled that EU countries were still too di-
vided over the question of energy sanc-
tions against Russia to produce an
agreement on the matter at the summit.
He stressed the four sets of sanctions
that the EU has already imposed against
Russia over the past month.
“We will discuss sanctions; I don’t
think we will decide on sanctions,” Rutte
told reporters. “Don’t forget that
the sanctions package in place at
the moment is by far the toughest pack-
age I’ve seen in my lifetime as a politi-
cian.”

INVASION IN UKRAINE
EXPLAINER
How is US expanding aid to Ukraine?
Ben Fox
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON – The United States is
expanding efforts to help Ukrainian ref-
ugees. It has agreed to accept up to
100,000 people escaping from the war
and to increase support for Eastern Eu-
ropean nations that have taken in most
of the people fleeing Russian forces. It’s
a modest number relative to the need,
with an estimated 3.5 million refugees
and millions more displaced within Uk-
raine. It’s also modest by historical
standards, far less than the number who
came from Southeast Asia decades ago.
A look at the situation:
What was announced?
While in Brussels to meet with Euro-
pean allies, President Joe Biden said the
United States would admit up to
100,000 Ukrainian refugees and provide
$1 billion in humanitarian assistance to
countries affected by Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine.
The financial support is important
because most of the approximately 3.5
million refugees who have fled Ukraine
are in neighboring countries such as Po-
land, Moldova, and Romania and are
posing a substantial burden.
“This is not something that Poland or
Romania or Germany should carry on
their own,” said Biden, who said he
hopes to meet with refugees on his Eu-
ropean trip. “This is an international re-
sponsibility.”
The White House has said for weeks
that the U.S. would welcome Ukrainian
refugees at some point, so the an-
nouncement wasn’t a surprise. Officials
have said, and continue to maintain,
that most of the refugees want to re-
main in Europe because they have fam-
ily there and can more easily return
home once it’s safe.
Biden
Continued from Page 1NN
Russia “would trigger a response in
kind.”
“You’re asking whether NATO would
cross. We’d make that decision at the
time,” Biden said.
However, a White House official said
later that did not imply any shift in the
U.S. position against direct military ac-
tion in Ukraine. Biden and NATO allies
have stressed that the U.S. and NATO
would not put troops on the ground in
Ukraine.
The official was not authorized to
comment publicly by name and spoke
only on condition of anonymity.
Zelenskyy, while thankful for the
newly promised help, made clear to the
Western allies he needed far more than
they’re currently willing to give.
“One percent of all your planes, one
percent of all your tanks,” Zelenskyy
asked members of the NATO alliance.
“We can’t just buy those. When we will
have all this, it will give us, just like you,
100% security.”
Biden said more aid was on its way.
But the Western leaders were treading
carefully so as not to further escalate
the conflict beyond the borders of Uk-
raine.
“NATO has made a choice to support
Ukraine in this war without going to war
with Russia,” said French President
Emmanuel Macron. “Therefore we have
decided to intensify our ongoing work
to prevent any escalation and to
get organized in case there is an escala-
tion.”
Poland and other eastern flank NATO
countries are seeking clarity on how the
U.S. and European nations can assist in
dealing with their growing concerns
about Russian aggression as well as the
refugee crisis. More than 3.5 million ref-
ugees have fled Ukraine in recent
weeks, including more than 2 million to
Poland.
Biden is to visit Rzeszów, Poland, on
Friday, where energy and refugee issues
are expected to be at the center of talks
with President Andrzej Duda. He’ll get a
briefing on humanitarian aid efforts to
assist fleeing refugees and he’ll meet
with U.S. troops from the 82nd Airborne
Division who have been deployed in re-
cent weeks to bolster NATO’s eastern
flank.
Billions of dollars of military hard-
ware have already been provided to
NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | 7NN
A refugee fleeing Ukraine walks with a baby in her arms after crossing into
Romania by ferry. The United States has agreed to accept up to 100,000 people
escaping from the war and to increase support for Eastern European nations that
have taken in most of the people fleeing Russian forces. ANDREEA ALEXANDRU/AP
Who’s coming, where will they go?
Among the first Ukrainians refugee
coming to the U.S. will be those who
have family already in the United States,
Biden said at a news conference.
U.S. refugee efforts will also focus on
helping refugees who are considered
particularly vulnerable following the
Russian invasion, groups that include
LGBTQ people, those with medical
needs as well as journalists and dissi-
dents, according to administration offi-
cials, who spoke to journalists on condi-
tion of anonymity to discuss the plan
before the public announcement.
The administration did not provide a
timeline but it’s typically a lengthy
process and the officials said all 100,000
President Joe Biden, right, speaks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades
during a meeting at the European Union summit in Brussels. As the war in
Ukraine grinds on, Biden and Western allies are gathering to chart a path to ramp
up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin while tending to the economic
and security fallout spreading across Europe and the world. OLIVIER MATTHYS/AP
Ukraine. A U.S. official, who requested
anonymity to discuss internal delibera-
tions, said Western nations were
discussing the possibility of providing
anti-ship weapons amid concerns that
Russia will launch amphibious assaults
along the Black Sea coast.
Biden said his top priority at Thurs-
day’s meetings was to make certain that
the West stayed on the same page in its
response to Russian aggression against
Ukraine.
“The single most important thing is
for us to stay unified,” he said.
Finland announced Thursday it
would send more military equipment to
Ukraine, its second shipment in about
three weeks. And Belgium announced it
will add one billion euros to its defense
budget in response to Russia’s inva-
sion..
At the same time, Washington will
expand its sanctions on Russia, target-
ing members of the country’s parlia-
ment along with defense contractors.
The U.S. said it will also work with other
Western nations to ensure gold reserves
held by Russia’s central bank are subject
to existing sanctions.
With Russia facing increasing inter-
national isolation, NATO Secretary-
General Jens Stoltenberg also warned
China against coming to Moscow’s res-
cue. He called on Beijing “to join the rest
may not necessarily arrive this year.
Most of the refugees probably will settle
in parts of the U.S. that already have
large concentrations of Ukrainians.
Such areas include the New York City
area, Pennsylvania, Chicago and North-
ern California.
Is that a large number?
Not relative to the need, considering
there are about 3.5 million who have fled
Ukraine and millions more who are dis-
placed within the country.
It’s also not large by historic stan-
dards. The U.S. took in more than
200,000 refugees, mostly from South-
east Asia, in 1980 alone. The total be-
tween 1975-1981 was more than
of the world and clearly condemn the
brutal war against Ukraine and not sup-
port Russia.”
But Stoltenberg, too, made clear that
the West had a “responsibility to pre-
vent this conflict from becoming a full-
fledged war in Europe.”
The possibility that Russia will use
chemical or even nuclear weapons has
been a grim topic of conversation in
Brussels.
Stoltenberg said that NATO leaders
agreed Thursday to send equipment to
Ukraine to help protect it against a
chemical weapons attack.
White House officials said that both
the U.S. and NATO have been working
on contingency planning should Russia
deploy nonconventional weaponry.
NATO has specially trained and
equipped forces if there should be such
an attack against a member nation’s
population, territory or forces. Ukraine
is not a member.
Stoltenberg said in an NBC News in-
terview that if Russia deployed chemi-
cal weapons, that would make “an
unpredictable, dangerous situation
even more dangerous and even more
unpredictable.” He declined to com-
ment about how the alliance might re-
spond.
The White House National Security
Council launched efforts days after the
735,000, according to State Department
figures. Since August, when the U.S.
withdrew from Afghanistan, the U.S.
has admitted more than 76,000 Af-
ghans, including large numbers of for-
mer military interpreters and their fam-
ilies.
The administration, in consultation
with Congress, set the annual cap of ref-
ugees for the 2022 budget year at
125,000, a total that does not include the
evacuated Afghans. The administration
says it does not immediately plan to
seek to raise the cap because many of
the Ukrainians can be brought to the
U.S. under humanitarian parole or fam-
ily reunification programs that are not
counted against this cap.
What has been the reaction?
Refugee advocates had been urging
the administration to expedite admis-
sions following Russia’s invasion of Uk-
raine. That’s even as refugee resettle-
ment agencies were struggling because
of program cuts under President Donald
Trump, whose administration slashed
the refugee admissions cap to a historic
low of 15,000.
Advocates welcomed Thursday’s an-
nouncement, as did members of mem-
bers of Congress with large Ukrainian
populations in their districts, such as
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pa-
screll.
There seems to be public support as
well.
The vast majority of Americans –
82% – say they favor providing humani-
tarian support to refugees from Uk-
raine, according to a poll from The Asso-
ciated Press-NORC Center for Public Af-
fairs Research. A smaller but still wide
majority, 67%, say they favor accepting
refugees from Ukraine into the U.S. Just
13% are opposed while another 21% say
they hold neither opinion.
invasion through its “Tiger Team,”
which is tasked with planning three
months out, and a second strategy
group working on a longer term review
of any geopolitical shift that may come,
according to a senior administration of-
ficial. The official was not authorized to
comment publicly and spoke on the
condition of anonymity.
Both teams are conducting contin-
gency planning for scenarios including
Russia’s potential use of chemical
or biological weapons, targeting of
U.S. security convoys in the region,
disruptions to global food supply
chains and the growing refugee
crisis.
Biden before departing for Europe on
Wednesday said that the possibility of a
chemical attack was a “real threat.” In
addition, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov told CNN this week that Russia
could consider using its nuclear weap-
ons if it felt there were “an existential
threat for our country.”
Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Ma-
rin on Thursday warned, “Russia is ca-
pable of anything.”
“They don’t respect any rules,” Marin
told reporters. “They don’t respect any
international laws that they are actually
committed to.”
The Russian invasion has spurred
European nations to reconsider their
military spending, and Stoltenberg
opened the NATO summit by saying the
alliance must “respond to a new securi-
ty reality in Europe.”
The bolstering of forces along NATO’s
eastern flank will put pressure on na-
tional budgets.
The energy crisis exacerbated by the
war is a particularly hot topic for the Eu-
ropean Council summit, where leaders
from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece
are hoping for an urgent, coordinated
bloc-wide response. EU officials have
said they will seek U.S. help on a plan to
top up natural gas storage facilities for
next winter, and they also want the bloc
to jointly purchase gas.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has
dismissed calls to boycott Russian
energy supplies, saying it would cause
significant damage to his country’s
economy. Scholz is facing pressure
from environmental activists to quickly
wean Germany off Russian energy, but
he said the process will have to be grad-
ual.
“To do so from one day to the next
would mean plunging our country and
all of Europe into recession,” Scholz said
Wednesday.
8NN | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK

INVASION IN UKRAINE

A refugee fleeing
from Ukraine with
his family looks
out of a tent at a
border crossing in
Romania.
ANDREEA
ALEXANDRU/AP

Nadia kisses her Sixteen-year-old

10-year-old Julia holds her
granddaughter, pet rabbit Baby
Zlata Moiseinko, after arriving to
who suffers from the Lviv main
a chronic heart station. She was
condition, at a on her way to join
school that has her mother and
been converted then go on to
into a hospital in Poland or
Mostyska. Germany.
NARIMAN NARIMAN
EL-MOFTY/AP EL-MOFTY/AP

Residents wait in line to receive aid from the Ukrainian Red Cross in Kharkiv. FELIPE DANA/AP

Death, survival
across Ukraine
A
woman kisses the forehead of her 61-year-old brother,
who lies in a coffin after being killed by Russian soldiers
in a village whose name in English means “dream.” A
cemetery worker walks amid rows and rows of black
marble urns containing the cremated remains of countless people
A cemetery worker walks amid marble urns that contain the unclaimed cremated
killed in Russia’s war on Ukraine. And a body covered by a white remains of people at Baikove’s cemetery offices in Kyiv. RODRIGO ABD/AP
curtain or sheet lies on a city street, seemingly guarded by the cat
and puppy who gaze out from advertisement photographs hung in a
shop window. h On day 29 of the conflict – one month since it began
– persistent signs of death lingered alongside numerous scenarios of
people struggling to survive. h Images captured by Associated Press
photographers show residents who have not fled Ukraine cleaning
up rubble, going to the market, or queueing in line for help with daily The monument of
the Duke of
necessities. Richelieu in
Odessa is covered
In one photograph, a man engulfed Mostyska. Zlata, who has a chronic with sandbags for
in clouds of dirty smoke holds a white heart condition, fled with her family protection.
cloth to his mouth with one hand as he from the community of Bila Tserkva PETROS
picks through the debris of a house south of Kyiv. She and her family are GIANNAKOURIS/AP
destroyed by fire with another in the hoping to join friends in Germany.
besieged northeastern city of Kharkiv. Also hoping to make it to Germany
In another, a lone man seen in silhou- or Poland is 16-year-old Julia of
ette walks up an empty street outside Dnipro. Julia traveled with her pet
the capital of Kyiv, a shopping bag rabbit Baby to the western city of
hanging from each hand, as smoke Lviv, where her mother awaited
from a nearby warehouse destroyed by her.
Russian forces fills the air and darkens Lviv, a city that has been relatively
the sky above him. untouched by the war, has been a
Many continue to leave their home refuge for thousands of displaced
cities, including 10-year-old girl Zlata Ukrainians. Residents there have
Moiseinko. Dressed in a bright pink embraced the newcomers, while con-
top and matching pink slippers, the tinuing to hope for peace. One of
child with the long blond braid re- them is retired policeman Volodymyr
ceives a kiss on the top of her head Ilnytskyi, seen in an AP photograph
from her grandmother in an AP pho- offering a prayer before ringing a
tograph taken at a schoolhouse-turned cathedral bell.
field hospital in the western city of Associated Press
Ukrainian children are entertained by Javier Way Waka Katz, clown of the Dream
Doctors organization from Israel, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland.
SERGEI GRITS/AP
 NATION & WORLD EXTRA - USA TODAY NETWORK | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 | 9NN

BUSINESS
DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE S&P 500 • STANDARD & POOR’S NASDAQ COMPOSITE RUSSELL 2000
Closing: 34,707.94 Closing: 4,520.16 Closing: 14,191.84 Closing: 2,075.44
+349.44 Change: +1.0%
YTD % Chg: -4.5% +63.92 Change: +1.4%
YTD % Chg: -5.2% +269.23 Change: +1.9%
YTD % Chg: -9.3% +23.23 Change: +1.1%
YTD % Chg: -7.6%

MARKET PERFORMANCE BY SECTOR MARKET NOTEBOOK TOP 10 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS COMMODITIES
Sector Close Chg. 4wk 1 YTD 1 Issues NYSE NASDAQ ETF, ranked by volume Ticker Close Chg. % Chg %YTD Commodities Close Prev. Chg. % Chg. % YTD
Energy 77.06 +0.19 +14.8% +38.8% Advancing 1,662 2,404 ProShs UltraPro QQQ TQQQ 57.02 +3.47 +6.5% -31.4% Cattle (lb.) 1.40 1.39 +0.01 +0.2% +0.6%
Declining 798 1,091 ProShs UltPro ShtQQQ SQQQ 34.59 -2.44 -6.6% +16.5% Corn (bushel) 7.48 7.58 -0.10 -1.3% +26.1%
Utilities 71.74 +0.73 +9.4% +0.2%
Unchanged 61 283 SPDR S&P500 ETF Tr SPY 450.49 +6.69 +1.5% -5.2% Gold (troy oz.) 1,961.60 1,936.60 +25.00 +1.3% +7.3%
Financials 39.02 +0.31 +3.0% -0.1%
Total 2,521 3,778 Invesco QQQ Trust QQQ 359.65 +7.82 +2.2% -9.6% Hogs, lean (lb.) 1.03 1.03 unch. +0.2% +26.1%
Materials 88.30 +1.74 +8.5% -2.5% Natural Gas (Btu.) 5.40 5.23 +0.17 +3.2% +44.8%
Issues at iShs China Large Cap FXI 32.61 -0.36 -1.1% -10.9%
Industrials 103.08 +0.78 +6.5% -2.6% iShs Emerg Mkts EEM 45.41 +0.24 +0.5% -7.0% Oil, heating (gal.) 4.15 4.11 +0.04 +0.9% +78.4%
New 52 Week High 86 66
Consumer staples 74.42 +0.52 +1.2% -3.5% Direx SOX Bull 3X SOXL 42.09 +5.40 +14.7% -38.1% Oil, lt. swt. crude (bar.) 112.34 114.93 -2.59 -2.3% +49.4%
New 52 Week Low 75 66
Health care 135.64 +1.60 +6.8% -3.7% iShares Silver Trust SLV 23.61 +0.37 +1.6% +9.8% Silver (troy oz.) 25.90 25.17 +0.73 +2.9% +11.0%
Share Volume
Technology 158.31 +4.01 +4.0% -8.9% Total 3,704,776,780 4,557,427,662 SPDR Financial XLF 39.02 +0.31 +0.8% -0.1% Soybeans (bushel) 17.01 17.19 -0.18 -1.1% +28.0%
3,442,912,011 KraneShs China Intnt KWEB 30.44 -0.86 -2.7% -16.6% Wheat (bushel) 10.86 11.06 -0.20 -1.8% +40.9%
Telecom 74.16 +0.70 +1.4% -9.8% Advancing 2,678,162,130
Declining 941,327,916 1,033,577,541
Consumer discret. 183.68 +1.42 +6.3% -10.2%
Unchanged 85,286,734 80,938,110
FOREIGN CURRENCIES FOREIGN MARKETS
S&P 500’S BIGGEST GAINERS S&P 500’S BIGGEST LOSERS Currency per dollar
British pound
Close
.7586
Prev.
.7573
6 mo. ago
.7321
Yr. ago
.7304
Country Close Prev. Change %Chg. %YTD
Frankfurt 14,273.79 14,283.65 -9.86 -0.1% -10.1%
Company (ticker) Price $ Chg . % Chg. YTD Company (ticker) Price $ Chg . % Chg. YTD Canadian dollar 1.2547 1.2564 1.2662 1.2566 Hong Kong 21,945.95 22,154.08 -208.13 -0.9% -6.2%
Nvidia Corporation (NVDA) 281.50 +25.16 +9.8 -4.3 EPAM Systems (EPAM) 288.05 -18.60 -6.1 -56.9 Japan (Nikkei) 28,110.39 28,040.16 +70.23 +0.3% -2.4%
Chinese yuan 6.3678 6.3724 6.4667 6.5246
Intel Corp (INTC) 51.62 +3.35 +6.9 +.2 Nielsen Hldgs plc (NLSN) 22.35 -.88 -3.8 +9.0 London 7,467.38 7,460.63 +6.75 +0.1% +1.1%
Occid Petl (OXY) 57.75 -2.09 -3.5 +99.2 Euro .9093 .9084 .8535 .8460
Monolithic Pwr Sys (MPWR) 494.62 +30.90 +6.7 +.3 Mexico City 55,829.87 55,154.68 +675.18 +1.2% +4.8%
Adv Micro Dev (AMD) 120.53 +6.61 +5.8 -16.2 Fortune Brds Hm&Sec (FBHS) 77.57 -1.97 -2.5 -27.4 Japanese yen 122.26 121.13 110.79 108.71
Applied Matls (AMAT) 138.59 +7.17 +5.5 -11.9 Pool Corp (POOL) 450.52 -9.61 -2.1 -20.4 Mexican peso 20.1250 20.1784 20.0711 20.8923 SOURCE Morningstar, Dow Jones Indexes, The Associated Press

IN BRIEF
US stock indexes close higher
as choppy trading persists

Technology companies led a broad

rally for stocks on Wall Street on
Thursday, reversing most of the major
indexes’ losses from a day earlier and
extending the market’s recent run of
uneven trading.
The S&P 500 rose 63.92 points, or
1.4%, to 4,520.16, more than making up
for its pullback a day earlier. More than
85% of the stocks in the benchmark in-
dex rose. The Dow Jones Industrial Av-
erage gained 349.44 points, or 1%, to
34,707.94, while the tech-heavy Nas-
daq composite climbed 269.23, or
1.9%, to 14,191.84.
The latest gains pulled the S&P 500
out of the red for the week. The Nasdaq
is also on pace for a weekly gain, while
the Dow is down slightly for the week
after the indexes alternated between
gains and losses over the past few
days.
Small company stocks also rallied.
The Russell 2000 rose 23.24 points, or
1.1%, to 2,075.44.

Rail unions turn to arbitration

in dispute over BNSF rules Southwest Airlines unveiled details of its long-awaited new fare category on Thursday. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP FILE

BNSF’s two largest unions will ask

an arbitrator to throw out the railroad’s
strict new attendance policy instead of
appealing a court order preventing
them from striking.
The unions that represent 17,000
BNSF workers said Wednesday they
decided that arbitration will provide
the quickest resolution to the dispute.
The unions say the new rules that
took effect Feb. 1 penalize workers for
missing work for any reason and put
them on call 24-7, while drastically re-
ducing the number of days workers
can take off because of fatigue or other
concerns.
The unions have called for a federal
investigation into whether the new
rules are jeopardizing safety on the
railroad. The Transportation Depart-
ment, however, declined to intervene.
Long-term US mortgage rates
up to 4.42%, highest since 2019
Average long-term U.S. mortgage
rates jumped again this week as the
30-year loan rate climbed to its highest
level since January of 2019.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac re-
ported Thursday that the average rate
on the 30-year loan this week jumped
to 4.42% from 4.16% last week. That
has risen more than a half-point in the
past two weeks. That’s a sharp con-
trast from last year’s record-low mort-
gage rates of under 3%.
The average rate on 15-year, fixed-
rate mortgages, popular among those
refinancing their homes, rose to 3.63%
from 3.39% last week.
France: 3 charged in European
horse doping investigation
French authorities have handed
preliminary charges to three people
suspected of roles in a horse-racing
doping ring, prosecutors said Thurs-
day.
The suspects are accused of horse
doping, organized fraud or illegal vet-
erinary practice, the Bordeaux prose-
cutor’s office said in a statement. The
three were released under judicial su-
pervision but banned from race tracks,
according to the statement.
Five other people detained in the in-
vestigation are facing charges in the
coming days, the prosecutor’s office
said.
From wire reports
Southwest will soon let
you transfer fare credit
Another perk to new
price point: Switching
same-day flights for free
Dawn Gilbertson
USA TODAY
Southwest Airlines passengers sit-
ting on travel credits from a canceled
trip frequently ask the airline if they
can apply them to someone else’s
ticket for someone else.
The airline’s answer is always the
same: a resounding no, as is the case at
most airlines.
“Seems like the money I already
paid should be usable however I
please,” one traveler hoping to transfer
credits to his son said in a tweet to the
airline in early March. “Hoping you can
fix this strange policy.”
Southwest is about to change the
policy – for a price.
The airline unveiled details of its
long-awaited new fare category on
Thursday, its first since 2007, and a
key perk is the ability to transfer flight
credits, which Southwest calls travel
funds.
Southwest Wanna Get Away Plus
tickets vs. Wanna Get Away
The option will be included for trav-
elers who buy the new ticket type, to
be called Wanna Get Away Plus, which
will be pricier than its current cheap-
est ticket, called Wanna Get Away. The
airline is offering it and other perks in a
bid to get travelers to pay more for their
ticket.
“That is a pain point that a lot of our
customers relay, particularly on leisure
travel,” said Jonathan Clarkson,
Southwest’s vice president of market-
ing, loyalty and products. “They have
these funds that they are either run-
ning out of time to use or don’t have the
ability to use or would prefer to have
somebody else close to them use them
but there’s not an easy way to transfer.”
Southwest did not disclose how
much more travelers will generally pay
for a Wanna Get Away Plus ticket than a
Wanna Get Away ticket except to call the
increase “modest.” The price of the up-
sell won’t be known until the airline rolls
out the new fare lineup, which is expect-
ed by the end of June.
“I think we will see a meaningful per-
centage of our customers buying up to
Wanna Get Away Plus,” Clarkson said.
The transfer option is also being add-
ed to the airline’s priciest tickets, called
Anytime and Business Select, but those
tickets are already refundable so the
benefit isn’t as critical.
Can you switch to an earlier flight?
The new Wanna Get Away Plus
tickets will include another key perk
that the airline says will entice travelers
to buy up: the ability to switch to a dif-
ferent flight on the day of travel at no
cost if seats are available (confirmed or
standby).
The airline’s Wanna Get Away tickets
offer same-day changes when available
but passengers must pay any fare differ-
ence, which can be significant at the last
minute.
“If there’s one thing we’ve all learned
during the pandemic, it’s that plans
change,” Clarkson said, “and both of
these elements give customers the op-
portunity to adapt to that.”
Watterson called the same-day
change option a “substantial benefit” for
travelers, especially business travelers.
“You show up at 5 and you want to go
on an earlier flight. You can do a change
if a seat’s available,” he said.
What is EarlyBird Check-In?
The coming ticket changes an-
nounced Thursday weren’t limited to
the unveiling of Wanna Get Away Plus, a
name Southwest included in customer
surveys when it was researching new
fare categories a few years ago.
The airline’s Anytime tickets have
new features, most notably the addition
of Southwest’s EarlyBird Check-In.
EarlyBird Check-In, which gives travel-
ers a better boarding position in South-
west’s unique open seating system, is
currently only sold separately. The air-
line charges $15 to $25 per person per
flight.
The EarlyBird option, which auto-
matically assigns passenger boarding
positions 12 hours before Southwest’s
standard online check-in begins, will
still be available for purchase with Wan-
na Get Away or Wanna Get Away tickets,
the airline’s executives said. (Business
Select tickets already include the air-
line’s most coveted boarding positions.)
The product is a money maker for
Southwest, annuallybringing in more
than $400 million before the pandemic.
Are Southwest flights refundable?
Despite the flexibility with the new
Wanna Get Away Plus tickets, those
tickets and Wanna Get Away tickets will
not be refundable. Travelers will receive
a credit that can be used within 12
months of the ticket purchase date.
The only Southwest fares that will be
refundable, meaning travelers can get
their money back, remain the pricier
Business Select and Anytime fares.
Does Southwest have basic
economy?
Watterson has said for months that
the shake-up of Southwest’s fare struc-
ture would not take anything away from
travelers, i.e., by making Wanna Get
Away tickets more like basic economy
tickets or budget airlines’ no-frills
tickets.
The airline kept that promise on
Thursday, with no changes to its most
popular ticket.
Travelers will still receive frequent
flyer miles, two free bags and have no
ticket change fees, among other current
features.