The Biden administration will extend for two weeks the nationwide mask requirement for public transit as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was set to extend the order, which was to expire on April 18, by two weeks to monitor for any observable increase in severe virus outcomes as cases rise in parts of the country. The move was being made out of abundance of caution, according to a person familiar with the decision, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview the CDC’s action. The administration had been hoping to roll out a more flexible masking strategy this week that would have replaced the nationwide requirement.
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Sweet 16 primer: All eyes on Peacocks after wild 1st weekend
Top seeds Gonzaga and Kansas are in the NCAA Sweet 16. So is giant killer Saint Peter’s, which became only the third No. 15 seed to make it this far. The eight regional semifinal matchups will be set by Sunday night. A wild opening weekend saw seven double-digit seeds win in the first round and at least two reach the Sweet 16. This is the second year in a row a No. 15 has advanced. Last year it was Oral Roberts. This time it’s Saint Peter’s, which knocked off Kentucky and Murray State.
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Biden joins allies, bans Russian planes from US airspace
President Joe Biden announced Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that the U.S. is banning Russian flights from its airspace in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. The move follows similar action by Canada and the European Union this week. Biden also issued an ominous warning that without consequences, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression wouldn’t be contained to Ukraine. The ban would come on top of a wide range of sanctions the U.S., Europe and other nations have imposed on Russia that have caused the value of its currency, the ruble, to plunge, and are expected to hammer its economy.
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Medina Spirit stripped of Kentucky Derby victory
Medina Spirit has been stripped of the victory in last year’s Kentucky Derby and Mandaloun has been declared the winner in a ruling by state racing stewards. The since-deceased Medina Spirit tested positive after the race last May for a steroid, betamethasone, that is legal in Kentucky but banned on race day. Medina Spirit finished half a length ahead of Mandaloun in the race, giving trainer Bob Baffert what was then his seventh Kentucky Derby title. Baffert was subsequently banned for two years by Churchill Downs following the positive test. Monday’s decision by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission makes Medina Spirit the second horse in the 147-year history of the race to be disqualified for a banned substance.
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Towering musical theater master Stephen Sondheim dies at 91
Stephen Sondheim, the songwriter who reshaped the American musical theater in the second half of the 20th century, has died. He was 91. Sondheim influenced several generations of theater songwriters, particularly with such landmark musicals as “Company,” “Follies” and “Sweeney Todd.” His most famous ballad, “Send in the Clowns,” has been recorded hundreds of times, including by Frank Sinatra and Judy Collins. Six of Sondheim’s musicals won Tony Awards for best score, and he also received a Pulitzer Prize for “Sunday in the Park,” an Academy Award for the song “Sooner or Later” from the film “Dick Tracy,” five Olivier Awards and the Presidential Medal of Honor.
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Timme, Juzan, Cockburn headline AP preseason All-Americans
Drew Timme of Gonzaga is the lone unanimous selection on The Associated Press preseason All-America team. He was joined by Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn, UCLA guard Johnny Juzang, Villanova point guard Collin Gillespie and Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. Timme was a second-team All-American last season while leading the Zags to the NCAA championship game for the second time. Cockburn looked into leaving for the NBA before returning. Juzang is back after leading the Bruins to the Final Four and Gillespie returns after suffering a knee injury. Jackson-Davis is looking to get the Hoosiers back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.
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State mask bans face federal civil rights inquiries
The Education Department says it’s investigating five Republican-led states with universal mask bans, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions. The department’s office for civil rights sent letters to education chiefs in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. Those states have barred schools from requiring masks among students and staff, a move that the department says could prevent some students from safely attending school. It marks a sharp escalation in the Biden administration’s battle with Republican states that say wearing masks should be a personal choice.
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Nashville Predators prospect proudly comes out as gay
A Nashville Predators prospect has come out as gay. Luke Prokop posted on Twitter he is intent on leading an “authentic life” and is “no longer scared to hide who I am.” The 19-year-old Canadian was a third-round pick in the 2020 draft last fall. He is set to attend his first NHL camp after playing junior hockey last season in the Western Hockey League. Prokop says he hopes his example shows that gay people are welcome in the hockey community. No active NHL player has come out as gay. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib in June became the first active NFL player to come out.
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Adieu, Roger: Federer pulls out of French Open after Round 3
Roger Federer has withdrawn from the French Open to give himself a chance to recover before Wimbledon. The tournament announced the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s decision to pull out of the field. Federer said in a statement that it is important for him to listen to his body as he returns to action after two operations on his right knee. The 39-year-old was supposed to play against Matteo Berrettini in the fourth round on Monday. Instead, Federer will turn his focus to the grass-court portion of the season. Wimbledon begins June 28. Federer has won a men’s-record eight titles at the All England Club.
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‘Bad news’: Wave of GOP retirements signals battles ahead
The Republican Party didn’t want to begin the new year this way — with a spate of retirements in the evenly divided Senate ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. On Monday, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt became the fifth Republican senator since January to announce he won’t seek another term. That’s giving Democrats hope that they can retain their razor-thin Senate majority for the second half of President Joe Biden’s term. Still, history suggests that a new president’s opposition party will do well in midterm elections, helping position the GOP to reclaim at least one chamber of Congress next year.
