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No Purdue in Final Four? Kansas upset? 10 men’s tournament bold predictions

All No. 1 seeds going to the Final Four? No Cinderella runs?

What’s the fun in that?

The NCAA men’s tournament is all about chaos and unpredictability. There are sure to be upsets And if there was one lesson to learn from last season’s edition, it’s that nothing is guaranteed and anything can happen. We saw at the second No. 16 seed win over No. 1 seed in tournament history and no No. 1 seeds made it to the Elite Eight. These predictions may sound crazy − and it’s very unlikely they all are correct − but with the unexpected nature of the tournament, who’s to say they can’t happen?

Here are bold predictions that you can − or don’t have to − use to help fill our your bracket:

1. Purdue falters again, Matt Painter is out of a job

Matt Painter has had great success in his 19 season at Purdue, but the one thing he hasn’t been able to achieve is getting to the Final Four. After last year’s embarrassing loss to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, the Boilermakers need to make it to State Farm Stadium for any redemption. But even with another loaded roster, Purdue once again falls short of making its first Final Four since 1980, and the disappointment mixed with the departure of Zach Edey leads to the school deciding to look for another coach to finally get them over the hump.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

2. Kansas gets bounced in the first round

It’s been nearly 20 years since Bill Self and Kansas didn’t win at least one tournament game, but the Jayhawks will be one-and-done this time around.

The preseason No. 1 team limped to the end of the regular season as they dealt with injuries, losing four of their last five including a 20-point loss to Cincinnati in the Big 12 tournament. If Kansas wants any success this tournament, it needs Kevin McCullar Jr. and Hunter Dickinson back and healthy. But whether they do or don’t play, the funk the Jayhawks are in continues. Samford is one of the best scoring teams in the country, and it gets its first tournament win in program history by bouncing the Jayhawks.

BREAKDOWNS:East Region | Midwest Region | South Region | West Region

EXPERT PICKS: Prediction that will help you fill out your bracket and win your pool

3. Multiple double-digit seeded teams make Sweet 16

Last season, No. 15 seed Princeton was the only double-digit seed to make the Sweet 16, but this year there will be more than that make it to the second weekend There are several great candidates that are primed to make some upsets happen, including New Mexico, James Madison, McNeese State and Oregon, all teams that had to win their conference tournaments just to make the field. Don’t expect it to be all chalk in the Sweet 16, and with some squads pulling off two upsets in the first weekend.

4. All six Mountain West teams make the second round

The Mountain West barely got six teams into the NCAA Tournament, with two of them having to play in the First Four. Still, it feels like the conference isn’t getting enough respect nationally even with San Diego State’s national championship game appearance last season. After the Aztecs were the only team to get out of the first round last season, all six Mountain West teams make it to the round of 32, flexing its muscle at every conference.

5. Record for most points scored in NCAA Tournament game gets broken

When Loyola Marymount beat Michigan 149-115 in 1990 for a combined 264 total points, few probably thought that number could be broken. But there is a real good chance that record gets broken if Alabama and Arizona meet in the Elite Eight of the West region. Alabama leads Division I with 90.8 points per game and Arizona is third with 87.9. Even better, the Crimson Tide have the sixth worst scoring defense with 81.1 points given up per game, and the Wildcats aren’t that great either with their 72.2 points given up per game ranking 190th. If these two get on the court together, it’ll look like the NBA All-Star Game with points coming left and right to break the record for most combined points in an NCAA Tournament game.

6. We get a first-time Final Four team

Three teams made their first Final Four last season, and while there won’t be as many this time around, at least one team will get to experience the Final Four for the first time in Arizona. There are several great candidates to do so, most notably ranging from Alabama, Tennessee , Brigham Young, Saint Mary’s and Creighton. Don’t be all surprised if we get two first time Final Four squads either.

7. Even with eight teams, SEC gets shutout of Final Four

Forget what was just said about Alabama and Tennessee. After tying with the Big 12 for the most teams in the tournament with eight, the SEC once again fails to get anyone in the Final Four, with it not getting a team in since 2019. It should get a good amount of teams that get close, but high seeds like the Crimson Tide, Volunteers and Kentucky fall just short of making it to State Farm Stadium.

8. Final Four team picks up player in transfer portal during tournament

Before any tournament games kicked off, the transfer portal opened with hundreds of playing deciding to take their talents elsewhere for the 2024-25 season. With how chaotic the process has gotten and players shopping around of where they want to play, a team that makes the Final Four becomes a popular choice. Whoever that team is, they get at least one big time transfer that makes them an immediate title favorite for next season the moment ‘One Shining Moment’ caps off this year’s tournament.

9. The Pac-12 gets one last Final Four team

This is the last year of the Pac-12, and just like how it was able to do in football, it gets one team in the Final Four as its last hoorah. The ‘Conference of Champions’ has good candidates deliver its sendoff, most notably with an Arizona team capable of beating down any team and Washington State, who has proven it can beat highly talent teams. Colorado can go from First Four to Final Four like UCLA in 2021, and Dana Altman has his Oregon team playing high level basketball on its run to the NCAA tournament. So when it comes time for the Final Four, the Pac-12 can get celebrated one last time before it ceases to exist as we know it.

10. Connecticut wins every game in double-digits en route to back-to-back national championships

It sounds boring and obvious to pick Connecticut to repeat as national champions, but they have the looks of the 2006-07 Florida team that was destined to win back-to-back titles. Since then, no previous champion has been able to do what the Gators did, but the Huskies have all the looks of a team that can dominate its way to another championship. No matter who it faces, Connecticut rolls by every team it plays as it hoists the national championship trophy for the second-straight season, and put itself in consideration for one of the best NCAA Tournament teams ever.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Business

United Airlines CEO responds to string of safety incidents that have rattled passengers

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is seeking to reassure passengers after a string of safety incidents raised concerns.

In a letter sent out early Monday to United customers, he said the incidents, though each unrelated, had caught the company’s attention and “sharpened [its] focus.”

“Our team is reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and using those insights to inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups,” Kirby wrote.

Scott Kirby, chief executive officer of United Airlines Holdings Inc., during a news conference at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas, on Nov. 30, 2023. Callaghan O’Hare / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

Within just the past two weeks, United planes were involved in at least four separate incidents, including two that required them to make emergency landings; a runway roll-off and a lost tire.

Kirby said United was already in the process of adding an additional day of in-person training for all pilots starting in May, a more centralized curriculum for maintenance operators, and more resources focused on supplier network management.

United is one of Boeing’s largest customers. The manufacturer remains under multiple federal investigations in the wake of a January incident that saw a door panel blowout midair, forcing an emergency landing. The incidents, among others, have also raised questions about general flight safety, about which some experts have urged customers not to worry.

A United spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the carrier’s future relationship with Boeing.

However, last week, Kirby said his airline was putting its orders for Boeing Max 10s on hold and would now weigh whether to order more Max 9s or switch to a plane made by Boeing’s rival, Airbus.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Business

Joann Fabrics and Crafts files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Joann Fabrics and Crafts has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it seeks to reorganize its finances.

In a release accompanying its filing, Joann said its stores and website would remain open and continue operating as usual.

‘Customers, vendors, landlords, and other trade creditors will not see any disruption in services,’ it said in a release. ‘The Company remains as focused as ever on providing customers with quality products and services that inspire their creativity.

Joann has about 850 stores in 49 states, it said.

In its most recent quarter, Joann posted results showing it was more than $1 billion in debt, with shrinking revenues and a widening net loss, citing an “uncertain consumer environment.”

Wall Street reacted negatively to the news, with Joann shares trading down as much as 20%. The company went public in 2021 as the pandemic lingered and during an apparent boom in at-home, do-it-yourself consumer activity. But after it debuted at about $12 and rose to nearly $17, its shares are now worth less than $0.25.

Joann has been without a full-time CEO since May, when Wade Miquelon, who led the company for seven years, announced his retirement after a “challenging” year.

‘We appreciate the support from our financial and industry stakeholders in this agreement, and their confidence in our ability to continue driving positive business change,’ Chris DiTullio, chief customer officer and co-lead of the interim office of the CEO, said in the release.

‘There is no other retailer with the same ability to serve sewists, quilters, crocheters, crafters and other creative enthusiasts as we have for the past 80 years, and we take great pride in seeing the passion and engagement of our millions of customers and our Team Members.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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JetBlue to leave Kansas City, trim service from Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale amid financial trouble

JetBlue is ending service to and from Kansas City as part of a broader route reorganization in the wake of a federal judge’s decision to reject its merger with Spirit Airlines.

The New York-based carrier also said it would trim routes out of Los Angeles International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. And it will not be returning to Newburgh, New York, after suspending service to the town amid the pandemic.

The changes were made in an internal memo seen by NBC News. It’s the second round of route cuts the carrier has announced this year.

In a statement, JetBlue said the routes and markets had fallen short of expectations.

‘JetBlue is constantly evaluating our routes to best serve our customers, return our airline to profitability, and find ways to improve our reliability,’ it said.

JetBlue has struggled to regain a stable financial footing in the post-pandemic period. In its most recent quarter, it posted a decline in revenues and a net loss. It also said it expected to have some 15 Airbus planes out of service due to maintenance issues.

The carrier had been banking on a merger with Spirit, as well as ongoing service as an American Airlines partner through its Northeast Alliance program, which was also recently rejected by the U.S. Department of Justice.

In addition to Kansas City, the carrier said it was also ending service for three South American cities.

In the memo, JetBlue said it was doubling down on what it called “bread and butter” routes serving customers on the East Coast, traveling to the Caribbean for vacation, and long-haul cross-country flights.

It also plans to add capacity in places where it was seeing success, including Puerto Rico, Orlando, and Tampa.

‘Network changes are a fact of life at every airline, but that doesn’t make it easy to see a favorite route or BlueCity go away,’ the company said in the memo.

‘However, it’s more important than ever that we are surgical about every route in our network, especially as court decisions around the Northeast Alliance and Spirit have impacted our ability to grow.’

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Politics

Biden fails to acknowledge Hunter’s out-of-wedlock daughter during Women’s History Month event at White House

President Biden failed to acknowledge his seventh grandchild and fifth granddaughter, the estranged daughter of his son Hunter Biden, during remarks at a Women’s History Month reception at the White House on Monday.

‘I see a future for all Americans, a future for my daughter and my four granddaughters — by the way, they’re incredible,’ Biden said. ‘You should meet my granddaughters. Oh, you think I’m kidding. I’m not.’

On numerous occasions in recent years, Biden, 81, has claimed he only has six grandchildren — ignoring five-year-old Navy Joan Roberts, the daughter born out of wedlock to Hunter and Arkansas-based mother Lunden Alexis Roberts.

Last July, amid backlash he had received for not acknowledging her existence, Biden spoke out publicly for the first time about his fifth granddaughter.

‘Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,’ Biden said in a statement to Fox News Digital at the time.

‘This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter,’ he added. ‘Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.’

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden had repeatedly refused to acknowledge Navy, frequently omitting her by claiming they only have ‘four granddaughters.’

December 2022 marked the second Christmas season in a row that the White House left Navy out of a Christmas stocking display. After acknowledging her publicly in the summer of 2023, first lady Jill Biden did away with hanging stockings for her grandchildren and pets over the mantle in the State Dining Room for the 2023 Christmas season.

Prior to that, in 2020, Biden incorrectly said he and the first lady had five grandchildren, forgetting about then-newborn Beau Biden, but completely leaving out Navy.

At a White House ‘take your child to work day’ event in April 2023, Biden claimed to only have six grandchildren. ‘I have six grandchildren, and I’m crazy about them. And I speak to them every single day. Not a joke,’ he said.

Hunter Biden had long denied being Navy’s father, but a 2019 DNA test proved otherwise. He has since fought to lower child support payments. Navy was born in August 2018, and Roberts filed a paternity suit in May 2019. Both parties agreed to temporary child support following the DNA test results.

Hunter Biden and Roberts reached an agreement to settle the paternity and child support suit in March 2020, according to the Democrat-Gazette. The case was then reopened after he requested changes to the child support payments.

In June 2023, Hunter settled his Arkansas child support case with Navy Joan’s mother. A court filing showed Hunter agreed to give his daughter some of his paintings, and the child’s mother agreed to withdraw her counterclaim to change their child’s last name to ‘Biden.’

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie and Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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House Democrats invite ex-Giuliani associate Lev Parnas as Biden impeachment inquiry hearing witness

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are having businessman Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani’s, come to Capitol Hill to participate in the second impeachment inquiry hearing into President Biden on Wednesday.

The Oversight Committee’s GOP majority is investigating accusations that Biden and his family enriched themselves by using his political connections, particularly when he was vice president.

‘This hopeless impeachment investigation originated with a bunch of lies told by an indicted liar in close proximity to Russian agents. So who better than Lev Parnas himself — Rudy Giuliani’s right-hand man on the original mission to smear Joe Biden — to tell the story of how this campaign of lies and slander works? Lev Parnas can debunk the bogus claims at the heart of the impeachment probe and, in the process, explain how the GOP ended up in this degraded and embarrassing place,’ Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the panel, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Parnas previously claimed that he worked with Giuliani in his effort to pressure Ukrainian officials to announce an investigation into the Biden family in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. In June 2022, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison for charges linked to soliciting foreign money for U.S. elections, wire fraud and making false statements, among others. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams had accused him of ‘pumping Russian money into U.S. elections and lying about the source of funds for political contributions.’

Parnas is going to be joined at the Wednesday hearing by former business associates of Hunter Biden, whose foreign business dealings are a particular concern to GOP investigators. One is Tony Bobulinski, who has personally told investigators that the Biden family was selling access to the now-president. The second is Jason Galanis, who is in prison after he pleaded guilty to securities fraud.

Republicans on the Oversight Committee pointed out that Parnas was found guilty of lying and said it was ‘telling’ Democrats did not invite an associate of the Bidens.

‘It’s telling the Democrats didn’t call any of Hunter Biden’s business associates who claim his father’s innocence because they know their testimony won’t withstand public scrutiny. Instead, they are relying on a convicted liar who claims Joe Biden never met with a Burisma official when in fact he dined with one,’ a spokesperson for the committee said.

Fox News Digital previously reported that Democrats were considering inviting Michael Cohen, former President Trump’s ex-lawyer, in a bid to focus attention on Trump’s own foreign business dealings.

A source familiar with those discussions indicated to Fox News Digital that Democrats thought Parnas would be more relevant to their goal of pointing out flaws in the GOP’s investigation. They said, ‘Cohen can speak directly to how Trump used the White House to enrich himself, but Parnas can speak directly to how Trump used discredited sources to fabricate dirt on Biden.’

A spokesperson for Giuliani told Fox News Digital in a statement on his former associate’s upcoming testimony that ‘Lev Parnas is a convicted felon, who was sentenced to prison for serious crimes, including wire fraud and making false statements. In fact, the U.S. attorney’s office refused to use Parnas as a witness because he is a confirmed liar on the very subject matter that partisan Democrats are now calling on him to testify about.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Sen Graham touts Trump plan for Ukraine loan in overseas meeting with Zelenskyy

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., promoted former President Trump’s plan for a loan to Ukraine, rather than aid, to continue supporting the country in their war with Russia during his meeting in Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday.

‘I informed him that given the crisis at the United States’ southern border and our overwhelming debt, President Trump’s idea of turning aid from the United States into a no-interest, waivable loan is the most likely path forward,’ Graham announced Monday night. 

A spokesperson for Graham said the visit to Ukraine wasn’t on Trump’s orders, but that the two had discussed his plan for loans rather than foreign aid. 

Trump unveiled the idea last month, saying the U.S. should not give money to other countries anymore as foreign aid, but as loans instead. ‘It can be loaned on extraordinarily good terms, like no interest and an unlimited life, but a loan nevertheless,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. 

Graham quickly agreed with Trump’s proposal, claiming last month, ‘President Trump is right to insist that we think outside the box,’ Axios reported. The South Carolina senator did not vote in favor of the $95 billion aid package designed to support Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, citing domestic concerns about the southern border. 

‘It is clear Ukrainians appreciate the United States’ support. I know Americans want to help our friends and allies, but I also believe we must consider our economic situation as we help others,’ Graham continued on Monday. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said, ‘President Trump has repeatedly stated that a top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Also, President Trump believes European nations should be paying more of the cost of the conflict, as the U.S. has paid significantly more, which is not fair to our taxpayers.’

‘He will do what is necessary to restore peace and rebuild American strength and deterrence on the world stage, and he is the only person who can make that happen. The war between Russia and Ukraine never would have happened if Donald J. Trump were President. So sad,’ he added. 

It’s unclear whether Zelenskyy is in support of the shift proposed by Trump and reiterated by the senator, but the Ukrainian president shared a video of his and Graham’s meeting on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

According to Zelenskyy, ‘We discussed further comprehensive assistance for Ukraine.’ 

He added that U.S. and other international support is ‘now more important than ever’ as Ukraine looks to implement its plans to beat Russian occupation of its territories. 

Graham additionally said he is ‘urging the Biden Administration to send longer-range artillery, accelerate F-16 training for the Ukrainians, and designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law.’

The White House did not provide comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.

The $95 billion aid package passed the Senate last month, without the support of Graham. But the measure has stalled in the House, where Republican leadership is unlikely to bring it for a vote. Several attempts to bypass the speaker have started among representatives in the form of discharge petitions to force legislation out of committee and onto the floor. A petition would require a majority of members to sign it in order to bypass leadership. 

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Florida congressman helps 13 more Americans escape Haiti, swipes at Biden ‘pattern of abandonment’

A Florida Republican congressman says he has helped another 13 Americans evacuate Haiti, vowing that U.S. citizens ‘deserve support from their government’ and ‘not the pattern of abandonment this [Biden] administration has shown.’ 

Rep. Cory Mills wrote on X that the Americans were airlifted from Port-au-Prince, which has become overrun by violent gangs in recent weeks despite Prime Minister Ariel Henry declaring that he would step down. 

‘It’s with great pride I announce that our team successfully conducted another rescue of 13 Americans out of PAP Haiti,’ Mills said, his second in the country after extracting 10 U.S. citizens last week. 

On Sunday afternoon, 30 Americans landed in Miami after being evacuated from the northern Haiti city of Cap-Haïtien on a U.S. government-chartered flight. 

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Monday that nearly 1,000 Americans have filled out a ‘crisis intake form’ seeking assistance in Haiti.  

‘It is not hyperbole to say that this is one of the most dire humanitarian situations in the world,’ Patel added. ‘Gang violence continues to make the security situation in Haiti untenable, and it is a region that demands our attention.’   

The 10 Americans evacuated by Mills from Haiti last week had worked at the Have Faith Orphanage in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.  

‘This mission reiterates a disturbing reality under President Biden’s leadership: American lives are continually jeopardized,’ Mills told Fox News Digital at the time. ‘I have led missions to rescue Americans multiple times when Joe Biden has deserted them.’ 

‘There’s a clear pattern of abandonment,’ Mills added, citing his rescue missions in Afghanistan following the U.S. military drawdown in 2021 and the rescue of Americans from Israel in late 2023. ‘Yet again, this group was left behind by Biden and his State Department after requesting their help in-country.’ 

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report. 

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