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Katie Meier’s practices at Miami always end the same way. Every player and coach gathers around the midcourt circle, clasps the hand of the person next to them, and someone then quietly offers a few words from the heart. It’s about faith. This season, Meier’s faith was tested by an NCAA investigation. And her faith was also rewarded. For the first time in more than 30 years of college basketball Meier is in the Sweet 16. Miami plays Villanova on Friday.
Philadelphia will try to keep its seven-game road win streak alive when the 76ers take on Golden State. Friday's game is the second meeting this season between the two teams. The 76ers won the last matchup 118-106. Golden State is 29-7 at home, and Philadelphia is 23-12 on the road.
Anti-gun violence advocates will rally for tighter gun control in Pennsylvania, where a politically divided government has fought firearms policy to a virtual standstill for decades. Thursday's March For Our Lives rally marks its fifth anniversary since its inception after a 2018 mass shooting at a Florida high school. Hundreds are expected at Thursday's rally in Harrisburg, which coincides with rallies this week in Florida, Michigan, California and Texas. Pennsylvania’s Legislature hasn't seriously entertained any new gun restrictions for yars. But this year a one-seat Democratic majority has taken over the House and will kick off this session’s debate over gun violence with a committee hearing Thursday.
Tyrese Maxey scored 16 of his 21 points during Philadelphia’s dominant first half, and the 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 116-91. De’Anthony Melton had 25 points as Philadelphia earned a split of its four-game season series against Chicago. Joel Embiid added 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in just over 16 minutes of playing time. Philadelphia had won eight in a row before Monday night’s double-overtime loss to Chicago. But the 76ers jumped all over the Bulls in the rematch. Coby White scored 19 points for Chicago, and Zach LaVine had 16.
Jeff Carter had a pair of goals, Sidney Crosby scored on a nifty backhand shot in the second period to reach the 30-goal mark for an 11th season and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Crosby moved into a tie with Hall-of-Fame center Mario Lemieux for the most 30-goal seasons in Penguins history. Even more, Crosby’s the first player in league history to post a 30-goal campaign at 18 years old and again when he was 35-plus, according to NHL Stats. Jake Guentzel also scored and Bryan Rust added an empty-netter for the Penguins, who snapped a four-game slide. J.T. Compher and Devon Toews had goals for the Avalanche.
A lawyer for one of the former Proud Boys leaders charged with seditious conspiracy says federal prosecutors have revealed that a defense witness was secretly acting as a government informant for nearly two years after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Defense attorney Carmen Hernandez on Wednesday asked a judge to schedule an emergency hearing so the defense can learn more about the prosecutors' use of the informant. The judge ordered prosecutors to file a response to the defense filing by Thursday afternoon and scheduled a hearing for the same day, putting testimony in the case on hold until Friday. The U.S. attorney’s office did not immediately comment on the filing.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid left the team's 116-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls with mild right calf tightness. Embiid, one of the front-runners for the NBA MVP award, finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in just over 16 minutes of playing time. The 7-foot center says it was a precautionary move. Philadelphia visits Golden State on Friday night for its next game. Embiid says he likely will be able to play against the Warriors, but isn't exactly sure how the injury would react.
Notre Dame is finalizing a deal to make Penn State’s Micah Shrewsberry its new men’s basketball coach, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because contract details were still being completed and needed school approval. Shrewsberry, in his second season at Penn State, led the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 and a tournament victory for the first time since 2001. He will replace Mike Brey at Notre Dame. Shrewsberry grew up in Indianapolis and his first head coaching job was at an NAIA school in South Bend, Indiana, where Notre Dame is located.
A bipartisan consensus that Congress should act to toughen regulations on railroads is emerging in the U.S. Senate. The Senate Commerce Committee is examining a fiery hazardous train derailment last month on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Republicans and Democrats on the committee peppered Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw with questions Wednesday on what enhanced safety measures he would support. Shaw offered support for some safety enhancements but declined to endorse several key parts of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023. The bill includes requirements that trains have crews of at least two people, expands the classification for highly hazardous flammable trains and increases fines for safety violations.
For over 20 years, the work of gospel music composer Charles Henry Pace sat in 14 unorganized crates, dirty and decomposing. This was until a music historian at the University of Pittsburgh was inspired to uncover the true history behind the photo negatives, printing plates and pieces of sheet music the university acquired in 1999. As a result, they’ve discovered that Pace was an early pioneer of gospel music whose independently owned publishing company helped elevate and expand the genre. This week the community will honor Pace and his wife Frankie with a free concert in the historic Hill District of Pittsburgh, showcasing some of his work.
Only 10% of U.S. adults say they have significant confidence in the nation’s banks and financial institutions, a new poll finds. That is down from the 22% who said they had high confidence in banks in 2020. The poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll also finds that a majority of Americans say the government is not doing enough to regulate the industry. The underwhelming assessment of America’s banks and bank regulation comes after a series of shocks, including the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank this month, brought back disturbing memories of the 2008-2009 financial crisis.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby continues being regarded by his peers as the NHL’s most complete player. And yet, he takes a backseat to Edmonton’s Connor McDavid in having the best chance to produce in the clutch. Those are among the findings in the National Hockey League Players’ Association releasing its sixth annual and eighth overall survey of players. Overall, 625 players participated in answering 14 questions. In other categories, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy is the preferred choice among players on who they would want in net in a must-win situation. Colorado’s Cale Makar is the top defenseman. And the NHL's best ice happens to be in Montreal.
Defense lawyers say a former truck driver about to face trial for shooting to death congregants in a Pittsburgh synagogue more than four years ago has schizophrenia and structural and functional brain impairments. Lawyers for Robert Bowers told a federal judge in a court filing this week that they are concerned about a prosecution proposal to have their own psychiatric experts examine or evaluate him. Jury selection is scheduled to begin next month in Bowers’ trial for shooting to death 11 people and wounding seven others at the Tree of Life Synagogue in the nation's most deadly attack on Jewish people. Bowers has offered to plead guilty in return for a life sentence, but prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Laundry detergent bottles are looking a little different these days. A growing number of companies are making bulky plastic jugs smaller and the detergent more concentrated. Without all that water, less gasoline or diesel gets burned to deliver it to stores, since the products are lighter and more can be shipped in a single trip. New detergent formulas are changing to become ultra-concentrated liquids or even being made into solid sheets roughly the size of an iPhone. The trend is driven by people of all ages, retailers say, from older people who remember when there was less plastic, to Gen Z watching climate change unfold in their lifetimes.
Travis Sanheim scored twice, Carter Hart made 41 saves and the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Florida Panthers 6-3. Joel Farabee added a goal and an assist, and Scott Laughton and Ivan Provorov also scored for the Flyers. Philadelphia won for just the fifth time in 16 games. Brandon Montour had a goal and an assist, and Matthew Tkachuck and Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida. The Panthers had won three in a row and six of seven before falling to the lowly Flyers. Florida remained one point ahead of idle Pittsburgh for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Norfolk Southern’s CEO is offering support for some parts of a bipartisan Senate bill to put tougher safety regulations on railroads. A fiery hazardous materials train derailed last month on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. CEO Alan Shaw is under pressure from senators and federal safety regulators to step up his commitment to safety regulations as he appears before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday. Shaw says in prepared remarks that Norfolk Southern will “support legislative efforts to enhance the safety of the freight rail industry. But he does not address several key provisions of the Railway Safety Act of 2023.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed longtime Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo to a three-year, $24 million contract. Seumalo's arrival fortifies the interior of the Steelers offensive line as Pittsburgh builds around second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. The 29-year-old Seumalo started 60 games across seven seasons with the Eagles, who selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft. Seumalo appeared in 81 games in all for Philadelphia and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles following the 2017 season. Seumalo is considered an excellent run blocker, though he has improved in pass protection during his career. He allowed just one sack while playing 1,137 offensive snaps in 2022.
A former suburban Philadelphia police officer accused of sexual abuse of teenage boys while he was working with a youth drug prevention program decades ago has been sentenced to decades in prison. Bucks County Judge Wallace Bateman Jr. on Tuesday sentenced 54-year-old James Carey to 24 1/2 to 55 years on statutory rape and aggravated indecent assault without consent convictions. Prosecutors alleged that Carey assaulted boys in the 1990s while serving in the Centennial School District as a resource officer with the D.A.R.E. program. Carey maintained his innocence but entered no contest pleas that don't acknowledge wrongdoing but acknowledge that prosecutors have enough evidence for a conviction.
Fire has destroyed a large New Jersey church, collapsing its roof as more than 150 firefighters fought to control the blaze. The Fountain of Life Center in Florence Township was engulfed in flames Monday night. No injuries were reported in the fire. The cause wasn’t immediately known. Senior Pastor Russell Hodgins tells Philadelphia's KYW-TV that it's a devastating loss. The center describes itself on its website as a multipurpose, 120,000-square-foot facility with a preschool, basketball courts, and a fitness center. It's believed the school and recreation building survived the fire.
Philadelphia is looking to continue its six-game road win streak with a victory over Chicago. Wednesday's game is the fourth meeting this season between the two teams. The Bulls won the previous matchup 109-105. Chicago is 25-22 against the Eastern Conference, and Philadelphia is 29-16 against conference opponents.
Destiny Harden made a shot in the lane with 3.5 seconds left to send ninth-seeded Miami past top-seeded Indiana 70-68, lifting the Hurricanes to their first Sweet 16 since 1992. The Hoosiers (28-4) became the second No. 1 seed to be eliminated in two nights. Stanford was upset Sunday on its home court. It’s the first time since 1998 that two No. 1 seeds did not advance to the regional semifinals. Harden finished with 18 points and Lola Pendade had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Hurricanes (21-12), who never trailed on the Hoosiers home court. Mackenzie Holmes led the Hoosiers with 22 points Grace Berger added 17 points, six rebounds and six assists in her final game. It was Indiana’s first loss of the season at Assembly Hall.
Zach LaVine scored 26 points, DeMar DeRozan had 25 and the Chicago Bulls defeated Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers 109-105 in double overtime to snap their eight-game winning streak. Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, who have won three games in a row and five of six. Chicago is fighting for the final playoff spot in the East. Embiid had 37 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out with 3:54 left in the second overtime. It was the 10th straight game in which he has scored at least 30 points.
Federal investigators say a Norfolk Southern train that derailed in Alabama earlier this month lacked required alignment control couplers and a company inspection didn't identify their absence. The notation comes in one of three preliminary reports issued Monday by the National Transportation Safety Board about Norfolk Southern train accidents this month. The report about the March 9 derailment of two locomotives and 37 rail cars in Anniston, Alabama, said the couplers “resist lateral coupler movement” and a company rule requires them for towed cars not used for any tractive power. The company said safety was a priority and it would implement any necessary changes.
Dylan Ferguson stopped 48 shots in his first NHL start, and the Ottawa Senators topped the reeling Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Drake Batherson's power-play goal with 2:09 left in regulation helped the Senators end a five-game losing streak. Thomas Chabot scored his 10th goal for Ottawa, which won in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2014. Rickard Rakell scored his 21st of the season for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry made 19 saves but couldn't stop Pittsburgh from falling behind Florida for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
Maddy Siegrist scored 31 points and sent the winningest team in Villanova history into the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history with a 76-57 win over the 12th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast on Monday night. The fourth-seeded Wildcats won their record 30th game and celebrated the March Madness milestone in front of another packed house at the Pavilion. The Wildcats are going to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003. The Eagles are still looking for their first Sweet 16 in team history.
Joshua Dobbs is back with the Browns as a backup. The free agent quarterback, who spent most of last season with Cleveland, agreed to a one-year contract and will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson next season. Dobbs’ agent, Mike McCartney, congratulated his client with a post on Twitter. Financial terms were not immediately available. Dobbs made a great impression with the Browns last season, winning the backup job in training camp. He was the No. 2 QB behind Jacoby Brissett before being waived in November when Watson returned from his 11-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Three misdemeanor charges were filed against the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere after a video posted on social media showed him and another Mercyhurst University athlete pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase. Police in Erie, Pennsylvania, filed charges of criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy to commit mischief and disorderly conduct against Carson Briere, who completed his third hockey season at Mercyhurst. Senior lacrosse player Patrick Carrozzi faces the same three charges, according to documents filed with District Judge Sue Mack. The two are scheduled to appear in court on May 22. Briere previously apologized for his behavior.
Federal prosecutors have rested their seditious conspiracy case against former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants charged with plotting to stop the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. Jurors will still hear testimony by defense witnesses before they begin deliberating. Before prosecutors rested Monday, the jury heard over 30 days of testimony by more than 20 prosecution witnesses. A defense attorney told jurors Monday the Proud Boys did not travel to Washington to “cause a riot.” The case against the far-right extremist group’s leaders is among the most serious generated by the Justice Department’s investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Philadelphia city officials have announced a $9.25 million settlement with hundreds of people in lawsuits challenging the police response to protests in 2020 that followed the police custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Officials said Monday the money will be distributed among 343 plaintiffs in connection with police actions against protesters in west Philadelphia and along an interstate in the city center that spring. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney told WCAU-TV that he hoped the settlement would ‘continue the healing process.’ Videos of Philadelphia police firing tear gas on June 1, 2020, at dozens of protesters trapped on an interstate were widely spread on social media that year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have promoted Denzel Martin to outside linebackers coach and hired Baltimore Ravens assistant Jason Brooks as a defensive quality control coach. The moves are the latest in a series of changes to the defensive coaching staff during the offseason. Brian Flores, a senior defensive assistant in 2022, left to become the defensive coordinator in Minnesota in February. Aaron Curry was hired as the inside linebackers coach also in February, replacing Jerry Olsavsky. Martin has spent eight years in the Steelers organization, including the past four as assistant outside linebackers coach.
Paxten Aaronson, the younger brother of U.S. national team midfielder Brenden Aaronson, made his debut for Eintracht Frankfurt in a 2-0 loss at Union Berlin in the Bundesliga. The 19-year-old midfielder from Medford, New Jersey, entered in the 82nd minute Sunday. He transferred to the German club in January from Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union. Twenty-two-year-old Brenden Aaronson is a midfielder with Leeds in England’s Premier League and was on last year’s U.S. World Cup roster. Paxten made his senior national team debut in a Jan. 28 friendly against Colombia.
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