News

By BRETT MARTEL

Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. — Aneesah Morrow had 18 points, 20 rebounds, two blocks and a steal as No. 9 LSU snapped a two-game skid with a resounding 106-66 victory over Florida on Sunday.

Hailey Van Lith and Mikaylah Williams each scored 21 points, and Angel Reese added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (19-4, 6-3 SEC), who raced to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and led by as many as 45 points in the second half.

LSU was looking to rediscover its dominant form after a surprising road loss last Monday night at unranked Mississippi State — a result that followed a disheartening Jan. 25 home loss to unbeaten and No. 1 South Carolina after the Tigers had led most of that game.

Flau’Jae Johnson scored 10 points to give all five starters at least that many. Morrow scored from all over the offensive end, complementing her putbacks and generally powerful play in the paint with a pair of 3s.

Aliyah Matharu led Florida (11-9, 2-6) with 16 points and five steals and Leilani Correa added 13 points.

After Florida opened with a 6-2 lead, LSU took control by scoring 10 straight in a span of 1:57 — part of a run that grew to 14 straight. The surge included a pair of transition jumpers by Williams and Johnson’s right-wing 3.

“I thought that LSU did a great job of attacking in transition and really sharing the ball well,” Florida coach Kelly Rae Finley said, “but I thought it was their defense that changed the game for them.”

When Williams wasn’t scoring, Van Lith was hitting mid-range jumpers off screens, or Reese was scoring from the paint and at the foul line.

BIG PICTURE

Florida: The Gators struggled to stay with LSU on both ends. They shot 35.3% (24 of 68), allowed LSU to shoot 49.3% (37 of 75) and were outrebounded 59-34. … Reserve forward Eriny Kindred fouled out in just 11 minutes on the court.

LSU: The Tigers avoided what would have been their first three-game losing streak since coach Kim Mulkey took over before the 2021-22 season. They have had just two two-game skids and never lost two straight last season, when they won the national title. … Morrow had her team-leading 14th double-double in 23 games played, while Reese had her 13th in her 19th game played.

HONORING GUNTER

LSU honored the late Hall of Fame coach Sue Gunter, who won 422 games with the Tigers between 1983 and 2004, by placing her signature on the basketball court.

The halftime ceremony was attended by LSU women’s basketball alumni, including many players Gunter coached.

LSU assistant coach Bob Starkey, who also worked with Gunter, delivered a recorded message on the Pete Maravich Assembly Center videoboard.

“Coach Gunter planted seeds for LSU basketball, for collegiate women’s basketball, for USA basketball and for the WNBA,” Starkey said. “You look at all those things, and Sue Gunter’s fingerprints are on them.”

Gunter’s name now sits near the opposite sideline from that of former LSU men’s Dale Brown, who was honored similarly in 2022.

UP NEXT

Florida: Hosts Arkansas on Thursday night.

LSU: Visits Vanderbilt on Thursday night.

By RONALD BLUM (AP Sports Writer)

The 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.

FIFA made the announcement Sunday at a Miami television studio, allocating the opener of the 39-day tournament to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 11.

Semifinals will be played on July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the following day at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Quarterfinals will be at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on July 9, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the following day and at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and Hard Rock Stadium on July 11. The third-place game will be at Hard Rock on July 18.

All told, seven games will be played in Miami Gardens, with there also four pool-play games scheduled along with a round-of-32 elimination contest.

The group-stage games will be held June 15, June 21, June 24 and June 27, while the round-of-32 game will be on July 3.

The U.S. team will open at SoFi on June 12, then play seven days later at Seattle’s Lumen Field and finish the group stage at SoFi on June 25.

AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys that had hoped to host the final, has the most matches of any venue with nine.

FIFA officials did not publicly explain their site-decision process.

FIFA expanded the World Cup from 32 to 48 nations and increased matches from 64 to 104. The 2026 tournament will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, with all games from the quarterfinals on being played in the U.S. FIFA announced the 16 sites in 2022.

Canada will play its opening first-round match in Toronto on June 12, then its following two games in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 18 and 24.

A nation will need to play eight matches to win the title, up from seven since 1982.

Other U.S. sites are Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; NRG Stadium in Houston; Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri; Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Matches in Mexico also will be played at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey and Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.

All 11 of the U.S. stadiums are home to NFL teams. Hard Rock Stadium will host this year’s Copa América final on July 14, while MetLife was the site of the 2016 Copa América final.

Both the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals were at Azteca.

When the U.S. hosted the 24-nation, 52-game tournament in 1994, the final was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and the opener at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

With the additional teams, the length of the tournament will grow from 29 days in the shortened 2022 schedule in Qatar and 32 days for the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Only one match will involve a team that has not had at least three off days. FIFA divided the group stage into East, Central and West regions and intended to make travel shorter for group winners.

The stadiums in Arlington, Atlanta and Houston have retractable roofs that are expected to be closed because of summer heat, and Inglewood and Vancouver have fixed roofs.

Artificial turf will be replaced by grass in Arlington, Atlanta, East Rutherford, Foxborough, Houston, Inglewood and Vancouver.

Several of the venues are expected to widen their surfaces to accommodate a 75-by-115 yard (68-by-105 meter) playing field, including AT&T and MetLife.

FIFA did not announce kickoff times. The 1994 championship started at 12:30 p.m. PDT (3:30 p.m. EDT and 9:30 p.m. in Central Europe) but the start has been moved up in recent years as Asia’s television market become more significant to FIFA. The 2022 final in Qatar started at 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. EDT, 4 p.m. in Central Europe and 10 p.m. in Beijing).

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Fresh off its best recruiting class in school history, UCF has landed a verbal commitment from its highest-rated recruit for its Class of 2025.

The Knights secured a pledge from Kendarius Reddick Saturday night, a four-star safety from Thomasville, Georgia, who is the 64th-ranked player in the country according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. According to the website, Reddick is also Georgia’s No. 7 overall safety and 12th-best player.

Reddick’s commitment is a massive coup for new cornerback coach Trovon Reed, who joined the Knights’ coaching staff last week after spending the past three seasons as Auburn’s player relation coordinator and director of football. Reed previously secured a commitment from Reddick to AU, where he has been committed since October.

Reed celebrated the news on social media, “The GUS BUS ! Who’s Next ???”

The GUS BUS

BOCA RATON — Johnell Davis scored 24 points, Alijah Martin and Vladislav Goldin each scored 18 and No. 20 Florida Atlantic easily topped Tulsa 102-70 on Saturday night for its seventh consecutive win.

Nick Boyd finished with 13 and Bryan Greenlee added 11 for Florida Atlantic (18-4, 8-1 American Athletic Conference), which remained tied with Charlotte and South Florida atop the league standings. Charlotte pulled away to beat East Carolina earlier Saturday and USF won at North Texas.

PJ Haggerty scored 25 and Cobe Williams added 16 for Tulsa (12-9, 3-6). The Golden Hurricane scored 27 points in the first half, then needed only 10 minutes of the second half to score their next 27 — but trailed by double digits most of the way.

Tyshawn Archie scored 11 for Tulsa, which was 4 for 28 from 3-point range.

FAU scored six points in three seconds midway through the second half, and the margin got out of hand from there. Davis scored while Goldin was being flagrantly fouled to start that burst. Goldin made both free throws, got fouled again three seconds later and made two more from the line.

The 32-point margin was the second-largest in an American game this season. SMU beat Tulsa by 33 on Jan. 20.

Brandon Weatherspoon went baseline for a dunk with 9:18 left in the half to start what became a 19-1 FAU run, one that turned a one-point deficit into a 17-point lead — and took only 4 1/2 minutes.

Davis and Boyd each made two 3-pointers in that burst, Tulsa missed seven consecutive shots and the FAU lead was 32-15 with 4:50 left until intermission.

The Golden Hurricane closed within nine later in the half, but FAU’s edge was 40-27 at the break.

BIG PICTURE

Florida Atlantic: Goldin set a tone with four first-half dunks and finished with at least seven field goals for the ninth time this season. The Owls went to their 7-foot-1 center early and often; the game was nearly 6 minutes old before anyone besides Goldin scored for FAU.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Only nine teams appeared in every AP poll last season, and FAU is one of 12 schools to have been in all 13 editions of the AP Top 25 so far this season. The Owls may rise a bit when the new poll is released Monday after No. 13 Creighton, No. 15 Texas Tech, No. 17 Utah State and No. 19 New Mexico were among the teams that had a loss this week.

UP NEXT

Florida Atlantic: Visits UAB on Thursday night.

General Daily Insight for February 04, 2024

Finding the right balance between work and play could be a challenge at present. The nourishing Moon enters buoyant Sagittarius at 1:28 am EST, lifting our moods. While it supports potent Pluto, pursuing even seemingly shallow pleasures may bring rewarding insights. Still, when Luna goes on to provoke bitter Saturn, we might fear that doing what feels good potentially takes us too far away from our established responsibilities and commitments. Looking at the big picture should clarify which diversions we’re able to afford.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Your friends are likely to be on board with any idea for an adventure you cook up today. While the spontaneous Moon in your 9th House of Travel conflicts with wet blanket Saturn in your anxious 12th house, your own inhibitions could be a bigger obstacle. Don’t be afraid to request another perspective if you truly can’t tell what’s worth worrying about. On the other hand, you’re not required to be a daredevil to impress people — simple pleasures are okay too!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Your mind is likely to be occupied with heavy topics at this time. As the probing Moon in your intense 8th house sextiles profound Pluto in your ambition sector, following your thoughts wherever they lead could provide you with a stronger sense of your own goals. A potentially transformative insight may be initially exciting for you, but sharing it with your friends before you’re ready risks throwing you off a promising scent. If you’re not in the mood for judgment, don’t seek it out!

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Going somewhere outside your usual routine with a loved one may give you a fresh view of your relationship. Unfortunately, you might not like everything you see. While the sensitive Moon in your partnership zone fusses at stern Saturn in your authority sector, an uncomfortable power dynamic between the two of you could be especially apparent in this updated context. If you’re not happy with what you have, articulating a clear vision of what you want is the first step toward getting it.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

You might feel trapped in your daily routine. Although travel or other exciting plans may not be realistic at the moment, perhaps changing how you share responsibilities with someone else would make you more comfortable in the meantime. While the perceptive Moon in your 6th House of Duty picks up on subconscious Pluto in your sharing sector, you’re equipped to detect the deeper dynamics involved in the situation. Find a solution that works for both of you rather than against anyone.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Emotional closeness might seem to be lacking in a current relationship of yours. Perhaps you’re contributing to the problem by taking yourself too seriously. Intimacy doesn’t always look terribly solemn! While the genuine Moon in your playful 5th house supports grounded Pluto in your partnership sector, doing something fun together may be what your bond needs most at this moment. If you don’t know how to sit down and basically enjoy each other’s company, the tougher stuff will probably only get harder.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You may not presently be receiving the level of care you believe you deserve from someone close to you. While the emotional Moon in your 4th House of Nurturing clashes against inhibited Saturn in your relationship sector, this would understandably be upsetting. You might not be able to make the other person see the error of their ways. However, you probably have a reasonable amount of control over getting practical tasks done. Focus on what flows smoothly while letting everything else work itself out.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Keeping your conversations overly focused on practical matters could drag you down today. Although playing it safe can help you avoid trouble, boredom can sap your energy and make you less productive as the candid Moon in your communication zone defers to rigid Saturn in your responsible 6th house. Being vulnerable is always a gamble, but bringing more of your personality into your routine interactions may allow you to feel emotionally connected to what you’re doing. A little bit goes a long way!

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Building security could be a focus for you now. As the fretful Moon in your money zone provokes repressive Saturn in your 5th House of Fun, you may be concerned that this effort gets in the way of your ability to enjoy yourself. You aren’t required to give in to your desire for pleasure, but don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Honestly acknowledge the discomfort of sacrifice before you try to psych yourself up about the benefits you hope it will eventually bring you.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Your side of the story is possibly easy to tell right now. Even so, your audience may not be equipped to deliver the specific kind of validation that you’re looking for. While the needy Moon in your sign aggravates scarcity-focused Saturn in your 4th House of Roots, you might long for others to nurture you emotionally. If you focus on how they fail to do that, you’ll possibly miss out on the thoughtful and perceptive insights that they are presently able to provide.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Trying to talk things out with others could stress you out today. As the nervous Moon in your contemplative 12th house stumbles into duty-bound Saturn in your communication zone, you may feel obligated to give people the information they’re demanding from you. Failing to comply with such a request might seem like bad manners! That said, it’s possible that factors beyond your control make this the wrong time to share. Remove blame and judgment from the equation, then see what makes sense after that.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

You’re currently capable of steering an organization you belong to in the way you’d like it to go. As the impressionable Moon in your 11th House of Community aligns with subversive Pluto in your sign, your methods might correctly be described as manipulative. Asking openly for what you want may be more trouble than it’s worth, though — if you’re anxious about that, others could sense your lack of confidence. A little indirectness now and then is okay, but don’t take it too far.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Having to interact with the public could stress you out today. While the clingy Moon in your 10th House of Reputation conflicts with guarded Saturn in your sign, you may perceive your audience as demanding and protect yourself from the pressure by pulling back. This can quickly compound the problem. The rest of the story, however, is that you’re potentially getting a lot done behind the scenes. If you’re able to convincingly get that message across, they might settle down.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Tyrece Radford scored 26, including the final three points of the game, and Texas A&M rallied to beat Florida 67-66 on Saturday.

Zyon Pullin hit a jumper to put Florida up 66-64 with 3:04 remaining, but the Gators would not score again.

Radford made the second of two free throws with 2:37 to go and buried a go-ahead jumper with 35 seconds left.

Florida had three shots at the winning basket on its final possession but could not get one to fall.

Radford made 10 of 16 shots with two 3-pointers and 4 of 7 free throws for the Aggies (13-8, 4-4 Southeastern Conference), plus adding five rebounds. Wade Taylor IV scored 15 but made just 5 of 18 shots, including 1 of 6 from beyond the arc. Solomon Washington had 10 points and Andersson Garcia pitched in with nine points and six rebounds off the bench.

Pullin led the Gators (15-7, 5-4) with 18 points and eight assists. Will Richard and reserve Riley Kugel each scored 12. Kugel added five rebounds and four assists.

Pullin had a hand in 20 first-half points, scoring 12 with four assists, and Kugel hit three 3-pointers and scored 10 as Florida took a 40-34 lead. Radford had 15 points to help keep Texas A&M close.

Richard hit a pair of 3-pointers to begin the second half and Florida upped its advantage to 12. Texas A&M whittled away at the lead until Taylor sank a 3-pointer and scored the last five in a 7-0 run to give the Aggies a 57-55 lead with 8:44 left to play.

“Really, the biggest thing for me was that there were a total of 13 free throws taken by both teams in the first half, and then A&M took 20 in the second half to our 2,” Gators coach Todd Golden said.

Texas A&M has won five in a row over the Gators by a total of nine points.

Florida, which had a four-game win streak end, was coming off a 94-91 overtime victory at No. 10 Kentucky. Walter Clayton Jr. hit career-best seven 3-pointers and scored 23 to lead the way in that game.  The Aggies held Clayton to eight points.

Texas A&M plays at Missouri on Wednesday. Florida will host No 16 Auburn on Feb. 10.

As milestones go, it was a pretty special one for Johnny Dawkins.

With UCF’s 74-63 upset win over No. 23 Oklahoma at Addition Financial Arena on Saturday, the Knights’ coach secured his 300th career coaching win. He joins a group of 80 active Division I coaches with 300 or more wins during their careers.

“Our guys really did lock in and execute the game plan and gave us a chance tonight,” said the 60-year-old Dawkins, who previously served as Stanford’s head coach.

It was the second time this season that UCF (13-8, 4-5 Big 12) has defeated a ranked opponent, having knocked off No. 3 Kansas 65-60 on Jan. 10. The last time the Knights beat two ranked teams in the same season was the 2018-19 campaign.

UCF stepped up its defensive effort in the beginning, recording back-to-back-to-back steals and a block on four straight Oklahoma possessions as the Knights jumped out to a 7-0 lead.

Fifth-year guard Antwann Jones connected on back-to-back 3-pointers, giving UCF its largest lead of the first half at 15-4 with 15:04. But that advantage didn’t last as the Knights went through a brutal shooting stretch: 1 of 8 from the floor with a pair of turnovers as Oklahoma (16-6, 4-5) cut the lead to 20-17 with under 7 minutes.

Late collapse in loss to No. 18 Baylor hurts UCF’s postseason hopes

Both teams hovered around 40% shooting for the half, with the Knights managing to grab the halftime lead for the third straight game, 34-27.

UCF was without the services of forward Thierno Sylla, who was assessed a contact technical foul upon an official review at halftime and ejected for the second half. It was the second ejection of the season for Sylla, who was tossed after leaving the bench during a scuffle against Kansas on Jan. 10.

But instead of settling for outside shots as it had done for most of the first half, UCF attacked the basket, turning a 7-point halftime advantage into its largest lead at 17 points. The Knights finished with 26 points in the paint — 16 in the second half — and 17 fast-break points.

“I feel like lately, in the past, we get relaxed in the second half [of games], but this game, we tried to stay in attack mode, get to the free throw line, and do different things like that to keep us focused offensively,” said guard Shemarri Allen.

UCF men’s basketball faces crucial stretch of Big 12 schedule to make case for NCAA tournament

The fifth-year senior was back in the starting lineup after missing the last two games after rolling his ankle in the Knights’ 72-59 win over West Virginia on Jan. 23.

Guard Jaylin Sellers led three Knights in double figures with 20 points, followed by Jones (15) and Darius Johnson (14).

Oklahoma was led by guards Le’Tre Darthard (14 points) and Rivaldo Soares (11).

UCF held the Sooners to a season-low 36% (17 of 47) shooting and forced 15 turnovers resulting in 16 transition points.

“I just thought they were a step ahead of us on both ends the whole night,” said Oklahoma coach Porter Moser. “I don’t think we guarded our yard — we call it guarding your yard, the three feet each way. I don’t think we guarded our yard very well.”

The win helps keep alive UCF’s chances for a possible NCAA Tournament bid thanks to the strength of the Big 12. The conference had eight teams ranked in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll and the league has the most impressive NET average ranking (46.0) among all the Division I conferences.

The Knights are 1 game under .500 in conference play and would need a strong finish over the final 9 games to have a legitimate shot at the postseason.

“We have our standards and our expectations,” said Dawkins. “We still haven’t achieved what I think we can achieve. So for us, we’re going to keep pushing and keep fighting because we still haven’t reached our full potential.”

While 300 wins is a huge milestone for Dawkins, he’s eager to share the accolades.

“I’m just very grateful that I’ve been able to coach some amazing young men not just because of wins but because of the people that they are and and the people that they’ve become,” he said. “I told my team after the game that I look back at each one of the teams that I’ve coached and the players that were on those teams, and I’m just thankful I’ve had a chance to work with some amazing people.”

Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on X at @osmattmurschel.

A day after a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and a truck driver were killed during a pursuit on Interstate 95 in St. Lucie County, the man who led the trooper on the pursuit has been arrested in the two deaths.

The suspect in Friday’s chase, Michael Anthony Addison, 30, is from Broward County. He is facing charges of vehicular homicide, felony homicide, driving without a license causing death, aggravated fleeing and eluding with death, among others, the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said in a statement Saturday afternoon.

A St. Lucie County deputy initially tried to stop the suspect early Friday because he was driving at twice the speed limit, but the deputy called it off several minutes later. Trooper Zachary Fink, 26, then resumed the pursuit, trying to stop the driver out of concern he was endangering others, Col. Gary Howze, who heads the Florida Highway Patrol, said.

The suspect made an abrupt U-turn into the opposite direction of traffic on I-95, and Fink followed, turning into the path of a tractor-trailer. The truck’s driver and Fink both died.

Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Zachary Fink, was killed Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in a crash with a tractor-trailer while trying to catch a fleeing felon on Interstate 95 in St. Lucie County. The truck driver also died. (Florida Highway Patrol/courtesy)

The news release did not provide further information about the incident or FHP’s ongoing investigation. Addison was booked into the St. Lucie County jail shortly before 9:30 p.m. Friday, according to the jail’s inmate log.

Addison has been arrested on felony charges multiple times in Broward County between 2012 and 2021, court records show. He was arrested on burglary- and theft-related charges when he was 18 years old and the judge withheld adjudication. He was sentenced to three years of probation.

He was arrested several times in 2020 on fraud-related charges and was placed on probation that was ultimately revoked, court records show. He spent about a year in jail.

In 2021, Addison was arrested on a third-degree grand theft charge, court records show, and that charge was later dropped. Paula McMahon, spokesperson for the Broward State Attorney’s Office, said in an email Saturday evening that the charge was dropped after prosecutors investigated and reviewed evidence that found Addison was not the suspect.

Later that year, he was arrested on charges of domestic battery by strangulation for allegedly grabbing his ex-girlfriend by the neck, according to arrest paperwork. Prosecutors declined to bring that case as well. McMahon said prosecutors could not move forward with the case after the victim declined to cooperate and no independent evidence supported the charge.

He was then pulled over by Coconut Creek Police in November 2022 for failing to stop at a red light and was found to be driving without a valid license, according to court records.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. 

MOBILE, Ala. — Washington State cornerback Chau Smith-Wade returned an interception 83 yards in the final two minutes to set up a decisive score and secure the National’s 16-7 victory over the American team in the Senior Bowl on Saturday.

In a game dominated by the defenses, Smith-Wade sprawled out to pick off a deep ball from Tennessee’s Joe Milton III. He hesitated momentarily before realizing he wasn’t officially down under NFL rules.

Then he shook off one tackle attempt on the right sideline and cut back across the field before TCU running back Emani Bailey stopped him at the 1 with 1:38 left.

“I got up and it’s not college anymore where you’re down,” said Smith-Wade, who was named the National’s player of the game. “You’ve got to be down by contact now. So I got up, I started to celebrate a little bit and my teammates were like, ‘Go, go, go.’”

The offense couldn’t punch it in, but Joshua Karty of Stanford made his third field goal, scoring on kicks of 19, 37 and 52 yards.

Smith-Wade got his second pick on a Hail Mary pass into the end zone by Tulane’s Michael Pratt.

It wasn’t a big game for the quarterbacks, with the top-rated passers seeing only limited action in the game for NFL prospects.

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. opted not to play. The Heisman Trophy runner-up did participate in practices this week after leading the Huskies to the national championship game.

Fellow Pac-12 Conference star Oregon’s Bo Nix, who was third in the Heisman voting, played only two series. So did South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler for the American team.

Nix, who started his career a few hours away at Auburn, completed 4 of 5 passes for 21 yards in two series. His final play was a 2-yard touchdown to Minnesota tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford when he rolled out before firing up the middle. It was the team’s only TD.

“He’s just absolutely a winner,” said National coach Jeff Ulbrich, the New York Jets defensive coordinator.

Rattler completed all four of his attempts for 65 yards and earned Game MVP honors in the loss. He capped his first drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Georgia’s Marcus-Rosemy-Jacksaint in a connection between Southeastern Conference Eastern Division rivals.

“I felt like I wanted to come out here, create relationships and have fun,” Rattler said. “This was just the cherry on top.”

None of the other quarterbacks was as effective.

Milton was 9-of-13 passing for 80 yards for the American team but was intercepted twice.

Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman played most of the way for the National team. He went 7 of 25 for 69 yards with an interception.

TCU’s Bailey had four runs and a catch totaling 35 yards on the American team’s first five plays. He finished with 53 yards on 10 carries and four catches for another 34 yards.

Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith was the American team’s MVP after breaking up three passes.

Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske switched sides Saturday morning to the National team because of roster attrition. He had four tackles, 1 1/2 tackles for loss and was in on a sack.

It was the game’s first sellout since 2010, when Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was on the roster. Players wore helmets with stickers featuring a parrot drinking a margarita to honor the late Mobile native Jimmy Buffett.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

By FRED GOODALL (AP Sports Writer)

ORLANDO — Tyreek Hill is a five-time All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl champion.

The speedy Miami Dolphins receiver likes the idea of also having an opportunity to pursue Olympic gold when the rapidly growing sport of flag football debuts in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, a sentiment shared by other NFL stars, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Hill, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and running back Raheem Mostert, Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram are among the players representing the AFC and NFC at the Pro Bowl Games, which conclude Sunday with a seven-on-seven flag exhibition that will offer fans and a national television audience a sense of what the sport could look like with such highly skilled talent on the field.

“That’s going to be really exciting,” Tagovailoa said, adding he played flag football as a 5- or 6-year-old and is eager to see the makeup of the roster for Team USA in four years.

Flag football is one of five sports added to the Olympic program for 2028.

The NFL, which continues to expand its global brand, has expressed a willingness to work with the NFL Players Association, USA Football, the International Federation of American Football and the International Olympic Committee regarding the prospect of current and former players participating in Los Angeles.

“Those conversations around eligibility and process have started,” league executive Peter O’Reilly said.

“Obviously, (there’s) a little bit of time, and there’s a lot of great global flag football competitions to come in the years ahead that may be less on people’s radars — world championships, world games … but important things for us to work through, and we’ll continue to do that,” O’Reilly added.

This is the second year that Pro Bowl week festivities have culminated with a non-contact flag game that’s replaced the event’s traditional tackle exhibition.

The NFL has helped spur the growth of flag football for young boys and girls throughout the world, in part through organizing clinics, camps and competitions while supporting the creation of college scholarships.

Youth teams of boys and girls from Australia, the Bahamas, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom traveled to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the International NFL Flag Championships during the Pro Bowl Games.

Canada, which won last year’s NFL Flag International Division, made the trip to face U.S. flag teams in the National NFL Flag Championship event.

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who is coaching the NFC in Sunday’s flag game at Camping World Stadium, is supportive of the idea of NFL players participating in the Olympics.

“I think it’s great. The fact that they have an impact on that and growing the game of flag football,” Manning said.

“You see a lot of kids that are younger are playing flag football. In a lot of ways, that’s how they get introduced to the game of football. They are big fans of it, understand it,” the two-time Super Bowl champion added. “Even a lot of players now who are here grew up playing flag football or versions of it. … It’s a game on its own.”

Older brother Peyton Manning, a Hall of Famer as well as a two-time Super Bowl winner and coach of the AFC, also is enthusiastic about the growth of the fast-paced sport.

“I’m excited for flag football and the Olympics,” Peyton Manning said. “I heard Tyreek saying he’d like to make it, so it would a (tough) competition for people trying to compete” for roster spots.

Hill and Mahomes are among the biggest names who’ve expressed interest in possibly playing for Team USA.

Mostert said he has never played organized flag football, but he is looking forward to Sunday’s game between the NFL’s two conferences.

“Obviously, flag football is a great sport. Everyone is really in tune with it,” Mostert said.

“I think it does a lot for the game of football itself. It’s definitely a safer, less contact version of the game, and it allows other countries be introduced to the game or even finding the great talent in their country and inside their lines playing this great sport,” Engram said. “The Olympics have been the highest pinnacle of competition, so adding football to that is really cool.”

Count St. Brown among those who grew up playing flag football. He’s thought about the possibility of playing in the Olympics but hasn’t decided if it’s for him.

“I don’t know yet. … But maybe when I retire. Right now, I might get injured, whatever the case may be,” St. Brown said. “After I’m done playing, shoot, I’d love to get out there and do something.”

___

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

CORAL GABLES — Walking back to his office Saturday afternoon, Jim Larrañaga was met down the hallways of the Watsco Arena by friends or fans with the same mantra bestowed on winners in every sport.

“Good game, good game,’’ he was told after the University of Miami’s 82-74 win against Virginia Tech.

“Thank you,’’ Larrañaga responded, giving a nod or shake of the hand in appreciation.

He’s been around long enough to know this was less a good game than a great finish. “Awful,’’ he labeled a 10-minute stretch of the first half where Miami was 2 for 16 shooting. “Difficult,’’ he called parts of the larger game.

Whatever Miami found in the final stanza of the second half, down 10 points and struggling, they need to bottle it and sprinkle it across February to get to the March that’s been their good friend the past two years.

Maybe this becomes the kind of day to propel their hamstrung season forward.. Maybe it has to happen the way it did Saturday, with this combination of competitive grit and calm in the face of calamity, these players mirroring their coach’s unshaken demeanor that’s his sideline philosophy.

“Train, then trust,’’ is the mantra Larrañaga coaches, a line from his friend, the sports psychologist Bob Rotella. The idea is to train players in practice, then trust they’ll get it right in games to the point of even clap encouragement during mistakes.

Larrañaga did a lot of clapping for much of Saturday.

“Did you see me at the end?’’ he said, walking down the hallway with a smile.

His veneer of calm was replaced by an arm-waving plea for the home crowd to bring some volume into the day. Miami had finally made a few defensive stands, finally decided to pass and not just dribble against the Virginia Tech defense and finally clawed their way into a one-point game. Then a five-point deficit. Then three points.

Then came the sequence that could turn a season. Norchad Omier, their prime-time player, grabbed a Virginia Tech turnover and drove in solo for a dunk. When Virginia Tech passed the ball back in, Miami freshman Kyshawn George grabbed it for an easy layin and a 66-65 lead it wouldn’t give back.

Suddenly, instead of being on the brink of 5-6 in the ACC and wondering about its NCAA Tournament plight, Miami is 6-5 with a good view out. If it can re-create those final minutes. If it can remember to pass the ball like it did in the second half and bring the kind of defense that changed the day.

“At a timeout, we used the expression that ‘We must disrupt’ them,’’ Larrañaga said. “We can’t just guard them on defense. We’ve got harass the dribble, harass the ball handler, front the post that was killing us for a while.”

This was the first time Miami had its actual starting lineup in weeks due to constant injury. The trouble goes beyond games. All the starters have worked together once in the 20 practices since early December, affecting everything from chemistry to conditioning to general team morale.

Now, walking down the hall, Larrañaga said, “If we can keep everyone in there …”

He didn’t need to finish the thought. Miami has been an Elite Eight and Final Four team the past two years. It has enough top-end talent to have some more fun this NCAA tournament. It had five players in double figures Sunday.

Omier is a physical force, too — the only one on Miami’s small team. His 17 points and seven rebounds don’t tell how indispensable he is. When he left the game with foul trouble, so did much of Miami’s might.

“Google, ‘Atlas,’”  Larrañaga said of the Greek god when asked by media from Omier’s native Nicaragua about him. “Omier is Atlas.”

Now, Larrañaga saw Omier outside his office, talking to fans. Larrañaga was met with more a good-game chorus from friends. Whatever happened in that great finish, Miami needs it the rest of this season.

 

General Daily Insight for February 03, 2024

Following our feelings could stir things up throughout the day. When the mystery-loving Scorpio Moon catches the scent of unusual Uranus at 4:55 am EST, our intuition can tell us where to dig — indulging seemingly minor curiosities has the potential to unearth substantial surprises. As Luna goes on to align with active Mars and thoughtful Mercury, we’re capable of putting our discoveries to practical use right away. Even when events don’t unfold in exactly the way we’d expected, we’re still moving forward!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

A seemingly impulsive financial decision could bring you closer to a significant goal. Sometimes you just need to get out of a frustrating rut in any way you can — even if it isn’t tidy. You know deep inside what level of risk you’re truly equipped to take on. Still, as the vulnerable Moon in your 8th House of Sharing challenges bold Uranus in your money zone, your loved ones might continually worry. Try to set things up in a way that shields them.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Standing up to someone who seeks to tie you down might be necessary at the moment. The clear reality that you can’t always protect everyone else’s feelings while doing what you need to do could challenge your beliefs about how relationships are supposed to work. You may feel isolated, as though you’re the only one who struggles in this way. Remind yourself that your peers might understand exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing, they just aren’t likely to admit it out loud today.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Hidden resentment could provoke you to impulsively shirk your ongoing duties. This pain is a valid signal that change is necessary. Perhaps distributing responsibilities more fairly with someone else involved in the situation would address your concerns and make you happier to contribute. If it’s not clear who has the authority to adjust the arrangement, reach out to the other person and see if you can begin working things out between the two of you. Starting somewhere is better than going nowhere!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Your current eagerness to build relationships could come off a little too anxious. While the spontaneous Moon in your 5th House of Self-Expression opposes volatile Uranus in your social 11th house, impulsively sharing something really personal with your peers may not have the outcome you expect. Thankfully, the results aren’t guaranteed to be all bad. As long as you’re tough enough to deal with the possibility of conflict in the moment, taking a risk might plant the seeds of rewarding connections further down the road.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Pursuing a goal outside your comfort zone could rattle your sense of security now. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it! While the anxious Moon in your sensitive 4th house reaches out to both clever Mercury and motivated Mars in your productivity sector, your problem-solving skills are ready to rise to the occasion. Even if the challenge came about in a way that you wouldn’t have chosen, conquering it can give you a great reason to take pride in your resilience.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

A craving for attention could be burning a hole in your inhibitions at the moment. When the impulsive Moon in your communication zone goads wild Uranus in your adventurous 9th house, you might say something bizarre just to get a reaction out of the people around you. This is likely to be fun — for you, at least! Do your best to keep an eye on how your audience is really doing so you can rein things in if they’re getting too upset.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Feeling anxious about your finances could tempt you to make a last-minute, rash decision. While the fretful Moon in your money zone nags impatient Uranus, you might be in a hurry to attain security. As you consider a tempting opportunity to get rich quick, take a second to step back and identify the things that already are reasonably secure in your life. You’re possibly doing better than you think in at least some way, so plan your next moves from that foundation.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You may currently feel vulnerable because someone you rely on seems unstable. Can you tell them that without being mean about it? Although being angry is understandable, you can communicate your concerns without resorting to personal attacks or name-calling. You have a right to your side of the story, and that should be enough to start the conversation. As the discussion goes on, however, don’t forget to hear them out — your expectations may not be as realistic as you think.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Your current need for rest could motivate you to look for a way out of an oppressive responsibility. While the mellow Moon in your 12th House of Contemplation soothes driven Mars in your finance sector, it’s possible that spending a little extra money to get things done in a way that requires less personal effort from you would be worth it. You probably don’t have to commit to this choice for the rest of your life, so try it once and see how it goes.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Intimidating your peers is possible at this time. While the impressionable Moon in your social zone takes notice of both brilliant Mercury and bombastic Mars in your sign, it’s likely clear to the world that you’re antsy to make something happen! Your intense drive isn’t wrong, but you may need to be realistic about the fact that some people aren’t going to vibe with it. Focus your efforts on collaborators who are sincerely up for the challenge instead of pushing reluctant folks along the way.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Your hidden feelings could become known without warning — but it shouldn’t be the end of the world! As the emotional Moon in your public 10th house sextiles articulate Mercury in your 12th House of Secrets, you’re equipped to explain your side of the story in a way people will find relatable. Although even good change is often disruptive, having the truth out may free everyone involved to negotiate an arrangement that’s ultimately more comfortable. You don’t have to worry about protecting others from that.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Taking a routine conversation in an unexpected direction could be tempting now. While the inquisitive Moon in your philosophical 9th house provokes unstable Uranus in your communication zone, you might want to reveal your political or spiritual beliefs to someone you wouldn’t normally go there with. Perhaps they’ll ultimately become interested in joining a community you belong to. This outcome isn’t guaranteed, though, so make sure you can live with any emotional fallout if it becomes apparent that you’re not on the same page.

WASHINGTON — Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 110-102 victory over the Washington Wizards:

– It was just over a year ago when the Heat added Kevin Love on the 2023 buyout market.

– It was a move that continues to pay dividends.

– With that again the case on Friday night, Love with a double-double within his first 20 minutes on the floor.

– Again providing quality relief for Bam Adebayo.

– Something the Heat continue to look for when Jimmy Butler dares take a rest.

– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame that keeping Love in a stable minutes range has provided tangible results.

– “I think if we keep him where he is, he could do this role forever,” he said. “And he’s really embraced it and he’s excelling at that role.”

– At 35, Love is a prime example of playing within your means.

– With Spoelstra also careful not to overextend.

– Love had been uneven initially in his return from a knee contusion, bur again has found his rhythm.

– “Right before he got injured,” Spoelstra said, “he was a massive impact on the game, particularly offensively, and just really helped set the stage for all of our guys.”

– It again was Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Butler, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier as the Heat’s starting lineup.

– Love and Jaime Jaquez Jr. then entered as the Heat’s first two reserves.

– With Caleb Martin following after Highsmith was called for two early fouls.

– Josh Richardson then made it nine deep.

– Spoelstra went into Friday’s game stressing the need to build off of Wednesday night’s home victory over the Kings.

– “We obviously have to sustain,” he said. “We constantly are now talking about our identity, how it looks like, feels like, when we’re at our best, closest to our identity. And the opponents have to feel us. The other night, that was the case.”

– Adebayo spoke at Friday morning’s shootaround about the need to continue to build off of Tuesday’s candid video session.

– “I think we accomplished the connection, really getting down the communication, making that the focal point,” Adebayo said. “Without communication, you can’t run any schemes, you can’t run any offense – because it’s not going to work. I feel like communication fixed that, as a whole. We just need to sustain in that area.”

– Shootaround was held at George Washington University, where former University of Miami assistant Chris Caputo is coach.

WASHINGTON — And now … a winning streak.

A game after snapping a seven-game losing streak, the Miami Heat remained on the right side of the ledger Friday night, this time with a 110-102 victory over the lottery-bound Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

Granted, this wasn’t quite the challenge of Wednesday night’s slump-busting victory over the Sacramento Kings, but this also was a game the Heat could not afford to kick away, which actually appeared possible, after falling behind by 11 early.

“I would like to think that we are doing some things better,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Two games in a row we’ve been able to show more of our identity.”

With a rugged closing stretch to the All-Star break, a six-game schedule that includes matchups against the Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, this was a night with little margin for error.

So the Heat cleaned up their game in the second half, taking control in the third quarter.

Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 24 points, supported by double-doubles from Bam Adebayo (20 points, 13 rebounds) and Kevin Love (13 points, 10 rebounds). The Heat also got 15 points apiece from Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier.

“We were playing together on both sides of the ball,” Butler said.

The Heat closed with a 59-43 rebounding advantage, with 14 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points.

“We knew we had to get on the glass,” Love said.

With the victory, the Heat improved to 26-23, while the Wizards fell to 9-39.

“The resolve and the commitment on the defensive side of the floor, that’s progress in my mind,” Spoelstra said.

Five Degrees of Heat from Friday night’s game:

1. Closing time: The Wizards led 33-31 after the first quarter and 59-56 at halftime, after pushing their lead to 11.

The Heat then ended the third period on a 22-6 run to take an 87-74 lead into the fourth.

“We just said we had to play with more energy.” Love said of the third-quarter turnaround.

Butler went to the bench earlier than usual, sitting with 1:25 left in the third period. He returned with 6:42 to play and the Heat up 95-84.

From there, the Heat went ahead by 16, before the Wizards closed within 106-101 with 52.7 seconds to play on a Jordan Poole 3-pointer. Poole then drained a free throw with 31.1 seconds to play to make it 106-102.

Rozier then went to the line with 24.4 seconds to play, making both free throws for a 108-102 lead.

2. Butler early: Butler for the second consecutive game took an aggressive early stance, with 10 of the Heat’s first 23 points, opening 4 of 5 from the field.

He later drained a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer, to close the first half with 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, 6-of-6 shooting from the line, along with five rebounds.

“He’s a guy,” Love said, “when you establish him early, he’s always going to make the right play.”

Butler had 24 points and nine rebounds when he went to the bench to close the third period.

“We just had to get back to playing the right way.” Butler said.

Butler closed 7 of 10 from the field, 9 of 13 from the line, with nine rebounds.

“It allows us to control the game better,” Spoelstra said of Butler getting to the line. “We were able to set our defense so many times from that.”

3. Herro milestone: Herro’s second 3-pointer of the night was the 700th of the Heat guard’s career.

With that conversion, he became the second-fastest player in Heat history to reach 700, doing it in his 272nd career game. Duncan Robinson did it in an NBA-record 216 games.

Herro is the fifth Heat player to record 700 3-pointers, joining Robinson, Tim Hardaway, Eddie Jones and Glen Rice.

“Got to keep shooting my threes and be confident,” said Herro, who closed 3 of 8 from behind the arc, with the rest of the Heat 4 of 23.

4. Terry tracker: Rozier continues to be a work in progress with his shooting since being acquired from the Charlotte Hornets for Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick, this time opening 0 for 5 and then moving to 2 of 10 through three periods.

Rozier entered after in his first five Heat games shooting 3 of 11, 3 of 10, 4 of 12, 8 of 14 and then 1 of 8 in Wednesday night’s victory over the Kings.

This time he closed 2 of 13 from the field, but also 11 of 11 from the line.

“He has an ability to play on the ball, off the ball, to get to the basket,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a guy that, to a fault, he wants to fit in, he wants to complement.”

5. Zone press: While the Heat were sloppy early, with seven first-half turnovers, they eventually reversed the trend by again moving to the zone press, the approach that proved so successful in Wednesday night’s victory over the Kings.

The Wizards scored just two baskets the balance of the third period after the Heat went full time to the zone midway through the quarter.

“It’ll be different game to game, where we need to adjust our schemes,” Spoelstra said. “Tonight it ended up being a little bit of the zone, we were able to extend it a little more.”

The switch to the zone not only settled the Heat’s defense, but also sped up the Wizards and allowed the Heat to then play more in transition.

“It’s really been disruptive,” Herro said of the zone.

Whoever the Miami Dolphins’ new defensive coordinator is will have to find a new safeties coach.

Joe Kasper is leaving the Dolphins to take the same role with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to NFL Network on Friday night.

Kasper bolts from Miami after one season, following former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who took that same post with his hometown Eagles in January.

The safeties coach also goes back to Philadelphia, where he just was before joining the Dolphins. Kasper was defensive quality control coach for the Eagles in 2021 and 2022.

In Miami, Kasper worked with versatile starting safeties Jevon Holland and DeShon Elliott and helped transform Brandon Jones into a reserve safety capable of stepping in under Fangio’s new scheme, which differed greatly from his blitz-heavy role of previous coach Brian Flores and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer.

Before his first stint in Philadelphia, Kasper doubled as defensive backs and quarterbacks coach at Duke from 2018 to 2020.

As for Miami’s defensive coordinator search, Ravens defensive line coach and associate head coach Anthony Weaver has reportedly emerged as a frontrunner, according to Houston-based national NFL reporter Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

Experienced defensive coach Leslie Frazier has also been eliminated from the search, as he is taking an assistant head coach position with the Seattle Seahawks, alongside new coach Mike Macdonald, per NFL Network.

Along with Weaver, remaining known defensive coordinator candidates for Miami are former Chargers coach Brandon Staley, Texans linebackers coach Chris Kiffin and internal candidates in linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and outside linebackers coach Ryan Slowik.

BOSTON (AP) — JetBlue and Spirit Airlines will have to wait until June before a federal court hears their appeal of a ruling that blocked JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion purchase of the smaller rival.

The schedule set Friday by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston is a month later than the airlines had hoped. They asked for an expedited hearing in May so the court could rule before a July 24 deal-closing deadline in their merger agreement.

The appeals court ordered the airlines to file their pre-hearing briefs Feb. 26, with a response by the U.S. Justice Department due by April 11.

The Justice Department sued to block the merger last year, saying it would reduce competition and drive up fares, especially for travelers who depend on low-fare Spirit.

In January, a federal district judge in Boston sided with the government and blocked the deal, saying it violated antitrust law.

New York-based JetBlue had argued that the merger would help it compete more effectively against bigger airlines. However, the price tag looks less attractive because of continuing losses and other problems at Spirit, which is based in Miramar, Florida. Last week JetBlue warned that it might terminate the agreement.

By ERIC TUCKER (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prosecutors in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump told a judge Friday that defense lawyers had painted an “inaccurate and distorted picture of events” and had unfairly sought to “cast a cloud of suspicion” over government officials who were simply trying to do their jobs.

The comments came in a court filing aimed at urging a judge to reject a Trump team request from last month that sought to force prosecutors to turn over a trove of information that defense lawyers believe is relevant to the case.

But special counsel Jack Smith’s team said the defense was creating a false narrative about how the investigation began and was trying to “cast a cloud of suspicion over responsible actions by government officials diligently doing their jobs.”

“The defendants’ insinuations have scant factual or legal relevance to their discovery requests, but they should not stand uncorrected,” the prosecution motion states.

“Put simply,” the prosecutors added, “the Government here confronted an extraordinary situation: a former President engaging in calculated and persistent obstruction of the collection of Presidential records, which, as a matter of law, belong to the United States for the benefit of history and posterity, and, as a matter of fact, here included a trove of highly classified documents containing some of the nation’s most sensitive information. The law required that those documents be collected.”

Trump faces dozens of felony counts in federal court in Florida accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. The case is currently set for trial on May 20, but that date could be pushed back.

In their response, prosecutors said many of the defense lawyers’ requests were so general and vague as to be indecipherable. In other instances, they said, they had already provided extensive information to the defense.

Trump’s lawyers, for example, argued that prosecutors should be forced to disclose all information related to what they have previously described as “temporary secure locations” at Mar-a-Lago and other Trump properties. They suggested that that information would refute allegations that Mar-a-Lago was not secure and would show that the Secret Service had taken steps to secure the residences.

Prosecutors said they had “already produced thorough information about the use of secure facilities at Trump’s residential locations and steps the Secret Service took to protect Trump and his family.”

But they also suggested that the records that were turned over didn’t necessarily help Trump’s defense, citing testimony from “multiple Secret Service agents stating that they were unaware that classified documents were being stored at Mar-a-Lago, and would not be responsible for safeguarding such documents in any event.”

In addition, prosecutors say, of the roughly 48,000 known visitors to Mar-a-Lago between January 2021 and May 2022, only 2,200 had their names checked and only 2,900 passed through magnetometers.

Trump’s lawyers had also referenced what they said was an Energy Department action in June, after the charges were filed, to “retroactively terminate” a security clearance for the former president.

They demanded more information about that, saying evidence of a post-presidential possession of a security clearance was relevant for potential arguments of “good-faith and non-criminal states of mind relating to possession of classified materials.”

Prosecutors said that the clearance in question ended when his term in office ended, even though a government database was belatedly updated to reflect that.

“But even if Trump’s Q clearance had remained active,” prosecutors said, “that fact would not give him the right to take any documents containing information subject to the clearance to his home and store it in his basement or anywhere else at Mar-a-Lago.”

By STEPHEN WHYNO (AP Hockey Writer)

TORONTO (AP) — NHL players are returning to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade.

The world’s top hockey league will allow its players to participate in the Winter Games in 2026 in Milan and in 2030 under an agreement announced Friday by the NHL, NHL Players’ Association, International Ice Hockey Federation and the IOC.

NHL players have not been at the Olympics since 2014 in Sochi.

“There is a recognition of how important this is to the players,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at a news conference during All-Star Weekend. “Everybody felt on our ownership side that it was the right thing to do. … This really came down to doing something because the players really wanted it.”

IIHF president Luc Tardif smiled and said, “We made it” after two years worth of work that picked up over the past six months.

“With all the uncertainty that’s been around it in years prior and just how great of an experience that it is, I think it’s just awesome news and I’m sure a lot of players are really happy,” Canada and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby said. “And especially to commit to two different Olympics, I think that’ll be great.”

Milan, barring another unforeseen circumstance like the pandemic that caused players to miss Beijing in 2022, will be the first Olympics for a generation of stars led by Canadians Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar and Americans Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Adam Fox. The tantalizing rosters could see the likes of McDavid, Crosby and Connor Bedard on the same team battling for gold.

“The opportunity to do that is a dream come true,” McDavid said. “I’ve been vocal about this. I feel like it’s important for hockey as we continue to try to grow our game internationally and at home. I think it’s a great thing.”

The NHL paused its season for the Olympics five times from 1998 through 2014, and most of the players now in the league grew up expecting to play on that stage. Disagreements over who would pay for insurance and travel costs, the time difference between South Korea and North America were cited as factors in the NHL passing on Pyeongchang in 2018.

Bettman said in 2026 and ’30, team owners will not be paying “big ticket” costs like travel and insurance. That is up to the IIHF and respective organizing committees. Tardif said national federations and Olympic committees will contribute.

Pandemic-related scheduling issues scuttled plans to send players to Beijing two years ago. As recently as this past fall, U.S. defenseman Charlie McAvoy said he was still upset about not being able to play in the 2022 Olympics.

“That one took a while to get over,” McAvoy said. “You’re picking sizes for your Ralph Lauren outfit to walk around in the opening ceremonies. That stuff got real. It got really real. And you internalize it. It works as motivation. You want to be a part of that, and then you just lose it in a matter of seconds.”

The upcoming international calendar will also include the “4 Nations Face-Off” involving the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland next year. It will take place in four cities, one in each country, with a total of seven games from Feb. 12-20, 2025.

“This marks a new era for international hockey,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said. “We view this event as a building block to a larger World Cup.”

Bettman reiterated that the NHL would like to get on a cycle of having an international “best on best” tournament every two years.

Hockey has not had one of those since the World Cup in 2016, when McDavid, MacKinnon, Matthews and Eichel played on the 23 and under Team North America, not Canada or the U.S. There hasn’t been a World Cup since, with Russia’s war in Ukraine contributing to not being able to pull something together that would have been played this month.

Tardif said an IIHF council meeting is scheduled for next week to make a decision on Russian and Belarusian participation in the 2025 world championship.

The native of France also said the 2030 Olympics would be held in his home country, with hockey among the sports being played in Nice. The IOC is expected to make a host site announcement later this year and the French Alps are considered the favorite.

No matter where it happens, the Olympics are back on the schedule for the world’s top players.

“Players would constantly say to us, ‘We want to play in the Olympics, we want to be in the Olympics, we want to be part of the Olympics,’” Walsh said. “Today’s announcement makes that a reality.”

It remains to be seen if Russia will be allowed to participate in 2026. The IOC is allowing individual athletes from the country to compete under a neutral flag but banned Russians from team competitions at the 2024 Games in Paris.

The Russians — playing as the Olympic Athletes from Russia — took home Olympic gold in 2018 with a stacked roster including former Detroit Red Wings winger Pavel Datsyuk and current Minnesota Wild All-Star Kirill Kaprizov. Finland is now the defending Olympic champion after winning in Beijing.

“It’s always been my dream and my goal to someday play in Olympics,” Finland’s Sebastian Aho said. “I grew up playing with them on the junior national team, so it would be very special to try a tournament with those guys and play hockey when it’s best on best.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

NEW YORK (AP) — Wayne Kramer, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5 that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as “Kick Out the Jams” and influenced everyone from the Clash to Rage Against the Machine, has died at age 75.

Kramer died Friday at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, according to Jason Heath, a close friend and executive director of Kramer’s nonprofit Jail Guitar Doors. Heath said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer.

From the late 1960s to early 1970s, no band was closer to the revolutionary spirit of the time than the MC5, which featured Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith on guitars, Rob Tyner on vocals, Michael Davis on bass and Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson on drums. Managed for a time by White Panther co-founder John Sinclair, they were known for their raw, uncompromising music, which they envisioned as the soundtrack for the uprising to come.

“Brother Wayne Kramer was the best man I’ve ever known,” Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello wrote on Instagram Friday. “He possessed a one of a kind mixture of deep wisdom & profound compassion, beautiful empathy and tenacious conviction. His band the MC5 basically invented punk rock music.”

The band had little commercial success and its core lineup did not last beyond the early 1970s, but its legacy endured, both for its sound and for its fusing of music to political action. Kramer, who had a long history of legal battles and substance abuse, would tell his story in the 2018 memoir “The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities.”

Thompson is now the band’s only surviving member.

Kramer and Smith had known each other since their teens and played with various other musicians around Detroit before the core lineup was in place, in the mid-1960s. At Tyner’s suggestions, they called themselves the MC5, short for Motor City Five, and emulated the Rolling Stones, the Who, and other hard rock bands of the era.

By 1968, they had built a substantial local following and were influenced by Marxism, the White Panthers, the Beats and other social-political movements. The MC5 was more radical politically than most of its peers, and otherwise louder and more daring. They were virtually the only band to perform during the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, where police were beating up anti-war protesters.

“Kick Out the Jams” was their most famous song, and opened with an unprintable call to arms: “Kick out the jams motherf–——-!” A live album of the same name reached the top 40 in 1969, their highest-charting release. They also released the studio albums “Back in the USA” and “High Time” before breaking up at the end of 1972.

Kramer would lead various incarnations of the MC5 over the following decades, and perform with Was (Not Was) among other groups. But for a time he sank into the life of what he called “a small-time Detroit criminal.” He was arrested on drug charges in 1975 and sentenced to four years in prison. Jail Guitar Doors is named for a Cklash song that refers to his struggles: “Let me tell you ’bout Wayne and his deals of cocaine.”

Survivors include his wife, Margaret Saadi, and son, Francis.