Nation
Biden meets refugees, Academy Awards, NCAA's Final Four: 5 things to know this weekend
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Biden to meet with Ukrainian refugees in Poland, deliver a major address
President Joe Biden on Saturday will cap his European trip talking to Ukrainian refugees in Poland and delivering a speech on holding Russia accountable for its invasion and upholding democratic values. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, previewed Biden’s remarks as a major address that will “speak to the stakes of this moment, the urgency of the challenge that lies ahead, what the conflict in Ukraine means for the world, and why it is so important that the free world sustain unity and resolve in the face of Russian aggression.” Before delivering those remarks at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Biden will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Biden used his first stop in Poland Friday to personally thank U.S. troops stationed near the Ukraine border. Thousands of troops are stationed there to help shore up NATO’s eastern flank amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In Brussels Thursday, Biden pledged $1 billion in U.S. humanitarian assistance to refugees fleeing the invasion.
The Oscars are back with hosts, shorter run time and Beyoncé
Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall will host Hollywood’s biggest night at the Dolby Theatre Sunday. The 94th Academy Awards (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, ABC) will have an emcee for the first time in three years and the ceremony will certainly promise surprises and snubs. Some of the hottest contenders for the gold statue this year include Will Smith for his role as tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams’ dad in “King Richard,” Jane Campion and her Western “Power of the Dog,” and “CODA,” which already won best picture at the Producers Guild Award. If you aren’t in it for the movies, watch to catch Beyoncé and other nominated artists including Billie Eilish and Sebastián Yatra perform their original song contenders.
Hawaii drops mask mandate
Hawaii will drop its mask mandate Saturday, becoming the final state to drop masking rules. At the height of the pandemic, most states had some form of mandate. All but 11 instituted mask mandates at some time, according to AARP. But as the national wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations from the omicron variant began receding in February, a flurry of states acted quickly to drop their indoor mask mandates. Hawaii has one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the nation, and over 75% of Hawaii residents have received two doses of a COVID vaccine – 10% higher than the national rate – according to the Hawaii Department of Health.
NCAA men’s tournament will be down the to Final Four Sunday
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is now down to the Elite Eight and after the four regional finals are played this weekend, just the Final Four will remain. The action begins Saturday with No. 5 Houston, fresh off an upset of No. 1 Arizona, facing No. 2 seed Villanova in the South Region final in San Antonio, Texas, (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS). Later, No. 2 Duke, hoping to clinch one last Final Four appearance for coach Mike Krzyzewski, will take on No. 4 Arkansas, who beat No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Thursday, in the West Region Final in San Francisco (8:49 p.m. ET, TBS). On Sunday, in the Midwest Region Final, No. 1 Kansas meets No. 10 Miami in Chicago (2:20 p.m. ET, CBS). Later in the East final, Saint Peter’s, the first No. 15 seed to make a regional final, will face traditional power North Carolina, the No. 8 seed, in Philadelphia (5:05 p.m. ET, CBS). In the women’s basketball event Saturday, two No. 1 seeds (N.C. State, Louisville) look to advance, as does perennial powerhouse No. 2 seed Connecticut.
USMNT could clinch a World Cup berth with a qualifying win Sunday
The United States Men’s National Team could clinch a berth in the 2022 World Cup with a victory over Panama Sunday night at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida, (7 p.m. ET, FS1). After playing to a scoreless draw against Mexico Thursday at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the USMNT maintained second place in North and Central America and the Caribbean with 22 points (with a record of 6-2-4), three behind Canada, and ahead of Mexico on goal difference. The top three nations reach the World Cup in Qatar, and the No. 4 team advances to a playoff. With a win Sunday, the U.S. would ensure that fourth-place Costa Rica could only pull even by winning its final two games. The USMNT has a plus-nine goal difference and the first tiebreaker. If Costa Rica fails to win at El Salvador and the U.S. beats Panama, the Americans would clinch a spot in the tournament outright for the first time since 2014 as they failed to qualify in 2018.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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Uber, Lyft made safety improvements, but many of those protect riders more than drivers. But drivers are also in danger.
Naomi Ogutu
Opinion contributor
I’ve been a rideshare driver in New York City for six years, and I take pride in my job and helping my passengers get where they need to go safely. But my safety is not a guarantee. I’m a mom of three. I need to know that I’ll make it home to my kids at the end of each night.
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Business
'A bad déjà vu': Under the crush of Western sanctions, Russians fear a return to dark economic days
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The lone No. 1 seed still alive heading into the Elite Eight, Kansas needs only a win against No. 10 Miami (Fla.) to book a spot in the Final Four.
No. 2 Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski can make one last Final Four and chase one final national championship by beating No. 4 Arkansas.
No. 2 Villanova can reach the national semifinals for the third time in six tournaments by winning what should be a defense-dominated brawl against No. 5 Houston.
And after beating No. 4 UCLA in the Sweet 16, No. 8 North Carolina is one win from reaching the Final Four under first-year coach Hubert Davis.
If everything goes according to plan, this year’s Final Four will consist of some of the biggest names in the history of the sport.
But the last week has taught us that this year’s NCAA Tournament will inevitably deviate from the script.
So look for the Jayhawks to be shocked in the Elite Eight, as the Bill Self collection of tournament collapses adds another painful chapter. Based on how things have gone through three rounds, Arkansas is a lock to send Krzyzewski into retirement one game shy of the Final Four. Villanova may be a two-time champion under Jay Wright, but the Wildcats will be smothered by Houston.
And, of course, the Tar Heels will lose to the team that embodies the wackiness and uncertainty of this entire tournament.
Saint Peter’s stands at the precipice of another outlandish achievement: being the first No. 15 seed — the first seed lower than No. 11, in fact — to reach the Final Four.
The Peacocks will be the underdog once again come Sunday, when they’ll match against a deeper and more talented opponent with decades of history to more than overshadow the Peacocks’ three-game run.
But beating another college basketball giant will simply take what we already know the Peacocks can bring to the table: Saint Peter’s reached the Elite Eight with energy, aggressiveness and composure, following the model set by unflappable coach Shaheen Holloway, and that same combination will give the Peacocks a chance at etching themselves into an even more permanent place in NCAA Tournament history.
“We’re happy but don’t mistake, we’re not satisfied, we’re not satisfied at all,” said guard Doug Edert. “The job is not finished. We feel like we belong and the more games we win the more confidence we build.”
That sounds like bad news for the Tar Heels, who might’ve righted the ship after a poor start to ACC play but could be the latest blueblood to the Peacocks’ formula.
At some point, the magic has to run out — for Saint Peter’s, which somehow keeps stacking upsets of higher-ranked opponents, and for the tournament at large, which has been wackier than ever but could suddenly snap back to the status quo.
But this March has not gone according to plan. Several big names lost early. Others failed to get out of the second round. The story of this year’s tournament has been upsets, shockers, letdowns, unpredictable officiating and unpredictability, period — why should the next two days be any different?
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
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