Ingested Articles

California's State Board of Education has approved the nation’s first statewide model ethnic studies curriculum for high school students. The board voted unanimously Thursday to approve the curriculum, which took years to draft. It comes as the country is reeling from the latest spate of deadly hate crimes and racism. Educators and officials who spoke mourned this week’s killing of eight people, most of them Asian women, in Georgia, saying it showed the urgency of educating children about discrimination and oppression that textbooks often overlook. 

The coronavirus was already in town by the time Rick Pitino arrived. It never fully let go of its grip around Iona. Forced to pause four times this season because of the virus, once for nearly two months, the Gaels still won their conference tournament to make the NCAA Tournament. The Hall of Fame coach became just the third coach to lead five teams in the NCAA Tournament. He was already the only coach to take three teams to the Final Four.  Pitino says he will retire at Iona.

“How did we find this place, anyway?” Wait, where have we heard that before? Actually, it’s a familiar line in a new genre of thriller that's emerged the last few years: Airbnb horror films. There are a few constants: Attractive…

Alabama, Illinois and Baylor are not underdogs. But they are among the top teams in the NCAA Tournament ahead of some more familiar basketball programs. Alabama is a No. 2 seed, matched for the best in its history. Baylor beat out Kansas for the Big 12 regular-season title. Illinois is making its first trip to the tournament since 2013, joining a more traditional Big Ten power, Michigan, as a No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, neither Duke nor Kentucky made this year's tournament field.

Matt Jones tied the course record at PGA National in the first round of the Honda Classic on Thursday with a 9-under 61. Brian Harman shot a 61 at PGA National in the second round of the 2012 Honda. Tiger Woods shot a 62 in the final round that same year. Until Thursday, they were the only rounds of 8 under or better since the event moved to PGA National 15 years ago. Jones, an Australian ranked No. 83 in the world, was flawless with nine birdies and no bogeys. 

Santa Anita will reopen to the public at limited capacity next month in time for the Santa Anita Derby, the West Coast’s major prep for the Kentucky Derby. The track in Arcadia, California, will reopen April 2, a day before the $750,000 race. Fans must purchase tickets for an assigned seat in advance. Walk-up or general admission tickets cannot be sold, though that could change as COVID-19 numbers improve in Los Angeles County. Fans will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing. The county has dropped into the red tier for COVID-19, and the state is allowing limited capacity for large sporting event venues.

A prospective juror who once lived in the neighborhood where George Floyd was arrested told the attorney for an ex-officer charged in Floyd’s death that he had a personal reason for wanting to serve on the jury. He says he often wonders why police aren't held accountable in the deaths of Black men, so “maybe I'll be in the room to know why.” But the man, referred to only as Juror No. 76, wasn't chosen for the panel because Derek Chauvin's defense attorney used one of his strikes to keep him off.  It was an illustration of how difficult it can be for people who say they have personal experience with police misconduct to make it onto juries that hold them accountable.

FedEx says its profit nearly tripled in its most recent quarter, despite winter weather that hobbled some of its facilities. Online shopping has surged during the pandemic as more people avoid going inside stores. That has made package delivery companies like FedEx in high demand. The Memphis, Tennessee-based company reported net income of $892 million for the three months ending Feb. 28, compared with $315 million in the same period the year before. Adjusted earnings came to $3.47 per share, beating Wall Street expectations. The company said revenue rose 23% to $21.5 billion, also beating expectations.  

WASHINGTON (AP) — Without opposition, the Senate confirmed veteran diplomat William Burns as CIA director on Thursday, giving him control of the nation's premier spy agency as the U.S. government confronts threats from China, Russia, Iran and elsewhere. The approval,…

PARIS (AP) — The French government backed off Thursday from ordering a tough lockdown for Paris and several other regions despite an increasingly alarming situation at hospitals with a rise in the numbers of COVID-19 patients. Instead, the prime minister…

The NFL will nearly double its media revenue to more than $10 billion a season with new rights agreements announced Thursday, including a deal with Amazon Prime Video that gives the streaming service exclusive rights to “Thursday Night Football” beginning in 2022. The league took in $5.9 billion a year in its current contracts. Amazon has partnered with the league to stream Thursday night games since 2017, but it will take over the entire package from Fox. Games will continue to air on CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN, while ABC will have a limited schedule of games as well as returning to the Super Bowl rotation (two games) for the first time since the 2005 season.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homelessness in America was on the rise even before the coronavirus pandemic dramatically dragged down the economy, according to a government report. The Housing and Urban Development Department's annual report on homelessness provides a snapshot of the…

Police say “nothing is off the table” in their investigation of the deadly shootings at two Atlanta massage parlors, including whether the slayings were a hate crime. Those attacks and a third one near the suburban town of Woodstock killed eight people. The shootings prompted President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to change their plans for a previously scheduled trip to Atlanta. The pair postponed a political event in favor of meeting Friday with Asian American community leaders. A 21-year-old white man, Robert Aaron Long, is charged with murder in the killings. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent.

Democrats’ nearly $2 trillion coronavirus relief package includes a big financial incentive for the states that have opted against expanding Medicaid to provide health coverage for more low-income Americans. It’s proving to be a tough sell. Through interviews and public statements, AP found little change in the 12 states that have held out against the Medicaid expansion, which was a key provision of former President Barack Obama’s heath care law. Some have softened their opposition, but the gatekeepers— governors or legislative leaders — said they have have no plans to take up the offer.

If beloved Beatle Ringo Starr wants you to sing on his new record, it's tough to say no. That's why a bevy of stars, including Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, Dave Grohl, Chris Stapleton, Lenny Kravitz and Jenny Lewis, are all on the chorus of Starr's most recent song, “Here's to the Nights.” The 80-year-old drummer and his mates sing, ‘here’s to the nights we won't remember, with the friends we won't forget.' Making new music was something for Starr to keep busy during the coronavirus lockdown, which he spent in his Los Angeles home — much of the time painting, working out and banging away on the drums set up in the bedroom of a guest house.