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Parts of Wyoming, Colorado, still snarled by record blizzard

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Schools in eastern Wyoming and northern Colorado remained closed Tuesday for a second day and roads were still impassable in the aftermath of a blizzard that pummeled the region with record snowfall. Crews didn't expect to…

As signature collection ends, California heads toward recall

Organizers behind a proposed recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom face a Wednesday deadline to submit nearly 1.5 million petition signatures to qualify the proposal for the ballot. Supporters say they have collected over 2 million, though hundreds of thousands remain unverified by election officials. A months-long review gets underway to determine if and when the election will get on the ballot. It could take until September to set an election date, if it qualifies. The Democratic governor has seen his popularity tumble as public unrest spread over long-running school and business closures during the pandemic. Newsom has started raising money to defend his office.

Play Ball! Little League World Series eyes possible return

Little League World Series organizers are hoping the event can return this summer. The 2020 World Series was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization has established a Pandemic Response Commission tasked with finding a way to bring players from all over the globe to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in August. Little League has also started a “Lift Your League” fundraising campaign that allows people to direct payments to specific leagues across the country to help ease the financial impact of the pandemic.

Picks for all 63 women's NCAA Tournament games

The women’s NCAA Tournament field is set and now the fun begins with 64 teams descending on the San Antonio region for the tournament. This will be a tournament like no other with every game played on neutral courts and teams that make the Final Four having to basically live out of a hotel room for three weeks. Here’s a look at what could happen over the next few weeks in the tournament brackets.

EXPLAINER: What's behind some Chauvin jury questions?

Potential jurors in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer accused in George Floyd’s death have been asked some questions that may appear curious. But experts say every question has a purpose. For example, prospective jurors were asked by defense lawyers: Have you ever had to resolve conflict? Experts agree the goal is to identify tough-minded people who will stand their ground if they support acquittal. A question asking if the potential jurors have ever thought for certain they were right, only to be proven wrong, seeks out those who would go into the highly publicized trial with an open mind.

US judiciary seeks to boost judges' security at home, work

The federal judiciary says it needs to boost security for judges at home and work following a deadly shooting at a judge’s home last summer, protests that damaged more than 50 courthouses around the country last year and the Jan 6. assault on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Claire Eagan of Oklahoma says all federal judges are being offered upgrades, including video monitoring, of “antiquated″ home security systems. Federal judges also are asking Congress for an extra $390 million for courthouse security enhancements. Eagan said some of that money would be used to reinforce entrances and first-floor windows to prevent the kind of attack that occurred at the Capitol. 

Utah campaign against porn marches on with phone filter plan

Utah lawmakers have voted to require every cellphone and tablet sold in the state automatically block pornography. The proposal is the conservative state’s most recent move targeting online porn. Critics call it an intrusion on free speech. Supporters argue it’s a critical step to help parents keep explicit content away from kids who increasingly have their own electronic devices and more time online during the pandemic. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox hasn't said if he will sign or veto the measure. But even if Cox signs it, the measure wouldn’t go into effect unless five other states enact similar laws.

Spanish islands warn tourists to abide by virus restrictions

MADRID (AP) — Faced with a possible flood of visitors from Germany later this month, authorities in Spain's Balearic Islands are warning hotel owners that tourists must adhere to coronavirus restrictions the same way residents do. Like the rest of…

Man suspected of killing 4 in fight over stimulus check

A court document says an Indianapolis man suspected of killing three adults and a child told police he fatally shot the four victims after he and his girlfriend argued because he wanted a share of her stimulus check. Twenty-five-year-old Malik Halfacre is being held on four preliminary murder counts of murder and other charges. A probable cause affidavit filed Monday in Marion County states that Halfacre told officers following his arrest that he and his girlfriend “were arguing because he wanted some of her stimulus check.” He told officers he then shot the four victims in the house, took the money, his girlfriend's purse, and her car and fled.

Google gets into sleep surveillance with new Nest Hub screen

Google’s next internet-connected home device will test whether consumers are willing to trust the company on a new frontier: monitoring their sleep. That technology will be a key feature on Google’s newest Nest Hub, a 7-inch smart screen unveiled Tuesday. The $100 Nest Hub offers the same picture, video and voice-activated assistant as the previous version, plus sleep monitoring that doesn't require people to wear a device in bed. Google promises the feature was carefully designed to respect people's privacy, but some may have doubts given the company’s long history of online surveillance to help sell ads.

Montana man fined for yelling at neighbor in flag dispute

A Montana man who was cited for disorderly conduct for yelling at his neighbor in a political flag dispute has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was fined $100. Michael Challans of Helena tells the Independent Record that he apologized to his neighbor, Tim Mielke, saying he didn't deserve to be treated that way. Challans used profanities and anti-gay slurs while yelling at Mielke on March 1. The encounter was captured on Mielke's doorbell camera. Mielke says in response to his neighbors continued flying of pro-Trump and anti-Biden flags, he put up a flag that read: “TRUMP LOST LOL.” 

Picking a winner: Quenneville has made Florida a contender

Year 2 of the Joel Quenneville coaching era in Florida has the Panthers looking very much like a Stanley Cup contender. At the midpoint of this season, the Panthers are 19-5-4, tied for the most points in the NHL. The are off to the best 28-game start in their history. Aleksander Barkov and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky are among the leaders on the team. The biggest reason might be Quenneville. Only one coach in NHL history has won more games and Quenneville shows no signs of slowing down.

Italy court blocks Bannon-linked plans for populist academy

ROME (AP) — Italy’s top administrative court has ruled against a conservative think tank affiliated with former White House adviser Steve Bannon over its use of a 13th century hilltop monastery to train future populist leaders, a decision Bannon denounced…

Free-agent pickups have made a difference for some champions

Long-term success is built through the draft, though teams can gain an edge toward winning a championship by supplementing their roster in free agency.  Look no further than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who signed Tom Brady last year. Brady led the Bucs to their second Super Bowl title and his seventh. Tampa coach Bruce Arians called Brady the “missing piece” for a team that had won seven games in 2019 and hadn’t reached the playoffs since 2007. Brady immediately instilled a winning mentality in his teammates upon his arrival in Tampa following 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.

Russia threatens to block Twitter in a month

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities said Tuesday they would block Twitter in a month if it doesn't take steps to remove banned content, a move that escalates the Russian government’s drawn-out standoff with social media platforms that have played a…

Traditions on hold, justices near a year of phone arguments

Arguments at the Supreme Court have looked and sounded a lot different over the past year. The justices have now heard nearly 50 arguments by telephone because of the coronavirus pandemic. And more than 100 attorneys have called in to the virtual sessions, some thousands of miles from Washington. The court has said it will hear arguments by phone at least through March. But it’s unclear when in-person arguments might resume or what, if anything, might change when they do. The past year has forced the court to alter its traditions in ways it would likely not otherwise have considered.

Winfrey chooses four Marilynne Robinson novels for book club

Besides working on her newsmaking interview with Meghan and Prince Harry, Oprah Winfrey has been busy with the novels of Marilynne Robinson. Winfrey announced Tuesday that she has selected Robinson’s acclaimed quartet of “Gilead” narratives for her next book club selection. Robinson won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 for “Gilead,” the first of her books set in the fictional Iowa town of Gilead. She has followed with “Home,” “Lila” and “Jack.” Monday’s announcement continues Winfrey’s partnership with Apple, which she began in 2019 by choosing Ta-Nehisi Coates’ novel “The Water Dancer.”

Denver Broncos exercise Von Miller's 2021 option

The Denver Broncos have exercised their $7 million guaranteed option on superstar linebacker Von Miller. The move engages the final season of Miller's six-year, $114.5 million contract he signed in the aftermath of his Super Bowl 50 MVP performance. And it keeps Miller from becoming an unrestricted free agent. The 31-year-old Miller is the Broncos' all-time sacks leader and longest-tenured player. He was John Elway's first draft pick in 2011.

Ford partners with U-M on robotics research, new building

A grand opening has been held for the four-story, $75 million University of Michigan Ford Motor Co. Robotics Building. Three floors of the 134,000-square-foot complex house classrooms and research labs for robots that fly, walk, roll and augment the human body. On the top floor are Ford researchers and engineers and the automaker’s first mobility research lab on a university campus. The school and automaker announced Tuesday that together they will work to develop robots and roboticists that help make lives better, keep people safer and build a more equitable society.

Gonzaga, Baylor dominate AP All-America teams

The Associated Press has released its men's All-America team and it is dominated by Gonzaga and Baylor. Both teams were atop the rankings most of the season. Gonzaga's Corey Kispert and Butler's Jared Butler are on the first team. They are joined by unanimous pick Luka Garza of Iowa, Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois and dynamic freshman Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State. Gonzaga's Drew Timme and Jalen Suggs are also second-team All-Americans. Baylor's Davion Mitchell made the third team.

Hartford guard leads fight off the court against violence

University of Hartford point guard Traci Carter has led his 16th-seeded Hawks to the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. It's not the biggest thing going on in his life. The 24-year-old graduate transfer is trying to save lives off the court through a camp program he started after losing his little brother, 21-year-old Semaj, to gun violence in Philadelphia. The Anchors Camp brings at-risk city kids to a farm in New York where they're introduced to trades such as plumbing and electrical work. Carter graduates later this year and plans to work on the idea full time.

I like Ike, but Mike's OK; ranked-choice voting gets a look

An electoral reform that has taken root in the iconoclastic states of Maine and Alaska could be gaining traction nationwide. After decades of theoretical discussions among policy wonks, advocates of ranked-choice voting are looking to expand the concept. They're turning to Wisconsin, Virginia, Utah and other states, building on a successful campaign in Alaska last year. Fueling the effort is voter disgust with the current crop of elected officials, particularly in Congress. Virginia congressman Don Beyer is a supporter. He said momentum is building but it could be a decade or more before ranked-choice voting is available to many Americans.

Yaphet Kotto of 'Live and Let Die,' 'Alien,' dies at 81

Yaphet Kotto, the commanding actor who brought tough magnetism and stately gravitas to films including the James Bond movie “Live and Let Die” and “Alien,” has died. He was 81. Kotto’s wife, Tessie Sinahon, announced his death in a Facebook post. She said he died Monday in the Philippines. Kotto was best known for his infuriated FBI agent in “Midnight Run,” the James Bond villain Mr. Big in “Live and Let Die” and the technician Dennis Parker in 1979’s “Alien.” On TV, he played Al Giardello from 1993 to 1999 on the NBC series “Homicide: Life on the Street.” He's survived by his wife and six children. 

Somalia starts first inoculations with AstraZeneca vaccines

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia launched COVID-19 vaccinations Tuesday with the inoculation of the health minister, who received the jab publicly to reassure the nation about its safety. The Horn of Africa nation, which has recently experienced a surge of…