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Uber to give UK drivers minimum wage, pension, holiday pay

Uber is giving its U.K. drivers the minimum wage, pensions and holiday pay, following a recent court ruling that said they should be classified as workers and entitled to such benefits. The ride hailing giant’s announcement Tuesday comes after it lost an appeal last month at the U.K. Supreme Court following a yearslong court battle, in a decision that holds wider implications for the country’s gig economy. Uber said it’s extending the benefits immediately to its more than 70,000 drivers in the U.K. The drivers who filed the case welcomed the news but said it’s not enough.

Former GOP Rep. Doug Ose enters California recall election

Former Republican congressman Doug Ose says he's entering the California recall election aimed at ousting Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Ose (Oh-see) becomes the third established Republican to enter the race, joining former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and businessman John Cox. Ose is a businessman from the Sacramento area who says he's ready to work across party lines to get businesses and schools reopened. His announcement follows the kickoff Monday of Newsom's campaign. Recall organizers say they have enough signatures to place the election on the ballot, though county officials are still reviewing them. 

Officials: A dam in Oregon could fail in a large earthquake

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined that a large earthquake — which is expected to occur again in the Pacific Northwest sooner or later — could cause the spillway gates of a dam in Oregon to buckle, resulting “in a potentially catastrophic flood.” The Corps says it will try to minimize the danger by reducing the maximum height of the lake by five feet. The move comes as Oregon and the wider Pacific Northwest are coming to grips with “the big one” that experts say is coming. Last week, an earthquake early warning system was launched in Oregon.

Droughts over: Drexel, Rutgers lead charge back to NCAAs

Rutgers is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years. Drexel snapped a 25-year tournament drought. Appalachian State has only two previous NCAA appearances and ended a 21-year absence. Oral Roberts is part of March Madness for the first time since 2008, Cleveland State returned for the first time since 2009 and Morehead State snapped a streak that dates to 2011. UC Santa Barbara made consecutive NCAA tournaments as a No. 15 seed in 2010 and 2011 and is back as a 12 seed. Georgia Tech is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.

8 immigrants killed when pickup crashes in Texas border city

Authorities say eight people in a Dodge pickup truck loaded with immigrants were killed when the vehicle collided with another truck following a police chase near the Texas border city of Del Rio. The Texas Department of Public Safety says the pursuit began when the driver of the Dodge pickup truck refused to pull over for a traffic violation. The crash happened Monday afternoon on U.S. Highway 277. The Dodge truck collided head-on with a white Ford F-150. The agency said in a statement that the driver and a child passenger of the Ford F-150 were hospitalized, as was one of the passengers from the Dodge pickup. The agency said the people killed and the surviving truck passenger were immigrants in the U.S. without authorization.

Spend, spend, spend on 2nd day of "legal tampering" in NFL

For people wondering where is all the free-agent quarterback movement as the NFL’s “legal tampering” period enters its second day, Washington stepped into that breach by agreeing to terms with the very well-traveled Ryan Fitzpatrick. The 38-year-old “FitzMagic” joins his ninth franchise (Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Buccaneers and Dolphins). He started seven and played in nine games last season for Miami, throwing for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Incredibly, Fitzpatrick never has been on a playoff team in his 16 pro seasons. 

Match Play field set with possibilities that remain for more

This week's world ranking determines the 64-man field for the Match Play. Now it's a question of how many more players get into the field. Tiger Woods won't be playing because of his injuries from a car crash. Adam Scott says he won't play. Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose are recovering from different injuries and haven't decided. The most curious case is Gary Woodland. He tested positive for the coronavirus and his return from isolation is right about the time the tournament starts. Dustin Johnson will be there. The Masters champ revealed details on what happens when he gets nervous.

Lawmakers fear turning 144 cities into "micropolitan" areas

A bipartisan group in Congress is urging the federal government not to remove 144 cities from being designated as metropolitan areas. They say reclassifying them as “micropolitan” could put key federal funding at risk. The request comes after The Associated Press reported this month that the federal government wants to raise the population criteria for core cities in metro areas from 50,000 residents to 100,000 residents. Doing so would reclassify more than a third of the 392 current metro areas as “micropolitan” statistical areas. The statisticians say the change is long overdue for a classification that was introduced in 1950. 

Grammy Award ratings drop 51 percent to record low

NEW YORK (AP) — Grammy producers avoided the Zoom awkwardness of other pandemic-era awards shows and gave music-starved fans performances by the industry's biggest stars. And viewers still stayed away. CBS' Grammys telecast reached 9.2 million — television and streaming…

How arenas work to keep fans safe attending indoor sports

There will be fans in the stands when the NCAA Tournament tips off this week. The NBA and NHL have been filling arenas to limited degrees since their seasons began earlier this winter. Getting people back inside sports venues has taken some time during the pandemic because of evidence of how the coronavirus spreads. Experts in epidemiology, ventilation, engineering and architecture say it's very low risk to attend indoor sporting events because of how big arenas work to move and mix air. That is as long as capacity limits allow for physical distancing and masks are still worn properly.

Column: DJ, McIlroy among those searching as Masters nears

Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas are off to flying starts on the road to the Masters. Each have won big tournaments on the Florida swing. It's enough to whet the appetite for Augusta National, which is just over three weeks away. But it's not that way for everyone. Rory McIlroy says he got caught up trying to swing hard like DeChambeau and needs to get out of those habits. He missed the cut last week. Johnson has finished a combined 36 shots out of the lead his last two starts. Both would like to find their games quickly.

6 officials out of NCAA Tournament after 1 tests positive

Six officials won’t be working the NCAA Tournament after one tested positive for COVID-19. The other five were deemed close contacts after arriving in Indianapolis. NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt says there are enough officials available for the tournament that begins Thursday and ramps up over the weekend. Gavitt says there have been five positive results out of 2,300 overall completed tests so far. He cautioned those positives didn’t necessarily involve team personnel. Georgia Tech reported a positive test, but did not provide specifics.

Bill Lester returning to a more welcoming, diverse NASCAR

Bill Lester will return to NASCAR competition for the first time in 14 years when he races Saturday in the Truck Series event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. During the mid-2000s, Lester was the only Black driver competing full-time in NASCAR. As he comes back for one event, he finds the racing series has made significant strides in creating a welcoming and diverse atmosphere. Lester credited Bubba Wallace for successfully using a platform that Lester never believed he had when he was racing. Lester is 60 and racing at Atlanta to help promote his new book.

Texas company behind huge electricity bills seeks bankruptcy

The company that drew attention after sending huge electricity bills to customers after last month’s blackout-causing winter storm in Texas has filed for bankruptcy protection. Griddy Energy sold power to consumers at wholesale prices plus a $9.99 monthly fee. Its rates skyrocketed during the February deep freeze, when state grid operators raised wholesale prices. The company blamed its situation on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the power grid in most of the state. Griddy said ERCOT kept wholesale prices at the state’s legal cap — $9,000 per megawatt hour — for too long. 

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.