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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.

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…