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Lead: The UConn Huskies arrived at the 2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament as the clear odds-on favorite on March 16, 2026, with sportsbooks installing them at -265 to win a record-extending 13th national title. The line marks the shortest pre-tournament favorite price since 2018, reflecting a season in which UConn frequently dominated opponents. UCLA sits … Read more

Lead As the third week of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran unfolds, global oil benchmarks remain elevated—Brent crude sits above $100 per barrel—while the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint, is effectively paralyzed. President Trump urged other oil‑dependent nations to ‘‘come and help us with the Strait,’’ saying several countries have offered assistance but … Read more

March 16, 2026 — Apple unveiled the AirPods Max 2 in Cupertino, California, announcing upgrades across noise cancellation, sound processing and intelligent features for its over-ear headphones. Powered by the H2 chip, the new model brings Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation and Live Translation to the Max lineup, and adds tools aimed at creators … Read more

Lead President Donald Trump on March 16, 2026 warned he could postpone a Beijing summit scheduled to begin on March 31 if China does not agree within two weeks to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The demand — that China dispatch naval forces to help keep a major oil transit lane open — … Read more

Lead: At the 2026 Academy Awards, Burger King aired a 90‑second mea culpa titled “There’s a New King, and It’s You,” acknowledging past service and product shortcomings and promising operational fixes. The fast‑food chain also ran multiple spots and won host‑read callouts across the broadcast, amplifying its message to a mass audience. Early signals are … Read more

Duke, Michigan, Arizona and defending champion Florida were designated the four No. 1 seeds in the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday, with Duke receiving the No. 1 overall seed and the top spot in the East Region. The bracket places Michigan atop the Midwest (regional semifinals and finals in Chicago), Arizona in the West … Read more

President Donald Trump has pressed China and other partners to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz as the war between the US, Israel and Iran intensifies across the region. The request comes amid Iranian restrictions on traffic through the strait, sustained strikes on Iran and neighboring states, and mounting global energy volatility. US officials … Read more

Lead On March 16, 2026, the United States beat the Dominican Republic 2-1 in a World Baseball Classic semifinal at loanDepot Park, a game decided by two disputed strike calls — the most consequential on the final pitch. Mason Miller’s full-count slider to Geraldo Perdomo was called a strike despite being well below the knees, … Read more

Lead A team of astronomers reports that L98-59d — a planet about 1.6 times Earth’s size orbiting a red dwarf 35 light‑years away — appears to be dominated by a global magma ocean rather than a conventional rocky or water world. New analyses combining James Webb Space Telescope spectroscopy and dynamical modelling suggest surface temperatures … Read more

Central North Carolina faces a rare Level 4-of-5 severe-weather risk on Monday, March 16, 2026, as a strong cold front moves through the region. The National Weather Service and local agencies warned that widespread thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts and the potential for several long-track tornadoes could occur, with a Tornado Watch in effect for parts … Read more

Lead: Local reporting by KIRO 7 Seattle says six U.S. service members were killed when an aircraft crashed over Iraq, and one of the deceased is a woman from Washington state. The incident, reported by the Seattle station, has prompted an investigation and notifications to families. Official details about the aircraft type, cause and identities … Read more

Lead On March 16, 2026, President Donald Trump intensified appeals to U.S. allies to help reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid the widening war with Iran. The appeal comes as Israel and the U.S. have carried out strikes and Iran has responded with attacks on shipping and infrastructure, disrupting energy flows. Several states signalled … Read more

Lead: Strong storms are expected to pass through Upstate South Carolina and parts of western North Carolina Monday morning, with the primary window from about 4 a.m. to noon and the Upstate focused on 5 a.m. to noon. Meteorologists warn of a multi-hazard event that may include damaging straight-line winds, isolated tornadoes, large hail and … Read more

March 16, 2026 — In a World Baseball Classic semifinal in Miami, Team USA defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 after home-plate umpire Cory Blaser called a game-ending third strike on Geraldo Perdomo that pitch-tracking data showed well below the zone. The call came with the tying run at third and followed a long, eight-pitch at-bat … Read more

Lead: The 68-team 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament field was finalized on March 15, 2026, after 31 Division I conference tournaments delivered automatic bids to their champions. The bracket was revealed at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15 on CBS. Those 31 automatic qualifiers — from UMBC to Cal Baptist — join 37 at-large … Read more