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Lead: Nicholas Brendon, the actor best known as Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Kevin Lynch on Criminal Minds, died in his sleep, his family said in a statement posted March 21, 2026. He was 54. The family described the death as from natural causes and asked for privacy while they grieve. … Read more

Lead On March 20, 2026, oil prices ticked higher while U.S. equities slid sharply as attacks on energy facilities around the Persian Gulf rattled markets. Brent crude settled at $112.19 a barrel, up 3.3% from the previous session, though below Thursday’s peak near $119. The S&P 500 closed 1.5% lower as investors reacted to supply … Read more

Lead The US Treasury on 20 March issued a 30-day waiver allowing purchase of Iranian crude and petroleum products already loaded at sea, aiming to relieve short-term global energy shortages tied to the recent US‑Israeli conflict with Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move will quickly return roughly 140 million barrels to world markets … Read more

Lead: President Donald Trump on Friday criticized NATO members for what he called reluctance to ‘‘help open’’ the Strait of Hormuz as leaders from more than a dozen U.S. allies pledged to join ‘‘appropriate efforts’’ to secure passage through the waterway. The joint statement — signed by countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, … Read more

Chuck Norris, the martial-arts icon who became a fixture of American action cinema and television, died on March 20, 2026. His family announced his death via his official Instagram account after he was hospitalized earlier that day in Hawaii following a medical emergency; he was 86. Norris built a decades-long career turning black-belt technique into … Read more

Lead A federal jury in San Francisco found that Elon Musk misled investors during a critical stretch of his 2022 bid to buy Twitter, concluding this week that some of his public statements and tweets were intentionally deceptive. The unanimous verdict came after two days of deliberation and follows a class-action suit by Twitter shareholders … Read more

Lead U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration records reviewed by The Associated Press show Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been designated a ‘priority target’ in DEA files as federal prosecutors in New York question alleged links between his circle and drug traffickers. The records indicate Petro surfaced in multiple inquiries dating to 2022, including tips tying him … Read more

The U.S. Space Systems Command confirmed on Friday that GPS III SV10, a satellite originally scheduled to fly on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) new Vulcan rocket, will instead launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in late April. The transfer follows an ongoing investigation into an anomaly during Vulcan’s first flight in January 2024, and Space Force … Read more

Lead On March 20, 2026, visiting Hofstra fell to host Alabama by 20 points, 70-90, in a game tracked live by CBS Sports. Alabama built and sustained a second-half advantage after a string of baskets from Labaron Philon Jr., Preston Edmead and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. The Tide’s balanced attack and multiple offensive rebounds sealed a … Read more

On March 20, 2026, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., found key elements of the Pentagon’s new press policy incompatible with the First Amendment and ordered parts of the policy struck down. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by The New York Times in December 2025 and directed the restoration of press credentials for … Read more

Updated March 20, 2026, 7:20 p.m. ET — Thursday’s NCAA Tournament first-round slate delivered close finishes, upset bids and statement wins across multiple regions. Top seeds such as No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Iowa State advanced convincingly, while several lower seeds pushed favorites into tense late moments — most notably No. 10 Santa Clara … Read more

Lead: On Mar. 20, 2026, an updated four-round mock draft modeled the post–free-agency landscape and early scouting intel from the NFL Scouting Combine and initial pro days. The simulation includes four trades that materially alter the top of Round 1 and ripple into Rounds 3 and 4. The New York Jets select Alabama quarterback Ty … Read more

Lead On March 20, 2026, heavy rains and rising waters on Oahu’s North Shore prompted emergency sirens and evacuation orders for more than 4,000 residents as officials warned that the 120-year-old Wahiawa Dam was at risk of imminent failure. Officials issued the evacuation at 5:35 a.m. for areas downstream of the dam after saturated ground … Read more

Lead: On 20 March, amid widening strikes and regional alerts, missile fragments fell near the Old City of East Jerusalem, close to al-Aqsa, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. President Donald Trump posted that the US is “considering winding down” military operations related to the Iran conflict while urging other nations … Read more

On March 20, 2026, visiting Akron met Texas Tech in Lubbock for a tightly contested first half. The Red Raiders led 40-35 at the break after a first-half stretch defined by multiple three-pointers, offensive rebounds and several blocks. Key contributors on both sides — including Donovan Atwell, Amani Lyles and Evan Mahaffey — swung momentum … Read more