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AP News in Brief at 9:04 p.m. EDT

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

US government moves to stop potential banking crisisNEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. government took extraordinary steps Sunday to stop a potential banking crisis after the historic failure of Silicon Valley Bank, assuring all depositors at the failed financial institution that they would be able to access all of their money quickly.The announcement came amid fears that the factors that caused the Santa Clara, California-based bank to fail could spread, and only hours before trading began in Asia. Regulators had worked all weekend to try to find a buyer for the bank, which was the second-largest bank failure in history. Those efforts appeared to have failed Sunday. In a sign of how quickly the financial bleeding was occurring, regulators announced that New York-based Signature Bank had also failed and was being seized on Sunday. At more than $110 billion in assets, Signature Bank is the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history.In an effort to shore up confidence in the banking system, the...

Asian shares mostly sink on jitters after US bank failure

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly fell Monday, shaken by a Wall Street tumble that set off worries the biggest U.S. bank failure in nearly 15 years might have ripple effects around the world. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 1.2% to 27,817.43 in morning trading. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6% to 7,104.30. South Korea’s Kospi was little changed at 2,394.10. Before trading began in Asia, the U.S. Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC said Sunday that all Silicon Valley Bank clients will be protected and have access to their funds and announced steps designed to protect the bank’s customers and prevent more bank runs.Regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank on Friday amid a run on the bank, which was the second-largest U.S. bank failure, behind the 2008 failure of Washington Mutual. They also announced Sunday that New York-based Signature Bank was being seized after it became the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history.Following two bank failures,...

Jamie Lee Curtis wins Oscar for best supporting actress

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jamie Lee Curtis made her long-waited first Oscar nomination count.Curtis won best supporting actress for her role as Deirdre Beaubeirdre in “ Everything Everywhere All at Once.” She plays an IRS agent who has several guises through different timelines in the multiverse.“My mother (Janet Leigh) and my father (Tony Curtis) were both nominated for Oscars in different categories,” Curtis said, beginning to cry as she accepted the award. “I just won an Oscar!”The 64-year-old actor became the eighth oldest in the category’s history to win. She surpassed Judi Dench, who held the slot for her role in “Shakespeare in Love.”Curtis has starred in a number of films including the “Halloween” franchise movies starting in 1978, along with other notable projects such as “Trading Places,” “My Girl,” “True Lies” and “Knives Out.” But it was her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” that ultimately landed her in the Oscars’ record books.Last month, Curtis won at the SA...

PHOTOS: Stars at Oscars get candid on the carpet

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The parade of Hollywood royalty on the red carpet — champagne colored at these 95th Academy Awards — is nearly as important as the show itself. Stars pose in their dazzling outfits for dozens of clattering cameras, the fashion getting its moment in the spotlight, too. It’s a staged ritual, well choreographed and timed to ensure everyone gets their moment.But just beyond the frame, once the bold-faced names step out of the spotlight and into the chaos of the crowded walkway, there are flashes of brevity and friendship and mutual admiration between the industry’s biggest stars. And Associated Press photographer John Locher roamed the carpet, capturing many of these unrehearsed moments Sunday night.It seemed the fan bleachers couldn’t get more excited than for a bare chested Lenny Kravitz — that is until best actor nominee Austin Butler stepped out moments later. “Austin Butler! Austin Butler!” The chanting continued for Florence Pugh, who stopped to shak...

Northwestern Men's Basketball named no. 7 seed, set to make second NCAA appearance in program history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern Men's Basketball is dancing its way to Sacramento.The Wildcats were announced as the no. 7 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament Sunday, marking the second NCAA Tournament appearance for Northwestern in program history..@NUMensBball draws the 7-seed in the West Region, where the Cats will face 10-seed Boise State in Sacramento ThursdayNorthwestern is dancing again for just the second time in school history pic.twitter.com/1tissUjnAj— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) March 12, 2023The Wildcats (21-11, 12-8) will take on no. 10-seeded Boise State (24-9, 13-5) in the first round Thursday, with a chance to advance and play the winner of no. 2 UCLA vs no. 15 UNC Asheville.The 2022-23 college basketball season has been one to remember for Northwestern, as they rewrote the record books and cleaned house at the Big Ten Awards Ceremony.The Wildcats currently own the second-most wins in a single season in program history (21), in addition to setting a single...

Layalina: From Baghdad to Skokie, Assyrian-inspired play highlights immigrant family

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

CHICAGO — A play that awakens the story of a multigenerational family emigrating from Baghdad to Skokie, Illinois will now be playing at a world-renowned theater. The playwright, Martin Yousif Zebari, is a the youngest of six kids who moved to the United States from Iraq when he was just a boy.Being the youngest, Yousif Zebari shares how distinct his experiences were from of his siblings growing up. He expresses the play as a means of understanding his privilege compared to their wildly different lifestyles.The protagonist of the show, Layal, is an older sister who helps raise her siblings and acts as the glue that keeps her family together.“What she imagines would be an easy transition and new move with her new husband becomes more complicated than she imagines,” Martin says. With the essence of time separating the play’s acts – the story showcases 17 years of exploring the effects of war, family, queer identities, all through the lens of his Assyrian roots.“It’s a really...

Texas women get No. 4 seed, will take on East Carolina at Moody Center in 1st round

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns women's basketball may have lost the Big 12 Conference tournament championship on Sunday, but they're still a top-16 national seed and will host the first and second rounds in the NCAA women's basketball tournament.The Longhorns earned the No. 4 seed in one of two Seattle regionals and they'll take on the 13th-seeded East Carolina Pirates on March 19 at Moody Center. Louisville is No. 5 and will play 12th-seeded Drake in the other first-round game scheduled for Austin. If the Longhorns and Cardinals make it through the first round, the second round will be a rematch of a Battle 4 Atlantis matchup way back on Nov. 20. Louisville won that game 71-63. March Madness: Texas men earn No. 2 seed in Midwest region, face Colgate in first round The TV schedule has yet to be announced, but the games will air on the ESPN networks with the national championship on ABC at 2 p.m., April 2.It's the 35th time in school history the Longhorns have made it to the N...

Battlehawks defeat Renegades in St. Louis home-opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

ST. LOUIS - More than 38,000 football fans came downtown Sunday to watch and celebrate the return of the St. Louis Battlehawks. The team responded to that outpouring of support with a 24-11 victory over the Arlington Renegades.Quarterback A.J. McCarron completed 20 of his 27 passes for 214 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. Running back Brian Hill had 115 all-purpose yards, including a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.The Battlehawks put the first points on the board with 5:46 left in the first quarter, behind Donny Hageman's 28-yard field. Taylor Russolino of the Renegades tied the game with a 38-yard field goal late in the second quarter. The Battlehawks responded, as McCarron guided the team down the field in four minutes, culminating with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Darrius Shepherd.The Battlehawks defense gave Renegades quarterback Kyle Sloter fits, intercepting him three times on the day.Arlington running back De'Veon Smith scored early in the fourth qua...

Rockies spring training report: Kyle Freeland pitches three strong innings for Team USA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland had been waiting to don the red, white and blue since he was a kid growing up in Denver.“Just getting the chance to be considered for something like this, to represent your country, is such a cool feeling,” Freeland said last month.Saturday night, he made the most of his opportunity, pitching three innings in Team USA’s 6-2 win over Great Britain in the first round of the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field in Phoenix. Freeland allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Rockies closer Daniel Bard is also pitching for Team USA but he did not make an appearance on Saturday night.Former Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado had a big night against Great Britain. The Cardinals star had three hits and several web gems in the game.Team USA was scheduled to face Mexico on Sunday night in the second round.Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 9Sunday at Salt River FieldsOn the mound: Right-hander T.J. Zeuch, a non-roster invitee, got li...

Selection Sunday winners and losers: Pac-12 escapes embarrassment as ASU joins USC, UCLA and Arizona in the NCAA men’s field

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:34 GMT

The Pac-12 broke precedent on Selection Sunday, sending four teams into the men’s NCAA Tournament when recent history indicated a maximum of three would be invited.Yes, this could have been much worse, folks.The framework for NCAA bids is established in November and December, during the non-conference matchups that create ceilings and floors in the all-important NET rankings. And the Pac-12 was atrocious in the early months of the season.It won a meager 63.6 percent of the games against outside competition — the lowest non-conference win rate, by far, among the power leagues.On four previous occasions in the 12-school era, including last season, the Pac-12 won less than 70 percent of its non-conference games. Each time, it advanced no more than three teams to the NCAAs.This season, the Pac-12 lost four games to the Southwestern Athletic Conference, five to the Mountain West and six to the Big 12 on its stumbling, bumbling path to that 63.6 winning percentage.But despite ...