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15.2.26

NBA's marquee event now all about the league's issues

08:06
NBA's marquee event now all about the league's issues

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Two minutes before NBA commissioner Adam Silver was scheduled to address the media in an upstairs room at Intuit Dome, his deputy, Mark Tatum, cheerfully shook hands with reporters before taking his seat in the front row.

Yahoo Sports

That the league's second-in-command was eagerly anticipating Silver's words, much like the other occupants in the room, was poignant. Given the most prominent talking points that have dominated league discourse lately — the tanking epidemic, sports betting issues and alleged cap circumvention — have become so prevalent, the build-up to Silver's news conference was seismic.

However, following the duration ofSilver's availability— he spoke for around 30 minutes — there were far more questions as a result of his answers (or lack thereof).

The first question posed to the commissioner, and the most detailed response Silver gave, was about the issue of tanking. This makes sense, given how quickly the league office acted in response to recent misbehavior from the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers. Both organizations were fined; $500,000 to the Jazz and $100,000 to the Pacers for actions detrimental to the core values of the NBA. Utah's modus operandi was far more egregious than Indiana's — sitting its two best players for entire fourth quarters in separate close games is worse than holding someone out under the guise of rest, but neither should be tolerated.

"Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we've seen in recent memory?" Silver asked Saturday. "Yes, it is my view. Which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines but to my statement that we're going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams' behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice."

Now, therealproblem with tanking, at least from the vantage point of one writer, is it's the lone arena where 29 other teams can't share in the winnings. At least not initially. (Lottery picks don't always pan out, and sometimes the late firsts and early seconds become the mainstays.) But don't worry, there's no proposal of a quick fix to what's going on, although I'm sure you'veread or heard a plethora of ideas this week alone. All I'm suggesting is Silverhadto do something. For what it's worth, he honestly didn't even want to dignify the mere word of "tanking," but it's reached a point of no return.

There's an answer that lies somewhere in the middle of the ongoing epidemic; not completely punishing teams for losing, but not rewarding the seemingly cunning ones that try to game the system. Sometimes, you're the Sacramento Kings, which goes hand in hand with parity and purgatory. How much better are the Chicago Bulls set up for their future than, say, the Brooklyn Nets? The Clippers and Hornets are both 26-29 heading into the All-Star break — would you consider them to be on equal footing?

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"Part of the problem is if you step back," Silver said, "the fundamental theory behind a draft is to help your worst-performing teams restock and be able to compete, and by the way, yes, we want parity, but parity of opportunity. … My sense is, talking to GMs and coaches around the league, that there's probably even more parity than is reflected in our records. That goes to the incentive issue. It's not clear to me, for example, that the 30th performing team is that much measurably worse than the 22nd performing team, particularly if you have incentive to perform poorly to get a better draft pick. It's a bit of a conundrum."

So where does it end? The Jazz aren't going to suddenly turn over a new leaf and be competitive the rest of the way. Half a million isn't enough to deter or prevent future behavior — Utah has clearly shown it's fine with throwing away money. Vince Williams Jr., who arrived at the deadline, played seven minutes in a 135-119 loss to Portland this week — he's owed $2.3 million. (The Jazz are only on the hook for a prorated amount, but you get the point.) How do you also govern the other teams that could potentially fall under the same umbrella? Silver needs to move quickly before tanking takes on a life of its own, especially considering the talent of incoming players in a few months.

On the topic of expansion, Silver essentially confirmed, then tried to reverse his words about the possibilities of Las Vegas and Seattle being the NBA's next destinations.

"My sense is at the March Board of Governors meetings, we'll be having further discussions around an expansion process," Silver said. "We won't be voting at the March meeting, but we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties. No, it doesn't have to be a two-team expansion. Frankly, it doesn't have to be any number of teams."

Hmm, sure? There are a number of hoops to jump through before arriving at City X and/or Y as expansion teams, but kicking the can down the road by saying you'll make a decision on making a decision in a few months is not as clear as one may think.

In the case of Kawhi Leonard, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and alleged cap circumvention, Silver conceded judiciary control to the Wachtell Lipton firm, the NBA's go-to litigation arm. Ballmer and the Clippers are alleged to have orchestrated a $28 million endorsement deal — an absurd amount of money, enough to seriously threaten the integrity of the league. Maybe it's not as outlandish as former referee Tim Donaghy's scandal (Wachtell Lipton took around a year to finalize its investigation in that matter, according to The Athletic), but the league doesn't need this to drag on for nearly the same length of time. The backlash, not only from fans and media, but the other 29 owners could be seismic.

"I'm not involved day-to-day in the investigation," Silver said. "I think, as I've said before, it's enormously complex. You have a company in bankruptcy. You have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that have been needed to be interviewed. Our charge to the Wachtell law firm is to do the work and then come back and make recommendations to the league office, and that's where things now stand."

All-Star Weekend, in its purest form, is supposed to be a celebration of the good parts of the NBA — the inclusivity, the opportunity and the excellence. An uplifting view of the state of the league. Instead, we're reminded of the economic and moral perils of basketball at the highest level, and head into the break with a slew of unsolved problems.

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JT Toppin puts on low-post masterclass in No. 16 Texas Tech's OT win over No. 1 Arizona

08:06
JT Toppin puts on low-post masterclass in No. 16 Texas Tech's OT win over No. 1 Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Texas Tech's JT Toppin had already scored three baskets in overtime so the next time he got the ball, Arizona's defense collapsed, trying to make anyone besides thepreseason All-America selectionbeat them.

Toppin obliged.

The 6-foot-9 forward whipped the ball back out to the perimeter where Donovan Atwell was waiting. The guard made a 3-pointer that was crucial toNo. 16 Texas Tech finishing a 78-75 road victory over No. 1 Arizonaon Saturday.

"I knew he was going to be over there," Toppin said. "We work on that every day."

The pass to Atwell capped a sensational day for Toppin, who had arguably his best all-around performance of the season with 31 points on 13 of 22 shooting, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. While the Red Raiders (19-6, 9-3 Big 12) have been slightly inconsistent this season, Toppin has been unshakable, scoring at least 10 points in 21 straight games.

Texas Tech beat the No. 1 team for just the third time in school history. The last time was a 65-62 win over Baylor on Jan. 11, 2022.

Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland said Toppin's pass was indicative of the team's dedication as they navigate a difficult conference schedule. Texas Tech has won three straight.

"We're not guessing — this isn't luck," McCasland said. "These dudes practice hard and put themselves in position every day. There's no shortcuts to this. It's a grind and you've got to love it. These dudes love it."

Toppin finished with his 16th double-double of the season and 47th of his career and is now averaging 21.9 points and 11 rebounds per game. He played all but 41 seconds in Saturday's win, showing incredible stamina in a rugged game between two of the most physical teams in the country.

He was at his best during the opening minutes of overtime, scoring on an array of tip-ins and low-post moves that Arizona couldn't defend.

The Wildcats had nothing but good things to say about him postgame.

"He has a really quick second jump," Arizona forward Tobe Awaka said, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds. "He has great body placement, in terms of the ball and tracking it down. He seems to always be in the right place at the right time. Just kudos to him and the type of player he is."

Texas Tech wasn't a one-man show Saturday. Christian Anderson scored 19 points after making six 3-pointers. Atwell finished with 11, including the clutch 3 in overtime and another from behind the arc with 25 seconds left in regulation that capped a 9-0 Red Raiders run and helped push the game to overtime.

Still, Toppin is the team's All-America selection for a reason. He lived up to the billing on a huge stage in a raucous road environment.

"JT Toppin was not going to be denied at the end of this game," McCasland said.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphereandhere(AP News mobile app). AP college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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No matter the stage, Anthony Kim's first win in 16 years is a comeback story we can all get behind

08:06
4Aces GC player Anthony Kim from the US celebrates after he won the LIV Golf Adelaide tournament at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide on February 15, 2026. (Photo by Brenton Edwards / AFP via Getty Images) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

Put aside, just for a moment, the LIV Golf-PGA Tour's subtext of perpetual scuffling. Try not to think about the posturing and skepticism that accompanies virtually every LIV story. Focus, just for a second, on the simple facts:

Anthony Kim won a golf tournament. Against Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. In 2026.

Kim, one of sports' true prodigal sons, claimed LIV's Adelaide event in Australia on Sunday, riding a final-round, nine-birdie 63, turning a five-shot deficit into a three-shot victory. If nothing else — if Kim's story goes no further than this right here — it's a pretty incredible comeback for a guy who briefly ruled the golf world, then literally disappeared for more than a decade.

Every so often, golf produces one of these back-to-the-mountaintop stories, when a name from the past has a late-career week of their lives. Think Jack Nicklaus at the Masters in 1986, Tom Watson (almost) at the Open Championship in 2009, Tiger Woods at the Masters in 2019, Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship in 2021. Everything comes together for one weekend, past meeting present, and it's remarkable to see.

Obviously, Kim's victory doesn't have anywhere near that historical resonance; about the only thing Adelaide and Augusta National have in common is a starting letter. But Kim's first professional win in nearly 16 years is an impressive story of facing down the demons of addiction and injury.

"For anyone who's struggling, you can get through anything" -@AnthonyKim_GolfInspirational.#LIVGolfAdelaidepic.twitter.com/oRvavK7iPC

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league)February 15, 2026

It's tough to remember now, but for a brief moment, Kim's popularity in golf was second only to Woods — and Woods' personal scandals erupted right as Kim was playing his best golf. Before Scottie Scheffler, before Brooks Koepka, before Jordan Spieth, before Rahm and DeChambeau, before Rory McIlroy had won a single tournament, there was Kim. He went toe-to-toe with Tiger, he hung with Michael Jordan, he was a SportsCenter darling back when SportsCenter was, well, the center of the sports universe.

Scanning leaderboards from Kim's prime 2009-10 era feels like looking at faded family pictures in a scrapbook. There's only one player from Kim's most recent win, the 2010 Shell Houston Open, still in the top 20: ageless wonder Justin Rose. The tee sheet at Kim's most recent Masters, 2011, included Ernie Els, Mark O'Meara, Craig Stadler and Watson.

But after suffering an Achilles injury in 2012, Kim stepped away from the game. And not in the "showing-up-on-NBA-sidelines-and-ESPN-red-carpets" kind of way. No, he flat-outvanishedfor more than a decade. Rumors of Kim surfaced here and there — he was playing golf with buddies in Oklahoma, he was keeping in shape in California, he hadn't touched a club in five years — but no one managed to get even a picture of Kim, much less his story.

"I was around some bad people," Kim said in 2024. "People that took advantage of me. Scam artists. When you're 24, 25, even 30 years old, you don't realize the snakes that are living under your roof."

That's why Greg Norman'sdramatic 2024 reveal of Kimas a new LIV addition caused such a ripple in certain segments of golf fandom. Kim was once the coolest dude possible, the heir to Woods, the herald of a new era of golf. What would he have left after so many years away from the game?

Not much, to start. He failed to earn even a single point in his first two seasons on the tour, and was relegated. That could have been the end of his story, but he managed to place third in LIV's Promotions Event, posted a T22 in the first tournament of the season … and now this. A win is a win, especially when two of the world's best are in your final grouping.

It'll be interesting to see how the golf establishment views this victory. LIV players, as expected, haveralliedaroundKim. European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald was one of the first non-LIV players to praise Kim's achievement, unsurprising given that it occurred in the middle of the night for America:

Way to go AK!Redemption stories always resonate. From being one of the most talented players in the world, to disappearing from the game, to putting in the work to get yourself back into the winner's circle - that takes something special.We all fail at times. Not everyone has…

— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald)February 15, 2026

For LIV, this is undoubtedly the most significant victory in the tour's history. This story will break wide in a way that, say, Rippers GC's latest team victory at Adelaide won't. The presence of Rahm and DeChambeau legitimizes the win, and LIV's challenge now is transforming this burst of fans' attention into longer-term connections.

For Kim, the takeaway is much more simple. Yes, he'll rise up to around 200th in the world rankings, but that's not the real story here. Kim picked himself up from life's floor, got his life back together, and returned to the top of the leaderboard. Right now, that's more than enough.

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Jeffries goes all in on redrawing maps favoring Democrats — with House control on the line

07:34
Jeffries goes all in on redrawing maps favoring Democrats — with House control on the line

As Hakeem Jeffries sits in the minority of a GOP-controlled Washington, he is still haunted by a Republican gerrymandering gambit that he believes cost him the speaker's gavel — and cost his party control of the House.

CNN House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries answers questions during a press conference at the US Capitol on Thursday. - Win McNamee/Getty Images

This time, he's making sure Democrats fight back.

Jeffries is leading the Democratic party's counterpunch toPresident Donald Trump's aggressive mid-decaderedistricting push.He's going all in with money, legal firepower and his own political capital to make sure no seat is left on the table for Democrats — forcing the party to abandon the left's longtime moral opposition to party-line map meddling.

"Republicans started this redistricting war, and Democrats have made clear, we're going to finish it," Jeffries said in an interview with CNN. "When they go low, we strike back."

Top Democrats, including Jeffries, are buoyed by signs of surging anti-Trump sentiment across the country —with special election wins even in ruby red parts of Texas— and believe they will capture the House, and possibly the Senate, in November. But Jeffries believes he can't afford to ignore the GOP's gerrymandering, when just three seats in North Carolina in 2024 were enough to cost Democrats the majority.

Aftera huge win on redistricting in California, Jeffries is vowing to spend "tens of millions" of dollars to push through an April ballot initiativein Virginiato potentially give Democrats four more seats. And he is now turning his attention to Maryland, where Democrats' big gerrymandering gamble is facing its most difficult test yet. Jeffries and other top Democrats are now intensifying pressure on a key party leader, the 42-year-old Baltimorean who runs the state Senate, who refuses to help draw his party another more favorable seat that would target the state's lone GOP-held congressional district.

Jeffries issued a stark warning to that Democrat, state Senate President Bill Ferguson — suggesting the move could help Trump's GOP win the midterms.

"One man shouldn't stand in the way of the people of Maryland … being able to decide, 'Should we go in this direction? Or should we not answer Donald Trump's continued efforts to rig the midterm election?'" Jeffries said.

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, right, speaks during a press conference alongside Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, in Severna Park, Maryland, on January 20. - Stephanie Scarbrough/AP

If Ferguson doesn't back down, Jeffries vowed to personally apply the pressure: "At some point I'm going to have a conversation with him if he continues to stand in the way of an up-or-down vote." CNN has reached out to Ferguson for comment.

The prevailing sentiment in the Maryland Senate Democratic Caucus, however, is one of skepticism. They insist a new map at this point would only backfire on Democrats.

"It's not a question of one man, but a caucus that measures the risk calculation differently given recent past experience," a person close to the Maryland Senate Democratic Caucus told CNN.

While the caucus agreed with Jeffries that fighting Trump should the top goal, this person added: "Unfortunately, mid-cycle redistricting in Maryland would have the opposite impact and likely backfire in the state courts, giving Trump and the GOP even more seats in Congress."

Top Democrats, including Jeffries, never expected a mid-decade redistricting push to be the centerpiece of their midterms strategy. It's expensive and legally fraught with plenty of political pitfalls. Already, Jeffries and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker struggled to find support for a mid-decade map redraw in blue Illinois. (With early voting already underway in Illinois, Jeffries' allies insist the state could still be muscled to act, if necessary, such as if the Supreme Court strikes down part of the Voting Rights Act and creates what one Democratic operative called "a worst-case-scenario" for the party.)

Democrats say they were dragged into the redistricting fight by Trump and the GOP, who kicked offthe redistricting arms race last year in Texas.Now, as many Democrats see it, it's the new future of House campaigning.

Jeffries and his team are already looking ahead to states like Washington, Colorado and even Pennsylvania for the 2028 cycle, according to multiple people familiar with party strategy. In their minds, it's not just the path to the House majority this year, it's the way to hold onto it.

"(Trump) wanted to rig the midterm elections, and for whatever the reason, didn't think that Democrats were going to forcefully respond. He got that wrong," Jeffries said.

Just months after the GOP's Texas effort, Democrats believe they are on track to gain as many as five seats in California, one in Utah and several in Virginia — moves that could nearly neutralize the GOP's own gerrymandering push. Another seat could be coming in New York if a court challenge goes their way.

Republicans, meanwhile, have enacted new congressional maps in four states, targeting nine House seats held by Democrats. (One seat in Missouri, though, is still tied up in courts.) A big push in Florida is still to come.

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Jeffries, though, believes it could end up as a wash.

"The best-case scenario for Republicans at this point is status quo, which is very different than what they were claiming when they were beating on their chest last year, saying they were going to gerrymander our opportunities out of existence," Jeffries said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries talks to reporters at the US Capitol on January 30. - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Both parties are closely watching another big state fight: Virginia.

Newly elected Gov. Abigail Spanberger and state Democrats are pursuing a strategy so aggressive that it's surprised even some Democrats in Washington. They are looking to eliminate as many as four GOP seats, transforming their House delegation — which has six Democrats and five Republicans — into one with 10 Democrats and just one Republican.

That's all in a state where Kamala Harris won by about 6 points.

Jeffries told CNN he is willing to devote "tens of millions of dollars" to make sure Democrats are successful on the ballot in April. (House Majority Forward, a group linked to Jeffries, committed $5 million last week, and it is expected to spend more before April, the group told CNN.)

Democrats are much more anxious about neighboring Maryland, where Jeffries and others are ratcheting up pressure on the state Senate president to yield in time.

It may not be enough. Ferguson and others in the caucus are insisting there is no path forward, both publicly and privately, according to interviews with a half-dozen people closely tracking the state's push.

"At the end of the day, if he won't bring it to a vote, there's not much you can do about that," Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Maryland Democrat, told CNN.

Ivey said he personally wouldn't have chosen this path if Trump hadn't forced Democrats' hand, adding: "It's an awful game."

But Ivey, like many others, is deeply anxious about what could happen if blue-leaning Maryland ignores what GOP leaders in Texas, Florida, North Carolina and other states are doing.

"We better not lose the House by one seat," Ivey said.

The Maryland flag is seen in Annapolis, Maryland, on April 7, 2025. - Jonathan Newton for The Washington Post/Getty Images

Ferguson and other skeptics believe a new Democratic map in Maryland would not survive the courts and could ultimately backfire. Andy Harris, the GOP lawmaker who stands to lose the seat if Democrats redraw the maps, predicted that Republicans could actually gain a seat if Democrats moved forward — with a court forcing them to redraw in favor of the GOP.

"We'll get a second seat. That's why the Senate president doesn't want to do it," Harris said in an interview with CNN.

But Jeffries was blunt when asked about a new map backfiring on Democrats: "That's not going to happen."

Top Democrats believe they can still win back the House even without that single additional seat in Maryland. But they don't want to take the gamble.

Asked if Ferguson's move could cost Democrats a possible majority, Jeffries said: "Well, he'd have to live with that."

CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi, Jeffrey Ackermann and Jenna Monnin contributed to this report.

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Ancient Egyptian artifacts stolen from Australian museum

07:34
Ancient Egyptian artifacts stolen from Australian museum

He turned "cat burglar" into a job description.

NBC Universal A split composite image of an cat statue, left, and a head sculpture (Queensland Police)

A 52‑year‑old man has been charged afteran Egyptian cat sculptureand "priceless" artifacts were stolen from an Australian history museum,Queenslandpolice said Sunday.

The suspect is accused of smashing a window at the AbbeyMuseum of Art and Archaeology in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, in the early hours of Friday morning, before making off with the ancient haul.

Authorities quickly recovered the stolen treasures, including the 2,600-year-old wooden feline, a 3,300-year-old necklace, a mummy mask and a collarfrom a mummy.

All the stolen items have now been recovered with only minor damage after searching a camper van, police said, with most of the artifacts still intact.

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Police located the vehicle in a parking lot at a ferry terminal at around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, roughly 50 miles from the museum, following a two-day search.

The suspect, who has no fixed address, was allegedly found in possession of the final missing item — the wooden cat sculpture. He was arrested on Russell Island, a small island off the coast of Queensland, hours later and has been charged with breaking and entering, along with three counts of willful damage.

He is due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday.

The heist wasn't quite as movie‑made asthe Louvre heist in October 2025, when four masked thieves pulled off a daylight robbery in just seven minutes, smashing display cases to steal eight pieces of France's historic crown jewels.

France's Ministry of Culture confirmed the jewels stolen included a necklace and a pair of earrings from the Marie-Louise collection; a necklace, earrings and a tiara from the Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense collection; and a brooch, bodice bow and a tiara from the collection of Empress Eugénie.

The stolen jewels areworth an estimated $102 million, and the majority were not recovered.

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'Be practical.' Obama says Democrats need to change approach on homelessness

07:34
'Be practical.' Obama says Democrats need to change approach on homelessness

Former PresidentBarack Obamaspoke about homelessness in a new interview, urging his fellow Democrats to change their approach on the issue and saying many Americans don't want to "navigate around a tent city" in major urban areas.

"Morally, ethically speaking, it is an atrocity that in a country that's wealthy, we have people just on the streets, and we should insist on policies that recognize their full humanity," Obama said, speaking to progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen in aninterviewreleased Feb. 14.

Obama had been speaking about immigration enforcement before making the comments on homelessness, arguing that progressive and moderate Democrats debate the two crises similarly online.

More:'Clown show': Barack Obama on Trump post depicting Obamas as apes

"Sometimes, I think what happens in the online debate is, if somebody suggests, well, we have to have some immigration enforcement, then somebody is going to point at that child and say, 'So you don't care about that kid, so you must be a bad person.' The same would be true, let's say here in Los Angeles, around the homeless issue," he said.

Obama said Democrats need to acknowledge that "the average person doesn't want to have to navigate around a tent city," and the party won't be able to build enough support to tackle the problem if Democrats can't build a working majority.

"That doesn't mean that we care less about those folks," the former president said, referring to people experiencing homelessness. "It means that if we really care about them, then we've got to try to figure out, how do we gain majority support and be practical in terms of what we can get through at this moment in time, and build on those victories."

Former President Barack Obama campaigns with Democratic candidate for New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill during a rally in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., November 1, 2025.

Homelessness in many parts of the United States has been on the rise. In 2024, the most recent year of data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, more people were experiencing homelessness compared with any year since data collection began in 2007. The department'spoint-in-time surveyfound an 18% jump in homelessness from 2023 to 2024, with a total of 771,480 people experiencing homelessness.

The issue has been a lightning rod issue not only between moderate and progressive Democrats, but among Republicans as well.President Donald Trumphas repeatedly tried to crack down on people experiencing homeless in the nation's capital and across the country.

In July 2025, hesigned an orderdirecting Attorney GeneralPam Bondito seek to reverse federal and state legal precedents that limit authorites' ability to movehomeless people from streetsand encampments into treatment centers. Critics immediately raised concerns that the effortswould only worsen the problem.

Trump's move came after theSupreme Court ruled in June 2025 that people without homescan be arrested and fined for sleeping in public spaces, overturning a lower court's ruling that enforcing camping bans when shelter is lacking is cruel and unusual punishment.

A month later, Trump rejected the longstanding "housing first" approach to tackling homelessness during the federal takeover of Washington law enforcement, resulting in awidespread sweepof homeless encampments.

"I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before," Trump shared in a post onTruth Social. "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital."

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Obama talks homelessness, Democratic fights in podcast interview

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No. 6 UConn remains atop Big East despite late Georgetown surge

06:06
No. 6 UConn remains atop Big East despite late Georgetown surge

Solo Ball scored 20 points as sixth-ranked UConn stayed atop the Big East by holding on for a 79-75 victory over Georgetown Saturday night in Storrs, Conn.

Field Level Media

The Huskies (24-2, 14-1 Big East) won their second straight game following an 81-72 loss to then-No. 22 St. John's on Feb. 6 to remain a half-game ahead of the Red Storm, who earned a 10-point win in Providence earlier in the day.

Ball scored 16 in the first half after tallying 24 Wednesday at Butler. The junior guard made 7 of 17 shots and hit five of UConn's 11 3s on 15 attempts.

Alex Karaban added 13 of his 18 points in the second half, when the Huskies fended off multiple comeback attempts by the Hoyas. Karaban earned his 116th win at UConn, becoming the all-time winningest player in school history.

Silas DeMary Jr. totaled 15 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to nearly finish with his second triple-double of the season. Braylon Mullins and Eric Reibe contributed 10 apiece as the Huskies survived Tarris Reed Jr. being in foul trouble in the second half.

The Huskies shot 47.2% and won despite shooting 4-of-17 from three in the second half.

KJ Lewis led all scorers with 24 points, including a 4-point play with 24 seconds left to get the Hoyas (13-12, 5-9) within 77-74. Vince Iwuchukwu added 16 and Kayvaun Mulready contributed 15, but Georgetown lost its 12th straight game to UConn.

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The Hoyas shot 43.6% and made 12 of 28 3s, including 7 of 13 in the final 20 minutes.

Georgetown forged a 25-25 tie on two free throws by Iwuchukwu with 7:07 left in the first half, but Ball hit two 3-pointers, a layup and a dunk as the Huskies held a 41-33 advantage at halftime.

Karaban and Ball hit 3s for a 58-46 lead with 10:42 left before the Huskies struggled to finish the game from there.

The Hoyas led 72-68 following a contested three by Lewis with 2:34 to go. After a timeout and a pair of missed threes by teammates, DeMary hit two free throws with 1:56 left to extend the lead to six.

Following the 4-point play, Lewis stole Karaban's inbounds pass with 14 seconds left and Mulready split two free throws with 11 seconds left to make it 77-75.

Karaban clinched the win with two free throws with 10 seconds left followed by a missed 3-pointer by Mulready.

--Field Level Media

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