Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers among coaches to sign letter over concerns about 'political interference' at colleges

The NBA's Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers joined a host of coaches who signed a public letter of concern on behalf of student-athletes whose independence and integrity of their American universities has "come under political attack."

"Right now, at both the federal and state levels, acts of political interference threaten the independence of our colleges and universities,"the letterread. "Punitive cuts to research funds, censoring of curricula, intimidation of university leaders and faculty, and the deployment of federal enforcement officers on college grounds are dividing our campuses and detracting from teaching and learning. Steep funding cuts put women's and Olympic sports at risk.

"When students are afraid to speak their minds, they cannot give their all. When campuses are polarized, it's hard to maintain the 'one team' spirit we instill in the locker room. The unprecedented pressure by the federal and certain state governments on colleges and universities undercuts the values we have sought to instill in student-athletes.

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"We're asking college sports leaders and fans across the country to stand with us. Tell your elected representatives to let universities remain free and independent. Stand for Campus Freedom."

The letter appeared on Stand for Campus Freedom's website. According to the site, "Stand for Campus Freedom is a nonpartisan project uniting alumni across generations, geographies, and viewpoints to protect academic freedom and stand up for democracy. Together, we are building a national movement that holds universities accountable to their highest ideals, resists political coercion, and strengthens America's leadership on the world stage."

Coaches for Campus Freedom, "a new effort of current and former sports coaches calling out political interference in higher education," includes Kerr and Rivers, the Collegiate Hall of Fame's John Beilein, Jim Boeheim and Muffett McGraw, as well as Harvard's Tommy Amaker and Yale's James Jones, among others.

"Their open letter delivers a blunt warning: federal and state government interference is threatening the independence of universities and colleges, undermining college sports, and harming campus culture," Stand for Campus Freedom's website announced.

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Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers among coaches to sign letter over concerns about 'political interference' at colleges

The NBA's Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers joined a host of coaches who signed a public letter of concern on behalf of stude...

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Paralympians try to focus on Milan Cortina Games amid tensions over Iran war, return of Russian flag

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Athletes at the Milan CortinaWinter Paralympics, the first global sports event since thewar in the Middle Eastbegan last week, have been trying to block out news of the conflicts and focus on their preparations for the Games thatofficially start on Friday.

Milan Cortina Paralympics Wheelchair Curling

Others have been outspoken about the return of theRussian flagto the global stage and are defending their nation's boycott of Friday's opening ceremony.

The Games that mark the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics are getting underway amid the ongoing military attacks by the United States, Israel and Iran. The conflicts prompted travel difficulties for some of the nations coming to Italy because ofwidespread flight disruptions. Iran was due to have one skier at Milan Cortina, although his participation was yet to be confirmed.

"We are here to do a job," U.S. wheelchair curler Laura Dwyer told The Associated Press on Thursday. "We are in the village, and we are at the venue, and we are working really hard to show up, and to do good things, and represent. So that's what we are focused on, and no place I'd rather be than this beautiful place with this guy right here and at the Paralympic Games."

Dwyer is competing with Stephen Emt in the mixed-doubles discipline that is debuting at the Winter Paralympics.

"We are just concerned with the ice, concerned with the stones and the competition," Emt said. "We know that we are in a good place and we are going to continue to battle for the USA."

The curling competition began two days ahead of the opening ceremony and other curlers have weighed in about competing amid the conflicts elsewhere.

"To be honest, I don't really think about it," British curler Jo Butterfield said. "There's lots of things going on in the world right now, but I've been training to do this for a long time and we're here to curl. I'm a firm believer that sport can rally people, and hopefully some good news stories on the back pages will help the public be happy."

The opening ceremony will also come amid the boycott of some nations showing solidarity with Ukraine over the return to the Russian flag and anthem.

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Russian athletes will compete under their own flag at the Paralympics for the first time in more than a decade, and the country's national anthem could be played for gold medalists for the first time on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ukraine was the first to announce that it would boycott the opening ceremony because of Russia, and the International Paralympic Committee says several others are planning not to attend because of political reasons: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, and Lithuania.

"There is war and we are against war," Latvian curler Polina Rozkova said. "It's not allowed (to have a) country under their own flag when their country is attacking another country. It's our opinion that we are against war. We try to listen less to the news, but of course, everything is terrible and maybe somehow it's also influencing us."

Estonian curler Katlin Riidebach said she was trying to focus on the competition but felt it was important for the Estonian Paralympic Committee to make a stance and boycott the opening ceremony.

"Honestly, in here I don't want to make a political statement," Riidebach said. "I know that we have decided not to go to the opening ceremony ... We think it's important to say it loud that the war is not OK and people should know. And even though we don't want to say it, sports and politics are very engaged, so if athletes can say their opinion, I think we should do it."

Ahead of the Games, the IPC did not approve an item of the Ukraine uniform because it contained a map that fell within the forbidden categories of "national anthems lyrics, motivational words, public/political messaging or slogans related to national identity."

The IPC said an alternative uniform was approved within 24 hours after "dialogue" with the Ukrainian National Paralympic Committee.

AP Winter Paralympics:https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games

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Paralympians try to focus on Milan Cortina Games amid tensions over Iran war, return of Russian flag

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Athletes at the Milan CortinaWinter Paralympics, the first global sports event since ...

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Zelenskyy says he's reluctant to repair pipeline that brings Russian oil to Central Europe

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that he would prefer not to repair a damaged oil pipeline that delivers Russian crude to Central Europe despite rising tensions with neighboring Hungary and Slovakia over interruptions to oil flows.

Russianoil shipments to Hungaryand Slovakia have been halted since Jan. 27 after what Ukrainian officials say wereRussian drone attacksthat damaged the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory.

The populist leaders of Hungary and Slovakia, which unlike most European Union countries continue to import Russian fossil fuels, have accused Ukraine of deliberately holding up supplies. Kyiv says that continuous Russian strikes mean that carrying out repairs puts technicians in danger, and that even if repaired, Druzhba would remain vulnerable to further attacks.

In a news conference on Thursday, Zelenskyy expressed his reluctance to repair the pipeline despite Hungarian and Slovak demands.

"To be honest, I wouldn't restore it. This is my position," Zelenskyy said.

The government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is widely seen as the Kremlin's biggest advocate in the EU, hasblocked a 90-billion euro ($106 billion) EU loanto Ukraine over the interruption to oil shipments, and vowed to veto any further pro-Ukraine decisions until oil flows resume.

Meanwhile, Orbán — who is trailing in polls before a major election challenge next month — has escalated anaggressive anti-Ukraine campaignin Hungary, portraying the embattled country as an existential threat. He has claimed without evidence that Ukraine and Zelenskyy seek to bankrupt Hungary, and warned voters that if he loses the election, the country would become directly involved in the conflict with Russia.

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Speaking to an economic forum on Thursday, Orbán said "we will win and we will win with force" in the feud with Ukraine over oil shipments.

"We have political and financial tools, and with these we will compel them, unconditionally and preferably as soon as possible, to reopen the Druzhba pipeline," Orbán said. "I will make no pact, there will be no compromise. We will defeat them."

Hungary and Slovakia have proposed sending a fact-finding mission to the pipeline site in western Ukraine to assess the scope of the damage and whether oil flows can resume. Zelenskyy on Thursday said he'd received no official request from the EU to allow inspectors to access the site, but that "I think it will certainly come in one format or another."

Zelenskyy added that he hopes "one person" will not block the EU's 90-billion euro loan which Ukraine needs to continue funding its defense against Russia's invasion.

"This is Russian oil, and there are certain principles that have no price," he continued. "They kill us, and we have to give oil to Orbán because he cannot win elections without it?"

Associated Press writer Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to this report.

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Zelenskyy says he's reluctant to repair pipeline that brings Russian oil to Central Europe

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that he would prefer not to repair a damag...

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Judge rules against Shilo Sanders, son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, in bankruptcy lawsuit

A judge in a bankruptcy lawsuit filed against former Colorado football player Shilo Sandersdenied Sanders' request to dismiss a complaintalleging he violated bankruptcy law, according to USA Today.

The complaint is related to an incident in 2015, in which Sanders reportedly assaulted a security guard at Sanders' high school. That security guard, John Darjean, claimed he was left with permanent injuries from the assault, including "neurological injuries and damage to his cervical spine," per USA Today.

Darjean sued both Sanders — who was 15 years old at the time — and his parents, former NFL star Deion Sanders and wife Pilar, following the incident. Deion and Pilar were eventually dropped from the lawsuit before it went to trial in 2022.

Shilo, however, did not show up to the trial, resulting in the court entering adefault judgment against him for nearly $12 million. Shilofiled for bankruptcythe following year as a way to get out of that debt.

As a result, a trustee — David Wadsworth — was assigned to Sanders to manage his assets. Wadsworth, however, filed a complaint against Sanders last October alleging Sanders "violated bankruptcy law bymaking unauthorized transfersof approximately $250,000," per USA Today. Sanders filed to have thatsuit dismissedin November.

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But the suit filed by Wadsworth will be allowed to continue following Judge Michael Romero's ruling Wednesday, per USA Today.

In his complaint, Wadsworth alleged that the $250,000 in earnings that Sanders transferred should have been put into the bankruptcy estate, and not given to Sanders. Romero ruled that Wadsworth's argument was sound enough to allow the case to continue.

In bankruptcy cases, earnings filed before declaring bankruptcy are generally put into the bankruptcy estate. Earnings made after filing for bankruptcy typically belong to the person who filed for bankruptcy.

Wadsworth argued that some of the money Sanders made from NIL or from his businesses deserve to go into the bankruptcy estate. Romero said Wadsworth "supported his claims with sufficient factual allegations," which is why the complaint was allowed to proceed.

All of that, however, could be completely upended in August. On Tuesday, Romero set an Aug. 31 trial date to determine whether Sanders inflicted "willful and malicious" injuries to Darjean in 2015. If it is determined that Sanders did intend to hurt Darjean, his debt and bankruptcy filing will remain valid. If not, Sanders would be able to discharge the debt andget out of the bankruptcy process, per USA Today. That August ruling would presumably affect Wadsworth's complaint against Sanders.

Following his time at Colorado, Sanders went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. He hooked on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent, but did not make the final 53-man roster.

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Judge rules against Shilo Sanders, son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, in bankruptcy lawsuit

A judge in a bankruptcy lawsuit filed against former Colorado football player Shilo Sandersdenied Sanders' request to...

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Inter Miami visits White House: Will Messi attend? Here's what we know

MLS Cup champion Inter Miami will visit PresidentDonald Trumpat the White House on Thursday, March 5 to commemorate their 2025 title.

Lionel Messi – the two-time MLS MVP, eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and Argentine World Cup champion – could attend the ceremony. Inter Miami's entire team is expected to attend, according to a team spokesman. It's unclear whether co-owner and former soccer star David Beckham will also attend.

Inter Miami is taking part in what has become a customary event for professional and college sports champions in the United States to be congratulated by the president.

The ceremony is expected to begin around 4 p.m. ET in the East Room of the White House.

Inter Miami traveled to Washington D.C. on Thursday morning – two days before a match against D.C. United in Baltimore on Saturday, March 7 ahead of the visit.

"We are going because we are champions from last season," Inter Miami midfielder Telasco Segovia said earlier this week. "I don't get involved with politics, but I know it's an important occasion."

See Lionel Messi and Inter Miami's jubilant MLS title celebrations

How to watch Inter Miami's White House visit?

The visit can be live streamed from theWhite House's YouTube channel.

Messi makes the trip with Inter Miami

Messi is included in a pre-flight video before Inter Miami's trip to D.C. on Thursday morning.

Inter Miami takes off for White House trip

Inter Miami departed from South Florida early Thursday, sharing social media posts – which did not include Messi in the photos.

Has Messi visited the White House before?

Not yet – this would be Messi's first visit to the White House.

Messi wasawarded the Presidential Medal of FreedomfromPresident Joe Bidenin January 2025, but he did not attend the ceremony due to a scheduling issue during Inter Miami's offseason.

What does Messi's visit mean for World Cup?

If Messi visits the White House, Trump will have met two of soccer's greatest players in the past five months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

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Soccer's all-time leading goal scorerCristiano Ronaldo attended a black-tie dinnerat the White House when Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman last November.

Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino have become good friends in the past few years, highlighted by several White House visits. Infantino also awarded Trump with FIFA's Peace Prize during the World Cup draw in December.

Messi, who plays for reigning World Cup champion Argentina, has yet to declare he will play in the tournament. But it's a safe bet he will.

Why is the visit to the White House controversial?

The United States and Israel beganstrikes on Iran early on Saturday, Feb. 28, in a campaign thatkilled the nation's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameneiand several top officials, among others. Iran is a participating nation in the World Cup, though Trump recently said"I really don't care"if the country takes part in the tournament.

Also in late February, Trump invited the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams after both winning gold medals at theMilan Cortina Olympics. However, Trump made what was seen as a sexist remark on a phone call with the men's team after their win, joking that he would also have toinvite the women's team to the White House. Whilethe men's team visited, the women's team declined their invitation.

Trump's widespread immigration crackdown with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) is also an ongoing controversy.ICE officials could be present at World Cup games this summer, acting director Todd Lyons said last month.

Have MLS Cup-winning teams visited the White House before?

Inter Miami will be the first MLS Cup winner to visit the White House during either of Trump's presidencies.

David Beckham, an Inter Miami co-owner, attended a White House ceremony with the LA Galaxy in 2012 after winning the 2011 MLS Cup. The Galaxy also visited for titles won in 2012 and 2014 with President Barack Obama. Obama also welcomed the Columbus Crew (2008), Real Salt Lake (2009), Colorado Rapids (2010) and Sporting Kansas City (2013) to the White House.

The last MLS club to visit the White House was the Columbus Crew, who visited Biden in 2024 to celebrate their 2023 title.

D.C. United was the first MLS winner to visit the White House in 1998 when President Bill Clinton was in office.

How did Messi, Inter Miami win MLS Cup?

Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 towin the 2025 MLS Cupon Dec. 6, 2025.

When is Messi's next game?

Messi is expected to play when Inter Miami faces D.C. United at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday, March 7 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The match will bestreamed by Apple TV.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Messi, Inter Miami visits Trump in White House, live updates

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Inter Miami visits White House: Will Messi attend? Here's what we know

MLS Cup champion Inter Miami will visit PresidentDonald Trumpat the White House on Thursday, March 5 to commemorate their...

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